《Dungeon Predator》 Chapter 1: Awakening

Chapter 1: Awakening

Trantor: Boko All of a sudden, a truck came rushing by. Kwang! Jae Woo''s body flew into the air. A dizziness akin to falling from the sky without a parachute overwhelmed him. His entire body screamed, feeling pain that felt as though his entire body was broken apart. The eyes of his family members bing ever so distant... ''Ah... shit.'' Jae Woo lost consciousness. * * * Upon awakening, the first thing he saw was his little sisters. "Big brother!" Their faces trailing with tears. "Euh." He was about to ask them why they were crying, but he couldn''t open his mouth properly. "Do you recognize me?" Yura asked. "Huoh." ''Of course I do. You''re my little sister.'' "Big brother! Big brother!" Mina said anxiously. "Mina." When they heard him say, "Mina", they were overjoyed and hugged him. "You finally woke up, big brother." "What a relief. Seriously, what a huge relief." He had miraculouslye back to life. * * * A week had already passed since Jae Woo''s awakening. He was still bedridden, but he didn''t have any problemsmunicating. Until just now. "What did you say?" Jae Woo asked. "You''ve been in aa for thest 2 years," the Doctor said. "Excuse me?" Jae Woo couldn''t believe it. "It''s not true... right?" Jae Woo asked, as he looked at his little sisters. ''Please tell me it''s not true!'' his eyes seemed to cry out. His little sisters grabbed his hands. "Big brother..." "It''s ok. You managed to wake up." They said, squeezing his hands tightly. However, their constion had no effect on him at all. ''2 years?'' It was neither 2 days, 2 weeks, or even 2 months. 2 whole years! Jae Woo just stared at the ceiling. He couldn''t ept this at all. "..." But because his little sisters were beside him, holding his hands, Jae Woo was narrowly able to get over his shock. "What happened to me?" he asked, wanting to ascertain why he''d been in aa for so long. "You were hit by a truck," Yura said. "A truck?" Once she said ''a truck'', Jae Woo recollected an image. A white truck that had driven onto the sidewalk, the car''s light that made him dizzy, and his body, which had frozen in panic! And the "kwang"! "Ugh!" Jae Woo shivered and retched. "Big brother!" "Are you ok?" His little sisters came rushing over, but he put a hand up to motion that he was fine. "What about the driver?" Jae Woo asked, his face ashen. "They said he died. Right on the scene," Yura replied. "Apparently, he was asleep at the wheel," Mina added. "What aboutpensation?" Jae Woo was curious aboutpensation. Compensation for his 2 years in aa. "..." Yura and Mina kept their mouths shut. "Didn''t you hear me?" Jae Woo asked. "..." The two couldn''t answer easily. If they gave the wrong response, then Jae Woo might go into shock again. But based on their reactions, Jae Woo could tell what had happened. ''We weren''t properlypensated for the ident! Then, my hospital bill...'' "How far are we in debt?" Jae Woo asked. Since they weren''t properlypensated, they must''ve taken out a loan to pay for his medical bills. "We''ll tell you next time... You still need to rest," Yura said. She sounded really concerned for him. "It''s fine, just tell me," Jae Woo said as softly as he could. It was a sign saying that, ''I''m ok, so just tell me.'' "I''m not really sure, but we sold the house," Mina said in lieu of Yura. "You sold the house!?" Jae Woo''s face contorted instantly. ''You know how valuable that house is!'' In his 3rd year of middle school, Jae Woo lost his father in an ident. They''d lost their breadwinner, so things got progressively tougher. Thus, Jae Woo forwent school and decided to be a pro-gamer to make money. And it went well. He used to be the best of the best in ''Warlord'', the top virtual reality game for the past 5 years. He was called the ''Human Dragon'' in-game. As in, he was so strong that peoplepared his skill level to that of a dragon. Because of that, he''d made a ton of money by selling expensive items and in-game currency. He''d taken out a lot of loans, but he had managed to buy a two story house. He''d wanted them to live safely in that house! But because he''d undergone such a random ident, that house had gone up in smoke. "Haa," Jae Woo sighed deeply in frustration. Then, he saw his little sisters looking at him. "Yura, you''re in your senior year, right?" Jae Woo forced himself to smile and changed the subject. If he kept bringing up the house, then the mood would sour. "Yeah." Yura knew what he was doing and nodded her head. "It must''ve been tough keeping up with your studies and taking care of me at the same time. I''m really sorry about that," Jae Woo said. "You don''t need to be sorry!" His apology only made her eyes water, which made him choke up as well. "I''m sorry to you too, Mina." His voice broke. "It''s fine, since you''re ok." Mina''s eyes had turned red as well. "Don''t cry, dummy," Jae Woo said to Mina. "Bleh. Your eyes are red too, big brother," Mina said, pointing to his eyes. "I''m just tired," Jae Woo bluffed so that he wouldn''t look weak in front of them. "Yeah, yeah. Of course you are." Mina nodded her head exaggeratedly. "I''m serious!" Jae Woo insisted. "Sure, sure!" He obviously wasn''t able to convince them. "A man''s only allowed to cry three times. When they''re born, when their parents die, and..." Before he could finish, Mina cut in. "Right now." Mina smiled, even though her eyes were brimming with tears. "Yeah, right now." Jae Woo followed suit and smiled. "They say you''re not supposed to cry and then start smiling right after..." Yura wiped her tears and smiled too. "Who cares!" Jae Woo thought that he was truly fortunate to be able to be with his younger sisters like this. * * * He spent 2 years on a bed. His body obviously wouldn''t move as it once did, so he needed to undergo physical therapy. Physical therapy was tough and it went by slowly. And pain continued to follow. "One more time!" the physical therapist said. Jae Woo grabbed onto the bars and took a step. "Ugh!" His face contorted. Whenever he moved, his body screamed. Despite that, Jae Woo continued his physical therapy in silence. Day by day. ''If I manage to walk today, then I''ll be able to run tomorrow!'' Jae Woo grit his teeth and concentrated on his physical therapy. Because of that, he was discharged earlier than nned. "You can leave the hospital now." "Thank you very much." Jae Woo and his little sisters took a taxi to their new residence. He disembarked from the taxi and was supported by his sisters on both sides. They then led him towards their new house. "This is it." Yura pointed towards the staircase that lead underground. An unpleasant aroma seeped into his nose. "Mm." He''d somewhat expected this, but it was a lot different from the two story house that they''d lived in prior. First off, it was underground! Compared to their previous house, where there was abundant sunshine, their current residence was mostly underground. Not only that, but they couldn''t really see the sun, due to the tiny windows. So it was damp and dark. There were cobwebs everywhere and it was obvious that the ce was infested with cockroaches. There were only two rooms, yet if three or four peopleid down, they''d be cramped. The wallpaper was worn and yellow. The bathroom was obviously just as small and smelled moist. The washing machine took up at least half the room, let alone the bathtub. In a few words: it was the worst. "You pay monthly?" "Yeah." How could you charge rent for this!? They even had to pay rent every month. ''Damn it!'' Jae Woo cursed automatically. But because his sisters were with him, he refrained from saying it aloud. "How have you been dividing the rooms?" "Mina and mom use a room together and I have my own room. So you can start rooming with me," Yura said. "That''s ok. I''ll just sleep in the living room." Yura was a high school senior. She needed to have a room to herself. He was a guy; he could just sleep in the living room with a nket underneath him. It was also better for him; he could search for info, as theputer was in the living room. "But..." "Yeah, we''re siblings, but it''ll be ufortable for us both. Well, that''s that. Where are my goggles?" "Here." Mina brought over his virtual reality game goggles. "I''ll tell you if I need anything, so go do what you need to do." "Ok." Once his sisters went to their rooms, Jae Wooid down in the living room and put on his goggles. And then, he flipped the switch. Fortunately, the goggles worked properly. essing the virtual world! A white corridor appeared before him. There was a single room within. It was a door that would lead to the world of Warlord. However, the door was boarded up, and there was a single piece of paper attached to it. Thank you very much for enjoying Warlord. Since the average yer-base numbers less than 100, we have decided to terminate the service. [Dreamgate, the Warlord team] "What kind of bullshit is this!?" It''d only been 2 years, yet the virtual reality game that topped poprity charts for five years straight had gone out of business!? "Then what about my character!? What about my items!? My money!?" There was nothing remaining of Jae Woo''s character, heralded as the strongest character in Warlord. ''Damn, I''ve lost such a huge source of ie!'' Is this what it felt like when your stock no longer had any value? "Ugh." Jae Woo grabbed the back of his neck and fainted. * * * ''Why!?'' Once he awoke, he reassessed his situation. How did Warlord go bust!? He couldn''t believe it. So, he went on the inte for answers and soon figured out why exactly it had failed. "Arth..." Warlord was no longer the most popr game. It had tanked. But in its stead¡ªDreamgate, the creators of Warlord¡ªhade out with a new game, Arth, which had be a hit. "God must''ve created this game." That was what Wilson Jacob, a game reviewer known for infrequentlyplimenting games, had said. Arth! That''s how amazing the game was. Even whenpared to other virtual reality games, it was exceptionally well designed, and was also considered overwhelmingly fun inparison. A masterpiece! An immortal work! A virtual reality game worthy of all those titles. It had been more than a year since its release, yet people were going wild for it worldwide. The rankers in Arth were celebrities, and they could set the price on good items. That''s not all! There were even employees who threw resignation letters in their bosses'' faces! School had begun, but the ssrooms were empty! Kids would feign illness to avoid going to school! It was all so they could y Arth. It was truly the age of Arth. "To think that such an amazing game came out while I was away." Jae Woo felt like he was a gold miner who''d struck gold. ''Arth. This is a moneymaker!'' It would yield so much more than Warlord. And what if he was sessful? ''Our debt or the house won''t be a problem. Our lives will change.'' He felt his blood as a pro-gamer begin to boil. However, Jae Woo didn''t immediately install Arth. It was still too early for that. For now at least... * * * The clock pointed at 12:00. His mother had returned, with sapping shoulders and heavy footsteps. "Wee back." Jae Woo had been waiting for his mother. "Jae Woo!" Once she saw him, tears began gushing from her eyes. "Mom." Jae Woo choked up, seeing how much his mother had aged in 2 years. They embraced for a while and eventually went to the living room. "Mom, how''s the family doing?" "You let me worry about that. You worry about yourself first." "I''ve finallye back, so don''t take everything upon yourself." Jae Woo grabbed his mother''s hand. His mother''s hand was rugged, so much so that it was unrecognizable. He could feel how much she''d been through over these past 2 years. "But you still have to worry about yourself first..." "Please." "Hoo, fine. I''ll tell you everything." She began telling him what had happened thus far, and what their situation was like. His mother had heard from a doctor that patients could wake up from aa if they underwent medical capsule treatment. However, it was an expensive treatment, one that would cost millions of won for just one treatment. Despite that, his mother had worked hard so that her son could receive that treatment for 2 years. Ultimately, they were forced to sell the house, and had rued over 50 million won in debt. Fortunately, they were indebted to the bank, rather than a private lender. ''Medical capsule treatment... So that''s why my physical therapy progressed so much quicker.'' The medical capsule had maintained his muscles and organs, keeping them from critical condition. Because of that, his physical therapy hadn''t taken much time. Jae Woo felt thankful to his mother once more, as she had done everything to ensure that he received the medical capsule treatment. "Trust me. I''ll make a lot of money from now on." He looked fervently at his mother and said with confidence. When he really started ying Arth, he would be able to amass a ton of money. After all, Jae Woo was confident that he was better than anyone at virtual reality games. "Worry about moneyter. You need to worry about yourself first." Of course, his mother worried about his health more than money. "Alright." "Good." His mother went to her room and Jae Wooid down in the living room, and began to think. Ever since he''d lost his father in his 3rd year of middle school, Jae Woo had been the breadwinner. Thus, it was his responsibility to provide for his family. ''Isn''t that right, dad?'' If he could, he would provide for them immediately. But... ''With this body... I can''t do anything, whether it be taking responsibility or making money.'' Muscles? Ha, he was just skin and bones at this point! It was clear-cut proof that he wasn''t healthy. ''I have to build myself up first.'' There was a certain order to things! If he wanted to be a pro-gamer again, then he''d have to focus on his health first. Of course, Jae Woo''s primary goal was Arth! Amass a fortune through Arth and turn his life around. But right now, he had to worry about himself. He needed to build himself up! Chapter 2: Swordmaster

Chapter 2: Swordmaster

Trantor: Boko His rm clock indicated that it was 5:59. He''d set his rm clock to 6:00 sharp. In just one minute, he''d hear an earsplitting rm! But a faint shadow pressed down on the rm button. And who was that shadow? It was none other than Jae Woo. He stood right up, lightly stretched, and headed to the bathroom. Jae Woo gathered cold water within the red washbasin, and rubbed his face with the cold water. Thus, he woke up immediately. He then whispered to his reflection in the mirror. "Now, let''s begin." He would only be satisfied if he immediately did what he set his mind on. After all, when he''d made the decision to drop out of school and be a pro-gamer, he''d immediately dropped out. ''Back then, my homeroom teacher tried so hard to stop me... I wonder if they''re doing ok.'' He dispelled the sudden thought and left the house. Hwing. It was early in the morning, so the air was cold, but it wasn''t such that he couldn''t bear it. But there was something that was making it difficult for him: his body, which teetered in the wind. Since hecked muscle, he felt as though a strong gale would blow him away. ''Let''s at least try walking.'' Jae Woo tried his hardest to push through the wind, and took one step after another. "Phew. Phew." 5 minutes hadn''t even psed, yet his breathing had be haggard. Just walking felt as difficult as finishing a marathon. Still, he didn''t give up, nor did he rest. ''If I rest today, then I''ll beying down tomorrow!'' Jae Woo chastised himself. He''d already lost 2 years of his life. He didn''t have the time to waste or hesitate any longer. ''2 years!'' he thought, a venomous statement that came from deep in his heart. ''One more step. Just one more step!'' Jae Woo gritted his teeth, pushed through, and continued to trudge forward step after step. * * * Jae Woo walked for a week, building his endurance and his muscles. Of course, he''d only trained for a week, so there wasn''t any huge changes to his body. He was still skin and bones. Still, he no longer stumbled from the wind. Thus, he''d decided to begin his training in earnest, and sought a fencing school. "Swordmaster," Jae Woo read the sign. Swordmaster. It wasn''t a sport; it was a dojo that taught those who pursued the art ofbat swordsmanship. Thus, the training its pupils underwent was both tough and strict, and their spars reflected real lifebat. In a few words: it taught true swordsmanship. It had nothing to do with Jae Woo, who had once been a pro-gamer. ''Back then, that is.'' But the situation had changed. He needed to get into the fencing school no matter what. There were three reasons behind this. ''First, training my body.'' He didn''t want a body that he could show off, but a properly trained body. Like a true martial artist! ''And truebat sense.'' He didn''t have any scientific evidence, but he felt like those who could fight in real-life could fight well in a game. Because Jae Woo had spent many years as a pro-gamer, he had experienced that first hand. In other words, a virtual reality character was strongly influenced by their controller''s senses, experience, andbat sense. That was the reason so many of the virtual reality game rankers were ck belts. Of course, there were those, like Jae Woo in the past, who had improved their abilities within the game itself. In any case, Jae Woo was currently unable to y the game, so he needed to improve hisbat senses. And to improve thosebat senses, Jae Woo felt like Swordmaster was the best fit. Since it was the dojo that sparred the most in the country. And thest reason was... ''It''s really cost-effective.'' A one month membership to Swordmaster cost 200,000 won. Overall, it wasn''t cheap. Since a sports fencing school would cost about 100,000 won per month. But in exchange, Swordmaster was open from early in the morning tote at night and was even open on the weekends. It was only closed on new years and Korean Thanksgiving. Jae Woo nned on attending the dojo from morning to night every day, so Swordmaster was indeed the best fit for him. Still, 200,000 won was still a lot for someone in his situation. However, once he was discharged, his family didn''t need to pay his medical fees anymore. And so, he apologetically asked his mother for 200,000 won and came here. His mother gave him the money readily, and Jae Woo resolved himself once more. ''I promise, I''ll seed just like before... and give you a life of luxury!'' In any case, for all these reasons, Jae Woo had to be a student of Swordmaster. The problem was... Would they even ept him when it was difficult for him to even lift a wooden sword? ''Well, let''s go in first.'' Jae Woo forcefully opened the dojo''s door. "Excuse me." Ding. The doorbell rang, and the man who seemed to be the instructor came by. The instructor wore a uniform and was a tall, rugged man, with thick eyebrows and big bright eyes. "What business do you have here?" the man asked. "I want to learn swordsmanship," Jae Woo said. "Mm." The man, having looked him over, sported an awkward expression. It was great that someone came looking to learn swordsmanship. However, Jae Woo''s body was in no condition to learn it. ''He has almost no muscle.'' It would be catastrophic if Jae Woo, with his weak body, were to undergo their rigorous training. No, it would definitely be a disaster. "I was bedridden for 2 whole years due to an ident. That''s why my body is a bit... But I can still do well." Seeing the instructor''s expression, Jae Woo replied immediately. "I''ll direct you to some other dojos. The training here is too tough. You cannot withstand our training with that body of yours." The training was so rigorous and dull that even the healthiest of people quit on the first day. What''s worse, Jae Woo''s body wouldn''t evenst an entire day; even an hour would be tough. That''s what the man had decided. "I can take it," Jae Woo said, his eyes conveying his confidence. "I''ve been doing this for more than 10 years. I can tell at first nce. Please listen to me," the man said, attempting to convince him. Of course, Jae Woo wouldn''t give up so easily. "Please put me through the training for a few days at least," Jae Woo said. "I cannot." The man shook his head. "Then one day. Please train me for a single day. If I can''t handle it, then I''ll leave right away," Jae Woo said, underlining the single day''s worth of training. "Hmm." The man changed his mind, as the scrawny kid wouldn''t give in. ''He''ll cave in a day. No, an hour. After an hour, he''ll leave on his own.'' The man ultimately nodded his head. "Ok. Then spend the day in the dojo. Your name is...?" the man asked. "My name is Jae Woo. Choi Jae Woo." "I''m Master Kim Deok Bae." "Yes, Master." "Then, how about we start with 500 downward swings? If you''re not up to it, then you can just go," Deok Bae grinned. It was obvious why he was grinning. Then let''s see how much you can take! However, his grin soon turned to astonishment. Whenever Jae Woo dropped his sword, he would pick it back up and swing it once more. Whenever he fell, he would stand back up, grit his teeth, and continue stubbornly swinging his sword. And thus, he managed to finish 500 swings! Once he was finished, Jae Woo grabbed his sword and used it to support himself. His entire body was shaking. "W-What''s... next?" Jae Woo asked, his voice faint. He was basically saying, ''What else do you have in store?'' "Anymore and you''ll die!" Deok Bae yelled and stole the sword away from him. Once he took Jae Woo''s sword, Jae Woo fell t on the ground. Deok Bae was so surprised that he looked Jae Woo over. Fortunately, Jae Woo had just used up all his energy and fallen asleep. ''What a tough cookie!'' Deok Bae''s eyes, which looked upon Jae Woo, were filled with astonishment. He''d once thought that Jae Woo would give up in an hour, but he changed his mind. ''This kind of guy ain''t a quitter.'' He was right. The first day, the next, and even a week went by without him giving up. And that''s how half a year passed by. * * * Half of year was by no means a short period of time. Despite that, Jae Woo went to the dojo every day. He''d never missed a single day. "Hello." Jae Woo opened the dojo''s doors and went inside. "You''re here?" Deok Bae smiled and greeted him. The two of them had gotten quite close over the half year. "I''ll get changed and start training immediately." Jae Woo went into the dressing room and took off his clothes. His body had gone through a drastic change. To sum it up: his body was as thick, sturdy, and powerful as a wild horse! His body was proof that his time here wasn''t a waste of time. Jae Woo, who''d changed into his uniform, came out and began training immediately. First up, 500 downward swings! Deok Bae came over and swung his sword beside him. Jae Woo had swung his sword the most within the dojo. Deok Bae swung his sword just as much as him, as if he couldn''t allow himself to lose. The two finished their 500 downward swings, and then went on to 500 horizontal swings, 500 thrusts, and 500 diagonal swings. Once they were done, they sat on the floor and took a break. "Phew, this is tough. Guess you can''t beat age," Deok Bae said while massaging his shoulder. Since he was in his mid-30''s, his body was quick to tire. Whereas, Jae Woo, who was still in his early 20''s, was quick to recover. "Let''s begin sparring." Jae Woo gripped his sword and stood up. "After I rest a little more," Deok Bae said, making a big fuss over nothing. Rather than say anything, Jae Woo merely looked at him, as if he telling him to hurry up. ''Phew, this guy doesn''t know how to be considerate, does he?'' Ultimately, Deok Bae righted his weary body. "I seriously won''t hold back," Deok Bae said deeply. Once his face creased, his already rugged face looked even more fearsome than before. Deok Bae made the first move. However, it didn''t work on Jae Woo at all. After all, there existed monsters more fearsome and intimidating than any human within a virtual reality game. Thus, to Jae Woo, who had seen such monsters on a regr basis, Deok Bae''s face looked like nothing more than aedy/horror B-movie. "Haahp!" Jae Woo took the first move and attacked. Thrust! It was a sudden attack. Moreover, he was aiming for his balls! However, the two weren''t wearing their protective equipment. If a random pedestrian had seen this, they would scream in fright. Of course, Deok Bae easily blocked Jae Woo''s de, as if he were familiar with it. Swordmaster was a school that trained its students in real-life swordsmanship. In a spar, surprise attacks were allowed, as well as strikes to critical areas like the back of the head or the balls. What''s worse, hand-to-handbat was allowed as well. Obviously, they didn''t wear protective equipment, like real-life. As an instructor of Swordmaster, Deok Bae was often on the receiving end of such surprise attacks, and even implemented them himself. Daahk! Deok Bae, having blocked Jae Woo''s strike, immediately initiated a counterattack. He was aiming for a critical area himself, the sr plexus! Jae Woo leaned to the side and avoided Deok Bae''s attack. He then swiped his sword downwards. Swish. The sound of his de cutting through air rang out in therge hall. Deok Bae, too, cut through the air and swung his sword. Jae Woo and Deok Bae tensely exchanged blows. Ddak! Ddak! Daahk! Despite that, the sound of their swords shing wouldn''t cease. Both their attacks would barely graze each other''s uniforms. Deok Bae would take the offensive and push forward, and Jae Woo would persistently hold on. Despite that, Deok Bae didn''t look so good. ''You monster!'' To him, Jae Woo was definitely a monster. He was definitely a monster. After all, Jae Woo had only learned swordsmanship for half a year, yet he was able to spar evenly with someone who''d learned for over 10! "Die!" Deok Bae began to put more strength into his sword. "No thank you!" Jae Woo likewise did the same. Daahk! Their swords shed and Jae Woo was pushed back. He had no chance of beating Deok Bae in pure strength or swordsmanship. Instead, Jae Woo would move ahead of time, as if knowing where Deok Bae''s sword wouldnd, giving him an advantage. And he would somehow manage to find an opening and attack in unexpected ways. Of course, Deok Bae wouldn''t fall to Jae Woo''s unconventional attacks due to his umted experience and skill. Deok Bae carefully blocked Jae Woo''s blows, and pushed forward. And so, their swords shed repeatedly again and again! Overall, Deok Bae held the advantage the entire match, but Jae Woo continued to hold on. Ultimately, they couldn''t decide a winner and the match ended in a draw. "Eh, it ended in a draw." Deok Bae furrowed his brow. If it wasn''t a spar resembling real-life, but a real-life spar, then Deok Bae definitely would''ve won. Since he wouldn''t have controlled his strength so that Jae Woo wasn''t hurt. And he would''ve used some fatal techniques as well. But even if he wanted to replicate a real-life battle, he couldn''t do all that. After all, his goal wasn''t to hurt him. Yet, their match ended up with such a bitter result due to that. ''What an enviable bastard.'' Deok Bae gazed at Jae Woo. Jae Woo had seen through his movements way too easily. And he instinctively found and attacked his weak spots. It was definitely a gift from God. Plus, he was such a hard worker! ''He''ll probably get stronger than me, huh?'' Deok Bae was jealous of Jae Woo''s raw talent, and felt vexed that Jae Woo''s swordsmanship would surpass his own with more refinement. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Jae Woo, having noticed Deok Bae''s fervent gaze, furrowed his brow. "I''m just jealous. What, got a problem with that!?" "Of what?" Jae Woo tilted his head. "I''m jealous cause you''re a genius!" "Who, me?" Jae Wooughed, speechless. What was he even talking about? "What else are you? You''ve been only learning for half a year, yet you can already fight evenly with me!" Deok Bae yelled suddenly. "..." Jae Woo was about to refute his ims, telling him that he was no genius, but shut himself up. He wasn''t sure about the de, but he definitely had some sort of special ability. ''I''m not a genius. I guess you could say... I have ESP?'' Then, Jae Woo gradually recollected the memories of that day, the day he first became self-aware of his special ability. Chapter 3: Hyper Intuition

Chapter 3: Hyper Intuition

Trantor: Boko It happened a month after Jae Woo had joined the dojo. Jae Woo had definitely put on some weight during that one month. His once frail muscles were now muchrger. Thus, his sword swings began to let out a menacing sound. "Want to spar?" Deok Bae asked. The sound of his sword swings had changed, signaling that he''d be ustomed to the sword. "Alright." There was no reason to refuse. "Feel free to attack as much as you like. I''ll just block." "Understood." The spar began. Jae Woo grabbed his de and scanned Deok Bae. Deok Bae lowered the tip of his de towards the ground. Surprisingly, his stance looked quite poor! As he looked upon him, Jae Woo was hit by a strange feeling. ''It''s happening again.'' He felt as though ''if I attack like this, it''ll work''. He would often feel a hunch like this! It wasn''t the first time. It started a few days prior. He could naturally feel the weaknesses or gaps amongst the swordsmen around him. This time was no different. If he struck at Deok Bae''s side, then he felt he could hit him. ''Well, let''s give it a go.'' Jae Woo aimed his training sword at Deok Bae''s side. Ddak. Deok Bae easily deflected Jae Woo''s sword with his own. ''As I thought.'' Deok Bae was a slightly surprised. For a newbie, Jae Woo''s strike was quite sharp. True, he''d assumed a poor posture that left an opening on his side, but Jae Woo had actually gone right for it. ''So he did block it.'' Jae Woo already knew his attack wouldn''t work. That intuition, which told him that his attack would work, vanished when Deok Bae swung his sword. It was unfortunate, but he couldn''t expect too much on his first try. Jae Woo moved onto his next strike. ''Top of the foot!'' Next, his intuition guided him towards the top of the foot and so, he swung his sword at the top of Deok Bae''s left foot. Deok Bae quickly retracted his foot. His eyes widened ever so slightly. He didn''t think a newbie would aim for his foot. And so, he''d almost been hit. ''His senses are great. Let''s get a bit serious now, shall we?'' Deok Bae lined up his sword at the midline of his body. It was the most basic stance of Swordmaster. ''Mm.'' Jae Woo bit his lip. Once Deok Bae adjusted his stance, his intuition went silent. With no other choice, Jae Woo struck like he was taught. He repeatedly swung downwards, shed, or thrust! "Enough." Ultimately, Jae Woo was unsessful in hitting Deok Bae even once. "You did well for a newbie. Now I''ll be the one attacking, so do your best." "Yes sir." They switched roles and their spar began once more. But strangely, Deok Bae''s sword would aim for any area where Jae Woo felt a chill. Ddak. Thus, Jae Woo was able to fend off Deok Bae''s attacks without much difficulty. As Jae Woo repeatedly blocked his attacks, he found himself smiling. ''His senses really are good. Let''s see how long you can hold out.'' Whenever Jae Woo either dodged or blocked his attacks, Deok Bae would increase the power and speed of his next attack. Tak. Taahk. Tak. Tak! Tak! Ultimately, Deok Bae''s sword struck Jae Woo''s right shoulder. "Ugh." It was much too quick for Jae Woo to defend against. "That''s it for today. Good job." Deok Bae withdrew his sword. "Thank you for all your hard work." Jae Woo bowed his head filled with regret. ''I could''ve blocked it.'' Because of that chilling sensation, Jae Woo knew where Deok Bae''s sword wouldnd. Despite that, he hadn''t blocked thatst strike. Though he knew where the strike was intended, his body couldn''t follow up. "Anyway... What''s wrong with me?" That strange feeling he felt during the match... how was he to understand it?" Jae Woo was forced to think even harder on the subject. * * * Jae Woo felt that same intuition re up whenever he fought against the other pupils too. He would instantly ascertain his opponent''s weaknesses and gaps in their defenses, and could sense any impending danger and block their strikes ordingly. Thus, with this ability of his, he was able to defeat one of the pupils that had been learning here for more than half a year. "Is it an... aftereffect?" He''d never felt like this before the ident. If that''s the case, then this ability must''ve resulted due to the ident and hisatose-state. ''What exactly happened to my body?'' Jae Woo trudged home, locked in thought. Then... He felt a chill at the back of his head. Jae Woo instinctually twisted his head to the side. At that moment, a baseball flew past where his head once was. "W-What was that!?" Jae Woo was shocked, so he turned around. A man wearing gloves came rushing over to him. "I''m sorry. Are you alright?" "Ah, yes." "It wasn''t intentional. We were ying catch, but I didn''t catch the ball, so... the ball flew all the way over here. I''m really sorry about that." The man bowed his head. "It''s alright. Fortunately, I dodged it." The man apologized a few more times and went away to look for the ball. Jae Woo rubbed the back of his head. That intuition, which red up when the ball came flying at him! That chilling sensation! ''It''s not just during a spar. Ites up in my daily life. I have to do some tests.'' If it warned of danger, not only during his spars, but in his daily life, then it would be really useful. Jae Woo, who''d arrived home, brought Mina along to a vacant lot in the neighborhood. "What!? What do you want?" Her eyes were filled with discontent. "Just take this withoutining." He passed Mina a baseball. Of course, it wasn''t a tough, rigid baseball. Since, on the off chance that he did get hit, it would hurt. So, he''d bought a soft, stic baseball. "What do you want me to do with this?" "I''ll be facing the other way, so try hitting me with that," Jae Woo said. "What?" Mina looked at him as if he were out of his mind. "It''s a training method that I learned at the dojo. Apparently, it''s great for improving your senses. So just help me out a little." Jae Woo made up a story. She would look at him strangely if he said he wanted to test his ESP. "Really? Ok, but I''m going to throw it hard," Mina said. "No wait, it''s my first time, so throw it softly." Jae Woo yed it safe. "Tch." Mina, looking disappointed, prepared herself to throw the ball. Jae Woo turned, facing the wall. There was a 10m gap between them. "I''m throwing it!" And she threw. The ball came flying behind him! He felt a cold feeling on his butt. Jae Woo twisted his body and felt that cold feeling disappear. Then, the ball struck the wall. "Wow." Mina was astonished. ''He really did dodge it.'' She looked at Jae Woo, as if he were a bizarre animal of some sort. And she refused to give up. ''I''ll hit you no matter what!'' "I''m throwing it again!" Mina raised her leg like a professional baseball yer. She threw with all her strength! Jae Woo dodged! Again, she threw with all her strength! And he seeded once more! Third... fourth...! She didn''t manage to hit him even once. * * * ''It''s already been 5 months since then.'' Jae Woo had decided to call this ability ''Hyper Intuition''. It would instinctively direct him to his opponent''s weaknesses and/or warn of his danger! It was because of this Hyper Intuition that he hadn''t gone to the hospital. He was tired of hospitals, and if he told them about his new ability, they''d either write him off as a madman or he''d receive psychological counseling. In any case, half a year had already passed since he''d been learning at Swordmaster! His body was trained and he had be familiar with bothbat experience and his own intuition. It was time to go back home. To games! The worldwide top virtual reality game, Arth, was waiting for him. "From now on, I''ll being to the dojo on the weekends only," Jae Woo told Deok Bae. "Why?" "I have to work. Money doesn''t just grow on trees." "What kind of work?" "Games, obviously." All this time, he''d trained with Deok Bae and had talked quite a lot with him. So, Deok Bae knew that Jae Woo was previously a pro-gamer. "A game, huh... How about bing an instructor here?" Deok Bae offered. To him, there was no better sparring partner than Jae Woo. And instructors were guaranteed a sry. It was much safer than ying a game for a living. Of course, only Deok Bae thought that. "I''m sorry, but I''ll have to decline." He didn''t say what he really thought, which was ''it doesn''t make enough money''. "Well,e by on the weekends when you can." "I will." Jae Woo nodded his head. If he wanted to maintain his trained body, then he''d need toe to the dojo periodically to train. "And do well in your game. No, you''ll probably do well. Since it''s you we''re talking about." Deok Bae had never met someone as relentless as Jae Woo. "I''lle byter." "Alright. See you on the weekends." Jae Woo left the dojo. A new beginning was awaiting him. * * * Come morning, Jae Woo snapped open his eyes. ''It''s finally time!'' It was the day he became a pro-gamer again. His pro-gamer blood, which had endured for so long, began to boil. "But first, I have to get some things done." Jae Woo left his house to exercise. True, he nned to y Arth, but he had no intention of ignoring his training. "Hoo. Hooeup." He ran around the neighborhood once, did some light stretching and trained his muscles. Once he was done, he went back to his house and ate breakfast. And when he was done eating, he left once more. How much time had gone by? Jae Woo returned home. "Where did you go?" Mina, who had been watching TV in the living room, asked. "I went to get scanned." Arth encouraged its yers to do so. The process would scan the yer''s body and give them detailed data on that person, and then used that to create their characters. In other words, it allowed him to create a duplicate of himself in-game. "Did you buy ice cream?" Mina could care less what a scan was. She was just craving something sweet and refreshing. "What ice cream?" "Really? It''s so hot today, yet you didn''t get any ice cream?" Mina criticized. "If you want ice cream, then go out and buy it yourself," Jae Woo said. "This is why you don''t have a girlfriend." Mina clicked her tongue. "Then why don''t you introduce me to someone?" "No thanks. I''m not crazy." Mina frowned. "Then stop worrying about your brother''s love life and go into your room." "Why?" "I start working today, so I''m going to need the living room." "I don''t wanna. I''m watching TV," Mina said. Jae Woo widened his eyes and said, "Wanna die?" Mina''s eyes widened just as much. "You''re hiding your report card in Yura''s room..." Ultimately, Jae Woo yed his trump card. "Ah, crap. Fine, I''m going, alright!?" Mina flipped him off and went off to her room in a sh. "That girl!" It''d already been a half a year since he had awoken from hisa. It was enough time for Mina, who''d acted like a sweet angel worrying over her brother, to quit her act. Of course, her attitude lowered how thankful he was for nursing him for 2 years. They''d just returned to their rxing sibling rtionship. "Jeut." Jae Woo clicked his tongue and extracted a data chip from his pocket, which contained all of the scanned data. He inserted the ck data chip into the side slot of his goggles and then wore them over his head. Jae Woo flipped the power switch. essing virtual reality! A white corridor appeared before him. There were two doors within the corridor. Warlord''s door, with a sign posted, exining its termination of service. And... "Arth..." A door adorned with a beautiful silver pattern. ck smoke rose from the center of the door and the word ''ARTH'' was written in the center. "Shall we go?" Jae Woo soundedpletely thrilled. Once he opened the door, he was enthusiastically weed by a rainbow of lights. He took a deep breath to calm himself down and forcefully took a step forward. Jae Woo passed through the door and began creating his new character. [Scanned data exists. Would you like to create your character via your scanned data?] "Create." [Creationplete. Would you like to change any details like hairstyle, tattoos, or color?] "Nope." [Please set your character''s name.] "Kang Oh." A strong older brother. Abbreviated: Kang Oh. That same Kang Oh, who was called a human dragon in Warlord. [You may select your starting location. You may also be ced randomly.] "Altein." Altein was Arth''srgest city. After all, big fish like him needed to y in a big pond! [Please enjoy the game.] "Yeah." The bright light shrouded Kang Oh. That was the moment where Warlord''s legendary ranker, the human dragon Kang Oh, had returned to the virtual world. Chapter 4. Fight Against 100 Men (1)

Chapter 4. Fight Against 100 Men (1)

Trantor: Boko The pir of light vanished. Kang Oh, who looked identical to the real life Jae Woo, appeared in shabby beginner-level clothing. He was located in the middle of a square bustling with people. "Inviting a damage dealer and healer for the Alhaitz Cemetery. Must be at least level 100. Prefer experience. We hunt for a long time." "Selling the priest-only robes, Robes Blessed by Alice. Please make a bid. If you don''t know the market price, please don''t talk to me." "Inviting members to the ''Let''s Run'' guild. Must be at least level 50. Only for active yers!" Kang Oh scanned his surroundings. "It''s Javen Square." In the half year that Jae Woo was stuck training his body he had stuffed his brain full of all sorts of information on Arth. There was an enormous amount of information regarding Arth inside his brain. Thus, he knew exactly where he was by seeing the statue in the za. "The closest training center from here has to be the Rain Training Center." As he''d nned prior, Kang Oh headed towards the training center. Since he''d memorized the geography of Altein, nothing got in his way. "Character info." While he was heading to the Rain Training Center, he checked his stats. [Lv1 Kang Oh] Job: Jobless Disposition: Neutral Title: Beginner Fame: 10 HP&MP: 110/100 Stamina: 100 [Main Stats] Physical: 11 (The strength of one''s body) Mental: 11 (The strength of one''s mind) Magic: 10 (The ability to use magic) Sense: 11 (The ability to use skills) Remaining points: 0 [Side Stats] None. (Appears when certain conditions are met. These stats will increase or fall depending on the user''s actions.) By looking at the stats individually, more in-depth information could be ascertained regarding their capabilities. For example, Physical showed muscr strength, agility, reflexes, etc. Kang Oh already knew the specifics to each main stat, so he didn''t need to look them over. ''The bonus stat distribution is good too.'' Normally, one''s main stats started at 10, but his stats (physical, mental, and sense) were all higher. It was due to the scan. Dreamgate encouraged its yers to scan their physical data and transfer it to their characters. This was because it was proven that scanned characters, rather than normal character, put less stress on the body. Thus, starting out as a scanned character yielded bonus points. As if to say ''just do it already!'' "Though there aren''t that many people who do do it." There were many yers who customized their character rather than undergoing the scanning. Since they would be cooler or more beautiful. Kang Oh was in good health, was able to receive bonus stats, and retained his trained body, so he had absolutely no reason to forgo the scanning. ''I''m here.'' Kang Oh, who''d already arrived, opened the door to the Rain Training Center. However...! "Huh?" Once he opened the door, he felt something on his face... Hyper Intuition. It was definitely Hyper Intuition! * * * Kang Oh bowed his head. It was because a training sword came flying towards his head. "Oh?" The old man who''d attacked him grinned. ''Wait, who''s this slit-eyed old man?'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Try dodging this one too." The old man swung his sword. Kang Oh felt that chilling sensation once more. He quickly withdrew a sword from his inventory, blocking the area where he felt a chill. The old man then struck in that very ce with his sword. His Hyper Intuition, which sensed danger, had definitely activated. Daahk. Their swords shed. Kang Oh made use of the recoil to retreat. ''I feel my Hyper Intuition even in the game.'' Kang Oh felt that there was a high chance that his Hyper Intuition wouldn''t work. Since it was a game. However, his Hyper Intuition had activated. If not for the old man in front of him, he felt like he''d run around with joy. But the old man didn''t even give him a chance to be happy. "Haha." The old manughed as he attacked Kang Oh. His expression was akin to a child that was ying with their toy. Ddak. Kang Oh blocked the old man''s attacks with abination of his Hyper Intuition and hisbat experience. He also immediately understood the current situation. ''This is the event where the boss teaches you himself.'' Normally, one would receive a quest from one of the training center''s instructors, and then by hitting a wooden doll about 100 times, would receive the side stat, Tenacity. However, when the boss appeared, a special event would trigger in each of the training centers. ''In Rain, it''s probably...'' "Damn it," Kang Oh cursed. ''The Endurance (to physical attacks) event!'' The boss, Rain, would beat the yer again and again, resulting in the side stat, Endurance! "Damn it, why?" Why did it have to be the Endurance event!? It could''ve been any other event, but he''d gotten one of the worst. He had no choice but to furrow his brow. "Get hit while I''m still being nice." Rain approached Kang Ho, tilting his head like a gangster. ''I got to hold out for now.'' Kang Oh trusted in his Hyper Intuition and Arth itself. Arth was truly an amazing game. Each NPC had their own life, personality, history, and family. They were like a human being. These NPCs werepletely different from the ones in Warlord; those would do only what they were programmed to do and all the results would be the same! Thus, there was nothing set in stone in Arth. There were only choices. As well as an infinite number of oues based on those decisions! There must exist an oue where one isn''t beaten up by Rain. "You''re holding on, huh." Rain''s sword didn''t stop. Kang Oh barely dodged or blocked Rain''s attacks. "How about this?" The more he did, the faster Rain''s sword became. Kang Oh realized that at this rate, he wouldn''tst long. The difference in their abilities was too wide. ''I have to end this.'' Kang Oh decided to attack, rather than defend. But Rain, befitting his status as a boss, didn''t have any openings. Thus, his Hyper Intuition, which guided him towards his opponent''s openings, was silent. Moreover, Rain''s sword was truly fast. Even if he knew where the sword wasing from ahead of time, he could barely block Rain''s strikes. At some point, he''d reached his limit; he couldn''t block Rain''s sword any longer. Ultimately, his legs were struck. "Ugh." Because it was a game, the pain wasn''t immense, but Kang Oh lost his bnce and fell to the floor. Now, Rain would enthusiastically pummel him. He would hit him hard for all the trouble he gave him! However, he didn''t lose consciousness even as he fell. ''The side!'' Rain became slightly careless and Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition zeroed in on his opening. He thrusted with all his strength behind it! He''d attacked while falling, so there wasn''t any strength behind it. But still, it did indeed make contact with Rain''s body. Plop. Kang Oh fellpletely. "Hmm. You''re pretty good," Rain looked at his side and said. [You have been acknowledged by the Lightning Swordsman, Rain. Your fame has increased, and Rain will no longer attack you.] Ooh! Kang Oh stood up abruptly at the reassurance that he wouldn''t be attacked anymore. "It''s nothing." He really wanted to say, ''You crazy geezer!'', but held himself back. It seemed obvious that if he cursed at him now, he''d only get a sword for his troubles. Endure. Endure it. "Aw, you''re no fun at all." Rain quickly turned around and left, as if he''d lost all interest in Kang Oh. [The side stat, Indomitable, has been created.] [The higher Indomitable is, the more you can conquer your fears, and the better you can do against foes more powerful than yourself.] "You damn geezer!" Once he''d confirmed that Rain was gone, he let out a long-awaited curse. ''He just did what he wanted!'' He spat on the floor and then entered the training center. "Wee. This is Rain Training Center..." "That''s far enough. Please just give me the quest." Kang Oh, who''d obtained a quest from an instructor, struck a wooden doll a 100 times and obtained the Tenacity side stat. [The side stat, Tenacity, has been created.] [The higher your Tenacity stat, the harder it is for your abilities to fall.] "You have talent in the martial arts. Would you like to be a student of our..." It was exactly the kind of thing a piano teacher would say to one''s parents. ''Oh my, your child is so talented!'' "No thanks!" Kang Oh refused immediately and left the training center. * * * Altein''s gates were open as always. Kang Oh left through the gates out into the grassy ins. The beginners were busy killing monsters. Monsters like Apple Slimes, Melon Slimes, Diseased Rats, Slow-footed Rabbits, etc... Kang Oh approached a nearby wandering Melon Slime. And struck at Hyper Intuition''s indicated opening with his beginner sword. Tak! The slime expelled shards of red light. In Arth, shards of light were used instead of blood. Obviously, the more shards there were and therger they were, the more damage the monster sustained. If shards of red light scattered like right now, then it indicated a critical hit. Tong tong! (means fat/chubby) The Melon-colored slime red at Kang Oh and bounced its body towards him. A tackle! Kang Oh moved so that he wouldn''t feel a chill, and evaded its attack. As a result, Kang Oh received 0 damage. Like in real-life, if he wasn''t hit, he wouldn''t take any damage. Avoid! Critical Hit! Avoid! Critical Hit! By using his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh continuously repeated the action of evading and attacking. [You have defeated a Melon Slime.] "By aiming for its weak points, I get critical hits. And I can avoid its attacks before it hits me!" Hyper Intuition. In Arth, this skill was the best. And it was also a skill only he possessed. ''Hyper Intuition! If I use this well, then...'' * * * Although it was a weekday, Jae Woo went to the Swordmaster dojo. "Didn''t you say you couldn''te by on weekdays?" Deok Bae said as he looked at him. "Instructor, please help me." "With what?" "Please spar with me while I''m wearing a blindfold." Jae Woo thought he''d say something like, ''Are you crazy?'', but Deok Bae just smiled and tilted his head. "Fighting while blindfolded. It''s a ssic." Blocking one''s sight in order to train one''s other senses was a ssic training method for martial artists. Jae Woo''s objective wasn''t to train his senses, but toplete a certain quest. "Alright, let''s get going immediately." "Yes. Thank you very much." At the beginning, Jae Woo sparred against Deok Bae with his eyes closed and Deok Bae holding back. Fortunately, he wasn''t too lost due to his Hyper Intuition. He reacted naturally, moving his trained body in ordance with his Hyper Intuition''s direction. When he became ustomed to fighting one person, Jae Woo slowly added more people into the fray. And that''s how one whole week passed. In that time, he became familiar with fighting several opponents at one time without his sight. "I think this is good enough." Jae Woo essed Arth once more. * * * Altein. The capital of the Altein Empire, which had once united the entire continent of Arth. It was once called the sacred city, Altein. With the people overthrowing the empire, Altein was now thergest city on the Arth continent. It was an independent city ruled by an elected mayor. Though the Empire was no more, there still remained some huge buildings of when it unified the entire continent. One such building was the Holiseum! It was shaped exactly like a coliseum, but it was entirely snow white. And if one were to look closely, they would find other differences as well. But it was still a building with the same objective as a coliseum. Fighting matches! The Holiseum''s fighting matches, which opened on the weekends, was the sport most enjoyed by the citizens of Altein. Arth''s fight matches weren''t ces of ughter or carnage, but to show one''s skills. Renowned diators were beloved by Altein''s citizens as sports stars. Plus, once every 4 years, the Holiseum would host the Rakan Carnival, where the strongest would be decided. When that time came, the strong and those who wanted to bear witness to the strong came here. Of course, Kang Oh had no interest in participating in the fight matches nor the Rakan Festival. There was another reason why he''de to the Holiseum. "Here, huh." Kang Oh had arrived in front of a stairway that went underneath the Holiseum. A chilly wind blew from within. Once he went down, he was met by an arched passageway. "Are you a challenger?" A man, wearing a diator''s helmet, sat on a chair in the middle of the passageway. ''The Rakan''s Pride helmet, which was created by the Altein Empire''s master cksmith! So this must be Burkan.'' This helmet was great enough to bear the name of Rakan, the god of victory and war, and the helmet''s possessor was Burkan, a diator said to have never been defeated. "That''s correct, great diator." The diator master, Burkan! If it at all possible, he''d like to get close to him. "Follow me." Kang Oh followed Burkan. The torches, which adorned both sides of the walls, illuminated the passageway like street lights. And the passageway went further and further underground. At some point, Burkan stopped. At the end of the passageway, there was a tightly shut iron gate. "Once you open and enter this gate, the Fight Against 100 Men will begin. You know the rules, right?" The Fight Against 100 Men! This was the quest that Jae Woo had sought. Chapter 5. Fight Against 100 Men (2)

Chapter 5. Fight Against 100 Men (2)

Trantor: Boko In the early stages of Arth, many users hade here, the underground arena. It was toplete this special quest, which had no level restriction. It was like people getting off work and going home at dinnertime while it was raining on the 9th Seoul subway line express train. In other words, it was packed! However, there weren''t that many people here. ''It makes sense. There''s no way to beat it.'' The Fight Against 100 Men was much too difficult, so no one had ever cleared it. Even the rankers that assionally appeared on TV had all failed too. "If there''s anyone who can clear this quest, I''ll give you whatever you want!" Sephiro had shouted after failing the 100 man fight. He was a famous ranker known as the Archer of Wind. "I''ll ask you onest time. Challenger, will you attempt the Fight Against 100 Men? You only have one shot," Burkan said. The Fight Against 100 Men! The quest with a 0% chance of sess. The challenger''s skills and items are sealed, and their stats are fixed at 10 a piece. Furthermore, the yer was blinded. It was a cruel quest that forced the yer to fight against 100 diators simultaneously with such limitations imposed on them! 100 diators would fight against a single blinded challenger. In addition, one could only attempt the Fight Against 100 Men once. This quest, which boasted the greatest of difficulty, was the Fight Against 100 Men. To make matters worse, Kang Oh was only level 1. It was obviously an unthinkable attempt. However, Kang Oh didn''t think his choice was foolish. ''Right now, I have the best chance!'' He''d heard that the strength of the diators depended on one''s level. He was sure, as he''d obtained this information from a yer who''d deleted their character and created a new character to attempt the Fight Against 100 Men again. In other words, if he fought as he was now as a level 1, then the diators would also be at their weakest. He''d also heard that these feeble diators would go down in a single hit. Thus, this was the best time for Kang Oh, who possessed Hyper Intuition, toplete this quest. "Yes, I will!" Kang Oh shouted. "Alright. ce your hand on the snake''s head. If you do, then the contract will beplete and the doors will open. The challenge will then begin." Kang Oh stepped in front of the iron gate. There was an amphisbaena, or a two-headed snake, carved on the iron gate. ''The carving almost looks real.'' The amphisbaena was the symbol of the Goddess of Contracts, one who the merchants of the game believed in. It was said that the amphisbaena would bite the contractee, and if they broke the contract, the two-headed snake''s venom would kill them. Thus, getting bitten by the snake meant one was willing toy down their life to fulfill their end of the contract. ''It won''t really bite, right?'' Kang Oh carefully ced his hand on the snake''s head. [Beginning the Battle Against 100 Men.] Screech. The heavy iron gate screeched as it scraped against the ground. "Good luck." Burkan pushed on Kang Oh''s back. [Please select the item you will use in the Fight Against 100 Men.] Kang Oh saw a chest containing a variety of weapons before him. A double-edged sword, a spear, a single-edged sword, a dagger, etc. In Warlord, Kang Oh wielded a greatsword. But rather than a greatsword, Kang Oh picked a steel sword instead. ''Let''s show them the skills I''ve learned in thest half a year.'' It didn''t really matter anyway, since the diators would go down in a single hit. Meaning he didn''t need to wield arge and heavy weapon. "Film." Once he''d picked his weapon, Kang Oh activated Film Mode. In Arth, yers were provided with an AI that would automatically film them. As expected of a brand-new game! Yet there were no videos on the Fight Against 100 Men. This was because at the moment of failure, the filming would be discontinued and recorded content would be deleted. ''Who knows what''ll happen if Iplete it though.'' If he managed to clear the Fight Against 100 Men and the recording remained intact, then it would definitely turn into money. That''s how notorious the Fight Against 100 Men was! And... Kang Oh''s attempt would now begin. [As per the contract, your items, skills, and sight are sealed away. All stats are set to 10.] [The Fight Against 100 Men will begin in 5. 4. 3. 2. 1.] [Begin!] He was already level 1, so this stat change was meaningless. He didn''t have any items or skills either. His sight went ck, as if he wore a blindfold without any openings. ''Think of it as training.'' Hadn''t he already trained at the fencing school whilst wearing a blindfold? For this very moment! Someone who does something often can do it without restraint. Though he couldn''t see what was in front of him, he felt calm. At that moment, he felt a chill on his shoulder. ''It does work!'' Hyper Intuition: all clear! Kang Oh, having slightly pulled his shoulder away, thrust his sword ording to his Hyper Intuition. Thump. A clean hit. His hand was tingling with excitement. [99 diators remaining.] One down! "Come on!" Kang Ho yelled. Now, things would begin in earnest. * * * ''I think I have a feel for the structure of this ce.'' As his fight against the diators continued, Kang Oh had approximated the shape of the area. He was surrounded by walls, and it was about the size of a high school gym. There were no obstacles, at least any that were out of the ordinary, and the ground was just dirt. It was probably the original stadium where the diatorial contests were held. And there were still several diators left. He sensed the presence of a diator approaching. He was able to dodge its attack with his Hyper Intuition and counterattack at the same time. Whack! [51 diators remaining.] [Remaining Stamina: 10] [Due to the Indomitable stat, your abilities do not decrease.] It wasn''t like everything was all peachy just because he was level 1. When one leveled up, their Stamina would increase by 1. Thus, Kang Ho''s stamina was at its lowest. ''I should wait for them toe to me.'' The lower one''s Stamina, the lower their abilities became. When one''s Stamina reached 0, they became unable to move. Kang Oh stayed in one ce and waited for them to attack. If they didn''t attack him, then he''d replenish his Stamina. If they did, he''d minimize his movements and counterattack. He felt a chill! Kang Oh leaned to the side and counterattacked; as per his Hyper Intuition, he thrust his sword to where he assumed their neck was. [You have defeated 50 diators. The remaining diators will now attack more cautiously.] "Hoo." The diators'' ceased their attacks. Kang Oh''s gradually began to replenish his Stamina. But by decreasing their numbers, it simultaneously became a lot harder. Ring! It felt as though he''d heard a whistling noise that signaled the start of the second half of the fight. * * * Kang Oh''s sword felled another one of the diators. [10 diators remaining. The diators are enraged, and wille at you quicker and more fiercely than before.] [Remaining HP: 20] At some point, the 1 against 100 had turned into a 1 against 10. However, the lower their numbers became, the harder the fight got. When there were 40 diators left, 2 of them would attack from front and back. When there were 20 diators left, 4 of them would attack from all directions. Though he possessed Hyper Intuition, he couldn''t hope to dodge four simultaneous attacks in all directions. Thus, Kang Oh''s Hp had fallen to 20. If he was hit even 2 more times, then he would fail the quest. But now they were enraged as well! ''Damn it!'' Kang Oh didn''t even have the time to breathe. The enraged diators attacked from all directions. He felt a chill all over his body! There was no way he could block their attacks, so he rolled onto the floor. However, his Stamina sharply diminished. But he didn''t just sit there and take it. Kang Oh swung his sword low, as if he were sweeping the ground. Tak! (Thud) He felt something in his hand. Kang Oh felt one of the diators fall. He assumed a low posture once more and swung his de. Peok! (Thump) [9 diators remaining.] No time to celebrate. The enraged diators continued their assault. They were probably stabbing at him, as he was rolling on the floor. And Kang Oh continued to roll on the floor. * * * The Fight Against 100 Men. It was like he was on a tightrope and was at risk for falling again and again. Despite that, with his intense concentration, Hyper Intuition, as well as his experience training blindfolded in the dojo, Kang Oh was able to reach the final level of the quest. Thump! He felt a prickly feeling in his sword hand. [1 diator remaining.] [The final diator, Darion, who has been watching this entire time, will now enter the fray.] [He is the most skilled diator.] "You have my respect," the final diator, Darion, said to him. "I''d like to fight you fair and square. Replenish your HP and Stamina to their fullest. I won''t attack before then." Darion''s consideration caused Kang Oh''s mind to go into overdrive. ''I can use this...'' He thought of a great idea. "Thank you for your consideration, great diator." Kang Oh plopped onto the ground. Once he began resting, his Stamina began to replenish quickly. Of course, his HP was also replenishing as well. Kang Oh, having replenished both his HP and Stamina, stood up. "Could you please tell me your name?" "My name is Darion. I am diator Master, Burkan''s final pupil." Darion''s voice welled with pride. "As I thought. I''ve heard about you before. That you''re the pupil that Master Burkan cared for the most." "I''m nothingpared to my master''s fame." "That''s not true. To think I''d be able to fight with you at the end. It''s truly an honor. I will fight you with pride." Kang Oh''s voice sounded honest. "Mm, as expected of a challenger who beat 99 diators. I will also face you with honor and pride." Darion grabbed his weapon. "Then, I''ming." "Come!" Kang Oh rushed over with a serious expression. Darion''s expression was also somber. sh. Kang! Their swords shed against each other. At that moment, Kang Oh threw something at Darion''s face. Dirt. "Ugh." The dirt had gone into Darion''s eyes. Kang Oh, upon hearing Darion''s cries, smirked. ''Just as nned!'' Led by his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh then precisely thrust his sword into Darion''s heart area. Thump! Such a nice sound, one that seemed to lift a huge weight off his shoulders. It was probably a critical hit, with shards of red light scattered about. "Y-You...!" Darion said indignantly, having fallen to the ground. "What did you say your name was again? Oh, Darion, right? You made me fight 1 against 100 and you want me to fight fair and square? Give me a break," Kang Oh said sarcastically. In the first ce, the Fight Against 100 Men was a dogfight. There were no rules and nothing was foul. All that mattered was victory! In other words... ''Whoever gets tricked is a dumbass.'' Kang Oh had went with the flow and made Darion lower his guard. Then, he''d thrown dirt into Darion''s face and backstabbed him. Even so, Kang Oh felt his actions werepletely justified. [You have defeated the final diator, Darion.] [You have conquered the Fight Against 100 Men. A truly amazing feat! Please find Burkan to obtain your reward.] Finally! That was the moment that Kang Oh hadpleted the quest which had caused so many other yers such despair and had a sess rate of 0%! * * * Once he was finished with the quest, his sight returned to him. As expected, the Fight Against 100 Men was in a circr arena. He didn''t see any of the diators he''d fought against. "First things first..." He checked his recording of the fight. His fight, from start to finish, had been recorded. ''Yes!'' Kang Oh shook with happiness. This would definitely turn into money! Plus, there was still the reward forpleting the quest, the quest with such an insane difficulty. "I wonder what they''ll give me. Hehe." Once he got to the iron gate, the doors opened automatically. And Burkan was right there. "Good work, Challenger," Burkan said. [The diator Master, Burkan, has acknowledged you as a great fighter.] [Fame has increased.] [Closeness to Burkan has increased significantly.] [Once your closeness is maxed out, you may learn Burkan''s secret techniques.] ''An opportunity!'' Kang Oh realized that this was his chance to increase his closeness to Burkan. ''It''s been a while, but let''s trying buttering him up.'' Like workers with their superiors, gamers ttered NPCs. Since NPCs were the ones who gave the yers their quests or rewards. Thus, Kang Oh was ustomed to ttering NPCs and was good at it at that. "This is all due to Lord Rakan''s grace," Kang Oh said with the most modest face he could muster. Most diators worshipped the God of War and Victory, Rakan. In order to get into Burkan''s good graces, Kang Oh had brought up Rakan. It was like ttering parents; the best way to butter them up was to praise their kids! "Indeed, this is all due to Lord Rakan''s grace. Follow me." [Your closeness to Burkan has increased.] ''What a good start!'' Kang Oh prepared more ttery and followed behind Burkan. "My name is Kang Oh." "I''m Burkan." "I know. I''ve always admired you. It''s an honor to be walking beside you, Master Burkan. But Master Burkan, may I call you older brother?" The ttery kept oning. "Mm." "Brother Burkan!" We''re brothers! [Closeness has increased significantly.] "My younger sister''s really pretty. She''s called the reincarnation of the Goddess of Beauty, Erina. Now that I think about it, you haven''t gotten married yet, have you?" A honey-trap! [Closeness with Burkan has increased exponentially.] "I''m also from Rain''s Training Center. I went there because I heard you attended there in the past." He''d only been there for a short time, short enough to drink a cup of coffee, but whatever. Connections! "But I got beat up by Master Rain. Did he hit you too?" It was a lie. Was he hit once? "I was roughed up quite a bit too." "He''s such a ill-tempered and merciless old man. Isn''t that right, Bro?" "Mm." Cussing out someone he hates in his stead! "But did you know how far apart Master Rain''s age and his wife''s is? They''re actually 30 years apart. This is a crime. A serious crime!" "T-That''s true." Burkan was an old bachelor. Kang Oh kept introducing topics that would anger an old bachelor like him. Ultimately, Burkan couldn''t help but agree with him. [Closeness has increased significantly.] [Closeness has been maxed out.] [You and Burkan are no longer strangers. You can now learn Burkan''s techniques.] "Brother!" "Little brother!" Close-knit brotherly ties formed through all manner of ttery and back talk! Chapter 6. King of Magical Beasts, Ubist

Chapter 6. King of Magical Beasts, Ubist

Trantor: Boko "I''ll teach you diator techniquester. You''re not ready yet," Burkan said. "Then what about the reward for the Battle Against 100 Men?" Kang Oh asked. "Follow me." Burkan fiddled with a wall-attached ornament, which caused a secret passageway to appear. Kang Oh and Burkan then walked through the secret passageway. The secret passageway led them lower underground than even the underground arena. It was strange to think that such a natural, deep ce existed under the Holiseum. There were stctites attached to the ceiling, as well as delicate crystals emitting light. "That''s an adamantium gemstone," Burkan said, pointing towards a rock. The area was as dark as the night sky, yet it was illuminated by the adamantium like a star embedded from up above. "Heok!" ''All of this is adamantium?'' Adamantium was the toughest metal in the world! Thus, it was one of the most expensive metals in the world as well. Moreover, the gem was huge! If he were to smelt the gem, he''d obtain a significant amount of adamantium. So much so that he''d be able to create a weapon entirelyposed of adamantium! Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed. He didn''t know the exact market price for adamantium. Since it had never appeared on the market before. It''s probably worth more than 100 million. Yet there was a sword embedded within such precious metal. "That''s..." "It''s a magic sword." A greatsword as ck as night. A ck mist trickled out of the embedded area. "And the reward for conquering the Battle Against 100 Men is that adamantium gemstone," Burkan said. ''To think that that''s all mine!'' He couldn''t smile any wider. However... That was his reward all right, but it was conditional. "But only if you''re capable of wielding that de," Burkan pointed to the sword and said. Then, a quest appeared. [Trial of the Magic Sword] The magic sword is a sword shrouded in darkness. Its power is such that it threatens to engulf its wielder as well. Only the greatest of swordsmen can hope to wield such a magic sword. Are you qualified to follow in their footsteps? Ovee the trial of the magic sword and prove your worthiness. Difficulty: Undecided. Conditions: Completion of the Battle Against 100 Men. Reward: Hidden ss Change Failure: Battle Against 100 Men reward invalidated. Lose control of your character. ''Hidden ss change!'' As hidden sses were so difficult to attain, it wasmon knowledge that they were much more powerful than normal sses. Though he was drooling over the reward, he didn''t act impulsively. Because if he failed, he would lose his reward for the Battle Against 100 Men, the adamantium! So... "You are not only the great warrior whopleted the Battle Against 100 Men, but also my little brother, so I know you''ll be able to ovee the trial of the magic sword." Burkan patted Kang Oh''s shoulder. [Due to your closeness with Burkan, you have been forced to ept the quest.] "I''m sorry?" His increased closeness with Burkan, which he''d been so happy about, had turned into misery. It was like he were forced to dive into water when he didn''t even know how deep it was! "Try it out right away, like a man," Burkan shoved him and urged. "Just a minute, Brother!" "What''s wrong?" "I''ll attempt it. But! Please give me some time." Now that it''se to this, he would have no choice but to ovee the Trial of the Magic Sword. Since the adamantium was at stake. If that''s the case, then he needed to gather as much information as he could. He didn''t want to start with absolutely nothing. "Alright." Burkan took out an hourss and turned it upside-down, causing the sand to start falling. "I''ll give you 5 minutes." It would only take 5 minutes before all the sand had hit the bottom. Kang Oh rushed over to the sword. "Appraise." [Nameless Sword] The sword cannot be identified. Its material cannot be identified as well. An abyss endlessly flows from the de. The de asionally shakes. Rank: Unable to identify Abilities: Unable to identify Limitations: Unable to identify "Hmm." He had so little time and the amount of information he could scrounge up was too sparse. Despite that, there was something to be gained. The quest had already told him everything he needed to know. He could only attempt the quest if hepleted the Battle Against 100 Men. And there was that ''abyss'' part of the sword''s description. ''I''m definitely going to be blinded. It''s probably darkness of some sort.'' This was the result of his logical inference. ''Will I not be able to use any items or skills either? There probably won''t be a huge impact on my stats though.'' In other words, the Fight Against 100 Men was a rehearsal of sorts. For the main event, the Trial of the Magic Sword. ''My level''s the problem.'' The Battle Against 100 Men hadn''t imposed a level restriction. Which meant that one''s increased HP, MP, and Stamina from level ups wouldn''t be affected. Thus, the higher the level, the better one''s advantage is. But at the same time, the diators would be stronger the higher the yer''s level. So, it was better to attempt the quest at a low level. Would the Trial of the Magic Sword follow the same logic? ''It probably will.'' If the Trial of the Magic Sword held a fixed difficulty, then there would''ve been a level restriction on the rehearsal, the Battle Against 100 Men. He, a level 1 yer, was able to beat it, but it was still a quest that rankers several levels higher than him were unable to ovee. Thus, the difficulty depended on one''s level! ''So it all depends on your level.'' If that''s the case, he was naturally drawn to a certain conclusion. The magic sword shares the same level as the one who draws it! In other words, if the level 1 Kang Oh were to undertake the trial, then the difficulty would be set at just level 1. ''I can do it!'' He had a n. Though all the sand had yet to drop, Kang Oh grabbed onto the sword''s hilt. [The Trial of the Magic Sword has begun!] "Adamantium!" Once he yelled, the flowing darkness agglomerated into a single magical beast and rushed towards Kang Oh! Kuhong! The magical beast roared and the world became shrouded in darkness. Is this what an abyss, where no light can reach, looks like? [You have heard the roar of the King of Magical Beasts, the Abyss Predator Ubist. Ubist''s roar incites fear in its prey and causes their abilities to drop.] [You were able to ovee your fear through the Indomitable stat. Your abilities do not drop.] ''Indomitable!'' The side stat, which he''d obtained after struggling against that old geezer, Rain, was doing its job. And... ''It''s definitely level 1.'' Kang Oh''s Indomitable stat was only 10. Despite that, he was able to ovee Ubist''s roar, meaning it was just that weak. Kuang! Ubist quickly made its approach and aimed at the center of Kang Oh''s chest with its ws. Kang Oh predicated its attack with his Hyper Intuition and pulled himself back. Buwahk! He could hear its ws tear through the air where he had once been. ''My Hyper Intuition''s working. I can do this.'' He couldn''t see anything, but Kang Oh was calm. Kang Oh thrust his sword as per his Hyper Intuition. He was currently wielding the nameless magic sword. Kang Oh couldn''t see it, but he could tell based on the feeling of the hilt. Peok! He heard it make contact and could feel a twinge in his hand as well. He''d followed his Hyper Intuition and attacked a weak spot, so it must be a critical hit. Kuaang! Ubist screamed and immediately counterattacked. Kang Oh used the sword to protect the areas where he felt a chill. Kang! A sharp, metallic sound rang out. Kang Oh''s body was pushed back. The unseeable Ubist''s strength was beyond his imagination. Ubist continued to attack, pushing him back again and again. It attacked consecutively and Kang Oh could barely block its attacks! It wasn''t called the King of Magical Beasts for nothing. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t just sit by and take it. Whenever his Hyper Intuition would point out a weak spot, he would strike at it like lightning. Block, attack. Block. Block. Avoid, sh! Every one of his sessful attacks were critical hits. Kuhung. Kung! Ubist screamed in agony. ''Let''s keep it up!'' Kang Oh''s confidence gradually rose. But there was no way that the King of Magical Beasts, Ubist, would just lose like this. [Ubist''s health is less than 50%.] [Now, Ubist''s main body and Ubist''s clones, which are made up of darkness, will attack you.] The two Ubist''s attacked Kang Oh''s head and legs simultaneously. Kang Oh quickly rolled on the floor. His back burned, as if he''d ced a pain relief patch on it. Ubist''s ws must''ve scratched him. [You have taken 50 damage. Your remaining HP is 60.] "You took half of my HP with one hit!" Kang Oh yelled. The two Ubists continued their violent assault. A series of fierce attacks akin to the cold winds of midwinter. "Let''s see who wins in the end!" Kang Oh couldn''t let this go on, so he readied himself for a counterattack. The now 2 Ubists shed with him in the abyss. He attacked and defended numerous times. As a result, Kang Oh''s expression gradually darkened. ''I can''t keep going on like this.'' Kang Oh was barely blocking or evading the main body and copy''s attacks. He was also counterattacking when he had the chance. He continued to walk on that tightrope, but his Stamina had be a problem. If his Stamina depleted, then it was game over right then and there. He had to figure out how he would survive before then. ''I''ll focus entirely on the main one!'' He''d confirmed that the clone''s attacks were weaker than the main body''s. When he blocked their attacks, the clone''s attacks conveyed less force. ''The copy can''t be stronger than the main one. If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh''s remaining HP was 60. Ubist had done 50 HP worth of damage in one hit. If he wasn''t hit in a vital area, then he could take one more hit. ''Give up the flesh to save the bone!'' He would deliberately get hit once in order to deal an even greater blow. What if the damage was greater than 50 or he was struck in a vital area? Then he''d die, 100%. But if he were to keep himself safe like he''d been doing, then he''d run out of Stamina and lose anyway. Ultimately, Kang Oh only had one choice! It was... ''Now!'' The Ubists attacked from front and behind. Kang Oh didn''t avoid the attack; rather, he rushed forward. Towards Ubist''s main body! As a result, he was struck in the back by the clone''s ws. [You have sustained an attack by Ubist''s clone. You have taken 40 damage.] [Remaining HP: 20] "Uaah!" Kang Oh did his damndest to swing his sword ording to his Hyper Intuition. "Please die!" Peok! What a refreshing sound, akin to a metal bat hitting a home run! His hands tingled with excitement, like he''d caught a huge catch! It was definitely a critical hit. Not only that, but a critical hit that had done a ton of damage! If he could see in front of him, then he''d see many lumps of bright red light shards spilling from its body. Kung. Kung. (like a dog yelping) Ubist screamed. It was like the sound a frightened dog makes when it shrinks from danger. [Ubist''s remaining life is below 10%. Having sensed danger, Ubist has retreated deep into the abyss.] [You havepleted the Trial of the Magic Sword. You have been acknowledged by the magic sword.] "I did it!" Kang Oh relished in his victory and drew the sword towards the heavens. At the same time, something rose in front of him. It was the abyss that bound Ubist and the magic sword together. In the demon world, Ubist was the lowest of low. But then one day, it coincidentally drank a demon''s blood. Through this, it gained the ability to devour! The more it ate, the more powerful it would be. Without limit. And Ubist ate endlessly. It started off with small insects and animals, then went on to wild beasts. And eventually, it ate magical beasts and demons as well! Ultimately, to Ubist, having be the King of Magical Beasts, the abyss had be nothing more than food as well. Thus, the Abyss Predator, Ubist was born. Ubist could not be sated and continued to eat everything in sight. Ultimately, it devoured the wall separating the demon world and the Arth Empire, and came to Arth. In order to eat everything in Arth! But then... A single middle-aged warrior (man or woman) stood before it. The sword they wielded was familiar to Kang Oh. It was the nameless sword! The sword''s shape was simr, but it feltpletely different from how it was in the present. It wasn''t a sword that radiated darkness, but was a de awe-inspiring enough to be called the finest sword in the world! Moreover, the middle-aged warrior''s skills were enough to call them a swordmaster. Divide the sea! Their attack cleaved Ubist in half and it was then absorbed into the sword. Then, the sword had adopted the jet-ck figure that Kang Oh was familiar with. The birth of a magic sword. After that, the middle-aged warrior traveled around, defeating anything and everything that endangered the empire with the magic sword in tow. Destroying the man-eating tribe, Nescari! Fighting a bloody battle against the Knight of Chaos, Saca! Vanquishing the Great Forest''s ultra-huge raid boss, Yakon! However, the people were afraid of the middle-aged warrior, the possessor of the magic sword, and called them... Magic swordsman Vn! [Unknown, great warrior, you have be privy to Vn''s achievements.] [If the historical association were to know this, then they would reevaluate Vn.] [You have acquired information regarding the magic sword and Dividing the Sea.] [Before you learn the ''Divide the Sea'' skill, you must first master cutting.] [Would you like to ss change into the hidden ss, Magic Swordsman?] Chapter 7. A Sweet Reward

Chapter 7. A Sweet Reward

Trantor: Boko "ss change," Kang Oh decided without dy. [You have be the hidden ss, Magic Swordsman!] The magic sword emitted an ever-present and powerful darkness. A magic sword was worlds stronger than a normal sword and possessed far greater destructive force. And it was the Magic Swordsmen who specialized in wielding such des. If one is capable of wielding a magic sword, then it will grant them great power. However, if the darkness ever took control of the swordsman or ever escaped the sword''s restrictions, then it would prove disastrous for the continent of Arth. [You have learned Magic Swordsmanship (Beginner) and Darkness Strike (Beginner).] [All Main Stats +20] [Resistance towards all curses, status ailments, and poisons has increased.] [You cannot equip items that possess the holy element.] [You have acquired the title, Master of the Magic Sword.] As the messages faded, so too did the abyss that obscured his vision. And what he then saw was... "What are you doing?" Burkan had his sword at the ready, prepared to strike him down if necessary. "Little brother, are you still sane?" Burkan asked. "I''m fine." "Hmph, I knew you''d ovee the Trial of the Magic Sword." Burkan lowered his sword. ''And you were still ready to kill me?'' Kang Oh thought, ring at him. "You became a Magic Swordsman, right?" Burkan avoided his gaze and changed the subject. ''Don''t let it bother you.'' It definitely wasn''t because he was afraid of Burkan''s stone fists! "Yes." "Congrattions. But be cautious at all times so that you don''t get controlled by the magic sword," Burkan said. Kang Oh nodded his head and asked, "May I take the adamantium?" The adamantium gemstone was his highest priority. "Of course you can. It''s your reward for the Fight Against 100 Men." As soon as he was finished, Kang Oh made a beeline towards the adamantium gemstone. [Large Adamantium Gemstone] It''s a huge adamantium gemstone. But because it was exposed to darkness for such a long time, it has be quite contaminated. Material rank: S "Hahaha," Kang Ohughed and opened his inventory. His empty inventory with only beginner bread in it! However, he couldn''t store the adamantium in his inventory. [Requires Master Mining.] "Mm, you haven''t learned Mining, Little Brother?" Burkan asked. "It wouldn''t matter even if I did. This thing requires Master Mining!" Kang Oh shouted. There was a skill system in Arth. Skill level ranged from Beginner, Intermediate, High, and Master. To level each rank higher, one needed to increase their current skill level to 100%. And he needed Master Mining in order to mine the adamantium gemstone! In other words, only a master miner could mine the adamantium gemstone. It was impossible for him. "Calm down, Little Brother. There''s always a solution. I''ll introduce you to a master miner, so go and find him," Burkan said. A quest window appeared before him. [Find the master miner, Bower.] A master of mining, Bower. He should be able to mine the adamantium ore. Take Burkan''s letter of introduction and ask him for a favor. Difficulty: Extremely difficult Conditions: Burkan''s letter of introduction Reward: Adamantium gemstone "Where is Bower?" Kang Oh asked. "Huh? I don''t know either. He doesn''t stay in one ce and frequently travels across the continent," Burkan said. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Based on how things were going, he wouldn''t be able to procure the adamantium gemstone anytime soon. "Why? Do you not want the letter of introduction?" "No, please write one for me." [You have epted the quest.] "When you find Bower, give him my regards." Burkan wrote the letter of introduction and passed it to Kang Oh. Was it just him or did Burkan look really carefree? Whatever the case, Kang Oh was unable to procure the adamantium and was forced to leave the Holiseum. Once Kang Oh had left, the sole remaining Burkan hummed. "Hmm. The magic sword''s been dealt with and if I get rid of that adamantium, then I won''t have to see Master Vn again!" Burkan disappeared with lighthearted steps. * * * Kang Oh, having left the Holiseum, stretched. He had a lot of work to do. And he would have even more work to do in the future. "I''ll look for Bowerter..." He really wanted the adamantium, but it was unfeasible for him to find Bower at this time. "First, let''s look at my items." Kang Oh entered a secluded alley where even the sun barely shined and removed the magic sword from his inventory. The jet-ck sword that emanated the abyss! Kang Oh stroked the de. It was longer and wider than any normal de. And the hilt was likewise long. ''A greatsword, huh... Nice.'' In Warlord, Kang Oh''s primary weapon had been a greatsword. Though he''d used a sword in the Battle Against 100 Men, he was much more familiar with a greatsword. And he was lucky enough to obtain a magic sword in the shape of a greatsword. "Appraise." [Magic Sword Ubist (Lv1/+0)] The sword where Ubist, the King of Magical Beasts and the Abyss Predator, was sealed. Abyss endlessly leaks from the de. The de''s alloy cannot be ascertained. The sword shakes asionally. It shares its level with its wielder. An untradable item. If you die, there is a high chance that the magic sword will either drop, or you will be a monster under the magic sword''s thrall for 24 hours. + Predator: Eats any and all items. When it ispletely satiated, the magic sword will be stronger and gain special abilities. [Satiation: 0%] + Gluttony: By consuming a BB-rank item or higher, all abilities double for a limited time and enter a Gluttony state. Steals stats from fallen enemies when in the Gluttony state. This feature can only be used once a day. Rank: SS Abilities: Attack Power 20. Physical +1 Conditions: Clearing the Trial of the Magic Sword. "I hit the jackpot!" Having perused all the information, Kang Oh jumped, unable to hold in his joy. Items in Arth started at C and then went up to CC, B, BB, A, AA, S, and SS. The magic sword was in the highest tier, the SS-rank! There weren''t even that many people who possessed S-rank items, let alone SS-rank. But Kang Oh, who was only level 1, came into possession of such an item. Kang Oh rubbed his eyes in disbelief and meticulously looked over the sword''s abilities. As an SS-rank magic sword, it''s attack power was obviously high. While Kang Oh''s beginner training sword possessed an attack power of 3, the magic sword had an attack power of 20. That''s not all! A weapon reinforcing system hadn''t previously existed in Arth, but the Magic Sword Ubist was capable of autonomous growth. And this reinforcement would only cause the weapon to be even more powerful. Moreover, because the weapon shared its level with its wielder, there would be no need to rece the weapon as his level increased. Lastly, by consuming a BB-rank or higher item, all stats would double and it would enter Gluttony mode. ''As expected of an SS-rank!'' However, there were some downsides: it couldn''t be traded and upon his death, there was a high chance that his equipment would either drop or he could be a monster. Still, the pros so far outweighed the cons; such that there might as well not be any! His revtions of the sword quelled whatever disappointment he felt for not being able to procure the adamantium. "Skill." Next, Kang Oh opened his skill window and checked his newly learned skills. [Magic Swordsmanship] Magic Swordsmanship is the Magic Swordsman''s ss skill. In other words, it determines a Magic Swordsman''s worth. The higher level the skill is, the more powerful the magic sword''s special abilities, as well as the Magic Swordsman''s own abilities. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% [Darkness Strike] The magic sword delivers a devastating blow with the power of darkness. When attacking or using abat skill, there is a fixed chance it will activate. If an enemy is executed with the Magic Sword Ubist using the Darkness Strike skill, then there is a fixed chance that some stats are stolen from the victim. However, if Ubist is lost, then the user''s stats return to normal. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% The Magic Swordsmanship skill was a ss skill, and the Darkness Strike was... ''Stat steal.'' He really liked it. If he used it well, then his stats would be far superior to anyone else''s. "Nice." What was the saying again? ''Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet''. The reward was much too sweet. It was like he was eating honey! "And this isn''t the end." * * * Jae Woo entered a cafe nearby his house. A man was waiting for him. "It''s been a long time." Jae Woo and the man shook hands. "I''d heard you awoke from youra. It''s a relief." The man''s name was Park Jin Cheol. He was a producer for GBS. GBS. It was formed alongside the first generation virtual reality games, a broadcasting station that focused on games. And its industry ranking was 3rd. "Yes, it is a relief. That I''d get the chance to see you again, Producer Park," Jae Woo said. "It''s nice to see the Human Dragon again." The Human Dragon! That was the keyword that tied the two of them together. Since they became acquainted due to the failure of the Human Dragon raid. The Human Dragon raid was where the 4th ranked guild in Warlord, GK, attacked Jae Woo full on and was defeated. It was no mere defeat; it was a massacre! In Warlord, guilds could be asrge as 1,000 members, and GK, befitting its status as a top guild, had maxed out its capacity. They attacked Jae Woo with all 1,000 members, yet Jae Woo was thest man standing in the end. ''Back then, I really was strong.'' With one skill, Jae Woo could take down dozens of people at once. Even the rankers in the GK guild were no match for him. He even killed Gerrik, a pdin who was the guild leader and ranked 11th in the yerbase, at the end. And thus, people began calling GK''s defeat ''Failing the Human Dragon raid''. At the same time, Jae Woo got the nickname of Human Dragon and was recognized as the strongest yer in Warlord. The Human Dragon raid incident was covered by none other than GBS in a special edition. Of course, the director was Park Jin Cheol. In any case, that''s how the two had be acquainted, and Jae Woo had been the one to contact him first. Of course, his reason being... "Did you really clear the Fight Against 100 Men?" Jin Cheol''s eyes sharpened. "Here." Jae Woo took a chip out of his pocket and handed it to him. Jin Cheol inserted the chip into his tablet and looked over the footage. "Oh." Jin Cheol''s expression had brightened immediately. It truly was a recording of Kang Oh clearing the Fight Against 100 Men. "Did you clear it yourself?" "Can''t you tell?" Since he''d scanned himself for his character creation, his in-game face matched his real-life face. "As expected of the Human Dragon!" Jin Cheol gave him a thumbs up. "How is it?" Jae Woo asked. Then, Jin Cheol looked regretful, as if he''d never given him the thumbs up at all. "It will definitely catch peoples'' interest, but it''s a bit boring." It wasn''t arge scale battle, nor were there any shy skills used or giant boss monsters involved. It looked more like a diator movie than a yer recording. Still, it was still proof of him clearing the Fight Against 100 Men, so it was assured that some people would watch it. "Then I''ll ask someone else." Jae Woo stood up. "I''ll buy it," Jin Cheol said in haste. Jae Woo sat back down. "How much?" Jae Woo asked straightforwardly. "How about this much?" Jin Cheol pointed his index finger. "You''re not suggesting 10 million won, are you?" If he was, there was no reason to hesitate. "It''s the price for your achievement." ''10 million won!'' Jae Woo suppressed his smile and maintained his poker face. "You can''t give me any more?" "You know my style. I already offered you my max." "Hmm." If he negotiated with him, he should be able to receive more. However, Jae Woo had something else in mind. "I have a condition," Jae Woo said. "I''ll do my best to fulfill it," Jin Cheol answered promptly. "I''d like to know the Wind Archer, Sephiro''s contact information." Sephiro had said that he''d give whoever cleared the Fight Against 100 Men whatever they wanted, so he nned on taking him up on that offer. "I understand." Jin Cheol nodded his head. "Edit the video however you wish. But you must censor my face. Remember, you must censor my face!" ''There''s nothing wrong with being a little careful.'' There was a chance that vultures looking to score the reward for the Fight Against 100 Men would go after him. "I understand. Can we put a helmet over your face instead?" Censoring his face would drop the viewership rating. Whereas putting a glorified CG helmet over his face would make the film even better. "Yes, that''s fine." Jae Woo refused to have his face spread everywhere. "Good, good." They''d reached an agreement. Jae Woo and Jin Cheol shook hands looking satisfied. Jae Woo was happy that he''d made some money, whereas Jin Cheol was given a chance to show a featured broadcast. Chapter 8. Magic Swordsman Kang Oh

Chapter 8. Magic Swordsman Kang Oh

Trantor: Boko After he''d established a contract with Jin Cheol, Jae Woo returned home and essed Arth. In order to begin leveling in earnest, he travelled to the wide expanse of forest to the east of Altein. "Wow." Kang Oh was in awe. He saw one of the trees. It was as tall as a 15 story building, and just asrge. It was an Agrashi tree, which was said to grow endlessly. Though, this one was a dead tree, so it wouldn''t grow anymore. "To think that this is a young one." The 15 story Agrashi tree was apparently on the small side. These Agrashi trees, which grew for more than 10,000 years, wererge enough to be considered World Trees. In any case, there was a low-level dungeon that existed within this dead tree, the Shade Spiders'' Colony. There were arge number of level 10 - 15 Shade Spiders that lived within this colony. It was an environment filled with webs, poison, and spiders ready to strike at their prey from the ceiling. They were indeed low-level monsters, but it was difficult for newbies to defeat them, so most yers didn''te looking for this dungeon. What''s worse, since there was no boss monster, there was no real motivator toe here, as they wouldn''t get any particrly rare item here. That''s exactly why Kang Oh came here. Since it meant that Kang Oh could take them on alone and unimpeded. Of course, one would need the ability to defeat them alone, but he didn''t need to worry about that. "After all, it''s me we''re talking about." To the Magic Swordsman Kang Oh, this ce was like a huge crab. With his SS-rank magic sword, he could break the shell and pull out the flesh underneath! There was no reason to hesitate. Kang Oh immediately entered the dungeon. [Entering the Shade Spiders'' Colony.] As expected, there weren''t any other yers in the dungeon. Instead, the Shade Spiders violently greeted the unexpected guest. Kieek! Two Shade Spiders fell from the ceiling. Shade Spiders were zebra striped and the more stripes they possessed, the greater their power. Based on the stripes, he assumed they were about level 10. Kang Oh unsheathed Ubist and held it at the ready. It was the entire reason he, a level one yer, was able to enter the Shade Spiders'' Colony without fear! "Hueup." Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally and Darkness Strike activated. His sword unleashed a ck wave of energy resembling that of a wild beast. A truly devastating blow! The spiders died, unable to even scream. ''It didn''t steal any stats.'' When wielding the Magic Sword Ubist and the Darkness Strike skill was activated, there was a fixed chance that the in enemy''s stats would be stolen. Kya. Once theirrades were in, the other Shade Spiders rushed over in excited agitation. Kang Oh was only level 1, but was able to evade their attacks with his Hyper Intuition. As he evaded their attacks, he simultaneously swung his sword repeatedly. He cut them down again and again with his jet-ck de. Darkness Strike didn''t activate, but after his third sh... [You have leveled up.] [Your HP, MP, and Stats have gone up.] [You can now allocate your new stat points.] Finally, he hit level 2! He had finally graduated from level 1. * * * In no time, Kang Oh had hit level 10. It made sense. Since he was the only one in here. Kiek. Three Shade Spiders sprayed poison from the ceiling. This was why beginners avoided this area! Antidotes were too expensive for beginners. If they became poisoned, they would either be forced to retreat or die. But Kang Oh was different; he could simply avoid their poison with his Hyper Intuition. Even if he were hit, it wouldn''t be an issue. Once he became a Magic Swordsman, his poison resistance had increased, so there was almost no chance of him getting poisoned by these Shade Spiders. "Die!" Kang Oh rushed towards the spiders unhindered. Whenever he swung his magic sword, shards of red light spread through the air. Because he attacked wherever his Hyper Intuition sensed weakness, he repeatedly got critical attacks. Thus, he tirelessly killed the spiders and pushed forward towards the top of the tree. Since it was a tree-shaped dungeon, once he reached the top, he would have to alsoe back down the same way. In order to stop his advance, the spiders came at him endlessly. However... Dodge, dodge, dodge! Their attacks never touched him. This was thebination of a gamer with the Magic Swordsman ss, which boasted devastating attack power, and Hyper Intuition. These formed an incredible synergy. [The side stat, Avoidance, has been created.] [The higher the stat, the higher the likelihood that you can avoid an attack.] Furthermore, he''d even gained a side stat! Kang Oh was an irresistible force that swept through the Shade Spiders'' Colony. Kang Oh hopped down to the lower area. He''d already reached the top and was on his way down. Just one more time and he''d reach the exit. However... He suddenly felt something strange. ''What''s this?'' His Hyper Intuition pointed him towards a wall formed of bark. It was different from his Hyper Intuition warning him of danger or pointing out weaknesses. It was telling him that the wall itself was suspicious and that there was something behind it. Kang Oh brushed the bark wall with the palm of his hand. He felt two different feelings from the wall. First was merely the dry exterior of the bark wall. On the other hand, he felt that it was extremely sturdy. In order to make sure, Kang Oh swung his sword at the solid wall. Kwang! Kya! What he''d once thought was a bark wall rushed towards him. It happened so suddenly that his hairs bristled. "The hell!?" He instinctively swung his sword. Kkang! The magic sword bounced right off, but whatever came flying at him bounced away as well. Looking at it more closely, it was a spider. It was a spider that possessed the same pattern and color as the tree. Yet, even though it was a spider, its two front legs were as thick and sturdy as clubs. It was a bit smaller than a bull. [You have discovered the Earth Shade Spider, Rash.] [You are the first to make this discovery.] ''A named monster!'' Named monsters were, as their title would imply, monsters with names. They were more powerful than normal monsters and used special skills as well. In addition, they had a higher chance of dropping rare items than regr monsters. In other words, they were the rankers of the monster world! "Give me an item!" Kang Oh dashed towards Rash. Kyak, kyak! In turn, Rash shrieked and swung its thick front legs. They quickly exchanged several blows with each other. ''It''s tough.'' Whenever his magic sword made contact with Rash''s carapace, it rang out as if it had struck metal. It waspletely different from the normal Shade Spiders'' carapace, which broke like pine boards. But, he still had his sword. An SS-rank magic sword! He couldn''tpletely break through Rash''s carapace, but he continually created fine cracks along its surface. Kang Oh was definitely in the lead! But then, Rash''s body shook. Dee - Dee - Dee -! Rash shrieked, sounding much like a cricket. [Rash is calling his allies. You will soon be swarmed by spiders.] ''What a pain in the ass!'' Kang Oh decided to take him down as quickly as possible. "Shall we?" Kang Oh recollected the ''Divide the Sea'' technique he''d seen from the Swordmaster, Vn. That devastating power that had split the King of Magical Beasts, Ubist, in two! Kang Oh focused on his de and let loose all his power at once. Swish. He etched a white line into the air. This was the effect of his shing skill! At the same time, Darkness Strike activated. A white line formed on Rash''s body, which was followed by a wave from Darkness Strike. Kwang! It was followed by the sound of an explosion, as Rash''s body was split into two, following the white line etched on its body. [You are the first to defeat the named Earth Shade Spider.] [As a reward for being the first to defeat it, the monster will drop the highest rank item it can drop.] [You have spontaneously learned sh.] [You have leveled up.] Several joyous messages appeared one after another. And where Rash had once been, a passageway leading who knows where had appeared. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, the Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest.] [You are the first to make this discovery.] [Your fame has increased.] [You gain 2 times the proficiency from hunting within the Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest. The item drop rate is also doubled.] He was the first one to discover this hidden dungeon! No one had ever entered, but the entrance was right before his very eyes. * * * Rash had left behind a useless item and a ring. [Rash''s Ring of Protection] A ring containing the defensive ability of the Earth Shade Spider, Rash. Grants immunity against any spider''s poison lower than level 50. Rank: BB Ability: Defense +10, Physical +2, Mental +1 Conditions: At least level 15 In Arth, yers could equip one ring on each hand. Once he defeated Rash, Kang Oh had hit level 15, so he equipped the ring right away. With this, he waspletely immune to spider poisons! Next, he checked the skill he''d just learned. [sh] A powerful sh. It creates a shallow wound, and if that wound is struck, then the resulting attack will be a critical hit. ssification: Active/Skill MP Usage: 10 Cooldown: 10 seconds Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% "Well, guess it''s not bad." sh was a basicbat skill for swordsmen. It was a useful skill, as attacking the wound it inflicted would always result in a critical hit. "Well, that''s that. Alishi, huh..." Kang Oh smiled widely and looked at the entrance to the hidden dungeon. The Spider Queen, Alishi! He could tell just from the name. This was a boss monster! It was known that the Shade Spiders'' Colony had no boss monster. However, it did have one; it was just hidden. "I''m absolutely certain!" Two times the proficiency and drop rate! Moreover, he would be the first one to take down the boss monster, so it would drop the best item it could. Above all, defeating a hidden dungeon boss gave him the opportunity to rue a lot of riches. The game was designed so that the longer a boss monster remained alive, the more riches it would possess. In other words, he would be able to obtain experience, items, and money all in one ce! Kang Oh walked forward excitedly. The darkness at the entrance engulfed him. [Entering the Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest.] Kang Oh surveyed his surroundings. Alishi''s Nest went underground. The dirt walls were interspersed with tree roots, and there were spider webs everywhere. He didn''t see any monsters. However, his feet felt a chill all of a sudden. His Hyper Intuition was sensing danger! At the same time, spiders popped out of the ground. They looked simr to the named Earth Shade Spider, Rash, but they were a lot smaller. Kyaa! These Earth Shade Spidersid dormant underground and sprung up when they sensed prey. Even so, they didn''t even get close to him. He swung his sword a few times, cutting them into pieces like firewood. After that, spiders continued to pour out from the ground, followed soon by the piling heaps of spider corpses! It was a massacre. The earth spiders had no chance at stopping him. * * * At some point, Kang Oh had reached the end of the dungeon and was met by a huge door. ''This is the boss room!'' Of course, as befitting a boss''s abode, two named monsters were guarding the entrance. The two named monsters, Kash and Karash, were both Earth Shade Spiders that resembled Rash. "Two named monsters, huh!" Kang Oh immediately rushed in. Spit! Karash spat arge amount of poisonous liquid towards Kang Oh while Kash shot a lump of spider webs at him. The spider webs smeared his feet and the poisonous liquid obscured his vision. [You have stepped in spider webs.] [Your movement speed has been slowed. You have been covered in spider webs. Your movements have been restricted.] [You have been hit by poisonous liquid.] [Due to your immunity to spider poisons, you do not take any damage.] He wouldn''t stop his charge just because of some spider webs and poison. Kang Oh grabbed his magic sword with both hands and then pushed off the ground, immediately closing the distance to Kash, who''d spat out the spider webs. He leapt off the ground and swung his greatsword in a downward arc. A white line was etched into the air, following the trajectory of his sword. It was a different skill from Darkness Strike. He had used sh. Kash crossed its thick front legs and blocked the magic sword. Kyaang! The magic sword and Kash''s sturdy front legs shed. But Kang Oh was the one who''de out on top. [A wound has been created through sh. If the wound is attacked, the resulting attack will be a critical hit.] Kang Oh immediately followed up with another attack. His aim was none other than the wound he''d inflicted on Kash''s front legs! Swish! His sword gouged the wound open. Red shards of light sprayed out! By attacking the wound, he''d inflicted a critical hit. Keehk! Kash cried out. Karash, who''d previously used poison, made its way over to help Kash. But before then, Kang Oh attempted to take Kash down. ''Weakness!'' His Hyper Intuition had activated. The area connecting its head and body was Kash''s weakness. "Heup!" Kang Oh struck at Kash''s weak point and this time, Darkness Strike activated. Plus, it was a critical hit! Kash''s body shook at the enormous amount of damage. However, it didn''t fall. Kash''s ck, marble-like eyes turned red. [Kash''s HP is below 10% and it will now enter a Berserk state.] Kyaoh! Kash roared and haphazardly swung its front legs around. The now berserk Kash was extremely fast, at least two times as fast as Karash. "Ugh." Kang Oh quickly raised his sword to defend himself, but Kash''s leg had grazed his shoulder. [You have taken 112 damage.] [Remaining HP: 468] "Damn it!" Once he''d regained bnce, Kang Oh attacked Kash once more. Or more specifically, he tried to attack it. However, Karash was close by and attacked from behind. It had turned into a close-range fight. Kang Oh would dodge their attacks and roll onto the floor. Whereas, the named Earth Shade Spiders would shriek and swung their front legs at him! "Phew, phew." Kang Oh breathed heavily. His stamina had rapidly depleted. Karash wasn''t a big problem. But Kash was. Just its legs grazing his body would deal a considerable amount of damage to him. Kang Oh''s HP rapidly fell down to below 30%. He covered his body with the magic sword. Since the magic sword''s de was both wide and long, he could block all his vitals from his head down to his balls. Kash''s front legs struck his sword. Kang! The sound of metal rang out and Kash was actually the one pushed back. ''Now!'' Kang Oh attacked the wounded area again and again. Red shards sprayed into the air! Kang Oh continuously swung his sword and pressed on. Pak! Pak! Paahk! In the end, Kash fell. [You have defeated the Earth Shade Spider, Kash.] Since he''d already defeated Rash, he didn''t get anything for being the first one to defeat Kash. Now all that was left was Karash. If the berserk Kash was like a tiger, then Karash was like a turtle. In other words, a piece of cake. He was immune to its poison anyway and he leisurely evaded its attacks while weaving in his own. When he had lowered its HP to a certain point, Kang Oh rushed it like a gust of wind so that it couldn''t go berserk. Darkness Strike apanied his finishing blow and Karash fell. [You have defeated the Earth Shade Spider, Karash.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Magic +1] "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and looked forward. It felt like the boss room was urging him toe in. Chapter 9. Spider Queen, Alishi (1)

Chapter 9. Spider Queen, Alishi (1)

Trantor: Boko There was something Kang Oh needed to do before he went into the boss room. "Stats." If you wanted to beat a boss, you needed to be prepared. [Main Stats] Physical: 31 (+20) Mental: 31 (+20) Magic: 32 (+20) Sense: 31 (+20) Remaining Stat Points: 42 Although all his main stats increased by 20 when he ss changed to Magic Swordsman, he''d yet to allocate any of his surplus points. Till now, Kang Oh had been thinking about how best to allocate his remaining points. But after defeating Karash and stealing a point of magic, he realized what he needed to do. ''Let''s put everything into Sense.'' Kang Oh allocated all of his remaining stat points into Sense. Sense increased not only the power and effect of skills, but also their activation rates. It also decreased the amount of MP required, as well as the cooldown of the skills. Above all, it would increase the speed at which his skill proficiency went up, which was much more difficult to increase than leveling up. Kang Oh nned on putting everything into Sense from now on. By putting everything into Sense, the activation rate of Darkness Strike would go up, which would further increase his other stats. In other words, he was making an incredibly greedy decision; he wanted both skill proficiency and stats. "I allocated all my stat points, so let''s go take down the boss." Kang Oh went through the entrance. Spider Queen, Alishi''s boss room looked like it was from a horror movie. There were spider webs everywhere, as well as dried up husks of monsters. The sight of the shaking oothecae would make anyone want to turn tail and flee. And in the center of the room, there was a huge nest consisting of white spider webbing. Atop that nesty the Spider Queen, Alishi, with four named Earth Shade Spiders guarding her nearby. ''So that''s Alishi.'' Kang Oh scanned Alishi. He estimated her to be about level 30. Physically, she looked simr to the other named Earth Shade Spiders. However, she was about double their size and her stripes were orange in color, and shaped like a ghostly face. Kang Oh was sure that Alishi had some sort of special skill. ''Taking into ount her special ability, it''ll be hard to beat her alone.'' Thebination of his Hyper Intuition, his hidden ss, and his SS-rank magic sword did indeed make him overpowered. However, death had a far more severe penalty to the wielder of the magic sword Ubist than to any other regr yer. If he died, he would either lose the magic sword, or he would be a monster under the magic sword''s sway for 24 hours. If that''s the case, then he needed some insurance before he fought against an unknown boss. In other words...! ''I need some help.'' The first person he thought of was Burkan. If he came, then it wouldn''t matter what tricks Alishi had up her sleeve; he''d kill her in a single blow. ''If you''re facing a goblin, there''s no reason toe wielding a dragon yer. If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh smirked. Someone more appropriate hade to mind. * * * Kang Oh returned to the Holiseum''s underground arena. "Oh, Little Brother," Burkan greeted. The Battle Against 100 Men could no longer bepleted here. Thus, rumors that someone had beaten it had spread. "Brother, have you been well?" Since he wanted something from Burkan, he smiled professionally. "Well, the magic sword''s gone now, so yeah I''m doing well." Burkan spoke as though a huge weight had been lifted off his chest. "Why was the magic sword left here in the first ce?" Kang Oh asked, suddenly feeling curious. "Master Vn forced it onto me. He left me the adamantium gemstone too." The life story of the swordsman, Vn, that he''d seen following thepletion of the Trial of the Magic Sword! That same swordsman was Burkan''s master. "As he departed, Master Vn told me to impart the magic sword to someone worthy. To put it simply, I''m just a subcontractor." That was the reason the impossible ''Fight Against 100 Men'' had begun. "The adamantium gemstone too?" "Master Vn discovered that too. He told me to protect it, so that a strict person couldn''t get it, or something." Burkan grinned and continued, "That''s why I sent you off to find a miner. Cause if you find one, then I''m free." "Ugh. That''s what your letter of introduction was for?" "Yep. So hurry up and find Bower, so you can take it away." The reason that the invincible diator, Burkan, had been stuck in the underground arena was because of the magic sword and the adamantium gemstone. "So where is this Vn now?" Kang Oh asked. He wouldn''t regret this, would he? "Dunno. It''s been a while since I''ve seen him, so he may or may not be alive. No, he''s probably not dead. He''s someone who can even avoid death. Why? Want to find him?" "No thank you," Kang Oh dered. "Anyway, where is Darion?" The whole reason he''de back was for Darion. "Darion!" Burkan yelled, and Darion came running from the other side of the passageway. This was the first time he''d actually seen his face, but he looked like the "young prince" type; he was both dashing and fair-skinned. How can Darion of all people look like that!? This is bullshit. "You!" Once he got a look at Kang Oh, his expression turned to rage. "Oh, hey, how''ve you been? Your eyes doing ok?" Kang Oh raised his hand and acted amicably. "You dirty, shameful bastard!" Darion said, fuming. "Watch it, Darion. He not only passed the Battle of a Hundred Men, but he''s also the wielder of the magic sword and my little brother." As expected, the hierarchy of diators modeled that of the military. In military terms, Kang Oh was the general''s son or maybe grandson. He had no rank to speak of, but he had someone high up backing him! "How can you support someone like him..." "Darion," he said heavily, and Darion immediately shut his mouth. Though his eyes seemed to convey his discontent. "Brother, may I borrow Darion for a little bit?" "Why?" He couldn''t say ''What do you mean why? I want to use him like a ve.'' "When I fought himst time, I found that he has some mental weaknesses. I want to fix those weaknesses of his," Kang Oh said. "Alright!" Burkan consented easily. "Master!" Darion anxiously called for his master whilst teary-eyed. Burkan closed his mouth in a line. It was a strong sign that Burkan wouldn''t listen to Darion anymore. "Let''s go, Darion!" Darion had no other choice but to follow Kang Oh, as if he were a cow being dragged to the ughterhouse. Kang Oh, having left the Holiseum, led Darion to a secluded alleyway. "What level are you?" Kang Oh asked. "36..." Burkan''s estimated level was higher than 400. Darion''s level was much lower than his master''s; perhaps it was because he was Burkan''sst student. "Hey, who do you think you''re talking to?" I''m Burkan''s little brother! "...sir." "You still have that chip on your shoulder from me throwing a bit of dirt at you. Is that really my fault?" You guys are more cowardly. After all, I had to fight against 100 of you. "You dirtied a sacred diatorial match." "Again?" "...sir." "Sacred? Don''t give me that BS. All that matters in the end is who wins." "I was taught that winning isn''t everything to a diator... sir." "But brother Burkan is the invincible diator. The one who always wins." Though they wouldn''t kill each other, there were no ties in diatorial matches. That''s why the citizens of Altein went so wild over them. "He''s special... sir." "I''m not so sure about that, but what I am sure about is that you''re too soft." Darion was definitely too soft. After all, he was still saying that diatorial matches were sacred or what not. "There''re no rules or cowardice in real fights," Kang Oh said. "I cannot ept that... sir." "Then, how about we go a round? If I win, you''re my ve for the week." "What if I win?" "You get to be the older brother." "I''ll do it. 100%." [Darion has requested a duel. Will you ept?] A duel between a level 15 and a level 36. Kang Oh was definitely at a disadvantage. However, Kang Oh was 100% sure of his victory. ''Since I''m against Darion.'' Kang Oh''s expression was rxed. "ept." Once he uttered those words, Darion immediately struck. It was a surprise attack. However, Kang Oh wasn''t surprised in the least and said rxingly, "I''m Burkan''s little brother. You know what happens if you hurt me, right?" Darion momentarily froze. Kang Oh seized that opportunity. His magic sword had shed Darion''s chest. Darion stumbled. Following the injury, Darion faltered, and Kang Oh hit him with his sh skill. Of course, Hyper Intuition had revealed a weak spot and he''d hit there. Unfortunately for Darion, Kang Oh''s sh was apanied by a Darkness Strike. The teeth of a ck beast struck Darion. A critical hit! sh! Darkness Strike! "Ugh." Darion''s handsome face twisted. After that, Kang Oh continuously aimed at the wound left behind by sh without giving Darion the chance to counterattack. [Darion''s HP is below 10%. Mr. Kang Oh has won the duel.] As expected, the duel ended in Kang Oh''s one-sided victory. ''Darion is Darion after all. He''s way too soft. What are you made of, tofu?'' "How cowardly!" Darion shouted. "Shut up. You''re my ve for the week. An honorable diator like you wouldn''t go back on his word, would he?" "..." "What, you don''t like being called a ve? Then I''ll call you a mercenary instead." And that''s how Kang Oh acquired a mercenary. Darion''s daily wage was 3 silver! He might be called a mercenary, but it wasn''t any different from a master-ve contract. * * * They say to strike when the iron is hot. Once he''d created the mercenary contract with Darion, they went to the Shade Spiders'' Colony. And they headed straight for the entrance to the hidden dungeon. The Earth Shade Spider that hid the entrance to the hidden dungeon wasn''t even an appetizer to them. "Let''s go." Once they entered, the Earth Shade Spiders began to attack fearlessly. Swish, swish. A few sword swings was enough. Kang Oh and Darion were soon at the entrance of the boss room. Kyaka! There were two Earth Shade Spiders protecting the boss room which used poison liquid and spider webs to attack. They were just the right appetizers before the main course: the boss. Now it was time for today''s main dish! It was time to take down the Spider Queen, Alishi. "Disgusting." Having witnessed the Spider Queen, Darion furrowed his brow. Alishi possessed four eyes, but her eyes were noticeablyrger than the other spiders, which made her look especially disgusting. "There''re four named monsters guarding the boss. They use poison, spider webs, can call allies, etc. Each one of them uses a special skill. I don''t know what the boss''s special skill is, but do your best." Darion was a higher level than the boss. He didn''t have to worry about him. "Understood." "I''m going." Once Kang Oh stepped forward, the named monsters shrieked and rushed towards him. However, Alishi didn''t move an inch. Kang Oh, who''d killed a countless number of bosses in Warlord, figured out exactly what was going on. "It''s an observer-type boss." Bosses came in different varieties. Frontlinebat bosses, backline magic bosses,mander-type bosses, there were those like Alishi that merely observed, etc... These bosses expected that their subordinates would finish off the intruders themselves! And if those subordinates fell, they would go ''Those fools. I''ll do it myself!'' and then jump in. ''It''s a lot easier than I expected. Then again...'' While it was a hidden dungeon, it was still undeniable that it was a low-level dungeon. The named monsters soon swung their front legs at them. Kang Oh and Darion took on two of the named monsters a piece. Koong, koong! Bibibi! The two named monsters picked up and threw a piece ofnd at Kang Oh, while the other let out a cricket-like cry in order to summon their allies. Twiet! Twitwi! Meanwhile, Darion faced off against two named monsters that spewed poison liquid and spider webs respectively. As expected, the named monsters were no match for either Kang Oh or Darion. They were especially no match for Kang Oh due to his overwhelming attack power. His sh, reinforced by his Darkness Strike, instantly killed the Earth Shade Spider attempting to call allies. But at that moment... Alishi''s giant eyes shone red like a signal light. Kang Oh didn''t miss that change. ''This is...'' In Warlord, there was a boss called Hectos. There were six gems embedded in the crown that he wore. Whenever one of the midbosses were killed, these gems would begin to glow. It was almost like a countdown of sorts. And not long after, Kang Oh was killed by Hectos. He had died, helpless against Hectos repeatedly using his six skills. Thus, Kang Oh immediately recognized what her eyes glowing meant. ''She''s the same type as Hectos.'' Ultimately, it meant that once they were finished with the named monsters, they would face a buffed Alishi. Like the time he''d died at the hands of Hecto''s six skills. Despite that, Kang Oh didn''t attempt to awaken her, nor did he stop Darion from killing the remaining named monsters. Once Darion had killed the poison-spewing spider, Alishi''s second eye glowed green. ''I''m sure.'' Whenever a named monster died, Alishi became stronger. ''Alright''. Kang Oh grinned and fought against the named monsters even harder. Soon, the spider throwingnd at him had met its end. [You have defeated the Earth Shade Spider, Bash.] Alishi''s third eye glowed yellow. "Thest one!" Darion and Kang Oh worked together to take down thest web-spewing spider. Simultaneously, Alishi''sst eye glowed white. Kyaaa! Alishi roared, each of her eyes glowing a different color. [The Spider Queen, Alishi, has awakened. Alishi is enraged at the death of her subordinates.] Alishi spewed poisonous liquid from her mouth, spider webs from her body, and called upon her children as well. Whenever she stepped forward, the ground seemed to cry out, and sharp fragments would break off and send shrapnel flying. Finally. The emergence of the strongest spider, Alishi! Chapter 10. Spider Queen, Alishi (2)

Chapter 10. Spider Queen, Alishi (2)

Trantor: Boko The Mahl Pce, which the final boss, Hectos, had ruled over, contained several different passageways. If the yer used the secret passageway, then they could fight Hectos without encountering the midbosses. With this, Hectos'' crown wouldn''t emit light, which meant that he could only use one of his skills. Thus, the fight became much easier. But if the yer used this method, Hectos wouldn''t drop his best item, the Sergez Crown of Destruction. ''Alishi''s probably in the same boat.'' If he beat Alishi at her highest difficulty setting, then she should yield a better item. And since he would be the first one to beat her, she would be guaranteed to drop her highest ranked item. In other words, this was his best chance at getting her best item drop! She may have gotten a lot stronger, but hey, high risk high reward. "Concentrate, Darion," Kang Oh said. "Got it," Darion replied. ''He''s getting disrespectful again. Why I oughta...!'' But he held back for now. Right now, he needed to focus all his attention on Alishi. Kyaaa! Alishi kicked off her nest and came out. Her four eyes gleamed like Hectos'' crown. Puhat! Alishi spewed poison liquid from her mouth in a fan-shape. "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled and pushed Darion. However, Kang Oh himself didn''t move. Huahk! The area where Kang Oh was standing had turned into a swamp of poison, yet Kang Oh was absolutely fine. [You have been hit by the Spider Queen''s poison liquid. You take no damage due to your immunity to spider poison.] The gemstone in the ring on his right hand gleamed. Because he was wearing Rash''s Ring of Protection, which gave him immunity to spider poison, he was fine. "It''s my turn!" Kang Oh gripped his greatsword with both hands and dashed towards Alishi. The edge of his giant greatsword morously slid across the ground. Darion too, wielding a diator''s dius, rushed Alishi as well. Alishi straightened her body. Her tail, which was pointed towards the sky, spewed out white skein everywhere. There was no ce they could go to avoid it. [Spider webs have stuck to your body. Movement speed has been reduced.] Though his movement speed had decreased, he was still able to approach Alishi with no problems. However, Alishi began to stamp the ground with every leg but her front legs. Kwang, kwang, kwang! The ground trembled and whenever Alishi stamped onto the ground, shards of the earth began flying. "Darion, protect yourself!" Kang Oh yelled and covered his own body with his magic sword. What was the saying again ''try and avoid sudden showers''? But like how an umbre could not block all the rain, the shards grazed Kang Oh''s skin. [You have been hit by shrapnel. You have taken 13 damage.] [The shrapnel has hit your ankle. You have taken 7 damage and movement speed has decreased by 1%.] [The spider webs are hampering you. Please be careful.] ''This makes me think back to my first time fighting Hectos.'' Hectos, having entered Destruction Mode, continuously used his six skills from beginning to end. But at the same time, Alishi wasn''t at Hectos'' level. Alishi couldn''t continuously use her skills so blindly like Hectos could. Some time passed, and Alishi no longer spewed her poison or skein. Instead, she began calling for her children. Dee-Dee-Dee! The oothecae within the boss room began to violently shake. "Shut up!" Kang Oh switched from defense to offense and used sh. Shrapnel continued to fly, but he didn''t take much damage from it. Darion followed suit and thrust his sword at the Spider Queen''s nk. Alishi shrieked and swung her legs. Kang Oh''s magic sword and Alishi''s thick legs shed. There was a clear white mark left remaining on her front leg. It was the wound left behind by sh. Kang Oh swung his sword as fast as possible. ''Explode!'' Since he''d put everything in his Sense stat, his Darkness Strike activated. A wave of darkness in the image of a beast gnawed at the Spider Queen. Kuah! For the first time, Alishi screamed in pain and violently swung her front legs. Kang Oh positioned his magic sword and defended against the iing leg, but was pushed back. During that time, Darion''s dius, which was encased in a red energy, pierced Alishi''s body. Critical hit! Red shards of light, about a handful, fell from Alishi''s body. ''I can''t be outdone.'' Kang Oh aimed for sh''s resulting wound and shed downwards. Red shards dispersed into the air, as if ss had broken, and Kang Oh swung his sword downwards from up high once more. More red shards flew into the air! Another critical hit! Kyakya! Alishi''s screams were apanied by an unusual sounding from her body, which only continued to increase. Bii! A shaking ootheca ripped apart, dripping with a glutinous fluid. 10 Shade Spiders awoke from the ootheca. As soon as they were born, they squirmed as if hungry! "Darion, take care of the spiders!" Once Darion headed over to the spiders, Kang Oh focused on Alishi''s attack. With his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh dodged Alishi''s leg attacks. The enraged Alishi''s chest swelled. Ready, aim, fire! Kwah! She spewed poison in a fan-shape once more! "You idiot!" Kang Oh threw himself into the poison wave. [Your are immune to spider poison.] Alishi couldn''t move while spewing her poison, so Kang Oh aimed for her head. sh! Simultaneously, Darkness Strike activated as well! Kwang! Kang Oh cleaved Alishi''s head with his magic sword. Following the huge collision, Alishi''s body began to falter. [Hitting Alishi in the head has caused her to enter a confused state for 3 seconds.] Alishi was defenseless for 3 seconds. That time was priceless for someone with Hyper Intuition. First, he cut the joint connecting her body to her front leg. 1 second. Second, he pierced the center of her body. 1 second. Finally, he wacked her on the head again with his sword. 1 second. Critical hit, critical hit, critical hit! Kyak! Alishi, having regained consciousness, violently positioned her leg like a spear and thrusted. It was the fastest speed he''d seen from her yet. However, having foreseen the danger through his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh quickly rolled onto the floor. Kyaoh! The enraged Alishi raised her tail to the sky. ''Is she gonna use her spider webs again?'' However, it wasn''t spider webs this time. Alishi''s ghost pattern began to shine. ''This is...'' The pattern began to squirm. It looked somewhat like a beautiful woman, but also an old witch. An optical illusion! Alishi''s pattern continued the optical illusion and as the red light shot out like aser, Kang Oh was struck by dizziness. [Alishi has cast an optical illusion. If you look upon the pattern, then you will be confused for 1 minute.] Kang Oh immediately turned his head. He saw Darion staring right at Alishi. And there were spiders swarming him from all around! "Darion!" Kang Oh yelled, but it was of no use. ''You idiot!'' He was level 36, yet he managed to get caught in a level 30 boss''s special ability! "Hahp!" Kang Oh rushed over to Darion and ughtered all the spiders. Alishi, still maintaining the optical illusion, aimed for Kang Oh''s back. His Hyper Intuition warned him. He felt a chill at the center of his body! He hastily rolled onto the floor, but he was a bit toote. "Keuk." [You have taken 150 damage. Your HP has dropped below half.] [Remaining HP: 120] He had been struck whilepletely defenseless, so the damage he''d taken was huge. Kang Oh turned his body and closed his eyes so that he wouldn''t be affected by Alishi''s optical illusion. Dee-! He could hear Alishi summon her allies, as well as the spiders squirming in hunger. At the same time, Alishi''s front leg flew towards him. ''Not a chance!'' Even without his sight, Kang Oh could take care of himself. With his Hyper Intuition, he blocked Alishi''s attack and began his counterattack. "Hahp!" He couldn''t see, but he could feel the impact; he knew he''d inflicted a critical hit. And he could also feel the iing presence of spidersing for him from every which direction. Dadadadada! Kang Oh stood in front of Darion and repelled anything that came his way, like a giant and thick wall. [You have been hit by a piece of shrapnel. You have taken 5 damage.] He had no way of avoiding the shrapnel, but the shards of earth themselves didn''t do much damage. Ultimately, the spiders quickly fell to his magic sword, and by now, Alishi''s optical illusion had faded. [Alishi is no longer casting her optical illusion.] Alishi''s special skill, whichsted for a minute, had finallye to an end. Kang Oh opened his eyes. He could see Alishi''s four gleaming eyes. "Huh?" Darion also awoke. "Get ahold of yourself! Attack Alishi!" Kang Oh yelled. Kang Oh really wanted to smack him, but taking out Alishi was his priority. Darion grabbed his dius, dodged Alishi''s leg, and thrust his sword. Kya! As always, Alishi continued to spew her poison and spider webs, shrapnel flew into the air, and she summoned more of her allies, but it was a pattern he was familiar with now. He pushed her back with his magic sword while Darion helped. The Spider Queen gradually went on the defensive. His magic sword had cut one of her legs. Now, Alishi only had six legs remaining. ''Hoo. I can finally see the end.'' If that dumbass Darion hadn''t fallen for her optical illusion, then he could''ve beaten her even more easily. However, that was only his opinion. Alishi had no intention of losing so easily. Kyaahk! Alishi''s body emitted a red aura. [The Spider Queen, Alishi''s HP has fallen below 10%.] [The Spider Queen, Alishi is now berserk. She has be much stronger.] The now berserk Alishi aimed at Darion with her front leg. "Keuk!" Darion quickly raised his sword and blocked the attack, but he was knocked out and was mmed into the wall. What devastating strength! The impact had knocked him out. If he sustained another attack, then it''d be really dangerous. "Hey, praying mantis!" Kang Oh provoked Alishi so that she wouldn''t go near Darion. Kya! Alishi rushed towards Kang Oh. She simply swung her legs to attack him, but she was disgustingly fast. He''d seen how Darion had been knocked out, despite blocking Alishi''s blow, so he dodged rather than blocked. Kwang! Whenever her front legs stamped onto the ground, it left a huge hole, as if the ground had been struck by a meteorite. Kwang, kwang, kwang! Alishi continued her devastating assault. Kang Oh was barely managing to dodge her attacks. "Phew, phew." ''I guess I''ll have to use myst resort!'' He''de this far; there''s no way he could lose here. "Darion, buy some time. Don''t get hit, just avoid her," Kang Oh said to the now conscious Darion. Darion gritted his teeth and dashed towards Alishi. Kang Oh pushed off the floor and escaped Alishi''s range. And took off Rash''s ring and ced it on the magic sword. The darkness radiating from the magic sword became sharp teeth and devoured the ring. He''d activated Gluttony, which temporarily increased his abilities exponentially for a fixed amount of time, at the cost of a BB-rank item or higher! [The Magic Sword, Ubist, has consumed the BB-rank Rash''s Ring of Protection.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For one minute, the magic sword and the character''s abilities double.] A jet-ck aura rose from Kang Oh''s entire body. The darkness became a cloak and fluttered behind him. His body overflowed with power. All his abilities had been doubled! His magic sword''s astounding attack power had doubled too. ''Though it''s kind of disappointing that it onlysts for a minute.'' The duration of Gluttony depended on the item. Since Rash''s Ring of Protection only required the user to be at level 15, Gluttony onlysted for 1 minute. "Are you ready yet, sir?" Darion said hastily. He really was barely holding on. Kwang! A giant pit was formed in the ground and Darion was being pushed back. ''This guy. He''s in a pinch, so he''s being respectful.'' "I''m going!" Kang Oh approached Alishi. The quickly flying front leg still held a clear wound. Kang Oh, having all his abilities doubled, swung his sword twice as fast as before. Swish. He cut a horizontal line atop the vertically cut wound. Paahk! Kyaoh! Alishi screams were apanied by her front leg being dismembered. Kang Oh leapt up and forcefully swung his sword again. A ck wave followed the trajectory of his de. Like a pack of wolves that were approaching their prey! Kwang! The huge impact rocked Alishi. It was a Darkness Strike whilst in the Gluttony state! Moreover, he''d hit a vital area, the head! Shards of light spilled out like fireworks. Alishi fell to the floor like a marite that had its strings cut. [You are the first to defeat the Spider Queen, Alishi.] [You have acquired the title, Spider Queen Killer.] [Your fame has increased.] [Allbat-rted side stats have increased.] [You defeated her at the highest difficulty.] [Alishi will drop an even better item.] [You defeated the enemy whilst in Gluttony mode.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +3] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] Finally, tidings of victory! Before him, he could see Alishi''s giant corpse, the items she''d left behind, as well as her nest, where she''d kept all the riches she''d gathered. Now it was time for him to see what sweet rewards awaited him. Chapter 11. The Search for a Hidden Dungeon

Chapter 11. The Search for a Hidden Dungeon

Trantor: Boko Alishi dropped three items. Firstly, Kang Oh examined the ne, the most expensive-looking of the lot. "Appraise." [Hero''s Alishi Ne] A ne embedded with the four eyes of the Spider Queen, Alishi. Each of the eyes shine a different color. Though it is a beautiful ne, gazing at it elicits a feeling of sadness. + Spider Queen''s Power: Whoever equips this ne gains the power of the Spider Queen. The Spider Queen''s power is as follows: Poison: Imbues a weapon with the poison element and also inflicts poison damage. Spider Webs: Consistently damaging an enemy will apply a slowness effect. Earth Fragments: If you nt your weapon into the ground, shards of the terrain will shoot in every direction. (Usable once every 30 seconds) Call subordinate: You may summon the mount, Ground Shade Spider. Rank: A Abilities: Main Stats +5, Charm +20. Conditions: Requires the title, Spider Queen Killer. It was an A-rank ne. It couldn''t bepared to the magic sword, but it was still a good item. But its conditions were limiting. He wasn''t sure if he could sell it since it required the Spider Queen Killer title. Kang Oh equipped the ne right away. [By equipping Hero''s Alishi Ne, the Charm stat has been created.] [Charm improves how others view you. The higher the stat, the easier it is to increase your closeness to NPCs.] The ne even caused the Charm stat to be created. Kang Oh examined the next item. [Hero''s Ghost-Pattern Armor] The armor bears Alishi''s ghost-pattern. The armor is stic and consists of the tough carapace and skein of the Ground Spiders. Anyone who stares at the armor will be confused. + Optical Illusion: There is a small chance that whoever looks upon the pattern will enter a confused state. Rank: BB Abilities: Defense +32, Magic Resistance +17, Physical +3, Sense +1, -3% damage from spiders. Conditions: Level 30. 40 Physical. 15 Mental. Pretty good armor. But because of the level restriction, he couldn''t equip it right away. [Alishi''s Soul] The very essence of the poison that Alishi bore. Permanently increases Magic by 1. Also increases poison resistance by 1%. Rank: B Souls were a type of consumable item that permanently increased one''s stats. ''And... it''s all mine.'' Kang Oh nced at Darion and then ate it. It looked like a green grape candy and it tasted like one too. [Magic +1] [Poison resistance has increased by 1%.] Kang Oh dusted off his hands and headed for the nest that Alishi had vacated. "Oh!" Kang Oh eximed, having seen the inside of Alishi''s nest. Look at that! Alishi had hoarded money, minerals, gemstones, sewing materials, etc... in her nest. ''Hidden dungeons really are the best!'' Boss monsters collected gold, valuable gemstones and materials. Like a dragon''sir! So what would happen if he defeated the boss of a hidden dungeon, one who''d never been discovered and had been constantly building its hoard? He would be left with a fortune, like right now! That''s why users called hidden dungeons a gold mine; clearing them was just like striking gold. Kang Oh was one such person who''d happened to strike gold. "How much is all this!?" Kang Oh picked up a beginner sewing material, the Spider Web Skein. [Your inventory is full.] He hadn''t emptied his inventory and had been fully absorbed in clearing the dungeon. So much that, before he knew it, his inventory was full. Kang Oh quickly dropped all of his junk items. Spider''s Leg, Spider''s Eye, etc. All his trash items pertaining to spiders were sprawled onto the floor. He extended his darkness-emitting jet-ck sword over the junk. He activated the magic sword''s special ability: Predator! [Ubist is consuming the Spider''s Heart. Satiation has increased by 0.1%.] [Ubist is consuming the Spider''s Eye...] [Ubist is...] By the time he was done, the magic sword''s satiation had gone up to 70%. ''Just a little more and it''ll be even stronger.'' He was already anticipating what new abilities the magic sword would have. In any case, he needed to worry about all the materials at hand! "Hoo hoo." Kang Oh began to fill his now empty inventory with all the materials. Arth''s system of currency was simple. 100 silver = 1 gold 1 gold = 10,000 Won (~$10 USD) Alishi had amassed 50 gold, excluding all the other materials. Though it was such a low-level hidden dungeon, the boss room had yielded more than 500,000 won. Aside from the gold, he''d gained a substantial amount of beginner materials like green jade, iron ore, spider web skein, and even thread made of spider webs. ''As expected. There''s a reason Dungeon Hunters exist.'' Dungeon Hunters sought to be the first to find a dungeon. They were, in essence, gold miners. Though hidden dungeons would yield riches, they were extremely difficult to find. If not for Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, he would never have found this hidden dungeon. But on the other hand... ''I might be able to find another hidden dungeon with my Hyper Intuition...'' And if he could...! He imagined himself being filthy rich. Kang Oh decided to forgo everything else and use his Hyper Intuition to find more hidden dungeons. "Let''s leave." There was nothing left for him to do here, so he left the dungeon. * * * The sun was setting, the red rays of the setting sun colored the sky. Kang Oh and Darion passed through Altein''s giant eastern gates. "I''ll get going now." Darion was ready to leave Kang Oh the moment they arrived at Altein. He obviously wanted to get away from his evil employer as soon as possible. "Darion," Kang Oh called as Darion attempted to leave quickly. "Here. This should be enough." Clink. Kang Oh dropped 4 silver coins into Darion''s hand. He''d originally nned on giving him 3 silver, but he''d decided to be generous and give him 4 instead. "Oh, and by the way, you can get disrespectful sometimes, so make sure you watch out for that." "..." "See you tomorrow." Kang Oh patted Darion''s shoulder and disappeared into the crowd. Darion felt mixed as he looked upon the four silver. He''d gotten caught up with the wrong crowd and was only rewarded 4 silver for his trouble. Moreover, his contractsted a week, so he''d have to see him tomorrow too. "Haa." With slumped shoulders, Darion weakly returned to the Holiseum. * * * Kang Oh, having parted ways with Darion, was walking through a street surrounded by street stalls and stores on either side. "I''ll buy it!" "Selling essories to give to your girlfriend. Come by and take a look!" It was the yells of touting merchants. Kang Oh merely continued on his way without giving them the time of day. He passed a street wide enough for eight wagons to go through side-by-side, and then went through a small alleyway. Kang Oh stopped at an old and shabby looking building. Creak. The door creaked as he opened it. "Sseup." An old man, who had been sleeping in a rocking chair, awoke and cleaned off his drool. "Haahm." (Yawn) The yawning man walked over to Kang Oh. "I''d like to go to the sewers," Kang Oh said. The old man took one of the keys from the bunch on his desk and walked over to one of the walls. The door consisted of steel bars, like that of a prison. Creak. The old man opened the door. "There are skeletons down here so be careful," the old man said. Kang Oh nodded his head and entered Altein''s sewers. * * * Kang Oh possessed substantial knowledge regarding Arth. It was the knowledge he''d studied during his six months of physical training. Obviously, that information pertained to the dungeons and hidden dungeons that had been made public. In addition, this included the experiences of those who''d first discovered these hidden dungeons; this allowed him to pick out some locations where he thought a hidden dungeon might reside. One of those locations was Altein''s sewers. There were three reasons he''d picked the sewers. "First, there''s no boss monster reported to be here." There may be a boss monster here; it could just be hidden like Alishi. "Second, it''s quiteplex." Altein''s sewers were soplex andrge that it possessed more than 50 entrance points. Since it was the waterway of Arth''srgest city, it was only natural that it was sorge. "Finally, there are a lot of rumors that there''s a hidden dungeon down here." There were plenty of rumors that there was a hidden dungeon located here. Because Kang Oh possessed Hyper Intuition, he was confident that he could find the hidden dungeon here if it indeed existed. "This ce satisfies all of those conditions," Kang Oh muttered. Water was rushing through the canals on either side of the arch-shaped passageway. There were also skeletons roaming around, which were a collection of yellow bones in a roughly humanoid shape. Skeletons were level 30 or higher bone monsters. They weren''t particrly strong. And so, these sewers were both easily essible from several ces in Altein and were a popr hunting ce for low-leveled users. "I don''t have to share experience with Darion, so let''s enjoy this." Kang Oh walked forward and the roaming skeleton rushed towards him. "Heup." Kang Oh swung his magic sword as if he were swinging a baseball bat. Beok! The satisfying sound of impact. It felt good, as if he''d scored a home run. Kang Oh continuously bashed on a skeleton. The thick magic sword, which emanated darkness, broke apart bone as if it were a hammer. Who cared about its weaknesses? He just kept whacking it again and again! Red shards burst from the skeleton''s body. [You have defeated a Beginner Skeleton.] The skeleton instantly became bone powder and pieces of bone. "Hey you,e over here." Kang Oh pointed towards the next skeleton and walked over. Whack! Whack! Whack! The skeletons tried to mount a resistance by swinging their bone swords, but they were no match for Kang Oh, who''d defeated a berserk Alishi. He soon defeated the remaining skeleton, leaving only its remains on the ground. Kang Oh picked up the bone fragments, which were junk items, and strode forward, stepping on the bone powder, as if he were stamping on used charcoal. * * * Why were there so many rumors of a hidden dungeon in Altein''s sewers? "This is it." It was because of the stone statue before him. A statue of a winged beast, which could often be seen in older houses in the west; a gargoyle. He pressed on the head of the gargoyle statue, which was said to protect one''s residence from the devil. It rattled and bowed its head. But nothing happened. ''As I thought, nothing happened.'' There were several types of statues all across the sewers that bowed their heads and made the same sound. Thus, there were rumors that if used right, a hidden dungeon would appear. ''My Hyper Intuition isn''t telling me anything either.'' He''d felt a peculiar sensation when he''d found Alishi''s nest, but he felt no such feeling this time. At that moment, a skeleton''s de came swinging at Kang Oh''s back. He''d sensed the skeleton''s presence through Hyper Intuition, and had felt the chill just like always. In other words, there was nothing wrong with his Hyper Intuition. Kang Oh turned, deflected the bone sword, and cut off the skeleton''s head. Whack! The skull rolled over and over on the floor! Once it lost its head, it immediately attempted to search for it. It was quite an odd sight. Kang Oh kicked its butt, knocking it down, and ground it to dust with his sword. After that, Kang Oh continued to search the sewers untilte at night, but he didn''t find anything worthwhile. It was unfortunate, but he decided to try again tomorrow and logged out. * * * [I have emailed you the broadcast schedule and the contract. Please take a look at it.] He''d received a text message. It was from Park Jin Cheol. Jae Woo immediately turned on hisputer and checked the email. One unread email. The email was attached with the broadcast schedule and his contract for the featured broadcast. Jae Woo skimmed the details regarding the Fight Against 100 Men broadcast but looked over his contract in more detail. His contract was simple. He''d be given 10 million won (~$10,000 USD) a week after signing the contract, and if viewership surpassed 5%, then he''d be given an extra 2 million (~$2,000 USD) more. GBS''s average viewership was around 4-5%. Thus, if the broadcast went well, he would receive another 2 million won. ''This is a gift.'' This had not been a part of their verbal agreement but had been added to the final contract. There was also a message from Jin Cheol asking him to take care of him next time too. Jae Woo sent his reply. He was quite satisfied with the contract and wanted to meet in person to sign it. Chapter 12. Sewer’s Secret

Chapter 12. Sewer¡¯s Secret

Trantor: Boko Once Jae Woo was finished with his morning exercise and breakfast, he essed Arth. He visited the Holiseum, and then entered the Altein sewers once more. ¡°Darion, I¡¯m here!¡± Darion was basically a thief that stole his experience points. But having him with him did make things easier. After all, it wouldn¡¯t do for him to torture his back by picking up each and every fragment of bone. ¡°Ugh,¡± Darion groaned. Hemented over the fact that he¡¯d have to travel with Kang Oh together again. Seeing Darion¡¯s expression, Kang Oh¡¯s mood soured and said, ¡°When you were caught in Alishi¡¯s optical illusion, who was the one who saved you again?¡± ¡°...It was you, Sir Kang Oh.¡± ¡°Then do your job properly. You look like you were forced to eat shit.¡± ¡°Hoo. I understand.¡± Darion¡¯s shoulders drooped. Then, Kang Oh said generously, ¡°If you do well, I¡¯ll increase your pay to 10 silvers.¡± To him, 1 silver was wasted on Darion. He¡¯d used the stick, so the carrot had to follow; he would encourage him by tripling his pay. But to Darion, 1 silver, 3 silvers, or even 10 silvers was all chump change. It was by no means enough to hire thest student of the Invincible diator, Burkan. Not to mention that he wasn¡¯t satisfied with his employer at all. But what could he do? He¡¯s the one who epted the bet and also the one who¡¯d lost it as well. Moreover, as a diator, he couldn¡¯t go back on his word, and it¡¯s not like Kang Oh would let him go back on his word anyway. In the end, he had no choice but to persevere for a week. Darion forced himself to follow Kang Oh. ¡°These are... the Altein sewers.¡± Their destination was obviously the Altein sewers. Creak. The door seemed to cry out. ¡°Huh?¡± The old man, who guarded the entrance to the sewers, was dozing off like yesterday. They say that the old have trouble sleeping, but this guy didn¡¯t match that description at all. ng. The old man insincerely opened the door and went back to his slumber. Kang Oh and Darion passed the old man and entered the sewers. * * * Daegureureureu. The skeleton¡¯s head rolled on the floor until it reached Kang Oh¡¯s heel. Kang Oh had been inspecting a wolf statue, but his expression soured. ¡°Darion, do your job right.¡± Behind him, Darion was besieged by five skeletons and a battle had ensued. While Kang Ohfortably examined the dungeon and the statues, Darion was in charge of fighting the skeletons. ¡°...¡± Darion didn¡¯t respond, merely swinging his sword as his expression soured. ¡°You were cursing me just now, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°No,¡± Darion said, feigning innocence. ¡°Man, you¡¯re really no help at all!¡± Kang Oh scolded and went back to inspecting the wolf statue. The wolf statue, like yesterday¡¯s gargoyle statue, made a clicking sound when its head was pressed. The result was much the same as well. It merely bowed its head; there wasn¡¯t any noticeable change in the dungeon. ¡°Hmm.¡± In any case, Kang Oh examined each and every statue within the dungeon in this way. There were 20 statues in total. Their appearances all differed, but they shared amon feature: when their heads were pushed, they would bow their heads and emit a clicking sound. Whenever he examined the statues though, his Hyper Intuition didn¡¯t activate; not once. ¡®Is it a miss?¡¯ The fact that his Hyper Intuition hadn¡¯t activated may indicate that there wasn¡¯t a hidden dungeon within the Altein sewers. ¡®Well, since I¡¯m here, I might as well go through the whole ce. And if my Hyper Intuition doesn¡¯t go off, I¡¯ll go find another ce.¡¯ As expected, finding a hidden dungeon was no easy feat. At that moment, Darion approached him. ¡°I took care of them all.¡± Kang Oh extended his hand. Darion passed him all of the bone fragments from the felled skeletons. Without even giving him his thanks, Kang Oh continued on to the end of the passageway. Darion just sighed and followed him. How much time had passed? ¡°It¡¯s here!¡± The feeling that something was here, that something was suspicious! That very feeling that had aided him in finding the hidden dungeon, Alishi¡¯s Nest. He felt it from a pool where the sewer¡¯s waters gathered. ¡®Is this it!?¡¯ He couldn¡¯t tell how deep it went, but his Hyper Intuition felt something was off about it. Though it didn¡¯t look strange on the outside. ¡°Darion, keep watch,¡± Kang Oh said, and Darion responded with an expression akin to ¡®What are you talking about?¡¯. ¡°I¡¯m going in, so make sure that no skeletons or other users can approach.¡± After all, the sewers were rumored to have a hidden dungeon, so he didn¡¯t want to draw attention to it. ¡°Or if a user doese, you can just say the area is under construction or something.¡± If Darion, an NPC, were to say it, then they¡¯d probably believe him and leave the area alone. Kang Oh de-equipped all of his equipment and dove into the pond. Once he sshed into the pond, the water began to overflow the walkway. Seeing that, Darion quietly muttered, ¡°I hope you drown.¡± The day that Kang Oh had thrown dirt into his eyes, the humiliating loss and the resulting ve contract, as well as the abuse and unfair treatment! Darion prayed, putting all of his resentment into it. *** The pool was deeper and longer than he thought. However, Kang Oh wouldn¡¯t drown. Kang Oh was a proficient swimmer and because he was currently a game character, he could swim for a long time. However, it was dark and it was difficult to see in the water. Despite that, Kang Oh pressed forward, continuing towards the area that his Hyper Intuition had marked as odd. It felt like it didn¡¯t take very long. He saw a faint strand of light. That was where his Hyper Intuition was leading him to. ¡°Phew!¡± His face surfaced from the water and he inhaled deeply to catch his breath. He looked around and his face brightened with joy. It was a door with peculiar red characters inscribed on it. Even at first nce, it seemed clear that this door was special. Kang Oh got out of the water and approached the door. He then examined it closely. He was checking if it was some special sort of device like the gargoyle or wolf statues. But it was just a door. It was as though the statues were merely bait; the door had no such devices, as if it wereughing at them for trying to use the statues. He stretched both his hands and forcefully opened the door, finding that the heavy door opened quite easily. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, He Who Defies Death, Eder¡¯s Secret Laboratory.] [You are the first one to discover this dungeon.] [Your fame has increased.] [You receive double the experience while in He Who Defies Death, Eder¡¯s Secret Laboratory. The item drop rate has doubled.] ¡®I see. The statues were bait designed to conceal this door.¡¯ Those poor dungeon hunters, who had taken the bait and were still fiddling around with the statues. If not for his Hyper Intuition, he¡¯d be doing much the same. ¡®But I do have Hyper Intuition.¡¯ Kang Oh smiled. In any case, he was the first one to discover this dungeon! He had another chance to strike gold. *** ¡°Phew!¡± Darion¡¯s pale face surfaced from the water. ¡°Heok, heok.¡± He¡¯d escaped the water quickly and breathed heavily. Kang Oh, who¡¯d already gotten out, saw that and clicked his tongue. ¡°Tch. For a diator to be this pathetic.¡± Darion, in a sudden fit of anger, said, ¡°You!¡± He¡¯s the one who¡¯d shoved him into the water and dragged him here. ¡°You?¡± Kang Oh furrowed his brow and Darion bowed his head. Darion had grumbled quietly, but Kang Ohpletely ignored him. ¡°Shut up and follow me.¡± He opened the door and followed the stairs that went down. [Entering He Who Defies Death, Eder¡¯s Secret Laboratory.] Eder¡¯s Secret Laboratory was built simrly to Altein¡¯s sewers. An arch-shaped passageway. However, there were no waterways on either side where water traveled in the sewers. The monsters were even stronger skeletons. They were Skeleton Warriors wielding rusty swords and shields! There were also cane-wielding Skeleton Mages! He assumed they were about level 50. Kang Oh was currently level 22, while Darion was level 38. They were much too under-leveled to take them on normally. But that only applied to normal users; Kang Oh was a character that defied norms. He had his special ability, Hyper Intuition, possessed the special ss, Magic Swordsman, and wielded the SS-rank magic sword. Of course, Darion was also the pupil of a legendary diator, so the level difference wouldn¡¯t matter much. Thus, the level 22 Kang Oh challenged one of the level 50 Skeleton Warriors first. He let Darion deal with two of the Skeleton Warriors since he was a higher level than him. ¡°Now we¡¯re talking!¡± Kang Oh grinned. He was fighting against Skeleton Warriors now, not those frail skeletons from before, so he felt like he had actually met a good match. Ddak. Ddak. The Skeleton Warrior attacked Kang Oh. Its bones smashed together, sounding like a cast. Kang Oh countered and swung his magic sword. Kwang! They exchanged blows for some time. ¡®It really is strong.¡¯ A Skeleton Warrior was much more powerful than a Beginner Skeleton. Unlike a Beginner Skeleton, a Skeleton Warrior boasted a sword, shield, helmet, and armor, albeit rusted. And it also used a very basic skill! Thrust! The rusty iron sword came at him, enveloped in a dark red aura from the skill¡¯s effect. Kang Oh parried it with the magic sword. Kang! Once their swords collided, his hand throbbed. ¡°Hueup.¡± Kang Oh breathed in and swung his sword. A white line followed the trajectory of his de. sh! The Skeleton Warrior raised its shield. Kkang! His magic sword met its shield. He immediately gripped the hilt of his de with both hands and swung downwards, shing with the shield several times. Darkness Strike activated on the third attack. A jet-ck wave of darkness shaped in the form of a beast swooped on the warrior. Dakak! The skeleton shook its head, as if in pain. And counterattacked itself! His Hyper Intuition activated, allowing him to see the course of the enemy¡¯s attack; Kang Oh turned his body, evading the attack, and swung his sword upwards. The warrior used its sword to defend itself. Kang! Both des shed! Again! And again! For some time, Kang Oh and the Skeleton Warrior exchanged blows. But as time passed, Kang Oh¡¯s advantage grew. Whereas Kang Oh was steadily damaging the Skeleton Warrior, the Skeleton Warrior could not say the same. Plus, the Hero¡¯s Alishi Ne was doing its job. The Skeleton Warrior was undead, so poison wouldn¡¯t work on it, but both of its slowing and shard spraying abilities were effective against it. Ultimately, the Skeleton Warrior was defeated. [You have defeated a Skeleton Warrior.] [You have leveled up.] Because of the huge level disparity, he¡¯d obtained a ton of experience. Plus, he gained double the experience for being the first to discover this hidden dungeon. It took a while to take down even a single monster, but it was worthwhile. However... ¡°Ugh. If you¡¯re done, pleasee over and help me!¡± Darion, who was battling two Skeleton Warriors, was barely holding on. ¡°You idiot. Your level and face are wasted on you.¡± Kang Oh felt it was time to abuse him and entered the fray once more. *** In general, it took about 10 minutes to take down a Skeleton Warrior or Mage. If 4 or more Skeleton Warriors and Mages showed up, then victory wasn¡¯t guaranteed. Therefore, they had to follow a different path whenever they saw arge group. So Kang Oh¡¯s exploration speed was slowed. However, contrary to the speed of his exploration, his levels went up quickly. He leveled up so quickly that any other user would look wide-eyed with their mouths agape! It¡¯d only been a quarter of a day since entering the hidden dungeon, yet he¡¯d gone up 8 levels and hit level 30. Because of that, he was able to equip the ghost-pattern armor he¡¯d gotten from Alishi. Kang Oh was currently engaging a Skeleton Mage in order to further increase his level. Ddak. The robe-wearing Skeleton Mage was mashing its teeth together. It was casting a spell. Fire zed from its boney hand. ¡°Block it Darion!¡± Kang Oh yelled. The power of magic was formidable. If he got hit by it, there was a chance he¡¯d die right then and there. Therefore, he decided to use Darion as a human shield. Of course... ¡°No thank you!¡± Darion firmly refused. ¡°You!¡± Meanwhile, the Skeleton Mage unleashed its spell. A fireball! The red ball of mes came flying at Kang Oh. ¡®Damn it.¡¯ Since magic usually affected arge area, avoiding it would be a stupid move. Because of its AoE tick damage. Kang Oh quickly embedded his sword into the ground and hid behind it. Pong! The fireball hit his magic sword hard. Its mes traveled up his sword and spread across his body like a snake¡¯s flickering tongue. [You have taken 210 fire damage.] [You have been burned and take 50 additional damage.] [Remaining HP: 318] He¡¯d taken quite a bit of damage, but he¡¯d avoided death. Meanwhile, Darion¡¯s de pierced the Skeleton Mage. It was Darion¡¯s mainbat skill, Vital Thrust! A red aura permeated his dius and he pierced through the Skeleton Mage¡¯s neck. Like any mage, the Skeleton Mage¡¯s defense was extremely low. And because it had engaged Kang Oh and Darion before, its HP had tanked and it was wounded all over. In ast act of defiance, it unleashed one more spell, but Kang Oh survived the spell and Darion¡¯s attack had killed it. [You have defeated a Skeleton Mage.] [You have leveled up.] Once it died, Kang Oh pointed his sword towards the junk items. His magic sword consumed the old robe pieces. [Ubist has consumed the Incredibly Foul-smelling Old Robe. Satiation has increased by 0.7%.] [Ubist¡¯s satiation has reached 100%.] [The magic sword has be more powerful!] At that moment, a jet-ck energy erupted from the de. Chapter 13. He Who Defies Death, Eder (1)

Chapter 13. He Who Defies Death, Eder (1)

Trantor: Boko The jet-ck energy, which had flowed in every direction, was sucked back into the de. The magic sword soon calmed down. From first nce, the sword looked unchanged. However, the sword''s master, Kang Oh, was able to ascertain the changes it had undergone. The plume of darkness, which had misted off from the de like smoke, was gone. Instead, the de had be an even darker shade of ck. "What''s the matter all of a sudden?" Darion asked. He couldn''t help but be curious. Just a second ago the sword had raged, yet it soon calmed down. "The magic sword has grown stronger now," Kang Oh curtly said and opened the magic sword''s item window. [Magic Sword Ubist (Lv31/+1)] The sword where Ubist, the King of Magical Beasts and the Abyss Predator, was sealed. A refined darkness resides within the de. It is made of an unknown alloy. Untradable. If you die, there is a high chance that the magic sword will either drop, or you will be a monster under the magic sword''s thrall for 24 hours. + Predator: Eats any and all items. When it ispletely sated, the magic sword will be stronger and gain special abilities. [Satiation: 0.01%] + Gluttony: By consuming a BB-rank item or higher, all abilities double for a limited time and enters a Gluttony state. Steals stats from fallen enemies when in the Gluttony state. This feature can only be used once a day. + Abyss de: A jet-ck de made of darkness. It is capable of cutting those with an ethereal form like ghosts or spirits. May absorb magicing towards you once every 30 seconds. If magic is absorbed, satiation increases. (+1 reinforcement ability) Rank: SS Abilities: Attack Power 80, Physical +16. Conditions: Clearing the Trial of the Magic Sword. Abyss de! He could cut spirits or ghosts with it and it allowed him to absorb magic as well. For Kang Oh, who currently needed to face off against Skeleton Mages, it was truly a useful special ability. Now he didn''t need to fear magic. "You''re all dead." Kang Oh set his sword over his shoulder and walked forwardmandingly. A fireball came flying at him. Come on! Kang Oh rushed towards the fireball and simultaneously swung the magic sword. The fireball swirled around and was sucked into the sword! [Ubist is absorbing the fireball. Satiation has increased by 0.02%.] Kang Oh rushed forward and swung his sword downwards, whacking the Skeleton Mage''s head. Darkness Strike! Koong! The huge pressure and shock caused the Skeleton Mage to shake. Then, the Skeleton Mage was reduced to bone pieces. [You have defeated a Skeleton Mage.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Magic +1] Kang Oh stared at the magic sword and grinned. ''As expected of an SS-rank masterpiece.'' Abyss de increased the speed at which he defeated mages at an astonishing rate. It was because the fireball spell that the Skeleton Mages used could be absorbed by his magic sword. "They areing," Darion yelled. As he said, there were two Skeleton Warriors approaching. Kang Oh, who had been peacefully looking at his magic sword, was snapped out of his reverie by Darion''s voice. Although the Skeleton Mages were no longer an issue, he still needed to do his very best to defeat the Skeleton Warriors. "Come here, you experience points!" Since they yielded such a huge amount of experience points he treated them as such. * * * Kang Oh explored and hunted within He Who Defies Death, Eder''s Secret Laboratory, for three days. ''That''s the only ce that''s left.'' The only ce he hadn''t explored was a passageway protected by four Skeleton Warriors and two Skeleton Mages. It was likely that the dungeon''s master was waiting for him within. And... A huge fortune awaited him as well! Of course, he needed to take care of the four Skeleton Warriors and two Skeleton Mages first. "I''ll take care of the mages. You take care of the warriors," Kang Oh said. "I will take care of the mages, so please take care of the warriors, Sir Kang Oh," Darion said. "I can absorb their magic, so I''m faster at taking them down!" It was the rational and correct choice, but Darion shook his head. "The four Skeleton Warriors are harder to deal with than the two mages. You are stronger than me, so you should take care of them," Darion said, unwilling to back down. "You''re a higher level than me!" "You beat me in the duel!" "I''m your employer!" Kang Oh used thest trick up his sleeve. "I''m not doing it. Do what you want." Darion was going on strike! Kang Oh and Darion stared at each other intensely. Darion''s eyes werebatative. For the past few days, Darion had gone through all sorts of abuse and had been worked like a horse, so all he had left was spite. ''The next time I form a contract, I need to remember to add in an obedience use.'' He wasn''t sure if Darion would renew his contract, but that''s what he''d do if the opportunity arose. He then came up with a new offer. "Let''s decide through rock-paper-scissors!" "Alright." * * * "Uuak!" Darion yelled, as he dragged the Skeleton Warriors with him. ''It doesn''t matter. You''re still Darion.'' Kang Oh was obviously the winner of rock-paper-scissors. "We''ll see!" Darion yelled. That''s a line viins say. "Now then." With Darion acting as bait, the Skeleton Warriors had been drawn away from the mages. Kang Oh rushed towards the Skeleton Mages. Then, the two mages unleashed fireballs at him. Fireballs wereing from the left and right! Kang Oh cut through the right-sided fireball and approached the respective mage. Boong! Kang Oh swung his sword; his sword cleaved through the air and struck the mage''s head. The mage spun from top down like a spinning top. Kang Oh continued his assault. He''d ascertained its weakness with his Hyper Intuition and hacked away at the defenseless mage. Red shards exploded from its body! The mage couldn''t withstand his assault. The other Skeleton Mage soon met the same fate and returned to its grave. "Sir Kang Oh!" Once he was finished killing the mages, he heard Darion anxiously calling for him. "I''ming!" Kang Oh rushed over to Darion, who was surrounded by the four Skeleton Warriors. A whileter, they defeated thest of the Skeleton Warriors. "Heok, heok." Darion gasped for breath. That had been a close one. It felt like he''d narrowly escaped death twice in a row. Of course, that only referred to Darion. In any case, the path leading to the boss was now open. "Would you stop panting? Let''s go kill the boss!" Being considerate towards Darion was a luxury. Kang Oh dragged Darion with him. ''He Who Defies Death, Eder.'' What kind of guy is he!? * * * It was a giant hall. Once they entered the hall, a shadow was cast and a giant fist came flying towards them. The two quickly threw themselves out of the way and evaded the fist. Kwang! Once the fist struck the ground, the earth shook and dust flew everywhere. Koong! Koong! A golem, formed of countless bones, pushed through the dust cloud and approached them. Its fists were huge, its forearms were thick, and its body was a square shape; though its legs were as thick as pirs, they were short. It didn''t possess a head, but the pattern on its square torso was shaped like a face. It was none other than the boss monster, He Who Defies Death, Eder! It probably wasn''t higher than level 100. "Be careful of its fists," Kang Oh said to Darion and swung his sword at Eder. Peok! Kang Oh''s de passed right through Eder''s body, causing bones to pour out. Eder stamped on the area where Kang Oh had just been. Of course, Kang Oh had sensed the danger through his Hyper Intuition and avoided the attack. Kwang. The ground retained the footprint of the golem. If Kang Oh hadn''t evaded its attack, then he''d be dead already. "You rats!" A voice rang out from Eder''s body. "What did you say, you pile of bones!" Kang Oh said. You''re just a monster! Eder raised its arms to the heavens. A red light shined from its square body. Then, the thick bones that covered its body exploded in every direction. "Uak!" He could hear Darion''s screams. "Damn it!" Kang Oh quickly nted his sword into the ground and hid behind it. "Get behind me!" Darion threw himself towards Kang Oh and managed to get behind him safely. Peobeobeobeok! Countless bones made contact with the magic sword. Any bone that made contact with his de shattered like ss and scattered. A few of those pieces hit Kang Oh and Darion as well. [You were grazed by some bone fragments. You have taken 32 damage. A wound has been formed.] [You have been pierced by some sharp bone fragments. You have taken 80 damage.] While they were holding out against Eder''s barrage of bone fragments, Kang Oh''s eyes changed to that of a predator seeking its prey. He could see something green show up whenever Eder used its special ability. And his Hyper Intuition was urging him to aim for that ''something''. There was something suspicious within the golem; his Hyper Intuition was telling him that that was its weakness. ''It''s the core!'' What kind of monster was a golem? Though they were incredibly tough and powerful, they could be felled with ease if their core was destroyed. If that''s the case, then... Kang Oh shielded his body with the magic sword and stepped forward, towards where his Hyper Intuition guided him. "Ugh, what the hell are you doing!?" Darion yelled from behind him. Pababak! Even more bones struck his sword. Thus, they were struck by even more bone fragments. It was probably worse for Darion, but it didn''t matter. Since it was only Darion. The barrage of bones became worse and worse the further he got. Kang Oh''s HP soon dropped below half. Obviously, Darion was closer to death than he was. "Ahk!" Darion continued to scream from behind him. Despite that, Kang Oh pressed on. How far had he gotten? "Get away from me!" Kang Oh definitely heard it, even in the midst of this hail of bones. It was Eder''s voice. ''As I expected. Such a powerful attack has its drawbacks.'' The drawback was that the golem''s core was exposed. Since the technique utilized the bones which protected the core, it seemed like an obvious drawback. Soon, as if he had entered the eye of the storm at some point, no more bone fragments came flying at him. He lowered his sword and saw something green! The golem''s core was a green ghost that looked human. Kang Oh grinned. ''Nice.'' Abyss de, which absorbed magic, was also capable of cutting ghosts and spirits. "Be experience points!" Kang Oh raised his sword, ready to strike. "W-Wait!" The green ghost quickly shook its hands. "And drop some good items." Kang Oh wasn''t swayed by its pleas in the least. There were no need for words! The magic sword fell. At that moment, the ghost yelled, "I''ll give you money! No, I''ll give you everything I own!" * * * The jet-ck sword grazed the front of his ghostly body; Kang Oh had altered the course of his sword mid-swing. "Ugh." Even though the magic sword hadn''t even made contact with him, Eder groaned. ''This damn sword is the enemy of all ghosts.'' As a ghost before the magic sword, he was like a rat before a snake; he stiffened and his eyes shook. Normally, the hidden dungeon''s boss, Eder, was by no means an easy opponent. If its core was attacked while still in its golem form, it would change into a ghost magician that would use all sorts of magic and prompt the second stage of the battle. But that''s only if things went like normal. However, as the magic sword approached him, he, as a ghost, instinctively realized what it could do to him. To ghosts, which were impervious to physical attacks, this sword''s darkness was a natural enemy. And if he was struck by that sword even once, he''d die! Thus, Eder didn''t even try to fight him. "Everything?" Kang Oh asked as he looked upon the trembling Eder. He was interested in that word: "everything". That''s why he''d turned his sword mid-swing. "Y-Yeah. Everything!" Eder''s voice trembled. "Hmm." Kang Oh pointed his sword at the ghost''s neck. Although ghosts couldn''t experience cold sweats, it sure felt like it. "Just kill him," Darion said. Darion spoke in a timely manner, which was quite unlike him. Though he probably just wanted to kill him. "Should we?" "P-Please!" Eder begged, sping his hands together. ''He Who Defies Death, Eder...'' As his name might imply, he was the type of person who''d do anything to avoid death. Kang Oh ced his magic sword increasingly closer to Eder''s neck. "Then talk. What can you give me?" Kang Oh added, his eyes filled with bloodlust. "You know what''ll happen if I''m not satisfied, right?" Eder frantically nodded his head at Kang Oh''s threat. * * * In the past... There was once a healer who was said to have the power of God. The healer helped several people, then more, and more still. Their fame grew so much so that it was said that they had conquered death itself. Riches, honor, power. They gained it all. The healer became prideful of their great power and said pride soon turned to conceit. "I have conquered death," the healer had yelled in high spirits. The healer who conquered death! What a glorious title. But that''s when everything went wrong. The healer''s words had enraged the Goddess of Death, Deborah. "Let''s see if you really have conquered death." Deborah had said within the healer''s dream. Because of her ck veil, he couldn''t see her, but her voice was ice-cold, like the top of a snow-covered mountain. When the healer awoke, they began to suffer from an unknown illness. They attempted to cure themselves with every means avable to them, but nothing worked. There were rumors that the healer had been cursed by the Goddess of Death herself and that they couldn''t cure their own illness, so no one sought the healer anymore. And so, the healer''s reputation, as one who could conquer death itself, was down in the dirt. The healer, who''d lost everything, was left with only spite. They became absorbed in their research, research to ovee death no matter what. The healer didn''t care what methods they used. They attempted anything and everything. They attempted medicine, holy treatment, magic, and even necromancy! However, the Goddess of Death''s illness was much too strong. Ultimately, the healer froze their body within a ss tube. Fortunately, they were able to stop the advancement of their disease. And with necromancy, their soul was able to escape their body and continue their research. "And that''s me." Eder spoke, kneeling before Kang Oh. He Who Defies Death, Eder, was none other than the healer, Eder, He Who Conquered Death! "What are you going to do?" Kang Oh picked his ear. He wasn''t interested in Eder''s circumstances at all. However... He was really interested in the riches he possessed. Especially the money! He needed money to pay off his family''s debt on the house, buy a new house, buy a capsule, and send his sisters to college. Kang Oh furrowed his brows. "Whatever, bring out everything you have." Chapter 14. He Who Defies Death, Eder (2)

Chapter 14. He Who Defies Death, Eder (2)

Trantor: Boko In the process of felling the bone golem, a huge heap of bones remained, strewn all throughout the wide hall. "This way." The green-colored ghost, Eder, pointed to one side of the wall. Once Darion waded through all the bone, he found that there was indeed a door. "I assume this isn''t a trap," Kang Oh said, looking suspiciously at Eder. "Of course not." Eder waved his hands. "Darion, you go in first." Heined, but he went in anyway. "There are no traps," Darion said after carefully opening the door and entering. "You go first," Kang Oh said, as he pushed Eder with the magic sword. Eder went first and Kang Oh followed behind him. Like the dungeon''s namesake, it was aboratory. The shelves were filled with a numerous assortment of unknown medicines, and there were professional books regarding either medicine or magic strewn across the table. On one side, Eder''s body waspletely frozen and stored within a ss tube. "I will... possess that skeleton over there." Eder pointed towards a skeleton wearing a doctor''s robes. "You know what''ll happen if you cross me, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Of course." Eder entered the skeleton and it came to life. "Please sit down." Eder pointed towards a table and some chairs. Kang Oh, Darion, and Eder sat around the table. "I need to serve some tea... I''m not prepared for this, as it''s been so long since I''vest had guests," Eder said. Though the skeleton''s jaw remained fixed, they could hear the sounding from its head. "Who cares about that. Give me the money!" "Yes, I will give you the money. I received quite a bit during my time as a healer." "How much?" "I used some of it to fund my research, but there should be about 5,000 gold remaining." Kang Oh gaped. 5,000 gold! That was 50 million won. (~$50,000 USD) "Good. If you give me the 50 million, I won''t kill you," Kang Oh said. "In exchange..." "In exchange?" Kang Oh scowled and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Please do me a favor," Eder said. Kang Oh was conflicted. ''It''ll be such a pain in the ass but if it''s worth 5,000 gold in exchange.'' He really just wanted to kill Eder and get it over with. However, he couldn''t make a decision so easily at the mention of 5,000 gold. "Let''s hear what you have to say first," Kang Oh said. "Please move my body to the Goddess of Death, Deborah''s shrine. If you do that for me, I''ll dly give you the 5,000 gold." Once he was finished speaking, a quest window popped up. [Transport Eder''s Body] Eder tried everything to heal himself, but nothing worked. Now he has but one option. He must find the Goddess of Death and beg for forgiveness. If you move Eder''s body to the Goddess of Death, Deborah''s shrine, you will be rewarded with a huge fortune. Difficulty: Nightmare Conditions: Eder''s body must remain intact. Reward: 5,000 gold. Professional books on medicine and necromancy. Failure: Eder''s body does not remain intact, or Eder bes an evil spirit. Kang Oh, who read the details of the quest, removed his sword. ''What kind of quest is this!?'' Does he look like he knows what Deborah''s shrine is like? No one even knows its exact location. All he knew was the rumors; that it was located somewhere in Despia, thend that bordered Hell. And what kind of ce is Despia? Song Lee Shen, who was a geography professor at Peking University, couldn''t change his spots and was currently studying Arth''s topography and geography as another user. His published article, ''Arth is Larger than China'', contained information regarding Arth''s topography and geography and was a worldwide best-seller. Of course, Kang Oh read it as well. In this book, Song Lee Shen had picked seven of the most dangerous locations in Arth, and Despia, the nd bordering hell'' was definitely one of them. Of course, Song Lee Shen had never gone to Despia himself. He''d read all kinds of literature on the matter, as well as listening to what the NPCs had to say, and then made a guess as to what Despia was like. As a hellscape, Despia contained monsters that were at least level 300 and was a ce where the sun didn''t shine. Furthermore, Song Lee Shen suspected that the environment was so harsh that no person or user could survive inside. This was only a hypothesis, so it could be even worse than he suspected. In other words, he''d need to be at least level 300 to enter Despia, which would take quite a long time for him to get to. There was a slew of problems. If Eder was killed by another user, or his body ran into any problems, or he had a change of heart and he went into hiding, it would essentially all be pointless. Rather than go through all the trouble, he could just kill Eder and at least get the reward for being the first to clear the hidden dungeon. "Rest in peace!" Kang Oh, who''d made his decision, swung his sword. "Ugh!" Eder screamed. The chair he''d been sitting on was split in half. If Eder hadn''t quickly avoided his blow, he''d be the one split in half right now, not the table. "Eh, you dodged it." Kang Oh approached Eder, emitting killing intent. "I''ll give you 1,000 gold in advance!" Eder hastily said. Ddook. Kang Oh, who had been preparing his follow-up attack, stopped. "1,000 gold?" "Yes, 1,000 gold! Even if you take everything here, you won''t make 100 gold!" Kang Oh pushed the skeleton''s jaw (which Eder was possessing) upwards with the tip of his sword. "And there''s no time limit toplete the quest?" "Yes!" "If you be an evil spirit, then I''ll kill you with this.'' Kang Oh swung the magic sword. "Yes." "Alright. I''ll ept the quest if you give me 1,000 gold." "I understand." Contract established! * * * Eder''s secretboratory contained a secret passageway that led to a mansion in Altein. The floor of the mansion''s firece opened up and Kang Oh, Darion, and Eder came through it. "I asionally use this passageway to buy books or medicine." The skeleton body he inhabited was garbed in a long-drawn robe and its face was obscured by a white smiling mask. "And this is where I used to live a long time ago," Eder added. "Is this house expensive?" Kang Oh asked. "They say it''s haunted, so it''s dirt cheap." "Hurry up and show me where the money is," Kang Oh said, having lost all interest in the mansion. Once they left the mansion, they were met with the sight of Altein''s crowded street. "I''ll take my leave here and return to the Holiseum," Darion said. "Alright. See you tomorrow." Kang Oh was so focused on the 1,000 gold that he wasn''t worried about Darion at all. On the off chance that Kang Oh forced him to stay, Darion quickly disappeared into the crowd. "Let''s get going," Kang Oh urged. "Yes." Eder led him to the Diana Bank. Diana Bank was the first bank and thus held a long history. And that may be why Diana Bank''s Altein branch was adorned with a tower clock and was such a luxurious building. Its trademark, the crest with the scale and shield, matched its regal status. "How can I help you?" Kang Oh and Eder approached the front desk and were greeted brightly by one of the bank employees. "I came for an item that was stored in my personal safe." Eder took out a gold coin the size of his fist and held it out. Diana Bank''s si, that of the scale and shield was on the front, and the other side was engraved with the number 1403. "Let me call my manager." The manager didn''t ask either of them any questions and just started leading them towards Eder''s safe. They passed by a passageway guarded by security and were left at a handleless door. "Please insert your coin," the manager said. Looking at it more closely, there was indeed a groove within the door that wasrge enough for a coin. Once Eder inserted the coin, the door opened. "Then, I''ll get going." The manager left. "Let''s go in," Eder said. "Hmm. It''s weird," Kang Oh muttered as he walked. There was a single door, yet the safe was connected to another area, which depended on what coin was inserted. "It''s a private safe that was developed by the Archmage, Achelini. The Diana Bank is quite proud of it," Eder said, having heard Kang Oh. "And the gold coin is a magic artifact, so it will not activate unless it''s used by its proper owner." So what he was saying was that stealing the coin by force wouldn''t work. "What, are you calling me a thief?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "..." To him, Kang Oh was a thief. A thief that stole from ghosts! In any case, there was another door within the private safe. A door with a lock. Eder was just about to input the numbers but stopped. It was because Kang Oh was staring right at the lock. "What?" Kang Oh continued to stare and asked. It was a clear sign that he wasn''t going to turn his head. "Ahem." Eder sighed dryly, as if he disapproved, but nheless entered the security number. Once the door was disengaged, the door opened. A golden light shone from within, and once the door was fully opened, he saw gold bars worth 100 gold each piled neatly. There were more than 50 of them! It was actually worth more than 50 million won. "Heok!" Thus, he couldn''t help but gape with his mouth wide. * * * Kang Oh and Eder were arguing within the safe. "Give me the 1,000 gold first!" Kang Oh said. "You have to ept the quest first," Eder replied. Kang Oh felt as though Eder wouldn''t give him the 1,000 gold in advance if he epted the quest first. Whereas Eder felt if he gave Kang Oh the 1,000 gold now, then he''d just take off with it and not ept the quest. "This is different from what you told me. You definitely said you''d give me a 1,000 gold advance payment." "You have to ept the quest for me to give you an advance." Kang Oh gripped the hilt of his sword. Since Eder feared the magic sword, if he threatened him with it, then Eder was sure to give up. However... [Weapon usage is forbidden here.] A disadvantageous message appeared. "Within one''s private safe,bat skills, weapons, and items cannot be used!" Eder said, smiling proudly. "Damn it. I told you, I''ll ept the quest if you give me 1,000 gold!" "No. How can I trust you? So please ept the quest. Then I''ll give you the 1,000 gold." "How can I even begin to trust you!?" Their arguments were like two parallel lines that would never intersect. ''This damn skeleton!'' ''This sword-wielding thief!'' Kang Oh and Eder stared at each other and continued their confrontation. But then, Eder sighed. "Fine. I''ll concede." Although he didn''t like Kang Oh, Eder was the one who''d lose more by sending him off. He was both exhausted and lonely, a result of being a ghost for such a long time. Plus, there was no way for him to treat his body. If he let Kang Oh go, then he''d be on his own. "Good choice. Give me 1,000 gold." Kang Oh extended his hand. Rather than money, however, Eder gave him something else. [Eder has cast Attach. Will you allow this?] Like a poltergeist, which stayed in one area forever, a ghost could attach itself to someone and follow them. In other words, it was like the rtionship between a needle and a thread. "What is this..." Kang Oh, who was about to curse, got a hold of himself. ''He''s a boss monster. Plus, he used to be a really famous healer.'' In other words, wouldn''t he be useful enough to bring along with him? "Hmph. Can you fight?" Kang Oh asked, changing the topic. "Yes. My necromancy is better than normal necromancy. I can cast a variety of curses, and of course I also specialize in bone magic," Eder replied. "What level are you?" "429." "What?" Kang Oh felt like he''d heard wrong. "My body''s level is 429. In this skeleton body, I can only bring out about a level 80''s strength." "And your level can go up?" "I cannot level." ''Then it''d be tough to bring him along for a long time.'' In other words, he''d be a burden eventually. "In exchange, I can use more of my power if you obtain a more powerful undead body," Eder said. "A powerful undead''s body..." "Like a Lich who''s lost its life vessel." ''Let''s think positively here; even if we fight together, he won''t take any experience.'' Kang Oh was gradually warming up to the idea. "Can you heal too?" "I can''t, so long as I don''t reim my body." ''That''s too bad!'' Eder had been a legendary healer! If he had been able to heal too, then he could''ve made some good money with illegal medical treatments. Whatever the case, Eder was definitely useful. And he had a lot of money too. "I have onest question. If you''re attached to me, will you fight your hardest when I''m fighting?" "If you do your hardest to find Deborah''s shrine!" "Good." Kang Oh decided to work him like a horse. Like Darion! However, if he wasn''t careful, it was clear that Eder, like Darion, would argue with hismands, disobey him, or screw around. ''If that''s the case...'' "Write a contract!" Kang Oh retrieved a piece of paper from his inventory. It was the Goddess of Contracts, Sabra''s Contract. There was an amphisbaena on the back of the paper, which represented the goddess. If a contract was formed via Sabra''s Contract, the game would check whether the contract was being upheld. And in the event that the contract wasn''t upheld, whoever broke the contract would be punished. Of course, because of how powerful its effect was, it couldn''t be used frivolously. If a contract was forced, unfair, or the contract was ripped apart, then they would be judged ordingly. And the punishment that came after this assessment was no joke! ''So you need to follow the contract to the best of your ability.'' Kang Oh took out a pen and began to write in the details. Eder watched from beside him. Once he was finished writing the contract, Kang Oh signed next to his name. "It''s fine, right?" "Yes." Eder nodded his head and signed next to his own name. The letters inscribed on the Sabra''s Contract began to shine dimly. There were no lines that were erased. If there were unfair or inhumane conditions like ''Absolute obedience with no strings attached.'', or ''you will serve as my ve for all eternity'', then the system would erase those conditions automatically. Not to mention that the contract would be null and void. However, there were no problems with Kang Oh''s contract. And the contract became two, containing the same information recorded on the Sabra''s Contract. Both Kang Oh and Eder each looked over their contracts. The contents of the contract were as follows. 1. Kang Oh (the former) and Eder (thetter) have signed a contract with the conditions below. 2. The former allows thetter to attach to him and the former epts thetter''s quest. 3. Thetter will give the former an advance payment of 1,000 gold. 4. Thetter, who is attached to the former, will actively participate when the former engages inbat and will do his best to assist the former. 5. Thetter will obey the former during battle without question. However, the former''s orders must be both logical and proper. 6. The former will do his very best toplete thetter''s quest. But if there is a logical and proper reason for the former to dypleting the quest, they may. 7. Upon viting the above statements or destroying the contract, the vitor will be subject to the counterpart''s designated punishment. 8. When the formerpletes the quest, the contract isplete. However, the contract may be abolished if the two parties agree before that time. 9. This contract has been notarized by the Goddess of Contracts, Sabra. [As per the contract, Eder has attached to you. Now Eder will follow you around.] [As per the contract, you have been paid 1,000 gold.] "1,000 gold!" Kang Oh clenched his fists at procuring what amounted to 10 million won. At that moment, Eder, looking as though he''d suddenly remembered something, said, "If you had Sabra''s Contract, couldn''t you have just used it from the start?" "Ah!" Kang Oh''s face momentarily went nk. Seeing that, Eder looked dumbfounded. You idiot! "Hmph." Kang Oh shook in humiliation. And then...! Eder couldn''t see it, but Kang Oh''s expression had changed. He was smirking. He was definitely smiling. Very wickedly at that! Chapter 15. Feature Broadcast

Chapter 15. Feature Broadcast

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Eder left the bank. "Let us go find Deborah''s shrine immediately." Eder wanted to recover his body as soon as possible. "Do you even know where the shrine is?" "..." Eder couldn''t respond. Then again, if he knew where the shrine was, he wouldn''t be giving out this ridiculous quest. "Seems like even you don''t know; it''s somewhere in Despia." "Despia?" "Thend bordering Hell, Despia. It''s a hellscape where monsters of at least level 300 appear. If you and I were to go now, we''d die before reaching Despia, let alone getting to the shrine." "Then you''re saying that you can''t bring me to the shrine? That''s a vition of the contract..." "I can''t right now. And there''s a use in the contract that specifically states that if I have a valid reason, I can put it off." "Hmph. Then when?" "Mm. I have to be at least level 300." He said level 300, but in actuality, he nned to be closer to level 400 before he decided to go to Despia. "Level 300, huh. I understand. Then let''s do that." Eder had no choice but to ept. Ultimately, helping Kang Oh be stronger was the fastest way to get to the shrine. ''I''ll push you until you can¡¯t work anymore!'' Kang Oh hid his true intentions and smiled. "Let''s do our best." "Understood." * * * Jae Woo turned off hisputer. "It''s on." It was 7:00 in the evening. He turned on GBS''s channel and saw the opening to the Fight Against 100 Men featured broadcast. ''The response isn''t bad.'' Responses flooded the chat window and the contents weren''t bad either. "Hello, nationwide fans of Arth! This is the cool Seol Hee talking. Have you been well, Mr. Jeon Seong Gook?" GBS''s self-styled cool Kang Seol Hee beamed and gave an opening statement. "Hello, GBS viewers. This is Jeon Seong Gook." GBS''s son, Jeon Seong Gook nodded his head. "So why are we all here today~?" "Hmm, I''m not sure. Do you know, Ms. Seol Hee?" Jeon Seong Gook looked like he really didn''t know. Of course, he did know, but he had to act on the air. "You came without reading the broadcast''s title!" Kang Seol Hee reprimanded. "Ah, I just have so much to dotely," Jeon Seong Gook chatted. "I guess it can''t be helped. We''re going to be showing the legendary quest, the Fight Against 100 Men being cleared. Now, p!" "Wow, there''s actually a recording of someone clearing that legendary quest? Really? Are you serious?" Jeon Seong Gook repeatedly asked. "That''s correct. A fail rate of 100%! It really is a recording of that Fight Against 100 Men! GBS is the only one streaming it. You''ll really regret it if you miss it." "Stop beating around the bush and let us see it already, Ms. Seol Hee. You''ll make me feel dizzy." "Hoo, hoo. For starters, let''s show you a quick intro for all those who don''t know about the Fight Against 100 Men." Sometimes, you had to draw things out to make people interested. Of course, it was most important not to draw things out too much, or else people get disinterested. "Guess it can''t be helped. Please watch this intro!" Once Jeon Seong Gook was finished, the screen changed. It was an intro that described just how difficult the Fight Against 100 Men was. Items, skills, and stats were sealed, and one''s vision was taken away. That was hard enough, but fighting 1 against 100 made it virtually impossible! After the intro, they yed interviews with famous rankers that had failed the quest. "If there''s anyone out there that beats this quest, I''ll give you whatever you want!" Of course, that was the interview with the Wind Archer, Sephiro! ''He''s been shown on the big screen again, so there''s no way he can back out of his deal.'' Kang Oh was waiting for Sephiro to contact him. If he asked for his prized Rashelpino Bow, what would he say? Haha. "To think that these famous yers would all fail. I didn''t know that." Once the introduction was over and they returned to the studio, Kang Seol Hee opened her eyes. "There are several others who must''ve failed the quest too. It''s not called a 0% sess rate quest for nothing," Jeon Song Gook said. "Now let''s see just how the Fight Against 100 Men was cleared... But before that, we''ll go to a break. Stay tuned!" Kang Seol Hee said. Park Jin Cheol hadn''t formed a contract with him for no good reason. He was confident that it would be a hit. "We''ll be back in 60 seconds~!" * * * The feature presentation had begun. The main character was Jae Woo''s character, Kang Oh. ''Oh.'' Kang Oh''s face was entirely obscured by a ck helmet. His clothes had also been changed from a beginner''s attire to that of a diator''s. The subtitles introduced him as diator Oga. Oga. Kang Oh reversed was Oh Kang. And slightly adjusting the two made Oga. That''s how he''de to Oga. In any case, the video continued. Kang Oh had chosen a one-handed sword. Doors opened from four different directions within the circr arena, and diators came rushing out. 1 against 100! Grim music yed in the background. One of the diators rushed towards Kang Oh and he in turn evaded and counterattacked. "Come on!" Kang Oh''s resolute scream. ''Man, it''s perfect. Absolutely perfect!'' GBS''s editors had mastered editing. And they had worked their magic to create this video! It didn''t look like a yer recording; it was a masterpiece that was wilder and more animated. As time went on, Kang Oh moved more aggressively than before. At the same time, the number of diators began to dwindle. Then, he ultimately fought against the final diator, Darion! Everyone thought it would be some grand battle, but all Kang Oh did was... Throw dirt in Darion''s eyes! The video ended with Kang Oh meeting Burkan. Jae Woo thought they''d all call him cowardly, but it was actually the opposite. In other words, the one who''s tricked is the idiot. ''As I thought, winning''s all that matters.'' Once the video ended with his victory, the broadcast went back to the studio. "Truly amazing. Nothing elsees to mind! He can''t even see, so how could he move like that?" Seol Hee spoke excitedly. Whether she was acting or genuine, he couldn''t tell. "I''m the same. To me, it felt like I was looking at a wild beast." Jeon Seong Gook''s voice rose. The hairs on the back of his head bristled. ''I''m not that bad.'' Honestly, it was only this well-received because of the editing. He didn''t think it''d look this nice! If the edited video was like a Hollywood blockbuster, then his original unedited video was like a documentary. That''s howrge the disparity was! ''Viewership should be higher than 5%.'' The bonus 2 million won glimmered before his eyes. "Who do you think Mr. Oga is? It''s the first I''ve ever heard of him," Kang Seol Hee asked Jeon Seong Gook. "Mr. Oga doesn''t want his identity to be revealed. So I don''t know either." Jeon Seong Gook shrugged his shoulders. "That''s a pity. I wish we could meet him." "But Mr. Oga did leave us some info regarding the quest''s reward." "What is it?" Kang Seol Hee asked. "The Fight Against 100 Men is apparently connected to a potential hidden ss change quest." A ss that defied all logic, a hidden ss! The term ''hidden ss'' would interest any Arth yer. "What kind of hidden ss?" "It is supposedly abat-focused hidden ss. He said he''d release further detailster if he has the chance, so we just have to wait and see." "I hope ites soon. By the way, it seems like our time is almost up." "That''s true. Time just flew by, didn''t it?" "Exactly." Kang Seol Hee looked regretful. "Everyone, we''ll see you next time." Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook waved and said their farewells, marking the end of the feature broadcast. "Mm, it wasn''t bad." Kang Oh nodded his head as he viewed Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory. Everyone was talking about the Fight Against 100 Men broadcast and uploading messages. - Finally, someone beat the Fight Against 100 Men! - diator Oga. Who is he? - What''s been revealed about the hidden ss thus far... * * * Once he essed Arth, he found himself situated in the middle of Javen Square, which was bustling with people. "Selling an A-rank spear. It requires a level of..." Kang Oh got through the crowd and left the square. He was currently level 44. He was already past level 40, which was the absolute minimum to register for the Adventurer''s Guild; the Adventurer''s Guild gave out quests pertaining to various dungeons and monsters. ''Let''s head to the Adventurer''s Guild first.'' If he became an Adventurer, he''d be able to use the intercity travel gates and would be able to learn the riding skill, which would allow him to travel atop a vehicle or mount and travel farther distances. In addition, he''d be able to learn a variety of support skills that would help in his travels. For example, ''First Aid'', ''Procure Food'', ''Light'', ''Cooking'', ''Emergency Repair'', ''Gather Medicinal Herbs'', ''Fishing'', ''Tanning'', ''Mana Extraction'', ''Create Map'', ''Disarm Trap'', etc. "Do you want to be stronger? Then hunt monsters, skin and butcher them. In your spare time, dig up medicinal herbs, and if you find a gemstone, then make sure you mine it... In any case, don''t rest! If you die, you''ll be resting forever anyway." A famous female ranker, Noganyeo had said. Her nickname was Spinster (Nocheonyeo). She was a teacher. My condolences to her students! In any case, learning a variety of skills would help out someday, was the advice of the pros. However, Kang Oh''s opinion differed. "Choice and focus." Riding! First Aid! Emergency Repair! Create Map! Disarm Trap! Search Path! Create Illustrated Monster Book! Kang Oh decided to learn only the support skills that would aid him in finding hidden dungeons and killing monsters. He had no interest in learning any support skills not beneficial to those two subjects. "Fishing is a waste of time. For cooking, I can just grill some meat... In the time I could use Tanning, Lighting, or Mana Extraction, I could use anotherbat skill; it''s better to just kill another monster!" Kang Oh''s objective was clear. Bing strong and making a ton of money. And by doing so, he''d turn his life around! "Life is too short. It''s too short to just be making money all the time." To Kang Oh, who''d been in aa for 2 years, wasting time was the worst of the worst. In any case, even if he were to learn a few support skills, he needed to be an Adventurer first. Therefore, Kang Oh headed for the Adventurer Guild. "What did youe here for?" a middle-aged man bearing a scar over his eye asked. "I''d like to be an Adventurer," Kang Oh said. The middle-aged man, who looked him over, nodded his head. "If you want to be an Adventurer, then figure out all of the topographic features of the ck Rat Nest and kill all of the monsters that inhabit it." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Conquer the ck Rat Nest!] In order to be an Adventurer, you must understand all of the ck Rat Nest''s topographic features, and kill all of the monsters that live there. You will receive an additional reward based on the number of monsters killed. (0 killed) Difficulty: Normal Conditions: Level 40 or higher Reward: Adventurer registration, additional reward _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Registering to be an adventurer was random among users. They would only know which dungeon they needed to go to or what type of monsters to kill when they got the quest. Kang Oh''s objective was the ck Rat Nest. "I understand." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have epted a quest.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild and called Eder. "Eder, summon." "Sir Kang Oh!" Eder appeared before him, garbed in his robes and smiling mask. He was attached to Kang Oh. Thus, Kang Oh could summon him whenever he wanted. Conversely, he could tell where Kang Oh was whenever he essed Arth. "You transferred your body to your private safe, right?" "Yes." Since Eder had decided to travel with Kang Oh to Deborah''s shrine, there was no reason for him to defend hisboratory. Thus, his body, which was frozen inside a ss tube, was transferred to his private safe. Obviously, because he didn''t need to protect hisboratory any longer, he didn''t need to summon skeletons to protect it. Now skeletons would no longer spawn within Altein''s sewers. But it didn''t matter to him since he''d already gotten everything worthwhile down there. "Good. Then let''s get Darion and go hunting." What''s most important was gaining levels, clearing dungeons, and umting wealth! "Understood." Kang Oh, apanied by Eder, traveled to the Holiseum''s underground arena and met with Darion. "As you may know, today''s thest day of our contract," Darion said. As he said, after today his 3 silver mercenary contract was over. "Want to renew our contract? I''ll increase your pay by a fair bit," Kang Oh furtively asked. "Such a tasteless joke." "I''m being serious, though." "I''m not doing it. No matter what!" Darion said with a strict look on his face. "I got it, so let''s go out with a bang." "The contract is over after 6 hours," Darion said. "Not 12 hours?" Kang Oh said as if saying ''what the hell are you talking about?''. "Empirew stiptes that mercenaries work until 6 in the afternoon. You need to follow thews, don''t you?" "Ahem. But hey, we''re close you and I..." he said clingily. "No we aren''t," Darion interrupted. "Tch. I got it already, so let''s go!" * * * Kang Oh, Darion, and Eder arrived at one of the 12 entrances to the ck Rat Nest. The ck Rat Nest was a maze of intertwined holes, which were dug haphazardly by the ck Rats, rats that were about the size ofrge dogs. ck Rats were aggressive monsters that formed packs and specialized at leaping at their enemies. They swarmed their enemies and had killed countless users by jumping and using their sharp front teeth. But at the end of the day, they were still level 40 rats. They were no match for Kang Oh''s party. "Let''s go in." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Entering the dungeon, ck Rat Nest.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Once he entered the dungeon, rats appeared. Jjijik. ck Rats possessed red eyes and thick tails. They looked like rats, but they were particrlyrge. Five ck Rats brandished their sharp front teeth and rushed towards them. Kang Oh readied his sword and Darion pointed the tip of his dius at a ck Rat. Meanwhile, Eder cast magic with a dark tone. "Let''s begin the hunt!" The ck Rat conquest had begun. Chapter 16. Black Rat Nest

Chapter 16. ck Rat Nest

Trantor: Boko "Haahp." The magic sword Ubist bisected one of the ck Rats. The magic sword radiated a wave of darkness; Darkness Strike! Peok. The ck Rat flew towards the wall. Ah, it was a double! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated an Old ck Rat.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Physical +1] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ From beside him, Darion rushed forward, piercing a ck Rat''s heart with his dius. One more ck Rat dead. Eder wasn''t just twiddling his thumbs either. He formed a sharp bone spear within his hand. And proceeded to throw said spear! Swish. The spear cleaved through the air, skewering three ck Rats. As expected, magic specialized in single powerful strikes. Jjijik! Jjik Jjik! The dungeon was rife with the sound of the ck Rats'' screams. He could hear new ck Ratsing from afar to rece the ones that were just in. The ck Rats, which are sensitive to sound, had heard the confrontation between fellow ck Rats and Kang Oh''s party and were rushing over. Thus, once they had defeated five ck Rats, another group would rece them and attack. And the cycle continued; whenever they killed one group of ck Rats, another group came running over. An endless rush of ck Rats! ''For all the good it will do them.'' Whenever he swung the magic sword, the ck Rats would scream. These rats were like Zerglings against a Dark Temr without the presence of an Overlord. The rats were at their wits'' end. Soon, bodies began to pile up around Kang Oh''s party. Then, the ground parted. Dirt-colored Tunnel Snakes hade for the ck Rats'' corpses. One of the Tunnel Snakes silently came nearby Kang Oh and opened its mouth. It was attempting to eat one of the ck Rats. "Who do you think you are!?" Kang Oh red at the snake and he swung his sword. Swish. Kang Oh cut through the Tunnel Snake''s skin; their scale was famed for its toughness. Kyaa! The Tunnel Snake angrily straightened its head. "What!?" Kang Oh shed the Tunnel Snake once more. The injured snake didn''t just stand by and take it. It responded by moving its head. Tunnel Snakes specialized in digging through the ground, and to that end, their heads were sharp, like the ends of a shovel; the snake was using its sharp head to lunge at Kang Oh! However, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition activated, so it was pointless. Dodge. Dodge. Dodge! Moreover, the Tunnel Snake was just a half-assed snake, as it didn''t possess any venom. Kuhureu. The snake made a sound akin to a balloon popping and died. Eder also killed the Tunnel Snake with ease. The one he''d faced had been surrounded and crushed with bones. After that, Eder defeated several Tunnel Snakes with his powerful bone magic. ''As expected of a boss monster!'' Kang Oh nodded his head. He was doing well for someone who was working for free. Whereas Darion, who was working for three silvers, was having difficulty with a single Tunnel Snake. Without Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, the Tunnel Snake''s head movements were dangerous for him. ''Live up to your looks!'' Kang Oh clicked his tongue as he witnessed Darion frivolously dodge the snake''s head. But then again, there''s that saying ''even if it''s rotten, it''s still a herring''. Befitting of a student of Burkan, Darion was able to y the Tunnel Snake. And thus, the Tunnel Snakes, which had sought after the ck Rat corpses, were exterminated. "It''s pretty much over." Kang Oh scanned his surroundings. ck Rats or Tunnel Snakes didn''t appear anymore. They had killed all of the monsters in the vicinity. "Darion, you pick up all of the junk and Eder..." "Yes." "What do you think about summoning an undead monster with these bodies?" Summoning undead monsters was a Necromancer''s forte! Of course, this didn''t apply to every Necromancer. "My specialty isn''t in undead summoning, so... the best I can do is summon a Skeleton Warrior or mage." "But you should keep practicing to get better at it." "My level and proficiency won''t go up, so..." "Tch." Kang Oh looked regretful. Eder was a half-assed Necromancer that couldn''t summon powerful undead monsters. "Instead, I''ll support you with my bone magic and curses, Sir Kang Oh," Eder said. "Mm. I got it. But when we get a new body for you, like a Lich''s body, will you be able to summon powerful undead then?" Kang Oh asked. "A Lich... it should be possible." Right now, Eder''s ability only amounted to that of a level 70 - level 80. Because Eder couldn''t level up normally, he would eventually be useless at some point. However, his power would increase immediately if he were to gain a new body, like recing the engine of a car. ''Tch, nothing''s free.'' He could work him like a horse for a while! But to keep using him, Kang Oh would need to take care of several things he might need. ''Well, he''s at least way better than Darion.'' Kang Oh decided that while he was searching for hidden dungeons, he would also find a way to procure a powerful body for Eder. * * * "Let''s go." Once Darion had collected all of the junk, Kang Oh continued his hunt. In order to make use of Darion even just one more time! And thus, Kang Oh''s party began to search every nook and cranny of the ck Rat Nest. Countless monsters became experience points for Kang Oh. The ck Rat Nest had an ouw of their own; with its many legs, the Broom Centipede swept through the ck Rats. Sasasak. Whenever it moved, it sounded as though a broom was dusting the ground. It had around 70 legs. In other words, it was about level 70. It spewed incredibly potent poison, and its hideous appearance would draw out a primitive fear from its victim; an incredibly difficult monster to face! However... "They say centipedes are great for stamina, right?" There was nothing a South Korean male like himself wouldn''t eat for stamina. "Is that true?" Of course, stamina was something every man was obsessed about. Darion widened his eyes as well. "Stamina! Stamina!" What''s worse, even Eder''s voice was rising. Kang Oh''s party had be zealots that blindly trusted in him and immediately killed the Broom Centipede. And they split the centipede 9:1. Obviously, Kang Oh ate 90% of it. Honestly, it felt like a waste to even give Darion 10% of it. On the side, the skeleton-possessing ghost, Eder, sucked on a finger and looked jealous. "Is this also good for stamina?" Darion asked, looking at the ck Rats'' prey: mushrooms, cockroaches, and damp earthworms. "Do you really think so?" Kang Oh red at him, looking at him as if he were an idiot. "But just kill them for now." They lightly stepped on the cockroaches and earthworms to kill them. The party resumed their exploration of the ck Rat Nest and they eventually found the ck Rat Leader. The ck Rat Leader was muchrger than a normal ck Rat. Its you-know-what was too. "Stam..." Darion said. "Will you stop?" Kang Oh interrupted. "Ahem." Darion avoided Kang Oh''s re. Eder was still sucking on a finger. "And you, stop sucking on your bony fingers. Concentrate." There were over one hundred ck Rats behind their leader. Jjik? Once the ck Rat Leader noticed Kang Oh''s party, it attacked. The ck Rat Leader and its followers rushed forward within the crowded narrow passageway. ''Jeez, there''re so many of them.'' He felt like he was a Marine shooting an endless wave of Zerglings from within a bunker.[1] However, Kang Oh wasn''t a marine; he was arge and powerful Ultralisk[2]. Eder, with his bone magic, was like a Lurker, while Darion was like a Zealot[3]. Regr ck Rats, as well as their leader, were obviously no match for them. The ck Rat corpses continued to pile up more and more! The ck Rat Leader resisted until the very end, but in the end, even it was killed; it had fallen with its tongue protruding from its mouth. But once their battle was over, a group of Beastman Hunters appeared, possessing cat ears and tails. Most of them were men equipped with bows or swords. However, there was one female Beastman. "Oh my!" The sole female Beastman widened her eyes, looking astonished. "These are all ck Rats!" She had a cute and child-like face and bore pointy ears and a smooth tail. "Excuse me, you handsome gentlemen. May we take a few ck Rats, nya?" the female Beastman requested, smiling with her eyes. ''She really said ''nya''!'' Kang Oh and Darion died and went to heaven while Eder''s shoulders rose and fell. "You can." "Yes, you can." "Please take them." Kang Oh, Darion, and Eder immediately replied. The Hunters took ten of the ck Rats and the female Beastman bowed her head. "Gentlemen, thank you very much. I''ll get going now." The three men passionately waved her off. Then, once the hunters were a fair distance away, the woman linked arms with another Beastman. "Honey, looks like we can go home early today." "And do what?" the male Beastman asked mischievously. "Ah, who knows?" Kang Oh, who bore witness to that scene, looked as though he''d been betrayed. "She was married!" "We''ve been had!" "I-I''m jealous," Eder said. Of the three, Eder was the one who''d remained a bachelor for the longest amount of time. They were momentarily frozen in shock, but managed to snap out of it and entered the area that the ck Rat Leader had guarded. The female ck Rats were inside. Suksak. Once they finished off the female ck Rats, the quest was finished. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You havepletely conquered the ck Rat Nest.] [You have acquired the title, Butcher of the ck Rat Nest.] [Return to the Adventurer Guild to receive your reward.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Though he had finished the quest, Kang Oh continued his hunt through the ck Rat Nest. In order to squeeze out maximum value out of Darion till the very end! And ultimately, the clock had struck 6:00 pm. "Just a little longer..." Kang Oh said. "No thank you," Darion refused t out. "I''ll give you overtime pay." "I''m good." "Hmph. Let''s return to Altein." With no other choice, Kang Oh was forced to return to Altein. * * * "I''ll get going now." Darion left as soon as they arrived in Altein. Their week-long mercenary, no ve contract was over. That cold-hearted bastard; he left before he could stop him! "Tch. I really should''ve used him even more." Kang Oh licked his lips in frustration. ''Eh, there should be another chanceter.'' Kang Oh and Eder headed to the Adventurer Guild. "I finished conquering the ck Rat Nest," Kang Oh approached the middle-aged quest-giver and said. "Let me see... Oh! You killed more than 400 ck Rats," the middle-aged man said. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You havepleted the quest.] [You have be an Apprentice Adventurer.] [Your credibility within the Adventurer Guild has increased.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ An Apprentice Adventurer was the lowest rank of Adventurer. The difficulty would increase, but the rewards would likewise increase, so bing a higher rank Adventurer was a must. In order to raise one''s Adventurer rank, one needed toplete the Adventurer Guild''s quests and increase their credibility with the guild. Of course, one could also take out loans from the Adventurer Guild based on their credibility. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [As an additional reward, you may pick two pieces of the Apprentice Adventurer Set.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "I''ll take the leggings and boots please." "Here." Kang Oh epted the leggingsand boots, which bore the mark of the Adventurer Guild, the hummingbird. The Adventurer Set increased experience gain from killing monsters! With just two pieces of the set, one''s experience gain would increase by 5%! Kang Oh immediately equipped the Adventurer Set. In terms of armor, Kang Oh had the Hero''s Ghost-Pattern Armor equipped already. "By the way, I heard rumors of you wielding a strange sword. Are you perhaps interested in any other swords?" the middle-aged man asked. ''A different sword... Could it be a magic sword!?'' He could tell that the middle-aged man was trying to give him a clue regarding a new magic sword. "Of course," Kang Oh replied immediately. "I heard the ruined Loxia family possessed an extremely ominous sword." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have heard about the Loxia family. A quest will be created if you acquire more clues.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Where is that sword?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t know myself." The middle-aged man shook his head. "Is there anyone that can tell me about the sword in detail?" Kang Oh asked. "Find Tino at the Jurento Bar. He''s lived a long time so he knows a lot." "I understand." Kang Oh headed for the Jurento Bar immediately. "I''m looking for Tino," Kang Oh said. The man, seemingly the owner, pointed to a table. He saw a small old man with his face t on the table. "Tino?" Kang Oh called. Tino slowly lifted his head. "Huh? Who are you?" His dim eyes looked at Kang Oh. He must''ve been drunk, as his face was red. "I''m an Adventurer and my name is Kang Oh. Do you know about the Loxia family''s sword?" Kang Oh asked. "Loxia, Loxia... I''ve heard that name somewhere before... I''m dizzy so I can''t remember. I think I''ll remember if you can get me some honey water," Tino said. In other words, if he wanted to know more, he''d have to buy him some honey water. "Ahem. Please bring a honey water over here." "That''s 1 gold. You have to prepay." The owner extended his hand. Honey water was 1 gold. "Why is it so expensive!?" "It''s wild honey," the owner said shamelessly. "Water... honey water!" Tino urged from beside him. Kang Oh nced to his side at Eder. "You have any money on you?" Kang Oh asked, scowling. If you have some, give it. "No, I don''t." Eder turned his robe pocket inside out; all that came out was dust. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh shook as he took out a gold coin. The owner snatched the gold coin and quickly readied the honey water. The honey water looked light, so it definitely wasn''t wild honey. "Ahem. Here you go." Tino downed it in one go. "It''s not enough. How about a seafood soup too... Hmm, I''m finally starting to wake up." Kang Oh red at him, eyes filled with killing intent, so Tino immediately changed his tune. "So where was I?" "I wanted to hear about the Loxia family''s sword," Kang Oh said, emphasizing the word ''Loxia''. "The Loxia family''s sword..." Tino stroked his beard. "I''ve heard rumors that there was an ominous, mysterious sword stored within the Loxia family''s secret storehouse." "Where is that secret storehouse?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t know. Several people attempted to find the storehouse once the Loxia family fell, but no one has ever found it." "Do you have any other info?" Kang Oh asked. He''d drank honey water worth 1 gold, so he should give him some more info. "If you go to the Altein Central Library, there''ll be a book there called The Loxia Chronicles. That book might help you." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have heard about the Loxia family''s secret storehouse. If you acquire more clues, a quest will be created.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Is that all you have?" "That''s all." "I understand." Kang Oh left the bar and immediately headed for the Altein Central Library. "What brings you here?" the librarian asked. "I came looking for The Loxia Chronicles." "Please wait a moment." The librarian soon came back and handed the book to him. "Mm, it''s thick." The Loxia Chronicles was 1,500 pages. "Eder." "Yes." "Read this and find any info regarding the new magic sword." Kang Oh passed The Loxia Chronicles to Eder. "Why me?" Eder asked. Kang Oh had expected such a response, so he wasn''t surprised. "What do you mean why? Do it unless you want to die." Kang Oh brandished his sword and threatened him. "T-That''s a vition of the contract..." "The contract says nothing about ensuring your safety." "The quest definitely..." "It states that I have to keep your body safe. It didn''t say anything about keeping your soul safe as well." Kang Oh smiled wickedly. It was the same wicked smile that he''d worn when he''d formed the contract with Eder! At that moment, Eder looked as though he''d been had. Of course, his skull was obscured by the smiling mask, so Kang Oh didn''t notice. Kang Oh pushed his sword right in front of Eder. The tip of the de was touching Eder''s smiling mask. "What''s it going to be? Do it or die?" [1] Starcraft reference, Marines and Zerglings are pretty basic infantry units. [2] Another reference, an Ultralist is one of the endgame units for the Zerg faction and is the toughest Zerg unit. [3] More units from starcraft, Lurkers and Zealots are higher infantry tier units. Chapter 17. New Ability

Chapter 17. New Ability

Trantor: Boko "So, live or die?" Eder shook. The magic sword seemed to incite a certain sense of primal fear from Eder. However, his feelings of unfairness and resentment far outweighed his fear. He''d even given him 1,000 gold, so what was this treatment!? "I''ll do it!" Eder yelled. Eder pondered hitting Kang Oh''s head, damn the magic sword, but that would only be beneficial to Kang Oh. By killing him, Kang Oh would gain experience points and an annoying quest would be canceled. Plus, he''d already received 1,000 gold in advance. Ultimately, he didn''t have much choice. Furthermore, he couldn''t run away now that he''d attached to Kang Oh. "Haa." His anger subsided and his shoulders drooped. ''Guess I should use the carrot now.'' Because he had a long history as a gamer, Kang Oh knew very well how to handle NPCs. Not only did he employ ttery, but he was familiar with the proper use of the ''carrot and the stick'' when dealing with NPCs. "It''s not all bad. If you continue helping me to the best of your ability, then I''ll introduce you to someone," Kang Oh said. ''This''ll work 100%.'' Kang Oh was absolutely sure. The other day, they had met the Beastman, and Kang Oh had realized that Eder was weak to women. "What do you mean by ''introducing me to someone''?" "I''ll introduce you to a girl." "A girl?" "Yeah. My little sister''s really beautiful. They call her the Reincarnation of the Goddess of Beauty, Erina." He was using the exact same lines he''d used to convince Burkan. "Really?" Eder asked. "Yeah, really." He was lying, of course. Not only was his little sister not the Reincarnation of Erina, but she didn''t even have a game character. "I''ll do my best." Eder''s attitude had done a 180. ''What a simple guy.'' Kang Oh grinned. As expected, old bachelors were susceptible to women! It was especially effective for a really old bachelor like Eder. "Read the book and find clues of the magic sword''s whereabouts, Brother-inw." Kang Oh pointed to The Loxia Chronicles and made sure to call him his brother-inw. Brother-inw. As if he were his little sister''s husband. "I''ll do my very best," Eder replied, standing at attention like a military recruit. "Good." Kang Oh left the Altein Central Library. He dumped 1,500 pages of reading to Eder, yet walked so light-heartedly. * * * Kang Oh found the NPCs that taught support skills. "You have to truly understand the mount in order to truly..." an old soldier wearing armor said. "That''s enough with the exnations. Please just teach me the skill." Kang Oh learned the Riding skill, which was Arth''s equivalent to a driver''s license, and also learned several other support skills. First Aid! Emergency Repair! Create Map! Disarm Trap! Search Path! Create Illustrated Monster Book! ''These are the most useful skills for killing monsters and exploring hidden dungeons.'' He didn''t learn Lighting, Gather Medicinal Herbs, Fishing, etc. that other users learned to gather pocket money. He didn''t n on learning them in the future, either. After all, he''d benefitted so much from clearing just two hidden dungeons. ''While others gather chump change, I''ll aim big!'' A get-rich-quick scheme that would ruin one''s family! But this didn''t apply to Kang Oh, who possessed Hyper Intuition. "While other people waste time searching, I go straight to the source," Kang Oh muttered. "Huh, what did you say?" "Nothing. More importantly, I''d like to learn some skills." Kang Oh was inside the Swordsman Guild. The martial arts instructor looked him over. "You look quite skilled. Why don''t you try and learn abat skill?" the martial arts instructor said. "Which skill?" "Cross sh, Continuous sh, Power Strike, Destroy Heart, etc. You should be able to learn most techniques." "It''s fine. I''d like to learn Basic Evasion and Quick Feet," Kang Oh said. The martial arts teacher brought over a skillbook from the bookshelf. Basic Evasion! Quick Feet! "It''s 2 gold, huh." Kang Oh paid for the skillbooks and used it on the spot. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have learned the passive skill, Basic Evasion (Beginner).] [You have learned the passive skill, Quick Feet (Beginner).] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ These skills, coupled with Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, would maximize his evasion. ''I''ll attack without getting hit.'' That was the style that he sought. A one-sided beatdown. A one-sided advantage. How good does that sound? Kang Oh grinned, and the martial arts instructor asked, "Are you really not going to learn anybat skills?" "I''m fine." With his Hyper Intuition pointing out weaknesses, his SS-rank magic sword, as well as Gluttony, which would explosively increase his abilities, he had enough attack power. It would be a waste of time to learn morebat skills. It was better to keep using sh to improve his proficiency in it. "In any case, I wonder if Eder found a clue yet..." Kang Oh, having finished his business here, headed to the Altein Central Library. * * * Turning the clock back... Eder, who had been immersed in The Loxia Chronicles, secretly looked to his left and right. "He''s gone," Eder muttered. As he said, Kang Oh had definitely left the Altein Central Library. Then, he straightened his back and pushed The Loxia Chronicles away. "Does he think I''m an idiot?" Kang Oh''s ''carrot'' hadn''t worked in the slightest. In fact, it''d be even stranger for it to have worked. But there was a reason why he acted like it had. He needed to get out of Kang Oh''s clutches, as he had threatened him with the magic sword. ''You''ll see first-hand what a ghost''s resentment feels like.'' Not only had he not read The Loxia Chronicles, but he hadn''t even looked at it. Instead, he passed the time by reading some of the medical books here that he''d wanted to read. Of course, he''d turned it to a certain page so that it looked like he''d read some of it. Time passed, and Kang Oh had finally returned. "Hey, Brother-inw!" ''Like hell I''d ever be your brother-inw.'' However, Eder''s actionspletely contradicted his inner feelings. "Wee back." Eder looked really happy to see him. Kang Oh looked nkly at him and asked, "Have you found any clues?" "I haven''t found it yet. It''s such a long book, so I will need more time to read through it," Eder said. He would, of course, never find any clues to the magic sword no matter how much time passed. "Hmm. It is quite a thick book." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I will need a week at the very least." Eder nned on buying as much time as possible and then continue dragging this out by asking for more time. ''What can he even do if I can''t find any clues!?'' "I got it." Eder''s congenial smile matched that of his smiling mask. However... "I''ll try finding clues in my own way. But if I find the clues first, then you''re useless to me. I don''t need an ipetent good-for-nothing traveling with me, so I''ll kill you right then and there." Kang Oh brandished the magic sword and stroked it. His face was etched with a wicked smile. "What are you talking about!?" This is bullshit! "Yeah. I don''t care what you do; that''s what I''m going to do." Kang Oh''s voice was firm; it was clear that he would follow through 100%. "That''s unfair!" Eder yelled. "Life''s unfair, dirty, and cheap. Just do as I say!" Kang Oh tapped Eder''s shoulder with the magic sword. "Unless you want to die." It was a viin. * * * Coming back to the present... Kang Oh''s point of view. "Unless you want to die," Kang Oh said. Eder bowed his head at Kang Oh''s words. His n of getting back at Kang Oh had failed miserably. ''Did you really think you could fool me?'' Kang Oh stared at Eder, his gaze frigid. He had already seen through Eder''s n. How? He was a psychic who possessed Hyper Intuition, that''s how! It seemed as though it had another ability, aside from ascertaining weaknesses, warning of danger, and finding hidden objects/ces. It was the ability to see through lies! ''I''m sure.'' Kang Oh recalled the feeling he''d felt when he returned to the Altein Central Library and had looked at Eder. Eder had weed him back. But as he looked upon Eder, he felt unpleasant and ufortable, as though he were pricked by a thorn. So much so that he wanted to kill Eder! The reason for this unique feeling had to be because of his Hyper Intuition. However, it shouldn''t have activated now. If that''s the case, it must be simr to how he had a feeling when he discovered a hidden dungeon. What was it telling him? He felt an unpleasant sensation from Eder. Furthermore, adding the fact that he forced the work onto him, the conclusion was simple. ''This idiot. He''s putting up a front!'' Thus, Kang Oh secretly sounded him out. Once he confirmed that the book was indeed thick, Eder insisted that it would take a long time to go through it. When Eder said that, that unpleasant sensation only became stronger. Thus, Kang Oh was sure that this was a new facet of his Hyper Intuition. ''This is the ability to see through lies!'' Although Eder had attempted to swindle Kang Oh, he had only managed to prove how Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition had evolved. "I''ll forgive you if you tell me the truth. Were you lying to me or not?" Kang Oh said to the bowing Eder. "What are you talking about!?" Eder reflexively yelled in astonishment. "I''ll forgive you if you tell me the truth." Kang Oh unwaveringly stared at Eder without giving him an inch. If Eder possessed a real body, then he would''ve avoided Kang Oh''s gaze. And he would''ve gulped too. "I-I really didn''t..." "You said you were trying to find clues, but you were really trying to buy time and try to get in my way, weren''t you? Yes or no?" Kang Oh interrupted him and interrogated him. ''It''s obvious what you were trying to do.'' It was clear to him what Eder was trying to do, as he''d done quite the nasty deeds himself in Warlord. "..." "This is yourst chance. If youe clean, I''ll give you a break. 3! 2!" Right before he counted down to 1... "I did it. I did!" Eder confessed. Kang Oh was already sure of it, so if Eder kept to his story, he''d be on his way to heaven right now. "You idiot." Kang Oh cool-headedly forgave him. After all, he was the one who''d backstabbed him first, so he could forgive him just once. So instead of torturing him, he decided to put him to work. "I''ll let it go this once. But in exchange, you have to read it all by tomorrow and find the clue." Kang Oh pushed The Loxia Chronicles towards him. "That''s impossible! I can''t read it all in a day!" Eder said. "..." Kang Oh, without a word, simply stared frigidly at him. Eder nearly suffocated from the silence. "F-Fine. I''ll do it!" Eder began reading The Loxia Chronicles. With all his might! "You should''ve done that from the start." As expected, Kang Oh really was good at handling NPCs. The stick, the carrot, and then the stick! Eder couldn''t escape Kang Oh''s grasp, just like how Son Wukong couldn''t escape Buddha''s. * * * Jae Woo got ready to go out. He wore a white T-shirt with a peace sign on it, as well as a pair of jeans and a baseball hat. "Big brother, where are you going?" Yura asked. "I have some business to attend to," Jae Woo said curtly. "Ah, are you going to the bank?" "Mm, just some business." Jae Woo was headed to the bank, just as Yura had expected. The Piggy Savings Bank! It was a bank that used a red piggybank as its mascot. It meant that their bank would be a piggybank for the normal person. "Wee." "I came to pay a debt." It was an exhrating feeling, like throwing a resignation letter at your boss''s face. Chapter 18. The Search for a New Magic Sword

Chapter 18. The Search for a New Magic Sword

Trantor: Boko The average viewership of the Battle Against 100 Men broadcast was 5.32%. Jae Woo received an additional 2 million won (~$2,000 USD) for surpassing 5% viewership, so he received a total of 12 million won (~$12,000 USD) from GBS. And with Eder''s 1,000 gold, which he''d exchanged to cash, he had 22 million won on hand (~$22,000 USD). "I''d like to pay back 20 million won." Jae Woo nned on paying back his family''s debt first. After all, it was such a waste to pay the bank''s monthly interest. "Yes, yes." The employee in charge of debt smiled brightly. "Please extend the term of redemption. You can''t reduce the interest rate, can you?" Jae Woo asked. "A moment please, sir." The worker looked at their monitor and checked Jae Woo''s family information. "You have good credit, and you have never paid your interestte. I believe I can extend the term of redemption by 1 year. Would you like to do that?" "Yes." "The term of redemption has been extended by a year, but I cannot lower your interest rate," the worker said, maintaining a professional smile. "I understand." Jae Woo had paid off 20 million won of their debt right then and there. * * * Jae Woo visited a cosmetics store on his way home. "Wee." "Please give me an anti-wrinkle cream." He bought a 200,000 won ($200 USD) anti-wrinkle cream as a present for his mother. "5 assorted sushi please." "When ites to cake, nothing beats chocte." Jae Woo even bought sushi and cake for his sisters, went home, and waited for his mother toe home. It was 8:00 at night. The front door opened; his mother hade home. Normally, his mother came home at around 12, but she woulde back early on these days. "Wee back!" Jae Woo and his sisters weed their mother back. The living room table was set with sushi, cake, the rolled omelets that Yura had made, japchae, etc. "What''s all this?" his mother asked in astonishment. "I have some good news," Kang Oh said. "Good news?" "I made quite a bit of money, so I repaid some of our debt." "That really is good news." His mother beamed. That''s how their simple and cozy party began. The entire family sat around the table. "Mom, please use this." Jae Woo passed her the cosmetic cream. "You didn''t have to spend all that money on me." "It''ll apparently get rid of your wrinkles." "I''ll use it well." "Where''s mine?" Mina asked, and Jae Woo pointed at the assorted sushi as if saying ''just eat''. "Tch." "Looks like Yura will finish eating everything." Contrary to how slim she looked, Yura was a massive glutton and was devouring the sushi at a rapid pace. Tuna belly, gone! "Ahh." Mina jumped in and quickly began eating the sushi. Yura, who had finished the cake for dessert, was smiling in satisfaction and rubbing her belly. Meanwhile, Mina was sucking on her fork in disappointment. "Now let''s all go in and sleep," their mother said. And that drew the curtains on their family party. * * * "What?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "That''s..." Eder hesitated. "Tell me again." "I couldn''t find any clue," Eder said and Kang Oh red at him. "You couldn''t find anything?" "Yes. I read The Loxia Chronicles from start to finish, but there was nothing written about a magic sword." "Did you read it properly or did you just skim it again?" Kang Oh looked at him suspiciously. "No, I definitely read it all the way through." Eder desperately waved his hands. His Hyper Intuition wasn¡¯t alerting him to anything, so he wasn''t trying anything this time. "Are you absolutely sure that there''s nothing there regarding the magic sword?" "Yes, I''m absolutely sure." Eder had desperately read through The Loxia Chronicles in order to find some clue regarding the magic sword. However, there weren''t any clues to be found. "Hmm." Kang Oh''s expression rxed at Eder''s statement. After all, he couldn''t ask him to find something that wasn''t there. "It talks about swords a few times here and there, but there wasn''t anything that specifically talked about the magic sword," Eder said. "It might''ve been mentioned as a mysterious or ominous sword, rather than a magic sword," Kang Oh said. After all, the middle-aged man in the Adventurer Guild or Tino hadn''t called it a magic sword. "Yes. I kept that in mind while reading, but there weren''t any mentions of it." "Then was there anything regarding strange items that great or sessful people had?" "The Loxia family was incredibly renowned, so... there were several famous or great individuals that came from the family, yet there was nothing that matched your description, Sir Kang Oh." Based on how he was acting, it was clear that Eder had read through the entire book. It was also true that there were no overt mentions or clues regarding the magic sword. If that''s the case, then he needed to find another clue aside from the book. "Should I grill Tino?" He recalled Tino, the old man who''d drank that expensive honey water. "Why don''t you try asking someone directly involved?" Eder suggested all of a sudden. "Where are you going to find people from a ruined house?" Kang Oh asked. "You don''t find people; you find ghosts," Eder said. "What did you say?" "Since the Loxia family was one of four great knight families of the Altein Empire, there should be one or two of them that have turned into Ghost Knights," Eder said. "So you''re saying I can just do what we''re doing right now; go and find one of the Loxia knights and ask them?" "Yes." "Where do I find Ghost Knights?" "I heard several Ghost Knights gather at Taksen Castle." As Eder was a ghost himself, he was knowledgeable in the subject. "Really? Then I guess I''ll have to go there to find some more clues." Kang Oh knew about Taksen Castle as well. Taksen Castle was a hunting ground that contained Ghost Knights varying from level 60 - 80. It was just the right hunting ground for him with his ghost-felling magic sword. "I''ll be able to level up there too." He''d find some clues and simultaneously hunt monsters. It was really appealing to Kang Oh. He''d found something to do, so there was no reason to dawdle. He stood up immediately. But Eder grabbed him. "It may be difficult to speak with them if you go without a n," Eder said. In the past, Ghost Knights were NPCs, but now they were undoubtedly monsters. Like Eder! So, a conversation was possible, but he needed something that would allow him to speak with them. "Don''t worry. I have a n. You stay here and read The Loxia Chronicles one more time," Kang Oh said. "I beg your pardon?" Read through all 1,500 pages of this again? "Read through it slowly this time around. When you take a break, read something you''re interested in." He decided to be generous to Eder, since he''de up with a brilliant n. "I understand." Eder nodded his head; he''d set some medicine books aside and merely nced at them yesterday. "I''ll get going." Kang Oh left the central library. * * * There was a seamstress''s workshop near the Altein Central Library. The wooden sign,beled Marianne Ganelle, creaked. "Wee." Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. A young seamstress greeted him. "I''d like an overcoat with this image clearly visible on the front and back." Kang Oh passed the paper with a drawing of a leopard biting a sword. "We at the Marianna Ganelle always do our best to fulfill our customers'' requests to maintain their trust in us. Your request is, of course, our priority." The seamstress smiled professionally. "Please make it out of the cheapest material! All that matters is that the image needs to be clear," Kang Oh said. "Sir, we just received a batch of high quality Silver Wolf fur, so while we''re at it..." "No thank you. Please make it ording to my specifications." "Mm. I understand." He''d just finished ordering a cheap promotional overcoat with absolutely no practical use or aesthetic value. "I''m ready." Once he received his overcoat, Kang Oh headed for the intercity warp gate. The gate was essentially just arge magic circle drawn over a marble floor. The magic circle was glowing an iridescent color. Kang Oh entered the magic circle. Because he was already registered as an Adventurer, he could travel wherever he wanted, so long as he paid the fee. "Haroton!" Kang Oh yelled. And he was enveloped in an iridescent pir of light. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have paid 5 gold to use the gate. The farther the distance, the more expensive the cost.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh felt like he''d just rode an elevator, having gone all the way up a building and then all the way down. After that, the pir of light disappeared and was greeted by the sight of a neat little town. Haroton was a quaint little local town with few NPCs and other users. Kang Oh left the town and yed a whistle that looked like a horse''s head. A ck horse came out from the forest. He''d bought the horse at a horse-fair. He could summon an Earth Spider through Alishi''s Ne, which specialized in climbing ceilings or walls, but it was slow. That''s why he''d purchased a horse, which was both strong and fast. "Hiya!" Kang Oh tightened his thighs and kicked the horse''s sides with his feet. Once the horse began to run, Kang Oh was met with a refreshing breeze. How much did he enjoy the wind? "That''s it." He could see it from afar; there was an old castle in between sharp cliffs and canyons. It was Taksen Castle. * * * The horse retreated back to the forest once he hit the horse''s butt. He wasn''t worried; it woulde whenever he yed the whistle. That''s how the system worked. "It looks cool." Kang Oh looked at the ck castle before him. Taksen Castle. The cliffs, canyons, and the high ck ramparts seemed to deny anyone entry. It seemed as though archers were at the ready from within the ramparts, and above them, soldiers stood abreast with their spears. In the past, during the times of the Altein Empire, this stood as a major fortress that protected the Empire, so countless soldiers had been stationed here. Thus, it was quite an imposing castle. However, that was nothing more than its past glory. Now it was a hunting ground where named Ghost Knights woulde and go. "Shall we?" Kang Oh wore the overcoat and raised his sword. He passed the gate, which served as both a door and a bridge, which was located above the deep moat. "Receive the de of knight Von Heich, who fought in the great battle of Fatalow!" Suddenly, a de came flying by! Kang Oh reacted immediately. de met de. However, no sound of their sh came about. That was obvious. Since Kang Oh''s opponent was a ghost! Still, it''s not like nothing was happening. Swish! The magic sword passed by, cutting through the self-introduced Von Heich''s green de. "No!" the ghost knight yelled, seeing his broken de. And Kang Oh cleaved downwards with his magic sword. "H-How can this be..." The knight looked at Kang Oh in disbelief. It was only natural. Since a ghost''s body, which can pass through walls, was cut in twain and was dispersing into the air. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the Ghost Knight, Von Heich.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Normally, ghost-type monsters were incredibly difficult to deal with, as physical attacks were ineffective against them, and they flew around in the air. Moreover, the monsters in Taksen Castle were all named knights, so they were even stronger. But with just two swings, Kang Oh had killed one of them. ''There really was a reason that Eder was afraid of this sword.'' Abyss de! The power to cut through ghosts! It was an overpowered ability that allowed him to cut through ghosts, even though they were immune to physical attacks. Cutting through ghosts was like cutting through water; yes, it was possible, but the Abyss de allowed him to cut ghosts as if the water was radish kimchi. "Rau Hannes. I am a part of the gant knight order!" Once he was finished with Von Heich, the nearby Ghost Knights began to crowd around him. However, their fate was the same as Von Heich''s. Swish. Saksak. With a single swing of his magic sword, the Ghost Knights'' des were cut apart. Their arms, legs, chest, and their heads were no exception; they were all cut apart. It was a one-sided massacre! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have leveled up.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''Nice.'' Kang Oh was satisfied with therge amount of experience points he was gaining. And... ''We can''t forget about finding clues to the whereabouts of the magic sword.'' "Fight me, the master of the iron mace, Gastoph." Then, an imposing mace-wielding knight came rushing at him. "I''m thest descendant of the Loxia family, Kang Oh!" Kang Oh yelled loudly. That was the moment a never-before seen descendent of the Loxia family had appeared. Chapter 19. Taksen Castle

Chapter 19. Taksen Castle

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh hade to the Taksen Castle to learn the whereabouts of the Loxia family''s magic sword from the ghosts. ''There should be a ghost from the Loxia family here.'' After all, Loxia was one of the Altein Empire''s 4 great knight families. When the people revolted and attacked the pce, the Loxia family held the line and protected the Emperor until the very end. Though that''s also why they fell. In any case, famous knight families created several knights. In other words, since Ghost Knights gathered here at Taksen Castle, some of them had to havee from the Loxia family. The problem was that how would he find those Ghosts Knights, as well as how to interact with them. Thus, Kang Oh pretended to be a descendant of the Loxia line, and to that end, wore an overcoat with its symbol, a leopard biting a sword. ''They should recognize me. They wouldn''t ignore someone familiar in a ce so far from home.'' And that''s how thest descendant of the Loxia family had appeared. "I am Dimitrino Lassa!" "I''m thest member of the Loxia family, Kang Oh!" Kang Oh, who pretended to be Loxia''sst descendant, decided to keep up his act for a while. * * * The Taksen Castle was divided into two areas: the inner castle and the outer walls. "Not here." Kang Oh searched every nook and cranny of the outer walls while simultaneously engaging the Ghost Knights, but he couldn''t find what he was looking for. And now, he was standing before the entrance leading into the inner castle. "Should I go in or not?" There was only one reason he was hesitating. It was due to the Taksen Castle''s boss monster. Roaming Galmoss! It shouldn''t appear in a hunting ground filled with level 60 - 80 monsters. It was at least level 350; it might even go as high as level 400. Moreover, it was a boss that roamed around as it pleased. Even Kang Oh couldn''t beat it; he''d die within 3 seconds of encountering it. Kang Oh hesitated because the penalties of dying were far greater for him than any other yer. "But I still need to go in." Kang Oh sighed. He was hesitating over his magic sword but also needed to enter because of another magic sword. Kang Oh really wanted a new magic sword! If he used both Ubist and the new magic sword, then he''d be even stronger! Trample, trample. Ultimately, Kang Oh went down the stairs in order to find clues to the magic sword. Ggiik. The door, which hadn''t been opened in a while, creaked, and Kang Oh was met with darkness. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Entering the Taksen Castle Depths.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Taksen Castle Depths were ruins. It was only natural; the castle had long been abandoned, ghosts had begun to gather here, and it had been a long time since human contact. The pirs and the floor were cracked, and piles of rocks and debris were scattered everywhere. A thick and worn-out curtain covered the window, so the interior was dark. This ce was, from a single nce, a ce where ghosts would congregate. And in reality, it was indeed a ce where ghosts resided. The Taksen Castle Depths possessed a central passageway and four areas. These four areas included the horsebackpetition stadium, the church, the central conference hall, and the armory. It was known that the boss monster, the Roaming Galmoss would continuously wander throughout these four areas. ''Let''s figure out where the Galmoss is first.'' Kang Oh crouched and began to creep forward. Whether he was looking for clues or hunting, locating the boss was his top priority. Sasak, sasak. Yes, he was crawling, but he wasn''t moving at a slow pace. Kang Oh quickly passed the debris like a cockroach. There were Ghost Knights that flew above him, but Kang Oh made sure he evaded their gaze. Kang Oh hid behind a pile of rocks. That''s because the Galmoss was exiting the church. "It really does look strong." The Roaming Galmoss. It waspletely encased in armor and two ethereal purple fires swayed within the visor of its helmet. It was also 3 meters tall. The boss carried a greatsword around, and based on its green color, it was a ghost-type monster. It was a monster estimated to be higher than level 350. This ultimately meant that if he didn''t want to die, he had to find a way to avoid it. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh watched the Roaming Galmoss in order to figure out its route. The Galmoss, having exited the church, headed for the armory next. ''So it goes to the armory after the church.'' Kang Oh quietly followed behind the Galmoss. * * * Kang Oh continued to stalk the Galmoss. Because of this, he gained a rough idea as to what the Galmoss''s path was. The Galmoss stayed in one area for about 30 minutes and then switched to another area. It started at the church, then went to the armory, the central conference hall, the horsebackpetition stadium, and then back to the church. When it reached the central passageway, it just moved on to another area. "Shall we begin?" Kang Oh stood up, having confirmed that the Galmoss had entered the central conference hall. He was currently at the central passageway. "Who are you!?" A nearby floating Ghost Knight pointed their sword at him and charged. "I''m Kang Oh, thest descendant of the Loxia family!" "I''m Proxia Gaffelt.." He didn''t even finish before Kang Oh bisected him top down. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the Ghost Knight, Proxia Gaffelt.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh immediately hid behind the debris and stared at the entrance to the central conference hall, which the Galmoss had just entered. ''As I thought.'' Kang Oh''s eyes shined. The Galmoss had shown up as soon as he''d killed the ghost in the central passageway. He had expected this. ''If a fight drags on, it''ll appear 100%.'' After that, Kang Oh made a few more tests. It was all to figure out the Galmoss''s patterns. * * * "Hahp!" Kang Oh''s sword was set in a straight line; it had pierced the Ghost Knight''s heart! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the Ghost Knight, Andalosi Lei.] [You have leveled up.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ By killing a level 80 named Ghost Knight, he gained a considerable amount of experience points. "I''ll be level 60 soon." Kang Oh had fully adapted to the castle depths. He realized that the Galmoss wouldn''t move from one area to another, regardless of what was happening in that other area. That meant that all he needed to do was hunt in one area until he ran out of time and then leave before he encountered the Galmoss. The Galmoss was currently inside the armory, so it would be some time before it returned to the church, where Kang Oh was. "Herees Kang Oh, thest descendant of the Loxia family! Get out of my way!" Kang Oh swept through the Ghost Knights with unstoppable force. He cut through the Ghost Knights again and again. "It''s time." Kang Oh kept the time even while fighting. Now he needed to move to another area. He left the church and entered the armory. A Ghost Knight attacked him. However, it suddenly halted its attack and looked closely at Kang Oh''s overcoat. "You, are you from the Loxia family?" Kang Oh''s eyes shined. Finally! "Yes. I am thest descendant of Loxia, the great leopard family, Kang Oh." "Oh, it''s a pleasure. I''m one of the Granshi family''s knights, who served the Loxia family, Angel Granshi." The Ghost Knight descended to the floor. "For starters... would you mind pointing that fearsome sword elsewhere?" Angel pointed towards the magic sword. As expected, the magic sword was like a mortal enemy to ghosts. "Is it that terrifying?" "This is the first time I''ve felt such terror since bing a ghost." Kang Oh momentarily thought about cing the magic sword at the ghost''s neck and threatening him but decided against it. Though he was the one who held the magic sword, these Ghost Knights charged at him first, likely because of their characteristics as knights. It was obvious that any poor attempt to threaten him would fail. Kang Oh tied the magic sword to his back. "Shall we go somewhere quiet and talk?" "Alright," Angel replied rxingly. As he thought, one wees someone from their hometown in an unfamiliar ce. Kang Oh lead the way and Angel floated behind him. "I am..." Rustle. "Enpe..." Swish. In the midst of trying to locate a safe location, two Ghost Knights became food for the magic sword. Kang Oh purposefully swung his sword more violently than before. So that Angel would be even more fearful of the magic sword! "Mm." Angel''s expression stiffened. It was certainly effective. "That ce looks safe." There was a small table in the corner. The table had been neglected for so long that a cloud of dust had settled atop it; a lone, chipped cup sat on top of it as well. "Please sitfortably." Kang Oh acted like it was his own house. Then again, the magic sword essentially made Kang Oh king before all the ghosts. "Let me introduce myself again. I am thest descendant of the Loxia family, Kang Oh." Kang Oh felt absolutely no guilt from this lie. ''Since all of humanity is a distant rtive.'' "I''m Angel Granshi." Angel was a middle-aged Ghost Knight with a goatee. "Hoo. It''s a pleasure to meet you. After my family''s fall from grace, there weren''t many people that recognized me..." Kang Oh said sorrowfully. Kang Oh made sure to trail off as well. "What are you talking about!? The family fell!? So are you saying that the Loxia family fell?" Angel''s eyes widened. "That''s correct. You are looking at thest descendant of the Loxia family." While it was true that the Loxia family had fallen, Kang Oh was not thest descendant of their line. ''Well, they''re probably somewhere out there living a good life.'' If not, then whatever. "Hoh. How?" Angel groaned. "It happened 50 years ago. During the people''s revolution, which brought down the Altein Empire, the Loxia family defended the Emperor to the bitter end and was brought to ruin." Kang Oh spoke of the details surrounding the Loxia family''s fall, as well as the current situation of the Arth continent. "Now it is the era of free cities." Following the people''s revolution, which toppled the Altein Empire (which ruled over the entire continent), the citizens of the Empire''s cities became free cities and elected mayors to govern them. It was no empire; it was a loose alliance of free cities. And that''s how it had been for 50 years. "To think that the eternal empire and eternal family are gone..." Angel stroked his goatee and clicked his tongue. "I coincidentally found out that I was a descendant of the Loxia family, and I''m training to be a knight so that I can bring back the family no matter what." That''s the lie he came up with. Kang Oh''s only objective was the magic sword. "You must''ve had it hard." He was just a ghost, yet he was looking at Kang Oh with pity. "Hoo. But if I were to know where the family''s secret storehouse is, then I''d..." Kang Oh threw the bait. "A secret storehouse? The Loxia family had something like that?" Angel asked. ''Is it a miss?'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow and said, "You didn''t know? A secret storehouse apparently exists." "This is the first time I''ve ever heard about it. It must''ve been created after I died." "When did you die, Sir Angel?" "I''m not sure. It''s been so long." "Have you ever heard about a mysterious and ominous sword?" Kang Oh changed the subject. He''d hold off on stealing everything from the storehouse for now. "That may be Lord Grande Loxia''s sword," Angel said as if it were obvious. ''Oh!'' Kang Oh¡¯s face was filled with joy. He''d finally found a new clue for the whereabouts of the magic sword. Chapter 20. The Man Who Conquers Dungeons (1)

Chapter 20. The Man Who Conquers Dungeons (1)

Trantor: Boko "Lord Grande Loxia?" Kang Oh asked. Give me more info on the new magic sword! "Tch, tch. You said the family fell to ruin, so it seems like you weren''t taught the Loxia family''s history." Angel clicked his tongue. "That''s right." He''d obviously never been formally taught the Loxia family''s history, and he''d never be taught it in the future either. Since he was a fake! "Lord Grande Loxia is the first head and the founder of the Loxia family." "Did he carry around such a peculiar sword? For example, is it simr to this jet-ck sword that I carry?" Kang Oh pointed to the sword''s hilt on his back. "It''spletely different. His sword was extremely beautiful, so much so that it could be called ominous." ''This is it!'' He had a hunch, since not all magic swords looked like Ubist. "Mmm. Was that sword passed down as a family heirloom? If that''s the case, then I have to find it..." Kang Oh asked sneakily. "It''s not a family heirloom. It''s the sword that Lord Grande used." "I see. But it''s still the founder''s sword, so shouldn''t I procure it?" Kang Oh asked, lookingpletely earnest, as if he were entirely selfless. "It seems like you don''t know the family''s customs. That''s not necessary. The Loxia family buries the sword with its owner. That sword should be buried with the first head." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have acquired an extremely concrete clue regarding the Loxia family''s sword. A quest has been created.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Yes! He''d been waiting for this. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Find Grande Loxia''s grave] Grande Loxia, the founder of Loxia, the family of the sword and leopard! He is a hero who once defeated a demon that threatened the world. He was called the Wise Sword and was akin to a model knight. Everyone respected him for his superb character and ideals. If you find his grave, you will surely find something important... Difficulty: Unknown. Conditions: None. Failure: Unknown. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''What kind of magic sword will it be?'' The quest indicated that the founder had killed a demon, so he assumed that the sword was a magic sword with the demon sealed within it. However, there wasn''t anything he could confirm at this very moment. "Is the founder''s grave with the other family members'' graves?" Kang Oh asked. "The founder isn''t buried with the other family members; he''s buried somewhere else. I''m not exactly sure where he''s buried. Why do you ask?" Angel suddenly narrowed his eyes. It was as if his eyes were saying ''You''re kind of suspicious.'' "He''s the founder of our family, so I need to go and pay my respects," Kang Oh hastily replied. "I see." "Do you know how to get there? As thest member of the family, I need to go and find the grave." "I''m not entirely sure either. But it may be linked to the spot where he defeated the demon." "Why do you think that?" "I heard that Lord Loxia often said that there was something he needed to do there before he died." "Then it''s likely that his grave is there." "It''s just an assumption of mine." "Where did he defeat that demon?" "I don''t remember. It should be mentioned in depth within The Loxia Chronicles!" The Loxia Chronicles! All the puzzle pieces fit. Tino asking him to seek The Loxia Chronicles ultimately meant finding the location where Grande Loxia had killed the demon. Then, Angel stood up all of a sudden. "You should get going. I can feel himing," Angel said urgently. "By him... Do you mean Galmoss?" "Yeah, him!" Kang Oh tilted his head. ''He shouldn''t being over here yet.'' "Though you possess that formidable sword, you''re still no match for Galmoss. Get away for now." "I understand." Kang Oh followed his instructions. There was no reason for Angel to trick him, and if he did, then his Hyper Intuition would''ve warned him. Kang Oh rushed to the entrance of the armory. "Come back here after you''ve be stronger. If you defeat him, then I, as well as all the other knights trapped here will be free!" Angel yelled at his back. ''Yeah, yeah. I''ll think about it. Emphasize the ''think'' part.'' The Galmoss was much too powerful for him to carry out Angel''s wishes. The Galmoss was notorious for killing regr users within 3 seconds. "Umph." Kang Oh escaped the armory and hid behind a pile of rocks. The Galmoss was quickly approaching from far off in the passageway at a speed he''d never seen before. "Phew. I almost died." Kang Oh sighed in relief. If he''d stayed in the armory, then he would''ve been killed by the Galmoss. And he would''ve been punished by the magic sword''s penalty. It was too much to even think about. ''So there was more to its roaming pattern.'' There had to be more to Galmoss''s roaming pattern than what Kang Oh had witnessed. However, there was no need to figure out that pattern at this very moment. Since he''d already gotten what he came for. Once he confirmed that the Galmoss had disappeared into the armory, Kang Oh snuck like a cockroach and left the castle depths. And he left the Taksen Castle, returning to Altein. * * * Eder was still inside the central library reading The Loxia Chronicles. "Eder." "Wee back." "I found a clue regarding the magic sword." "Really?" Eder said happily. He should be sick of The Loxia Chronicles by now. "The ce where the Loxia family''s founder warded off the demon; that''s where the magic sword should be." He continued, "And! Apparently, the location where he defeated the demon is recorded within The Loxia Chronicles. Where is it?" "I''ll look for it." Eder began looking through The Loxia Chronicles immediately. He turned the pages with his glove d bone fingers. And soon found what Kang Oh was looking for. "It''s the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth!" Eder yelled. "Parmarl?" This is the first he''d heard of it. "I''ve never heard of it before either." Eder was the same. "Eder. Forget The Loxia Chronicles; look through other books on info regarding the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth," Kang Oh directed. "I understand." "I''ll go find information my own way." Kang Oh logged out of Arth. * * * Jae Woo turned on hisputer. He immediately essed Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory. Arth was a huge world. And recording all of that world''s information was this site''s ultimate goal. "It''s here." Themunity site had info on the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. ______________________________________________________________________________ [Parmarl Underground Labyrinth] An undergroundbyrinth rumored to be somewhere within the Great Forest. The exact location is unknown. If the exact location is known, please provide the information. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Apparently, the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth was somewhere in the Great Forest. ''The Great Forest, huh...'' The Great Forest, which was called the Sea of Trees, was a giant forest in the southern area of the continent. Powerful monsters, demi-humans, and bosses lived there. "I can''t go there right away." Arth had been released for more than 1 and a half years already. The top rankers were close to level 200. One of the hunting grounds the top rankers frequented was the Great Forest. "I''ll hold off on it for now." Kang Oh, who had just reached level 60, couldn''t go there yet. It was unfortunate, but he had to take a rain check. "Now then." Now that he''d put off finding the magic sword, Kang Oh returned to his main task. His main task was making money as a pro-gamer! "Now that I''m here, I might as well look up some info posts." There was a user info message board on Arthtory. If a post surpassed a certain number of hits, then ads would be added to it, and the poster would be paid based on the number of hits. ''A hidden dungeon''s pretty much worth 100,000 won.'' The terms ''hidden ss'' or ''hidden dungeon'' were terms that drew the yer base''s attention. If the information was correct, then the post could receive several hits. ''Let''s reveal Alishi''s Nest.'' Kang Oh had found two hidden dungeons: Alishi''s Nest and Eder''s Secret Laboratory. Of the two, the secretboratory no longer spawned monsters, so it no longer had any value. Ultimately, Alishi''s Nest was the only hidden dungeon with value; he''d received more than 80 gold from that dungeon. What if no one was able to find it? Then the boss room would continue to rue riches, and Kang Oh could one day return and take all those riches for himself. ''That''s only if no one finds it, that is.'' There was a chance that another person found it while it was ruing riches. If that happened, then Jae Woo wouldn''t receive anything. So instead, he''d rather reveal the hidden dungeon for additional ie. "For starters..." Jae Woo created a new ount for Arthtory, not his old ount. His nickname was diator Oga. It was the name he''d used during the Fight Against 100 Men feature broadcast. In a way, it was like he was marketing himself! He finished making his ount and immediately clicked ''create post''. His cursor blinked. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and began writing about his conquest of the hidden dungeon, Alishi''s Nest. Typing up the post wasn''t very hard. He''d written several info posts during his Warlord days, so he knew exactly what to do. "First, I need to draw their interest." First, he would use the name Oga to draw people in, and then keep people''s interest by showing a proper concept. "Hmm. Let''s go with ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons'' as the title." Click. ck. Click. His hands moved busily, his left typing and his right moving the mouse. And a whileter, his post was finished! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [The Man Who Conquers Dungeons - The Hidden Dungeon, Alishi''s Nest] Poster: diator Oga Hello. This is diator Oga, the one who cleared the Fight Against 100 Men. This is an original unedited recording of the Fight Against 100 Men that wasn''t shown on the feature broadcast; this should prove my identity. A short while ago, I coincidentally found a hidden dungeon, the Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest. And I also defeated the boss of the highest difficulty. I will now tell you where the hidden dungeon is, as well as what you should expect when you enter it. Oh, right. If you''re like the final diator, Darion, of the Fight Against 100 Men, then please press back. I don''t want idiots here. Now, shall we begin with the basics of the dungeon? The hidden dungeon, Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest, is hidden within the Shade Spiders'' Colony (the monsters that appear are between level 10 - 15) that is located inside a dead Agrashi Tree. It''s said that this dungeon has no boss, but the boss is actually just hidden. ... Once you''ve defeated all four named monsters, you will face Alishi, who uses all of her skills. Once you have defeated her, you will have to fight her again at the highest difficulty. You should be able to clear it with ease, so long as you don''t act like Darion. The items it drops are... That''s all. This was diator Oga''s . P.S. Regarding the Fight Against 100 Men... I can''t tell you everything, but I can tell you about the rewards. It''s a huge amount of Adamantium. (I''m not selling. No inquiries allowed) _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "I''m done." Jae Woo checked everything onest time and pressed the enter button. Postplete! At this point, Jae Woo had no idea. He had no idea that he''d appear on TV because of this post. Chapter 21. The Man Who Conquers Dungeons (2)

Chapter 21. The Man Who Conquers Dungeons (2)

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo''s post, ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons'' was extremely popr, and its hits were increasing exponentially. ''What is this?'' Jae Woo essed Arthtory and was shocked to see his article on the main page. He hadn''t expected this at all. ''It''s just a low-level hidden dungeon.'' That''s what he thought, but it was different for those viewing it. diator Oga, who''d cleared the legendary Fight Against 100 Men quest, lived up to his name as a man of mystery, but contrary to this mysterious nature, his post was both friendly and substantial without being boring. Plus, his post included unedited raw footage that hadn''t been included in the feature broadcast, as well as an image of never-before-seen S-rank Adamantium. Above all, him giving Darion such a hard time and working him like a ve was incredibly well-received. - Excuse me, what do you mean by ''if you''re like Darion''? - Haha. You''re a Darion. - I''ve really lived my life like Darion. The name, Darion, had be an icon. The term ''Darion'' had be equated with someone who lived all their life getting taken advantage of by other people. Phrases like ''Darion'', ''like Darion'', or ''acting like Darion'' had be buzzwords and were spreading everywhere. As a result, he saw several posts with ''Darion'' in them on the bulletin board. "Mm." Jae Woo closed his browser. "If it bes a hot issue, then I''ll get more hits, so it''s a good thing." Jae Woo decided not to worry about it. After all, Darion was a game NPC. Which meant that Jae Woo wouldn''t be sued for nder. * * * The weather had started cooling down. The rice stalks bowed their heads, and a dull autumn came with shades of red and yellow. Apanied by the incredibly stressful Chuseok[1]! It was also the time that broadcastingpanies were busy creating Chuseok programs or TV pilots. TV pilots. They couldst just one episode or they could be upgraded into an actual series if the public response was positive enough. Or testing the waters. The channel that specialized in games, GBS, was in the midst of preparing a program for Chuseok. PD Park Jin Cheol had gathered his writers. This was after his superiors had given him the assignment of creating a program for Chuseok. "If you have an idea, just say it. Don''t be afraid," Park Jin Cheol said. One of the writers raised their hand. "Since it''s Chuseok, what about a Chuseok cookingpetition?" "Too safe," Park Jin Cheol said. "How about a battle between a mother-inw and daughter-inw in Arth?" Another writer gave their two-cents. "It might be fun, but it''ll be too awkward for whoeveres after us." They argued whether they should go with the mother-daughter conflict; it was obvious that it''d be criticized. There was no reason to stir up a ho''s nest. "Settle down. Give me some more ideas." They exchanged a few more ideas. Park Jin Cheol rejected each one. He didn''t feel like any of them were ''the one''. But then, the youngest writer raised their hand. "Alright, go ahead young one." "There''s a buzzword that has been going around on Arthstory." "And?" "The buzzword came from a post that was written by Oga, the one who was in your feature broadcast. The title of the post is called ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons''. I came up with an idea after reading that post." "Just get to the point." Jin Chul didn''t like beating around the bush. "Ok. So, why don''t we focus on ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons''." "A dungeon conquest, huh. It''s a reallymon idea. And it doesn''t work with Chuseok either." "I thought it would be better to make it a regr program, rather than a program for Chuseok." "Keep talking." "We cast yers who conquer dungeons, as well as a beautiful female celebrity. And we make the two of them try and conquer a dungeon." "Hmm." Jin Cheol tapped the table with his finger. It was their best idea thus far, but it felt like it was missing something. "The viewers vote on the quest that the men mustplete. If they clear it within a certain time, defeat more monsters than is required, orpletely protect the celebrity, etc." The youngest writer briefly caught their breath. "If they seed, they receive a reward, and if they fail, they get a punishment. The program could be called ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons'', or ''Dungeon Conquering Man''." "Dungeon Conquering Man, huh... They have to do the quests that the viewers voted on, and they have to clear the dungeon with a girl who''s bad at games," Jin Cheol said, organizing the youngest writer''s idea. Game channels couldn''t get anything more out of dungeon conquests. However, the youngest writer''s idea of coupling a yer with a celebrity was a fresh idea. Allowing viewers to vote on quests would make it easier to secure their involvement and receive a positive response. "Not bad. What does everyone else think?" The others looked favorably upon the idea. The youngest writer raised his hand once more. "Excuse me, we have to cast Oga. With or without the title, it''ll help publicize the show." "Don''t worry about that. I''ll make sure to cast him." Jin Cheol looked supremely confident. His rtionship with Jae Woo wasn''t bad, and he was ok with everything as long as money was involved. "Let''s start immediately. Make a list of casting choices, and give me a detailed n and schedule." The atmosphere within the conference room got a lot busier. Broadcastpanies that needed to prepare a Chuseok program had mountains of work to doe Chuseok season. * * * Jae Woo opened the door to the cafe and entered. He went with his baseball hat, white tee-shirt, and jeans set up. It meant that he was here for business. "Over here." Jin Cheol, who''de early and sat down prior, waved his hand. Kang Oh approached him and shook his hand. "Mr. Producer, I enjoyed the Fight Against 100 Men broadcast." He really enjoyed the 2 million won ($2,000 USD) bonus too. "It came out good, didn''t it?" Jin Cheol smiled. Because of the feature broadcast, Jin Cheol''s performance rating improved, and he''d even received a bonus. Thus, it was only natural that the air between the two was so pleasant. "In any case, what did you call me for?" Jae Woo asked. Jin Cheol had contacted him, requesting to meet in person, and had also selected a cafe near Jae Woo''s house to meet. "I enjoyed your post, ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons''," Jin Cheol said. ''As expected.'' Jae Woo had expected this. After all, there was nothing else Jin Cheol would call him for. "I''m d because people like it more than I expected." "You must have been cast several times already." "Yes, a few people did contact me, but I rejected all of them. Since it was a request for an interview." Jae Woo didn''t want to be revealed to the public. "You did well. Let me be frank." Jin Cheol calmly continued. "I was selected to direct GBS''s Chuseok program. I''d like to cast you for that program, Mr. Jae Woo," Jin Cheol said. "What kind of program?" "The Man Who Conquers Dungeons, or Dungeon Conquering Man." "It''s the same name as my post." Jae Woo''s eyes shined. "That''s why I came in person to cast you. Mr. Jae Woo, please work with us!" "For starters, you need to pay me if you want to use that name, regardless of whether I choose to participate or not." It''s not like he had a patent on the name or anything, but he staked his im regardless. "I''ll give you 1 million won ($1,000 USD)." It was a ridiculous im, yet Jin Cheol had been prepared to give him that money from the very beginning. They were nning on transferring the post''s poprity to the show. And if they wanted to do that, it was best to just give Jae Woo his money. "Will it only air on Chuseok?" "If it''s popr, it will be a regr program." "Then when it bes a regr program, I want an additional..." "The Man Who Conquers Dungeons. Shall we abbreviate it to Dungeon Conquering Man?" Jin Cheol interrupted. He was being clear that 1 million won was all Jae Woo was going to get. "May I order something to drink?" Jae Woo took a step back. "Please order with this." Jin Cheol passed him his card. ''Well, it is 1 million.'' Jae Woo bought the cafe''s most expensive drink and decided he''d be satisfied with the 1 million won. "Here... Please take a look at the program schedule." Jin Cheol passed him the schedule. Jae Woo began to read the schedule whilst drinking his beverage. As its name might imply, it essentially revolved around dungeon conquests. The quests undertaken were decided by the viewers, and he would be filmed with a beautiful female celebrity. And if they were sessful, they would be rewarded, and if they failed, they would be punished. Jae Woo returned the schedule to Jin Cheol. "How is it?" Jin Cheol asked. "It sounds fun." He only said that to be polite. To be honest, he wasn''t sure whether the viewers would love it or hate it. "Shall we discuss the details?" "I will not show my face," Kang Oh said firmly. Since his in-game face and his real face were exactly the same, it would be troublesome for him in a variety of ways if his face was revealed. ''Sometimes, you have to be a little naughty. You can''t always be good all the time.'' For example, abusing and cursing Darion, as well as swindling and threatening Eder. He''d already done quite a few naughty acts. Plus, selling his face would be troublesome in a variety of ways. ''There are those crazies who''lle and try killing me.'' Real-life PK. A real-life PK urred when one argued with a psychopath in-game; they would meet in real life and beat up the other yer. So, it was paramount that he protect his private information. "We''ll add a helmet. You''re a mysterious character anyway, so they''ll expect that from you." "Please pick a helmet for me to wear." "We''ll pick a good one," Jin Cheol said "How much is my appearance worth?" "Normally, a cast member is paid 2 million won ($2,000 USD) and is given other incentives based on viewership." "What are the incentives?" "If viewership surpasses 5%, then you''ll receive 500,000 won ($500 USD) more." He''d receive 2 million won at the bare minimum and 2.5 million won ($2,500 USD) maximum. ''Not bad.'' Jin Cheol was offering him quite a bit, as Jae Woo was neither a famous ranker nor was he a celebrity. Though he was neither a celebrity or a ranker, he was still someone necessary for the program. It was symbolism. They needed the man who''d riled up so many people on Arthstory with his post to appear on GBS''s own Dungeon Conquering Man. "Alright," Jae Woo consented. He had no reason to refuse an opportunity to make money. And there weren¡¯t really any problems with the program. ''I''ll just half-ass it ande home.'' After all, he was inappropriate for TV. He''ll just have to apud a few times. "I''ll see you again when it''s time to film." "Alright." The two shook hands and parted ways. They exchanged a few phone calls and emails and cemented a schedule for shooting. * * * "Hello! This is Soo Ah, Triple Lower''s leader!" the leader of the popr girl group, Soo Ah greeted happily. She was petite, with bobbed hair and pale skin, and adorably smiled with her eyes. She was an idol with a cute image. ''She''s cute.'' Kang Oh smiled delightedly. He was inside the GBS recording studio. They were currently in the midst of recording the Chuseok feature program, The Man Who Conquers Dungeons, or Dungeon Conquering Man. "Finally, I''d like to introduce the mysterious diator, Oga! He sessfully cleared the Fight Against 100 Men, and is well known for his post, The Man Who Conquers Dungeons." GBS''s main MC, Jeon Seong Gook extended his hand towards Jae Woo. Jae Woo was wearing a ck helmet that covered his head and went all the way down to his nose. The helmet that Jin Cheol had provided wasn''t adorned with a showy feather. Instead, it looked refined; it was both simple and cool at the same time. "I''m Oga," Jae Woo said. "Aw, c''mon Mr. Oga. Is that all? Please tell the viewers more about yourself," Kang Seol Hee, who was hosting the program with Jeon Seong Gook, said cutely. "Not interested." "You''re too much!" The audience erupted inughter. "You''ll see. One day, I''ll find out your true identity and disclose it to everyone. You''ll see how scary a woman''s resentment is!" Kang Seol Hee clenched her fists as if resolving herself. "If you do that, then I''ll investigate your private life and expose it to the world, Ms. Seol Hee. Ah! Are you currently dating someone?" Jae Woo countered. He wouldn''t back down. "Hing." "Wow, I guess I can just sit back and enjoy the ride," Jeon Seong Gook said impishly. Wasn''t it tradition to fight? Or at least it was on TV. "What did you say?" Kang Seol Hee widened her eyes, ring at Jeon Seong Gook. Jeon Seong Gook avoided her harsh gaze and continued hosting the program. "So we''ve met all four of our Dungeon Conquering Men and lovely Dungeon Girls." Jeon Seong Gook stretched out his arms. "Now, before we choose partners..." As per GBS''s n, two couples would attempt to conquer two different dungeons. "First, shall we hear what the Dungeon Girls have to say? Ms. Soo Ah, who would you like to conquer a dungeon with?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. "Mr. Oga! He''s quite poprtely because of Dungeon Conquering Man," Soo Ah replied immediately. "Well, you heard her. Mr. Oga, how do you feel about the Dungeon Girls'' Ms. Soo Ah?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. "Anyone''s fine, as long as they''re not Darion," Jae Woo said. The audience erupted inughter at his mention of Darion. "Alright. Then next..." Once they were finished with the other participants'' introductions and interviews, the cast chose their partners. The method was simple. The Dungeon Girls would pick a number, and they would pick their Dungeon Conquering Man based on their number. "Yes! Ms. Min Joo is the first Dungeon Girl to pick her Dungeon Conquering Man! I wonder who she''ll pick?" "Mm... I''ll choose Mr. Bae Shik; he looks like he''ll protect me." "The first choice goes to Mr. Park Bae Shik, who goes by the ID Wild Man!" Park Bae Shik smiled. He was a broadcast jockey who did his own show. "Now it''s your turn, Ms. Soo Ah." "I''ll go with Mr. Oga." As expected, Soo Ah picked Jae Woo. "Let''s both try our best," Jae Woo said. "Ok!" "Next up..." * * * They''d finished picking their partners, so now it was time to pick their dungeons. Soo Ah pulled a piece of paper with all her might andid it out. "The Soo Ah, Oga couple must conquer the Maumbharat Pce! The viewers have decided on your quest; you are to clear out the dungeon within 2 hours." Jeon Seong Gook raised his voice. At the same time, Soo Ah''s face stiffened. It was because of the dungeon she''d picked. Maumbharat Pce. It was also known as the Ghost Possessed Pce and was renowned for being a horrific experience. It was so cruel for her, as she couldn''t even watch b-rated horror movies! Of course, this didn''t apply to Jae Woo. ''Maumbharat, huh...'' To Jae Woo, the Maumbharat Pce wasn''t a ce of terror, but just another hunting ground. "Now, everyone please pay attention." Once they were finished designating each couples'' dungeons, Kang Seol Hee asked everyone to pay attention. "If you seed, you get a reward. If you fail, you get a punishment!" Once she was finished, a giant monitor lighted up. It detailed the rewards and the punishments. However, there was a punishment that drew Jae Woo''s eye. ''Oga: Upon failure, reveal your identity!'' It was a punishment aimed directly at him. [1] Korean Thanksgiving. Chapter 22. Maumbharat Palace

Chapter 22. Maumbharat Pce

Trantor: Boko "What''s the big idea?" Jae Woo questioned, after finishing the shoot. There was definitely a use written into the contract stating that his face wouldn''t be shown. In other words, GBS had clearly vited the terms of the contract. "I''m sorry." Park Jin Cheol looked embarrassed. He''d only just been notified of Jae Woo''s punishment. "What happened?" "Ms. Seol Hee suggested the punishment. The writers weren''t privy to the details of the contract, so they approved of the punishment and wrote it in. It''s all my fault." ''Kang Seol Hee!'' She''d asked him to show his face during the opening shot, and had ultimately made a huge mess of things! "You cannot show my face," Jae Woo firmly said. "I understand. We''ll edit in a different punishment..." "No, it''s fine. That''s not necessary." ''I can''t just let her get one over me.'' She''s the one who had initiated the fight. Jae Woo had no reason to avoid it. "Then?" "There''ll be no problem if I seed. In exchange..." Jae Woo made one request. If he seeded in the viewers'' quest, he would give Kang Seol Hee a punishment of his choice; he wanted Jin Cheol to get everything ready. "I understand." Jin Cheol couldn''t refuse Jae Woo''s request. Whatever the circumstances, GBS staff were the ones in the wrong. Jae Woo grinned. He would proudlyplete the viewers'' quest and would pay Kang Seol Hee back tenfold. * * * Three people walked along a giant road, which was connected to Altein''s south gate. The three consisted of a helmet-wearing man, an armored woman, and another woman garbed in robes. The man rode a horse by himself, and the two women were riding a horse together. They were Kang Oh, Soo Ah''s character¡ªAsu, and GBS''s youngest writer. "Ms. Asu, what''s your job and level?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m a level 22 Apprentice Knight," Asu replied. Her in-game character was quite different from real life. She was a western beauty; a well-proportioned, voluptuous woman with blond hair and blue eyes. In real life, Soo Ah looked like a cute, younger sister type, but her in-game character, Asu, seemed to exemplify a female knight. "I''ll definitely be a Dragon Knight someday," she boldly expressed her aspirations. Dragon Knights were glorious knights that established a contract with Arth''s most powerful creatures, Dragons. If she became a Dragon Knight, then she''d be much stronger than even the undefeated, legendary diator, Burkan. ''If she can be one, that is.'' She dreamed big, but it was unlikely that she would seed. No, it was pretty much impossible. "I''m a level 76 Astrologist," the writer suddenly said. He stared at her as if to say ''I didn''t ask you''. Though the helmet hid his face, his eyes and lips were still visible. "I thought you''d be curious," the youngest writer raised her sses and said. "Whatbat skills have you learned?" Kang Oh asked Asu. "I learned Knight''s Vow, Heavy Blow, and..." Befitting a beginner, she possessed only the most basic of basic skills. "What support skills are you nning on learningter on?" Kang Oh asked. "I nned on learning all 15 skills from the beginner guidebook." "I learned more than 20 skills," the writer added. "I see. Then may I rmend a support skill? I rmend..." Kang Oh continued to converse with Asu, perhaps because it was a chance to speak with an idol. The atmosphere was nice, as Asu listened to whatever Kang Oh said, so they were able to continue conversing. As they walked, they continued to talk about all sorts of things, and eventually arrived at Miruma, which was famous for being a millionaire''s vacation spot. Miruma. It was a beautiful vacation spot that was built along the Mirupati River. A glimmering, haughty wave of silver! The magnificent pce was built along the river. In Arth, the price ofnd here was the most expensive, and ifpared to Seoul, it was like a premium spot looking over the Han River! This was the Maumbharat Pce, known as the Ghost Possessed Pce. "We''re here." Kang Oh disembarked from his horse. The Maumbharat Pce wasn''t beside the river but looked down at it from uphill. "Gulp." Asu gulped as she looked up at the pce. Her eyes shook, substituting for her body. Seeing that, Kang Oh grinned. ''She''s already this scared from the outside... She might faint when she gets inside.'' The Maumbharat Pce was a luxurious pce with a blue ceiling and white walls. From the outside, it didn''t look like a ghost house or even a deserted house. But there were no traces of any people. He couldn''t see any maids or gardeners within the yard. "Here, this is the contract." The youngest writer passed Kang Oh a piece of paper. It was the Goddess of Contracts, Sabra''s Contract. ording to the contract, a character''s items, skills, and abilities are fixed at level 30. Until the quest ends! He''d already been notified about this, so Kang Oh didn''tin and just epted the contract terms. Level 30 - 50 monsters appeared within the Maumbharat Pce. It would be much too easy for a level 62 like him, even when weighed down by a level 22 Asu. However, an easy dungeon conquest wouldn''t interest the viewers! Thus, GBS had, through special means, lowered Kang Oh''s level to 30. In the end, his actual level may be 62, but due to the contract, a level 30 Kang Oh and a level 22 Asu were forced to conquer the Maumbharat Pce with its level 30 - 50 monsters. The other couples'' situations were simr. The idea behind the program was for the limited Dungeon Conquering Men to attempt to conquer the dungeon while cooperating with a Dungeon Girl. ''This is nothingpared to the Fight Against 100 Men.'' Of course, it wasn''t very difficult for Kang Oh, as he had cleared the Fight Against 100 Men. Swish. Kang Oh signed the contract. The letters glowed, and the singr contract became two. Contract established! "Ms. Asu," Kang Oh called. "Yes? Yes!" Asu was startled, as she had been worrying about the pce. "Shall we go?" Kang Oh nudged her back. "Eh? But I''m not ready yet..." Asu tried nting her feet, but it didn''t work. "I''ll be here, getting some footage I need. Please don''t forget to turn on recording mode. If you forget, we''ll have to do a retake!" And so, Kang Oh turned on recording mode. "The shoot! Let''s get going quickly," Kang Oh urged, wanting to finish this up as quickly as possible and punish Kang Seol Hee. "W-Wait a minute..." she said pitifully. Before she finished, the two disappeared into the pce. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [An intersection point of space-time. Entering the Maumbharat Pce.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ An intersection point of space-time. It was a point where the flow of space and time didn''t apply. If ten people went in, then ten dungeons would be created here. Inymen''s terms, it was an instance dungeon. In other words, in the intersection point of space-time, or the Maumbharat Pce, Kang Oh and Asu could enjoy the dungeon as much as they wanted. Of course, Asu couldn''t do that. "Ugh." Asu tightly sped her hands together. The interior was pitch-ck because of the thick curtains covering the windows, the air smelt stale, the furniture was old and broken, and dust had umted. It was a ghostly atmosphere as if something would pop out at any time. "Hiik!" Asu stepped on something squishy and grabbed onto Kang Oh''s arm. She had stepped on a puppet whose seams had broken. The puppet was ck and possessed long hair, emanating an ominous aura. "O-Oppa." She didn''t notice, but she''d just called him ''oppa''. And she stuck even closer to Kang Oh. ''Oppa, huh...'' He looked at her clinging to him and thought back to his own little sisters when they were young. He remembered when they used to follow him! Kang Oh smiled contentedly. "Ms. Asu. Please calm down," Kang Oh said as softly as possible. "Yes, I''ll try." Contrary to her statement, she continued to shake. Then, Kang Oh softly hugged her. "Eeh?" Asu blushed because of his sudden action. ''I have no ulterior motives. None at all.'' When lightning struck, it was better to hug the frightened children, rather than continuously telling them that it will be alright. You can trust him; he had two younger sisters! "Are you alright now?" "Yes," Asu bowed her head, as if embarrassed, and replied. "Just keep looking at my back. Then it won''t be scary. Do you understand?" "I understand." "Good." Kang Oh grabbed his sword and stood in front of her. He straightened his back so that his shoulders looked as wide as possible. "I''m going." Once they passed the front entrance, they were situated in the central hall. There were doors leading to the east and the west, as well as stairs that led to the 2nd floor. And... Portraits that were blinking at them! This meant that the Maumbharat was alive through ancientnguage. The Maumbharat Pce was a ce where ghosts inhabited objects and annoyed the users. Plus, it was dark and the atmosphere was chilly. There was a reason that Asu was scared. It felt like they were in a horror movie set. But even so... ''It''s a monster.'' If it was a monster, then it was just food for Kang Oh. * * * A monster came out of a portrait. It didn''t look normal. Its eyes were wide open and were bloodshot as if it had applied ghost makeup, and its tongue was stretched out lengthily. Quite the mysterious face! Its sharp, long fingernails scratched at Kang Oh''s face. "It''s dangerous!" Asu, who''d been following him, yelled. Of course, it wasn''t as dangerous as she''d suggested. Kang Oh easily dodged it and swung his sword. sh! He carved a white line within the darkness. Swish. Kang Oh shed the middle of the portrait, and cut it four more times in session. Pabababak! He had aimed for the opponent''s weak points with his Hyper Intuition. Portraits were no match for him, even if he were lowered to level 30. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated a Ghost-Possessed Portrait.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ While he was facing the portrait, Kang Oh had picked up and thrown rocks or small objects at the nearby furniture. Since he didn''t have Eder or Darion with him, he needed to taunt the enemies himself. A candlestick on the wall erupted in me and the floor carpet stood up. "I''ll help too." Asu overcame her fear and swung her sword, perhaps because she was beside a reliable partner. However, her level was low and she was unskilled in wielding a sword, so she wasn''t much help. If that''s the case, he just needed to help her improve. "It''s harder to swing your sword if you grip too hard. Please grip it softly," Kang Oh said, after cutting a candlestick''s candle to pieces. "Ah." "Keep looking at where you''re going to strike till the very end. If you don''t, then you''ll hit the wrong spot." "Ok!" Kang Oh kindly exined. At the same time, he defeated all the enemies that came for him. "Take it slow. It''s a game, so have some fun too." It was like riding afortable, luxurious foreign imported car! Kang Oh''s skill as a ''bus driver'' was great indeed. Kkang! The sound of iron meeting iron rang out. It was the sound of the magic sword hitting thick armor. ''Let''s see...'' The information on the monsters he knew in advance, weak points found through Hyper Intuition, and experience from killing countless monsters! So even if he faced a monster that he''d never fought before, he could tell how to defeat it. "Against monsters with thick armor, you can aim at the uncovered joints in between the sections; you can take it down easily by doing so," Kang Oh exined to Asu. "Like right here!" Kang Oh thrust his sword at the monster''s shoulder joint. It was the basics to aim for the chinks in the armor of heavily armored foes like the Ghost-Possessed Armor. Kwak! Once the magic sword severed its shoulder joint, the armor''s arm guard dangled from the arm and ttered to the floor. "Ah!" Asu was watching diligently, as if unwilling to miss a single second of it. ''Cute.'' She wasn''t a popr idol for no reason. She instinctively emanated a sort of charm that drew people in. ''She''s one hundred times, no, one thousand times prettier than Kang Seol Hee.'' Kang Oh smiled and continued exining, "Now all we need to do is cut off the joints that attach the body to the arm, legs, and head." Kang Oh deflected the armor''s ornamental sword and precisely severed the armor''s joints. It became scrap metal in the blink of an eye. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated Ghost-Possessed Armor.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Now, would you like to try yourself?" Kang Oh asked. Perfect timing; another Ghost-Possessed Armor wasing towards them. "Ok!" Asu approached the armor and swung her sword as she''d been instructed. However, severing the joints wasn''t as easy as it looked. And the armor counterattacked. "I''ll ward off the armor''s attacks, so you just concentrate on hitting its joints, Ms. Asu." Kang Oh stood behind Asu and continuously deflected the armor''s attacks. The ornamental sword was continuously warded off as if it had struck a wall. Asu felt as though she were in an amusement park. It felt as though she were aiming and then shooting at a moving target! Kang! Asu''s sword struck the armor''s left leg joint. However, shecked the appropriate force to sever the joint. "Calmly. Try it one more time." She heard a reliable voice say from behind her. "Ok!" The now confident Asu continuously seeded in hitting the armor''s joints. The armor''s leg guard fell to the floor. The ghost stood precariously with one armored leg! Striking the other joint was easier. Ultimately, the Ghost-Possessed Armor was turned to scrap metal and became an ashen color. "Ah, I beat it!" Asu looked up at Kang Oh with a joyous expression. This was the first time she''d ever beaten a monster so many levels higher than her. Kang Oh grinned. "It''s easy, isn''t it?" It was just as he said. The Maumbharat Pce was no match for him. And... Neither was Kang Seol Hee! Chapter 23. Ghost Possessed Jewel Box, Sharobea

Chapter 23. Ghost Possessed Jewel Box, Sharobea

Trantor: Boko Stronger monsters appeared on the 2nd floor of the pce. Monsters such as Ghost-Possessed Chairs and Tables, Storage Closets, Ornamental Swords, Beds, etc. But regardless of what ghost-possessed monster appeared, it didn''t make any difference. One down. Two down. Three down. Then they encountered a roaming Maid Marite. "It''s a Maid Marite. It''s kind of like the mid-boss of this dungeon." Kang Oh pointed towards the puppet in a maid uniform, which was sweeping the corridor. Ddak, ddak. The marite''s jaw rattled. Its specialty was shooting knives from its mouth! "When it opens its jaw, don''t attack; instead, eitherpletely dodge the knives or block them." Asu nodded her head. "Go ahead and try fighting it." Kang Oh slightly nudged her back, and Asu energetically rushed forward. Knight''s Vow! Asu''s sword gleamed. Knight''s Vow was a knight exclusive skill that increased both her attack and defense. "Yap!" Asu swung her sword downwards, aiming for the marite''s head, but her sword ended up shing with the Maid Marite''s broom. Pabak! They shed for some time, but eventually disengaged, widening the distance between them. The marite opened its mouth. "The knives areing," Kang Oh yelled. Twang! With a sound akin to a bowstring being released, the maid shot out knives from its ck mouth. Asu, who had readied herself in advance, crouched and dodged the knives. "It might continuously shoot out knives, so please remain on guard." At best, a Maid Marite could shoot out three knives. Before he''d even finished speaking, the marite shot out a second knife. At the same time, it swung its broom. Asu quickly evaded it. Fortunately, the knife merely grazed her. She was struck by the broom but didn''t take too much damage. The marite opened its mouth once more. Ggigik! They heard it loading the third knife within its open mouth. At some point, Kang Oh had approached the marite and stuck the magic sword into its open mouth. Pook! Critical Hit! Red shards of light gushed from its mouth. "You can also strike when its mouth is open. Since its weak point is the core within its throat." "Ok, Oppa!" Asu beamed. * * * Kang Oh and Asu had almost finished conquering the Maumbharat Pce. Now the only ce they hadn''t cleared was the noblewoman''s room. The other areas had already be scorched earth! ''There''s plenty of time too.'' Their quest, as per the viewer''s votes, was to clear the entire dungeon. But because Kang Oh''s hunt had been without any obstacles, they had only taken 1 hour thus far. Thus, they would sessfullyplete the quest so long as they defeated the monster within an hour. "The boss is the only thing left," Kang Oh said. "Already?" Asu widened her eyes. She had been so absorbed in the hunt that she had no idea how much time had passed. "Yes. Now let me exin the boss to you." Kang Oh briefly exined the characteristics of the Maumbharat Pce''s boss and opened the noblewoman''s room door. There was an ornate table and a giant bed! There was redce draped over it. And the boss monster was at the center of the bed. The Ghost-Possessed Jewel Box, Sharobea! A ghost had possessed the jewel box that the pce''sdy had used, and was both a vicious and giant monster. Kya! Once trespassers had entered, Sharobea''s lid opened. Its teeth, which was attached to the lid, shined. "It looks dirty and expensive at the same time." Kang Oh knew about Sharobea but had never actually encountered it before. Within the heap of gems, a single eye shone, and a ck tongue darted in and out, both dirty and odd. Furthermore, it wasn''t the size of a normal, petite jewelry box. Instead, it was the size of a huge treasure chest, which only made it even more disgusting. Kyak! Seemingly as if it had understood him,it shrieked and shot out its jewels. Rubies, sapphires, emeralds, topaz, and ck pearl! Of course, it wasn''t giving them gems for free. It was summoning its minions! The gems changed into the form of butlers, the same color as the original gems. For example, the Ruby Butlers were embedded with a ruby in the middle of their foreheads, were garbed in butler attire, and their entire bodies were a shade of red. The others looked exactly the same, aside from their respective colors. Kyaoh! Sharobea shrieked, and the butlers began to move. The first that came forward was one of the red Ruby Butlers. The Ruby Butler came very close to Kang Oh and threw a punch. But Kang Oh countered, swinging his magic sword. The magic sword and its fist shed. But the butler was the one to fall. Then, the Emerald Butler followed up with a kick. "I''ll block it!" Asu took charge this time. She swung her sword, deflecting the Emerald Butler''s kick. Once the Emerald Butler retreated, the ck Pearl Butler came forward. "Hueup." Kang Oh tightened his muscles and swung his sword vertically. At the same time, Darkness Strike activated. Kwang! The powerful strike felled the ck Pearl Butler and Kang Oh quickly rushed forward. Swish. Hyper Intuition had guided him to its weak spot: the gem at its forehead! Kang Oh shed at the gem. Peok. Red shards gushed out, and the ck butler''s gem cracked. While Kang Oh was busy attacking the ck Pearl Butler, the Topaz Butler seized the opportunity and rushed forward. "Yahp!" However, Asu covered Kang Oh''s back. She firmly swung her sword. Her sword and the Topaz Butler''s fist intersected. Kang! There was no clear winner and the two simply widened the distance between each other. At that moment, the boss, Sharobea, opened its lid once more. But only the deep blue sapphire within shined. "Get behind me!" Seeing that, Kang Oh pulled Asu behind him. Shaoh! Sharobea fired a blue beam at Kang Oh. It had cast a powerful spell by sacrificing a gem; Gem Magic. Based on the color, it was Ice Sapphire magic. "Not a chance." Kang Oh sliced the iing magic with his de. The blue beam was sucked into the de as if it were water being drained into a sinkhole. He had used the magic sword''s magic absorption ability! "Let''s continue defeating its minions." "Ok." Asu came out from behind Kang Oh and faced the Emerald Butler. The other butlers were Kang Oh''s responsibility. Kang Oh gripped the magic sword with both hands and swung it in a wide arc, simultaneously engaging four butlers. Kyaahk! Sharobea didn''t sit still. The Sharobea brandished its sharp teeth like a feral dog and rushed towards him. Thanks, that saves me the trouble! "You came over voluntarily." While he evaded the butlers'' punches and kicks, he approached the Sharobea and shed it. The sh caused a white line to form atop Sharobea''s body. Sharobea, which had arrogantly approached Kang Oh, shrieked and quickly hid behind its minions. Then, all the other butlers, aside from the Emerald Butler, stood protectively in front of Sharobea. "You really think grouping together will do you any good!?" Kang Oh struck the floor with his sword. Koong. Once it did, the ground parted and shards of earth shot out in every direction. It was one of the Alishi Ne''s special abilities: Earth Shards! The four butlers, which had grouped together to protect their master, were caught unprepared. They impeded each others'' movements and took direct hits. Pabababak! One attack, four monsters hit! Struck by the barrage of shards, the four butlers wobbled. ''Now''s my chance!'' As if he were drawing his sword, he readied his sword at his waist and then swung horizontally. Swish. From above, it looked as though his sword had cut in a semicircle. The very edge of this semicircle had made direct contact with the four butlers'' gems. Pak! Pak! Pak Kwak! The butlers'' gems were their greatest weak point. Red shards of light gushed out of their foreheads, and their gems cracked. The ck Pearl Butler''s gem, which had already been cracked prior, hadpletely broken apart. Once its gem shattered, the ck Pearl Butler fell to the floor, like a marite that had its strings cut. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the ck butler, ck Pearl.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Once he''d defeated the ck Pearl Butler, he immediately charged at the other butlers. Havingposed themselves, the other butlers counterattacked. And even Sharobea, with its sh injury, rushed forward once more. Sharobea, as well as the Ruby, Sapphire, and Topaz Butlers, surrounded Kang Oh and attacked him. Despite that, Kang Oh wasn''t in much trouble. His Hyper Intuition activated, allowing him to predict their avenues of attack. He freely manipted the giant magic sword and counterattacked himself. ''It doesn''t matter how many rabbitse; they can''t beat a wolf.'' Kang Oh waspletely rxed. Tang! Sharobea unleashed a second gem spell as if it were making ast-ditch effort. It consumed a ruby and cast a Fire Ruby spell, which inflicted severe fire damage! However, it had already been 30 seconds since the magic sword had absorbed the sapphire magic. The magic sword gulped down the magic like it was nothing! Kang Oh kicked off the floor and leaped into the air, putting all his weight behind his sword. Kwak! The edge of his de lodged into the Topaz Butler''s forehead, exploding the gem held within. And with that decisive strike, it met the same fate as its ck pearl brother. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the yellow butter, Topaz.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ In the midst of that, Asu had inflicted a fatal blow unto the Emerald Butler. "Iyahp!" Asu''s Apprentice Knight sword shed through the Emerald Butler''s gem. That was the fourth time she''d struck its forehead. Kwaahk! The emerald burst. And the Emerald Butler had fallen as well. "I beat it," she yelled happily. "Good job." Now all that remained were the Ruby and Sapphire Butlers, as well as Sharobea itself! Spheres of green and orange came rushing towards him. They were Poison Emerald and Lightning Topaz spells. Noticing that only two of its minions remained, Sharobea had multi-casted two spells at the same time. "Be careful!" Kang Oh stood in front of Asu. He could absorb one of the spells, but he was forced to either evade or block the other spell. Kang Oh decided to block it. He shielded his body with the magic sword. The Poison Emerald spell was absorbed by his de, while the Lightning Topaz spell struck his sword. Kwajijijik! The lightning magic made contact with his sword and emitted sparks. "Ugh." Kang Oh sustained some damage from it, but it wasn''t enough to kill him. Of course, Asu waspletely safe. "Haahp." Asu popped out from behind him and swung her sword at the Ruby and Sapphire Butlers. "Die!" Kang Oh stopped protecting himself with his de and swung his sword at Sharobea as if venting his anger. Kiya! He struck the wound left behind by sh, causing it to shriek. "Shut up." Kang Oh continuously swung his sword and pushed on. Because Asu was doing her very best to keep the Ruby and Sapphire Butlers busy, there was no one that could get in his way. It waspletely a one-on-one scenario! Obviously, the battle was overwhelmingly in his favor and he was much stronger than it as well. Sharobea shrieked at his sword strikes and was forced into a defensive. "Ha!" He swung his sword downwards! A rush of wild beasts were unleashed from the de and ripped Sharobea apart. Darkness Strike! Then, Kang Oh pressed his de into the floor. He activated Alishi Ne''s special ability once more: Earth Shards. The barrage of shards struck Sharobea every which way. As a result, Sharobea was in tatters. The once ornate jewel box had been ruined. Kyaahk! In ast act of defiance, Sharobea opened its mouth as wide as it could and attacked Kang Oh onest time. "You can¡¯t even go Berserk!" Sharobea didn''t even possess a Berserk skill that explosively increased its abilities at a certain HP threshold. It was only good news to Kang Oh, who had struggled first hand against a berserk Alishi. Of course, even if it did go berserk, he would only have it a little tougher. Kang Oh swung the magic sword. sh! The lengthwise white line! He cut along the same vertical line, causing it to explode in red shards of light like firecrackers. Kang Oh quickly took a deep breath and swung his sword downwards along the same line once more. Then, Sharobea was bisected from top-down, following the line of his sh. Ggieh! That was itsst cry. At the same time, the butlers Asu had been facing turned to smoke and disappeared. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated the Maumbharat Pce''s boss monster, the Ghost-Possessed Jewel Box, Sharobea.] [By defeating the boss monster, your fame has increased.] [You have defeated all the monsters within the Maumbharat Pce. There are no longer any monsters left here.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ They had sessfully killed the Maumbharat Pce''s boss monster, Sharobea! Of course, they had also sessfullypleted the viewer-voted quest of clearing all the monsters as well. "Phew, we''re finished." Asu looked refreshed. "It was fun, wasn''t it?" "Yes!" Hunting a boss monster was much more exhrating than hunting a normal monster. There was a reason fishermen were obsessed with catching the next big fish. "Then shall we take a look at the items?" Kang Oh stretched out his hand towards the items that Sharobea had dropped. There was a level 40 restricted B-rank pair of shoes and a hand mirror, as well as a scroll containing the Ice Sapphire spell. The scroll contained a magic spell and could be used as a one-time use magic item. ''How stingy.'' These rewards suckedpared to the one''s Alishi had dropped. But still, they had to divvy it up. "I think you should use these, Ms. Asu." Kang Oh passed her the B-rank shoes. The design was better than its performance. "Ok, I''ll use them well." Asu smiled. "These too." Kang Oh passed her the hand mirror too. It was clear that it was designed for women. "Hehe, now that you mention it, I really did need one of these." "I can take the scroll, right?" "Yes." Kang Oh stashed the magic scroll. "Let''s leave." They''d finished dividing up the loot, so there was nothing left to do here. Plus, Kang Seol Hee was waiting for him in the studio. ''No one will want to marry you once I''m through with you.'' Kang Oh had thought of quite the severe punishment for her. Chapter 24. An Entertaining Show

Chapter 24. An Entertaining Show

Trantor: Boko While Kang Oh was clearing the Maumbharat Pce, PD[1] Park Jin Cheol was doing some more filming. "Ms. Seol Hee, let''s begin filming," Park Jin Cheol said. "Hoo." Kang Seol Hee weakly sat in a chair, which was situated in front of a camera. She looked incredibly downtrodden. "Take one, action! Ms. Seol Hee, I heard you made a bet with Mr. Oga?" PD Park Jin Cheol asked from behind the camera. Once the cameras began rolling, Kang Seol Hee, as befitting of a professional, switched her sullen expression to one of confidence. "Yes. I intervened in order to figure out Mr. Oga''s true identity, a mystery that our viewers are extremely curious about!" "Intervened how?" "I made a bet with him. If Mr. Oga failed the viewer-voted quest, then he would have to show his face, but conversely, if he seeded, then I would receive a punishment of his choice," Kang Seol Hee said whilst smiling. However, contrary to her outward expression, she feltpletely different on the inside. ''Hing. I just did it because our viewers have a right to know. Plus, it would make the program more fun, but...'' She hadn''t suggested the idea to the writers out of spite or as an attempt to insult him. The viewers were curious about Oga''s true identity, and it was an easy way to draw in the viewers'' interest. However...! ''I didn''t know that one of the conditions for appearing on our program was for his identity to be concealed!'' PD Park Jin Cheol had approached her, pissed that she was the reason they''d vited their side of the contract. And he had also notified her that one of the two had to receive a punishment. Park Seol Hee was in no position to refuse, and that''s why they were shooting even more footage. ''I hope you fail!'' she cursed at Oga in her head while smiling in front of the camera. However, it had already been decided that she''d be the one punished. * * * The couples, who had finished their dungeon conquest, gathered in the GBS studio. "Good work everyone," Jeon Seong Gook began. "Shall we see which teams seeded and which teams failed?" The huge monitor lit up with the results. Out of the 4 teams, 3 of them had cleared the viewers'' quests. The failing team was the Lee Min Joo and Park Bae Shik team. "Aah, Mr. Bae Shik, what happened?" Jeon Seong Gook smiled impishly as he asked. "Ahem. If only people had donated..." Park Bae Shik came up with an excuse that befitted his status as a famous broadcast jockey. "I see. Then you need to receive your punishment. Now, please bring them out." The staff brought out two cups of Shikhye (Korean sweet rice drink). "One of them is salty and one of them is sweet. Now when I say three, please drink them at the same time." Jeon Seong Gook began counting to three. "One, two... three!" Lee Min Joo and Park Bae Shik simultaneously drank the Shikhye. Bleh! Park Bae Shik coughed up the Shikhye. How unfortunate; if he were streaming, then donations woulde rushing in. "And there''s one more person that needs to be punished," Jeon Seong Gook said, and Kang Seol Hee''s face became sullen. "Ms. Kang Seol Hee, Mr. Oga, please step forward." Jae Woo and Seol Hee did so. "Mr. Oga won the bet. Thus, you must receive your punishment, Ms. Seol Hee. Is that correct?" "Yes." "..." Jae Woo nodded his head, while Seol Hee remained unresponsive. "Then, Mr. Oga, please choose your punishment for Ms. Seol Hee," Jeon Seong Gook said. "Her punishment is..." Jae Woo waited for a moment; he could see Kang Seol Hee gulping. "To shave both of her eyebrows. Like the Mona Lisa!" Jae Woo dered. "I''ll shave them for you. Very cleanly at that!" She became ghastly pale. He wanted her, a TV broadcaster and a woman, to shave her eyebrows!? Kang Oh, who saw the change in herplexion, stared at her coldly. ''I won''t go easy on you just because you''re a woman!'' But all of a sudden, Jeon Seong Gook interrupted him. "Let''s go to a break!" Jin Cheol had given the order. "Cut. We''ll continue after a short break," Jin Cheol said right after Seong Gook. The sudden announcement dispelled the uneasy atmosphere, as well as gave people a break. Jin Cheol approached Kang Oh. "Mr. Oga, could we talk?" Jin Cheol led him to a secluded corner. "What''s wrong?" Jae Woo asked harshly. His question was only natural since Jin Cheol was clearly trying to get in his way. "I spoke to Ms. Seol Hee; she wasn''t trying to cause you any harm, Mr. Jae Woo," Jin Cheol said. "And?" When Jae Woo had looked at her, his Hyper Intuition hadn''t gone off, like with Eder. In other words, Kang Seol Hee hadn''t intended to backstab him in any way. But in any case, it would''ve clearly harmed him anyway! If that''s the case, then she had to receive her just deserts. "Ms. Seol Hee is the face of GBS. So I''d appreciate it if you could go easy on her." "I''d rather not." ¡®Why should I?¡¯ "We''ll reimburse you for your troubles." "Reimburse me?" "I strongly believe that I''ll be Dungeon Conquering Man''s main producer. Thus I''d like for the rtionship between one of our cast members and one of our MCs to not start on a sour note," Park Jin Cheol exined. That''s why they wanted to take it easy on her, despite Kang Seol Hee initiating the bet. "I can just not show up anymore. So about reimbursement...?" Jae Woo wasn''t really attached to this program. He was, of course, interested in his appearance fee. "When it bes a regr program, I promise to significantly increase your appearance fee." "I''m good." Jae Woo immediately rejected his offer. It was still up in the air whether Dungeon Conquering Man would be a regr program or not, so what did it matter if his appearance fee went up then? Jae Woo didn''t believe Jin Cheol, that it would be a regr program. "I''ll increase today''s appearance fee by 500,000 won ($500 USD)." As expected, Jin Cheol knew Jae Woo well, as well as the fact that money was the most effective bargaining tool to use against him! However, it didn''t work this time. "Let''s just shave her eyebrows." He wanted to see Kang Seol Hee''s expression post eyebrow shaving more than the 500,000 won bonus. What a sight it would be. Plus, he wanted to use this opportunity to show people what would happen if they messed with him. "1 million won ($1,000 USD)! And let''s say I owe you a favor." "Hmm." "If you reject this offer, then even my rtionship with you will sour, let alone Ms. Seol Hee''s," Jin Cheol firmly said. "Haa," Jae Woo sighed. Since Jin Cheol came out this strongly, he couldn''t afford to be stubborn any longer. ''Well, guess it can''t be helped.'' It wasn''t like Kang Seol Hee hadmitted a crime or anything, and she didn''t have any malicious intent behind her suggestion either. There was no reason he couldn''t let her off lightly. But he really wanted to use this opportunity to show people what would happen if he was taken lightly; it was unfortunate he wouldn''t get that chance. "I understand. I''ll just doodle on her face. That''s fine, right?" Jae Woo asked. "You made the right choice." Jin Cheol beamed. A short whileter. They began shooting again. "Now, Mr. Oga! Please choose her punishment!" Jeon Seong Gook said. "Her punishment is..." Jae Woo began. "Face doodles." "I''m sorry?" "Eh?" Because he''d changed his original punishment, both Seong Gook and Seol Hee asked back. "If you''re unhappy, I can always go back to shaving your eyebrows," Kang Oh smiled impishly and said. "No, I''m fine with this!" Kang Seol Hee yelled. "Aah, are you really sure about this?" Jeon Seong Gook asked once more. It was as if his eyes were saying, ''Aw, man. Shaving her eyebrows was definitely a better idea!''. "Yes, I''m sure," Jae Woo replied. He, too, believed that shaving her eyebrows was a better punishment, but he''d agreed to just doodle on her face as per his agreement with Jin Cheol. "Ahem. I understand." Jeon Seong Gook looked a little dejected. "Phew." On the other hand, Kang Seol Hee''s once ghastly face returned to its normal color. Is this what it felt to narrowly escape death? Compared to shaving her eyebrows, doodling on her face was nothing; she''d take that over it anytime, anywhere. All she needed to do after was erase it! "Then let us proceed with the punishment," Jeon Seong Gook said. As Jae Woo approached Seol Hee, a staff member came over and handed him a brushden with squid ink. "It''s not a permanent marker," Jae Woo said, his voice filled with regret. "I apologize. Please let me off the hook." She sped her hands together and begged. "I got it already, so turn around and close your eyes." Kang Seol Hee turned her back on the camera and closed her eyes. Swish, swish. Jae Woo delicately moved the brush around and began doodling on her face. The more he moved the brush, the louder the cast members''ughter became. Especially Jeon Seong Gook, who was grabbing his belly with one hand and covering his mouth with another. Ddook. At some point, Jae Woo stopped moving the brush. He''d finally finished his work of art. "I''m finished," Jae Woo said. His voice sounded refreshed. "Ahem, then..." Jeon Seong Gook stifled hisughter and did his best to continue the broadcast. "Ms. Seol Hee, please open your eyes and turn around." Kang Seol Hee gradually turned around. "Oh my gosh." "Haha." Upon seeing her face, the staff members eitherughed or were in shock. Jin Cheol also covered his mouth, content to express hisughter with his eyes. Even the camera supervisor''s lips curled upwards, even though he was responsible for filming Kang Seol Hee alone. Look at her! Jae Woo had drawn thick sideburns in the shape of an ''L'' on either side of her face! He''d even drawn a mustache and a beard! And there were also huge spots next to her nose! Her thick eyebrows had been connected with the squid ink, forming a thick unibrow. Finally... "Now, smile," he said, and Kang Seol Hee smiled. And as a final touch, her teeth were ck and white! This was the moment that Kang Seol Hee would obtain her nickname, ''Dirty Old Man Seol Hee'', a title which would remain a stain on her broadcasting history forever. * * * Kang Seol Hee continued the broadcast till the very end with her doodle ridden face. Of course, she herself didn''t know how bad her face was as of yet. "I really hope this bes a regr program. Do you think it can?" Kang Seol Hee gave her closing statement. "Ahem. Of course it can. Why wouldn''t it, when it''s this fun?" Jeon Seong Gook stared at her and gave his own closing statement. "Then, we''ll see you again next time." "See you!" "Cut. Good work everyone." Park Jin Cheol apuded. There were statements like "Good job." or "Thank you for all your hard work." or "Man, let''s clean up and go home." heard from the crew as they began to pack up. Kang Seol Hee quickly looked for a mirror. And... "Ggyaak, my face!" A resounding scream. Jae Woo grinned and got ready to go home. "Mr. Oga." Soo Ah approached Jae Woo. "Thank you for all your hard work," Jae Woo said. "Thank you for today," Soo Ah said. "What for?" "This..." Soo Ah passed him a piece of paper. Her character code was written on it. In Arth, a character code had the same function as a real-life cell phone. "If it''s alright with you, I''d like us to be friends." "I understand. Let''s hunt together some other time." "Ok. I''ll holdyou to that!" Soo Ah waved her hand and left. Jae Woo stashed the paper away. ''Maybe my long 23 years of flying solo will finallye to an end soon...'' He sure was counting his chickens before they hatched. The shoot was, in a lot of ways, quite an interesting experience. * * * A week had passed since Dungeon Conquering Man had been filmed. - Hello, Oppa. Once he essed Arth, Asu sent him a message. If you knew their code or were registered as friends, then users could message each other. - Hey. You logged on early today. Kang Oh and Asu had spoken several times throughout the week, so they''d gotten much closer. Asu called Kang Oh ''Oppa'', and Kang Oh spoke more familiarly with her. - We ended early today. So I''m going to the Spider Queen, Alishi''s Nest to hunt. Hehe. - Alright. Watch out for her optical illusions. - Ok! Kang Oh finished his conversation with Asu and summoned Eder. Peong! The robe-wearing skeleton, Eder, appeared. "Wee back." "Yeah. Let''s search the Lakern Mountains today." Kang Oh''s main line of business was making money off of ying the game. And he was especially invested in finding hidden dungeons, where he was guaranteed to find arge fortune. But even with his Hyper Intuition, he couldn''t find a hidden dungeon every single day. Although he''d spent the past week going to ces where he suspected a hidden dungeon might be, unfortunately, he hadn¡¯t found a single one. But then he''d heard that a secret area called the ''Cave Hidden by the Wind'' was located somewhere in the Lakern Mountains from a middle-aged man in the Adventurer Guild. Thus, he nned to search the Lakern Mountains this time. "Let''s go." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder used the gate, passing through Berkura City, and arriving straight at the Lakern Mountains. The Lakern Mountains was a vast field, which was inhabited by monsters lower than level 100. The field was much wider than a dungeon, and there were several ces he needed to search. It would also be harder to find a hidden dungeon here because of those factors. Still, Kang Oh trusted his Hyper Intuition. If there was indeed a hidden dungeon here, then his Hyper Intuition would point him to it, even in this wide expanse ofnd! "Hoo. There has to be a hidden dungeon here this time." Kang Oh saw the summit of the Lakern Mountains from afar. Kang Oh stood in front, his magic sword strapped to his back, while the robe-wearing Eder brought up the rear; they began to scale the mountain. Meanwhile... There were two pairs of eyes watching them. "We have some guests," a scar-faced man said, as he watched Kang Oh and Eder''s backs. He possessed red eyes, a sign that he''d murdered a goodw-abiding user. "You''re right. That''s one expensive-looking sword." Anky man beside him stared at Kang Oh''s sword and licked his lips. He too possessed red eyes. Their names were Halt and Itar. They were PKers (yer Killers), evil users who killed other users and stole their items or extorted them for money. [1] PD = Program Director Chapter 25. Fishing

Chapter 25. Fishing

Trantor: Boko With its red maple trees, the Lakern Mountains exuded an atmosphere of fall. And a warthog appeared from between the fallen red leaves. Squeal! "This is the first one." Warthogs were level 50 animals. They possessed a Charge skill, which allowed them to ram into their enemies with their mrs. Kang Oh unsheathed his magic sword. Eder followed suit, casting spells, his voice dismal. The warthog kicked up dust and charged; its body shone and was encased in a blue protective shield. It was the effect of its Charge skill! However, Eder finished casting his spell before it could make contact. Paahk! He summoned white bones, using them to cling onto the warthog''s front legs. It was the Bone Bind spell, which summoned bones to restrict the enemy''s movement. Because of the bones, the warthog lost its sense of bnce and fell forward. Koong. It rolled its heavy body from side-to-side, kicking up a storm of dust. Kang Oh pointed his de at the bound warthog. Thrust! Squeal! The pig screeched, and Kang Oh merely stabbed it once more. Red shards of light fell like ss from the warthog''s stab wound. Atst, Eder created a sharp bone spear; he subsequently grabbed and threw it at the pig. Pook! The bone spear hit the mark. "Hurry up and turn into experience." And Kang Oh followed through with his own attack. Darkness Strike, and the resulting ck wave, ravaged the warthog. Kwang! The warthog became a gray corpse before it even got the chance to mount a proper offensive. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated a Wild Warthog.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Physical +1] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ It was an obvious result. The Wild Warthog had been a level 50 animal. Whereas Kang Oh was level 70, while Eder was about as powerful as a level 80. There was such a massive disparity between them that facing them meant a quick death. However... ''Mm. Something feels off.'' After collecting the junk items, Kang Oh felt as though something was off and thus, surveyed his surroundings. There wasn¡¯t anything particrly suspicious. "Hmm." Kang Oh tilted his head and just kept moving forward. A short whileter. The two men, who had been watching Kang Oh and Eder from within the forest, spoke. "He has good senses," Halt said. "Indeed. Or he might possess a ss with a Detection skill," Itar said. "Probably not. They''re definitely a pair of level 80 Swordsman and Necromancer." Halt and Itar were level 105 and 103 respectively. Level 80 foes were about the right level for them as prey. "Then he might have some sort of detection item. Whatever the case, we should follow them a bit more carefully from now on," Itar said. "If we get the chance, let''s take out the Necromancer first," Halt said. A Necromancer''s curses were quite annoying, so they decided to take out the Necromancer first. "Ok." Itar finished, and the two men vanished instantaneously. Their ss: Assassin! It was a Shadow Tracking skill, one which allowed them to pursue their targets undetected. * * * A variety of monsters and animals lived in the Lakern Mountains. In terms of animals, there were warthogs, wolves, rabbits, tigers, etc. In terms of monsters, bipedal dog-faced monsters that wielded simple weapons like stone axes or stone spears, also called Frozen Dogs, were the mostmonce in the mountains. They lived in groups of five to ten; these Frozen Dogs were between levels 60 to 80. They were a good match for Kang Oh and Eder if levels were the only thing taken into ount. But in actuality, if they were to actually fight Kang Oh and Eder, they wouldn''t stand a chance. Like what was happening right now. Woof, woof! Befitting a monster that bore a dog''s face, the Frozen Dog barked. "Shut up." Kang Oh scowled and swung his sword at the Frozen Dog''s face. Peok. The struck Frozen Dog flew into the air and subsequently rolled onto the floor. Bark! Yelp! Seeing their friend injured only served to further agitate the dogs, and they began to bark even louder. However, that onlysted a moment. Eder raised his emaciated arms, dispersing a ck wave. It was a Silence curse, which would mute their voices! The curse was extremely effective. It hadpletely silenced the dogs'' barks. "Oh, nice." Kang Oh smirked. As expected, Eder sure was useful. Though it couldn''t speak, one of the Frozen Dogs swung its stone ax at Kang Oh, its face filled with rage. Two other Frozen Dogs at its side thrust their spears, aiming for Kang Oh''s sides. Kang Oh elegantly dodged both the stone ax and spears. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [The side stat, Evasion has leveled up.] [Evasion +1] [The Evasion stat has reached 100. You are now able to more easily dodge quicker and more powerful attacks.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh could avoid most attacks through thebination of his Hyper Intuition, experience and senses, the Evasion skill, and the Evasion stat. And by doing so, the Evasion stat increased at a rapid rate and had already reached 100. Kang Oh felt as though his body was lighter than before, and finished off the Frozen Dogs. The Frozen Dogs, unable to utter even a single cry due to the Silence curse, fell one or two at a time. The final dog was killed by Eder''s thrown bone spear, which pierced it and ended its short life. And thus, the battle was over. Kang Oh, having picked up the junk, approached Eder and whispered, "There''s something or someone here." Through their hunt, Kang Oh had felt something unpleasant. It was that same ufortable feeling he''d felt when Eder was backstabbing him. "What do you mean?" Eder lowered his own voice. "I think someone''s going to attack us from behind, so keep your guard up." He didn''t know exactly who or where they were, but Kang Oh trusted his instincts. After all, it was called Hyper Intuition for a reason. "I understand." "Let''s hold off on finding the hidden dungeon for now. We''re going to bait them into showing themselves and then we punish them." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder went on the move once more. And Halt and Itar covertly followed behind them. * * * Kang Oh and Eder went around the Lakern Mountains killing various monsters. While doing so, Kang Oh had intentionally exposed himself to danger and even exposed his back as well, but Halt and Itar didn''t move carelessly. The reason they didn''t act was simple. ''He''s a lot stronger than I expected.'' ''It won''t be easy.'' Halt and Itar exchanged nces. Because Kang Oh and Eder''s abilities were top-notch, they couldn''t act on a whim. Kang Oh could do nothing but furrow his brows. He continued to feel that ufortable feeling, yet they weren''t taking the bait. Even so, he didn''t want to alert them by looking around. ''Then I''ll make it so you can''t resisting out.'' Kang Oh led Eder to a vacant lot. He didn''t forget to whisper along the way. "Just say ''ok'' when I talk to you." "Ok." Having reached the vacant lot, Kang Oh began to act. "Hoo. Should we stop here?" Kang Oh asked. He''d spoken quite loudly. "Ok." As ordered, Eder responded with an ''ok''. "I have a Return Scroll, so let''s get going." "Ok." Kang Oh removed a magic circle engraved scroll from his inventory. It was the scroll that contained the Ice Sapphire spell that he''d gotten from Sharobea. But to Halt and Itar, who were watching them, it looked like a Return Scroll. "What do we do?" Itar asked. "We have to attack. We''ll have wasted our time if we don''t." Halt took out a dagger. The edge itself was straight, while the de was curved and red. It was a Fatal Death Dagger! It was an A-rank item, which uponnding a hit would poison the enemy with an incredibly potent poison. Itar also took out a dagger. It was a BB-rank item called an Ambush Dagger. If their attacks seeded, they would be fatal no matter what. "Let''s go." Halt rushed out and Itar followed right behind him. * * * "They finally came out!" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Because Kang Oh and Eder were situated in an area without any cover, Halt and Itar were forced to reveal themselves. In other words, they weren''t able to ambush them, which was an Assassin''s specialty! "Shall we take care of the rats?" Kang Oh gripped his sword. "Ok," Eder muttered drearily, and ck energy rose from his hand. It was an Aging curse, which would decrease all of their opponent''s abilities. But Halt and Itar were PKers who had killed several other users! They were by no means easy opponents. "Halt, stop the Necromancer''s curse!" Itar said. Halt nodded his head and threw three daggers at Eder. "Not a chance." Kang Oh stood in front of Eder and deflected the iing daggers. ng! ng! ng! Meanwhile, Itar appeared right in front of Kang Oh. Itar held his dagger in a reverse-grip and swung downwards. He was aiming for Kang Oh''s heart! And Itar''s dagger began to emanate a red aura. It was an Assassin''s skill, Critical Strike! They hadn''t been able to ambush Kang Oh and Eder, but they were setting themselves up for a huge advantage nheless. However, Itar had underestimated Kang Oh far too much. Kang Oh merely pulled himself back a little bit, and far too easily dodged Itar''s attack. Swish. The sound of Itar''s dagger cleaving through the air. He hadpletely missed. Kang Oh counterattacked immediately. The magic sword rent him in two, cutting him from side-to-side. sh! Itar quickly flung his body away from Kang Oh''s strike. And Kang Oh''s de passed the area he had once been. Itar let out a sigh of relief as he rolled onto the floor. If he had been caught by the magic sword, then he would''ve sustained an incredible amount of damage. Kang Oh and Itar exchanged blows while Eder was engaging Halt. Swish. Halt swung his dagger, forcing Eder to discontinue casting his Aging curse and retreat back. In a fight between a normal Mage and an Assassin, an Assassin had the edge. And if the Assassin got up close, then it waspletely over for the Mage. However, Eder was by no means a normal Mage. Because he was possessing a skeleton, he was capable of casting bone magic very quickly. Eder cast a spell, his voice dismal, and instantly bound Halt with bone! Halt''s wrists and ankles werewas restrained by bone, so he quickly cut them apart with his dagger and retreated. Then, with the widened distance between them, Halt was able to get a proper look at Eder. "This guy''s a skeleton!" Halt yelled, astonished. When he got a close look at the robe-wearing Eder, he noticed that he only had a skull. Eder boastfully moved his jawbone and his teeth ttered. He was, of course, casting another spell! "Halt, get a grip!" Itar, who was engaging Kang Oh, yelled. Once he heard Itar, he got a hold of himself and rushed Eder. Halt swung his dagger downwards, but Eder created a bone shield and blocked Halt''s attack. Meanwhile, Kang Oh aimed for Itar''s chest. Itar didn''t dare to block and rolled onto the floor once more. And Kang Oh quickly thrust his sword into the ground. By doing so, he''d activated his ne''s special ability, Earth Shards; the barrage of shards poured onto Itar. "Ugh!" The shardsnded a direct hit. They didn''t inflict much damage, but it was still quite effective as the Assassin ss possessed poor defense. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He jumped into the air and put all of his weight behind his sword. His target? Obviously, Itar! If Itar didn''t avoid this attack, then 9 times out of 10 it was game over for him. "Itar! Use Emergency Escape!" Halt yelled, and Itar got a hold of himself. Emergency Escape was an Assassin skill, which could be used when they were in danger; it would essentially aid them in escaping from whatever danger they were in. Once he used Emergency Escape, Itar was sucked into his shadow. At the same time, Kang Oh struck. Kwang! Dust rose, apanied by the sound of metal shing. ''I didn''t feel anything.'' Unfortunately, Itar''s Emergency Escape had been sessful. "Ugh." While Halt was busy worrying about Itar, Eder had sessfully bound him with Bone Bind, tightening its hold over his ankle. Halt lost his bnce and fell over, forcing him to use Emergency Escape himself; he, too, hid within his shadow and escaped. And within the forest near the vacant lot... Itar, who used Emergency Escape first, grabbed Halt''s hand and pulled him out of the shadow. "We can''t beat them," Itar said. "Yeah, let''s run away." Halt, who had pulled half of his body out of the shadow, agreed. However... "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh, who''d already ascertained their location, stomped on Halt''s back. "You dumbasses!" Kang Oh cursed. Chapter 26. Bad Guys

Chapter 26. Bad Guys

Trantor: Boko Everyone had their own ystyles. For example, the red-eyed Assassins, Halt and Itar, preferred killing other users over killing monsters. They gained far more from killing other users, and they could do things here which they couldn''t in real life. Moreover, they had even learnt the Pige skill, which allowed them to pick and choose what items to take from a dead user''s body; this only made them double down on hunting other users. "So what?" Kang Oh snorted after listening to their story. While Eder scratched his empty nostrils with a finger. In front of Kang Oh and Eder... Halt and Eder werepletely restrained in bone bindings and were hung upside down on a tree. "We made a mistake. We won''t do it again," Halt said. "Indeed. We''ll live properly from now on," Itar added. Normally, captured criminals would be sent to the Security Bureau in exchange for a bounty. However, Kang Oh hadn''t chosen to do so; instead, he had them hanging from a tree. Thus, the two criminals imed that they would y nice from now on in an attempt to escape. Sadly, this was the wrong move. After all, Kang Oh had absolutely no interest in justice or guidance. "Do some bad things too. You can''t live virtuously all the time, especially in this cruel world," Kang Oh said. ''You have to look after your own interests.'' Rather than get taken advantage of, he preferred to live a wicked life, within reason of course. "But..." "Why did you tie us up and hang us like this?" Both Halt and Itar asked. "What do you mean, ''why''? You tried ambushing us and got caught, and you thought we''d just let you go scot-free?" "Then?" Itar asked. "Give me all your money." Kang Oh rounded his thumb and index finger, and pushed it into Itar''s face. "Excuse me?" "Money?" Halt and Itar retorted. "I''m being generous here, so your equipment''s fine with me too. But it has to be at least A-rank." "We''re sorry. Please forgive us just once..." Itar was trying to buy time. "Hey, shut up for a bit." Kang Oh stifled him, and opened a message window. - Hey, Asu. Kang Oh sent a message to Asu. - Oppa, what''s wrong? She responded immediately. - You busy? - No, I''m not busy. - You''re in Altein, right? - Yes. - Would you mind going to the Security Bureau and seeing how much the bounty on Halt and Itar is? - I''ll go find out and contact you back. - Thanks. I''ll buy you something tastyter. - Ok! Kang Oh closed the message window and stared at both Halt and Itar. "So where was I?" "..." Halt and Itar kept their mouths shut. They didn''t want to talk about money or equipment. "Why aren''t you saying anything?" Kang Oh annoyingly tapped their cheeks. "Ugh." Their faces crumpled suddenly. Although it didn¡¯t hurt since they were in a game, it sure was humiliating. "Where was I again?" Kang Oh turned towards Eder. "You were in the middle of talking about them giving you their money or equipment." "Ah, right. I was telling them to give me their money or A-rank equipment." Kang Oh nodded his head. He then stared at Halt and Itar and said, "How much is your bounty?" Halt and Itar kept their mouths shut again. "You really going to keep doing this!?" There was a fire in his eyes. At the same time, he raised both of his hands as if he was going to p them. "We''re worth 10 gold a piece!" Itar yelled. "Are you sure?" Kang Oh scowled. "I''m sure," Itar screamed once more. "If you''re lying to me, you''ll lose a hand." "It''s a not a lie," Halt said. "We''re PKing scum, who go for beginners and low-leveled users, so we''re not worth that much," Halt added. "Well, I suppose it doesn''t matter. I asked someone to check for me, so we''ll see if you''re lying or not." Kang Oh''s statement caused both Halt and Itar''s faces to lose color. Expressions that seemed to say, "We''re screwed". ''Of course.'' Considering their expressions, Kang Oh could tell that they had lied. Then, he received a message from Asu. - Halt and Itar are worth 50 gold a piece. - Thanks. Kang Oh pinched their cheeks. "Hoh. You guys were worth 50 gold each?" Kang Oh smiled. They were worth 100 gold total! Which meant that he would receive at least 1 million won ($1,000 USD) if he brought them to the Security Bureau. ''It''s a lot more than I expected. Should I just be a bounty hunter instead?'' Kang Oh briefly wondered whether he should be a bounty hunter or not. However, it wouldn''t be easy to find PKers in the vast expanse of Arth, unless they came for him of their own ord like these two. And there were several actually powerful and psychopathic users amongst the PKers. Kang Ohpletely discarded the idea of bing a bounty hunter and instead focused on the current situation. "I''ll let you go if you give me your money or equipment. Or you can rot in jail. It''s your choice!" Halt and Itar''s eyes shook. Whereas Kang Oh merely grinned. He smiled with certainty, as if saying ''You have no choice but to give me money''. * * * There were huge penalties to a game over, or dying in Arth. Not only did a death lower one''s level and proficiency, but there was also a fixed chance that they would lose their equipment or possessions. Moreover, they would receive a debuff for 1 week following their death. The debuff would reduce one''s abilities by 10% as well as reduce their experience gain by the same amount. If they died again while under the effects of the debuff, then the debuffs would stack and refresh the debuff timer. But being jailed was, in a way, a much worse punishment than dying. The criminals'' charges would be weighed based on the severity and frequency of their crimes, and the criminals would be forced to remain in jail for whatever length of time was decided. Like being in a real jail cell, users in jail couldn''t do anything in-game. Meaning they were forced to watch the ceiling or the walls and waste precious time. Additionally, they might have to pay a fine for their crimes and most of them had their equipment confiscated. If they didn''t have the money or equipment to pay the fine, then their jail sentence would be extended Thus, there was amon saying amongst users on Arth. I''d rather die than go to jail. Halt and Itar agreed with that. To them, paying Kang Oh off and avoiding jail time was the correct decision. ''Let''s just give him the money.'' ''Yeah, we can get it back in no time from other users.'' Itar and Halt exchanged looks. "We''ll give you your money," Halt said. "Good choice." Kang Oh gave Eder a signal, and Eder softly chanted an incantation. The bones that had once tightly bound them loosened, and they were able to remove a single arm from its hold. "You should be able to ess your inventory with one arm," Kang Oh said. "But... we need a guarantee," Halt said. "What?" Kang Oh scowled, his eyes seeming to say ''How dare they!?''. "We''ll give you the money right away if you''re willing to sign a Sabra''s Contract," Halt said whilst avoiding Kang Oh''s gaze. "What, a contract?" Kang Oh''s eyes were likesers firing off killing intent. "Ahem." Halt and Itar cleared their throats and turned their heads to avoid Kang Oh''s gaze. At that moment, Kang Oh''s lips lifted slightly. He had some sort of n! Then, after Halt and Itar had turned their heads back, Kang Oh quickly returned to his normal expression. "In exchange, I''ll charge you twice as much," Kang Oh said firmly. "T-That''s a bit much..." Once Itar finished, Kang Oh threatened. "Fine then! Negotiations are over. Eder, cover their mouths with bone too." "Ok." Eder stretched out his hand, but Halt and Itar were quick to yell. "Two times!" "Double!" Kang Oh waved his hand, signaling for him to stop. "Then give me 200 gold a piece; 400 gold total!" Kang Oh said. "Um... I think there''s some sort of misunderstanding here. Two times would be 100 gold each, or 200 gold total," Itar said. "Misunderstanding? I''m not misunderstanding anything. In total, your bounty''s worth 100 gold, right?" Kang Oh said. "Yes," Itar replied. "And then there''s the 50 gold you owe me to cover the psychological damage you inflicted on me; you followed me and then ambushed me," Kang Oh said. "Huh?" "There''s also the 50 gold you owe for the psychological damage you inflicted on our pure-hearted Eder." Kang Oh pointed towards Eder. The ''pure-hearted'' Eder''s eyes glowed blue. "You said you''d pay double, so two times 200 is 400 gold! Right?" Kang Oh raised two fingers. "Who in the world calctes things like that..." "What do you mean psychological damage? That doesn''t make any sense." Who was the one who''d been hung upside-down from a tree again? Yet, Kang Oh was the one who wantedpensation? Halt and Itar were speechless and felt his ims were ridiculous. However, Kang Oh was the one in control. "Haa. You guys still don''t get it, do you?" Kang Oh nced at Eder, giving him the signal. Eder blocked Halt and Itar''s mouths with bone. "Let''s go to the Security Bureau," he said to Eder who nodded his head in response. "Mmm!" "Mm!" Kang Oh grabbed Halt and Itar with the intention to bring them down from the tree, but the both of them struggled. At the same time, with their only exposed orifice, their eyes, they seemingly said ''We''ll do as you say''. "Should I give you another chance?" Kang Oh stopped and asked. "Mmm!" "Mm!" "Alright, fine. What a pain. Eder!" Eder waved his hand in the air, and the bones covering Halt and Itar''s mouths disappeared. "Heok. I''ll give you the 200 gold!" "I promise. I really want to give you the money." Kang Oh epted their pleas with a frigid expression. "I want another 50 gold in exchange for you giving me such a hard time. So, you need to give me 250 gold each!" Halt and Itar feared that negotiations would break down again, so they immediately nodded their heads. "Good. Then write the contract!" Kang Oh said. "Alright." "Ok." Halt and Itar replied immediately. They had responded quickly in fear that Kang Oh would increase the amount. However, Kang Oh had no intention of increasing his fee any more. There was a chance that if he went too far, they would just put up a fuss and insist they''d go to jail instead. ''This is the Maginot Line.'' Kang Oh retrieved a Sabra''s Contract and began writing it right before Halt and Itar''s eyes. "Hey, do you guys actually have the money?" Kang Oh asked as he wrote the first letter. "Yes, we do!" "If we give you everything we have, we have exactly 250." "Alright." Kang Oh continued writing the contract. ______________________________________________________________________________ The contents were as follows: Kang Oh wouldn''t bring Halt and Itar to the Security Bureau. In exchange, they would give Kang Oh 250 gold each. Kang Oh wouldn''t try and re-capture them for the duration of a day. Halt and Itar wouldn''t try and retaliate afterwards either themselves or via a proxy contract. If the terms are vited, then the vitor bes a criminal, and they would be summoned to the Security Bureau and spend 30 days in jail. ______________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh looked through thepleted contract. ''There isn''t anything that could be removed, and I won''t be punished, even if the contract is torn apart.'' Sabra''s Contract was useful, but also very dangerous. Thus, one had to use it carefully. Unless they wanted to be judged and punished for their actions. Once he was sure that he''d written it well, Kang Oh ced the contract in front of Halt and Itar''s eyes. Although they were hung upside-down, they meticulously looked over the contract with their eyes wide open. "It''s fine, right?" "The use where we won''t retaliate or contract someone to retaliate is a little..." Itar began, but Kang Oh scowled once more. "Why, are you nning on retaliating? You guys still don''t get it, do you..." "N-No, absolutely not!" Itar immediately yelled. Then Halt said, "Please add a use stating that the skeleton over there can''t capture us or hand us to the Security Bureau as well." "I summoned him, so there''s nothing for you to worry about," Kang Oh said as he looked at Eder. Eder was about to say that he wasn''t Kang Oh''s summon, but Kang Oh gave him a look, so he didn''t say anything. "Please add it in anyway." Halt''s stance didn''t change in the least. "What a pain. Fine, I got it." Kang Oh added another line in the contract. He couldn''t bring Halt or Itar to the Security Bureau via his summons or special skills. "This is fine, right?" "Just a moment..." Halt requested for some more time to scrutinize the contract again. "Man, what a pain. The sum..." Kang Oh scowled and said. "It''s nothing. I''ll sign it." "I''ll sign it right away." They were worried that he''d raise the amount again, so they replied immediately. Once Kang Oh finished with his own signature, the contract shined and became three, each with the same exact contents. Contract established! _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have received 250 gold from Halt as per the contract.] [You have received 250 gold from Itar as per the contract.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ His pockets had just been filled with 500 gold! ''I hit the jackpot, even though I haven¡¯t found a hidden dungeon yet.'' Thus, Kang Oh''s lips began to curl upwards. Moreover, he was happy that it still wasn''t over yet. "Then, we''ll get going now." "Yes, we''ll be leaving now." Halt and Itar said. "Oh, right. We have to get going." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Please remove our restraints." They were still hung from a tree upside-down, restrained by bones. "Eder," Kang Oh called. "Dump these guys at the Security Bureau ande back. Make sure you bring back the 100 gold bounty." "What?" "That''s a vition of the contract..." Halt and Itar yelled in astonishment. "This guy isn''t my summon, he''s my partner. So, he has nothing to do with the contract." Kang Oh smiled wickedly. ''We''ve been tricked!'' ''We''ve been had!'' It felt like they''d been backstabbed. "You bas.." Halt was about to curse, but he couldn''t finish as his mouth was covered by bone. Itar was in the same situation. ''That''s how it goes.'' When Kang Oh had introduced him as his summon, Eder had some idea that this is how it would turn out. After all, Eder was tricked in his contract too. "That''s why you have to be careful with contracts. Well, I''ll use the gold well. Let''s see each other again when your bounty''s even higher." Kang Oh waved whilst smiling. "Mmm!" "Mm!" "I''ll be back," Eder said. The bone covered Halt and Itar in their entirety, without giving them a chance to escape. Eder dragged the two cocoons of bone with him. "Umph!" The now alone Kang Oh stretched. ''Did I just make 600 gold all at once?'' It was plenty of money to make up for the week wasted of not finding a hidden dungeon. However, he wasn¡¯t satisfied with just this. He was still hungry for more. Much more! Chapter 27. Cave Hidden by the Wind

Chapter 27. Cave Hidden by the Wind

Trantor: Boko "Shall we start looking for a hidden dungeon?" Eder left with Halt and Itar in tow, and Kang Oh began to explore the Lakern Mountains alone. He''d unexpectedly managed to obtain 600 gold, but nevertheless, the reason he''de to the Lakern Mountain didn''t change: finding a hidden dungeon. ''They said that the Cave Hidden by the Wind is within the Lakern Mountains...'' That''s what he had heard from one of the middle-aged men within the Adventurer Guild. The Cave Hidden by the Wind! There was a chance that it wasn''t a hidden dungeon, and there was also a chance that he wasn''t the first to discover it. There was certainly some value in finding it, as he couldn''t find any detailed info on Arthstory regarding it. If he could find it, even if he wasn''t the first to discover it, he could write up an article on Arthstory and make some money. ''But it''d be best if it were both a hidden dungeon, and that I was the first to discover it.'' Kang Oh explored the Lakern Mountains as if he were a fisherman who hade back with a full load of fish. When he was about halfway up the mountain, he saw a town of dugout huts at the basin of the mountain. The town was ruled by Jacquis. A Jacqui was a weasel-like bipedal monster, wielding a sharp scythe, and possessed power over the wind. ''A weasel with power over the wind and a cave hidden by the wind, huh...'' Kang Oh couldn''t just overlook this. He entered the town and the Jacquis popped out of the underground huts. Three weasels held their scythes with both hands, and raised their heads stiffly like meerkats! Kang Oh untied the magic sword on his back, and two weasels came rushing towards him, swinging their scythes. He avoided their attack and swung his sword horizontally. The weasels quickly ducked their heads and evaded Kang Oh''s attack. Thest one, which had been watching Kang Oh from behind, crossed both its arms. Wind began to blow in its surroundings, as well as hair. Sha! The cross-armed weasel swung its arm, discharging a frightening white wind de from its scythe. Wind de! Kang Oh nonchntly raised his sword. The Wind de was subsequently sucked into his sword. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Ubist has absorbed the Wind de. Satiation has increased by 0.01%.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh immediately used sh, cutting one of the weasels. Kang! The weasel blocked his attack by crossing its scythe. Despite that, the resultant physical impact and pressure caused it to wobble around. Kang Oh wouldn''t lose that opportunity. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung downwards. A quick, but heavy attack! His magic sword passed through the middle of the weasel''s body. Peok! The weasel fell and rolled onto the floor. However, he hadn''t killed it. Meanwhile, the other weasels came rushing towards him. Kang Oh swung his sword, deflecting their scythes, and dashed towards the fallen weasel. ''My foot will be better than my sword.'' Utilizing the inertial force from running, Kang Oh kicked theying weasel in its face. Peok! The weasel flew into the air, apanied by a ''pop'', as its body turned to gray. ''One down.'' Kang Oh turned his body immediately, and rushed towards the remaining weasels. Sasasasak! His de cleaving through the air could be heard, yet his de work was delicate as if embroidering within the air. Rather than a single powerful blow, he''d opted for quick, continuous strikes in session! Two of the weasels instantly turned to gray. They weren''t able to mount a proper defense against Kang Oh''s one-sided offensive but were swept away by his de. Kang Oh collected the junk and simultaneously looked around the town and killed the weasel monsters. It only took him 10 minutes to kill fifty weasels. He even defeated the named Jacqui with ease, one with a mohawk on its head. There was a single item that had dropped near the dead named Jacqui''s body. It was a yellow bead. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Weasel Bead] The bead that the weasels use when they call upon the power of the wind. It is also a material that can be used when creating magical items. Material Rank: B _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Weasel Bead was a material. It was just a normal B-rank item. However, he felt something from the bead; the same feeling he''d felt when he discovered hisst hidden dungeon. A suspicious feeling, as if there was something more to it! "Hmm." Kang Oh meticulously observed the yellow bead. Aside from being yellow, it was like any other bead; it would be great to y marbles with it. But considering the fact that his Hyper Intuition had activated, he was sure that there was something more to it. ''I''ll have to ask Eder when he gets back.'' A Necromancer like Eder should be able to find the secret that dwelled within the bead. Kang Oh carefully stashed the yellow bead into his inventory and continued his search for the Cave Hidden by the Wind. * * * Eder had returned. "I''m back." Since he was attached to Kang Oh, he could always tell where Kang Oh was. So he didn''t have any trouble finding Kang Oh, even though Kang Oh was traversing through the mountain. Of course, Kang Oh could also summon Eder as well. However, he couldn''t know when Eder would be finished with his task, so Kang Oh hadn''t done so. "Everything went well, right?" "Yes." "Good work," Kang Oh finished and stretched out his hand. And Eder gave him a gold bar worth 100 gold. It was the reward for Halt and Itar. "Heh." Kang Oh grinned. Gold always made him feel good. "Have you found the hidden dungeon?" Eder asked. "No, but could you take a look at this for me?" Kang Oh ced the gold bar inside his pocket and retrieved the Weasel Bead from his inventory. Eder grabbed the bead with his thumb and index finger and began inspecting it. "I see it''s a bead containing magic," Eder said. He could feel magic radiating from within the yellow bead. And its element was wind. "You can''t detect anything else?" Eder examined it more thoroughly, but there wasn''t anything unusual about it. "I don''t, but is there some kind of secret this bead is hiding?" Eder fiddled with the bead. "Of course there is," Kang Oh said with certainty. "How do you know that?" Eder asked. Did he get that info from someone? "There''s something here. I have a hunch!" Kang Oh replied. ''What do you mean by a hunch?'' Eder inwardly snorted. He didn''t know about Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition. Because of that, he didn''t trust in Kang Oh''s ''hunch''. But if he didn''t want his skull sliced in two, he needed to respond appropriately. "Hmm. If the bead is broken, then the power of wind within will flow out, so I don''t believe it has anything to do with breaking it..." Eder said while acting as though he was diligently examining the Weasel Bead. At that moment, Kang Oh felt as though a light bulb had gone off in his head. He had a spark of inspiration as if he knew that ''this was it!''. ''It''s Arth''s version of the Edge Where the Lava Stops''. There was an area in Warlord called the ''Edge Where the Lava Stops''. If fire magic or scrolls were used in that area, then portals that lead to another area would form. The Cave Hidden by the Wind should follow the same philosophy. If the cave was found, and either wind magic was used or a wind-rted magical item was used, then a portal leading to another area should form. ''I''m sure of it.'' Dreamgate, the developer of both Arth and Warlord. They were two games that shared the same creator. So there should be some simrities between the two games. ''I know how to enter the dungeon...'' Now he needed to actually find the Cave Hidden by the Wind. "We''re going to explore every single cave in the Lakern Mountains." * * * Kang Oh and Eder looked through every nook and cranny of the Lakern Mountains and explored all of its caves. They eventually came to a cave blocked by overgrown bushes. "This is it." Even if he didn''t have his Hyper Intuition, he would know that there was something in this cave. The surface of the walls were different, and there was a ratherrge symbol etched onto it. The symbol consisted of five lines that went in a straight line but was circr at the ends. It was a symbol that often denoted the wind. Of course, his Hyper Intuition was acting up again. ''It''s here. Here!'', it would say. "Is this the Cave Hidden by the Wind?" Eder asked. "Yeah. You can see the wind symbol clear as day over there." Kang Oh pointed towards the symbol. Eder approached the symbol and began to examine it. "I don''t see any particr devices here." If not for the symbol, then it would''ve been a cave as ordinary as any other. And the wind symbol itself looked as though someone had drawn it as a joke; it was quite shoddy work. "What you see isn''t everything." Kang Oh took out the yellow bead and smashed it on the ground. Cheng! The broken bead then released all of the wind energy contained within. Huing! The wind began to rage around the bead. The wind passed Kang Oh and Eder, and passed by every ounce of the cave as well. Then, something extraordinary happened. In a single area within the cave, a hole was formed, and from that hole, wind began getting sucked in. Huiik! The force by which it sucked in the wind became more intense by the second. At the same time, the hole gradually becamerger andrger. How much time had passed? The once rampaging wind calmed down within the cave, as if nothing had ever happened. But in exchange...! There was an oval-shaped portal before Kang Oh and Eder. The portal continuously rippled, like a quietke with a rock thrown into it. It was as if it were telling them toe in. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have discovered Baramut''s Hunting Ground.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [When hunting within Baramut''s Hunting Ground, you gain two times the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''The first to discover it!'' Kang Oh''s face brightened. His body shook at the opportunity to strike gold once more. He didn''t know what Baramut''s Hunting Ground was like, but Baramut was definitely the boss monster. Since it was ''Baramut''s Hunting Ground''! If that''s the case, then the boss must have umted quite a lot of wealth! ''All of it is mine!'' It was a chance to make a fortune. There was no reason to hesitate. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh yelled, and he walked through the portal. The portal swayed and gobbled him up. Ddak, ddak. Eder''s teeth chattered and followed Kang Oh. Once Eder walked through the portal, the portal became smaller and smaller until it disappeared in its entirety. Silence had returned to the cave. It was as if nothing had happened. * * * "The portal disappeared." Eder pointed to where the portal used to be. As he said, the portal had indeed disappeared. "If we kill the monsters here, then we''ll find a wind scroll. We can just use that to get out when we''re done." It was the same for the Edge where the Lava Stops. It would probably be the same here too. Having finished speaking, Kang Oh surveyed his surroundings. They, who had passed through the portal, were inside the cave again. However, there wererge crystals embedded on the ceiling that illuminated the cave. And there was only one road ahead. "We don''t know what''ll appear, so be on your guard." Kang Oh readied his magic sword and followed the path ahead. Eder, too, readied himself so that he could cast magic at any time. Kang Oh and Eder continued walking anxiously. At some point, they found an exit, where light escaped from. "There aren''t any monsters," Eder said. As he said, there weren''t any monsters here. None. "They must be outside the cave." This was clearly a dungeon. There was no way it waspletely empty. Kang Oh and Eder exited the cave. "It''s a jungle." It was a jungle densely popted by thick trees. However...! Kuhoooong! A resounding roar from out of the blue. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have heard Baramut''s Roar. Baramut''s Roar instills a sense of fear in its prey and decreases their abilities.] [You have ovee your fear through the Indomitable stat. Your abilities do not decrease.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Once its cry was over, a giant shadow popped out of the forest. And it immediately attacked Kang Oh! Chapter 28. Jungle Exploration

Chapter 28. Jungle Exploration

Trantor: Boko It hadrge feet and sharp ws, all of them gleaming like sharpened daggers. It swung its feet, a deadly weapon in their own right, fast as lighting. Its target: Kang Oh! If he was hit by that, then his body would be torn to shreds. However, Kang Oh wasn''t just anybody. "Not a chance!" He''d felt that same cold sensation in his chest! Hyper Intuition had warned him, so he was able to respond ordingly. Kang Oh swung his sword upwards. Its front leg swiped from right to left, while Kang Oh''s sword etched a line from bottom-up! The two attacks were fated to meet. Kang! de and ws met and sparked. The force was so powerful that Kang Oh was pushed back. Despite that, Kang Oh remained undeterred and readied his next attack. Kureureung. Then, the beast let out a deep roar and returned to the forest that it hade from. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath as he watched it return to the forest. It was only then that the once stupefied Eder regained his bearings. "Are you alright?" "Yeah." "If my eyes don''t deceive me, then that was... a tiger, right?" He¡¯d hit the nail on the head. A tiger had ambushed Kang Oh. Of course, it wasn''t any normal tiger. "It''s this jungle''s master, Baramut. It''s quite the smart one." Given that is was three times the size of a normal tiger, its physical abilities had also be outrageous. Not only did it have tremendous strength, but it was exceedingly quick and agile for its size. Despite all this, it had used its roar to disorient them and then went with an ambush. It had chosen to do all that to them, even though they had just stepped foot into the jungle! He didn''t know how it knew they wereing, but it had chosen to attack them when one couldn''t help but be careless. Kang Oh was sure that this tiger was quite intelligent, and a stupendous hunter. Furthermore, it had retreated once it realized that its ambush had failed, which meant it decision-making was first-ss as well. Bybining all these factors together, he was sure that this was the strongest monster he''d fought in Arth thus far. "It''s quite the strong prey." Kang Oh grinned. It would be a tough foe. But if he were to defeat such a powerful foe, he should receive a reward iparable to Alishi''s. High risk, high reward! "It seems incredibly strong.... How did it feel to you, after facing it yourself?" Eder recalled Baramut''s roar and despite being a ghost, he felt a chill. "It''s strong." "Then how will you fight it?" Eder asked. "If you want to beat a tiger, then you have to go into its den. First let''s find the tiger''s den," Kang Oh said as he stared off into the jungle. "Explore the jungle... Argh, I suppose we have to peek our heads into the tiger''s mouth." The jungle was Baramut''s domain. They say that even mutts eat half of what''s on their front yard, but a tiger on its hunting ground would be magnitudes more dangerous. "So keep your guard up. If there''s a repeat ofst time, then you''ll just be prey," Kang Oh said. "If I get bit, I''ll escape with my ghost form." That was something Eder could trust. He was a ghost and his enemy was a tiger. In terms of affinity alone, he held the advantage. "It isn''t just any tiger; it''s a boss monster. It''ll definitely have some sort of special skill. If you let your guard down, you''ll die," Kang Oh warned. True, a ghost was impervious to physical attacks. However, magic definitely worked on them, and they could be damaged by skills as well. Thus, Eder couldn''t afford to be reckless. "I understand." "When we enter the jungle, it can attack us at anytime, anywhere, so keep that in mind." Considering the fact that Baramut had ambushed them at the entrance of the jungle, it stood to reason that it roamed around its domain however it pleased. Therefore, if they wandered through the jungle, it wasn¡¯t without reason to assume that the tiger could attack them at any time and ce it chose. Well, it wasn''t all bad. ''Danger can be an opportunity too!'' When Baramut attacks, it''s also a chance for them to get in an attack of their own. "Are you ready?" "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder entered the jungle. It was time to start hunting the tiger in earnest. * * * "Can you make bone des?" Kang Oh asked. Kang Oh nodded his head at Eder. Bone des was an incredibly basic level of bone magic, so it was obvious Eder could create them. "Give me one." "Why?" "I want to cut through the brush." The magic sword was a greatsword. It wasn''t exactly the best tool to cut through the brush. Eder brought his hands together and cast the spell with a dreary voice. Swang! He formed bones in his hands, and then instantly created a bone de with a gentle curve. "Here you go." Eder passed him the de. Kang Oh swung the bone de a few times. It was light, but also tough enough. "This''ll work." Kang Oh cut through the brush as the two of them continued on. Of course, Kang Oh had tied his magic sword onto his back, so that he could ess it at any time. Tak! Tak! Tak! Kang Oh forcefully swung the bone de downwards, as if he were wielding a club instead. And by doing so, he was able to get through the tough brush. But suddenly, giant wasps popped out of the ground. Buzz. Five wasps instantly surrounded Kang Oh and Eder. One of the wasps, which was the size of his forearm, readied its sharp stinger, and flew towards Kang Oh. And Kang Oh swung the bone de at the wasp. Swish. Hyper Intuition had directed him towards its weak spot: those noisy, vibrating wings! The bone de struck true, hitting the wasp''s wing. It was a critical hit, so red shards poured out of the wound. However, he had struck with the bone de, so he wasn''t able to inflict much damage. Buzzzz! The wasp staggered momentarily, but then ''buzzed'' even more violently and flew towards him once more. Kang Oh dropped the bone de and drew his magic sword. ''I hope it doesn''t get caught.'' There was a chance that if he swung his sword too wide, then it could get caught in the trees or the thick brush. So Kang Oh thrust straight forward. The wasp flew straight at him! While he lunged straight forward with his magic sword! It was obvious that his magic sword would win out. Pook! The tip of his sword had pierced through the wasp. Kang Oh pushed the wriggling bee to the ground. Kwang! Kwakwakwa! The wasp was flung to the ground. At the same time, a barrage of earth shards struck the wasp. And thus, the short-lived wasp met its end to Kang Oh. Right after, two more wasps flew together towards Kang Oh. Eder was already facing two wasps. He was wielding a bone shield to protect himself against their stingers. And had begun creating small bone shards. 2, 4, 6, 8... The amount of bone shards gradually increased. Once he had surpassed 20, he shot them all at once. Pabababak! The two hovering wasps were caughtpletely by surprise by the attack. The bone shards not only shredded their bodies, but cut through the wings as well. Their descent to the ground was apanied by the presence of red shards. Eder cast another spell, and he stretched out his hands towards the fallen wasps and gripped. Bone Bind! Bones sprouted around the crawling wasps, and pushed them back down. That was the end for them. Meanwhile, Kang Oh was finishing up with the other two wasps. Kang Oh swung his sword and the wasps began to descend. Kwak! Kwak! He finished up bypletely stamping on the fallen wasps. "You''re finished as well," Eder said. Eder dispelled his bone shield and approached Kang Oh. But then...! "Above us!" Kang Oh urgently yelled, and rushed towards Eder. "Ugh." Upon Kang Oh''s call, Eder looked up, astonished. Baramut was descending from the tree above him. Right above his head! Baramut''s mouth was wide open. Its teeth, which were attached to its bright pink gums, were certainly an effective deboning tool. ''Damn it! Eder will die at this rate!'' He was toote; Baramut was much too fast and he was too far away from Eder to reach him in time. But he had to try something; as ast-ditch effort, Kang Oh threw the magic sword at Baramut. Boong! The massive sword pierced through the air and flew dangerously towards the tiger. Baramut widened its eyes, as if it hadn''t expected Kang Oh to throw his sword. Its gaze alternated between the magic sword and Eder, and ultimately turned its body midair. The magic sword came very close to hitting Baramut. Instead of attacking Eder, it had decided to respond to the magic sword instead; by doing so, it was able to use its front legs to deflect the sword. Kang! The sword bounced off, and Baramut''s trajectory changed. Eder used that chance to duck. Baramut''s front legs passed where Eder''s skull had once been, and Eder managed to stay safe by a hair''s breadth. "Protect yourself!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder crossed his arms in an X. Bone Wall! A wall of bone rose around him. Keuhong! Baramutnded on the ground, roared, and swiped at the bone wall. The wall crumpled, but its strike wasn''t strong enough to cause Eder to take any damage from it. Kureureu. Baramut growled deeply, and retreated back into the brush. "Haa. Haa." Eder gave a sigh of relief. "Hey! Are you alright?" Kang Oh looked him over. "Yes, I''m fine," Eder said weakly. "I told you not to let your guard down. You were about to die!" Kang Oh scowled and said. Now that he thought about it, it truly was a dizzying moment. If he had responded even a second slower, then Eder would be in pieces right now. "I told you that I could escape by returning to my ghost form..." Eder made an excuse. "And what if it didn''t work?" Kang Oh questioned. "..." He had no excuse. "I''m telling you this one more time. Do not let your guard down!" Kang Oh said strongly. "I understand." Eder stiffly nodded his head. "And... thank you for saving me." "Hoo, let''s do a good job." "Yes, sir!" "Let''s go." "Yes, sir!" Kang Oh and Eder began their trek through the jungle once more. A short whileter, a purple rattlesnake charged at Kang Oh. It was more than 2 meters long, and a noisy sound resounded from its rattle. "It was the same for Baramut and the wasps, but everything here is huge." Kang Oh swung his magic sword and pushed the rattlesnake away. "That''s true!" Eder replied immediately, and prepared his bone magic. Kya! Having failed to bite Kang Oh, the rattlesnake spewed its venom, the sticky fluiding for Kang Oh. "I''ll block it," Eder said and cast a spell. A bone shield appeared before Kang Oh, protecting him from the venom. Chiik! It was highly toxic, which was evidenced by it burning through the bone shield. Kang Oh kicked the melting bone shield away. The flying shield struck the rattlesnake, and it wobbled from the impact. Kang Oh dashed towards the snake and cut its head. Swish. Red shards poured out of its head, but it hadn''t died yet. The rattlesnake opened its mouth wide and counterattacked. However, Eder had cast his Bone Bind spell. Bones sprouted around the sides of its mouth and tightened around it. It tried to open its mouth somehow, but nothing worked. Kang Oh thrust his sword several times at the muzzled rattlesnake. Pook, pook, pook! "The end." And finally, Kang Oh raised his sword and pressed down hard. Darkness Strike! A ck wave came out of the magic sword. Kwajik! The magic sword pierced through its body. At the same time, the jet-ck wave dealt a serious blow. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated a Purple Rattlesnake.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Physical +1] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ He hadn''t even asked him to do so, but Eder collected the junk items and presented them to him. "Good work." "It''s nothing." "Let''s go!" Tak! Tak! Kang Oh continued to cut through the brush with the bone de and press forward. How much time had passed? "There!" Eder pointed somewhere. And Baramut was there. However...! It wasn''t alone. Chapter 29. Jungle Exploration (2)

Chapter 29. Jungle Exploration (2)

Trantor: Boko Aaoooh! They suddenly heard the cries of a wolf. ''There are wolves in the jungle too?'' Kang Oh tilted his head. It seemed like wolves lived in Baramut''s Hunting Ground as well. The group of wolves waded through the brush and came out one or two at a time. These wolves were about level 60 - 80 and lived and hunted in groups. Kang Oh quickly formted a n. There were twenty wolves in total. "There!" Eder pointed towards the approaching wolves. Within that group Kang Oh saw... "Baramut!" It was the boss monster, Baramut. Baramut watched them from atop a giant boulder, its eyes glowing with a blue hue. Kuheong! Baramut roared. The wolves barked violently, as if they were responding to Baramut''s call, and dashed towards Kang Oh and Eder. Keong, keong! ''What the hell? A cat''s working together with dogs!?'' Now that he thought about it, the very idea that cats didn''t get along with dogs was nothing more than an old idiom. Ultimately, Kang Oh and Eder were forced to face both the 20 wolves and Baramut itself! They were clearly outnumbered. "Are we going to fight?" Eder asked. "We have to fight back-to-back! It''ll be more dangerous if we show our backs to them." The wolves weren''t the issue here. If they attempted to escape and turned their backs to the enemy, then Baramut would attack, which would signal the end for them. "I understand!" Kang Oh and Eder stood back-to-back. He firmly gripped the hilt of his de, while Eder raised a bone spear. Five wolves acted as the vanguard, and rushed Kang Oh and Eder as if to surround them. Kureureu! The first group of wolves leaped and lunged at Kang Oh while baring their teeth. Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Swish. Peok! One of the wolves fell. But in exchange, two of the wolves aimed for each of Kang Oh''s legs. Kang Oh moved to the left, avoiding the wolf to his right. While doing so, he thrusted his de into the left wolf''s mouth. Peok! The left wolf fell to the ground. Kyaoh! The wolves continued their assault. Kang Oh engaged the rushing wolves, whilst continuously ncing at Baramut. He had no problem with mere wolves, but Baramut could prove to be an issue! He couldn''t afford to miss a single one of its moves. Kureung. Baramut, as always, stood proudly over the rock, and looked down at the fight among Kang Oh, Eder, and the wolves. Its eye continued to glow a bright blue. ''When are you going to attack!?'' Kang Oh continued to swing his sword without lowering his guard. Papak! He sensed that Eder was engaging the wolves from behind him. Eder used a variety of bone magic to keep the wolves at bay and would kill any wolves that came too close with his bone spear. Kang Oh swung his sword freely to push the wolves back! Whereas Eder used all manner of bone magic to harass the wolves! The wolves began to dwindle. Kang Oh and Eder were up against a group of twenty, but the wolves were still no match for them. If Baramut didn''t join the fray, then the wolves would inevitably meet their end! However, Baramut had no intention of letting them do as they pleased. There was something strange about the wolves as well. Their eyes were bloodshot and they drooled excessively. It felt as if they weren''t the ones on the hunt; rather, they acted like they were the ones being hunted. ''I thought it was weird that a cat was working together with dogs; Baramut''s controlling them!'' Kang Oh figured out what was going on. The bright blue glow in Baramut''s eyes! It was likely a skill that allowed it to control the wolves. Yet there were twenty wolves it needed to control. It must require intense concentration, which would exin why Baramut hadn''t moved an inch. If that''s the case, then Baramut wouldn''t join the fray until the wolves were either all dead, or a certain amount of them had died. "Eder, keep your guard up. Baramut could attack at any time." "Ok." He didn''t think it necessary to exin that Bahamut was controlling the wolves and subsequently couldn''t move. It was merely a hypothesis. There was a chance that he was incorrect, and it could have the reverse effect of lowering Eder''s guard. Kang Oh continuously swung his sword and felled more and more wolves. Fortunately, Eder didn''t lower his guard. Keong, keong! Ggeung. The wolves'' barks and moans seemed tobine. There were only five wolves left! That''s when...! Kuahhang!! Baramut roared. The brush rose and fell, and several birds flew into the sky. "It''sing!" Kang Oh yelled. While they were surrounded by the five wolves, Baramut dashed towards them whilst maintaining the blue glow in its eyes. ''As I thought.'' Kang Oh was right. It hadn''t been able to move while controlling that many wolves. But once their numbers had dwindled, it had decided to join the fight. ''Clever bastard!'' It had whittled down their HP, MP, and Stamina with the wolves, and was now attempting to finish them off. Pak, pak, pak! Whenever Baramut strode forward, its feet would kick up a lump of dirt. ''It''s fast!'' Kang Oh put up his guard, readying himself for Baramut''s iing attack. "Get away!" Ederunched a barrage of bone shards at it, but it zigzagged on its way forward, allowing it to dodge all of the projectiles. It quickly came within range of Kang Oh and swiped like lightning with its front foot. Boong! Its sharp ws cleaved through the air,ing for Kang Oh''s head. Kang Oh defended himself with his de. Kang! Although he''d blocked its strike, the force behind it was still transferred to his body. Eder quickly cast Bone Bind. Bones sprouted around Baramut''s hind legs. However, Baramut was no ordinary monster; it was a boss monster! And the master of the jungle at that! Baramut swept its hind legs, and the obstructing bones rustled to the ground. Kuheong! Baramut roared. With its roar, the five remaining wolves dashed towards Eder. The wolves lunged at Eder in three separate directions. Eder quickly conjured up a bone de and shield and parried their assault. However, he could no longer harass Baramut. Thus, Kang Oh was forced to take on Baramut one-on-one. Of course, Kang Oh was convinced that he could win. "You damn cat!" Although Baramut was three times the size of a normal tiger, it was still fundamentally a cat! Kyaoh! It seemed as though it had understood his insult, as its face crinkled. At the same time, it kicked off the floor and lunged at Kang Oh. It was as though he were being struck by lightning. Kuhah! Baramut opened his mouth wide. Its sharp teeth gleamed. If those sharp teeth sunk into his skin, then he''d be cut apart like he were on a butcher¡¯s block. ''Can''t let that happen!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung downwards. sh! The white line etched into the air following the trajectory of his de. Darkness Strike activated in tandem with it and a ck wave engulfed his magic sword in the form of a wild beast.. Thebination of sh and Darkness Strike! Kwang! Thus far, Kang Oh had been pushed back in terms of strength. This time, not only did he ovee Baramut''s strength, but it also rolled onto the floor a few times. ''Now!'' He immediately dashed forward and thrust his sword into the ground. Once the sword made contact with the ground, a barrage of earth shards assaulted Baramut. Pabapak! Baramut quickly stood up and forcefully kicked off the ground. It narrowly avoided the earth shards, merely being grazed by a few of them. ''I thought you''d do that!'' The earth shards had just been a distraction. He was the true threat! Kang Oh rushed towards it and swung his sword. "Huahp!" His jet-ck de cleaved through the air! Kureureu! Baramutid down, narrowly avoiding his de by a hair''s breadth. "You''re not getting away!" Kang Oh cut through its side. sh! A white line that seemed to divide the world came out! Unfortunately, Darkness Strike didn''t activate. Instead, his de had made contact with its side. Swish! A clear wound had appeared on Baramut''s side. Kyaaah! Baramut roared menacingly and swiped with its front paw. Thus far, it was its fastest attack yet. ''Head!'' Kang Oh felt a chill from atop his head, so he tilted his upper body back. Buwak! Baramut rent the area he''d once upied. It was truly a ferocious attack! However... ''It doesn''t matter if I don''t get hit.'' Once he dodged its front paw, he counterattacked. Swish, swish, swish! shes of his jet-ck de filled the air. He was aiming for the wound on its side! Kuhang! Baramut didn''t back down. With its incredible agility, which was unbefitting of itsrge frame, it dodged Kang Oh''s assault and counterattacked with its ws and teeth. "Die!" Kang Oh yelled. Kuhang! Baramut roared. They exchanged blows several times. However, it wasn''t easy to decide a victor. They were true equals! They werepletely on par with each other! But Baramut was the first one to give an inch. Kureureu. It turned its body so that the wound on its side wasn''t visible and red at Kang Oh. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh caught his breath. He didn''t have much Stamina left, so he didn''t immediately charge at Baramut. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh nced at Eder. Eder had already taken down two of the wolves, so there were only three remaining. ''I have to keep it busy until Eder''s free. If we fight together, then we can take it down for sure.'' Kang Oh adjusted his grip. Baramut sure was a clever tiger. It was well aware that time was not on its side. Kureuuu. It let out a low growl and the blue glow disappeared from its eyes. At the same time, it turned itself aroundpletely and vanished into the foliage. "Stop right there!" Kang Oh quickly yelled. But why would it stay still just because he said so? In the end, Baramut returned into the jungle''s depths and disappearedpletely. Keoheong, keong, keong! Simultaneously, Baramut''s control over the wolves was broken, and the two wolves that had barely made it out alive began to run away as well. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Eder pierced one of the escaping wolves with his bone spear. Kang Oh killed thest remaining wolf, ultimately feeding his de a chicken rather than a pheasant. "Good work, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder approached him. "You too." "Here." Eder passed him the collected junk items. "Mm." Kang Ohid all of the junk items he''d collected thus far, as well as the ones Eder had given him onto the ground. He extended his magic sword over the junk and activated its Predator ability. Then, darkness flowed out of the de and consumed the junk items. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Ubist has consumed the Wasp''s Poison Stinger. Satiation has increased by 0.06%.] [Ubist has consumed the Rattlesnake''s Rattle. Satiation has increased by 0.1%.] [Ubist has consumed the Wolf''s Tooth. Satiation has increased by 0.12%.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ While he was feeding his magic sword, Eder asked, "Baramut keeps escaping. What will you do?" "We have to finish it in its den, so that it has nowhere to run." That was the entire reason they had been roaming around the jungle in the first ce. In order to find Baramut''s den. "Then... Next time we meet, I''ll attempt to cast a curse onto it." "A curse?" "Yes. It''s called a stalker curse and will allow us to ascertain its location." "You could''ve done that earlier." "I hadn''t thought about it until now." Eder scratched his head. "Fine. Then next time we meet, use that stalker curse on Baramut." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder began their trek through the jungle once more. Baramut didn''t show up for quite a long time. And... Night had fallen. Chapter 30. A Desperate Fight Against Baramut

Chapter 30. A Desperate Fight Against Baramut

Trantor: Boko Trekking through the jungle at nighttime was much more dangerous than doing so in daylight. Which was exactly what they were doing right now! Kang Oh felt a chill on his head, so he reflexively ducked his head and rolled onto the floor. Kwak! All of a sudden, Baramut sprang out from the darkness and bit the space his head had once upied. If not for his Hyper Intuition''s warning, then Baramut would be chewing on his head right now. "W-What!?" Eder yelled in shock. Kang Oh quickly stood up and prepared himself for battle. ''ck!'' Kang Oh opened his eyes wide. During the day, Baramut looked like any other tiger, with orange fur and ck stripes. Now that night had dawned, however, it had turned ck. Eyes, ws... its entire body had turnedpletely ck! It was a perfect camouge for nighttime. ''You''re no lizard!'' His shock was merely momentary. Kang Oh got a hold of himself, rushed towards Baramut, and swung his sword. "Use the stalker curse!" Kang Oh yelled. "Please buy me some time until I''m done casting it." Eder muttered drearily whilst borately moving his hands around. Slowly, a red shape began to take form between his hands. Once Kang Oh attacked, Baramut counterattacked. Its sharp ws sliced through the air. Kang! His de and its ws shed together, giving off sparks. Baramut immediately lunged forward with its mouth. Kang Oh bowed his head, managing to avoid its teeth, and then swung his sword horizontally. sh! A white line cleaved through the air. The tiger dodged his de and leapt away, creating some distance between them. "Eder!" Kang Oh called. He was basically saying ''So how''s that stalker curse going?''. "I need a little bit more time!" Eder yelled. Kang Oh dashed towards Baramut. He needed to stay up close and personal so that it couldn''t escape. But by doing so, he was exposing himself to that much more danger. Kuheong! Baramut kicked off a tree and dashed towards Kang Oh in a zigzag pattern. The kicked tree snapped and toppled to the ground. Kang Oh and Baramut were running towards each other. In an instant, they had closed the distance between them. Baramut''s front paws turned gold, a clear indication of a skill in y. He didn''t know what skill it was, but it clearly wouldn''t bode well for him. Boong! Baramut struck with its front paw. Rather than attack, Kang Oh chose to safeguard his body with his sword. Kang Oh could feel an immense gust of winding from Baramut. The wind became countless whips that swept him away. "Ugh!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have been grazed by a Wind w. You have taken 80 damage.] [You have been grazed by a Wind w. You have taken 91 damage.] [You have been grazed by a Wind w...] [You have been grazed by a Wind w...] [Remaining HP: 621] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh took plenty of damage from the wind, and was unable to steady himself. The biggest issue was Baramut''s next attack! Kuheong! It roared, as if it knew that this was its chance, and aimed for his neck. He felt a cold sensation on his neck. Even if he didn''t have Hyper Intuition, he''d be able to sense the impending danger. It was dire. ''Shit!'' He couldn''t die like this. Kang Oh activated Gluttony, sacrificing the Ghost Pattern Shell Armor he was currently wearing. Darkness flowed out of the de and devoured the armor. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [The magic sword, Ubist, has consumed the Hero''s Ghost Pattern Shell Armor.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [The magic sword''s abilities, as well as your own, are doubled for three minutes.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Jet-ck energy leaked from Kang Oh''s body. The darkness wrapped around his body, as if to defend him. At that moment, Baramut used its back teeth to bite Kang Oh''s neck. Red shards gushed from Kang Oh''s neck. "Ugh." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have been struck in a vital area. You have taken 520 damage.] [Remaining HP: 101] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ He''d taken a substantial amount of damage. If he wasn''t in Gluttony mode, then he would¡¯ve died right then and there. Thanks to it being active, however, he was barely able to cling to life. "Uaaaahk!" Kang Oh yelled, and thrust his magic sword. Peok! His de released a wave of darkness. Darkness Strike! It wasn''t just a normal Darkness Strike. It was a Darkness Strike that was amplified by Gluttony. Perhaps that exined why the beast-like shape wasrger and denser than normal. Kwang! The gigantic tiger took a direct hit from the darkness wave. Since there was no space between them, there was no way that Baramut could avoid his attack. Kyaoh! Baramut yelled in agony and rolled onto the floor. Because of itsrge size, Baramut created arge groove in the ground. "Haahk, haa." Kang Oh regained his ragged breath, and rushed Baramut once more. ''This is my chance.'' Kang Oh quickly made his way before the beast and swung his sword. sh! However, his attack had failed. It activated its gold skill, creating a protective coat around itself. Pak! His de was stopped by the protective coat. ''What a skilled bastard!'' How can a tiger have a shield!? Even so, Kang Oh pushed on, repeatedly swinging his sword and cracking the protective coat. With Gluttony active, each and every one of his strikes caused a crack to form on the tiger''s shield. Kureureung! Right before it cracked, Baramut swung its front paws. Kang Oh responded in kind, forcefully swinging his de to match it. Kwang! de and w met, but Baramut was the one that was forced back. That was just how powerful Gluttony made him. He took a step forward and shed horizontally. Darkness Strike! Baramut was engulfed in a wave of darkness once more. It looked as though a pack of wolves were hunting the tiger. The tumbling Baramut barely kept itself steady. And began to retreat. At full speed! "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh followed Baramut. At that moment, something grazed his side. It was a dark red skull zing in blue me. The skull flew past him quick as lightning and circled around Baramut. And then, he heard a bizarre sound. Kyagyagyagyagagaga! "I''ve applied the stalker curse," Eder yelled. "Follow it!" This was their chance to take down Baramut. Baramut continued to run with the stalker curse applied. Gagagaga... Kang Oh followed the stalker curse''s blue me and the bizarre noises. Eder followed quickly behind him. * * * The speed of Baramut¡¯s retreat was incredibly fast. It would traverse great distances whenever it kicked off the ground. However, it couldn''t escape Kang Oh. After all, with Gluttony active, Kang Oh was faster. "You!" Kang Oh quickly caught up and swung downwards with his de. Swish! Kuheong! Baramut quickly rotated its body in order to avoid his attack. Pook! And his de struck the innocent ground. At that moment... It violently swung its front paw. ''Eek!'' Kang Oh quickly bowed his body. His HP was barely hanging in there. Thus, he was forced to dodge this attack no matter what. Fortunately, Baramut''s attack only sliced air, and Kang Oh mounted a counterattack. However, it kicked off the ground and attempted to run away once more. "Stop right there!" Kang Oh followed after it. It had evolved into a running fight. But halfway through, he noticed a cave with a giant entrance, which Baramut escaped into. Kang Oh followed it into the cave, but the moment he stepped foot into it... Baramut turned 180 degrees and lunged at him. Golden energy rippled around its body. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword with all the strength he could muster; after all, he couldn''t back down now. sh! Tang! Kang Oh and Baramut! Their strength was dead even. Ultimately, neither side could ovee the other and both were forced back. Gyareureu. The tiger opened its mouth, allowing him to slightly see its teeth, and then vanished, retreating deeper into the cave. ''I can''t let it go.'' Kang Oh followed it deeper into the cave. However, a system message appeared, informing him that Gluttony was no longer active. ''I have to take it down no matter what!'' Since Gluttony was inactive, he couldn''t chase Baramut anymore. That just meant that he had to catch it now while he still knew where it was. Kang Oh ran as fast as he could in order to catch it. But did Baramut agree that they both needed to end things here? If not, then was there nowhere else to run besides this cave? Baramut stood proudly at the center of the vast cave, which was illuminated by the embedded gemstones. Its ck camouge had disappeared; it regained its orange fur and ck stripes, and stood before him as a majestic tiger once more. The Baramut watched him from ahead and seemed to signal this with its bodynguage. ''Let''s finish this!'' And in the end, only one of them would leave here alive. "That''s what I''m talking about." Kang Oh strode towards Baramut. He could summon Eder, who was running as fast as he could to follow them, but he decided against it. Kang Oh just wanted to fight it one-on-one. Baramut continued to stare proudly whilst Kang Oh strode forward; it didn''t move an inch. Kang Oh stopped close enough where his magic sword could reach it. Obviously, he was close enough that Baramut''s ws could reach him as well. In other words, they were close enough to harm each other! They stared into each others eyes. Was that the signal? They moved simultaneously. "Die!" Kang Oh swung his magic sword. Kuheong! While Baramut swung its giant front paw. The sh between these two! They continuously attacked in an attempt to kill the other! Both Kang Oh and Baramut forewent defense and focused entirely on offense. Kang. Ggang. Kang, kang! His de and its ws shed endlessly. They didn''t hold back with their skills either. sh! Earth Shards! sh! Wind w! Roar! Wind w! In the midst of all that, due to the ferocity of their confrontation, they both continued to take damage. Shards of red light continuously poured out of both Kang Oh and Baramut little by little. However! One side was gradually gaining the advantage. Kang Oh swung his sword as if he were in a trance. His concentration was at its peak right now. With the experience and talent he possessed as the gamer who ruled over Warlord as the game''s strongest, as well as his Hyper Intuition, his real-lifebat senses, as well as his tough character...! All of these factorsbined raged on, like metal smelted in a furnace, even when facing such a powerful foe in such a desperate battle! His strength was bursting out all at once. Baramat too, resisted until the very end. It used its gold skill effect! It also repeatedly used its Wind w and swept him away. However, Kang Oh swung his sword like a madman, and continuously deflected any and all wind whips that came his way. Moreover, his first attack against its shield had formed cracks along its surface, and by repeating striking against the cracked surface, it broke instantaneously. One step. One more step. Kang Oh advanced steadily. While Baramut was pushed back. Kuaaang! Baramut roared at the top of its lungs. A normal person would feel weak at the knees! But scared dogs bark the loudest. Conversely, Kang Oh''s eyes were calm... no, they werepletely still. Ultimately, Kang Oh unleashed his final attack. Swish. With his magic sword that cut through the world. The snow-white line followed the trajectory of his de! Peok! Baramut''s vision became blurry. It mustered up all the strength it had left to turn its body to one side of the cave. It bowed its head in that direction and then met its death. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated Baramut.] [Baramut is a unique boss monster.] [Baramut drops items that include its name.] [You have defeated a unique boss monster. Your fame has increased, and all yourbat-rted side stats have improved.] [Baramut''s Hunting Ground has returned to its original name: Quiet Lavero Jungle.] [You have acquired the title, ''King of the Lavero Jungle''.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''It was a unique boss?'' This meant that this was the only one to exist in Arth''s history, whether it be past, present, or future. Whereas the Spider Queen, Alishi, would revive after a certain amount of time. To be more specific, it would respawn. It was only natural, as this was a game. However, unique boss monsters wouldn''t respawn. There was only one of them! If they were killed, that was it! Thus, Baramut had, in the truest sense of the word, died. Never again would anyone be able to see Baramut ever again. Also, boss monsters would drop one-of-a-kind equipment that bore their name. That was what the four pieces of shimmering equipment around Baramut were. Kang Oh collected the equipment. And he looked over to where Baramut had bowed before it died. Thest act of the unique boss monster, Baramut. It was... ''It seemed like it missed its home.'' It was said that foxes turn their heads towards their home before they died. That''s how Kang Oh interpreted Baramut''s final act. ''Why?'' Kang Oh walked over in that direction. There was a giant piece of cloth draped over the wall. He raised the fabric, revealing an area which seemed fit for a human to live in. There was a brazier, a bed, a table, a bookshelf and books, cooking utensils, etc. And there was the body of an old robe-wearing woman rocking atop the rocking chair. Chapter 31. Bercy and Baramut

Chapter 31. Bercy and Baramut

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh walked over to the side of the woman''s body. She had aged gracefully and her face bore a kind and gentle smile. ''This is...'' A half-moon shapedb as long as a person¡¯s forearm shone atop the table. Kang Oh picked up theb. "Appraise." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Comb (a keepsake)] Theb that the mage, Bercy the North Wind, used to brush Baramut''s fur. [Memories dwell within the item. Would you like to see these memories?] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "I do." Kang Oh reyed Bercy and Baramut''s memories. The wind mage, Bercy had studied magic all her life as she wandered thends like the wind, earning her the nickname of the North Wind. Bercy met several people in her life and lived through several experiences and adventures. Time passed by, and she eventually became an old woman. Maybe it was because she traveled from ce to ce all throughout her youth? For now, she desired to live out the rest of her life in a quiet ce. Thus, she came to the Quiet Lavero Jungle. The jungle was extremely quiet and secluded from the outside world, making it a good ce to spend the rest of her days in peace. Bercy constructed a cabin within the jungle and lived in it. She eventually discovered a tiger cub who''d lost its mother and decided to bring it back to her cabin and look after it. "Hmm. I have to give you a name... Right! Let''s go with Baramut." In the ancient tongue, Ba meant north, Ra meant wind, and Mut meant child. Thus, Baramut¡¯s name meant that it was her, the North Wind''s, child. That''s how their rtionship started. Bercy and Baramut treated each other like mother and son, creating countless memories together. Baramut grew rapidly under Bercy''s love and protection. By living with a wind mage, Baramut learned how tomand the wind, and became a unique being that far surpassed any normal tiger. It also grew three timesrger than the average tiger, so they were unable to live in their cabin any longer. Thus, Bercy and Baramut made thergest cave in the jungle their new home. Around this time, Baramut had be the master of the jungle. That''s when the Quiet Lavero Jungle became Baramut''s Hunting Ground. A few years passed... No one could defy death. Death hade for Bercy. "Thanks for everything Baramut." She pet Baramut''s head as she breathed herst. Distraught by her death, Baramut roared for three days and nights. Even after her death, Baramut continued to protect her. So that no one could disturb her peaceful rest... Having seen the memories that dwelled within the keepsake, Kang Oh now understood everything. The reason why Baramut had so desperately attacked them, why it had faced them here rather than running, and its final act before dying. It was all for Bercy. ''You''re ok for a tiger.'' Kang Oh scratched his cheek. It was an emotional story. But that was all it was to him. Despite that, it didn''t feel right for him to ignore everything he¡¯d seen and walk away. Therefore, Kang Oh decided to pay his respects to both Bercy and Baramut. ''I''ll let you be together.'' Kang Oh put down theb and left Bercy''s home. "Mr. Kang Oh!" At that moment, Eder entered the cave. "Good timing." He needed a worker anyway. "Did you defeat Baramut by yourself?" Eder saw Baramut''s corpse and asked in astonishment. "You certainly weren''t helping, so yeah." "As I thought, you truly are amazing!" Eder gave him a thumbs up in an attempt to match Kang Oh''s humor. "Whatever. Just start digging," Kang Oh said. "Dig? Why?" Eder asked. "I want to bury them." "Baramut?" "Yeah," Kang Oh replied. Eder merely stared at Kang Oh, as if to say ''Why are you suddenly doing something so out of character?''. "Bercy too," Kang Oh added. "Bercy?" Eder tilted his head. This was the first time he''d ever heard that name. "Just shut up and dig." Kang Oh scowled. "I understand," Eder responded quickly. "We have to bury Baramut, so make sure to dig it wide and deep enough. I''ll be waiting outside the cave." "Ok." Kang Oh left Eder alone and went outside. Eder conjured up two giant bone hands with his magic. Although the bone hands wererge and strong, they were too slow to use in an actual fight. In exchange, they were extremely useful for activities like this. He pretended to rake the ground with his hands, and the giant bone hands followed suit. Pak! Pak! Paahk! Pak! The dirt within the cave was soft, so he progressed quickly. Kang Oh returned while Eder was still absorbed in digging. He''d returned with a giant sturdy log strapped to his shoulder and a white flower held between his teeth. "Hoo, shall we begin?" He dropped the log, put the flowers to the side, and raised his sword. He cut the log and started to carve out a groove. ''This should be enough.'' Kang Oh pped his hands together and nodded his head. He had created a coffin! A coffinrge enough to fit even the giant Baramut. Of course, it wasn''t well-made, rather it was quite in and crudely made. But even though he was no master carpenter, this was an adequate coffin. "I''ve finished digging. Is the pit big enough?" Eder asked. The grave was both wide and deep enough to fit Baramut''s coffin. "Yes. Put the coffin inside." The bone hands lifted the coffin, and carefully ced the coffin within the grave. "Next, put Baramut inside the coffin." The bone hands lifted Baramut with ease andid it within the coffin. It was a perfect fit for Baramut, so thankfully he didn''t have to rebuild the coffin for being too small. Kang Oh opened the tent and entered Bercy''s home. He took the keepsakeb and approached Bercy. "Excuse me." Kang Oh carefully carried Bercy''s body outside. He was worried she might dissolve into particles of light, like that of monsters'' corpses, so he acted with care. "Is this old woman Bercy?" Eder asked as Kang Oh approached the grave. Kang Oh didn''t deign to answer him; instead, he carefully ced Bercy within Baramut''s coffin. Baramut''s body had beenid down in a crescent-shape, so he ced her inside the curve as if they were embracing. Lastly, he retrieved the keepsakeb and ced it on Bercy''s chest. "Hoo." Kang Oh let out his held breath. He felt relieved; he had been worried that he might damage Bercy''s body while carrying it. "Mmnn. That old woman is Bercy, right?" Eder asked once more. Kang Oh had already ignored him once before, but Eder didn''t give up and asked again. His question also sought the answer to ''Who exactly is Bercy?''. "She was a wind mage. She gave a baby tiger the name of Baramut raised it. You could say... she was Baramut''s mother," Kang Oh exined briefly. "I see." "Let''s pay our respects and finish up." "Ok." Kang Oh gently ced the white flowers atop Bercy and bowed his head in respect. Even Eder, whose skull couldn''t bend that well, bowed as much as he could. He also attempted to lower his eyes, or rather, the glow in his eye sockets, as much as he could. This was all he could do for the two deceased. They remained silent for a moment. Kang Oh and Eder raised their heads at the same time. "Shall I close the lid?" Eder asked. Now, all that was left was to close the lid and fill the grave. Kang Oh nodded his head. The bone hands inched forward and grabbed the lid of the coffin. "Ah, wait a minute." Kang Oh stopped him, as if he''d suddenly remembered something, and approached the lid of the coffin. Swish. Swish. Using the tip of his de, Kang Oh engraved inscriptions on the coffin''s lid. "I¡¯m done. Put the lid on," Kang Oh said. The bone hands slowly ced the lid atop the coffin. Fortunately, the lid fit seamlessly. Now, the inscriptions he''d made could be seen quite clearly. "Eternally mother and son: Bercy and Baramut. Rest in peace," Eder read the inscription. "It''s quite nice," Ederplimented. "Cover it." "Alright." The bone hands pushed the piles of dirt nearby and instantly covered the grave. Eder controlled the bone hands with his delicate hand gestures and used the remaining dirt to create a burial mound. "Shall I make a tombstone as well?" Eder asked. "It''s fine. This is more than enough." The awkward feeling he''d felt after learning of Bercy and Baramut''s story was resolved now. Kang Oh didn''t want to concern himself with Bercy and Baramut any longer. Instead, his attention had already turned somewhere else. "Now, shall we clear the dungeon!?" Quiet Lavero Jungle. Although this ce didn¡¯t seem like a dungeon due to its jungle nature, it was undoubtedly the inside of a hidden dungeon. Plus, this cave was the hidden dungeon''s boss, Baramut''s home. In other words, the boss room. It was also the home to the mage known as the North Wind. There should be much more that he could gain here. "Heh." He couldn''t help butugh. However! Suddenly, Bercy and Baramut''s souls appeared before him and bowed. Then they faded away into motes of light At the same time, a message appeared. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Bercy''s soul is thankful to you.] [By inheriting the wisdom of the mage known as the North Wind, you have learned the passive skill ''Wisdom of the North Wind''.] [Magic +60] [Mental +40] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''The Wisdom of the North Wind? Plus, my Magic and Mental stats went up by 100 points total!'' Despite it being such an exciting notification, Kang Oh felt puzzled. It almost felt like Santa us hade with presents, even though it wasn''t Christmas. Moreover, that wasn''t the end. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Baramut''s soul is thankful to you.] [By inheriting Baramut''s equipment, you have learned the active skill, ''Tempest Tiger''.] [Physical +60] [Sense +40] [The equipment Baramut left behind has be even stronger.] [The equipment Baramut left behind has been upgraded to S-rank.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''My Physical and Sense stats went up by a total of 100 too!'' Kang Oh gaped. One gained 3 stat points per level up. If he wanted to gain 200 stats purely through level ups, then he''d need to level up 67 times. In other words, these rewards were the same as instantaneously leveling up 67 times. He couldn''t believe what had just happened! ''To think I''d hit the jackpot this hard!'' Moreover! Kang Oh opened his inventory with shaking hands, and looked over the equipment Baramut had left behind. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Baramut¡¯s Dignity Filled Heart] Part of the Baramut set that was left behind by the King of the Quiet Lavero Jungle, Baramut. It is made from a tiger''s fur, as well as an unidentifiable alloy. It is both light and tough, a treasure amongst treasures. It contains the power of the wind and gives the wielder an aura of dignity. +2 set effect: When you attack an enemy, wind damage is added to your attacks. +3 set effect: You may use Baramut''s Roar once a day. +4 set effect: Upon taking a fatal blow, a wind shield appears to nullify the attack. Cooldown: 1 hour Rank: S Abilities: Defense +300, Physical +50, Mental +30, Dignity +30 Any wind-rted magic or skill damage +5% Minimum requirements: Level 120, Physical 500, Wind Resistance 30%. Minimum requirements can be ignored if yer possesses the title, ''King of the Lavero Jungle''. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Gulp. It was an excellently designed armor, crafted by mixing together silver metal and tiger fur. Plus, it was S-rank armor and part of a set. Kang Oh was speechless. Just one word kept ringing through his mind over and over again. ''Jackpot!'' There were still three pieces of equipment left. Chapter 32. A Productive Day

Chapter 32. A Productive Day

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh examined the helmet left behind by Baramut with shaking hands. It was an excellent, refined helmet in the shape of a tiger. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Baramut''s Charming Face] A helmet that is part of the Baramut set that was left behind by the King of the Quiet Lavero Jungle, Baramut. It is made from a tiger''s fur, as well as an unidentifiable alloy. It is both light and tough, a treasure amongst treasures. The helmet takes the shape of Baramut''s face when it was still alive. With its incredibly refined and attractive design, it is likely to give designers inspiration. +2 set effect: When you attack an enemy, wind damage is added to it. +3 set effect: You may use Baramut''s Roar once a day. +4 set effect: If you were to take a fatal blow, a wind shield will nullify the attack.Cooldown: 1 hour Rank: S Abilities: Defense +70, Physical +50, Mental +30, Charm +30 Minimum Requirements: Level 120, Physical 450, Wind Resistance 30%. Minimum requirements can be ignored if yer possesses the title, ''King of the Lavero Jungle''. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''This one''s S-rank too!'' As it was a part of the Baramut armor set, it, like the armor itself, was amazing. Kang Oh checked the rest of the armor set, his hands shaking unceasingly. ''Baramut''s Courageous ws'' were silver gloves with a tiger pattern. While the glimmering metal boots were called ''Baramut''s Wind Surpassing Boots''. They were all S-ranked treasures! Moreover, since he''d defeated Baramut and obtained the King of the Lavero Jungle title, he could equip the armor set right away. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have equipped Baramut''s Dignity Filled Heart.] [You have equipped Baramut''s Charming Face.] [You have equipped Baramut''s Courageous ws.] [You have equipped Baramut''s Wind Surpassing Boots] [You have gathered all the parts of the Baramut set. All set effects are now active.] [By equipping Baramut''s Dignity Filled Heart, the Dignity stat has been created.] [Dignity is the ability to garner respect from all. The higher the stat, the easier it bes to make one submit.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "How does it look, Eder!?" Kang Oh, who''d equipped the Baramut set, began to boast in front of Eder. "I-It''s quite nice," Eder replied vacantly. The Baramut set! Performance was important, but the design was simply amazing. The silver metal and the tiger pattern served as the base of the design, making it look both unique and charming. Moreover, tying the magic sword onto his back made him look like some kind of legendary hero. Kang Oh, satisfied with Eder''s reaction, opened his skill window and looked over the skills he''d learned. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Magic Swordsmanship] Magic Swordsmanship is the Magic Swordsman''s ss skill. In other words, the greater the Magic Swordsmanship, the greater the Magic Swordsman. The higher Magic Swordsmanship bes, the more powerful a magic sword''s special abilities and the Magic Swordsman''s own ss skills be. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 97.03% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Darkness Strike] Inflicts a devastating blow that uses the power of darkness dwelling within the magic sword. When you attack or use abat-rted skill, there is a fixed chance that it will activate. If the magic sword, Ubist, strikes down an enemy with Darkness Strike, then there is a fixed chance that stats will be stolen. But if Ubist is lost, then those stats return to normal. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 72.31% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [sh] A powerful sh. It inflicts a wound. Striking the wound will result in a critical hit. ssification: Active/Skill MP Use: 10 Cooldown: 10 seconds Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 88.34% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Basic Evasion] The most basic evasion technique. Slightly increases one''s evasion. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 35.51% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Quickfoot] An efficient way of moving one''s feet. Slightly increases one''s movement speed. ssification: Passive/Skill Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 41.62% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Wisdom of the North Wind] The wise teachings of the North Wind, Bercy. You can asionally be guided by the wind. Increases the power of your wind-rted magic or skills. Through your higher understanding of wind, your wind resistance increases. Proficiency increases if you follow the guidance of the wind, or use wind magic/skills. ssification: Passive/Magic Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Baramut''s Roar] You may reenact the King of the Quiet Lavero Jungle, Baramut''s Roar. If used, the roar causes Baramut''s soul to dwell in the user''s body for 30 minutes, and increases the user''s strength. Because it is an inherent feature of the Baramut set, it does not possess a rank or proficiency. ssification: Active/Skill MP Use: 0 Cooldown: Once a day _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Tempest Tiger] Blows a powerful tiger-shaped aura. Wind rages on in tandem with the aura, causing damage on arge scale. The higher the rank, the wider the range and more destructive the aura bes. It also increases the intensity of the raging winds as well. ssification: Active/Skill MP Use: 500 Cooldown: 2 minutes Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ The Magic Swordman''s ss skill, Magic Swordsmanship, was already close to the intermediate level. His other skills, befitting a character that had dumped all of his spare stat points into Sense, were rising quickly as well. But unfortunately, Baramut''s Roar was a skill enabled by the armor set, so its proficiency couldn''t be improved. In exchange, he''d gained the aura skill, Tempest Tiger! Fitting such an incredibly destructive aura skill, it consumed an immense amount of MP In other words, he didn''t have to kill each and every monster separately, but could gather them in one location and kill them all at once with Tempest Tiger! Of course, he wouldn''t know exactly how powerful it was until he used it himself. ''We''ll try using it little-by-little.'' Kang Oh was finished examining his unexpected profit. Now it was time for him to find and then take all of the riches that Baramut had umted. He also nned on taking all the items of value within Bercy''s home as well. ''Though it probably won''t be as good as the Baramut set.'' His unexpected profit was much toorge. Unless Baramut had rued around 1,000 gold or there was a piece of SS-rank Mage equipment in Bercy''s home, then there wouldn''t be much to get excited about. ''Still, I won''t leave a single coin here.'' Kang Oh searched the cave. He soon found a space covered with cloth. It was the ce where Baramut had left its wealth. There were heaps of gold, gemstones, and materials within. ''It''s only about 300 gold, huh.'' Kang Oh eyeballed the amount of gold, his expression calm. As he''d expected, since he''d received such a honey-sweet reward already, the sight of a sugary reward didn''t do much for him. In other words, he was full. Of course, the fact that he was full didn''t mean he would just forgo collecting all of the riches and materials right before his eyes. ''Hmm. There are some strange materials here too.'' Kang Oh collected all of the gold and materials. ck steel (more valuable than regr steel), a small pearl and a single diamond, mysterious patterned fabric, etc. Kang Oh collected them all and ced them into his inventory. Having collected everything that Baramut had stashed away, Kang Oh headed for Bercy''s home. There, he found seble magic equipment and devices. Kang Oh lifted what looked like the staff that Bercy had used when she was alive, ''Gentle Breeze''s Luby'' and examined its info. "I should sell thister." It was an A-rank, level 300 restricted staff. He could keep it stored for now, but when other users reached level 300, he could sell it then for a good price. Kang Oh ced the staff into his inventory and removed the heaviest looking book on the bookshelf. The cover read, . It was written by Bercy. He examined the info and found that he could learn two different spells from it: Northerly Wind and Cold Snow, as well as Piercing Gale. "This''ll make me some money." Sense was the stat that ruled over ''skills'', while Magic ruled over ''spells''. ''Skills'' were learned through textbooks while ''spells'' were learned through grimoires. But normally, grimoires were more expensive than skill textbooks. Plus, Bercy''s grimoire taught not one, but two spells, so it would prove to be even more expensive. "Is there anything else..." Kang Oh perused the other books on the shelf, but there wasn''t anything else there that was worthwhile. He looked through the room one more time just in case he missed something but didn''t find anything else. "Shall we get going?" Kang Oh told Eder. Eder hadn''t gone empty-handed. His hands were filled with rare books that Bercy had treasured. Informational books or stories like , , and . Obviously, they weren''t books worth any value. If they were, Kang Oh would''ve taken them out of his hands right away. They were just books that Eder wanted to read. "But how do we get out of here? I don''t see any Weasel Beads or wind magic scrolls," Eder asked. "It''s ok. I¡¯ve learned a wind technique." Kang Oh and Eder left Bercy and Baramut''s residence, passed through the Quiet Lavero Jungle and finally arrived at the cave where the portal had first opened. "Heup." Kang Oh swung his sword. He felt arge amount of MP leave him like an ebbing tide. Activate Tempest Tiger! The tiger-shape aura spewed golden light from his jet-ck de, projecting in every direction. This was followed by a violent, raging wind that struck the walls like a whip. Peopeopeok! The wind began to make an imprint on the wall as if a snake had crawled along it. Above all, the golden light tiger swept everything away like a bulldozer. The rocks on the ground were crushed, and the gemstones on the cave''s ceiling cracked. Finally, there was a head-on collision between the wall and the aura. Kwang! A deafening roar resounded throughout, and a hole was made in the wall. "Wow." Kang Oh''s spine throbbed at the overwhelmingly destructive capabilities of the skill. Tempest Tiger! There was a reason it cost 500 MP. It was just that powerful. "Ooooh," Eder groaned from beside him. If Eder were swept away by that tiger and wind, then he''d be broken into pieces. It was horrifying just thinking about it. ''How could you give him such an amazing ability. Jeez!'' Eder decided to be more careful so that he didn''t grate on Kang Oh''s nerves in the future. In any case, a portal opened before Kang Oh and Eder that sucked in the wind. They entered the portal and immediately returned to Altein. There was a full moon above the nightless city, Altein. "See you tomorrow." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder parted ways. Eder walked back to his mansion. The sole remaining Kang Oh looked back at his day. "Hoo. I sure made a lot." He''d gotten 600 gold from those idiots, Halt and Itar, and 300 gold from Baramut. Aside from that, if he sold all of the gemstones and materials, as well as the staff and grimoire Bercy had left behind, he''d gain, at least 500 gold. Above all, the value of the Baramut set, as well as the stats he''d received, couldn''t be valued! The Baramut armor set, as well as the 200 stat bonus, was worth much more than 1,000 gold. Thus, Kang Oh had, in a single time, seriously made a ton of money. "I wish every day was like today." He couldn''t help but smile. It truly was a productive day. Chapter 33. Information Gathering

Chapter 33. Information Gathering

Trantor: Boko The next day. Kang Oh sold all of the materials he''d taken from Baramut''s cave. ''I''ll store the staff for now, but I wonder how much the grimoire will go for?'' Kang Oh held off on selling the grimoire and the staff for the time being. He fed all of the junk items to his magic sword, and he also sold the equipment that the Baramut armor set had made obsolete. In total, he had made a little bit more than 1,700 gold total,bining how much he had on hand and how much he got from selling everything. ''Let''s change 1,000 gold into cash.'' Kang Oh headed for the Currency Exchange Office, which was near the Vidocq Square, so he could exchange his gold to cash. The Currency Exchange Office was, as mentioned, a ce where gold was exchanged into cash, so it was operated by the game¡¯s users. Apparently, the renowned trade-ss user, Limidas, first started this exchange business and had made a fortune. "Wee," a potbellied user, who manned the Currency Exchange Office, greeted him. The Currency Exchange Office doubled as a pawnshop and was structured the same as one as well. Also, he saw a sign that detailed the market value of gold, as well as themission fee. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Market price of gold: 1 gold = 10,000 won ($10 USD) Does not handle silver. Commission fee for exchanging gold to cash: 2% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''It''s still 1 gold for 10,000 won.'' Fundamentally, Arth was a game where yers made a lot and spent a lot. Users spent most of their money on equipment and potions. Good equipment costs more than a few thousand gold. The best equipment even sold for tens of thousands of gold. There were essentially two different types of potions; one red, which restored HP, and one blue, which restored MP. The price of potions varied based on their performance; they could range from 1 gold to 100 gold. Because Kang Oh could avoid most attacks through his Hyper Intuition, he didn''t really need to use potions. However, most users continuously used potions as they hunted. Thus, they were forced to spend quite a bit to keep themselves alive. Moreover, since Arth was such a worldwide hit, there was still a huge demand for gold. Therefore, the market price of gold hadn''t dipped; it was still 1 gold for 10,000 won. ''It won''t go up even further, will it?'' The market price may go down in the future, but it shouldn''t go up. Because the rankers and other users were continuing to progress, they were gradually making more and more gold. Thus, there would be arge influx of gold, so the market price would naturally decline. In other words, 1 gold for 10,000 won was as good as it was going to get. ''You¡¯ve got to take advantage of it while you still can.'' Kang Oh nned on exchanging as much gold as he could. Moreover, the government would tax-exempt any money made from items or gold in order to promote the virtual reality industry. ''What a world to live in.'' If you were good enough, you could make a living as a pro-gamer; it was a great time to be alive, no, scratch that, an amazing time to be alive. "How may I help you, sir?" the pot-bellied owner asked, sporting a professional smile. Kang Oh took out ten gold bars and passed them to the owner. "Would you like to exchange this for cash?" the owner asked. Kang Oh nodded his head, rather than reply. "You have exchanged 1,000 gold for 10 million won ($10,000 USD). How would you like to pay themission fee?" "I''ll pay with gold." Kang Oh passed him 20 gold, which was 2% of the 1,000 gold. "Please tell me what your ount number is," the owner said, as he took the gold. "My ount number is 910-122-78331029, Choi Jae Woo. Please deposit it immediately. Ah, I use the Piggy Savings Bank." When the turnover was more than 1,000 gold, the yer could ask for their money immediately like this. "Please wait 5 minutes." The pot-bellied owner logged out right in front of him. A short whileter, he reappeared. "I''ve finished depositing the money into your ount," the owner said. "I''lle back after I''ve checked." Kang Oh logged out and checked his bank ount with his phone. He had definitely received 10 million won. He essed Arth once more and finished up. "I got it. Thank you very much." "Of course. Have a nice day." Kang Oh, who''d left the Currency Exchange Office, headed for the Adventurer Guild. * * * "Hello," Kang Oh smiled affably and said. He''d asionally use this expression when he needed something from someone. "Have you been well?" the middle-aged man with three scars over his left eye, greeted back. His name was Jayce. He was the one who''d given Kang Oh the information on the Loxia family''s sword and the Cave Hidden by the Wind. "I found the Cave Hidden by the Wind," Kang Oh said. "Oh, you did? Where did you find it? How?" Jayce asked. Kang Oh exined where the cave''s location was, as well as how to open the portal. He gave him a general overview of his exploration of the jungle, described his desperate battle with Baramut, and even exined the story between Bercy and Baramut. "Baramut and Bercy... As I thought, quite a lot of strange things happen on the continent." Jayce, who''d heard the story behind Baramut and Bercy, was astonished. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have officially reported the Cave Hidden by the Wind, the Quiet Lavero Jungle, as well as the hidden story behind Bercy and Baramut to the Adventurer Guild.] [Your credibility with the Adventurer Guild has increased.] [Closeness with the veteran adventurer, Jayce, has increased.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''There''s nothing in the world that''s free.'' There was a reason he''d delineated his adventure to Jayce. Jayce had provided him with useful information thus far. Thus, he''d repaid him with information of his own. Now it was his turn to receive some information. "Have you heard anything unusual or have any info for me?" Kang Oh asked. "This is a big secret, but... I''ll make an exception and tell you and only you." As expected, it was give-and-take. The veteran adventurer, Jayce, took a peek around, move closer towards Kang Oh, and gestured him toe closer. Kang Oh pushed his face forward and Jayce whispered into his ear. "There''s a never before discovered oasis in the Bariton Desert; they say that there''s a ton of treasure hidden there." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have heard about the Bariton Desert''s hidden oasis.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Do you know anything else about the oasis?" "There''s truth behind the unending mirage. It''s something that has been passed down from the natives there." "There''s truth behind the unending mirage, huh... Hmm. I understand. I''ll try my hand at finding it." Jayce was the one who''d provided him information on the Loxia family''s ominous sword, as well as the Cave Hidden by the Wind. His information was trustworthy. "I''ll be waiting in anticipation," Jayce patted Kang Oh''s shoulder and encouraged him. "Are there any quests concerning the Bariton Desert?" If there were, then he could finish the quest while he''s there. "Let''s see..." Jayce began perusing the document ofmissions to the side. "There actually is one." "I''ll do it," Kang Oh replied immediately. "There have been way too many sand-eating monsters, Sandurions, appearing as ofte. Take care of these Sandurions." Once Jayce was finished, a quest appeared. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Kill the Sandurions!] The sand-eating monster, Sandurion! A monster that could be seen very rarely in the Bariton Desert. But as ofte, the Sandurions have been appearing in great numbers and have been attacking the natives living at the oasis. Kill 200 Sandurions for the natives. (0/200 killed) Difficulty: Hard Minimum Requirement: Level 100 Reward: Credibility with the Adventurer Guild, 50 gold, and increased fame in the Bariton Desert. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Your level is too low, so you cannot ept the quest.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Your level''s a lot lower than I expected. You''re still not level 100 yet?" Jayce said sounding slightly disappointed. "Levels aren''t everything," Kang Oh said firmly. He was only level 77, but he was much stronger than the average level 100 user. "You''re right. Levels aren''t everything." Jayce nodded his head and looked Kang Oh over. He was an incredible adventurer who''d undergone an amazing adventure in the Quiet Lavero Jungle! "Alright. I''ll be your guarantor, so you can ept this quest." Jayce was doing him a favor. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [The veteran adventurer, Jayce, has be your guarantor.] [You have epted the quest, Kill the Sandurions.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Honestly, it wouldn''t be such a big deal if he couldn''t ept the quest. The reward forpleting it wasn¡¯t that spectacr after all. Still, he felt thankful that Jayce was willing to do him a favor. "Thank you very much." Kang Oh bowed his head deeply. "Tell me about your adventures anytime," Jayce said whilst smiling. "I will, I promise." "Heh." "Then, I''ll get going now." He''d received information and a quest, so Kang Oh had nothing else to do here. "See you next time." "Alright." Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild. * * * Kang Oh opened the door and entered the Jurento Bar. He took a look around. It was, as always, worn-out, dark, and shabby. The owner was the same as ever. And the old drunkard, Tino, was as well! ''He''s over there.'' Just like their first meeting, Tino was lying on a table. "Tino!" Kang Oh shook him and woke him up. "Mm." Tino looked up blurrily at Kang Oh. "Who are you?" "A gracious man who bought you honey water." "Then are you going to buy me honey water today too?" Tino''s blurry vision became clearer bit by bit. "Based on how you do." "What do you want?" "What do you know about the hidden oasis in the Bariton Desert?" "The Bariton Desert... There''s a saying that''s been passed down, ''There''s truth behind the unending mirage.''." Tino stared at Kang Oh as if saying, ''how''s this?''. "I already know that," Kang Oh replied curtly. "Ahem. My head''s feeling dizzy. If I drank some honey water, then I might..." He was tired of his bag of tricks. "I guess you don''t have any information. See youter." Kang Oh stood up. Kang Oh knew exactly what type of person Tino was based on their previous encounter. Someone who wanted two things if he gave you one. That''s why he needed to take the initiative. "W-Wait a sec!" Tino quickly grabbed Kang Oh. "I don''t know anything else about the Bariton Desert. I don''t, that is," Tino said. "What do you mean by ''I don''t.''? Then does that mean you know someone who does?" "Of course. I know someone who came from there. If need be, I can write you an introduction letter too." He was getting a bit interested. "Who is it?" "First... I''d like to eat some seafood soup." Tino smiled. Kang Oh could see his yellow teeth. Kang Oh raised his hand and ordered a serving of seafood soup. "3 gold prepayment." The seafood soup cost 3 gold! As always, it was crazy expensive. Kang Oh took out 3 gold coins from his breast and gave it to the owner. The owner quickly pocketed the coins to his own breast and disappeared into the kitchen. "Who is he?" Kang Oh asked. "There''s a mage called Grano at Altein''s Mage''s Tower. Theye from the Bariton Desert," Tino said. "Where is he in the Mage''s Tower?" "Go to the water magicboratory on the 7th floor. That''s where he works." "Give me the introduction letter," Kang Oh said. Tino brought over an old piece of paper and pen, which were atop an ornament on one side of the bar, and began writing the introduction letter. When he was finished, he passed Kang Oh the introduction letter. "Here." "You weren''t lying when you said you two were close, right?" Kang Oh stared at him suspiciously. There was a chance that he''d be poorly received if he traveled to the Mage''s Tower with Tino''s introduction letter. This was especially true because Tino was the type of person to do something like that. "I''m not really close to them. We''re close enough that they greet me when I pass them." "Ok." It didn''t seem like he was scamming him. If he was, then Hyper Intuition would''ve activated. "Then I''ll get going." He had no further business with Tino today. Kang Oh stood up. "Um... what about information fee?" Tino asked gently. "Is the seafood soup not enough?" "No, that''s not it, but... The alcohol here is quite delicious." In other words, he wanted Kang Oh to buy him alcohol too. Rather than buying him alcohol, Kang Oh took out 10 gold from his breast and threw it at Tino. "Thanks!" Tino received the 10 gold and rejoiced. For someone who lives day to day, 10 gold was quite a lot of money. Of course, 10 gold was quite a bit of money for Kang Oh as well. After all, it was worth 100,000 won. However, he was buttering Tino up for when he needed info next time. "I''ll see youter." Kang Oh left the bar. He was headed for Altein''s Mage''s Tower, which was known as the Mage''s Cradle. Chapter 34. Mage’s Tower

Chapter 34. Mage''s Tower

The gigantic, nine-story circr tower soared into the heavens. Altein Mage''s Tower. Otherwise known as the Mage''s Cradle, a ce where mages gathered, studied, and trained. He passed the bronze statues of Kunta and Rashia, who were considered to be the greatest mages in history, and entered the magic tower. All sorts of magical devices, materials, and grimoires were sold on the first floor. It felt as though he''de to a supermarket. A six-story disy counter showed off all sorts of magic items, which were neatly organized. ''What luck.'' Since he had his own grimoire to sell, he checked the other grimoires'' for their market price. Grimoires that taught fire or lightning magic tended to be on the more expensive side, while water, wind, earth, etc. were less so. But they didn''t sell a grimoire that taught both Northerly Wind and Cold Snow, and Sharp Gale. Therefore, he couldn''t get an exact price for the grimoire. Kang Oh headed towards the help desk. There, a cute female mage garbed in light purple robes was dealing with customers. "I happened to find a grimoire; is there any way I can find out its market price?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. We''re also willing to do a consignment sale as well. Of course, we take an 8%mission on the sale," the female mage smiled and said. Kang Oh took out the from his inventory. "Please appraise this." "Just a moment please." As the female mage examined the grimoire, her eyes shone with astonishment. "This... Where did you find this?" "I didn''t obtain it illegally." He''d just picked it up; after all, it didn''t have an owner anymore. "Ah, that''s not what I was implying... Do you know anything about the person who wrote this?" the female mage asked. "Bercy?" "You do know!" "Not really." He felt as though this would lead to trouble, so he feigned ignorance. "You''re lying. You do know!" "I really don''t." "If there''s anything you know about the North Wind, Ms. Bercy, then you must tell our professor!" the female mage pleaded. ''Professor?'' The word, ''professor'', drew his interest. Within the Mage''s Tower, a mage worthy enough of obtaining the title of professor meant that their abilities were top-notch. "Ahem. What rtionship does that professor of yours have with Bercy?" Kang Oh asked. If they had bad blood between them, then he shouldn''t tell them about Bercy. "I heard that they were friends that went adventuring together." ''Friend, huh...'' If that''s the case, then he had the right to know about Bercy''s death. "May I see that professor? I have something to tell them regarding Ms. Bercy," Kang Oh said. "I understand. Please follow me." The female mage asked another nearby mage to take over the help desk and lead Kang Oh away. Kang Oh and the female mage took the magically automated elevator and went up to the 8th floor. It was where the professors'' office was located, a ce where only the professors were allowed to gather and study magic. There was a guard there, but due to the female mage''s presence, they were able to pass without any problems. "Here." He saw a red door decorated with silver. There was a sign attached to it that said ''Gospel''. Knock, knock. The female mage knocked. "Professor, it''s me, Rico. May Ie in?" The female mage''s name was Rico. "Come in." A voice came from within. Rico opened the door and gestured for Kang Oh to go in. Kang Oh entered the professor''s office and looked around. It was a giant study. There were countless books stacked into the bookshelves. There was a giant table at the center of the room, and there were all sorts of magic devices, materials, and thick books scattered atop it. Lastly, there was a tall, skinny, gray-haired old man wearing sses. He was like a stick. "You should be working right now. Why have youe?" the old man asked. Even as he spoke, he continued to stare at Kang Oh. "This is Professor Gospel." Rico politely pointed towards the old man. "This is... Ah, now that I think about it, I never got your name. What''s your name?" Rico pointed at Kang Oh and asked. "Kang Oh." "Ah, so your name is Kang Oh. Professor, this person says he knows what happened to Ms. Bercy." "What?" Gospel''s once fastidious expression changed instantly. "Do you really know what happened to Bercy?" Gospel asked with a passionate gaze. "I do." "She... where is she?" His voice trembled. It seemed like their rtionship wasn''t normal. "It''s a long story. Would you like to sit down and listen?" Kang Oh pointed towards the soft sofa on the other side of the professor''s office. "Hoo, go ahead and sit." Gospel slowly stood up and headed towards the sofa. * * * Kang Oh ryed the story of Bercy and Baramut to Gospel. He told her where she''d hid, how she¡¯d spent the rest of her life, as well as how she had died as well. Gospel''s expression changed from moment to moment. At times, it was a face of yearning or of sadness, but he also felt relieved and thanked Kang Oh for burying Baramut and Bercy together. "Could you show me the grimoire that Bercy wrote?" Kang Oh took out Bercy''s grimoire from his inventory and passed it to Gospel. Gospel carefully took the book, as if he were handling a child, and stroked it. After that, he looked through it. Tears began to flow from his eyes. "It''s her handwriting all right." Gospel touched the letters with his fingertips. "She was my first andst love," Gospel said. Kang Oh hadn''t asked, but Gospel was too deep in yearning, so it just came out. "Ahem." Kang Oh didn''t watch melodramas or romantic movies, so he coughed ufortably. Despite that, Gospel began talking about Bercy. About how when they were young, they had adventured together and that he¡¯d fallen in love with her, and how he''d let her go without even confessing his feelings. From that point on, Gospel, ashamed of himself, had put all his focus on magic, and even cut all contact with Bercy. Thus, Gospel had lived all this time without knowing whether she was dead or alive. "I... If I was a little braver, then..." Ultimately, he ended it by ming himself. "Professor..." Rico, who had been listening to Gospel''s story from beside them, wiped her own tears. ¡°If that¡¯s the case, then¡­ I believe you should take this keepsake of hers,¡± Kang Oh said unhesitatingly. ¡°Are you sure?¡± Gospel asked, his face bing a bit brighter. ¡°Oh, right. I have this too.¡± Kang Oh pulled out Bercy¡¯s magic staff from his inventory. ¡°The Gentle Breeze¡¯s Luby!¡± Gospel instantly recognized it. He very carefully lifted the staff and stared at it for quite some time. ¡°Thank you.¡± Gospel bowed his head. ¡°It was nothing.¡± Kang Oh gave him a kind smile. If Eder were beside him, then he¡¯d probably flinch. Since he¡¯d have realized that Kang Oh had some ulterior motive. ¡°To think you¡¯d both bury Bercy and give me her keepsake. I¡¯d like to repay you somehow.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to do that.¡± Kang Oh waved his hand, but his lip curled upward slightly. As expected! There¡¯s no one way someone as pure as Gospel would just take Bercy¡¯s keepsake for free. What would he reward him with? ¡°No, I do. Please take this.¡± Gospel pulled a ring off his finger and ced it onto the table. As if two vines were wrapped around each other, gold and silver were intertwined on the ring. ¡°Professor!¡± Rico yelled in shock. After all, that ring was such a precious treasure. Kang Oh¡¯s eyes gleamed. Based on her reaction, the ring must be quite amazing. Unfortunately, she was trying to ruin things. ¡°That¡¯s too much. Please just pay him double what those two items are worth.¡± Kang Oh briefly nced at Rico. ¡®You¡¯re getting in my way!¡¯ Then, he said angrily, ¡°Are you suggesting that IsellMs. Bercy¡¯s keepsakes?¡± For a moment, Rico was flustered and her ears became red. ¡°No, that¡¯s not what I was saying¡­¡± She quickly waved her hands, but it was already toote. ¡°Be quiet, Rico,¡± Gospel said sternly. Even mentioning the idea of buying Bercy¡¯s keepsakes with money had caused him to scowl. ¡°Yes, Professor,¡± Rico said, crestfallen, and bowed her head. ¡®Yes, we¡¯ve gotten rid of her!¡¯ ¡°I apologize for my student¡¯s behavior.¡± Gospel bowed his head. ¡°It¡¯s quite alright.¡± Kang Oh acted generously. ¡°Now that I think about it, you gave me two of her keepsakes, so I should give you two things in return.¡± Gospel removed the ne around his neck and ced it on the table. It was a ne with a me-shaped ornament. ¡°This is the ne I made while yearning for Bercy. Please ept both it and the ring. If you don¡¯t, then I¡¯ll feel ufortable.¡± ¡°If it¡¯s really ok with you, then¡­¡± So he said, yet he couldn¡¯t take his eyes off the ring and ne that the professor had once worn. ¡°Haa,¡± Rico sighed from beside them. In her opinion, the rewards were too much, but she wasn¡¯t stupid enough to speak her mind right now. After all, it¡¯d only serve to make Gospel angry at her. ¡°I suspect that refusing would be disrespectful at this point, so I¡¯ll ept them thankfully.¡± Kang Oh acted politely, yet he quickly swiped the ring and ne. He wondered what kind of items they actually were. His excitement and curiosity were killing him; so much so that he had trouble maintaining his respectful facade, as his lips kept twitching. After that, he spoke about a few other things with Gospel and then said goodbye. ¡°Then, if you¡¯ll excuse me.¡± ¡°Take care.¡± ¡°Yes, you too.¡± ¡°Rico, you can leave too.¡± ¡°Yes, Professor.¡± Gospel carefully stroked Bercy¡¯s staff and grimoire, and closed his eyes. He must be remembering his memories of Bercy. Kang Oh didn¡¯t disturb him and left the professor¡¯s office. * * * "Hmm, let''s see what we have here." Kang Oh examined the items he received from Gospel.
[Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring] A ring that the legendary Archmage, Kunta, wore constantly from a young age on. Kunta was not only skilled in magic, but also in martial arts. This ring contains the bottomless talent of Kunta himself. + Kunta''s Talent 1: When you use a skill or spell, there is a fixed chance that a spontaneous quest will appear. If you clear the spontaneous quest, you will receive arge amount of skill or magic proficiency. + Kunta''s Talent 2: Reduces the cooldown of every skill and spell by half. Rank: SS Abilities: None Minimum Requirements: None
Kang Oh''s eyes widened. ''SS-rank!'' He''d obtained an SS-rank ring. It didn''t increase his stats, like defense or attack, but it was definitely an amazing ring. After all, proficiency was the most difficult thing to raise in Arth! As an extra bonus, it would create spontaneous quests for him that would radically increase his proficiency! Not only that, it would reduce the cooldown of all his spells and skills by half! Lastly, there were no minimum requirements for equipping it. ''I wonder how much I could get for selling this. It''d probably be beyond my imagination. Not that I have any intention of selling it right now.'' Using it was wiser than selling it at this time. Kang Oh equipped the ring immediately and stretched out his fingers so that he could see it more clearly. "Heh." His face was filled with joy. It felt like all of the energy in the cosmos hade to him. Things were going fantastically for him so far! Plus! ''There''s one more.'' Kang Oh took out the me-shaped ne that he''d gotten from Gospel. Chapter 35. Grano

Chapter 35. Grano

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh thoroughly examined the ne. The me shape was its most eye-catching feature. There was a yellow whirlpool-shaped gem in the middle of it. The chain itself was made of silver with the most exquisite of craftsmanship. "Appraise." _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Wind Yearning me Ne] Gospel Widerow, known as the Southern me, put all his effort into creating this ne to give to someone. It is filled with a sense of ardent longing. The highest-rank wind crystal was embedded into the highest-rank fire crystal, which were then processed for a long time. Because of its aesthetic beauty, when equipped, it will draw the attention of nobledies towards you. + Wind Yearning me: You may imbue the Wind Yearning me onto your weapon or staff. The me will either inflict fire damage or increase the power of fire spells. If wind abilities are used in tandem with the fire imbued weapon/staff, then the effectiveness of the ability will increase by 4 times. Rank: S Abilities: Main stats +20, Charm +50, Fire Resistance +30% Minimum Requirements: Level 200 _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''This one''s S-rank.'' It wasn''t as good as Kunta''s ring, but it was a great item nheless. He especially liked its ability to increase the effectiveness of wind spells/skills by four times. ''If I equip this and use Tempest Tiger, then its effects would be catastrophic.'' It would increase the already powerful Tempest Tiger''s abilities by four times! It would truly befit its name as a tiger stirring up a tempest. "Well, it''s still nothing more than a pipe dream for now." Kang Oh was level 77, while the ne required a level of 200. He couldn''t use it right away. He ced the ne into his inventory and took the elevator. ''He said it was the 7th floor''s water magicboratory, right?'' His original reason foring here was to meet Grano, who came from the Bariton Desert. * * * The elevator door opened and Kang Oh disembarked. Two heavily-armed guards were protecting the entrance of the 7th floor. Once he approached, the two guards barred his way. "What business do you have here?" "I came here to meet the water magic researcher, Grano," Kang Oh said. "Do you have an appointment?" "No. Please give him this letter and tell him someone''se to see him." Kang Oh passed Tino''s introduction letter to the guards. "I understand." One of the guards went inside and disappeared. The remaining guard didn''t budge so much as an inch and remained there. A whileter, the guard returned with a 40 year old looking magician. "Are you the one who was looking for me?" Grano asked. Unlike other mages, he wore a whiteboratory coat; his hair was neat and he wore sses as well. He was a handsome, middle-aged man with a face that suggested that when he was young, or perhaps even now, women would fawn over and chase him. "My name is Kang Oh. I came here to ask you about the Bariton Desert." "There''s a cafe on the 2nd floor. Let''s talk there." "Alright." Kang Oh and Grano headed to therge cafe on the 2nd floor. The magic tower''s cafe was quite nice. The individual sofas werefy, and the fragrant aroma of tea permeated throughout the cafe. The two sat down and ordered refreshments. "How do you know Tino?" Grano asked. "He and I have helped each other out a few times. How do you know him, Mr. Grano?" Kang Oh asked. It didn''t seem likely that an alcoholic like Tino would be close to an elite like Grano. "When I was young, we went on an adventure together. At that time, Tino was a mercenary with quite a bright future." "I see. In any case, you are a native of the Bariton Desert, right?" "Yes. Ie from the Hapd Oasis, which is in the Bariton Desert. But what did you want to ask me?" "There is truth behind the unending mirage," Kang Oh said out of the blue. "Are you looking for the legendary oasis?" Grano understood immediately. As expected, he was definitely a native of the Bariton Desert. "Yes." "Hmm. I don''t know much about it either." "But you must know more than me at least. Since you''re from there." "Perhaps." The strange nuance caused Kang Oh''s eyes to shine. "Is there anything special you can tell me?" Kang Oh asked. "I wonder. It''s ultimately just a hypothesis of mine." "A hypothesis is fine. Please tell me." "Before that... Do you know what kind of work I do in the Mage''s Tower?" Grano suddenly changed the topic of conversation. "I don''t know." Plus, he didn''t really want to know. "I''m in the middle of trying to create a device that''ll make it rain." "I see. Whatever the case, what is your hypothesis..." Kang Oh attempted to return to the topic at hand. "But I''m in a pinch because there''s a material that I need for the device that I''m out of. So, please get me that material," Grano stared at him and said. His gaze seemingly said, ''Give and take.''. "Ahem." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. As he thought, nothing in this world was free. "Do you know of the Agath monster?" "Yes." Agaths were birds with blue crystals embedded in their breast. They were also called Thunderbirds. They were higher than level 120, and most of them lived in the Kaistan Canyon. "I require several of those crystals. But the market doesn''t sell the quantity that I need. So, I need someone to get me some Agath Crystals. Immediately!" Grano said, emphasizing ''immediately''. "Hmm. Then can''t you go and get them yourself?" "I''d like to, but I cannot leave theboratory for that long. I can''t tell you the specifics either since it''s part of my research." "So you''re telling me to go get them for you. That''s the only way you''ll give me the information." "Exactly." Grano nodded his head. ''Go to the Kaistan Canyon and hunt Agaths.'' If it were left up to a normal level 77 yer, they would never voluntarily seek the Kaistan Canyon, where so many of the Agaths lived. However, Kang Oh was strong enough that he could make up for the 50 level difference. "Alright. How many Agath Crystals do you need?" "I need 50 of them." "That''s quite a bit." "I need at least 50," Grano said, emphasizing the number 50. "But Mr. Grano, is your information really worth 50 Agath Crystals?" Agath Crystals didn''t really have a use; there was no demand for them, and there was no supply of them either. Still, since it was a material that came from a level 120 monster, it was worth approximately 3 gold each. Therefore, 50 Agath Crystals were worth 150 gold. In terms of real-life currency, they were worth 1.5 million won ($1,500 USD)! Was Grano''s information really worth that much? "If you use it well, then it''s worth more. If you don''t, then it''s worth less," Grano replied. ''No shit! I''d rather...'' Kang Oh changed his mind. Rather than just listening to the information, he would bring Grano to guide him through the desert. "How many Agath Crystals do I need to get you toe with me to the Bariton Desert?" "Hmm." Grano stroked his beard. He was thinking about something intently. Kang Oh didn''tin and stayed quiet. A short whileter, Grano said, "It should take about 200 regr Agath Crystals and 1 from their leader to get the device working. I''ll need to go back to the Bariton Desert to make it rain anyway, so I''ll be able to help you then." ''200 normal Agath Crystals and 1 from the Agath Leader, huh...'' An Agath Crystal from an Agath Leader was worth 20 gold. 200 Agath Crystals were worth 600 gold, so in total, it would all be worth 620 gold. He also had to consider how much time it would take to get all of that. ''At most, it''ll take a month.'' So was it really worth it to stake all that time and money on Grano and the information he held? Grano shouldn''t be the only Bariton Desert native. "To be honest, I''m not sure that you apanying me is worth the materials you''re requesting," Kang Oh said. "My presence isn''t worth it; it''s worth much more. So much so that there''s noparison." "Why is that?" "It''s said that there are two oases and seven dungeons in the Bariton Desert. However, I know of two dungeons that no one else knows about. I also know about four mysterious ces as well. There''s only one thing I haven''t found in the Bariton Desert! And that''s the hidden oasis," Grano said. His voice reflected the pride he had in his aplishments. Kang Oh was interested in those two dungeons that apparently only he knew about. After all, the first discovery feature was only something that applied to users. In other words, if Kang Oh were to go to those two dungeons, then he would be the first to discover them. "As expected! So you''re a specialist in the area, I see." Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. Kang Oh was recognizing him as the best in the field. "That''s correct." "Alright, we have a deal. I''ll get you what you need. After that, let''s go to the Bariton Desert together," Kang Oh suggested. Kang Oh decided that Grano was worth risking more than 600 gold on. ''I''ll have to use my trump card here.'' If he used it here, then that one month estimate would drop significantly. "But I''d like to visit those two dungeons that only you know about no matter what." He would visit the two dungeons, as well as the hidden oasis that was said to hold incredible treasure. Kang Oh would have the chance to make at least 600 gold among those three locations. "The two dungeons... So that you break even, even if you don''t find that hidden oasis?" "Yes." "Alright. You have a deal. But I''m only doing it after you''ve procured the materials," Grano said, and a quest appeared. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Procure Agath Crystals] The water magic research director, Grano, is just one step away frompleting his magical device that causes rain. However, he doesn''t have enough of a key material: Agath Crystals. Bring him Agath Crystals and an Agath Leader Crystal. Agath Crystals (0/200) Agath Leader''s Crystal (0/1) Difficulty: Hard Conditions: Kang Oh only Reward: Grano apanies you to the Bariton Desert _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Of course." Kang Oh epted the quest. "I''ll get going now. I need to continue my research." Grano stood up. Kang Oh followed suit and extended his hand. "Let''s do our best." "Indeed." Once they shook hands, Grano returned to hisboratory. Kang Oh, now alone, sipped on his cold tea and organized his thoughts. ''Agath. They''re pretty tough.'' The Agath gathered lightning within their crystals and discharged them against their enemies. They could also fly, obviously. Kang Oh and Eder would need around a month to collect 200 Agath Crystals. ''If it''s just the two of us, that is.'' He needed reinforcements. Someone who could pick the birds off from afar... That guy! * * * Kuahk! Sharp teeth dripping with blood. A Kruger opened its mouth wide as it chased a certain man. "Damn. I didn''t think a Kruger woulde out from there." It was a man with a handsome face, slim build, and ck curly hair. Strangely, he was running backward, but at an incredibly quick pace! The man was readying his bow. The bow, in the shape of a silver wing, was certainly a treasure, even at first nce. He retrieved several arrows from his back-mounted quiver and notched them. "Seup!" He held his breath and pulled the string. The string tensed, and the wing-shaped bow arced. ''Three, two, one... Now!'' He let go of his grip and let the arrows loose. Ting! The arrows soared into the air and fell like rain. It was the Archer''s skill, Arrow Rain! Kyaoh! The Kruger, its back struck by the Arrow Rain, roared and dashed towards the man. However, the arrows were coated in a potent paralyzing toxin, so the Kruger''s movements were clearly slower than before. The man seized the opportunity, turned his body and began to run normally, not backward. "Phew, I got away." The man, who''d been followed by the Kruger for some time, wiped his sweat and sighed in relief. But he would never realize that something, or someone, even worse had set their sights on him. Even if he did, he wouldn''t be able to escape... Chapter 36. Slave Contract

Chapter 36. ve Contract

Trantor: Boko There was a single text message in Jae Woo''s inbox; it was from Jin Cheol. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Sephiro: 101-4229-9701/Character Code: @41AD891S] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ ''It''s here''. Back when he''d met with Jin Cheol to sell his footage on the Fight Against 100 Men clear, he''d asked for Sephiro''s contact information. Jin Cheol had said he understood and would get back to him with it. Jae Woo sent him a text, asking him what Sephiro''s contact information was, and this was what he got back. He immediately called the phone number. All he heard was the phone dialing, but no one picked up. Jae Woo memorized the Sephiro''s character code, which had the same function as a phone number in Arth and then essed Arth. * * * Kang Oh opened his message window and registered Sephiro''s character code. He then immediately sent him a message. - Hello, Mr. Sephiro. Because Sephiro was currently logged in, Kang Oh received a message immediately. - Who is this? How do you know my character code? Sephiro obviously didn''t know who Kang Oh was. - I got your character code from PD Park Jin Cheol. - PD Park Jin Cheol? Sephiro had been on GBS before, so he was acquainted with Park Jin Cheol as well. - He was the PD responsible for the recent Fight Against 100 Men feature broadcast. - What business do you have with me? - Have you watched the Fight Against 100 Men feature broadcast? - I did. Sephiro thought, ''Is he a liaison from a broadcastpany?''. - I''m the main star of the Fight Against 100 Men feature broadcast, Oga. - Ah, I see. So, who cares? - You said in an interview that you''d give whoever cleared the Fight Against 100 Men anything they wanted, right? Seeing that, Sephiro tingled. He''d definitely said that before. A long time ago. And when he watched the feature broadcast, he saw that same interview again. ''He''s not going to do what I think he''s going to do, is he? That was so long ago...'' - Did I? Sephiro feigned ignorance. - There''s past footage of the interview, and it was shown again in the feature broadcast as well. - I didn''t mean it. - If you say it in an interview, ''I didn''t mean it'' doesn''t cut it. Because it bes an official statement once it goes on air. -? -So, that gives me the right to request something from you, Mr. Sephiro. - That doesn''t make any sense. - Do you know about TGN''s report broadcast, ? Top Game Net, or TGN, was the most popr game channel. And was a program that reported wicked gamers. -?? - They''re apparently epting tips on rankers or other gamers that lie. - So? - I may have to give them a tip myself. Kang Oh grinned. The timing lined up perfectly. < I know that> really was epting tips on gamers who lie or try to swindle others. - That was just something I said as a joke. It wasn''t a lie. Sephiro felt like he was being unjustly used. However, Kang Oh didn''t give a damn. - Whatever the case, there''s a recording of your interview, so if you don''t give me what I want, then you''ve lied. At that time, I''ll send a tip to , which will worsen your fame and your image. - Are you serious!? - Let''s meet up and talk some more. Pleasee to the Vyoom Inn near Javen Square in 30 minutes. If you don''t, then I''ll go to TGN personally. - I''m going! "Heh." Kang Oh closed the message window andughed in satisfaction. ''If he wants to continue showing up on TV, he needs to maintain his image and fame.'' Sephiro, as the Wind Archer, as well as one of Arth''s rankers, had made TV appearances before, had maintained a good reputation. Of course, he would''ve made some money as well. Obviously, he didn''t want his image tarnished. Thus, Sephiro''s only choice was to negotiate with Kang Oh. "Though I''m in the driver''s seat." Kang Oh began walking. His destination: the Vyoum Inn. * * * Vyoum Inn was a three-story building. The 1st floor sold snacks and alcoholic drinks, while the 2nd and 3rd floors were for lodging. Kang Oh and Sephiro picked a remote table in the 1st floor bar and sat down without breaking their gaze on one another. "My real ID isn''t Oga, the one who cleared the Fight Against 100 Men, but Kang Oh. It''s nice to meet you, Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh said whilst smiling. "Ahem." Sephiro sat across from Kang Oh, his expression ufortable. He hade because Kang Oh had left him little choice, so it was only natural that this meeting would make him ufortable. "It''s an honor to see the Wind Archer, the owner of the Lasselpino Bow, in person," Kang Oh said and stared at the bow that Sephiro had ced on the table. A bow in the shape of a silver wing. Even at first nce, the Lasselpino Bow was a work of art. "Ahem." Sephiro pulled the bow towards himself and remained ufortable. If he could go into the past, then he would go back and tie his mouth shut during that interview. ''This damn mouth of mine.'' Ever since his school days, Sephiro had trouble keeping his mouth shut, which got him into a lot of trouble. But like the saying went ''old habits die hard'', he couldn''t fix that old habit of his. "You definitely said in an interview that you''d give whoever cleared the Fight Against 100 Men whatever they wanted," Kang Oh said. He was essentially saying, ''Take responsibility!''. "...I did." Sephiro furrowed his brow, but he had to ept reality. Since there was indeed footage of him saying that. If he didn''t keep his word, it would be a lie. No, Kang Oh would make him into a liar. ''I must be crazy!'' Back then, Sephiro was sure that no one would be able to clear the Fight Against 100 Men. However, not only did someone manage to clear it, but that someone was threatening him and was also an asshole! "That footage from your interview showed up in the feature broadcast again." Kang Oh drove the nail in. Sephiro weakly nodded his head. "Good. I don''t want much. Please just give me one thing." Sephiro''s eyes shook. He knew what he was going to ask for. ''Please, just not that!'' Sephiro clutched the Lasselpino Bow and stared at Kang Oh''s lips. "The Lasselpino Bow." Sephiro gripped the hand rests of his chair, as he felt that dizzying feeling of the ground falling out from beneath him. The Lasselpino Bow was no ordinary bow! It was an SS-rank weapon. In other words, it was the best possible weapon! Moreover, it was his symbol as the Wind Archer. "Please, anything but that!" Sephiro hugged the bow and yelled. "Hmm. Then, could you pay me enough gold to cover that bow?" "How much?" "Let''s say... about 20,000 gold?" "Heok!" Sephiro gaped. 20,000 gold was equivalent to 200 million won ($200,000 USD). Even if he scraped up everything he had, he still only had 5,000 gold. He couldn''t pay that amount, even if he got a loan from the Adventurer Guild. ''I''d rather be a liar than...'' The Wind Archer, Sephiro, often appeared on game channels as one of Arth''s rankers. Because of that, he was popr and was making quite a bit of money. But what would happen if his image worsened? There were many rankers who wanted to be on TV. If he were caught in a scandal, he wouldn''t be able to show up on TV again. But the Lasselpino Bow was much too valuable to go through with Kang Oh''s request. Ultimately, Sephiro knew that he was trapped; he couldn''t do one thing, but he couldn''t do the other either. ''Time to push him into the corner.'' Even a rat will bite a cat if they''re pushed into a corner. To Kang Oh, the worst thing would be if Sephiro got desperate. Smack. Kang Oh pped his hands. "Let''s do this." "What?'' "To be honest, it feels wrong to take the Lasselpino Bow, which is like your symbol, and the same goes for your gold as well." In response, Sephiro''s face brightened with hope. "Then?" "Please help me 10 times for free." "Alright." Sephiro suddenly grabbed his hand. It was as if he was grabbing a rope from heaven itself. "Please sign this contract." Kang Oh passed him the previously prepared Sabra''s Contract. The first line was that Sephiro would help Kang Oh 10 times. "Do I just sign here?" Kang Oh pointed to where Sephiro''s name was written. Sephiro, worried that Kang Oh might change his mind, wanted to sign the contract as quickly as possible. "Please read the contents first." "I understand." Sephiro began thoroughly reading the contract. However! "T-This is... This is a ve contract." Sephiro''s voice shook. "What do you mean ''ve contract''. It''s just a contract for volunteer work," Kang Oh smiled and said. "Where in the world would you call this volunteer work!?" Sephiro shoved the contract towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh nced at the contract. ''Thetter''s primary concern is to follow the orders of the former to the letter.'' Darion had been useless, hadined a lot, and often went on strike. Kang Oh had learned much from his previous mercenary contract with him, so he''d created a new ve contract. ''Above all, everything that we find or any quest rewards are mine! And when I get help, I can receive ''financial'' help as well!'' Punishment for viting the terms of the contract were written as well. Sephiro would have to give him the Lasselpino Bow! In other words, this contract waspletely unfair; Kang Oh was overusing his power. "T-This is too unfair," Sephiro said, his voice trembling. "Then just sign the contract and rip it up. If it''s unfair, then I''ll be judged and punished, won''t I?" "Knowing that you still made this contract..." Kang Oh interrupted him. "However! I''ll go to TGN right then and there. And since I know PD Park Jin Cheol quite well, I can ask him to put up the fact that you lied on a gaming news channel," Kang Oh firmly said. "T-That..." "It''s hard to climb to the top, but falling is easy. And it''s only 10 times. 10." Kang Oh stressed the word, ''only''. ''Alright, let''s just get through those 10 times.'' Swish, swish. Ultimately, Sephiro signed the contract. Once his hand left the contract, the letters began to glow and the contract eventually became two. The contract split into two; one for Kang Oh and one for Sephiro. "Are you not going to rip it up?" Kang Oh asked, smiling impishly. To Sephiro, it looked like the devil himself was mocking him. "I''m not going to," Sephiro yelled back sharply "Then please help me right away. I''ll tell you the details on the way." Kang Oh left the inn with Sephiro right on his tail. "You need to help me obtain 200 Agath Crystals, and 1 Agath Leader Crystal," Kang Oh said whilst walking. "Fine, I''ll do my best." Contrary to his statement, Sephiro''s voice clearly implied that he would do the exact opposite. Then, Kang Oh took out the contract. "Shall I rip this myself?" "Excuse me?" Sephiro''s eyes widened in astonishment. ''Why would you rip it yourself!?''. "And then I''ll go to a broadcasting station and smear your reputation." "Ahem. You mentioned Agaths, right?" Sephiro avoided Kang Oh''s gaze and changed the subject. "Yes." "The Thunderbirds of Kaistan Canyon... I''ll need a lot of steel arrows." Agaths spewed lightning everywhere. Obviously, wooden arrows would burn, so steel arrows were the superior option. Him stating that he needed lots of steel arrows implied that he would do his best. "Alright. Please stay that way from now on." "Urgh." "Let''s meet up at the transport gate in 10 minutes. Pleasee after you''ve prepared everything you need." "I understand." Sephiro disappeared within the crowd. Kang Oh entered an alleyway. "Summon Eder." Peong! Once the white smoke cleared, Eder, wearing his trademark robes and smiling mask, appeared. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder treated him as kindly as he could. He knew that nothing good woulde from disobedience. "Right." "Are we looking for a hidden dungeon again today?" "No. We''re going to Kaistan Canyon to kill Agaths." "Agaths?" Eder tilted his head. This was the first time he''d heard of them. "They''re also called Thunderbirds. They shoot lightning in every direction. Do you have any magic or equipment to protect against lightning?" "Bone can, to a certain extent, protect against lightning, but in the end, it too will burn. I don''t know any spells that can increase resistance to lightning either," Eder said. "Hmm." To be more specific, Agaths shot out the spell, Lightning Arrow in every direction. Naturally, the magic sword could absorb it. But if they were to engage several Agaths at once and they shot their Lightning Arrows randomly, then it could get dangerous. ''I should get some lightning potions.'' Like herbs that acted as an antidote to poison, there were also herbs that increased one''s resistance against magic. A lightning nt would, as its name might imply, would increase one''s resistance to lightning, and would also release one from electric shock or paralysis. This lightning nt could be reprocessed, which would further enhance its effects; this new consumable item was known as a lightning potion. Another name for it was a yellow potion. ''The problem''s the price...'' A yellow potion cost 20 gold. One drink and it was gone; it wasparable to a bottle of water that cost 20 gold. "Do you really not have any spells or items that increase lightning resistance?" "No." "Seriously...?" "Seriously." "Let''s go to the potion store." Ultimately, Kang Oh headed for the potion store to buy some lightning potions. As he walked, he sent a message to Sephiro. - Mr. Sephiro, pleasee to Jefferson''s Potion Store in the south, rather than the gate. I think we''ll need to buy some potions. - Ok. ''Shall we get some ''financial'' assistance as stated on the contract?'' Kang Oh smiled wickedly. He had no intention of buying the lightning potions with his own money. After all, he had a financier like Sephiro on his side! Chapter 37. Kaistan Canyon

Chapter 37. Kaistan Canyon

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro were leaving the Jefferson Potion Store. "I''ll use the lightning potions well." Kang Oh jiggled the yellow liquid containing bottle. "Right." Kang Oh had mentioned the ''financial'' aid mentioned in the contract and had taken the lightning potions. Thus, it was only natural that Sephiro felt awkward. "Be strong, Brother." Eder ced his hand atop Sephiro''s shoulder. ''We''re poor souls who''ve signed a contract with the devil! We''re no different from brothers!'' "Ahem, Brother." Sephiro grabbed Eder''s bone hand. He heard about Eder''s situation inside the potion store. Not only was he a monster, but he was also an undead! Of course, that didn''t bother Sephiro in the slightest. What mattered was that Eder was a poor soul that was screwed over by Kang Oh! That was enough. Thus, Sephiro and Eder, a user and an NPC, felt an immediate sense of camaraderie between each other. "That''s enough of that. We''re heading for the Kaistan Canyon right away." Kang Oh strode forward, seeing Eder and Sephiro bravely nod their heads towards one another. * * * The Kaistan Canyon in which the Agath lived was much like the Grand Canyon. It was a magnificent view,posed of a wastnd and rugged precipices. Of course, it was much smaller than the Grand Canyon. Also, there were peals of thunder all year round, and many lightning clouds covered the sky. Gyaa! Gya! The Agaths soared through the sky. Their cries were akin to a raven''s, and they were coincidentally ck as well. However, Agaths were definitely different from ravens. Whenever they breathed, the blue crystals embedded in their breasts would emit sparks. They were also muchrger than ravens, and also possessed four wings, which allowed them to fly more nimbly. In other words, Agaths were high-performance jets that flew in the air and shot lightning. Thus, he needed someone who could pick them off from the sky. Someone like Sephiro! "Please aim for the Agaths'' wings," Kang Oh looked at Sephiro and said. Sephiro nodded his head. "Eder, don''t attack them. Instead, use your bone magic to block as much lightning as you can." "I understand." "I''m aiming for the two Agaths in the front!" With their four wings spread out, the two Agaths soared through the air. Aim... Fire! Two arrows flew through the sky. Bam! One of them pierced an Agath''s wing. Bam! The other pierced the other Agath''s wing. Gyaa! Gya, gya! The Agaths shrieked and staggered in the air. It was only natural. They had been shot by a level 190 archer. With a steel arrow at that! But it wasn''t enough to kill them. The thunderbirds counterattacked by discharging lightning from their crystals. Crack! Boom! Once they shot out the lightning arrows, a peal of thunder rang out, befitting their title as thunderbirds. Kang Oh dashed towards the Agaths. Two lightning arrows came right for him. Kang Oh swung his magic sword. ''My body feels light.'' His movements were extremely smooth. Kang Oh''s magic sword cut through the lightning arrows; the de sucking in lightning arrows like water into a drain. But there was still a lightning arrow he could not block. At that moment, a bone shield appeared before him, blocking the leftover lightning arrow. Creak! The lightning arrow crashed against the bone shield. Sparks flew and the bone shield ckened. Meanwhile, Sephiro let loose four more arrows. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! His arrows pierced the Agaths'' wings. The Agaths shrieked and pped their wings to escape, but they wouldn''t work. They plunged to the ground! "Give me your crystals, you chickens!" He was more than willing to take on birds that couldn''t fly! Kang Oh swung his sword in a downwards motion. Bang! Kang Oh''s de passed through the nearby Agath and then shoved it into the ground. A barrage of earth shards assaulted the Agaths in the vicinity. Caw. Caw, caw. Once they were struck by the earth shards, the Agaths shrieked and randomly shot out their lightning arrows. With his Hyper Intuition, he sensed the danger beforehand and evaded the lightning arrows. Of course, there were some he couldn''t dodge no matter what he did. At times like those, he would guard his body with his magic sword, minimizing the damage. At that moment, Sephiro showed what it meant to be a high-leveled archer. In the midst of the barrage of earth shards and the subsequent random discharge of lightning, Sephiro¡¯s arrows had struck true. But Kang Oh was the one who finished them off. Kang Oh repeatedly swung his sword. A couple of Agaths let out a final scream and fell to the floor. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have defeated an Agath.] [You have defeated an Agath.] [You have leveled up.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh had defeated some enemies which were far higher leveled than he was. Because of that, he had received a ton of experience points. If he hadn''t had to share with the ranker, Sephiro, then he probably would''ve gotten even more experience. ''Well, it''s because of Sephiro that our hunting speed is so much faster, so it''s fine.'' Kang Oh nced at Sephiro and then examined the Agaths'' bodies. Unfortunately, the Agaths didn''t drop any crystals. ''Nothing.'' There was a 25% chance that an Agath would drop its crystal. Percentage wise, one needed to defeat four to obtain one crystal. If he wanted 200 Agath Crystals, then he needed to kill at least 800 Agaths. ''798 to go.'' There was a long way to go. * * * "Aren''t there too many of them?" Eder''s voice shook. Caw! Caw! Caw! He could hear the unending cries of the Agaths nearby. "There are 22 of them," Sephiro said while aiming his bow forward. As he said, 22 Agaths had surrounded Kang Oh''s party. "Keep hitting them and it''ll be over eventually," Kang Oh said. He lifted his de and centered himself. "I''m going," Sephiro yelled and let loose several arrows. Pitter patter! The arrows flew towards the Agaths. It was the signal that they had engaged the enemy. The Agaths shrieked and shot lightning arrows at Kang Oh''s party. Eder cast a spell with a dreary voice. Once he raised his right hand to the sky, a bone wall formed around them like a barricade. Bang! Boom! Boom! Countless lightning arrows battered the wall; sparks flew and smoke rose. "I can''t hold it for long!" Eder yelled. "Got it." Kang Oh adopted a iaido stance. He slightly bent his knees, spread his legs, and swung his sword. Swish! He unleashed a golden tiger from his de. Then, whips of wind raged about. Tempest Tiger! Eight of the Agaths were swept away by the destructive tiger-shaped aura. The Agaths'' cries intensified, and emitted an even greater amount of lightning. "Press forward!" Kang Oh leaped over the bone wall and dashed into the group of thunderbirds. He swung his de in a wide arc like a top! Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh''s multyer attack had seeded, but only one of the Agaths shrieked violently and flew towards him. "Heup!" Kang Oh whacked the bird''s head with his de. Bam! Caw! The Agath went flying but another came rushing towards him simultaneously. "What''s your problem!?" Kang Oh swung downwards. sh! A white line clearly divided the Agath''s body in half. At that moment... _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [The effect of Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring has activated.] [A spontaneous quest for sh has been created.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [sh 1] In you dwells Kunta''s talent. If you use sh 1,000 times, then you will receive even more proficiency. sh: 0/1,000 Difficulty: Spontaneous Reward: A 10% increase in proficiency of sh. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Kang Oh quickly reviewed the message and quest windows, and closed them. ''It''ll give me 10% proficiency, huh. I really did hit the jackpot.'' Proficiency was the hardest thing to raise in Arth. However, Kunta''s ring could give him spontaneous quests that would increase his skills'' proficiency by 10%. As expected of an SS-rank masterpiece! Kang Oh grinned and engaged the Agath that was rushing towards him like a moth to a me. "Hoo, hoo." Sephiro ran backwards, maintaining a fair distance between himself and the Agaths. He endlessly shot arrows, with each and every arrow containing tremendous force. Almost none of his arrows missed either. The Agaths that attacked him were filled with arrows, looking more like hedgehogs than birds. This had all happened in an instant! Eder continuously conjured up a bone wall, dispelled it, and then recreated it again. When he could spare a moment, Eder would conjure up a bone shield to protect either Kang Oh or Sephiro, as well as use Bone Bind to harass the birds. However, he didn''t have the time to use any offensive spells or curses. And thus, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro feverishly continued the fight. At some point, their backs were suddenly against each other. They quickly exchanged nces with each other. There were only five Agaths left. ''Let''s finish this.'' ''Let us finish this quickly.'' ''Let''s end this!'' Once they were finished ncing at one another, the three rushed out simultaneously. Eder no longer conjured up bone walls. Instead, he protected his body with a bone shield whilst stabbing with a bone spear. Sephiro still had plenty of HP, MP, and Stamina, befitting of a high level archer. He moved continuously, shooting steel arrows. Of course, he didn''t just shoot arrows. Bam! He grabbed the end of his bow, swung it, and smashed an Agath''s head. Bam! Bam! Bam! "How does my boot feel, bird-brain!" The Agaths began to fly away. Once they stopped rushing him, Sephiro strung another arrow and began shooting once more. Pew! The arrow ripped through the air and pierced an Agath''s head. Crack! Two red shards fell from the bird''s head. It fell headfirst towards the ground. Headshot! If an archer got a headshot, then they could do more damage than a critical hit. Sephiro shot two more arrows, finishing off two dying Agaths. "Next!" Sephiro didn''t rest. He strung another arrow at his next target. Then, he shot. Right on target! The Agaths'' bodies began to umte. Caw! The Agaths flew around quickly, making Kang Oh dizzy. However, it wouldn''t affect Kang Oh and his Hyper Intuition! "Die!" Kang Oh swung his sword like lightning, his Hyper Intuition guiding his strike! Bam! Red shards spewed into the air. One Agath plunged to the ground. Thest remaining Agath shot a lightning arrow at Kang Oh. It was aiming for his leg. However, Kang Oh kicked off the ground and leapt into the air. He then swung his sword in an X motion. Whack! Kang Oh sliced through the Agath and it rolled onto the floor. Once hended on the ground, he swung downwards with his de. Clunk! A barrage of earth shards assaulted the Agath. "This is the end!" Kang Oh attempted to finish the Agath, which was no longer able to fight. But before he could finish it, he received a different message instead. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Magic Swordsmanship has risen to the Intermediate level. You can now wield the magic sword more proficiently than before.] [You have learned the Magic Swordsman ss skill, Devil Trigger (Beginner).] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ Chapter 38. Agath Leader Hunt

Chapter 38. Agath Leader Hunt

Trantor: Boko ''Devil Trigger?'' Kang Oh immediately looked over the skill info. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Devil Trigger] Assimte the entity of darkness that resides within the magic sword, allowing you to utilize its power as your own. However, the more you use Devil Trigger, the higher the assimtion rate bes, and once this reaches its max, you must face the Trial of the Magic Sword once more. (Magic sword Ubist assimtion rate: 0%) ssification: Active/Skill MP Use: 0 Cooldown: 0 Rank: Beginner Proficiency: 0% _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "Mm. It''s a bit vague." If he used Devil Trigger, then he would be able to use Ubist''s power as his own. But the more he did so, the higher the assimtion rate would be until ultimately, he would be forced to undergo the Trial of the Magic Sword once more. ''Let''s slowly find out more about it first.'' He needed to find out how much the assimtion rate increased with each use, how powerful the skill itself was, etc. "What''s vague?" Eder asked. "It''s nothing. Go and pick up the crystals and the other junk." Kang Oh equivocated, as it would be a pain to exin, and gave Eder some work to do. "I understand." Eder moved immediately. "I''ll help too." Sephiro stuck with Eder. He needed to collect the steel arrows anyway, so he decided to help Eder along the way. "Thank you, Brother." "It''s nothing." There was a fierce camaraderie between those two. Kang Oh nced at them and clicked his tongue. "What a joke." * * * A week had quickly passed. Due to the immense experience the Agath gave, Kang Oh had already reached level 95. "Here." Eder gave Kang Oh three Agath Crystals. Kang Oh took the crystals and fiddled with them. ''Hmm. There is something here.'' When he examined the Agath Crystals, his Hyper Intuition would re up, telling him that there was something odd about them and that there was more than meets the eye. Like the Weasel Bead, which opened a portal to the jungle! However, even a week after, he couldn''t ascertain as to what secret these crystals held. ''I still need eight more. I''ll ask Grano about it when I give him the crystals.'' He had collected 192 Agath Crystals. He would soon hit the 200 needed. It was almost time for him to obtain an Agath Leader Crystal. "When are we going to kill the leader?" Sephiro asked. He''d been forced to work with Kang Oh for a week. Thus, he wanted to finish up and leave as soon as possible. "Now." "You''ll need to be well prepared." The Agath Leader flew around with 50 other Agaths. Sephiro may be one of Arth''s top rankers, but 50 Agaths was little too much even for him. There''s an old saying, ''You can''t beat numbers''. "I have a n." Ever since his Warlord days, Kang Oh had faced countless monsters. He should be able to take down the leader, but he also wanted to do it efficiently while minimizing the risks involved. "A n?" "There''s a deep cave at the center of the canyon. Once we''ve led the Agaths and their leader there, we''ll use a single powerful blow to take them down all at once. I trust that you have a skill like that, Mr. Sephiro?" "I do." Sephiro possessed a lethal skill called Buster Shot. "My Tempest Tiger will be even stronger within the cave." Tempest Tiger''s winds would be more effective when used in such a small, cramped space. "Hmm. Then will Mr. Eder lead them there?" Sephiro asked. "Of course Eder''s doing it. That''s his entire job." "M-Me?" Eder had been listening in, and his jaw shook. He clearly visualized a group of those ck Agaths chasing him whilst shooting him with lightning as he feverishly ran away from them. "Could I not..." "Live or die?" He uttered the same line he''d said so long ago and grinned. Eder instinctively shook. But it was different now. Kang Oh wasn''t threatening him this time; he was just teasing him. "That''s not funny." Eder put on a straight face. "Then do you want me to say it seriously?" Kang Oh''s expression changed instantaneously, and he too looked serious. "I''ll do it! I just have to do it..." Eder''s voice gradually trailed off and his shoulders slumped. "Hoo. I guess someone as useless as me has to do something," Ederined. At some point, Eder hadn''t been able to do much. In other words, he was dead weight! "Once we get back from the Bariton Desert, I''ll try and find you a new body." Kang Oh refused to carry around dead weight. "While you''re at it, please get me an extremely powerful body." "I got it, so get going already." "Ok." Eder trudged forward. * * * As they had nned, Kang Oh and Sephiro waited deep within the cave for Eder and the group of Agaths that would be chasing after him. "Will Mr. Eder be able to do it?" Sephiro''s voice was filled with concern. Unlike them, who would respawn upon death, Eder''s death would mean the end for him. "He''s not someone who''d die from this." Although he always abused, oppressed, and threatened him, he''d been through thick and thin with Eder. Above all, he still hadn''t received the remaining 4,000 gold quest reward. Thus, Kang Oh would never send Eder anywhere he thought he would actually die. Maybe after he got the 4,000 gold though, who knows. At that moment, he heard a scream from afar. "Uaaaaaahk!" It was the sound of Eder''s screams. Kaw. Kaw. Kaw! Flutter. Flutter! Boom. They could hear the sound of the Agaths'' cries, the p of their wings, as well as peals of thunder. "Please get ready." Kang Oh assumed an iaido[1] stance. Tempest Tiger: ready! "I understand." Sephiro took out an arrow which was muchrger than a normal one. It was closer to a javelin than an arrow. There was also an intricate pattern engraved on the arrow shaft as well. "Huuhp." Sephiro notched the giant arrow and forcefully pulled it back. Buster Shot: ready! "As we discussed, you''ll shoot first. Once the barrage of arrows is over, I''ll take over and use Tempest Tiger to finish them off." "Understood." "Mr. Kang Ohhhhhh!" Eder appeared at the entrance of the cave. He really was running with all he had. Caw! Caw! Caw! From behind him, a group of Agaths wailed as they entered the cave. "Come closer!" Kang Oh yelled. "That''s what I''m doing!" Eder waved his arms crazily as he ran. His emaciated skeleton showed between his robes, and although he was supposed to evoke a sense of danger to the living, he instead proved to be quite theical sight. "Shall I shoot?" Sephiro asked. "Please wait." Sephiro gulped. Eder was running crazily, but the Agaths were getting closer and closer. Plus, there were dozens of lightning arrows behind him. Boom! Boom! The lightning arrows crashed onto the ground, and the sparks singed Eder. "Uahk!" Eder screamed. "Run!" Kang Oh yelled. "I''ll shoot now." Sephiro was about to let go. "Wait!" Kang Oh quickly stopped him, and yelled to Eder, "When I say three, shut up and hit the ground t! One!" "Uahk! I''m going to die!" "Two!" The Agaths had caught up to Eder. Their beaks were about to break his skeleton into tiny pieces! "Three!" Eder dropped to the floor. Sephiro simultaneously let the arrow fly. Buster Shot! The giant arrow flew towards the Agaths. Then, five magic circles formed around the arrow. Boom! The sound of an explosion resounded out. Steel arrows came out of the magic circles. 100 of them! The barrage of arrows instantaneously assaulted the Agaths. They weren''t normal arrows. Each and every arrow contained a significant amount of force. Caw!!! The nearby Agaths were ripped to shreds. The further ones shrieked and began randomly discharging lightning. At that moment, Kang Oh roared; it was the same as Baramut''s roar. Kuhaang! Baramut''s soul dwelled within him, and his body swelled with power. ''This is the energy of a tiger!'' "Huhp." Remaining in his iaido stance, Kang Oh swung his sword. A dashing golden tiger! But the Tempest Tiger wasn''t all. Darkness Strike activated as well! A ck wave manifesting in the form of a wild beast flew in tandem with the tiger towards their prey. ''The Darkness Strike is flying towards them like the aura!'' Kang Oh was briefly dazed at the never before seen sight. Since the Darkness Strike had always followed the trajectory of his sword. ''The trajectory of my sword?'' Tempest Tiger shot out an aura. If that''s the case, what trajectory did that aura follow? Wherever it manifested! That must be why the Darkness Strike flew along the shape of the tiger. Whatever the case, two predators of ck and gold mingled together and attacked their prey. Into the center of the chaos, the middle of the Agaths! The two beasts broke through their ranks and ravaged them. Swish! Wind whips assaulted the thunderbirds shortly after. Their wings and bodies were ripped apart, and the stctites began to fall. "Won''t this endanger Mr. Eder as well?" Both the Buster Shot and the Tempest Tiger were more powerful than they had expected. "Eder! Get a grip and protect yourself with your bone magic. If you don''t, then you''ll die!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder, who had been lying t on the ground, heard him. "I knew this would happen!" Eder quickly cast his bone magic. He began summoningyer uponyer of bones in an arch shape. The bones were quickly shredded by the Agaths'' lightning, the whips of wind, and the falling stctites. But whenever that happened, Eder would rece them with new bone. That situation repeated itself over and over. A short whileter... The chaos-inducing golden tiger and its apanying wind had disappeared. All that remained was countless Agath corpses. Of course, the Agath Leader, which possessed a more powerful andrger crystal and wings, had died as well. There was also an igloo made of bone within the ruins, resembling a grave. Kang Oh headed towards it. He tapped it with his sword. "You dead?" No response. "Rest in peace. I''ll never forget your sacrifice..." At that moment, the bone igloo ttered to the ground and the tattered Eder stood up quickly. "Who are you calling dead!?" "Tch." "Did you just click your tongue at me!?" "I''m d you''re safe." Sephiro approached him and hugged him. "Ahem. Brother!" "Enough with the drama. Go pick up the junk..." Kang Oh couldn''t finish. Eder''s eye sockets stared right at him. It was as if they were saying, ''If you make me do this now, then you''re no better than a bug.''. "Ahem." Kang Oh stepped back slightly and collected the junk and crystals himself. ''When was thest time I bent my back to pick up items?'' He''d had Darion and Eder for that. All this time he''d had minions to do it for him, so he hadn''t had to bend his back until now. "Brother!" Eder said. "Brother!" Sephiro replied. On the side, Eder and Sephiro reveled in theirradeship. "Tch." In the end, Kang Oh was forced to collect all of the items himself. At the end, he had gathered 203 total Agath Crystals and 1 Agath Leader Crystal. Missionplete. "We''re done!" Kang Oh dusted off his hands. However, Sephiro and Eder were still hugging each other. Kang Oh scowled, and Eder and Sephiro quickly nced at each other. ''He''s finally done, so let''s stop.'' ''Good idea.'' Eder and Sephiro stealthily approached Kang Oh. "Good work. Hehe." Eder smiled as best he could. Even so, he was a skeleton, so it would be hard to tell anyway. "Don''t smile, you bag of bones," Kang Oh said. "Let''s go back," Sephiro said. Kang Oh looked displeasingly at him and then nodded his head. "Alright." He had nothing more to do here. Kang Oh''s party left the cave. However! Hyper Intuition sensed danger. Kang Oh felt a chill from the top of his head all the way down to the tip of his feet. At that moment... A powerful and giant lightning bolt descended from the sky towards Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh instinctively swung his magic sword. His de absorbed the lightning, as if it were a battery. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [Ubist has absorbed Judgment''s Lightning. Satiation has increased by 0.3%.] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ "What was that?" Once it was over, Kang Oh looked at the sky. _____________________________________________________________________________________________ [You have gathered several Agath Crystals in one ce. The Agath Leader Crystal increases the output of the lightning within the other Agath Crystals.] [You have met the conditions for the emergence of the Kaistan Canyon field raid boss.] [The field raid boss, Caraco, has appeared!] _____________________________________________________________________________________________ It pushed its way through the lightning clouds, its two pairs of wings fully extended. Whatever it was, it made its way towards Kang Oh. [1]: Iaido is amon Japanese swordsmanship style, https://.youtube/watch?v=3WkwFCXfCkQ Chapter 39. Lightning Hunter, Caraco

Chapter 39. Lightning Hunter, Caraco

Trantor: Boko Boom! Caraconded in front of Kang Oh. The ground shook, and the dust spread like a ripple in water. ck feathers covered its four giant wings with a blue crystal embedded in its forehead. Its face resembled that of an eagle''s. It had two hands and four feet, with both hands gripping a golden spear. It was as though a horse''s body was glued to its waist. It was more than 3 meters tall. [You have discovered the field raid boss, Lightning Hunter Caraco.] [You are the first to discover it.] ''Caraco... This is the secret that the Agath Crystals held. In any case, if it''s a raid boss, it''ll be really tough.'' Because raid bosses were so much stronger than normal bosses, they typically required dozens of party members to defeat them. But their party only consisted of three people. Just the three of them had encountered a raid boss. ''Let''s start recording first.'' This was definitely an emergency. Still, he couldn''t pass up a chance to make some money. "Record." Footage of a never before seen raid boss! This should make him some money. "What exactly is happening?" Sephiro asked. "The raid boss apparently appears if you collect arge quantity of Agath Crystals and have the Agath Leader Crystal as well," Kang Oh replied. "Ugh. Now everything goes wrong..." Sephiro''s face darkened. "Now''s not the time for idle chit-chat. It''s moving!" Eder said. As he said, Caraco dashed towards Kang Oh''s party, its feet causing the earth to rumble. "You lightning thieves!" Caraco''s voice was filled with indignation. It was rare, but some monsters could talk to humans. Most of which were bosses. "Why are we lightning thieves again?" Kang Oh asked. "Shut up!" Caraco swung his golden spear, its de resembling a lightning bolt. Vroom! Its spear, which was more than 5 meters long, swept through the area, as if it would break anything in its path. "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled and threw his body out of the way. Eder rolled onto the floor and Sephiro ran backwards. Boom! There was a peal of thunder, followed by Caraco''s golden spear discharging a powerful red lightningbolt. Its target? The one who possessed all of the Agath Crystals, Kang Oh! ''Damn it!'' Because he''d just absorbed its Judgment''s Lightning, he couldn''t absorb the spell. Kang Oh guarded himself with his sword, took out a lightning potion from his inventory, and downed it in one go. [Your lightning resistance increases for 30 seconds.] [You are immune to paralysis and electric shock for 30 seconds.] Bam! Boom! The lightning struck his sword. Kang Oh was pushed back, his feet leaving a trail in the ground. At the same time, the red lightning and its apanying sparks traveled over the sword and shocked Kang Oh as if they were a wave that had ovee a river bank. [You have taken 213 lightning damage. You are immune to paralysis and electric shock.] [You have taken 182 lightning damage. You are immune to paralysis and electric shock.] [You have taken 142 lightning damage...] All of a sudden, he''d lost a huge chunk of his HP. But because he''d blocked it with his magic sword and had drank a lightning potion, he had minimized the potentially lethal damage. ''Hoo, I survived.'' Kang Oh caught his breath and raised his de. Caraco, Eder, and Sephiro were within his field of view. Eder shot bone shards from his right hand and what seemed to be a curse from his left, as a red ''something'' flew towards Caraco! However, Caraco didn''t even concern itself with Eder''s attacks and swung its threatening spear at Sephiro. As befitting of a ranker, Sephiro evaded the spear, aimed for its wing, and continuously shot arrows. ''A raid without a healer or a tank.'' Normally, when a party faced a raid boss, they needed a tank that could block the raid boss''s attacks and a healer that could heal the party. Several of them at that! However, just the three of them had to face Caraco! ''Should I run away?'' He could run and then summon Eder away to save him from an untimely death. But what would happen if he couldn''t summon him? ''Can''t have that. That would mean I lose 4,000 gold.'' He didn''t even consider Sephiro, since all that would befall him was a game over. "Damn you!" At that moment, Caraco shook off Sephiro and dashed towards Kang Oh. Considering the fact that Caraco ignored Eder and Sephiro and rushed towards him and him alone, it seemed as though it would prioritize whoever held the Agath Crystals. ''Then I can''t run away.'' He didn''t have the luxury of choice. "Sephiro, Eder! Focus your attacks on its wings!" Kang Oh yelled. Caraco was a raid boss that had the ability to fly. ''It''ll probably fly and shoot lightning during the 2nd or 3rd phase.'' It''d be a pain if that happened. Kang Oh only had three party members total. Therefore, they had no way of dealing with Caraco''s potential aerial bombardment. If that''s the case, then their main priority was to damage its wings so that it couldn''t fly. "Die!" Caraco stopped right in front of him and thrust with its spear. He felt a chill. His Hyper Intuition was warning him. ''Trying to make some distance against a spear is idiotic.'' If one gave a spear-user space, then they would never again be able to close the gap and would just be hunted down. So, instead of retreating or dodging to the sides, Kang Oh charged forward. The spear came rushing towards his head. The chill felt so strong that he felt like he''d soon have goosebumps. ''Now!'' Kang Oh quickly turned his body. Caraco''s spear grazed the side of Kang Oh''s face. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and dashed forward. "Huuhp!" Kang Oh swung his sword. First, sh! The target: its wing! Caraco quickly folded its wing. Kang Oh''s de passed by where its wing had once been. He immediately attacked once more. This time, he aimed for one of its four legs. "You dare!" Caraco didn''t just let it happen. It swung its spear, putting pressure on Kang Oh. ng! Sword and spear shed. The intense pressure caused Kang Oh''s hands to throb. He took a step back. Meanwhile, Sephiro coated an arrow in paralyzing toxin. ''It worked on Kruger, so it should work on that birdbrain too.'' Kruger was a brutal level 250 monster with a giant mouth. This paralyzing toxin had worked on Kruger, so even though it was a raid boss, it should work on Caraco too. He strung the poison-tipped arrow and shot it instantly. His target was obviously the wing! It had hit the mark. But because its wings were so tough, there was only a small chip in its wing. ''A single drop can eventually break through a rock.'' Sephiro quickly notched another poison-tipped arrow and shot it. It hit the exact same ce the previous arrow hadnded. Sephiro continued to shoot arrows, aiming to pierce that one spot. It was only possible because Kang Oh was so effectively drawing its attention away. Eder tried throwing a bone spear at it, but it didn''t have much effect. Thus, he changed tactics and used Bone Bind on its wings to annoy it. The persistent harassment aimed at its wings only infuriated it. "You insects!" It raised its spear to the sky. All of a sudden, lightning descended from the sky. Towards Eder and Sephiro! Caraco''s skill only allowed him to strike at those a certain distance away from him, so Kang Oh wasn''t affected by the lightning. "Uahk!" Eder quickly formedyer uponyer of bone to create a bone wall. However, the lightning smashed right through it, electrifying Eder''s skeleton body. He immediately left his skeleton body. Sizzle. The skeleton was burnt ck. Eder, who''d returned to his ghost form, sighed in relief. Though he was safe, his skeleton body waspletely burnt and thus rendered useless. Sephiro quickly rolled onto the floor. He couldn''tpletely avoid the lightning. But befitting his ranker status, he had thought ahead and quickly downed a lightning potion beforehand, minimizing the damage. ''As expected of a raid boss!'' Having witnessed it all, Kang Oh gritted his teeth. "You birdbrain!" Kang Oh swung his magic sword. He needed to draw its attention so that it couldn''t initiate a follow-up attack on Eder and Sephiro. "Who are you calling a birdbrain!?" Caraco violently swung its spear at him. Its thrust was as fast as lightning! But no matter how fast its strike may be, Kang Oh still possessed his Hyper Intuition. Thus, he was able to move ahead of time and dodge it. ng! The tip of the spear was stuck in the ground. At that moment... ''Now''s my chance!'' Kang Oh quickly swung his sword. He cut Caraco''s wing and red shards of light burst out! "Ugh!" Caraco grimaced in pain. Kang Oh continued his assault. sh! A white line left a wound on the wing! At the same time, Darkness Strike activated and a ck wave ravaged the wing. "Eek!" Caraco''s forehead-embedded crystal began to discharge countless sparks. Soon, it shot a giant lightning bolt at Kang Oh like aser pointer. "Haaht!" Kang Oh swung downwards, cutting the lightning down the middle. [Ubist has absorbed Judgment''s Lightning. Satiation has increased by 0.3%.] His de absorbed the lightning. He simultaneously activated Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger-shaped aura was unleashed from his de. ng! The aura struck Caraco. Caraco''s body trembled. The fierce whips of wind raged on, continually striking Caraco. "Kuaahk!" Caraco screamed in agony. ''Now!'' Hearing Caraco''s cries, Sephiro''s shot four arrows at it. Spinning Arrow! The arrows spiraled around, flying right to their target! The fiercely rotating arrows pierced through the raging wind and embed themselves into Caraco''s wing. Eder, who was now in his ghost state, focused on casting curses. He unleashed all sorts of curses from his hands. A slow, a healing debuff, fatigue, aging, etc. They didn''t do any damage, but they reduced their target''s abilities! Moreover, the curses were even more effective in his ghostly state. However, Caraco possessed a high curse resistance, so most of them were ineffective. "Ugh, you''re just food to me!" Caraco raised his spear to the heavens once more. "More lightning''sing down!" Kang Oh yelled. As he said, lightning fell from the sky. Sephiro immediately used his Absolute Evasion skill. It was a skill that allowed him to, just once, evade any attack no matter what! Because of that, he was able to avoid the lightning that came down. But the problem was Eder! "Uahk!" He had no way of avoiding it. Eder would die at this rate! He saw the iing lightning and closed his eyes. But then... "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh said. Then, Eder was instantly summoned right in front of him. He was obviously able to avoid the lightning as well! "I-I survived!" Eder opened his eyes and was relieved that he was alright. Though, following his relief, he was shocked that Caraco was right before his very eyes. "Uheok!" "Go to the cave." Kang Oh rushed back to the cave where they had ughtered the Agaths. "Wait for me!" Eder quickly followed behind him. "Mr. Sephiro, to the cave!" "Understood." Sephiro quickly retreated to the cave. "Where do you think you''re going!?" The enraged Caraco kicked off the floor with its four feet in pursuit of Kang Oh. Kang Oh, who had been heading for the cave, suddenly turned around. "Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder called as if to say, ''What the hell are you doing?''. "I have to keep it here for a bit. If I don''t then Mr. Sephiro won''t make it to the cave." "Then I''ll stay too." Eder prepped his magic. "Just go to the cave." "Understood," Eder said immediately, and quickly ran into the cave. "You!" Caraco lunged with its spear, a powerful blow backed by his eleration! Kang Oh didn''t even try to block it. He kicked off the floor to get his body off to the side. Kang Oh dodged the spear by a hair''s breadth. Boom! Caraco''s attack formed a giant crater, as though an explosion had taken ce. Dust rose from the site as well. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and stood up. He then rushed towards Caraco and swung his sword. Caraco too, quickly withdrew its spear and swung it once more. They both grazed one another with their weapons. Kang Oh swung downwards while Caraco thrust forward. In an instant, they repeatedly exchanged blows. "Mr. Kang Oh! I''ve arrived." Because he''d bought him time, Sephiro was able to safely enter the cave. While either blocking or dodging Caraco''s assault, he said, "Attack from within the cave. He can''t use that lightning when you''re in there!" "Understood." Sephiro began to shoot arrows from within the cave. Eder too, began to cast curses. Eder and Sephiros'' attacks were working. While assaulted by long-range attacks and curses, lightning didn''t fall from the lightning clouds. Instead, it focused entirely on Kang Oh. "I''ll kill you first!" Caraco''s forehead embedded crystal began to spark. Chapter 40. Demon Kang Oh (1)

Chapter 40. Demon Kang Oh (1)

Trantor: Boko Caraco''s crystal released lightning, forming a giant orb of lightning in the sky. It thrust its golden spear into the orb. Then, the spear began to absorb the lightning orb. Creak! The spear turned into lightning. Now, rather than golden, the spear was a mix between blue and snow-white. The spear emitted sparks, zigzagging across the length of the spear. It lunged with its lightning spear. Its target: Kang Oh''s heart! Rather than avoid it, Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword. ng! Once his sword and its spear shed, intense sparks popped out. Kang Oh took damage and was pushed back. Once the distance between them had widened, Kang Oh turned around and headed for the cave. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Caraco roared angrily. It pursued Kang Oh feverishly with its four legs. Rat-a-tat-tat! "Die!" Caraco, whilst running, raised its spear and threw it at Kang Oh. A javelin throw! The lightning spear flew with incredible speed. As it flew, it spewed lightning everywhere. "Haahk, hak." Kang Oh ran like crazy. His stamina was drained. "Mr. Kang Oh, behind you!" "It threw its spear!" Eder and Sephiro yelled to warn him of the danger. Kang Oh looked back. A giant powerful lightning bolt wasing right at him. "Shit." He has all sorts of tricks. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and threw his body. Whilst in the air, he guarded his body with his magic sword. The spear embedded itself where he had been moments prior. Boom! A ''boom'' resounded about as if there had just been an explosion, and indeed, the ground was decimated around the impact site. As if that wasn''t enough, the lightning extended it all directions, striking Kang Oh''s sword. "Ugh!" Since he was in the air, whenever the lightning struck his de, he was hit by a significant amount of force and pressure. His body was flung away swiftly like a kicked ser ball. Kang Oh was also forced to make an emergencynding! He rolled onto the floor. A message appeared, telling him that his HP had gone down, which only served to make him even dizzier. Fortunately, he had made it to the cave. Eder and Sephiro rushed over to him. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder shouted. Sephiro immediately used First Aid on him. Kang Oh stood up. "Let''s go inside." They didn''t have any time to rest. Caraco stared at Kang Oh''s party and removed his spear from the ground. Kang Oh''s party went inside the cave. "We have to damage one more wing." As a result of their constant focus on its wings, they''d made it so that two of them were useless. If they disabled just one more of them, then they could prevent it from flying. "Ok." "Understood." Eder and Sephiro prepared for battle once more. Kang Oh tightly gripped his de with both hands. Caraco approached the cave. "This cave will be your grave!" It charged towards Kang Oh like a runaway engine. "Birdbrain!" Kang Oh rushed forward. Kang Oh and Caraco. The two entities shed! Of course, Kang Oh was at a disadvantage. Caraco was a raid boss! It swung its lightning spear with devastating force and fired a lightning cannon from its forehead as well. Even so, Kang Oh held strong. He didn''t fall due to his Hyper Intuition and his outstandingbat abilities. ''Sephiro, hurry up!'' If Caraco lost its ability to fly, then Kang Oh would unleash everything he had left. He''d use both Gluttony and Devil Trigger! But if he was about tond a killing blow and it then flew into the air, things would get troublesome. Thus, their main priority was to disable its ability to fly. Sephiro stayed true to his mission. He persistently aimed for one of Caraco''s wings. Spinning Arrow, Double Shot, Piercing Arrow, Shadow Arrow, Homing Arrow! He was as quick and precise as a machine and continued to use every skill in his arsenal. Eder did his best too, using all sorts of curses. But then... Caraco, who had been pushing Kang Oh back, suddenly turned its head and shot a lightning cannon. It wasn''t aiming for Kang Oh, but for Sephiro! "Not on my watch!" Kang Oh threw his body and thrust his sword. His magic sword absorbed the lightning cannon. However, that was what Caraco had intended all along. Caraco lunged at the now defenseless Kang Oh. Kang Oh was midair. There was no way he could dodge its attack. ''Damn it. Just survive one hit!'' Caraco''s lightning spear pierced through his body. Or almost did, at least. [The Baramut armor set''s special ability, Wind Shield has activated.] [The attack has been nullified.] The Baramut armor set shined, creating a vortex of wind that nullified Caraco''s attack. When its user was about to be struck by a fatal attack, the set would create a wind shield that would nullify the attack. ''I forgot about this! Thanks, Baramut.'' Now that''s what he called a close call! After dangeres opportunity. Sephiro ceaseless attacks had thoroughly injured Caraco''s third wing. Now that it only had one uninjured wing, Cacaro would no longer be able to fly. One wing alone was not powerful enough to let it be airborne. "Uaahk! How dare you!" Caraco wailed. Its eyes glowed with a scarlet hue. The lightning released by its crystal engulfed the raid boss. [The flightless Caraco has turned Berserk.] [The flightless Caraco has entered Lightning Hunter mode. Caraco''s body bes lightning.] Berserk, a state which would explosively increase one''s abilities! Plus, it had entered Lightning Hunter mode, which would turn its entire body into lightning! Thebination of these two made the raid boss, Caraco, a walking catastrophe. But Kang Oh refused to yield. "You think you''re the only one who can transform!?" It was time to use everything he had. Kang Oh took off the ne with four different shining gems. It was the A-rank item, Alishi''s Ne. "Eat it, Ubist!" Darkness spewed from the magic sword, and devoured the ne. [Magic sword Ubist has consumed Alishi''s Ne.] [It is an A-rank piece of equipment.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [The magic sword and character''s abilities triple for 5 minutes.] If the magic sword consumed a BB-rank item, then his abilities would double. However, an A-rank item would triple his stats! Moreover, the higher ranked the item was, the longer the duration time was. Kuooh! Kang Oh emitted jet-ck energy. Power overflowed from every part of his body. But that wasn''t all. Darkness began to spread from the hand gripping the de to the rest of his body. He was instantaneously covered in darkness. Devil Trigger! His body was dyed in a ck darker than any shadow. The darkness formed a mask over his face that resembled a beast with eyes that shone with a red hue. It also formed a jet-ck tail that shone with starlight. The darkness over his shoulder rose like a heat haze. Once the shadow took the form of Ubist, it stood behind Kang Oh. Kuaaaaaahk! Kang Oh roared. No, perhaps it was Ubist that roared instead. Kayaahk! Not to be outdone, Caraco roared as well, its entire body releasing lightning. At that moment, the Demon Kang Oh and the Lightning Caraco stared at each other. Was that the signal? The two entities dashed towards each other. Kang Oh straightened his jet-ck tail like aet and charged! While Caraco zigzagged towards him like a lightning bolt that cut the divided the world! Darkness and lightning shed! * * * ng! ng! The walls cracked and the ground was uprooted. The shaking of the cave caused the stgmites to fall. The two entities shes caused the cave to tremble. "This is crazy!" Sephiro was shocked by Kang Oh''s strength. ''He''s low-leveled too...'' Kang Oh was still only level 98. He wasn''t even level 100 yet. That''s why Sephiro shuddered. A strength that overcame levels! "Numbers..." he muttered unbeknownst to him. Numbers. Arth''s AI ranked its rankers based on factors such as level, strength, achievements, influence, fame, money, etc. Ranks 1 through 9 were called Numbers. In other words, Numbers were Arth''s most powerful yers! Kang Oh''s sh with Caraco made him think of the Numbers. That just meant how crazy Kang Oh was. "Is it really ok for us to just sit here and do nothing?" Eder asked Sephiro in his ghost state. "The battle''s too intense. I think it''d be best if we just sat this one out," Sephiro said. It wasn''t because he was worried that they''d be hurt if they intervened. Right now, they had to watch this fight. "I understand." Thus, Sephiro and Eder quietly watched the great struggle before their very eyes. * * * [You may now use the power of the King of Magical Beasts and the Abyss Predator, Ubist as your own.] [You may take full control over the darkness. Now, the darkness around you will move as you see fit.] [You may now use Abyss Prison, Abyss Aura, Abyss Shield, and Abyss Transfer.] [You now haveplete resistance against the darkness element.] [If you are in the dark or even shade, HP, MP, and Stamina replenish quickly.] [In you dwells a beast''s strength and ferocity.] [You now possess the full power of predation. Devour your foe!] [Ubist lies in your shadow.] [Ubist moves as he wills.] Kang Oh quickly read the messages and dashed towards the Lightning Hunter Caraco. Caraco too, charged towards Kang Oh. sh! Kang Oh swung his magic sword. The darkness struck Caraco like a whip. Caraco was lightning itself. It zigzagged around and avoided his attack. ''If you''re made of lightning, then I''ll cut lightning itself!'' His magic sword possessed the ability to cut that which couldn''t normally be cut, whether it be ghosts or elements. It should be effective against Caraco! Kang Oh swung downwards. Kyaoh! This time, Caraco didn''t avoid his strike and counterattacked. It shot out nine red lightning bolts from its spear. Kang Oh steered the darkness. He guided the darkness surrounding him to gather around his sword. Abyss Shield! His shield, like a swamp, absorbed the lightning without a sound or trace. Meanwhile, the shadow Ubist swung its front paw at Caraco. It wasn''t a normal attack. Abyss w! It scratched Caraco with its gleaming silver ws. Kyaa! Caraco cried out and shot lightning at the shadow Ubist. The shadow Ubist could control its own shadow, making itrger or smaller whenever it wished. Ubist minimized its shadow and evaded the lightning. ng! Crack! The lightning missed its target, merely hitting the innocentnd. Kang Oh leaped high into the air, aiming for the Caraco''s weak spot; his Hyper Intuition had indicated that it was its crystal. However, Caraco was strong. It was both Berserk and in its Lightning Hunter mode. In an instant it had thrust its spear four times. It felt like he was getting stabbed by four spears simultaneously. Moreover, all of them were aiming for his vital spots, each with a massive amount of destructive force! ''Let''s retreat for now.'' The darkness engulfed him. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh instantly got behind Caraco. He now had a clear view of Caraco''s back. ''Here''s my chance!'' Kang Oh swung horizontally. He etched a ck and white line into the air. Thebination of ck and white! It was the result of his Darkness Aura and sh. Swish! His de cut through its back. "Kuahk!" Caraco screamed at the sudden pain. "I''ll rip you apart!" The enraged Caracounched lightning in every direction. Normally, he would either take cover or hide behind his magic sword, but it was different now. Kang Oh boldly pressed forward. He was at his peak focus right now. Whenever his Hyper Intuition would send him a warning, he would quickly evade it and move forward in between the lightning. Of course, the lightning would still graze him or the sparks would damage him, but he could endure it. Ultimately, he pierced through the lightning and saw Cacaro. "Take this!" Tempest Tiger! He unleashed a golden aura from his de. Chapter 41. Demon Kang Oh (2)

Chapter 41. Demon Kang Oh (2)

Trantor: Boko The Tempest Tiger dashed towards Caraco. Caraco responded by thrusting its spear at the oing tiger-shaped aura. Bam! Bam! Bam! The tiger-shaped aura and Caraco''s lightning shed as if they were two waves crashing against one another. Meanwhile, the wind continued to rage. Whoosh! With Gluttony and Devil Trigger strengthening him, the wind had be more violent and intense than before. As strong as it was, the wind couldn¡¯t simply be called ¡®whips¡¯ any longer... The gales of wind entwined, twisting and gathering into three small tornadoes. The three tornadoes surrounded and pressured the raid boss. sh! Caraco discharged lightning from its entire body. The lightning struck the tornadoes. The two forces of nature were forced into a power struggle. At that moment, Kang Oh moved. ''Let''s make this short and sweet!'' He only had 1 minute left of Gluttony. In other words, the overpowered buff that tripled his abilities would end soon. This was his chance, as Gluttony was still active and Caraco was busy dealing with the tornadoes. "Adadadada!" Kang Oh rushed towards Caraco and swung his sword as if he were in a trance. First up, sh! A white line passed Caraco. Normally, sh had a cooldown of 10 seconds. However, Kunta''s Ring reduced all of his skills'' cooldown by half, so it was only 5 seconds now. ''5, 4...'' Kang Oh counted down the seconds while swinging his sword in an X. His Abyss Aura followed the cross-sh. ''Ok.'' Once sh was ready, Kang Oh swung his de upwards from below. sh! Followed by Darkness Strike! Darkness Strike finally activated when it hadn''t done so throughout his fight. ng! Following the white line, the wave of the ck beast assaulted Caraco. The more it screamed, the more intense Kang Oh''s attacks became. "I won''t die!" Caraco desperately counterattacked. They continued their intense sh. Its lightning was destructive, while its spear was quick and fatal. Thus, it wasn''t possible to avoid all of Caraco''s attacks. Kang Oh''s HP dropped below 30%. "But I''m still going to win!" Kang Oh possessed the magic sword, Ubist. A sword that could even cleave through lightning! Each time his sword cut its body, it was like Caraco''s very existence was being cut. That''s how the desperate struggle between the two continued. He would use sh and Abyss Aura whenever they were off cooldown. [You havepleted the spontaneous quest, sh 1.] [As a reward, proficiency in sh increases exponentially.] [sh has reached the intermediate level. Now sh is more powerful than before.] ''Good. I''m finishing this in 10 seconds.'' Gluttony would onlyst for 10 more seconds. "Huuhp." Kang Oh gripped his de with both hands, and shed the center of Caraco''s body. Thump! By leveling up, the white line that sh left behind was both thicker andrger than before. Of course, the damage was greater as well! "Uaaaahk!" Caraco yelled and counterattacked. In his opinion, it was Caraco''sst-ditch effort. That''s why it seemed to be so desperate. Kang Oh ceased his assault so that he could avoid the sudden shower of attacks, and blocked its spear with his sword. The sh between sword and spear! Creak! The lightning spear mmed against the magic sword repeatedly, as if he were trying to burn it. ''It''s weak.'' Kang Oh ascertained the lightning spear''s strength and conjured an Abyss Shield. The darkness devoured all of the lightning, sparks, and the balls of fire that came at him. ''I can''t use Tempest Tiger.'' Tempest Tiger would remain on cooldown for quite some time. If that''s the case... "Just die already!" Kang Oh leapt up, aiming for its neck. Though it dodged his attack by a hair''s breadth, there was still the Abyss Aura that followed it. Bam! It hit the mark! Caraco staggered and its two front legs bent. Kang Oh flowed naturally to his next attack. Another one! He struck its chin. Due to the pressure towards its head, Caraco was in a confused state, and fell to the floorpletely. However, while it fell, it aimed for Kang Oh''s neck with itsst remaining good wing. "You really are persistent!" Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, avoiding its attack. Then, he appeared right above it! He gripped his sword with both hands and fell, the tip of his sword pointing to the ground. Gravity forced him and his sword down quickly. "This is the end!" "You!" Caraco arduously raised its head. It gathered energy into its forehead to use its Lightning Cannon. The crystal gathered lightning and began emitting sparks. However, the crystal cracked. The lightning that he''d so desperately gathered into the crystal dispersed. At that moment... Kang Oh''s magic sword went right through it. Thump! The tip of his de was embedded in the crystal. Crack! Caraco''s crystal broke into pieces. Like an atom without its nucleus, Caraco began to release all of its gathered lightning energy. "Impossible..." It seemed as though it couldn''t ept its defeat and subsequent death. "Life is all about the impossible. So die beautifully." Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger. Gluttony had ended as well. "How vex..." Caraco wasn''t able to finish and closed its eyes. [The raid boss, Lightning Hunter Caraco, has been defeated for the first time.] [As a reward, it will drop its highest rank items.] [You managed to defeat the raid boss Caraco with so few members. It is an incredible achievement! Fame has increased significantly.] [You have acquired the title, Lightning Hunter.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have reached level 100.] He''d finally reached level 100! "Let''s see what it dropped." Caraco had dropped seven items nearby. It was only natural that a raid boss would drop so many items. Not only that! ''They''re all mine!'' Eder''s portion was obviously his portion. And because of the contract, Sephiro couldn''t take any of the items. In other words, he could take it all! "Heh." He was so pleased that he couldn''t contain his smile. * * * "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder flew over. Sephiro too, quickly rushed over. He didn''t really care either way; Kang Oh just examined all the items Caraco had left behind. ''This one looks the most expensive.'' Kang Oh lifted the giant golden spear. It was none other than the spear that Caraco had used against him! When Caraco had used it, it was more than 5 meters long, but its size had decreased enough so that a yer could use it. "Appraise." [Caracuni''s Golden Spear] A weapon that represents the Lightning Hunter Caraco. The spear is made of an alloy born from the mixture of gold and another unknown material. This alloy is known as Caracuni''s Gold. Caracuni''s Gold has no lightning resistance, so whenever lightning magic or skills are used, there is no decreased strength in the ability. Thus, it is the best alloy for lightning magicians or those who wield lightning. It is a precious spear that consists of Caracuni''s Gold from the spear shaft to the spear tip. + Lightning Handling Spear: Increases lightning resistance, and increases the effect of lightning skills or magic. Increases the likelihood of the lightning element''s additional effects to proc. + Lightning Calling Spear: There is a fixed chance that whoever this spear attacks is struck by lightning. + Lightning Wearing Spear: By gathering lightning into it, the spear can be a weapon that is 99% akin to lightning. When it does, it deals both physical and magic damage. Rank: S Abilities: Attack Power +254, Magic Attack Power +223, Pration +41, Physical +44, Magic +42 Minimum Requirements: Level 150, 50% lightning resistance. Minimum requirements can be ignored if the yer possesses the title, ''Lightning Hunter''. "Oh dear god!" Kang Oh smiled widely. ''An S-rank spear with a level 150 requirement. It does both physical and magical damage, and all of its abilities are great; none of them are throwaways! A spear-user could use it, or a Mage could use it instead of a staff. In other words, a masterpiece! He could sell it for a high price. "That spear, may I take a look at it?" "Of course." Kang Oh passed him the spear and he lifted the grimoire. Since he''d benefitted so heavily from Bercy''s grimoire, he had high hopes as he appraised the new grimoire. It was a grimoire that allowed a yer to learn the Judgement''s Lightning that Caraco had used. ''I should go to the magic tower and figure out how much this is worth.'' Kang Oh stashed the grimoire into his inventory. "Holy crap." From beside him, Sephiro examined the Caracuni Golden Spear in shock. ''Holy crap is right. Yes indeed.'' Kang Oh agreed with him. The Caracuni Golden Spear was that good. He examined the huge crystal whilst smiling. [Caraco''s Powerful Lightning Crystal] Caraco gathered the power of lightning into this crystal. This crystal can contain an incredible amount of lightning. A skilled jeweler would be able to make it into an incredible essory. Material rank: AA "Next." Kang Oh stashed the jewel into his inventory and went on to the next item. [All-Enduring Bundle of Feathers] A bundle of Caraco''s feathers, one who lived in the lightning clouds. A material that is incredibly attuned to lightning, fire, and moisture. Not only that, it is also incredibly tough while still being light. Its uses are endless. Material rank: AA "Damn. Another material." Kang Oh liked equipment much more than materials. Right when he was about to ce the feathers into his inventory, Sephiro quickly yelled, "Mr. Kang Oh! Please let me see those." "Here." Sephiro ced the bundle of feathers atop his Lasselpino Bow. Once he did, the bow began to quiver. Sephiro looked passionately at Kang Oh. "Mr. Kang Oh!" His eyes were filled with greed! "I''m not giving them to you," Kang Oh refused. "Then sell it to me instead." "I''m going to auction it off, so buy it there." The bundle of feathers came from his first raid boss kill. In other words, he was the first one to obtain them. If that''s the case, it would be better if he auctioned them off. Since there would be plenty of master craftsman who''d like to test out a new material and would buy it for a hefty price. Sephiro grimaced. He needed the feathers. Since it would increase the performance of the Lasselpino Bow! However, if it reached the auction house, there was a chance he wouldn''t be able to buy it. ''I can''t let that happen!'' He had to settle things here and now. Sephiro sported a professional smile and pointed towards the dead Caraco. "I helped take this guy down. I even made it so it couldn''t fly. I did all that!" He wanted Kang Oh to recognize his contributions. Obviously, it didn''t work at all. "Yeah, sure. Good job." Kang Oh somewhat bowed his head and avoided Sephiro''s gaze. Sephiro was definitely trying to sweet talk him. After all, it wasn''t against the contract! "What do I have to do for you to give me those feathers?" Sephiro asked earnestly. "Do you really need these that much?" Kang Oh shook the bundle of feathers. "Yes, I need them!" "Then give me all the rights to the broadcasting of this raid, as well as all the information pertaining to it." Information would always trante into money. And information pertaining to a raid boss that dropped an S-rank spear would definitely trante into money. Moreover, he had footage of him defeating Caraco. If he showed this to Jin Cheol, wouldn''t he ask him to sign a contract with him immediately? "Alright," Sephiro replied immediately. Kang Oh passed him the bundle of feathers. "Now I just need a horn!" Sephiro''s face was filled with joy. ''Was the Lasselpino Bow an upgradeable weapon?'' Kang Oh recalled that the Lasselpino Bow was part of an upgradeable ss of weapons. ''Well, who cares if he can upgrade it or not. It''s none of my business.'' Kang Oh examined the remaining items. He lifted a soul that looked like yellow candy. It was an A-rank soul that would increase his main stats by +2, as well as imparting him with a 5% increased lightning resistance. Kang Oh swallowed Caraco''s Soul in one go. [Main stats +2] [Lightning resistance has increased by 5%.] Next, he examined the boots and armor that Caraco had dropped. They were A-rank equipment that had a level 150 requirement. However, they were much worse than the Baramut armor set. ''This''ll go to the auction house.'' Kang Oh finished appraising all of the items. He was done here. "Let''s go back!" "Alright." Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder returned to Altein. "You have nine times left. Nine!" Sephiro left. "I think I''ll have to return to my mansion to rest." Eder, back in his cked and wounded skeleton body, left as well. "Let''s go see Grano." The sole remaining member, Kang Oh, began walking towards the Mage''s Tower. Chapter 42. Money, Money, Money

Chapter 42. Money, Money, Money

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh checked his character info on the way to the Mage''s Tower. [Lv100 Kang Oh] ss: Magic Swordsman Disposition: Darkness Title: Master of the Magic Sword / Spider Queen Killer / ck Rat Killer / King of the Lavero Jungle / Lightning Hunter Fame: 2,512 HP&MP: 1,512 / 1,021 Stamina: 200 [Main Stats] Physical: 321 (+310) Mental: 196 (+185) Magic: 114 (+104) Sense: 392 (+101) Unallocated Points: 6 [Side Stats] Indomitable: 95 / Tenacity: 75 / Evasion: 132 / Charm: 41 / Dignity: 33 If other users could see his character info, then they''d be shocked at how high his stats were for his level. A normal level 100 user would receive 297 stat points. However, Kang Oh''s Physical stat alone was over 300, and his Sense stat, which he''d put all his points into, was almost at 400 as well. Also, Magic and Mentalbined was 310. He had more than 1,000 statsbined. This was the result of all the stats he''d gained from Baramut and Bercy, the Baramut armor set, the magic sword Ubist, as well as the stats stolen from Darkness Strike. He was a monster in terms of stats! ''But I''m still not there yet!'' Kang Oh wanted to be even stronger. Because if he did, he would make even more money! Ever since he''d decided to y Arth for a living, he''d only had one goal. To turn his life around! He''d recently decided upon something that would help him do that. A building! If you want to turn your life around, you¡¯ve got to have a building or two. ''Andlord, huh...'' Andlord that lorded over their tenants and made sure they got their monthly rent! His heart pounded at the thought, and he felt happy just thinking about it. "Heh." Kang Oh smiled like a madman and strode forward. He had arrived in front of the nine story giant Mage''s Tower. * * * Kang Oh met Grano at the 2nd floor cafe of the Mage''s Tower. "You got them all already?" Grano looked extremely surprised. Kang Oh removed the 200 Agath Crystals and the Agath Leader Crystals from his inventory and piled them onto the table. Grano opened a subspace. A subspace was akin to an inventory that Mages used. Grano pushed all of the Agath Crystals into his subspace. "I should be able to finish the device with all of this," Grano said excitedly. "Then we''re going to the Bariton Desert together." "Of course." Grano nodded his head. [Questplete.] "When are we going?" Kang Oh asked. He wanted to go as soon as possible. "The rain-making device should take me about 1 week at best or 2 weeks at worst toplete. You see, I need to process these crystals to use them." Grano couldn''t go to the Bariton Desert right away. Since he needed to first process the crystals and then actually create the rain-making device! Kang Oh retrieved Caraco''s Lightning Crystal from his inventory. "Do you need this too?" Grano examined the crystal and looked at him in astonishment. Caraco''s crystal was muchrger than the Agath''s or the Agath Leader''s crystal. "Could I take a closer look at it?" "Here you go." Kang Oh passed him the crystal and Grano examined it meticulously. "It''s not an Agath Crystal. However, it''s effects are simr, but also much greater." "I got it from the giant monster, Caraco, that resided within the Kaistan Canyon." Kang Oh provided a brief exnation of how he obtained the item. "With this... I can make an even more powerful device!" "So you''re saying you need it, right?" "Indeed." "How much will you buy it for?" "200 gold!" Grano said. The Agath Leader Crystal was worth 20 gold, yet Grano was willing to buy Caraco''s crystal for 10 times that. His offer had surprised him, but he wanted to see if he could get any more out of him, so he raised the price. "How about 300 gold?" "You have a deal," Grano replied immediately. Kang Oh was barely able to contain his happiness. He tried to get more out of Grano, but... "How about 500..." Grano extracted three gold bars from his subspace and ced them onto the table. "Let''s go with 300 gold. After all, this isn''t thest time we''ll be seeing each other," Grano said. "Alright." Kang Oh grabbed the three gold bars. Grano too ced Caraco''s crystal into his subspace. "Then, I''ll get going to finish my device." Once they concluded their business, Grano went to leave. "Ah, please wait a moment," Kang Oh stopped him. "I don''t know when you''ll be finished, and I can''t just sit here waiting for you." Wasting time was the worst! "Hmm. That''s true. Then how would you like me to contact you?" "There''s a ghost-possessed mansion on Blue Cross Street. Please leave a message in the mailbox there when you''re done." The ghost-possessed mansion on Blue Cross street was Eder''s home. "I understand." "Then let''s see each other again soon." "Indeed." Once Grano left, Kang Oh went down to the 1st floor and headed for the area where they sold grimoires. There was a male mage on duty at the help desk. Kang Oh handed him the Judgment''s Lightning grimoire. "Please appraise this and sell it on consignment." Kang Oh said only what was necessary. "A moment please." The man''s sses emanated a blue light. That light went over the grimoire like a scanner. This scanning magic provided the user with various information on the scanned object. "It''s a never before seen lightning spell!" The mage raised his voice. "So how much is it worth?" Kang Oh asked. "You said you''d like to sell it on consignment, yes? The Tower will buy it from you immediately. We will pay you 1,000 gold for it. In exchange, we won''t take amission fee." 1,000 gold! The sides of his mouth twitched. "I assume you''re sure of its value?" "Of course. Because it''s the first time we''ve seen this lightning spell, we''ve valued it at the same price as the most expensive lightning grimoire we sell here," the mage said. Back when he''de to sell Bercy''s grimoire, he''d taken a look at the various grimoires they sold here. He definitely remembered seeing a lightning grimoire worth 1,000 gold. "I''ll sell it to the magic tower." "You made the right choice." The mage opened the safe on one side of the help desk and passed him ten gold bars. "Heh." Kang Ohughed automatically. He''d made 1,300 gold already! ''As I thought, you have to do everything yourself.'' If Kang Oh had taken down Caraco with a party, then the loot would have been divided among the party members. Then, Kang Oh wouldn''t have profited much. But because he¡¯d dealt with everything himself, he was able to make 1,300 gold. If he exchanged this sum for cash, then with the 2%mission fee, it woulde out to 12.7 million won ($12,700 USD). Moreover! This wasn''t the end. ''I still have the most expensive piece.'' Caracuni''s Golden Spear! A precious spear with a tip shaped like a lightning bolt and a shaft that glimmered in gold. How much would this even be worth? It was time to find out. * * * There were two main ways for users to sell goods. They either sold it themselves or put them up at the auction house. If they wanted to sell their goods themselves, then they wouldn''t have to pay amission fee, but they''d have to do all the hard work themselves. On the other hand, the auction house took 10% of the bid price as amission. Kang Oh didn''t want to waste his precious time to sell an item. Thus, he came to the auction house closest to the magic tower, the Thomson Auction House. The auction house was built like a cafe. There were dozens of tables andfy sofas, and on the other side, they sold drinks, desserts, and simple food. A green square metal device was attached to the ceiling like a chandelier. It was a device that allowed users to ess the in-game auction. In other words, users couldn''t ess the auction feature in a ce without one of these devices. Kang Oh imed one of the secluded cafe tables and sat on one of the sofas. "Auction." The auction interface appeared. This interface was divided into two categories: auction or sale. ''Let''s start small first.'' Kang Oh picked sale and ced the A-rank boots he''d received from Caraco on sale. ''Rather than an immediate bid, the auction will have a time limit of three days. The starting bid will be 50 gold.'' He moved his fingers a few times along the interface and registered the boots as an auction item. ''Let''s leave the armor for now.'' He didn''t register Caraco''s A-rank armor. Kang Oh left it to be fodder for Gluttony. "Now then." Kang Oh rubbed his hands and fiddled with the auction interface once more. ''Choose the Caracuni''s Golden Spear. No immediate bid. The auction willst a week. The starting bid is 2,000 gold.'' Auction registrationplete! "I have nothing else to sell..." Kang Oh returned to the starting screen and picked sale. He saw the search window, and all the items were separated into categories. Kang Oh selected the whole list and organized auctioned items based on price. He witnessed prices that made his eyes spin. As well as the amazing items that corresponded to said price! Kang Oh perused a few auctioned items. ''There''re already items up that require you to be over level 200.'' Items that required the yer to be over level 200. Which meant that the best rankers had surpassed level 200. It wasn''t just equipment; the auction house also boasted mysterious materials that sold for an exorbitant price. ''They say that craftsman-type users go crazy when they see such good materials. It seems to be true.'' However, there wasn''t anything here that was more valuable than adamantium. What if a huge quantity of adamantium were put up for auction? It would probably be the most expensive auction in history. That''s just how valuable adamantium was. It wasn''t called the world''s toughest metal for nothing! ''I should go check to see if the adamantium''s still there.'' Kang Oh closed the auction interface and stood up from the sofa. * * * Kang Oh arrived at the arena underneath the Holiseum. "Brother!" "Little brother!" Burkan greeted Kang Oh. "Have you been well?" "Well, yeah. The magic sword''s gone and Master Vn hasn''t shown up." "Who exactly is Vn?" Kang Oh asked. "Hmm. It''s a long exnation. In the past, he was called diator Laban." "Laban... The legendary masked diator." There was someone before Burkan, the Invincible diator, who dominated the diator circle before him; that was none other than Laban. Because he always wore a mask, he was known as the Masked diator. [You have learned new facts about Vn. If the Historical Association were to know of this, they would reevaluate Vn.] "Yeah, the Masked diator, Laban. And he''s a good man too," Burkan said. "But you don''t want to see him?" Kang Oh asked impishly. "Of course I don''t. He''s such a good person that he''s always getting caught up in the problems of others." "Now I understand. I really don''t want to meet him either." Kang Oh had no intention of getting caught up in other people''s issues. "Master Vn will want to see you though," Burkan said, smiling. "I could meet him, as long as I don''t get involved in anything annoying." "But if you meet him, you''ll probably get involved in all sorts of annoying things." He was essentially saying, ''If you meet him, you''ll get caught up in annoying tasks''. "Ahem. Let''s stop talking about that. Let''s go take a look at the adamantium." They say ''be careful what you wish for'', so Kang Oh didn''t want to talk about Vn any longer. "Did you find Bower?" Burkan asked. In order to mine the adamantium gemstone, he needed a master miner. Someone like Bower! "Not yet. Have you heard any news regarding him?" "I heard he''s somewhere in the Phamas Mountains to mine some mysterious metal. But there''s a chance that he''s not there anymore," Burkan said. [You have found a lead for the quest, ''Find the Master Miner Bower'', so the quest has been updated.] "The Phamas Mountains...¡± The Phamas Mountains, which were also known as the continent''s back, was an area only the best rankers could go to. It was an area inhabited by such powerful and dangerous monsters that it required both skill and stats to survive it. "It''s too vast. It''d be faster to find a needle in a haystack." The Phamas Mountains were extensive. In the real world, it was akin to the Rocky Mountains or the Andes! "Well, you''re not wrong." Burkan and Kang Oh talked about this and that while they went down the underground cave. Once Kang Oh saw the adamantium gemstone, he rubbed his cheek against it and stroked it with both hands. Ah, my little boy! ''I have to mine this ASAP.'' He felt heated after seeing such mysterious materials being sold at such a high price. "Are there any other master miners aside from Bower?" He could live without Bower if there was another alternative. There was no reason to focus entirely on Bower. It didn''t matter, so long as they were a master miner. "I''m sure there are, but I don''t know any," Burkan said. "Hoo. I wish a master miner just plopped out of the sky right now." "It doesn''t matter where you get them from, just hurry up and bring one." Vn had left Burkan in charge of the magic sword and the adamantium gemstone. Thus, the Invincible diator, Burkan, was forced to stay here and watch over them. However, if Kang Oh were to take the adamantium gemstone, then he would be free. "I understand. I''ll get going now." "Alright. Make sure you bring a miner with you next time." Kang Oh embraced the adamantium gemstone onest time and left the Holiseum. He walked through one of Altein''s packed streets. ''I wonder how long it''ll take for Grano to finish his device.'' Kang Oh had some time before he had to leave for the Bariton Desert. There were two activities worth investing his time into. One was looking for a hidden dungeon. The second was to find Eder a new body. Kang Oh obviously wanted to find a hidden dungeon. After all, the more opportunities to make money the better. However, it would be better to acquire a new body for Eder when looking at the long term. As it stood, Eder was so useless right now! "I should find him a new body." Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to find Eder a new body. All the better to continue working him like a horse! Kang Oh thought about all that he knew regarding undead monsters. ''A Lich is out of the question.'' Eder had stated that he needed a Lich''s body to use his powerful Necromancy skills. However, Liches were Archmages who dreamt of immortality and had voluntarily be undead, so they were incredibly powerful. Even one of the well-known Liches, Marein, was a boss monster that was above level 300. Which meant that Liches couldn''t be defeated by yers yet. Thus, it waspletely out of the question. Kang Oh also excluded any monsters that were either stronger or way too weak. ''A level 150 boss monster sounds about right...'' He felt like a light bulb had lit up in his head. "Right, there''s that guy!" There was someone out there that fit the bill. Chapter 43. Cake and Cockroach

Chapter 43. Cake and Cockroach

Trantor: Boko A Lich was an Archmage that voluntarily cast a forbidden spell to transform themselves into an undead in their pursuit of immortality. Whereas when a skilled knight became an undead, they became a Death Knight. If that''s the case, then what about that one country''s king, who was transformed into the undead through a curse? "That''s the Immortal King?" Eder asked. "Yeah. The Immortal King, Arumode." A long time ago, before the rise of the Altein Empire, there were several countries on the continent vying for supremacy. It was like the Warring States period in China, the Sengoku period in Japan, or the Three Kingdoms period in Korea. During this time, there existed a weak and tiny country called Graham, which was ruled by Arumode. The Kingdom of Graham was invaded countless times by its neighboring countries. With the Kingdom on the verge of copse from these constant invasions, Arumode made a radical choice. He had decided to use Katan''s cursed keepsake; Katan had killed the most people in history and was subsequently known as the most notorious magician. As a result, the capital was engulfed in death magic. Arumode, the royal family, the nobles, and even the civilians were unable to avoid death. The soldiers andmanders from the neighboring countries outside of the pce were annihted as well. After that, countless undead came out from the ground within Graham. Now, the Kingdom of Graham had be a hunting ground for yers known as the Graham Ruins. The boss of the Graham Ruins was none other than Arumode himself. "It''s definitely a stronger body than what I have now." Eder pointed towards himself with a gaunt finger. He still had some ck stains on his skull from Caraco''s lightning. "That body''s pretty worn down, right?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s about to crumble. It''s still the best that I have, for the time being," Eder replied. In his previous residence, the Hidden Laboratory dungeon, he had keptrge piles of bonesying around. Of those countless bones, this skeleton had been in the best condition. "It''s about time to change it." "That''s correct." "Alright. Then let''s change it to Arumode''s body. And clean up while we''re at it too." "Clean up?" What kind of cleaning? "The Immortal King, Arumode, is hogging all these really shitty guys." Kang Oh sported an unpleasant expression as if he were looking at trash or bugs. "What kind of guys are they?" This was the first time Eder had ever seen him wear such a disgusted expression. Thus, he had be curious. Kang Oh replied curtly, "Graverobbers!" * * * "Ugh," Sephiro, who''d arrived at their rendezvous point, groaned. They''d parted ways just yesterday. Thus, he believed that Kang Oh wouldn''t call him for a while. However, Kang Oh had called him barely a dayter and Sephiro didn''t have any choice in the matter. "What are we doing today?" Sephiro asked. "Please help me hunt the Immortal King Arumode," Kang Oh said. "The Immortal King Arumode?" Sephiro tilted his head. He''d heard that name somewhere before. "It''s a level 150 undead-type boss monster. It respawns once a day in the Graham Ruins," Kang Oh briefly exined. "The Graham Ruins... Isn''t that the domain of the graverobbers?" "I¡¯ve heard that there were shitty people there." "If we enter the Graham Ruins, then they''ll make a fuss, saying that we''ve entered their territory. Not only that, if we want to kill the boss monster, then we''ll have to fight our way through first." "I''m sure that''s true," Kang Oh said as if he were talking about a stranger. "Then why are we going there?" "I want to change this guy''s body." Kang Oh pointed towards Eder. Eder smiled as if to say, ''Please take care of me.''. Of course, it didn''t really look like he was smiling. "Ah, you said something about if you got a stronger body, then you would be able to use more of your strength." Sephiro instantly recalled what Eder had said to him. "Exactly," Eder replied. "Do you really need the Immortal King Arumode''s body?" Sephiro asked. "We don''t absolutely need it, but there''s no reason to go for any of the others either." "Fighting the graverobbers isn''t a good enough reason?" In response, Kang Oh just grinned. "Mr. Sephiro." "Yes?" "There''s a cake in front of us, but on the way there, we see a cockroach. Would you avoid the cockroach and run far away?" "So the graverobbers are nothing more than cockroaches to you?" The graverobbers Sephiro knew were definitely no cockroaches. They were, at the very least, on the level of scorpions. Of course, he agreed that the graverobbers were trash. However, Kang Oh disagreed with Sephiro''s line of thought. Kang Oh said firmly, "They''re not even cockroaches." * * * The castle walls had crumbled in various spots. They couldn''t even see the top of the ramparts. The royal pce, the stone statues, as well as what looked like fountains were all worn out. It was all ruined. This was the Graham Ruins. It was a ce where endless undead monsters sprang up from the ground. But whenever the undead popped their heads out, a gaff would stab it straight away. The graverobbers would then drag the undead away and kill them immediately. "Poison Ghoul, killed," a graverobber wearing a purple mask and a hood said. "Collect the items. Then we''re moving on to the next point," another graverobber garbed in a matching outfit said. "Understood." This wasn''t a hunt; it was a one-sided ughter that was happening everywhere within the Graham Ruins. Meanwhile, the man who''d made this ce into a ughterhouse was inside the throne room, where Arumode respawned. He was the leader of the graverobbers and the guildmaster of the Death Potion guild, Malcolm. "No problems?" Malcolm asked the vice-captain. "We''re collecting everything like normal," the vice-captain said. "Make sure you watch out for anyone who idles or who tries to steal any of the items." "Understood." The Death Potion guild was a workshop. A workshop was essentially a factory that made money through the game. It worked the members like ves, and was run like a sweatshop factory. The leaders ran it with no regard for the worker¡¯s conditions or welfare and it had a poor sry! "Don''t forget to gather everyone on time." "Understood." "Remember that Arumode is worth hundreds times more than the trash outside!" Malcolm said. It was a line the vice-captain had heard hundreds of times now. ''It''s important since it all goes to him in the end.'' The vice-captain inwardly chewed him out. Malcolm was an Alchemist. He collected poison from Arumode''s body and created what was called Arumode''s Poison. Arumode''s Poison was the most powerful poison that yers could use right now. Thus, it was sold at a high price for yers undertakingrge-scale raids, guild wars, or those nning assassinations. Malcolm took 100% of the profits. The small profit from the ''trash'' that Malcolm referred to, or the undead monsters outside, would go to his workers. Despite that, the vice-captain and the other members of Death Potion were unable to leave. They were all indebted to Malcolm, and there was a gangster backing him. At that moment... "Huh?" Malcolm furrowed his brow. [The ''Going as Three'' guild has made a deration of war.] [A guild war will nowmence.] [The duration of the guild war is one day.] [While the guild war is ongoing, the guild marker and name will show up above each members'' name.] This message was seen by not only Malcolm, but by all of the members of Death Potion simultaneously. "What is this!?" Malcolm looked shocked. A guild war all of a sudden? "President!" the vice-captain called with a quivering voice. "Calm down. First, find out what you can regarding the ''Going as Three'' guild." "Understood." Right when the vice-captain was about to leave, Malcolm stopped him. "Oi, tell all of the workers to gather here first." "Yes, sir." The vice-captain left. They walked quickly and were locked in thought. ''The guild war willst one day. Our guild has 50 members and its guild rank is C. If that''s the case, then they must''ve paid the 2,000 gold deposit to make a deration of war...'' The deration of war deposit differed depending on the duration of the guild war, the guild''s rank, and the guild''s members. The Death Potion''s deposit cost 2,000 gold! That was worth 20 million won ($20,000 USD)! The winning side could then requestpensation up to five times what their deposit was worth. So if they won, they would obtain 10,000 gold! In real-life currency terms, that was 100 million won ($100,000 USD)! To win a guild war, one side either needed to surrender within the time limit, lose 80% of their members, or lose their guildmaster. If none of those conditions were met within the time limit, then the side who dered war would lose. However, the ''Going as Three'' guild had set the duration of the guild war to only one day. The Death Potion guild only needed tost for one day. ''But the fact that they initiated such a disadvantageous fight means that...'' The vice-captain''s face darkened even more. He didn''t have a good feeling about this. Something was up. * * * There were two types of people Kang Oh disliked. No, scratch that, hated. First, someone who abused their power over others. Even though he had done the same to Eder, Darion, and Sephiro with their contracts. ''If I do it, it''s romantic. If others do it, it''s an affair.'' Kang Oh had such a rubbish philosophy of ''If I do it, it''s ok, but if others do it, it''s not.''. Second, those who relied on numbers. ''Especially guilds!'' Kang Oh didn''t have a problem with small guilds that were amongst friends or adventurers, or craftsman guilds. What he hated were therge guilds that acted all high and mighty or evil guilds that monopolized a hunting ground. The Death Potion guild, which was known as the graverobbers, was one of these evil guilds. ''You have to get rid of all these guilds that take ownership of a dungeon and require an entrance fee, or those who im a dungeon as their territory!'' That''s why Kang Oh nned to destroy the graverobbers. Right now, Kang Oh, Eder and Sephiro were overlooking the Graham Ruins from atop a hill. "Are we really taking them head-on?" Sephiro asked. "That''s the only way they won''t run," Kang Oh said without averting his downward gaze. The most annoying tactic the graverobbers could employ was to hide. Since they only needed to hold out for a day. But what if the three of them went right into the heart of their territory? ''They''lle rushing towards us like moths to a me.'' At that time, they just needed to crush them. Sephiro sighed at Kang Oh''s confident posture. "I know how strong you are Mr. Kang Oh, but it''s still 3 vs. 50." "I''ve won 1 vs. 100." After all, I''m the one who cleared the Fight Against 100 Men! Sephiro shut his mouth. He was right. Kang Oh won a 1 vs. 100 fight, so why couldn''t he win a 3 vs. 50 fight? But why did he feel like it was harder to deal with him over an ipetent superior? ''This guy''s the worst.'' If he could go back into the past, he would kick his past self for saying in an interview that he''d give whoever cleared the Fight Against 100 Men anything they wanted. Eder came up behind him and tapped his shoulder in an effort to console him. "It''ll be easier just to ept it." "Ahem." At that moment, Kang Oh, who was still looking down at the Graham Ruins, saw something. There was a user riding a horse towards the ruins. Considering the direction he wasing from, he must''ve came from the closest city. ''He must have info on our guild.'' Kang Oh''s deduction was spot on. He was looking at the Death Potion guild''s vice-captain. The vice-captain had obtained information regarding the ''Going as Three'' guild from the Guild Bureau and was on his way back. Kang Oh checked the time. "There''s one hour left before Arumode respawns." It would all be over once they defeated the Death Potion guild and Arumode, and he gave Eder its body. It would be easy. "Then, shall we go?" Kang Oh took the lead. "Alright." Eder immediately followed behind him. "Can''t avoid it. Might as well enjoy this," Sephiro muttered, as if he were memorizing an incantation, and began to move. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro headed for the Graham Ruins. Chapter 44. Going as Three

Chapter 44. Going as Three

Trantor: Boko "There are only two of them?" Malcolm asked, after hearing what the vice-captain had to say. "Yes. They only have two members. But Sephiro is one of the members." "Sephiro?" "The Wind Archer and owner of the SS-rank Lasselpino Bow, Sephiro." "Why is he..." He omitted the ''waging a guild war against me!''. "I''m not entirely sure..." "Who''s the other guy?" "His name is Kang Oh. It''s the first time I''ve heard of him." "Hmm. But why are they called Going as Three?" It was strange; there were only two of them, yet they went with Going as Three. "Perhaps one of them left," the vice-captain said. "You said it''s only been a few hours since they''ve made their guild. You think that one of them left in that short period of time?" "It seems as though they had a difference of opinion regarding the guild war and left." "I guess so." Malcolm nodded his head. He sat deeply into the throne as if his anxiousness had faded slightly. "Well, in any case, we need to be careful since Sephiro''s a ranker. Take some of the kids and tell them to be ready." If something happened on guild turf, then those on standby would pop out immediately to deal with the threat. "I understand. But why would they do something so insane?" It was strange that only two people challenged them to a guild war. Did they set some sort of trap that they were unaware of? "Who cares. There''re only two of them and the guild war will onlyst a day." "Still..." "I said that''s enough!" Malcolm snapped. At that moment, the vice-captain received a message from one of the subordinates guarding the entrance. - There are three people walking towards the ruins. It''s the ''Going as Three'' guild that dered war on us. When a guild war started, it would show the yer''s guild mark, as well as their name above their head. That''s why the graverobbers at the entrance to the Graham Ruins knew exactly who wasing. - The two are definitely part of the ''Going as Three'' guild, but the one wearing a smiling mask isn''t. "President, they''re here. But there are three of them, not two," the vice-captain said. "It seems like they got someone from another guild to help out. So that''s why it''s Going as Three." "How shall we proceed?" the vice-captain asked and Malcolm checked the time. There was only one hour left before Arumode respawned. They had to take the three of them down before then. "If they enter our turf, then we''re all going to attack them together." Once the three entered their territory, they would get attacked simultaneously by every member of Death Potion. "What about the Arumode Poison?" "We shouldn''t need the poison. Don''t give it to our subordinates. If we need it, I''ll use it myself." Malcolm didn''t trust his subordinates. Thus, he had no intention of passing out the Arumode Poison to them. Since they would im they used the poison during the battle and then sell it afterward. "Then I''ll order them to gather immediately." "Alright." The vice-captain rushed out. "I hope Sephiro drops the Lasselpino Bow!" There were only three of them. One of them may be a ranker, but they had 50 guild members. Moreover, they possessed the Arumode Poison. This poison couldn''t be cured through the medicinal herbs or liquid antidotes avable on the market. Thus, Malcolm believed there was no way he could lose. * * * Two of the graverobbers guarding the entrance to the Graham Ruins disappeared. "They''re going inside," Eder said. "They want to fight us inside. They say that mutts eat half of their food on their front yard and then go inside," Sephiro said. "It''s easier for us if they all attack at the same time," Kang Oh said nonchntly. Kang Oh''s party soon arrived at the entrance to the Graham castle. Only one side of the door to the capital was left, and even that part dangled as if it would fall off at any moment. Kang Oh went inside. Eder and Sephiro followed behind him. [Entering the dungeon, Graham Ruins.] It was quiet. Because the graverobbers had recently killed the undead, there were no monsters here. Kang''s party silently continued their way towards the pce. Guoh. Guuu. Meanwhile, a few undead burst through the floor, ending the silence, but Kang Oh''s party ignored them. "They''re waiting for us inside," Kang Oh said. Once they approached the pce, he sensed the presence of multiple people. "They''ll probably surround us," Sephiro said. "They''re the ones who are trapped. Eder!" "Yes." "Once the fighting starts,yer bone walls over the door so no one can leave." "Understood." Once Kang Oh''s party entered the Graham pce''s ruined garden, they saw several members of the Death Potion guild gathered around them. Malcolm and the vice-captain were above them on the stairs leading up to the pce. "What have youe here for?" Malcolm yelled. Kang Oh nced at Sephiro. He was saying, ''Try talking to him.''. Sephiro took three steps forward. "Hmph. Death Potion''s guildmaster, Mr. Malcolm. My name is Sephiro." "Yeah, so? Why is the Wind Archer here?" "We need Arumode''s body. If you give up its body just once, then everything can be resolved peacefully," Sephiro said. Malcolm was enraged. "You already dered war. What the hell are you even saying!?" You''re supposed to make an offer first and then make a deration of war if that doesn''t work! Of course Malcolm would never ept Sephiro''s offer. "So he says." Sephiro looked at Kang Oh. Kang Oh stepped forward. "Look here," Kang Oh called. "Look here?" Malcolm scowled. "Are you too stupid to understand?" Kang Oh''snguage and tone of voice grated on people''s nerves. "What?" "We''re picking a fight. A fight. So shut up and fight." Kang Oh untied the magic sword on his back. Eder prepared to cast spells and Sephiro strung an arrow. "You''re all insane! To think you''de to our turf with only three people. Let''s see how reckless you are!" Malcolm yelled. "Tch, tch. You really are dumb. What makes you so special? The three of us are more than enough for the likes of you." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "I''ll keep killing you after the guild war is over." Malcolm gritted his teeth. Whereas the vice-captain''s expression darkened. ''Something''s wrong.'' Their opponent was too confident, even though they were so heavily outnumbered. "President. First, we should..." "Shut up." The vice-captain wanted to suggest that they feel them out first, but Malcolm ignored him. "Even if you were Numbers, you wouldn''t survive! Everyone, attack!" Malcolm was not only the workshop''s president and their guildmaster but also their creditor! His subordinates followed his orders without question. "Uaaaahk!" "Die!" The graverobbers yelled and charged. "Eder, block the door." Kang Oh spoke calmly, like someone who was taking a stroll. "Yes." Eder extended both his arms and cast the spell. He began toy bone walls over the door they came through. Sephiro let loose an arrow. Bam! His arrow struck a graverobber''s forehead. Headshot! Large red shards spilled out and the graverobber staggered. Sephiro quickly shot four more arrows, all of them hitting their mark. Kang Oh took out the A-rank armor he''d gotten from Caraco. The darkness emanating from the magic sword engulfed the armor. Crunch. Crunch. There was an unsettling sound of metal being crushed. [The magic sword Ubist has consumed the Wing Patterned Quickness Armor.] [It is A-rank equipment.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [The magic sword and the character''s abilities are tripled for 10 minutes.] Darkness spilled out of his entire body. ''I''m taking down as many of them as I can.'' If he killed his enemies while Gluttony was active, then he could unconditionally steal stats. Because he had been fighting boss monsters thus far, he hadn''t been able to use this overpowered effect, but this time was different. Kang Oh nned to kill as many enemy yers as possible to steal as many stats as he could. Kuheong! Kang Oh roared. Baramut''s Roar! His body would be infused with a tiger''s energy for 30 minutes. He wouldn''t use Devil Trigger yet. "I''ll let you eat your fill!" Kang Oh dashed towards the graverobbers like a savage beast. * * * 3 versus 50. Obviously, the side with 50 had an advantage. No, they had an overwhelming advantage. However, the reality was different... "Stop him!" "Help me!" "This monster!" "Eek! Please die!" The graverobbers screamed loudly and desperately tried to fight back. But it was no use. He was a predator that radiated jet-ck energy, the darkness fluttering like a cape around him. It was the graverobbers'' destiny to be devoured by this predator. Swish. Boom! Whenever Kang Oh swung his sword, the graverobbers fell like dried leaves. [You have defeated the Death Potion guild member, Garum.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Sense +1] [You have defeated the Death Potion guild member, Luba.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Mental +1] Ting. Sephiro shot an arrow. He was an experienced hunter. His arrows didn''t miss. "This damn archer!" "Die!" Some of the graverobbers rushed towards Sephiro and swung their gaffs at him. He wasn''t in danger. To bepletely honest, they were way too weak to even threaten him. ''Mr. Kang Oh was right.'' They were so weak that he could afford to think about other things during the battle. He recalled his conversation with Kang Oh. "The graverobbers are just puppets?" he, Sephiro had asked. "They''re more like machines that do a designated task over and over again (killing the undead monsters), so they won''t have properbat senses or the experience needed to fight well." Arth wasn''t a simple game where one''s strength was purely determined by one''s level. Level, stats, and equipment were just the basics. Combat experience, one''s senses, decision-making, bravery, fighting spirit, etc. all contributed. Just like in real life, there were several factors that made one strong. To that end, Kang Oh had stated that these workers were all puppets. "But they should all be level 130..." The Graham Ruins was a level 120 hunting ground. As they had stayed here for so long, they had to be, at worst, level 130. Plus, there were 50 of them. They definitely weren''t weak by any means. "They''re level 130 puppets," Kang Oh dismissed. "Hmm. What are you going to do about the poison?" Arumode Poison! This fatal poison was a must-have duringrge-scale raids. Since it dealt high amounts of damage to bosses with its potent toxicity. That wasn''t all. There were several rankers that had been afflicted by the poison and were unable to do anything about it but die. "Well, that''s..." Kang Oh began. At that moment... "Ugh, you idiots! Get out of my way!" Malcolm''s yells broke his recollection. The graverobbers quickly ran away. Kang Oh cut down two of the retreating graverobbers and Sephiro likewise finished off two of them as well. Eder was diligently casting his bone magic, but it was distressing how weak it was. In any case, the retreating enemies gathered by Malcolm''s side. After thest of the graverobbers had gathered to him, Malcolm began walking down the stairs. He wore an overcoat long enough to touch the floor, so it grazed the steps with a silent swishing sound as he walked down. "Tch, tch." Malcolm looked at his subordinates with displeasure and clicked his tongue. Then, he stepped forward himself. "Think of it as an honor that you''ll die to the world''s most lethal poison!" His hand, which was hidden by his overcoat, came out. It was carrying a pot that looked like a traditional Korean jar. It was a ss item created through alchemy. He began making mysterious gestures with his free hand towards the jar. A viscous ck tar-like liquid spilled out; it was long and thick like a giant earthworm. It was Arumode''s Poison, which was given artificial life through an Alchemist''s ability. "This is it!" Malcolm stretched his hand towards Kang Oh and the giant ck earthworm attacked Kang Oh. Chapter 45. End of the Guild War

Chapter 45. End of the Guild War

Trantor: Boko Arumode Poison was incredibly potent. Though the poison, in the shape of an earthworm, rushed forward, Kang Oh and his party remained still. Sephiro nced at him as if saying, ''Are you sure about this?''. However, Kang Oh didn''t respond. Sephiro nced at Eder. Because Eder was wearing his smile mask, Sephiro couldn''t see his skull. "Haa." Ultimately, Sephiro sighed and looked forward. The ck earthworm was getting closer! Malcolm tightened his extended hand into a fist. Bang! It sounded as though a grenade had gone off. The Arumode Poison spread everywhere like shrapnel. Thus, Kang Oh''s party was unable to avoid the poison. "Ugh." Kang Oh clutched his throat and appeared in agony. Sephiro shook as though he were in pain, and Eder waspletely still, silent as a grave. "Hahahahaha!" Seeing their states, Malcolmughed like crazy. "Serves you right!" Malcolm yelled in excitement. But then the vice-captain approached him. "President, there''s something strange about all this." "What¡¯re you talking about?" Malcolm looked at the vice-captain, annoyed. "It''s poison, yes, but they shouldn''t be in that much pain within the game." The vice-captain hadn''t let their guard down and remained wary of Kang Oh''s party. They definitely weren''t such easy opponents. Still, it seemed like they had been easily defeated by the Arumode Poison. It was as though they had taken it on purpose! Not only that, their reaction to it was so exaggerated! In response, Malcolm''s expression changed. Now that he thought about it, he was right. But then... "So one of you actually has a brain." Kang Oh, who had looked like he had been wracked with pain, immediately returned to his original posture, looking no worse for wear. "Indeed," Sephiro agreed. It seemed like they hadn¡¯t been harmed at all. "It''s abination of six different poisons and two medicinal herbs. Is Arumode Poison the key? The production''s terrible," Eder said. The reason that the Arumode Poison was ineffective was Eder. He was the Healer who Conquered Death! With Eder''s skills, they were able to reinforce the potency of normal antidotes several times. They had also taken a dose before the start of the battle. Due to this, Malcolm''s poison wouldn''t work on them. After all, Arumode Poison was the single most powerful poison he had at the moment. Of course, poison didn''t work on Eder in the first ce, as he was an undead. "H-How?" Malcolm, who waspletely unaware of the truth, saw that Kang Oh''s party waspletely fine and looked shocked. Kang Oh had no intention of exining it to him. He would give him a taste of his de instead. "Attack." Kang Oh rushed forward. Eder and Sephiro offered support and harassed their opponents from the rear. The members of the Death Potion guild were, like Malcolm,pletely panicked. They didn''t believe they could beat Kang Oh. He was a monster! Their secret weapon, the Arumode Poison, didn''t work on him. Which meant they had no other viable weapons. Kang Oh quickly pushed into the center of the graverobbers. It seemed as though they had him surrounded, but it was just the opposite. He was like a savage beast amongst a flock of sheep! Kang Oh unleashed an Intermediate sh at the nearest graverobber. A thick white line appeared! The graverobber raised their gaff in defense. ng! However, they copsed from the intense pressure. "Huuhp." Kang Oh swung his sword once more and his magic sword decapitated a graverobber. Red shards erupted from their neck as though it were a fountain of blood. Kang Oh swung downwards and with two cuts, sliced in a cross motion. "Ugh," the graverobber yelled briefly and died. [You have defeated the Death Potion guild member, Salvadong.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] ''I think there''s 5 minutes left on Gluttony. That''s plenty.'' Kang Oh immediately dashed towards another graverobber. "Uahk, go away, you monster!" As Kang Oh neared, the graverobber screamed and haphazardly swung their gaff around. ''Tch, tch. I could dodge this with ease, even without Hyper Intuition.'' That''s how unskilled the attack was. Kang Oh too easily dodged the gaff and shed with his magic sword. Darkness Strike! The graverobber was swept away by a ck wave. They weren''t even able to utter a scream before they died. Kang Oh went on to his next prey. "I''m still hungry!" he cried, sounding like the roar of a savage beast. * * * "President!" The vice-captain grabbed Malcolm and shook him. Despite that, Malcolm kept repeating ''No way.'' over and over again. p! He''d pped him. It felt like he''d relieved all the stress he''d gotten from Malcolm. "Do you want to die!?" Malcolm dashed towards the vice-captain to grab his throat. "President. There''s still a way we can win. So please get a hold of yourself," the vice-captain quickly yelled. "We can win? Even though the poison doesn''t work?" "Yes. We all run and hide. We just need to hold out for one day. If we do, then we win the guild war." "Y-You''re right. That''s a good idea!" "Please give the order quickly!" the vice-captain urged. Even now, his subordinates were being ughtered by Kang Oh and Sephiro. "Everyone, run away and hide as best as you can!" Malcolm yelled. The graverobbers reacted instantly. They''d wanted to run a long time ago. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh wouldn''t just stand by and let them run away. "Eder! Surround them!" "Yes." Eder extended both of his hands and surrounded the graverobbers with bones like a barricade. He even cast the Summon Skeleton spell, a spell he hadn''t used before. Of course, he summoned them near the bone wall! The skeletons were so weak that they wouldn''t be of any helpbat-wise. But they could hamper the graverobber''s attempts at running. "Mr. Sephiro. Please take care of the ones closest to the wall." "Understood." Having finished giving orders, Kang Oh dashed towards Malcolm. Originally, Kang Oh wanted to kill as many graverobbers as possible to steal as many stats as he could. However, now he needed to take care of Malcolm ASAP. If for some reason they didn''t win, he would not only lose the 2,000 gold deposit, but also have topensate the Death Potion guild as well. "President, you have to escape no matter what!" the vice-captain yelled. Malcolm went up the stairs and ran into the Graham royal pce. The vice-captain came down the stairs and blocked Kang Oh''s path. Contrary to the other gaff-wielding graverobbers, the vice-captain used a sword and shield. Kang Oh swung downwards. The vice-captain raised his shield and blocked his strike. ng! It was a strike reinforced by both Gluttony and Baramut''s Roar. "Ugh." Though he blocked Kang Oh''s strike, the immense pressure and force behind it caused his feet to sink into the ground. Kang Oh repeatedly swung his sword. He continued his assault with repeated heavy blows! ng! ng! ng! ng! The vice-captain was barely blocking his strikes with his shield. He didn''t have the time nor ability to counterattack. Thump! Ultimately, the vice-captain let an attack through. Just as a small opening could cause a riverbank to copse, his next moves were like a dashing flow of torrents. The vice-captain didn''tst for very long. * * * "Heok, heok." Malcolm was an Alchemist. He wasn''t physically very capable. Ultimately, he wasn''t able to get any further and entered a secluded room in the pce. Malcolm opened a worn-out closet and stuffed himself inside. He could see the room through the crevice of the closet doors. "Heok, Heok." Malcolm continued to breathe haggardly. At that moment... Step. Step. Once he heard footsteps, he mped his mouth with both hands. ''Please, please, please.'' Malcolm was an atheist, but in extreme situations, humans sought a higher power to save them. He prayed to God, Buddha, Ah, etc. that Kang Oh would just pass him. However! Creak. The door opened and Kang Oh entered the room. Malcolm mped even harder onto his mouth. It felt like his heart was pounding like crazy. ''He can''t hear the sound of my heart, can he? Please!'' "Not here, huh." Kang Oh scratched his neck and turned around as if to leave. ''Good. Go, go!'' he inwardly yelled. At that moment, Kang Oh suddenly swung his magic sword. His target: the closet! "Hueok!" Malcolm, in shock, popped out of the closet. Crack! Kang Oh''s de broke the piece of furniture to pieces. Malcolmy prone before Kang Oh''s feet. "You wear such a long overcoat and yet you choose to hide here. You sure are dumb." That was the reason Kang Oh could find him so easily. As Malcolm ran, his long overcoat dragged along the floor, leaving a clear trace of where he was going amidst such a dusty ce. "Please. Let me go. No, please let me go, sir." Malcolm didn''t believe he could beat Kang Oh in a straight up fight. Plus, the Arumode Poison was ineffective against Kang Oh. If that''s the case, then he had no other choice but to beg. "No thanks." Kang Oh raised his sword. "W-Wait a sec!" Malcolm yelled. "Why?" "Why are you doing this to me, no to our guild? You preemptively dered war on us and you''re trying to kill me. Did I do something to you? If that''s the case, then I''d like to know before I die," Malcolm asked. He was truly curious, plus he wanted to buy as much time as possible. "Why, you ask?" There were plenty of reasons. They monopolized a hunting ground and stopped other users from hunting here; they were the mortal enemy of solo yers like him. Not only that, he needed Arumode''s body, yet the Death Potion guild got in his way. That''s why he nned to eliminate them. If they were just monsters, he could kill them no problem, but if he killed another user, then he would be a criminal. That''s why he''d initiated a guild war. Above all! "I just hate you." He just hated graverobbers. "T-That''s...!" Malcolm looked as though he was treated unfairly. Kang Oh swung his de down. Thump. His de struck Malcolm''s head directly. "Kueok." Malcolm''s HP tanked instantaneously. Kang Oh continued his assault. Bam. "Please let me go!" Bam. "Please!" Bam. "Hey, you son of a..." Bam! The de entered Malcolm''s mouth. That ended it. Malcolm couldn''t run his mouth any longer. [You have defeated the Death Potion''s guildmaster, Malcolm.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +2] [The enemy guild''s guildmaster has been killed.] [The Going as Three guild has won the guild war.] [You have acquired the Right of the Victor.] [Until both sidese to an agreement, Death Potion''s guild members'' abilities drop by 90%.] [When both sidese to an agreement, you may bepensated for five times your deposit.] [If the Death Potion guild breaks up, then you lose the Right of the Victor. In exchange, members of the Death Potion guild cannot enter a new guild or create a guild for half a year.] "Five times my deposit... That''s 10,000 gold." Kang Oh''s lips, which would rise whenever he hit the jackpot, rose even higher than normal. However, his lips soon turned downward. "Tch." Someone like Malcolm wouldn''t give him 10,000 gold. He would probably just break up the guild. "Well, I guess that''s fine." His goal was Arumode anyway. He''d cleared the flies on the way, so all he had left to do was take care of Arumode. Kang Oh checked the time. Arumode would respawn in 10 minutes. Kang Oh sent Sephiro a message, telling him toe to the throne room, and he too headed for the throne room. Chapter 46. Immortal King Arumode

Chapter 46. Immortal King Arumode

Trantor: Boko As its name implied, there was a throne with faded decorations that stood imposingly within the throne room. Though the carpet was more purple than red. There were no decorations on the walls, and only the dangling ornamental hooks remained. Kang Oh surveyed everything in the room, thinking that perhaps his Hyper Intuition would go off. However, there wasn''t anything special here. "We''re here." Sephiro and Eder, who''d both received Kang Oh''s message, entered the throne room. "Did you finish off all the graverobbers?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. They all either died or surrendered. And those that surrendered logged out and were told not to login for a day." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Anyway, the Death Potion guild members were weak like you said, Mr. Kang Oh." The graverobbers were way too weak. He couldn''t believe they were level 130. Kang Oh was right; they were indeed level 130 puppets. "I told you, didn''t I? They wait until the monsters respawn, attack them like machines, and only profit off of them. There''s no way they''d be strong." "How was Malcolm? Was he weak too?" Sephiro asked. "You can tell how everyone else is by looking at the top." They don''t say that there are no cowardly soldiers beneath a brave general for nothing. Conversely, with Malcolm as the leader, his subordinates were bound to be pathetic. "But he may retaliate." "I''d be thankful if they choose to retaliate, since I can just kill them out of self-defense. Although the Death Potion guild will likely be disbanded." "Disbanded?" "Compensation for the guild war is 10,000 gold. A person like Malcolm wouldn''t fork over that much gold." "That sounds about right," Sephiro agreed. "Mr. Kang Oh, what kind of monster is Arumode?" Eder asked suddenly. "Didn''t I tell you before?" "You just told me why Arumode became an undead." "Now that you mention it, I don''t know much about Arumode either," Sephiro said. Because Kang Oh was so powerful and he was so easily able to repel the Death Potion guild, Sephiro hadn''t been worried about Arumode at all. However, now that he thought about it, Arumode was a level 150 boss monster. He couldn''t afford to take it lightly. "I understand. There''s 5 minutes left, so I''ll give you a brief exnation." "Ok." "I''m all ears." Kang Oh began his exnation. "He''s a knight-type. When he was alive, he was a Pdin. But do you know what happens to a Pdin that bes an undead?" "I''m not sure," Eder replied. "I don''t think they''d be able to use a god''s blessing like when they were alive," Sephiro said. "They be a Cursed Knight." "A Cursed Knight?" "Their power, which is derived from a god''s blessing, bes the power to use curses instead when they be an undead. Therefore, they use all sorts of curses to weaken their opponent. Of course, they can also use a knight''s abilities as well." "Hmm. It must be a pain if you don''t have someone who can dispel curses." "It normally is. But did you know?" "Know what?" "Curses act as a blessing to the undead." Kang Oh looked at Eder and grinned. * * * It was time. Guaah! The ground underneath the throne opened up and the crown-wearing Immortal King Arumode stood up. His ashen skin dripped like candle wax, and his eye sockets glowed with a purple hue. He was garbed in royal clothing, but wore armor on the inside. He held a mace in one hand! It was a sphere around the size of a human head with sharp spikes attached to it. In his other hand, he held a shield. On top of the shield, there was the Graham Kingdom''s bull symbol. He boasted an incredible stature, reaching 2 meters tall. Arumode spoke angrily, "You Thales bastards! You won''te out of this alive!" Thales was one of the Graham Kingdom''s neighboring countries that caused his demise. At the same time, a Star of David formed underneath him. Arumode stamped on the ground with one foot. The Star of David transformed into ck lines and nketed the room in a curse. There was nowhere to run. "Ugh." For Sephiro, the effects of the curse showed up right away. [Cursed Ground: You are within the Ruined Rampart¡¯s Domain.] [You failed to resist the curse.] [Defense and all rted stats and abilities are halved.] By ss-changing into a Magic Swordsman, Kang Oh had gained all sorts of curse and poison resistance. Thus, he was able to resist Arumode''s curse. [Cursed Ground: You are within the Ruined Rampart¡¯s Domain.] [You havepletely resisted the curse.] [Your abilities do not drop.] ''As I thought, I can''t absorb it with my magic sword.'' Curses were a type of magic, so his sword could absorb them. However, this AoE curse changed the space itself to Cursed Ground, so it was impossible to absorb it. Meanwhile Eder was... "Oooh." His bones, which had been ckened by Caraco, were shining. Because curses had the opposite effect on the undead, the Cursed Ground actually doubled all of Eder''s defense-rted stats. Arumode''s eyes shone in an even more intense purple. It was because the Cursed Ground had increased his defensive capabilities. He charged towards Kang Oh, who was closest to him, and swung his mace. Kang Oh chose to swing his sword to gauge Arumode''s strength rather than dodge. ng! Once mace and sword met, sparks popped and a loud ng resounded throughout the room. Arumode and Kang Oh didn''t budge an inch and entered a contest of strength. Kang Oh wasn''t pushed back at all. ''He''s nothingpared to Caraco.'' Caraco was a raid boss while Arumode was just a normal boss. It was only natural that Caraco was stronger. Most importantly! ''It was killed every single day by the Death Potion guild!'' "Uaahk!" Kang Oh instantly tensed all of his muscles and repelled Arumode''s mace. Arumode was unable to withstand Kang Oh''s strength and was pushed back three steps. At that moment, he showed an opening. Swish! Kang Oh quickly swung his sword. His target was Arumode''s neck. Kang Oh''s magic sword cut through Arumode''s gray skin. Thump. Kang Oh always prioritized the weaknesses that Hyper Intuition guided him towards. This time was no different. Red shards flew through the air, signaling that he''d gotten a critical hit. At the same time, Sephiro let loose an arrow that flew towards Arumode''s forehead. Ting! He''d aimed for a headshot, but the arrow was deflected due to Arumode''s crown. Sephiro quickly followed up with a second arrow. This time, he avoided the crown and hit the forehead. Headshot! Giant red shards burst out. Kang Oh had told him not to use curses beforehand, so Eder was continuously conjuring bone spears and throwing them. "Kuahk! You lowly Thales!" Arumode scowled as if in pain. He regained his bnce and stomped onto the floor once more. There were already two purple concentric circles underneath his foot. Thud. The concentric circles transformed into purple lines and began spreading everywhere. They had no way of dodging it this time too. Kang Oh was closest so he was the first to be affected by the curse. [Cursed Ground: You are within the Rusty Sword''s Domain.] [You were not able topletely resist the curse.] [All attack-rted stats and abilities weaken by 20%.] "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Lowering his attack power was something he could feel. If one attack would''ve finished him, now it would take two instead. It was even worse for Sephiro. "Uahk. This is crazy!" Although he was a higher level than Arumode, his curse resistance was piss poor. [Cursed Ground: You are within the Rusty Sword''s Domain.] [You have very slightly resisted the curse.] [All attack-rted stats and abilities weaken by 40%.] Whereas Eder''s bones were no longer just shining, but actually radiating light. "Oooh!" He threw a bone spear. Vroom! His bone spear made a sound that it wouldn''t ordinarily be able to make and flew! Thud. What''s worse, it made a clear mark on Arumode''s armor. Of course, Arumode also gained more resistance, so he was even stronger than before. A red haze rose from his entire body. Just a single nce would tell you that he had ''significantly doped up!''. "You damn Thales!" Arumode charged towards Kang Oh once more and swung his mace with double the speed. Kang Oh chose not to block the mace and instead ducked his head. Arumode continued to press forward as if he realized this was his opportunity. No, it only seemed like he was pushing Kang Oh into a corner. However, Kang Oh was nimbly evading every single attack. "You rat! You sure are good at dodging!" Something shot out of the giant diamond within his crown. It was a ck evil spirit. Eder was the first to realize what it was. "Mr. Kang Oh. That''s an aging curse!" It was a curse renowned for its ability to age its target, which would lower all of their abilities! Though the curse came for him, Kang Oh remained calm. He couldn¡¯t help but remain calm. After all, he had multiple methods of dealing with the iing curse (e.g. absorbing it with his magic sword). ''Shall I try that...'' The ck evil spirit came near him, but then... "Summon Eder!" Eder instantly appeared in between Kang Oh and the evil spirit. The ck evil spirit attached itself to Eder. "Oooh!" Eder overflowed with power. He had be even more powerful through the aging curse. He created a bone spear and stabbed Arumode''s side. It was quite a powerful blow. The bone spear pierced through the chainmail and into Arumode''s flesh. Stab! At the same time, a weak arrow came flying over. It was Sephiro''s attack, weakened due to the curse affecting him. He had aimed for Arumode''s exposed flesh. "My turn!" Kang Oh stepped on Eder and leapt into the air. "Uheok!" The high-hearted Eder was shocked by Kang Oh''s sudden action. Thud. He''d stomped on him so hard that Eder fell to the floor. Whereas Kang Oh flew high into the sky. Then, he began to fall. Kang Oh swung his de downwards, aiming for Arumode''s head as if he were a lightning bolt that cleaved through the world itself. He used gravity to make up for his weakened attack power. It wasn''t just any attack either. It was abination attack with both sh and Darkness Strike! Arumode sensed danger and raised his shield, which he hadn''t used until now. The destructive attack struck the shield. Clonk! ng! Though he blocked Kang Oh''s blow, the intense force behind it caused Arumode to shake. Arumode briefly slipped into a confused state. Sephiro¡¯s arrows flew like a snake, gnawing at Arumode''s neck. Bam! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh raised his magic sword and swung downwards. Thump! Kang Oh cut through the center of Arumode''s armor. No, he tried to do so at least. At that moment, Arumode recovered from his confusion. Arumode raised his shield and blocked Kang Oh''s attack. ng! At the same time, Arumode''s crown radiated a red light and a dark red chain burst forth. ''A slow curse!'' Eder threw himself at the chains. The chains wrapped around Eder. Obviously, the curse had an opposite effect. With his increased speed from the slow curse, Eder quickly rushed towards Arumode. Eder swung his bone spear as if he were swinging a baseball bat. Thump. Once the bone spear made contact, it split into two. The other half of the spear spun dozens of times in the air and plunged into the ground. "You rat...!" Arumode''s crown glowed, but then stopped. He had realized that his curses were actually strengthening this rat. Seeing that, Kang Oh grinned. ''We''ve sealed off his curses.'' Everything was going as nned. As Kang Oh had expected, Arumode used hisst resort. "Uaaahk!" Arumode yelled and extended both arms. His armor fell to the floor like a snake shedding its skin. Kang Oh could clearly see Arumode''s chest, and over his heart, there was a sun tattoo that began to glow. Thud. Arumode forcefully stamped on the ground. ck thorn vines spread everywhere from the ck circle beneath his feet. "It''s the Total Annihtion spell!" Kang Oh yelled. Total Annihtion! It was a forbidden spell created by the wicked mage, Katan, who was renowned for annihting every entity within the Graham Kingdom! "All of you, die!" Arumode''s desperate cry resounded throughout the room. Chapter 47. What Goes Around Comes Around

Chapter 47. What Goes Around Comes Around

Trantor: Boko [Cursed Ground: You are within Total Annihtion''s Domain.] [Resistance is impossible.] [HP falls rapidly.] [HP falls by 1%.] [HP falls by 1%...] Total Annihtion was such a powerful curse that not even Kang Oh could hope to resist its effect. He was also losing 1% HP per second. In other words, if a living being remained within the domain for 100 seconds, then they would die; what a truly fearsome curse. Of course, Total Annihtion had the opposite effect on Eder; his HP actually rose by 1% every second. Arumode''s HP did the same. There was only one way of defeating him now; depleting all of his HP with a single blow. But there was always another way out. There was an easy way of beating Arumode whilst Total Annihtion was active. If he struck the ck sun tattoo before the Total Annihtion curse killed him, then the curse would be dispelled and Arumode would die. "Attack the sun tattoo on his chest!" Kang Oh yelled and rushed forward. Sephiro and Eder were already familiar with this, so they acted immediately. First, Sephiro notched three arrows and fired. Triple Shot! At first, the three arrows flew in different directions, but then changed course and homed in on Arumode''s heart. However, Arumode protected himself with his giant shield. Bang. The arrows struck the shield and fell to the floor. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and rushed forward. He kicked off the floor and leaped into the air once more. "Hueup." Last time he leaped off of Eder''s back, so he couldn''t reach the same height as before, but he was still high enough. He then swung downwards with his de. If Arumode were to raise his shield to block the attack, then it would leave him open to Sephiro and Eder¡¯s attacks. Thus, Arumode didn''t raise his giant shield. Instead, he bent his knees and tilted his shield as if to hide his body. By doing so, Arumode protected both his torso and head with his shield. ng! His magic sword struck the shield. Arumode staunchly remained in ce. Kang Oh quickly moved behind Arumode. He saw Arumode''s back, covered with his faded robes. Swish. Kang Oh swung his de diagonally. He shed through Arumode''s robes and left a clear sword-cut. However, it didn''t break Arumode''s chest guard. Arumode''s wound was quickly healed through the effect of the Total Annihtion curse. ''Do I have to use Devil Trigger?'' Kang Oh pondered momentarily. If he used Devil Trigger, then he might be able to break through Arumode''s iron defense, or inflict enough damage that it overwhelmed Arumode''s healing capabilities. At that moment, Eder moved. Eder''s voice was dreary, a sign that he was casting a spell. Eder extended his bony hand towards Arumode. It was Bone Bind, a spell that created bone in a designated area! Bone formed around the bull symbol on Arumode''s shield. Eder quickly canceled the spell, re-calcted where he wanted it next, and cast Bone Bind once more. His body had been too weak before, so he hadn''t been able to show all he could do. But now that the curse had amplified his abilities, he was able to show much more of his original skill. His casting speed was light fast and the bones formed instantaneously. Boom! It sounded as if something exploded. Thud. The shield fell to the ground, revealing Arumode''s chest. A single shard of bone had pierced the sun tattoo! Arumode had definitely blocked Kang Oh''s sword and Sephiro''s arrows, but he wasn''t able to block Eder''s bone magic as well. Although his defensive posture allowed him to effectively defend against physical and long-range attacks, he had no defense against magical attacks. That''s why someone as weak as Malcolm had been able to kill Arumode with such ease. Malcolm had imbued his poison with life and used it to attack Arumode. With it, he was able to strike Arumode''s sun tattoo with ease, like how the smallest crack would cause water to spill. "Guuu." Arumode groaned in pain. The ck sun tattoo, pierced by the bone shard, began to fade. "Oh Graham, eternal..." Arumode fell to the side. Thud. His massive body caused dust to rise up as he fell t onto the ground. [The effects of Cursed Ground''s Domain have ended.] [You are no longer cursed.] [You have defeated the Immortal King, Arumode.] [You have leveled up.] "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. "We won," Eder said happily. He had finally obtained a new body! "Brother, if not for you, we would have died. Thank you very much," Sephiro said joyfully. Kang Oh picked up the shield that Arumode had left behind. [Graham''s Bull Shield] The shield that the Graham Kingdom''s king, Arumode used. It was created long ago and is emzoned with the symbol of the Graham Kingdom, the bull. This shield was created at a time when craftsmen were unskilled in handling metal, so it is both extremely thick and heavy. Arumode continued to use this shield even after he became undead, so it possesses the power to defy death. + Immortal''s Shield: For 30 seconds, you heal the amount of damage that you blocked with the shield. Cooldown: 10 minutes Rank: BB Abilities: Defense +170, Physical +20, Mental -10, Curse Resistance +5% Minimum Requirements: Level 100. Physical 200. "He really is an undead; he didn''t drop much." Arumode only dropped a single shield. Not only that, it was only BB-rank. Compared to Baramut or Caraco, Arumode''s loot was poor. "But we were able to get a new body in exchange," Eder said. His shoulders heaved at the prospect of obtaining a new body. "I guess you''re right. Can you possess that thing?" Kang Oh pointed at Arumode''s body. "I''ll give it a try." Eder left his skeleton body and entered Arumode''s body. Eder began to control Arumode''s body. He pushed against the floor with both his arms and stood up. However, he wasn''t used to Arumode''s body, so he lost his bnce and began to stumble around. "Mr. Kao Ooooh!" Eder said, having barely stood up. He wasn''t ustomed to the body, so his pronunciation was still poor. "Did you say Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder nodded his head. "How does it feel?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s cwamped," Eder replied, his pronunciation still poor. "It''s cramped?" Kang Oh¡¯s expression seemed to say ''There''s no way that''s possible.''. If his skeleton body was like a small, cheap hotel room, then Arumode''s body was at least like an apartment with three rooms. "I think he''s saying he likes it," Sephiro said, and Eder nodded his head. "He can''t even pronounce words properly, so it doesn''t seem right to ask you anything else. Get used to that body for now." "I undwerstand." This time, Kang Oh could understand him. "Then let''s go back." He had no more business here. "Alright." * * * Kang Oh''s party left the Graham Ruins and returned to Altein. They passed through Altein''s front gate, which was always wide open, and Sephiro said his farewells. "Today was fun. I''ll see youter." "Ok. Thank you for all your hard work." Sephiro was a ve he could use a limited number of times. No, it was because he was a mercenary that Kang Oh couldn''t bring him along to find dungeons or go hunting. Thus, Kang Oh didn''t stop him from leaving. "Mr. Kang Oooh," Eder called. "Yeah?" "I will need some time to reeemodel this body too." Eder had practiced his pronunciation while returning to Altein, so Kang Oh could understand him now. "You need time to remodel Arumode''s body for your purposes?" "Yes." "How much time do you think it''ll take?" "I''m not sure right now." "You have until our departure for the Bariton Desert," Kang Oh said. He''d give him until they needed to leave for the Bariton Desert, meaning that he had about 2 weeks. "Thank you." That much time should be plenty. Eder expressed his thanks. "Yeah. Make sure you remodel it to your liking and get a lot stronger." That way, he could continue to work him like a horse in even more difficult areas. "Ok. Then, I''ll gettt going now." Eder left, heading for his mansion. When Kang Oh was about to leave, he received a message from Asu. - Oppa, have a happy Chuseok! - It''s not Chuseok weekend yet. Chuseok weekend was the day after tomorrow. - My schedule''s packed during Chuseok, so I won''t be able to login to Arth. So that''s why I''m giving you my good wishes now. - Then I suppose I should tell you to work hard instead of to have a nice Chuseok. Make a lot of money, Ms. popr idol. - Ok! You make a lot of money too, Oppa! - Alright. See youter. Kang Oh closed the message window. "I wonder when Dungeon Conquering Man airs..." The Man Who Conquers Dungeons or Dungeon Conquering Man would air in two days. * * * The next day. Death Potion''s guildmaster, Malcolm, returned to the Graham Ruins. "I''ll kill you!" Once he entered the Graham Ruins, he began to curse. He''d already cursed Kang Oh''s party several times in real life and had angrily called his workers absolutely useless too. Despite all that, he hadn''t been able to vent all of his anger. The vice-captain approached him. "President, please calm down. Please sign a postwar agreement." As a result of losing the guild war, all of their guild members were affected by the ''Loser''s Brand'' debuff. The Loser''s Brand lowered one''s abilities by 90%. With this, they wouldn''t be able to continue their operations in the Graham Ruins like before. Thus, their top priority was to sign a postwar agreement to remove the debuff. "I''m not signing anything," Malcolm dered. "Excuse me?" The vice-captain''s expression seemingly said, ''What the hell are you talking about?''. "I''m going to disband the guild." "If you disband the guild without signing an agreement, then... you cannot make or enter a guild for half a year." There were several benefits to a guild. If a yer was in a guild, then when they went hunting or created items, they would receive additional experience or proficiency. The additional proficiency in skills or magic was especially tempting. Also, whenever a guild member hunts or creates an item, they rue guild points. These guild points could be spent at the guild market to buy all sorts of liquid medicine or powerful equipment. However, if Malcolm disbanded the guild now, then not only would they lose all their rued guild points, but they wouldn''t be able to enter a new guild for half a year. "Please reconsider one more time..." Obviously, the vice-captain didn''t want the guild to be disbanded. "Then are you saying I should give those bastards all that money?" What the vice-captain was saying pissed him off. He needed to pay Kang Oh''s party 10,000 gold. That was 100 million won ($100,000 USD). He could just disband the guild and the matter would be solved, so why should he give them the money? "..." The vice-captain kept his mouth shut. He also inwardly chewed Malcolm out. ''He should''ve made several hundred thousand gold from selling the Arumode Poison, yet he''s being stingy for 10,000 gold.... You bastard!'' "What? You have a problem with that?" Malcolm scowled and stared at the vice-captain. "...No." "Hmph. Tell our boys that we''re disbanding the guild. And make sure they agree with it." "I understand." The vice-captain turned around to leave. However, his eyes were filled with hate. A short while after they left, Malcolm opened the guildmaster window and pressed disband. [Are you sure you want to disband the Death Potion guild?] "Yes," Malcolm said without an ounce of hesitation. [The guild members will now vote Yes or No.] [Voting in progress.] [The majority agreed to disband the guild.] [The Death Potion guild has been disbanded.] [The Going as Three guild''s Right of the Victor has disappeared.] [The Loser''s Brand has disappeared. All abilities return to their normal state.] [The guild has been disbanded without signing a postwar agreement. As a penalty, you may not create or enter a guild for half a year.] Malcolm, who''d read the system message, checked the time. There wasn''t much time before Arumode respawned. - Hey, call everyone here to kill Arumode. Malcolm sent a message to his vice-captain. The vice-captain arrived personally, rather than reply to the message. "I told them to be on standby." "Let''s go." Malcolm headed for the throne room. His subordinates were all gathered within. Malcolm checked the time once more. It was time for Arumode to respawn. Though time passed, Arumode still didn¡¯t respawn. "What is this?" Malcolm and his subordinates waited another hour. Despite that, Arumode wouldn''t appear. "Something''s wrong." Arumode was a boss monster that respawned once a day. The fact that it didn''t meant that Kang Oh''s party had done something to stop it from doing so. "How dare you mess with my source of ie!" Malcolm fumed and stomped on the ground. As if that wasn''t enough, he threw a fit. Then, the vice-captain raised his sword. "I was going to do this after we''d killed Arumode, but I guess I don''t need to wait for that anymore." He stared at Malcolm, his voice filled with killing intent. "You, what the hell are you doing!? Do you want to die?" Malcolm shouted. "Boys!" the vice-captain yelled. Then, the former guild members surrounded Malcolm. "You bastards! Do you really think you''ll be safe in real life if you do this!?" They weren''t just connected through the game. He was their president, debtor, and creditor. They were indebted to him! So how dare they raise their hand against him!? "That''s only if you stay safe in real life." "What?" "Kill him!" The vice-captain rushed towards him and stabbed. Stab. The graverobbers swarmed him like a pack of savage dogs and stabbed him with their gaffs. "Do you really think I''ll die from something like this!?" Malcolm gritted his teeth and from his jar, shot out the Arumode Poison everywhere. The poisoned graverobbers died right then and there. However, Malcolm met the same fate and died as well. The vice-captain yelled to the remaining graverobbers, "Hurry up and log out. We have to teach him a lesson. That''s how we get out of this alive!" Chapter 48. Gamer’s Chuseok

Chapter 48. Gamer''s Chuseok

Trantor: Boko The Korean national holiday, Chuseok, had arrived. Although it was Chuseok, Jae Woo didn''t particrly have anywhere to go. His grandparents had passed away and his uncle, along with his other rtives, lived in the U.S. On the other hand, Jae Woo''s rtionship with his mother''s side of the family was worse than strangers. Whatever the case, he was relieved that he wouldn''t have to deal with any traffic resulting from a trip. "I¡¯m d that I don''t have to waste time in traffic," Jae Woo muttered. Time was precious after all. "What did you say?" Yura, who was beside him, nced over at him. "I was just talking to myself." "Big Brother, when''s your show?" Yura asked, and Kang Oh checked the wall clock. "It''ll start in 10 minutes." ''The Man Who Conquers Dungeons'' would air on GBS soon. Jae Woo had upgraded his TV n, so they could watch GBS now. "We still have some time left. Should we watch the news?" Yura asked. Other female high schoolers seemed to enjoy dramas, music programs, or talent programs, but strangely, Yura seemed to enjoy the news the most. "If you want." Once he gave her permission, Yura changed the channel. The announcer was giving a report on recent news. "There was a fire in Bongcheon-dong, Gwanak-gu, Seoul yesterday at 2 o''clock in the afternoon. One person was seriously injured and the residents in the neighborhood were evacuated." The announcer momentarily regained their breath and posture, and then continued with their report. "The president of a game workshop, Mr. Kim Sang Gu, left the scene of the fire and was seriously injured. Mr. Kim Sang Gu was sent to a nearby hospital and is currently undergoing treatment. The police and the fire department are currently investigating the cause of the fire..." Yura, who was watching the news, sported a disappointed expression. "It''s a holiday too... What a shame." "Yeah." Jae Woo was also disheartened by the news of another''s misfortune. Once the report was over, the news pivoted to holiday stress. They reported that there was an increasing trend in stress for women over the holidays and suggested ways of dealing with said stress. After that, they reported on a variety of other topics. "It''s time." Once the 10 minutes had passed, Yura, who looked at the clock, changed the channel to GBS. It showed the opening to Dungeon Conquering Man, apanied by exciting music. "What about Mina?" Jae Woo asked, suddenly realizing that Mina was missing. "She left to visit a friend." "When?" "She ate lunch and left after you logged into your game." Jae Woo took out his phone and sent Mina a text. - Be home by 7. He got a reply back immediately. - I don''t want to. Jae Woo responded back with an ''angry emote'', an emote raising a club and with a vein popping out of its forehead. In response, Mina sent him a picture of her flipping him off. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue and threw his phone into the corner. He then focused on the Dungeon Conquering Man broadcast. "Is that you?" Yura pointed at the helmet wearing Kang Oh. "Yeah." "The helmet''s cool." Yura nced at Jae Woo''s face and added, ''It looks better than without.''. "The main producer provided it for me. Apparently, he found it in the prop room." "I see." The two quit their chit-chat and focused on the TV program. It showed Jae Woo being picked by Soo Ah, picking the Maumbharat Pce as their dungeon, as well as Seol Hee announcing Kang Oh''s punishment: revealing his identity. Then, it showed an interview with Seol Hee regarding her bet with Jae Woo. After that, they finally got to the footage of Kang Oh and Soo Ah conquering the dungeon. "Big Brother, did that really happen?" Yura asked when she saw Kang Oh hugging Asu. The scene was apanied by music fit for a romantic drama, and special effects (pollen flying around) were added in as well. "Ah, I just did that to calm her down." ''I didn''t have any ulterior motives at all.'' or so Kang Oh''s expression seemed to say. Yura, of course, didn''t trust him at all. "Yes, yes. That''s exactly why you did it." He could see a bit of Mina in Yura''s teasing. It was usually hard to tell that they were even sisters, but at times like this, they were like carbon copies of each other. "I''m serious. When you were young, you would get afraid whenever lightning struck. Back then, I would calm you down just like that." "Did you?" "Yeah, I did." "But the editing doesn''t match what you''re saying." "Ahem." Yura was right. Apparently, the broadcasting station wanted to make it look as though they were a couple. "Triple Lower''s Soo Ah is really popr. It''s a relief that your face was covered, isn''t it?" Yura smiled impishly. If Soo Ah''s male fans saw this, then he could see them saying something like ''Damn him!''. "It''s just a hug. You''re blowing it way out of proportion. Otherwise, if people saw actors kiss in a drama, then there''d be a murder case soon after." "But you''re not an actor. And that''s not acting either." Yura continued to smile and pick holes in his argument. "Let''s stop talking about this and just watch the rest of the show." Kang Oh watched the TV with his arms crossed. He saw footage of the other participants of Dungeon Conquering Man, other than him and Soo Ah, struggling to clear their respective dungeons. Whereas Jae Woo and Soo Ah conquered the dungeon so easily it was as if they had taken a stroll through an amusement park. Plus, the program showed Jae Woo kindly and patiently teaching Soo Ah; however, the program had edited the scenes so that it looked like something that woulde out of a romantic drama. "Ah, why did they have to edit it like this?" Kang Ohined, yet watched these close interactions with Soo Ah with delight. The program was already almost over. Jae Woo and Soo Ah''s fight against the Maumbharat Pce''s boss monster, Sharobea, was quite dynamic. "This is the climax," Jae Woo said. This was after the couple who''d failed the dungeon conquest had received their punishment. Now it was time for Jae Woo to give Kang Seol Hee her punishment. Kang Seol Hee shook in front of him like a mouse before a cat, and Kang Oh painted her face as he pleased! "I''m done." "Then, Ms. Seol Hee, please turn around." Jeon Seong Gook had said, and in response, Kang Seol Hee had turned around, but her face...! Jae Woo had drawn ''L'' shaped sideburns, a full beard and mustache, spots next to her nose, as well as a unibrow. "Smile." She smiled widely, revealing her checkered teeth! "Ah, what the heck is that!" Yura burst intoughter. "Big Brother, that was too much." Yura nced at him. "I let her off the hook you know." "That''s letting her off the hook?" "I was supposed to shave her eyebrows." "That''s way too much!" "Like I said, I let her off the hook." Next, the program showed Jae Woo winning a microwave for his sessful dungeon conquest. That microwave was now on one side of the kitchen. Kang Seol Hee gave a closing statement whilst sporting the ''Dirty Old Man'' look. "I hope this bes a regr program. Do you think it can?" "Haha. Absolutely. Something as fun as this?" Jeon Seong Gook stared at her face and replied. "Then I hope to see all of you again next time." "See you!" That concluded the broadcast. "I wonder how high the viewership will be?" It had to pass 5% no matter what. Only then would he get the additional incentives. "It was fun, so it should pass 5%." Yura rated it positively. "Really?" Jae Woo picked up the phone he''d thrown across the room whilst grinning. Then, he sent a text to Jin Cheol. The text read as follows: - Mr. Producer. I enjoyed watching the Dungeon Conquering Man. It was entertaining. And I''ve recently shot some good footage, so if you''re not too busy, I''d like for us to meet. * * * The door to the cafe opened and Park Jin Cheol walked through. "Over here." Jae Woo, who hade earlier, waved his hand. "Hello." Jin Cheol and Jae Woo shook hands. "Would you like something to drink?" Jin Cheol asked. "I''ll drink the most expensive thing here. You''re buying, right?" Jae Woo grinned. Jin Cheol followed suit and nodded his head. "I''ll take an Americano." Jin Cheol passed him his card. Jae Woo ordered their drinks, and the two sat down at a table. "It''s Chuseok weekend, yet you haven''t gone anywhere." Once Jae Woo sent Jin Cheol the request to meet, Jin Cheol immediately replied back with ''Alright.'', despite it being Chuseok weekend. That''s why they were able to meet so suddenly. "There''re no holidays for someone who works in broadcasting." "But once you''re a producer, shouldn''t you be able to take a break?" "That''s why I go home once every 3 years." "Where is your hometown?" "It''s Daejeon." "That''s quite close." Daejeon was 10 minutes from Seoul by high-speed train. "You can go anywhere nowadays. The reason we don''t is because we don''t have the time." "Indeed." Their drinks came just in time. Both of them took a sip of their drinks and then Jin Cheol said, "Shall we get on to business?" "Alright." "You said you had some footage you''d like to show me?" Jin Cheol''s voice was full of anticipation. It was only natural. After all, Kang Oh had brought him footage of him clearing the Fight Against 100 Men before. "Please give me your tablet." Jin Cheol took the tablet out of his bag and passed it over to him. Jae Woo inserted a ck chip into the tablet, opened the file, and turned on the recording of his fight against Caraco. "Please watch." Jae Woo held out the tablet and Jin Cheol began watching intently. "Ooh." Jin Cheol marveled at the sight of Kang Oh''s demon form. A ck demon! It made him recall his favorite childhood hero: Batman. Of course, Kang Oh lookedpletely different from him. Jin Cheol focused on the recording. He couldn''t pry his eyes off the footage. Ultimately, the recording ended with Kang Oh''s victory over Caraco, and Jin Cheol let loose the breath he had been holding. "Phew." "Was it alright?" "It''s not just ''alright'', it''s amazing. I thought only the Numbers could fight raid bosses one-on-one... As expected of the Human Dragon!" Jin Cheol gave him a thumbs up. The second half of Kang Oh''s desperate fight with Caraco was especially memorable. "And I have another video for you, but it''s not as good as the earlier one." Jae Woo touched the tablet and turned on the video of him annihting the Death Potion guild. In the video, Kang Oh swept through the graverobbers like an irresistible force, endured the Arumode Poison, and defeated Malcolm. The video ended with Arumode''s defeat. "This is the Death Potion guild." Jin Cheol furrowed his brow. "Yes. Is that an issue?" Kang Oh asked, catching a hint from Jin Cheol''s expression. "Hoo, I don''t think we can show this on TV." Jin Cheol sighed. "Why?" What the hell was he talking about? "A game workshop in Bongcheon-dong caught on fire," Jin Cheol said. "Ah, I saw that on the news too. But what does that have to do with this?" Jae Woo had watched the report on the fire with Yura. "The reporter who covered that article is someone I know. He told me this. That the workshop that caught fire was the Death Potion guild''s workshop. And the workshop''s president, the Death Potion''s guildmaster, escaped the fire and was then seriously injured." "Hoo. I see." "Yes. That''s why we can''t show this footage on TV." Someone was seriously injured. Though it was a game, there was no way they could show footage of an injured man getting beaten. "You''re right. We can''t show this." Jae Woo understood the situation as well. "Instead, we''ll cut the part where you fight the Death Potion guild and only show your fight against Arumode. We''llbine that with your fight against Caraco and show them together," Jin Cheol said. There was no problem with them showing his fight against Arumode since it was just him beating a monster. "I understand. How much are you willing to pay for it?" Jae Woo asked. "I''ll pay you 5 million won ($5,000 USD) and 2 million ($2,000 USD) more if viewership passes 5%. How about 500 thousand won ($500 USD) for the Arumode footage?" Jin Cheol suggested. "Hmm." Jae Woo''s face showed his discontent. "As you may know, I always offer my best." Jin Cheol''s voice was firm and filled with pride. "I know. But don''t you owe me a favor for what happened with Ms. Kang Seol Hee?" Jae Woo was essentially saying, ''So give me more!''. However, Jin Cheol wasn''t someone to take lightly. "I''ll eventually pay you back for that." Jin Cheol emphasized the ''eventually'' part, which meant that he had no intention of paying him back right this instant. "If you pay me backter, then the eventual interest might be more than the principal." "Then that only works in your favor, doesn''t it, Mr. Jae Woo?" Jin Cheol grinned and said. "Alright. Let''s sign a contract." "You made the right choice." Jin Cheol and Jae Woo decided to meet up again next time to sign the finalized contract and parted ways. On his way back home, Jae Woo looked up at the sky. "Dad. I''m finally paying back all of our debt." Their remaining debt: 30 million won ($30,000 USD)! With the gold from Baramut and Caraco, as well as his appearances on TV, he had more than 30 million won. So it was time to settle his family''s debt once and for all. Chapter 49. A New Eder

Chapter 49. A New Eder

Trantor: Boko Chuseok weekend was over. First, Jae Woo went to the bank. He had a considerable sum of money within his bank ount from ying Arth and his TV appearances. "I''vee to pay my debt." "I see. And how much would you like to pay back?" the bank worker smiled professionally and said. "All of it!" Jae Woo paid back all of his family''s debt, as well as the interest. Now they were no longer in debt! "Thank you very much." "Of course. Take care." Jae Woo left the bank. He had about 2 million won ($2,000 USD) left in his bank ount. ''And there''s more money that''sing in soon...'' If he sold the footage of him defeating Caraco and Arumode to Jin Cheol and sells Caracuni''s Golden Spear as well, then that money woulde right back. ''With that much...'' Next, Jae Woo went to a real estate broker near his house. "What is such a young man like youing to ce like this?" a middle-aged real estate broker said, offering him a cup of coffee. "I''d like some information on a lease." "Leases are expensive nowadays." "I''m not going to buy one right away, but I''d like to know how much one costs." He''d paid back his family''s debt, so the next step was to get his family out of that underground house of theirs. ''To a ce that''s suitable for people to live in.'' They didn''t have a choice right now, but there were absolutely no aspects of his current residence that he actually liked. Lately, if he just tapped the boiler, it would break and it didn''t heat up the water properly. It would be winter soon, so Jae Woo wanted them to move somewhere better before then. However, he couldn''t buy a house straight up, so he wanted to pay a lease instead. "I see. Do you have a style of house you want?" "I want three or four rooms. I''d like for it to be big and clean. A ce with lots of sunshine; a detached house would be nice as well. And if it was built recently, that''s a plus too." "Please wait just a moment." The broker looked at his tablet, perusing all of the houses on sale. "I have one right here that fits what you''re looking for." The broker passed him the tablet. Jae Woo picked up the tablet and examined the information regarding the house, as well as the picture. ''There''s three rooms, and it was built recently.'' It was an apartment, not a detached house, but it was close to his sisters'' school and it seemed convenient for transportation. He was also pleased that there was a police station nearby as well. Since he had two young sisters to take care of, he had to worry about public safety. "How much is this?" "The lease is 300 million won ($300,000 USD). The security deposit is 50 million won ($50,000 USD) and the monthly rent is 3 million won ($3,000 USD)." Kang Oh noted the house''s information and market price on his phone. "Do you have any other houses to offer?" "None of the others fit your description. I''ll show you a few others that might interest you." The broker showed him a few other houses and if Kang Oh was interested, he''d write down the information on his phone. "Thank you very much." Since he didn''t have any other business here, he stood up. "Take care." Jae Woo left the real estate agency and went around to a few others as well, learning more about houses and their market price. ''I should go look for houses in my spare time while I''m making money.'' He had a few houses he was interested in. However, he hadn''t seen them up close; he''d just seen an image of them and their info on a tablet. Obviously, he needed to go to the houses and see them in person. "I have to hurry up and buy a house for us." He had paid off their debt. Now, his next goal was to buy a house so that his family could livefortably and safely. ''And one day a building too!'' Perhaps his obsession with owning a building came from his losing his father at such a young age. Because he''d grown up losing his father, which subsequently threw his family into chaos, he yearned for a safe ce where he could protect his family. Hisatose state from getting hit by a truck contributed to that decision as well. Jae Woo wanted his family to livefortably just in case something happened to him. Thus, he wanted a house and a building. "I need to make a ton of money quickly." Jae Woo put his goggles on as soon as he got home. Arth! The goose thatid golden eggs. A dream-like world that would enable skilled people like him to turn their lives around! * * * Kang Oh searched for dungeons by himself until Grano contacted him. ''The Bariton Desert''s not the only ce with hidden dungeons.'' He had to use his time to find any means of making even a little bit more money. Although he''d gone through all sorts of dungeons for a week, he hadn''t found any new hidden dungeons. "Shall we go to the abandoned mine today?" Kang Oh used the gate to go to the mining town, Mountgale, which was located in the Grana Mountains. Arge quantity of steel was buried within the Grana Mountains. That''s why there were so many mines, as well as abandoned mines here. If these abandoned mines were neglected for a long period of time, then they would naturally be habitats for monsters and transform into dungeons. Abandoned mines were so vast andplex that they were perfect hiding ces for people like Eder. If not, then there was a chance that the boss monster dug up a new hidden dungeon. If that''s the case, then there was a chance that there''d be a hidden dungeon down there, or a hidden area like Bercy''s residence. In any case, there were five abandoned mines in the Grana Mountains that had be dungeons, and werebeled as Abandoned Mine 1, 2, 3, etc. Kang Oh entered Abandoned Mine 1 first. He saw several yellow eyes light up within the dark mine. Kya. Sha. Monster cats, or Kuroneas, rushed towards him. They had red fur and ck stripes, and wore shackles on each hand; each shackle had three sharp des attached to them. They were only level 100. "Get out of my way." Kang Oh rushed into the middle of them and rampaged like a wild beast. Swish. Two Kuroneas fell with one swing of his de. Boom! Darkness Strike activated and the Kuroneas were swept up by the ck wave. At that moment, Kunta''s Ring shined. [Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring has activated.] [A spontaneous quest for Darkness Strike has appeared.] [Darkness Strike 1] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. If you activate Darkness Strike 100 times, then you will receive more proficiency. Darkness Strike: 0/100 Difficulty: Spontaneous Reward: 10% increase in Darkness Strike proficiency ''If Iplete this quest, it''ll reach the intermediate level.'' Darkness Strike''s proficiency was at around 91%. If its proficiency went up by 10%, then he''ll be able to use an intermediate level Darkness Strike. Kang Oh continued to cut down the Kuroneas. Once they realized that the battle wasn''t in their favor, the beastial cats began to run. It wasn''t strange; after all, these monsters had a natural tendency to run away. Kang Oh didn''t chase the retreating Kuroneas on purpose. Instead, he would thoroughly inspect every nook and cranny of the abandoned mine and see if there were any secret devices or areas. After that, the Kuroneas continued to appear and annoy him, but Kang Oh just took it as a cool-down exercise and easily killed them. Soon, he¡¯d finished going through the entire abandoned mine. "Nothing." He looked through every nook and cranny, but Hyper Intuition never pointed out anything to him. "Next." Kang Oh headed for Abandoned Mine 2 immediately. Monsters called Gubaras showed up in this area. To put it simply, Gubaras were giant pill bugs. Their shells were quite tough, but their attacks were weak and they moved slowly, so they were extremely easy to hunt. Kang Oh swung his magic sword. sh! Befitting a roly-poly, the Gubara curled into a ball. Thump! The white line ripped through the Gubara''s shell. Shards of light burst from its body! Kang Oh''s attack power was so high that the Gubara''s shell couldn''t defend against it. He repeatedly swung his sword and killed the Gubara in front of him. Roll. The Gubaras, scrunched up into a ball, rolled towards him. They slid down a slope and fell, resembling gray snowballs. "Out of my way." Rather than avoid them, Kang Oh chose to attack every one that rolled his way. Boom! Bang! The Gubaras flew through the air. Kang Oh moved forward, shing them with his de, bashing them with the side, and stomping them. The path he''d just passed through was now thickly carpeted with countless Gubara corpses. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t forget to meticulously examine the abandoned mine during all of this. In fact, Kang Oh focused more on that than on fighting the Gubaras. Despite that, when he was at the end of the Abandoned Mine 2, he realized that there was nothing to be gained here either. "Nothing here either." Kang Oh returned back the way he came to head to the next abandoned mine. However, there was someone making a beeline towards him, even though the mine was so vast. The man''s skin was gray, but he couldn''t see hisplexion; he got this really familiar feeling from him. ''I''ve seen this guy somewhere before.'' He''d definitely seen that face somewhere before. Kang Oh searched through his memories. ''Yeah, he was frozen in a ss tube...'' "That face... Eder?" The name Eder just automatically came out. His face was the same as Eder''s original curse-ridden and frozen body''s face. "You really do recognize me." Eder, who''d obtained a new body, smiled. "You! Did you get your body back?" Kang Oh asked. Was this the return of the legendary level 429 Healer? "No." Eder shook his head. "What happened?" "Didn''t I tell you that I was going to remodel Arumode''s body?" "Yeah, you did say that." "I remodeled Arumode''s body to look exactly like mine." "That''s possible?" First off, Arumode was more than 2 meters tall, yet Eder seemed like he was in the low 170s (centimeters). "Haha. Who do you think I am? I''m a legendary Healer and Necromancer! I''m an expert when ites to the living and dead," Eder said, his voice filled with pride. Kang Oh scowled. "Hey, who told you to get stic surgery? I told you to get stronger!" Was this the feeling that a parent got when they registered their kid into a private school, paid the tuition fee, yet their kid got a haircut, dyed their hair, and came back after buying clothes? "Hoo, hoo. Please don''t worry. The cosmetic remodeling is just extra." "Extra? Then how much stronger have you gotten?" Kang Oh looked at him with a bit of anticipation. "Aside from Total Annihtion, I can use the two Cursed Ground''s Domains that Arumode used." Cursed Ground''s Domain was Arumode''s specialty, yet Eder could use it now too. "They were Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword, right?" Ruined Ramparts lowered one''s defense and Rusty Sword lowered one''s attack power. "Yes." "Why can''t you use Total Annihtion?" "I believe it''s because the ck sun tattoo was destroyed. There''s traces of the curse, but I cannot use it." "What else?" Kang Oh stared at him, seemingly saying, ''That can''t be it, right?''. "I have be much stronger physically." "But you''re a Necromancer." Which was a ss that didn¡¯t rely on one¡¯s body. "It''s different now. Since I''ve be a Curse Knight." "A Curse Knight?" "They call a knight who can use magic a Magic Knight. So using that logic, I can use curses, so I''m a Curse Knight." "When he was alive, Arumode was a Pdin, and in undeath, he was a Cursed Knight. Have you adopted that trait of his?" "That''s correct. By obtaining this body, I can use not only my curses but also the skills of a knight." "Oh, really? Then go fight those guys and show me what you got." Kang Oh pointed towards five Gubaras that were crawling around inside the abandoned mine. "Understood." Once Eder approached them, the Gubaras rolled up into a ball and attacked him. A Star of David formed underneath him and he stomped onto the floor. Thud. The magic circle transformed into dozens of ck lines and spread everywhere. Ruined Ramparts! Once the Gubaras were affected by the curse, their defense went down by about half! Rat-a-tat-tat! The Gubaras attacked him. Eder began his counterattack. However! Kang Oh went nk for a moment. Eder was fighting them... "Bare-handed?" Eder was struggling to rip off their outer shells with just his bare hands. Chapter 50. A New Eder (2)

Chapter 50. A New Eder (2)

Trantor: Boko Eder was struggling against the five Gubaras that had surrounded him. He recklessly swung his fists, and whenever a Gubara would get close, he would attempt to rip its shell off its body. Eder was attacked by the rolling Gubaras here and there. With his Rusty Sword curse active, Eder continued to struggle bare-fisted against the Gubaras. They say that levels are like a bully; Eder was highlighting this fact by killing one or two Gubaras at a time with his bare hands. "Hoo, how was it? The effects of Cursed Ground''s Domain are amazing, aren''t they?" Eder asked. "You''re trying to make meugh, aren''t you?" "No." "Then why were you fighting bare-handed?" Kang Oh asked, his expression dark. "I don''t have a weapon, so I had no choice but to fight bare-handed," Eder replied, seemingly saying ''What''s the big deal?''. "If you don''t have one, then you can just conjure one up, like a bone de or spear!" "I can''t use my bone magic as freely as before. This body doesn''t have an affinity for it." If Eder could''ve used it, he would''ve. With a bone de in hand, he would''ve been able to kill the Gubaras even faster. "So you can''t use it at all?" Kang Oh asked, his voice softer than before. "I can, but it''ll take me forever to cast it." "Which means you really can''t use it anymore." "Yes." "Then you should''ve at least bought a weapon beforeing! You said you were a Curse ''Knight''!" Kang Oh said, emphasizing the word ''knight''. What kind of knight fights bare-handed!? "I don''t have any money," Eder said proudly. "You have money. You have plenty of money in your private safe." "Then I can use part of your quest reward for myself?" If Kang Ohpleted Eder''s quest, then Eder would have to pay him 4,000 gold. That entire sum was kept within his private safe. "You should have some other money stashed away somewhere aside from what''s in your private safe. Use that to buy some equipment." Just leave my money where it is! "I don''t have any more money." "You don''t...? Why?" When he''d gone to Eder''s private safe, it definitely seemed as though he possessed more than 5,000 gold. So why was he saying he didn''t have any more money!? "I used it all on goods and materials necessary for remodeling this body." "Really?" Kang Oh asked in disbelief. "Really," Eder stared right into his eyes and said. "Did you take some out of my 4,000 gold..." "No." "So you''re saying you can''t even afford a weapon?" "Yes. I''m poor." "Then you should sell your house or something." Eder still had his mansion. It wasn''t a ce that someone as poor as him should live in. "I told you before. It''s a ghost-possessed mansion, so it won''t be sold at a proper price. And if I do sell it, where will I live?" Eder was still an undead monster. In order to live in such arge city like Altein, he needed sufficient cover. "Haa." "Well, I knew this day woulde. Since I only spend without making anything." Eder smiled despondently. "But I''m satisfied that I at least have this body that resembles a human being." It had been a long time since Eder had been in a human body. Though to others, they''d think he was a patient with gray skin. Still, he''de a long way. It was like he''d moved from a single room to a 2-floor detached house. However, Kang Oh thought differently. How could you not spend money while you''re alive!? Especially on equipment! "I''ll lend you some." He didn''t add the ''with a really high interest rate'' part. "I''m fine. Even if you lend me money, I can''t pay you back." Eder would never borrow money from Kang Oh. ''I''d rather ask a loan shark than ask him.'' He knew Kang Oh too well. "What do you mean you can''t pay it back! You can just make some money..." Kang Oh started exining, but quickly shut his mouth. He used Eder like a ve without giving him any money of his own, so how in the world would Eder ever pay him back? Not only that, Eder was undead, so he couldn''t get a job anywhere. Even if he did, it''d be a problem. Since he wouldn''t be able to make use of him when he needed him. Kang Oh was lost in thought. Eder was stronger and more useful than before. Especially with his Cursed Ground''s Domain, which had plenty of uses. But that was only half of the picture. He was a bare-handed knight! ''Which means I''ll have to either buy him equipment or provide it for him in another way...'' Kang Oh wasn''t willing to use his own gold to buy him equipment. He was stingy enough that he never bought himself any equipment, so why would he buy Eder any? "Then let''s do it like this. Whatever usable equipment we find, I''ll give you, except the most expensive pieces," Kang Oh said. "Alright," Eder agreed. "Use this for now." Kang Oh handed him Arumode''s shield from his inventory. "I''ll use it well." Eder received the shield and equipped it without dy. "Oh, right. Grano came over saying he was ready." Eder revealed why he''de to find Kang Oh. "He came over personally?" "Yes. He''s finished his rain-making device, so he wants us to leave for the Bariton Desert immediately." "Alright. Then let''s go back." That''s exactly what he wanted. "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder left the abandoned mine and returned to Eder''s mansion. "You''re here." Grano was waiting for them inside Eder''s mansion. "Ah, yes." Kang Oh looked around Grano. "I don''t see your rain-making device. Is it in the magic tower?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s in my subspace. It''s a delicate piece of equipment, so it has to be handled with care," Grano smiled and said. "Then can we leave for the Bariton Desert immediately?" "Yes. I''m ready to go." "Then let''s go right..." Kang Oh stopped. It''s because he saw Eder, whose only equipment was a shield. "There''s something I need to do before we go. Let''s meet back here in an hour," Kang Oh said. "I understand. I''ll wait here, so do whatever you need to do and return here. And, Mr. Eder..." He''d already greeted Eder before when he''d firste, and had discussed various topics over tea. Aside from his gray skin, Eder looked like a human being, so Grano didn''t know that he was actually an undead. "Yes?" "May I read some of the books in your study?" "Of course." "Thank you." Grano headed towards the study with an easygoing expression. He''d already seen the study while he was waiting for Kang Oh, so he didn''t need anyone to guide him there. "Follow me," Kang Oh looked at Eder and said. "Where are we going?" "To the auction house." * * * An hourter. Kang Oh and Eder returned to the mansion. "You came right on..." Grano, who was waiting in the living room, stopped and looked Eder over once more. Only one hour ago he was wearing tattered robes and a heavy-looking shield. However, he lookedpletely different from head to toe. "Mr. Eder has changed quite a bit." He was right. "Right?" Kang Oh agreed. ''Indeed. He''s no longer a bare-handed knight!'' He slowly inspected Eder. First, he wore armor as red as blood. It was an A-rank armor set called the Cursed Blood Knight set. However, it would reduce the equipper''s stats, true to its namesake as ''cursed'' equipment. But because Eder was an undead, it actually increased his stats. Also, there were two set bonuses for equipping the armor set. First, any opponents within a 10 meter radius of the equipper would have their defense and resistances lowered. Second, on attack, he would absorb a small portion of his opponent''s HP and MP. He had reced Arumode''s brutish and weighty shield for another. It was a circle shield that looked smaller, thinner, and lighter. There were four skulls attached to the center of the shield. The Cursed Ghastly Skull Shield! The ''cursed'' series actually increased Eder''s stats. Whenever he blocked an attack with the shield, one of the four skulls (each containing a different curse) would afflict the attacker with a curse. Finally, the blunt weapon in Eder''s right hand! It had a silver handle attached to a sphere-like object about the size of a melon. There were sharp spikes attached to the sphere like a hedgehog. Plus, there were several holes within the sphere which released green gas. Jakma''s Mace! It was a weapon that constantly released poison gas. Thus, it was a weapon that not only damaged one''s enemies, but the wielder themselves. ''But poison doesn''t affect Eder.'' Aside from a few, most poisons didn''t work on Eder. In other words, the poison gas was of little consequence to Eder. Kang Oh looked at Eder and smiled in satisfaction. ''All of those items were dirt cheap.'' Each and every piece of Eder''s equipment had a defect or two for yers. Therefore, he was able to buy them for dirt cheap. Plus, he didn''t give them to Eder for free. "Eder, be sure to return that equipment to me when we get some better ones." Kang Oh nned to sell that equipment againter. "I understand." Eder had noints. Whatever the case, he''d gotten them free of charge. "Ahem. Are you ready now?" Grano coughed and got everyone''s attention. "Yes. We''re all ready," Kang Oh said. Eder nodded his head, signaling that he was ready. "Then let me give you a rough outline of our trip to the Bariton Desert," Grano said. "We will, of course, take a detour to those two dungeons that you mentioned, right?" Kang Oh checked to see if Grano would keep his promise. "Of course." "Please go on." "First, the rain-making device is split into two parts. A device that gathers water and one that transforms that water into a cloud," Grano began. "The two devices are connected via spatial magic, so the water can be sent immediately, regardless of distance. Therefore, we have to set up the device that gathers water in an area with abundant water." "Where are you nning to set it up?" Kang Oh asked, and Grano replied immediately, "The sea." * * * The Arth continent was vast. At the northern end, it was a fantasticalnd of ice, and the southern end was called the Great Forest, or the Sea of Trees. The center of the continent was a richnd filled with countless forests and mountains, as well as rivers and ins. There were also several cities like Altein as well. The west consisted of endless grasnds. Beyond thaty the Land that Borders Hell, Despia, or so they say. To the east, there were several desert regions and wastnds that originated from the Bariton Desert. If one went even further east, they would find themselves at the continent''s back, or the vast Phamas Mountains. The sea and the coasty beyond the Phamas Mountains, as well as a thriving seaport city. Citin Harbor provided for half of the continent''s seafood and was the continent''s greatest seaport city. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano were engulfed in a rainbow pir of light and arrived at Citin Harbor''s gate. The three walked out of the magic circle. "Mm. The smell of the sea." The smell of seafood, which was the seaport city''s specialty, was carried by the sea breeze and permeated his nose. "This is your first time in Citin, right?" Grano asked. "Yes, it''s my first time here." "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder answered. "It''s been a long time since I''vest been here myself." Grano stopped as if he were reminiscing and gazed at Citin Harbor. "Mr. Grano. You can always appreciate the view after we''re done with our job." Rather than saying, ''We don''t have time to waste here'', he went with the polite route. "Indeed. Please follow me." Grano seemed to be familiar with the messy andplexyout of Citin Harbor, as he led Kang Oh and Eder without any problems. They stopped in front of a house with a blue roof. "Mr. Bobo! I''m here." Grano knocked on the door. The door opened, revealing an old but vigorous white-haired seaman. "You came," Bobo saw Grano and said. Considering how they spoke to one another, it seemed as though he knew why they''de. "Can we get on a ship right away? That''s the only way we''ll get to the ind today." "Everything''s ready. Do you want to leave right away?" "Yes." Bobo came out wearing some thick clothes. He then led them to one of Citin Harbor''s secluded docks. "It''s that ship." Bobo pointed to a midsized ship. There was a name written on the side of the ship. "Aoa." "It means dolphin." Once Kang Oh read the ship''s name, Bobo exined the meaning behind it. "It''s a nice name," Eder said. "Now, be careful and get on the ship." Kang Oh got onto the ship first, while Grano got onst. "We''re departing." Bobo skillfully untied the rope keeping the ship fastened to the dock and raised the anchor. Then, he raised the sail and they were immediately carried out by the wind out to sea. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano stood on one side of the ship and peered out at the horizon. "How long will it take for us to reach the ind you were talking about?" Kang Oh asked Grano. The ind they were headed for didn''t even have a name. Of course, it wasn''t just any ind. It was supposedly an ind where Grano had found a hidden dungeon. That''s why Kang Oh had followed him here. If there weren''t a hidden dungeon here, then Kang Oh would''ve headed for the Bariton Desert first. He''d probably be doing the Adventurer Guild''s quest of killing Sandurions too. "It''ll take a while," Grano said as he looked out at the sea. "Anyway, why are you trying to make it rain in the desert?" Kang Oh had asked purely because of his curiosity. Grano smiled. "My mother... perhaps?" Chapter 51. Uninhabited Island

Chapter 51. Uninhabited Ind

Trantor: Boko "Your mother?" Kang Oh asked. Grano had definitely mentioned his mother. "Ah, it''s not some amazing story or anything." Grano waved his hand. "Then it''d be a good story to hear while we''re on our way to the ind," Kang Oh smiled and said. Grano nodded his head and began, "When I was young, my mother would tell me interesting stories before I went to bed. The most memorable of them was the story that the Bariton Desert was once called the Blue Earth." Kang Oh tilted his head. "It wasn''t always a desert?" This was the first time he''d heard of this. "Yes. It was said that the Rain God, Da, brought rain to the Bariton Desert every day while he was there. Back then, Bariton was a fertilend where grass grew and where rivers flowed." "Da... In the ancientnguage, it means clouds and wind," Eder said. In the ancientnguage, ''dal'' meant cloud, and '' meant wind. "In a desert, the clouds are brought over by the wind," Grano said. "So what happened next?" Kang Oh asked. "Da fell in love with a young girl. And the young girl loved him in turn. However, it''s said that if a god loves a human, then they lose their divinity and be a normal human being themselves." "Seeing as how it''s a desert, I can see what choice he made," Kang Oh said. "Indeed. And they had children too. Da and that girl''s blood was passed down through the generations, and my mother was apparently their descendent. Therefore, I too am a descendent of Da," Grano said. "Are you trying to make it rain in ce of the Rain God, Da?" Kang Oh asked. "Kind of. After I heard that story from my mother, I felt a calling of sorts. That I should make the desert fertile again." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. "That''s why I became a mage and why I searched for a way to make it rain. In fact, the magic to create rain already existed. However, it wasn''t the magic I was looking for." "Why is that?" Kang Oh asked. "Casting that spell requires several mages, or one extraordinary Archmage. Moreover, it merely makes it rain for a short period of time over a small area." If he wanted to make the desert fertile again, then he would need to make it rain continuously over a wide area. "Thus, I decided to create a rain-making device and began my research. However, the other mages didn''t have much interest in the device." Grano sported a somewhat bitter expression. "But couldn''t you have ordered your subordinates anyway? I heard you were the director of the water magicboratory. Why did you do all the work yourself?" Kang Oh asked. When one bes a research director at the Mage''s Tower, they should have several subordinates under them. He could''ve made them do all the grunt work, so why did he have to go through all the trouble? "This is my personal research. I can''t force the mages of the water magicboratory to help me with a personal matter," Grano said firmly. He then added, "If they volunteer themselves, that''d be a different story entirely..." Grano''s voice dwindled. It was obvious why his voice had be so quiet. There hadn''t been a single one of his subordinates that had volunteered their services. Kang Oh looked at him and inwardly clicked his tongue. ''Tch, tch. He really is paying the price to go through hardship.'' Is this what a cricket felt when it saw an ant? To Kang Oh, who always abused and overworked his subordinates like Darion and Eder, it all seemed foolish. Of course, only Kang Oh thought that way. "You truly are amazing." Eder grasped Grano''s hands. His eyes gleamed; his eyes seemingly said, ''If only you''d formed a contract with me instead!''. "No. As their superior, it''s unbefitting of me to force them into helping me in private matters," Grano said. Eder nced at Kang Oh. It was as if he were saying, ''He''s a lot different from someone I know.''. Kang Oh stared at Eder and scowled. Eder quickly turned his head and forcefully said, "In any case, you''ll seed this time. I know it." "I hope so." After that, Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano discussed various topics for quite some time. "We''re here." Then, Grano pointed towards the far side of the open sea. Kang Oh followed his finger. There was a small green ind over there. * * * "Thank you, Mister." Grano said his goodbyes to Bobo. "Mm. See youter." Bobo got onto his ship and left. Because Grano hade with a return scroll, they didn''t need the ship to return to the city. Thus, he''d let Bobo and the ship leave first. Kang Oh''s party, having disembarked from the ship, passed the small sandy beach. "There aren''t any particrly threatening monsters here. At most, a snake?" Grano said. "There should be some stronger monsters within the hidden dungeon, no?" Kang Oh asked. "I took a quick peek inside and saw some Fishmen, but other than that, I don''t know anything else since I didn''t go any deeper," Grano said. "I''ll take a look myself." The party went through the ind''s brush and progressed forward. The ind was quiet and they didn''t see any special animals or monsters. What''s worse, nothing attacked first, so they continued along without any resistance. How much time had passed? "It''s here." Grano stopped in front of an entrance to arge cave. "This is a hidden dungeon?" Kang Oh asked. All that he was thinking about was the hidden dungeon. "The entrance to the dungeon is inside the cave. This is also where I''ll install the device that gathers water, the absorber." "Let''s go inside." The party went inside of the cave. The cave was so wide that it reminded him of Baramut''s home, yet it was also deeper. Much deeper. It also went down at an angle. They went down for a while, eventually reaching the end of the cave. "This is..." Surprisingly, there was a smallke at the end of the cave. "Please taste the water," Grano said. Kang Oh scooped some water with both hands and tried it. It tasted salty. "Is this seawater?" "Yes. There must be a tunnel that connects thiske with the sea floor, allowing the seawater toe here." "It''s amazing." "If I set up the device here, then the device should safely be able to provide water. It''s connected to the sea, so it''ll never dry out and it''s inside the cave, so there''s no external threat either." This was the reason Grano hade to this specific ind. "You really are amazing," Eder chimed in. "And that''s the dungeon over there." Grano pointed towards one side of the cave. There was a giant rock there, but there was a ck crevice beneath it. "So you''re saying that there''s a dungeon within that crevice?" Kang Oh asked, ascertaining the hidden dungeon''s location. "Yes." Grano nodded his head. "I''ll go immediately. Are you going too, Mr. Grano?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll stay here and install the absorber. Pleasee back after you''ve gone through the dungeon." "It might take a while." When Kang Oh entered a dungeon, he''d usually clear it. Unless the dungeon was huge, or the monsters were powerful, or there were dangerous traps installed. Obviously, he intended to clear it this time. Therefore, it would take quite a bit of time before he got out. "Hmm. If that''s the case, then please take this with you." Grano extracted something out of his subspace. It was a pair of gold earrings that were in the shape of a magic circle. He gave Kang Oh one of the two earrings. "What is this?" "It''s a magical device that allows the wearers tomunicate with each other." "Hoh." Kang Oh epted the earring. "How do I use it?" "You wear it on your ear and by rubbing it, a signal will be passed on to the receiver." "Let''s try it out to see if it works." Grano and Kang Oh wore the earrings. Kang Oh rubbed the earrings with his finger. Then, he heard a beeping noise. Grano grabbed his own earring with his finger. "You just need to grab onto your earring like this to talk." He could hear Grano clearly as though he were listening to music from a set of headphones. "Ah. Ah! Testing! Testing! Can you hear me?" "I hear you." "How far can we be from each other? No, where do I buy this? Is it really expensive?" Kang Oh asked question after question. Eder wasn''t a user, so he couldn''t utilize the message system. Therefore, he needed a device that allowed him tomunicate with him over long distances. "Compared to the size of the earring itself, its range is quite long. I believe its max range is about 5 kilometers. And they don''t sell this on the market. It''s a recent invention of the Mage''s Tower." Grano answered each and every single one of Kang Oh''s questions. "Hmm. Is there any way I can get this item?" Kang Oh asked. Eder could tell what he was thinking. Kang Oh wanted this item so that he could speak with him over long distances. Of course, it wasn''t something that Eder wanted. If Kang Oh couldmunicate with Eder over long distances... then it''d be like he was being called by his superior after he''d left work. ''They''d be like shackles!'' Eder stared at Grano fiercely. Please say that there wasn''t a way to procure them! However, Grano didn''t realize what Eder was trying to tell him. "There are still some improvements that need to be made, but the magic tower will sell them soon. I''m not sure how much they will cost," Grano said. Kang Oh took off the earring and examined it meticulously. Gold, exquisite craftsmanship, and a small size that belied its long range. Moreover, it''s a new item, so it seemed like it would be expensive. "If you''re a part of the magic tower, do you get a discount?" Kang Oh asked. He was essentially asking, ''Is it possible to buy it at manufacturer price?''. "When it''s on sale, I''ll buy one for you," Grano said. He was the head of the water magicboratory. Because he possessed a high position within the magic tower, he should be able to procure the earrings for Kang Oh no problem. "Thank you very much." Kang Oh smiled. "T-That''s...!" Whereas Eder''s face (which was now mostly normal) wrinkled. "Then let''s get going Eder!" Kang Oh dragged Eder along with him. "It''ll be a while before that device is put on the market, right? Right? Please say yes!" Eder looked at Grano and desperately yelled. "Stay safe. I''ll let you know when I''m done installing the absorber," Grano waved his hand and sent them off. "Mr. Granooooo!" Eder wailed as he was being dragged off. * * * Kang Oh pushed Eder through the crevice and threw himself in as well. As expected, there was a jet-ck hole within the crevice. "There should be a boss here." Users didn''t always hit the jackpot just because they had found a hidden dungeon. Only by having a boss, which rued riches over time, and killing said boss would a hidden dungeon bestow a yer with wealth. "If not, then perhaps a treasure." There were some dungeons that didn''t have a boss, but had treasure inside instead. But instead of a boss, the treasure was guarded by guardians, as well as various traps that prevented the user from obtaining it. "I just hope I didn''te here for nothing!" Meaning a hidden dungeon without a boss or any treasure. It was like a piece of fried shrimp without any innards. Kang Oh threw himself into the hole. He was enveloped in darkness. [You have discovered the Lupen Crystal Pce.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] ''As I thought, I''m the first toe down here.'' A secluded uninhabited ind in the open sea. What were the chances that a user would find this hidden dungeon? It was obvious that Kang Oh would be the first to discover it. But the problem was... ''Is it not a dungeon?'' A dungeon was inhabited by monsters. However, the system message didn''t tell him it was a dungeon. Obviously, a secret area wasn''t always a dungeon. Then, Eder expressed his astonishment. "Hoh, this ce is truly mysterious." The Lupen Crystal Pcey within the center of a dome. Like its namesake, the pce was constructed with several crystals of different colors. The crystals radiated every color of light imaginable and it was so shy that it made him dizzy. But what was important to Kang Oh was whether this was a dungeon or not. "For now, let''s go." Whether he''d hit the jackpot or gone bust, he had to go over and find out! A short whileter, Kang Oh and Eder met the Fishmen that Grano had warned them about. "Who are you!?" "They''re trespassers!" "Tell us who you are!" The Fishmen yelled at Kang Oh. Their faces resembled turtles. Although they possessed two arms and legs like human beings, they were also covered in blue scales. They didn''t wear any armor, but they did wield spears with des made of coral. There were four in total. They looked like guards. Of course, he wasn''t entirely sure. This was the first time Kang Oh had seen them before, and he didn''t have any information on them either. ''Let''s kill them and go from there.'' Kang Oh gripped his demon sword and dashed towards them. "Repel the invader!" "Get lost!" Two of the Fishman guards pointed their coral spears at them and rushed towards him. They were aiming for Kang Oh''s heart! Once he felt the chill at his heart, Kang Oh swung his demon sword. His jet-ck sword and their coral spears shed. ng! Surprisingly, their coral spears were tougher than he''d expected, and the Fishmen themselves were no joke either. ''They must be between level 100 - 130.'' Kang Oh estimated his foes'' strength and quickly swung his de upwards from bottom to top. Thump! His demon sword pushed one of the guard''s coral spear up into the air. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and swung down diagonally. sh! Shards of light burst forth as his de left an incision on the Fishman''s chest. "You bastard!" The other Fishman lunged with his own coral spear to help theirrade. The Fishman''s spear was enveloped with blue energy, and that energy began to violently rotate around the spear. Spiral Thrust! Kang Oh turned his body to the side and avoided the spear. He then approached the wounded Fishman and swung downwards. Darkness Strike! A wave exploded from his de in the shape of a savage beast. Bang! The Fishman brought his spear up and blocked Kang Oh''s de, but immense destructive power caused him to fall. "You bastard!" The other Fishman aimed for Kang Oh''s back. Kang Oh positioned his de behind him and blocked the Fishman''s attack. Then, he immediately turned around and swiftly shed the Fishman like the wind. "Ugh. He''s strong." Shards of light spilled from the Fishmen as they retreated. "Yeah, this guy''s really strong." They rushed towards him once more. "We''ll take him down together." The two guards on standby entered the fray. "I''m your opponent!" Eder stepped forward wearing his red armor and wielding the skull shield and spiked mace. He opened his mouth wide, as if he were a snake. An evil spirit, which applied the aging curse, came flying out of his mouth. "Ugh." "I''m getting weaker." The Fishman afflicted by the aging curse became noticeably slower. Whereas Eder, with his new body, moved extremely quickly. "Feel my new power!" Eder swung downwards with his mace. His target: the Fishman guard''s head. Bang! Once his mace made contact with the Fishman''s head, red energy exploded out. Heavy Blow! It was a new knight skill he''d learned by obtaining Arumode''s body. It was an intermediate level skill at that! "How does it feel!?" Eder pushed through the Fishmen like an angry bull. At that moment, the Crystal Pce''s gates opened and out came more than twenty Fishman guards. "Where do you think you are!? I, Radium, will take you on!" arger than normal Fishman wearing scale armor yelled. Kang Oh looked at him and a message popped up. [You have met Lupenia''s Champion, Radium.] [You are the first to meet him.] Chapter 52. Lupenia (1)

Chapter 52. Lupenia (1)

Trantor: Boko "Surround them so that they can''t get away." Upon his order, the soldiers that had followed him moved quickly. The guards surrounded Kang Oh and Eder. The Fishman guards he''d fought at the beginning retreated behind the surround. "Human, you''re quite strong," Radium said to Kang Oh. "Well, I''m at least stronger than a fish," Kang Oh replied. "We''re no fish. We are the noble aquatic race, Lupenia." Radium spoke of Lupenia with pride. "Lupenia? That''s the first I''ve ever heard of it." "You''re and dweller, so I can understand how you don''t know about the great Lupenia." "Alright, sure. That''s enough chit-chat. C''mon." He''ll kill them all. "Alright. Everyone, stand back. I''ll take him on myself," Radium said pompously and approached Kang Oh. Contrary to the guards who wielded coral spears, Radium wielded a sword. Radium unsheathed his sword. The sword was studded with a giant sapphire, and the de itself radiated with an emerald hue. Even from first nce, it was definitely a fine de! "Raise your sword." Radium pointed his sword at Kang Oh. "Your sword looks quite nice." So give it to me! "Your sword... is quite simr to a sword that I know. Though its atmosphere and color arepletely different," Radium said. Kang Oh said nothing. At this point, talk was pointless. "Haahp!" Kang Oh attacked first. He thrust at Radium''s neck with his de. Radium reacted instantly. He too thrust with his sword. The two des grazed each other. However, they didn''t make much noise. It must be a special quality of Radium''s emerald de. Kang Oh continued his assault. He freely swung his weighty sword. Radium wasn''t weak at all. He was like an unrelenting wave; he flowed from one attack to the next in session. The two des continued to sh. All that could be heard was the movements of their bodies or the sounds of their breath; the sh of their des made no sound. However, Radium''s expression was strange. It was aplicated expression; it seemed as though he was longing for something, but he also looked strange too. Ultimately, Radium ended his assault and retreated. Kang Oh began to chase after him. However! "That sword is definitely... Lord Vn''s sword," Radium said. Kang Oh momentarily stopped. ''Vn!'' The Swordmaster, Vn! The Masked diator, Lavan! Burkan''s master! The previous owner of the Demon Sword Ubist! To think that that name woulde out of Radium''s mouth. "What rtionship do you have with Lord Vn?" "That''s my line... How do you know Master Vn?" Rather than answer, he posed his own question. "Lord Vn is our savior, the one who fulfilled our long-awaited wish!" Radium replied. "Master Vn is your savior?" Kang Oh recollected Vn''s life story that was shown to him following thepletion of the Trial of the Demon Sword. The scenes of Vn going around, annihting anything that could pose a threat to the world! Of course, there was nothing there regarding Lupenia. But this is Vn they were talking about, so he could''ve helped the aquatic race, the Lupenia. "That''s right. What''s your rtionship with Lord Vn?" Radium asked once more. Kang Oh was lost in thought. He honestly didn''t have any connection to Vn whatsoever. He''d never even met him. The only connection he had was that he was the current wielder of the sword that Vn once wielded. ''He''s apparently their savior.'' If Vn was their savior, then they''d obviously want to repay him. If that''s the case, then he may be able to receive that payment in Vn''s stead depending on how he spoke. "I''m his heir," Kang Oh proudly yelled. Just like when he''d acted as though he were the Loxia family''s heir! ''Humans are all just distant rtives of each other, so yeah, I''m his heir.'' Kang Oh had used the same rationalization he''d used when he''d impersonated as the Loxia family''s heir! "Ooh, you are Lord Vn''s heir!?" Radium looked at Kang Oh as if he were deeply moved. "But why has Lord Vn''s awe-inspiring Max Gemina changed to that color and atmosphere? That''s why I thought it was a different sword at first," Radium said. [You have found a clue regarding the Demon Sword Ubist.] [Ubist''s item information has been updated.] Kang Oh''s eyes briefly widened and he looked down astonishingly at his demon sword. ''This sword was part of the Max series?'' The Max series were four swords created by the legendary artisan, Max. Of those famed swords, the most renowned was the Hero Javen''s Max Perado! Javen had achieved so much that Altein''s Javen Square was named after him. His weapon was known as Max Perado, yet Kang Oh was holding a weapon of the same rank as his, the Demon Sword Ubist. ''You crazy bastard!'' Kang Oh cursed at Vn. But because he was before Radium, who considered Vn his people''s savior, he didn''t say it out loud. ''You turned a Max series sword into a demon sword!'' What would''ve happened if Kang Oh had obtained the Max Gemina before it had been turned into the Demon Sword Ubist? It would easily be worth 100 million won ($100,000 USD) at minimum. That''s just how powerful the Max series was. However, one of those famed des currently housed the spirit of Ubist and had be a demon sword that threatened its very wielder. It was untradeable too! ''How could you do that to such a precious sword!'' Kang Oh quivered in disappointment. "Is something wrong?" Radium asked once he saw Kang Oh''s expression turn serious. Upon hearing Radium''s voice, Kang Oh got a hold of himself. "Hoo. Something is wrong. Since such a famed de of the Max series was used to seal away an entity of darkness and was transformed into a demon sword as a result." ''Are you crazy!?'' As he spoke, Kang Oh thought that there was no one crazier than Vn once more. "So it was used to seal away an entity of darkness and transformed as a result," Radium epted. "Haa. In any case, now that it''se to this, let us sheath our swords," Kang Oh said and Radium nodded his head. "If you''re Lord Vn''s heir, then it''s only right that we treat you like a guest." Kang Oh and Radium both sheathed their swords. Eder, who had been observing the situation, approached him. "Is it over?" He looked disappointed. Eder had wanted to show off his abilities as a Curse Knight! "Yeah. So put away your weapon." "Tch." Eder tied his shield onto his back and ced the mace onto his waist. "Follow me... No, shall we go?" Radium''s words and actions had changed. He respectfully guided him towards the entrance of the crystal pce. "Ah, now that I think about it, I never got your name. Let me introduce myself once more. I am Lupenia''s Champion, Radium." Radium raised a fist to his chest with such discipline. It must be an extremely polite gesture in Lupenia. "My name is Kang Oh." "I am Eder." "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder. I wee you to the Lupen Crystal Pce." Once he was finished, the entrance to the pce opened automatically. A beautiful world had unfolded before their very eyes. * * * Grano had left theke. He was covered in a transparent veil. Thus, even if he walked around theke, he wouldn''t get wet. "I''m done installing the absorber," Grano muttered. The absorber was arge and transparent device with a diameter of 10 meters. It didn''t simply absorb water; it also removed the water of any salt content and purified it as well! He installed it on the floor of theke and even drew a defensive magic circle to protect the device. Grano then returned to whence he came. "I need to see if it works properly, but... I guess I should take a break first." Grano walked slowly towards a boulder near theke as if he were a little tired and sat on it. He was already in his mid 40''s. Because he''d done all the work by himself at his age, both his body and mind became tired easily. "Hmm. When I''m done with this, maybe I should try toe up with a magic that makes you younger..." While Grano was resting and thinking such trivial thoughts, he heard a signal from hismunication device. Beep. Beep. Beep. Grano grabbed his earring with his finger. "Aah, Mr. Grano. Can you hear me?" He could hear Kang Oh''s voice through the earring. "Yes, I can hear you," Grano replied. "I can hear you too." "Were you testing to see if the device was working properly?" "No. We came into the dungeon, but we''ve gotten into some trouble," Kang Oh said. "What kind of trouble?" "The Fishman has invited me as a guest, so I wanted to invite you to the pce too. But have you finished everything you needed to do?" "I''ve finished installing the absorber. You were saying you got an invitation from the Fishman?" Grano asked in a slightly surprised voice. What exactly happened? They had gone to fight, yet they got an invitation instead? "To put it simply, the Fishman are close to someone I know. So they''re saying they''ll treat my party as guests." "I see." "Then pleasee through the hole you told me about. Oh, right. Apparently, the Fishman didn''t know about that hole either," Kang Oh said. The entrance to the Lapen Crystal Pce was under the sea. However, the opening that Grano had discovered was more like a doghole, so this was the first time the Fishman had heard of it. "Alright." Grano took his hand off the earring, stood up, and headed for the hole. He then threw himself into the hole. When the veil of darkness lifted, he saw Kang Oh, Eder, and the Fishman waiting for him. "Wee," Kang Oh greeted him as if he were the ruler here. "Thank you. But who is this?" Grano carefully asked as he looked at Radium. "Radium, the general of the aquatic tribe, Lupenia. He''s also the one who invited us." "It''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Grano." "I am General Radium of the great Lupenia. I will guide you. Everyone, please follow me." Radium took the lead, walking with confident steps. * * * The Lupen Crystal Pce could be defined by one phrase: ''It''s beautiful.''. "Aah." Grano marveled at the sight. The pce shined with the lights of seven different colors! So much so that he wanted to call it the Pce of Light. "It''s good to be alive. If you''re alive, you eventually get to see things like this." He Who Rejects Death, or Eder, admired life. "Things that glitter are nice, but it''d be even nicer if the pce shone gold instead," Kang Oh said. He''d rather have a pce made of gold than a pce made of crystals. "Hoo, hoo. The Lupen Pce is the pride of the Lupenias..." Radium said, his voice filled with pride. "The queen is waiting for you, so please meet her first and then tour the pceter at your leisure," Radium added. "The queen?" Eder, who''d been a bachelor for so long, perked up when he heard the term ''queen''. In fairy tales and stories, princesses and queens were always so beautiful! He had also read some romance stories with love that transcended species. If that''s the case, then could he too...? "Is she pretty?" Eder asked, his face filled with anticipation. "Of course! The queen is Lupenia''s most beautiful woman," Radium replied immediately. "Ooh!" Eder clenched his fists. "Wake up. Plus, she''s probably already married," Kang Oh said calmly. "She hasn''t gotten married yet," Radium said. "Does she have a lover?" Eder asked. "No." "Oooh! Mr. Radium, please take us to the queen immediately." Eder was on fire. Kang Oh looked at him and clicked his tongue. To him, Eder had no chance with Lupenia''s queen. Since it was Eder he was talking about! If... he sees that Eder actually has a chance, then Kang Oh will rip that away from him. ''You''re going to start dating before me? No way. Can''t let that happen!'' But then, Kang Oh looked at Grano. Grano didn''t seem interested in any of the topics regarding the queen, her marital status, or if she had a lover or not. What was it? It was like he was rxed because he possessed something they didn''t; as if he had resigned himself. ''No way!'' "Mr. Grano. Have you gotten married already?" Kang Oh asked. "I also have two daughters," Grano grinned and replied. "You''re a mage, yet you''ve gotten married?" Kang Oh had a certain prejudice towards mages. He thought they were gloomy, were too arrogant, researched day and night in their rooms without fidgeting like an invalid, and ultimately thought that they died of old age, alone without ever dating anyone! This bias only intensified from his experiences with Bercy and Gospel, who had yearned for her for so long. Therefore, Kang Oh had assumed that Grano hadn''t been married. "Mages aren''t clergymen. It doesn''t matter if they get married or not." Grano misunderstood Kang Oh''s question. However, Eder suddenly grasped both of Grano''s hands. "I''ll treat you like my brother from this point on!" Eder''s eyes burned with passion. "So please tell me how you get married!" "Seriously, wake up." Kang Oh tried to pour cold water over his hopes. "Why!?" Eder cried out. "You guys sure are interesting." Radium, who had been watching their interaction, smiled. "Now, this way." Radium led them. Kang Oh''s party passed the entrance to the pce and went inside. The inside of the crystal pce was a lot less showy than the outside. It was because there was thin cloth covering the walls to keep the light froming through. However, the light red out from behind the cloth, which made for a subtle charm and atmosphere. The unusually shaped coral ornaments, as well as the bronze statues of Lupenio''s warriors, were quite nice too. They looked around the pce''s interior and soon found themselves before the queen''s room. The huge cloth concealed half of the giant hall. Radium approached the cloth. "My queen! I''ve brought them to you." He ced a fist to his chest, took a knee, and bowed his head. "Wee." A bright and mysterious voice resounded throughout the hall. Is this what a siren would sound like, one who bewitches their targets through their songs? At the same time, the cloth which hid the queen''s appearance was beginning to be removed. "Ooh." Eder stared forward with eyes wide in anticipation. Finally! "I wholeheartedly wee you to the Lupen Crystal Pce." Once the veil was removed, they saw the queen in her entirety. Chapter 53. Lupenia (2)

Chapter 53. Lupenia (2)

Trantor: Boko ''This is weird!'' After seeing the queen, Eder''s expression stiffened. What should he say? Her voice and figure were beautiful, and he couldn''t find any faults to speak of regarding the atmosphere around her either. However, Lupenia''s queen was, biologically speaking, way too far apart from a human being. Her eyes and head wererge like an alien, but her mouth and nose were small. Plus, she had fins that fluttered through the air like hair. ''I knew this would happen.'' Kang Oh had expected as much. How unlikely was it that Lupenia''s queen would conform to humanity''s sense of aesthetic beauty? "Radium," the queen called. But what had surpassed his expectations was her voice. Her voice was awe-inspiring; there was an elegance behind her voice that couldn''t merely be exined by the difference in species. "Yes, my queen," Radium answered in his trustworthy voice. "Which one is Lord Vn''s heir?" "This one, my queen." Radium pointed towards Kang Oh. "It''s nice to meet you. I am Lupenia''s queen, Roane." "It''s an honor to meet you. My name is Kang Oh," Kang Oh said politely. "And the rest of you are..." Roane asked. "My name is Eder." "I am Grano." Eder and Grano also revealed their names to her. "Mr. Eder, Mr. Grano. It''s nice to meet you. And Mr. Kang Oh." Roane called for Kang Oh. "Yes." "Is Lord Vn doing well?" "I''m not sure. He''s been roaming around the world and there''s been no news of him." Kang Oh concocted a story based on what Burkan had told him. "Do you have a way to contact him?" He felt as though the queen was desperately looking for Vn. "I don''t have a way to contact him, but my sworn elder brother is Master Vn''s student. If I tell him, he may be able to contact Master Vn," Kang Oh said politely. "Your sworn elder brother is Lord Vn''s student? You said you were his heir..." Kang Oh momentarily flinched, but he quickly got his head rolling. "Ah! I must''ve not expressed myself properly. I''m the heir to his sword. In that way, I am his heir." Kang Oh smiled naively in order to give the best impression possible. It was as if he were saying, ''I didn''t lie to you!''. "His sword is definitely Lord Vn''s Max Gemina. And someone as strong as Master Vn wouldn''t have lost his sword, my queen." Radium backed up his statement. Of course, he was just saying what he felt. "I see. Then, Mr. Kang Oh. Could you do me a small favor?" "Of course." ''I''ll decide after you tell me.'' "Please give Lord Vn this message through your sworn older brother. Lupenia hasn''t forgotten your kindness. So pleasee by sometime." Once she was finished, a quest appeared. [Roane''s Request] "Lupenia hasn''t forgotten your kindness. So pleasee by sometime." Ry Roane''s message to Vn through Burkan. You may also tell Vn yourself; it makes no difference. The quest will beplete when Vnes to Lupenia. Difficulty: Undecided Minimum Requirements: Being connected to Vn Reward: You may take one of the items stored within Lupenia''s treasure house. "Your highness. I have a request before I ept the quest," Kang Oh, who''d read over the quest, said. "What kind of request?" "I''d like to receive the reward in advance. It will most likely be difficult for me toe back here once I leave." Rying the message to Burkan was way too easy. However, there was no way of knowing when Vn would visit Lupenia. Plus, even if he didplete the quest, he would have toe back here. Not only was it really far, but it would also be a huge waste of his time. If that''s the case, the best case scenario was to obtain the reward first. "That''s a bit..." The queen hesitated. If he received the reward first, then there was a chance that he''d bex in his mission. Kang Oh went on one knee, took his demon sword off his back, and respectfully held it up with both hands. "I know what you are worried about. But I promise on this sword that I will do my utmost toplete your mission. So please trust me!" he yelled strongly. "Hmm. If you''re willing to go that far, then fine." Kang Oh grinned. ''I wonder what kind of items are stored inside the treasure house...'' Kang Oh''s heart was already set on the treasure within Lupenia''s treasure house, rather than the queen''s request. However, he was counting his eggs before they hatched. "In exchange! Please wipe out the demon¡¯sir behind the crystal pce." "My queen, that ce is...!" Radium was shocked. "It''s alright. He inherited Lord Vn''s sword. And Gurekturon is no more." "What is Gurekturon?" Kang Oh looked at Radium and asked. "Gurekturon is a giant monster known as the Cmity of the Sea. Lupenia sealed Gurekturon and we have been guarding it ever since so that the seal doesn''t break," Radium said. "But you''re saying that Gurekturon isn''t alive anymore?" Kang Oh asked. That''s definitely what the queen had said. "Yes. Lord Vn defeated Gurekturon for us," Radium said. "That''s not all. Lord Vn pretty much saved my life," Roane said. Her voice was filled with admiration, trust, and faith. "Because Gurekturon''s seal weakens over time, the Lupenia queens sacrificed themselves to maintain the seal. But because Lord Vn defeated Gurekturon for us, Queen Roane was not forced to sacrifice herself," Radium exined further. His voice was filled with a deep sense of thankfulness as well. ''I guess it makes sense why they want to find him so badly.'' Kang Oh nodded his head. However, that was a matter between Vn and Lupenia. His interest was drawn towards the demon¡¯sir. "What is this demon¡¯sir?" Kang Oh asked. "The demon¡¯sir was originally the ce where Gurekturon was sealed. But after Lord Vn defeated Gurekturon, monsters began toe out of its corpse. Thus, our warriors periodically go over there and clean up the area," Roane said. "Is there a boss monster there?" "There is. The boss is a miniature version of Gurekturon. We call it the Seed of Cmity," Radium said. "The Seed of Cmity, huh... If we leave it be, will it be arge monstrosity like Gurekturon?" Kang Oh asked. "We believe so," Roane replied. "But no matter how many times we kill it, ites back again and again from Gurekturon''s corpse. That''s why we''re looking for a way to dispose of Gurekturon''s corpse, but we still haven''t found a way yet," Radium said. ''That''s because it''s respawning... It''s not really a worthwhile dungeon.'' Kang Oh, who''d listened to Radium''s exnation, believed that there wasn''t anything to gain there. Since Lupenia''s warriors periodically went and wiped out all of the monsters and the boss, there was no time for the boss to rue any riches. Still, he didn''t have much choice if he wanted to get Roane''s quest reward in advance. Plus, there was still a chance that the boss monster could drop something worthwhile. If Kang Oh defeated the underground demonir''s boss, then he''d be the first yer to do so, so he would receive the first time bonus. ''If it drops an item as good (rank-wise) as Caracuni''s Golden Spear, then it would all be worth it!'' He had sold Caracuni''s Golden Spear at the auction house for 2,500 gold. What if he obtained another item like that from the demonir''s boss? It would still be worth it, even if the boss didn''t have the chance to rue any riches. But so long as the demonir''s boss wasn''t a raid boss, the chance of an item like that dropping was pretty much zero. "Alright. I''ll return after wiping out all of the monsters in the demon¡¯sir." Kang Oh epted Roane''s request. "Good. Once you defeat the Seed of Cmity, you can acquire its core. Please bring that core to Radium," Roane said. "I understand." "Radium. Please take him to the demon''sir." "Understood. Please follow me." Radium took the lead and Kang Oh''s party followed behind him. "Will you enter the dungeon too, Mr. Grano?" Kang Oh asked once they''d left the queen''s chambers. "I''d like to take a look at Gurekturon''s corpse. I''ll go with you," Grano said. "What level are you?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m in the mid 200''s." "You¡¯re lower than I expected." Kang oh looked somewhat surprised. "My level isn''t that high because I specialize in creating magical devices as an engineer. Still, I am able to fight well enough that I won''t get in your way." "How will we divide the loot?" Thus far, Kang Oh had monopolized the junk items, equipment, or the treasure that he found by clearing the dungeons! Darion was a mercenary worth 3 silver, Eder was a ve, and it was stated on Sephiro''s contract that he would relinquish all items. However, Grano''s position was different from theirs. If he were to hunt alongside them, then he was in a position to ask for some of the items. "How about we share it equally, 50-50?" Grano suggested. "How can we split it evenly when Eder''s here? How about 70-30? I get the 70%, of course." "Alright," Grano epted generously. "Mr. Radium," Kang Oh, who''d figured out how they would split the loot, called for Radium. "Yes?" "Do you have a map for the demon''sir?" It''d be easier for me if you did. "I know they of thend and how to get there, but I don''t have a map." "Then you''re going with us?" Guide us! "I cannot. None can enter the demon''sir without the queen''s explicit approval. And the queen only ordered me to guide you there," Radium said firmly. "Tch. Then is there anything we should look out for? Like poison." "None of the monsters can use poison. However, there will be some monsters that spew acid," Radium said. "Anything else?" Kang Oh asked. "Hmm. Nothing in particres to mind." "What about the boss monster..." "We''re here," Radium interrupted. As he said, Kang Oh could see a gaping ck abyss, the entrance to the demon''sir. However, there was a sharp coral barrier around it as if monsters would asionally spill out. There were also Fishman guards protecting the entrance as well. "Please take this." Radium took out a crystal radiating a bright light from his breast pocket. "This is?" Kang Oh epted the crystal. "The inside of the demon''sir is so dark that you cannot see what''s in front of you, so please don''t lose this crystal." "Thank you." "These people have been given the queen''s permission to enter the demon''sir," Radium said to the guards. Kang Oh looked back at Eder and Grano. "Are you all ready?" "Yes." Eder spun his mace around to show that he was ready. Grano merely stared at Kang Oh and nodded his head. "Please hold onto this, Mr. Grano." Kang Oh passed him the crystal that Radium had given him. It would be better for Grano, who would provide offense and support from the rear, to hold onto the crystal. However, magic proved to be more useful than Kang Oh gave it credit. "We can just do this." Grano cast a spell onto the crystal and it began to float in the air. "Nice. Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party passed the barrier and entered the demon''sir. The darkness of the demon''sir swallowed Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano. "Good luck," Radium muttered as he stared at the entrance. * * * [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, The Demon''s Lair Where the Cmity of the Sea is Sealed.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [If you hunt within The Demon''s Lair Where the Cmity of the Sea is Sealed, then you receive twice the experience. Also, item drop rate is doubled as well.] Kang Oh, having entered the Demon''s Lair, took a look around. The darkness wasn''t a problem due to the crystal that Radium had given him. ''The structure is quite simple.'' The walls were ck and the path ahead was just one long tunnel. They faced their first obstacle once they progressed a bit. A split in the path. "Where are we going?" Eder asked. "To the right." Kang Oh picked the right path. It was because the right sounded as though it were bustling with activity. "It seems like there are several monsters on the right," Grano said. "That''s why we''re going there. The path with more monsters is usually a shortcut," Kang Oh said. "I see." "First, Eder. You''ll be up front. I''ll be in the middle, and Mr. Grano will bring up the rear." "Alright." "Understood." Kang Oh''s party progressed through the right path in their established order. "There''s something here!" the vanguard, Eder said. Ruca! Tara! They heard a bizarre sounding from afar, as well as the presence of dozens of monsters. The monsters were... "Octopus?" Chapter 54. Demon’s Lair Hunt (1)

Chapter 54. Demon''s Lair Hunt (1)

Trantor: Boko "Octopuses?" Kang Oh questioned. "They''re octopuses." "Indeed they are." Eder and Grano said. They possessed round heads and eight legs covered with countless suckers. They were definitely octopuses. But they were huge and possessed eight eyes on their heads. The position of their mouths were different too. A normal octopus''s mouth was located between its body and its tentacles, but these octopuses'' mouthsy at the center of their round heads. Their mouths were shaped differently too. The octopuses'' mouths opened horizontally with sharp teeth that resembled a shark''s. "First time I''ve ever seen them," Kang Oh said. Not only was this the first time he''d actually seen one, but he also had no information on them either. Obviously, he couldn''t figure out what their level or name was. He also didn''t know what kind of abilities they possessed. "Interesting." Grano adjusted his sses. "But they''re still octopuses." Eder, who''d obtained a new body, as well as equipment, had be incredibly confident. "That''s true," Kang Oh agreed. After all, how strong could octopuses be? Moreover, they had Grano, a mage who was in the mid 200''s. Kang Oh looked at Grano. "Are you ready?" "Yes." Grano retrieved a blue sphere from his subspace. It was about the size of a basketball, but it looked simr to a pearl. It was an ''orb'', an item used by mages to substitute for a staff. "Then, please make the first move," Kang Oh said. Mages were all about a single powerful blow. Plus, Kang Oh also wanted to see how powerful Grano was. "I understand." Grano began casting a spell. "Blue wave''s serenity..." Unlike a skill, which could be used immediately, spells often required an incantation to use them. In exchange, spells that required an incantation were more powerful than skills. "...Sweep away all that remains hidden!" He pushed the orb towards the octopus-shaped monsters and streams of water began to flow from it. Torrent! Chaahk! Six water cannons assaulted the monsters. Half of the monsters were swept away by the water and crashed into the walls. "Oh." Kang Oh was in awe. Compared to Eder''s mediocre bone or curse magic, seeing actual magic from a mage was a truly refreshing experience. Ruta! Turu! Those that weren''t swept away by the waves gave out a bizarre cry and dashed towards Grano. They moved forward with their sucker-attached legs. However, they approached unexpectedly fast. Thud! Eder stamped onto the ground. The Star of David underneath his foot transformed into ck lines and stretched out in every direction. He was using Cursed Ground: Ruined Ramparts! Eder positioned his shield in front of him and blocked the iing monsters'' way. Rua! The vanguard octopus rushed towards Eder''s shield. It attempted to rip Eder to shreds with its sharp teeth. "Die!" Eder swung his mace. Bang! The spike-studded mace struck the octopus''s head. Then, the octopus''s head ttened like a dried filefish filet. He swung his mace once more. Heavy Blow! Boom! Once his mace made contact with the octopus, it erupted in a small explosion with a ''boom''. Kyaru! The octopus tumbled onto the floor. Grano finished casting another spell. Waterball! Grano shot out water bullets the size of his fist from his orb. Bam! Bam! Bam! The waterballs battered the octopuses'' heads and legs. The octopus that hade for Eder, having been struck by the waterballs, stumbled and fell. Kang Oh hadn''t participated in the battle yet and continued to monitor Eder and Grano. ''Eder''s be a full-fledged tank.'' Back when Eder was a skeleton, he was more like a supporter that specialized in utility, but by possessing the Immortal King Arumode''s body, he was able to both weaken his enemies with curses and tank their attacks. ''And Grano''s a mage through and through.'' Grano was nobat mage; he was a magic engineer that focused on creating magical devices. Therefore, his fighting ability and the destructive force of his magic wasn''t very high. However, it wasn''t as though he were a weakling either. He was good enough to do the job of 1 person or perhaps 1.5 people. Then, at that moment... The octopuses that had been swept away by Grano''s spell got a hold of themselves. There were more than twenty of them. "I guess I should get in there now too." His body itched. Kang Oh gripped his demon sword and entered the battlefield. * * * Darkness Strike! His demon sword unleashed a ck wave following the trajectory of his sword. Boom! Giant shards of light colored the sky. The octopus struck by Darkness Strike drooped. [You have defeated a Kurima.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Physical +1] ''They''re called Kurima, huh?'' The octopus-shaped monsters were called Kurima. They were stronger than the thunderbird Agaths. Despite that, Kang Oh took down the Kurimas faster than he did the Agaths. The reason behind that was none other than Eder! The effect of his Cursed Ground was incredible. Due to the effects of Cursed Ground, what would have taken two or three attacks to finish them only took one. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh felt that providing Eder a new body had paid off. Taaru! The Kurima''s cry shocked Kang Oh back to reality. It opened its mouth wide. A tongue that resembled a snake''s popped out of its ck, gaping maw. Kang Oh moved to the left, avoiding the Karima''s tongue. However, there were sharp teeth like a saw de at the end of the Karima''s tongue. A tongue within its mouth, and a mouth at the end of its tongue. Chomp! The end of its tongue bit the air; the sound itself was menacing. However, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition had warned him of the tongue. While the tongue was a powerful weapon, it also served as the Kurima''s weakness. Kang Oh shed the tongue with his sword. Swish. Red shards of light spilled from the Kurima''s tongue. Kyaruru! The Kurima quivered and attempted to withdraw its tongue ASAP. However, Kang Oh was faster. Kang Oh shed the tongue once more. Swish! The shed tongue trembled, glistening with red shards of light. Then, its eight eyes began to glow with a red light. Its body also changed color, turning red like a well-cooked octopus. Hyper Intuition warned him of danger. Danger, danger! Kang Oh quickly shielded himself with his sword and retreated from the Kurima. The Kurima''s body expanded instantly like a balloon. Boom! Its body exploded. Sharp teeth flew everywhere like grenade shrapnel. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! A few of the teeth pieces struck his sword, emitting a rattling sound. Another few grazed past his body and he received a message that he''d taken damage. Beside him, Eder, who was engaging the Kurimas, was struck by a barrage of teeth as well. Crack! Crack! Crack! Eder blocked the teeth shrapnel with his four-colored skull shield. "When you attack their tongues, they blow up. Please be careful," Kang Oh yelled. "Alright," Eder said as he bashed an approaching Kurima with his shield. "Then let''s force them to self-destruct," Grano, who was supporting from the rear, yelled. Kang Oh, who was dealing with a new Kurima, nced in Grano''s direction. "Force them to self-destruct?" "Yes. I know a spell called Water Prison. If we imprison the exploding monsters within this spell it won''t matter whether they explode or not," Grano quickly said. Kang Oh quickly considered his options. ''Hmm. That way we''ll be able to take them down quickly.'' A Kurima would self-destruct if their tongue was hit twice. If they could deal with the aftermath of the explosion unscathed, then they could defeat the Kurimas in two hits. "Alright. Let''s try it." Kang Oh dashed towards the Kurima he''d kicked away. The Kurima tumbled twice on the floor and extended its tongue towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh shook his body from left to right. It was as if he were a willow tree. Chomp! Once it witnessed its target shake, it meaninglessly chomped at the air. Kang Oh quickly swung his demon sword and instantly shed its tongue twice. Red shards spilled from the top and bottom of its tongue like ss, crashing to the floor. Kuraha! The Kurima''s eyes radiated a red light and its body turned red. "Mr. Grano!" Kang Oh sent him the signal saying that ''It was time.''. At the same time, he protected himself with his sword. Grano''s lips moved slightly. The orb above his hand began to spin. Squash! The Kurima was surrounded by droplets of water. It swelled like a balloon and was about to explode. The Water Prison was faster though; it enclosed around the Kurima as if it were a piece of fruit smeared in jelly. The Kurima exploded. Bubble. There was no sound of an explosion. Instead, countless bubbles rose from the water and the Kurima turned to particles of light. Its teeth remained in the water. However, the teeth lost their power and speed due to water resistance. A few pieces of teeth flew out of the water, but they were extremely weak. The teeth that couldn''t escape flowed through the water and when the Water Prison was over, the pieces ttered onto the floor. "Your n worked," Kang Oh said, having witnessed every part of the n. "Then let''s finish off the rest of them with this method," Grano said. "You know what to do, right?" Kang Oh asked Eder. Eder nodded his head. He repelled a tongueing towards him with his mace. "I''ll keep going." Kang Oh aimed his de at the closest Kurima. Then came a torrent of water. Once Kang Oh and Eder began aiming for their tongues, a couple of the Kurima began to self-destruct. When they did, Grano would surround them with his Water Prison. The Kurimas'' self-destruct became pointless and ultimately, left only their teeth behind. * * * The Demon''s Lair hunt was much too sweet. By forcing them to self-destruct and then trapping them in a Water Prison, they could kill the Kurimas very quickly. Because of that, Kang Oh leveled up quickly. His was currently level 110. "There''re stairs here that go down." Eder, who stood at the vanguard, pointed towards the end of the passageway. As expected, there were stairs that went further down. Grano radiated the crystal''s light down the stairs. "I don''t see any monsters or traps," Grano observed the stairs and said. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party began to walk down the stairs. Because the stairs held no monsters or traps, Kang Oh''s party was able to reach the underground 1st floor with ease. The cave on the Demon Lair''s 1st floor was evenrger and was filled with seawater, so much so that it actually slowed down their advance. There was also another monster that appeared down here, along with the Kurima. The new monster was an ugly fish that resembled a monkfish. Its body was both wide and t, and swollen at the same time; its skin was uneven and its mouth wasrge. However, it only had one eye. Plus, rakes were attached to its front and back legs like a frog. It was about the size of arge dog. ''This is the first time I''ve seen this thing too.'' Like with the Kurima, he didn''t have any information on this monster either. Plop. They approached whilst sshing water. The octopus-shaped Kurimas used their suckers to scale the walls. "Eder, keep those ugly onespany," Kang Oh said. "They''re all ugly though." Octopuses and monkfish. To Eder, it was difficult to figure out which was worse looking. "Those ones." Kang Oh pointed towards the monkfish-shaped monsters. "Understood." "Mr. Grano. You and I will quickly take care of the Kurimas first." Kang Oh nned on taking down the Kurimas quickly and then focusing on the new monsters. "I''m all ready." The orb above the palm of his hand began to turn like a globe. Then... Kyaruka! The monsters that resembled monkfish gaped, drooling in the process, and dashed towards them first. "Haahp." As Kang Oh ordered, Eder advanced forward to take them on. That''s how the fight against a new type of monstermenced. Chapter 55. Demon’s Lair Hunt (2)

Chapter 55. Demon''s Lair Hunt (2)

Trantor: Boko The hunt went smoothly. Kang Oh hugged the wall and shed at any iing Kurima tongues. Then, Grano would finish them off with his Water Prison. Two Kurimas were killed without incident. But once the monkfish-shaped monsters surrounding Eder began spewing liquid, the situation became dire. The liquid was incredibly viscous. Eder was unable to block all the liquid with his shield, so he rolled onto the floor. Stter. Water sshed around and Eder was quickly drenched. ck smoke began to rise from the groundwater once the liquid made contact with it. The smoke traveled along with the wind, heading for Eder. Eder protected himself with his shield and retreated. Hiss! The smoke slightly touched the shield and hissed as the surface melted. Eder quickly disengaged even further. "This smoke is acidic!" Eder yelled as he realized the surface of the shield was melting. The wind in the cave carried the smoke towards Kang Oh''s side next. His Hyper Intuition warned him. Danger, danger! ''This is...?'' Radium had told him that there was a monster in the Demon''s Lair that could spew acidic liquid. It seemed that these monkfish monsters were what he had been referring to. If their acidic liquid touched water, then it turned into smoke that resembled a ck mist and spread everywhere. It did, of course, retain its high acidity even when it transformed into smoke. "Don''t get touched by the smoke!" Kang Oh yelled while avoiding the mist and moving away. The monkfish-shaped monsters continued to spew acidic liquid. If Eder dodged the liquid, then it would touch the groundwater and be smoke instead. The ck smoke gradually began to fill the passageway. However, it seemed as though the Kurimas werepletely unaffected by the ck haze. Rather, they actually seemed to rush Kang Oh more ferociously than before. Kang Oh bashed the head of an approaching Kurima. "Mr. Grano. Is there a way to clear the smoke?" "It''s possible to get rid of the smoke with water magic, but... Considering the fact that it bes smoke as soon as it touches water, it may actually make things worse." Grano was calmly monitoring the situation from the rear. He was well aware of the fact that the acidic liquid became smoke once it touched water. "Let''s try it. I''ll take care of the rest," Kang Oh said. Grano nodded his head and began casting his spell immediately. The orb emanated a blue aura. Boom! A tsunami surged forth from the other end of the passageway. The tsunami passed Kang Oh''s party and engulfed the ck smoke. Once it made contact, not only did it not get rid of the smoke, but it actually caused the smoke to spread faster instead. The result was the situation bing much worse for the party. The passageway was now filled with smoke. "I''m afraid this isn''t going to work," Grano yelled. "It''s ok." Kang Oh stepped forward. He swung his sword downwards, the de vibrating with a golden aura. Tempest Tiger! A roaring tiger-shaped aura dashed forward. Boom! The tiger aura pounced on the monkfish monsters. At the same time! Whoosh! Intense whips of wind began to rage. The wind ripped apart the ck smoke. ''As I thought, wind does work.'' The wind within the passageway had spread the smoke around. Thus, a strong wind should be able to do just the opposite. "Mr. Grano, is it possible to absorb all the water here?" His maneuver had only given them a temporary respite. The monkfish monsters began spewing acidic liquid once more and ck smoke began to rise again. If that''s the case, then they just needed to get rid of the water. Plus, they happened to have a water mage beside them. "I have a good idea." As expected, Grano could control the water and get rid of it. He extended his hand and began casting a spell. The ankle high water began to recede like an ebbing tide. The floor to the passageway was soon clear. "I''ve gotten rid of as much water as I can. I will keep the ground clear, so please take care of the monsters in the meantime." "I understand. Eder, keep the Kurimas busy." Kang Oh rushed forward. "Yes sir!" Eder cast Cursed Ground''s Domain once more. Thud! Thud! He stomped on the ground twice and applied the Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword curses throughout the passageway. "Let''s go!" Eder swung his mace at the Kurimas. Kang Oh dashed towards the monkfish-shaped monsters. In response, the monkfish monsters spewed their acidic liquid at Kang Oh. One of their attacks shot right in front of his face. Kang Oh tilted his head. The acidic liquid grazed the side of his face and struck the wall. Hiss! The acid melted the wall and emitted a slight amount of smoke. However, the smoke dispersed as if it were ash in the wind. ''Ok.'' As long as it didn''t touch water, the acidic liquid wasn''t much of a threat. Kang Oh grinned and gripped his sword tightly. He swung his demon sword downwards. Kang Oh was aiming for their sole eye. It was their weakness ording to Hyper Intuition. Swish. Red shards spilled from its eye. Kyaru! It let out an agonizing cry and in its rage, retaliated by swinging its raked leg. Kang Oh blocked its leg with his sword and counterattacked immediately. Once his de made contact, the monkfish copsed. Kang Oh chased after the rest of them. Thump! He kicked a monkfish monster into the air and stabbed it. Stab! Kang Oh thrust his demon sword into the mouth of the screaming monkfish. At that moment, Grano''s spell came hurtling towards it. It was a gray sphere the size of a baseball. Magic Sphere! It was not only the most basic spell that a mage could learn, but it didn''t possess any elemental affinity either. Because he was busy keeping the water from reentering the passageway, Grano was only able to cast a Magic Sphere to help Kang Oh out. Even if he were capable of using water magic here, he likely wouldn''t. If he cast a water spell, then it could spell disaster for them as the ck smoke would spread everywhere. In any case, Magic Sphere, befitting a beginner mage spell, was weak. In exchange, Grano used quantity over quality. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Grano barraged the monkfish-shaped monster with countless magic spheres. Kang Oh seized the opportunity, pulling his de out of the monster''s mouth and finishing it off. sh! His demon sword bisected the monkfish-shaped monster. [You have defeated a Tardens.] The monkfish-shaped monsters were called Tardens. Kang Oh rushed into the center of the gathered Tardens. Five nearby Tardens shrieked as if enraged. Kya! The surrounding Tardens spewed their acid at him. Acid came flying from every direction. However, he moved his legs a few times and managed to avoid the acid. It was thebination of his Hyper Intuition and his peak evasive abilities! "My turn!" Kang Oh swung his sword forward, cleaving in a wide arc. Swish! Swish! Three birds with one stone! His demon sword cleaved through three Tardens. Kang Oh attacked with even greater ferocity. Grano too, continuously barraged them with magic spheres as if he were bombarding them with missiles. Like a light drizzle that eventually wets ones clothes, the countless magic spheres struck the Tardens and gradually wore them down. Meanwhile, Eder did his best to fulfill his mission. He fought the Kurimas with abination of his now proficient blunt weapon and shield skills, as well as his arsenal of curses.. That''s why he was able to take on seven Kurimas at once. He was indeed a Curse Knight. A short whileter. Kang Oh had finished off all of the Tardens. His party had also killed the rest of the Kurimas by using the tongue attack, Water Prison method. "Mr. Grano. If any more Tardens show up, please get rid of the water for us. And Eder, you do what you just did: fight the Kurimas. Once Mr. Grano and I are finished with the Tardens, we''ll move on to the Kurimas as well." Kang Oh informed them what their battle n was. Eder and Grano nodded their heads. Kang Oh''s party progressed through the passageway once more. Only Tardens and Kurimas showed up in the underground''s first floor. Therefore, Kang Oh''s party was able to advance quickly. "There are more stairs," Eder yelled. There was another set of stairs that went further down in front of them. * * * The underground''s 2nd floor was the bottom of the Demon''s Lair. There was ake here, as well as a giant body that filled saidke. [You have discovered the Cmity of the Sea, Gurekturon''s body.] The body belonged to Gurekturon! Gurekturon, said to be a giant monster of the sea, was felled by the previous owner of his demon sword, Vn! Seeing it now, it made sense how it was called a cmity. First off, its size. It was overwhelmingly huge. It looked like it was about the size of ten whalesbined. No, perhaps ten whales weren¡¯t enough. It looked simr to the Tardens, which resembled monkfish. Gurekturon''s mouth was huge, seemingly able to swallow anything; it also possessed a huge body and rugged, uneven skin. It had thorn-covered fins on the ends of either side, and there were dozens of tentacles protruding from its tail area that were crammed into theke. There was a giant lump on its back with several holes in it. It would be terrifying to face Gurekturon in the sea. It was just that brutal. However, he was certain that it was dead. Gurekturon''s giant body was cleaved in half and possessed the apanying wound to match that served as evidence of its death. Sticky ck tar-like blood flowed from its wound, and fell into theke. [You have seen a trace of a mastered ''Divide the Sea''.] [You have gotten a taste of such mastery.] [Proficiency in sh has increased by 20%.] By just seeing a trace of Divide the Sea, his proficiency in sh had increased by 20%. "Haa. This Vn guy. He''s really no joke." Kang Oh was in awe of the past wielder of his demon sword, Vn. Vn was truly in a league of his own. What was the right way to put this? He was an overpowered character like a hero who''d been blessed by a god! ''I have to get closer to him, but if I do, it might be troublesome for me.'' Kang Oh was ready to tter Vn at anytime, anyce. However, for some reason, he felt like if he did get closer to him, Vn would give him troublesome responsibilities. ''Well, I could always meet him first and make a decisionter.'' Kang Oh decided to hold off on deciding anything regarding Vn for now. "Gurekturon. Gurekturon, huh..." Grano muttered. Grano hade here with them because of his interest in Gurekturon. Now that he was here, it was time to sate his curiosity. Grano walked closer to theke in order to study it more closely. Kang Oh and Eder were the only ones left. "Hoo, it''s huge," Eder marveled. Kang Oh looked at Eder and suddenly had a thought. "Hey, why don''t you try possessing that body?" Kang Oh asked, his eye glinting. If Eder could possess such arge sea monster, then he could ride on its back and travel the seas! Eder shook his head. "Although it is a body, it still retains such powerful residual darkness. If I attempt to possess it, I will likely be consumed by the darkness right then and there." "Are you sure?" "Yes. The darkness that it emits from its body is so great that I''d rather not even get close to it," Eder said firmly. "Still, you never know, so why don''t you give it a try..." "No thank you." Eder sported an expression that seemingly said, ''Not on your life.''. He was really content with his current body. Eder wouldn''t possess a new body for the time being. "Alright fine." Kang Oh wouldn''t kill Eder or allow him to escape from his grasp until he''d received the 4,000 gold he was promised. At that moment... "Pleasee over here!" They heard Grano''s voice. Kang Oh and Eder turned their heads towards Grano''s voice. Grano had been examining theke, but a small monster resembling Gurekturon popped out of it. ''The boss monster!'' Kang Oh immediately realized what it was. It was definitely the Seed of Cmity that the Lupenia queen, Roane had talked about. "Let''s go." There was no time to think about it. Kang Oh''s body moved first. Kang Oh began sprinting towards it with Eder close behind. Squelch! The boss monster opened its mouth. Five Tardens and Kurimas each came out of its mouth. That wasn''t all. Once it had expelled the monsters, it stretched out its 20 tentacles at its tail region. It then used those tentacles to attack Grano. Chapter 56. Seed of Calamity, Gureko (1)

Chapter 56. Seed of Cmity, Gureko (1)

Trantor: Boko There were sharp stingers at the ends of the tentacles. Once he saw the twenty tentacles heading for him, Grano quickly retrieved a maple leaf-shaped jewel from his subspace. "Deep-rooted Shield!" Grano yelled. The jewel radiated a gentle light. A shield, resembling a wall, formed in front of him. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The monster''s tentacles pummeled the wall while the Kurimas and Tardens pressed themselves against the shield. Grano used that opportunity to escape. His goal for now was to join up with Kang Oh again. Crack! The shield cracked and eventually broke apartpletely. At the same time, the jewel Grano was carrying broke as well. It was a one-time use magical device that created a shield. Kya! Ruaru! The Gurekturon looking monster and the Kurimas were in hot pursuit. Meanwhile, the Tardens began spewing their acid towards Grano¡¯s back. "Behind you!" Kang Oh yelled. Grano turned around, crossed his arms, and quickly cast a spell. The spell created a swirling vortex of water in front of him. As soon as the acid touched the water shield, a potent acid smoke rose. In exchange, Grano was safely able to join up with Kang Oh. Kang Oh immediately stood in front of him and Eder stood beside him. "Eder, keep the boss busy," Kang Oh said. "Alright," Eder replied instantly. "Mr. Grano, we''re taking out the Kurimas and Tardens first." Kang Oh nned on killing the minions first. "Understood." "Let''s go!" "Uoh!" Battle had begun. * * * [You have discovered the Seed of Cmity, Gureko.] [You are the first to discover it.] As the boss monster approached, he received a system message. The Seed of Cmity, Gureko. It looked just like Gurekturon and was more than 5 meters tall. Although it was tinypared to Gurekturon, it still looked huge to Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh and Eder moved simultaneously. Eder went straight for Gureko whilst Kang Oh rushed towards a Kurima. "Haht!" Eder swung his mace towards Gureko as it attacked with its tail tentacles. Eder halted his attack and raised his shield. ng! ng! Gureko pummeled Eder''s shield with its tentacles and also stabbed him with its stingers. An orange skull attached to his shield started to shine. The shield''s special ability, which was to cast one of four curses on its attacker, had activated. The orange skull cast a Fire Brand curse, which conferred a burning state to its target. mes emerged from the shield and clung to Gureko. However, Gureko possessed high curse resistance befitting of a boss monster. Fizzle. The mes immediately went out, signaling that Gureko had resisted the Fire Brand curse. "How about this!?" Eder cast his Cursed Ground''s Domain next. He stomped on the ground. Thud! Beneath his feet, the Star of David transformed into ck lines and spread everywhere. He''d cast the Ruined Ramparts curse. Thud! Eder stamped on the ground once more and cast his other curse, Rusty Sword''s Domain. Because of how powerful the Cursed Ground''s Domain was, Gureko wasn''t able topletely resist its effects. However, Gureko''s attack and defense weren''t cut in half; rather, its attack and defense only marginally decreased. It was still worth it nheless! "Come on!" Eder provoked it, striking his shield with his mace. The shrill metallic sound drew the attention of all the monsters. Gurekounched its tentacles at him once more. Eder deflected and blocked them with his mace and shield, and then counterattacked. Meanwhile, the Kurimas and Tardens moved to surround Eder. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Of course, Kang Oh wouldn''t let them be. Kang Oh swung his sword at the nearest Kurima. A ck wave surged from his demon sword. Darkness Strike! The ck wave manifested in the shape of a wild beast and ravaged the octopus-shaped monsters. Boom! The huge impact left it in a confused state. Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. sh! Several shards of red light spilled from the Kurima''s body. Eder''s Ruined Ramparts curse had lowered its defense, thereby allowing Kang Oh to inflict a critical amount of damage in a single blow. He thrust his sword to finish it off as a different Kurimashed at Kang Oh''s side with its tongue. He halted his assault and turned his body. Once the tongue grazed his side, Kang Oh swung downwards, followed up by an upward strike. Rutaru! The Kurima began to self-destruct. It swelled like a balloon and turned red like a well-cooked octopus. Now it was Grano''s turn. He extended his hand towards the self-destructing Kurima and cast a spell. Kureureu! Water encapsted the Kurima. Grano finished casting the Water Prison and the Kurima exploded within. One down. Kang Oh attacked the Kurima that had taken substantial damage from a sh. It thrust its tongue like a spear as ast act of defiance. Kang Oh, who''d predicted where it was attacking with his Hyper Intuition, was able to dodge its blow by slightly tilting his head. Then, he thrust his sword, transferring the force of his eleration into it. Bang! The Kurima turned ashen. Kang Oh chose his next target immediately. He attacked the nearby Kurimas and Tardens, forcing them to concentrate on him and him alone. Two Kurimas and one Tardens attacked Kang Oh. Kang Oh either avoided or deflected their attacks whilst leading them into Grano''s barrage of magic spheres. Bam! Bam! Bam! Even in the midst of a barrage of magic spheres, the Tardens and Kurimas stubbornly focused on Kang Oh. However, it was a piece of cake for Kang Oh. He''d fought against the Kurimas and Tardens plenty of times by now and waspletely familiar with their attack and defence patterns. However, there was an unexpected variable here. Gureko! Eder was desperately holding Gureko back, but it was tough, befitting its status as a boss monster. It attacked Eder with ten of its tentacles whilst using six of its other ones to attack Kang Oh. The stingers at the ends of its tentacles shined. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor to dodge the iing tentacles. Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! The stingers stabbed the ground behind him in session. The two remaining tentacles continued to follow him. ''Two tentacles? Nothing to worry about.'' Kang Oh counterattacked. He swung his sword, etching a white line into the air. sh! His jet-ck demon sword shed down on one of the lengthy tentacles. Shards of light spilled out of the tentacle but because its tentacles weren''t its weak spot, they weren''t red shards. However, as evidence of his blow, the tentacle was in tatters. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''I can cut through these. But firstes the minions!'' Kang Oh stopped attacking the tentacle and retreated. The other tentacles soon came after him and struck the ground, grazing him as he dodged them. His target was the Kurimas and Tardens. "Come here!" Kang Oh leaped and swung downwards at the octopus-like Kurimas. Thud. Once the Kurima fell, Gureko''s tentacles came for Kang Oh''s back. He felt a chill behind him! Kang Oh turned his body like a spinning top, dodging the tentacles, and stubbornly continued to attack the Kurima. Swish, swish! The tentacles were threatening and got on his nerves, but Kang Oh was nheless able to take out the Kurima. Meanwhile, Grano was able to defeat one of the Tardens with his magic spheres. Of course, it hadn''t been easy with four tentacles focusing on him. Still, Grano hadn''t lost his focus. He conjured up a water shield with one hand, blocking the tentacles, and held his orb in the other, firing off a barrage of magic spheres. Thus, Kang Oh and Grano gradually cut down the number of Kurimas and Tardens. Of course, Eder was doing the best he could to fulfill his mission. "You''re a lot uglier than me!" Eder knocked away a tentacle with his shield and swung his mace, deflecting another tentacle. However, it wasn''t easy to defend against ten tentacles. There were traces of Gureko''s stinger attacks on his blood red armor, which had substantially depleted his HP. Still, Eder didn''t give up. Like a machine that deflects tentacles, Eder quickly and skillfully deflected the tentacles with his mace and shield. As a result, one of the tentacles fell. The tentacle squirmed on the ground like a severed lizard tail! Once the stinger area was severed, the remaining portion of the tentacle returned to Gureko¡¯s body. It was simr to how a snail would retreat within its shell if its antenna were touched. "Eder, we''re almost done," Kang Oh yelled. Now there was only one Kurima and Tarden left. "You can take your time," Eder replied whilst crazily moving his hands and feet to avoid the tentacles. "Alright. We''ll take care of them ASAP." Of course, even if Eder said to take his time, that wasn''t Kang Oh''s style. "Die!" Kang Oh deflected the tentacles and rushed the Kurima. His demon sword pierced its head. Almost simultaneously, Grano had finished off the Tardens with his magic spheres. They were done with the minions! Now, all that was left was Gureko. That is if Gureko didn''t expel more enemies out of its mouth. Kuruara! Gureko shrieked and Kang Oh saw the lump on its back shrink. ''The second phase!'' Kang Oh looked at Gureko and realized that this was the second part of the battle. "Gureko will unleash some kind of new attack. Everyone, stay alert!" Kang Oh yelled. "Ok," Eder and Grano simultaneously replied. The once cowering Gureko''s lump began to stretch, releasing an extremely potent acid from the holes in the lump. It was like a fountain! * * * "Damn it!" Kang Oh cursed. It wasplete and utter chaos. Gureko attacked with its tentacles like before, but now there was also the acid that was spewed everywhere to contend with. How should he say this? Gureko attacked unrelentingly as if he were a mentally ill patient making a fuss. Fortunately, Gureko''s main body didn''t move at all. Kang Oh''s party protected themselves first. After all, they needed to avoid the acid shower. Grano retreated from a distance. When he blocked Gureko''s acid with a water shield, the acid, much like the Tardens'', began to smoke. Eder protected himself with his shield, and Kang Oh dodged the acid whilst knocking the tentacles back. Of course, Kang Oh was in no hurry to protect himself. Kang Oh was watching Gureko closely. ''There are two solutions to this... Attack the lump or take care of the tentacles.'' Kang Oh had killed several monsters in his Warlord days. His experience was telling him that attacking the lump was the right decision. However, there wasn''t anyone here that could effectively pierce through the barrage of tentacles and acid to attack the lump. ''Tch, maybe I should''ve brought Sephiro along.'' If Sephiro were here, then he''d be able to concentrate fire on the lump from afar. However, Sephiro wasn''t here right now. His ranged support, Grano, couldn''t use the water magic he specialized in to attack it. He could probably attack it with a magical sphere, but for that to work, he''d have to get in range of its crazy barrage of attacks. Therefore, Grano could be harmed for attempting such a maneuver. In the end, Kang Oh opted for option two. "Take care of the tentacles!" Kang Oh yelled. He took a step to the side, avoiding the tentacle, and chopped at the same tentacle. Thump! The tentacle was severed. Because he''d already attacked it several times, the tentacle was in a critical condition and fell apart with a single blow. Once the stinger portion was severed, the remaining tentacle was absorbed back into its tail region. "I''m already doing that!" Eder yelled. He''d already been hitting the tentacles with his mace. But with the indiscriminate shower of acid, Eder''s HP was gradually diminishing. Grano approached stealthily andunched a magic sphere. However, it wasn''t easy to hit the raging tentacles that came from every direction while dealing with the acid shower. There was no way he could dodge everything. Ultimately, Grano''s robes were burned through by the acid and he was covered in minor wounds. Yet, they say that when you knock, eventually someone will open the door, right? Grano was able to hit the tentacle and with thebined efforts of Kang Oh and Eder, they were able to slowly cut down the tentacles one or two at a time. Chapter 57. Seed of Calamity, Gureko (2)

Chapter 57. Seed of Cmity, Gureko (2)

Trantor: Boko Eder swung his mace, hitting thest remaining tentacle. Heavy Blow! Bang! Heavy Blow caused a tiny explosion and the stinger portion of Gureko''s tentacle fell to the floor. Gureko absorbed what was left of the tentacle. Kura! Gureko shrieked and its eyes radiated light as its body began to shake. Fssssh! Suddenly, the Gureko''s tail area sounded like a deting balloon. "It''s letting out gas," Eder yelled. It wasn''t just letting out gas. Gureko was releasing ck smoke from its tail area. It was the very same smoke that resulted from the Tardens'' acid touching the water. Of course, that wasn''t all. Gureko, which had once remained frozen in ce, began to move. It moved its fins across the mudt like a goby fish, charging violently at Eder. Think about it. How would you feel if a 5 meter tall boss monster that was even wider than it was tall came rushing at you all of a sudden? Not only that, it was rushing towards you at a speed you hadn''t thought possible! Rat-a-tat-tat! The ground shook under its rushing. "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled at Eder. Kang Oh knew that they couldn''t afford to take Gureko''s charge head-on. Eder was of the same mind. He''d finally obtained a body he liked, so he couldn''t afford to lose it by getting tackled by a monkfish-looking monster. Eder ran as fast as he could, but Gureko got right behind him. It opened its gaping maw, ready to devour Eder. "Ugh!" At that moment, Eder threw his body. Bam! Bam! Bam! Gureko swept through his previous location and passed by, leaving behind huge traces of its charge. Because it continuously emitted ck smoke from its tail, the smoke rose into the air in thick clouds. Kura, kuha! Gureko, who hadn''t been able to swallow Eder whole, halted and exhaled as if it were out of breath. That''s when Kang Oh moved. "Attack him before he can move again!" There were no absolute beings amongst humans or monsters. In exchange for Gureko''s destructive charge, it wouldn''t be able to move for a while. Still, it wasn''t defenseless. Its hump continued to release acid. Kang Oh got close whilst evading the acid, and thrust with his demon sword. Thump! He''d thrust with all his might, yet still, his sword didn''t go deep. ''It''s thick and tough!'' Its body waspletely different from the tentacles that he''d cut through so easily. Kang Oh, with his de still embedded in Gureko''s body, dragged it through flesh towards the creature¡¯s mouth. Rip! His demon sword passed over Gureko''s uneven skin, yet it only left a small trace. Kang Oh continued towards Gureko''s mouth. Kura, kura! Once his de reached the exhaling Gureko''s mouth, it released a foul odor resembling rotten milk. "Jeez man, brush your teeth." Kang Oh furrowed his brow and prepared himself to swing his de once more. There were several sharp teeth within itsrge mouth. If it closed its mouth, whatever was caught inside would be crushed to bits! However, Kang Oh saw something like a red flower bud with flecks of green within its throat. ''A weakness!'' His Hyper Intuition was guiding him towards that flower bud. At that moment, the flower bud bloomed. A far worse smell than the previous rotten milk smell wafted over to his nose. Within this bloomed flower came out a Kurima and a Tardens coated in a sticky liquid. ''Fine!'' Kang Oh had a good idea. Kuheong! He''d used Baramut''s Roar. A silhouette of a tiger briefly appeared behind him and then disappeared soon after. "..." Kang Oh held his breath so he wouldn''t have to smell that foul stench and swung downwards. Swish! His demon sword emitted a golden light and was soon followed by a tiger aura. Tempest Tiger! The aura entered the inside of the Gureko. Bam! Bam! Bam! The tiger swept through the Tardens and Kurima and struck the flower bud. There was chaos within Gureko''s mouth. The Kurima and Tarden spilled shards of light from their bodies! The flower bud quivered and releasedrge red shards of light. In other words, firecrackers were going off in Gureko''s mouth. Kuruararara! Gureko writhed in agony. It opened its mouth, spilling out the Tardens and Kurima outside and was followed by the shards of light that hadn''t yet disappeared. Gureko closed its now empty mouth and focused its sights on Kang Oh. It began to charge once more. Its attack was even fiercer and deadlier than before! With Tempest Tiger still active, the wind whips continued to rage. However, they weren''t enough to prevent Gureko''s advance. Kang Oh and Gureko were way too close to each other. No matter where he went, Kang Oh would be caught in Gureko''s charge. "Shit." Kang Oh shielded himself with his demon sword. Gureko''s charging form reminded him of the truck collision. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. ''I have faith in you, Baramut!'' Faith that his Baramut armor set''s effect would activate, which would nullify a fatal blow to its wielder! Fortunately, he found a helping hand, or rather a helping foot in an unexpected ce. Grano stretched his hand towards the sky. There was a one-time use magical device in his hand. It was made of ss and was in the shape of a bird''s talon. "Hawk''s Talon!" Grano yelled the keywords that would activate the magical device. The magical device cast a spell that was akin to a crane machine that picked up an ally or enemy into the sky! Crack! The ss magical device cracked. At the same time, the one-time use magic activated. Kang Oh felt as though something was picking him up and his body rose vertically. Rat-a-tat-tat! Right after he''d risen into the air, Gureko swept through the area where he''d once been with its giant body and passed by. "Hoo." Kang Oh looked down and sighed in relief. Gureko hadpletely trampled the area below him. "The effects of Hawk''s Talon will end soon," Grano yelled. As he said, the feeling that something was keeping his body afloat gradually disappeared. Then, he began to plunge from the sky! Kang Oh safelynded onto the floor. Following its attack, Gureko opened its mouth once more and breathed heavily. "It has a weakness inside its mouth. Mr. Grano, give it a big one!" Kang Oh yelled. "With water magic?" "Yes!" Grano acted immediately. His orb began to rotate violently. Once he was finished casting, Grano extended his orb-holding hand. Torrent! Six powerful water cannons were unleashed from the orb. Grano''s aim was true. The water cannons flew into Gureko''s mouth. It quickly shut its mouth, but it was toote; it took severe damage before it managed to close its mouth. Of course, there was a price to using water magic. Gureko''s acid made contact with his water spell and arge quantity of ck smoke began to rise. ''There''s a way around that.'' Kang Oh dashed towards Gureko''s front. Rat-a-tat! Gureko began to charge in order to intercept Kang Oh. It seemed as though it still couldn''t forget the huge shock that it''d received from Kang Oh before. ''Just as nned!'' Once it charged towards him, Kang Oh grinned. There was a circr dome at the center of this room. In other words, there was an area where the smoke wouldn''t spread to. If he led Gureko over there, then they wouldn''t have to worry about the smoke created via Grano''s water magic. Gureko chased Kang Oh with incredible speed and the distance between the two gradually began to lessen. Contrary to before, where he couldn''t dodge its charge by himself, he could now. At just the right time, Kang Oh quickly turned his body 90 degrees and jumped. Due to itsrge size, Gureko wasn''t able to turn its body instantaneously. Ultimately, Kang Oh dodged Gureko''s charge and it was defenseless once more. Grano, who had followed them, unleashed another powerful spell. Waterball! He shot a waterball into Gureko''s mouth. Kura! Gureko''s body quivered in agony. ''Just a little more.'' Kang Oh felt like it would be over soon. He used himself as bait once more and ran in front of it once more. * * * Gureko''s end was more futile than he''d expected. Even Kang Oh was surprised by the result. Using its charge had cost some of its HP. Gureko charged at Kang Oh once more, but it suddenly stopped and fell over, as if it were headphones that had run out of batteries. [You are the first to defeat the Seed of Cmity, Gureko.] [As a reward, the monster will drop its highest ranked items.] "What a joke." To think it would charge and then die mid-way. Kang Oh smirked at the unexpected ending. "It would''ve been different had it been in the water," Grano approached and said. "That''s true." The sea was Gureko''s domain. However, it was a fish out of the water, so it was only natural that it had died. Kang Oh approached Gureko''s body. It had left behind three items before dying. One of those items was a giant seed. Kang Oh picked it up and appraised it. [Gureko''s Core] The core of the Seed of Cmity, Gureko. It emits an incredibly ominous aura and smells terrible. The seed was none other than Gureko''s Core. It was the same item that Lupenia''s queen, Roane, had asked him to bring her. Grano, who approached from beside him, seemed interested in the core. "Is this the core?" As he was a magic engineer that focused on creating magical devices, he was particrly interested in materials. "Yes. Would you like to take a look at it?" Kang Oh passed the core to Grano. Grano took the core and meticulously examined it. While he was doing so, Kang Oh examined the other items. [Gureko''s Acid Sac] This sac contains potent acid. It seems like an item that Alchemists would be interested in. Material rank: BB The sac, which was shaped like a stomach, was a material that contained Gureko''s acid. Kang Oh passed it over to Grano, telling him to take a look. Finally, Kang Oh picked up a ring. The ring''s surface was surrounded by liquid that had hardened like a rock, so he couldn''t tell what it originally looked like. [Unknown ck Ring] A ring that wandered through the Seed of Cmity, Gureko''s body. The ring has lost its original form due to Gureko''s darkness and acid and gained entirely new abilities as a result. + Summon Tentacle: Summons a tentacle that aids you in battle. + Acid Monster: Summons a monster that spews acid. Rank: A Abilities: Main stats +20, Charm -20 Minimum requirements: Level 150 "It''s a summoning ring..." Kang Oh fiddled with the ring and said. There were some people who were crazy about items that summoned particr monsters like this one. "Mr. Grano," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "May I take this ring?" When their hunt was over, Grano would take 30% of the profits as his share. Obviously, Kang Oh couldn''t just take the ring as he pleased. "Go ahead." Grano didn''t even look in-depth and generously agreed. "I''ll take this item in exchange." Grano shook the acid liquid sac that he was holding. "Alright, go ahead." After that, Kang Oh and Grano split the junk items they''d obtained from the Demon''s Lair 70-30. Kang Oh fed his demon sword the junk items right then and there. "Eat up." The demon sword emitted darkness and said darkness devoured the Kurima''s teeth and suckers, as well as the Tarden''s eye, etc. Kang Oh petted his demon sword. ''It won''t be long now.'' Whenever his demon sword was fed items, its satiation would increase and when its satiation reached 100%, the sword would be even stronger. Right now, its satiation was over 90%. It wouldn''t be long before it reached 100% and his demon sword became even stronger than before. "Let''s see." Kang Oh tied his demon sword to his back and began searching every nook and cranny of the 2nd underground floor of the Demon''s Lair. He felt that there might be some riches here that Gureko had rued. However, there wasn''t anything in particr. "Maybe it''s in theke..." Kang Oh thought about searching theke, but he couldn''t actually go in. Theke had been contaminated by Gurekturon''s blood, which was known as the Cmity of the Sea, so it was ck like tar. He couldn''t imagine going inside. It would be different if he was sure that there was some valuable treasure inside. "Hoo, Mr. Kang Oh, let''s return to the Lupen Crystal Pce," Eder said. He needed rest. "Mr. Grano, do you still need to look at Gurekturon''s corpse?" Kang Oh asked. "I saw enough." Grano smiled. While Kang Oh was busy looking around theke, he had been busy examining Gurekturon''s corpse. "I understand." Kang Oh began to move. ''It''s fine I guess. Since Lupenia''s treasure house is waiting for me.'' He didn''t really get much from conquering the Demon''s Lair. However, Lupenia''s treasure house was waiting for him. Kang Oh''s party left Gurekturon and Gureko''s corpses behind and departed from the underground 2nd floor. Chapter 58. Lupenia Treasure House

Chapter 58. Lupenia Treasure House

Trantor: Boko "I can see light," a Fishman guard at the entrance of the Demon''s Lair said. "Move the barrier out of the way," Lupenia¡¯s Champion, Radium ordered. Two of the Fishman guards opened the barrier on both sides wide enough that someone could get through. The shimmering floating crystal was the first to leave the Demon''s Lair. Next came Grano, Kang Oh, and Eder in that order. "You worked hard," Radium greeted Kang Oh''s party, his turtle face smiling. "We did. The smell of Gureko''s mouth was horrendous," Kang Oh smiled and said. "Haha, I''ve smelt it before myself. It really is terrible," Radium agreed. "Here." Kang Oh passed him Gureko''s Core. "Thank you." Radium took it and passed it over to his subordinate. "Send it to the Shaman." "Yes, sir!" His subordinate received the core and immediately set out. "Who is this Shaman?" Eder asked. "The Shaman is responsible for purifying and managing the core," Radium replied. "Is she beau..." Eder began, but he stopped once he recalled Queen Roane''s face. Kang Oh stared at him, seemingly saying, ''You sure don''t give up'' and said to Radium, "I''d like to see the queen." Give and take. He''d defeated the Seed of Cmity and brought them its core, so now it was time for him to receive his reward. "The queen should be waiting for you." Kang Oh, being led by Radium, headed for the queen''s chambers. There were no changes with the queen''s chambers. The room was still draped with the cloth that hid the queen''s appearance. "My queen, Mr. Kang Oh and his party have returned after clearing the Demon''s Lair." The cloth was lifted and Lupenia''s Queen, Roane, was revealed. "You finished quickly. You truly are his heir." Her voice, as ever, resounded clearly. Of course, her face, which appeared like an alien''s, was still the same as well. "Mr. Kang Oh," Roane called. "Yes," Kang Oh acted politely and replied curtly. "And the rest of you, thank you for all your hard work." "It was nothing." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Now it''s time for me to uphold my end of the deal," Roane said. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "Mr. Kang Oh. I give you permission to take any one item from the Lupenia Treasure House." "Thank you very much." Kang Oh lips curled into a smile. ''It''s a treasure house, so it should be filled with, at the very least, A-rank equipment. There should be expensive materials and gemstones in there too.'' A visit to a treasure house! How exciting. "Please don''t forget my request," Roane entreated. All he needed to do was see Burkan and ry Roane''s request to Vn to him. "Good. And I will repay you two as well, Mr. Grano and Mr. Eder. Runo." "Yes, my queen?" An old Fishman that stood beside her like a folding screen took a step forward. "That thing I told you to prepare earlier, please bring it to them." "I understand." Runo pped their hands twice and in between the fluttering cloth, two female Fishman appeared carrying trays. Conch shell shaped crystals radiating rainbow lighty atop the trays. "This is our (Lupenia''s) specialty, the rainbow crystal. Please take them," Roane said. "Thank you very much." Eder and Grano politely said. Grano sported a smile, as he felt like his wife would like this crystal as a present. "Mr. Kang Oh, would you like to go to the treasure house right away?" Roane asked. "Yes." I''d like to go right away! "Radium, please take him to the treasure house. Runo, please prepare a resting ce for Mr. Grano and Mr. Eder," Roane said, looking at Grano and Eder. "Thank you." Grano bowed his head. "Please follow me." Kang Oh followed Radium whilst Eder and Grano followed Runo. Thus, Kang Oh left the queen''s chambers. * * * The Lupenia Treasure House was located underneath the Lupen Crystal Pce, and the treasure house itself was locked behind a thick stone gate. Radium ced the coral shaped key (which had hung on his neck) into the stone wall. The thick stone gate creaked as it opened. "Ooh." Kang Oh quivered in excitement. Treasure, treasure! He followed Radium past the stone gate. There were rows and rows of disy stands showing off various treasures. Coral armor, a shark-shaped helmet, a sword that looked like a seven-branched sword, etc. It was a treasure house indeed; it was filled with treasures that Lupenia had collected. "Please take your time and look around. When you''re ready, pick one of them and tell me." "I understand." Kang Oh began to appraise the items within the treasure house. [Mekhal''s Mysterious Helmet] A helmet that the renowned adventurer, Mekhal of the aquatic tribe, Calodia wore. If the helmet is worn, it is said that asionally, you will be led to a mysterious location in the sea. ... Minimum requirements: Fishman only ''Next!'' Kang Oh passed the shark-shaped helmet. It was because it was a Fishman only item. If a piece of equipment was restricted to a specific race like this one, then a human yer would be required to send it to a master craftsman to modify it. Modifying the item required various materials and one would have to pay the master craftsman for his services as well. So, pass! [Sturgeon Armor] Armor created by processing a sturgeon, which is tougher than steel. Although it was created by an unskilled craftsman, it is light due to the quality of the materials. ... Minimum requirements: Fishman only ''This is Fishman only too. Next!'' Kang Oh examined the next item. It was another Fishman only piece of equipment. The next one was too! Kang Oh examined the items within the treasure house for quite some time and theplexion of his face changed. ''It couldn''t be?'' All the items here couldn''t possibly be Fishman only, could they? "Mr. Radium." Kang Oh came over to Radium. "Have you already chosen what you want?" "No. I''d just like to ask you something. Are all the items here Fishman only?" "Not all of them, but most of them are." Kang Oh rxed a little. At least there were some items that weren''t Fishman only! "Could you please tell me which items aren''t Fishman only?" "I understand." Radium began to show him the equipment and jewelry that wasn''t Fishman only. The more time passed, the more Kang Oh''s face stiffened. That''s because he wasn''t satisfied with the items Radium was showing him. ''The best item is A-rank, but it only requires a level of 50.'' The items that Radium had shown him were definitely not treasure. If put up for auction, they would either not sell or they would be sold for dirt cheap. "Why are these considered treasure?" Kang Oh couldn''t contain himself and asked. "In the sea, items thate fromnd are precious. You see, they are different to procure," Radium said. "Ugh. Then are these all the items that aren''t Fishman only?" "There are a few others." "Please show those to me too." "I understand." Kang Oh followed him and examined thest remaining non-Fishman only items, but there wasn''t anything that piqued his interest. "Have you chosen?" Radium asked. "Hmm. Please let me take another look around." "Of course. Take as much time as you need." Kang Oh postponed his decision and looked through the treasure house once more. * * * Eder was currently resting within the room that Runo had led him to. He removed his equipment and leaned on afy sofa. Then, the door opened and Kang Oh entered. "You''re back?" "Yeah," Kang Oh replied curtly and examined the inside of the room. He didn''t see Grano. "Where''s Mr. Grano?" "He left to make sure the absorber is working properly," Eder said. "Really?" Kang Oh sat down on a sofa. "How was the treasure house?" Eder asked. "It was worse than I expected." "Why is that?'' "Most of them were Fishman only and what wasn''t Fishman only wasn''t good," Kang Oh exined simply. "So what did you pick?" "This." Kang Oh took out blue flippers from his inventory, which were decorated at the ankles. From a single nce, one could tell that it was a Fishman only item meant for use in the water. "So you ultimately picked a Fishman only item?" Eder smiled. "It may look like this, but it''s an S-rank item." Amongst the Fishman only items, there were a few that were S-rank. He had chosen these flippers because their level 100 requirement was the highest and it also had three abilities as well. "It would cost quite a fortune to modify an S-rank item." Eder hit where it hurt. "Ahem, that''s right." Kang Oh wanted to pick a non-Fishman only item if at all possible. However, the other items were just too terrible. "If need be, I''ll use it for Gluttony." If an S-rank item was consumed, then Gluttony would be amazing, but it would be such a waste. "It seems like there wasn''t anything worth taking." Eder smiled. "Yeah, they really got me." Kang Oh smiled too. "Ah, right, here." Eder passed him the conch shell shaped crystal that Roane had gifted him. "What about it?" Kang Oh looked at the crystal nkly. "You''re not going to take it?" Kang Oh had always taken everything. Therefore, Eder believed that Kang Oh would take this too. "No, you can keep that." "I''m sorry?" He''d even bought him equipment. What was going on with this guy? Eder felt like this must be some sort of trap. "From now on, if you get a reward, you can keep it," Kang Oh said. "Excuse me?" No wait, why was this guy doing this? Was he just saying this and then im that it was all a lieter? "And I''ll pay you 3 gold a day from now on too." Kang Oh passed him three gold coins. Eder looked at those coins and looked anguished. "Mr. Kang Oh, why are you being like this!? What did I do wrong this time?" Eder yelled. Why are you suddenly being so out of character!? Is this a new type of torture? Kang Oh scowled. "Want to die, or want to take it?" Kang Oh said seriously and Eder quickly shut his mouth. Eder meekly pocketed the gold coins whilst Kang Oh was looking. "You''re a lot more useful than I thought," Kang Oh said. Eder, who''d be a Curse Knight, was a lot more useful than he''d expected. Especially his AoE curse that reduced his enemy''s defenses. "I paid someone as useless as Darion 3 silver a day, so you''re entitled to 3 gold a day," Kang Oh said. Eder was rich. No, he was rich. He''d seen all those gold bars within Eder''s private safe! Therefore, he hadn''t given Eder any pay thus far. However, Eder had told him he was broke in the abandoned mines. Eder wasn''t rich anymore. That''s why he''d bought him equipment and was paying him a wage too. Above all! ''If I want to get his 4,000 gold, then I have to give him a way to live in the meantime.'' Although Eder was an undead, he still needed gold from time to time. What if when he did, he waspletely broke? It was obvious he''d spend some of the 4,000 gold in his bank that was meant for him. In order to prevent that from happening, Kang Oh decided to pay him a wage. "Ahem, Mr. Kang Oh." Once he realized that Kang Oh was being genuine, Eder sported an effervescent expression. If you misbehave yourself all the time, but then act kindly all of a sudden, the effect of that kindness bes even greater. "Oh, right. If you need any money, just tell me. I''ll lend you some money using your mansion as coteral." Kang Oh grinned. "That''s a little..." Why don''t you give a cat a piece of fish instead? At that moment, the door opened and Grano entered. "I''m back." "Is the absorber working properly?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "Then shall we return to Altein?" "Alright." It was time for their sea and deserted ind vacation toe to an end. Chapter 59. Going Home

Chapter 59. Going Home

Trantor: Boko "Please give me the return scroll." Kang Oh extended his hand. Returning to Altein was an exceedingly simple matter as Grano had brought a return scroll with him. All he needed to do was rip it up and they''d be transported back to Altein. "Shouldn''t we tell Mr. Radium that we''re leaving?" Eder asked. "It''s disrespectful to leave without saying goodbye," Grano agreed. "Then let''s call Radium," Kang Oh said. Eder moved. He opened the door and peeked his head outside. He saw a female Fishman cleaning. "Excuse me!" Eder called her. "Yes, how can I help you?" "Please call Radium for us," Eder said. "Please wait just a moment." Sometime after she''d left, Radium opened the door and came inside. "What is the matter?" "We were going to leave," Kang Oh said. "Already? Why not stay a little longer?" Radium''s disappointment was inly visible. "We''d like to, but we have something we must attend to," Kang Oh smiled and said. You see, the treasures of the Bariton Desert are waiting for me! "Then I suppose it can''t be helped." Radium didn''t try keeping them here any longer. "Please tell the queen that I''ll fulfill her request," Kang Oh said. Radium nodded his head. "Mr. Grano, please give me the scroll." Grano opened his subspace, retrieved three return scrolls, and passed them out. The return scrolls were coiled up. ''These cost 100 gold each, huh?'' The return scrolls were magical devices that were only sold at the magic tower and were worth 100 gold! "What is that?" Radium asked curiously. "It''s called a scroll; it''s a piece of paper that contains a spell. If you rip this piece of paper up, then the spell within is activated," Grano amicably exined. "Hoh. Then what kind of spell is contained within this paper?" "A spell that sends you home." Grano smiled. "Mr. Radium, be well." Kang Oh said his goodbyes before Radium could ask another question. "Be well." "If I have the chance, I''lle by again." Eder and Grano said their own goodbyes. "Yes. Take care," Radium sent them off. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano simultaneously ripped their return scrolls. Silver powder fluttered around them. Their bodies gradually faded away and ultimately disappearedpletely. * * * Jae Woo was meeting with Jin Cheol in the cafe. "This is the contract." Jin Cheol passed him the contract. It was Jae Woo''s contract, stating that he was selling his footage of defeating Caraco and Arumode to GBS. Jae Woo slowly read through the contract. There were no issues with either the payment or the details. "Neither my face or my private life will be shown this time too, right?" Jae Woo asked. "Yes. You''ll be called Oga during the broadcast and you''re already wearing a helmet within the video, so there''s no need to edit one in either," Jin Cheol smiled and said. Kang Oh wore the Baramut helmet within the video, so half of his face was already concealed. Therefore, there was no need to edit one in with CGI. "It''s a good thing I didn''t make my face transparent through the helmet," Jae Woo said. In Arth, a yer could make their helmet transparent, allowing others to see their face. However, Jae Woo hadn''t adjusted the settings, so his helmet concealed his face. "Do you have no ns of ever revealing yourself on air? Someone like you would be extremely popr," Jin Cheol said. In his opinion, there was a high chance that Jae Woo would be a star gamer. There was his past as the Human Dragon, a yer with unrivaled skills, as well as his two years in aa and making aeback! "As of now, I''d rather not show my face or my past history." Because Kang Oh had created a scanned character, his in-game face and his real life face were exactly the same. Therefore, it could cause trouble for him both in-game and out if he showed his face. This was especially true for the most renowned yers; asionally, other yers would follow them around, begging them for either items or money, and Jae Woo really disliked those types of people. Plus, some people enjoyed arguing with them or tried to trick them just because they were famous gamers. "But you have to make an appearance." Jin Cheol took out a document envelope from his bag and passed it to him. "Is this the n for appearances on the new regr show, Dungeon Conquering Man?" Jae Woo asked. Jin Cheol had told him that Dungeon Conquering Man, that had appeared on GBS during Chuseok, had been approved for 10 episodes. "That''s right. And I also put in your contract for appearing, Mr. Jae Woo. Please take a look at it." Jae Woo opened the envelope, took out all of the contents and began reading through it. He first looked through his contract for making an appearance. "My appearance fee is 4 million won ($4,000 USD)?" Jae Woo looked shocked. Including his 500,000 won ($500 USD) incentive for surpassing a certain viewership threshold, he was paid 2.5 million ($2,500 USD) for his appearance on Chuseok. However, his appearance fee had increased to 4 million won. Moreover, an appearance fee of 4 million won was pretty simr to what was offered to the famous rankers. "I told you I owed you one for what happened with Ms. Kang Seol Hee," Jin Cheol smiled and said. "Wow, Mr. Producer. You really back pay your debts." "It''s nothing." Jin Cheol slightly bowed his head. Jae Woo put down the contract and looked over the n for Dungeon Conquering Man. They hadn''t made many changes to Dungeon Conquering Man. It was still much the same; the Dungeon Conquering Man would pair with a beautiful female celebrity and attempt to conquer a dungeon with a fan-voted mission. However, there were some changes. "The broadcastpany is deciding the pairs?" Kang Oh asked. Now, the celebrities weren''t choosing their partner; instead, the broadcastpany would choose. "Yes. It''s to give the pairs more time to get familiar with each other," Jin Cheol said. Chemistry between people was important, but there was a chance the pair''s chemistry wouldn''t be good if they were so suddenly paired up. Therefore, the broadcastpany had taken charge of that detail themselves. "Who am I paired up with?" Jae Woo asked. "Ms. Soo Ah." The pair that had the most chemistry during the previous Dungeon Conquering Man broadcast was Jae Woo and Soo Ah. Jin Cheol was putting his faith in their chemistry this time too. "I see." That worked for him. She was not only beautiful and cute, but she knew how to y games and they were close as well. Jae Woo thoroughly looked over the n once more. "There are level 1 to level 5 dungeons prepared..." Jae Woo read one part of the n. "Yes. If you clear the level 1 dungeon, then you can move onto the next level dungeon. And thest dungeon you conquered will determine what your reward will be," Jin Cheol said. "How much do you get for conquering the level 5 dungeon?" "It''s 1 million won ($1,000 USD) for a level 1 dungeon, 2 million won ($2,000 USD) for a level 2 dungeon, and 5 million won ($5,000 USD) for a level 5 dungeon. If you clear every single level, then you receive 15 million won ($15,000 USD)." "Oh, that''s a huge cash prize." "The program willst 10 episodes, and we''re nning on shooting five times." "So one shoot is two weeks worth of content?" "Exactly." "So we''re shooting five times and there are 10 episodes at 4 million won ($4,000 USD) a piece... so ites out to a total of 40 million won ($40,000 USD), right?" When he organized all the data, he figured out that he was being offered a ton of money rtive to how many shooting sessions they had. "Do you like it?" Jin Cheol smiled. "Quite a bit." "Then please sign." "Alright." Jae Woo signed the contract for appearing. Jin Cheol checked the time. "I have to return to the broadcastpany, so I need to get going. And I''ll message you regarding the finished schedule." Jin Cheol retrieved the contract and stood up. "Alright, please do so." Jae Woo stood up as well. The two shook hands and parted ways. * * * The clock struck 9 o''clock. Jae Woo and his family were gathered in the living room. "So what''s the matter?" his mother asked him. Jae Woo had asked them to gather, so it was an obvious question. His little sisters also looked at him with an expression that seemingly said, ''Yeah, what''s the matter?''. "I told you that I paid off all our debt, right?" Jae Woo said. "You did." Because he''d paid off all of their debt, he had lifted a huge burden off his mother''s shoulders. "Please take a look at this." Jae Woo had sold Caracuni''s Golden Spear for 2,500 gold in the auction house. After the 10%mission fee, he had received 2,250 gold for the sale. Therefore, there was more than 20 million won ($20,000 USD) in his bank ount. "Where did you get this?" His mother saw how much money he had and looked shocked. "I picked up an expensive item while I was ying. I got all that from selling the item." "Hoo, I see." Kang Oh had made quite a bit of money from selling items and in-game currency during his time in Warlord too. Although his mother was used to this, seeing 20 million won in his bank ount caused her heart to pound. "I''ll also be showing up on TV soon, but I''ll be paid a lot more than this," Jae Woo said. "Are you talking about that program you were on for Chuseok?" Yura asked. "Yep. It became a regr program with 10 scheduled episodes and I was cast." "Nice!" Yura was overjoyed. "You suck at dating and a lot of other stuff too, but you''re great at making money," Mina said. "Yeah, I am good at making money," he said snobbishly. Through Arth (the goose thatid golden eggs), he was raking in the money. "And I''m choosing not to date. It¡¯s not that I''m bad at it," Jae Woo added. "That''s riching from someone who''s been single all his life." "Do you have a boyfriend? You don''t even have one, yet you..." Jae Woo countered. "I have one." "You do?" "Yep." "Who''s the bast... Err, who''s the guy?" He was in front of his mother, so he quickly changed his verbalization. "A friend in the same grade." "Then introduce him to me sometime," Kang Oh said. If he met Mina''s boyfriend, then he''d grab him by the cor and say, ''If you make her cry, then you''re dead.''. "Well, if I get the chance," Mina said. "Bring him over sometime. I''d like to see him too," his mother said. "Ok." Mina nodded his head. "Then when we move to our new house, we can have a housewarming party and call him over then," Jae Woo said. "Did you say a new house?" His mother looked surprised. What did he mean by ''a new house''? "Yes. I made this much money and I''ll make even more in the future, so I''d like for us to move somewhere else." That was the reason Kang Oh had gathered them. They couldn''t always live here underground with the cockroaches. "I''m in favor." Mina''s hand shot right up. Yura didn''t really say anything, but she looked like she fancied the idea as well. "What about you, mom?" Jae Woo asked. His mother looked at Jae Woo, Yura, and Mina respectively and nodded her head. "Alright, let''s move." "Alright!" "Yeah!" Mina and Yura smiled and were overjoyed. "You have a house in mind?" his mother asked. "Yes. I had a real estate agent look into it and they found a few houses that would work for us. So let¡¯s all tour the houses next week." "Alright!" Mina yelled. "Let''s do that." His mother smiled. "Mom," Jae Woo called. "What is it?" "Why don''t you cut your hours? I''ve paid off our debt and we''re going to move soon." Once he began making money through Arth, his mother had quit one of her jobs. Despite that, she still worked way too much. "I''ll think about it." "I told you that you should start living your life rather than working all the time." "Alright, I got it." His mother beamed. "Big Brother, it''s a great day, so why don''t we order chicken or something?" The gluttonous Yura expressed her yearning through her eyes. "Is one even enough? Buy three." After all, it was chicken, so he had to buy at least three. "You got it!" Yura grabbed the phone immediately. Sometimeter... The delicious scent of chicken wafted through the living room and the food fighter, Yura, quickly devoured the chicken. Chapter 60. Bariton Desert

Chapter 60. Bariton Desert

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh came to the Holiseum. Once he got there, he headed down to the underground arena and was greeted by a friendly face. "Oh, who do we have here?" Kang Oh raised his hand. Once he recognized him, the handsome young gentleman''s face crinkled. Being ''like Darion'' was still a popr buzzword on Arth''smunity site, Arthtory. It was Darion, the progenitor of that very buzzword! He was right before his very eyes. Kang Oh approached Darion and tapped his shoulder. "Hey, you been doing well?" "...It''s been a long time," Darion removed Kang Oh''s hand and said. "It looks like you''ve gotten a lot stronger." Kang Oh examined him from top-down. He definitely looked different. It seemed like he had more muscle than before, and his equipment was better too. "I wasn''tzing around," Darion said harshly. "It''s been a while, so why don''t we duel for a wish?" Kang Oh teasingly said as he tapped Darion''s chest with his fist. Darion''splexion changed instantly. He suddenly had shbacks to his loss to Kang Oh, as well as his subsequent ve contract, all the abuse he had to endure, and how he''d been worked like a dog. "I''m a bit busy right now." He couldn''t get caught in the palm of this demon again. Darion quickly attempted to get away, but Kang Oh grabbed him. "Darion." "What is it?" "I need a usable mercenary. Want to work for me again?" Kang Oh smiled impishly. "Absolutely not." "Hmm. Then I should just ask Burkan to let me borrow you..." Before he could even finish, Darion grabbed Kang Oh''s hands. "Please don''t!" Kang Oh could hear his desperation. "It''s been a while since we''vest met, so at least pretend like you''re happy to see me. Stop being so harsh," Kang Oh said with a serious look. "I understand." Darion forced himself to smile. "Do your best." Kang Oh gripped Darion''s shoulder with his hand. "Yes, sir!" Darion replied. "Good, so what''s your level?" Kang Oh asked. "I measured my level at the temple and it came out to level 95." There were several different gods in Arth, each with temples dedicated to worshipping them. One function of these temples was to measure an NPC''s level. "Only 95?" In the past, Darion hadn''t been very useful, but now, he looked even less useful than before. It was obvious that he''d just slow him down. "What do you mean ''only''? Master Burkanplimented my quick growth," Darion said. "Well, whatever. Where is Burkan?" Kang Oh asked. "Go straight down the passageway until you find a striped door. He''ll be right through that door." "Take me to him." "Excuse me?" "I said take me to him." "Me?" Darion retorted, as he couldn''t t out say no. "If you don''t want to then that''s fine. I''ll just ask Burkan to let me borrow you." "Obviously... I will take you to him. Please follow me." Darion''s attitude changed instantly. He took point and began to move. "Punk." Kang Oh sped his hands behind his back like an aristocrat and followed Darion with a swaggering gait. * * * "He''s inside." Darion pointed at the door. "Get going." Kang Oh motioned for him to leave. "Yes. Then please go on with your business." Once he was finished, Darion quickly disappeared deep into the passageway. Knock, knock. Once he knocked, Kang Oh could hear Burkan''s voice from across the door. "Come in." Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. The inside of the room was simple. There was a table and a chair at the center of the room, and there were everyday tools on one side of the room as well. "You came, Little Brother?" Burkan sat in his chair and greeted Kang Oh. "But you came alone," he looked behind Kang Oh and said. Burkan had told him that if he wanted to mine the adamantium gemstone, then he needed to bring a master miner here. "I didn''te here for the adamantium today." "Then what have youe for?" Burkan asked. "That''s..." He delineated where he''d been: the uninhabited ind, meeting the aquatic tribe, Lupenia, as well as visiting their home base, the Lupen Crystal Pce. Kang Oh also exined how Vn had defeated the Cmity of the Sea, Gurekturon. "Hoh." Burkan listened to Kang Oh with a curious face. "I''d like for you to ry the Lupenia Queen''s message to Master Vn: she wishes to see him again," Kang Oh exined. "I don''t really have a way of contacting Master Vn either." Burkan shrugged his shoulders. "Please tell him if he happens toe see you," Kang Oh said. "I guess I can do that much. Alright," Burkan agreed. He''d fulfilled Roane''s request, so he had no more business here. "Be careful of the dark roads at night," Burkan waved and sent him off. Kang Oh left the Holiseum. Grano and Eder were both waiting for him. "Have you fulfilled Queen Roane''s wish?" Eder asked. "Yeah. Now all we need to do is go to the Bariton Desert." "Then, shall we go?" Grano asked. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh threw a fist into the air. They were finally heading towards the Bariton Desert. * * * Below the zing suny an endless expanse of sand dunes. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano each rode atop a camel that walked softly across the dunes. Because the Bariton Desert had no city to speak of, they couldn''t use Altein''s gate to transport themselves there. Therefore, Kang Oh''s party had transported themselves to the city closest to the Bariton Desert and rode camels through the desert. However, there was a difference between a virtual reality desert and one in real life. Firstly, monsters appeared in the desert. Like right now! Gray lizards popped out of the sand. "They''re Sand Alligators," the Bariton Desert native, Grano said. Sand Alligators were native to the Bariton Desert. As their name might imply, they were exactly the same as real life alligators aside from their size; they were smaller than real alligators. ''I think Sand Alligators are about level 100.'' Kang Oh recollected his info on the Sand Alligators. "Eder, take care of them." It was only one level 100 monster. Kang Oh didn''t need to intervene. They were all in the same party, so he would receive experience regardless of whether he killed the monster or not. "I understand." Eder disembarked from his camel and attacked the alligator. "Haahp!" His mace, which released green smoke, struck the alligator''s body. Grano helped Eder. While still riding his camel, he cast a water spell. His orb shone and shot a water bullet at the Sand Alligator. Waterball! The Sand Alligator wasn''t able to defend itself for long against thebined attacks of Eder and Grano, and died soon after. After that, Kang Oh''s party faced a variety of monsters that were native to the Bariton Desert. They faced a group of ck Scorpions, which were asrge as a human forearm, as well as Desert Snakes, which were considered good for stamina. What''s worse, they even faced walking cactus-shaped monsters as well. Of all the threats, the monster that the party ended up killing the most of were Sandurions.. Sandurions, monsters which ate sand! They were gray earwigs. However, they wererger than 1 meter, and looked far more ferocious than a normal earwig. They not only fed off the sand, but they tended to be aggressive and attacked any living thing they saw, which made them very much like gangsters. They were about level 100, but they were difficult to beat due to their tough shells and menacing pincers. However, they weren''t anything for Kang Oh''s party to worry about. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano killed the Sandurions (which appeared in groups of 10) without reserve. Kang Oh killed the Sandurions simply, yet efficiently by using his sword. Eder would block their pincers with his shield, and after he''d inflicted curses upon them, would concentrate on one spot on their back with his mace. Grano, who used his water magic without reserve, was incredibly powerful. Waterball, Torrent, Water Whirlwind, etc. With all these water spells unleashed upon them, the Sandurions had no choice but to keel over and die. "Hmm. This is strange. Normally, it''s difficult to even see Sandurions in the Bariton Dessert, yet we keep encountering them," Grano said. "Well, it makes it easier toplete the quest, so there''s that," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh had received a quest from the Adventurer Guild to kill 200 Sandurions. It was really easy for him since he didn''t need to go looking for them; they woulde to him themselves. At this rate, he''dplete the quest in a sh. "I should investigateter..." Grano muttered. "Hoo, how much farther is the Hapd Oasis?" Eder asked. They nned on staying in the Bariton Desert for now. They obviously needed a base of operations, so they had chosen Grano''s hometown, the Hapd Oasis. "If we just pass that sand dune and then three more after that, then we should arrive." Grano pointed towards a sand dune in front of them. "We would''ve had it hard if not for you, Mr. Grano," Kang Oh said. There were no signs or roads within a desert. Therefore, Kang Oh marveled at Grano''s ability to so easily lead them through the desert. Grano merely smiled in return. Their trip through the desert was a smooth one with the help of Grano, who was the greatest authority on the Bariton Desert. * * * Kang Oh''s party arrived at the Hapd Oasis. The Hapd Oasis was situated between the sand dunes like an ind in the middle of the ocean. "It''s a lot bigger than I expected." It was much bigger than he''d expected with far more yurts and people as well. "The Hapd Oasis was originally quiterge and there are several people that pass through here as well." It had been so long since Grano had returned home that he was practically glowing. "Let''s first find lodging." Grano led Kang Oh''s party towards a yurt. "Please wait here for a second." Grano asked Kang Oh and Eder to wait outside while he entered the yurt. "Grandma Trisha." Grano beamed at the gray-haired old woman. "Oh, Grano is that you?" Trisha greeted Grano. "Yes. It''s been a while. Have you been well?" "Of course!" Grano and Trisha exchanged pleasant greetings, as well as shared news with each other. "I came here with a group. May we use the empty yurt beside yours, Grandma?" Grano went straight to the point. "Use it as you please." "Thank you very much. Then let me introduce you to my party." Grano called for Kang Oh and Eder, who were waiting outside. "My name is Kang Oh." "I am Eder." "I''m Trisha. Restfortably before you go." Kang Oh and Eder greeted Trisha and then left her yurt. Then, they entered the empty yurt beside hers. It was constructed simply. There was a brazier in the middle and around ityfortable carpet, sitting cushions, and pillows. Grano sat cross-legged on one of the cushions. Kang Oh and Eder found their seats and sat down as well. "It''s empty, yet it''s well maintained." Kang Oh looked around. Overall, it was clean and snug. "Her kids use it when theye to visit her. That''s why she always keeps it clean." "Then can we stay here from now on?" Eder stroked his pillow as if this ce was to his liking. "Yes." "Hoo, hoo. Once again, I think it''s a good thing that we came with you, Mr. Grano," Kang Oh said. "Exactly!" Eder agreed fiercely. "It''s nothing," Grano said. "What is our n from now on?" Kang Oh asked. "This is the n I''ve made. I''d like to test the rain-making device first. Then, we''ll conquer the hidden dungeon and after that, we''ll find the hidden oasis." Grano exined the n he''d constructed beforehand. "You''re starting with what you''re sure about first." Kang Oh could see through his intentions. He was starting with what he had absolute certainty in. "You''re right." "I have no problems with your n. Eder, you don''t either, do you?" "Obviously not." "Good. Then, as nned, shall we go and test out the rain-making device?" Grano''s voice quivered and his face glowed. "Yes." "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party left the yurt. Chapter 61. Grano’s Dungeon

Chapter 61. Grano''s Dungeon

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party left the Hapd Oasis travelling atop camels. They couldn''t test the rain-making device in the Hapd Oasis since there were too many eyes there and they could be interrupted as well. Therefore, Kang Oh''s party traversed across sand dune after sand dune until the Hapd Oasis was no longer within sight. Along the way they were hindered by cactus monsters and Sandurions, but they were able to take care of them without any issue. "I think this is far enough." Grano''s camel stopped. Everywhere they looked, there was only sand, and there were no monsters to speak of either. He got off his camel, and Kang Oh and Eder followed suit. Grano moved busily. "Is there anything I can do to help?" Eder volunteered to help, but Grano shook his head. "I appreciate the thought, but no thank you." Grano retrieved a bottle that contained ck powder from his subspace and sprayed it across the t sand-bed. A magic circle was etched onto the ground containing bizarre symbols and patterns. Kang Oh and Eder watched the entire process closely. "Hoo." Grano, who had finished drawing the magic circle, wiped his forehead and regained his breath. He dusted off his hands, brushing the remaining sand and powder off. Grano opened his subspace, carefully retrieved the rain-making device, and ced it in the center of the magic circle. "It''s called Da #12." The Da #12 was shaped like a donut. "It''s a lot smaller than I expected." It was called a rain-making device, so he''d expected it to berge, but the Da #12 wasn''trge at all. It was only about 1 meter in diameter. "It''s not only a skill, but also a trend nowadays to miniaturize things," Grano said. He retrieved a staff from his subspace. The staff was mostly wood, but was adorned with a bronze eagle at the tip. "Let us begin." Grano grabbed the staff with both hands and began reciting an incantation. He tapped the magic circle with the tip of his staff, causing the circle to begin radiating light. "It''s lighting up," Eder said. The donut-shaped Da #12 began to float into the air. Tap. Tap. Tap. The more he rapped the magic circle with his staff, the higher the Da #12 rose. Had he decided that it''d risen far enough? Grano stopped tapping the magic circle with his staff. Instead, he pointed the bronze eagle portion of his staff at the airborne Da #12. Then, he began turning it clockwise and the donut-shaped Da #12 followed suit, turning in a clockwise motion itself. "Oh!" Kang Oh gaped. Something mysterious was happening before his very eyes. Once the Da #12 began to spin, nearby clouds began to gather towards it. Plus! Clouds were spewing out of its hollow center! The nearby clouds and the clouds that the Da #12 spewed outbined, creating a giant ck cloud. It really looked like it would rain. Grano continued to spin his staff diligently whilst looking extremely anxious. At some point... Pitter-patter. Raindrops began to fall. "It''s raining!" Kang Oh cleaned the rain off his face and yelled. That''s when Grano stopped twirling his staff. Despite that, the Da #12 continued to rotate on its own. The rain, which had begun with only one or two drops at a time, began to intensify, and ultimately became a shower. "It''s a sess!" "Congrattions." Kang Oh and Eder approached Grano and congratted him. "..." However, Grano said nothing and simply continued to gaze at the Da #12. Then, he suddenly began twirling his staff counter-clockwise. The Da #12''s rotational speed began to slow. Grano twirled his staff even faster. "Is there some sort of problem?" Kang Oh picked up on Grano''s seriousness and asked. "The Da #12 is creating more clouds than I expected," Grano said in a grave voice. "What''ll happen because of that?" Eder asked with a concerned expression. "If I don''t stop it soon, then it''ll overload and expl..." At that moment. Boom! The Da #12 exploded and caught on fire. Although it was raining, it didn''t seem like the mes would go out anytime soon. Grano quickly cast a water spell and engulfed the Da #12 in drops of water. Fortunately, he was able to extinguish the fire. The Da #12, still wrapped in water, slowly began to descend. Once the water encircling it disappeared, the Da #12nded onto the sand-bed. Grano ran over and examined it. "Is it heavily damaged?" Kang Oh asked. Grano didn''t respond. "Is it irreparable?" Kang Oh asked once more. Yet again, Grano didn''t respond. ''Tch. He must be devastated. He''s lost his mind.'' Kang Oh approached Grano. "Hoo, you almost seeded. It''s unfortunate." Kang Oh ced his hand over Grano''s shoulder andforted him. "Did the absorber draw in more water than I''d expected? In theb, its output wasn''t this high... Next time, I''ll need to reinforce the frame with stronger materials. Hmm. What should I try," Grano muttered. He wasn''t really devastated or disappointed. Rather, he seemed more passionate than before. "Mr. Grano?" Kang Oh shook his shoulder. Only then did Grano respond. "Ah, yes?" "Are you alright?" "What do you mean?" Grano tilted his head. "Well, your device was working so well and then it malfunctioned, so I was wondering if you were disappointed or..." Grano just smiled. "Mr. Kang Oh. Do you know why it''s called Da #12?" "You created it after the first eleven failed." Like Apollo 10 to Apollo 11. "Exactly. It means I failed eleven times. Yet, I still created the twelfth version regardless. After all, failure is the mother of sess!" His mental fortitude was truly strong, so much so that it was actually respectable. ''He lost all those materials that cost a fortune, yet he''s still ok. What a guy.'' It must''ve cost a fortune to create the Da #12. If Kang Oh had paid for the Da #12 and a simr situation had happened to him, then how would he react? It was too much to even think about. "Well, sometimes it just really doesn''t work out for you..." Eder smiled bitterly. After all, he was gued by an incurable disease through the Goddess of Death''s curse. He''d made countless attempts to cure this incurable disease, but every single attempt had failed. Though he''d made so many attempts, he still wasn''t able to cure his disease. That must be why he''d made thatment. "Mr. Eder is right. However, I don''t think I''m ready to give up just yet," Grano said. ''That''s a relief.'' It was fortunate that Grano was fine, despite the Da #12''s failure. There was still much they had to do together. "It''ll gradually stop raining." Grano looked up at the sky. The ck cloud began to lighten and disperse. The rain began to lessen as well. "Let''s return to Hapd," Kang Oh said. "Alright," Grano and Eder agreed. They blew on their camel-tipped whistles, calling for the camels that they''d left behind. The camels slowly walked over the sand dune from below. By the time the camels hade, the rain hadpletely stopped. The sun had peeked out once more. "You won this time," Grano looked at the sun and teased. Kang Oh''s party rode the camels and returned to the Hapd Oasis. * * * The next day. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano were gathered within the yurt. "Are we headed for a hidden dungeon today?" Kang Oh checked today''s schedule. "Yes." Grano nodded his head. "Where is it?" Kang Oh asked. "There''s a famous historic site within the Bariton region. Do you know what it is?" Grano asked. Kang Oh answered with a question of his own, "The pyramids of the Beskamen royal family, right?" He had several tidbits of Arth information in his head. Obviously, he had information regarding geography and ruins as well. Thus, he responded instantly. "Indeed, the pyramids of the Beskamen royal family." Long ago, the Beskamen royal family ruled all of the eastern desert region. The kings of the Beskamen royal family were buried in these pyramids. This burial ground was none other than the pyramids of the Beskamen royal family. But it was slightly different from the Egyptian pyramids that we often think of. Firstly, they weren''t even half the size of the Egyptian pyramids. Secondly, the guardians had be monsters and monsters had gathered there, so the inside of the pyramids had be dungeons. "The Beskamen royal family''s pyramids are gathered all in one ce. There are four in total, but... anyone who''s familiar with the history of the Beskamen royal family would find it odd that there are only four pyramids," Grano said. "What''s so strange about it?" Eder asked. "There were six kings who ruled the Beskamen Kingdom." "Ah." There were six kings in total, yet only four tombs. It certainly was strange. "It makes sense that the sixth king doesn''t have a tomb, as he was not only thest ruler of the kingdom, but his kingdom was also conquered by neighboring countries," Grano said. Kang Oh and Eder nodded their heads to that. "Then there are five kings that should have tombs. But in actuality, there are only four of them. In other words, there''s one king that doesn''t have a tomb." "That''s true," Eder agreed. "I''ve studied the pyramids'' inscriptions, all sorts of different artifacts, as well as old books. That''s how I know that there''s a tomb missing." "Whose is it?" Kang Oh asked. "The founding king''s tomb is missing." "The founder''s tomb is missing?" Kang Oh tilted his head. It was definitely strange. It was like saying that South Korea was missing Yi Seong Gye''s tomb, despite having all the other tombs of the Joseon kings. "Yes. If that''s the case, then does the founder''s tomb not exist or have we just not found it?" Grano asked an already answered question. "We just haven''t found it," Eder replied. "That''s correct. But I managed to find it. It''s a hidden dungeon!" Their destination was revealed. The hidden tomb of Beskamen I! "So where is it?" Eder asked wide-eyed. * * * If one continued to trek east, they would eventually see four pyramids. These pyramids were the pyramids of the Beskamen royal family. Kang Oh''s party was currently in front of thergest of them. "It''s disgustingly huge." Kang Oh raised his head and looked at the top of the pyramid. "Haa." It was much toorge to be used to bury only one person. ''Pyramids are the best way to waste space.'' To him, it was so overly wasteful that he was actually in awe. Then, Grano called for Kang Oh and Eder. He had already gone up two levels. "Over here." Grano pointed at a crevicerge enough that a person could go through. Of course, it wasn''t the pyramid''s official entrance. It was a doghole! As Kang Oh and Eder approached, Grano entered the crevice. Kang Oh and Eder didn''t have a reason to hesitate. They immediately followed Grano. [Entering the dungeon, Tomb of Beskamen II.] Chapter 62. Tomb Within a Tomb

Chapter 62. Tomb Within a Tomb

Trantor: Boko The inside of the pyramid looked exactly as Kang Oh had expected. Walls of square blocks enclosed the passageway with inscriptions and drawings that he''d never seen before on the walls. There were golden mirrors on the ceiling and ground; he didn''t know where the light came from, but beams of light bounced off the mirrors and illuminated the pyramid. "I know the way, but I''m not sure about all the traps, so you must be wary of them," Grano said. "I understand." Traps were what stopped intruders from leaving after all. "Eder, take point!" "Me?" "Who else? What, you want me to take point?" Kang Oh scowled. "Never mind." Eder pouted and stood at the vanguard, protecting his body with his shield. "Keep on the lookout for any traps. Tell us right away if you see one." Amongst the few support skills he''d learned, Disarm Trap was one of them. Therefore, if Eder found a trap, then Kang Oh could try to disarm it. ''Well, I''m not sure how effective it''ll be due to how low leveled it is.'' He could at least try. However, Kang Oh''s party was attacked by monsters, rather than traps, first. It was a bipedal, dog-faced monster that wielded a Y-tipped metal staff in one hand. A Nukura! It was over 2 meters tall and was capable of turning into sand. "I will protect... the king''s tomb," the Nukura articted slowly and approached Eder, who stood at the vanguard. Grano cast a spell. He unleashed a cool water cannon from his orb. Bang! His attack struck the center of the Nukura''s body. The monster turned to sand and disappeared. It instantaneously appeared behind Grano and swung its Y-tipped staff downwards. "Not a chance!" Kang Oh responded quickly and swung his demon sword. Sword and staff shed. ng. The sound of metal upon metal resounded throughout; the Nukura, unable to ovee Kang Oh''s might, retreated. Kang Oh was about to press his advantage, but at that moment, something grazed his side. Eder had cast an aging curse. The aging curse stuck to the Nukura and it became visibly weaker. Bam! Kang Oh swung downwards, but the Nukura was able to block the attack. However, the Nukura was unable to contest Kang Oh''s strength and was forced down onto its knees. Kang Oh quickly flowed into his next attack. Upward Cut! The Nukura quickly turned into sand once more, but that turned out to be a mistake. The demon sword could cut through ghosts and lightning, so why wouldn''t it be able to cut through sand? His demon sword cut through the sand, inflicting severe damage. Moreover, the sudden, unexpected damage confused the Nakura as well! Grano finished it off. Water Spear! A violent, whirling spear of water pierced the Nukura''s chest. That was the end. For Kang Oh''s party, it wasn''t nearly strong enough for them to derive happiness from its defeat. They continued on. * * * There were other monsters that resided in the Tomb of Beskamen II aside from the Nukura. For example, the Ranka, which wore a maple-leaf mask and possessed sharp teeth and ws! It possessed the ability to freely pass through walls. Therefore, it was a troublesome monster that would ambush yers from the side and if it was at a disadvantage, it would retreat through any nearby wall as well. But this time, it wasn''t a good match for its opponents. Once the Ranka popped out of a wall, Kang Oh''s demon sword, Eder''s mace, and Grano''s magic came flying at it. The Ranka received a one-sided beat down, as if it were on the other side of a game of whack-a-mole, and died. Besides that, there were Two-Headed Sand Snakes, Sand Alligators, ck Scorpions, etc. However, they weren''t even remotely a threat to Kang Oh''s party. The traps were actually more tiring than the monsters were. tter. Eder, who stood at the vanguard, had stepped on a floor-activated trap. "Duck!" Kang Oh felt a chill on his face and quickly bowed his head. Eder and Grano quickly reacted andy face down. Swoosh. Spears popped out from the eyes drawn on the walls and then quickly returned back, making everything look normal again. "Hoo. That surprised me." Kang Oh caught his breath and carefully stood up. The trap didn''t activate again. "I-I''m sorry." Eder looked sullen as if he hadmitted a crime. "It''s fine. Just be more careful." Kang Oh''s party continued onwards. After that, the now focused Eder began finding traps. Whenever he did, Kang Oh used his Disarm Trap skill. If he sessfully disarmed the trap, then he''d get a system message that told him how to avoid, destroy or disassemble the trap. Kang Oh''s proficiency in Disarm Trap was pathetic, but his high Sense stat allowed him to increase his sess rate. Like right now! [You have sessfully disarmed the trap.] [It is a trap that rains arrows down from the ceiling. Please stick to the walls.] "Please stick to the walls." Grano and Eder followed his directions and stuck to the walls, allowing them to pass through without triggering the trap. However, there were more traps following that. "There are so many!" It was definitely a pyramid dungeon; the dungeon possessed more traps than any dungeon he''d ever gone through. So much so that it was getting old! Therefore, Kang Oh''s party couldn''t let down their guard. "We''re almost all the way there. Please hang in there," Grano said. "Alright." "You''re not just saying that when there''s like an hour left to go, are you?" Kang Oh looked at him suspiciously. "We really are almost there." Grano was being honest. Once Kang Oh''s party progressed a little bit further, they arrived at their destination. "Over here!" Of the pyramid''s passageways they had seen, this one was thergest. There were statues on both sides of the passageway with animal faces and human bodies. The types of animal faces were obvious: lion, eagle, snake, elephant, etc. There were five different animal-faced statues, but they all wielded a different weapon. "Beskamen II rests through that door, but that''s not our objective," Grano said. At the end of the passageway, there were double doors shut tight on either side. "Then where are we going?" Kang Oh asked. "We''re going to open the hidden passageway. If you handle the statues incorrectly, then it''ll spring a trap, so please listen to me." "I understand." "Beskamen I''s favorite animal was the hawk. Please stand in front of the hawk statue." Kang Oh and Eder stood in front of bird-faced statues. While the statues were simr, they were also slightly different. "Mr. Eder, that''s the eagle statue. Mr. Kang Oh is standing in front of the hawk statue." "Ah." Then, Eder found the correct statue. ''As I thought.'' Kang Oh had stood in front of the statue where his Hyper Intuition had red up and that was none other than the hawk statue. "Please press on the top of its right foot," Grano said. Kang Oh and Eder stamped on its right foot with their own. Screech. It felt like they''d pressed the button of some sort of device. Grano pressed on the other foot. Rumble! The passageway shook slightly and dust rose. Plus! At the center of the passageway, the ground sunk inward and a hidden passageway appeared. "Oh!" Kang Oh''s party gathered around the hidden passageway. There were stairs that went underground. "So this is the tomb within a tomb you were talking about," Eder said. ''Tomb within a tomb, huh...'' Kang Oh recollected what Grano had told him and Eder. * * * Before, when they were still in their base within the Hapd Oasis... "So where is it?" Eder had asked where Beskamen I''s tomb was. Grano''s response was quite curious. "It''s a tomb within a tomb." "A tomb within a tomb?" Kang Oh tilted his head. What did he mean? Grano began, "A pyramid is constructed whilst the king it will one day entomb is still alive. This applied to Beskamen I, as well as his son, Beskamen II." Kang Oh and Eder paid close attention to him. "However, when Beskamen II took control of the kingdom, an event took ce thatpletely shocked him: his father''s tomb was robbed." "What happened next?" The story was getting more and more interesting. "It was said that Beskamen II truly loved and respected his father, yet his father''s tomb was robbed. He med himself and thought of a way such that his father''s tomb would never again be robbed. That way was..." "Was what?" Grano paused, but Eder urged him to continue. "Beskamen I''s tomb was annexed and made into Beskamen II''s own pyramid. He also erased all records of his father''s tomb and killed everyone involved in its construction. He hid the fact that his pyramid was actually Beskamen I''s." "Why?" Eder asked wide-eyed. "A pyramid is meant to bury only one king; it is not a burial ground meant for multiple kings. Yet, what would happen if there were two kings buried in a single pyramid? With one king''s tomb hidden while the other''s waspletely out in the open." "Hmm. It would make it seem as though there was only one tomb," Kang Oh somewhat agreed with him. "But for someone like me, I''d look around for anything that might be hidden when a pyramid is mentioned," Kang Oh said. "That''s why I discovered Beskamen I''s tomb. I looked everywhere. Though I was forced to ovee danger several times while doing so." Grano smiled. "In any case, once I discovered the hidden entrance to Beskamen I''s tomb, I investigated as to why Beskamen I''s tomb was within his son''s pyramid. And I figured out everything I just told you about." Grano was finished exining. "When you get straight to the point, you''re saying that there''s a hidden dungeon inside of Beskamen II''s tomb," Kang Oh said. "Indeed." * * * Kang Oh was finished reminiscing. Before him, he saw the hidden passageway that led to Beskamen I''s tomb. "Shall we go inside?" Kang Oh rubbed his hands together and smiled. It was both a hidden dungeon and a king''s tomb! ''It''s a king''s tomb, so he would''ve been buried with a lot of treasure!'' He could smell it; the smell of hitting it big. Kang Oh took point and made his way down the stairs. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Tomb of Beskaman I.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [When you hunt within the Tomb of Beskamen I, experience is doubled. Item drop rate is also doubled.] ''As I thought!'' The message that would always make him happy popped up. As he expected, no other yer had ever set foot in the Tomb of Beskamen I. So, Kang Oh was the first to set foot upon these grounds. It was an exhrating moment. ''However...'' "Mr. Grano." "Yes?" "When you discovered this ce, did you go all the way to the end?" If he did, then he should hand over his info. "Yes, I went all the way to the end, but back then, I was too weak to face the boss, so I just left." Kang Oh could only smile. ''There is a boss monster!'' If that''s the case, then it was worth a go. Since the boss either umted riches or already had them to begin with! "The boss is...?" Kang Oh stared at Grano and asked. "It''s a mummy." Chapter 63. Tomb of Beskamen I

Chapter 63. Tomb of Beskamen I

Trantor: Boko The Tomb of Beskamen II went up, whereas the Tomb of Beskamen I went underground. ''So there''s a mummy at the end of this tomb, huh...'' A pyramid and a mummy. He felt like it was missing something. "Are there any sphinxes here?" When referring to Egypt, there were three things that often came to mind. Pyramids, sphinxes, and mummies! He''d seen pyramids and Grano had mentioned a mummy, so all that was left was a sphinx. "What is a sphinx?" Grano tilted his head. "It has a human''s face, a lion''s body, and... Well, that kind of thing..." Kang Oh attempted to exin what a sphinx was, but Grano looked like he had no idea what he was talking about. "Is it a monster?" "It is indeed a ''monster'', but..." "To my knowledge, there are no sphinxes in the Bariton Desert," Grano said. ''Well, I guess it''s possible that there isn''t one.'' There was no outright rule that stated that if there were pyramids and mummies, there had to be sphinxes as well. "Anyway, what kind of monsters appear in this dungeon?" Kang Oh asked. "Only one kind of monster appears down here," Grano said. "What is it?" "That." Grano pointed forward. Scuttle, scuttle, scuttle. He heard something''s feet quicklying towards them, as well as several presences. The light that reflected off the bronze mirrors illuminated them. "Celtus!" Kang Oh yelled. His eyes gleamed. Beetles that were about asrge as a human face, the Celtus! They were rare monsters that could asionally be found within deserts or forests. Kang Oh had always wanted to encounter them. "Heh." Kang Oh smiled. Their nickname was Gold Bug! They were beetles with a golden shell and if defeated, they would drop gold. Arge group of Celtuses appeared. From a single nce there looked to be more than thirty of them. "Come here, you lumps of money!" Kang Oh couldn''t control his excitement and dashed over. "Man, I knew he''d be like that." Eder''s expression seemed to say, ''Of course that''s what he''d do.''. "If you''re obsessed with money when you''re young, they say you go bald when you''re old..." Grano stared at Kang Oh with a concerned expression. "He''s so obsessed with money that I wouldn''t be surprised if he turned bald tomorrow," Eder whispered as if this were his only chance to insult Kang Oh. "I see. It would be kind of funny to see a bald-headed Mr. Kang Oh," Grano chimed in. Either way, Kang Oh pushed into the center of the Celtus and swung his demon sword. "Hahahaha!" heughed like a madman. "Tch, tch." "Tch, tch." Seeing that, Grano and Eder simultaneously clicked their tongues. * * * Kang Oh swung downwards, bashing on the Celtus'' shell. Thump! Whenever a Celtus took damage, they would release golden powder rather than shards of light. Thus, Kang Oh tingled whenever he attacked them. Is this what it felt like to be swimming in a pool of gold? "Man, look at the gold powder fly." Kang Oh grinned. Flutter, flutter. The Celtus possessed transparent wings beneath their golden shells. They pped their wings and flew towards Kang Oh. They were aiming for his head, chest, and stomach! Kang Oh tilted his head to the side, which allowed him to avoid a Celtus'' tackle, and deflected the Celtus aiming for his chest with his demon sword. Finally, he dodged the Celtus aiming for his stomach by turning his body to the side. Kang Oh performed all of these maneuvers smoothly. In the midst of that, Eder and Grano joined the fray. Once he began fighting, Eder cast his Cursed Ground''s Domain. Thud! Thud! He activated the Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword curses in session. "Uoh!" Eder bashed an iing Celtus with his shield. His shield was shining radiantly. Shield Bash! Shield Bash increased damage done by a shield and had a fixed chance to stun. Thump. The Celtus began to fall to the ground. Eder advanced forward, chasing after the Celtus he''d sent flying. Heavy Blow! He bashed on the Celtus'' shell with his mace. Boom. Due to its explosive effect, the Celtus went flying even further. The other Celtuses flew over to him. Eder sent them flying with his shield, mace, and feet. He too, began to get excited as he saw the gold powder. "Hahaha!" he burst out in animatedughter. Indeed, there was something about the gold powder that would bewitch a man. Flutter! Four of the Celtuses charged at Grano. The sound of their fluttering wings was quite boisterous. Grano cast a spell and raised his free hand. Water Wall! Water rose from the ground, forming a wall of water in front of him. Bam! The Celtuses mmed their heads into the wall, but they didn''t have enough strength to get through it. On the contrary, they pitifully floundered around as their wings were wet. Grano stretched out his hand. The water wall turned into a wave and scattered everywhere. Woosh! The wavepletely swept the Celtuses away. There was no cleaning without water! There was only one problem: the water swept away the airborne gold powder as well. The more time passed, the more the Celtuses'' numbers dwindled. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s attack felled thest remaining Celtus. "Heh." Kang Oh grinned. He saw more than 30 Celtus bodies strewn around him, as well as gold coins. Kang Oh would normally have asked Eder to pick up all the loot, but this time was different. He bent his back and began picking up the gold himself. "One, two, three..." "They dropped 10 gold." Kang Oh smiled. It was the feeling of walking across the street and finding some moneyying on the ground. Then, Grano came over and took three coins from his hand. "Huh?" "I get 30%." Grano smiled impishly. "Ahem. Of course." Kang Oh decided to stash the rest of the gold in his breast. However, Eder decided toe over now with three gold in hand. "I''ll take today''s payment in advance." Eder too smiled impishly. "Ahem." He''d need to give him that money anyway, but it felt like Eder had stolen it, rather than him freely giving it to him. "Now then, let''s continue hunting. Time is money!" The only thing that could fill this empty feeling was gold! "Time isn''t money, bugs are," Eder said. "Yeah, kill everything that''ll make money." Kang Oh advanced with his eyes wide open. A whileter. Crack! Kang Oh''s demon sword had crushed another Celtus'' shell. Bang! While Eder bashed on a Celtus'' shell with his mace. Woosh. Grano finished them off with water. Kang Oh''s party was unwilling to lose even a single Celtus and thus, killed every single Celtus in sight. * * * The Tomb of Beskamen I was quiteplex. There were crossroads and even three forked roads as well. There were even forked roads that went down and ones that went up. Grano knew where the boss was, so they didn''t have any trouble finding the right path. They shouldn''t have at least... "It''s this road." Of the two paths (one going up and one going down), Grano picked the one going down. "Then let''s go this way." Kang Oh pointed towards the opposite path. "Mr. Kang Oh. I know how much you love Celtuses, but... If we keep going the wrong way, then even I will have trouble finding the right way," Grano sighed and said. "Just one more time!" Kang Oh sped his hands. That''s right. He wanted to take as many detours as possible to kill more Celtuses. Therefore, he purposefully refused Grano''s instructions and walked along a different path. "Haa, fine. This will be thest time... This really will be thest time." A deep sigh came out of Grano''s dignified face. "Ok." Kang Oh grinned and continued along the path he''d chosen. * * * Rumble. A boulder the size of the passageway rolled behind them. "Run!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano avoided the boulder and ran through the passageway they''d just passed. "Heok, heok. I told you that this wasn''t the right way!" Grano yelled as he ran. "Haa, ha. It''s... already toote. Hoo, hoo! Do you... have any way of getting us out of this mess?" Kang Oh ran diligently. The boulder began from a slope, so it only got faster and faster. Which meant that it was closing the distance between itself and Kang Oh''s party. "Uahk, I swear I have the worst luck!" Eder, who had manned the front, had swapped ces and was running behind the two of them. In other words, he would be the first to be crushed by the boulder. Of course, Eder wouldn''t be the only one. At this rate, Kang Oh and Eder would be ttened too. ''Should I use Devil Trigger?'' If he used Devil Trigger, then he''d gain ess to all sorts of darkness-rted abilities. If he used Abyss Transfer, then he''d be able to avoid that boulder! Plus, if he timed it right, he could summon Eder to safety as well. The problem was Grano. He couldn''t think of a way to save him too. At that moment, Grano stopped. "Please hold tightly onto my robe." "Do you have a way out of this?" "Hurry!" Kang Oh and Eder grabbed onto Grano''s robes. Grano retrieved a magical device from his subspace. It was a mirror with a magic circle engraved onto it. He raised the mirror high and yelled, "Teleport!" Once he spoke the key word, the mirror began to radiate light. Slurp. Kang Oh''s party was sucked into the mirror. They disappeared and the mirror rolled onto the floor. At the same time! Rat-a-tat-tat! The boulder passed through where Kang Oh''s party had once been. It proceeded all the way to the end of the passageway and mmed into the wall with a ''thud'', only then stopping. The passageway was filled with silence and dust. The mirror was still on the ground. Although it was broken, the magic circle and the broken shape fused together into what looked like a smile. It was as if it were smiling because it had finished its job! * * * Normally, spatial magic was incrediblyplex and difficult to even attempt. Therefore, it required a lot of time and preparation. If not, then it required massive magic circles like with the intercity gates, as well as people to maintain them. However, teleportation was a type of spatial magic, yet it didn''t have any of the aforementioned limitations described above. In other words, it didn''t require much, if any, preparation, and it didn''t take much time to cast. One could even activate it instantaneously like Grano with a magical device. However! It had a huge problem; one couldn''t choose where they would end up. Plus, it had a very short range. Thus! Kang Oh, Grano, and Eder fell onto the ground, still within the Tomb of Beskamen I, in some unknown passageway. Thump! "Ugh!" Eder, who was at the bottom, squirmed. He had essentially be a human hamburger and tried to wriggle out of it. "Mr. Grano, please move!" Kang Oh, who was in the middle, yelled. "Ah, I''m sorry." Grano finally got a grip, grasped the situation, and stood up. Next, Kang Oh and Eder stood up, and dusted themselves off. Kang Oh looked around. Fortunately, there weren''t any boulders rolling their way. "Phew, we came back to the beginning." Grano sighed. Teleportation was great for avoiding danger, but the random location it transferred them to just had to be the beginning of the dungeon. Kang Oh just grinned. "Heh, I guess it can''t be helped. We''ll just proceed while killing Celtuses on the way." It looked like he had another chance to kill more gold beetles, or Celtuses. "In exchange, you''re going to follow my lead. I don''t have any more magical devices that can get us out of danger," Grano stared at Kang Oh and said. "If we had just been a bit more careful..." Kang Oh disagreed, asserting the opposite. "Do as you wish. If that''s how you want it, then I''ll leave," Grano said firmly. "I''ll leave with you, Mr. Grano." Eder stuck right next to Grano. "Ahem. Fine, I understand." Kang Oh had no choice but to follow Grano. After that, Kang Oh''s party proceeded through the Tomb of Beskamen I with astonishing speed. Grano not once chose the wrong path. Plus, there were no more rolling boulders either. "We''re here." Grano stopped. There was a stone gate that was tightly shut on both sides in front of them. "We really got here quick." Eder stared at Kang Oh with a look that said ¡®If not for you!¡¯. Kang Oh felt as though he''d been pricked. He avoided Eder''s gaze and asked, "Is the mummy inside?" "Yes." "Let''s take a look at this mummy, shall we?" Kang Oh strode forward and pushed open the stone gate. Creak. The stone gate began to open on both sides. Chapter 64. Mummy (1)

Chapter 64. Mummy (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh opened the stone gate and was met by a vast rectangr space. There were coffins standing along the walls, as well as mummiespletely encased in time-worn bandagesying dormant within them. The mummies were also holding crescent-shaped scimitars as well. "One, two, three, four... There are twenty-one of them," Eder counted. "That one''s the boss and the rest look like his minions." Kang Oh pointed at the coffin in front. The twenty coffins and the mummies within them were the same. However, the coffin that Kang Oh had pointed towards was different; it was muchrger and more ornate than the other coffins. The mummy within it looked different as well. Firstly, it was wearing a white-plumed turban on its head and held a red scimitar that zed with me. "It seems that way," Grano agreed. "One boss mummy and twenty mummy minions, huh..." Kang Oh smiled. It would be a fun fight. "Mr. Grano, do you know anything about this boss mummy?" Kang Oh asked. "The mummies are likely Beskamen I''s guards." "His guards?" "Yes. In the era of the Beskamen Kingdom, when a king dies his guards are entombed along with him." "What a load of shit." That meant that these innocent soldiers were buried alive! Kang Oh shook his head. "Indeed," Grano agreed. Human sacrifice, human trafficking, human experimentation, etc. These were all strictly banned under continentalw. Of course, even if they weren''t banned, they were still something that one human should never do to another. "In any case, there are no records of them anymore, even if we know who they are. Therefore, I have nothing more to add," Grano said. "I understand." Kang Oh formted a n based on his knowledge of mummies. "To my knowledge, mummies have the ability to revive themselves," Kang Oh said. "Revive themselves?" Eder asked. "Yeah. If you kill them they then start to return to their original state." "Then how do we kill them?" Since they''d just keeping back if they killed them. "They can only revive themselves once, so you just need to kill them twice. But here''s the kicker; when they revive, their abilities are either heightened or they get a special skill." "I understand." "Oh, and Eder." "Yes?" "Mummies are a type of undead, so don''t use your curses against them." Mummies were undead monsters. Therefore, curses would have the opposite effect on them and actually strengthen them instead. "Ahem. I understand." Eder looked disappointed. He was a Curse Knight, but he would be forced to only use his skills as a knight this time. "Oh and here." Kang Oh retrieved the bull shield he''d acquired from Arumode and passed it to Eder. Back when he''d given Eder his four-colored skull shield, he''d taken back the bull shield. "What''s this for?" Eder asked. "I told you. You can''t use curses. That shield''s a no-go either." Kang Oh pointed at Eder''s four-colored skull shield. "Ah." When attacked, the four-colored skull shield had a fixed chance of afflicting its attacker with one of its four curses. It would prove a hindrance against the mummies. Therefore, Eder traded the four-colored skull shield with the Graham Bull Shield. "Ugh, it''s heavy." Compared to the four-colored skull shield, the Graham Bull Shield was not only heavier, but also weaker in terms of abilities. Still, it couldn''t be helped. "Hmm. It looks like we''re all set, so let''s do this!" Kang Oh had first seen mummies in a movie. But now that he''d gotten the chance to fight them face-to-face, he felt like he was the protagonist of a movie. ''Well, I guess that''s why you y games.'' Stamp. Kang Oh took a step forward. The second he entered the room, the mummies opened their eyes and exited their coffins one or two at a time. Guooh. The mummies, having finally awakened from their long slumber, murmured and twirled their necks round and round. [Beskamen I''s Guard Captain, Amil, has awoken.] Amil was the boss monster that wore the white-plumed turban! As Grano had predicted, Amil and the rest of these mummies were unfortunately a part of Beskamen I''s guard, and were entombed with their dead king. "Kill... the... intruders..." Amil ordered. He spoke sparsely, his voice akin to the sound of a defective radio. "Kill..." "Ki...ll." The mummies repeated the word ''kill'' and approached Kang Oh''s party. The battle against the mummies had begun. * * * At first, the mummies approached them slowly, but then, rushed towards them all of a sudden. Unlike their inarticte speech, they were extremely quick and agile. One mummy shed at Kang Oh''s throat with its scimitar. Rather than avoid it, Kang Oh swung downwards with his own de. sh! A white line was formed following the trajectory of his de. However, the mummy was able to do the same. ''sh?'' Kang Oh was slightly surprised. It could use sh too. ng! Sword and scimitar shed; the mummy lost the contest of strength and its scimitar flew out of its hand. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and thrust his sword into its heart. Stab! With its heart pierced, the mummy spilled shards of light, retreated, and fell. "The mummies can usebat skills, so be careful," Kang Oh yelled, rather than giving chase. "I know," Eder deflected a scimitar with his mace and said. He had just blocked a mummy''s ''Heart Thrust'' with his shield. Grano was still outside of the mummies'' attack range, so rather than reply, he prepared a spell. "Kill..." Several mummies swung their scimitars at Kang Oh. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and retreated. Several scimitars swung where he had once been. "Hmm." Kang Oh briefly regained his breath and nced at Amil. Amil had merely taken a single step out of his coffin and was doing nothing but observing the battle. "He''s an observer-type," Kang Oh muttered. ''If he''s an observer-type, then... Could it be...?'' Kang Oh recalled the Spider Queen, Alishi. Alishi too, was an observer-type boss, but became stronger the more her minions were killed. If that''s the case, then wouldn''t the same apply to Amil as well? That''s what he thought at least. "I should make sure first." Kang Oh moved once more. He swiftly got between the mummies and swung his sword as if he were a spinning top. At that moment, Darkness Strike activated. A ck wave in the shape of a savage beast swept through the mummies. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The mummies were unable to withstand the impact and rolled onto the floor. Then... Grano followed up with an attack of his own. He was finished casting and subsequently, six powerful water cannons shot out of his orb. Torrent! Whoosh! The water cannons swept through the tumbling mummies. Those caught within the water cannons were smashed into the walls. Guoh. Those unaffected by Kang Oh or Grano''s attacks charged at Grano. They weren''t idiots; they were trying to take out the mage first. "You cannot pass!" Eder stood in front of Grano. He pushed the mummies away with his Heavy Blow and his shield. Kang Oh used that opportunity to attack one of the mummies. A chop, a cut, a thrust, a sh! The mummy blocked Kang Oh''s initial attack, but it wasn''t able to defend against Kang Oh''s quickening assault. Ultimately, his sh cut through its body. sh had left a wound in the middle of its body. Jab, jab, jab! Kang Oh thrust his demon sword repeatedly as if he were jabbing. The tip of his de touched the wound. Gush. Red shards spilled from its body, signaling that he''dnded a critical hit, and the mummy fell to the floor. [You have defeated a member of Beskman I''s guard.] A glistening sphere of liquid, resembling a soap bubble, left the mummy''s body and flew to Amil. The surface of the drop reflected the sight of Kang Oh''s attack. ''Could it be?'' Kang Oh suddenly remembered something. In Warlord, there was a giant ant called Calcion. It was considered the worst raid boss in the history of Warlord and was widely considered to be impossible to beat by the yerbase. The reason it was considered the worst raid boss in history was simple. No matter how the yers formed their parties, Calcion was able to respond. In other words, if the raid team heavily leaned towards damage dealers, then Calcion would reflect physical and magical attacks. Conversely, if the raid team consisted of several healers, then it would spew gastric liquid that reduced healing. It would be even worse if the raid team was well bnced, since Calcion would then react to everything appropriately. Therefore, parties failed the raid several times over and went crazy over it. Yet, a party of five was able to defeat this impregnable boss. Kang Oh was, of course, part of that party. The way they went about defeating Calcion was simple. Calciony dormant within a cocoon in the inner depths of the dungeon and would hatch when yers approached. In order to reach Calcion, the raid team would be forced to fight their way through the various ants within the Ant''s Nest dungeon. However, the party he was a part of had managed to escape the ants'' notice and entered Calcion''s chambers without killing a single ant. Once it noticed intruders had entered its chambers, the giant ant, Calcion, hatched. However, Calcion was much too weak. Moreover, it didn''t really respond well to his party''s attacks back then. Truthfully, Calcion and the ants within the Ant''s Nest were connected via amunicationswork. Therefore, as the ants fought, their enemies''bat data would be sent to Calcion, and Calcion would adapt its body appropriately to deal with these attackers. However, his party had attacked it without killing a single ant, thereby not allowing Calcion to receive anybat data. Thus, they were able to take it down with ease. Anyway! Amil was simr to Calcion, and that bead that escaped from the mummies'' body was likely Kang Oh''sbat data. ''If this goes on, it''ll get dangerous for us.'' It felt like a siren was going off in his ear. The more he, Eder, and Grano took down the mummies, the harder it would be to take down Amil. Fortunately, it seemed as though Amil would only receive thebat data upon the mummy''s death, unlike Calcion. If that''s the case... "Eder, Mr. Grano. Please stop attacking. You cannot kill the mummies!" Kang Oh yelled. "Excuse me?" "What are you talking about?" Grano and Eder looked at him strangely. "Basically..." At that moment... The once dead mummy revived itself. [A member of Beskamen I''s guard has revived.] [It is going Berserk.] The mummy stood up. A red hue glowed from its dried up eyes. ''Berserk!'' Normally, monsters would only go Berserk when their HP dropped below 10% and when they entered this state, their strength and speed would increase sharply. However, the mummy had gone Berserk by reviving. Obviously, its HP was at 100%! ''If all twenty of these mummies were to go Berserk and all thatbat data was transmitted to Amil, then...'' Kang Oh envisioned the worst possible scenario. Ultimately, he made his decision. "Everyone, retreat. Hurry and get out," Kang Oh yelled and began running. He began running towards the stone gate. "I beg your pardon?" "Man, why are you doing this?" Grano and Eder looked at himpletely perplexed. "Hurry!" Kang Oh strongly yelled once more. Then he added, "Retreat. If you do, I''ll pay you!" At the prospect of money, both Grano and Eder''s expressions changed. ''If he''s willing to give us money, then the situation must be dire.'' ''Indeed. We have to go now.'' Grano and Eder instantly exchanged nces. Grano formed a Water Wall and then began to run with Eder right beside him. "Heok, heok." "Haa, hak!" Because they ran as hard as they could, they were able to escape past the gate. The mummies chased them all the way to the stone gate, but they didn''t follow them past it. The mummies watched as Kang Oh''s party retreated into the distance and returned to their coffins. "You can stop now," Kang Oh said. "Hoo, hoo." "Haa." Eder and Grano finally got a chance to catch their breath. "What is the matter?" Grano asked. "That''s what I''m saying..." Kang Oh began to exin everything he''d learned. He talked about Calcion, the bead that came out of the mummy''s body, the mummy''s Berserk state upon revival, as well as the observer-type Amil, who gradually became stronger as the fight progressed. "I see." When he was finished, Grano and Eder couldpletely understand where he wasing from. "Then what are we going to do now?" Grano asked. "I have a n." There was no monster that was unbeatable! Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Chapter 65. Mummy (2)

Chapter 65. Mummy (2)

Trantor: Boko "The n is simple. We divide into two groups: one group fights the mummies and the other fights Amil," Kang Oh said. Calcion and Amil were simr but were ultimately different. In the past, his party had been able to ignore the ants and fight Calcion directly, but doing that here was impossible; they were forced to engage the mummies. If that''s the case, then one group had to keep the mummies upied while the other fought against Amil. "That way, it doesn''t matter whether the mummies are killed or not, since whoever''s fighting Amil won''t have theirbat data transferred to him." "Indeed." Grano nodded his head. Kang Oh''s n made sense. "The one who''ll fight the mummies is..." Kang Oh nced at Eder; it was obvious what he was conveying. You! "You want me to take on 20 mummies by myself?" Eder furrowed his brow. "You''ll be with Mr. Grano as well, since it''d be tough all by yourself." ording to Kang Oh''s assessment, Eder wouldn''t be able to fight the mummies by himself. After all, not only were there twenty of them, but they could revive themselves and became berserk upon revival. "Are you going to fight Amil alone, Mr. Kang Oh?" Grano asked. "Yes." "Will you be ok?" Amil was no ordinary mummy; he was a boss monster. Plus, he was once the captain of the guard that protected Beskamen I. "I''ll be fine. I''m pretty strong." Kang Oh had two trump cards at the ready: Gluttony and Devil Trigger. If things didn''t go his way, then he''d use Gluttony and Devil Trigger simultaneously (like he¡¯d done against Caraco) and take Amil down. "Then Mr. Eder and I will take down the mummies no matter what." "Eder, Mr. Grano, please go in first and draw the mummies into a corner of the room. I''ll use that opportunity to approach Amil and take him down." "I understand." "Ok." Grano and Eder simultaneously replied. Kang Oh had no other orders or anything else to remind them of. "Good. Let''s go!" * * * As nned, Grano and Eder entered the room first while Kang Oh waited on standby. "I''m back!" Eder opened the stone gate and yelled. Guooh! The mummies awoke and Amil ordered, "Kill... the... intruders..." The scimitar-wielding mummies began to swarm Eder and Grano. Eder rushed towards the left side of the room with Grano close behind. As he ran, Grano extended his orb. Water cannons were unleashed from the orb, washing away the pursuing mummies. Once the space was clear, Eder and Grano took their positions. "Come on!" Eder bashed on his shield with his mace and said boisterously. "Kill..." The mummy closest to Eder quickly chopped at him with its scimitar. Eder counterattacked, swinging his mace from the right to the left. ng! Mace and scimitar shed; neither gave an inch, so they were forced into a contest of strength. "Heup." Eder mustered up his strength and pushed the scimitar away. The mummy, unable to withstand the strength behind Eder¡¯s mace, began to stagger. Eder seized that opportunity. Shield Bash! The edge of his bull shield struck the mummy''s jaw. Thump! The mummy fell to the floor. The other mummies rushed over like a swarm of angry bees. Eder began engaging the mummies with even greater ferocity. He couldn''t utilize the Cursed Ground''s Domain or any of his other curses, but he was nheless skilled with a shield and blunt weapons. The mummies weren''t able to prate his defenses; it was as if he were a fortified wall before them. Moreover, Eder wasn''t alone. Grano cast a spell, conjuring baseball-sized bubbles into the air. This spell was called Explosive Drop! "Guoh?" The mummy swung its scimitar at the bubble, but once it shed through the bubble... Boom! The bubble exploded. Boom! Boom! Boom! The mummies messed with the bubbles, causing them to explode everywhere. Explosive Drop didn''t allow its caster to direct it, so it wasn''t a spell that Grano preferred to use. But it was super effective against swarming idiots like these. "Die, die!" Eder continued to swing his mace at the mummies, who''d taken AoE damage from the explosive bubbles. Grano also began to prepare his next spell. At the front, Eder, and at the rear, Grano! They were an effectivebo; despite being outnumbered 10 to 1, they weren''t being pushed back at all. * * * "Good. Shall we get going?" Kang Oh, who saw the mummies (aside from Amil) surrounding Eder and Grano, moved. He rushed straight for Amil. Once he¡¯d closed the distance, Kang Oh reached out for his back-strapped demon sword. "Huahp!" Kang Oh shed diagonally using the force of his eleration to strengthen his blow. Amil reacted simultaneously. He too swung his zing, red scimitar. The edge of Amil''s de was aimed right for Kang Oh''s neck. It was much quicker and sharper than Kang Oh had expected. Kang Oh tilted his sword, causing it to sh with Amil''s own. Roar! Once demon sword and scimitar shed, the fire rose from Amil''s scimitar. [You have been grazed by the zing me. You have taken 197 damage.] Kang Oh gritted his teeth and attacked Amil once more. sh! A white line was formed, following the path of his sword. Amil counterattacked, swinging his scimitar upwards from below. ''It''s sharp!'' The scimitar came for a vital spot and Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Amil didn''t act like a monster. Normal monsters'' attacks were more ferocious and bestial in nature. However, Amil acted like he was a martial artist that had trained for several years. ''It must be because he was once the king''s guard captain.'' Whatever the case, if his de remained on course, then his and Amil''s de would sh once more. If that happened, then Kang Oh would be at a disadvantage. Even if the swords only hit each other, the zing fire effect would still injure him. "Huuhp!" Kang Oh stopped his sword from going all the way through. It was a feint; he would act as though he were attacking and then stop, confusing his opponent. Thus, Amil''s scimitar didn''t sh with his demon sword and passed by him. His side was wide open. Hyper Intuition red immediately, telling him to strike that area. Hit here. Here! It was as if there was a close-up on Amil''s side; all of Kang Oh''s senses focused on it. ''Now!'' Kang Oh grinned. His timing was perfect. Kang Oh thrust his sword into Amil''s side with as much strength as he could muster. Thump! The tip of his de entered Amil''s side. It wasn''t an actual weak spot, but because it was still a spontaneous opening, red shards spilled out from the blow. Normally, when a monster sustains a critical hit, they briefly froze up, but Amil didn''t do so. Amil immediately counterattacked, swinging downwards with his scimitar. Power sh! A red streak followed the path of his scimitar. It was much too sharp and fast for Kang Oh to dodge. Seeing no other choice, Kang Oh withdrew his demon sword and blocked the blow. Roar! As expected, fire erupted from the de. [You have been grazed by the zing me. You have taken 211 damage.] Kang Oh had no intention of retreating and immediately kicked Amil''s side. Bam! With it, he was able to widen the distance between himself and Amil. "Alright. ytime''s over." Kang Oh grabbed his demon sword with both hands and positioned it in front of him. It was the Swordmaster school''s basic stance. If this were a fencing school, then this is where he''d yell, but he had something better in mind. Kuahaang! Baramut''s Roar! A silhouette of a tiger briefly appeared behind him and just as quickly disappeared, and his whole body overflowed with power. "In...vader." Amil dashed towards Kang Oh. He swung downwards, seemingly attempting to cut him in half. Kang Oh took a step and dodged the iing de, followed by a horizontal sh. Amil kicked off the floor and retreated. Swish! His demon sword cleaved through the air. Amil advanced and swung his scimitar as if it were his turn now. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition activated. He felt a chill that elicited goosebumps on his neck. He subsequently pulled his neck back. The zing scimitar''s edge grazed his neck. Now it was Kang Oh''s turn. Kang Oh shed from bottom-up. Amil quickly repositioned himself and swung downwards. When his demon sword and Amil''s scimitar were about to meet, Kang Oh halted his blow. It was a feint. However, Amil had done the same. Amil''s de had suddenly stopped. ''This guy!'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened. He felt as though Amil was smiling underneath his bandaged face. Originally, Kang Oh had nned on following his feint with a lunge. However, his opponent had gone for his own feint, so he had no choice but to retreat for now. Kang Oh stepped back but was pressured by Amil''s thrusts. Amil, feeling that this was his chance, began to press the offensive and attacked ferociously. However! Kang Oh was no easy opponent. shing with Amil''s scimitar would only leave him at a disadvantage, so he dodged as many of Amil''s attacks as he could. Ultimately, Amil wasn''t able to gain anything and halted his offensive whilst Kang Oh briefly regained his breath. "This is a good fight." He''d finally found a worthy opponent; fighting against such an opponent only served to sharpen his focus even further. Kang Oh charged at Amil, beginning the second round of the fight. * * * Eder struck a mummy''s head with his mace. Boom! His mace, which released a poison mist, caused a small explosion. Thud. The mummy fell to its knees and died. Of course, that wasn''t the end of it. Guoh. The dead mummy hade back to life. A single drop came out of its body and flew towards Amil, who was currently facing Kang Oh. The surface of the drop definitely reflected Eder attacking with his mace, as well as Grano casting his water magic. A red hue shined from the mummy''s eye sockets. Berserk! It had be stronger and faster. Its HP had also beenpletely recovered thanks to the revival. "Mr. Eder, let''s take down the berserk mummy first as nned," Grano said. "Ok." Eder and Grano''s n was simple. Kill one at a time! Eder stood in front of the berserk mummy. The berserk mummy swung its scimitar; the speed and force behind the blow were astonishing. Eder raised his shield. ng! ng! ng! Its scimitar repeatedly bashed on Eder''s shield, resounding boisterously throughout the room like the peal of a siren. At that moment... Grano formed a water spear in the air. "Go!" Once he extended his hand, the violently whirling water spear flew into the berserk mummy. Whoosh! Once it struck the mummy, water flowed out everywhere, forcing the berserk mummy back. Meanwhile, Eder stomped onto the floor and leaped into the air. He then swung downwards with his mace. Bam! His mace smashed the berserk mummy''s head. Eder then pulled on his mace, pulling the mummy with him. "Haaht!" Then, Eder struck the mummy once more. Bam! The mummy''s body slightly flew into the air. Eder didn''t allow the berserk mummy to fight back and pressed his offensive. Grano conjured water walls to keep the other mummies from interrupting him. Guooh. "Kill." When the mummies rushed forward, the water walls would turn into waves and sweep away the other mummies. The mummies were tangled together and swept away. When he was finished with them, the remaining mummies were all tangled up. Grano continuously utilized water walls and the subsequent waves to push the mummies away. A whileter... Eder struck the berserk mummy with his mace and it fell to the floor. It didn''t stand up again. However, a smooth drop came out of its body and flew towards Amil. Eder tried attacking the bubble. However, the bubble just passed right through his mace. The drop was untargetable. "Well, we got one!" Eder yelled. "Now, on to the next one!" Now there were only neen mummies left. Eder and Grano''s battle against the mummies began smoothly. Chapter 66. Amil

Chapter 66. Amil

Trantor: Boko The drop passed through Eder''s mace and was absorbed into Amil''s body. However, Amil''s outward appearance didn''t really change. ''But he must''ve gotten some info,'' Kang Oh thought as he dodged Amil''s scimitar. ''If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles.'' Thus, it was paramount that one know who they were fighting; if they did, they would be able to respond appropriately. If Amil were to fight either Grano or Eder, he''d be able to more effectively attack and defend against them than against him. Of course, that was why they''d divided their roles; by doing so, Kang Oh didn''t have much difficulty engaging Amil. ''However...'' Kang Oh quickly turned his body. Swish. The scimitar grazed past his body, the zing me glimmering before his eyes. ''His weapon''s annoying.'' He didn''t know whether it was Amil''s innate ability or a property of the scimitar itself, but the zing me was bing a pain to deal with. "Ubist is still stronger!" My weapon won''t lose to any other out there! Kang Oh cleaved diagonally. Darkness Strike activated right on time. A ck wave, shaped like a savage beast, was unleashed from his demon sword. Amil protected himself with his scimitar. The sh between their weapons only left Kang Oh at a disadvantage, so he''d been avoiding locking des with Amil. However, the situation was different now. "Die!" Kang Oh gripped his sword even tighter. Bam! Roar! His sword forcefully struck the scimitar. The ck wave and the me shed like a mongoose versus a cobra! In this case, the mongoose, or the more powerful of the two, was Kang Oh''s Darkness Strike and demon sword. The jet-ck wave overcame the zing me. Amil fell to one knee from the immense pressure and impact. Kang Oh controlled the tempo. He swung his de softly and nimbly, rather than attempt a single heavy blow. Swish. Kang Oh¡¯s de struck Amil''s neck. A direct hit! Shards of light exploded out of the wound like firecrackers. ''Ok.'' Kang Oh''s lips slightly curled upwards at the electrifying feeling in his hands. However, he couldn''t afford to be careless just yet. Guoh. Amil readied himself once more and attacked. A red line followed the path of his scimitar. ''Power sh.'' He''d already seen the skill in action before, so he knew exactly what Amil was up to. Amil''s scimitar felt chaotic. Kang Oh evaded the scimitar and took two steps back. Just because his opponent was pushing him back didn''t mean he had to repeat the gesture. Sometimes, one had to retreat to let their opponent fall and make a mistake. Zoom! Amil''s scimitar whistled through the air. The sound alone was a portent of how brutal the attack was. But because his attack had failed, he¡¯d left a gap in his defenses. The more powerful the attack, the greater the risk upon failure. Kang Oh quickly maneuvered himself to Amil''s side. His demon sword split the space from side to side! sh! A white line came for Amil. Amil quickly retreated away from the attack. The tip of his de just barely grazed Amil''s cheek. Of course, that was enough to leave a wound. With the wound now in ce, all he needed to do was attack there to inflict a critical hit. Kang Oh immediately aimed for the wound. However, Amil wouldn''t allow him tond a critical hit that easily. He dodged Kang Oh''s thrust and swung his scimitar, aiming for Kang Oh''s side. Rather than moving to the side or retreating, Kang Oh chose to advance. Kang Oh passed Amil''s body and his scimitar cleaved through air. He turned around and dashed towards Amil. Amil too, prepared himself and swung downwards with his scimitar. Kang Oh and Amil''s exchange continued. * * * Thebination of the zing scimitar, his skill as the captain of the guard, as well as mummified state, which allowed him to fight without reserve, made Amil a tough opponent. Despite that, Kang Oh was still stronger than Amil. The longer the fight went on, the more advantageous of a position he found himself in. ''Not much longer.'' Amil''s attacks were no longer as sharp. It wouldn''t be long before Kang Oh finished him. ''Of course, that''ll be when the true fight begins.'' When a mummy dies, it revives itself and bes even stronger. Kang Oh nced over Eder and Grano to see how they were doing. Eder and Grano were fighting perfectly in sync. By doing so, they had already taken down eight of the twenty mummies. The more mummies they felled, the faster they were able to kill the remaining mummies. It was about time for Kang Oh to show some results too. "Let''s move on already." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed and rushed Amil. He swung fiercely in a downward strike that was as quick as lightning. ng! Amil blocked his de with his own, and mes erupted from his sword. Roar! Kang Oh took some damage from the mes, but was able to send Amil''s scimitar flying in exchange. "Haaht!" he yelled and swung his sword twice, drawing a cross (an X) with his de. A direct hit! The powerful blow caused giant shards of light to spill from Amil''s body. Kang Oh kept up his offensive. He didn''t return his de to the ready; he immediately transitioned into a shoulder thrust. Thump! Kang Oh''s attack caused Amil to fall to the floor. He followed up with a downwards strike. Stab! The demon sword had pierced Amil''s chest. "Invad..." Amil began, but wasn''t able to finish and died soon after. [You have defeated Beskamen I''s guard captain, Amil.] Of course, he''d be dead very briefly. Sand gathered toward Amil''s body, mending all his injuries and filling any openings. [Beskman I''s guard captain, Amil, has revived.] [The revived Amil is more powerful than before.] He''d already expected Amil''s revival, as well as his increased strength. However, there was one thing that had surpassed his expectations. Countless drops came out of his body, and the surface of these smooth drops illustrated Kang Oh swinging his demon sword. The drops also headed for the mummies that Grano and Eder were fighting as well. They began to enter the mummies one or two at a time. "Did it go both ways?" The mummies weren''t the only ones that could transmit data. If a yer defeated Amil, then theirbat data (in this case, Kang Oh) would be transmitted to the mummies as well. Moreover! "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Grano! The mummies we''d killed areing back to life!" Eder yelled in astonishment. Guooh. Once the drops had entered the twice dead mummies, they came back to life. With Berserk active too! Ultimately, Eder and Grano were surrounded by twenty mummies once more. Plus, they had to take on eight berserk mummies all at once too. "Mm. I didn''t expect this." Kang Oh scratched his neck. "Uahk, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder yelled, struggling to defend himself against theirbined assault. It lit a fire under Grano, as he began to randomly fire his magic. At that moment... The revived Amil attacked Kang Oh with his zing scimitar. It also had the effect of Power sh behind it. Kang Oh retreated. Roar! Amil''s scimitar cleaved through the air. The mes extended like a snake and pursued Kang Oh. "An aura!" Kang Oh realized what the snake-like me was. It was an aura like Tempest Tiger. Kang Oh shielded himself with his demon sword. Its wide width shed with the me aura. The mes danced upon the surface of his sword and he was assaulted by an intense heat. [You have been exposed to intense heat. You have taken 110 damage.] [You have been struck by the me aura. You have taken 259 damage.] [Remaining HP: 1,021] He received a message indicating that he''d been damaged by the me aura''s heat and impact. Because an aura was a skill, his demon sword¡¯s magic absorption ability hadn''t activated. Amil swung his scimitar once more, unleashing the me aura again. Rather than block it, Kang Oh chose to roll onto the floor. Roar! The me aura burned the ground, causing the area where Kang Oh had once been to ignite in mes. Kang Oh bit his lip. An aura attack was extremely powerful. "Uaahk!" Then, he heard Eder scream. "Be careful on your left!" He could also hear Grano yelling too. ''I can''t let it go on like this.'' Kang Oh took out a ck ring from his inventory. It was the Unknown ck Ring. Otherwise known as the A-rank ring he''d gotten from killing Gureko. "Tch, I could''ve sold this for a lot." After all, it was a ring that summoned a tentacle, and some people were crazy about that sort of thing! He''d kept it within his inventory, intending to sell it at the auction houseter, but he didn''t have any equipment that could readily be used for Gluttony. The BB-rank Graham Bull Shield, which he''d intended to use as fodder for Gluttony, was being used by Eder right now. The flippers he''d gotten from the Lupenia treasure house were S-rank. Though Amil was capable of aura attacks, he wasn''t worth wasting an S-rank piece of equipment. He had to keep it for when he really needed it. "Rest in peace," Kang Oh said regretfully and activated Gluttony. Darkness stretched out from the demon sword and consumed the ring. [The Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Unknown ck Ring.] [It is an A-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 10 minutes, the demon sword and the character''s abilities are tripled.] Kang Oh''s body exuded jet-ck energy; the darkness fluttered around him like a cape. He leaned his demon sword across his shoulder and cracked his neck to the left and right. "Stop goofing around; hurry up and kill him!" Eder yelled at Kang Oh. The mummies were closing in on him and Grano. "Ahem. Let''s go!" Kang Oh rushed towards Amil. "Kill..." Amil shed downwards. He unleashed a me pir from his scimitar. This was thergest and most powerful looking of his aura attacks thus far. It couldn''t match up to a dragon, but it was about the size of a giant serpent. "You''re not the only one who can do that!" Kang Oh swung downwards as well. Tempest Tiger! He unleashed a golden tiger-shaped aura. The red and golden auras rushed towards each other! Boom! The giant serpent and tiger shed. * * * Kang Oh''s Tempest Tiger was powerful, and Amil''s me aura was by no means weak. Therefore, the two seemed to be evenly matched at the beginning. However, this was no normal Tempest Tiger. It was a Tempest Tiger amplified by the effects of Gluttony! Ultimately, the Tempest Tiger overcame the power of Amil''s me aura. Bam! Tempest Tiger pierced through the mes and struck Amil. Amil wobbled from the huge impact. Countless shards of light dispersed into the air. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh rushed towards Amil. A downwards sh, a cut, a sh, a thrust, an upwards sh! Amil couldn''t respond properly due to Tempest Tiger''s impact. Therefore, all of Kang Oh''s attacksnded. Gueok! Amil didn''t say anything out of the ordinary. Instead, he merely uttered the typical raspy mummy sounds over and over again. Either way, Kang Oh would never let this chance go to waste. Kang Oh continued his offensive. Amil was barely able to block Kang Oh''s attacks. Whenever he did so, Kang Oh would take some fire damage. There were also times that Amil would sharply counterattack, threatening Kang Oh with his me aura. Despite that, Amil kept getting pushed back. "Hoo, hoo." He''d ferociously attacked Amil for an entire minute and then briefly caught his breath. Amil was wobbling around and covered with wounds. The only thing that remained the same was his scimitar, still burning with fire. "This is the end!" Kang Oh took an iaido stance and swung his sword horizontally. Another Tempest Tiger! Normally, Tempest Tiger''s cooldown was 2 minutes. However, Kunta''s Ring halved that time to 1 minute. Kang Oh used all of the MP he had left. The tiger-shaped aura pounced on Amil. Amil fought back till the very end. He unleashed the most powerful me aura he could muster. However, his body was injured all over. His me aura was clearly much weaker than before, so he couldn''t stop Kang Oh''s Tempest Tiger. Kwaa! The Tempest Tiger caused Amil to shake, the impact bringing him to his knees. Whoosh! The following wind whips chipped at Amil''s remaining HP. Amil lowered his head atst. [You are the first to defeat Beskamen I''s guard captain, Amil.] [As a reward, he will drop his highest rank items.] Kang Oh grinned. ''The first one!'' What kind of equipment would he drop? But it wasn''t over yet. Drops came out of Amil''s dead body and transmitted Kang Oh''sbat data to the remaining mummies. "Mr. Kang Oh, help!" He could hear Eder calling for him. That''s right. Amil may be dead, but there were still the mummies to deal with. "I''ming!" Kang Oh rushed towards Eder. Chapter 67. Tomb’s Secret

Chapter 67. Tomb''s Secret

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh swung downwards with his demon sword. However, the red-eyed berserk mummy turned its body, avoiding his attack. ''As I thought.'' Even with Berserk active, the mummies didn''t block Kang Oh''s attacks or even attempt to counterattack. This was due to thebat data they had on Kang Oh. They had information on Kang Oh''s power, so they weren''t quick to defend or counterattack. "Well, I guess it doesn''t matter." Kang Oh was much stronger than a mummy. Not only that, Gluttony would be active for another 7 minutes. Therefore, he nned onpletely overpowering the mummies. Plus, he wasn''t alone. Eder and Grano were fighting the mummies too. Thump! One of the berserk mummies began to wobble around from a strike from Eder''s mace. Right then, Kang Oh used sh on the same mummy Eder had struck. Thump! The mummy, now sporting a clear wound, was pushed back and was met with a surge of whirling water much like a hot spring. Whoosh! Grano had finished casting his spell. "Huahp!" Kang Oh finished it off. Once he shed at its wound, shards of red light spilled out. [You have defeated a member of Beskamen I''s guard.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] ''I''m always happy to steal some more stats.'' The more one had, the better; this applied to two things in particr. One was money and the other was stats. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He was nning on killing as many mummies as possible before Gluttony wore off. To do so, he would need to take out the berserk mummies first, since they wouldn''t revive themselves again. "Eder, Mr. Grano. Let''s take down the berserk mummies first one by one," Kang Oh yelled. "I understand." "Ok." Grano and Eder simultaneously replied. "And... I''llnd the finishing blow!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano went off to defeat the berserk mummies. They were allpletely in sync. Grano swept away the mummies with AoE magic whilst Eder tanked, and Kang Oh wouldnd the finishing blow. [You have defeated a member of Beskamen I''s guard.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Mental +1] Kang Oh continuously attacked the mummies and managed to steal stats six times. However, he couldn''t steal anymore than that since Gluttony was over. Still, Kang Oh''s party had managed to cut the mummies down to thirteen. "Let''s keep pushing!" Kang Oh encouraged his allies. Kang Oh was gradually getting sick of mummies. It was about time to finish them all off. * * * Thud. The mummy''s body fell to the floor like a puppet whose strings had been cut. "Done." Eder put down his mace and caught his breath. "Good job everyone." Grano grinned. Kang Oh tied his demon sword to his back and approached Amil''s corpse. There were two shimmering items around him. Kang Oh picked up the bronze key. [Bronze Key] The bronze key that Beskamen I''s guard captain, Amil, kept. "Hoh." Kang Oh tightly gripped the key. ''Is this to key to the room containing Beskamen I''s remains and coffin? I smell money in the air.'' Kang Oh had no interest in the king''s remains or his coffin. However, he was interested in the treasure that was buried with him. He moved on to the next item. It was the turban that Amil had worn. There was a white feather tucked inside. [Loyalty Filled Beskamen Turban] It is shaped like a turban and was worn by the Beskamen Kingdom''s noblemen. Its base material is silk, but it does not easily burn or degrade due to the special processing it went through. The feather tucked inside is a symbol of the wearer''s evesting loyalty towards their king. + Resurrect the Dead: When you lose all of your HP, youe back to life as a mummy. Duration: 5 minutes. Can only be used once per day. + Desert''s Necessity: The wearer gains a strong resistance to fire. They can easily withstand the intense heat of the desert. Rank: AA Abilities: Defense +50, Magic Resistance +80, Physical +15, Mental +30, Magic +10 Minimum Requirements: Level 100 "Hmm." Kang Oh looked disappointed. It was highly ranked, but he wasn''t impressed by its effects or abilities. "It would''ve been nicer to get the scimitar instead." Kang Oh wanted Amil to drop his zing scimitar. But it wouldn''t drop it just because he wanted it to. At that moment, Grano approached him. "Did it drop something good?" Grano asked. "This and this." Kang Oh extended both hands; one holding the bronze key and the other holding the turban. Grano seemed interested in the turban. "Oh, this is..." Grano rubbed the turban with his hand. "What is it? Is it expensive?" Kang Oh asked in anticipation. "I heard that the Beskamen Kingdom used a special technique to create silk that was incredibly resistant to heat. The technique has been lost, though it seems like this turban was created using that technique," Grano said. "So is it expensive?" Kang Oh asked once more. "It depends, I suppose. What I do know is that it''d be extremely helpful to the desert folk." Grano smiled. "Hmm. Then what do I need to do to sell this at a high price?" Do the desert folk have an auction house of their own? "I''m not sure. Would you mind if I took this turban?" Grano asked. "You want it?" "Yes. I''d like to use this to try making a heat resistant silk." "Hmm." Kang Oh briefly thought it over. Grano could ask for 30% of the loot. However, the turban wasn''t exactly worth 30%. The turban possessed a special resurrection ability and was also an AA-rank hat. "I let you have Gureko''s ring, didn''t I?" Grano said. Nothing in the world was free. Unfortunately, that seemed to apply to heaven as well. It was always give and take. Grano had let him have the ring before, so now it was his turn to let him have this one. "I understand." Kang Oh passed the turban to Grano. "Thank you." Grano stored the turban into his subspace. ''I can still hit the jackpot.'' Kang Oh fiddled with the bronze key. Treasure was waiting for him. "Let''s start looking for a ce to use this." Kang Oh moved; Grano and Eder followed suit, and began to search the mummy''s room. "Here!" Eder yelled. Kang Oh and Grano approached Eder. There were coffins leaning on the walls; of them, Amil''s coffin had a keyhole at the bottom. "I''m opening it." Kang Oh ced the key inside; it was a perfect fit. Creak. Kang Oh turned the key and he heard the mechanism activate. After that, the mummy''s room, as well as the pyramid itself, began to shake. "What''s going on?" Eder yelled in shock. Amil''s coffin sank into the ground, revealing a stone gate that it had obscured from view. However, the shaking never stopped. A piece of the ceiling crumbled as well. "Uahk!" Eder cried. "Why is this happening?" Kang Oh asked Grano. "I''m not sure... Ah, wait a minute. There''s something written here." Grano pointed at the inscriptions written on the stone gate. "Can you read it?" "He whoever disrupts the king''s rest shall be punished without fail," Grano said. "We must have triggered a trap," Grano added. He furrowed his brow; it was quite the severe expression. "A trap?" "Yes. The key must''ve activated a mechanism which is bringing this entire ce down," Grano said. The ceiling continued to crumble. Kang Oh attempted to push the stone gate as hard as he could. However, it didn''t budge an inch. "Damn it." "What do we do now!?" Eder yelled as he covered his head with both hands. "We obviously have to run!" They didn''t have the time to make another decision. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano dashed towards the exit. Huge rocks fell from the ceiling. "Uaahk!" Eder screamed as boulders continued to fall behind them like an avnche. "Shut up and run." Kang Oh gritted his teeth. To think they''d be put into a situation like this! "Heok, heok." Grano¡¯s breathing was haggard as well. Kang Oh''s party was barely able to make it out before the passagewaypletely crumbled. Fortunately, they didn''t see any Celtuses. Did they run too once they noticed that the dungeon was caving in? Whatever the case, there was nothing stopping them from running. Kang Oh, Eder and Grano ran as fast as they could. How hectically had they run? "I see the exit," Eder yelled. "Don''t look back and just run!" Kang Oh ran mustering all the strength he had left. "Heok, heok!" Grano did the same. Kang Oh''s party quickly ascended the stairs and exited the dungeon. Not long after they''d exited, Beskamen I''s tomb hadpletely caved in. Once it did, the shaking stopped. Kang Oh sprawled out onto the floor. "Damn it. This was nned." Beskamen I''s tomb had caved in, yet the rest of the dungeon was fine. That didn''t make any sense. Unless it was set up that way from the very beginning. "Haa, ha. This must be the method that Beskamen II devised so that no one would be able to pige his father''s tomb," Grano said as he caught his breath. Hiding a tomb within a tomb was just a preliminary measure. The real trap was caving in the tomb! Now, no one would be able toy their hands on Beskamen I''s remains or his coffin. It was like burning down a small house to get rid of bedbugs, or so it seemed, but nevertheless, Beskamen II''s goal had been realized. Since Kang Oh hadn''t been able to loot the tomb and hade out empty-handed. "My money!" Kang Oh mmed his fist onto the floor in fury. They''d found a hidden dungeon (the king''s tomb), yet they''d managed toe back empty-handed! Moreover, it was a dungeon that continuously spawned the gold bugs, Celtuses. If they just explored the dungeon and killed every Celtus they saw, then it''d be such easy money! Kang Oh felt like he''d go crazy. "Hoo, at least we managed to get out unscathed." Eder rolled over and patted his body. Who cares about the money!? His body was everything to him. "Haa. Beskamen II, what a spiteful person. He should be reassessed by history. Hmm. Was that assassination case also..." Grano muttered. Kang Oh kept squirming around whilst punching the floor. On the other hand, Eder kept patting his body while Grano seemed to be engrossed in thought and muttered. If someone saw them, then they''d think of this movie title. ''Three Idiots''! * * * Kang Oh''s party returned to their base in the Hapd Oasis. "Haa, good job, body of mine." Once they entered the yurt, Eder removed his equipment andid on the floor. "Tch." Kang Oh''s expression was still bitter and regretful. "There''s one hidden dungeon left. Plus, we still have the hidden oasis as well," Grano patted his shoulder andforted him. "You''re right." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''It''s already water under the bridge. Let''s just let it go.'' But they say that a fish that you lose seems bigger than it actually was. Unbeknownst to him, Kang Oh''s face was still crinkled. At that moment... "Mr. Grano, are you in here?" They heard a voiceing from outside the yurt. "Pleasee in," Grano said. It was the way of the natives of the Bariton Desert to allow others into their home. So long as they weren''t their enemies, it was considered incredibly rude to turn guests away without weing them into one''s home. A man came into the yurt. It was an incredibly fat man. His skin was brown and they couldn''t see his pupils as his eyes were so small. He wore a turban and white clothes that were loose at the sleeves for better venttion. It was the clothing from a desert area north of the Bariton Desert. This was the first time Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano, who was native to this area, had seen him. "Please take a seat." Grano pointed at a sitting cushion; the man bowed his head and expressed his thanks. "Why are you here?" Grano asked. "Hello. My name is Modune." The fat man''s name was Modune. "Which one of you is Mr. Grano?" he asked, looking over Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano. "That''s me. But what business do you have with me?" "I heard you were the top expert on the Bariton Desert." Modune briefly caught his breath and continued, "I''d like for you to help us find the hidden oasis." Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano widened their eyes. Apetitor seeking the hidden oasis had appeared! Chapter 68. Modune

Chapter 68. Modune

Trantor: Boko "I don''t think I can. I already have a party of my own and we have things to do as well," Grano refused Modune''s request. "What do you need to do?" Modune asked. "It''s personal," Grano said. "Does it pertain to the hidden oasis?" Grano nced at Kang Oh and saw him slightly shake his head. He wanted him to say no. "No," Grano said. "Then how about this?" "What?" "I have several men under my wing, so I can help you with your business, and in return, you help me find the hidden oasis." Modune stubbornly tried to recruit Grano. "I''m fine. I can make due with mypanions." Grano nned on refusing, regardless of Modune''s offer. "Mr. Grano, please don''t be like that. Work with us; if you do, we''ll give you half of the treasure." Grano furrowed his brow. Both Modune''s words and actions were rude. "I told you, I have my ownpanions," Grano calmly said. Modune turned his head, gazing at Kang Oh and Eder. "Then they cane too. Don''t you want to find the hidden oasis'' treasure?" Once Modune looked his way, Kang Oh scowled. "Not really." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "Yawn." In ce of a reply, Eder yawned. "Hmm." Modune''s expression stiffened. They weren''t the responses he''d expected. "Come and find me if you change your mind. I''m staying in the Haroko Inn." Modune stood up. Grano slightly bowed his head. "But please don''t take too much time. If I find the hidden oasis myself, then you won''t get a penny of the treasure, Mr. Grano." Modune, who''d said everything he''de to say, looked at Kang Oh and Eder and added, "You guys too!" Then, he left the yurt. * * * Once he left the yurt, one of Modune''s men on standby came over. He bore a bushy beard and was also Modune''s right-hand man. "Did things go well?" "No." Modune''s voice was annoyed, clearly signaling that things hadn''t gone as he wished. "We''ve used every method avable to us to search the desert, but... we''ve been here for more than a month now, yet we haven''t found even the smallest of clues," his right-hand man said. "Tch," Modune clicked his tongue. He''d ordered his men to scour the desert for a month, but they hadn''t found any info or leads regarding the hidden oasis. Therefore, they needed a clear lead or a guide. "The king ordered us to return if we couldn''t find it," his right-hand man nced at him and said quietly. "Ask the king for some more time. I, the Insect Mage, Modune, can''t give up that easily," Modune said. "I understand. What do you n to do from now on?" his right hand asked. "If things had gone as nned, then we would''ve found the hidden oasis with the foremost expert on the Bariton Desert, Grano. But Grano is already looking for the hidden oasis with others." Modune recalled what he''d discussed with Grano. Grano stated that he wasn''t looking for the hidden oasis. However, he had noticed Grano nce at Kang Oh before replying. In other words, Grano hadn''t told him the truth. Thus, he tried tempting him with the offer of treasure. Yet, Grano didn''t seem very interested in the treasure. Hisrades responded much the same. They were looking for the hidden oasis too. That''s why they weren''t interested in Modune''s offer to share the treasure. He gave up on his original n (winning Grano over) and formted a new one. "But... what would happen if there was apetitor like me searching for the hidden oasis as well?" Modune asked. "Wouldn''t they go looking for it ASAP so that you don''t find it first?" his right-hand man stated. Modune grinned. "I''ve thrown the bait, so now all we have to do is cast the and wait." His eyes, which were mostly concealed by his plump face, somehow managed to gleam a sharp light. * * * Once Modune had left the yurt, Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano gathered around the brazier. "It seems like we''re not the only ones looking for the hidden oasis," Eder said. "The hidden oasis is the Bariton Desert''s most famous legend. It''s only natural that there''d be several people looking for it. It''s just that all of them end up failing," Grano said. The hidden oasis was located within the Bariton Desert, and contained a ton of treasure as well. Thus, with rumors like this, there were those like Kang Oh and Modune who came to the Bariton Desert, seeking the hidden oasis. "Mr. Kang Oh, shouldn''t we find the hidden oasis before Modune does?" Eder asked Kang Oh. "..." Kang Oh didn''t reply; it seemed like he was engrossed in thought. He was thinking about Modune. Once he saw Modune''s face, he felt a sense of anger and disgust. It wasn''t because of Modune''s physical appearance. ''I felt this desire to bash his face in all of a sudden... Which means...'' It was the same feeling he''d felt when Eder had nned to backstab him. ''It''s Hyper Intuition; it''s telling me that he''s going toe after me!'' In other words, Modune would try to backstab him in the future. How would he go about it then? ''He offers half the treasure but doesn''t give it when the timees?'' Modune had stated that he''d give them half of the treasure if they found the hidden oasis together. But what if he didn''t intend on giving them any of the treasure? ''No... that''s not it.'' Kang Oh shook his head. If that were true, then Modune would''ve tried even harder to win Grano over. Offering half of the treasure didn''t work, so he would''ve offered an even greater reward. He wasn''t going to give them any of the treasure, so he would''ve offered any amount for Grano to join them. Kang Oh was locked in thought, but Eder couldn''t stand it any longer and called him. "Mr. Kang Oh!" "What?" Kang Oh subconsciously replied. "Shouldn''t we go looking for the hidden oasis too?" "Why?" Kang Oh subconsciously replied once more. "If Modune finds the hidden oasis first, then it''ll all have been for nothing." "Ah!" Kang Oh figured out what Modune''s n was. Why exactly did Eder want them to find the hidden oasis ASAP? It was because Modune had led him to think that way! "That''s it. That''s what he''s doing!" Kang Oh pped his hands. "What? What is he doing?" "Modune, that bastard. He''s trying to use us as hunting dogs. When we find the hidden oasis, he''lle out and kill us!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. "No." Grano also suddenly recalled something. "Haa, so they almost got me, didn''t they?" Eder also understood the situation. He had been acting exactly as Modune had wanted. The room was momentarily silent. When it seemed as though they had finished organizing their thoughts, Kang Oh spoke. "First, we should gather some information on Modune. Where he came from, what kind of guy he is, how many men he has, etc. The more information, the better." "I''ll go ask around at the magic tower," Grano said. The Mage''s Tower was a group with immense power, and its intelligencework was impressive. "Please." "Alright." "Then what should we do from now on?" Eder asked. "Let''s keep going as nned. First, let''s clear all of the hidden dungeons and then slowly go looking for the hidden oasis," Kang Oh said. He had no intention of following Modune''s ns. They''d eventually go find the hidden oasis, but that would only be after they''d finished all their other business in the Bariton Desert first. "But what if Modune finds the hidden oasis while we''re doing that?" Eder sported an expression that seemingly said ''I don''t even want to think about it.''. "That won''t happen. If he had the ability to do so, then he wouldn''t havee looking for Mr. Grano. And they wouldn''t attempt to backstab us like this either." If Modune had the ability to find the hidden oasis, then he wouldn''t have gone through the effort of finding Grano and making thingsplicated for himself. Since he''d just need to take his men to the hidden oasis and take everything there. But the fact that he was going through such lengths meant that Modune couldn''t find the hidden oasis himself. "You''re right," Grano agreed. "I understand," Eder epted. "We''ll prepare ourselves slow and steady. And when Modunees for us, he''ll be in for a surprise; we''ll crush them!" Kang Oh emphasized the word ''crush''. Eder and Grano looked at him resolutely, supporting the notion. ''How dare they?'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. They didn''t necessarily need to fight Modune. He could choose to clear the hidden oasis and then retreat using a return scroll. Modune would be the one who''de here for nothing. However, this method wasn''t Kang Oh''s style. When there was someone he didn''t like, he''d use strength to overpower them and pay them back tenfold; only then would he feel refreshed. And in the process, he''d make some money too. Not only that! ''Good of you toe, Modune!'' Kang Oh was pissed that Beskamen I''s tomb had caved in, but conveniently, he''d found a way to vent his anger. Therefore... Kang Oh gritted his teeth. "I''ll chew you up and spit you out." * * * Kang Oh''s party left the Hapd oasis riding their camels. Eder looked around everywhere. It was as if he were looking for something that was watching him. "Are you trying to tell them that we already know what their n is?" Kang Oh scolded. "I was just curious how they''d watch us." Eder scratched his head. "Even if you see someone watching us, pretend that you haven''t seen them." There was no reason to make Modune''s men feel conscious. "I understand." Eder kept his face glued to the front. "Then, Mr. Grano. Please keep guiding us." "Alright." Grano nodded his head. He was wearing the turban Amil had dropped. "It''s said to be a necessity in the desert... is it nice?" Kang Oh recalled the turban''s effect and asked. "If we mass produce these and sell them to the desert people, then we''d make a fortune." The turban protected the wearer from the intense heat of the beating sun and sand. It was definitely a necessity in the desert. Kang Oh was a yer, so he couldn''t really feel the heat of the desert. It was like a sweltering summer day. It was indeed hot, but it wasn''t as hot as a desert normally should be; therefore, Grano''s statement really didn''t apply to him. However, he''d always be interested in money. "If you need a partnerter down the line, then please tell me." He''d sell them at an expensive price. "I understand." Grano nodded his head. "I have extensive knowledge of medicine. If you need my help, then feel free to ask," Eder said. He was the Legendary Healer; he was an expert when it came to diseases and medicine. "Hoo, hoo. I understand." A soft smile appeared on the handsome middle-aged man''s face. "Ah, didn''t you say there were mysterious ces in the desert? Please tell me about those ces," Kang Oh said. "There''s a singing hill within the Bariton Desert. It''s located in..." Kang Oh''s party continued to converse atop their camels and traversed over the sand dunes. Monsters asionally popped up as if men chatting wasn''t very interesting. A group of ck Scorpions, Desert Snakes, and Monster Cacti. As well as the sand eating Sandurions! The Sandurions kept appearing as if someone kept sending monsters at Kang Oh''s party. Thump! Once Kang Oh bashed a Sandurion''s head with his demon sword, the Sandurion''s pincer dropped into the sand and drooped. [You have defeated a Sandurion.] [You havepleted the quest, Kill the Sandurions!] He''dpleted the quest to kill 200 Sandurions! "Ok, that''s 50 gold." Kang Oh recalled the quest reward and smiled. Then, Grano extended his hand. "There." He was pointing somewhere. Kang Oh turned his head in that direction. At the tip of the endless expanse of desert, he saw a quarry made of red y¨Ccolored rocks. "That''s?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes, that''s the Turu Canyon. It''s also known as the Canyon of Wisdom." Chapter 69. Canyon of Wisdom

Chapter 69. Canyon of Wisdom

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party entered Turu Canyon. The ground was dry and cracked inside the canyon. A statue was sculpted into the face of the canyon wall, roughly 20 meters in height. The statue was sculpted simply, such that only the eyes, nose, and mouth were discernable. It also carried a question mark shaped staff in both hands. There were no other discernable traits. While it wasrge, it didn''t appear like a work of art. "This is the Statue of Turu. Turu is known as the God of Wisdom within the Bariton Desert," Grano exined. "Is he one of the Bariton Desert''s folk gods like the Rain God, Da?" Kang Oh asked. "He''s much older than Da. The people of the Bariton Desert believe that Turu and the Bariton Desert came to be at the same time." "I see." Kang Oh''s party disembarked from their camels. They pped their butts, causing them to leave the canyon and disappear. "Please follow me." Grano took the lead, walking towards the Statue of Turu. There was an entrance that led inside the cliff between the statue''s feet. "It''s inside here." Kang Oh''s party went into the entrance. Grano retrieved a fluorescent stone from his subspace. "Luminescent Stone," he chanted, and the stone began to radiate light. Its shape and the brightness of light it emitted were exactly the same as a light bulb. Grano let the luminescent stone float into the air via magic. With it, they were able to see the inside of the cliff. It was a naturally urring red y colored tunnel. The walls were obviouslyposed of tough rock. However, there were unreadable letters engraved on the walls. "These are?" Kang Oh stroked the walls. He could feel the shape of the unfamiliar letters with the tip of his fingers. "These are the Bariton Desert''s ancient letters," Grano said. "Can you read them?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes, I can." Grano was definitely the foremost expert on the Bariton Desert. After all, he was capable of deciphering the Bariton Desert''s ancient letters. "What do they say?" Eder asked what was on Kang Oh''s mind. "It''s quiz created by the God of Wisdom, Turu, in order to test the wisdom of mankind." "A quiz?" Eder asked. "The ce you''re touching Mr. Kang Oh asks this: ''What does a human have that a god doesn''t?''," Grano said. "What a human has that a god doesn''t?" Kang Oh thought over the question. He thought of several possible answers, but he didn''t feel like any of them were the right answer. "Someone answered death," Grano said. Kang Oh and Eder nodded their heads. Indeed, humans died while gods did not. "Someone else answered a mother." "A mother?" Kang Oh tilted his head. Even the gods had mothers. In Greek mythology, gods were born from other gods. Like how Zeus was born from his mother, Rhea. Then why did they im that gods didn''t have mothers? Kang Oh couldn''t understand it. "The gods of the desert weren''t born. The people of the desert believe that they existed since the genesis of this world," Grano exined. "Hmm. I see." Kang Oh went ''Oh, I see'' and moved on. "So what is the correct answer between the two: death or a mother?" Eder asked. "The God of Wisdom, Turu, is the only one who''d know the answer since the correct answer wasn''t written here," Grano smiled and said. "Ugh. We''ve seen the quiz, as well as the answers, so not knowing which is correct is quite awkward." Eder''s face crinkled. If you''re going to give a quiz, then you should have the decency to tell us which answer is correct! "There is one quiz here that has a checkable answer," Grano said. "Oh, really?" Eder and Grano looked pleased. Time to move on from an unanswered quiz! "Yes. And that answered quiz is also our final destination as well." * * * Kang Oh''s party followed Grano, continuing to trek deeper and deeper into the tunnel. Ultimately, they reached the end. "This is..." There were two giant stone bowls in front of them. Kang Oh approached the stone bowls. One of the bowls was filled with identical rocks the size of a thumb. Kang Oh picked up one of the rocks. There was a single ancient letter engraved onto it. He examined the other rocks as well. "Each rock has something different inscribed on it." All of the rocks were identical in terms of size or shape, but the engraved letter was different for each one of them. "Hmm." Kang Oh put down the rock and examined the other stone bowl. The other bowl waspletely empty. However, there were ancient letters engraved on the bottom of the bowl. "What''s written over here?" Kang Oh asked. "''What is my name?''" Grano said. "I''m sorry?" Kang Oh asked back, wondering if he''d misheard him. "The question ''What is my name?'' is inscribed on the bottom of the bowl." "Really?" Kang Oh smirked. "Yes, really." "Then do we answer the quiz with these rocks?" Kang Oh examined the rock he was holding. "Yes. You just need to ce the rocks with the proper letters into the empty bowl," Grano exined. "Then do we just need to spell our own name with the rocks? Let''s see..." Eder pretended to go through the rocks. "Do you really think you''ll be able to spell out your name with the rocks?" Grano smiled. "As I thought. That''s not the right answer, is it?" Eder ceased his search and smiled. "It''s a quiz you can''t solve unless you know the Bariton region''s ancient letters," Eder said. In order to solve the quiz, one needed to not only be able to read the question, but also pick out the correct letters. "That''s not necessarily true," Granos said. "Why is that?" "Because it was created by the God of Wisdom, Turu. Even if you don''t know how to read the letters, you should be able to solve the quiz." "Really?" Eder looked shocked. "Yes. Would you like to give it a shot?" Grano asked. At that moment, Kang Oh raised his hand. "I''ll give it a shot." Kang Oh wanted to see if he could pick the right rocks via his Hyper Intuition. "Alright. Go ahead." Grano and Eder took two steps back from the stone bowl. Kang Oh began to examine each and every rock. "As expected..." Grano watched Kang Oh, slightly nodded his head, and muttered. "Hmm." Whenever Kang Oh examined a rock and felt nothing, he would immediately move on to the next rock. ''Oh, as expected!'' The moment he grabbed a rock, his Hyper Intuition red. It was the feeling that there was something more to this rock! No, it was more urate to call it a hunch. Kang Oh ced that rock into the empty bowl. "Ooh." Grano saw which letter Kang Oh had picked and could only look on in awe. The rock he''d picked pertained to the correct answer. Kang Oh ced the wrong rocks to the side and continued his search. ''The second one.'' Kang Oh soon found the second rock via Hyper Intuition. He ced that rock into the empty bowl as well. ''The third.'' He found the third rock with ease too and ced it into the empty bowl. But once he''d ced the third rock into the empty bowl, it began to tilt slightly. "Huh?" Kang Oh stopped examining the rocks and watched on. Rattle. He heard something getting sucked in, and saw a hole form on one of the walls. A person could get through it if they bowed their head. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Wisdom''s Testing Ground.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [When you hunt in Wisdom''s Testing Ground, then you receive 2 times the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] The hole in the wall was the entrance to a hidden dungeon. He was also the first to discover it! "Wow. How did you...?" Eder asked Kang Oh. "Well, that''s..." With his intuition, Hyper Intuition! Kang Oh was going to exin that he''d used his intuition to solve the quiz. It was the truth after all. However, Grano interjected then and there. "It''s because the weight of rocks differed," Grano said. "Excuse me? The weight?" Eder opened his eyes wide. "There are three rocks amongst these that are heavier than the rest. That''s the correct answer. Isn''t that right, Mr. Kang Oh?" Kang Oh just scratched his nose. ''Now that you mention it, the rocks I picked did seem heavier than the rest... Well, I guess it doesn''t really matter.'' Solving the quiz using weight rather than intuition seemed like the better answer here. "Exactly." Kang Oh smiled awkwardly and nodded his head. "Ah, that''s why you said the quiz could be solved even without knowing what was written on them." Eder pped the palm of his hand. "Hoo, you''re amazing, Mr. Grano. How did you figure that out?" Eder looked at Grano with eyes full of admiration and respect. Grano began, "When I first came here, I wasn''t able to find the correct rocks. I tried and tried to make some words with the rocks, but nothing would happen." He momentarily caught his breath. "I sat down, thinking about what the correct answer could be, and suddenly found the answer." "Which was?" Eder asked. It was as though he was saying ''Hurry up and tell me. I''m getting dizzy over here.''. "That it didn''t matter what order you ced the rocks in. In other words, all you need to do is ce the correct rocks into the bowl." "Ah." Eder nodded his head. Kang Oh remained silent and listened with great interest. "That''s how I figured out that there must be a difference between the right rocks and the wrong rocks. And ultimately found that although they were identical in size and shape, some of the rocks were heavier than the rest," Grano finished his exnation. "As expected! I admire you, Mr. Grano." Eder grabbed Grano''s hands with sparkling eyes. Grano''s personality and intellect were all top-notch. Contrary to someone else he knew. "Mr. Kang Oh was able to figure it out after he heard my hint, that you didn''t need to be able to read the letters. Isn''t that right?" Grano asked. "Yes, exactly." The end justifies the means. It didn''t matter whether he solved the quiz with his intuition or the weight. "Ahem. You''re quite impressive too, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder couldn''t deny Kang Oh''s achievement and gave him a thumbs up. "This is nothing," Kang Oh said proudly. "But what do all of these letters spell out?" Eder pointed at the three rocks inside the empty bowl and asked. He knew the way to solve the quiz now, so now he wanted to know what the answer itself was. "There is no meaning," Grano said. "There is no meaning?" Eder asked back. "Yes. It doesn''t matter how youbine those letters; it doesn''t spell out anything," Grano said. "Man, they''re really trying to get us with that one," Kang Oh smiled and said. The God of Wisdom had led the test takers to overly focus on the question ''What is my name?'', even though the three correct letters weren''t able to create a coherent word. In other words, it didn''t matter what word one chose; they wouldn''t get the answer right. "The quiz signifies that whoever is smart enough to see past the letters and see what isn''t visible is one who possesses true wisdom," Grano said. "I suppose that could be true." Kang Oh roughly nodded his head. Then, he looked at the entrance to the hidden dungeon. "In any case, we''re done with the quiz, so shall we focus on the hidden dungeon now? Hey, Eder. Put down the rocks already," Kang Oh said. Eder was holding a correct rock in one hand and an incorrect in the other,paring their respective weights. "Ok." Eder put down the rocks and came to Kang Oh''s side. "Mr. Grano, have you ever gone inside that dungeon before?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes, I have." "Then please tell us about the monsters and the boss." "If I''m remembering correctly, there are no monsters inside." "There are no monsters in the dungeon?" Then it''s not a dungeon? "Yes. Once you go in, you''ll find yourself in the boss room and will have to face the boss right away." "Ah. So it''s a dungeon with a boss but no monsters." There were a variety of different dungeons. A dungeon with only a boss could exist. Well, it wasn''t bad. Since he could kill the boss immediately and take all of their treasure. "What is the boss monster?" Kang Oh asked. "A golem. A Stone Golem." Chapter 70. High Risk, High Reward

Chapter 70. High Risk, High Reward

Trantor: Boko "A golem, huh..." A golem''s core served as both its power source and its weakness and was enclosed in rock, mud, bone, etc. Kang Oh had already fought golems in Arth before. "What a trip down memoryne, huh Eder?" Kang Oh said, ncing at Eder. He''d first met Eder in a hidden dungeon and back then, Eder had assumed the form of a bone golem and fought against Kang Oh. "Indeed." Eder nodded his head. Once he''d chosen to apany Kang Oh, he wasn''t able to use the Bone Golem form anymore. Assuming that form required arge quantity of bones. He couldn''t just lug that many bones with him and they''d never hunted in an area where there were lots of bones either. "Have you ever fought against a Stone Golem before?" Kang Oh stared at Grano. "Yes." "How was it?" Kang Oh asked. "They''re tough. Tougher than you can even imagine. I was unable to pierce through its armor and gave up half-way." Grano had fought against the Stone Golem before and had retreated due to exhaustion. No matter what he tried, he just couldn''t pierce through the Stone Golem''s body. That was just how tough and sturdy it was. "How strong were its attacks?" Kang Oh repeatedly asked questions to obtain the information he desired. "It''s strong, but it''s also slow." "Does it have any special abilities or skills?" "It asionally threw rocks at me. I''m not sure if it has any other abilities." "Is there anything else you can warn us about, or is there anything else you need to tell us?" Kang Oh asked. "No." Grano shook his head. "I understand. Eder," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "The golem''s weakness must be its core, right?" Eder was well-versed in golems, since he''d been a golem himself in the past. "Yes. The core is everything to a golem." "Alright. Apparently, the golem''s defense is no joke, so pull out all the stops." Eder was a Curse Knight! He could cast a curse that reduced an enemy''s defense by half, Ruined Ramparts. Not only that, but he could also cast a myriad of other curses that would reduce an opponent''s abilities as well. Moreover, his Blood Knight set could reduce the golem''s defenses as well. Therefore, Kang Oh put all his hopes on Eder. "I''ll do my best," Eder replied, assuming the posture of an army private. "Mr. Grano, if you ever see the golem''s core during the fight, please attack it immediately." "I understand." "Let''s adjust as we go." Once Kang Oh was finished, his party went through the entrance: the hole that led to the hidden dungeon. It was dark within the hole, so Grano entered first. "Please follow me closely." Grano pushed the luminescent stone forward, ducked his head, and entered. Eder followed after him, and Kang Oh came inst. [Entering the hidden dungeon, Wisdom''s Testing Ground.] At first, the Wisdom''s Testing Ground was so small that they had to duck in order to get through. However, the further they progressed, the wider the tunnel became. Eventually, the ceiling got higher, allowing them to straighten their backs without issue, and the tunnel became wide enough that two people could walk through side-by-side. Plus, there weren''t any monsters. "I see the end," Eder said. They saw an exit illuminated with light. However, there was a tombstone in front of the exit. "There''s something written here too." Kang Oh pointed at the tombstone. "It states, ''Couragepletes wisdom.''," Grano deciphered. "If I get to meet the God of Wisdom, Turu, then I''ll grab him by the throat and say, ''If you have something to say, then say it.''," Kang Oh said. "It must mean that we have to prove our courage by fighting the golem, since we''ve already proven our wisdom," Grano expressed his opinion. "Yeah, but wouldn''t it be so nice if he''d just written that instead?" "People back then thought that something shined brighter when its meaning was hidden," Grano said. "Really?" Kang Oh asked Eder. "I have no idea." "What do you mean? You''re pretty old yourself." Eder had been a ghost for so long that he was indeed quite old. "Ahem. I''m not that old." Eder vehemently disagreed, crossing his hands in an X. "I''m pretty sure you are." "I am not!" Grano watched Kang Oh and Eder argue and smiled. "Hoo, hoo. Please restrain yourselves. We need to focus on the task ahead," Grano said. "Ok," Eder said as he nced hatefully at Kang Oh. "Let''s go," Kang Oh yelled, avoiding Eder''s prickly gaze. Kang Oh''s party headed to the brightly illuminated exit. * * * Kang Oh''s favorite color was, unsurprisingly, gold. He saw a ball midair that radiated a gold light. It was definitely the Stone Golem''s core. The core was quiterge; it looked more than 2 meters in diameter. Kuooh. The core''s light began to intensify, and then the core began to spin. Rumble. The rocks strewn on the floor rose and surrounded the core. Then... Kang Oh immediately rushed forward. "Huh?" "Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder and Grano looked shocked. By the time they realized what was going on, Kang Oh was already some distance away from them. As he dashed forward, Kang Oh got ready to throw his demon sword. Aim. He clenched his teeth and swung his arm as hard as he could. Fire! His jet-ck sword left his hand. Zoom. His demon sword cleaved through the air and flew towards its target. Its target? Obviously the golem''s core. The sword narrowly passed between the rocks. Bam! His sword had embedded itself into the floating, radiating core. Red shards of light popped from the affected area. The golden light it exuded began to bob up and down. Still, the core didn''t fall to the floor; it remained in the air with Kang Oh''s demon sword still embedded within. However, the rate at which the rocks gathered around it had slowed. ''It''s not enough damage.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Throwing his demon sword wasn''t enough to destroy the core. With no other option, Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He leaped into the air andnded on top of the rocks. "Heup." Kang Oh leaped once more. He leaped from one rock to another. He jumped between rocks again and again until he was ready for his final jump. "Haaht!" Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor, leaping into the air. He was heading for the core, which was still impaled by his sword. Kang Oh extended his hand, closing in on the demon sword''s handle. However, gravity pulled him down and he began to fall. ''Just a little bit more!'' Grip. Kang Oh was barely able to grab onto the handle. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh caught his breath. He managed to stop his fall by grabbing onto the handle as if he were grabbing onto a tree branch. However, there were rocksing everywhere. At this rate, he''d be crushed before he could even fight the Stone Golem. Kuheong! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar, saturating his entire body with the power of a tiger. "Eat this!" Kang Oh put pressure into his sword hand. Golden light glimmered from his jet-ck sword. Tempest Tiger! A tiger-shaped aura was released from the tip of his sword. The aura immediately pounced on the core. Its power was quite formidable when there was no distance between it and its enemy. The huge impact caused the core to tremble. Red shards of light exploded from the core. Ultimately...! Crack. Crack! Once it began to crack, it couldn''t be stopped. Boom! The core exploded. But there was a reason the core was emanating a golden light. Gold spilled out of the core like how the basket breaks open on Sports Day. There was also a te within the wave of gold as well. [You are the first to defeat the Guardian of Wisdom, Stone Soldier.] [It is a boss monster that only drops one item.] [It has dropped Turu''s te.] Although system messages popped up, Kang Oh didn''t have the time to look them over closely. Once the core exploded, his sword came out and he too was swept away. He was descending really quickly right now. Moreover! The rocks that had gathered around the core fell as well. At this rate, Kang Oh would either die from the fall or be crushed to death. ''I can''t let that happen!'' Kang Oh grabbed his demon sword with both hands. "Heup." He stabbed his sword into one of the falling rocks. The rock didn''t stop and continued to fall to the ground. Creak! His sword formed a lengthy ''1'' onto the rock. At some point, Kang Oh stopped falling and simply hung from his sword. Kang Oh took a look around. He saw the perfect rock to jump down to. Kang Oh tightly gripped the hilt of his sword with both hands and pulled it out. Thump! Kang Oh bounced off the rock. Using that force, Kang Oh safelynded on a descending rock. However, his head was soon overshadowed by something. "Damn it," he looked up and cursed. It only made sense. Thergest boulder thus far was descending upon the rock he''d justnded on. Kang Oh quickly looked around and tried to figure out a way to get out of this situation. At that moment, Kang Oh saw a giant drop of water. It wasrge enough for him to enter. "Mr. Kang Oh, please enter the water drop!" He heard Grano yelling at him. The shadow began to darken, so he knew he had no time to think about it. Then... Thump! Therge boulder hadnded on the rock he''d just been on. * * * Pop. The water drop burst and Kang Oh came outpletely drenched. "Hoo, that was a close one." Grano sighed in relief. Kang Oh was able to rush into the water drop before he was crushed to death. After that, Grano had controlled the water drop, moving it outside of the falling rocks and rescuing him. "Are you alright?" Grano asked. "Yes, I''m fine," Kang Oh checked his body once over and replied. "Why did you do that?" Eder asked. He was the one who suggested that they fight together, yet he had rushed in by himself. "Seriously, why did you do that?" Grano had told them that the boss was a Stone Golem, but when they arrived, its core had beenid bare and was in the middle of transforming. Kang Oh knew that it was his chance to strike. If a golem''s core is cracked, then it cannot move anymore. However, if he were to have dyed his attack, then he would''ve lost his opportunity, as the rocks would havepletely enclosed the core. Therefore, he hadn''t had the time to either exin or convince them of his n. He''d made his decision and ran; time was of the essence, so he threw his sword. The best scenario was the core breaking from his sword throw. However, the core hadn''t brokenpletely, so Kang Oh had no choice but to jump across the rocks. Then he''d barely grabbed a hold of the hilt of his sword andpletely destroyed the core. Plus! "You can see your enemy transforming right in front of you; you wouldn''t just sit there and let it finish transforming would you?" Whenever the protagonist in aic book either transformed orbined, the viins would always just sit there and watch. Even though that was their best chance to kill the protagonist. Kang Oh was different from those idiots. If he had a golden opportunity to kill his opponent, then he''d take it no questions asked. "But you should''ve at least told us first," Eder grumbled. "If I did, then I would''ve lost my chance. I was barely able to destroy the core as it was," Kang Oh said. "Whatever the case, Mr. Kang Oh is safe and the golem has been destroyed, so how about we move on?" Grano ced his hand on Eder''s shoulder and said. "Alright." Eder nodded his head. "Then shall we go take a look and see if anything was dropped?" Grano beamed and said. Grano arbitrated over Kang Oh and Eder so that they didn''t needlessly develop any resentment towards each other. "I''ve hit the jackpot." He recalled the wave of gold that had spilled out of the core and grinned. Him aiming for the core alone had clearly been dangerous. But because Kang Oh had taken that risk and destroyed the core, he was able to take down the extremely tough Stone Golem with ease. Moreover, the reward was sweet. He''d hit the jackpot. ''This is what high risk, high reward is all about!'' Chapter 71. There’s Always Someone Better

Chapter 71. There''s Always Someone Better

Trantor: Boko It was chaos. The rocks had smashed into one another and shattered into pieces once they reached the floor, scattering across the room. There were gold coins in between the boulders and the broken pieces of rock. "Eder, pick up every single coin," Kang Oh said. "I understand." Eder began collecting all of the gold coins. "Let''s see here..." Kang Oh walked over the broken rocks, looking for Turu''s te. The te, like any other item that a boss dropped, glimmered, so it was rtively easy to find. "This is it." Kang Oh lifted the te. [Turu''s te] Turu is known as the God of Wisdom. It is said that he wielded the Hadurk Staff, which is a symbol of wisdom. This is a relic that contains a small portion of Turu''s wisdom. + Turu''s Miracle: Mysterious events will asionally ur for whomever carries this te. Rank: Unappraisable Abilities: Mental +50, Wisdom +100 Minimum Requirements: None. "Oh, a god''s relic." A god''s relic was an item that would increase one''s abilities and activate its ability when stored in one''s inventory. Because they were active even when stored within one''s inventory, they tended to be expensive. Grano approached Kang Oh. "Is it a god''s relic?" "Yes. Would you like to take a look?" "Of course." Grano began examining Turu''s te. "This is...!" He looked astonished. "What''s wrong?" What the hell was going on!? "There are letters inscribed onto the te." "Ok... is there a problem with that?" It wasn''t umon for people to inscribe letters onto rocks or walls. "It says, ''There is truth in the unending mirage.''," Grano said. ''''There is truth in the unending mirage.'' That''s definitely...'' "Doesn''t that refer to the hidden oasis?" Kang Oh confirmed. That''s right. The inscription on Turu''s te did indeed refer to the hidden oasis. But why was this phrase engraved on Turu''s te? "Indeed. It seems as though there''s some sort of connection between Turu and the hidden oasis..." Grano replied, but his mind seemed to wander, absorbed in something else. "Hmm. May I keep this te for the time being? You will, of course, remain the owner of this item," Grano said. Kang Oh had defeated the golem by himself. Therefore, the te belonged to Kang Oh. However, Grano wanted to further examine Turu''s te. "Alright, that seems best," Kang Oh agreed. Since Grano had acknowledged him as the te''s owner, there wasn''t any problem with him lending it out for a short while. "Thank you very much." Grano took the te, walked over to a boulder, and sat down. He began to examine the te, his eyes sharp. Kang Oh looked away from Grano and saw Eder. Eder was busy picking up the gold coins and cing them into a pouch that had hung from his belt. However, there was quite a bit of gold, so it seemed like it would take him some time before he could collect it all. Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to help out. Kang Oh and Eder picked up each and every gold coin like they were picking grain. It took quite a long time before the two of them were done. "There¡¯s 617 gold." Eder passed him the gold pouch, which was filled to the brim. "Holy." Kang Oh epted the heavy pouch and grinned. "I picked up 383, so it''s exactly 1,000 gold total." The Stone Golem had left behind a fortune of 1,000 gold. "Haa, if only I could get 1,000 gold from you every single day... I guess that''s not possible though." Kang Oh looked regretfully at the broken rock and patted it gently. The Stone Golem would respawn, but it wouldn''t reward them with 1,000 gold again. The boss had umted 1,000 gold within its core after quite some time. If a boss monster wasn''t killed, or the dungeon wasn''t cleared out by a yer, then the treasure would umte naturally. ''Well, I can''tin. After all, that''s how I''m making my living.'' Kang Oh profited off this system; he would find hidden dungeons, kill their boss, and hopefully get a good haul. In other words, he was a dungeon hunter. "Mr. Kang Oh," Eder called. "Yeah?" "Hehe, about my pay..." Eder rubbed his hands together and smiled subserviently. It was obvious what he wanted. Kang Oh had no intention of obliging him. "Here you go." Kang Oh handed him exactly 3 gold. "You made quite a bit of money today. Can''t you give me a little bit more?" "Don''t wanna." "Why!?" "What exactly did you do? I did everything." ¡®At least Mr. Grano gave me some info on the boss monster; he told me that it was a Stone Golem, but what did you do?¡¯ "You didn''t even let me have my chance!" Eder had a bone to pick with him. ¡®It wasn''t like I wasn''t trying to do anything. You just decided to do everything yourself.¡¯ "There''s a huge difference between wanting to work and actually working, so if you want a bonus, then do something that''s worth it!" Kang Oh was firm. ''Have to make sure he adopts some good habits.'' It was like a mother not caving to their child''s demands to buy them a toy. Eder''s 3 gold wage was just his base pay. So if he wanted a bonus, then he''d have to do something worth it! Kang Oh clearly conveyed this idea to Eder. "You''re really too much." Eder turned around in a huff. Kang Oh said to Eder''s back, "There''ll be hell to pay if you steal any money or junk items. Don''t forget that I could see right through youst time." "Ahem." Kang Oh was an immoral CEO, and once again, Eder, the subordinate, was one pitiable fellow. * * * Kang Oh''s party rode their camels out of the Turu Canyon. They were greeted by endless sand dunes. The camels traversed the desert whilst yawning. Psssss. The sand flew into the air, and a burrowing Sandurion peeked its head out. Sandurions, basically earwigs the size of a human forearm. But this Sandurion was a bit different from the others. First, it kept a close eye on them from behind and second, its glossy eyes radiated a blue hue. However, once Kang Oh''s party had passed the sand dune, the blue hue within its eyes disappeared. At that moment... There was a giant tent set up far away from the Hapd Oasis. There were twenty men wearing simr clothes within the tent, with Modune at the center. His subordinate approached him. "Lord Modune. They have left the Turu Canyon," the man said. "Where does it look like they''re headed?" Modune asked. "Based on the direction they''re going, it seems like they''re returning to the Hapd Oasis." "Hmm. For now, continue to monitor them using the Sandurion." "Understood." Once the bearded man left, Modune''s right-hand man came over. He had a bushy beard himself. "Do you think they''ve found the hidden oasis? If they are, then we should mobilize the Red Sand Unit immediately..." "No," Modune interrupted. "Considering how much time Grano spent in Turu Canyon, it seems unlikely. They couldn''t have found and explored the hidden oasis in that short time. So tell the Red Sand Unit to standby for now." The Red Sand Unit was a mercenary group that operated in the deserts north of the Bariton Desert. They only consisted of 100 members, but they had plenty of experience fighting in the desert. "I understand." His right-hand man bowed his head. "There''s no need to rush. Our twenty insect mages have ced Sandurions all across the desert, so Grano can''t escape our grasp." Insect mages could summon or rear insects, and use them to fight. Modune was an insect mage himself, and there were twenty more insect mages under hismand. "But what if they use a return scroll or a teleportation spell once they discover the hidden oasis?" his right-hand asked. "That''s why Grano''s party can''t know that we''re targeting them." With his ability as an insect mage, Modune had cast an invisible all across the Bariton Desert. But if Grano were to be privy to his trap, then there was a chance that Grano could attempt to escape without looking for the hidden oasis. If not, then they could find the hidden oasis and then immediately retreat. Therefore, Modune was secretly watching Grano''s party while waiting for his opportunity to strike. "I''ll keep that in mind." His right-hand man bowed his head. "Good. Make sure you supervise the boys properly. You can go." Modune waved him off, motioning for him to leave. "Yes, sir." Once his subordinate had left, Modune started to stroke a creature at his side. It was a spider the size of a human being. The spider was simr to a tarant, but it was red. It seemed to like it, as the red spider rubbed its body against his hand. "A good hunter knows how to wait until their prey has been ensnared. Just like a spider." Modune smiled wickedly. However! A spider may be a hunter, but it was nothing more than prey to a bird. * * * Kang Oh and Eder were resting within their base in the Hapd Oasis. Then, Grano entered the yurt. He suddenly cast a spell, covering Kang Oh''s party in a blue screen. "What are you doing?" Kang Oh asked. "I got some information on Modune from the magic tower. This spell will keep sound from escaping," Grano said. Modune was targeting them, so there was a chance that they were bugged. Therefore, Grano had taken the appropriate measures just in case. Grano took a seat and revealed what info he''d obtained from the magic tower. "Modune is a mercenary mage in the eastern desert region. However, several years ago he was a member of the Arabas Kingdom." The Arabas Kingdom was located in the eastern part of the Arth continent. When the Altein Empire copsed due to a people''s revolution, the eastern half of the Arth continent revived the monarchy ruling system, creating three separate kingdoms. The Arabas Kingdom was one of those three kingdoms. "So you''re saying that Modune is being supported by the Arabas Kingdom," Kang Oh said. "Yes. But he hasn''t received arge amount of support," Grano replied. "Why is that?" Kang Oh asked. "The Bariton Desert is a neutral region. If the Arabas Kingdom sends arge amount of troops here, then the Ds or Baiyan Kingdoms won''t just stand idly by." The Ds and Baiyan Kingdoms were, like the Arabas Kingdom, kingdoms located in the east. Following the people''s revolution, these kingdoms hadn''t engaged in significant conflict. However, if one of these three kingdoms did as they pleased or tried to increase their power, then the other two kingdoms wouldn''t just stand by and watch. "Then how many of his subordinates did Modune bring from Arabas?" Kang Oh asked. "Less than 150," Grano replied. "Is that information trustworthy?" Kang Oh asked. It was important to know one''s enemy, but it was more important for this information to be correct. Incorrect information could cause disaster after all. "You can''t be self-sufficient in the desert. That''s why people either buy or steal goods. However, they haven''t stolen any goods. If they had, then rumors would have spread by now. This means that they''ve bought their goods. When I asked a merchant I know, he told me that a group had bought arge quantity of food and water recently," Grano said. "Must be Modune''s group," Kang Oh said. "Probably, since the merchants told me that they hadn''t seen them before. Only Modune and his subordinates could have bought all those goods, considering the fact that the merchants didn¡¯t recognize them." "So you''re saying that the amount that they bought is only good for 150 people?" Grano nodded his head. "Hmm. What kind of guys are they..." They knew how many of them there were. However, they couldn''t begin to assume what their strength or level was. "The desert is smaller than you think, so we''ll find the information we seek soon enough," Grano said. He was a native of the Bariton Desert. Therefore, he had quite the effective informationwork. Grano''s informationwork would surely draw in some more detailed information on Modune''s group. "I understand. Then... Shall we talk about the hidden oasis now?" The hidden oasis, which was rumored to contain a vast amount of treasure. Where exactly was it located? Chapter 72. Hidden Oasis (1)

Chapter 72. Hidden Oasis (1)

Trantor: Boko Once upon a time, there was a certain truth-seeker. He was a nomad that had sought the truth his entire life. The truth-seeker had been left behind in the middle of the Bariton Desert. He didn''t have a camel, supplies, or any possessions. Unfortunately for him, he didn''t have any water either. The truth-seeker recklessly traversed through the desert. But the heavens hadn''t forsaken him. There was an oasis right before his very eyes, and he rushed towards it. However, no matter how much he ran, the oasis wouldn''t get any closer. It became difficult for the exhausted nomad to run anymore. Still, he didn''t give up and continued to walk onward. Eventually, the truth-seeker reached the oasis, or so he thought. Once he''d reached the oasis, it disappeared. The oasis had been nothing more than a mirage. The truth-seeker fell to his knees. He no longer had the strength to walk and prepared himself for the worst. "Will I be unable... to find the truth in the end...?" hemented as he gazed at the sky. Then... He heard something from the sky. "Don''t give up. Go a little further and you will find the truth you are looking for." The truth-seeker felt a surge of hope, and so continued his trek through the desert. He began seeing the oasis once more and walked towards it step by step. The truth-seeker finally arrived at the oasis; fortunately this time it was no mirage. He rushed over to the oasis and drank a mouthful of its clear water. After that... "The truth-seeker left these words behind: ''There is truth in the ending mirage.''," Grano said. He then added, "What I''ve told you thus far is part of the legend that has been passed down regarding the oasis of truth." "Hmm. It doesn''t say anything about treasure or a hidden oasis." Kang Oh tilted his head. Grano''s story was much different than he''d expected. "That''s because it''s detailed in the sequel to this story," Grano said. "Come on, keep going," Eder pestered. Grano nodded his head and continued his story. "There was once an explorer called Mnk..." The explorer Mnk had heard the story of the truth-seeker and the oasis of truth. Once he heard that story, he¡¯de up with a hypothesis. The oasis that the truth-seeker had found wasn''t one widely known; rather, it was a hidden oasis that no one knew about. Furthermore, there was water there that could impart truths. "The oasis of truth exists. I''ll find it and obtain the truth." After that, Mnk searched for the oasis of truth. But a short whileter, he went missing. However! A short while after he''d gone missing, a merchant group traversing through the Bariton Desert came across his corpse. They found gold sculptures and priceless jewelry on his body. Also, this was written on the final page of his exploration notebook. "It said, ''I found the hidden oasis, but there was no truth to be found anywhere. Instead, it was filled to the brim with treasure.''. After that, rumors spread that the hidden oasis was filled with treasure," Grano finished. "I really enjoyed the story," Eder said. "Ultimately, it''s saying that there is a treasure in the hidden oasis." Kang Oh grinned, pleased by the prospect of treasure. "But how do we find that hidden oasis?" Eder asked. There weren''t really any concrete leads he could find within Grano''s story. "Mr. Grano, when we first met, you said you had information on the hidden oasis. I think now''s the time to share it," Kang Oh said. Their eyes made contact and Grano nodded his head, signifying that he would begin exining. "The hidden oasis is probably below the desert, or underground," Grano said. "You''re saying an oasis is located underground?" Kang Oh couldn''t understand. What was an oasis in the first ce? An oasis was a hollow space in the desert filled with water and was surrounded by grass and trees. Yet, Grano was iming that it was underground. "Yes. The hidden oasis does not exist above ground. Therefore it either never existed in the first ce, it cannot be seen through some mysterious force, or it exists in the air or underground. Personally, I believe it exists underground." Grano sounded absolutely confident. "Why do you think so?" Kang Oh asked. "I came upon this by coincidence." Grano opened his subspace and retrieved something. It was a ring. The ring was adorned with an eye-shaped ornament and had a question mark at the center of the eye. "What is this? Kang Oh asked. "It''s a ring that represents a secret society known as the Order of Truth," Grano replied. "May I take a look at it?" "Go ahead." Kang Oh took the ring and appraised it. [Order of Truth Si Ring] A ring that verifies the identity of the members of the secret society, the Order of Truth. There is almost no knowledge of the Order of Truth. In order to be a member of the Order of Truth, one must undergo a certain ritual; the only information that remains is the name of the ritual, the ''Taruman Balk''. "Taruman Balk?" What kind ofnguage is this? "In the ancient tongue, Taruman Balk means Final Journey," Eder, who had a profound knowledge of the ancient tongue, said. "Indeed. Final Journey," Grano said. Kang Oh examined the ring and said, "The oasis of truth and the Order of Truth... as well as the ritual to join, Final Journey..." It felt like the puzzle pieces wereing together. "Was the truth-seeker a part of the Order of Truth?" Kang Oh asked. "I believe so. Also, the legend of the oasis of truth details the truth-seeker''s Final Journey." Grano sounded absolutely sure of it. "What kind of ritual is the Final Journey?" Eder asked. "I don''t know the specifics, but it''s likely a ritual that requires one to ovee danger to obtain the truth." "Like surviving in the desert... without anything on him?" Kang Oh asked. It all lined up. The truth-seeker hadn''t coincidentally been left behind. Rather, the members of the Order of Truth had left him there on purpose so that he could undergo the ritual. "Yes. But it''s likely in a more specific location than just the desert," Grano said. "Then where is it?" "There is one ce in the desert where one cannot return from; it is a ce that means death to anyone whoes across it, quicksand! Quicksand. If one is caught in quicksand, then they sink into the ground and die. It was indeed indicative of death in the desert. "So we have to enter quicksand," Kang Oh said. "Yes. And if we pick the wrong spot, then... all that will await us is death," Grano said. This was the reason Grano had been unable to find the hidden oasis, despite having such a lead. There was no way for him to figure out which quicksand pit was correct. "Are you still going to look for it regardless?" "Of course. And we won''t die from the quicksand either." After all, what ability did Kang Oh possess!? Hyper Intuition! If he found the quicksand pit that hid the hidden oasis, then his Hyper Intuition would active without fail. ¡®As long as I find the right spot, all the treasure will be mine!¡¯ Kang Ohughed automatically. "Hehe." * * * The desert went on for miles and miles. Kang Oh''s party were riding upon their camels at the center of this endless sea of sand. "Here," Grano said. Grano pointed towards a downward slope. Kang Oh closely examined the sand-bed. The sand was definitely being sucked into a single area. There was no question; it was a quicksand pit. "How is it? Did that Hyper Intuition skill of yours activate?" Grano asked. Kang Oh shook his head. His Hyper Intuition remained silent. "Is that Hyper Intuition or what not even real?" Eder stared at him suspiciously. "You don¡¯t trust me?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He''d informed Grano and Eder that he possessed a special skill known as Hyper Intuition. Kang Oh had exined that this skill would inform him of any hidden items or locations if they existed. ''If I just told them that I had sharp senses, then they wouldn''t have believed me.'' He hadn''t found the right time to reveal his Hyper Intuition, and he hadn''t had a reason to reveal it either. But now was the time to tell Grano and Eder; plus, by telling them that it was a skill, they could more easily ept it. "I trust you, but..." Eder trailed off. "I''m telling you. The reason I was able to pick the right rocks for the quiz was because of my Hyper Intuition," Kang Oh said. "You told us that you figured it out by weight," Eder pressed. "Well, I thought it''d make me sound smarter at the time," Kang Oh said, looking absolutely shameless. "Whatever the case, I''ll believe you have this Hyper Intuition skill or what not after you find the right spot," Eder said as if he were doing him a favor. "I''m serious. Remember when I found the Cave Hidden by the Wind..." Kang Oh even pulled from past events to convince him. However, Grano interrupted him. "Mr. Kang Oh, I believe you. This isn''t the right spot, yes?" "Yes, it''s not the right spot." "Then let''s go find another spot." Grano''s camel began to trudge through the desert. Kang Oh hit Eder. "I''m telling the truth." "Alright, fine." Kang Oh and Eder''s camels followed suit. Behind them, two Sandurions followed their camels'' tracks. * * * The fat man, Modune, took a bite from a dragon fruit with juice spilling out of it. Then, his bushy bearded subordinate approached him. It was his right-hand man. "I think they''ve found the hidden oasis." Modune licked the juice from his lips. "They''re finally on the move. They haven''t figured out that we''re watching them, have they?" Modune asked. In order for this operation to seed, Grano and his party couldn''t know that they were being targeted by Modune. If they weren''t aware of it, then Modune and his men could follow them to the hidden oasis, or steal the treasure from them once they''ve made their way out. "Yes. We¡¯ve kept tabs on them through the Sandurions, but they didn''t seem wary of their surroundings," his right-hand man said. Insect mages were capable of controlling the Sandurions from a distance, as well as share vision with them. Because of that, Modune and his men had been able to keep tabs on Kang Oh without them noticing. "Tell the captain of the Red Sand Unit to be ready to sortie at a moment''s notice." "Yes, sir." "When will the magical device arrive?" There was a chance that Grano would escape with a return scroll or a teleportation spell. That''s why Modune had asked for a magical device from the Arabas Kingdom; it would create a barrier, preventing those within it from teleporting away. "It will be here in two days." "Two days..." "Bariton is a huge ce. They shouldn''t be able to find the hidden oasis in two days no matter what they do." "Indeed." Modune nodded his head. After all, Modune and his men had scoured the desert for a month to find the hidden oasis. However, he''de up empty-handed. In other words, they wouldn''t be able to find the hidden oasis that easily. However! That was a huge miscalction. Kang Oh had already found the quicksand pit that led to the hidden oasis. Chapter 73. Hidden Oasis (2)

Chapter 73. Hidden Oasis (2)

Trantor: Boko Somewhere in the Bariton Desert... "It''s here," Kang Oh said, bending down and grabbing a handful of sand. "Are you sure?" Grano looked at him in disbelief, adding, "This spot isn''t dangerous." He was right. Kang Oh had led them to a quicksand pit.. However, it wasn¡¯t dense enough; if someone fell into the pit, then they¡¯d easily be able to get themselves out. Not only that, but the quicksand pit was small and had a weak pull. Anyone who managed to get caught in this and die was an idiot. It only appeared like quicksand; it didn''t actually possess the inherent danger of one. What''s worse, this wasn''t one of the areas that Grano had led them to. It was merely a quicksand pit that they''d coincidentally found while they were looking for the most dangerous areas. "This is it. My Hyper Intuition skill activated," Kang Oh said with surety. His Hyper Intuition wouldn''t activate just anywhere. This quicksand pit was definitely the entrance to the hidden oasis. "It''s because it''s not dangerous that people haven''t slipped through and discovered the hidden oasis. Since anyone can just get out before they sink all the way through," Kang Oh said. That was the other reason why he was sure that this was the entrance to the hidden oasis. "Hmm." Grano looked doubtful. He trusted Kang Oh''s ability, but he also felt that this couldn''t possibly be the right spot. "If you can''t trust me, then I''ll go in myself and check, but... I think we should return to the Hapd Oasis first." Kang Oh threw away the fistful of sand. "Why go back?" Eder looked at Kang Oh suspiciously. If Kang Oh truly had the Hyper Intuition skill and that skill had directed him here, then that meant that this really was the entrance of the hidden oasis. Thus, there was treasure waiting for them below. Yet Kang Oh, who was obsessed with money, wanted to leave? That didn''t make any sense. "We''re notpletely prepared for that fat ass yet." Obviously, he was referring to Modune. If he could, then he''d immediately dive into the quicksand and stake his im over the treasure. However, he was worried that Modune would backstab them, so he couldn''t just yet. "Are you absolutely sure that this is the right ce?" Grano stared right at him and said. "You said you trusted me. So please, just trust me on this one." Kang Oh didn''t avoid Grano''s gaze; his gaze didn''t waver in the least. "I understand. Then let''s return to the Hapd Oasis and ready ourselves for some pig hunting," Grano said. He''d decided to trust Kang Oh. Kang Oh''s eyes didn''t show any signs of deceit. "Then I''ll trust you too," Eder said. "Yeah, just trust me. They say good things happen to those who have faith." Kang Oh grinned. * * * Grano entered their base in the Hapd Oasis. He cast a spell that created a veil around them, blocking off all sound and preventing anyone from overhearing them. "I''ve learned something important." Grano sat next to Kang Oh. "What is it?" Kang Oh asked. "I contacted the magic tower. They informed me that Modune is an insect mage." "An insect mage... They specialize in summoning and controlling insects, right?" As their name implied, an insect mage was capable of summoning and controlling insects. Kang Oh had heard rumors that some yers who started in the eastern three kingdoms had changed into this ss. "Yes. They mostly operate within the three kingdoms, or the Arabas, Ds, and Baiyan Kingdoms," Grano said. "The sudden appearance of so many Sandurions in the Bariton Desert may be Modune''s doing." Kang Oh recollected the quest he''d received from the Adventurer Guild. The insect mage, Modune, and the earwigs, the Sandurions. Everything was fitting into ce. "Yes, the Sandurions are most likely Modune''s doing," Grano said. Modune had scoured the desert in his search for the hidden oasis. If that''s the case, then he would''ve used his insects to help. "Since they''re capable of controlling insects, they should be able to use them to watch us or eavesdrop on us," Eder said. "There are Sandurions everywhere, so it won''t be easy to escape his surveince," Grano said. "Hmm. Then they may follow us into the hidden oasis," Kang Oh said. "Indeed. Since they don''t want to lose the treasure to us," Eder said. "Or they may target us when we''re weak, after we''ve found the treasure," Grano said. "We need someone to keep an eye on Modune." Kang Oh had just the person. ''I need to call Sephiro.'' The Wind Archer, Sephiro! It was time to give him a new job. "Do you know someone who can help us?" Grano asked. "Yes. I know a skilled archer called Sephiro," Kang Oh said. "I see. I''ll also request reinforcements from the magic tower in case of an attack." Grano was the water magic research director of Altein''s magic tower. Thus, he held a considerable amount of power. If such a figure was put in danger, then the magic tower would surely dispatch battle mages to protect him. "Is Modune the only insect mage?" Kang Oh asked. "There are likely about 20 of them, considering how many Sandurions there are in the Bariton Desert," Grano said. "Last time you said that Modune had about 150 troops, right?" Kang Oh recalled what Grano had told him before. "There have been some unidentified, armed mercenaries riding atop camels recently. They say that there are about 100 of them." "They''re Modune''s men." "It''s likely." "Then we''re facing 100 mercenaries on camels and about 20 insect mages; the rest is unknown." Kang Ohbined all the information they had thus far. "How strong do you think the mercenaries are?" Kang Oh asked. "They''re mercenaries, so they shouldn''t be too strong. However, those who''ve seen them have imed that they seem well trained." "Hmm. If they''re soldiers, then they must be the best of the best." If possible, Kang Oh wanted to ambush them or take them down one-by-one, rather than fight them head-on. "How about Modune and his insect mages?" Kang Oh asked. "The magic tower believes he''s around level 200. The other insect mages should be weaker than him," Grano said. "Alright." Kang Oh felt as though he''d gotten all the information he needed. "Now all we need to do is figure out a n to take care of Modune while we wait for reinforcements." Kang Oh''s eyes sharply gleamed, as if he were a savage beast aiming for its prey. * * * Three dayster. Kang Oh''s party, havingpleted all their preparations, returned to the quicksand pit. "I''ll go in first and contact you with this." Kang Oh fiddled with themunication earring hanging from his ear. Grano too, wore amunication earring on one of his ears to stay in touch. "If you find yourself in danger, please use the magical device I gave you," Grano said. He had given Kang Oh a magical device containing the Hawk''s Talon spell. Hawk''s Talon was a spell that pulled someone into the air like a hawk capturing its prey. This particr device was made of ss and shaped like a bird''s talon. If he shouted ''Hawk''s Talon'' or exerted enough pressure to break the ss, then the spell would activate. "That shouldn''t happen." Kang Oh smiled. He''d picked the right ce, so he shouldn''t find himself in danger. Kang Oh walked towards the center of the quicksand pit step-by-step. With every step, his feet sank deeper into the sand. His feet didn''t feel stuck, unlike if he were in a mudt or a swamp. Ultimately, Kang Oh stood where sand was being drawn in. His body began sinking into the sand. However, he sank extremely slowly and its pull was weak, so he could escape whenever he wanted. ''Seriously. I don''t think anyone has ever gotten sucked into this thing.'' He yawned as he was sucked into the quicksand pit. Grano watched him and said, "It seems like you''re right, Mr. Kang Oh." "What do you mean? That this quicksand pit leads to the hidden oasis?" Eder asked. "Not that. The fact that no one''s ever been sucked into this, so no one has ever found the hidden oasis," Grano said. There were several quicksand pits that were really dangerous in the desert. Moreover, there were plenty of people that got trapped in them and couldn''t return. If the hidden oasis was truly below one of those dangerous areas, then someone should''ve found the hidden oasis by now. However, that hadn''t happened thus far, since no one had ever returned from being sucked into a dangerous pit of quicksand. "That''s true. By the way, is Modune watching us right now?" Eder took a look around using his peripheral vision, rather than turn his head. He didn''t see any Sandurions or any insects like them anywhere. "He probably is." "Then he''ll probably follow us, right?" "It doesn''t matter whether they follow us in or wait for us toe out; they''re trapped in the palm of our hands." They had a n, no matter what Modune chose to do. Their preparations were perfect. Moreover, Sephiro was following Modune. Modune believes that he''s the one watching them, but he was actually the one being watched. "Tch, tch. Pitiful bastard." Eder clicked his tongue. "He''s gone." Then, the sandpletely engulfed Kang Oh. After seeing that, Grano spoke. Eder nodded his head. "Indeed." * * * ''Mm.'' As Kang Oh sunk deeper into the ground, his entire body felt pressure. Perhaps it was the feeling of wanting to take offyers of clothing. Fortunately, it didn''t hurt since he was in-game, and he didn''t feel the fear of death either. Unfortunately... [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP. Stamina drops.] [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP...] [You cannot breathe...] [You cannot...] He was about to get a game over. Kang Oh could, of course, push through the sand and surface since he was holding Grano''s one time use magical device. Despite that, he decided not to leave. He kept receiving messages about his lost HP. How long did he stay like that? Eventually, Kang Oh started feeling anxious. ''This is getting dangerous.'' His HP was fast approaching 0. Yet there weren¡¯t any signs of the hidden oasis, so Kang Oh started to think. Kang Oh gripped the magical device even harder. ''Should I use it or not?'' He was conflicted. Should he use the magical device and escape, or keep going? But he then realized that his Hyper Intuition, which detects danger, hadn''t warned him of anything. Even though he was in such a pickle! In other words, this situation didn''t pose any danger to him. Ultimately, he loosened his grip on the magical device. ''Let''s just keep going!'' Kang Oh decided to trust in his Hyper Intuition. After all, it had never been wrong before! ''If my Hyper Intuition does detect danger, then I''ll use the magical device immediately.'' If his Hyper Intuition warned him in a situation like this, then the danger was real. Thus, he would use the magical device immediately. [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP. Stamina drops.] [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP.] [You do not have much HP left. Danger.] His HP kept dwindling. Despite that, his Hyper Intuition hadn''t warned him of danger. ''I trust you, Hyper Intuition!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and continued to endure. [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP.] [Danger.] [Danger!] [Remaining HP: 25] He didn''t have much HP left. ''Hurry!'' Kang Oh hoped he''d see the entrance to the hidden oasis or a portal. [You cannot breathe. You have lost HP.] [Remaining HP: 13] [Remaining HP: 9] [7, 4, 3...] ''Am I... wrong?'' If that''s the case, then Kang Oh would have to pay the price: a game over! [Remaining HP: 1] In the end, his HP dropped to 1 and he should''ve gotten a game over quickly after. That''s what should''ve happened, but... The situation suddenly changed. [Remaining HP: 1] [Remaining HP: 1] [Remaining HP: 1] His HP didn''t drop below 1, and he finally got the message he was waiting for. [You havepleted the Taruman Balk.] ''The Taruman Balk!'' The Taruman Balk, or the Final Journey in the ancient tongue; it was a phrase that was connected to the hidden oasis and something that Kang Oh had been looking for. In other words, he''d made the right choice! ''I was right!'' He suddenly felt something tugging at him. It wasn''t just a feeling. Whoosh. Kang Oh, who was buried in sand, was instantly drawn deeper into the sand. By the time he''d gotten a hold of himself, he was in apletely different ce. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Oasis Tainted by Greed.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [Experience is doubled when hunting in the Oasis Tainted by Greed. Item drop rate is also doubled.] Chapter 74. Fight to the Death

Chapter 74. Fight to the Death

Trantor: Boko Grano and Eder stood, staring at the quicksand that had engulfed Kang Oh. "We haven''t heard from him for a while... Do you think something went wrong?" Eder asked. He furrowed his pale, colorless brow. "Even if I wanted to talk to him via themunication earring... He wouldn''t be able to talk in the sand." Grano was worried about Kang Oh. Not only had he not gotten any word from him, but he hadn''t pushed himself out of the sand either. "Shouldn''t we do something?" Eder asked. Normally, Eder would just leave Kang Oh be, as he always abused or threatened him. But after spending time with him, it seemed like he''d formed an affection derived from hatred for Kang Oh. Eder couldn''t just leave Kang Oh be. "Then I''ll use a spell to..." Grano dug the sand with a spell. But then... Beep - Beep - Beep. He heard a signal from hismunication earring. Grano quickly grabbed the earrings with his fingers. "Ah! Ah! This is Kang Oh. This is Kang Oh, can you hear me?" He could hear Kang Oh''s voice through themunication earring. "Yes, I can hear you. Mr. Kang Oh, are you alright?" Grano inquired. "Yes. I was close to dying, but I managed to make it out alive." "Hoo. That''s a relief." "Indeed. I''ve found the hidden dungeon." He could hear Kang Oh''s ted voice. "Did you really find it?" Grano''s voice quivered. The Bariton Desert''s greatest secret: the hidden oasis! They''d finally found it. It was only natural that his voice shook and his heart began to pound. "Yes. I''ll tell you how to get here now." "Was there another way aside from sinking in the quicksand? Grano asked. "Sinking in the quicksand is the right way. However, you have to endure until you''re at the brink. That''s the only way to reach the hidden oasis." Kang Oh clearly emphasized the word ''endure''. "So you''re saying that we cannot escape the quicksand, regardless of how easy it would be to do so, and endure as long as we can." Grano quickly realized what Kang Oh was saying. "Yes. That is the Taruman Balk Ritual, or the Final Journey." "I understand. Mr. Eder and I will go immediately." "I''ll try summoning Eder." "Understood." Grano stared at Eder. "Mr. Kang Oh said he''d try summoning you, Mr. Eder." Eder, who''d been listening to their conversation, nodded his head from beside Grano. His body seemed to fade and then disappeared as if smoke had dispersed. A short whileter. "Eder got here safe and sound. Now it''s your turn, Mr. Grano." He could hear Kang Oh''s voice through the earring once more. "I understand. Then I''ll see you at the hidden oasis." Grano took his finger off themunication earring and walked to the center of the quicksand pit. Whoosh. The sand sounded like sweeping wind as his body sank deeper and deeper into the quicksand. Grano didn''t do anything. Ultimately, he waspletely engulfed by the sand. Kang Oh''s party hadpletely disappeared within the sand with two Sandurions watching the entire scene. * * * Grano''s situation was different from Kang Oh''s. He wasn''t a yer, so death was a very real prospect for him. Therefore, once he''d left the quicksand and was no longer able to breathe, he felt the fear of death wash over him. Grano instinctively tried to dig himself out of the sand with both hands and raise his body out of the pit. However, after one attempt, he stopped. ''This isn''t... real quicksand.'' If it were real, then its weight and pressure wouldn''t allow him to dig himself out. However, if one exert enough force with both arms, then they could dig themselves out of this quicksand pit. In other words, this ce was artificially made to make it easy to escape. If that''s the case, then Kang Oh was right; he wouldn''t be buried alive. Grano tightly clenched his fists. ''Please, please!'' He wanted this to be over ASAP and arrive at the entrance to the hidden oasis. However, he couldn''t breathe, so his chest felt tight and his mind became faint. How much time had passed? ''T-This is my limit...'' It felt like he''d ck out. ''I''ll die helplessly,'' Grano thought. ''Becky, Reba, Veronica!'' The faces of his two daughters and wife shed through his mind. At that moment... His body felt relieved and though he hadn''t taken a breath, it felt as though he had. Furthermore, some strong force was pulling on him. Whoosh. Grano was pulled deeper into the sand. * * * When he awoke, he saw Kang Oh and Eder''s faces. He automatically felt happy. "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder!" Grano embraced both Kang Oh and Eder. "Ahem. What''s wrong?" Kang Oh looked troubled by Grano''s intense disy of emotion. "Are you alright?" Eder patted Grano''s back. "I thought I''d die without being able to see my daughters get married," Grano said. His body was still trembling. "I told you you wouldn''t die," Kang Oh said and removed himself. He could only hug a man for so long. As a true healer, Eder kept patting Grano''s back to calm him down. Because of that, Grano was eventually able to calm down. "Thank you very much, Mr. Eder." Grano bowed his head. "It was nothing," Eder replied modestly. p! Kang Oh pped his hands. "Now, let''s get ready!" Then, Grano saw the surroundingndscape. "This ce is..." The ceiling was covered by a dome-shaped transparent veil. He could see the sand flowing along the veil. ''Is it a barrier?'' The transparent veil appeared to be a barrier created to form arge space beneath the desert. There was a shimmering crystal at the center of the dome, which illuminated the inside of the room. That''s why it wasn''t dark inside. The ground consisted of gray sand, and there was also an oasis far into the distance. There was also a structure constructed around the oasis as well! "It''s the hidden oasis!" Grano yelled. He''d finally found it! "Yes, it is, so please get a hold of yourself and get ready for some guests," Kang Oh said. "Guests... Modune?" Eder asked. "Yep." Kang Oh had created several ns to use against Modune. One of those ns was as follows: attack when Modune and his men follow them in! "This is our chance, since only a few of them can enter at a time," Kang Oh said. The quicksand pit wasn''trge enough to engulf several of Modune''s men at once. In other words, Modune''s troops couldn''t alle down here at once, which meant that they could take them down one at a time. "Indeed." Grano nodded his head. "Then I''ll let Mr. Sephiro know." Kang Oh opened a message window and sent Sephiro a message. - We''ve arrived at our destination. How is the situation outside? - They''re gathering around the quicksand pit right now. Sephiro was currently following Modune and his men. As befitting an archer, Sephiro possessed the Hawkeye skill, which enhanced his vision. Therefore, he could follow them whilst maintaining a distance and still see each and every one of their moves. - Just as nned. Please send me a message when they enter the pit. - Understood. Kang Oh closed the message window and said, "As we nned, Modune and his men are entering the pit. When they get here, take them down immediately." "Yes, sir!" Eder raised his mace high. Rather than reply, Grano''s orb spun. * * * A cloud of sand rose. Countless camels trekked across the sand. Modune, the Red Sand Unit, as well as the insect mages rode upon them. There were 130 of them! The line of camels stopped at the heart of the desert. They had stopped at the very location that Kang Oh''s party had just been not too long ago. "Right there. Grano went inside there." Modune''s bushy-bearded subordinate pointed at the pit of quicksand. "Quicksand, huh... That''s why no one could find it," Modune said as he stared at the pit. The desert''s most dangerous trap was quicksand. So who would have thought that it concealed the entrance to the hidden oasis? No one would even fathom it. "What should we do? Should we follow Grano inside?" his subordinate asked. "How long has it been since Grano went inside?" "It''s been more than 30 minutes." "30 minutes, huh... Give the Red Sand Unit somemunication devices and send them in as scouts," Modune ordered. His subordinate ryed Modune''s order to the captain of the Red Sand Unit. Their captain pointed at three members, who promptly stood forward. "The path to the hidden oasis lies within. Go in and report." The captain gave them crystal beads that wererger than his fist. They were old-fashionedmunication devices. "Understood." One of the members epted the bead and walked to the center of the quicksand pit. The other two members followed after the first man.. The three sat in the area where the sand was being sucked in and their bodies were slowly devoured by the pit. Modune watched as they did so, and Sephiro, who was keeping watch in the distance, sent a report to Kang Oh. - Three mercenaries have entered the quicksand pit. He sent Kang Oh the message. - Understood. Please keep telling us how many of them are entering the quicksand. Please report anything of note too. - I understand. Sephiro watched Modune and his men from afar. How much time had passed? The three mercenaries that had entered the quicksand had dug themselves out. "Keok, heok!" "Haa, hahk." "Heoh, Haa." The three mercenaries were breathing heavily. "What happened?" "Heoh, there is no... entrance to the hidden oasis inside. Haa. It''s all just sand," the mercenary holding themunication crystal said. "I thought I''d die if I stayed, so... I dug myself out of the sand," one of the other mercenaries said. "I got it. Remain on standby over there." "Yes, sir." The captain approached Modune. "What did they say?" Modune asked. "They tried going inside, but all they found is sand." "Hmm." Modune stroked his thick chin. "It appears that you need to use a specific method or item to enter the hidden oasis," his bushy-bearded subordinate said. Modune nodded his head. It made sense. "What will we do now?" his subordinate asked. "We wait until theye out with the treasure," Modune said. "Captain!" he called. "Yes." "Tell your men to be on standby; make sure they''re ready to fight on a moment''s notice," Modune ordered. "Understood." The captain left to fulfill his orders. "You go with the insect mages and set up the teleportation nullifying device. And set up surveince over the entire desert too. There''s a chance that they could appear somewhere else," Modune said to his subordinate. They''d already received the teleportation nullifying device from the Arabas Kingdom. Now was the time to use it. "Yes, sir." "Watch them carefully. Tell the insect mages that there''ll be hell to pay if they make it out of the desert," Modune said harshly. "I understand." "Go on." The bushy-bearded subordinate left; he walked around busily to ry Modune''s order. Sephiro was watching them closely and obviously reported this to Kang Oh. * * * - The mercenaries that entered left without finding anything. After that, they gave up on going in. Sephiro had sent a message. - I understand. Please keep watching them. Once he''d sent a reply, Kang Oh called for Eder and Grano. "It appears that they couldn''t pass the Final Journey," Kang Oh said. "That means..." Grano trailed off. "Yes. They''re not following us; instead, they''re waiting for us outside," Kang Oh said. "Then it''d be hard to pick them off one-by-one," Eder said. "It''s not all bad. We don''t have to worry about them for the time being, and can explore the hidden oasis." Kang Oh pointed towards the oasis with the tip of his sword. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party headed for the oasis and the structure around it. Chapter 75. Tower of Wisdom

Chapter 75. Tower of Wisdom

Trantor: Boko There was a three-story tower (shaped like a three-tier cake) near the hidden oasis, and the oasis''s water was clear enough that it reflected the ground. However! Within the watery gold coins, bars, and ornaments, as well as jewelry made of all sorts of precious gems. There was also old pottery, tinum cups, etc. Plenty of items worthy of being called treasure were submerged in the water. "Heok. I''ve hit the jackpot!" Kang Oh''s jaw dropped. To think he''d find so much treasure here! "There''s so much treasure here," Eder admired. "This is... holy water," Grano drew some water and said. As befitting a mage, he could feel the divine power thaty within. "All of it is holy water?" Kang Oh asked. Holy water possessed the power of purification, and it could never be created naturally. It could only be created via a god''s blessing or might. In other words, the oasis must have been touched by a god''s influence, as it was filled with holy water. "Are you alright?" Kang Oh looked at Eder and said. "I''m ok. Why?" "This is holy water. You''re undead," Kang Oh said. "Oh, that''s right. I wonder why I''m ok." Eder touched the holy water, but he wasn''t affected in the least. "Not all holy water is fatal for the undead," Grano said. "Ah, is that so?" "Yes. It depends on the god; some holy water will harm the undead, but some won''t." "As expected." Kang Oh and Eder simultaneously nodded their heads. "In any case, it seems like the hidden oasis is somehow connected to Turu." Grano retrieved Turu''s te from his subspace. The te was radiating a never-before-seen gentle light. Grano had realized that Turu had a close connection with the hidden oasis ever since he''d seen the phrase on the te. "So is this Turu''s shrine or something?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m not sure. Whatever the case, we need to take a closer look to know for sure. We need to keep a particrly close eye on that tower." Grano pointed towards the three-story tower. "Hmm." Kang Oh scrutinized the treasure with his arms crossed. Although he wanted to rush over and im the treasure right away... ''Something feels off.'' It was strange; why would they just leave the treasure here in broad daylight for anyone to take? "It feels like a trap, doesn''t it?" Kang Oh asked Grano. "Probably? I believe it best if we look around and thene back for the treasureter," Grano said. "Mm." Kang Oh nodded his head. He couldn''t forget his experience in Beskamen I''s tomb, where he''d fallen for a trap (the tomb caving in) and hade out of the dungeon empty-handed. Yet here he was, being forced to ignore the treasure right before his very eyes... He couldn''t move away from it easily. Seeing that, Grano said, "The treasure won''t go anyway, so let''s go into the tower first." "Mr. Grano is right. If you''re too greedy, you could lose it all again," Eder said. "I understand." ''Please wait for me.'' Kang Oh regretfully nced at the treasure and forced himself to step away from the treasure. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party stood before the entrance of the tower. The entrance was shut tight via a tough stone gate. Eder tried to force the gate open, but it refused to budge an inch. "Looks like it''s locked," Eder said. Grano approached the gate, and pointed to the engraved letters that were written in the Bariton Desert''s ancient tongue. "What it says on the gate is: ''Couragepletes wisdom.''." "I feel like I''ve heard that somewhere before." Eder furrowed his brow. He could¡¯ve sworn he''d heard that somewhere before. "We saw it before we defeated the golem," Kang Oh said. "Ah, you''re right. We saw it back then!" Eder pped his hands. "It must be asking you for proof that you possess both courage and wisdom." Grano stretched out Turu''s te towards the gate. Once the gentle light shined on the door, the gate''s ancient letters began to shine as well. Creak. The massive gate opened on both sides. [You have discovered the Tower of Wisdom.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] "The Tower of Wisdom, huh... Have you ever heard about it before?" Kang Oh asked Grano. "It''s the first I''ve ever heard of it, but it''s definitely connected to Turu." Grano stated the obvious. After all, the gate could only be opened with Turu''s te, and the tower was called the Tower of ''Wisdom''. "We don''t have any info regarding the tower, so everyone keep your guard up. We don''t know what''s going to show up in there," Kang Oh said. Eder and Grano nodded their heads. "Let''s go." Kang Oh entered first, being wary of his surroundings. Grano and Eder followed close behind him. * * * "Hmm." Kang Oh examined the inside of the tower. To start, it was bright. He didn''t see anything in particr illuminating the tower, but it was bright nheless. There was a passageway that went straight forward, and the ceiling was high. Both walls were covered in a mural. "Hoh." Grano seemed interested in the mural. "What''s wrong? Is there something that caught your eye?" Eder asked. "The mural uses various letters, shapes, and meanings that appear across the Arth continent." "Ah, now that you mention it, there are letters in the mural," Eder said as he closely studied the murals. "Yes. This mural is a dictionary for Arth''s letters," Grano said. "A dictionary? Why would they add a dictionary to a mural?" Eder tilted his head. "We''ll find out as we go along I suppose," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh''s party progressed through the mural-filled passageway. When the passageway ended, they found themselves in a vast space. "Is this a library?" Kang Oh asked. "There are tons of books in here," Grano said. As they said, there were arge quantity of books within the tower. There were countless bookshelves filled to the brim with books. Eder, who normally loved to read and was interested in books, was excited. He quickly examined the books. "I-Impossible." Eder''s eyes widened. "What? What''s wrong?" Kang Oh asked, as Eder''s reaction was unusual. "P-Please give me a moment," Eder stammered and tried to pull out one of the books. This book was called . "Huh? This book won''te out." Eder tried to pull the book out, but the book wouldn''te out at all. "What is it? Is it expensive?" "I''m not sure about the price, but this book is listed in ," Eder said. "So it''s a book that no longer ''exists''," Kang Oh said. Then it should be expensive. Then, Grano, who had been inspecting the books, pointed at a different book. "This book is the same." The book he was pointing at was written in the Bariton Desert''s ancient script. "What kind of book is it?" Eder asked. "It''s called . The way to create Beskamen Silk, which is what my turban is made out of, should be written inside." Grano pointed at his plumed turban. "You said that the way to create Beskamen Silk was lost," Kang Oh said. "Yes. However, a record of it still exists here. But I can''t take the book out and look at it, so I don''t know whether it''s the real deal or not." Grano shrugged his shoulders. "This seems like a ce where lost knowledge is stored. There''s some hidden force preventing us from taking the books too," Kang Oh said. Grano nodded his head, as if he agreed with Kang Oh''s assumption. "How do we take these books out?" Eder looked anxious, as if he was desperately waiting for someone to be finished with the restroom. "Dunno." Kang Oh shook his head. Eder looked desperately at Grano. "I''m not sure at the moment." Grano too shook his head. "Ugh." "There''re stairs over there that lead to the next floor. Let''s go to the 2nd floor." Grano pointed towards the spiral-shaped stairs. "I wonder if there''s anything on the 2nd floor. It''d be nice if there were gold bars there instead of books..." Kang Oh walked towards the stairs. "There might be books that we can actually take," Eder said. "We''ll see when we get there." Grano followed suit. Kang Oh''s party ascended the stairs up to the 2nd floor. There were several rooms on the 2nd floor. There was a bedroom with a stone bed, a conference room with a round table and chairs, and a work room with a work bench inside; also, there was a kitchen, a storage room, and a bathroom as well. "Hmm. Someone definitely lived here. It might''ve been the members of the Order of Truth," Grano said. "Probably," Kang Oh agreed. "Then why don''t we see anyone?" Eder asked. There were traces of people living here, but no people. "I''m not sure..." Grano stroked his chin. "Let''s look through the third floor for now." Kang Oh headed towards the spiral-shaped stairs and his party ascended to the third floor. There was an altar at the center of the third floor. The ceiling was wide open, and there was a crystal at the top that illuminated the entirety of the hidden oasis. However, Turu''s te shined light straight forward like aser. Its light had made contact with the altar. "Why''s it doing that?" Eder¡¯s gaze alternated between Turu''s te and the altar. "It must mean that we need to ce the te on top of the altar," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh''s party approached the altar. He was right. There was a groove at the center of the altar that matched the size of the te. Furthermore, the te''s light shined upon the groove as well. "Should I ce the te inside?" Grano asked Kang Oh and Eder for their opinions. "It could be a trap." Kang Oh looked concerned. It was still clear in his mind; when he turned the key in the Tomb of Beskamen I, the entire ce had caved in. "Hmm. I cannot be sure, but I don''t think it''s a trap, since Turu''s te has been leading us here. If it was a trap, then it wouldn''t have led us here in the first ce," Grano said. It was because they possessed Turu''s te that they could open the door. Plus, Turu''s te was glowing, effectively telling them to ce it into the groove. There was merit in Grano''s opinion. "Please ce it into the groove." "Are you in favor too, Mr. Eder?" Eder nodded his head. "Yes." Grano carefully ced the te within the groove. It fit perfectly. At that moment! Tremble. The tower slightly shook. "No way!" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. This is what happenedst time in the Tomb of Beskamen I before it caved in. Eder instinctively raised his head, checking to see if the ceiling was falling. "Phew." Eder sighed in relief. He remembered that the third floor didn''t have a ceiling in the first ce. At that moment! The te emitted a powerful pir of light. [A god has been called.] [You have proven your worth.] [The God of Wisdom, Turu, has responded to your call.] The pir of light disappeared. Soon, an old man appeared, standing atop the altar with a long, question-mark staff in his hand. The old man''s hair, eyebrows, and beard was all white like snow. He also seemed ill-tempered and fastidious. The old man said, "Did you guys call for me?" He appeared annoyed. "Are you the God of Wisdom?" Kang Oh widened his eyes in disbelief. He was much too unattractive for a god. He looked like the strict old man next door. "Indeed. I am the God of Wisdom, Turu!" Turu smacked the altar with his question-mark staff, speaking with as much dignity as he could muster. It was momentarily silent. "Oh, my body aches." Turu suddenly supported his back and sat on top of the altar. "Man, you really have to pass on when you get old," Turu put down his question-mark staff and said. He rubbed his body all over with both his free hands. Kang Oh and Eder nced at each other. ''Is this guy a fake?'' ''It does seem that way.'' However, Grano bowed his head. "Lord Turu. It''s an honor to be granted an audience with you." His expression was quite serious and somber. "Haha," Turuughed. Chapter 76. God of Wisdom, Turu

Chapter 76. God of Wisdom, Turu

Trantor: Boko ''He seems like the real deal.'' ''Yeah, I think you''re right.'' Having seen Grano and Turu''s interactions, Kang Oh and Eder nced at each other once more. "I am indeed Turu," Turu said to Kang Oh and Eder. ''He''s a god, so let''s try some ttery.'' His skill in ttery, which had proven effective against the diator Master, Burkan, was now being used again after such a long time. "Hehe, of course." Kang Ohughed and was about to say, ''Your overwhelming dignity made that clear at first nce.'' Right when he was about to tter him... Whack! Whack! Turu suddenly struck Kang Oh and Eder''s foreheads with his question-mark staff. "Ugh. Why did you hit me!?" He wasn''t able to dodge it even with his Hyper Intuition. As the staff came towards him, his body had frozen stiff. "Ugh." Eder held his forehead. "That''s your punishment for doubting me, you rascals." Turu smiled impishly. Seeing that, Kang Oh didn''t attempt to tter him again. ttery didn''t seem like it would work on this ill-tempered old man. This old man was a human, no, god, that loved causing trouble rather than being ttered. "Ahem. Honestly, you don''t really look like a god," Kang Oh said as he rubbed his forehead. "Gods without believers typically look shabby like me," Turu said. "You have no believers? What do you mean? Aren''t you a famous god within the Bariton Desert?" Eder asked, also rubbing his forehead. "Being famous and being believed in are two different things." "So you''re saying you don''t have any believers," Grano said. "Haha." "What happened to the Order of Truth? Aren''t they your followers, Lord Turu?" Grano asked. "Rather than call them believers, it would be more urate to say we had a rtionship of mutual dependence," Turu said. "Could you please be a bit more clear?" Kang Oh said, assuming a nted posture. "Want me to hit you again?" "Ahem." Kang Oh assumed an upright posture and remained silent. "I am the god who keeps and watches over books that contain forgotten knowledge. I''m also the god that imparts wisdom to those whoe here. The Order of Truth was created by truth-seekers who came here to ask me about various truths," Turu said. "I see. So you passed on your knowledge and wisdom to these truth-seekers, and as your believers, the truth-seekers watched over this ce in your stead," Grano said. "Yeah. But there was a fool who joined the Order of Truth, who wrought disaster upon the order. That''s why there''s no one here anymore." Turu sported an unpleasant expression. "What exactly happened?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s all I''ll tell you. Now, each of you can ask me one question. I''ll do my best to answer that question," Turu said. He still looked ill-tempered, but now he was serious as well. "Then I''d like to ask you a question first." Eder raised his hand and Turu nodded his head. "Is there any way to heal my original body?" Eder''s voice was filled with desperation. As a price for mocking the Goddess of Death, Deborah, he was cursed with an incurable disease. He''d done everything he could to cure the disease, but nothing had worked. Now, the only recourse he had left was to travel to Deborah''s Temple and beg for forgiveness. However, another god had appeared right before his very eyes. Perhaps this god knew of a way to heal his body. That''s what he''d been hoping for with his question. However, Turu disappointed him. "There is no way to heal it. But I can say that the path you''re taking is the right one," Turu said solemnly. "Ahem. As I thought." Eder could understand him. Turu was basically telling him that healing it on his own was impossible, and that he needed to go to Deborah''s temple and beg for forgiveness. "Then I''d like to ask next." Grano raised his hand. "Alright." Turu nodded his head. "I''d like to know about the disaster that urred here," Grano said. Kang Oh quickly grabbed him. "Mr. Grano, this may be your chance to ask him how to make the Bariton Desert into a rich, fertilend again." Grano shook his head. "That''s ok. I''m going to do that on my own. That''s why I''d like to know more about what happened to the Tower of Wisdom and the Order of Truth." Kang Oh had confirmed Grano''s intentions, so he didn''t say anything more. "Hmm. It seems like you''ve made your decision," Turu said. "Yes. Please tell me what happened here," Grano said clearly, looking directly into Turu¡¯s eyes. "Let me show you." Turu tapped his question-mark staff on the ground. A video was then yed before them. * * * ''There is truth in the unending mirage.'' There were several truth-seekers that hade to the Bariton Desert, believing in the old proverb and the oasis of truth. Some left halfway, others discovered the hidden oasis and the Tower of Wisdom and had met Turu. However, even Turu didn''t know what exactly ¡®truth¡¯ was. The best he could do was tell others what path would best lead to their respective truths. Despite that, the truth-seekers served Turu, watched over the Tower of Wisdom, and tried to find ¡®the truth¡¯, even though it eluded them like a mirage. That''s how the secret society, the Order of Truth, hade into being. As said, the Order of Truth watched over the Tower of Wisdom, and also led other truth-seekers to the Tower of Wisdom and Turu, living peaceful and meaningful lives. But one day... One man had, without assistance from the Order of Truth, found Turu''s te, passed the Final Journey, and hade to the Tower of Wisdom. His name was Monique. At the beginning, he seemed like a good and honest man, who loved and pursued knowledge. Monique became a part of the Order of Truth, and by demonstrating his abilities, gradually attained a higher and higher position within the organization. Once Monique became the head of the Order of Truth, he finally showed his true colors. "Rather than simply watch over this knowledge and pass it on to future generations, we should use it to obtain power," Monique had gathered the Order of Truth and said. Obviously, most of the members opposed this ideology and believed that Monique''s beliefs were too dangerous; thus, they attempted to exile him. However, Monique''s followers struck first. Those who opposed him were either poisoned or assassinated. Ultimately, Monique, having gainedplete control over the Tower of Wisdom, used its vast knowledge to umte wealth for his own selfish purposes. Despite that, Monique''s greed was endless and never satisfied. He went so far as to attempt to bring the God of Wisdom, Turu, under his heel. However, that proved to be his undoing. Gods could not personally interfere with humanity unless certain conditions were met. But if a god was insulted, then they could enact a punishment. Therefore, Turu punished Monique. Turu made the oasis'' water holy and had submerged all of Monique and his followers'' umted wealth into the water. He also turned Monique and his followers into Sand Monsters, who endlessly thirst for treasure. However, if a Sand Monster touched the holy water they would be afflicted with tremendous pain and their bodies would disperse. Ultimately, Monique''s followers (who had be Sand Monsters) thirst for the treasure overwhelmed them and they rushed to im it, but upon touching the holy water, scattered without a trace. Monique, who''d be a monster himself, felt the same greed and thirst, but managed to hold himself back from throwing himself into the oasis for a long time. Even now, Monique hid himself in the ashen sand, waiting for the opportunity to im the treasure once more. Following these events, Turu had sealed all of the books contained within the Tower of Wisdom. So that no one else could monopolize or misuse the forgotten knowledge for their own selfish purposes... * * * The video ended. "So that''s what happened," Grano said. All his questions regarding the hidden oasis had been answered by the video. "That means that the monster Monique is still out there..." Kang Oh recalled the monster-turned Monique from the video. The name did him justice: Sand Monster. Monique''s body was made of sand, and he could freely manipte his body because of it. Also, his body was huge as well. ''If I want to take him down, then I''ll have to use the holy water.'' The video had already shown him the Sand Monsters'' weakness. Holy Water! Kang Oh formted a n to defeat the Sand Monster. At that moment, Turu stared at Kang Oh. "Now it''s time for your question." "May I take the treasure within the oasis? It seems like there''s no one that owns it anymore," Kang Oh said. This was the question that would yield the most profit. "One or two may be fine, but you can''t take them all," Turu replied. "Why!?" Kang Oh strongly opposed. "The treasure must remain here until Monique can no longer withstand his greed and rushes into the oasis. Now then, if you''re done asking questions then move along." Turu pointed at the stairs with his staff. Of course, Kang Oh wouldn''t simply leave just because he told him to. "Then I''ll defeat Monique myself. I''ll take all the treasure after," Kang Oh said. "It''s not a matter of killing him or not. He wants the treasure so badly, but remains in agony because he can never obtain it. That''s his punishment," Turu said firmly. "All the more reason for me to take the treasure with me." "Why?" "Having something taken from you is far worse than not having it at all." Kang Oh grinned. He was good at making people suffer after all. "Hmm." Turu stroked his long beard. "Fine. Take the treasure after you''ve killed Monique." Ultimately, Turu gave Kang Oh his approval. "Yes!" Kang Oh clenched his fists. "Lord Turu," Grano said once Turu was finished with Kang Oh. "What is it?" Turu''s voice sounded like he was saying, ''Stop bothering me already.''. "Are you going to keep the books sealed?" Grano asked, his voice regretful. "That''s right. There may be another fool like Monique who attempts to misuse the forgotten knowledge, so I''m going to keep it sealed for the time being." "For the time being... How long would that be?" Kang Oh asked. Kang Oh was really interested in the books on the 1st floor. Information and knowledge were both money after all. "I''ll unseal them when the timees." "Like I was saying, when exactly is..." "It''s been a long time since I''ve had guests, so I spoke too much. I''ll get going now." Turu gripped his staff and stood up. A pir of light formed atop the te once more. "Can we meet again?" Grano asked yearningly. Perhaps it was because he was a native of the Bariton Desert, but Grano''s feelings towards Turupletely differed from that of Kang Oh or Eder''s. "My tes exist all over the world," Turu said. In other words, they could see him again if they acquired another te. Then, Kang Oh grabbed onto Grano''s shoulder. "We can just get another one from that golem." Kang Oh grinned. The Stone Golem was a boss that only dropped the te. However, they could easily acquire the te again. However, Turu suddenly turned around and swung downwards with his staff. Whack! This time too, Kang Oh was unable to avoid it. "Ow, why are you hitting me again!?" Kang Oh scowled. "No cheating! If you acquire a te in a certain area, then you can only use that te once," Turu said wide-eyed. "Oh, and you! Don''t even think about taking all the treasure and leaving. If you do, then as the price for insulting me, I''ll turn you into a monster too!" Turu pointed at Kang Oh with the tip of his staff. Kang Oh was busted immediately. If things didn''t go his way, then he nned on putting all the treasure into his inventory and using a return scroll to escape. He sure had some nerve. "There''s no way I''d do something like that." Kang Oh smiled as good-naturedly as he could to convince Turu that he''d never even considered that. "Remember, I warned you." "I got it already." "Haha." Turu turned around and entered the pir of light. Whoosh. The pir of light radiated light so brilliant that it blinded them, but soon died down. Obviously, Turu had disappeared. Also... He didn''t see Turu''s te in his inventory anymore, the god''s relic that activated its effects just by being in his inventory and could be sold for a hefty price. As expected, there was nothing free in this world. Turu had taken the te aspensation for consulting him. Of course, Kang Oh couldn''t ept it. "My te!" Kang Oh''s cry resounded emptily throughout the room. Chapter 77. Avaricious Monique (1)

Chapter 77. Avaricious Monique (1)

Trantor: Boko "I¡¯ll take the treasure in exchange for the te," Kang Oh promised. He would take the treasure with him no matter what. "First, we need to defeat Monique," Eder said. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Please heed my warning. Do not even consider running away with the treasure. Divine punishment is truly terrifying." Eder''s voice was filled with sincerity. It was only natural. After all, he''d been punished by the Goddess of Death herself. "We just need to kill Monique or whatever his name is. Why would I take the treasure and run?" Kang Oh looked at Eder with an expression that seemingly said, ''Who do you think I am!?''. "I''m just telling you for your own good. If we can¡¯t defeat Monique, then we should just leave the treasure here and run." "That won''t happen. There¡¯s no ¡®unbeatable¡¯ monster in this world," Kang Oh said. "Indeed," Grano agreed. "There is a monster that can¡¯t be dealt with right away..." Eder said. "We¡¯ll be fine, since we know what his weakness is." Kang Oh grinned. When fighting a monster, the most basic strategy was to ascertain its weaknesses and exploit them. "You''re referring to the holy water," Grano said. "Mr. Grano, can you incorporate the oasis¡¯ holy water into your water spells?" Kang Oh asked. "I can." "Good." Kang Oh looked pleased. Grano could use the oasis'' holy water to cast his spells, making him Monique¡¯s greatest enemy! "But I¡¯ll need to remain close to the oasis to use its holy water," Grano said. "Hmm. Then we just need to lead him to the oasis," Kang Oh said. "Do you really think he¡¯lle to the oasis, knowing that the holy water is his weakness?" Eder asked. "We have to make it happen." "How?" "A cat can never pass up fish!" * * * The entrance to the Tower of Wisdom closed once Kang Oh¡¯s party exited through it. They couldn¡¯t reopen the doors, since they no longer possessed Turu¡¯s te. "Tch. I really wanted to read ." Eder sported a regretful expression. "You''ll get another chanceter," Granoforted Eder. "I suppose." Eder nodded his head. Kang Oh''s party put the Tower of Wisdom behind them and headed for the oasis. It didn''t take very long, as the oasis was right next to the tower. "Heh," Kang Ohughed. There was treasure scattered all over the oasis! If he defeated Monique, then all this treasure would be his. Grano took out several bottles from his subspace. "Here." Kang Oh and Eder epted the empty bottles and began filling them with the holy water. Although Kang Oh and Eder couldn''t incorporate the holy water into spells like Grano could, they could spray Monique with it or use it to coat their weapons. "Done." Kang Oh ced the full bottles into his inventory. "I''m finished too." Eder possessed neither an inventory nor a subspace, so instead, he ced the bottles of holy water into the pouch that hung from his belt. "Next." Kang Oh began taking the treasure out of the oasis, and Grano and Eder followed suit. A tinum cup, a gold elephant statue, a diamond ne, etc. Several pieces of treasure, which could be sold at a hefty price to jewelry stores or to the rich, was piled up outside of the oasis. "I think this is enough," Grano said. "I agree. Let''s try calling Monique." Kang Oh lifted a gold cup. "Man, the craftsmanship is exquisite. I should take this with me," Kang Oh said loudly. Then, he ced the gold cup into his inventory. "Oh, a diamond ne. I should take this too." Kang Oh began to ce treasure after treasure into his inventory. Then... The sand-bed rose, forming a small hill. Due to its yellow color, it could easily be differentiated from the surrounding gray sand. The sand-bed came rushing towards them like a giant tsunami. Two arms and a human-like face formed within the tsunami of sand. Kuaang! The sand face cried out. [You have discovered Avaricious Monique.] [You are the first to discover him.] "Keep your guard up!" Kang Oh retrieved his demon sword and coated it with the holy water. Eder likewise coated his mace and four-colored skull shield with the holy water as well. Grano, who was stationed within the oasis, began chanting with a tranquil voice. Kuaah! Monique¡¯s giant sand hands came flying at them, one intent on grabbing Kang Oh while the other came for Eder. Kang dashed towards the sand hand and attacked, forgoing any attempts to dodge or block. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung downwards from top-down. Swish! His demon sword shed through Monique''s sand hand. No, it looked like it shed through. There was definitely a long line that passed through Monique''s hand. However! ''I didn''t feel anything.'' He hadn¡¯t felt anything at all; it was like striking air. Sand filled the damaged area, instantly healing the wound. The sand hand clenched its fist in an attempt to grab Kang Oh. Kang Oh felt a familiar chill across his body and quickly rolled onto the floor. Grab! He narrowly dodged the hand by a hair¡¯s breadth; Monique had grasped nothing but air. If he¡¯d been even a second slower, then he¡¯d truly experience what it felt like to sink into a quicksand pit. "Huahp." Kang Oh swung upwards with his demon sword, leaving a wound on the back of Monique¡¯s sand hand. But he didn¡¯t feel anything this time too. It didn''t feel like he''d done any damage to Monique, as no shards of light had spilled out. ''This is...'' In actuality, his sword had never made contact with Monique¡¯s body. When his sword was about to make contact, the sand would disperse on its own. Eder was having the same luck as Kang Oh. He dodged the sand hand and then struck downwards with his mace. However, the sand dispersed at the area of impact and his mace passed through air. "Damn it!" Eder quickly moved on to his next attack. But the sand continuously changed forms, as if it were a living being, and Eder¡¯s holy water coated mace was never able to make contact. Not only that, Eder had left himself open, and Monique pounced on the opportunity. A sand awl protruded from Monique¡¯s arm. Eder quickly raised his shield. The holy water caused his shield to shimmer. The sand awl briefly approached Eder, but then stopped and retracted. "Mr. Kang Oh. The sand can move freely. It¡¯s making it difficult to get a hit in," Eder yelled. "Keep attacking!" Kang Oh swung his demon sword several times and yelled. At that moment, Grano cast his spell. Waterball! Twenty spheres of holy water flew at Monique! As the waterballs closed in, Monique perforated his body with holes, allowing the waterballs to effortlessly pass through them. Kang Oh''s eyes dimmed. ''Tch. He has an annoying ability.'' By freely manipting his sand body, Monique was able to dodge the party¡¯s attacks with ease. ''Evasion is supposed to be my specialty.'' Kang Oh dodged a sand awl that came flying at him and swung his sword as quickly as possible. It was the fastest speed he could muster without using Gluttony or Devil Trigger. However, it didn''t do anything. "Hmm." Kang Oh wondered whether he should use Gluttony or not. By using Gluttony, his attacks would be quicker and more powerful. But Modune and his men were waiting for them outside, so he wanted to conserve Gluttony if at all possible. Kang Oh decided to wait it out for now. Meanwhile, Grano was right about to cast another spell. Grano''s orb spun. Bubbles made of holy water flew into the air. Explosive Drop! If the bubbles made contact, then they would create a small explosion. However, the caster couldn''t direct the bubbles. Countless bubbles flew towards Monique, guided by the wind. By riding the wind, the speed and the direction of the bubbles changed; not only that, they swayed everywhere. ''There''s no way he dodges all of this, right?'' Kang Oh watched the situation unfold. However! A little knowledge is a dangerous thing. Monique was capable of doing the impossible. His body, once more perforated with holes like basalt, allowed the bubbles to escape through without them touching him. "Impossible!" Eder yelled in shock. It was so shocking that even Grano''s eyes shook, even though he was normally so calm. ''Yeah, it''s impossible.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Monique''s evasion was ridiculous. It was as if he were set up so that he couldn''t be hit. "Eder, get into the water. We''re retreating," Kang Oh said. They shouldn''t keep fighting like this without a n; they needed to formte a new n to deal with Monique. "Understood." Eder retreated to the oasis, covering his body with his shield. "Mr. Grano. Please take care of the treasure outside of the oasis," Kang Oh said. "Ok." Grano cast a spell, causing the oasis¡¯ holy water to sweep across the treasure. Then, Kang Oh retreated while staring at Monique. Ultimately, Monique was unable to continue pursuing them once they got into the water. Kuang! Monique''s sand face roared for some time. However, he couldn''t hurt Kang Oh''s party with his roar alone. In the end, Monique disappeared into the gray sand. The first half of their fight had ended in a draw. * * * "What do we do now?" Eder stared at Kang Oh. "We can''t beat him using normal methods." There was something he felt when fighting against Monique. He wasn''t like other monsters; one couldn''t defeat him simply by attacking and overpowering him. "I agree," Grano said. When he''d seen Monique avoid the bubbles, he too believed that Monique couldn''t be ovee via normal methods. "Then how?" "Give me a second. Let me think." Kang Oh covered his mouth with his hand and thought about how he could defeat Monique. ''His weakness is the holy water, but... There''s no way of hitting him with it.'' In other words, they needed to do something to hit Monique''s core with the holy water. ''It looks like attacking faster or increasing the number of attacks is meaningless... If that''s the case, then we have to divert his attention so that he can''t use that special ability of his... That''s it. The treasure.'' He felt like he''de to the right conclusion. If they threw treasure at Monique and attacked while his attention was divided, wouldn''t their attacks work? The problem was...! ''If we use this method, then we lessen how much treasure I can take home with me. And if it doesn''t work, then we''d be just wasting the treasure.'' Therefore, Kang Oh tried to think of other ideas. However, he couldn''t think of any. At that moment, Grano said, "The holy water isn''t Monique''s only weakness." "Then?" Eder asked. "His greed. If we use this greed to our advantage, then it will be his weakness," Grano said. "Ah, is that so? How will he react if we throw a ton of treasure at him (soaked in holy water)?" Wouldn''t his desire for treasure and fear for the holy water sh? If they did, then he was bound to leave himself open. "There has to be another way besides using the treasure," Kang Oh said. "If there was, then I''m sure you would''ve thought of it already, Mr. Kang Oh," Grano said. "Ahem." He was right. "It might not work." That was Kang Oh''sst-ditch effort. "But there''s a chance it might." Grano kept hitting the mark. "Hoo. Let''s go for it then." Ultimately, Kang Oh agreed to the n: use the treasure to defeat Monique. "Alright. Then let''s iron out the details," Grano said while smiling. Kang Oh couldn''t bring himself to smile. A short whileter... They began the second half of their battle with Monique. Chapter 78. Avaricious Monique (2)

Chapter 78. Avaricious Monique (2)

Trantor: Boko The way in which they lured out Monique remained much the same. Whenever Grano passed him a piece of treasure, Kang Oh would ce it into his inventory. Kuaaah. The yellow Sand Monster, Monique, surged forward once more. He''d once again transformed the sand into two arms and a face. "If our n works, then we have to take him down ASAP," Kang Oh said. "We will, so please focus on the fight," Grano said, his feet dipped in the oasis'' water. "Will I get a bonus this time?" Eder grinned and said. ''This guy!'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ¡®He''s asking that now of all times!?¡¯ If he could, he''d tell him, ''I won''t give a penny more'', but if he wanted to reduce the amount of treasure lost and kill Monique as quickly as possible, he needed Eder''s Cursed Ground''s Domain to reduce Monique''s defenses. Therefore, he needed to coax Eder. "Yeah. I''ll give you a bonus," Kang Oh said. "How much?" "10 gold." "That''s it?" "How about 20?" "..." Eder turned his head as if Kang Oh didn''t have the power to negotiate. "30 gold." "Should I just use my mace?" "40 gold." "I''ll add in my shield." "Ahem. Fine, 50 gold! If you ask for any more, then I''ll slice you to pieces with my demon sword," Kang Oh red and said. "Understood. Let''s go with 50 gold." Eder smiled in satisfaction. He could make money this way by traveling with Kang Oh. Not only that, but it always felt great to take money from him. "You. Do your job right. I''ll be watching you." Kang Oh gritted his teeth. "Of course." Then, Grano yelled, "He''sing! Concentrate!" Monique''s sand hands aimed for Kang Oh and Eder simultaneously. Kang Oh and Eder tried to counterattack, but, as expected, it didn''t work. "Mr. Grano! Now!" Kang Oh yelled. Grano picked up a gold elephant statue from within the oasis and threw it at Monique, coating it in a Water Prison. Monique''s face rushed towards the water surrounded treasure. Once he''d canceled the Water Prison, the holy water-soaked gold elephant plopped in front of Monique''s face. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano closely observed Monique. What decision would he make? Kuu. Monique hesitated and sounded agonized. It seemed like his inner greed and his fear of the holy water were shing. Kya! Ultimately, he surrendered to his greed. His sand face devoured the falling treasure. Guaaah! Monique writhed in pain, and red shards of light fell from his body. ''It worked!'' Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano''s eyes simultaneously gleamed. "Now!" Kang Oh yelled and swung his demon sword. He was aiming for the back of Monique''s hand. The sand began to spread at the area he was aiming for. However, Kang Oh could clearly see that the sand dispersed at a slower rate. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s sword shed through the back of Monique''s hand. ''I can feel something!'' It was apletely different sensation from before. Whack! The sand was cut through, spilling red shards of light. The holy water coating his demon sword was working wonders. Kang Oh grinned. He''d finally gotten a proper hit in. ''Then next is...'' Kang Oh took out a bottle of holy water from his inventory. "Hahp." Kang Oh forcefully threw a bottle of holy water at Monique. Crack! The bottle broke, spraying out its content onto Monique. He didn''t hear Monique scream, and there were no red shards either. At some point, Monique had gotten a hold of himself and had regained his full evasive ability. ''I think itsts for about 5 seconds.'' In exchange for a piece of treasure, Kang Oh''s party gained 5 seconds to attack. Once that time had passed, Monique had regained his full abilities. ''In any case, this method will work.'' He was sure that they''d be able to defeat Monique. "Mr. Grano. The next piece of treasure!" "Yes." Grano enclosed a snake ornament (with red rubies embedded in its eyes) in a Water Prison and flew it over to Monique. "We have about 5 seconds once he consumes a piece of treasure. Focus everything you¡¯ve got during those 5 seconds," Kang Oh said as he evaded the sand hand. "Ok," Eder replied as he blocked Monique''s attack with his holy water-coated shield. Grano prepared a spell with his off-hand. At the same time, he was controlling the Water Prison with his orb and the hand holding it. Kuah! Once the treasure enclosed in Water Prison came over, Monique shrieked. Monique fired clumps of sand from his mouth like bullets. "Careful!" Kang Oh randomly dodged the clumps of sand as if he were ying a shooting game and dodging bullets. Eder covered the upper half of his body with his shield. However, he wasn''t able to block all of the projectiles. Bam. A clump of sand stuck to the top of Eder''s foot. "Ugh." The clump of sand was a lot heavier than he''d expected. It felt like there was a heavy rock nted on top of his foot. Eder dropped his mace to the floor and attempted to tear off the clump of sand with his free hand. However, the sand had be as hard as concrete, preventing him from tearing it away. "I can''t get the sand off!" Eder yelled. "Use the holy water!" Kang Oh dodged a clump of sand and yelled. Eder followed his orders. He took out a bottle of holy water from his pouch, opened the lid, and sprayed it onto his foot. Once the holy water made contact, the sand dispersed on its own. "The holy water works!" Eder readied his mace once more. He recklessly blocked Monique''s attacks, but protected himself with his shield and struck down any iing sand clumps with his holy water-coated mace. "The treasure is falling down," Grano yelled. The Water Prison was released and a snake ornament fell. This time too, Monique consumed the snake ornament and writhed in pain. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano simultaneously attacked. Thud. Eder stomped onto the floor. ck lines spread around him. He''d cast Cursed Ground''s Domain: Ruined Ramparts! Because Monique''s attack power wasn''t much of a threat to them, Eder didn''t use the Rusty Sword curse. He also didn''t use any other curses. It was better to get another attack in within the 5 second time span rather than cast another curse. Eder swung his mace. Heavy Blow! His mace, coated in the holy water, glimmered and struck Monique''s arm. Boom! As a result, the skill created a small explosion. Red shards spurted out from Monique like a fountain; they could clearly see Monique''s yellow sand body begin to fall. Meanwhile, Grano shot a giant holy water sphere at Monique. The water sphere burst right in front of Monique like a water balloon. A rain of holy water fell onto Monique. Guaru! Monique was in agony. Red shards exploded across his body wherever the rain made contact. Rather than swing his sword again, Kang Oh instead chose to throw a bottle of holy water at him. Thump! He''d hit the mark this time. The bottle cracked and wet Monique''s sand body. Red shards of light spilled from his body, and the soaked areas fell to the ground as well. After the sess of their attacks, Monique got a hold of himself. Whoosh. Monique''s appearance suddenly changed. The sound of sand being swept up resounded throughout the oasis. "What is this?" Eder furrowed his brow. "The second phase," Kang Oh muttered. "I''ll prepare the next piece of treasure." Grano picked up a piece of treasure made of gold. Meanwhile, Monique had finished with his transformation. Before, he''d been a tsunami of sand with two arms and a face, but now, he''d be a hydra with three giant snake heads. Kya. Kyaoh. Kyaru! The three heads shrieked simultaneously. Of course, that wasn''t all he did. He spat out spheres of sand from the three mouths. They wererger than 2 meters in diameter! "We have to dodge these no matter what. They''re really heavy," Eder yelled. The clumps of sand, that had been the size of a fist, were heavy enough, but how heavy would these be!? Kang Oh followed Eder''s advice. He was ready to run anywhere. Thump! The first sand sphere came for Kang Oh. Kang Oh threw his body away, allowing him to dodge the sphere. The sphere struck the gray sand and exploded, spreading clumps of sand everywhere. Even Kang Oh couldn''t dodge them all, as he had flung himself away. Two clumps of sand stuck to his arm and leg. [You have been hit by an Avaricious Clump of Sand. Your movement has been slowed.] [You have been hit by an Avaricious Clump of Sand. Your movement has been slowed.] Fortunately, it didn''t damage him. However, his body felt a lot heavier than before. Kang Oh quickly took out a bottle of holy water from his inventory and sprayed it onto the clumps. [The clump of sand has been removed.] [The clump of sand has been removed.] [Your body has be lighter.] "Hoo." Kang Oh regained his breath. However he couldn''t afford to rest anymore, since the next sphere wasing right at him. Kang Oh threw his body to the side once more. Eder was in a simr situation. The only difference was his shield; it certainly made things easier. If he dodged the spheres and protected himself with his shield, then he could minimize the damage. What''s worse, the sand spheres came for Grano as well. However, he created a Water Wall made of holy water, erasing the spheres from existence. In any case, Monique''s three-headed sphere barrage was difficult to deal with. It was like they were on a battlefield where cannonballs were raining from the sky. The hectic situation continued for some time after that. * * * Kang Oh was a veteran gamer that had experienced all sorts of hardship in-game. Though his body moved crazily, his mind was calm. As he dodged a sand sphere, his sharp eyes remained fixed on Monique. ''As I thought.'' Kang Oh noticed that Monique was dwindling in size. ''The skill uses his own HP.'' The power behind the sand spheres was monstrous, so much so that Kang Oh''s party couldn''t even hope to counterattack. However, there was no way a skill this powerful wouldn''t have any drawbacks. After all, there was nothing free in this world. "His body is shrinking, so he won''t keep shooting sand spheres at us forever. Be patient until then!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder and Grano had definitely heard him. Kang Oh''s party discarded any notion of offense and focused entirely on defense and evasion. They say that opportunity lies behind danger. The time between its projectiles slowed more and more until it stopped shooting the sand spherespletely. "Now!" Kang Oh rushed towards Monique. Grano and Eder instantly realized what Kang Oh was getting at. Eder wetted his mace and shield with holy water and dashed towards Monique. On the other hand, Grano flew a piece of treasure enclosed in Water Prison towards Monique. At the same time, he prepared a powerful one-shot skill. A short whileter... Treasure soaked in holy water fell from the sky, and one of the snake heads consumed the treasure. Monique looked like a hydra now, but his natural instincts hadn''t changed. They had an opportunity now that he''d consumed a piece of holy water soaked treasure. However, there was something different this time. His other two heads that hadn''t eaten treasure attacked Kang Oh and Eder. The giant snakehead charged towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh didn''t dodge the attack; instead, he rushed towards the snake head. "Haahp." Kang Oh swung downwards with his demon sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger rushed towards the snake head. Bam! The tiger-shaped aura and the snake head shed head-on. As a price for consuming the holy water soaked treasure, Monique had lost his evasive ability. Moreover, Monique''s sand body didn''t possess much defense in the first ce. The tiger aura tore the snake head in half and the huge impact caused Monique to shake. At that moment, Grano''s spell struck Monique. Torrent! He shot six water cannons at Monique. Not only that, but they were also water cannons made of Monique''s weakness, the holy water. Thebination of Tempest Tiger and Torrent didn''t allow Monique to regain his bearings. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and attacked once more. His sword passed through Monique''s fat hydra body. ''As I expected.'' Though 5 seconds had passed since Monique had consumed the treasure, his body hadn''t yet regained his previous evasive ability. In other words, he had be much weaker. Kang Oh pressed his offensive with even greater ferocity. Before Monique got the chance to regenerate his severed snake head and regain his evasive ability, Kang Oh sessfully attacked for a second time. While Kang Oh and Grano were inflicting significant damage to Monique, Eder had been swinging his mace and dealing damage on his own. Soon, Monique got a grip and counterattacked with clumps of sand, rather than sand spheres. However, it didn''t matter. After that, the same thing happened again. Whenever Monique consumed a holy water soaked treasure, Kang Oh''s party would use everything they had during Monique''s moment of weakness. Ultimately! The Avaricious Monique returned to nothingness. [You have defeated Avaricious Monique.] [Avaricious Monique is a unique boss monster.] [Avaricious Monique drops equipment bearing his name.] [You have defeated a unique boss monster. Fame has increased, andbat-rted side stats have increased.] [The Oasis Tainted by Greed has regained its original name: Oasis Where Wisdom Dwells.] Chapter 79. Explorer Melank

Chapter 79. Explorer Mnk

Trantor: Boko A sandstone busty where Monique had died. The bust, which matched what he''d looked like when he was still alive, appeared to be wailing in agony. [Forever Tortured Monique] A bust where the soul of Monique, who received divine punishment from the God of Wisdom, Turu, is sealed. With the inability to sate his greed, his soul remains in torment for all eternity. "He''ll now suffer forevermore for his greed," Grano looked at the bust and said. "Since he did something that can never be forgiven," Eder said. To satisfy his greed, Monique had killed several members of the Order of Truth. It was a heavy sin that could not be forgiven. Kang Oh approached the bust and tapped its head. "Tch. C''mon, you ate fifteen pieces of treasure, but only dropped three items." Indeed, Monique had consumed fifteen pieces of treasure that had dwelled within the oasis. Despite that, Kang Oh only saw three items nearby the bust. ''I hope they''re good items!'' Kang Oh picked up one of the items. It was a dagger embedded with a dark red gem. [Monique''s Greed] A refined dagger embedded with a ruby. The Sand Monster, Monique''s endless greed changed the color of the ruby to a dark red. + Steal: You have a fixed chance of stealing an item off the corpse of a fallen foe. It can only be used against other yers. + 2 Set Effect: For 1 minute, you can use Sand Transformation, which changes your physical body to sand. (Cooldown: 30 minutes) Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power 214, Physical +30, Mental +22 Minimum Requirements: Level 150, or the title, Avaricious Man. Kang Oh picked up the other dagger, which seemed to be a part of the set. It was a dagger embedded with a dark blue sapphire. [Monique''s Thirst] A crude dagger embedded with a sapphire. The Sand Monster, Monique''s endless thirst changed the color of the sapphire to a dark blue. + Exploit: There is a fixed chance that a fallen foe drops at least 2 items. Only effective against other yers. + 2 Set Effect: If you get a direct hit, there is a fixed chance that Sand Prison activates, which binds your opponent. Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power 201, Physical +28, Mental +24 Minimum Requirements: Level 150, or the title, Avaricious Man. "Steal and Exploit..." Steal, which allowed him to search through a fallen yer''s inventory and take an item of his choosing! Whereas Exploit caused fallen yers to drop at least two items! It was a set of weapons that PKers would love. "I should sell these." If he put them up for auction, then someone would definitely buy it. However, he didn''t know how much he should sell them for. "Next up is..." Kang Oh picked up thest remaining item. It was an oldpass. [Mnk''s Mysterious Compass (Keepsake)] Thepass that the passionate and foolish explorer, Mnk, cherished. Thispass possessed the mysterious ability to lead him to the right path when he was lost. [The keepsake contains memories. Would you like to see Mnk''s memories?] "Mr. Grano. Eder." "Yes?" "What''s wrong?" "Thispass contains Mnk''s memories. Let''s watch them together." Kang Oh extended his hand, palm facing up. Grano and Eder touched thepass with their fingertips. "Watch Mnk''s memories." A recording of Mnk''s memories shed before Kang Oh, Grano, and Eder''s eyes. * * * Mnk looked for the oasis of truth all on his own. With the help of his mysteriouspass, he was able to find the quicksand pit that led to the hidden oasis. The passionate and foolish Mnk threw himself into the quicksand and ultimately passed the Final Journey. Mnk, who''d reached the hidden oasis, discovered the treasure that dwelled within the oasis, as well as the Tower of Wisdom. He was more interested in the Tower of Wisdom than the treasure. However, he didn''t possess Turu''s te, so he was unable to enter the Tower of Wisdom. Mnk gave up on entering the Tower of Wisdom and got ready to leave to inform others of his discovery. As evidence of his discovery, he took a few pieces of treasure and bottled up some water from the oasis. Of course, he didn''t forget to write something along the lines of ''Truth doesn''t exist within the hidden oasis, only treasure.'' within his explorer journal. He left the hidden oasis and looked for the exit. But then... The Sand Monster, Avaricious Monique, attacked Mnk. Mnk had no info on Monique and didn''t have the ability to fight him off either. Thus, he had no other choice but to run. Monique chased after Mnk. Fortunately, his mysteriouspass showed him the way out. Because of that, he was able to find the exit. The exit was a cube-shaped boulder. If he touched the boulder, then he would be transported back to the Bariton Desert. "I survived!" Mnk dashed towards the boulder, but right before he touched the boulder, Monique caught him. He tightly grabbed onto Mnk with his sand hand. Mnk struggled, but Monique''s grip was too tight. Moreover, sand awls protruded from the sand, piercing Mnk''s body. Ultimately, Mnk was mortally wounded from the attack. However! The bottle of holy water that he''d stored in his breast pocket broke and sprayed onto Monique. Monique writhed in pain and Mnk used that opportunity to escape. Mustering up all the strength he had left, he stretched out his hand, barely touching the cube-shaped boulder with his fingertips. Ashen sand engulfed Mnk and he disappeared into the sand. In the process, Mnk dropped hispass into Monique''s body. That was the reason Monique had dropped Mnk''spass. * * * That was the end of the memories contained within. "So that''s what happened," Grano said. Mnk, having sustained grievous wounds from Monique, had died somewhere within the Bariton Desert. A merchant group had coincidentally found his body, which was how the rumors that the hidden oasis contained treasure spread. "Rest in peace," Eder said, putting his hands together and bowing before thepass. Kang Oh and Grano bowed their heads as well and spared some time for a silent prayer. ... Kang Oh raised his head and said, "Let''s collect the treasure now." His party entered the water and began collecting the various treasure, golden bars, and coins. "Please ce them all here," Kang Oh said as he ced the gold bars in his hands onto one side. "Understood." A short whileter, they began piling up arge amount of treasure and gold. "That''s everything," Eder ced a golden calf onto the ground and said. "Heh." Kang Oh''s lips widened into a smile. He recalled what his mother used to say, ''You feel full just looking at it.'' Mm. My precious children! "Huh?'' At that moment, Eder looked at Monique''s bust and narrowed his eyes. "What''s wrong?" "The bust looks like it''s wailing even more," Eder said. "You''re right." Eder was right. Monique''s bust had be slightly more contorted than before. "He must be suffering even more, seeing the treasure right before his eyes," Grano said. "Thanks for gathering all the treasure for us, Monique. I''ll use it well." Kang Oh patted Monique''s bust. "Then... How shall we divide the treasure?" Eder said, looking at Kang Oh and Grano. Kang Oh''s portion was 70%, while Grano''s was 30%. "Let''s divide the gold coins and bars right here. We''ll sell Monique''s item set and the treasure and then divide that 7:3. How does that sound?" Kang Oh asked. "Alright. Then I''ll take care of the treasure. I know a trustworthy merchant," Grano said. "I want to sell Monique''s item set at the auction house. Is that ok with you?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." Grano nodded his head. "Eder. Add up all the gold coins and bars." "Understood." Eder moved immediately. First, he moved all the gold bars to one side and collected all of the gold coins in his belt pouch. "It''s a total of 5,412 gold." "How much?" "5,412 gold." "Oh my god!" Kang Oh kneeled and sped his hands. It was like he was a ser yer performing a ceremony after getting a goal. "Then I''ll take 1,804 gold." "Alright." Grano took his share. "After subtracting my 3 gold daily wage and my 50 gold bonus, the remaining gold is..." Eder took his own share. "3,555 gold!" Kang Oh grinned and took the remaining gold coins and bars. Then, as if mixed with sand and blood, rusty tears flowed from Monique''s bust. "He''s crying." Eder pointed at Monique. "It hurts more to have something taken from you than to have never had it at all," Kang Oh said. "He reaps what he sows," Grano firmly said. Grano, as if unting the treasure, ced each piece of treasure into his subspace right in front of him. Whenever Grano ced a piece of treasure into his subspace, Monique''s bust shed rusty tears. Pat, pat. Grano, who''d ced thest piece of treasure into his subspace, dusted off his hands of dust and sand. They had finished collecting all of the equipment, treasure, and gold, as well as furthering Monique''s punishment and suffering. All that was left now was... Modune! Their battle with Modune was waiting for them. * * * Because Kang Oh''s party had witnessed Mnk''s memories, they were able to find the hidden oasis''s exit with ease. The cube-shaped boulder. If this boulder was touched, then they would return to the Bariton Desert. "Now all we have left is to fight Modune," Grano looked at the boulder and said. So much had happened after Kang Oh hade to see him at the Mage''s Tower. They''d gone to the uninhabited ind, met the Fishman, had entered a pyramid and fought against a mummy and were subsequently almost ttened like a dried filefish fillet, and had even found the hidden oasis. It was a long trip. But now their trip was almost at its end. "Yes, that''s true." Kang Oh nodded his head. He hadn''t expected that he''d undergo such a long journey after hearing the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce''s tale. Of course, they still had to take out Modune. Now they had topletely focus on that task. Kang Oh opened a message window. - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? - Tell me about Modune''s movements. - He''s set up a tent on a sand dune a short distance away from the quicksand and is waiting on standby. - What about the mercenaries? - They''re also on standby inside their tents. - We''re finished here. - Then? - Yes, we''lle out in 30 minutes and then we''ll fight against Modune. - Understood. Kang Oh closed his message window and stared at Grano. "Please tell your side that we''ll be out in 30 minutes. Please tell them toe on time." "Ok." Grano drew a magic circle with ck powder. It was a magic circle that allowed him tomunicate over long distances. He spoke to someone from the center of the magic circle. "Yes, we''ll be out in 30 minutes, so pleasee on time. Yes. They''ll do the same. Yes, yes. Then I''ll see youter." Grano finished his chat and erased the magic circle with his foot. "You''re finished, I see," Kang Oh said. "Yes." "Then let''s leave after 30 minutes as nned." * * * Once Kang Oh touched the cube-shaped boulder, the floor''s ashen sand engulfed Kang Oh and dragged him in. It was a simr sensation to when he''d been sucked into the hidden oasis via the quicksand. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared in the Bariton Desert from within the sand. It was like the sand had spat him out. Grano and Eder were spat out in the same manner after him. Kang Oh looked around. He didn''t see Modune or his men. Nor did he see the quicksand pit that had led them to the hidden oasis either. "Where are we?" Kang Oh asked. Grano observed the time, the position of the sun, the shape of the sand dunes, and the traces of wind on the sand. "We''re about two sand dunes away from the quicksand pit," Grano said. Aside from Grano, there were only a few people that could tell their location within the Bariton Desert with such subtle clues. "There." Eder pointed to a sand dune with his finger. A single Sandurion rose from the sand. "Eder, take care of it," Kang Oh said. Once he approached, the Sandurion attacked Eder with its pincers. "Haahp." Eder deflected its pincers with his shield and bashed its tough shell with his mace. Thump. It let off a blunt sound. The enraged Sandurion attacked with even greater ferocity, shaking its head and attacking with its pincers once more. But it was no use. Eder slightly tilted his body, dodging its pincers, and then counterattacked. He and the Sandurion exchanged attacks a few times. Eder pushed it back and Grano finished it off with a water spear. "Now Modune will know that we''ve returned," Grano said. "Good." Kang Oh grinned. It was almost time to show this fat and naughty hyena its ce. Chapter 80. Fight Against Modune (1)

Chapter 80. Fight Against Modune (1)

Trantor: Boko At the center of the desert, Modune and his insect mages had set up a giant tent and were waiting for Kang Oh''s party to exit the oasis. Modune''s beady eyes werepletely closed. Beside himy a spider the size of a human being. While it was shaped like a tarant, it was red in coloration. Modune pet the spider. ''A spider never rushes.'' Modune was like a spider, waiting patiently for Grano to get caught in his web. He was sure Grano would get caught in the web he''d spun. ''We''ve set up the device that prevents teleportation, and there are Sandurions all over the desert on watch, so there''s no way they can escape. And...'' Modune smirked. ''They don''t know what I have nned for them.'' They likely had no idea that Modune was gunning for them. As far as Modune thought, they had no reason to run right after discovering the hidden oasis and collecting the treasure. If that was the case, then they would reappear in the desert defenseless. At that moment... His bushy-bearded subordinate quickly entered the tent. "Grano has appeared in the desert!" "Really?! Where? Did he pop out of the quicksand pit?" Modune asked. "No. He appeared somewhere else, and he''s been caught in our Sandurion surveincework." "And the treasure?" "Unknown, but they look no different than before." "Are the others with him as well?" "Yes. There are three of them in total." "Good. Attack Grano now." Modune was sure that Grano hade from the hidden oasis. The fact that he''d escaped from the quicksand unscathed was proof of this. It also didn''t matter whether he''d collected the treasure or not. If Grano had the treasure on him then they could just steal it, and if he didn''t, then they would make him talk and reveal how to get to the hidden oasis. "Call the Captain." "Yes, sir." His subordinate left his side. A short whileter... A dust cloud rose as 100 camels trudged through the desert. * * * Kang Oh''s party traveled atop their camels side-by-side. In the distance they saw a group of camelsing towards them. It was Modune and his men. "They''reing," Eder said. "Move as nned," Kang Oh said. "Yes." Grano nodded his head. Kang Oh''s party stopped their camels and observed the situation unfold. Modune and his men stopped before Kang Oh''s party. Modune''s camel came forward and he said, "Well look who we have here. It''s Mr. Grano." He smiled. Modune was still the same as ever, with his pudgy body, brown flesh, and tiny eyes. "Oh, it''s you, Mr. Modune," Grano said. "So you remember me." "Of course I remember you. But it looks like you''re going somewhere?" he asked, essentially saying ''We have no idea what your n is.''. "..." Modune didn''t say anything. "Well, good luck. We''ll see youter." Grano said his goodbyes. "The offer is still on the table; we can still look for the hidden oasis together," Modune said. Grano''s eyes shook. "N-No thank you. I don''t know much about the hidden oasis." His voice shook as well. Anyone could tell that he was hiding something. "Is that so?" Modune smiled in satisfaction. ''As I thought, he did find the hidden oasis.'' "Yes. Myrades and I will get going now." "Ah, just a minute," Modune called, stopping him. "Yes?" Grano acted like he was startled. "Didn''t you ask where we were going?" Modune said. "Yes." "To be honest, I have some business with you, Mr. Grano." "I don''t know anything about the hidden oasis. I don''t want to look for it with you either," Grano said. "No, you know about the hidden oasis, since you were just there." Modune''s expression changed. His face had bepletely serious. "H-How do you know that?" Grano''s eyes widened. "How I know isn''t important. The fact that I know is." "What do you want?" "Please give me the treasure you''ve collected. If you do, then I''ll spare your lives." Modune finally revealed his true nature, one resembling a hyena. "And if I don''t?" "Then we''ll have no choice but to take it by force. We''ll also slowly sap the life out of you and yourrades as well," Modune said. "W-Wait a second. I''m a research director at Altein''s Mage¡¯s Tower. If you attack me, then the Tower will..." Grano said ''desperately''. "That''s fine. I have someone backing me as well." Modune was a part of the Arabas Kingdom, and he was being supported by his King as well. Since ancient times, the Abaras Kingdom had gone a different route in terms of magic from the Mage''s Tower, so they weren''t worried about them. ''Plus, I''ve gotten permission too.'' Modune had predicted this, so he''d already sent a notice to the Arabas Kingdom that they might spark trouble with the Tower. The King had ordered him to continue and not worry about the potential trouble that may ensue with the Mage''s Tower. "Please choose. Drop the treasure or lose your lives," Modune said. At that moment, Kang Oh received a message. - Reinforcements will be there soon. It was a message from Sephiro. He was watching the situation from a high, distant sand dune. Sephiro bore witness to their confrontation, as well as the fast approaching reinforcements called by Kang Oh and Grano. ''Nice timing.'' As nned, Grano had bought plenty of time, and the reinforcements hade at just the right time. "Then I guess we have no choice but to fight." Kang Oh disembarked from his camel and drew his demon sword. He didn''t know how to fight atop a camel, so he got off. Grano and Eder quickly pieced together the meaning of his actions. ''They''re here!'' ''They came!'' The two quickly assumed battle positions. "A fight sounds good." Eder disembarked from his own camel. He grabbed the shield on his back, as well as the mace tied to his belt. Grano also got off his camel, and quietly retrieved his orb from his subspace. "What a foolish decision." Modune raised his hand. The camel-riding Red Sand Unit surrounded Kang Oh''s party. The insect mages too raised their staffs and prepped their magic from behind Modune. "You think? I don''t we''re the ones who¡¯ve made the wrong choice." Kang Oh stared at Modune, seemingly saying, ''You did.''. "Hoo. Why are you so confident? There are only three of you." Modune stared at Kang Oh as if he were being ridiculous. However, his eyes were buried under his flesh, so it''s not like they could even see them. "Three, huh... Are you sure?" Kang Oh grinned. At that moment... Rat-a-tat-tat. The ground trembled, and the sound of footsteps became louder and louder. "There!" one member of the Red Sand Unit, who was behind Kang Oh''s party, pointed at a sand dune and yelled. The gazes of Modune''s men shifted to the sand dune. "What is that?" Modune turned his head and yelled in shock. There were horses galloping towards them from beyond the sand dune. From a single nce, there were clearly more than 100 men. Of course, there were men riding atop the horses. They wore ck overcoats, and wielded longswords, daggers, axes, spears, diuses, and even iron maces! ''It''s like they say. Connections are everything.'' They were the Holiseum''s diators! Kang Oh had used Sephiro to exin their situation and request reinforcements from Burkan. Burkan had certainlye through. ''What did he call them again? 100 Fighters?'' All of the members of the 100 Fighters were highly skilled and experienced diators. These men were Kang Oh''s trump card against Modune! "Quantity vs. quantity." At first, Kang Oh had no intention of fighting Modune''s 100 men with his party of three. ''If Modune''s men were pushovers like the Death Potion guild, then I would''ve considered it.'' However, Modune''s men couldn''t bepared to the likes of the Death Potion guild. This group consisted of mercenaries adept at fighting in the desert, as well as insect mages! They were no pushovers. If that was the case, then they needed to match their numbers. Kang Oh said, "Now then, let''s try this again. Who''s the one who made the foolish decision again?" * * * "Eek!" Modune alternated between Kang Oh and the fast approaching group with a serious expression. "What do we do now?" the Red Sand Unit Captain asked desperately. They didn''t have any time. Soon, the unknown group would be over the sand dune and reach their location. "We have to fight," Modune said. "We don''t have any information on them," the Captain said. Fighting an enemy one had no information on was an extremely dangerous prospect. "We can''t retreat. They''re riding horses, so we won''t be able to get away." They''d caught him off guard. However, they couldn''t afford to retreat. If they did, they''d incur far more casualties. "Understood. Then we''ll go and engage them." Modune nodded his head. "Red Sand Unit! Follow me!" the Captain raised his de and yelled. Then he rushed towards the group descending from the hill. The 99 members of the Red Sand Unit, which had been surrounding Kang Oh''s party, followed their captain. Rat-a-tat-tat! Rat-a-tat-tat! The two groups rushed towards each other atop camels and horses. The Red Sand Unit and the 100 Fighters shed in the center of the desert. The horses and camels knocked into each other. The 100 Fighters, garbed in ck overcoats, and the Red Sand Unit, garbed in yellow overcoats, swung their weapons at each other. ng! ng! ng! ng! Uaaaaah! The sound of battle cries and weapons shing resounded throughout the battlefield. "Die!" A diator, with a scar over his left eye, swung downwards with his longsword. He used a skill, evidenced by the blue aura surrounding his weapon. Iron Will sh! It was a skill that increased in power the greater one''s concentration. His de fell like a waterfall. "That''s my line!" The mercenary, wearing a yellow turban, counterattacked with his scimitar. Desert Wind! The mercenary''s de turned red and swayed from left-to-right. Wherever his de went, a red rainbow would follow. ng! They got close enough that the sides of their respective mounts touched the other, but their sh furthered the distance between them. The two stared at each other, and they simultaneously directed their mounts towards their opponent and charged once more. ng! The longsword and scimitar shed once more. Beside them, a spear-wielding diator fought against a mercenary wielding two axes. "Taste my spear!" The diator thrust his spear three times. Triple Strike! It was a dangerous skill that aimed for three vital areas on the human body: the head, the heart, and the sr plexus. "Not a chance!" The mercenary spun his axes in vicious circles. Windmill Axe! The mercenary spun his axes as if he were swinging nunchucks. Bam! Bam! Bam! The tip of the diator''s spear was pushed back by the mercenary''s axes three times. "Uahk!" The camel-riding mercenary charged at the diator. Since he wielded the shorter range weapon, he needed to get up close and personal. "Not happening!" The diator ferociously swung his spear shaft to keep him away. The mercenary crossed his axes in an X. Thump! The spear shaft struck the axe. The diator immediately pulled back his spear and then thrust at an opening. The mercenary gritted his teeth and swung his axe, deflecting the spear. This kind of fighting was happening everywhere between the mercenaries and diators. The battle that would determine the two group''s pride and victory had begun. "..." "..." The leaders of the two respective groups quietly watched each other. "I''m themander of the 100 Fighters, Dion." Dion introduced himself first. At first nce, he was a middle-aged man with a masculine face. He wielded a dius in both hands. He was known as the Indomitable diator, one who''d excited audience after audience at the Holiseum''s diator arena. "I''m the captain of the Red Sand Unit, Kore." Kore introduced himself soon after. His nose was constantly red, like someone who was drunk, and was incredibly skilled with a de. Therefore, his subordinates called him the Red de. Dion and Kore directed their mounts simultaneously and charged towards each other. Once they were close enough, they swung their respective weapons. "Haht!" Dion swung his right dius at Kore''s throat. Swinging a short sword like a dius atop a horse was disadvantageous and ufortable for the wielder. Despite that, Dion''s was dangerous nheless. "Haahp!" Kore blocked the tip of the dius with his own de. ng! The sh between the two created sparks. He could feel Dion''s immense strength behind his sword. ''He''s strong!'' His expression darkened as he took his opponents measure. Dion''s expression, however, remained rxed through the encounter. The difference in their strength was obvious, made apparent by their expressions. Dion was much stronger than Kore. Dion attacked with his right dius once more. A white line followed the path of his sword. High Rank sh! The line was much thicker than Kang Oh''s own sh. "Uhahp!" Kore cried out and swung his sword. Resolute sh! His de glimmered in a yellow aura. ng! dius and de shed. "Ugh." Kore was overpowered and gritted his teeth. Dion swung his left-handed dius at Kore. Spinning Thrust! The dius was surrounded by a vortex. Kore couldn''t imagine counterattacking; instead, he protected himself with his sword. ng. Kore was barely able to withstand the blow. "Hoo." Dion halted his attack and used the change in momentum to catch his breath. "Haa, haa." Because of that, Kore was also able to recover somewhat. There was a short lull in the battle. Kore looked Dion over. Were there any weaknesses he could exploit? However, Dion sported a cool and calm expression. He didn''t waver in the least, befitting an experienced diator. ''I can''t beat him...'' Kore looked around. The Red Sand Unit was slowly being pushed back. Hisplexion darkened even more. He couldn''t think of a way toe out of this battle victorious. That''s when Modune entered the fray. "The insect mages need to support the Red Sand Unit." At this rate, the Red Sand Unit would bepletely overwhelmed by the horse-riding group. They needed to reinforce them before that happened. However, Modune wasn''t the only one who could see how the battle was progressing. ''It''s time.'' Kang Oh stepped forward. He couldn''t recklessly attack because the insect mages had been by Modune''s side until now. However, the situation had changed. It was now time for him and hisrades to enter the fray. "C''mon. Let''s go, you fat ass!" Kang Oh gestured with both hands as if saying ''Come here!''. Chapter 81. Fight Against Modune (2)

Chapter 81. Fight Against Modune (2)

Trantor: Boko Modune divided his men. "You, you, you, and you!" Modune quickly pointed at four insect mages. "Follow me. We''ll engage Grano and the others." The four insect mages nodded their heads. "You take the rest of them and support the Red Sand Unit," Modune ordered his bushy-bearded subordinate. "Understood." His subordinate headed for the battlefield with the remaining insect mages. "Can you really take us on with only five of you?" Kang Oh jeered. "When did you figure it out?" Modune asked. "Figure out what?" "That I was targeting you." Modune had intended to use Grano as a hunting dog, and thought that he''d been caught in his spider web with no means to escape. So how exactly had they managed to prepare themselves so well!? "We knew from the moment you met Mr. Grano. I can tell when something smells off," Kang Oh said. "So you knew from the beginning." Modune scowled. Kang Oh''s party had been aware of Modune''s n from the very beginning. In other words, they hadn¡¯t been ying in the palm of his hand; he had been ying in the palm of Kang Oh¡¯s hand. ''We''re at a disadvantage.'' His opponents had plenty of time to prepare for them while he didn''t. Modune would be defeated so long as nothing extraordinary took ce. ''So long as nothing extraordinary happens, that is.'' Modune calmly assessed the situation and figured out a way to turn it around. Take Kang Oh''s party hostage. The horse-riding men must havee to help Kang Oh. If that''s the case, then he could make them back off by subduing Kang Oh''s party. "Let me show you what it means to face the Insect Mage, Modune." Modune raised his scorpion-adorned staff high up into the air and began to chant. "Attack!" Kang Oh charged towards Modune, who was still riding on his camel, and Eder followed close behind him. Poke. Poke. Poke. Poke. The four insect mages simultaneously thrust their staffs into the ground and cast a summoning spell that they¡¯d prepared in advance. Four magic circles appeared on the sand bed and four dragonflies (more than 1 meter long) arose from them. They were called Giant Dragonflies! Their jaws were made of steel and they possessed sharp stingers on their tail. Bzzz! The four Giant Dragonflies violently fluttered their wings and flew towards Kang Oh and Eder. Kang Oh swung his demon sword, aiming for the closest dragonfly¡¯s wing. Whether it be a bee, a bird, or a dragonfly, it was a good strategy to disable their ability to fly first. Swish. His sword cleaved through the air. The dragonfly did a 360 turn as if it were a fighter ne and evaded his blow. After that, it aimed for Kang Oh''s face with its steel jaw. Kang Oh quickly threw his head back, and the dragonfly gnawed on nothing but air. Another Giant Dragonfly came for Kang Oh''s leg. Kang Oh quickly pulled himself up and swung downwards with his sword, aiming for the dragonfly''s head. However, the dragonfly turned vertically, allowing it to dodge his de. ''They''re good.'' The Giant Dragonflies were effective fliers. ''If that''s the case, then...'' A Giant Dragonfly raised its tail like a bee, flying towards Kang Oh with its stinger pointed at him. Kang Oh didn''t move. The stinger came very close to Kang Oh''s body. But then... Kang Oh spun and dodged the stinger by a hair''s breadth. He then thrust his demon sword. The tip of his de passed the Giant Dragonfly''s wing. Screech. The Giant Dragonfly''s wing was tough. Shards of light spilled from the blow, but it was impossible to cut through it. Bzzz! The attacked Giant Dragonfly violently fluttered its wing and flew high into the air. Another dragonfly rushed towards Kang Oh as well. Kang Oh responded calmly to the threat. * * * Like Kang Oh, Eder was fighting against two dragonflies. He blocked a stinger with his four-colored skull shield. ng. Once the stinger struck his shield, the orange skull began to radiate light. Fire Brand! mes struck the dragonfly. The Giant Dragonfly was burned and subsequently lost some HP. "Huahp!" Eder pushed one Giant Dragonfly away with his shield and swung his mace at the other. The Giant Dragonfly barely dodged his mace and flew high in the sky. They let up their attack for just a moment. That''s when Eder stomped on the ground. Cursed Ground''s Domain! He''d activated Rusty Sword, which lowered his enemies¡¯ attack. Eder followed it up with Ruined Ramparts, which lowered their defenses as well. That wasn''t all. Eder opened his mouth, expelling an evil spirit from within; this spirit would apply the aging curse. The evil spirit stuck to the dragonfly that was still taking burn damage. Eder rushed towards that dragonfly and swung downwards. His mace struck the low altitude flying dragonfly and its tail dragged on the floor. "Good." Eder tried to press his offensive, but the other dragonfly lunged with its steel jaw, forcing him to deal with it instead. "Tch!" Eder disappointedly clicked his tongue and swung his shield at the iing dragonfly. * * * "...Arise, ded Praying Mantis!" Modune hadpleted his spell. A magic circle formed on the ground, and two praying mantises that were almost 2 meters tall came out. Their front legs were made up of shimmering des. Swish! When they swung their front legs, they made a sharp sound akin to cutting air. "...Awaken your long dormant primitive instincts!" Modune cast a new spell, and his scorpion-adorned staff began to radiate light. It was a reinforcement spell, meant to sharply increase the strength of his summoned insects. A red hue lit up within the ded Praying Mantises'' eyes. They looked as though they were berserk. "Incapacitate them." Modune pointed his staff at Kang Oh and Eder. The two praying mantises approached Kang Oh and Eder, who were busy with the Giant Dragonflies. But then Grano intervened. ''It''s my turn.'' He¡¯d been waiting for Modune to join the fray. Grano unleashed waterball after waterball at the ded Praying Mantises! Once they saw the waterballsing their way, the praying mantises swung their ded front legs. Whoosh. The waterballs were split in half and weakly fell to the floor, moistening the ground. However, Grano continuously threw waterballs at them. With so many waterballsing at them, the praying mantises could no longer advance. Thus, Modune cast another spell. A magic circle formed in the sky and a swarm of red houseflies appeared. The swarm of red flies didn''t really have any offensive capabilities. However, they could obscure one''s vision or take an attack otherwise meant for someone else. Not only that, but this spell also didn''t have a cooldown, so one could cast it without reciting a chant. Modune stretched his hand towards the praying mantises and the swarm of red houseflies flew towards the praying mantises. Whoosh. Countless flies fell to the floor upon impact. Modune continuously summoned more and more flies to block the waterballs. The swarm of red houseflies and the blue waterballs continued to sh against one another. Since the waterballs weren''t impeding them any longer, the praying mantises approached Kang Oh and Eder as ordered. Kang Oh and Eder still hadn''t taken down a single Giant Dragonfly. The addition of a ded Praying Mantis was too much for him, so Kang Oh was forced to retreat. But before he could do so, a praying mantis closed the distance instantaneously. Swish! The ded Praying Mantis swung its front leg. From a single nce, one could tell how sharp and dangerous its des were. ''Let''s see just how strong they are.'' Kang Oh gripped his sword with both hands and swung downwards. The ded Praying Mantis swung its right front leg diagonally. ng! Its de and Kang Oh''s sword shed. Kang Oh''s hand throbbed. ''As I thought, it¡¯s not just arger than normal praying mantis with des.'' They were definitely strong, even amongst all the insects that an insect mage could summon. Then, the ded Praying Mantis swung its left front leg diagonally as well. Kang Oh did the same with his de, and a white line followed the sword''s path. sh! ng. Their des shed once more. However, Kang Oh had used sh, thereby leaving a wound upon the praying mantis. Yet, there was no wound to be found on its de. ''Hmm. It must be like a yer''s weapon.'' Kang Oh kept that info handy and readied his next attack. However, two of the Giant Dragonflies he''d forgotten about came rushing at him simultaneously. Kang Oh swung his sword and deflected the dragonflies. At that moment, the ded Praying Mantis attacked. He quickly blocked the praying mantis''s attack, but its attack was immediately followed up by the dragonflies'' attack. "Tch. Predator and prey working together." Kang Oh had seen a praying mantis eat the head of a dragonfly on TV before. However, the ded Praying Mantis and the Giant Dragonflies were exhibiting excellent teamwork. Kang Oh was gradually pushed back more and more. Eder was in the same boat. He too was struggling with thebined assault between the dragonflies and the praying mantis. Meanwhile, the interval between each waterball cast became longer and longer. However, Grano cast a new spell topensate. Once he was finished, a violently spinning water spear formed above his head. Grano pointed at the ded Praying Mantis that Kang Oh was facing. Zoom. The water spear flew towards the ded Praying Mantis. At the same time, Kang Oh, who was on the defensive, ferociously swung his sword and knocked the dragonflies back. Then, he attacked the praying mantis precisely when the water spear was arriving, forcing it to concentrate on him. ng. The ded Praying Mantis crossed its front legs and blocked his sword. At that moment, however, a water spear grazed Kang Oh''s shoulder and flew towards the praying mantis. The water spear struck the ded Praying Mantis''s head. Whoosh. The water whirled and spread. The ded Praying Mantis''s head shook as if it had been pped in the cheek with water and it momentarily went stiff. Kang Oh seized that opportunity. "Haahp!" He swung his sword diagonally. sh! His sword passed through its body diagonally, and shards of light exploded from its body like fireworks. Kang Oh couldn''t let his opportunity pass by; he thenunched his next attack. Heunched another sh at the praying mantis''s neck! However, the Giant Dragonflies came flying by, taking Kang Oh''s attack in exchange. Whack! His demon sword cut through a dragonfly''s tail. This was likely the doing of one of the insect mages; they must have ordered the dragonfly to take the attack instead. The dragonfly''s sacrifice was worth it. The praying mantis got a hold of itself and retreated in order to prepare itself for battle once more. ''I got the small fry instead, huh.'' Kang Oh immediately changed the target of his assault. His sword, which was still embedded in the dragonfly, was thrust into the ground. Thud. Once it hit the ground, Kang Oh stomped on both wings and continuously swung his sword. Stab. Stab. His third strike was apanied by Darkness Strike. Kang Oh''s sword unleashed the wave of a wild beast. Bang! [You have defeated a Giant Dragonfly.] Unfortunately, he didn''t steal any stats from it. Kang Oh kicked off the ground and rushed towards the ded Praying Mantis. The praying mantis swung its front leg as its head shook from side to side. ng! ng! ng! His demon sword and its de continued to sh. However, the praying mantis''s des were beginning to dull. If Kang Oh had just a little bit more time, then he would''ve been able to finish it once and for all. But a Giant Dragonfly came flying towards Kang Oh''s back. "Tch." Kang Oh regretfully retreated. "I''ll block it." He heard Grano''s voice. Grano continued to cast waterballs while Modune continued to summon flies. Despite that, Grano helped Kang Oh once more, like when he''d shot a water spear at the praying mantis. The Giant Dragonfly was instantly surrounded by drops of water and enclosed in a barrier of water. Water Prison! "Thanks." Kang Oh attacked the ded Praying Mantis once more. ng! ng! ng! The praying mantis''s front leg had not only dulled but had cracked as well. Ultimately! Darkness Strike activated and... Crack! The depletely broke. With that, it was nothing more than a giant praying mantis now. Kang Oh was easily able to defeat it. But then! Modune stopped summoning his flies. Then, Grano''s waterball struck a dragonfly. Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano were worried about Modune, but they focused on killing the bugs in front of them first. Modune began to recite a new chant. A red magic circle formed on the ground. A red tarant, the size of a human torso, arose from the red magic circle. "T-That''s!" Eder yelled, even though he was in the midst of battle. "What''s wrong?" Kang Oh swung his sword and asked. "That monster is... dangerous!" Chapter 82. Fight Against Modune (3)

Chapter 82. Fight Against Modune (3)

Trantor: Boko "It''s called a Tarantus," Eder said. He spoke whilst attacking a dragonfly with his mace. ng. Kang Oh blocked a ded Praying Mantis''s attack with his sword. "That''s a Tarantus?" He had extensive knowledge on Arth, so he had heard about the Tarantus Spider before. Tarantus. Its poison was special. Dominating Poison! While it wouldn¡¯t affect one¡¯s mind, it would steal one¡¯s ability to control their own body. "We''ll be fine as long we don''t get bit," Kang Oh said. While its poison was formidable, it couldn''t spew the poison or coat its webs in it. It could only poison its prey with its bite. "That may be true, but... You cannot afford to be bitten, no matter what," Eder said. As soon as he was finished, the ded Praying Mantis and Giant Dragonflies disappeared. Modune and his insect mages had canceled their summoning. "What are they doing?" Once their insects had disappeared, Eder stared warily at Modune and the insect mages. The insect mages were preparing another summoning spell. It was the swarm of red houseflies that Modune had used previously! Countless flies appeared in the air and hovered around the Tarantus. "Damn it." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. This was a dangerousbination. But that wasn''t all. "...Awaken your long dormant primitive instincts!" Modune had cast a reinforcement spell on the Tarantus, sharply increasing its abilities. His scorpion-adorned staff radiated light. The Tarantus''s red eyes began emanating a red hue. Modune then pointed his staff at Kang Oh. "Dominate them, Tarantus!" Modune''s objective was obviously Grano. He was trying to do whatever he could to subdue Kang Oh''s party in order to turn the situation around. That''s why he''d resorted to his trump card, the Tarantus. The Tarantus began to move, apanied by the swarm of houseflies! "Everyone, focus!" Kang Oh yelled. They couldn''t afford to be careless against the Tarantus and its Dominating Poison. * * * Modune''s bushy-bearded subordinate hade to the battlefield, apanied by 16 insect mages, to reinforce the Red Sand Unit. Members of the Red Sand Unit and the 100 Fighters were fighting all across the battlefield. "Mm." The situation was worse than he''d thought, as the Red Sand Unit was faltering like a flickering light before a breeze. They were barely holding on as it was. He quickly assigned the insect mages their roles. "You four summon Sandurions to protect us." For a mage to operate at maximum effectiveness, they first needed to ensure that they were safe. After all, mages could easily be felled by arrows, des, or magic. "Yes, sir." The four insect mages immediately summoned their Sandurions. Each one of them summoned three Sandurions, using them to guard their surroundings. He struck the ground with his staff, as he too was an insect mage as well. Once he finished casting his spell, a ded Praying Mantis arose from the magic circle. Modune¡¯s bushy-bearded subordinate set the ded Praying Mantis to guard them as well. He then turned his attention to the insect mages that hadn''t summoned anything yet. "The rest of you, summon Giant Dragonflies and order them to attack the horseback-riding warriors." Once he was finished speaking, the insect mages began chanting simultaneously. Twelve magic circles formed on the ground. Once the mages were finished casting, twelve dragonflies arose from them. The Giant Dragonflies assumed a position akin to a ''V'' and flew towards the battlefield. Bzzz! The sound of their fluttering wings was by no means quiet. Because of their noise, the Red Sand Unit and the 100 Fighters were immediately aware of their presence. "Reinforcements have arrived! Everyone, hang in there!" the Captain of the Red Sand Unit, Kore, yelled. His cry and the appearance of the dragonflies raised the morale of his men. "Uooh!" "Uwaah!" To these mercenaries, who had held on by the skin of their teeth, it was akin to rain after a long drought. "Giant Dragonflies are flying towards us! Everyone keep an eye out for them!" As if unwilling to be outdone, the Commander of the 100 Fighters, Dion, yelled loudly. "Ooh!" The 100 Fighters responded in kind, simrly unwilling to be outdone by the mercenaries, and raised their own voices. The Giant Dragonflies flew around the battlefield and began attacking the diators with their steel jaws and stingers. However, the diators didn''t just sit still, and began intercepting the dragonflies. "You damn bugs!" "Die!" But the Giant Dragonflies were no easy foe to contend with. They were excellent fliers with dangerous weapons. Not only that, but whichever diator was being attacked by them would also simultaneously be attacked by a mercenary as well. Therefore, the diators were gradually forced onto the defensive. The Commander of the 100 Fighters, Dion, engaged two of the Giant Dragonflies. However, Dion was in apletely different league from the rest of them. He counterattacked the attacking dragonflies with his dual-wielded diuses. Screech! His dius sliced the dragonfly''s wing, but it wasn''t enough to sever the tough wing entirely. The Giant Dragonfly flew high into the air and then descended, plummeting towards Dion. This time, Kore attacked Dion with the Giant Dragonflies. One dragonfly came at him with its jaws, while the other came at him with its stingers. Finally, Kore aimed for Dion''s heart with his sword. Dion responded calmly. He easily defended himself against the attacks and even managed to counterattack when he had the chance. ''What a monster!'' Kore looked sick of him. However, it was much better than fighting Dion one-on-one. "Haaht!" He mustered up all his strength and attacked Dion with the dragonflies. ng! ng! ng! ng! They crossed des several times. Dion couldn''t push Kore back due to the dragonflies. With the intervention of the insect mages, the Red Sand Unit was able to fight on par with the 100 Fighters, or at least that''s how it seemed. However! There were still five figures on horses atop the sand dune that the 100 Fighters had descended from. "They must be the scum that attacked Mr. Grano," a green-haired woman said. "I think it''s time to enter the fray," a young man said. The one middle-aged man amongst them nodded his head. "Grendal and I will take care of the insect mages. Son, Yatton, and Gracey, take care of those dragonflies that are attacking the 100 Fighters." "Yes, sir," Grendal, the man with an angled jawline, replied. "You can count on us," the green-haired Gracey smiled and said. "Understood," the young Son and the even younger-looking Yatton simultaneously replied. "Then be careful..." the middle-aged man, Jaker, said. These five were battlemages that Grano had called from the Mage''s Tower to deal with Modune and his insect mages. "Begin the operation!" Once Jaker had finished speaking, the battlemages immediately moved to their positions. * * * Cold water cannons swept up the swarm of flies. Whoosh! Grano had cast Torrent, which caused the Tarantus and the swarm of flies to briefly falter. "Let''s split up and aim for Modune," Kang Oh said to Eder. Fortunately, there was only one Tarantus, whereas Kang Oh had two frontline fighters: himself and Eder. One of them could draw the Tarantus''s attention while the other could aim for Modune and the insect mages. "Understood." "Be careful. Make sure you don''t get bit." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder went two different ways. Modune reacted immediately. "You two summon Sandurions instead of flies and stop that shield-bearer." Modune pointed at two of the insect mages. The two insect mages summoned three Sandurions each. Modune summoned Sandurions as well, managing to summon five at once. Eder engaged the eleven Sandurions that surrounded him. Meanwhile, Kang Oh was... Bzzz! He was surrounded by the swarm of red houseflies. The Tarantus leaped and approached Kang Oh''s face. Danger! Danger! His Hyper Intuition activated and his face tingled. Kang Oh calmly swung his demon sword, aiming for the iing Tarantus. Swish. He shed the Tarantus with his de. Whack. However, its shell was harder than he could''ve imagined. Turns out, it wasn''t just poison that made it dangerous. The Tarantus concealed its body within the swarm of flies. It wasn''t easy to track the Tarantus with so many flies flying about. At that moment, Grano shot a water spear that hit the center of the flies. The water spear whirled around and spread, sweeping the swarm of flies away. ''Now''s my chance!'' Kang Oh could clearly see where the Tarantus was now. Kuheong! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar. A tiger silhouette appeared behind him and disappeared as quickly as it had appeared. The fine hairs over its body bristled. It was definitely a warning not to approach. "What!?" Kang Oh thrust with his sword. The tip of his de headed for the top of its head. Not only did the Tarantus not dodge to the side or retreat, it actually jumped towards him. His demon sword grazed past it while the Tarantus came flying towards him. Kang Oh quickly ducked. The Tarantus leaped over Kang Oh, and as soon as itnded, attacked Kang Oh''s back. He felt a chill behind his neck, so he immediately turned around. The Tarantus was right in front of him. Kang Oh raised his demon sword. Bam! The Tarantus'' tough shell had crashed into Kang Oh''s sword. His hand tingled. The Tarantusnded on the ground and the red houseflies gathered around the spider once more. They hovered around Kang Oh as well. A waterball came flying from the rear. The flies were swept away by the water, but the insect mages summoned the flies once more. This process repeated over and over again. Meanwhile, Kang Oh and the Tarantus were engaged in a cutthroat battle, each trying tond a hit on the other. Eder had been fighting against the eleven Sandurions, reducing their numbers one at a time. Right now, he was fighting against nine Sandurions. The battle between Kang Oh''s party and Modune was much like a tug-of-war that went nowhere. However, Kang Oh remained carefree. Whereas Modune looked deeply anxious. * * * Jaker, Grendal, Son, Yatton, and Gracey! They were battlemages that specialized in fire, earth, wind, lightning, and water magic. The five of them leaped onto the battlefield. Grendal and Jaker attacked the insect mages personally. Jaker shot zing fireballs, while Grendal would overturn the earth with every stomp of his foot. Son waved his hands around as if he were directing an orchestra. des of wind would slice through the dragonflies, following the movements of his hands. Whereas Yatton pointed at a Giant Dragonfly with his staff and a lightning bolt fell from the sky. With their entrance into the battlefield, the insect mages had be effectively useless. Ultimately, the Red Sand Unit had be akin to a candlelight amidst the wind once more. ''Tch. I should''ve used all the insect mages to subdue Grano instead.'' Modune witnessed all of this and scowled. Sending his insect mages to reinforce the Red Sand Unit had been a mistake. If he had instead attacked Grano with the full might of his insect mages, then the situation would''ve turned out much better. ''I took them too lightly.'' Modune had underestimated Kang Oh, Eder, and Grano. That¡¯s why he had believed that he and the four insect mages could subdue Kang Oh¡¯s party with ease. But that was a huge miscalction. Ultimately, Modune wasn''t able to subdue them with thebination of the ded Praying Mantises and the Giant Dragonflies, and was forced to use his trump card, the Tarantus. However, Kang Oh was fighting the Tarantus on equal footing. He should be having trouble dealing with the coordinated movements between the flies and the Tarantus, yet Kang Oh didn''t show any openings. ''Time isn''t on my side.'' Modune made a decision. He needed to subdue at least one of them, whatever the cost! After that, he could decide whether they negotiate, aim for his next target, or whatever! "Insect mages, drop everything else and focus entirely on that swordsman!" The Sandurions that Eder had been fighting rushed towards Kang Oh. Modune also summoned three ck Spiders that spewed tough spider webs. Controlling insects cost an insect mage MP, so controlling more insects would ramp up the MP cost. Modune was no exception to this rule. He''d summoned the Tarantus, the Sandurions, as well as the ck Spiders! His MP was drained significantly. The insect mages too, gritted their teeth and summoned more Sandurions. The Sandurions and the ck Spiders rushed towards Kang Oh, who was currently fighting the Tarantus. Kang Oh knocked the Tarantus away and grinned. "You made the worst decision possible Modune." Chapter 83. Fight Against Modune (4)

Chapter 83. Fight Against Modune (4)

Trantor: Boko A bolt of light descended upon the Giant Dragonfly that rushed towards Dion, the Commander of the 100 Fighters. It was a lightning spell cast by Yatton. The other Giant Dragonfly was struck by Gracey''s Water Spear and plummeted to the ground. ''It''s time to end this.'' Dion''s eyes gleamed. The tides had turned. It wouldn''t be long before the battle was over. He charged at Kore atop his horse. Dion swung his diuses, alternating between them. The elegance behind his dework could be seen with every swing. Kore instinctively raised his de, but it was flung out of his hand upon first contact with Dion''s sword. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Dion instantly shed and thrusted at Kore with his dual diuses. Shards of light kept spilling from Kore''s body, but there were some red shards as well, which indicated critical hits. "Eek!" Kore gave up on defense and mustered up all of his remaining strength to counterattack. He was aiming for Dion''s neck! However, Dion deflected that easily and continued his assault to end him. A sh, a thrust, another sh, and a Spinning Thrust! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Ultimately, Kore''s head dropped to the ground. "Their leader has been defeated!" Dion yelled loudly. "Ooh!" "As expected of our Commander!" Upon hearing Dion''s tidings of victory, the diators cheered. Naturally, the diator''s morale went sky high. "C-Captain lost!" "This battle''s over..." "S-Surrender!" "Run!" The Red Sand Unit began to either surrender or run away. "We''ll let you live if you surrender! Kill anyone who runs!" Dion yelled and charged at a retreating Red Sand Unit member. The 100 Fighters began to pursue the retreating members of the Red Sand Unit. "S-Surrender!" "I surrender!" In the end, the members of the Red Sand Unit gave up on running and dropped their weapons. * * * Modune''s right-hand man, the bushy-bearded man raised his voice. "Block it!" A fireball the size of a person''s head came flying towards them. It was cast by the fire mage, Jaker. The insect mages quickly summoned a swarm of flies. Roar! The raging me zed, killing the swarm of flies. "Attack him!" Modune''s subordinate yelled. The Sandurions and ded Praying Mantis that had been protecting them rushed towards Jaker. However, the earth mage, Grendal, stood before Jaker. He stomped onto the ground. Thud! A tough wall rose from the ground. Grendal stretched out his hands, causing the wall to topple over. The insect mages quickly evaded the falling wall. However, not all of them were so lucky, and a few of the Sandurions were ttened by the spell. Grendal continuously created walls, simultaneously blocking any iing insect and using them to attack the insects as well. Jaker continued to shoot fire spells at both the insect mages and Modune''s subordinate. The bushy-bearded man kept yelling and tried to hold on as long as possible. However, time wasn''t on their side. Soon enough, Son, Yatton, and Gracey had finished off the Giant Dragonflies and had grouped up with Jaker and Grendal once more. "Eek! Hold on!" the bushy-bearded man urged. But there was a massive difference in strength. The summoned insects were unable to withstand the assault and died. Even when they tried to summon new insects to aid them, they met the same fate. Ultimately, the bushy-bearded man put down his staff. "I surrender!" * * * When the battle between the Red Sand Unit and the 100 Fighters began, Sephiro had gone on the move to join the battle himself. But because he had been so far from the battlefield, it took quite a long time to join up with Kang Oh. By the time he''d gotten close to him, several bugs were swarming Kang Oh. However, there were two people that noticed his approach. They were none other than Modune and Kang Oh. Modune had seen Sephiro as he surveyed the battlefield. However, he didn''t have the time to worry about Sephiro. Kang Oh had gotten a message from Sephiro, indicating that he was going to join him, so he''d been waiting for him. ''He''s here!'' Kang Oh watched as Sephiro retrieved his Lasselpino Bow from beneath his desert camouge overcoat and smiled in satisfaction. This was why he''d mentioned that Modune had made the worst choice possible. It would''ve been better if Modune had gone all out against him, Eder, or even Grano before Sephiro had arrived. However, that time had already passed, and Sephiro''s arrival marked the beginning of the end for Modune. ''He only looked one step ahead. He should''ve looked even further.'' Sephiro notched a huge arrow, pulled on the string, and the veins in his hand bulged. Then, he let the arrow fly. Boom! His arrow ''boomed'' and 100 arrows poured out from the magic circle. Buster Shot! Whoosh! A shower of arrows descended upon the insects. The arrows embedded themselves in the Sandurions'' shells, but the ck Spiders, with their weak bodies, were pierced through. At that moment... Kang Oh swung downwards with his demon sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger cleaved through the swarm of flies, but the Tarantusid t, letting it dodge the tiger aura. However, the bugs hit by the arrows were unable to do the same. Bang! Tempest Tiger trampled on the bugs, which was followed by raging wind whips that swept the flies away. The bugs were unable to withstand Sephiro and Kang Oh''s consecutive attacks (Buster Shot followed by Tempest Tiger). Their bodies were strewn across the desert floor. Sephiro shot arrows at the insect mages and Modune from a distance. The insect mages didn''t have any insects left to defend them. They couldn''t summon any new ones either, as the arrows arrived before they had the opportunity to do so. Ultimately, the insect mages dodged the arrows by throwing themselves to the ground. Thud. The arrows fell into the sand-bed. Sephiro continuously shot arrows, and the insect mages spread out to survive. Modune wasn''t much different. He too threw his body away in order to dodge the arrows. After he''d rolled onto the floor to dodge the arrows, he stood up immediately. Modune gritted his teeth. ''The only option I have left is the Tarantus'' Dominating Poison!'' He drained the rest of his MP to cast a variety of reinforcement spells on the Tarantus. Reinforce Speed! Reinforce Strength! Reinforce Jump! Modune instantly cast all sorts of buffs on the Tarantus. The buffed Tarantus violently rushed towards Kang Oh. However! Kang Oh wasn''t worried at all. He calmly deflected it with his sword. The Tarantus was surrounded by drops of water. Grano had cast Water Prison. It avoided the Water Prison and tried to move, but Kang Oh quickly dashed towards it andnded a blow. Whack! Its body flew into the air. At the same time, drops of water gathered together and imprisoned the Tarantus. The Tarantus struggled within the Water Prison. However, one couldn''t escape the Water Prison by themselves until the duration time was up. Modune turned his head and nced at the Red Sand Unit. ''The Red Sand Unit was also... It''s hopeless.'' The battle between the Red Sand Unit and the 100 Fighters was already over. The 100 Fighters and the battlemages had won by andslide. ''It''s over.'' Modune dropped his staff. He didn''t have a choice. At the very least, he would get away. Modune retrieved a scroll from his breast. It was a return scroll, which he''d carried around ever since his time as a mercenary and was only to be used for emergencies. "You won''t get away with this!" "Stop him!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder rushed towards Modune. Sephiro shot an arrow at him as well. Three arrows simultaneously flew towards Modune. However, Modune was just a little faster. He ripped up the return scroll and a silver powder flew about. But! The silver powder suddenly fell to the floor; the return scroll obviously hadn''t worked. "W-What happened!?" Modune yelled, looking flustered. But he soon realized what had gone wrong. ''The barrier that seals teleportation spells!'' It was the barrier that had been set up to prevent Grano from escaping! To think that the barrier that he''d ordered his men to set up would prevent his own escape! Sephiro''s arrows pierced Modune''s thighs. "Ugh!" Modune lost his bnce and fell to his knees. "I got you, you bastard!" Eder swung downwards with his mace. Whack! His mace struck Modune''s fat cheek, causing him to fall face first onto the ground. Eder stomped on Modune''s back and pointed his mace at him. "Want some more, or do you want to surrender?" Eder yelled triumphantly. Modune dropped his head. "I will... surrender." In the end, he decided to surrender. "Modune has surrendered!" Eder raised his mace high up into the air and yelled. "Ah, he got the final blow." Kang Oh looked disappointed. He''d wanted to finish Modune off, but Eder had been a little faster. Grano approached him. "Good work." "I didn''t do much. They did all the heavy lifting." Kang Oh pointed at the 100 Fighters and the battlemages. ''We used a sledgehammer to crack a nut.'' Now that everything was over, he realized that their reinforcements were overqualified. ''I need to make sure I thank Burkan for this.'' The 100 Fighters were much stronger than he''d expected. He felt thankful that Burkan was willing to send such an elite force to aid him. ''Well, that''s that...'' Kang Oh approached Modune with his sword leaning on his shoulder. "Hey, let me hit you a few times." "What? I''ve already surrendered. As a prisoner..." Kang Oh hit Modune with the t side of his sword. Whack! "Ugh. What are you doing!?" "How dare you go after me?" Kang Oh swung his sword like a bat. Whack! "Ugh." Modune screamed in pain. "What happened at Beskamen I''s tomb is all your fault!" Kang Oh vented his anger, ming Modune for the copse of Beskamn I''s tomb (which was a gold mine where the Celtuses spawned). "It''s your fault that Monique ate more than 10 pieces of treasure!" Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Gueek! Modune''s screams resounded throughout the area. * * * The battle was over. Now, they were dealing with the aftermath. They gathered their prisoners in a single area, and collected the loot off the dead. Once they were somewhat organized, the Commander of the 100 Fighters, Dion, approached Kang Oh. "Are you Lord Burkan''s brother, Kang Oh? This is my first time meeting you. I''m the diator, Dion." "Mr. Dion. Thank you for helping me." Kang Oh bowed his head. "You don''t need to thank me. After all, you''re not a stranger as Lord Burkan''s brother." Dion smiled. "These are mypanions: Eder, Mr. Sephiro, and Mr. Grano," Kang Oh introduced his party. "My name is Grano." "I am Eder." "My name is Sephiro." Then, the magic tower''s battlemages approached Grano as well. "Mr. Grano, are you alright?" Gracey looked all over Grano, ensuring that he was alright. "I''m alright, Ms. Gracey." Grano smiled softly. He was like a middle-aged actor that appeared in a coffeemercial. "It''s been a long time, Mr. Grano." Jaker stepped forward. "Mr. Jaker!" Grano embraced him with a joyous expression. He also greeted the other battlemages as well. "This is Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder, Mr. Sephiro, and Mr. Dion. Ah, you stayed with Mr. Dion in the Hapd Oasis, so you must already be acquainted with one another." Grano introduced them to the battlemages, and they all exchanged greetings. "We''re finished with the introductions, so let''s decide how we deal with Modune and his men," Jaker said. "Do you have any good ideas?" Kang Oh asked Jaker. He was essentially saying, ''You''re the one who introduced the topic, so talk.''. "Modune and the insect mages are a part of the Arabas Kingdom, so I suggest that we ransom them off," Jaker said. "Would the Arabas Kingdom really pay a ransom?" Kang Oh didn''t think they would. Why would they pay a ransom for someone as insignificant as Modune? "We don''t lose anything by bringing it to the table. Would you be willing to let us handle the negotiations?" Jaker asked. ''The magic tower''s willing to handle the negotiations?'' That''s actually something Kang Oh had wanted to ask of them. A single yer like Kang Oh couldn''t hope to negotiate with an entire kingdom. However, that all changed if the magic tower, which possessed great influence and power, was willing to handle the negotiations in his stead. A kingdom couldn''t afford to ignore the magic tower. However... "If they do pay the ransom, then how much will I and my party get?" If the magic tower handled the prisoner negotiations, then how much would actually be left for them? "If you allow us to handle the negotiations, then we will give you the entire ransom," Jaker smiled and said. "Excuse me?" ''All of it?'' Kang Oh couldn''t understand. Why would they...? "What does the magic tower stand to gain from this?" It was an obvious question. "Let me answer that one," Grano answered instead of Jaker. "It is..." Chapter 84. Dealing with the Aftermath

Chapter 84. Dealing with the Aftermath

Trantor: Boko "We''re going to pressure the Arabas Kingdom with Modune," Grano said. "Pressure them?" "Yes. We¡¯ll phrase it with something along the lines of ''How dare you mess with one of our top officials?''." Grano was the Director of the Water Magic Laboratory. If he continued this career path, then he would eventually make it up to Professor, which served as the top executives of the magic tower. In other words, he was a top ranking member with a promising future. Yet Modune had aimed for him nheless. This was a very serious matter, and that severity would allow the magic tower to pressure the Arabas Kingdom. "Hmm. So there''s something else you want from them besides money," Kang Oh said. "Yes. We''ll use this opportunity to pressure the Arabas Kingdom and set up a branch in their capital." While the Tower''s headquarters was located in Altein, it also had several branches around the continent. However, there were areas where they had no presence at all. There were no branches in the three eastern kingdoms of Arabas, Baiyan, and Ds. The eastern kingdoms had developed their own style of magic. Thus, there was no pressing need to establish a branch of the Tower there, otherwise known as the Cradle of Magic. On the other hand, the Tower''s ultimate goal was the progression of magic. Therefore, they wished to exchange knowledge with the eastern kingdoms, who''d developed their own system of magic. However, the eastern kingdoms had refused their requests thus far, fearing that giving the Tower entrance into their kingdom would lead to their magic losing importance or the secrets of their magic being stolen. But Modune attacking Grano presented a unique opportunity: they could use this to set up a base in the Arabas Kingdom. "How long has this been in the works?" Kang Oh asked. It didn''t seem like they''de up with this on the spot. After all, Jaker had presented the topic and Grano had exined it in fair detail. "The Lord of the Tower formed this n after I contacted them for the purpose of exining Modune''s plot and requesting reinforcements," Grano said. "The Lord said they''d respect your decision first, Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Eder. We''ll proceed as nned if you agree with the terms. The decision lies in your hands." Jaker said. "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. Originally, Kang Oh was going to force Modune and his men to pay in exchange for their lives. After all, that was the right of the victor. However, Jaker had given him another option. Which choice would be more beneficial to him? "What will happen if your negotiations with the Arabas Kingdom fail?" Kang Oh asked. "Then we''ll just ransom off Modune and his men separately, and we''ll give your party the payment." Putting everything together, Kang Oh realized that there were no downsides to this deal. "Alright. Then I''ll leave Modune to you." "I''ll go with whatever he decides," Eder said. "You''ve made the right decision." Jaker smiled. "Please tell us how the negotiations are going through Mr. Grano," Kang Oh said. Grano was trustworthy, and he was also a top official within the Tower. They could get detailed progress reports on the negotiations through him. Of course, they could also figure out how much they''d receive when the time came as well. "I understand." Grano nodded his head. "Then we''ll take care of Modune and the insect mages," Jaker said. "What about the mercenaries the 100 Fighters fought?" Dion asked. The Arabas Kingdom had employed the Red Sand Unit to aid Modune. However, the Arabas Kingdom wouldn''t likely take responsibility for them too. "Let''s get some ransom money out of them and then let them go," Kang Oh said. Just because they were mercenaries didn''t mean that he could just let them go for free. "I''ll take care of that. We need to make some money too after all," Dion said. He was essentially telling him that the 100 Fighters would take the ransom money from the mercenaries. ''Ahem. I guess their help wasn''t free after all.'' Kang Oh had asked for their help. Moreover, the 100 Fighters were the ones to subdue the Red Sand Unit too. "Go ahead." Kang Oh had no choice but toply. They had decided how they''d deal with Modune, the insect mages, and the mercenaries. * * * The 100 Fighters were paid their ransom money and let the mercenaries go. They rode their camels and went their separate ways. Their captain, Kore, had been killed in the battle, so they would either enter another mercenary group or select a new captain and begin taking jobs again. "We''ll take Modune and the insect mages back to the Tower," Jaker said. "But there appears to be a device that interferes with teleportation," Grano said. He''d seen Modune''s return scroll fail. "Ah, is that what you''re worried about? Modune created a barrier that stopped any teleportation spells through this." The earth mage Grendal passed him a basketball-sized ck sphere. One of the reinforcing insect mages had had it on them, and Grendal had taken it off their hands once they''d been defeated. "Modune was beaten by his own trick." Kang Oh realized why Modune''sst resort hadn''t worked. "We''ve turned off the device, so teleportation spells will work now," Grendal said. "If you''re thinking of returning to Altein, we can take you there ourselves," Jaker said. Kang Oh nced at Dion. "We''d appreciate it," Dion said. The mages drew a giant magic circle beneath them. It looked simr to the magic circles set up at the intercity gates. Dion and the 100 Fighters entered the magic circle. "Farewell." Kang Oh smiled and entered the magic circle as well. Eder and Grano followed suit. "Phew, that''s a relief. I forgot to pack a return scroll." Sephiro sighed in relief and stepped into the magic circle. The five battlemages chanted from outside of the magic circle, and a pir of light formed around the magic circle. By the time the pir of light faded, Kang Oh''s party and the 100 Fighters were nowhere to be seen. "I''ll adjust the coordinates." Son and Yatton erased a portion of the magic circle and redrew it, adjusting the coordinates. Kang Oh and the 100 Fighters had been sent to Altein''s intercity gate, but the battlemages were setting new coordinates to the gate beneath the Tower. "Let''s get going too," Jaker said. "Get in!" Gracey said sharply. She shoved Modune and the insect mages, who had had their upper bodies restrained, into the magic circle. Then the battlemages themselves entered the magic circle. They cast the teleportation spell just like before, and a luminous pir of light rose around the magic circle. Whoosh. A gust of wind blew and sand covered the now empty magic circle. * * * Kang Oh''s party and the 100 Fighters popped out of Altein''s intercity transport gate. "We''ll get going now," Dion said his farewells. "Alright. Please tell Burkan that I''lle and see him soon," Kang Oh said. "Got it." Dion and the 100 Fighters left for the Holiseum. "I''ll be going home too. I''d like to see my wife and daughters," Grano said. "Please call me when you''ve dealt with the treasure." "Yes, I understand," Grano said and then left. "You have seven times left," Sephiro said. He''d be free if he just helped Kang Oh seven more times! "I still have seven left?" Kang Oh grinned. "Only seven times left," Sephiro replied. "In any case, thank you for your help today." Kang Oh patted Sephiro''s shoulder. "If you really feel that way, then cut it down to six." "I''m not that thankful." "Ahem. I''ll get going now. Stay safe, Brother." "Yes, you too." Eder and Sephiro grabbed each other''s hands. "Bye bye," Sephiro said and left. Now Kang Oh and Eder were alone. "Mr. Kang Oh, I will..." "You''re going too?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He looked at Eder, seemingly saying, ''Your boss hasn''t left yet, so how dare you go home first!?''. "N-Never mind. I''m not going anywhere," Eder replied involuntarily, inwardly cursing Kang Oh. "You just cursed at me, didn''t you?" Kang Oh stared at Eder. "No I didn''t," Eder feigned innocence. "Really? If you were honest, then I was going to let you go home." "I did. I definitely did! I''m so sorry." Eder exaggeratingly rubbed his hands together. "I''ll let you go before you start cussing me out some more. Go home and rest." Kang Oh rxed and smiled. "Really?" "Yeah." "Hehe. I''ll get going then." Eder beamed and left. He even waved at Kang Oh. ''They say that workers are happiest when they go home on time...'' Kang Oh watched Eder leave and then began to move. * * * Kang Oh opened the door to the Adventurer Guild and went inside. "I''vee to be an adventurer!" "I''vepleted a quest." "Want to try your hand at this quest?" The Adventurer Guild was crowded with yers. Kang Oh looked around for Jayce. Jayce, the middle-aged man with a scar over his left eye, found Kang Oh first and approached him. "You! It''s been a long time." "Mr. Jayce!" Kang Oh beamed. "So, have youe back from the desert?" Jayce asked. "Of course." "What about the hidden oasis?" "Please clear my Kill the Sandurions quest first. I''ll tell you all about it after." "Mm. You''ve definitelypleted the quest." [You havepleted the quest, Kill the Sandurions.] [As a reward, your fame within the Bariton Desert increases.] [Your credibility with the Adventurer Guild has increased.] [You have gone from an Apprentice Adventurer to a full-fledged Adventurer. You can now ept more quests at a higher difficulty from the Adventurer Guild.] Jayce passed him a pouch containing 50 gold. "Thank you very much." Kang Oh epted the pouch of gold. "So, did you really find the hidden oasis?" Jayce asked again. "Of course." Kang Oh grinned. "Did you really?" "Yes." "How? No, where is it? Was there really an oasis there that no one knows about?" Jayce asked several questions simultaneously. "I''ll tell you all about it, but first, is there a ce where we can talk in private?" Kang Oh looked around and said. There were too many people here. "Follow me." There was a rest area for adventurers beneath the Adventurer Guild. Jayce and Kang Oh sat down at a table in the corner of the rest area. "Now, let me first tell you about my meeting with Grano, an expert on the Bariton Desert." Kang Oh began telling him about his long trip to find the hidden oasis. He began with his letter from Tino, which introduced him to Grano, moved on to the crystal collection at Kaistan Canyon, the uninhabited ind and meeting the aquatic tribe, the Lupenia, etc... Kang Oh also told him about his adventures in the Bariton Desert, like his visit to the Beskamen pyramids, Turu''s Canyon, andstly, the hidden oasis! "Man, you really had quite the adventure, didn''t you." Jayce was amazed and gave him a thumbs up. [Your adventure for the hidden oasis has been formally reported to the Adventurer Guild.] [Your credibility with the Adventurer Guild has increased.] [Your closeness with the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce, has increased.] "It''s all because you told me about the hidden oasis, Mr. Jayce." Kang Oh smiled. If he had a tail, then he''d probably be waving it in excitement. "Haha, looks like I wasn''t wrong. You''ll be a great adventurer." "Thank you. But do you have any good information for me?" Kang Oh asked politely. Why else would he rattle off on his own adventures until his throat hurt? It was to obtain information that would yield a huge profit like the hidden oasis. "Information..." Jayce was locked in thought. Kang Oh focused entirely on Jayce''s voice. ''I wonder what he''ll tell me this time...'' "I..." Chapter 85. New House

Chapter 85. New House

Trantor: Boko "Excuse me?" Kang Oh asked back. He must''ve heard wrong, right? "I don''t have any information for you," Jayce said. "You don''t have any? The Loxia family''s sword, the Cave Hidden by the Wind, or the hidden oasis; you really don''t have any information like that?" The more expectant one is, the greater the disappointment. Kang Oh asked back with an expression of disappointment. "I don''t have any new information for you right now, and I haven''t heard any enticing rumors either," Jayce said. "Really?" "Really." Jayce shook his head. "Tch, that''s disappointing." "If I get my hands on some good information or I hear something, I''ll be sure to tell you first." "While you''re at it, please focus on information that''ll make me money." After all, he''s trying to make a living here. "You got it." In the end, Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild empty-handed. "Hmm. I guess I''ll start the manualbor tomorrow." He''d pick a dungeon he felt had the potential to contain a hidden dungeon and go there and check. Kang Oh would rinse and repeat until he found himself a hidden dungeon. Indeed, finding a hidden dungeon was the equivalent of manualbor. "Alright. I''ll put Monique''s set up for auction and then browse the intemunity to gather information on dungeons." Kang Oh walked towards the nearest auction house. He sat down on a sofa within the cafe-shaped auction house and opened the auction interface. Then, he began to browse the items that were being auctioned. ''Hmm. The prices have gone up.'' The market price of items with high level requirements had gone up slightly. Which meant that the value of gold, Arth''s currency, had depreciated. The reason was obvious: yers were beginning to make more and more gold, which made the supply more abundant. ''When Grano gives me my share, I should convert it to cash right away.'' Kang Oh nned on converting as much gold as possible before the value of gold depreciated any further. "Alright... Now then." Kang Oh searched for daggers that were simr to Monique''s set to ascertain its market price. ''A starting bid of 800 gold sounds about right.'' Using the auction interface, Kang Oh ced Monique''s set up for auction. Set items could be sold together, so he didn''t need to sell Monique''s Greed and Monique''s Thirst separately. Kang Oh checked if he had anything else in his inventory worth selling. ''Mnk''spass probably won''t sell. I''ll keep the webbed feet forter.'' Kang Oh kept Mnk''spass and the S-rank Fishman-only webbed feet in one corner of his inventory. "Haa, if I hadn''t found the treasure, then I would be operating at a loss." He''d risked a lot to find the hidden oasis, especially time! Now that his adventure was well and truly done, he realized that his adventure and hunting hadn''t been profitable solely based on the items he''d obtained. However, he had made a ton of gold. He procured 1,000 gold from the Stone Golem, as well as 3,000 gold from within the hidden oasis. Not only that, but he''d made some money off the gold bugs, the Celtuses as well. ''I should make some more money after Grano sells the treasure too.'' Overall, each gold treasure was worth more than a gold bar (worth 100 gold coins). There was also some treasure that stood out from the rest; they were worth more than 500 gold each. Anyway, there were more than twenty of them, so Kang Oh would definitely get at least 3,000 gold. "Heh, I made a ton." He''d swallowed sand and walked with the burning sun overhead, but enduring such hardship was worth it in the end. Kang Oh closed the auction interface. "I''ve done everything I needed to do." He didn''t have anything he needed to do immediately, so he logged out. * * * Jae Woo was out looking at houses with his family. He''d originally nned on doing so earlier, but the Bariton Desert trip took longer than he''d expected, so he had to postpone it until now. "We''re here." A nice real estate agent guided Kang Oh and his family. "This is it." The real estate agent pointed at a three-story vi. Jae Woo and his family followed the real estate agent into the house. "Number 201. Over here." The real estate agent opened their smartphone''s security key app and brought it to the gate, opening the lock. Once the gate opened, Jae Woo and his family went inside. "Please take a look around. If you have any questions, please feel free to ask me," the real estate agent smiled politely and said. "It''s big," Mina looked at Yura and said. It was hugepared to the underground house they lived in now. "Right?" Yura nodded her head. Her and Mina began looking around, while Jae Woo explored the house with his mother. ''There are three rooms and there''s one bathroom.'' It lookedrger than 20 pyeong. However, the vi and the entire house looked old and worn down. "How''s public safety in this area?" Jae Woo asked. He was looking for a house, yes, but as an older brother, he wanted his sisters to live in a safe neighborhood. "It''s like any other ce," the real estate agent said. ''Which means it''s not great.'' His mother examined every nook and cranny of the house. She looked over the sink, the bathroom, the boiler, and even if there was any mold or stains anywhere. "What are the neighbors like?" his mother asked. The real estate agent perused their tablet in search of said information. "202 is empty." "How''s the noise between floors?" she asked. "The building is quite old, so there is some noise between floors," the real estate agent said. As his mother looked around, she kept asking the real estate agent questions. The real estate agent did their best to answer any questions she may have. "The view''s nothing special," Mina looked outside the window and said. She could see the building next door through the window, and the road through the window on the other side. "At least we''ll get a lot of sunlight," Yura smiled and said. "How is it?" Jae Woo asked his mother. "It''s better than where we''re living right now," his mother said. ''She doesn''t like it very much.'' If she liked the house, then she would''ve said so. His sisters looked like they''d lost all the excitement they''d once had as well. Of course, Jae Woo also wasn''t content with the house either. "How much is the lease here?" "40 million won ($40,000 USD)." ''40 million...'' In the past, real estate prices had continued to rise until the housing bubble, in which housing prices plummeted. Nowadays, the price of a house, leases, and rent were on the rise once more. "Please show us a ce with a more expensive lease." "I understand." Jae Woo and his family rode in the real estate agent''s car and began looking at other houses. Now they were at a 28 pyeong size apartment. Compared to the previous house, this one was bothrger and cleaner. Just like before, his mother examined every square inch of the ce and kept asking the real estate agent questions. On the other hand, his sistersmented howrge and clean the ce was, and how great the view was. After they had looked around, his mother and sisters looked quite pleased with the house. However, they''d only seen two houses thus far. It was too early to make a decision. "Do you have any other houses left to show us?" "Of course." The real estate agent led him and his family to two more houses, both with three rooms each. "Do you have any houses with four rooms?" Kang Oh had asked the real estate agent to find him houses with three to four rooms. However, the real estate agent kept showing them houses with only three rooms. "We do. The next house has four rooms." The real estate agent parked their car in a residential area with several detached houses. They unlocked the gate with their security key app and opened it. "Is this it? It lookspletely new," Jae Woo said in astonishment. The detached house came with a yard, yet the building itself waspletely clean. It was definitely just built. "Yes. The original owner had it built and had intended to buy it, but circumstances demanded that they go down to the countryside, so they put it up for rent instead," the real estate agent said. "So no one has lived in it before?" "Indeed." "It''s apletely new house... Let''s go inside and take a look." Jae Woo looked inside the house in anticipation. "Wow, it really is a new house." Yura and Mina were amazed. It wasn''t just clean; it waspletely spotless, with no traces of anyone ever having lived in it before. The house wasrger than 30 pyeong, but it didn''t reach 50. There were four rooms and two bathrooms. The living room was huge, and the windows were as well, allowing sunlight to easily prate the house. "The house is nice," Mina said. "We could raise a dog or a cat in here." Yura smiled. His mother wasn''t convinced purely because it was a new house. "There are no concerns of sick building syndrome?" "The original owner built the house to live in, so it was made out of eco-friendly materials. There should be no cases of sick building syndrome here." Like always, his mother looked through the house meticulously. However, she had to ept the facts. This house was the best house they''de across thus far. "It''s nice." Ultimately, even his mother had said that ''it''s nice''. "How much is the lease?" Jae Woo asked. "200 million won ($200,000)." The lease was high, befitting a newly built house. ''200 million... I can pay the first 100 million. Should I take a loan out for the rest?'' If he ounted for the gold and treasure he''d obtained from the hidden oasis, as well as his TV appearance fee, then he''d be able to pay about 100 million. "How about the rent?" "The security deposit is 50 million won ($50,000 USD) and the monthly rent is 2 million won ($2,000 USD)." "Hmm." Jae Woo was lost in thought. What would be better, the lease or the rent? "Big brother, have you decided on this ce?" Mina noticed his reaction and asked. "Why, you don''t like it?" "No," Mina quickly replied. Yura too was beaming from ear to ear. "Could you ask the owner if we can pay rent for now and switch to a leaseter?" Jae Woo requested. For the time being, it was too expensive to live here with a lease. If he took a loan out, then he could cover the cost of the lease, but he didn''t want to put his family back into debt after paying it off. Also, they''d need to buy some furniture and other necessities for the new house as well, so he needed to leave some cash on hand. Thus, Jae Woo wanted to pay a monthly rent for now and eventually switch over to a lease. "I understand. Please give me a moment." The real estate agent called the owner, and ryed Jae Woo''s offer. "Yes, a family that hase to see the house wanted to know if they could pay rent and then switch to a lease when they have the money. Would that be ok? Yes, yes. Then that''s what we''ll do." The real estate agent hung up. "The owner is ok with it. Would you like to sign a contract?" "Yes. Let''s do it. For now, I''ll sign a provisional contract with a deposit of 1 million won ($1,000). In two weeks, I''lle by the real estate agency and sign a formal contract," Jae Woo said. He needed to make the money. Plus, he nned on using that time to learn more about this house just in case. The real estate agent imed that the owner had left because they had to go down to the countryside, but who knows? Perhaps the house was being used as coteral, or it might be some kind of trick. After all, you need to look before you leap. He was going to invest a ton of money into this, so he shouldn''t make the decision in haste. "I understand." The real estate agent nodded their head. Jae Woo signed the provisional contract via recording and he deposited the 1 million won ($1,000 USD) into the real estate agent''s bank ount with his phone. "Please call us before you visit us in two weeks. If you do, we''ll prepare the contract before you arrive." "Alright, I understand." Jae Woo and his family''s outing hade to an end. "Ah, do you know of any good restaurants around here?" he asked the real estate agent. He''de out with his family, so he might as well buy them a good meal before they went home. "There''s an amazing steakhouse nearby." "How does steak sound?" Jae Woo asked his mother. "It doesn''t really matter to me. How about you, Mina, Yura?" "Meat sounds good!" Yura yelled. Mina also nodded her head. "Could you tell us where that steakhouse is?" Jae Woo asked. But the real estate agent showed outstanding service till the very end. "Please get in. I''ll take you there." "Wow, thank you." Kang Oh and his family rode the real estate agent''s car and headed to the steakhouse. "I hope you have a nice time." "Take care." "Thank you for helping us today." The real estate agent dropped them off at the steakhouse and then left. "Let''s go in." Jae Woo and his family had a great time at the steakhouse. As he ate, he watched how happy his sisters were, as well as how content his mother looked watching his sisters, and truly felt that it was good to be alive. ''This is what it feels like to make money!'' Chapter 86. Back to Work

Chapter 86. Back to Work

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo sifted through the documents for his new house. ''It''s not being used as coteral, and the property hasn''t been seized either. No one has leased it before either. It''spletely clean.'' There were no issues with it. For two weeks, Jae Woo would visit the house for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Of course, he hadn''te with the real estate agent, so he couldn''t go inside. But it didn''t matter, since he hadn''te to see the house. Jae Woo surveyed the neighborhood and the surrounding area. ''The train station''s a little bit more than a 15 minute walk away.'' With the station this close, the area could be considered a station district. However... ''Hmm. It could be a bit hard for my sisters to get to school.'' If they moved here, then they would be even farther from their school, so they''d have tomute to school via bus. Once the sun had set, Jae Woo walked through the nearby roads and alleyways. ''It''s quiet at night, and there''s no adult entertainment district nearby. But it''s a bit dim. That streetlight is not working. I should file a civilint.'' He''d gone through the process of buying a house before, so he knew exactly what to look for. "Alright." Jae Woo, who''d finished checking everything, was sure that this house was the best they could do for the time being. Then, he essed Arth. He''d obtained 1,000 gold from the Stone Golem, and another 3,300 from the hidden oasis. Also, he''d gotten some more from the Celtuses, putting his total gold at 5,000 (includes gold prior to the trip). He went to the Currency Exchange Office and converted the 5,000 gold into won. Then, he called his real estate agent and made an appointment to sign the formal contract. * * * Jae Woo left the real estate agency. He''d just finished signing a monthly rent contract. A middle-aged estate agent with swept back hair, sses, and a suit followed him out. It was the owner of the house! "It was nice meeting you." Jae Woo bowed his head. "Yes. I hope there won¡¯t be any issues between us," the man said politely. What were Jae Woo''s first impressions of the man? He seemed like someone who''d been rich his entire life. But during their negotiations, the man hadn''t ignored him due to his age, nor had he abused his power over him. ''Well, I can''t be sure just yet.'' At the very least, he didn''t seem like one of those scumbagndlords that appeared in dramas. "Yes, I hope so too," Jae Woo said. "Then." "Take care." Jae Woo and thendlord parted ways. As he walked, he took out his phone. He messaged his family via group chat that he''d signed the contract and that everything had gone smoothly. His sisters replied with various emoticons that expressed their joy. "Let''s go back and make some money." Jae Woo ced his phone back in his pocket and headed home. * * * Kang Oh came to the Jurento Bar. ''It''s as old and rundown as ever.'' He entered the bar and spotted old man Tino. Tino was sipping on some cheap wine. Kang Oh sat across from Tino. "Mm? You''re..." Tino looked his face over. "Honey water, seafood soup, 10 gold," Kang Oh said; they were everything he''d given Tino in the past. "Ah, you''re the one I wrote that introduction letter for. What was your name again?" "Kang Oh." "Oh, so your name is Kang Oh. Want a drink?" Tino passed him the cup he''d drank out from. Kang Oh shook his head. "Really? Then I''ll drink it." Tino lifted the cup and gulped the rest down. Kang Oh took out a piece of paper from his breast pocket, ced it on the table, and pushed it towards Tino. "What is this?" Tino asked. "They''re the names of dungeons," Kang Oh said. There were more than 10 names listed on that piece of paper. Tino nkly looked at the paper. "And?" "Look through those names, and give me any information or anything you''ve heard regarding those dungeons," Kang Oh said. "For free?" Tino''s eyes gleamed. "Do you actually have any information for me?" "Hmm." Tino began sifting through the names of the dungeons. "I can tell you about three of these dungeons." "10 gold for each." Kang Oh took out 30 gold from his breast pocket and ced it on the table. "Could you start now?" Tino nodded his head and began, "First, I''ve heard that there''s a mysterious being that lives within the Grancia Forest." A Grancia was a tree-shaped monster, and the Grancia Forest was where many of these monsters were found. "A mysterious being?" "Animals don''t live in the Grancia Forest, but there''s supposedly a living being that resides there." ''Is this mysterious being the boss monster?'' There was no set boss monster within the Grancia Forest. Thus, there was a chance that this living organism could be the boss monster. "What about the other dungeons?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ve heard rumors that there''s a secret area within Kudal''s Laboratory." "A secret area..." Kang Oh muttered. Was that secret area a hidden dungeon? ''I have to go there.'' "Finally, the Battiyou Ruins. They say that on the night of a full moon, a secret societyes to the ruins and conducts some strange ritual," Tino said. [You have received information on the secret ritual held at the Battiyou Ruins. If you obtain additional information or clues, then a quest will be created.] ''This has nothing to do with a hidden dungeon.'' If Kang Oh were a normal yer, then he''d do his damndest to obtain quests that no other yer had. That was because these quests would allow them to experience an adventure that no one else could. However, Kang Oh had no reason to focus entirely on these quests. For the greedy Kang Oh, though, it would be a different story if it was a quest like Eder''s, where the reward was 5,000 gold. "Is that everything?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s everything." Kang Oh passed the 30 gold to Tino. He grinned and quickly went to ce the 30 gold into his breast pocket. However! The owner suddenly came over. "I''ll use this to pay for your tab." The owner snatched the 30 gold from Tino. "You can''t!" "Now you have 14 gold on your tab," the bar owner finished and then left. "L-Look here..." Tino stared at Kang Oh like a child. He was basically saying, ''Give me some money.''. Of course, Kang Oh was no phnthropist, so he ignored Tino''s gaze and stood up. "Then, I''ll see youter." Kang Oh left the Jurento Bar. * * * Kang Oh arrived at Eder''s mansion. He knocked on the gate, and a short whileter it opened. Kang Oh was greeted by apletely ashen face. It was Eder. "Mr. Kang Oh!" "Rest well?" Kang Oh had spent so much time looking at houses with his family, as well as researching the house itself for two whole weeks, so he hadn''t called for Eder. As a result, Eder was able to rx for two whole weeks. "Yes, I rested well." He''d been wondering why Eder''s skin had looked so soft and smooth. Of course, this was Eder he was talking about, so that probably wasn''t the case. "Good. It''s time to get back to work," Kang Oh said. "Alright. Pleasee in." Eder gestured for him toe inside. "It''s fine. Get your equipment ready ande out." That was the reason Kang Oh hadn''t summoned Eder and hade here in person. If he summoned Eder all of a sudden, then there was a chance that he, a Curse Knight, would appear unequipped. Therefore, he had no choice but toe here himself. ''As I thought, I really need amunication device.'' Grano had promised to get him a pair of themunication earrings, so he nned on asking him about it the next time they met. "Please wait a little bit." "Sure. I''ll give you 3 minutes." He absolutely hated waiting. "3 minutes isn''t enough time. Pleasee in and waitfortably..." "You''re wasting time talking." "Tch." Eder rushed into the mansion without closing the door. Kang Oh looked at the sky. The white clouds were peacefully flowing through the blue sky. "It''s good weather to go hunting..." A short whileter... Dash. Eder appeared, equipped with his Blood Knight armor set, as well as his four-colored skull shield and his mace. "3 minutes hasn''t passed yet, has it?" "Yeah, probably not." Kang Oh hadn''t had any intention of timing him. He''d just picked three minutes so that he''d hurry up. "Anyway, let''s go." Kang Oh led. "Where are we going?" Eder asked. "Have you heard of Kudal''s Laboratory?" Kang Oh asked. "Kudal? Are you referring to the Alchemist Kudal?" Kudal was considered a great alchemist. He was the first alchemist to create artificial life. "Yeah. There''s apparently a secret area inside Kudal''s Laboratory," Kang Oh said. "Who said?" "Old man Tino." "Then we''re heading for Kudal''s Laboratory right now?" "Yeah, but only after we go somewhere else first." Kang Oh was headed for the Altein Central Library. In the past, he''d forced Eder to read The Loxia Chronicles in the hopes of finding a new demon sword. "Why there?" Eder tilted his head. Why were they going to a library all of a sudden? "I want to learn more about Kudal," Kang Oh said. Kudal was a renowned alchemist. The Altein Central Library was sure to have books regarding him. Plus, those books might have some clues that would help lead him to the hidden dungeon. ''Like how Mr. Grano led us to the quicksand pit.'' Kang Oh and Eder entered the central library. The Altein Central Library hadn''t changed in the least. Especially the fact that there were way too many books in here. Kang Oh approached the librarian. "Hello." They smiled politely. "Hello. How may I help you?" "Do you have any books on Alchemist Kudal?" "Please follow me." Kang Oh and Eder followed the librarian and stopped in front of a bookshelf. "All the books here to the bookshelf two down contain information on the Alchemist Kudal." "Thank you very much." Once the librarian left, Kang Oh and Eder began looking through the books. "There''s a book here." Eder pulled out a book. The book was titled, . Because Kudal was such a renowned alchemist, he was mentioned in several titles. "Just look through two or three books. Then we can go to Kudal''s Laboratory." Although he wanted to gather information on Kudal, he wasn''t willing to read every single book here that mentioned him. "So you want me to read everything again?" In the past, Kang Oh had forced Eder to read The Loxia Chronicles, which was 1,500 pages long. "What, you want me to do the same thing asst time?'' Kang Oh scowled. "N-No." Eder shook his head. "When I''m being kind, just do as I ask." At the beginning, Eder had been a ve. However, as they spent more time with each other, Eder had risen from a ve to apanion-like ve. Because his status had increased, Kang Oh was treating him better. "Understood." Eder nodded his head and pulled out two more books. Kang Oh also perused the book titles and their table of contents, and pulled out two books of his own. They ced their respective books on a table and sat down. Kang Oh picked up a book titled , and opened the book to where Kudal was mentioned in the table of contents. ''Alchemist Kudal was the first alchemist to create artificial life. Following his achievement, countless alchemists studied how to create artificial life using his example...'' Rustle. Kang Oh turned the page. The sound of pages softly being turned resounded throughout the library. Chapter 87. Kudal’s Laboratory (1)

Chapter 87. Kudal''s Laboratory (1)

Trantor: Boko Kudal''s Laboratory was located at the top of the Marron Mountains. Kang Oh and Eder headed for the intercity gate, intending to teleport to Myron, the city closest to the Marron Mountains. "Kudal began his research to revive his wife, who died of a disease. Along the way, he figured out the way to create artificial life. Isn''t that a touching story?" Eder said as he walked out of the magic circle. Eder acted like a young girl who''d just read a riveting romance novel after reading the books on Kudal. "What part of that is touching?" Kang Oh couldn''t sympathize with him one bit. "Aren''t Kudal''s efforts touching? He tried to ovee death and bring his wife back to life." The volume of his voice increased. "Not really." Kang Oh snorted. To him, Kudal''s actions were no different from that of a mad scientist in a B-grade horror movie. "Kudal''s story must be passed down, and should also be known by the masses. The story of a person''s will, love, and effort to ovee death! What an amazing story!" Eder tightly clenched his fists. "Do that on your own time. Right now, focus on work." Although Eder was geeking out over Kudal, Kang Oh didn''t feel the need to stop him from doing so or criticize him. "Hehe, I understand." Eder didn''t cross him anymore. Kang Oh and Eder crossed through Myron City without any problems, but they noticed several yers there. "Selling a beginner armor set altogether. Selling a beginner dagger as well," a seemingly low-leveled cksmith yer said. "We''re a party going hunting at Kudal''s Laboratory. Only one spot left!" "Hunting at Morello Hill. Looking for a DPS and a healer. I''m a tank." "Selling all sorts of liquid medicine. I sell a little cheaper than the store." They even saw beginner alchemists selling their goods atop a piece of cloth. "Going to procure materials at Kudal''s Laboratory. Alchemists are wee." "Why are there so many people here?" Eder looked around curiously. Myron wasn''t a huge city, yet there were so many people up and about. The scenery and the poption of the provincial cities he''d visited with Kang Oh had beenpletely different. "It''s the ma of alchemists," Kang Oh said. Myron wasn''t arge city like Altein. However, it was the city where Alchemist Kudal was born, and was also where the Alchemist Guild''s main headquarters was located. Moreover, alchemists could procure various alchemical materials from Kudal''s Laboratory, so Myron could be considered the home base for many alchemists. "I see." Kang Oh and Eder passed through the city''s eastern gate. They blew their horse head whistles, calling both a ck and a white horse. Kang Oh rode the ck one, while Eder rose the white, and the two departed following the road. As they went, they noticed several yers along the road. ''They must all be going to Kudal''s Laboratory.'' Following Kudal''s death, the artificial life forms he''d created had be monsters, and hisboratory had be a dungeon. By defeating the artificial life forms, one could procure materials necessary for alchemy. Above all, the dungeon was huge. There were several buildings there, and it was therefore more urate to call it a university than aboratory. "Is that it?" After travelling for some time, Eder pointed towards something. Kang Oh nodded his head. Eder had pointed towards the Marron Mountains and Kudal¡¯s Laboratory. * * * [Entering the dungeon, Kudal''s Laboratory.] "It''s big." Eder was in awe. There were four buildings in front of them. The buildings were all shaped and built differently. In general, however, they were all old. Most of the windows were cracked, eliciting a dreary atmosphere. The grounds were overgrown with weeds and grass, and there were also bronze statues without their arms or legs scattered about. There was also a small fountain there as well, but it was neither filled with nor did it spew out water. ''I think there are eight buildings total.'' Kang Oh recalled his information on Kudal''s Laboratory. The level of the artificial life forms varied from building to building. At the low end, they were level 50. At the highest, they were level 180. Once a week, a level 200 boss monster would spawn in one of the eight buildings. It was the Barakura, widely considered ''Kudal''s greatest creation''. Then why was it that Kang Oh suspected that there was a hidden dungeon here, when a boss monster already existed? It was simple. ''It''s Kudal''s Laboratory, yet... Kudal is nowhere to be seen.'' Some busybodies on Arthstory pointed this out, and hypothesized that Kudal might appear in some secret area. Kang Oh had of course, seen this, and had decided to look through Kudal''s Laboratory. After that, Tino had told him of rumors that there was a secret area within Kudal''s Laboratory as well. ''That''s enough for me to take a look.'' Kang Oh did, however, decide to search the dungeon more carefully than normal. This was a popr dungeon, so there were several yers here. It was also an area that was visited by yers from influential guilds. If he managed to find the hidden dungeon, but the information was leaked, then there was a chance that other yers would try to get in his way. "You didn''t find any clues for the hidden dungeon in the books, did you?" Kang Oh whispered to Eder. Of course, there weren¡¯t any yers nearby that were paying them any attention, but there was nothing wrong with being careful. "I didn''t find anything. How about you, Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder followed suit, lowering his voice. "I didn''t find anything either." "I suppose we¡¯ll have to just go in there and find it." "Let''s look through the building in front of us first." Kang Oh and Eder walked towards the arched building. * * * The buildings were numbered for yer convenience. Building 1, Building 2, Building 3... all the way to Building 8. The weakest monsters would spawn in Building 1, and the strongest in Building 8. Kang Oh and Eder had gone into Building 3 first. Here, level 90 artificial life forms would appear. He was currently level 129, and Eder was possessing Arumode''s body, which was a level 150 boss monster. In other words, this ce would be a breeze. ''Well, I didn''te here for levels, so I guess it doesn''t matter.'' Kang Oh and Eder avoided the yers hunting and went deeper into the building. He searched every nook and cranny of the building. Then, an artificial life form known as a Nuram appeared. A Nuram was supposedly created by Kudal himself, and was an artificial wolf. It was about level 90 and possessed steel teeth. Five Nurams had appeared. Kureureung. The five wolves dashed towards them. "Come on, you mutts!" Eder swung his mace at the iing wolves. Bam! Thud. His mace smashed against a Nuram''s head, causing its head to go flying into the wall with a thud. It was an obvious result in a match between a level 90 versus a level 150. Kang Oh drew his sword and shed at one of the iing Nurams. Swish. His de cut through the wolf''s white fur, the cut erupting in shards of light. Bam! Larger shards would''ve spilled out had it been a critical hit, but it had definitely taken a high amount of damage nheless. Kang Oh smoothly transitioned into his next attack. Darkness Strike! A jet-ck wave erupted from his sword. Bam! The ferocious, destructive energy struck the Nuram, and was far more than it could handle. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Nuram.] [Stats have been stolen through Darkness Strike.] [Physical +1] Darkness Strike''s special ability, stat steal, had activated. Not only that! [You havepleted the spontaneous quest, Darkness Strike 1.] [As a reward, proficiency in Darkness Strike has increased significantly.] [Darkness Strike has risen to the intermediate level.] He''d finallypleted the spontaneous quest that he''d gotten from Kunta''s Ring so long ago. Because of that, his Darkness Strike had reached the intermediate level. "Oh, nice." Kang Oh smiled and swung his sword at another Nuram. "Go off!" Kang Oh yelled. He clearly wanted to see how the new and improved Darkness Strike would perform. However, it didn''t activate. His demon sword merely cut through the Nuram. Bam. The Nuram copsed. Kang Oh chased after another Nuram and continuously swung his sword. He attacked three more times, and the Nuram died with its tongue out. However, Darkness Strike hadn''t activated even once. "Next!" Kang Oh quickly dashed towards another Nuram. "Huahp!" A sh, a thrust, a downward strike, and another sh! He attacked five times in session, but Darkness Strike didn''t activate. In the end, the Nuram died before he could see his newly improved skill. Meanwhile, Eder was engaging thest remaining Nuram. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh shoved Eder out of the way and swung downwards with his sword. They say that if you desperately wish for something, then it maye true! Whoosh. Finally, his demon sword unleashed a jet-ck wave. It was clearly the Intermediate Darkness Strike. Intermediate Darkness Strike was a much deeper ck, and the beast''s shape was much clearer than before. Above all, the wave itself was muchrger. Boom! The Intermediate Darkness Strike struck the Nuram head on. It wasn''t able to withstand the impact and rolled onto the floor; it didn''t stand up again. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Nuram.] ''Even though it went up to the intermediate level, it didn''t steal any stats.'' It seemed as though Darkness Strike had a lower chance of stealing stats from a monster if it had stolen stats from that monster before. The skill''s description didn''t specifically say that, but it seemed that way after using it for so long. He''d stolen far more stats from monsters that he''d killed for the first time via Darkness Strike. ''Well, stealing stats is overpowered enough, so you can''t really call this a weakness. After all, there are plenty of monsters in Arth that you can kill.'' At that moment, Eder brought him the items that the Nuram had dropped. "Here." He''d brought him junk items like a steel tooth or an artificial reagent, which were materials necessary for alchemy. Kang Oh took the items and ced them into his inventory. ''Now that I think about it, the demon sword will upgrade soon too.'' Upon looking at the junk items, he thought of his demon sword. The demon sword''s satiation was at more than 98%. It wouldn''t be long before it strengthened again. "Let''s keep going." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder walked around Building 3. They kept encountering Nurams, but Kang Oh and Eder would kill them as soon as they appeared. There were, of course, other monsters within Building 3. There was also the artificial life form known as a York. It was an artificial fox, which had three tails and could breathe fire, that was made by Kudal. ''It''s like it was in the process of bing a nine-tailed fox and then just stopped.'' Of course, the York weren''t a match for Kang Oh and Eder either. They died, leaving behind soft fox fur. Kang Oh and Eder searched Building 3 whilst continuing to kill Nurams and Yorks. However, his Hyper Intuition never activated. There wasn''t a single spot that felt suspicious. "It''s not here," Kang Oh said. "Did your Hyper Intuition not activate?" Ever since Kang Oh had found the quicksand pit that led to the hidden oasis, Eder had believed that Kang Oh possessed the Hyper Intuition ''skill''. "Yeah." "Then let''s move on to the next building." "Yeah, but first let me feed the demon sword the junk." Kang Oh walked over to a secluded area without any yers around and dropped all of the junk items. Darkness stretched out from his demon sword and began consuming the junk items. [Ubist has consumed a Steel Tooth. Satiation has increased by 0.17%.] [Ubist has consumed a Steel Tooth. Satiation has increased by 0.17%.] [Ubist has consumed Soft Fox Fur. Satiation has increased by 0.17%.] ... [Ubist''s satiation has reached 100%.] [The demon sword has be even stronger!] Chapter 88. Kudal’s Laboratory (2)

Chapter 88. Kudal''s Laboratory (2)

Trantor: Boko Jet-ck energy erupted from the demon sword, spreading in every direction like the gaunt branches of a tree in the winter. A short whileter... The jet-ck energy was sucked back into his de. Kang Oh examined the demon sword. The demon sword, which was dark as night, had be a darker and more intricate color. Also, it had assumed a sawde-like pattern as well. "Appraise item." [Demon Sword Ubist (Lv129/+2)] The famed de, Max Gemini, which was created by the renowned artisan, Max. It contains the spirit of the King of Demonic Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist. Darkness dwells within the de, and the sawde-like pattern is representative of Ubist''s fangs. Shares its level with its wielder. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword either drops, or the wielder is controlled by the demon sword and bes a monster for 24 hours. + Predation: Consumes all items. When the sword ispletely sated, the de will be stronger and gain a special ability. [Satiation: 0.14%] + Gluttony: By consuming a BB-rank or higher item, all abilities are doubled for a fixed period of time and you enter Gluttony mode. Steals stats from fallen enemies while Gluttony is active. Useable once per day. + Abyss de: A jet-ck de made of darkness. It is capable of cutting those with an ethereal form like ghosts or spirits. May absorb magicing towards you once every 30 seconds. If magic is absorbed, satiation increases. (+1 reinforcement effect) + Fang Bearing de: You will asionallynd a critical hit, even if you don''t strike at your opponent''s wound, vital spot, or weakness. At this time, ck shards will indicate the effect and your opponent''s defense will be ignored. (+2 reinforcement effect) Rank: SS Abilities: Attack Power 276, Physical +65 Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword "Nice." Kang Oh grinned, having perused the item information. As expected, the demon sword never disappointed him. Fang Bearing de! It was an incredible ability that would allow him tond critical hits, even if he hadn''t struck a wound, a vital spot, or a weakness. Not only that, but it even ignored the opponent''s defense! ''I wonder how often it activates.'' Kang Oh''s body tingled, excited to test the demon sword''s new ability ASAP. "Has the demon sword be stronger?" Eder asked from afar. Once the demon sword began expelling energy, Eder felt a primal fear and had run far away from the sword. Although he possessed a new body now, he was still fearful of the demon sword. In a way, it was only natural. His body had changed, not what was inside; he was still a soul that was controlling a body. "Yeah. I got a great new ability too." Kang Oh boastfully raised his sword up high. Whereas Eder instinctively cowered. "Mm." As soon as he saw the reinforced demon sword, he recalled Kang Oh shoving the sword in his face and threatening him with it. ''He''s gotten a lot nicertely, but who knows when he''ll go back to normal. I have to be careful.'' Eder engraved his policy ''Be wary of Kang Oh 24/7!'' deep within his mind. At that moment, Kang Oh pointed the tip of his sword at Eder. "Wanna take a look?" Eder waspletely shocked. "N-No, I''m ok." He desperately waved his hands. Kang Oh could tell what Eder was thinking based on his reaction and expression. "You rascal." Kang Oh grinned and tied his sword to his back. "Now then, let''s go to the next building." Kang Oh took the lead. Eder didn''t follow closely behind him like normal, and maintained some distance between them. * * * Building 4 was right next to Building 3. It was shaped like a dome, so theyout was quite simple. Upon entering the building, one would see a wide expanse of space and would be surrounded by walls. That''s it. That''s why there were so many yers that stayed in one area of the building and waited for them to respawn. "The Rorc Warrior has respawned." "I''ll aggro it." A ''Rorc'' was an artificial orc. An orc possessed green skin, a pig nose, and teeth that protruded out of its mouth. They would either carry axes or clubs, and would live in a tribal environment; not to mention they were fat. Although these Rorcs were otherwise carbon copies of orcs, they weren''t fat at all. Rather, they were on the thin side, so they were much faster than normal orcs. They were about level 110. Rorc Warriors, Shamans, and Champions would appear in Building 4. Kang Oh surveyed the inside of the building in its entirety. It was like a stadium or a gym. "I don''t think it''s here..." It was so simple that it didn''t seem like there''d be a hidden dungeon here. "Then shall we go to another building?" Eder asked. "You never know, so let''s go around once just in case." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder avoided the yers and began searching Building 4. Of course, they didn''t show any signs that they were looking for anything. Instead, they would act as though they were just passing by and nce sideways. At that moment, a Rorc Champion respawned before Kang Oh. Kuheong. Kuheong. It snorted out of its pug nose, and swung downwards with its axe at Kang Oh. Kang Oh responded immediately. He turned his body to the side and the axe passed right by him. Kang Oh simultaneously drew his demon sword and swung it. Swish. His de shed at its nk, and shards of light exploded from the cut. Kuheoh! The Rorc Champion withdrew its axe and swung it at Kang Oh once more. Kang Oh ducked his head and dodged the axe. At some point, Eder, who''d snuck behind the Rorc Champion, struck its back with his mace. Bam! The Rorc Champion''s body shook. Kang Oh swung diagonally. Swish. His sword cut the champion''s chest, exploding in ck shards. The demon sword''s special ability, Fang Bearing de had activated. Kang Oh''s hands tingled, which was exactly how he felt when hended a critical hit. Was it because he''d done a huge amount of damage all of a sudden? Kuara! The Rorc Champion roared and began haphazardly swinging its axe. Kang Oh took two steps back. Eder attacked the champion''s back once more. Heavy Blow! Bang! His mace created a small explosion upon impact. The Rorc Champion turned around and aimed for Eder. ng! Eder raised his shield and blocked its axe. Kang Oh could see how exposed the Rorc Champion was from behind. He kicked off the floor and swung downwards using the gravity and weight to his advantage. Bam! His sword struck the back of its head. The force of impact caused the champion to shake, and it eventually fell t on its face. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Rorc.] The Rorc Champion was barely a level 115 monster, so it wasn''t strong enough to warrant a celebration. Eder mechanically picked up the items that it dropped. It had dropped a junk item called Rorc''s Tooth. "Let''s go." "Alright." It didn''t take Kang Oh and Eder long to take ap around the building. * * * Laboratory was a fitting word to describe Building 1. There were various testing devices atop the worn out shelves. Of course, none of them worked properly anymore. Also, there weren''t any books on the shelf either. However, a few pages were strewn about on the ground. Ugagaga. A single monkey passed by them. Of course, it wasn''t an actual monkey. It was an artificial life form called a Kong and possessed four arms. It was a level 50 monster that didn''t aggro. The Kong was so weak that if Kang Oh pushed it, it would just fall over and die. Therefore, he didn''t intend on hunting the Kong. It was much too weak! Not only that, but several beginner alchemists were hunting here. "Yahp!" "Yaahp!" One of the beginners swung a book and another swung their staff, and were fighting against a Kong. By defeating an artificial life form, not only would junk items drop, but there would be a chance that they would drop alchemical materials as well. Thus, there was no better ce than this for low-leveled alchemists, as they gained experience and materials here. Kang Oh left the beginners to their work and focused on looking for the hidden dungeon. "Yawn." Eder yawned. All they were doing was searching the buildings, so he was bored. "It was so nice when Mr. Grano told us exactly where the hidden dungeon was." Kang Oh suddenly missed Grano. It felt like he''d been driving with the GPS, but then it suddenly turned off. "Indeed," Eder agreed with him. "Do you remember anything after walking around Kudal''s Laboratory?" Kang Oh asked. "Remember what?" Eder tilted his head. "Is there anything thates to mind from your reading?" "No, nothing." "Hmm. Let''s finish up here first." Building 1 wasrge andplex, but it didn''t take as long as he expected to search the building because they didn''t have to fight anything. "Nothing. Next." Kang Oh and Eder searched Building 2 next. On the second floor, level 70 Gablins appeared. They were artificial goblins, and would attack on sight. But they shared a trait with the Kongs; if you blew on them, they died. Although they continuously fought against the Gablins, they weren''t hindered by them in the least. Kang Oh and Eder soon finished searching the entire building. "Tch. Nothing here either." With this, he''d confirmed that there weren''t any hidden dungeons within Building 1, 2, 3, and 4. "Now we have the other half left," Eder said. They had to search buildings 5 - 8 next. "Mm. Let''s explore them tomorrow." Because of the sheer size of Kudal''s Laboratory, it was impossible to explore the entire dungeon in a single day. "I''m leaving." "Wait a minute! You haven''t given me my pay." Eder rubbed his hands together. Kang Oh passed him 3 gold. "Hehe," Ederughed. Thus, a day had passed by. * * * The next day. Jae Woo opened the door to the neighborhood cafe. Of course, there was only one reason toe to this cafe. It was to meet with GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol. Jin Cheol was sitting at the table where they''d always meet, waiting for him. "Over here." Jin Cheol slightly raised his hand. "Hello." Jin Cheol and Jae Woo shook hands. The two looked at each other and sat down. Jae Woo began, "Why did you want to see me?" He''d received a text from Jin Cheol asking him to meet in the morning. "I just had a few things I needed to tell you about Oga''s feature broadcast and Dungeon Conquering Man," Jin Cheol said. "What about?" "First off, we''ve finished editing diator Oga''s footage." "Did ite out good?" "It''s amazing." Jin Cheol''s voice was overflowing with confidence. "When will it be shown?" "I''d like to show it the day before Dungeon Conquering Man." He was essentially asking Jae Woo for his permission. "Do as you please. Deciding when to show the footage is up to you." As long as Jin Cheol paid him as promised, he didn''t care when it was broadcast. "I understand. And here." Jin Cheol passed him a document. "It''s Dungeon Conquering Man''s schedule. The back page contains info on your cast mates, as well as anything that might have been changed. Thest page is a list of all the dungeons we''ve selected." "This is the final draft, right?" "Yes. There won''t be any huge changes, so long as the cast doesn''t cause or get in trouble," Jin Cheol smiled and said. Jae Woo sifted through the documents. "We''ll start shooting in a week." "Yes. We''re already gotten everything ready." Jae Woo nodded his head and returned the documents to him. ''Me and Soo Ah. Then there''s Fortune''s (girl group) Yoon Sehwa and the Jairus Guild''s Wild Sword? Park Bae Shik is making an appearance again, but they''ve changed his partner.'' Jae Woo roughly scanned the cast list and then perused thest page with the list of dungeons. The dungeons were ordered sequentially from the level 1 dungeons to the level 5 dungeons. ''I can clear the level 1 and 2 dungeons with my eyes closed.'' The level 1 and 2 dungeons were easy; they were basically warm-ups. ''But the level 5 dungeon is...'' Jae Woo, having seen the name of the level 5 dungeon, slightly widened his eyes. "Interesting, so this is the level 5 dungeon." This was written in the level 5 dungeon''s section. [Tarnatose Prison - Jailbreak Quest] Chapter 89. Kudal’s Laboratory (3)

Chapter 89. Kudal''s Laboratory (3)

Trantor: Boko By obtaining the ''Unjustly Imprisoned'' quest, the Tarnatose Prison became a spatiotemporal intersection point that anyone could enter. In other words, it became an instant dungeon. However, the more time passed, the stronger the prison wardens would be. Some yers would even use this special feature topete for the fastest clear. It was a so-called escape game, a game where the yer would purposefully wait in the prison and allow the wardens to be stronger. Then, they would try to escape the prison. If a yer waited for 40 minutes, it was purported to be impossible to clear unless they were a ranker. Not only that, but escape game yers imed that it was absolutely impossible to clear after 1 hour. However! ''Crazy Highschooler, Bart, managed to do it.'' Crazy Highschooler, Bart. Not only was he a highschool gamer, but he was part of the Numbers, the top echelon of Arth yers. ''They say his skill as a gamer is top-notch...'' Bart had managed to break the record of ''1 hour''. After epting the quest and waiting more than an hour, he began his clear of the Tarnatose Prison and ultimately seeded. Anyway, Dungeon Conquering Man''s 5th level dungeon was Tarnatose Prison. "How long will it be?" Jae Woo asked Jin Cheol. "I wonder." "You wouldn''t ask us to break the 1 hour limit, would you?" Following Bart''s sess, several yers had tried to imitate him, staying within the prison for an hour before attempting their clear. However, only a handful of yers had been sessful. That''s just how hard the challenge was. "The viewers will decide that." "Then it''ll be an hour for sure." If given a choice, the viewers would definitely choose the ''1 hour'' record. "Perhaps." Jin Cheol smiled. ''He knows the viewers will choose the 1 hour time. That''s why he chose the Tarnatose Prison as the 5th level dungeon.'' Clearing a dungeon yielded a reward on Dungeon Conquering Man, but considering how difficult it would be to clear the final dungeon, it seemed as though he wouldn''t be able to get the full reward every single day. "I wonder if any of our participants will be able to clear the Tarnatose Prison. I don''t think so myself." ''So why not just reduce the difficulty now?'' "If no one''s able to do it, then there''s nothing we can do. That''s just how TV works sometimes." It seemed like Jin Cheol had no intention of changing his n. After that, Jae Woo discussed various other topics with Jin Cheol. A whileter, Jin Cheol stood up. "I need to get going." "Alright." "I''ll see you at the studio next time." "Yes, I''ll see you then." Jae Woo saw him off. * * * Kang Oh and Eder began searching Kudal''s Laboratory once more. They had buildings 5 through 8 left. The building closest to the entrance was Building 6. "So this is Building 6," Kang Oh said after arriving at his destination. Building 6 was cylindrically-shaped with outer ck walls, so it basically looked like a giant choco pie. "Let''s go." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder entered Building 6. The inside, like the outside, waspletely ck as well. Rumble. They heard a bizarre sound from far within the ck passageway. "A Horned Ant." Kang Oh already knew what monsters appeared within Building 6. "A Horned Ant?" "Yeah, that." Kang Oh pointed to one side. Eder turned his head in that direction and widened his eyes. "How can you even call that an ant?" It looked like a ck bug with a giant rhinoceros horn, but it wasrger than 1 meter. "We''ve seen four-armed monkeys, buff orcs, and even wolves with steel teeth, so what''s an ant the size of a human being?" "Then that''s also..." "Of course. That too is an artificial life form created by Kudal, a Horned Ant." Then, the Horned Ant rushed towards Kang Oh and Eder. Rumble. Whenever the Horned Ant moved, a strange sound would be emitted from its body. At some point, the Horned Ant noticed Eder, and rammed him with its giant head-mounted horn. ng! The impact between his shield and its horn produced a thundering noise. "Ugh." Eder bit his lip. The force behind its attack was immense. At that moment, Kang Oh swung downwards with his sword, aiming for the section between its torso and its stomach. Whack! It felt like he''d just struck a tree. ''It''s tough.'' It was as if they''d rubbed a ton of hardener atop its shell. ''But still...'' Kang Oh swung his sword in session three times. Bam, bam, bam! His third swing was apanied by an explosion of ck shards. Fang Bearing de! His demon sword''s special ability, which ignored an enemy''s defenses andnded a critical hit, had activated. The Horned Ant tottered. Kuwa! It changed its target and thrust its horn at Kang Oh. Kang Oh moved back slightly, allowing him to evade the horn. "Heup." Kang Oh caught his breath and attacked once more. The Horned Ant shook its head, using its horn to repel Kang Oh''s demon sword. At that moment, Eder struck the back of its head, as if he had been waiting for this moment. Boom! Due to Heavy Blow, a small explosion urred at the area of impact. It was also apanied by a loud ''boom''. Kang Oh swung his sword from left to the right. sh! Once his sword passed through the ant''s horn, a clear wound was left behind. The Horned Ant got a hold of itself and then lifted its horn and charged. Kang Oh grinned. He swung his sword; once his sword made contact, red shards exploded from the wound. ''Again!'' Kang Oh swung upwards from bottom-up. Whack! Not only did red shards explode from the wound, but the horn was actually severed from its head. Kuuu. With its horn severed, the monster ant breathed itsst. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Horned Ant.] Eder approached the fallen Horned Ant and picked up any junk items it''d left behind. At that moment, they heard the Horned Ants'' bizarre sound from both sides of the passageway. "Oh, that''s right. Once you start fighting these guys, they release a powerful pheromone," Kang Oh said. "A pheromone?" Eder asked. "Yeah. So once the nearby Horned Ants get a whiff of it, theye rushing over." "Ah!" Horned Ants appeared from both ends of the passageway. It looked like there were more than 10 total. Kulul. Kurururu! "We''ll move and fight at the same time. Focus, and don''tg behind," Kang Oh said. His objective was finding the hidden dungeon. But if he just stayed here and fought the Horned Ants, then he''d never been able to achieve his goal. Therefore, he had no choice but to look for it while fighting the ants. "Yes, sir," Eder replied energetically. Thud. He stomped on the ground. The Star of David formed beneath his feet and spread everywhere as ck lines. Ruined Ramparts. What better curse was there when fighting against so many opponents? The Horned Ants'' defense reduced significantly. Kuhang! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar. The roar resounded throughout the passageway. He walked forward and swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger pounced on his enemies. Kuang! The tiger auranded a direct hit on the group of ants. At that moment... [Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring''s effect has arrived.] [A spontaneous quest for Tempest Tiger has been created.] [Tempest Tiger 1] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. If you use Tempest Tiger 500 times, then you will receive additional proficiency. Tempest Tiger: 0/500 Difficulty: Spontaneous Reward: 10% increase in Tempest Tiger proficiency His ring had created a spontaneous quest for Tempest Tiger. ''I should use Tempest Tiger more often.'' Kang Oh closed the quest window and focused on what was in front of him. The tiger aura had swept through the area and was followed by raging winds. "I''m going!" Kang Oh rushed forward and Eder followed right behind him. Eder turned his head around and saw several Horned Ants gathering. He then turned his head back around and focused his attention forward. He could see Kang Oh some distance ahead of him. "Wait for me!" Eder ran as fast as he could. * * * "Hoo." Kang Oh, having left Building 6, caught his breath. "Phew. Those Horned Ants never stoppeding," Eder said as he looked at Building 6. The two of them had explored Building 6 whilst fighting off the Horned Ants. Because they''d smelled the pheromones, the Horned Ants had continuously swarmed them and Kang Oh and Eder were forced to fight them off over and over again. As you can see, they had killed countless Horned Ants and hade out safely. Of course, they hadn''t been remiss in their search for the hidden dungeon. Unfortunately, they weren''t able to find it here either. "Let''s go to the next one," Kang Oh said. "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder arrived at Building 7. Building 7 consisted of ss. Kang Oh and Eder could peer through the ss and see whaty within. There were tons of wild flowers, foliage, and trees within the building. Kang Oh and Eder entered Building 7. "It looks like a botanical garden," Eder said. "It''s not just your run-of-the-mill garden. These are all artificial nts made by Kudal." "Artificial nts?" "Yeah. But there are three types of nt monsters that attack people." Kang Oh exined what nt monsters attacked people in Building 7. There were entangled brown kudzu roots called Galluds. They used their roots like feet and walked around whenever they wished. Cocurions were flower buds that possessedrge leaves and a mouth; thorn vines would pop out of its mouth and attack the yers. Parles were giant nts that looked akin to venus fly traps. However, they subsisted on meat, not flies. Of course, from its standpoint, yers were delicious prey. "These are the guys you can expect to see," Kang Oh finished exining. "What level are they?" Eder asked. "Over level 150. The Parles are the strongest and the highest leveled." Galluds, Cocurions, and Parles were all monsters over level 150. The Parles were the most powerful and dangerous monster among them. "I see." Eder nodded his head. "Mm. The monsters will ambush us from the brush, so keep your guard up." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder followed the narrow path and began exploring Building 7. The first nt monster they encountered was a Cocurion. "Dodge!" Kang Oh felt a chill on the sole of his foot and jumped away. Eder followed suit, instinctively flinging himself away as well. Rat-a-tat-tat! Five thorn vines popped out of the ground. The sharp thorn vines moved like whips as if they were riding a wave, aiming for Kang Oh and Eder. "This is a Cocurion. You have to attack its main body," Kang Oh yelled. He took a look around as he did so. "There!" Kang Oh pointed towards an area overgrown with brush. There was arge yellow-green leaf in between it that was ever so slightly visible. That was the Cocurion. "Ooh!" Eder positioned his shield in front of him and charged at the Cocurion''s main body. The thorn vines came rushing at Eder. It was as if they were saying ''Don''te any closer!'' as they seemingly attempted to push him back. Of course, even if it did, it couldn''t stop Kang Oh and Eder''s advance. Kang Oh swung his sword at any iing vines and cut them apart. Eder blocked the vines with his shield and also bashed them with his mace. Kang Oh and Eder soon arrived at the Cocurion''s main body. "Haahp." "Huahp." The two simultaneously attacked its main body. More vines popped out of its mouth and it counterattacked, but Kang Oh dodged them and Eder blocked them with his shield, making itpletely ineffective. Ultimately, the Cocurion''s yellow-green leaves were torn to shreds and its final remaining vine was cut apart. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Cocurion.] At that moment... Kang Oh and Eder were suddenly overcast by shadow. They looked up and saw a giant venus fly trap above them." "It''s a Parle!" Kang Oh yelled. Then... The Parle closed its mouth shut with unbelievable speed, consuming Eder whole. Chapter 90. Kudal’s Laboratory (4)

Chapter 90. Kudal''s Laboratory (4)

Trantor: Boko The Parle was huge and bizarre looking. Its head resembled a venus fly trap, with saw de shaped leaves that acted like lips. The body itself wasposed of a green stem that was repeatedly tangled together. Thus, if it moved to the left or the right, it could crawl around like a snake. It had devoured Eder in a single bite. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh calmly yelled. Eder, who he''d seen get eaten, reappeared in front of him. "M-Mr. Kang Oh, thank you!" "Tch. You couldn''t even dodge that?" Kang Oh was being hard on him. "..." Eder didn''t have anything he could say in response. Kang Oh was right. He hadn''t been able to dodge its attack because of his carelessness. Then, a shadow overcast Kang Oh and Eder once more. With the escape of its prey, the Parle rushed towards Kang Oh and Eder once more. "Move!" Kang Oh and Eder ran in opposite directions. The Parle moved its vine body and aimed for Eder, opening its saw de-shaped leaves. Eder flung himself away. Chomp. The Parle closed its mouth. Eder had just barely dodged the Parle''s attack. At that moment, Kang Oh attacked the Parle''s body. sh! Swish. His demon sword cleaved through the green stem. Then, the Parle turned its head and attacked Kang Oh instead. "Huaaht!" Kang Oh decided to attack, rather than dodge, and crazily swung his sword. Whenever his sword cleaved through the air, he cut through the Parle''s stem or its leaves. Despite that, the Parle didn''t back down. It forcefully pushed its head forward. But that wasn''t the right call. Once he saw the Parle open its mouth wide, he assumed an iaido stance. Swish. He swung his sword from top-down. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger jutted out of his sword. The golden tiger aura entered the Parle''s open ''mouth''. Boom! "Oh." Kang Oh slightly widened his eyes. Upon damaging the Parle, ck shards exploded everywhere. His demon sword''s special ability, Fang Bearing de, had activated on a skill. The Parle, having taken arge amount of damage, became confused. Whoosh. The tiger aura was followed by strikes of wind whips. At the same time, Kang Oh attacked the wound created via sh. Bang! Once his de made contact, the wound exploded with red shards. Eder kept attacking what could be considered the Parle''s ''tail'' area. Bam! He struck using Heavy Blow, and then continued to bash at the same injured area. Repeatedly striking the same ce over and over again! Bam! Bam! Bam! By the time the Parle regained its bearings, its HP had tanked, and had no way of recovering or turning the fight around. In the end, the Parle died. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Parle.] Eder mechanically picked up the junk item and gave it to Kang Oh. It was a red flower that resembled a morning glory. However... "Huh?" His Hyper Intuition red the moment he saw it. There was some sort of secret behind this flower! "Information." He quickly looked over the item''s information [Renji Flower] An artificial flower created by Alchemist Kudal. Used as a material in various alchemical processes. Material Rank: BB There was nothing special detailed in the item''s information. "Mm." Kang Oh looked over the Renji Flower. "What''s wrong? Is there something special about it?" Eder asked. "Yeah. When I took a look at this, my Hyper Intuition red up," Kang Oh said. "Oh, finally!" Eder sported a joyous expression from finally finding a clue. "But I have no idea where to use it." "Shall I take a look at it?" "Go ahead." Kang Oh passed him the Renji Flower. Eder too, looked over the flower. "It''s not like a sunflower, which points you in a certain direction... I don''t feel any particr magic within it either... It''s a flower, so it should have something to do with thenguage of flowers." "Hmm. Thenguage of flowers... Let''s see if there''s any meaning behind the Renji Flower." But based on the item''s information, the Renji Flower was artificially created by Kudal, so would it have any such meaning? At that moment, Eder heard Kang Oh say the flower''s name and retorted, "Did you say Renji?" "Yeah. Renji Flower. Have you heard about it before?" "Renji was the name of Kudal''s wife. It''s said that when he proposed, he gave her a very special flower as a present. It seems that this was the flower," Eder said. Then, he added something unnecessary. "As expected of Kudal... What a romantic guy." Kang Ohpletely ignored Eder''s final statement. "Then the hidden dungeon could be hidden in a ce that was connected with his wife," Kang Oh said. "Yes. That''s a possibility. But where would that be?" "Who knows? First, let''s search the rest of the buildings. Something should pop up on the way." "Ok." Kang Oh retrieved the Renji Flower from Eder and carefully ced it into his inventory. Then, they began looking through every nook and cranny of Building 7 once more. As they walked through the building, they encountered the nt monster, Gallud, and a battle broke out among the three of them. Not only was a Gallud''s body incredibly tough, but its attack power was no joke either. However, it wasn''t so much that Kang Oh and Eder had anything to worry about. They were able to take it down without much difficulty. "Oh, over there." Eder pointed to one side. There, another Renji Flower was blooming. Kang Oh headed over to pluck it. But... [Requires Intermediate Herb Picking.] "Ah." Kang Oh couldn''t pluck the Renji Flower because he didn''t possess the Herb Picking skill. But Eder did. To be more specific, the body Eder possessed, that of Arumode, did not possess the Herb Picking skill. He didn''t have it in his old skeleton body either. But Eder had told him that his original body possessed the Master Herb Picking skill. "Tch. If you had your original body, then we could''ve gotten it." Kang Oh sported a disappointed expression. "If I had my old body, then I wouldn''t be with you right now," Eder said firmly. He was once a renowned healer, so he would never have involved himself with Kang Oh. "That''s true. By the way, what exactly are you implying here?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "I''ve made two mistakes in my life. One was insulting a god, and the other was signing a contract with you," Eder smiled and said. It was part truth and part lies. "Want to die?" Kang Oh smiled and said. "Do what you want." Eder shrugged his shoulders, his bodynguage reflecting the veracity of his statement. "I got it." Kang Oh pushed his sword forward. Did he think he wouldn''t? "Wait a second! Now that I think about it, forming a contract with you was the best decision of my life!" Eder quickly changed his tone, and Kang Oh withdrew his sword. "Let''s stop ying around and keep going." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder passed the Renji Flower. A short whileter... They had finished exploring Building 7. "Nothing," Kang Oh said. He couldn''t find a secret area. "At least you managed to pick up the flower." At the very least, he''d obtained the Renji Flower from Building 7. Kang Oh nodded his head. "Let''s search the other buildings and if we can''t find anything, then let''s gather as many Renji Flowers as we can." He had no idea what would happen if he gathered more than a certain amount of Renji Flowers. After all, when he''d gathered over the required number of Agat Crystals, a raid boss had spawned. Therefore, Kang Oh had already gathered more than ten of them. "Ok." "Next up is Building 5." Kang Oh and Eder left Building 7 and headed for the nearest building, Building 5. * * * Artificial tigers known as Muhos appeared in Building 5. Muhos were odd-eyed,rger than normal tigers that were about level 120. Kuheong! The tiger, with a left green eye and a gold right eye, roared. ''It''s nothingpared to Baramut.'' Kang Oh recalled Baramut when he heard its roar. The King of the Jungle, Baramut! Baramut had been much more powerful andrger than the tiger. Since he''d killed Baramut, the Muho seemed like nothing more than a harmless cat. Eder didn''t think much of the Muho either. Was this how it felt when a baseball yer faced a 160 km ball flying at them, but then faced a 140 km ball? The Muho was cutepared to Baramut. "Shh..." Kang Oh approached the tiger without a care in the world. ng. ng. Eder tapped his shield with his mace in a show of confidence. Kyaoh! The tiger brandished its fangs and charged at Kang Oh. "Sure, let''s y." Kang Oh dodged it and attacked again and again. Eder continuously attacked its side as well. A short whileter, the Muho''s head fell to the floor. [You have defeated the artificial life form, Muho.] "Tch. It''s weak." "Indeed." Kang Oh and Eder''s idea of a tiger came from Baramut. Therefore, it was only natural that they felt that the Muho was weak. The two collected the junk items and began exploring Building 5 once more. They searched every room and made sure that there weren''t any hidden devices on the floor or the ceiling. The two even inspected the wall-mounted ornaments, the furniture, the disy stands, and the paper on the floor as well. However, all they found were Muhos. Kang Oh and Eder handled the Muhos with ease, and left Building 5. They headed for Building 8. "Is this thest one...?" Kang Oh said as he looked at the building in front of him. Before them was thergest building here. "It looks just like the Holiseum," Eder said. Building 8 did indeed resemble the diator arena. "Yeah, you''re right." Kang Oh knew the original, the coliseum, so the building reminded him more of a coliseum than the white Holiseum. Anyway, Kang Oh and Eder entered Building 8. There were four-armed monkeys, Kongs, wandering about inside. As they went deeper inside, they saw every kind of artificial life forms they''d encountered thus far: Gablins, Nurams, Horned Ants, Parles, etc. "Is this a fairground of artificial life forms or what?" Eder asked. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. There weren''t any new artificial life forms in Building 8. Instead, all of the monsters that had appeared in buildings 1 - 7 appeared here. Perhaps that was why this ce had such a fun feature. Which was... "Huh?" Eder pointed at one side. A Horned Ant and a Rorc Champion were fighting against one another. "Why are they fighting each other?" "Kudal set this ce up as an ecosystem, so they fight for their lives here." Kudal had created several artificial life forms to further his research. If that was the case, then he must have wondered what would happen if he gathered them all in one ce. He must''ve created Building 8 to sate this curiosity of his. "Wow. He really was an amazing alchemist. It''s huge." Eder was in awe. "That''s why there''s a high chance that something is hidden here, since it looks like the ce that he put the most effort into," Kang Oh said. Several dungeon hunters had thought the same as Kang Oh and had searched every nook and cranny of this ce. Of course, no one had discovered a hidden dungeon or a secret from this ce yet. "I''m different from them..." Kang Oh muttered as he thought of the dungeon hunters who diligently searched this building. While they didn''t have Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh did. That was the absolute difference between them. "Let''s go." Kang Oh confidently walked forward. If there was something here, then he would find it! But a short whileter... "There''s nothing here!" Even Kang Oh couldn''t find something that wasn''t there in the first ce. There was nothing in Building 8 either! "Hmm. Is collecting as many Renji Flowers as we can really the only option left?" Kang Oh still had something he wanted to try. It was much too early to give up. "Mr. Kang Oh." At that moment, Eder called for Kang Oh with a serious expression. "What''s wrong?" "Doesn''t something feel strange?" "What are you talking about?" "There are so many buildings here, but it''scking the most important of them all." "And what''s that?" "A house! Kudal''s house isn''t here." Chapter 91. Ishmael Mansion

Chapter 91. Ishmael Mansion

Trantor: Boko "A house, huh..." Kang Oh was locked in thought. Come to think of it, there wasn''t a space to rest inside theboratory. All of the buildings were either research facilities or designed to oversee the artificial life forms. That didn''t make any sense. In Arth, characters had their own life and personality. Kudal was one of these NPCs, so he must''ve had his own life as well. But the buildings here only pertained to his ''work'', not his ''life'' or ''rest''. "Not only that, but Kudal loved his wife dearly. Yet there are almost no items, memories, or pictures of his wife. There''s the Renji Flower at best," Eder said. ''He''s right.'' The reason that there wasn''t anything here regarding her was... "They must''ve had a separate space for themselves. That private area must be ''Kudal''s house''," Kang Oh said. "It''s quite likely." Eder nodded his head. "Where do you think his house would be?" "I''m not sure." "Well, it''s definitely not here." If it were hidden somewhere here, then he would''ve been able to find it. "Hmm." Eder recalled what he''d read about Kudal. Unfortunately, the books hadn''t said anything about his house. It was the same for Kang Oh as well. "Let''s return to Myron. We need some more information." Myron was the city where Kudal was born. There must be some clue there that should help them find Kudal''s house. "Yes, that sounds like a good idea." * * * There were bronze statues that paid tribute to the great alchemist, Kudal, throughout the city of Myron. Of course, they had erected bronze statues of other great alchemists throughout the city as well. There were stores that lined the streets that bought and sold all kinds of materials, which reminded him of people selling medicine. He could seerge medicine stores that soldrge quantities of liquid medicine as well. Kang Oh and Eder were passing through such a road. "There are two good ces to gather information. The Myron Library and Alchemist Guild," Kang Oh said. "Should we investigate separately?" "Yeah, that''d be best. I''ll go to the Alchemist Guild." Kang Oh preferred actually meeting and talking to people rather than slumping over and reading a book in the library. "Then I''ll head to the Myron Library." "Alright. If you find something, thene over immediately. If I find something, I''ll summon you right away." "Understood." The two parted ways. Kang Oh headed straight for the Alchemist Guild. The Myron Alchemist Guild was the guild''s main headquarters, so the ce was huge. Perhaps that exined why the ce was teeming with yers and NPCs. "If you want to be an Alchemist, then gather these materials." "Understood." A yer who seemed new epted the quest and left the guild. "Please show me an alchemical grimoire." It seemed like this yer, who was carrying an alchemical pot, was trying to learn new alchemical abilities. "Hmm." Kang Oh wondered how he''d be able to gather information amidst this crowd. He couldn''t just grab someone out of the crowd and ask them about Kudal''s house like an idiot. That would just scream, ''Hey, I''m looking for something.''. It would run the risk of drawing attention to him. Kang Oh looked around. He didn''t see anyone who could provide him with the information he was looking for, so he went up a floor. The second floor was quieter than the first. Kang Oh looked around once more. There was an old man sitting in a chair. The old man was wearing a white gown, which was smeared with various chemicals. ''It''s an NPC Alchemist.'' Kang Oh approached the old man. "Hello." Kang Oh smiled politely. "Mm. I''ve never seen your face here before." The old man scanned his face. "Yes. I came here just a few days ago." "Is that so? So what did you want from me?" "I just want to learn about the city. Ah, and also..." Once he was finished, Kang Oh took out the Renji Flower from his inventory. "Please take this. This is a small token of my appreciation." There were two reasons he was giving the old man the flower. First, it was, as he said, a token of his appreciation. Secondly, he wanted to draw the topic of conversation to Kudal. The old man epted the flower. "Hmm. It''s a Renji Flower. When I was young, I said I would create an elixir of love... I used it quite often." The old man looked at the flower, seemingly reminiscing of the past. "An elixir of love? Does this flower have some sort of special property or something?" "It''s said that the Alchemist Kudal realized his love through this flower, so I tried to do the same." "Didn''t Kudal name the flower after his wife and use it to propose, not use it to create an elixir of love?" Kang Oh told back the story that Eder had told him. "Hmph. That doesn''t make any sense! Kudal was a poor and unattractive alchemist, and his wife was the only daughter of an incredibly wealthy man. If you think about it, there''s no way that the two would ever get together. They got together despite that, which means that Kudal must have created an elixir of love, one that only appears in legend, and made her drink it. One of the major ingredients of the elixir must be the Renji Flower," the old man said fiercely, seemingly angry. "So you''re saying that... him giving her the elixir of love was changed to him proposing to her with the Renji Flower?" "Indeed. Common knowledge and facts always get distorted over time." Kang Oh narrowed his eyes. ''It seems like the old man''s the one distorting the facts.'' The old man was actually the one ignoring the facts and making up his own story. But he continued to listen carefully nheless. ''A poor young man and a rich daughter...'' It must have cost a fortune to create hisboratory atop the Marron Mountains. Where would that money havee from? It must''vee from being the son-inw to a wealthy family. If that''s the case, then wouldn''t his wife have bought him his house too? ''If I ask about his wife, then I might get some clues...'' "You said that Renji was the only daughter of a wealthy man?" "Indeed." "Does her house still exist?" Kang Oh asked. "Hmm. I''m not sure, but I do know her full name: Renji Ishmael. If you want to know more about the Ishmael family, then go to city hall." [You have heard a crucial clue to finding Kudal''s house.] Kang Oh grinned at the system message. He''d definitely asked the right question. "Understood. I enjoyed our talk. I''ll get going now." Kang Oh wanted to go to Myron City Hall immediately. He should be able to get the information he needed there. The old man just waved him off. Kang Oh quickly left the Alchemist Guild. * * * "Is this it?" Kang Oh arrived in front of Myron City Hall. It looked like a newly constructed building due to how clean the outside was. "I don''t need to call Eder yet." He would leave Eder to his books and figure out where the Ishmael family house was by himself. However...! "Mr. Kang Oh!" He suddenly heard someone call for him. Kang Oh turned around and saw Eder running towards him. "Eder. Did you find something?" The two of them were connected. Eder could locate Kang Oh at any time, any ce, and the same applied to Kang Oh¡¯s summoning of Eder as well; he could summon Eder whenever he wanted. "No. I found an important clue in the Myron Library and came here to check if it was true or not... Then I ran into you." "Is that important clue of yours the Ishmael family?" "Huh? You already know. Then you too?" "Yeah. Me too." "Wow, how did you know?" "What about you?" "As I was looking through the books, I found a diary that said all sorts of bad things about Kudal. It was a diary written by a man who had an unrequited love for Renji... Anyway, it said that Kudal approached the Ishmael family for their money. Then, when I looked up the Ishmael family, I found out that they were incredibly rich, whereas Kudal was a young and poor alchemist. So I had a hunch!" Kang Oh nodded his head. "How about you, Mr. Kang Oh?" He cut off the part where he asked ''How did you know about the Ishmael family?''. "Mm. I heard it from a certain old man. That Renji was the only daughter of a wealthy man, so I had a hunch too." "As I thought." Eder gave him a thumbs up. "Let''s hurry up and figure out where the Ishmael family''s estate is." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder entered Myron City Hall. A short whileter... They came out the door from whence they came. Kang Oh and Eder''s faces were bright, as they''d obtained the information they had been looking for. "Let''s go." "Ok." They headed for the Ishmael family''s mansion without dy. * * * There was a forest to the north of Myron, and within this foresty the Ishmael family''s mansion. "It seems like this is it," Eder said as he looked at the mansion in front of him. "Yeah, but as I thought... It''s deserted," Kang Oh said. The Ishmael family''s mansion waspletely deserted. One side of the ceiling hadpletely copsed and all of the windows were broken. ''I guess this is how you''d expect it to look...'' Kang Oh had procured information on the Ishmael family from city hall. At the time of Renji¡¯s marriage to Kudal, she had been the sole inheritor of the Ishmael fortune. However, she died without being able to produce an heir, and at some point, Kudal went missing too, so the Ishmael family was left to ruin. The Ismael family''s mansion was obviously ownerless, and as time passed, it had bepletely deserted. "Let''s go take a closer look." Kang Oh and Eder approached the mansion. The closer they got, the worse it looked. Then, two yers came out from a corner of the mansion. "What is this ce?" "Dunno." "Let''s go in." "Sure." The two yers passed Kang Oh and Eder, and then entered through the halfway opened front gate. "How should we proceed?" Eder asked. "Let''s go in too and check things out, but don''t show any signs if you find something." Kang Oh and Eder also entered the deserted mansion, looking at ease as if they were tourists. "It looks like Kudal did live here." Eder pointed to one side of the wall. There were two portraits there. On one, there was a young and pale man, and on the other, there was a woman with a beautiful smile. They were portraits of Kudal and Renji. This was definitely ''Kudal''s house'' that they''d been looking for. ''Now we just need to find the secret area.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. At that moment, he saw the yers that had gone in before them. "There''s nothing here, right?" "Yeah. If there was something here, then the others would''ve found something already." "Let''s go already." "Yeah." The two yers headed for the door. Kang Oh and Eder followed the two from afar, and made sure that they left the mansion. "They''ve left." "Yeah. Let''s search this ce for real now." "Yes, sir!" Chapter 92. Kudal’s Secret Laboratory

Chapter 92. Kudal''s Secret Laboratory

Trantor: Boko They didn''t find anything noteworthy in the mansion. "This is strange..." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Your Hyper Intuition still hasn''t found anything yet?" Eder asked. "Yeah." "Then why don''t we take another look around. You never know." "Sure." Kang Oh and Eder searched the mansion once more, but the result remained the same. "Tch. Was I wrong?" Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Was there no hidden dungeon rted to Kudal in the first ce? "Well, it''s not the first time that you didn''t find a hidden dungeon," Eder consoled him. "Hmm." Kang Oh took out the Renji Flower from his inventory. He immediately felt something off about it, which meant that there was nothing off with his Hyper Intuition. "Where exactly do you use this?" The Renji Flower definitely held some sort of secret. "I''m not sure." Eder shrugged his shoulders. Kang Oh stared at the Renji Flower. His Hyper Intuition had never been wrong before, so it was probably right this time too. ''I can''t give up here.'' Kang Oh decided to look around some more, but where exactly would he go from here? "Eder, do mansions normally only have one building?" Kang Oh asked. Eder lived in a mansion himself, so he knew more about mansions than Kang Oh. "It depends. At times, they have amodations for butlers and maids. There can also be more than one building as well." "Then let''s look around the mansion one more time. There may be another building nearby." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder left the Ishmael mansion, and began to walk around the forest-surrounded mansion. * * * If you knock, then the door will open! "This is it!" Kang Oh cried. Finally! He¡¯d finally found the ce that his Hyper Intuition had been leading him towards. "Is this really it?" Eder pointed at the statue. He was pointing at a statue of Renji, the woman they''d seen in one of the portraits. "Yeah, I''m sure." While searching the mansion''s premises, Kang Oh and Eder had discovered a small road that led to the back of the mansion. They followed the road and found this ce where several statuesy. Kang Oh¡¯s Hyper Intuition red when he saw the centermost statue of Renji. "Hmm." Eder observed Renji''s statue. Renji''s statuey atop a marble b, which had an inscription written on it. My eternal love. "My eternal love... This must have been written by Kudal, right?" "Yeah, probably." "Mm. He really was a romantic." "Now then..." A flower which held a secret, and the statue that stored the secret. A nod is as good as a wink. Kang Oh retrieved the Renji Flower from his inventory and ced it atop the marble b. "Ooh." Once he ced it atop the marble b, the flower melted into a red liquid. The red liquid filled the grooves of the inscription, and caused ''My Eternal Love'' to radiate in a red light. At the same time...! A portal was created. It was an oval-shaped portal, plentyrge enough for Kang Oh and Eder to go through. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Kudal''s Secret Laboratory.] [You are the first to discover it,.] [Fame has increased.] [Hunting within Kudal''s Secret Laboratory yields two times the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] Upon reading the system message, Kang Oh felt a chill on his spine and his entire body shivered. What was the best way to put it? As a dungeon hunter, there was nothing more exhrating than finding a dungeon that no one else had found before. He''d obtain a huge payout by going into a ce that no one else has gone before! Naturally, Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards into a smile. "Let''s go!" "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder entered the portal. Once they did, the portal spun and became smaller. Soon, itpletely disappeared. * * * [Entering the hidden dungeon, Kudal''s Secret Laboratory.] The portal had seemingly led Kang Oh and Eder into some kind of building. Kang Oh stroked the walls. The corridor''s walls were painted white, and they saw several rooms without any doors or windows. Something came out from one of the rooms. Gyaruru! It was a monster with the heads of a fox and a wolf. The wolf head possessed steel teeth, while the fox head''s emitted mes whenever it breathed. "It''s abination of a Nuram and a York. This is bizarre." Kudal''s artificial wolf and fox: the Nuram and York. Those two artificial animals had been fused together, creating the monster thaty before them. "Its body looks different though," Eder said. As he said, the monster''s body had a tiger''s stripes on it. "The body''s from a Muho." The monster''s body came from Kudal''s artificial tiger, the Muho. "It looks like... a chimera," Eder said. A chimera was a mixture of several different entities to create one monster. It was a monster that frequently made an appearance in games, though in those, it would often possess the head of a goat, the body of a lion, and the tail of a snake. However, this particr chimera possessed the body of a tiger and the heads of a wolf and fox. Kuah! Once the chimera took notice of Kang Oh, it charged. Eder opened his mouth wide, and out came a chain. Slowing Curse! The chain wrapped around the chimera and then disappeared. As a result, the speed of its charge had dropped. Kang Oh drew his demon sword and charged at the chimera. Eder charged right beside him. He cleaved diagonally, but the chimera blocked his de with its wolf head''s steel teeth. Whereas the fox head spewed mes at Kang Oh. "I''ll take care of it." Eder approached Kang Oh from the side and raised his shield. The mes crashed against the surface of his shield. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and thrust his sword at the chimera''s heart. He''d aimed there because his Hyper Intuition had informed him that that was the chimera''s weakness. The chimera swiped with its front foot, deflecting his de with its tiger ws. ng! He could feel its strength transmitted through his sword. ''It''s pretty strong. I think it''s about level 150.'' Kang Oh quickly assumed his position and unleashed a sh. Swish. His sword had cut through its side. Kya! The wolf head came for Kang Oh''s neck, but he turned his sword horizontally. Kyaahk! Its steel teeth bit his sword. Kang Oh gripped his sword with both hands more forcefully than before. Screech. The friction between the chimera''s steel teeth and his de emitted a sharp, grating noise. The wolf head couldn''t keep Kang Oh''s sword in ce; Kang Oh was much too strong for it. Splurt. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s sword cut through the inside of the wolf head''s mouth once it let go. Red shards of light exploded from its mouth and the wolf head shrieked in pain. "Nice!" Eder yelled. Eder was diligently fighting against the fox head. Whack! Eder had struck the top of the fox''s head. The chimera aimed for Eder''s nk, swiping with its front leg. Eder swung his shield. Shield Bash! The edge of his four-colored skull shield deflected the chimera''s foot. At that moment... Kang Oh thrust his sword into the chimera''s heart. St! Red shards of light spilled out like a fountain of blood. [Chimera #27''s HP has dropped below 10%.] [It has gone berserk.] Chimera #27 possessed the ability to go berserk. The eyes of the fox and wolf heads glowed with a red hue. The chimera swiped its front foot at Eder, while the wolf head attacked Kang Oh. Berserk had caused the chimera''s attacks to be quicker and more powerful than before. Kang Oh retreated. Once he did, the chimera focused all of its attacks on Eder. Eder halted his attacks and quickly raised his shield to defend himself against the iing onught. Bam, bam, bam. It attacked him with everything it had: the wolf head''s steel teeth, the tiger''s front legs, and the fox head''s mes! All of its attacks scorched the surface of Eder''s four-colored skull shield. The force behind its attacks rocked Eder''s body. "Mr. Kang Oh!" he called resentfully, clinging to his shield for dear life. "Hold out for a little bit. I''ll take care of it quickly." Kang Oh kicked off the floor and dashed towards it. As he approached, the chimera ferociously swiped with its front foot. He slid under the chimera''s foot and cleaved through the beast from beneath. "Huahp!" As he slid, he continued feverishly swinging his sword. His sword cut through the chimera''s heart three times. Red shards of light rained down like a waterfall. By the time he''d slid to the chimera''s tail, the chimera fell to the floor with a thud. [You have defeated Chimera #27.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh and Eder, having defeated the chimera, went further into the dungeon. * * * Kudal''s Secret Laboratory was filled with chimeras. There was Chimera #27, which was abination of the Nuram, the York, and the Muho. Then there was the chimera with a human-shaped body with an orc head and four arms. It seemed like a chimeraposed of the artificial orc, Rorc, as well as the four-armed Kong. The Chimera #33 was a Parle with a Horned Ant''s horns attached to its stem. There were several chimeras like these that were a fusion of different types of monsters. Of these, the most powerful chimera was Chimera #44, which was abination of all the nt-type monsters: the Cocurion, the Gallud, and the Parle. Its torso and its legs belonged to the Gallud, while its arms were attached to the Parle''s venus fly trap leaves and snake-like stem. There was a flower bud, or a Cocurion, on its back, much like a tortoise shell. Thorn vines crazily popped out of the Cocurion''s ''mouth''. Fighting against Chimera #44 was tough for Kang and Eder. However, they weren''t weak enough to falter against an enemy that wasn''t even a boss. "That was quite tough," Eder said after they''d defeated Chimera #44. The remains of the chimera were sprawled beneath his feet. "Well, it''s the guardian that protects the door to the boss room, so it''s the 2nd strongest thing in here," Kang Oh said. "The boss room?" "Look over there. That door over there leads to the boss room. It was protecting that room." Kang Oh pointed to the door that Chimera #44 had been protecting with the tip of his sword. There was an ornate pattern drawn on the door. In general, a door with such a shy pattern would lead to the boss room. "Ah, you''re right. But do you think Kudal is the final boss?" "He could be, but there''s also a chance he''s not." Since the dungeon was called Kudal''s Secret Laboratory, there was a chance that Kudal was the final boss. Of course, there was a chance that he wasn''t as well. "If Kudal is the final boss, then... wouldn''t he be too strong for us? He was a Master Alchemist." Eder looked concerned. "It depends. Your original body was higher than level 400, but once you became a monster, you became a lot weaker. And there''s also a chance that Kudal isn''t the final boss." "In the end, we have no other choice but to go inside and look." "That''s how it goes for whoever goes first." "I hope it''s a weak boss, whatever it is." "It''s better to fight a harder boss than a weak one, since it''ll give you that much more once you beat it." Eder was a worker who received 3 gold per day. He obviously preferred easy jobs to hard ones. Whereas Kang Oh was his employer. He wanted more profit, even if he had to incur more risk. "Then shall we open the door?" Eder politely pointed towards the door. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh forcefully opened the boss room door. Chapter 93. Chimera Shurak (1)

Chapter 93. Chimera Shurak (1)

Trantor: Boko The boss room was huge. There were ss tubes on one side of the wall, containing artificial life forms within. Not only that...! The boss was located at the center of the room. He looked it over and received a system message. [You have discovered Chimera Shurak.] [You are the first to discover it.] "It doesn''t look... like Kudal, right?" Eder said, observing the boss. "It''s not. It''s a chimera." Shurak was more than 3 meters tall, and was a human-shaped chimera with arms and legs. However, it possessed two heads. There was a goat and lion head attached to its neck. It had two arms like normal, holding a single-ded sword in its right hand and a double-ded sword in its left. "Hmm. The two heads must have different abilities or skills," Kang Oh said. "Take a look at its muscles. They''re huge," Eder said. "Mm." Kang Oh nodded his head in agreement. "Phew, this doesn''t look easy." Eder sighed. "Who knows, it might be easy," Kang Oh smiled and said. "Not likely." "Right? So keep your guard up. Let''s go." Kang Oh and Eder approached Shurak. Once they got close enough, Eder stepped forward. "I''ll start." Eder stomped on the ground. Thud! Thud! He cast both Rusty Sword and Ruined Ramparts, which lowered an enemy''s attack power and defense respectively. Shurak responded once Cursed Ground''s Domain spread throughout the boss room. The sleeping beast awoke, opening the eyes on its lion and goat heads! Kuhaang! Meeh! The two heads made two different sounds. Kuheoong! Unwilling to lose, Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar, strengthening his body with Baramut''s blessing. Shurak swung downwards with its single-ded sword. Its muscles swelled to such an extent that it seemed like they''d burst. Zoom! Kang Oh and Eder evaded its de and separated. Boom! Shurak''s swordnded in the space between Kang Oh and Eder, leaving behind a vertical cut in the ground. ''An opening!'' Shurak was left wide open as a consequence of its attack. Kang Oh wouldn''t let that opportunity go, and swung his sword from left to right. Swish! He shed its forearm, causing shards of light to explode from the wound. Shurak counterattacked immediately after. Shurak''s single-de sword, which had once been embedded in the ground, was now falling from overhead, intent on bisecting Kang Oh. Kang Oh shielded himself with his sword. ng! Its de made contact with his sword. "Ugh." He was forced back, feeling the incredible force behind its blow. ''This guy!'' Its strength was unbelievable. Kuhang! Its lion head roared. Shurak, using its single-ded sword, began attacking Kang Oh with even greater ferocity. Zoom! Kang Oh rolled onto the floor, rather than block Shurak''s blow. "Eder. This guy''s gotta be higher than level 200," Kang Oh repositioned himself and said. "We can''t beat a level 200 boss, can we?" Eder was fighting against Shurak''s left-handed sword. He could likewise feel Shurak''s immense strength. Whenever he blocked one of its blows with his shield, his body would shake from the transmitted force. "Let''s just keep going for now. If we can''t manage it, then I''ll use everything at my disposal, like what I did against Caraco." Kang Oh had an S-rank item ready for Gluttony in his inventory and if need be, he could use Devil Trigger as well. "Understood. But don''t hold back for too long. It''ll have been for nothing if..." Eder couldn''t finish, as Shurak''s double-ded sword came flying at him. ng! Although he''d blocked its strike with his shield, he was pushed back. "Huah!" Kang Oh rushed forward. Shurak''s single-ded sword came flying, and Kang Oh held his sword askew. Screech. Its sword grazed Kang Oh''s de. Kang Oh let it slide by, causing Shurak''s side to bepletely defenseless. ''Now!'' Kang Oh unleashed a single, powerful attack. Tempest Tiger! Golden energy rose, giving rise to a tiger aura. The tiger aura then pounced on Shurak''s nk. Kuwang! Tempest Tiger was truly a fitting title for the skill. Shurak tottered. Kuah. Meeh. Shurak''s heads shrieked. However, Shurak wasn''t a level 200 boss for nothing. It regained its bearings immediately. Swish! Shurak''s sword, which had been focused on Eder, switched targets and attacked Kang Oh. Not only that, but it was no ordinary attack. Its de was coated in a blue aura, denoting the activation of a skill. The tip of its de came rushing towards Kang Oh''s heart. As soon as he was warned by his Hyper Intuition, he flung his body away. Whoosh! Shurak''s de swept through the area, and sharp ice formed wherever its sword passed through. "Is that an ice aura!?" Kang Oh said, looking at the frigid ground. Shurak continued its attack. This time, it attacked with its single-ded sword. Its sword glowed red. "No way!" Kang Oh quickly retreated. Boom! mes arose once its de made contact with the ground. "Ugh." Kang Oh protected himself with his demon sword. The mes darted in and out. "Damn it. Can it use both ice and fire auras simultaneously?" Thud. Shurak stomped with one of its legs, intending to crush Kang Oh. But by doing so, its back was leftpletely open to Eder. He forcefully struck Shurak''s thigh wit his mace. Bam. Shards of light spurted out. However, Shurak didn''t pay him any mind. Instead, it continued to attack Kang Oh, alternating between its ice and fire swords. Thud. Boom! Whoosh. Bam! Fire zed around Kang Oh as if a bomb had exploded, and ice shards came flying at him. Shurak attacked Kang Oh like a storm and gale. However...! The more it attacked, the greater Kang Oh''s concentration became. Kang Oh dodged most of Shurak''s attacks by a hair''s breadth. Of course, he did take some superficial damage. [You have taken some damage from the fire.] [You have been grazed by the ice shards.] But that was all. Kang Oh calmly waited for his chance in the midst of the onught. In the end...! He narrowly dodged Shurak''s fire de, got in close, and swung his sword. Swish. His sword shed Shurak''s leg. Shurak tried to kick him away, but Kang Oh dodged its attack by rolling on the floor, and attacked once more. Eder kept attacking Shurak while Kang Oh struggled. Heavy Blow! Shield Bash! Slowing Curse! Aging Curse! Heavy Blow! Eder wasn''t capable of dealing a significant amount of damage to Shurak in a single blow. His curses were mostly resisted by it as well. But attack after attack umted, like a light shower wetting clothes, inflicting damage that couldn''t be ignored. Meeh. The goat head cried out. Ultimately, the Shurak returned to its original attack pattern; it attacked Kang Oh with its single-ded sword and used its double-ded one to attack Eder. "Hoo, hoo." He regained his breath once its onught was over. Kang Oh didn''t attempt to counterattack while he dodged its attacks. ''I have to regain some Stamina first.'' Dodging and counterattacking had caused his Stamina to drop below half, whereas Eder waspletely fine. Eder deflected Shurak''s sword with his shield and continuously counterattacked with his mace. ''Good. We can do this.'' Shurak was definitely a powerful boss, but it wasn''t impossibly so; it was still within the realm of possibility for them to defeat it. However, Shurak had adopted a new attack pattern. Kuoh! Sparks popped out of the lion head''s mouth, and a whirlwind came out of the goat head''s mouth. ''This is phase two, huh.'' Kang Oh realized that the boss fight was progressing. "Something''sing!" Kang Oh yelled. At that moment... Chuhwaaahk! The lion''s head unleashed lightning from its mouth, whereas the goat''s head blew a whirlwind. The lightning came straight for Kang Oh. He shielded himself with his sword, and prepared himself for theing impact. However, his demon sword absorbed the lightning as if it were slurping noodles. [Ubist has absorbed Shurak''s Lightning. Satiation has increased by 0.001%.] Shurak''s lightning consisted of magic. Thus, his demon sword was able to absorb it. However... Eder had no such ability. Therefore, he was swept up by the raging whirlwind. "Uahk!" Eder was thrown into the air and forced to make an emergencynding on his way down. Thud! It seemed like he''d taken quite some damage, as shards of light poured out of his body. With Eder pushed so far away, Shurak turned around and began attacking Kang Oh. It attacked with both its fire and ice des once more. Of course, it used its lightning and wind spells in tandem as well. ''I can''t go on like this!'' He couldn''t beat Shurak with it bombarding him with fire, ice, lightning, and wind. Kang Oh quickly took out the S-rank Fishman-only webbed feet from his inventory and activated Gluttony. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Hero of the Sea, Ghm''s Rake Guard.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 13 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use up to two of the consumed equipment''s effects.] [The chosen item effects are Aqua ster and Summon White Shark.] Kang Oh''s entire body released jet-ck energy. ''Only three times?'' If Ubist consumed an A-rank item, then he would be three times stronger. He''d never consumed an AA-rank item before and had gone straight to S-rank, yet he was still only three times stronger. It felt like such a waste! Of course, being able to use two of the item''s effects was new. But that was all! That wasn''t nearly enough for sacrificing an S-rank piece of equipment. ''Tch. I should just use BB-rank and A-rank items for Gluttony from now on.'' Using an AA-rank or S-rank item for Gluttony was such a waste. A huge waste! Anyway, Kang Oh pointed his sword at Shurak. Gluttony would onlyst 13 minutes. He had to take it down within that time. Then...! Kuwak! Shurak shot lightning and wind at Kang Oh simultaneously. Kang Oh''s demon sword began to glow. Aqua ster! Kang Oh had activated the effect of the consumed S-rank item. Bang! He unleashed a sky-blue, whale-shaped wave from his sword. The Aqua ster consumed the lightning and wind, as if it were a whale eating fish with one giant bite. Then...! The sky-blue, whale-shaped wave crashed into Shurak. Bam! The impact caused it to wobble around; the beast had been pushed back. It was also confused, making itpletely defenseless. Kang Oh immediately dashed towards it and swung diagonally. sh! A lengthy wound remained on Shurak''s side. Kang Oh attacked the wound once more. Stab! Once he stabbed the wounded area, red shards of light flew into the air. Kang Oh attacked the wound once more. Shurak got a hold of itself around that time. It unleashed lightning and wind at Kang Oh once more. "Not gonna work." Kang Oh rushed towards it, running in a zigzag pattern. The lightning and windpletely missed him. Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor and leaped high into the air. He aimed his sword at Shurak''s head. "Die!" Kang Oh swung downwards using the weight of his fall. Shurak crossed its ice and fire des and its muscles swelled. ng! Its des fell to the floor. As Kang Oh fell, he swung his sword, leaving a long indentation on its body like a martial arts master that inscribed letters on a cliff. Following his descent, shards of light spilled from Shurak''s body like a waterfall. "Should I use this too...?" Kang Oh stretched out his hand towards Shurak. A sky-blue, circr magic circle formed underneath Shurak''s feet. Summon White Shark! It was like a scene from Jaws; a giant shark popped out of the magic circle and gnawed at Shurak''s legs. ''As expected of an S-rank item''s effects. They''re great...'' Kang Oh charged at Shurak while it was busy dealing with the white shark, and continuously attacked. "Wow." Eder, who''d gotten a hold of himself, marveled at the sight. Hepletely forgot that he needed to rejoin the fight, and just vacantly watched Kang Oh. Kang Oh, whose strength was tripled by Gluttony! Not only that, but he was using abilities he''d never seen him use before! He was truly showing a crazy level of strength; he almost pitied Shurak. Chapter 94. Chimera Shurak (2)

Chapter 94. Chimera Shurak (2)

Trantor: Boko ''8 minutes...'' Gluttony wouldst for another 8 minutes. He needed to defeat Shurak before the time was up. ''I have plenty of time.'' Kang Oh grinned. For the past 5 minutes, Kang Oh had been inflicting damage onto Shurak whilst avoiding its magical and aura attacks. His attacks were akin to bashing it with an iron pipe, rather than dabbing it with a cotton ball. In other words, he''d struck with powerful blows. He''d been attacking Shurak for 5 minutes whilst empowered by Gluttony, so even a level 200 like it couldn''t remain unscathed. Shurak''s current HP was extremely low. Whack. With Kang Oh''s most recent attack, its HP dropped even further. [Chimera Shurak''s HP has dropped below 10%.] [It has gone berserk.] Kuoh! The lion and goat heads roared once more. At the same time, their eyes radiated in a red hue. ''As expected, it did go berserk.'' All of the chimeras he''d fought here had gone berserk, so he''d expected Shurak, the boss monster, to be capable of the same feat. Kurwa! The berserk Shurak let out a bizarre cry, and swung its swords indiscriminately. Shurak bombarded Kang Oh with its attacks, all of which were amplified by Berserk. "Doesn''t matter." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He narrowly dodged Shurak''s swords, and quickly appeared right in front of it. "Huahp." Kang Oh swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! The skill, empowered by Gluttony, erupted from his sword. Boom! Thud. The Tempest Tiger pounced onto Shurak, causing it to fall. Whoosh! A giant whirlwind swept past Shurak''s body. Shards of light spilled from its body, and said shards rose up into the air, dispersing into powder. Despite that, Shurak was still alive. However, it didn''t have enough strength to stand up anymore. Kang Oh walked over its chest and raised his sword. Gyaruoh. Ummeeh. Shurak tried attacking, despite the state of its body, perhaps due to the effects of Berserk. "This is the end." Kang Oh thrust his sword into Shurak''s heart. Stab! ck shards of light popped out. He''d inflicted a critical hit through Fang Bearing de, which ignored all defenses. The light in both the lion and goat head''s eyes dimmed. [You have defeated Chimera Shurak.] [You are the first to defeat it.] [As a reward, it will drop the highest rank equipment it has to offer.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] "Wow, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder came rushing over once Kang Oh finished off Shurak. "You''re amazing." He gave him a two-handed thumbs up. However, Kang Oh didn''t pay him any mind. ''There''s still 6 minutes left...'' He still had some time left on Gluttony. If that''s the case, then he needed to make use of it before it wore off. "Eder. Stay here and keep watch." Kang Oh nned on killing as many monsters as he could with his remaining 6 minutes so he could steal stats. "Excuse me? What are you..." But before Eder could finish, Kang Oh dashed towards the entrance to the boss room. He was extremely fast. ng! Kang Oh kicked the door open whilst maintaining his speed and exited the boss room. "Uh... Take care!" Eder waved his hand. * * * Kang Oh returned after about 10 minutes of waiting. "Tch. I could only raise my stats by 5." Kang Oh looked disappointed. Not many of the chimeras had respawned, so he was only able to kill five of them before Gluttony wore off. "Where did you go?" Eder asked. "Ah, I still had some time left on Gluttony, so I went back and killed some more monsters," Kang Oh replied. "Aha." Eder nodded his head. "Let''s see... what was left behind." Kang Oh approached Shurak''s body. Shurak had dropped two items. "Oh, this is?" Kang Oh picked up an expensive-looking sword. It looked like Shurak''s ice de, though it was much smaller. [Shurak''s Cold Bearing de] Of the chimeras that the great alchemist, Kudal, created, Shurak was his most powerful. This is the de that Shurak used for quite some time, and also contains the power over cold. + Add Cold: When a skill is used, the ice element is added to it. If an aura is used, then it bes a cold aura instead. + Frost: When yound an attack, there is a fixed chance that your opponent bes frozen. Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power +290, Physical +50, Magic +30, increases damage of ice element skills and magic by +5% Minimum Requirements: Level 200. Physical 200. Magic 200. Ice Resistance 30%. "Hmm." Kang Oh''s expression was hard to read. "What''s wrong? Is it not very good?" Eder asked, taking notice of his expression. "It''s good. It''s a level 200, AA-rank sword." The sword was good. Its effects and abilities were great. "Then what''s wrong?" "It''s hard to equip. If you want to equip this thing, then you need to have both high Physical and Magic stats." Shurak''s sword required a high Physical and Magic stat. Thus, not many yers could equip it. "Will it not sell?" "No. There are Magic Knights or Magic Swordsmen who raise both stats simultaneously, so it should." The sword''s abilities were pretty good, so it should sell. "I see." Eder nodded his head. "Next up is..." Kang Oh picked up the heart. [Shurak''s Heart] Chimera Shurak''s heart. A high-rank material used for alchemy. It can also be used when creating a chimera. Material Rank: A "Mm, as I thought, it''s a material." Kang Oh ced Shurak''s Heart into his inventory. "Now then, let''s look for some money." A dungeon hunter''s goal was to either find hidden treasure or the riches that a boss naturally rued. Eder''s hand shot up. "Ah, I already found it." While Kang Oh was out killing monsters, Eder had found out where the treasure was stored. "Oh, really? How is it? Was there a lot?" "See for yourself." There were stairs that led underground. Kang Oh and Eder took the stairs down. "Mm." It was a room with a table, a bookshelf, and a rocking chair. There was also various experiment equipment and alchemical jars as well. "I took a quick look. It looks like this is where Kudal spent histter years." Eder pointed at the notebook on the table. Kang Oh opened the notebook. It was Kudal''s diary, which stated how he''d spent histter years. Kudal had repeatedly failed to resurrect Renji and eventually gave up. After that, he cut off allmunication with others, and spent the rest of his life in solitude, taking up chimera creation as a pastime until his death. "Kudal''s corpse must not be here because it''s been so long. It must have already turned into particles of light." When an NPC dies, their body is preserved for some time, but eventually, their body turns to particles of light and disappears as if it were dposing. "Most likely." Eder nodded his head. Kang Oh put down the diary. "Where''s the treasure?" Kang Oh asked. "Inside there." Eder pointed at one side of the wall. There was a door there. Kang Oh heart pounded as he opened the odor. "Oho." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. There were several gold coins and bars inside. Also, there were various alchemical materials on one side of the wall. "Yahoo!" Kang Oh cheered, and began cing the gold and alchemical materials into his inventory. "Hehehe." His smile never left his face while he collected the materials. ''There''s a little more than 500 gold, and if I sell these materials, then I''ll make about 800 gold.'' As expected of a hidden dungeon. It didn''t disappoint him. "How much did you get out of it?" Eder approached him. "More than 1,000 gold, I think." "Wow, you''ve struck gold." "It''s not bad." Kang Oh grinned. "Hehe, then please give me some too." Eder rubbed his hands together. "Who are you again?" Kang Oh smiled and widened his eyes. "I''m not asking for much. Please just give me 50 gold!" Eder stretched out his hand. Kang Ohpletely ignored him. "Now that we''re done with the dungeon, let''s return to Altein!" "Ah, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder''s anxious voice resounded throughout the room. * * * Kang Oh and Eder returned to Altein. "Hehe, thank you very much." Eder grinned. Kang Oh had given him his 3 gold wage and a 30 gold bonus. "Yeah. Go ahead and go home." Not only that, but he was letting him go home! "Then, I''ll see you next time." Eder disappeared into the crowd. Kang Oh, who was by himself now, headed for the auction house. He had to check whether Monique''s set was sold, as well as put Shurak¡¯s Cold Bearing de up for auction. Kang Oh entered the auction house. As always, the auction house looked like a cafe, and there was also a auction device attached to the ceiling as well. Kang Oh sat on top of a sofa and opened the auction interface. "Let''s see here..." Monique''s set, which possessed the Steal and Exploit abilities, had been sold. ''950 gold, huh... Not bad.'' Using the auction interface, Kang Oh collected his profits, minus the 10%mission fee. Then, he used the interface once more to look up market prices. "Hmm. There''s a lot more level 200 weapons than before. Equipment that''s around level 150 has dropped in price significantly, while materials still sell for a high price." After looking through the market prices, he went back to his own item. ''Choose Shurak''s Cold Bearing de. Sell. Let''s set the starting bid to 1,000 gold. Duration: 7 days.'' Auction Registration Complete. ''Choose Shurak''s Heart. Sell. Let''s set the starting bid at 100 gold. Duration: 3 days.'' Kang Oh finished registering Shurak''s Heart as well. "Ok." Kang Oh, having finished everything he''d set out to do, stood up. At that moment... Beep. Beep. He heard a signal from hismunication earring. Kang Oh grabbed the earring. "Mr. Kang Oh." He heard Grano''s voice. "Ah, Mr. Grano!" Kang Oh replied with a joyous voice. "I called you several times, but you weren''t picking up. Did you travel to somece far?" "Yes. I went to Myron." "The ma of alchemists, Myron... I''ve been there before too. Are you busy right now?" Grano asked. "No, not at all." "Then shall we meet at the Tower''s 2nd floor cafe? I''d like to talk to you about Modune and the treasure." "I understand. I''ll head over right now." "Alright. I''ll be waiting." Kang Oh left the auction house and headed for the magic tower immediately. A short whileter... Kang Oh entered the Tower''s cafe. "Over here." Grano was waiting for him. Kang Oh sat down across from him. "Have you been well?" Kang Oh inquired. "I''ve been a bit more busy because of Modune." "How has that been going?" Kang Oh asked since Grano had brought it up. "We''re in the middle of intense negotiations with the Arabas Kingdom. However... I believe that the Arabas Kingdom will give up on Modune." "Hmm. I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I''ll let you know what''ll happen to him once I know for sure." "Ok." "I''ve also exchanged all of the hidden oasis'' treasure into gold." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "So how much did you get?" Was it about 5,000 gold...? "It was..." Chapter 95. Regular Program, Dungeon Conquering Man (1)

Chapter 95. Regr Program, Dungeon Conquering Man (1)

Trantor: Boko "12,000 gold." "How much?" Kang Oh asked back. "Twelve! Thousand! Gold!" Eder said clearly. Kang Oh gaped. "Is it really 12,000 gold?" "Yes." Grano nodded his head. "Wow! I''ve hit the jackpot." His wide eyes kept blinking. It felt like he''d won the lottery. "Some of the treasures had historical significance, which increased the price significantly. One of them sold for 5,000 gold." Grano smiled. "It was worth staying in the desert for so long." Kang Oh smiled as well. "You get 8,400 gold after subtracting my 3,600 gold portion." Grano took out 84 gold bars from his subspace. Kang Oh ced each gold bar into his inventory''s gold box one by one. "Ah, that''s right. I sold Monique''s set for 950 gold." Kang Oh was going to give him 30% of the profit, but Grano shook his head. "I''m fine. Just keep it. I''ve already made quite the fortune." "Man, you''re generous." Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. "Hoo, hoo. What are you going to do with all that money?" Grano asked. "I could ask you the same thing, Mr. Grano." "I''m going to use it to fund my research into the rain-making device, and buy my daughters and wife an amazing present." Grano sported a heartwarming smile. He supposed it was the smile of a doting father. "I''m going to use it for my family as well." ''I need to gather more money and switch us to a lease. Once I''ve procured a house... A buildinges next!'' Kang Oh beamed just thinking about procuring a house and his own building. "That''s a good idea. There''s nothing more important than family." "You''re right." The two spoke a little longer, chatting about trivialities. "Then I''ll get going now," Grano said. "Alright, go ahead." "I''ll see youter." "Yes, I''ll see youter." After they''d parted ways, Kang Oh left the Tower and looked up at the sky. He stretched both of his hands into the sky and yelled, "I''ve hit the jackpot!" * * * Today was the first day of shooting for the regr program, Dungeon Conquering Man. Jae Woo waited in the waiting room for the rest of the cast. The waiting room was small, but it was plenty big enough for a single person. It''s not like he had any coordinators or managers, and he didn''t need to put makeup or fix up his face either. Knock. Knock. He heard someone knock on the waiting room door. ''Who is it?'' The door opened and in came Jin Cheol. He was holding the helmet Jae Woo had usedst time on his side. "Here, Mr. Jae Woo." Jin Cheol passed him the helmet. "Thank you very much, Mr. Producer." Jae Woo epted the helmet and looked it over. As always, it had a ssy design. "How are you feeling today?" Jin Cheol asked. "Not bad." "Today we''re going to start with an interview at the studio. Then, after you''ve picked your dungeons, you''ll go into our capsule room and begin your dungeon conquest. And when you''re finished, you''ll give us your footage, we''ll record a closing statement, and then you''re on your way." Jin Cheol exined the order in which events would proceed. "It''s likest time. Is today''s shoot 2 episodes worth?" "Yes. Today''s content will be split into episodes 1 and 2." "I understand." Jae Woo nodded his head. "Then I''ll see youter." Jin Cheol left the waiting room. Jae Woo left the helmet to the side, sat down on a chair, and passed the time with his eyes closed. How much time had passed? Knock. Knock. Someone came looking for him once more. "Excuse me." He heard a woman''s voice from behind the door. It was a voice he was familiar with. "Pleasee in." The door opened and in came a woman wearing a yellow one-piece dress. She was the leader of the popr girl group, Triple Lower, and Jae Woo''s partner for Dungeon Conquering Man, Soo Ah. "Hi." Jae Woo waved his hand at her. He and Soo Ah had maintained contact through Arth ever since their Chuseok broadcast of Dungeon Conquering Man. Their first impressions of each other were so favorable that they''d gotten much closer just by messaging each other. What was the best way to put this? Jae Woo and Soo Ah were like game friends. "Oh..." Soo Ah looked somewhat surprised as she alternated between Jae Woo''s face and the helmet. "Jae Woo Oppa?" "Yeah, it''s me. Now that I think about it, you''ve never seen my face before." "Yes." Soo Ah beamed and approached his side. "Hehe. So this is what you look like." Soo Ah looked over his face. "Stop staring. You''ll wear me out." Jae Woo turned his head. Then Soo Ah changed the topic. "Have you been well?" she inquired. "I have. I moved to a new house just a little while ago," Jae Woo smiled and said. His family had finished moving two days ago, and they were all very satisfied with their new living arrangements. "Ah, is that so?" "Yeah." Jae Woo pointed at the bags under her eyes. "I see bags under your eyes. Are you not sleeping well?" "That''s..." Soo Ah hesitated. "What''s wrong? Did something happen?" "N-No, it''s nothing. My schedule''s just been fulltely. I haven''t been able to get much sleep." "Seems like you''re really busy." "Girl groups are usually busy around the end of the year." "You should still take care of yourself." "Ok!" Soo Ah beamed. "Then I''ll get going now. I still need to greet our other cast members." "Yeah, yeah. Go ahead." Jae Woo politely gestured to the door of his waiting room. Knock! But right when he did, he heard another knock on his door. He hadn''t even replied, but the door suddenly opened. "Who are you?" There was a woman he''d never seen before standing in front of his door. She was a beautiful girl with a cat-face. "You don''t know who I am? I''m Fortune''s Yoon Se Hwa," Se Hwa said. "Fortune?" Jae Woo tilted his head. Fortune. Yoon Se Hwa. Those were names he''d never heard of before. Then, Soo Ah intervened. "U-Unni. Wee," she stammered and bowed her head. "It''s been a long time. I heard you''ve been quite sessfultely..." Yoon Se Hwa looked sharply at Soo Ah. "So you felt that you didn''t have to greet me, huh?" Her voice was incredibly harsh, and her hostility towards Soo Ah was apparent. "No, that''s not true. I went to your waiting room, but you hadn''t arrived yet. I was just on my way to greet you!" "Whatever. From now on, make sure to greet me properly, little junior." Yoon Se Hwa said her fill and then left. Jae Woo, who''d seen this entire exchange, waspletely speechless. "That bi..." He was about to curse, but stopped himself as Soo Ah was right beside him. "Hmm. Hm. Soo Ah, are you alright?" "Ah, yes. I''m alright." Soo Ah forced herself to smile. That just made her look even more pitiable. "That crazy... Hm. Why was that woman treating you like that?" Jae Woo asked. "It''s nothing. Please don''t worry about it. Then, I''ll get going now." Soo Ah quickly stood up and left his waiting room before he could even stop her. "Hmm." Jae Woo, who was left alone, took out his phone and searched Yoon Se Hwa. ''A part of the 4 member girl group, Fortune. In charge of the visuals. An idol with a sexy and arrogant image?'' Looking her up on the inte wasn''t enough to tell him why that crazy woman treated Soo Ah like that. Kang Oh put his phone back in his pocket. "Hmm. This is concerning." Jae Woo believed that there was some sort of bad blood between Soo Ah and Yoon Se Hwa. Her going off on Soo Ah about not greeting her and such and such was definitely not the crux of the matter. No one would show that much hostility from someone not greeting them. "What is it..." The creases on his forehead didn''t recede for quite some time. * * * Shooting for Dungeon Conquering Man had begun. Dungeon Conquering Man was hosted by GBS''s MCs, Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook. "Hello viewers. This is the cool Seol Hee speaking!" Kang Seol Hee, the woman whose face he''d drawn on, propped her face up with both hands and made a cute face. "This is Jeon Seong Gook." Jeon Seong Gook smiled and waved simply. "Mr. Jeon Seong Gook." "Yes Ms. Seol Hee?" "Did you know?" "Know what?" "That our Chuseok program, He Who Conquers Dungeons, or Dungeon Conquering Man has be a regr program!" Seol Hee said exaggeratingly. "I know. After all, I''m one of the MCs hosting Dungeon Conquering Man." Jeon Seong Gook made a heart symbol with his thumb and index finger and ced it on his chin. "Yes, yes. But apparently, Dungeon Conquering Man hase back stronger than ever. Shall we see what''s changed?" "Sounds good." "Then... here you go." Jeon Seong Gook and Kang Seol Hee simultaneously pointed at a giant monitor set up beforehand. Bum-ba-bum. Music yed and a previously prepared video began to y on the monitor. As expected, the biggest change was that they''d be clearing dungeons level by level. There were levels that went from 1 to 5, and if one seeded in clearing a dungeon, then they''d receive a prize. They would attempt to conquer the dungeons, but the teams were pre-determined this time! The video ended. "Now!" Jeon Seong Gook began. "Let''s begin with the introductions. These are the Dungeon Conquering Men who will be joining us today, and these are the dungeons!" The studio''s cameras focused on the participants'' faces. Of course, Jae Woo was the sole exception because of his helmet. "Please go down the line one by one, and introduce yourself." Kang Seol Hee approached the yer at the far right, the streamer Park Bae Shik. "Hello. I''m a streamer and my ID is Wild Warrior. My name is Park Bae Shik." "Ah, you were in our Chuseok program, right?" Seol Hee asked. "Yes, I was." "I can still remember that time when you spat out that salty drink." Kang Seol Hee smiled impishly. "I think that''s why I was allowed to participate again." "As I thought... Do you think you can seed this time and clear all 5 levels?" "Of course." "A trustworthy answer that fits your ID. Then next..." The participants continued their self-introductions and their short interviews. "...I''ll do my best so that I don''t slow Oppa down." Soo Ah clenched her fists and finished her interview. "Alright. Then let''s go to Mr. Oga next. Please introduce yourself." "Hello. My name is Oga," he introduced himself simply. "Hoo, hoo. They say that you meet your enemy at the worst ce and time. We finally meet again, Mr. Oga." "Enemy?" Jae Woo tilted his head. "You''re my face''s enemy!" Kang Seol Hee acted exaggeratingly. "Then do you want to make a bet with me again? If I lose, I take off this helmet and reveal my face, but if you lose, then I draw..." "Hmph. I''m not interested in your face anymore, Mr. Oga. It''s probably just an ugly face." Kang Seol Hee acted like she was sulking. Jae Woo grinned and let it go. She then moved on to the next interview. "Hello, I''m in charge of Fortune''s visuals. My name is Yoon Se Hwa," she said bright-eyed. "Ah, Ms. Se Hwa. I heard that you epted our request all of a sudden... Is that right?" "Yes. Originally, someone else was ted to appear on this show. However, they had some circumstances they had to deal with that didn''t allow them toe, but... Because of that, I was able to appear on such an amazing show!" Yoon Se Hwa acted coquettishly with every reply. ''She''s ying around.'' Kang Oh had already seen her ''true'' personality, so he found her interview contemptible. "I see. Oh, by the way. I heard you and Ms. Soo Ah were trainees together at one point in time. Would you like to tell her something like ''Let''s do our best!''?" Kang Seol Hee asked. "Yes. Soo Ah has always been a good, kind junior, even back when we were trainees. She can sing well too. I really care for her," Yoon Se Hwa smiled and said. ''What, you care for her?'' He couldn''t believe what he was hearing. She was definitely psychotic. "Alright. Next up is..." Once Kang Seol Hee moved onto the next interviewee, Kang Oh saw Yoon Se Hwa stare at Soo Ah. Soo Ah was forcing herself to smile, but her shoulders were drooping. Jae Woo patted her shoulder. "You ok?" "Yes, I''m fine." "Stay strong." "Ok." Jae Woo began his first shooting of Dungeon Conquering Man feeling awkward. Chapter 96. Regular Program, Dungeon Conquering Man (2)

Chapter 96. Regr Program, Dungeon Conquering Man (2)

Trantor: Boko The shoot went smoothly. "Let¡¯s move on to the selection of level 1 dungeons." Kang Seol Hee gestured with her hand and a list of dungeons appeared on the huge screen. "Aah, what''s this?" Jeon Seong Gook asked slyly. "These are the level 1 dungeons that our writers carefully selected for us," Kang Seol Hee said. "Marron Hill, Angar National Cemetery, Haiston Tower, etc. Just the names themselves sound interesting!" Jeon Seong Gook raised his voice. "Level 80 - 100 monsters appear within these dungeons. We will tell you what mission you¡¯ll have toplete after you choose your dungeon!" "Hoo, hoo. I wonder what kind of missions there are," Jeon Seong Gook said. Kang Seol Hee smiled. "Our writers painstakingly chose various missions for us today using our viewers'' input," Kang Seol Hee replied. "Oh, that sounds exciting." "We can''t let people''s choices ovep, so we''re going to have our participants y rock-paper-scissors to decide who chooses first." "Please choose a representative from each team and step forward," Jeon Seong Gook said. "Which one of us should go?" Jae Woo asked Soo Ah. "You should go. I''m not very good at rock-paper-scissors." "Got it." Jae Woo stepped forward. One member from each of the other teams stepped forward as well. "Now, everyone ready... Rock-paper-scissors!" At Jeon Seong Gook''s signal, the representatives all extended their hands. Rock. Rock. Paper. Rock. Kang Oh had picked paper. "Mr. Oga and Ms. Soo Ah will pick their dungeon first!" Jae Woo sent Soo Ah a V sign. Soo Ah gave him a thumbs up. The rest of the representatives continued ying rock-paper-scissors to determine their ce. Scissors. Rock. Scissors. The one who''d put out rock was Yoon Se Hwa''s partner. ''His name is Park Tae Gyu. I think his game ID is Wild Sword...'' "The next team to pick their dungeon is Mr. Tae Gyu and Ms. Se Hwa!" Jeon Seong Gook pointed at Park Tae Gyu. Park Tae Gyu smiled at the camera and waved. Jae Woo approached Soo Ah''s side. "Which dungeon should we pick, Soo Ah?" Jae Woo asked. "Please pick whichever you want, Oppa." "You sure?" Jae Woo sifted through the list of dungeons on the monitor. ''I think the mission will be easier if I pick a dungeon with level 100 monsters, but if I pick a dungeon with level 80 monsters, then it''ll be the reverse; the mission will probably be a pain in the ass.'' To him, there wasn''t much of a difference between a dungeon with level 100 monsters and a dungeon with level 80 monsters. ''Of the level 100 dungeons... Ah, that one looks good.'' "How about Maroon Hill?" Jae Woo asked. "Maroon Hill?" "Yeah. The sunset''s beautiful there." "Ok, that sounds good." By the time they''d decided on Maroon Hill, the rest of the contestants were finished deciding their picking order. "I''ll give you some time, so please discuss amongst yourselves which dungeon you''d like to pick," Kang Seol Hee said. "Where is Maroon Hill?" Soo Ah asked. "It''s near Terra, the city renowned as a tourist city," Jae Woo said. They''d already picked their dungeon, and since they were going first, they didn''t really need to discuss anything else like picking a second choice; so they just talked about whatever for the remaining time. "Now then! Have you all picked your dungeons? Which dungeon would you like to conquer, Mr. Oga, Ms. Soo Ah?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. "We''ll pick Maroon Hill," Jae Woo said. Then... Yoon Se Hwa furrowed her brow. "Wait a second!" Her hand shot up. "Yes, Ms. Se Hwa? Is there something wrong?" "We were nning on picking Maroon Hill too, so... could you give it to us instead?" Yoon Se Hwa looked at Jae Woo and smiled with her eyes. "No, we can''t," Jae Woo t out refused. She stiffened at his firm refusal, but soon returned to her original face and entreated once more. "Please switch with us. That view is a perfect fit for me." "No thank you." "Tch, you''re too much." Yoon Se Hwa turned her body and acted like she was sulking. "Alright then. Mr. Oga and Ms. Soo Ah will attempt Maroon Hill," Jeon Seong Gook said. "Please show Maroon Hill," Kang Seol Hee said. The huge screen, which now said Maroon Hill, showed their mission objective. "Your mission is ''Bring back footage of the rainbow sunset at the top of the hill!''." ''If you make it to the top, you''ve pretty muchpleted the mission.'' It was always sunset at Maroon Hill. But it was no ordinary sunset. It was a rainbow sunset, a sunset with 7 different shades of red that could be seen at any time of the day. "Isn''t this mission too easy?" Jeon Seong Gook said, looking disappointed. "It does seem that way. It was a good decision not to give up on their first choice." Kang Seol Hee nodded her head. "Then, next up is..." After that, the remaining teams all picked their dungeons and received their missions. "Cut! We''ll take a 30 minute break and then the teams will enter the capsule room." Once they cut, the studio halted their production. Jae Woo and Soo Ah rested in their respective waiting rooms and joined up 30 minutester. The two headed for GBS¡¯s capsule room. But on the way to the capsule room, they encountered Yoon Se Hwa, who had been waiting for them. She came over, looking sharply at them. "Excuse me," she said to Jae Woo. "Yes?" "Soo Ah and I have something to discuss. Could you please excuse yourself..." "I''d rather not." "Seriously!" Yoon Se Hwa was pissed. Then Soo Ah intervened. "Oppa, please go on ahead. I''m going to talk to her." "Will you be ok?" "Yes." Jae Woo nced at Yoon Se Hwa and then left the two alone. "Hey, Jeong Soo Ah." Soo Ah''s real name was Jeong Soo Ah. "Control your partner. And make sure you greet me properly. Stop strutting around like you''re all that and get your shit together," Yoon Se Hwa said angrily. Soo Ah becamepletely calm. "Unni. Would you stop it already? It''s unseemly." "What?" Once she was finished, Soo Ah walked right past her. "Hey, stay there! Hey, Jeong Soo Ah!" Yoon Se Hwa''s sharp voice resounded throughout the room. * * * There were several yers in Terra, as it was renowned as a tourist city. Kang Oh, Asu, and the youngest writer were riding atop horses on the south road. His face waspletely covered by the Baramut helmet. "It''s been a while since we were all together," the writer said. When they''dst broadcast Dungeon Conquering Man, Kang Oh, Asu, and the writer had gone to the Maumbharat Pce together. "That''s true." Asu nodded her head. Kang Oh looked at Asu''s face. She wasn''t doing her damndest to act happy this time. ''I guess I was worried over nothing.'' "What''s wrong? Is there something on my face?" Asu asked. "Yeah. Ugliness," Kang Oh teased. "Ah!" Both Asu and the youngest writer simultaneously groaned. Kang Oh turned his head, avoiding the harsh looks from the two women, and scratched his neck in shame. Then, Asu and the writer began talking between themselves. "How do you diet, Ms. Soo Ah? Do you have some special way of eating?" "Not really. You can have a beautiful body if you exercise diligently and control your portions." "That''s so basic." "There''s no right answer when ites to dieting or studying." "You''re right, but... People are always looking for shortcuts..." The two continued to chatter on. A short whileter... "We''re here." Soon, they arrived at the entrance to their destination, Maroon Hill. Maroon Hill was, as its name implied, a hill, and its entrance was an arch-like rock formation. The writer passed Kang Oh a Sabra''s Contract. "Please sign here." It was a contract stating that all of his abilities would be halved upon entry, and would only be returned to him upon exiting Maroon Hill. The Dungeon Conquering Men were, like theirst program, given penalties so that the dungeon conquest wasn''t too easy for them. Kang Oh had already agreed to these terms, so he signed the contract right away. With it, Kang Oh could only use half of his full strength. ''Half is still more than enough.'' Kang Oh grinned. "Please don''t forget to turn film mode on. Take care. I''ll be doing my own thing and will take some videos of Maroon Hill," the writer said. "Film! Thank you," Asu said. "Film! Thank you. Let''s get going." Kang Oh and Asu advanced side-by-side, and passed through the arched rock formation. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Maroon Hill.] If ten people entered a spatiotemporal intersection point, then ten different instances would be created. In other words, it was an instant dungeon; they were created by Dreamgate so that people could film themselves without being interrupted by others. When he entered Maroon Hill, his vision was filled with red. "Wow, it''s a sunset." The once blue sky was dyed red. This was the special property of this dungeon, Maroon Hill. A yer could see this view 24/7! Thus, many yers came here to sightsee. "Let''s go." Kang Oh and Asu followed the path up the hill. "By the way, what level are you again?" "I''m level 66!" "Mm, you''re higher than I expected." "I''ve been working hard." "Then let''s see what you¡¯re made of." Kang Oh picked up a rock and threw it at a nearby monster. Kureung! A humanoid monster with a pig face approached Kang Oh. It possessed a red mane, wielding a stone axe in one hand and a shoddy crossbow in the other. "This is the mostmon monster in Maroon Hill. It''s a level 100 Pigman, otherwise known as a Nuo." Asu nodded her head. "I''ll be by your side, so fight to your heart''s content." "Understood." Asu unsheathed the sword at her waist. Then, she cast Knight''s Vow, a knight''s ss skill which increased one''s attack power and defense. At that moment... Bang. The Nuo shot an arrow at her with its crossbow. "An arrow''sing," Kang Oh said. "Yahp." Asu deflected the arrow with her sword and then dashed towards the Nuo. She thrust her sword, using the force of her eleration to strengthen her blow. Stab! She seeded and immediately withdrew her sword. Then, she attacked once more. Honorable Strike! This was a knight skill that could only be used if one possessed the Honor side stat. Asu''s de shed through the Nuo''s chest. At the same time, white feathers flew through the air, which was the result of Honorable Strike. ''Her movement''s are pretty good.'' She didn''t move like a beginner anymore. However, she hadn''t advanced enough (level 66) to defeat the level 100 Nuo. At first, she was able to push the Nuo back, but as the battle progressed and the Nuo began counter-attacking with its crossbow and axe, Asu was forced into the defensive. "Don''t fall back." Kang Oh began fighting by her side. He deflected any iing arrows. "Now!" Kang Oh said. Asu reacted immediately. She ducked her head, dodging the Nuo''s stone axe, and got in close. Swish. Asu shed its neck. Shards of light burst from the wound. Then, the Nuo counterattacked. "Fall back." She stepped to the side and Kang Oh pushed forward. Swish. Kang Oh swung his demon sword, and the Nuo raised its stone axe. Whack! Once his sword made contact, the Nuo''s axe flew out of its hand. Then... Kang Oh and Asu simultaneously attacked the Nuo from the front and back. Whack! Whack! In the end, the Nuo fell. [You have defeated a Nuo.] Asu beamed. In their past Dungeon Conquering Man appearance, Asu had conquered the Maumbharat Pce together with Kang Oh. At the time, Kang Oh had acted as both a reliable big brother and an effective teacher. She was both his little sister and his student. But today, she was hisrade. "You fight well." Kang Oh gave her thumbs up, and Asu responded with a V sign. "I''m pretty good, right?" "Yeah. You''re doing your best in-game even with your busy schedule." Asu''s movements had be much sharper than before, which was proof that she''d been ying the game. "At times, I get stressed at work... I can relieve all that stress by treating these monsters as the source of that stress and knocking them out!" "So you must have been thinking of that woman, huh?" That woman was obviously Yoon Se Hwa. Asu slightly nodded her head and pointed somewhere. "Ah, that Nuo looks like her!" She¡¯d pointed to a pig-faced Nuo wandering about. "Then let''s go over there and take it out." As soon as he was finished, Asu rushed over. "Get over here!" She looked as excited as someone who''de to an amusement park. Chapter 97. Maroon Hill (1)

Chapter 97. Maroon Hill (1)

Trantor: Boko There were various trees in Maroon Hill, but most of them were maple trees. The maple trees would always be in full bloom regardless of the season. "Haht!" "Yahp!" Kang Oh and Asu were fighting against Nuo Bandits below a maple tree. Nuo Bandits possessed red manes and pig faces like any other Nuo, but they also carried a log over their shoulder as thick as a man''s thigh. "Be careful. They use a skill called Suppression," Kang Oh said, kicking away one of the Nuo Bandits. "What does Suppression do?" she asked after dodging a log. "Suppression increases the power and speed of a downward blow." "Ok!" Asu replied strongly and swung her sword. Whack! She struck a log with her sword. Then, the Nuo Bandit withdrew its log and swung downwards. Suppression! A ck haze rose from the log. "Careful. That''s Suppression!" Asu quickly turned her body to the side. Whoosh. Thump! The thick log hit the floor, forming a crater the size of Asu''s head. "Take this!" Asu thrust her sword. Honorable Strike! Swish, stab! As a result, white feathers (a byproduct of the skill) and shards of light mixed together, and flew through the air. Kang Oh finished off his own Nuo Bandit and approached Asu''s side. Then, the two of them fought Asu''s Nuo Bandit together. Whenever Kang Oh aimed for the monster''s upper body, Asu would aim for its lower body, and vice versa. They worked together well. A short whileter, the Nuo Bandits fell one by one. "As expected, you gain levels quickly when there''s such a huge level difference." Asu smiled. "You''re on the fast side. But... the problem''s proficiency. It goes up at a snail''s pace," Kang Oh said. Asu nodded her head. "That''s true. Although Knight''s Vow was the first skill I learned, it''ll still be a while before it reaches the intermediate level." "Let''s keep going." "Ok!" Kang Oh and Asu headed for the summit. * * * Nuo Hunters appeared next; they were Nuos that threw snares and walked around with hunting dogs. A short whileter... Whack! Kang Oh''s sword felled a Nuo Hunter, while Asu had managed to kill its hunting dog. After that, they killed a variety of different Nuos. There were Nuo Lumberjacks, Nuo Mages, as well as Nuo Leaders! The lumberjacks carried around rusty axes, the mages could cast basic earth spells, and the leaders walked around with three of their minions. They kept going on like that, and eventually their surroundings changed. Kang Oh and Asu came to a rocky area. "Huh? That''s..." Asu pointed at a certain direction. Grr... Hyenas appeared atop various sizes of rocks. The hyenas were adorned with a red, maple leaf-shaped pattern. "They''re called Red Hyenas. They''re also called Maple Leaf Dogs. Although they''re the same level as the Nuos (level 100), they''re more violent and aggressive," Kang Oh exined to her. Bark! Five hyenas jumped off the rocks. They were headed straight for Kang Oh and Asu! Kang Oh swung his sword diagonally. Whack! One of the hyenas fell. However, there were still a lot of them left. Two of the hyenas tried biting Kang Oh¡¯s neck and leg with their teeth. "Not happening!" Kang Oh swung his sword in a wide arc, hitting the hyenas one by one. Bam! Bam! 2 birds with 1 stone! "Hahp!" Asu fought desperately against two of the hyenas. First, she increased her offense and defense with Knight''s Vow, and then followed it up with a new skill. Vital Thrust! Vital Thrust temporarily marks an opponent''s weakness. If struck, then the resulting attack will not only be a critical hit, but will inflict additional damage as well. Asu stabbed a vital, resulting in several orange shards falling from the hyena¡¯s body. ''Oh.'' He slightly admired the sight. Vital Thrust was a difficult skill to use because it required the yer to strike a vital that only appeared for a split second. But Asu was able to do it! ''She''s got good senses.'' Kang Oh nodded his head and then re-focused on the battle. One of the hyenas rushed over to him. sh! Upon shing its stomach, a long wound appeared on top of it. Kang Oh punched the wound with his offhand. Whack! Whimper! The hyena fell, and red shards of light spilled out of its body. Kang Oh pushed into their ranks like an enraged beast and ferociously swung his sword. Bam! Bam! Bam! Whimper! * * * Kang Oh''s assessment of the Red Hyenas was as follows: ''They''re stronger than wolves, but weaker than tigers.'' That''s exactly where they stood. If his abilities weren''t halved by the Sabra''s Contract, then he would be able to kill them in four or five blows. ''It''d be even easier with Eder''s Cursed Ground''s Domain.'' However, he couldn''t use his abilities at their fullest right now, and Eder wasn''t present either. Therefore, it took longer than he''d expected to pass through the rocky area, which was the hyenas'' domain. "Oh, it''s a forest area again," she said, looking forward. There were Red Hyena corpses strewn on the floor behind her. "We''re almost there," Kang Oh said. They¡¯d reach the summit if they just passed the forest area ahead. "I heard the view at the top is beautiful." "Yeah. Look forward to it." Kang Oh had never actually seen the rainbow sunset; allegedly, it could only be seen at the top of the hill. He¡¯d only seen videos of it on Arthtory. Despite that, he knew how beautiful the view was. It should look even better in person. "Ok. Let''s keep going!" She pushed a fist forward and advanced. That¡¯s what she tried to do at least... Kang Oh grabbed her arm. "Wait a sec." "What''s wrong?" "Don''t you hear that?" Kang Oh focused on his hearing. Asu put a hand to her ear and listened to her surroundings. Swish. Swish. Swish. It sounded as though something was sweeping through the leaves. "It sounds like something is getting swept." It wasn''t the sound of wind blowing on the leaves; it sounded much heavier than that. "This... No way." Kang Oh thought back to what he already knew regarding Maroon Hill. ''Maroon Hill''s boss roams around the area freely.'' "Let''s head towards the source of the sound." "Ok." They were supposed to go straight, but they headed for the forest to the side instead. Swish. Swish. Swish. The sound only got clearer. "What is that?" There was a red ''something'' between the grass and trees. "That''s Maroon Hill''s boss monster!" At that moment, he received a system message. [You have discovered the Red Centipede, Tomone.] The centipede was more than 5 meters long, and possessed a red body and long legs shaped like twigs. It had too many legs to even begin counting. It was Maroon Hill''s final boss, the Red Centipede, Tomone! "The best part of a dungeon is its boss." Kang Oh grinned. "Please tell me about the boss." Asu looked quite assertive. "Mm. It''s not a tough boss. It spews poisonous venom from its mouth, and it has sharp, awl-like stingers at the ends of its legs," Kang Oh exined the boss''s features step-by-step. "Every single one of those legs has a stinger on it?" "Yeah. Just focus on dealing damage while avoiding its venom and stingers." "What about the second phase?" she asked doe-eyed. "It''ll bury into the ground, pop out from below you, and attack. When it surfaces, attack it with everything you got." "It doesn''t have a 3rd phase?" "Nope. But when it drops below 10% HP, it''ll go berserk." "Anything else?" "I''ve told you everything I know." "Understood." "I''ll attack from the front, so you attack from the rear or the side." "Ok!" "Let''s go." Kang Oh and Asu both dashed towards Tomone. He made the first move. "Huahp!" He swung his demon sword. Swish. His jet-ck de struck the centipede''s red shell. Bam! His pre-emptive strike was a sess, as evidenced by the explosion of red shards of light. Tomone counterattacked immediately. Kyaahk! It spewed out venom as thick and red as blood. It was aiming for Kang Oh, as he¡¯d just attacked it! "Eek." Kang Oh quickly hid behind a tree. Spurt! The red venom struck the tree he was hiding behind. Hiss! ck smoke rose from the trunk of the tree. ''It''s quite potent.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Kyaah! Realizing its venom had failed, it tackled the tree with its body. It reminded him of a train with malfunctioning breaks. Kang Oh left the safety of the tree and met Tomone face-to-face. Kuang! He used Baramut''s Roar. Arise, spirit of a tiger! Then, he swung downwards, imbued with the power of a tiger. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura dashed between the maple trees. Bang! The Tempest Tiger struck Tomone head on. It was like two trains that smashed into each other face-to-face. The collision resulted in a dust cloud and resulted in a loud ¡®bang¡¯. Whoosh. Tempest Tiger was followed by wind, sweeping away the dust. But because Kang Oh''s power was halved, the wind wasn''t powerful enough to deal any real damage. Kang Oh assessed Tomone''s condition. It was staggering due to Tempest Tiger. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh dashed straight for it. "Huahp." He leaped into the air and swung downwards. Whoosh! The air was cleaved in two! Not only that, but a jet-ck wave followed the course of his de. Darkness Strike! Seemingly realizing the power of Kang Oh¡¯s attack, Tomone raised his head and quickly moved its legs. Bang! Kang Oh''s sword barely missed and embedded itself into the ground. Dirt spread everywhere. Kya! Tomone spewed venom once more as if it were telling him not to approach. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. The venom passed right where his head had once been. "Stop doing that!" Kang Oh quickly stood up and swung diagonally. sh! Tomone counterattacked with the sharp stingers on its legs. ng! ng! ng! ng! Its stingers must''ve been made of metal, as it would emit a metallic ¡®ng¡¯ whenever they shed. "Haht!" He swung forcefully, so much so that it felt like his muscles would burst. Whoosh! The powerful blow pushed its legs away. ''An opening!'' His Hyper Intuition had identified a weakness. Kang Oh got into position and thrust at the vital. Stab! Red shards of light flew into the air. Kyaa! Tomone shrieked and wildly head-butted him. Kang Oh hid behind a tree once more. Thump! Upon contact, the tree splintered like sorghum straws. But because of the wood flying about, Tomone briefly lost sight of Kang Oh. "Die!" Kang Oh suddenly reappeared beside Tomone and swung upwards. Whack! His attack resulted in a heavy ¡®whack¡¯ and made his hands tingle. "Let''s do this!" Kang Oh repeatedly swung his sword and pressed his offensive. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t just struggling alone while Asu did nothing. She was fighting off the centipede''s tail. Chapter 98. Maroon Hill (2)

Chapter 98. Maroon Hill (2)

Trantor: Boko Two spikes were attached to Tomone¡¯s tail. Whoosh. Tomone violently swung its tail, producing a dull, weighty sound. ¡®Is this what it feels like to have an iron mace flying towards you?¡¯ Asu ducked immediately, and Tomone¡¯s tail passed harmlessly over her head. "Iyahp!" Asu aimed for Tomone¡¯s body, swinging her sword from right to left. Swish. Smack. One of its legs blocked her attack. ''As I thought, this won''t be easy.'' Her eyes glinted. She was level 68 while Tomone was level 100. If they had been fighting one on one, then Asu would have lost 100%. But with Kang Oh distracting it, she was able to fight it on even ground. ''I can do this!'' Asu was fired up. Another one of Tomone''s legs came flying towards her face. The stinger at the end of the leg glimmered. Swish. Asu slightly turned her head and dodged the stinger; she then countered with a sword thrust. Honorable Strike! Stab! Her sword struck Tomone''s shell. As a byproduct of her skill, white feathers flew through the air. ''I''ve finally done some damage.'' Asu smiled. At that moment, Tomone moved its tail in a downward motion as if it were swatting away an annoying mosquito. Asu avoided its attack and rushed to the side. Bang! Tomone''s tail struck the ground, but nothing more. "Let''s go!" Asu cried out, and dashed towards Tomone once more. * * * The Red Centipede, Tomone, had a lot of HP, but that was it. Its attack pattern was exceedingly simple. It would either spew venom, head-butt, or attack with its awl-like legs. Once he¡¯d gotten used to its attack pattern, Kang Oh was able to deal damage with ease. After she¡¯dnded her first attack, Asu continued to deal damage as well. Ultimately...! The 1st phase was over, and they were moving onto the 2nd phase. Kyaaaah! Tomone shrieked and burrowed into the ground. "Come over here," Kang Oh said. He wanted Tomone to spring up from one location, not two. Asu immediately ran over to him. "The ground will shake before it unburrows. That¡¯s when we run," Kang Oh said. Asu nodded her head. Rat-a-tat-tat. Speak of the devil. The ground shook. "It''s here." Kang Oh grabbed Asu''s hand and began to run. ''Not yet...'' Kang Oh ran until he felt a chill beneath his feet. ''Now!'' Hyper Intuition warned him. Kang Oh and Asu stopped. "Get ready to attack. It''ll pop out soon." "Understood." Spurt! Tomone popped out, causing rocks and lumps of dirt to fly everywhere. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Asu dashed towards Tomone. It was still partway in the ground. Kyakya! Tomone threatened them with a shriek. "Asu, focus on its legs. I''ll take care of the body." "Understood." Tomone swung several of its legs simultaneously. Asu swung her sword as quick as the wind. Swish. Swish. Swish. Swish. Bang. Bang. Bang. Her sword and its legs shed. Meanwhile, Kang Oh swung downwards at its red body, unleashing a Darkness Strike! Boom! The jet-ck wave pounced on Tomone''s body. ''One more time!'' Kang Oh lifted his sword once more. Swish! The tip of his sword scraped Tomone''s shell, going ''Bam!'' and exploding in shards of light. "Wow." Asu was amazed by Kang Oh¡¯s first blow, as well as his follow-up strike. Then, Tomone spewed its venom. "Dodge." Kang Oh and Asu dodged in separate directions. Hiss. ck smoke rose from the ground. "Attack again!" Kang Oh and Asu moved in perfect rhythm. They would retreat and attack like an ebbing and rising tide. Bam! Bam! Bam! Whack! Whack! Whack! Kang Oh and Asu didn''t let up and attacked continuously. Ultimately, Tomone burrowed back into the ground. "Over here." Kang Oh and Asu grouped together once more. "Good job. Just keep doing that." Kang Oh gave her a thumbs up. "Ok, Oppa." Asu smiled. Rat-a-tat-tat. The ground shook once more. Kang Oh and Asu retreated, and then attacked once Tomone surfaced. Soon after, Tomone retreated back into the ground. This process repeated several times, and soon enough, Tomone''s HP was almost fully depleted. Whack! Kang Oh sliced its body as if he were chopping firewood. Then... [The Red Centipede, Tomone''s HP has dropped below 10%.] [It has be berserk.] Kya! Tomone''s eyes glowed. Once it fully surfaced, it charged towards Kang Oh with the speed of a lotive. "Let''s finish this." Kang Oh dashed towards Tomone. The distance between the two shortened gradually. Kang Oh was the first to strike. "Hahp!" He leaped up and swung downwards. Snap. His sword struck the top of its head. Bam! The berserk Tomone shrieked and head-butted Kang Oh. Kang Oh protected himself with his demon sword. Bang! He could feel the force behind the blow; his sword hand shook slightly. ''As expected of Berserk! But it''s still not enough!'' Kang Oh stepped back and then rushed forward, swinging his sword along the way. He swung his sword twice, carving an X pattern onto Tomone''s shell. Tomone spewed its venom again. Kang Oh threw his body to the side and dodged the venom. He assumed the proper form and then used sh. A white line followed the path of his sword! Crack! His sword cracked Tomone¡¯s shell; ck shards fell like leaves. ''Fang Bearing de'' had activated; his strike ignored Tomone¡¯s defenses and had inflicted a critical hit. In the end... Thud. Tomone''s giant body fell to the ground. [You have defeated the Red Centipede, Tomone.] "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and looked at the resulting chaos. There was venom everywhere as if the area was sprayed with paint. The ground was filled with holes and the trees werepletely destroyed as well. "Good work." Asu smiled. "We did it together." Kang Oh smiled too. "You''re right. I did work hard! It was fun too." "Let''s see if our hard work paid off." "Ok." The Red Centipede, Tomone, had dropped two items. One of them was pants with a minimum level requirement of 100, and the other was a soul that slightly increased one''s poison resistance. "Guess not." "Yeah." Asu angrily nodded her head. "Which one do you want?" Kang Oh asked. "The pants. It matches my style. I don''t really want to eat a soul that came from a centipede," Asu said. "Ok." Kang Oh lifted the soul. [Red Centipede''s Soul] The soul of a monster centipede that has long since lived in the Maroon Hill. Slightly increases poison resistance. Rank: B He ate the soul in a single bite. [You have consumed the Red Centipede''s Soul.] [Poison Resistance has increased by 0.02%.] "What does it taste like?" Asu asked with beady eyes. Although she didn''t want to eat it herself, it seemed like she wanted to know what it tasted like. "What does it taste like..." ¡®The soul tastes like a strawberry, but it wouldn¡¯t be fun if I told her that now would it?¡¯ Kang Oh grinned. "Have you tried raw liver before?" He expected her to go ''Raw liver? Bleh!'' and grimace. However... "Yes, I''ve tried it before. It''s delicious. So it tasted like raw liver." Asu licked her lips. "Uh, yeah. You''re a female idol, but you''ve eaten raw liver before?" His little sister, Mina, couldn''t stand the sight of raw liver. Even the gluttonous Yura couldn''t eat raw liver. But Asu had no problems with raw liver whatsoever. "Of course. Don''t you know how tasty it is? I eat all sorts of food!" "How about beef intestines?" "I like them!" "Hmm. You... like drinking, don''t you?" "What do you think?" Asu retorted. "You really love alcohol and you drink a lot." "Ding ding ding! I get drunk from a single can of beer." "Me too." Kang Oh rarely drank alcohol. When his father was still alive, he had pulled a prank on him and made him drink alcohol. Kang Oh could still remember immediately cking out after drinking it. "Hoo, hoo. I could tell from first nce that you''re not good with alcohol," Asuughed and said. "Really?" "Yes!" Asu firmly replied. "Anyway, let''s get going. We gotta finish our mission." "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Asu headed for the top of the hill. * * * Kang Oh and Asu safely reached the top of Maroon Hill. "Wow!" Asu was amazed by the sight. It was a field below, and a sunset above. The turquoise grass was tinged by the red sunset and struck a mysterious figure. Of course, the best part of all this was the rainbow sunset in the sky. The rainbow sunset consisted of various shades of red and yellow; it was quite the beautiful sight. The word ''beautiful'' was truly fitting here. "It''s nice." Asu rxed and enjoyed the view. "It is." Kang Oh enjoyed the view too. ''The reason people are so crazy about Arth is because of moments like this.'' Although it was a game, Kang Oh was nheless amazed by the beautiful sight. Asu kept her eyes forward and said, "Hoo, it was a good idea to join this program. At first, I wondered whether I should quit or not." "Why?" Kang Oh asked. "One of the cast members was changed halfway through. That person''s kind of hard to deal with." That ''hard to deal with'' person was definitely Yoon Se Hwa. But Kang Oh didn''t ask her what happened between them nor did he ask why their rtionship was strained. He asked something else instead. "Then why didn''t you quit?" "I really love my work as an idol, and I love ying this game too. But this program lets me do both at the same time, so... I''m going to keep doing it." Herst statement was a promise. "Good thinking. If you don''t do the things you enjoy, then you''ll get sick. Plus, you can''t just avoid that person forever." "You''re right. I''m not going to hold back! To be honest, I let her have a piece of my mind before I came here." Asu smiled. "Good job!" Kang Oh gave her a thumbs up. "Now then, shall we go back?" They''dpleted their mission of recording the sight of the rainbow sunset, so now all they had to do was return to the studio and finish up their shoot. "Ok." The two descended the hill and logged off. Chapter 99. Finishing the Shoot

Chapter 99. Finishing the Shoot

Trantor: Boko "Thank you for all your hard work!" Kang Seol Hee''sment marked the start of the shoot. "Please take a look at the screen. It''ll show whether the teams seeded or failed their mission." An image showed up on the screen. It showed all of the participants'' names, as well as ''sess'' next to their names. "All of the teams sessfully cleared their level 1 dungeons." Seol Hee pped, and the participants followed suit. ''Yawn. Hurry up.'' Jae Woo pped absentmindedly. He was never all that eager to be on TV, so all he wanted was for this to be over ASAP. "Ms. Seol Hee, shouldn''t we ask them some questions?" "Of course, Mr. Seong Gook. Take the wheel." Seong Gook approached Park Bae Shik, who was sitting to the farthest right. "Mr. Bae Shik, how was your dungeon conquest?" Park Bae Shik smiled. "It was really good. Ms. Lisa over here did really well." Bae Shik gave the female celebrity beside him a finger heart. "From what I can see, it seems like you seeded this time," Seong Gook said. "Of course!" Bae Shik immediately replied. "Man, that''s quite unfortunate. I would''ve liked to see you spit out sikhye again..." Conquering a dungeon not only yielded a reward, but also gave a team the opportunity to move on to the next dungeon. However, failing would force the team to repeat the same level. They''d also be punished; they would pick a card and take whatever punishment was written on it. "Haha. That won''t happen this time." "We''ll see... Next up is..." Jeon Seong Gook spoke with each participant individually. Jae Woo and Soo Ah werest in line, so they just listened in and reacted appropriately. Eventually, they got to Yoon Se Hwa''s partner, Park Tae Gyu. "Mr. Tae Gyu. How does it feel to conquer a dungeon with Fortune''s Yoon Se Hwa?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. Park Tae Gyu possessed a ruggedly handsome face. "Ms. Yoon Se Hwa has a wonderful personality. She''s good at the game, and we work together well too," Tae Gyu smiled and said. ''She has a wonderful personality? What a load of crap!'' Hearing that, Jae Woo inwardly snorted. "Could you exin what you mean by you ''work together well''?" "Ms. Se Hwa''s a Priest, while I''m a Swordsman. You can see for yourselfter, but we were like a knight and a princess," Tae Gyu said, maintaining his smile. ''A knight and a princess, huh... So you just carried her the entire way.'' Jae Woo had an idea as to how Yoon Se Hwa and Park Tae Gyu had conquered the dungeon. "Ms. Se Hwa, how was it for you?" "For me..." They transitioned to Yoon Se Hwa next. Basically, she said something along the lines of, ''It was fun'', or ''He was reliable''. You know, the obvious stuff. Of course, she didn''t forget to add in the fakeughter too. "We''ll move on to thest team. Mr. Oga, you''ve previously participated in the Chuseok program with Ms. Soo Ah, so I feel like your teamwork should be better than the others... How was it?" Seong Gook asked. "We didn''t have a rtionship like the previous team. We were like partners or friends. Or maybe siblings?" Jae Woo stared at Soo Ah. She beamed, seemingly in agreement, and nodded her head. "Man, seeing you two like this makes me feel like you''ll have great chemistry together." Seong Gook briefly caught his breath and then continued, "Ms. Soo Ah. How is Mr. Oga as a partner? And have you seen his real face before?" "He''s a great teacher and a considerate friend as well. I happened to see his real face, but... whoever''s hoping that he''s good-looking will be disappointed," Soo Ah said teasingly. "How bad could it be... Did you cover your face because you''re ugly? Oh dear!" Seong Gook sported a pitiful look. "I''m not ugly," Jae Woo firmly said. "Really?" "Really." "Then would you like to show us your face?" Seong Gook baited him. "No thank you." Of course, Jae Woo didn''t take the bait. Then, Soo Ah jumped in, saying, "His face is normal, but... it has its own charm." She slightly blushed. "I see. It seems like you two really are close and work together well!" The talk ended with a heartwarming atmosphere. "Ms. Seol Hee." Seong Gook passed it back to Seol Hee. "What fascinating conversations. We''ll be looking forward to the teams¡¯ chemistry," Seol Hee said clearly. "Indeed." Seong Gook chimed in with a teasing voice. "Everyone, please take another look at the screen." The image on the huge screen changed. ''Sess'' next to each participant''s name had changed to ''1 million won ($1,000 USD)''. "Every team sessfullypleted their level 1 dungeon''s mission objective, so they receive 1 million won as a reward." "Wow." The participants fervently apuded. Even Jae Woo chose to apud now more than ever. "Hoo, hoo. This is just the beginning. Whichever team clears all the dungeons will receive a reward of 15 million won ($15,000 USD) for each team member! So please do your best." Seol Hee raised her voice and nced at Seong Gook, signaling that they should ''begin finishing up here''. They''d worked together for a long time, so he immediately caught her signal. "Ms. Seol Hee. It''s quite unfortunate, but it''s time to say farewell to our viewers." "Eeh, already?" She acted disappointed, despite telling him that they needed to wrap things up. "Hoo, hoo. You don''t need to be so disappointed, since Dungeon Conquering Man isn''t a pilot anymore; it''s be a regr program!" "Ah, you''re right! Then we''ll see you allter!" Kang Seol Hee beamed and waved both of her hands. "We have even harder dungeons awaiting our participants, so please look forward to it!" Seong Gook smiled as well and gave a closing statement. The participants behind the MCs waved their hands as well. "Cut!" the main producer, Jin Cheol said. "Good work everyone!" "Thank you for all your hard work!" "Hurry up and clean up the equipment... Then we can go home!" "Yes!" The staff raised their voices everywhere. "Uahp! We''re finally done." Kang Oh stretched out. "Good job, Oppa," Soo Ah said. "Yeah, you too. Was this everything in your schedule today?" "No. I still have more stuff to do." "Man, it must be tough." "What about you? Are you going home now?" Soo Ah asked. "Of course. But I was thinking of stopping by a gaming store." A gaming store sold the virtual reality goggles and capsules. Of course, that wasn''t all they sold; they sold other goods that gamers might need. "I see." Soo Ah nodded her head. At that moment, Yoon Se Hwa brushed past them. She nced at Soo Ah and Jae Woo, seemingly pissed off, and said, ''How unlucky.'' under her breath. "Phew, she''s being like that again." Jae Woo furrowed his brow, but no one could actually see his expression, as he was still wearing his helmet. "Next time we meet, I''ll give her a piece of my mind," Soo Ah pledged. "Yeah. Give her one for me too, will ya?" "Ok! Anyway, let''s say our goodbyes to the producer and staff, and then be on our way." "Sure." Jae Woo and Soo Ah approached Producer Park Jin Cheol first. "Thank you for all your hard work." "Thank you for everything." "So how was your first shoot?" Jin Cheol asked. "You''llin if I say it was long, won''t you?" Jae Woo asked. "Yes, I will. We filmed two episodes today, so... this is nothing," Jin Cheol said, smiling. "I had a lot more fun thanst time. I saw something amazing too!" Soo Ah gave an idol-like response. "Please show the scenes where Soo Ah looks pretty," Jae Woo said subtly. He didn''t have any interest in TV, so he didn''t care whether he showed up a lot or not. However, Soo Ah was an idol, so it was best if she looked beautiful and charming on the air. "Understood," Jin Cheol replied as a matter of courtesy. It wasn''t a promise; he was just being polite! Jae Woo and Soo Ah weren''t idiots; they knew he was just being polite. "Then we''ll get going now." "Alright. I''ll see you at the next shoot." They parted ways with Jin Cheol and thanked the rest of the staff for all their hard work. That''s how the first shoot of Dungeon Conquering Man ended. * * * Jae Woo left the broadcasting station, and took a bus to a nearby gaming store. "Hanbyeol Gamer Mart, huh..." he read the entrance''s giant sign. The front wall was made of transparent ss, showing extravagant capsules on disy. Jae Woo opened the door and went inside. "Wee. What are you looking for?" a female worker wearing a neat uniform greeted him. "I came to buy a capsule." "Ah, please wait a moment." She picked up her receiver and called someone. "Yes, we have a customer here looking to buy a capsule. Yes, yes, I understand." She put down her receiver. "Excuse me, but could you please sit over there and wait? An expert wille out and assist you shortly." The female worker pointed towards a sofa. "I understand." A short whileter... A man wearing a suit and appearing to be in his 30''s showed up. "Hello. I''m Lee Hyun Shik, a game equipment dealer." "Hello." Jae Woo and the man shook hands. "You said that you came here to buy a capsule?" "Yes." "You''vee to the right ce. Our store only sells the best. Then shall we start taking a look at..." "Ah, I''ve already decided what I want to buy. Dreamgate''s Origin 400." Dreamgate, thepany that had created Warlord and Arth, were also adept at creating virtual reality gaming equipment as well. The capsules they created, known as Dreamgate''s Origin series, were considered masterpieces amongst gamers. The Origin 400 was the most recent version of that line. "Ah, you''vee to see the Origins." Hyun Shik smiled. Normal capsules cost around 5 - 10 million won ($5,000 - $10,000 USD), but the Origin 400 cost 20 million won ($20,000 USD). Jae Woo hade with the intention of buying an expensive product, so Hyun Shik couldn''t help but smile. However...! "I heard there''s a promotional event here that gives me a 20% discount on the Origin series. Also, I''m going to buy with cash, so you can give me another 10% off, right? Please give me the Arth half year pass, free delivery, the 5 year free repair guarantee, as well as various free gifts too," Jae Woo said, falling upon him like a storm. "Um, excuse me, sir..." Hyun Shik began to sweat. "Please don''t say you don''t have any more in stock. I did my research. If you''re not ok with my terms, then I can just go somewhere else," Jae Woo said firmly. "Ahem. Understood. Let''s look at the item in question first." Jae Woo followed the dealer and looked over the Origin 400. The Origin 400 was long and oval-shaped. It was silver in color, and its design was smooth and sleek. Jae Woo sat inside it and tried running it as well. "Mm. As expected, an Origin capsule works great." While virtual reality goggles could only be used for virtual reality games, capsules had various other uses as well. A capsule could care for one''s body while ying through massage or stimtion, offered virtual reality support for personal office use, AI support, etc. In other words, it was a gaming device, a personalputer, a massager, and afy bed! The Origin 400 was a model that exceeded all of itspetitors in all those parameters. ''The physical care it offers for gamers is the best.'' For gamers like Jae Woo, who yed for long lengths of time, it was best to buy a capsule if they had the money since it would do less damage to their body! "Would you like to buy it?" Hyun Shik asked. "If you include everything I talked about before, then I''ll buy it right this instant." "Understood. We''ll give you a discount for the promotion and for paying in cash. We''ll add in the 5 year free repair guarantee, etc." "Please give me one in ck." "Understood." "It will be installed tomorrow, right?" "Of course." Jae Woo smiled in satisfaction and purchased the Origin 400 right away. It cost more than 10 million won, but he felt like it was worth it. For a gamer, good equipment was akin to a weapon for a soldier. "Goodbye." "Ahem. Take care." Jae Woo left the store with a brisk step. What a nice shopping experience! Chapter 100. Grancia Forest (1)

Chapter 100. Grancia Forest (1)

Trantor: Boko "Selling potions at a cheaper price than a store! Not fake!" "Selling all sorts of weapons. Please take a look!" "Selling fruit! Hand grown, organic fruit!" Kang Oh and Eder passed through the stalls across Altein Street. Kang Oh''s expression was bright for some reason. In terms of weather, it was akin to a clear and sunny day! "Mr. Kang Oh, why do you look so happy? Did something good happen?" Eder asked. "No, not really." So he said, but Kang Oh did, in fact, experience something good. He''d used the Origin 400 capsule to login to Arth. Perhaps that was why he was feeling so good. He¡¯d likely feel less fatigued when he logged out too, as the capsule would take care of his body while in-game. "Hmm." Eder carefully examined Kang Oh''s face. ''Something good must''ve happened...'' "Why do you keep staring at me?" "It''s nothing. In any case, where are we headed today?" Eder changed the topic. "The Grancia Forest," Kang Oh said curtly. "It''s the first time I''ve heard about it. Are you looking for another hidden dungeon there?" "We''re not looking for a dungeon; we''re looking for a ''mysterious life form''." Kang Oh recalled what Tino had told him. ''He said that there was an animal that lives in the forest where supposedly no animals live.'' Tree-type monsters, the Grancia, appeared in the Grancia Forest. Perhaps that was why rabbits, deer, wolves, boars, etc. didn''t inhabit the forest. Thus, he couldn''t help but be intrigued by the animal that supposedly lived there. ''If it happens to be the boss monster, then...'' Kang Oh''s lip twitched. If it were a boss monster, then it may possess arge quantity of treasure or drop some great items. It would be such a good haul! "Are we going to the Grancia Forest?" "No. You head to the Altein Central Library and read up on the Grancia Forest and this mysterious organism," Kang Oh said. "Me?" "Who else?" "Last time we..." Back when they''d been gathering info on Kudal, Kang Oh had helped. So why was he insisting that Eder do all the research himself today? "I have some things to do, so get a head start and gather some info. When I''m finished, I''ll join you. I''m not asking you to find some amazing clue or anything, so don''t worry," Kang Oh coaxed him. "I understand." Eder trudged towards the Altein Central Library. Kang Oh went the opposite way. A short whileter, he arrived at the auction house. He sat on one of itsfy sofas and opened the auction interface. ''Shurak''s Heart sold for 200 gold.'' He''d set the starting bid at 100 gold, so he''d gotten twice than what he started with. Kang Oh collected his payment and checked his other auctioned item. ''Someone bid for Shurak''s Cold Bearing de for 1,212 gold. There''s still some time before the auction ends, so it''d be nice if it went up a bit more...'' Since the de required an equally high Physical and Magic stat, it was expectedly not very popr. "Now then..." Kang Oh looked through the items that people were selling. Normally, he''d just figure out the market prices and leave, but today was different. ''I''m going to look for cheap BB-rank or higher items with crappy abilities!'' He didn''t need to worry about the weapon''s abilities. After all, he''d be using them as fodder for Gluttony. Instead, he worried about the item''s rank, level restrictions, and price. Kang Oh carefully sifted through the items. A short whileter, he bought two items. ''Cursed Eyepatch of the Dead, level 150 requirement, BB-rank. Buy now price is 139 gold.'' The gray eyepatch only cost 139 gold! It held the ''cursed'' title, so equipping it would reduce one''s stats. ''Colsica''s Needlessly Large Rod, level 130 requirement, BB-rank. Buy now price is 125 gold.'' The rod was indeed needlesslyrge, and didn''t possess any abilities to speak of. Despite that, it was a BB-rank, purely because of its magic attack power. "Phew. My precious money." Kang Oh sported a regretful expression as he stashed the equipment into his inventory. He''d been saving his money thus far, so he hadn''t bought much from the auction house. However, he didn''t have any equipment that he could use Gluttony on, so he was forced to buy some with gold. "Tch. Let''s recoup our losses." Kang Oh left the auction house and headed for the Adventurer Guild. * * * The Adventurer Guild was teeming with yers seeking adventure or hunting quests. Kang Oh was looking for the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce, who was currently giving out a quest to another yer. "Good luck, Rookie." "Understood." "Nex... Ah, wait a second." He was about to say ''next'', but recognized Kang Oh and came over. "Hello." Kang Oh smiled politely. "Ooh, it''s you," Jayce joyfully greeted him. "You''re handsomely tall today too!" Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. "Haha, thanks." [Closeness with the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce, has increased.] Even the slightest of ttery increased his closeness with Jayce, perhaps because his closeness was already so high. "So what did youe here for today?" "Do you know anything about the Grancia Forest?" "Let''s go down to the underground rest area and talk there." "Ok." The two went down to the rest area and sat on hard chairs. "What do you want to know about the Grancia Forest?" Jayce asked. "Old Man Tino told me that there was a mysterious life form that resided in the Grancia Forest." "A mysterious life form that resides in the Grancia Forest..." Jayce was locked in thought. Kang Oh waited quietly without pestering him. "There are definitely... some rumors. And there''s an adventurer that has seen it too," Jayce nodded his head and said. ''I wasn''t sure I''d learn anything, but it looks like I will.'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. "Who is that adventurer?" "Hmm. That adventurer''s name is... What was it again... Ah!" Jayce tapped his knee. "The adventurer''s name is Andrea." "Andrea?" It was the first time he''d heard of that name. "The Altein Central Library might have the journal she left behind." [You have acquired information on the adventurer, Andrea.] "Do you have any other information on the mysterious organism?" Kang Oh asked. "Aside from that, no, not really." Jayce shook his head. ''Hmm. I guess I should check out Andrea''s adventure journal first.'' Kang Oh hoped that her journal would contain some important clue or information. "Do you have any quests rted to the Grancia Forest?" ''Give them to me if you do.'' "There are plenty of people whoe here looking for quests there, so I don''t have any at the moment." "I guess it can''t be helped." ''The Grancia Forest''s not a popr hunting ground, yet several quests have been taken there?'' Kang Oh felt somewhat leery, but decided to not think about it for now. "Anyway, thank you for the information." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Haha. I always have high hopes for you. Have a nice adventure." "Yes." Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild and immediately headed for the Altein Central Library. * * * "I''m looking for Adventurer Andrea''s journal," Kang Oh said to the librarian. "Just a moment please." The librarian left her station and when she returned, she came back with a thick notebook. It was Andrea''s journal. "You can return it to me when you''re done reading it." She passed him the adventure journal. "Thank you." Kang Oh took the journal and headed for the ce where he''d read with Ederst time. Eder was sifting through books in that same ce. Scrape. Hearing the sound of a chair scraping the ground, Eder looked up at Kang Oh. "You came?" "Yeah. Did you find anything useful?" Eder shook his head. "I didn''t find anything in particr." "Mm. Keep looking. I''ll look through this." Kang Oh shook the journal. "What is that?" "It''s the journal of an adventurer who saw the mysterious life form," Kang Oh exined briefly. Eder nodded his head and returned his focus to the book he''d been reading. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh opened the journal and began sifting through it. Rustle. Rustle. Rustle. If he didn''t see any mention of the Grancia Forest, then he''d skip the page. Then, his hand stopped flipping through the pages. He''d finally found the part that talked about the mysterious organism. ''I saw something strange in the Grancia Forest. It was a monkey with white fur. But when it felt a person''s gaze upon it, it would go invisible. I saw it often, but I found that when I closed my eyes and reopened them, it would be gone.'' This was all written within Andrea''s journal. ''A white monkey that can go invisible...'' Kang Oh read through thetter portion of the journal as well. It detailed how Andrea had used several methods to lure the monkey in and capture it. She had tried using food, dye, and had even tried using all sorts of detection and perception magic. However, all her attempts had gone to waste, as it was written that she had failed to capture the invisible white monkey. "Eder, look at this." Kang Oh passed him the journal, opened at the page regarding the Grancia Forest. Eder quickly sifted through the material. "A white monkey that can go invisible..." "How advanced is invisibility magic?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s thought that invisibility magic that cannot be detected through a person''s senses, perception magic, or skills does not exist." "If you read the next page, then you''ll see that Andrea used all sorts of perception magic to find it, but none of them worked." "Then are you telling me that this monkey can use a perfect invisibility spell?" Eder asked with a slightly surprised voice. "I don''t know either. But I do know that this monkey will be hard to catch," Kang Oh said. Eder nodded his head. "Then what are you going to do?" "We go and find out." He needed to see whether it was still there and if it was, see how powerful its ability was first-hand. "As you wish." After all, Eder was bound to him, so he had to follow whatever decision Kang Oh made. Scrape. Kang Oh pushed the chair out and stood up. Strike the iron while it''s hot. In other words, go to the Grancia Forest right away. The two returned the books to the librarian and left the Altein Central Library. * * * Kang Oh arrived at the entrance of the Grancia Forest, but felt like something was off. There were five yers halfway blocking the entrance. "What is this?" Eder whispered, feeling something was off too. "I dunno. Let''s go." Once they approached, the man who appeared to be the leader greeted them. "Hello." "Hello. What''s the matter?" Kang Oh asked. "We''re part of the Asta Guild." ''The Asta Guild...'' Kang Oh had heard of this guild before. It was an old, mainstay guild, but it didn''t have a good reputation. "And?" There was a slight edge to his voice. He hated these guild members who acted like they were all that. The man''s face briefly stiffened, but then returned to normal. "Every year, our entire guild goes on a massive monster hunt. This year, we''ve decided to hunt monsters here, in the Grancia Forest." "So?" "So could you go somece else?" ''Hoh. Get a load of these guys.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. The Asta Guild''s goal wasn''t some annual event, but something else. It was likely the same as Kang Oh''s. "What if I don''t want to?" "Then go in. But please don''t get in the way of our guild members. Please," the man said politely with a friendly face. "Sure," Kang Oh replied, and entered the Grancia Forest with Eder. "Follow them," the man said to his bandana-wearing subordinate beside him. His subordinate nodded his head and entered the forest. The man opened a message window and sent a message to the Asta Guild''s Vice-Captain. - Sir, two new ones have entered the forest. Chapter 101. Grancia Forest (2)

Chapter 101. Grancia Forest (2)

Trantor: Boko The Vice-Captain of the Asta Guild, Vesta, received a message from his subordinate, who was stationed at the entrance of the Grancia Forest. - Sir, two new ones have entered the forest. He replied immediately. - You had someone follow them? - Yes. - Keep up the good work. - Yes sir! "Two more havee in," Vesta said to Arcol, who was beside him. "How many in total?" Arcol asked. Arcol was the guildmaster of the Asta Guild. "Mm. Fifteen," Vesta said. They were both friends in real life, and they had created the Asta Guild together as well. The reason the guild was called Asta was because they''dbined parts of their names: ''A'' from Arcol and ''sta'' from Vesta. Although they were technically guildmaster and vice-captain respectively, they held equal power regardless of their established positions. "Tch. A ton of them came in." Arcol clicked his tongue. "It can''t be helped. We''d draw a lot of attention if we closed off the area." The Asta Guild had mobilized its entire force in order to capture the white monkey. But what if they were to close off the entire area, disallowing anyone from entering? That''d be like sending a signal to the entire world, saying ''The Asta Guild''s looking for something here.''. "And if word got out that we were monopolizing the Grancia Forest, then we''d get in trouble with the other guilds," Vesta added. "That''s what bothers me. If we were one of the 5 great guilds, would we even be having this conversation?" The 5 great guilds were massive guilds. Each of these guilds had created their own territory, and continued to increase their power and influence. "No, we wouldn''t." Vesta nodded his head. "In order to be an even greater guild, we need to catch that invisible monkey," Arcol said, emphasizing ''invisible monkey''. "We''ll catch it!" Vesta strongly said. After coincidentally hearing about the mysterious life form, he had gone and gathered information on it. This led him to Andrea''s adventure journal, which stated that this mysterious life form was, in fact, a monkey that can go invisible. However, it wasn''t just any form of invisibility. After closely looking through the journal, he realized that its invisibility was without peer. ''What if we could gain this invisibility?'' The reason he''de to this line of thinking was because of his ss, ''Monster Schr''. A Monster Schr studies monsters and is capable of learning their special abilities, skills, and magic. By using an ability called ''Present Thesis'', a Monster Schr was able to contain a monster''s special ability, technique, or magic into a scroll. ''A scroll containing perfect invisibility! That could be our ace in the hole.'' After discussing this matter with Arcol, they decided to mobilize the entire guild in order to capture the monkey. At the same time, they disguised their actions as an annual event so that they wouldn''t draw any attention. The amount of time and resources that had gone into this was tremendous. However, their efforts hadn''t paid off yet. "Tch. It''s tough to find that damn monkey," Arcol said angrily. "Yeah, it''s definitely not easy to find." At that moment... He received a message from his subordinate. - We''ve found it. It''s to the east. "It showed up," Vesta said. "Let''s go." Arcol and Vesta sprinted to the eastern region. * * * The Grancia Forest looked like any other forest, as it contained all sorts of trees and grass. However, there was one facet that made it different from other forests. "It''s unusually quiet," Eder said. They didn''t hear anything, aside from the sound of grass or leaves rustling in the wind. "That''s because animals don''t live here," Kang Oh said. "But I don''t see any monsters either." Though there weren''t any animals here, there should be some nt-type monsters here. Eder recalled the nt-type monsters he''d fought at Kudal''s Laboratory. The Cocurion, Parle, and Gallud. If such nt-type monsters existed here, then there was no way it''d be this quiet. "There''s one right next to you." "Excuse me?" Eder looked to his side in shock. It was just a straight branch from a chestnut tree. "Ah, c''mon. You surprised me." Eder scowled. "That chestnut tree could be a Grancia." "What are you talking about?" "A Grancia disguises itself as a normal tree." That''s why some yers called Grancias ''Ghost Trees''. Apparently, they believed the trees were possessed by ghosts. "Then let¡¯s hit every tree wee across." Eder struck the chestnut tree with his mace. Whack! Its bark fell to the floor, but there was nothing extraordinary about it. "It''s better to use fire. Fire is its weakness." Kang Oh took out a torch and kindled a fire. Crackle. He ced the torch directly onto the tree. The bark merely burnt; it didn''t attack him. "This isn''t one." A Grancia was weak to fire, so it would unveil its disguise when near it. "Here, take this." Kang Oh passed him the torch. Obviously he was saying, ''You check the trees from now on.''. "Understood." Eder carried the torch in his right hand and his shield in his left. He let his mace hang on his belt. Grancias were weak to fire, so he''d use the torch against any that might pop up. "This is worrying." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "What is?" Eder asked. "It looks like someone''s following us." Kang Oh felt the gaze of someone secretly watching him. It felt simr to Halt and Itar, two PKers who''d followed him in the past. "Being followed... Is it the guys from the Asta Guild that we met at the entrance?" Eder whispered. Kang Oh whispered back, "Probably. They''re looking for the white monkey too, so they''re probably keeping an eye on anyone that enters the forest." The Asta Guild still hadn''t found the monkey; he was sure of it. If they had, then they wouldn''t need to watch them. "Hmm. If we defeat the monkey first, then they won''t just sit still." "Obviously. So if that happens, we gotta run." If Kang Oh and Eder defeated the white monkey, then the Asta Guild would PK them immediately. That would be troublesome, so running would be the best option. "Do you have a return scroll?" "Yeah, I have one for emergencies." Most yers kept a return scroll on hand just in case. Of course, Kang Oh was one of them. "Just one? What about me?" "I can just summon you." "Ah, you''re right." "In any case, let''s act like we''re hunting and keep an eye on what the Asta Guild is doing." At the moment, they needed more information. "But I wonder what that spy is going to do..." Kang Oh continued. If he continued to watch them, then their actions were limited. Therefore, they would have to either lose him or take care of him in some other manner. If not, then they could use him too. "Let''s think about it as we go." "Sure." The two advanced forward side-by-side with Eder continuing to check each tree with his torch. * * * Eder ced the torch near a tree and before it even made contact, the tree began to change. "It''s a Grancia!" Kang Oh yelled. A round face containing eyes, a nose, and a mouth appeared on its trunk. It alsobined its branches into thick arms. Whoosh. The Grancia swung its arm in a wide arc. Eder was within its attack range. Eder positioned his shield and put pressure in his thighs. Bam! The Grancia and Eder were in the midst of a power struggle; but then, the Grancia swung its other arm. That''s when Kang Oh came in. "Huahp." His demon sword and its arm shed, but it turned out that his sword was tougher and stronger. Kang Oh forcefully pushed the tree arm away, and used that opportunity to strike at its body. sh! A white line came for the Grancia. However, its tree bark mouth moved up and down. He didn''t hear an incantation, but a dirt wall rose from the ground and blocked his de. Whack! Once his de made contact, the dirt wall crumbled, but the Grancia was safe and sound. "I forgot to tell you, but the Grancia can use earth magic," Kang Oh said. As a tree monster, the Grancia couldn''t move. Regardless, it wasn''t a monster that could be taken lightly. It had a wide attack range via its arms, and could use earth magic as well. "Okaaay!" Eder forcefully pushed its arm away and pushed the torch forward. The Grancia''s mouth went up and down once more. The ground beneath Eder''s feet began to roll around like a wave. "Ugh!" Eder lost his bnce, causing the torch to point somewhere else. Kang Oh''s feet shook as well, which caused him to stumble. The Grancia''s arm came flying towards him. Bam! He blocked it as well as he could, but he lost his bnce and fell over. Of course, he didn''t fall on his butt. He tumbled backwards and stood up once more. "Haahp!" Kang Oh charged. A wooden arm came flying over. He swung his sword twice in an X pattern. He shredded the arm''s bark, and leaves and shards of light flew into the air! Kang Oh prepared his next attack. Although the Grancia had plenty of time to cast another spell at Kang Oh, it didn''t attempt to do so. It had no choice but to create an earth wall to block Eder''s torch. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh swung downwards. sh! Swish! His sword cleaved its arm. Not only had it left a wound, but Fang Bearing de had activated, causing ck shards to burst from the area of impact. Was it because he''d caused so much damage in a short period of time? The Grancia''s body shook. Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword, pressing his advantage. Bam! The Grancia raised its arm and blocked his sword. However, his jet-ck de cleaved through the arm. But then, Kang Oh felt a chill at the bottom of his feet. His Hyper Intuition was warning him. "Tch." Kang Oh quickly withdrew his sword and retreated. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Sharp spikes shaped like awls popped out of the ground. The Grancia had cast ''Earth Needle''. The Grancia, having sensed the danger of Kang Oh''s impending strike, had cast the spell to keep him away. However...! Casting a spell at Kang Oh gave Eder the freedom to move. "Uha!" Eder, who''d pushed through the earth wall with his shield, jabbed with the torch. The Grancia couldn''t cast another earth spell and helplessly raised its arm. Crackle! Its face distorted. At the same time, dark red shards of light burst forth. Fire was definitely its weakness. It immediately threw dirt at Eder; it was like a hail of dirt. Eder retreated in order to avoid the attack. But then...! This time, Kang Oh managed to get an attack in. Bam! He swung his sword as if he were swinging a baseball bat, and struck the tree trunk. After that, a simr sequence of events followed. Whenever Kang Oh blocked its attack, Eder would attack, and vice versa. Ultimately, the Grancia, having been cut apart and burnt, withered away. [You have defeated a Grancia.] "That was easy," Eder said. "In the end, it''s just a tree." Kang Oh and Eder were back on the move in order to trick their pursuer. "A Swordsman and a Warrior? It doesn''t look like they''vee for any other reason than to hunt..." The bandana-wearing Asta Guild member continued to follow them. Chapter 102. Exercise in Futility (1)

Chapter 102. Exercise in Futility (1)

Trantor: Boko "Hey, let''s just take care of him." At first, Kang Oh wondered whether he could use the spy or not; but now, all he wanted to do was get rid of him, if for no other reason than to deal with that unbearable itch he felt on his back. "How?" Eder asked. "What do you mean ''how?''. We talk to him!" Kang Oh suddenly turned around and beelined towards the spy. He pushed the brush aside and stood before the bandana-wearing man. "O-Oh..." The bandana-wearing man was clearly taken aback. "Hey." Kang Oh grabbed the yer''s throat. [You are performing a hostile act.] [If it esctes any further, you may bebeled as a criminal. Please be careful.] [The opposing party can attack you.] [The opposing party''s attack will be considered self-defense.] Kang Oh wasn''t worried about the system messages. He wasn''t going to escte this any further, and he''d already taken the initiative too! "Hey!" Kang Oh yelled. "Y-Yes!?" The man was shocked. "Why do you keep following us? Are you trying to ambush us or something?" "N-No." "What do you mean ''no''?" "I''m not trying to... ambush you." "Then why are you following us?" "I''m not following you... either." "I think I saw you at the entrance. So you''re saying that you''ve coincidentally been walking the same path as us?" Kang Oh said with a sharp gaze. "Yes! I-It''s a coincidence!" the man replied desperately. "Ah, so it was a coincidence, huh? I''m sorry. I must''ve misunderstood," Kang Oh smiled and let go of his throat. "T-That''s alright." "But if I see you again... I''ll kill you." Kang Oh frigidly whispered, ''I''ll kill you.'' into the man''s ear. "!!!" "I''m not stupid enough to let you walk free when you could ambush me at any time. If you''re so sure that you won''t be discovered, then feel free to keep following me." Kang Oh stared coldly. The man avoided Kang Oh''s gaze. "Let''s not see each other again, ok?" Kang Oh tapped his shoulder and returned to Eder. "Let''s go." Kang Oh took the lead. Eder took a look behind him. The bandana-wearing man had no intention of following them anymore. He stuck right next to Kang Oh. "Wow! As I thought, you¡¯re really good at being evil!" Kang Oh had skillfully threatened the bandana-wearing man. "I just told him to stop following us. What''s wrong with that?" Kang Oh asked. "You didn''t tell him. You threatened him." "I didn''t threaten him. I just persuaded him." "Ah, so ''I''ll kill you'' is a way of persuading someone, huh. I learned something new today." Eder exaggeratedly nodded his head. "Oh, you heard that?" He''d definitely whispered that. "I lip read you." "Ahem. We''ve gotten rid of our tail, so let''s start gathering information for real." Kang Oh''s objective was the white monkey. However, he didn''t have enough information on his target. Not only that, but the Asta Guild were impeding him too. It was at times like this that he needed to gather even more information! * * * Kang Oh and Eder, who''d lost their tail, explored the forest whilst fighting off Grancias. Unfortunately, they couldn''t find the white monkey. Instead, they asionally encountered some of the Asta Guild members. "Those guys must be from the Asta Guild too." "Probably." "Phew. If it was going to be like this, then why did they even bother following us?" Eder sighed. "They must not want others to see them when they find something." The Asta Guild secretly nced at Kang Oh and Eder, tracking what they were doing. But they were just watching; they didn''t take any action against them. Until now, that is! When Kang Oh and Eder were about to head east, three members of the Asta Guild stopped them. "You cannot go any further," thergest of the three said. Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. ''The monkey''s past this point it seems.'' It was obvious. "Why not?" Kang Oh asked, assuming a nted posture. "Our forces are hunting right now. Spectators are not allowed, so please leave," the man strongly said. "And if I don''t?" "Then... We''ll have to use force." The man drew his weapon and the other two men beside him did the same. ''Seriously, these guys think they''re all that just because they''re in a guild.'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Then, Eder poked Kang Oh''s side, seemingly asking, ''Are we going to fight?''. ''No.'' Kang Oh slightly shook his head. Beating these guys up was tempting, but it wasn''t time yet. If they fought against the Asta Guild now, then they''d be hunted down before they caught the monkey. "Phew. Scary. I should go a different way." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders and travelled west with Eder. "The monkey must be in the east," Kang Oh said. The Grancia Forest was divided into 5 different regions: the northern, southern, eastern, western, and central region. "Indeed. But if they keep blocking us, there''s no way we''ll get the monkey." "That''s not necessarily true." Kang Oh grinned. He''d received lots of situational information. First, there were a ton of Asta Guild members. Second, they weren''t able to catch the monkey despite their numbers. ''I don''t think it''s because the monster is incredibly strong...'' If that were the case, then they wouldn''t have any members to spare. They would''ve withdrawn their spy and those blocking the entrance, since they needed everyone they could get their hands on. But considering how things were going, it seemed like they couldn''t catch it. Which meant...! ''You can''t catch this thing by just chasing it.'' They''d brought this many people, yet there still weren''t any signs of a fight; this meant that the normal way of fighting a monster wasn''t applicable here. If that''s the case, then... ''There must be some special method to catching it (e.g. a special item, luring it out, or attacking its hideout).'' "Do you have any good ideas?" Eder asked. "I don''t think you can hunt the monkey normally," Kang Oh said. ''It''s not easy to catch!'' Eder nodded his head. "So we should try finding its hideout first." "Its hideout?" "Yeah. The Asta Guild is frantically chasing after it, so it should have no choice but to return to its hideout. We''ll aim for it then." "How do you propose we find its hideout? Can your Hyper Intuition skill be used that way too?" Eder tilted his head. "I dunno. But if my Hyper Intuition does activate, then it probably has something to do with the monkey." "So you''re saying that even you have to search every nook and cranny of this ce." "We''re looking for different things. Those guys are looking for the monkey, while I''m looking for the hideout. That''s a huge difference." "Whatever you say." Eder snorted. "It is different. You know, you''ve been pretty snarkytely." It was as if Kang Oh was shootingsers through his eyes. ''Why I oughta...!''. Eder''s expression seemingly said, ''Oh, right.''. "Ahem!" He avoided Kang Oh''s prickly gaze and bowed his head. "Let''s do well." Kang Oh tapped Eder''s shoulder. "Yes!" Eder replied immediately. * * * Whack! Asta''s guildmaster, Arcol, kicked a nearby tree. "Man. We lost it again." "Tch. Yeah." Vesta clicked his tongue. When they had discovered that the invisible monkey was in the east, they had formed an imprable perimeter around it. Despite that, the monkey used its ability and just leisurely walked out of their perimeter. Its invisibility was truly one of a kind. Dye wouldn''t work on it, and neither would detection magic or tracking skills. It was perfect invisibility, one which would erase even its own presence! ''If we''re able to obtain this invisibility...!'' Vesta thirstily licked his lips with his tongue. "Is this really invisibility?" Arcol asked, looking suspicious. "You saw it yourself. It became transparent like ss and disappeared. And it was called an invisible monkey inside the adventure journal," Vesta said. "I saw it, yeah, but you can''t say with absolute certainty that that was invisibility." "What else could it be?" "It could be teleportation or something like that." "The effect of teleportation is diff..." "Whatever the case, we can''t go on like this," Arcol interrupted. Vesta scowled at the words, ''we can''t''. "Are you saying that... we should give up?" "No. We have to seed, since we''ve used up so much of our guild members'' time and effort." "Then?" "Take about 10 guild members or so, and gather some more information on that monkey. This is just a hunch, but... I feel like we''ve made the wrong move," Arcol said. "Got it." Vesta also felt like they needed something else to get them out of this situation. "And from this point forward, we''re not going to capture it. We''re going to kill it." Arcol''s eyes were filled with killing intent. Thus far, they''d tried to capture the monkey using various methods. However, none of them had worked. Thus, they only had one choice left. "That''s a little... There''s a chance that I can''t get what I want from a monster corpse." A Monster Schr like Vesta could extract a monster''s special ability, skill, or magic from their corpse. Of course, there was a chance that he would fail as well. "It can''t be helped. At this rate, some of our guild members will leave or rebel. We also can''t stay here forever. The other guilds will catch the scent ande rushing over. What if one of them is one of the 5 great guilds?" Arcol said firmly. "Hoo, I got it." Vesta hated to admit it, but Arcol was right. "We''ll try to capture it alive, so try to find some information." Vesta nodded his head. From this point on, the Asta Guild''s capture mission had be a kill on sight mission. However...! Will they actually get that chance? * * * Kang Oh and Eder began searching for the monkey''s hideout. Whenever they saw the Asta Guild, they would halt their search and act like they were hunting. After all, they couldn''t show any signs that they were searching for something. "Phew. There are more over there." Eder nodded his chin towards an Asta Guild member. "I hope the monkey shows up again and draws their attention," Kang Oh said. "What if they manage to catch it?" "They probably won''t. If they could catch it, then they would''ve caught it earlier." "That makes sense." Once they left the Asta Guild member''s sight, they returned to their search for the monkey''s hideout. They looked between rocks, through underground tunnels, and even below and above the trees. A short whileter... Kang Oh and Eder began searching through the Grancia Forest''s central region. There were all kinds of rocks, boulders, and pebbles here, but no trees in sight. Since there weren''t any trees here, there weren''t any Grancias here either. Not only that, but they didn''t see the Asta Guild members here either, so Kang Oh and Eder could focus entirely on their search. "Has your Hyper Intuition picked up anything?" Eder asked. "Not yet. There''s a chance it won''t activate." Hyper Intuition pointed out items that held some secret or hidden areas. However, he wasn''t sure whether it would activate or not when he found the monkey''s hideout. "Excuse me? Then how will we find it if your Hyper Intuition doesn''t activate?" "Let''s worry about that after we''ve searched the forest." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "Oh, god. I hope your Hyper Intuition finds something." Eder sped his hands together and prayed. A short whileter... Kang Oh, who''d been searching between all sorts of rocks, suddenly stopped. "Huh?" This feeling... the feeling that something was suspicious and that something was here! Once he saw the square-shaped, t marble in between the rocks, his Hyper Intuition red up. "What''s wrong?" Eder approached him. "This is it!" "What?" "I said this is it!" Chapter 103. Exercise in Futility (2)

Chapter 103. Exercise in Futility (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh pointed at the marble on the ground. "Your Hyper Intuition activated upon seeing this?" "Yeah." Eder examined the marble. "It''s just a normal marble..." "This has to be it. My Hyper Intuition activated and it''s the only marble here! Not only that, but it looks human made," Kang Oh said. The marble was shaped like a square; such a perfect square couldn''t possibly ur naturally. Which meant that someone had deliberately put it here! But the square marble hadn¡¯t stood out because of the numerous rocks and boulders here. It was like the saying, ''If you need to hide a tree, then hide it in a forest.''. "Oh, you''re right. Do we put something on top of it like we did at Kudal''s Laboratory?" "Something could be buried underneath it too." Kang Oh lifted the marble. It was quite heavy, but not so much that he couldn''t lift it. Thud. He set it down to the side, and began to dig through the dirt where the marble had once been. Kang Oh''s fingertips felt something heavy. ''As I thought!'' Kang Oh grinned. ''I got it!,'' he thought. A short whileter... Kang Oh dug out a box made of marble. "Oh, there''s something engraved on it." The inscription on top of the thick lid said... "Fools chase after fantasies, while wise men pursue logic..." Quite the meaningful words. ''Why did they bury this here?'' It was a question that just came to him. But then... Ukkikki! The white monkey appeared before them, the very monkey that Kang Oh had been looking for. [You have discovered the Mysterious Monkey, Montey.] "Huh?" Eder widened his eyes at the monkey''s sudden appearance. The white monkey, Montey, cried out and danced, seeming exceedingly excited. Kang Oh calmly assessed the situation. ''The Mysterious Monkey, Montey... It doesn''t seem like a boss monster.'' Montey wasn''t a boss monster. It didn''t have any treasure either. Furthermore... ''The reason it popped up out of nowhere must be because of this box.'' Kang Oh nudged his hands forward and grabbed the lid. Kkikki! As expected, Montey reacted. It raised its hands and showed off its teeth. It looked both happy and mad at the same time. It could go either way. Was it telling him to let go? Or was it telling him to open it? ''I have to make a decision. If I take too long, then the Asta Guild wille over here in droves.'' The Asta Guild was looking for Montey like mad, so time wasn''t on Kang Oh''s side. Ultimately, Kang Oh made his decision. Open it! "Huahp." Kang Oh forcefully opened the lid. Kkikkikkikki! Meanwhile, Montey jumped around and wailed, but it didn''t attack him, at least not yet. Fling! He opened the lid of the box. [You have opened the storage box containing the Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire.] [The box''s guardian is using their power.] [A trial awaits you.] ''Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire?'' Kang Oh read the system message. Then...! Kkiiii! Montey''s body began to swell. "M-Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder anxiously called. What the hell was happening!? "That monkey''s apparently the box''s guardian. If I want what''s inside, I have to pass the trial." Kang Oh grabbed his demon sword. Eder followed suit, wielding his mace in one hand, and his shield in another. "How big is it going to get?" Montey was already over 2 meters tall. Despite that, it continued to grow even further. "Dunno." "But won''t this noise attract the Asta Guild?" "It will, 100%." "Then we have to fight that monkey and then fight the Asta Guild as well? That''s..." "Impossible." Kang Oh finished for him. "Right?" "Yeah. That''s why we have to dump it onto them." Kang Oh nned on making the Asta Guild and Montey fight against one another, and use that opportunity to take the box and run. Kuuu. It was only after it reached 5 meters did it stop growing. It looked just like...! "King Kong," Kang Oh muttered. Montey had transformed into a white King Kong. Of course, when you looked at it closely, there were some differences. "What''s King Kong?" "Never mind." "Isn''t it too big?" "Yeah. It''s really big." At that moment... Kuwaaah! The monster monkey roared and swung downwards with its fists, its speedparable to a catapult shooting a giant boulder. In order to dodge its attack, Eder threw his body to the side. Obviously, Kang Oh had to do the same. However...! ''What''s going on?'' It was definitely a dangerous situation. If they just sat there, then they''d be ttened by Montey''s fists. ''Why don''t I feel anything?'' He didn''t feel a chill anywhere, which meant that his Hyper Intuition didn''t feel like he was in danger. ''Why?'' Kang Oh''s brain began firing at top speed, whereas the world seemed to go in slow motion. ''Hyper Intuition didn''t activate, ''Fools chase after fantasies, while wise men pursue logic...'', and the trial... Which means!'' Kang Oh didn''t move in the slightest. He no longer had the time to dodge Montey¡¯s attack. "Get out of the way!" Eder yelled anxiously after dodging. Thud! Montey''s fist mmed onto Kang Oh. Whoosh! Gritty dust rose from the area of impact. "M-Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder said, his voice close to a scream. "What''s wrong?" Kang Oh came out of the dust cloud unscathed. For some reason, the monkey didn''t attack again either, and just sat there. "Huh?" For a moment, Eder just stared nkly at him. What exactly happened? "Hoo hoo," Kang Ohughed, reading the system message. [You have seen through the Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself.] [You havepleted the trial.] [You have gained ownership of the Illusion More Real Than Reality itself Grimoire.] ''As I thought, it was an illusion.'' Using all the clues at his disposal, Kang Oh had realized that the monster monkey was nothing more than an illusion. Therefore, he had allowed the monkey to attack him without moving. As a result, he hade out unscathed and had proved that the monster monkey was nothing more than an illusion. "What exactly happened?" Eder asked, having barely gotten a hold of himself. "What do you mean? It''s just an illusion." Kang Oh pointed at the nkly standing monster monkey. "T-That''s an illusion?" Eder widened his eyes, unable to believe that it was actually an illusion. "If it wasn''t, then I wouldn''t havee out unscathed." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "T-That''s true. Then that''s truly an illusion? Wow, to think that there was such a vivid illusion..." Eder examined the monster monkey. From the feel of its fur to the lively expression on its face, the feeling of intense pressure, and the weight of its attack that sunk the ground... Who would see that and go ''That''s an illusion.''? Kang Oh left Eder to his own devices, and took the book encased within the box. The book was titled, . ''It''s only the first book? Then that means there''s a second book out there...'' Kang Oh tried to see the item''s information. However, he sensed several presences and soundsing his way. "The giant monkey¡¯s over there!" "Guildmaster!" The Asta Guild wasing. ''Change of ns. We''re running.'' Kang Oh took out a return scroll from his inventory. He''d discarded his original n of pitting Montey against the Asta Guild. He didn''t know when the illusion magic would fade, so he couldn''t make them fight against one another. Rip. Once he ripped the return scroll, silver powder glittered. Soon, he would fade entirely. Eder''s form began to fade as well as a result of Kang Oh''s summoning. A short whileter... The Asta Guild had surrounded the monster monkey. "What''s going on?" Arcol looked up at the monster monkey and furrowed his brow. He''d sent Vesta off to gather information, so there wasn''t anyone here who could answer his question. At that moment, the monster monkey began going invisible. "Ah, it''s starting to go invisible!" one of the Asta Guild members said. "Attack!" Arcol yelled. It was his only choice, since he needed to do something. The Asta Guild members bombarded it with spells and skills. However, they couldn''t prevent it from disappearing. Because Kang Oh had stolen the grimoire, which was the source of its power, the illusion had faded. Ultimately, the monster monkey disappearedpletely, as if it had never been there... The Asta Guild, having lost their target, had no choice but to stare at where the monkey had once been, a true exercise in futility. * * * "It would''ve gotten troublesome if I was even a littlete." If he''d encountered the Asta Guild, then things would have gottenplicated. But, he was barely able to make it out! Kang Oh had safely made it back to Altein with the grimoire in tow. "Indeed." Of course, Eder hade along with him. "But Mr. Kang Oh," Eder called. "What?" "How did you know that that monkey was an illusion? Is it because of your Hyper Intuition?" Eder asked. He still couldn''t believe that that monster monkey was an illusion. "My Hyper Intuition''s a part of it, but I also read the title of the book." Kang Oh shook the grimoire in his hand. "Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire 1, huh..." Eder''s eyes were filled with greed. He wanted to read it! He really wanted to read it! "Please let me read that!" "Oho, no way. I''m going to read it first." Kang Oh entered an abandoned alley and appraised the grimoire. [Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire 1] Aerd, once ridiculed as the Clown Mage, was a great mage who mastered illusion magic and wrote this grimoire. He is the only Illusion Master in history. This grimoire contains a portion of Aerd''s ''Imaginary Projection'', a facet of his arcane magic. If you manage to collect all three volumes of Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself, then you can learn ''Imaginary Projection''. In order to learn Imaginary Projection, however, you must first possess Beginner Wizardology and High Rank Illusion Magic. ''Arcane magic!'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened. It was said that arcane magic was only usable by masters! A portion of that magic was contained in this grimoire. "I hit the jackpot!" Kang Oh clenched his fists. He''d definitely struck gold! At that moment, he saw a system message. [Aerd''s memories are contained within the grimoire.] [Would you like to see the memories?] "Eder, ce your hand on the book." "Are you going to look through the memories sealed within?" Kang Oh nodded his head. Once Eder ced his hand atop it, Kang Oh said, "Yes." At that moment, he saw a recording y right before his eyes. * * * Aerd was a bright young boy who loved to make people happy, so he worked as a clown in a circus. One day, Aerd, who travelled across the continent with his circus, visited Altein, the capital of the Altein Empire. There, he coincidentally saw a magical fireworks disy. Aerd was moved by that fireworks show and thought, ''If I use magic, I can make people even happier, can''t I?''. Ultimately, Aerd quit the circus and headed straight for the Altein Mage''s Tower in order to learn magic... Chapter 104. Arcane Magic

Chapter 104. Arcane Magic

Trantor: Boko In the times of the Altein Empire, there was a caste system. However, the Tower cared little for one''s ss, and picked mages based solely upon their ability and talent. Fortunately, Aerd wasn''t talentless, which allowed him to enter the Tower and undergo training. However, Aerd was totally disinterested in the mighty, destructive elements such as fire, water, or wind. Instead, illusion magic caught his fancy! He was sure that illusion magic was the key to making people happy. Aerd became engrossed in the study of illusion magic. But this was a time when illusion magic wasn''t considered ''actual'' magic; it was considered support magic instead. Furthermore, others called him the ''Clown Mage'' because he had been a clown before. Despite that, Aerd didn''t give up on illusion magic and through continuous training, was able to reach a certain level of mastery. Then, he left the Tower and spent the rest of his life using his illusion magic to entertain people. In hister years, Aerd finally mastered illusion magic and created an arcane spell called ''Illusionary Projection''. Illusionary Projection was an arcane spell, one which created an illusion more real than reality itself. But because Aerd didn''t have a sessor, he had to think of an alternate way of passing down his craft. Ultimately, he instilled the essence of his arcane magic into three grimoires, and hid them across the continent. The first of these books was hidden within the Grancia Forest, and the theme he had chosen was as follows: "A mysterious animal that appears within an animal-less forest and ys hide-and-seek with people sounds like fun. Though it probably won''t ever get caught." Aerd had created the monkey via Imaginary Projection, and had made it so that the monkey would only appear in the cardinal points of north, south, east, and west. He hid the grimoire, however, within the central region. He''d set it up so that only an individual who saw through the illusion that was the monkey, and had ascertained that there was something unusual in the central region would obtain the grimoire. "It''s no fun if I stop there." At the same time, Aerd made a joke to throw people off. Aerd in reverse was Drea. Adding "An" to it would make it Andrea. The adventurer, Andrea, who''d seen the mysterious monkey that uses invisibility in the Grancia Forest was, in fact, Aerd! Aerd, disguised as Andrea, spread the rumor that a mysterious life form resided within the Grancia Forest. He''d then ced this adventure journal at the Altein Central Library, which gave people false information. "Whoever can see through the lies and the illusions, and find the truth should be good enough to inherit my arcane magic." The illusion of the giant monster monkey attack was Aerd''s final test, meant to ensure that whoever obtained the grimoire was worthy. He left the first volume of his arcane magic in the Grancia Forest and left to hide the rest of his books. Kang Oh could see where Aerd had chosen to hide the rest of his grimoires. However, it was too unclear, so he couldn''t make them out. No other detailed information came out either. Then, the recording ended. * * * "To think that Andrea was, in fact, Aerd." Eder looked like he''d beenpletely caught off guard. "Wow, I waspletely fooled." To think that someone would go so far as to spread false information, saying that the monkey created with illusion magic was a monkey that used invisibility. What an idea. "Mm. Not seeing the monkey because of the Asta Guild''s interference actually turned into a good thing. We followed that false information and came here looking for the monkey too," Kang Oh said. If they''d encountered the monkey, then they would have assumed that it used invisibility too. Since the idea that it was ''a monkey that uses invisibility'' had been deeply ingrained in his head. If that were the case, then he would''ve guessed wrong. Just like the Asta Guild. ''Of course, I have my Hyper Intuition, so I still would''ve found it in the end...'' Whatever the case, Aerd''s trap was truly impressive. "Indeed. We should really be thanking the Asta Guild." Eder smiled impishly. "If you really want to thank them that badly, then go ahead." "I''m just saying. By the way, may I see that book?" "No! You''ll damage it." It was a grimoire containing a portion of the workings behind arcane magic. "How cheap." Eder pouted. "Go home." Kang Oh decided to use the ''you can go home early'' card. His lips slightly receded and he extended his hand. "My pay." "Here." "Tch." "Take care!" Kang Oh ced 3 gold into Eder''s palm and let him go. "Hehehe," Kang Ohughed whilst thoroughly examining the book. "I wonder how much this will go for..." Kang Oh carefully ced the book into his inventory and headed for the Tower. * * * You go to a pharmacist for medication, and a doctor for medical treatment. Then what about appraising a grimoire? Obviously, you''d go to a mage. Of course, any random mage wouldn''t do; he needed a mage with a certain level of status, since it was a text on arcane magic! Fortunately, Kang Oh knew of one such mage. "Mr. Kang Oh." "Mr. Grano." The two of them met at the Tower''s second floor cafe. "Have you been well?" "Of course. How about you?" "Me too." The two of them discussed how they''d been first. "Have youe here to ask about Modune?" Grano asked. "There''s that too, but I came here for a different reason. What''s been happening with Modune?" "Our negotiations with the Arabas Kingdom are breaking down." "As I thought." "If our negotiationspletely break down, then we''ll ransom off Modune and the insect mages." "That ransom will go to me, right?" "Yes." "Hehe." "Now that you mention it, you said that you had other business with me, yes?" "Yes. I came here for this." Kang Oh took out the arcane magic grimoire from his inventory. Grano thoroughly examined the grimoire, and soon looked surprised. "This is an arcane magic grimoire." "Yes!" "Haha, where exactly did you find this?" Grano asked. Kang Oh gave a report on how the grimoire hade into his possession. "Aerd... I thought he was just an entric who only studied illusion magic, but he was actually a great man who reached mastery in his craft," Grano said politely. [A high-ranking figure from the Tower has gained in-depth information.] [The Tower is now aware of the fact that Aerd mastered illusion magic.] [The Clown Mage, the entric Mage, and the Wandering Mage, Aerd, will now be judged appropriately.] [Aerd''s posthumous fame has skyrocketed.] [Quests regarding Aerd will pop up all across the continent.] An Illusion Master had been revealed to the world. "How much would it go for?" Kang Oh asked. "You can dictate the price." "Oh!" Kang Oh beamed. "If you can collect the rest of them, that is." "Then..." Kang Oh''s face stiffened instantly. "Illusion magic is an unpopr craft and the grimoire is iplete, so it''d be hard for you to get the right price for it," Grano said calmly. "Hmm. How much would this ''wrong'' price be?" "I''m not entirely sure, but it''d probably be about a few thousand gold." "What if I find all of them?" "As I said, you can sell it for however much you want. Whatever price you name, the Tower will match it." "So I should keep it with me for now and not sell it." Kang Oh didn''t need money right away, so he didn''t need to get rid of the grimoire yet. ''Who knows? I may find the rest of them sometime.'' "That''d be for the best." Grano passed the grimoire back to him, and Kang Oh carefully returned the grimoire back into his inventory. After that, Kang Oh and Grano chatted about unimportant matters. They discussed how the Da #13 was going, how Eder was doing, how Grano thought he''d definitely seed this time around, how D #1 was already 10 years old, how he was saddened at the thought of marrying off his daughters eventually, etc. "Shall we get up now?" Grano asked. "Yes." Kang Oh and Grano said their goodbyes and went their separate ways. * * * A weekter... Jae Woo raised his phone and checked his inbox. [The Named: Oga will air at four o''clock.] Jin Cheol had sent the message. was the name of the program showing Kang Oh''s fight against the raid boss, Caraco, as well as his fight against Arumode. [I won''t miss it.] Jae Woo sent a brief text back and nced at the clock. 2:30. "Just enough time to exercise." Kang Oh left his house and ran through the neighborhood. A whileter... "Phew. That was refreshing." Jae Woo, who''d finished taking a shower, checked the clock. 3:55. The program he was featured in would start in 5 minutes. Jae Woo sat on a sofa in the living room and changed the channel to GBS. "It''s starting." was finally starting. The MC was neither Kang Seol Hee nor Jeon Seong Gook. "Hello. It''s time for The Named, which introduces you to the hottest yers in Arth right now!" a beautiful female announcer greeted brightly. "Today I, Seo Yoon Ha, will introduce one of Arth''s hottest yers today!" Seo Yoon Ha''s voice was nice and clean, and the atmosphere around her wasn''t bad either. "Now then! Let me introduce you to the yer for today''s program. He cleared the impossible quest, Fight Against 100 Men quest and is known as a Dungeon Conquering Man. It''s none other than Oga!" As soon as she was finished, the screen immediately cut to a video introducing him. Bam! Jae Woo''s in-game character, Kang Oh, was forcefully fighting against diators in order to clear the Fight Against 100 Men. Of course, it was just a highlight video, not the whole thing, and was edited with CG as well, making it more exciting. Whack! The video ended with Kang Oh''s finishing blow on Darion. "Wow. This is a legendary clip of someone clearing the impossible quest, Fight Against 100 Men!" Seo Yoon Ha raised her voice and slightly turned her head, focusing on the camera. "We at GBS have acquired some recent y footage from Mr. Oga. Are you all excited?" Seo Yoon smiled. "Let''s see it!" The screen changed once more. "Let''s see how it turned out." Jae Woo raised the volume. It showed the footage of Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro taking down Arumode first. The Immortal King, Arumode, who used Cursed Ground''s Domain, and the three warriors who fought against it! It was really exciting. Not only that, but GBS had edited in CG and sound effects at just the right times. ''They made it look good!'' Jae Woo smiled pleasingly throughout the video. As expected of GBS! Soon enough, the battle was approaching the end. A timer ticked down on the side of the screen. His heart pounded as the timer went down. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and attacked Arumode as if it were an act of desperation! While Sephiro continued to shoot arrows at it! Lastly, it showed Eder, who had been instrumental in defeating Arumode at the time. Rattle. Eder eyes lit up while casting his bone magic! Solemn music resounded from his screen. In the end, Arumode was forced to his knees and the recording ended with him dropping his shield. Seo Yoon Ha appeared once more. "Wow. Wasn''t that a breath-taking, exciting fight?" Her cheeks were red as if she were actually excited. "But there must be some people that are thinking, ''Mr. Oga didn''t really do that much?''. Hoo, hoo. Please don''t worry." Her eyes glinted. "If you see this next clip, then you''ll change your mind. You''ll be an Oga fan, I guarantee it! Now let''s see the next clip!" Finally, they transitioned to the main dish, his battle against the Lightning Hunter, Caraco. Chapter 105. The Named: Oga

Chapter 105. The Named: Oga

Trantor: Boko The formidable Lightning Hunter, Caraco, appeared on the screen. It possessed the face of an eagle, the lower body of a horse, and four ck wings. There was a gem embedded in its forehead and it wielded a glimmering golden spear! Then, subtitles briefly appeared. [Lightning Hunter Caraco / Kaistan Canyon''s hidden raid boss] Caraco charged, kicking off the floor with its four legs. "You lightning thieves!" Whoosh! The golden spear, which was longer than 5 meters long, came flying at them, and Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder fanned out. The battle had begun in earnest. Seeing Caraco, through the TV screen reminded him how strong it was. It excelled in both strength and speed, and was skilled in the use of a spear as well. Not only that, but it could cause lightning to drop from the sky. Yet they fought Caraco with a party of three. Time passed, and the fight eventually moved to the cave. "Hoo." Jae Woo caught his breath. Kang Oh was this close to getting skewered, but had barely gotten out of it alive through the Baramut set''s Wind Shield. ''That really was dangerous.'' It truly had been. After that... Caraco, having lost its ability to fly, became the very incarnation of lightning, and Kang Oh had responded with Devil Trigger. Kang Oh¡¯s face was covered by a mask resembling a red-eyed beast; a jet-ck tail, which glimmered with starlight, jutted out from behind and darkness, as well as Ubist¡¯s shadow arose from his shoulders like a haze! "Oh." Jae Woo clenched his fists. He looked really cool. He truly was the incarnation of darkness! He suddenly felt curious as to how people were reacting to him. Jae Woo quickly essed GBS''s website and entered the chat room of . - What am I seeing right now? - This is crazy. - Wow. He''s fighting a raid boss one on one? - Isn''t it 3 on 1? - Don''t you see them just standing there? - But isn''t that archer Sephiro? - Who''s that? - He''s the Wind Archer and he''s a ranker too. - The boss seems weak. I could take it down too. - Even though it''s a raid boss? You''re a newbie, aren''t you? Agree? - Yeah. An attention whore. - Wow. Did you just see that golden tiger? - What ability is that? Does anyone know? - It''s an ability that shoots out an aura. But it looks kind of special. - Who is this person? Is he one of the Numbers? - He''s not one of the Numbers. The Numbers are out of his league. - He''s Oga, a yer who got popr from clearing the impossible Fight Against 100 Men quest. - Of course there''s no way he''s one of the Numbers. - But this makes me think back to Raon of the Numbers fighting a raid boss 1 on 1. - Man, this is lit. - OO. He cleared the Fight Against 100 Men and defeated a raid boss all by himself. He''ll get more popr from now on. - Most likely. - But he''s still not as strong as the Numbers. - Agree. - Obviously. Jae Woo shut his phone. ''Numbers, huh...'' The Numbers were separated into two groups:bat and nobat. Arth''s ranking system ranked characters bybining their level, strength, achievements, influence, fame, money, etc. Because of this, the Numbers had to be divided between those who could fight and those who couldn''t. The representative of the nobat Numbers was the Gold Master, Wang Seo Rim. They were Chinese, and were considered Arth''s richest millionaire. On the other hand, Dukeram, who was known as the Emperor and the guildmaster of the Empire Guild (one of 5 great guilds), was the representative of thebat Numbers. Aside from them, there was Crazy Higherschooler Bart, Blood Witch Helena, Sage of Satinel, ck Lion Raon, etc. Every single one of them was extremely famous and possessed abilities befitting of their station. Jae Woo recognized their abilities, power, wealth, and influence. To be honest, he was kind of jealous of them. ''Is that what they called them? Walking businesses?'' The Numbers'' names were their brand, and it was said they made a considerable amount of money. Anyway, the mere fact that the viewers were evenparing him to the Numbers meant that he had created asting impression. ''Not bad.'' Jae Woo focused his attention on the TV once more. The battle was heading towards the climax. Caraco''s lightning filled the screen, yet Demon Kang Oh charged through it like aet. Whenever he swung his demon sword, his de would unleash a jet-ck aura. Eventually, Kang Oh gained the upper hand. "Just die already!" Kang Oh stabbed its neck and it finally fell to its knees. He struck Caraco''s face and then immediately used Abyss Transfer, teleporting atop its head. "This is the end!" "You!" The tip of his de pierced Caraco''s forehead-embedded gem. "Impossible..." "Life is filled with impossibilities. Rest in peace." "How vex..." It died, unable to finish itsst words. After that... The screen focused on Kang Oh; he wore the Baramut¡¯s set with the jet-ck de in his hand. ''Looking good till the very end.'' The original footage was good, but the editing was superb. Jae Woo smiled in satisfaction. "Wow. What an amazing video!" The screen changed, returning to Seo Yoon Ha. "The formidable raid boss, Caraco! You saw how Mr. Oga pretty much defeated it one on one! There was nothing boring about it, right?" She continued, "Whoever¡¯s seeing this must be apuding Mr. Oga''s powerful and lively fight... Unfortunately, this is all we have on Mr. Oga. However...!" She paused before adding, "Mr. Oga will be appearing on GBS''s Dungeon Conquering Man tomorrow, so please look forward to it! Moreover, Triple Lower''s Soo Ah will be his partner, so you really can look forward it!" Seo Yoon Ha smiled and waved. That was the end of the broadcast. After that, there was a certain post uploaded on Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory. [Fighting a raid boss 1 on 1. Must see. This is crazy.] There was a highlight video of Kang Oh defeating Caraco in the post. The post soon became the talk of the town and appeared on Arthtory''s main page, drawing quite a bit of interest. At the same time, Oga''s name started to get more and more popr. * * * A few dayster... Jae Woo was at GBS''s broadcasting station for his second shoot of Dungeon Conquering Man. "Here." Jin Cheol passed him his helmet. "Thank you." "The Named wasn''t bad, right?" Jin Cheol asked. "It was great." Jae Woo gave him a thumbs up. "It really helped to promote Dungeon Conquering Man." Jin Cheol smiled. The viewership for wasn''t bad and had be the topic of conversation. Because of that, it garnered people''s interest in as Oga would appear on the show. "Do you have any other footage for me?" Jin Cheol''s eyes gleamed. Clearing the Fight Against 100 Men, annihting the Death Potion Guild, and defeating a raid boss one on one... Every single one of Jae Woo''s videos had been a huge sess. Thus, Jin Cheol couldn''t help but ask in anticipation. "No." Jae Woo shook his head. "If you bring me any good footage, then I''ll be sure to pay you handsomely." Meaning, ''If you have any good footage, bring it to me.''. Jae Woo nodded his head. "Let''s make this a good shoot." "Alright." Jin Cheol left, and then Jae Woo headed for Soo Ah''s waiting room. "Hello." Jae Woo bowed his head. Soo Ah''s manager and her beauty stylist were in there with her, so he made sure to greet them properly. "Ah, Oppa. You came?" Soo Ah greeted happily, seeing Jae Woo¡¯s helmeted appearance. "Have you been doing ok?" Jae Woo asked after slightly entering the room. She seemed fine. It didn''t seem likest time, when Yoon Se Hwa hade and stirred up trouble. "Yes, I''ve been doing fine." Soo Ah smiled. ''Then again, her manager and beauty stylist are here, so...'' Jae Woo nodded his head and sat in the empty chair beside her. "Oppa, I saw the program." "What program?" "The Named. The one you show up in." "Ah, you did?" Jae Woo scratched the back of his head. "It was amazing! But how did you manage to beat the raid boss all by yourself?" Soo Ah asked with beady eyes. "I wasn''t alone..." When he had hunted Caraco, he hadn''t been alone; Sephiro and Eder had been with him. "You pretty much did everything yourself. And isn''t beating a raid boss with only three people a tremendous feat in and of itself?" "Yeah, it is." Soo Ah pointed out and Kang Oh tensed his shoulders. "So how are you so strong, Oppa?" Soo Ah asked once more. "I have ESP?" Jae Woo replied with a half-truth, half-lie. ''I may be skilled, but I do also have ESP.'' "You''re just saying that you''re good at games. Do you have any tips?" "Just develop your character properly and control them well." ''Like me.'' "Oppa, have you heard of the book, ''Studying is the Easiest.''?" "I think I''ve heard of it before." "You sound like the author of that book." "What is that supposed to mean?" ''Is she saying I''m smart?'' "You''re too cocky." She red at Jae Woo. He just smiled and said, "Ah, you''re right. So have you seen it too?" "The first broadcast of Dungeon Conquering Man?" "Yeah." "I couldn''t watch it when it first aired, but I watched the vod. What about you?" "Yeah, me too." Dungeon Conquering Man was a program in which four teams of two conquered dungeons. Therefore, Jae Woo had mostly watched the sections pertaining to him and Soo Ah. But he had seen some footage of Yoon Se Hwa in the process. He wanted to see what she had been doing. Yoon Se Hwa was a low level Priest. There was nothing special about her. ''That guy''s name was Park Tae Gyu, right? He¡¯s pretty strong.'' Yoon Se Hwa''s partner, Park Tae Gyu. His basic movements, the power/speed of his attacks, his use of skills at just the right ce and the right time, his split-second decision-making, etc. clearly showed that he was as skilled as a ranker. "How was it?" Soo Ah asked. "Overall, it wasn''t bad." What was the right way to say it? The sight of the teams working together to defeat monsters and clear their objectives was quite interesting. "There were a lot of our parts too," Jae Woo added. Perhaps it was because of Soo Ah''s poprity, but Jae Woo''s team was focused on the most. "I liked it too. The other members who saw it liked it too." Soo Ah beamed. At that moment, the door to her waiting room opened and in came a staff member. "We''ll start in 10 minutes. Please standby." Chapter 106. Second Shoot

Chapter 106. Second Shoot

Trantor: Boko The set waspletely the same. The participants¡¯ chairs were behind the MC''s, and the huge monitor was in the same ce as well. Jae Woo and Soo Ah sat side-by-side, waiting for the shoot to start. Tap. Tap. Yoon Se Hwa, wearing high heels, passed by Jae Woo with a haughty expression. She didn''t even try to bully Soo Ah this time. It felt like she waspletely ignoring her instead, as she didn''t even spare a nce at Jae Woo or Soo Ah. ''Works for me.'' Jae Woo likewise didn''t concern himself with her. He had no reason to get involved with her, so long as she didn¡¯te at him first. Participants began trickling in one or two at a time and sat down. The two MC''s, Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook, were finished with their prep. "We''re starting the shoot!" a staff member shouted. The cameras began rolling, the ¡®messy¡¯ atmosphere from beforepletely gone. "Hello. This is your precious Kang Seol Hee!" Kang Seol Hee made a V sign and waved both her hands. "This is Jeon Seong Gook." "Mr. Seong Gook. Dungeon Conquering Man has already aired. Did you get a chance to see it?" "Of course. I''m one of the MC''s, so it''s a given that I watched it!" "How was it?" Seol Hee asked per the script. "I enjoyed it. The chemistry between our participants was tremendous and all of them act differently." Jeon Seong Gook gave a thumbs up. "But?" "But... Although the dungeon conquests, as well as the teams¡¯ chemistry made for an enjoyable viewing experience, there was still something missing." "What''s that?" "Competition. Competition between the teams!" Jeon Seong Gook emphasized the word, petition''. "Exactly. Many of our viewers were disappointed that there wasn¡¯t anypetition amongst the teams. So!" Kang Seol Hee paused briefly. "Our writers decided to do a team poprity poll!" Kang Seol Hee apuded. p, p, p! The participants pped mechanically. None of them looked surprised, as they¡¯d already been told about it beforehand. "A poprity poll?" Jeon Seong Gook asked, ying dumb. "Whenever Dungeon Conquering Man airs, our viewers will vote on which team was the most entertaining and had the most chemistry," Kang Seol Hee said. "Ooh, do you get anything if you win?" "Of course. Whichever team ces first will get their total prize doubled!" Dungeon Conquering Man consisted of levels 1 - 5 dungeons and their mission objectives. If one conquered a dungeon, then they would be rewarded. Clearing the level 1 dungeon yielded a prize of 1 million won ($1,000 USD), 2 million won ($2,000 USD) for the second level, and 5 million ($5,000) for thest one. By beating every single level, one would be awarded 15 million won ($15,000 USD), which wasn''t a small amount by any stretch of the imagination. But by winning the poprity poll, that 15 million won would be doubled! ''Which means that if we clear all 5 dungeons and win the poprity poll, then we''ll win 30 million won ($30,000 USD).'' Jae Woo''s eyes gleamed. 30 million won! It was a tempting proposition. "Wow, two times?" Kang Seol Hee asked exaggeratingly. "Yes, that''s correct. And whichever team ends upst will receive quite the punishment following the final shoot." "I see. This''ll get a lot more interesting, won''t it?" "Let''s see how our participants feel about this?" "That sounds like a good idea." Then, Seong Gook chatted with the participants. Park Bae Shik stated that he wouldn''t best no matter what, as he''d experienced a punishment in the past. On the other hand, Yoon Se Hwa stated that she had prepared a secret weapon, asking that the viewers look forward to it. Seong Gook approached Jae Woo next. "Mr. Oga. Please tell me how you feel." "I''ll do my best." "...Is that it?" "Yes." "As expected of the cool Oga." Seong Gook quickly covered for him. Then, he stared at Soo Ah. "Ms. Soo Ah, please say something." "Sure. I''ll try my best not to slow Oppa down and do my part." Soo Ah clenched her fists. "Did you prepare anything for the poprity poll?" Seong Gook asked. "Oppa and I are just going to go at it like normal. We''ll just be ourselves. I''d rather not go out of the way and act differently just because of a poprity poll." "Ah, I see. Thank you." Seol Hee took over once he was finished with them. "Now let''s begin selecting the level 2 dungeons. Everyone, please take a look at the screen." The writers had picked out the level 2 dungeons for them, all of which appeared on the screen. Jae Woo sifted through the list of dungeons. ''Level 100 - 120 dungeons, huh... They''re all easy, so it doesn''t matter which one I choose. I guess I''ll just choose a dungeon that''ll make Soo Ah look pretty.'' Jae Woo grinned. "The picking order will be determined via rock-paper-scissors. One person from each team, please step forward," Seong Gook said, and moved on to rock-paper-scissors. "Rock-paper-scissors!" Paper. Paper. Paper. Rock. "Tch," Jae Woo clicked his tongue, as he''d picked paper. "Mr. Oga will pickst." Jae Woo trudged back to his seat. "We''re deadst," Soo Ah said. "Sorry." Jae Woo sped his hands together. "You don''t need to be sorry about that." "Tch. I wanted to pick a nice ce likest time." Jae Woo looked disappointed. "What is it?" "Beneath the Snow-Chilled Wind. There''s white snow and purple crystals there, so it''s really beautiful." "We may still be able to pick it. Just be patient," Soo Ahforted him. However...! "We''ll pick Beneath the Snow-Chilled Wind," the second picker, Park Tae Gyu said. "The Tae Gyu, Se Hwa team has picked Beneath the Snow-Chilled Wind!" ''As I thought...'' In the past, Yoon Se Hwa had asked Jae Woo to give up Maroon Hill, which was renowned for its beautiful red sunset, to her. This time, her team had picked Beneath the Snow-Chilled Wind. It felt like she wanted to appear like a princess surrounded by beautiful scenary. "Lastly, Mr. Oga, Ms. Soo Ah. Please pick your dungeon," Seol Hee said. "Where should we go?" Soo Ah nced at Jae Woo. "How about Worm Body Tunnel?'' "Worm Body Tunnel?" "Yeah. It''s a really simple dungeon." "I''m ok with that." "We''ll go with Worm Body Tunnel," Jae Woo clearly said. "The Oga, Soo Ah team has picked Worm Body Tunnel! Then, shall we see the mission?" The card shown on therge screen flipped over, showing the mission. [Mission: Clear the Worm Body Tunnel in 1 hour!] ''What an easy mission.'' Jae Woo smiled in satisfaction. Although the Worm Body Tunnel was highly popted with monsters, the path itself was short. "Everyone, please take a look at the screen." Seol Hee pointed at the screen. The screen changed, now listing each yer''s name, their designated dungeon, as well as their missions. "Everyone has picked their dungeons, as well as their missions." "Ahem. I''m excited to see what they''ll do. Aren''t you?" Seong Gook asked. "Yes, I am. Now we''ll move on to the dungeon conquest!" "Stay tuned!" When the show actually aired, the camera would cut to a view of the participants following Jeon Seong Gook¡¯sment. ''We''re done filming in the studio now.'' All he had to do wasplete the mission, return to the studio, and finish up. "Cut." As expected, Jin Cheol stopped filming. The staff, which had been waiting with bated breath, began moving around frantically. "We''ll move to the capsule room in 30 minutes," one of the staff members yelled. Jae Woo stretched and stood up. "Uhaah! Let''s go and conquer the dungeon." * * * Worm Body Tunnel. In the past, a giant worm had dug through the ground, creating this tunnel. Hence the title, ''Worm Body'' Tunnel. People used to use this tunnel to go back and forth, but a new tunnel formed nearby, making this tunnel obsolete. With people no longer using the tunnel, monsters began to reside within it, causing it to be the dungeon, Worm Body Tunnel. Of course, this ce was also a spatiotemporal intersection point, or an instant dungeon. If ten people entered, then ten different instances of the same dungeon would be created. "We''re here." Kang Oh, Asu, and the youngest writer arrived at one end of the tunnel. "Please sign here." The writer passed them a Sabra''s Contract. It stated that he would be limited to 60% power. The writers began easing the limitations on the yers¡¯ abilities due to the increasing difficulty of the dungeons. His abilities were halved in Maroon Hill and now they would be cut by 40%. Following this pattern, the next dungeon would reduce his abilities by 30%. ''Thest dungeon must not have any restrictions whatsoever.'' Kang Oh signed the Sabra''s Contract, allowing him to only exhibit 60% of his full power. "Please turn film mode on. Good luck. I''ll wait here for you," the writer said. "Film." "Film." Kang Oh and Asu simultaneously activated film mode. The two entered the half-moon shaped tunnel side-by-side. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Worm Body Tunnel.] The dim darkness cleared, and they were able to see the inside of the tunnel. There was a magicmp embedded in the ceiling that radiated an orange light. It had been set up back when people still used the tunnel. Because of that, it wasn''t pitch ck inside. "What kind of monsters appear?" "I''ll tell you when we see them." "Ok." Kang Oh and Asu walked a certain distance forward and were met by an unwee guest. La-lu-ah-ra-ra! They had round heads shaped like rice balls with stubby arms and legs; they also didn''t have a torso! Not only that, but they continued to hum as well. There were four of them. "They''re called Crying. During battle, they yell, inflicting damage onto their enemies." "What about those?'' Asu pointed at apletely different monster beside the Crying. Whack. Whack. Whack. A human-shaped entity was picking at the wall with a pickaxe. "It''s called a Najim." A Najim looked like a human being, but its face didn''t possess eyes, a nose, or a mouth. Also, they wore safety helmets and wielded pickaxes. They were also called Soulless Miners. "If you don''t get in their way, then they won''t attack you." "Then we shouldn''t attack them?" "Yeah. There''s no point in starting an unnecessary fight." They had to clear the Worm Body Tunnel in 1 hour. It was better to avoid fights when they could. "Understood." Asu unsheathed her sword. "Let''s go!" Battle had begun. Once they saw Kang Oh and Asu rushing towards them, the expression on the Cryings¡¯ faces changed. Kurwaraing! The monsters roared. Unwilling to be beat, Kang Oh let loose one of his own; Baramut''s Roar! Kuheong! The roars cancelled each other out and Kang Oh, who''d leaped into the air,nded in the middle of the Cryings. La-u! The Crying raised its stubby arms, assuming an expression of anger. "Huahp!" Kang Oh twisted his body. Swish! His demon sword swept through them and the Crying fell. ''Hit them fast and hard!'' Kang Oh quickly swung his sword at the fallen Crying before him. sh! His attack left behind a wound at the center of its body. Before it could even react, he kicked it away. Bam! Then, he rushed towards it and thrust his sword at the wound. Splurt. Red shards of light burst out like a fountain of blood. Bam! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh swung his sword three more times, killing one of the Crying. "Next!" Kang Oh turned his head to his next target and saw Asu in the process. However... "Take this!" She shed a Crying, and a flower of ice bloomed. Chapter 107. Worm Body Tunnel

Chapter 107. Worm Body Tunnel

Trantor: Boko Asu swung downwards. Swish. Her sword passed through the Crying, resulting in an ice flower blooming on its body. ''Ice?'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. He''d never seen her use that technique before. ''Did she just learn it?'' Kang Oh thought back to all of the Knight skills that he knew, but he couldn¡¯t think of any skills that created ice. ''I''ll ask her about itter. For now...'' Kang Oh attacked a Crying like a mad beast. "Yahp!" Asu swung her sword diagonally. Crack. Once her de made contact with the ice ''flower'', the ice crumbled and shards of ice pierced through the Crying''s body. Laaa! The Crying shrieked in pain. At that moment... Vital Thrust! A mark, which indicated a vital spot, appeared in the middle of the Crying¡¯s forehead. Asu moved like lightning and quickly attacked the area. Whack! Orange shards burst forth, and then Asu attacked with even greater ferocity. Whenever her attack hit, the Crying''s movements slowed down. It was because of this that she was able to contend with a level 110 monster, even though she herself was only level 70. Not only that, but her sessful attacks asionally created ice as well. Whenever that happened, she would strike the ice, causing shards of ice to pierce the monster¡¯s body and cause a significant amount of damage. Ultimately, Asu was able to defeat the higher leveled enemy all by herself. In the midst of that however, Kang Oh had killed the rest of the Cryings. "When you attacked, I saw ice form out of nowhere," Kang Oh said. "Ah. When I reached level 70, a friend of mine (Unni) gave this to me." Asu showed him her ne. There was a blue gem embedded at the center, and the rest of the ne showed an exquisite level of craftsmanship. It was quite the fancy ne. At first nce, it was clearly a masterpiece! "The abilities are good?" "Yes. Whenever I attack, it chills my enemies, slowing their movement. Also, it asionally creates ice, and when I attack it, it inflicts additional damage," Asu exined thoroughly. "Oh, it''s nice. What rank is it?" "S-rank!" "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. The greater the dungeon, the more difficult it would be for Asu to make an impact. However, having that piece of equipment would be a huge help to her. "Alright. We''re done warming up now, so let''s get to clearing this dungeon for real." They had 55 minutes left. The two of them had to reach the other end of the tunnel by then. "Let''s go!" Asu enthusiastically advanced forward. Kang Oh was right behind her. * * * There were mainly four monsters that resided in the Worm Body Tunnel. The Soulless Miner, Najim! The Shrieking Crying! Bugs that popped out of the ground and attacked, Trap Earwigs! Rocks that were stuck to the ceiling and fell whenever yers passed by, Falling Rocks! In order to progress through the Worm Body Tunnel, Kang Oh and Asu had to deal with these monsters. "Above!" Kang Oh shouted. Asu nced at the ceiling and quickly rolled onto the floor. Rat-a-tat-tat. Falling Rocks descended from the ceiling. They were ball-shaped, and rough and uneven on the outside; they also possessed wicked faces as well. "The floor!" Kang Oh yelled once more. Asu quickly retreated. Whoosh! A Trap Earwig with lengthy pincers popped out of the ground. Kull! A group of Cryings shrieked from behind and rushed at them. ''They grouped up, just how I like it.'' Kang Oh assumed an iaido stance and swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger dashed through the tunnel filled with orange light. Kuaaang! The aura swept through the Falling Rocks, the Cryings, and the Trap Earwigs. Whoosh. The aura was followed by powerful winds, but they were mediocre, perhaps because of his limited abilities. Then again, the golden aura was so inherently powerful that the follow-up wind wasn''t really necessary. Kang Oh then killed any monsters that had survived his Tempest Tiger. However...! Thud! Thud! Thud! He heard a heavy ¡®thud¡¯ing from the far end of the tunnel. "A named monster ising," Kang Oh said. "You said the named monster roams across either end of the tunnel, right?" "Yeah." A boss monster didn''t exist in the Worm Body Tunnel; there was a named monster here instead. A short whileter... The named monster appeared, illuminated by the orange light overhead. [You have discovered Stongeny.] [It is a named monster.] Stongeny was about 3 meters tall and possessed a face, a body, and four extremities like a human being. However, its entire body was made up of coarse Falling Rocks. Thud. With every step, a weighty ¡®thud¡¯ resounded throughout the tunnel. It might be small, but its weight was undeniable. "Once the fight begins, it''ll periodically shoot Falling Rocks everywhere, and then fuse back together." "Ok." "Evade when it shoots the rocks and attack when it''s fusing together." The Stongeny had a simple attack pattern so it was easy to deal with. However, shooting the Falling Rocks was a formidable attack, so one had to maintain their focus throughout the entire fight. "Shooting the Falling Rocks is a powerful move, so you have to dodge it no matter what." "Understood." "Let''s go." Kang Oh dashed towards Stongeny first. Stongeny suddenly stopped. Boom! Its body exploded. "It''sing! Get out of the way!" Whoosh! Falling Rocks flew through the sky. They were barraged by rocks, as if they were facing several catapults flinging rocks at them simultaneously. Kang Oh evaded the rocks as if he were ying a shooting game. Dodging them was a piece of cake with thebination of his Hyper Intuition and his superb evasion. On the other hand, Asu was having some trouble. Not only was she low leveled, but she didn''t possess Hyper Intuition either. Despite that, Asu didn''t lose her focus. She rolled onto the floor and moved continuously without rest. Ultimately, she was able to dodge all of the attacks by a hair''s breadth. "Attack all of the Falling Rocks nearby," Kang Oh yelled as soon as its barrage had ended. The Falling Rocks were gathering in a single area. Kang Oh and Asu swung their swords at a nearby Falling Rock. sh! Honorable Strike1 Whack! Their hands tingled when their swords made contact. Spit! The Falling Rock pursed its lips as if it were spitting out a watermelon seed, and spat out a sharp rock shard. They were used to this already, so Kang Oh and Asu maintained theirposure and continued their attack. At some point, the Falling Rocks had gathered together, forming into a lump of rock. "It''sing!" The Stongeny exploded once more. Bang! Kang Oh and Asu managed to dodge their rocks by flinging themselves out of the way. However...! "Ugh." Asu''s movements weren''t like normal. Her movements had slowed, as if she were weighed down. ''She doesn''t have enough Stamina!'' He knew what was happening right away. Stamina increased as one leveled, so she, as a low-leveled Knight, wouldn''t have much in the first ce. Despite that, she had continued to attack and evade repeatedly, causing her Stamina to bottom out. At that moment... A Falling Rock came flying straight at her. Asu had no way of dodging it. "No!" Kang Oh threw his body towards her. He was barely able to make it, and shielded her with his body. ''I''m counting on you, Baramut!'' The Falling Rock struck Kang Oh. Whoosh. A refreshing breeze blew. At the same time, the Baramut set shined. [The Baramut set''s special ability, Wind Shield has activated.] [The attack has been nullified.] As expected, the Baramut set didn''t disappoint him. The Baramut set had activated right when he was about to take fatal damage, nullifying it. Kang Oh, who''d barely made it, quickly dragged Asu away. After all, the Falling Rocks were still flying towards them. A short whileter... The bombardment had finally ended. "Are you ok?" Kang Oh looked her over. "That''s my line. Are you ok?" Asu asked concernedly. "Yeah. My item kept me safe." Kang Oh grinned. "I was too excited, so I didn''t manage my Stamina well. I''m sorry." "Don''t worry about it. It happens." If Eder had made this mistake, then he''d be pissed, but Asu was pretty, so he could let it go. "In any case, keep a close eye on your Stamina, ok?" "Ok. I won''t make this mistake again!" "Good." Kang Oh and Asu repeatedly attacked a Falling Rock that was gathering with the others. After that, Kang Oh and Asu would dodge whenever the rocks came flying at them, and attack when they attempted tobine once more. Asu kept her promise. She wasn''t put in danger due to her Stamina. Ultimately... Stogeny''s HP dropped to 0 and the Falling Rocks that made up its body broke into pieces. [You have defeated Stongeny.] "Oppa, thank you for saving me again." Asu bowed. "Don''t mention it." Kang Oh grinned and checked the time. ''We have... 30 minutes left. That''s plenty of time.'' It had been 30 minutes since they''d entered the Worm Body Tunnel. They''d traversed through more than half of the tunnel now, as well as defeating the named monster, so they could easily clear the mission. Asu picked up the item that Stongeny had dropped. It was a star-shaped rock like a piece of star candy that came with a bag of hardtack. "It''s a material, a Falling Rock Core," she said. "What''s its rank?" "B-rank." "You can have it." Kang Oh lost all interest when he heard ¡®B-rank¡¯ and ¡®material¡¯. She ced the item into her inventory, and the two traversed through the tunnel once more. Sometimeter... 45 minutester, the two confidently exited the Worm Body Tunnel. They''d obviouslypleted their mission as well. * * * Jae Woo and Soo Ah, who''d left the capsule room, hade back to the studio toplete the shoot. "Please give the teams a round of apuse forpleting their missions," Kang Seol Hee said. p, p, p. The staff and the participants pped mechanically. "Indeed. Good work everyone. Did it go as you wanted?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. "Yes!" Park Bae Shik yelled. His sudden response caused the other participants to burst outughing. "Man, Mr. Bae Shik. It looks like youpleted your mission," Seon Gook said. "Hoo, hoo. Of course." His face was full of confidence. "Now then, let''s see whether the other teams havepleted their mission or not. Ms. Seol Hee." At his call, Kang Seol Hee took over. "Please take a look at the big screen." Once she pointed at the screen, the screen showed a list with the participants'' names. ''As expected, everyonepleted their mission.'' None of the teams had failed, perhaps because they were still at the easier dungeons. "All of the teamspleted their missions." Kang Seol Hee raised her voice. "Shall we see how much money you''ve earned?" Three million won ($3,000 USD) reced the ''sess'' next to each of their names. "Oh dear. It''s still only three million won?" Jeon Seong Gook said. "Hoo, hoo. We''ve only just gotten through the level 2 dungeons." "Which means they still have a lot more chances to make money." "Exactly. But please don''t forget that you''ll receive a punishment should you fail!" Seol Hee smiled impishly. "Shall we hear what the teams have to say?" Seong Gook chatted with the participants likest time following their dungeon conquests. Jae Woo replied curtly like always. After that, the MC''s, Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook, gave their closing statements. "It''s unfortunate, but it''s time to say goodbye." Kang Seol Hee waved her hands. "Please look forward to the performance of our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls." Jeon Seong Gook smiled and softly waved with one hand. "Cut!" "Good job." "Thank you for all your hard work everyone." "Good work!" The second shoot had ended. Chapter 108. Desperate Fight Against a Bandit

Chapter 108. Desperate Fight Against a Bandit

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Eder explored Gummons Tower in search of a hidden dungeon. Gummons Tower was a white, 5-story tower. Different monsters spawned on each floor. There was also an observatory at the top of the tower, which gave yers a view of the stars. Though they hadn¡¯t been searching for very long, Kang Oh¡¯s Hyper Intuition went off. It was the feeling that something was out of ce, which meant that there was something here. "Here!" Kang Oh pointed at the white brick wall. To be more specific, he pointed at a brick that seemed older and more worn out than the others. He immediately pressed on the brick. Rumble. The wall turned with a ''rumble'', creating a passagewayrge enough for a person to walk through. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Gummon''s Underground Waterway.] He found a hidden dungeon! Yet his expression was frozen stiff because he hadn¡¯t been ¡®the first¡¯ to discover it. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "What''s wrong?" Eder asked. "Someone must''ve cleared this dungeon before." Finding a hidden dungeon didn''t guarantee a huge payout; only an undiscovered hidden dungeon would. "Shouldn''t we take a look inside regardless?" "Yeah. Let''s see what shows up." Kang Oh and Eder exited the pitch-ck darkness and entered the passageway. A few hourster... Kang Oh defeated the hidden dungeon''s boss, the Giant Crocodile. [You have defeated the Giant Crocodile, Crogel.] As expected, he wasn''t the first to defeat it. Thus, he wouldn''t receive a bonus for killing it. Kang Oh picked up the items with low expectations. They were gloves shaped like a crocodile head. The gloves were only B-rank. Not only that, but the item''s abilities and effects were mediocre. They were like cheap goods that said ''Made in China''. "I can''t sell them and I can''t use them for Gluttony either. They''replete garbage." Kang Oh decided to feed Ubist the gloves and the other junk itemster. "Probably no money too." He searched the boss room just in case. However, the crocodile hole only contained 5 gold. "Tch. Let''s head to the next dungeon." After that, Kang Oh and Eder went through two more dungeons. First, they visited Marcytel''s Garden. Despite looking everywhere, they weren¡¯t able to find a hidden dungeon there. Next, they explored the Levaldo Cave. It was a dungeon filled with monster bears. He was able to find a hidden dungeon this time. However...! [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Tomb of the Bear God.] He didn''t see the ''first to discover'' message this time either! "Not again!" Kang Oh shouted angrily. "Today just isn''t your day," Ederforted him. "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and calmed down. He then calmly assessed the situation. ''It''s not just luck. The number of undiscovered hidden dungeons is going down.'' Kang Oh thought back to the list of dungeons he wanted to explore, intent on finding a hidden dungeon. Level 120 - 180 monsters would spawn in these dungeons. Most of the yerbase could hunt in these dungeons. Thus, it was usible that some of them could find the hidden dungeons or had already done so. How many of these dungeons actually contained an undiscovered hidden dungeon? ''Most of them will have been discovered already, unless they''re so well hidden that it requires my Hyper Intuition to find them.'' Kang Oh realized that it''d be difficult to abuse his Hyper Intuition and find the same sess he''d had thus far. "Phew," he sighed deeply. "Are you alright?" "Yeah. I''m ok now. I think I need to change my strategy from now on." Eder stared at Kang Oh, seemingly saying, ''What the hell are you talking about?''. "From now on, our objective is no longer finding hidden dungeons; it''s getting stronger." Because he''d been so focused on finding hidden dungeons, Kang Oh had cked on character growth. However, he decided that now was the time to focus on character growth, or bing stronger. Plus...! He was taking the long approach; by bing stronger, he could monopolize the higher difficulty dungeons before anyone else. ''I''ve made enough money tost me a while, so... this is the right time to focus on character growth.'' He''d made so much money from his trip to the Bariton Desert that he didn''t need to worry about money for a while. "I have no problems with that." Obviously, Eder was in agreement. Focusing on leveling meant that they¡¯d reach the Goddess of Death, Deborah¡¯s shrine, sooner. "I''m going to hit level 200 ASAP." Kang Oh clenched his fist. "Level 200?" "Yeah!" The reason he''d chosen level 200 was simple. Gospel, a professor from the Tower, had given him an S-rank ne in exchange for Bercy¡¯s keepsake; however, the ne had a minimum level requirement of 200. The ''Wind Yearning me Ne'' would quadruple the power of any wind-based ability. Which meant...! ''It''ll let me a Tempest Tiger that¡¯s four times as strong!'' So equipping the ne would be akin to giving a tiger wings. "Anyway, let''s finish up by clearing this hidden dungeon." Kang Oh pointed at the entrance. "Understood." The two began hunting within the Tomb of the Bear God. Devil Bears with horns as ck as blood appeared within. The boss, a priest that worshipped the Bear God, was stationed at the end of the cave. It wasn''t a tough boss, so Kang Oh and Eder were able to defeat it quickly. Of course, he didn''t obtain a ''first time'' bonus, and the items it dropped were pretty mediocre. Not only that, but the altar used for worship only had 7 gold and a single piece of bearskin on top of it. Kang Oh and Eder immediately returned to Altein. "I''ll see you tomorrow." Eder left. Kang Oh began formting a n to level up as quickly as possible. * * * If one asked a ranker what the best way to level up was, 8 out of 10 of them would say this: Fight against monsters that are stronger than you! Their reasoning was straightforward. By fighting against monsters stronger than oneself, one''s side stats and proficiency would go up faster. Furthermore, a yer could improve their control over their character by fighting against stronger enemies. Kang Oh knew he¡¯d have to to do the same. Therefore, Kang Oh had picked the Red Beards. The Red Beards operated from Helm Mountain, where they stole from others as criminals. It was said that their leader, Stadion, was over level 400. Plus...! The Red Beard Bandits themselves were over level 200. Whoosh. "Die!" One of the bandits, who wore white woolen clothes made of wolf fur, swung downwards with their sword. ng! The bandit whacked Eder''s skull shield with his de. "Ugh." The bandit¡¯s strength overpowered him, causing Eder to fall backwards. Then, the bandit attacked the defenseless Eder. But Kang Oh wouldn''t let that happen. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. sh! He etched a horizontal white line into the air, dividing the upper and lower body! Darkness Strike activated simultaneously! ck and white intertwined, and came rushing at the bandit. The bandit forwent dodging and chose to counterattack instead. Brave Strike! His sword emanated a green energy. Bam! Their swords shed. Kang Oh wasn''t pushed back in the least. They were evenly matched! Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. This was a first; thus far, he¡¯d never faced an opponent that could endure one of his attacks augmented by Darkness Strike. ''He¡¯s strong.'' The bandit was over level 200, and possessed strength and skill that a monster couldn''t possess. At that moment, Eder swung his mace at the bandit''s back. Eder had, at some point, stood up and had aimed for the bandit''s rear. The bandit quickly turned around and blocked his mace. Boom! Heavy Blow exploded, but the bandit essentially came out undamaged. In exchange...! His attack gave Kang Oh an opportunity. Eder had diverted the bandit''s attention which had, in turn, caused the bandit to expose himself. ''There!'' Kang Oh thrust his sword, piercing through the bandit''s side. Stab! Red shards of light burst out. This was his first real hit ever since the battle had begun. But it was still too early to be happy. The bandit''s de came flying at him. Whoosh. Kang Oh defended himself with his own sword. ng! The shrill of metal upon metal was akin to a scream. He could feel the force behind the bandit''s sword through his body. Kang Oh was pushed back. The bandit charged at Kang Oh and swung downwards. Brave Strike! Kang Oh felt a chill at the center of his body. If he didn''t react in time, then he would definitely be bisected. He suddenly had an idea. He didn''t move and just let the bandit hit him. Right before the de made contact... The Baramut set''s Wind Shield activated. [The Baramut set''s special ability, Wind Shield has activated.] [The attack has been nullified.] [Cooldown: 60 minutes] Once the bandit''s attack had been nullified, Kang Oh pushed into the bandit''s chest area. "Take this!" Tempest Tiger! He swung his sword upwards, a golden tiger following his de and sweeping away the bandit. Bam! "Ugh!" The bandit tottered. His white leather was in tatters and there were w marks on the bandit''s skin. It was a clean hit! Whoosh. The aura was followed by raging wind whips, and Kang Oh attacked simultaneously with his sword. sh! Sweep! A diagonal wound was left on the bandit. Kang Oh prepared his next attack, aiming for the wound. However, the bandit got a hold of himself and counterattacked. Kang Oh was forced back, unable to attack the wound. "Haa, haa." "Hoo, hoo." The battle had briefly entered a state of lull. The bandit and Kang Oh stared at each other whilst catching their breath. Eder stood behind the bandit and waited for his opportunity. Slowly... The bandit began to move bit-by-bit, and Kang Oh followed suit. Now...! "Kuha!" the Bandit screamed and rushed towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh swung his demon sword. ng! Their swords shed, causing Kang Oh¡¯s hands to tingle. The bandit swung horizontally, aiming for Kang Oh''s neck. Kang Oh swung upwards. ng. Their des collided once more. Eder had been waiting for this; a ck, evil spirit popped out of his mouth. Aging Curse! The evil spirit clung to the bandit''s back. Then, Eder spat out a rusty chain. Slowing Curse! The rusty chains surrounded the bandit in an X formation. As a result, the bandit''s movements were slowed. "Ergh!" The bandit attempted to break the chains, but it wouldn''t work. After all, they weren''t real chains, but the result of a curse. "Good work, Eder." It''d been a long since he hadplimented Eder. Kang Oh quickly rushed towards the bandit and swung his sword. Eder positioned his shield in front of him and charged. The two of them gritted their teeth and attacked repeatedly. Chop, sh, whack! Heavy Blow! Shield Bash! But the Bandit wouldn''t just take this lying down. Cut, sh, Brave Strike! ng! Bang! After that, the three engaged in a fierce battle. Kang Oh eventuallynded a hit. Whack! ck shards scattered. The demon sword''s special ability, ''Fang Bearing de'' had caused his attack to ignore the bandit''s defense. Kang Oh used all of his remaining MP to unleash onest Tempest Tiger. Kuhang! That finished it. The bandit''s body fell to the ground. [You have defeated a Red Beard Bandit.] [Side stats have increased.] [Indomitable +1] [You have leveled up.] Now Kang Oh was level 150. His side stat, Indomitable, had gone up too. However, he suddenly felt a chill around his heart. Kang Oh instinctively flung his body away. Whizz! An arrow struck where he''d once been. He raised his head and saw a bow wielding bandit. [You have encountered the Red Beard''s Bear Warrior, Hamir.] ''A named enemy!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Hamir notched another arrow. "Run!" Kang Oh and Eder rushed towards Hamir. Chapter 109. New Skill

Chapter 109. New Skill

Trantor: Boko The bearskin-wearing Hamir attacked Kang Oh and Eder from an elevated position, which meant he held a geographical advantage over them. Whizz! Hamir released his bowstring, letting loose an arrow that cleaved through the air. Kang Oh shielded himself with his sword. ng! The arrow bounced off his sword, and then Kang Oh tried to close the distance. But before he could, another arrow came flying at him. ''Continuous Shot!'' His eyes briefly widened. Danger, danger! His Hyper Intuition was warning him! He gritted his teeth and turned his body. Whizz. The arrow brushed past his tiger-striped armor. "Hoo." Kang Oh, who¡¯d just barely dodged the arrow, couldn¡¯t afford to get any closer, so he just assessed the situation. Whereas Eder was still charging. Hamir quickly notched another arrow and shot Eder this time. Whizz. Eder predicted the direction of the arrow and raised his shield. ng! The arrow struck one of the skulls and fell to the floor like a bird that could no longer fly. However...! The first shot was just bait; Hamir shot another one right after. Before the first arrow even hit the floor, a second arrow came flying towards an exposed area, one unguarded by his shield; his side. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh shouted instantly. Pop. Eder faded like smoke, and the arrow harmlessly passed through his shadow. "Hoo, thank you," Eder said, appearing beside Kang Oh. "Thank meter. Concentrate." "Ok." Kang Oh and Eder stood side-by-side and observed Hamir. They couldn¡¯t make out Hamir¡¯s expression as half of his face was covered by bearskin. They did, however, notice that he bore a shaggy beard and appeared strong-willed. In any case, Hamir remained still, keeping an arrow notched and aimed at them. Kang Oh moved first. "Let''s try again." Kang Oh and Eder rushed towards the bandit once more. Whizz! The arrow came flying at Kang Oh as if Hamir had been waiting for this. Kang Oh widened his eyes and dodged whilst continuing his approach. Then, Hamir notched several arrows and fired. Multi-shot! He shot more than ten arrows at once. The arrows descended upon him in a fan shape. "Get down!" Kang Oh and Eder lied down simultaneously. The arrows passed by their heads like a flock of birds. "Charge!" They advanced once more. Arrows kept raining down upon them, but Kang Oh and Eder were able to adjust to the constant bombardment, allowing them to close the distance ever so slowly. But...! Hamir suddenly began running backwards. Not only that, but he kept shooting arrows at them simultaneously. Of course, they weren''t skills like Consecutive Shot or Multi-Shot; they came one by one and weren''t very threatening to them. However...! Hamir had managed to widen the distance between them once more! "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. At this rate, they wouldn''t be able to close the distance. "Let''s retreat for now." Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to retreat. Kang Oh and Eder retreated stealthily. Hamir kept shooting arrows at them, but he couldn''t prevent their retreat. * * * Their battle with Hamir had revealed Kang Oh and Eder''s weakness. Both of them didn''t possess a long-range skill! Although Tempest Tiger was a ranged attack, it had a 1 minute cooldown and also required a ton of MP, which didn''t allow for frequent use. If Kang Oh were to gain a long-range attack, then the fight against Hamir would bepletely different. Anyway...! There were two main ways of dealing with theirck of ranged attacks. First, they could bring along a ranged DPS like Sephiro or Grano. The problem with this method, however, was that he couldn''t just ask a high ranking member of the Tower like Grano to help him on a whim, and he couldn¡¯t infinitely ask Sephiro for help. If that''s the case, then... ''I have to learn a ranged attack.'' Kang Oh realized he needed to learn a new skill. But what exactly would he learn? ''Magic''s a no-go. My Magic stat is pretty high, but my spells will be weak without Wizardry.'' Non-Mages could learn magic too. However, their spells wouldn''t reach maximum effectiveness. Their MP requirements were also much higher as well. ''A bow''s also a no-go for the same reason.'' Using a bow effectively required Archery. ''In the end, I have no choice but to learn abat skill from the Swordsman Guild.'' Kang Oh headed for the Swordsman Guild, locked in thought. The giant gymnasium, or the Swordsman Guild, hadn''t changed at all. The bronze statue of the renowned swordsman, Keynes, also stood unchanged. Kang Oh nced at the statue and then went inside. "Wee. Did youe to learn a new skill?" a middle-aged swordsman asked. "Yes." "Ok, what kind of skill?" "Please teach me a ranged skill that I can use," Kang Oh said. "Let''s see here..." The middle-aged swordsman looked him up and down. "You look like an Intermediate-rank Swordsman." A normal Swordsman would learn the ss skill, Swordsmanship. Kang Oh was a Demonic Swordsman, so he possessed Intermediate-rank Demon Swordsmanship instead. "I am." "Then how about Earth sh, where you thrust your sword into the ground and unleash an earth wave, or Air sh, whichpresses air and unleashes it upon your opponent?" Kang Oh shook his head. "Not those." Earth sh and Air sh were simr to Tempest Tiger; they were powerful, but they had a long cooldown and consumed a ton of MP. But Kang Oh possessed Tempest Tiger, which was far superior to the two aforementioned skills, so he had no need to learn them. "Hmm. Then how about Piercing Strike?" Piercing Strike would unleash a ranged attack in the direction of one''s sword thrust. ''Piercing Strike sounds ok...'' Piercing Strike could be used repeatedly like sh, but he wasn''t sure it''d have enough oomph to it. "Anything else?" "How about throwing weapons?" "Throwing weapons?" "The power and effect varies based on the weapon thrown. That''s why you can use it as your ace in the hole. If a Swordsman throws a dagger, then its power will be amplified by Swordsmanship." Throw Projectile was abat skill that increased the range of a projectile weapon like a dagger, javelin, rock, etc. It also increased the uracy and power behind the attack. As the middle-aged swordsman said, ''Swordsmanship'' would apply to a thrown dagger as well. ''This doesn''t apply to me of course.'' Kang Oh possessed Demonic Swordsmanship, not Swordsmanship. If the weapon wasn''t a demon sword, then Demonic Swordsmanship wouldn''t affect it. Fortunately, projectile weapons were considered support weapons, so he could use the skill even though Kang Oh couldn''t use any other type of weapon. ''Throw Projectile doesn''t sound bad either.'' The fact that the effect would vary depending on the weapon thrown caught his fancy. "Anything else?" Kang Oh asked. He liked both Piercing Strike and Throw Projectile, but decided to hear the rest of the options before making a decision. "Aside from them..." The middle-aged swordsman suggested other ranged attacks, but they didn''t interest him. Kang Oh thought about which skill he should learn. He couldn''t learn both of them. Rather than learning two skills that served the same purpose and alternating between them, it was better to learn one and just use it twice. That would make it easier to raise the skill''s proficiency. "Please give me the Throw Projectile book." Ultimately, Kang Oh chose thetter! He''d chosen Throw Projectile because it varied in effect based on the thrown weapon. Furthermore, Piercing Strike only applied to thrusts; whereas he could use Throw Projectile whenever he had free time during a battle. "Throw Projectile, huh... It''s a useful skill. Wait just a moment." The middle-aged swordsman went through the back door. He was carrying the Throw Projectile skill book when he came out. Kang Oh paid for the book and learned the skill immediately. [You have learned the passive skill, Throw Projectile (Beginner).] Throw Projectile was a passive skill. The skill activated immediately when a projectile weapon or rock was thrown. "Do you also sell any projectile weapons here?" Kang Oh asked. "Go to Sett over there." The middle-aged swordsman pointed to one side. There, a blond-haired, middle-aged woman was selling various goods. "Thank you very much." Kang Oh headed to the middle-aged woman and looked over the projectile weapons she was selling. A javelin, a dagger, an iron ball. Each weapon possessed a different effect. The javelin couldn''t be pulled out, while the dagger was extremely powerful. The iron ball crushed the enemy. ''Hmm.'' The projectile weapons were only CC-rank. In exchange, they were inexpensive and there were several of them. He could afford to use them recklessly. "Is there anything that you''re looking for?" the middle-aged woman asked. "No." "Please take your time." Kang Oh took another look at the projectile weapons, but he wasn''t satisfied with them. ''Now that I have Throw Projectile, I should try finding a good weapon for it.'' Kang Oh decided to look through the weapons in the auction house. "I''lle backter." He left the Swordsman Guild and headed for a nearby auction house. * * * Kang Oh sat on a sofa and used the auction interface with ease. ''Category: support item. Type: projectile weapon. It has to be equipable and at least level 100.'' The auction list showed all the items that Kang Oh could use. A throwable hand axe, a hook-shaped dagger, a star-shaped javelin, and even a shiv shaped like a lightning bolt. There were a variety of weapons being auctioned off. ''The effect is more important than its power.'' The projectile was going to be used as a distraction, not a main way of attacking. Thus, he needed a projectile weapon that possessed a special effect, rather than one with high attack power. ''This one and this one are ok.'' Kang Oh¡¯s hand, which was going down the list, suddenly stopped. ''Hoh, this...'' Kang Oh looked over the projectile item, a beast''s horn attached to a throwable handle. [dion''s Dagger Set (4/4)] A dagger crafted by dion''s horn, the raid boss of the dion ins. dion''s horns possessed the power of fire and lightning respectively. This dagger was made by using the lightning horn. A full set of four daggers. + Lightning Tingle: Upon contact, the dagger will spark, and has a high chance of electrifying the target. + Lightning Mark: Upon contact, there is a fixed chance that lightning will strike the target. Does not activate indoors or in a cave. Rank: S Abilities: Attack Power +188, Physical +15, Lightning Damage +5% Minimum Requirements: Level 150, Physical 200, Sense 100. Requires Throw Projectile. "It''s a masterpiece." Of the projectile weapons he''d seen, none of them had boasted an attack power of greater than 100, yet this one went up to 188! Moreover, the effect was amazing. However, the price was pretty steep. ''Ahem. The bidding price is 1,314 gold and the buy now price is 1,500 gold. But I still need to buy it!'' In the end, Kang Oh bought the dagger set for 1,500 gold. ''This is an investment.'' It would be easier to defeat the Red Beard Bandits with these daggers. With it, his growth would elerate, and he would reach his level goal that much faster. "Now then." He ensured that the entire set was secure in his inventory, and then used the auction interface once more. This time, he was looking for a belt to store his daggers and allow easy ess during battle. "This one''s exactly what I''m looking for." A short whileter, Kang Oh found the belt that had the effect he was looking for. Chapter 110. New Weapon’s Power

Chapter 110. New Weapon''s Power

Trantor: Boko [Leather Belt for Projectile Weapons] A leather belt crafted by a renowned leatherworker. This belt is designed to hold projectile weapons. + Projectile Weapon Registry: If a projectile weapon is hung or ced within the belt, then it will automatically be registered into the belt. + Automatic Return: Registered projectile weapons will automatically return to you when the enemy is killed or the battle ends. Rank: BB Abilities: Defense +20 Minimum Requirements: Level 100 With this belt, he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about picking up his projectile weapons; he wouldn¡¯t have to worry about losing them either. Plus, it only cost 200 gold! Kang Oh bought the belt immediately. The belt was yellow, as it was made of natural cowhide, with pockets and loops made of string. Kang Oh equipped the belt and hung his daggers on the loops. [dion''s Dagger has been registered.] [Automatic Return has been activated.] The belt wasfortable and the daggers didn¡¯t move around either. "It feels just right." Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly, and used the auction interface once more. He didn''t need anything else, but he wanted to check up on his own auctioned items. ''Let''s see... Shurak''s Cold Bearing de, transactionplete. Sold for 1,280 gold.'' Kang Oh collected his pay, and then left the auction house. He went to a nearby training center and practiced throwing daggers at a target dummy. At first, he missed more than he hit. But practicing for the entire day helped him get a feel for it. "Alright. I think this is good enough." Kang Oh spun dion¡¯s Dagger in the palm of his hand. It felt like the dagger glued itself to his hand. "Now then." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. It was time to fight the Red Beards once more. * * * Kang Oh and Eder arrived at Helm Mountain, and were greeted by the sight of a sword-wielding Red Beard Bandit. "Quietly follow me." "Ok." Kang Oh discreetly moved behind the bandit. ''Nice.'' Fortunately, the bandit didn''t notice Kang Oh or Eder. Kang Oh drew a dagger and forcefully threw it at the bandit''s back. Swoosh. The dagger, shaped like a devil''s horn, spun through the air. Realizing that something wasing his way, the bandit quickly spun around. He was toote. Thwock! Turning his body did, however, keep the dagger from hitting his back; the dagger struck his shoulder instead. Bzzzzz. The dagger sparked. "Ugh!" The bandit''s body momentarily went rigid. The dagger''s electric shock ability had activated. "Attack!" Kang Oh quickly dashed forward. "Ooh!" Eder kicked off the floor. With his right hand, Kang Oh drew his sword and with his left, he drew another dagger. He threw another lightning dagger whilst maintaining his sprint. Swoosh. The dagger spun through the air, flying towards the bandit. It seemed like the electric shock was still affecting him, as the bandit arduously raised his de. ng! The dagger bounced off the bandit''s sword. Meanwhile, Kang Oh managed to close the distance. "Huahp." He swung diagonally. ng! His jet-ck de struck the bandit''s sword. Kang Oh pushed the bandit''s sword away; it felt like the bandit hadn''t been able to use their full strength. Then, his Hyper Intuition marked the bandit''s weak point. Kang Oh didn''t hesitate, and quickly swung his sword horizontally. Tempest Tiger! A roaring tiger aura appeared right in front of the bandit. The bandit tried to protect himself, but he was toote. Bang! The bandit was struck head-on by the Tempest Tiger and was flung away. Normally, Kang Oh would''ve rushed forward to finish his opponent off, but he had other ways to attack now. He drew his third dagger and threw it at the downed bandit. Thwock! The dagger embed itself in the bandit''s forearm. "Ugh!" The bandit''s face contorted in pain. At that moment... Boom! Lightning fell from the sky. The dagger''s second ability, Lightning Mark, had activated. Five shards of light burst out. It looked just like a blooming flower. Kang Oh pressed his offensive and Eder, who''d been watching, btedly stomped on the floor. Ruined Ramparts, the curse which lowered an enemy''s defense, spread from his feet. Kang Oh swung downwards at the downed bandit. Bam! His sword hit nothing but dirt; the bandit had dodged his de by rolling to the side. The bandit stood, despite his body still tingling from the lightning. "You bastard!" The bandit shed, his voice enraged. Brave Strike! The bandit''s de glowed with green energy; he attempted to fell Kang Oh in a single blow. Kang Oh positioned his sword straight. Once their swords met, Kang Oh was pushed two steps back. His hands tingled as well. ''He really is strong.'' Though he¡¯d struck first, it didn¡¯t change the fact that the bandit was still strong and over level 200. Then, Eder passed by Kang Oh and swung his mace at the bandit. Whoosh! The mace was spewing a green, poisonous mist. "That¡¯s not gonna to work!" The bandit fiercely swung his sword with both hands. ng! He deflected the mace. "Uhaahp!" Then, he attacked with the corner of his skull shield. Shield Bash! The bandit lowered his sword, allowing him to block the iing shield. Screech. The shield¡¯s edge grazed the de, the friction creating sparks. However...! "Ugh." The bandit''s expression contorted. Kang Oh had, at some point, thrown his fourth andst dagger, piercing the bandit¡¯s side. Bzzzz. Yellow sparks erupted from the de. "Huah!" Kang Oh kicked off the floor and leaped into the air. He swung downwards with his sword, aiming for the top of the bandit''s head. Whack! He heard a ''whack'' and felt his hands tingle. Kang Oh''s attack had definitely gone through. The top of the head was a vital point! Red shards of light exploded out of the bandit¡¯s head like a fountain of blood. Eder wouldn''t let himself be outdone; he struck the bandit''s stomach with his mace. Kang Oh simultaneously cut through the bandit¡¯s chest using sh. It just so happened that Darkness Strike activated as well. The bandit was ravaged by the sh of entwined white and ck. Splurt! The mighty strike caused the bandit to topple over once more. Then, Kang Oh and Eder proceeded to attack without interruption. "Crush him!" "Yes, sir!" It became a one-sided beat down. The bandit, who''d barely regained his bearings, briefly tried to fight back. However, the fight was already in Kang Oh and Eder''s favor, with no hopes of turning things around. The bandit dropped his head, and his sword fell to the floor. [You have defeated a Red Beard Bandit.] "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. "Man, it was a lot easier than I thought it would be," Eder said. "We were able to surprise him with my new skill." Kang Oh used Automatic Return, which returned the daggers to his belt. Then, he stared at dion''s Dagger. dion''s Dagger. It was a masterpiece that sold for a hefty price. If Kang Oh¡¯s proficiency in Throw Projectile, as well as his actual throwing ability increased, then the skill¡¯s effectiveness would only improve from here on out. "Nice." Kang Oh grinned. Getting stronger was such a joyous asion. * * * Kang Oh would start each fight by throwing his daggers, and managed to keep killing Red Beard Bandits. The two of them could defeat one bandit with ease, but fighting two was tough. Of course, they would win, but they would only win by a narrow margin. After all, Eder''s body was in tatters and Kang Oh''s HP bar was shing red. Whenever they saw three or more bandits on one area, they would move somewhere else. Like right now. "There!" Eder pointed at three bandits passing through the trees. "Move." Kang Oh and Eder moved discreetly, so that they wouldn''t be discovered. They moved far enough away such that they couldn¡¯t see the group of bandits anymore, but then, an arrow came flying by. Whizz! Kang Oh turned his head and an arrow whizzed past him, embedding itself in a tree. "Hamir is here!" Eder shouted. The bearskin-wearing, named member of the Red Beards, Hamir shot a second arrow. Kang Oh used both his Hyper Intuition and his evasion to their maximum potential to simultaneously dodge the arrow and run forward. ''Not yet.'' Hamir was still too far away for him to use his trump card, dion¡¯s Dagger. ''I have to get close enough to throw the dagger.'' Kang Oh clenched his stomach and kicked off the floor even more forcefully than before. Eder was also rushing towards Hamir as well. Whizz. Whizz. Hamir shot two more arrows using his Continuous Shot skill. He shot one at Kang Oh and the other at Eder. Because Eder didn''t possess Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition or his level of evasion, he was forced to guard himself with his shield. Kang Oh drew a dagger with his left hand and threw himself forward, leaning towards the left. An arrow grazed his leg, and he received a message indicating that he''d taken some minor damage. Kang Oh stood up immediately. "Take this!" He forcefully swung his left hand. Swoosh! The dagger left his hand, spinning towards Hamir. Hamir notched several arrows and used Multi-Shot. The dagger and arrows passed each other. Whizz! A rain of arrows fell upon him. At the same time...! Thwock! Kang Oh''s dagger pierced Hamir''s calf. Bzzzz! It emitted sparks, causing Hamir''s body to shake. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled. This was their only chance to close the distance. Kang Oh and Eder dashed towards Hamir. Hamir was getting shocked, so he couldn''t control his body properly. In the end, he couldn''t stop Kang Oh and Eder from getting close. "Get behind him." Eder immediately got behind Hamir, preventing Hamir from escaping. Hamir ced his bow on his back and drew two hand axes from his waist. "Guoh!" It was like a bear¡¯s roar. Hamir didn¡¯t look like he was being shocked anymore. He charged at Kang Oh first. ''He''s fast!'' Hamir was faster than the over level 200 Red Beard Bandits. He attacked with his dual axes, alternating between them. They were coated in a deep, green energy, indicative of a skill''s effect. Brave Strike! Brave Strike! Kang Oh quickly used his demon sword like a shield. ng! ng! Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Hamir''s strength was tremendous. He was way stronger than the normal Red Beard Bandits! Then, Eder attacked Hamir''s back. However, Hamir evaded his attack, as if he had eyes on the back of his head, and counterattacked immediately. Whack! Eder was struck by the hand axe and fell. Meanwhile, Kang Oh swung his sword. sh! Hamir slightly pulled back, and Kang Oh''s demon sword merely struck air. Whoosh. Hamir quickly counterattacked. His attacks were heavy! Moreover, he was aiming for the neck, one of the body''s weak points. He kept feeling a chill at his neck. Kang Oh bent over backwards. Then, Hamir swung downwards with his other hand axe. "Huahp!" Realizing he wouldn¡¯t be able to dodge the blow, Kang Oh swung his sword. ng! His sword pushed the hand axe upwards. Hamir stopped attacking and pulled back. ''This guy!'' Kang Oh''s eyes dimmed. After fighting him, Kang Oh realized that Hamir wasn''t a bow specialist; he specialized in close-rangebat instead, like how he was fighting him with two hand axes right now. Which meant that closing the distance and fighting him close-up didn''t actually offer him an advantage. ''I can''t beat him easily. If this goes on and another bandit shows up, then... It''ll spell trouble.'' If that''s the case... Kang Oh took out the ''Cursed Eyepatch of the Dead'' that he''d bought from the auction house some time ago. "Devour, Ubist!" Chapter 111. Desperate Fight Against Hamir

Chapter 111. Desperate Fight Against Hamir

Trantor: Boko Darkness erupted from the demon sword, devouring the gray eye patch. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Cursed Eyepatch of the Dead.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 10 minutes, the demon sword and character''s abilities double.] He used Baramut¡¯s Roar while his body emanated jet-ck energy. Kuheong! Kang Oh''s body was further reinforced by the King of the Jungle, Baramut''s power. Boom! Kang Oh charged. Dirt flew everywhere as if a bomb had gone off. Swish. Kang Oh swung his sword at Hamir. He was empowered by Gluttony and Baramut''s Roar, thereby increasing his attack power and speed. Kang Oh could see Hamir¡¯s mouth and shaggy beard despite the bearskin covering half of his face. Hamir''s mouth straightened into a tight line. It seemed like he was gritting his teeth too. He simultaneously swung downwards with both of his hand axes. Boom! The two weapons shed, giving off a weighty ''boom'', and Hamir retreated. Kang Oh swung horizontally in a wide arc. sh! A white line that divided heaven and the earth! Hamir quickly pulled back, but he was grazed by the tip of the sword. Whack! Which left behind a wound on Hamir¡¯s stomach. "Huahp." Kang Oh immediately targeted the wound. However, Hamir deflected his de with his hand axes. "Tch." Kang Oh looked disappointed. If he¡¯d had been a bit faster, then he would¡¯vended a critical hit. "Sir!" Then, a gray leather-wearing Red Beard Bandit came out of the thicket. "Eder, keep him busy." "Alright." "Just hold out." Kang Oh didn''t want to be interrupted so he asked Eder, who''d been preventing Hamir''s escape, to keep the bandit busy. "You bastard!" The bandit didn¡¯t have time to waste; he fiercely attacked Eder so he could go and help Hamir. However, Eder currently inhabited the remodeled body of the Immortal King, Arumode and had be a Curse Knight; thus, he wasn''t someone who could be taken lightly. The bandit''s de soared through the air, emanating a green energy, and struck the skull shield. The sh between the sword and shield produced sparks, and Eder''s mace struck nothing but dirt. They had engaged in a sudden bout of attack and defense! While the two were otherwise engaged, Kang Oh and Hamir continued their bloody battle. "Huahp!" Kang Oh deliberately swung his sword in an exaggerated manner, exposing his side to Hamir. Hamir evaded Kang Oh''s sword and swung his hand axe at the opening. ''As I thought.'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. He quickly swung his sword diagonally. Whack. Hamir''s hand axended first. Shards of light burst from Kang Oh''s side, but the shards were small and faint. Kang Oh had slightly tilted his body, keeping the damage minimal. Whereas... Whack! Kang Oh''s strike hit true. Large, beautiful shards of light scattered into the air! Hamir wobbled around. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed, and he swung his sword downwards. Tempest Tiger! However, Hamir was no easy foe. Hamir gritted his teeth and forcefully twisted his body. Bam! The golden aura passed Hamir and hit the trees behind him. ''Tch. I''m an idiot.'' He shouldn''t have wasted such a powerful attack. Instead, he should''ve used smaller attacks to inflict some more damage... "Kuah!" Hamir suddenly threw a hand axe. Danger, danger! The top of his head felt cold. At this rate, his forehead would be split open. "Ugh!" Kang Oh quickly leaned back. Thwock! The hand axe embedded itself in a tree behind him. At that moment... Hamir took the bow off his back, notched an arrow, and shot! Whizz! The arrowhead, engraved with a purple rose, shined. ''I have to dodge this!'' Kang Oh rolled to the side. However...! The arrow followed him like a homing missile. Hamir had used the Homing Arrow skill. Bang! The arrow attempted to pierce his heart. He briefly felt faint due to the strong smell of roses. Then... Baramut''s set shined, creating a barrier of wind to protect him. [The Baramut set''s special ability, Wind Shield, has activated.] [The attack has been nullified.] For a second there, Kang Oh couldn''t tell what was happening. ''I would''ve died from a single arrow? Why?'' But Hamir wouldn''t give him a chance to think about it. "Kuah!" Realizing that his arrow hadn''t worked, Hamir rushed forward and chopped with hisst remaining hand axe. Kang Oh quickly pulled the demon sword towards his body. ng! Once they shed, Hamir forcefully pressed down with his axe. However, he couldn''t ovee Kang Oh, whose strength was amplified by Gluttony. "Uaht!" Kang Oh pushed him away with pure strength alone and instantly threw dion''s Dagger at Hamir. Swoosh! Once it struck Hamir''s calf, lightning rained down from the sky. Boom! Hamir was struck by lightning. His lips quivered and his bearskin smoked. Kang Oh rushed forward, as he believed that this was the best time to push his advantage. "Uaahk!" He let out a battle cry and swung upwards. Spurt! He left behind a diagonal cut across Hamir''s body, which burst in shards of red light. "Die!" Kang Oh screamed and swung downwards. Darkness Strike! A jet-ck savage beast erupted from his sword. Hamir raised his weapon with his right hand and supported the axe head with his left. This was the best he could do to protect himself against Kang Oh''s attack. However...! Kang Oh put all of his power into this strike. Not only that, but Darkness Strike was further amplified by Gluttony as well. Hamir wasn''t powerful enough to defend himself against this strike, especially when he wasn''t in tip-top shape. Boom! The hand axe went flying and his demon sword, coated in a wave of darkness, cleaved through Hamir. Hamir fell to his knees, unable to withstand the force behind the attack. "This is the end!" Kang Oh decapitated Hamir. Whack! Hamir fell to the floor; he didn''t stand back up. [You have defeated the Red Beard''s Bear Warrior, Hamir.] [You havee out victorious against a powerful warrior.] [The side stat, Fighting Spirit, has been created.] [The higher your fighting spirit, the more powerful you be (exceeding your limits) against powerful opponents.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] "I won!" Kang Oh roared. ''Bear Warrior, Hamir. He truly was strong. But I was stronger!'' Then, he heard Eder yell, "Mr. Kang Ooooh!" He was struggling against the Red Beard Bandit. To be more specific, he was barely holding out. "I''m going!" Kang Oh rushed towards the bandit, who was swinging his sword at Eder. A short whileter... Once the two joined forces, the Red Beard Bandit couldn''tpete. "Hoo. That''s a shame. We killed him after Gluttony was over," Kang Oh said, staring at the body below. Because Gluttony''s duration time was only 10 minutes, he had almost no time left after defeating Hamir. Thus, Gluttony had ended whilst fighting against the bandit. "Good work. Oh, and here." Eder passed him the rose arrowhead. It had been dropped by the Bear Warrior, Hamir. [Purple Arrowhead Engraved with the Rose Family''s Symbol] The Rose family was called the ''Archery Family'' during the time of the Altein Empire. This arrowhead is engraved with the symbol of the Rose family. The Rose family wielded arrowheads of varying colors; the abilities of the arrowheads vary based on the color. + Trump Card (Purple): The worse the situation is, the more powerful the arrow bes. Rank: A Abilities: Attack Power (Undetermined) Minimum Requirements: Useable only once. "Trump Card, huh..." Kang Oh realized why this arrow had caused Baramut''s set to activate. Plus... ''It''s an A-rank arrow... Should I push Sephiro to buy it?'' He thought of Sephiro, who was both the Wind Archer and his contract worker, when he looked at the arrow. ''I don''t need anything from him right now, but I should at least see how he''s doing.'' Plus, he would force him to buy the arrow too. Kang Oh grinned and ced the arrow into his inventory. "Let''s continue our hunt." He''d managed to take down Hamir, but he still had a long way to go. * * * In Oga¡¯s waiting room... Jae Woo was resting with his helmet on his knees. Knock. Knock. Then, someone knocked on his door. "Who is it?" "Hello, this is Park Tae Gyu." He heard a young man''s voice from outside the door. ''Yoon Se Hwa''s partner, Park Tae Gyu?'' Jae Woo put on his helmet just in case. "May Ie in?" "Yes, you may." Park Tae Gyu opened the door and came in. As always, he gave off a good impression and was dressed immactely. Jae Woo nced behind him, wondering whether Yoon Se Hwa hade with him. However, Park Tae Gyu was alone. "Hello, Mr. Oga." "Ah, hello. Did you need something?" Jae Woo was wary of Park Tae Gyu''s sudden visit. "Since I came over to say hello, I thought I''d ask you something too," Tae Gyu smiled and said. "What about?" "Are you in a guild right now?" Tae Gyu asked. "Why do you ask?" "Ah. I saw The Named. You were amazing! Those movements, that quick skill usage, and that overwhelming charisma!" Tae Gyu gave himpliment afterpliment. "So I''d like to invite you to the Jairus Guild." The reason he''de was to recruit Jae Woo into his guild. ''The Jairus Guild...'' The Jairus Guild wasn''t one of the 5 great guilds, but it was still arge guild that was in the top 20. Guildmaster Jairus. In the past, he had very briefly assumed the lowest seat amongst the Numbers: number 9. ''I''ve heard it''s just as bad and authoritative as otherrge guilds.'' These guilds would tyrannize others by hogging dungeons to themselves, taking an entrance fee for dungeons, or persecuting the minority with theirrge numbers! Most of therge guild acted in that manner, and the Jairus Guild was no exception. "Although we''re not one of the 5 great guilds, we''re still a prestigious guild that''s never been pushed out of the top 20," Tae Gyu said. Of course, Kang Oh wouldn''t be fooled by the word ''prestigious''. After all, he hated huge guilds. "I''ll decline," Kang Oh dered. "May I ask why? Are you already in another guild?" Kang Oh had briefly been in the ''Going as Three'' guild. However, he''d immediately disbanded the guild after annihting the Death Potion Guild, so he wasn''t currently in one. "No, I''m not. I just don''t like being tied down." "Ah, I see." Tae Gyu looked disappointed. "If you change your mind, just let me know. We''ll wee you at any time." Tae Gyu passed him his business card. "I will." Jae Woo was thinking something along the lines of, ''That''ll never happen.'', but he outwardly nodded his head and epted the business card. "Then I''ll see you at the studio." Tae Gyu departed. "Phew. He''s finally gone." Jae Woo removed his helmet and ced the business card on the table. A short whileter... Knock. Knock. "Oppa, are you in there?" He heard Soo Ah''s voice from outside. "Yeah,e in." Jae Woo''s face rxed. "Hello." "Hey. Have you been doing well?" "Yes." Jae Woo and Soo Ah exchanged idle banter. Then, Soo Ah noticed the business card on the table. "This is..." "Mr. Park Tae Gyu invited me to his guild and gave this to me." "Ooh. He invited you too?" "Wait, he tried recruiting you too?" "Yes. But I had to decline because I''m already in a guild." "Oh, you¡¯re in a guild?" "It''s called the Witch''s Forest Guild." "Is it a private guild?" Jae Woo asked, and Soo Ah nodded her head. "I told you I got that ne from a friendst time. That friend is the guildmaster." "Mm. I see." "If I get the chanceter, I''ll introduce you to her. She''s a good person like you." Soo Ah smiled sweetly. "Sure." At the time, Jae Woo had no idea... who exactly this ''good person'' was. Chapter 112. Popularity Poll

Chapter 112. Poprity Poll

Trantor: Boko "Hello, this is Kang Seol Hee!" "This is Jeon Seong Gook." Dungeon Conquering Man''s third shoot had begun. "Mr. Seong Gook." "Yes, Ms. Seol Hee?" "Did you vote for your favorite team?" The writers had created a poprity poll in order to force teams topete, and to garner interest. "Of course." "Who did you vote for?" "That''s a secret." "I voted for my favorite team too. Shall we see which team our viewers are most interested in?" Once she was finished, the giant screen showed ''Team Rankings''. "Du-du-du-du-du-du!" Jeon Seong Gook said. This is probably where they''d add some sound effects. "Now then, let''s see who ced 4th!" Kang Seol Hee yelled. Then, thest ce team showed up on the screen. "The 4th ce team is Mr. Jake and Ms. Hye Yeon!" Jake was Caucasian foreigner, but he was a broadcaster said to have a better Korean pronunciation than native Koreans. Choi Hye Yeon was a new up-anding singer. ''I knew they''d be 4th.'' Though the team consisted of a popr broadcaster and a celebrity, they didn¡¯t show anything particrly interesting while they conquered their dungeons. "Jake, you''re deadst. You should work harder," Seong Gook said. "Oh, what''s st ce'' mean? Korean is hard, so... I''m not sure." Jake shrugged his shoulders and spoke awkwardly, causing the others around him tough. Normally, he would speak immacte Korean, but he would asionally act like a stereotypical foreigner that had trouble speaking thenguage. "Now then. Who''s next?" Seol Hee continued along. A new team showed up on the screen. "In 3rd ce, Mr. Bae Shik and Ms. Lisa!" In 3rd ce was the streamer, Park Bae Shik and Lisa, a beautiful rapper. "Hmm. I voted for Mr. Bae Shik and Ms. Lisa, but you''re in 3rd ce," Jeon Seong Gook said regrettably. Then, he asked Bae Shik a question. "Mr. Bae Shik. How do you feel about being in 3rd ce?" "Hoo, hoo. It''s going just as nned." "Just as nned?" "At first, we''ll be 3rd. Then we''ll be 2nd. And at the end, we''ll be 1st! Doesn''t that sound good?" Bae Shik said. However...! "Hmm. Wouldn''t it have been better to start from 4th ce and work yourself up to 1st?" Jeon Seong Gook sharply pointed out. "That''s... Ahem. Anyway, it''s going as nned. I''m looking at the big picture here." "Hoo, hoo. I understand. I wonder if things will really go your way." Seong Gook finished up, sporting a mischievous expression. He immediately passed the baton to Seol Hee. "Now all that''s left is 1st and 2nd ce. Let''s show 1st ce first!" The 1st ce team showed up on the screen. "In first ce is... Mr. Oga and Ms. Soo Ah!" Bum-pa-bum-bum! ''Oh. We''re 1st ce.'' His mouth, which wasn''t covered up by the helmet, curled into a smile. 1st ce only mattered at the end, but having a good start wasn¡¯t bad. "Oppa, we got 1st ce." Soo Ah smiled. "Apparently. This is all because of you, Ms. Popr Idol," Kang Oh said. "Of course. It''s all because of me! Ahem!" Soo Ah stood tall and put her hands on her waist. Then... "Ms. Soo Ah. How does it feel to be in 1st ce?" Jeon Seong Gook asked. "I''d like to thank all of the viewers who voted for us, and I promise to show you even more in the future. I love you!" "Then, Mr. Oga." Jeon Seong Gook sported a serious expression. "Yes?" "Are you still going to give me such short answers, even though you''vee in 1st?" "Yes." "Ahem. Anyway, please tell us how you feel. Please make it a little longer. Please!" Jeon Seong Gook begged exaggeratingly, causing the others to burst outughing. Jae Woo just giggled. "The true victor is the one whoes out on top at the end. I''ll do my best toe out as the final victor." Jae Woo stared at Jeon Seong Gook, seemingly saying, ''How''s that? That''s enough, right?''. Of course, Jeon Seong Gook kept up the act. "It''s still too short! Thank you," Jeon Seong Gook said sarcastically, causing the others to burst outughing. However... There was one person who wasn''t or couldn''tugh. It was Yoon Se Hwa. * * * ''Why are you above me?'' A persistent feeling rose up from the deep recesses of her heart. Jealousy. ''Why are you more popr than me?'' Yoon Se Hwa gritted her teeth. In the past, the two of them had been trainees at the same agency, and had a senior-junior rtionship. At the time, Yoon Se Hwa had been more popr than her. After all, she had her debut ahead of her, while Soo Ah didn''t know when she''d make her debut like many of the other trainees. If her debut hadn''t been cancelled, then she would''ve debuted as a part of Triple Lower, not Soo Ah. However, several unfortunate circumstances piled up, forcing them to cancel Yoon Se Hwa''s debut. Ultimately, she was forced to move agencies in order to make her debut, and had to make her debut in Fortune. A short whileter... Soo Ah took her ce, debuting as a part of Triple Lower. Not only that, but she was extremely popr. So much so that their groups couldn''t even bepared. Whenever she saw Triple Lower on the music channel at number 1, she couldn''t forget this feeling of jealousy. Soo Ah in the spotlight,ughing with her past colleagues! ''That was my spot!'' She wanted to yell. Yoon Se Hwa also couldn''t stop thinking that she was ''damaged goods''. They''d only swapped her with Soo Ah, yet Triple Lower was able to make their debut and were doing so welltely! Wasn''t that like saying she was damaged goods? Whenever she saw Soo Ah on TV or encountered her, she would be weighed down by feelings of failure, jealousy, hate, envy, etc. Persistent feelings that would make her feel wretched, but would never go away. Ultimately, she would be swept up by these negative feelings, causing her to feel angry and bully Soo Ah whenever she saw her. The poprity poll wasn''t a big deal, but seeing Soo Ah beat her in something made her unable tough. Those negative emotions welled up within her once more. She wanted to unleash all these feelings onto her. Then... Seong Gook, who''d finished speaking with Jae Woo, approached her. "Ah, Ms. Se Hwa. Unfortunately, you only ced 2nd. How do you feel?" "..." Her face was as stiff as a rock. She couldn''t smile like an idol right now. "Ms. Se Hwa?" he called. "Yes..." "Could you tell us how you feel?" "It''s unfortunate, but I''ll have to do better... to reach 1st ce." Yoon Se Hwa forced herself to speak. That''s why she was barely able to smile. But to everyone else, it looked like she wanted to cry. "Yes, I understand. Then, Mr. Tae Gyu..." Seon Gook realized that something was off with her, and quickly switched to Tae Gyu. After that, the shoot continued. * * * "Let''s move on to choosing dungeons. Please show us the level 3 dungeons!" Kang Seol Hee said. A short whileter... All the teams had finished picking their dungeons. Jae Woo and Soo Ah had picked Ingrit Outpost. Their mission was to kill the three named monsters there. "Now then, everyone please show us some amazing ys so that our viewers vote for you." Kang Seol Hee clenched her fists. "Good luck!" Jeon Seong Gook added. "Cut." "Participants, we''ll gather in the capsule room in 30 minutes." "Phew, we''re finally done." Jae Woo stood up. "Good job." "It''s a lot more tiring than I thought it would be." Jae Woo massaged his shoulder. Just breathing felt tiring to him, perhaps because of the intense lightning and the countless people watching. "You''re only like that because you''ve never had a hard shoot. This is reallyfortable; it''s like we''re in our beds at home." Soo Ah spoke to him like he was an outsider. "Really?" "Yes. It''s a lot tougher when you''re filming outside. Inparison, shooting in a studio is much easier." Jae Woo nodded his head. Then... Yoon Se Hwa came over. "Hey, you." Yoon Se Hwa pointed her finger in Soo Ah''s face. Jae Woo and Soo Ah couldn''t help but scowl. "Don''t you dare act all high and mighty just because you beat me in a stupid poprity poll! If you do, then I won''t let you off the hook!" Yoon Se Hwa said angrily. What she''d just said waspletely groundless. It made sense though, since Yoon Se Hwa just wanted to get all that off her chest. "Unni." Soo Ah stared at her with an expression as cold as ice. "W-What?" She was taken aback; this was the first time she''d seen Soo Ah like this. "I told youst time. That you''re acting unseemly." "H-How dare you tell your senior..." "Then start acting like one," Soo Ah snapped. ''You''re doing good!'' Jae Woo wanted to p at her performance. "What?" "Let''s go, Oppa." Soo Ah dragged him away. Yoon Se Hwa stared at Soo Ah''s retreating figure, but all she could do was bite her lip. * * * "Why is she like that anyway?" Jae Woo asked after they''d gotten away from Yoon Se Hwa. He''d been curious about Soo Ah and Yoon Se Hwa''s rtionship, but he''d restrained himself from asking her thus far. He finally caved and just asked her. "I think she''s... jealous," Soo Ah said carefully. It felt like she wasn''t sure, but was making an assumption. "Jealous?" "Yes. She must think that I stole her spot." "Stole her spot?" Jae Woo tilted his head. "Originally, she was supposed to debut as a part of Triple Lower. However, the debut was cancelled, and Unni moved to another agency..." "So you became a member of Triple Lower." "Yes." "But that''s not stealing. She left on her own volition." "Whatever the case, she may feel that I''ve stolen from her." "Were you at all connected to the cancetion of Yoon Se Hwa''s debut?" Jae Woo asked carefully. "No, not at all. I had nothing to do with it. Back then, I had just entered as a trainee." "That''s it?" "Yes. After I debuted, she acts like that whenever we meet. So that must mean it happened before my debut... I can''t think of anything else." "Really? Then she''s just making a fuss over nothing." ¡®What a bitch!¡¯ "In any case, please don''t worry about it. Once we''re finished with the program, we won''t have a chance to meet anyway." "We''ll see." Jae Woo nodded his head. If he got a chance to make her suffer, then he''d do it without hesitation. He wouldn''t hold back just because she was a woman. "Thank you." Soo Ah smiled, but it looked like she was doing it to mask her fatigue. Jae Woo wanted tofort her, so he patted her head. "Huh?" "You did good. Keep it up." "Ok," Soo Ah said, bowing her head to hide her blush. "Good. Let''s head over to the capsule room." "Ok." Chapter 113. Ingrit Outpost (1)

Chapter 113. Ingrit Outpost (1)

Trantor: Boko In the western region of Arth, there existed grassy and snowy ins, a dense coniferous forest, etc. All sorts of anthropomorphs, orcs, trolls, and giants, all of which were hostile towards humans, inhabited that region as well. The city of Kuwang was located right in front of the path that led to the western region, otherwise known as the ¡®Monster Road¡¯. Kuwang was a military city. It was guarded by soldiers so that the west¡¯s non-humans couldn¡¯t enter human territory, the central region. Kang Oh, Asu, and the youngest writer headed for Kuwang first. From there, they traversed through the Monster Road. A short whileter... "There it is." Kang Oh pointed at a small far-off quarry. Crude houses were built atop it; the houses were barricaded with sharpened wood. That was the Ingrit Outpost. "What does Ingrit mean?" Asu asked. "You know what trolls are, right?" "Yes." Trolls possessed green skin, long arms, nimble bodies,rge noses, and tusks that protruded out of their mouths. They were hostile towards humans, and were renowned for their skill in battle. "The western trolls are part of onerge tribe. That tribe is called Ingrit." "Then are we going to fight trolls?" "Yeah, that''s right." Ingrit Outpost was built on the Monster Road in order to monitor for any possiblerge-scale human invasion. "Trolls, huh..." Asu''s eyes glinted with anticipation. "Stay right next to me. You can''t underestimate them." Asu wasn''t unskilled, so Kang Oh wouldn''t have to go out of his way to protect her. However, the trolls they''d face were skilled fighters. They were formidable opponents for someone like her, who hadn¡¯t even hit level 100 yet. This time, he nned on safeguarding her as much as possible whilst fighting the trolls. "Ok." Asu nodded her head. A short whileter, Kang Oh''s party reached the entrance of the outpost. "Here." The writer passed him the contract, which would reduce his abilities by 30%. Swish. Kang Oh signed the contract immediately. He could only use 70% of his strength, but it didn''t really matter. ''I have my new weapon too.'' Kang Oh fiddled with a dion''s Dagger that hung from his belt. "Please remember to turn on film mode. I''ll be waiting here," the writer said. "Film," Kang Oh and Asu yelled simultaneously. "Let''s go, shall we?" "Ok." The two headed for the entrance. "Good luck." The writer saw the two of them off. * * * [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Ingrit Outpost.] "It''s an enemy!" As soon as they entered, three trolls dashed towards them. The trolls wielded javelins, which were half the length of a normal spear, as well as oval-shaped shields. They also bore a sun tattoo at the center of their chests. Kang Oh and Asu drew their respective weapons. "Those are Troll Warriors. Fight them like you''re fighting another person, not a monster." "Ok." Kuhang! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar. Come forth, tiger''s energy! "...I shall always be honorable," Asu whispered, raising her sword straight up. The sword radiated light, illuminating her form. She cast Knight''s Vow, which increased both her attack power and defense. A Troll Warrior got close. The troll with thergest tusks thrust its javelin at Kang Oh. "Die!" "No thanks!" Kang Oh swung horizontally, deflecting the spear. Another troll immediately swung its javelin at Kang Oh. Then, Asu, who was right beside him, joined in. ng! Her sword and the troll''s javelin shed. ''My turn.'' Kang Oh attacked while Asu defended. Whoosh. His jet-ck de cut through the air with a ''whoosh''. "Block it!" one of the trolls shouted and raised its shield. The other trolls raised their tower shields as well. ng! Though his sword merely grazed the top of their shields, the trolls could still feel the force behind the blow. "He''s strong!" "Focus." After that, the three trolls began moving more systematically. When two attacked, one would defend. It wouldn''t be easy to find a blind spot. Kang Oh and Asu versus the three trolls. There was a brief lull in battle after they''d exchanged blows several times. "They certainly are different from monsters," Asu said whilst observing the trolls. "Right?" "Yes. It feels like I''m fighting against an experienced fighter." Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. ''It''s about time to finish things up.'' It seemed like Asu was getting used to fighting trolls, so it was time to fight them for real. "Let''s go." "Ok." Kang Oh dashed towards the trolls. "They''reing!" Two of the trolls thrust their spears at Kang Oh. Kang Oh moved his body to the left and right, avoiding the spears, and prepared to attack. The lone troll that hadn''t attacked raised its shield. "Huahp!" Kang Oh gripped his sword with both hands, the muscles of his hands straining as he forcefully swung down. Whack! He struck the center of the tower shield. "Ugh." The troll and his shield fell to the floor. The other two trolls'' eyes widened and shook. They were clearly flustered. Kang Oh immediately followed up with another attack. His target raised its shield, but he pushed it out of his way. Then, Asu rushed in and attacked the troll that wasying on its butt. Honorable Strike! Swish. Her sword cleaved the disoriented troll. Feathers flew into the air! At the same time, the troll felt a cold chill. Asu''s ne had activated its effect. Then... A dagger came flying through the air, piercing the troll''s shoulder. Kang Oh had thrown a dion¡¯s Dagger. Bzzzz! The dagger emitted sparks, causing the troll''s expression to contort. After that, Asu used another skill. Vital Thrust! Aiming for a vital area was too easy when one''s opponent was momentarily stunned. Bam! It exploded in giant orange shards. Kang Oh swung his sword in a wide arc, pushing two trolls away and striking the third. Swish, sh, swish! Kang Oh instantaneously sliced the troll three times. That marked its end. [You have defeated a Troll Warrior.] Kang Oh immediately turned around and rushed towards the two remaining trolls. The trolls thought Kang Oh resembled an angered tiger. They weren''t able to endure for a long time after that. Not only had their numbers dwindled, but they weren''t skilled enough to deal with the demon sword''s might, as well as the daggers that came flying at them at just the right times. Kang Oh and Asu''s first battle ended one-sidedly. They then traversed further into the outpost. * * * There were three 2-story buildings in the Ingrit Outpost. The others were all just 1-story wooden buildings. The three named monsters, which were Kang Oh and Asu''s mission objective, resided within these 2-story buildings. Just now... A named troll, which was bothrger than the others and possessed aplex tattoo on its face, had just fallen face first onto the ground. [You have defeated the Troll Warrior, Duka.] The Troll Warrior, Duka, wasn''t much different from the other Troll Warriors they''d fought thus far. It was only slightly stronger than the rest. Thus, they were able to take it down with ease. ''One down.'' Now there were only two named monsters left. Kang Oh and Asu exited the 2-story wooden building and headed for the next one. "It''s an enemy!" A Troll Warrior popped out. Another troll wielding a wave-ded dagger in both hands apanied it. "Be careful of the dagger one. It''s a Troll Assassin, and its daggers are coated in a potent toxin." "Ok." The battle began right after her reply. The warrior charged, while the assassin moved to Asu''s side. ''Let''s take care of this guy first.'' Kang Oh was worried about the assassin, but decided to take down the warrior first. sh! He cleaved a white line through the air. The Troll Warrior protected itself with its shield. Bam! The troll was forced back by the blow. Kang Oh kicked off the floor, getting up close and personal. Whoosh. He followed up with another attack! Kang Oh shed the warrior''s forearm, causing it to burst with shards of light. At that moment... Asu, who''d been watching the assassin, yelled, "Oppa!" The assassin was on the move. Its target was Asu. Kang Oh kicked the Troll Warrior away and turned around. The assassin, now right in front of her face, swung its ck liquid coated dagger. Asu defended herself with her sword. The assassin''s dagger struck the top of her sword. Screech. Its wavy de made it sound like it was grating against her sword. At that moment... Kang Oh came flying through the air, aiming for the assassin''s throat. Smack! The assassin quickly swung its dagger, deflecting the dagger. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung downwards, and the assassin retreated. "I''ll take care of this guy; you fight the warrior!" "Ok!" Asu rushed towards the warrior. Then, Kang Oh began to fight the assassin for real. The assassin pointed its poison-coated dagger at Kang Oh in an attempt to intimidate him. It reminded him of a small scorpion pointing its tail at him. However, Kang Oh wasn''t intimidated in the least. Demonic Swordsman was a ss that was highly resistant to poison. Not only that, but his skill in evasion was unparalleled, and he had his Hyper Intuition too. Boom! Kang Oh kicked off the floor and charged. The assassin likewise rushed towards him. Swoosh! Swish! Sword and dagger crossed. Kang Oh''s demon sword was heavier, but the assassin had two daggers. He pushed its dagger away, but the assassin then struck with its other one, aiming for a vital point. Kang Oh tilted his body back. The dagger, which had been aimed at his Adam''s apple, hit nothing but air. He smelled something smoky. It was probably the smelling from the toxin. "Uhahp!" Kang Oh counterattacked. However, he wasn''t swinging his sword; he was swinging his offhand instead! Uppercut! He made a split-second decision, feeling that his fist would be more effective than his sword in this situation. His decision had been right. Whack! He struck the assassin''s jaw, forcing it back. Then... He swung his demon sword diagonally. sh! The white line left a lengthy wound on the assassin''s chest. "Ugh!" The assassin quickly covered the wound with its arm and retreated. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh quickly drew a dagger and threw it while pursuing the assassin. Swoosh! The dagger spun in the air like a windmill! The assassin quickly ducked, dodging the dagger. But Kang Oh caught up with the assassin and had appeared right in front of its face. It gave up on defense and swung both of its daggers. That wasn''t a good decision. Kang Oh had struck first. Whack! He struck the wound, causing its chest to explode with red shards. That was the end of it. All that was left for it was death. "Hoo." He briefly caught his breath. Then, he rushed towards Asu, who''d just barely blocked the Troll Warrior''s attack, and finished it off as well. Assassins continued to pop up after that. Kang Oh calmly defeated the assassins while safeguarding Asu. In the end, they reached the second 2-story building. Chapter 114. Ingrit Outpost (2)

Chapter 114. Ingrit Outpost (2)

Trantor: Boko Creak. Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. Asu followed right behind him. The first floor of the 2-story wooden building was a maintenance area for the assassins. Daggers hung on the wall, and several sealed jarsy on the other side. There had to be something extremely dangerous inside, considering how manyyers of seals there were. It must be the poison that the assassins use. There were five assassins sitting around a table, ying a card game like go-stop. "A Human!" "An Enemy!" "A trespasser!" Once they discovered Kang Oh and Asu, the assassins stood up and drew the weapons at their waists. "Haht!" "Yahp!" Both Kang Oh and Asu attacked, and the trolls responded in kind. It was chaos inside. Kang Oh attacked ferociously, deliberately yelling more than usual. He was essentially saying ''Come at me!'' in order to draw their attention away from Asu. Whack! Bam! Thwack! In the midst of this chaos, the trolls began to fall one or two at a time. Hearing the chaos below, a troll came down the stairs. "What''s going on!?" the troll shouted. [You have encountered the Troll Assassin, Sneaker.] ''A named!'' Kang Oh observed the named troll. Unlike the other trolls, the lower half (below its nose) of Sneaker''s face was covered by a ck bandana. Of course, the pride of the trolls'', its tusks, were still visible and protruded outwards. "They''re trespassers!" one of the surviving trolls yelled. Kang Oh thrust his sword into the back of the screaming troll. "Human!" Sneaker suddenly jumped and drew its daggers. Its daggers were slightly different from the ones the others used. Although it wasn''t coated in the ck toxin, there was a red spot on the de. Swoosh! Sneaker swung its dagger. Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition warned him of danger. This was the strongest feeling of danger he''d felt here. That''s why he decided to dodge it. Hiss! Upon contact, the corner of the downed table melted instantly. ''It''s really potent!'' Sneaker seemed to use a more potent toxin than the other Troll Assassins. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Swish. Sneaker tilted its head back, and Kang Oh''s sword grazed its bandana. Then it counterattacked. The two exchanged attacks. Adding the two surviving Troll Assassins and Asu into the equation was a form for chaos. "Haht." Asu deflected an assassin''s dagger. Sneaker seized the opportunity and discreetly rushed forward, aiming for her neck. "Not going to happen!" Kang Oh swung his sword, aiming for Sneaker''s neck, thereby forcing Sneaker to retreat. Then, another assassin swung their dagger, aiming for Kang Oh''s side. Kang Oh tossed his body to the side and threw a dagger. He''d thrown the dagger midair, so there wasn''t much force behind the dagger, but his timing had been perfect. Thwock. The dagger pierced its thigh, paralyzing the assassin. At that moment... Asu rushed in and thrust her sword at the paralyzed assassin''s heart. Spurt! Ice formed at the de''s tip. Her ne''s effect had activated. Asu attacked once more, intent on inflicting even more damage through the ice shards. However, Sneaker attacked her side, forcing her to protect herself. Then... Kang Oh pulled Asu towards him and swung horizontally. Whack! Both Sneaker and the ice flower were in the path of his de. Sneaker dodged his de by a hair''s breadth, but the Troll Assassin wasn''t so lucky. Crack! His jet-ck de struck the ice, causing it to break and skewer the assassin. ''Hoh. I can break the ice too and it''ll still do damage.'' Then, an assassin rushed towards Kang Oh, aiming for his back. "Go away!" They stood back-to-back; Asu stopped the assassin in its tracks. Honorable Strike! Once her sword made contact, feathers flew into the air. Because of her, Kang Oh didn''t have to worry about any enemiesing from behind. Thus, he focused entirely on the dying assassin and Sneaker before him. Tempest Tiger! The appearance of the golden tiger! Sneaker didn''t dare take this attack head-on, and quickly threw his body to the side. "Uhahk!" But the Troll Assassin wasn''t able to do the same. Boom! The assassin was swept up by the aura and was shoved into the wall. Kang Oh followed Sneaker''s movements in order to finish him off. However, Sneaker''s form suddenly faded and then disappeared. ''He''s using Disguise,'' Kang Oh assumed. Sneaker had used an assassin ss skill, which caused it to instantly disappear from the blind spot of one''s vision. By the time he found it, it was by his side swinging its dagger. ''Not a chance!'' Kang Oh simultaneously twisted his body and swung downwards. Swish. He narrowly dodged the dagger, whereas Kang Oh''s strikended true. Whack! Kang Oh immediately followed up with another attack. If he held the advantage, he would always follow through and finish his opponent. Sneaker desperately fought back, as if it was saying ''I can''t die like this.''. However, it wasn''t on the same level as Kang Oh. "Ugh. How could I lose to a pathetic human..." Sneaker said once Kang Oh''s sword pierced its stomach. [You have defeated the Troll Assassin, Sneaker.] Kang Oh moved immediately. Asu was barely holding her own against the assassin. "You did well." "Haa, haa." Kang Oh took over and finished off the Troll Assassin. With this, they had defeated two of the three named monsters. Now they only had one left! * * * Thest remaining named troll resided in thergest building in the outpost. Not only that, but there were also six trolls guarding the door. Thus, Kang Oh and Asu were forced to fight the gatekeepers in the empty area in front of the building. "Be careful." "Ok." Kang Oh and Asu drew their respective weapons, fighting back-to-back. They were up against four Troll Warriors and two Troll Assassins. The warriors surrounded the two while the assassins stood behind them, waiting for their opportunity to strike. However, Kang Oh and Asu had good teamwork, so finding such an opportunity was difficult. Ultimately, Kang Oh and Asu gradually gained an advantage. They hadn''t actually defeated any of the trolls yet, but they''d done quite a bit of damage to them. ''If we kill one, then the rest will fall like dominos.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed, looking for the first troll to die. However...! Creak. The door opened and out came hordes of trolls. Not only that, but...! Thest one out was a troll that wore a headdress and wielded a staff. [You have encountered the Troll Shaman, Kazun.] It was thest named troll! ''Saves me the effort of going and finding it.'' Kang Oh grinned. Whereas... "O-Oppa!" Her voice shook at the appearance of reinforcements. They were already at a numerical disadvantage before, yet even more trolls had appeared! "It''s ok. Just trust me." Kang Oh calmed her down first. ''Asu won''tst while I''m taking them all down. If that''s the case...'' Kang Oh retrieved the BB-rank item, ''Colsica''s Needlessly Large Rod'' from his inventory. Gluttony! The darkness emanating from the demon sword greedily consumed the staff. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Colsica''s Needlessly Large Rod.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 10 minutes, the demon sword and the character''s abilities are doubled.] Jet-ck energy spewed out of Kang Oh''s body. "Asu, I''m going to break through their perimeter, so when I give the signal, run through the opening, ok?" "Pardon me?" "Don''t fight and just watch me this time." "Ok." Asu looked disappointed, but she quickly agreed. After all, if she got a game over, then their mission would end in failure. "I''m going!" Kang Oh charged at one end of the siege. Boom! Kang Oh rained down attacks upon them; any troll in his way fell immediately due to his amplified strength and speed. "Go." Asu ran through the opening and escaped the siege. "Good. Let''s really go at it, shall we?" Kang Oh rested his sword on his shoulder and walked forward confidently. "I feel something stronging from him!" "Be careful!" The trolls were able to sense Kang Oh''s augmented strength. At that moment, the Troll Shaman, Kazun, entered the fray. "We''re the proud Ingrit Trolls!" Kazun raised its staff. The staff glowed a yellow-green, which spread outwards like an aura. Courage of an Eagle! Strength of a Bear! Speed of a Cheetah! Kazun had buffed the other trolls. "Ooh!" "Uoh!" The trolls swelled with power. ''You''re still nothing but trolls!'' Kang Oh rushed into the center of the trolls. Kuheong! He roared as an enraged tiger would, and began to pounce on the trolls like a starving tiger. Whack! Whenever his sword struck, multiple trolls would fall. "Stop him!" "Attack!" The trolls, likewise enraged, rushed towards Kang Oh. They were like honeybees that were risking their lives to stop an invading wasp. "Come on!" Kang Oh screamed and attacked the closest troll. It felt like he''d only tapped it, but it keeled over and died. After that... Whack! "Ugh!" Thwock! "Urgh." Whack, whack, thwock, swish, sh! Kang Oh crazily swung his sword. Of course, he wasn''t swinging it haphazardly. It was fierce, but precise! He didn''t forget to add in a sh whenever he felt it would do the most damage. Not only that, but...! The trolls couldn''t deal with any attack amplified by Darkness Strike, the familiar jet-ck wave that manifested as a savage beast and circled around his de. Like right now. Bang! Kang Oh swung horizontally, striking four trolls simultaneously. One of the Troll Warriors died instantly. Or it should''ve died at least... Strange letters surrounded Kazun''s staff. Then, it pointed its staff at the dead troll. Return Soul! The fallen troll stood back up, resurrected. That wasn''t all. Wave of Natural Healing! Kazun had also cast a healing spell that increased one''s health regeneration to its maximum. The wounds left behind by sh, or the tottering trolls began to heal back to full. ''As I thought, I have to take that guy out first.'' Kang Oh stared at Kazun. However, there were too many trolls in his way, so he couldn''t go without clearing them first. If that''s the case, then he just had to make a path. "Out of my way." Kang Oh swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! He unleashed the beautiful aura,rger and more powerful than before, from his sword. As he''d hoped, the golden aura swept through the trolls in his way. ''Now!'' The path towards Kazun was clear. Kang Oh kicked off the floor without an ounce of hesitation, and charged like the wind. A short whileter... Kang Oh stood right before Kazun. Behind him, there were more than ten fallen trolls, or those that were barely getting up. "Nice to meet you." Kang Oh grinned and thrust his sword. Kazun attempted to dodge, but it was a shaman, not a warrior. Its physical orbat abilities were terrible. Stab! "Uahk!" Kazun swung its staff in agony. Kang Oh dodged it with ease and followed up with another attack. But by that time, the trolls behind him had rushed forward in an attempt to aid Kazun. However...! Kang Oh grabbed his sword with both hands and spun like a spinning top! He swept through the front, back, side, everywhere. As a result, he cleaved through Kazun, as well as the trollsing from the rear. ''Now!'' Kang Oh stopped spinning and rushed towards Kazun. He felt slightly dizzy, but he pushed through, gritting his teeth, and swung downwards. sh! Luckily, Darkness Strike had activated. Boom! A destructive force of entwined white and ck fell upon Kazun. Then, Kang Oh stabbed Kazun''s heart. Stab! "Ugh." After that, he continued to attack until Kazun was dead. Whack! Whack, whack, thwock, whack! [You have defeated the Troll Shaman, Kazun.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +1] Chapter 115. Returning Minion

Chapter 115. Returning Minion

Trantor: Boko By the time Kang Oh''s body no longer emanated darkness, all of the trolls had been killed. "Oppa." Asu, who''d been watching the battle from the sidelines, approached him. "You did this all by yourself! Good work." Her voice was prickly. "Um-hum. Something on your mind?" Kang Oh asked carefully. "Yes," she replied instantly. "What is it?" "It''s your fault." "Me? Why?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "You did everything yourself; I was just a bystander. How can you even call us a team?" Asu pouted. "That''s because... I thought it''d be hard to protect you, so... I just chose the best option to both protect you andplete the objective..." Kang Oh tried his best to convince her that he''d made the right call. "I know that you made the best decision you could. It''s just..." She briefly paused and continued, "I''m kind of disappointed that you told me to run. I wanted to fight together with you." Asu wanted to do her part without weighing Kang Oh down, and conquer the dungeon together as a team. However, she hadn''t participated in the battle and had just stood by as a bystander. She couldn''t help but feel like she was weighing him down. ''Tch. I was overprotective.'' Kang Oh could understand why she was so disappointed. From her point of view, telling her to run was basically saying, ''You''re no help here, so just stay there and watch.''. Kang Oh bowed his head and sped his hands together. "I''m sorry," he apologized wholeheartedly. Seeing him bow and apologize so sincerely made her rx. "I''m sorry too. You did that all for me, but here I am sulking." Asu bowed her head as well. After that, they simultaneously raised their heads and stared into each other''s eyes. "Haha." They looked at each other and beganughing. It was definitely a sign that they had epted each other''s apology. "I promise not to do this from now on," Kang Oh pledged. "I won''t let you off the hook if you do!" Asu looked coy, giving him a sideways nce. "Yeah, yeah. Let''s head back to the studio." "Ok!" * * * The cameras were rolling. "Everyone hase back from the dungeon. Good work everyone," Jeon Seong Gook began. "But today...!" Seol Hee took over. "There was a team that failed their mission," she said regrettably. "Tch, tch. A team has finally tasted defeat from these increasingly difficult dungeons." Seong Gook also sported a regretful expression. "Let''s see which team that is." Kang Seol Hee pointed at the screen. Drum roll! After the drum roll, the team''s names showed up on the screen. All of them had ''sess'' next to their names. Every team except one. The camera focused on Jake and Choi Hye Yeon. They looked like they were about to cry. "Aah. The first team to fail their mission is Team Jake and Hye Yeon!" Seol Hee''s voice resounded throughout the studio. Seong Gook approached Jake. "What happened, Mr. Jake?" The Caucasian foreigner, Jake, shrugged his shoulders. "There''s an old Korean saying: ''Even monkeys can fall from a tree.''." "Did you just make a mistake?" "That''s correct. And it''s all my fault. Ms. Hye Yeon did admirably." Jake looked at his partner, Hye Yeon, and bowed his head. "I see. We''ll look through the vod and see what mistake you made. Now then, Ms. Hye Yeon. Unfortunately, you''re the first team that failed their mission. Are you feeling alright?" Seon Gook asked. "It''s unfortunate, but it''s alright since we did our best. And I feel like we''d seed if we tried it again." "I too believe you two would clear the level 3 dungeon if given a second chance! Good luck," Seong Gookforted them. Then, he passed it over to Kang Seol Hee. "They say that failure is the mother of sess! Team Jake and Hye Yeon, I hope you take this as a lesson and show us even greater things in the future. However...!" Kang Seol Hee smiled mischievously. "Failure is still failure! You need to be punished." "Aah, too bad!" Jeon Seong Gook eximed. After that... Jake took a card out of the punishment box. His punishment was to eat kimchi, which was made using Thand''s extremely hot bird''s eye chili. "Ugh. I-It''s hot!" Jake, who boldly ate the kimchi, struggled. His face waspletely red as if he''d burst. "Ueup!" The female celebrity, Choi Hye Yeon, had eaten it carefully, yet she had the same reaction as Jake. She kept stamping her feet and tears flowed down her face; her face was so red that it seemed like it''d burst. Seeing that, Soo Ah said, "Phew. Feels hot just looking at them." "Yeah. Their mouths must be on fire." Jae Woo nodded his head and nced at Yoon Se Hwa. ''And her eyes are on fire.'' Yoon Se Hwa was staring at Soo Ah. Soo Ah waspletely ignoring Yoon Se Hwa''s gaze. ''She''s acting like she''s not even here.'' Ignoring her only served to irritate her further, causing her to re at Soo Ah with even more intensity. ''I hope she digs her own grave...'' Jae Woo wanted the opportunity to embarrass her, like how he''d drawn on Kang Seol Hee''s face. ''Who knows, maybe I''ll get the chanceter...'' Jae Woo turned his attention away from her. Jake and Hye Yeon, having finished the kimchi, each gulped down an entire liter of milk. "Phew. That was hot!" "It''s really hotttttt!" Seemingly not enough, the two began eating yogurt next. "Jake, how was the punishment?" Seong Gook asked, his expression mischievous. "Haa, haa. I promise not to fail another mission," Jake raised his hand and swore, despite still breathing haggardly. "What about you, Ms. Hye Yeon?" "Hoo, hoo. I thought I''d die," Hye Yeon wiped her tears and said. "Thank you for being such good sports. But you failed the mission, so you won''t get a reward, and you''ll have to redo the level 3 dungeon again," Seol Hee announced calmly. "Ugh!" Jake and Hye Yeon looked like they wanted to cry. Now, their team''s punishment was truly over. After that, Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook smoothly transitioned into the next segment. They let the victorious teams know how much they''d made thus far, and talked with each of the contestants. ''When will it end...'' Of course, Jae Woo''s only thought was finishing this as quickly as possible and going home. "Ms. Seol Hee, there was so much to see today, wasn''t there?" Seong Gook asked. He must be referring to Jake and Hyeon Yeon''s punishment. "You''re right. It was quite exciting." Seol Hee smiled with her eyes. "I shouldn''t be saying this, but I hope another team fails next time." Seong Gook grinned. "You can''t say that, Mr. Seong Gook! Now then, all of our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls, please work even harder so that you don''t get punished!" Seol Hee said. "We''ll show you another exciting episode next time. Please look forward to it." "Please look forward to it!" Seol Hee ended cutely, ending the shoot. "Cut!" The staff moved around busily, and the participants said their farewells and stood up. Amidst that, Yoon Se Hwa approached Soo Ah. "You!" Yoon Se Hwa wanted to unload all of her anger. However, Soo Ah spoke up first. "Good job. I''ll see you next time. Take care. Oppa, let''s go say goodbye to Mr. Jin Cheol." Soo Ah dragged Jae Woo away. "You! Stay right there!" They heard Yoon Se Hwa''s screams, but Jae Woo and Soo Ah had no intention of doing as she wished. The two of them didn''t stop walking. Was it because she said they''d go and see Jin Cheol? Yoon Se Hwa didn''t follow them. Instead, Jae Woo felt a prickly gaze from behind him, so he slightly turned around. He saw Yoon Se Hwa fuming. "Hoo, hoo. She''s really mad, isn''t she?" Soo Ah grinned. "Seems so." "I tried a different approach this time. I just t out ignored her." "Good job." Jae Woo gave her a thumbs up. The third shoot of Dungeon Conquering Man had ended. * * * Eder''s mansion... It''d been a long time since he''dst met with Sephiro. "Where''s the item?" Sephiro asked. He seemed quite excited. Kang Oh took out the purple arrow from his inventory. It was the arrow he''d gotten from the Red Beard''s Bear Warrior, Hamir, the ''Purple Arrowhead Engraved with the Rose Family''s Symbol''. "Ooh," Sephiro eximed upon seeing the arrow. ''It''s really one of the Rose family''s arrows!'' The Rose family had created arrows of seven different colors. But if one collected all seven, then they''d gain a quest to learn the Rose family''s arcane skill. As an archer himself, Sephiro really wanted the arrow. "I heard that there''s a very low chance that the arrow drops from the monster using it... Where did you get this?" Sephiro asked, holding the arrow with both hands. "I got it from a named monster, the Bear Warrior, Hamir," Kang Oh replied. "Hmm. I see," Sephiro said, yet his eyes remained fixed on the arrow. "Shall we trade?" Kang Oh said. "Ahem." The word ''trade'' brought Sephiro out of his stupor. ''I can''t show him any weakness!'' Sephiro swore. "Mr. Sephiro, I did some research on the arrow and found out that it''s linked to an arcane archery skill." Kang Oh had contacted Sephiro with the intention of selling the arrow. At first, Sephiro hadn''t been interested, but once he''d heard the arrow''s name, he did a 180 and decided to meet him. Kang Oh wasn''t sure how valuable the arrow was, so he did some research. As a result, he learned the stories surrounding the Rose family''s arrows. When he first saw the arrow, his Hyper Intuition hadn''t activated, so the stories were likely to be true. But the veracity of these statements didn''t really matter. What did matter was that... ''Sephiro wants it.'' If that''s the case, then he could trade the item for however much he wanted. "Indeed." Sephiro nodded his head. "How much will you buy it for?" Kang Oh asked. "Name your price first," Sephiro replied. "10,000 gold." "Keheok." Hearing that, Sephiro was taken aback and coughed. "I won''t buy it!" Sephiro said, his facepletely red. "Why? Is it too expensive?" Kang Oh asked unashamedly. "You don''t think it''s expensive!?" Sephiro stared at Kang Oh. ''The nerve of this guy!''. "It''s rumored to be linked to an arcane skill, so there are none of them on the market; I don''t know what the market price is... Shouldn''t I be able to sell it for however much I wish?" Kang Oh sported a nonchnt expression. "I can also choose not to buy it too," Sephiro countered. "Then will you buy it with time instead?" "Time?" "Yes. If you hunt with me for a month, then I''ll give you this arrow." For the time being, Kang Oh didn''t need money; he needed good manpower. After all, he needed to level up and be stronger ASAP. "One month is way too much," Sephiro disapproved. "Then I''ll give you the arrow and cut down the times you need to help me by one." He could still ask Sephiro for help seven more times. If he offered to cut down the number by one in exchange for his help for one month, then Sephiro would decline no matter what. That, or he''d ask to cut down the number by three or four. That''s why Kang Oh had made this suggestion. "Hmm." Sephiro thought it over. "I''m currently hunting the Red Beards on Helm Mountain. After that, I''m headed for the Great Forest." "The Great Forest?" The Great Forest was a suitable ce for someone like him, a level 220 yer, to hunt in. In other words, helping him for one month wouldn''t be an entire waste of time. "Yes." Kang Oh smiled. The Parmarl Underground Labyrinth existed somewhere in the Great Forest, and that was where he would find another demon sword. Kang Oh nned on hunting the Red Beard Bandits for 2 weeks, and then head for the Great Forest after he was sufficiently leveled. ''I''ll go hunting and look for it at the same time.'' He needed Sephiro to find the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. The Great Forest was extremely dangerous, so the more high leveled members he had, the better. Ultimately, Sephiro made his decision. "I ept." "Then shall we sign a contract?" Kang Oh said, causing Sephiro to flinch. "A-A contract is a little..." Kang Oh smiled at his reaction. "I''ll let you off the hook this time... Here, take the arrow," Kang Oh said ''generously''. "T-Thank you." "But please do your hardest." "Understood!" "Hoo, hoo." Minion #2, Sephiro, had returned. Chapter 116. The Trio Back Together Again

Chapter 116. The Trio Back Together Again

Trantor: Boko Sephiro raised the wing-shaped, silver Lasselpino Bow. He notched an arrow; the wing-shaped bow bent as he drew the bowstring. Whizz! Once he let go, the arrow fiercely flew towards its intended target, the bow seemingly fluttering like a wing. Thwock! Bullseye! His arrow pierced the center of the Red Beard Bandit''s forehead. Headshot! That marked the beginning of the battle. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Eder darted forward. "It''s an enemy!" "Ooh!" The three bandits swung their swords at Kang Oh and Eder. Whack! Whack! Whack, whack, whack! Bang! ng! The three bandits, and Kang Oh and Eder battled. Kang Oh''s demon sword, the bandits'' single-ded swords, and Eder''s mace shed through the air. Thud! Thud! Eder stomped on the floor, casting the Rusty Sword and Ruined Rampart curses. Which was followed by Sephiro''s barrage of arrows. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! None of his arrows went astray. Not only that, but each and every arrow was by no means weak. This is where Kang Oh came in! "Huahp!" he cried out, and swung his sword. His jet-ck de deflected the bandits'' swords and cleaved through their flesh. Whenever he saw an opening, he''d throw his daggers as well! A short whileter... The bandits'' faces met the cold, hard ground. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly. Sephiro was definitely a huge help. Normally, it¡¯d be hard for Kang Oh and Eder to deal with three bandits all at once. But they weren¡¯t a problem with Sephiro here. "As expected of you, Mr. Sephiro." Eder gave Sephiro a thumbs up. Adding a ranged DPS to their party significantly increased their hunting speed. "Hoo, hoo. You''ve also gotten a lot stronger, Brother." Sephiroughed. This was the first time he''d fought with Curse Knight Eder. Eder was much tougher and stronger than before. "I''m d that we get to hunt together again," Eder said. "Me too." "Brother!" "Brother!" Eder and Sephiro sped each other''s hands as if they were arm wrestling. * * * Kang Oh¡¯s party hunted the bandits for some time, causing his level to rise rapidly. Kang Oh felt like it was getting too easy, so his party decided to venture deeper into Helm Mountain and fight the veteran bandits. At first, Kang Oh''s party struggled against the veteran bandits. But after defeating a few of them, Kang Oh''s party adjusted and were able to take on one or two of them at a time with ease. Like right now. Veteran bandits wore yellow fur clothes, and wielded both a giant axe and a throwable hand axe. "You bastards!" Whoosh. The two veteran bandits¡¯ hand axes flew through the air. "Eek." Eder quickly raised his shield and Kang Oh hid behind him. Sephiro immediately hid behind a tree. ng! ng! The hand axes bounced off of Eder''s shield. Kang Oh and Sephiro immediately popped out of cover,unching a dagger and arrow at the veteran bandits. Swoosh! His dagger spun through the air. Whizz! Sephiro¡¯s arrow seemed to bounce around like a fresh fish as it flew through the air. The bandits blocked the dagger and arrow with the t of their axes. Kang Oh and Eder charged while Sephiro shot arrows to keep the bandits from throwing their axes again. Now inches from the bandit''s face, Kang Oh swung downwards with his sword. "Uha!" the Veteran Bandit cried out, and chopped with his axe like a lumberjack splitting wood. ng! Sword and axe shed. Kang Oh''s hands tingled. ''It''s heavy.'' He followed up with another attack. sh! His sword left a diagonal white line in the air! Then, the veteran bandit swung its axe once more, the axe head radiating yellow energy. Pulverize! ng! The sh resulted in a sharp, metallic ¡®ng¡¯. Both of them felt the force of the others¡¯ attack, forcing them back. Meanwhile, Eder fought well against one of the veteran bandits. Eder struck the bandit''s side with Shield Bash, and then aimed a Heavy Blow at his face! The veteran bandit retaliated with an axe chop. Whenever he found the opportunity to do so, Sephiro would shoot an arrow. With Sephiro¡¯s impable archery and eyesight (which was as sharp as a hawk¡¯s), he never missed a blind spot. Kang Oh''s party was gradually gaining the advantage. In the end, the bandits met their end. * * * They continued their hunt. Kang Oh''s party roamed throughout the Helm Mountain as quietly as they could. "There." Sephiro pointed at five bandits. There were two sword-wielding bandits and three veteran bandits, two of which carried axes, while one carried a bow. "Can we take them?" Eder asked. ''Five bandits...'' Kang Oh took a look around. He didn¡¯t see any bandits nearby that coulde and reinforce them. "Let''s give it a try," Kang Oh decided. "Eder." "Yes?" "Distract the two veteran bandits as long as you can. Just hold out; it doesn''t matter if you do damage to them or not." He wanted him to focus entirely on tanking. "Mr. Sephiro." "Yes?" "Please focus on the archer. I''ll be fine on my own, so please provide Eder with cover." Kang Oh gave them their orders. "Understood." "I''ll take care of the two bandits first, and then join you after." Kang Oh would cut down their numbers by killing the weak ones first. Sephiro nodded his head, notched an arrow, and pulled the bowstring. His target: the bow-wielding bandit! Whizz. His arrow struck true, marking the beginning of the fight. "An enemy!" "They''re over there!" The bandits headed over to Kang Oh. Whizz! The veteran bandit shot an arrow. Sephiro hid behind a tree, and when things were clear, he popped out and shot another arrow. That marked the beginning of the archers'' battle. "C''mon, you criminals!" Eder bravely said, bashing his four-colored skull shield with his mace. "You!" A veteran bandit threw his hand axe at him, and Eder immediately defended himself with his shield. The hand axe bounced off his shield. The two veteran bandits swung their axes, intent of breaking Eder to bits. ng! ng! Eder was steadily pushed back by their axes. "Hey, you wimps! Is that all!?" Eder provoked. "You punk!" "Kill him!" The veteran bandits charged like warthogs. ''I''m going to hold out!'' Eder gritted his teeth. He stomped on the floor twice, casting Rusty Sword and Ruined Ramparts, two curses that decreased their offense and defense. One of the sword-wielding bandits came for him as well, but Kang Oh intervened. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh rushed towards the bandit. * * * Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro fought frantically. Although Kang Oh was battling two bandits simultaneously, he was actually pushing them back. ''I''m not the same as before!'' He''d leveled up substantially and he had heaps of experience fighting the bandits as well. "Die!" The bandits were on theirst leg; Kang Oh''s ferocious dework was too much for them. Eder was engaging two veteran bandits by himself. That''s why he, among their entire group, was struggling the most and had no time to rest. His hands quivered whenever he narrowly blocked their blows. ''If not for Rusty Sword, or Mr. Sephiro''s cover fire, then I wouldn''t be able to hold out.'' But because of his defense, his curses, and Sephiro''s cover fire, he was somehow able to hold out. Whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz! Sephiro was the busiest. He never stayed in one location, as he needed to dodge the enemy archer''s arrows and continuously shoot arrows in return. Not only that, but he continued to provide cover fire for Eder as well. Kang Oh was the first amongst them that could rx. It was only natural. After all, his job was killing the weakest of the bandits. Kang Oh, who''d finished off the two bandits, yelled, "Mr. Sephiro. I''ll take care of the archer, so please focus all your efforts into supporting Eder!" He threw a dagger at the bow-wielding bandit. ''Focus on me!'' "Roger!" Sephiro turned towards Eder and shot three arrows. Ready, aim, fire! Triple Shot! The arrows flew simultaneously, and struck the bandit attacking Eder all at once. Thwock! Thwock! Thwock! "Uhahp!" Eder mustered up his courage. He struck the nearest bandit''s jaw with the corner of his shield. Whack! "How does that feel!?" Eder screamed triumphantly. "You bastard!" The other bandit''s eyes alighted with fire. Pulverize! The bandit struck like lightning, his axe surging with yellow energy. Eder gritted his teeth and extended his shield. ng! The colossal force pushed him back, but he didn''t have time to pick himself up. After all, the bandit wasn''t done. The bandit swung his axe, aiming for Eder''s side. "Ugh!" Eder couldn''t stop the strike. Shards of light burst from his body as he rolled on the floor. "Mr. Eder!" Sephiro said agitatedly and shot arrows crazily. He needed to stop the veteran bandit from attacking Eder again! Then, the two veteran bandits switched targets and rushed towards Sephiro. "Bring it!" Sephiro didn''t back off. He rolled onto the floor, evading the bandit''s axe, and struck the bandit¡¯s leg with the Lasselpino Bow. Whack! Once the second bandit''s attack came, he rolled to the side and quickly shot an arrow! That wasn''t the end. After that, Sephiro kicked one of the bandit''s chins. ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh, who was engaging the archer, nced over impressed. Sephiro''s CQC reminded him of a bullfighter ying with bulls. His movements were clean! At that moment, Eder stood up, staggering. ''Now!'' There was no one stopping him. Eder opened his mouth, and out came a ck doll that cast the aging curse. The ck doll attached itself to a veteran bandit, reducing all of his abilities. Eder cast a slow curse on the other bandit, wrapping them in magical chains. "Nice!" Sephiro continued his assault. "I''ll take over!" Eder positioned his shield and pushed in between the bandits and Sephiro. "C''mon!" Eder yelled firmly. Sephiro retreated, focusing entirely on firing arrows. Eder, Sephiro, and the veteran bandits engaged in a bloody battle. In the midst of this, Kang Oh was about to finish off the archer. Swish! Kang Oh''s sword cleaved through the center of the archer. ck shards burst forth and the archer died. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder yelled. He was basically saying, ''Don''t y around ande help me!''. Kang Oh grinned and rushed towards the two veteran bandits. Once his party obtained the numerical advantage, the veteran bandits quickly crumbled. A short whileter... Sephiro''s Spinning Arrow pierced the veteran bandit''s forehead, killing him. Thebined assault of Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro quickly killed thest remaining bandit. "Hoo, it''s over!" Eder dropped the skull shield. His armor and shield were all roughed up, a clear indication that he''d just undergone a bloody battle. "Good work." Sephiro ced his hand on Eder''s shoulder. He too waspletely covered in dirt. "Phew. That was way too hard. Let''s rest a little," Eder said. "Of course," Sephiro agreed. However...! "What do you mean rest? Eder, pick up the junk items. Aren''t you going to pick up your arrows, Mr. Sephiro? Get a move on!" Kang Oh said. He had to hunt as much as possible while he had such good help. Thus, he had no time to rest. ''Grr...'' ''You evil CEO!'' Eder and Sephiro stared at Kang Oh. Kang Oh stared intensely as well. He was essentially saying, ''I''m the boss!''. "Tch." In the end, Eder and Sephiro were forced to walk around wearily, either to pick up the junk items or to retrieve the arrows. * * * Late at night, way past nightfall... Kang Oh''s party returned to Altein. "Uhaahk!" Eder stretched. His actions seemed to say, ''I''m finally done!''. "If we''re really going to hunt like this tomorrow, then..." Sephiro said, staring at Kang Oh. His gaze was fierce, like that of a wounded beast. "Then?" Kang Oh asked. "Then I''ll wreck havoc," Sephiro snarled. "Have you forgotten the contract we signed when we first met? There should be a use there that states you''ll do your best when you help out." ''Doesn''t matter what you want; I''m the boss!'' "Hmph. So sue me." Sephiro was taking a stand. "Understood. Then we''ll take it a little easier tomorrow." Kang Oh decided to coax him for now, as he''d be hunting with him for some time. "Hmph. Then I''ll get going now. Brother, please go home and rest. Don''t stay with this guy any longer," Sephiro said and left immediately. Then, Eder approached Kang Oh, smiling subserviently. "Hehe, I''ll go home too..." "Yeah, go." Kang Oh wasn''t going to keep him here any longer. "What about my wage?" "Here." Once he gave him his wage, Eder left immediately. Kang Oh stared at the shimmering sky in thought "Hmm. How best to exploit them..." Chapter 117. Park Te Gyu & Yoon Se Hwa

Chapter 117. Park Te Gyu & Yoon Se Hwa

Trantor: Boko It was a bright day. "Yawn." Jae Woo yawned inside his waiting room. Then... Knock. Knock. There was a knock at his door, followed by Jin Cheol¡¯s voice. "It''s me." As always, Jin Cheol came to give him his helmet. "Pleasee in." "Here." Jin Cheol passed him the helmet. "Phew. Thank you for doing this for me. You could always ask someone else to bring it to me." "Hoo, hoo. I could, but I''d like to see you from time to time." Jin Cheolughed. There was a simple reason for him bringing the helmet in person. Personal connections. Jin Cheol expected Jae Woo to be even more famouster down the line. That¡¯s why he wanted to form a personal connection with him while he still had the chance. "Thank you." Jae Woo smiled as he took the helmet; he knew exactly what Jin Cheol was doing. ''Well, it doesn''t hurt me.'' As a gamer, it couldn''t hurt to form a connection with one of GBS''s producers. "Did you see thest episode?" Jin Cheol asked. He was referring to episode 6. It portrayed Jae Woo and Soo Ah battling trolls at the Ingrit Outpost andpleting their mission. "Yes, I saw it." "How was it?" "Due to the increasing difficulty of the dungeons, the Dungeon Conquering Men have begun showing off their true skill. It¡¯s be more fun to watch." In other words, the recent episode was better than the previous ones. "Hoo, hoo. The viewership has gone up too." Jin Cheolughed. Dungeon Conquering Man wasn''t a huge hit, but it was better than average. Most importantly, the viewership steadily increased, which was encouraging. That¡¯s why Jin Cheol¡¯s expression was so bright when he talked about viewership. "I see." Jae Woo nodded his head. "Let''s do our best today too." "Alright." Jin Cheol left the waiting room. A short whileter... Knock. Knock. Someone else hade looking for him. His next guest was Park Tae Gyu. "What brings you here today?" Jae Woo asked. Before, Park Tae Gyu hade to invite him to his guild. "I came to say hello, and talk to you while I''m at it." Tae Gyu smiled brightly. ''I don''t really have anything to say to you though...'' Jae Woo didn¡¯t really feel like getting friendly, perhaps because Tae Gyu was Yoon Se Hwa¡¯s partner. "Is something you¡¯d like to tell me?" Jae Woo asked. "Ah, yes. I do." "Go ahead." ''Just tell me and go.'' "Would you like to join our guild? I was wondering if you''ve changed your mind..." Tae Gyu asked. ''That again...'' Jae Woo immediately shook his head. "I refuse." "You''re strong, Mr. Oga, but there''s only so much you can do by yourself. One day, you''ll find yourself trampled underfoot, so why not join the Jairus Guild and see just how far you can go?" Tae Gyu tried to convince Jae Woo, but he wasn''t convinced in the least. ''One person can stand at the top.'' He was proof of this. In Warlord, he''d single-handedly fought against 1,000 guild members and hade out victorious, gaining the title of Human Dragon. Anyway...! "I''ll just do my own thing," Jae Woo said. He didn''t add ''while taking all of the dungeons for myself.''. "That''s unfortunate." "I won''t change my mind, so please stop trying to recruit me." "Hoo... Then may I ask you something else?" Tae Gyu said. "I don''t have to answer, right?" Jae Woo asked. "Of course." "Go ahead." "Do you still possess arge quantity of adamantium?" Tae Gyu asked, and Jae Woo widened his eyes. He hadn''t expected that question at all. ''How does he know about the adamantium...?'' Jae Woo looked warily at him, but then remembered the article he''d posted on Arthtory. ''Oh, right. I uploaded a picture of the adamantium there...'' "Why do you ask?" "Ah. Have you not seen what our guild posted on Arthtory?" "No, I haven''t." "Our guild just recentlypleted arge-scale linked quest. The quest reward is this: if you give a Master Miner some ore, then they¡¯ll create some equipment for you," Park Tae Gyu began. "And?" "The better the ore, the better the equipment. Our guild needs a lot of special ore, like therge quantity of adamantium that you showed on Arthtory," Tae Gyu finished, and checked Jae Woo¡¯s response. ''This''ll be a pain in the ass.'' Worse case scenario, the Jairus Guild demands that he fork over the adamantium, and he¡¯s forced to go on the run. "I sold the adamantium already." Ultimately, Jae Woo was forced to lie. If he still had it, then he''d be a target. "I see. Then could you please tell me who you sold it to? I''ve never seen it in the auction house before..." "I can''t tell you that," Jae Woo firmly said. "It seems like you''re misunderstanding something. The Jairus Guild isn''t an evil guild. We''re not trying to steal the adamantium; we want to buy it at an appropriate price," Tae Gyu said. ''Do you really think this is my first time dealing with huge guilds like yours?'' Jae Woo didn''t believe him, but he didn''t need to let Tae Gyu know that. "I see. Not only have I already sold it, but I don''t think the buyer wants their personal information passed around, so... I won''t say anything more." Jae Woo closed his mouth in a thin line. "I understand. If you happen to change your mind, feel free to contact me with my business card." Jae Woo nodded his head. "Then I''ll get going now." Once he left, Jae Woo furrowed his brow. ''This... I hope nothing troublesomees from this.'' * * * Park Tae Gyu left Jae Woo''s waiting room and called his guildmaster, Jairus. "Guildmaster." "How did it go?" "I couldn''t change his mind." Afterpleting therge-scale linked quest, the Jairus Guild had created a list of ore worth giving to the Master Miner. One of the metals on the list was adamantium, the toughest metal in Arth. Luckily enough, Oga, the owner of arge quantity of adamantium, and Park Tae Gyu, a member of the Jairus Guild, were part of the same TV program. Thus, Jairus had ordered Tae Gyu to win Jae Woo over, as well as figure out what became of the adamantium as well. Clearly, Tae Gyu had failed his mission. "Really?" "Is there any progress on the other ores?" "Our entire guild is looking for them, so I''m sure they''ll manage to scrounge some up." The Jairus Guild sought special ore like adamantium. But ore as unique as this was extremely rare. Above all, they needed arge quantity of the ore. Even the Jairus Guild would have trouble procuring the ore. "Keep trying. They say that little strokes fell great oaks," Jairus said. "Hoo. I''ll try, but... I don''t think it''ll be easy. Oga is extremely wary of others, and seems to hate guilds as a whole." "He''s pretty well known, so we can''t threaten him... Find out what he wants,y some bait, whatever. Figure something out." "Hmm." "You know the vice-captain seat is empty, right?" Jairus had suddenly mentioned the vice-captain position. "Yes." A while back, the previous vice-captain had attempted to monopolize therge-scale linked quest¡¯s reward, so he had been driven out of the guild. Therefore, the Jairus Guild''s #2 position was empty right now. "If you do well, then that position will be yours." Jairus'' offer was tempting. "You said this to Tool and Gale too, right?" Tool and Gale were two other yers in the Jairus Guild who sought the vice-captain position. "Of course I did. I had to make it fair." "I''ll try to find a way." "Alright, good luck." Tae Gyu hung up and entered his waiting room, ruminating over the matter. ''The vice-captain position...'' When people gather, power follows; with power, money and privilege would follow. Also... ''That money and privilege wille to those in high positions.'' Tae Gyu wanted to be the vice-captain. In order to do so, he had to procure the adamantium no matter what. ''There has to be something I can use...'' Then, he heard something. "Huh?'' He looked for the source of the noise, and eventually came to the door to the stairs. He carefully opened it and... "Until you break!" He heard a familiar voice. ''Isn''t this Ms. Se Hwa''s voice?'' He moved slightly and heard another voice from above. "Haa. What happened to you?" There were two women arguing with each other. It was Soo Ah and Yoon Se Hwa. Tae Gyu hid himself in the corner and eavesdropped on their conversation. ''Hmm.'' He came up with a great idea. * * * They say you meet your mortal enemy at the worst time and ce. Soo Ah and Yoon Se Hwa encountered each other in the middle of an empty corridor. Soo Ah tried to ignore her and just pass her by, but as always, Yoon Se Hwa wouldn''t let it go. "Hey, aren''t you going to say hello?" Yoon Se Hwa said, staring at her. "Haa." Soo Ah sighed, her expression seemingly saying, ''Again?''. "You''re sighing? Hey, follow me." Yoon Se Hwa headed for the stairs; Soo Ah followed her, her eyes glinting. ''Let''s make things clear!'' Thereby ending this ill-fated rtionship! "Hey, Jeong Soo Ah!" Yoon Se Hwa red at Soo Ah from the middle of the empty stairs. "You''ve been acting uptely. You think that you can be disrespectful to me just because you''re a little poprtely?" Yoon Se Hwa bullied her. However, it had absolutely no effect on Soo Ah. Soo Ah stared right at her and said, "How long are you going to act like this?" Yoon Se Hwa''s expression became downright venomous. "Until you break!" "Haa. What happened to you?" She hadn''t been like this when they''d first met. Yoon Se Hwa had been bright and positive; somebody you could call a ''good'' person. "You took it from me!" she said bitingly. "What exactly did I take from you?'' "If not for you, then it would''ve been my spot! That poprity would''ve been mine!" There was a more fundamental reason for her bullying: an inferiorityplex. She wanted to bring Soo Ah, someone superior to her, down to her level! Envy, jealousy, an inferiorityplex, etc. If she admitted to those, then she would be admitting that Soo Ah was better than her. Therefore, she stubbornly held on to the idea that Soo Ah had stolen her spot. "That again? You left Triple Lower of your own ord. I didn''t take your spot!" Soo Ah said. She was beingpletely honest. However, honesty wouldn''t work on someone with such an intense inferiorityplex. "Hmph. Who are you kidding, you thief!" Yoon Se Hwa said, her voice riddled with thorns. "Haa." Soo Ah couldn''t help but sigh. "You''re... jealous of me, aren''t you?" Soo Ah said after calming herself down. "What?" "You''re just being jealous, Unni." "N-No I''m not!" Yoon Se Hwa yelled immediately. She was like a patient that flinched when the doctor touched an injured area. Se Hwa¡¯s reaction confirmed it for her. "I-I''m not jealous of someone like you! I''m not!" "Hoo," she sighed once more. ''What are you supposed to say to someone so wrapped in jealousy? Sorry? It''s my fault? I''m not better than you?'' "Let''s stop this." In the end, this was all she coulde up with. "Stop what!?" Yoon Se Hwa shouted. Soo Ah ignored her and left. "You bitch! You thieving cat!" Yoon Se Hwa yelled emptily. Once Soo Ah waspletely gone, Yoon Se Hwa plopped onto the stairs. Fury, the feeling of failure, jealousy, disappointment, etc. all came at her at once. ''I''m not damaged goods!'' She sped her hands at her chest as if in prayer, and inwardly yelled in a desperate attempt of retaliation. At that moment... Park Tae Gyu approached her. "Are you alright?" Tae Gyu ced his hand on her shoulder,pletely shocking her. "W-Why are you here!?" "Are you alright?" Tae Gyu asked once more. "Ah, I-I''m alright." Yoon Se Hwa forced herself to stand up and tried to leave. "I happened to hear your conversation," Tae Gyu said. "Hoo. Please ignore it..." "Don''t you want to win?" Tae Gyu interrupted her. "What?" "Won''t you feel better if you beat her in something?" Tae Gyu smiled lightly with that handsome face of his. "It''s none of your concern." Yoon Se Hwa didn''t want any help. This was her problem and hers alone. "Nothing will change if you do nothing." "What do you know..." Yoon Se Hwa red at him viciously. "I don''t know what it feels like. However... I believe we can use each other." Tae Gyu grinned. "Use each other?" "Yes. I''ll help you beat Soo Ah and in return, you help me with my goal. You scratch my back, I scratch yours." "..." "What will you do? Will you ept? Or will you continue to be as you are, continuously acting like a wailing, frightened dog?" Tae Gyu extended his hand. Ultimately, Yoon Se Hwa, who had stared nkly at him, took his hand. Chapter 118. Guntrak

Chapter 118. Guntrak

Trantor: Boko The contestants took their seats as bright lights illuminated the studio. Jae Woo nced at Soo Ah, who sat beside him. Her face appeared darker than usual. "Did something happen?" Jae Woo asked. "Kind of." "Is it because of her again?" ¡®Her¡¯ obviously referred to Yoon Se Hwa. "Yes. I''m not feeling bad or anything like that... It''s like that feeling where you have a problem that''s hard to solve." How was she supposed to deal with someone who''s so jealous and possesses an inferiorityplex? "Do your best." Jae Woo didn''t ask for the details; he just cheered her on instead. "I will." Soo Ah smiled. Jae Woo stared at Yoon Se Hwa. She was speaking with Tae Gyu. Then... "We''ll begin the shoot," a staff member yelled. The program''s MCs, Kang Seol Hee and Jeon Seong Gook, took center stage. "Hello, everyone! This is Seol Hee, GBS''s lead beauty!" Kang Seol Hee beamed. "This is Jeon Seong Gook." Seon Gook softly waved his hand. After that, they moved on. This was their fourth shoot, so the MCs and the participants were familiar with how things went. "Now then, shall we see which team our viewers chose?" Seol Hee said. "Yes, please show us." Seong Gook pointed at the screen. Ta-da! The screen showed the teams'' poprity ranking from 4th to 1st. "The rankings haven''t changed. 1st ce is still Mr. Oga and Ms. Soo Ah!" Seong Gook pointed at Jae Woo and Soo Ah. Jae Woo softly waved while Soo Ah beamed and bowed her head. "Hoo, hoo. The rankings may not have changed, but you should be worried." Seol Heeughed. "Why''s that?" Seong Gook looked curious. "The second ce team, Mr. Tae Gyu and Ms. Se Hwa have almost caught up," Seol Hee said. Se Hwa and Tae Gyu were still 2nd ce, but there wasn¡¯t a huge difference in votes between first and second ce. "I see. Mr. Tae Gyu was really cool and strongst time; he was like a knight riding a white horse," Seong Gook said. "Indeed. He drew in our female viewers." Seol Hee pointed at Tae Gyu. "Thank you very much!" Tae Gyu smiled and said. Beside him, Yoon Se Hwa gave a very TV-like reaction, saying ''Way to go!''. "In 3rd ce is Mr. Bae Shik and Ms. Lisa. Mr. Jake and Hye Yeon are stillst!" Seol Hee revealed the other teams¡¯ rankings as well. "Ooh, there isn¡¯t much of a difference in votes between these two teams either," Seong Gook said. "Indeed. We have quite the punishment waiting in the wings, so the bottom two teams are fighting as desperately as the first and second ce teams." Seol Hee raised her voice. "I wonder who wille in first andst. We''ll just have to see to find out," Seong Gook said. "That''s correct. Who will win and who will lose?" "Let''s see what our contestants think." Seong Gook approached the cast and began interviewing each of them. After that, the teams chose their dungeons. Jake and Hye Yeon, who failed their level 3 dungeon, picked their level 3 dungeon again. "Everyone else, please choose your level 4 dungeon." They decided their pick order via rock-paper-scissors, and it was eventually time for Jae Woo and Soo Ah to choose. "Oppa, where should we go?" Soo Ah asked. "If it''s ok with you, I''d like to go to Guntrak," Jae Woo said. This was the dungeon he''d decided upon beforehand. "Alright. That''s ok with me." "Evil spirits appear in Guntrak though." "E-Evil spirits?" Soo Ah flinched. She hated evil spirits. "It''s not like the Maumbharat Pce, where the evil spirits there just try to surprise you." "Hmm. Let''s give it a try." Soo Ah resolved herself and nodded her head. "We''ll go to Guntrak," Jae Woo raised his hand and said. "Then let''s see what Guntrak''s mission is!" Once she finished speaking, Jae Woo and Soo Ah''s mission showed up on the screen. Mission: Defeat the boss monster, Alky. Alky was considered a really troublesome boss monster. Of course, that only applied to normal yers. ''It''s easy.'' Jae Woo grinned. Although it was a boss monster, it was still an evil spirit! If that''s the case, then his demon sword could cut through it. "With this, all of our teams have picked their dungeons," Seong Gook said. "Now, let''s see our teams conquer their dungeons... But before that, let''s cut to amercial!" Seol Hee acted cute. "We''ll see you in a minute. Stay tuned!" Seong Gook finished up. "Cut." "Good job everyone." "Contestants, please gather in the capsule room." The staff moved around busily. "Shall we go?" "Ok." Jae Woo and Soo Ah stood up. At that moment... Yoon Se Hwa quickly passed by them and said, "Make sure you win." After that, Park Tae Gyu clenched his fist, said ''good luck'' and left. "What was that?" Jae Woo furrowed his brow. His eyes were saying, ''What''s with them?''. "Were they... cheering for us?" Soo Ah said, sporting a bitter expression. Yoon Se Hwa was definitely cheering for her... right? "Hmm. Is this some new attempt at bullying?" Jae Woo said, stroking his chin. "I''m not sure. Whatever the case, this makes me feel ufortable." "Yeah. It looks like they have some sort of ulterior motive... Well, whatever. For now, let''s focus on our job," Jae Wooforted her. "Ok." * * * Guntrak was an ancient castle. Of course, it wasn''t unscathed. The walls had been knocked down, and only the main buildingy standing. "Here." As always, the youngest writer handed Kang Oh a Sabra''s Contract. It would reduce his abilities by 20%. ''20% isn''t even a handicap.'' His demon sword could cut through ghosts as well. ''They''re all dead.'' Kang Oh eyes glinted as he stared at the castle before him. "Don''t forget to turn on film mode. As always, I''m rooting for you. Good luck!" the writer said. Kang Oh and Asu activated film mode. "Let''s go!" Asu moved first. She walked briskly towards the dungeon entrance. Kang Oh followed her and entered the dungeon. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Guntrak.] "Hmm." Kang Oh examined the dungeon''s interior. Not only was the ceiling high, but there was a lengthy passageway as well. The thick windows were draped with old, worn-out curtains, and evenly spaced red crosses were drawn on the floor. Themps, hung upon the walls, were ame, but weren''t intense enough to properly illuminate the interior. Thus, the inside of the castle was rtively dark, and it seemed like something would pop out at any time. "Oppa." Asu grabbed his wrist, dispirited. "It''s alright. Just think of it as any other dungeon. We''re here to hunt some monsters, that''s all." "U-Understood. I''m ok!" Although her voice quivered, she tried her damndest to act tough. "Heok!" Kang Oh suddenly flinched, lookingpletely shocked, and Asu followed suit. "Hiik!" She clung onto Kang Oh for dear life. "What is it!? What is it!?" Asu repeatedly asked, her face buried in his wrist. Kang Oh didn''t say anything. Since nothing had happened, Asu carefully opened her eyes. Nothing had been there in the first ce. "Oh,e on!" Asu red at Kang Oh hatefully. Kang Oh grinned at her reaction. "This is funny to you?" Asu''s re was akin to aser. "Oh? You''re speaking informally." "What, what, what!?" Asu said. "I just didn''t want you to be afraid! This ce isn''t scary, alright?" Kang Oh said. "Hoo, I understand. I do, but it looks just like a horror movie set." Asu warily looked around. "We''re shooting an action movie, y''know." "Really?" "Really!" Kang Oh said strongly. Then, Asu let go of Kang Oh''s wrist. With a determined expression, she said, "Let''s go." "Alright. The evil spirits here are over level 170, so stay close." Right as he finished, he remembered something noteworthy, and added, "I won''t be overprotective likest time. We''ll fight together this time." "Ok." Soo Ah smiled. A short whileter... Their first enemies appeared. Their faces were tormented like the figure in Edvard Munch''s . Their arms were like withered branches in the winter with sharp fingers at the ends. As ghosts, they floated in the air without legs. Like any other evil spirit, they were ck. There were eight of them. "They''re evil spirits." "Is there anything I should look out for?" Asu asked. "Physical attacks won''t work on them and they''re also extremely aggressive, since they loathe humans." "Physical attacks won''t work?" "Yeah. But your ne instills your de with cold energy, so can still damage them with your sword." "Understood. Anything else?" "Experience it for yourself." Asu was no longer a beginner that needed Kang Oh to exin everything to her. If he exined a couple things to her, then she could figure out the rest on her own. "Understood!" Once they got a little closer, the evil spirits noticed their presence and came flying towards them. "C''mon you moths!" Kang Oh drew his demon sword and yelled. Swipe! One of the evil spirits readied its sharp fingers and wed at Kang Oh. At that moment... Swish! Kang Oh jet-ck de struck first; the de, a darker shade of ck than the evil spirits, passed through the ghost. The evil spirit''s face, which was already contorted in pain, twisted even further and was bisected. Kang Oh immediately swung his sword thrice more. Whenever he swung his de, he would slice through the evil spirit''s body. This was Abyss de, the ability to cut through the incorporeal! ''It''s a perfect ability.'' Kang Oh grinned and cleaved the ghost once more. As a result... [You have defeated Guntrak''s Evil Spirit.] With his demon sword in tow, Kang Oh was essentially the evil spirits'' worst nightmare. Plus, Asu was doing a lot better than he''d expected. "Huahp!" She swung her sword properly without fear. Whenever she swung her sword, the cold energy would inflict damage, causing shards of light to fall from the evil spirits. ''As expected.'' The situation unfolded as he''d anticipated; Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction. Ghosts possessed a tremendous ability: invincibility versus physical attacks. However, that didn''t make them strong enemies. Their HP and defense were both extremely low and elemental attacks would work on them, even if physical attacks wouldn''t. Due to this, Asu was able to fight them off with rtive ease, despite the huge level disparity. Though she was rtively low leveled, Asu''s sword dealt cold damage, allowing her to fight against the evil spirits. Of course, it was easy to fight them, but that didn''t mean that they weren''t dangerous. If Asu were to receive a focused attack from the evil spirits, then her HP would dwindle instantly. ''I won''t let that happen.'' Kang Oh kept an eye on their movements and took down any ghosts that may pose a threat to her without getting in her way. A short whileter... All of the evil spirits were either cut to shreds or were frozen solid. Chapter 119. Cannibalistic Evil Spirit, Alky

Chapter 119. Cannibalistic Evil Spirit, Alky

Trantor: Boko Theyout of the Guntrak Castle was simple; the entrance led to a gigantic hall, and yers could reach the upper floors via the circr stairway. After ascending the stairs, another hall would be awaiting them. Upon reaching the end of the hall, there would be yet another stairway awaiting them. ''I think the boss monster''s at the top.'' Kang Oh stepped forward. Upon contact, he heard a ''click'' and his Hyper Intuition warned him of danger. ''A trap!'' Kang Oh didn''t have time to warn her, so he pulled Asu towards him and jumped away. "Huh?" Asu widened her eyes at his sudden action. At the same time...! Whoosh! Sharp needles popped out of the red crosses on the ground. Thud. Kang Ohnded on the floor, his body still wrapped around Asu''s body. "Oppa, are you ok?" she asked worryingly. "Yeah. It''s a good thing I dodged the trap." Kang Oh smiled. The two stood up, and the sharp needles slowly receded into the ground. "I forgot that Guntrak has a ton of traps." Kang Oh scratched the back of his head. "We should check for traps as we go," Asu said. "Yeah, we should." They progressed carefully. A short whileter... The two encountered another evil spirit, but it was different from the ones they¡¯d encountered prior. This evil spirit had long hair. ''It''s a resentful evil spirit.'' There were a variety of different evil spirits; resentful evil spirits specialized in throwing ice spears. Kang Oh and Asu engaged the resentful evil spirit. Gyaaaahk! The evil spirit gave off an ear-splitting shriek and threw an ice spear. Kang Oh took care of the ice spear with his demon sword''s special ability, which could absorb magic every 30 seconds, and cut through the evil spirits. Gyaaahk! A resentful evil spirit wouldn¡¯t die in peace; it would scream instead. After that... They encountered several different types of evil spirits. Some emitted sound waves from their mouths, others possessed ming bodies and charged at their enemies; there were also hand-less evil spirits with gigantic mouths, etc. Although they encountered a variety of evil spirits, Kang Oh and Asu were able to advance with ease. To be more specific, Asu fought well, but Kang Ohpletely overwhelmed the ghosts. They continued on, disarming the asional trap, and eventually reached the top floor. "This is the boss room." The door was closed shut on both sides. "Our mission is to defeat the Cannibalistic Evil Spirit, Alky, right?" Asu recalled their mission. "Yeah. Let me tell you what I know about Alky." "Ok." "Alky was the original owner of this castle, but he engaged in cannibalism; he was cursed and then became an evil spirit." "Cannibalism... Ugh." Hearing that, Soo Ah furrowed her brow. "He''s a piece of shit, so don''t show any mercy." "I''ll do my best!" Asu pledged. "Let me exin his attack patterns." Kang Oh continued his exnation. "... and that''s all you have to do! You good?" "Be careful of the traps and evade Evil Spirit''s Ring at all cost. For everything else, we just adapt to the circumstances, right?" "Good. Let''s go." Kang Oh forcefully opened the door. Screech. The door ''screeched'' as it scraped on the floor. Thud. Once the door was fully opened, they could see the boss room in its entirety. The floor was filled with red crosses, and ck smoke gathered at the center of the room like a ck cloud. Uha! The ck smoke began to take shape. [You have discovered the Cannibalistic Evil Spirit, Alky.] It was none other than Guntrak''s boss monster, Alky! At that moment... ''It''s transforming. If that''s the case...'' Kang Oh assumed an iaido stance and swung diagonally. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pounced on Alky. Boom! Tempest Tiger swept through the boss. Alky was in the middle of transforming, so it was a direct hit! The ck smokeprising Alky''s body dispersed, and shards of light spurt everywhere. "Go!" Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He took a few steps, triggering a trap. Sharp spears burst from the ground. Kang Oh wasn''t surprised in the least and avoided the trap. He then continued to advance forward. He knew that the boss room was rife with traps, so he had no reason to be surprised. Anyway, Kang Oh avoided a trap and approached Alky, but Alky had already finished transforming and had assumed his original form. Like other evil spirits, Alky possessed an upper body but no legs. Of course, it was quiterge for an evil spirit. Its body was disproportional. In other words, its head wasrge, but its body wasparatively small. Half of Alky''s round, ck face was its mouth; its gaping mouth reminded him of Pac-Man. Then... What looked to be lumps of charcoal popped out of its mouth and came for Kang Oh. ming evil spirits! Kang Oh avoided the evil spirits via his Hyper Intuition and evasion. Bang, bang, bang! The evil spirits passed him; as they collided with the floor or the walls, they exploded like firebombs. However, Kang Oh wasn''t interested in the fire show behind him. Instead, he swung his demon sword at Alky with all his might. Swish! His sword sliced through Alky''s face. No, it should''ve, but... It felt different from all the other times he''d cut through ghosts. ''It feels sticky!'' He supposed this is what it felt like when you picked up honey with a spoon. Kang Oh swung once more, but it didn''t cut through; instead, it stuck to Alky''s body once more. Despite that, his demon sword was still effective against it. He hadn''t attacked its weak point, yet red shards of light burst from Alky''s body regardless. Huwaah! Alky began its counterattack. It expelled ming evil spirits from its mouth once more. Kang Oh quickly twisted his head to the side, but wasn''t able to dodge all of them. In the end, he was struck by one of the evil spirits. "Ugh!" The damage was substantial. He gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Kang Oh''s sword cut through Alky, but he wasn''t able to go all the way through. ''It may be an evil spirit, but I can''t forget that it''s a boss.'' He thought he''d be able to take down Alky in the single strike like the other evil spirits. But now, he realized that the battle could go on longer than he''d first expected. ''It''s fine. It doesn''t change the fact that I''m going to win.'' Kang Oh cleaved upwards. sh! Swish. A white line cleaved through Alky''s body. Kang Oh kept swinging his sword, pressing his offensive. Asu fiercely swung her cold imbued sword from beside him. Ptui! Alky spat out all kinds of evil spirits. Evil spirits that either threw fire with two hands, emitted sound waves from their mouth, orunched ice spears! These evil spirits flew around Alky and attacked Kang Oh and Asu with fire, ice, and sound attacks. They reminded him of a Carrier and its interceptors from Starcraft. Kang Oh and Asu dodged their attacks, and leaped in different directions. But Asu triggered a trap, causing a sharp spear to pop out of the ground. She gritted her teeth and jumped away, dodging it by a hair''s breadth. Then, an ice spear came flying at her. Asu was forced to jump away once more. Kang Oh, however, had a much easier time than her. After dodging the traps and the evil spirits'' attacks, he threw a dagger at the ghosts guarding Alky. Swoosh! Thwock! The horn dagger pierced the evil spirits'' face. Bzzzzt! His dagger possessed the power of lightning! Thus making it effective against evil spirits too. After that, Kang Oh aimed for Alky. Darkness Strike had activated just in time. Boom! Alky was swept up by an even deeper darkness. Then, the spirits flying around Alky initiated a suicide attack against Kang Oh. Kyaaaahk! It was chaos. Kang Oh retreated, and parried each and every spirit with his sword. His demon sword allowed him to cut through all of them. At that moment... Grr... More evil spirits popped out of Alky''s mouth. It looked like there were more than thirty of them. But these ones seemedckluster. They weren''t ame, didn''t hold ice spears, or emit sound waves; they just looked like tadpoles. "It''s using Evil Spirit''s Ring!" Kang Oh yelled. Huaaang! The tadpole-like spirits were spinning around Alky. At some point... Five of the evil spirits, now linked together in a circle, flew towards Kang Oh and Asu. This was Evil Spirit''s Ring! Six of these rings flew towards them. "Concentrate. Remember to watch out for traps too!" "Ok!" Asu replied strongly. The rings gradually widened, but that was all. They didn''t feel threatening at all because of how slow they were. Kang Oh and Asu were able to dodge them with ease. However...! This is when the rings would be dangerous. The rings passed them, bouncing off the walls and floor, and caused chaos to ensue. The evil spirits came from every direction. "Dodge or parry them. And be careful of the traps too!" Kang Oh did as he instructed as well. "Ok!" Asu carefully followed his instructions. The evil spirits came from everywhere! Kang Oh and Asu could also trigger traps at any time too! Kang Oh and Asu hectically dodged and parried the ghosts repeatedly. ''Good.'' At some point, Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He''d stayed next to her so that he could help her out if she needed it. However, Asu didn''t need his help, and was holding out just fine on her own. If that''s the case, then... ''Let''s finish this.'' Kang Oh moved his body around as if he were dodging gunfire from a shooting game, and rushed towards Alky. Alky was maintaining the Evil Spirit''s Ring, so he waspletely defenseless. "Huahp!" sh! He shed its face diagonally. Then, he cut, stabbed, etc... But was forced to roll onto the floor due to the iing evil spirits. He pushed off the floor with his hand, but felt like he''d triggered a switch of sorts. Sharp needles immediately popped out of the ground. ''A trap!'' Roll, roll. Kang Oh rolled to the side twice and stood up immediately. Then, he continued his assault! Kyaahk! Alky shrieked. "Shut up!" Kang Oh swung downwards, squashing Alky''s face. Pitter-patter. It seemed as though Evil Spirit''s Ring was over, as the tadpole-shaped spirits fell to the floor. Kya! Like it''d done before, Alky spat out ming spirits. Bang, bang, bang! mes arose from the walls and the ground! After that, Alky attempted to spit out more evil spirits to protect itself. "Just die already!" Kang Oh thrust his sword into its mouth. Tempest Tiger! Whoosh. Tempest Tiger bobbed up and down deep within Alky''s mouth like a deep nail. Alky''s body swelled with the addition of the Tempest Tiger in its body. Then...! Bang! [You have defeated the Cannibalistic Evil Spirit, Alky.] Abination of ck smoke and red shards of light flew through the air, and then disappeared on their own. "Missionplete." Kang Oh grinned. "Hoo, hoo." Asu caught her breath. "Good work." Kang Oh gave her a thumbs up, and then picked up the items Alky had dropped. It was a worn-out and shabby hair pin. ''This is...?'' Kang Oh recalled what he''d seen on the post regarding Alky. "Here." "What is this?" "It''s a keepsake of all of Alky''s victims. If you bury this in a sunny ce, then you should get a reward." Though it wasn''t a huge reward. The spirits of the victims would appear, give some experience, and then express their thanks. "Understood." Asu ced the hair pin into her inventory. "Let''s head back to the studio and finish things up." "Alright." Chapter 120. Four-Way Talk

Chapter 120. Four-Way Talk

Trantor: Boko "Did you know, Mr. Seong Gook?" Kang Seol Hee asked. "Know what?" "One of our teams unfortunately failed their mission." "Really?" "Yes, it''s true. Which team do you think it was?" Seol Hee asked. Seong Gook didn''t know which team had failed, so he stared at the team who''d failedst time, Team Jake and Hye Yeon. "You failed again?" "No!" Jake feverishly shook his hands. "He''s right. We didn''t fail today!" Hye Yeon, who was beside him, said. "Hmm. Then who?" Seong Gook looked over the other teams. There was someone trying to avoid his gaze. ''It''s you!'' Seong Gook smirked. "It''s not Team Jake and Hye Yeon. Now, everyone please look at the screen. The failing team is..." Drum roll. The team that appeared on the screen was... "Team Park Bae Shik and Lisa!" Seol Hee loudly revealed. "Aah, Mr. Bae Shik," Jeon Seong Gook called disappointingly. "What happened?" "Ahem. It just happened." "Aah, you couldn''t forget the taste of the salty sikhye, could you?" Seong Gook smiled impishly. Bae Shik had failed his mission during Chuseok weekend, and was forced to drink a salty sikhye as punishment; he''d promptly spat it out soon after. That''s what Seong Gook was referring to. "If I have to drink it again, then I''m spitting it at you," Bae Shik said. "Then let''s move on to Team Bae Shik and Lisa''s punishment." As soon as Seol Hee finished speaking, the staff prepared a box filled with punishment cards. The female rapper, Lisa, picked out one of the punishment cards. "Hoh, Team Bae Shik and Lisa''s punishment is... Drinking extreme juice!" Seong Gook stated. "Extreme juice? What is that?" Bae Shik asked, his eyes filled with suspicion. "It''s a nutritious beverage made by our writers using all sorts of healthy ingredients, but..." Seol Hee smiled and added, "I can''t say it tastes good." p. She pped her hands, and the staff brought over two cups of extreme juice. ''Mm.'' Jae Woo scowled upon seeing the extreme juice. Soo Ah, who sat beside him, had a simr reaction to it. "Y-You want me to drink this?" Bae Shik trembled. Extreme juice. Not only was it a strangebination of brown and green, but it seemed thick and watery at the same time; a truly bizarre texture. It stunk too. "Isn''t this poop?" Lisa looked like she wanted to cry. "It''s not. It''s a nutritional drink made of all sorts of healthy ingredients," Seol Hee firmly said. "And if you spit it out halfway, you need to drink another one," Seong Gook grinned and said. Then... "Lisa, let''s decide who drinks this with rock-paper-scissors. How about it?" "One person drinks both?" "Yeah. One of us has to live after all." "You got it. Is that ok with you?" Lisa, who''d agreed with Bae Shik''s proposal, stared at Seong Gook. Seong Gook checked with Jin Cheol; he ok''d it. "That''s fine. Then..." Bae Shik and Lisa yed rock-paper-scissors to decide their fate. The winner was... "The one who makes the offer always seems to lose stuff like this." Soo Ah clicked her tongue. "Seems like it." Jae Woo nodded his head in agreement. "Uheoook!" Park Bae Shik was tearing his hair out, while Lisa was jumping around, shouting ''I lived!''. "Now, Mr. Bae Shik. Please take your punishment," Seol Hee said, her expression firm. "Haha, here." Seong Gook gave him the extreme juice. Bae Shik pinched his nose and drank it all down. Once he drank the juice, his face seemed to contort like a wrinkled newspaper. "Bleh!" "Aah, are you going to spit it out again?" Seong Gook raised his voice. "You have to drink another one if you do," Seol Hee quickly said. Gulp! Ultimately, Bae Shik swallowed it all down. "Bleh! Please give me some water!" He caught his breath and sought water. "One more." Seong Gook grinned and passed him the second drink. "You demon!" "Drink it down in one shot like a man." "Ugh." In the end, Bae Shik finished off the other drink as well. With his punishment done with, Bae Shik plopped into his seat. Lisa patted his back, consoling him. "How did it taste?" Seong Gook asked. "I-It tasted like sewage water..." His body shook as if recalling the taste of the extreme juice. "Now, please give Mr. Bae Shik a round of apuse for getting through the punishment." p, p, p. The sound of apuse resounded throughout the studio, though it didn''t make Bae Shik feel any better. After that, Seong Gook chatted with each of the contestants; once he was finished, their total reward showed up on the screen. ''10 million won ($10,000 USD)!'' The only teams that hadpleted all of their missions were Team Oga and Soo Ah, and Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa. Their total reward thus far was 10 million won. When he saw the reward, Jae Woo couldn''t help but smile. "Mr. Seong Gook." "Yes, Ms. Seol Hee?" "Do you know what the level 5 dungeon is?" "Hoo, hoo. Who do you think I am? Of course I do." "What is it then?" "It''s the Tarnatose Prison!" Seong Gook confidently said. "Exactly. It''s the renowned Tarnatose Prison!" Seol Hee raised her voice. "It''s where Bart, who is one of the Numbers and is considered the most talented high school gamer, made history," Seong Gook said. "Indeed. Team Oga and Soo Ah, and Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa will take on this dungeon." "Hoo, hoo. I''m really looking forward to it," Seong Gook chimed in. "What kind of missions will our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls participate in? Will they have to beat Mr. Bart''s time?" Seol Hee said with both excitement and anxiety. "Hoo, hoo. How will it turn out?" Seong Gook replied. "Please look forward to it. It''ll be even better next week!" "I hope you all tune in next week too!" Seol Hee and Seong Gook waved with bright expressions. "Cut!" That was the end of the shoot. "Good job." Jae Woo slightly extended his hand. "You too." Jae Woo and Soo Ah softly shook hands just for the hell of it. Then, Yoon Se Hwa approached them with Tae Gyu close behind. "I have something to say," Se Hwa said. She nced at Jae Woo too. "All four of us." * * * Jae Woo, Soo Ah, Tae Gyu, and Se Hwa entered a vacant waiting room. Though there were chairs and a table avable, they leaned against opposite walls and stared at each other. ... A strange silence ensued. "What did you want to say?" Soo Ah asked first. Yoon Se Hwa briefly bit her lip, made up her mind, and said, "I hate you." Soo Ah furrowed her brow. ''Was she going to go on about that again?'' "You hate me too, right?" she continued. "I don''t... like you," Soo Ah said, staring directly at her. "So let''s have a match." "Excuse me?" Soo Ah couldn''t understand what she was alluding to. ''Why is she being like this?''. "Let''s have a match," Yoon Se Hwa said, ring at her. "Exin it so she can understand." Jae Woo, who was listening cross-armed, intervened. Then, Tae Gyu raised his hand. "Ah, may I exin?" "Go ahead," Soo Ah said. "It''s simple. We''ll make a bet, and whoever loses will have to pay the price." "A bet?" Jae Woo asked. "We have just the thing: the Tarnatose Prison." "So you want to challenge us to an escape game," Jae Woo said. "What is an escape game?" Soo Ah asked. "An escape game is..." Jae Woo gave her a detailed exnation of what an escape game was. The more time passed, the stronger the Tarnatose Prison''s prison guards became. An escape game was a sort of ''game within a game'' in which the yers would make use of this feature andpete against each other. In other words, yers would deliberately wait and allow the prison guards to be stronger, and then try to beat each others'' times. Let''s say an A is waiting for 40 minutes and escaping in 30 minutes. Then a B was waiting for 40 minutes and escaping in 29 minutes. B would have a higher score, as they had escaped quicker. Dreamgate, seeing how much yers were enjoying this, created an actual record board. They created a device at the entrance, which would quickly pass the time, and a ranking board at the exit, which would record how much time had passed, as well as how long it took to clear. "They want to decide the winner using this escape game," Soo Ah said. "Exactly. And the winners get a juicy reward from the losers." Tae Gyu nodded his head. "Are you going to do it or not?" Se Hwa looked at her provokingly. "Why do I need to have a match with you in the first ce?" "If you win, then I won''t stir up trouble ever again," Se Hwa tempted. However, Soo Ah wasn''t convinced in the least. "Not really interested. After Dungeon Conquering Man is over, we won''t really meet much anyway." "Who knows, it''s a small world." ''So you''ll eventually see me again!''. "Are you so sure? I don''t think you''llst that long," Soo Ah said icily. ''It doesn''t matter; you won''t make it very far anyway!'' "You!" "What!?" It quickly turned into an emotional battle. Jae Woo grabbed Soo Ah''s shoulder. "Calm down. Let''s hear what they have to say, ok?" Jae Woo stared at Yoon Se Hwa and asked, "If you win, what will Soo Ah have to do for you?" "It''s simple. She gets on her knees and says ''I was wrong'' in front of me." "That sounds like something you should be doing for her, not the other way around." After all, Soo Ah was the victim here! "What did you say!?" Yoon Se Hwa stared at him venomously as if she''d kill him. Jae Woo didn''t back down and stared directly at her. It was like there were sparks between them. At that moment, Park Tae Gyu intervened. "I have a requirement too." "We haven''t agreed yet," Jae Woo said firmly. However, Tae Gyu wouldn''t stop. "If we win, then you work for the Jairus Guild for a year. Ah, you''ll have to share all of the information on the adamantium too, as it''s for the guild!" In other words, if he won, then the Jairus Guild would work him like a dog. Normally, people wouldn''t agree to such a bet when the terms were so outrageous. But he''d made the offer anyway, which meant... ''He starts off strong, and then slowly lowers it as if he''s doing me a favor. There''s no reason to y his game.'' Jae Woo, who''d finished thinking, replied, "Then if we win, then I''ll work you like a dog. You''ll have to do your best andmit yourself to me." ''Fine, I''ll work you like a dog!'' Tae Gyu momentarily recoiled. He''d expected Jae Woo to say something along the lines of ''The terms are outrageous'', but he''d epted the terms straight away. At that moment... It seemed like things were getting out of hand, so Soo Ah grabbed Jae Woo''s cor. "Oppa." "Ah, that''s only if... we ept the match." Jae Woo grinned. "Let''s not do it. I don''t want you to get caught up in my business." "Ah, that''s not what this is about. You probably got caught up in my business. Isn''t that right, Mr. Park Tae Gyu?" Jae Woo was sure that Tae Gyu had constructed this n. There was no way someone like Yoon Se Hwa could''vee up with a n that made use of the escape game. "We just came to an understanding." Tae Gyu smiled. "Soo Ah and I have some things to talk about, so could you please give us some space?" Jae Woo asked. "Understood." "Hmph." Tae Gyu and Yoon Se Hwa left the waiting room. "Oppa, you can''t ept their offer," Soo Ah firmly said. On the other hand, Jae Woo wanted to ept the bet. He was confident that he could win, and he wanted to show them the bitter taste of defeat too. Not to mention...! Jae Woo had seen how draining this rtionship was on Soo Ah, so he wanted to use this opportunity to unburden her. "Don''t you want to cut her out of your life?" "I-I do, but..." Her eyes quivered. Jae Woo grabbed her hands and said, "Then let''s do it." Chapter 121. Challenge Accepted

Chapter 121. Challenge epted

Trantor: Boko Soo Ah shook her head. "I can''t do that." "Why not?" "What if we lose?" If they lost, she¡¯d have to kneel in front of Yoon Se Hwa and apologize. She really didn¡¯t want to do that. Not only that, but... "It''s even worse for you." Jae Woo would also be forced to join the Jairus Guild for a year. "There''s no guarantee that she''ll keep her promise even if we win." Soo Ah didn''t trust Yoon Se Hwa at all. "If wepete in an escape game, then we''ll win 100%," Jae Woo said with certainty. "Why is that?" "Because it''s you and me." "I''m sorry?" ''What are you talking about?'' "If I use everything under my belt, then we''ll win no matter what," Jae Woo asserted confidently. He wasn''t underestimating Park Tae Gyu. Park Tae Gyu wasn''t unskilled. Not only that, but he could receive assistance from his guild as well. ''That''s why he was in such a hurry to challenge us. I''m not in a guild, while he is. He''s probably confident in his skills too.'' Assistance from arge guild was not to be underestimated. A guild could offer its members weapons, armor, healing/buffing potions, and information. They would also share whatever information they had on conquering the Tarnatose Prison. ''It doesn''t matter. If I use my full strength, then we''ll win no matter what.'' His longtime experience as a gamer was telling him that. Tae Gyu wasn''t a match for him. "Plus, you''re a better yer than Yoon Se Hwa." He''d seen Yoon Se Hwa y a few times via Dungeon Conquering Man, and based on that footage he came to the conclusion that... Yoon Se Hwa was a celebrity, not a gamer; which meant that she yed the game for TV, not because she liked the game. Whereas Soo Ah was both a celebrity and a gamer. She knew how to enjoy a game, and yed seriously. In a 2 versus 2, Jae Woo would beat Tae Gyu, and Soo Ah would beat Se Hwa. Not only that, but...! "We have much better chemistry." Their teamwork was fantastic. Yoon Se Hwa was like Tae Gyu''s sidekick, who just followed him around and made him do the heavy lifting, whereas Soo Ah was a full-fledged teammate. "Are you sure we can win no matter what?" "Yep. Absolutely sure." "Hmm." Soo Ah thought it over. She trusted Jae Woo, but what if they lost? Jae Woo knew what she was worried about and said, "We''ll adjust the terms of the agreement." "How?" "In terms of you and Yoon Se Hwa, the loser will have to kneel before the winner and say they''re sorry. After that, the losing side promises that they won¡¯t stir up trouble." If Soo Ah won, then Yoon Se Hwa would be forced to kneel before her and apologize! "What about you?" "If I lose, then I''ll give Tae Gyu information on the adamantium ore rather than joining the Jairus Guild. In exchange, if I win, then I get the information I want from him." If he could, then he would''ve added ''You''re my ve for a year.''. But if he did, then he felt like Soo Ah wouldn''t ept the challenge. "What if they don''t honor the bet?" "We have to write a contract. And it''ll be broadcasted, so we''ll know who won for sure." "Oppa, is this really the right call?" "Yeah, it is," Jae Woo said with surety. "Ok." In the end, Soo Ah made up her mind. She would ept the challenge. A short whileter... Jae Woo, Soo Ah, Tae Gyu, and Se Hwa gathered in one ce. "Let''s change the terms of the agreement," Jae Woo said. "How?" Tae Gyu asked. "If Soo Ah or your partner loses, then they have to kneel and say they''re sorry. Of course, the loser also has to promise not to stir up trouble thereafter." "What?" Yoon Se Hwa scowled. ''She wants someone else to bow in front of her, but she''s unwilling to do the same.'' "If you don''t want to, then that''s fine too." Jae Woo shrugged his shoulders. It didn''t matter whether they epted the new terms or not. "Ms. Se Hwa, you said you wanted to win. All we have to do is win," Tae Gyu whispered into her ear. "Fine." Ultimately, Se Hwa epted the new terms. "What else?" Tae Gyu asked. "We remove the 1 year use," Jae Woo said. "Understood," Tae Gyu replied immediately. "If I lose, then I''ll give you detailed information on how to obtain the adamantium ore. That''s what you want, right?" "Yes." "But if I win, then I want some information too." "What kind of information?" "Information on the Master Miners. The Jairus Guild is searching for the best ore, so you must have information on the Master Miners as well." Jae Woo would use this opportunity to find a Master Miner, and use them to mine the adamantium beneath the Holiseum. "Mm. Master Miners, huh... Why do you need that kind of information? Is it rted to...?" Tae Gyu wanted to ask whether it was rted to the adamantium ore or not, but Jae Woo interrupted him. "I don''t need to tell you that. Can you provide me the information or not?" "Understood. If you win, then I will provide you information regarding the Master Miners," Tae Gyu replied. "Alright. Then let''s write up a contract so that no one changes their mindter." Jae Woo and Tae Gyu sat on opposite sides of the table, and began writing the contract. "How about a 100 million won ($100,000 USD) penalty for breach of contract?" Jae Woo asked. "1-100 million?" Yoon Se Hwa widened her eyes. "You just need to follow the contract. Isn''t that right?" Jae Woo stared at Tae Gyu. "Indeed. You just need to follow the contract." They were finished writing up the contract after adding in the penalty use. The four sifted through the contract and then signed next to their names. They were now in between a rock and a hard ce. Tae Gyu and Se Hwa picked up their contracts and stood up. "I hope youe prepared." "Get your knees ready." After the two had left, Kang Oh and Soo Ah stared at each other. "Soo Ah." "Yes?" "Let''s win no matter what." Jae Woo was confident in their chances. Still, he couldn''t afford to be careless. ''I''ll use everything at my disposal!'' His eyes glinted. "Yes, let''s win for sure!" Soo Ah clenched her fists. * * * Kang Oh was in the middle of hunting bandits with Sephiro and Eder when he received a message from Asu. - Oppa, I logged in. - How''s your schedule? - I''m finished for today. - You''re in Altein, right? - Yes. - I''ll be there in a minute. Wait right there. Kang Oh closed the message window and said, "We''ll stop here for today." "Excuse me?" "Really?" Their expressions seemed to say, ''I can''t believe this.''. Kang Oh wasn''t the type of person to end things early. This was Kang Oh they were talking about. "I have some matters to attend to." "What matters?" Eder asked. "A date," Kang Oh said with a triumphant expression. "With a guy?" Eder asked impishly. "Haha," Sephiroughed. "A girl," Kang Oh said clearly. "Sure, sure." Sephiro and Eder didn''t believe him. "Whatever. I''m leaving." Kang Oh waved his hand with a ''swish'', took out a return scroll, and used it to return to Altein. Silver powder glowed, and Kang Oh''s body began to fade. Soon, hepletely disappeared. "He used a return scroll? Do you think... he actually has a date with a girl?" Eder asked. "That''s not possible," Sephiro firmly said. "There''s no woman who''d fall for someone like him..." Sephiro suddenly thought of something. ''W-Wait a sec. That guy''s on the same show as Ms. Triple Lower. They looked pretty close... No way. He''s not going to meet Ms. Soo Ah, is he?'' "What''s wrong?" Eder asked, as Sephiro had stopped talking and began thinking. "Eh, no way." Sephiro shook his head. "What''s wrong?" Eder asked once more. "It''s nothing, Brother." Eder and Sephiro finished up and headed for the nearest town. * * * The 1st floor of the Vyoom Inn was a bar, while the 2nd and 3rd floors were amodations. In the past, Kang Oh had signed an unfair contract with Sephiro here. Kang Oh opened the door and entered the inn. He took a quick look around, and found Asu waiting for him at a table. "I''m here." Kang Oh approached her. "You came quick," she greeted. "There''s nothing else in your schedule today, right?" "Yes." "What about tomorrow?" "I have to go to the shop at daybreak. My schedule is packed tomorrow." "Hmm. Then I shouldn''t keep you for too long today." Kang Oh had told Eder and Sephiro that he was going on a date, but that wasn''t actually so. They were going to undergo some special training in order to best Park Tae Gyu and Yoon Se Hwa in the escape game. "I can gote into the night! I can just sleep in the car!" she said ardently. "Ok. What level are you?" "Level 85!" "Alright. Then let''s get you up to level 100 before the next episode." "Is that possible?" The next shoot was in a week. Was it even possible to level up that much by then? "Yeah, it is. Leveling up to 100 is pretty easy." It wouldn''t be hard to level her up. "Let''s get you some better equipment once you hit 100. I''ll help you find the right items." "Um, Oppa." Asu raised her hand. "Yeah, what is it?" "The guildmaster gave me some items already. She told me to equip them once I hit level 100. I think I can just use those." "Ah, the person who gave you your ne gave you other items too?" "Yes. Would you like to take a look at them?" "Sure." Asu took out a sword, a full armor set, and a ring out of her inventory and ced them atop the table. Kang Oh eyes widened as he examined the items. "This... is a True Knight armor set. The sword''s S-rank too." Each and every one of them was a masterpiece. "You got these as a present?" "Yes." "That friend of yours is either really rich, or is a really high level yer." "She said that she was a famous yer. Anyway, these items are good enough, right?" "They''re more than enough. Next up... Let''s spar in our free time," Kang Oh said. "Spar?" "Yeah. It''d be more beneficial to spar with me than hunting most monsters." "I won''t go easy on you!" Asu said, her eyes glinting. "That''s my line... Anyway, I''ll give you some info on the Tarnatose Prison, so make sure you memorize it. The day before the shoot, let''s go to the Tarnatose Prison and do a rehearsal." Asu nodded her head. "Good. Then, shall we go hunting?" "Where are we going?" Kang Oh grinned. "The jungle." * * * The Lakern Mountain... Kang Oh and Asu entered the Cave Hidden by the Wind. "We''re here," Kang Oh said, pointing at the wind symbol at the end of the cave. "Didn''t you say we were going to a jungle?" Asu said. "Yeah. We are going to a jungle." As soon as he finished, Kang Oh swung his demon sword and used Tempest Tiger. Boom! The Tempest Tiger struck the wall, followed by raging winds. Then, an oval-shaped portal appeared. "Wow. What is this?" Asu widened her eyes. At that moment, she saw a system message. [You have discovered the Quiet Lavero Jungle.] "The Quiet Lavero Jungle..." she said, emphasizing the word ''jungle''. "Wee to the jungle." Kang Oh bowed at the waist like an English gentleman. Chapter 122. Special Training

Chapter 122. Special Training

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Asu exited the portal, reappearing within the Quiet Lavero Jungle. "Wow, it''s a real jungle." Asu marveled at the sight. "The jungle¡¯s huge, and the monsters here are around your level. It''s also a hidden dungeon, so we won''t encounter other yers here either..." That was why he''d brought her here. "It''s perfect, isn''t it?" "Yes, it is." She gave him a double thumbs up as if one hand wasn''t enough. "Alright then, go on and hunt. I''m not going to babysit you this time," Kang Oh said firmly. "That''s what I¡¯m talking about." Asu wanted to get stronger by herself. "Mm. Good luck." "I''m going!" Asu strode forward. One step became two, and two became three. Soon, she disappeared into the overgrown thicket. ''She''s good enough not to die here. Plus, a boss as dangerous as Baramut doesn''t exist here anymore.'' Kang Oh stared at the area where she''d disappeared and then turned around. * * * The first monster that she encountered was a wolf. To be more specific, she encountered eight ck wolves. ''I think they''re about level 80.'' She was no longer a beginner yer; Asu had faced off against wolves before. Asu''s sword radiated light, which wrapped around her entire body. "...I will always be honorable." She cast Knight''s Vow, which increased her attack power and defense. Did this signal the start of the battle? One of the wolves came dashing towards her. Woof. The ck wolf, exposing its scarlet gums, lunged with its sharp teeth. Swish! Asu carefully thrust her sword. Stab! She struck its neck, causing red shards of light fall from the wound. Then, another wolf attacked her from behind. She quickly turned her body, evading the wolf''s attack, and swung diagonally. Honorable Strike! White feathers softly flew into the air. At the same time, her ne activated, causing an ice flower to bloom upon the wolf''s body. "Yahp!" She bent down, and then thrust forward. Her golden hair fluttered through the air. Crack! The ice flower shattered, and the resulting ice shards shredded the wolf''s body. Whimper! Asu calmly countered another attacking wolf. Whack! Her sword fell upon the wolf. However, another two wolves attacked simultaneously, aiming for both her feet. She instinctively swung her sword at the right wolf and tried to pull her left foot back, but she was toote. Bite! "Ugh." Asu grimaced. She was in-game, so it didn''t hurt that much, but her ankle still throbbed. [You have taken damage.] A lump of white shards fell from her ankle. She was about to counterattack with her sword, but then remembered that Kang Oh often incorporated kicks and punches into his attacks. ''Let¡¯s give it a try!'' She forcefully swung her right leg. Her thin, golden boot struck the wolf''s face. Whack! Not only was the sound a breath of fresh air, but she felt a tingle on her spine as well! ''This is fun!'' Asu got excited. "Come here!" She kicked off the floor, rushed forward, and crazily swung her sword. Her ne, which caused her weapon to emanate cold energy, made it so that the more attacks shended, the slower the wolves became. Plus, she would weave in punches and kicks whenever she got the chance. ''It''s easier to attack repeatedly when I add punches and kicks in!'' At that moment... One of the wolves pushed into her side. She responded toote and took damage as a result. ''Oppa dodged them with ease... It really is a lot harder than it looks.'' Asu removed a red HP potion hanging from her belt, and drank it all down. [HP has been recovered.] [You cannot use another HP potion for 30 seconds.] "Hahp!" Asu, who''d topped off her HP, refocused on attacking. Honorable Strike! Vital Thrust! Whenever her sword flew through the air, the wolves would either scream or fall. Ultimately, the wolves'' heads fell to the floor one or two at a time. Thest wolf fell t on the ground, an ice flower blooming on its body. "Hoo, hoo." Asu caught her breath. Then, she looked at the wolves she''d just defeated. "I think I did a good job if I do say so myself," Asu muttered, leaning on her sword. Nod, nod. Asu brandished her sword. "Alright. Let''s go again!" She pushed through the thicket, looking for more prey to hunt. Asu encountered all sorts of monsters, like purple rattlesnakes, giant wasps, ants the size ofrge dogs, monsters frogs with their sticky tongues outstretched, and even tigers! She fought against all the monsters that the Lavero Jungle had to offer. Some of them were difficult to fight because of their poison like the rattlesnake, while others were more like the tiger; brutal, ferocious, and higher-leveled beasts. Nheless, Asu overcame them all by herself. By the time she''d logged off, her level had gone up four times. It was the definition of explosive growth. * * * The next day... Asu, who''d finished the day''s tasks, logged into Arthte into the night. - Oppa, I had a lot to do today, so I only just got on. - There''s a training center near Javen Square. It''s called the Rain Training Center. Can you meet me there? - Ok. I know where it is. I''ll be there in a minute. A short whileter... Kang Oh and Asu met each other within the gym, which was set up with scarecrows. "Have you already gotten the Tenacity side stat?" Kang Oh asked. One could obtain the side stat, Tenacity, by hitting a scarecrow repeatedly in this training center. "I got it a long time ago." Asu had referenced several articles as she built up her character. Thus, she''d already obtained the Tenacity side stat, which was considered essential for a beginner. "You have? Anyway, it''ste, so let''s spar today instead of hunting." "Ok." Asu''s eyes gleamed and began to warm up. "I''m ready," Kang Oh said, drawing his sword with his right hand. [Asu has requested for a spar. Would you like to ept?] "ept." As soon as he was finished, Asu attacked him. "Yahp!" Honorable Strike! Her de, which emanated white light, came for his neck! Then... "Your side''s wide open!" Kang Oh said calmly, and simultaneously swung his sword as quick as lightning. Whoosh! Whack! His demon sword struck Asu''s side. "Ugh." She was beady-eyed like a deer in headlights. One strike had cost her 80% of her HP. Asu quickly retreated, but it was toote. "Shoulder." This time, Kang Oh thrust at her shoulder. Stab! [Asu''s HP has fallen below 10%.] [Winner: Kang Oh] "One more time!" Asu said, sporting an angry expression. She had lost without being able to do anything. "Sure." Kang Oh and Asu sparred three times in a row. Of course, her defeat nor the process that led to her defeat had changed. The duel would end with just two swings of Kang Oh''s sword. "One more!" Asu refused to give up. She wasn''t trying to win; rather, she was trying to whatever she could tond a single hit. "Wait." Kang Oh raised his hand. "Why?" "Do you know why you lost?" "Because I''m a lower level." "And?" "I''m not skilled enough." "What else?" "Do you really need anything else?" "Your skill and level are secondary; your primary problem is that you''re too aggressive," Kang Oh said. "I''m aggressive?" "Yeah. You focus too much on offense, so your defense is poor." Based on her expression, it was clear that she couldn''t understand him. Upon seeing her expression, Kang Oh realized that he''d need to exin in more detail. "Your offense is better than others at your level. However, your defense is much worse than them as well." "Hmm." Asu sported aplicated expression. It seemed like she wasing to several conclusions. "What do I do then?" Asu asked, seeking advice. "You have three choices. I highly rmend increasing your defense. You''re a Knight, so start carrying a shield and learn shield skills." "I don''t want to." "Why?" "Carrying a shield doesn''t look cool," Asu firmly said. ''Eder would be sad if he heard her say that.'' Kang Oh grinned as he thought of the four color skull shield wielding Eder. "What else?" "You could also supplement your defense. You don''t need to equip a shield; you could learn evasion techniques, or survival/defensive techniques instead." "Hmm. What''s thest one?" "Increasing your attack power so much that you can kill your enemies in one hit. It''s basically ''Either you die or I die.''." "I''d rather not. That sounds too unrefined. I''ll choose option #2," Asu said. "Option #2 splits into two paths as well. You can either choose to increase your evasion or reduce the damage you take." "I''ll go with evasion. If I wanted to reduce damage taken, then I''d carry a shield instead," Asu decided unhesitatingly. "That''s why I told you that carrying a shield was your best choice." "I don''t like shields though." Asu smiled. Kang Oh felt sorry for her, as she had forgone the easy path for a much harder path instead. That''s why he tried convincing her once more. "You do know that evasion requires extremely fine control, right? Not only that, but if you make a mistake, then you can take some serious damage." "I can do it. No, I will do it." Her eyes didn''t quiver in the least. She had already made up her mind. "Alright. Then you''ll learn some evasion abilities to supplement your defense." "Ok." "First, go to the Knight Guild and learn Basic Evasion and Fleet Footwork." Kang Oh had also learned these two skills; these two skills were integral for any yer going for an evasion build. "Basic Evasion and Fleet Footwork." "And this is just my personal rmendation... There''s a Knight/Swordsman ss skill called ''Sword Parry''. Learn this too. You won''t regret it." "What''s Sword Parry?" "If you use it at the right time, then you can parry your opponent''s attack." If Kang Oh''s demon sword hadn''t been a greatsword, then he would''ve learned Sword Parry too. However, it was more advantageous to make use of the greatsword''s width and use it to block than parry with it. On the other hand, Asu wielded her sword with one hand, so learning Sword Parry would be a good move for her. "Basic Evasion, Fleet Footwork, and Sword Parry. Just these three skills, right?" "Yeah." "I''lle back after I''ve learned them." Asu headed for the Knight Guild. A short whileter, Asu rushed back. "Let''s spar again. This time, focus on dodging my attacks." "Understood." The spar began. "Don''t try to deflect my attacks with brute force. Take a close look at the direction your opponent''s attack ising from." "Ok." Whoosh. Kang Oh aimed for a weak spot that Hyper Intuition had pointed out to him. Asu managed to control her strength well enough to just barely dodge his attack. She turned her body. His de grazed her thigh. "I-I dodged it!" Asu eximed happily. "I''m going for my next attack." Kang Oh kept up the momentum and followed up with another attack. He aimed for her wrist this time! "Sword Parry!" She didn''t need to yell out the skill''s name, but did so anyway. Screech! Her slender sword shed with Kang Oh''s jet-ck de, and the resulting friction created sparks. Kang Oh felt like the force of his blow had been directed elsewhere. This was Sword Parry! Whack. Since his sword had been redirected, he briefly lost Asu. "Now!" She quickly transitioned from a defensive to an offensive posture and aimed for Kang Oh''s side. Of course, his overpowered Hyper Intuition and evasion allowed him to easily dodge her attack. Then, he counterattacked. Kang Oh carefully controlled his strength and swung his sword. "Hahp!" Asu rolled onto the floor and dodged his de by a hair''s breadth. As they continued taking turns attacking and evading, Asu started getting the hang of evading. Well, that didn''t mean the result of the spar was any different. "Tch." Asu, who''d lost again, sported a disappointed expression. "Let''s stop here. Good job." "Thank you." "What''s your schedule like tomorrow?" "I''m a guest on a radio program in the morning, but other than that I''m free." "Then let''s level you up in the jungle tomorrow." "Ok, that sounds good." Asu smiled at the chance to go hunting tomorrow. "Have you read over the materials I sent you on the Tarnatose Prison?" "Yes. I''ve been reading them over in my spare time." Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly. "Good. Let''s make Yoon Se Hwa and Park Tae Gyu regret challenging us!" Chapter 123. Tarnatose Prison

Chapter 123. Tarnatose Prison

Trantor: Boko Of the countless free cities in the Arth continent, there existed a city called Bigfull; it was the tenthrgest giant city. The Jairus Guild''s headquarters were located here, and it is also where Yoon Se Hwa and Park Tae Gyu were meeting. "Are you sure we can win?" Yoon Se Hwa asked, giving him a nervous look. "I exined why we had to winst time," Tae Gyu replied tiredly. "I''m just anxious!" Se Hwa instantly raised her voice. "Hoo. Then let me tell you again why our victory is assured. Although his skills are roughly on par with my own, I can ask my guild for assistance, while Oga cannot. He''s not even part of a guild." "What about Soo Ah?" "She''s a part of the Witch''s Forest, but the guild seems small and private. I know all of the powerful guilds by heart." Even with this reassurance, Yoon Se Hwa couldn''t help but bite her fingernails. It didn''t help ease her anxiety one bit. Then, Tae Gyu added, "Our mission will likely be the ''1 hour hell''. I already told you why it''s called that, right?" "The guards all turn into monsters after the 1 hour mark," Se Hwa said. "The monsterization isn''t the important part. What is important is the special ability they gain as a result of it. Their regeneration is off the charts, so you can''t kill a single one without dealing damage that surpasses it." This was why yers, who previously enjoyed escape games, imed that it was impossible to clear the Tarnatose Prison after the ''1 hour hell''. The guards would regenerate all of their HP, no matter how much damage the yers dealt to them. "Please take a look at this sword that the guild gave me." Tae Gyu drew the showy red sword at his waist. "It''s called Mk''s Sword of Annihtion. It''s an S-rank weapon that inflicts a healing debuff. In other words, I can seal the guards'' special ability with this sword." Yoon Se Hwa''s expression rxed ever so slightly. "Moreover...! On the day of the shoot, my guild will provide me with the best of equipment. That''s not all. I''ll also receive God''s Relics, which will increase my abilities from within my inventory. Plus, our guild''s Alchemists will provide me with plenty of buff potions as well," Tae Gyu said, as if he was screaming ''This is the power of a giant guild'' from the top of his lungs. "Do you still think we''ll lose?" Tae Gyu''s voice, which brimmed with confidence, as well as the support that was promised to him, caused Se Hwa to rxpletely. "Again, we can''t lose, so just sit back and enjoy the ride." * * * Asu prepared herself for D-day. Due to her efforts in the Quiet Lavero Jungle, she had leveled up to 100. Obviously, she''d reced all of her equipment as well. She wore the True Knight armor set, which glowed in a snow-white light, and appeared like a valkyrie from Northern European myth. Furthermore, she was able to bolster hercking defenses, as well as improve her basic skills by sparring with Kang Oh. She''d alsopletely memorized all the information on the Tarnatose Prison! That''s how she''d spent her time, and before she knew it, D-day was just a couple days away. "Oppa, we only have two days left until you know what," Asu swept her golden hair back and said. "That''s why we''re going to the Tarnatose Prison today." "I''m finally going to see Tarnatose Prison up close!" Her voice was filled with anticipation. "You know where you receive the Tarnatose Prison''s entry quest, right?" Kang Oh asked. He was testing her in order to make sure she''d been studying properly. "Of course. Urdan Cemetery." "Exactly. Let''s go straight there." "Ok!" Kang Oh and Asu came to Urdan Cemetery, which was a vast in filled with various burial mounds. "I just need to touch any one of the tombstones to get the quest, right?" Asu asked. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Then..." Asu approached one of the graves and touched the tombstone. Then, the tombstone lit up and she received a quest. [Unjustly Imprisoned - A memory that cannot be forgotten] A long, long time ago, there existed a ce called Tarnatose Prison. This prison was seized by a group of zealots who worshipped the evil god, Ja. Those who did not worship their god were forcefully imprisoned, tortured, and eventually killed here. Countless people were tortured here and died a dog''s death. All of these prisoners were innocent, pitiful people. Tarnatose Prison is no more, but the survivors left behind memories of their horrifying experiences in the hopes that such a tragedy would not be repeated. Difficulty: Undecided Minimum Requirements: Not a criminal. Reward: None. Failure: None. [If you ept the quest, you will enter Tarnatose Prison.] [Would you like to ept the quest?] Asu met Kang Oh''s gaze. "Are you ready?" "That''s my line." Kang Oh grinned. "I ept the quest!" Asu yelled enthusiastically. Then, they saw a short recording. What greeted them was a dark and dreary prison. Red, desated blood coated the walls, and bones were strewn on the floor. The row of torture devices was horrifying. "Follow Lord Ja''s divine revtion. Spread pain, screams, despair, and death in His name! "Ja!" "Ja!" The prison guards, who all worshipped the evil god, performed unspeakable acts of torture. "Save me!" "Uaaahk!" "Let me out!" Their screams were never-ending. They would only stop screaming upon death. This was hell on earth, otherwise known as the Tarnatose Prison. Once the short recording was over, Kang Oh and Asu were transported elsewhere; they weren''t in the Urdan Cemetery anymore, that''s for sure. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Tarnatose Prison.] It was a windowless prison. There was no way of getting through the thick bars either. The walls were filled with hideous scratches and soaked with dark red blood. "Hoo. This ce is terrible." Asu looked sad. She seemed regretful that such atrocities had taken ce here. "It''s just how the dungeon was made to look. Don''t worry about it too much." Kang Oh softly tapped her shoulder. Then... The ground began to shake. It was an earthquake. Kang Oh and Asu remainedpletely calm. They simply leaned onto the wall and waited for the earthquake to stop. The reason they were able to remain so calm, even in the midst of an earthquake, was simple. They knew that an earthquake would ur, and they knew when it would end as well. "It''s over." As he said, the earthquake had stopped. However, the earthquake had damaged the once inescapable iron bars, creating a spacerge enough for a person to go through. At the same time, they received a quest message. [The quest, ''Unjustly Imprisoned'' has led to the ''Jailbreak'' quest.] [Jailbreak] This is hell on earth, the Tarnatose Prison. But the heavens haven''t given up on you. The earthquake has opened the prison doors, and countless prisoners have escaped. Fortunately, there is now a way for you to escape as well. But be careful! The evil god, Ja, does not want you to escape, and has bestowed his followers with his power. His bestowed power bes stronger as time passes... Escape as quickly as possible! Difficulty: Undecided Reward: None Kang Oh closed the quest window and looked around. There was an hourss on top of the shelf. "This is it." He picked up the hourss. Asu stuck right next to him and took a look at the hourss as well. "Ah, so this is the hourss." At first, only a small handful of yers that previously enjoyed escape games had made use of this feature, but through the efforts of the Crazy Highschooler, Bart, the Tarnatose Prison had be well-known. After that, Dreamgate added a few more features to the escape game in order to make the yers'' lives easier. The hourss was one such feature. It had the ability to fast-forward time! The hourss removed the need for yers to wait at their starting position until the correct amount of time had passed. "Let''s see here..." Kang Oh reversed the hourss. The sand had fallen to the bottom within 10 seconds and the center of the hourss now read ''10'', which meant that 10 minutes had effectively passed in the dungeon. "Let me try too." "Here." Once she reversed the hourss, the hourss read ''20''. "Then, shall we go?" Asu ced the hourss back onto the shelf. Once he left through the bars, he saw a timer at the corner of his vision. [00:01] This was another feature that Dreamgate had added in for yer convenience. Once one escaped the prison, the time would stop, and their clear time would be recorded on the ranking board. "You see the time, right?" "No problems here!" Kang Oh and Asu began to walk side-by-side. A short whileter, they encountered a forked road. ''We have to go right for the shortest route...'' Kang Oh knew plenty regarding the interior structure of the prison. "We go right here, right?" Of course, Asu was the same. "Yeah. Let''s start with the shortest route first." "Let''s go!" Once they walked through the right path, they encountered a prison guard empowered by the evil god. "You cannot escape!" The prison guard was a human Soldier with bloodshot eyes. Bat wings protruded from his back as well, a side effect of the evil god''s power. ''I think the bat represents the evil god, Ja.'' The more time passed, therger the bat wings would be. Not only that, but the guards would be even stronger. After 1 hour had passed, the guards would transform into full-blown monsters. "I''ll try fighting it one on one." Asu stepped forward. "Yahp!" She cleaved through the air, as soft and quick as the wind. Whack! Shards of light exploded from the prison guard''s body! Asu immediately followed up with another attack. A diagonal sh, a downwards strike, and a Vital Thrust! Asu instantly overpowered the prison guard. "Ugh." Ultimately, the bat-winged prison guard died in vain. "They''re still really weak." Asu picked at the prison guard''s body with the tip of her sword. "That''s because they haven''t be monsters yet," Kang Oh said. "ording to the information you gave me, the monster guards use magic and have tremendous healing abilities." "Yep. That''s why you have to either stop them from regenerating or do an overwhelming amount of damage." "What are you going to do, Oppa?" "I''m going to do it like Bart," Kang Oh said. The Crazy Highschooler, Bart, used overwhelming force to melt away the monsters. Kang Oh decided to do the same; on D-day, he''d use his overwhelming power to defeat the monster prison guards. "Isn''t it easier to prevent them from healing?" Asu asked. "It is. For the past few days, I''ve been looking for an item that does just that in the auction house, but... None of them were up for sale." "It seems like items that apply a healing debuff are quite hard to find." "Yeah, they are. It''s a ridiculous ability, so there are plenty of people looking for it. However, it''s a rare ability, so not many are put up on the market... Anyway, let''s keep going." Kang Oh and Asu pressed forward. How much time had passed? "Oh Ja!" The final obstacle was the chief guard. Kang Oh and Asu worked together to take him down, and picked up the key off his corpse. They opened the door with the key and escaped the prison. [You havepleted the Jailbreak quest.] [Clear Time: 15:41.] [Your time has been anonymously recorded on the ranking board.] [You may change your nameter.] The Tarnatose Prison vanished like a mirage. All that remained was vestiges of the ruined prison and a giant tombstone. "So this is the ranking board." Once he touched the tombstone, a record window called ''Escape Game'' appeared. A system message appeared too. [Would you like to record your name?] ''I heard that old arcade games had a system like this where you recorded your name right next to your score...'' Dreamgate must have drawn inspiration from the arcade score system of old. Anyway, Kang Oh inputted ''Oga and Soo Ah'' as practice. [Your name has been recorded.] After that, he fiddled around with the ranking window. It was easy for him to find his own time and rank, as well as others'' as well. He closed the ranking window and stared at Asu. "You''ve experienced it firsthand now. How was it?" "It was way too easy," Asu said immediately. "You wanna increase the difficulty and give it another go?" "Yes!" Kang Oh and Asu attempted the Tarnatose Prison once more, which was followed by another attempt, and another... Chapter 124. D-Day (1)

Chapter 124. D-Day (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh came to the auction house. He sat on afy sofa and opened the auction interface. Just to be sure, he checked for any items with healing debuffs, but couldn''t find any. "Oh well." Kang Oh gave up and turned his attention elsewhere; in preparation for the big day, he picked out items that could be used as fodder for Gluttony. ''They have to be at least A-rank.'' The item rank would determine Gluttony''s effects; BB-rank items would double his abilities, while A-rank items or higher would triple them. It was an important bout, so it was only right that he picked A-rank items. ''They should have really high level requirements.'' The higher the level requirement, the longer he could maintain Gluttony. ''Lastly, they should be on the cheap side.'' Kang Oh sifted through the auction house, looking for items that fit these three categories. How much time had passed? "This looks good." Kang Oh bought Julio''s Lion-shaped Armor. The armor was A-rank, and it required a level of 220. Its defense was high and offered extremely high stat bonuses as well. There was, however, a crucial defect. It didn''t have any special effects! Thus, the ''buy now'' price had been set at only 500 gold. After confirming that the item was securely in his inventory, Kang Oh sent Asu a message. - Ms. Idol. - Yes, Oppa? - Can we talk? - Sure. * * * At the Viyoom Inn... Kang Oh and Asu sat at a corner table and ordered refreshments. "Tomorrow''s the big day," Asu said. Her face was filled with a variety of emotions: anticipation, excitement, concern, anxiety, etc. "Yeah." "Can we win?" "We will win 100%. If I use my full power, then no one can beat me for at least 20 minutes." Kang Oh grinned. After all, he had Baramut''s Roar at his disposal, which added a tiger''s power to his own! Not only that, but he had Gluttony too, which tripled his abilities. If he used his trump card, Devil Trigger, inbination with the other two abilities, then there was no one who could match him! His overwhelming confidence was infectious, making her more confident as well. "I''ll do my best too!" "Alright, let me check onest time. What''s your level?" "101." Kang Oh was currently level 182. Besides helping her, Kang Oh had spent the rest of his time hunting bandits, so he had leveled up significantly. "You have plenty of strength, agility, and health potions, right?" Strength and agility potions were the mostmonly used potions in Arth. "Yes, I have enough of them." "Ok. Tomorrow we''ll go all the way with the A course." The escape game was divided into three categories: A, B, or C. Although the A course was the shortest, the yer was forced to fight more guards. "I memorized the route." "Did you watch all of the ''1 hour hell'' clear videos I told you about?" Kang Oh asked. Following the Crazy Highschooler, Bart''s sess, several rankers had attempted to clear the escape game. A portion of them had managed to clear the ''1 hour hell''. Videos of these sessful runs were posted on Arthtory, and Kang Oh had sent her the links as reference. "Yes, I watched all of them." "How was it?" "None of them cleared it with pure power aside from Bart. Everyone else used either a healing debuff skill or item." "Healing debuff items are hard toe by, so not everyone can go that route, but... Park Tae Gyu will probably do just that, since he''s part of arge guild." It shouldn''t be too hard for a guild asrge as the Jairus Guild to acquire a healing debuff item. "In any case, what did you think about the monster prison guards?" Kang Oh asked. "Compared to the ordinary guards, they''re iparably strong." "What else?" "Their regenerative abilities are tremendous, and they use fire magic as well. Some of them used curses too... It''ll be tough," Asu said firmly. "Good. You''ll be ok even if it''s your first time tomorrow." "I-I have nerves of steel!" She pointed her index finger at her heart. "Did you memorize the guard chief''s attack pattern and the other unimportant details?" "Yes!" Asu sported a cute expression and saluted at him. Seeing that, Kang Oh grinned. "I''ve already gone over what the boss will do... I think we''re all ready, so let''s turn in for the day." "Ok!" "Rest well, and make sure you''re in tip-top shape." "You too." * * * It was bright on D-day. Jae Woo and Soo Ah chatted whilst waiting for the shoot to start. Then, the door swung open, and in came Park Tae Gyu and Yoon Se Hwa. "Did you prepare yourselves?" As always, Park Tae Gyu was all dressed up and sported a gentle smile. "Get ready to kneel," Yoon Se Hwa said maliciously whilst maintaining her haughty expression. However, there was also something else deep within her eyes; desire. ''I''m going to beat Jeong Soo Ah!'' She wanted to win today and prove herself. ''I''m not inferior, damaged goodspared to her!''. "Why would I? You''re the one who''s going to kneel," Soo Ah retorted whilst smiling. But there was something in her eyes as well. ''I really hope I can end this tedious rtionship once and for all...'' She was sick of being hated and pushed around by Se Hwa. She truly hoped that she wouldn''t be hurt or stressed by Se Hwa ever again following today''s victory. "Hoho, look at you. You''re really thick skinned now." Yoon Se Hwa might be smiling, but overall, she had a wild vibe. "They say that a frightened dog barks louder... Could you stop with the barking already?" Jae Woo said. "What?" Se Hwa raised her eyebrows. Then, Tae Gyu grabbed her shoulder. "That''s enough. We''ll win in the end anyway." "Are you so sure?" Jae Woo grinned. "We''ll see who''s right in the end." Tae Gyu looked overwhelmingly confident. "Make sure you pay up when you lose. Especially you." Jae Woo pointed at Yoon Se Hwa. "Hmph." Yoon Se Hwa left the waiting room. "I''ll get going now." Tae Gyu left as well. Sometimeter... A staff member came looking for them. "The shoot will begin soon. Please be on standby." * * * The shoot progressed like any other episode of Dungeon Conquering Man. "Hello, this is Seol Hee." "It''s nice to see you. This is Jeon Seong Gook." The two MCs smoothly progressed through the show. "First, we''ll show you the results of the poprity poll." Seol Hee pointed at the screen, and then the teams'' ranking appeared. 1st ce: Park Tae Gyu, Yoon Se Hwa 2nd ce: Oga, Soo Ah 3rd ce: Jaker, Hye Yeon 4th ce: Park Bae Shik, Lisa "Aah, the rankings have changed significantly!" Jeon Seong Gook yelled. "Indeed. Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa has overtaken Team Oga and Soo Ah, and has taken first ce!" Seol Hee raised her voice too. "I guess I didn''t pay enough attention to the viewers." Jae Woo scratched his neck and stared at Soo Ah. "Well, you were unfriendly and pretty much just cruised through the shoots," Soo Ah smiled and retorted. She wasn''t really concerned about dropping to 2nd ce. "But still, I''m teamed up with a top idol, so... I didn''t think we''d lose 1st ce." "That just shows you how desperate they were... Right?" Soo Ah stared at Yoon Se Hwa. Se Hwa stretched both hands sky high and seemed extremely happy. "I watched thest episode; they had a lot of good moments." Jae Woo stared at Tae Gyu. Then, Jae Woo and Tae Gyu''s gazes met. Tae Gyu raised his index finger, an expression that he''de in first. "Well, it all works out. We''ll win the match and get 1st ce back too." Jae Woo grinned. "Hoo, hoo. That''s my style; losing now, but winning in the end." Soo Ah''s lips slightly curled up. It was her pride as a top idol. She had no intention of being beaten like this. The shoot continued whilst Jae Woo and Soo Ah chatted. "Ah, Mr. Bae Shik. You''re in 4th ce... What exactly happened?" "It isn''t over yet. I''ll turn things around no matter what," Bae Shik said strongly. "Please do so! I hope that''s how things turn out for you. I overheard the writers saying that thest ce team will receive a horrendous punishment," Seong Gook said teasingly. After that, they moved on to choosing dungeons. Of course, there was only one level 5 dungeon, the Tarnatose Prison, so Jae Woo didn''t need to pick a dungeon. "Now then, Team Oga and Soo Ah, and Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa will attempt to clear the Tarnatose Prison. Please show us the mission!" Seol Hee yelled. [Mission: Clear the ''1 hour hell''.] ''As I thought, we have to clear the 1 hour hell.'' His expectation had been right on. He hadn''t been the only one; Soo Ah, Tae Gyu, and Se Hwa had all expected the mission, so none of them were surprised. "Aah, so the mission for our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls is clearing the ''1 hour hell''," Seong Gook said. "For those who aren''t familiar with it, we''ve prepared some footage of the Tarnatose Prison for you. Please take a look," Seol Hee said. The screen showed footage of the Tarnatose Prison, the escape game, and the 1 hour hell. "It''s just the right ce for our contestants to show us what they got for thest time!" Seong Gook said. "That''s right. I wonder how our two teams will do. Good luck!" Then, the other teams picked their dungeons and received their missions. However, the 3rd and 4th ce teams lookedpletely serious as they chose their level 4 dungeons; they just wanted to make sure they didn''test. "Now, all of our teams have chosen their final dungeons," Seol Hee said. "Before our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls show their stuff...!" Seong Gook said. Seol Hee continued, "We''ll see you in a minute!" She acted cute and waved both her hands. "Cut." "Good job everyone. Contestants, please gather in the capsule room at the appointed time." * * * Kang Oh, Asu, and their writer came to the Urdan Cemetery in order to obtain their quest. However, Tae Gyu and Se Hwa''s writer was already there, vacantly standing by. "Unni." The youngest writer came forward. "Oh, you''re here?" "Yes. Did Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa already go in?" "Yeah. They went in earlier," Tae Gyu and Se Hwa''s writer said. ''So they went in already? I wonder how they''d feel if we came out before them...'' "We don''t have to sign a contract today, right?" Kang Oh asked his writer. The writers had already told him prior that he wouldn''t be limited in the level 5 dungeon. "Yes. You can use your full power today. Ah, and please remember to turn on film mode," the youngest writer said. "Film!" Kang Oh and Asu immediately activated film mode. "Then we''ll get going now. Are you ready?" "Yes, I''m ready. Maybe I really do have nerves of steel. I''m not shaking at all." Hearing that, Kang Oh smiled. "Me too. I''mpletely rxed. Anyway, let''s go." "Ok!" Once he touched the tombstone, he received a quest. "Yes!" Then, Kang Oh and Asu''s bodies faded. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Tarnatose Prison.] Chapter 125. D-Day (2)

Chapter 125. D-Day (2)

Trantor: Boko As expected, an earthquake urred as soon as Kang Oh and Asu entered the prison. As a result, they obtained an escape route and also received the ¡®Jailbreak¡¯ quest as well. "Let''s use our buff potions first." Kang Oh picked the strength and agility potions from his belt. "Ok." Asu followed suit. They both drank the potions in one go. [You drank a strength potion.] [For 30 minutes, strength and all strength-rted abilities increase.] [You drank an agility potion.] [For 30 minutes, agility and all agility-rted abilities increase.] Kang Oh picked up the hourss thaty atop the shelf. Then, he reversed it six times, and then the hourss showed a 60 in the middle of it. With this, one hour had passed, causing all of the prison guards to transform into monsters. "Once I go through the door, I''m going to go full force, so... Make sure to keep up," Kang Oh requested. "You don''t have to worry about me." "Alright. Let''s go." Once they left through the opening, they began running at top speed. Tap, tap. [00:01] They were being timed now. At their first forked road, they unhesitatingly went right. Then, they encountered...! A worshipper of the evil god, a monsterized prison guard. There were no traces of human features left. Its body waspletely covered by dark red fur like an animal, and also possessed sharp ws on both its hands and feet. Not only that, but it possessed bat wings that protruded out of its back, red eyes, and sharp shark-like teeth. Kyaaaahk! The Evil God Worshipper shrieked. Bodies of prisoners that had attempted but failed to escape were strewn all around it. Kuheong! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar. Baramut''s Roar would instill his body with the essence of a tiger for 30 minutes. That wasn''t all. ''Let''s use Devil Trigger too!'' Using Devil Trigger for a minute increased the assimtion rate by 1%; when the assimtion rate reached 100%, then the wielder had to face the Trial of the Demon Sword once more. There was no guarantee that he''d pass the trial a second time. That''s why he''d used Devil Trigger so sparingly; he also hadn''t used it as ofte. However, Kang Oh was going to use it today. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh charged at his opponent whilst using Devil Trigger. The darkness spread from his right hand, which was holding Ubist, to the rest of his body. His body was covered in jet-ck darkness, and his face was covered with a beast-shaped mask. Kang Oh''s eyes shone red, as if they were embedded with red gems, and a tail protruded from behind him which glimmered with starlight. A ck haze rose from his body like cigarette smoke! Not only that, but the Abyss Predator, Ubist, had manifested as a shadow. [You can now use the King of Demonic Beasts, Ubist''s power as your own.] [You may take full control over the darkness. Now, the darkness around you will move as you see fit.] [You may now use Abyss Prison, Abyss Aura, Abyss Shield, and Abyss Transfer.] [You now haveplete resistance against the darkness element.] [If you are in the dark or even the shade, HP, MP, and Stamina replenish quickly.] [In you dwells a beast''s strength and ferocity.] [You now possess the full power of predation. Devour your foe!] [Ubist lies in your shadow. Ubist moves as he wills.] Kang Oh was right in front of his opponent by the time his transformation had ended. ''Let''s end this quick!'' He waspeting with Tae Gyu''s team, so he couldn''t afford to waste any time. Kang Oh immediately swung his demon sword. Abyss Aura! His sword emanated a sharp, jet-ck energy. Kyaa! The Evil God Worshipper didn''t back down and swung its sharp ws. Whoosh! The Evil God Worshipper''s ws were tougher than steel, with strength and speed to match. However... The demonized Kang Oh''s abilities were far superior. Whack! Kang Oh easily parried his opponent''s arm and then attacked once more. sh! He swung upwards in a diagonal line, his de cutting through furry chest flesh. Kang Oh dealt so much damage that a shard of light the size of someone''s face burst forth. At the same time, the Evil God Worshipper shook from the force of his attack. However, its regenerative abilities were off the charts. The wound he''d just inflicted began to heal right before his very eyes. ''I already knew that.'' Kang Oh followed up with another attack. He unleashed another Abyss Aura amplified attack. Not only that, but Shadow Ubist wed at the worshipper from behind. Kyaahk! The worshipper shrieked and its hand began emanating dark red energy. Roar! Ja''s Burning Brand! The worshipper threw a fireball right at him. Then, Kang Oh positioned his sword. Suck. The fireball was absorbed by his sword. [Ubist has absorbed Ja''s Burning Brand.] [Satiation has increased by 0.005%.] ''An opening.'' His Hyper Intuition activated, showing him an opening. Kang Oh thrust his sword. Stab. The tip of his de pierced through the monster''s heart, causing deep red shards to burst out. Kya! The monster swung its left fist; its left hand, arm, and even shoulder had turned to bronze. Evil God''s Arm! It was said that the evil god, Ja''s body was entirely made of bronze. Therefore, the followers of the evil god possessed an ability to change a portion of their body into bronze. However, the evil god''s bronze was no normal bronze; it was tougher than steel, and way lighter too. Anyway, the bronze fist came flying at him, but Kang Oh reacted quickly. Normally, he''d dodge and then counterattack, but now that he was in his demon state, he could attack and defend simultaneously. Swish. A veil of darkness blocked the bronze fist. Abyss Shield. Bam! Darkness of an unknown depth blocked the bronze fist. Kang Oh forcefully grabbed his sword with both hands and swung downwards. Darkness Strike! ck beasts erupted from his sword and ravaged the Evil God Worshipper. ''I have to end this!'' Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer to teleport behind it. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword thrice. A downward strike, an upward cut, and a diagonal sh! Swish! His final attack was amplified by Fang-Bearing de, causing a huge ck shard to burst forth. No matter how monstrous its regenerative abilities were, this wasn''t an attack it could withstand. Thud. The Evil God Worshipper fell t on its face. [You have defeated an Evil God Worshipper.] [Devil Trigger is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +1] "Let''s move!" Kang Oh immediately began running. Asu, who¡¯d merely watched as she couldn¡¯t find an opportunity to jump in, quickly followed him. The two quickly trekked through the dark and dreary passageway. * * * He wielded avishly decorated sword and wore refined, golden armor with silver boots. His gloves were shaped like a beast, and his ck belt was made of the best leather. The man also wore a ne with a giant diamond embedded within it, as well as two precious rings on either hand! Tae Gyu''s appearance was quite showy. It was only natural, since his guild had set him up with S-rank equipment that was over level 200. ''That''s not all...'' He also possessed ten God''s Relics; these items possessed varying abilities, and also increased a yer¡¯s stats from within their inventory. His guild''s Alchemists had also poured their heart and soul into making him some buff potions, which would further increase his abilities. Moreover, his partner, Se Hwa, was a Priestess who served the God of Light, Garuda. Though she hadn''t reached level 100 yet, she could still cast all sorts of blessings, which only strengthened him further. ''I''m both overgeared and overbuffed. I may even be able to beat one of the Numbers with all this.'' Tae Gyu¡¯s power was overwhelming. He brimmed with confidence, thinking that no one could beat him. He''d have to return the equipment and the God''s Relicster. ''I have to go even higher.'' If he wanted to wield even greater power within the guild, then he needed to assume a higher position. He would use this opportunity to obtain the adamantium ore, and then assume the vice-captain position. Tae Gyu burned with ambition. At that moment... Kyaahk! An Evil God Worshipper appeared. "Die!" Tae Gyu swung downwards with his showy red sword. Swish! His sword cleaved the worshipper''s side. Then, red nt roots sprouted from the wound. The de''s healing debuff, which would decrease the monster''s healing to 0, had activated. With this, the worshipper''s monstrous regenerative abilities had been sealed! After that, Tae Gyu used all sorts of showy Swordsman skills. Lorian''s Spinning sh! Air sh! Septuple sh! Although it had lost its healing ability, the monster wasn''t so weak to fall from a single attack. The Evil God Worshipper used Evil God''s Arm, which turned its arms bronze, and counterattacked. ng! ng! ng! Tae Gyu¡¯s de and the monster''s ws continued to sh. ng! For a moment, they created some distance between each other. Kyaahk! The Evil God Worshipper threw a dark red fireball at Tae Gyu. Then, Tae Gyu smirked. At the same time, his ne gleamed. ck! The fireball crashed into some invisible barrier and was reflected onto the Evil God Worshipper, engulfing them in their own mes. Kyaahk! It shrieked. ''It really is good.'' Tae Gyu''s ne allowed him to use the Magic Reflect skill. ''The cooldown''s only 2 minutes too.'' It was a formidable ability, but it had its downsides. First, it used a ton of MP and second, it couldn''t reflect spells that were too powerful. Tae Gyu then barraged the monster with a series of brutal attacks. A short whileter, the Evil God Worshipper fell to its knees. "Let''s go!" Tae Gyu began running. They were using Course B. Although the road was longer and more dangerous than Course A, they would never have to face more than four Evil God Worshippers at a time. He''d picked this course because it''d be difficult to fight them all off whilst protecting Yoon Se Hwa. Thump. Se Hwa, who provided support and healing from behind, kicked off the floor and followed him, running as fast as she could. * * * Course A, the course Kang Oh and Asu had selected, was definitely the shortest route to the exit. Despite that, most of the yers that had attempted to clear the ''1 hour hell'' hadn''t chosen this course. The reason was simple. More Evil God Worshippers would swarm them in this route than the others. Like right now! Three Evil God Worshippers blocked their advance. They were stomping on the bodies of the pitiful prisoners. "There are three of them. Do your best to hold out," Kang Oh said to her. "Ok. I''ll hold out no matter what." Kang Oh picked the A course because he trusted Asu. He trusted that she wouldn''t die while he took on the Evil God Worshippers. "Good." Kang Oh drew a dion''s Dagger from his belt and threw it. Swoosh! Smack! The Evil God Worshipper swung its hand, deflecting the dagger. The battle had begun! Kuha! The three monsters rushed towards them. "I guess it''s time to use it." Kang Oh took out the lion-shaped armor from his inventory. "Devour!" Gluttony! The Shadow Ubist climbed over his body and began devouring the armor. Crunch, crunch! Kyaa! It seemed to enjoy its meal as it looked like a howling wolf. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Julio''s Lion-Shaped Armor.] [It is an A-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] Kuwaang! The darkness, which rose from his body like a haze, spread outwards like a hedgehog''s spines. ''Let''s give them a warm hello!'' Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword with his overwhelming strength. "Uhaahp!" Tempest Tiger! A giant tiger aura erupted from his sword. The three charging Evil God Worshippers seemed to sense something amiss, as they stopped moving and activated Evil God''s Arm. They then crossed their bronze arms in an effort to defend themselves. "Go ahead and try!" Kang Oh yelled. The prison shook from the force of his triple strength Tempest Tiger. Boom! Boom! Boom! Chapter 126. D-Day (3)

Chapter 126. D-Day (3)

Trantor: Boko Surprisingly, the Evil God Worshippers hadn''t fallen; they remained in ce, even after withstanding a full power Tempest Tiger. However, they couldn''t move, perhaps due to the force of the blow. Kang Oh had no time to waste; he used Abyss Transfer, teleporting himself right in front of them. Kuu... Kyaho! The monsters shrieked as he got closer. He could see the w marks that Tempest Tiger had left behind on their bronze arms. ''Time to finish them off!'' Kang Oh swung his sword in a wide arc as if he were sweeping the ground, aiming for their lower bodies. Rather than attack their upper bodies, which were well protected by their bronze arms, he decided that attacking their lower bodies would be far more effective. Swish! He simultaneously cleaved through all of their legs. Bam! Bam! Bam! His attack had been amplified by Gluttony, so the Evil God Worshippers took a tremendous amount of damage. "Ja!" one of them cried out, and swung their fist at Kang Oh. Kang Oh got out of the way; his body felt a lot lighter, perhaps because of Gluttony. Thud! The monster''s fist shattered the tough rock floor and was halfway stuck. Its power was incredible, but if it didn''t hit, all the power in the world wouldn''t matter. Moreover, it had exposed itself in the process. Kang Oh swung downwards. sh! A thick white line shed the center of its body. Red shards spilled out of the wound, and Kang Oh''s hands tingled. Then... "Haahp!" Asu joined the fray. ''I have to divert their attention and buy some time!'' Their regenerative ability far exceeded any damage she could deal. She may not be able to damage them, but she could buy time; she could iste one of them and allow Kang Oh to take care of the others as quickly as possible. Asu swung her sword at one of the Evil God Worshippers. Of course, she hadn''t reallymitted to the attack. She attacked while keeping defense and evasion at the forefront of her mind. Kuheok! One of the monsters rushed at Asu. Thud. It swung its fist at her. ''It''s fast!'' Asu gritted her teeth. The bronze fist''s speed and power was no joke. ''It''s still weaker than Oppa''s full power!'' She''d gotten used to Kang Oh''s full strength through their spars, so she could dodge it. Thud. Asu kicked off the floor. Bang! The monster''s fist mmed into the ground. Then, it immediately followed up with another attack. ''Should I?'' Asuid her sword t. Right before the monster¡¯s fist made contact with her sword... Sword Parry! Screech. The monster''s fist grazed her sword, the contact creating sparks, and emitted a shrill ''screech''. Asu pulled her sword back and redirected her opponent''s force. Right after, she stabbed the monster''s side. A direct hit! Then, her ne''s effect activated, chilling her opponent and causing its movements to slow! The Evil God Worshipper''s speed hadn''t really slowed, but she figured that it''d be noticeable after a few more attacks. ''I can do this!'' Asu''s eyes glinted, and she bravely yelled, "Come on!" The bloody battle between the two continued. By keeping one of them busy, Kang Oh was able to overpower the two other Evil God Worshippers with rtive ease. "Die!" sh! Abyss Aura! Throw! ng, ng, ng! Shadow Ubist was helping him as well! His attacks were unrelenting, each and every attack bearing considerable force. Kang Oh slowly wore them down. Kya! As ast resort, the two monsters threw fireballs at him. Ja''s Burning Brand! Two fireballs came hurtling towards him! Kang Oh swung his demon sword, absorbing one, and blocked the other with Abyss Shield. Roar! The fireball zed violently over the Abyss Shield. [You have taken fire damage.] That''s how powerful the fireball was; he''d protected himself with Abyss Shield, but he''d taken damage regardless. ''I should just dodge it next time.'' Kang Oh kept the power of Ja''s Burning Brand in the back of his mind, and came in between the two worshippers. Then, he swung his sword like an unrelenting storm! Shadow Ubist did its part too, pouncing upon them like a rabid dog! He continuously swung his sword, and Ubist''s shadow decreased and then increased in size. The more they did so, the worse the Evil God Worshippers'' conditions became. "This the end." Kang Oh decapitated an Evil God Worshipper. Whack! Dead. He immediately swung twice at the other in the shape of an X. Darkness Strike! Boom! The jet-ck wavepletely depleted the monster''s already low HP. Now, all that was left was the Evil God Worshipper Asu was dealing with. "Ja!" It was pushing her back. At first, she put up a good fight, but as time passed, the worse the fight became for her. Fortunately, Kang Oh intervened before things became hopeless for her. "How dare you!" Kang Oh had easily defeated the other two monsters, so just one was a piece of cake. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The final remaining Evil God Worshipper was quickly dealt with! Kang Oh wanted topliment Asu, but time kept ticking by. ''I''llpliment herter.'' "Let¡¯s move!" Kang Oh sprinted once more. Asu immediately followed him. * * * They encountered a sword-wielding Evil God Worshipper. The sword was bizarre; it possessed a mouth at the sword''s end with a bumpy tongue that darted in and out. ''It''s a Bleo.'' The sword-wielding Evil God Worshipper''s name was Bleo. He''d watched footage of the yers who''d cleared the ''1 hour hell'', so he was already familiar with it. ''If you get hit by the tongue, then you get cursed by the evil god, so I can''t afford to get hit.'' Kang Oh charged whilst swinging his ck tail; it was like a cket falling upon the monster. Bleo swung its sword. A sharp horizontal sword beam came flying at him. His Hyper Intuition told him where it was aimed at, so he easily evaded the attack whilst continuing his charge. ''My turn!'' Kang Oh quickly closed in and unleashed a fierce barrage of attacks. Then, Bleo aimed for a vital using ''Pain Boosting Swordsmanship''. Whenever it swung its sword, the tongue wouldsh out at Kang Oh like a snake aiming for its prey. It seemed untenable to fight against both the opponent''s sword and the sword''s tongue simultaneously, but Kang Oh was able to deal with it with little to no difficulty. Above all, no matter how effective the sword''s tongue was, Shadow Ubist was better! Ubist cleverly aimed for any chinks in its armor, so its attacks couldn''t be ignored. Because of that, Kang Oh was able to push Bleo back without much difficulty. A short whileter... "Just die already. We''re wasting time here!" Kang Oh sword''s had pierced Bleo''s heart. It didn''t matter how great one''s healing ability was if one dealt a tremendous amount of damage all at once. Splurt! Red shards exploded out. "Jail..." Bleo died without being able to utter the god''s name. ''I think we''re about halfway there.'' Kang Oh recalled how much farther they had to go, and began running once more. He ran without saying a word as if he couldn''t even spare the energy to say ''Let¡¯s move!''. Asu had wondered whether she should butt into the fight or not, but had ultimately decided against it. She followed him immediately. How much time had passed? They encountered another Bleo, as well as an Evil God Worshipper wielding an orange whip that resembled a thorny vine. The whip-wielding Evil God Worshipper''s name was Wicker. Normally, they would be difficult to deal with, as Wicker would attack from a distance while Bleo would attack from up close. However...! Kang Oh possessed Abyss Transfer. He appeared in between the two, preventing them from using theirbination of whip and sword. After all, a whip was an ineffective and cumbersome weapon at close range. "Huahp." Kang Oh fiercely swung his sword. Of course, he used sh and Abyss Aura in tandem. Not only that, but...! With their attentionpletely focused on Kang Oh, Asu silently approached and thrust her sword like a wasp. Her damage was nothing to write home about, but the more she attacked, the slower Bleo and Wicker would be, which was definitely a troubling prospect for them. But that didn''t mean they could attack Asu. They couldn''t ignore a beast in favor of a wasp! "Ja!" "Ja!" In the end, they sought their god before they died. However, their god had abandoned them. The whip-wielding Wicker fell on his face, and then the sword-wielding Bleo was cut apart. * * * Kang Oh and Asu encountered the A course''s final obstacle. There was one Bleo, one Wicker, and three Evil God Worshippers who used Evil God''s Arm. Five Evil God Worshippers were preventing their advance. Not only that, but they were even stronger than the one''s they''d encountered before as more time had passed. ''I have to take the initiative!'' Kang Oh greeted them with a good old Tempest Tiger. The Evil God Worshippers used Evil God''s Arm to transform their arms into bronze, and then took on the tiger aura. Bang! The sh shook the dry, bloodstained passageway, and dirt arose into the air. When the dust cleared up, Kang Oh reappeared before the Evil God Worshippers. "Huaahp!" he roared, and swung his sword in a wide arc. Whack! His sword cleaved through their bronze arms, and their dark red fur as well. Kang Oh''s blow was so powerful that it forced all three of the monsters to retreat two steps back. At that moment, Bleo swung downwards, intent on cutting him in half. Whoosh. Kang Oh turned to the side and narrowly dodged the attack. Then, the sword''s tongue came darting towards him. He pulled his sword towards himself and then thrust at the tip of the tongue. Stab! The tip of his sword and the tongue shed in midair. Of course, his demon sword was more powerful, so the tongue fell. Kang Oh quickly pushed forward; he swung his sword upwards and then let it fall. sh! Abyss Aura! He shed upwards, a white line following the path of his sword! Which was followed by a downward strike with an apanying ck line! Whack! Whack! Bleo''s tottered around from the substantial damage he''d taken. Kuwah! The other monsters, having regained their bearings, surrounded Kang Oh and assaulted him with a barrage of attacks. Abyss Transfer! The darkness around him swelled and then engulfed him. Then, a whip, a sword, and three bronze fists struck the area he''d once upied. Thump! Kang Oh reappeared behind Wicker and began unleashing attack after attack. Whack, whack, whack! ck shards burst forth with hisst attack. Fang Bearing de had caused his attack to ignore Wicker''s defenses. Then, Wicker fell to his knees. "Ja!" Two of the Evil God Worshippers came at him from the left and right, one swinging its bronze fist and the other using its sharp ws. "Kuha!" Kang Oh gripped his sword with both hands and countered with his own attack. Bam! The two monsters, not Kang Oh, had fallen to the floor. Then... ''Now''s my chance!'' Asu, who''d been waiting for her moment, joined the fray. Swish, swish, swish! Her sharp attacks and her smooth movements drew the monster''s attention. Kuha! The Evil God Worshipper focused its attacks onto her instead. It swung its bronze fists at her, and threw fireballs as well. Asu deflected its bronze fists with her Sword Parry. There was a chance that the fireballs would kill her, even if they just grazed her, so she gotpletely out of their way. She stood up immediately and swung her sword at the monster once more, causing it to continue focusing on her. While she was doing her job, Kang Oh fought the other four monsters with uncanny strength. "Haahp!" Whenever he swung his sword, lumps of light shards would burst from the Evil God Worshippers'' bodies. Kang Oh''s attacks were way too quick and powerful, but above all, they were sharp. If the monsters showed any weakness, then he''d aimed for them immediately. The Evil God Worshippers couldn''t block his attacks at all. A storm swept through them; a raging storm that Kang Oh had created! Chapter 127. D-Day (4)

Chapter 127. D-Day (4)

Trantor: Boko ng! Crack! Kang Oh''s sword shattered the Evil God Worshipper''s bronze arm. Thud. The monster fell backwards, and then Kang Oh finished it off. He then chose his next target. ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh and Bleo''s swords shed, the friction producing sparks. But neither Bleo¡¯s swordsmanship nor his physical abilities were a match for his. At some point, Kang Oh overpowered Bleo and instantly finished it off. There were three monsters left, including the one Asu was fighting against. ''Let''s take out the weak one first.'' Kang Oh rushed at whip-wielding Wicker. Wickershed him with its whip. Kang Oh barely dodged the whip, and then threw a dagger! Thwock! Bzzzzz. The dagger emitted sparks upon impact. "Huahp." sh, Abyss Aura. Kyahk! A fist came flying at him from behind. An Evil God Worshipper had attacked while he was busy with Wicker. ''Forget dodging. I''m just going to finish him off.'' Kang Oh instantly made his decision. Kang Oh forcefully thrust his sword and used Abyss Shield. Stab. Bam. He heard two sounds simultaneously. One resulted from him stabbing Wicker''s neck, and the other resulted from Abyss Shield shing with a bronze fist. Thud. The dead Wicker dropped its whip. Wicker''s death was confirmed via a system message; Kang Oh immediately turned around and rushed at another Evil God Worshipper. It threw a fireball at him as if it were saying ''Get away!''. However, his demon sword greedily devoured the spell; Demon Kang Oh, whose face was covered by a beast mask, appeared right in front of it! "Atatatata!" A horizontal cut, a thrust, a sh, a downward strike, and a diagonal upward strike! The monster''s head mmed onto the ground as if it were bowing for forgiveness. Kang Oh''s fight against the four monsters had ended one-sidedly. "Oppa!" she desperately yelled after forcefully parrying a bronze fist. Her voice seemingly said, ''I can''t hold out any longer!''. Kang Oh instantly closed the distance via Abyss Transfer. Then, he unleashed a barrage of quick, sharp, and powerful attacks! Darkness Strike activated too, which let him finish it off even quicker. Kang Oh and Asu overcame A course''s most difficult obstacle. What remained was... "The boss is all that''s left. Let''s go!" All that remained was the Tarnatose Prison''s boss, the monsterized chief guard! * * * Tae Gyu and Se Hwa encountered Bleos and Wickers on the B course too. Like Kang Oh, Tae Gyu was able to defeat the Evil God Worshippers rather quickly due to his healing debuff sword and his S-rank equipment. But now... They hade across something that wasn''t an Evil God Worshipper. It was a high wall. This ''wall'' was characteristic of the B course. If they didn''t scale this wall, then they''d have to go the long way around, which would waste a substantial amount of time. But that didn''t mean that scaling the wall was some easy feat. If one lost their concentration halfway through, then they would have to start all over again. Or they could fall to their death too. It seemed impossible for Yoon Se Hwa to scale the wall; after all, her character had low physical abilities and her control wasn''t the best either. "Please wait here. I''ll lower a rope for you after I scale the wall." Taking all that into consideration, this is what Tae Gyu hade up with: scale the wall first and then lower a rope for her. "Please hurry." "I have this, so I''ll be done in a sh." He pointed at his boots and then nimbly scaled the wall. His boots shone as he quickly climbed the wall. Mountain Patrol Bayavan''s All-Purpose Boots! The boots ramped up his climbing speed. Of course, the boots possessed two other abilities, and also offered incredible defense and stat bonuses as well, cementing their status as S-rank boots. His guild had provided them for him, as they were a perfect fit for the B course. Tae Gyu, who''d reached the top, took out a tough rope from his inventory and threw it down the wall. "Please tie it around your waist." Yoon Se Hwa did as he instructed. "I''m ready," she looked up and yelled. "I''m pulling you up now!" He forcefully dragged the rope up. Tae Gyu had invested everything into the Physical stat, so he didn''t have much problem with pulling Yoon Se Hwa all the way up. "Hoo," she sighed in relief after reaching the top. ''Let''s see here... What time is it?'' Tae Gyu checked the time. [17:30] ''Tch. We''ve wasted more time than I thought.'' He attempted to scale every wall as quickly as possible, but they''d taken more time than he would''ve liked. ''I guess it doesn''t matter. We should still be far ahead.'' Tae Gyu nned on clearing the Tarnatose Prison within 30 minutes. Clearing it before then was considered an extremely fast time. After all, the Crazy High Schooler, Bart, had cleared it in just 27 minutes. ''If I wasn''t hamstrung by Yoon Se Hwa, then I could''ve gotten that kind of a time too.'' All things considered, Yoon Se Hwa was definitely a liability for someone going for the fastest time in an escape game. If he managed to clear the Tarnatose Prison with a handicap like her, then his victory would be guaranteed. ''Then again, the other team has a handicap too. Finishing within 40 minutes is good in and of itself. They could fail too.'' "Let''s go," Tae Gyu said. "Ok." They ran once more. A short whileter, they encountered some more Evil God Worshippers. There were three of them: one Bleo, one Wicker, and one regr Evil God Worshipper. A sword with a tongue cleaved through the air, and a whipshed the ground. Tae Gyu used all his strength to fight off the three. Hebined Air sh and Septuple sh! Tae Gyu showily shed the monsters with his red sword. Then, he got in between them and used Lorian''s Spinning sh! His S-rank equipment activated their effects as well! Not only that, but Yoon Se Hwa''s healing spell replenished his HP as well. Ultimately, Tae Gyu was able to defeat thest Evil God Worshippers that appeared on the B course. "Let''s go!" Tae Gyu and Se Hwa sprinted. All that was left was... The Tarnatose Prison''s final boss! * * * Kang Oh and Asu passed through a dark and dreary passageway, ran up the stairs, and were met by the sight of a vast hall. At the end of the hall, there was a tightly shut wood door. One could only open the door with a key. [You have encountered Ja''s Fourteen Disciple, Rondark.] It was Tarnatose Prison''s final boss, the chief guard, Rondark! One could only obtain the key by defeating him. Of course, Rondark hadpletely monsterized, so he didn''t look human at all. The best way to describe him was... First off, his entire body was covered in dark red fur like the other Evil God Worshippers. You would have to line up three of the others side-by-side to match his width, and his pudgy stomach protruded out like a hill. Although there were bat wings that sprouted from his back, he was so big that they looked like baby wings. A single horn protruded from the right side of his forehead, and his eyes glowed in a purple hue. His lips went all the way to his ears, and his saw teeth looked like they could crush through anything. However, Rondark''s most eye-catching feature was his arms. He had four of them. The arms over his shoulders were made of bronze, while the arms underneath them were much longer and thicker. He held a de with a tongue attached to it in his right non-bronze hand, and a whip in his left. This was Rondark''s monster form, and Kang Oh and Asu''s final test to determine whether they were worthy of passage. Kang Oh checked how much time he had left on Gluttony. ''I have about 4 minutes and 30 seconds left.'' If that''s the case, then he needed to deal as much damage as possible within that time frame, and then finish it off while in his Devil Trigger state! "Let''s go." "Ok." They''de knowing how Rondark fought, as well as how best to deal with him, so Kang Oh didn''t need to tell her anything in particr. Kang Oh and Asu simultaneously kicked off the floor and rushed at the boss. Then, Rondark widened his mouth. Dark red mes arose from his mouth. Hellfire Dedicated to Ja! Roar! The fire zed as if it were dancing, and came flying at them in a fan shape. Kang Oh and Asu threw themselves out of the way. If they had reacted even a second slower, then they would''ve been burnt to a crisp. ''We dodged the fire, so next up is...'' Kang Oh rushed forward, aiming for Rondark''s right side. But Rondark attacked first with his right bronze arm. Whoosh! His bronze arm flew through the air. Bam! It felt like he''d be ttened with just one hit of that; then again, it wouldn''t matter if it didn''t hit. Kang Oh, whose evasion was without peer, easily dodged Rondark''s attack. ''My turn!'' Kang Oh swung his sword diagonally. Abyss Aura! The bottomless aura of darkness followed the path of his sword. Swish! Once his aura struck Rondark''s pudgy stomach, a shard of light the size of a human head burst forth. Then, Shadow Ubist wed at and bit Rondark''s leg. "Kuaaahk! You worm!" Rondark''s face contorted, and he shook from the severe damage he''d just sustained. Even a boss couldn''t withstand Kang Oh when he was buffed by potions, Baramut''s Roar, Gluttony, and Devil Trigger. Of course, Rondark possessed the same tremendous regenerative abilities that the other Evil God Worshippers possessed. ''I can''t give him the opportunity to heal!'' So Kang Oh swung his sword even more forcefully than before. Swish. Swoosh. Two sounds intertwined. One of them denoted Kang Oh swinging his sword, while the other was the sound of Rondark brandishing his own de. ''Danger!'' Kang Oh felt a chill on his side. ''I can''t block itpletely with Abyss Shield. If that''s the case, then...should I follow through with my attack and let the Baramut set cover me?'' he quickly thought. But the Wind Shield was his trump card; it was reserved for something he couldn''t ount for. He couldn''t afford to use it now. It''d be a waste. In the end, Kang Oh chose to turn his sword around, sacrificing his attack to p away the iing attack. ng! Kang Oh''s strength overpowered his own, so Rondark''s sword was pushed aside. Normally, when yers fought against bosses and they were evenly leveled, the boss would overpower the yer. However, that rule only applied to normal yers. At full strength, Kang Oh could overpower a boss. Rondark hadn''t expected to be pushed back in a contest of strength, and slightly turned to regain his bearings. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. He immediately swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger pounced on Rondark. Kuhaahk! Rondark writhed as shards of light fell from his body like dandruff. ''I need to use it again when it''s off cooldown.'' Tempest Tiger had a 1 minute cooldown. However, the MP usage was severe, so he could only use it about twice more. If that''s the case, then he should use two more before Gluttony ends. After that, Kang Ohnded a few more hits in, inflicting a substantial amount of damage. Shadow Ubist increased/decreased its size at will, inflicting a moderate amount of damage as well. However, Rondark wouldn''t just take this lying down. Rondark alternated between his bronze arms, choosing to eitherunch a downward strike or just swing them haphazardly. Kang Oh quickly retreated. Bam! Bam! Bam! Several bronze fists struck the area he''d once upied, forming craters that hadn''t existed before. That wasn''t the end of Rondark''s assault. With Kang Oh stepping back and widening the distance between them, Rondark unleashed mes from his mouth. Roar! Ja''s Burning Brand x3! Three fireballs came flying at him. One came straight for him, while the other two blocked his escape. ''I''ll throw the dagger first and then get out of here with Abyss Transfer.'' Kang Oh immediately thought up a strategy and then carried it out. He drew a dion''s Dagger and threw it, his hand as fast as lightning. Swoosh! The dagger spun in the air and flew in between the fireballs, embedding itself in Rondark''s pudgy stomach. Bzzzzzz. It discharged sparks, but Rondark wasn''t shocked, perhaps because it was a boss. Anyway, the fireballs engulfed Kang Oh at almost the same time. However, Kang Oh had already fled using Abyss Transfer. Roar! The fire spread everywhere as if it were searching for him. However, Kang Oh had already left the premises. Kang Oh appeared right in front of Rondark and began barraging him with attacks whilst Rondark counterattacked. Whereas... Asu had her own job to do, one that was quite important at that. Chapter 128. D-Day (5)

Chapter 128. D-Day (5)

Trantor: Boko Rondark, the evil god, Ja''s fourteen disciple. The evil god had bestowed his power onto him, both monsterizing him and giving him ess to four arms. He was currently attacking Kang Oh with his two bronze arms, as well as his sword. What about his whip? Whoosh! Asu quickly evaded the iing thornden whip. Bam! The whip struck the ground. Then, Asu acted like she¡¯d rush in and attack. Rondark quickly pulled back its whip and prepared another attack. Asu didn''t approach, instead choosing to assess the situation. Whoosh! The whip came for her once more. She waspletely focused on the whip, allowing her to dodge the whip without much issue. After that, the same sequence of events repeated over and over again. Asu acted like she''d approach, causing Rondark to withdraw his whip. Then, she''d stop and the whip woulde flying at her once more. ''It''s going just as nned.'' There was a simple reason that Rondark wasshing his whip at her. Distance. They were at a far enough distance to make his whip the most effective means of attack. The two were neither too close nor too far. Whenever Rondark missed, she would act like she''d rush in. As a result, Rondark continuously attacked her to keep her away. Rondark thought he was keeping her at bay, but Asu was doing this on purpose; she was keeping Rondark''s whip from targeting Kang Oh! This was the best she could do. With her help, Kang Oh was able to find more weak spots. Like right now. Stab. Normally, Rondark would''ve blocked it with his left arm, but he was otherwise upied by Asu. "Lord Ja, please grant me more power!" Rondark yelled. Then, ck energy rose from his bronze fist. His sword, which had a tongue attached to the end of it, as well as his whip, which resembled a thorny vine, were fraught with the same ck energy. Pain Bestowed by the Evil God! To put it simply, it was an overpowered ability that doubled one''s damage. Now, he couldn''t afford to make mistakes or act recklessly. If he showed an opening, then it''d be game over. Despite that, Kang Oh grinned. Bad news often came with good news. ''That means his HP has dropped below half.'' Rondark would only use this ability when his HP dropped below half. ''It won''t be long before he''s dead! Gluttony won''tst much longer either!'' He couldn''t get cold feet now; now was the time to press his offensive. Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! Shadow Ubist trailed behind the tiger. * * * Offense was his only option! Kang Oh, who''d unleashed his second Tempest Tiger, continuously attacked thereafter. "Haahp!" Whack. Whack. Swish. Swoosh. The damage he dealt far exceeded Rondark''s regenerative abilities. Rondark opened his mouth, countering with a fireball, and also swung his fist and sword. Not only that, but he was gradually bing stronger; the more time passed, the more power he received from the evil god, further increasing his strength. However...! He still wasn''t a match for Kang Oh at full power. ''It''s easier than I thought it would be.'' To Kang Oh, who''d felled countless bosses since his Warlord days, this boss wasn''t anything special. But Rondark couldn''t be beaten unless one used a healing debuff, or dealt damage that far exceeded his healing abilities. After experiencing the ''1 hour hell'' for himself, he felt like the rumors were widely exaggerated. Then again, this was just his personal opinion. To many yers, Rondark was still a nightmare to deal with. The more time passed, the more powerful he would be; not only did Rondark possess tremendous regenerative capabilities, but could attack from close, mid-range, and long-range. It didn''t matter though; Kang Oh was still too powerful. ''I don''t have much time left on Gluttony, so I gotta use another Tempest Tiger before its time is up.'' Kang Oh counted how much time he had left, and kept up his storm-like assault. Shadow Ubist seemed to agree with its master, as it pounced with even greater ferocity. "Y-You bastard!" Forced onto the defensive, Rondark yelled angrily and swung his bronze fist in a wide arc; the ck energy around his bronze fist glimmered. Kang Oh briefly retreated. Rondark, believing that this was his chance, opened his mouth and raised his head. Puff, puff, puff, puff! Countless fireballs filled the air. Then, they fell! The fireballs hit the ground, causing fire to ignite throughout the giant hall. Roar! The fire wouldn''t go out. With this, Kang Oh and Asu''s movements were limited. If they touched the mes, then they''d take fire damage. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''It''s about time to finish this.'' Rondark would only use this ability when the end was near; in other words, he didn''t have much HP left! Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Tempest Tiger! Gluttony ran out while the golden aura pounced onto Rondark. Kang Ohnded onto the floor. Bam! After the aura swept through Rondark, Kang Oh rushed forward and crazily swung his sword. sh, Abyss Aura! The resulting shards of light were noticeably smaller than before as Gluttony had worn off. ''You have to work with what you have!'' The number of his attacks had decreased. Darkness Strike or Fang Bearing de. It''d be nice if either of those activated! "Ja!" Rondark haphazardly swung his bronze fists, sword, and whip. Then... "Kyaahk!" Asu screamed. Kang Oh turned his head. Asu had been struck by the whip, causing arge shard of light to burst from her body. The mes had limited her movement, resulting in her getting hit by Rondark''s haphazard attacks. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. He saw her quickly take out and drink an HP potion. Despite that, she didn''t look like she was in good condition. If she got hit one more time, then she''d die no matter what. However, he couldn''t rush over to her. If he did, then he''d given Rondark time to heal himself. Then, their mission would end in failure. Either he took a huge risk or they failed. ''I''m finishing him!'' He attacked even more fiercely than before! Kang Oh swung his sword. Whack! His attack ignored Rondark''s defenses. As soon as he saw the ck shards, he put even more effort into his attacks. ''Just a little more!'' At some point, his concentration had reached its peak. What was the best way to describe it? It felt like his sword was an extension of his body, and swinging it felt so natural! Not only that, but...! Everything seemed so clear. He could see the fear of death and his longing for the evil god within Rondark''s eyes. Kang Oh could also see that slight shake in his bronze fist, the shape of the swaying fireballs, the grooves in the ground, and even the small rolling rocks. Kang Oh had experienced this once before. It had happened during his battle with Baramut, and he''d also felt it when he fought against 1,000 guild members in his Warlord days. He''d also felt this against opponents that could match him in Warlord. Whatever the case, Kang Oh rid himself of any unnecessary movements and moved in the most effective way to defeat his opponent. Plus, his Hyper Intuition, which warned him of danger and pointed out weak spots, became clearer than ever! Therefore, Kang Oh just barely dodged each of Rondark''s attacks and unhesitatingly attacked his vitals. Thud. Rondark fell to his knees. Kuaah! Despite that, Rondark attempted to shoot out another fireball. This was itsst act of desperation! Hellfire Dedicated to Ja! His eyes seemingly said, ''I''ll burn everything with my final attack!''. However...! Swish. Kang Oh had sliced him in two. Rondark suddenly stopped moving. The fire that had gathered within his mouth died down as well. "J-Ja..." Rondark''s body fell to the ground in two pieces. [You have defeated Ja''s Fourteen Disciple, Rondark.] Clink. The key fell to the floor with a light ''clink''. Kang quickly picked up the key and yelled, "Let''s get out of here!" Asu rushed over. She had a sliver of HP left. "I''ming!" Kang Oh and Asu ran towards the exit. Once he ced the key in, the door opened with a ''screech''. Iridescent light came through the opening like a blessing! The two simultaneously ran through the light. * * * Tae Gyu dodged Rondark''s bronze fist and scowled. ''This is really tough.'' This was his first time fighting against the monsterized Rondark. After fighting him in person, he realized that Rondark truly was a tough boss. Rondark constantly attacked with his four arms while spitting out fireballs. Not only that, but the more time passed, the stronger he would be! ''But there''s no way I''ll lose with these items!'' Red roots sprouted on Rondark''s navel. He''d hit him with Mk''s Sword of Annihtion, so Rondark''s regenerative abilities were sealed. Tae Gyu had taken care of his tremendous healing abilities, so he could easily defeat him with his abilities and equipment. ''The problem is time...'' Tae Gyu thought that it''d take more time to defeat the boss than expected. He checked how much time had psed. [23:32] ''I won''t be able to clear it in 30 minutes... Oh well.'' Tae Gyu decided not to rush; he''d rather take his time and safely defeat the boss than shave off a few minutes by being reckless. Tae Gyu and Rondark engaged in an intense battle, with Se Hwa healing Tae Gyu from afar. That was the best she could do for him. In any case, Rondark''s healing abilities were sealed and Tae Gyu''s skills weren''t so shabby, so Rondark''s HP gradually went down. "Lord Ja, please grant me more power!" Pain Bestowed by the Evil God! Rondark''s attacks became even fiercer. His attacks would deal twice the damage, so Tae Gyu was forced to move even more carefully than before. ng! Bam! Whack! They quickly exchanged attacks. [You have taken damage.] [You have taken damage.] Tae Gyu was skilled, but he didn''t possess Kang Oh''s ridiculous evasion. Moreover, Rodark was using all four of his arms to attack him. Thus, Tae Gyu couldn''t dodge all of Rodark''s attacks. Pop. Gulp. Tae Gyu, like other yers, pulled out an HP potion and drank it down. Then, they exchanged attacks once more! Septuple sh! Tae Gyu instantly swung his sword seven times. Then, Rondark opened his mouth and shot out a fireball. Tae Gyu used his ne''s Magic Reflect, causing the spell to reverse course. Rondarkshed with his whip as if to say, ''Then how about this!?''. Tae Gyu revealed his glove, which looked like a beast''s hand; the glove created a shield made of light. Whack! Once the whip struck his shield, Tae Gyu countered with his sword. ng! Rondark parried Tae Gyu''s de with his bronze fist. They continued to sh in this manner, but Tae Gyu held the advantage. Rondark''s healing abilities had been sealed, so his HP slowly went down; whereas Tae Gyu''s HP was replenished via his HP potions and Se Hwa''s healing spells. At some point... Rondark spat fireballs into the air. Then, they plummeted to the ground! The hall became hell on earth, forcing Se Hwa to move. ''Just a little bit longer!'' Tae Gyu obviously knew what this meant. This sea of mes was a clear indication that the end was near. ''Let''s finish this.'' Tae Gyu''s eyes glinted. "Haahp!" He used his full power. In the end... Rondark fell to his knees. "Hoo, hoo. It''s over." Tae Gyu briefly let down his guard. He should''ve finished him quicker. However...! Right before he finished him off, Rondark unleashed his final me. Hellfire Dedicated to Ja! "T-This is...!" Tae Gyu quickly ducked. Chapter 129. Winner & Loser

Chapter 129. Winner & Loser

Trantor: Boko Whoosh! Roar! Mighty mes swept through a quarter of the hall. After unleashing his final attack, Rondark bowed his head and died. Tae Gyu summoned a disposable shield with his glove, and reduced the fire damage via his golden armor and ring. He had just barely survived Rondark''s final attack. However...! "N-No way." He looked stunned. Yoon Se Hwa was on the ground. Her face was burnt ck! She hadn''t been able to withstand Rondark''s mes. Tae Gyu held her whilst shaking. Yoon Se Hwa''s character transformed into shards of light. He¡¯d obviously failed his mission, as he hadn¡¯t protected his partner. But that didn''t hurt nearly as much as him losing the bet! ''The vice-captain seat!'' Tae Gyu plopped onto the ground in shock. To think that something like this would happen at the very end! Then, he was brought out of his stupor by the ''clink'' of the key falling to the floor. ''No, this isn''t the end. I haven''t lost yet.'' When they wrote the contract, it had definitely specified that the winner was based on who ended up with a faster clear time. If that''s the case, then he needs to get out of here. If he managed to get a better time than the other team, then... maybe he could use that as an excuse. "Eek!" He gritted his teeth and suddenly stood up. Tae Gyu grabbed the key and sprinted to the door. Screech. He threw himself into the light. A short whileter... Once the light faded, the Tarnatose Prison faded like a mirage and he reappeared in the deste ruins. Plus...! He saw them. A man and a woman standing side-by-side, smiling at him! "Oh, good work." Kang Oh grinned and waved. "H-How..." Tae Gyu looked shell-shocked. ''How is he the one waiting for me? I definitely went into the dungeon first... That means...'' Tae Gyu''s head began to turn at an rming speed. "But I don''t see Se Hwa anywhere," Asu said. "You''re right. Did she get a game over?" Kang Oh asked Tae Gyu. Tae Gyu said nothing. Instead, he turned around and ced his hand atop the tombstone, or the ranking board. A system message appeared, asking him to input his name for his record. Tae Gyu quickly inputted his and Se Hwa''s names, and checked where Kang Oh''s team had ced. ''My time''s 32 minutes and 53 seconds... Oga and Soo Ah''s time is...'' His eyes widened. "26 minutes and 58 seconds? Unbelievable..." What''s worse, Oga and Soo Ah were at the top of the leaderboard. They''d gotten the best time. Then, Kang Oh ced his hand on Tae Gyu''s shoulder. "Hoo, hoo. It seems like me and Soo Ah have won the bet." "Aah..." Tae Gyu lost all strength in his body, causing him to fall to his knees. There was no way around it; he had clearly lost. * * * The final shoot had begun. "Did you all have fun with your final dungeon conquests?" Seong Gook asked. "Yes!" Jae Woo and Soo Ah shouted. Whereas Park Tae Gyu and Yoon Se Hwa looked like someone had died, even though the cameras were rolling. "Let''s see whether our teams conquered their dungeons, shall we?" Seol Hee pointed at the screen. The teams'' names appeared on the screen, and a ''sess'' or ''failure'' appeared next to their names. "Aah, there was a team that failed!" Seol Hee said. "Mr. Tae Gyu, Ms. Se Hwa. What happened? You came all the way to the end, but you failed yourst mission!" Seong Gook said disappointingly. "Ah, that''s... well..." Tae Gyu couldn''t speak properly yet, as he still wasn''t over the shock of defeat. "..." Yoon Se Hwa said nothing, merely choosing to bow her head. "Oh dear... It seems like Team Tae Gyu and Se Hwa are still shocked from their defeat," Seong Gook said. "But they still need to receive their punishment, right?" Seol Hee firmly said. "Of course," Seong Gook agreed. The staff ced the punishment box in between Tae Gyu and Se Hwa. "Now then, Ms. Se Hwa. Please pick out a punishment." "..." Se Hwa lifelessly picked out a card from the box and passed it to Seong Gook. "This punishment is...!" Seong Gook widened his eyes and nced at Jae Woo. "What is it?" Seol Hee asked. "Aah, it''s a punishment that you''re intimately familiar with, Ms. Seol Hee." Seong Gook smiled impishly. "With me? Is it perhaps..." "Yes. It''s exactly what you think it is. Drawing on the face!" "Aah!" Seol Hee ced her face in her hands and shook her head cutely, as if she''d recalled an unpleasant memory. "Please bring the props for the punishment." Seong Gook kept the show going. A staff member brought over a bowl of squid ink and a brush. "We have everything ready, so... Now all we need is someone to draw on their faces. I''d prefer it if they had some experience..." Seong Gook''s voice faded towards the end, and he nced at Jae Woo. "I drew on Ms. Seol Heest time; she looked lovely!" Jae Woo''s hand shot up. "It wasn''t lovely!" Kang Seol Hee screamed. Her reaction caused the others to burst outughing. Of course, Tae Gyu and Se Hwa were the only exceptions. "Then I''ll leave the brush to you, Mr. Oga." "No thank you!" "No!" Tae Gyu and Se Hwa simultaneously yelled. "Aah. Unfortunately, this is your punishment, so we can''t take your opinions into consideration," Seong Gook firmly said. "Alright, let''s do this..." Jae Woo stood up suddenly and headed for Tae Gyu and Se Hwa, bowl and brush in tow. "Please turn around while Mr. Oga administers your punishment," Seong Gook said. Tae Gyu and Se Hwa did as they were told and turned their backs on the cameras. "Please close your eyes," Jae Woo grinned and said. Park Tae Gyu scowled whilst Yoon Se Hwa red at him as if she''d killed him. "Please hurry up and close your eyes." ''Before I pour all the ink on your face!'' Ultimately, Tae Gyu and Se Hwa closed their eyes. Jae Woo briefly set down the brush and dish, and ced their heads side-by-side. "Our eyes are closed. And we''re not moving our heads either." Yoon Se Hwa gritted her teeth. "Hehe." Jae Woo smeared the brush in ink and started drawing. ''Let''s keep it simple.'' Jae Woo used their heads like an English exercise book and wrote a word diagonally. "Please smile." Jae Woo finished by coloring their teeth like piano keys. "I''m done," Jae Woo yelled. "Ah, already? Then, Mr. Tae Gyu, Ms. Se Hwa, please turn around when I count to three. One, two, three!" Seong Gook said. Tae Gyu and Se Hwa turned around. ...What the hell is that? The reaction of the staff, the contestants, and the MC''s was somewhat ambiguous. "Uh, Mr. Oga? Is this your best? Are you sure?" Seong Gook asked, seemingly disappointed. "Just a second." Jae Woo grabbed Tae Gyu and Se Hwa''s heads, keeping them still. "Now, please close your eyes and smile!" "Ah!" "Aha!" Only then did everyone there realize the meaning of his doodles. By joining the faces together, the word would read ''LOSER''. It was an apt term to describe Tae Gyu and Se Hwa right now. Then, Jae Woo whispered, "I''ll see you in my waiting roomter." "..." Jae Woo, who''d finished what he had to say, returned to his seat and allowed the show to continue. After that, Seol Hee and Seong Gook smoothly continued the show. "How much did the teams earn in the end... Please show us!" Once she was done, the screen showed the teams'' final earnings. Jae Woo and Soo Ah obviously received 15 million won ($15,000 USD)! "Let''s hear what our Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls have to say." Seong Gook oversaw the final talk with the contestants. Soon, it was Jae Woo''s turn. "Mmnn. Mr. Oga. Please tell us your final impressions of thest episode of Dungeon Conquering Man. Please make it long!" Jae Woo grinned. "It was fun." "Aah..." Of course. Seong Gook looked disappointed, and was about to pass it over to another contestant, but... Then, Jae Woo continued with some verbal diarrhea. "And I''m very thankful to all of the viewers who have supported our team and have voted for us in the poprity poll. I was able to conquer dungeons with the loving and cute top idol, Jeong Soo Ah, so I must''ve done something right in my past life or something." "I was only able to conquer the dungeons because of her. I''m very thankful for the person beside me. And I''d like to have another cup of coffee sometime with our producer, Mr. Jin Cheol, who cast me for this role. Finally, I have a message for my family... Mom, Yura, Mina, stay happy and stay healthy!" "Ooh, Mr. Oga. Do you always talk this much?" "It''s thest shoot, so I decided to talk a bit more than normal." "You should''ve done this earlier. Anyway, good job!" Seong Gook smiled and chatted with the next contestant. Sometimeter... Jake, the foreigner who could speak fluent Korean, was thest one Seong Gook spoke to. After chatting with him, they moved on to the final segment. Seol Hee and Seong Gook wrapped things up. "Hoo, I''m really disappointed that this is thest time we can see our amazing Dungeon Conquering Men/Girls!" Seol Hee said. "We maye back with a second season," Seong Gook said meaningfully. "Eeh, really? Have you heard something from the producer?" "No, I haven''t, but with our viewers'' love and support, we may return for a season 2 and maybe even a season 3." Seong Gook smiled. "You''re right. But did you know that our writers are already preparing a Dungeon Conquering Man special?" "A special?" "It''ll show highlights of Dungeon Conquering Man, the results of the poprity poll, the distribution of prizes, and the terrifying punishment for thest ce team!" "Wow, it sounds like fun. But when will the special air?" Seong Gook said with a nonchnt expression. "The special will air next week in the same time slot as Dungeon Conquering Man." "Hoo, I see. Please take a look at the special!" Seong Gook said his farewells. "Thank you so much for tuning in!" Seol Hee beamed and wrapped things up. "Cut!" "Good job everyone!" "Good work everyone. Let''s hurry and finish up, and then go home early." The staff busily moved around, and the cast members said their own farewells as well. That marked the end of the final shoot of Dungeon Conquering Man. "Now then, shall we go see the losers?" Jae Woo smirked. "Ok!" Soo Ah beamed. * * * Jae Woo, Soo Ah, Tae Gyu, and Se Hwa gathered in a single room. Of course, Tae Gyu and Se Hwa dragged themselves over as if they were cows headed for the ughterhouse. ''At least they came after washing their faces.'' Jae Woo smiled and excitedly greeted them. "Wee!" "Haa," Tae Gyu sighed. He thought he''d win, so where did all go wrong? p. Jae Woo pped, trying to clear the mncholic atmosphere. "Now then, we''re all busy people here, so why don''t we deal with this quickly so that we can go home. Let''s start with you, Mr. Tae Gyu." "Yes." "When are you going to provide me info on the Master Miners?" "I''ll provide it to you within a week." "This is my email address. Please send it to me here." Jae Woo passed him a scrap of paper. Then, he added, "If you don''t send me the information within a week or send me false information, then you''ll have to pay a fine of 100 million won ($100,000 USD)." "Ahem. I understand." "The men are finished talking. Now it''s thedies'' turn..." Soo Ah and Yoon Se Hwa merely stared at each other quietly. "Could the men step out for a minute please?" Soo Ah asked. Jae Woo wanted to see Yoon Se Hwa kneel and beg for forgiveness, but decided to do as she asked. Click. Jae Woo and Tae Gyu stepped outside. Without saying a word, Soo Ah waited for Yoon Se Hwa to kneel and apologize. ... There was a strange silence between the two. Yoon Se Hwa looked like she was in agony. Her body shook, she gritted her teeth, and furrowed her brows. "Haa." Seeing that, Soo Ah just sighed deeply. "I don''t need you to kneel. Just don''t stir up trouble anymore. No, let''s just pretend we don''t know each other from now on." She hoped that this tiresome, ill-fated rtionship would finally end! "Then I''ll get going." Soo Ah made her way to the door, but then Yoon Se Hwa said, "Stop!" Chapter 130. Ties

Chapter 130. Ties

Trantor: Boko Soo Ah stopped and nced at Yoon Se Hwa. "..." Yoon Se Hwa kept her mouth shut, despite her saying ''Stop!'' just a second ago. Then, Soo Ah turned around as if saying ''You''re worth less than a bug; it''s not even worth talking to you.''. Seeing that, Yoon Se Hwa gritted her teeth and made up her mind. ''I''m not worth less than a bug!'' In the end... "Look at me!" Thud. Yoon Se Hwa kneeled onto the floor. "Where''s your apology?" she said, and stared at her coldly. Yoon Se Hwa bit her lip and said, "I''m... mhm. I''m sorry." Tears dripped from her eyes. Of course, they weren''t tears of regret or repentance. ''This pisses me off!'' She was pissed at her condition, so much so that she just wanted to shrivel up and die. Here she was, kneeling in front of Soo Ah and begging for forgiveness. "Look here," Soo Ah called. "..." Yoon Se Hwa remained silent. "I''m not going to ept your apology. I''m not going to ept or even try to understand your past actions with just a cheap apology." Her voice was as sharp as a well forged de. If Yoon Se Hwa had genuinely apologized, then she might''ve epted it, but Yoon Se Hwa had no intention of doing so. Like right now. "I never did anything that needed your forgiveness! And I have no intention of making up with you either!" Yoon Se Hwa yelled. "Pfft," Soo Ahughed. For some reason, Yoon Se Hwa shouting with that tearstained face of hers made herugh. It reminded her of a viin telling the hero that ''they''d get them next time''. "Stopughing!" Yoon Se Hwa yelled once more. "Keep your promise; that you won''t cause any more trouble," Soo Ah finished and then turned around. "We''ll see just how long you remain at the top! I''ll be waiting for the day that you fall from grace!" She heard Yoon Se Hwa''s malicious voice, but Soo Ah just ignored it and left the waiting room. Click. Once she closed the door, she automatically let out a sigh. "Hoo." This ill-fated rtionship between them had finallye to an end. Then... Jae Woo, who''d been waiting outside of the waiting room, approached her. "Soo Ah." "Oppa." "I heard shouting... Are you ok?" "I''m ok. Everything is over now." Soo Ah smiled. "Ahem. Excuse me." Tae Gyu, who''de over as well, passed by them and entered the waiting room. "Oppa, let''s go." "Sure." Jae Woo and Soo Ah passed through the passageway side-by-side. At some point, Soo Ah stopped. "Oppa, please excuse me." Soo Ah brought him to a secluded area. "What''s wrong?" Soo Ah bowed in front of him. "Thank you very much. Everything went well because of you," she said honestly. "You don''t need to thank me... with our rtionship." Jae Woo scratched his neck in embarrassment. "And what rtionship is that?" Soo Ah stared into his eyes and asked. Then... He felt like he needed to say these words right now. With a trembling voice, he said, "I like you." "Ding ding." Soo Ah smiled and embraced him. Then, Jae Woo responded in kind. How much time had passed like this? Jae Woo and Soo Ah let go of each other. For some reason, the mood was just in awkward. "Oppa," she called. "Yeah." "Do you want to meet up next Saturday?" she asked. "Saturday?" "I don''t have anything nned on Saturday. Let''s eat together then. I''ll treat you to some delicious food." Jae Woo nodded his head. "Sure! Just send me the time and ce." "Ok!" Soo Ah said excitedly. Then, her phone began to ring. She checked the caller and then looked up at Jae Woo. "It''s my manager. I''ll have to get going." "Alright. Take care," Jae Woo said. "See you then!" Soo Ah enthusiastically waved her hand and left. ''Yes, yes, yes!'' Jae Woo jumped around and clenched his fists. * * * Two dayster... Tae Gyu emailed Jae Woo the information that the Jairus Guild had on the Master Miners. ''He works quick.'' Jae Woo satisfyingly opened the email. "Hum, hum, hum." Jae Woo began humming automatically. How could he exin it? It felt like two days had just blown right by. At that moment, the door to this room opened and Yura popped in to check on him. "What''s going on, Big Brother? You''ve been in a good moodtely." "Huh? Oh, it''s nothing," Jae Woo said evasively. "Really? Ok then." Yura closed his door and left. Then, Jae Woo scratched his head and focused on the files Tae Gyu had sent him. The files contained information on three separate Master Miners. Of them, one of them came to his attention. It was none other than... "Bower!" The Master Miner, Bower! He was the miner that his in-game blood brother, Burkan, had told him to find after writing him a letter of introduction. Bower would periodically show up in Balturon Vige. ''Balturon Vige?'' This is the first time he''d heard of Balturon Vige, so he looked it up on the inte. "It''s a vige located in the Phamas Mountains." The Phamas Mountains were located in the eastern region of the Arth continent. Of all the mountains on the continent, it was both the longest and thergest mountain range, so it was called ''The Continent''s Roof''. Not only was the Phamas Mountains dangerous, but powerful monsters resided there. It was said that a yer had to be at least level 200 toe out of there alive. ''It was a good idea that I decided to grind.'' Although he''d temporarily stopped exploring dungeons, he''d hunted diligently with Eder and Sephiro; therefore, he was now strong enough to get through the Phamas Mountains alive. "Alright!" ''Strike the iron while it''s hot'', or so they say. He would head for Bower immediately! Jae Woo activated his virtual reality capsule and logged into Arth. * * * Kang Oh walked through one of Altein''s alleys. He was headed for its intercity transfer gate. However...! Beep. Beep. Kang Oh''smunication earring rang. He grabbed the earring with his fingers and heard a baritone voice. "Mr. Kang Oh!" It was Grano. For some reason, just the voice alone gave him the feeling that he was handsome. "Mr. Grano! Have you been well?" Kang Oh asked happily. "I have. How have you been?" It sure did feel good to exchange greetings! Grano had, like him, asked how he was doing first. "I''ve been doing well." "That''s good to hear." "But what''s the matter?" Kang Oh asked. "Modune has been dealt with, so I wanted to let you know." "Ah, Modune." The Insect Mage, Modune. The Tower had attempted to use Modune to pressure the Arabas Kingdom into sharing their magic with them. "How did it go?" "Are you free right now? I''d like to speak to you in person. I also have something to give you," Grano said. "I understand. I''ll head to the Tower''s 2nd floor cafe now." "I''ll be waiting." Kang Oh ended the call and immediately headed for the Mage''s Tower. He''d use the intercity transfer gate and head for Balturon Vige after meeting with Grano. It was a slight detour, but it wouldn''t matter much in the long run. A short whileter... Kang Oh arrived at the Tower''s 2nd floor cafe and saw Grano waving his hand at him. "I''m over here." As always, Grano was a middle-aged handsome man. However, his face looked gaudy and there were bags under his eyes. "I already asked how you were doing earlier... But you look really tired?" Kang Oh said. "I''ve been working on the Da #13tely and before you know it, I hadn''t gotten much sleep." The Da #13. It was the name of the device that Grano was working on that would create rain for the Bariton Desert. "It''s good to pursue your dreams, but please remember to take care of your body. Your health is always paramount," Kang Oh said honestly. It was only natural. He''d spent 2 years in aa, so he knew very well how important one''s health was now. "I''m very much aware. I''d like to live long enough to see my daughters for a long time." Grano smiled. "I trust that you''ll take care of yourself. Now then, shall we move on to Modune?" "First off, our n to pressure the Arabas Kingdom via Modune haspletely failed," Grano dered. "Then you must''ve ransomed him off." "Indeed." "And all of that is mine." "Yes." Grano nodded his head. "How much did ite out to?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "2,000 gold." "H-How much?" "2,000 gold." "2,000 gold..." Kang Oh gaped at him, his eyes wide open. They''d sold for much more than he''d expected. ''Modune''s worth 2,000 gold? Sure, whatever...'' Kang Oh smiled and his cheekbones rose. He''d made 2,000 gold! "It''s payment for Modune and his men, the Insect Mages." "Ah." The scum that worked beneath scum. "Here you go." Grano retrieved the gold bars from his subspace and ced them on the table. Obviously, there were twenty of them. "Hehe." Kang Oh grabbed each gold bar individually and ced them into his inventory''s gold box. "I got as much I could for you." Grano looked like he expected thanks. "You''re the best, Mr. Grano." Kang Oh grabbed Grano''s hands. "Anyway, with this, all of our business concerning the Bariton Desert hase to a close." "Indeed." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Here." Grano handed him earrings embedded with blue crystals from his subspace. "What is this?" "They''remunication earrings that the Tower will begin selling shortly. I promised you that I''d get you a pair for free." "Ah!" Grano had definitely said that in the past. "It looks a bit different from the one I''m wearing," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh''s earring was gold, but the new earrings had blue crystals inside of them. "It''s an improved model. The range has increased significantly." "In other words, this earring is better than the one I''m wearing." "Yes." "I''ll use it well." Kang Oh politely epted the blue crystal earrings with both hands. "You use it the same way. Once another person wears it, you canmunicate with them by grabbing onto the earring." "Understood." "I''ll take the gold earring back." Kang Oh took off the earring and passed it to Grano. It originally belonged to Grano, so it was only right that he returned it. "I don''t have anything else to give you and nothing to receive, so I''ll head up now. The Da #13 is waiting for me." Grano stood up. "Thank you for everything." "I''ll see youter." Kang Oh and Grano shook hands and parted ways. * * * Kang Oh, who left the Tower, summoned Eder. At first, he was faint like an afterimage, but gradually became clearer. "You came?" "Yeah, I did. Here." Kang Oh passed him one of the two earrings. "This is... No way." Eder''s eyes shook. "It''s amunication earring. Mr. Grano gave it to me." "Ugh." Eder''s face contorted. He didn''t want amunication earring at all. After all, Kang Oh would definitely use it to make him work from afar, or tell him to do something after he''d gone home! "No thank you." Eder resisted timidly. "It''ll be a pain if we can''t keep in touch, so just take it while I''m being nice." Kang Oh red strongly, and grabbed the hilt of his sword. "Ugh." Eder bit the bullet and wore the earring. "Looking good." Kang Oh smiled and pped while Eder''s head dropped. After that, he tested themunication earrings; he was quite satisfied with them. "Now then, let''s go to Balturon Vige." He''d go there and meet Bower! "Balturon Vige? We''re not going to Helm Mountain to hunt?" Eder asked. "I''ll exin on the way, so follow me!" Kang Oh strode forward. Chapter 131. Bower

Chapter 131. Bower

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro, who they''d brought along the way, traveled to a city near the Phamas Mountains via the intercity gate. After that, they headed for the mountains on horseback. The mining towns and viges in the Phamas Mountains weren''t equipped with transfer gates. That¡¯s why they were forced to travel to Balturon Vige on horseback. "Why are we going to Balturon Vige?" Eder asked from atop his horse, which had a mark on its forehead. "Balturon Vige?" Once Eder was finished speaking, Sephiro stared at Kang Oh. All he''d heard was that they were heading for the Phamas Mountains and that he needed to tag along. "Apparently, the Master Miner, Bower, asionally appears in Balturon Vige," Kang Oh said. "So?" Eder asked. "I have something to ask of him," Kang Oh said nonchntly as if it were no big deal. "Then there''s no reason for me or Mr. Sephiro to tag along..." Eder restrained himself from saying, ''Why did you bring us along!?''. Then, he and Sephiro secretly exchanged nces. ''Right?'' ''Indeed.'' Sephiro slightly nodded his head. "You know how dangerous the Phamas Mountains are, don''t you? How crazy do you think I am toe here alone? And if we can''t find Bower, then we''ll stay here until we do; we''ll just search the mountains or hunt in the meantime," Kang Oh replied. It was as though he were rebuking him, seemingly saying, ''You didn''t even think about that possibility?''. Eder pouted. Kang Oh ignored him and said, "Have you been to the Phamas Mountains before?" "I have a few times," Sephiro replied after softly shaking his reins. "Are there any hunting grounds or dungeons that''ll be a good fit for us?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m not sure. I only visited a few of the viges here for a quest." "Then we should go to the dungeons I''ve picked out. If we don''t find Bower, that is." He''d created a back-up n just in case he didn''t meet Bower immediately. "You''re the boss. Do as you please. But you can''t make me hunt without rest orte into the night," Sephiro said firmly and stared at Kang Oh. Kang Oh avoided his gaze. If they ended up hunting, then he would''ve forced them to hunt through the night without rest. "Ah, you have to turn left over there to get to Balturon Vige." Kang Oh pointed at the forked road and quickly took the lead. He''d gotten out of self-incriminating himself. "Phew." ''Why me!?'', Sephiro sighed and thought. * * * "We''re here." Kang Oh''s party reached their destination a short time after entering the Phamas Mountains. Balturon Vige was surrounded by a wood fence, and the wooden buildings were all clustered together. "Now where do we go?" Eder asked. "Bower mines ore on the Phamas Mountains and asionallyes to the inn here to rest, so we should head there first," Kang Oh answered. Then, he spoke to a nearby old man, who appeared to be an NPC. "Do you know where the Balturon Inn is?" Kang Oh asked. "Over there." The old man pointed at a certain building. "Thank you very much. Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party immediately entered the inn. "Kuhahaha!" "Drink, drink!" "So you see, I...!" The 1st floor was a bar filled with rough men boisterously drinking. Thebination of sweat and alcohol produced a foul stench, so Kang Oh pressed forward whilst holding his breath. Sephiro must''ve smelled it as well, as he furrowed his brow and ced his hand over his nose. Eder was undead, so he didn''t really respond to the stench. "Let''s hurry up and find that Bower guy or what not, and then leave," Sephiro said. "I agree." Kang Oh headed over to the bar on the other side, where the owner was cleaning a cup with a rag. As he approached, the middle-aged man abruptly said, "You want a drink?" "No thank you. I''d like to ask you something," Kang Oh said. "Nothing''s free in this world." The owner poured some beer into the cup he''d been cleaning and passed it over to him. It was clear what he was saying. ''If you want to ask me something, then buy a drink first.''. "Ugh. You could''ve given me some juice instead." Kang Oh pulled out a gold coin from his breast pocket and passed it to the owner. Then, Eder picked up the cup. "If you''re not going to drink it, then I will." Once he was finished speaking, Eder drank the entire thing down. "Kyaha!" "I want to ask you something," Kang Oh said, ignoring Eder. "Go ahead." The owner pocketed the gold coin. "I''m looking for someone named Bower. Do you know him?" "Did you just say Bower?" "Yes. Bower" "Isn''t he right next to you?" Then, Kang Oh turned his head. At the same time, the patron drinking beside him turned his head as well. Kang Oh and the man stared at each other. "Are you the Master Miner, Bower?" "Yeah, that''s me." Bower had arge build and drooping shoulders. He also possessedrge muscles, which reminded him of a wild horse, or more specifically, how healthy and strong that wild horse was. His thick eyebrows and sideburns were eye-catching, and he looked to be in his early to mid 40s. "But who are you?" Kang Oh quickly took out Burkan''s letter of introduction from his inventory. "I came because I need your help mining something. This is a letter of introduction from Burkan." "Burkan?" Bower responded to ''Burkan'' and swiped the letter. "What''s your rtionship with Burkan?" "He''s my blood brother." "What do you need help with?" Once he asked, Kang Oh looked around and whispered into his ear. "Adamantium." "Fine, I''ll help you." Bower had easily epted his request, so Kang Oh smiled. "Thank you." However, he''d counted his eggs before they''d hatched. You always had to listen to someone till the very end! "On one condition!" "On one condition?" "You have to help me with something first." "I''m sorry?" Kang Oh sported an expression of disappointment. As expected, there was nothing free in this world! "If you don''t want to, then that''s fine with me." Bower tossed him the letter. "No! I really want to do it!" "Good. It''s simple, so you should be able to finish it quickly." Bower grinned. "What do you need me to do?" "There''s this Steel Gubara monster..." Gubaras resided within mines or uninhabited mines that resembled roly polies. ''Steel Gubaras possess the strongest shell of their species. They''re about level 180 too.'' Kang Oh recalled the information he knew regarding Steel Gubaras. "They''re vermin that devour any ore theye across. Kill 200 of them for me." [Kill the Steel Gubaras] Kill 200 of the ore-eating Steel Gubaras. (0/200) Difficulty: Normal Minimum Requirements: None Reward: Bower grants your request. A quest had popped up. "It doesn''t matter where I kill them, does it?" Kang Oh asked. "Several of them reside in abandoned mine #4. Kill the Gubaras there. If that area isn''t periodically cleansed, then the Gubaras will head to the other mines and devour everything there." "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. [You have epted the quest.] "I''lle back when I''m done." Kang Oh said his farewells. "Alright, good luck." "Let''s go!" Kang Oh left the bar with Eder and Sephiro in tow. Then, Bower motioned towards the bar owner. "One more over here." * * * Kang Oh learned the location of the mine from the vige''s residents, and immediately headed for abandoned mine #4 with his party. "This seems to be the ce." Eder pointed at the entrance of the mine, which resembled a hippo''s gaping maw. "Prepare for battle." "Ok." They drew their weapons and then entered the mine. [Entering the dungeon, Balturon Abandoned Mine #4.] When a mine is abandoned for a long period of time, then monsters begin to inhabit it and it bes a dungeon. This ce was no different. "There." Kang Oh pointed straight forward. It was a roly poly monster, the Steel Gubara. Like its namesake, its shell must be made of steel as it shimmered and shined. "Ah, that!" Eder suddenly yelled. "What''s wrong?" Sephiro asked. "Ah, I''ve fought them before." After remodeling Arumode''s body, Eder hade looking for Kang Oh, who''d been looking for hidden dungeons at the time. Back then, he''d definitely fought against Gubaras. "When you fought them barehanded?" Kang Oh asked. Kang Oh could clearly remember that day. He didn''t think someone who''d just be a Curse Knight would resort to fighting the Gubaras barehanded. "Didn''t I look so brave that day?" Eder smiled. "Nope." He looked like an idiot. "Let''s begin." Kang Oh nced at Sephiro. He could tell what he was thinking. Sephiro shot an arrow at the Gubara. ng! The arrow couldn''t prate its steel shell and just bounced off harmlessly. Then, three Gubaras turned their attention to Kang Oh. The three bugs rolled over to them, reminding anyone that didn''t know that they were indeed roly polies. Rumble! "Huahp!" Kang Oh batted one away as if he were swinging a baseball bat. ng! His sword and its shell shed, reverberating with a metallic shrill. Kang Oh''s strike had caused it to stop rolling. The stopped Gubara opened up and charged at Kang Oh. Tackle! The Gubara''s hard shell was used as a means of defense and offense. Kang Oh dodged to the side, and the Gubara swept past him like a bulldozer. His eyes briefly glinted. ''There.'' The Gubara''s shell didn''t consist of one single piece; it was made up of several pieces. In a way, it was only natural. It wouldn''t be able to roll if its shell was one huge piece. Kang Oh aimed in between the sections. Spurt! He felt something. It was still tough, but it was much softer than the rest of the shell! Shards of red light flew through the air like a gun salute. "Attack in between the sections of its shell!" Kang Oh yelled, and followed up with another attack. "Ooh!" Eder kicked a Gubara away and bashed the shell''s attachment point with the corner of his shield. Bam! Tremble! The Gubara shook as red shards of light burst from its body. Eder seized the opportunity. He grabbed his mace and bashed the Gubara''s back with the spikes. Whack! Red shards lights exploded. However, the Gubara was by no means weak. It rushed towards him and threw itself at him. Eder crazily swung his shield and mace in retaliation. ''Let''s go, shall we?'' Sephiro aimed for the shell itself, rather than the vulnerable area in between. "Sseup!" He drew the bowstring as far as he could and then let go. Twang! Spinning Arrow! The arrow spun violently like a drill! Plus... Crack! The arrow prated the Gubara''s shell and dug into flesh. Was it because the arrow was too powerful? The Gubara didn''t even attempt to retaliate and stayed still. "Hoo." Sephiro prepared his next arrow. However, his second arrow was too weak, as it couldn''t pierce the Gubara''s shell and just bounced off. Then, the Gubara curled up and rolled towards Sephiro. "Tch." After dodging the Gubara''s attack, Sephiro notched another arrow. ''Concentrate!'' Sephiro forcefully pulled the bowstring as far as it would go. Whizz. The arrow spun through the air and pierced the Gubara''s head. Headshot! It briefly faltered and then charged at Sephiro, damning the risks. Their fight began resembling a fight between a bullfighter and a bull. "Huahp!" Kang Oh unleashed a technique strong enough to pierce through the Gubara''s shell. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura erupted from his jet-ck de. However...! [You havepleted the spontaneous quest, ''Tempest Tiger 1''.] [As a reward, proficiency in Tempest Tiger increases significantly.] [Tempest Tiger has risen to the intermediate rank.] Chapter 132. Intermediate Tempest Tiger

Chapter 132. Intermediate Tempest Tiger

Trantor: Boko Tempest Tiger pounced on the shrinking Steel Gubara. Boom! Upon reading the system message, Kang Oh clenched his fist; it informed him that he¡¯dpleted the spontaneous quest and that Tempest Tiger had leveled up. ''Finally!'' Tempest Tiger had finally reached intermediate rank! How much stronger had it be? However, its 1 minute cooldown prevented him from testing it out immediately. ''Let''s finish this battle first.'' Kang Oh had no intention of just standing idly by for 1 minute. He rushed towards the Gubara he''d been fighting against. No matter how tough the Gubara''s shell was, there was no way it''d be able to withstand a Tempest Tiger head-on. Tremble. The Steel Gubara shook from the tremendous impact. That wasn¡¯t all; it had left itself exposed as well! Kang Oh seized the opportunity. "Haahp!" Kang Oh jet-ck de cleaved its abdomen, which wasn''t protected by its shell. Stab! The edge of his de pushed into its flesh. Then, he dragged the sword through its body. sh! Jiik! Which resulted in a lengthy wound on its side. In response, the Gubara turned its head and retaliated with a head-butt. Kang Oh easily dodged and counterattacked. The Gubara shrank away, using its shell to repel his attack. ''Fine then...'' Kang Oh repeatedly attacked the shell''s attachment points. Bam. Once he pushed it back, Kang Oh rushed in and attacked like a raging storm. The Gubara threw itself at him, unwilling to give him a painless death. However...! ''Finally.'' 1 minute had gone by in a sh; Tempest Tiger was ready now. Kang Oh assumed an iaido stance and swung his sword horizontally. Swish! The aura''s golden light shined brighter than before. The tiger, whose stripes had be darker, roared and pounced onto the Gubara. Of course, the aura itself had berger too. This was intermediate rank Tempest Tiger! But the aura wasn''t the only thing that had be stronger. Boom! Whoosh! A small whirlwind followed, sweeping through the Gubara. "Hoh." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Normally, the aura would be followed by whips of wind. However, the intermediate Tempest Tiger changed those wind whips into a whirlwind. Obviously, the wind had be much stronger too! The whirlwind soon dissipated, revealing the Steel Gubara outstretched on the floor. Kang Oh turned around and rushed at the Gubara that Eder was fighting against. The two of them surrounded it, front and back, and barraged it with attacks. It wasn''t able tost long and died soon after. Sephiro finished off the final Gubara with an arrow. With this, the battle had ended. "Alright, alright! Eder, pick up the junk items. Mr. Sephiro, please go and retrieve your arrows. We''ve only just started; you''re not thinking of resting already, are you? Get a move on!" Kang Oh pped, drawing Eder and Sephiro''s attention. Both Eder and Sephiro pouted, but followed his orders regardless. He wasn''t wrong; they had just started. "And for me..." Kang Oh opened his skill window and looked over Tempest Tiger''s updated information. [Tempest Tiger] Unleashes a powerful, tiger-shaped aura. A small, raging whirlwind will blow upon the area of impact. The higher the rank, the wider the range and more destructive the aura bes. It also increases the range and intensity of the whirlwind as well. ssification: Active/Skill MP Use: 600 Cooldown: 2 minutes Rank: Intermediate Proficiency: 0.02% ''The MP cost increased, and the exnation changed a little bit too.'' Tempest Tiger''s original MP cost was 500, but rising to the intermediate rank had increased its MP cost to 600. Also, ''raging winds'' had changed to a ''raging whirlwind''. ''Unfortunately, the cooldown hasn''t changed. At least Kunta''s Ring lowers the cooldown to 1 minute.'' He looked at his other skills after going through Tempest Tiger¡¯s updated information. ''Basic Evasion and Fleet Footwork will reach the intermediate rank soon.'' Basic Evasion and Fleet Footwork were above 97% proficiency. He''d have a total of six intermediate skills when these two leveled up. Demonic Swordsmanship, sh, Darkness Strike, Tempest Tiger, Basic Evasion, and Fleet Footwork! ''It was worth putting all of my stat points into Sense. Kunta''s Ring is doing its job too.'' Kang Oh grinned. Most yers would only have about one to three intermediate skills or spells at around level 200. Even the best rankers had only around four to five at most. Even thebat Numbers, whose levels were much higher than his and had yed for a much longer stretch of time than him, had only around six to eight intermediate rank skills. After all, proficiency was the most difficult ''stat'' to increase. Kang Oh hadn''t hit level 200 yet, but possessed four intermediate rank skills, which would soon increase to six. In terms of skill proficiency, Kang Oh far outstripped any other yer. Then... Sephiro and Eder approached him. "I''m done collecting my arrows." "Here." Eder passed him the junk items. Kang Oh collected the items and said, "Let''s move!" They''d just defeated three of them, so they had 197 Steel Gubaras left. There was no time to rest! * * * The Steel Gubaras were by no stretch of the imagination easy to defeat. Their defense was high and they had a ton of HP too. Still, they weren''t as difficult to defeat as the Red Beard Bandits on Helm Mountain. They were just level 180 monsters that had high defense, and that rolled around in order to attack. Thus, Kang Oh''s party pushed through the abandoned mine, defeating every Gubara they came across with little difficulty. They''d finally reached the end of the mine. Kang Oh¡¯s party encountered a monster in the vast space. [You have discovered the Great King Gubara, Admon.] [It is a named monster.] It was four times asrge as a normal Steel Gubara! Admon¡¯s ck shell was covered in spikes. "It''s a named monster," Sephiro said. "Its spiked shell must make its attacks stronger than normal Steel Gubaras¡¯," Kang Oh said. "It''ll likely use a special ability that the other Steel Gubaras don''t have," Eder said. "I think it''s around level 200. Looks like it has the same attachment points in between the segments of its shell. We should aim for those. Eder, draw its attention. Mr. Sephiro and I will deal the damage," Kang Oh ordered. "Understood." "Go!" "Ooh!" Eder rushed forward. ng! ng! ng! Like always, he bashed on his shield with his mace, emitting a noisy ''ng''. He was basically saying, ''Focus on me!''. Kuooh. The Great King Gubara, Admon, turned its head towards him. Its four eyes were covered in a ck membrane, and said membrane shined. Admon crawled over to Eder with its many legs. Then, it raised its head and let it fall. Whoosh. It was akin to a giant rock falling from a cliff. Eder quickly retreated. He felt like he and his shield would be ttened if he¡¯d tried to block it. Bam! Admon''s head struck the ground. The floor shook, and pieces of the ground flew everywhere. It raised its head, leaving behind a giant crater. Such power! But Eder wasn''t intimidated in the least. "Come here, you idiot!" He stomped on the ground. The glowing Star of David beneath his feet transformed into ck lines that rippled outward. He''d cast the Ruined Ramparts curse, which would reduce an enemy''s defense if they were in range! Eder followed that up with a Rusty Sword curse as well, in order to reduce its attack power. Did it realize that its attack power and defense had been decreased? Admon tried ramming Eder with its entire body. "Eek!" Eder quickly threw his body out of the way. He had dodged its attack by a hair''s breadth. Admon went right past him, the spiked shell just barely grazing him. "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Sephiro!" Eder rolled onto the floor and stood up. Then, he shouted for Kang Oh and Eder to ''hurry up and attack''. "I''m going." Kang Oh rushed to Admon''s nk, but Sephiro had gotten an attack in before him. Spinning Arrow! Screech! His arrow spun like a drill, attempting to pierce through the shell, but was unable to do so and fell to the floor. ''As expected. Looks like piercing its armor isn''t realistic.'' The Great King Gubara, Admon''s shell was even tougher than the Steel Gubaras''. Even a yer of Sephiro''s caliber couldn''t hope to pierce through its shell. So long as he didn''t repeatedly strike the same area, that is. ''If that''s the case, then... I just need to aim for an area not protected by its shell, that''s all.'' Sephiro shot two arrows one after the other. Homing Arrow! Like living beings, the homing arrows flew towards two areas not protected by its shell: its legs and its eyes. One of the arrows struck its leg, causing it to burst with shards of light. Admon avoided the other arrow by ducking its head, causing the arrow to strike its shell instead. "Ok." Sephiro kept aiming for its legs, as they would be exposed when attacking Eder. Kang Oh, however, aimed for the areas in between its shell. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung downwards. sh! The white line had definitely made contact. Spurt! Shards of light, white not red, burst from the wound. ''This is the Steel Gubaras'' weak point, but it doesn''t look like that applies to this guy!'' As expected of a named monster! Then, Admon shook its body from left to right, as if displeased by Kang Oh''s attack. The iing spikes were akin to an entire walling at him! Kang Oh jumped off of it and retreated. Kuwak! Admon swept through the area as if it were sweeping the floor with a broom. At that moment... Kang Oh drew and threw a dagger as quick as lightning. He briefly saw Admon''s abdomen, and his Hyper Intuition was quick to inform him that that was its weak spot. The dagger flew within a second, embedding itself in Admon''s abdomen. Red shards of light spilled from the wound, and the dagger discharged sparks. Unfortunately, Admon wasn''t shocked. It attacked Eder just like before, undeterred by the dagger. Kang Oh rushed towards its side once more, and attacked an attachment point once more. It wasn''t a weak spot, but he could still deal damage there. It was a hundred times better than attacking the tough shell. Kang Oh continuously struck the space between the shell, while Sephiro aimed for its legs. Eder swung both his mace and shield threateningly, causing it to focus entirely on him. Little by little, Admon''s HP began to dwindle. Then, Admon pulled out its trump card. "It''sing!" It began to spin. Then...! It began rolling towards them, acting like a blender''s spinning des. Chapter 133. I Still Got It

Chapter 133. I Still Got It

Trantor: Boko Bam! Bam! Bam! Admon¡¯s roll was on apletely different level. The speed and power behind it was tremendous. It reminded him of a trolleying right at him. Blocking its attack wasn¡¯t an option. "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled. "I already kno!" Admon rolled towards the nearest target, so Eder began to run like mad. Sephiro shot a test arrow. However, Admon was fully covered by its tough shell, making the arrowrgely meaningless. "We''ll have to hold out until it''s finished rolling," Sephiro said to Kang Oh. Kang Oh, who''d wondered whether it was worth trying a Tempest Tiger, nodded his head. Admon rolled faster than Eder could run, so it ultimately caught up with him. "Uhahk!" Right before he was ttened like a dried filefish filet... He wanted to live no matter what, so he threw himself into a crater formed by Admon''s headbutt. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh shouted. Roll. Admon swept through the area where Eder had once been, leaving behind tire track-like marks wherever it rolled. Of course, its spikes left behind circr marks as well. "Jeez, that was kind of close," Eder said, reappearing right in front of him. "If you have to, abandon your body and return to being a ghost." Kang Oh couldn''t always bail him out. "Do you have any idea what I went through to get this body!? I can''t do that." Eder stroked his body with both arms. How long had he spent in a fleshless, skeleton body!? He would cherish this functional body of his until the day that he could return to his original body. "Ugh. Fine, do what you want." Kang Oh stared at him as if he were hopeless. "We should stop with the idle chatter," Sephiro said. Roll. Admon''s rolling attack hadn''t ended yet. "Spread out!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro ran in different directions. Admon chased after Kang Oh. "Why me!?" Kang Oh scowled and forcefully kicked off the floor. He ran much faster than Eder. Not only that, but his speed wasparable to Admon''s rolling speed. Thus, he was able to maintain a distance between them. Sephiro and Eder stopped running, and just vacantly watched the sight. "Man, you sure are good at running!" Sephiro said. "Run, run!" Eder yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth. Their voices were filled with joy and ridicule. ''Those idiots!'' Kang Oh ran at full speed after dodging Admon¡¯s attack. Then, he raised his eyebrows. He had suddenly thought of a good idea. Kang Oh quickly turned around and ran towards Sephiro. Sephiro was taken aback. "What the heck are you doing!?" "Get out of the way!" Kang Oh yelled roughly, running as fast as he could. Behind him, of course, was the rolling Admon. "Ugh!" Sephiro dodged both Kang Oh and Admon, and crazily ran to the side. Kang Oh passed Sephiro¡¯s original position, and Admon soon followed. However, Kang Oh couldn''t run forward anymore; a wall was in the way. He turned his back to the wall and stopped. Roll. Admon rushed at him. ''Now!'' Kang Oh threw himself to the side, using his demon sword to protect himself as much as possible. Boom! Admon struck the wall and Kang Oh simultaneously. Because he''d thrown himself out of the way, he didn¡¯t take the brunt of Admon¡¯s attack. He''d also shielded himself with his sword. That''s why he was safe. Even if he had taken the attack head on, his Baramut set¡¯s Wind Shield would¡¯ve protected him, preventing his death. Admon couldn''t pull itself out of the wall as its spikes, which numbered in the dozens, were deeply embedded in the wall. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh had nned for this. "Now''s our chance; attack!" "Ooh!" "Roger!" Kang Oh''s party one-sidedly bombarded Admon with attacks. Heavy Blow, Shield Bash! Spinning Arrow, Homing Arrow, Triple Shot! sh, cut, Darkness Strike! Then... "Huahp!" Kang Oh unleashed his final attack. Intermediate Tempest Tiger! The improved Tempest Tiger pounced onto Admon, who''d be nothing more than a giant sandbag at this point. Boom! Whoosh. The whirlwind rose into the air,pletely engulfing Admon. Then, it dissipated into the air, leaving behind a very dead Admon. [You have defeated the Great King Gubara, Admon.] "It dropped some equipment." Admon had dropped studded ck metal gloves. Kang Oh immediately appraised the item. [Admon''s ck Spike Gloves] Metal gloves crafted from the Great King Gubara''s tough shell. There are spikes on the surface of the gloves, which seems effective for attacking. + Iron Fist: When equipped, you will deal additional damage when punching. There is a fixed chance that your attack will decrease your enemy''s defense by 5% as well. Rank: BB Abilities: Defense +180, Physical +30, Sense +32 Minimum Requirements: Level 180, Physical 200 ''Oh, it''s a BB-rank item.'' It was tough to find BB-rank or higher item drops from named monsters, since the drop rate was so low. But he was lucky to find one here. ''What a good find. I didn''t have any items that I could use for Gluttony.'' Kang Oh was d that he wouldn''t have to buy fodder for Gluttony from the auction house, and ced the gloves into his inventory. Then, Sephiro approached him. "Mr. Kang Oh." "Yes?" "Please, let''s take a break," Sephiro said, looking extremely worn down. They hadn''t rested ever since entering the abandoned mine, and had just taken down a named monster as well. Now it was time to take a break. The problem was... the person he was asking was an evil employer... That''s why he had kept asking again and again to rest. "They say that even machines have to rest from time to time... So what about humans..." However...! "Alright," Kang Oh readily agreed. He was in a good mood, since he found a BB-rank item. "Huh?" Sephiro momentarily sported a vacant expression. ''What was going on?''. "I said let''s rest." "Really?" "You don''t have to if you don''t want to." "I want to rest. I definitely want to rest!" Eder, who''d been listening beside them, raised his hand and yelled. "Alright, let''s take a 10 minute break and then get going." "Ooh!" * * * Two dayster... Kang Oh''s party had defeated 200 Steel Gubaras and had returned to the Balturon Inn. "I''ll stay outside. All of us don''t need to go in, right? It reekedst time we went in there," Sephiro said. "Then I''ll wait out here too," Eder said. He didn''t want to go into a bar filled with men. "Do what you want." Kang Oh opened the door and entered the bar. As always, the bar stunk of sweat and alcohol. ''He''s over there.'' The Master Miner, Bower, was drinking in the same seat asst time. Kang Oh approached him. "Mr. Bower." "Huh?" "We defeated 200 Steel Gubaras." "Already?" Bower looked a little surprised. "I''m pretty fast." Kang Oh grinned. "Tch. If I''d known you would finish this fast, then I would''ve told you to kill 300 or 400 of them." "Now it''s time for you to return the favor." "I got it." [You havepleted the quest, Kill the Steel Gubaras.] Bower stood up, cing the pickaxe he''d left to the side onto his shoulder. "Where is the ore?" "It''s in Altein." Kang Oh replied as soon as Bower asked. "Altein? Ore as precious as adamantium exists within such arge city?" "Yes. There''s a cave underneath the Holiseum. That''s where the adamantium is kept." "Underneath the Holiseum, huh... What good timing. I was thinking of paying Burkan a visit." "Then, shall we go?" Kang Oh wanted Bower to mine the adamantium ASAP. "If we''re heading for Altein, then we''ll have to use a gate." "Yes, that''s correct," Kang Oh said affably, as Bower had something he wanted. ''He''s a Master Miner! There''s nothing wrong with getting close to him.'' He nned on ttering him a ton on their way to Altein. "Let''s go." Bower strode forward. Kang Oh smiled politely and followed him. * * * On their way to Altein, Kang oh stuck to Bower like glue, chatting about various matters. When the time was right, Kang Oh began ttering him. "Mr. Bower, your eyebrows are quite thick." He started off slow. "That must be why you look so manly." "I am pretty good looking." Bower smiled happily and nodded his head. "With that face and body, you must be popr with thedies." Kang Oh looked him over and then gave him a double thumbs up. "I was, so much so that it was kind of troublesome." "Have you gotten married? No, that''s not it; you must''ve gotten married to a beautiful woman by now," Kang Oh asked with sparkling eyes. "Not yet." "That''s good! I know this rich, beautiful, and kind woman..." "Really?" "I''ll try to put in a good word for you." "Hehehe," Bowerughed. [Closeness with the Master Miner, Bower, has increased significantly.] [Closeness with the Master Miner, Bower, has increased significantly.] After looking over the system messages, Kang Oh smirked. ''I still got it!'' After that... Kang Ohid it on thick. He''d be speaking about something normal, but would then ''unintentionally'' say things that would make Bower feel good about himself. "Hahahaha!" By the time they reached the intercity transfer gate, Bower had beenpletely fooled by Kang Oh''s scheme; Bower''s smile wouldn''t leave his face. "I like you. Let''s have a drink together next time." Bower tapped his shoulder. "It''s an honor." "Give me a holler if you need my help with something or you''re having a tough time." "Ok!" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Good!'' With this, he''d formed another personal connection! Sephiro and Eder, who''d witnessed this sequence of events, said... "If you want to tter someone, then do it like Mr. Kang Oh!" "Someone who''ll say anything to survive!" In any case, Kang Oh''s party safely reached Altein with Bower in tow. "You guys can go," Kang Oh said to Eder and Sephiro. "Then I''ll get going." As soon as Kang Oh was finished speaking, Sephiro left. "I''ll see youter." Eder pocketed his wage and disappeared into the crowd. "Let us go." "Sure." Kang Oh led Bower to the Holiseum. * * * Kang Oh went down the stairs, which led to the Holiseum''s underground arena. However, there was someoneing up the stairs. Once the man saw Kang Oh''s face, he quickly turned around, trying to go back the way he came. Kang Oh called him, forcing him to stop. "Hey, Darion!" Tap, tap, tap, tap. The man sped up. "If you don''t stop right there, then I''ll make sure you regret it." Pause. Darion turned around, forcing himself to smile. "It''s been a long time, Mr. Kang Oh." "Yeah, it has. Have you been well? No, you''ve definitely been well. Considering how you ran without a second thought upon seeing me." "I wasn''t running from you; I was going back to pick up something I forgot." Darion spoke at length in an attempt to justify himself. "What did you leave behind?" Kang Oh asked. "T-That''s..." Darion didn¡¯t know what to say. After all, he hadn''t actually forgotten anything. "Whatever." Kang Oh didn''t question him anymore, as Bower was with him. "Lead me to Burkan." It was clearly an order. "Ahem. Please follow me." As always, Darion was the ''lesser'' of the two. Chapter 134. Becoming His Successor

Chapter 134. Bing His Sessor

Trantor: Boko With Darion¡¯s help, Kang Oh and Bower found Burkan rather quickly. "Bower!" As soon as he saw Bower, Burkan looked extremely happy. "How have you been?" Bower and Burkan sped each other''s hands. "Not bad. How about yourself?" "I go wherever there''s ore," Bower smiled and said. "I''m here too," Kang Oh jumped in. "Yeah. You''ve finallye with Bower," Burkan said excitedly. Kang Oh bowed his head. "Thank you for sending the 100 Fighters to the Bariton Desert!" With Burkan¡¯s help, Kang Oh was able to both crush Modune¡¯s forces and ransom them off. "Heh, you don''t have to thank me for something like that." Burkan epted his thanks and then said, "How long has it been?" "Hmm, I¡¯m not sure..." Bower shrugged his shoulders. "Thanks foring!" "Heh. Anyway, there''s supposedly something really valuable down below, right?" Bower asked. "Yeah, and it¡¯ll be his soon." Burkan pointed at Kang Oh. Kang Oh grinned. Valuable items were always wee! "We can catch upter; let''s get to work first," Bower said. "Follow me." Burkan opened the hidden passageway''s door, and led Kang Oh and Bower through the cave. The ceiling was covered in various stctites, and there were crystals all over the ce that emanated a soft, bright light. As always, the cave had a mysterious feel to it. "Hoh." Bower curiously surveyed the underground cave. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party came to a standstill. "That''s it." Kang Oh gulped and pointed at the adamantium. As always, the adamantium ore resembled the night sky. It was mostly dark, but there werepact, glittering stars embedded within it. "This is the first time I''ve ever seen such a huge quantity of adamantium." Bower came closer and inspected the adamantium. Then, his eyes narrowed. "This is..." He rubbed a section of the adamantium ore. "Something was in here before," Bower said. "The sword on my back was in there once," Kang Oh replied. "It''s the sword Master Vn used to use. The person who pulls the sword out bes Master Vn''s disciple," Burkan exined. "Lord Vn truly is one of a kind to be able to embed a sword into adamantium. Now then, let¡¯s see here..." Bower thoroughly inspected and patted the adamantium. "Hmm, hmm. I see. This part is kind of weak. I should start here and slowly make an opening." Adamantium was no ordinary metal. It was the world''s most durable metal! Thus, mining adamantium required both a n and the skill to execute said n. It also required top of the line mining equipment too! ''Like this guy.'' Bower grabbed the pickaxe he''did to the side. Although the pickaxe looked like a normal, shabby pickaxe, it was actually an SS-rank item. "Here we go!" He firmly nted his feet and raised his pickaxe. Whoosh! ng! A clear, pleasant sound resounded throughout the room. ng, ng, ng, ng, ng! Bower continuously swung his pickaxe whilst sporting a serious expression; sweat began to fall from both his body and face. Kang Oh and Burkan silently watched him. "Huahp!" He swung his pickaxe at a good pace, but then yelled all of a sudden. Bower swung downwards, as powerful and quick as lightning. Boom! The sharp end of Bower''s pickaxe cut deeply into the section where the cave floor and the ore were adjoined. Then, the adamantium nted to the side. "Hoo." Bower dropped his pickaxe to the side, and swiped his sweat with the back of his hand. "Are you finished?" Kang Oh asked excitedly. It was only natural. After all, the adamantium was just waiting to be taken. "I''m done mining. Refining this gemstone and turning it into metal is another matter entirely." cksmiths were responsible for turning gemstones into metal. "I''ll take it," Kang Oh nced at Burkan and said. "Please do," Burkan smiled and said. Kang Oh grinned, and extended his hand in order to ce the gemstone into his inventory. Once he touched the adamantium, a quest came up. [Be Vn''s Sessor] Demonic Swordsman Vn is the guardian of the continent, one who protects it from the shadows. Vn procured this adamantium as a way to make one his sessor. If you ept this adamantium, then you will formally be Vn''s sessor, and his duty will be yours. Difficulty: None Minimum Requirements: Wielder of Demon Sword Ubist, Burkan''s acknowledgement. Rewards: Demonic Swordsman Vn''s Sessor Training "Sessor?" Kang Oh, who''d gotten the gist of the quest, furrowed his brow. Then, Burkan tapped his shoulder. "Congrattions." "For what?" "For formally bing Master Vn''s sessor." "I haven''t epted yet." "You''re not going to? Then you can''t take the adamantium with you." "Ugh." Kang Oh''s eyes quivered. Adamantium! It wasn''t just any adamantium; it was a ton of adamantium! He wanted it so badly. ''But it feels like I''ll regret it if I take it...'' There was something regarding a ''duty'' in the quest. If he epted the quest, then he''d have to do something! ''I''m really not in love with the ''guardian of the continent, one who protects it from the shadows.'' part! I''ll probably have to work myself to the bone, and I won''t bepensated for it too!'' Kang Oh was at a loss. "Stop thinking about it and just do it," Burkan said. Then, Kang Oh narrowed his eyes. "Burkan. You knew this would happen, didn''t you?" "This was destined from the moment you cleared the Fight Against 100 Men and passed the Trial of the Demon Sword." The impossible Fight Against 100 Men, the Trial of the Magic Sword, and finding a Master Miner! These quests were meant to test Kang Oh''s worthiness of bing Vn''s sessor. "Haa. What if I refuse?" "You can if you want. But I''ll have to find a new sessor, and the demon sword and adamantium will have to go to them instead." "The demon sword too?" He couldn''t let that happen. If he didn''t have the demon sword, then all that work he''d put into his character would have been for nothing! "Isn''t it obvious? That demon sword is meant for the one who''ll take over as guardian of the continent." "Haa," Kang Oh sighed, realizing that he had no other choice. "When will that Vn guy show up?" Kang Oh asked. He hoped he never showed up, but that probably wouldn¡¯t happen. "I don''t know either." "He won''t just ignore me, will he?" "Absolutely no chance of that happening!" "Ugh." ''Just my luck.'' "So, are you going to do it or not?" Burkan asked with an impish expression. For some reason, it seemed like Burkan was enjoying this. "I''ll do it!" He didn''t have the luxury of choice. [You have epted the quest, Be Vn''s Sessor.] "Good thinking." Burkan tapped his shoulder. "I''m really going to take it now." Whatever happened, he would take the adamantium! "Do what you want." cing the adamantium into his inventorypletely filled it. "Oh, by the way. Don''t get rid of that quickly," Burkan suddenly said. "Why not?" What the hell was he talking about now!? "I told you. That thing was prepared for Master Vn''s sessor, so you should probably wait until you get Master Vn''s approval." "And if I don''t?" "If that''s what you want. It''s your responsibility now." Burkan shrugged his shoulders as if it didn''t matter to him anymore. ''Aren''t we blood brothers? You cold-hearted bastard!'' "Tch. I understand." Kang Oh decided not to do anything with the adamantium for now. "Are we pretty much done now?" Bower, who''d been quietly watching, said. "Yeah, we''re done," Burkan said lightheartedly. ''Now I''m free!'' Burkan inwardly cheered. Vn had originally intended to make Burkan his sessor. However, Burkan had simr grievances to Kang Oh; he didn''t want to work his ass off without any reward. Thus, he offered to find Vn a suitable sessor; Vn had epted after giving him a single condition. The condition was as follows: Before he found Vn a sessor, he couldn''t enter the diatorial ring nor could he leave the Holiseum! If he didn''t follow that condition, then he''d assume the position of sessor! ''Hoo, hoo. Master must''ve thought that I wouldn''t follow through, but...'' Burkan had endured, and Kang Oh had be Vn''s sessor. Henceforth, Burkan could go wherever he pleased! "It''s been a while... How about we go and get a drink?" ''Outside world, here Ie!'' Burkan thought. "Sounds good," Bower immediately replied and retrieved his pickaxe. "What about you?" Burkan asked Kang Oh. "Come with us," Bower, who''d beenpletely charmed by Kang Oh, said. "Next time. You see, I have some business to attend to." Kang Oh shook his head. First off, he needed to ce therge quantity of adamantium that hade into his possession into a safe and secure location. He couldn''t keep it in his inventory forever. The gemstone clogged his inventory, and he wouldn''t be able to pick up any other items as well. ''I know a good ce for it.'' He''d already chosen a ce to store it. "Alright then." Burkan didn''t stop him. A short whileter... They had left the Holiseum. "Hoo." Burkan acted like someone who''d just gotten out of jail. He then took a look around. "Things have changed," he muttered. "How long has it been since you''ve been out and about?" Kang Oh asked. "2 years." "Should I buy you some tofu?" Kang Oh teased. "Why tofu?" Burkan tilted his head. "It''s just something you do. Anyway, have a good time!" "That''s the n." Kang Oh thought it was time, and said his goodbyes. "Then I''ll be going now." "See you next time." Bower waved his hand. "Please stay safe. I''ll see you next time." Right when he was about to leave... "Ah, wait a minute," Burkan stopped him. "Come find me when you''ve raised your Demonic Swordsmanship to high rank." "Why?" "I''ll teach you my secret technique." Being blood brothers gave Kang Oh the right to learn Burkan''s secret technique. "I promise toe back and learn it!" The Invincible diator, Burkan''s secret technique! He had to learn it at all costs. "Stay safe." Burkan must''ve not had anything else to say, as he waved his hand and saw Kang Oh off. "I''m really going this time!" Kang Oh disappeared into the crowd, and Burkan and Bower headed to a nearby bar. * * * In the northern region of Arth, there was an area called the Snow-Covered Fields of Despair. Throughout the year, the temperature would freeze any living being, and the chilling winds seemed to gouge one''s skin. The blizzard was so intense that one couldn''t see what was in front of them, and thend stretched out endlessly without a signpost in sight. Therefore, it wasbeled with the word ''despair'' as an indication that no life could subsist there. But there was one man that was traversing this hellishnd. He wore a thick white coat, as well as fur boots, fur gloves, and a fur hat. His facial features were unidentifiable, as he wore a mask, goggles, hat, etc., but there was a long sword tied to his back. However...! There were ugly, fur covered Yetis on the far side of the snow-covered fields. There were so many of them that it was difficult to get an urate count. Gau! Gau! Gya! Gaga! They screamed and rushed at the man all at once; it looked like an avnche. Then... The man drew his sword. Swish. He softly swung his sword horizontally; his sword extended infinitely! Divide the Sea! The world was divided into two pieces; the Yetis were caught in his attack and shrieked. "I should go back after I''m done here." The man''s name was Vn. The Demonic Swordsman, Vn. Chapter 135. To the Great Forest (1)

Chapter 135. To the Great Forest (1)

Trantor: Boko Diana Bank. It was an old, rustic building with a clock tower. The sign on the building depicted a pair of scales and a shield. Not only was it the first bank ever established on the continent, but it was also where Eder¡¯s private safe was located. ''This is the best ce to store the adamantium gemstone.'' Kang Oh gripped his blue crystal earring. Beep. Beep. He heard a familiar voice after dialing a few times. "Yes, Mr. Kang Oh?" Eder asked. "I want to use your private safe," Kang Oh said out of left field. "Excuse me?" What brought this on? "Bring the coin that opens your safe. I''m going to summon you soon." "What?" "You don''t want to?" Kang Oh said frigidly. "N-No, I¡¯ll do it." "That''s what I thought. I¡¯m gonna summon you right now..." "W-Wait a second! I''ll call you after I get the coin." "Hurry up." A short whileter... Kang Oh summoned Eder. "You brought the coin, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes," Eder replied weakly. "Let''s go." Everything went downhill from there. Kang Oh and Eder were able to enter his private safe without much difficulty. The safe contained Kang Oh''s 4,000 gold quest reward, as well as Eder''s original body. "Mm. The money''s all here." He saw the neatly stacked 40 gold bars and smiled contentedly. "I have to give it to someone, so there''s no way I''d do anything to it," Eder replied. "Good. Keep that mindset. Now then..." Kang Oh ced the adamantium on one side of the safe. "Is this adamantium?" "Yeah." "It looks expensive." "It is." "Then why aren''t you selling it?" ¡®For someone who sells anything that''ll yield a profit, why isn''t he selling it?¡¯ "There''s a reason I can''t sell it." He wasn''t willing to risk the consequences of selling it. "Did you steal it?" Eder nced at him, seemingly saying, ''You''re suspicious.''. "Nope." "Never mind then." "Wanna die?" Kang Oh scowled. Eder quickly avoided his gaze and feigned indifference. "Just a heads up, I''m going to keep the adamantium here for the time being." "Ok." "I have no other business here, so let''s go." The two left the Diana Bank. "May I go home now?" Eder asked. "Nope." "As I... thought. Then what are we going to do now?" "We''re going to the Great Forest," Kang Oh dered. Then, he sent Sephiro a message. - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? - Where are you? - I''m at Altein''s Archery Guild. Why? - Pleasee to the Viyoom Inn. - Why? - We''re heading to the Great Forest soon. Before that, I want us to convene and share what we know. - Understood. * * * Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro sat around a table. "We have to find the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth that is located somewhere within the Great Forest," Kang oh said. The Parmarl Underground Labyrinth! Another demon swordid dormant there, the same sword that Grande Loxia had once used. "Parmarl Underground Labyrinth... Why are you looking for that?" Sephiro asked. "I have toplete a quest." "A quest?" "This one." Kang Oh shared the quest with him. [Find Grande Loxia''s Grave] Grande Loxia is the founder of Loxia, the family of the sword and leopard! He is a hero who once defeated a demon that threatened the world. He was called the Wise Sword and was akin to a model knight. Everyone respected him for his superb character and ideals. If you find his grave, you will surely find something important... Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: None. Reward: Unknown Failure: Unknown. "Grande Loxia''s grave is located in the same ce that he vanquished the demon. And that ce is located in the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, which in turn is located somewhere in the Great Forest," Kang Oh exined. "So, the reason we''re going to the Great Forest is to find the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth andplete the quest." Sephiro looked curious. "Exactly. But we need more information." The Great Forest was huge! It made up most of the southern part of the continent. Even with his Hyper Intuition, it''d be stupid to go there without a lick of information. "We have some keywords that''ll help us out. Grande Loxia, the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, the demon that resides within thebyrinth, and Grande Loxia''s sword," Kang Oh said. "What about Grande Loxia''s sword?" Sephiro asked. "It''s been passed down that Grande Loxia wielded an extremely ominous and mysterious sword. His sword was buried with him. That''s what I''m going to find." "Is it a good weapon?" "It''s at least an S-rank weapon." "That''s not the only thing that''ll be there, right?" "Who knows?" Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. ''It feels like the reward is going to be huge...'' That''s what Sephiro''s instincts were telling him. Now, he just needed to find a way to get a piece of the pie. "I have an offer," Eder said. "Which is?" "I''d like 30% of everything you get from the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth and the quest." Because he''d established such an unfair contract with him, Sephiro couldn''t take any of the loot. "Why would I do that?" Kang Oh didn''t refuse immediately. He was giving Sephiro the chance to negotiate. "If you ept, then I won''t be just a guide anymore; I''ll be a partner. Wouldn''t that make me work that much harder?" "Hmm." Kang Oh clearly wasn''t very interested. ''Offer me something that''s actually worth it!''. "I know some information brokers. I''ll pay them and procure some information." "Mm." Kang Oh''s expression loosened a little bit. "I''ll lower my offer to 20%." "Hoh." "Lastly, I promise to do my best. I swear it on my name." "The sword in the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth is mine. I can''t give that to you as part of your share." "Understood." "I ept." Kang Oh smiled. Then, Eder, who''d been quietly listening in, raised his hand. "I have an offer too. If you give me a share..." Kang Oh gave him a death stare, and Eder lowered his hand. He rxed his eyes and then pped to bring things back on track. "Now then! Let''s go and gather some information. Mr. Sephiro, please gather as much information as you can via your connections and information brokers." "Leave that to me!" Sephiro was extremely enthusiastic about all this. "Eder, find what you can from the library." "I''ll try, but..." Eder sported a sullen expression. Kang Oh realized that this was the time to use the carrot, not the stick. Threatening to use the stick wouldn''t be effective here. "If you manage to find some good info, then I''ll pay you for it." "How much?" "50 gold. If you don''t want it, then that''s fine too," Kang Oh said firmly, unwilling to negotiate on the fee. "Alright," Eder replied immediately. "I''ll gather information on my own too, so do your best." "Yes sir!" Eder and Sephiro simultaneously replied. After that, Sephiro headed for the library. Sephiro also left the Viyoom Inn, stating that he''d set an appointment with his information brokers. As for Kang Oh... "Let''s go to Tino first, shall we..." Tino was once a renowned mercenary, but was now reduced to nothing more than a drunkard. He left the inn and headed for Tino. * * * As always, Kang Oh found Tino within the Jurento Bar. But for some reason, Tino wasn''t drunk. "Hello." "Who are you?" "You don''t remember?" "Ah, seafood soup!" Tino seemed to remember him, raising his index finger. "...You mean the guy who graciously bought you that seafood soup, right?" Kang Oh added. "That was the cost of the information though." "So you do remember me." Kang Oh grinned. "Of course I do. Now then, did youe for information today?" "Yes." "Ahem. I''m parched." Tino stroked his throat. "Do you want gold or alcohol?" "Both are good." Tino beamed. Kang Oh passed him 10 gold and Tino quickly pocketed it. "Hehe." He quickly ordered a drink, and the owner left him a cheap bottle of wine and a cup on his table. "You want a drink?" Tino poured himself a drink and asked. Kang Oh shook his head. "Keu." Tino emptied the cup and poured himself another drink. "We''ve talked about the Loxia family before. Do you remember?" Kang Oh asked. "I do. I told you about the Loxia family''s sword and their hidden storehouse. I also remember telling you to go find The Loxia Chronicles." "Do you know anything about the founder of the Loxia family, Grande Loxia?" "Grande Loxia... Aside from the fact that he was a legendary knight who left his name in history, no." "What about the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, which is located somewhere within the Great Forest." "That''s the first time I''ve ever heard of that..." Tino said after sipping his wine. "But I can introduce you to someone who knows a lot about the Great Forest." Kang Oh''s eyes briefly glinted. After all, who did Tino introduce him tost time? It was Grano. Who would he introduce him to this time? "Who is it?" Kang Oh took out 20 gold and passed it to him. ''Here, themission fee.'' "There are countless tribes that reside within the Great Forest and among them, there''s a tribe called the Nuwak." "The Nuwak?" "It means third eye. They have a tradition of drawing a third eye on their foreheads." "And?" "Seek the chieftain of the n. He''s one of the wisest men that reside within the Great Forest." "Do you know him? If you do, then please write me a letter of introduction..." "We''re not acquainted. Though I do know that he''s more than 100 years old, and that he''s called the Wise Soul." ''The Wise Soul, huh...'' Kang Oh thought it''d be worth meeting him. "I''ll go find him." "You do that. That man''s an expert on the Great Forest." Tino filled his cup once more. He truly did drink unceasingly. "I''ll see youter." "Take care." Kang Oh left the Jurento Bar and headed for his next destination. Creak. Kang Oh entered the Adventurer Guild. "Mr. Jayce." "Oh, it''s you," Jayce, an Adventurer with a scar over his eye, greeted him. "Are you busy?" "No. Let''s go downstairs and have a cup of tea." The two headed down to the underground cafe and sat down at a table. "What have you been up totely?" "I''ve been focused on strengthening myself so that I can explore more dangerous locations." He''d also been on a TV program too. "Good thinking. The world is a big ce, and there are plenty of ces to go." Jayce smiled. "Indeed. That''s why I''m thinking of going to the Great Forest this time." Kang Oh moved onto the main topic. "The Great Forest, huh... It''s a beautiful ce. It''s also a very dangerous ce as well." "I''ve obtained information that states that the Loxia family''s sword is located somewhere within the Great Forest." "Hoh, is that so?" "Yes. Apparently, it''s in the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. Do you know anything about it?" ¡®Anything like the exact location or how to find it!¡¯ Jayce briefly thought it over and then shook his head. "No. Mr. Tino might know something." "I''ve already asked him. He advised me to find the Nuwak Chieftain." "Is that so?" It seemed like Jayce didn''t have any useful information for him. ''If that''s the case, then...'' "Mr. Jayce." "Hmm?" "It doesn''t matter if it has nothing to do with what I asked. Do you have any noteworthy information for me?" ''Preferably information that''ll make me a lot of money!'' "I do have something for you, but..." "But?" "I''ll tell you after you''ve found the sword." "Why not now..." "Don''t divide your attention on two different tasks; find the sword first. After that, tell me about your adventure, and then I''ll give you the information," Jayce interrupted him. He was being obstinate. "Understood." Ultimately, Kang Oh was forced to nod his head. Chapter 136. To the Great Forest (2)

Chapter 136. To the Great Forest (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gathered at Viyoom Inn once more. "Did you find anything?" Kang Oh asked. In response, Sephiro smiled and Eder nodded his head. "Then I''ll start with what I''ve learned. The Nuwak Tribe lives within the Great Forest; if we find the Nuwak Chieftain, then we''ll get some information or some sort of lead." Once he was finished, Eder raised his hand. "Who is this chieftain?" "He''s called the Wise Soul, and he apparently knows everything there is to know regarding the Great Forest." "I''ve been to the Great Forest a few times, but I''ve never heard of the Nuwak Tribe before. Did you figure out where they live?" "I tried to, but I couldn''t find anything. We¡¯ll probably have to find them ourselves." Several tribes resided within the Great Forest; some of them were kind and weed yers. He nned on seeking those tribes out, and asking them where the Nuwak were. "I found out where the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth is via my information brokers," Sephiro said. "Ooh. As expected of you, Mr. Sephiro!" Eder pped. "To be more specific, I found out where the approximate location is." "What do you mean?" Kang Oh asked. "Apparently, the entrance to the dungeon has been sealed, so no one has gone inside of it before. Based on circumstantial evidence, it seems like that area is indeed the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth." "Is that circumstantial evidence urate?" "The tribes of the Great Forest call it the Parmarl Historic Site." "Then it must be the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. The problem is opening the door." "Indeed." "Any other info?" "For now, that''s all I have for you, but I''ve told my information brokers to inform me whenever any new infoes in." After Sephiro was finished, Kang Oh stared at Eder. "What about you?" "I focused on finding information regarding Grande Loxia." Grande Loxia was renowned enough to be recorded in history, and there were several books that detailed his exploits. "I eventually came across some information on the demon he defeated." "Keep going." "Have you ever heard of Blood?" Eder asked. "Blood?" "I''ve never heard of it before." Sephiro and Kang Oh replied. "Blood was a monster born from the union of a demon and a human, and became stronger the more blood they took from others." "Did Grande Loxia defeat this Blood?" Sephiro asked. "Yes, that''s right." "Hmm." Demon swords were a medium in which creatures of darkness dwelt. If that''s the case, then Grande Loxia''s demon sword had been used to seal Blood. ''If I want to wield Blood too, then I''d likely have to pass the Trial of the Demon Sword again. Its trial must have something to do with blood.'' While ruminating over various matters, Kang Oh subconsciously rubbed his chin. Then... "Hehe." Eder rubbed his hands together. Kang Oh knew what he wanted: his information fee. "Here, take it." Kang Oh gave him 50 gold. Eder grinned and ced the gold into his breast pocket. "Anything else?" Kang Oh asked. "No," Eder and Sephiro simultaneously replied. "Alright. We''ll have to go to the Great Forest in person then. Let''s head for the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth first." Kang Oh possessed Hyper Intuition, an ability that no one else had. With it, he should be able to find something that would allow him to open the entrance to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. "If we can get in, then we can start exploring immediately, but if we can''t, then we''ll head for the Nuwak Chieftain." "Understood." "Ok." "Then, shall we go?" To the Great Forest! * * * A giant tree shot up into the sky like a mountain. This tree was older andrger than all other Agrashi trees, which were known to grow indefinitely. It was called the Sacred Tree or the World Tree. The forest continuously grew around the World Tree; the southern part of the Arth continent was filled with various colored flowers, grass, and trees that were sky high. This was the Great Forest. Kang Oh''s party arrived at Modrak Vige, which was the only ce within the Great Forest to have a transfer gate. "Is this the Great Forest?" Eder, who''d left the gate, looked around. There were burly trees, as well as tree houses all around him. Of course, there were alsodders that allowed people to get down. "Yes. We''re in Modrak Vige; modrak means to live above the trees. They''re also the tribe most open to yers," Sephiro said. "There are also tribes that are either closed off or hostile towards yers, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. Sometimes, yers get attacked by those tribes." The Great Forest was not a ce to take lightly by any stretch of the imagination. The forest was filled with danger, so yers couldn''t afford to lower their guard. "I pray that the Nuwak aren''t one of them." "Indeed." "We can worry about thatter. Let''s head for the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth first. Please take us there, Mr. Sephiro." Sephiro had alreadye to the Great Forest before, and was also the one who''d procured information on the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. "First, let''s go to Ucle Vige; they''re closest to the undergroundbyrinth." "Alright." "You can hire a guide there. I n on hiring one of them to take us to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth." Sephiro roughly knew where the dungeon was. Despite that, he believed that hiring a guide to take them there was a better idea. Danger lurked in every corner of the Great Forest, and hiring a guide would help them avoid it. "The guide fee will obviously..." Kang Oh began. "I''ll pay." "Then I''ll leave it to you, Mr. Sephiro." "Alright. But we''ll need a new means of transportation in order to get there," Sephiro said. "Can''t we just ride our horses?" Eder asked. "Thend is too dangerous to travel via horseback." "So you want us to buy Yumas," Kang Oh said. Yumas looked like kangaroos, but possessed rabbit ears. They were slower than horses at max speed, but they could jump high and could use their hands like a monkey could, so they were better at oveing obstacles. "I have one already, so only the two of you will need to buy one." Sephiro shook a whistle shaped like a Yuma''s face. A short whileter... "Tch. They''re crazy expensive." Kang Oh clicked his tongue after buying a whistle. The whistles cost 100 gold! "Exactly right. They are crazy expensive!" Eder exploded in anger from beside him. The 50 gold he''d just received, as well as his daily wage that he''d been saving, had disappeared in an instant. "At least you can use them more than once," Sephiroforted them. "It''s still expensive." "Indeed!" It''d been a long time since Kang Oh and Eder had agreed on something. "Anyway, let''s go now." * * * Whistle. They forcefully blew their whistles and their Yumas appeared. Yumas possessed brown fur, rabbit ears, a kangaroo''s face, a muscr lower body, as well as human-like arms and hands. They were about the same size as a horse, and there was a saddle attached to them as well, allowing yers to ride them. They also made this sound... Ming, ming, ming! Kang Oh petted the head of the approaching Yuma and got on top of it. Eder and Sephiro rode their Yumas as well. "Let''s go." Sephiro''s Yuma led, as he was the party''s guide, while Kang Oh and Eder''s Yumas followed behind it. Tap, tap, tap, tap! The Yumas ran on two legs like a tyrannosaurus. How much time had passed? They were blocked by a pile of wood, but their Yumas jumped over the obstacle without any hesitation. "Ooh." Eder marveled at the sight. "That''s why you have to ride a Yuma in the Great Forest. These guys can scale cliffs too, but only the small ones," Sephiro said. "I guess they really are worth their money." Eder smiled. Then... "Where is Ucle Vige located?" Kang Oh asked. The Great Forest was divided into northern, southern, eastern, and western regions. There was also the central region, where the World Tree was located. They had started in Modrak Vige, which was located in the northernmost area. "It''s in the western region." "Tch. It''s quite far." "It is. We''ll probably arrive by the time it gets dark." In essence, it would take a quarter of the day to reach Ucle Vige. "Then is the undergroundbyrinth also located in the western region?" "Yes." "I want to get there ASAP." At that moment... Ming, ming! The Yumas shrieked and stopped. "We''ve encountered monsters!" Eder yelled. "They''re Lizardmen," Sephiro said. Lizardmen were blocking their way! These bipedal lizards were the mostmon monster that yers would encounter in the Great Forest. Their levels varied between 200 - 250. They wielded a light shield, as well as a sword or a spear. While they weren''t intelligent enough to speak, they were quite skilled for monsters. There were five Lizardmen blocking their passage. All of which wielded swords. Ukaru! The Lizardmen rushed at them. "Please focus more on their tails than their weapons. They''re more dangerous," Sephiro said. "This is our first battle in the Great Forest, huh." Kang Oh disembarked from his Yuma and engaged the approaching Lizardmen. Eder prepared for battle as well. "Haahp!" Kang Oh cleaved horizontally, and Eder swung downwards with his mace. Swish. Whoosh. The Lizardmen nimbly dodged both the sword and the mace, andpletely surrounded Kang Oh and Eder. However, one of them ignored the two and rushed at Sephiro instead. Sephiro let loose an arrow. Whizz! The Lizardmen rolled onto the floor, dodging the arrow, and quickly approached Sephiro, making one question whether they were actually lizards or not. "C''mon, let''s go!" ''I''ll show you that not all Archers are weak close up!'' He then engaged the Lizardman in CQC. Meanwhile... The four other Lizardmen had surrounded Kang Oh and Eder, and were violently swinging their swords around. ng! ng! ng! ng! The area echoed with the sound of their weapons repeatedly shing, but in the midst of all that, Kang Oh would aim for his opponents'' weak spots. Whenever he did so, red shards of light would burst through the sky. ''They''re easy.'' The Lizardmen were about the same level as the Red Beard Bandits, so they were a piece of cake. Seuka! Seukaru! Their voices became more agitated as the battle went on, and eventually began using their trump card, their tails. Kang Oh tilted his head, dodging a sword swing, but then, a tail came flying at his lower body. He didn''t panic at all; he merely swung his sword and parried the tail. Then, another Lizardman followed up with an attack of their own. Unlike the other Lizardman, this one attacked with its tail first and its sword second. ''The tail/swordbination attack ain''t half bad.'' Contrary to the Red Beard Bandits'' attacks, these attacks were weaker, but they never stopped. He easily counterattacked whilst elegantly dodging every single attack. There was too much of a disparity between Kang Oh and the Lizardmens'' strength; it wasn''t a paper thin difference that would allow numbers to ovee the difference in strength either. ''Let''s start finishing them off.'' He''d been taking it easy, as it was his first battle in the Great Forest. But now, he decided to take them down in earnest. sh! He swung his sword as quick as lightning, cleaving a white line in the air! The cut Lizardman fell to the floor. Only the Lizardmen that''d retreated at just the right time were able to avoid the attack. As the saying goes, ''The hand moves quicker than the eye''. True to the saying, Kang Oh''s left hand moved quickly. Thwock! Kang Oh threw a dion''s Dagger at the rolling Lizardman; the dagger struck true, causing a lightning bolt to fall from the sky. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung diagonally, stabbed, and then unleashed an upward, vertical strike. Then, he finished it with a forceful downward strike. Whenever his de made contact, white/red/ck shards would burst forth! Raa! Rua! Eventually, the Lizardmens'' cries died down. Sephiro had also finished off his opponent. If he hadn''t been able to take down a single Lizardman, then he shouldn''t be a ranker. That''s how the battle ended... or so they thought. Something gigantic suddenly popped out of the ground. Keurwaa! Which then promptly attacked Kang Oh. Chapter 137. Parmarl Ruins

Chapter 137. Parmarl Ruins

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh quickly realized what was attacking him. It was quite a renowned monster after all. ''A Kruger!'' It looked like a frog. However, it was much toorge to be considered a frog anymore, and had an ugly face to match. Blood dripped from the sharp teeth within its giant mouth. Krugers specialized in burrowing into the ground; they''d normally remain underground until they spotted their prey. They would then suddenly pop out of the ground and attack. It was level 250! The Kruger rushed towards Kang Oh, attempting to devour him with its gaping maw. ''Not going to happen!'' Kang Oh quickly swung his demon sword. Whoosh. Whack! He smacked the top of its head. Though it was damaged by his attack, it didn¡¯t let up, and ferociously swung its front legs¡¯ thick, sharp ws. Kang Oh quickly tilted his body. However, the Kruger''s attack was faster than he expected. "Ugh." Its thick ws scraped his Baramut armor, causing shards of light to fall to the floor. Kang Oh lost his bnce and fell to the floor. "You bastard!" Eder rushed forward and struck its nape with his mace. Kuah! The Kruger immediately counterattacked. It fiercely swung its front ws, and Eder raised his four color skull shield. ng! Its power was so great that it steadily pushed Eder back. The Kruger forcefully kicked off the floor and rushed at Eder like a lion pouncing on a water buffalo! Ting. Sephiro shot three arrows. Triple Shot! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The three arrows flew with a ''whizz'' and pierced the Kruger''s side one after another. However, the attack wasn''t strong enough to draw its attention away from Eder. The Kruger continuously attacked Eder. "Tch!" The Kruger was gnawing at Eder''s shield by the time Sephiro notched another arrow. Crunch! Its bite was so powerful that the shield sounded like it was being crushed. "You monster!" Eder forcefully swung his mace. Heavy Blow! Once his mace struck its face, it created a small explosion. However...! It only served to enrage the Kruger further. The Kruger gave off a violent shriek and fiercely swung its front ws, attempting to rip him to shreds. Then... Kang Oh reappeared behind the Kruger. He jumped and forcefully swung downwards. The vertical strike glimmered in golden light. Whack! Once his sword made contact with its back, Tempest Tiger was unleashed. Boom! Whoosh! It was thebination of a golden aura and a whirlwind! His attack caused it to wobble around, and Eder used that opportunity to retreat. A short whileter... Once the whirlwind disappeared, the Kruger rushed at Kang Oh. ''To think it''d be able to counterattack right after taking a Tempest Tiger head on!'' It had the vitality of a leech. Kurwa! The Kruger acted wildly like a wounded animal, and unleashed a flurry of attacks. "What do you think you''re doing!?" Kang Oh didn''t back down. He widened his eyes and fought it head on. They repeatedly exchanged brutal attacks. As expected of a level 250 beast! Kang Oh couldn''t dodge every single one of its attacks. Thus, he was umting damage over time. Of course, the Kruger was in the same shape. "Uhaaaa!" "Kurwaa!" They crazily attacked each other, as if they werepeting as to who could kill the other first. Kang Oh managed to win the death match. The Kruger had far more HP than him, but Kang Oh''s attack power was far superior. Especially when his attacks were amplified by Darkness Strike or Fang Bearing de. Whenever those activated, the Kruger''s HP would drop significantly. Not only that, but it wasn''t a one on one fight. Sephiro and Eder would support him at the right times, causing the Kruger to die even faster. Regardless, it didn''t change the fact that the Kruger was a formidable foe. After all, it managed to force Kang Oh to activate his armor''s Wind Shield. Thud. The Kruger fell t on its face. [You have defeated a Kruger.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh had leveled up to 187. He caught his breath after making sure it was dead. "Hoo." "It was crazy strong," Eder said, looking at the bite marks on his shield. "Well, they are called the Tyrants of the Great Forest for a reason," Sephiro said. The Krugers were called the Tyrants of the Great Forest due to their aggressiveness, their tenaciousness, and their immense vitality. "You don''t encounter them often... We got unlucky." "I guess it doesn''t really matter. We did win after all." Once Eder finished speaking, he picked up the dropped junk item. It was called a Kruger''s w. "Here." Kang Oh pocketed the item and said, "Let''s go." They called their Yumas and progressed through the Great Forest once more. * * * Sunset arrived quickly, giving way to the darkness of night. "We''re here." Kang Oh''s party finally arrived at Ucle Vige. "Phew!" Eder caught his breath. He was in tatters. His red armor was scratched and filled with holes. His shield had also been crushed, and a few of his mace''s spikes had fallen off. Of course, Sephiro and Kang Oh weren''t in great shape either. As an Archer, Sephiro wore light and tough leather armor. However, it was filled with holes and it was smeared with dirt as well. In Kang Oh''s case, his tiger-striped armor was filled with lengthy scratches. "Whatever the case, we''ve arrived safely," Eder said. On their way here, they''d encounter several obstacles, such as Red-spotted Garden Spiders that dropped from the trees, Great Forest Green Snakes, which camouged as trees and spewed venom, thousands of Red Wasps, Cannibal nts that spewed acid, and a variety of other monsters like Lizardmen and Krugers! They''d encountered several of the monsters that the Great Forest had to offer throughout the day. There weren''t any real roads to speak of and thend was perilous, so without the Yumas, they wouldn''t have been able to arrive at the vige by the day''s end. "You''ll get used to it," Sephiro said. "We should get our equipment repaired first," Kang Oh said. Weapons and armor required maintenance. They''d also used all of their consumable potions too, so they had to restock those too. "I''ll find us a guide that''ll take us to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. You''re not thinking of going there right away, are you?" The Great Forest was much more dangerous at night than during the day. Kang Oh knew that well. "The sun has set, so we''ll stop here today." "Then let''s find ourselves some amodations and get our equipment repaired." "Alright." Kang Oh''s party went to find themselves proper lodging. But there were no multi-story buildings in Ucle Vige. What''s worse, there was only one 2-story building here. "The buildings are all so tiny, so I don''t think there''s any ce where we can rest," Eder said. "The Ucle Tribe lives underground. The buildings we see are.... kind of like roofs," Sephiro said. "They live underground?" "Yes. That''s why they don''t need multi-story buildings." "I see." Eder nodded his head several times. "That looks like an inn." Kang Oh pointed at a certain building. What looked like yers left the building, and the building itself emitted brighter light than the others. Kang Oh was right. That was the Ucle Vige''s only inn, and Kang Oh''s party was able to obtain lodging there. "As I said before, repair all your equipment and get yourself ready. I''ll see you all tomorrow." "Ok." "Understood." Their tough day in the Great Forest had finallye to an end. * * * The next day, Sephiro came with a guide. "My name is Anracoum." Apparently, it was a tradition for the people of the Ucle Tribe to apply ck, red, or yellow makeup on their faces. Anracoum followed said tradition. He hadpletely covered his face in makeup, like a soldier with camouge face paint. "My name is Kang Oh. Please take care of me." "My name is Eder." "Alright then. Please take us to the Parmarl Ruins." "Alright." Kang Oh''s party headed for the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth atop their Yumas. Anracoum did his job properly. Kang Oh¡¯s party hadn¡¯t encountered many monsters or inhabitants of the Great Forest; perhaps this could be attributed to Anracoum¡¯s guidance. Kang Oh maneuvered his Yuma to Anracoum¡¯s side. "Mr. Anracoum." "Yes?" "Do you know the Nuwak Tribe?" "I do," he replied immediately. As expected of a native! "Where do they live?" "They live in the southern forest." ''The south, huh... That''s pretty far.'' The Great Forest was so vast that going somewhere took a lot of work. "What kind of tribe are they?" Kang Oh asked. "They draw a third eye on their foreheads." "I already know that." "They''re especially good at training crows. They are proficient in training other birds like eagles as well." "Hoh." This was the first time he''d heard of that. "And like us (the Ucle Tribe), they''re not hostile towards outsiders." "That''s good to hear." Kang Oh looked relieved. At that moment, Sephiro entered into the conversation. "Mr. Anracoum." "Yes?" "After you''ve guided us to the Parmarl Ruins, can you also guide us to the Nuwak Tribe if need be as well?" Sephiro had never used a native guide before, but so far, he waspletely satisfied with Anracoum. "If you pay me, then yes..." Nothing was free in this world! "Of course." Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party safely arrived at the Parmarl Ruins, which was where the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth was supposedly located. The Parmarl Ruins were filled with rocks like Stonehenge or dolmen. There were clearly signs that the rocks had been artificially carved; as a result of being abandoned for so long, vines and roots covered the area as well. There were statues shaped like humans, animals, and monsters, but none of them remained unscathed. Kang Oh meticulously examined the statues, just in case his Hyper Intuition activated. But it was a waste of time. "Where is the entrance to the undergroundbyrinth?" Kang Oh asked. "Over here." Anracoum led them to a steep cliff where a tightly shut gate was located. The gate possessed eyes, a nose, and a mouth, so it looked human-like. Basically, it was like a squashed Moai. "It''s said that the entranceys behind this door," Sephiro said. Kang Oh carefully examined the door. ''There are holes in each eye.'' If there were holes, then something must go in there. "You have to put the matching pieces within these holes. Considering the size and shape of the holes, it looks like something like a ss bead will fit," Kang Oh said. "Yes. Several yers have tried inserting all kinds of items into them, but no one has ever sessfully opened the gate," Sephiro said, rying what he''d heard from his information brokers. "Mr. Anracoum, do you know how to open this door?" Kang Oh asked just in case. "No, I don''t. All we know is that this ce is called Parmarl. That''s all." "Hmm." Kang Oh looked over the tightly shut door once more. His Hyper Intuition still hadn''t activated. "What do we do now?" Eder asked. "What do you mean? We have to go see the Nuwak Chieftain now." The man called the Wise Soul. He had to meet him no matter what. Chapter 138. The Nuwak Tribe

Chapter 138. The Nuwak Tribe

Trantor: Boko Ming! Four Yumas traveled along a path, which was surrounded by trees of all different sizes. Ten Lizardmen chased after Kang Oh¡¯s party. They¡¯d left the Parmarl Ruins and were now headed for Nuwak Vige, but were ambushed by the Lizardmen along the way. Normally, they would''ve already taken care of the Lizardmen, but Anracoum told them to avoid fighting and to just run. They wouldn''t be able to catch up anyway, as the Yumas were much faster than them. The distance between their Yumas and the Lizardmen gradually increased. "They really can''t catch up," Eder said, seeing the increasing distance between them. "Hmm. Regr lizards are supposed to be fast," Sephiro said, sporting an astonished expression. "Lizardmen are different," Anracoum said, his face covered in paint. "We weren¡¯t forced into a pointless battle because of you," Sephiro said, thanking him. "That''s my job," Anracoum said nonchntly. "What do we do if we encounter a Kruger?" Kang Oh asked. "Kruger''s are stubborn, so running away isn''t a good idea. It''ll just keep chasing us." "Then?" "You have to make something that''ll prevent it from following you, like a paralytic poison. Or, you could just kill it." After that, Kang Oh began asking the guide various questions regarding the Great Forest. Anracoum wasn''t bothered by this, perhaps because he was a guide, and shared his knowledge and information with Kang Oh''s party. "Danger lurks around the World Tree, as well as very powerful monsters, so try not to go there if at all possible." He even told them what the most dangerous locations in the Great Forest were. "Understood." Kang Oh¡¯s party headed south whilst learning more and more from Anracoum. * * * There was a ck tower atop a hill. A stone wall surrounded the vige, and there were houses of various sizes around the tower. There were also several watchtowers at the walls, as well as countless crows that flew around said watchtowers. This was Nuwak Vige. "We''re here." As their mounts approached the vige, the gatekeeper came forward. "Halt!" The gatekeeper''s attire was rather peculiar. He wore a cloak made of bird feathers, and his jaw was covered by a thin piece of cloth. There was also a third eye drawn on his exposed forehead. Ming! Ming! Kang Oh''s party got off their Yumas. "I am Anracoum of the Ucle Tribe. And these are Adventurers that are roaming the continent," Anracoum took a step forward and said. The Nuwak gatekeeper examined Anracoum''s painted face, and then stared at Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro''s faces. "Why have youe here?" the gatekeeper asked. "I''d like to meet the chieftain," Kang Oh replied. "The chieftain doesn''t meet just anyone," the gatekeeper firmly replied. "Then how can we meet him?" Kang Oh asked. "You can request a meeting if you be our friend." "I¡¯d like to be a friend of the Nuwak Tribe." "Please bring a gift." [Gift for the Nuwak Tribe] If you wish to be friends with the Nuwak Tribe, then you will have to present them with a suitable gift. Kruger''s w (1/1) King Warthog Meat (0/5) Lizardmens'' Sword Shards (1/10) Difficulty: Easy Minimum Requirements: None Reward: Be a friend of the Nuwak Tribe. Failure: None ''Well, it''s not a tough quest.'' "I''lle back with the gift." Kang Oh epted the quest. [You have epted the quest, Gift for the Nuwak Tribe.] "We need King Warthog Meat and Lizardmens'' Sword Shards," Kang Oh told Anracoum. "I know where they appear." "Let''s go right away." * * * The sun hadpletely set, giving way to the darkness of night. The gatekeeper, who guarded the entrance to the Nuwak Vige, lit the nearby poles to illuminate their surroundings. Then... Kang Oh''s party went up the hill and stood before the gatekeeper. "I bear gifts." Kang Oh removed the Kruger''s w, the King Warthog Meat, and the Lizardmens'' Sword Shards, and passed them to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper politely epted the gift. "Wee, Friend." [You havepleted the quest, Gift for the Nuwak Tribe.] [You are now a friend of the Nuwak Tribe.] The gatekeeper took out a crow feather from his breast pocket and passed it to Kang Oh''s party. "This is a sign that you are a friend of the Nuwak Tribe." "Thank you." "Pleasee in." The gatekeeper moved to the side. "May we see the chieftain now?" ''Please say yes already!'' "Keep going straight and you''ll arrive at a tower. The chieftain resides within the tower, so please head there." "Understood." Kang Oh''s party was finally able to enter Nuwak Vige. "Oh, the houses here are made of stone," Eder said. The most noteworthy feature here was the houses made of stone. "I thought the gatekeeper''s clothes were strange, but it looks like everyone here wears the same thing," Sephiro said. Like the gatekeeper, the vigers here all wore a cloak made of bird feathers, as well as a thin cloth over their jaw. They also had the same third eye drawn on their foreheads. "The tribes that live in the Great Forest all possess their own special traits," Anracoum answered him. "It doesn''t look like a ce that gets a lot of visitors from the outside," Kang Oh said, feeling several vigers'' gazes upon him. The vigers stared at the foreigners, or Kang Oh''s party, with curiosity. No one looked at them warily, so they didn''t seem like insr or private people. Kang Oh''s party continued to walk forward, and soon reached the 3-story tower. Then, Kang Oh knocked on the wooden door. Knock. Knock. "Excuse me." A short whileter, the door opened and out came a girl wearing the traditional Nuwak attire. "Huh? Who are you?" She tilted her head to the left and right. "My name is Kang Oh, and these are mypanions. We came to see the chieftain." "Ah, I see. My name is Sui. Pleasee inside." "Pardon me." The 1st floor was quiterge. There were long tables spaced evenly between each other, and a ckboard that appeared to be a chalkboard on the wall. There were sitting mats neatly stacked on one side of the room as well. ''What''s the best way to put this... It reminds me of a ssroom,'' Kang Oh thought after viewing the interior of the first floor. "Please sit down. I''ll tell the chieftain that you''vee." Sui gave them some sitting mats and then went upstairs. "I think this is where I learned my healing arts in the past," Eder looked around and said. "I heard that the people of the Nuwak Tribe gather in one ce and learn until they be adults," Anracoum said. He was definitely referring to a school. ''I''m kinda looking forward to it.'' Kang Oh believed that the head of the Nuwak Tribe, the one they were about to meet, had created this school system. After all, he wouldn''t be called the Wise Soul for nothing. Then... Sui reappeared. "The chieftain would like to meet you. Please follow me." Kang Oh''s party followed her up to the 2nd floor; the 2nd floor was clearly different from the 1st. ''Now it''s a library.'' The bookshelves were filled with books. "Ooh." Eder''s eyes gleamed. He looked like he wanted to rush over and start reading the books immediately. "Restrain yourself." Kang Oh forcefully grabbed Eder''s shoulder. "Tch." They went up to the 3rd floor, which was finally a space fit for a person to live in. "Wee. I''m the Nuwak Chieftain, Sh." ''This guy is...'' He couldn''t really see the man''s face, as his jaw was covered by thin cloth. But the wrinkles around his eyes, as well as his deep, clear eyes told him of the man''s age. There was something strange about him though; rather than an eye drawn on his forehead, he wore a circlet over his head, which was adorned with an eye. "Please sit down." Sh pointed at the seat cushions. "Sui, could you prepare us some tea?" His voice was soft and kind. "Hello, my name is Kang Oh." Once he finished introducing himself, the others followed suit and briefly introduced themselves as well. "You... Your body and soul don''t match," Sh stared at Eder''s pale face and said. "Huh?" For a moment, Eder was taken aback. This was the first person who''d seen through him before. "He has some circumstances that are beyond his control," Kang Oh exined. "You also wield quite the ominous weapon. I feel dark power from your body." This ''ominous weapon'' he was referring to was obviously Demon Sword Ubist. "I''m capable of using the darkness by trade, but my heart hasn''t been corrupted by it." Though he was ''slightly'' greedy. Then, Sui served them all tea and sat behind Sh. "I heard you were called the Wise Soul. It''s said that you are also the wisest person in the Great Forest." "I''ve lived a long time," Sh said. "I''d like to ask you something." "Is it about the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth?" "How..." Kang Oh widened his eyes. "It happened so long ago, before I was even born." Sh began telling them a story all of a sudden like an elderly man reminiscing of the past. "It''s said that there was a monster that terrorized the people of the Great Forest..." His story was as follows... There existed a monster within the Great Forest that became stronger the more blood it absorbed. It greedily sought other beings'' blood and at some point, had be so strong that none could match it. The monster feasted on blood, and caused every being within the Great Forest to tremble in fear. But one day... A courageous and skilled young man came to the Great Forest. The man volunteered to vanquish the beast and at the time, the people put their faith in him. After that, the man led the monster into the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. "There''s only one way out of the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. The man stated that if you don''te out within a certain amount of time, then the exit will be sealed shut." The man and monster fought desperately within the confines of the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, and in the end, the man sessfully vanquished the beast. He escaped the undergroundbyrinth, covered head to toe with wounds, carrying a red sword that seemed to be smeared in blood. After being treated, the man left with the sword in tow. Dozens of yearster, the man returned, now old and frail, and right about to die. The man sought the assistance of the two tribes that hadn''t yet forgotten him. "The bloodthirsty monster is sealed within this sword. I would like to seal this sword within the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth." The two tribes, having not forgotten their debt to him, did as he asked. They worked together and created a door that couldn''t be opened without the key. "Why did he make it so it could be opened when he wanted to seal it away?" Kang Oh asked, interrupting Sh. "That was the man''s wishes." "Excuse me?" Didn''t he want to seal the sword away? "If there ever came an individual capable of wielding the de, he wanted them to take this sword and the monster sealed within it to see the outside world once more." "Hmm." The man had sealed the sword because of how potentially dangerous it could be, but he had also hoped that someone capable of properly wielding the sword would show up. "Before the man went inside, he asked the two tribes to do him a favor. That if they discovered an individual they believed capable of wielding the de, then to give them the key without hesitation." That was the end of Sh''s story. "Was the man''s name Grande Loxia?" Kang Oh asked. "Indeed." "And the Nuwak Tribe must''ve been one of the two tribes that helped him." It was obvious. If Sh wasn''t a descendant of one of the two tribes, then there was no way he''d know all of this. "That''s also true." "Then you must possess the key to the undergroundbyrinth." Kang Oh smiled. Chapter 139. The Nedav Tribe

Chapter 139. The Nedav Tribe

Trantor: Boko "I have one of two keys required to open the door to the undergroundbyrinth. You already have a demon sword in your possession, so you should be qualified to wield Grande''s sword as well," Sh said. "Please give me the key." Kang Oh held out his hands together. "I''d like to ask you a few questions before I do." "Go ahead." "What do you want to do with Grande''s sword?" ''That''s obviously...'' He wanted to be stronger than any other, like during his time in Warlord. Of course, he wanted to make a ton of money too. But he couldn''t afford to reveal his true intentions. That wouldn''t fly with Sh, as it''d make him seem materialistic. ''I actually have a good excuse.'' "Have you ever heard of one who protects the continent from the shadows?" Kang Oh asked. "Are you referring to the guardian of the continent?" "Yes. I am the sessor to Demonic Swordsman Vn, who is the current guardian of the continent." "You''re Vn''s sessor, the very same Vn that defeated Yakon?" Sh looked shocked. ''As I thought, he does know who he is.'' When he''d first passed the Trial of the Demon Sword, he''d seen a recording of Vn''s life story. It was there that he saw Vn defeat the gigantic raid boss, Yakon, in the Great Forest. So he assumed that Sh was aware of him. He''d been proven right. "I officially became his sessor not too long ago. I intend to protect the continent with Lord Grande''s sword," Kang Oh said, staring directly into Sh''s eyes. He was truly Vn''s sessor, and he did intend to asionally go out and defeat the monsters that threatened the continent. Kang Oh also felt as though Vn would drag him around and force him to do his job as his sessor. Thus, his eyes didn''t waver in the least. There was no reason for any hesitation whatsoever. "I see." Sh nodded his head. "Now can you give me the key?" "I have one more question." "Only one more." "It''s to my understanding that if you cannot properly control the demon that resides within your sword, then it can escape from the sword." Sh was absolutely right. That was the risk of wielding the demon sword. Though it was a risk worth taking when considering the demon sword''s unbelievable attack power. "You''re right." "Are you willing to take that risk and assume responsibility for what happens after?" Kang Oh suddenly drew his demon sword; the jet-ck de was bewitching for any who looked upon it. "If I wasn''t willing, then I wouldn''t be able to wield this sword," Kang Oh firmly said. "Alright. I''ll give you the key." Sh fiddled with his circlet, causing the eye ornament to open. Out came a bead. "This is proof that the Nuwak Tribe have acknowledged you." Kang Oh epted the bead and then examined it. The bead was called the Nuwak Tribe''s Token. It was a ck bead that emanated green light. ''It looks like it''ll fit into one of the holes.'' Kang Oh ced the bead into his inventory. "Where is the other key?" "The Nedav Tribe keeps the other one." "The Nedav Tribe?" Kang Oh nced at Anracoum, seemingly saying ''Do you know who they are?''. "The Nedav Tribe is the most hostile tribe in the Great Forest. It''s also considered a powerful tribe. Their vige resides in the east," Anracoum said. "Hoo, the east, huh. By the time we''re done, we''ll have gone through every region." "However... The Nedav Tribe is unlikely to ept outsiders. Of course, that includes me as well, as I''m a part of another tribe," Anracoum said concernedly. "That''s what he says." Kang Oh stared at Sh. ''Do you have any advice for us?'' "The Nedav Tribe respects the strong. Show them how powerful you are." "I''m confident in my strength." Kang Oh grinned. "It seems like you''re done here, so be on your way." "Understood." Kang Oh''s party stood up. "Then, take care," Kang Oh said goodbye, and then descended the tower. "Excuse me, you see that ce with the lights? That''s the inn," Sui said. She''de outside to see them off and had pointed at one side of the vige. "Thank you very much." "Goodbye." Kang Oh looked up at the night sky. The night was dark, so much so that the stars couldn''t be seen. "We can''t go there right now, can we?" "Absolutely not!" Sephiro immediately replied. "My thoughts exactly," Eder agreed. "It''s too dangerous." Anracoum gave the final opinion. "Then let''s end it here. We''ll go to the Nedav Vige tomorrow." "Ok!" * * * Once the sun rose, Kang Oh''s party left the Nuwak Vige. Anracoum led them through the safest route. Thus, they arrived at the Nedav Vige by around midday, fighting as little as possible. "Doesn''t it seem kind of warlike?" Eder said. Like he said, there were ten people patrolling the entrance to the Nedav Vige. "It''s too much, isn''t it?" Sephiro asked. "That''s just how the Nedav Tribe are," Anracoum said. "Let''s head over." Kang Oh led. Once they approached the vige, the guards suddenly aimed their weapons at them. "Halt!" a middle-aged guard yelled, appearing to be the leader of the group. "Hello." Kang Oh smiled politely. "Leave, Outsider!" But it didn''t work at all. ''As expected, they''re not people you can talk your way out of.'' He''d somewhat expected this. If that''s the case, then... "I heard that the Nedav were the strongest tribe within the Great Forest," Kang Oh yelled. "That''s right. We''re the bravest tribe here!" the middle-aged man yelled. His voice was filled with pride. "And it''s to my understanding that your tribe respects strength." "That''s right!" "Whoever is strongest over there,e forward. Let''s go a round!" Kang Oh yelled confidently. "Fine by me!" The middle-aged man stepped forward. He was apparently the strongest one there. Kang Oh drew his sword and assumed a battle position. The middle-aged man pointed his sword at him. The air was tense between them. "I''m Kang Oh!" "I am a warrior of the Nedav Tribe, Karadun!" Once they''d finished with the introductions, Karadun attacked. His sword came for Kang Oh''s heart! Kang Oh chose to parry it, rather than dodge. ng! The two swords shed, resounding with a metallic ''ng''. Then... Kang Oh quickly rushed at Karadun and swung upwards. Whoosh! A jet-ck wave surged from his de. Darkness Strike! "Ugh!" Karadun couldn''t afford to block the Darkness Strike. So instead, he retreated, dodging the blow. Then, Kang Oh dashed forward and swung downwards. Whoosh! His sword cleaved through the air, and descended upon Karadun''s head like lightning! Karadun ced his sword sideways, protecting himself. ng! Karadun shook from the immense force behind Kang Oh''s strike. "Ugh!" He gritted his teeth and tried to withstand Kang Oh''s attack no matter what. However...! Soon, the tip of Kang Oh''s sword was pointed at Karadun''s Adam''s apple. Kang Oh hadn''t missed the weak spot that Hyper Intuition had pointed out. "Ugh, I lost. I acknowledge how powerful you are." Karadun gracefully epted his loss. "It was a good fight." Kang Oh withdrew his sword. "I''d like to meet your chieftain." "The chieftain will surely want to meet someone as powerful as you. Follow me." Kang Oh''s party followed Karadun into the Nedav Vige. It didn''t take long for them to establish a meeting with the chieftain. "He said he''d only see you." Karadun pointed at Kang Oh. "Got it." A short whileter... Kang Oh had a private meeting with the Nedav Tribe¡¯s chieftain. "I''m Aman." The chieftain was quite young. He was 30 years old at best; he had a strong build and was ruggedly handsome. Like a young, gant lion, his body seemed to exude a sort of dignity and vigor. "My name is Kang Oh." "So you''re the one who easily defeated Karadun, huh?" "That¡¯s right," Kang Oh said confidently. "What business do you have with me?" "I came for the key that opens the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth." "For what?" "I came to inherit Grande Loxia''s sword." "With just that level of skill?" Aman snorted. Kang Oh wasn''t angered by Aman''sments; rather, he acted more confidently than before. "I''m a Demonic Swordsman, allowing me to wield swords like Grande''s! I''m skilled enough, since I already wield a demon sword myself." "Fine. I''ll test your ability myself." "As you wish." Kang Oh was confident. Aman stood up and grabbed the greatsword that hung on the wall. "Follow me." "Alright." * * * The chieftain led him to the center of the vige, which reminded him of a coliseum. This ''coliseum'' was called the Great Tourney Hall. "Fight me. Show me your skill," Aman said, resting his sword on his shoulder. "Don''tin when you lose." Kang Oh drew his sword. "Warriors of the Nedav Tribe neverin," Aman said firmly. Then... The air was tense between the two. Kang Oh and Aman stared at each other, and their eyes became fierce. ''Let''s see here.'' Kang Oh observed Aman. Aman was more than 2 meters tall. His stance gave off the feeling that he was rxed, as one who was used to being stronger than others. Though he seemed to carelessly rest his sword on his shoulder, there were no openings that Kang Oh could exploit. ''He''s strong.'' Kang Oh could tell even without fighting him. Aman was definitely strong! ''I''ll only know how strong he is after fighting him. Let''s start small...'' Kang Oh quickly threw a dagger at him. Swoosh. The dagger flew towards Aman! Aman dodged the dagger by slightly tilting his head. Then, Aman gestured for him to attack head-on. He was clearly saying, ''Stop wasting time and attack.''. ''As you wish.'' Kang Oh grinned and took step after step towards Aman. The air became tenser the closer they became. When they were close enough for their swords to touch, the tension reached its apex. Then... Kang Oh taunted him this time, copying Aman''s actions to the letter. "Cheeky bastard!" Aman drew his sword and attacked. Whoosh! His sword cleaved through the air, emitting a heavy ''whoosh''! The attack was both weighty and quick. Kang Oh immediately swung his sword too. ng! Demon sword and greatsword shed! Kang Oh was the one forced back. His hands tingled from the power behind Aman¡¯s attack. Aman kicked off the floor, and rushed towards the pushed back Kang Oh. "Die!" Aman''s face twisted wickedly as he swung downwards, his de glimmering with red energy. Behead! Aman used his main skill. Danger, danger! Kang Oh felt an intense chill wash over him, signaling how dangerous Aman''s attack was. ''Let''s get out of the way first.'' Kang Oh tilted his body to the side, and dodged Aman''s attack by a hair''s breadth. Boom! Aman''s sword struck the floor, a red line following the path of his sword. It''s said that opportunity follows danger. "My turn!" Chapter 140. Kang Oh vs. Aman

Chapter 140. Kang Oh vs. Aman

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh swung his sword, aiming for Aman''s side. sh! Aman quickly withdrew his greatsword, and easily blocked Kang Oh''s strike. Then, he counterattacked, thrusting his sword at Kang Oh¡¯s upper body. ''It feels like a tree trunk is flying at me.'' None of Aman''s attacks were ''light''. In order to avoid Aman¡¯s attack, Kang Oh tilted his body. Then... All of a sudden, Aman turned his sword midswing, switching from a stab to a sh. "Eek!" Kang Oh hadn''t expected the attack; it felt like the hairs on his body bristled. He barely managed to protect himself with his sword. ng! Aman''s greatsword fell upon Kang Oh''s sword. The good news? Aman¡¯s attack wasn''t as strong as it could''ve been, as he had switched his attack midway. The bad news? It was still a heavy, powerful attack. Ultimately, Kang Oh managed to block the blow, but fell to the floor in the process. He rolled onto the floor twice, his body smeared with dirt. "How''s the dust taste?" Aman said, smiling impishly. Kang Oh stood up suddenly and dusted himself off nonchntly. ''Guess I should power up.'' He let loose a fierce roar. Kuheong! Baramut''s Roar! A silhouette of a tiger briefly appeared behind him and just as quickly disappeared, filling his body with power. Boom! Kang Oh kicked off the floor and rushed at Aman. Both of their swords shed midair. However, Kang Oh was once again pushed back. The tiger¡¯s energy had increased his power; as a result, he wasn¡¯t pushed back as much and he had yet to fall. ''I''m still being pushed back.'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. Aman. He truly was a monster. "Hoh. Seems like that roar worked." Aman was as nonchnt as ever. ''Say whatever you want.'' Kang Oh swung his sword diagonally. ng! Aman easily blocked Kang Oh¡¯s attack again. They continued to sh after. He made Kang Oh''s life miserable by forcefully switching his attacks midway. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t be defeated so easily. With his Hyper Intuition and evasion, as well as his stubborn will to live, he repeatedly blocked Aman''s irregr attacks. Kang Oh returned the favor, weaving in irregr attacks of his own. Like right now. His sword came for Aman¡¯s neck, forcing Aman to guard his neck with his sword. However, Kang Oh¡¯s sword stopped midair. It had been a feint. ''I see an opening.'' Amon briefly exposed a weak spot on his lower body, and Kang Oh kicked at it without an ounce of hesitation. Whack! For the first time since their fight began, Kang Oh had managed tond a hit. Of course, it was a kick, so the damage was minimal. "Tch." Aman scowled and fiercely swung his greatsword. The attack was so powerful that Kang Oh decided to retreat, rather than contest it. "You''re pretty good." Aman dusted off the area where he''d been kicked. "I guess I should take this more seriously." Once he was finished, white energy rose from Aman''s body like a heat haze. Strong Body! The warriors of the Nedav Tribe could use a technique called Strong Body, which would increase their physical abilities in exchange for constant stream of MP. Not only was Aman¡¯s Strong Body the most powerful amongst his tribe, but he could also maintain it the longest, for 15 minutes. ''This is dangerous.'' Kang Oh knew that Aman had used Strong Body, as well as the inherent danger he posed from using said technique. He immediately took out Admon''s ck Spike Gloves from his inventory. Gluttony! [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Admon''s ck Spike Gloves.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 15 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities double.] Kang Oh''s body exuded jet-ck energy. "I''ll end you!" Aman rushed at him like a fierce beast. Compared to before, his strength and speed were on apletely different level. "That''s my line!" Of course, Kang Oh waspletely different too now that he''d used Gluttony. The two unleashed their attacks, intending on finishing the other off, and then engaged in an intense battle. * * * After hearing Kang Oh use Baramut''s Roar, the people of the Nedav Tribe crowded around the training hall. "It''s the chief." "Who is he fighting against?" People trickled in one or two at a time. Eventually, enough people had gathered topletely surround the arena. Eder, Sephiro, and Anracoum were a part of this crowd as well. "Based on what everyone else is saying, Mr. Kang Oh must be fighting the chieftain," Eder said. "He''s strong," Sephiro said, pointing at Aman. "The Nedav chieftain has always been the tribe''s greatest warrior. And this one is a natural warrior. The fact that he assumed the position at such a young age is proof of his strength," Anracoum said. "They''re fighting over the key, aren''t they?" Eder asked. "They can''t be fighting over a woman, so it''s 99% likely that they''re fighting over the key," Sephiro replied. "Mr. Kang Oh needs to beat him to obtain the key... Do you think he can win?" "He has to win no matter what." Sephiro wasn''t a guide this time; he was apanion. So if he wanted a return on his investment, then he needed to enter the undergroundbyrinth. "It''s close... for now," Anracoum said. "Indeed. But doesn''t it remind you of a tiger versus a lion?" Eder said. Kang Oh and Aman, both at full power, reminded them of savage beasts. * * * sh! Kang Oh cleaved a vertical white line through the air! Behead! Whereas Aman cleaved a horizontal red line! ng! Demon sword and greatsword shed head-on. Neither side was pushed back. Both were evenly matched in strength. Kang Oh, who was empowered by Gluttony, was no longercking in strength. However, Strong Body prevented Kang Oh from overpowering Aman. "Die!" "You first!" They continued their fight, each aiming at the others'' vitals. Kang Oh aimed for Aman''s heart, while Aman attempted to decapitate him. But both of them dodged the others'' attack by a hair''s breadth. ''As expected, normal attacks won''t work. If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. "Haahp!" Kang Oh cried out, and swung diagonally with all his might. Aman attacked as well. However, Kang Oh''s sword stopped halfway. A feint! Aman flinched. ''Got you.'' Kang Oh instantly switched his target, aiming for Aman''s thigh instead. Aman gritted his teeth. He forcefully gripped his greatsword with both hands, and turned his sword towards Kang Oh''s demon sword. ng! Aman just barely blocked Kang Oh''s strike. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue in disappointment. "You bastard!" Aman widened his eyes. He swung his greatsword in a wide arc, but then turned it midway. Kang Oh had be somewhat familiar with Aman''s attacks, so he was able to dodge it with ease. After that, they continued their battle of deceit. Kang Oh tried to get Aman to expose himself by adding in feints, while Aman turned his sword midair, aiming for Kang Oh''s vitals. Their battle continued; the loser would be determined by whoever failed to read the other. How much time had passed? Kang Oh gradually gained the advantage. In an even battle, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition made all the difference, as it would point out his enemy''s weaknesses, as well as warn him of danger. ''The problem is Gluttony''s duration...'' Kang Oh didn''t know how long Aman could maintain Strong Body for, so he believed that he would lose when Gluttony ended. ''Let''s do it. It''ll be tooteter.'' Ultimately, Kang Oh came to a decision. He exerted pressure into his arms, and forcefully pushed Aman back. "Hoo." Kang Oh quickly caught his breath and activated Devil Trigger. Jet-ck energy erupted from his sword, surrounding his entire body. "What is this?" Aman looked shocked. It was only natural. After all, his opponent, who he''d been fighting against so intensely, was suddenly covered in darkness. A short whileter... Red eyes, a beast mask, a jet-ck tail, and the darkness that arose from his body like a heat haze signaled the emergence of Demon Kang Oh. Kyaoh! Shadow Ubist was there as well! Upon seeing his new appearance, the crowd became uproarious. "What is that?" "It''s a monster!" Only Eder and Sephiro, who already knew about his transformation, lookedpletely unaffected. "It''s Devil Trigger." "Indeed." "Devil Trigger?" Anracoum asked. "I don''t know what you did, but c''mon!" Aman remained undaunted by Kang Oh''s transformation. ''I''m ending this now.'' Kang Oh didn''t intend on maintaining Devil Trigger for a long time. Boom! He forcefully kicked off the floor and dashed towards Aman, his ck tail flying through the air. Swish. Then, Kang Oh swung his demon sword, unleashing an Abyss Aura. Aman exploded in red energy. Aura of Courage! ng! The two auras shed and subsequently exploded. Kang Oh pushed through the explosion and approached Aman. sh! A white line trailed behind Kang Oh''s downward swing, which fell upon Aman like lightning. Moreover...! A beast-shaped wave of darkness, Darkness Strike, had activated as well. Aman quickly shielded himself with his greatsword. Boom! Kang Oh''s mighty attack struck the top of Aman''s greatsword. "Ugh!" Aman shook from the immense power behind Kang Oh¡¯s attack. But that wasn¡¯t all. With Shadow Ubist haphazardly biting his calf, Aman had lost Kang Oh. Kang Oh had used Abyss Transfer to quickly reappear behind Aman. Swish! His sword cleaved through Aman''s back. "Ugh!" Aman yelled in agony, and shards of red light spurted from the wound. "You bastard!" Aman shouted. He then turned himself all the way around and swung his sword like a windmill. Aman thought it¡¯d push Kang Oh back, and prepared a follow up attack. However...! Kang Oh hadn''t dodged or blocked Aman''s attack; he''d used Abyss Shield instead. "What!?" Upon contact with the barrier, it felt as though his sword was sinking into a swamp. "Huahp!" Kang Oh smoothly swung upwards. An attack that signaled the end, Tempest Tiger! Boom! It hit Aman head-on. A roaring tiger, which gleamed in golden light, and the resulting whirlwind! Both of these made it impossible for Aman to regain his bearings and unbeknownst to him, he''d fallen to one knee. "Ha, ha." Aman breathed haggardly. His body wasn''t listening to him. Swish. The tip of Kang Oh''s sword was pointed at Aman''s throat. The winner and loser was made clear. "I... lost!" Aman bit his lip and admitted defeat. Only then did Kang Oh deactivate Devil Trigger and grin. "It was a good fight." "Yeahhh!" Was it because the fight had them on the edge of their seats? Although the chieftain of their tribe had been defeated, they screamed in excitement. ''The Nedav Tribe respects strength. I guess those words hold true.'' Kang Oh forcefully raised his arm. "Yeahhhhhh!" The crowd yelled even louder than before. * * * Aman''s residence... Kang Oh stared at Amon; though Kang Oh came out rtively unscathed, Amon waspletely covered in bandages. "Tch. To think I''d lose." "You were strong." ''I was still stronger at full power though.'' "Hoo. I, the Nedav Chieftain, approve of you," Aman said. "Then you''ll give me the key?" "Of course. You''ll be able to wield the demon swordpetently." Aman fiddled with the hilt of his sword, causing the end to open up, and out came a bead. "Take it." "I''ll use it well." It was a ck bead that emanated red light; it was called the Nedav Tribe¡¯s Token. ''I''ve finally gotten all of the keys.'' Kang Oh gripped the bead. Now it was time to open the door to the undergroundbyrinth and find the demon sword. Chapter 141. Parmarl Underground Labyrinth (1)

Chapter 141. Parmarl Underground Labyrinth (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party left Nedav Vige (east) and headed for Modrak Vige (north). Because it was the only vige here that had an intercity transfer gate, Modrak Vige was the most prosperous area within the Great Forest. Of course, Modrak Vige wasn''t their final destination. They''d go there to repair their equipment and then head west, where the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth was located. Plus, it was too far to go straight there from Nedav Vige. "Does Modrak Vige have an auction house?" Kang Oh asked from atop his Yuma. "I don''t think it does," Anracoum said. "Hmm." During his battle with Aman, Kang Oh had used the BB-rank gloves as fodder for Gluttony. Thus, he needed to buy some more disposable equipment. "Do I need to go to a nearby city..." Kang Oh muttered. "Why do you need the auction house?" Sephiro asked, riding side by side with him. "One of my skills needs equipment to activate, but I don¡¯t have anything on hand." "Does any item work?" "It has to be at least BB-rank and have a minimum level requirement of 100." The higher the level requirement, the better. After all, using better equipment would yield a longer duration time. Sephiro pulled out a ck bow from his inventory. "I used this bow a while back. How about it?" Kang Oh examined the bow. The ck Horn Bow was an A-rank bow, and also had a minimum level requirement of 150. "It''s just right." If he used an A-rank item like this as fodder for Gluttony, then his abilities would triple. Plus, with such a high level requirement, he''d be able to maintain the skill for more than 10 minutes. "Would you like to buy it?" Obviously it wasn''t free. "How much?'' "I''ll sell it to you for just 300 gold!" Sephiro said, speaking as though he were doing him a service. "I''m not buying it." Kang Oh shook his head. "Tch. Since it''s you, I''m willing to sell it at a loss. How about 250 gold?" Sephiro haggled. ''That sounds about right.'' If he put the ck Horn Bow up for auction himself, then he''d probably get around 250 gold for it. "Let''s go with 230 gold." "That''s..." "If you sold the bow for 250 gold in the auction house, then you''d only be getting 225 gold after paying the 10%mission fee. 230 gold is better than that, wouldn''t you say?" "Ugh. Understood." "Here you go." He paid 230 gold in exchange for the ck Horn Bow. After that, Kang Oh''s party continued to traverse through the Great Forest via their Yumas. Halfway through, they encountered a Kruger and were forced into an intense battle, but they were somehow able to defeat it. In any case, Kang Oh''s party safely arrived at Modrak Vige. "We should spend the night here," Kang Oh gazed at the setting sun and said. "There''s a ce I often stay at. Let''s go there." Sephiro took the lead. A short whileter... After they had procured lodging in the form of a tree house, Kang Oh''s party went their separate ways to rest. Kang Ohid on top of a hammock, whichy on one side of the room, and opened his message window. He''d received a message from Asu. - Oppa. - Yeah? - You know we''re on for 6 o''clock this Saturday, right? - Of course. - I''ve sent you the address and directions to the store via KakaoTalk. - Where is it? - Have you heard of Yurim before? - Nope. - Look forward to it. It has great food and a great atmosphere! - Yeah, I''m really looking forward to it. * * * Once it became bright outside, Kang Oh¡¯s party left Modrak Vige. Ming! Four Yumas forcefully ran through the Great Forest. Was it because they''d left early in the morning? They reached their final destination, the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, by midday. "Let''s head to the entrance." Kang Oh moved quickly. He couldn¡¯t help but speed up at the thought of a new demon sword just waiting for him inside the dungeon. Once again, Kang Oh stood before a stone gate that possessed eyes, a nose, and a mouth. This was not only the entrance to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, but the exit too! Kang Oh took a look around. He was making sure there weren¡¯t any yers nearby just in case. ''I''m not going to let others partake in something I''ve worked hard for!'' Fortunately, there wasn''t anyone else here besides hispanions. "I don¡¯t think there¡¯s anyone else here." "Indeed." Sephiro looked around as well. Even he couldn¡¯t see anyone else with his sharp gaze. "Alright then!" Kang Oh removed the two beads from his inventory. The Nuwak Tribe''s Token and the Nedav Tribe''s Token were both ck beads, but the former emanated a green light and thetter a red light. Kang Oh ced the beads within both ''eye sockets''. They fit perfectly. The eyes began to radiate light, and the door''s face reminded him of someone who''d just awoken after a long nap. Creak! The center of the gate opened like an automatic door, giving way to a path leading into the undergroundbyrinth. ''Finally!'' Kang Oh clenched his fists. "My work here is finished it seems," Anracoum said, staring at the entrance of the undergroundbyrinth. He didn''t know anything about the inside of thebyrinth. Thus, it''d be impossible for him to act as a guide inside. "Thank you for everything," Kang Oh said. "We were able to avoid a lot of danger because of you. Here, this is your guide fee." Sephiro paid him his due. "Thank you for all your hard work." Eder shook Anracoum''s hand. "Good luck to you all." Anracoum rode his Yuma and departed. Now, things had gone back to normal; only Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro were left. "Let''s go." Kang Oh entered first, with Sephiro and Eder following behind him. [Entering the dungeon, Parmarl Underground Labyrinth.] Once he entered, he received a system message. As expected, this was indeed the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth! But upon entering, the door behind them closed shut. "It seems like the door is designed to only allow those with the tokens through," Kang Oh looked at the closed door and said. "That''s good." Sephiro grinned. With this, the dungeon belonged to them and them alone. "Shouldn''t we form some kind of n? After all, it is a byrinth''," Eder asked. After all, abyrinth was designed to make it difficult to find the exit. "If I could, I would''ve made one already. But we don''t have any info on thebyrinth, so forming any sort of n is impossible," Kang Oh said. If all they encountered wasplicated and/or forked roads, then they would have nothing to worry about. Kang Oh would be able to find the right way forward, even if it took a longer amount of time than usual. On the other hand, they could face a moreplicatedbyrinth. One in which thebyrinth itself continuously changed, or one with transfer magic circles spread all across it, or even abyrinth that was set up so that one got lost and was forced to continuously roam through it. These kinds ofbyrinths couldn''t be cleared with just time. One needed to use a special method to clear thesebyrinths. "Which means that we''ll have to gather as much information as we can once we get there," Sephiro said. "If we get trapped, we can always just use a return scroll," Kang Oh said. "Ah!" Eder looked as though he clearly understood the situation. "Let''s go." There was a stairway that led underground. "I feel like thebyrinth will truly begin once we''ve gone down the stairs," Sephiro said. "We don''t know what kind of monsters or traps we''ll face, so stay on guard." "Alright." Kang Oh''s party descended the stairs. * * * The ceiling was filled with crystals, and the walls were covered with red and brown vines. Then there was the forked road too! Now it was looking like a properbyrinth. "You never know, there might be traps or magic circles that''ll take you who knows where, so be careful." Kang Oh''s party took the right path. "Wait!" Sephiro suddenly raised his hand. "It''s a trap." His eyes narrowed sharply. "Where?" "Over there." Sephiro pointed at the ceiling. There was a small hole there. "If you walk through the center of the road, then arrows will shoot out of that hole. Let''s hug the wall." Kang Oh''s party put their backs to the wall and passed the trap without incident. "Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "It looks like your Disarm Trap skill is at quite a high level..." "It''ll hit the intermediate rank soon." "Please take the lead." "Alright." After that, Sephiro continued to prove himself. He saw through every trap, and he''d either disarm the traps himself or teach them how to avoid the trap. "As expected of you, Mr. Sephiro!" Eder gave him a thumbs up. ''How can I use this guy even more...'' Kang Oh thought maliciously. In any case, Kang Oh''s party was able to make their way through thebyrinth via Sephiro''s skill in Disarm Trap. Of course, that didn''t solve all of their problems. They eventually encountered their first monster. "Hmm. I''ve never seen this monster before," Sephiro said. "I haven''t either," Kang Oh said. "What do we even call that?" Eder asked. The monster was scarlet, as if it were covered in blood. It was more than 2 meters tall as well. The humanoid monster possessed two arms and two legs, and its body swelled with muscle like a bodybuilder. Its round face resembled a snake. "Muscleman?" Sephiro asked. "We''ll find out after it''s dead." They''d know after they killed it. Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Whoever took the lead would win! He swung his sword downwards as quick as lightning. Kyaoh! The monster shrieked and swung its fist. Its forearm was as thick as a log! The muscles in its forearm bulged. Whoosh! Its swing gave off a ''whoosh'' as it pushed through the air! Kang Oh put all of his weight into the blow in order to deal the most damage possible! His sword and its fist shed. Spurt! Kang Oh''s sword left behind a lengthy wound on the muscle monster''s chest, which resulted in an explosion of shards of light! Whereas the muscle monster''s fist had struck nothing but air. Kang Oh had neither retreated nor moved to the side; he had instead moved even closer to the muscle monster and had simultaneously attacked and evaded. "Haht!" Eder rushed towards the muscle monster. Then, the monster opened up its palm and swung it at Eder. Eder positioned his shield in front of him. Smack! Its palm struck the top of his skull shield. "Ugh!" As if its muscles didn''t make it clear enough, its physical strength was immense. Thus, Eder slightly wobbled around even though he''d blocked the attack with his shield. But then... The muscle monster brought down its fist. Whack! A fistful of light shards fell from Eder¡¯s body. "Get a grip!" Kang Oh yelled. However...! The shards of light, which normally should''ve disappeared into the air, were sucked into the monster''s body. ''This is...'' This was the first time he''d seen something like this in Arth. However, he could pretty much tell what had just happened. "Life Steal," Sephiro yelled. Life Steal. It was exactly that; it would take one''s HP for itself. Sephiro shot an arrow. The muscle monster suddenly jumped backwards like a frog, dodging Sephiro''s arrow. Then, Kang Oh used that opportunity to stand in front of Eder. Kya! It rushed at Kang Oh and swung its fist. Kang Oh used the side of his sword to block its blow. Then...! Boom! A small explosion came out of its fist. That skill was... ''Heavy Blow?'' That was definitely Eder''s main skill, Heavy Blow. Chapter 142. Parmarl Underground Labyrinth (2)

Chapter 142. Parmarl Underground Labyrinth (2)

Trantor: Boko [You have taken damage.] "Ugh!" Kang Oh sustained damage from the unexpected attack. Shards of light burst from his body, which were then absorbed by the muscle monster! Bam! Bam! Bam! While the muscle monster absorbed the shards of light, Sephiro let loose a Triple Shot; all three arrows struck true. Kya! The arrows pierced its flesh, causing its face to contort in pain. Whizz. Sephiro quickly shot another arrow. The monster bent forward and dodged the arrow. It then rushed at the nearest target, Kang Oh. Whoosh. It chopped with the edge of its hand. Kang Oh avoided the attack by moving to the side. However, a white line followed the edge of its hand! That was definitely sh. ''As I thought!'' Kang Oh''s eyes dimmed. Absorbing the shards of light didn''t just replenish the muscle monster''s HP. "Absorbing shards of light lets it use our skills!" Kang Oh yelled. Once he was finished speaking, the monster came running at him. Whoosh. Power Thrust! The monster''s fist came straight at him. Kang Oh retreated, dodging the attack. "Mr. Sephiro, concentrate on ranged attacks. Eder, don''t attack. Keep yourself safe with your shield. We have to take it down before it can steal any more of our abilities," Kang Oh quickly said. Then, Kang Oh charged, and horizontally swung his sword. "How''s the original feel!?" sh! Swish, sh! He cleaved through its body and then lunged. Stab! His sword struck the wound left behind by sh. ck, rather than red, shards of light burst from its body. Due to Fang Bearing de, his attack had ignored the muscle monster''s defenses. Guahk! The monster screamed in agony. Then, an arrow pierced its forehead. Headshot! "Hey, you musclehead!" Eder raised his shield in front of the monster. Kyara! The enraged monster punched him indiscriminately. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Eder withstood every single one of its strikes with his shield. Boom! The monster used Heavy Blow with its final attack, so it was apanied by a minor explosion. Then... The orange skull''s eye sockets glowed. Cursed me! mes, which burned anything that they touched, spewed out of the skull''s mouth. Roar. The cursed me burned the muscle monster''s right arm! Kya! It crazily swung its right arm in order to extinguish the mes. Kang Oh seized that opportunity, and appeared behind the monster. "Huahp!" Tempest Tiger! His demon sword emanated a golden aura. Boom! The monster shook from the tremendous impact. Not only that, but a whirlwind arose that seemed to pierce through the ceiling! Falling shards of light rode the wind and flew high into the sky. By the time the whirlwind had calmed, the muscle monster was face t on the floor. [You have defeated the Skill Stealer, Mash.] ''Mash...'' Its title was Skill Stealer, which made it clear what its ability was. ''If I encounter another one, then I should dodge first and then counterattack.'' It''d be a pain in the ass if one of them managed to steal Tempest Tiger. "Eder, if you see another one of these things, just focus on defense," Kang Oh ordered. He was essentially saying, ''Don''t mess around and get your skills taken.''. "Alright. I''ll try to use my curses too." "Yeah, you do that. Mr. Sephiro... I trust in your abilities, so keep doing what you''re doing." Befitting a ranker, Sephiro would always do more than his share. "You can count on me." * * * Kang Oh''s party encountered a monster that was simr, but ultimately different from Mash. It was more than 2 meters tall, and its body was blood red. The monster''s head was round and resembled a snake; it definitely looked like Mash. But there were clear differences; its muscles! It possessed a leaner body. If Mash''s body could bepared to a bodybuilder''s, then this one''s could bepared to a professional runner. ''But it should be simr at its core.'' "Fight it like you''re fighting Mash!" Kang Oh ordered. Then, the battle began in earnest. The new monster was quicker and more agile than Mash, though it still wasn''t fast enough topletely overwhelm Kang Oh. It was also physically weaker than Mash as well. Kang Oh easily avoided its fists and continuously counterattacked. Because the blood red monster was so much faster than Mash, Sephiro focused on uracy and shot each arrow individually. Eder blocked its attacks with his shield and waited for his opportunity. ''Now!'' Once the monsterpletely focused on Kang Oh, Eder spewed a ck evil spirit from his mouth. Aging Curse! However...! It suddenly turned its body and punched Eder. Bam! Casting the curse had left him defenseless, so he couldn''t help but get hit. The blood red monster absorbed the shards of light that burst from Eder''s body. At the same time, the evil spirit attached itself to the monster. Kyaoh! It shrieked and stomped on the floor. A Star of David appeared beneath its feet. "That''s the Ruined Ramparts curse!" Eder yelled. Once he was finished, ck lines spread around the monster. [You are within Cursed Ground''s Domain, Ruined Ramparts.] [You havepletely resisted the curse.] [Your abilities do not fall.] Kang Oh''s ss, Demonic Swordsman, possessed an exceedingly high curse resistance, so the Ruined Ramparts curse had no effect on him. On the other hand, Sephiro''s defense had been reduced by 30%; for the time being, the decrease was inconsequential. After all, he was attacking from long range. Eder was empowered instead. Because he was an undead, curses had the opposite effect, so Ruined Ramparts had increased his defense. Ultimately, stealing Eder''s curse wasn''t a big deal. Moreover, Eder''s Aging Curse had noticeably slowed its movements. "Push it back!" Kang Oh barraged it with attacks. sh! Darkness Strike activated right on time. His destructive attack, a mix of ck and white, struck the monster. Bam! The monster was helplessly pushed back, which was then followed by a violently spinning arrow that pierced its forehead. Abination of Spinning Arrow and Headshot! "Then me too..." Encouraged by Kang Oh and Sephiro, Eder forcefully raised his mace. However...! "Just stay there and protect yourself!" Kang Oh yelled. "Tch." Eder dropped his mace and raised his shield. Kyaru! The monster swung its arms as if it were having a seizure. Eder stepped forward, slightly approaching the monster. Then, the monster concentrated its attack on him instead. His expert shield handling allowed him to easily endure the assault. Kang Oh used that opportunity to get behind it. Then, he fiercely swung his sword. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Whenever he swung his sword,rge shards of light would burst from the monster''s body. It turned around and attacked Kang Oh. Sephiro then shot an arrow at its back. Kyaoh! The monster writhed in pain. After that, Kang Oh and Eder relentlessly barraged it with attacks. In the end, the monster couldn''t withstand theirbined assault. [You have defeated the Magic Stealer, Jungk.] "Magic Stealer... So it can only steal spells," Kang Oh said. The Skill Stealer, Mash, could only stealbat-oriented skills like Heavy Blow or sh. On the other hand, the Magic Stealer, Jungk, was capable of stealing spells like Eder''s curses. "It''d be tough to take on several of these guys at once," Sephiro said. More enemies meant that there''d be a scuffle; there was a chance that they¡¯d steal their skills or spells in the process. "Yeah," Eder agreed. "We''ll have to blitz them and adapt as we go," Kang Oh said. Mash and Jungk. After fighting them firsthand, Kang Oh realized that the best strategy to beat them was to kill them before they could steal one¡¯s skills/spells. If they managed to steal a skill or spell, then fight them while keeping the stolen ability in mind. "Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh continued. "Yes?" "How do you feel about thebyrinth?" "Thebyrinth itself doesn''t keep changing, nor are there any magic circles scattered around that teleport you somewhere else." "I agree with you, but... It doesn''t seem so simple either." He supposed it was just a hunch. Kang Oh just had that feeling. "We need more information." They''d only just started exploring thebyrinth. "Indeed. Then let''s go." Kang Oh''s party continued to press forward. * * * The difficulty in navigating through thebyrinthy in the continuous forked roads, the exit that never appears, and the traps. But along the way, they encountered two Mash and Jungks simultaneously. Kya! Gaoh! The monsters shrieked and rushed at them. Eder cast Cursed Ground''s Domain: Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword! ck and purple spread out like ripples. The two Mash, whose muscles bulged, swung their fists at Kang Oh. Boom! Boom! Their fists were aimed at a single target! Kang Oh softly dodged their blows. One of the Jungk aimed for Eder, while the other rushed towards Sephiro. It had only taken a second for it to be a dogfight. "Blitz them! Adapt!" Kang Oh yelled. After dodging a Jungk''s fist, Eder swung his shield. ''Offense is the best defense!'' Shield Bash! Eder bashed its jaw with the edge of his shield, causing its head to suddenly turn. He didn''t seek a follow-up attack; instead, he withdrew his shield and protected himself. That was the right choice. Kya. The Jungk counterattacked fiercely, but Eder blocked it easily by preparing for it beforehand. On the other hand, Sephiro ran backwards while shooting arrows at his Jungk. The nimble Jungk tried to catch up to Sephiro no matter what. But Sephiro was more powerful, and faster than it too. Sephiro began to go to work on it. However, that didn¡¯t mean that he had enough time to provide cover fire for either Kang Oh or Eder. Kang Oh overpowered the two Mash even without his help. He narrowly avoided the two monsters'' attacks and attacked their weak points. Ultimately, the two Mash continuously screamed in agony. The tides of battle began to turn towards Kang Oh''s party. But then...! The Jungk managed to get a hit in, and stole Eder''s Slow Curse. It opened its mouth, and out came magical chains. The chains targeted Sephiro, who had low curse resistance. "Ugh." With his speed reduced, Sephiro''s Jungk got a hit in. Sephiro had a bad feeling about this. The only spell he could use was Buster Shot! Buster Shot was a spell that shot a giant arrow infused with magical power, which would then split into 100 arrows and rain down on one''s opponents. ''It wouldn''t... use that, would it?'' However, that bad feeling of his hadn''t been unwarranted. Kya! The Jungk, who had absorbed Sephiro''s shards of light, opened its mouth. Then, it discharged a gigantic arrow. Chapter 143. Why It’s Called a Labyrinth

Chapter 143. Why It''s Called a Labyrinth

Trantor: Boko An intricately patterned, giant arrow flew through the air. "Everyone, be careful! It''s a Buster Shot!" Sephiro shouted. ''If it''s a Buster Shot, then...'' Eder thought back to when he¡¯d acted as bait, luring in a group of thunderbirds, or Agath. ''That move killed all of them in one fell swoop, right?'' The same Buster Shot would soon be unleashed upon him. "Oh, shit!" Eder cursed after properly assessing the situation. "Tch!" Kang Oh clicked his tongue, and deliberated over what he could do to survive this. ''Eder''s the key!'' He needed something to block the arrows. "Summon Eder!" he immediately called. Then... The giant arrow created five more magic circles. Boom! Countless arrows exited the magic circles and rained down upon them. "Uaaahk!" Eder, who''d appeared before Kang Oh, screamed. "Get a grip. Pick up your shield." Eder did as he was told and raised his shield. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! The arrows overhead struck his shield. However, his four color skull shield couldn''t cover his entire body. At best, it could cover his upper body. The arrows obviously came flying towards his exposed lower body too. ''I''ll cover that area!'' Kang Oh hid behind Eder, and used his wide de to safeguard Eder''s vulnerable lower body. ng! ng! ng! The arrows struck his sword too. By teaming up, Kang Oh and Eder were able to minimize the damage. But that didn''t mean that they were able to block all of the arrows. "Urgh." "Ugh." Some of the arrows had prated theirbined defense; thus, taking damage and spilling shards of light was inevitable. Fortunately, the Mash and Jungk weren''t able to absorb those shards. Buster Shot didn''t differentiate between friend or foe, so their enemies were putting everything into dodging the barrage of arrows. Kuaah! Kyaooh! Arrows pierced their bodies all over, making them resemble hedgehogs. It was absolute chaos. However, the Jungk who''d cast the Buster Shot hadn''t been in range; Sephiro hadn''t been in range either. Off to one side, the two were engaged in an intense fight while the arrows rained down upon the others. Swish! Swish! The Jungk swung its arm like a whip! Because he''d been slowed by a curse, Sephiro gave up on using his superior speed to widen the distance between them. Instead, he came right up to it andnded a high kick on its round forehead. Kya! It swung its palm around as if it were trying to swat a fly! Sephiro avoided its attack by rolling onto the floor, and then grabbed the end of his silver bow and swung it. Whack! Upon striking its lower body, the Jungk copsed. Then...! "Huahp!" Sephiro quickly notched three arrows, pulled back, and let them fly. Triple Shot! Bam! Bam! Bam! Its forehead was instantly struck by three arrows! They''d been shot at extremely close range at that! Plus, it was a triple Headshot too! Shards of light, which were about the size of watermelons and a darker shade of red than blood, burst from the Jungk¡¯s body. That had finished it. Sephiro caught his breath and turned his attention to the area where the Buster Shot had been unleashed. The barrage of arrows had ended. The Two Mash and single Jungk had been killed by the shower of arrows! "Haa, haa. It''s over." "Phew." Kang Oh and Eder''s forearms, sides, calves, etc. had been pierced by arrows, but they had survived. Sephiro ran over to them. "Are you alright?" "As you can inly see." Kang Oh pulled out the arrows embedded in his body. It was a game, so he barely felt any pain, and shards of light sprayed out rather than blood. "I''m sorry. This was my fault." Sephiro bowed his head. If he hadn''t been hit by the Jungk, then this wouldn''t have happened. "It''s not your fault. If we''re passing me here, then I''m partly responsible. It was because of my Slow Curse that you took damage." Eder looked apologetic. "The whole sequence of events did start because of you," Kang Oh said. Eder looked even more sullen than before. "But it can''t be helped. You''re still the same while our enemies keep getting stronger." Kang Oh needed to get Eder a new body soon. If he remained in Arumode''s body, then he''d be a liability soon. "After we''re done here, let''s try finding you a new body," Kang Oh said. "I''ll help with that too," Sephiro volunteered. "Um..." Eder timidly raised his hand. "What is it?" "Do I really have to switch bodies? I really like this body. And I put a ton of money into remodeling it, so it feels like a waste." "Hmm." Kang Oh thought over the matter. It was true that Eder''s current body was weak, but his AoE defense debuff was really valuable. But if he inhabited a new body, then he''d lose this invaluable AoE ability. After all, this was one of the Immortal King, Arumode''s inherent abilities. "Then we should set up you with some new equipment instead." Eder''s current equipment, the Blood Knight armor set, the four color skull shield, and the mace that emitted poisonous mist were all level 150 equipment. If Kang Oh provided him with better equipment, then he''d be able to stretch Eder''s effectiveness for a longer period of time. "Changing equipment! That seems like a good idea. I really like the sound of that," Eder fervently supported the idea. Eder didn''t have any money. If that''s the case, then Kang Oh would pay for everything likest time. "Ok. It''s decided then. Let''s focus on clearing thebyrinth for now." "But what''ll we do if something like before happens again?" Eder asked. Thest battle had proved quite challenging. "The way we went about it wasn''t wrong. Blitz them and adapt. We''ll just have to get used to fighting them." "On the bright side, Buster Shot was what finished them off so quickly," Sephiro said. "So if they manage to steal our skills or spells, we can use that to our advantage," Kang Oh continued. "My body may becking, but I''ll try my best." Eder clenched his fist. "Don''t try. Just do it," Kang Oh said. "You''re already doing good." Sephiro gave him a thumbs up. "Brother!" Kang Oh''s words went through one ear and out the other, while Sephiro''s words went right to his heart. * * * They hadn''t yet encountered monsters other than the Mash or Jungk. With Sephiro on their side, traps weren''t an issue, so all they had to do was find the demon sword! But then... Kang Oh''s party made a new discovery. "Stairs!" Eder said. They¡¯d found stairs that led to the next level of thebyrinth. "It''s an undergroundbyrinth, so it must have several levels," Kang Oh said. They''d already descended some stairs to make it into thebyrinth. But now, there were even more stairs that led them even deeper underground. Which meant that the undergroundbyrinth was made up of several floors. If that''s the case, then Grande Loxia''s grave was located on the bottom-most floor. "Let''s go." Sephiro took point. After all, they never knew whether there would be any traps in the stairs or not. Their hearts pounded as they descended the stairs. What would they find down there? Would... the grave be there? But Kang Oh''s excitement soon turned to disappointment. He was greeted by the sight of a ceiling filled with crystals, walls that were covered in brown and red vines, and a forked road! There wasn''t a huge difference between this floor and the upper floor. ''No, it isn''t just simr. It feels exactly the same.'' This had to be the first time he''d been here, yet he felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu. "It looks like this again," Sephiro said, sounding slightly disappointed. "Let''s go. It may look simr, but it''s a different floor!" Eder enthusiastically said. "Indeed." Sephiro nodded his head, and Kang Oh''s party took heart. A short whileter... "It''s a trap." Sephiro pointed at the ceiling. He''d pointed at a hole. "If you walk through the center, then arrows wille out of the hole... Wait a minute, didn''t we encounter a trap just like this one before at around the same time?" Sephiro furrowed his brow. ''Am I wrong? Then why do I feel like this sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu gets stronger the further we go?'' Then, Kang Oh approached. "It''s the same trap. I''d previously told you to lead us and disarm the trap." He''d also felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu as well. Even if they assumed that the upper and lower floor was built simrly, they couldn''t be exactly the same. Of course, it was a game, so it also wasn''t an impossibility. ''But it''s more rational to think that it''s the same ce.'' Which meant...! "Going down the stairs brought us back to the beginning of thebyrinth," Kang Oh said. "I see," Sephiro agreed. They thought it was a different floor, but it was, in fact, the exact same floor. They were going through the same ce all over again. "This must be why it''s called a byrinth''." "How are we going to approach this?" Eder asked. "Mostbyrinths have a hidden passageway somewhere. We just need to find it." Kang Oh had plenty of experience as a gamer. He''d also clearedplicatedbyrinths before too. "But that only applies to normalbyrinths. This ce may not have a hidden passageway; there may be another way to get through it," Kang Oh added. "Then we''ll have to go through the entirebyrinth again. Only then will we find something we can use," Sephiro said. "It doesn''t seem like it continuously changes, so let''s draw up a map too." Of the few support skills he''d learned, one of them was Cartography. "That''s a good idea," Sephiro immediately agreed. "Let''s go." Kang Oh was more motivated than ever. He''d finally figured out what thisbyrinth was all about, so now he needed to find a way of clearing it. * * * Both Kang Oh and Sephiro possessed Cartography. Kang Oh obviously let Sephiro draw up the map. Sephiro was disarming traps, drawing a map, sensing any nearby enemies, and giving long range support. Now that he thought about it, Sephiro was like an all-purpose ve. ''Stay with me forever!'' Kang Oh would get him to sign a lifelong contract no matter what. Anyway, Kang Oh''s party was forced to stop on asion as they needed to draw up the map, so they went through thebyrinth at a slower pace than before. Not only that, but thebyrinth itself was huge, and they''d waste time fighting the Mash and Jungk as well. So going through it again had taken them two days. "I''m done!" Sephiro suddenly raised both of his arms. He''d finally finished the map to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth! "Good job." Eder patted his shoulder. "Hmm. It''s great that you''ve finished the map, but it doesn''t look like there are any hidden passageways." Kang Oh had thoroughly examined the walls, the ceiling, and the ground. However, his Hyper Intuition hadn''t activated once. "Let''s take a look at thepleted map first." Sephiro passed him the map. Kang Oh and Eder looked it over side by side. "Huh?" Eder felt like a light bulb went off in his head. "Perhaps..." Chapter 144. Clearing the Labyrinth

Chapter 144. Clearing the Labyrinth

Trantor: Boko "What is it? Did you figure something out?" Kang Oh asked. "This is the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, right?" "Yeah, what about it?" "In the ancientnguage, ru means east, ma means west, pa means south, and bal means north," Eder said. "Oho." "Aha." As soon as they heard his exnation, Kang Oh and Sephiro felt like a light bulb had gone off in their heads. In the ancientnguage, Parmarl meant southeast and west/east. Of course, they couldn''t solve the riddle with just this at their disposal. But when they looked at the map...! Thebyrinth was shaped like a rectangle, and there was a staircase at each corner. In total, there were four stairways in thebyrinth. There were stairs in the north, south, east, and west. Thus, if they went through the southern stairway, and then made their way through the eastern, western, and eastern stairway, then they''d clear thebyrinth. "This must be the northern stairway." Kang Oh pointed at a spot on the map; he was pointing at the stairs that led to the upper floor, or the entrance of thebyrinth. "That sounds right. That''s the only stairway that goes upstairs. All the other stairs go down," Sephiro said. "This is the east, this is the west, and this is the south." Eder showed on the map. "Good job, Eder," Kang Ohplimented him. It''d been a long time since he''dst done that. "You''re amazing." p, p, p! Sephiro apuded him. "Hehe. It just came to me when I realized that the map had north, south, east, and west quadrants," Ederughed. "Alright. Let''s get through it." "Ooh!" * * * "Out of my way!" Kang Oh''s party quickly disposed of the Mash and Jungk that blocked their way, and progressed forward. Then, they went down the southern stairway. Once they went down the stairs, they found themselves at the beginning of thebyrinth. This was the northern stairway! "The eastern stairway is next." Kang Oh''s party didn''t get lost because of their map. They went through the eastern stairway, and then the western stairway after that. Now, they stood before the eastern stairway once more. "I wonder what''ll appear..." Sephiro muttered. "You''ll see soon enough." "Yes." Sephiro took point, and Kang Oh and Eder followed him. "The stairs have never been this long..." Eder said. Like he said, Kang Oh''s party descended the stairs for some time. "That means we were right," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh was certain that they''d never been here before. Sometimeter... He was proven right. "Ooh! It''s a new ce!" Eder shouted. Gray walls and a forked road! However, the walls weren''t covered by vines, a clear indication that they were somece different. Which meant that Kang Oh''s party hadn''t returned to the beginning. Instead, they''de to apletely new location! "Monsters areing!" Sephiro yelled. Something appeared from the left side. "Ooh, a new monster!" Eder shouted. They were sick of the Mash and Jungk. Fortunately, these monsters werepletely different. "Slimes." Kang Oh instantly knew they were. A slime was a sticky, pudding-like monster, and was well-known by themunity. "All the monsters here are red," Sephiro said. The slimes were red, as if their bodies were made of tomato juice. They were also muchrger than the low level Melon Slimes, which weremonly seen in beginner hunting grounds. "They probably possess the Life Steal ability, so they may be able to steal our abilities or spells like the Mash or Jungk..." Sephiro muttered. "We''ll know once we fight them." Kang Oh stood in front. Then, the battle began in earnest. The slimes spewed acid out of their mouths like a sprayer. Even Kang Oh couldn''t dodge all ten of the slimes'' attacks simultaneously, especially because it would bounce on the walls or floor upon contact. "Tch." Ultimately, shards of light spurted from his body. Splurt! Then, as if they''d been waiting for this moment, a few of the slimes sucked in the shards of light. As expected, the slimes did indeed possess the Life Steal ability. However, the slimes who''d ingested his shards didn''t use Kang Oh''s skills or spells. ''They don''t have the ability to use our skills or spells. If that''s the case, then...!'' Kang Oh pushed through, and got in the middle of them. In the process, he took some acid damage, but it was worth it, since they couldn''t steal his skills or spells. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his demon sword, striking all the slimes around him. He knew immediately what their weak points were via his Hyper Intuition, and had aimed for them ordingly. Whack! The tip of his sword got stuck in a slime''s sticky body. Then, the slime helplessly melted away! [You have defeated a Blood Drinking Slime.] A slime''s weak point was its core, which was located somewhere inside its gooey body. Striking at this weak point would kill the slime quickly. However, each slime''s core was different, and when fighting a slime, their core would move around in real time. Thus, it wasn''t exactly easy to find a slime''s core and destroy it. At the same time, Kang Oh could easily do what was difficult for others because of his Hyper Intuition! By the time he was done with his assault, all ten of the slimes had been killed, bing nothing more than tomato juice. However, he noticed something shimmering on the wet, scarlet floor. Kang Oh picked it up. [Underground Labyrinth''s Key Fragment (1/100)] A key fragment. Thepleted key opens a door that is located somewhere within the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. When you collect 100 fragments, they will fuse into a single key. "Please take a look at this." Kang Oh passed Sephiro the key fragment. "So we''ll have to gather all 100 pieces, and then find the door to use this on," Sephiro said. With this, Kang Oh''s party had found a new goal. * * * There were less traps here than in the previous area. In exchange, there were several monsters that roamed around thebyrinth. "It''s a new monster," Eder said. "When you think of abyrinth, you can''t leave this thing out," Sephiro said. "Man, I suddenly want a bowl of ox head soup." Kang Oh smacked his lips. Maa! It was a minotaur, a monster with a humanoid body topped with a bull''s head. The minotaur held a giant axe in its hand, and several red tattoos were drawn on its body. Bam! The minotaur targeted Eder first, and swung downwards with its axe. Eder retreated, avoiding the axe, and then rushed forward. Kang Oh got behind it and Sephiro, as always, didn''t miss a shot. Mau! The minotaur possessed the ability to increase its strength and speed by screaming. It had also used the Suppression skill, which doubled one''s attack power when using a downward strike, and like the other monsters here, possessed the Life Steal ability. Its strength and speed were far greater than any monster they''d encountered within thebyrinth. But s, it was alone! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gradually wore it down like lions hunting a water buffalo. In the end, it dropped its axe and its head mmed onto the floor. [You have defeated a Parmarl Minotaur.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh was now level 190. If he just leveled up 10 more times, then he''d finally reach his goal of level 200. Then, he''d be able to equip the Wind Yearning Fire Ne, and be even stronger as a result. At that moment... "Here." Eder passed him a key fragment that the minotaur had dropped. "Mm." That made two key fragments. From here, they needed to find 98 more key fragments and find the door. They didn''t have time to rest. "Let''s go." "Alright." After that, Kang Oh''s party battled against a variety of monsters. For example, they encountered the Quiant, a monster that suddenly popped out of the wall and swung its sharp ws. They also ran into Twilight Armored Lizardmen as well; they wore reddish brown armor that almost seemed rusted and wielded spears as well. Then there were the red-eyed Giant Vampiric Bats, which fully extended their ck wings. They also encountered the slimes, the Mash, the Jungk, and the minotaurs as well. Because they continued to hunt without rest, they gradually gathered the key fragments. And so...! They discovered a door with a keyhole; the door was adorned with intricate patterns. "It''s the door we¡¯ve been looking for!" Eder yelled. "We found it a lot faster than I thought we would." Sephiro looked overjoyed. What exactly would be waiting for them within? ''Whatever it is, 20% of it is mine.'' His lips curled into a smile. "We just need to gather ten more key fragments. Let''s finish gathering the remaining key fragments ASAP." They found the door, but they didn''t have enough key fragments yet. There was a fire within Kang Oh and Sephiro''s eyes now, and they roamed around looking for more monsters to kill. Then... They saw a minotaur walking around with a long stride. "Give me your key fragment!" Kang Oh dashed towards it. Mau! The minotaur swung downwards, aiming for Kang Oh. A ck haze rose from its axe. Suppression! He felt a chill at the top of his head! Kang Oh quickly turned his body to the side and avoided the minotaur''s attack. Then, he rushed forward and attacked a weak spot. Swish! His jet-ck de cleaved through its side. Then... Kang Oh was greeted with a joyous system message. [Basic Evasion has risen to the intermediate level.] [Fleet Footwork has risen to the intermediate level.] "Hoo, hoo," Kang Ohughed. His incredibly high Sense stat, coupled with his many times evading, had caused his Basic Evasion and Fleet Footwork skills to reach the intermediate level in no time! Kang Oh felt as though his movements became lighter than before. It must be the result of the leveled up Fleet Footwork. ''Moreover, I''ll soon gain ess to another demon sword!'' Kang Oh mustered up all of his strength. "Haahp!" sh! A diagonal sh! A thrust! Darkness Strike! An upward strike! Finally, a Tempest Tiger! Shards of light exploded out of the minotaur''s body, flying everywhere. Mau! Mau! The minotaur feverishly swung its axe, trying to cut Kang Oh in half no matter what. But like a cow being sent to the ughterhouse, it was a pointless struggle. "Just die already!" He felt great; not only had his proficiency gone up, but his concentration had as well. Thus, Kang Oh was currently much stronger than usual. Plus, Eder and Sephiro were helping out, so it was almost sad that the minotaur had to fight them all on its own. A short whileter... Euu. It screamed for the final time and then died. "Next!" Kang Oh picked up the key fragment, and then immediately looked for his next prey. "Next!" Sephiro repeated exactly. * * * Kang Oh stomped on the head of a lizardmen, which was wearing reddish brown armor. Bleh! The lizardmen let out a death cry and died. It then spewed out a key fragment, which Kang Oh promptly picked up. [You have collected 100 Underground Labyrinth''s Key Fragments.] [The key fragments havebined into a single key.] [You have acquired the Bull Ornament Key.] "It''s ready," Kang Oh said. "Let''s head for the door," Sephiro said. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party stood before the intricately patterned door. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and pulled out the key. The end of the key was shaped like a cross, and there were wavy grooves as well. The handle of the key was also shaped like a bull''s head. He ced the key within the keyhole. It was a perfect fit! Once he turned the key, he heard something slowly turning. Creak. The door was finally opening! Chapter 145. Minotaur Brothers

Chapter 145. Minotaur Brothers

Trantor: Boko Perhaps it gave them some semnce offort. Upon opening the door, Kang Oh¡¯s party was greeted by the sight of arge, normal room. None of the same, tedious forked roads or walls were in sight. Maaa! Uau! Two minotaurs shrieked from within. One of them possessed glimmering, golden horns, and wielded a double-ded axe of the same color! It was also more than 4 meters tall, with bulging muscles and red tattoos covering its body. The other looked much the same, but the color of its horn and its weaponry differed; its horns were silver, and it wielded an axe in either hand. [You have discovered Minotaur Brother, Gold Horn.] [You have discovered Minotaur Brother, Silver Horn.] [You are the first to discover them.] Took long enough; they''d finally encountered the dungeon''s boss monsters. There were even two of them! Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Two brothers, huh... It reminds me of the Ricardo brothers!'' The Ricardo brothers were bosses in Warlord. The Butcher, Ricardo Horn and the Human Sweeper, Ricardo Embry. In life, they were fallen knights that were guilty of piging, arson, and mass murder. After they died, they became Doom Knights. ''They''ll probably have some sort ofbination attack up their sleeve. And killing one of them will probably make the other go crazy.'' At least that¡¯s what the Ricardo brothers were like. If you killed one of the brothers too quickly, then you wouldn''t be able to kill the other, as they would be way too powerful to deal with. Therefore, the key to beating them was to spread the damage evenly between the two brothers, and then kill them at the same time. ''Now that I think about it... If need be, I can use that method too.'' Kang Oh suddenly had a good idea. There was a unique way of defeating the Ricardo brothers. Could he possibly use that method against the Minotaur brothers too? ''If things don''t go as nned, then we can use that strategy. We''ll start out normally.'' Kang Oh, who''d finished organizing his thoughts, said, "Mr. Sephiro." "Yes?" "The bosses are brothers. There''s a chance that if you kill one of them, then the other will be impossibly strong." "We should spread the damage evenly, and then finish them off simultaneously." "Can you see an enemy''s HP, Mr. Sephiro?" If a yer wanted to see a monster''s HP, then they needed a special skill or spell. "Yes." However, Sephiro''s Lasselpino Bow showed him his opponent''s HP. As expected of a SS-rank masterpiece! "Eder and I will each take on one of the minotaurs, and then we''ll rotate halfway through." Kang Oh''s attack power far surpassed Eder''s. They obviously had to switch midway; if they didn''t, then Kang Oh''s minotaur would die too quickly. "So all I need to do is take on one, and then switch when you give the order!" Eder clenched his fists. "Please tell us when to switch, Mr. Sephiro. We''ll follow your orders." "Understood." "They''re brothers, so they may use abination attack. We''ll have to fight them to figure out what it is." Eder and Sephiro nodded their heads. "They probably have the Life Steal ability too." Every monster here had the Life Steal ability. Thus, it was likely that the boss monsters possessed the ability as well. "It''s hard to imagine, but they may be able to steal our skills or spells." It wasn''t an impossibility, especially when he considered the Mash and the Jungk. "Mm." Sephiro and Eder''s expressions simultaneously stiffened. "Can we win?" Eder asked carefully. "We can," Kang Oh said confidently in an attempt to uplift them. "It''ll prove to be hard to fight," Sephiro said quietly. "I''m not exactly sure whether it''ll work or not, but I have something up my sleeve." "What is it?" Eder''s eyes gleamed. "It''s..." Kang Oh exined this trump card that he was referring to. A short whileter... "Oh, it''d be huge if that worked." Eder''s expression brightened. "But will it really work?" Sephiro asked. "Isn''t it worth giving it a try?" Kang Oh grinned. "I suppose it is," Sephiro agreed. "I don''t think there''s anything else to talk about. Let''s do our best; give me a ''We can do this!''." Kang Oh stretched out his hand, and Eder and Sephiro ced their hands on top of it. "We can do this!" * * * Thud! Thud! Eder stomped onto the floor twice, casting the Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword curses. Uah! Maa! The Minotaur brothers screamed. "Eder, you take the silver one. I''ll handle the gold one." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder rushed at their respective minotaurs. Then, Gold Horn swung its two-handed axe at Kang Oh. Whoosh! "Yeah, nice to meet you too!" Kang Oh bent over. The minotaur''s double-ded axe passed through the area where he''d once been. However, the blow was so powerful that winds raged in the nearby area. "Tch." Kang Oh had originally intended on dodging its blow and then counterattacking, but was prevented from doing so by the intense, raging winds. He couldn''t keep his bnce, so he gave up on attacking and just grabbed onto the ground with both hands. Whoosh. Once the winds calmed, Kang Oh immediately swung his demon sword, but Gold Horn was already ready for its next attack. It swung downwards, the strike so powerful that it almost threatened to cleave the world itself in two. Unable to swing his sword, Kang Oh was forced to throw himself out of the way. Boom! Its axe struck the ground. Mau! Gold Horn yelled in joy, as if it were happy that it could finally fight a worthy foe, and pulled its axe out of the ground. Kang Oh used that opportunity to catch his breath and get back into position. ''As I thought, it ain''t easy.'' The ordinary minotaurs that roamed throughout thebyrinth were strong, but the golden horned minotaur was a boss. Thus, it was only natural that it¡¯d be even stronger. ''Still, I can''t afford to lose.'' Kang Oh let out a ferocious roar. Kuhaang! Baramut''s Roar! Kang Oh had three gears: Baramut''s Roar, Gluttony, and Devil Trigger! He''d shifted into first gear by using Baramut''s Roar. Arise, power of a tiger! His chest became warm and his body was filled with energy. "Haahp!" Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor. He charged right at Gold Horn like a cannonball! Kang Oh and Gold Horn...! The two entities shed once more. * * * The de of Silver Horn''s silver axe glimmered as it was swung. Whoosh! ng! Its right-handed silver axe struck Eder''s skull shield. "Eek!" Eder gritted his teeth and tightened his core as he withstood the minotaur''s attack. Then, the minotaur swung with its left-handed axe. Eder positioned his shield askew, pushing the axe to the side, and then rolled forward. Bam! A silver axey in the area where he''d once been! The minotaur''s axe left a groove in the ground equal to the size of the axe''s de. Then... Sephiro let loose an arrow. However, the arrow almost seemed alive and zigzagged towards its target. Homing Arrow! He was aiming for Silver Horn''s forehead! But Silver Horn, who was still healthy, wouldn''t let something hit its forehead so easily. It deflected the arrow with an axe. ''I thought you''d do that!'' Sephiro immediately notched another arrow. However...! Silver Horn suddenly swung an axe at Sephiro. Although they were so far away that the attack had no way of hitting, the minotaur did it anyway. But then, something unexpected happened. Boom! Once the silver axe struck the ground, the floor was demolished and a giant wave came straight for Sephiro! ''This is...!'' Sephiro figured out what skill it¡¯d just used. It was Earth sh, a skill used by many yers! "Tch!" Sephiro threw himself out of the way and used the Absolute Evasion skill. It was an indispensable Archer skill that allowed a yer to dodge any one attack with certainty! It did, of course, have a downside; while it was an amazingly useful skill, it had an extremely long cooldown time. In any case, Sephiro''s use of Absolute Evasion had kept him from getting hit by the Earth sh. "Phew," he sighed in relief. ''I should be wary of counterattacks while I shoot at it.'' He notched another arrow and shot at Silver Horn. Triple Shot! At first, the three arrows flew in different directions, but then headed for Silver Horn''s vital spots. Euu! Silver Horn fiercely swung its axes, deflecting the arrows. In the midst of that... Eder struck the top of its foot with his mace. Heavy Blow! His attack produced a small explosion, resulting in shards of light falling from the minotaur''s foot. "How''s that feel!?" Eder raised his voice. He''d finallynded a sessful attack. Then, Silver Horn unrelentingly swung its twin axes and pushed Eder back. Its axes rained down upon Eder''s shield! ng! ng! ng! ng! Eder withstood the onught again and again and again. * * * Whoosh! The golden axe cleaved through the air. Its axe was followed by mighty, raging winds. However, Kang Oh steadfastly nted his feet, withstanding the wind, and then swung his sword. Swish! The jet-ck de cleaved through its washboard abs. Euma! Upon impact, Gold Horn red daggers at him,id its axe sideways, and swung as if it were chopping down a tree. ''Tch.'' There was no ce he could go to avoid the low attack. Kang Oh positioned his sword vertically and blocked its strike. ng! A shrill, metallic ''ng'' resounded throughout the room. At the same time, Kang Oh felt the immense force of the blow. Ultimately...! Kang Oh went flying, forcing him to roll onto the floor. In the process, shards of light spilled from his body. As expected! Gold Horn absorbed the shards of light. As anticipated, it possessed the Life Steal ability that stole an opponent''s HP. ''Does it also have the ability to steal my skills or spells too?'' Kang Oh stood up and nervously watched Gold Horn. Fortunately, it continued to attack normally. "They can life steal, but I don''t think they can take your skills or spells," Kang Oh yelled. You needed to ry important information to your allies! Whoosh! The giant axe came flying at Kang Oh, and a ck haze arose from it. This was the Suppression skill, which doubled one''s attack power when using a downward strike! Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition was warning him. ''Let''s advance!'' Gold Horn''s stance was wide. While this would increase the power of its attack, it would also leave it exposed! Kang Oh chose to advance, rather than safely retreating or moving to the side; although dangerous, it would give him the most reward. He pushed right into Gold Horn! Thud! The golden axe struck the ground! Thetter part of the axe briefly scraped Kang Oh''s back, causing a giant shard to burst from his body. Then, Gold Horn absorbed the shard! ''I''m willing to take some damage to strike a fatal blow!'' Kang Oh saw its defenseless stomach and abs. Swish. He swung upwards like a rising ck dragon! Plus, Tempest Tiger erupted from his sword and pounced on Gold Horn! Boom! The golden aura struck true, and the tremendous force caused the minotaur to shake. Euuu! For the first time, Gold Horn let out a cry of pain. Whoosh. Then, a whirlwind engulfed the minotaur. There was a chance that he''d get caught in the whirlwind too, so Kang Oh quickly moved to a safe location. Of course, he didn''t forget to use sh on its side as well! "Hoo." Kang Oh, who''d reached a safe location, caught his breath and stared at the whirlwind. However...! Swoosh! All of a sudden, the whirlwind was sliced through and an Earth sh came through. Plus...! He saw Gold Horn using the same posture he''d just used; it had swung its sword upwards, from down low to up high. Chapter 146. Stranger

Chapter 146. Stranger

Trantor: Boko ''Air sh!'' Although it wasrger and more powerful than the average yer''s, it was definitely an Air sh. Moo! Gold Horn strode towards Kang Oh. Although it had taken a Tempest Tiger head-on, it appeared only slightly wounded. Kang Oh didn''t move, and just waited for it to approach. As soon as it got within striking distance, Gold Horn swung its double-ded axe without an ounce of hesitation. Kang Oh retreated slightly in order to avoid the attack, and drew a dion''s Dagger. "Huahp!" He firmly gripped the dagger in his right hand. Ready, aim, fire! Swoosh! The de, which was shaped like a beast''s horn, flew through the air. Eventually, it pierced Gold Horn''s right shin. Bzzzzzt! The dagger then emitted dark blue sparks. This was one of its special abilities, Lightning Tingle. Upon impact, the dagger would electrify his opponent! Gold Horn limped on its right leg. Kang Oh then rushed towards it. Whoosh. It swung its axe as if it were saying ''Get away from me!''. Kang Oh narrowly avoided the axe''s edge, and aimed for its wounded right leg. Swish, sh! His demon sword cleaved through its leg! Red shards of light burst from the wound like a beautiful, blooming flower. ''One more!'' It''s like they always say, keep taking advantage of one''s weakness! Kang Oh quickly withdrew his sword andnded another hit on the minotaur. However, he couldn¡¯t continue any further. Once its right leg was no longer paralyzed, Gold Horn pulled back while protecting itself with its axe! Kang Oh retreated for now, as he couldn''t find any weak spots. Then... "We''re doing good. Gold Horn has about 90% of its HP remaining, while Silver Horn has about 89% left," Sephiro yelled. Kang Oh''s attack power far exceeded Eder''s. However, Kang Oh had struggled against it, whereas Eder and Sephiro took on Silver Horn together. Thus, the two had managed to deal a simr amount of damage despite the disparity between Kang Oh and Eder''s strength. "Then let''s keep at it without switching!" Kang Oh shouted. "Understood." After that, Kang Oh continued to fight against Gold Horn, while Eder and Sephiro dealt with Silver Horn. The fierce battle continued! Being reckless for even the slightest moment would spell danger for them. After all, the Minotaur brothers'' attacks were so powerful that each and every one of them was like a one hit K.O. However...! At the same time, their attack patterns were too simple. Normally, they¡¯d just swing their axes around and use Air/Earth sh on asion. Thus, Kang Oh''s party was able to gradually cut down their HP. ''It probably won''t end like this.'' Kang Oh closely watched Gold Horn whilst fighting it, so that he wouldn''t miss when it changed its attack pattern! "Silver Horn''s remaining HP: 69%!" Sephiro yelled. A short whileter... "Gold Horn''s remaining HP: 70%!" he shouted once more. Then... Gold Horn and Silver Horn''s eyes zed. "It''s the second phase! Get ready. They''re going to attack differently now!" * * * Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro halted their assault, and assessed the situation. Euu! Gold Horn and Silver Horn simultaneously shrieked. Then, their bodies glimmered with blue energy. ''They''re increasing their strength by screaming.'' It was obvious that they''d possess that ability. After all, the normal minotaurs that roamed throughout thebyrinth could use it, so why wouldn''t the Minotaur brothers be able to do the same? ''I wish that would be the end of it.'' That¡¯d be wishful thinking. There was no way that that was it! As expected, their screams were just the start, a signal that the second phase had started. ytime was over. Gold Horn started first. It widened its stance like a sumo wrestler. Then, it raised one of its legs up high and quickly stomped onto the floor. Foot Stomp! Thud! The floor shook all of a sudden. It was an earthquake! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiroid on the ground, hoping that the earthquake would stop. But then...! Silver Horn swung its axe in a downwards motion. It was like a sailor standing in a ship that was beset by raging waves. Although the ground was shaking, Silver Horn didn''t lose its bearings and stood firm. Silver Horn struck the floor, and out came a gigantic wave. Earth sh! "Damn it!" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He''d expected something like this to happen; this was theirbination attack. One of the brothers would cause an earthquake, preventing their prey from escaping, while the other brother used a wave attack! Boom! The wave came rushing at Eder, who was responsible for Silver Horn. The Earth sh was akin to a man-eating shark that swam against a strong current. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder yelled desperately. ''Help me!'', he seemed to say. "Summon Eder!" Eder reappeared right next to him. Kang Oh''s summoning had saved him from death. "Thank you." Then... Silver Hornunched a second Earth sh. Its target: Sephiro! "Tch!" Though the earthquake was still ongoing, Sephiro somehow managed to keep his bnce and threw his body out of the way as if saying, ''Eh, whatever!''. A short whileter, the wave crashed through the area where he''d once been. Sephiro hade out unscathed. Bang! Silver Horn used a third Earth sh. This time, it came for Kang Oh! "Run!" The ground shook less than before, so Kang Oh kept his bnce and kicked off the floor. Eder did the same! They jumped to either side, and the Earth sh passed between them. After that, the ground stopped shaking, and Silver Horn stopped using Earth sh. "Hoo, hoo." "Haa, haa." Eder and Sephiro breathed haggardly, a sign that they''d survived. Kang Oh continued to examine Gold Horn and Silver Horn. ''Looks like it can''t do anything else if it uses Foot Stomp.'' If Gold Horn had, like Silver Horn, unleashed wave attacks while the earthquake was ongoing, then Kang Oh''s party would''ve been in big trouble. Fortunately, it seemed to be set up so that it couldn''t attack after using Foot Stomp. ''I have to deal as much damage as I can right now while it''s not using Foot Stomp!'' he thought briefly, and acted quickly. "We have to attack before it uses Foot Stomp again." "Understood." Perhaps it was because they''d just used abination attack, but the Minotaur brothers weren¡¯t moving. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh rushed towards Gold Horn, while Eder and Sephjro dealt with Silver Horn. 3 minutester... Silver Horn got ready for a Foot Stomp. Gold Horn wasn''t responsible for every single one; instead, the two brothers alternated. "They''ll use anotherbination attack soon. Get ready!" Kang Oh yelled. Silver Horn raised its leg high into the air! Thud! The ground shook fiercely. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro couldn''t remain standing, so theyid onto the floor once more. Then, Gold Horn swung its axe, unleashing a wave attack. Air sh! The mighty attack came flying at Kang Oh like a runaway train! "Tch!" In order to live, Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. However...! "Ugh!" Kang Oh tripped over a rock, preventing him frompletely evading the attack. Swoosh! Right when he was about to be hit, Baramut''s set radiated light. [The Baramut set''s special ability, Wind Shield, has activated.] [A fatal attack has been nullified.] [Remaining Cooldown: 60 minutes.] ''Thanks a lot, Baramut!'' Kang Oh survived. However, Gold Horn wasn''t done. It shot another Air sh at Eder. "Summon is still on cooldown!" Kang Oh immediately yelled. He was basically saying, ''You''re on your own!''. "Uaaahk!" Eder screamed, and threw himself out of the way. Fortunately, he''d gotten out of the way in time. Finally, Gold Horn unleashed itsst Air sh at Sephiro. The ground wasn¡¯t shaking as much as before, so he was able to dodge the attack without much difficulty. Now they had 3 precious minutes to attack Gold Horn and Silver Horn. Eder and Sephiro instinctively rushed towards Silver Horn. "Stop!" Kang Oh yelled. ''We can''t keep doing this!'' At this rate, they''d be killed by the Air/Earth shs before they defeated the minotaurs. If that''s the case, then... ''We''ll have to try that method.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "What is it?" "What''s the matter?" Sephiro and Eder stared at Kang Oh while remaining on guard. "Let''s use that." He was going to try the method he''d used in Warlord that allowed him to defeat the Ricardo brothers all by himself. "You''re not really thinking of using that, are you?" Eder asked. "How?" Sephiro wanted the details. "When they use Foot Stomp, one of us has to be in between the two brothers. Fortunately, we know that they don''t move in the 2nd phase, so getting in the right position won''t be a problem," Kang Oh said. "Ah, so that''s what you want to do." Once he heard his n, Sephiro realized what his intentions were. "Roger." Eder likewise understood what he wanted. Perhaps it was because he had exined the n to them prior, but they understood what he wanted to do. "Alright. Begin the operation!" * * * Gold Horn raised its foot and then stomped on the floor! An earthquake urred. As expected, Silver Horn struck the ground with its silver axe. Its first Earth sh violently cleaved through the ground, rushing towards Eder. Eder gritted his teeth and threw himself away from the attack. Whoosh! Its attack passed through where he''d once been! However, Eder''s original position was quite... interesting. He had been between Gold Horn and Silver Horn, and the wave was going straight for Gold Horn! As a result, the Earth sh struck the immobile Gold Horn. Boom! Countless shards of light spilled from its body. "The n worked!" Eder yelled. "The next wave ising!" Kang Oh shouted. Silver Horn unleashed its second Earth sh at Sephiro. He was on standby, near the space between the two brothers. Once the first Earth sh had passed him, he threw himself in between the two. "Haht!" In order to avoid the second Earth sh, he threw himself out of the way. Boom. The second wave struck Gold Horn too. Even though this was happening, Silver Horn stupidly unleashed its third Earth sh at Kang Oh. The result was much the same. Once the second Earth sh hadnded, Kang Oh threw himself in between Gold Horn and Silver Horn. The third Earth sh struck Gold Horn once more. Soon, the earthquake ceased. As a result of Silver Horn''s three Earth shes, Gold Horn''s body was riddled with wounds. Despite that, it didn''t react any differently. Silver Horn stayed in ce as well. 3 minutester... Silver Horn raised its foot. "Let''s do it again." "Alright." Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro used the exact same strategy. They used Gold Horn''s Air sh against them, causing it to strike its brother, Silver Horn. As a result, Silver Horn was struck by three Air shes. "This is amazing. Their HP has gone down quite a bit," Sephiro, who''d checked their remaining HP, yelled enthusiastically. "Keep using this strategy until they react differently!" Kang Oh said. "Ok!" They continued using this strategy until both Gold Horn and Silver Horn''s HP dropped below 30%. With it, the second phase had ended. Now, they would progress into the third phase. The minotaurs no longer used Foot Stomp. Of course, they didn''t stand in ce either. Ma! Eu! They violently kicked off the floor and ran like mad bulls. However...! They weren''t rushing towards Kang Oh''s party. The Minotaur brothers dashed towards each other, and began fighting amongst themselves. "Ah, to think that this strategy would actually work." Eder looked inplete disbelief. "Hoo, hoo. When a familial rtionship goes bad, then their rtionship bes worse than strangers," Kang Ohughed. Just as nned! Chapter 147. Grande Loxia’s Grave

Chapter 147. Grande Loxia''s Grave

Trantor: Boko Once they became Doom Knights and rode skeletal horses, the Ricardo brothers used a skill called Charge of Ruin. The skill was so powerful that other yers said that ''if it even touches you, you¡¯re dead.'' But there was a yer who thought of it a different way. What if a yer forced the two brothers to use that skill against each other, allowing the yer to take them down in one fell swoop? After some trial and error, the yer seeded in making the Ricardo brothers crash into each other. However, something happened that was outside the yer''s expectations. The Ricardo brothers wouldn¡¯t finish each other off using Charge of Ruin. Something much more interesting happened instead. The brothers turned against each other and fought to the death! All the yer had to do was wait for one of them to die, and then finish off the remaining, severely weakened brother. After that, the yer sent the footage of him using this method to GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol. That yer''s ID was Kang Oh. ''It was me!'' Anyway, Kang Oh used the same method on the Minotaur brothers, causing the two to fight each other. ng! The brothers'' gold and silver axes shed, causing sparks to fly like firecrackers. As soon as its axe was blocked, Gold Horn pushed forward with its horns. Not one to be outdone, Silver Horn responded with its own horns. Their horns rammed into each other and became interlocked; each side tried to push the other away! Once they began their power struggle, things started to get exciting. "Mr. Sephiro, please keep an eye on their HP. If one side loses too much HP, then we''ll have to attack the other side and keep them rtively even," Kang Oh said. Sephiro nodded his head. "Understood. Their HP is pretty much even right now." "We''ll take them out when they''re on theirst legs. That''s the only way we''ll get any experience out of this." ''Mm, this is the easiest way to get experience!'' Kang Oh thought, smiling wickedly. ''You''re terrible!'' ''You''re evil!'' The two thought upon seeing Kang Oh¡¯s smile. "Hey, Eder." "Yes?" "Do you have any popcorn?" Popcorn was a must when watching a fight! * * * Ma! Eu! Gold Horn and Silver Horn pulverized the ground, used rotating shes, stomped on the floor, and even used jump attacks that they hadn''t used in either the first or second phases. As soon as their HP dropped below 10%, they went berserk and tried to kill each other as if their life depended on it. "Jeez, they''re even going berserk too!" Eder looked sick of this. These guys were way too powerful! "If your strategy hadn''t worked, then we might not have been able to beat them," Sephiro said. "No, we still would''ve won." Kang Oh still had a ton of options. If his strategy hadn''t worked, then he would''ve used Gluttony and Devil Trigger, and taken them down by force. "I really wanted to try this out..." Sephiro removed a purple tipped arrow from his inventory. This particr arrow possessed the ''Trump Card'' ability. "I''ll just have to wait until next time," Sephiro grinned. After that, Kang Oh''s party ate some jerky while watching the two bulls fight it out. They started some idle chatter and waited until the brothers'' HP came close to 0. How long did they wait? The time had finallye. Whack! A silver axe was embedded in Gold Horn''s chest! Bam! A gold axe pierced Silver Horn''s side! "Silver Horn has about 2% HP remaining, while Gold Horn has about 3% left in the tank," Sephiro yelled. ''Now''s the time.'' Kang Oh drew his demon sword. "Let''s go and finish them. Attack as much as you can!" "Roger." Kang Oh''s party entered into the brothers'' fight. "Die!" Kang Oh attacked Gold Horn from behind. It''d been fighting Silver Horn, so its back waspletely exposed. sh! Red shards of light burst from Gold Horn''s body. Despite that, Gold Hornpletely ignored him in favor of attacking Silver Horn. ''He''spletely ignoring me, huh.'' Kang Oh continued to pour on the attacks. Meanwhile, Eder and Sephiro attacked Silver Horn. Eder''s mace struck its butt region. Heavy Blow! Then, he swung his shield, striking the minotaur with the corner of his shield. Shield Bash! ''How long has it been since I''ve been able to just one-sidedly attack something!?'' In his excitement, Eder attacked even more diligently than before. "Attacking Silver Horn is the right move here." Sephiro, who''d checked the brothers'' remaining HP, let loose an arrow at Silver Horn. Thwock! Thwock! Thwock! Three violently spinning arrows pierced Silver Horn''s arm. But like Gold Horn with Kang Oh, Silver Hornpletely ignored Eder and Sephiro, and focused entirely on its brother. How foolish! Sometimeter... "Gold Horn has less than 1% of its HP left!" Sephiro yelled. ''Good!'' Kang Oh swung horizontally. Tempest Tiger! The tiger-shaped aura pounced on Gold Horn''s back as if it were a real tiger hunting its prey. Boom! The mighty attack instantly depleted Gold Horn¡¯s remaining HP! Euuuu! The force of the blow pushed it forward, causing it to fall t on the floor. [You are the first to defeat Minotaur Brother, Gold Horn.] [As a reward, it will drop its highest rank items.] As you can inly see, Gold Horn was the first to die. Kang Oh expected Silver Horn to be greatly empowered by its brother''s death. That''d be fine. It didn''t have much HP anyway... "Huh?" ¡®What''s going on?¡¯ Even though Gold Horn had just been killed, Silver Horn hadn''t changed at all. It was still berserk, and had just switched targets from Gold Horn to Eder. "Tch. I guess it doesn''t get a lot stronger when its brother dies," Kang Oh scratched the back of his head. When one of the Ricardo brothers died, the other would be overwhelmingly powerful, but the Minotaur brothers differed in this regard. ''We could''ve just focused all of our attacks on one of them.'' How best to describe it? He supposed he had overthinked it for nothing. "Guess it doesn¡¯t matter as long as we beat it." Kang Oh rushed at the lonesome Silver Horn and swung his sword. His party focused all of their attacks on it. As a result, it died rather quickly, as it didn''t have much HP left in the first ce. [You are the first to defeat Minotaur Brother, Silver Horn.] [As a reward, it will drop its highest rank items.] Kang Oh picked up the dropped golden and silver axes. "Item appraisal." [Gold Axe that Drives Away the Wind] The double-ded axe that the Guardian of the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, Minotaur Gold Horn used. It seems to be made of some sort of gold alloy. Whenever the axe is swung, a strong gust of wind will blow. + Gust: Whenever the axe is swung, a gust of wind will be blown, restraining an opponent''s movement. + Air sh: Whenever the axe is swung, there is a fixed chance that Air sh will be unleashed. + Brotherly Love: If apanion wielding the Earth Pulverizing Silver Axe is near you, then this weapon''s abilities and power increase. Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power +380, Physical +50, damage of wind-rted skills and spells +7%. Minimum Requirements: Level 250, Physical 500 [Earth Pulverizing Silver Axe] The silver axe that the Guardian of the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, Minotaur Silver Horn used. It seems to be made of some sort of silver alloy. When swung downwards, the axe will be even more destructive than usual. + Pulverize: When the axe is swung downwards, it bes even more destructive. If the axe hits the ground, the earth may be upturned. + Earth sh: When the axe strikes the ground, there is a fixed chance that an Earth sh will be unleashed. + Brotherly Love: If apanion wielding the Gold Axe that Drives Away the Wind is near you, then this weapon''s abilities and power increase. Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power +376, Physical +50, damage of earth-rted skills and spells +8%. Minimum Requirements: Level 250, Physical 450. "They''re good." It felt like he''d gotten the two axes from a mountain god. "I''d like to see them too." Sephiro smiled and stretched out his hand. ''20% is mine!''. Kang Oh passed him the gold and silver axes, and picked up another item the bosses had left behind. They were the minotaurs'' gold and silver horns, which greatly resembled an elephant''s ivory tusks. [Gold Horn] Minotaur Gold Horn''s golden horn. Not only is it durable and light, but it is also aesthetically pleasing. Material Rank: A [Silver Horn] Minotaur Silver Horn''s silver horn. It gleams like a star, so it''s a great decorative piece for a home. Material Rank: A "The materials ain''t half bad either." After all, he could sell these for a high price to those in search for never-before-seen materials. In any case, that was all of the items that the Minotaur brothers had left behind. Kang Oh took a look around. There was the door that his party hade through, as well as a passageway through the wall that led somewhere else. "There''s a passageway over there." Although the items were nice, his final goal was still Grande Loxia''s grave. He strode forward towards the passageway. * * * Although the passageway wasrge enough for them to pass through, it wasn''trge enough for the minotaurs. ''Which means that someone created this passageway, and created the room at the end of it...'' Who else but Grande Loxia could''ve done this? Kang Oh was absolutely certain that Grande Loxia''s gravey at the end of this passageway. Kang Oh was proven right. There was a room at the end of the passageway, and he received a system message when he arrived. [You have discovered Grande Loxia''s Grave.] [The quest, ''Find Grande Loxia''s Grave'' has changed to ''Inherit the Demon Sword''.] [Inherit the Demon Sword] Ovee the trial set forth by Blood, the demon sword once used by Grande Loxia. Inherit his demon sword! Difficulty: Unknown Minimum Requirements: Link Quest Reward: Demon Sword Blood, Demonic Swordsman skill Failure: You will be controlled by Demon Sword Blood. After going over the details, Kang Oh grinned. "Sure, whatever you want." He''d wee any and all demon swords! "But where is the demon sword?" Kang Oh looked around. There was an unadorned coffin made of rock thaty on one side of the wall. Kang Oh looked inside, as there was no lid. It waspletely empty. ''Grande Loxia died hundreds of years ago, so he would''ve turned into shards of light by now.'' In Arth, dead bodies turned into shards of light after some time had passed. Even if Grande Loxia''s body had been here before, there was no way his body would''vested for hundreds of years. ''If the demon sword''s not in here, then...'' Kang Oh turned his head around. There was a closed drawer made of rock on the other side. "Is that it?" Kang Oh went over there, and Eder and Sephiro followed him. "There''s something written on it," Eder said. There was indeed something written on the lid, which was as follows: Some called it a monster, and others called it a demon. But to me, it was just a tortured soul. To you, whose name I don''t know, please be merciful. "Was this left behind by Grande Loxia...?" Kang Oh carefully read the message once more. This being that some called a monster and others called a demon was definitely Blood. At least based on what the Nuwak Tribe had told him about it. ''And ¡®me¡¯ must be referring to Grande Loxia himself.'' However, Grande Loxia described Blood as a tortured soul, and had asked whoever read his message to be merciful. ''Is this some sort of clue that''ll help me ovee the trial?'' Kang Oh kept the words in mind, and opened the drawer. ''Come out, demon sword!'' A mysterious, red light seeped out of the opening. And...! There was a new demon sword within. Chapter 148. Demon Sword Blood’s Trial

Chapter 148. Demon Sword Blood''s Trial

Trantor: Boko A single sword. The snow-white de emanated red light. It was mysterious, so much so that just looking upon it would dim one''s consciousness, but at the same time, it also felt ominous for some reason! Although the hilt was in, the leopard ornament that hung at the end of it was quite striking. It was thinner and shorter than Ubist. He supposed it was the perfect one-handed sword. This sword was none other than... Demon Sword Blood! "Wow." "Hoh." Eder and Sephiro marveled at the sight of Blood. After all, it was quite the beauty! "Don''t touch it! You may be forced to take the Trial of the Demon Sword," Kang Oh warned. Right after pulling Ubist from the adamantium, he¡¯d been forced to undertake the demon sword¡¯s trial. Flinch. Unbeknownst to him, Eder had been reaching out for the sword. Luckily, Kang Oh''s voice broke his trance. "Hehe, I didn''t even know I was reaching for it," Eder quickly withdrew his hand. Kang Oh appraised Demon Sword Blood while examining it. [Demon Sword Blood] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. Energy as red and thick as blood emanates from the de. Rank: Unknown Abilities: Unknown Minimum Requirements: Unknown There wasn''t much he could find out about it. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh thought back to what he knew. A mixed-blood, born from a demon and a human, that possesses the ability to absorb others'' HP. It bes more powerful the more blood it absorbs, and was once powerful enough to spread terror throughout the entire Great Forest. ''Hmm.'' Blood''s trial must have something to do with its ability to strengthen itself by absorbing blood. That was its speciality after all. ''Whatever the case, I''m pretty sure all I have to do is beat it in a fight... Why did Grande Loxia call it a tortured soul? And what did he mean by ''be merciful''?'' He felt like Grande Loxia''s message was really important. But as of now, he had no way of knowing what the meaning behind it was. "I''ll know when I get in there." Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to undergo the Trial of the Demon Sword. In a way, oveing a demon''s sword trial was the destiny of a Demonic Swordsman. "Eder, Mr. Sephiro." "Yes?" "I''m going to undertake the demon sword''s trial in order to take ownership of it. The trial will begin when I take hold of the sword." "I see," Sephiro nodded his head. "Keep your weapons at the ready. If, and I mean if... I change in some strange way, then please kill me." "What?" Sephiro widened his eyes. ¡®What the hell is he talking about?¡¯ Sephiro thought. "If I fail the trial, then the demon within will take over my body. I''m telling you to be ready just in case." There was no guarantee that everything would go as nned. Thus, he needed to have some sort of insurance. Dying to his teammates would prevent him from losing the demon sword. "Understood." Eder ced his mace over Kang Oh''s head, ready to smash it if necessary, and Sephiro notched an arrow and aimed it at Kang Oh. "Then." Kang Oh extended his hand and tightly grabbed Blood''s hilt. Then, he forcefully raised the sword. [The Trial of the Demon Sword will now begin!] Red energy instantly exploded outward, filling the entire room. Then, the world seemed to spin. * * * By the time the world stopped turning, Kang Oh had arrived in a familiar, yet unfamiliar location. He was within an enclosed space; the walls were white, there was a forked road, and crystals lined the ceiling, illuminating the area. ''The Parmarl Underground Labyrinth!'' He was definitely somewhere within thebyrinth, not Grande Loxia''s grave. At that moment, he received a system message. [This is both a trial using Blood''s memories, as well as the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth of old, where Blood and Grande Loxia did battle.] [To pass this trial, you must defeat Blood when it was at its strongest, at the time when it terrorized the Great Forest.] The trial was simple. Fight and defeat Blood. The problem was... he wasn''t sure how strong Blood was in the past, back when it had terrorized the Great Forest. ''First...'' Kang Oh moved himself around and examined his body. No problems here! There weren¡¯t any issues with his demon sword, his armor, Kunta''s Ring, dion''s Dagger, or the belt that carried his daggers either. He could open his inventory, and his potions and return scroll were there too. ''It''s different from Ubist''s trial. It doesn''t limit your abilities.'' Which meant that Blood was powerful enough that there was no need to limit the challenger''s abilities. Kang Oh swung his sword through the air. sh! ''Skills still work, and the MP cost and cooldown are still the same.'' After that, Kang Oh took out the Maronibe ck Horn Bow that he''d bought from Sephiro and hung it on his belt. He was getting it ready so that he could use Gluttony at a moment¡¯s notice if necessary. "Alright, let''s go." Kang Oh, who''d finished checking everything over, began exploring thebyrinth in search of Blood. Sometimeter... Kiehk! He heard the shriek of a Lizardman, and instinctively knew that that was where Blood was located. Thud. Kang Oh dashed towards the noise. ''Is that it!?'' Kang Oh saw Blood''s back as it grabbed the Lizardman by its throat. Crunch. It tightened its grip and broke the Lizardman''s neck, causing it to shriek! Blood absorbed the shards of light that fell from the Lizardman¡¯s body. Swish. Blood threw the Lizardman''s dead body away and turned around, staring at Kang Oh. Blood! It was a humanoid monster with a lithe body; its build was definitely smaller than Kang Oh''s. However, its entire body was made up of red blood! Its appearance made him wonder if that was what a person''s shadow would look like if it was colored red. The red, sloshing oval-shaped face reminded him of an alien''s face, as it only possessed eyes and nothing else. Blood''s form was both frightening and bizarre, and it reeked of danger as well. It stretched out its hand towards him. Then, its arm rapidly extended,ing right at him! Kang Oh felt a chill at his chest. He gritted his teeth and quickly protected his chest with his sword. Bam! Its extended arm struck his demon sword. "Ugh!" Although he''d mounted a defense, Kang Oh waspletely overwhelmed by its might. It not only forced him back ,but caused him to smash into the wall as well. Thud. Shards of light exploded out of his body, which were absorbed by Blood¡¯s outstretched arm. ''Holy shit!'' Kang Oh had only been hit once, but he could already tell how powerful Blood was. So he used Gluttony immediately. Darkness erupted from his body, devouring the ck Horn Bow that hung on his belt. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Maronibe ck Horn Bow.] [It is an A-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For the next 13 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] By the time Kang Oh''s body began emanating jet-ck energy, Blood had attacked him once more. In the blink of an eye, it had approached Kang Oh and swiped with its five fingers like a tiger wing at its prey. It wasn''t just a simple swipe. Red beams of light were emitted from its fingertips. Danger, danger! His Hyper Intuition gave him a fierce warning. Kang Oh''s abilities were tripled by Gluttony, so he could move as quickly as lightning. Boom! Where he''d once been, as well as the wall that had been behind him, had been sliced through. This was a result of the red beams of light at its fingertips. ''My turn!'' Kang Oh got behind Blood and swung downwards. He swung as fast as lightning! Then, spikes protruded out of Blood''s back. ''Tch.'' Nevertheless, Kang Oh followed all the way through and cleaved through its back. Swish! Red shards of light burst from its body. At the same time, Kang Oh couldn''t help but be stabbed by the protruding spikes. Stab! Red spikes pierced his abdomen! It stung as if someone had pped his stomach with the palm of their hand, and shards of light spilled from the wound. Blood absorbed the shards of light, replenishing its HP. "Tch." In order to get back into position, Kang Oh retreated. ''It''s crazy strong.'' As if it wasn¡¯t strong enough with its strength, speed, transformative abilities, and blood body, it could even absorb its enemy''s HP to be stronger! Blood was indeed powerful enough to terrorize the Great Forest. ''But I can''t lose.'' Blood may be overpowered, but he was even worse. "Hoo," Kang Oh caught his breath and looked for any opportunity he could exploit. Perhaps it was because Kang Oh had managed tond a hit, but Blood didn''t rush in as recklessly as before. There was a brief lull in the battle. ''Dragging this out is only disadvantageous for me. But I don''t think I can overpower it as I am. In the end... even though I don''t want to, I have to use it. I have no choice,'' Kang Oh made his decision. He''d used Devil Trigger often as ofte, so his assimtion rate was approaching 70%. Using it for 1 minute equated to a 1 percentage increase, so if he used it for more than 30 minutes, then he''d be forced to take the Trial of the Demon Sword again. ''I have to end it before my 12 minutes of Gluttony are up.'' Devil Trigger! Darkness erupted from Demon Sword Ubist, engulfing Kang Oh''s body. A short whileter... Kyaoh! Shadow Ubist roared. Demon Kang Oh had descended upon the world once more. His face was covered in a beast-shaped mask, and a jet-ck tail protruded from behind. In this form, Kang Oh''s entire body was covered in ck! ''Let''s end things quickly.'' Kang Oh immediately rushed at Blood. Then, it punched him. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist at the iing fist. Abyss Aura! A jet-ck line followed the path of his sword. Swish! His sword cleaved through the back of its hand, causing it to burst with shards of red light. ''I have to push it back!'' Kang Oh attacked even more aggressively than before. However, Blood retreated far back, widening the distance between it and Kang Oh. After that, drops of blood the size of a fist fell, and joined together to form blood spears. Whoosh! The blood spears flew towards Kang Oh''s vital areas, starting with his heart! Kang Oh drew dion''s Dagger. He avoided the first blood spear and then threw a dagger. He dodged the second blood spear as well, and drew his second dagger. However, Blood easily dodged the daggers. ''As I thought. Distractions won''t work. I have topletely overpower it!'' Kang Oh dodged the third and fourth spears, and dashed towards Blood. Ultimately, Kang Oh and Shadow Ubist simultaneously attacked it. Splurt, splurt, splurt! Spikes came out of its entire body. It reminded him of a red sea urchin. Moreover, a tail shaped like a snake came out of its tail region, protecting it from Ubist. ''I can do this!'' Despite the blood spikes, Kang Oh didn''t retreat. Instead, he used Abyss Shield to protect himself. Kang Oh surrounded himself with a thinyer of Abyss Shield, preventing the spikes from perforating his body. ''Now!'' Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword downwards. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger arose from his jet-ck sword like the sun rising in a dark night sky. Boom! Tempest Tiger¡¯s power was tremendous when using both Gluttony and Devil Trigger. Not only did it push back the protruding spikes, but it had struck the center of Blood¡¯s body head-on. Shards of light the size of watermelons burst from its body and soared through the sky. Whoosh! Next came the raging whirlwind. However, the blood thatprised its body seemed to gather into a spherical shape, and then instantly turned into a gigantic bat. ''What is that?'' He was wary of Blood''s new form. p, p! Blood forcefully pped its wings! Once it got through the whirlwind, it flew deeper into thebyrinth. It was obviously running away. "Damn it! Hey, stay right there!" Kang Oh quickly followed it. Chapter 149. Blood

Chapter 149. Blood

Trantor: Boko Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh was engulfed in darkness, and traveled as far as Blood did. Miu! He heard a screaming from the right side of the forked road, and then rushed towards the source of the noise. The blood red bat trapped the minotaur with its giant wings and greedily bit into it. Shards of light gushed out of the minotaur like a fountain, and Blood drank it all down! "Haven''t you had enough!?" Kang Oh forcefully ran towards it and threw a dagger. The dagger flew straight towards it. ng! A long tail came out of its butt region and pped the dagger away. However, the dagger had been nothing more than a diversion. Kang Oh had closed in. "Huahp!" Abyss Aura! He swung his sword, unleashing a jet-ck aura. Then, Blood unfurled its wings and forcefully flew up. Swish! Thus, the jet-ck aura struck the minotaur instead. [You have defeated a Parmarl Minotaur.] The minotaur died helplessly. Screech! Blood hung on the ceiling, and let out an ear-piercing scream that echoed throughout thebyrinth. Spurt! At the same time, it fired off a blood red beam at him. Kang Oh shielded himself with his demon sword. [Ubist has absorbed Hatred Buster.] [Satiation has increased by 0.02%.] The beam, or Hatred Buster, was sucked into his sword. Kang Oh immediately pointed his sword at Blood. Then, ck spheres the size of baseballs formed around it. Abyss Prison! It was the same type of skill as Grano''s Water Prison. Abyss Prison would, for a fixed period of time, trap a target in deep darkness, preventing them from moving. This skill, like Abyss Aura, Abyss Shield, and Abyss Transfer, were skills that were avable to him during Devil Trigger, but this was the first time he''d used this particr skill. The ck spheres gradually increased in size, and pressed down on Blood. p, p, p! Blood sensed danger, and attempted to resist by violently pping its wings. But it was already toote. Little by little, the ck spheres engulfed Blood, and eventuallypletely consumed it. ''Good.'' Like Grano, Kang Oh controlled his Abyss Prison and pulled it towards him. He nned on pressing his offensive when Abyss Prison was up. However...! All of the sudden, the prison began to crack and red light seeped out. Boom! Blood had broken out of the prison. It was humanoid in appearance, just like when he first saw it, but now, bat wings protruded out of its back. In other words, it hadbined its human and bat forms. It was also holding a weapon. Though it looked somewhat crude, it was still easily recognizable; it was a red scythe that befitted a grim reaper. It instantly appeared in front of him and swung its scythe diagonally. Swish! Kang Oh quickly threw his body out of the way. The red scythe unleashed scarlet energy, which had a sticky feel to it, that rushed towards him like a tsunami. Boom! Once the energy struck thebyrinth''s thick wall, it exploded with a ''boom'' and cracked the wall. ''C''mon!'' Kang Oh knew exactly what that attack was. It was definitely a destructive aura. ''Not only did it fuse its human and bat forms, but now it¡¯s wielding a never-before-seen weapon and can even use an aura...'' Kang Oh had a hunch that this was Blood''s final form. ''That''s what I was waiting for!'' Kang Oh forcefully grabbed the hilt of his sword with both hands, and swung upwards. Abyss Aura! Blood didn''t just stand there and take it. Blood Aura! Boom! ck and red energy shed midair, and both Kang Oh and Blood were forced to take a step back. Grrr. Like Kang Oh, Shadow Ubist wasn''t able to do much with Blood''s tail in the way and was forced back. Bloodpletely spread its bat wings, and then blood spears formed around the wings. There were six of them in total! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The blood spears cleaved through the air! Kang Oh knew where they were aimed at via his Hyper Intuition, and ran in a zigzag to avoid the spears. Blood swung its scythe. Whoosh! The red aura came rushing at him like a tsunami. Kang Oh dodged to the side, unwilling to face an attack of that magnitude head-on. Boom! Blood didn''t let up. Its outstretched wings turned into something akin to drills and came flying at him. Kang Oh retreated a little more to avoid the attack. After that, Blood relentlessly used all of its destructive attacks like its Blood Aura, its wing attack, blood spears, Hatred Buster, etc. Its attacks were akin to a tsunami; a tsunami that threatened to sweep through everything in its path! But if Blood was like a tsunami, then Kang Oh was like a ck hole; a ck hole that devoured everything and anything! Kang Oh took on Blood''s assault head-on. Time wasn''t on his side after all. If that''s the case, then his only choice was forward. The two beings shed! The battle between ck and red! * * * At the beginning, Kang Oh had definitely been at a disadvantage. After all, the Great Forest¡¯s Demon possessed the Life Steal ability and its power/abilities were tremendous. Blood''s power was no joke. However, humans were adaptable. As they fought, Kang Oh collected more and more info, allowing him to gradually adapt to Blood''s attacks. Blood was definitely a powerful being. After all, it held the greatest destructive power of any monster he''d fought in Arth thus far! However... ''It''s powerful, but... It''s not very precise.'' Every single one of its attacks were pretty much one hit K.O.''s. They were just that powerful! But in exchange, they required wide movements, which exposed several weak points. Because of his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh didn''t miss any of these weaknesses. ''Plus, it''s really wary of Tempest Tiger.'' They say that some converse with their fists. After battling with Blood, Kang Oh realized that Blood was looking out for Tempest Tiger. ''It probably remembers taking a ton of damage from the first hit...'' Thus, Kang Oh made it anxious by acting as though he''d use it, and then use that opportunity to attack. Moreover...! Blood possessed a critical weakness. The more HP it absorbed, the stronger it became. Conversely, the more HP it lost, the weaker it became. Kang Oh steadilynded hit after hit, giving him more of an advantage as time went on. But time wasn''t on his side! He had to finish this before Gluttony wore off. ''I have 3 minutes left on Gluttony. I have to finish this before then.'' He knew how to seize victory, and moved to finish this as fast as possible. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh reappeared behind Blood and swung downwards. Whoosh. Blood turned around and swung its scythe. However, Kang Oh''s attack stopped midair; it had been a feint. Whoosh. Blood unleashed a Blood Aura from its scythe. Kang Oh protected himself with Abyss Shield and moved his foot. He took a little damage, but it was worth it. Now he was in prime position to do a ton of damage. "Die!" Kang Oh quickly swung his sword, cleaving through its body. It was so fast that Blood couldn''t even hope to react in time. Swish! ck shards exploded from its body. Fang Bearing de! Once hended an attack, which ignored all defenses, he saw wrinkles at the corner of Blood''s eyes. It must''ve hurt! Blood spread its wings right after. ''Another wing attack? No, that''s not it. This is...'' Kang Oh realized what it was trying to do. It was definitely trying to run away. "That''s not going to happen!" He forcefully swung his sword. Abyss Aura came flying at Blood. Then, Blood covered its body with its wing like a shield. Bam. Shards of light burst from its wings, but it hadn''t taken much damage. Blood lifted its wings and then shot a red beam from its mouth. Hatred Buster! ''Annoying little...!'' He knew exactly what it was doing. It was going to use Hatred Buster as a distraction and then run away. ''Sorry, that ain''t going to happen.'' He could just absorb the spell with his demon sword, but Kang Oh decided against it. Instead... Tempest Tiger! Boom! A golden tiger shed against the red beam head-on. The resulting shock wave spread throughout thebyrinth, causing a dust cloud to form. Blood attempted to use that opportunity to escape. If it got away, then it could find some prey and quickly replenish the HP that it''d lost. However, Kang Oh was one step ahead of it. Kang Oh pierced through the dust cloud and swung his sword. sh! He left behind a wound that appeared as though a snake had crawled onto its bloody body. Red shards of light burst forth, spreading everywhere. Blood violently shook its head in agony. At the same time, sharp spikes popped out of its body. ''I knew that''s what you''d do,'' Kang Oh swung his sword. He cleaved through the spikes and struck its body once more. ''2 minutes left.'' After checking how much time he had left, Kang Oh attacked even more ferociously. He had to finish this before the time limit no matter what! The time limit, the chance of victory that he''d worked so hard to attain, the excitement from fighting against such a strong opponent, etc. raised his concentration to its maximum. Swish, sh, swish. Kang Oh''s dework was beautiful; it was like the very night sky. He found and attacked every single weak point he could find. To Blood, Kang Oh was akin to a cmity, and had no ability to resist him. After all, it couldn''t block any of his attacks. Whack, whack, bam, bam, bam! His jet-ck de relentlessly bashed on Blood''s body. Shards of light and blood fell from its body. It gradually became weaker and weaker. As ast act of desperation, Blood unleashed a Hatred Buster, but Kang Oh used his demon sword''s magic absorption ability. With it, he didn''t need to worry about the attack and could cleave through its wings. It violently writhed in agony. Blood fell to the floor and Kang Oh stomped on its chest. He continued to swing his sword again and again. He hadn''t gotten a message stating that he''dpleted the trial, so he had no choice but to keep attacking until then! However... At some point, Kang Oh halted his assault. ''This is...'' Lumps of blood sloughed off of Blood''s face, revealing brown skin underneath. At most, they looked no more than ten years old. That face contained variousplex emotions like anger, sadness, fear, resignation, etc. Kang Oh recalled Grande Loxia''s final message. Some called it a monster, and others called it a demon. But to me, it was just a tortured soul. To you, whose name I don''t know, please be merciful. ''A tortured soul...'' This child was the one who made the inhabitants of the Great Forest quiver in fear? This is what Blood originally looked like? If not, then was this a pitiful person who Blood had used as a host? Kang Oh could no longer attack Blood, no, the young girl before him. Grande Loxia''s final message, ''please me merciful'', had been bothering him until now. "Kill me! If you don''t, then you''ll regret it. I''ll kill you someday!" the young girl shouted with a venomous expression. This girl must be Blood''s main body. ''They did say that Blood was a mixed-blood, born from a human and a demon,'' Kang Oh thought back to what he knew regarding Blood. "Kill me! Kill me! I''m telling you to kill me!" the girl kept yelling. Her voice was filled with hatred. At that moment, however... He received a system message. [The Trial of the Demon Sword is over.] [You must decide between two choices.] Chapter 150. Blood & Grande Loxia

Chapter 150. Blood & Grande Loxia

Trantor: Boko [The Trial of the Demon Sword is over.] [You must decide between two choices.] [The demon sword''s power and abilities will change based on your decision.] [Punish - Get rid of Blood for good.] [Blood is a monster that has murdered countless people and living beings. It cannot be forgiven. Punish it!] [Forgive - Offer Blood your hand.] [Blood is filled with great sadness and hatred. Perhaps she never had any other choice but to be a monster.] "Punishment or forgiveness..." Kang Oh, who''d read over the system message, thought over his choices. ''If I choose to punish her, then the demon sword will likely lean more towards destruction and pure power...'' Punishment or forgiveness. It was clear that option 1 was far more violent and destructive! ''But there must be some benefit to forgiving her.'' He nced at the young girl''s face and his mind was made up. ''Yeah, let''s forgive her.'' Sure, it was a game, but he couldn''t just kill a young girl. He withdrew his sword and also disengaged Devil Trigger. "Here." He stretched out his hand. [You have chosen to forgive her.] [Forgiving her has determined the Demon Sword Blood''s power and abilities.] [The Demon Sword Blood has be an evolving weapon. The sword may be weak now, but it will gradually be stronger from now on.] [Demon Sword Blood has retained its ego. Henceforth, Blood will feel and experience everything that you do, whether it be what you see, hear, eat, etc.] ''An evolving weapon...'' If he''d picked punishment, then the demon sword would likely have been powerful right away. However, it wouldn''t grow more powerful as time went on. ''I made the right long-term choice.'' Then... The surrounding environment shook, and Kang Oh was shown a recording from the past. It was regarding Blood and Grande Loxia. * * * A long, long time ago... A blood mage, who resented the world, sacrificed himself to summon a demon within the deep recesses of the Great Forest. The demon''s name was Paradum. He was called the Bloodthirsty Demon. Paradum visited several tribes near his abode. The demon annihted all of the tribes'' warriors, unted his strength, and instructed the people to offer a beautiful young girl to him. They had no choice but to ede to his demands. After that, several young women were offered to him as tribute; they became his ythings and would then die for nothing. However...! If darkness exists, then so too does light. The past Guardian of the Continent defeated Paradum, and the countless women that were offered up to him were allowed to return to their respective tribes. The mother of what would one day be called Blood narrowly survived as well. But even after escaping Paradun''s grasp, her remaining life was filled with nothing but suffering. She''d had no choice but to be an offering! Even so, upon her return, no one in her tribe weed her, as she was pregnant with the demon''s child. On the contrary, her very presence angered those who''d lost their families to the demon, and caused others to fear the child thaty in her belly. These became justifications for the tribe''s scorn and violence against her. Despite that, the woman didn''t give up on her child. She gave birth to a girl and raised her. The discrimination, scorn, and violence only intensified after giving birth. The same scorn and violence was inflicted upon her child, ''Tasha'', as well. To Tasha, life was nothing but suffering. There was never a day when she wasn''t crying, and her body was never left unscathed. On the day she turned ten... A member of the tribe was murdered, and Tasha and her mother were med for it. No matter how much they screamed and pleaded that it wasn''t their doing, it didn''t matter. The tribe mercilessly stoned the mother and her daughter. Tasha''s mother wrapped her body around Tasha, protecting her from the rocks, but died as a result. It was at that very moment that... "I''ll kill you all!" The power of a demon that had longid dormant within her awakened. That was the moment that the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, was born. Tashapletely annihted the tribe. Despite that, her hatred and resentment hadn''t faded. She waspletely consumed by her hatred and fury that she killed countless living beings that resided within the Great Forest. As she did so, she became increasingly powerful. She had soon be so powerful that none could even hope to challenge her. Several tribes and living beings could do nothing but tremble in fear. That was when the young, gant, and powerful Grande Loxia came to the Great Forest. Grande Loxia drew Blood to the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth and engaged her in battle; and after a difficult battle, he emerged as the victor. However, he couldn''t bring himself to kill her. He''d realized that Blood, or Tasha, bore a deep sadness and hatred, as well as a wound that would never heal. Even so, he couldn''t just leave her here. She had killed countless people; that was an irrefutable truth. If he just left her here, she''d go on another rampage and kill several more people. In the end, Grande Loxia sealed her in his sword. Blood was sucked into his snow-white sword and the de erupted with blood red energy, spreading everywhere like an explosion. That''s how the Demon Sword Blood was born. * * * Once the recording was finished with, Kang Oh was greeted with the sight of familiar faces. There was Eder, who was ready to bash his head in if necessary! Then there was Sephiro, who was aiming an arrow at his forehead! "Could you please lower your weapons?" Kang Oh said. "Did you pass the demon sword''s trial?" Eder asked. He didn''t back down; his mace was still ready to strike. "Yeah, so could you put that away?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Eder and Sephiro quickly nced at each other. ''He seems fine, right?'' ''Yes. It seems that way. Unfortunately!'' Eder and Sephiro lowered their respective weapons. "Congrattions," Sephiro said. Kang Oh nodded his head and lifted his new weapon, its tip pointing at the sky. "Item information." [Demon Sword Blood (Lv1)] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. The snow-white de emanates scarlet energy, making the sword extremely beautiful but also ominous. The sword has an ego of its own. It sees, hears, and feels the world through its wielder, and grows. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword either drops, or you be a monster under the demon''s thrall for 24 hours. + Evolving Weapon: Has its own level. Takes a portion of its wielder''s experience points. These experience points are what the demon sword uses to grow. The higher the level, the more powerful the sword and its abilities be. [Next Level Up: 0%] + Life Steal: Dealing damage restores your HP. The amount of health restored is based on the damage you deal and the demon sword''s level. + Vampiristic Reinforcement: Sessfully life stealing increases the sword''s attack power by 2%. Life stealing again within a 10 second period causes this effect to stack (10 stacks max). Rank: SS Abilities: Attack Power 100, Physical +10, HP +100 Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword The SS-rank Demon Sword Blood! ''It''s different from Ubist, which shares its level with its wielder and requires items to grow.'' Demon Sword Blood was a weapon that leveled up. The higher its level, the more powerful it became. At certain thresholds, it''d probably gain new abilities too. After all, its abilities were kind of weak for an SS-rank weapon. ''Takes a portion of my experience points, huh...'' It was an SS-rank weapon. He was more than willing to take the hit. He was already feeding Ubist all sorts of junk to get it to grow, so what''s a few experience points here and there!? Finally... ''An ego sword?'' "Excuse me." Kang Oh shook the demon sword and called for Blood. He thought that perhaps she''d be able to speak to him, as it was an ego sword. ... However, there was absolutely no reply. "Huh?" "What are you doing?" The nearby Sephiro and Eder replied instead. "Ah, that''s..." Kang Oh briefly exined the features of his new demon sword. "Hoh, an ego sword, huh. That''s quite fascinating. Moreover, it''s an SS-rank weapon... You''ve hit the jackpot!" Sephiro stared at the demon sword in fascination. "Ms. Blood!" Kang Oh shook the demon sword once more. ... She didn''t reply this time either, but at least this time, the sword shook. It was as if she was saying, ''Why do you keep calling me!?''. "Seems like you can understand me, but you can''t speak yet," Kang Oh said. Then, a figure appeared out of nowhere. Though there was a scar over his left eye, his face was nevertheless soft and kind. His hair and beard were neat and tidy, and he had arge, tough frame despite being an old man! He cut a striking figure. "You are..." Kang Oh knew right away who this was. He was Grande Loxia! "How are you all doing!?" Grande beamed. [You havepleted the quest, Inherit the Demon Sword.] [As a quest reward, you may learn a Demonic Swordsman skill.] [Please learn the skill directly from Grande Loxia.] "Hello, Lord Grande. It''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Kang Oh. I inherited Demon Sword Blood," Kang Oh greeted politely. It was an automatic reaction to him realizing that Grande Loxia would teach him a skill. "My name is Eder." "I am Sephiro." "It''s a pleasure. I''m Grande Loxia. Well, to be more specific, I''m more like a vestigial memory that remains within the demon sword, so I''m not really alive." "Then what are you...?" "I''m kind of like a ghost. After all, I died quite some time ago." Grande Loxia shrugged his shoulders. Although he stated he was like a ghost, his expression and actions seemed like the real deal. "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. Grande nced at the demon sword, which Kang Oh was holding. "I can feel life within the sword''s red light, so you must''ve made the same choice that I made." He must be referring to the ''forgive'' choice that Kang Oh had decided upon. "Show her the world. Take it as a request from an old man," Grande requested. "I understand." "Thanks." Grande sported a lighthearted expression as if he''d dropped a heavy burden. "Don''t you have something to give me?" It felt as though Grande Loxia would just up and disappear, so Kang Oh quickly reminded him of why he was here. "Ah, that''s right... I''ll teach you one of the Demonic Swordsman skills that I know." "What kind of skill?" "It''s called Blood Cross. It uses HP, not MP to activate, and unleashes a cross-shaped aura. The effects of this technique differ based on the demon sword that you''re using." Kang Oh looked disappointed after hearing Grande''s exnation. ''I don''t really need an aura skill...'' Kang Oh already had Tempest Tiger. Plus, it had already reached the intermediate rank! Not only that, but he could unleash an Abyss Aura when using Devil Trigger as well. Thus, he really didn''t need another aura type skill. "Do you want to learn Blood Cross?" Grande asked. "Do you happen to have any other skills that you can teach me?" "Why? You don''t like Blood Cross?" "No, not really," Kang Oh firmly said. "Hmm." Grande stroked his beard. A short whileter... "How about Seal Demon?" "Seal Demon?" "It''s a technique that allows you to seal a demon within a sword." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "Is this used to make a demon sword?" "Indeed. But you can only use the technique once in your life. Plus, you can only seal a demon within a peerless de." "Hmm. Do you have any other skills that you could teach me?" Kang Oh asked. He needed to know all of his options first. "No," Grande said. There were two choices ahead of him. Blood Cross or Seal Demon. There was nothing to think about. "Please teach me Seal Demon." "Are you sure? Blood Cross is a really good skill," Grande asked for a final time. "As I said, please teach me Seal Demon." Kang Oh didn''t hesitate at all. "Alright, I got it." Grande stretched out his hand towards him. A sphere of light exited his hand and was sucked into Kang Oh''s body. [You have learned Seal Demon (Active/Skill).] Chapter 151. Nervous Date

Chapter 151. Nervous Date

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh checked his new skill, Seal Demon. [Seal Demon] Allows you to seal a powerful demon within a sword. The sword which is used to house a demon will transform into a demon sword, and its power and abilities willpletely change as a result. This skill can only be used once, and a peerless de is required to use this ability. The demon that you wish to seal must also be on the brink of death. Type: Active/Skill With this, Kang Oh could create his own demon sword. Since he could only use the skill once, he''d have to save it for a long time until he came across an exceedingly powerful demon. That''s the only way he''d be able to create an extremely powerful demon sword! "Then it''s time to say goodbye," Grande Loxia said. His body began to fade. "Rest in peace." Kang Oh waved his hand. "I leave Tasha in your care." Tasha was Blood''s original name. "You don''t have to worry about her." He''d treat her with care! Kang Oh grinned. "Let''s meet again someday." Grande Loxia stroked the sword. Then, the demon sword began to shake. It seemed like she was saying farewell. Grande Loxia gave her a kind, warm smile. A short whileter, his bodypletely disappeared as if smoke had dispersed through the air. "Hoo, it''s finally over," Kang Oh sighed deeply. His search for the demon sword had finallye to an end. "Um, Mr. Kang Oh." Sephiro raised his hand. "Yes?" "Have you seen the ne that came with the demon sword?" "The ne?" Now that he mentioned it, there had been a ne with the demon sword. The ne was adorned with a crude panther head. He''d been so upied with the demon sword that hadn''t taken a look at it before. "This is it." Sephiro quickly picked up the panther ne. "20% of the loot is mine, right?" Sephiro added. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I don''t need anything else, so please let me have this ne." He could see desperation and greed in both Sephiro''s eyes and attitude. "Please give it here. I''d like to see what all the fuss is about." Kang Oh stretched out his hand. "Can''t you just let me have it?" "He''s right. Mr. Sephiro did his best and he was a huge help too," Eder butted in and supported him. Kang Oh red at him, whichpletely shut Eder up. "Please let me take a look at it first." Kang Oh didn''t pull his hand back. "Ahem." ''Let''s see here.'' Sephiro passed him the ne, and Kang Oh immediately looked through the item''s information. [Grande''s Precious Panther Ne] The ne that the legendary knight, Grande Loxia, obtained after defeating a gigantic, menacing monster panther during his knight qualifying examination. It''s said that he wore this ne for the rest of his life. It''s old and crude, so it doesn''t have much aesthetic value. + Panther''s Speed: Equipping this quickens all of the yer''s movements. + Cat Eye: Improves one''s vision, and marks an enemy''s weak points. Allows the yer to distinguish between objects in the dark. + Hunting Know-how: Increases experience and proficiency earned during battle by 10%. Rank: S Abilities: Main Stats +10, Charm -10 Minimum Requirements: None "Holy crap." The ne had no equipment requirements! Not only that, but the effects were amazing! The item would enhance one''s vision, and also provide an increase in experience and proficiency. It was definitely a valuable item! He knew why Sephiro so desperately wanted the item. Sephiro was drawn in by how the item would quicken a yer''s movements and improve their vision. To an Archer, it was an item that increases all of the stats they needed! Plus, it would also increase one''s experience and proficiency gained. But there was a tiny w: it didn''t offer much in terms of stats. "Getting this for a 20% stake isn''t reasonable. As you well know, this is an extremely valuable item," Kang Oh said. "Why not?" Sephiro asked. "Can''t you just let him have it? We''re all friends after all." Eder, who''d remained silent, couldn''t help it and spoke once more. "Well, it''s not like it''s impossible," Kang Oh said. "Then..." Sephiro''s eyes glinted. ''Really?''. "However...! There''s a condition." "What is it?" "Our 1 month contract that I paid for with the Rose family''s arrow is almost over." In exchange for the Rose family''s purple arrow, Sephiro had to assist Kang Oh for one month. However, that one month period was almost up. "W-What about it?" Sephiro had a bad feeling about this; his voice trembled. "Let''s extend our contract by another month." Kang Oh grinned. He had no intention of letting Sephiro go; he waspetent, and he could work him like a dog too. Even without this ne, he would''ve found another way to keep Sephiro around. "T-That''s a little..." Sephiro looked like he wanted to cry. Hunting with Kang Oh. Although they hunted extremely quickly, the amount of experience he gained was pretty mediocre. After all, he was hunting monsters that were a lower level than him. He didn''t get anything else. Kang Oh would take all of the items for himself. "You don''t want it? I''m fine with that too." "Ugh!" Sephiro was between a rock and a hard ce. He really wanted the ne, but he didn''t want to extend his time with Kang Oh. "Think carefully. I can still call you for help six more times," Kang Oh said, essentially saying ''Even without this, I have other ways of keeping you around!''. ''You demon!'' Sephiro red at Kang Oh. ''Guess I should dangle the carrot now.'' If he pressured Sephiro any more, then he''d give up on the ne. That wasn''t what Kang Oh was looking for. "In exchange, I''ll let you have 20% of the loot from now on." Sephiro''s eyes shook. But still, he wasn''tpletely convinced. "I n on remaining here for a while. Isn''t the Great Forest an ok ce for you to hunt too?" Kang Oh dangled another carrot. "Sunday is your free day. If you have a shoot or you have something else you need to attend to, then I''ll take that into consideration," he whispered sweetly. As he did so, he continued to dangle the ne in his hand. "Phew." Ultimately, Sephiro snatched the ne from Kang Oh''s hand. It was his way of saying that he agreed to the terms. "Hoo, hoo," Kang Ohughed. Pitiful bastard. Henceforth, he''d be forced to be Kang Oh''s subordinate. * * * Saturday... 5:30 P.M (1730). Jae Woo got off the taxi. "So this is it." What he saw looked like a refined, 2-story building with arge terrace, but the entire building was actually a restaurant. The restaurant was called Yurim. He''d promised to meet Soo Ah here. "Let''s see here..." Jae Woo looked himself over. His younger sister, Mina, had great fashion sense, but she was only willing to help him after he''d given her a huge allowance. These clothes are what he''d gotten with her help. This was apparently called the ''boyfriend look'', which was really popr nowadays. It supposedly focused on distinct, eye-catching colors and patterned shoes or what not. His forehead was refreshingly bare, as Mina had done his hair for him. "I''ve bought some flowers too." He was carrying a bouquet of roses in his hand. "Mm. Good." Jae Woo opened the door and entered the restaurant. It was clean inside and it had a cozy atmosphere. "Wee. Do you have an appointment?" a nice looking waitress gently greeted him. "Yes. The appointment is under the name, Jeong Soo Ah," Jae Woo said. "I understand. Please follow me." The waitress led him to a room upstairs. There was a giant ss window on the wall, which let him see the blue sky and overgrown thicket outside. "Would you like me to bring you a drink?" "I''d like some water please." He was thirsty for some reason, not to mention that his heart was pounding too. "I understand." Jae Woo gulped down his water while he waited for Soo Ah. How much time had gone by? The door opened and Soo Ah came in wearing sunsses. "Oppa!" She was wearing a white one-piece dress, but she looked prettier than usual. "Oh, you''re here?" Jae Woo and Soo Ah simultaneously beamed. "Oh." Soo Ah sat down and looked him over. It felt like he was a student all over again; her gaze reminded him of a teacher looking over his homework. "Who did this for you?" "Who did what?" "I''ve seen your fashion sense before. There''s no way you came up with this all on your own." ''Wow! She''s sharp.'' "My little sister picked it out for me," Jae Woo said. "She styled your hair too?" "Yeah." "She has good fashion sense. It looks really good on you." "It does?" Kang Oh bashfully scratched the back of his hand. Then, he gave her the bouquet of roses. "Here." "Did your little sister tell you to buy this too?" "No. It was the woman at the flower shop. She told me that a bouquet of roses was perfect for a first date." "Thank you." Soo Ah beamed and epted the flowers. "Yoon Se Hwa hasn''t bothered you since?" Jae Woo asked. "No. I saw her briefly on a music program, but she behaved herself." "Tell me if she gives you any trouble. I won''t let her get away with it." "Ok." Knock, knock. "Excuse me." The door opened and a woman in her early or mid 30s came in. She was also wearing a chef''s jacket. "Unni!" They seemed to be acquainted, as Soo Ah didn''t bother with the honorifics and spokefortably. "It''s been a long time since youst came. With a man, no less." The female chef nced at Jae Woo with a mischievous expression. "Um-hum. This is a guy I''m really close to!" Soo Ah pointed at Jae Woo, slightly embarrassed. "Hello. My name is Choi Jae Woo." "I''ll ask Soo Ah separately whether you''re an acquaintance or someone she''s actually really close to... It''s nice to meet you. I''m this restaurant''s chef-owner, Lee Soo Min." "We''re really good friends. We''re also part of the same guild in Arth," Soo Ah said. "I''m in your care." "Sure." Jae Woo and Soo Min shook hands. "Unni is a really famous chef, and..." Soo Ah started going on and on about her. "You can tter me all you want, I''m still going to charge you for your meal," Lee Soo Min smiled and said. "No discounts for a celebrity?" Soo Ah sported a naughty expression. "You''re a celebrity?" Lee Soo Min snorted. "I''m pretty famous too." The twodies teased each other like real sisters. "Whatever. I''ll make you some good food, so eat up before you go." "Ok." "Then I''ll see you in a bit, Mr. Jae Woo." "Alright." Lee Soo Min departed, and a short whileter, the food came to their table. There were a variety of clean side dishes, multi-grain rice in stone pots, richly vored doenjang soup and boiled meat, sanjeok, and dried corvinas. It was quite the spread. "She specializes in Korean cuisine?" "Yes. But she cooks Japanese, Chinese, and French cuisine well too. She''s also good at Southeastern cuisine too. That''s why she''s called the Chef Without Borders." "Wow. She seems like a big deal." "She is. Anyway, please enjoy your meal." "I will, thanks." Not only was the food amazing, but it had the feel of a home cooked meal, which made it easy for him to eat. He was dining with someone close with such good food, so the atmosphere was incredibly amicable. "How was Paris?" Jae Woo asked. A while back, Soo Ah had travelled to Paris. "I was there for work, so I didn''t get to sightsee much." Soo Ah looked disappointed. "It''s ok. You can go sightseeing next time," Jae Wooforted. "Yeah! So about that... Parmarl? Anyway, didn''t you say you were looking for something there?" Soo Ah said, recalling the messages they''d sent each other. "I found it, of course." Jae Woo gave her a peace sign. "Oh, what was it?" "An SS-rank sword!" "Wow, really?" "Hoo, hoo." Jae Woo and Soo Ah chatted while they ate. They''d spoken over the phone or in game several times already, but speaking in person was different. They continued to spend their time together happily, the smiles never leaving their faces. Chapter 152. Switch

Chapter 152. Switch

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh exited Altein''s intercity transfer gate. He then made his way through the crowd, heading directly to the auction house. He would sell the Minotaur brothers'' weapons and horns there. Kang Oh had a bunch of items to sell. After putting them up for auction, Kang Oh bought two pieces of BB-rank equipment so that he had some fuel for Gluttony. They were called Mido''s Magic Wand and Red Metal Gloves. Both of them had a level requirement of about 150. ''Next up is...'' Kang Oh left the auction house, paid a visit to a bar, and bought a strong bottle of liquor. Then, he visited a bushy bearded, middle-aged man. "I came here to learn Switch," Kang Oh said. "If you want to learn Switch, then..." "Here." Kang Oh passed him the bottle. "You came prepared. Sure, I''ll teach you Switch." [You have learned the support skill, Switch.] Switch was a support skill that allowed a yer to quickly swap their main weapon with one from their inventory. He''d use Switch to swap between Ubist and Blood based on the situation. "Register Switch." [Please pick two weapons you would like to switch between.] "Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood." [Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood may now be swapped.] With Ubist in hand, Kang Oh tested out Switch. Swish. His weapon was quickly switched with his other sword, the snow-white de that emanated red light. ''It takes about 3 seconds...'' In essence, Switch took 3 seconds to swap between weapons, and had a cooldown of 30 seconds. Leveling up Switch would lessen the time it would take to swap between weapons, as well as reduce the cooldown time. "Goodbye." Now that he had finished his business here, Kang Oh said his farewells and left. After that, he went to a smithy and got all of his equipment repaired. He also went to the potion shop and bought some potions. ''I already have a return scroll, so I''m good on that front.'' "I''m ready now." His preparations wereplete, so Kang Oh headed to the intercity transfer gate. It was time to go to the Great Forest. * * * Ming! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro rode their Yumas to the Nuwak Vige. "Halt!" The gatekeeper blocked them. "Hello." Kang Oh removed a crow feather from his inventory. The crow feather was a sign that he was a friend of the Nuwak Tribe. "You can go in." Seeing that, the gatekeeper''s attitudepletely changed. "Thank you." As always, the members of the Nuwak Tribe had third eyes drawn on their foreheads, and covered their jaws with cloth. They also draped cloaks made of bird feathers over their shoulders as well. But the atmosphere was kind of strange. It was both solemn and heavy! "Isn''t this a little strange?" Eder asked. "Isn''t it? It''s really weird here," Sephiro said. "Something must have happened. Let''s go see the Chief." Kang Oh needed to see the Nuwak Chieftain, Sh. "Alright." They immediately headed for the 3-story tower at the center of the vige. This was the Nuwak Chieftain''s residence. Then, a woman garbed in traditional Nuwak clothing came out of the tower. "Hello. Do you remember us?" Kang Oh approached her. "Of course." Sui was a woman of the Nuwak Tribe. She also served as Sh''s messenger as well. "Is the Chief inside?" "Yes. Pleasee in." The inside of the tower hadn''t changed at all. As always, the 1st floor was a school where the vige''s children gathered and learned. "Please wait here for a moment." Sui went upstairs to inform the Chieftain that Kang Oh''s party hade to see him. A short whileter... Sui came back. "Pleasee upstairs." Kang Oh''s party went upstairs, passing the 2nd floor library, and made their way to the 3rd floor where Sh lived. "You''re back," the Nuwak Chieftain, also known as the Wise Soul, Sh, greeted Kang Oh''s party. "Hello." "Please sit. Sui, could you get us some tea?" "Yes, Chieftain." Kang Oh''s party sat side by side on the seat cushions, directly facing Sh. "Hoh. That is..." Sh widened his eyes. "Do you recognize it?" Kang Oh grabbed Demon Sword Blood and ced it over his hands. "A snow-white de, red light, and even a panther head ornament. It''s the first time I''ve seen it in person, but it''s exactly as my ancestors had described." "Yes. This is Demon Sword Blood." "I knew you''d be able to do it." "Thank you." Sui brought them some tea. Kang Oh''s party sipped the brown tea, which tasted a lot like green tea. Sh lowered his cup and said, "Anyway, what brings you here? I don''t think you came here to inform me of your sess." "I n on exploring the Great Forest and staying in this vige for the time being," Kang Oh said. He would focus on hunting here until he reached level 200. After that, he was going to explore the dungeons here, and hopefully find some more hidden dungeons. ''I have to make some more money!'' He was taking a short break from it, but Kang Oh''s main job was being a Dungeon Hunter. "Stay as long as you want. There should be several vacant rooms in the inn. Make sure you don''t skimp out and spend as much as you can too." "I have a question for you, Chief." "Go ahead." "Please tell me where the best hunting grounds or dungeons are in the Great Forest." That was why Kang Oh hade here. After all, Sh was so knowledgeable of the Great Forest that he was called the Wise Soul. "Dungeons, huh..." Sh, who''d been fiddling with his tea cup, looked as though Kang Oh had impable timing. "Nothing''s free in this world." "Ahem." "Help us. If you do, then I''ll give you a map that contains the locations of the dungeons. How about it?" It was quite an enticing offer. However, he couldn''t just say, ''Yes, I''ll do it!'' right away. "Let me hear what this is all about first." "In three days, we''ll go on an expedition to kill the Snake Queen at the Winged Snake Nest. Help us with that." "The Snake Queen?" Kang Oh tilted his head. He''d never heard of her before. "Winged Snakes are unique in that they live in a group like bees or ants. When the Snake Queen appears, their numbers swell exponentially. And when the food within their nest bes scarce, arge number of them leave and eat everything on the outside." Sh caught his breath and then continued, "They especially love birds! However, the Nuwak lives in harmony with birds. When the Winged Snakes leave their nest, the first ce they''ll target is the Nuwak Vige." "Then...?" "Don''t be too concerned, since the other tribes have agreed to join forces and kill the Snake Queen in three days." ''This must be why the atmosphere is so heavy in the vige...'' "How can I help?" Kang Oh asked. "Join up with our expedition force, and help us kill the Winged Snakes and the Snake Queen." Once Sh was finished speaking, a quest popped up. [Winged Snake Nest Expedition] If ignored, the Snake Queen and its Winged Snakes will pose a huge threat to the Great Forest! The tribes of the Great Forest couldn''t let this pass, so they formed an expedition force to deal with this threat. If you help the expedition force kill the Snake Queen and her Winged Snakes, then the Nuwak Tribe will never forget what you''ve done for them. Difficulty: Hard Minimum Requirements: Friend of the Nuwak Tribe, Sh¡¯s acknowledgement. Reward: A map of the Great Forest that indicates where the dungeons are. Friendship with the Nuwak Tribe increases based on your contributions during the expedition. Bonus experience points. Failure: The Winged Snakes devastate the Great Forest. "You''ll do it, right?" Kang Oh asked, staring at Eder and Sephiro. "Of course. Arge-scale expedition is a way to obtain a huge amount of experience in a single go," Sephiro immediately replied. When the expedition is over, a yer will gain bonus experience points based on how much they contributed. In other words, this was one in a million chance for him to level up quickly in a short amount of time. "If you''re willing to do it, then I''ll do it too," Eder said. "I''ll do my best," Kang Oh said as the representative of their party. [You have epted the quest, Winged Snake Nest Expedition.] [In 3 days, gather at the Winged Snake Nest at midday. If you don''t, then the quest will be canceled.] "Where is the Winged Snake Nest?" Kang Oh asked. "Our warriors will depart for the nest the morning of. Go with them." "Understood." "I''m counting on you." "Yes." Then, Kang Oh''s party left Sh''s home. * * * The expedition was in 3 days. He wasn''t willing to just wait it out and do nothing in the meantime. ''Time is money!'' Thus, Kang Oh led his party to the most well-known hunting ground in the Great Forest, Lizardmen Vige. "I see quite a few yers," Sephiro said. There were already several yers there engaging the Lizardmen. "Let''s go." Kang Oh led. His body shook with excitement. He couldn''t wait to try out his new demon sword in the heat of battle. Kang Oh''s party passed the yers and encountered three armored, spear-wielding Lizardmen. Sephiro immediately shot an arrow. He was essentially calling dibs before any of the other yers could get to them. Whizz! Thwock! The arrow pierced the Lizardman''s forehead. Euka! The Lizardmen shrieked and dashed towards them. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro were responsible for one Lizardman each. One of them thrust their spear at Kang Oh, aiming for his throat. Kang Oh avoided the spear by slightly tilting his head to the side, and then got right in front of it. Swish. He swung Blood upwards, from down low to up high! The snow-white de emanated red light, which made the sword look like a red streak through the air. Screech! Kang Oh''s de cleaved through the armor and rent flesh, causing red shards of light to burst from the wound. Then... Blood activated its special ability. Life Steal! The shards of light were sucked into the de, and then a red star appeared on top of it. ''What is this?'' Kang Oh didn''t miss the change in his sword. However, Kang Oh couldn''t afford to analyze it in the heat of the moment, as he was still fighting against the Lizardman. Whoosh. Kang Oh swung his sword, and sliced through his opponent for a second time. Shards of light exploded from the Lizardman, which were then absorbed by his sword. This time, there was a second star that appeared on his de. ''I see.'' He realized what the red stars were referring to. Vampiristic Reinforcement! Life stealing would increase the sword''s attack power, and if he managed to life steal again within 10 seconds, then the effect would stack. It would stack a maximum of 10 times! The red stars were an indication of how many stacks he had. ''Nice. Let''s try stacking it 10 times.'' After that, Kang Oh relentlessly attacked the Lizardman. As he''d anticipated, his demon sword now had ten stars. Attacking and life stealing any more wouldn''t increase its attack power any further. ''It''s paramount that I keep attacking and maintain max stacks.'' Kang Oh had figured out the best way to utilize Demon Sword Blood. At the same time, Blood''s current attack power was quite low, so even when it was fully stacked, it wasn''t all that impressive. The sword was only level 1 after all. ''Let''s keep using the sword until I get the hang of it.'' Kang Oh decided not to use Ubist, finishing off the Lizardman with Blood. Sephiro and Eder had already finished off their Lizardmen. "How is your new weapon?" Sephiro asked. "It''ll get better as time passes." Demon Sword Blood was an evolving weapon! So the higher its level, the more powerful it would be. Chapter 153. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (1)

Chapter 153. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (1)

Trantor: Boko Seukara! A Lizardman''s most dangerous weapon, its tail, came flying at him. Although he could have dodged it, Kang Oh chose not to. Bam! Kang Oh''s body burst with shards of light. He then immediately swung Blood as quickly as lightning. sh! Using sh with Blood hadn''t changed the skill''s effect. A white line followed the path of his de! sh left behind a diagonal wound on its body, and the resulting shards were sucked into his sword. ''Hmm. I didn''t get much HP back even when I used sh.'' Kang Oh had gotten hit on purpose. He wanted to test how much Life Steal would heal him for. However, Life Steal healed him for much less than he''d expected. ''Oh well.'' If he leveled up the sword enough, then it would eventually heal him for much more. Euka! Two Lizardmen attacked Kang Oh from both sides, their des glinting sharply. Kang Oh swung Blood, deflecting the left Lizardman''s de, and dodged the other. Then, he used Switch! Blood was no longer in his hand; it had been swapped for Ubist. It had taken 3 seconds to make the switch. Whoosh! The jet-ck greatsword ripped through the air with a heavy ''whoosh''. Bam! The Lizardman fell right then and there. After all, Kang Oh had put quite a bit of power into that blow. Ubist''s raw power was something that, as of right now, Blood could not hope to replicate! When wielding Ubist, Kang Oh was much too strong. In the blink of an eye, Kang Oh made the two Lizardmen into mincemeat. Switch. Kang Oh, now wielding Blood once more, headed for the Lizardman that Eder was fighting against. Swish. Darkness Strike! The Demonic Swordsman skill, Darkness Strike, used the darkness within the demon sword to unleash a destructive wave. Kang Oh had, however, unleashed this attack with Blood, not Ubist. Splurt! The de unleashed a red wave, which was shaped like a bat in flight. Boom! The wave was so powerful that the Lizardman fell and rolled on the floor. Ten stars had appeared on Blood''s de. ''Hoh. Darkness Strike immediately gives me 10 stacks.'' Kang Oh immediately charged at another Lizardman so that he wouldn''t lose his 10 stacks. For two whole days, Kang Oh''s party continuously hunted the Lizardmen. As a result, Kang Oh rose to level 192, and Blood reached level 3 as well. * * * It was a bright morning. There were several people gathered at the entrance of the Nuwak Vige. Warriors and shamans that would soon set off for the Winged Snake Nest Expedition, as well as vigers that wanted to see them off, were gathered there. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro were within the crowd as well, and were apanied by the Nuwak Chieftain, Sh. A man, who was garbed in unique Nuwak clothing, approached Sh. "Chieftain, we''ve finished inspecting the troops and our equipment." "These are friends that will help us with the expedition. Introduce yourselves." Sh pointed at Kang Oh''s party. "My name is Krohn." "He''s our greatest warrior, and will lead the rest of our warriors throughout the expedition," Sh said proudly. "My name is Kang Oh." "I am Eder." "I''m an archer. Sephiro is my name." Kang Oh introduced himself first, followed by Eder and Sephiro. "We should start heading out now," Krohn said to Sh. "Lead our warriors well." "I''ll do my best." "Make sure you return safely." "Yes." "Let us go," Krohn said to Kang Oh''s party. A short whileter... "Everyone please get on your Yumas!" Krohn yelled boomingly. More than 100 warriors and shamans, as well as Kang Oh''s party, got onto their Yumas. "Depart!" More than 100 Yumas simultaneously ran through the forest, with Krohn''s Yuma at the head of the pack. * * * By midday, several tribes'' warriors and shamans had gathered in the vicinity of the Winged Snake Nest. The Modrak, which was the most prosperous tribe in the Great Forest, brought their warriors, while the Ucle brought their shamans, whose faces were painted in ck, red, or yellow. The Nedav Tribe, which was considered the Great Forest''s most powerful tribe, hade with the most warriors. Though he hadn''t met them before, there were several other tribes'' warriors present as well. They were garbed in their tribes'' clothing and equipment. Those that led their tribes'' warriors and acted as their representative gathered in one area. The representative that had the most say here was the Nedav Chieftain, Aman. He was someone Kang Oh had even fought in the past. Of the representatives here, he was the only chieftain of his tribe. He was also put in charge of this expedition as well. "I''m Aman," Aman nced around and said. As soon as he spoke, it became rowdy. "It''s been a while, Chieftain Aman." "If not for such a serious matter, it''d be hard to see you all." "It''s already been 10 years since ourst expedition to kill the Snake Queen." "I think you and I are the only ones here that participated in that expedition. Time sure does fly." "Hoo, I hope we don''t have that many casualties this time around." "Winged Snake Skin sells for quite a lot; you don''t have a problem with us taking some, do you?" Each of the representatives said what they had to say. "Enough." It was only after hearing Aman''s resounding voice did they stop talking. "Keep that stuff to yourself until after the expedition is over. Right now, you should be listening to my battle n." The representatives nodded their heads. "First, we''ll divide our warriors and shamans into four squads. Then, we''ll attack the nest from the north, south, east, and west simultaneously," Aman said. The Winged Snake Nest was a barren mountain; one where not even a single de of grass grew, much like a royal tomb. The snakes there had also burrowed beneath the ground, creating severalplicatedly intertwined tunnels. These tunnels were quite big, and there were more than twenty tunnels that led into the nest. Aman nned on stationing their troops in the cardinal directions, and thenpletely killing everyst one of the snakes. "Any objections?" "..." There were none. "Let''s divide the troops like this. The eastern tribes will go through the east entrance, the western tribes will go through the west, etc. Except...!" Aman stared at a middle-aged man with braided hair. His name was Si, and he was a part of the northern Yupir Tribe. "The healers of the Yupir Tribe will be split amongst the four squads. I''ll send you some Nedav warriors to even it out." "Understood." Si of the Yupir Tribe nodded his head. "I''m in charge of our eastern forces. Krohn of the Nuwak Tribe will lead our southern forces, Nerum of the Tamd Tribe will lead our western forces, and Bardona of the Modrak Tribe will lead our northern forces. The remaining representatives should act as vice-captains for their respective leaders." Aman was a man with overwhelming charisma. "Yes sir!" the representatives simultaneously replied. "Each squad will be on the lookout for the Snake Queen while they kill the Winged Snakes. If you find the Snake Queen, then let the other squads know. We''ll pick out our most elite warriors from the four squads and form a hunting party to take her down." The Snake Queen was a raid boss. Obviously, it specialized in huge AoE attacks. Trying to ovee it with sheer numbers was a foolish idea. It ran the risk of their entire forces dying to her AoE attacks. Assembling a party of 30 elite members was their best chance at taking her down. "Does anyone have anything to add?" Aman nced at each representative''s face. Then, the Modrak Tribe''s representative, Bardona asked, "What about the adventurers who''vee from the central continent to help us?" ''Adventurers from the central continent'' meant yers, in and simple. "Are there a lot of them?" "The Modrak Tribe has less than 50. The adventurers are all trustworthy and skilled." yers that had operated around the Modrak Vige and had gained the tribe''s trust were able to join the expedition. It wasn''t just the Modrak Tribe; yers that had be friendly with the other tribes were given the same opportunity as well. "The representatives who brought them here can do with them as they wish," Aman said. "Understood." "Anything else?" "..." None. "Vice-captains, work with your captains to form your squads. We''re advancing on the nest after lunch." The representative meeting was now over. * * * "...This is how it will go." Krohn, the representative of the Nuwak Tribe and also the leader of the expedition''s southern forces, was a meticulous and considerate man. He didn''t forget to exin what was going on to Kang Oh''s party. "Then, do we just stick with you, Mr. Krohn?" "Yes. Ah, did you want to act independently?" Krohn asked. Kang Oh nced at Sephiro. "What do you think is better?" In the past, Sephiro had participated in an expedition on the Orc Road. That''s why Kang Oh wanted his input. "The monsters will respond to thergest quantity of troops. Therefore, it''s best that we stay with the main force," Sephiro said. "So he says. We''ll stick with you, Mr. Krohn." "Understood." "By the way, you said that the Snake Queen would be taken down by a small number of elite troops, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "May I be a part of that force?" The Snake Queen! He really wanted to defeat it! "It''ll be hard." Krohn shook his head. ''As expected... But there''s always a way.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "I have a favor to ask." "What is it?" "When you see Commander Aman, please tell him that I want to be a part of the elite task force." "Are you acquainted with Chieftain Aman?" "Of course. We''re very close!" Kang Oh grinned. ''I''m the one who kicked his ass! Hmph!'' "Understood. I''ll make sure to tell him about you." "Thank you very much." "Excuse me." Once Krohn left, Sephiro silently came over. "Mr. Kang Oh." "What is it?" "If he lets you into the team, then please put in a good word for me." His face seemed to say, ''I want to take down the Snake Queen too!''. "If I get the chance," Kang Oh replied absentmindedly. "What about me?" Even Eder was asking to be a part of it. "You focus on the Winged Snakes." "Tch." Then... A woman, who was wearing priestess robes, approached them. She was clearly a yer. "Mr. Sephiro!" "Huh? Ms. Hye Rim?" It seemed like they were acquainted with each other. "It''s been a long time." "It has. How did you get here?" "What do you mean? I''m a part of the expedition force too." "What? Then are you..." "Yes. I came here to film the Winged Snake Nest Expedition." ''Film the expedition? What does she do for a living?'' Kang Oh thought from beside Sephiro. "I see." "Who are they? Please introduce us," Hye Rim said. "Ah, sure. These are mypanions." Sephiro pointed at Kang Oh and Eder. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I''m a TGN producer. My name is Shin Hye Rim." TGN. Top Game Net. The number 1 game channel. ''So she''s a producer for TGN, huh...'' "My name is Eder." Eder introduced himself first. "My name is Kang Oh." "You''re Kang Oh?" "Yes." "Not Oga?" Her eyes glinted sharply. "...How did you know?" Kang Oh asked as if to interrogate her. "I saw you fight a raid boss with Mr. Sephiro. The tiger-striped armor you wore was quite striking. I knew it was you, Mr. Oga, since you''re wearing the same armor that you wore back then." She''s quite sharp. This woman, Shin Hye Rim, was quite perceptive. "Oga must be your alias. You went as far as to cover up your face on TV, so there''s no way that that''s your real name. Is Kang Oh your real ID name?" "Yes. Please don''t spread it around. I hate it when things get bothersome." "Alright. I promise not to," Hye Rim replied energetically. "Ms. Hye Rim, which way are you going?" Sephiro asked. "I''ming in from the east. I came with the Sundra Tribe. What about you, Mr. Sephiro?" "We''reing from the south." "Hoh, is that so?" She looked as though things had gone in her favor and continued, "Do you like money?" Chapter 154. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (2)

Chapter 154. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (2)

Trantor: Boko "I like money," Kang Oh said. Yep, he loved money. "That''s good to hear. Would you like an opportunity to earn some money?" "Just say the word." "As you know, we''re attacking in four different directions in theing expedition. I can take care of the east, and I''ve already procured two other people to film the north and west. But I still haven''t found someone that can film from the south." She''d been looking for someone to film the southern attack; upon seeing Sephiro, however, she had gotten distracted and hade over to speak to him. "So you''re asking us to film the southern expedition?" Kang Oh asked. "I only need one of you to film it." "How much?" "300,000 won ($300 USD)." "Hmm." 300,000 won. It certainly wasn''t a small sum. "How does that sound?" "It sounds like the two of you are close, so why don''t you do it, Mr. Sephiro?" Kang Oh said. "Huh? You''re ok with that?" He''d gain 300,000 won for just turning on film mode and running around the battlefield. "Of course." ''I have a different idea in mind.'' Kang Oh grinned. "Then I''ll do it," Sephiro said. "Understood. I''m counting on you." Hye Rim bowed her head. "Are there any otherworks that are broadcasting this expedition?" Kang Oh asked. "Probably. After all, expeditions don''t happen all the time. Why, are you going to record yourself and send the footage to anotherwork?" Shin Hye Rim asked, narrowing her eyes at him. Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "Well, whatever. If you have the chance, pleasee on my program." "If the pay is right and you don''t show my face." He was sick of being on TV, but he''d obviously show up if he was offered arge sum of money. "Then how about we friend each other for now?" In Arth, if a yer knew a person''s character code or ''friended'' someone else, then they could send each other messages. "Sure." He''d only benefit from being in contact with a producer from a gamingwork. Kang Oh and Hye Rim friended each other. "I''ll be going now." Hye Rim waved her hand and left. Once she was out of sight, Hye Rim plopped down onto a nearby rock and opened Arth''s ranking board. ''ID Search: Kang Oh.'' yers with the name, Kang Oh, showed up in order of rank. There were ten of them in total. Among them, the top Kang Oh''s rank was... "Rank 1,403." People between rank 9,999 and 1,000 were called rankers. Sephiro and Kang Oh were a part of this group. A middle ranker was someone between rank 999 and 100. Finally, high rankers were between rank 99 and 10. Single digit rankers were called Numbers, and were widely respected by the gamingmunity. "Hmm. I thought he''d be a middle ranker... He''s lower than I thought," Hye Rim said in a slightly disappointed tone. She had a discerning eye. When she saw Kang Oh, she knew his skills were the real deal. But it looked like his rank didn''t properly represent his skill. ''Hoo, hoo. Things turned out well for me.'' She believed that Kang Oh had what it took to be a star yer. Perhaps he''d be one of the Numbers someday. She''d gotten acquainted with him, so all in all, things had gone well. "Hum-hum!" Hye Rim stood up suddenly, dusted off her behind, and left. * * * Captain of the southern expedition force, Krohn. The Nuwak Tribe''s warriors and shamans, brave men from the other tribes, healers from the Yupir Tribe, and yers had all gathered in one ce. There were more than 200 people in total. "Advance." Krohn''s booming voice carried far. ''Finally.'' The expedition was beginning! The expedition force entered the giant southern entrance to the Winged Snake Nest. They didn''t encounter any Winged Snakes for a while. Slither! But then, they began hearing slithering noises from afar. Several Winged Snakes wereing to battle the expedition force. "Everyone, halt! Warriors, up front. Archers, shamans, mages, etc., give us long range support! Healers from the Yupir Tribe, get ready to heal at a moment''s notice. Warriors of the Nuwak Tribe, get ready to intercept the Winged Snakes that fly over to the rear." After ordering the troops, the warriors quickly got into position. Kang Oh was obviously in between the warriors, and Sephiro stepped back, joining the long-range support. Like the rest of their tribe, the Nuwak warriors had a third eye drawn on their forehead and wore a feather cloak. They either dual wielded daggers or carried a bow. These warriors stood in between the front and the rear; Eder, whose defense was high, but had low attack power, stayed with them. "I see them!" someone yelled. The snakes'' tongues darted in and out repeatedly. They were about 1 meter long, but their color, pattern, and shape slightly varied from snake to snake. Winged Snakes were level 250 monsters. They used their wings to fly or move at incredible speeds. They specialized in biting or constricting their opponents, both of which were extremely powerful. There were even some of them that had venom. They couldn''t count how many there were; the tunnel was filled to the brim with snakes. "Long-range attacks!" Krohn ordered, and countless arrows and various spells flew through the sky. Whizz! Whizz! Bam! Bam! The frontmost Winged Snakes spread out their silver wings. Then, they forcefully pped their wings. Several Winged Snakes, which weren''t hit by the shower of arrows and magic, flew into the air and descended upon the expedition force. "All forces, attack!" Krohn yelled as loud as he could. That''s how the battle began. "Die!" "Keep your eyes open, and don''t be afraid!" "Be careful of the red spotted snakes. They have venom." The warriors yelled and swung their respective weapons. Kang Oh pulled back slightly and assessed the situation. ''It''s him!'' He''d identified his target. Kang Oh swung Ubist at a snake that was trying to bite a warrior''s shoulder. Whoosh. The jet-ck sword struck the snake''s neck. Bam! Red shards of light exploded from the wound, which were apanied by a refreshing ''bam'' and a tingling sensation in his hand! Then, the Winged Snake fell to the floor. [You have defeated a Winged Snake.] Kang Oh smirked. He''d attacked a severely weakened Winged Snake; not only had it been hit by a barrage of arrows and spells, but it had been attacked by the warriors as well. ''Good. Next up is...'' Kang Oh looked for the next weakened foe. He moved relentlessly, and finished off the snakes with little HP left. It felt like his contributions were piling up higher and higher. Of course, he sometimes pretended like he was fighting a Winged Snake with full HP. They say that misbehavior eventually catches up to you. He couldn''t make his shameless behavior too obvious; he''d need to keep a close eye on his surroundings. * * * Each and every Winged Snake was powerful and posed a threat to its enemies. The snakes ganged up on the warriors like a swarm of bees rushing a wasp. Though skilled warriors they may be, it didn''t change the fact they''d be in danger if the snakes ganged up on them. "Please send a healing spell our way!" "Help!" "Be careful back there!" The screams never stopped, nor did the intense battle between snake and man. "Heal the warriors at the front!" Krohn assessed the situation and ordered. The Yupira healers cast an AoE healing spell. Prayer to the Stars! Stardust twinkled around the warriors, replenishing the warriors'' depleted HP. Sha, shasha! Some of the Winged Snakes opened their mouths wide, shrieked, and rushed at the healers. "You''re not getting any closer." "Not a chance!" Then, the Nuwak warriors, which Eder was a part of, blocked their path. They skillfully wielded their dual daggers. The other half could use a bow just as well as Sephiro. ng! ng! ng! ng! "You''re nothing!" Eder bashed on his skull shield with his mace, drawing their attention. Several snakes simultaneously rushed towards him. Eder protected his vitals with his shield and crazily swung his mace. Heavy Blow! Downward strike! Punch! He did his very best. "Long-range support, be careful so that your attacks don''t hit our allies!" Krohn yelled. "Of course." Sephiro, who''d been shooting arrows, grinned. Homing Arrow! The arrow flew from his hand, precisely striking a Winged Snake. His attack was apanied by a barrage of spells from both the mages and shamans. Though their spells were weak, their uracy was high, so the spellcasters continuously bombarded the snakes with them. * * * Was it because he''d killed so many Winged Snakes? Eight Winged Snakes perceived Kang Oh as a threat and simultaneously rushed at him. Four of them descended upon him from the air, while four others slithered towards him. Switch. Kang Oh switched Ubist with Blood. Because Blood was a one-handed sword, it was both lighter and quicker than Ubist. He needed speed, or the ability to counterattack quickly right now, rather than Ubist''s weighty, powerful attacks. Thus, he''d decided that Blood was the better weapon at this point in time. Turns out, he made the right decision. The Winged Snakes either threw themselves at him or tried to bite him. He avoided or blocked their attacks, all the while swinging Blood relentlessly. Shards of light were sucked into his sword in a flurry. Ten red stars, or maxed stacks, appeared on his de instantaneously. "Ooh." His movements were extraordinary enough that the nearby warriors watched in awe! However, they quickly got a hold of themselves and went to support him. "Get a grip and help that warrior. There are eight Winged Snakes attacking him!" "Just stay alive for a little longer!" "Keep it up!" With the help of the other warriors, Kang Oh was able to take down the Winged Snakes one by one. In the process, he made sure to deal the finishing blow on every single one of them. Kang Oh thrust his sword into thest Winged Snake''s mouth, turning it into a skewer. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and quickly assessed the battle. The number of Winged Snakes had noticeably decreased. None of them had survived or were left unscathed. ''Looks like we''ll win with ease.'' It seemed as though the expedition force believed that absolute victory was near. That''s what Krohn thought, at least. "Don''t let down your guard until the very end. Kill them all; don''t let a single one escape!" He raised his voice. However...! He was too quick with his judgment. Something unexpected happened. It urred in the rear, where the support troops were located. The wall suddenly fell, and a tunnel appeared behind it. Several Winged Snakes popped out of that tunnel. They attacked their rear troops; though they excelled in support, they had poor directbat abilities. "W-What is that!?" "Uahk!" "Get away!" "How!?" ''This is bad.'' In an instant, Kang Oh knew just how bad the situation was. If their healers incurred casualties, then they''d have trouble advancing! "Nuwak warriors, do whatever you can to protect our rear troops!" Kang Oh yelled. Fortunately, the Nuwak warriors were close to the rear troops. The Winged Snakes'' sudden entrance stunned the entire force, but as soon as Kang Oh barked an order, they got a hold of themselves. Krohn was no different. He regained hisposure and immediately gave an order. "Protect our rear troops. Rear troops, gather around me! We need to get back into formation!" "Oooh!" Several troops were on the move. The Nuwak warriors and Eder desperately stepped in front of the rear troops, while the other warriors and Kang Oh dashed towards the Winged Snakes popping out of the tunnel. At the same time, the rear troops, which included the archers, shamans, and mages gathered around Krohn. The battle wasn''t over yet. It had only just begun. Chapter 155. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (3)

Chapter 155. Winged Snake Nest Expedition (3)

Trantor: Boko Sephiro didn''t back down. He shot arrow after arrow, kicking any approaching Winged Snake or whacking them with his bow. ''My body feels light.'' Was it because of the Grande Panther Ne? He felt like he could move quicker than usual. Not only that, but Cat Eye''s effect was pretty fun; whenever it marked an opponent''s weak point, he''d aim for it. Of course, he''d deal more damage too! Extending his contract with Kang Oh had definitely been worth it. ''Hmm. If that many of theme out all at once, then...'' Winged Snakes poured out of the tunnels! ''You can''t me me for wanting to do this!'' Sephiro retrieved an arrow from his inventory. Truthfully, the arrow was far toorge and contained too much magic power to be considered a mere arrow. "Huahp!" He notched the arrow and pulled back the bowstring, causing the bow to bend so much that it looked like it''d break. Buster Shot! The magic arrow flew into the tunnel. Then, six magic circles appeared nearby. Boom! More than 100 arrows flew out of the magic circles. Bam! Bam! Bam! A shower of arrows rained down on the Winged Snakes. Kieh! Shaa! The arrows perforated the Winged Snakes'' outstretched silver wings, while those slithering on the floor were overcast by a shower of arrows. Thud. The final arrow sank into the floor. The ground was filled with arrows, and several Winged Snakes were sprawled on the floor. However, Winged Snakes had tough skin and high vitality! The Winged Snakes that had survived his Buster Shot continued to pour out of the tunnel. Then... Kang Oh parried a Winged Snake and headed for the tunnel. ''Good enough...'' He swung Ubist in a wide arc. Tempest Tiger! The tiger-shaped aura dashed through the tunnel. Boom! [You have defeated a Winged Snake.] [You have defeated...] [You have...] ... [You have leveled up.] He massacred them! ''Heh. Nice!'' Kang Oh smirked. Sephiro had softened them up with a Buster Shot, and Kang Oh had finished them off. "Aim your arrows and spells at the tunnel! Healers, cast AoE healing spells!" Krohn yelled. He''d directed this to the nearby troops, or the healers, archers, shamans, etc. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The archers shot their arrows simultaneously. Bam! Bam! Bam! The sky was filled with fireballs, ck spheres, blue lightning, etc. "Warriors, push them back!" Krohn yelled. "Ooh!" The warriors, who wielded swords, spears, or axes, cried out and rushed at the Winged Snakes. Kang Oh continued his shameless act, picking off only the Winged Snakes that were on the brink of death. Sometimeter... They killed the few remaining Winged Snakes one or two at a time. "Hoo, hoo." "Haa, haa." The entire expedition force breathed haggardly. "Good job everyone. Gather up all of their bodies; we''ll strip them of their skin and meat. Gather all of the loot as well!" Krohn said. Finally, their first battle versus the Winged Snakes was over. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gathered once more. He looked satisfied. It made sense. After all, Kang Oh had killed countless Winged Snakes, increasing his contributions, as well as yielding arge amount of experience. "Ahem." Sephiro stared at him annoyedly. "What is it?" "Did you enjoy finishing them all off?" Sephiro''s Buster Shot hadn''t really killed that many snakes. On the contrary, Kang Oh''s Tempest Tiger had killed plenty. "Yes, I did as a matter of fact." Kang Oh licked his lips. "Tch." Sephiro clicked his tongue, and Eder patted his back. "I''m looking forward to the next battle." Kang Oh grinned. * * * Aman received a report on the oue of the first battle. "...They ambushed us from the rear, but with the adventurers'' help, we were able to get through it. We killed every snake that we could see." Bardona, who led their northern forces, used amunication bead to report to Aman. "Good work. When you''re done resting, continue to advance. And make sure you''re ready for anything; the snakes coulde out from anywhere," Aman touched themunication bead and said. "Understood. How are the other squads doing?" "They''ve all finished their first battles, but there were a lot of casualties in the west." The Winged Snakes had popped out of the ground, right underneath the center of the western force''s formation. Thus, such high casualties couldn''t be helped. "Is that so? Then we''ll send some reinforcements." "Mm. Thanks." "Yes sir." Aman stroked his beard. "They must''ve created those tunnels beforehand, right?" Aman asked the nearby Koong, who was the Sundra Tribe''s representative. "Yes. It''s unlikely that they created those tunnels just now." North, south, east, and west. With the sudden appearance of tunnels and the resulting outpour of Winged Snakes, the four squads were sure to sustain severe casualties. Of course, their forces had won, but that didn''t change the fact that the snakes had dug these tunnels beforehand and could use them whenever they wished! "Tch. Troublesome bastards." Aman clenched his fist. ''They''re just snakes. How dare they cause us such grief!'' * * * Krohn''s expedition force advanced after they''d rested up. As they advanced, they engaged anotherrge force of Winged Snakes. The Winged Snakes kepting at them through multiple passageways. However, there were distinct Winged Snakes in between them. They were more than 2 meters long, and had horns as well. [You have discovered the Horned Snake, Cr.] [It is a named monster.] A named monster! Their eyes glowed a purple hue as their tonguesshed in and out. However, they weren''t joining the battle. Shasha! Saa! The ordinary Winged Snakes moved as one, following their cries and head movements. Thus, the warriors had a harder time dealing with the Winged Snakes. ''They must have some sort ofmand ability!'' Winged Snakes normally worked well together, but became even harder to deal with when they were being directed. "Archers, shamans, and mages, aim for the horned snakes!" Krohn yelled. Krohn was very much aware that the Horned Winged Snakes weremanders, as well as the fact that they needed to be killed first. Shaaa! As soon as their forces focused their ranged attacks onto them, the Horned Winged Snakes simultaneously let out a fierce cry. At that moment... Tunnels opened up everywhere, and out came Winged Snakes. Red-spotted snakes popped out of a tunnel, spewing venom. "Uaahk, it''s venom!" "We need some healing!" "Behind! Look behind you!" "They''re right next to us too!" "Die, you snakes!" "Uaaahk!" In an instant, the battlefield was engulfed in chaos. Krohn had somewhat expected this, so he responded calmly. "Don''t panic. Take down the snakes that are closest to you! Continue focusing fire on the Horned Winged Snakes!" The intense battle continued for some time. Kang Oh waited patiently, and wouldn''t hesitate when he saw an opportunity present itself. ''That one!'' His target: a Horned Winged Snake! They were much more enticing than normal Winged Snakes! Kang Oh quickly killed the nearby Winged Snakes with Blood. Then, he rushed over to a Horned Winged Snake, which was already at the brink of death from the arrows and spells. The snake was spotted, which meant it had venom. Kyaa! It spewed out venom. Kang Oh quickly rolled forward, avoiding the attack. Switch. Blood disappeared, and Ubist appeared in his hand. "Huahp!" He cleaved a white line across the snake''s body. sh! Kang Oh pushed himself forward, and relentlessly attacked the snake. Shaa! Nearby Winged Snakes came rushing over to him. "Don''t get in my way!" Kang Oh spun around like a spinning top, his sword resembling a turning windmill. Bam! Bam! Bam! His jet-ck de swept through everything nearby! The snakes fell to the floor. "Die!" Kang Oh struck the Horned Winged Snake''s head. Bam! Instant death. Kang Oh quickly looked around. Was there any other snake that he could kill easily? ''Next is... you!'' Kang Oh dashed through a group of Winged Snakes like a runaway engine. * * * The battle had ended. It was a hard-fought, no, it was a bloody battle. "Mm." Krohn saw the casualty report and gulped. They had lost several troops. Thirty of them had died, and several of them had been severely injured. At least they gave as much as they got; though they''d lost several of their troops, they''d also killed several of the Winged Snakes. "We''re taking a break. Healers, make sure you heal our warriors," Krohn said. Then, Krohn''s subordinate passed him amunication bead and he reported to Commander Aman. "You''ve lost a lot of men too." He could hear Aman''s voice through themunication bead. "Yes sir. How is everyone else doing?" "Every battle was hard-fought." "As expected..." "Keep your guard up. The expedition is only over once we''ve killed the Snake Queen." "Yes sir." Krohn, who''d finished giving his report, walked around to see how his men were doing and to encourage them. "Good work. We''re almost there," Krohn said to a Nuwak warrior. "I can keep going sir. It''s a matter of our tribe''s survival," the Nuwak warrior said resolutely. After all, which vige would be attacked first if the snakes managed to get out? It would be his vige, the one where his family lived. "Mm." The warrior''s words caused Krohn to steel himself. Sometimeter... "Forward." The expedition force advanced once more. They fought against Winged Snakes twice more. Was it because they were nearing the Snake Queen? The farther they got, the more the snakes resisted. "Grit your teeth! We won''t lose!" Krohn''s fierce voice lifted their morale. "Yeahhhhhhh!" The warriors'' spears, daggers, axes, and swords gleamed. Arrows and spells flew towards the Winged Snakes that rampaged about with their mouths wide open and their wings outstretched. In the midst of all that, Kang Oh managed to rue a ton of experience, and had contributed quite a bit too. ''I love this expedition event!'' This was already arge-scale battle. It felt like he''d already killed more than 200 Winged Snakes. As a result, he''d managed to level up to 195 in a single day. Level 200 wasn''t so far away anymore. "C''mon!" Kang Oh confidently yelled. ''Bring it on. Send over even more!'' The snakes were, of course, nothing more than experience points. * * * The expedition''s eastern forces, which were led by Aman, had found the Snake Queen''s abode. "This is it," Aman said. "It is, I''m sure of it." Koong nodded his head. A disgusting smell wafted from the gigantic entrance in front of them; it was so bad that it made them grimace. This smell was proof that the Snake Queen was here. Winged Snake eggs reeked. The fact that it stunk this badly meant that there were a ton of eggs inside. Not to mention that the Snake Queen was inside as well. "Tell our forces to gather here," Aman said. They''d found where the Snake Queen was, so it was time to form their elite squad. "Understood." Koong softly nodded and left. A short whileter, the expedition''s western forces arrived,bining all of their forces once more. "The representatives will have a meeting, and the remaining warriors will rest and keep watch," Aman said boomingly. Kang Oh silently went up to Krohn''s side. "You haven''t forgotten my request, have you?" "No, I haven''t. I''ll make sure I tell Commander Aman that you want to participate in the Snake Queen hunt." "Thank you very much." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Krohn left to join the representative meeting. ''The Snake Queen hunt! There''s no way I can miss out on that.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Chapter 156. Snake Queen Raid (1)

Chapter 156. Snake Queen Raid (1)

Trantor: Boko Commander Aman gathered all thirteen representatives of the tribes. "It''s time to pick the elite warriors that''ll join our Snake Queen task force." The representatives were all ears. "I''m in there, and so are the rest of you," Aman said. The representatives were their tribes'' greatest warrior/shaman. Thus, they were fully qualified to join the Snake Queen hunt. They had 13 members thus far. "Sh of the Yupir Tribe." "Yes?" Sh replied. "Pick four of your best healers. They''ll being with us, giving us five healers in total." The Yupir Tribe had several skilled healers, so they were called the Healing Yupir. "Understood." Adding in four more healers brought their number up to 17. "I''m bringing in two skilled Nedav warriors too. I can assure you that they''re up to par." Two more made 19. "The eleven remaining tribes will bring their greatest warrior/shaman too." "Yes sir!" They brought 11 more soldiers, bringing them to 30. "The thirty of us will hunt the Snake Queen," Aman announced. Bang-bang. Krohn raised his hand. "Commander Aman." "What is it?" "Do you know who Mr. Kang Oh is?" "Kang Oh! Yeah, I do. He''s one strong guy." Aman clearly remembered the one who''d defeated him; he couldn''t forget Kang Oh''s strength either! "Mr. Kang Oh wanted me to let you know that he wishes to participate in the Snake Queen hunt." Krohn was an honest man; he''d done as Kang Oh had asked. "He was a part of this expedition?" "Yes sir. Chieftain Sh rmended him." "Hmm." Aman briefly thought this over. ''Kang Oh, huh...'' He''d be really helpful. Aman had fought him firsthand, so he was well aware of this. "I want to know what the other representatives think. Are you ok with Kang Oh joining our task force? He and I are evenly matched." He couldn''t tell them that Kang Oh was more skilled than he was; his pride wouldn''t allow it. "If he''s as strong as you, then he''ll be of great help to us," Sundra''s representative, Koong said. "I watched Mr. Kang Oh as I led our troops; he was incredibly strong," Krohn said. "If you two are going to go that far, then... I''m fine with it." "Indeed." Several representatives were in favor of Kang Oh joining them. "Fine. Then the 31 of us will hunt the Snake Queen!" Aman dered once more. "Yes sir!" the representatives simultaneously replied. Thus, Kang Oh was allowed to participate in the Snake Queen hunt. * * * "Yes, yes!" After he returned from the meeting, Krohn gave Kang Oh the good news. In response, Kang Oh clenched his fists and gave an uppercut to the sky. ''To think me beating Aman would be so beneficial here.'' As expected, Aman was interested in him due to his strength. "What about me? Hmm? Hmm?" Sephiro clung onto Kang Oh. "Maybe next time." Kang Oh pushed him away. "You traitor! You''re the only one going!" Sephiro reproached him. "Heh." Kang Oh justughed him off. "Grr." Sephiro''s face was furious. "Brother." Eder patted Sephiro''s back. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Tap, tap, tap, tap. Shin Hye Rim, who wore priestess robes, quickly approached him. "What did you do?" She stared at him intensely. "What do you mean?" "How did you get into the Snake Queen hunting team!" She''d been a part of the eastern expedition force, which was led by Commander Aman. Hye Rim had tried everything, from ttering to charming them, but she couldn''t change Aman or Koong''s mind. She wasn''t the only one. Several yers had tried persuading their representatives to let them join the hunting party. However, none of them had been sessful. "I just did my best," Kang Oh said. "Ah, so you''re saying I couldn''t get in because I sucked?" she quipped. "Don''t you need someone to record the Snake Queen hunt?" ''I''m the only one who can get you the footage!'' "Ugh." She lookedpletely downtrodden. As he said, she needed that footage no matter what. "You knew this would happen, didn''t you? That''s why you let Mr. Sephiro film the expedition." Kang Oh grinned, seemingly saying, ''And? What are you going to do about it!?''. "Fine. Let''s talk business, shall we?" "Sounds good." "Please film the Snake Queen hunt. I''ll give you 1..." "Thousand?" "1 million won ($1,000 USD)!" "Are you kidding me?" "What do you mean? Do you know how much 1 million won is..." "I''m good. I''m friends with GBS producer, Park Jin Cheol. I''ll do business with him instead," Kang Oh interrupted her. Hye Rim bit her lip. "You''ve friended me already, so send me a message after you''ve thought about it." Kang Oh had all the power here. "I''m going to tell everyone who you are." She used herst resort. "Sure, go ahead. It''s not like I''m anyone special. I just didn''t want other people to see my face. So do what you want. But remember, if you do, then you can kiss the Snake Queen footage goodbye." Kang Oh smiled. "Hoo. Let me discuss it with my superiors. I''ll get back to you." Ultimately, Hye Rim raised her hands in surrender. "I hope you''re not toote. You see, I have an appointment with Mr. Jin Cheol soon." "Hmph. Yeah, good for you." Hye Rim quickly departed. "Man. Youpletely owned her, Mr. Kang Oh." Sephiro, who''d been watching from beside him, gave him a thumbs up. He was clearly kissing up to him to get something out of him. "Just give it up already. That ship has already sailed." Maximum upancy has already been reached, so please try again next time, sir! "Tch." Sephiro clicked his tongue. A short whileter... Krohn came over to him. "We''re assembling the hunting party. Pleasee with me." "Alright." "Die!" Sephiro yelled. "See youter." Eder waved his hand. Kang Oh followed Krohn to the location where the members of the hunting party were gathering. By the time they got there, all of the members were present. "Hey,e over here." Aman gestured for him toe over. "Let''s have another bout after this is all over," Aman said abruptly as soon as Kang Oh came over. "No thank you." ''Why would I?'' "Hmph. You''re going to take the coward''s way out? You won once and you''re just going to leave it at that?" "Yes." "Tch. Did you find Grande''s sword." "Of course." "Be careful with that thing. With great poweres great responsibility." "Yeah, yeah," Kang Oh replied nonchntly. "These are my men, Rio and Riesen. You, me, and them are responsible for dealing as much damage as possible." Rio and Risen were twins. "Understood." Once he was finished with Kang Oh, Aman took a look around. "Is everyone ready?" "Yes sir." "Then let''s head out." Aman took the lead, and stepped through the giant entrance. The warriors followed him with grim expressions. Only Kang Oh''s expression was different. The further they went in, the more it stunk; he had no choice but to scowl. * * * Once they made their way out of the passageway, they found themselves inside arge room with a high ceiling. There was a mound in the center of the room. They saw a giant snake''s head resting on the mound. A forked tongueshed out of its mouth. "Halt. That''s the Snake Queen." At his word, everyone stopped. "Don''t forget your roles." Aman was able to raise others'' morale with just his voice. "Don''t worry," Modrak''s representative, Bardona said, smacking his square shield with his hand. He was their main tank, which meant that he would draw the Snake Queen''s attention and be the target for its attacks. The rest of them drew their weapons, fired up and ready to win at all costs. Kang Oh was facing a raid boss, so he wielded Ubist instead of Blood. "Let''s go!" Aman led the warriors up the hill. Shihiau! The Snake Queen let out an unpleasant cry. How best to describe it? It was like it drew out the primitive fear that all human beings had. [You have heard a fear inducing cry.] [You have be afraid.] [You have ovee your fear via the Indomitable stat.] An unconquerable heart, Indomitable! Moreover, Kang Oh''s Mental stat was high, so his abilities weren''t reduced either. However, the shamans and a few of the warriors shrank away in fear. "Kuhang!" Aman roared like a lion. "Don''t be afraid!" Aman''s charismatic form reinvigorated the demoralized warriors and shamans. Now they were no longer afraid. "We''re in position," Sundra''s representative, Koong said. Koong wielded a longbow. "We''re ready to unleash our spells," the shamans said simultaneously. "Attack! Everyone else, advance!" War! Whizz! The archers let loose their arrows, and the shamans unleashed cold, biting wind and fireballs. Clink, clink, clink. The arrows hit their target, but they bounced off the Snake Queen''s skin. The Snake Queen''s skin was extraordinarily tough. Not only that, but the chilling wind and the fireballs barely had any effect. Aman, Rio, Riesen, Krohn, Bardona, Kang Oh, etc. rushed towards the top of the mound. The Snake Queen tilted her head back. Then, her throat quivered. Kyaahk! Ptoo! It pushed out its head and spat out something. That something was a gooey green, disgusting liquid that resembled phlegm. "Spread out!" Aman yelled. Splurt! It spewed green liquid all over the floor. Nothing was melting away, so it clearly wasn''t venom. "You can''t allow that to hit you. It''s a powerful adhesive, so you can''t escape if you get caught!" an old warrior shouted. He was one of the few that had participated in thest Winged Snake Nest Expedition. Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo! The Snake Queen relentlessly spat out the green liquid. "Tch." In order to dodge the green liquid, those running up the hill moved around hectically. Because it was on top of the hill, the Snake Queen had a huge geographical advantage. "Get farther away from each other! Advance when it turns its head! Whoever''s in the way of its liquid, focus entirely on dodging!" Kang Oh assessed the situation and shouted. "Get farther away from each other!" Aman repeated. The Snake Queen had only one head. If they were far away from each other, then they''d be able to scale the mound without fear of all of them getting hit. This method worked like a charm. The warriors couldn''t run up simultaneously, but they could still advance to the top. Plus... "Keep up the long-range support!" "Don''t stop!" "Oh fire spirits!" The archers and shamans didn''t pose much threat to the Snake Queen. However, they still managed to divide her attention. Ultimately, a veteran warrior from the Yakunru Tribe managed to make it to the top. "You bastard!" The Snake Queen was attempting to spit out its green liquid somece else, so it wasn''t aware of the warrior charging at it. He kicked off the floor, leaping high into the air, and forcefully swung his sword. The sword instantly doubled in length and width. This was the Giant Attack that the Yakunru Tribe specialized in. ''You''re doing good, old man!'' The old man had found a weak spot and had pounced on it. Kang Oh really wanted to give him some apuse. But then... It happened in the blink of an eye. Something huge appeared, and devoured the veteran warrior. "Jirga!" Yakunru''s representative yelled. "W-What is that!?" "T-That''s impossible!" The troops began to panic. "Holy shit!" Even Kang Oh couldn''t help but curse. Chapter 157. Snake Queen Raid (2)

Chapter 157. Snake Queen Raid (2)

Trantor: Boko Shaa! The Snake Queen roared menacingly with her mouth wide open. And... Kyaa! Another head roared soon after. "T-Two snakes?" "No way!" They hadn''t expected the Snake Queen to have two heads! Thus, the entire task force was in a state of panic. Anyhow, the Snake Queen''s twin heads spewed green liquid once more. Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo! They fired at random! "Dodge first, thinkter!" Aman yelled. Everyone moved in a hurry. In the midst of all that, Kang Oh read over the system message that popped up. [You have discovered the Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio.] ''She''s a two-headed snake!'' It was a polycephalic snake, not two separate snakes. Normally, a two-headed snake possessed two heads that jutted out of their body like a Y, but Cassio was different. Her neck was so long that neither of her heads got in the other''s way. "We''re not dealing with two snakes! She''s a two-headed snake!," Kang Oh yelled. "A two-headed snake?" "What''s going on?" "Spread out!" Kang Oh made his way towards Aman while dodging the green liquid. "It''s not normally a two-headed snake I take it?" "No, it''s not. It''s usually just a huge snake," Aman replied, keeping his eyes fixed on Cassio. "You''re right about the ''huge'' part." Cassio''s body was shrouded by the hill, so he couldn''t tell howrge she was. But based on the size of her heads, she had to be about the size of a legendary serpent. Not to mention she had horns on her heads as well. "A two-headed snake... It must be a mutant." Aman kept calm. He was the leader. If the leader panicked, then the team was sure to follow. Thus, the leader had to remain calm at all times. "Bardona!" "Yes sir," Bardona immediately replied. Bardona had been assessing the progress of the battle whilst shielding himself. "Divide the tanks into two separate groups. We''ll take down one head at a time." "Understood. Altu, you and me will take on the left head! The rest of you will be in charge of the right head!" Bardona yelled. "The healers will also split into two teams and support the tanks separately." "Understood," the Yupir representative, Sh replied. "Focus fire on the left head!" "Yes sir!" Once Aman gave the order, the chaos in the battlefield leveled off. "It''s a mutant Snake Queen. You never know what kind of abilities it''ll have, so keep your wits about you! We''ll still win either way!" * * * The two heads relentlessly spewed green liquid, preventing anyone from advancing. ''I have to distract it.'' He should be able to get through the bombardment using his Hyper Intuition. If he broke through and forced her to concentrate on him, then the warriors would be able to advance. He needed speed, so he swapped Ubist with Blood! Boom. Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor. The green liquid mercilessly rained down on him, but he weaved through it and advanced regardless. He just barely made his way through the barrage! The ground behind him had be filled with globs of green liquid. ''I did it!'' Once he got in close, the right head, which had gobbled up the veteran warrior, opened its mouth and charged at him. It felt like a derailed subway train was rushing towards him. Then again, being devoured by its mouth was more like an express train to hell. Kang Oh forcefully leapt to the side. Boom! The right head created a giant ridge in the ground. Kyaahk! The Snake Queen angrily turned her head and charged at him once more. Thud. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. His distraction allowed the warriors to advance. "Leave this to us!" The tanks responsible for the right head took over. "Bring it on!" "We''re over here!" They readied their shields and drew the right head''s attention. "Attack the left head!" Aman swung his greatsword, aiming for the left head. Shaaa! The left head couldn''t just keep spitting green liquid anymore. After all, her enemies had already closed in. Cassio swung her left head and asionally spat out liquid. ''So that''s what she looks like.'' Once he got to the top of the hill, Kang Oh could see Cassio''s body in its entirety. The two heads were attached to a long body, which was protectively coiled around Winged Snake eggs. Her silver wings were both folded and oversized! ''Alright. Let''s y.'' He wasn''t supposed to be bait; he was supposed to be a damage dealer. Kang Oh swapped to Ubist. Kuheong! Baramut''s Roar! He swelled with power, and swung Ubist with his enhanced strength. "Huahp!" His jet-ck sword gracefully cleaved through the air! Swish! Kang Oh sliced her neck. Shards of light burst out, but the size wasn''t anything to write home about. ''As expected, it''s tough.'' Cassio was a raid boss, so it followed that her defense would be extremely high. sh! First, Kang Oh used sh to leave behind a wound. ''I''m going to aim for the wound!'' However, her skin was tougher than a whale''s tendons, so sh only left behind a 10 centimeter long wound. Not only that, but she kept moving her head around, which made her a moving target! Despite the adverse conditions he faced, Kang Oh used his intense concentration and peerless skills to strike at the wound. Cut, sh, cut, sh! Bam, bam, bam, bam! Dark red shards of light flew through the air. Every attack was a critical hit because he struck the wound time after time. Unwilling to be outdone, Aman began attacking Cassio''s left head using his herculean strength. Whack, whack, whack, whack! His giant greatsword was like a bat. He was having a st bashing on its head. Rio and Riesen usedbination attacks. Rio swung his scimitar downwards, while Riesen swung his de horizontally. Their cross cut formed a gigantic cross! Cross Brand! Normally, the skill required a single person tond a horizontal and vertical strike. But by working together, the two brothers had activated the skill instantaneously. Krohn''s cape fluttered through the air as he moved. His movements were more akin to a dance than martial arts. His dual swords looked ornamental, seemingly more fit for an ancestral rite than a battle. Even so, underestimating him would be a huge mistake. Sonic Dance! Swish, sh! Krohn quickly hacked at the snake''s skin; his speed was such that he couldn''t be tracked by the naked eye. "Altu, let''s switch!" Bardona stood in front of Altu. They would take turns drawing the left head''s attention and blocking its attacks. Bam! Bardona gritted his teeth and blocked the Snake Queen''s charge! Stardust glittered in the sky and descended upon them. Upon contact, the warriors'' wounds were healed and their HP went up. Prayer to the Stars! The healers of the Yupir Tribe had cast an AoE healing spell. ''The wheels are starting to turn.'' Kang Oh saw what was happening around him. They truly had gathered only the best of the best. Everyone knew their roles and they performed them admirably. ''But I don''t think this is it.'' Cassio was a raid boss! Moreover, it was a two-headed mutant. It wouldn''t just end like this! * * * Guatan was an elder of the Nedav Tribe. Aman had left with the task force, so he''d left Guatan in charge of their remaining forces. The expedition force moved away from the entrance to the Snake Queen''s home and made camp. "The elite task force will have started fighting the Snake Queen by now. Everyone prepare for battle!" Once it noticed Aman''s party, the Snake Queen let out a bizarre cry! It didn''t simply nt fear in the hearts of its enemies; it was also a message to the other Winged Snakes to reinforce her. Slither. They saw Winged Snakes beginning to make their way towards them out of three separate passageways. "Long-range attacks!" Guatan''s old, hoarse voice rang out. "Tch." Sephiro clicked his tongue and notched an arrow. Kang Oh was off hunting a raid boss right now, but here he was taking care of the mobs. It really wasn''t fair. ''All this anger is going into this arrow!'' Whizz. Sephiro let loose an arrow. The expedition force''s archers followed suit, and shot their arrows simultaneously. The Winged Snakes flew towards them with outstretched wings. They rushed at the expedition force like moths to a me. "Keep your guard up! If you don''t, then you''ll be sure to hear from me! Reinforce the left side! Shamans, what are you doing!? Are you loafing around!? AoE heals! Hey, you. The one with the skull shield. What the hell are you doing!? Swing your mace as hard as you can! We haven''t eaten yet!" It sounded as though he were badgering them. Their ears might hurt a little, but Guatan''s leadership was undeniable. They continued to kill the Winged Snakes that sought to get through them and save their queen. * * * Kyaahk! The Snake Queen''s right head rammed into one of the warriors. He''d beenpletely focused on the left head, so he was caught with his pants down. "Ugh." The warrior flew into the air and rolled onto the floor below. Green drops began to gather nearby. Raise Life! Sh cast a single person healing spell. Due to his quick intervention, the warrior hadn''t died. One of the archers came over and helped him back to the rear. The warrior had just barely survived, but was unconscious, so he couldn''t fight anymore. "Keep the right head froming over here!" Aman demanded. "I''m sorry!" "Get a grip! Ourrades will die!" "Yes sir!" ng, ng, ng! The tanks bashed their shields with their respective weapons, emitting a loud ''ng''. They were trying to draw the Snake Queen''s attention. "We''re over here, you worm!" "You''re nothing!" They continuously cursed, enraging the Snake Queen. "K, check its HP!" Aman shouted. The shaman, K, then cast a spell allowing him to see Cassio''s HP. "...Life Seeing Mysterious Lenses!" Lenses appeared over K''s eyes. By peering through these lenses, he could check an opponent''s HP. "82%!" he yelled. "Good. It''s gone down a lot." Aman forcefully swung his greatsword. Things were progressing smoothly. But a battle could take a turn for the worse at any moment. Cassio raised its two heads up high. ''The 2nd phase.'' Kang Oh shielded himself with Ubist. He wasn''t sure what would happen, so he decided to be cautious. Cassio''s eyes glowed red as her tongues darted in and out. Of course, this happened with both of her heads! Demon''s Eye! These eyes drew out one''s fear, preventing them from moving! "Don''t look at its eyes! Keep your eyes down!" Aman shouted. Demon''s Eye wasn''t a skill that solely belonged to Cassio. The past Snake Queens had used it as well. Thus, the hunting party was somewhat prepared for it. The warriors looked downwards, and Kang Oh did the same. Shaa! Cassio opened her left mouth wide, and attempted to devour Rio in a single bite. Rio was an exceptional warrior, so there was no way he''d be defeated so easily. He threw himself out of the way as soon as he realized that she was attacking him. Ptoo! Her left head angrily spat out dirt. Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo! Her right head spat out green liquid like a machine gun; it came at them indiscriminately! Even if the tanks drew its attention, it wouldn''t matter. The healers and the long-range DPSers were targeted too. The warriors fighting the left hand weren''t excluded either. ''It was going so smoothly, but it seems like this is where things will go astray.'' Kang Oh quickly assessed the battle. Demon''s Eye restrained their vision, the left head had tried gobbling one of them up, and the right head shot a barrage of green liquid. They couldn''t look up, so they didn''t know where the attacks wereing from. He couldn''t me them for losing theirposure. After all, they were busy protecting themselves first and foremost. ''If I want to get through this, then I''ll have to take center stage.'' Kang Oh began his one man show. Chapter 158. Taking Center Stage

Chapter 158. Taking Center Stage

Trantor: Boko Aman wasn''t an idiot. Devil''s Eye? It was annoying, but it wasn''t that big of a deal. The left head that tried devouring them in a single bite? That''s ok, it''ll just eat dirt! ''That one''s the problem.'' The right head! They had to prevent it from spewing its green liquid. "Rio, Riesen..." Aman had nned on stopping the right head with the twins, Rio and Riesen, but Kang Oh''s actions drew his attention. Kang Oh was glued to Cassio''s neck and headed for the top of her head, as if he were climbing a tree! ''Heh. So that''s your n.'' The reason he was climbing up to the top of her head was to prevent the right head from spewing its green liquid. "Go wild," Aman stared at Kang Oh and muttered. * * * The battle had taken a turn for the worse because of the right head''s continuous barrage of green liquid. They had to stop it from doing so no matter what. Thus, Kang Oh had clung to the snake''s neck, regardless of how dangerous it was. Kang Oh couldn''t jump high enough to reach her head; besides, it''d pretty much be a jump to his death. After all, he''d be jumping into a barrage of green liquid. "Ugh." However, climbing up Cassio''s neck wasn''t easy either. Not only did the right head keep moving, but its skin was slippery and there wasn''t really anything to grab on to. At least he was wearing the Baramut gauntlets. There were small hooks at the fingertip areas like a tiger''s ws! With them, he was able to scale the snake without slipping. ''I need more power!'' Kang Oh gripped tightly with one hand so that he didn''t fall, while his other hand went into his inventory and pulled out an item. It was an item he''d bought at the auction house, Mido''s Magic Wand! "Devour, Ubist!" Ubist, which was strapped to his back, erupted with darkness and consumed the wand. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Mido''s Magic Wind.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For the next 10 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are doubled.] Power up! "Let''s go!" Kang Oh gripped as tightly as he could. Though slight, his gloves were able to pierce through Cassio''s snakeskin. That was plenty. He gritted his teeth and began climbing up to the top. While doing so, he didn''t forget about the left head. If it came for him, then he''d jump down as quickly as possible. The left head was about to attack him, but it stopped; perhaps Cassio was worried that she''d hit herself. So, the left head left Kang Oh alone. ''That''s a relief.'' The top was right ahead of him. Kang Oh stretched out his hand in order to grab the right head''s horn! ''Just a little bit more...'' His arm stretched all the way! Kyaa! Cassio suddenly shook her right head from left to right as if she were shaking off a fly. Kang Oh quickly withdrew his arm and tightly grabbed her body. He''d essentially be a leech at this point. Kiya, kyaa! She thrashed around even more! However, Kang Oh wouldn''t fall. In the end, the snake head gave up first. ''Now!'' He stretched out his hand, grabbing a hold of the horn, and pulled his body above Cassio''s head. Kang Oh quickly shut his eyes too, so that he wouldn''t be affected by Devil''s Eye. ''It''s been a while since I''ve done anything with my eyes closed.'' It''d certainly been a while, but he was used to it. ''I''ve defeated 100 diators and Ubist while blind!'' Kang Oh tightly grabbed onto the horn with one hand, and drew Ubist with his other. Kyaa! Cassio shook her right head while indiscriminately spewing green liquid into the air. She was attempting to get him off. "Have a taste of this!" Kang Oh swung downwards, the tip of his sword piercing through the snakeskin on her forehead. Once, twice, a third time... Whack, whack, whack! Kyaahk, kyaahk, kya! Her right head screamed, and she swung her head even more. "Ugh!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. It felt like he''d be blown off, but he endured. ''Let''s see who wins. Will it be you or me in the end!?'' Whenever the shakes became weaker, Kang Oh would attack. Darkness Strike! The jet-ck wave devastated the right head. It was like it was bashed by a hammer! Ultimately, the left head decided to intervene. Shaa! She opened her mouth and charged at Kang Oh. He knew she wasing at him even with his eyes closed; he sensed a presence approaching him and felt a chill, which was his Hyper Intuition''s way of warning him of danger. ''This is where I have to be careful!'' Kang Oh got ready to jump. But he couldn''t afford to jump too quickly. He had to jump at the precise moment. Right now! When he felt goosebumps on his skin, Kang Oh opened his eyes and jumped. Chomp! ''It worked!'' As he fell, he saw the Snake Queen''s left head biting her right head. Now, the problem was... That he was falling! ''I shouldn''t fall to my death from this height, right!?'' He''d only jumped down because he believed he wouldn''t die. Once he reached the ground, he performed a roll that he''d learned at his kendo dojo, hoping that it''d reduce the amount of damage he took. Thud! [You have taken significant fall damage.] [You have lost 40% of your HP.] [The shock has reduced your physical abilities by 30%.] "Heal him!" He heard Aman say. Raise Life! Prayer to the Stars! Natural Healing! The healers momentarily focused all of their spells onto Kang Oh. [Your HP has been replenished.] [Healing per second has increased significantly.] [Some of your physical abilities have been restored.] "Umph." Kang Oh stood up all of a sudden. ''As expected, I didn''t die at that height.'' "Then, shall we have another go?" Time to climb the Snake Queen again! * * * Unfortunately, he didn''t get a chance to climb her again. Once the Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio, entered the third phase, she began attacking differently. The left head kept its mouth shut and swelled like a balloon. "Something''sing! Get ready!" Aman said. It was a gut feeling. Something dangerous wasing! Paha! The left head opened its mouth, spewing out a ck liquid in a fan shape. It came rushing at them, its smell resembling oil. ''Oil? Is it...?'' The right head spewed out mes. Roar! It''d be an inferno. "Uahk, fire!" "Holy shit!" "Get out of the way!" "Move somewhere without mes! Shamans, use water spells to douse the mes of anyone on fire! Healers, heal everyone now!" Aman said urgently. Even he wasn''t free from the mes; he too sprinted towards an area where the mes weren''t present. Kang Oh did the same, and stuck right next to him. "Is this how it is normally?" "No. Normally, the Snake Queen spews poison breath. This is..." "This is more like fire breath, isn''t it?" "It has a much wider range too." One side of the mound had be an inferno. "In any case, we have to get back into formation and counterattack. If it manages to use this attack again, then..." "I think it is using it again." Cassio''s left head swelled once more, and mes ignited in the right head''s mouth. "Shit...! Get out of the way!" That was the best that Aman could do. Spurt! A tsunami of mes came rushing at them once more. Unfortunately, a few of their troops died. It was a raid boss, yes, but no one could''ve expected it to use such powerful AoE attacks in quick session! ''There has to be a way...'' Every monster could be defeated! A light bulb went off in Kang Oh''s head. The shape of the hill, which made it feel like they were engaging in siege warfare, the nest that resided within the mound, Cassio''sck of movement besides its neck and heads, and its body which was coiled around countless eggs! ''It''s prioritizing the eggs! If that''s the case, then...'' "We have to go over the hill and get to the eggs. Cassio won''t be able to use her fire breath if we do," Kang Oh said. "You want us to go in there? It''s too risky." But what if they got there and Cassio began rampaging about? They''d take severe casualties. "It''s the eye of the storm!" Kang Oh wouldn''t back down. "Damn it, fine." Aman and Kang Oh changed directions. They weren''t dodging to the side; they were heading straight for her. "Everyone, get over the hill and get to the eggs!" "What?" "Are you serious?" "If you don''t wanna die, then hurry up!" Kang Oh and Aman were the first to scale the hill and jump inside Cassio''s coiled body. The rest of their troops would join up with them one or two at a time. "We have to act like we''re aiming for the eggs." "Got it." As soon as Kang Oh and Aman approached the eggs, one of Cassio''s heads came rushing at them. Kang Oh and Aman dodged, andpletely got Cassio''s attention. "As expected. She isn''t using her breath." "If she uses her breath inside the nest, then she''ll burn the eggs." "Heok, heok." Haa." Their rear soldiers breathed haggardly and entered the nest as well. "Get back into formation. Tanks and warriors in front, archers, shamans, and healers in the back!" Everyone here was the best of the best. They all moved as one. Cassio didn''t move recklessly, fearing that she would damage her eggs. ''There are only about 22 of us left,'' Kang Oh counted. They''d started with 31 troops, but 9 of them had died or were incapacitated. They were so shorthanded that he''d take any help that he could get! ''Not just any help... An undead.'' "Summon Eder!" "Huh? What!?" The suddenly summoned Eder momentarily sported a vacant expression, but waspletely shocked upon seeing the two-headed Cassio. "Calm down." "M-Mr. Kang Oh." "It''ll be over soon if you just cast Cursed Ground''s Domain and keep your shield up like usual." Eder''s eyes rolled around. He''d pretty much understood what was going on. "Understood." "Cast Cursed Ground''s Domain." "Alright!" Eder stomped on the ground twice. A magic circle formed underneath him, which transformed into ck lines that spread outwards. The Ruined Ramparts and Rusty Sword curses! It was unlikely to have much of an effect on Cassio, but it would definitely draw her attention. Shaa! Kyaa! Cassio''s two heads shrieked menacingly. Aman pointed his greatsword at Cassio. "Attack!" * * * The Great Forest''s strongest and most aggressive tribe was the Nedav Tribe! They specialized in the Strong Body skill, which maximized one''s physical abilities in exchange for a constant stream of MP. Aman, Rio, and Riesen, all members of the Nedav Tribe, used said skill. White energy arose from their bodies like a haze. Behead! Aman attacked Cassio''s left head, his greatsword glimmering in red energy. He possessed explosive speed and strength. Of course, Rio and Riesen did as well. With the addition of Kang Oh using Gluttony, the four were able to push Cassio back. Even so, Cassio wouldn''t use her fire breath or her green liquid. It was because of the eggs. She merely used Devil''s Eye and tried gobbling them up. Her attack pattern was incredibly simple! Now, she attacked using her two heads in tandem, making things more difficult. However, that alone wasn''t enough to push back the Great Forest''s elites. "This really is the eye of the storm." Aman was astonished. As of right now, Cassio was neither frightening nor dangerous to them. "She only has 20% of her HP left!" K, who could gauge a person''s HP, yelled. "Good. Keep attacking until she dies, but don''t let your guard down!" "Ooh!" Their morale shot up as victory was now in sight. But there was no way it''d be that simple; if it was, Cassio wouldn''t be a raid boss. When Cassio''s HP hit 5%, she stretched out her silver wings. p, p! Her forceful ps caused the wind to blow violently. Emergency! "She flew?" She really has all kinds of tricks! Aman furrowed his brow. Normal Snake Queens had wings, but they couldn''t actually fly. There were clearly several differences between Cassio and a normal Snake Queen. "This is bad." Kang Oh sported a grave expression. "Why?" "Look at that." Her flying had caused some of the eggs to crack. "She''s given up on her eggs." "That means..." "She''s going to use her fire breath in the air! We have to get out of the nest." "Damn it! Get out of the nest!" Aman yelled desperately. Everyone sprinted out of the nest. At that moment... Cassio''s left head spewed a ton of oil, and her right head ignited it. Spurt, roar! Here we go again! Chapter 159. Red Demon

Chapter 159. Red Demon

Trantor: Boko mes swept through Cassio''s nest, roasting the Winged Snake eggs. Fortunately, all of the troops were able to make it out of the nest. However, this only marked the beginning of Cassio''s bombardment of fire. "Fire your ranged attacks! Give it everything you got!" Aman yelled roughly. Cassio only had about 5% of her HP left. If they didn''t get rid of that remaining 5% in time, then the entire area would be an inferno and they''d be lumps of charcoal. ''It won''t work.'' Kang Oh calmly assessed the situation. Cassio would light up the entire area before the ranged attacks killed her. After all, the arrows and spells barely chipped away at her HP. ''Is there any other way?'' He still had hisst resort, Devil Trigger! But bing the Jet-ck Demon wouldn''t allow him to fly... ''Wait a second. Could it...!?'' Kang Oh swapped between Ubist and Blood. Devil Trigger! He was engulfed by Demon Sword Blood''s red light, and his entire silhouette became dark red. A short whileter... His entire body from head to toe was now red, as if he''d been covered in blood. Kang Oh''s face was covered by a mask in the shape of a bat in flight. Simrly, outstretched bat wings protruded from his back as well. Arise, Red Demon! [You can now use the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood''s power as your own.] [You have gained a tremendous life stealing ability. The more you life steal, the more powerful you be.] [You may now use Blood Red Aura, Blood Spike, Blood Spear, and Bat Metamorphosis.] [The blood element is added to all of your skills, which expends HP.] [You have been infused with Blood''s deep resentment and hatred. Enemies will now fear you.] [You have gainedrge, powerful wings. You may fly for 1 minute.] [You may now converse with Blood.] "I have wings!" In the past, Blood had bat wings herself. If that''s the case, then wouldn''t he gain ess to those using Devil Trigger? That was his thought process at least. Turns out he''d been right. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh tried to p his newly found wings. However, he wasn''t used to having wings, so they didn''t move as he liked. "Hmph, you can''t even move your wings properly." A haggard girl''s voice rang out through his mind. "Blood?" The system message had informed him that he could speak with her now, so he wasn''t surprised. "No, not Blood. Hey, Tasha." She didn''t like her demon name. After all, those damn humans had called her that name out of fear. Kang Oh thought her timing couldn''t be any better. "Hey, Tasha. Could you control my wings for me?" This wasn''t the time to be practicing. "Hmph." p, p, p! His bat wings began pping, causing him to rise off the ground. "To that overgrown snake!" He pointed at the airborne Cassio. "Don''t order me around!" Tasha said bitingly. ''Tch. Fine, let''s humor her.'' Killing the raid boss took priority. "Please." "Got it." Then... Cassio unleashed another fire breath, and the resultant mes spread everywhere. "Hurry!" He could feel his wings flying as fast as possible. Kang Oh pierced through the mes with Tasha''s help and flew towards Cassio. Then, he used Blood Spear. Three blood red spears formed nearby. Fire! Whizz, whizz, whizz! The blood spears pierced Cassio''s silver wings. Shaa! Kyaa! Cassio flew towards Kang Oh. Both of her heads opened their mouths and attempted to swallow him whole. "We have to dodge this!" "I already know." His red wings suddenly folded up and he did a nosedive. Then, he began plummeting to the floor. Chomp! Cassio''s right head just grazed past him. However, she still had her left head. It was only 5 meters away from him. "Tasha!" Kang Oh said anxiously. "Shut up!" 4 meters, 3 meters, 2 meters...! "Uh-oh!" Then, at that moment...! His folded wings unfurled. With a mighty p of his wings, he soared vertically into the air! He narrowly avoided being eaten by the left head. "Choke on this!" Kang Oh swung Blood. Blood Red Aura! Bam! A bright red aura cleaved through the air and struck Cassio''s nape. Next thing he knew, Cassio''s right head came from behind and was gaining on him. "Behind me!" Kang Oh shouted. He flew as fast as he could to shake it off! However, the head was way too fast. Kang Oh quickly formed more blood spears. He just shot them out at random; he didn''t have time to be aiming right now. Bam! Fortunately, he''d managed to hit it. The right head staggered for but a moment, but that was plenty of time for Kang Oh to get away from it. But then, Tasha suddenly said, "We''re going to fall soon." "What? How much time do we have left?" "About... 10 seconds?" "Shit." He could only fly for a minute. After a minute had passed, he would lose his ability to fly and he''d plummet to the ground. Kang Oh would probably be able to slow his fall by pping his wings, but if that happened, then Cassio would be able to catch him and swallow him up. If that''s the case, then... "Slow us down. I''ll jump onto her when shees for me." "...Got it." Once his wings stopped pping, the right head (the blood spears had injured the bridge of its nose) came rushing at him. "Now!" His wings pped forcefully onest time. He rose up into the air andnded on Cassio''s right head. "That''s it. We can''t fly anymore," Tasha said. ''I have to grab it!'' Kang Oh extended his hand. Grab. He just barely got a hold of the horn. Kang Oh used all of his strength to keep himself glued to the horn. "Haa, haa. I did it!" He''d sessfully gotten on top of the right head! "Sure, try your best," Tasha said. But with everything that was going on, he lost focus, and his and Cassio''s eyes met. Devil''s Eye! However, it didn''t have much of an effect on him, perhaps because he was using Devil Trigger. ''Good!'' Kang Oh used one hand to keep a firm grip on the horn, and used his other to thrust Blood. Stab! Kyaa! The right head repeatedly tilted its head, bowed, and flicked in an effort to get him off. Whenever it did, his wings really helped him maintain his bnce so that he wouldn''t fall off. "Thanks." Tasha was the one controlling his wings. "Hmph." Kang Oh kept stabbing Cassio with his sword, and the resulting shards of light were sucked into his de! The number of stars on his de kept going up. The right head couldn''t do anything to get him off. Cassio wasn''t willing to risk her left head attacking her right. ''10 stacks.'' 10 red stars had manifested on his sword! Blood Red Aura! A mighty red energy struck the right head once more. Kyaa! The right head shrieked. Cassio came to a decision. She attacked Kang Oh with her left head. However...! It was already toote. "This is the end!" Kang Oh forcefully thrust his sword. Tempest Tiger! A golden aura erupted from his sword. However, the tiger''s stripes were red this time, not ck. It must''ve gained the blood element via Devil Trigger. Boom! Kyaaaaaahk! The gigantic force caused Cassio to shake, so much so that its HP waspletely depleted in one fell swoop! The raid boss, Cassio, began plummeting to the ground. Kang Oh jumped off of her. He couldn''t afford to fall with her. Whoosh. Thud! Cassio''s gigantic body made contact with the me ridden ground. ck smoke and gray dust mixed together and rose from her body. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared amidst the smoke and dust. He was slowly descending with his outstretched wings. "He''s over there!" someone yelled. "We won!" Aman yelled at the top of his lungs. "Yeahhhhhhhhhh! Those who''d escaped the mes extended their hands towards Kang Oh. Their yells and cheers were unending. * * * Tap. Kang Ohnded onto the floor. "Thanks for everything." "..." Tasha didn''t reply. He''d deactivated Devil Trigger. Then, he received a system message. [You have defeated the Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio.] [Cassio is a unique monster.] [Cassio drops items that bear her name.] [Because you defeated a unique raid boss, your fame and some of your side stats have increased.] [You have obtained the title, ''Absolute Snake Hunter''.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] "I was wondering... So it was a unique monster." A unique monster. There was only one of them that would ever appear in Arth, and they dropped items that bore their name. The Two-Headed Snake Queen, Cassio, would never reappear within Arth. Plus, the items that she dropped would be a one of. In other words, no one else would have an opportunity to obtain them unless they were sold. "I leveled up twice in one go too. As expected of a raid boss." Kang Oh grinned. With this, he was now level 197. ''I also have some great footage too.'' He''d recorded footage of the expedition, as well as his fight against a unique raid boss. Plus, most of that footage was of him carrying his team! It didn''t matter whether it was Hye Rim or Jin Cheol. He''d sell it to whoever was willing to pay him the most! "You were amazing!" "Mr. Kang Oh!" "Yeahhhhhhhhh!" Aman, Eder, and the surviving troops gathered around him. It was clear who the MVP of this fight was. "Hoo, hoo, hoo!" Kang Oh raised his shoulders. ''Praise me more!'' "To think you''d fly into the sky. As expected of the man I acknowledged!" Aman patted his shoulder. "If it weren''t for me, this hunt would''ve ended in failure," Kang Oh said haughtily. "You''re right. Let''s go back and drink until we drop!" "Let me in on that too." "Me too." "You can go ahead and do that. The mes are gone now, so let''s go pick up the items that the Snake Queen left behind." What kind of items would a unique raid boss drop? "Haha, of course!" There were some shining items around Cassio''s grilled corpse. There were seven of them in total. "Alright! Pay attention!" Aman suddenly drew everyone''s attention. He then pointed at Kang Oh. "You all did well. And everyone knows that this man worked the hardest." No one disagreed with him. "So I want to give him a chance to take any one item that the Snake Queen dropped." ''Ooh! That''s right. You''re doing good, Aman!'' Kang Oh sported the biggest smile ever. "I have no problems with that." "Indeed." ''Of course you don''t.'' Kang Oh grinned. "Take a look around and pick one of them." "I ept." Kang Oh picked up the closest leather boots and looked over its item information. ''An S-rank item!'' It had a minimum level requirement of 300, and it had it all, whether it be abilities, effects, etc. It was a treasure amongst treasures! ''It''s really good, but I have to go and see what else she dropped.'' Two of them were AA-rank materials. Pass. ''What is this?'' Kang Oh picked up an egg that radiated red light. It was about the same size as an ostrich egg. [Phoenix Egg] The egg of the legendary phoenix, a bird known to repeat the cycle of life and death. It will one day return amidst fire and ashes. "A phoenix''s egg. This''ll sell for a ton too." It was the egg of the legendary phoenix. If you were a Monster Trainer, then you''d try to buy this, regardless of how bankrupt it''d leave you after. ''But why is this here?'' he suddenly thought, but Kang Oh lost interest and checked the next item. An S-rank staff. It had a minimum level requirement of 300. ''This is good too. At this rate, I won''t know what to choose.'' Kang Oh picked up thest item, an unusually shaped ring. There was an oval red gem in the center, and what appeared to be a snake with its mouth wide opened trying to devour the gem. But upon closer inspection, one could see an outstretched bird wing pattern on the gem. "Item appraisal." [Phoenix Egg Devouring Cassio Ring] Cassio was once a normal snake, but one day, she found a phoenix egg. Upon consuming it, she became a unique existence. This ring depicts Cassio devouring the phoenix egg. + Resurrection: If you die, then you will be revived at tip-top condition. For 10 minutes following your resurrection, all of your abilities will increase by 20%, and half of the damage taken will be cut in half. (Cooldown: One month) + Devil Eye: Gives you the ability to use Devil''s Eye, which nts fear in the hearts of your enemies and causes them to shrink away in fear. + Egg Eating Snake: asionally, something good will happen to you. Rank: SS Abilities: All stats +30, all elemental resistance +5%, Charisma +20, Luck +50. Minimum Requirements: Level 300, Mental 300, Charisma 100. Alternatively, possess the title, Absolute Snake Hunter. Jackpot! Thank you God, Buddha, etc. It was an SS-rank ring that could revive him! Plus, it had Devil Eye too! This was the best ring he could ask for, as his ss, more than any other, had more risks associated with it for dying. Moreover, Cassio''s ring increased all of his stats, as well as all of his elemental resistances. Not only that, but because he''d just obtained the ''Absolute Snake Hunter'' title, he could equip it right away. "I-I''ll take this one." Kang Oh''s voice shook. "Got it. Then I''ll take the rest of the items and divvy them upter based on your contributions," Aman said. "Yes sir!" Kang Oh equipped the ring immediately. Then, his eyes became red as a result of Devil Eye. [The side stat, Charisma, has been created.] [Charisma is the impression you give to others, one strong enough to sway their hearts. If your Charisma is high, then people, even those you''ve just met, will follow you.] [The side stat, Luck has been created.] [Luck is luck.] ''Now I have an SS-ring on both hands!'' On one hand, he had Kunta''s Ring, and on the other, he had Cassio''s Ring. "Hehehehe." Kang Oh''sughter wouldn''t stop. Bravo, my life! Chapter 160. Level 200

Chapter 160. Level 200

Trantor: Boko The Winged Snake Nest Expedition was over. Kang Oh''s party apanied Krohn and the rest of the surviving Nuwak warriors back to the vige. Chieftain Sh and his people stood outside of the vige and greeted them. Sh looked over the faces of Krohn, the Nuwak warriors, and Kang Oh''s party. "We came back safely," Krohn said. "Good work. Now,e inside." A memorial service was held to console the departed souls. After that, they began drinking to their heart''s content; some drank for their dead friends, while others drank because they were victorious. Eder hadpletely forgotten that he was undead, and had joined the drinking party. Sephiro, however, had logged out because he was exhausted. Kang Oh privately spoke with Sh. "Krohn told me how important you were. He said that the expedition would''ve ended in failure if not for you." "It''s all true," Kang Oh said. There was no reason to be modest. "Thank you! We will never forget what you''ve done for us." [You havepleted the quest, Winged Snake Nest Expedition.] [You will be rewarded based on your contributions during the expedition.] [You were the highest contributor for this expedition.] [Friendship with the Nuwak Tribe has been maxed out.] [You have obtained the title, True Friend to the Nuwak.] [You have obtained bonus experience points.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ''It''s like they say, expedition events really do level you up quickly.'' Expedition events offered a lot of rewards and experience points. Plus, Kang Oh was the highest contributor. However, Kang Oh didn''t receive any gold or items based on his contributions. After all, the quest only offered him experience points and friendship with the Nuwak Tribe as a reward. He''d also receive a map with the locations of the Great Forest''s dungeons, but his contributions had nothing to do with it; he''d receive it so long as the expedition was sessful. In any case, his friendship with the Nuwak Tribe had been maxed out, so the rest of his contributions were converted into a ton of experience points. This was the reason that Kang Oh had leveled up thrice in one go. [Congrattions. You have reached level 200.] He''d finally reached his goal! ''Now I can equip the ne.'' Kang Oh wanted to try out Tempest Tiger while equipping the Wind Yearning me Ne ASAP. How powerful would Tempest Tiger be when its power was quadrupled by the ne? "Chieftain Sh." "What is it?" "May I have the map you promised me?" "I already have it ready." Sh opened a drawer and retrieved a rolled up map. "Take it." Kang Oh opened up the map. There were dots all over the map, as well as the names of the dungeons. To think that there were this many dungeons in the Great Forest, all with the potential to contain a hidden dungeon! "Hehe, I''ll use it well," Kang Ohughed. "I''ve marked all of the dungeons that I know of. Of course, there are definitely some dungeons that I don''t know about. After all, the Great Forest is a big ce." "I''ll look for some of the dungeons on my own. Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Come and visit sometime." "Alright." ''If I need to ask you something, then I''lle and find you.'' Kang Oh exited the tower. The vige was extremely noisy. He smelled a nutty vor, so they must be grilling meat. "Uhahaha. Drink, drink, drink! It''s going down so easily!" It was a familiar voice. He saw Eder, who''d beenpletely taken over by the atmosphere of the vige. "You sure are enjoying yourself." Kang Oh nced at him, clicked his tongue, and left the vige. ''Is there a sandbag around that I can use?'' Kang Oh looked around restlessly and saw a Kruger; it must''ve finished hunting just recently as it was gnawing on something. Though they looked like frogs, they were incredibly aggressive; so much so that they were called the apex predator of the Great Forest. "Nice timing." Kang Oh removed the me-shaped ne from his inventory and equipped it. Then, he equipped Ubist and approached the Kruger. Once he got close enough, Kang Oh swung his demon sword. Tempest Tiger! A powerful, blinding golden aura, or the tiger-shaped aura, erupted from his sword. Boom! That sure sounded like it hurt! Tempest Tiger pounced onto the Kruger. The ne quadrupled Tempest Tiger''s power, so he assumed that the aura itself would be muchrger. Unfortunately, that didn''t happen. He instead focused on its destructive power. The Kruger, which was known for its vitality, wobbled around in an instant; this was proof that Tempest Tiger had be much more powerful than before. Moreover, the resulting whirlwind was muchrger than usual, and the wind velocity was the fastest he''d ever felt. The speed of the wind determined how powerful the whirlwind was! ''Seems like the whirlwindsts a bit longer too.'' Overall, it felt as though Tempest Tiger had clearly be stronger. However, Kang Oh couldn''t help but scowl. Tempest Tiger''s original MP cost was 600. However, his recent Tempest Tiger had cost 2,400 MP. Not only that, but the 1 minute cooldown had quadrupled to 4 minutes. If not for Kunta''s Ring, which halved all of his cooldowns, then its cooldown would be 8 minutes instead. "Tch. I didn''t think there''d be such a huge downside to it." It quadrupled Tempest Tiger''s power! However, it likewise quadrupled its MP cost and cooldown! As expected, nothing was free in this world. "Tch. On the bright side, I guess I''ve gained a one hit KO" A one hit KO. It was an apt term for Tempest Tiger now that its power was quadrupled. Kang Oh, having finished his test, returned to the vige. "Oh, Mr. Kang Oh. Let''s have a drink together." Eder stuck to Kang Oh. "Are you drunk?" "I can''t get drunk. I''m undead." Eder''s face was as ashen as always. No blood circted through his body, so his face wouldn''t get red from drinking either. "Is it ok for an undead to drink liquor?" "In this body, yes. I''ve also remodeled it so that I can eat with no problems too. Of course, I can taste food in this body too." "Haven''t you had enough?" "Hoo, hoo. You only live once. Let''s drink to our heart''s content." Him not getting drunk was clearly a lie. He may look alright, but it didn''t change the fact that he was drunk. "You do that." You drunkard! "By the way, when are you going to rece my equipment?" Eder asked. "I could barely do anything during the expedition." With a gloomy expression, he continued, "I was once the greatest healer in all thend! But right now, I''m nothing more than a burden! I can''t help but feel ashamed!" ''Now that you''re drunk, you startmenting about your pitiful state!? He''s right though. I do have to swap his equipment out...'' Kang Oh looked him over. It was almost admirable that Eder hade this far with such low level equipment. "Enjoy yourself today. I''ll swap all of your equipment soon." "Really?" "It''s better for me if you''re stronger, you know." "I love you, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder embraced him. "Hey, hey! Get off me! I said get off me!" ''I have a girlfriend!'' * * * The free city, Tispne. The beautiful Tispne River flowed through the center of the city, and was surrounded by old, antique buildings. It was the hometown of the legendary sculptor, Paulstein, and it was here that several of his masterpiecesy, able to be admired by the masses. But it was rare for yers toe here just to sightsee. Most of them were looking for dungeons, or Kainshell. Kainshell was an undercity, and it was also called the Undead''s Paradise. It was one of the most renowned hunting grounds in Arth. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro exited Tispne''s intercity transfer gate. Their destination was also Kainshell. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party left the gate and followed the river on horseback. They didn''t go far until they came across a vast in and a structure on top of it. The structure was the entrance to Kainshell. However, there were gatekeepers there. They required an admission fee for anyone who wanted to get in. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party headed for the entrance. There were five gatekeepers in total. They were all yers, but all wore the same armor. ''That white armor was made by a yer. It''s probably around level 230.'' Kang Oh looked over the gatekeepers. Their guild''s symbol was engraved on their breastte. A roaring lion. It was the symbol of the greatest of the 5 great guilds, the Empire Guild. Which meant that these gatekeepers were a part of the Empire Guild, and that the Kainshell Dungeon had been taken over by them as well. Thus, any yer that wanted to ess the dungeon had to pay the gatekeepers an admission fee, like taxes from a peasant to their lord. ''They should seriously get rid of every singlerge guild.'' Kang Oh couldn''t help but furrow his brow; after all, he detestedrge guilds. However, he had no choice but to pay the admission fee at this point in time. He needed to get Eder some better equipment. "You can go in for 6, 9, or 12 hours. Which will you choose?" "6 hours." "That''s 60 gold." ''That''s seriously expensive!'' Kang Oh hand shook as he reached for the gold. The gatekeeper passed him a green band. "Wrap this around your wrist so that it''s easily visible. When it disappears, your time is up. When it does, use a return scroll or leave without fighting anymore monsters. If you don''t, then..." The gatekeeper swiped a finger across his neck. "Also, you cannot fight the boss monster. If you do, then you''ll also..." He did the same motion once more. If they didn''t have a band on, then the Empire Guild members inside would kill them no questions asked. It didn''t matter whether they had a band or not; if they attacked the boss monster, then they''d immediately be executed. "Yeah, yeah," Kang Oh replied absentmindedly. "Go ahead." It was Eder''s turn this time. "Pass." Eder pulled out the gold, his hand shaking even more than Kang Oh''s. He''d worked so hard for that money! How long had he spent gathering all of it!? He''d saved up his daily wage day after day to... Uaahk! "Tch, tch." Kang Oh wondered whether he should enter the dungeon and then summon Eder, but if he didn''t have a band on, then the Empire Guild members would attack him anyway. Thus, Eder had no choice but to pay the admission fee. "Pass." Once Sephiro entered the dungeon, Kang Oh''s party entered the underground passageway. [You have entered the dungeon, Kainshell.] * * * There were three reasons that Kainshell was such a popr hunting spot. First, it was huge. Kainshell was an underground city type dungeon, so it was bigger than most small towns. Second, there were various types of undead down here, so you could pick and choose which ones you wanted to kill. Also, they respawned quickly and they gave a ton of experience. Third, there were several named monsters down here, and they dropped various kinds of equipment. "Of course, that equipment isn''t in good condition," Kang Oh said. "You said that only the undead could equip it, right?" Eder asked. "Yeah!" All the equipment here could only be worn by the undead. If a living being wanted to use this equipment, it would need to be remodeled. However, Eder was undead, so he could equip it right away without remodeling it. "Then we just need to hunt the named monsters to get my equipment," Eder said. "Huh? When did I say we were going to hunt the named monsters?" "Then?" "We''ll be hunting the boss," Kang Oh said nonchntly. "Excuse me?" For a moment, Eder looked at him vacantly. "The Empire Guild won''t just let that happen!" Sephiro''s eyes widened like saucers. "We just won''t get caught." Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 161. Kainshell

Chapter 161. Kainshell

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh wanted them to defeat the boss monster, even though the Empire Guild was watching and that they''d specifically warned them not to. "I''m not doing it. Definitely not!" Sephiro replied. ''The Empire Guild''s one of the 5 great guilds and they''re known to return the favor twofold. Why would I do something as stupid as going against them!?'' "Hear me out first. I have a terrific n." "I told you, I''m not doing it," Sephiro said firmly. "I''ll reduce the number of times you have to help me by one." Kang Ohid the bait. "I''m still not doing it!" But he didn''t bite. "I''m not doing this for myself. This is all for Eder''s benefit," Kang Oh said. "You''re lying!" Sephiro and Eder simultaneously yelled. This was Kang Oh they were talking about; they couldn''t fathom him doing something for someone else''s benefit. It was definitely a lie. "Kainshell''s boss monster, Clovis, drops the Hellfire Mace, which is the best weapon that Eder can use at this point in time." He was beingpletely honest. Not only was the Hellfire Mace an ''undead only'' weapon, but it was also the most powerful blunt weapon in the game. So far, that is. "Let''s not bother with the Empire Guild and just buy it from the auction house. I''ll help you pay for it," Sephiro said. He really didn''t want to deal with the Empire Guild. "It''s not for sale. The Empire Guild melts all of the Hellfire Maces into darksteel." The Hellfire Mace was an undead only weapon, so yers would need to remodel it in order to use it. Rather than remodeling and selling them, the Empire Guild just melted them into darksteel, an ore which possessed the darkness element. Thus, no one could buy it even if they wanted to. "Or are you friends with the higher-ups in the Empire Guild?" Sephiro shook his head. He had no contacts in the Empire Guild. "If we want to fit Eder with the best gear, then we need to kill Kainshell''s boss," Kang Oh said strongly. ''So just listen to me!'' "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder looked touched. ''It''s so unlike you to go so far for me!'' "Ahem." Eder still wasn''t feeling it. "Please listen to my n first. Then you can decide whether you want to do it or not." "Phew. Alright, go ahead." Kang Oh began, "So my n is..." He then exined his ''terrific'' n. A short whileter... "All we have to do is use that to kill the boss and then run. Amazing, right?" Kang Oh grinned. "I don¡¯t think anyone would really call this n ''amazing''. Do you really think it''ll work?" Sephiro asked suspiciously. "It will. You saw it too, didn''t you, Eder?" Kang Oh stared at Eder. "I have, but you were alonest time. Now we have to bring Mr. Sephiro along too. Will it really work?" Eder asked. "We have to try." Kang Oh smiled. "If all goes ording to n, then it really would be amazing," Eder said. "Hmph. I don''t think it''ll work..." Sephiro remained skeptical. "Let''s try it!" Kang Oh urged strongly. "Let''s do it," Eder agreed. "Tch. Fine, let''s do it." Ultimately, even Sephiro agreed with Kang Oh''s n. "You brought a return scroll with you, right? When we''re done, we have to leave immediately." "I brought one." Sephiro nodded his head. After all, one-time use return scrolls were invaluable to yers! "Alright, good. Kainshell''s boss will respawn at around 12 at night (2400), so we''ll proceed as nned then." "Ok," Sephiro and Eder simultaneously replied. "There''s a little more than 5 hours before then, so let''s hunt some undead in the meantime and get Eder geared up." * * * Kainshell looked like a city that had lost a war and had gone to ruin. There were gray roads, copsed walls, roofless or demolished buildings, and ruins of what appeared to be a graveyard. It was an underground city, so if one looked up, they would see not a blue sky, but a purple ceiling. The monsters within Kainshell included skeletons, ming Ghouls or Poison Spewing Ghouls, Noble Spirits, and Duhans. The mostmon and weakest of these monsters was the purple boned Kainshell Skeleton. It was between level 120 and 130. They weren''t worth hunting. "Let''s just ignore them." Kang Oh''s party immediately headed for a different area. There, they found a Poison Spewing Ghoul. It roamed around the area with its arms extended forward like a frozen corpse. It was only level 150. "Pass." Kang Oh''s ignored this one too and moved on. "What we''re looking for is a named Duhan." Duhan. They were knight type monsters that rode on horseback while carrying their severed heads. Normal Duhans were about level 180, but named ones were about level 200. "We''re looking for the Decapitated Knight set, which is also called the Duhan set. That''ll be Eder''s new armor," Kang Oh said, and Sephiro and Eder nodded their heads. "We have to find some Noble Spirits too. Named Noble Spirits drop an undead only ne and ring." This was Kang Oh''s n to revamp Eder''s gear. Eder''s new weapon, the Hellfire Mace, woulde from Kainshell''s boss. The Duhan set would serve as his new armor, and his essories woulde from the Noble Spirits. Kang Oh nned on buying Eder a new shield from the auction house. After all, the shield was his most important piece of equipment. Anyhow, Kang Oh''s party wandered through Kainshell, seeking a named Duhan or Noble Spirit. Sometimeter... They finally found what they were looking for. Tap, tap! A fallen knight riding on a skeleton horse! It was well armored, and a severed head hung at its side. This was definitely a Duhan! [You have discovered Duhan Derick.] [It is a named monster.] Whizz. Sephiro immediately shot an arrow. It was his way of calling dibs! Then, the Duhan rushed towards Sephiro. The eyes on its severed head, which hung at its side, began to glow, and its skeleton horse''s eye sockets ignited with blue demon fire. Fierce Charge! Once it began charging at him, Sephiro quickly rolled onto the floor. The horse''s head turned, charging at Sephiro again while Duhan Derrick swung its mace. Derrick missed again. Sephiro had gotten out of range beforehand. "Haht!" Kang Oh leapt to Duhan Derick''s side with Ubist in hand. sh! He swung his sword, cleaving a vertical white line! His sh had not only cut through Duhan Derick, but the skeleton horse as well. Tap, tap! The skeleton horse moved its four gaunt legs in an attempt to stomp Kang Oh. At the same time, the Duhan swung its mace downwards with lightning speed. It was a tremendousbination attack between a Duhan and its horse! However, Kang Oh was better than the two of thembined. He didn''t retreat. Instead, he dodged the skeleton horse''s hoof and deflected the mace with Ubist. ng! Kang Oh seized that opportunity and shed at the Duhan''s severed head. A Duhan''s weakness was its head! Whack! Red shards of light flew through the air. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Having had its head struck, the Duhan rampaged about like a madman and violently swung its mace. It seemed like its strength and speed had noticeably increased. Repel! The Duhan''s mace glimmered with purple energy and emitted a shockwave that spread outwards. That doesn¡¯t look good! Kang Oh avoided the attack and calmlynded another strike. His jet ck de left behind a wound wherever itnded. Sephiro barraged it with arrows as well, none of which missed, and Eder added in a Heavy Blow, Shield Bash, etc. Once its HP reached 0, it fell to the floor. Its severed head, which it hadn''t dropped till the very end, rolled onto the floor. Unfortunately, it hadn''t dropped the Decapitated Knight set. "Let''s move," Kang Oh said. They''d spent such good money to enter this dungeon. They had to kill as many monsters as possible! "Yes sir!" Kang Oh''s party immediately headed for their next target. It was only after killing their fifth named Duhan did they obtain the Decapitated Knight set. "They finally dropped it." Eder picked up the glimmering purple gauntlets. Kang Oh and Sephiro came over and appraised the equipment. [Decapitated Knight Gauntlets] Knight type gauntlets that a Duhan once wore. The gauntlets are imbued with a thick scent of death, so only the dead can equip them. + 3 Set Effect: At times, the equipper will obtain herculean strength. When they do, strength and any strength-rted abilities double in effectiveness for a short period of time. +4 Set Effect: If you receive a critical hit, then you will seethe with rage. For 10 seconds, yourbat ability increases. +5 Set Effect: All abilities increase by 20%. However, the entire head bes a weak point. Rank: A Abilities: Defense +200, Physical +30, Attack Power +2%. Minimum Requirements: Undead only. "Hoh, the set effect is great," Sephiro said. "If Eder equips the entire Duhan set and uses the Hellfire Mace, then his attack power will increase significantly," Kang Oh said. His focus was improving Eder''s attack power! "So you''re saying that I can damage them too now, not just sit there and take hits." Eder clenched his fists. ''Those days that I hit like a wet noodle... Smell youter!'' * * * [You have discovered the Noble Spirit, Krangbel.] [It is a named monster.] A gray spirit, garbed in a shy, medieval noble clothing, passed through the wall. Sephiro shot an arrow at it, while Kang Oh and Eder dashed towards it. Noble Spirits were once nobles that, for some unknown reason, became ghosts. That''s why yers had a habit of looking down on them. "How dare you lowly peasantse here!?" The spirit extended both of its arms, gathering ck energy in his hands. It must be preparing a powerful attack! However, Kang Oh attacked before it could attack. Swish! "Guaahk!" Ubist shed right through the middle and Krangbel screamed! It was only natural. His demon sword was capable of shing through the immaterial like ghosts! Thus, it was a wicked weapon towards spirits, one whose very existence instilled them with fear! ''Spirits are nothing to me.'' All spirits were weak before Ubist. "Hiik." He pushed his sword towards it,pletely shocking Krangbel. In the end, the spirit decided to flee. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh drew a dagger and threw it. Swoosh! The dagger spun through the air and pierced through the ghost''s retreating form. Bzzzzt! dion''s Dagger possessed the power of lightning, which coursed through Krangbel''s body. "Ugh." Krangbel''s body froze. He''d been electrified, so he couldn''t move. Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Whilst in the air, he shed thrice, one after another. Swish, sh, swish! His demon sword sliced through Krangbel''s body! "Guaaahk!" Krangbel shrieked. "Shut up!" Kang Oh thrust his sword and finished him. Unfortunately, Krangbel didn''t drop either a ne or a ring. "Nothing here. Let''s move!" After that, Kang Oh would mercilessly kill any Noble Spirits that came his way. Of course, he killed the named Duhans too. They''d spent their time hunting, but now it was time for their n to go into effect. Chapter 162. A Terrific Plan

Chapter 162. A Terrific n

Trantor: Boko There was a 4-story leaning tower to the north. A part of the top had been demolished, which left behind a gaping hole. The top floor was where Kainshell''s boss, Clovis, respawned. Of course, the tower was filled with other monsters as well. Various undead monsters spawned on each floor, all of which were strong enough to be considered mid-bosses. 12:00 A.M. (2400). yers wearing a band with the Empire Guild''s insignia gathered at the tower one after another. They were all part of the Empire Guild''s Assassination Squad, which was allowed to kill any yer that participated in unauthorized hunting. The Assassination Squad was also responsible for killing Kainshell''s boss, and providing the guild with the item it drops. "All of us are here," the squad leader said, a sword hanging at his waist. There were four other yers nearby. These were the Assassination Squad''s most skilled members. "We''re taking down a boss. I can''t miss out on that, now can I?" a man, who carried his spear on his shoulder, smiled and said. "Let''s go." Small talk was unnecessary. After all, they had already gone through the tower and killed the boss several times before. Screech. The tower doors opened and the Assassination Squad entered. Creak. It was the sound of ttering bones. They were greeted by a purple skeleton that wore a champion belt around its waist. The monster was called a Skeleton Champion. It was an undead monster that had the ability to summon enough skeletons to fill the tower to the brim. "Let''s go at it like normal," the squad leader said. "Ok." Once the entire squad rushed at it, the Skeleton Champion raised its sword up high. Then, the bones scattered on the floor turned into skeletons. There were 100 of them! But a lion will never lose to a wolf, no matter how manye at it! It didn''t matter how many level 120 skeletons there were, they couldn''t beat five yers that were over level 200. Whack, whack, whack, whack! The squad struck, and the skeletons fell like leaves in the autumn wind. Aside from its ability to summon skeletons, the Skeleton Champion was pretty much exactly the same as any other skeleton. Thus, the Assassination Squad finished things rather quickly. "Next floor." On the 2nd floor, they encountered a giant ghoul, which was more than 3 meters tall and spewed a potent poison. However, it wasn''t strong enough to threaten the squad. Next, they faced Noblewoman Kataria on the 3rd floor. As a spirit, she could cast all sorts of curses, unleash sound waves from her mouth, and freely use powerful ice magic. All of these factors made her a difficult monster to defeat. Thus, the Assassination Squad took some time to defeat her. "Tch. Spirits really are annoying monsters," a squad member said. "Agreed," another member said. "Let''s hurry and kill the boss. Then we can go to sleep," the squad leader said. "Agreed, let''s do it." They headed for thest floor where the boss resided. Screech. The door to the boss room slowly opened. However...! "Huh?" "Eh?" All of them looked astonished. "What?" The squad leader rubbed his eyes and looked once more. However, he hadn''t seen wrong the first time around. Clovis was sprawled on the floor! His skeleton horse''s bones were scattered around like a broken toy! The squad leader approached Clovis and checked his condition. ''He''s dead!'' "How did this..." Unexpectedly, the boss monster was already dead! Even though they were the ones who''d gone through the tower floor by floor! * * * 11:30 P.M. (2330). Kang Oh''s party had arrived at the tower. "Hoo, hoo, hoo. I feel so powerful." Eder beamed. He was covered in faint purple armor. The helmet he wore also had two horns like a bull. The Duhan set! They''d hunted named Duhans for the past five hours and as a result, they had managed to gather all of the pieces of the Duhan set. "Do you like it?" Kang Oh asked. "I do," Eder replied immediately. "You''ll like it even more when we swap your weapon too." "Of course!" "Then let''s try executing our n." Kang Oh stored Ubist and retrieved Blood. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh''s silhouette turned bright red, and a bat-shaped mask appeared over his face. The Red Demon had arisen once more! "Oho." Sephiro marveled at his new form. Unfurl. Kang Oh''s stretched out his bat wings. "Please hold onto me," he said, and Sephiro tightly grabbed onto him. "Tasha?" "What?" Tasha''s voice rang out through his head. "I want to fly up to the hole at the top of that tower. Is it possible?" Kang Oh asked. "Dunno. But right now, you can only fly for 20 seconds." Since Sephiro was with him, he needed to carry the weight of the two of them. "20 seconds, huh... We''re slower too, right? It might be tight." Kang Oh estimated the height of the tower. "Hmph. You can try if you want." "Please control my wings for me." "Ah, what a pain," she said, and Kang Oh''s wings began to forcefully p. Kang Oh and Sephiro, who clung onto his back, rose into the air. "Uoooh." Sephiro widened his eyes. He really was flying! p, p, p, p! His wings began to p faster and faster. Obviously, he rose into the air faster than before too. Soon, he could look down and see thendscape. The two of them had gotten above the tower. ''We had some time to spare.'' He only had 20 seconds to fly, but he''d only taken 15 seconds to get here. "Tasha, could you get us to that hole?" "..." Tasha remained silent, but did as he asked. Because of that, Kang Oh and Sephiro safely enter the top of the tower without fighting a single monster. "Thanks," Kang Oh said as soon as hended. "..." He didn''t hear her reply, but deactivated Devil Trigger anyway. "Hahk, haa. To think that this crazy n of yours would actually work." Sephiro stared at the hole he''d just flown through. He still couldn''t believe that they''d just gotten through there. "What did I tell you? I told you that it was a terrific n." Kang Oh grinned. After he''d finished the Winged Snake Nest Expedition and had told Eder that he''d get him some new gear, he thought of all the undead only equipment that he knew of. He automatically thought of the Kainshell Dungeon, where the monsters dropped undead only equipment. However, the Kainshell Dungeon had already been upied by the Empire Guild. Moreover, they monopolized the boss. The boss dropped the Hellfire Mace, which would be ideal for Eder''s use. Kang Oh thought about what to do, and had also done research on Kainshell. As a result, he saw an image of a hole at the top of the tower. At that moment, a light bulb went off in his head. ''What if I use Blood''s flight ability to go straight there?'' If it worked, then they could kill the boss monster and run without getting caught by the Empire Guild. It would take those Empire Guild bastards some time before they could get to the top, as they needed to kill all of the mid-bosses along the way. That''s how Kang Oh hade up with this n. As you can inly see, the n was a remarkable sess! "Summon Eder!" Then, Kang Oh brought Eder to the top floor as well. With this, Kang Oh''s entire party had infiltrated the top floor! Now all they needed to do was wait for Clovis to respawn. * * * 12:00 (2400). When the Empire Guild''s Assassination Squad entered the tower, Kang Oh''s party engaged the boss monster. [You have discovered the Headless Duhan, Clovis.] His head, like other Duhans, was severed, and he was covered in jet ck armor. He rode on a skeleton horse and was about level 230! He also carried zing Hellfire Maces in either hand. However, there was one marked difference between Clovis and the other Duhans. His severed head wasn''t present. That wasn''t good news for Kang Oh''s party. Unlike most undead, Duhans possessed strong bodies. In exchange, however, their heads were extremely vulnerable to attacks. But Clovis didn''t even have a severed head, so they didn''t have a weakness to aim for. Rat-a-tat-tat! His skeleton horse''s eyes ignited with blue fire and charged at them. "Scatter!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro split off in different directions. Clovis targeted Kang Oh first. Whoosh! He aimed his mace at the top of Kang Oh''s head. "Tch." Kang Oh protected himself with Ubist''s wide de. ng! Once Clovis''s mace made contact, the mes began to surge. "Ugh." Clovis''s power was considerable. Kang Oh could also feel the heat radiating from his mace as well! Kang Oh retreated slightly and then leapt forward like a spring. Then, he swung Ubist horizontally. He was aiming for the skeleton horse! Because Clovis didn''t have a head, there wasn''t anywhere worth targeting. It wasn''t easy to hit him either, as he was on horseback. Thus, Kang Oh would take out his skeleton horse first and force him onto the ground. Whack. His demon sword crushed the skeleton horse''s ribs. Whoosh! Clovis''s mace came flying at him like lightning. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor to dodge it. Eder used that opportunity to attack the skeleton horse. He forcefully swung his mace, which emitted green mist, at it. Whack! Shards of light flew through the air. However, his attack wasn''t as powerful as Kang Oh''s, so it didn''t break any ribs. At almost the same time, Sephiro shot three arrows, striking the skeleton horse''s forehead one after another. Rattle. Rattle. The skeleton horse shook its head and its bones grated against each other. Whoosh! Clovis swung his mace in a wide arc. His mace was followed by a trail of fire. Eder protected himself with his skull shield. ng! "Ugh." Once the Hellfire Mace made contact, Eder was pushed back. Meanwhile, Clovis''s horse ran forcefully. After that, ck energy began rising from Clovis and his horse''s body like a haze. Charge of Death! This was much like the Duhan''s Fierce Charge, but more powerful and destructive. They rushed towards Sephiro like a wave that swept through everything! Sephiro just barely leapt away in time and avoided the destructive charge. However, the Charge of Death wasn''t finished. Clovis turned his horse and aimed for Eder this time. "Don''t panic. Just time your jump properly!" Kang Oh yelled. There was no way of stopping the Charge of Death. You could only dodge until it was over. "Alright." Eder flung himself out of the way. He was a little early, but he was safe. The ck energy surrounding both Clovis and his horse disappeared. Charge of Death was over. "Attack!" Kang Oh shouted. They had to defeat Clovis before the Empire Guild got here. Thus, he couldn''t even afford to catch his breath. As they''d agreed upon prior, Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder targeted the skeleton horse. Clovis counterattacked with his mace, moving in tandem with his horse as if they were of one body. He also managed to use Charge of Death a second time. However, Clovis couldn''t protect his mount till the very end. Once his horse slumped to the floor, Clovis jumped off of the saddle. Thud. His horse waspletely sprawled on the floor, but he himself was fine. As soon as Clovis raised his twin maces into the air, they began to ze even more intensely. This was a signal that the 2nd phase had begun. Chapter 163. Taking the Best Part for Yourself

Chapter 163. Taking the Best Part for Yourself

Trantor: Boko The Duhan, Clovis, attacked Eder with his twice Hellfire Maces. Repel, Suppression, and Violent Strike! He used skill after skill on Eder, instantly pushing him back. ng, ng, ng! His Hellfire Maces endlessly bashed on Eder''s skull shield. Eder looked like he''d been driven into a corner and yet, he didn''t panic at all. ''This is nothing.'' To Eder, who''d fought countless monsters with Kang Oh, Clovis wasn''t a difficult foe to contend with. Plus, he was wearing the Duhan set. "Take this!" While enduring Clovis''s assault, Eder calmly pinpointed a weak spot and swung his mace as quick as lightning. At that moment, the Duhan set gave him herculean strength. Whack! His attack gave off a refreshing ''whack'' and his hand tingled. It was so electrifying that he felt a shiver go down his spine! Clovis was pushed back by the unexpected blow. Then, Kang Oh let out a Baramut''s Roar. Kuheong! Kang Oh, now infused with the power of a tiger, took out the BB-rank gloves that he''d bought from the auction house. Gluttony! [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Red Metal Gloves.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For the next 10 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are doubled.] ''I don''t think I''ll need Devil Trigger.'' Ubist''s assimtion rate was over 90%. He''d eventually need to ovee the Trial of the Demon Sword again, but today wouldn''t be the day. Clovis wasn''t powerful enough to warrant using Devil Trigger. If he wasn''t pressed for time, then he wouldn''t have even used Gluttony. ''Anyhow, let''s kill him quickly and then run.'' Kang Oh relentlessly swung his sword. sh, cut, cut, thrust! Kang Oh''s wless, weighty attacks forced Clovis onto the defensive. Not to mention that Eder and Sephiro were helping out too. Clovis''s HP went down quickly, and proceeded to the 3rd phase. Three magic circles appeared on the ground, and three named Duhans arose from them. Clovis summoned enough Duhans to match the size of one''s party. Since Kang Oh''s party consisted of three members, only three Duhans were summoned. "Eder, keep the Duhans busy." "Alright." Eder led the Duhans away from his party and then attacked them. "C''mon!" Though he was up against three named Duhans, he didn''t get overpowered. In fact, he''d throw in an attack here and there, which actually caused them to topple over. ''Ooh, so this is how much of a difference gear makes.'' Eder was really satisfied with his new equipment. While Eder did his thing, Kang Oh and Sephiro concentrated all their efforts on Clovis. Upon entering the third phase, Clovis became enraged, which further increased his strength and speed. He continued to use Repel, Suppression, and Violent Strike, and also used some skills he hadn''t used before, like mes of Death and Hellfire Sweep. This was the first time they''d actually seen him use these skills, but Kang Oh and Sephiro were already aware of them, so they didn''t panic at all. Ting, whizz, whizz! Thwock, thwock, thwock! Sephiro''s arrows would never go astray. Clovis was pretty much struggling at this point. Kang Oh would either avoid or block his attacks and then much too easilynd an attack. ''This is easy. Really easy.'' The level 230 boss, Clovis. He was much weaker than the likes of the Minotaur brothers, Blood, or the Snake Queen, Cassio that he''d fought in the Great Forest. ''Let''s end this.'' Kang Oh deliberately exposed his side. Then, Clovis came flying towards it. At that moment... Tempest Tiger! A golden aura erupted from his de, and his me-shaped ne began to glow. Boom! The quadrupled strength Tempest Tiger pounced on Clovis. It was so powerful that it created an indentation on Clovis''s thick armor. Not only had Clovis fallen, but he had also rolled more than ten times on the floor. [You have defeated the Headless Duhan, Clovis.] [Clovis is a boss monster that only drops set items.] [Clovis has dropped a Hellfire Mace and a Necromancer''s Diminishing Secret Potion.] Clovis died before the whirlwind had even started. The Duhans that Eder had been fighting against instantaneously turned to ck smoke and dispersed into the air. Once the whirlwind died down, Kang Oh quickly picked up the items. Then he said, "Take a look around. Make sure there''s nothing here that can lead them back to us." Just in case, Sephiro picked up all of the arrows that he''d used, which included the ones within Clovis''s body and the ones scattered about. Eder didn''t have anything that he could''ve dropped. "Let''s go." "That''s what I like to hear." Both Kang Oh and Sephiro took out return scrolls and ripped them apart. Silver powder glittered around them, and their bodies began to fade. Eventually, theypletely disappeared. After that, Eder''s body began fading as well. Kang Oh, who had returned to Altein, was summoning him. Ultimately, all they had left behind were the traces of battle, Clovis''s headless body, and the broken skeleton horse. There was nothing moving inside the fourth floor. Sometimeter... The door to the boss room opened, and in came the Empire Guild''s Assassination Squad. "Huh?" "Eh?" "What?" They hade to a boss that had already been defeated and stared dumbfounded. Then, the squad leader regained hisposure and realized what had happened. "Someone got here before us." He didn''t know how exactly they did it, but he was sure that they''d killed the boss and run. After all, a boss wouldn''t kill itself, and there were also traces of a battle taking ce. "How did they get here before us?" one of the squad members asked. "I''m not sure yet. I need to report this to headquarters first, and then we''ll go from there." "That seems best," another squad member agreed. The squad leader sent a message to the Empire Guild''s vice-captain. - Vice-captain. - What is it? - Someone killed the Kainshell boss and ran away. - Who would dare...? - I''m not sure. What''s worse, I have absolutely no idea how they got into the boss room before us. - So you''re telling me that there''s a thief out there that fearlessly killed a boss under the Empire Guild''s control? - Yes. - Then we have to capture them and then teach them a lesson. Pay back twice what you''re owed. That''s the irond rule of the Empire Guild. - Yes. If we don''t deal with this swiftly, then simr events will ur elsewhere. - I''ll send Sweeper Kraal. He''ll deal with this issue. - Understood. After closing the message window, the squad leader said, "I''ve given my report. The vice-captain is sending Kraal." "Kraal... That Kraal?" One of the squad members widened their eyes. "The very same. He''s sending the Mad Dog." "Mm..." "In any case, this has nothing to do with us anymore. Kraal will deal with this matter." * * * Altein, Eder''s residence. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gathered at Eder''s house. "I didn''t think this crazy n of yours would work." Sephiro still couldn''t believe it. "Hoo, hoo. Who do you think made that n?" Kang Oh grinned. "Agreed." Eder gave him a thumbs up. ''It really was a terrific n!'' "But will the Empire Guild really note after us?" Sephiro said concernedly. They''d stirred up the ho''s nest, so he was ufortable with the aftermath. "They won''t sit still, that''s for sure. But how would they know that it was us?" Kang Oh said calmly. Not getting caught in the first ce was best! "Still..." Sephiro hesitated. "If you''re that worried about it, then go to the Empire Guild headquarters and tell them that it was me. I''m sure they''ll be like ''Oh, no. You''re such a good boy.'' and let you live. Who knows?" Kang Oh and Sephiro knew that that was an impossibility. The moment he confessed would be the moment he died. "Tch." "We''ll be fine." Eder patted Sephiro''s shoulder andforted him. "Now then, shall we look at the items that Clovis dropped?" Kang Oh removed the Hellfire Mace and the Necromancer''s Diminishing Secret Potion from his inventory. "This is..." Sephiro grabbed the vial containing green liquid. [Necromancer''s Diminishing Secret Potion] A secret potion created by an unknown necromancer. If applied to a weapon, then it may have some special effect on it. "No way." Sephiro slightly opened his eyes. "Way." "Clovis dropped this?" "Clovis and a few other undead bosses drop this." "The price of this alone is..." "About 500 gold." "That makes sense... I was wondering why you were so insistent on killing Clovis, even though it wouldn''t benefit you at all. Now I understand why you made such a crazy n... Was it because of this?" Sephiro asked. ''You really are horrible!'' "Sort of." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. He''d acquired better gear for Eder, made some money, and gave the Empire Guild, arge guild that upied the dungeon and forced people to pay an admission fee, the middle finger. Not bad, huh? "What is this anyway?" Eder jumped in. "If you apply this to your weapon, then it''ll reduce its equip requirements by 20%," Sephiro exined. "Ah, is that the Necromancer''s Diminishing Secret Potion?" "You know what it is?" Kang Oh asked. "I remember reading about it back when I was studying necromancy." "Do you know how to make it?" Kang Oh stared at Eder, eyes filled with anticipation. "Not really..." Eder scratched the back of his head. "Tch." Kang Oh looked disappointed. The recipe would''ve sold for quite a bit. "Anyway, I''m going to sell the secret potion at the auction house." Kang Oh returned the potion to his inventory. "20% is mine," Sephiro said. Kang Oh nodded his head. Then he looked at Eder and said, "Use the Hellfire Mace well. Don''t forget what I''ve done for you." "Hehe, thank you very much." Eder politely grabbed the mace with both hands. [Hellfire Mace] The weapon that Kainshell''s boss monster, Clovis, used. It contains the power of a low rank fire demon, so it is always engulfed in me. + Hellfire: Mighty mes rise from the weapon, inflicting fire damage. It will asionally burn your opponent. + Crush: Landing an attack will reduce your opponent''s defense by 10% at most. Rank: AA Abilities: Attack Power +310, Physical +40, Mental +20, fire and darkness skills/magic damage +5%. Minimum Requirements: Undead only. "Ooh." After looking over the item''s abilities, Eder was in awe. Its attack power far surpassed his previous weapon''s, and the item''s abilities were much better too. "Do you like it?" Sephiro asked. "I like it very much." Eder raised his new mace high into the sky. It was spiked, and mes rose from the main section of the mace. "The aftermath is kind of worrying, but... If you like it, then all that hard work was worth it." Sephiro beamed. "Kuu, Brother!" Eder looked deeply moved. "I''ll buy you a shield from the auction houseter, so keep using the skull shield for now," Kang Oh said. "Alright." "Oh, right. Give me Jakma''s Mace and the Cursed Blood Knight set back." The gear he''d been using thus far had been lent to him by Kang Oh. Now that he had some new equipment, he needed to return the gear he''d borrowed. Kang Oh and Eder had already agreed to this prior, so Eder returned the equipment withoutint. ''I can use these for Gluttony.'' Jakma''s Mace, which emitted poisonous mist that also damaged its wielder, and the ''Cursed'' Blood Knight set, which reduced the equipper''s abilities. All of the equipment had major ws, so they obviously wouldn''t sell. Thus, using it for Gluttony would be a far better choice. "Then that''s all for today folks." Kang Oh stood up. "Good work everyone." "See you tomorrow." Kang Oh believed that that was the end of everything. However...! That was wishful thinking. Chapter 164. Mad Dog Kraal

Chapter 164. Mad Dog Kraal

Trantor: Boko Mad Dog, Kraal. He was a Sweeper, someone who dealt with those cklisted by the Empire Guild. He was called the Mad Dog because he''d never lose his target, and was known for being skilled and particrly stubborn, even whenpared to the rest of the Sweepers. Kraal showed up in the Kainshell boss room. Both of his eyes were red. It was a sign that he was a murderer, someone who went around hunting other yers. "Wee," the squad leader, who''d been on standby, greeted him. "I got the gist of things from the vice-captain... I''m going to take a look around." "As you wish." Kraal first examined Clovis and the skeleton horse''s bodies. His red eyes narrowed. ''At least the bodies are still here.'' After a certain amount of time, monsters'' bodies would transform into shards of light andpletely disappear. He''de right over after the vice-captain had called him, which had worked to his advantage. Since he was able to examine the bodies himself. ''There are sword cuts, arrows were pulled out, and a mace was used as well.'' He looked away from the bodies, and examined the traces of battle on the ground and walls. ''Based on the damage inflicted and the barely left behind footprints, there are three of them.'' But there wasn''t anything concrete enough to point him towards the perpetrators. "I''d like to ask you a few questions," Kraal stared at the squad leader and said. "Yes?" The squad leader nodded his head. "Has something like this happened before?" "To my knowledge, no." "Are you sure they killed the boss without going through the mid-bosses?" "Yes. Mypanions and I killed the mid-bosses. But when we went into the boss room, the boss was already dead." "So they got here before the boss and mid-bosses respawned." "That seems most likely, but I have no idea how they got here before us." The squad leader looked to be at his wit''s end. "Does the boss always respawn at the same time?" "Yes. The boss respawns once every week, so our squad kills it every Thursday at 12 (2400)." "Who else knows about it?" "It''s not exactly a secret..." "Then is it possible to enter the boss room at around 11 and then kill it when it respawns?" Kraal asked. "Some time after killing the boss, the doors to the tower, besides the entrance, be locked. That''s why you have to go through the mid-bosses to ascend the tower and kill the boss." "Hmm. Whatever the case, someone entered the boss room before the doors closed and then they waited until the boss respawned." "It''s possible, but that would mean they waited in the boss room for at least four days..." For some reason, the squad leader didn''t think that was the case. Kraal didn''t believe that Clovis was worth waiting that long for. "Unlikely." Kraal was of the same mind. "Then how?" "I''m not sure. There could be a secret passageway that we are unaware of. If not, then..." Kraal pointed towards the hole at the corner of the ceiling. "They might''ve gone through there too." Kraal was sharp, and his intuition was telling him that the hole was suspicious. "What? They came through there? You''re telling me that someone climbed the tower?" "They probably didn''t climb it. It would''ve taken too long, and it would''ve ran the risk of being discovered by our guild members." "Then?" "They flew in." Kraal urately deduced their n. "With flight magic?" "Most yers right now can''t use flight magic. Plus, the battle doesn''t show any signs of a mage." "Then what did they do?" The squad leader tilted his head. "I heard that the Tower rewards yers with a magic scroll containing flight magic for a particr quest. I n on investigating those that have been awarded the scroll first." Kraal decided that there was nothing to be gained here and left the tower. The Assassination Squad Leader saw him off. "Please kill the ones who did this." Pay back twice what''s owed! That was the irond principle of the Empire Guild. "Yeah, sure," Kraal said absentmindedly. He had no loyalty to the guild whatsoever. There was a simple reason that he was a part of the Sweepers, who killed yers that were on the Empire Guild''s cklist. ''It''s profitable.'' If he killed cklisted yers, then the Empire Guild would pay him a fortune. This was the same as all the others. The vice-captain promised to reward him handsomely if he punished the perpetrator. Thus... "I don''t know who they are, but they''ll have to die for me at least 10 times." Kraal''s red eyes glinted sharply. * * * Jae Woo met the TGN producer, Hye Rim, at a nearby cafe. Hye Rim had sent him a message stating that she''d like to buy his footage of Snake Queen. "My name is Choi Jae Woo." "I''m Shin Hye Rim." Jae Woo and Hye Rim shook hands, and then sat across from each other. "We''re both busy people here. Could we just get to the point please?" Jae Woo said. "Sure." "How much are you willing to pay?" "I''d like to see the footage first. You have to see the goods before you buy it." "Did you bring a tablet?" Hye Rim then retrieved a tablet from her bag. Then, Kang Oh inserted the ck chip into her tablet. A short whileter... The tablet began showing Jae Woo and the Great Forest''s warriors battling against the Two-Headed Snake Queen. ''Wait, this is amazing.'' Hye Rim couldn''t bring herself to look away. She was especially intrigued by the actions of the smiling man before her, who was also known as Oga. Add to that Aman''s charismatic actions andmand, the various skills and spells used by the tribes'' warriors, and the imposing form of the Snake Queen! It was already an amazing clip, but the final fight midair was the best part. She was so entranced by the clip that, unbeknownst to her, she was biting on her thumb. It was a habit she had when she was focusing on something. ''An airborne battle... I can''t let this go.'' Hye Rim hade to a decision. She had to buy this clip no matter what! "How is it?" Jae Woo asked once it was finished. "Ah." It was only then did Hye Rim realize that she''d been biting her thumb this entire time. She then quickly pulled her thumb away. "It was beyond my expectations." "Seems like you like the product." "I really do." Hye Rim confessed frankly. "Then how much will you buy it for?" Hye Rim furrowed her brow. "I came with 5 million won ($5,000 USD), but I don''t think that... will be enough." 5 million won was no small amount by any stretch of the imagination. However, after seeing the clip herself, she believed that 5 million won was way too little. "I sold the Fight Against 100 Men clip to Producer Jin Cheol for 10 million won ($10,000 USD)," Jae Woo said. He had to get at least 10 million won for this. He was basically saying, ''If I''m not satisfied, then I''ll sell it to Jin Cheol instead''. "Let me have a copy of the footage. I''ll see what the higher ups decide." "As you wish." "Please don''t sell it to anyone else and just wait for me." "Understood." A few dayster... He met with Hye Rim again. "TGN will buy the clip for 12 million won ($12,000 USD)." 12 million won! Kang Oh smirked automatically. However, he didn''t take the offer right away. "Hmm... Can''t you offer me anymore?" Jae Woo asked. "It''s 12 million won! 12 million!" "Yeah. Like I said, offer me some more." After all, he had all the negotiating power here! "Tch." ''This won''t be easy'', her expression seemed to say. "Understood. Then I''ll give you a bonus," Hye Rim said. "Go on." "If the viewership goes over 10%, then we''ll give you another 3 million won ($3,000 USD)." "TGN viewership is normally..." "9%." "Hmm." "I can''t give you anymore!" She gave him an ultimatum. ''The clip is amazing, so... It''ll definitely go over 10%. So I get a total of 15 million won ($15,000 USD).'' 15 million won! That was huge! "Alright, you have a deal." Ultimately, Kang Oh epted her deal. But as part of the deal, TGN had to use the alias ''Oga'' and cover up his face. After that, TGN promoted the Snake Queen Expedition program, and several people were drawn in by the trailer. * * * The Nuwak Vige... Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro came out of Nuwak''s only inn. However, Eder was no longer holding the four color skull shield anymore. He was holding a rectangr shield bearing a leopard biting a sword insignia. This was the shield of Mayan Loxia, who''d be a Death Knight. It was a shield with the ''undead only'' requirement, and Kang Oh had bought it from the auction house strictly for Eder''s use. The shield was obviously much better than the skull shield. "Let''s do our best today too," Eder said energetically. As ofte, Kang Oh''s party had been focused on clearing the dungeons on the map, as well as finding hidden dungeons. "We''ve already gone through Yammon Cave, so where are we going today?" Sephiro asked. The Parmarl Underground Labyrinth and the Winged Snake Nest were both huge, and it seemed like all of the Great Forest''s dungeons followed that trend. Thus, going through one dungeon without missing anything would take at least 2 or 3 days. "Let''s go to the Ungar Swamp today. I heard from the innkeeper that there are old ruins over there," Kang Oh said. Old ruins. Doesn''t that make you think that there is something hidden there? They rode their Yumas and immediately headed for the locationbeled as Ungar Swamp on their map. "This must be it," Kang Oh, who stopped his Yuma, said. He''d heard from the innkeeper that the Ungar Swamp was filled with thick mist all year round. As the innkeeper had said, there was cloudy mist obscuring his vision. "Let''s go." Once they entered the mist, Kang Oh received a system message. [You have entered the dungeon, Ungar Swamp.] [Thick mist obscures your vision. Please be careful.] Ssh. They stepped into stagnant swamp water. "What kind of monsters show up here?" Sephiro asked. "Monster Crocodiles supposedly," Kang Oh said. Speak of the devil and he shall appear. Something came towards them through the thick mist. Then, they saw vertical slits looking through the mist; they were clearly reptilian eyes. Kang Oh stared into the creature''s eyes. He used Devil Eye, turning his eyes red like the setting sun; for some reason, his eyes had be both mysterious and ominous! Devil Eye caused one''s opponent to shrink in fear, but it hadn''t worked in Kainshell because all of the monsters were undead. But as he went through the Great Forest''s dungeons, Kang Oh had found out that Devil Eye was much more powerful than he''d originally thought. He could essentially get the drop on his opponents with just a look. However, Devil Eye wasn''t an all powerful ability. There were many monsters that it didn''t work on and at times, it actually enraged his enemies instead. Like right now. Kuaahk! The monster shrieked and popped out of the mist! As he expected, it was a Monster Crocodile. It appeared to be more than 6 meters long. It was so intimidating that he''d be shaking in his boots if it were real. "Let''s go, you!" Eder bravely charged towards it. Then, the Monster Crocodile opened its mouth wide and tried to devour him. "Not going to happen!" Eder swung his mace. Bam! Once his mace, which was engulfed in mes, struck the crocodile''s mouth, the mes zed even more intensely than before. Kyaahk! The crocodile shrieked threateningly, and then turned around and swung its tail. Whoosh! ng! Eder raised his shield, blocking the crocodile''s attack. Then, Eder counterattacked. Whack! Kura! Even though it possessed such thick skin, it screamed in agony. That''s how powerful Eder''s attack had been! Not only that, but...! Kang Oh and Eder had bought him a new rectangr shield! Plus, he''d acquired a ne and ring set from the Noble Spirits as well. This shield and essory set gave him a special ability that further increased his defense. However, the enemy would have to be stronger than the Monster Crocodile to force him to use it. "Guess it''s my turn." Kang Oh rushed at the Monster Crocodile, Blood in hand. Sephiro brought out a longer, thicker arrow than usual. It was an arrow that had added effectiveness against monsters with thick skin. A short whileter... The three, with an overwhelming show of might, defeated the monster and turned it into crocodile skin. Chapter 165. Stone Monkey Hideout (1)

Chapter 165. Stone Monkey Hideout (1)

Trantor: Boko The Ungar Swamp didn''t really have a particr entrance or exit. Escaping the misty swamp was essentially the same as clearing the dungeon. Conversely, entering the mist was the equivalent of entering the dungeon. Only Monster Crocodiles appeared in this dungeon. Like the innkeeper had said, there were indeed old ruins here. Large rocks were etched with humanlike faces much like moai statues. He was carefully examining the ruins at the moment. After all, his Hyper Intuition could go off at any moment and lead him to a hidden dungeon. "Do you sense anything?" Eder asked. "Nope." Kang Oh shook his head. "That Hyper Intuition skill of yours isn''t real, is it?" Sephiro stared at him suspiciously. In order to exin his actions, Kang Oh had exined that Hyper Intuition was a special skill. However, they''d explored three dungeons here to no avail, so Sephiro was starting to get suspicious. "It''s definitely real," Kang Oh said. "He''s telling the truth. Mr. Kang Oh finds things really well," Eder supported him from the side. It was only natural. Kang Oh had discovered so many hidden dungeons thus far! "Hmm." Despite that, Sephiro remained distrustful. "You''ll see soon enough." They''d explored several dungeons already, so they were sure to find a hidden dungeon eventually. When the time came, Sephiro wouldn''t look so distrustful anymore. Probably. Kang Oh''s party searched every nook and cranny of the Ungar Swamp, killing Monster Crocodiles along the way. How much time had passed? Kang Oh suddenly stopped and clenched his fists. "I feel something." The feeling that something was suspicious and that there was more to it! It''d been a really long time since he''d felt this sensation. "Oh, you finally got something?" Eder''s eyes gleamed. "What are you talking about? I only see trees here." There weren''t any ruins here. All they could see here was muddy ground, giant Agrashi trees, and grass. ''There''s no way a hidden dungeon is here!'' Kang Oh smirked. ''Why wouldn''t there be?'' "Over there." He pointed at an Agrashi tree, which was renowned for eternal growth. Upon seeing it, his Hyper Intuition red. "What about this tree?" "There''s something to this tree. I''m sure of it," Kang Oh said firmly. "Then let''s take a look." Eder approached the tree. The tree was so big and thick that it was work even examining it. "I''m not so sure." Sephiro looked skeptical, but looked over the tree nheless. Kang Oh stroked the tree bark with both hands. He was checking to see if any ce felt different, or if there was a hidden device somewhere that would be difficult to identify with the naked eye. The three men patted the tree for some time, moaning and groaning in the process. However, they didn''t find anything. "There isn''t anything here!" Sephiro said, his expression saying, ''See!?''. "This is weird..." Eder studied Kang Oh''s face. ''This doesn''t make any sense...'' "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. ''If it''s not under, then... it must be above.'' He raised his head. However, he couldn''t even begin to estimate the height of the tree. The thick mist was obscuring the upper area of the tree. ''No choice but to go up there myself and check.'' "Let''s climb up," Kang Oh said. "Why would we do that?" "Let''s do as he asks. There''ll be something up there, I promise." Kang Oh pointed at the upper portion of the tree, which was shrouded by the mist. "Is there really something there?" Sephiro asked. "There is." "Please try trusting Mr. Kang Oh." Eder patted Sephiro''s shoulder. "You better hope there''s something up there." Sephiro began scaling the tree first. "You stay here," Kang Oh said to Eder. He didn''t really need to climb the tree, as Kang Oh could just summon him if they found something. "Alright." "I''m going." Kang Oh rubbed his hands together a few times and then began climbing the tree. It was much easier than climbing up to Cassio''s head. After all, his gloves'' hooks went in easily, and there were things he could hang onto halfway up too. Sephiro and Kang Oh quickly climbed up the tree. Soon, their forms werepletely obscured by the mist. * * * [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Stone Monkey Hideout.] [You are the first to discover it.] "No way." Sephiro widened his eyes. "See, what did I tell you?" Kang Oh grinned. Sometime after they''d climbed the tree, they found a round hole like one made by a woodpecker. Once they entered the hole, they received a system messaging informing them that it was a hidden dungeon. "Mm." Sephiro turned his head away from Kang Oh, as if he were embarrassed of his previous suspicion. "Now do you believe me when I say I have the Hyper Intuition skill?" Sephiro didn''t even bother replying. Instead, he gave him a thumbs up. ''Punk.'' Seeing that, Kang Oh grinned. ''So why did you doubt me in the first ce!?''. They''d found the hidden dungeon, so Kang Oh summoned Eder. "Summon Eder." Eder, who appeared right in front of Kang Oh, took a look around and smiled. "Oh, it truly is a hidden dungeon. I believed in you, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder started treating Kang Oh better than before, ever since he procured some better gear for him. He''d asionally kiss his ass sometimes too. "Of course. Who do you think I am!?" Kang Oh raised his nose. "That... Hyper Intuition skill of yours. How do you get it?" Sephiro asked. "You have to get hit by a truck." ''And you have to be in aa for about 2 years. After that, you have to wake up miraculously and then ''boom'', you''ll have Hyper Intuition.'' "What?" "It''s a joke. I helped a passing fortune teller and they taught me the skill," Kang Oh lied. "Mm." "If you see a fortune teller, make sure you treat them well. Who knows? They might teach you the Hyper Intuition skill." Kang Oh smiled mischievously. "Tch. If you don''t want to tell me, then just say so." "I''m telling you the truth though." "I don''t believe you." "Hoo, hoo." * * * The hidden dungeon was called Stone Monkey Hideout. Since it was a dungeon within an Agrashi Tree, it led upwards to the top of the tree. However, they couldn''t simply walk up to the peak. They had to jump across footholds, climb a thick, long vine, and hang from thick sticks that were everywhere. How best to describe it? It was a dungeon that gave the feeling of a training ground with all the obstacles and such. "There doesn''t appear to be any traps." Sephiro''s eyes glinted sharply, and he looked all over the ce. There were already a ton of obstacles here, so if they had to add traps into the equation, then it''d be a nightmare. For example, what if arrows sprung out when one was jumping across the footholds? It would be extremely dangerous. "Let''s take it slow," Kang Oh said. "Alright." Kang Oh''s party made their way up by leaping across the footholds, climbing up the vine, and hanging from the sticks. Soon enough... Kii-kii, kii-kii! Several monkeys appeared and screamed. It was as if they were telling them, the intruders, to leave. Of course, they didn''t just shriek at Kang Oh''s party. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! The monkeys began throwing rocks, fruit, etc. at them. "Uwak!" Eder quickly raised his shield. Kang Oh and Sephiro twisted their bodies around and avoided the barrage. In an instant, their surroundings were matted with crushed fruit. However, the fruit let out a disgusting stench. "Ugh. These are durians!" Sephiro pinched his nose and yelled. To think they were throwing durians, which smelled like rotten onions, at them. These crazy ass monkeys! Kang Oh automatically scowled upon smelling the fruit. "Counterattack with your arrows! Eder and I will get closer!" Kang Oh shouted. Sephiro notched an arrow while holding his breath. Aim, fire! Triple Shot! The three arrows struck a monkey that was about to throw rocks from either hand. Kiii! The monkey shrieked. It seemed as though that only served to enrage them further, as the monkeys began to throw rocks and fruit even more fiercely than before. Sephiro continued to unleash arrow after arrow whilst avoiding the rocks. Arrows, fruit, and rocks indiscriminately flew through the air. It was chaos! "Let''s go, Eder." "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder kicked off the floor, leaping to another foothold. Then, they climbed up the vine towards the monkeys. Rocks and fruits came flying at them. Eder raised his shield, keeping the damage to a minimum. Sephiro supported them from the rear as well. Ukii-kii! Kii-kii! The monkeys wailed uproariously. Then... Monkeys withrge right arms appeared. With their nimble movements, which were as light as a feather, and their prehensile tails, they got through the sticks, the footholds, and vine, and instantly reached Kang Oh and Eder. "Head towards that foothold over there." Kang Oh pointed at the foothold to his side. They would be at a disadvantage if they were to fight the monkeys while climbing the vine. Eder was of the same mind. The two quickly leaped from the vine to the foothold. A short whileter... Kii-ik! Kii-kii! Four monkeys withrge right arms dropped onto Kang Oh and Eder. Kang Oh swung Blood. Using a one-handed sword would be preferable to his greatsword against such nimble opponents. Swish! Ukii-kii! The monkey avoided his attack by wrapping its tail around a stick and moving around like an acrobat. At that moment, another monkey punched at Kang Oh''s side, its fist as thick as a log. However, the fist quickly turned into gray stone. ''That''s why they''re called Stone Monkeys!'' It seemed as though they could turn their bodies to stone. Kang Oh tilted his body backwards. Whoosh! The monkey''s fist, which was thick as a temple pir, passed through where his head had once been. Kang Oh quickly regained his bnce and swung his sword horizontally. Kii-kii! His demon sword cleaved through the monkey''s side! As a result, shards of light spurt from its body. Kang Oh didn''t let up and kept attacking. One, two, three. Three red stars instantaneously lit up on his snow-white sword. Then... One of the monkeys attacked Kang Oh from behind. His Hyper Intuition, which sensed danger, warned him. Kang Oh quickly turned around and swung downwards. Darkness Strike! The snow-white de unleashed a red wave as thick as blood. However, the monkey instantly turned its entire body into stone. Boom! Its body was rocked by the immense force of his attack. But it soon returned back to its original form unscathed! Turning its body into stone must''ve saved it. "Not bad!" Kang Oh smirked. "Indeed." Eder, who was also engaging the monkeys, approached him and put his back against Kang Oh''s. Kang Oh and Eder began fighting the monkeys back-to-back. Kii-kii-kii! Ukii-kii-kii! Meanwhile, the four monkeys surrounded them, wailing as they jumped from ce to ce! * * * Though he''d shed with them several times, Kang Oh hadn''t made much progress. Even though the monkeys weren''t really all that special if you disregarded their ability to turn to stone. ''That ability of theirs is really annoying.'' The ability to freely turn any part of one''s body into stone was tremendous. After all, it could be used for offense and defense. ''But that doesn''t mean it doesn''t have any weaknesses either.'' He''d been watching them closely as they fought and eventually found a way to defeat them. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword vertically. Kii! In order to block his attack, the monkey turned to stone. Right at that moment... Kang Oh smirked! His sword stopped midway. A feint! Kii? The monkey had already turned its entire body to stone, so it couldn''t move. ''And they can''t maintain that full body stone form for very long.'' Once its body changed back, Kang Oh struck. sh! Swish! Large shards of light burst from the monkey''s body. "Act like you''re going to attack, and then attack when it turns back. They''repletely defenseless then!" Kang Oh quickly exined his method. "Understood. Eder immediately followed his instructions. As expected, it was quite effective. Whack! Eder''s Hellfire Mace gave off a refreshing ''whack'' as he struck the monkey''s head. Then, he continued to attack repeatedly without rest. Kii-kii-kii! Ukiii! The monkeys wailed and began dying one or two at a time. [You have defeated a King Fist Stone Monkey.] Kang Oh and Eder, who''d finished off thest remaining King Fist Stone Monkey, didn''t waste any time and climbed up the vine towards the monkeys that were throwing rocks and fruit at them. Kii-kii! Kii! The monkeys threw rocks and fruit at them a few more times, but they must''ve realized that it was hopeless as they ran away soon after. They ran away so quickly and bizarrely. The two couldn''t catch them at all. "It doesn''t matter where you run." They were inside of an Agrashi tree. If Kang Oh''s party chased after them, they''d catch them eventually. After all, it''s not like the monkeys had wings or anything. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party leapt across the footholds once more and headed for the top. Chapter 166. Stone Monkey Hideout (2)

Chapter 166. Stone Monkey Hideout (2)

Trantor: Boko Stone Monkeys kept appearing to keep Kang Oh''s party from advancing. Although they had numbers on their side, the monkeys used absolutely no tactics or strategy, so Kang Oh''s party didn''t have a problem dealing with them. "It''s kind of fun," Sephiro suddenly said. "What is?" Eder asked. "Doesn''t it remind you of those jungle gyms we yed on when we were kids?" The dungeon was extremely three-dimensional, so it was fun going through it. "A jungle gym?" Eder tilted his head. He''d never heard of a jungle gym before. "Don''t worry about it. Anyway, don''t lower your guard just because it''s fun. I feel like this isn''t all that there is to it." It was as Kang Oh said. A short whileter, Kang Oh''s party encountered a group of monkeys. However, there were a few that they hadn''t seen before amongst them. Thump-thump! Thump-thump! The monkeys beat their chests! They were definitely goris. Ugya-gya! Kang Oh''s party got a clear view of the goris'' red gums as they lifted huge rocks with both hands. "You don''t think they''re going to throw those, do you?" Sephiro''s expression stiffened. Ukya! The goris threw the rocks simultaneously. Whoosh! The boulders rushed at them with a violent ''whoosh'', as if they''d beenunched by catapults. "Scatter!" In order to avoid the barrage, Kang Oh''s party spread out. Bam, bam, bam, bam! Upon impact, the boulders shattered the footholds or left scratches on the wood walls. ''This size...'' If they kept throwing these boulders, then there''d be nothing left. ''Should I use Devil Trigger?'' It was an option. He could fly up and ughter them all. However, he soon shook his head. ''Let''s try getting up there first.'' This could happen againter down the line, so he didn''t want to use Devil Trigger so early on. "We''ll have to go up soon. At this rate, all of the footholds will be destroyed." Kang Oh leaped up and hung off a stick. Then, he threw himself over to a foothold to the side. Sephiro climbed up a vine and then leaped onto another one. Meanwhile, Eder climbed up a single vine straight up to the goris. Kii-kii! Kii-kii! The monkeys threw rocks and fruit at them once more. Fortunately, the goris were catching their breath and weren''t attacking them. ''Now.'' Kang Oh deflected the iing rocks and fruit with Blood, and leaped from foothold to foothold. He soon got within reach of them. Several of the Stone Monkeys ran away all at once. However, the goris didn''t retreat; rather, they lifted more boulders and simultaneously threw them at Kang Oh. ''Tch.'' Kang Oh quickly looked around and threw himself towards a nearby hanging vine. Whoosh. The boulders crashed into Kang Oh''s foothold,pletely destroying it. "Phew." Kang Oh caught his breath and then leaped onto a nearby foothold. After that, he jumped again andnded in front of a gori. "I missed you." Kang Oh swung Blood upwards. Darkness Strike! Boom! The blood red wave struck the gori, shimmering as it did so. But like the Stone Monkeys, the gori possessed the ability to transform its body into stone. Thus, it didn''t take much damage from his assault. Kang Oh prepped his next attack. Then, King Fist Stone Monkeys fell from above. Uaahk! The gori right in front of him sped its hands together and mmed them down. It changed its hands into stone, so its power was undeniable. ''Let''s block first, and then dodge.'' Kang Oh quickly came to a decision. Bam! He turned Blood to its side and parried the gori''s attack. Though he''d never learned Sword Parry before, Kang Oh could replicate its effect using pure skill. ''Side.'' Kang Oh easily dodged a stone fist that came for his left side, and then quickly thrust Blood. Stab! Kii-kii! The other Stone Monkeys continued their assault. However, Kang Oh dodged their attacks with ease and counterattacked. If anyone else had seen this, then they''d be yelling in astonishment. It was like a professional athlete''s highlight y! Whatever the case, Kang Oh drew the Stone Monkeys'' attention, while Eder and Sephiro got to an advantageous position rtively easily. Once they began supporting Kang Oh, the three started ughtering the monkeys. The goris kept throwing boulders and desperately fought back, but it was pointless. Ultimately, once one of the goris died, the rest fell like dominos. [You have defeated a Herculean Stone Monkey.] The gori was called a Herculean Stone Monkey. They were more powerful and higher leveled than the King Fist Stone Monkeys, and also yielded more experience too. Once they killed thest Herculean Stone Monkey, the normal Stone Monkeys that threw fruit and rocks from afar ran away. * * * As they ascended the tree, they eventually came to a passageway that led outside. Once they made their way through, they were greeted by the sight of the Agrashi tree''s branches, which were as thick as a pine tree. They''d finally reached the top of the tree. The bottom of the Agrashi tree was shaped like a ss, so it was surprising to see just howrge the upper portion of the tree was. There was a boss monster there too! He definitely wasn''t your average boss either! [You have discovered the Stone Monkey King, Wukong.] [He is a mythical creature.] [Fame has increased.] He was on his side like a lying Buddha statue, using one arm to support himself. Wukong was more than 20 meters tall. The word ''giant'' was an apt term for him. There was a crown on top of his head, as if it wasn''t obvious enough that he was a king. Gulp. Eder swallowed. His very presence was tremendous. "He looks like a raid boss," Sephiro said carefully. "He''s a unique monster too," Kang Oh said. The system message had definitelybeled him as a mythical creature, which made him even more special. "What do we do?" Eder asked. "Get ready to run." In the past, the three of them had defeated a raid boss together. ''That was different.'' They couldn''t do anything against Wukong. That''s what his long experience as a gamer was telling him. "100% agree." Sephiro carefully began walking backwards. Then... Wukong stood up and sat in the lotus position. "It''s been a long time since I''vest seen humans," Wukong said. There were several monsters that could speak. However, there were few that could actually hold a proper conversation. Most of them just cursed at the yer while attacking. ''Maybe...'' Perhaps he wasn''t limited to only two options: ''fight and die'' or ''run''. There might be a third option avable to him. "Hello, Your Majesty." Kang Oh kowtowed. "Eh?" "What are you doing?" Eder and Sephiro were appalled by his actions. ''Are you crazy!?'' "I don''t know much about human customs, but it looks like you''re willing to talk to me," Wukong looked at Kang Oh and said. "Of course." Kang Oh raised his head and sat respectfully. "M-Mr. Kang Oh." "Seriously, what are you doing?" Eder and Sephiro were still puzzled. "Please sit down. He''s someone we can talk to, so let''s give it a go," Kang Oh said calmly. "Even though he''s a monster and a raid boss? Let''s just take this opportunity to run," Sephiro whispered into Kang Oh''s ear. It looked like Wukong would attack them any minute now. "Technically, he''s a boss monster too." Kang Oh pointed at Eder. "Ugh." He wasn''t wrong. "Just sit down. We can''t just leave him here and run by ourselves." Once Eder sat down, Sephiro sat down with an expression that screamed ''Ah, screw it!''. As soon as things had calmed down, Wukong raised his arm. "Bring some liquor." Two Herculean Stone Monkeys brought out tworge, wide and t cups filled with yellow liquid. However, Wukong picked up one of those huge cups with one hand as if it were nothing and drank it down in a single go. Wukong used his thick, giant hand to wipe his face. Then, Wukong said, "You must be pretty strong, considering the fact that you were able to get through my subordinates and make your way here." "I am pretty strong." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. He was strong, no doubt about that. "But you can''t beat me!" Wukong struck his chest. "For now, that is," Kang Oh acknowledged honestly. "I''ll let you live, so promise me this." "What is it?" "Don''t tell anyone else about this ce or us. I hate it when humans flock around us." Wukong sported a violent expression. "Then couldn''t you just kill us?" Kang Oh said fearlessly. Of course, he wasn''t saying that because he had no alternative. ''The fact that he''s willing to talk to us means that there''s a reason he''s not harming us too!'' He''d only asked after he''d pieced this all together. "I would''ve years ago. However, humans keeping no matter how many I kill. Humans truly are persistent! They were so annoying that... we came here, and I''ve decided to just let you go this time." "I''m curious about one other thing." "What?" Wukong looked like he was slowly getting bored of their talk. "Do you truly believe that I won''t tell anyone about this ce?" "I don''t. I just hope you do. I''ll just kill the next human I see. Since you''d have proven that sparing your lives was meaningless." Killing intent began rising from his body. "M-Mr. Kang Oh." Sephiro, believing that things weren''t progressing well, tried to warn Kang Oh not to provoke him. Kang Oh raised his hand, telling him that he had a handle on things. ''I''ve gotten all the info I need. Now then...'' Kang Oh thought about how best to make use of this unique situation. "Lord Wukong." "What?" "I can''t do it for free." "What did you say?" Wukong furrowed his brow, but Kang Oh wasn''t intimidated in the least. "If you pay me the right price, then I''ll never tell anyone about this ce." "You whelp. Do you want to die?" Wukong snarled. "If you kill me, then others wille looking for me. I told them that I wasing here," Kang Oh said. yers would revive when they were killed, but there was no way of exining that to Wukong. That''s why he''de up with this convenient lie. As long as Wukong understood that killing him would cause more people toe looking for him, it was fine. Of course, there obviously wasn''t anyone that woulde looking for him. "Mm." "If I go back and tell them that there was nothing here, then they won''te over here. However, I can''t keep my mouth shut without properpensation." "What do you want?" Wukong was pretty much surrendering at this point. He was basically telling him that he''d give him what he wanted. ''Hoo, hoo. You''re still just a monkey.'' Everything was going as Kang Oh had nned. He couldn''t help but smile. However, he was able to stop himself with great difficulty. ''Calm down! Don''t count your chickens before they hatch! This is the moment of truth!'' ''Let''s try to get as much as I can!'' "Get to the point." "Money and treasure." "Money? Are you referring to that shining, yellow metal?" "Exactly. Humans go crazy over that shining, yellow metal. Valuable items, or treasure, works too." "Bring all of the shining, yellow metal from the storehouse," Wukong ordered the two Herculean Stone Monkeys. Sephiro, who''d been watching this all unfold, couldn''t keep his mouth shut. ''Wow, take a look at this guy.'' To think he''d trick a raid boss. In a lot of ways, he truly was extraordinary. ''Tch, tch. It''s too bad that you encountered Mr. Kang Oh...'' Because Eder had undergone a simr situation with Kang Oh, he seemed to be pitying Wukong. ''Hoo, hoo, hoo. I wonder how much it will be?'' Kang Oh stifled hisughter and waited for the goris to bring the money here. Chapter 167. Witch’s Forest

Chapter 167. Witch''s Forest

Trantor: Boko ''Oh!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. The Herculean Stone Monkey, who''d gone somece as per Wukong''s order, hade back with a sack of gold over its shoulder. Thud. Upon dropping the sack, golden light peeked out of the opening, and a lovely metallic sound rang out. ''How much is in there?'' It looked like there was at least a few thousand gold inside. Gulp. Unbeknownst to him, he was drooling. "Is this all of it?" Wukong asked, and the Herculean Stone Monkey nodded its head. "So this is what you want, right?" Wukong poked at the sack and said. "Yes. If you give me that, then I won''t tell a soul about this ce." Kang Oh zipped his lips with his fingers. "Fine. If that''s the case, then I have a job for you!" Wukong said, and a quest suddenly popped up. [Restricted Area: Stone Monkey Hideout] The mythical creature, Wukong, hates it when humans find his home. So if you want the gold, then you have to keep others from finding the Stone Monkey Hideout for 100 days. Do whatever it takes! Remaining Time: 100 Days Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: The first to discover the Stone Monkey Hideout. Reward: Sack of gold. Failure: Wukong leaves his hideout and goes on a rampage. "If you want something, then you have to do something in return," Wukong said. "Tch." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Everything had been going so smoothly, but he hadn''t expected things to take such an unexpected turn. "What are you going to do?" Sephiro asked. "I have to do it." There''s so much money at stake, after all. "Phew. I get to experience all kinds of stuff when I''m with you, Mr. Kang Oh," Sephiro sighed. As if killing Kainshell''s boss monster wasn''t enough, now he was getting a quest from a monster! "But it was fun, wasn''t it?" "Nope." Kang Oh smiled and stared at Wukong once more. "I''ll do it." [You have epted the quest, .] "Heh. Now you won''t tell a soul about this ce. If you do, then I''ll turn this metal that you love so much into scrap," Wukong said. "Indeed." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''I guess I shouldn''t have taken you for a normal monkey.'' He couldn''t just take the gold from Wukong; he was much too powerful for that. "Get lost." He had no business with them anymore, so he waved them off. Kang Oh stood up. "Farewell." "Umph." Wukongid on his side and closed his eyes. "Let''s go." "Alright." In the end, Kang Oh went back the way he came empty-handed. After that, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro stopped at the entrance. "What are we going to do now? Do you have a good way of preventing people froming here?" Sephiro asked. He''d epted the quest, so he must have some way of dealing with this. "Should the three of us go around and protect this ce?" Eder asked. "We''re not going to do anything," Kang Oh said absentmindedly. "Huh?" "What?" "We''re not doing anything," Kang Oh repeated. "Why''s that?" Eder asked. "But what if someone finds this ce..." Sephiro furrowed his brow. "Trying to hide something poorly can have the opposite effect." In Kang Oh''s opinion, the Stone Monkey Hideout was hidden well enough on its own. Not only was it hidden within the Agrashi tree, but it was obscured by thick mist. Plus, yers were drawn to the old ruins, not the tree. Trying to hide it ran the risk of drawing attention to it instead. "That makes sense." Eder nodded his head. "But what if someone manages to find it?" Sephiro was still of the opinion that they had to do something to conceal this location. However, Kang Oh''s next response managed to convince him. "It doesn''t really matter if we fail. If we do, we can just call some people over and kill Wukong before anyone else can! "Ah!" No matter what happened, Kang Oh wouldn''t lose anything! He wouldn''t let that happen. Ever! * * * There were several cities on the continent. While there wererge cities like Altein, which was known by all, there were also small cities that no one knew about. Snowprim was one such city; it was a small city that was unknown to most. Honestly, it was so small that calling it a city was almost embarrassing. Nheless, it had an intercity transfer gate. There was nothing there that could mark it as a popr tourist attraction, and the fact that it snowed for more than half a year was its only noteworthy trait. Of course, this wasn''t a trait that only belonged to Snowprim. Most of the cities that bordered the northern region, which was called thend of ice and illusions, shared this trait. For some reason, there were several peopleing through the transfer gate today. One of them was Kang Oh. "Mm. As I thought, it''s cold because it borders the north." If this were real, then it wouldn''t be cold, it''d be freezing. But because he was in-game, it was limited to just being cold. Kang Oh, who''d just exited the transfer gate, took a look around. "It''s nice." The city was covered in snow, so he was greeted by a snow-whitendscape. For a moment, Kang Oh vacantly took in the sight. Then, he snapped out of it and sent Soo Ah a message. - I''ve arrived at Snowprim! I''m in front of the gate. - I''lle out and meet you. A short whileter... A western beauty with blonde hair, blue eyes, and a well-proportioned figure approached him. This was Soo Ah''s in-game character, Asu. She was wearing fur clothes like she was from Russia. "Oppa." She beamed. "It''s been a while since we''ve met in-game." Kang Oh responded with a smile of his own. "There are people waiting for us, so let''s hurry. I''ll take you there." Asu nonchntly locked arms with him. "Y-Yeah." Today was the Witch''s Forest Guild''s regr get-together. Partners like Kang Oh were allowed to participate as well. "But are you really ok with bringing me to a ce with so many people?" Kang Oh said carefully. Soo Ah was a female idol. She had to be really careful not to cause a scandal. "It should be. You''re not the only one I''vee with before." Asu had a mischievous look about her. "What?" His eyes seemed to give off sparks. ''Then some other ass... guy hase with her before!?'' "Hoo, hoo. I''m just kidding," Soo Ahughed. "Really?" "Really. But I have to apologize to you on that front." "Why''s that?" "I was going to introduce you as a good friend." Asu truly looked apologetic. However, she wasn''t a ''normal'' person, so there was no helping it. "Well, that''s the truth. I''m a really, really good friend." Kang Oh grinned. "Thank you," Asu softly muttered. "Then, shall we go?" "Sure." They began walking through the snow, leaving behind footsteps side by side. "Isn''t the Witch''s Forest a friendly guild that only includes women?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. But other mene as partners too, so you won''t have to worry about being the only guy there." "Well, I would''ve been ok with that..." Kang Oh muttered. "What did you say?" Asu''s eyebrows rose angrily. "Hoo, hoo. I''m just joking around." "I''m a really jealous person. So if you look at other women, then I won''t let you off the hook!" "Ah, is that so?" She meant to threaten him, but it just sounded cute to him. "I''m serious!" "Yeah, yeah." The two teased each other, and soon arrived at their destination. "Ta-da. This is the Witch''s Forest Guild''s headquarters." In the suburbs, where snowy fields stretched for miles on end, there was a path that led to a forest filled with pine trees. It was there that a giant, 3-story vi was located. This was the Witch''s Forest Guild''s headquarters. "Hoo, I''m... kind of nervous." Kang Oh caught his breath. "They''re all good people, so don''t worry." Asu beamed. Everyone''s attention was drawn to the two once they opened the door and went inside. However, their curiosity and gazes didn''t linger for long. They seemingly lost interest rather quickly and went back to what they were doing. But there was one woman that strode towards the two. "Oh my, you look exactly like you do in real life, Mr. Really Good Friend." The woman beamed. Kang Oh was pretty sharp, so he figured out who she was in a sh. "Chef Lee Soo Min?" "Hoo, hoo. Hello again." She was Chef Lee Soo Min, someone he''d met at Yurim on his first date with Soo Ah. "It''s nice to see you." "It''s nice to see you too. I heard some juicy details about you after you left." Soo Min wrapped her arm around Asu''s neck. "Hehe." It seemed like she''d figured out that they were dating. "Now then,e this way. I''ll introduce you to the others." "Unni, he''s just a ''good friend'' right now," Asu said. She was basically saying, ''Don''t call him my boyfriend or lover.''. "I''m not stupid, you know." "I was just making sure." After that, Kang Oh, apanied by Asu and Soo Min, met with the members of the Witch''s Forest. As Asu had said, they all seemed like good people. Though it was kind of stupid to say that when they''d only met once. He was dragged around the guild, and was forced to greet people he''d never met before and strike a conversation with them; turns out, it was a lot more tiring than he''d thought it would be. Kang Oh, who wanted to avoid meeting anyone else, spoke to Asu instead. "Show me around the guild headquarters." "Sure." Asu began showing him around the guild, but there was one ce that particrly drew Kang Oh''s interest. "This is the gallery." "The gallery?" "When we find something rare, we put it up for disy here." "Oh. Do you mind if I take a look?" "Go ahead." Disy stands lined the room, and various items were ced on top of them. Most of them were bags, gems, essories, or clothes. Things like that. The guild was clearly a woman-only guild. "Oh, this is Ms. Ludre''s newest design. When did thise in?" Asu was drawn to the clothes that hung from the disy stand, forcing Kang Oh to look around by himself. He suddenly stopped. ''Oh, this is...'' Kang Oh widened his eyes and carefully examined the thick tome on the stand. The book''s name was... [Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire 2] The Illusion Master, Aerd! His brand of arcane magic, ''Imaginary Projection'' was split into three books! The reason he could tell just by looking at the cover was because he possessed the first volume. He''d obtained the first volume in the Grancia Forest, a ce where no animals lived in. He went there with the intent on finding a monkey that appeared and then disappeared like a mirage, and had gotten this book in the process. ''Why is this here?'' Kang Oh was dumbfounded. In what world would this book be here, on the disy stand of such a small, friendly guild? Then, Asu came over. "What are you looking at so thoroughly?" "This. It''s an arcane grimoire." ''Seriously, it''s an arcane grimoire for god''s sake!'' "Oh, that''s something the guildmaster brought." Based on what she said, the grimoire had been here for quite some time. "The guildmaster brought this?" "Yes." "What kind of person is she to have..." "She''s on the upper floor. Would you like to meet her?" "Yeah. I''d like to meet her." "Let''s go." * * * The guildmaster''s room was on the 3rd floor. Knock, knock. "Unni, it''s me, Asu." "Come in." Asu opened the door, and Kang Oh followed her inside. He was greeted by the sight of a woman. She wore round sses and had red hair, but for some reason, she seemed familiar to him. ''I feel like I''ve seen her somewhere before.'' "Oh, who is this?" the red haired woman saw Kang Oh and asked. "He''s my partner. You said you wanted to meet him." "My name is Helena." She sported a soft smile. ''Helena!'' As soon as he heard her name, he realized why she seemed so familiar. After all, she was an incredibly famous person. "Numbers?" "Yes." Blood Witch, Helena! The Witch of Annihtion! Rank 4! She was the most powerful mage in the game! She didn''t make TV appearances, and she wasn''t seen by the public much. Thus, people didn''t know much about her. To think she was the guildmaster of a friendship guild! ''Now I understand why they have the arcane grimoire.'' Helena was powerful enough to procure an arcane grimoire. "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Kang Oh." The entire world loved Arth. This was the moment where he''d met someone who was the greatest in their field. "The one who went on TV with you?" Helena looked at Asu and asked. "Yes, the very same." "It''s nice to meet you. Please keep treating Asu well." "Of course." "Alright then." Helena''s face seemingly said, ''If there''s nothing else, then please leave.''. "One second. Would you please take a look at this?" Kang Oh removed the first volume of Aerd''s grimoire from his inventory. "This is..." Asu looked surprised. "This is?" Helena''s eyes sparkled. "Now do we have something to talk about?" Kang Oh grinned. "I guess we do." Helena smiled as well. Chapter 168. Monstrous Human

Chapter 168. Monstrous Human

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Helena, and Asu each sat on a sofa. "Where did you find the grimoire?" Helena asked. "I found it in the Grancia Forest, a ce that''s supposedly not inhabited by animals..." Kang Oh detailedly exined how he''de into possession of the arcane grimoire. "How about you, Ms. Helena?" Give and take. Now it was Helena''s turn. "I found it in the north. There was an ice castle there that would appear and then disappear just as quickly like a mirage." "Hoh." An ice castle that disappeared like a mirage... "Was the ice castle an illusion created by the Illusion Master, Aerd?" "Yes." "To think you''ve explored the north. As expected of you, Ms. Helena." The north was called thend of ice and illusions, and was considered an extremely high difficulty zone. "How shall we proceed? You and I possess the first two volumes," Helena said. "What if I were to ask you to give me the arcane grimoire?" Kang Oh asked. "What if I were to ask you the same thing? Would you give me the grimoire?" "No." "The same goes for me." That was obvious. It was a Master Mage''s arcane grimoire. The value of such a thing was tremendous! ''If you gather all of them, then you can sell it for however much you want.'' That''s what Grano had told him. The Tower would be prepared to buy it at whatever price. "Do you n on selling it?" "No." Helena had absolutely no intention of selling the grimoire. After all, she was a mage! If she gathered all of the grimoires and became skilled enough, then she''d be able to learn Aerd''s magic. "What about you?" "I could sell it, but..." He didn''t want to sell it right now. After all, thepleted grimoire would be worth so much more. "Hmm. Then we have nothing else to talk about." "True. But I have a suggestion." "What kind of suggestion?" "The one who finds thest grimoire gets them all. How does that sound?" After speaking with her, Kang Oh had realized that there was almost no chance that she''d hand over the grimoire. However, the grimoire wouldn''t be valued properly unless all three of them were collected. Thus, he''de up with this in an attempt to procure all three. "Sounds good," Helena immediately agreed. It didn''t matter whether she found thest grimoire or not if Kang Oh wasn''t willing to part with his. She was in an awkward situation. Helena couldn''t just steal the grimoire from him, as he was close to Asu. So she was thankful that Kang Oh hade out with this kind of offer. "We don''t need to write a contract, do we?" Kang Oh asked. "Asu will be our witness, right?" "Sure, I''ll do it." Asu, who''d been quietly listening in, nodded her head. "Then I''ll leave my grimoire with her." Kang Oh passed the grimoire to Asu. "Keep it with you. Give it to Ms. Helena if she finds thest remaining grimoire." "Ok." Asu ced the grimoire into her inventory. "I''ll keep mine in the guild''s gallery," Helena said. "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. With this, the race to find thest remaining grimoire had begun. Whoever found thest grimoire would own the entire set. One was the Witch of Annihtion, Blood Witch Helena! The other possessed the unbelievable Hyper Intuition ability, the Dungeon Hunter Kang Oh! Who would be the final victor? * * * Kang Oh, who''d spent some much appreciated time with Asu and had unexpectedly met with one of the Numbers, had returned to the Great Forest. After all, there were still several dungeons left to explore. He needed to find the final arcane grimoire, but he didn''t have any leads, so he''d hold off on it for now. Anyhow, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro began with the dungeons around their home base, the Nuwak Vige. "Today was amazing," Sephiro said. They''d explored the Spider Canyon, where several Monster Spiders, or Spiness, lived. With his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh had found a hidden dungeon, and after defeating the boss, had taken all of the treasure that it''d rued. "It''s all because of you, Mr. Kang Oh," Eder ttered. Since he was rubbing his hands together, he must be trying to get a higher wage. Kang Oh paid Sephiro his 20%, gave Eder 30 gold, and kept the rest for himself. "Good work." "You too." "I have some business in Altein, so you can all go home." Kang Oh was about to use a return scroll and head to Altein, but Eder stopped him. "Mr. Kang Oh." "What?" "If you''re heading for Altein, then please summon me after you get there. I''d like to rest at my house. It''s been a while after all." They''d been staying in the Nuwak Vige inn for quite some time. "I got it." "Hehe, thank you very much." Kang Oh ripped the return scroll. Then, he reappeared in front of Altein''s intercity transfer gate and summoned Eder. "I''ll be going now." "Yeah." After Eder left, Kang Oh headed to the Currency Exchange Counter. "Wee," the owner greeted.. Kang Oh nced at the easily seen sign. Market Price of Gold: 1 gold = 8,000 won ($8 USD) Does not take silver. Commission Fee: 3% "Tch," Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''Last time, it was 8,500 won, but now it''s gone down to 8,000.'' As he anticipated, the market price of gold had dropped. Originally, 1 gold had been equal to 10,000 won, but it seemed like the market price would continue to go down from now on. Most yers expected gold to depreciate in value even further. Thus, several people exchanged their gold, and less people bought gold. When the price of gold dropped even further, people would begin to buy gold again. ''They''ve even increased themission fee from 2% to 3%.'' Though themission fee had increased, he needed to sell as much gold as he could right now. After all, the value of gold would continue to drop from now on. "How can I help you?" the owner asked. "I''d like to exchange my gold for cash." Aside from his emergency fund, Kang Oh exchanged all of the gold he''d gathered thus far. "Pleasee again." "Goodbye." After ensuring that the money had been deposited into his ount, he quickly left the Currency Exchange Counter. But then, Ubist, which was strapped to his back, began to shake. ''Why''s it acting like this?'' He drew his demon sword and saw a middle-aged man. The man''s slicked back hair was ck with flecks of gray. His eyes were striking and he had a sharp jawline; his lips, however, made him seem stubborn. Finally, he had a sturdy body. Kang Oh knew who he was right away. He''d seen this man''s life story after passing Ubist''s trial. "Vn?" He was the Guardian of the Continent, Vn, and the original owner of Demon Sword Ubist. "Are you my sessor, the one Burkan told me about?" "Probably?" He didn''t want to be his sessor, but that didn''t change the facts. Vn looked Kang Oh over. "You''re way too weak." He looked disappointed. "Well, I guess... Follow me." "I''m kind of busy right now..." Kang Oh said. He had a hunch that this would be a pain in the ass. "Do I need to drag you?" Vn scowled. "You take priority, Master Vn." Kang Oh quickly approached Vn. "Stop screwing around. I really hate that." Vn strode forward. "Phew," Kang Oh sighed and followed him. The feeling that he''d be involved in something annoying didn''t leave him. * * * Vn brought Kang Oh to the Holiseum''s underground arena. Burkan was already waiting for them there. "Mm, is that you, Little Brother?" Burkan greeted Kang Oh, his face sporting a healthy sheen. It seems like he''d been having a lot of funtely. "You said you''d be back in a bit. You went to get him? How did you know where he was?" Burkan said familiarly. "I could sense the demon sword." "You can actually sense that?" Burkan looked amazed. "Yeah." "You really are amazing." "I''m not amazing. You justck talent." There probably wasn''t anyone that could say the Invincible diator, Burkan, cked talent'' besides his teacher, Vn. "But you don''t see me going around and getting beat up," Burkan shamelessly retorted, as if Vn scolded him all the time. "If you train your senses, then you''ll be able to do the same thing someday." But he was still his teacher, so he gave him some advice. "Yes, Master." As the student, Burkan bowed his head. "Excuse me... Why did you bring me here?" Kang Oh raised his hand and asked. ''Why did you bring me here when you''re getting along so well!?'' "By the way, why did you make such a weakling my sessor?" Vn asked,pletely disregarding Kang Oh. "He''s not as weak as you think, Master." "Really?" Only then did Vn begin to show some interest in Kang Oh. "Let''s spar," Vn said. "I''d rather not," Kang Oh t out refused. ''Why would I?'' Vn suddenly drew the sword at his waist and swung it. Swish. Kang Oh felt a chill. He''d instinctively dodged Vn''s strike. "Mm." His expression seemed to say, ''You have to be at least that strong.''. Kang Oh quickly drew Ubist and looked Vn over. ''As expected of a Swordmaster.'' Though Vn appearedpletely rxed, Hyper Intuition couldn''t spot any weaknesses. ''The sword he''s using... doesn''t seem to be a demon sword. It actually just looks like a normal sword.'' Vn''s sword wasn''t just normal, it was weak too. For some reason, Kang Oh felt as though the name would be ''Common Steel Sword''. A master calligrapher didn''t need a fine brush. Even though Kang Oh had a better weapon than him, the difference between the two was insurmountable. ''I have to strike first.'' When fighting a stronger opponent, you had to either defend yourself perfectly and then aim for the opponent''s weak points, or use everything you got at the beginning and finish things quickly. Kang Oh was better at offense than defense. Kuheong! He used Baramut''s Roar. Baramut''s soul now dwelled within him. "Shut up." Vn slightly furrowed his brow. However, he just stared at Kang Oh without interfering. Kang Oh retrieved a red helmet from his inventory. It was an A-rank item, and was a part of the Cursed Blood Knight set he''d gotten back from Eder. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness consumed the helmet, and Kang Oh''s body emanated jet ck energy. All of his abilities had been tripled! However, the item''s level requirements were low, so Gluttony would onlyst for 5 minutes! ''I have to beat him within 5 minutes.'' Kang Oh dashed towards Vn head-on. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist. His strength was amplified by Baramut''s Roar and Gluttony, and he focused as much as he could so that his attack was sessful. He put all of his strength into his first attack! Kang Oh''s strike was so clean that no noise came out as he cleaved through the ground. Then, Vn swung his own de. There was no form or skill to it; it seemed like he''d just nonchntly swung his sword. Nevertheless, he managed to deflect Kang Oh''s attack so easily. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh got back into position, and barraged Vn with attacks like a ferocious beast. However, none of it worked. Vn nonchntly swung his sword as if he were taking a stroll, yet he easily blocked Kang Oh''s powerful strikes. "Die!" Even Tempest Tiger, which Kang Oh had used in an act of desperation, had been sliced in half. ''To think he could even cut an aura in half.'' This monstrous human! This was the first time he''d encountered an insurmountable obstacle in Arth. But he couldn''t give up. He drew all four daggers and threw them, and even tried blowing sand into Vn''s eyes. Of course, those pathetic tricks wouldn''t work against someone like him. ''Tch." Fortunately, Vn hadn''t attacked him yet. If he wanted this to end, then this fight would''ve been over ages ago. ''I don''t have a lot of options left...'' ''I''ll do all I can until the very end!'' Switch. Kang Oh swapped Ubist with Blood, which emanated red light. "Haahp!" Then, he attacked Vn once more. Chapter 169. I’m Not Cut Out For This

Chapter 169. I''m Not Cut Out For This

Trantor: Boko Kang charged with Demon Sword Blood. Vn didn''t look interested before, but now he did. "Hoh." Burkan, who was watching from the side, saw Blood and looked surprised. ''I need to hit him at least once!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Unlike Ubist, Blood was a one-handed sword, which allowed him to attack differently. So, for a moment, he thought that if he did everything right, then... he might get a hit in. But nothing changed. None of his attacks hit. Prating Vn''s defenses was impossible. ''Stay calm.'' Kang Oh stopped attacking. "Mm, already done?" "..." Kang Oh merely looked back at him frigidly. "Are you waiting for me to attack?" "Come." ''Block his attack with Hyper Intuition, and then counterattack right after!'' That was Kang Oh''s n. "Sure, why not." Vn approached him step by step. Then, he softly swung his sword. Though he''d swung so nonchntly, Kang Oh was just barely able to dodge the blow, even with Hyper Intuition activating. He quickly retreated. Kang Oh wasn''t confident in his ability to dodge for a second time. "Mm? Are you really done?" "...Please give me a second. I need to collect myself," Kang Oh said curtly. "You have a silver tongue, I''ll give you that, but your skills are..." Vn wasn''t even trying to provoke him; his thoughts were genuine, but that only served to enrage Kang Oh. ''What is this?'' Yes, he was a Master, but there shouldn''t be such a huge disparity between them. He even used Baramut''s Roar and Gluttony to empower himself. "Want me to attack? Or will you? Or should we just stop?" Vn grinned. ''Now that''s ite to this...'' Kang Oh took out Demon Sword Ubist from his inventory. He hadn''t swapped between Blood and Ubist, but dual wielded them. "Have you ever used two swords before?" Clear ridicule. "I''m not trying to dual wield them!" There was a reason he held both of them simultaneously. It was to... use Devil Trigger with both swords simultaneously. ''Go for broke!'' He didn''t think he could win with just one sword''s Devil Trigger. ''So I''ll use transform using both swords instead!'' Devil Trigger! Ubist and Blood released darkness and blood red energy, which entwined together and engulfed Kang Oh. The power of darkness flowed through his entire body and swelled as if it''d explode. But then... Vn''s expression changed. "You idiot." By the time he narrowed his eyes, his sword had already been swung. Divide the Sea! This was a swordsman''s ultimate technique, capable of slicing through a tsunami, and even the sea itself. Swish. The line that divided the world into two cleaved through Kang Oh, who was engulfed in a mix of red and ck. "Huh?" Kang Oh briefly sported a vacant expression. He hadn''t be a demon and Devil Trigger had been deactivated. "You''re too green to be using two demon swords simultaneously. So let''s end this. Put away your sword," Vn said. Just now, Kang Oh had been in critical condition. If Vn hadn''t saved him, then he might''ve be a monster under the demons'' control. ''He swings his sword out of the blue and tells me to spar, and then he just ends it whenever he likes!'' Damn it! But he couldn''t do anything about it. He''dpletely lost. Kang Oh ced both of the demon swords into his inventory. "How is he?" Burkan, who''d been silently watching, asked. "He''s weak, but... It feels like he''s trained his senses extensively." Vn stroked his chin. "He''ll be stronger from now on." "Mm. Then let''s hold off on it then." "Hold off on what?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m holding off on acknowledging you as my sessor!" Vn dered. "..." ''Thanks, I appreciate it. I really don''t want to be the Guardian of the Continent either.'' "Well, I''m a nice guy, so I''ll give you a chance." "I''m ok," Kang Oh refused honestly. "We''ll start off slow. There are religious fanatics that worship the Evil God, Ja, in the Batiyu Ruins. I''m not sure which of his disciples is there, but kill him ande back. I''ll give you plenty of time: 1 month." "Why would I do that!?" Kang Oh suddenly yelled. Unfortunately, a quest popped up regardless of his feelings. [Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 1] The first test to seed Vn and be the Guardian of the Continent, one who protects it from the shadows. Drive out the religious zealots at the Batiyu Ruins and kill the Evil God''s disciple. Remaining Time: 30 days. Difficulty: Extremely difficult. Minimum Requirements: Guardian of the Continent''s sessor. Reward: Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 2. [You are qualified to be Vn''s sessor, so the quest has automatically been epted.] "N-No, you can''t!" ''Why are you epting the quest for me!?'' "Oh, by the way. Make sure you kill them without anyone else''s help. Do it all on your own," Vn said. [A condition has been added: ''Complete the quest alone''.] "Do whatever you want. I''m not doing it." ''So sue me!'' "Mm. I guess I''ll take away the demon sword if you fail." Vn smiled like a demon. [A condition has been added: Upon failure, ''Demon Sword Ubist will be returned to Vn''.] "What did you do with the adamantium that I stuck the sword into?" Vn asked Burkan. "I let him have it. That was supposed to go to your sessor, after all." "Ah, then I''ll take that too if you fail," Vn said, maintaining his demonic smile. [A condition has been added: Upon failure, ''The Adamantium Gemstone will be returned to Vn''.] Kang Oh instantly did aplete 180. He couldn''t afford to lose Ubist or the adamantium. Kang Oh saluted and yelled, "I''ll do it! I''ll do my best!" "Mm. Good luck." Vn approached Kang Oh and patted his shoulder. "Yes sir!" "Well, I''m finished here. It''s time for me to leave. Ah, when you''re finished with your mission, make sure you report it to Burkan." "Where are you going?" Burkan asked. "To the east for now." "Um, excuse me." Kang Oh raised his hand. "What?" "The Lupenia Queen, Roane, wanted to see you again, Master Vn." Though it''d been so long ago, Kang Oh hadn''t forgotten her request. "Lupenia? Ah, the aquatic tribe that has maintained the Cmity of the Sea, Gurekturon''s seal for so long." "Exactly." "Hmm. I do have to see how Gurekturon''s corpse is doing. I got it." Vn nodded his head. "My final destination has been decided. Now I''m really going." Vn left as quickly as he''d arrived. Once Burkan and Kang Oh were alone, Kang Oh began toment on his misfortune. "Haa, how could I have gotten involved with someone like him!? I''mpletely not cut out for this!" ''To think I''d be the one forced into a sweatshop! It''s me we''re talking about!'' If only Eder and Sephiro could see him now. They''d be thrilled; it''d be like a weight had been lifted off their shoulders. "Cheer up, Little Brother," Burkan patted his back andforted him. "Hoo, it feels like a typhoon has just passed by us." Everything had happened so suddenly. Meeting Vn, fighting him, etc. "I told you, didn''t I? He''s a lot different from other people." "You did. You also told me that I''d get caught up in a lot of annoying situations." "Well, you''ll gradually get used to it." "I''d rather not have to get used to it." "Or you could be stronger than Master Vn." "How strong is Master Vn anyway? Are you and other Masters as monstrous as him?" Kang Oh asked curiously. If that''s the case, then the yers weren''t the protagonists in this game, the Masters were. "Master Vn is a special case. He''s surpassed the rank of Master." "He''s surpassed the rank of Master?" "You''ll gradually understandter." "Hmm." Based on what he was saying, it seemed like Master wasn''t the highest rank. "So you''re saying Master Vn is different." "Yeah. That''s why you don''t see me, a Master, disrespecting him," Burkan said sorrowfully. "Kuu, Brother!" "Little Brother!" Their brotherly love burned due to their simr experiences with Vn. "Can''t you just tell Master Vn that Ipleted the quest?" Kang Oh asked, takingplete advantage of the mood. "Mm. I can''t," Burkan said while smiling. "Tch." As expected, it wouldn''t work. "Well, there''s a time limit on this quest, so I''ll be going now," Kang Oh said. "Mm. Good luck." Once he''d left, Burkan clicked his tongue. "Tch, tch. Looks like my little brother will have nothing but tough times ahead." Like anyone who''s involved with Master Vn, the road ahead wouldn''t be easy for Kang Oh. * * * "Haa. I''ll have to focus on this quest for now." Kang Oh sifted through the details of the [Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 1] quest and sighed. If he didn''tplete the quest within 30 days or failed, then he''d lose Demon Sword Ubist and the adamantium gemstone. Thus, he''dpletely ignore everything else for the time being and focus entirely on this quest. ''The Batiyu Ruins...'' Kang Oh knew about this dungeon. Back when he''d been deciding on which dungeon was most likely to contain a hidden dungeon, one of his choices had been the Batiyu Ruins. ''Now that I think about it, Tino gave me some information on this dungeon too.'' But he couldn''t remember what Tino had told him. He hadn''t memorized it, believing that it wouldn''t make him any money. Ultimately, Kang Oh headed for the Jurento Bar to meet Tino once more. Like always, Tino wasying on the table. As soon as he shook Tino''s shoulder, he wriggled around and raised his head. "Mm, it''s been a long time," Tino said. "Has it?" "I think so." "What do you want: a drink, a hangover cure, or a snack?" "Can I order all three?" "Then I won''t pay you for the information." "Get me a drink," Tino rubbed his flushed nose and said. "Here." He''d ordered some cheap liquor, yet he''d been charged up the ass. What a shitty owner. "What did youe for today?" "Tell me everything you know or heard regarding the Batiyu Ruins." "The Batiyu Ruins, huh..." Tino gulped down the liquor. "It''s said that on the night of a full moon, a secret societyes to the ruins and conducts some strange ritual." ''Right. This is what he told mest time.'' "But haven''t I told you this before?" Tino also felt a sense of d¨¦j¨¤ vu and tilted his head. "Yes, this is the second time I''ve heard this." "Mm, is that so? I''m at the end of line. My brain doesn''t work like it used to." "Then stop drinking so much," Kang Oh said. "I''d rather not. Liquor is my other half," Tino tly denied. "Anyway, do you have anything else you can tell me?" "I''ve heard rumors that this secret society is evil. They perform a strange ritual that uses human sacrifice, which ispletely illegal as per continentalw," Tino said. ''It''s probably not just a rumor.'' The secret society was filled with Evil God Worshippers, and it seemed almost obvious that they''d be involved in human sacrifice. "Anything else?" "No." "Do you have anyone you can introduce me to?" Tino shook his head. Kang Oh paid him 10 gold for the information and then left the bar. Then, he thought over the matter. ''Something''s strange...'' Kang Oh said. On the night of a full moon, a secret societyes to the ruins and conducts some strange ritual. Kang Oh had researched the Batiyu Ruins in an effort to find another hidden dungeon. At the time, he hadn''t heard anything about a periodic event or situation that involved the full moon. ''There''s no way that the yers deliberately avoided hunting there on the night of the full moon.'' In the end, there were two possible answers. They began their ritual after he''d procured his information on the Batiyu Ruins, or there was a separate reason as to why the ritual wasn''t known to the public. "Whatever the case, I have to gather some more information." Kang Oh touched hismunication earring. ''I should ask Eder to find some information on it from the library.'' Eder was the best when it came to jobs like this. Chapter 170. Batiyu Ruins (1)

Chapter 170. Batiyu Ruins (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh began researching the Batiyu Ruins. Using Arthtory and its affiliatedmunity sites, Kang Oh was able to find some information on the Batiyu Ruins. But he couldn''t find anything in particr. Then, he ordered Eder to go to the library and find anything he could. He also asked Sephiro to look into it via his information brokers. If he did him this favor, he told Sephiro that he wouldn''t bother him for a least a few days; at most, a few weeks. After all, he needed to deal with the Evil God''s disciple by himself. "I''ll get you that info no matter what!" Eder said. "Mm, I''ll get you what you want, so please, please take a long time with that quest," Sephiro said. There was a fire in their eyes. Eder and Sephiro then left to gather information. "Guess it''s my turn." Kang Oh was on the move. His destination: the Batiyu Ruins! * * * The northwest area of the central region, where several free cities were located... There were two small and medium cities, several viges, and mountains of all sizes here. The people called this ce the Brio Region. This region''s specialty was medical herbs. Brio''s medical herbs were renowned for their quality and effectiveness, and were more expensive than other herbs. In any case, Mt. Batiyu was one of the mountains here, and it was also where the Batiyu Ruins were located. ''Is this it?'' Kang Oh had gone up the mountain, finding dpidated, white houses and buildings. [You have entered the dungeon, Batiyu Ruins.] The Rain and Lightning God, Batiyu, was the local deity of the Brio Region. The Batiyu Ruins were the remains of what used to be Batiyu''s Temple. There had been more than a temple here; there''d been lodging here for the priests and devotees, a huge cafeteria, a hot spring, a storehouse that contained a variety of bowls used for ancestral rites, as well as a marketce and a store. But for reasons unknown, it was attacked by a huge horde of monsters, and most of the areas were destroyed. Now it was nothing more than ruins. "Hmm." Kang Oh examined the dpidated houses, buildings, and stone statues one by one. His eyes were wide open; he was unwilling to miss a single detail! Then... Bark! Bark! Arf! Arf! Gyaru! He heard several barking dogs. The dogs had gray fur and mes gushed out of their mouths. These were Devil Dogs, or Bulldogs. They were level 150, and there were about 20 of them. "Shut up!" Kang Oh red at them. His eyes shined like the red glow of the setting sun, causing the Bulldogs to shrink away in fear. He immediately drew Demon Sword Blood and swept through the 20 or so dogs without any interference. Whimper! Most of them fell to the floor, foaming at the mouth. The two Bulldogs that had barely managed to survive ran with their tails between their legs. Kang Oh didn''t pursue, choosing to continue examining the ruins. A short whileter, he stopped. A pir of what used to be a bathhouse had a goat pattern engraved onto it. Upon seeing it, his Hyper Intuition sounded the rm. Here, here! "Hmm. Why is it a goat?" Kang Oh stroked the goat pattern. There were several animals like a pig, a wolf, a dog, etc. engraved on the walls or pirs, as well as symbols of the sun and the stars. But his Hyper Intuition had only activated upon seeing the goat. ''What does the goat represent? There doesn''t seem to be any particr device here...'' What secret was this goat pattern hiding? Kang Oh looked it over several times, but he couldn''t find anything else. ''Does it have to be the night of the full moon?'' Tino had told him that it was rumored that a strange ritual was performed here on the night of the full moon. However, a full moon wasn''t out right now, so he had no way of knowing. ''If not, then do you need something else?'' Kang Oh took his mind off the goat pattern, and began examining the still unseen areas. After all, he might find a lead somewhere else. ''Huh?'' However, Kang Oh discovered another goat pattern amidst the others. His Hyper Intuition red once more. Here, here! "Hmm." Kang Oh carefully examined the pattern. There wasn''t much difference between this one and the one before. ''Either it needs to be the night of the full moon, or there''s something else to it.'' Kang Oh got a move on. A short whileter, he encountered ten Bulldogs; they charged at him, mes spurting from their mouths. "Give me a lead!" ''Something that''ll help me figure out what the goat pattern means!'' Kang Oh mercilessly swung Demon Sword Blood and took care of them. But they only dropped junk, Gray Fur. His Hyper Intuition didn''t react to it. ''I don''t think you can get it from the Bulldogs.'' Bulldogs were the only monsters that appeared in the Batiyu Ruins. However, none of the items they dropped would help him solve this mystery. ''Let''s go through the rest of the ruins.'' Kang Oh didn''t stop until he was finished searching the ruins. He encountered some more Bulldogs along the way, but they weren''t an issue. Kang Oh would get the jump on them with Devil Eye and then kill them with Blood. At times, he''d see some yers fighting the Bulldogs. Since this region was renowned for its medical herbs, he wasn''t surprised to see Medicine Hunters here wearing mesh bags. However, they smelled somewhat strange. It was definitely the smell of mint. ''Does a lot of mint grow in the Batiyu Ruins?'' Mint was definitely a medicinal herb. Thus, it wasn''t really strange that they smelled like it. ''Tch. Anyhow, there aren''t any clues here.'' Kang Oh looked around all day, and had found six more goat patterns. With this, there were a total of twelve goat patterns within the Batiyu Ruins. His Hyper Intuition had activated upon seeing each and every one of them. But that was all. Aside from that, he didn''t get anything else from it. ''I guess that''s good enough for a preliminary search. Let''s meet up with Sephiro and Eder and see what they found.'' Kang Oh descended Mt. Batiyu and headed for the nearest town. He had 28 days left toplete the quest. Kang Oh still had time to spare. * * * In the Brio Region''s central city, Brickham... There was a huge marketce that sold the Brio Region''s medical herbs, though it couldn''tpare to the otherrge cities'' marketces like Altein. At a certain restaurant in Brickham... Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro met each other. "Did you find anything?" Kang Oh asked. "My information brokers... didn''t really have any info on the Batiyu Ruins." Sephiro scratched his head. "Tch," Kang Oh clicked his tongue, and stared at Eder. "What about you?" "I''m not sure if this will help, but..." "Go ahead." "One of Lord Batiyu''s priests took part in destroying the Evil God''s Temple." "Hmm. Then the horde of monsters was an act of retaliation by the Evil God Worshippers." "I wasn''t able to find that out..." Eder shook his head. "So there''s no way that Batiyu''s followers and Ja''s followers are on good terms." "No, they''re definitely not," Eder said. "But one of Ja''s disciples and his followers are conducting a ritual in the Batiyu Ruins... Do you have any info on the priest that destroyed Ja''s Temple?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll look into it." "Alright. I''m counting on you." "Ok." Then, Sephiro said, "Did you find anything, Mr. Kang Oh?" "My Hyper Intuition activated as I searched the ruins." "Oh? What did you find?" "There were a variety of patterns engraved on the walls, pirs, etc. My Hyper Intuition responded to the goat head pattern. However, I couldn''t find anything else." "A goat head pattern?" Sephiro tilted his head. "A goat, huh... Mr. Kang Oh," Eder said. "What is it?" "You said that Ja''s disciple may be using human sacrifices to conduct his ritual, right?" Before he''d asked them to gather information, Kang Oh had exined the details of his quest. "Yeah." "I might have an exnation for the goat pattern." "What is it?" "Goats were the first animal that were sacrificed to God." "Really?" "So the pattern signifies sacrifice." "Mm. And?" "If you sacrifice something there, then a path may open for you." "Would a goat work?" Sephiro asked. "There''s a chance it might." "Please bring a goat''s meat, its organs, and its blood," Eder said. "Ok." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Was there anything else there that was strange?" Sephiro asked. "No. Well, I guess there''s the fact that Medicine Hunters were there, despite it being a dungeon where monsters show up." "Medicine Hunters?" "Yes. They smelled like mint, and I assumed they were there to pick mint." There was a reason he was telling them this. It meant that there was nothing as unusual as the goat patterns. "Mint? Does only one type of monster appear in the Batiyu Ruins?" Eder asked. "Yeah. Bulldogs, which are dogs that spew fire." "That must be why it smelled like mint." "What are you talking about?" "The smell of mint calms down dogs." "Really?" Eder was a legendary healer, so there was no one who knew more about medicinal herbs than him. "Those Medicine Hunters are using the smell of mint to ward off the dogs." "Whatever the case, I''ll have to buy some goat meat, its organs, and its blood, and go back." Kang Oh stood up. "An animal''s blood or organs attracts dogs, so go to a drugstore, buy some mint powder, and rub it on your body," Eder said. "Isn''t mint powder expensive?" "It''s not." "I got it. Mr. Sephiro, please look into Ja''s followers." "Understood." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh left the restaurant and bought goat meat, its organs, and its blood from a nearby butcher shop. ''It doesn''t smell.'' Sniff, sniff. Kang Oh ced all of the items into his inventory and then smelled himself. He didn''t smell anything in particr. ''Still, dogs have a sharp sense of smell, so let''s go and buy some mint powder before we go.'' Kang Oh headed for a nearby drugstore. "What are you looking for?" the drugstore owner asked. "Do you have mint powder in stock?" "Of course." "Please give me some of that." The owner put his hand through the disy counter and said, "You must be going to the Batiyu Ruins." "Yes, I am. How did you know?" "People who go up Mt. Batiyue looking for mint powder to keep those violent dogs away." "That''s true. All of the Medicine Hunters I saw at the Batiyu Ruins all smelled like mint," Kang Oh said. However, the drugstore owner looked at him strangely. "There were Medicine Hunters at the Batiyu Ruins?" "Yes." Was it not natural for them to be there? "That''s unlikely... Did you see actual Medicine Hunters?" "Why do you ask?" "At some point, the medicinal herbs from Mt. Batiyu became extremely toxic. They becamepletely useless. Thus, Medicine Hunters don''t go to Mt. Batiyu in search of medicinal herbs." Kang Oh eyes momentarily widened. "Is that true?" "Yes. All of the Medicine Hunters here know that... Are they from somewhere else?" The drugstore owner tilted his head. However, the drugstore owner soon disregarded it, and passed him paper containing the mint powder. "It''s 1 gold." "..." But Kang Oh was absorbed in thought. Thus, he hadn''t replied to the drugstore owner. "Um, excuse me, sir," the owner asked once more. Only then did Kang Oh respond. "Yes?" "It''s 1 gold." "Ah, sure." Kang Oh paid the fee, epted the mint powder, and left while thinking over the matter. ''If he''s right, then that means those Medicine Hunters are fakes. If that''s the case, then... I''ll need to get some answers out of them!'' Those individuals that were impersonating Medicine Hunters... They had to be linked to Ja''s disciple. Chapter 171. Batiyu Ruins (2)

Chapter 171. Batiyu Ruins (2)

Trantor: Boko [You have entered the dungeon, Batiyu Ruins.] Kang Oh rubbed the mint powder he''d bought from the drugstore onto his body. Then, he smelled himself. He definitely smelled like mint now. "I think we''re about ready." Kang Oh took a look around and walked over to the first goat pattern he''d found. Before questioning the ''Medicine Hunters'', he''d try offering the goat meat, the blood, or the organs, to see if it was the right call or not. The Bulldogs didn''t attack Kang Oh; instead, they just sniffed the air, perhaps because of the mint powder. Kang Oh kept moving, and saw the Medicine Hunters with their meshs. He nced at them. ''There''s nothing really suspicious about them.'' They looked normal and wore rather shabby clothes. The Medicine Hunters were also carrying hoes, assumedly to dig up some herbs, and they actually appeared to be digging up grass. ''But ording to the drugstore owner, those don''t have any value, so why are they digging them up?'' A Medicine Hunter was picking medicinal herbs that had absolutely no value? They were either Medicine Hunters that had no knowledge of medicinal herbs, or their goal wasn''t to pick herbs in the first ce. Then, the Medicine Hunters turned their attention to Kang Oh, as if they''d noticed him looking at them. ''Eek!'' Kang Oh quickly turned away and kept walking as if he were innocent. "Hoo," Kang Oh sighed once he''d gotten away. ''I probably wasn''t discovered, right?'' He had to figure out whether they were rted to Ja''s disciple or not. Thus, he didn''t want them to think that he found them suspicious. ''Let''s find out what happens with the goat first.'' Kang Oh approached the pir engraved with the goat pattern and then took a look around. Once he''d made sure that no one was around, Kang Oh removed a vial of goat''s blood and goat meat and organs wrapped in paper. ''Let''s see what this does.'' First, he spread the blood onto the pattern. However, nothing happened. It was the same even when he pushed the goat meat and organs forward. ''Doesn''t work.'' Offering a goat to the goat pattern wasn''t the right answer. ''Hmm. Then...'' Kang Oh kept moving around. At some point, his eyes focused on one of the Medicine Hunters. ''Let''s go with that one.'' Kang Oh hid within the ruins of a dpidated building. The Medicine Hunter rubbed what looked like mint powder over his body and began to move elsewhere. Kang Oh quietly followed him. After that, Kang Oh watched the Medicine Hunter''s every move for a quarter of the day. However, he hadn''t shown him anything that would help Kang Oh figure out the goat pattern, nor did he do anything particrly suspicious. ''If that''s the case, then I''ll just have to get up close and personal.'' Kang Oh decided to ask the Medicine Hunter in person, and waited patiently for his opportunity. At some point, his opportunity presented itself to him. Kang Oh carefully scanned his surroundings. He didn''t see any yers or Bulldogs. He didn''t see or sense any other Medicine Hunters either. If he wanted answers, then now was the time! Kang Oh moved out of the thicket and approached the Medicine Hunter. "Excuse me." "Yes?" The Medicine Hunter stared at Kang Oh warily. "I''d like to ask you something." "What is it?" "Do you know who Ja is?" Kang Oh asked. "No, not really," the Medicine Hunter replied immediately. However, Kang Oh saw his eyes slightly shake. "Ja is a god that shouldn''t exist in this world." Kang Oh grinned. Then, the Medicine Hunter''s expressionpletely changed. It was almost as if his face was saying, ''How dare you!''. ''That''s right.'' As expected, the best way to anger religious fanatics was to anger the god they worshipped! Kang Oh kept smiling and said, "Apparently, there are religious fanatics that worship him here." His smile disappeared instantaneously and was reced by the red glow of his Devil Eye. "...That''s you, right?" "How did you know?" Now he could feel the Medicine Hunter''s killing intent. "The medicinal herbs that grow on the Batiyu Ruins have absolutely no value. But isn''t it strange that there''re Medicine Hunters that pick them regardless?" "Is that so? We chose the wrong disguise. But that doesn''t change the fact that you''re... going to die here!" Boom! ck energy spewed out of the Medicine Hunter''s body. At the same time, the man''s head transformed into a savage dog''s head, his height increased, and fur covered his body. Was he a wolf or a dog? He couldn''t tell. ''I have to kill him before the other fanaticse over here.'' Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood. Kuahk! The exposed Evil God Worshipper swung his sharp ws with incredible speed and power. However, Kang Oh slightly tilted his body to the side, allowing him to easily dodge the attack. Then, he swung his jet ck demon sword upwards from bottom up. sh! Swish! "Ugh!" The monster''s face contorted! Kang Oh''s sword had left behind a wound, starting from the fanatic''s side to his armpit. He immediately followed it up with a diagonal sh. Bam! Once his de made contact with the wound, shards of light exploded into the air. "Tch." Realizing that he''d lost the initiative, the Evil God Worshipper quickly back off to prepare himself for the next attack. But Kang Oh wasn''t so kind; he wouldn''t let him catch his breath. "Where do you think you''re going?" Kang Oh pulled a horned dagger from his belt and threw it at the monster! The dagger shot out like lightning and pierced the Evil God Worshipper''s thigh. Bzzzzt! dion''s Dagger emitted sparks and electrified the monster. Kang Oh seized that opportunity and reappeared right in front of him. "Huahp!" Kang Oh''s demon sword fell upon the monster, as if it''d bisect the world into two halves! The jet ck de emanated golden light. Tempest Tiger! The tiger-shaped aura pounced onto the Evil God Worshipper. Boom! The fanatic was flung into the air and smashed into a tree. Then, the tree shook and the leaves began to rustle and fall! Whoosh! Tempest Tiger''s follow-up effect, the whirlwind, engulfed his opponent. A short whileter, the wind died down and the Evil God Worshipper reappeared. "Ugh..." the zealot, covered in wounds from head to toe, groaned weakly. ''Let''s finish this quickly.'' Before the other Evil God Worshippers got here. Kang Oh rushed at his opponent and thrust his sword. Stab, stab, stab! His final strike pierced through the Evil God Worshipper''s heart. [You have defeated a Batiyu Ruin''s Evil God Worshipper.] ''This is...'' Kang Oh picked up the item he''d left behind. Upon seeing it, his Hyper Intuition red. ''I''ll look into itter. Right now I have to hide.'' Tempest Tiger had emitted a tremendous golden light and was followed up by whirlwind as well. The other Evil God Worshippers, who were disguised as Medicine Hunters, must''ve seen this by now. Kang Ohpletely hid himself within the nearby thicket so that not even a single one of his hairs could be seen. A short whileter... He could see Medicine Hunters, wearing mesh bags,ing through the thicket one or two at a time. They could see the fallen animal form of theirrade. "Mm. One of our brothers has died," one of the ''Medicine Hunters'' said. Each of them spoke amongst themselves. "Who did this?" "I don''t know. But I think someone knows what we''ve been doing." "We can''t leave until weplete the ritual." "Let''s report this to Lord Trambo." "We can''t right now. Lord Trambo will be here on the day of the ritual, not a day before." "Mm. Let''s collect the body first. We can''t let anyone else see this." "Got it." "We''re not going to find who did this?" "If we do that, there''s a chance that we''ll be exposed." "He''s right. We have to keep things as quiet as possible, at least until the ritual isplete." "In exchange, we''ll reinforce the barrier." "Alright." The Medicine Hunters carried away the body and left. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed; he''d been watching everything that''d urred from within the thicket. ''Seems like they''re performing some sort of huge ritual. One that can''t be done in a day or two. Is Trambo the disciple that I have to kill? They said he''d only appear on the day of the ceremony, right?'' He''d obtained some good information. Moreover, Kang Oh had gotten his hands on a round bronze mirror that the Evil God Worshipper had dropped. "Item information." [Ja''s Bronze Mirror] Because bronze is the metal that represents the Evil God, Ja, the bronze mirror is a sign that one worships and serves the evil god. However, the bronze mirror radiates an unknown red light. The red light covered half of the mirror in the shape of a crescent moon. Since his Hyper Intuition was trying to tell him something, this bronze mirror had to hold some sort of secret. Kang Oh could pretty much tell what it was. ''It''s a key.'' The goat pattern would react to this key, or the bronze mirror. Kang Oh had spent a long time finding hidden dungeons, and it was that same intuition that was telling him that this mirror was the answer. ''I''m getting more and more clues.'' Kang Oh got out of the thicket and left the Batiyu Ruins. He wanted to try using the bronze mirror on the goat pattern, but now wasn''t the time. Since he''d killed one of their own, it was obvious that the Evil God Worshippers would be extremely wary of everyone. Thus, he''d retreat today and try another time. * * * Kang Oh didn''t travel to the Batiyu Ruins for some time. Instead, he returned to Altein and read books with Eder in the Altein Central Library. They researched topics such as the Evil God, Ja, Batiyu, Trambo, the ritual that Ja''s followers were attempting, etc. "Mm. Mr. Kang Oh," Eder called. "What is it?" "I think I know why Ja''s followers are at the Batiyu Ruins." "Go ahead." "I told youst time that one of Lord Batiyu''s priests took part in destroying Ja''s Temple." "Yeah, I remember." "I think that priest sealed one of Ja''s sacred treasures in the Batiyu Shrine." Sacred treasures contained a god''s power. Thus, it was said that they had the power to perform miracles. But ording to Eder, Ja''s sacred treasure was sealed somewhere within the Batiyu Shrine. Thus, the goal of Ja''s followers was to reim this sacred treasure. "Then that ritual that they''re trying to perform there is..." "It''s likely being done to undo the seal." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''That''s why the Evil God Worshippers said that they couldn''t leave until the ceremony wasplete.'' Everything was falling into ce. "Anything else?" "There''s nothing on Trambo. However, there''s some information on the power that Ja''s disciples use." "What is it?" "They can transform their bodies into bronze." "What else?" "They wield hellfire and are capable of transforming people into beasts." "Beasts, huh..." That''s the reason the Batiyu Ruin''s Evil God Worshipper had transformed into a werewolf. "Then Trambo must have some sort of ability associated with animals, right?" "Most likely," Eder said unsurely. "Hmm. Let''s keep looking." "Um..." Eder gently raised his hand. "What is it?" "Hehe. You said you''d give me a break if I found something." Why else would he have read until his eyes bled? It''s because he wanted to rx for a few days in peace. Of course, the longer the break, the better. "What? A break!?" Kang Oh''s eyes seemed to alight with me. ''I''m working here, but you want to take a break!?''. "W-Why not!? I''ve gotten you some good information. And you promised that I would be able to rx if I found you some information!" Eder clenched his fists. Even the meekest person will eventually lose their temper! ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh briefly thought over the matter. ''I don''t think he''ll work anymore if I ask him to...'' Take a look at his eyes! They were the eyes of someone who''d walk off and go on strike. ''Well, I guess Eder''s done enough. And I was the one who promised to give him a break too.'' Eder was perfectly justified in hisints too. "Fine. You can rest until I take care of the disciple." In the end, Kang Oh epted Eder''s demands. "Thank you very much!" With this, Eder could rx for a while. Whereas... - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? An instant reply. - Do you have any new information for me? - Uh... not yet. - Then please keep at it! Sephiro couldn''t dream of a vacation, let alone a break. Chapter 172. Hidden Sanctum

Chapter 172. Hidden Sanctum

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh came to the Batiyu Ruins again. Perhaps it was because it''d been some time since he''d killed the Evil God Worshipper, but the atmosphere or appearance of the Batiyu Ruins hadn''t changed much. The Evil God Worshippers, which were disguised as Medicine Hunters, didn''t show any signs of hostility or suspicion. ''But I still can''t afford to be careless.'' Whatever the case, the Evil God Worshippers knew that someone was looking into them. Though they looked inconspicuous on the outside, they may still be on guard. Kang Oh acted like the other yers. He pretended like he was looking for monsters, and even went as far as to kill the Bulldogs as well. While doing so, he stealthily made his way to the goat pattern. ''There''s no one here, right?'' Kang Oh took a quick look around and then removed the bronze mirror from his inventory. At that moment... The bronze mirror radiated red light, and the goat pattern''s eyes began to shine. ''As I thought!'' The bronze mirror was indeed a key. Kang Oh''s body began to fade. He was being transported somewhere else, as if he''d used a return scroll or an intercity transfer gate. [You have entered Batiyu''s Hidden Sanctum.] Soon enough, Kang Oh was transported to apletely different location. ''A hidden sanctum?'' He was inside a building. Lamps shaped like lightning bolts hung from the ceiling, emitting iridescent light. Murals were drawn on the walls too. They probably depicted the myth of Batiyu. The murals were fading and the walls were cracked, so the ce must not have been properly maintained for some time. Parts of the wall had even copsed, leaving a hole in the wall. Kang Oh carefully made his way through the passageway. Based on everything he''d gathered thus far, Batiyu''s followers had been killed by a horde of monsters; after that, Ja''s followers took over the Batiyu Temple to find Ja''s lost sacred treasure. In other words, he was in the middle of the tiger''s den. He had to keep his eyes peeled. He encountered a forked road. Kang Oh intuitively picked the right road. A short whileter, he sensed a presenceing towards him. He quickly looked for a ce to hide. Then, he turned a corner and hid himself. "It won''t be long before the sacred treasure returns to us," a man wearing bronze robes said. Based on what he was saying, he had to be one of the Evil God Worshippers. "We''ve had it hard because of those damn Batiyu bastards," another man wearing the same garb said. "When''s the next ritual?" One of them pulled out a bronze mirror from their robes. "The red moon''s almost full, so it won''t be long." "Hoo, hoo. I wish that day woulde sooner. I love the sound that a virgin makes when they''re being sacrificed," the Evil God Worshipper smiled wickedly. "Hehe, Lord Ja is so pleased when they''re crying out for mercy, begging us to let them live." There were several reasons that Ja was called an evil god, but one of them was his creed: to spread pain and suffering. Anyway, the two continued to speak with those disgusting mouths of theirs. While having no idea that someone was listening in on their conversation. "So you can tell when the ritual is based on the red moon?" Kang Oh removed the bronze mirror from his inventory. Those bastards had definitely said that you could tell when the ritual was by looking at the mirror. ''So it has another use besides entering this location.'' Kang Oh looked down at the bronze mirror. Red energy radiated from it. When he''d first acquired it, the mirror had definitely shown a crescent moon, but now, it looked like a half moon. Which meant that the red energy would eventually be a full moon! Of course, he hadn''t known what the changes to the moon had meant thus far. But by eavesdropping on the Evil God Worshippers'' conversation, he''d been able to figure out what it meant. ''It tells you when the full moon rises.'' There was a rumor that a strange ritual was performed at the Batiyu Ruins on the night of the full moon. It wasn''t actually referring to a true full moon, but when the red light on the bronze mirror became a full moon. ''And when this ''full moon'' rises, they''ll begin the ceremony!'' Right now, it was a half moon, but it would gradually be a full moon as time passed. That would be his chance to kill all of the Evil God''s followers! For the time being, however, he needed to thoroughly explore the sanctum, and figure out how many Evil God Worshippers there were. Kang Oh began moving stealthily once more. * * * The hidden sanctum was divided into several floors, and there were several rooms here too. The sanctum itself was designed quiteplicatedly. Because of that, exploring the hidden sanctum was quite difficult, but there were also several ces where he could avoid and hide from the Evil God Worshippers. "We have to hurry our preparations for the ritual. For our god." "Offer up a virgin''s blood, flesh, and heart to our god!" "Ja!" Once the Evil God Worshippers passed by, Kang Oh slightly opened the door and assessed the situation outside. He sensed a presence and hid inside the room once more. "Crazy bastards," Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''I''ve noticed that all of them wear bronze robes.'' It must be because bronze represents Ja. ''I need to buy one of those.'' In order to infiltrate an enemy''s base, you at least needed to have the right clothes first! Kang Oh exited the room and headed for where the Evil God Worshippers had just appeared. How much time had passed? Kang Oh peeked his head out from the end of the passageway and looked around. ''This ce is...'' It was arge room. At the center of the roomy a high altar, and ten Evil God Worshippers stood nearby, solemnly guarding it. There was a shut coffin on top of the altar. ''Is the sacred treasure sealed inside of there?'' If not, then there was no way that they''d be protecting it like this. Thus, this must be where they were going to hold the ceremony. After exploring the hidden sanctum, he''de to the conclusion that this was the only ce that they could hold a ritual. But as they always say, misbehavior will eventually catch up to you. "Who''s there!?" One of the Evil God Worshippers saw Kang Oh peeking his head in. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh quickly pulled his head out, but it was already toote. "There''s someone suspicious over there!" "Catch him!" Those guarding the altar came rushing at Kang Oh. Kang Oh immediately pulled out a return scroll from his inventory and ripped it. Spurt! Silver powder glimmered around him. ''Please, please...'' If a yer is attacked while using a return scroll, then the effects are nullified. Thus, if one of the Evil God Worshippers'' attacks came at him, then he wouldn''t be teleported and he''d be forced to fight them. However, that''s not what Kang Oh wanted right now. Kang Oh''s goal was Ja''s disciple, not his followers. He had no intention of getting involved with them before dealing with the disciple. ''It''s ready!'' Fortunately, the return was sessful, and he disappeared without a trace. The Evil God Worshippers had arrived in only a few seconds. "What? He''s not here?" "Did he get away already?" "Damn it. Who the hell was he!?" "Check all of the rooms! He might be hiding!" "Got it!" * * * Any further investigation was impossible. The only thing he could do was go in and kill them now. When the bronze mirror''s red light became a full moon... That would be D-Day. ''Of course, I have to thoroughly prepare before then.'' Kang Oh began preparing for his fight against Ja''s disciple. First, he went to the Holiseum. "Yo, Darion," Kang Oh waved at the handsome man. "Wee." Unlikest time, Darion didn''t immediately run away and politely bowed his head instead. He must''ve realized that running away was meaningless. "You''re not running this time?" Kang Oh grinned and said. "Ahem. I had some urgent business to deal withst time," Darion gave a flimsy excuse. "Whatever. Is Burkan here?" "Yes. Would you like me to take you to him?" "Isn''t that obvious?" Darion pouted slightly. He was definitely thinking something along the lines of ''What am I, your ve? You asshole.''. "You want to get hit?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Huh? Why?" "You just inwardly cursed at me." "I didn''t!" Darion was shocked. After all, Kang Oh had hit the mark. Kang Oh stared at Darion. "Ahem. I''ll take you to Master Burkan right away." Darion went on without making eye contact with Kang Oh. "Punk." He didn''t live up to his looks and was always asking for punishment. Kang Oh followed him. "He''s in here." Darion pointed at the door and left before Kang Oh could even do anything. "Tch," Kang Oh clicked his tongue, knocked, and entered the room. "Oh, Little Brother. Did you alreadyplete the quest?" Burkan asked. "No, not yet. I had a favor to ask you regarding that," Kang Oh said affably. His voice automatically became polite whenever he had a favor to ask! "What is it?" "Please kill me," Kang Oh said seriously. "What?" Burkan sported an expression that seemed to say, ''What the hell are you talking about?''. "I have to undergo Ubist''s trial again. If by any chance I lose and Ubist takes control of me, please kill me," Kang Oh said. He''d enjoyed the fruits of Devil Trigger for some time, which had resulted in his assimtion rate surpassing 92%. In other words, he could only use Devil Trigger for another 8 minutes. However, 8 minutes was much too short when he had to fight against Ja''s disciple. Thus, he''de with the intention of oveing the trial beforehand and extending Devil Trigger''s use. "You want to take the Trial of the Demon Sword again?" Burkan tilted his head. ''Why?'' his actions seemed to say. "There''s a Demonic Swordsman skill called Devil Trigger. Using it eventually forces you to take the Trial of the Demon Sword again." "Really?" Burkan looked like he understood. "You''ll do it for me, right?" "Of course. It''d be a pain in the ass if you got controlled by Ubist in some random ce." "Right now." "Sure." Burkan and Kang Oh came to the underground arena. "Are you confident?" Burkan asked. He was essentially saying, ''Do you think you have a chance at oveing Ubist''s trial again?''. "He''s gotten just as strong as I have, so... It won''t be easy, but I have to give it a go." "Yeah. That''s what Master Vn said. That Ubist was both the darkness and a shadow." Ubist was a shadow that reflected its user! That''s why Ubist shared its level with its wielder. "Then, shall we begin?" Kang Oh used Devil Trigger whilst holding Ubist. Darkness engulfed him and soon enough, he had transformed into the Jet ck Demon. "If I wait 8 minutes like this, then I''ll enter the Trial of the Demon Sword automatically," Kang Oh said. "8 minutes, huh... Then why don''t we spar while we''re waiting? But we won''t use any skills. We''ll just go at it with pure swordsmanship," Burkan tapped the dius at his waist and said. "Shall we?" Sparring with a diator Master! Moreover, sparring with him will raise his concentration to the utmost, which may help him in his trial! "C''mon!" Burkan drew his dius. Then, his diator helmet began to shine. "I''m going!" Kang Oh charged at Burkan, his jet ck tail fluttering through the air. ng! dius and demon sword shed! Burkan''s dius was by no means normal. Like his helmet, Rakan''s Pride, his dius was a peerless de created by a cksmith Master. It was obviously SS-rank! The sword was by no means inferior to his demon sword. ng, ng, ng! Demon sword and dius continued to sh. However, Shadow Ubist began to attack Burkan as well. It wasn''t something that Kang Oh could control after all. "Ah, 2 versus 1. That''s dirty." Befitting his name as the Invincible diator, Burkan easily deflected both Kang Oh and Shadow Ubist''s attacks. "It''s not something I can control." "Hoh, is that so?" Burkan grinned. Burkan waspletely rxed; this was way too easy for him. ''As expected of a diator Master.'' Kang Oh was doing his very best. Moreover, he was currently using Devil Trigger as well. He wasn''t weak by any stretch of the imagination. However, there was definitely a power disparity between him and Burkan. Like how his power couldn''t match up to Vn''s. ''If that''s the case, then I have to learn as much as I can from him.'' Kang Oh began copying the way Burkan moved his body, how he swung his sword, where he looked, how he breathed, etc. He entered a trance, but soon... [Demon Sword Ubist''s assimtion rate has reached 100%.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s trial will now begin.] A jet ck w burst out of the demon sword and engulfed Kang Oh. At the same time, his surroundings changed to a deep darkness. Chapter 173. Ubist’s Trial

Chapter 173. Ubist''s Trial

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh soon released his Devil Trigger. Both of his hands tightly gripped Ubist, and his eyes werepletely unfocused. Burkan approached him and raised his dius up high. He was ready to strike down Kang Oh if necessary! He hoped he wouldn''t need to. "I hope you ovee the trial, Little Brother," Burkan said genuinely. * * * Kang Oh was in a world of evesting darkness. The darknesspletely obscured his vision. It was simr to when he''d first taken Ubist''s trial. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Kang Oh breathed regrly and maintained hisposure. ''He''s definitely gotten stronger.'' He clearly remembered what his first trial was like. So when Ubist popped out of his sword, he immediately noticed how muchrger and wilder it had be. Kuhaang! Ubist suddenly roared. [You have heard the King of Magical Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist''s Roar. Ubist''s Roar gives fear to its prey and reduces their abilities.] [Nevertheless, you remain calm. Your Indomitable stat, as well as your experience fighting countless powerful foes, has allowed you to ovee your fear.] [Your abilities do not decrease.] Kang Oh smirked. ''You''re not the only one who''s changed. I''ve gotten stronger too!'' Ubist''s trial. Stats and levels werergely meaningless. After all, his and Ubist''s strength grew equally. What mattered was power; power that could surpass stats or levels! Willpower was also paramount! "C''mon!" Kang Oh confidently yelled within the darkness. Wouldn''t it respect his bravery? Kuhaaaah! Ubist roared angrily and rushed at Kang Oh. Due to his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh roughly knew where it wasing from. ''Right side!'' Kang Oh leapt and rolled onto the floor. Spurt! A bizarre sound rang out, one of Ubist tearing the space itself apart. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t intimidated by the sound. Guided by his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh bravely swung his sword at a weak spot. sh! He tried using a skill, but it didn''t feel right. ''As expected, you can''t use skills here.'' Kang Oh had tried it out just in case. Bam! Kyaahk! Though his skill didn''t activate, his attacknded nheless. His attack had struck Ubist''s weak point! Obviously, red shards of light burst from Ubist''s body as well. Ubist immediately counterattacked. Spurt! It sounded like the dimension itself was being ripped apart again. But something was different this time. Its paw released an energy st akin to a shing w! Kang Oh had experienced thisst time too. Though he couldn''t see it, he could feel how savage, powerful, and destructive it was. Of course, his Hyper Intuition warned him as well. ''How cowardly!'' He couldn''t usebat skills, yet Ubist could. How unfair! Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. He knew that if he just barely dodged it, then he wouldn''te out unscathed. Kang Oh didn''t hear the energy, which had ripped through the space that he''d just upied, crash into anything. Which meant that this dimension was arge area without any walls or obstacles. ''Ok.'' Upon realizing that Ubist had just used a powerful attack and that there weren''t any obstacles to hinder him, Kang Oh transitioned to offense. A cut, a thrust, another cut, and another thrust! ng, ng, ng, ng! His sword continuously shed with Ubist''s ws. ''As I thought, it has gotten stronger.'' When he was level 1, Ubist couldn''t block his attacks so easily. But now it was! ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh tried a feint. He halted his sword midair. Ubist had prepared itself for Kang Oh''s original strike, causing it to get off bnce. Then, he followed up with his true strike! Swish! His sword struck true. Kyaa! Ubist rushed at him, shoving the jet ck darkness towards him. However, it stopped its attack halfway. It had copied Kang Oh and had used a feint as well. But the tactic wouldn''t always work, especially when it wasn''t done properly... ''There!'' His Hyper Intuition hadn''t warned him of danger; it had merely pointed out a weak spot. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. Swish! Another clean hit! Kya! Ubist flinched backwards. Kang Oh stepped forward and swung his sword, unwilling to let it get away. Whenever he swung his sword, it felt as though his concentration was at its utmost. ''Thanks, Burkan!'' His spar with Burkan! He''d maintained a high level of concentration during his fight with Burkan, and that concentration had transferred over to his fight with Ubist. Kang Oh swung his sword more precisely than before. ng, ng, bam, bam, ng, bam, swish, sh! Ubist managed to block a few of his attacks, but as time went on, Kang Oh managed to gain the upper hand and damage it more and more. Kuhaa! Ubist leapt back and in an act of desperation, swung both of its front ws. Swish, sh! Abyss w x2! Two Abyss ws, eachposed of three lines of darkness, flew at him, converging into an X. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. It was toote to dodge it, so he merely protected his vitals with his sword. Screech, screech, screech! Upon contact, his de let out a shrill ''screech''! As if that wasn''t enough, a part of his body, which he hadn''t been able to protect, was ripped apart. [You have taken damage.] [Remaining HP: 90%] ''I defended myself, yet it still shaved off 10% of my HP!?'' Ubist''s attack power was so high that defense wasrgely meaningless against it. If he just defended, then he''d surely die. If that''s the case, then the only way he''d survive is by attacking! Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Kuah! Ubist dashed at Kang Oh. It immediately became a battle of CQC. The two continued to aim for each other''s vitals. However, Kang Oh was much better at aiming for his enemy''s vitals. After all, Hyper Intuition was on his side! Bam, bam! Ultimately, Kang Oh was the first tond a proper attack. He evennded a follow-up attack too. Grr. Ubist snarled and leapt back once more. It was probably thinking something like ''I''ll finish you off with Abyss w!''. ''Not a chance!'' he thought. ''I''m not dumb enough to get hit by the same thing twice!'' Kang Oh rushed towards the location where he sensed a presence. Before Ubist was even able to swing its front legs, Kang Oh attacked. Left with no other choice, Ubist was forced to defend itself. ng! They fought close up once more. Ubist used everything at its disposal, including its ws, its tail and its fangs. Whenever it did so, Kang Oh would either roll onto the floor and avoid its attack, or he would hold his sword askew and block it. As they say, opportunity presented itself after disaster. Whenever Ubist exposed itself between attacks, Kang Oh would attack. Hyper Intuition or not, even Kang Oh couldn''t block or dodge all of Ubist''s blows. In fact, he''d lost quite a bit of HP! In exchange...! Ubist was riddled with sword wounds. As a result, its HP had dropped below half. [Ubist''s HP has dropped below 50%.] [Ubist is creating a copy of itself made of darkness.] ''That''s a relief.'' Kang Oh wondered what he''d do if Ubist cloned itself twice; after all, it''d gotten stronger since thest time he''d fought it. Fortunately, it only summoned one copy. A short whileter... Kang Oh felt a chill at both his right shoulder and his left thigh. Ubist''s main body and its copy were striking at two different areas simultaneously. ''It feels like the left one''s the real one.'' The copy tried to bite his right shoulder, but he avoided it. Then, he charged at the true Ubist, which was attempting to scratch his left thigh. ng. Kang Oh deflected its attack! He then thrust his sword. Stab! Ubist retreated. Then, the copy attacked Kang Oh from behind. ''Back when I was level 1, I let it hit me from behind, but this time...'' When he''d first taken Ubist''s trial, Kang Oh had focused on the main body, allowing the copy to get behind him. Kang Oh quickly moved to the side. Kuahk! The copy assumed that it had left arge wound on its prey, but it hadn''t actually aplished anything. Then... Kang Oh quickly got back into position and whacked its face with his sword. Whack! Kehk! Kang Oh didn''t stop. He struck the copy again and then rushed at the main body. He engaged the main body in an intense battle and soon enough, he sensed the copy approach him. ''I''m not the same as I used to be!'' Kang Ohnded a huge hit on Ubist''s main body, turned around, andunched himself at the copy. The copy''s ws raked Kang Oh''s shoulder, but it was a flesh wound. Thus, he didn''t take much damage from it. The copy''s attack power was weak too. "Take this!" Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword. It flew through the air until it met the copy¡¯s flesh. Swish! Shards of light exploded from it. Though of course, Kang Oh couldn''t see them. Anyhow, Kang Oh didn''t fight them 2 on 1. He moved, attacked, evaded, and defended deliberately, forcing the main body and copy to fight him 1 on 1. It proved to be a sessful strategy. Ubist couldn''t take advantage of its numerical advantage at all. ''We''re almost done here.'' Kang Oh had the advantage and was nearing victory. However...! Kyaoh! Kyaa! Ubist and its clone simultaneously roared and widened the distance between each other. Kang Oh chased after the main body. Spurt! The copy unleashed an Abyss w from behind. ''So the clone can use that skill too!'' Kang Oh quickly rolled onto the floor and avoided the Abyss w. Then, the main body attacked. Abyss w! It likewise unleashed the powerful, ferocious energy st. ''This is crazy!'' Kang Oh feverishly rolled onto the floor as if it were his own bedroom. He couldn''t regain hisposure, as Abyss ws kept flying at him from both front and back. ''I can''t keep going like this.'' At this rate, Kang Oh''s Stamina would deplete before he could kill them. With his Stamina gone, he''d be a sitting duck. ''Letting them hit me isn''t a viable option either.'' Abyss w. It was too powerful to allow even one of them to hit him. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh stood up. An Abyss w came flying at him from the side. ''I have to pierce through it!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword at the iing Abyss w. ng! The attack was heavy enough to cause his sword to shake. Kang Oh forcefully tightened his hands around his sword. "Uha!" he cried out. At the same time, he cleaved through the Abyss w. ''I did it!'' However, now wasn''t the time to be celebrating. The clone''s Abyss w wasing after him. He threw himself out of its way and avoided the Abyss w. Then, he charged at the main body! Kang Oh cleaved through another one of the main body''s Abyss ws, dodged the clone''s, and then charged once more! It definitely wasn''t easy cutting through the Abyss ws. In order to do so, he needed to maximize his concentration and use all of his strength at the exact moment. Avoiding the clone''s Abyss w from behind wasn''t easy either. He had to time it just right. Yet Kang Oh continued to do it. In the end, he managed to reach the main body. "Let''s finish this!" He put all of his remaining strength into this swing. Kang Oh''s de passed through the center of Ubist''s body! [Ubist has less than 10% of its HP remaining. It feels its life is at risk, so it has retreated deep into the darkness.] [You havepleted the Trial of the Demon Sword.] Bam! The darkness receded instantaneously. Then, he was greeted by the sight of Burkan staring vacantly at him. Like he''d asked, Burkan was ready to strike him down if necessary! "You ok, Little Brother?" "I overcame the trial!" Kang Oh yelled confidently. Then, he received a system message. [By oveing Demon Sword Ubist''s trial, your assimtion rate with Demon Sword Ubist has dropped to 0%.] [Devil Trigger has risen to the intermediate rank.] [Now, your demon form will be even more powerful.] [Your maximum assimtion rate has increased to 200%. Upon reaching 200%, you will be required to take the Trial of the Demon Sword again.] Chapter 174. Sacrifice Trambo (1)

Chapter 174. Sacrifice Trambo (1)

Trantor: Boko "Good work." Burkan withdrew his sword and hugged Kang Oh. "Sparring with you really helped. Thank you so much," Kang Oh said. It waspletely true. With Burkan''s help, Kang Oh started the trialpletely focused. If he hadn''t been in tip-top condition, then he would''ve been ughtered by Ubist''s random attacks. "You did good." Burkan patted Kang Oh''s back. "I got something out of it," Kang Oh grinned. Not only had his assimtion rate dropped to 0%, but his max assimtion rate had risen to 200%. As if that wasn''t enough, Devil Trigger had risen to the intermediate rank too! A clear example of three birds with one stone! "Haha, let''s go get a drink to celebrate," Burkan said energetically. "I''d like to, but I haven''tpleted Master Vn''s quest yet. As you well know, I''m strapped on time and if I fail... Mm, it''s terrifying to even think about it." "Mm. That''s true." "Let''s have a drink after I''vepleted it." "You got it." "Then, I''ll be going now." "Take care." Burkan waved his hand and saw him off. Kang Oh left the Holiseum with a brisk step. ''Now I won''t have to worry about using Devil Trigger for a while. Next up is...'' Kang Oh headed for a nearby seamstress''s workshop. "Wee," the seamstress greeted him, smiling politely. "Do you have any robes that''ll cover my entire body in this color?" Kang Oh pulled out the bronze mirror from his inventory. "Unfortunately, I don''t have any bronze robes in stock, but... I can make one for you." "Then please make one for me. It has to be this color," Kang Oh emphasized, pointing at the bronze mirror. "I understand. What kind of fabric would you like?" "Not too expensive, but not too cheap either." He was essentially saying, ''It''s in your hands.''. "I understand. Please leave it to me." "How long will it take?" "It''ll be ready the day after tomorrow." "Alright." Kang Oh, who''d left the seamstress''s workshop, headed for the auction house next; he needed to buy some equipment to use as fodder for Gluttony. Although he still had Eder''s four color skull shield, it wasn''t all that great. Gluttony wouldn''tst very long if he used it. By oveing the trial, he''d substantially lengthened the time he could use Devil Trigger, so he couldn''t let Gluttonyg behind. It''d be disappointing. Thus... ''Let''s not skimp out on this.'' Demon Sword Ubist and the adamantium gemstone were riding on him killing Ja''s disciple. He couldn''t afford to fail! So this wasn''t the time to be stingy. After some deep thought, Kang Oh decided to buy a single piece of equipment. Frozen Raksha''s Spear. This spear dropped from a boss that resided in the north, thend of ice and illusions. It was S-rank! Despite that, it only had one effect. However, that effect was a doozy! Frozen Earth! It instantaneously lowered the temperature in arge area and froze one''s opponents. This weapon allowed him to use that formidable skill. ''And if I use Gluttony on this, then I''ll be able to use Frozen Earth too.'' If he used Gluttony on an AA-rank item or higher, then he could use the item''s abilities. AA-rank allowed him to use one of the item''s abilities, while S-rank allowed him to use two. He didn''t have any SS-rank items to waste, so he wasn''t certain, but he was pretty sure it''d let him use three of the item''s abilities. In any case, Raksha''s Spear had other redeeming features besides its special ability. It required a yer to be over level 300 to equip it. Thus, Gluttony wouldst even longer due to the hefty level requirements. It cost 1,517 gold. If it had two special abilities rather than one, then it would''ve easily cost more than 2,000 gold! This was definitely the most expensive item he''d ever bought at the auction house. ''Ugh. My stomach.'' His stomach ached from spending so much money at once. Moreover, using it for Gluttony would cause it to disappear forever, making it only hurt more. Still, he couldn''t help it. He couldn''t afford to fail Vn''s quest! Kang Oh obviously needed to prepare the very best. ''Even this might not be enough.'' Trambo, who he believed to be Ja''s disciple, was an unknown; he didn''t know how powerful he would be. He''d have to face dozens of Ja''s followers too. Kang Oh would have to deal with them all by himself, without the help of Sephiro and Eder. ''So I need to prepare as much as I can!'' Kang Oh left the auction house and headed for the Tower. Then, he called Grano from the 2nd floor cafe. "What''s the matter, Mr. Kang Oh?" Grano wore ab coat and thick eyesses. Of course, the thick sses couldn''tpletely cover his handsome, middle-aged face. "Have you been well?" "Yes, I have." "That''s a relief. I''d like to consult you about something." "What is it?" "That''s..." Kang Oh exined the situation he was in. He started with meeting Vn, and ended with him being forced to fight off Ja''s followers all by himself. "Mm." "So I was wondering if I could procure a magic scroll that contains a powerful spell." Kang Oh exined why he was here. It''d be troublesome to have to kill Trambo and his followers one by one, so he wanted something that could kill them all in one fell swoop. Thus, he''d spend a ton of money to buy a spear that enabled him to use Frozen Earth. If he added a magic scroll that could unleash a powerful spell, then he''d be set. "As you well know, I am not a Battle Mage." Grano was a Magic Engineer, someone who created magic tools. "So any magic scroll I make for you wouldn''t be what you''re looking for." "As I thought." Kang Oh nodded his head. "But I may be able to use my authority to get you one." This is why you had to listen to someone till the very end. Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. "Then?" "I can only get you one. If you want another er on, then you''ll have to help the Tower out." "Thank you very much!" Kang Oh tightly sped Grano''s hands. ''You''re a saint!'' he seemed to say. "I''ll get permission from the Lord of the Tower, and then get the scroll ready for you, so pleasee back tomorrow." "Ok! What kind of spell will be contained within it?" "A spell that unleashes a giant tsunami." "A tsunami sounds good!" Kang Oh grinned ear to ear. "It should be more than powerful enough." "Alright." ''I should save it if I can.'' Of course, if he had no choice, he''d use it without hesitation. "Then I''ll see you tomorrow." Grano stood up. "I love you, Mr. Grano." Kang Oh uncharacteristically made a heart with his hands. ''Good. This is perfect.'' Frozen Earth and Tsunami. With these two skills/spells, he''d be able to annihte all of Ja''s followers, no matter how many there might be. ''This should be good enough.'' He was fully prepared now. "I wish that day woulde sooner," Kang Oh looked down at the bronze moon, which glimmered with red light in the shape of a half-moon, and muttered. * * * 20 days left. The bronze mirror''s red light had finally assumed the figure of a full moon. This meant that Ja''s followers would be conducting the ritual today within the hidden sanctum! Kang Oh ced the bronze robes he''d gotten from the seamstress into his inventory. He also carefully ced the Frozen Raksha''s Spear, as well as the magic scroll he''d gotten from Grano, into his inventory as well. "Shall we go?" Kang Oh exited a Brickham inn. The sun had already set. It was a dark night with clouds obscuring the moon from sight. [You have entered the dungeon, Batiyu Ruins.] Kang Oh strode towards the pir engraved with a goat pattern. Unlikest time, there were two Evil God Worshippers disguised as Medicine Hunters standing nearby. One of them was standing there absentmindedly, while the other acted like they were picking medicinal herbs. However, their objective was clear. Stop anyone suspicious from approaching the pattern. ''It''d be all too easy to kill them, but if it gets too noisy, then the others wille and see what''s up.'' Kang Oh headed for the other patterns, but it was the same everywhere else too. ''If that''s the case, then...'' he thought. ''There''s always a way out. After all, I''ve been ying games professionally for how long?'' Kang Oh left the thicket and headed to an empty lot. Then, he swung his sword at a thick tree. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The radiant, golden aura cracked the tree with a ''boom''. Then, a raging whirlwind appeared! ''I made it really noticeable, so this should draw quite a few of them.'' Kang Oh quickly left the thicket and then quietly walked to the goat pattern. As expected, one of the ''Medicine Hunters'' had left. They must be checking what the ruckus was all about. There was only one Medicine Hunter left. Kang Oh yelled at the top of his lungs, "We need reinforcements! Heretics areing; fools that do not believe in Lord Ja!" His voice was filled with desperation. He''d given it his very all. "What did you say!?" Ultimately, the remaining Medicine Hunter abandoned his guard duty and headed in the direction of the whirlwind. ''So simple.'' Kang Oh grinned. Then, he headed for the goat pattern and extended his bronze mirror. His body faded and then instantly disappeared. [You have entered Batiyu''s Hidden Sanctum.] Kang Oh immediately removed the bronze robes from his inventory and draped them over his body. Then, he quickly headed for the altar. He''de here once before, so he already knew the right way forward. ''I don''t see any Evil God Worshippers.'' Last time he''d been here, there were Evil God Worshippers scattered around, so he had to hide from them, but this time, he couldn''t find a single one of them. ''They must be at the altar.'' It was obvious. Kang Oh headed for the altar room, not a single person getting in his way. A short whileter... Light seeped out from the end of the passageway. He sensed a ton of presences from within the room. Kang Oh hugged the wall and slightly peeked his head inside. ''Heok.'' Kang Oh widened his eyes. He assumed that there would be, at most, dozens of Evil God Worshippers. However, there were more than a hundred of them inside. ''You crazy bastard!'' Kang Oh momentarily cursed Vn. How the hell did he expect him to do this all on his own!? ''If I hadn''t brought Frozen Earth and Tsunami, then I would''ve been in big trouble.'' Then... An old man, who stood atop the altar, yelled, "Lord Ja!" "Lord Ja!" the Evil God Worshippers below the altar yelled simultaneously. "Lord Ja!" "Lord Ja!" Kang Oh inspected the old man atop the altar. [You have seen Ja''s Sixth Disciple, Sacrifice Trambo.] [Trambo was originally a merchant, but was corrupted by Ja''s whispers. He offered not only his entire fortune, but his family and his body as well.] [Please be careful. You may be a sacrifice to the Evil God as well.] The old man was Ja''s sixth disciple, Trambo! In other words, he was Kang Oh''s target! He looked over 2 meters tall. However, he looked like a dried out eggnt during the middle of winter. His torso, arms, and legs were so thin. His brown skin was cracked, and a turban covered his head. He also possessed a lengthy beard with no shine to it. Trambo''s twig-like hands were covered in rings, which no longer had gems within them. "We''re going to proceed with the ritual to regain the great Ja''s sacred treasure!" Trombo raised his voice. "Ja! Ja! Ja!" the Evil God Worshippers shouted passionately. ''Seems like a rally for religious zealots... Oh wait, they are religious zealots. Anyway, you''re all dead!'' Kang Oh removed the scroll containing Tsunami from his inventory. ''First, let''s see how you like water!'' Chapter 175. Sacrifice Trambo (2)

Chapter 175. Sacrifice Trambo (2)

Trantor: Boko "Let''s start the show now, shall we?" Kang Oh nned on ripping the Great Tsunami scroll, activating Devil Trigger, and then flying onto the altar. However... "Bring the offering!" Trambo said. Then, four Evil God Worshippers appeared from therge passageway. They lifted their arms to the ceiling, carrying a young girl that didn''t even seem 20 years old yet. "Please let me go! Please!" Her hands and feet were tied, but she wasn''t gagged, so she continuously pleaded for them to let her live. "Hahahaha!" "Hehehe!" "I can hear how pleased Lord Ja is!" "Lord Ja!" The Evil God Worshippers relished in her suffering and despair. ''I''m d this is just a game.'' What if he''d seen this in real life? He''d either be pissed, or he''d shiver in fear. However, he was within a game right now. It was simr to reality, but it wasn''t actually real. ''If I use Tsunami here, then she''ll get caught in it too.'' Kang Oh lowered the scroll and kept observing. He wanted to save her if he could. ''If I can''t, then there''s no helping it.'' He had absolutely no interest in being a hero. The same went for being Guardian of the Continent. But if he could save someone, then he''d do so. That''s all there was to it. In any case, the girl continued to wail, while the Evil God Worshippers paid her no heed and continued to carry her. Ultimately, the girl was brought to the top of the altar against her will. Kang Oh assumed that Ja''s sacred treasure was sealed within the coffin. There was a stone dais in front of the coffin; the girl was forced toy on top of it and was tied down. But they still didn''t gag her. They must want to hear more of her screams. "The one true god, the great Ja!" Trambo stood before the dais, raising his hands into the air. "Ja, Ja!" The fanatics continued to yell Ja''s name louder and louder. "Please let me go! Please!" The girl''s cries were buried underneath the screams of Ja''s followers. Trambo stretched out a hand, and the Evil God Worshipper beside him presented him with something. It was a bronze dagger. It was clear what he was going to do. He would stab the girl with the dagger. "I will first offer you the blood of a virgin." Trombo raised the dagger up high with both hands. Then... Rip! Kang Oh ripped the Great Tsunami scroll, causing powerful blue light to radiate from it. ''Ok.'' If it worked as Grano had exined, then a ton of water would soon fill all the passageways and sweep away everyone here. Kang Oh immediately left the passageway and used Baramut''s Roar. Kuheong! A tiger''s roar resounded throughout the sanctum! "W-What!?" "Ugh." All of the Evil God Worshippers looked for the source of the noise. Naturally, their eyes locked onto Kang Oh. "Hey." Kang Oh grinned and waved his hand. "Who are you?" Trambo furiously looked down at Kang Oh. ''We''re performing a ritual in service of Lord Ja! How dare you interfere!?'' Trambo thought. "I''m just a guy doing something that I''m not cut out for," Kang Oh muttered. Then, Trambo mercilessly yelled, "Kill him!" "Ja!" "For Ja!" The Evil God Worshippers began transforming into werewolves. Though they assumed the face of a beast, none of their faces werepletely identical. In an instant, the rally of humans had turned into a rally of beasts. Kuaahk! Kyaaa! The beasts roared and rushed at Kang Oh. At the same time, the hidden sanctum began to shake. It was a sign that the tsunami wasing! With Blood in hand, Kang Oh activated Devil Trigger. He was engulfed in blood and giant red bat wings protruded from his back. The advent of the Red Demon! "Tasha, could you please fly me to the top of that altar?" "No thanks," Tasha''s voice echoed in his mind. "Um, I have to save that girl. They''re trying to sacrifice her, so please help me." "Hmph." His wings began pping forcefully, and Kang Oh''s body rose into the air. "Guaahk, he''s flying!" "Do whatever you can to get him down!" The Evil God Worshippers yelled, and leapt off their four legs. However, Kang Oh was much faster. In the end, Kang Oh flew to the ceiling. He descended with his wings outstretched and got on top of the altar. Trambo and two Evil God Worshippers, who were helping with the ritual, stood before him. "Thanks," Kang Oh said to Tasha, who''d controlled his wings for him. "Hmph." As always, Tasha just went ''hmph'' and disregarded him. Kang Oh released Devil Trigger and stared at Trambo. "Hmm. You''re uglier than I expected." "Get up here and rip him to pieces!" Trombo yelled. "Uoooh!" "Ja, Ja!" The Evil God Worshippers began climbing up the altar. However...! "What!?" "That''s impossible!" Water flooded through every passageway and instantly swept away the Evil God Worshippers. "I can''t get out!" "Uaahk!" "Uaaaahk!" The Evil God Worshippers, who were swept away by the deluge of water, desperately struggled to survive. ''Oh, this is amazing!'' Now he could understand why the Tower didn''t give magic scrolls to just anyone. This wasn''t magic; it was more akin to a disaster. "Grr. Is this your doing?" Trambo gritted his teeth. "Nope," Kang Oh yed dumb. It only made Trambo angrier. "How dare you!?" Trambo''s eyes zed with demon fire, and fur covered his swelling body. Kang Oh was sick of it; it was the same beast transformation that the other Evil God Worshippers had used. ''Well, he is one of Ja''s disciples, so he should have something else up his sleeve.'' After finishing his transformation, Trambo said, "Kuu, I''ll kill you!" "Oh?" Trambo had a goat head. Of course, it wasn''t some cute goat, but an old, scruffy, and wicked goat! He''d gained two more arms too. As if it wasn''t obvious enough that he loved bronze, Trambo wielded a bronze chakram in each hand. ''Tarnatose Prison''s boss, Rondark, had four arms too. I guess all of the Evil God''s disciples have four arms.'' Ja was a four-armed god. So when his disciples enterbat, they gain four arms like the god they serve. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t aware of any of this. "Die!" Trambo yelled. Trambo spun his chakrams and attacked Kang Oh. ''Hmm. Chakrams, huh...'' In the east, or the desert region, there are people there that use peculiar weapons like chakrams. Considering the fact that Trambo wore a turban and used chakrams, he must be from the desert region. This was his first time fighting against a chakram user in Arth. ''Well, I''m sure it''ll work out.'' The chakrams came flying at him from every direction, which was definitely annoying, but he didn''t feel like it was that difficult to deal with. Even if it came flying at him when he couldn''t see it, his Hyper Intuition would warn him about it beforehand! "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Blood at the first chakram that came flying at him. ng! The first chakram was pushed away, but then, a second chakram came at him. Kang Oh easily deflected that one too. However, dealing with the third and fourth chakrams was a different story; they came flying at his upper and lower body simultaneously, which was a pain in the ass. "Haahp! Hahp!" Kang Oh jumped, avoiding the chakraming for his lower body, and deflecting the other chakram from midair. Then, all four chakrams came at him simultaneously. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh rolled forward. The chakrams, which had lost their target, spun and then came flying at Kang Oh once more. ''This''ll never end at this rate.'' Kang Oh charged at the goat headed Trambo. But the two Evil God Worshippers, who had been assisting him with the ritual, had already transformed and were blocking his way. "Tch!" There were two Evil God Worshippers in front of him, and four chakrams that came flying at him from behind! Not only that, but Great Tsunami had ended, and the water began to recede. ''Some of them must''ve lived through that.'' Great Tsunami was a powerful spell. However, it was slightly underwhelming in terms of pure power. Anyway, the conclusion he came to was... ''No time to be stingy.'' Kang Oh quickly removed the Frozen Raksha''s Spear from his inventory. Then, he switched Blood with Ubist. Gluttony! The jet-ck energy, which erupted from his sword and body, spread everywhere. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Frozen Raksha''s Spear.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 25 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities triple.] [You may use up to two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [The Frozen Raksha''s Spear only possesses one ability.] [You may now use Frozen Earth.] His body overflowed with power. Kuahk! Kang Oh easily avoided the Evil God Worshippers'' fists, leapt into the air, and dodged the chakrams that tried shredding him to pieces. ng, ng, ng! Once hended, Kang Oh deflected the four chakrams that came flying at him. At that moment... He had just a tiny bit of free time. ''Now!'' Frozen Earth! Spurt! A blue circle appeared beneath his feet and spread everywhere. "Haa, haa." The temperature in the room dropped sharply. It was so cold that Kang Oh and the Evil God Worshippers could see their own breath. "I-It''s cold!" the young girl suddenly remarked. She shivered upon the dais. ''Shit. I didn''t think of this!'' Kang Oh deflected a chakram, approached the girl, and draped his bronze robe over her. "If you want to live, then you need to form a party with me!" Kang Oh yelled. "Alright..." she barely said. [You have formed a party with the Vige Girl, Lynn.] Once he formed a party with her, Lynn''s expression improved. Fortunately, Frozen Earth could differentiate between friend and foe. Now, she''d feel slightly cold, but she wouldn''t freeze to death. Kang Oh took a look around. Frozen Earth was tremendous, especially because he''d used it after Great Tsunami. The Evil God Worshippers that had been swept away were frozen solid. [You have defeated a Batiyu Ruin''s Evil God Worshipper.] [You have defeated a Batiyu Ruin''s Evil God Worshipper.] ... [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ''Nice! Just as nned.'' He''d managed to kill them all in one fell swoop! With it, he''d gone up to level 206. "Euuu." "Uaah." The Evil God Worshippers that apanied Trambo were affected as well; their movements noticeably slowed and they were shivering. However, it didn''t seem like it affected Trambo in the least. He didn''t seem sensitive to the cold, nor did his movements slow. He wasn''t one of the Evil God''s disciples for nothing. ''But now, all that''s left is Trambo and the two Evil God Worshippers that are guarding him!'' Kang Oh thought, and grinned. "You heathen!" Trambo leapt into the air. It was as though his chakrams reflected how he was feeling; the four bronze chakrams came flying at him, and almost seemed to ''snarl''. ng, ng. Gluttony was active, so all of his abilities were tripled! Thus, it wasn''t hard for him to approach Trambo whilst deflecting the chakrams. "Euu." "Guaah." The two Evil God Worshippers still hadn''t adjusted to the cold. Swish, sh! Kang Oh mercilessly swung his sword and cleaved through the two. Then, he charged at Trambo. "Die, you heathen!" Kang Oh swung his demon sword! "Lord Ja! Please punish this disrespectful cur!" Trambo yelled and swung one of his four arms. However, his arm ignited with fire. ''Is this Ja''s power, Hellfire?'' Kang Oh wasn''t intimidated in the least and followed through. Bam! Trambo''s ming fist and Kang Oh''s de met. Neither of the two held an advantage. Then, Trambo swung another one of his arms. As expected, the fist was zing with fire! At the same time, the bronze chakrams came flying at him. ''Tch.'' Kang Oh retreated, as he couldn''t deal with all of those attacks at once. Trambo pursed Kang Oh and attacked even more fiercely than before. If he dodged Trambo''s fist, then the chakrams woulde flying at him, and if he deflected the chakrams, then Trambo would punch him again. Trambo''s fierce barrage of attacks wouldn''t even give Kang Oh the opportunity to catch his breath! ''This is a pain in the ass!'' Ultimately, Kang Oh was pushed back by Trambo''s assault, and was forced to use his trump card. Intermediate Rank Devil Trigger! Kang Oh waspletely engulfed by the darkness that erupted from his sword. Chapter 176. Sacrifice Trambo (3)

Chapter 176. Sacrifice Trambo (3)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was engulfed in Ubist''s darkness. [You may now use the power of the King of Demonic Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist, as your own.] [You may now use Abyss Prison, Abyss Shield, and Abyss Transfer.] [Devil Trigger has risen to the intermediate rank, and has subsequently increased in strength. You may now use Abyss w.] [You now haveplete resistance to the darkness element.] [If you are in the dark, or even in the shade, HP, MP, and Stamina replenish quickly.] [Ubist no longer remains within your shadow. Instead, Ubist''s full power is focused within the demon sword.] [The demon sword''s attack power has increased significantly.] [You now possess the full power of predation. Devour your foe!] With Devil Trigger rising to the intermediate rank, Kang Oh''s jet-ck demon form had slightly changed as well. He was still covered in darkness, and he had retained the beast-shaped mask and tail. But now, gleaming ck pauldrons covered his shoulders. ''Abyss w, huh...'' Abyss Aura, which he''d used quite often, had upgraded into Abyss w. Shadow Ubist, which attacked randomly and wouldn''t listen to his orders, was gone too, reced with a tremendous increase in his demon sword''s attack power! ''I got rid of something I couldn''t control.'' Although Shadow Ubist did its own thing and was pretty useful to have at his side, it could also be an uncontroble nuisance. Swoosh. Four chakrams spun violently through the air,ing for the transformed Kang Oh. Kang Oh moved softly, avoiding the chakrams one by one. Then, he charged at the four-armed, goat faced Trambo. Whoosh. Trambo swung a ming fist! ''I''m different now!'' A short while ago, Kang Oh couldn''t handle thebination of Trambo''s flying chakrams and his ming fists. ''Let me return the favor!'' Kang Oh forcefully gripped his sword and swung upwards. Abyss w! He unleashed a jet-ck aura, split into three different lines, at the Trambo. It strongly resembled a tiger''s w. Bam! Abyss w and Trambo''s ming fist shed head-on. "Ugh." Trambo scowled at the pain in his fist. Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He soared high into the sky, and then fell with a downwards strike. sh! Spurt! The white line cleaved through Trambo''s body, leaving behind a lengthy wound. "Ugh. You heathen!" ''How dare you!'' Trambo''s eyes began to ze with even greater intensity. Whoosh! Swoosh! Trambo attacked simultaneously with his chakrams and ming fist. But to no avail. Kang Oh had used Abyss Transfer, teleporting him behind Trambo. "Taste this!" Kang Oh violently swung Demon Sword Ubist. Tempest Tiger! The tiger, which radiated golden light, ferociously pounced on Trambo. Boom! His ears rang from the noise, and dust rose from the area of impact! "Kuaahk!" Trambo screamed in agony, and fell to his knees. Kang Oh''s ne had quadrupled Tempest Tiger''s power. Moreover, his strength was tripled by Gluttony. It was definitely fit to be called a one hit K.O.! Sure, he was one of the Evil God''s disciples, but even they wouldn''te out unscathed after taking it head-on. ''That ain''t all.'' Whoosh! A whirlwind violently raged around Trambo! ''This probably won''t kill him, but...'' Kang Oh retreated and readied himself to attack once the winds had calmed. However...! "Pain is a blessing from Lord Ja!" Four arms pierced through the whirlwind. Then, as if he were pushing a damaged door out of the way, Trambo cleaved through the whirlwind and made his way out. As expected of one of the Evil God''s disciples! "Oh?" ''He uses Gigantification too?'' Trambo''s size had changed. Normally, he was over 2 meters tall, but after exiting the whirlwind, he was about 4 meters tall. His height wasn''t the only thing that grew; his body grew along with his height. Whoosh! His arms, which had doubled in size, flew towards Kang Oh. Trambo''s size wasn''t the only thing that changed; the shape of his body had changed as well. After all, his fist was much faster than before. "Haahp!" Kang Oh didn''t retreat. He simply swung his sword at the iing fist. Bam! Sword and fist shed. ''He''s gotten stronger too...'' Gigantification seemingly improved all of Trambo''s abilities as well. Still... "I''ll win!" Kang Oh yelled. Then, Kang Oh rushed in at lightning speed, and got right in front of Trambo. Trambo''s increase in size wasn''t without its downsides. His size made it easier to strike at his weak points. Swish. Kang Oh''s jet-ck sword cleaved through the air! The darkness, which emanated from his de, extended like a tail. "Lord Ja!" Trambo swung his fist downwards. Bam! Sword and fist shed once more. "Tch." As soon as his attack was blocked, Kang Oh unleashed his next attack. Not only did Trambo begin swinging his four arms in every which way, but his four chakrams came flying at Kang Oh too. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Whoosh, bam, swoosh, whack, bam, bam! Kang Oh, who''d be a jet-ck demon, fought the gigantic Trambo without backing down. * * * Kang Oh and Trambo''s movements were desperate, their attacks relentless; both werepletely intent on destroying the other. However, Kang Oh had an overwhelming advantage over Trambo. Kang Oh''s power was tremendous when he used Baramut''s Roar, Gluttony, and Devil Trigger simultaneously. His attack power was so great that whenever he attacked, Trambo''s HP would drop significantly. Like right now, where Kang Oh''s Abyss w had cleaved through Trambo''s body. Despite that, Trambo didn''t back down. "Kuahk, give me more pain!" That wasn''t all. His body became evenrger too. ''As expected.'' The more damage Trambo sustained, therger he became. Plus, his strength, speed, attack power, defense, etc. would increase. Trambo would continually get stronger, so Kang Oh had to take him down before Trambo''s strength surpassed his own. Then... A sphere of ck fire came out of Trambo''s goat head. Spurt! Ja''s mes of Evesting Suffering! ''Now you''re using fire too!?'' Kang Oh quickly defended himself with his sword and used Abyss Shield. The darkness which surrounded his body spread out and formed a wide barrier around him. Then, the fireball crashed into said barrier. The fireball was too much for Abyss Shield, so it broke through. However, his demon sword absorbed the fireball with ease. [Ubist has absorbed Ja''s mes of Evesting Suffering.] [Satiation has increased by 0.002%.] His de absorbed the spell, and Abyss de had activated as well, allowing him to cleave through the immaterial! Because of that, Kang Oh hade out unscathed. ''My turn!'' Kang Oh charged at him, his tail swishing through the air. Then, the chakrams came flying at him like a swarm of bees. "Get lost!" Kang Oh fiercely swung his sword. ng, ng, ng! The chakrams were helplessly pushed away by his de. After that, Trambo threw another punch at him. ''Too easy.'' Boom! Kang Oh leapt into the air, avoiding the fist, andnded on Trambo''s arm. Then, he forcefully leapt once more. He reached Trambo''s goat head! Kang Oh then swung downwards, using gravity to his advantage. Splurt! Fang Bearing de! His attack ignored Trambo''s defenses! ck shards of light burst from Trambo''s face. "Kuaahk!" Trambo stepped back and retreated. His body erged once more. ''I can''t keep going like this! I need the sacrifice!'' Trambo took a look around. Ja had bestowed him his power. There was a reason he was called Sacrifice Trombo! By sacrificing someone, he could use Ja''s power. However, he couldn''t use any of his subordinates as sacrifices. Kang Oh''s Great Tsunami and Frozen Earth hadpletely annihted them. The only ones left were him, the heathen, and... ''The girl we intended to sacrifice!'' Trambo''s eyes gleamed. If he sacrificed her, then he''d gain enough power to dispose of this insolent cur. ''Alright. I can''t let him notice...'' "Uaaahk!" Trambo rushed at Kang Oh. He was already close to 6 meters tall and the floor shook with every step. Spurt! He spewed the great Ja''s mes from his mouth. Kang Oh had seen this before, so he easily avoided the mes. Then, Trambo fiercely swung his fists. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! His ming fists flew through the air! Kang Oh slightly stepped back. Then, Trambo''s lips twisted around. Though he outwardly appeared like a goat, it was clearly a nasty smile! ''Now!'' Trambo quickly turned around, headed for the dais, and extended his arm. If he managed to grab a hold of her, then... But at that moment... Kang Oh suddenly arose from the floor and blocked Trambo. He''d used Abyss Transfer to get here in a second. "I felt like you had some sort of ulterior motive... What a coward. You''re going for the girl?" Kang Oh said. He''d known long ago that Trambo had some sort of ulterior motive. Trambo''s attacks and movements had been way too unnatural. "Get out of my way!" Trambo charged with his gigantic body. "Get lost." Kang Oh assumed an iaido stance and then swung his sword. Swish! Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pounced on Trambo. Boom! It was as though two opposite trains collided with each other! Trambo couldn''t steady himself, and several shards of light spewed from his body. Thud. Ultimately, Trambo fell to one knee. Whoosh. Once the whirlwind raged, Kang Oh untied the girl''s arms and feet. "This ce is too dangerous. Can you move?" Kang Oh asked. So long as Trambo was aiming for her, she couldn''t stay here. The best n was to get her as far away from here as possible. Lynn gritted her teeth and nodded her head. Her eyes were filled with the desire to live no matter what. "Go." She, who''d been supported by Kang Oh, began walking on her own. Lynn wobbled around, but she never stopped walking. "I won''t let you go!" Trambo pierced through the whirlwind once more. He was muchrger than before; he was more than 10 meters tall now. "Don''t look back! Just keep going forward!" Kang Oh yelled, and stood in Trambo''s path. She grimaced with her tearstained face, but continued on. Abyss w! Kang Oh unleashed the jet-ck aura at Trambo. Bam! Trambo crossed his arms and blocked his attack! However, the chakrams flew towards Lynn. Kang Oh drew all four of his dion''s Daggers. Then, he threw two daggers with either hand. ng, ng, ng, ng! His throwing skill was superb. He managed to hit every one of the chakrams. "Grr!" The enraged Trambo simultaneously swung two of his fists downwards. Kang Oh retreated and grabbed Lynn. Then, he headed for the passageway as quickly as possible. "No!" Trambo yelled. Swoosh! The chakrams came flying at him, but they couldn''t pierce through Kang Oh''s Abyss Shield. Once he reached the passageway, he dropped Lynn off. "You have to go by yourself from here. Please stay hidden so that you''re not discovered," Kang Oh quickly said. "T-Thank you," she forced herself to say. "Go!" Kang Oh pushed her, quickly turned around, and rushed at Trambo. Lynn briefly stared at his back, and then turned around and vanished within the passageway. Chapter 177. Resurrection

Chapter 177. Resurrection

Trantor: Boko "Grr, how dare you steal our offering to Lord Ja!" Trambo''s face was red with rage. It was infuriating to have his offering stolen from right under his nose. ''I have to kill that heathen no matter what!'' Divine punishment for who disrespected his lord! "Uaahk, Ja!" Trambo wailed, and raised one of his four arms. If he wanted to use his full strength, then he needed to sacrifice something. However, the girl he''d intended on using was gone, and Kang Oh was too strong, so he couldn''t use him as an offering! If that''s the case, then... he had no choice but to offer himself up! "I offer up my life force. Please ept this humble offering!" His bronze chakrams, which had been spinning around him, grewrger and then went around his arm like bracelets. Then, the bracelets ignited with dark red mes. "Oooh!" Trombo looked touched. This was Ja''s sacred me! The mes quickly wrapped around Trambo''s gigantic body, burning away both flesh and bone. Roar! By sacrificing himself to the Evil God, he became the very embodiment of hellfire. A giant one at that! Hellfire Giant, Trambo! This was the Evil God''s sixth disciple, Trambo''s power! Though this was the first time he''d ever offered up his life force, the power of the mes he wielded were far greater than ever before. So much so that it felt like he could burn anything to a crisp! "Burn to ash!" Trambo swung his arm. Trambo''s gigantic form reminded him of the rushing waves of a giant tsunami. His hellfire was so hot that the surrounding ice instantly melted away. Kang Oh''s face was flushed as if he were in a sauna. He was lucky he was in-game; if he were in the real world, then his face would be burned and he''d be screaming in pain. Anyhow, Trambo''s fist, or a gigantic wave of mes, came rushing at him. Even so, Kang Oh smirked. ''So his entire body''s turned to me, huh...?'' Spurt! His jet-ck de cleaved through the mes. "Keok!" Trambo gasped, and his ming face flickered. His hellfire fist was split apart, causing him extreme pain. "Hoo, hoo," Kang Ohughed. Demon Sword Ubist was super effective against the immaterial! Trambo had voluntarily changed into an entity of me, which was pretty much just asking to be killed! "Nice going!" Kang Oh got in close. Roar! [You have been engulfed in powerful mes.] [You have taken damage.] He''d take damage just by approaching Trambo. However, Kang Oh wasn''t really worried about that. After all, he was confident that he could deal more damage that he took. ''I''ll shred you to pieces!'' Swish, sh, swish, sh. Whenever he swung his sword, he cleaved through me. "You crazy bastard!" Trambo swore. He couldn''t bear the feeling of getting cut apart, as well as the pain that followed. "Haha," Kang Ohughed, relentlessly swinging his sword. "Heathen, receive divine punishment!" Trambo opened his mouth and spat out fire. Kang Oh assumed that this was what a Red Dragon''s Fire Breath would look like. Roar! ''Mm, this is really dangerous.'' It was much toorge for his demon sword to absorb. Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer. The area he''d once upied had instantly be an inferno. He reappeared above Trambo''s head! Without panicking, Trambo mercilessly swung his four hellfire arms. Fireballs shot out of his fists, covering the sky. Not to be outdone, Kang Oh repeatedly swung his sword as he descended. The fireballs were either cut through or absorbed. "Grr!" Upon seeing how ineffective his fireballs were, Trambo''s body began to swell. His ming body became sorge that it touched the ceiling. "Haahk!" He stretched out all four of his arms, expelling a ring of me. Ja''s Burning Sanctuary! mes covered the altar upon which the coffiny, the room and walls beneath the altar, as well as the ceiling! It was a tremendous AoE attack! Kang Oh gritted his teeth and shielded himself with his sword. With both the Wind Yearning Fire Ne and Gluttony, his fire resistance was incredibly high. Moreover, he was protecting himself with his sword, so he took less damage than he''d thought. But that didn''t mean he hadn''t taken any damage at all. If the Burning Sanctuary persisted, then he''d be burnt to cinders before Trambo. It was a race against the clock for Trambo as well. Because he''d sacrificed his life force to Ja, the hellfire was burning away his life. ''Now that it''se to this, it''s all or nothing,'' Kang Oh and Trambo simultaneously thought. Either side had to kill the other first! The Jet-ck Demon and Hellfire Giant shed. The Hellfire Giant swung his ming fists, unleashed his mes, and attacked with all sorts of fire techniques! While the Jet-ck Demon darted in and out, cleaving through me and unleashing his jet-ck aura! How much time had passed? It didn''t take long before the victor was determined. It only made sense, as the two had fought with the intention of killing the other as quickly as possible. Swish! Kang Oh swung his sword and cut through Trambo. His mes waned, and his body burst with red shards of light. But the more Kang Oh damaged him, the more intense the mes became; his body would berger as well. Even after bing a Hellfire Giant, he retained the ability to be stronger by taking damage. However, Kang Oh had already won this fight. Not only did he have the demon sword at his disposal, but his concentration was at its peak, allowing him to show off his true ability. He was skilled enough to defeat someone as powerful as Trambo. Whereas Trambo''s life went down the longer this fightsted. In the end... Trambo''s HP had almost hit rock bottom. ''It''s an honor to be able to give my remaining life to Lord Ja!'' Even to the bitter end, he thought like a religious fanatic. ''But if I manage to kill that heathen, then Lord Ja will be even more pleased!'' Trambo used his trump card. His chest endlessly swelled! Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He quickly realized what Trambo was doing. It was as clear as day. "You crazy bastard, you should''ve died peacefully." Kang Oh immediately used Abyss Transfer and got as far away from Trambo as possible. Then, he ran as fast as he could. "Kuhahaha, Lord Ja!" Tramboughed crazily. Then... His body stopped swelling. Instead... Boom! The entire world was engulfed in me. * * * Once he''d died, the hellfire which burned all of creation quickly waned. The floor, the ceiling, and the walls had been burnt ck. The Evil God Worshippers who''d been frozen solid were burnt to cinders. Everything had been burnedpletely! But it''s said that a phoenix rises from the ashes. A bird with giant wings briefly filled the room, and just as quickly disappeared. Kang Oh stood vacantly where the bird had appeared. "Phew." Kang Oh sighed in relief. ''I died, but then I came back,'' Kang Oh thought, and then looked down at one of his rings. The Phoenix Egg Devouring Cassio Ring! The red gem, which was representative of a phoenix egg, had lost its color. [You have been revived by the Cassio Ring.] [HP and MP have beenpletely restored.] [For the next 10 minutes, all abilities increase by 20%, and all damage taken is reduced by half.] [Cooldown: 30 days] As soon as Trambo self-destructed, Kang Oh had used Abyss Shield. However, Abyss Shield didn''t really make much of a difference. Then, the Baramut set''s Wind Shield activated. That protected him for just a second. Even Wind Shield, which nullified a fatal attack, couldn''t protect him from the huge shock wave and the resulting hellfire. In the end, Kang Oh''s HP waspletely depleted. It was clear he''d be burnt to cinders. But then, the Cassio Ring''s Resurrection ability had activated, bringing him back to life. ''Tch. I was careless. How unlike me.'' Kang Oh clicked his tongue. This wouldn''t have happened if Kang Oh had kept up his assault; if he had, then he could''ve stopped Trambo from self-destructing. However, when he was sure of his victory, he''d gotten careless. By doing so, he''d given Trambo the opportunity to self-destruct. ''Tch, tch.'' Kang Oh clicked his tongue as if he were reproaching himself and reflecting. Then, he started to move. The top of the ckened altar. By self-destructing, Trambo hadn''t even left behind a body. He''d only left behind one item too. It was a bronze goat statue. [You have defeated the Evil God, Ja''s Six Disciple, Sacrifice Trambo.] [You havepletely dealt with the Batiyu Ruins'' Evil God Worshippers.] [Hostility with the Evil God''s followers has been maxed out.] [You have perfectlypleted the Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 1. Report this to Vn and Burkan.] Kang Oh closed the system message and picked up the goat statue. "Appraise." [Bronze Goat Statue (Allows one to hear Ja''s whispers)] A bronze goat statue that the Evil God''s Sixth Disciple, Trambo, carried at all times. Through this statue, Ja whispers into the holder''s ear and tempts them. + Ja''s Whisper: If you hold this relic, then you will asionally hear Ja''s whispers. If you follow the whispers, then you can be the hidden ss, ''Evil God''s Disciple''. Rank: Unknown. Abilities: Piety +100, Notoriety continuously increases. Minimum Requirements: None The Bronze Goat Statue was a god''s relic, so its effects would be active just by owning it. "Hmm. Bad guys would love this." It was an item that allowed one to ss change into the hidden ss, ''Evil God''s Disciple''. There must be people out there that wanted it. After all, the world was filled with bad people. But he wasn''t going to sell it. ''I don''t want there to be more disciples out there.'' If he sold this item, then Vn may force him to kill the next disciple of the Evil God! Kang Oh ced the goat statue into his inventory. "Tch, I''ve really lost out on this one." He spent more than 1,500 gold on the Frozen Raksha''s Spear, and he was forced to use a Great Tsunami scroll too. But Trambo had only left behind an unseble goat statue. He''d really lost out this time. ''You can''t save the world for a living!'' he began. ''I''ll get away from Vn no matter what! I won''t be the Guardian of the Continent!'' Kang Oh pledged. Then, his eyes were drawn to the coffin, which he assumed held Ja''s sacred treasure. Trambo''s tremendous mes had burnt everything to a crisp, yet the coffin remained unscathed. What''s worse, it wasn''t even the tiniest bit damaged. ''What could this be made of for it to... remain in such good shape?'' Kang Oh extended his hand and touched the coffin. Then... Crackle! The coffin released powerful lightning. Kang Oh widened his eyes and quickly pulled his hand away. Fortunately, he wasn''t electrified. ''Was this lightning protecting the coffin?'' It was said that Batiyu had the power to call lightning. It seemed as though this coffin contained that power of his. However...! The lightning coalesced into a single area, and eventually appeared like a human being. "Thank you for defeating the Evil God''s disciple, Righteous One," the ''man'' said. "Who might you be?" Kang Oh asked. "My name is Kas. I am a priest that serves Lord Batiyu, as well as the one who sealed the Evil God''s sacred treasure here." Chapter 178. Kaylus’s Request

Chapter 178. Kaylus''s Request

Trantor: Boko The lightning transformed into a man; the man, who introduced himself as Kaylus, was incredibly handsome. ''Kaylus, huh...'' Kang Oh remembered what Eder had told him. A long time ago, a party, which included one of Batiyu''s priests, had destroyed Ja''s temple. "Are you the priest that destroyed the Evil God''s temple?" Kang Oh asked. "I am indeed." Kaylus nodded his head. "Back then, the tyranny and brutality of Ja''s followers was at its peak." The Evil God, Ja, and his followers showed up out of nowhere and spread throughout the continent like a dried grasnd on fire. Because Ja''s followers rejected other gods and religions, most of the churches worked together to fight against the Evil God Worshippers. That''s why this period was called the War of Faith. It seemed like Kaylus had lived during this tumultuous time. "Myrades and I assaulted Ja''s Temple in order to weaken his followers. We somehow managed to destroy the temple and steal Ja''s sacred treasures. One of those sacred treasures was hidden here, in the hidden sanctum." Kaylus began telling his life story. "I see," Kang Oh chimed in. "Not long after we destroyed the temple, Ja''s followers mounted a huge counterattack. They invaded the Batiyu Temple with a huge army of monsters. My brothers and I desperately fought back, but we weren''t strong enough." This was the reason the Batiyu Temple had be the Batiyu Ruins. "If they regained Ja''s sacred treasure, then countless people would suffer. So we gave up our lives to ce the Evil God''s sacred treasure into a coffin and sealed it as best as we could." "So are you something akin to this coffin''s guardian?" Kang Oh asked. "Something like that. Anyway, the seal I ced was so powerful that Ja''s followers couldn''t easily break through it. At the time, several groups arose that came to vanquish the Evil God''s followers. Without their sacred treasures, Ja''s followers slowly lost strength and were ultimately defeated. After that, peace reigned for some time." "But the Evil God''s followers have returned." Kang Oh thought back to Sacrifice Trambo. He was Ja''s sixth disciple. Perhaps there were five disciples left. "Exactly. The Evil God''s disciple offered sacrifices to the Evil God, which gradually weakened the seal." "That''s when I appeared and killed all of them." "Yes. Once again, I offer you my thanks, Righteous One." Kaylus politely bowed his head. "It was nothing." "I have something to ask of you." "What is it?" "My seal has weakened significantly. If nothing is done, then other Evil God Worshippers wille and steal the sacred treasure." Sacrifice Trambo had already sacrificed several people, significantly weakening the seal over the coffin. As a result, Kaylus no longer had the power to safeguard the sacred treasure. "What do you want me to do?" "Please give the sacred treasure to another church; one powerful enough that they don''t have to fear it being stolen." Then, a quest popped up. [Transport Ja''s Sacred Treasure] Kaylus, a servant of Batiyu, has fulfilled his duty. Now, someone else must seed him! Choose a suitable church and give them the sacred treasure. If you keep the sacred treasure, then the Evil God''s followers will attack you. Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: None. Reward: None. Failure: If the Evil God''s followers retake the sacred treasure, then they will immediately return to full strength. ''Mm, give the sacred treasure to a church...'' To other churches, Ja''s sacred treasure was akin to an object of cmity. After all, the Evil God''s followers would do anything to retake the sacred treasure. The church had to be powerful enough to repel any such attempts, so... ''I have a church in mind...'' There was no guarantee that the church in question would ept the sacred treasure. But it''s not like he could just leave it here; if he did, then the Evil God''s followers might find it again. If that happened, then he''d probably be forced to retake it again. Making him do something like that was easily within Vn''s power. ''No thanks!'' He wouldn''t do something so unprofitable! Ultimately, Kang Oh nodded his head. "Understood. I''ll pass the sacred treasure off for sure." [You have epted the quest, Transport Ja''s Sacred Treasure.] "Thank you." Kaylus bowed his head again. "Please give me the sacred treasure." Kang Oh extended his hand. Creak. The lid of the tightly shut coffin opened. Kang Oh pulled out the human skull thaty within it. There was a huge diamond embedded in its forehead. [Ja''s First Disciple, Nemeth''s Skull] This is the skull of Nemeth, the Evil God, Ja''s first disciple. Ja left behind this sacred treasure for his followers. The skull contains Ja''s power, as well as enough power to enact miracles. Rank: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Evil God''s disciple. Kang Oh ced the skull into his inventory. "What will you do, Mr. Kaylus?" "My duty hase to an end." Kaylus closed his eyes. Then, his body began to fade into countless particles of light. "Please be well..." He could hear Kaylus''s parting words through the air. Then, Kang Oh turned around. There was something else he had to do here. He had to find Lynn, the girl who was hiding somewhere here, and take her home safely. * * * "Mom, dad!" "Oh, my little Lynn!" Lynn, who was meant to be a sacrifice to the Evil God, had safely returned to her family''s arms. "Thank you." "Thank you so much." "How can I ever repay you..." Lynn''s family repeatedly bowed their heads at him. "It''s fine. I was able to save her, so that''s what I did." Kang Oh scratched his neck in embarrassment. To think that hearing someone''s thanks would be this awkward! "Thank you, Oppa." Her eyes glistened with tears. "It may be hard, but keep on living. Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh gave her one piece of advice and then left in a hurry. Then, a system message popped up. [Doing the right thing is easy, but can also be difficult. However, you saved a person''s life. Your actions were truly righteous.] [The side stat, Righteousness, has been created.] [The higher the Righteousness stat, the more powerful you be when facing wicked foes.] ''The more stats you have, the better.'' After all, all he had were levels and stats! As a reward for saving Lynn, Kang Oh had received a side stat. Satisfied, Kang Oh returned to Altein. After exiting the intercity transfer gate, Kang Oh headed straight for the Holiseum. Knock, knock. Kang Oh knocked on Burkan''s door, but he didn''t get a response. He quietly opened the door and looked inside. ''Where did he go?'' Kang Oh looked around the underground arena, but there wasn''t a sign of Burkan in sight. In the end, he approached Darion, who was training within the diatorial arena. "Hey, Darion." "Yes?" Darion replied as politely as possible. "Where did Burkan go?" "Master? Is he not home?" "Nope." "Hmm, maybe he went out for a drink. There''s a bar nearby called the Krangbel Bar. Try going there," Darion said, staying as polite as possible. He wouldn''t let Kang Oh get the better of him. "Got it." "Take care." "Ah, by the way... What level are you?" Kang Oh asked. He was his first ve, someone he could easily take advantage of! "I''m a bit over 150." "That''s it?" "I''m reallycking." "Tch, try harder man." He''d be useless to him at that level. Kang Oh disappointedly clicked his tongue. "Yes, I''ll do my best," Darion said, assuming a rigid posture. "I''m leaving." Kang Oh left the Holiseum and headed to the Krangbel Bar. Burkan was actually there. He was merrily drinking with what appeared to be other diators. Kang Oh immediately approached him. "Brother." "Oh, Little Brother!" Burkan greeted as always. "I''vepleted Master Vn''s quest." "Mm, did you bring anything as proof?" Kang Oh removed the Bronze Goat Statue from his inventory. Burkan looked it over and said, "Mm. It''s definitely an item that an Evil God Worshipper would carry around. Good job." [You havepleted the quest, Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 1.] "Hoo." Kang Oh let out a deep breath. He''dpleted his first test; if he''d have failed, then he would''ve lost the demon sword and the adamantium. "The next trial..." Burkan began. "Another one?" ''Do I have to start the second trial immediately!?'' "Will be given to you by Master Vn when he returns." Burkan grinned. "And now?" "You''re free for the time being." "That''s a relief. I realized that this really isn''t profitable." Kang Oh didn''t want to do things that didn''t make him money. "Now then, if you''re finished, then let''s have a drink." Burkan passed him a ss of alcohol. "Ah, I have to tell you something before that," Kang Oh said, not epting the ss. "Mm, what is it?" "Do you know anyone high up in the Vn Church?" Long ago, the Altein Empire conquered the entire continent. The empire fought countless battles of conquest, and one of the gods they revered was the God of War and Victory, Rakan. After the empire was toppled by the people''s revolution, the Rakan Church''s power waned, but it was still a church that possessed countless followers across the continent. Rakan was the God of Victory, so most diators worshipped him. Of course, the Invincible diator, Burkan, was no exception. "I do, since I worship Rakan as well." As expected, Burkan had a close rtionship with the Rakan Church. "But why do you ask?" "That''s..." Kang Oh exined how he''d defeated the Evil God''s disciple and obtained Ja''s sacred treasure, as well as his n to pass the sacred treasure over to the Rakan Church. ''The Rakan Church is perfect.'' As said, Rakan was the God of War and Victory. Thus, the Rakan Church''s priests and pdins were far stronger than the other churches''. In terms ofbat strength, the Rakan Church was the most powerful church! "Hmm. Doesn''t look like we can put this off." Burkan stood up. The Evil God''s sacred treasure. It was an incredibly dangerous object, so he needed to put it somewhere safe as quickly as possible. "Let''s head to the Rakan Temple." "Ok." * * * You could reach the Rakan Temple by going through Altein''s northern gate and travelling across the road. The Rakan Temple was located at the very top of the hill. Several yers sought the Rakan Temple in order to be one of their powerful priests or pdins. However, way more people came here to pray or perform religious tasks. Of course, meeting the high ranking members of the Rakan Church like the High Priest, the Saintess, the leader of the pdin order, etc. was difficult. However, Burkan had the authority to meet such figures. "We''vee to see the High Priest," Burkan said firmly. "Lord Burkan." "It''s Lord Burkan!" The pdins that protected the temple immediately recognized him. "It''s the Invincible diator, Burkan." "Wow, it''s Lord Burkan. Look over here." People began stretching their hands towards him. After all, he was a superstar, one beloved by all of the Altein''s citizens. "Did he say Burkan?" "The Holiseum''s Burkan?" Burkan had appeared out of the blue, so the yers couldn''t look away. "Pleasee in." The pdin led Burkan inside. "Him too. He''s my little brother." Burkan pointed at Kang Oh. "Who is he?" "He looks like a yer." "Is there some sort of event going on?" The yers curiously looked at Kang Oh and Burkan. "This way." The pdin guided them. "Let''s go." Burkan walked imposingly. "Ok." Kang Oh calmly followed behind him. Chapter 179. Warriors of the Great Forest

Chapter 179. Warriors of the Great Forest

Trantor: Boko Befitting its name, the ''Great'' Temple of Rakan was arge, majestic building. Despite that, the High Priest, who had the highest authority here, lived in a humble abode. The room didn''t even have a sofa! Unlike his small, humble room, the High Priest was tall; he was even taller than Burkan. The High Priest, who was garbed in ck religious habit, was more than 2 meters tall. His incredible height was apanied by a sturdy, strong rock-like body. ''Now I know why they call him the High Priest of Blood and Iron.'' Bing a High Priest of the Rakan Church came with quite a bit of fame, so Kang Oh already knew some things about him. The High Priest of Blood and Iron, Mahakan. Of all the members of the Rakan Church, he was considered the greatest of their clerics, and was also known as a martial artist. "May Rakan''s grace be with you." "May Rakan''s grace be with you." Burkan and Mahakan sped their hands in prayer and bowed to each other. It was a greeting that Rakan''s followers gave to each other. "How have you been, Lord Mahakan?" Burkan raised his head and said. "I''ve been well. Who is this?" Mahakan stared at Kang Oh. "He''s my blood brother." "My name is Kang Oh." "I am Mahakan." Kang Oh and Mahakan greeted each other. "Anyway, why did you need to see me all of sudden? Is something wrong?" "Yes. I came to ask you for a favor." "What kind of favor?" "Show it to him," Burkan said. Then, Kang Oh pulled out the diamond embedded skull from his inventory. "Mm." Seeing that, Mahakan''s expression stiffened. "Do you know what this is?" "The Evil God''s sacred treasure." Mahakan already knew what the skull or more specifically, Nemeth''s Skull, was. "Exactly. I''d like to leave this with the Rakan Church," Kang Oh said bluntly. Mahakan kept his mouth shut and silence dominated the room. Burkan and Kang Oh just stared at Mahakan. A short whileter... He finally said, "Hoo, this must also be Lord Rakan''s will." It seemed like he understood what keeping Ja''s sacred treasure here entailed. Like cockroaches, the Evil God Worshippers would keeping back, no matter how many of them were killed. They wouldn''t give up on the sacred treasure. If that''s the case, then they would continuously seek the sacred treasure using whatever methods necessary. However, Mahakan was willing to take responsibility for the item, despite the inherent risks involved. "Thank you." Kang Oh and Burkan simultaneously bowed their heads. Mahakan extended his hand and took Nemeth''s Skull. Then, ck energy rose from the skull. It was almost as if it were rejecting Mahakan, as he worshipped a different god. "It truly is one of the Evil God''s sacred treasures; it emits an awful energy like all the rest." Mahakan furrowed his brow. "It''s dangerous," Burkan said. Mahakan nodded his head. He fully agreed with him. "Is there anything else? If not, then I''ll go and take care of this." "No," Burkan said. "Then I''ll see you next time." He was right about to leave, but... "One second, please." Kang Oh raised his hand. "What''s the matter?" "Could you please take care of this too?" Kang Oh pulled out the Bronze Goat Statue. "Hoo, that item''s also associated with the Evil God I see." "Yes. It turns a person into one of the Evil God''s disciples," Kang Oh said. "Please give it to me." Mahakan took the Bronze Goat Statue. "Is that everything?" Mahakan asked. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. [You havepleted the quest, Transport Ja''s Sacred Treasure.] "Then, take care," Mahakan said. Kang Oh and Burkan followed the pdins, who waited on standby outside, and left the great temple. "Hoo, I''m d to be free of those items," Kang Oh said. "Lord Mahakan isn''t the type of person to shirk his duty," Burkan said. "He looked strong." "He''s about as strong as me." "I see." Mahakan was a monk, so he was known as a cleric that knew the way of the fist. Seeing as how Burkan said that they were about even in strength, Mahakan must be a Master Monk. "Anyway, everything ended smoothly." "It''s all thanks to you," Kang Oh ttered. "Let''s go have a drink." "Sure." * * * Jae Wooid on a sofa, turned on the TV with the remote, and changed the channel to TGN. The Winged Snake Nest Expedition would be aired today. It was almost time for the program to start. He watchedmercials while wearilyying on his sofa. Then, Yura opened the door and came in. She was wearing a thick jacket, and appeared to be going out. "Where are you going?" Jae Woo asked. "College," Yura said. "Ah." Yura loved food, so she decided to be a chef. She''d just recently started attending a culinary school. "Take care." "Mhmm. Why are you in the living room at this time of day? It''s not like you." Yura looked at him strangely. "The footage I sold is being shown today. If the viewership is high, then I get a bonus, so I want to see how it does." "Oh, ok. Keep up the good work." "You too." Right before she left, Kang Oh thought of his other sister, Mina. "Where''s Mina at anyway?" "Mina? She went to see her boyfriend." "Ah, is that so?" Jae Woo gripped his phone and sent Mina a message. - Come home early. She''d never, ever respond to this message. "Do you have a boyfriend?" Kang Oh asked. In his opinion, Yura was much prettier than Mina, but guys didn''t really go after her. "I don''t." Her face seemed to say, ''Why do you ask?''. "You really don''t have one? You''re not trying to keep it a secret, are you?" Jae Woo looked at her suspiciously. "Why would I hide it? It''s not like there''d be anything wrong with it." Yura grinned and countered, "You have a girlfriend now, so when are you going to introduce her to us?" "When I get the chance." ''My girlfriend is so famous and popr that...'' "Anyway, I''ll be going now." "Alright. Call me if you''re going to bete. I''lle out to get you." "I''ll be fine." Bang. She closed the front door. Jae Woo focused on the TV. A short whileter... Drum roll! The program started with a view of the various tribes'' warriors gathering in a single ce, apanied by some spectacr music. The title was as follows: Warriors of the Great Forest! Then, it showed the expedition force splitting into four groups and attacking the Winged Snake Nest. Manyworks, GBS included, would usually exin the footage to the viewers first, but the TGN producers had boldly decided against it. The footage was exciting enough and was improved by the music, background noise, and special effects, so adding in subtitles or exnations was unnecessary. It was as if they were confident that the product would speak for itself. He continued to watch, and began to understand why they were so confident in the footage. "Hoh." He participated in the southern expedition force, so he didn''t know what happened in the other areas; he curiously watched on to see how the other groups performed. The warriors in each area, as well as the yers that had joined the expedition, performed admirably. TGN''s editing was magnificent, as it helped zoom in on their performance. It felt as though he was watching a good war film. ''As expected of TGN. They''re good.'' They weren''t the number 1 gaming channel for nothing. Jae Woo picked up his phone and opened the TGN''s real time chat window. - Look at how many snakes there are. Disgusting. - Ah, I should''ve been there too. - Commenter above me, are you even high enough to be in the Great Forest? - It''s amazing to see all of the Great Forest''s warriors fighting together! - This is awesome! - I see a lot of famous yers too. Pavadun''s Executor, Tongen, Wind Archer, Sephiro, Twin Sword''s Twin Head, Spear Knight, Geon, and the one with the jet-ck greatsword must be Oga. - They''re all yers that are in the Great Forest. Several of the Great Forest''s most renowned warriors are there too. Nedav''s Chieftain, Aman, Jirga, the one swinging the gigantic sword, Sh, known as the Great Forest''s greatest healer, and Twin Swordsman, Krohn. - Even if these well-known figures weren''t here, it would''ve been good. Humans and snakes are fighting so intensely. - I keep getting surprised by the tunnels that appear along the way, as well as the snakes that pop out of them. - This is really good. - The editing''s good too. - Agreed. ''As expected.'' The Warriors of the Great Forest was, as expected, drawing a lot of attention from its viewers. ''The viewership will be pretty high.'' He was wondering what the viewership would be, as the program had drawn interest even before TGN had broadcast it. Anyway, the program continued, showing Aman''s expedition force reaching the entrance to the Snake Queen''s nest. That was the end of part 1. * * * Once the annoying ads were out of the way, part 2 of the Warriors of the Great Forest began. Part 2 started with the elite 31 warriors entering the Snake Queen''sir. Drum roll! The warriors advanced with solemn expressions, apanied by awe-inspiring music. Aman, who stood in front, was focused on the most. Of course, Kang Oh''s carefree expression was shown a little too. A short whileter... Everything that Jae Woo had experienced firsthand was being shown to him on TV. The Snake Queen spat out extremely adhesive green liquid while the warriors closed in. And... Suddenly, the Snake Queen revealed its second head and devoured one of the warriors. The editing, which made the Snake Queen''s second head appear so suddenly, coupled with the goosebump inducing music,pletely surprised everyone. - Holy, that surprised me. - Ah, I wet my pants. - Who edited this!? Give them an award. Hahaha. - Holy, there are two of them!? - Wow, you have to kill two raid bosses? - Holy crap. It seemed like the viewers were misunderstanding something, though it was understandable. But then, Kang Oh exined that the Snake Queen had two heads, and the elite troops crazily charged at it. The battle continued quickly, and was so exciting that it didn''t give people a chance to breathe. In the midst of all that, the program showed Kang Oh carrying his team, appearing like the protagonist of the story! At some point, it reached the climax. The Snake Queen flew into the air! Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Red Demon, chased after it! It ended in Kang Oh''s victory! With his wings outstretched, he slowly descended to the ground as if he were gliding. Then, the warriors roared with cheers and pushed their fists into the air! It was truly a moving moment. - A battle in the air? - Holy crap. - Did this really happen? - Who is that person? - He''s a famous yer called Oga. He''s going to be called a legend from now on. - I''m not so sure about that, but this footage is amazing. - Agreed. - Can''t say no to that. Once the program was over, people began to post en mass on Arthtory regarding the Warriors of the Great Forest. [The legendary video, Warriors of the Great Forest. Make sure you watch it. Watch it twice, no three times.] [A highlight video of the Warriors of the Great Forest for busy people. Watch the original if you can!] [The flying Oga... who is he?] [Oga, Oga, Oga!] Chapter 180. Mysterious Grove

Chapter 180. Mysterious Grove

Trantor: Boko Some people could be a star in the blink of an eye. Kang Oh was one such person. Even though they couldn''t see his face, yers would identify him via his weapon or gear and try talking to him. One guy asked for an autograph, another asked him to join his guild. There was even a girl who asked him for a spar. What''s worse, a little kid came up to him begging for money. "Man, those crazy bastards." Kang Oh dashed into an empty alleyway, and ced his armor and demon sword into his inventory. He put on some beginner clothes and left the alleyway. Fortunately, no one recognized him, as he''d never disclosed his identity. ''I should stay out of the limelight for a while.'' Public interest in him would cool rather quickly. So long as he doesn''t add more fuel to the fire, that is. He wasn''t interested in bing famous. There were some benefits to being famous, but there were downsides too. On the other hand, there were no downsides to being not well-known; at least Kang Oh thought so anyway. ''Anyway, let''s go make some money.'' Kang Oh fiddled with hismunicating earring. Beep. Beep. His earring rang, and a short whileter, he heard a familiar voice from the other side. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder''s voice sounded extremely bright. "Did you rest well?" "Yes, I got some good rest." In order to deal with the Evil God Worshippers, Kang Oh had spent a ton of money. It made his stomach hurt to think that while he was going through all that, Eder had been resting! ''I''m going to make you work like a dog!'' Kang Oh vowed. However, he didn''t make his intentions known. "We''re going back to the Great Forest." "Did you kill the Evil God''s disciple?" "Yeah. It''s all been resolved." "Good work." "Whatever. I''ll summon you once I get to the Great Forest, so get ready." "Ok." Then, Kang Oh sent Sephiro a message. - Pleasee to the Great Forest. Idle chatter was unnecessary. - Understood. * * * As said, getting famous wasn''t necessarily a good thing. Mad Dog, Kraal. He was a part of the Empire Guild''s Sweepers, which executed anyone who proved to be an obstacle to the guild''s goals. Kraal had also heard the rumors around Oga. ''He can fly?'' He''d been looking for the people who killed Clovis and then vanished. Kraal believed this group had avoided the Empire Guild''s notice by flying into the tower, and had investigated based on that assumption. But investigating yers that had obtained a flight magic scroll from the Tower proved to be a fruitless endeavor; all of them were in the clear. Thus, he assumed it was the work of a Monster Trainer, who used a flying monster to get them to the top of the tower. But then, he''de to learn about Oga. To start, Kraal watched Warriors of the Great Forest from start to finish. ''Oga''s flight ability is quite amazing.'' Based on what he saw, Oga was skilled enough to fly into Kainshell''s tower. However, he couldn''t yet tell whether he was the perpetrator or not. Kraal looked into Oga''s past too. He watched The Named: Oga, where Oga and two others worked together to defeat the Immortal King, Arumode, and the Lightning Hunter, Caraco. ''It''s them!'' his intuition screamed at him. Oga, the Wind Archer, Sephiro, and some unknown skeleton were the ones responsible! "I''ve finally got you, you rats!" Kraal clenched his fist. He was called the Mad Dog because once he caught scent of you, he wouldn''t let you go. His fangs were now aimed at Kang Oh and his party. ''I have to find out where they are first.'' Kraal left behind a red titled post on the Empire Guild''s message board. Only the Sweepers were allowed to use the color red. [cklist: Oga, Sephiro, and 1 unknown.] I''m looking for Oga and the Wind Archer, Sephiro. One of them cannot be identified, so if you find out who he is, please send me the details. Anyway, whoever sees Oga and Sephiro, as well as the unknown that travels with them, please write theirst location and the time they were seen in the post. Next, Kraal opened a message window and messaged his immediate subordinate. - I need you to do something. - What do you need? - Go to the Great Forest and find Oga and Sephiro. Since he''d participated in an expedition with the Great Forest''s tribes, Oga was definitely in the Great Forest. - Should I bring everyone? Kraal had 100 subordinates under his wing. - Yeah, everyone. - Understood. If I find them, should I capture them? - No. They''re extremely powerful. Just find out where they are. We''re going to set a trap and lure them in. - Understood. * * * Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder,pletely unaware that the Empire Guild''s Sweepers were gunning for them, gathered at the only inn within Nuwak Vige. They sat at a table and spread the map across the table; the map showed where all of the Great Forest''s dungeons were. "It seems like we''ve explored all of the dungeons around Nuwak Vige," Sephiro examined the map and said. "Yes. So let''s start going through the other dungeons," Kang Oh said. "Sounds good," Eder said energetically. Perhaps it was because he''d gotten proper rest. Then, the bushy bearded innkeeper brought them some simple food. What is the saying, everything''s better on a full stomach? "It''s been a while since Ist saw you," the innkeeper said, acting as though he knew them. "Yes. I had urgent business elsewhere, so I had to leave for a while," Kang Oh said. "Are you going to explore the other dungeons now?" "We''ve finished exploring all of the dungeons nearby, so we n on heading to some of the dungeons a bit farther away." "Ooh, you''ve gone to the Mysterious Grove too? That ce is quite hard to find," the innkeeper said. "The Mysterious Grove?" Kang Oh tilted his head. Sh hadn''t marked that location on the map. "You haven''t heard of it? The dungeon''s over here." The innkeeper pointed at a section of the map. Once he removed his finger, the Revlin Valley appeared on the map. "Where exactly is the dungeon located?" "There''s a small waterfall in the valley; the passageway behind it that leads to the Mysterious Grove," the innkeeper said. "Hmm, it seems like Chieftain Sh didn''t know about it," Eder said. "How did you know about it?" Kang Oh asked. "In the past, I came across it while hunting." "The Revlin Valley is pretty close, so why don''t we go there today?" Sephiro asked. "Alright, let''s do it." "Go after you''ve finished your food. You need to eat to do your best." "Thank you for the food." * * * [You have entered the dungeon, Revlin Valley''s Mysterious Grove.] The innkeeper had stated that the Mysterious Grove was located behind Revlin Valley''s waterfall; there was absolutely no falsity in his statement. ''But... Something''s strange.'' Kang Oh narrowed his eyes and carefully looked around. Crystals hung from the ceiling that radiated bright light. The smooth floor went on and on, and they were surrounded by walls made of rock. The name ''grove'' was truly fitting, as there were rows of apple, pear, persimmon, and tangerine trees, as well as fruit trees that only existed in Arth. It was as if someone had intentionally nted them here! ''It looks like someone''s taking care of them.'' That''s the feeling it gave him. ''Well, when we look into it, we''re bound to find something eventually.'' Kang Oh took the lead and walked forward. "May I pick some of the fruit and eat it?" Upon seeing so much ripe fruit, Eder smacked his lips. "Do what you want." "Hehe." Eder picked a ripe apple and took a huge bite; juice poured right out of the fruit. "Wow, it''s sweet!" Eder eximed. "Hmm. From what I can see, it looks like we''re underground. But how could someone cultivate a grove here?" Sephiro asked. "I think the crystals provide sunlight for the nts." Kang Oh pointed at the giant crystals on the ceiling. If he was wrong, then that meant that someone grew these trees without any sunlight. That wouldn''t make any sense. "It truly is a ''Mysterious'' Grove," Sephiro said. Kang Oh agreed with him. Then... "The ground!" Eder yelled. Kang Oh and Sephiro responded quickly. Spurt! The floor cracked open and several giant insects flooded out. They were ants. Of course, they weren''t the same ants that he was used to; he couldn''t just squash them with a single finger. Each ant was about 50 centimeters long. In any case, the frontmost ant''s antenna shook. Then, the ants unfurled their clear wings and soared into the air! Bzzzzz! They violently pped their wings, the sound of which reverberated throughout the grove. The army of ck ants then flew directly at Kang Oh. In an instant, ants and humans were forced to do battle. Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Blood and cleaved through any approaching ant. Sephiro shot arrows while running backwards. Swoosh! The Hellfire Mace''s mes flew through the air. The ants avoided the mes and moved as a single unit. ''They''re noting at us randomly!'' Some of them were shaking their antennas, so they must be the onesmanding the rest of them. "Focus on the ants shaking their antennas!" "Yes sir," Eder said. "I''ll do my own thing!" Sephiro shot arrows at the nearby ants. Sometimeter... ''They''re not even level 200.'' Their teamwork was stupendous, but they weren''t very strong. Kang Oh, who''d easily killed thest remaining ant, took another look around. His surroundings were filled with ant carcasses. "Pick up the junk items." "Alright." Eder picked up all of the junk items and gave them to Kang Oh. "Let''s go," Kang Oh said. His party began to explore the Mysterious Grove once more. After that, Kang Oh''s party encountered various giant insects. Giant wasps, giant caterpirs, giant moths, giant mantises, giant beetles, etc. "It''s a giant insect paradise." All the enemies that they encountered were insects! However, none of them were particrly strong. "It''s not a good hunting ground," Sephiro said. They killed several monsters already, but they hadn''t gotten much experience. No good materials or gear had shown up either. "This seems like the lowest level dungeon we''vee across thus far," Kang Oh said. "Do you think there''s a boss here?" Eder asked. "It''d be nice if there was one." Hisst hope was the boss monster! That... "Or a hidden dungeon!" * * * It''s said that if you wish for something hard enough, then it maye true! "Stop!" Kang Oh suddenly stopped and raised his hand. "What''s the matter?" "My Hyper Intuition has picked up on something." Kang Oh stared fixedly at the wall. ''There''s something here!'', his Hyper Intuition seemed to whisper. He felt the wall all over with his palm. ''As I thought!'' From the outside view, it looked like every part of the wall was the same. However, he could tell when he actually put his hand on it. Starting at one point, the feel of the wall feltpletely different. ''Is it...?'' Kang Oh suddenly thought of something. When he first discovered a hidden dungeon, a ce that felt like a part of the wall was actually a disguised spider that was blocking passage to the hidden dungeon. Would this ''wall'' be the same? "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood at the wall. Bam! It felt like he''d hit something incredibly hard! However, nothing had changed. ''Hmm. Was I wrong?'' He kept at it a few more times. However, there wasn''t any reaction from the wall. ''No?'' Kang Oh tilted his head. "Why do you keep hitting the wall?" Eder asked. "In the past, I encountered something simr. I thought it was part of the wall, but it was actually a disguised spider blocking the passageway. I hit it a few times thinking that it was the same." "Oh, is that so?" ''Then let me try too!'' Eder whacked the wall with his Hellfire Mace. Roar! The head of his mace zed with me. Right then...! Snap, snap! When the mes made contact, the wall momentarily bobbed up and down and emitted a strange sound. "W-What was that?" Eder looked shocked. Whereas Kang Oh felt like he''d found the answer. ''It''s fire!'' Physical attacks wouldn''t wake it up, but fire would! "Get ready for battle!" Kang Oh yelled. Soon, something big jumped off the wall. It was... A giant ck scorpion. [You have discovered the Hard as a Rock King Scorpion, Mecalpion.] [It is a named monster.] Chapter 181. Meeting Edmond

Chapter 181. Meeting Edmond

Trantor: Boko Snap, snap. The giant scorpion, Mecalpion, cked its pincers together. It was clearly a warning that it''d grab hold of anyone who dared approach! Of course, its tail, and by extension its poisonous stinger, was pointed at them as well. "Eder," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "It''s weak to fire." After all, it''d been shocked by the fire, so much so that it had dropped its camouge. "I''m sorry?" "So you''ll be the main damage dealer this time." "Are you saying..." "I''ll be in front tanking this time." "Understood." "Mr. Sephiro, you know what to do, right?" "I''ll use fire arrows." "Let''s go." Mecalpion''s body was protected by a thick exoskeleton, acting much like ayer of steel armor. It was clearly a monster with high defense. If that''s the case, then Ubist was better than Blood, as there was a fixed chance that it would ignore its defenses. Kang Oh rushed at it with Ubist in hand. Mecalpion''s right pincer came flying at him. ''Its speed is normal. In terms of strength...'' Kang Oh blocked its pincer with his jet-ck sword. ''It''s not weak.'' Of course, that didn''t mean it was strong. Thus, Kang Oh pushed the pincer away with ease. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword at the area that connected its pincer to its body. ng! ''As I thought.'' Upon impact, both his sword and body vibrated. As he''d anticipated, its exoskeleton was the very definition of ''tough''. Whoosh! Mecalpion swung its left w. Kang Oh leapt back, avoiding the w. Crackle! Sephiro quickly notched a ming arrow. Aim, fire! The ming arrow left his grasp and struck Mecalpion''s head. Though the arrow bounced off, its exoskeleton was ckened from the impact. ''It really is weak to fire.'' This was also expected. Snap, snap, snap! Mecalpion cked its pincers together and swung its tail. Kang Oh knew that Eder was quietly making his way to its side, so he took the attack head-on. ng, ng, ng! Demon Sword Ubist shed with its tail, which was as tough as steel, several times. "Peekaboo!" Eder used that opportunity to get right beside it. Heavy Blow! Eder forcefully whacked one of its legs with his me-wreathed mace. Bam! Heavy Blow created a small explosion, and the Hellfire Mace''s mes zed ferociously. Roar! Red shards of light burst from within the me. "Red shards! You really are weak to fire, aren''t ya?" Eder eyes gleamed. He wielded the Hellfire Mace, the very weapon that the scorpion was weak against! It was clear that he was its natural enemy. Kya! Mecalpion wailed for the first time. Then, it spun its body like a top. Spinning sh! Of course, it was no normal Spinning sh. Spinning increased the power of its tail significantly! "Be careful of its tail!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder raised his square shield. Bam! A weighty force smashed into Eder''s shield, causing him to stagger. However, he quickly got back into position. ''This much is nothing!'' Eder then swung his mace. However, Mecalpion quickly moved its legs and gotpletely out of range! Whack! His mace struck nothing but dirt. But it hadn''t expected Kang Oh to be there waiting for him. Mecalpion swung both its pincers and tail. Kang Oh avoided its tail and swung his sword twice, deflecting its pincers. Then, Sephiro shot three fire arrows at once. Triple Shot (Fire Arrow Version)! Thwock! Thwock! Thwock! The fire arrows pierced Mecalpion''s back. Kya! ''As expected.'' Mecalpion would react violently whenever it was struck by me. Rustle, rustle! It sounded like the floor was getting swept! Mecalpion threw itself at him. Was this what it felt to have something/someone charge at you all of a sudden? ''I have to dodge it.'' Kang Oh threw himself to the side. Mecalpion swept through where Kang Oh had once been, and left behind a long scar on the ground beneath it. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Eder, who''d run over as fast as he could, kicked off the floor and leapt into the air. Whoosh! Bam! Eder struck Mekalpion''s back with a weighty blow. At that moment, Mecalpion used another Spinning sh. It didn''t give Eder the chance to either dodge or block its attack. However...! Mecalpion''s giant pincer passed right through him. "Heh, I''m not the same as before." In an instant, Eder''s body turned into transparent gray light. The set effect of the rings and ne he''d obtained from Kainshell''s Noble Spirits was Spiritization. Spiritization changed one''s body into that of a spirit''s for 10 seconds! Of course, he''d gained their imperviousness to physical attacks as well! In exchange, his attacks would have no effect during those 10 seconds, but it was great to use in a pinch. "Don''t let down your guard. Push it back," Kang Oh yelled. "Ok. I''ll attack right after Spiritization wears off." Whizz, whizz. Meanwhile, Sephiro kept shooting fire arrows. Kang Oh rushed at it head-on and kept itpletely focused on him. Once the Spiritization had worn off, Eder joined in too. At some point, Kang Oh''s party one-sidedly beat down on Mecalpion. At this rate, it would be dead soon. However, it still had a trick up its sleeve. It used Spinning sh to push Kang Oh and Eder away from it, and then instantaneously burrowed into the ground. "Spread out! We don''t know where it''ll pop out from or what skills it''ll use, so keep your eyes peeled!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro spaced themselves out. Then, they anxiously stared at the floor. A short whileter... Spurt! The ground was torn asunder and out came Mecalpion. Absolute Evasion! Sephiro avoided it using Absolute Evasion, which allowed him to avoid any attack just once. It briefly popped out, and then burrowed into the ground just as quickly. After that, the same sequence repeated again and again! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro would strike whenever it popped out, but it wasn''t really that effective. After all, it would pop out very briefly and then burrow back into the ground. ''We need to lure it out.'' Kang Oh dashed towards the passageway. It had been guarding the passageway, so there must be something of importance inside. Mecalpion''s mission hadn''t changed. Spurt! As expected, Mecalion appeared right behind him. It was trying to keep him from going through the passageway! "You fell for it!" Kang Oh turned around and smoothly swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The golden aura hit it right in the stomach. It tumbled backwards, taking immense damage. Whoosh. Once the raging whirlwind subsided, itboriously tried turning itself over with its tail. "This is our chance to finish it!" "Ooh!" Kang Oh and Eder dashed towards Mecalpion. Sephiro had already drawn his bowstring about halfway. Then... "Stop!" a robust, old man''s voice rang out. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro ceased their hostilities, and turned their heads to the source. An old man wearing a straw hat walked out of the passageway. "You can stop now," the old man said. "Who are you? Why are youing out from there?" Kang Oh asked. "Hoo, give me a second. I''ll exin everything." The old man passed Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro, and approached Mecalpion, which had barely righted itself with its tail. "It''s dangerous!" Sephiro yelled. But before him, Mecalpion stood there like a gentle sheep. "W-What''s going on?" "Mm." Eder and Sephiro couldn''t understand what was happening. Who exactly is that old man? Kang Oh had the same feelings as the other two. The old man pulled out a bottle containing red liquid from his breast pocket and sprayed it onto Mecalpion. Then, Mecalpion''s wounds began to heal. "You did good. I''ll take care of this, so go rest underground." Purr. It seemingly understood him, as it burrowed into the ground. "Hmm. You must have a lot of questions for me. Follow me. I''ll serve you some tea." The old man began walking briskly towards the passageway! "We have to go, don''t we?" Sephiro said. It seemed like they would have to go with the flow. "We do." Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro followed the old man. * * * There was a room through the passageway that was habitable by humans. It contained a bed, a bookshelf filled with books, and a table and chair;b equipment was set aside on one side of the room. "I grew the tea leaves myself. Try it." The old man served them tea. Kang Oh sipped the tea and nodded his head. "It''s good." "Is it really?" The old man turned his attention to Eder and Sephiro, and they too said it was delicious. "Now then, is there anything you''d like to ask me?" the old man asked. "Yes, I have so many questions," Kang Oh said. "Ask away. In exchange for sparing Mecalpion, I''ll answer whatever I can." "Let''s introduce ourselves first. My name is Kang Oh. I''m a Dungeon Hunter, so I''ve been going through several dungeons." "I am Eder." "My name is Sephiro. I''m an Archer." "My name is Edmond. I''m an Insect Schr." "Edmond... Are you the Doctor Edmond, the one who wrote The Evolution of Insects?" Eder looked shocked. Of the countless books he''d read, there were only a handful of books that he could call masterpieces; one of them was The Evolution of Insects! "You''ve heard of me?" "Of course. It''s an honor to meet you in person." Eder sped Edmond''s hands and bowed his head. "Is he famous?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. He''s one of ten that was bestowed the title of Doctor." "It''s not such a big deal," Edmond said serenely. "If you''re a renowned Insect Schr, then... Were you the one who trained Mecalpion?" Kang Oh asked. "I didn''t train him. That child is a guardian that protects me and this dungeon." "It protects you and this dungeon?" Kang Oh tilted his head. ''Why?'' "Do you know what a soul stone is?" Kang Oh nced at Sephiro. ''Do you know?'' he seemed to ask. Sephiro shook his head. "Let me exin from the beginning. Dungeons that contain soul stones began appearing about 10 years ago." Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro listened attentively, as if they were students listening to their professor. "Surprisingly, you can own dungeons that possess a soul stone." "You can own a dungeon?" "If you own a dungeon, then its geographical features, the monsters that spawn within it, the ecology, etc. can be changed. Of course, it''s not free. There''s a cost associated with the changes." Kang Oh thought over the matter. ''Did Dreamgate make this for the yers?'' This world was undoubtedly a world within a game. If that''s the case, then these soul stone dungeons might''ve been implemented for yer enjoyment. "At first, the Mysterious Grove was teeming with much more powerful monsters. However, I changed it to my liking." ''Aha. So that''s why it''s filled with nothing but weak bugs. And it''s also why it felt so artificial.'' "If the soul stone breaks, then the dungeon disappears," Edmond said. "The soul stone is, in essence, the dungeon itself." "Exactly." "What are the advantages of owning a dungeon?" Kang Oh asked. "You can change the dungeon however you wish." "Is that it?" "Every month, you receive arge quantity of gold, materials, and precious items that can only be obtained within that specific dungeon." Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. ''Nice! A dungeon with a soul stone is like a building that pays me monthly rent!'' Even if he did nothing, he''d turn a profit every month! In other words, it was a gold mine! "T-Then... What do you have to do to be a dungeon''s master?" Kang Oh asked yearningly. ''I''d really like to be a dungeon master!'' Edmond replied, "It''s simple. You be a dungeon master by..." Chapter 182. The Soul Dungeon

Chapter 182. The Soul Dungeon

Trantor: Boko The way to be a dungeon master is... "Somehow take possession of a soul stone," Edmond said, his expression seemingly saying, ''Easy, huh?''. "You can''t get one free of charge, right?" Kang Oh said. "Guardians protect the soul stone. You either need to kill all of the guardians or win them over. I wouldn''t rmend it, but you could also try stealing one too. As I said, all you need is the soul stone. Ah, of course... that only applies to an ownerless soul stone." Edmond referred to these dungeons as ''soul dungeons''. It seemed like that was the correct term for these kinds of dungeons. "Guardians? Like that giant scorpion?" Eder asked. Edmond nodded his head. "Melcapion. That child is one of the dungeon''s guardians." "It must be the weakest guardian here." Kang Oh said. It seemed much too weak to be a guardian. "Indeed. That child''s only responsible for guarding the entrance." "Where are the other guardians?" Kang Oh asked. "Behind that door." Edmond pointed at the door on the wall. "Please show me," Kang Oh asked boldly. He wanted to see how powerful guardians were. "I''d rather not," Edmond refused. "Why?" "I''m repaying you for sparing Mecalpion''s life by answering your questions. Don''t ask for anything else." "Tch. Then I''ll just ask you some more questions." "Go ahead." "What do you do if the soul dungeon is already owned?" Edmond had definitely said, ''that only applies to an ownerless soul stone''. If that''s the case, then there had to be a way of securing a owned soul stone! "Either you inherit the dungeon from its previous owner, or you pay the price." "Hoh, so you can buy or inherit the dungeon." The more he learned, the more it sounded like a building. "It''s because ownership exists." "Any other way?" "If you kill all of the guardians and touch the soul stone, then a duel begins between you and the owner, or their proxy." "Is it a one-on-one fight?" "Indeed. It''s a sacred duel that determines the owner of the dungeon. Only by winning the duel can you steal the soul stone from its owner." "Hmm, how strong are these guardians?" "It depends on the difficulty level of the dungeon; the more difficult the dungeon, the more powerful the guardians be. If the owner invests in their dungeon, then the guardians will be stronger too." "How strong are the guardians here?" Kang Oh asked. If they were weak, then he''d take the dungeon for himself! "I don''t know what your intentions are, so why would I tell you?" Edmond looked confident. "You must''ve invested quite a lot into your guardians," Kang Oh said. "If you want to die, then go through that door and fight my guardians." "Tell me this. What if you were to kill... ahem, send the owner to a better ce while the guardians aren''t here?" Edmond was an NPC, so a single death would spell the end for him. What would happen if he killed the dungeon master? "Then it''d probably be an ownerless dungeon once more." "Hoh, is that so?" Then what about in his case? If he was revived by his ring''s effect, would he retain ownership of his dungeon? "Why, are you going to kill me?" Edmond said provokingly. Eder suddenly stood up. "You can''t do that! Doctor Edmond is one of the only ten Doctors on the continent! He''s basically humanity''s treasure! If you truly intend to go through with such brutality, then I''ll stop you!" "Would you stop overreacting? When did I say I was going to kill him?" ''I only thought about it for a second!'' Kang Oh looked at him frigidly, causing Eder to turn away. "I mean, that''s what it seemed like..." Despite that, Eder said what he had to say. "I won''t kill you, Doctor Edmond," Kang Oh said. "Is that so?" Edmond beamed. ''As expected.'' Considering how confident he was, Edmond definitely had a trick up his sleeve. So he''d rather not kill Edmond and try stealing his dungeon! "How can you tell the difference between a normal dungeon and a soul dungeon?" Kang Oh continued. ''Let''s gather as much info as we can!'' "You call yourself a Dungeon Hunter, so you must be well aware that some dungeons have secret areas within them." "Indeed." He made a living finding these secret areas, or hidden dungeons. There was no way he wouldn''t know about them. "If there''s a soul stone at the end of those secret areas, then it''s a soul dungeon." "What does a soul stone look like? Could you please show it to me?" "I''d rather not." "Tch." "You''re a Dungeon Hunter, so find one yourself." "That''s the n." A soul dungeon, a dungeon that paid him monthly rent! He really wanted to own one of them. "Excuse me." Sephiro, who''d beenpletely silent, raised his hand. "Yes?" "Can only one person be the dungeon master? Is there any joint ownership?" It was clear why he was asking a question like that. If Kang Oh managed to find a Soul Dungeon, then he''d get a piece of the pie. "A dungeon can only have one owner. Joint ownership is impossible." "Is that... so?" Sephiro looked so disappointed. Whereas Kang Oh beamed. To think that he could take everything for himself; what an amazing system! "Do you have any other questions? I''ve pretty much told you everything I know." "Do you know where any of the other soul dungeons are?" Kang Oh asked. ''If you do, then please let me know.'' "I don''t." "Do you want to tell us anything else?" "No." Kang Oh stared at Eder and Sephiro. "If you have a question, then go ahead and ask." "Doctor Edmond," Eder said. "What is it?" "Are you still writing?" "I''m studying countless insects in this dungeon. I''m writing a book thatpiles all of that info." "I''m looking forward to it." "I''m not sure when it''ll be published." "I''ll still look forward to it," he said. ''I have nothing but time after all.'' "Do as you wish. Do you have any questions for me?" Edmond stared at Sephiro. "No, I don''t," Sephiro immediately replied. "Mecalpion''s body should be healed by now, so get going. I have to close the door again." "Take care." Kang Oh''s party left Edmond''s abode. "A soul dungeon, huh... I should clear even more dungeons!" Kang Oh eyes were filled with excitement. If he managed to own a dungeon, then he''d make it into a dungeon filled with Celtuses. These monsters dropped gold coins and were nicknamed Gold Bugs! What if he were to be the owner of that dungeon? He''d be the owner of a goose thatid golden eggs! * * * Red Eye. PKers, or yers who unjustly killed other yers or NPCs, were limited in several ways. One huge downside was being unable to take quests from the Adventurer Guild. Plus, the yer would bebeled as a criminal, so they wouldn''t be able to increase their closeness with an individual, improve their reputation in a city, etc. They couldn''t use the bank either. They were also forced to wear a mask or helmet that covered their red eyes when entering a city or vige. If they didn''t want to be chased by bounty hunters, the city guard, or vige militia, that is. Mad Dog, Kraal, who''d traveled to Modrak Vige via their intercity transfer gate, had to do the same. A ck robe was draped over his entire body, and he wore a goblin mask over his face. "Wee." A man, simrly garbed in ck robes and wearing a fox mask, approached him. He was Kraal''s right hand, Korba. "Let''s go somewhere quiet." "Pleasee this way." He led Kraal into the suburbs, where a shabby, deste lodging was located. Once they entered the room, they discarded their masks and stared into each other''s red eyes. "What about my men?" Kraal asked. He was the captain of the Kraal Assassination Squad, which consisted of 100 members. Korba was the vice-captain. Kraal was obviously referring to his squad. "I''ve dispatched them to various viges within the Great Forest. However, we weren''t able to send them to the aggressive Nedav Tribe or a few of the other private tribes." "Modrak is the entrance to the Great Forest." "That''s why I kept most of the men here." "Mm." "If they''re still operating within the Great Forest, then we''ll find them eventually." "They have to." Only then did Kraal''s expression change to a smirk. After that, Kraal stayed within Modrak Vige and waited for his men to find Oga and Sephiro. At longst... "We''ve found Oga, Sephiro, and the unknown." He finally heard what he''d been waiting to hear. "Where?" "They were spotted in the south, in the Nuwak Vige." "The Nuwak Vige, huh..." Kraal said. "Hmm. For now, keep a close eye on them. And gather as much information as you can on them. You can''t underestimate them." Sephiro was a ranker, which meant that he was pretty skilled. Plus, there was the unknown that they knew nothing about! They had to remain on guard, since they didn''t know who he was. Finally, there was Oga... ''He''s strong!'' Anyone who''d seen him fight the Snake Queen would know that he was strong. Ultimately, they needed to thoroughly investigate them and set a foolproof trap if they wanted to capture them without fail. ''And if you kill them once, then the second and third time bes easier.'' Sweeping, or killing those on the cklist, wouldn''t end with only one death. They would continuously kill them. Dying lowered a yer''s level and reduced their abilities by 10%. Thus, they would repeatedly kill them, stacking the debuff again and again, until their characters werepletely ruined! ''That''s my specialty after all.'' There was a reason he was called Mad Dog. "Go on." "Yes sir." * * * Following their meeting with Edmond, Kang Oh''s party became even more absorbed in exploring dungeons. However, they didn''t find a soul dungeon. ''But one day...'' If he kept finding hidden dungeons, then eventually he was sure to find a soul dungeon. Anyway, Kang Oh returned to the Nuwak Vige after exploring a dungeon like usual, but felt as though someone was watching him. ''What is this?'' Kang Oh took a look around. All he saw were the Nuwak tribesman and a few yers that he''d seen before. There weren''t any suspicious people here or anything strange going on. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "What''s wrong?" Eder asked upon seeing the creases in his forehead. "Doesn''t it feel like we''re being watched?" "No." Eder shook his head. "What about you, Mr. Sephiro?" "Not really... Why, what''s the matter?" "Never mind. I must be a little on edge because I''m tired. Don''t worry about it," Kang Oh said and strode forward. Eder and Sephiro, who sported bewildered expressions, followed him. A short whileter... Two mask wearing Assassination Squad members appeared from the deep shadow cast by a building. "He must''ve figured out that something''s up." "He''s got some good senses." "We should be even more cautious." "Mm." The two disappeared into the shadows once more. They had used the Assassin skill, Shadow Transfer. Chapter 183. Clash with the Empire Guild

Chapter 183. sh with the Empire Guild

Trantor: Boko For a few days now, Kang Oh felt like someone was watching him. ''Someone''s definitely watching us.'' Whoever was watching them was doing a good job; they were doing their damndest to not be noticed. Thus, Sephiro and Eder hadn''t noticed them yet. But Kang Oh, who possessed Hyper Intuition, could feel them watching. ''If that''s the case, then why are they watching me, or us...?'' Kang Oh thought back to everything he''s done recently. ''Are they Ja''s followers?'' He''d recently annihted a group of Ja''s followers and had gotten in their way. Evil God Worshippers would have plenty of reasons to be watching him. ''If not, then is it the Empire Guild?'' Though Kainshell was a dungeon under the Empire Guild''s control, Kang Oh''s party had ''secretly'' killed its boss, Clovis. What if they had found out that he was the perpetrator? ''If that''s not it either, then do they have a grudge against me? Whatever the case, I can''t let this go on!'' He didn''t know who they were, but it was clear that they were spying on him! There was also no way that they were watching him with good intentions either. If that''s the case, then... ''I have to y my hand.'' Kang Oh decided to make his move before he got caught in their scheme. He called Sephiro and Eder to his room within the Nuwak Inn. After all, their surveince didn''t go so far as to watch his room. A short whileter... Sephiro and Eder opened the door and came inside. "What''s the matter?" Sephiro asked. "Please sit down." Eder and Sephiro sat down. "Someone''s watching us," Kang Oh said. "What?" Sephiro widened his eyes. What was he...? "Really?" Eder asked. "Yeah, really," Kang Oh said with certainty, lookingpletely serious. He was clearly telling the truth! "Who''s watching us?" "I''m not exactly sure. They could be Ja''s followers or the Empire Guild. They could also be someone else." "Mm, I just hope it''s not the Empire Guild," Eder said weakly. "So what''s your n?" Eder asked. "What do you think?" Kang Oh answered with a question of his own. "A pre-emptive strike." Eder knew how Kang Oh thought. "Yep." Kang Oh grinned. "We need to lure the spies out into the open," Sephiro said. "Yes. We need to act like we''re escaping their," Kang Oh said. "Then they''ll try to catch us," Eder said. "That''s when they''ll realize that what they''ve caught isn''t fish, but a shark." Kang Oh clenched his fist. "But are we enough? They''ll be ready for us," Eder said anxiously. "And... if the Empire Guild is watching us, then they won''t give up. They pay back twice what they''re owed. That''s their motto," Sephiro said concernedly. It was as if he was saying, ''What do we do if it''s the Empire Guild?''. "If they''re Ja''s followers, then they won''t give up either. There''s nothing scarier than faith," Eder said. "That''s why we need to intimidate them. Make them think, ''Ah, we can''t mess with these guys!''," Kang Oh said. "How?" Eder asked. "Give me yourmunication earrings." Kang Oh extended his hand. "What?" Why did he need themunication earrings all of a sudden? "I''m calling a monster!" A monster that could overwhelm whoever was watching them, no matter how powerful they were! Kang Oh knew several such monsters, and would call one of them this time. * * * Knock, knock. Kraal opened his eyes. "Come in." Upon entering the room, Kroba said, "I received an urgent report." "What is it?" "Our prey is getting ready to run." Their ''prey'' referred to Kang Oh''s party. "What?" Kraal furrowed his brow. "Our spies have verified this. Our prey will soon leave the Great Forest and travel to some other ce." "Where are they going?" "They were vague, saying things like ''that ce'' or ''a good ce''." "So they nned this." "If not, then they could''ve noticed that we''ve been watching them," Kroba said cautiously. "They found out?" "Yes. So they''re either trying to escape, or lure us into a trap." "Hmm." Kroba remained silent while Kraal thought this over. How much time had passed? Kraal said, "We shouldn''t go after them now; we''re notpletely ready yet..." "Understood. Then I''ll tell the men to follow them..." "However!" "Yes?" "I need to let headquarters know. And if they provide us with some reinforcements, then we''re going to strike." "Understood. Then I''ll tell our spies, which are spread out throughout the forest, to center around our prey." Kroba was apetent vice-captain. He did what Kraal wanted without being ordered. "You do that. Go on." "Yes sir." Kroba left the room, and Kraal opened a message window. Then, he sent a message to the Empire Guild''s vice-captain. ''Vice-Captain Jegal.'' - What''s the matter? - I need some reinforcements. - Reinforcements? - The targets are trying to escape my. Kraal had already reported that he was gunning for Oga and his party. Of course, he''d also exined why he believed that they were the perpetrators. Thus, he didn''t need to exin anything to Jegal. - Are you not ready yet? Jegal knew how Kraal operated. He trusted in Kraal''s methods; he would kill his targets only after beingpletely prepared. However, his preparations often gave his prey enough time to escape. - Yes. We can''t be hasty, as our targets are not to be underestimated. The vice-captain didn''t reply for some time. Jegal was organizing his thoughts. - I''ll send you some reinforcements. - It''s urgent. - I''ll send Ridgeley and the Brown Bear Squad''s elites. ''Ridgeley and the Brown Bear Squad!'' Kraal smiled. The Brown Bear Squad was a part of the Empire Guild''s armed forces. Ridgeley was the captain of the squad and also a high ranker, which meant that he was in the top 100! With their strength, he could take down Oga''s party no matter what. ''I can mark him and then kill him again and again.'' Kraal smirked. He possessed the Intermediate Tracking skill. Kraal could ''mark'' people with it. He could track whoever was marked for the duration of a week. - Thank you very much! - Ridgeley and twenty of the Brown Bear Squad''s elites are leaving right now. Wait next to the Modrak intercity transfer gate. - Understood. - Remember, you must record footage of you killing Oga. There was a simple reason that Jegal sent both a high ranker, Ridgeley, and the elites of the Brown Bear Squad. He''d make use of this opportunity to crush an up anding yer, Oga, and show off the Empire Guild''s might! But... Would it really go as nned? * * * Miu. Three Yumas ran side by side, ridden by Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. They''d finished exploring a dungeon, and were on their way back to the Nuwak Vige. "Do you think they''ve noticed?" Eder asked. Kang Oh''s party had leaked that they were leaving the Great Forest, in order to draw their watchers out. The method they used was simple. They said farewell to the Nuwak tribesmen and said, ''We''ll be leaving soon''. That was it. Obviously, they hadn''t told them exactly where they were going. "We just have to wait," Kang Oh said confidently. "They won''t attack us while we''re in the Nuwak Vige. There are plenty of people watching, and the warriors there won''t just sit by and do nothing," Sephiro said. "Exactly. If they''re going to attack us, then they''re going to do it while we''re in a dungeon or when we''ve left the vige, like right now," Kang Oh said. He was proven right not long after. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party was surrounded by Kraal''s Assassination Squad. At first, ten of them blocked his party''s way forward. But then, they came from every direction, instantly surrounding them. It seemed like there were more than 100 of them. "It doesn''t look like they''re Ja''s followers," Eder whispered. Some of them wore masks, while others didn''t; those who didn''t bore red eyes. "Damn it, it''s the Empire Guild''s Sweepers." Sephiro knew who they were at first nce. "They must''ve found out that it was us at Kainshell," Kang Oh whispered. The spies were from the Empire Guild! If that''s the case, then they''d discovered that he and his party had secretly killed Kainshell''s boss. "Tch, this is why I didn''t want to be involved." Sephiro looked like he wanted to cry. "It''s already water under the bridge." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. What was he going to do about it now? It was already spilt milk. Then... The Assassination parted, letting through Kraal, Kroba, and several bulky warriors. "I''m a member of the Empire Guild, Kraal," Kraal stepped forward and yelled. Eder slightly pushed Kang Oh forward. He was basically saying, ''You''re up.''. "So? Why are you surrounding us and threatening us?" Kang Oh yelled. "You really don''t know?" Kraal narrowed his eyes at Kang Oh. "Not really." "Kainshell!" "What about it?" "You''re the ones who secretly killed the boss there, even though the dungeon is under the Empire Guild''s control!" Kraal yelled. "Yeah, we killed Kainshell''s boss monster. So what?" Kang Oh didn''t deny it. After all, Eder was carrying around the Hellfire Mace. He didn''t want to argue either. Kang Oh didn''t believe that killing the boss put him in the wrong. "You stole the Empire Guild''s property." "Why does the dungeon boss belong to you? It belongs to whoever killed it," Kang Oh said unrelentingly. "I told you, our guild manages that dungeon." "Tch, tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''This is why you have to get rid of these giant guilds.'' "Did you guys buy it?" he continued. "We didn''t buy it. We upied it." "That''s illegal. What are you, gangsters? It''s like you''ve upied a nightclub or something." "Keep barking." Kraal snarled and his red eyes gleamed. "That must be a sore spot. If you''re a gangster, then act like one ande at me with your little sticks." Kang Oh gestured for them to e on'' with his hand. "Enough. I''ll take over from here." A man, garbed in leather armor and a halberd leaning on his shoulder, stepped forward. Kraal backed off withoutint. After all, the man had far greater authority than he did. "Oh, so you''re Oga?" the man asked. "I am, why?" Kang Oh had no intention of revealing his real ID, so he wouldn''t remove his helmet or be transparent. "I''m Ridgeley." ''Ridgeley. That Ridgeley?'' Kang Oh knew who this man was. He was an incredibly famous yer, so there''s no way he wouldn''t know who he was. He was both a higher ranker and the leader of one of the Empire Guild''s squads. "You''re pretty famous." "So you know who I am. Anyhow, I know who you are too. You''re pretty strong." Ridgeley spoke to him informally, as if he were speaking to a subordinate. "I''m not ''pretty'' strong. I''m really strong." Kang Oh knew just how strong he was. "Really? Then let''s have a match!" Ridgeley had seen TGN''s Warriors of the Great Forest. He''d obviously seen Oga too. He wanted to fight him. "One-on-one?" Kang Oh asked. "One-on-one." Ridgeley nodded his head. "I''d rather not." He brought this many people here and has the gall to ask for a one on one fight? What a joke. "What?" "You''re too weak, soe at me all at once!" Kang Oh said provokingly. He then gestured for them to attack him once more. ''I''m weak!?'' Grr. Ridgeley gritted his teeth. He felt unpleasant, as if he''d been pped across the face. "I''ll grind you to dust!" Ridgeley rushed at him like an angry bear! Chapter 184. Kang Oh vs. Ridgeley

Chapter 184. Kang Oh vs. Ridgeley

Trantor: Boko Ridgeley rushed at Kang Oh head-on. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''I''m taking him down at full power.'' He''d show him the result of messing with him! Kuheong! Baramut''s Roar. He immediately pulled out a BB-rank piece of equipment from his inventory and activated Gluttony. Jet-ck energy spread everywhere, doubling all of his abilities. Then... Ridgeley had gotten right in front of him, and swung downwards with his halberd. Swish! The halberd''s axe head cleaved through the air, falling upon the crown of Kang Oh''s head. Kang Oh didn''t just sit there and take it. He immediately countered with Demon Sword Ubist. Whoosh! Demon sword and halberd shed in between their wielders. ng! Neither side was pushed back. Their power was even. ''I used both Baramut''s Roar and Gluttony, yet we''re still even. As expected of a high ranker!'' ''Mm. To think he''d be as strong as I am! Not bad!'' Bang. The two fell back simultaneously and then shed once more. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The two repeatedly swung their respective weapons, aiming for the other''s vitals. They continued to unleash a brutal sequence of attacks! Amidst that, Kang Oh started to gain the upper hand. After all, he had Hyper Intuition, which both warned him of danger, and marked his opponent''s weaknesses. "A-ta-ta-ta!" Kang Oh pressed his offensive, forcing Ridgeley on the defensive and slowly pushing him back. ''I''m being pushed back?'' Ridgeley''s eyes became wild. "Don''t make meugh!" Ridgely horizontally swung his halberd, unleashing a multidirectional shockwave. Warrior''s Strike! Warrior''s Strike was a Warrior ss skill; the higher the proficiency, the more powerful the shockwave became. "Ugh." The shockwave put an end to Kang Oh''s assault, and forced him to catch his breath. Ridgeley pointed his spear at Kang Oh, and a white haze arose from his body. Battle Position! This skill increased one''s physical abilities and reflexes. Of course, Battle Position required a constant stream of MP in order to keep it active. Boom! Ridgeley kicked off the floor and rushed at Kang Oh. "Die!" He lunged at Kang Oh with his halberd. "No thanks." Kang Oh quickly swung his sword. Swish, sh. The spear grazed his cheek, while Kang Oh''s de grazed Ridgeley''s throat. Though only flesh wounds, shards of light asrge as a fist burst from both of them. That''s how formidable both of their weapons were. "Kuhahp!" Despite that, Ridgeley boldly charged once more. It was as if he was saying, ''I don''t give a shit about your attacks!''. "Haahp!" Kang Oh thought the same; he had no intention of retreating. Kang Oh vs. Ridgeley. They continued their bloody fight, unwilling to give the other an inch. * * * Kang Oh attacked with sh, Darkness Strike, and his dion''s Daggers, while switching between Ubist and Blood depending on the situation. Of course, Kang Oh''s greatest strength lies not in his weapons, but in his Hyper Intuition and his concentration. Still, Ridgeley was by no means weak. Ridgeley was clearly a high ranker! He was not to be underestimated. Warrior''s Strike, Lightning Spear, Mork Style Charge, Guillotine! He attacked with these four intermediate rank skills, and would use his equipment''s effects at all the right times. Plus, Ridgeley was an experienced fighter, so he didn''t crumble to Kang Oh''s precise, yet unpredictable strikes which were aimed at his vitals. Kang Oh and Ridgeley. They fought to the death. This was no ordinary battle, where both sides aimed for the other''s vitals and the victor was determined by good skill use. They predicted the other''s next move, prepared for it, tricked the other, and reacted. As a result, neither side could obtain a clear advantage over the other, and they couldn''t help but acknowledge each other. ''He''s strong!'' ''He''s tough!'' The two simultaneously widened the distance and caught their breath. "I guess it''s time to go all out," Ridgeley said. Kang Oh agreed. He''d tried everything against Ridgeley, but found that nothing had worked. "Let''s finish this," Kang Oh said, and then Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness engulfed him. Devil Trigger! His body was covered in darkness; his face was hidden behind a beast mask, his shoulders were covered by pauldrons, and a tail jutted out from behind! Kang Oh had instantly be the Jet-ck Demon once more. ''I can''t afford to lose.'' Ridgeley used his own trump card. Advent of the Valkyrie! A winged war maiden, wearing golden armor and wielding a silver sword, appeared behind Ridgeley. The valkyrie''s blessing had multiplied Ridgeley''s power by several times! For a brief moment, both Kang Oh and Ridgeley stared each other down, in an effort to get an edge. However, they soon realized that it was pointless, and charged at each other head-on. Abyss w! The Jet-ck Demon, Kang Oh, unleashed a three lined aura that contained the demon''s wicked power. Glory that Brings Victory! Ridgeley''s halberd glowed with golden light. His halberd easily blocked Kang Oh''s Abyss w. Then, Kang Oh disappeared via Abyss Transfer. He reappeared behind Ridgeley andunched a surprise attack. "Die!" Ridgeley reacted quickly. He turned around and used his halberd''s shaft to block Kang Oh''s de. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue in disappointment. Then, Ridgeley swung his halberd, and Kang Oh immediately swung downwards! Bam! Demon sword and halberd crossed, and the two wielderspeted in strength. Neither side was pushed back at all. However, Kang Oh''s face darkened. ''I don''t have time.'' Gluttony was winding down. Thus, Kang Oh made the winning move. While his de and the halberd were locked together, he used Tempest Tiger! The jet-ck sword unleashed a golden aura. Ridgeley reacted immediately, as he felt a powerful, destructive forceing from Kang Oh''s demon sword. "Grr!" His halberd radiated blue light and unleashed a violently spinning aura. Storm Aura! As expected, Ridgeley was capable of using an aura attack as well. Like Kang Oh''s Tempest Tiger, Ridgeley''s aura attack was at the intermediate rank and was wind based as well. The blue and golden auras entwined. Then, the two auras blew up, resulting in a giant explosion. Boom! The giant explosion swept through both Kang Oh and Ridgeley. Before the explosion had consumed him, Kang Oh had protected himself using Abyss Shield and the Baramut set''s Wind Shield, so he was able to survive. Ridgeley was barely able to survive through the valkyrie''s blessing. But it was Kang Oh who decided to take advantage of the chaos. Neither side could see anything due to the giant dust cloud. Even so, Kang Oh pierced through the dust cloud and urately aimed for one of Ridgeley''s vitals. He had his Hyper Intuition, and had fought Ubist before without his sight. Ultimately, this situation was much more advantageous to Kang Oh than to Ridgeley. Stab. His jet-ck de pierced through Ridgeley''s heart. "Keok!" Kang Oh could hear his death throes. Ridgeley, who''d taken considerable damage from the explosion, couldn''t withstand Kang Oh''s attack. He fell to his knees and his head drooped. The valkyrie that followed behind him could no longer be seen. [You have defeated the Empire Guild member, Ridgeley.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] A short whileter... The wind began to clear away the dust cloud. Every party present could see it as clear as day. Kang Oh was standing tall, while Ridgeley was on his knees. It was clear who the winner and loser was. "Mr. Kang Oh won!" "You''re right!" Eder and Sephiro beamed and hugged each other. Whereas the members of the Empire Guild looked in disbelief. "Captain Ridgeley lost!" "That''s impossible!" This was Ridgely they were talking about! He was a high ranker that led the Empire Guild''s Brown Bear Squad! Someone like that had lost to an up-ander like Kang Oh? "Now what do we do?" Korba whispered to Kraal. "We have to attack right away. He didn''te out unscathed," Kraal said. Ridgeley''s loss was certainly shocking. All the more reason that he had to kill Oga''s party right here and now. Korba nodded his head and stepped forward. "He used a cowardly move to kill Captain Ridgeley!" Korba yelled. "What?" "Really?" The Assassination Squad members, as well as the Brown Bear Squad''s elites, were transfixed by Korba''s words. "That''s right. Before the huge explosion happened, I saw him take out something like a magic scroll." Korba pointed at Kang Oh. Of course, he was lying through his teeth. However, it didn''t matter whether that was the truth or not to the Empire Guild members. What was important was that Kang Oh had won using a cowardly move. "As I thought!" "There''s no way Captain Ridgeley would lose to someone like him!" "Mm, let''s take revenge!" "Ooh!" The elites of the Brown Bear Squad raised their weapons. Kraal''s Assassination Squad did the same. Kraal smiled wickedly and patted Korba''s back as if to say, ''Good job.''. Then, he raised his arm high into the air. "Members of the Assassination Squad! Brown Bear Squad! Kill those cowardly bastards!" "Let''s go!" "For Captain Ridgeley!" More than 100 yers came rushing at Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. Eder and Sephiro quickly came to Kang Oh''s side. "Are you alright?" Eder asked. "They''reing," Sephiro said. "I''m fine," Kang Oh said. "Please call him right away," Sephiro urged. "I know, so fight them off until he''s here." "Roger!" "Alright." Sephiro began shooting arrows, and Eder raised his shield. Kang Oh touched hismunication earrings. Beep. The earring beeped and someone picked up. "Is it time?" "Yes, it''s time." "I''m going!" * * * Kang Oh''s battle with Ridgeley had significantly depleted his HP. ''Time to get it back.'' Switch. Kang Oh swapped Ubist with Blood because of its Life Steal ability. He swung Blood at the closest Assassination Squad member. Bam! "Ugh." Blood sucked in the shards of light! A red star appeared on the de''s length, and his HP was very slightly restored. "How''s the fire taste!?" Eder, who was guarding his back, swung his Hellfire Mace. Sephiro moved all across the battlefield, shooting arrows, swinging his bow, and kicking his foes. "Ugh, get out of my way!" "We''ll take care of them." The Brown Bear Squad''s elites, who''d arrivedte, yelled. Unlike the Assassination Squad, who wore light armor, the Brown Bear Squad were covered from head to toe in heavy armor, so they arrived muchter than theirrades. "Assassination Squad, get out of their way!" Kraal yelled. Like a receding tide, the members of the Assassination Squad retreated. Then, twenty members of the Brown Bear Squad took their ce. "We''re taking revenge for our Captain''s death!" "Today''s the day you die!" "If youe back, then we''ll kill you again!" The elites of the Brown Bear Squad exuded a ferocious fighting spirit. However, Kang Oh looked beyond the Brown Bear Squad and beamed. "You guys are toote. He''s here." "What?" At that moment... "Who''s bothering my little brother!?" A manly voice resounded throughout the forest. The voice belonged to none other than the Invincible diator, Burkan, Kang Oh''s trustworthy blood brother! Chapter 185. Never Fear, Burkan is Here!

Chapter 185. Never Fear, Burkan is Here!

Trantor: Boko Burkan strode forward. Then, something quite interesting happened. [You have been overwhelmed by Burkan''s fighting spirit.] [You have lost the will to fight.] "W-What is this?" "My body won''t move!" Burkan''s fighting spiritpletely froze more than half of the assassins! As expected of a diator Master; the Invincible diator, Burkan! ''It doesn''t matter how many there are; you can''t beat a lion or tiger with numbers.'' Still, Burkan''s fighting spirit hadn''t neutralized all of the Empire Guild''s members. [You are daunted by the enemy''s tremendous fighting spirit.] [All abilities decrease by 30%.] A select few, which included the Brown Bear Squad''s elites, Kraal, Korba, and a handful of Kraal''s most talented assassins, didn''t lose their will to fight. Their stats were reduced significantly, that''s all. It wasn''t Burkan''s fighting spirit, but a cry from one of their own thatpletely destroyed their will to fight. "That''s the diator Master, Burkan!" a guild member yelled. He''d once attempted the Fight Against 100 Men, so he remembered Burkan''s face and gear. "That''s Burkan?" "The Invincible diator!" "A Master!" Even the Brown Bear Squad''s elites were taken aback. Kang Oh couldn''t me them. It was as if a dragon had suddenly appeared while the orcs were fighting amongst themselves. "Things are progressing strangely," Korba said. "Mm. The fact that he''s releasing this much fighting spirit confirms that he''s actually Burkan... He''s not someone we can beat," Kraal replied. "Let''s run away." "Yeah." Korba and Kraal secretly pulled out return scrolls. "All forces, listen up. Run..." Kraal began. However, Burkan wouldn''t let him finish. "You''re not going anywhere." Burkan suddenly appeared beside them, and overwhelmed Kraal and Korba instantly. [You have been overwhelmed.] [You cannot move.] "Huh?" "What?" The Invincible diator. There was a reason he was called that. As soon as Kraal started yelling, Burkan had realized that he was trying to run away. Thus, he''d subdued him before he could give the order. "Don''t move a muscle! I''ll kill anyone who moves!" Burkan said murderously. No one dared to defy him. The Empire Guild was frozen stiff in fear. "Mm, everyone stay like that. If you don''t want to die, that is," Burkan said, and then walked over to Kang Oh. "Is that enough?" Kang Oh had stubbornly asked Burkan for his help. Burkan obviously rejected his plea for help. He said something along the lines of ''Clean your own mess.''. The only reason he decided to help was because he would be forced to be the next Guardian of the Continent if Kang Oh quit. "Yes." "This is thest time! I''m not going to help you next time, even if you threaten to quit being the Guardian of the Continent!" Burkan drove the nail in the coffin. "Oh, c''mon. We''re brothers. How can you be so cold-hearted?" "Hmph, we''re only brothers when you need me for something." "Anyhow, I won''t forget what you''ve done for me today." "Don''t bring such troublesome things to my doorstep!" "I''ll try my best." Well, he couldn''t guarantee that. He couldn''t be the only one having a rough time, now could he? "Anyway, how are you going to deal with them?" Burkan took a look around and said. "Most of them are criminals. We can give them to the Security Bureau and get a reward." "A reward?" He suddenly looked interested. "Yes. They''ll be worth quite a lot." After all, all of them, aside from the Brown Bear Squad, bore the Red Eye, the mark of a criminal. "How much is my share?" "Don''t you have a lot of money already?" He''s a diator Master after all. "The more money, the better." "You''re not wrong." "So how much?" "How about half?" "Only half? I caught all of them by myself." "I''m the one who made all of this possible. Plus, I have some freeloaders here too." Kang Oh pointed at Eder and Sephiro, causing them to smile awkwardly. "I''ll ask some of the other diators toe over here and move them. How does 60% sound?" "Deal!" After that, the 100 Fighters appeared in the middle of the Great Forest. In the past, they had helped Kang Oh fight off Modune and his Insect Mages in the Bariton Desert. "We just need to take them to the Security Bureau?" Dion asked. He was themander of the 100 Fighters, known for his incredible skill with dual diuses. "Yeah. Take 20% of the reward for yourselves and give the rest to me," Burkan said, and then nced at Kang Oh. "I''ll give you your shareter." "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Several of them aren''t criminals," Dion said. He pointed at the members of the Brown Bear Squad. "Get your money''s worth out of them and then let them go. That all goes to the 100 Fighters too." "Understood." Dion smiled. He would suck them dry, or at least, that''s what his expression was saying. "We''ll take them away now." "Alright." Burkan nodded his head. "Wait a second!" Kang Oh grabbed onto Dion. "What is it?" "I have something to say." Kang Oh approached Kraal, who waspletely bound by rope. "You must be the one directly below Ridgeley." "..." "Make sure you let your superiors know. Mess with me, and you know what''ll happen." Why had Kang Oh badgered Burkan toe, and fought so hard against Ridgeley? It was to make a disy out of them. He was also warning them. Kang Oh didn''t care who they were, but if they messed with him or his party, then they''d be sure to regret it. "Have fun in jail." Kang Oh tapped his cheek and turned around. But he suddenly stopped. He turned back around and approached Korba. "It was you, wasn''t it?" "What?" "You''re the one who said that I killed Ridgeley with some cowardly move." "T-That''s..." "Let me hit you a few times!" "What?" Whack, whack, whack, whack...! Refreshing ''whacks'' resounded through the forest for some time. * * * The Empire Guild''s vice-captain, Jegal, was biting his nails. "You failed?" Jegal said angrily. The revived Ridgeley, as well as the released members of the Brown Bear Squad (the Empire Guild had paid their ransom), were standing in front of him. "I don''t have an excuse." Ridgeley bowed deeply. "Where is Kraal?" "He''s locked up in the Security Bureau. He and his Assassination Squad," one of the Brown Bear Squad members said. "Tch. How in the world did you mess things up so badly?" Jegal asked. "I lost to Oga. After that..." "We attacked Oga''s party to get back at him. But that''s when the Invincible diator, Burkan, showed up," a squad member continued. "Burkan? Are we talking about the same Burkan here? The one from the Holiseum?" "Yes. The very same." "Why was Burkan there?" "He and Oga seemed close." "Mm." Only then did Jegal''s face soften. "That Oga... he has quite the connections." Now that he''d heard their story, he realized that there was no way that they could seed. After all, they hadn''t fully grasped their enemy. "If you give me another opportunity, then I''ll mobilize the entire Brown Bear Squad and tear them to bits," Ridgeley said murderously. "You can''t! Let''s leave them alone for now," Jegal said. "Why?" "We can kill Oga whenever we want, but if he''s truly close to Burkan, then we can''t act hastily." Burkan. Not only was he a diator Master, but he was a superstar that was beloved by all the citizens of Altein. He also had countless diators at his beck and call too. In other words, he was a man with proper strength within Arth. ''There''s no need to mess with a lion just to catch a scurrying rat.'' That was the conclusion Jegal hade to. "Then are we just going to let him go?" Ridgeley''s face was red with anger. He still couldn''t ept the fact that Kang Oh had defeated him. Thus, he wanted to find Oga immediately and rip him to shreds. "What''s our guild''s motto?" Jegal asked. "Pay back twice what''s owed." "Exactly. We''ll definitely pay him backter, but now''s not the time." "T-That''s..." Ridgeley bit his lip. Jegal patted his shoulder. "Time is on our side. Eventually, our strongest members will surpass Burkan, and our g will cover the entire continent." True to their name, they would one day form an empire that controlled the entire Arth continent! Jegal''s eyes zed with greed. * * * "Anyone?" Eder asked. "Nope." After their confrontation with the Empire Guild, no one followed them anymore. "Did that show of force work?'' "It definitely worked for the time being," Kang Oh said. "They won''t give up that easily. That''s how all therge guilds are. That especially holds true for the Empire Guild; they''re the worst," Sephiro said. Sephiro had seen the tyranny of countlessrge guilds, so he knew how they operated. Large guilds are quick to forget when they hurt others, but when the positions are reversed, they would hold a grudge. Moreover, the Empire Guild''s motto was to pay back twice what was owed! "We''ll be fine for now. When this is brought up again one day, it''ll be a major pain in the ass, but there''s no helping it," Kang Oh said. He too knew the thought process ofrge guilds. Thus, he knew that the Empire Guild would attack him again someday. "It''ll happen in the future, so let''s think about it then," Eder smiled and said. "He''s right. So let''s put all our efforts into finding a soul dungeon," Kang Oh said. "Yes, what a splendid idea!" Eder immediately replied. "Haa, sure whatever." Sephiro sighed, but ultimately nodded his head. Kang Oh''s party focused on exploring the Great Forest''s dungeons once more. In order to find a hidden dungeon, as well as a soul dungeon! * * * The Great Forest covered most of the southern part of the Arth continent. But then that begs the question: whaty at the very edge of the southern region? The answer? A cliff, the shore, and the southern sea! This is where Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro found themselves. They crossed the sandy beach and entered an area that was filled with perforated rocks. Eventually, Kang Oh stopped and pointed somewhere. "It''s that cave." The waves crashed into the rocks, creating white foam. In between that sight was a cave halfway buried under seawater. That was the dungeon that Kang Oh''s party had decided to investigate today. They sank halfway into the water and entered the cave. As expected, there was a stone gate waiting for them at the end of the cave. "Are you all ready?" Kang Oh asked. "Of course." "Yes." Kang Oh forcefully pushed open the door. Creak. The door screeched. It seemed as though it hadn''t been opened for quite some time. The darkness within seemed to gesture for them toe in. ''Wouldn''t it be so nice if this was a soul dungeon...'' "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party pushed through the darkness and advanced forward. [You have entered the dungeon, Teyno''s Cave.] Chapter 186. Teyno’s Cave

Chapter 186. Teyno''s Cave

Trantor: Boko The cave''s walls were covered in blue moss, which radiated dim light. "It''s luminous moss," Eder said. "Luminous moss? Are you referring to that blue moss?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. It''s a lively nt that can thrive anywhere, even in barren ground. As you can see, they radiate light. And if you eat them, you can breathe underwater for about 10 minutes." As expected of a legendary healer. He was knowledgeable of anything that could be categorized as a medicinal herb. Then... "Something''sing!" Sephiro pointed at the distance. Agagaga! More than ten monsters appeared, letting out a noisy cry. The monsters were covered in colorful scales, possessing eyes like a chameleon and faces like a lizard. Their two webbed feet were shaped like flippers, and they had a fin on their backs too. "Utankas." Kang Oh knew exactly what they were. "You''re right, they''re Utankas." Sephiro knew them too. They lived in groups around rivers, shallow coasts, beach caves, etc. They were around level 250. "Mr. Sephiro, please aim for the one with the staff." There were two types of Utankas. The Utanka Warriors wielded weapons like spears, axes, clubs, etc., while the Utanka Tidecallers cast water magic. Obviously, the one holding a staff was an Utanka Tidecaller. "Understood." Sephiro nodded his head. A mage possessed a ton of firepower, but their defense wasughable. Thus, taking the mage out first was the go-to strategy. "Let''s go." Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood, and Eder raised his Hellfire Mace and square shield. Sephiro notched an arrow and let it fly. Whizz! Thwock! His arrow hit the top of its head! The battle had begun in earnest. Aka! Aka! The Utanka Warriors screamed and rushed at Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. Eder stepped forward. Thud! Eder stomped on the floor, and the magic circle beneath his feet transformed into ck lines and spread outward! Cursed Ground: Ruined Ramparts! It was an AoE curse that reduced his enemies'' defenses. Ukaru! The Utanka Tidecaller raised its staff. Then, its staff began radiating a blue aura. Water Empowerment! This spell imbued an ally''s weapon with the water element, increasing its destructive potential. The Utanka Warriors'' weapons were enveloped in blue energy. Swish, swish, swish, swish! They then swung their weapons at Kang Oh and Eder. Kang Oh moved like a nimble squirrel, allowing him topletely avoid all of their attacks. Then, he counterattacked! Demon Sword Blood unleashed a bat-shaped wave. Darkness Strike! Boom! The Utanka Warriors tumbled onto the floor. Kang Oh kept up the momentum and repeatedly swung his sword. His attacks were precise, yet powerful. Having lost the momentum, the Utanka Warriors were slowly being driven into a corner, despite surrounding Kang Oh. Meanwhile, Eder blocked the Utanka Warriors'' attacks with his square shield. ng, ng, ng, ng! A spear, axe, club, etc. bashed on his shield, resounding with a sound akin to roasting beans. Eventually, Eder got his chance to attack. "My turn!" He quickly swung his mace, whacking an Utanka''s face. Bam. What a refreshing sound! Eder didn''t stop there. Shield Bash! Eder bashed the Utanka Warrior''s jaw with his shield''s edge; its body briefly jumped up, but just as quickly fell to the ground. "You''re next!" Eder charged like an angry bull and fiercely attacked the Utanka Warriors. Until now, the Utanka Tidecaller had been observing, but decided it was time to intervene; it swung its staff once more. Water Spear! A long, whirling water spear came flying at Kang Oh and Eder. They had no choice but to cease hostilities and take cover. "Mr. Sephiro!" Kang Oh yelled. He was essentially saying, ''Keep him busy!''. "I know." Sephiro took action. He notched three arrows and... Triple Shot! Three arrows came flying at it, forcing the Utanka Tidecaller to cast a defensive spell. Water Wall! A stream of water gushed from the ground. Sephiro''s arrows were unable to break through the barrier of water. Despite that, Sephiro continued to let loose arrows. Because the arrows were caught in the Water Wall, Sephiro''s arrows hadn''t dealt any damage. However, his actions weren''t meaningless. Forcing it to maintain its defensive spell was keeping it from casting offensive spells on Kang Oh and Eder. Because of that, Kang Oh and Eder could focus entirely on the Utanka Warriors in front of them. Sometimeter... Unable to withstand Kang Oh''s devastating assault, the Utanka Warriors began dropping one or two at a time. In order to turn the battle around, the Utanka Tidecaller decided to create a giant tsunami, releasing its hold on its Water Wall. But Kang Oh had already switched to Ubist. He easily eliminated the tsunami via his demon sword''s magic absorption ability The Utankas had no way to win and were soon met with death. "Did you pick up the junk?" "Here." Eder passed him the Utanka Warriors'' colorful scales. "Let''s go!" That battle had been too easy, so resting now would be ridiculous. Kang Oh''s party made their way through Teyno''s Cave, intent on reaching the end of the dungeon. * * * There were other monsters here too. For example, there were rock-eating worms, or Stone Eaters, and the Gnus, which looked like sea lions but with only one eye and a giant horn. The Stone Eaters, which were around level 280, were the strongest monsters here. The Gnus weren''t as strong, but they were at least stronger than the Utankas. They were obviously no match for Kang Oh''s party. However, Stone Eaters had a ton of Hp, so it took quite a long time to kill them. "Looks like only these three monsters spawn here," Sephiro said. They''d explored the dungeon for quite some time, yet they had only encountered Stone Eaters, Gnus, and Utankas. "Yeah. Perhaps Teynos is the name of the boss," Eder said carefully. The dungeon was called Teyno''s Cave. If that''s the case, then perhaps this ''Teynos'' was somewhere inside. "Let''s take it step further. I hope it''s the hidden dungeon''s boss or the soul dungeon''s guardian," Sephiro said. After their confrontation with the Empire Guild, Kang Oh''s party had explored several dungeons. However, they hadn''t found any hidden dungeons or soul dungeons. Thus, he thought it was about time they found one. ''If we do find a soul dungeon, then I have to get a piece of the pie!'' Sephiro pledged. He had to! He wouldn''t allow Kang Oh to take all of it for himself. That would be too much for him to handle! "Let''s keep going until we reach the end." "Yes sir!" Kang Oh''s party didn''t stop. They plowed through any monsters that they came across, and eventually reached the end of the cave. There was a smallke there. "It''s seawater," Sephiro tasted the water and said. ''Seawater, huh...'' That meant that theke was connected to the sea. "I don''t see the boss monster anywhere. Do you feel anything with your Hyper Intuition?" Eder asked. "Nope," Kang Oh immediately replied. While traversing through the dungeon, his Hyper Intuition hadn''t activated even once. Now wasn''t any different. "Do you think the boss or a hidden dungeon resides within theke?" Sephiro asked. "Maybe," Kang Oh said. ''Monsters don''t all live onnd after all.'' "Are you going in?" "I am," Kang Oh said. He''de this far already, so not going in and checking what''s inside would be ridiculous. "But won''t it be a problem if there are monsters or the boss inside? We''ve never fought underwater before," Eder said concernedly. How well would they be able to fight underwater? "Plus, we can''t breathe underwater," Sephiro said. An undead like Eder didn''t need to breathe, but Kang Oh and Sephiro were different. If they couldn''t breathe, then their HP would drop, and when one''s HP drops to 0, they die. "Ah, I have a solution for that. If you eat the luminous moss, then you can breathe underwater for 10 minutes," Eder said. The luminous moss was everywhere inside. At this very moment, they could take as much as they wanted. "Then that solves one problem. The other problem remains. Will we have to fight underwater or not... Honestly, I''m not confident in my ability to fight underwater," Sephiro said. He was an archer. However, he couldn''t shoot arrows properly underwater. "I''m notfortable fighting underwater either..." Eder looked unsure. If he was underwater, would he be able to swing his shield or mace properly? "We''ll have to be as careful as possible while investigating." Kang Oh was going in no matter what. "What if we have to fight?" "Then we fight. But if it doesn''t look like we can win, then... Eder, sacrifice yourself." "What?" Eder widened his eyes. It was as if he were saying, ''Why me!?''. "If things go bad, then Mr. Sephiro and I will run while you keep them busy. Once we''re safe, I''ll summon you." "Mm, I understand." Eder acknowledged that he was best suited for this task. "Alright. Then let''s get some luminous moss." Kang Oh and Sephiro gathered a ton of blue moss that grew on the walls or nearby rocks. Then, they ate it. "Ugh." Bitter! The luminous moss tasted really bad. [You have eaten Luminous Moss.] [You can breathe underwater for 10 minutes.] "Dress lightly. You can''t afford to go in wearing heavy armor or carrying a mace," Kang Oh said. He immediately stashed Baramut''s set and Demon Sword Ubist into his inventory. "Please take mine too." Eder passed him his gear. It seemed like he wanted Kang Oh to take care of his gear too. Sephiro removed his leather armor, and ced both it and the Lasselpino Bow into his inventory. He then pulled out a danger from his inventory and strapped it to his waist. Now that they were ready, Kang Oh''s party unhesitatingly leapt into theke. Ssh! * * * It was beautiful inside. Various kinds of fish were swimming around. Sephiro had said that it was seawater, which was made clear by the coral and the seaweed. Fortunately, there weren''t any underwater monsters here that could pose any danger. Their eyes gleamed as they investigated theke. How much time had passed? Kang Oh suddenly waved his arms. He couldn''t speak underwater, so he was giving his party a signal. Eder and Sephiro approached him. ''What''s wrong?'' Or so they seemed to say with their eyes. Kang Oh pointed somewhere; he was pointing at a turtle that was leisurely swimming around. Sephiro immediately received a system message. [You have encountered an animal that brings good fortune, the Lighthouse Turtle.] [Item drop rate increases by 20% for the entire day.] ''Lighthouse Turtle?'' It was the first time Sephiro had heard of it. ''What about it?'' He looked at Kang Oh questioningly. Eder stared nkly at Kang Oh. What did he want him to do? Then, Kang Oh followed the Lighthouse Turtle, and motioned for them to do the same. Eder and Sephiro didn''t know what he was doing; nevertheless, they decided to follow Kang Oh and the Lighthouse Turtle. Chapter 187. Immovable Teynos

Chapter 187. Immovable Teynos

Trantor: Boko There were several dark holes, or tunnels, within theke. People were naturally afraid of darkness. Plus, none of them knew whaty within those tunnels, so Kang Oh''s party steered clear of them. However, the Lighthouse Turtle began to slowly swim towards one of them. Since Kang Oh''s party was following it, they''d have to enter the hole too. Kang Oh unhesitatingly entered the hole, disappearing into the darkness. Eder also entered the hole rather easily. ''Mm.'' Sephiro briefly hesitated, but he couldn''t stay here. Hispanions had already gone inside. He gritted his teeth, went ''Screw it.'', and swam inside. Sephiro entered the hole and was soon consumed by darkness. * * * A dim light glowed in the darkness. That''s why it was called the ''Lighthouse'' Turtle! It was because its shell radiated a gentle light. The Lighthouse Turtle''s light was so weak that it''d normally be unseeable, but it was so dark inside that it actually made all the difference. That dim light gave Sephiro a sense of ease, making him less frightful than before. ''A Lighthouse Turtle, huh. What good naming sense.'' Is this how seafaring people felt when they saw a lighthouse amidst the darkness? Anyway, the tunnel that they''d entered was extremelyplex. Their path was often split into two; sometimes, it was even split into three or four. It was essentially a water maze! Despite that, the Lighthouse Turtle kept going. It was as if it knew what the right way was. Though their time breathing underwater was almost up, they saw a light far greater than the turtle''s at the surface of the water. His party knew that that was their final destination. They forcefully waved their hands and swam over to their destination. Spurt! The Lighthouse Turtle, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro made it through. Then... [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Teyno''s Home.] [You are the first to discover it.] Kang Oh grinned. ''I was right!'' Upon seeing the Lighthouse Turtle, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition had activated. It was as though it was telling him that ''There was more to that turtle!''. He recalled the system message he''d received earlier. It felt as though his once dark mind was illuminated by light. What was a lighthouse? It was a tower that guided boats on dark nights. ''If that''s the case, then the Lighthouse Turtle must serve as a guide!'' Thus, Kang Oh had drawn his party''s attention by swinging his arms around, and had then followed the turtle. As a result, he discovered a hidden dungeon. "Thanks," Kang Oh said to the turtle. The Lighthouse Turtle briefly nced at him, and then went back into the water. Then... "Um..." Eder said. "Ooh," Sephiro eximed. ''What''s the big deal?'' Kang Oh turned his head and saw what all the fuss was about. It was a really giant monster turtle. [You have discovered the Immovable Teynos.] [You are the first to discover it.] The giant turtle, Immovable Teynos! It was the master of Teyno''s Cave! At that moment... Teyno opened its eyes. And... "You''ve finallye!" Teynos said, thrilled. It was as if it had been waiting a long time for them to find it. "You were waiting for us?" Kang Oh stepped forward and said. "I wasn''t waiting for you specifically. I''ve been waiting a long time for someone qualified toe and be the dungeon''s master!" Teynos said. Kang Oh shivered, starting from his toes all the way to the top of his head. "You''re the guardian that protects the soul stone!" Kang Oh yelled excitedly. "Indeed. I am the guardian that protects the soul stone, the Immovable Teynos!" the giant turtle, Teynos, yelled confidently. ''Finally!'' He''d finally found a soul dungeon. Kang Oh clenched his fists. Yes! "Alright. I''ll be the dungeon master, so give me the soul stone," Kang Oh smiled and said. Based on what it was saying, it seemed like it desperately needed a dungeon master. He wanted Teynos to pick him, rather than make thingsplicated! "I can''t do that." "Why?" "First, you have to prove that you''re qualified." "How?" "Bring me the items that I want. Then, I''ll acknowledge you as the dungeon''s master." "Just a second ago you said you were waiting for us," Kang Oh said. ''So why is he being like this now?'' "I have been waiting for you. However, I don''t want to let just anyone be the owner of this dungeon." In other words, he would test his abilities first. "What do you want?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m the Immovable Teynos. Though none can pierce my armor, I cannot move!" "So?" "Despite that, I''m interested in the outside world. I want an item thates from there." "You don''t want to be free?" "No. I just want to own something thates from the outside world." "Really? Then I''ll give you just the thing, so..." Kang Oh pulled out all sorts of junk from his inventory. ''These alle from the outside world, right?'' "I don''t wantmon goods. I want something precious." "Tch, you''re quite picky. So what exactly are you looking for?" "There are four items that are considered the treasures of the sea. Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, a Lupenia Crystal, and a Calodia m. If you bring me two of these, then I''ll acknowledge you as the dungeon''s master," Teynos said. ''A Lupenia Crystal, huh... He''s referring to the aquatic tribe I met before. I have no idea how I''ll procure the other ones.'' Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to go with a different method. "I can just kill you, right?" He could kill the guardian to obtain the soul stone! "You could try, but killing me is impossible." "You never know until you try." Kang Oh pulled out his and Eder''s gear. He immediately equipped the Baramut set and gripped Demon Sword Ubist. "Of course this happens." Eder wore the Duhan set, and raised both his square shield and Hellfire Mace. Sephiro had quickly equipped himself as well. "Let''s go. Don''t hate me if it hurts!" "Hmph. You can try all you want." Teynos snorted. "Haa!" Kang Oh rushed at it. The battle had begun. * * * One hourter... "Forget it!" Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger and yelled. Eder and Sephiro were so tired that they didn''t even have the energy to speak. Whereas... Teynos waspletely fine. "Hahm, you''re already done?" What''s worse, he even had the gall to yawn! "I''ll bring you what you want!" Kang Oh yelled. "Didn''t I tell you? You can''t kill me." "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Immovable Teynos. It possessed unbelievable defense and regenerative capabilities. Kang Oh used everything at his disposal and attacked it again and again, but he didn''t even make a dent. Eder and Sephiro, who both possessed lower attack power than him, did their best, but eventually exhausted themselves. Ultimately, Kang Oh couldn''t help but wave the white g. In his current condition, he wouldn''t be able to kill Teynos even after hundreds of years. "What did you say you wanted again?" Kang Oh asked. "Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, a Lupenia Crystal, and a Calodia m." "For the Lupenia Crystal, are you referring to the Lupenia tribe?" "Indeed. Sillion, Veraris, and Calodia are all tribes that live underwater too. And these items are all those tribes'' specialties." "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. ''I think I''ll be able to get the Lupenia Crystal, but... What about the other one?'' Then, Eder said, "Excuse me, Lord Teynos." "What is it?" "Is the Lupenia Crystal a rainbow crystal?" "That''s right. It''s a precious, seven colored crystal." "Oh, that''s right. They gave that to you." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. In the past, Eder and Grano had received the Lupenia Crystal from the queen as a gift. It was a reward for ying the Seed of Cmity, Gureko. Kang Oh had gone into Lupenia''s treasure house instead. "Yes. I have it at my house." "Oh, Eder." There really wasn''t anyone like him! Kang Oh was about to hug him when... Eder got away from him and smiled. "It''s not free of course." "Hey, are you really going to be like that?" Kang Oh would only use their ''closeness'' as an excuse when it suited him. "That''s what our rtionship is. Nothing''s free." Of course, Kang Oh''s attempt didn''t work at all. "Ugh. In any case, we have one of them, so we just need to collect one more." "Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, or a Calodia m," Teynos said. "You don''t have to keep repeating yourself. You''ve said it enough already." Kang Oh nced at Teynos, and then turned his attention to Eder and Sephiro. "Aside from the Lupenia Crystal, have you heard of the other three items before?" "No," Eder said. "Alright. Then Mr. Sephiro, please use your information brokers and connections to find out what they are and where we can find them." Sephiro nodded his head. "You... Mm, you just rest." Eder had the rainbow crystal, so he had to humor him. "Sure." Eder didn''t deny him. "I''ll look for them in the auction house and see if I can find anything through themunity sites. I''ll also use my own connections to see what I can scrounge up." "Mr. Kang Oh," Sephiro said. "Yes?" "If I manage to find one of those items..." "Go on." "Then I have no intention of giving it to you for free," Sephiro dered, staring directly into Kang Oh''s eyes. "What do you want?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll tell you after I get the item." "I understand." "Once again, I''d like to remind you that I''m not giving you the rainbow crystal for free." Eder was like ''Now''s the time!'' and reminded him. "I got it. We''ll talk about itter." "Ok." "Hey, Teynos," Kang Oh called. "What is it?" "I''ll bring you the items, so just sit tight." "I''ll be here, don''t worry." Teynos had been waiting a long time for an owner to show up. Thus, he was quite good at waiting. "Do I have to follow the Lighthouse Turtle again next time?" That was kind of a pain. "That''s right." "Does that apply even after I be the dungeon''s master?" "There''s an easier way to transport in and out of the dungeon. But you''re not the dungeon''s master yet." Thus, Teynos couldn''t let Kang Oh use that transportation method yet. How stingy. "I got it. I''m leaving." Kang Oh pulled out a return scroll. Teynos closed his eyes without even a ''Take care'' or something to that effect. Spurt. Kang Oh and Sephiro, who''d both ripped their return scrolls, disappeared. Eder quickly followed, as Kang Oh had summoned him. Teyno''s Home was silent once more. * * * The first thing Kang Oh did was stuff his gear into his inventory. If he didn''t, then people in Altein would recognize and approach him, making his life miserable. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro exited the intercity transfer gate, and immediately parted ways. "Good luck!" Eder went home to rest. "I''ll take my leave too." Sephiro had a job to do. He needed to contact his information brokers and acquaintances in order to figure out where the items were. Kang Oh headed for the auction house first. You never know, someone might be selling one of the three remaining treasures of the sea. However, Kang Ohter left the auction house empty-handed. None of the items he was looking for were up for sale. ''Now then... It''s been a while. Let''s go see Jayce.'' The Adventurer Guild''s Veteran Adventurer, Jayce. He should have some information that could prove helpful. Chapter 188. Obtaining the Treasures of the Sea

Chapter 188. Obtaining the Treasures of the Sea

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh went inside the Adventurer Guild. There, he saw a crowd of yers, as well as veteran adventurers that were speaking to them. ''It''s been a while.'' Kang looked around. He couldn''t find Jayce anywhere. "Excuse me." Kang Oh grabbed a passing veteran adventurer. "What is it?" "Do you know where Mr. Jayce is?" "Jayce? Jayce should be downstairs." "Thank you." Kang Oh went down downstairs. It was a rest area for adventurers,plete withfy sofas and tables. ''He''s over there.'' Kang Oh found him immediately. He was rxing and drinking tea. "Hello, Mr. Jayce," Kang Oh approached him and said. "Oh, it''s you. It''s been a long time." Jayce beamed. "Yes, it really has." Kang Oh smiled politely. "Sit down." "Thank you." "Would you like some tea?" "No thank you." Kang Oh shook his hands. "You told mest time that you were looking for a new demon sword. Did you find it?" Jayce asked curiously. Kang Oh removed the sword from his inventory and ced it on the table. The snow-white de emanated a wicked red energy; this was Demon Sword Blood! "Ooh, it''s both mysterious and ominous! It''s exactly as I''ve heard. Could you tell me how you got this?" Jayce asked, his eyes glimmering. Kang Oh told him about his adventure through the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, his fight with Blood, and meeting the ghost of Grande Loxia. "You met Lord Grande Loxia, huh. It''s quite the honor." Jayce admired. "That''s my story. Now it''s your turn, Mr. Jayce." "Huh? What are you talking about?" "You said that you''d have some information for me after I obtained the demon sword. I clearly remember you saying that!" In the past, Jayce had told him that he had some information that he wanted to convey. However, he wanted Kang Oh to focus on finding the demon sword first. Jayce had promised to give him the information once he hadpleted his task. Now it was time to hear what that information was. "Ah, that''s right. I did." "What kind of information is it?" Kang Oh''s voice was filled with anticipation. Jayce always gave him good information. "Have you ever been to the western part of the continent?" "I''ve only heard about it. I''ve never actually gone there before." The west was a grasnd area; there were rivers, forests, mountains, hills, and small deserts there. Various natural environments could be found there, and yet, thend wasn''t fertile. It was also something akin to paradise for non-human species like elves, orcs, trolls, etc. "Several powerful monsters and non-human species live there. However, the top predator there is the wyvern." "Wyvern!" A wyvern was basically a reptile with wings. They were formidable monsters, and were known for their ferocity, their aggressiveness, and their proficiency in flying! "The wyverns gather in a ce called Bernice Canyon. However, I''ve heard rumors that a special wyvern has appeared there." "What makes it special?" "First, its size. When it spreads its wings, it''s about as big as two wyverns put together." "What else?" "It has a horn, it''s dark red, and has an unusual pattern." "Do you think it''s the boss monster?" "If it was, it wouldn''t have a horn. It also wouldn''t be so muchrger than a normal wyvern, and would be the same color as the rest." "Then you''re right; it must be a special wyvern," Kang Oh said. ''Is it a unique monster?'' If it''s that special, then it was definitely a unique monster. Only one of them would exist on the continent. "Wouldn''t taming or hunting it be exciting?" Jayce grinned. "A wyvern''s no joke." Even a baby wyvern was a powerful monster. While a baby wyvern would be around level 300, a fully grown wyvern would be over level 350. "Yeah, they''re dangerous. That''s why I''m only telling this to people that are strong and trustworthy." "How many people have you told already?" "About five?" "I can''t do it right away." In his current condition, he wouldn''t stand a chance against the wyverns. "I know. Wyverns... they''re quite formidable. I''m telling you now so you can train up and try when you''re ready." "I understand. Ah, by the way, do you mind if I ask you something?" Kang Oh recalled why he''de to see Jayce. He was trying to find the treasures of the sea. "Mm. What about?" "I have some items that I''m looking for: Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, and Calodia m. Have you ever heard of these before?" "The treasures of the sea." "You do know of them!" "They''re extremely rare items. I''ve felt Sillion Cloth just once. It was so soft that I could never forget the feel of it." "Where is that cloth now?" "I don''t know. It''s been too long." "Do you know how to get the other treasures?" "Sorry. I can''t think of a way to help you." Jayce scratched his head. "That''s ok," Kang Oh said. ''If nothing works, then I''ll have to go back to Lupenia again. But that''ll be myst resort.'' Kang Oh was pretty close with the Lupenia Tribe. Thus, he may be able to use his connection with them to acquire the other treasures. However, Lupenia was far, and there was no guarantee that they''d actually get the items for him just because he asked. Even if they did, they''d make him do something that''d be a huge pain in the ass in exchange. Thus, this truly was hisst resort if nothing else worked out. "Then, I''ll get going." Kang Oh stood up. "You''re leaving already?" Jayce looked disappointed. "I''lle backter." "Mm, you better." "Yes." Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild and headed for the Jurento Bar. * * * Rattle. Kang Oh opened the door and left. "Tch. What a waste of time." He clicked his tongue. The drunkard, Tino, didn''t know anything, so he''d ultimatelye for nothing. "Mm. Next is..." Kang Oh opened his message window. - Soo Ah. - Yes? - What are you doing right now? - I''m trying to catch up to you, so I''m going out to hunt. Why? - When you have the time, could you ask your guildmaster something for me? Soo Ah was part of the Witch''s Forest Guild. Not only was her guildmaster one of the Numbers, but she was also the most powerful mage in the game (aside from NPCs); she was the Blood Witch, Helena! Thus, she might know something about the treasures of the sea, or even have one of them. - What do you want me to ask her? - Ask Ms. Helena if she knows anyone who owns Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, and Calodia m, or if she happens to have one of them herself. - What are they? - They''re called the treasures of the sea. I need them for something. - Ok. I''ll ask her after I''m done hunting. - Ok, thanks so much. Kang Oh closed the message window and began making his way towards the soaring tower. The Mage''s Cradle, the Tower. A short whileter... Kang Oh met with Grano at the Tower''s 2nd floor cafe. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh." Grano looked quite tired. "Hello. You look exhausted. Have you been busytely?" "A little bit." "Is your family doing well?" "My daughters are so tomboyish that it''s pure chaos when I go home." Grano beamed, despite how tired he looked. "I used the magic scroll you gave me." "Where did you use it?" "I used it to take out some garbage." Kang Oh grinned. He''d taken great pleasure in watching all of the Evil God Worshippers get swept away by the Great Tsunami. "Were they like Modune and hispatriots?" "Comparing the two makes Modune look like a good guy." If viins had ranks, then Modune would be a D, while the Evil God Worshippers would be an A. "Phew. That bad, huh?" "Yes. But thanks to you, I was able to resolve the situation. Thank you again." Kang Oh bowed his head. "It was nothing," Grano said humbly. "Anyway, what did you want to talk to me about?" "I wanted to ask if you knew what Sillion Cloth, Veraris Liquor, and Calodia m are," Kang Oh said. "I''ve never heard of them before." Grano tilted his head. "Mr. Grano. Do you remember when you, me, and Eder met the Lupenia Tribe?" "Of course." "Once everything was finished with, the Lupenia Queen gave you a rainbow crystal. Do you remember that too?" "I do." "That rainbow crystal, and other items that I just mentioned, are considered treasures of the sea." "Hoh. It was that valuable?" "Yes. I realized its true value just a little while ago." If he''d known about it, then he''d have taken the rainbow crystal over the equipment. "I see." "What did you do with the rainbow crystal?" "I gave it to my wife as a present." "Ahem. I see." Kang Oh gave up on his n. Yes, he was a bastard, but he wasn''t low enough to ask a loving husband to give up a gift that he''d given his wife. "I can''t give it to you. I can''t sell it either. It''s not mine anymore, after all," Grano said, guessing what Kang Oh was thinking. "Yes, Ipletely understand. And it''s alright, since Eder has one as well." "Instead, I''ll ask the mages here about the other three items that you''re looking for. Pleasee find me in about three days." The Tower had a huge store of valuable materials, and several of the mages here possessed valuable materials too. So there was a chance that either the Tower owned the items but had put them in storage, or a mage here owned one of them. "Thank you very much." This is exactly what he''de to ask Grano about. He was grateful that Grano was willing to do it without him even asking. "Hoo, hoo." After that, Kang Oh and Grano exchanged idle chatter and then parted ways. * * * There wasn''t much progress in procuring the treasures of the sea. Sephiro, who''d left with such confidence, hade back empty-handed. "Ugh. I know someone who owns Sillion Cloth, but the amount of gold they wanted in exchange for it was outrageous," Sephiro said. "How much did they want?" Sephiro whispered the amount in his ear, and Kang Oh widened his eyes. "Jeez, is he crazy?" Sephiro was right; the amount he was requesting was ridiculous. "Do you really think he''d sell it at that price? He probably just made the price that high so no one would bother him." "So you came back empty-handed." "What about you, Mr. Kang Oh?'' "I met with Mr. Grano. Apparently, the Tower does have them." "Oh, is that so?" "However, they only have one each, so they can''t sell them under any circumstances." "What about the auction house?" "They''re not up for sale." "Themunity sites?" "Nothing there either." "Have you tried anything else?" "I asked a really famous yer, but they didn''t have it." This ''really famous'' yer that he was referring to was the Blood Witch, Helena. "Then what do we do now?" "I have no choice. I have to go meet the Lupenia Tribe again." That was his only option. "Alright, take care." Sephiro waved. "You''reing with me." "What? Me?" "Yes." He was sure to get involved in something troublesome there, so he couldn''t just leave Sephiro here. "I understand." ''I have no choice but to leave Eder behind.'' At the moment, Eder had power over him because he owned the rainbow crystal. Thus, he couldn''t force him toe with him. "Let''s go." Kang Oh and Sephiro traveled to the harbor city, Citin, via the intercity transfer gate. Then, they got on a boat that would take them to the uninhabited ind. That was where the passageway, which led to the Lupenia Tribe, was located. Then... Asu suddenly sent him a message. - Oppa! - What is it? - I got it! - What? - I got that thing you wanted. What were they called again? Treasures of the sea? I got it, the Veraris Liquor! - Really? - Yes! - Wow, amazing! Sometimes, life would throw some good things your way. Like right now! Chapter 189. Dungeon Master

Chapter 189. Dungeon Master

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh exited Snowprim''s intercity transfer gate. He immediately headed for the Witch''s Forest Guild headquarters. Asu was waiting for him at the entrance. "You sure got here quick, Oppa." "I came running as soon as I got the message. But how did you manage to get your hands on the item?" "I asked the guildmaster, but she didn''t have what you were looking for." "Ok. So what did you do then?" "After that, I asked around, and found that one of our guild members has it!" "Mm, good job. Thanks so much!" Kang Oh petted her head. ''Ah, she''s such a good girl!'' "It''s nothing. Aren''t you overreacting a bit?" Asu smiled timidly as if embarrassed. "So, who has the Veraris Liquor? Are they willing to sell it to me?" "Give me a minute. I''ll go and get her." "Alright." Asu briefly went inside, and then came out. She''de with someone he was quite familiar with. "Hi." Herpanion waved. "Ah! Chef Lee Soo Min!" It was none other than Chef Lee Soo Min. "We meet again." "Yes. I get happier each time I see you." "Soo Ah told me that you need some Veraris Liquor." "Yes, that''s right." "Here you go." Soo Min pulled out a transparent ss bottle from her inventory. The liquid within was sparkling, as if gold and silver powder had been mixed in. "Thank you very much." Kang Oh carefully epted the bottle. [Veraris Liquor] World ss liquor, which was made using the Veraris Tribe''s secret technique. Besides the legendary Margaret Altein, there is no liquor greater. "Use it well." He was shocked that she was just giving it to him. "I can''t ept this!" He might not care if it were someone else, but Chef Lee Soo Min was like a sister to Soo Ah; he couldn''t just take this for free! "It''s ok. Don''t worry about it." Chef Lee Soo Min smiled softly and waved him off. "I can''t do that." "Seriously, it''s ok. I got it for free myself. And I have another bottle too." "Just ept it," Asu, who''d been quietly watching, said. "Still..." Kang Oh hesitated. He couldn''t just take something this valuable for free... "You can just give her a giftter. I''ll pick something she''ll like. Unni, don''t refuse the gift," Asu said. "Alright, fine. But if I don''t like it, you have to take it back!" Soo Min said teasingly. "You''ll like what I pick. You trust me, right?" Asu smiled sweetly. "Yeah, I''m counting on you." "Um-hum." "Excuse me, but could you tell me how you managed to get your hands on something so valuable?" Kang Oh said, interrupting thedies. "I happened toe across an injured Fishman on the beach. I treated him and made him some food too." "Ah, it was from that Fishman." "He told me to take this liquor as thanks." "Thank you very much." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Come and eat at my restaurant again." "I will, I promise." Chef Lee Soo Min went back inside. "Oppa, are you busy?" Asu asked. "No." "Then let''s go for a walk." "Sure." That''s what Kang Oh had been hoping for. The two held hands and walked towards the nearby forest. * * * Kang Oh came to Eder''s house. "Eder, did you rest well?" "Yes, of course. Did you get it?" "Yeah. I got the Veraris Liquor." "Heh, so all that''s standing in the way of you owning a soul dungeon is my rainbow crystal." "Yeah. Now then, shall we negotiate?" "Alright." Kang Oh and Eder sat across an old table. "Can I see the goods?" "Of course." Eder brought over the rainbow crystal, which gleamed with seven different colors. ''This is definitely it.'' Having finished his examination of the crystal, Kang Oh stared at Eder and said, "How much do you want for it?" "Mm. 1,000... No, 2,000 gold!" Eder was about to say 1,000 gold, but then he changed his mind. 1,000 gold seemed like too small a sum, so he''d raised it to 2,000 gold. "Fine. 2,000 gold it is," Kang Oh replied immediately. He''d never be able to buy it on the market for 2,000 gold. Thus, he bought it immediately before Eder either changed his mind or raised the price. "R-Really?" "Yeah." "Wow, I just made 2,000 gold!" Eder was satisfied. After all, 2,000 gold was quite a lot of money. "The 4,000 gold that you owe me, it''s in the bank, right?" He would be rewarded 4,000 gold forpleting Eder''s quest. And that 4,000 gold was safely locked away in the Diana Bank. "Yes. Why would I touch that? I know who I''m dealing with after all." "You can just half of it however you want. I''ll only take 2,000 gold when I''m done with your quest. Is that ok with you?" "Alright. Here you go." Eder passed him the rainbow crystal. Upon grabbing the crystal, a system message popped up. [The details of the quest, Transport Eder''s Body, have been amended. The quest reward is now 2,000 gold, not 4,000 gold. ''Finally.'' He''d obtained all of the materials required to own his very own dungeon. Kang Oh ced the crystal into his inventory and stood up. "I''m leaving." "To Teyno''s Cave?" "Yeah." "Let mee with you." Eder was quite interested in the soul stone and the soul dungeon. After all, the idea of changing a dungeon however you wished just by owning a soul stone was quite a fascinating prospect. "Wait here. I''ll summon you when I get there." "Ok." * * * With the help of the Lighthouse Turtle, Kang Oh and Sephiro found Teyno''s Home once more. Teynos''s eyes were closed. "Summon Eder." Before anything else, Kang Oh called for Eder. Eder''s gray face appeared, equipped with the Duhan set and the Hellfire Mace. Kang Oh turned his head and stared at Teynos. "I''m here!" Kang Oh said triumphantly. Teynos raised his eyelids. "Did you bring the treasures of the sea?" Teynos asked. "Did you expect me toe empty-handed?" Kang Oh pulled out the Lupenia Crystal and Veraris Liquor from his inventory. The Lupenia Crystal was a mysteriously shaped gem that radiated bright, rainbow light. Whereas the Veraris Liquor glimmered like stars in the night sky whenever it sloshed in the bottle. "Bring it closer," Teynos said, and Kang Oh approached him. "Look!" Kang Oh extended both of his hands. He had the Lupenia Crystal in one hand, and the Veraris Liquor in the other. "The treasures of the sea!" Teynos stared at the items warmly. "Take this in exchange for the soul stone," Kang Oh said. It was as if he were saying, ''Come on, little turtle. I''ll give you the treasure if you give me the dungeon!''. "Fine." Teynos''s shell suddenly split in half. Two tentacles came out from the middle, and took both the Lupenia Crystal and Veraris Liquor. Once the tentacles ced the treasure within the shell, they began to extract something else. They brought over a fist-sized rock, which was shaped like a triangr pyramid. There was a turtle''s shell engraved in the middle of it, and dim white energy was stored in the center of the rock. "So this is a soul stone..." Kang Oh couldn''t take his eyes off of it. Eder and Sephiro, who looked at it from beside him, were the same. "Grab the soul stone. Once you do, you''ll be the master of this dungeon," Teynos said. There was no reason to hesitate. Kang Oh stretched out his hand and grabbed the soul stone. Then, the soul stone radiated bright light as if a re had gone off. [You have be the master of the soul dungeon, Teyno''s Cave.] [You may now exercise your right as dungeon master.] [You may change the dungeon''s name whenever you wish. However, you can only change it once.] The light quickly disappeared. "Wee, Master." Teyno''s voice rang out. "Thanks. I hope you take good care of me from now on." Kang Oh smiled. "Congrattions, Mr. Kang Oh." Eder was happy for him, as if it had something to do with him. "Ahem, congrattions. I''m jealous." Sephiro looked disappointed. In the end, he hadn''t been able to procure one of the treasures of the sea. Thus, he couldn''t demand anything of Kang Oh. "Thank you." Kang Oh epted their congrattions with a simple nod, and shook the soul stone. "Do I have to keep this on me?" If the soul stone was destroyed, then the dungeon goes with it. Thus, it had to be stored properly. If you didn''t want to see your dungeon disappear overnight, that is. "You don''t. I can keep it safe. And I can give it to you whenever you need to use it." "How do I use it?" "Just ce the soul stone on the palm of your hand and yell ''dungeon management''." "Dungeon management!" Kang Oh immediately shouted. Then, the soul stone floated into the air. The stored white energy spread outwards, creating a square screen. [Dungeon Management - Teyno''s Cave] ''It''s a system window.'' Kang Oh knew how to use it right away. When he touched the screen with his fingers, several options popped up. Dungeon information, dungeon expansion, change topography and environment, add and strengthen guardians, change dungeon''s name, etc. ''Hmm. How do you add new monsters? I want Celtuses to spawn here.'' What if he managed to get Celtuses to spawn here? That would be game over. He''d continuously kill them and make a fortune. It would be a gold farm! However, he didn''t know how to add Celtuses. So he decided to ask Teynos instead. "Teynos." "What is it?" "I''d like to add Celtuses to this dungeon. How do I do that?" "The dungeon master can change the topography and environment of the dungeon. If you change those two, then the type of monsters that appear will change." "You can''t change it so that only a certain type of monster appears?" "No, you can''t." "Mm," Kang Oh said. ''Let''s postpone this n for now.'' Kang Oh picked ''change topography and environment'', but found that it would cost quite a bit to implement any sort of change. Some changes even required a certain item too. He didn''t know what he''d need to change his dungeon to in order to get Celtuses to appear, and he couldn''t just waste money trying to figure it out either. ''Hmm. Then I''ll need to at least make sure I get my monthly payment.'' That was the reason he''d so desperately wanted to obtain a soul dungeon! He wanted the monthly payments that were associated with it. ''If I click dungeon information, then it should tell me how much I get each month.'' He then clicked on ''dungeon information''. [Teyno''s Cave] The cave where the guardian of the soul stone, Teynos, resides. The luminous moss keeps it from being dark inside. Also contains ake where several species of fish live. Kang Oh, who''d been slowly looking over the information, stopped at the ''reward'' section. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 1,000 gold. 100 Gnus Skin. 10 Stone Eater''s Core. 1 Potion of Explosive Growth. Kang Oh smirked. 1,000 gold a month! Plus, if he sold the 100 Gnus Skins and 10 Stone Eater''s Cores, then he''d make 500 more on top of that. In other words, he''d be making about 1,500 gold a month! It also gave him a ''Potion of Explosive Growth''; it definitely didn''t seem like a normal item. ''I''ll get it in a month, so I''ll be able to see what it does then.'' Kang Oh expectations had been met. However, there was no end to a person''s greed. Especially for someone like Kang Oh, who was greedier than most. ''I want to make even more a month!'' So he asked, "Teynos, how do I increase the dungeon reward?" Chapter 190. Dungeon Management

Chapter 190. Dungeon Management

Trantor: Boko The way to increase one''s dungeon rewards was simple. "You need to expand the dungeon," Teynos said. "Expand the dungeon..." Kang Oh immediately clicked on the ''Expand Dungeon'' option. "It says I need ''repel points''. What are those?" Kang Oh asked. "You gain repel points by either killing adventurers or forcing them to retreat. You can also pay for any change to the dungeon using repel points," Teynos said. Changing the dungeon''s topography/environment required a special item or an exorbitant sum of money. However, repel points could be used as a substitute for either. "Hmm. I guess I can''t increase the rewards yet." Kang Oh looked disappointed. At the moment, he had no way of earning repel points. No other adventurers hade to the Teyno''s Cave, after all. At the same time, he couldn''t just tell everyone that a dungeon was here, and draw all of the curious adventurers here. If he did, someone might steal the dungeon from him. Ultimately, Kang Oh had no way of increasing his dungeon reward for the time being. "How much do you get from the dungeon anyway?" Sephiro, who''d been watching beside him, asked. "Well, it''s not bad," Kang Oh said. "More than 1,000 gold?" "Yes." "More than 2,000 gold?" Kang Oh shook his head. "So you make more than 1,000 gold monthly. Tch, if I''d have known this would happen, then I would''ve sold the crystal for more." Eder looked disappointed. "That''s assuming that I''m still this dungeon''s master in the future," Kang Oh said. "Oh, c''mon. Who would find this dungeon when it''s this out of the way?" Eder asked. Teyno''s Cave was located on the coast, which bordered the southern sea. In other words, it was a dungeon located in the southernmost region of the Arth continent. Moreover, there were no viges nearby with intercity transfer gates. Who would manage to find this dungeon when all these factors are considered!? "People like us, other Dungeon Hunters," Kang Oh quickly countered. Normal yers wouldn''t find this dungeon. But Dungeon Hunters were different; they maye here under the assumption that there was a gold mine down here and stubbornly look for dungeons. "Mm, I was wrong." Eder quickly acknowledged that he was shortsighted. "So I need to set up a few security measures." * * * First, he needed to change the dungeon''s name. Teyno''s Cave! Having Teynos in the name was basically a red g that said, ''Hey, there''s something here.''! Kang Oh immediately clicked on ''Change Dungeon''s Name''. [You are changing the dungeon''s name. You can only perform this action once, so please choose carefully.] "Moss Cave." Moss Cave. It was a good fit, as the cave was actually filled with luminous moss. Not only that, but it was an incredibly ordinary name and wouldn''t draw people''s interest. [Are you sure you would like to change the dungeon''s name to ''Moss Cave''?] "Yes." [The dungeon''s name has been changed from Teyno''s Cave to Moss Cave.] "First thing, done," Kang Oh muttered. "You changed the dungeon''s name," Sephiro said. A message had popped up informing him that the dungeon''s name had changed. "Yes. What do you think of the new name?" "It''s very ordinary. It''s nice." Sephiro smiled. Kang Oh nodded his head and manipted the dungeon management window once more. He clicked on ''Add and Strengthen Guardians''. Detailed status information regarding the dungeon''s only guardian, Teynos, popped up. ''Mm, as expected...'' Teyno''s defensive prowess was overwhelming. However, its offensive abilities were subpar. Kang Oh clicked on the strengthen tab, and looked through all of the options. ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He could strengthen Teynos by giving him the ''Reflect Damage'' skill. Reflect Damage. It was a skill that reflected a fixed amount of damage. It''d be amazing if Teynos acquired this skill! But it was nothing more than a pipe dream. Bestowing this skill required a ton of repel points. None of the other options would really have much of an impact. ''I''ll strengthen him next time.'' Kang Oh manipted the dungeon management window once more. He clicked on the ''Add Guardian'' tab. [Adding guardian. Please select a monster/beast that you would like as a guardian.] [The cost of the monster/beast varies based on what you choose.] The window disyed a list of the monsters that appeared in Moss Cave, as well as the underwater animals that lived in theke. Kang Oh slowly looked through the list. ''Hmm, this is the one.'' Fortunately, the list had what he was looking for. It was one of the sea''s greatest predators, a shark. [Adding a shark guardian requires 1,000 gold. Would you like to continue?] "Yes." [You have spent 1,000 gold.] [A shark guardian has been added.] [The shark has evolved into the Sharp Toothed Sharkrai.] The birth of the monster shark, Sharkrai! Kang Oh wasn''t going to stop at just one. He immediately clicked on the octopus. It cost 800 gold to create an octopus guardian. [You have spent 800 gold.] [An octopus guardian has been added.] [The octopus has evolved into the Imperfect Kraken, Monju.] A true kraken was a gigantic sea creature, so it would fill the entireke by itself. But Monju, who''d just evolved into a kraken, was only a little over 3 meters long. Lastly, Kang Oh added a sea snake guardian. [You have spent 800 gold.] [A sea snake guardian has been added.] [The sea snake has evolved into Venomous Skeld.] A giant sea snake, which was as long as an anaconda, had been born! What''s worse, it was venomous too. "Guardians, assemble." Kang Oh called for his new guardians: Sharkrai, Monju, and Skeld. A short whileter... The three guardians poked their heads out of the water. "You three have one job. Don''t let any adventurers approach," Kang Oh ordered. Kyaa! The three guardians shrieked in reply. "Go on." Kyaa, kya! They sank back into the deep recesses of theke and disappeared. "Do you think those three will be enough to stop people froming here?" Sephiro asked. The three guardians might look threatening, but they didn''t look very strong. Honestly speaking, they weren''t very strong; they were barely over level 200. Still, Kang Oh could count on them. Why? Because they were underwater guardians! "There are almost no yers that are used to underwaterbat, so the guardians will have a huge advantage. And I''m going to gradually strengthen them too," Kang Oh said. "Do as you wish." Sephiro shrugged his shoulders. After all, Kang Oh was the dungeon master, not him. "I will," Kang Oh replied absentmindedly, and focused on the dungeon management window once more. ''Now that I''ve worked on the dungeon''s defenses... Will this make me any money?'' Kang Oh suddenly thought. There was a variety of fish that lived in theke. Could he catch them and sell them? Moreover, he could use the dungeon management tab to create nkton or small shrimp in order to feed them. He believed that he could use this method to either quickly expand the amount of fish or cause them to grow quicker. Of course, creating all that food would cost a ton of money, so he couldn''t use it without thinking it over first. Anyway, would catching fish and selling it really be profitable? ''I need some help with this.'' Kang Oh specialized in killing monsters and conquering dungeons, not business. "Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh said. "Yes?" "Do you know anypetent, trustworthy Merchant ss yers?" "My information brokers arepetent, but... They''re not trustworthy." "Hmm. How about..." He was about to ask Eder, but he quickly thought against it. Eder had been a ghost for so long that there was no way he''d know anyone that could help him. ''What about her?'' Kang Oh opened a message window. - Hello. - Hello. What''s the matter? He''d messaged the TGN producer, Shin Hye Rim. She was a producer who worked for the #1 gamingwork! She had to have a vastwork of connections. - Do you know any merchants that are tight-lipped, trustworthy, andpetent? - You don''t care how rich they are, right? - No. - Do you know who Mr. Man Bok is? - I do. Generous Man Bok. He was once the owner of the sessful Man Bok Merchant Group. In the past, hepeted with Wang So Rim, a member of the Numbers and the wealthiest yer in Arth, and her Geumsan Store, and lost. As a result, his merchant group was ruined and he was reduced to operating a small shop. ''He''s indeed skilled.'' There were three major merchant yers. One of them was Man Bok. - Please introduce him to me. Ah, do you know anyone that''s knowledgeable about fish and its market price? - I know someone. He''s called Mr. Fisher, and he''s known as the Fishing Maniac. Why do you ask? Do you want me to introduce him to you? When you thought about fishing, there were three people you thought of. One of them was called Fisher and his nickname was Fishing Maniac. He pretty much had no interest besides fish. ''Fishing Maniac, Fisher... He''s known for fishing the master of the Dumitens River.'' He would know more about fish than anyone else. - Please introduce me to him too. - For free? As expected, nothing was free in this world. - What do you want? - A one-on-one interview with you. There''ll be cameras there too. Oga, or Kang Oh, had be extremely popr as ofte. Several people would be interested in an interview with him. - I''m going to cover my face. You can''t reveal my private life either. Please give me the questions in advance. Also, please don''t ask me anything aside from those set questions. - Ok. - Then you have a deal. - I''ll contact Mr. Man Bok and Mr. Fisher, and message you backter. - Alright. - If I ask you why you need to see them, you won''t tell me, will you? - You know me so well. - Tch. - Keep up the good work. Kang Oh closed the message window and grabbed the floating soul stone. Then, the white light thatpromised the square screen dwindled, and returned to the center of the soul stone. "Teynos, store the soul stone." Storing the soul stone was a guardian''s most important duty. "Understood." Teyno''s shell split open. Tentacles popped out and grabbed the soul stone. Then, its shell shut as if nothing out of the ordinary had happened. "You said if I be the dungeon''s master, then I''d have an easy way ofing and going, right?" Teynos had definitely said that. "That''s right, Master." "What is it?" "You and yourpanions can use the transfer magic circle. If you use that magic circle, then you can teleport to whatever destination that you select," Teynos said. Kang Oh chose Altein as his destination. "Can I use the intercity transfer gate toe back here?" "That''s right. Just select ''Teyno''s Home'' as your destination." "Activate the magic circle." "Understood." Then, a magic circle appeared in front of Teynos. ''I think I''m done here...'' Kang Oh stared at Eder and Sephiro. "We''ll end things here for today. I''m returning to Altein, so..." "I''d like to return to Altein too." "Me too." Sephiro and Eder said. "Then let''s go. Teynos, take good care of the dungeon." "Understood." Kang Oh''s party entered the magic circle. A short whileter, the three of them disappeared. Chapter 191. Working Together

Chapter 191. Working Together

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh stood in front of a small store. Man Bok Fruit Store. ''Generous Man Bok. People think very highly of him, but... I wonder what he''s really like.'' Kang Oh opened the door, smelling fruit as he went inside. "Wee," a kind, middle-aged man said. "Hello, I''m..." "You''re Mr. Kang Oh, right?" "Yes, that''s right." Kang Oh had gotten Man Bok''s character code from Hye Rim, and had promptly scheduled a meeting with him. Man Bok had agreed, which is why Kang Oh was here. "My name is Man Bok. Please wait over there." Man Bok pointed at a small chair within his store. "Which fruits do you like best?" Man Bok asked. "Apples." "Understood." Man Bok picked a ripe red apple from the disy stand, cut it, and served it to him. "Please try it. It should taste good." "Thank you." Kang Oh took a bite of the apple. It was incredibly sweet and delicious. "It''s good." "I can guarantee its taste. I''ve carefully selected the fruits that I sell here." Man Bok smiled. It was a pure smile, one that would put a person at ease. "I''ll have to buy some before I leave." "You won''t regret it," he said strongly. It was this confidence of his that would make people trust him. ''I expect this much from him. He once led a merchant group after all.'' Man Bok was once one of the greatest merchants. He certainly hadn''t lost any of his skills. "Then let''s get straight to the point... I have a question," Kang Oh said. "Go ahead." "There''s thiske I found that contains all sorts of fish," Kang Oh began. Man Bok softly nodded his head, a sign that he was paying close attention. He was a professional, one who didn''t interrupt the speaker unnecessarily. "There''s a special mechanism that allows me to feed the fish too. Mm, I guess it''s pretty much like an aquaculture industry. However, I''m not sure whether it''s worth investing in or not. And I don''t know where to sell the fish either." "What do you want?" Man Bok asked. "I''d like you to follow me to theke and see for yourself whether it''s worth investing in or not. And if you think it is, then I''d like you to take charge of the operation." When you need medicine, you go to a pharmacist. If you want to win a fight, then Kang Oh''s your guy. However, when you want to do business, you need a merchant! "You''re interested in a partnership?" "We can talk about thatter when the time is right. I want you to see theke first." "Where is theke?" "It''s inside a dungeon that almost no onees to. If you decide toe with me, then I''ll tell you where it''s located." "A dungeon, huh... Is it safe?" "It''s not a dangerous dungeon, so you have nothing to worry about." "Mm." Man Bok briefly thought it over. Then, he said, "I understand. Let''s go together." Man Bok was curious. What kind of fish lived within thiske? "Thank you. I''ll send you a message soon that contains the date, time, and meeting ce." "Alright." "Goodbye. Oh, right. Please bring me some delicious fruit." Kang Oh left the store holding arge peach that he''d bit into in one hand, and a paper bag filled with various fruit in the other. * * * A few dayster... A kind old man came out of Modrak Vige''s intercity transfer gate. "Over here." Kang Oh waved his hand and weed Man Bok. Eder and Sephiro were beside him, as well as a man wearing a straw hat. "Thank you foring. These are mypanions, Eder and Sephiro. The one wearing the straw hat is the Fisher Maniac, Mr. Fisher." Kang Oh introduced everyone. He''d managed to draw Fisher in by telling him about a never-before-seen fishery. "Hello. My name is Man Bok." "Please follow me." Kang Oh led the others. His party rode on their Yumas and traversed through the Great Forest. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party, who''d eaten a simple meal at the Nuwak Vige, safely arrived at their final destination, the Moss Cave. [You have entered the dungeon, Moss Cave.] "Is there really a fishery here?" The fisherman, Fisher, looked at him suspiciously. The only thing he saw was moss. "Of course. Please,e his way." Kang Oh pointed at the right passageway. That passageway was connected to theke. It originally didn''t exist, but Kang Oh had added it as the dungeon''s master. "This is luminous moss," Man Bok said, seeing the blue moss that covered the walls. "Yes. Isn''t Moss Cave a good name for the dungeon?" Kang Oh grinned. ''How do you like the name?''. "Indeed." Man Bok nodded his head. Kang Oh''s party continued forward. They encountered some monsters along the way, but Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro made quick work of them. They eventually arrived at theke. "Ooh, there really is one! It''s quiterge too!" Upon seeing theke, Fisher got really excited. "Mr. Fisher." "Yes?" Fisher replied, though he hadn''t looked away from theke. "Please try fishing. Check what kind of fish there are, what size they are, and how easy they are to catch. And please tell me if you find anything that you think is special." This is why he''d brought the fish expert, Fisher, here. "Yes, I''ll do just that!" Fisher quickly finished his preparations and began fishing. A short whileter... "I got one!" Fisher, who''d thrown his line into the water, quickly caught a fish and pulled it out. Its body gleamed silver like a hairtail, but it looked more like a snapper. The rest of Kang Oh''s party gathered around Fisher. "What kind of fish is this?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s called a Silver Sea Bream." Man Bok looked shocked. "What''s the matter?" "As you can see, it''s called a Silver Sea Bream because of its color. It''s really delicious, and is considered a precious fish that can only be obtained in the southern sea. To think that this is what you''d catch..." "What''s the big deal? This is the southern sea." Kang Oh tilted his head. ''What''s so surprising about catching a fish that you can only get from the southern sea when that''s where you were?'' "Did you just say that this is the southern sea? What are you talking about?" Man Bok asked. "Taste theke." Man Bok tasted the water. "This is... seawater." "Theke is connected to the sea. That''s why you can find sea fish in here," Kang Oh said. "Hmm, so that''s how it is..." Man Bok muttered. "What is it? Would it be profitable?" Kang Oh stared at Man Bok excitedly. "I''m not sure yet. Let''s give it some time first." It seemed like Man Bok had an idea, but he kept it to himself for now. "Alright." How much time had passed? It didn''t seem like much time had passed. "I got one!" Fisher, who sat on a foldable chair, suddenly stood up and pulled on the line. He pulled up the second fish. "This is red mackerel." Red mackerel looked the same as regr mackerel, but its back was red. It was also about 50 cmrge. "Red mackerel... You can only get this from the southern sea too," Man Bok said. "You know your fish quite well." Kang Oh stared at Man Bok. "It''s difficult to do business if you don''t know what a product is, how much it''s worth, and how much its market price is." "Indeed." Kang Oh knew about all sorts of equipment and materials, as well as their market price. Thus, he almost never lost money when he was buying/selling goods. Anyway, Fisher continued to catch fish. There was regr fish and some rare fish too. Fisher even caught a huge fish that was over 1 meter long. Time passed, and the sun began to go down. "Shall we return to the vige?" Kang Oh said. "I''ll keep fishing." He wasn''t called the Fishing Maniac for nothing. He waspletely obsessed with fishing. "All by yourself?" "Yes." "It''s dangerous. This is a dungeon." "I can take care of myself, so don''t worry about me." "Understood." Kang Oh didn''t try to stop him anymore. If he got ambushed by a monster and was killed, he''d be revived. It didn''t really matter much. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party, minus Fisher, left the dungeon and returned to the Nuwak Vige''s inn. The four of them ate dinner in a cordial atmosphere. "Does it look profitable?" Kang Oh asked. "It does. After all, you''re catching rare fish that only appear in the southern sea," Man Bok said with certainty. "Is it that big that they''re fish from the southern sea?" Sephiro jumped in. "Of course. There''s no port city in the south. Deep sea fishing isn''t possible in the southern sea." "Why is that?" "It''s why the south doesn''t have a port city... There are several underwater monsters in the southern sea. Those monsters indiscriminately attack any vessel thates over to the southern sea." Kang Oh suddenly had a thought. "The Devil''s Sea is in the south too." "Exactly." The Devil''s Sea. Song Li Shen, a professor at Peking University, as well as the author of Arth is Bigger than China, said that the Devil''s Sea was one of the seven most dangerous locations in all of Arth. He stated that the Devil''s Sea was filled with sea monsters, and that these monsters continuously killed each other! That was why it was called the Devil''s Sea. In order toplete Eder''s quest, Kang Oh would have to pass through Despia, which was said to be ''thend that bordered hell'' and was considered the most dangerous location in all of Arth. "Anyway,rge boats can''t cross the southern sea due to theserge creatures. Thus, the cost of the fish is high. A rare product is expensive. However, you can safely catch these fish in the Moss Cave." Man Bok continued, "And if you can continue to procure the fish safely, then you can be the sole supplier of the continent''s southern fish." Sole supplier! If there was enough demand, then he''d make a ton of money. "Hoh." To think that the fish would be that valuable. By owning the soul dungeon, Kang Oh had killed two birds with one stone; he would receive a monthly payment and could sell the fish too, but... it looked like he could make a lot more than he could''ve imagined. "Of course, if you''re no good at business, then it doesn''t matter how good the product is." It was clear why he was telling him this. ''Leave it to me!'' he seemed to say. "You can manage the business, Mr. Man Bok." Of course, this is what Kang Oh had been hoping for. Need medicine? Go to a pharmacist. Need to kill something? Call him. But if you need help doing business? Call a merchant. "How will we divide the profits?" "50/50." "You''re asking me to be your business partner." "Yes." Kang Oh extended his hand. "Alright. I said I''d make aeback one day, but it seems like that day wille sooner than I expected." Man Bok shook his hand. Chapter 192. Ah, Valan!

Chapter 192. Ah, Vn!

Trantor: Boko "Do you know what a soul dungeon is?" Kang Oh asked. "A soul dungeon? What''s that?" "An ownable dungeon. If you gain ownership of a dungeon, then you can change or add features like its topography or environment." "I heard rumors of dungeons that were more unique than hidden dungeons... They must''ve been referring to soul dungeons." Even after he''d gone out of business, Man Bok had continuously nned hiseback. He paid attention to rumors, market prices, and other relevant information. Thus, he''d heard rumors that there were dungeons that were even more special than hidden dungeons. However, he hadn''t known what exactly these dungeons were. "The Moss Cave is a soul dungeon, and I''m its master," Kang Oh said. "I see." Man Bok didn''t seem overly surprised. Once Kang Oh had exined what a soul dungeon was, he pretty much pieced everything together. "I created the passageway that leads directly to theke. I can also release a ton of food into theke. However, all of this costs me money." "Then you can elerate the southern fishes'' growth, or increase the amount of fish in theke." Man Bok smiled. Southern fish was precious. However, Kang Oh was able to increase the quantity of such valuable fish. That was good news. "That''s correct. However, I''m not sure whether it''s worth the investment yet. I''ve never tried feeding them before." "That was a good decision. You have to know how much the yield is before feeding them; that way, you''ll know whether or not feeding them makes any difference." "Exactly." Kang Oh nodded his head and continued, "Anyhow, please help me get the most out of my position as dungeon master." In other words, ''Help me make as much money as possible!''. "I understand. I''ll start working tomorrow." "What will you do?" "I''m going to hire some expert fishermen and catch some of the most valuable/rare fish. Then, I''m going to sell them in controlled amounts at the highest price possible." Man Bok wasn''t trying to sell as much fish as possible. To do that, he would need a lot of manpower, which would inte thebor costs. Moreover, the reason that southern fish was so expensive was because it was delicious, yet incredibly rare. Obviously, catching a ton of fish and selling them all at once would lower the market value of the fish. Thus, he would sell only a certain amount of fish in order to keep the price high. Of course, the only reason he could do this was because he and Kang Oh were the sole supplier of southern fish. "I''m counting on you." Kang Oh grinned, satisfied with the n. He''d chosen the right person for the job! "You can count on me. I''ll make you a ton of money." Man Bok''s eyes were filled with confidence. * * * Kang Oh wore the Baramut set, and gripped Ubist upside down so that it was easily visible. His face waspletely covered by the Baramut helmet, as he hadn''t made it transparent. "Hello. Then let''s begin the interview," Hye Rim said while smiling. "Alright." Kang Oh had to give her an interview in exchange for her introducing him to Man Bok and Fisher. He was paying her back with that interview right now. "Please introduce yourself." "My name is Oga," Kang Oh said curtly. Then, Hye Rim added on, "We first heard of you from the Fight Against 100 Men. You''ve be incredibly famoustely due to your fight against the raid boss, Caraco, and your midair battle with the Snake Queen, Cassio. You''re that Oga, right?" "That''s correct." Oga nodded his head. Hye Rim continued with the interview. "People have called you the ck Beast and Red Wing." The ck Beast, Oga! Red Wing, Oga! "Do you know why people have begun calling you that?" "It''s because I transform into a ck or red ''creature''." These titles, ck Beast and Red Wing, were given to him because of how he appeared when he used Devil Trigger with either of his demon swords. "That''s correct. Several people are curious about your transformations. Could you borate on them?" "I can''t." "Excuse me?" Hye Rim stared at Kang Oh as if saying ''You''re really going to be like this? I helped you out!''. "I''m just kidding. My transformations are... my weapons'' special ability." Kang Oh calmly lied. Devil Trigger was a skill. Though he couldn''t use it without a demon sword, it definitely wasn''t an item''s special ability. Kang Oh didn''t want to reveal his secrets to a bunch of random people. "I see. Could you tell us what the ability is?" "That''s a secret. You can understand, right?" "Of course. That sword looks like a fine weapon; can you tell us a little about it?" "This jet-ck sword is an S-rank weapon, and is quite powerful. Unfortunately, it doesn''t have any special abilities aside from the transformation." Kang Oh calmly lied through his teeth again and again. ''If I tell her that this sword is SS-rank, then some evil bastards are sure toe after me.'' SS-rank items had a special meaning to yers. Though SS-rank items looked normal, they were overwhelmingly powerful! However, they were extremely difficult to procure! Thus, you couldn''t put a set value on them, and every yer wanted to have one. Kang Oh possessed four SS-rank items (his two rings and his two demon swords), but even if he said that he only had one, there was a high chance that people woulde after him. The Wind Archer, Sephiro, had boasted about the SS-rank Lasselpino Bow when he''d first acquired it. But because of that, he was attacked by countless yers for quite some time. Even now, there were times when yers would attack him for it. "Mr. Oga, you use another sword too, right?" She was referring to Demon Sword Blood. "That''s correct." "Is that S-rank too?" "Yes, that''s right." "Hmm, it seems like the yers are wrong. They believe that the swords you use are both SS-rank." "Yes, they''re wrong. I''d really like to have an SS-rank item myself." As he lied, Kang Oh''s face stiffened awkwardly, but his face was covered with his helmet, so no one could see it. "So how did you get so strong?" Hye Rim asked. "It''s because of my ss." "Your ss?" "My ss is a hidden ss. I can''t, of course, reveal all the details." "Ah! A hidden ss!" A hidden ss could exin away Kang Oh''s tremendous strength. "Could you tell us a little bit about it?" Hye Rim sped her hands together. It was as though she were saying, ''Please!'' and begging him. "I was rewarded with the ss after clearing the Fight Against 100 Men." "If you had to clear the Fight Against 100 Men to get it, then... It must be an amazing ss." "It specializes in battle. That''s why I look stronger than other yers." "But the ss isn''t everything, is it? What level are you? Mr. Dukeram is over level 300," Hye Rim said. ''He''s already over level 300? He really is a monster.'' Emperor Dukeram. Not only was he part of the Numbers, but he was #1. He was also the Empire Guild''s guildmaster. He was the strongest yer in Arth, who had assumed the title of strongest ever since Arth''s inception! Mostbat rankers were between level 250 to 280. However, Dukeram was the only yer in the game that was over level 300. To put it simply, he was a monster! Then again, Kang Oh was a monster too. After all, he was quickly rising in the ranks despite being only level 210. "I''m around level 260." Kang Oh lied once more. If he was honest and said he was level 210, then no one would believe him. "Do you have any tips to quickly raise your level?" "Get into a dungeon and hunt. You''ll level up quickly that way." "Yes, of course. Everyone knows that. Thank you very much," Hye Rim quipped. Then, Kang Oh continued, "It''s better to face a single tough monster than ten weak ones." "Everyone knows that too." "The truth can be quite obvious. Also, stats and skill proficiency are far more important than levels." "Thank you so much for repeating what everyone already knows." "Should we end the interview here?" Kang Oh said irritably. ''If you keep this up, then...!'' "Let''s move on to the next question! Please tell me about the most difficult monster or dungeon that..." Hye Rim quickly switched the topic and continued the interview. Sometimeter... "We''re done!" "Good work." Finally, the interview was over with. TGN edited Kang Oh''s interview and showed it on theirwork. TGN had also posted the interview on their website as well. The response to his interview made him realize just how popr he''d be as ofte. The day that his interview was shown, several posts regarding it showed up on Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory. [The ck Beast, Oga. The reason he''s so strong!] [Is Oga''s weapon really S-rank?] [What I think Oga''s hidden ss is.] ... * * * Selling the southern fish went off without a hitch. Kang Oh didn''t concern himself with it and left it all to Man Bok. His logic of ''If you need medicine, go to a pharmacist'' still holds true for him. He''d just get half of what Man Bok had madeter. He wasn''t worried about Man Bok stealing from him or trying to lie to himter. If Man Bok tried to lie to him, then his Hyper Intuition would tell him. Moreover, he''d seen how Man Bok worked; being a merchant was in his blood, but he wasn''t a nasty one. In the end, Kang Oh left the entire business to Man Bok, and went back to his main job as a Dungeon Hunter with hispanions. The Great Forest was huge, so there were still several dungeons left to explore. But today, Kang Oh''s party unfortunately returned to the Nuwak Vige empty-handed. For thest three days, they''d explored some huge dungeons, but they didn''t get their money''s worth. When Kang Oh''s party opened the door to the Nuwak Inn, they were greeted by a most surprising guest. A truly unexpected guest. "I''ve been waiting for you." "Mr. Dion?" Dion was waiting for him. He was a diator, skilled in the use of dual diuses, and was also themander of the 100 Fighters. "Why are you here?" Kang Oh scowled and stared at the handsome man beside Dion. It was none other than Burkan''s final student, Darion! "I came with Mr. Dion," Darion said. "Why?" "Master Burkan has been busy ying... Ahem, he''s been busy with worktely, so I''ve been learning from Mr. Dion." Now that he was a free man, Burkan was enjoying his life. He''d left his student, Darion, to Dion. "What are you here for?" Kang Oh looked at Dion. "Come with us," Dion abruptly said. "Where to?" "The Holiseum." Kang Oh was starting to feel uneasy. ''It''s not what I think, is it?''. "Why?" he asked. ''Don''t go!'', his instincts screamed. However... "Lord Vn is waiting for you." "Mm." His uneasiness wasn''t unfounded. "Could I not?" Kang Oh said futilely. It obviously didn''t work at all. "I believe I told you already. A great man is awaiting you." This wasn''t up for debate; he was telling him, not asking. Ah, Vn. Why exactly was he looking for him? What other troublesome jobs would he make him do? ''Should I run?'' he thought suddenly. But Dion''s blue eyes were staring right at him. He''d prove to be a problem. He was incredibly skilled with the de. However... He was anxious, as he really didn''t want to go, yet Darion was looking at him as if he were happy about his misfortune. ''You rat bastard! I''ll deal with youter!'' Kang Oh gave Darion a sidelong scowl, but ultimately agreed to Dion''s terms. "Let''s go." "We''re going there right away." Dion passed him a return scroll. "Phew, I''ll be back," Kang Oh sighed and said. "Come back safely." "Have a good time!" "Yeah, yeah..." Kang Oh weakly ripped the return scroll. Rip. A short whileter, Kang Oh, Darion, and Dionpletely vanished. Chapter 193. Trial to Become Valan’s Successor 2

Chapter 193. Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 2

Trantor: Boko The Holiseum''s underground arena... Burkan and Vn were already there waiting for him. "I brought him," Dion said, standing respectfully. "Mm, good job. Go on." "Yes sir." Dion and Darion, who stuck to Dion like glue, left. "Good of you toe," Burkan said. "Yes," Kang Oh said. ''Though I really didn''t want toe.'' Kang Oh held his tongue. "I heard you killed those fanatics. I also heard that you left the Evil God''s sacred treasure with the Rakan Church." "Ah, yes." "So I came to give you your second trial, but... You haven''t changed much since ourst spar." "What do you mean?" "You''re weak. You haven''t developed at all." "I''ve gotten stronger though," Kang Oh said clearly. "You''ve gotten stronger? It''s like you went from being an ant to a horned ant." It doesn''t matter whether you''re an ant or a horned ant; I could squash you with one push of my finger. That''s all you are, an ant! "Ahem." "Anyhow, you''re aplete disappointment. So I''ll give you onest chance. Of course, if you don''t ept or you fail, then I''ll be taking the demon sword and adamantium with me." "Ugh." Guardian of the Continent. He really didn''t want to do it, but he didn''t have any other choice. Yeah, losing the adamantium would hurt, but he couldn''t afford to lose the demon sword. Phew! "What is it?" "It''s simple. In half a year, we''ll spar again. Be as strong as you possibly can by then." Then, a quest popped up. [Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 2] The second test to see whether you are worthy of seeding Vn as the Guardian of the Continent, one who protects thend from the shadows. In half a year, you will spar with Vn again. At that time, show Vn your power and potential! Remaining Time: 180 days. Difficulty: Nightmare. Minimum Requirements: Guardian of the Continent''s Sessor. Reward: Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 3. Failure: Both Demon Sword Ubist and the adamantium gemstone will be returned to Vn. "How strong do I have to get?" "Until I''m satisfied." Vn''s expression seemed to say, ''Easy, right?''. "So how much is that?" "I said until I''m satisfied." Vn scowled. Kang Oh did the same. "Seriously, just tell me how much...!" "Around a Swordmaster''s level?" He said Swordmaster so nonchntly, like he was referring to the neighbor''s dog. ''You crazy bastard! You want me to be a Master?'' Forget bing a master, raising his swordsmanship to high rank in half a year would be hard enough. But what did he say? A master? Kang Oh was pissed. "Have you gone senile?" "Want to die?" Vn''s body released killing intent. His eyes were like that of a dragon''s. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh realized that he was screwed. He''d messed with the one person he shouldn''t have messed with. But there was always a way out of a situation. That ''way out'' was obviously Burkan. "Now, now. Please calm down. Honestly, bing a master is impossible within half a year. And you shouldn''t have said that. Apologize." Burkan stepped in between them, and acted as a mediator. Fortunately, Kang Oh decided to apologize right away. However, Vn spoke before he even got the chance. "Hmph. Whatever. I''ll see you in half a year. If I''m not satisfied with you then, I''ll kill you," he said, and then turned around and left. ''He might not be able to hear me from here.'' Kang Oh thought. "Hey, you crazy... Mhmm!" Kang Oh was about to curse him out, but Burkan quickly covered his mouth. "You can''t. Master Vn will definitely hear you." Kang Oh nodded his head. Then, Burkan let him go. "Brother." "Hmm?" "How strong do I have to be to get acknowledged by that old man... Ahem, Master Vn?" He didn''t want to give up on Ubist or the adamantium. Plus, his pride was on the line now. Whenever he met with Vn, his self-confidence would take a hit. Vn would either ignore him or demean him by telling him that he was weak, even though he was called the Human Dragon back in the day! ''I need to be so strong that Ipletely shock the old man.'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. "Why don''t you try getting Demonic Swordsmanship up to high rank? When you reach High Rank Demonic Swordsmanship, then I can teach you my secret technique," Burkan said. "I see." diator Master, Burkan''s secret technique! If he learned that, then he''d definitely be a lot stronger. "You''ll also have to increase your level, stats, and skill proficiency as much as you can. So I have some advice..." "What is it?" "I know a ce where you can quickly get stronger." "Where is it?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "The west." * * * The western part of Arth. A ce with vast grasnds, snow-covered fields, dense coniferous forests, etc. Non-human, hostile species lived there such as orcs or trolls. In order to enter the western part of Arth, one needed to travel along the ''Monster Road''. He was currently on the Monster Road, riding on horseback. Alone. "Hmm." As he passed through the Monster Road, he recalled what Burkan had told him. ''When I was young, I polished my skills there. After all, the west is a ce of constant conflict and battle.'' Conflict and battle... So many non-human species lived there, and these species would invariably war against each other. As a result, battle was a way of life in the west. Burkan believed that if one were to continuously fight there and survive, then they''d be much stronger. It did make a lot of sense. Kang Oh followed Burkan''s advice and came to the Monster Road. He nned on staying here for half a year, and strive to be as strong as he could. He''d told Eder and Sephiro about what had happened, and said that he''d be operating alone for half a year. "Hmm. I''ve been falling behindtely. I guess it''s time for me to level up too." Sephiro was clearly overjoyed that he''d be able to escape Kang Oh''s grasp for a while. "Indeed." Whereas Eder looked extremely disappointed. As expected of Eder. He really was the best. "Either follow Mr. Sephiro or help Mr. Man Bok with his work. Make sure you rest along the way, and read the books that you''ve always wanted to read," Kang Oh said. He was basically telling him to have a good time while he was gone. "Understood." Eder nodded his head. "Take care." Kang Oh said his goodbyes, and then met up with Man Bok. He exined his situation to Man Bok, and asked him to take care of the fish business, as well as the Moss Cave. "Don''t worry about me." Man Bok beamed. Neigh. His horse''s ''neigh'' brought him back to the present day. "Huh?" The road was divided into two paths. "Let''s go to the left." Kang Oh lightly kicked the horse''s sides and swung the reins. Sometimeter... ''I''m here.'' Kang Oh arrived in an area too small to be called a city, yet inhabited with too many people, or non-human species, to be called a vige. This was the neutral zone, Kasten! It was a huge marketce for mercenaries. * * * Wherever there was battle, there were mercenaries. The west was a ce of never-ending battle. This obviously made the west a ce where mercenaries flourished. Kasten was a ce that these mercenaries used as their home base. Of course, this was the west, which was known as a non-human''s paradise. Thus, an absolute majority of the mercenaries were non-human. There were very few humans or yers here. After all, most of the non-human species here were hostile towards humans. Thus, they would attack any human on sight. Fortunately, attacking anyone in Kasten was strictly prohibited. It was the only ce in all the west where Kang Oh could walk around safely. ''Let''s go, shall we?'' Kang Oh walked over to the Kasten Mercenary Association. The Kasten Mercenary Association only existed in the west, and in order to be a mercenary here, one was required to join the organization. Creak. Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. There were countless non-humans inside. There were long-eared elves, pig-like orcs, anthromorphs (human-like, but with a beast''s ears, nose, and tail), as well as other non-human species with varying special characteristics and traits. Kang Oh ignored the non-humans and walked over to an anthromorph who appeared to be a worker here. The anthromorph looked like he came straight out of Star Wars; he looked like Chewba. He was a half-bear, and his body was covered in brown fur. "I came to be a mercenary." "If you want to be a mercenary, then take off your helmet and show me your face," Chewba, no, the anthromorph said. Kang Oh removed his Baramut helmet. Then, the other non-humans looked at him with curiosity and hostility. Their species all differed, but they were all thinking the same thing. ''It''s a human!'' "You''re the second human that came here to be a mercenary," the bearman said. "Another person came before me?" "That''s right. They came four days ago." "Mm, anyway, I want to be a mercenary," Kang Oh said. "Follow the path west of here. There''s a monster called a de Beast that inhabits the first mountain you see. Kill one and bring back its fang. That''s the test to be a mercenary. Tell me your name after you''ve brought back the fang." In other words, ''If you can''t bring the fang, then you''re not worth knowing''. "Understood." Kang Oh put his helmet back on and left the Mercenary Association. Then... "It''s a human... Should we kill him?" a bulldog-faced anthromorph whispered. "Let''s do it." The other anthromorph (dog ears, nose, and tail) nodded his head. He looked like a Shih Tzu. The two anthromorphs left the association and secretly followed Kang Oh. * * * ''Hmm, what is this?'' Kang Oh knew that someone was following him. But the problem was that there was really no reason to be following him. He''d only just arrived in the west, so why would someone be following him now? ''I guess I''ll figure it out once I leave.'' Kasten was constructed over a vast grasnd area. So when he left, he''d know who was following him. There wasn''t anywhere to hide after all. As the Mercenary Association worker had told him, he went through the western road. A short whileter... ''Is it them?'' There were two people following him. They weren''t watching him; they were clearly following him. They hadn''t even tried to hide it. Kang Oh stopped, and the two anthromorphs approached him. "You have business with me?" Kang Oh asked. "Of course." The bulldog-faced anthromorph grinned. It was quite unpleasant. "What is it? Do you know who I am?" "I do, Human!" "So?" Kang Oh asked. ''What do you want?'' Kang Oh''s expression soured. Of course, it wasn''t visible due to his helmet. "There''s a saying in our tribe. ''The only good human is a dead human!'' Right?" he said to the Shih Tzu. "Yep, yep." The Shih Tzu nodded unhesitatingly. "Haa." Kang Oh couldn''t believe this. He''d heard that the west really hated humans, but he didn''t expect people toe out and attack him. "You don''t have anything against me, but you want to kill me just because I''m human?" "Got it in one." The bulldog kept up that disgusting smile of his; it really made Kang Oh want to punch his face in. "Hehe." The Shih Tzu sported a nasty smile as well. Kang Oh exploded with rage. He''d been insulted and demeaned by Vn, which had really wounded his pride. Kang Oh was really pissed off right now. ''But now you bastards are looking down on me too!?'' "Hey, you pieces of shit! You think that you can talk to me like that just because Vn did!?" Kang Oh roared. Chapter 194. Blood Bomb

Chapter 194. Blood Bomb

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh easily overpowered the bulldog and Shih Tzu. It quickly escted into a one-sided beat down. "Hey, you crazy..." Whack! Kang Oh''s fist struck the bulldog''s face. Whimper! "You demon!" the Shih Tzu yelled. Whack! Kang Oh kicked its jaw with his right foot. "We''ll never forgive you!" "We''re backed by the ck Dog Tribe!" The bulldog and Shih Tzu desperately fought back. But it didn''t matter how strong they were; they weren''t going to beat him. Bam, bam, bam, bam! Whimper, whimper, whimper! Kang Oh continued his one-sided beat down. The two dogs, in pain and fearful that they''d be beaten to death, surrendered soon after that. "I''m sor..." "Kehehk, l-let me li..." "Shut up!" But they couldn''t get through to him; he was pissed off, so he didn''t stop. He still wasn''t satisfied yet. Whack! Whimper, whimper! For quite some time, the sound of dogs whimpering resounded throughout the grasnds. * * * Pat, pat. Kang Oh dusted off his hands. The half dead bulldog and Shih Tzu were sprawled on the floor. They were just barely alive. "I can''t believe I let them live after they tried to kill me. I''m too nice." Kang Oh felt refreshed, as if he''d just gone to the restroom. He''d unloaded all of his stress onto the two dogs. "Mm, keep going straight and go up the first mountain." Kang Oh walked across the road lightheartedly. Sometimeter... He came across a dreary mountain. It wasn''t a huge mountain, but the summit was pointy like the tip of a sword. Caw, caw. Crows cawed, and several dogs had taken the mountainside as their home. ''This it. The ce where the de Beast lives.'' Kang Oh encountered a skinny wolf at the entrance to the mountain. Aoooou! Woof, woof, woof! "Man, today''s just the worst." The wolf wasn''t a powerful monster. However, there were more than 50 of them here. Kang Oh rxingly walked towards the wolves as if he were on a hike. Woof! The alpha wolf howled, and the rest of the wolves charged at Kang Oh. Kang Oh drew all four of his daggers, two in either hand, and then threw them! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Bam, bam, bam, bam! The four daggers flew through the air and struck four of the iing wolves. Lightning descended upon one of them. Boom! The lightning struck six other wolves nearby, burning them to a crisp. However, the rest of the wolves kepting at him. Swish. Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Blood, a mysterious, ominous scarlet energy following his de. sh! Thrust, cut, cut! Whenever he swung his sword, three or four wolves fell. Darkness Strike! Boom! A bat-shaped red wave exploded at the center of the pack. Shards of light went flying everywhere, which were then absorbed into Blood. It was quite the magnificent sight. Kang Oh relentlessly swung his sword. Woof, woof! The wolves'' barks intensified. It''s said that fearful dogs bark loudest. Kang Oh was much too powerful for them to deal with, so all they could do was bark. But by the time he killed about half of the wolves, Blood began radiating powerful light. Then, a system message popped up. [Demon Sword Blood has reached level 10.] [Demon Sword Blood has gained a new ability.] ''Nice.'' Kang Oh grinned. He nned on mostly using Blood for half a year, leveling it up as much as possible. Demon Sword Ubist''s original wielder was Vn. Which meant that Vn knew much more about it than he did. Whereas Vn knew almost nothing about Blood. The next time they fought, he''d use Demon Sword Blood. ''Let''s finish this up and see what its new ability is.'' Kang Oh swung his sword even more forcefully than before. Whenever he swung his sword, the wolves would crumple to the floor. Bam! Whimper! He cut down about ten more wolves, and then the alpha ran with its tail between its legs. The other wolves, which had barely survived Kang Oh''s assault, followed soon after. Kang Oh didn''t follow them. They were only wolves. The wolves didn''t give him enough experience points to warrant chasing them. Plus, he needed to see what Blood''s new ability was. "Let''s see here..." Blood''s item information popped up. [Demon Sword Blood (Lv10)] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. The snow-white de emanates scarlet energy, making the sword extremely beautiful but also ominous. The sword has an ego of its own. It sees, hears, and feels the world through its wielder, and grows. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword either drops, or you be a monster under the demon''s thrall for 24 hours. + Evolving Weapon: Has its own level. Takes a portion of its wielder''s experience points. These experience points are what the demon sword uses to grow. The higher the level, the more powerful the sword and its abilities be. [Next Level Up: 0.01%] + Life Steal: Dealing damage restores your HP. The amount of health restored is based on the damage you deal and the demon sword''s level. + Vampiristic Reinforcement: Sessfully life stealing increases the sword''s attack power by 2%. Life stealing again within a 15 second period causes this effect to stack (15 stacks max). + Blood Bomb: Usable when you reach max reinforcement stacks (15 stacks). Consumes all stacks to unleash a blood red explosion. Rank: SS Abilities: Attack Power 200, Physical +25, HP +400 Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword ''Blood Bomb, huh...'' The way to use Demon Sword Blood was rather straightforward: keep attacking and stack up its passive ability! Only then would the demon sword be able to show its true power. However, expending all of those stacks would allow him to unleash a single powerful attack. ''It''s good.'' What he liked most was the fact that it didn''t cost any MP, and that it didn''t have a cooldown time. It was the perfect skill to use in tandem with Tempest Tiger, which cost 2,000 MP to use. Plus, Darkness Strike fully stacked Demon Sword Blood, so he''d be able to use Blood Bomb right after. ''Vampiristic Reinforcement''s duration time and stacks have increased too.'' Originally, Vampiristic Reinforcement only had 10 max stacks, but now, it had increased to 15. Its duration time had also gone up from 10 seconds to 15 seconds too. Assuming that Darkness Strike didn''t activate, it would take longer to fully stack his sword, but it would be that much more powerful too. ''Nice, nice.'' Kang Oh really wanted to try out his new ability. ''I have just the guy.'' Why else had hee to this dreary mountain!? To kill the de Beast. * * * He finally encountered the de Beast. It was a monster that stood upright, and was roughly 2 meters tall. The de Beast''s face resembled a hyena''s; it had a mohawk on top of its head, and its tusks protruded out of his mouth like a warthog. It was clear why it was called a de Beast. Like the main character from the movie, Edward Scissorhands, its hands were reced by scissor-like hands. Of course, the de Beast''s scissor hands were much sharper and more intimidating than the movie protagonist''s. However, the de Beast wasn''t alone. It, like the wolves, traveled in a pack. There were twenty de Beasts surrounding him. ''This''ll be fun.'' Kang Oh grinned. They would be perfect target dummies for Blood''s new ability. Keoheong! Kang Oh used Baramut''s Roar. His body swelled with a tiger''s power! The crows, shocked by his morous cry, flew into the air. Gyaahk! ng, ng, ng. Unwilling to lose, the de Beasts roared and began threateningly grating their des together. "C''mon!" Kang Oh yelled. Did they understand what he had said? The circle around Kang Oh began closing in on him. Swish! A de Beast rushed at Kang Oh, leapt into the air, and then swung its brutal scissor hands. They were so sharp that a simple touch would cut right through him. However, its speed wasn''t anything to write home about. Kang Oh rxingly dodged its attack and aimed for its weak point. Stab. Shards of light burst out, which were promptly absorbed by Blood. A single red star appeared on the snow-white de. ''That''s one.'' Kuah! This time, scissor hands came at him from behind. Due to his Hyper Intuition, however, Kang Oh''s back wasn''t a blind spot. He dodged its strike by moving to the side, and then cleaved through the de Beast. ''Two.'' Two more de Beasts came at him simultaneously from either side. Kang Oh slightly retreated, allowing him to avoid both attacks simultaneously. Then, he swung upwards, followed by a downwards strike, and then finished with a thrust. ''That makes five.'' Now there were five stars on his snow-white de. He slowly stacked up his de in this way until finally... ''That''s fifteen!'' Max stacks! His heart pounded. "Let''s go!" Blood Bomb! Boom! Blood red energy exploded outwards from Kang Oh. The closest de Beasts were caught by the exploding blood red energy, inflicting a huge amount of damage. ''An omnidirectional attack!'' Blood Bomb scorched anyone within a 1 meter radius of the user. ''This is amazing.'' It was extremely powerful too. Though it was weaker than Tempest Tiger, it was still stronger than Abyss w or Blood Aura. Grr. Wobble, wobble. The de Beasts outside of Blood Bomb''s radius were hesitant. "You''re noting? Then I''lle to you." Kang Oh grinned, and rushed at the closest de Beast. Kyaahk! A de Beast desperately swung its scissor hands, alternating between left and right. ''Slow.'' It didn''t matter how powerful an attack was if it didn''t hit. Kang Oh easily avoided its attack and repeatedly left mark after mark on its body. However, his final attack was amplified by Darkness Strike. Boom! Darkness Strike would instantly max out his sword''s stacks. Kang Oh rushed into a group of several de Beasts. And then... Blood Bomb! Boom! In an instant, five or six de Beasts were flung into the air. ''It''s good. Really good.'' Blood Bomb. It was aptly named, as it would unleash an extremely powerful explosion. Kang Oh would continuously unleash Blood Bomb after Blood Bomb after that. Whenever he reached max stacks, he''d use it. In the end, all twenty of the de Beasts had been annihted. The battlefield wasplete chaos. It was as if the area had been bombarded. Kang Oh satisfyingly picked up the junk items that they''d left behind. He also picked up the ck Beast''s Fang, which was the item he needed to be a mercenary. * * * Kang Oh returned to Kasten and immediately sought out the Mercenary Association. The bearman, who resembled Chewba, was still at his post. "Here." Kang Oh passed him the de Beast''s Fang. "What''s your name?" "Kang Oh." "Wait just a minute." The brown furred anthromorph took the fang and disappeared. How long had he waited? The bearman reappeared, and gave Kang Oh the fang back. "This is a mercenary''s badge. Keep it safe." Kang Oh nodded his head and retrieved the fang. Brown letters were written on the fang. Bronze Mercenary, Kang Oh. ''This is just the beginning.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. His quest to be stronger in the western region... This truly was just the beginning. Chapter 195. Mercenary Kang Oh (1)

Chapter 195. Mercenary Kang Oh (1)

Trantor: Boko "How does a mercenary''s rank work?" Kang Oh asked the Chewba look-alike. "There are three ranks: bronze, silver, and gold." "How do you raise your rank?" "It''s simple. Perform great feats and improve your fame/reputation. Then, the Mercenary Association will increase your rank." "Fame and reputation, huh... Is there any way to increase my rank immediately? I can kill monsters that are stronger than the de Beast anytime." "Nope." The worker shook his head. The Mercenary Association determined one''s rank based on their aplishments, fame, and reputation as a mercenary. It didn''t matter how powerful they were; if they hadn''t obtained these three things, then they would start as a bronze mercenary. "How much is a bronze mercenary worth?" "That depends on the employer." "But there''s an average wage, right?" "The average wage is about 5 gold." "That''s it?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Since bronze is the lowest rank, that''s all you can get. However, you get to keep 100% of the loot from your missions." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. Bronze mercenaries made chump change, but they could make up for it with loot. "I''d like to start working immediately... I want it to be as dangerous and difficult as possible," Kang Oh continued. It wasn''t surprising. After all, he''de to the west with the intent of bing as strong as possible. ''You just wait and see, Vn.'' Grr. Kang Oh gritted his teeth, recalling how Vn hadpared him to an ant. He''d get Vn to say ''You''ve gotten really strong!'' no matter what. "You want some advice?" "Yeah. As I said, the more dangerous/difficult, the better." "The ck Dogs and White Cats will go to war soon, so both sides are recruiting mercenaries." It was a job that fit his criteria. "The ck Dogs and White Cats?" Kang Oh replied. "Since you''re human, you must not know much about us... The ck Dogs and White Cats consider each other mortal enemies, and have fought for quite some time. Apparently, they''re fighting again." "Then which side do I choose?" "The ck Dogs are extremely hostile towards humans, so they won''t ept you. They might actually try to kill you instead." Kang Oh then recalled the two dogs he''d fought previously. The two non-humans, the bulldog and Shih Tzu, had attacked him just because he was a human being. They''d also told him this: that they were involved with the ck Dogs. "Do most tribes here hate humans?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah, most of them do. Some don''t merely shun humans, they hold radical ideas such as theplete eradication of the human race. The ck Dogs are one of them." "So there are going to be a lot of people that try to kill me just because I''m human." Like the bulldog and Shih Tzu. "That''s right." The worker didn''t deny it. "That''ll be quite... annoying and fun." Kang Oh grinned. ''If you want a piece of me, thene on! I''ll use you to be even stronger!'' "Anyhow, if you want the job, then go to the Treville Bar. That''s where the White Cats'' mercenaries are gathering. The Treville Bar is located on the southern road." "Understood." "Good luck." Kang Oh left the association, and immediately headed for the Treville Bar. Creak. Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. ''It''s them.'' There was a group at the center table. It was the White Cats, a race that possessed white fur, as well as eyes, nose, ears, tails, and whiskers like a cat. Kang Oh approached them. "I''m here for mercenary work." "Let me see your badge," a shaggy white furred cat said. He must be in charge here. Kang Oh passed him the de Beast''s Fang. "Youreally are a mercenary. Your pay is 5 gold, and your mission is to fight the ck Dogs. Would you like to take the job?" the White Cat Leader asked. Kang Oh nodded his head. "Bronze Mercenary, Kang Oh." The leader read Kang Oh''s rank and name, and the White Cat beside him began jotting the details into a notebook. "Make sure you''re ready. Come back in three days; be here by morning." "Understood." * * * Kang Oh left the grasnds, and then headed for the military city, Kuwang. Kuwang was the starting point of the ''Monster Road'' and was in between the west and central regions. "Wee." Kang Oh greeted the nice-looking old man, Man Bok, once he exited the intercity transfer gate. "Hello." Man Bok beamed. "Do you have what I asked for?" "I have them right here." The small wagon that he''d dragged here contained several identical swords. Kang Oh picked up a sword, checked the item''s information, and then grinned. It was a BB-rank, and had a level 150 equip requirement The sword was also created by a cksmith yer. The sword wasn''t great, but it was cheap. Its market price was only about 70 gold. But with Man Bok''s abilities and connections, he was able to buy thirty of them for about 50 gold each. ''The partnership was a good idea.'' In the past, Kang Oh would have to get rid of his items himself, but now, Man Bok would do it for him. Plus, he only took a 5% cut, unlike the auction house''s 10%mission fee. "Do you like them?" "Yes. They''re just what I''m looking for." Kang Oh grinned. "I brought you the potions, maintenance tools, and return scrolls you requested as well." "Thank you." Kang Oh took the thirty swords, which he''d use as fodder for Gluttony, as well as the potions and scrolls, and then paid Man Bok. "Keep up the good work. Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Yes. Until next time." Because of Man Bok''s new business, or selling the southern fish, he had way too much to do. Likewise, Kang Oh had no time to waste. At least, if he wanted to be strong enough to receive Vn''s acknowledgement. Man Bok and Kang Oh parted ways. * * * In the west, there was an area called Harun Mountain. It was a sacred ce for both the ck Dogs and the White Cats. It was where their ancestors were born, so several of their legends involved the mountain. Harun Mountain was important to their culture too, as they performed ancestral rites for their ''forebears'' there. At the beginning, the ck Dogs and White Cats jointly used Harun Mountain without much trouble. But at some point, the ck Dogs took control of Harun Mountain and prevented the White Cats from using it. From that point forward, the ck Dogs and White Cats began their long war. Of course, if the ck Dogs heard this story, then they''d be angered and say something like ''That''s ridiculous! It''s all a bunch of lies!''. They would say that the White Cats tried to monopolize the mountain, and that they were the victims. ''I don''t care what the truth is. It has nothing to do with me.'' All he cared about was fighting and getting stronger. If he picked up some good loot along the way, then all the better. The ck Dogs and White Cats were confronting each other, so the atmosphere was really tense. To Kang Oh, Harun Mountain was nothing more than a stage that would help him reach his goal. Anyhow...! The ck Dogs were guarding Harun Mountain, while the White Cats were trying to seize it. "Today, we''re going to defeat the ck Dogs and reim Harun Mountain! If we can''t reim it, then we die!" the White Cat Leader yelled. "If we can''t reim it, then we die!" "White Cat! White Cat! White Cat!" The White Cats nearby began chanting. Their cries rang out. The ck Dogs, which were atop the mountain, didn''t just sit there and do nothing. "Those wicked White Cats are trying to steal our sacred mountain from us! Let''s punish them!" the ck Dog Leader yelled. "Punish them! Punish them!" "ck Dogs! ck Dogs!" The ck Dog and White Cats'' chants were equally loud, and gradually subsided. Then, the White Cat Leader raised his weapon up high. "Everyone, attack!" There was no strategy or tactics here. They didn''t need them to defeat the ck Dogs; all they needed to do was overpower them! Rat-a-tat-tat! The White Cats'' warriors and mercenaries charged at the ck Dogs, which were positioned at the top of the mountain. Of course, Kang Oh was a part of this force. "Attack!" the ck Dog Leader yelled. He too refused to use any sort of n. It would be beneath them, so he decided to just overpower the White Cats. The ck Dogs and their mercenaries rushed down the mountain. It was as though two huge waves had crashed against each other! * * * Kang Oh''s first opponent was an orc. It was one of the ck Dog''s mercenaries, and was bronze rank like Kang Oh. Of course, just because it was the same rank as him didn''t mean that it was just as skilled. The orc swung its blunt weapon so slowly, making it easy prey for Kang Oh. Kang Oh pocketed the poor breastte it''d left behind, and went looking for his next prey. ''I need to find someone even stronger!'' The orc mercenary wasn''t even good enough to serve as an appetizer. Kang Oh thirsted for an even greater foe. But then, Kang Oh saw a mercenary fiercely swinging its javelin. It was quite skilled. ''You''re next!'' Kang Oh rushed at the mercenary. Swish! The tip of its javelin came flying at Kang Oh''s left eye. Its attack was both quick and precise! ng! Kang Oh swung his sword and deflected the spear. Then, the mercenary quickly got back into position and attacked again. The mercenary swung its spear every which way. Kang Oh couldn''t tell where it was aiming its spear. ''The neck.'' Of course, Kang Oh Hyper Intuition fixed that problem; he wasn''t fooled by the mercenary''s shy movements. He turned his body, avoiding the spear, and immediately counterattacked. The mercenary was incredibly skilled, so they were able to block Kang Oh''s attack without much difficulty. They exchanged attacks for some time. The spear user''s skills were extraordinary, and Kang Oh hadn''t used Baramut''s Roar, Gluttony, or Devil Trigger, so the battle was closer than it would''ve been otherwise. He had no intention of using them either. ''I have no idea how the battle will go, so I can''t use them just yet.'' But even without Baramut''s Roar, Gluttony, or Devil Trigger, Kang Oh was still strong. The two continued to exchange attacks, but in the end, Kang Oh was the victor. Stab. Ultimately, Blood pierced through the mercenary''s heart. It was a minor victory. Kang Oh didn''t let the victory get to his head. He immediately withdrew his sword and looked for his next target. Then, two ck Dog Warriors came rushing at him, intent on stopping him. The ck Dog Warriors were just as skilled as the spear user. However, Kang Oh had finished warming up and his concentration was at its apex, so Kang Oh wasn''t pushed back despite it being a 2 on 1 fight. In fact, he was the one pushing them back. Whack! Whack! Kang Oh''s sharp attacks felled both of the warriors simultaneously! "Kuu, he''s strong. Someone stop him!" "Damn it! We need reinforcements!" The two warriors stood up and yelled. Then, several nearby ck Dog Warriors rushed at Kang Oh. Kang Oh grinned. There were several stars glimmering on his snow-white de. 15 in total! Blood Bomb! Boom! Blood red energy exploded outward! Those caught in the explosion were flung every which way. Kang Oh immediately pulled out his four daggers. Bam, bam, bam, bam! One of his daggers called lightning down on his opponent. Blood Bomb and Thunderbolt! The two attacks were enough to cause the ck Dog Warriors, as well as the mercenaries they''d hired, to panic. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh went wild as if he were a wolf amongst sheep. Chapter 196. Mercenary Kang Oh (2)

Chapter 196. Mercenary Kang Oh (2)

Trantor: Boko Highly talented people would inevitably catch people''s eye. Kang Oh was one such person. Thus, he drew Kiker''s attention. He was one of the ck Dog''s best eight warriors, otherwise known as the ''Eight Warriors''. "You''re pretty strong," Kiker said, walking in front of Kang Oh. Kiker''s face resembled a Siberian Husky, or a dog that more closely resembled a wolf. His tail was covered with thick fur, and he was equipped so sparsely that it was almost unbelievable that he''d set foot on the battlefield. "Who are you?" Kang Oh said defiantly. "I''m Kiker. I''m one of the ck Dog''s Eight Warriors," Kiker shouted confidently. "Really? So you''re pretty strong then." "Of course." "Good of you toe. Let''s have a go, you stupid mutt!" Kang Ohunched a surprise attack. His demon sword cut through the air! "I guess I shouldn''t have expected anything else from a mercenary under the White Cat''s employ." Kiker snarled and kicked with his left leg. Kiker''s ss, Kicker, was a martial arts ss that focused on kicks! Befitting a Kicker, Kiker''s metal boots were studded with sharp cleats. ng! Demon sword and metal boots shed, resounding with a metallic ''ng''. "Yap!" Kiker softly leapt into the air and kicked! His kicks were both quick and powerful. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh felt as though dodging wouldn''t be a good idea, so he raised Blood instead. ng! Blood''s de blocked Kiker''s kick! Once hended onto the ground, Kiker kicked low, as if he were sweeping the ground. Kang Oh retreated, and Kiker''s metal boot swept through where he''d once been. "Mm, you move pretty well," Kiker said without giving chase. "Can''t say the same about you," Kang Oh mocked. "Here I go again!" Kiker kicked off the floor. He shot at Kang Oh like a bullet. He repeatedlyunched fierce, quick kicks that''d either send him to heaven or hell. Kang Oh couldn''t fight back against the continuous sequence of kicks, and was slowly pushed back. * * * ''He''s strong.'' Kiker wasn''t all talk. He was as strong as the Nedav Chieftain, Aman. Kiker had both speed and power, varied up his attacks, and was plenty experienced in the art of battle, as he wouldn''t let go of an advantage once he got it. Kang Oh deliberately left himself open at times, and evenid some traps, but none of it worked. In other words, Kiker was really good at fighting. Thus, Kang Oh didn''t get the opportunity to counterattack, and was forced to block, dodge, and then block again. Kiker paused his assault and briefly caught his breath. "You endure well." "Those are some sharp attacks. Though it won''t be enough to beat me," Kang Oh said. "I''m taking things seriously this time." "Then I''ll take it up a notch too." "You''re all talk," Kiker mocked. Kang Oh didn''t waste his words on him. ''Now''s not the time to be saving it.'' Instead, Baramut''s Roar came out of his mouth. Kuheong! The silhouette of a tiger briefly appeared behind him, and just as quickly disappeared. That wasn''t all. Devil Trigger! Demon Sword Blood''s scarlet energy wrapped around him, and his silhouette was dyed dark red. [Intermediate Rank Devil Trigger allows you to use more of Blood''s power than before.] [Life Steal has been strengthened considerably. The more you life steal, the more your abilities improve.] [You may now use Blood Spike, Blood Spear, and Bat Metamorphosis.] [Intermediate Rank Devil Trigger has allowed you to use the more powerful Fresh Blood Wave, recing Blood Aura.] [The blood element is added to all of your skills, and also expends some of your HP.] [You have been infused with Blood''s deep hatred and resentment. Enemies will now fear you.] [Intermediate Rank Devil Trigger has reinforced your flight ability. You have gainedrge, powerful wings, as well as smaller, supportive wings.] [You may fly for 2 minutes.] [You may converse with Blood.] The descent of the Red Demon! Intermediate Rank Devil Trigger had changed his appearance. There were now two small, supportive wings underneath his original bat wings. ''I''ll save Gluttony for now.'' Kang Oh decided to save Gluttony until he needed it. "Hoh, I''m suddenly facing a monster." Even after seeing his new form, Kiker wasn''t surprised at all. "You like it?" "Yeah. Let''s fight for real." "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Kiker shed head-on. * * * "Die!" Kang Oh swung his sword. Fresh Blood Wave. He unleashed a Fresh Blood Wave, which was thicker and more powerful than Blood Aura, from Blood. "No thanks!" Kiker front kicked the iing wave. Emperor''s Kick! Golden energy came out of his foot, manifesting as a giant leg. That giant leg easily cut through the Fresh Blood Wave, and came straight for Kang Oh. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue and threw his body to the side. The golden energy just barely nicked his side. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. But in a sh, Kiker had closed in and kicked downwards with his heel. Emperor''s Kick! Red spikes burst from Kang Oh''s back. "Grr." Kiker quickly halted his attack, and this time, he was the one who flung his body away. Now it was Kang Oh''s turn. sh! Blood softly cut through the sky, a white line following its path. Kiker hadn''t managed to steady himself just yet, so Kang Oh was sure that his attack wouldnd. However, Kiker wouldn''t be beaten that easily. Counter! Demon Sword Blood stabbed Kiker''s shoulder joint, but Kiker responded by kicking Kang Oh''s side. Whack! Large shards of light exploded from both of their bodies. The amount of damage that they had sustained was considerable. "You punk." Kang Oh snarled. "You bastard!" The rxed look on Kiker''s face hadpletely disappeared. Kang Oh and Kiker simultaneously kicked off the floor. They shed once more! * * * Kiker was a martial artist that focused on one hit KO''s. Thus, he knew several destructive skills. As a testament to that, Emperor''s Kick easily cut through Kang Oh''s Fresh Blood Wave, which was the upgraded version of Blood Aura! On top of that, he used Thunder God Strike, which parted the ground as if there''d been an earthquake, Crimson Front Kick, Hell Head Kick, Mace Strike, etc. In terms of destructiveness, Kang Oh wasn''tcking at all. He had Darkness Strike, Blood Bomb, Fresh Blood Wave, and Tempest Tiger! Not only that, but he wasn''t even at full power yet. He wasn''t using Ubist, which was more powerful than Blood, and hadn''t used Gluttony either. Of course, Kiker still had something up his sleeve too. Anyhow, the two were even in strength; the two continuously shed, their fight both fierce and explosive. Despite their efforts, neither side could obtain victory, as both sides were no worse for wear. The two distanced themselves and analyzed each other''s every move. While doing so, they had the same thought. ''Tch. I guess I''ll have to use it.'' Kang Oh fiddled with the idea of using Gluttony. ''Should I use it?'' Simrly, Kiker was wondering whether he should use Emperor mode or not. However, something happened that stopped the two from deciding their fight. "Lord Kiker! The Eight Cats have shown up. We need you over there," a ck Dog came out of nowhere and yelled. "Tch, why did they have to show up now?" Kiker looked disappointed. Eight Cats. They were the White Cat''s elites,parable to the ck Dog''s Eight Warriors. The only ones that could deal with them were the Eight Warriors. If Kiker remained here and kept fighting Kang Oh, then the Eight Warriors would be at a disadvantage and it may even cost them the battle. "Grr, I''ll see youter." Kiker gritted his teeth. He was furious that he was unable to determine the victor. "I didn''t say you could leave." Kang Oh red at him. ''The second you move, I''m attacking!'' However... "Stop him," Kiker yelled at the nearby ck Dogs, who''d been watching their fight. "Yes sir!" They couldn''t dare defy an order from one of the great Eight Warriors. The ck Dog Warriors rushed at Kang Oh. Kiker turned around and ran away. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue and began annihting the warriors. They weren''t even good enough to be a substitute for Kiker. * * * The battle between the ck Dogs and White Cats. The first day ended in a draw. The ck Dog''s Eight Warriors and the White Cat''s Eight Cats shed, both sides engaged in reconnaissance. Once they realized that there was nothing to be gained, both sides retreated. Meanwhile, Kang Oh, who''d fought against Kicker one-on-one, had gained a huge boost in fame and reputation. On the second day... Kang Oh looked around for Kiker in order to finish their battle, but he couldn''t find him. The other Eight Warriors, as well as the Eight Cats, didn''t show up either. Instead, he was stopped by a party of silver rank mercenaries. The ck Dogs couldn''t leave Kang Oh unounted for, as he''d done quite a bit of damage on the first day. Thus, the ck Dog Leader had ordered some of his men to take care of him. "Are you the one who fought Kiker yesterday?" "He fits the description." "He really does look strong." The entire party said their piece. Kang Oh said only two words. "Let''s go." Kang Oh and the mercenary party engaged each other. His individual skill far outstripped each individual party member''s skill, but the party had great teamwork and they had plenty of experience too. Thus, theysted quite a long time against him. Of course... "Ugh. He''s too strong." "Monster." "We''re not strong enough to beat him." They couldn''t stand against him till the very end. He killed some of them, while the rest ran away. "Bring someone stronger!" Kang Oh yelled. However, there was no one who could match him. None of the elites had joined the fight today. Kang Oh killed all of the small fry, but couldn''t stifle his disappointment. * * * The third day... The top brass of both the ck Dogs and White Cats believed that today was ''the day of reckoning!''. It was time to settle things. Both sides ate plentifully, and confronted each other from the top and bottom of the mountain. Now all that was left was to fight and for one side toe out victorious. Harun Mountain was filled with uneasiness. The crows sensed the anxiety, and fearfully soared into the air. "All forces, attack!" "Attack!" The ck Dog Leader and White Cat Leader simultaneously yelled. "Uooooooooh!" Both sides'' cries rang out, and then engaged each other in their final battle. ''I hope I get to fight the Eight Warriors today.'' Even if he didn''t get a chance to fight Kiker, he wanted to be able to fight someone strong. And... The heavens granted him his request. Someone leisurely walked towards him, as if he were just strolling around in the living room of his house. The person was baby-faced. "You''re...!?" Kang Oh''s eyes widened. The man in front of him was... It was his first time meeting them, but he''d seen their face before. After all, they were incredibly famous. "Hello, I''m Gold Mercenary, Bart. It''s a pleasure to meet you. You sure have been going up the rankstely, Mr. Oga!" Crazy High Schooler, Bart! He was facing one of the Numbers. Chapter 197. Kang Oh vs. Bart

Chapter 197. Kang Oh vs. Bart

Trantor: Boko For the past two days, Kang Oh had proved himself a major threat to the ck Dogs. He wasn''t just a thorn in their side anymore. They knew a silver rank mercenary party was no match for him, but at the same time, they couldn''t set one of their Eight Warriors against him either; they needed every single one of them tobat the Eight Cats. Thus, the ck Dog''s top brass quickly employed a gold mercenary. They had only employed silver rank mercenaries thus far, but they really needed a gold mercenary this time. However, the only gold mercenary they could get their hands on was Bart. Although Bart was a ''human'', which made them want to tear him apart, they had no other option. Thus, the ck Dogs were forced to employ him. Anyhow, that''s what led to Kang Oh and Bart''s meeting. "How did you know that I was Oga?" "That''s a stupid question. Even if I can''t see your face, I can tell by your sword and your equipment." Bart grinned. He looked quite cute. "Mm." "But it says your name is Kang Oh. Which is your real name, Kang Oh or Oga?" Bart''s eyes seemed to say, ''Tell me, tell me''. "Kang Oh." "Kang Oh, huh... Anyway, I''m pretty lucky. I just came here to warm up, but it''s given me a chance to fight against you. I''ve been dying to fight you." Bart''s eyes changed. His eyes gleamed as if he were a child that had gained a new toy. ''One of the Numbers... A fight against Crazy Highschooler, Bart.'' Kang Oh grinned. He felt uneasy, but also excited at the same time. * * * ng, ng, ng! The repeated sound of weapons shing against each other. "You mutt!" "You thieving cats!" The ck Dog and White Cat''s warriors engaged in a brutal battle. This was their final battle. It had Harun Mountain, something that was more important to them than their lives, at stake. That''s why they were so desperate to see this through. But at the heart of this battle, Kang Oh and Bartpletely focused on each other, tuning out everything else. Bart made the first move. His body melted into his shadow. Shadow Transfer. He used an Assassin movement skill. ''Even so, Bart''s not an Assassin.'' His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. Behind him! Kang Oh turned around and swung his sword. sh! Bart smirked at Kang Oh''s quick reaction. ''Hoh, as expected'', he thought. Though he wasn''t carrying a weapon, a sword suddenly appeared in his hand. Sword Parry. Bart parried Demon Sword Blood using the Swordsman skill. Then, he followed it up with... magic. Fireball! A ming sphere flew out of his left palm. Kang Oh bent backwards so much that his head almost touched the floor. Missing its target, the fireball soared into the air and disappeared. He quickly got back into position and swung his sword once more. Whoosh. A quick, sharp attack! This time, Bart used a Cleric skill, Sacred Shield. Bam. Once his attack was blocked, Kang Oh retreated. ''As expected of the best hybrid character.'' No one knew what Bart''s ss was. No one knew why he could use the skills and spells of other sses either. People assumed that he had a special ss, one which allowed him to use other sses'' skills. However, most people weren''t jealous of his ss. ''It''s only good because Bart''s using it.'' Most people responded like that. How hard would it be to have ess to countless skills/spells, and use them at the right ce and the right time? How hard would it be to pick the best skill/spell amongst them and use it? It wouldn''t be easy. In fact, it was almost impossible. However, Bart did it with ease. Thus, people said that his skills as a gamer were second to none. "You move well." Bart grinned, forming dimples on his cheeks. "Let''s go again!" Bart kicked off the floor like a warthog. This time, he was using the Warrior skill, Fierce Charge. "Sure." Kang Oh didn''t retreat. ''C''mon, Bart!'' * * * Kang Oh and Bart hid their true abilities while analyzing the other. In the midst of this, Kang Oh was honestly in awe of Bart''s abilities. ''He really is amazing.'' Bart didn''t use the same skill twice. He kept using a different skill or spell. However, he would always use the right skill/spell at just the right time! Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, evasion, and his experience/senses enabled him to respond to Bart''s attacks, but anyone else would''ve died instantly. That''s just how powerful Bart was. Of course, he wasn''t without his weaknesses, and he certainly wasn''t invincible. Kang Oh knew what Bart''s weakness was. ''He exposes himself the moment he transitions from one skill to the next.'' His Hyper Intuition had pointed that out. It had pointed out this weak point of his three times already. ''Alright.'' Kang Oh waited for his opportunity. After using a lightning spell, Bart seemed to be readying some sort of defense skill/spell to respond to Kang Oh''s attack. ''Now!'' Kang Oh swung his sword, shing through Bart''s chest. Swish! It was a direct hit. Red shards of light burst from Bart''s body. Bart, who''d been struck unexpectedly, quickly cast Heal to replenish his HP. Then, he tried to distract Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh aimed for Bart''s weak point again. His attack hit... or should''ve, but Bart was a little faster this time. Absolute Evasion. He''d used an Archer skill this time, one that Sephiro used asionally to save his life. Bart widened the distance between them and smirked strangely. "Oh. To think you''d be able to aim for this weakness of mine. You''re amazing. I probably can''t go on like this." The Crazy Highschooler, Bart, began to show his true skill. * * * What would happen if youbined an Archer''s Homing Arrow with a Mage''s fire magic? You would get a homing, ming arrow, like the one chasing after Kang Oh. ''That''s overpowered.'' Bart, who was considered the best hybrid character, used a new ability. It was apletely unbelievable ability at that. He fused two skills/spells in order to create apletely new one! It was said that Bart could use more than 100 skills/spells. Bart was currentlybining them to createpletely new ones. Kang Oh couldn''t even think to counterattack; the best he could do was either block or dodge. ''I can''t keep going like this.'' Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to go into first gear. Switch. He swapped Blood with Ubist, and immediately used Devil Trigger. Spurt! Darkness engulfed Kang Oh''s body. "Oh, this is...?" Bart stopped attacking. What was it that Kang Oh was so famous for on TV? His ability to transform! Now, Bart was getting a front row seat to said transformation. "How cool." Bart''s thought favorably of Kang Oh''s appearance, now that he''d assumed the form of the Jet-ck Demon. "Seems like you can''t transform," Kang Oh said. "Unfortunately, no." ''Hmm, there are some limitations to Bart''s ss then. There must be some skills/spells that he can''t obtain due to those limitations.'' Kang Oh knew a little bit more about Bart now. ''Now then, let''s fight for real.'' Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, instantly closing the distance. Bartbined a wind spell and sh to create ''Sharp de'', which he then unleashed upon Kang Oh. ''There''s my chance.'' Kang Oh didn''t avoid it. Instead, he absorbed it with Ubist. "What!?" For the first time, Bart looked shocked. Swish. Abyss w! An ck, three-lined aura swept through Bart. Bart fused two defensive skills together, which prevented him from taking damage. However, Abyss w was just a diversion. The true attack was... "Huaahp!" Kang On quickly approached and swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The golden tiger roared and pounced on Bart. ''As expected, he can''t block it.'' Kang Oh had anticipated this. Bart could fuse skills/spells to incredible effect, but he still retained his weakness of exposing himself during the transition. Kang Oh had taken advantage of his weakness, and had attacked with Tempest Tiger right after he''d used his previous skill. There was obviously no way that Bart could avoid it! ''It''d be great if he died from this attack.'' That was just a small wish of his. However, it was wishful thinking on his part. Once the aura disappeared, Bart came outpletely unscathed. "Phew, that was really dangerous." Bart sighed in relief. "You''repletely unscathed. What did you do?" "It''s a trade secret, but I suppose I can tell you since you showed me such a powerful move." He raised the pocket watch that hung around his neck. "This item''s special ability kept me safe. I''m well aware of my weakness, so I got it as insurance." ''Is it an item that effectively nullifies fatal damage like the Baramut set or the Phoenix Egg Devouring Cassio Ring?'' "Tch." Kang Oh disappointingly clicked his tongue. "Now then... Let''s y some more!" Bart smiled and discharged a dangerous, purple orb from his hand. The battle continued. * * * "Uwaaaah!" "We won!" The battle between the ck Dogs and White Cats ended earlier than expected. It was the White Cats that were celebrating this day. The White Cat''s greatest warrior, Dartanang, defeated the ck Dog''s greatest warrior, Kamik. His victory over Kamik raised the morale of the troops, causing the White Cats to push the ck Dogs back. Ultimately, the White Cats obtained victory. While Kang Oh versus Bart... ended in a draw. However, Kang Oh believed that he''d have lost if this battle had dragged on. During their battle, Kang Oh''s options slowly whittled away, while Bart still had plenty of tricks up his sleeve... So Kang Oh was the first to run out of tricks. But when he heard the cheers, which signaled the end of the battle, Bartpletely lost interest. He asked him to fight again next time, and then quickly left. "Damn it." It left a bitter taste in his mouth. His battle with Bart had proved to him that he still wasn''t on the level of the Numbers. At some point, his bitterness turned into anger; anger that someone was above him. ''I want to be stronger. I want to be the best. I want no one to be better than me!'' Kang Oh had obsessively pursued ''strength'' during his Warlord days. Every day, he''d tell himself that he wanted to be stronger. Thus, he eventually became stronger than any other, and was even called the Human Dragon. But after the ident, his desire for strength had been overshadowed by his desire to provide for his family and protect them. As a result, he made a lot of money and could provide for his family without much difficulty. His desire to protect his family had been somewhat sated. Then, he met and lost pitifully to Vn, a man who epitomized strength. Not only that, but he was demeaned, and was one-sidedly used by him. Thus, his desire for strength hade back stronger than ever. Bart''s fight with him was like pouring oil over the fire. ''I''m going to be stronger than anyone!'' That was the moment that his desire for strength had transformed into the desire to be the strongest. Chapter 198. Beast’s Tower

Chapter 198. Beast''s Tower

Trantor: Boko Ring. Kang Oh heard a bright, beautiful ring as he opened the cafe door. "Wee," an employee, who was brewing espresso, politely smiled and said. At the same time, a man sitting at one of the tables raised his hand. Over here! "Hello." "It''s been a while." Jae Woo greeted GBS producer, Park Jin Cheol. "I enjoyed Warriors of the Great Forest. It was quite the spectacle." Jin Cheol gave him a thumbs up. "I suppose the editing was top-notch." Jae Woo shrugged his shoulders. "The editing was excellent, yes, but the footage itself was amazing. That''s why... I''m excited to see what you''ve brought me today, Mr. Jae Woo." Jae Woo remained in contact with Jin Cheol, even after Dungeon Conquering Man was over. He''d sent Jin Cheol a message, stating that he''d like to sell him some footage. Jin Cheol had messaged him back with, ''Yes, of course.''. "It should be pretty good." Jae Woo grinned. "Don''t keep me in suspense. Please let me see it." "Did you bring a tablet?" "Of course." Jin Cheol removed a tablet from his briefcase. Jae Woo then inserted the chip and yed the clip. It was footage of Jae Woo''s character, Kang Oh, defeating the Evil God Worshippers and the Evil God''s Disciple, Trambo. "Mm, Evil God Worshippers. There''s even an Evil God''s Disciple here!" Jin Cheol''s eyes gleamed. Evil God Worshippers, fanatics who worshipped the Evil God, Ja. In the past, they spread terror and fear throughout the Arth continent, and were extremely notorious to this very day. Even now, they''d appear at times, causing strange events and stirring up trouble. However, their leaders, the Evil God''s Disciples, had never appeared before. Which meant...! "It''s the first of its kind," Jin Cheol said. A yer had defeated one of the Evil God''s Disciples for the very first time. Moreover, they were defeated by one of the hottest yerstely, Oga! "Didn''t I tell you? That the footage would be pretty good," Jae Woo said, still smiling. "It''s not at the level of ''pretty good''; this could be huge." "Do you want it?" "Yes." "Unfortunately, you''re not the only one who wants it." "What are you talking about?" "I showed this footage to TGN producer, Shin Hye Rim, too. She said she''d buy it too." "Mm." "So I''ve been thinking about who to sell it to." He was essentially saying, ''I''ll sell it to the highest bidder.''. "How much did she offer you?" Jin Cheol asked. "She hasn''t given me a concrete offer yet. But she said she''d pay me at least 20 million won ($20,000 USD). After all, I''ve gotten pretty famoustely." He didn''t really care for fame, but now that he''d gotten famous, he''d use it to his advantage. "At least 20 million won... When you consider Oga''s, no, your fame, then it''s not expensive." Jin Cheol nodded his head. "You''re aware I see." "Hmm. I''d need to talk to the higher ups to give you an estimate." "Go ahead." Jae Woo and Jin Cheol were busy people. Now that they''dpleted their business, they left without wasting any more time. Several dayster... Both Hye Rim and Jin Cheol gave him their offers. Hye Rim would pay him 25 million won ($25,000 USD), and a bonus of 5 million won ($5,000 USD) if they hit a certain viewership number. Jin Cheol offered 40 million won ($40,000 USD) on the spot. Thus, Jae Woo sold the footage to Jin Cheol. * * * The transfer magic circle radiated light, and Kang Oh found himself in front of a giant monster turtle. "Wee, Master," Teynos greeted. "Thanks. How have you been? Did anyone find the dungeon?" Kang Oh asked. "No." "You have something to give me, don''t you?" "Indeed." "Give it here." Teyno''s shell split open, and a tentacle dropped a pile of items in front of Kang Oh. 10 shining gold bars, 100 spotted Gnus Skin, and 10 Stone Eater''s Cores, which radiated red light. Lastly... A medicine bottle! "Hehe." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. It''d already been a month since he''d be the dungeon''s master. These items were the dungeon''s rewards. Kang Oh took all of the gold and materials. Then, he picked up the bottle called ''Potion of Explosive Growth'' and appraised it. [Potion of Explosive Growth] Drinking this potion increases experience and proficiency gained by 300% for the duration of a week. However, it cannot be taken once you reach level 300. "This is something I really need right now." After fighting Bart, Kang Oh had made an oath that he''d be stronger than anyone. In order to reach his goal, Kang Oh was pushing himself as hard as possible. When the western races fought, you can bet he would be a part of that battle. If there weren''t any battles to partake in, then he''d be going through dungeons. He''d be fighting and hunting from day to night. Rinse and repeat. What if he drank this potion too? His rate of growth would increase, allowing him to be stronger even faster. ''It''s a pity that you can''t use it once you hit level 300, but...'' He could use it until level 299! Kang Oh could just sell them afterwards. The item was so amazing that he''d be able to sell it at a huge price. Kang Oh ced the potion into his inventory, and stared at Teynos. "Teynos." "What is it, Master?" "Keep the dungeon safe. I''ll being back even stronger than before." "Understood. And if you happen to find any precious treasure, then be sure to bring it here." "Alright. If I find any," Kang Oh said. However, what he saidpletely contrasted with how he felt. ''If I find any treasure, then I''ll sell it. Why would I give it to you!?'' he thought. "Keep an eye on the other guardians too! And make sure you protect the soul stone," Kang Oh said. He never wanted to lose the soul dungeon''s sweet rewards. "I got it. Just trust in me, Master." "Yeah. I''m really going now." Kang Oh returned to Altein. There, he met with Man Bok. Kang Oh gave him the Gnus Skins, the Stone Eater''s Cores, and any loot he''d acquired from the west that seemed seble. "Please take care of it." When he said ''Please take care of it.'', he really meant ''Please make me as much as you can.''. "Of course! And here, these are the items you requested." Man Bok pointed at his wagon. They were filled with mass production BB-rank swords, various potions, and other necessities. "Thank you very much. I''ll see you next time." Kang Oh retrieved all of the items and said goodbye. "Yes. I should be able to give you your share of the profits next time." "How much will ite out to?" "It''s definitely not a small sum." "I''ll be waiting with bated breath." Once he was finished with his business here, Kang Oh returned to the western grasnds. And...! Kang Oh frequented dungeons and battlefields, fighting and fighting some more. * * * 180 days. That''s how much time Vn had given him. Half of that time had already psed. He only had 89 days left. Of course, the past three months hadn''t been pointless. Kang Oh had be a lot stronger. He''d already passed level 270. His proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship was at 75%, so high-rank was within his grasp. Plus, he''d used Gluttony plentifully, allowing him to steal a ton of stats! He''d also managed to raise Demon Sword Blood to level 16. However...! ''It''s not enough!'' Kang Oh wasn''t satisfied in the least. After all, he still hadn''t caught up to rank 1''s Dukeram or the Crazy High Schooler, Bart, let alone Burkan and Vn. Thus, Kang Oh entered another dungeon with the intent of bing stronger. [Entering the dungeon, Beast''s Tower.] There was a tower at the center of the grasnds. It was a dungeon where various beast-type monsters would appear, such as the de Beast. "Shall we begin?" Kang Oh smiled and dashed forward. Kuah! Rat-a-tat-tat! A Horned Beast, with horns just asrge and distinct as a reindeer''s, charged at Kang Oh. Kang Oh moved to the side, avoiding its charge, and got behind it. Swish, sh, swish, sh. Then, he mercilessly hacked away at it with Demon Sword Blood. Red shards of light burst from its body unceasingly. Kang Oh hadn''t only been improving his character''s abilities. He possessed Hyper Intuition, an ability that no one else had. Kang Oh had further refined his Hyper Intuition. Now, it could more quickly and precisely spot an opponent''s weak spots, and he had trained himself to be able to strike at those weak points at any time, any ce. As a result, if his opponent was weak like the Horned Beast, then every single one of his attacks would be a critical hit. Grr. The Horned Beast was over level 300 and possessed incredible defense, but it couldn''t withstand Kang Oh''s assault, which was like a raging storm. ''Next.'' Kang Oh picked up the junk items it left behind, and moved on. He didn''t have time to rest. If he could kill one more monster and swing his sword one more time, then all the better. A short whileter... He encountered a Horned Beast, a de Beast, as well as a Crow Beast, which possessed a crow''s face, ck feathers, and a lithe body. Whoever makes the first move wins. Kang Oh threw all four of his dion''s Daggers simultaneously. Bzzzzt! The daggers emitted sparks on impact. However, these beast-type monsters possessed sturdy bodies, so they weren''t affected by the electricity. Kyaoh! Kyaaa! They shrieked, and the Horned/de Beasts charged at him. Kang Oh avoided the Horned Beast''s charge, parried the de Beast''s scissor hands, and then charged at the Crow Beast. After all, the Crow Beast used magic. ''It''s a basic strategy to aim for the mage first!'' "Nuuk Mahatura!" The Crow Beast let out a bizarre chant, and then unleashed a spell from its hands. Nature''s Fury! Green spheres came flying at him. Switch. He quickly swapped Blood for Ubist, and cleaved through the spell with his jet-ck sword. Ubist absorbed the spell! Kang Oh kept going. Whoosh! His sword emitted a weighty ''whoosh'' as it cut through the air! Bam! Ubist struck the Crow Beast''s face. It was a proper hit, with the strength to match. The Crow Beast instantly fell to the floor. The de/Horned Beasts attacked him from behind. Switch. Kang Oh quickly switched to Blood and got in between the two beasts. Bam, bam, bam! His attacks were as fast as a ray of light! Blood gradually umted stars on its snow-white de, and then... Blood Bomb! Boom! Blood red energy exploded, sweeping through the de/Horned Beasts. They died instantly. Kang Oh rushed at the Crow Beast once more. It cast a spell in desperation, but it didn''t work. Once he finished it off, he activated his belt''s Automatic Return ability. Kang Oh immediately drew the daggers, and then threw them at the beasts that were charging at him from afar! The battle continued. * * * An irresistible force. That was how Kang Oh, who''d passed through the Beast''s Tower, looked. The Beast''s Tower was divided into 10 floors, yet Kang Oh hadn''t even taken 50 minutes to get to the top. "Eat him!" "It''s prey!" There was a Two-Headed Ogre on the top floor. It wasn''t a boss monster, merely a named monster. Of course, it wasn''t weak. The name ''Ogre'' meant that it was an extremely powerful monster. However... Thud! The Two-Headed Ogre fell to the floor. He''d fought an intense fight while under the effects of Baramut''s Roar and Devil Trigger; in the end, the ogre was no match for the Red Demon. ''This is the end of this dungeon. Which dungeon should I go to next?'' Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger. However, something unexpected happened. All of a sudden, a portal appeared that would seemingly lead him somewhere else. "What is this?" [You have cleared the Beast''s Tower within an hour.] [You may enter the Beast''s Tower''s Secret Room.] Chapter 199. Platinum Violf

Chapter 199. tinum Violf

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh stared at the oval portal. "Hmm. So this is how it''s set up." If you cleared a dungeon within a certain time, then a secret room would appear. This was something he had never experienced in any of the other dungeons. "Let''s see who''s waiting for me on the other side." Kang Oh grinned and entered the portal. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Lion''s Room.] [You are the first to discover it.] The Lion''s Room looked exactly like the previous room. However, there was a giant lion with shimmering silver fur here, not an ogre. [You have discovered tinum Violf.] [You are the first to discover it.] The lion suddenly opened its eyes and roared. Kuheong! [You have heard Violf''s overwhelmingly majestic roar.] [Due to your high Mental and Indomitable stats, you do not shrink away in fear.] "I''m the tinum Lion, Violf. I exist to protect this dungeon! Are you qualified to be the master of this dungeon!?" Violf yelled. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Wait, this is a soul dungeon?'' He hadn''t expected this at all. Of course, it was quite a wee surprise. "What do I need to do to be this dungeon''s master?" Kang Oh asked. ''Do I need to bring you some treasure or something?'' "I''d like to serve an honorable man." "So?" "I want someone with noble blood, with the dignity and charisma to match." "Hmm." Which meant that you had to be part of a famous family, and have high Dignity and Charisma stats. "How do I look?" "You possess both dignity and charisma, but they''re lower than I expected. You''re not of noble descent either." In other words, he wasn''t qualified. "Then there''s only one other method." Kang Oh pointed Demon Sword Ubist at Violf. "Let''s go!" * * * Violf opened its mouth. sh! It shot a beam of light at him. Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. His entire body felt cold, so he''d be dead if he got hit by that! Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Boom! Fortunately, the ray of light hit the ground. However, the resulting ''boom'' made it clear how powerful it was. ''I can''t let myself get hit by that.'' Kang Oh kept telling himself ''Be careful of the beam!'' and charged at Violf. If he got in close and swung his sword, then it wouldn''t be able to use the beam! However, Violf wouldn''t let him do that. Kuheong. It roared once more. The roar was different from this time; it was an omnidirectional shockwave. "Ugh." Kang Oh had no choice but to guard himself with Ubist. Bam! By guarding himself, he didn''t take any damage, but the shockwave pushed him back. Thus, he''d returned to his original position. sh. Violf shot another beam at him. Kang Oh jumped out of the way once more. Boom! The ground screamed. It was as though it were saying ''Stop hurting me!''. ''This won''t work.'' The beam was definitely an issue, but the shockwave preventing his approach was a bigger issue. Kang Oh used Devil Trigger. Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness wrapped around Kang Oh''s body. But it didn''t just sit there and watch him transform. It roared again! Kuheong! A shockwave came rushing at him. However, his transformation ended a second before the shockwave hit him. He unhesitatingly used that 1 second to his advantage and used Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh disappeared into the shadows! The shockwave just passed through the air. "Where did you go!?" Violf looked around and yelled. Then... Kang Oh reappeared behind Violf. "Surprise!" He was right behind it, so this next attack of his would surely hit! If that''s the case, then he''d use his most powerful attack! Tempest Tiger! A tiger-shaped golden aura pounced on Violf! However, Violf''s body turned into tinum. Ting! The Tempest Tiger was deflected right back at Kang Oh! "Shit!" Kang Oh quickly used Abyss Shield, and the surrounding darkness formed into a jet-ck barrier. However, Tempest Tiger was a powerful skill. It ripped right through the Abyss Shield and hit Kang Oh dead on. Then... The Baramut set shined. Wind Shield. When his life was in danger, Wind Shield would activate, nullifying any fatal damage. Kang Oh lived because of it. But wasting such a precious ability this early on wasn''t good news. ''You bastard! You sure have an annoying move up your sleeve!'' Violf had the Deflect ability! Which meant that he could return his opponent''s attack right back at them. ''First, I have to figure out how its ability works.'' He needed more information if he wanted to beat it. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist. Abyss w! A three-lined, ck aura came flying towards it. However, Violf turned into tinum again. Ting! It did the same thing again. The Abyss w was reflected just like the Tempest Tiger was. Kang Oh was ready for it this time, so he was able to dodge the Abyss w. ''It can deflect all auras it seems.'' He underwent his next test. Kang Oh drew dion''s Dagger. But before he could throw it, Violf''s giant front paw came flying at him. Was this what it felt like to see an avnche falling towards you? He moved to the side and threw his dagger. Bam! Violf left a paw mark in the ground. Swoosh, swoosh. His dagger spun in the air, flying towards Violf. Violf turned its body into tinum once more. Ting! The dagger didn''t respond much differently from his aura attacks. It was reflected right back at him. Kang Oh caught the dagger. ''It can deflect projectile attacks. How about melee attacks?'' Kang Oh charged. Kuheong! Violf unleashed another shockwave, as if saying ''Don''te any closer!''. Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, avoiding the shockwave, and then closed in. "Huahp!" He swung downwards with Demon Sword Ubist. Swish! His sword cleaved through Violf''s body! It hadn''t changed its body into tinum this time. ''Melee attacks do work on it!'' It must not be able to reflect melee attacks back at its enemies. As expected, there was no monster in this world that couldn''t be defeated. Kang Oh grinned. He was confident in meleebat! * * * tinum Violf. It had more up its sleeve than simply staying far away and unleashing beams, shockwaves, and all sorts of ranged attacks/spells. Kyaa! It tried to bite him, rip him to shreds, and tackle him as well! It was quick, despite what its giant body would suggest. "Ugh." Kang Oh had no choice but to retreat. ''It''s good at meleebat too!'' Now that he thought about it, it was a lion. It was the king of beasts. In other words, an apex predator. It should be fairly obvious that itsbat abilities were high. sh! As soon as Kang Oh widened the distance between them, Violf shot another beam at him. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. ''This is really tough.'' No ranged attacks would work on it due to its Deflect ability. Plus, its ranged attacks, the beam and shockwave, were extremely powerful. It wasn''t weak in meleebat either. But it wasn''t unbeatable. He could either use a long-range attack that far surpassed its deflection ability, or beat it in meleebat! Kang Oh chose thetter. He kicked off the floor and rushed at Violf once more. Violf attacked him like a raging storm. It repeatedly swung its giant front paws at him. But Kang Oh endured it well. His concentration steadily increased, and he began getting used to Violf''s continuous, wave-like attacks. Soon enough...! He managed tond a counter! Swish! Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through its leg, and shards of light flew into the air. "You''re strong," Violf said, halting his assault. "You too." No more talk. Kang Oh and Violf shed once more. * * * Kang Oh was at a disadvantage. It was because Violf had cowardly called for its subordinates! They were just regr size lions, but there were three of them. They were powerful and quick, and were also covered in tinum, so no ranged attacks would work on them. However, danger often leads to opportunity. Violf''s minions taught him how to defeat Violf. ''If they turn into tinum, then melee attacks be a critical hit.'' That''s what he''d figured out after fighting the lions. This ''tinum mode'' would deflect all ranged attacks, whether it be magic or skills, but it would cause the lions to take additional damage from melee attacks. And unlike Violf, the lions couldn''t move during tinum mode.. Kang Oh made a n using this information. ''I have to bait it into using tinum mode, and then attack it from close up!'' He would take full advantage of Violf''s weakness! "Huahp!" Kang Oh tightly gripped his sword with both hands and swung in a wide arc, pushing away all of Violf''s minions. Then, he rushed towards Violf. Abyss w! The jet-ck aura cleaved through the air. Violf turned into tinum! Ting. Right when the Abyss w was deflected...! ''Now.'' Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, appeared in front of it, and then attacked! The white line that divided the world into two! Split! Kang Oh cleaved through it, causing huge shards of light to burst from its body. Kuhang! Violf wailed at the sudden pain. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh tried attacking again, but he was stopped by Violf''s minions. He changed targets and attacked the lions instead. Meanwhile, Violf, who''d gotten a hold of itself, attacked him. The Jet-ck Demon, Kang Oh, the tinum Lion, Violf, and its minions, were caught up in an intense, bloody battle. * * * Kang Oh managed to kill one of the lions. However, he only had 50% of his HP left. ''Alright, I''m betting it all on this.'' Kang Oh pulled out one of his mass production BB-rank swords from his inventory and used Gluttony. He got a message, stating that all of his abilities would be doubled for the next ten minutes, and darkness spewed out of his body. Had it sensed his power boost? Violf remained on the defensive, choosing not to attack him. Its two surviving minions did the same. "If you''re noting, then I''lle to you!" Kang Oh rushed forward at twice the speed! He instantaneously passed by the two lions, andunched another Abyss w at Violf. Of course, this was just bait. He would bait it into transforming and thennd a critical hit! As expected, Violf turned into tinum. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh then used Abyss Transfer. He believed that all he needed to do was attack the moment that Abyss w was deflected. However...! Violf turned off its tinum mode, and faced Abyss w head-on. Kang Oh, who''d looked ahead, widened his eyes as he reappeared in front of it. Violf raised its paw, as if unwilling to fall for the same trick twice. "You punk!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. It was toote to dodge. Bam! Violf''s paw mmed into him. Wind Shield didn''t activate this time. It was still on cooldown. Kang Oh flew through the air, as if he were a baseball hit by a baseball bat! A short whileter, he plummeted to the ground and began rolling on the floor, all the while leaving a huge mark on the ground. He took a huge amount of damage. It was enough to deplete his remaining 50% HP. That should''ve been game over. However... He immediately pressed the continue button. Kang Oh''s face was pressed into the ground, yet giant bird wings spread from his back. The Phoenix Egg Devouring Cassio Ring had activated its special ability: Resurrection! Kang Oh stood up. [You have been revived.] [HP and MP have beenpletely restored.] [For 10 minutes, all abilities increase by 20%, and all damage taken is cut in half.] [Cooldown: 30 days] "Sorry for underestimating you. Now... that won''t happen!" Kang Oh forcefully charged at Violf! Chapter 200. Second Soul Dungeon

Chapter 200. Second Soul Dungeon

Trantor: Boko Though he''d had to ''die'' to find out, Kang Oh had learned that he couldn''t use the same trick twice against Violf. Even so, Kang Oh did exactly as he''d done before. He pushed away the lions and unleashed another Abyss w. Then, he used Abyss Transfer once more. Violf''s face contorted, as if saying ''What is he doing?''. It looked like Kang Oh hadn''t learned his lesson. Violf turned to tinum, quickly reverted to normal, and then waited for Kang Oh to reappear. Bam! Abyss w hit Violf dead on. Though the attack was powerful, Violf could handle it. At that moment... Kang Oh reappeared. However, he wasn''t anywhere near Violf. He''d reappeared between its minions, and was beyond its reach. "Die." Kang Oh swung Ubist. Swish. Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through the lions, cracking their tinum bodies. Kuhahk! Violf charged at him. Using a beam or shockwave was out of the question. There was a chance that its minions would get caught in the crossfire. Kang Oh acted like he''d keep focusing on the lions, but he suddenly switched targets, and dashed towards Violf. Violf kept going. Suicide Charge! If they shed head-on, then Kang Oh would definitely be blown away. The difference in weight between the two was too severe. Kang Oh grinned. He swung his sword before Violf made contact. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger dashed towards Violf. Violf briefly thought over what it should do. If it kept going as is, then it might be able to trample Kang Oh. However, that would mean taking the Tempest Tiger head-on. Conversely, turning into tinum would mean ending its charge. After all, turning into tinumpletely immobilized it. Ultimately, Violf chose thetter. Violf was worried about Kang Oh''s strange movement skill. If Kang Oh used that, then there was a high chance that his charge would end in failure. Ting. Tempest Tiger was deflected once more. Then... As expected, Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer. He reappeared... at Violf''s side. Violf tried to deactivate its tinum mode, but... "You''re toote!" Kang Oh swung upwards. sh! Split! His sword sliced through its body, leaving behind a thread-like fissure at the center of the wound, and red shards of light gushed out. Kang Oh followed this up with another attack. But by then, Violf had managed to deactivate its tinum mode. It approached him, fully intent on biting his head off. Its lion''s mane fluttered in the wind. Chomp! Unfortunately, Violf chomped on air. Kang Oh had halted his attack midway, choosing to dodge rather than attack. "I got you good this time. Let''s keep going, shall we?" Kang Oh got back into position and unleashed another Abyss w. * * * Kang Oh and Violf fought to the best of their ability, but ultimately, Violf was the one that capitted. "I lost." Violf had blocked Kang Oh''s move, and then countered with its front paw, bringing Kang Oh close to the jaws of death. That had been Violf''s one and only chance to win, and it had taken full advantage of the opportunity. After all, the results speak for themselves; it had managed to give Kang Oh a game over. But it all proved meaningless in the end, as Kang Oh possessed a ridiculous resurrection ability. After that, Kang Oh didn''t fall for any of Violf''s tricks. He didn''t attack recklessly either. Kang Oh had a wide array of abilities, such as Abyss Transfer, Abyss w, Tempest Tiger, etc., allowing him to slowly turn the tide. In the end, Violf was forced to ept defeat. "Mm. Your strength is even greater than noble blood. I, tinum Violf, ept you as my master," Violf dered. "Give me the soul stone." Kang Oh extended his hand. Violf opened its mouth, and a triangr, pyramid-shaped soul stone flew towards him. Eventually, itnded in the palm of his hand. White energy resided within the soul stone, and there was a lion emblem engraved at its center. ''My second soul stone!'' Kang Oh tightly gripped soul stone, causing it to radiate iridescent light. [You have be the master of the soul dungeon, Beast''s Tower.] [You may now exercise your power as dungeon master.] [You may change the dungeon''s name whenever you wish. However, you can only change it once.] "Dungeon Management," Kang Oh yelled. The soul stone floated into the air, and the white energy formed a rectangr screen. [Dungeon Management - Beast''s Tower] ''It''s the same.'' Managing the Beast''s Tower and Moss Cave seemedrgely the same. Violfid down like azy lion and said, "Ah, so you were already the owner of another soul dungeon." "Yeah. Did you sense something?" "That''s right. I sensed another guardian connected to you." "Owning multiple soul dungeons won''t be a problem, right?" "No." "Mm. I''ll be counting on you from now on." Kang Oh began fiddling with the Dungeon Management window. Dungeon Information! [Beast''s Tower] A 10-story tower where various beast-type monsters appear. If the 10th floor''s named ogre is defeated within an hour of entering the tower, then a portal will appear that leads to the secret room. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 800 gold. 50 Beastskin. 1 Violf''s tinum. ''Hmm, the reward isn''t great.'' 800 gold a month. It wasn''t a small amount, but he wasn''t satisfied with it. Plus, Beastskin was only worth 1 gold each. ''Violf''s tinum, huh...'' It was clearly a material. There was a high likelihood that the material would confer Violf''s Deflect ability. After all, ''Violf'' was in its name. If Kang Oh was right, then he''d be able to sell it for quite a high price. ''I''ll find out more about itter. First, I should see to the dungeon''s defenses.'' Kang Oh clicked on ''Change Topography and Environment''. Then, he spent a ton of money to set up several traps throughout the tower. In order to open the portal to the Lion''s Room, a yer would need to clear the tower within an hour. If that''s the case, then he''d set up several traps, making it almost impossible for yers to clear it within an hour. As someone who''d cleared the tower within the time limit, Kang Oh believed that adding all these traps would make it extremely difficult to clear it within an hour. Of course, that didn''t make it impossible though. ''I''m done.'' He''d spent more than 1,000 gold to set up traps across the tower. With this, he shouldn''t have to worry about the dungeon for the time being. ''I''d like to strengthen Violf just in case...'' Violf was powerful, but it had lost to Kang Oh. There was no reason to assume that it wouldn''t lose to another yer. Kang Oh clicked on the ''Strengthen Guardian'' tab. He could strengthen Violf so that it could attack while using tinum mode, but it would cost an astronomical amount of gold or repel points. "It''s impossible." Kang Oh gave up strengthening Violf. He thought about adding more guardians to the tower, but if someone were capable of clearing the tower in an hour even with the added traps, then his new guardians wouldn''t make much of a difference. In other words, adding guardians was probably a huge waste of money. ''I have nothing else to do.'' Kang Oh closed the Dungeon Management tab. The floating soul stonended on his palm, and the white energy returned to the stone. "Violf, keep this safe for me." "Understood." Violf swallowed the soul stone once more. Guardians must have a separate space within their bodies that stores the soul stone, as both Violf and Teynos had shown. "Oh, and activate the transfer magic circle," Kang Oh said, and Violf nodded its head. A magic circle appeared on one side of the room, radiating bright light. "See youter. Keep the ce safe for me." Kang Oh waved his hand. "I hope you be even greater than before, Master." "Yeah. I''m going to be way stronger." Kang Oh stepped atop the magic circle and instantly disappeared. * * * Countless tribes lived in the western grasnds. Some were small and weak, while others were extremely powerful and wielded great influence. There were countless tribes that were small and weak, but there existed three that were considered the ''Great Tribes''. The trolls of the Ingrit ins, the orcs of the Ruman Mountains, and the elves of the Nigel Forest. Among these three, the Ingrit Trolls were the most numerous, controlled the vast Ingrit ins, and had the most military might. The Ingrit Troll''s Great Chieftain, Razul, wanted to use their strength to control the entire western region. However, the other two races put a stop to his ambition. Once it was revealed that the trolls sought to conquer the western region, the two other great powers, the Ruman Orcs and the Nigel Elves, acted. Individually, these two groups were weaker than the Ingrit Trolls, but if theybined their strength, they were able to match them. But that didn''t mean they got along. In the past, the Ingrit Trolls had used the Ruman Orcs as ves. The Ruman Orcs weren''t capable of forgetting their painful past. The Nigel Elves lost their birthce from the Ingrit Trolls. Their original home was the Romande Forest. iming that they''d annihte all the elves, the Ingrit Trolls had burned the entire forest down, so it no longer existed. Thus, they rejected any sort of peace offerings from the trolls, and interfered with any and all of the trolls'' business. The elves and orcs weren''t on good terms, but when the Ingrit Trolls stirred up trouble, they would immediately join forces. After all, the Ingrit Trolls were amon enemy! "Those damn orcs and elves!" He bore green skin and tusks (which symbolized a troll''s pride) protruded from his mouth. He also wore golden earrings and a ne made from orc and elf skulls. This was the Great Chieftain of the Ingrit Trolls, Razul. Right now, he was angrily looking down. One year prior... The Ingrit Trolls had formed an army meant to conquer the western grasnds. However, they had been defeated by a coalition force consisting of the orcs, elves, and other small tribes. Back to the present... Razul had gathered his forces once more, creating an even greater and more powerful army than the one a year ago. But even this wouldn''t be enough to defeat the alliance between the orcs and the elves. Because the trolls had continued to raise an army and strengthen themselves, the orc and elves had followed suit. They couldn''t face off against the countless Anti-Ingrit tribes that inhabit the western grasnds either. "Those bastards!" Crack, crack. Razul grabbed his ne''s elf and orc skulls, and smashed them in his hand. Then... Someone entered his residence. The individual wore a smile mask, and waspletely covered in ck robes! "Oh my, is something the matter?" the mysterious figure said. "Ugh, why have youe again?" Razul looked at him suspiciously. "The offer I gave youst time... I came to tell you that it''s still on the table." The figure''s face was obscured by their mask, but Razul believed that they were smiling underneath. "Get lost. I don''t want to hear it," Razul yelled angrily. "Hoo, hoo. If we work together, then your dreams can be a reality. You''re quite foolish," the figure said, being deliberately demeaning. "Hmph. Do you know how many of our ancestors you killed!?" Razul yelled. "The past is the past. What matters is whether you can achieve your dream or not. If you want to make your dream a reality then... Be a demon," the masked man said. Grr. Razul''s eyes shined violently. He wanted to cut this man in two. "Oh my, you seem quite angry. I''ll leave this behind and take my leave. Then I''ll see you again soon." The masked man left behind a bronze gargoyle. "Die!" Razul couldn''t bear it any longer and attacked. Swoosh. His sharp scimitar cleaved the masked man in half. Or so he thought. It was futile. The man''s body instantly turned into ck smoke, and hadpletely disappeared. Grr. Razul gritted his teeth once more. He was about to throw the gargoyle away, but he just couldn''t bring himself to do it. "Mm." Razul looked down at the bronze gargoyle, his eyes clearly showing his inner conflict. He couldn''t move for quite some time. Chapter 201. Kang Oh, Man Bok, and Sephiro

Chapter 201. Kang Oh, Man Bok, and Sephiro

Trantor: Boko The ''Monster Road'', which connects the western and central regions of Arth, begins at the military city, Kuwang. Kang Oh hade here to replenish his supplies via Man Bok. "Hello." "It''s been a while." However, someone unexpected stood beside Man Bok. He had curly hair, and gave off the impression that he was a pushover. Sephiro waved his hand at him. "How have you been doing?" "Why are you here, Mr. Sephiro?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "Mr. Man Bok has some items for me, but he said he wasing here to see you, so I tagged along," Sephiro said. "You seem pretty boredtely," Kang Oh said politely. He was basically saying, ''Want me to do something about it?''. "No! I''m really busy!" Sephiro quickly replied. "What''s been keeping you so busytely?" "Do you remember the Rose family''s rainbow arrows?" "I don''t." "Don''t you remember making me work like a dog for a month in exchange for the Rose family''s purple arrow?" "Did that happen? What about it?" "I''m in the process of collecting the other colors. There are rumors that the entire set is connected to a hidden archer ss." "Hmm." He was starting to remember Sephiro telling him about that. "I heard that Mr. Man Bok found the yellow arrow, so I came to get it." "Here you go." Thinking that this was as good a time as any, Man Bok pulled out an arrow from his inventory; the yellow arrowhead was engraved with a rose. "Nice. Now I only need to find one more." Sephiro tightly gripped the yellow arrow. His eyes burned with determination, seemingly saying ''I''ll find all of them no matter what!''. ''Hmm. I''m not sure it''ll end well.'' He looked at the yellow arrow, but his Hyper Intuition didn''t react to it. Which meant that there was nothing more to the arrow. However, he didn''t reveal this to Sephiro. ''If he collects all seven arrows and nothing happens, then he''lle running to me for help. Then... I''ll use that as an excuse to work him like a dog.'' Kang Oh smiled wickedly. "Why are you smiling?" Sephiro looked at him anxiously. "I-It''s nothing." Kang Oh quickly wiped the smile off his face. "By the way, how much have you leveled up, Mr. Kang Oh?" Sephiro asked. "I''m quite curious myself." The curiosity showed on Man Bok''s face. "I''m in the mid 280s." He''d spent all of his time training, and had even used the Potion of Explosive Growth, so his rate of growth was unbelievably fast. Unfortunately, he wouldn''t be able to use the Potion of Explosive Growth once he hit level 300. "Damn it," Sephiro muttered. Kang Oh had somehow managed to catch up to his level. It felt really unpleasant. "Wow, you leveled up extremely quickly." Man Bok was in awe. "I''m not done yet. I heard high rankers were around level 300, and that Dukeram is over level 330." ''Moreover, I need to be even stronger to get acknowledged by Vn!'' Unbeknownst to him, Kang Oh had clenched his fist. "Ahem. Then, I''ll be going now." Sephiro vowed to find thest of the Rose family''s arrows, and then level up as much he could; he wouldn''t let Kang Oh surpass him. "Ah, Mr. Sephiro." Kang Oh quickly grabbed him. "Yes?" "What happened to the Great Forest''s Wukong? Has anyone caught him yet?" Kang Oh''s party had met the mythological creature, Wukong, in the Ungar Swamp. If no one found Wukong''s hideout for 100 days, then he''d make a ton of money. However, that quest had ended in failure. Another yer had discovered Wukong''s hideout. Once a human entered hisir, he became enraged, left his home, and ughtered all of the yers in the Great Forest. Then, an experienced,rge guild decided to kill him. They bravely stepped forth, but were ughtered again, and again, and again. Thinking that they''d be different, four of the five great guilds attempted to beat him, but the result was the same. "Aside from the Empire Guild, the other four great guilds failed the raid. I believe the Empire Guild''s elites will soon attempt the raid. I''ve heard that Emperor Dukeram will make a rare appearance too," Sephiro said. "They''ll fail too." The Empire Guild that had tried to kill him! Any misfortune that befell them would be good luck for him. "The yers'' opinions are divided half and half. The former believe that Wukong is currently unbeatable, while thetter believe the Empire Guild is in a league of its own." "Wukong is indeed an unbeatable monster at the moment." Kang Oh had prepared to hunt Wukong too. He didn''t want to give up a monster that he''d found first after all. He had seen the live broadcast of ''Rice University of Engineering'', who were the first to attempt the raid. Kang Oh watched as they were helplessly killed by Wukong. That was when he changed his mind. ''He''s weaker than a dragon, which is considered the apex monster, but he''s stronger than any raid boss that''s shown up thus far!'' Wukong wasn''t called a mythological creature for no reason. He was an overwhelmingly powerful monster. "Anyhow, please tell me if the Empire Guild fails the raid. It''ll make me feel a lot better." Kang Oh was absolutely certain that the Empire Guild would fail the Wukong raid. "Understood. Then, I''ll be going now." Sephiro nodded his head and then left. "I have the items that you requested," Man Bok said. There were two wagons behind him covered in cloth. "Would you like to see them?" "Yes." Man Bok pulled the cloth off one of the wagons, showing the potions, maintenance tools, emergency food, etc. within. However... "I didn''t bring the mass production BB-rank swords. You said you didn''t need them." "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head and inwardly clicked his tongue. ''Tch. To think that there''s a limit to stealing stats.'' Kang Oh used Gluttony every day using the BB-rank mass production swords, and had stolen a ton of stats. But at some point, he received this message after killing a monster while Gluttony was active. [Stats cannot be stolen.] [You have reached the limit of stolen stats.] [If you strengthen the demon sword, then the limit will increase.] The total amount of his stolen stats was 400 points. Right now, Demon Sword Ubist had been reinforced twice. If he wanted to steal some more stats, then he''d need to strengthen it to the next level. However, getting Demon Sword Ubist to +3 was difficult. In the past, feeding Ubist junk items would quickly increase its satiation, but now, feeding it dozens of junk items would only increase its satiation by 0.0001%. Thus... "What about the other items I asked for?" Kang Oh wanted to see the other items he''d requested. "Over here." Man Bok removed the cloth covering the other wagon too. There were tons of swords, spears, armor, shoes, belts, helmets, etc. inside. All of them were either B-rank or C-rank. "What are you going to do with all this?" "I''m going to do this." Kang Oh spilled the items onto the floor, and then pointed Demon Sword Ubist at the pile. "Eat it, Ubist!" The jet-ck greatsword spewed out darkness, which consumed the equipment as if it were eating candy. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Unbnced Sword.] [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Almost Defenseless Armor.] [Demon Sword Ubist has...] ... [Satiation has increased slightly.] [Satiation has increased slightly.] ... Once it had finished eating all of the equipment, the darkness began ''licking'' at the ground as if Ubist were still hungry. ''You ate that much, yet your satiation only went up by 3%!? You''re eating away at my money!'' Demon Sword Ubist''s satiation was at 81%. Just another 19% and his demon sword would reach the next level of reinforcement. However, increasing it by 19% wouldn''t be an easy task. After all, the guy ate a ton. "How interesting. A sword that eats other items." "Haa, it''s like pouring water into a jar with a hole in it." Kang Oh sighed. He wasn''t faking it at all. "Haha, is that so?" Man Bok smiled, seemingly interested by the sight. "Anyhow, please use my share of southern fish profits to pay for my supplies and the fodder for my sword. If I need mass production BB-rank swords, then I''ll let you know." If the two soul dungeons didn''t periodically pay him, then he wouldn''t be able to spend so much money on Demon Sword Ubist. But because of their monthly payments, he was able to spend all of his profits from the fish business on Ubist. After all, he''d made a promise that he''d be as strong as possible with whatever means at his disposal! "Understood." "I hope you make a lot of money." Kang Oh waved his hand at him, as he didn''t have any more business with him. "I hope you get a lot stronger too." Kang Oh and Man Bok parted ways immediately. * * * Night... The world was shrouded in darkness. The moon and the stars were obscured by the clouds, and a drizzle of raindrops began to fall from the sky. The Ingrit Troll''s stronghold, Ankaro Fortress, was located within the vast Ingrit ins. Thud. Ankaro Fortress''s gate opened. Rat-a-tat-tat. Troll Riders, which rode upon warthogs asrge as bears, left the fortress and dashed through the rain. There appeared to be about 10,000 Troll Riders. "We''re going at full speed!" Shakara yelled. Shakara was the Troll Rider at the front, and he was also an Ingrit Troll Champion. He had received an incredibly important mission from the Troll Great Chieftain, Razul. "Ooh!" The Troll Riders were well trained and their morale was high. They all replied to Shakara''s cry simultaneously. Sometimeter... The mass of Troll Riders rode across the Ingrit ins. They were heading for the north. It was in the direction of the snow-covered Ruman Mountains. However...! There were two men riding upon hideous monster birds in the sky. They were watching the Troll Riders riding across the grasnds. "In the end, Razul refused our offer and made a foolish choice," the man wearing a smile mask and ck robes said. Water rained down from above. "Attacking at night... They may attack the Ruman Orc''s Kalbawi Outpost by dawn," the man wearing a beast mask said. He was also covered in ck robes. "If the orcs aren''t informed, that is," the smile mask man said. "They''ll probably take out the scouts first," the beast mask man replied. It seemed like he was higher ranked than the smile mask man. "So they may be sessful?" "There''s a chance it''ll work." "What will we do if it works?" "The Kalbawi Outpost is both a strategic location, and a ce that keeps an eye on the trolls'' movements. If the Ruman Orcs lose the outpost, then they''ll have no idea what the trolls are doing. It''ll be like putting a de at their throat. Then, if the trollsunch an all-out surprise attack on the elves and take them down, then the trolls will be victorious. Razul has employed a pretty good strategy," the beast mask man said. "If that happens, then he''ll have no reason to join forces with us. Our n to use the trolls goespletely astray." The smile mask man had been moving behind the scenes, attempting to manipte the trolls. "That''s why we have to stop them." The beast mask man nodded his head. "You''re absolutely right." "I''ll head for the Kalbawi Outpost. You keep tabs on Razul. When this surprise attack fails, we''ll be able to pressure him into joining forces with us." "Understood." The smile mask man followed his orders withoutint. "For Ja." "For Ja." The two men controlled their monster birds and went their separate ways. The smile mask man headed for Ankaro Fortress, while the beast mask man headed for the northern Ruman Mountains. The rain wouldn''t stop as the evening wore on. Chapter 202. Prelude to the Race War

Chapter 202. Prelude to the Race War

Trantor: Boko The trolls rode under the cover of darkness. "Kuheok." "Enemies!" "Trolls areing!" Ruman Orc Scouts yelled. Orcs were green/yellow skinned, had pig noses, tusks that protruded out of their mouths, and thick stomachs. Ruman Orcs didn''t look much different from any other orc. Due to how powerful their tribe was, however, their warriors were incredibly well armed. The warriors wore breasttes that protected their chest, as well as gauntlets and greaves over their arms and legs. They wielded either sharp axes, orrge, thick maces or clubs. "Shaman, contact headquarters immediately!" "Don''t fall back. We have to buy some time!" Ten Orc Scouts surrounded the Shaman, which was the only orc here that could contact headquarters. "Ang guriang biancamandu!" The Orc Shaman lifted an animal skull with both hands, and began reciting a bizarre chant. "Not going to happen!" Throwing spears was Shakara''s specialty! He pulled a javelin off his back and forcefully threw it. Whoosh! The power of the violently spinning spear was tremendous. Boom! It pierced through the Orc Shaman''s shoulder joint. "Kuahk!" The shaman screamed in agony. He obviously wasn''t able toplete the spell. "The shaman''s been hit! Spread out! We need to send word to headquarters no matter what! We need to let them know of the trolls'' invasion!" an orc yelled. The remaining orcs split from each other and ran. "Don''t let any of them get away!" Shakara said murderously. A short whileter... All of the Orc Scouts had been killed. "Today''s a good day to be killing orcs," Shakara gazed at the sky and said. The darkness of night and the unending rain werepletely concealing their actions. "To the next outpost!" The Troll Warriors moved as one. * * * Kalbawi Outpost wasn''t huge, but it was a fortress constructed out of stone. There were too many Orc Warriors stationed here for it to be called an outpost. After all, the orcs couldn''t afford to lose this outpost to the trolls! There were so many soldiers here that it almost seemed excessive. Obviously, the Orc Warriors here were the best of the best. Thus, the Orc Warriors manning the ramparts diligently did their duty, despite the rain falling down on them. But life always threw curveballs. Gyaahk! A giant bird hovered above the fortress, and a mannded on the ramparts. "Who are you!?" "An intruder!" The Orc Guards pointed their weapons at him. Swish. The beast mask man raised his head. Red light radiated from the mask''s eyes holes. "You''ll work." The beast mask man extended his hand. A thick tentacle, resembling an octopus''s leg, burst from his hand and wrapped around the orcs. "Kuahk!" "What is this!?" "ept Ja''s blessing." The tip of the tentacles pierced the back of their heads, and began injecting a clear liquid into their bodies. "Guuu." "S-Stop." "Guahk!" Unable to withstand the pain, the brave orcs screamed in agony, and begged for mercy. However, the beast mask man offered them no mercy. Spurt! The orcs began swelling like a balloon. "Guuuu." "Gyaruugukueuk." Bizarre cries resounded throughout the ramparts. These were the cries of monsters, not orcs; they were now nothing more than lumps of flesh. "Go." The beast mask man withdrew his tentacles from the flesh monsters. These flesh monsters, which looked to explode at any moment, dragged their feet towards the end of the castle walls. A short whileter... Bam! Bam! Bam! "Kuahk!" "Exploding monsters!" "This is an emergency. Ring the bell!" Ding, ding, ding, ding! The peal of a bell resounded throughout the fortress, disrupting the silence that once dominated Kalbawi Outpost. And... The beast mask man disappeared into the darkness, as if he hadn''t existed in the first ce. * * * It was a bright morning. Creak. Kang Oh opened the door to the Kasten Mercenary Association and went inside. "Wee." The Chewba look-alike greeted him. He reactedpletely differently from when they''d first met. It was only natural. Back then, he was nothing but a worthless human, but now he was a gold mercenary, which cemented him as one of the best mercenaries in thend. "Do you have any dangerous battles for me?" Kang Oh asked. Other mercenaries performed tasks like guard duty and transporting/collecting items, but Kang Oh wouldn''t do such menial tasks. He only took jobs that involved him fighting on the battlefield. "Not right now, no." "Why?" "The Ingrit Trollsunched a surprise attack on the Ruman Orc''s Kalbawi Outpostst night." The Kasten Mercenary Association was the fastest when it came to information gathering in the west. "So how did it turn out?" "The attack failed. Before the trolls even attacked, the orcs were attacked by some bizarre monsters, so they were on high alert." "They made a move, but it ended in failure. I doubt this''ll be the end of things." Kang Oh had spent thest several months in the western region, so he knew about the rtionship among the Ingrit Trolls, the Nigel Elves, and the Ruman Orcs. Of course, he also knew how strategic the Kalbawi Outpost was too. "This attack is a deration of war." "Which will result in a huge battle." "That''s right. It''ll be a huge battle that''ll involve everyone in the west." That''s what happened in the past too. The Ingrit Trolls raised a huge army, and the other species were forced into action. "All of the western races are watching and waiting anxiously. They''ll likely end their racial disputes as quickly as possible," ''Chewba'' added. "So you won''t have a job for me until the war with the trolls begins." "That''s right." "I got it." Kang Oh understood what was going on now. ''I guess I could just go through dungeons for now.'' "See youter." "Take care." However... All of a sudden, a pointy-eared elf opened the door and rushed in. "I have an urgent message for you," the elf approached ''Chewba'' and said. "What is it?" "The Ingrit Trolls have begun their march." "What?" "War... has begun!" * * * Four hours prior to Kang Oh meeting with ''Chewba'' in the Mercenary Association... The Troll Great Chieftain, Razul, called all of the Troll Champions to his home. Other than Razul, Nergal, Shakara, Turkavan, Ursac, etc. were there. Nergal, Shakara, Turkavan, and Ursac were all Troll Champions. Nergal was covered from head to toe in scars while Ursac had a head that wasrger than your average troll. Turkavan''s face was covered with tattoos, while Shakara wouldn''t stop chewing on his lips. Gathering all of the Troll Champions in one ce made it feel incredibly imposing. "The attack failed," Razul stood up, everyone focusing on him, and said. "Mm." Shakara, who led the surprise attack, kept his mouth in a thin line. They''d taken out all of the scouts and had covertly attacked Kalbawi Outpost, but for some reason, the orcs werepletely ready for them. They couldn''t take them by surprise at all! Thus, he''d kept all of his forces in one piece and had returned. "Now the elves, orcs, and the other tribes in the west will know what we''re nning. They''ll gather all of their forces under the Anti-Ingrit banner like in the past," Razul said, his eyes filled with killing intent. In the past, the Anti-Ingrit Alliance defeated them, foiling his ns and forcing them back with their tails between their legs. Razul remembered the humiliation he''d felt that day. "We have to strike before they form the alliance." "Then?" Turkavan, the Troll Champion whose face was covered in tattoos, asked. "In three hours, we''ll mobilize all of our warriors except the rear support troops!" The Ingrit Trolls had been preparing for battle since the night before. They were ready to mobilize at a moment''s notice. "Our destination is... Nigel Forest!" Razul dered. Nigel Forest. The home of the elves. They would destroy the elves first! "Yes, sir!" the Troll Champions replied simultaneously, their eyes gleaming. There were no disagreements amongst them. "Report to me when you''re ready to move out." "Yes, sir!" "Go." The Troll Champions quickly departed. Razul looked over a map that fully depicted the topography of the western grasnds. ''We have to seize the Nigel Forest ASAP. And then, we have to finish off the Ruman Orcs!'' He nced in a certain direction. His eyes were focused on the bronze gargoyle. ''I don''t need your help. I, Razul, will control the west by myself!'' Razul''s eyes zed with ambition. * * * The Nigel Forest was thergest forest in the west, and was also the domain of the elves. Elves possessed lithe bodies, sharp, pointy ears, and were proficient in handling spirits. They were also blessed with long life, and aged extremely slowly. They also had ten elders, and these elders gathered together to make decisions for the race as a whole. This was called the Council of Elders. If a war broke out or there was an emergency, the Council of Elders would select one elf asmander in chief, and the selected elf would gainplete authority over the elves. When they heard that the trolls wereing, the Nigel Elves prepared for war, and selected the well-respected and skilled Doran asmander in chief. Doran''s decision-making was stupendous. ''The trolls tried attacking the orc''s outpost, but that ended in failure. Then, they immediately mobilized their army... They''re trying to stop us from forming an alliance by blitzing us and ending the war before it even starts. If that''s the case, then we have to drag this out!'' He called all of his tribe''s greatest warriors. "We''re setting up several barricades in the forest," Doran said. "Barricades?" an elf, Kibry said. "We''re trying to buy as much time as possible. We need to prolong this war as long as we can. So we''ll set up several barricades, hold out for as long as possible, and then slowly back off." "Understood." "Kibry, take the most quick-footed Elvish Warriors with you and run reconnaissance on the trolls. Then report back to me." "Understood." Kibry departed. "Anra, go to the orcs." "To ask for reinforcements?" "Yeah. And tell them about my barricade n. They should know about those damn trolls'' ns by now." "Yes, sir." "Cetion and Vanessa, head for the Kasten Mercenary Association." "What do you want us to do there?" Cetion asked. "Meet the president of the association, and ask him to form a squad of mercenaries." The Ingrit Trolls didn''t make use of mercenaries. They may use other species as ves, but they were incredibly chauvinistic and valued their pure blood. Thus, the Mercenary Association would always side with the Anti-Ingrit Alliance. In the past war, the mercenaries grouped together and fought against the trolls. Doran hoped that they''d participate in this war likest time. "I''ll be sure to bring back a squad of mercenaries," Cetion said firmly. "I''m counting on you." "What about me?" the only female elf here, Vanessa asked. "Go with Cetion. Ask the Mercenary Association for help, and gather forces for the Anti-Ingrit Alliance." The best way to repel the mighty Ingrit Trolls was for all of the races to fight as one. "I''ll do my best." "There should be an orc there that''s received the same mission as you. Work with them." "Yes, sir. I''ll keep that in mind." "Go on." Cetion and Vanessa left together. "The remaining warriors and I will form a barricade, and take position in strategic locations." "Yes, sir!" Arge number of fully armed elves left the elvish vige, Schuverion. Morning of the next day... The Ingrit Trolls and the Nigel Elves shed for the first time. It was the prelude to the race war. Chapter 203. Trolls vs. Elves

Chapter 203. Trolls vs. Elves

Trantor: Boko The Troll Army appeared on the ins bordering Nigel Forest. The army consisted of Troll Riders, a squad of Troll Shamans, and a squad of spear throwers. The Troll Riders rode on warthogs the size of bears, while the Troll Shamans wore skull masks and were capable of casting a variety of spells! The spear throwers obviously carried several javelins on their backs. Aside from them, there were countless other trolls there that were armed with all sorts of weapons. The army wasposed of 100,000 trolls! This was the full power of the Ingrit Trolls, which was considered the most powerful tribe within the west. Obviously, the army was incredibly imposing as well. The Troll Great Chieftain, Razul, rode upon a giant rhino and scanned Nigel Forest. Orc and elf skulls hung around his neck, ttering as they bumped into each other. "Nergal, Turkavan, Angol!" Razul yelled. "Yes, Great Chieftain." "You called?" The Troll Champions, Nergal, Turkavan, and Angol approached him. "You''ll lead the vanguard." Each Troll Championmanded 10,000 trolls. Which meant that the vanguard would possess a gigantic force of 30,000 strong. "Thank you very much." The Troll Champions bowed their heads. "Nergal. My bravest warrior." "Yes, Great Chieftain." Nergal raised his head, which was riddled with scars, and stared at Razul. "Takemand of the vanguard." "It''s an honor!" "Go! Rip those elves to pieces!" "We won''t disappoint you." A short whileter... The vanguard was formed quickly. Nergal was situated in the middle, riding a ck warthog. Turkavan and his subordinates were on the right, while Angol was on the left. The 30,000 Troll Warriors smacked their weapons on the floor. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground cried out, and the troops were ready for war. "Vanguard!" Nergal''s voice rang out. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! They replied by pounding their weapons onto the floor. "Attack!" Nergal was the first to charge forward. "Uwaaaaaaah!" the troops cried out. A dust cloud formed as 30,000 troops charged at full speed. It was both a tremendous and fearsome sight. * * * The Nigel Elves had finished constructing the 1st barricade, whichy at the outermost edge of the forest. 20,000 elves were stationed there. Their full force was about 40,000 men, but the other 20,000 were stationed at the 2nd and 3rd barricades. "They''reing," an Elvish Warrior, Kuyol, said from beside him. Doran calmly watched the trolls approach the forest. "Ready," Doran calmly said. "Ready!" Kuyol repeated loudly. Elves were incredibly talented archers, so every single soldier here had a bow. They were also armed with melee weapons as well. Notch, notch, notch. 20,000 elves notched their arrows and drew their bowstrings. That too was a grand spectacle. "Infuse the spirits'' power," Doran said. "Infuse the spirits'' power!" Kuyol repeated loudly. Whir. The elves'' arrows began shining with several colors. Doran raised his right hand. Once his hand fell, 20,000 arrows would fill the sky. "Steady." Doran waited until they got in firing range. "Steady!" Kuyol yelled. Rat-a-tat-tat. The ground shook as 30,000 trolls charged towards them. The closer they got to the forest, the more tense it became. ''Now!'' Doran''s eyes gleamed. "Fire!" he yelled. Kuyol didn''t need to repeat the order. Doran''s hand, which had been raised in the air, now pointed at the trolls. Whizz, whizz, whizz! 20,000 arrows flew into the sky simultaneously. In an instant, the sky was filled with arrows. Moreover, these arrows were infused with the spirits'' power! "Raise your shields!" Nergal saw the iing arrows and yelled. Those chosen to join the vanguard were all equipped with oval-shaped shields. The Troll Warriors quickly raised their shields, protecting them from the arrows. Bam, bam, bam, bam! Arrows struck both the ground and their shields. Bam! Thwock! Bam! However, these arrows were infused with the spirits'' power. Fire, water, wind, lightning, etc. went everywhere. "Kuahk." "Damn it!" Those injured by the arrows themselves or the destruction caused by the spirits'' power toppled onto the ground. However, they hadn''t sustained as many casualties as they''d anticipated. They also had no reason to stop their advance. "Don''t stop. Forward!" Nergal yelled. "Oooh!" the Troll Warriors eximed, boosting the morale of their forces. "Ready!" Doran yelled. Notch, notch, notch. "Infuse the spirits'' power!" Whir. "Fire!" Whizz, whizz, whizz! The elves unleashed a second wave of arrows, and the trolls raised their shields once more. Bam, bam, bam, bam! "Kuheok." "Kyaahk!" The trolls struck by the arrows and/or the spirits'' power fell to the floor. However, their casualties remained low, despite it being a barrage of 20,000 spirit arrows. "Keep going!" Negal yelled once more. "Obey themander!" "We''re the Ingrit Trolls!" Turkavan and Angol yelled simultaneously. The trolls didn''t stop their advance. * * * "This is strange. They''re not taking much damage," Angol said. "It''s because of their shields," Doran said. He''d been calmly assessing the battle. "Their shields?" "Yeah. Their shields are weakening the spirits'' power. That''s why none of our arrows have pierced through them." "Damn it. Are they custom shields?" "The Troll Chieftain, Razul, must''ve prepared those to use against us. So let''s use our own secret weapon. We have to cut down their numbers here no matter what." The trolls weren''t the only ones that had been preparing themselves. The elves knew that the trolls would return someday, so they had prepared themselves and created a secret weapon of their own. "Yes, sir." "Ready the drill arrows!" Doran yelled. "Ready the drill arrows!" Kuyol repeated. The Elvish Warriors pulled out their drill arrows; the arrowheads were made of a beast''s teeth. "Fire homing arrows!" "Fire homing arrows!" Doran and Kuyol yelled. Whizz! Whir! The drill arrows emitted a strange sound akin to a cicada''s cry. "Shields!" Once they saw the third round of arrows, the Troll Warriors raised their shields. However...! "Kuhahk!" "Shit!" "They''ve gotten through our shields!" "Guaaahk!" Spurt! The drill arrows, which were imbued with the ''Homing'' skill, pierced through the trolls'' shields and embedded themselves into their bodies. The trolls sustained a huge amount of casualties this time. "It definitely worked this time." Kuyol clenched his fist. "Mm." Doran nodded his head. The drill arrows were created by using the teeth of the Tooth Tooth monster; their teeth could bite through anything. These arrows specialized in pration. But there were a couple downsides to them; they couldn''t contain the spirits'' power, and they were extremely difficult to procure. Thus, they weren''t able to make a lot of them. As a result, the elves had only been able to make 40,000 of them. The 20,000 elves at the first barricade had used all of the ones they''d brought with them. By using them, they were able to kill several trolls in one fell swoop, so they didn''t go to waste. "Shall we shoot again?" Kuyol asked. "No. The trolls have gotten too close. Get ready for meleebat." Doran pulled out his sword. It was a legendary elvish sword called the ''Spirit''s Sword'', and was obviously SS-rank. "Protectors of Nigel, ready your weapons! Kill all the trolls! Don''t let a single one escape!" "Kill!" "Kill!" The elvish warriors raised their weapons. At that moment... Nergal, who was the forefront of his troops, charged into the Nigel Forest atop his warthog. "You tree loving cowards! I, Nergal, havee!" Nergal pulled out his sword and charged! Swish! Whenever he swung his sword, shards of light would burst from the Elvish Warriors'' bodies. "Kuyol." "Understood." Kuyol drew his spear and charged at Nergal. Generals should fight generals, not low-rank soldiers. "I''m the Elvish Warrior, Kuyol." "C''mon kid, attack!" Sword and spear shed. "Is that all you got!?" Nergal provoked him. "Hmph. Let''s see if you can keep talking after I''ve cut through that mouth of yours." Kuyol''s eyes zed with killing intent. Sword and spear shed once more. "Kill all of the elves!" "Ingrit, Ingrit!" The surviving trolls pushed through the forest. "Die!" "Eat this!" "Protect our forest!" The Troll and Elvish Warriors shed head-on. The battlefield was filled with the metallic ng of their weapons colliding, as well as their screams, curses, and death. The intense battle went on for quite some time. Razul watched as the vanguard entered Nigel Forest. ''The shield squadron got through their arrows. I guess it''s time.'' The shields that the three Troll Champions'' men carried were specifically designed to protect them against the elves'' arrows. They''d broken through the barrage of arrows, so now it was time to move their main force and ughter the elves in one go. "Ursac!" "You called?" Ursac replied. His head wasrger than the average troll''s and he possessed a huge physique. "Keep your special forces here." "Understood." Though he was disappointed that he wouldn''t be able to participate in the battle, heplied with the order. "You''ll y a huge part in the battle against the orcs, so just wait a little longer." "Yes, sir." "Everyone aside from Ursac''s squad, follow me! We''re going to reinforce the vanguard!" Razul yelled. "Razul! Razul!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The trolls all yelled Razul''s name, and pounded their weapons onto the ground. "Charge!" Excluding Ursac''s squad, 60,000 trolls marched towards Nigel Forest. * * * The Mercenary Association had gathered all of its gold rank mercenaries. "Is that all of us?" Balduk asked. He was the president of the Mercenary Association. He was an oxman, who possessedrge, beautiful golden horns. Balduk was over 3 meters tall, and he emanated an aura of power. "We''ve gathered twelve of our gold rank mercenaries, but we don''t know where thest four are," a worker said. His skin, fur, and eyes were allpletely white. He was Balduk''s right-hand man. Kang Oh was here too. The other human gold rank mercenary, Bart, was absent. "Hmm, then let''s begin the meeting. You all have some idea as to what''s happening right now, right?" Balduk said. The mercenaries nodded their heads. Kang Oh stood with his arms crossed. "But I''d still like a detailed exnation of what''s going on," Balduk said to the cold faced Cetion, who was leaning on the wall. Cetion nodded his head and said, "The Ingrit Trolls have invaded Nigel Forest. Our greatest warrior, Lord Doran, was electedmander in chief, and has created several barricades to slow the trolls down." "Barricades? So he''s chosen to spread out his firepower, rather than concentrate it in a single spot?" a mercenary asked. "Yes. Lord Doran said that it would be a war of attrition. If we can prolong this war, then victory will be ours," Cetion said. "The Ingrit Trolls are trying to end this as quickly as possible. They''re not giving us time to gather our strength," Balduk added. "I see. Then will the Mercenary Association form a mercenary squadron, and participate in the war likest time?" a panther faced mercenary asked. He had participated in the previous war. "That''s right. It''d be hard for us to make much of an impact by ourselves," Balduk said. "I agree. It''d be hard to find work when the trolls are making such a ruckus. Of course, you have to make sure we''re paid properly," the panther faced mercenary said. "You don''t have to worry about that. We will pay you handsomely," Cetrion said. "Then it''s fine." None of the mercenaries disagreed or opposed the proposition. Kang Oh didn''t really have anyints either. All he cared about was being able to step onto the battlefield after all. "Alright then, I assume you all agree, so we''ll be forming a mercenary squad." "Alright." At that moment... Bam. The door to the Mercenary Association opened and in came the female elf, Vanessa. "What''s the matter?" Balduk asked. "The first barricade... has fallen," Vanessa said, looking regretful. Chapter 204. Unbelievable Move

Chapter 204. Unbelievable Move

Trantor: Boko Apparently, the trolls'' 90,000 troops won an overwhelming victory against the elves. "Lord Doran has retreated to the 2nd barricade, and has sent word to send reinforcements ASAP," Vanessa said. "Mm. They sent 90,000 troops? They sure are determined to see this through. That means that the Ingrit Trolls are throwing everything they have at Nigel Forest... How much longer can youst?" Balduk asked. "It''d be difficult tost three days without reinforcements. They far outnumber us." Vanessa''s expression was dark. It made sense. Her race''s future was at stake after all. "Three days... We don''t have time. We need to call our mercenaries and form a squad. We''ll send them as reinforcements," Balduk said to his right-hand man. "I''ll get on it immediately." "Hurry." "Yes, sir." The worker left the room. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh calmly assessed the situation. ''The Ingrit Trolls. They made a bold move. However, there''s a risk associated with this.'' They''d blitzed the elves with their entire force. To him, it was foolish, not bold. ''Using this stupid strategy is like telling people ''Hey, I''m open over here!''. If you strike at that weak point, then it''s over for them. Are the orcs smart enough to even consider that?'' Kang Oh raised his hand. "I have a question." "What is it?" Balduk asked. "What are the orcs doing?" "The orcs have already sent reinforcements. I heard from a Ruman Orc that was sent here," Vanessa answered. The orcs couldn''t allow the elves to fall. If they were to fall, then they would be next. So when they heard that the trolls were attacking the elves, they immediately sent reinforcements. ''That''s not a good idea.'' Sending reinforcements meant that they were overly focused on the trolls'' numbers. However, they''d already sent the reinforcements, so there was nothing he could do about that. ''If that''s the case, then...'' "President," Kang Oh said. "Go ahead." "We can''t send the mercenary squad to the elves." "What are you talking about!?" "What did you say?" Cetion and Vanessa replied in a fit of rage. Balduk furrowed his brow. However, his expression quickly returned to normal, and he calmed the elves down. "Let''s all calm down... Exin so that we can all understand." "We''re going to attack their home base." "What?" Vanessa looked shocked. "By attacking the elves with everything they have, the trolls have left their home base open to attack. Attacking that would be our best option." "Mm." Balduk and the other mercenaries looked astonished. It sounded like quite a good idea. "Based on their actions thus far, the trolls seempletely focused on destroying the elves. An ambush, arge-scale attack, and all-out war. They have two goals. First, finish off the elves before the other tribes can join forces. Second, hide their weakness." "So that weakness of theirs is their main base, Ankaro Fortress?" "Yes. If they could mobilize 100,000 soldiers, yet still have enough troops to protect their main base, then they would''ve conquered the west a long time ago." "That''s true." Balduk stroked his beard. He continuously muttered, ''Indeed''. The more he thought about it, the better it sounded. "Are you nning on abandoning the elves?" Vanessa said sharply. Things had taken a strange turn. After all, striking at the trolls'' headquarters was essentially saying that they were abandoning the elves to their fate. "Mm." Balduk looked to be at his wit''s end. Then, Kang Oh said, "There''s a way to send reinforcements without actually sending them." "What is it?" Balduk looked interested all of a sudden. "We spread rumors that we''re attacking their main base. The trolls won''t know what to do." "Hoh, what an unbelievable move." Balduk pped his knee and then gave Kang Oh an astonished look. "How did youe up with that?" "It may be because I''m not a native of thisnd. I have no personal attachments here, so I can calmly assess the situation." After all, it wouldn''t be a big problem for him if the elves met their demise, and the trolls conquered the western area. He could just move to another area. Thus, he could calmly assess the situation without any personal bias. Whereas the non-human species here couldn''t give up this ce, which was known as a paradise for non-humans, to the trolls. If they traveled to a different area, then they may be mistaken for monsters and attacked, or may be ostracized for being non-human. But if they stayed here, then they''d be forced to live as ves under the Ingrit Trolls. Thus, the elves, the orcs, Balduk, and the non-human mercenaries were afraid once they heard that the ''elves were in huge danger''. If the elves fell, then the orcs would soon follow. After that, the trolls would conquer the entire west. Ultimately, they could think of nothing but saving the elves from their plight. "I see. It''s like you''re someone watching a chess match, not one of the yers." "Yes, that''s right." "Is there anyone that disagrees with the gold rank mercenary, Kang Oh?" Balduk took a look around. The mercenaries thought it was a good idea and gave him a thumbs up, while the two elves looked anxious. After all, they couldn''t trade the trolls'' home base for their vige. "You don''t have to worry too much. You said the orcs have sent reinforcements already, so the elves won''t fall easily," Kang Oh looked at the two elves and said. "He''s right," Balduk reinforced. "Understood." Vanessa tiredly nodded her head. Cetion let out a quiet sigh. "When we''ve finished forming the mercenary squad, we''ll attack the trolls'' main base, Ankaro Fortress... Everyone get ready. Meeting adjourned." The meeting between the leading members of the Mercenary Association and the gold rank mercenaries ended. Kang Oh left the room. ''Anyhow, why are they using such an extreme method?'' He couldn''t understand what the trolls'' leaders were thinking. It was like they were being hunted by something, so they were trying to finish things up as quickly as possible. If that''s the case, then what exactly was hunting and/or pressuring the trolls'' leaders that made them make such a rash decision? He couldn''t know as of yet. * * * The second barricade was destroyed rather quickly. Razul''s great army was like an irresistible force that pushed towards the elvish vige, Schubelion. The elves''mander and chief, Doran, had set up the final barricade, and was ready to fight to the death. "What about our reinforcements?" Doran asked. "The orcs will be here soon." "What about the Mercenary Association?" "We haven''t gotten any word from them yet." "Mm." A cute Elvish Warrior, Cabri, entered Doran''s room. "Lord Doran." He was carrying amunication crystal. "What is it?" "Vanessa has some important news for you." "Give it here." Doran took themunication bead. The bead was showing Vanessa''s face. "It''s me. What''s going on? Did the mercenary squad depart already?" "The mercenary squad will be formed soon." "Mm. Tell them to send reinforcements ASAP." "About that... It''s been decided that the mercenary squad won''t help the elves." "What are you talking about?" Despite having all the reason to lose his cool, Doran remained calm. "The mercenary squad will attack the trolls'' main base. And they''ve decided to spread rumors that they''re attacking it too." "Attacking the trolls'' main base?" "Yes. During the meeting, one of the mercenaries stated that the enemy''s main base would be empty, and that attacking it would be more beneficial than reinforcing the elves. They decided to go with that suggestion." Doran''s keen eyes lit up. "Attacking their home base! It''s a good idea." "My apologies. I should''ve insisted that they send you reinforcements." Vanessa looked like she''d cry any minute now. She knew that Kang Oh''s idea was a good one, but even so, she had wanted to send her people some reinforcements. Vanessa had wanted to save even one more of her people. "No, striking at their main base is a much better idea. Don''t worry about us. The orcs will be here soon." Doran''s decision-making was astounding. "I believe in you. Please keep our people safe." "Of course," Doran said confidently. This conversation had given him hope that they could win. That was the end of the conversation. ''Striking at their home base... I waspletely focused on stopping the trolls that I hadn''t even thought of that. The orcs wille to reinforce us, while the mercenaries attack the trolls'' main headquarters. Things are going well.'' It''d been a long time since Doran had smiled. But it seemed like Kuyol, who was right beside him, had a different opinion on the matter. "At this rate, aren''t we the only ones suffering?" In other words, the elves would sacrifice the most while others benefitted. "We have to make it so that doesn''t happen. We have to join with the orcs and form a front line ASAP. If we maintain this final defensive line, then we''ll soon get a chance to counterattack. That''s when we''ll pay them back." "Understood." However...! The elves'' future was still as bleak as ever. After all, Razul wouldn''t just sit there and let the orcs join up with the elves. * * * The orcs had a strong ability to reproduce, so they were the secondrgest tribe after the Ingrit Trolls. Obviously, they possessed a ton of warriors that could participate in battle too. They had 70,000 of them at that. Of course, an orc''sbat ability couldn''t match that of a troll''s. However, they had an incredibly fighting spirit and were willing to take any risk, so they were more powerful in battle than their original abilities would suggest. Anyhow, 50,000 orcs were sent to reinforce the elves. That''s just how much they feared the elves'' destruction. "All forces, halt." The Orc Commander, Mumugul, led the orcs'' 50,000 troops. He was the right-hand man of the Orc Great Chieftain, Asuka. He essentially had the 2nd highest authority over the orcs. Mumugul mmed his giant axe onto the ground. "Trolls are here." 50,000 orcs were blocked by 30,000 trolls. The giant bodied troll, Ursac, stepped forward. "Haha, this''ll be your grave, you lowly, stupid pigs." "Are you sure? It looks more like your grave to me. Do you really think you can stop us with that paltry number of troops?" Mumugul countered. 50,000 versus 30,000. The orcs had a clear numerical advantage. "If you''re so confident, thene and get us!" Ursac yelled. "Do you think I''m scared!? Orcs, listen up. We''ll kill those trolls and then save the elves!" "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" The orcs'' rough breathes served as their reply. "Attack!" Mumugal roared. 50,000 orcs simultaneously charged at the 30,000 trolls. "Bring out our secret weapon!" Ursac yelled. The trolls moved quickly. Dozens of warthogs, the size of bears, pulled a wagon forward. The trolls pulled off the cloth covering it, revealing a giant cage. Inside of that was... Kuhaaahk! There was an ogre inside, which was about two to three times the size of an orc or troll. "Shamans, control the ogre!" Ursac yelled. Jingle jangle. The Troll Shamans waved their bell staffs around. A peculiar sound, one akin to the sound of a rattlesnake, rang out. "Honsuwarubar! Honsuwarubar!" They added in a bizarre chant as well. Creak. The door to the cage opened. Thud! Thud! The orcs were shocked by the ogre. "It''s an ogre!" "An ogre has appeared!" Ogres had a nickname: ughterer. They were much stronger than orcs, so when a group of orcs encountered one, they would be massacred. This happened several times before. Thus, the orcs had no choice but to fear them. But now, an ogre had suddenly appeared in a battle between orcs and trolls! This was Razul''s secret weapon against the orcs. Chapter 205. Orcs vs. Trolls

Chapter 205. Orcs vs. Trolls

Trantor: Boko 1,000 ogres appeared on the battlefield. They were well armed, wearing thick armor made of high quality steel, and wielded sharp, two-handed axes. Jingle jangle. "Shuwaraka, orc! Shuwaraka, orc!" the Troll Shamans yelled as they swung their staffs. ''Shuwaraka'' meant ''Kill!''. Bang, bang, bang, bang! 1,000 ogres charged at the orcs, the trolls following right behind them. Whereas the Orc Warriors slowed down. The ogres hadpletely destroyed their morale. It was time for Mumugul, themander in chief, to take a stand. "We''re the Ruman Orcs! The Ruman Orcs fight, and they win!" His voice resounded throughout the battlefield. Large-Scale Command! Mumugul used an Orc Commander skill. It raised the orcs'' abilities and morale. "The Ruman Orcs fight!" "The Ruman Orcs win!" Mumugul''s Large-Scale Command had reignited the Orc Warriors'' fighting spirit. The Orc Shamans poured oil onto the fire. Animal skulls hung from their staffs, which were raised high into the air. Boost Courage! Their staffs emanated yellow light, which spread towards the troops. Any Orc Warrior touched by the light felt as though they could win. "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" The orcs charged once more. And finally...! The orcs, trolls, and ogres shed head-on. Kuhaahk! The frontmost ogre forcefully swung its two-handed axe. The muscles in its arms bulged so much that they looked like they''d burst. "Block it!" The Orc Warriors raised their weapons, intent on blocking the ogre''s weapon. However... Bam! The ogre''s power was tremendous. "Kuheok!" "Kyaahk!" Unable to withstand its power, the orcs were swept away like rustling leaves. "Shuwaraka, orc!" "Shuwaraka, orc!" The Troll Shamans, who were controlling the ogres, raised their voices. An ogre pointed and then swung its axe at a fallen orc. Bam! The ogre split the orc in two as if it was cutting firewood. "Don''t fight them by yourself!" "Attack together!" The Orc Warriors yelled, and charged at the ogre. It was like a colony of ants swarming a mantis. Obviously, the Troll Warriors didn''t just sit there and let it happen. "Stop the pigs!" "Protect the ogres!" The orcs, trolls, and ogres werepletely jumbled up. The hectic, intense battle continued. * * * At the same time... The trolls and elves confronted each other across a small river that passed through Nigel Forest. Breaking through all the barricades had cost the trolls 10,000 soldiers. 30,000 of their troops had left to stop the orcs, so their grand army of 100,000 had shrunk to 60,000. Despite that, they still had way more troops than the elves. The elves had only slightly more than 20,000 troops. They''d incurred several casualties by holding back the trolls at the first and second barricades. The Troll Great Chieftain, Razul, rode his rhino forward. "I''d like to speak with the elves''mander in chief!" Though he spoke normally, his voice echoed throughout the forest; this was in no small part due to the spell he''d cast to amplify his voice. The elves''mander in chief, Doran, appeared from the other side of the river. "I''m the elves''mander in chief, Doran! What do you want?" Like Razul, Doran had artificially raised his voice via wind spirits. "Let me give you an offer." "What is it?" "If you surrender right here and now, then I''ll let the elves live. However, if you fight till the bitter end, then this world will never see pointy eared beings ever again!" Razul said threateningly. 60,000 vs. 20,000. It was clear who the victor would be. "There''s nothing to think about. Keep that nonsense to yourself," Doran immediately replied. "You want the elves to go extinct?" "We won''t go extinct." "Are you hoping for orc reinforcements? They won''t being." "What?" "I''ve sent some of my troops to intercept them! They''re probably all dead by now! Haha." That disturbed the Elvish Warriors. They''d heard that they just needed to hold out until reinforcements came, yet reinforcements weren''ting? ''Everything''s going as nned.'' Razul smiled wickedly. Just a few words were enough to lower their morale. What a good deal. "How ridiculous! Considering how many troops you have here, you''ve sent 30,000 to fight them at best. There are 50,000 orc troops! Thanks for splitting up your forces for us! The orcs will defeat your forces quickly and be here soon!" Doran calmly assessed the situation and replied. His calm voice resounded throughout the forest, causing the distraught, flustered elves to regain their fighting spirit. Seeing that, Razul slightly nodded his head. ''He''s not bad. But I''m the one who holds all the cards!'' Razul continued, "Hmph. Did you really think we''d be afraid of orcs, when they''re so sorelycking inbat ability? 30,000 Troll Warriors is plenty. Moreover, I have a secret weapon to deal with them: ogres!" "Ogres?" Doran furrowed his brow. "We''ve managed to control ogres. And we''ve unleashed 1,000 fully armed ogres on the orcs!" Razul yelled. "Mm!" Kuyol gulped from beside him. Ogres, which were also known as ughterers, were feared by not just the orcs, but the elves as well. To think that they''d fostered 1,000 ogres and had sent them into battle! "I won''t believe anything a troll says!" Doran said firmly. Even if his words were true, he couldn''t afford to acknowledge them. If he epted that reinforcements weren''ting, then his soldiers'' morale would reach rock bottom. "Hoo, hoo. Then die, waiting for reinforcements that aren''ting." Razulughed. "You told me something quite interesting, so let me pay back the favor. Listen up, trolls!" It was time for his counterattack. Doran couldn''t just sit here and take a beating! "There''s arge force from Kasten going somewhere!" "What about it? You''ll all be dead by the time they''ve arrived, and the elven vige will be razed to the ground." "They''re headed for Ankaro Fortress!" "What?" Razul''s expression did a 180. "Your main base!" Now the trolls started to stir. "That''s impossible!" Razul yelled desperately. "You don''t have to believe me. It''s the truth! Will you even have a home to return to?" "Grr! Shut your mouth!" Razul grabbed an elf skull that hung from his neck. Crack. The skull broke into a thousand pieces. "Hmph. You bastards burned our home, the Romande Forest! Now you''ll get a taste of what it feels like!" Doran spoke as if he were cursing them. No one could say he was lying. The trolls weren''t just noisy anymore; they were causing an uproar. It looked like they''d explode at any moment now. ''Damn it.'' Sow the wind and reap the whirlwind. Razul couldn''t stop scowling. ''If the Kasten mercenaries are really attacking our main base, then it''d be a huge problem. However... we can''t back off right now. If we turn our backs to them, then the elves won''t just let us go peacefully. If that''s the case, then...'' In the end, they only had one choice. They had to kill the elves ASAP, and then either return to home base or take control of the elven vige! "All forces, kill the elves!" Razul said desperately. "Charge!" "Don''t think, and just fight!" "Skin these damn elves!" The Troll Championsmanded, as if browbeating their troops. Ssh, ssh. The Troll Warriors dashed through the river. * * * "Die!" "Get a grip!" "Be careful of the ogre''s axe!" "Shuwaraka, orc. Shuwaraka, orc!" The orcs, trolls, and ogres were all intermingled, turning the battlefield intoplete chaos. Razul''s assumption that his secret weapons, the ogres, wouldpletely destroy the orc reinforcements turned out to bepletely wrong. The orcs had turned the tide, and were gaining the advantage. What exactly had happened? Individually, the orcs weren''t strong, nor were they highly intelligent. Despite that, the reason that the orcs were considered one of the three great races was because of their rate of reproduction, as well as theirmanders! They trusted in theirmanders so much that it was said that, ''An orc is weak, but orcs are strong. Orcs led by amander are invincible!''. The Ruman Orcs had put all of their efforts into fostering Orc Commanders. As a result, the Ruman Orcs split their troops into groups of thirty, and each group had one Orc Commander. The Orc Commanders had a huge role to y in this battle as well. "Attack the trolls on the right!" "Our squad will take care of the ogre! Don''t fight it head-on; divert its attention! Don''t let it hit our brothers!" "Shamans, cast recovery and morale boosting spells! Warriors, protect the shamans!" Small-Scale Command! Weaker versions of Mumugul''s Command skill were being used all over the battlefield. The trolls''bat abilities far surpassed the orcs'', but they didn''t have a strongmand structure. "Don''t break formation!" "Get a hold of yourself! Behind you!" "We need reinforcements over here!" The most experienced, veteran trolls tried to lead their brothers in arms, but there was only so much they could do. Plus, the Troll Shamans werepletely focused on controlling the ogres, so they couldn''t aid the Troll Warriors. Ultimately, the trolls were losing ground, even though they''d unleashed their secret weapon, the ogres. It was here that... "The right side''s crumbling. Pull troops from the left side and focus entirely on the right." The Orc Commander, Mumugul, assessed the state of the battle, and made his orders based on it. Whereas the Troll Champion, Ursac, wasn''t doing his job as the trolls''mander. "You idiots! How could you get pushed back by orcs!? Get a grip!" All he did was yell at them, jump into the middle of the battlefield, and show off his strength. Of course, he was undeniably powerful. Much more powerful than an ogre at that! However, that''s all he brought to the table. While he was busy ughtering hundreds of orcs, the battle was slowly going in the orcs'' favor. "Send reinforcements to the right side! Who should we send? Send the guys in the middle!" "Focus on protecting the shamans, rather than killing the orcs!" The three Troll Champions in charge of the army, Ursac, Baltu, and Raikavan, killed as many orcs as they could, but they couldn''t make enough of a difference to turn the battle around. At some point... The ogres, which were supposed to be their secret weapon, had begun falling one or two at a time. If one of the Troll Shamans was killed, then the ogres would indiscriminately attack both the orcs and the trolls. When that happened, the trolls would take much more damage than the orcs. "Gr... Grr!" As the situation worsened more and more, Ursac''s face becamepletely red and he gritted his teeth. "We have to retreat!" the Troll Champion, Baltu said. "What?" Ursac''s eyes widened in rage. He stared at Baltu. It was as if he was saying, ''You want us, the great Ingrit Trolls, to retreat!?''. "We can''t afford to lose all of our troops here. If we do, then the main force will be in danger!" Baltu said, staring straight into Ursac''s eyes. "He''s right. We have to conserve our forces, and hold out until the main force can finish off the elves," Raikavan agreed. "Grr!" Ursac stomped on the floor, unable to contain his rage. "Everyone retreat!" "Retreat!" Baltu and Raikavan ignored Ursac and yelled. "Retreat!" "Run away!" The trolls turned their backs to the orcs and began to retreat. "You bastards!" "We won''t let you go!" The orcs obviously pursued them. "Shamans, remove your control over the ogres! Let them go wild!" Baltu yelled. At this point in time, they needed to sacrifice the ogres in order to save as many trolls as possible. Kuwaahk! The ogres, now free from mind control, began to rampage about. "Now! Everyone retreat at full speed!" "Retreat!" Baltu and Raikavan yelled. The Troll Warriors escaped like a rising tide. "Don''t chase the trolls. Finish off the ogres for good!" the Orc Commander, Mumugul said. Sometimeter... Thud! The final ogre fell to the floor. "Victory is ours!" Mumugul raised his hand into the air. "Ruman! Ruman!" Mumugul! Mumugul!" "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" Their unending cries resounded throughout the battlefield. * * * Jae Woo''s phone rang. He automatically started to feel better. After all, he''d set his ringtone to Soo Ah''s recent drama OST. ''Soo Ah''s voice is so nice to hear.'' Jae Wooughed like an idiot and picked up his phone. Hye Rim was shown on the disy. Jae Woo knew why she was contacting him. After all, he''d sent a message asking her ''If she was interested in the huge battle that was taking ce in the west.''. He expected her to send him a message back. But the fact that she was calling him instead of texting him meant that she had really good news for him. "Hello?" "How much do you want?" Hye Rim asked. "How much are you willing to give me?" "More than GBS at least!" Jae Woo smiled at her deration. Chapter 206. Final Defense Line

Chapter 206. Final Defense Line

Trantor: Boko "So the higher ups tell me that I can''t spend anymore money, but when they hear that GBS got your footage of the Evil God''s Disciple, they me it all on me! Can you believe that!? Ah, this pisses me off!" Hye Rim keptining. It looked like she''d been chewed out by her superiors for losing his footage to GBS. "Anyhow, if the footage is good, then I''m going to buy it! I call dibs! If you pass it on to GBS or anotherwork, then you better be prepared!" "I''ll have to sell it to whicheverwork offers me the most." "If they don''t back me up this time, then I''m seriously going to resign and go to anotherwork! That''s a promise!" It seemed like she had a lot of problems with TGN''s upper management. "Anyway, how is the footage? Is it amazing?" Hye Rim asked. "I haven''t gotten it on film yet. But I think a huge fight will break out soon. It''ll be a battle for supremacy!" Jae Woo wasn''t lying. The Ingrit Trolls and the Anti-Ingrit Alliance. The victor would determine the future of the western region. "Alright, fine. When you''ve gotten the footage, send it to me first." "Sure. But I''ll probably send it to Mr. Jin Cheol about 3 secondster." "Tch." She clicked her tongue. "Goodbye." "I''ll be looking forward to it." "It''ll be worth the wait." * * * The mercenary squad was named after the president of the Kasten Mercenary Association, Balduk. Thus, it was formally named the Balduk Mercenary Squad. The squad, which consisted of 15,000 members, wore an overcoat with an ox insignia. There were 10,000 mercenaries in it, and another 5,000 non-human warriors that sought to stop the trolls'' conquest. The number of warriors would only increase from now on. "Our objective is the trolls'' main base, Ankaro Fortress!" Balduk yelled from the front. It was as if he were making a deration! The reason he was making this official deration was simple. They wanted to spread rumors that the trolls'' main base was in danger. "Advance!" A short whileter... The 15,000 strong Balduk Mercenary Squad were marching in an unending line. The gold rank mercenary, Kang Oh, was also in this line. He was in-between the normal mercenaries, not with themanders. It wasn''t that he wasn''t qualified for the task, but it was because he wanted it this way. Honestly, Balduk wanted him as an adviser, but Kang Oh had replied with ''No thank you. I''d rather fight on the frontlines.''. Balduk asked him to be an adviser two more times, but Kang Oh kept refusing. ''Are you crazy? Why would I want to be an adviser?'' His objective was to fight at the center of the battlefield, so much so that he''d get sick of it! ''I have to pick up some loot too.'' It didn''t matter whether they invaded the Ankaro Fortress or they just fought against a ton of trolls; he''d pick up as much loot as he could to feed Demon Sword Ubist. ''And get some fantastic footage!'' Kang Oh recalled what Hye Rim had talked to him about. She said that if the footage was good, then she''d buy it at the highest price! He had someone willing to pay him, so all he needed to do was get some amazing footage and he''d make a ton of money! That''s why he was so excited about thising fight. Kang Oh grinned. * * * Ssh, ssh. The Troll Warriors kept advancing forward. Since the river didn''t have a fast current and it wasn''t very wide or deep, the trolls didn''t have much problem getting past the river. Of course, that''d only be true if the elves weren''t involved. "Ready." Doran''s voice rang out. Notch, notch, notch! The Elvish Warriors grimly notched their arrows and drew their bowstrings. "Infuse the spirits'' power and fire!" "Fire!" Whizz, whizz, whizz! Countless arrows flew into the sky simultaneously, and then began to descend onto the river. "Raise your shields!" Nergal, who was crossing the river, yelled. The trolls that were halfway submerged in water raised their shields. A rain of arrows descended upon them. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bzzzzt! Bzzzt! The lightning spirits'' arrows emitted sparks. Once the water spirits'' arrows touched the water, the river transformed into a fierce wave that swept through the trolls. "Shamans, get in there!" Razul, who''d been watching atop his rhino, yelled. Jingle jangle. Jingle jangle. "Eummusuwak, Eummusuwak!" The Troll Shamans, which were lined up near the river, began reciting a bizarre chant, and simultaneously shook their staffs. Then, green energy flew over the heads of the Troll Warriors like ghosts. Heal Life! It was a Shaman''s AoE healing spell! Those hurt by the arrows and the spirits'' power quickly began to heal. "Anraduraku! Anraduraku!" The shamans didn''t stop swinging their staffs around. Forebears'' Power, which Overcame Lightning! Then came a spell that increased their allies'' lightning resistance! A faint, light barrier wrapped around the Troll Warriors. "Keep going! We''ll be great conquerors!" Razul yelled. Unwilling to be outdone, Doran said, "Elementalists, drown those mad trolls in the river!" Elves wearing primarily white robes, but with yellow-green cross stripes on them, raised their hands into the air. Rather than learn how to use weaponry, these elves furthered their ability to wield spirits instead. Normally, spirits didn''t show themselves and merely lent their power, but Elementalists could actually manifest and control spirits. "Water Spirit, Amic. Punish the wicked!" A fish radiating blue light jumped into the water. This was the Water Spirit, Amic! Whoosh! A tsunami formed at each end of the river. Bzzzt! A silver weasel appeared, which emitted lightning. This was the Lightning Spirit, Ramic! It charged at the Troll Warriors. "Champions, step forward! Shamans, cast your spells!" Razul yelled. The Troll Champions kicked their saddles, and their warthogs leapt into the air. They swung their weapons in midair, releasing aura attacks. Their auras dealt with the tsunamis, causing water to go everywhere. "You bastards!" The Troll Champion, Shakara, held a javelin in either hand. Thwock, thwock! Just one of his javelins pierced through two Elementalists. The Troll Shamans dealt with the Lightning Spirit, Ramic. "Sumakua, Sumakua!" The Troll Shamans trapped the lightning spirit inside a clear barrier. Bzzzzzt! Ramic unleashed its mighty lightning in an attempt to get free, but it couldn''t break through the barrier. "Troll Champions, use your javelins!" Shakara drew another javelin from his back and yelled. The Troll Javelin Squad, which was halfway submerged in the water, forcefully threw their spears. Spurt! "Ugh." The spear spun as it flew through the air, piercing through an Elvish Warrior and Elementalist. "Keep shooting your arrows! Shieldbearers, block the javelins! We have to protect the Elementalists!" Doran roughly ordered. Since the Elvish Warriors were well-trained, they followedmands well. The Elvish Warriors continuously shot arrow after arrow. The shieldbearers raised their shields and formed a wall in front of the Elementalists. "Make them regret stepping foot into our forest!" Doran yelled even louder in an attempt to raise morale. "We''re conquerors. We must nt our great g onto thisnd!" Razul yelled boomingly. Trolls and elves. One side wanted to do whatever it took to break through the final defense line, while the other tried to do whatever it took to defend it! Warriors died one or two at a time amidst this bloody battle. Stab! "Ugh." A Troll Warrior''s spear pierced through an Elvish Warrior''s stomach! The Elvish Warrior grabbed onto the spear that protruded from his stomach, and used his other hand to swing his sword. However, there wasn''t any power behind it. The Elvish Warrior fell to the floor. "Ugh, there are too many trolls!" "Hold out! We have to hold out no matter what! If they get through here, then the vige is in danger!" "Kill as many of them as you can!" The elves yelled desperately. They had definitely fought well. However, the trolls overwhelmed them with sheer numbers. The final defense line began to slowly crumble. * * * More and more trolls began to cross the river. The elves no longer had the ability to hold them back. "Lord Doran," Kuyol called regretfully. "The orcs aren''ting," Doran said expressionlessly. "Yes." "In the end... we have to use ourst resort." "Understood." "Initiate Operation Sangria!" Doran yelled as loudly as he could. "We''re initiating Operation Sangria!" Kuyol did the same. When the trolls invaded their original home, the Romande Forest, and burned it down, there was an elf that led the survivors out of the forest. His name was Sangria. "Everyone move!" "Move!" The Elvish Warriors looked grief-stricken, but began retreating nheless. They ran in every direction! "Let''s go, Lord Doran." Kuyol led Doran away. "We''ll definitely pay them back for this." "Yes sir." They tried to leave, but the Troll Champions, Shakara and Nergal, rushed at them. "Where do you think you''re going!?" "If you want to go, then leave your head behind!" Doran swung the Spirit''s Sword. Swoosh! The sword emanated arge, powerful st of energy. Mother Nature''s Aura! "Ugh." Shakara and Nergal protected themselves with their weapons, coating both their bodies and weapons in energy. Boom! A ''boom'' rang out, and a dust cloud rose. "Haahk!" Nergal screamed and pierced through the dust cloud, his entire body riddled with wounds. Shakara followed him out soon after. However, Doran and Kuyol were already gone. "Damn it!" Nergal furiously stabbed his sword into the ground. "Tch." Shakara clicked his tongue and took a look around. The elves were climbing the trees like monkeys and making their escape. The forest was the elves'' domain. There was no way for the trolls to catch them. "They''re like rats. So quick when they run." "Yeah." Nergal and Shakara said. Another Troll Champion that had taken part in the battle, Turkavan, approached them. "We won," he said. "Yeah!" "We have to gather our troops immediately and either attack the elven vige, or return home." "Mm." Nergal and Shakara nodded their heads. However... When they thought everything was finished with, something happened. "An enemy!" "Enemies areing!" The trolls yelled. "Where?" The Troll Champions simultaneously turned their heads. Elves riding white horses charged at the Troll Shamans and Razul, who were across the river! "Shit. The Great Chieftain is in danger!" "Everyone get across the river! We have to protect the Great Chieftain!" "Hurry up!" The Troll Champions feverishly ran. The exhausted Troll Warriors followed behind them with their heavy bodies. * * * These neers were a part of the Nigel Knight Order. It was created tobat the Troll Riders, and the original idea stemmed from the humans'' knight orders. There were only 1,000 of them. However, the Nigel Knight Order consisted of only the most elite Elvish Warriors. In other words, they were the best of the best! They were originally led by Doran, but after he became the suprememander, the vice-captain, Echo, took his ce. Echo was a fine warrior, one that was on par with Doran himself. If Doran hadn''t existed, then Echo would have be the suprememander. But where did theye from? This was all a part of arger n that Doran had constructed. Because the Nigel Knight Order boasted exceptional attack power, Doran had ordered them to not take part in the defense. Instead, they would hide in the forest until they got the opportunity to attack the trolls from behind! "Kill the Troll Great Chieftain," Echo, who was fully covered in shining silver armor, said. "For our fallen brothers!" one of the knights added right after. "For our brothers!" the knights yelled. Rat-a-tat-tat! Their white horses fiercely charged at the trolls, creating a dust cloud. "Tempest Charge!" Echo yelled. "Tempest Charge!" the knights repeated. Tempest Charge was a skill that increased the speed of their charge via wind spirits. Dim, transparent yellow wings appeared around the horses'' sides. "Stop them!" the Great Chieftain, Razul yelled. He was surrounded by around 1,000 troll bodyguards, and the Troll Shamans were forming a wall in front of them. Jingle jangle. Jingle jangle. Roar! The Troll Shamanspleted their spell, forming a fire wall in front of the iing knights. "Hmph." The Nigel Knight Order didn''t even bat an eye, and passed through the fire wall with ease. Tempest Charge! Boom! The Troll Shamans flew into the air as if a car had just rammed into them. Some of them were trampled on by the horses'' hooves, ttening them like pancakes. The Nigel Knight Order violently swung their swords and spears, piercing through the center of the trolls'' formation like Moses parting the Red Sea. "Do whatever it takes to stop them!" "Protect the Great Chieftain!" "Uaahk!" The troll bodyguards threw themselves at the elves in an attempt to protect Razul. However, it was all pointless. The Nigel Knight Order cut their way through the bodyguards and eventually, Echo found himself in front of Razul. "You bastard!" Razul''s voice echoed through the forest. Echo swung his sword with blistering speed. Right at the Troll Great Chieftain, Razul! Chapter 207. Anti-Ingrit Alliance’s Counterattack

Chapter 207. Anti-Ingrit Alliance''s Counterattack

Trantor: Boko What if Echo managed to kill Razul? The war would end right then and there. After all, killing Razul was like cutting off the head of the snake. This was a one in a million opportunity. Echo didn''t hesitate. However... Razul was powerful; so much so that the Troll Champions couldn''t evenpete with him. Doran was the most powerful elf, while Razul was the most powerful of his kind. "Hmph, not a chance!" Razul swung his scimitar. ng! Echo''s sword and Razul''s scimitar shed. "Mm." Both Echo and his horse were pushed back. However, Razul and his rhino hadn''t moved an inch. "I''m taking your head!" "Die!" The other knights attacked Razul too. "Hmph." Razul snorted and swung his de once more. White me arose from his sword. White me Tiger! He unleashed a zing tiger aura from his scimitar. If Kang Oh had seen this attack, then he''d be shocked. It was basically Tempest Tiger, but with fire. Anyhow, the White me Tiger was just as powerful as Tempest Tiger. Boom! "Guahk!" "Water! Water!" The three elves, who attacked Razul from three different directions, were swept away by the white mes. "Douse it with water!" "Amic!" The Water Spirit, Amic, attempted to douse the white mes, but failed. "Hmph. You insects!" Razul swung his de. White me surged from his sword once more. White me sh! He unleashed a fan-shaped white me at his enemies. "Dodge it!" "Block it!" Nature''s Aura! The elves retaliated with greenish blue auras. Boom! The opposing auras collided in midair, resulting in a huge explosion. That''s when Echo moved. He extended his sword, aiming for Razul''s heart. Prating Strike! A sharp energy, much like a drill, extended from his de. "It won''t work!" Razul protected his heart with his scimitar. The energy struck the body of his de and dispersed into the air. "Tch." Echo clicked his tongue and took a look around. The Trolls were fiercely crossing the river, intent on protecting their chieftain from harm. ''We can''t take down Razul here.'' Echo knew when to retreat. "Nigel Knight Order! Retreat immediately!" "Yes, sir." The speed of their retreat matched the speed of their initial charge. They made sure to take out as many Troll Shamans as they could along the way. "You bastards!" Razul''s eyes were lit with rage. Though he attempted to pursue them, their mobility far outstripped his, so he couldn''t catch up to them. "Great Chieftain!" "Are you alright, Great Chieftain?" The Troll Champions only now arrived; nevertheless, they wanted to make sure Razul was unharmed. "I''m alright, but we''ve lost a lot of shamans," Razul said, all the while furrowing his brow. Shamans were more valuable than warriors. However, they''d unexpectedly lost several of them. "We have to take revenge. We have a good target. The elven vige is right in front of us." Nergal, who was riddled with scars, smiled wickedly. "Of course." Razul''s smile was even worse! However... Schuberion waspletely empty by the time they arrived. Once the trolls had gotten through their final defense line, Doran had ordered all of the elves to evacuate. "They''ve abandoned their vige and escaped." "They couldn''t have gone far. Let''s pursue them." The Troll Champions gritted their teeth and yelled. Razul shook his head. "We need to raze the vige as fast as we can and then return to Ankaro Fortress. We haven''t heard word that their forces have arrived yet, so we should be able to make it home before they get there." The elves'' forces had been cut down to size. If they burnt down their vige too, then they would have somewhat aplished their primary objective. Now all they needed to do was return to Ankaro Fortress, reorganize their troops, and fight the orcs. "Understood." Fire spread throughout Schuberion, and ck smoke continuously rose into the air. In an instant, the elves had lost their home; this was the second time that they''d lost the ce they''de to call home. At that moment... A Troll Shaman quickly approached Razul. "Great Chieftain. I''ve gotten a report from the troops that went to fight off the orcs." "Is it good news?" "Well, that''s..." The shaman continued his report. He exined that they''d actually lost their first battle with the orcs. As a result, they lost more than 10,000 soldiers, and had lost their entire brigade of ogres as well. After that, they had gathered all of their remaining troops together, and were preventing the orcs from advancing any further. "Those useless idiots! Turning them into pig meat isn''t enough to calm me down! Uaaahk!" Razul went berserk. He threw anything he could get his hands on, and stomped on the floor. A short whileter... "Hoo, hoo, hook." After Razul''s rage had somewhat abated, the shaman said, "What should we do?" "Tell them to meet us at headquarters! Gather all of the champions here!" "Understood." The shaman departed quickly, and Razul was left in deep thought. ''Damn it. This isn''t good. At this rate, we may have to face the surviving elf troops and the orc reinforcements simultaneously! Moreover, our home base is in danger... We have to get back there ASAP!'' A short whileter... The Troll Champions had all gathered. "Shakara!" Razul called. "Yes, sir!" "You take all of the riders and head for home as fast as you can. Protect Ankaro Fortress!" "Understood." Shakara left immediately. "We''re leaving once Ursac''s troops get here. Be ready to leave once he gets here. I''ll cut down anyone who wastes time or isn''t ready by then!" Razul said icily. "Yes, sir!" the Troll Champions said simultaneously. "Go!" The champions left one or two at a time. Once Razul was alone, he chewed on his lip. ''This isn''t good. It really isn''t good...'' * * * "Don''t stop!" "Keep moving!" Shakara and his Troll Riders kept whipping their warthogs. Squeal! The warthogs kept running until they began frothing at the mouth. But overworking their warthogs yielded results. They arrived at Ankaro Fortress before the Balduk Mercenary Squad got there! Once he entered the fortress, he reinforced security and sent out scouts. "Find out how close they are, how many of them there are, and what their army is made up of. Find out as much as you can." "I''ll stake my life on it." "Mm." After that, the Ankaro Fortress prepared for siege warfare. The female trolls and children, who were incapable of fighting, carried rocks to the top of the ramparts, and boiled oil to spray onto anyone climbing up the walls. Shakara also gathered all of the trolls capable of holding a weapon. ''I have to protect it until Chieftain Razul gets here!'' Shakara pledged. But sometimeter... He received a report from his scout. "Urgent news from the scout," a shaman, who''d heard the report, said. "Has the enemy gotten close?" "No. The Kasten Mercenary Squad, which was headed for Ankaro Fortress, turned around." "What? Where to?" Shakara looked shocked. "That''s... They''re headed for the main force, where the Great Chieftain resides. Our main forces have been surrounded by the Anti-Ingrit Alliance, which consists of elves, orcs, mercenaries, etc." ''This is bad!'', his expression seemed to say. "Gather all of the riders immediately. We have to reinforce them!" "Yes, sir!" * * * This was all part of Doran''s n. He''d watched Schuberion burn from afar. At that moment, he''d shed tears of blood. ''I''ll kill everyst one of you trolls!'' Bearing a bitter grudge in his heart, he watched the trolls'' every move, and found that the time for his vengeance was near. He saw the trolls'' elite forces, the Troll Riders, head for Ankaro Fortress. Then, he immediately sent word to Mumugul and Balduk. ''The trolls sustained heavy casualties from their battles against us and the orcs. Some of their forces have split off to defend their home base, so they only have about 50,000 troops stationed here. Whereas we have 10,000 warriors left, the orcs have 40,000, and the mercenary squad has about 20,000. So let''s surround the trolls'' main army and wipe them out!'' Mumugul, Balduk, and the other higher ups in the Anti-Ingrit Alliance agreed with Doran''s n. As a result, the Anti-Ingrit Alliance hadpletely surrounded the troll''s main army. Whoosh. The wind blew. The Ruman Orcs'' g, emzoned with the ''snow-covered Ruman Mountains'' fluttered through the air. "Fight bravely, my orc brothers!" Mumugul yelled. It was his equivalent of telling them to get ready for battle. "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" 40,000 Ruman Orcs advanced on the trolls'' position. "Punish the trolls for foolishly starting this war!" Balduk yelled. "Oooooh!" The Balduk Mercenary Squad, which wore overcoats bearing an ox insignia, as well as several warriors from other tribes, yelled. "We''re finally going at it!" Kang Oh beamed. He was at the forefront of the mercenary squad. "Don''t let a single one of them escape," Doran, who led the remaining elves, said frigidly. But that icy cold voice contained a rage that burned as hot as hellfire. "..." His 10,000 elvish troops said nothing. They just stared at the trolls murderously. "Great Ingrit Trolls!" Razul raised his arms. "Win. Win and be great conquerors!" "Razul! Razul! Razul!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The Troll Warriors beat the ground with their weapons. The Ingrit Trolls had assumed a circr formation, while the Anti-Ingrit Alliance was slowly closing in! The atmosphere was so tense that they almost couldn''t breathe. And... Now! The two opposing forces shed! * * * Darkness Strike! Demon Sword Blood unleashed a bat-shaped wave that was as if thick and red as blood. Boom! A Troll Warrior was flung into the air, and subsequently crashed onto the floor with a thud. Fifteen stars manifested on Blood''s de! Kang Oh kicked off the floor and jumped into a group of trolls. "You bastard!" "Die!" Swords, axes, spears, etc.; all manner of weapons came flying at him. However, Kang Oh was quicker. Blood Bomb! Boom! Any troll within a 1 meter vicinity of him was flung into the air. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He stabbed a fallen troll''s heart. Then, he withdrew his sword and swung horizontally at a troll charging at him. sh! A white line divided the world into two. "Kuheok!" A lengthy wound appeared on the troll''s body, apanied by a burst of red shards of light. Stab, stab, stab! Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh instantly struck the wound thrice. It was almost the very definition of lightning quick. Then, he sensed the presence of someoneing for him from behind. His Hyper Intuition wasn''t warning him of danger, but it was definitely telling him that someone was approaching him. Kang Oh grabbed onto the troll and threw him at the one behind him. Bam! The approaching troll fell over and rolled onto the floor. Kang Oh leapt over and thrust his sword into the downed trolls. Stab! Demon Sword Blood pierced both of the trolls, one on top of the other, simultaneously. Kang Oh raised his head and smirked. "He''s a strong one." "Come at me all at once!" Eight Troll Warriors surrounded Kang Oh and swung their weapons. Kang Oh swayed softly like a willow tree. It was a strange sight; it was almost as if their weapons were passing through him. But then, Kang Oh disappeared from their sight. "Huh?" "Where did he go?" "I''m right here!" Kang Oh quickly escaped, and gave the giant group of trolls a present. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger swept through all of them at once. Whoosh. A whirlwind raged at the center of the battlefield. However... Swish! The whirlwind was suddenly split in half. "You bastard!" The heavily scarred Troll Champion, Nergal, came through the whirlwind, and sharply swung his sword. Kang Oh didn''t back off. ng! A metallic ''ng'', carried by the hot wind, resounded throughout the battlefield, signaling the start of the battle between the gold rank mercenary, Kang Oh, and the Troll Champion, Nergal. Chapter 208. Driven Into a Corner

Chapter 208. Driven Into a Corner

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Nergal exchanged blows several times. However, neither side held an advantage. Once the battle let up, Nergal asked, "Are you a mercenary?" "Gold mercenary, Kang Oh. You?" "Ingrit Champion, Nergal." "A champion, huh..." Kang Oh grinned. The Ingrit Troll Champions were well-known as powerful warriors in the west. Fighting them would definitely be worth it. ''Nice!'' Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor, leaping towards Nergal like a spring. He instantly reappeared in front of Nergal, and swung his sword upwards. sh! His snow-white de, which radiated scarlet light, cleaved a white line through the air. But Nergal didn''t just sit there and take it. He diagonally swung hispletely undecorated sword. Earth Shaking Blow! Nergal unleashed a shockwave from his sword. Bam! The two swords shed against one another. Kang Oh and Nergal. Neither side backed down. Guided by his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh thrust his sword at a weak spot. Whoosh! The tip of his de rushed at Nergal like a snakeing for a rat. "A weak move like that won''t work on me!" Nergal turned his body, avoiding Kang Oh''s attack, and immediately counterattacked. Swish! Kang Oh felt a chill at his neck, as if a cold object had been pressed against it. His Hyper Intuition was warning him of danger. "Hmph." Kang Oh easily avoided Nergal''s attack and horizontally swung his sword. Meanwhile, Nergal swung his sword downwards. ng! The two swords met, resounding with a metallic ''ng''. Both Kang Oh and Nergal took one step back. "Shall we fight for real now?" Nergal asked. "C''mon!" Thus far, they''d just been feeling each other out. Now they would begin in earnest! * * * Berserker''s Dance! The longer the user fought, the more powerful they would be. In exchange, it would steadily reduce the user''s HP. Even so, Nergal was willing to use the skill. "Haahk, haahk, ha!" Nergal''s eyes glowed purple, and he began breathing roughly. ''That doesn''t look good.'' Kang Oh felt anxious, so he immediately used Devil Trigger. Demon Sword Blood''s red energy engulfed his form. He quickly transformed into the Red Demon; giant red wings and their smaller, supportive wings, protruded from his back. Then... "Haahk!" Nergal attacked. He was aiming for Kang Oh''s warm, beating heart. Kang Oh turned his body, avoiding Nergal''s attack, and immediately counterattacked with his sword. Berserker''s Dance left Nergal wide open, giving Kang Oh so many weak points to choose from. Swish. Demon Sword Blood cleaved through Nergal, and shards of light burst from his body. Nergal attacked again,cking any sense of hesitation or anxiety. After all, he was a mad warrior, a Berserker! Ground Shaking Blow! Nergal released a mighty shockwave from his sword. Kang Oh counterattacked with a move of his own. Fresh Blood Wave! He unleashed a fan-shaped scarlet aura from his de. Boom! The two attacks collided, resounding with a ''boom''. Nergal pierced through the dust cloud and attacked once more. But then, a blood spike popped out of Kang Oh''s chest. An unexpected move! Stab! The blood spike pierced Nergal''s shoulder. However, Nergal didn''t stop and just followed through. Swish! "Ugh." Shards of light burst from Kang Oh''s body. Nergal then immediately aimed for Kang Oh''s neck. The purple light in Nergal''s eyes intensified, and his sword strikes became even more powerful than before. Kang Oh bent back as far as he could. Nergal''s sword just barely grazed Kang Oh''s Adam''s apple. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and kicked Nergal away. That was the best he could do in his position. Whack. His kick had quite a bit of force behind it, but it wasn''t enough to stop Nergal''s rampage. Swoosh! Nergal resolutely swung his sword, as if he could cut through cast iron. He was crazy fast too. "Danger!" Tasha''s voice resounded through his head. At the same time, his red wings flung Nergal away. "Thank you." Kang Oh quickly swung his sword upwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura surged. Nergal fought back with his own aura. Madness! A mighty aura erupted from his de. Two different types of aura! The two equally matched auras crashed against each other, which quickly resulted in an explosion. Boom! Kang Oh and Nergal were both caught in the explosion, and simultaneously fell to the ground. "Haa, haa." "Haahk, ha, haahk." They stood up simultaneously and breathed roughly. Then, they looked each other in the eye. At that moment, they shed once more! The battle wasn''t over yet. * * * The battle with the Ingrit Trolls and the Anti-Ingrit Alliance was the very definition of ''intense''. Turkavan, the tattoo-faced Troll Champion, fought against the Elvish Warrior, Kuyol. The giant-bodied Ursac was surrounded by hundreds of orcs under Mumugul''smand. Other Troll Champions like Baltu, Angol, and Raikavan were battling Balduk and his gold rank mercenaries. "This is revenge for our vige!" "Uaahk!" "Damn elves and orcs!" "Go to hell!" "Shamans! We need healing over here!" The battle between the Troll Warriors and the alliance''s ordinary warriors was ''gruesome''. Screams, the sound of metal upon metal, and cries of agony continuously resounded throughout the battlefield. Countless lives were lost, their corpses sprawled across the cold floor. And... The most important battle here was just beginning. The Troll Great Chieftain, Razul versus the Elf Supreme Commander, Doran. Doran had stepped forward to take vengeance for his burnt vige, while Razul wanted to turn the battle around by killing one of the alliance heads. "I''ll kill you and make you a part of my collection." Razul pointed at his ne. Orc and elf skulls hung upon it, one after another. "Grr, none of you wille out of this alive." Doran gritted his teeth. His eyes were filled with rage. "That''s my line. I''ll kill you all and turn you into nes; there will be no mercy for the young or the old!" Razul provoked. "You can repent in hell!" Doran dered. His de, the Spirit''s Sword, began emanating powerful energy. Mother Nature''s Aura! Razul moved. His scimitar began surging with white fire. White me Tiger! The zing tiger-shaped aura dashed towards Doran. Boom! The start of their battle was both brutal and showy. Doran followed up with another attack. "Amic!" Doran swung his sword, which was imbued with the Water Spirit''s power, unleashing a wave-like blue energy at Razul. Razul chose to take the attack head-on. Forebears'' Power! Razul''s muscles bulged. This skill temporarily doubled his physical strength. Swoosh! Razul swung his scimitar, cleaving the blue wave in two. "Tarmic!" Doran yelled Tarmic was the Fire Spirit. mes surged beneath Razul''s feet. Roar! Surprised, Razul quickly retreated. "Die!" Doran didn''t stop there. White lightning came out of his sword. This time, the Lightning Spirit, Ramic, had lent him its power. Razul swung his scimitar once more. White me sh! The white mes swept through everything in front of him like a dragon''s breath. Lightning and mes shed! The mes turned out to be stronger. The white mes devoured the lightning, ring even more intensely than before, and flew towards Doran. "Momic!" Doran called for the Earth Spirit this time, and nted his sword into the ground. Then, the earth rose, forming a wall. The white mes couldn''t prate the earth wall. Then... Doran leapt into the air andnded onto the wall. Then, using the wall as a foothold, he leapt even higher than before. When he was at his highest, he swung the Spirit''s Sword as hard as he could. "Huaahp!" Mother Nature''s Aura! He unleashed green energy from his de; it was like a giant avnche wasing straight for Razul! "Hmph!" Razul snorted and swung his scimitar. That Which Crushes the Mountains, Forebears'' Blow! This was a secret technique, one that had been passed down from one Troll Chieftain to the next for generations. Its power was undeniable. A giant, troll-shaped energy came out of his scimitar, and ripped Mother Nature''s Aura to shreds. Dorannded and furrowed his brow. He''d put everything into that attack, yet his opponent dealt with it so easily. Then... Rat-a-tat-tat! The Nigel Knight Order, which had been riding across the battlefield, came riding over. "Captain, no, Supreme Commander. Let''s attack him from both sides," Echo said. He was the current captain of the Nigel Knight Order. He''d fought Razul once before, so he knew just how powerful he was. Doran nodded his head. After fighting him in person, Doran had realized that Razul was stronger than him. Thus, they had to ovee him with sheer numbers. "Let''s go!" Doran and the Nigel Knight Order dashed towards Razul. However, the Troll Champions moved in turn. "Protect the Great Chieftain!" "Kill those long-eared bastards!" The brutal battle continued. * * * "Haa, haa." Kang Oh attacked Nergal, breathing haggardly. "..." Nergal attacked him in kind. However, the light in his eyes began to dim. Ultimately, he fell to the floor. Thud. Nergal''s facended onto the cold floor. "I won!" Kang Oh raised Blood into the air and yelled. The Troll Champion, Nergal! He truly was strong. Though he''d assumed his red demon form, the rampaging Nergal continuously overpowered him. Thus, he was forced to swap to Demon Sword Ubist, activate Gluttony, and be the Jet-ck Demon. Only then were they equal in strength. They relentlessly attacked each other, intent on ending the other''s life. As you can clearly see, Kang Oh was the victor. At full power, Kang Oh was strong enough to defeat a Troll Champion. "This can''t be. Lord Nergal was killed!" "Let''s take revenge!" "You bastard!" The Troll Warriors put aside their previous opponents and dashed towards Kang Oh. Switch. Kang Oh swapped Ubist with Blood, and instantly ughtered any that came for him. These trolls were nothingpared to Nergal. Of course, that didn''t mean he could just go looking for another Troll Champion. On the contrary, he had to hope that he didn''t have to face another one. He''d already used Baramut''s Roar and Gluttony, so he couldn''t use them for the time being. ''I need to be careful and take out the small fry for now.'' Kang Oh went all over the battlefield. "He''s the one who killed Lord Nergal!" "Ugh, he''s strong!" "Run away!" "We need a champion to fight him!" The trolls yelled and struggled desperately. Unfortunately, their struggle wasrgely pointless. ''Mm, my precious experience points, proficiency, and loot!'' Kang Oh hunted to his heart''s content, like a fox that''d gotten into a chicken coop. How much time had passed? The amount of prey slowly decreased. It was because the Anti-Ingrit Alliance had won. "Great Chieftain!" The face-tattooed Turkavan and his men had pierced through the Nigel Knight Order''s perimeter around Razul. Razul took a look around. "The tides of battle have turned. We have to escape their perimeter. My men and I will take on that duty," Turkavan yelled. Razul had a discerning eye, so he knew when a battle was won or lost. So long as a giant tsunami didn''te and sweep away the Anti-Ingrit Alliance, the trolls had no chance of victory. Ultimately, Razul came to a decision. "All trolls! We have to retreat to Ankaro Fortress ASAP! Cut through anyone in your way and return home!" Razul yelled. "Follow me! I''ll pierce through the perimeter!" Turkavan yelled. "You want to go home, you say? We don''t have a ce to go home to, you bastards!" "Kill them all!" "Don''t let them escape!" Doran, Echo, and the Nigel Knight Order eyes lit up with rage. They began attacking even more ferociously than before. "Mercenary Squad, Anti-Ingrit Alliance! Reinforce the perimeter! Don''t let a single one of them escape!" Balduk yelled. He too had no ns of letting the trolls escape. "Orc Commanders, work with the mercenary squad and reinforce the perimeter!" The Orc Supreme Commander, Mumugul, had the same idea as Balduk. "Give your lives for your brothers in arms! Pierce through the perimeter!" Turkavan yelled. But the more time passed, the darker his face became. ''Mm. This is bad!'' He couldn''t break through the perimeter. Plus, his troops were slowly dwindling! The Ingrit Trolls were slowly being driven into a corner. At that moment, however... They received unexpected help. Chapter 209. Unexpected Enemy

Chapter 209. Unexpected Enemy

Trantor: Boko Rat-a-tat-tat! Troll Riders were quickly approaching. "Enemies at the rear!" "Ooh, reinforcements have arrived!" The two sides'' reactions obviously ran counter to each other. "Shakara!" Razul smiled. He could clearly see Shakara leading the Troll Riders here. "Reinforcements have arrived. Everyone, keep pushing just a little longer!" Turkavan said passionately. "Ooooh!" The trolls'' morale shot up instantly. After all, they now had hope that they could pierce through the perimeter! "Balduk! Please stop them with the mercenary squad!" Doran yelled. "Understood. Mercenary squad, follow me!" Balduk led the mercenary squad and intercepted the Troll Riders. "Mumugul, let''s hurry up and finish off the main force!" "Understood. Commanders, kill the trolls ASAP!" The orcs and elves put the pressure on. But losing the mercenary squad greatly weakened their defensive perimeter. There was a bigger problem though; they''d lost the gold rank mercenaries that were capable of fighting off the Troll Champions. "Get through!" "Die!" "Uhaahp!" The Troll Champions, Turkavan, Ursac, Angol, Baltu, and Raikavan showed off their herculean strength. Though the Nigel Knight Order and Doran were motivated by anger, the trolls were slowly getting through the perimeter. ''Damn it. We shouldn''t have sent Balduk''s entire force to deal with the Troll Riders. We should''ve sent the Nigel Knight Order instead!'' Doran bit his lip. The alliance''s weakness was showing. Because they didn''t have a centralizedmand structure, they couldn''t shift their troops around that well. Thus, they''d ended up sending way too many troops to deal with the Troll Riders. As a result... "We''ve gotten through!" "Run! We have to get to Ankaro Fortress!" Razul and the Troll Champions yelled, and ran as fast as they could. "Do whatever it takes to stop them!" Doran yelled desperately, but it was already toote. A crack in a dam would cause it to copse instantly. In the same way, once the trolls pierced through a section of the perimeter, the perimeterpletely lost all effectiveness. "Chase them!" "Kill them as fast as you can!" Mumugul and Echo yelled. The trolls ran while the alliance pursued; it was chaos. * * * The trolls returned to their main base, Ankaro Fortress. Only 30,000 trolls had made it home. They''d lost 20,000 soldiers in just one battle. If Shakara and his Troll Riders hadn''t reinforced them and prevented the alliance from pursuing them, then they would''ve sustained even more casualties. "Thanks, Shakara," Razul said honestly. "I apologize for arriving sote. I should''ve gotten here earlier..." Shakara bowed his head. They''d lost several of their brothers. It was such a waste. "No, no." Razul patted his shoulder and took a look around. "I don''t see Nergal or Baltu," Razul said regretfully. "They fought bravely, and died like true warriors. They''ve returned to our ancestors'' embrace," Turkavan said. Kang Oh had killed Nergal, and Baltu had died trying to pierce through the perimeter. "Now... what do we do?" Angol said, sporting a mournful expression. "We reinforce our defenses and wait for our opportunity." The Anti-Ingrit Alliance had already surrounded Ankaro Fortress. Normally, they''d exit the fortress and kill all of them in one fell swoop, but they didn''t have the manpower to do so right now. "Understood." "Good job everyone. Get some rest. But it''s too early to rx! Let the regr warriors rest too. However, double the men that are stationed at the ramparts." The alliance wouldn''t attack immediately. After all, they too had just fought an intense, exhausting battle. They would also let their warriors rest, so that they could fight properlyter. "Yes, sir!" "Go on." Once they left his abode, Razul released all of his pent up anger. "Uhaaaahk!" He threw his skull ne onto the floor and stomped on it. The humiliation of defeat! He gritted his teeth. Failing to realize his ambition made him feel so bitter. "Damn it all! Shit!" He began throwing every item inside the room. Thump! His room had be a mess, yet he continued. Razul grabbed the bronze gargoyle, but stopped right before throwing it. He heard whispers from the statue. ''Razul. There''s still a way for you to achieve your dream. ept me. If you do, then you''ll gain the power to realize your ambition.'' His eyes began to shake violently. Razul felt so very thirsty; he wanted to lick the statue to sate his thirst. ''Razul... Razul... Razul...'' Whispers. The whispers were so sweet, so enticing. Ultimately, Razul gave in. He bowed down and greedily licked the statue. * * * The leaders of the Anti-Ingrit Alliance were gathered for a meeting. The topics of the meeting were as follows: Were they going to attack Ankaro Fortress or retreat? "Let''s attack the fortress. We''ll be able to get rid of the troll threat forever," Doran said strongly. The elves were of the opinion that they should continue fighting until the very end. "Hmm. It''d be hard to get through the fort''s defenses. Retreating is a viable option, since the trolls have lost so much of their strength," the golden-horned Balduk calmly said. On the other hand, he believed that they should end the battle here. "Pathetic. If we give them time to regroup, then they''ll burn down someone else''s vige and kill their people. Don''t you remember what happened to us?" "I do, but do you really think we''ll be able to conquer Ankaro Fortress?" Balduk asked. It was too difficult to conquer Ankaro Fortress with the forces they had at hand. "It''s possible." "How?" "If the orcs reinforce us with their remaining 20,000 troops, and we gather more warriors from the western tribes, then we can do it." Balduk and Doran simultaneously looked at Mumugul. "If we decide to fight, then the orcs will be there. But if we decide to back off, then we''ll leave," Mumugul said. He remained neutral. "Then let''s fight," Doran said. "We have to think about this carefully. Can we really conquer the fortress? We may be unable to conquer the fort, and just lose several troops in the process. Then, with our forces weakened, the trolls may mount a counterattack," Balduk''s right-hand man, who waspletely covered in white fur, said. "We''ll win no matter what. If I have to give up my life to do it, then so be it," Echo said. His eyes were absolutely murderous. "We shouldn''t think so emotionally..." Balduk''s right-hand man said. "What do you know? Have you ever felt the pain of seeing the vige you grew up in burned to cinders?" Echo snarled. "Haa. That''s why I''m saying..." It didn''t seem like the meeting would end any time soon. No conclusion had been reached either. * * * Kang Oh was resting in one of the alliance''s tents. Asu sent him a message. - Oppa. - Huh? I thought you''d be really busytely. How did you manage to log in? Soo Ah''s group, Triple Lower, had made aeback with their recent album, so she''d been really busytely. To his disappointment, Kang Oh hadn''t been able to see hertely, whether it be in game or in person. - I called you, but you wouldn''t pick up. I logged in to yell at you! - Ah, sorry. - I''m just joking. I just wanted to talk to you, so I logged in for a second. I have to leave soon, but I wanted to talk to you a little bit before I go. - It''s nice to hear your voice again. By the way, your recent song is amazing. I listen to it first thing in the morning, and I listen to it again before I sleep. - Thanks. Hehe. - I miss you. He was being honest. Kang Oh really wanted to see her happy, smiling face again. - Let''s meet up once I''m done promoting my album! - It''s a promise. - Oh, by the way, my group wants to meet you. - That''s fine by me. It''s a chance to meet the members of the most popr girl group, Triple Lower! - Alright. It''ll just be the two of us at first. I''ll figure things out with themter. - Sure. - I think I have to go now. - Let''s do our best! - Ok, Oppa! The message window informed him that Asu had logged off. "Tch." ''I wanted to talk to her some more...'' Kang Oh looked disappointed. "Alright then, let''s get back to work." Kang Oh stood up, and dumped all the loot he''d picked up from the previous battle onto the floor. "Eat it." He extended Demon Sword Ubist. Munch, munch. Ubist greedily devoured all of the equipment. The darkness coiled around Kang Oh''s arm, as if saying ''I''m still hungry.''. "I don''t have any more, you glutton." The darkness gently let him go. Kang Oh pulled out some tools and performed maintenance on the Baramut set and both of his demon swords. He oiled and rubbed them with a clean cloth, causing them to shine. Then... It suddenly got noisy outside. "The enemy''s here!" "Prepare for battle!" "What?" Kang Oh quickly equipped himself. ''The trolls have ambushed us?'' He exited the tent. "Get a grip! Mercenary squad, get into formation!" Balduk ordered. Mumugul and Doran ordered their own troops. "What happened? Did the trollsunch a surprise attack?" Kang Oh approached Balduk and asked. "It''s even worse." Balduk''s expression was grave. "Why''s that?" "We''ve gotten word from our northern scouts. A monster army is advancing southward." "A monster army? Why are theying all of a sudden..." Kang Oh tilted his head. "There''s a bigger problem here. The demonic beasts, Mukarga, Helpara, and Volcaine. Have you heard of them before?" "No." "In the past, they turned the west into a sea of mes." "And?" "They were created by Evil God Worshippers!" "Which means?" "The Evil God Worshippers have appeared." In the past, the Evil God Worshippers and their monster army had ughtered and tortured the non-human species in the west. That tragedy was passed down from generation to generation, so the non-human species here all remembered it. Thus, it was only natural that Balduk''s expression had turned so serious. Whereas... "Hmm." Kang Oh smirked. A monster army... it gave him another chance to have some fun! * * * "They''reing." Turkavan, who was watching the vast ins from above the castle walls, pointed north. "Is this really the right decision?" Shakara, who stood beside Razul, asked quietly. "We need power. Power I say," Razul muttered like a man possessed. His eyes were filled with madness. "Mm." The Troll Champions looked at the monster army ufortably. When Razul had made it known that he''d joined forces with the Evil God Worshippers, the Troll Champions had been fiercely against it. Their ancestors had also been ughtered and tortured by the Evil God Worshippers. However, they couldn''t change Razul''s mind, and in the end, they joined forces with the Evil God Worshippers. Right now... The monster army was advancing towards the Anti-Ingrit Alliance in order to destroy them. "When the monster army gets here, we''ll join forces and attack. Get ready," Razul said. But for some reason, his voice sounded extremely empty. "Are you alright?" Shakara asked carefully. "Haha, I''m fine! No, I''m great. So shut up and do as I say!" Razulughed and said indignantly. It was quite the bizarre sight. "Understood." The Troll Champions left. "Hahaha. Wee, Lord Ja!" Razul wouldn''t stop smiling. Chapter 210. Monster Army

Chapter 210. Monster Army

Trantor: Boko "Gulp." Someone swallowed. Though the alliance was a grand army, they couldn''t stifle the sense of unease that swept through their ranks, and the sound of someone swallowing could be easily heard. "They''reing," someone muttered. The alliance''s warriors were staring at the north. The monster army was advancing southward. The Helpara were one-eyed, human sized poisonous toadmen. They were cruel monsters that stretched out their sticky tongues and devoured people in a single bite. Helpara also possessed extremely potent venom. Mukargas were flying mosquitoes that wererger than humans. Their gaunt, thin legs were covered with fur, which was absolutely disgusting. They specialized in controlling dead bodies! Thus, they were called Devil Mosquitoes. Last but not least, the Volcaine! They were the most dangerous of the three. Their thick stomachs were ripped open, revealing a wide open mouth, and their faces were like that of a demon, epitomizing wickedness. They also had four legs and four arms, all of which were as thick as a temple''s pirs. Their bodies were huge, about 5 meters in size. It was said that they had killed the most non-human species in the west. The Evil God Worshippers, covered in masks and ck robes, swung their whips and traveled alongside the monsters. There were two monster birds flying above the monster army. Two Evil God Worshippers rode atop them; they were apparently the leaders of the monster army. "Mm. To think that I''d see such a horrendous sight." Balduk gulped. The horrific tragedy that they''d only heard about would be repeated today. "We still have to stand and fight," Doran said. He no longer insisted on attacking Ankaro Fortress. Their main priority now was to destroy the monster army ande out alive. "But why are they here?" Mumugul asked. "It''s one of two things. Due to the battle between the trolls and the Anti-Ingrit Alliance, the west has weakened substantially. So they''ve either been waiting for this opportunity, or..." Doran said. "Or?" Mumugul urged him to continue. "They''ve joined forces with the trolls. This is the worst possible scenario." "Mm." Balduk''s expression darkened even further. That would indeed be the worst possible scenario. Out of the frying pan and into the fire. "We have to fight assuming that it''s the worst possible scenario," Mumugul said strongly. "Indeed. We have to assume that the trollsing out of Ankaro Fortress are our enemies too." Doran nodded his head. "All forces, get ready for battle!" Mumugul yelled. "Get ready for battle!" "Get ready for battle!" Balduk and Doran yelled. "Long-range attacks!" "Long-range attacks!" The Elvish Warriors shot arrows, and the Elementalists summoned the elemental spirits. The Orc Shamans raised their staffs into the air and cast spells. The mercenaries did a little bit of each; they threw projectile weapons, shot arrows, or cast spells. Bam, bam, bam! Whizz, whizz, whizz! The alliance''s long-range attacks descended upon the monster army''s vanguard. Kiek! Kyaahk! The monsters let out a horrendous cry. Grr. The Volcaines'' stomachs opened, firing zing fireballs at the alliance forces. "Guahk." "It''s fire! Water! Water!" Those hit by the fireballs screamed. "Amic!" "Onsuramaru, onsuramaru!" The Elementalists summoned the Water Spirit, while the Orc Shamans cast healing spells. "Keep up the ranged attacks!" Doran yelled. "Long-range attacks!" Balduk shouted. The alliance kept up their long-range assault. The Volcaines did the exact same. As this was going on, the monster army crept closer and closer to the alliance forces. "Commanders, lead the warriors! Us orcs are invincible," Mumugul yelled. "Nigel Knight Order, gather in the middle. If we fight as one, we''ll win!" the Elvish Warrior, Kuyol, yelled. Doran leftmanding to him, and left to engage the Volcaines. Volcaines were formidable monsters. Only someone extremely strong could hope to fight them. Thus, Doran couldn''t afford to sit back and lead his troops. "Gold rank mercenaries, deal with the Mukargas and Volcaines. Everyone else, deal with the Helparas!" Balduk ordered. "Oooh!" In an attempt to ovee their fear, the mercenaries cried out, and then dashed towards the monsters. The alliance versus the monster army! The battle had only just begun. * * * The first battle was short. In fact, it ended instantly. The Mukargas, Helparas, and Volcaines were horrendous monsters. Even so, the alliance''s warriors fought bravely. The Evil God Worshippers used all sorts of wicked spells and mental attacks, and attacked their whips too. Nevertheless, the alliance''s warriors didn''t give up. But once the trolls came rushing out of Ankaro Fortress, they couldn''t withstand thebined might of the trolls and the monster army. "It''s the worst possible scenario," Doran said. "We have no chance," Mumugul said. "Our best option is to retreat," Balduk said. Both Doran and Mumugul nodded their heads. "Retreat!" "Run away!" "Escape the battlefield as fast as you can!" Mumugul, Doran, and Balduk simultaneously yelled. "Uaaahk! Run away!" "Save me!" "Don''t abandon me!" The alliance''s warriors began to run in every direction. "Haha, don''t let a single one of them get away!" the Troll Great Chieftain, Razul, said crazily. The beast and smile mask men quietly watched the battlefield from atop their monster birds. "The Nigel Knight Order will stay behind for now!" "We have to buy time for our orc brothers to escape!" "Gold rank mercenaries, show them why you''re so expensive!" The Nigel Knight Order, the gold rank mercenaries, and the most elite Orc Warriors stayed behind to buy time for their allies to escape. Despite that, they incurred several casualties. They''d lost an exceptional Elvish Warrior, Kibry, as well as Butal, who was widely considered to be the next generation Orc Supreme Commander. The panther-faced gold rank mercenary, Grato, died with his entire body ame. Countless others had died as well. It was truly a brutal and horrendous result to their first battle. What''s worse, the Devil Mosquitoes, the Mukarga, had gained control of their fallen brothers'' bodies. Anyhow, the remnants of the Anti-Ingrit Alliancepletely left the Ingrit ins, where the Ankaro Fortress was located. They gathered at the neutral zone, Kasten, and reformed their battle line. The monster army stayed near Ankaro Fortress, and the Ingrit Trolls remained in ce as well. However, everyone was well aware of the facts. That this was the calm before the storm. An evenrger battle would ur soon. * * * Jae Woo called Jin Cheol. "I liked the footage. However, I''m not in charge of the program covering the western battle. Another producer is, and they''ve already signed a contract with another yer," Jin Cheol said calmly. "Mm. Is that so?" Jae Woo said disappointedly. ''This is bad. Without him, I won''t have anyone topete against Hye Rim...'' "Yes. I could ask if they''re interested, but they probably won''t be able to offer you what you want, as they''ve already signed a contract with someone else." "Well, I guess it can''t be helped." "But if you get your hands on some great footage, then please let me know. As you know, I always offer you my best." "Of course. Then I''ll talk to youter." "Yes. My door is always open." Jae Woo hung up and briefly thought things over. ''Should I contact VG?'' VG, or Virtual Games, was the #2 ranked gamingwork. ''Should I try selling the footage to them, and make thempete with TGN?'' But he soon shook his head. He didn''t know anyone at VG. Not only that, but they may already have some footage like GBS. ''In the end, my only choice is to go with Hye Rim... I wonder how much she''s willing to give me.'' Jae Woo sent Hye Rim a brief message, saying, ''Let''s meet.''. Hye Rim immediately sent him a reply, telling him to give her a time, ce, and date. A few dayster... Jae Woo met Hye Rim at a nearby cafe. "Have you seen the footage?" Jae Woo asked. He''d already sent footage of him fighting the trolls and the monster army. "Of course." "How was it?" "It was good. Especially your fight with the Troll Champion, Nergal. People will be fascinated by the appearance of the Evil God Worshippers too." "Is that so?" Jae Woo grinned. "Yes, but I''m also aware that the otherworks aren''t going to buy this footage from you." Hye Rim smiled back. "Mm." Jae Woo''s expression stiffened. "News travels fast." "If you don''t catch on quick, then you''ll never survive in your field." Hye Rim already knew that both GBS and VG weren''t interested in his footage. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "Last time, I told you I''d give you whatever you wanted for your footage, but... That doesn''t mean I''m just going to roll over for you," Hye Rim said firmly. "Tch. Then tell me your price." "Alright. Let''s negotiate." Hye Rim smiled. After that, Jae Woo sold both clips of him fighting the troll army and the monster army for 30 million won ($30,000 USD). "If you have some other great footage, then please let me know." Hye Rim left looking satisfied. It wasn''t a bad deal for Jae Woo. 30 million won wasn''t a small sum by any stretch of the imagination. But he couldn''t stop thinking about the ''what ifs''. What if Jin Cheol was free topete for the footage? If he was, then he could''ve sold his footage for so much more! He soothed his stomach ache with cold water. * * * A peaceful tribe, the Mer, just had their vige razed to the ground. They were skilled in agriculture, notbat. On the other hand, the troll/monster army was extremely powerful and horrific. "Capture them. We need them to create more monsters," an Evil God Worshipper said. "Gyaahk, let me live!" "Uahk, please!" The Mer were dragged to Ankaro Fortress, their hands bound with rope. After that, they were forced to undergo intense torture and were offered up to create more monsters. The viges nearby experienced the same thing. "This time, it''s the Innar," Turkavan said, looking down from the castle walls. He saw lines of prisoners being dragged into the fortress. "I feel like... something''s gone wrong," Shakara said. His forehead had been creased for quite some time. "I heard rumors that the Great Chieftain ughters the prisoners every night," Turkavan said. "You don''t really think that the Great Chieftain would..." "It doesn''t matter whether the rumors are true or not. The fact of the matter is that the Great Chieftain has changed. And I''ve heard that anyone who goes against him is sent off to the Evil God Worshippers." "No way." "No one knows where Elder Vishoum is after he publicly criticized the Great Chieftain." "Mm." "This is bad. Really bad. How will I face our ancestors when I die?" Turkavan groaned. "..." Shakara had nothing more to say. He felt like he was having a terrible nightmare, but this was no dream. "Be careful what you say. The Great Chieftain won''t spare you just because you''re a champion." Turkavan patted his shoulder and left. Shakara wanted to plug his ears. He could almost hear the victims'' unending screams from not just the Ankaro Fortress, but from across the grasnds as well. However, he couldn''t just look away and cover his ears. He gritted his teeth and tightly gripped his spear. ''We can''t keep going on like this.'' Shakara would correct everything, even if he had to give up his own life to do so. Chapter 211. Battle of the Kasten Plains (1)

Chapter 211. Battle of the Kasten ins (1)

Trantor: Boko "Great Chieftain! We have to get rid of the Evil God Worshippers! They''re pure evil!" The Troll Champion, Shakara, tried to give Razul some genuine advice. However, his heartfelt advice didn''t get through to his leader at all. "He''s an alliance spy! He''s trying to tear apart our alliance!" On the contrary, Shakara was used of being a spy and was imprisoned. "He''ll be executed immediately. He shall serve as an example so that this doesn''t happen again!" Shakara''s life was at risk like a flickering light amidst a breeze. However, the tattoo-faced warrior, Turkavan, broke Shakara out of prison, and the two disappeared without a trace. "Grr! There may be more traitors out there. Track them down!" Razul''s order caused an uproar. Innocent trolls were being falsely charged and killed. Meanwhile, some trolls actually nned to rebel and/or be actual traitors. Things were getting worse and worse. "Hmph. Killing the alliance will fix everything." Razul was trying to get them to direct their grievances towards the alliance, not him. "All troops, charge!" Razul''s monster/troll army advanced. * * * "Hoo, hoo. Everything''s going as nned," the smile mask man said. He, like his mask, was smiling. "Razul ispletely under our control. We''ll use him to conquer the west, mobilize the tribes, and invade the Great Temple of Rakan." The beast mask man couldn''t hide his excitement. "If all goes ording to n, then we''ll finally reim Lord Ja''s sacred treasure, Nemeth''s Skull." "Yeah, we''ll finally reim it!" This n was created for the sole purpose of reiming Ja''s sacred treasure. They heard that the Great Temple of Rakan housed Ja''s sacred treasure. However, the Rakan Church was the most powerful church in all of Arth, and received a lot of support from the continent''srgest city, Altein. Which meant that they couldn''t attack the temple without a n. They couldn''t face off against both the Rakan Church and Altein. But what if they were to use the trolls to attack Altein? While Altein was upied with the trolls, the Evil God Worshippers would assault the Great Temple of Rakan. It was certainly a worthwhile n. Thus, they''d kept tempting Razul. If he joined forces with them, then they''d give him power. However, he hadn''t gone along with them. But his great willpower crumbled when he failed to realize his ambition, so he was easily seduced by Ja''s whispers. In the end, the Great Chieftain, Razul, had been bewitched by the Evil God. Now was the time to put their great n into motion. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." "Hehehe." The two mens'' wickedughter went on for quite some time. * * * The Anti-Ingrit Alliance had be the Destroy the Evil God Worshippers Alliance. ''Destroy the Evil God Worshippers'' was a strong justification that could draw all of the western tribes under one banner. After all, every single one of their ancestors had been killed by the Evil God Worshippers. Plus, their brutality angered them all, and was something that they couldn''t ignore. Thus, the alliance''s numbers had swelled to a record high, totaling 120,000 members. They had even more soldiers than the Ingrit Trolls had at their peak. The Orc Great Chieftain, Asuka, was the leader of the alliance. He brought more than 20,000 troops with him, for a total of 50,000 troops. Thus, the orcs made up the majority of the alliance''s troops. Asuka was skilled atmanding troops duringrge-scale battles, and unlike most orcs, he was extremely powerful. Therefore, no one had any issues with him assumingmand as suprememander. The Orc Great Chieftain knew that forcing the troops into one, unified force was foolhardy. Thus, he left the 50,000 orcs to Mumugul, the 20,000 elves to Doran, and the 20,000 mercenaries to Balduk. The remaining 30,000 troops, which was nothing more than an undisciplined mob, were put under his direct control and were named the Warrior Squad. Anyhow, Asuka, Mumugul, Doran, Balduk, and the other higher ups gathered in one ce. Balduk had strongly suggested that Kang Oh be allowed to join the meeting, so he was there too. "They''ve finally begun to advance," Doran said. He was responsible for their information gathering too. "How many are there?" Asuka asked. Asuka was quite different from a normal orc. Most orcs had fat, pudgy bodies, but Asuka''s body was robust, strong, and flexible. If not for his brown skin, his pig nose and protruding tusks, then no one would be able to tell that he was an orc. It only made sense. He was a half-blooded orc. However, no one knew what his other half was. There were rumors that he had elf or ogre blood, or even the blood of some ancient species, but in the end, it was nothing more than rumors. "There are 50,000 trolls and 20,000 monsters." "A lot more than we anticipated." "It looks like they''ve brought out any troll that can handle a weapon. The monsters must''ve multiplied by sacrificing the nearby tribesmen," Doran said. "120,000 versus 70,000... It''ll be a tough fight." Normally, the side with such a huge numerical advantage would win. However, the enemy''s army consisted of trolls and monsters. In purebat ability, the trolls were the most powerful in all the west. In these circumstances, a numerical advantage didn''t really matter. "Fortunately, they''reing to us," Balduk said. "Then we have to get ready for them." "Will the Kasten ins be the location of the final battle?" The neutral zone, Kasten, was a vige located in the middle of the Kasten ins. "That''s right." Asuka nodded his head. "The ins will run red with blood," Balduk said. "There''s no helping it. Now then, let''s form a detailed n." After that, they continued their war council, discussing matters such as where the troops would be stationed, what the enemy''s strategy might be, etc. ''Asuka''s amazing.'' Kang Oh, who''d been watching with his arms crossed, was in awe. There was one word that one thought of when they saw Asuka. Charisma. He was the very definition of the word. Kang Oh had never seen an orc as capable as him. All of a sudden, Balduk singled out Kang Oh. "Kang Oh. Do you have anything to add? Do you have any amazing ideas likest time?" "Maybe." Kang Oh wasn''t a superb strategist, so he wasn''t capable ofing up with extraordinary ns. But he hade up with something beforehand, as he''d assumed things would go this way. "We should split the Evil God Worshippers and the trolls apart." "Hoh, how?" Asuka looked interested. "Most people wouldn''t want to be friends with Evil God Worshippers. The trolls shouldn''t be any different. There has to be some trolls that don''t agree with them." "Keep going." "Win them over and split the trolls into two factions. Those who support the Evil God and those who reject him. If that happens, then we''ll split the trolls'' power in two, and those who reject the Evil God will join our cause. The enemy will be weaker, and we will be stronger." "It won''t be easy, but it''s worth trying. Do you want to try it?" Asuka stared at him and asked. "It''s impossible for me. I''m an outsider after all." ''We have to fight! That''s all I care about!'' Mumugul raised his hand. "Great Chieftain, no, Supreme Commander. Let me handle it. I''m close to the Remgard Trolls. With their help, I should be able to convince the Ingrit Trolls to join our cause." Though the Remgard Trolls werepletely separate from the Ingrit Trolls, they shared the same ancestors. In other words, they grew from the same seed, but were different branches of the tree. It''d still be trollsmunicating with each other. If things went well, then this could be huge. "I got it. But your main duty hasn''t changed. You''re responsible formanding your troops first and foremost. Don''t put too much effort into this." "Yes, sir!" Mumugul forcefully replied with a deep voice. Asuka nodded his head and turned his head around. "Does anyone else have any other ideas?" "I have something I''d like to say. I think we need to know more about their supplies..." Several individuals raised their hands. The war council went on and on, but it wasn''t an insubstantative meeting. * * * Whoosh. A cold wind blew. The green ins were sparsely covered by grass. Boom. A monster with four legs, each as thick as pirs, made an indentation in the ground as it moved. It was a Volcaine, one of the three monsters created by the Evil God Worshippers. This was the Kasten ins. It was the name of thend that the Ingrit Trolls, the Evil God Worshippers, and the monster army had just entered. "Don''t stop. Kill them all with pure strength. Bring thisnd to me!" Razul said atop his personal mount, a rhino. His face was gaunt, and there were bags under his eyes. He looked like a sick person, or a madman. Kyaahk! Kuraaahk! The monsters shrieked and crossed the Kasten ins. There were all sorts of Troll Warriors that followed behind them. Some of them had a crazed look in their eyes and their tongues darted in and out, licking their lips. Others were dragging their feet on the floor, as if they were forcing themselves to move. Then there were trolls thatughed as they ran across the battlefield, while others kept their mouths shut with stiff faces. There were even young trolls that looked across the battlefield in fear. It was undeniable that morale wasn''t high. It was likely because they were joining forces with their mortal enemies, the Evil God Worshippers. "Listen up!" Asuka yelled. He was riding arge, bulky ck horse. "I''m afraid." His statement disturbed the troops. ''He''s afraid?''. "I''m afraid of those monsters ripping my brothers apart, eating my children, and desecrating my family''s bodies!" As expected of the incarnation of charisma! Asuka''s words instantly entranced the soldiers. "So I stay brave, brave enough to ovee my fear. Couragees from our brothers, our family, and our children! So brothers, be brave!" Asuka raised his axe into the air. "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" The soldiers ardently cheered. They all shouted as one. "Let''s give them a warm wee. Ranged attacks!" Asuka ordered. "Ranged attacks!" Balduk, Mumugul, and Doran yelled. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Bam, bam, bam! Arrows, various projectile weapons, spells, and spiritual power covered the sky. "Volcaines, let them have a taste!" the Evil God Worshippers yelled, cracking their whips. The Volcaines unleashed fireballs from their stomach mouths. "Avoid the iing fireballs. Elementalists, shamans, if anyone nearby catches on fire, then heal them immediately!" Asuka yelled. ''Ah, c''mon. Hurry up.'' In the midst of all that, Kang Oh''s body itched. He wanted to just charge forward. It was 120,000 versus 70,000. When would he get a chance to fight in such a huge battle!? But then, a fireball came right at him. Kang Oh switched weapons, and cleaved through the fireball with Demon Sword Ubist. Slurp! A fireball that was more than 2 meters wide was instantly absorbed by his sword. ''Man, you really have such a big appetite.'' Kang Oh grinned. However, he couldn''t block all of the fireballs. Boom! Roar! "Uahk." "Water! Water!" Fire began to spread across their ranks. As the two sides shot arrows, fireballs, and all sorts of spells at each other, they slowly got closer and closer to each other. And finally...! "Brothers, onward to victory! Charge!" Asuka yelled. That''s what Kang Oh had been waiting for. ''Ok!'' Kang Oh rushed out first. Though he hadn''t used Baramut''s Roar or Gluttony, his body brimmed with power. The reason was simple. Asuka had used a Large-Scale Command skill! Hismand skill was powerful enough to strengthen every single one of their troops. The alliance, which was empowered (increased abilities, courage, and morale) by Asuka''s Large-Scale Command skill, attacked the troll/monster army with incredible ferocity. Chapter 212. Battle of the Kasten Plains (2)

Chapter 212. Battle of the Kasten ins (2)

Trantor: Boko Darkness fell. Both the troll/monster army and the alliance decided to continue hostilities tomorrow. The first day of battle had ended. The trolls lost 10,000 troops, and the monsters lost 3,000. On the other hand, the alliance had gone from 120,000 to 90,000 in a single day. Most of their casualties hade from the monster army. The Warrior Squad, which was under Asuka''s directmand, had sustained the most casualties. They were neither elites nor did they work together particrly well. Kang Oh had performed remarkably in the first battle. He''d managed to kill twenty Volcaines, and at least 100 Devil Mosquitoes! Kang Oh had also killed several Helgas and trolls! ''Hehe.'' Through that, Kang Oh had reached level 290. His proficiency in Intermediate-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship had also risen to 98%. He''d killed countless enemies while under the effect of the ''Potion of Explosive Growth'', which increased experience and proficiency gain by 300% for a week, so it was an obvious result. His increase in proficiency was especially notable. Word on the street was that you needed to be about level 350 to upgrade a skill to high-rank. But he''d invested all of his extra stat points into Sense, which increased his proficiency gains, allowing him to upgrade a skill to high-rank before hitting level 300. ''I haven''t heard of anyone having a high-rank skill yet. That means I''m the first one.'' If Dukeram, who stood at the peak of the Numbers, didn''t have a high-rank skill yet, then it was entirely possible that he would be the first one. ''Good, good.'' Unbeknownst to him, Kang Oh''s lips kept curling upwards. But he pushed it down, as not wasn''t the time to be smiling. The mood within the alliance was the very definition of ''gloomy''. After all, they''d lost 30,000 soldiers in a single day. If he was caught smiling at a time like this, then people would treat him like a crazy person. An Orc Warrior came over. "Mr. Kang Oh." "Yes, what''s the matter?" "There''ll be a meeting soon. Pleasee to the General''s barracks." "Understood." Contrary to how he actually felt, Kang Oh sported a grave expression and entered Asuka''s barracks. "Sit down. Now we''re all here." As soon as he sat in one of the empty seats, the meeting began. "What did you think about today?" Asuka asked, looking over each and every one of them. "The trolls were worse than I expected. However, the monsters were far stronger than I could''ve imagined," Balduk answered. "You''re referring to their power." "That''s right." The troll army was much weaker than they''d anticipated. However, the monster army was freakishly strong. Moreover, the Evil God Worshippers got on their nerves. "Anyone else?" "Though the trolls were weak, they acted as meat shields for the monsters. Thus, the monsters didn''t take as much damage as I expected," Mumugul said. "I saw that too. It was quite the horrific sight." The Devil Mosquitoes, the Mukargas, manipted the trolls'' corpses and used them as meat shields. Like that wasn''t enough, the Evil God Worshippers used magic to mind control the trolls into sacrificing themselves for the monsters. It was like hell on earth. "Anyhow, how will we fight differently tomorrow? We sustained too many casualties. Whereas our enemies sustained far less, rtively speaking." "We should take out the Evil God Worshippers and the Mukargas first. Seeing the Evil God Worshippers using their wicked magic and the Mukargas raising the dead to do their bidding lowered our troops'' morale significantly," Doran said. "Mm. The Devil Mosquitoes and the Evil God Worshippers. These two entities truly can''t be allowed to exist." "I agree with the sentiment. We should assign some warriors to fight off the Volcaines, while the others focus on the rest," Balduk said. "Mm." "We have to keep our guard up. You never know when the Evil God Worshippers'' leader will show up," Doran said. "Indeed." After that, the meeting continued for quite some time, and only endedte into the night. But even after everyone else had left, Mumugul remained. "Do you have something to tell me?" "Yes. That''s..." Mumugul and Asuka spoke in secret for quite some time. * * * The second day of battle. It was far more brutal and gruesome than the day prior. The Troll Champions and their Great Chieftain, Razul, rampaged across the battlefield, forcing the alliance''s leaders to deal with them. Kang Oh dueled the Troll Champion, Ursac, himself. However, Ursac was far weaker than Nergal. Not only that, but he wasn''t of sound mind. He must''ve been bewitched by the Evil God Worshippers. Unfortunately, Kang Oh couldn''t finish him off. Before he couldnd the finishing blow, another Troll Champion, Raikavan, swooped in and retreated with him in tow. Anyhow, the second battle resulted in far more casualties than the first. For both sides, that is! The Ingrit Trolls lost 20,000 troops, while the monsters lost 5,000. In total, the troll/monster army only had 32,000 troops left. But if the corpses under the Mukargas'' control were taken into ount, they had more like 35,000 troops left. The alliance had lost 40,000 troops. They had lost troops across the board, which included elves, orcs, mercenaries, and the other small tribes. They only had 50,000 warriors left. Even so, Kang Oh wanted to cry out with joy. ''This is the best hunting ground ever!'' Kang Oh had leveled up twice in the previous battle, getting up to 292! Unfortunately, his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship still remained at 98%. In any case, the alliance needed to do something, and they needed to do it quickly. It had to be something that would make the history books! Asuka secretly called Mumugul. "Bring them over." "Understood." A short whileter... Mumugul brought over two men covered in robes. The robes covered more than two-thirds of their faces. Even so, their sharp tusks were still clearly visible. "We''re executing the n tomorrow," Asuka said. "Understood." "I hope it works." "It has to. Our tribe''s future hangs in the bnce." * * * The third day of battle. "Hehe, their troops have gone down significantly. Victory is mine!" Razulughed evilly. The Troll Champions behind him were almost expressionless. They had lost all hope. It didn''t matter whether they died to their enemies or were mind controlled by the Evil God Worshippers and became meat shields. They would die either way. They would probably be forced back into the fight by the Devil Mosquitoes too. However... "Ingrit Trolls!" Someone''s voice rang out. The Troll Warriors turned their heads towards the familiar voice. There were two individuals riding atop warthogs, their bodies covered in robes. One of the two had just spoken. Swish. One man threw off his robes, revealing...! "Shakara!" "It''s Shakara!" The Troll Warriors instantly recognized him. Javelin Master, Shakara! "I''m here too, my brothers!" The other man threw off his robes, revealing his tattooed face. It was Turkavan. "Ooh, Turkavan!" "It''s Turkavan!" "Grr, you traitors. Where do you think you are!?" Razul went berserk and punched his rhino. "You traitors. In the end, you chose to join the alliance!" "You''re a disgrace to the title of Troll Champion!" The Troll Champions, Ursac and Angol, yelled. They had chosen to follow Razul, and had fallen prey to the Evil God Worshippers'' machinations. "My Ingrit brothers...!" Shakarapletely ignored Razul and his allies'' reactions. "Razul is no longer our Great Chieftain!" "What?" Razul''s eyes widened with rage. "He''s nothing more than an Evil God Worshipper now!" "Preposterous. I am the Ingrit''s great leader, Razul!" Razul yelled desperately. However, it didn''t have much effect. "You''re the Great Chieftain? You dare say that when this is what you''ve done!?" Shakara said angrily. Shakara dismounted from his warthog, and then helped another robbed individual get down from theirs. "Look closely!" Shakara pulled off the robe, revealing an old troll. However, the lower half of his body had been transformed into bizarre tentacles. It was a hideous, gruesome sight. "Uoooh," the old troll groaned. It was almost like they were screaming. "This is Elder Vishum! But why exactly does he look like this!?" Shakara yelled sorrowfully. His shout, as well as Vishum''s hideous state, was enough to stir the hearts of the Troll Warriors. "It is Elder Vishum! What happened? Why does he look like that?" "Was the rumor true? The Great Chieftain gave him to the Evil God Worshippers because he stood against him..." "Impossible!" The Troll Warriors gaped, feeling like they''d been betrayed. "This is a conspiracy. It''s a lie!" Razul yelled desperately. "A conspiracy? A lie? Take a look around. Why are those Devil Mosquitoes controlling ourrades'' bodies? Why are you, the Great Chieftain, allowing our people to be used like that!?" Shakara yelled, letting out his pent up frustration. Each and every word made the Troll Warriors'' very souls stir. "Troll Warriors. Join the alliance immediately. We need to fix what''s been broken!" Turkavan said. "Hmph, look at that. He''s just a traitor! Join the alliance? Even though they''ve been fighting and killing each other all this time? If they go over to the alliance, then they''ll be killed right then and there!" Razul went on a long rant, thinking that this was his chance to turn things around. But at that moment... General Asuka stepped forward. "From this point forward, the Anti-Ingrit Alliance will be the Destroy the Evil God Worshippers Alliance! Our goal is topletely destroy the Evil God Worshippers! Brave Troll Warriors, lend us your strength! It''s true, we may fight again one day, but right now, we need to exterminate the Evil God''s followers!" His confident cry resounded throughout the battlefield. "Brothers, I ask that youy down your deep-seated hatred for them, at least for this moment, and ept them. If we don''t defeat the Evil God''s followers now, then we''ll have no future to speak of!" "Ooooh!" the alliance''s warriors eximed. "Troll Warriors. Escape the Evil God''s wicked grasp and join us. Return to what you once were, the great, proud Ingrit Trolls!" Turkavan screamed at the top of his lungs. "Brothers! Fight with me!" Shakara yelled. However, none of the trolls moved immediately. They were confused, unsure as to what to do. Mumugul raised his right arm and gave the signal. Then, thirty Troll Warriors popped out. "I can''t stay in this hell any longer. I''ll trust and follow Shakara and Turkavan." "Me too!" "Brothers, let''s escape together!" "Follow me!" They ran towards the alliance. It was as if a dam had copsed. Like the built up water rushing out of a copsed dam, 20,000 Troll Warriors ran towards the alliance. "No!" Razul yelled desperately, but he''d already lost his men. "It''s gone just as nned," Mumugul whispered to Asuka. "Good job." Asuka smiled in satisfaction. The trolls that were the first to leave actually weren''t Ingrit Trolls. They were Remguard Trolls disguised as Ingrit Trolls! They had infiltrated the troll armyst night under Mumugul''s orders. "Give a warm wee to the Ingrit Trolls! The Ingrit Trolls can take orders from Shakara and Turkavan!" Asuka dered confidently. They were ready now. The western alliance versus the Evil God''s followers! Now, all they needed to do was defeat the Evil God Worshippers with theirbined strength. But then... The beast mask man dropped from his monster bird andnded on the ground. Thud! The smile mask man was next tond. "Damn it. The trolls have escaped our grasp. The n has gonepletely astray," the smile mask man said. "To think they''d get in the way of our great n... None of you will die peacefully!" the beast mask man said murderously. He then raised his hand into the air. A giant portal appeared in the sky. Countless monsters began pouring out of the portal. Chapter 213. Alliance vs. Evil God Worshippers

Chapter 213. Alliance vs. Evil God Worshippers

Trantor: Boko Kuaah! A total of 10,000 Volcaines, Mukargas, and Helparas exited the portal. With their addition, the monster army had more than 20,000 troops. "Mm!" "More monsters areing out!" "There are too many of them!" The alliance''s warriors nched and their morale drastically fell. It didn''t feel like they could win against the monster army, no matter what they did. General Asuka stepped forward. "Kuhaaaaah!" he roared. A red ring rippled outwards. Gunther''s Roar! Gunther was a legendary orc hero, who is widely considered to be the greatest orc in history. It was said that his roar would bring victory. [You have heard Gunther''s Roar.] [Your Courage stat has increased.] [Your Indomitable stat has increased.] [Your fighting spirit has increased. Fight the enemies before you!] The roar resulted in these system messages. ''He really is amazing.'' The effects of Asuka''s roar were tremendous. With the addition of the Ingrit Trolls, the alliance''s forces went from 50,000 to 70,000 troops. Asuka''s roar affected all 70,000 of them, increasing their courage, fortitude, and fighting spirit. Moreover... "My Warrior Squad and Mumugul''s troops will take the center! Balduk''s mercenary squad will take the right nk. Doran and the elves will take the left nk. Don''t be afraid. Charge!" Asuka yelled. Large-Scale Command! The alliance''s 70,000 troops followed his orders and moved as one. "Mercenary squad, follow me!" Balduk snorted. "Orcs fight, and Orcs win!" Mumugul mmed his mace onto the ground. "For our home!" Doran, Echo, and Kuyol stepped forward. "Uwaaaaah!" 70,000 warriors charged at the monster army like a huge tsunami. However...! They weren''t facing off against any normal enemies. "Hmph. Don''t let a single one of them live." "For Ja!" The beast mask and smile mask men directed the monster army. Kuaaahk! Helpara! Mukaruga! Volcaine! These were the three monsters that formed the monster army! They began to show just how powerful they really were! * * * "Guaahk!" A hideous tongue, covered in fine hairs like a venus fly trap, pulled in an anthromorph warrior. Gulp. A Poisonous Toad, or Helpara, ate the warrior in a single bite! "You bastard!" An anthromorph warrior swung his sword at it. He hade from the same vige as the just eaten warrior. The Helpara''s skin released poisonous purple mist. Spurt! "Ugh." The warrior''s face began to burn. "Adol!" an Elvish Warrior desperately yelled. His little brother''s tattered body stood before him. In the previous battle, his little brother had fought valiantly and died... And yet, his little brother''s body was charging at him. This had to be the work of a Mukarga. Spurt. Adol''s sword pierced through the warrior''s heart. "Ado..." The Elvish Warrior pitifully stared at his younger brother''s body and died. Bzzzzzzz. A Mukarga flew over and stung the fallen elf''s body. A short whileter... The fallen elf''s body rose from the ground and began attacking his fellow elves. Whoosh! Meanwhile, a Volcaine indiscriminately swung its four thick arms! It then grabbed one of the orcs and pulled it into its stomach. Crunch! "You monster!" "Die!" "Don''t get too worked up!" The enraged orcs charged at the Volcaine. Their Orc Commander tried to stop them, but it was no use. Spurt! The Volcaine unleashed a zing fireball from its stomach mouth. "Guaahk!" The Orc Warriors writhed in pain as the fireball swept through them. Then, the Volcaine stomped on the burning orcs with its four thick legs. That was the end of it. "Bow before Ja!" "Offer Him pain and suffering!" The Evil God Worshippers swung their whips and ran amok. "Ugh." "Uahk, why are you doing this all of a sudden!?" The Evil God Worshippers brainwashed the alliance''s warriors into attacking theirrades. It was hell. The same thing was happening all across the battlefield. But there were those that carried their weight and more throughout this mncholic, gruesome battlefield. Doran, who swung the Spirit''s Sword and unleashed a Mother Nature''s Aura, as well as the Nigel Knight Order! The elite orcs that Mumugulmanded! Asuka''s tremendous Command ability! The golden horned Balduk and his gold rank mercenaries. The more they contributed, the more they would be rewarded. Of course, Kang Oh was here too. "Huahp!" Kang Oh leapt high into the air. As he descended, he swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. Spurt! The giant-bodied Volcaine was split in two. [You have defeated the gruesome monster, Volcaine.] [You are under the effect of the Potion of Explosive Growth.] [You have acquired more experience points than usual.] Kang Oh smirked. ''There''s tons to eat here. It''s practically a buffet.'' He quickly drew a dion''s Dagger and threw it! Stab! A Mukarga, which was already on itsst legs, was struck by the dagger. Boom! Lightning fell from the sky, burning the Devil Mosquito to a crisp. Kang Oh went across the battlefield, finishing off any enemies that were on the brink of death. Because of that, he''d killed more monsters than any other, and received a ton of experience and proficiency as a result. Kang Oh personally pulled the dagger out of the mosquito''s body. Since it''d be a while before the battle ended, his belt''s Automatic Return feature didn''t work. Thus, he had no choice but to bring it back himself. Kang Oh quickly scanned the battlefield. ''Good. You''re next.'' His next target was a low HP Helpara. It was low enough for him tond the killing blow! He kicked off the floor and rushed at the Helpara. Switch. Kang Oh swapped to Blood and attacked. Swish! Shards of light burst from its body, but it wasn''t dead yet. Kang Oh avoided its outstretched tongue, and thrust his sword into its mouth. Darkness Strike! A red wave pushed into its mouth. The Helpara''s body swelled like a balloon and burst. ''Next...'' Kang Oh turned his head in search of his next prey. Then, he saw... "You traitor!" An angry Razul charged at Shakara! "You''re the traitor, Razul!" Shakara met him head-on. ng! Thus began the battle between the Ingrit Troll''s fallen hero, and a newly born hero, one who sought to save his people. * * * The smile mask man''s name was Frick. He was the Evil God''s Seventh Disciple, Submission Frick! "Submit to Ja!" "Submit!" He was leading the Evil God Worshippers, and was mind controlling several of the alliance''s warriors. "Ugh, my head!" "My head feels like it''ll break!" The alliance''s warriors tore their hair out. "Submit! If you do, then your pain will turn into sweet pleasure!" "Submit!" Frick and the Evil God Worshippers yelled. The alliance warriors kneeled down one or two at a time and began to bow. Then... "Don''t lose to their wicked magic!" "The spirits'' blessing be with you!" The Nigel Knight Order, led by Doran, entered the fray. Because the elves were blessed by the spirits, they had a strong resistance to mental attacks or curses. Thus, they weren''t affected by Frick''s AoE mind control. "Hmph, kill them all," Frick ordered. The Evil God Worshippers swung their whips or used Ja''s me against them. "Tempest Charge." The Nigel Knight Order charged simultaneously. A short whileter... The Evil God Worshippers and the Nigel Knight Order engaged in a fierce battle. No one could predict the oue of the battle. That''s just how intense and brutal it was. * * * The Great Chieftain, Razul, was powerful. Nevertheless, he was being pushed back by Shakara. "Why!? Why!?" Razul lookedpletely stunned. "Why can''t I call upon the souls of our ancestors anymore!?" Razul yelled. He specialized in two things. Being the wielder of the white me, which allowed him to use White me Tiger or White sh sh to burn anything to cinders. He was also able to wield his ancestors'' strength as his own, a right given only to the Troll Great Chieftain! However, he couldn''t use histter ability. "It''s only natural. Since you''re no longer the Great Chieftain!" Shakara said, thrusting his spear nimbly like a snake. "I am the Great Chieftain! I am!" Razul grimaced as he swung his scimitar. No matter how much he tried, he couldn''t call forth the souls of his ancestors anymore. "You''re nothing more than an Evil God Worshipper now," Shakara said coldly. "Grr!" Razul angrily swung his scimitar. White me sh! White mes arose from his de. "Hoo, hoo." Shakara took a deep breath. Then, blue energy enveloped his spear. Fabico Killing Spear! It was said that Fabico was a mysterious cat that had nine lives. This skill would allow the user to kill Fabico in a single blow. Bam, bam, bam, bam! In a single breath, he struck nine times. Shakara''s white mes were extinguished. "Razul!" Shakara threw his spear. Spear throwing was one of his specialties! Lightning Spear! His violently spinning spear flew through the air like a streak of lightning. "Tch!" Razul swung his scimitar and quickly blocked the spear. ng. The moment the spear was deflected, however, Shakara rushed forward. They shed again and again. However, Shakara gained the upper hand in this exchange. "Die, Evil God Worshipper." Shakara aimed for Razul''s throat. Razul gritted his teeth and backed off. ''Impossible! How could I be losing!?'' He felt like he''d go crazy. After all, he''d joined forces with the Evil God Worshippers, which he despised, and had been betrayed by his men. Moreover, he was stripped of his position as Great Chieftain, and as proof of that, he could no longer call upon the souls of his ancestors. Razul couldn''t use his full power in this situation, and he wasn''t exactly sane right now either. Thus, it made sense that Shakara, who only wished to save his people, was beating him! "I can''t ept this. I can''t ept this!" Razul said, struggling. However, Shakara''s spear only got stronger, making it difficult to stop. Then... ''Razul! Razul! I will give you the power to control the world,'' a voice sweetly whispered into his ear. It was the same whispers that he''d heard from the bronze gargoyle; the whispers of the Evil God, Ja. ''The power to control the world!'' Razul''s consciousness dimmed. "Grant me the power to control the world, great Ja!" He opened his arms wide. Then... Spurt! Shakara''s spear pierced through Razul''s heart. Not only did the spearpletely destroy Razul''s heart, but it made a giant hole in his body. "Rest in peace, once Great Chieftain." In ast act of respect, he said his farewells to the lord he''d once respected and served. However... A wicked energy suddenly spewed out of Razul''s body. That power restored Razul''s heart, and healed the rest of his body as well. That wasn''t all. Razul''s eyes radiated red light, and his entire body was covered in bizarre characters. "I''m no longer the Great Chieftain. I''m far greater than a mere Great Chieftain now. I am the great Ja''s Eighth Disciple, Annihtion Razul!" Razul said. An Evil God''s Disciple had been born. Chapter 214. Overbuffed (1)

Chapter 214. Overbuffed (1)

Trantor: Boko "Hahahaha. Ja has given me the power to control the world!" Razulughed crazily. By bing one of the Evil God''s Disciples, Razul gained apletely new power. Annihtion, the power to destroy everything! Whenever he swung his scimitar, a creeping ck energy flew out of his de. It was like a swarm of locusts that devoured everything in its path. If that ominous energy made contact with a living being, then they would disappear without a trace. The result would be the same if it touched one''s shield or weapon too. "Mm." Shakara gritted his teeth and tried to stop Razul no matter what. He used techniques that he''d perfected and even tried aura attacks, but nothing worked against the power of annihtion. "I''ll help you out." "Please let us help you." Realizing that things were taking a turn for the worse, Turkavan and some other Troll Warriors surrounded Razul. However, their actions only increased the death count. "Die, you traitors!" Whenever he swung his sword, the power of annihtion would be released, killing several trolls at once. Grr. Shakara gritted his teeth. His brothers were dying right before his eyes. However, he had no way of stopping Razul, now that he''d be a disciple of the Evil God. But then... "C''mon!" It was time for Kang Oh to take on Razul. In his hand, however, he held priest vestments that glowed with dim light. * * * The day that Kang Oh''s victory over the Evil God''s Disciple, Trambo, was shown... Arthtory and the othermunity sites went crazy. It was the first appearance of one of the Evil God''s Disciples! Though Rondark, who appeared at the end of the Tarnatose Prison, was indeed one of them, he was merely a remnant of the past and wasn''t alive anymore. However, his fight against Trambo was the first showing of a living disciple of the Evil God. Obviously, information posts regarding the Evil God Worshippers and the Evil God''s Disciples filled the message boards, and Kang Oh had carefully looked through them. He knew that as Vn''s sessor, he would have to fight against the Evil God''s followers in the future. Thus, he memorized as much information as he could. However, he found something particrly interesting when looking through the posts. Hello, I am a pdin that serves the God of Light. If you''re a Pdin or Priest, then I''m sure you already know this, but there are times during battle that the god that you serve grants you their blessing. I coincidentally received a god''s blessing while fighting an Evil God Worshipper. But I found that when fighting against them, the god''s blessing was far more powerful than normal. You''re also capable of using extremely powerful skills or spells rted to the god you serve... In my case, I was able to use a skill called Light''s Judgment. In conclusion, the post stated that when fighting against an Evil God Worshipper, a blessing''s effects would be amplified, and would also allow a yer to use skills/spells that were previously unavable to them. Therefore, Kang Oh had bought these priest vestments prior to the battle with the Evil God Worshippers and their monster army. [Rakan Devotee, Langhel''s Priest Vestments] The priest vestments of the Rakan devotee, Langhel, who was renowned for killing the man-eating monster, Ummout. + God''s Blessing: For ten minutes, the God of War and Victory, Rakan, will bless you. (Cooldown: 1 week). Rank: AA. Abilities: Defense +100, Divine Power +200, Mental +50. Minimum Requirements: Level 250, Divine Power 300, Affiliated with the Rakan Church. This item would allow him to receive a god''s blessing! Equipment with the ''God''s Blessing'' effect were incredibly rare. He was barely able to procure a piece with Man Bok''s help. Of course, Kang Oh couldn''t equip it. Instead, he could use Gluttony on it. Now that Razul had be one of the Evil God''s Disciples, it was time to use it! "Eat." Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness consumed the priest''s vestments. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Rakan Devotee, Langhel''s Priest Vestments.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities triple.] [You may use one of the consumed item''s effects.] [God''s Blessing has been chosen.] "Hmph, you worm!" Razul swung his scimitar at Kang Oh. The power of annihtion crept towards him like a ck mist. Due to Gluttony, Kang Oh was three times as fast, so he avoided the attack and retreated. Then, he activated God''s Blessing. A pir of light descended from the sky and shined on Kang Oh. [You have received the blessing of the God of War and Victory, Rakan.] [You have killed countless followers of the Evil God, and will kill countless more in the future.] [Rakan is pleased with your actions and bestows an extremely powerful blessing upon you.] [Allbat-rted stats increase significantly.] [HP and MP have increased significantly.] [Your Stamina is infinite.] [Your attacks deal additional holy damage. You deal more damage to the Evil God''s followers.] [Rakan''s blessing protects you against the worst curses and spells.] [You may now use Great Sword of Victory, Shield that Prevents Defeat, and Righteous Roar of Victory.] [Rakan''s blessing will remain in effect until the end of this battle.] A dim light enveloped Kang Oh''s body. It was a sign that he had received Rakan''s blessing! ''This is huge.'' Kang Oh was amazed by the effect of Rakan''s blessing. To think that a god''s blessing would be this amazing! Above all, Rakan''s blessing, which would normally onlyst 10 minutes, had been extended, and wouldst until the end of this battle. "Now, let''s fight for real!" Kang Oh grinned. * * * The beast mask man''s name was Helga! He was the Evil God''s Fifth Disciple, the Demon Ruler, Terror Helga! Helga stretched out both of his hands. Then, they transformed into several tentacles, which resembled an octopus''s legs. Demon Fusion. This power was bestowed upon him by Ja! He was currently fused with a tentacle monster, a Buggles. Anyhow, his tentacles extended, and wrapped around the alliance troops. "Ugh." "S-Save me!" Those stabbed by the tip of his tentacles began to swell. "Guoooh." They let out a bizarre sound, and were transformed into flesh monsters! And... Boom, boom, boom! The flesh monsters began their showy, ''explosion show''. To the alliance, however, it was no show; it was more like a catastrophe. Ultimately, some of the alliance''s strongest members decided to intervene. "Stop!" "Protect ourrades!" Balduk and his gold rank mercenaries, as well as Mumugul''s army and hismanders, tried to stop him. "Haha. You''re free to attack me all you want, you worms!" Helga mocked. He gathered various monsters around him. There was a two-headed Volcaine, a spotted Helga with even stronger poison, and a more agile, female Mukarga! "Let''s go!" "Fight, and win!" Balduk and Mumugul took the lead. The warriors and mercenaries followed behind them. Sometimeter... The alliance forces fought bravely, but they were beginning to lose. Helga and the monster army were much too powerful. "Grr, we can do this!" "Fight back-to-back and work together. We''re stronger together!" Balduk and Mumugul desperately yelled as they struggled against Helga. "Haha. Struggle more for me. Suffer more for me." Helga relentlessly attacked Balduk and Mumugul with his tentacles. It was written all over their faces; Balduk and Mumugul knew they were going to lose. But then... They found a sliver of hope, as if the heavens themselves hade to aid them. "Warrior Squad, follow me!" The Alliance General and the Great Orc Chieftain, Asuka! He and his men hade just in time. * * * "You bastard!" Razul''s face twisted violently. His eyes were downright murderous. Snake of Annihtion! Razul swung his scimitar, unleashing a wave of annihtion as thick and long as an anaconda. A snake that would annihte everything and anything! Kang Oh swung Ubist as if he''d been waiting for this moment. Great Sword of Victory! A long, horizontal golden energy shot out of his sword, bisecting the power of annihtion with ease! "Grr!" Razul angrily stomped on the ground. ''How many times has this happened already!? The invincible power of annihtion is being blocked so easily!'' "Oooh!" The Troll Warriors gaped and marveled at the sight. Who exactly was that great warrior!? "He''s amazing. To think he''d be able to cleave through that power." "He''s doing so repeatedly at that." Shakara and Turkavan couldn''t hold back their astonishment. It didn''t matter what the peanut gallery thought; Kang Oh focused entirely on Razul. He was dealing with Razul''s power of annihtion via the Great Sword of Victory, but he couldn''t afford to be careless. Kang Oh rushed at Razul. Perhaps it was because he''d blocked the skill several times already, but Razul used a different skill this time. White me Tiger! A white ming tiger dashed towards Kang Oh. Though he had lost his right as Great Chieftain and could no longer call upon the souls of his ancestors, Razul could still use the skills he''d perfected as a warrior, White me Tiger and White me sh. Kang Oh looked a bit surprised. An aura attack, which was quite simr to Tempest Tiger at that, wasing towards him. His astonishmentsted but a moment. Shield that Prevents Defeat! A golden, circr shield manifested over his left arm. Roar! The white mes rose over the shield, but that was all. Kang Oh waspletely fine. He ced the shield in front of himself and pierced through the mes. "Impossible!" Razul was in disbelief. His power of annihtion didn''t work, and his White me Tiger didn''t work either! "H-How is this possible!?" he yelled desperately. "I''m overbuffed!" He was three times as strong with Gluttony active. Not only that, but Rakan''s blessing had further increased his strength. Overbuffed was definitely an apt term for his state right now! Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist. Shield that Prevents Defeat had worn off, and had disappeared automatically. Swish! His jet-ck de cleaved through Razul''s chest, which was covered in bizarre letters! The sword wound shined with golden light. It must be a result of Rakan''s blessing, or more specifically, the added holy damage he dealt. "Kuahk." Razul grabbed his chest and quickly retreated. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh quickly followed him. Razul swung his scimitar. As they say, an old eagle is better than a young crow. His attack was quite sharp. Kang Oh momentarily stopped and raised Ubist. ng. A metallic ''ng'' rang out. ''I can''t die here. I have to survive no matter what and rule the world!'' Razul turned around and suddenly started running. "Hey!" ''I can''t believe he''s running away!'' "Stop him!" "Don''t let him get away!" Shakara and Turkavan, who''d been watching how things unfolded, quickly yelled, and chased after Razul. Kang Oh chased after Razul too with fire in his eyes. He was clearly faster than Razul in his overbuffed state. Razul was fated to be caught by Kang Oh. If those two were alone, that is. "Stop him! I said stop him!" Razul screamed while running at top speed. Kuhaaah! A Volcaine blocked him. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh furiously swung his sword. Great Sword of Victory! The golden energy sliced through the monster, causing it to fall over backwards. Then, Helparas and Mukargas came rushing at him. "Get lost!" Kang Oh swung horizontally. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The tiger aura ripped the monsters apart. He''d cleared the way forward. Kang Oh didn''t waste any time and ran forward. Monsters came rushing at him from every direction, but he kept chasing after Razul whilst avoiding them or deflecting their attacks. "Stop him!" "Stop right there!" Shakara and the Troll Warriors followed them too, all the while cutting through the monsters. They''d suddenly be involved in a running fight. But at some point, Razul stopped running. "Frick, save me!" He finally reached the smile mask man, Submission Frick. Chapter 215. Overbuffed (2)

Chapter 215. Overbuffed (2)

Trantor: Boko Frick and the Evil God Worshippers were in a heated fight with Doran''s Nigel Knight Order and the Elvish Warriors. Frick stretched out his hand. Ja''s mes of Eternal Suffering! A giant, 4 meter wide scarlet fireball flew from his hand. Doran quickly swung his Spirit''s Sword. Mother Nature''s Aura! Boom! The two respective energies shed head-on, resulting in a shockwave that spread in every direction. Frick raised his head and stared at Razul. "Haha, Razul. You heard the great Ja''s voice, didn''t you? You''ve be one of our brothers." Frick weed him. "That''s right. I serve Lord Ja now." Razul nodded his head. "Razul!" A furious voice resounded throughout the battlefield. The voice belonged to Doran! Razul was his mortal enemy, the one who burnt his people''s vige to the ground! He swung the Spirit''s Sword, aiming for Razul''s neck. "Hmph." Razul swung his scimitar in turn. The power of annihtion spread outwards. Doran quickly borrowed the spirits'' power to create a shield. However, the power of annihtion too easily shred through the barrier. No, itpletely destroyed it. "Damn." Doran quickly retreated. The power of annihtion devoured the ground and air where he once stood. Seeing that, Doran pressed his lips into a thin line. "Mm." If he''d been just a little slower, then he would''ve been in trouble. Doran and the Nigel Knight Order couldn''t approach him recklessly due to the power of annihtion. "Hoh, so that''s the power that Ja bestowed upon you," Frick said. "That''s right. This is the power of annihtion!" "It''s powerful. By the way, why were you asking me to save you just now?" The first thing Razul had said when he got here was ''Save me.''. "There''s someone I can''t contend with," Razul said, lookingpletely furious. "Even with the power of annihtion?" "That''s right." "Impossible. The power was granted to you by the great Ja, yet..." Then... "Hey, are you done running now!?" Kang Oh arrived. "It''s him." Razul pointed at Kang Oh, and Frick briefly looked him over. "I see, a follower of a false god. You''ve just received your power from Lord Ja, so he''s too much for you to handle." The Evil God''s followers believed that Ja was the one true god. Thus, any god aside from him was a false god. "The power of annihtion didn''t work on him." "That''s because you haven''t learned how to use it properly yet," Frick said. "It seems that way." Razul nodded his head. "Alright. I''ll take care of him. You ughter the elves. It seems like the power of annihtion works on them." Frick confidently walked in front of Kang Oh. "Follower of a false god, prepare to die." "Who the hell are you?" Kang Oh asked. "I am Submission Frick, one of the disciples that follow the great Ja!" "That so? Then let''s go!" Words were no longer necessary. Kang Oh and Frick shed. Sometimeter... "Why are you so weak?" Bam, bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh was whacking Frick with Ubist''s wide de. "Ugh!" Frick''s smile mask fell off, revealing his morous face; at the same time, he screeched like a pig as Kang Oh pummeled him. * * * When he first met Frick, Kang Oh assumed that the battle would be a tough one. Not only was he one of the Evil God''s Disciples, but he was strong enough to simultaneously engage both Doran and the Nigel Knight Order. Their fight, however, resulted in Kang Oh''s overwhelming victory. Kang Oh was Frick''s natural enemy! Frick''s specialtyy in mind control or mentally confusing his targets, but these werepletely ineffectual on Kang Oh. The Demonic Swordsman ss possessed extremely high resistance to curses and mental attacks. To add to that, Kang Oh''s Mental stat was really high, and Rakan''s blessing was further protecting him from mental attacks as well. Frick''s other specialty, the Evil God''s wicked magic, was nothing before his magic absorbing demon sword! How surprised must he have been when he saw Ubist absorbing Ja''s mes!? His only other option was swinging his whip around, but Kang Oh was overbuffed, so it didn''t even phase him. As a result, Kang Oh easily overpowered Frick and whacked him again and again. "Die, you punk!" Bam, bam, bam! The sound of his sword bashing on Frick''s body resounded throughout the battlefield. "Ugh." "Ooooh!" The Evil God Worshippers that bore witness shook, while the alliance''s warriors eximed with joy. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh grinned. There was a reason he hadn''t finished Frick off, content with just beating him again and again. To make his enemies fear him, and to raise the morale of his allies! "What the hell are you doing!? Save Frick!" Razul yelled. Only then did the Evil God Worshippers regain theirposure and begin attacking Kang Oh. The nearby monsters began to gather around them as well. Then, Doran stepped forward. "Kang Oh has defeated Frick! Protect him! Push the Evil God''s followers back. The spirits'' blessing is with us!" "Uoooh!" The alliance''s warriors charged at the Evil God Worshippers and their monsters. The battle lookedpletely different now. The alliance''s warriors were overwhelming the Evil God Worshippers and their monsters. Seeing one of the Evil God''s Disciples, Frick, get beaten down like a dog had raised their spirits tremendously. On the other hand, the Evil God Worshippers had lost theirmander, so they didn''t know what to do. "Grr, don''t panic and get back into formation! Our main priority is rescuing Frick!" Razul quickly tookmand over the Evil God Worshippers in ce of Frick. He''d once been the Troll Great Chieftain after all. "Huahp!" He unleashed the power of annihtion at Kang Oh once more. However, Kang Oh used the Great Sword of Victory to cleave right through it. "Grr." Razul stomped on the floor. "Nigel Knight Order, protect Kang Oh!" Doran said, and the Nigel Knight Orderpletely surrounded Kang Oh. "Grr! Grr!" Nothing was working out for him. As of right now, rescuing Frick was impossible. "Everyone, follow me. We''re joining up with Helga!" Ultimately, Razul chose to gather up their remaining troops and join forces with Helga. He had no other choice. "You''re running away again!?" Kang Oh mocked. Razul gritted his teeth, doing his best to ignore Kang Oh''s jeers. With no other choice, the Evil God Worshippers followed after Razul. "Please take care of him," Doran pointed at Frick and said. "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. Doran then turned around. After all, they''d gone through so much to win this battle! They had to seize this opportunity. "Follow them. Kill them all!" Doran forcefully yelled. "Uwaaaah!" the alliance''s warriors eximed, and pursed the Evil God Worshippers. "Umph, I should go too." Kang Oh grabbed Frick''s wrist, and began dragging him across the ground. It was still too soon to kill him. He could still be of some use; they could use him to raise morale! Kang Oh strode forward. Whoosh. The wind blew. The winds of victory, that is! * * * Stab! The tentacle pierced Mumugul''s neck. Spurt, spurt. Some kind of liquid flowed through the tentacles and injected itself into Mumugul''s neck. "Ugh." Mumugul''s eyes turned inside out. "Mumugul!" Asuka cried out. However, he couldn''t afford to go out and help Mumugul. After all, he was surrounded by the two-headed mutant Volcaines. "No!" Balduk didn''t have that problem. He rushed forward like a mad bull and swung downwards with his spiked mace. Whack! His mace cut deep into the tentacle. However, he couldn''t cut through the entire thing. Swish. Another tentacle came flying at Balduk, but he didn''t retreat. Pulverize! Pulverize! Pulverize! He swung his mace, deflecting any tentaclesing at him, and finally managed to cut the tentacle off Mumugul. Plop. Mumugul''s body, which had noticeably swelled, fell to the floor. He didn''t get back up. Snort! Balduk snorted, carried Mumugul on his side, and got out of the tentacles'' range. "Mumugul, Mumugul! Are you alright!?" Balduk pped his cheek a few times, and shook his body. "Huah, huaah." Fortunately, Mumugul had survived. However, he wouldn''t be able to fight anymore. "Vasera." "Yes, sir." As soon as he called for him, the gold rank mercenary came over. "Move Mumugul to a safe location. If we can''t end the war here, then we''ll need his leadership skills in the future." "Understood." Vasera draped Mumugul''s fat body over his shoulder and left the battlefield. "Thanks, Balduk!" Asuka said as his axe embedded itself in a Volcaine''s stomach. "The situation''s not looking too good, General," Balduk said while striking the face of a Helpara. "Mm." Asuka was well aware of that fact. The orc army, Balduk''s mercenary squad, and his own warrior squad were struggling. However, things were worsening by the minute. At this rate, their forces would be annihted. ''We have no choice.'' Asuka made his decision. "All forces, retreat!" Asuka yelled sorrowfully. "Retreat. Retreat!" Balduk quickly repeated. He agreed with Asuka; retreat was the best option here. "Uhahaha. Where do you think you''re going!?" Helgaughed crazily and extended his tentacles in every direction. "Run!" "Hurry up!" Asuka and Balduk did their best to repel the monsters in order to save as many warriors as they could. The Destroy the Evil God Worshippers Alliance escaped like an ebbing tide. At that moment... Razul and the Evil God Worshippers appeared. "Ooh, Razul. Our new brother. You came at a good time." Razul''s sudden appearance made him extremely happy. He was hoping that Razul and the Evil God Worshippers would cut off the alliance''s escape. "This isn''t good. Run even faster!" "Run away. Don''t look back!" Whereas Asuka and Balduk became desperate. If Razul and the Evil God Worshippers cut off their escape route, then they''d be finished. However, the situation quickly turned around. "Uwaaaah!" The alliance''s warriors that were chasing after Razul and the Evil God''s followers had arrived! "General Asuka, what''s going on?" Balduk stared at Asuka. "The tides are turning!" Asuka''s eyes glinted. He then turned around. "Don''t retreat! Reinforcements have arrived! Form up around me!" The retreating warriors stopped. Hearing of reinforcements gave them confidence once more! They were empowered by the reinforcements'' cries as well. "What is going on?" Helga grimaced, though no one could see it underneath his beast mask. "Razul!" Helga yelled, as if scolding him. Razul and the Evil God Worshippers quickly gathered around Helga. Meanwhile, the reinforcements, led by Doran, joined up with the main force. "They''ve captured Frick," Razul said. "What?" Helga said furiously. "A follower of a false god defeated him. The power that Lord Ja gave me didn''t work on him. And Frick was captured by him as well," Razul quickly exined. "Is Frick dead?" "When I tried to save him, he was definitely still alive, but right now... I''m not so sure." "Mm." However, they were soon able to ascertain Frick''s condition. "Uooooh!" the alliance forces eximed. Helga and Razul turned their heads. They could see it. Kang Oh dragging the severely wounded Frick. Chapter 216. War’s End

Chapter 216. War''s End

Trantor: Boko "Use him well." Kang Oh passed Frick to Asuka. Asuka slightly nodded his head. Then, he grabbed Frick''s head with one hand and forcefully raised him into the air. "Everyone, look here! This is one of the Evil God''s Disciples!" Asuka yelled. The warriors exhaustedly looked at Asuka and Frick. Their unfocused gaze made him realize that he needed something with a little more impact. "I''ll be short. This is the future of all Evil God Worshippers!" Asuka tightened his grip on Frick''s neck. "Kueek..." Unable to breath, Frick grimaced in pain; his eyes were wide open and bloodshot. This would be thest thing he ever said. Snap! Asuka twisted Frick''s neck like a water bottle, turning it at a strange angle. He died instantly. This was the message he was trying to convey to his troops. That they could eradicate the Evil God''s Disciples, the source of evil, terror, and the monsters. "..." It was a shocking sight. The warriors couldn''t even breathe, and their hearts pounded in their chests. Asuka looked around strongly, and dropped Frick''s body onto the ground. "Let''s fight!" Asuka charged into battle, his back in clear view to the warriors; seeing that, the warriors'' blood boiled. ''Let''s see it through to the very end!'' "Aaaaaaahk!" the warriors shouted and followed Asuka. This was the beginning of the final battle! * * * "Let''s enjoy this till the very end, shall we?" The battlefield was the best hunting ground he could''ve asked for. He received experience points, proficiency, and loot; it was like killing three birds with one stone! But he had a hunch; this would be the war''s final battle. Unfortunately...! Neither the alliance nor the monster army had the troops or the energy to fight anymore than this. After all, both sides were putting everything they had and more into this final battle. ''We''re at the end of the road, so let''s enjoy it while itsts!'' Kang Oh decided to give it his all. "For honorable victory!" A ring of light spread from his body, rippling outwards. A halo would shine behind any warrior that was touched by it. Roar of Honorable Victory! This skill would greatly increase HP, MP, and Stamina regeneration. Of course, it also affected him as well. Kuheong! Baramut''s Roar! A tiger''s silhouette briefly appeared behind him, and just as quickly disappeared. He swelled with the power of a tiger! Finally, Devil Trigger! Ubist''s darkness engulfed his form. Rakan was the God of War and Victory, so he didn''t reject the darkness element. Because of that, he was capable of using Devil Trigger in tandem with God''s Blessing. A short whileter... He reappeared with a beast mask on his face, a tail protruding from behind, and pauldrons over his shoulders. The Jet-ck Demon had risen! Even so, the dim light that surrounded him before, which was indicative of a God''s Blessing, remained. Abyss Transfer! Unwilling to waste any time, Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, and reappeared right in front of a Volcaine. Abyss w! He unleashed a ck aura from his sword, which split into three separate lines, and raked through the Volcaine. "To finish!" Kang Oh swung downwards. Great Sword of Victory! The golden energy devastated the monster. The Volcaine fell over backwards like a giant tree. Thud! It was dead. ''Next.'' Kang Oh moved unceasingly, and relentlessly swung his sword. He made sure to use his skills as much as possible too. Abyss w, Throw Projectile, sh, Abyss Transfer, Shield that Prevents Defeat, Tempest Tiger, Great Sword of Victory, and Abyss Shield! Kang Oh had be an apex predator. He ripped apart a Mukarga, and burst through a Helpara. Kang Oh then cleaved a Volcaine in two, and sent an Evil God Worshipper to hell. Kang Oh continuously roamed the battlefield, killing anything he could get his hands on. However, he wasn''t satisfied. More! More! More! * * * Kang Oh''s contributions on the battlefield were tremendous. No, even ''tremendous'' wasn''t good enough a word. He did so much that he essentially determined the course of the battle. He was overwhelming! Kang Oh clearly stood out, even whenpared to the likes of Doran, Balduk, Asuka, etc. Ultimately, the Demon Ruler, Terror Helga, stepped forward to stop him. "Razul! Command the troops! I''m going to take care of him!" "Understood," Razul said immediately, as he believed he had no chance against Kang Oh. A short whileter... Helga stood before Kang Oh, his arms transformed into those disgusting tentacles of his. "Die!" Helgabined his right arm''s tentacles into a single mass, and swung downwards. The power behind the attack was tremendous. Kang Oh quickly avoided the attack, his jet-ck tail pping in the wind. Whoosh. Bam! The bundled up mass of tentacles struck the floor, creating a crater in the ground and causing dirt to fly everywhere. Then, Helga swung his left arm''s tentacles. Five tentacles with pointy ends came flying at him, aiming for his vitals. Kang Oh didn''t dodge this time. Great Sword of Victory! Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a golden ray of light. Bam. Three of the five tentacles were sliced off immediately. Kang Oh avoided the remaining two and closed in on Helga. "Huahp!" Abyss w! The jet-ck aura came flying at Helga. Helga immediately protected himself with his tentacles. Bam! The aura raked the tentacles without much sess. As if it were his turn now, Helga swung his tentacles once more. But all of a sudden, several portals the size of watermelons appeared, and his tentacles passed through them. Whoosh! The tentacles came flying at Kang Oh from behind. In no time at all, a portal had appeared behind him, which was how the tentacle had reached him. Danger! At the same time, he felt a chill. Kang Oh quickly turned his body and avoided the tentacle. This time, a tentacle came flying at him from above. Kang Oh immediately swung his sword. sh! Swish. The tentacle writhed on the floor. Kang Oh then forcefully stomped on it. Thud! "Let''s see how long youst." Helga continued his assault. Portals appeared everywhere, and tentacles came out from every direction. ''I just need one hit!'' If he hit Kang Oh just once, then it''d be game over. ''I''ll turn you into a flesh monster and blow you up!'' However, Kang Oh didn''t get hit even once. He either avoided or blocked every single tentacle. "You rat. You sure are good at dodging! Then how about this!?" Ten tentacles came at Kang Oh all at once. There was nowhere to run to. He couldn''t cut down all of the tentacles either. Helga was sure that this was the end. However, Kang Oh grinned. He''d been waiting for Helga to do just that. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh''s body disappeared, and then reappeared behind Helga. He had no reason to hesitate. Kang Oh quickly swung Demon Sword Ubist. Tempest Tiger! Helga could neither dodge nor block the attack. All of his tentacles were still through the portals after all. Boom! The destructive, tiger-shaped aura struck Helga head-on. "Ugh." Helga had taken a significant amount of damage. ''I have to seize this opportunity!'' The tentacle/portal attack was really difficult to deal with. Plus, his Abyss Transfer tactic wouldn''t likely work a second time. Thus, he needed to make the most of this opportunity. "Huaahp!" Kang Oh relentlessly attacked Helga like a madman. He didn''t lose momentum; he didn''t let down his guard either. Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh cut both his tentacles and his HP down to size. ''No! I''ll die at this rate!'' Realizing that his life was in danger, Helga used hisst resort. Shed Skin! His body divided in two. One of them was Helga, while the other was the tentacle monster, Buggles. Whack! His sword cleaved through the sea anemone looking monster. The reason he''d been able to use tentacles was because of the power that Ja had given him: Demon Fusion. Shed Skin was a skill that allowed him to separate from the demon, and use it as bait to escape. Anyhow, Shed Skin had allowed him to just barely escape Kang Oh''s ferocious assault. ''It''s unfortunate that I''ve lost the Buggles, but... It''s not over yet!'' He nned on getting away, fusing with another demon, and then fighting Kang Oh again. Helga quickly opened a portal. However... "Sorry, I ain''t letting you leave." Kang Oh suddenly appeared. He''d used Abyss Transfer to instantly close the distance. "Grr!" Helga quickly jumped into the portal. However, Kang Oh grabbed him and pulled him out. Thud. Helga fell on the floor. "Be my experience points!" Kang Oh swung his sword. Great Sword of Victory! "Aah!" Helga groaned as he saw the golden lighting towards him. He knew that this was the end of the road for him. "Lord Ja..." Spurt! The golden light consumed the disciple. [You have defeated the Evil God''s Fifth Disciple, Terror Helga.] [You are under the effect of the Potion of Explosive Growth.] [You have acquired more experience points than usual.] [You have leveled up.] "The Evil God''s Disciple is dead!" Kang Oh yelled. "I-Impossible!" "L-Lord Helga''s been killed!" The Evil God Worshippers were greatly perturbed by the news. "Helga''s dead!?" Razul, who''d been fighting the alliance''s leaders, was shocked. On the other hand, Asuka''s face brightened, even as he dealt with the power of annihtion. "Another one of the Evil God''s Disciples is dead! Brothers, hang in there for just a little bit longer!" Asuka yelled. "Uooooh!" The alliance''s troops attacked even more fiercely than before. "Fight! I said fight!" Razul yelled. ''I can''t let my ambition go unfulfilled!'' "You''ve lost, Razul. Just surrender already," Asuka said. "Surrender? Surrender, you say? I can''t do that. I''m Razul, the one who will control the world!" Razul, the Evil God Worshippers, and the monster army fought until the bitter end. They began to die one or two at a time. Razul, who''d withstood till the very end, was forced to kneel at the hands of Shakira''s spear and Doran''s sword. "I am Razul... the one who will... control..." He couldn''t give up on his hopeless ambition till the very end. Anyhow! The lengthy, dreadful war had finallye to an end! Asuka raised his hand into the sky. "We''ve won! Everyone, go home!" "Uwooooooooh!" The Kasten ins were filled with the sounds of victorious cries. [The Battle of the Kasten ins is over.] [The Destroy the Evil God Worshippers Alliance hase out victorious.] [Your actions were invaluable during the battle. You are a hero!] [You have acquired the title, Hero of Kasten.] [Reputation and fame in the west has been maxed out.] [You may now visit any tribe, vige, or fortress. Wherever you go, the non-human species of the west will wee you with open arms, providing you with food and drink.] [The western people will now give you more difficult quests.] [Receive your reward from the Mercenary Association.] "Tch." Though the battle was over, Kang Oh looked disappointed. It was only natural. He''d lost his precious hunting ground after all. At least he''d got his money''s worth. He''d risen two whole levels from this battle. Thus, he was level 293! There was so much dropped loot that his inventory waspletely full. Thus, he''d bundled it all up and carried it on his back. His proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship had gone up to 99.51%, so just a little more and it''d be at high-rank. Obviously, his proficiency in his other skills had gone up too. It was quite the enjoyable battle! * * * The west was busy dealing with the aftermath. Shakara and the Ingrit Trolls had returned home safely. That didn''t mean they got off scot free; after all, they''d started the war and had burnt down the elven vige. The Ingrit Trolls decided to pay arge sum of war reparations. They''d paid so much that the Ingrit Trolls would have it hard for quite some time. Of course, it was quite cheap considering everything they''d done. The orcs returned to the Ruman Mountains, while the elves began to rebuild their vige. The mercenary squad was disbanded, and the Mercenary Association reopened for business. But because it was so soon after a huge war, there wasn''t much mercenary work avable. Thus, the west had entered a state of peace. A very short state of peace at that. Chapter 217. Ranking Show

Chapter 217. Ranking Show

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was awarded 5,000 gold by the Mercenary Association. He''d earned it. After all, he''d contributed the most by far in the previous war. But he''d also gotten so famous that he found himself in hot water. Everyone and their mother offered to buy him drinks as he walked through the streets of Kasten. He''d gotten so irritated that he took off his helmet and yelled, "I''m human!" The western, non-human tribes dislike humans, so Kang Oh believed that revealing his human status would give him some space. Unfortunately... "Waaaaaa!" They actually cheered for him instead. "I thought you hated humans?" "I do. But I like the Hero of Kasten!" someone said. "Hero of Kasten! Hero of Kasten!" "Haa, this is such a pain." After that, Kang Oh removed the Baramut set and his demon sword, and changed intopletely different clothes. However... He had no idea that his face and identity would be revealed to the entire world because of this. * * * The gamingwork, VG, had a program called the Ranking Show. The Ranking Show looked at Arth''s leaderboard, discussed any changes to it, etc. "Hello. This is Kim Hoseon." "This is Lee Yumi." Kim Hoseon and Lee Yumi, who''d both long since served as MCs for the program, bowed their heads. Start! "Let''s take a look at the Numbers first, shall we?" Hoseon said. The screen showed the rank and IDs of the top nine yers. "Not a lot has changed here. As always, Emperor Dukeram is #1, and the Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim is #2. Everyone else is in the exact same spot." Hoseon nced at Yumi. "You''re right. None of the ranks have shifted ever since Setinel''s Sage, Shion, became number 9. There aren''t any new Numbers either. When do you think we''ll get a new one?" Yumi asked. It was clearly a question from the script. "Hmm. We might be able to see one soon." "Really?" Yumi looked surprised. She was exaggerating since she was on TV. "It''s still up in the air, but... We''ve found a yer that we believe will be one of the Numbers in the future." "Oh, who is it? Is it someone I know?" Yumi asked pressingly. "Let''s take a look at rank 10 through 99, or the high rankers, first," Hoseon said, and the screen showed the high ranker''s ranks and ID. "Do you see anything in particr?" "I''m not sure." Yumi tilted her head. "Take a look at rank 13." "Rank 13, huh... Rank 13... Kang Oh?" Kang Oh was definitely 13th. "That''s right. Have you heard of him before?" "No, I haven''t. That''s strange. If he''s this high up, then he should be extremely well-known by now." Yumi looked like she couldn''t make sense of it. The Numbers weren''t the only famous yers in Arth. Several high rankers were famous. She should''ve heard about Kang Oh at least 10 times by now if he was 13th. "Who exactly is Kang Oh? Our production crew was so curious that they began looking over the previous leader boards. And they discovered something shocking." "What is it?" The screen showed a graph depicting Kang Oh''s exponential rise in the ranks. "This chart shows Kang Oh''s progression from ranker (top 10,000) to now. Take a look at how quickly he rose through the ranks. Isn''t it amazing?" The graph shot right up, depicting his exponential rise in rank. "He rose through the ranks extremely quickly. It was to my understanding that the higher rank you are, the harder it is to climb the ranks..." "That''s what''s even more surprising. Kang Oh was outside the top 100 just a month ago. Three weeks ago, he was 79th, and two weeks ago, he was 37th. And just recently, he hit rank 13." "As expected." Yumi nodded her head repeatedly. She was basically saying ''Amazing! Amazing!'' in an exaggerated fashion. "I''m sure you all remember the rise of the Genius Highschooler, Bart. He came out of nowhere and almost instantly became one of the Numbers," Hoseon said. "Of course!" "We''ve charted Bart''s meteoric rise in the ranks." Bart''s rise through the ranks was likewise exponential. "They''re quite simr. So now you understand why I said that he has the potential to be one of the Numbers," Hoseon said. "I understand now!" Yumi said with certainty. "Now then, who do you think this yer is?" "That''s what I''d like to know. He didn''t juste out of nowhere, did he?" "Of course not. He''s quite a renowned yer." "Who is he?" "He''s none other than... We''ll reveal his identity after amercial break!" "Stay tuned!" A short whileter... The program continued after themercial. "Hello again! Who exactly is Kang Oh? Please take a look at this," Hoseon said, and the screen changed. The streets were filled with a variety of non-humans species, including anthromorphs, elves, orcs, etc. Kang Oh was walking on the streets, equipped with the Baramut set and Demon Sword Ubist. Kang Oh then pulled off his helmet. "I''m human!" "Waaaaaa!" "I thought you hated humans?" "I do. But I like the Hero of Kasten!" "Hero of Kasten! Hero of Kasten!" "Haa, this is a pain." Kang Oh then pushed through the crowd with some difficulty. That''s where the footage ended. "A staff member of ours provided us with the footage. We originally sent them over there to get some footage of the war in the west." "I know who this is!" Yumi said. "The ck Beast, also known as Red Wing. This is Mr. Oga." "Exactly. Tiger-striped armor and a jet-ck sword! It''s definitely Mr. Oga. But the fact that you''ve showed us some footage of Oga while talking about Kang Oh means..." "It''s as you think. Kang Oh is Mr. Oga!" Hoseon dered. "Wow!" As always, Yumi reacted exaggeratingly. "It''s said that everyone knows who the Hero of Kasten is in the west. But you saw how everyone was calling Mr. Oga that, right?" "Yes, I did." "But Oga, or Mr. Kang Oh, might''ve had quite the past." "What kind of past?" "Ms. Yumi, do you know what Warlord is?" "It was a popr game that came out before Arth..." "Indeed." "I''ve never yed it before." "If you did, then you would''ve known that the name ''Kang Oh'' is quite familiar." "Were they a famous yer?" "Of course. The Human Dragon, Kang Oh. He was a legend." "Then the Human Dragon, Kang Oh, and the Kang Oh in Arth might be one in the same." "It''s just an assumption at this point. It could just be a coincidence. However... if they are the same person, then wouldn''t it be an interesting topic of conversation? The news would probably say something like this, ''The Return of a Legendary Gamer''," Hosen said. "Mr. Kang Oh. The doors to VG are always open. Please contact us anytime!" Yumi said. "We wee any information on Mr. Kang Oh as well. Please post anything you know on the Ranking Show message board." "Hoo, hoo. What a wild ride." Yumi moved on. They still had some news they needed to tell. "Now then, let''s go on to the next topic. This person is..." Though the Ranking Show hadn''t ended yet, people on Arthtory were going crazy. [Oga''s identity.] [Oga = Kang Oh?] [Kang Oh (Oga). Will he really be able to get into the Numbers?] [Kang Oh (Oga) highlight video.] [Kang Oh, the second Bart?] [Post regarding Warlord''s Kang Oh.] [Human Dragon Raid Failure - Highlight Video.] [The legendary gamer, Kang Oh?] ... Jin Cheol called him. One of GBS''s producers, who was in charge of covering the western war, wanted Jae Woo''s contact information. Jin Cheol wanted to know if it was ok to share Jae Woo''s contact information with him. "What''s all the fuss about?" "You''re the hero of the west, Mr. Jae Woo. VG''s Ranking Show has also increased your poprity. He must want your footage of the battle," Jin Cheol said. "Give him my contact information. And tell that producer that I really like money." "Understood. Oh, by the way... Do you n on having an official interview or going on TV as Kang Oh, not Oga?" "I''ll think about it." Kang Oh thought it was still premature. He nned on taking advantage of his fame after he became one of the Numbers. After all, it cost a fortune to get one of the Numbers on anywork! He would ept all the offers after he joined the top 9. "Alright then. Goodbye." After that, he received a call from Han Eol, the producer Jin Cheol had told him about. Jae Woo said he''d send the footage, and asked him to offer an eptable sum after watching it. Then, he hung up. Hye Rim called him even earlier than Jin Cheol, but she too wanted him to take part in an interview or a program. He told her that he''d think about it, exactly the same thing he''d told Jin Cheol, and sent her the Battle of the Kasten ins footage. ''I wonder how much this footage will go for...'' Jae Woo couldn''t wait. * * * - I saw the Ranking Show. Are you alright? Your true ID and your face were shown. It was Sephiro. Kang Oh immediately messaged him back. - I''m not fine. ''The more secrets you have, the better! But it can''t be helped. It''s already water under the bridge.'' - Theworks keep bothering me, asking me to introduce them to you. May I give them your contact information? - Wanna die? ''Don''t bother me!'' - Ugh. Then I''ll let them know that if they have anything big lined up, then they should contact you in private. ''Anything big'' referred to something that would make him a lot of money. - Please do. - Anyhow, when did your rank get so high? Rank 13!? What''s your secret? How did you manage to raise your rank so quickly? Sephiro asked. He''d only just be a middle ranker (top 1,000). - Just do your best! - So you''re one of those types. The ones who say ''Studying is easy!''. You suck. - Are you jealous? - I am... a little jealous. Just a little bit! Anyhow, won''t you join the Numbers at this rate? - I will. The Numbers were no big deal. Kang Oh''s ultimate goal was to drag Dukeram down from his throne. - The thought of you joining the Numbers! It seemed as though the prospect of him bing one of the Numbers made him really jealous. It was only natural. After all, one''s worth increases exponentially once they reach the title of ''Numbers''. - Work harder. We''re so far apart that we can''t be seen together. - Ugh! I didn''t want to go with you! You just dragged me along for the ride. Kang Oh could almost see Sephiro''s eyes shaking as he messaged him. - I''m going to keep dragging you around. He wouldn''t let him off the hook; he''d continue to make him work like a dog! Sephiro didn''t reply. Had he resigned himself? Or was he being passive aggressive? ''Well, it doesn''t really matter either way. He''ll continue to be Worker #2.'' Of course, Worker #1 was Eder. He''d heard that he was working for Man Bok and was helping him with his business. Kang Oh grinned and closed the message window. "C''mon, let''s go faster!" Kang Oh stroked his ck horse''s neck. Neigh! His horse ran at top speed. His destination: Bernice Canyon! The home of the brutal wyverns. Chapter 218. High Rank Demonic Swordsmanship!

Chapter 218. High Rank Demonic Swordsmanship!

Trantor: Boko Bernice Canyon was a mysterious ce. There were several sky high stone pirs here, some of which were so high that he couldn''t see the top of them. The wyverns'' nestsy on top of these pirs. Wyverns. They were essentially winged lizards; no, it was more appropriate to call them dinosaurs with wings. Like bats, their wings and ''hands'' were connected, and a fully grown, adult wyvern''s wingspan was more than 6 meters long. They also had long, lithe necks, and their faces resembled the velociraptors that appeared in Jurassic Park. Wyverns were also capable of spewing paralytic poison from their mouths. Their skin was tough and durable, and it came in a variety of colors, including green, yellow, ck, etc. Wyverns were over level 300. Adult, named, or leader wyverns were a little over level 350. Kuaaahk! A shadow passed overhead. It was the wyverns freely flying through the azure sky. Kang Oh gripped Demon Sword Blood. He only had 20 days before his battle with Vn! This was hisst spurt! Wyverns were the most suitable opponents for him right now. Of all the monsters that he''d encountered in the west, wyverns were at the top of the food chain. If he got the chance, he''d try to hunt the unique wyvern that the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce, had told him about. Kang Oh strode forward. Kyaoh! One of the wyverns, which was flying low, noticed Kang Oh. Food! Based on its size, it had to be a Young Wyvern. ''Just right.'' Kang Oh waited for the wyvern toe to him first. The wyvern opened its mouth wide and flew towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh moved to the side, avoiding the wyvern''s attack, and immediately swung Blood at its wing. When fighting against a monster that can fly, the best way to deal with it was to damage its wings and disable its ability to fly. Swish. Blood scratched its wing. ''Scratched'' was an apt term for it. ''As expected, it''s tough.'' While most flying monsters'' wings were weak and delicate, the wyvern''s wing felt tougher than a whale''s tendon. Kya! The wyvern pped its wings and spewed a green poisonous mist at him. Fatal Paralyzing Poison! Kang Oh rolled on the floor. Spurt! The poisonous mist filled the space he''d once upied. If he''d gotten hit by it, then he''d likely have be paralyzed and be the wyvern''s food. Kang Oh jumped up and attacked the wyvern''s wing once more. However, the wyvern forcefully pped its wings and rose into the air. Demon Sword Blood split nothing but air. ''You really can''t underestimate it.'' Wyverns were brutal monsters that possessed potent paralytic poison and incredibly flying skill. But they were also quite clever. They usually operated alone, but if threatened, they called their allies. If it called for it, they would run away too. Which meant that they were really difficult to hunt! ''That''s what makes it worth it!'' Kang Oh''spetitiveness red. ''C''mon, wyvern!''. Swish! The wyvern circled high in the sky, and then plummeted to the ground like lightning! Right above Kang Oh! Kang Oh just waited. Right before the wyvern''s mouth made contact... Kang Oh turned his body, causing the wyvern to graze his side. He''d dodged it by a hair''s breadth! But that wasn''t the end of it. It followed up by engulfing Kang Oh in its wings. There wasn''t anywhere else to go. Of course, Kang Oh hadn''t had any ns of running away. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood upwards! Tempest Tiger! A roaring tiger-shaped aura ripped the wyvern''s wing to shreds. Boom! No matter how thick a wyvern''s hide is, it wouldn''t be able to withstand a close range Tempest Tiger. Bam! Kyaaaa! The wyvern shrieked in pain, as one of its wings had been torn apart. Whoosh. The aura was followed by a raging whirlwind. Kang Oh retreated so that he wouldn''t be swept away by the whirlwind. However, the wyvern pierced through the whirlwind and dashed at Kang Oh. Its eyes were filled with rage. Kang Oh grinned. He need not fear a flightless wyvern! * * * Kang Ohfortably dealt with the Young Wyvern. After testing a few things, he gathered some useful information. First, in order to pierce through the wyvern''s skin in one hit, he needed to use Tempest Tiger, Darkness Strike, Abyss w, Fresh Blood Wave, or Blood Bomb; attacks with extremely high destructive power. Alternatively, he could use sh and focus entirely on the resulting wound! Lastly, he could pierce through its skin if Ubist''s ''Fang Bearing de'' effect, which ignored a target''s defense, activated. Kang Oh had thrown a dion''s Dagger at full strength, but it still couldn''t pierce through its skin. Throwing a dagger at a flying wyvern, causing it to plummet to the ground, wouldn''t work. He''d also learned that a wyvern''s regenerative abilities were extraordinary. The wyvern''s damaged wing was fully restored rather quickly. It could also spew as much paralyzing poison as it wanted. However, it couldn''t use it in quick session. After all, it needed time to gather the poison in its mouth. Its face, its neck, its wings, its body, and its tail; its entire body was a deadly weapon. He made sure to remember that ''You can''t afford to underestimate a wyvern!''. ''Bout time to finish it off.'' Kang Oh increased the strength of his attacks. The wyvern let out a bizarre, resounding shriek. Kyagyagagaga! Kang Oh instinctively knew that it was calling other wyverns for aid. ''Either cast a silence curse on it to keep it from calling its allies or block its mouth.'' Now he had even more useful information. He quickly finished off the Young Wyvern. [You have defeated a Young Wyvern.] Kang Oh quickly picked up the loot it''d left behind: a tooth and wyvern skin, which could be used to create extraordinary defensive equipment. Then, he entered a small, nearby hole and hid himself. Kyaaa! Guaaah! More than twenty screaming Young Wyverns hade. However, they couldn''t find Kang Oh and soon dispersed. Kang Oh exited the hole and strode forward, looking for the appropriate prey to hunt. * * * Veluster. It was the name of a small, quiet vige. Because it didn''t possess an intercity transfer gate, most people didn''te here. This is where Kang Oh and Asu met. "Let''s go." They held hands, taking a stroll through a small forest near Veluster. "Now that you''re done promoting your album, you have a lot of time off, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yep. I finally got a chance to get a well deserved rest," Asu smiled and said. Her golden hair fluttered in the wind. "How did you spend your time, Oppa?" "Me? I..." Kang Oh softly told her what he''d been doingtely. "You''ve been working hard too, huh?" "Yeah. I really have." "Good job." Asu patted his head. It''d been a long time since someone had patted his head. Kang Oh softly stroked her cheek with the back of his hand. "Hehe." Asuughed, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Let''s go." "Ok." They kept walking, and eventually stopped at a smallke. Theke waspletely clear, the birds chirped beautifully, and the cold breeze was refreshing. "I like this." Kang Oh stretched out both his hands. "Me too." Asu did the same. "Virtual reality sure is amazing. To think that it was possible to create such a beautiful world!" Asu said. "There must be a ton of beautiful ces in the real world too. Let''s go somewhere real next time." Kang Oh was the one that''d suggested that they only meet in game. If they had a date in real life and someone found out, then Asu would be in huge trouble. But he wanted to visit a beautiful ce with her in real life too. "Sure." Asu smiled. Kang Oh tightly grabbed her hand. He didn''t want to let go. * * * His date with Asu hadpletely revitalized him. Kang Oh''s body was filled with energy! He enthusiastically hunted wyverns again and again. And finally...! [Proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship has reached 100%.] [Demonic Swordsmanship has risen to high-rank.] [You can more adeptly wield a demon sword.] [Any attacks, skills, spells, or item effects involving demon swords are strengthened.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [Proficiency in the Demonic Swordsman skills, Darkness Strike and Devil Trigger, has increased.] [You have already acquired the reward for reaching High Rank Demonic Swordsmanship, Seal Demon.] [You have learned Darkness Chain instead.] When he''d first obtained Demon Sword Blood, Grande Loxia, Blood''s original owner, had taught him the Demonic Swordsman skill, Seal Demon. But it seemed like it was an automatic reward for reaching High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship. Because he already knew Seal Demon, he''d been given another Demonic Swordsman skill to rece it. ''Darkness Chain, huh...'' Kang Oh immediately looked over the skill information. [Darkness Chain] Create a chain out of darkness. The higher your proficiency, the more powerful the chain bes. The chain also lengthens. The chain can be controlled by will. However, learning how to properly control the chain requires a lot of time and practice. Type: Active/Skill. MP Cost: 50 (Consumes MP/second). Cooldown: 8 seconds. Rank: Beginner. Proficiency: 0%. ''This is the first time I''ve seen a description explicitly say that a skill is hard to use.'' Kang Oh immediately tried out Darkness Chain. Swoosh. He extended his hand, and out came a ck, glimmering chain. Kang Oh kept pushing the chains out until he couldn''t anymore. ''Its max length is about 10 meters.'' Kang Oh deactivated Darkness Chain, and the chain immediately turned to dust, disappearing without a trace. A short whileter... Kang Oh extended his hand again. Darkness Chain! This time, he targeted a boulder that was in front of him. However, the chain couldn''t reach it and it weakly fell to the floor. He tried a few more times, but the same thing kept happening. ''Controlling it really is difficult.'' But if he learned how to properly use it, then it''d be really useful! He could wrap the chain around a wyvern''s mouth, preventing it from calling its allies, or keep a flying wyvern from escaping. ''It took me a whole day to learn how to throw projectiles, so... Alright, I''m going to spend the whole day practicing!'' Kang Oh left Bernice Canyon so he wouldn''t be bothered. Then, he moved to a quiet, vacant lot and practiced using Darkness Chain. For the whole day! However... "Damn it all." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Night had already fallen, but Kang Oh still couldn''t adeptly use the skill. Ultimately, Kang Oh wasted the next day, and the day after that to practice Darkness Chain.Only then was he able to aim the chains where he wanted, and wrap them around something once. ''Good.'' This was good enough! He nned on learning everything else in battle. Kang Oh headed for Bernice Canyon once more. * * * Darkness Chain made it easier to deal with the wyverns than he''d expected. He could grab onto the flying wyverns, and wrap the chains around either its wings or its neck. If need be, he could use the chains to pull himself onto the wyvern''s back and ride them. Not only that, but High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship had increased his damage across the board, so he was able to more quickly and safely hunt the wyverns than before. Kang Oh waspletely absorbed in hunting, and gradually made it deeper and deeper into the canyon. "Mm?" It had suddenly be dark, so Kang Oh raised his head. ''That''s...!'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened. A giant, horned, red-skinned wyvern was soaring through the blue sky. Kuhaaaaaaahk! Its roar resounded throughout the canyon. Kang Oh felt goosebumps all over his body. [You have heard the Wyvern King, Draka''s roar.] [You are petrified, and are struck by a sense of fear and terror.] [Your high Mental stat, as well as your Indomitable and Courage stats have allowed you to ovee your fear.] [You were not able topletely ovee your fear.] [Your movements be slowed, and all abilities decrease by 10%.] He was the unique wyvern that the Veteran Adventurer, Jayce, had told him about! The Wyvern King, Draka! This was Kang Oh''s first glimpse of him. Chapter 219. Burkan’s Secret Technique

Chapter 219. Burkan''s Secret Technique

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh watched Draka until he disappeared. ''A normal wyvern''s wingspan is about 6 meters long, but his wingspan is more than 10 meters long.'' Draka''s body was unique. Befitting his title as ''king'', his body was humongous. ''His skin is dark red. I guess it''s more ck than red. The pattern on his body is red, but he''s mostly ck.'' Having a pattern on his skin was another unique feature. Most wyverns'' skin waspletely in. ''And... horns!'' Draka had two horns on his head like a dragon. They probably weren''t decorations; they must have some special use. ''Pretty sure his level is... over 400. Maybe 450? He''s not level 500, is he?'' That''s all he could find out from a single nce. He only skimmed the surface! It couldn''t be helped. He''d only got a brief look at him, so he could only make some assumptions. ''I should gather more info on him while I''m killing the wyverns.'' Kang Oh''s heart pounded. He''d finally met prey worth hunting! Of course, calling Draka ''prey'' was extremely misleading. He was a predator, not prey! An apex predator at that! But Kang Oh was an apex predator too. A predator that killed countless monsters, stole their stats, and ''ate'' dungeons! ''Let''s see who the better predator is.'' Good timing. Fighting him would be great practice for his fight with Vn! Of course, he needed to prepare first. ''Yeah, let''s prepare thoroughly.'' Kang Oh took out a return scroll from his inventory. Spurt! He returned to Altein. * * * Kang Oh immediately headed to the Holiseum. "Brother! Brother!" He couldn''t find Burkan anywhere within the underground arena. "Did he go out for another drink?" Kang Oh walked through an underground corridor, searching for Burkan, when the handsome Darion came walking over to him. "Yo." "Mr. Kang Oh. Master went to a pub," Darion said. His speech and behavior were well controlled; Darion wouldn''t allow Kang Oh to find any faults that he could exploit. "Which pub?" "He''s been frequenting Dora''s Bar, which is located in Altein''s North Street. He was saying how pretty the owner was." "Really? Alright, I got it." A pub with a beautiful female owner. It was definitely a ce that would pique an old bachelor''s interest. "Take care." "You don''t need to say goodbye. I''ming back here with him anyway." "I see. Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Hey, let''s spar next time." "Understood." Darion left. "That punk." Kang Oh felt slightly disappointed. It didn''t feel right unless he gave him a hard time. He began walking in a different direction. Dora''s Pub. It was noisy, and there were a shocking number of men inside. The owner was indeed beautiful. ''Let''s see here... Oh, he''s over there.'' Kang Oh found him immediately. Burkan was sitting at the bar, clearly staring at the owner. "Brother." Kang Oh patted his shoulder. "Oh, Little Brother. Why are you here?" Burkan asked uninterestedly. "I''ve been through countless battlefields and dungeons in order to prepare myself for Master Vn''s test, yet here you are, having a good time and staring at a beautiful woman. You sure are lucky," Kang Oh said half-jokingly. "You''ll do well. I believe in you." Burkan grinned. "Don''t just say ''I believe in you'' and actually help me out." "Help you out how?" "I got Demonic Swordsmanship up to high-rank." "Hoh, already? You''re fast." Burkan was amazed. "I''m pretty talented, you know," Kang Oh said haughtily. "Have youe to learn my secret technique?" "Yes!" Burkan had promised to teach him his secret technique when he reached High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship. "Mm. Sure, I''ll teach it to you." Burkan stood up, and left some money beside his empty ss. "You''re leaving?" the female owner came over and said disappointedly. She was a kind-looking, red haired beauty; she had a beautiful figure too. "Ah, yes. I''ll be back. Ahem." Burkan avoided her gaze, seemingly embarrassed. ''Huh?'' There was something weird going on between these two. Perhaps... "Ahem. Let''s go." "Ok." Kang Oh and Burkan left Dora''s Bar. "Are things going well with her?" Kang Oh asked. "M-Ms. Dora and I don''t have that kind of rtionship!" Burkan hurriedly said. ''So her name is Dora, huh.'' "Why not? You both seem interested in each other," Kang Oh said. "Ahem, ahem." Burkan kept his mouth shut. Kang Oh didn''t ask any other questions. After all, it was someone else''s love life. He was sure Burkan would... "I haven''t asked her out yet," Burkan said abruptly. "Why?" "Well, it''s kind of embarrassing, so I haven''t gotten the chance to bring it up." Unbefitting his giant stature, Burkan was wiggling his fingers. ''Jeez, so naive!'' Where the hell did his charisma, dignity, and confidence go? Now he knew why Burkan had been a bachelor for so long. "Brother!" Kang Oh grabbed onto him. "Huh?" "You''re the Invincible diator, Burkan! You''re a superstar! I''m sure there are countless women in Altein that want you." "Mm." "That''s who you are. Go in there and ask her out like a man." "No, wait. That''s..." "If you don''t then I''ll give you a kick in the ass." He wasn''t sure how he''d gotten involved in an NPC''s love life, but Kang Oh couldn''t just watch from the sidelines. What a dumb brother! "No, like I was saying..." "If you don''t ask her out, then screw being Guardian of the Continent." He was obviously lying. Kang Oh wouldn''t give up Demon Sword Ubist or the adamantium gemstone no matter what! "Hey! Why are you acting like this all of sudden?" Burkan had no idea what to do. "I''ll be waiting for you at the Holiseum. Don''t even think abouting back before you ask her out." Kang Oh strode forward. "Haa." Burkan sighed. He wasn''t sure what to do. Burkan would walk over to Dora''s Bar, and then turn around and walk towards the Holiseum. Rinse and repeat. Eventually, he mustered up the courage and headed for Dora''s Bar. * * * "Hahaha! Little Brother, I''m here!" Burkan entered the underground arena. His expression made it clear that he''d sessfully asked her out. "See, what did I tell you? Asking her out was a good idea, wasn''t it?" "Mm. Thanks, Little Brother. You''re the best!" Burkan hugged him tight. "I hope things work out for you. You have to think about marriage soon." ''How long do you n on being a bachelor?'' "Oho, Ms. Dora and I have just started dating. It''s too early to think about marriage." "I got it already, so please teach me your secret technique." "Got it." The two came to the diator training ground, which was lined with training dummies. "The technique I''m about to teach you is called Transcendent de." "Transcendent de? What a cool name." "Of course it is. I named it after all." Burkan grinned. "So what kind of technique is it?" "Let me show you." Burkan stood before a training dummy, and then drew the dius at his waist. "Watch closely!" The look in his eyes changed. Then... sh. It felt like something had shed, but that was it. "You saw it, right?" Kang Oh waspletely confused. "I didn''t see anything. I just saw something sh." He then approached the scarecrow. "This is..." There was a sword scar on the training dummy. When did it...? "Does Transcendent de raise your speed to the limit?" Kang Oh asked. "No. It transcends your limit. Hence the word ''transcendent''. And it allows you to surpass the limitations on your power too, not just your speed." "It''s an amazing technique." ''This is tremendous!'' "It''s a trump card." "I really want to learn it." "If you want to transcend your limitations, then you need to fully concentrate. People subconsciously exhibit this when they''re put in an extreme situation. If you can consciously focus hard enough, then you can use Transcendent de," Burkan said. A quest popped up. [Transcendent de] The diator Master''s secret technique! A trump card that allows your weapon to transcend the limitations on its power and speed! Use this technique on your own! If you do, then you''ll gain the skill permanently. Transcendent de (0/1). Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship. Reward: Transcendent de. Failure: None. [You have automatically epted the quest.] "That''s all I can do for you. You have to do the rest yourself," Burkan said. It truly was a ''secret technique''. Unlike other skills, it couldn''t be learned by reading a book. "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I''ll give you a hint. Keep putting yourself in extreme situations. If you do, then you''ll find the right answer eventually." Burkan patted his shoulder. He was basically saying, ''Do your best.''. "Then, I''ll get going now." "Take care." Kang Oh left the Holiseum. His mind was racing. He only had 14 days until his match with Vn. Was there a way for him to learn Transcendent de and kill the Wyvern King, Draka, in that time? ''Burkan told me to put myself in extreme situations... If that''s the case, then...!'' Learning Transcendent de, killing Draka, and oveing Vn''s trial; as always, he nned on killing three birds with one stone! * * * Bernice Canyon. The wyverns'' nestsy atop countless stone pirs. Baby wyverns and unhatched wyvern eggs lived within the nests. But what would happen if someone climbed up a pir and headed for the nest? The wyverns would go bat shit crazy. Like right now! Kyaaahk! Kyaahk! Twenty wyverns flew around Kang Oh and shrieked. What was the punishment for threatening their nests? Death! The wyverns attacked Kang Oh. Kang Oh, who hung from the stone pir, couldn''t counterattack, let alone pull his hand off. If he did, then he''d plummet to the ground. Nevertheless, Kang Oh let go. Kang Oh''s body was forced down by gravity. ''Now!'' Kang Oh stretched out his hand. Darkness Chain! The chain wrapped around one of the wyvern''s necks. Kang Oh reduced the length of the chain and climbed atop the wyvern''s back. Kyaahk! The wyvern twisted its neck in an attempt to kill him. However, Kang Oh was faster. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The wyvern reeled from the impact. Both it and Kang Oh plummeted to the ground. "Huahp!" Kang Oh forcefully leapt off the wyvern, using its body as a foothold. Then, he wrapped the Darkness Chain around another wyvern''s neck. But then...! The other wyverns attacked him. Kang Oh relied entirely on a single chain to keep him afloat while fighting several wyverns off. He looked like he was in great peril. He was in a dangerous situation indeed. Kang Oh felt like his focus was increasing. ''I''ll use the chain''s recoil to avoid the first wyvern, and then immediately counterattack.'' Kang Oh took advantage of the chain''s recoil, which allowed him to avoid the wyvern''s bite. ''Now.'' He took advantage of that split second, and thrust his sword. ''Next... Shorten the chain to avoid the poisonous mist!'' He shortened the Darkness Chain as quickly as he could. Spurt! A green mist spread underneath his feet. At the same time, the wyvern that''d unleashed the mist passed by his side. He took advantage of this opportunity once more, andnded a hit on its wing. ''Next...'' Kang Oh continued to fight the wyverns while performing acrobatic feats. The extreme situations kept going on and on. Chapter 220. Wyvern Hunt

Chapter 220. Wyvern Hunt

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh used Darkness Chain in order to fight the wyverns midair! He remained in constant danger too. Kyaahk! Kang Oh, who hung from two of the wyverns via Darkness Chain, was attacked above and below simultaneously. Hyper Intuition warned him of danger, but instead of a chill, he felt goosebumps run across his entire body. ''There''s nowhere I can go!'' Kang Oh slightly furrowed his brow. If he decreased the length of the chain and went up, then he''d been eaten by a wyvern. But if he lengthened the chain and went down instead, he''d be gobbled up just the same. ''If that''s the case, then...'' "Huahp." Kang Oh bounced through the air and then let go of the chains. Darkness Chain turned to dust and disappeared. Kang Oh''s body remained in the air for but a second, and then gravity forced him down to the ground. ''4, 3, 2...'' Kang Oh counted down. Darkness Chain had an 8 second cooldown. Kunta''s Ring reduced all of his cooldowns by half, so he''d be able to use it again in 4 seconds. ''Now!'' He extended the chain, trying to wrap it around a wyvern''s neck, but his target avoided the chain and rose into the air. With nothing to grab onto, Kang Oh began to plummet to the ground. ''Tch, you clever bastard!'' Wyverns were quite intelligent monsters. They quickly realized the disadvantages of Kang Oh''s midair fighting style and reacted ordingly. Kyaa! Kyaaa! The wyverns shrieked as Kang Oh plummeted to the ground. They were sneering at him, as he was incapable of flight. However...! Kang Oh wouldn''t have attempted such a risky y if he didn''t have a backup n. Devil Trigger! Demon Sword Blood erupted in scarlet energy, whichpletely engulfed Kang Oh''s body. After that,rge, beautiful bat wings protruded from his back. "Tasha, please get me in-between those lizards," Kang Oh said. He could somewhat control his wings now, but he wasn''t as skilled as Tasha yet. "Fine." Tasha''s voice resounded in his mind. p! Hisrger pair of wings pped forcefully, while his smaller wings supported him. Whoosh! Kang Oh soared through the air. Kuek? Kyaa? The wyverns seemed shocked by Kang Oh''s sudden ability to fly. However, they soon exhibited their brutal nature once more and began attacking him. Kyaa! Kyaaahk! "We''re going to fly at top speed, so keep your wits about you," Tasha said. "Ok." Kang Oh focused his eyes, and tightly gripped Demon Sword Blood. p, p! With a mighty p of his wings, the nearby environment changed. It was as if he were riding a rollercoaster. A wyvern''s head grazed his lower body, but Kang Oh maintained his focus and swung his sword. Fresh Blood Wave! Upon impact, the blood red energy ripped through the wyvern''s wing. Kang Oh quicklyunched blood spears at it, perforating the wyvern''s remaining good wing. Kiek! With both its wings nonfunctional, the wyvern plummeted to the ground! Thud! The wyvernnded on the ground with a hard ''thud''. Its bone must''ve been ground to dust! [You have defeated a Wyvern.] Kang Oh smirked. Fighting the wyverns midair. It was a truly dangerous task. He fought so high up that if he fell, he''d die instantly. Moreover, wyverns were flying monsters that were called the Rulers of the Azure Sky. However, there was one upside to fighting in the air. Like Kang Oh, if they fell from this height, they''d die instantly! Thus, if he managed to make them fall, then even they would die easily. "Above!" Tasha said urgently. A wyvern high above him swooped down at him. p! His wings fluttered violently, pushing Kang Oh forward. "Haahp!" As soon as the wyvern passed him, Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Blood. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura devastated the wyvern''s back. Boom! It fainted from the tremendous impact, and plummeted to the ground. Just in case, Kang Ohunched a few blood spears and perforated the wyvern''s wings. If it awakened before it hit the ground, then it would start pping its wings and survive! "1 minute''s gone," Tasha said. While assuming the guise of the Red Demon, Kang Oh could fly for a total of 2 minutes. After that, he''d lose his ability to fly and slowly descend to the ground. Which meant that he couldn''t fight the wyverns in the air indefinitely. That was the reason he was forced to rely on Darkness Chain, even though he had the ability to fly! "Thanks. I''ll take care of the rest." "Be careful." "I will." A wyvern came flying at him. Kang Oh got on top of its back and then deactivated Devil Trigger. Kyaahk! The wyvern violently struggled, as if it were saying ''How dare you get on my back!?''. Kang Oh tightly grabbed hold of it with one hand, and repeatedly thrust his sword into its back with his other. Kya! Kyaa! Kya! The wyvern struggled even harder. What''s worse, it began to spin its body like a top. However, Kang Oh stuck to it like a leech. Moreover, he kept up his attack as if he were draining its blood dry. At some point, Kang Oh took a look around. There were a few wyverns around within range of Darkness Chain. But he knew throwing the chains directly at them wouldn''t work. ''Then let''s give ''em a show. That''ll distract them!'' Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Blood. 15 red stars shone upon its snow-white length! Blood Bomb! Boom! Red energy exploded with a giant ''boom''! Any wyvern caught in the explosion let out a cry of pain and plummeted to the ground. Then... Swoosh! Kang Oh let loose a Darkness Chain, which wrapped around the body of a nearby flying wyvern. Kiek? The wyvern widened its eyes. It was as if it were saying, ''Huh?''. "Huahp!" He quickly reduced the length of the chain and rode a wyvern once more. After that, a simr sequence of events continued again and again. No longer able to fly, the wyverns plummeted to the ground! Thud. The final wyvern hit the ground head first. Its massive body created a dust cloud, and Kang Oh was forced to make an emergencynding! His battle with the wyverns was finally over. Kang Oh transformed into the Red Demon, and slowly descended to the ground with his wings outstretched. More than twenty wyverns were sprawled across the ground, covering the entire area like cracked eggs. "Nice." Kang Oh grinned. He was satisfied with the result. * * * GBS Producer, Han Eol, got back to him. He was responsible for GBS''s coverage of the western war. They were willing to buy his footage of the Battle of the Kasten ins for 40 million won ($40,000 USD). If viewership ratings exceeded 6%, then he''d receive an additional 5 million won ($5,000 USD). They''d also give him another 5 million won if he was willing to have an exclusive interview with them. Jae Woo was speechless. The way they spoke to him, what they offered, their conditions, etc. were ridiculous. It was clear that they were looking down on him and were trying to bargain with him. ''Did Mr. Jin Cheol not properly exin what I wanted? Or did they just ignore what he said? What do you take me for?'' Kang Oh was in a foul mood. Obviously, he responded quite roughly. "Is this the best you can do?" "Excuse me?" "I said, is this the best you can do?" "Wait, that''s..." "I''m not selling it to you." Jae Woo hung up immediately. Han Eol called him again. However, Jae Woo wouldn''t pick up. Then, Han Eol sent him a message, stating that if he had a difference of opinion, that they coulde to apromise. "He still doesn''t get it." Compromise? What a load of bull. Even if he offered something else, he wouldn''t ept. Kang Oh replied with a ''No thank you.'' and threw his phone away. With this, his negotiations with GBS''s Han Eol were over. * * * Jae Woo and Hye Rim met at a nearby cafe. They say that old things are better than new ones. He''d done business with Hye Rim a few times already, so he got through to her easily. "I''d like to buy your footage and your name for 80 million won ($80,000). If you take the deal, then I can deposit the sum into your bank ount immediately," Hye Rim said. Buying his name meant that she wanted to do a program centered around ''Kang Oh''. After all, his name had be extremely well-known from the Ranking Show! "80 million won, huh..." Jae Woo covered his mouth and ''thought it over'' while smiling underneath. It was double what Han Eol had offered him! Plus, it was a muchrger sum than he''d expected. "I''m offering you much more than what your name and the footage are currently worth. Normally, I''d offer you somewhere between 60 to 70 million won," Hye Rim said. "Then why..." Jae Woo stared at her. "Why am I offering you more?" "Yes." She always told him that she wasn''t a pushover. So why was she offering him more money? "It''s a present." "A present?" "I, as well as my coworkers at TGN, believe that you will be one of the Numbers someday. So we wanted to score some brownie points with you by offering you more than what the footage is worth," Hye Rim said. Jae Woo smiled in satisfaction. ''As expected.'' TGN had realized how valuable Jae Woo would be in the future. They knew how to handle him too. As expected of the #1 gamingwork. "And as I said before, I was wondering if you''d be willing to do an interview or star in a show after this program. Of course, we''ll pay you the proper price." "I''ll consider it." ''When I be one of the Numbers and my name actually bes worth a fortune!'' "Then would you be willing to sign the contract? I''ve heard rumors that GBS''s offer was quite poor. I''m absolutely certain that this is your best offer!" "Alright." Jae Woo had no problem with the sum. He signed the contract right then and there, and sold her the footage. * * * Kang Oh, who''d finished his business in the real world, returned to hunting wyverns. He used the same method he''d used prior; he would use Darkness Chain and Devil Trigger in tandem to fight the wyverns in midair! Kang Oh kept putting himself in dangerous situations, which he then overcame, and killed wyvern after wyvern. He also made sure to gather as much info on the Wyvern King as he could. At the center of Bernice Canyon, there was a stone pir so tall that it reached the clouds. Draka''s nesty at the top of this giant pir. Kyaaaahk! Draka''s roar resounded throughout the canyon! His body cast a giant shadow on the surface of the ground. ''He left his nest at the exact same time asst time.'' Kang Oh thought things over as he watched the giant wyvern fly through the blue sky. He always left his nest at the same time. After an hour or so of flying around Bernice Canyon and some areas around it, he would return to his nest. Perhaps it was his way of marking or proiming his territory. ''He''s alone this time too.'' A Wyvern Leader led a flock of 100 wyverns, but there weren''t any wyverns behind the Wyvern King, Draka. It wasn''t because he didn''t have enough charisma or didn''t have control over the other wyverns. Draka must not allow them to fly with him! As evidence of this, when he roared, the other wyverns would hurry back to their nests or cling onto the pirs. ''The weather''s changing again.'' Dark clouds gathered around Draka. Was he able to control the weather? There was definitely a chance of that. ''He must be able to summon rain, wind, and lightning.'' Kang Oh watched him until he was out of sight. Once hepletely disappeared, Kang Oh forcefully clenched his fists. ''It''s almost time to take you down!'' Chapter 221. Hunting Preparations

Chapter 221. Hunting Preparations

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh returned to Altein. He needed to n and prepare exhaustively. After all, Draka was a most formidable prey. Kang Oh had already formed a basic n, so now he just needed to prepare. "Mr. Kang Oh!" The kind, pot-bellied man, Man Bok, greeted him. There were oxen pulling ten wagons behind him. "Wee," Kang Oh said. "Have you been well?" "I''ve been fine." They briefly exchanged pleasantries, and then they went straight to the point. "I brought all the items that you requested." Man Bok removed the cloth covering one of the wagons. It contained all sorts of equipment. "This is all the B-rank or lower items that I could get my hands on." This would all serve as a meal for Demon Sword Ubist. First, Kang Oh nned on raising Ubist to reinforcement +3. Then, he''d take a look at its new ability and n ordingly. "Thank you very much. How much do I owe you..." "I used your share of the fish business, so you only owe me exactly 3,211 gold." As a merchant, his calctions were precise. "3,211 gold, huh..." Kang Oh passed him the money, his hands quivering all the while, and he epted the items. "Eat, you money sink!" Darkness flowed out of Demon Sword Ubist. It crawled over to the wagon and began consuming the items held within. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed a Steel Lion Adorned Steel Sword.] [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Mage El''s Damaged Robes.] [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed a Wind Calling Pipe.] ... [Satiation has increased slightly.] [Satiation has increased slightly.] ... [Satiation has reached 100%.] [The demon sword has be even stronger!] Finally! Kang Oh beamed. At the same time, the jet-ck demon sword unleashed darkness that surged into the heavens! Kuooh! A short whileter... The darkness began to calm, and Demon Sword Ubist returned to its original form. "What was that just now?" Man Bok said, looking somewhat surprised. "My sword became stronger," Kang Oh exined curtly. "Is it always this loud?" "It was noisier thanst time, so I can''t wait to see its new ability." ''Please be worth the money!'' Kang Oh looked over Demon Sword Ubist''s item information. [Demon Sword Ubist (Lv. 297/+3)] The famed de, Max Gemini, which was created by the renowned artisan, Max. It contains the spirit of the King of Demonic Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist. Darkness dwells within the de, and the serrated pattern is representative of Ubist''s fangs. Shares its level with its wielder. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop, or the wielder bes a monster under the demon sword''s control for 24 hours. + Predation: Consumes all items. When the sword ispletely sated, the de will be stronger and gain a special ability. [Satiation: 0.14%] + Gluttony: By consuming a BB-rank or higher item, you enter Gluttony mode. All abilities are doubled for a limited amount of time. Steals stats from fallen enemies while Gluttony is active. Useable once per day. + Abyss de: A jet-ck de made of darkness. It is capable of cutting the immaterial like ghosts or spirits. May absorb magicing towards you once every 30 seconds. If magic is absorbed, satiation increases. (+1 reinforcement effect) + Fang Bearing de: You will asionallynd a critical hit, even if you don''t strike at your opponent''s wound, vital spot, or weakness. At this time, ck shards will indicate the effect and your opponent''s defense will be ignored. (+2 reinforcement effect) + Evesting Darkness: Unleash the Abyss Predator, Ubist''s destructive power all at once. In exchange for its massive power, it costs 3 stolen stat points per use. Active/Skill. 10 minute cooldown. (+3 reinforcement effect) Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 513, Physical +149. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. ''Evesting Darkness, huh...'' He needed to sacrifice stolen stats to use this skill. In other words, he needed to weaken himself to use it. But it wasn''t bad. Though it would cost him some stats, its power should be massive enough to justify the hefty cost! Plus, he could always just steal back the stats by killing some monsters. Of course, he had no intention of using it on the fly either, since it cost stats to use! Kang Oh would only use it when necessary, as a trump card, and use it to begin a battle or to end it. ''Is it stronger than Tempest Tiger? I need to see how powerful it is firsthand.'' Kang Oh''s body tingled with excitement. He really wanted to see how powerful Evesting Darkness was. "Are you satisfied with your sword''s new ability?" Man Bok asked. "Yes, it''s not bad," Kang Oh said. "Congrattions. You must be happy." "Thank you, but it''s not necessary. I think I''ll need to go out and try this new ability of mine now." "Alright. Then I''ll get going." "Take care." Kang Oh left quickly. He knew someone that could objectively determine the skill''s power. Soon enough, Kang Oh had arrived at the intercity transfer gate. "Teyno''s Nest!" he yelled. * * * Once he appeared, the giant monster turtle, Teynos, opened its eyes. "Master. Long time no see? Today''s not the day for your dungeon rewards..." "How''ve you been?" Kang Oh said affably. It was the tone and expression that he assumed when he wanted something. "I''m always the same," Teynos said firmly. "Do you want this?" Kang Oh pulled out a giant bead from his inventory. There was a blizzard blowing inside. "That''s... the Mac Tribe''s treasure, the Blizzard Bead!" The Mac Tribe was one of the non-human species that lived in the west. "Yeah. I picked it up on the battlefield." Kang Oh had picked up several other valuable items as well. He was in the process of getting rid of them. "I want it," Teynos said yearningly. "Alright, you can have it. But I have a favor to ask you." "Just say the word, Master." "I''m going to attack you. I want you topare the power of the attacks and tell me how they fare." Kang Oh nned on testing Evesting Darkness on Teynos in order to properly gauge its power. "I understand, Master," Teynos epted, his eyes fixed on the treasure. "Here, take this first." "Thanks." Teyno''s shell split open and out came a tentacle that grabbed the Mac Tribe''s treasure, the Blizzard Bead. "I''m going." Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist. Tempest Tiger! It was his most powerful technique! The golden aura pounced on Teyno''s body. Boom! Teynos waspletely unscathed, but it furrowed its brows slightly. "How was it?" "It hurt a little. You''ve gotten a lot stronger." "Really? Anyhow, tell me how this next attackpares to that one." "Understood." "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and swung his sword downwards. Evesting Darkness! [Stolen stats have been spent in order to use Evesting Darkness.] [Physical -3] A massive amount of darkness was expelled from his de. The darkness violently spun like a drill and struck Teyno''s shell. Boom! "Ugh." This was the first time he''d heard Teynos cry out in pain. Once the skill was over, Kang Oh saw a crack in Teyno''s shell! ''Mm, it''s way stronger than Tempest Tiger, even with its power quadrupled!'' Overwhelming power! Kang Oh shuttered. "That hurt way too much, Master!" Teyno''s giant eyes glistened with tears. Kang Oh quickly came over and petted him. "Sorry." Evesting Darkness. To think it was powerful enough to break through Teyno''s defense. He hadn''t expected that at all. ''I should''ve just tried it out on a monster. I ended up unnecessarily putting Teynos in a lot of pain.'' He didn''t think it would pierce through Teyno''s defense. That''s why he''d asked Teynos topare the power of Tempest Tiger and Evesting Darkness. He hadn''t expected it to be this painful. Kang Oh couldn''t help but feel sorry for Teynos. "It''s ok, Master." "No, it''s not. I won''t do it again. Sorry." Kang Oh apologized again. Kang Oh stayed with Teynos until its shell fully healed. Only then did he leave Teyno''s Nest. * * * ''Evesting Darkness... I can really give it to Draka.'' Even Teyno''s tremendous defense was unable to fully protect it from Evesting Darkness. That would probably apply to Draka as well. Kang Oh was excited; he could only imagine how it''d feel to use Evesting Darkness against Draka. However, his hunting preparations weren''t yet over. He couldn''t head for Bernice Canyon just yet. Kang Oh met with Grano. "Mr. Grano." "Mr. Kang Oh." The handsome middle-aged man wearing sses smiled softly. "What did youe for today?" "Do you know about wyverns by any chance?" Kang Oh asked. "I do. Wyverns are skilled flyers, and are known for their brutality and intellect." "I''m going to hunt a unique wyvern." "A unique wyvern?" "Yes, he''s called Draka..." Kang Oh exined Wyvern King, Draka, in detail. "Hoh, you''re not sure whether it has the power to control the weather or not..." Grano opened his eyes wide. He was attempting to create a device that causes it to rain, so he was extremely interested in the notion that a monster may be able to control the weather. "I was wondering if I''d be able to obtain any magic devices or scrolls that could help me kill him." Kang Oh went straight to the point. "Hmm, do you have any specific tools or scrolls in mind?" "I''ll have to fight it in midair, so I''ll probably need a flight scroll. If not, then a scroll that''ll do a lot of damage to him." The Great Tsunami scroll that he''d gottenst time had been critical to his sess. "The flight scroll won''t be of much help to you. It doesn''t let you fly as well as a wyvern. It only really lets you float and softly glide in the air." "Is that so?" "A scroll containing a powerful spell... We have some, but I can''t give you one for free anymore. Do you rememberst time? I made it clear that that was a one time thing." Grano had definitely said that. "I know. I''d like to buy a scroll at the proper price." "One more thing! I can''t provide you a scroll that''s as powerful as the Great Tsunami scroll. Last time, you needed to fight the Evil God''s followers, so I was able to get it for you. Normally, one wouldn''t be given one of those unless they''ve contributed heavily to the Tower." Kang Oh nodded his head. Then, he pulled out all of the wyvern skin he''d gathered thus far and passed it to him. "That''s wyvern skin." Wyvern skin was a useful material. It was especially valuable in creating light and durable leather armor. It was also great for making a mage''s robes too. "I''d like to buy the most powerful scroll you have in exchange for all of this. Would that be possible?" "Yes. If we don''t have the spell that you want, then may I pick one for you?" "Yes, I''ll leave it to you." "Pleasee back tomorrow." "I will." Kang Oh left the Tower and headed for the auction house. He needed to handpick the items that he''d use as fodder for Gluttony. ''I hope there''s an item that''ll give me a huge buff like Rakan''s Blessing...'' Would an item of that quality really be there? Chapter 222. Kang Oh vs. Draka (1)

Chapter 222. Kang Oh vs. Draka (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was wearingpletely different equipment. If he went around wearing the Baramut set and Demon Sword Ubist, then too many people would recognize him. ''The problem with being famous...'' Since his face had been revealed, Kang Oh walked through the crowd with his face covered with a beginner helmet. Obviously, no one recognized him. Of course, that went for the auction house as well. Kang Oh sat down on a corner sofa, opened the auction interface, and began looking through the items. He spent around... 10 minutes there? There weren''t any items on sale that would help him hunt Draka; for example, items that granted him an extraordinary buff, allowed him to fly proficiently, etc. So... ''This is the best of the lot.'' He picked the best item he could find. [Brave Myul''s War Hammer] The War Hammer that the Nedav Warrior, Myul, used. It''s said that Myul was strong enough to rip a Kruger in half with his bare hands. + Strong Body: Allows you to use the Nedav Tribe''s Strong Body technique. Increases your physical abilities by continuously spending MP. + Myul''s Herculean Strength: For 30 seconds, strength and all strength-rted abilities are doubled. Cooldown: 1 week. Rank: S. Abilities: Attack Power +310, Physical +50, Mental +20. Minimum Requirements: Level 250, Physical 500. Alternatively, possess the title, Nedav Warrior. The Nedav Tribe was considered the bravest and most powerful tribe within the Great Forest! Kang Oh had dueled the current chieftain, Aman, and had also fought the Snake Queen with him. That''s why he knew so much about the Nedav Tribe''s skill, Strong Body. Strong Body. It was a pretty strong buff. Of course, it required a constant supply of MP and didn''t increase his power as much as Gluttony, but it was a better than average skill. Moreover, Brave Myul''s War Hammer possessed another ability: Myul''s Herculean Strength. This ability would double his strength and all strength-rted abilities! Not only that, but the item was S-rank, so using it as fodder for Gluttony would allow him to use both effects at once. Using both of the item''s effects at once would surely be beneficial during his fight. ''The price wasn''t bad either.'' The buy now price had been a little over 1,000 gold. Whenpared to the price of other level 250 items, it wasn''t cheap, but it wasn''t expensive either. Kang Oh immediately bought Brave Myul''s War Hammer and left the auction house. * * * The next day. Kang Oh visited the Tower once more. "I have what you want right here." Grano passed him three magic scrolls. "Three of them? Waterfall, Ice Bind, and Giant''s Fist..." Kang Oh looked over each scroll. "Individually, the scrolls aren''t that powerful. But if you use them in the right order, then they''ll be two, no, three times as powerful," Grano said. "How?" "Use Waterfall first. Then, use Ice Bind. You see, using Ice Bind after a water spell increases its damage and strengthens the freezing effect." "Ok." Kang Oh was all ears. "Then, all you need to do is use Giant''s Fist. Giant''s Fist deals physical damage, and if someone bound by Ice Bind is hit by physical damage, the ice breaks and deals additional damage." "Thank you very much." Kang Oh carefully ced the scrolls inside his inventory. "Then, I wish you luck on your hunt." "Thank you." Kang Oh left the Tower and bought plenty of HP and MP potions from an alchemist. He visited a cksmith too, and had him perform maintenance on his armor and demon swords. ''I''m ready.'' He was finally ready to hunt Draka. There was nothing more he could do. Kang Oh headed for Bernice Canyon. * * * A thick, tall stone pir stood within Bernice Canyon. The top of the pir was obscured by the clouds. Kang Oh silently waited for the right moment. How much time had passed? Kyaaaahk! Draka''s cry, which evoked a sense of fear and terror in his enemies, resounded throughout the canyon. The roaring Draka forcefully pped his wings and rose into the air. "Let''s go, shall we?" Once Draka was out of eyesight, Kang Oh began to move. As they say, if you want to catch a tiger, then you need to get into the tiger''s den. Thus, if he wanted to hunt Draka, then he needed to get into his nest. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh transformed into the Red Demon and stretched out his wings. "Tasha, please fly me as high as possible." "..." She silently controlled his wings. p, p, p, p, p! The stronger the ps, the faster he flew into the air. Whoosh! Kang Oh soared into the air! Nothing really stopped him. While Draka was flying, the other wyverns would, for a certain amount of time, stop flying. That''s why Kang Oh had chosen to fly up at this time. "Your time''s up," Tasha said. "Alright. I''m going to fly againter, so rest up." "Whatever." Kang Oh hung onto the pir and deactivated Devil Trigger. He needed about 5 minutes before he could start flying again. Then... Kyaaahk! Kyaahk! The wyverns began flying again. A few of them discovered Kang Oh, an individual who dared to intrude upon the king''s nest. Kang Oh used Darkness Chain and began killing the iing wyverns. Once he finished killing thest wyvern, he transformed into the Red Demon again and began flying up once more. "Please take me to the top." "Got it," Tasha replied. p. Kang Oh began soaring into the sky once more. To the top! * * * Kang Oh pierced through the clouds. However... There was a Wyvern Leader and a hundred wyverns following him. He''d been caught by them while he was ascending! Fortunately, he''d almost made it to the top. "Do you think we can make it?" Kang Oh said, essentially asking ''Do you think we''ll have enough time to make it to the top?''. "Just barely." "Just take me to the top. I''ll take care of the rest." Tasha did her job to the best of her ability. Kyaahk! Kya, kya, kya! The wyverns followed him like a swarm of bees, but were ultimately unable to catch him as he safely reached the top. Kang Ohnded atop the pir, immediately deactivated Devil Trigger, and hid within a pile of rocks. Kyaa! Kyaaa! The wyverns hovered around Draka''s nest, but wouldn''t dare approach it. ''As expected.'' The Wyvern King, Draka. Draka was so proud and aloof that he wouldn''t allow anyone else to fly while he was. It follows that he wouldn''t allow anyone near his nest either. Draka''s nest was essentially a restricted area, even though Kang Oh was hiding within it. That''s why they didn''te down to the nest, content with merely hovering around it. Ultimately... Kyaa. The Wyvern Leader gave up on Kang Oh and turned its head around. The other wyverns followed its lead. "Hoo." Once they left, Kang Oh caught his breath and took a good look around. Kang Oh was in the middle of a wood nest, whichrgely resembled a bird''s nest. He didn''t see wyvern eggs or baby wyverns here. However, a pile of giant monster corpsesy on one side. This was likely Draka''s prey. Kang Oh smiled. The pile of monster corpses gave him an idea; he then came up with an impromptu n. * * * Draka would leave and return to his nest at set times. This time was no different; he returned to his nest at exactly the same time asst time. p, p, p, p. Draka mightily pped his wings and slowly descended into his nest! His body was mostly ck with a red pattern running through it, and two horns protruded from his giant head. He seemed hungry, as he headed for his prey first. Draka began ripping apart the ogre corpse! Then... All of a sudden, the pile bobbed up and down. Kang Oh popped right out of it. He had hidden himself within the pile in order to surprise him. His opportunity came to him sooner than he''d expected. Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist. Evesting Darkness! [Stolen stats have been consumed as a price for using Evesting Darkness.] [Magic -3] A violently spinning ''drill'' of darkness struck Draka''s body and exploded! Boom! Evesting Darkness''s power was tremendous. "Keeeehk!" Duraka wailed. Duraka didn''t counterattack, most likely due to the force of his attack. To Kang Oh, this was the best possible start of the battle. He followed up with another attack. Tempest Tiger! A tiger-shaped golden aura dashed towards Draka. Boom! Direct hit! Clear shards of light exploded from Draka''s body. Despite that, Draka hadn''t yet regained hisposure. Whoosh. A whirlwind raged. ''He''ll snap out of it soon and attack me.'' Kang Oh quickly moved away, and hid between the rocks. Then, he transformed into the Jet-ck Demon. Bam! As expected, Draka ripped through the whirlwind. Kyaaahk! Draka gave off a goosebump-inducing cry and began looking around his nest. However, he couldn''t find the worm that had caused him so much pain. Nevertheless, he kept looking, his eyes filled with murderous intent. ''Now!'' Sensing that Draka hade closer, Kang Oh rushed out like gushing water. Abyss w! Spurt! The three-lined aura, which was as ck as ink, cleaved through the air and raked Draka''s skin. This time, Draka didn''t just sit there and take it. He stretched out his neck, like a snake capturing its prey, and attempted to devour Kang Oh in a single bite. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh waited and waited, and then used Abyss Transfer at thest possible moment. Chomp! Draka didn''t feel anything inside his mouth, so he quickly turned his head and looked for Kang Oh. Kang Oh reappeared at Draka''s side. sh! He aimed for Draka''s wing! Disabling his ability to fly was like taking his greatest weapon away from him. Swish. His sword left behind a small cut on the wing. Then, Draka stretched out his wings; his wings began glimmering with white light. p! The white light surrounding his wings transformed into a sharp, crescent moon shaped wind that flew in every direction. Tempest de! ''That bastard! He''s controlling the wind!'' Kang Oh quickly used Abyss Shield and protected his vitals with Ubist. The crescent moon shaped wind began wing at his shield. Swish, sh, swish. Eventually, the sharp wind broke through and grazed Kang Oh''s cheek. [You have been cut by howling wind.] [The sharp wound has caused you to bleed slightly.] That was fortunate. By the time the Abyss Shield had be next to useless, the wind had died down. Of course... only the wind had died down. Draka tried to stomp on Kang Oh, as if it were stamping something. Kang Oh retreated quite a distance away, but Draka wouldn''t let him go; he chased after him. Draka was faster than he could possibly imagine. Thud! Thud! Thud! He was like a brakeless runaway engine. Chapter 223. Kang Oh vs. Draka (2)

Chapter 223. Kang Oh vs. Draka (2)

Trantor: Boko Head, wing, foot, and tail! Draka repeatedly attacked Kang Oh. However... Hyper Intuition, coupled with his extraordinary evasion, allowed him to avoid Draka''s attacks without much difficulty. Counterattacking wasn''t too hard either. It looked like Draka was overwhelming him, but Kang Oh was actually winning out on each of their exchanges! Ultimately, Draka halted his assault and seemed content to just stare at Kang Oh. Kang Oh observed Draka''s movements and remained still. Draka''s torso swelled. He then unleashed a roar, which crackled like thunder. Kyaaaaahk! [You have heard the Wyvern King, Draka''s roar.] [You feel weak at the knees, and are filled with a sense of terror and dread.] [Your high Mental, Indomitable, and Courage stats, have allowed you to ovee your fear.] Kang Oh let loose a ferocious roar of his own. Eye for an eye, tooth for tooth, and a roar for a roar! Kuhaaang! Baramut''s Roar! A roaring tiger silhouette shined behind him. p! Draka began pping his wings, and lifted off of the ground. Dragon''s Wind! A wild, spiraling wind came for Kang Oh. In response, Kang Oh horizontally swung his sword. Abyss w! Bam! The two mighty forces shed head-on! They were at an impasse, neither side gaining traction. Then, the two attacks disappeared simultaneously. Kang Oh rushed forward. Draka had given up on physical attacks, opting for long-range bombardment instead. Thus, Kang Oh didn''t waste any time and closed in. After all, close-rangebat was his domain. He was sure to have the advantage. Swoosh. Draka swung his wing, attempting to push him away. "Huahp." Kang Oh ducked, avoiding the wing, and extended his sword. Bam. Red shards of light burst from Draka''s body. That tiny, almost insignificant wound that Kang Oh had left on Draka''s wing... He hit the wound precisely. What incredible concentration! Kyaa. Draka wailed furiously, and then forcefully rose up into the air. ''The 2nd phase!'' Kang Oh quickly used Darkness Chain. The chain wrapped around Draka''s tail, and his body began lifting off the ground. * * * As soon as Draka began flying, dark clouds began to gather around him. ''This doesn''t bode well.'' Kang Oh quickly reduced the length of Darkness Chain and tried to get on top of Draka''s body. However, Draka kept him away by violently swinging his tail. ''Tch.'' His body kept shaking, but he managed to swing his sword anyway. Abyss w! Draka''s flying ability was unparalleled, allowing him to easily dodge the jet-ck aura. Then... the horns on his head began to shine. Boom! Lightning fell from the sky, striking Kang Oh from above. This all happened in the blink of an eye! "Ugh." Kang Oh''s body tingled, as if it''d been shocked by static electricity. [You have been struck by lightning.] [You have taken a significant amount of damage.] [You have been electrified, so your actions are limited.] He couldn''t maintain his grip on the chain. Ultimately, his body began to plummet to the ground. All the way down! Kyaa! Draka''s horns shined, and lightning came for him once more! Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition sent him a cold reminder! The Baramut set began to shine. Wind Shield. This skill, which nullified fatal damage to its user, was a wee sight! With it, Kang Oh was able to survive. The paralysis had finally worn off. Switch. Kang Oh swapped Ubist with Blood. At the same time, he naturally transitioned from the Jet-ck Demon to the Red Demon. "Tasha." "I just need to get you to him, right?" "Be careful of the lightning." "Hmph. There''s nothing to worry about." Kang Oh, who''d suddenly gained four wings, began to soar into the sky. Kyaa! Draka''s wings shone with white light. Tempest de! Sharp wind, shaped like a crescent moon, flew outwards. In response, Kang Oh swung Blood. Fresh Blood Wave! He also created some blood spears and shot them. Bam, bam, bam! Hepletely countered the howling wind! But then, Draka''s horns shined and lightning struck. Boom! Crackle! Boom! However, Kang Oh was flying too fast, so the lightning repeatedly missed. Ultimately...! Draka approached him! "Haahp!" Kang Oh quickly grazed past him and sliced Draka''s wing. Swish! Shards of light burst out! "We''re going in again!" Tasha said. Kang Oh circled around, and then flew towards Draka once more. Fresh Blood Wave! The blood red aura descended upon Draka''s head like a waterfall. Kyaru! Draka angrily shrieked. His wings unleashed a raging wind, and lightning fell indiscriminately. "Careful!" Kang Oh yelled. "Hmph." Tasha folded his wings and flew between the lightning. Swish. Kang Oh got another hit in. Then... "You only have 30 seconds left," Tasha said. "Got it." Kang Oh pulled out his magic scrolls. First, Waterfall! Gush! Kang Oh ripped the scroll. Then, the blue text on the scroll glowed, and a torrent of water doused Draka from above! Kyaa, kyaa! The sudden downpour of water caused Draka to shake his head. ''Next.'' Kang Oh ripped the second one. The scroll with sky blue text split in two. Ice Bind! The snow-white sphere flew towards Draka and then ''bam''! White powder flew through the air like a dandelion puff. This dust was actually magic crystals that contained the power of ice! Upon contact, ice began to cover Draka''s body. However, Ice Bind wasn''t capable ofpletely freezing Draka''s body. After all, the magic didn''t have that kind of power to begin with. Still, a portion of his body and wings were frozen solid. Kya! Draka struggled violently, pping its wings in wide motions. It was trying to dust off the ice! ''Last!'' Kang Oh ripped the Giant''s Fist scroll. Whoosh! Two shining, yellow fists appeared in the air and began striking Draka''s body. The fists themselves were rather slow, making them incredibly easy to dodge. But with Draka''s body and wings partially frozen, he wasn''t able to dodge them. Whack! Whack! Bam! Bam! Upon contact, the ice covering Draka''s body shattered, inflicting additional damage to him. Waterfall, Ice Bind, and Giant''s Fist; he''dpleted the three hitbo! However... Kyaa! Draka''s horns shined, and lighting came out of the dark clouds. Boom! The lightning struck the fists, causing them to fade from existence. "Tch." Kang Oh disappointedly clicked his tongue. "10 seconds left!" Tasha''s voice resounded through his head. "Drop me onto him." Kang Oh nned to finish what the Giant''s Fist started; that is, break the remaining ice. Swish. Kang Ohnded on Draka''s back! He then switched between Blood and Ubist, transforming him into the Jet-ck Demon once more. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards. Whack! The ice splintered into pieces! Giant, clear shards of light exploded like firecrackers. Whack, whack, whack! Kang Oh didn''t let up. He began crushing any ice that he could see. Grr. Draka''s angry eyes began to shine. The fact that Kang Oh was riding his back angered him far more than the damage that he''d sustained. Divine punishment! His horns glowed once more. Kang Oh noticed it right away. Thus, he stopped what he was doing and threw himself off. Boom! Lightning struck where he''d once been. However, Kang Oh had gotten away in time, so Draka had hit himself. But Draka didn''t let it get to him. Not only was he skilled at using lightning, but he had high lightning resistance as well. Thus, getting hit by lightning wasn''t something he had to worry about. What was important was that an insect was putting their dirty feet on his back! Boom, crackle, boom! Lightning repeatedly fell from the sky. Kang Oh was just barely dodging the lightning. Then... Draka suddenly spun his body around. Kang Oh hadn''t expected that at all, so he lost his bnce and was flung off! ''This guy!'' As expected of a clever wyvern! However, Kang Oh had Darkness Chain. Swoosh. The chain flew through the air and wrapped around Draka''s body. Kang Oh swung like a pendulum, using Draka''s body like a swing. He spun through the air and thennded on Draka''s body. Kyaaaa! This insect! Draka''s scream pretty much said it all. Anyhow, it seemed like Draka had decided to take matters into his own hands, as he twisted his long neck around and thrust his head at Kang Oh. "Huahp!" Kang Oh stabbed his back first. Tempest Tiger! Which was amplified by Darkness Strike! Boom! The golden tiger and jet-ck beast ripped through Draka''s back. Draka''s face grimaced in pain. But... His body suddenly glowed with light. More specifically, the gammadion cross pattern on its body began to glow red! ''The 3rd phase!'' Kang Oh felt cold from head to toe. It was his Hyper Intuition warning him. However, the extent of it was extraordinary. ''I have to dodge this one!'' Kang Oh immediately acted. He guarded his vitals with Ubist and immediately used Abyss Transfer. However, he was a little toote. Ray of Destruction! The pattern, which covered Draka''s body, fired red beams. The red beams instantaneously turned the sky red. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t left unscathed. Boom! The red beam struck his demon sword; he could feel how powerful the attack had been. Kang Oh was pushed far, far back, and was forced off of Draka''s body. ''Tch. I didn''t think he''d have such an unbelievable attack.'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and tightly grabbed onto his chain. Fortunately, the chain hadn''t been severed, so Kang Oh was able to hang from it without falling to the ground. However... Once the bombardment was over, Draka turned his head towards Kang Oh and opened his mouth. Once the bombardment was over, Draka opened his mouth towards Kang Oh. He was gathering lightning energy inside his mouth. Kang Oh could see the sparks crazily dancing within it. Lightning Breath! Crackle! A massive lightning beam came flying at him. ''Shit! You''ve got to be kidding me!'' Kang Oh deactivated Darkness Chain and shielded himself with his sword. Then, he quickly used Abyss Shield. Abyss Transfer was a no-go, as it was still on cooldown. He''d already used Wind Shield, so that was out too. So this was the best he could do at the moment. All he could rely on was Abyss Shield. Normally, it''d absorb his opponent''s attack like a swamp. However, Draka''s Lightning Breath wasn''t something Abyss Shield could handle. It instantly broke through the shield and struck Kang Oh. Boom! Protecting himself with Ubist didn''t really help him here. The lightning would travel up his sword and electrify him anyway. "Ugh!" Bam! The Lightning Breath pushed him away, causing him to plummet to the ground. Thud! Crackle, crackle! Kang Oh''s face embedded itself in the ground, and sparks danced across his body. The unpleasant odor of burnt flesh also wafted through the air. Drakanded on his nest and stretched out his wings. Kyaaaaa! He cried out in victory. The sound of thunder and lightning resounded throughout the canyon like a gun salute. Draka, drunk on his victory, hadn''t yet realized. Kang Oh''s unmoving hand, or more specifically, the red egg embedded ring on his finger, began to glow. Chapter 224. Kang Oh vs. Draka (3)

Chapter 224. Kang Oh vs. Draka (3)

Trantor: Boko Large, beautiful bird wings stretched out of his back. The Cassio Ring''s special ability was activating! [You have been revived.] [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [For 10 minutes, all abilities are increased by 20%, and damage taken is reduced by 50%.] [Cooldown: 30 days.] "Hoo." Kang Oh stood up. He hadn''t let his guard down. Draka was just that freakingly powerful. ''It can''t be helped, I suppose.'' Kang Oh had fought Draka with iplete information. Now that he knew about Draka''s Ray of Destruction and Lightning Breath, he wouldn''t be caught with his pants down next time. ''I paid a hefty price for that information.'' Kang Oh had no insurance left. After all, he''d already used Wind Shield and the Cassio''s Ring special ability. Death was fast approaching. ''I''m going at it at full power.'' He had nowhere to hide. Kang Oh had no choice but to use everything at his disposal. Kang Oh pulled out Brave Myul''s War Hammer. "Eat it, Ubist." Ubist''s darkness consumed the hammer. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Brave Myul''s War Hammer.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 25 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Strong Body and Myul''s Herculean Strength have been chosen.] Draka gawked at Kang Oh''s sudden revival, but snapped out of it once he saw how powerful Kang Oh had be. Kyaa! You cockroach! Draka furiously shrieked and his horns lit up. A bolt of lightning fell from the sky. Kang Oh rushed forward with his tripled speed. Lightning struck his previous location,pletely scorching the area. Strong Body! As he charged, a haze arose from his body. All his physical abilities had increased, but keeping it active would cost him a certain amount of mana per second! Myul''s Herculean Strength! An insignia of Myul''s War Hammer appeared on the back of his right hand. It was like Thor''s hammer, Mjolnir. For 30 minutes, his strength and strength-rted abilities would be doubled. He couldn''t leave out Devil Trigger! A beast mask shrouded his face, pauldrons covered his shoulders, and a tail protruded from behind, which glimmered like starlight. The Jet-ck Demon had arrived! Perhaps it was because he''d used Strong Body and Myul''s Herculean Strength beforehand, but a haze arose from his ckened form, and the insignia on his right hand glowed red. Kang Oh instantly reappeared at Draka''s side, and beganunching attack after attack. Whoosh. Demon Sword Ubist danced gracefully in the air. Each and every attack bore a considerable amount of force. Bam! He finally managed to cut Draka''s wing. Kieeek! Draka screamed in agony, and shards of light burst from the wing. Fang Bearing de! His attack had been powerful enough, reinforced as it was by all of his buffs, but Fang Bearing de, which disregarded all defenses, had activated as well. The attack was powerful enough to cut through Draka''s wing in a single blow! Kang Oh didn''t stop there. Abyss w! The ck aura, which boasted power unseen thus far, raked Draka''s wing. Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh teleported behind Draka, and persistently aimed for his wing. This all happened in the blink of an eye! Draka''s wing was riddled with wounds; it was so badly damaged that he wouldn''t be able to fly anymore! Kuraaaaaaahk! Draka''s eyes glowed red. It unleashed a frightening roar, one that''d make you go weak at the knees! How dare you! To Draka, the Wyvern King and Ruler of the Azure Sky, his wings were akin to a dragon''s reverse scale. Ripping off his wing was like touching a dragon''s reverse scale! [Wyvern King, Draka, has lost his ability to fly, and has be the Incarnation of Rage.] [All of Draka''sbat abilities have doubled.] [The cooldown of Draka''sbat skills has been reduced significantly.] [In his angered state, Draka''s power grows the more time passes.] [Draka will continue to follow you until he can swallow you whole!] ''The final phase, huh.'' Kang Oh tightly grabbed his sword. The Wyvern King, Draka! It was time to end this, one way or the other. * * * ng! ng! ng! It was chaos. The piles of rocks, whichy on one side of the nest, were turned to dust by Draka''s Lightning Breath, and Kang Oh''s Abyss w had ripped through the pile of Draka''s prey. Although the nest was made of thick wood, Draka and Kang Oh''s destructive attacks made it fly everywhere and/or blow up. But neither of them cared about the nest. It made sense. Draka had be the Incarnation of Rage, so his only thought was devouring Kang Oh. Anyhow, Draka opened his mouth, unleashing another lightning st at him. Lightning Breath! Crackle! He dodged, rather than take it head-on. Boom! The Lightning Breath scorched the area. Kang Oh didn''t wait for the aftermath; he immediately dashed towards Draka. Furious beyond belief, Draka stretched out his wings, or what''s left of them anyway, and unleashed a Ray of Destruction! Draka''s red pattern glowed red, unleashing beams that went in every direction. ''It scorches everything around him, but he can''t control where it goes.'' Kang Oh figured out what Ray of Destruction''s weakness was. He wouldn''t fall prey to a skill he''d been killed by before. After all, he was a top-notch gamer. Kang Oh dodged, tilted his sword, parried, dodged again, and then cleaved through another beam! He managed to pierce through the beams. ''My turn.'' Kang Oh attacked. Thrust, cut, sh, spinning sh! Swish, sh, swish, sh! All of his attacks were extremely precise. None of them missed or went off target. There was no need to mention how powerful they were. However, Draka didn''t falter; he took Kang Oh''s relentless assault head-on. He shot a Lightning Breath from his mouth, and his wings unleashed a Tempest de. Draka also used Dragon''s Wind (surging, spiraling wind), and called down lightning too! Draka used all of his skills simultaneously! Kang Oh dodged the Lightning Breath and quickly retreated. He then nullified the Tempest de and Dragon''s Wind with sh and Abyss w. And the lightning, well, it just missed, so he didn''t have to worry about that. Draka ended his Lightning Breath and charged at him. Thud! Thud! Thud! ''You use skill after skill, and then you go for physical attacks?'' Kang Oh took him head-on. After all, he specialized in meleebat! "A-ta-ta-ta-ta!" Kang Oh repeatedly swung his sword. However, the pattern that lined Draka''s body began to glow. He was getting ready to use Ray of Destruction! ''You bastard.'' He acted like he was switching to a physical assault, but in actuality, he was trying to use Ray of Destruction at close range! Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh disappeared within the darkness, and the red beams endlessly shot at his previous position. He suddenly reappeared. However, lightning fell from the sky. But there wasn''t just one lightning bolt waiting for him. Draka had called lightning all around him, anticipating all the ces that Kang Oh could reappear. The Wyvern King, Draka! He was much different from any monster he''d fought thus far. Draka was definitely skilled in the art of battle. "Ugh." Kang Oh''s body tingled. He''d taken a considerable amount of damage. Plus... His legs wouldn''t move. [You have been electrified.] [Your legs have gone numb.] [Movement speed -80%.] Draka''s mouth emitted spark as he gathered energy. Splurt! Lightning Breath! The massive beam came straight for him, like a drill that dug through the ground. His legs were numb, so he couldn''t avoid it. He couldn''t use Abyss Transfer either. ''Go for broke!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung Ubist downwards. Evesting Darkness! [Stolen stats have been consumed as a price for using Evesting Darkness.] [Sense -3] Evesting Darkness was the only skill in his arsenal that had any hope of stopping Draka''s attack. A massive amount of darkness spun through the air, flying straight towards the Lightning Breath. The Wyvern King''s finishing move, Lightning Breath! Kang Oh, the Demonic Swordsman with overpowered abilities, was contesting it with Evesting Darkness! The two massive energies shed head-on! However, there was no explosion or even the sound of one. The two attacks began to push against each other in a contest of strength! Demon Sword Ubist maintained Evesting Darkness, and Draka likewise didn''t let up on his Lightning Breath. ''Mm.'' It was like a tug of war. One side would get pushed back, but then the other side would push back harder. This would happen again and again. There wasn''t anything Kang Oh could do for the time being. The only thing he could do was watch and wait. Moving or doing something else would cut off Evesting Darkness''s power supply; without it, he''d be obliterated by Draka''s Lightning Breath. Draka was the same. He wanted to use his horns or wings, but keeping his Lightning Breath up was hard enough. It''s not like he could stop using his Lightning Breath either; if he did, then he''d be engulfed in the darkness. However...! The lightning slowly began to overtake the darkness. ''It did say he slowly gets stronger as time passes!'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. The system message had definitely informed him of this. This meant that his Lightning Breath was steadily getting stronger. ''Is there anything I can do?'' Kang Oh began to think. ''I can''t move. That means the only way I can increase Evesting Darkness''s power is...'' A light bulb went off in his head. He had a way of amplifying the skill''s power. ''I''m not sure it''ll work, but I have to try!'' Kang Oh immediately tried it. "Go, Tempest Tiger!" Would Tempest Tiger work when he''s already using Evesting Darkness? The answer was a strong ''yes''. Evesting Darkness was an item effect, while Tempest Tiger was a skill. Whoosh! Gold and ck mixed together. A short whileter, the ck and gold energies intertwined like a twisted bread stick, and immediately began pushing the Lightning Breath back. Draka grimaced. He gave his Lightning Breath even more juice, unwilling to give in just yet. But...! The fusion of Evesting Darkness and Tempest Tigerpletely overpowered his Lightning Breath. Ultimately... The golden/ck energy swept through Draka. Boom! Resulting in a huge explosion. Kang Oh didn''t let down his guard, and gave it everything he got. Draka was quite sturdy after all! "Die!" Abyss w! He threw all four of his dion''s Daggers. Then, he switched to Blood, and unleashed a Fresh Blood Wave and Blood Spears. Kang Oh had used everything in his arsenal. "Haa, haa." Only then did Kang Oh begin catching his breath. ''Is he dead?'' He couldn''t tell yet... or maybe he could. Bam! Draka pierced through the dust cloud, his entire body riddled with wounds. [The Incarnation of Rage, Draka, is unleashing his final attack.] Crackle! Draka''s eyes dimmed as he fired his final Lightning Breath. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. A close range Lightning Breath! He couldn''t dodge it. But he didn''t have any skills that could block it, or any abilities that''d keep his life intact. He was in a critical situation! ''I can''t give up!'' All of a sudden, the world slowed. The Lightning Breath came at him in slow motion! He could clearly see the electrons being bumped off. ''Swing your sword! Swing it!'' Kang Oh mentally yelled. ''The only thing I can do is swing my sword. I have to at least give it a try! I can''t die like this!'' His body began to move extremely slowly. ''Faster. Even faster!'' Kang Oh wished for strongly. At that moment, he felt as though his body had gotten slightly faster. Kang Oh focused even harder and wished for his body to move. ''Even faster! Swing even faster!'' His body moving faster was no illusion. Whoosh. Only he was moving quickly in this slowed world. And... Demon Sword Blood bisected both the Lightning Breath, and the world itself. Chapter 225. Joining the Numbers

Chapter 225. Joining the Numbers

Trantor: Boko Whoosh. The world went back to normal. The Lightning Breath had disappeared, and Draka was dead. "Haa... haa... haa..." This was a first. Never before had he ever feltpletely empty in his entire gaming career. He couldn''t help but drop his demon sword onto the floor. tter. He knelt down to pick it up, but he instead plopped onto the floor. [You have used Transcendent de.] [You have surpassed your limitations.] [As a price for surpassing your limitations, all of your MP and Stamina has been consumed.] [You cannot move or take action of any kind.] [You havepleted the quest, Transcendent de.] [You have learned Burkan''s secret technique.] ''So that... was Transcendent de.'' Burkan had said it before. When put in stressful situations, people''s concentration shot up. And Transcendent de was a skill usable in this state of ''hyper concentration'' if you will. He''d been in real danger. Kang Oh, in this heightened state of focus, had surpassed his limitations and executed Transcendent de. Achieving that level of concentration and surpassing his limitations was truly a mysterious experience. It felt amazing, like he was the only one who could move fast in a world that moved still. In any case, his Stamina gradually replenished itself, and his body regained his strength. Kang Oh clenched his fists. ''I did it!'' He''d killed the Wyvern King, Draka, and learnt Transcendent de! A feeling of excitement spread throughout his body. "Uwaaaaah!" Kang Oh raised a hand into the air and yelled happily. * * * "Breaking news." "This just in." "This is huge!" ... TGN, VG, GBS, and other gamingworks stopped their scheduled broadcasts and quickly showed the breaking news. "We''ve finally gotten a new member of the Numbers!" "There''s a new member of the Numbers in town!" "A legend has been born." All of the gamingworks said the same thing. "That man is... Kang Oh!" Kang Oh, who''d previously been known as Oga (also known as the ck Beast or Red Wing under his Oga persona), had just pushed Setinel''s Sage, Shion, out of the Numbers! Not only that, but Kang Oh was ranked 7th; he''d pushed rank 7 and 8 (Hernandez and Arthand) down by one rank. "Now, let''s take a look at Mr. Kang Oh''s clips and interviews." "Mr. Kang Oh was ranked 11th before, but he suddenly shot up to rank 7 today. What do you think happened?" "It''s been a year since someone joined the Numbers." The gamingworks kept talking about Kang Oh''s entry into the Numbers, as well as information about him. Obviously, Arthstory went crazy too. [Kang Oh finally joined the Numbers!] [He''s already rank 7.] [Is he the best there is?] [New Number''s ranking chart and exnation.] [God Oh!] [Kang Oh (Oga) highlight video. Watch it twice. It was dope.] [The Ranking Show saw ahead.] ... * * * Kang Oh read the rest of the system messages. [You have defeated the Wyvern King, Draka.] [Draka is a unique boss monster.] [You defeated a unique boss monster all by yourself, despite the huge level disparity. What a tremendous feat!] [Fame has increased significantly!] [Draka drops items that bear his name.] [You have defeated a unique boss monster. Fame andbat-rted side stats increase.] [You have acquired the title, ''Ruler of the Azure Sky''.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [Congrattions. You have reached level 300.] ''I''ve finally reached level 300! And as I thought, Draka was a unique boss.'' As said, unique bosses leave behind items that bear their name. Kang Oh immediately looked over the items. He examined the cheapest looking item first, the horn. [Draka''s Horn] The horn of Draka, the Ruler of the Bernice Canyon. It contains power over rain, wind, and lightning. Material Rank: AA. ''Power over rain, wind, and lightning... I may be able to sell it to Mr. Grano for a lot of money.'' Kang Oh thought of Grano, who was busy trying to make a rain-making device, and ced the horn inside his inventory. Next, he picked up a ck, red-spotted egg. It wasrger than an ostrich egg. [Wyvern Egg (Rare)] A wyvern egg. However, the egg''s color is unique, so there is a high chance that it will spawn a mutant wyvern. It is a precious ingredient, but can also be bred by a high-rank Monster Tamer. ''You could get two cartons out of this.'' Kang Oh ced the Wyvern Egg inside his inventory too. "Now then..." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. There were five items left; a hat, a top, bottoms, gloves, and shoes, all of which were made of leather. He picked up the top first. "Appraise!" [Draka''s Cold-Blooded Heart] The Ruler of the Bernice Canyon, Draka, left behind this top. It is part of the Draka set. It is made entirely of Draka''s skin. It is mostly ck, but has a gammadion cross pattern running through it, giving it a mysterious feel. The armor is both light and tough, and also protects against magic. A masterpiece with defensive capabilities equal to that of metal armor! A leather armor set of the highest quality. + 3 set effect: Power of the Wind. Slightly increases the wielder''s speed. Greatly increases one''s speed when flying. + 4 set effect: Reduces damage done by lightning skills/spells by 90%. Also reduces the damage done by fire, water, wind, ice, and earth skills/spells by 30%. + 5 set effect: Lightning Breath. Unleashes a destructive lightning cannon. Costs 3,000 MP. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Rank: S. Abilities: Defense +550, Physical +90, Mental +55, Charm -20, Lightning Damage (Skills/Spells) +10%. Minimum Requirements: Level 400, Physical 600, Magic 300, Lightning Resistance 70%. Alternatively, possess the title, ''Ruler of the Azure Sky''. "Haa." Jackpot! He''d struck gold! The Draka set was tremendous. Abilities, special effects, etc. It had it all. Plus, it was a leather armor set. His character, which focused on evasion, not defense, was much better suited for leather armor than metal armor. The only reason he''d been wearing metal armor all this time was because of how amazing the Baramut set was, but he didn''t need to anymore! Kang Oh carefully looked over the other items too. Draka''s Ferocious Face (Hat). Draka''s Wings, Which Cut Through the Azure Sky (Gloves). Draka''s Powerful Legs (Pants). Draka''s Steel ws (Shoes). Adding Draka''s Cold-Blooded Heart to this wouldplete the set! Kang Oh immediately equipped the new armor set. By killing Draka, he acquired the title, Ruler of the Azure Sky, which allowed him to ignore the item requirements and equip it right away. "Mm." Kang Oh looked down and carefully inspected his body. He was garbed in a twin-horned hood, a ck top/bottom with a red pattern running through them, gloves with the insignia of a wyvern''s wings, and wyvern talon shoes. The Draka set was both simple and practical. Above all... ''It''s light.'' He''d worn the heavy Baramut set for so long now. Once he switched to the lighter Draka set, he felt like he''d be able to fly. Kang Oh waspletely satisfied! After that, Kang Oh searched Draka''s nest for treasure, but he couldn''t find anything of value. "Hoo, let''s go home." Kang Oh returned to Altein. * * * - Congrattions, Oppa. Asu had sent him a message. - For joining the Numbers? As soon as he returned to Altein, Kang Oh knew that he''d entered the Numbers. After all, he overheard several people talking about him, so there''s no way he wouldn''t know. - Yes. - Thank you. ? Kang Oh was a little embarrassed; nevertheless, he added a heart emoji at the end. Ahem, ahem. Then, Asu sent an emoji of her own; one of a cute doll awkwardly passing out hearts. She quickly sent another message, the embarrassment seemingly catching up to her. - Oppa, you''ll be famous worldwide now. Aren''t you going to be more famous than me? Arth was enjoyed worldwide. Thus, joining the Numbers would increase one''s worldwide fame. - Please try harder. Kang Oh joked. - Worry about yourself. Asu responded. - ''Worry about yourself'', huh? Something about that sounds nice. It''d feel so good to say that to people who pointlessly interfered with his business. - This is a line from an old movie. - Hoh, is that so? - Yes. There are a lot of good old movies. Let''s watch one together next time. - Sounds good to me. The two of them all alone in a quiet area... Ahem! * * * - Ah, I''m so jealous. He got a message from Sephiro too. - Are you that jealous? - Yeah, so much so that I should get hospitalized. - Should I find you a good hospital? - Ahem, it doesn''t matter. It''s a disease that can''t be cured at a hospital. Anyhow, I should be congratting you. Congrattions on joining the Numbers. You''ll make a ton of money now. Out of all the yers in Arth, the Numbers made the most money by far. Going on TV just a few times would make him a ton of cash. - Yes, I''ll be making a ton of money. Now that he''d be one of them, he''d use this power and influence to the fullest. - Ahem, ahem. I need to use the restroom. Excuse me. Sephiro couldn''t help his jealousy, and tried to end the conversation as quickly as possible. - What rank are you, Mr. Sephiro? Kang Oh sent the message with an impish expression. He didn''t get a reply back. - Congrattions, Mr. Kang Oh. This time it was Man Bok. - Thank you. - Do you have anything you need? - No, not at the moment. - I see. Anyhow, congrattions. - Thank you. That was the end of their conversation. Or it was supposed to be, but Man Bok sent him another message. - Mr. Kang Oh. Could you please tell me what your level is? - I''m level 300. Why? - Mr. Eder was curious. Then, I''ll always be rooting for you! - Thank you. Jin Cheol was up next. - Congrattions on joining the Numbers. And I genuinely apologize for what Mr. Han Eol did. - It''s alright. I''m not going to be working with Han Eol or whatever his name is from now on, but I don''t have any hard feelings for you or GBS. Jin Cheol and GBS were a good negotiating tool. Obviously, he couldn''t lose a customer like GBS just because one of their producers sucked! - Thank you very much. - Oh, right. I have some really amazing footage for you. Footage of him hunting the Wyvern King, Draka! The clip lived up to the term ''amazing''. - If you send me the clip, I''ll watch it and then offer you a sum worthy of the Numbers. Kang Oh grinned. As expected, he could actually get through to Jin Cheol. - Understood. - Let''s meet face-to-face sometime and have a meal together. I''ll pay. - Sure. Hye Rim messaged him too. He also let her know that he had some amazing footage for her. He was satisfied with her response, as it echoed Jin Cheol''s response. She would watch the clip and then offer him a sum befitting the Numbers. ''This''ll probably be the most expensive video yet.'' Not only was he a part of the Numbers now, but the quality and impact of the video was insane. Kang Oh was excited to hear back from them. * * * "Mr. Kang Oh." Eder suddenly came looking for him. "Oh, it''s been a long time." "I heard that you reached level 300." "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Finally!" Eder looked deeply moved. "What is it?" "Have you forgotten? You said that when you hit level 300, you''d head for Despia!" Chapter 226. Valan’s Test!

Chapter 226. Vn''s Test!

Trantor: Boko "What did you say?" Kang Oh picked his ear. "You promised you''d go to Despia when you hit level 300," Eder said. Thend that bordered hell, Despia. It was there that the Goddess of Death''s Temple was located. Only by going to Deborah''s Temple and begging for mercy would the curse on Eder''s body be lifted. Thus, going there was the only way to return to his original body. Kang Oh had agreed to transport Eder''s body to Deborah''s Temple. "I said 300, not 400?" Kang Oh said with a straight face. "Yes, that''s what you said," Eder clearly said, staring straight into his eyes. "Hmm. Despia, huh..." Kang Oh patted Eder''s shoulder. "I have some things to take care of first. We can revisit this topic after I''ve dealt with Master Vn." "Understood." Eder didn''t pester him anymore and backed off. He was well aware of how important Vn''s test was to Kang Oh. The two parted ways, and Kang Oh headed for the Holiseum. He would prepare for Vn''s test by sparring with Burkan. * * * Surprisingly, Burkan was in the underground arena, not the pub. "Brother." "You''re here." It seemed like he''d been waiting for him. "Were you waiting for me?" "Your test with Master Vn is in three days, so I knew you''de and find me," Burkan said calmly. "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Transcendent de..." "I learned it." "Good job." Burkan patted his shoulder. "How should I use the rest of my time?" "Fighting is best." Burkan grinned and drew his dius. "C''mon!" Kang Oh smiled. "That''s what I''m talking about." For three days, Kang Oh and Burkan fought. * * * High noon. Tramp, tramp. Vn strutted over. "Wee, Master." "Wee." Burkan and Kang Oh greeted him. Vn looked over Kang Oh with big, sharp eyes. "Let''s head over to the diatorial arena." He said nothing else. Vn led, and Kang Oh and Burkan followed behind him. A short whileter... Kang Oh and Vn stood across from each other. "I''m going to kill you," Vn dered. "Master!" Burkan quickly intervened. Vn raised his hand, holding him back. "Let me finish. I''m going to swing my sword just once. It''ll be strong enough to kill you." "So I just have to survive?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right. If you survive my attack, then you''re strong enough." Just surviving his attack would prove his strength!? What arrogance. But this was Vn we''re talking about, so if anyone could make that statement, it was him. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and drew Demon Sword Blood. He''d decided that Blood, a one-handed sword, would be more effective at dealing with whatever Vn threw at him. Vn drew his own de. It was nothing more than a simple steel sword. But in his hands, any normal sword became more powerful than even the greatest of des. Swish. Without any warning, Vn horizontally swung his sword. It was so natural! Divide the Sea! His sword divided the world in two. Kang Oh had refined Transcendent de in his spars with Burkan. After all, it was the only skill in his possession that had any hopes of standing up to Vn! He immediately used Transcendent de. Fight fire with fire! However... there was a huge gap in proficiency. Kang Oh''s Transcendent de was akin to a firefly''s light, while Vn''s Divide the Sea was like moonlight. Divide the Sea cleaved through his Transcendent de. Then... Vn''s attack came for him like a falling guillotine. * * * Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. He felt a chill at his neck, one that far surpassed any before it! Right before his neck was sliced off... Kang Oh focused entirely on Vn''s attack, and the world started to slow down. Though the world had slowed, Divide the Sea hadn''t slowed one bit and came at him just the same. After all, Divide the Sea was a skill that surpassed all limitations. ''Swing your sword!'' Kang Oh strongly desired. His sword arm moved slowly, but soon increased in speed. He''d done this once before, so it was easier now. Demon Sword Blood was swung downwards at an impossible speed. If a normal person had seen this, then they''d have only seen the sh of Kang Oh''s sword. Anyhow! Kang Oh used Transcendent de again and stood against Vn''s attack. However, he couldn''t stop it no matter what he did. ''Uaaaaaaaaah!'' Go for broke. If he couldn''t beat it with quality, then he''d beat it with quantity. Kang Oh relentlessly swung his sword again and again. Swish. Divide the Sea passed through Kang Oh''s body. Plop. Kang Oh was so exhausted that he fell to the floor. He''d used Transcendent de consecutively, so it was only natural that he''d feel so exhausted. Fortunately, his neck was still attached to his body. ''I survived!'' If that''s the case, then... Kang Oh rolled his eyes and stared at Vn. Vn sheathed his sword and said, "You survived. You pass!" "Little Brother!" Burkan dashed over and hugged him. [You have passed the Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 2.] [You have moved on to the Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 3.] He beamed. ''I protected Demon Sword Ubist and the adamantium gemstone!'' Kang Oh, who''d gotten some of his energy back, clenched his fists. * * * Kang Oh, Burkan, and Vn sat around a table. "You''re still not done with the trials," Vn said. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ''What are you going to make me do this time?'' Before that... "When exactly will these trials end?" ''I could understand if it were to be the Guardian of the Continent, but these are tests to be the Guardian of the Continent''s sessor! Why are there so many tests!?'' "This is yourst test. If you pass this test, then I''ll acknowledge you as my sessor," Vn said. The ''I still don''t like you, but I''ll be nice and give you a pass'' went unsaid. ''If Ubist and the adamantium gemstone weren''t on the line, then I wouldn''t do this crap; it''s all hard work with no pay!'' However, he had no choice but to relent at this point in time. "What is the final test?" "Do you still have the adamantium?" Vn asked. "Yes, I''ve stored it somece safe." ''Do you know how precious it is!?'' "You''re going to make a weapon with the adamantium." "Excuse me?" ''Where''d thate from!?'' "The adamantium is meant for your sess..." "Yeah, it''s meant for my sessor. That''s why I want you to make an extraordinary de with it." Kang Oh decided to finish listening to him first. Now he was interested. "Please keep going." Kang Oh smiled politely. "I stuck Demon Sword Ubist into the adamantium," Vn began. "I was hoping that the darkness that emanated from Ubist would be absorbed by the adamantium." "Didn''t you stick it in there to choose a sessor?" "That was part of it. Don''t interrupt me." "Yes, sir." Kang Oh immediately shut up. "When you seal a demon within a sword, it bes a demon sword. But if that happens, the sword loses all of its original properties. For example, Ubist was originally the legendary Max Gemina. But after bing Demon Sword Ubist, it lost all of its previous abilities." Nod, nod. Ever since he''d learned that Ubist had once been Max Gemina, he''d been pissed at Vn. After all, Vn had defaced one of the greatest swords in existence! "But... you can also create a demon sword using metal infused with darkness." "Are you serious?" "Of course. But the resulting de is much weaker than one created using Seal Demon. However, what if you were to use Seal Demon on such a de?" Vn said quietly. "It may spawn the ultimate demon sword, one possessing its original characteristics, while being able to use the powers of the demon sealed within it." The ultimate demon sword! That made Kang Oh''s heart pound. Moreover, Vn had said it himself, hadn''t he? That he would provide his sessor with an extraordinary de. Which meant that ultimately, the sword would be his! "So what do you need me to do?" Kang Oh suddenly had the desire toplete this quest to the best of his ability. "To create a demon sword with the darkness infused adamantium, you''ll need an extremely skilled cksmith that can handle the darkness''s power. Only one tribe in the world is qualified to do that." ''And they are...?'' Kang Oh eyes seemed to say. "The ck Hammer Dwarves." Dwarves had deft hands, and were experts at handling metal. Thus, they were called the Earth Tribe. Most dwarves lived freely in the vast Phamas Mountains. "All I need to do is go to the Phamas Mountains and ask them to make me a sword?" Kang Oh asked. Vn stared at him menacingly. "Shut up and let me finish." Kang Oh quickly shut his mouth. "The ck Hammer Dwarves were once ruled by the ck Dragon, Inarius. In order to escape his grasp, they hid within Despia." Despia! It was the same ce where the Goddess of Death''s Temple was located! "Your mission is simple. Go to Despia and find the ck Hammer Dwarves. Then, ask them to make you a demon sword using the adamantium gemstone." A quest popped up. [Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 3] The third trial to seed Demonic Swordsman, Vn, as Guardian of the Continent. Go to Despia and find the ck Hammer Dwarves. Then, ask them to make you a demon sword out of the adamantium! Difficulty: Extremely difficult. Minimum Requirements: Guardian of the Continent''s Sessor. Reward: Be Vn''s Sessor. Failure: Return Demon Sword Ubist and the adamantium gemstone to Vn. [The quest has automatically been epted.] "There''s no time limit this time," Vn said. "Despia isn''t a ce for the faint of heart. While you''re there, train up and be stronger." "Understood." What great timing. He needed to go there because of Eder anyway. "Go on," Vn said. He clearly didn''t want to see him anymore. "Yes." Kang Oh didn''t want to stay any longer either. He quickly left the room. Vn and Burkan were the only two left. "Thank you, Master." Burkan bowed his head. "For what?" "For going easy on him." Burkan pointed at the door Kang Oh had left through. He knew that Vn''s Divide the Sea wasn''t even close to full power. "He''s weak. I really don''t like him. But he got way stronger than I''d expected, so I gave him a pass. I just gave him another opportunity, that''s all." "He''ll do well." Burkan smiled. "It doesn''t really matter if he doesn''t. You''ll just have to be my sessor." "Don''t say things like that!" ''Things have been going well with Ms. Dorately, so I can''t afford to be the Guardian of the Continent!'' "Tch, tch, tch." Vn clicked his tongue. Chapter 227. Recruitment

Chapter 227. Recruitment

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh came to Eder''s mansion. "Eder, I''m here!" "Wee. Pleasee in," Eder said. "Thanks." "How did things go with Lord Vn?" Eder asked. "It went well." "Then..." "Let''s go to Despia!" * * * "Going to Despia is good and all, but you''ll prove to be a problem." Kang Oh pointed at Eder, who brought them tea. "Me?" ''What''s wrong with me?'' Kang Oh took a tip of his tea and said, "Do you know what kind of ce Despia is?" "An extremely dangerous ce." "Yeah. Do you really think you''ll be able to survive there?" Eder was using the body of a level 150 boss monster, the Immortal King, Arumode, which he''d remodeled for his own personal use. Although he''d improved his equipment, the body just wasn''t strong enough to get him through Despia. "Can''t you just go by yourself and then summon me when you get to Deborah''s Temple?" "Hoh. You want me to do all the hard work and lug your body all the way there?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "You can''t?" Eder asked, bright-eyed. "I can''t." "Then what do we do?" Eder asked. "Isn''t it obvious? You need a new body." Kang Oh went straight to the point. "But I like this body." "Use that for your everyday life, but use your new body during battle," Kang Oh said clearly. "Then what do you have nned for me?" "A Lich, the highest rank undead monster!" Lich. It was an undead, high rank mage! Liches possessed a ''life vessel''; so long as the life vessel remained intact, a Lich could never truly die. Thus, a Lich''s life vessel must be destroyed before even attempting to hunt it. "A Lich, huh..." "Why, you''re not interested?" "That''s not it. I''ll be much stronger in a Lich''s body. However... whether or not we''re able to defeat a Lich is another matter entirely." Eder had extensively studied necromancy, so he knew how formidable Liches were. "It won''t be easy. It''s a Lich after all! But I don''t think you''ll be able to survive Despia in anything less." If Eder didn''t do his part, then he''d just slow Kang Oh down. He couldn''t let that happen. That''s why he proposed killing a Lich, despite knowing how difficult it''d be. "Mm." "We''ll be going for the Ruler of the Andura Temple, Eclipse. He''s about level 400." "No matter how strong you are, it''s undoable with just the two of us," Eder said outright. "Obviously. To hunt a Lich, you need at least two teams. One team to keep the Lich distracted, and another to destroy its life vessel." "You''re well informed. But we don''t have the manpower." "We have to find some people." First, Kang Oh sent a message to Sephiro, who was the weakest of the lot. ''I gotta recruit him first.'' However... - Mr. Sephiro. - I''m busy. If it''s not urgent, then please ask meter. - It''s urgent. - What is it? - I need to procure Eder a new body. So I was wondering if you''d help me. - I can''t. - Why? - I''ve just begun a really important link quest that has a time limit. So I can''t help you right now. - What quest? ''Are you lying to me?'' Kang Oh disbelievingly sent him another message. - If Iplete the link quest, then I''ll receive a hidden ss as a reward. ''A hidden ss, huh...'' It didn''t seem like he was lying. - Tch, I understand. Make sure you get that hidden ss. - Yes. I''m busy right now, so please don''t message me for the time being. "Tch, tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "What''s the matter?" Eder asked. "Mr. Sephiro''s busy, so he can''t help us." "Mm, we''re not starting off well." Eder looked anxious. ''Can we really hunt a Lich?'' "It''s too early to give up." Kang Oh stood up. "Let''s go." "Where?" "To the Holiseum, and the Tower!" Kang Oh still had some options. * * * "The 100 Fighters? They went on an expedition to the east. I don''t know when they''ll be back either," Burkan said. "Ugh. Do you have any other diator squads?" "Nope. Why?" "I need to kill a powerful monster, so I wanted some reinforcements." "Do you want Darion toe with you?" "He''s not strong enough." "Hmm, it must be really dangerous. Good luck." Burkan patted his shoulder. Kang Oh stared at him pitifully. "Um, Brother..." ''Would you mind helping me out instead...'' "No," Burkan said firmly. "Why?" "It''s a pain in the ass." "Ah, c''mon!" Kang Oh kept nagging at him, but he wouldn''t budge. "How stingy. I''m the one who got the ball rolling between you and Ms. Dora!" "I''ll be sure to call you if we get married." Burkan grinned. "I''m fine! I won''t go!" Kang Oh left the Holiseum without looking back. "Mr. Grano." Kang Oh sped Grano''s hands. "You''ve beening to see me quite oftentely," Grano said softly. "I''d like to hire some skilled and trustworthy Battle Mages. Is there any way I can?" Grano shook his head. "You need contribution points to hire the Tower''s Battle Mages... But you don''t have any, do you Mr. Kang Oh?" "I can''t buy their help?" ''I can pay whatever you want!'' "Even thergest merchant groups can''t buy our help," Grano said whilst maintaining his smile. "I was just joking around. Anyhow, how do I help the Tower exactly?" "Eitherplete quests that the mages here give you, orplete the Lord of the Tower''srge-scale quest." "Is there anything I can do to raise my contribution points right away?" "Donating the grimoire you showed mest time will probably do it." "Ahem. I can''t do that. I''m already using it as coteral." As soon as he brought up the arcane grimoire, Kang Oh thought of the Blood Witch, Helena. ''It''d be amazing if I could get her help with this... I guess it''s worth a shot.'' Kang Oh decided to visit the Witch''s Forest next. "Is that so?" Grano smiled. "It''ll be hard to procure any Battle Mages. Ah, by the way, please take this..." Kang Oh pulled out Draka''s Horn from his inventory. "Hoh, this is?" "It''s a material that''s capable of controlling the weather. I thought it''d help you with your research." "That''s quite interesting. Are you selling it to me?" "No. You can just have it. You''re always looking out for me, so... This is a gift." Kang Oh decided to have a friendlier rtionship with Grano and by extension, the Tower, from now on. ''The Tower is really useful.'' That''s why he''d donated Draka''s Horn. He also nned on taking some questster that would increase his contribution points. "Thank you." Grano ced the horn into his subspace. After that, Kang Oh and Grano chatted amicably and then parted ways. * * * The neutral zone, Kasten! Kang Oh came wearing a mask over his face. He was wearing Draka''s leather armor set, so no one recognized him. He immediately headed for the Mercenary Association. When he entered, he saw the Chewba look-alike. "I''d like to hire a mercenary..." Kang Oh took off his mask and showed his face. "You''re..." "Yeah, it''s me." Gold rank mercenary and the Hero of Kasten, Kang Oh. "Hum-hum. What rank mercenary are you looking for? Or do you have a specific mercenary in mind?" ''Chewba'' asked. "I''d like to hire the gold rank mercenary, Bart. Tell him that it''s me." One of the Numbers and a gaming genius, the Crazy Highschooler, Bart! Getting his help would be huge in taking down Eclipse. "Understood." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh put his mask back on and left the Mercenary Association. "Oh, it''s been a while." Bart smiled as he came over. His face was as cute as ever. "It''s been a while." Kang Oh nodded his head. The two of them had met during the fight between the ck Dogs and the White Cats. It''d been several months since! "Do you want to fight?" Bart said abruptly. "Sure, but in exchange... the winner has to do the other a favor." Kang Oh grinned. "Whatever." Bart shrugged his shoulders. He didn''t think he''d lose. However! Sometimeter... "Holy crap." Bart was stunned. The tip of Demon Sword Blood was touching his throat. "I didn''t see what you did... What did you do?" ''What do you mean? I used Transcendent de at the start of the match.'' "You lost, right?" Kang Oh slightly shook his de. "Yes, I lost. You really do deserve to be a part of the Numbers." Bart nodded his head, looking refreshed. Kang Oh withdrew his sword and said, "I''m going to hunt Lich Eclipse. You''reing with." "Sounds fun." Bart smiled. ''I got someone big.'' Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly. * * * Kang Oh exited the intercity transfer gate, arriving in the small, quiet town of Snowprim. He''de here several times before, so he followed the road to the Witch''s Forest. Knock, knock. The door to the guild''s headquarters opened, and a cute yer''s head peeked out. "Who...?" "Hello, I''m one of Asu''s friends. My name is Kang Oh." "Ah, I see. But Ms. Asu isn''t here right now." Kang Oh knew that too. After all, she hadn''t even logged in. "I didn''te here to see Asu today. I came to see the guildmaster." Kang Oh smiled politely. "If the guildmaster is in, could you please tell her that ''Kang Oh'' hase to see her?" "One moment please." The girl was about to close the door, but then suddenly opened it again. "Did you just say Kang Oh?" "Yes." The girl looked him over. "Oh my gosh, it is you!" Kang Oh, the newest member of the Numbers! "Yes, that''s right." "Oh my gosh, oh my gosh! Please give me a minute." The door closed. Then, he heard her rushing away from behind the door. A short whileter... Kang Oh was able to have a private meeting with the Blood Witch and Witch of Annihtion, Helena. "Congrattions. You joined the Numbers," she said formally. The red haired woman wore mage''s robes and round sses. "Thank you." "So what did youe here for? Did you... manage to find the third illusion grimoire?" Helena asked. "No, that''s not why I came. I came with an offer." "What is it?" "Do you know of Lich Eclipse?" "I do." "I''m going to hunt him. I''m in the middle of recruiting some people." "I know what you''re asking of me. You want us to work together to take him down." "Exactly." "Eclipse, huh... It''s quite an enticing offer. I heard that he has several rare grimoires in his possession. So... what''s your team look like as of now?" "Just two people thus far. Me and Bart." "Bart. That Bart?" "Yes, that Bart." "Just two. But the two of you are Numbers... Can I get back to you?" "Of course. You can just let me know through Asu." "Alright, I''ll do that." After that, Kang Oh waited for Helena''s reply. Eventually, he got a message back! - Oppa. - Hmm? - The guildmaster asked me to give you a message. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed as he messaged her back. - What is it? - Her answer is ''Yes''! Chapter 228. Forming the Team

Chapter 228. Forming the Team

Trantor: Boko Once the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, decided to join him, twenty of the strongest ''Witch''s Forest'' guild members decided to join him as well. They were all rankers (top 10,000); some of them, however, were high rankers (top 100) like the Blue Knight, Plum, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, and the Kind Druid, Yericka. But to gain their aid, Kang Oh had to abide by three conditions. First, the raid couldn''t be broadcasted! Members of the Witch''s Forest tried to avoid the spotlight. Second, 70% of the loot! Third, the Witch''s Forest would take all of the books in Eclipse''s hideout. Kang Oh had great difficulty forming a team by himself, so he ultimately acquiesced to her demands. "This is them." Bart brought some people too. The Storm Fighter, Rohan, and the Harbinger of Death, Viper. Both of them were high rankers. "Mypanions and I will only take 20% of the loot." Those were Bart''s demands. Kang Oh obviously epted. The Eclipse hunting team was formed. The team consisted of him, Eder, Bart, Rohan, Viper, as well as Helena and her elites! There were 26 of thembined! They also had 3 Numbers, and 5 high rankers. It was an all-star studded raid team. * * * The Witch''s Forest''s council chamber. Every single member of the Eclipse hunting team was present. "Let me tell you what we know about Eclipse, as well as our n for hunting him. Eclipse resides within the Andura Temple. There are cemeteries to the east and west. The Sun Tower is to the south, and the Moon Tower is to the north. The temple is in the middle." Everyone quietly listened to Kang Oh''s exnation. "Lich Eclipse is around level 400, and is a high-rank undead. He can summon several undead at a time, and can cast curses too. He also specializes in bone magic." Several renowned, skilled raid teams had attempted to hunt Eclipse before. However, all of them failed with a bitter taste in their mouth. Eclipse was just that hard to defeat. "As you all may know, a Lich is invincible unless its life vessel is destroyed; it has infinite HP/MP until then. Obviously, our main priority is destroying Eclipse''s life vessel. Where do you think this life vessel is?" Kang Oh looked around at his teammates. "Eclipse has it," one of the yers said. "Exactly. Eclipse is storing his life vessel somewhere inside of the temple. Normally, that is." Kang Oh nodded his head. "But when Eclipse fights yers, he moves his life vessel somewhere else," the high ranker, Blue Knight Plum, said. She waspletely covered by blue armor. "Where?" Kang Oh asked. "The Sun Tower, or the Moon Tower," Plum said. "That''s right. It''s hidden in one of the two towers. We can''t know which tower he''s hidden it in unless we''re there, at the top floor of either tower. But we don''t have time to be looking through both towers. There''s a time limit to hunting Eclipse," Kang Oh said. Helena pushed her round sses up and continued, "After a certain amount of time fighting Eclipse, Bone Dragons spawns from each of the cemeteries. These monsters are just as strong as Eclipse himself. Moreover, there are two of them! If they spawn, then we can consider this raid as good as over." "And the Bone Dragons spawn faster the more yers face off against Eclipse," Bart smiled and said. "If less than 30 members enter the temple, then the Bone Dragons spawn in 30 minutes. It takes them 5 minutes to get to the temple. Of course, the Bone Dragons turn to dust if you defeat Eclipse. In other words, we only have 35 minutes max. In that time, we have to search the two towers, destroy Eclipse''s life vessel, and kill Eclipse," Kang Oh said. "Ok, so what''s the n?" the Harbinger of Death, Viper, asked. "Ms. Helena and the rest of the Witch''s Forest will enter the temple and take on Eclipse. Meanwhile, Mr. Bart and I will each climb a tower. I''ll go at it alone, while Mr. Bart will go with Mr. Viper and Mr. Rohan." "You''re climbing the tower by yourself?" Viper furrowed his brow. It looked like he didn''t trust him. "There''s a cracked open window halfway up the Sun Tower. I n on flying up there. Thus, I have no choice but to go at it alone." "But after you''ve gone in, you''ll bepletely alone. Will you be alright?" Viper asked, staring at him distrustingly. Then, Bart intervened. "Mr. Kang Oh will be fine." "Understood, Mr. Bart." Viper was forced toply. Kang Oh slightly nodded his head in thanks and continued. "When Mr. Bart or I destroy the life vessel, all you (Helena and the Witch''s Forest) need to do is kill Eclipse. Of course, once Mr. Bart and I are finished, we''lle and join you as fast as we can." "This''ll be a fight against time. Everyone, please have your wits about you," Helena said clearly. "Let''s have a lot of fun." Bart grinned. "The Eclipse hunt is in two days!" Kang Oh said. * * * Kang Oh left the Witch''s Forest, and went to a nearby forest. He followed the road, but eventually stopped. There stood a beauty wearing fur clothes with golden hair and white skin. She was sitting on a fallen tree, watching the view, enjoying the breeze, and humming a tune. Kang Oh approached her. "Oppa." Asu beamed. Kang Oh sat beside her. "Did you wait a long time?" He''d received a message from her, stating ''When you''re finished with your meeting,e meet me at the forest.'', so he''de straight here. "I didn''t wait that long. How did the meeting go? Did it go well?" Asu asked. "Yeah. We decided to hunt Eclipse in two days." "I wanted to go too..." Asu looked disappointed. Like she said, she had wanted to join the hunt too. However, she was too weak. She was still only level 150. In an attempt tofort her, Kang Oh patted her back. Then, her disappointment went away and she bowed her head. "Please take care of our guild members!" "I''ll do my best!" Kang Oh said enthusiastically. "I believe in you. Oh, by the way, Oppa." "What?" "The members of my group keep asking me to introduce you to them. When I told them that you''d be one of the Numbers, they got even more excited to meet you." "Mm, I can meet them soon," Kang Oh said. "You promise?" "Yeah. Just tell me the time and ce." "Ok." Asu smiled timidly. "Want to take a walk?" Kang Oh asked. "Sure." Asu stood up. The two held hands and rxingly strolled through the forest. * * * Jae Woo met GBS producer, Jin Cheol, at a nearby cafe. "I really enjoyed the footage you sent me. It was amazing," Jin Cheol said excitingly, and gave him a thumbs up. It was footage of Kang Oh defeating the Wyvern King, Draka, all by himself! ''Amazing'' was definitely the right word for it. Anyone who''s seen it would be as excited and enthusiastic as Jin Cheol. "Hoo, hoo." Jae Wooughed. ''As expected!'' "I''ll buy it," Jin Cheol said. "How much?" Jae Woo''s heart pounded. How much would he get for it? "I''ll buy it for..." Jin Cheol began. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed. "200 million won ($200,000 USD)." "Heop." ''200 million won!?'' Selling one clip would give him 200 million won!? ''I heard that the amount of money Numbers made was on another level. Turns out to be true!'' Of course, even the Numbers didn''t make this much money all the time. There were several reasons they were offering him such a high sum: this was Kang Oh''s first clip as part of the Numbers, Kang Oh was extremely popr right now, and the clip itself could be considered the ''best'' ever. Jae Woo clenched his fists. ''I''ve hit the jackpot!'' If there weren''t people watching, then Kang Oh would stand up and dance around, all the while screaming like a crazy person. "What do you think?" Jin Cheol smiled. ''You like the offer, don''t you?'' "You''re the best, Mr. Jin Cheol!" Kang Oh said honestly. It was only natural. At least for this moment in time, that was what he was truly thinking. "As you well know, I always offer you my best," Jin Cheol said, his voice overwhelmingly confident. "I''m well aware." Jae Woo sped his hands. ''I know!'', he seemed to say. "Would you like to sign a contract?" "Of course." He was offering so much that there was no reason to refuse. Actually, he needed to sign the contract before he rescinded his offer. "Now then, please sign here." Jin Cheol passed him the contract and a pen. ''200 million won...'' Just seeing the ''200 million won'' written on the contract made his belly feel so full it felt like it''d burst. Jae Woo checked to make sure there was nothing out of the ordinary on the contract and then signed it. "If you have some good footage for me next time, then... Please let me know." "Of course! I will, I promise!" Jae Woo and Jin Cheol parted ways with smiles on their faces. * * * The 26 members of the Eclipse hunting team gathered in the Valley of the Dead. In order to reach the Andura Temple, the team needed to go through the Valley of the Dead. Guooooh! Rattle, tter! Countless ghouls and skeletons popped out of the ground around them. The ghouls and skeletons that spawned here were over level 200! They weren''t to be underestimated. "Battle formations! Tanks at the front and rear. Melee DPSers, to the sides! Long-range DPSers and healers, get inside and either attack or provide support!" the Blue Knight, Plum, yelled. She was a knight that had severalmand-type skills. Thus, she was given the task of suprememander. Go to a pharmacist for medicine, and go to a knight for amander! "Pierce through! Maintain formation!" A ring of light appeared behind her. Honorable One''s Command! If a yer heeded hermands, then their abilities would be amplified, and the experience and proficiency they gained would be increased. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Blood. sh! He cleaved a horizontal white line, cutting a ghoul and skeleton in two. Meanwhile, Bart threw a fireball, burning a ghoul to a crisp, and then cut off the head of a skeleton rushing towards him with his sword. The Harbinger of Death, Viper, was killing the undead with his sharp dagger. The Wind Tracker, Dambi, reminded him of a female Sephiro. She used the same skills he used like Headshot, Triple Shot, Homing Arrow, and Spinning Arrow! One shot, one kill. "Uhaaaa!" The Fighter, Rohan, wasughing while he punched the undead. His fist burst through the ghouls'' heads and turned the skeletons to dust. And... Helena was proving why she was called the Witch of Annihtion. Ignite! Chain Lightning! Giant''s Fist! Water Spear! Whenever she pointed her staff or raised it into the air, she cast all sorts of magic to great effect. It was the very definition of scorched earth! The hunting team instantly got through the Valley of the Dead! Chapter 229. Andura Temple

Chapter 229. Andura Temple

Trantor: Boko [You have entered Andura Temple.] Kang Oh saw a temple with a dome-shaped roof, as well as two towers that were taller than the temple itself. The hunting team had finally reached their destination. They were forced into battle immediately. Rat-a-tat-tat! Skeleton horses forcefully stomped on the ground. Duhans, monsters that carried their severed heads at their sides, rode atop them. There were more than thirty of them. [You have discovered the And Duhan, Medekman.] [It is a named monster.] The named monster, Medekman, stood at the forefront of the Duhans. "Prepare for battle. Attack!" Plum ordered immediately. "Tanks, form around me." "Fire arrows!" "I''ll distract them with my holy spells!" The hunting team moved as one. ''We have to do as much damage as possible before the Duhans use Charge of Death.'' Kang Oh pointed Blood at Medekman. Lightning Breath! Sparks arose from the Draka set, and electricity gathered within Blood. Spurt! Boom! A mighty lightning st flew straight forward like cannon fire. Medekman swung his sword at the approaching Lightning Breath. Dead Man''s Strike! Medekman''s sword unleashed a purple st, which crashed against the Lightning Breath. Boom! However, the Lightning Breath was superior. Kang Oh''s attack pierced through the purple st, and struck Medekman directly. Bzzzzt. The Lightning Breath pushed Medekman off its horse. But that wasn''t all. The lightning spread everywhere. Three nearby Duhans were caught in the lightning too, and fell off their horses. This was the power of Lightning Breath! Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction. After that, Helena followed up with her own attack. Ignite! A Duhan was engulfed in zing fire. Helena immediately swung her staff, and the giant red jewel at the end of her staff glowed. Arson! The fire began to spread everywhere. What a beautiful fire show! Bart added fuel to the fire. Fusion! Hebined a basic wind spell, Gust, with a Magic Amplification spell. Magically Amplified Wind! The winds fueled the fire, causing them to grow violently! Roar! Helena and Bart''sbination resulted in an inferno! "Aim for those that pierce through the mes!" Plum''s clear voice rang out. Crackle! Duhans began escaping the mes one or two at a time. Obviously, they didn''te out unscathed. Arrows and various magical/holy spells mercilessly rained down upon them. A short whileter... The fire died down. Rattle. The final Duhan, Medekman, dropped his head and fell to the floor. "Pick up the items that they left behind. It was a simple battle, so we''ll keep going without rest." Sometimeter... "We''ll split up here," Kang Oh said. The path was split into three. One led to the temple, another to the Sun Tower, and thest to the Moon Tower. "Contact us when you reach the towers. When we''re all in position, we''ll engage Eclipse," Helena said. "Alright. Then myrades and I will go this way." Bart, Viper, and Rohan headed north towards the Moon Tower. "Main force, advance!" The main force, led by Helena and Plum, headed for the temple. Eder was also a part of this force, equipped with the Hellfire Mace and the Duhan set. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh ran south. His goal: the Sun Tower. * * * Kang Oh headed for the Sun Tower, avoiding battle as much as he could. However, he wasn''t able to avoid it entirely. Uoooh! A giant flesh monster, pus flowing down its skin, swung its cleaver downwards. The monster was called a Butcher, and it was about level 300. Kang Oh easily dodged its attack and swung Blood in response. sh! Swish. ''It feels like I''m cutting through a lump of fat.'' He left behind a clear wound on the Butcher''s body. Kang Oh swung his sword once more. Uwoooh! The Butcher swung its cleaver. However, Kang Oh was much faster than it. Darkness Strike! A red wave shot out of Kang Oh''s de. Boom! The Butcher reeled from the impact, and red shards of light spurt everywhere. Kang Oh didn''t let up. Blood Bomb! Boom! Scarlet energy exploded from his body. Unable to endure the st, the Butcher fell to the floor. Its body was in tatters. Switch. Kang Oh swapped to Ubist. "Huahp!" Kang Oh raised his weapon, and then forcefully swiped down. Bam! A refreshing ''bam'' rang out. Kang Oh kept going. Bam! Whack! Bam! Bam! The end. Kang Oh picked up the items it dropped and continued onwards to the Sun Tower! * * * Bart, Viper, and Rohan were besieged by ghouls. "I''m going!" The Fighter, Rohan, threw a punch. Chi Torpedo! His fist unleashed a sphere-shaped bomb. Once the Chi Torpedo made contact, the ghoul popped like a balloon. The battle had begun in earnest. Kuaaaah! The ghouls endlessly came at them. "Let''s have some fun!" Bart stretched out both of his hands, unleashing countless spells and skills. Boom, boom, boom! The ghouls were instantly swept away. "Tch, I specialize in fighting people, not monsters." Viper clicked his tongue and raised his sharp dagger. Swish. His body disappeared into the shadows. Shadow Transfer! Viper reappeared in between the ghouls and quickly swung his dagger. Silent sh! His attack struck true, yet his dagger made no sound. Stter. The ghouls fell to the ground like marites that had their strings cut. "Let''s keep going like this," Rohan yelled. They quickly pierced through the of ghouls, and headed for the tower. * * * "An enemy." "Prepare for battle," Plummanded, and her forces readied themselves. There were Elite Skeleton Warriors, Elite Skeleton Mages, Elite Skeleton Archers, and a Skeleton General! The warriors were heavily armed and wore Viking helmets, the mages carried around staffs, and the archers wielded bone bows. And if it wasn''t obvious already, the general was responsible for leading the troops! There were 500 of them. They were keeping the main force from advancing. Rattle. The Skeleton General pointed at the hunting team with its emaciated hand. Then, the skeleton army charged at them. "Everyone, forward!" The hunting team kept formation and charged at the enemy. And... sh! "Tough Unnis, please get up there and form a wall." "Long-range attacks!" "Oh light, punish the wicked!" Whizz, whizz, whizz! Countless arrows flew towards either side. The same went for magic as well. Fireballs and water spears crossed each other, lightning fell, and wicked curses were let loose. Rattle! The team''s warriors and the skeleton warriors shed. 500 versus 22! However, a numerical advantage had no sway in this battle. The yers crushed the skeletons. Of course, Helena did the most. To the skeletons, her magic was akin to a catastrophe. The main force was akin to an irresistible force, crushing the opposition and advancing forward. Now, the temple was right before them. * * * The temple was huge, and had a dome-shaped roof. Realistically, it was about asrge as an Imic temple. However, the temple''s entrance was extremelyrge. It was as if it were constructed with a giant in mind. ''It''d be scary if two Bone Dragons came through there.'' The Blue Knight, Plum, imagined two Bone Dragonsing through the entrance. Then... "Plum, Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Bart have reached the towers," Helena said. "Alright. Then we''ll enter the temple now." "Yeah." "We''ll begin the battle with Eclipse now. Everyone, keep up your guard. Let''s go!" Plum took the lead and walked through the giant entrance. The Eclipse hunting team followed behind her. There was a giant hall inside. Old, faded murals covered the ceiling and the walls. Plus... "It''s the Lich." "It''s Eclipse." Lich Eclipse proudly stood at the center of the hall. He was so skinny that only a thinyer of skin was left over his bones. His eye sockets were empty as well. Even from a first nce, it was clear that his equipment was first ss. His belt was studded with skulls, his robes were patterned with the sun and the moon, and a showy crowny atop his head. He held a scythe in one hand, and a giant, transparent orb, which was asrge as an ostrich egg, in his other hand. A ck soul swirled round and round within the orb. That was its life vessel! Eclipse''s empty eye sockets glowed with purple light. "How dare the living trespass into my domain," Eclipse said angrily. "I won''t let a single one of you leave here alive!" Eclipse raised his hand, which was carrying his life vessel. sh. The life vessel disappeared instantly. Eclipse had transported its life vessel to either the Sun or Moon Tower. Helena immediately sent Bart and Kang Oh a message. - The Lich just hid its life vessel. Please climb the tower. "As we''ve discussed before, maintain formation and attack!" Plum yelled. Their main priority was surviving. So long as its life vessel remained intact, they wouldn''t be able to kill it. The true battle would begin only after Kang Oh or Bart destroyed the life vessel. "Bow before my immortal army!" Thud. Eclipse mmed his scythe onto the ground. Large-Scale Summon Undead! The ground cracked open and out came countless undead monsters. Skeletons, ghouls, Duhans, Butchers, and even a Death Knight! "Master!" A Death Knight, wearing jet-ck armor and eyes glowing with blue fire, bowed reverently towards its master. "Wipe out the living," Eclipse ordered. The Death Knight stood up and beganmanding the undead. "Charge." "Charge." "Get a move on!" The undead army,manded by the Death Knight, rushed at the hunting party. "Maintain formation, and protect yourrades!" Honorable One''s Command! A bright ring of light appeared behind Plum. The battle had begun. * * * - The Lich just hid its life vessel. Please climb the tower. Helena sent the message he''d been waiting for. Kang Oh immediately used Devil Trigger. Large, beautiful bat wings protruded from his back. "Tasha. Take me to the window in the middle of the tower." "It feels like you''re overworking metely. Why don''t you do it yourself sometime?" Tasha''sint resounded through his head. "I don''t have much time, so I want to get up there ASAP." "Hmph, this is thest time. Try doing it yourself next time." "Thanks." Kang Oh began soaring into the air; he noticed that he was flying much faster than usual. ''It must be because of the Draka set.'' One of the Draka set''s abilities substantially increased his flight speed. "It''s an enemy," Tasha said. "Yeah, I see it too." Kang Oh tightly gripped Blood. Once he began flying, the evil spirits, which specialized in curses and ice magic, came out of the tower. They created ice spears and threw them at him. Whizz, whizz, whizz! "You can dodge it, right?" "Of course I can." Tasha''s control was tremendous. Because of her, Kang Oh was able to fly through the barrage of ice spears unscathed. "My turn." Kang Oh softly swung Blood. Fresh Blood Wave! The fan-shaped red aura swept through the evil spirits. Kyaaahk! The evil spirits shrieked. Kang Oh pierced through them while they were distracted. They weren''t nearly fast enough to catch up to him. There wasn''t anything left to stop him... ''Huh?'' However, the evil spirits fused together, and eventually transformed into a crow. [You have discovered the Bringer of Misfortune, Kiba.] [You are the first to discover it.] It began chasing after Kang Oh at incredible speed! Chapter 230. Lich Eclipse

Chapter 230. Lich Eclipse

Trantor: Boko "Embrace death!" The Death Knight swung its sword at Plum. Sword of Corruption! A ck, sticky tar-like substance trickled down his de. "Take your own advice!" Plum extended her silver sword. Honorable Strike! ng! The two des shed. White feathers flew into the air, an aftereffect of Honorable Strike. The Death Knight quickly withdrew its sword and attacked again. Plum immediately responded with her own de. Bam! The two swords shed once more, emitting a blunt ''bam''. Plum glued herself to the Death Knight, using soft, flowing movements. "Haahp!" She swung her sword gracefully, as if she were performing ballet. Swish. Her silver sword cleaved through the center of the Death Knight''s body. "Ugh." The Death Knight grimaced in pain. A fistful of red shards of light spilled from its body. "Hurts, doesn''t it?" Plum smiled. Her weapon was no ordinary sword; any sessful attack against an undead or demon would be an automatic critical hit. "Don''t make meugh!" The Death Knight angrily swung its sword. "Hmph." Plum softly dodged the blow, and then thrust her silver sword. sh Thrust! The fastest thrust skill! Stab! "Ugh." The Death Knight hurriedly retreated back. Plum immediately gave chase and barraged it with attacks. Ultimately, the Death Knight fell to its knees, Plum''s silver sword piercing through its body. Plum then took a look around. Her team was fighting well against the undead. However, she knew full well that this was nothing more than a battle of reconnaissance. After all, the one who''d summoned all these undead, Eclipse, was proudly standing by. If it didn''t actively take part in this battle, then the battle wasrgely meaningless. At the same time, she couldn''t order her team to attack Eclipse, especially when the life vessel was still intact. ''Please, hurry and destroy the life vessel!'' Plum killed an approaching skeleton with a single blow, and thought of the other two teams. * * * The Moon Tower. Elite Duhans, Butchers, and Death Knights blocked their way. There wasn''t a single weak undead here, like the skeletons or ghouls. "How much time has passed?" Rohan punched a Duhan and asked. "5 minutes," Viper curtly replied. He was cleaving through a Butcher''s body with his dagger. "Already..." Rohan furrowed his brow. 5 minutes had already passed, yet they hadn''t gone up the tower as much as they''d expected. "We''ll have to take it up a notch. We can''t be the reason this hunt fails, now can we?" Bart said. He was one of the Numbers, while Rohan and Viper were high rankers. Obviously, they had some sort of trick up their sleeves. "Indeed." "Mm, I agree." Rohan and Viper nodded their heads. "Hoo." Bart took a small step back. The Death Knight he''d been fighting violently rushed at him and swung its sword. ''Skill Fusion!'' Ice Spear + Sacred Hammer! Spear of Judgment! Bam! The luminous spear pierced through the Death Knight''s body. After that, Bart ced his palm onto the ground. Barrage of Light + Earth Strike! Surging Light! Like a shark cutting through water, a barrage of light rose from the ground and enveloped the Death Knight. "Ugh." The Death Knight stumbled. "Just die already!" Bart rushed at it and swung his sword. It was a simple sh. However, the Death Knight was so weakened that it was enough to finish it off. He then took a look around. Viper pulled out another dagger and was hacking at a Death Knight. He was originally a duel-wielding assassin. Rohan began adding kicks to his routine. For every kick hended on the Death Knight,rge shards of light would burst out. A short whileter... They quickly overpowered the undead and made their way up the tower. Would the life vessel be in this tower? * * * The mysterious bird, or the Bringer of Misfortune, Kiba, chased after Kang Oh. It was even faster than Kang Oh. Thus, it gradually began to catch up to him. "It''ll catch up to us," Tasha said. "We''re close to our destination. Let''s just keep going!" Just a little further, and he''d reach the window. "Got it." p. Tasha pped his wings as hard as she could. Gyaaa! Kiba''s scream resounded through the air. [You have heard Kiba''s cry.] [Some unlucky event may happen.] All of a sudden, the rocks forming the tower''s outer walls began to fall towards him. "Tch." Kang Oh swung Blood and deflected the rocks. Then, a powerful gust of wind blew from the top of the tower. Even Tasha couldn''t help but slow down in the presence of a crosswind. Kiba, however, wasn''t affected by the wind. Its speed hadn''t gone down at all. "Change of ns. We''re taking it down first. Turn me around." Kang Oh spun through the air and flew towards Kiba. Kang Oh and Kiba. The two quickly approached each other. [You have closed in on Kiba.] [Luck has decreased.] [Unlucky events may ur.] [The more time passes, the more your stats decrease.] ''I have only one chance.'' Kang Oh concentrated. Switch. Kang Oh swapped Blood with Ubist. His body was no longer surrounded by blood red energy, but a jet-ck darkness instead. Since his Jet-ck Demon formcked flight capabilities, Kang Oh began to fall to his death. Kiba got right in front of him. [Warning: You have been struck by misfortune!] [Warning: You have been struck by misfortune!] ''Right... now!'' Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist. Evesting Darkness! [Stolen stats have been consumed as a price for using Evesting Darkness.] [Magic -3] Spurt! Ubist cleaved Kiba''s body in two. Abyss de allowed him to cut through the immaterial like evil spirits! Moreover, it was devoured by the massive amount of darkness that shot out of his sword. Bam! A short whileter, the massive pit of darkness spun like the vortex and then bam, it exploded. [You have defeated the Bringer of Misfortune, Kiba.] There was no trace of Kiba left. It''d beenpletely annihted. He extended his hand. ''Please work!'' Kang Oh used Darkness Chain, hoping to wrap around an area that protruded from the tower. Whoosh. Kang Oh swung on the chain like Tarzan, and glued himself to the tower''s wall. "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and began climbing the tower. He didn''t have time to rest. Fortunately, no more evil spirits appeared. Kang Oh finally reached the window and entered through there. "An enemy!" "Kill him!" Two Death Knights discovered Kang Oh and rushed at him. ''I have to deal with them quickly!'' Kang Oh swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger pounced on the Death Knights. Boom! The Death Knights mmed into either wall, but Kang Oh ignored them. He ran through them and began going up the stairs. Guooh! There was a pudgy Butcher blocking his way at the top of the stairs. Kang Oh transformed into the Jet-ck Demon. Then, he used Abyss Transfer and passed through the Butcher. Guoh? The Butcher looked puzzled. However, Kang Oh was nowhere to be found. Kang Oh came to arge room, which contained several Duhans and Death Knights. "Get lost!" Kang Oh swung Ubist twice. Abyss w! And... Lightning Breath! The room instantly became scorched earth. Kang Oh kicked open the door and went up to the next floor. The top of the tower was almost in sight. * * * When they had killed about half of the undead army, Eclipse began to make his move. Thud. It mmed its scythe onto the ground, summoning many more undead. Fortunately, there weren''t any Death Knights included in the new batch of reinforcements. "Embrace death." Eclipse raised its scythe into the air. AoE Aging Curse! Bizarre light radiated from its scythe. "Healers, dispel the curse!" Plum yelled. "Oh light, repel the darkness!" "Our father!" The priests began to cast spells that would protect the team against the curse. The Kind Druid, Yericka, widely swung her staff from the left to the right. Primitive Vitality! They healed their team''s HP to full and gave them curse resistance. A radiant, warm light spread out like an aurora. Due to the healers'' efforts, Eclipse''s curses had virtually no effect on the team. "Death is your destiny!" Eclipse extended its other hand, the one not carrying its scythe. A lump of bone began to form in the direction his hand was pointed in. "Guildmaster, it''s finally starting to use bone magic," Plum said. "Mm, then let''s go at it as nned." They''d already anticipated this. "Ok." "Mages, form around me." Swish. Five female mages, their robes dragging on the floor, quickly gathered around Helena. "Give me your power." "Of course, Unni." A circr magic circle formed underneath Helena''s feet. Mana Link! Helena immediately activated the spell, causing the magic circle to radiate bright light. Mana Link allowed one to use other people''s MP as long as they were within the magic circle. The five mages, who were already inside the magic circle, cast the Focus Mind spell, which allowed them to quickly regenerate their MP. With this, they''d effectively be efficient batteries for Helena''s use. ''Let''s go.'' Helena''s eyes gleamed. Overload! This spell tripled her spell power, but in exchange, her spells cost six times the mana! A square crystal formed on her forehead. Then... "Die!" Eclipse shot a giant lump of bones at them. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Helena''s staff began to radiate intense light. Earth Wall! A giant wall shot up from the ground. ng! ng! ng! The bones crashed against the wall and broke into pieces. "Hmph." Eclipse clenched its fist. Bone Bomb! Bam, bam, bam! The bones, which were embedded in the wall, blew up, causing the wall to crumble. Reaper''s Scythe! A scythe made of bone formed in the air. Eclipse swung its scythe; the Reaper''s Scythe mirrored its movements and flew towards the center of the team. There was no way Helena would just let this happen. She quickly cast Giant''s Arm. Two giant arms appeared in the arm and grabbed the Reaper''s Scythe. Eclipse tightly clenched its fist once more. Bone Bomb! Boom! Apanied by a ''boom'', the Reaper''s Scythe blew up into tiny little pieces. Because it blew up in the air, none of the team was injured by the resulting explosion. Instead, countless bones fell from the sky. Eclipse was nning to explode all of these bones again. "I can''t let you do that!" Helena pointed her staff forward, the crystal facing away from her. Tempest! Whoosh! She called a mighty wind that swept away the falling bones. Eclipse didn''t stop though. Bone Spear! Helena responded with an Ice Spear. But as time passed, things would get worse off for Helena. Eclipse possessed infinite MP, while Helena had a limit; though she was using Mana Link to make up the difference, it could only go so far. Ultimately, their main priority was destroying Eclipse''s life vessel. With its life vessel destroyed, the Lich would no longer be immortal, and it wouldn''t have infinite MP either. ''So hurry!'' Helena thought of Kang Oh and Bart, and gritted her teeth. Chapter 231. Life Vessel

Chapter 231. Life Vessel

Trantor: Boko Finally! "We''ve made it to the top!" Bart pushed the double doors open. "Mm." "It''s not here." Rohan and Viper said. There was a transfer magic circle in the middle of the room, but no life vessel anywhere. What''s worse, there was no guardian here either. "The life vessel is in the Sun Tower. We''ll have to trust in Mr. Kang Oh," Rohan said. "Tch. Do you really think he''ll be able to do it by himself?" Viper said, furrowing his brow. ''This hunt''s over,'' he thought. "He will," Bart said. He''d fought Kang Oh twice before, so he knew that he was the real deal. "Then let''s trust in Mr. Kang Oh and regroup with the main force," Rohan said. "Alright." Bart''s party headed for the magic circle. This magic circle would transport them to Andura Temple, where the main force was fighting Eclipse. Swoosh. They instantly disappeared. * * * Kang Oh reached the top of the tower before Bart''s party did. However, he hadn''t been able to destroy the life vessel yet. The reason was simple. It was because of the life vessel''s guardian. The Ruin Knight, Ulzad! Like any other Death Knight, Ulzad was covered in ck armor. Unlike a normal Death Knight, however, Ulzad''s eyes were red instead of blue. Plus...! There was a huge difference inbat ability. A Ruin Knight was at least three times stronger than a Death Knight. In exchange, its ability tomand troops was subpar. So long as he was here, destroying the life vessel would be an impossibility. ''Alright, it''s time.'' Even though he was on the clock, Kang Oh didn''t rush and waited patiently for his opportunity. More specifically, he was waiting for Evesting Darkness, Lightning Breath, and Tempest Tiger to go off cooldown. Kang Oh pulled out some armor from his inventory. He''d spent a pretty penny to buy Todo''s Armor for this expedition. "Eat!" Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness instantly consumed the armor. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Todo''s Armor.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use one of the consumed item''s abilities.] [''Showtime'' has been chosen.] Showtime. For 10 seconds, all of his skills, magic, and item effects would be doubled in power. However, it had a cooldown of 10 minutes. ''For 10 seconds, it really is showtime.'' Kang Oh dashed towards Ulzad. He was currently assuming the guise of the Jet-ck Demon, so his tail swished through the air. Ulzad likewise charged at him. ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh and Ulzad crossed des several times. Even though Kang Oh was empowered by both Gluttony and Devil Trigger, Ulzad wasn''t being overwhelmed. That''s just how powerful he was. Of course, over the course of time, Kang Oh would eventually win. However, he couldn''t afford to take it slow; he was on a time crunch after all. ''I have to finish him off ASAP! If that''s the case, then...'' "Uhaaahp!" Kang Oh attacked him with even greater ferocity. sh was the only skill he used. On the other hand, Ulzad used every skill in his arsenal. Aura of Ruin! Terrorizing Strike! Heras Family''s Swordsmanship! Thrust of Death! In an instant, Ulzad had taken over the momentum. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. He managed to withstand Ulzad''s assault through his Hyper Intuition and his high evasion. However... he quickly came to his limit. "Ugh." He''d shown a clear weak spot, and Ulzad punished him by attacking the area with a Terrorizing Strike! Then... ''I''m going!'' Kang Oh reacted btedly. From an outside view, it seemed clear that Ulzad''s de had struck first. However, Kang Oh had a trick up his sleeve. Transcendent de! Swish! Ubist cleaved through Ulzad''s body with transcendent speed. Ulzad didn''t dare utter a cry of pain. However, the mes in his eyes flickered unsteadily. ''Now!'' Ulzad had unknowingly driven himself into a corner, giving Kang Oh a golden opportunity to finish him off! He couldn''t afford to let this go. "Showtime!" [It''s showtime!] [For 10 seconds, all skills, magic, and item effects are doubled in power.] He''d start slow... with an Abyss w! However, Ubist''s darkness was by no means ''weak''. Bam! His attack dented Ulzad''s armor. Tempest Tiger! Demon Sword Ubist glowed with golden light, and a roaring tiger dashed towards Ulzad. Boom! Ulzad''s body soared into the air. Kang Oh then pointed the tip of his sword at him. Lightning Breath! Crackle! The lightning st hit Ulzad dead on, and pushed him into the wall. ''Please die already!'' Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards. Evesting Darkness! A system message reminded him that he''d lost a few of his stolen stats, and a violently swirling darkness consumed the Ruin Knight whole. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh breathed haggardly, and plopped onto the floor. He''d just used everything he had! [Stamina is depleted.] [MP is depleted.] [You cannot move.] [If you rest, then your Stamina and MP will slowly recover.] [You have defeated the Ruin Knight, Ulzad.] [You have leveled up.] ''I did it!'' Once he could feel his body again, Kang Oh drank an MP potion. Then, he approached Ulzad''s body, which had pretty much been pounded into dough, and picked up the key. ''Hurry, hurry!'' He stuck the key into a safe situated in the center of the room. tter. He opened the safe, revealing the Lich''s life vessel within. Kang Oh grabbed Ubist in a two-handed grip and raised his sword into the air. Then, he thrust as hard as he could. Crack! The sound of broken ss resounded throughout the room. The ck soul within popped out, and returned to its original resting ce, Lich Eclipse''s undead body. With this, Eclipse was no longer immortal, and wouldn''t have infinite MP to use against Helena and her team. It was now just a high-rank undead that could cast magic. ''We''re almost there!'' He could almost taste victory, but he wasn''t out of the woods just yet. Destroying the life vessel had taken him 25 minutes. If his team couldn''t take Eclipse down in 10 minutes, then they''d have to face two Bone Dragons too. They had to kill Eclipse before then. ''No matter what!'' Kang Oh immediately sent Bart and Helena a message. - The life vessel has been destroyed! * * * Eclipse and Helena countered each other''s magic. Unfortunately, Helena wasn''t able topletely stop Eclipse. As a result, a lump of bone exploded at the center of their ranks. "Guaahk!" "Ugh!" The power was beyond their wildest imaginations. One healer and one DPSer, both of which possessed low defense, were killed instantly. Two others, who had also been caught in the explosion, were on the brink of death. "Healing spells! Hurry!" Plum desperately yelled. The druid, Yericka, forcefully swung her staff. Rapid Growth! Light of Life! Mother Nature''s Warmth! She continuously cast healing spell after healing spell. Due to her efforts, the two dying members managed to survive. After that, Helena focused entirely on Eclipse, and another misstep like that didn''t happen again. However, it''s said that the smallest of cracks can cause a dam to copse. The death of two of their teammates was, in essence, that crack. The hunting team began losing against the undead army. Then... Bart''s party, who''d gone through the Moon Tower''s magic circle, joined the battlefield. "We''re here!" Rohan yelled, and thenunched two consecutive Chi Torpedos. Boom, boom! His attack created two explosions, which sent a skeleton and a Dullhan flying. The Assassin, Viper, used Shadow Transfer and hid within the shadows. He reappeared behind a Death Knight andnded critical strikes one after another. "What about the life vessel?" Plum asked Bart. After using Skill Fusion and unleashing a destructive attack, Bart said, "It wasn''t in the Moon Tower. We have to rely on Mr. Kang Oh now. "Mm, understood. Anyhow, I''m d you''re here. We''ll be able to hold out a little longer with you here." "Yes." Bart stepped forward. Their presence (one of the Numbers and two high rankers) was a godsend. They plugged the holes that resulted from the death of two of their teammates, allowing the team to somewhat recoup their strength. Of course, this was only possible because Helena was keeping Eclipse busy. Time went on... The more time passed, the more anxious they got. Though time was ticking down, they hadn''t heard from Kang Oh, and the situation was getting progressively worse. Viper approached Plum. "Should we retreat? Mr. Kang Oh might''ve died," he said. "No. He hasn''t died, so let''s keep going a little longer," Plum firmly said. "How do you know that?" "Mr. Kang Oh is part of the Numbers. I know since I''ve seen Ms. Helena in action. They''re a special breed." "Mm." Plum was so sure of his sess that Viper didn''t even try to convince her anymore. "Tch, I guess it can''t be helped." Viper clicked his tongue and joined the battle once more. He didn''t trust Kang Oh; he trusted Bart and Plum, who both had faith in him. They say that good things happen to those who believe. "Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!" A horrific cry resounded throughout the room. From Eclipse''s mouth no less! It grasped at its chest with both hands. At the same time, two-thirds of the undead army copsed. "This is..." Plum looked shocked. "The life vessel has been destroyed!" Bart yelled. That was the only possible exnation. Then, Kang Oh sent a message. - The life vessel has been destroyed! The situation had changed immediately. The undead army staggered, and Eclipse couldn''t regain itsposure. "Plum, now!" Helena yelled. Helena''s voice snapped her out of it, and she began tomand her team once more. "Everyone focus on Eclipse! We have to kill it before the Bone Dragons arrive!" Honorable One''s Command! "Ooooh!" "Alright!" "Ok, Unni!" "Let''s go!" The team raised their voices. They felt a small sliver of hope form in their hearts. "Mm, to think he''d actually seed." Viper scratched his cheek. ''The Numbers truly are special.'' Anyhow, he moved quickly. As Plum had said, their main priority was killing Eclipse. "Hoo, let''s focus on recovering our MP," Helena said. "Yes, Guildmaster!" The five mages providing her with MP nodded simultaneously. * * * ''We can do this!'' Plum clenched her fist. She watched as her team wailed on Eclipse, and became sure of their sess. The others thought the same. However... "Ugh, I, I don''t want to die!" Eclipse yelled desperately. Then, he threw his scythe away and stretched out both of his arms. "W-What is he doing?" The team panicked at Eclipse''s sudden action. "Keep attacking him! We can''t let him do whatever he''s trying to do!" Plum yelled. Helena, who''d been focused on replenishing her MP, had a bad feeling about this and cast a spell immediately. me Pir! Exploding Lightning! Ice Fang! With Overload in effect, she cast several powerful spells. They made contact with Eclipse''s body and exploded. However, Eclipse didn''t cower away. "Come. Come to me!" The undead bodies scattered about began gathering around Eclipse. "Attack!" "Keep attacking!" The hunting team kept up their assault. However, they couldn''t finish Eclipse in time. In the end, Eclipse transformed into apletely new form. Its giant body consisted of chunks of flesh and bone, and emanated a frightening, gloomy energy that rose from its body like a haze. [Eclipse has equipped itself with a Giant Bone Golem.] [Destroy the Bone Golem and kill Eclipse.] [Please hurry. The Bone Dragons areing.] Chapter 232. Bone Dragons

Chapter 232. Bone Dragons

Trantor: Boko A Giant Bone Golem made of lumps of flesh and bone. It had arge body and a height of more than 10 meters; it didn''t have a head, but thick arms and legs were attached to its square-shaped body. "I won''t die!" Eclipse''s body was hidden by the golem, and his voice could be heard from within. Thud! The Bone Golem forcefully stomped on the floor. Then, a ck ring, centered around its foot, began to spread outwards. Dull Sword! The curse, which reduced one''s attack power, spread far and wide. "Dispel the curse!" Plum''s voice echoed through the room. Primitive Vitality! Light''s Blessing! Yericka and the healers cast spells that dispelled curses. "Munra''s Mysterious Bones!" Eclipse''s voice rang out. Munra''s Mysterious de! Munra''s Mysterious Shield! The Giant Bone Golem now wielded a sword and shield made of bone. Whoosh! It swung its sword downwards. "Dodge!" A few of the team, which were in the vicinity of its attack, moved quickly. Bam! The strange characters inscribed on the de glowed with purple light. Then, the purple light spread through the ground and went everywhere. "This is dangerous!" "Get out of the way!" Those in the way of the purple st began using their emergency skills or threw their bodies out of the way. "Gyaahk!" However, the purple st swept through one of the healers, and they instantly died. "Attack!" Plum''s voice rang out. "Die!" The hunting team began attacking the Giant Bone Golem. The Storm Fighter, Rohan, used Chi Torpedo! The Wind Tracker, Dambi, used an Explosive Shot! The rest of the team unleashed their skills/spells too. However, most of their attacks were blocked by its shield. The attacks that couldn''t be blocked by the shield didn''t do much. Only a few bones or pieces of flesh came off, that''s all. "It''s pointless!" Eclipse''s voice echoed. Then, Eclipse swung its bone sword once more. Whoosh! A purple st, shaped like a crescent moon, flew through the air. "Danger!" someone desperately yelled. Fortunately, Bart took center stage. Fusion! He fused the Priest spell, ''Holy Shield'', and the ''Earth Wall'' spell, creating... Holy Wall! A luminous wall surged from the ground. Boom! The Holy Wallpletely nullified the purple st. Then, Helena raised her jeweled staff into the air. "Agra''s Fire!" Ignite! Afterpleting her chant, scarlet mes violently burned the Bone Golem''s body. Roar! Roar! Overload amplified her spell power, so Ignitepletely engulfed the Bone Golem''s body in mere seconds. But Helena didn''t stop there. She swung her staff from the left to the right. Arson! The fierce fire transformed into a massive explosion. What a fantastic fire show! Her spell was so powerful that the Bone Golem''s flesh and bones were burnt ck. "It worked!" "We got this!" Their teammates'' faces brightened. However... The Bone Golem''s shield, or more specifically, the characters inscribed upon it, glowed with blue light. Then, the mes were extinguished. Munra''s Mysterious Shield reduced the power of spells. "Mm." The team faltered. ''Helena''s attack hadn''t worked, so what good would they be!?'' That''s what they were thinking at the moment. "Don''t stop attacking!" Plum yelled as if scolding them. They only had 8 minutes before the Bone Dragons got here. It was too early to give up. Their only hope was to keep attacking! * * * There were countless tombstones, sculptures, and bronze statues in the eastern cemetery. All of sudden, the floor shook as if there was an earthquake, and the ground split open. Smack. A foot made of giant white bone came out of the cracked earth. Rattle, tter. The Bone Dragon''s head excited the crevice, apanied by the sound of bones noisily rubbing against each other. Green fire zed within its empty eye sockets. Its wings werepletely devoid of skin or flesh, and that held true for its body, its legs, and its tail as well. The Bone Dragon''s entire body exited the chasm. It opened its mouth wide. The Bone Dragon appeared to be roaring. Since it was entirely made of bone, it couldn''t actually make a noise. It turned its head towards the temple, and began to make its way towards it! Thud. Thud. Thud. The same incident urred in the western cemetery as well. Two Bone Dragons had spawned! It''d already been 30 minutes since the hunting team fought Eclipse! At that moment... Kang Oh entered the Sun Tower''s magic circle and joined the hunting team. He could''ve joined up with them earlier, but he chose to replenish all of his HP, MP, and Stamina first. He approached Plum. "You''re here... Good work," Plum said. "The situation doesn''t look good." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Golems possessed extremely high defense, but the Bone Golem was equipped with Munra''s Mysterious Shield. Thus, it wasn''t easy for them to pierce through its defenses. But the bigger problem was... "The Bone Dragons must''ve spawned by now. We only have 5 minutes left," Plum said restlessly. "We can''t keep going like this," Kang Oh muttered. He didn''t think they''d be able to break through the Bone Golem and kill Eclipse by just randomly attacking it. ''We have to concentrate fire on a single area.'' Kang Oh checked how long he''d have to wait before his skills and item effects were back up. ''I need 4 minutes and 40 seconds before I can use Showtime, Evesting Darkness, and Lightning Breath again.'' If that''s the case, then... "Mr. Bart, Mr. Rohan, Ms. Dambi, and Mr. Viper, pleasee over here!" Kang Oh yelled. Then, he approached Helena, who couldn''t move due to Mana Link. "What is it?" Viper came first. "I''m here." "What''s the matter?" Then, Bart and the rest of them arrived. "We have to concentrate fire on a single point if we want to get through its defense," Kang Oh said. "How?" Helena asked. "We use our most powerful moves all at once in 4 minutes." "Why 4 minutes?" "My skills and item effects are still on cooldown. They''ll be ready by then. And... It''s right before the Bone Dragons get here." "I see." Helena agreed with his n. The others did as well. "Save your skills and spells until then. And focus on replenishing your HP and MP," Kang Oh said, and they all nodded their heads. "We only have one shot at this!" * * * Thud. The ground and the temple''s walls began to shake. "I-It''s a dragon!" "This is bad. The Bone Dragons have shown up!" The team briefly sported vacant expressions, as if they''d been hit in the face with a hammer. There were two Bone Dragons walking through the entrance. "They shouldn''t be here already." Plum was briefly taken aback herself. The Bone Dragons hade way too early. ''Did we not count down properly? If not, then...'' Kang Oh stared at the Bone Golem. Perhaps destroying the life vessel, or forcing Eclipse into Bone Golem mode caused the Bone Dragons toe even faster. Whatever the case, the Bone Dragons were here, and Kang Oh still needed a little bit more time. "Ms. Plum," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "Take the team and hold off the Bone Dragons. Your objective is buying as much time as possible," Kang Oh said. "Then who''ll handle Eclipse?" "Me, Helena, Bart, Rohan, Dambi, and Viper will take him down," Kang Oh said, staring straight into her eyes. "Mm, I believe in you." "Helena, Bart, Rohan, Dambi, and Viper. We''re taking on Eclipse," Kang Oh yelled. "The rest of you, follow me. We''re engaging the Bone Dragons. We just need to hold on for just a little longer, so everyone do your best!" Plum said. "Yes ma''am!" "Yeah!" "We can do this!" The two teams split off from one another. Helena split off from the five mages as well. She had enough MP to use her most powerful attack, so she had no reason to keep them here. "We''ll keep Eclipse busy for now. When I give the signal, give it everything you got," Kang Oh said. "Understood." Kang Oh, Rohan, and Viper took the Bone Golem head-on while Helena, Bart, and Dambi remained a certain distance away from it. A sense of anxiety washed over the battlefield. * * * Green smoke came out of the two Bone Dragons'' mouths. "Dragon Breath!" "Hide!" The team quickly hid behind pirs or piles of undead bodies. Eder hid within a hole in the ground, and held the square shield over his head. Spurt! Poison Breath of Resentment! The green smoke swept through everything in sight. "Uaahk!" "Kyahk!" Not everyone could dodge the dragons'' breath. Five of them melted away immediately. Thud. A Bone Dragon strode forward. It swung its tail, smashing through a heap of undead bodies. "Ahk!" A team member, who''d just barely survived the breath by hiding behind the pile, was flung into the air by its tail. Then, the other Bone Dragon rushed over and head-butted her. Whack. She quickly fell to the floor, unable to move her body any longer. "Healing! I need healing!" Plum popped out of the pir and yelled. The poisonous mist still remained, so the team''s HP was quickly going down. Yericka swung her staff. Primitive Vitality! Rapid Growth! Nature''s Blessing! With her actions and her actions alone, she managed to keep her teammates'' HP from dropping any further. "Detoxification! Scatter! If you''re going to die, then at least buy some more time before you go!" Though her HP was rather low, she keptmanding her team. Honorable One''s Command! A ring of light appeared behind her. "C''mon, you lizard!" Eder stood in front. He was undead, so he didn''t take much damage from the poison mist. "Kill me first!" "You stupid lizard!" His teammates bravely stood before the Bone Dragon, but they didn''tst long. After all, one Bone Dragon was hard enough, but two? They were way too strong! The yers were quickly being killed. Plum looked over in Kang Oh''s direction. Kang Oh and their elites were still fighting Eclipse. ''Please hurry!'' Do something! * * * ''4, 3, 2, 1!'' Ready. Kang Oh rushed at the Bone Golem''s sword. "Embrace death!" Eclipse said. It''d regained its confidence with the appearance of the Bone Dragons. At the same time, it swung its de at Kang Oh. Then... "Now!" Kang Oh yelled. He''d drawn its attention on purpose. The moment it attacked was when its defense was weakest. Helena, Bart, Rohan, Viper, and Dambi moved simultaneously. Whizz. The Wind Tracker, Dambi, was the first to unleash her most powerful attack. Arrow Hell! Her arrow violently shook in the air, and divided into two. That wasn''t the end of it. Two became four, four became eight, and so on. Hundreds of arrows came flying at the Bone Golem! Then, Rohan leapt high into the air and threw a punch. "Meteor Fist!" Whoosh. A vibrant sphere of light flew from his fist. It was as though a meteor was falling upon the Bone Golem! Bam! Meteor Fist struck the Bone Golem. After that, Viper, who''d exited the shadows, swung his two daggers relentlessly. Harbinger of Death! Wherever he shed, shards of ck light would burst out. He continuouslynded critical hit after critical hit that ignored the Bone Golem''s defenses! All that was left was... Bart, Helena, and Kang Oh! The three Numbers unleashed their most powerful attacks. Chapter 233. The Lich Falls

Chapter 233. The Lich Falls

Trantor: Boko Bart, known as the Genius Gamer and the Crazy Highschooler, possessed the Creator ss. A Creator could learn other sses'' spells/skills, as long as they met certain conditions. Of course, a Creator couldn''t gain proficiency in these skills/spells; in exchange, they could freely mix and match these abilities to create something new. A talented Creator could go even further, and fuse three or four skills/spells together. At the moment, Bart could fuse a maximum of three abilities together. "Hoo!" Bart extended his hands. This was his most powerful attack, one created by selecting three abilities from countless others and fusing them together. He fused Light of Judgment, Darkness Wave, and Chi Torpedo to create... Chaos Sphere! Whoosh. He unleashed an orb of light and darkness from his hand. The slightest touch would cause the unstable mixture of opposing elements to explode. Boom! Their ears rang from the noise! Kang Oh believed it to be thergest and loudest explosion he''d seen thus far. The power was no joke either. A portion of the Bone Golem''s body had been destroyed, revealing Eclipse''s emaciated form underneath. "Guaaahk!" Eclipse wailed. Then, Numbers rank 4, the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, took center stage. She was just a in old mage. Most mages focused on a single element. For example, Grano specialized in water magic. Studying magic holistically was almost impossible, as it was divided into so many different categories. Thus, most mages had no choice but to specialize. However, Helena''s goal was to master all types of magic. She didn''t have a ''primary'' element. Her finisher was simple; she would cast every elemental spell at her disposal while Overload was active. Torrent! Ice Fang! Crumbling Earth! Monster Bird''s Wind! Ignite! She fired five separate elemental spells one after the other; however, it was as if these spells were cast by five different mages that specialized in each element. Bam, bam, bam! The Bone Golem copsed, and Eclipse was swept away by her spells. "Guaaaaaahk! I... won''t die!" Eclipse was shrouded in a ck barrier. Shield that Defies Death! Eclipse had cast its final defensive spell. "Showtime." Thest batter, Kang Oh, came up to bat. [It''s showtime.] [For 10 seconds, all skills, magic, and item effects double in power.] Kang Oh swung Ubist diagonally. Tempest Tiger! A tiger-shaped golden aura rammed into Eclipse''s barrier. Boom! The shield bent, but it didn''t break. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He pointed his sword right at Eclipse. Lightning Breath! Crackle! Mighty lightning, which burned everything in its path, flew straight at Eclipse. Boom! Upon contact, hundreds of sparks bounced off the barrier, spreading outwards. In the midst of all the sparks and electricity, there was definitely a... Crack! The barrier was definitely breaking. Kang Oh raised his demon sword and swung downwards. Transcendent de! And... Evesting Darkness! When he fought the Wyvern King, Draka, Kang Oh hadbined the skill, Tempest Tiger, with the item effect, Evesting Darkness, to great effect. This time, he chose to use his most powerful skill, Transcendent de, in tandem with Evesting Darkness. Whoosh! Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a massive amount of darkness, which violently spun and crashed into Eclipse''s barrier. Boom! Using Transcendent de in tandem with Evesting Darkness didn''t seem to make much of a difference. But there was definitely a difference. It was its power! Evesting Darkness''s power had transcended its limitations. As a result, its power had proven fatal to Eclipse! The barrier disappeared instantly. As if engulfing Eclipse wasn''t enough, the massive stpletely destroyed the wall behind him. It was like a ck hole had swallowed everything in its path. * * * [You are the first to defeat the Ruler of Andura Temple and the Immortal Monarch, Lich Eclipse.] [As a reward, Eclipse will drop its highest rank items.] [You have aplished a great feat.] [Fame andbat-rted side stats have increased.] [Proficiency in all skills/magic has increased.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have stolen stats from the raid boss.] [All stats +1] [The Lich, Eclipse, will respawn in 100 days.] The mes in the Bone Dragons'' eyes went out. At the same time, the Bone Dragons crumbled into pieces. "Haa, haa." "Huh?" The hunting team looked at each other in disbelief. "D-Did we win?" "Am I dreaming? Hey, can someone pinch my cheek... Hey! That hurts!" "We won!" "Yeah, we won!" The team danced around and joyfully cheered. They were really going at it. "Unni!" Plum came running over and hugged Helena. Helena was smiling, despite how exhausted she looked. "Uwaaaaah!" Rohan raised both of his hands and roared. "Haa, we really won." Viper still couldn''t believe it. "It was fun," Bart smiled and said, directing it at Kang Oh. "Indeed." Kang Oh grinned. "Mr. Kang Oh." Eder came over sporting a joyous expression. Though he looked happy, his body was in terrible shape. He was lucky to have survived his battle with the Bone Dragons. "Good work." "Hehe, it was worth it." Eder grinned. His eyes werepletely focused on Lich Eclipse''s corpse. "That''s true." Kang Oh nodded his head. From the beginning, he''d done this all so that Eder could possess a new body. ''I wonder how much stronger he''ll be.'' Eder in a Lich''s body. He was excited to see what he''d do in it. "Guildmaster!" "Unni!" The surviving yers gathered around Helena. Even Yericka hadn''t been able to avoid death, so there were only ten of them left. The team had almost been annihted by the Bone Dragons. "Good work everyone. Let''s collect all of the loot now," Kang Oh said. "How are we dividing it up?" Helena asked. "Some of our teammates have died, so let''s collect the loot and bring it to the Witch''s Forest''s headquarters." "Alright." "Now then, let''s take everything here." Kang Oh grinned. A short whileter... Eder collected Eclipse''s corpse. The seven items it''d left behind were ced in Helena''s inventory. The Bone Dragons dropped items too; the S-rank material, Dragon Bone. "There''s a hidden room over here." Kang Oh found a room on the side with his Hyper Intuition. "Wow!" The team couldn''t contain their astonishment. Gold coins and bars, as well as precious magical/non-magical materials were piled up inside. As expected, the best part of a dungeon was its treasure! Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. "Oh my!" Helena''s eyes gleamed. There was a bookshelf on the wall, which contained several books. She took every single one of them with her. The Blue Knight, Plum, collected all of the magical/non-magical materials, as well as the money. "I''ll see you at guild headquarters." Plum ripped a return scroll. Once she disappeared, the others followed suit. Whoosh. Wind blew from the crumbled wall. They''d cleaned the room out so thoroughly that even dust didn''t blow in the wind. * * * The Witch''s Forest''s headquarters. The hunting team''s 26 members gathered here. Most of the Witch''s Forest''s guild members came here to watch the exchange too. Once the time was right, they began to pass out the loot. "Hello, we''ll begin dividing up the loot," Plum said. "Ok!" "Alright!" The team members eximed. "10,000 gold came out of Eclipse''s secret room. Our guild would like to buy the materials and then divvy up the gold. How does that sound?" Plum said. "In favor." "Sounds good." "I''m ok with that." The Witch''s Forest obviously didn''t have any problems with that, and neither did Kang Oh or Bart''s party. "ording to my calctions, the materials are worth about 10,000 gold. I''ve based this on the list of materials and their market price, so please take a look." Kang Oh took a close look at the paper Plum handed him. There was nothing wrong with the list. "We have 20,000 gold in total. We''ll auction off the items that Eclipse dropped, as well as the Dragon Bone. After that, we''ll divvy up the gold based on your share." "What do we do if no one wants the items?" Viper asked. "We''ll sell them at the auction house and distribute the moneyter." "Mm." "We''ll have the auction an hour from now. We''ve left the items in our gallery, so please take a look at them beforehand. And just so you know, anyone can take part in the auction. If you''re going to call a friend, then please keep it to three people maximum." With this, Plum was finished with her exnation. People began to file out one or two at a time to inspect the items. Kang Oh waited for them to leave and met with Asu. "Hehe, good job." Asu beamed. Her smile made his exhaustion fade away. "I didn''t do much." Kang Oh smiled back. "Who is this? Is she who I think she is..." Eder interrupted them. "Yep." Kang Oh looked at him triumphantly. ''Sup, you bachelor!'' "Is she your little sister?" Eder asked, his eyespletely nk. "Huh? Can''t you tell? She''s my girlfriend," Kang Oh said. "Pfft." Ederughed. "Why are youughing?" "That''s the funniest thing I''ve heardtely." Eder looked like he wanted to escape reality. "Could you introduce yourself?" Kang Oh tightly grabbed her hand. "Um, I''m Oppa''s girlfriend, Asu. You''re Mr. Eder, right?" Asu slightly bowed her head. "Really?" "Really." "That''s impossible! To think that someone as horrible as you can have a girlfriend. Something''s gone wrong here." Eder looked at him inplete disbelief. "Something''s gone wrong!" ''Oh, god! Even Kang Oh of all people has a girlfriend, so why am I still single!?'' Eder, who''d been a bachelor his entire life, screamed. * * * The auction started. The first item up for grabs was a book called Immortal. This item started a quest that allowed you to be a Lich. Helena was a book collector, so she bought the item. Next up was... ''Huh? What is this?'' Kang Oh went pop-eyed. He couldn''t believe what was happening. The mage''s robes, shoes, and gloves were part of the Immortal Monarch''s armor set, which increased the power of necromancy by one whole rank! Equipping the Sun Ring and the Moon Ring together increased the power of one''s magic, and also decreased the amount of MP consumed. They were treasures among treasures. They were items that any mage would want to have! The best item here, however, was the SS-rank weapon, the ''Immortal Monarch, Eclipse''s Scythe''. However, all of these items had been sold to one person, no, to one undead. Eder had bought them all! He even bought the Dragon Bone and had paid for all the equipment up front. Kang Oh couldn''t help but gape at his reckless spending. "Eder!" "What is it?" "Where did you get all that money?" "I earned it." "What?" "I made it by working with Mr. Man Bok." While Kang Oh was training for Vn''s trial, which involved him going through every battlefield and hunting ground he could find, Eder had been traveling across the continent and doing business with Man Bok. He used the information that only he had to make a fortune. "How... exactly?" "That''s a secret. Anyhow, you don''t need to pay me a wage anymore. Who cares about 3 gold?" Eder grinned. "Ah, hey Eder. No, I mean, Mr. Eder!" Kang Oh suddenly became polite! Chapter 234. The Road to Despia

Chapter 234. The Road to Despia

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh clung to Eder and kept asking him how he made all that money. "It''s a secret..." "Oh, c''mon. We''re friends, aren''t we?" "Hmph. You know that I was once a legendary healer, right?" The abused Eder. That was nothing but the past now. He was such an exceptional healer that he was once called the ''Healer that Overcame Death Itself!''. "Indeed." Kang Oh quickly nodded his head. "I know how to make various medicines," Eder said. "So?" "Mr. Man Bok and I sold medicine together." "Did you make a lot of money?'' "I made plenty." Eder was filthy rich! It felt like he was looking at a friend who''d won the lottery. ''Ah, I''m so jealous!'' Ultimately, the auction raised 22,500 gold! Adding the 10,000 gold from the secret room, as well as another 10,000 gold from the Witch''s Forest, made the totale out to 42,500 gold. "Then, as promised, 70% goes to the Witch''s Forest, 20% goes to Bart''s party, and 10% goes to Mr. Kang Oh." Kang Oh received 4,250 gold, while Bart received 8,500. "We''re done divvying up the loot!" Sporting a lighthearted expression, she continued, "Ah, we''ve prepared a celebratory party. Please have some fun before you go." "Oooh!" "A party!" Rohan, Bart, and Eder cheered. The Witch''s Forest only consisted of women. To think they''d be able to enjoy a party with them. What a joyous asion! Kang Oh was happy too. After all, he''d be able to celebrate with Asu. "I''ll take you to the party grounds!" The central hall was already prepped for the party. Food and snacks were the table, as well as unique alcohol and drinks, which could only be enjoyed in Arth. Bards were performing on the stage, singing merry tunes. The Witch''s Forest members were dressed immactely, and came with one or two of their friends. Kang Oh stayed with Asu everywhere he went. He danced with her, drank with her, and tasted/judged the food with her too. They also had fun speaking with Chef Lee Soo Min, who joined halfway through the celebrations. Eder, irritated that Kang Oh had a girlfriend while he didn''t, was determined to get himself a girlfriend and looked around resolutely. Meanwhile, Bart was surrounded by women. It was because of his cute face, as well as his poprity as one of the Numbers. Helena was nowhere to be found. ording to Asu, she almost never showed up at parties. The members of the Eclipse hunting party partied like there was no tomorrow. * * * "Mr. Kang Oh, please don''te looking for me for a while," Eder said. "You''re going to remodel Eclipse''s body?" "Yes. I''m pretty rich now, so I''m going to really give it my all." Eder looked excited, as if he were a child who''d just gotten his hands on a new toy. "Eclipse is a level 400 Lich. I can look forward to it, right?'' "Of course." "Mm, then I''ll be looking for a way to get to Despia. When you''re done remodeling Eclipse''s body, let me know." "I''ll do that. Take care." Kang Oh exited Eder''s house and messaged Sephiro. - Mr. Sephiro. However, he didn''t get a reply back. It seemed like he was incredibly busy with that hidden ss quest of his. ''I hoped to get some information from his information brokers, but... I guess it can''t be helped.'' Kang Oh started walking. * * * Despia. It''s said that you could reach it by going straight west. A few yers had actually tried that, and had gone to the western edge of the continent, but they weren''t able to find Despia there. All they found at the end was a steep cliff and darkness of an unknown depth! People called this area the Dark Sea. One yer thought that crossing the Dark Sea was the way into Despia. Another yer believed that the road to Despia existed somewhere in the Starving Desert. Someone even suggested that Despia didn''t even exist! It was impossible to tell who was right. After all, no yer had ever gone to Despia before! Thus, he needed to gather some information on Despia. "Tino!" Kang Oh, who''de to the Jurento Bar, shook the slumped over old man. "Mm? Yawn." Tinozily stood up and yawned. "I have a question." "Mm, let me wake up first..." Tino rubbed his red nose and studied Kang Oh''s face. "Please bring over some really strong liquor." "Hehe, thanks." "I want to go to Despia. Do you know anything about it?" "Despia, huh... It''s called the Land that Borders Hell. Do you know why it''s called that?" "Why?" "It''s an underworld. That''s why it''s said to border hell." "How do you get there?" "Death exists within the time of a time-eating entity," Tino said. ''Death exists within the time of a time-eating entity... What does that even mean?" Kang Oh couldn''t help but furrow his brow. "It, along with other rumors, are always said about Despia." "Hmm. What about info regarding the Goddess of Death, Deborah? Info on her temple is fine too," Kang Oh said. Tino pulled the cork off and began drinking directly from the bottle. "Kyaa, that hits the spot!" "Do you know anything about Deborah?" "Pay me first." "Here." Kang Oh passed him 10 gold. "At the beginning, there were four gods in existence. Creation and destruction, and life and death. Those four gods created Arth, and conceived the other gods that followed." "Please keep going." "The Goddess of Death is one of the first four gods. She''s also the mother of countless other gods, like the Goddess of Contracts, Sabra." He recalled reading about the genesis of the world before. "I remember reading that the first gods created their own personal sanctuaries... Is Despia Deborah''s sanctuary?" "I''m not entirely sure. Some say yes, while others say that only a part of Despia is her sanctuary." "Does Deborah need something for you to enter Despia... Hmm, I have one more question. I heard that the ck Hammer Dwarves ran away from the ck Dragon, Inarius, and hid in Despia." The ck Hammer Dwarves, which were purportedly hiding in Despia! If he traced their steps, then maybe he''d be able to find Despia. "I don''t know much about them," Tino said, and began guzzling the bottle. "Do you have any other noteworthy information?" "No." "Alright then. Keep up the good work." "Take care." * * * Kang Oh went to the Adventurer Guild next. He approached Jayce, the man with a scar over his eye, and took off his mask. "Oh, it''s you! Wee," Jayce said. "Hoo, hoo. Mr. Jayce. Do you recognize the leather armor I''m wearing?" "Mm. Let''s see here... This looks like wyvern skin. It''s red and ck, which means... You didn''t?" "I did." "Oooh!" Jayce''s face was filled with astonishment and awe. "Do you want me to fill you in?" "Of course. Follow me." Kang Oh followed Jayce upstairs. "I have a room now." Jayce weed him into his office. "Sit down and rx." The room was small, but it was quiet. Jayce immediately brewed some tea and gave Kang Oh a cup. "Alright. About that wyvern, was it a unique boss?" "Yes, it was a unique boss." "Ooh, tell me all the details," Jayce urged. Kang Oh grinned and began telling the story of his battle against the Wyvern King, Draka. "To think that there''s a wyvern capable of controlling the weather. It''s the very definition of mysterious," Jayce said. "It''s more formidable than mysterious." "Mm, if it''s ok with you, can I take a closer look at your armor?" "Of course." Kang Oh passed him the Draka set. "Hoh. Oh." After carefully inspecting the armor, Jayce returned it to Kang Oh. "Thanks!" [Closeness with Jayce has increased.] [You may now receive more adventuring quests from him.] ''My turn now.'' "Do you know anything about Despia?" Kang Oh asked. "All I know is that it''s called the Land that Borders Hell." "You don''t know how to get there, I assume?" "No." "Do you know anything in particr regarding the Goddess of Death, Deborah?" Kang Oh kept asking question after question. Jayce shook his head. "What about the ck Hammer Dwarves, which escaped the ck Dragon, Inarius, and hid in Despia?" "Huh?" Jayce looked shocked. "What is it?" "How do you know about the ck Hammer Dwarves?" "I heard about them. To my knowledge, they escaped Inarius and hid in Despia." "Mm, so they chose to hide in Despia?" "Yes." "Hmm." Jayce furrowed his brow. "It sounds like you know something..." Kang Oh''s eyes and actions were screaming ''Please tell me what you know.''. "Don''t spread what I''m about to tell you." "My lips are sealed." "The Adventurer Guild helped the ck Hammer Dwarves escape from Inarius''s grasp. That wicked dragon can never learn of this!" Jayce said. Kang Oh gestured that his lips were sealed. Then, Jayce continued quietly, "We moved them from the northern end to the southern end of the continent." "The southern end?" "The Great Forest. I heard a certain tribe moved them againter on." [You have acquired a solid clue that points to the whereabouts of the ck Hammer Dwarves.] [If you acquire more clues, then you will receive a quest.] "Do you know which tribe moved them?" "I don''t." "Mm. Thank you very much for the info." "Are you going to try and find them?" "Yes, I have something to ask them." "Good luck." "Yes, sir!" Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild and headed for the intercity transfer gate. * * * Kang Oh came to Nuwak Vige, where the people traditionally wore bird feather cloaks and drew a third eye on their foreheads. Due to his role in killing the Snake Queen, Cassio, Kang Oh had maxed out his friendship with the Nuwak Tribe. "Mr. Kang Oh, it''s been a long time." "Please,e in and make yourself at home." Kang Oh thanked them for their warm wee and entered the vige. Then, he immediately met with the Nuwak Chieftain, Sh. The hale and hearty Sh, who''s rumored to have lived more than 100 years, greeted him. "It''s been a while." "Yes, it has. Have you been well?" "I haven''t." "Why is that?" "Wukong is tearing up the Great Forest." Wukong was the mythical creature that Kang Oh had found at the Stone Monkey Hideout. The Empire Guild was thest of the 5 great guilds to attempt the Wukong raid. However, they too had failed, allowing Wukong to wreak havoc on the Great Forest. "I see." "Do you want to try and take him down?" Sh asked. "I can''t right now. I may be able to in the future, after I''ve be stronger." "Ugh. Is that so? Anyhow, what did youe here for today?" "Do you know about the ck Hammer Dwarves?" Kang Oh asked. Sh''s eyes slightly shook. ''As expected of the most well-informed man in the Great Forest. He knows something!'' "No, I don''t." However, Sh acted like he didn''t know them. "Are you really going to be like that? Aren''t we close?" "I said I don''t know them." "I''m not trying to hurt them. Inarius hasn''t ordered me to capture them either. I heard that they''re hiding in Despia; I have some business in Despia myself. By tracking their whereabouts, I hoped to find out how to get into Despia too," Kang Oh said. "Mm." "And I''ll keep the information to myself," Kang Oh said, and closed his mouth in a thin line. "Find Krohn. His father helped bring the dwarves somece else, so..." Not only was Krohn the Nuwak Tribe''s greatest warrior, but Kang Oh had fought alongside him against the Snake Queen, Cassio, before. "Can''t I just speak to Krohn''s father in person?" "He''s dead." "Understood." Kang Oh immediately headed for Krohn''s house. Chapter 235. Lalka’s Ziggurat

Chapter 235. Lalka''s Ziggurat

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh visited Krohn. He was garbed in traditional Nuwak attire, with two daggers hanging at his waist. "It''s been a while, Mr. Kang Oh," Krohn said. "Yes, it has. Have you been well?" After briefly greeting each other, Krohn brought out some tea. "What brings you here today?" Krohn asked. "I''m tracking the ck Hammer Dwarves'' whereabouts. Chieftain Sh told me that your father helped them in the past," Kang Oh said. "That''s supposed to be a secret... Chieftain Sh actually told you that?" Krohn stared at him suspiciously. "I''ll keep it a secret so that neither the Nuwak nor the ck Hammer Dwarves get hurt. I''m just trying to find out how they got into Despia," Kang Oh said honestly. His closeness with Krohn was quite high, so he immediately believed him. "I see. Certainly... my father did help them." "Do you happen to know where the dwarves went?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t. But... I know someone who helped my father back then." "Please introduce him to me." "His name is Honadan. He''s an old friend of my father''s, and currently lives in the west." "The west?" "Yes. The Sand Tribe lives near the western desert. You should be able to find Mr. Honadan there." ''The western desert... He must be referring to the Starving Desert. But I''ve never heard of the Sand Tribe before.'' For several months, Kang Oh had worked as a mercenary in the west. However, this was the first time he''d ever heard of the Sand Tribe. It must be one of the countless small tribes that live there. "Please write me a letter of introduction." "Understood." A short whileter... Kang Oh left Krohn''s house with the letter of introduction. ''Honadan. Honadan, huh...'' Does he really know where Despia is? * * * Finding the Sand Tribe wasn''t difficult. He asked the Mercenary Association about them, and they immediately pointed out where their vige was located. The Sand Tribe lived around an oasis, which was located at the entrance to the Starving Desert. "Wee." "Pleasee in." Kang Oh was given a warm wee by the Sand Tribe. Most of the western tribes were unsociable, but Kang Oh was an exception. It was because of his fame and reputation as the Hero of Kasten! "Wee, Hero of Kasten. I am the Chieftain of the Sand Tribe, Ugrim." The Chieftain, Ugrim, was an old man wearing white, loose clothing. He didn''t look much different from a human being. However, he and the rest of the Sand Tribe were capable of transforming into sand. "Thank you for the warm wee." Kang Oh bowed his head. "You''vee a long way. What did you need?" "I''d like to meet Mr. Honadan." "Mm." Chieftain Ugrim grimaced, adding more wrinkles to his already wrinkled face. "What''s wrong?" "Honadan has gone missing." "Pardon me?" Kang Oh widened his eyes. ''What are you talking about all of the sudden!?'' "He is..." Ugrim began exining the circumstances of his disappearance. Honadan was originally from the Great Forest, but moved here after marrying a woman from the Sand Tribe. The pair were eventually blessed with a child too. However, his daughter caught an unknown disease, and Honadan tried everything in his power to heal her. "But nothing worked," Ugrim continued, sporting a bitter expression. Once his daughter''s condition worsened, Honadan headed for ''Lalka''s Ziggurat''. It was said that its purifying water was a cure-all. Of course, the ce was so dangerous that no one returned alive. Nevertheless, Honadan was willing to risk his life to procure the purifying water. "And he hasn''t returned yet," Ugrim said, finished with his exnation. ''Lalka''s Ziggurat. It, along with the Bernice Canyon and Mt. Verastan, are considered the most dangerous ces in the west.'' Kang Oh had some information on it, but nothing in detail. It was teeming with monsters over level 300, and there were traps there that were even more dangerous than the monsters themselves! "How long has it been since he''s left?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s been three months already." "Hmm." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ''Three months, huh...'' How likely was it that Honadan was still alive? And what were the chances that he could be brought back safely? It seemed extremely unlikely. ''Phew, now where do I get my information?'' Kang Oh was at his wit''s end. Then... A woman entered the chieftain''s home and kneeled on the floor. "Please save him!" Her face was the epitome of ''sincerity''. "That''s Honadan''s wife," Ugrim said. "Please, Hero of Kasten!" she yelled earnestly. "I need to meet him, so I''d like to help out, but... It''s unlikely he''s still alive," Kang Oh said. Then, Honadan''s wife pulled out amp and held it up with both hands. It was a ssmp with a lotus-shaped support. A weak fire burned from within. "This is called a ''Life Lamp''. It only burns when someone is alive. He''s still alive," she said, and a quest popped up. [Save Honadan] Rescue Honadan, who is located somewhere within Lalka''s Ziggurat. You must hurry. He may die at any time... Difficulty: Extremely difficult. Minimum Requirements: High reputation and fame. Reward: Honadan''s information. Failure: Reduced reputation and fame. ''The fact that I''ve gotten a quest means that there''s still a chance for him!'' Kang Oh steeled himself. "I''ll save him." [You have epted the quest, Save Honadan.] "Aah, thank you!" Honadan''s wife said tearfully. "Thanks!" Ugrim bowed his head. Kang Oh stood up immediately. "There''s no time. I need to leave immediately." "Do you know where Lalka''s Ziggurat is?" "Yes." "Please take this Life Lamp with you. The me will lead you to him." Honadan''s wife passed him themp. "Understood." Kang Oh epted it. "Please bring him back safely." "I''ll do my best." Kang Oh blew his whistle, summoning a ck horse. Then, he got on top of it and forcefully pulled on the reins. "Go as fast as you can!" Neigh! His horse dashed forward, piercing through the wind. * * * A ziggurat. It was arge, square-shaped tower created by the ancient Mesopotamian civilization. Lalka''s Ziggurat was no exception. It too was arge, square-shaped tower. However, the building itself was constructed underground, so only the upper portion was visible. Thus, he couldn''t tell howrge the building actually was. ''I''ll get a feeling of how big it is once I go in.'' Kang Oh entered Lalka''s Ziggurat. [You have entered the dungeon, Lalka''s Ziggurat.] He was greeted by the sight of yellow and gray walls, as well as a dark, humid, quadrteral passageway. Plus... ''Traps!'' Kang Oh immediately threw his body out of the way. Roar! A pir of fire arose from his previous location. But that wasn''t all. Liquid fell from the ceiling as well. ''Oil!'' Kang Oh ran forward as fast as he could. Roar! The zing fire filled the passageway and chased after Kang Oh. He quickly turned a corner, avoiding the mes. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. ''What a warm wee.'' This was nothing but a taste of what''s toe. Many more traps awaited him, all of which would prove several times more dangerous than the ones he''d just encountered. Even so, he couldn''t afford to take his time and carefully explore the ziggurat in fear of the traps. ''I have to advance as fast as possible, even if it means I get caught in a few of the traps.'' Kang Oh pulled out the Life Lamp from his inventory. A weak me. That meant that Honadan wasn''t in good condition! He had to find him ASAP, before the mes went outpletely. The me pointed in a certain direction, and Kang Oh followed. Obviously, he was caught in several traps along the way. Swoosh! Arrows shot out from the walls, and spears rose from the ground. ''Full speed ahead!'' With the help of his Hyper Intuition and his high evasion, he just barely avoided the arrows and spears and made his way forward. Rumble. Now, the ceiling began to fall. "Tch." Kang Oh quickly slid forward and he heard a ''thud'' behind him! The path was closed off by the fallen ceiling. ''This way.'' Kang Oh was faced with a forked road, but followed themp''s directions. Tap. Once his foot touched the ground, the ground began to crumble. "Tch!" Kang Oh forcefully jumped, and made it out alive. "Hoo, hoo." He didn''t stop. Rather than disarm the traps, he continuously set them off and pushed through, following the direction of the me. The only direction he knew was forward! * * * He obviously faced some monsters along the way too. An angry blowfish looking monster came rushing at him. It had a round body, and rakes on its hands and feet. An exploding monster, Meat Bomb! It was a grenade without its safety pin. Rather than swing his sword, Kang Oh just threw the iing Meat Bomb away. That''s what you do with a grenade after all! The Meat Bomb''s body turned red midair and then exploded! Spikes the size of his forearm went flying everywhere. Kang Oh swung Blood and deflected any iing spikes. By doing so, he dealt with the Meat Bomb without taking much damage. However... One of the Meat Bomb''s spikes had hit the ceiling, springing a trap. Thud! The ceiling opened up, dropping a massive round boulder that filled the passageway. It began to chase him as if it were locked onto him. "Damn it!" Kang Oh ran like crazy. A short whileter... "Haa, haa." Kang Oh, who''d somehow avoided the boulder, caught his breath. Rat-a-tat-tat. However, monsters were quickly approaching him from afar. They were giant, one-eyed monster scorpions, otherwise known as Creepers! They were about level 300. However, they came in a group of more than ten. "I don''t have time for this!" Kang Oh extended Blood. Lightning Breath! The powerful lightning st filled the passageway, sweeping through any scorpion in its way. Crackle! The Creepers got a proper taste of lightning. It was too much for them, so they couldn''t move. Kang Oh pushed through them and swung his sword. ''Here, here, here, and here!'' Guided by his Hyper Intuition, he urately struck all of their weak points. Bam, bam, bam! Red shards of light flew through the air, and Blood greedily absorbed them. Kang Oh attacked a few more times. Then, when fifteen red stars manifested on his de, he released a blood red explosion. Blood Bomb! Boom! Those affected by the Blood Bomb could move no longer. Kang Oh finished off the remaining Creepers and then checked the Light Lamp. ''This way.'' He followed the direction that the me was pointing towards. * * * ''Mm?'' Kang Oh, who''d been running at top speed, suddenly stopped. He was at a dead end. However, the Life Lamp was pointing at the wall. Moreover...! His Hyper Intuition had activated, giving him that strange feeling that there was something behind this wall! Kang Oh began patting the wall. ''Is this it?'' One piece of the wall sunk in. Thud! Once he pushed in the stone, a secret passageway opened up. ''I hope Honadan''s at the end of this hidden passageway.'' Kang Oh pushed through the pitch ck darkness. Chapter 236. Honadan

Chapter 236. Honadan

Trantor: Boko The hidden passageway was quite long, and led underground. There were no traps to speak of, and no monsters either. ''Is this a safe zone?'' The only safe location within the ziggurat, which was rife with monsters and traps, was the hidden passageway! But when he reached the end of it, he didn''t see Honadan, or anyone else for that matter. Kang Oh left the hidden passageway and followed the Life Lamp''s me. * * * Kang Oh explored the ziggurat for more than three hours, all the while following the me of the Life Lamp. He couldn''t find Honadan, but he learned a few things. First, Lalka''s Ziggurat was huge, and it was also extremelyplex! Second, there were countless hidden passageways! Third, a variety of monsters lived within it! For example, there were Scratchers, Sandzards, Lalka Lizards, Sand Golems, Sandurions, etc. Scratchers popped out of the walls and attacked him with their sharp ws, while Sandzards were mage-type monsters that cast all sorts of sand magic. Lalka Lizards breathed white fire and Sand Golems boasted extremely high defense. Of these, the most annoying monsters were Trackies. The Wicked Fairy, Tracky! It was garbed in all green and wore a sharp hat; it also had a hooked nose and sharp, pointy ears. Trackies specialized in one thing and one thing only: dangerous pranks! ''Trap field'' was a good way to describe them in this ziggurat; their abilities were truly annoying and dangerous. As we speak... Kiki. A Tracky suddenly showed up, sporting a nasty expression, and began spinning its index fingers. Then, arrows shot out from a hole in the ceiling, and poisonous gas seeped out of the cracks in the walls. Kang Oh rolled on the floor to avoid the arrows, and ran forward to avoid the poisonous gas. Kikiki! The Tracky kept moving its index fingers around. A boulder came rolling towards him from afar, and a pir of me arose in front of him. Kang Oh threw a Darkness Chain at the Tracky. He nned on grabbing a hold of it and forcing it to stop. However, the Tracky moved too quickly, allowing it to dodge the chains. He then drew two daggers, one in each hand, and threw them consecutively. Swoosh! Swoosh! The two spinning daggers flew towards it. However, the Tracky leapt up and avoided the daggers too. Meanwhile, the boulder was rolling towards him, getting ever so closer to ttening him. "Tch." Kang Oh transformed into the Jet-ck Demon and used Abyss Transfer. The darkness that lingered around him engulfed his body. Rumble. The boulder swept through the passageway, and Kang Oh reappeared right next to the Tracky. Kii? The Tracky''s eyes widened. It forcefully waved his index fingers. However, Kang Oh was faster. sh! Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through the center of its body. He didn''t stop there. Abyss w! The ck aura wed through the Tracky. "Die!" Kang Oh attacked it again and again, but it didn''t take long before it was dead. ''Hoo, annoying bastard.'' Kang Oh began moving again. * * * ''Huh?'' Kang Oh suddenly stopped. Then, he focused on his hearing. It felt like he''d heard something just now. "Ugh." He could faintly hear someone''s groans. ''That way!'' Kang Oh followed the source of the sound. The Life Lamp''s me also pointed in that direction. A short whileter... Kang Oh had found someone. The middle-aged man''s shoulder had been pierced through by one of the wall''s spears! There was also a one-eyed scorpion, or Creeper,ing towards him from afar! ''That guy is...!'' Kang Oh had a hunch that this was Honadan. ''I have to save him!'' He immediately stretched out his hand. Whoosh! Darkness Chain wrapped around the Creeper''s body. Kang Oh immediately pulled on the chain, dragging the Creeper towards him and away from Honadan. Swoosh! The scorpion swung its pincer at him. Kang Oh deflected it with Blood, and immediately counterattacked. Whack! As expected, a Creeper''s carapace was tough. But that was all it was. By striking at the same area repeatedly, Kang Oh was able to kill it without much difficulty. Once he''d finished it off, Kang Oh immediately approached the middle-aged man. "Please drink this." Kang Oh pulled off a health potion from his belt and poured its contents into the man''s mouth. Gulp. As soon as he drank the potion, the man''splexion brightened significantly. "This will hurt a bit." Kang Oh pulled the middle-aged man as hard as he could. "Ugh!" The man''s face contorted significantly. Removing the spear that was lodged in his shoulder must''ve hurt tremendously. "Haa, haa." The man breathed haggardly. "Are you alright, Honadan?" "Haa, haa. I''m alright. But... who are you?" Honadan asked, pressing down on his shoulder wound. "I came to rescue you at your wife''s request." "Mm." "Let''s go home." Kang Oh smiled. He was really happy that Honadan was alive. "I can''t do that." Honadan shook his head. "Why not?" "I need to find the purifying water! I have to find it no matter what!" he said unwaveringly. "You''ll die at this rate." "I can''t die until my daughter''s cured!" Hodan said desperately. Kang Oh thought the matter over. He couldn''t afford to leave him here, not when he had such important information. Kang Oh had to get him out of the ziggurat and take him somece safe. ''The only way to convince him is... Ah!'' "I know a way to cure your daughter''s disease without the purifying water." "What?" "I know the greatest healer in thend. If we get his help, then we''ll be able to cure your daughter''s disease." Kang Oh thought of Eder. He was once the Legendary Healer. Because he wasn''t in his original body, he couldn''t heal people right now, but his medical knowledge hadn''t gone anywhere. With that knowledge, they should be able to cure his daughter''s condition. "Really?" "There''s a chance that he can''t cure your daughter''s condition." Honadan furrowed his brow at that. "But if he can''t, then I''lle back here myself and find you the purifying water," Kang Oh added. "Mm." "Think about what''s truly best for your daughter." "Hoo. I''ll do you as you say." Ultimately, Kang Oh was able to convince him. "A wise decision. Let''s return to the Sand Vige," Kang Oh said. Honadan nodded his head. Kang Oh had sessfully rescued Honadan. * * * "Aah, honey!" "I''m back." Honadan and his wife embraced each other. "Dad!" A cute, sickly girl saw Honadan and got teary-eyed. "My little girl!" Honadan carefully hugged his daughter, making sure not to hurt her. "Thank you so much, thank you so much! I can''t thank you enough!" Honadan''s wife bowed at Kang Oh. [You havepleted the quest, Save Honadan.] "I just did my job," Kang Oh said. "Hurry and bring that healer over here," Honadan urged, pulling away from his daughter''s embrace. "Understood." Kang Oh left Honadan''s home and called Eder. "Summon Eder!" "Huh?" A pale-faced Eder, who was wearing ab coat, appeared. "Ah, Mr. Kang Oh. Why did you call me out of the blue?" Eder furrowed his brow. "It''s urgent," Kang Oh said, sporting a serious expression. "Haa, what is it?" "I need you to treat someone." "Treat someone?" "Yeah." Kang Oh briefly exined Honadan and his daughter''s circumstances. "As you know, I cannot make an urate diagnosis because I''m not in my original body. I obviously can''t heal her either," Eder said. "But you can still make her medicine. You said you were selling medicine with Mr. Man Bok." Kang Oh wanted him to use medicine to cure her, not a procedure. ''If it doesn''t work, then... I''ll return to the ziggurat and find the purifying water.'' "Let me take a look first." "Follow me." Kang Oh and Eder entered Honadan''s home. "This is the healer I was telling you about." Kang Oh pointed at Eder. "Ah, please fix my daughter." "Please." Honadan and his wife said earnestly. "Have you ever taken her to a healer before?" Eder asked. "I have." Hodan nodded his head. "What was their diagnosis?" "They didn''t know what illness she had." "Little miss, what''s your name," Eder asked softly. "Sonia," the sickly girl replied. "Sonia, could you give me your hand for a second?" "Ok." Eder carefully looked her over. He also asked Sonia, Honadan, and his wife several questions. How much time had passed? "It''s Mixed Blood Disease," Eder said. As expected of the Legendary Healer! He was able to diagnose a condition that no other healer had been able to in the past. "Mixed Blood Disease?" "What is that?" "It''s a very rare condition that urs in children of mixed blood, so it''s not well-known." Honadan was a human being. His wife, however, wasn''t human, despite how much she looked like one. She was part of the Sand Tribe, so she was capable of changing her body into sand! Sonia was obviously of mixed blood, and had caught the very rare Mixed Blood Disease. "Is it possible to cure?" Honadan asked, his voice quivering. "Mixed Blood Disease cuts the lifespan of the patient due to their parent''s conflicting traits. It can be cured with the proper medicine and healing." Eder smiled. "Really?" Upon hearing that it was curable, Honadan and his wife beamed. "I can give you the medicine, but you''ll have to find another healer to heal her." "You can''t do it, Doctor?" Honadan asked. "No, I have some circumstances that don''t allow me to." "Mm." "When Sonia takes a dose of her medicine, she''ll get a lot better. After that, take her to arge city like Altein and ask a good healer to fix her up." "Thank you." Hodan sped Eder''s hands. "It was nothing." Eder smiled. Kang Oh tapped Eder''s back. He was basically saying, ''You did good!''. * * * After taking the medicine Eder gave her, Sonia''splexion gradually brightened. Honadan and his wife gave him their thanks again and bowed their heads. "By the way, I had something to ask you, Mr. Honadan," Kang Oh said. "Go ahead." "Please read this first." Kang Oh passed him the letter of introduction that Krohn had written. The letter of introduction stated that Kang Oh was trustworthy, and that he was tracing the whereabouts of the ck Hammer Dwarves. "I have to go to Despia no matter what. Me and this person over here." Kang Oh pointed at Eder. Honadan nodded his head and said, "You''re wondering how the ck Hammer Dwarves entered Despia." "Yes." "Death exists within the time-eating entity. Have you heard this before?" Kang Oh nodded his head. The drunkard, Tino, had said that to him. "The time-eating entity is a Death Worm called ''Livi''." Chapter 237. Triple Lower

Chapter 237. Triple Lower

Trantor: Boko The Death Worm, Livi. It was a giant worm that lived within the Starving Desert; a monster that popped out of the ground, eating sand and living beings alike! The worm was more than 10 kilometers long, and its level was impossible to measure! "Something like that exists?" After listening to Honadan''s exnation, Kang Oh looked shocked. The death worms he knew were around level 200 and were over 10 meters long. "It''s probably roaming deep underneath the Starving Desert''s sands." "Mm." A giant worm that was more than 10 kilometers long! It was terrifying even thinking about it! ''It''s more like a cmity than a monster.'' "Sand is representative of flowing time. Did you know that?" Honadan asked. "Is that so?" Kang Oh tilted his head. ''I''ve never heard of that before!'' "Think about an hourss. The falling sand is equivalent to time. Anyhow, Livi, which endlessly eats sand, is the time-eating entity." "I see. Then, ''Death exists within the time-eating entity'' could also mean ''Death exists within Livi.''." "I don''t need to tell you what represents death, do I?" "Despia," Kang Oh immediately answered. Honadan nodded his head. "If that''s the case, then... The way to Despia exists within the Death Worm''s body?" "That''s right." "Mm." "Of course, that''s only what the ck Hammer Dwarves told me. I haven''t seen them ever since they deliberately got eaten by the Death Worm." "What do I have to do to get eaten by it?" Kang Oh asked. "The night of the full moon is when ites out and hunts. If you wait in the middle of the desert, then the Death Worm wille and eat you." "When is the night of the full moon?" "It''s in a week." Kang Oh nced at Eder. "Can you finish remodeling the Lich''s body within a week?" "I think so. I''m putting the finishing touches on it right now." "Alright. Then we''re going to get eaten in a week, on the night of the full moon." "Ok!" * * * "Big Brother, where are you going?" his little sister, Yura, asked. He''d been pulling out andparing his clothes all morning. "I have an afternoon appointment," Jae Woo said, his voice slightly shaking. ''I have to look good no matter what!'' He would be meeting the members of Triple Lower (Soo Ah''s girl group) today. That''s why he was feeling so anxious. Yura nced at the clock. 7:30 A.M. He said it was an afternoon appointment, so she couldn''t understand why he was getting prepared so early in the morning. "This one or this one? Which looks better?" Jae Woo showed her two pieces of clothing, one in each hand. "They''re so-so," Yura said firmly. If Mina had been here, she''d have said something like ''They suck! Get rid of those immediately!''. "Ahem." He''d spent a whole hour picking and had narrowed it down to these two, yet she wasn''t in love with his choices! "Honestly, you have zero fashion sense." "Hey, I don''t have zero..." "Yeah, you do. Give up," Yura dered. "Ahem." "So after Mina wakes up, give her some spending money and get some advice." "I guess that''s a good idea." Mina had a really good fashion sense. Perhaps it was because she''d read more fashion magazines in her life than textbooks. "You''re going to see your girlfriend, aren''t you? Then you need to dress nicely." "I understand." "Then, have fun on your date." Yura returned to her room. Jae Woo followed her advice to the letter. He gave Mina some spending money, and got her to help him from head to toe. "Alright, this should work. Let''s go." Jae Woo satisfyingly looked at himself in the mirror. * * * Jae Woo met Soo Ah, who wore a hat, sunsses, and a mask, all of whichpletely covered her face. "Oppa, shouldn''t you be covering your face?" Soo Ah asked, noticing how nicely dressed he was. "Why?" "You''ve be famous, and your face was shown on national TV." "That''s just my game character." "But your face is the same." She was right; his face in-game and in real life were the same. His in-game character, Kang Oh, had been created by scanning his body and transferring that into the game. "No one has recognized me in real life. And if we both cover our faces, then people will get suspicious." Jae Woo grinned. "I suppose you''re right. But why do you have so much on you?" Soo Ah asked. "They''re presents." "For the girls?" "Yeah, I want to give a good impression. And this is for you." Jae Woo passed her the shopping bag in his right hand. "Oh, you bought one for me too?" "You''re my girlfriend. I bought yours first." "Thank you." "Let''s head over now. We can''t bete after all." "Alright." Jae Woo and Soo Ah got into a taxi. * * * Buff Chicken.That was where they agreed to meet. Soo Ah and the members of Triple Lower frequented this restaurant. "Wee." Jae Woo and Soo Ah entered the restaurant and were greeted by a kind woman. "President, I''m here," Soo Ah said, taking off her sunsses and hat. "Oh my, you came again. Where are the others?" "They''ll be here soon. The room''s empty, right?" Although Buff Chicken was a chicken restaurant, it also had a separate room. "Of course," the president said. "Oppa, follow me." Jae Woo and Soo Ah immediately entered the room. "Hoo, I''m nervous." Jae Woo downed a ss of water. He was feeling parched all of a sudden! "You shouldn''t be. We''re all good people." "Mm." They''d promised to meet at 6:00 P.M. A little past six, a couple of women opened the door and came in. They were Triple Lower''s Hyo Min and Lee Seol. "You''re here," Soo Ah said. "Hello," Jae Woo immediately said. The oldest of their group, Hyo Min, took off her sunsses. Since she was an idol, it went without saying that she was beautiful, and she also gave off an elegant vibe. "Hello, it''s nice to meet you. My name is Hyo Min." After that, the team''s youngest, Lee Seol, took off her sunsses and hat. Her face looked incredibly arrogant, but once she began smiling with her eyes, her face looked cute instead. "Hello, my name is Lee Seol!" "My name is Jae Woo." Once they were finished introducing themselves, they took their seats. "These are... bribes to make me look good." Jae Woo passed him their presents. "Thank you." Hyo Min nodded and epted the shopping bag. "May I take a look inside?" Lee Seol asked as soon as she got the bag. "Of course you may." "Oh! It''s so cute!" A white pr bear doll came out of the bag. "I heard you liked dolls." "Thank you." Lee Seol beamed. "I''ll take a look at mine too." Hyo Min opened her present. It was a picture frame the size of a sketch book that contained a beautiful picture inside. "It''s beautiful. Thank you." Hyo Min smiled. "Unni, did you order already?" Lee Seol asked. "Yeah, I ordered what we always do," Soo Ah said. A short whileter... Garlic soy chicken and cheese fondue chicken were ced on the table. There was beer there too; you couldn''t have chicken without beer. "Shall we have a toast?" Hyo Min raised her ss. "I''m a minor, so I''ll drink something else." The youngest, Lee Seol, poured herself some cider. "Cheers!" The four lightly tapped their sses together and drank their respective drinks. "I can call you oppa, right?" Lee Seol asked, staring at Jae Woo. "Yes, of course you can." "Oppa, did you know that me and Hyo Min Unni have been dying to see you?" "Why''s that?" "Soo Ah Unni has gotten a lot of offers before, but she turned them all down, saying that she wanted to focus on singing." Jae Woo nodded his head. "But then one day, she said she got herself a boyfriend. We couldn''t help but be curious. Right, Unni?" Lee Seol said. "Yeah. It happened out of the blue, right?" "It did. You watched that program he was in day in and day out. What was it called again? Dungeon Conquering Man?" "No, I was just watching the show," Soo Ah immediately replied. Her ears had turned red. "Oh, is that so?" Lee Seol didn''t believe her at all. "I''m serious." Soo Ah red at her. "Fine, let''s say that''s true." Lee Seol shrugged her shoulders. "Mr. Jae Woo," Hyo Min suddenly said. "Yes?" "How did you two meet? And how did you end up liking each other? Please tell us." "That''s..." "You can''t! Don''t tell them anything." Soo Ah suddenly butted in. "Huh?" "They''ll use that to make fun of me, so please don''t ever tell them." "Oh, c''mon, don''t be like that. Just tell us. We won''t make fun of you," Hyo Min said. "No!" Soo Ah immediately said. "I''m on Soo Ah''s side," Jae Woo said. He was clearly stating that he wouldn''t tell them about their rtionship. "I suppose we''ll get another chanceter. Shall we have another drink?" Clink! They drank another round of drinks. After that, they continued to chat amicably. "Mr. Jae Woo, you''re a famous gamer, right?" "Kind of." "Kind of? You''re one of the Numbers. I doubt there''s anyone who ys Arth that doesn''t know your name," Hyo Min said. "She''s right," Lee Seol agreed enthusiastically. "You two y Arth too?" "I started a while back. I''ve been hearing quite a lot about youtely. You''re more famous than us, at least in terms of Arth," Hyo Min smiled and said. "I started a little bit before her. Though I''m still a beginner." "Then how about we go hunting together, or have a pic somece with a great view?" Jae Woo asked. "Sounds good to me." Hyo Min nodded her head. "Me too!" Lee Seol said. Soo Ah nodded her head. After that, they kept talking with smiles on their faces. They happily spent the evening away until their drinking party came to an end. * * * The full moon! The moonlight shined down on the desert''s sand, causing it to shine, and a chilly breeze blew from afar. Kang Oh and Eder were standing smack dab in the middle of the desert. However, Eder lookedpletely different. His body was thin, without an ounce of muscle, and looked like a skeleton that was just barely covered by flesh. Eder''s eye sockets were bare, but radiated a deep blue fire. He was covered in ck mage''s robes, which were adorned with skulls, and he wielded a scythe in one hand. Eder had been reborn as a Lich! "You can''t use Large-Scale Summon Undead?" Kang Oh asked, furrowing his brow. "No. The Lich''s body is iplete. It doesn''t have its life vessel, so there''s a limit to its MP. Thus, I gave up on Large-Scale Summon Undead, as it would take too much MP to maintain." "Then what can you do?" "I''ll show you little by little. You''ll soon realize how powerful a Lich is, even without the ability to summon an undead army!" "I really hope that''s true!" "But isn''t it about time that it appeared?" Eder stared at the full moon and asked. "It''s been a while, yeah. But it shoulde eventually, right?" Kang Oh''s concerns were unfounded. A short whileter... They could hear a loud sounding from underneath the sand. "It''sing!" "It''sing." Kang Oh and Eder yelled simultaneously. Then... Spurt! Sand shot up into the sky as if there had been an explosion. At the same time, a giant monster extended its head. Obviously, it was the Death Worm, Livi, that they''d been waiting for. "Mm." "Heop." Both Kang Oh and Eder looked shocked. It was gigantic! They werepletely overwhelmed by its sheer size! [You have discovered the Ruler of the Starving Desert, the Ancient Death Worm, Livi.] [Livi is the cmity of the desert.] [Warning: Run away! You cannot even hope to fight it.] Chapter 238. Inside Liviola

Chapter 238. Inside Livi

Trantor: Boko The Ancient Death Worm, Livi, opened its mouth and began sucking in a huge amount of sand. Anything on the sand''s surface, as well as anything hiding underneath it, was sucked in! Animals, nts, and even monsters were consumed. Kang Oh and Eder were no exception. "Keep your guard up." "Yes, sir!" Whoosh! The powerful vacuum lifted Kang Oh and Eder from the ground, and pulled them into Livi''s mouth. Sometimeter... After finishing its meal, Livi burrowed deep into the sand. Silence had returned to the desert, as if nothing had happened in the first ce... * * * It was incredibly dark inside Livi''s body. Eder stretched out his thin right hand, which was like a winter twig. Swoosh. A sphere of light escaped his hand and floated into the air, radiating intense light. It allowed them to partially see inside. "Good work." Kang Ohplimented him, and then looked around. There was a ton of sand inside. There were also cacti, small scorpions, a Yokon (one of the stronger monsters that spawned in the Starving Desert), etc. Countless organisms were scattered about. Kang Oh raised his head and stared at the walls. The walls were made up of red lumpy rocks. "I don''t think we should stay here. Let''s get out of here." Swallowing the sand and its prey was probably just the first step. Livi must have some way of ''digesting'' its food. ''An extremely dangerous way at that!'' Kang Oh rushed forward. "Alright." Eder followed him. A short timeter... The walls'' lumpy rocks began to wriggle around. Then, they stretched out like taffy, transforming into scarlet tentacles. Swoosh! Countless tentacles came flying at the living organisms. Besides the sand, everything was fair game. Guaah! The Yokon was the first to fall prey to the tentacles. It was stabbed by dozens of tentacles, which was followed by a slurping sound. At the same time, the Yokon''s body shriveled up like a mummy! The cactus was pierced by a smaller, blue tentacle, whichpletely dried it up too! "It''sing!" The two ran as fast as they could, but they couldn''t outrun the tentacles. Kang Oh crazily swung Blood, cleaving through the tentacles again and again. But there was no end to them. They would keeping, no matter how many he cut. ''Should I go for the wall that the tentacles areing out of instead?'' Kang Oh dodged and cut a tentacle, and then thrust his sword forward. Lightning Breath! The mighty lightning st scorched dozens of tentacles and struck the wall. Boom! The Lightning Breath burnt the wall, preventing anymore tentacles froming out from there, but that was all. It didn''t change the fact that there were several more where they came from. ''Mm!'' His mind went into overdrive; he thought as fast as he swung his sword. However, he couldn''t think of a way to escape. Ultimately, the only option he had was to cut every tentacle that came his way and survive. Eder, in his Lich body, was in the same shape. He too focused entirely on survival! "Rise!" A bone wall arose, surrounding both Kang Oh and Eder. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! The tentaclesshed at the bone wall. Eder''s spell blocked most of the tentacles, but some of them managed to get through. Then, Eder clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! Boom! The bone wall exploded, spreading bone shards everywhere. What power! Countless tentacles were caught in the explosion; they were either scorched by the explosion itself, or heavily damaged via the bone shards. Of course, some of the bone fragments flew towards Kang Oh and Eder as well, but Eder blocked them with a barrier. "Gather!" Eder raised his scythe. Rattle, rattle. The bones ''rattled'' as they formed into three separate clumps. "Go!" Eder said. The giant masses of bone flew to the front and to the sides. Then, Eder clenched his fist. Boom! Boom! Boom! The clumps of bone exploded, bing a shower of bone fragments that rained down upon the tentacles. As a result, the tentacles were perforated by the bone fragments once more. ''As expected!'' Kang Oh looked at Eder and smirked. Lich Eder. His bone magic was incredibly powerful. In terms of power, there wasn''t much of a difference between his and Eclipse''s bone magic! Kang Oh watchedfortably while Eder single-handedly held off the tentacles. But at some point... The tentacles returned to being ''bumps'' on the wall. "Is it over?" "I believe so." Kang Oh and Eder were a very small minority that had survived the tentacles. Then... There was a sudden breeze of wind. ''What is this?'' they thought, and the sand started to get sucked in. "We''re headed to the next area, it seems." Kang Oh didn''t panic and went with the flow. Eder did the same. Sometimeter... Kang Oh and Eder arrived in front of a giant hole. The sand was being sucked into the hole with no end in sight. "Do you think we need to go in there?" "Mm. While we wereing here, I looked around, but... My Hyper Intuition never activated, so we have to go somewhere else." "Understood." A short whileter... Kang Oh and Eder were consumed by the ck hole. * * * The flow of sand had stopped. The ''room'' was much smaller than the tentacle area, and there were holes surrounding the sand. Death Worms began to crawl out of the tunnels. Thousands of Death Worms, which were more than 10 meters long, appeared. However, they were much smaller than Livi. They burrowed into the sand, ate the shriveled up corpses, and attacked anything that was still alive. Due to its tough exoskeleton, a beetle had just barely survived the tentacles'' assault. However, the Death Worms began to crawl over to it. Bzzz! In an attempt to scare them away, the beetle noisily pped its wings and swung its horn; it was a desperate attempt to survive. But it was all pointless. The Death Worms were much stronger than the beetle, and there were several of them too. They spewed acid from their mouths and tails, which was potent enough to melt through the beetle''s exoskeleton. Once the acid melted through the beetle''s exoskeleton, the Death Worms rushed over, trying to eat it before the others could get to it. They ate the beetle, leaving no trace of it behind. Next was... Kang Oh and Eder''s turn. The Death Worms crawled over. The two fought them back-to-back. "Haaht!" Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. Whack! His de went deep into the Death Worm''s neck. Tremble. The Death Worm shook. Kang Oh forcefully kicked it away, and swung his sword again once it was free. sh! He left behind a lengthy wound on the Death Worm''s body. Swish, sh! He attacked the wound twice more, killing it. ''These are the Death Worms I''m familiar with.'' They were facing Death Worms, level 200 monsters. Kang Oh easily ughtered the Death Worms, but he couldn''t get rid of them, no matter how many of them he killed. ''It was the same with the tentacles too. There are way too many of them!'' Kang Oh killed them again and again! Eder summoned a giant bone scythe and swung it. Whenever he swung the bone scythe, dozens of Bone Worms would be sliced through. Of course, it wasn''t enough to kill them in a single hit. However, swinging it repeatedly caused the Death Worm corpses to pile up. It became easier after that. "Explode!" Corpse Bomb! The Death Worms'' corpses floated in the air and exploded. Any Death Worms caught in the explosion would die, creating more corpses for him to use. Then, he would use another Corpse Bomb! Rinse and repeat. It was now a fight to the finish. Who wouldst longer? The Death Worms or Eder''s MP? Unfortunately, Eder wasn''t able to win that particr battle. No matter how many he killed, more woulde out of the tunnels and take their ce! "Mm, Mr. Kang Oh. There are too many of them." In the end, Eder ran out of MP first. Kang Oh was in the same shape. His Stamina was gradually wearing down. "Let''s run." Kang Oh came to a decision. In this particr situation, running would be best! "Where to?" ''This ce is crawling with Death Worms.'' "Over there." Kang Oh pointed at a tunnel; a tunnel where the Death Worms wereing out of. "There?" "Yeah, it''s better than staying here at least. We''ll die if we stay here." He knew he couldn''t win against their endless numbers. Kang Oh had killed hundreds of Death Worms already while conserving his MP and Stamina. Even so, there were way too many of them. In the end, he''d almost run out of Stamina. "Understood." "When I count to three, we''re going to run to that tunnel. One!" "Three!" Eder suddenly said, and ran to the tunnel. "Hey!" Kang Oh immediately followed him. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh. The Death Worms chased after them, making a ''swoosh'' sound as they crawled through the sand. * * * The tunnel was connected to another. It was like an ant tunnel. Plus, Death Worms kepting at them from both sides. "How many of them are there?" Eder looked like he was sick of this. "I dunno. Let''s get through them." Kang Oh pierced through the middle and swung his sword like a rabid beast. Eder blocked off the rear tunnel with a Bone Wall. Then, he summoned several bone spears to help Kang Oh out; they specialized in pration and didn''t require much MP either. However, a tunnel suddenly opened up above them, and several Death Worms poured out of it. ''Tch. Acid!'' It seemed like the original purpose of their acid was to make tunnels. Eder then pointed a finger at the newly formed tunnel. Bone Bind! The new tunnel waspletely sealed by bone. "Good job!" "It won''tst long. The bones are getting melted by their acid." "That''s why we have to keep advancing! Uhahp!" Kang Oh and Eder killed all of the Death Worms in their way and kept moving forward. But the situation didn''t look like it''d get any better. On the contrary, the situation was getting worse. Named Death Worms, which they hadn''t encountered before, had appeared! The named Death Worms were capable of spewing their acid at long-range. Moreover, they had much more HP and defense than a normal Death Worm, and were faster too. Their appearance made things even more chaotic. Death Worms came at them from every direction! Tunnels appeared everywhere! The named Death Worms were shooting acid at them from afar! However, Kang Oh didn''t give up. He looked around and thought things through. ''There has to be a way. There just has to be!'' How did the ck Hammer Dwarves survive this? ''Is it like the tentacles? Youst long enough and it ends? Or is it...'' "We''re in apletely different ce!" Eder quickly yelled. "What? Damn..." Kang Oh turned his head and his eyes gleamed. It was apletely different wall indeed. However, the wall looked quite peculiar. It looked like a shut m, a zigzag pattern of cracks running along it. Plus...! Upon seeing it, his Hyper Intuition activated. It was telling him that something was suspicious about that wall. Kang Oh had a hunch. ''This is our way out!'' It felt like the heavens had given him a lifeline. Chapter 239. Exploring the Inside

Chapter 239. Exploring the Inside

Trantor: Boko "The wall''s our way out!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder had fought alongside Kang Oh for a long time, so he knew what Kang Oh wanted from him. "I''ll hold them off. Please open it ASAP!" "Ok!" Kang Oh approached the strange wall, while Eder stood before the horde of Death Worms. ''I need to buy as much time as I can. To do that...'' When Eder remodeled Eclipse''s body, he focused on certain traits. An Immortal Monarch, or a Lich''s greatest strengthy in their ability to summon the undead. However, he gave up on that ability, and had instead maximized the body''s ability to use bone magic and curses! Bam. Eder mmed his scythe onto the ground. Then, a purple ring spread outwards. AoE Curse: Age! The Death Worms noticeably slowed. It didn''t just decrease their speed; it lowered all of their abilities! ''Next is...'' Bone Wall! Eder raised his hand into the air, and a thick wall rose from the ground. The aging curse had weakened the Death Worms'' acid too. Thus, the bone wall would be able to withstand their assault much longer than usual. Of course, it was still just a temporary measure. Soon, the Death Worms would break through the bone wall and overwhelm them with their endless numbers. Thus... "Please hurry," Eder yelled. "Yeah," Kang Oh replied absentmindedly. He was busy examining the wall. ''It''s definitely not a normal wall.'' The wall didn''t feel right. A hard wall wouldn''t feel like this. It felt more like leather that''d been pulled tight. Or maybe it was more like skin. Even so, it was tough to the touch like a tendon. ''How do I open this?'' The first thing he thought of was ripping it open with a precise attack! Kang Oh immediately tested his hypothesis. Transcendent de! sh! Like a sh of light, Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards. As a result... Complete fail! It didn''t even leave a trace. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh caught his breath, creases forming on his forehead. Using Transcendent de consumed his HP, as well as the MP and Stamina that he''d been saving. ''You can''t open it by force.'' The wall hadpletely absorbed the force of his attack. The fact that Transcendent de hadn''t even left a trace was proof of this! ''Then...'' He needed to try fire next. Perhaps the wall would react to it. "Hey, Eder!" "Yes?" "Can you use basic fire magic?" "I can cast a fireball." While inside the Lich''s body, Eder was capable of casting a few useful spells outside the realm of necromancy. It ranged from creating a light sphere that''d illuminate their surroundings to creating a transfer magic circle. He could also cast basic spells like Fireball or Waterball. The only problem was how weak they were. "Shoot a fireball at the wall." "Alright." Eder stretched out his hand. Roar. A fireball, the size of an adult''s fist, flew towards the wall. But upon impact, it waspletely absorbed. Just to be sure, Eder cast a waterball too. However, the same thing happened; it too was absorbed. "It absorbs physical and magical attacks," Kang Oh quickly concluded. "Do you have any other ideas?" Eder asked. "There might be a ''button'' that opens the wall." Kang Oh carefully patted the wall with both hands. ''Huh?'' His right hand felt a small bump. Fiddling with it caused the wall to pulsate. Kang Oh kept ying around with it, causing the wall''s shaking to intensify, and eventually, a zigzag crack opened. ''This is it!'' Kang Oh wriggled his fingers around, as if he were ying a piano, and kept tickling the lump. The wall trembled, and the zigzag crack opened once more. But no matter how much he fiddled with it, it wouldn''t open wide enough for them to move through it. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder yelled. The bone wall melted, revealing a horde of approaching Death Worms. "Just give me a little more time!" "I won''t be able to hold them back for much longer." Eder cast Bone Wall once more. The only thing standing between him and the Death Worms was Bone Wall. If they got through the wall, then he would use Bone Bomb no matter what. Kang Oh was absorbed in thought. His fingers wouldn''t be enough; he needed something that''d be even more ticklish. ''Something like a feather... Oh, that''s right!'' Kang Oh quickly opened his inventory and pulled out a ck crow feather. It was a token of friendship that the Nuwak Tribe had given him! Kang Oh began tickling the bump with the feather. "Oooh!" Tremble! It was shaking unusually. ''Take this, and this, and this!'' Kang Oh kept tickling the bump with the feather. And finally...! Split! It was wide enough for him to pass through. Kang Oh immediately jumped in, and the opening closed instantly. Eder was left behind on the other side, but that wasn''t an issue. "Summon Eder!" Soon enough, Eder''s zing eye sockets stared back at him. "Phew. What a relief." "Yeah, I know what you mean." Kang Oh took a look around. They were in apletely different environment. The best way to describe it was a ''crystal cave''. However, it was much different from a normal crystal cave. First, the color of the crystals! The crystals were as red as blood, and upon closer inspection, it seemed like they were filled with some sort of liquid. They didn''t radiate dim or bright light either. Plus, the crystals were interconnected with thick pipes; the pipes repeatedly expanded and then shrank back down. ''They''re like blood vessels.'' No, they may actually be blood vessels. After all, he was inside Livi''s body right now. ''So we went from the digestive organs to the vital organs...'' "Where do we go now?" Eder looked around and asked. "We have to find its heart." "Its heart?" "In cases like this, you usually find something important at the heart." After all, the heart was one of the body''s most vital organs. "In cases like this?" "When you need to find something within a giant monster." "Is that so?" "Yeah, so follow me." Kang Oh followed the crystals and the interconnected pipes. If these were indeed Livi''s blood vessels, then the heart should be at the end of these pipes. How far did they go? Kang Oh and Eder''s progress was halted by monsters made of blood red crystals. They were about 2 meters tall, and had thick, wide shoulders and forearms, and short legs. There were five of them. "I''ve never seen these things before." Kang Oh knew several monsters, but he had absolutely no information on these ones. ''I need to learn more about it first.'' Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood. Kuha! The crystal monsters simultaneously opened their mouths. Spurt! Out came crystal fragments. The fragments pierced through the air, the pointy ends as sharp as a drill. Kang Oh didn''t retreat; instead, he advanced while avoiding the fragments. Whoosh! One of the crystal monsters swung its heavy fist at him. However, it wasn''t your average fist. Bam! Sharp crystals suddenly protruded from its arm and fist. Thus, it looked more like a spiked mace than a hand. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood. ng! His de shed with its fist. The sound of cracking crystals echoed throughout the room, and crystal powder fell to the floor. ''This kind of strength and speed... It''s over level 300...'' The crystal monsters were by no means weak. Another crystal monster swung its fist at him, and this time, its hand transformed into a sharp, crystal de. Kang Oh quickly turned his body to the side. Swish! Kang Oh dodged its strike by a hair''s breadth; the strike, having grazed past Kang Oh, left behind a vertical groove in the ground. Based on the trace it left behind, the crystal sword was quite sharp indeed. Before it could swing its crystal sword again, Kang Oh counterattacked. ''A weak point!'' Of the many crystals that made up the monster''s body, its weakness was a crystal that was darker than all the others. Thrust! Stab! A giant shard of light escaped its body, which was promptly absorbed by Blood. Kang Oh immediately rushed forward, and then followed his previous attack with an upward strike. Uwooooh! The other crystal monsters surrounded him and attacked. Kang Oh''s expression remained calm. He wasn''t alone after all! "Not going to happen!" Eder mmed his scythe onto the ground. Bone Road! Bone spikes rose from the ground, hitting any crystal monster in their path. Kang Oh used that opportunity to swing Blood in a wide arc. Darkness Strike! The red wave formed a circle around him like Jwibulnori, and then spread outwards. Boom! The five crystal monsters reeled from the impact. With Darkness Strike''s activation, Blood had instantly gained max stacks. Thus, Kang Oh immediately followed it up with a Blood bomb. The crystal monsters thought they''d surrounded him! But what they''d actually done was jump into an explosion of their own ord. Boom! The crystal monsters fell to the floor, sloughing blood red crystals. "Please get out of the way!" Eder said. Kang Oh immediately backed off. Eder then clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! The bone spikes exploded. Boom! Bone fragments flew everywhere! Bam, bam, bam! The bone fragments indiscriminately battered the crystal monsters. However, they were still alive. Kang Oh swung Blood downwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pounced on the crystal monsters. Only then did they break into pieces. [You have defeated a Bloodstone Doll.] They were apparently called Bloodstone Dolls. Anyhow, Tempest Tiger was followed by a raging whirlwind. Whoosh! Wooo! A surviving Bloodstone Doll pierced through the whirlwind. Of course, it hadn''t remained unscathed. "Get him!" Kang Oh yelled. A short whileter... They finished off all of them. Kang Oh and Eder had won. * * * "Mm." At some point, the environment had changed.The bloodstones, as well as the pipes that connected them together, were still the same. However, the ground was filled with overgrown thicket, and there was a hexagonal hole on the ceiling, which was connected to a hive of some sort. Bzzzzz! A swarm of Bloodstone Bees rushed out of the hive. The bees were huge. They were about the size of a human torso. Despite that, they were quick, and could fly well. "Eder, destroy the hive!" Kang Oh ordered aftering to a decision. If they didn''t destroy the hive, then bees would probably keeping after them. "Understood." "C''mon, you stupid bees!" Kang Oh took on the bees that were flying towards them all by himself. Eder trusted that he''d be fine, and summoned a giant mass of bone. Whizz! The bone mass smashed into the hive. Of course, that wasn''t all. Bone Bomb! Boom! Eder didn''t stop there. Bone Spear! Bone Bomb! Bone Bind! Bone Bomb! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Ultimately, the hive began to crumble. However, the barely surviving Bloodstone Bees popped out of what remained of their hive. Of them, there was one bee in particr that was far different from the rest. [You are the first to discover the Bloodstone Queen Bee, Agrisan.] [It is a named monster.] The queen bee had appeared! It was about 3 metersrge, making it far bigger than other bees. It had a huge body, which was filled with eggs, and its wings were appropriatelyrge in proportion to its body. Its antennas shook, clearly showing how angry it was. [The hive has been destroyed.] [The Bloodstone Bees have gone berserk.] Moreover, destroying their hive had caused the bees to go berserk. Bzzzz! The enraged bees came flying at them. Chapter 240. Liviola’s Heart

Chapter 240. Livi''s Heart

Trantor: Boko Eder raised his scythe, unleashing magical chains that flew towards the horde of bees. AoE Curse: Slow! Chains wrapped around the Blondstone Bees'' bodies, slowing them down. Unfortunately, it wasn''t that effective. "Mm, that''s all?" Ordinarily, a slow curse should''ve reduced their speed by much more. However, they had gone berserk, which reduced the overall effectiveness of the curse. Bzzzz! "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood. sh! Although Berserk had made it twice as strong, Kang Oh managed to strike a Bloodstone Bee''s wing. Whoosh! However, its wings didn''t feel as fragile as a normal bee''s wings; he didn''t think he would be able to rip it apart with just the slightest touch. It felt as though he was trying to cut through something much tougher! The other Bloodstone Bees attacked Kang Oh with their tails. Their tails were covered with a single, thick red crystal. ''Poison!'' Very deadly poison at that! Kang Oh rolled on the floor. Bzzzz! The bees passed overhead. Kang Oh suddenly stood up and swung Blood upwards. sh! He etched a white line into the air, cleaving one of the bees in two. ''That''s one!'' Kang Oh kept swinging his sword. Eder had created a bone bunker. He shot down any approaching bees from within using bone spears. Then... Bzzzzzz! The Queen Bee, Agrisan, entered the fray. The Bloodstone Bees, which had been attacking Kang Oh, returned to the queen bee''s side and got into formation. Agrisan''s antennas violently shook. Like a formation of fighter nes, the bees assumed a V-shaped formation, and then flew towards Kang Oh and Eder. At the same time, red orbs formed around Agrisan. Whizz! Beams of light shot out of the orbs. "Dodge!" It wasplete chaos. They had to deal with the angry bees'' attacks and Agrisan''s beams! But that wasn''t the end of it. Whenever Agrisan pped her wings, she''d spread a red powder that went everywhere. Kang Oh and Eder weren''t worried about that, seeing as how they were busy dealing with the bees and the beams. However... [You have been poisoned by toxic powder.] [You will continuously take damage.] ''Toxic powder!'' The toxic powder had already permeated the entire room. It wouldn''t have much of an effect on an undead like Eder, but it was a different story for a human like Kang Oh. ''I can''t let this battle drag on!'' Kang Oh quickly came to a decision and ordered, "Eder, take care of the bees! I''ll take care of the queen. We have to take them out ASAP!" "Yes." Kang Oh threw a Darkness Chain at Agrisan. Her bulky body kept her from dodging the chain, so it wrapped around her entire body. "Huahp!" Kang Oh forcefully pulled Agrisan towards him. After all, his strength far surpassed hers. Thud! Agrisan''s body plummeted to the ground. Kang Oh immediately dashed towards her. Bzzzzz! Sensing danger, the queen bee ordered the bees to attack him. "Bone Prison!" Eder yelled. Whoosh! The bees quickly flew towards Kang Oh and the queen, but were shut out by the bones that shot out of the ground. Because of that, Kang Oh could focus entirely on killing the queen. Half of the bees tackled the bones in an attempt to break through. The other half flew towards Eder. Because he needed to maintain the Bone Prison, Eder couldn''t use spells like Bone Mass, Bone Wall, etc.; any bone spell that required him to summon arge quantity of bone. Thus, he summoned a bone shield in his offhand, and deflected the iing bees with his scythe. "Get lost!" Despite that, the bees kepting. Moreover, they''d gone berserk, so they were crazier than normal! The bees persistently aimed for Eder''s weak points. Superficial wounds began to appear on Eder''s body one or two at a time. Fortunately, the Bloodstone Bees'' poison wasn''t very effective against him. However... The Bone Prison suddenly cracked and then, a powerful st of lightning pierced through. It was a skill that Eder was familiar with. Lightning Breath! ''If that''s the case, then...'' Eder saw Kang Oh, who''d been trapped in the bone prison with Agrisan, once more. He''d switched to Demon Sword Ubist at some point. Moreover, he''d assumed the form of the Jet-ck Demon! Darkness rose from his body like a haze. Not only that, but he could clearly see the tip of his de piercing through Agrisan''s body! [You are the first to defeat the Queen Bee, Agrisan.] [As a reward, she will drop her highest ranked item.] Kang Oh picked up a red star-shaped ne that she''d left behind, and escaped the bone prison. Having lost their queen, the Bloodstone Bees could no longer fight them properly. Kang Oh and Eder''s attacks caused them to fall to the ground, one or two at a time. The battle was over. Kang Oh examined the item that Agrisan had dropped. [Agrisan''s Ne] A ne containing the Bloodstone Queen Bee, Agrisan''s fatal toxic powder. The ne possesses two of Agrisan''s abilities. + Summon Bees: Allows you to summon ten bees and control them for 5 minutes. Cooldown: 1 hour. + Agrisan''s Poison: Unleashes extremely toxic powder. It can also damage allies. Rank: AA. Abilities: Main stats +50, Rule +50, Poison Resistance +20%. Minimum Requirements: Level 350. "What a great find." A level 350 equip requirement! The item''s abilities were good too. Above all, it increased all of one''s main stats by a whopping 50 each. "Please let me see it." Eder extended his hand. Kang Oh absentmindedly passed him the star-shaped ne. "Please give this to me." "What?" "It''s much better than the ne I''m currently using." "Why would I give it to you..." ''Do you know how much I''d make by selling it!?'' "You can''t sell it right away, and you''ve just hit level 300, so you can''t use it either. So I''ll use it instead." "Mm." He was right, but he couldn''t give it to him for free. "I''ll loan it to you." "No, thank you." "What?" "I''d rather not pay money to use it." Eder gave him back the ne. He was being extremely adamant. "Mm, you used to be such a pushover," Kang Ohmented. "That was when I was weak, and didn''t have any money." But the situation had changed a lot. Eder was a level 400 Lich now! Moreover, he''d made a ton of money working with Man Bok. There wasn''t any reason for him to be pushed around by Kang Oh anymore. ''Should I threaten him with Ubist?'' Kang Oh suddenly thought. However, Eder was a lot more confident than before, so it probably wouldn''t work. "Ahem, use it well and then give it back to meter." Ultimately, Kang Oh did as Eder asked. The only one who could use the ne was Eder, and Eder would be more useful with the ne too! "Of course. And if I like it, I''ll pay for itter," Eder said. "Understood, sir." Kang Oh smiled politely. Now that he thought about it, this could only turn out good for him. ''Oh, my financier!'' * * * The Bloodstone Bees were just the beginning. Kang Oh and Eder encountered several other bloodstone insects too. Bloodstone Spiders, Bloodstone Grasshoppers, etc. In terms ofbat ability, the most powerful insects here were the Bloodstone Mantises, which possessed sharp des on their arms. They encountered other monsters too. For example, the Parasite Ch. They lived within the pipes, which Kang Oh assumed were Livi''s blood vessels. There were more than 100 tentacles inside. Thus, advancing wasn''t an easy task, but Eder''s bone magic dealt with them easily enough. The Parasitic Worm, Hepirin! Spikes covered the long worms'' bodies. Some of them even popped out of the pipes and attacked Kang Oh. Of course, surprise attacks wouldn''t work on someone with Hyper Intuition. They saw something interesting too. The Bloodstone Dolls and the Chs fought against each other, and the bloodstone insects attacked the parasitic monsters as if they were their mortal enemy! "They''re fighting amongst themselves." "Yeah. Let''s not worry about them. After all, it has nothing to do with us." The monsters that spawned within Livi''s body didn''t serve as an obstacle to them, nor did they pose much of a threat. The problem was... the inside of Livi''s body was much toorge andplex! They had no idea where anything was or what it was for that matter. Moreover, advancing just slightly would change thendscape and scenery. Neither Kang Oh nor Eder had any great ideas. They simply kept walking and looked around. On the third day... "Do you hear that?" Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! They could clearly hear something beating. "Yeah. Let''s go." Kang Oh and Eder followed the source of the noise. It came from a hole, but they didn''t know where it would lead. The hole was sloped and led downwards like a slide. "Let''s go." Kang Oh went through the hole without an ounce of hesitation. His body began to slide downwards. The two were inseparable, so Eder followed him right after. Whoosh! The slide was long, but the two elerated quickly, allowing them to reach their destination in a sh. "Hoo, I want to ride it again." Kang Oh grinned. It felt like he''d ridden a roller coaster. Then, with a trembling voice, Eder said, "O-Over there!" Kang Oh raised his head and his eyes widened. "Oh!" He saw arge structure made out of blood red crystals! The structure kept beating, giving off the same sound over and over again. And like a thousand year old tree''s tangled roots, the repeatedly expanding and shrinking pipes were entwined with the structure. However, he could kind of see an eye, a nose, ears, and a mouth on the giant structure. [You have discovered Livi''s Heart.] [Fame has increased.] Swish. The heart''s ''eyelid'' rose, revealing an eye with a hole in the center of it. The eye nced at Kang Oh and Eder. "Are you the ones causing all the trouble inside?" The crystal mouth opened, and out came a clear voice. "Wow, it''s talking." Eder was shocked. ''To think a heart could talk!'' The heart seemed to be displeased by his reaction, as its eye narrowed. "I''m not any old heart. I''m Livi''s Heart. I manage everything on the inside, and am tasked with a sacred duty!" the heart yelled firmly. ''Sacred duty?'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Was it perhaps...!?'' He then raised his hand. "Excuse me!" "What is it?" "Livi''s Heart, is that sacred duty of yours being the link between this world and Despia?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right! I''m the gatekeeper that protects the entrance to Despia," Livi''s Heart said frankly. "Then please open the door to Despia!" Kang Oh yelled immediately. "First, you need to do something for me." "Tch." As expected, it wouldn''t open the door for free. "What do you need?" Kang Oh asked. "There are some creatures that are draining Livi''s power. The parasites! I want you to eliminate them." Then, a quest popped up. [Kill the Parasites] The parasites, which dwell within Livi''s body, continue to weaken Livi''s power. If you kill these parasites, then Livi''s Heart will open the gate to Despia. Kill 500 monsters with ''parasite'' in their name! (0 killed) Difficulty: Normal. Minimum Requirements: None. Reward: Entrance to Despia. Failure: If you die along the way, then you will need to start from scratch. ''It''s not a tough quest.'' He''d already killed the Parasite Chs and the Parasitic Worms. Killing ''500'' of them would be kind of tough, but it was definitely a doable quest. "Understood." [You have epted the quest, Kill the Parasites.] "Eradicate the parasites, and..." Hoo. Glittering red powder came out of the heart''s mouth, which hovered around Kang Oh and Eder. [The Bloodstone Token hovers around you!] "Now my bloodstone minions won''t attack you," Livi''s Heart said. "That''s good. I''ll be back after I kill the parasites. Let''s go, Eder!" "Yes!" Kang Oh and Eder left. The heart''s eye closed shut, and its mouth returned to a tight line. Thump! Thump! Thump! Thump! The sound of a beating heart echoed through the room. Chapter 241. Kill the Parasites!

Chapter 241. Kill the Parasites!

Trantor: Boko Drum roll! The sight of Bernice Canyon and its countless stone pirs was apanied by solemn background music. Thousands of wyverns flew through the sky. That in and of itself was a sight to behold. All of a sudden, the music changed. It became tense, as if it had turned into a horror movie! Kyaa! Kyaahk! The wyverns stopped flying and scattered, as if scared out of their minds. The change in music, as well as the sudden change in the wyvern''s attitude, said it all. ''Something''s going to appear!'' The viewers were right. Kuwaaaaahk! The roar was like crackling thunder on a stormy night. Then... The wyvern stretched out its giant wings. The Wyvern King, Draka! p! Draka soared into the azure sky. A giant shadow cast over the Bernice Canyon. It was truly an overwhelming sight! The words ''Aloof Ruler of the Azure Sky'' automatically came to mind. The camera remained fixed on Draka until it disappeared from view. Followed by... Subtitles, which were as follows: The Supernova, Kang Oh versus the Wyvern King, Draka! Coming Soon! * * * "What did people think of the trailer?" GBS Producer, Jin Cheol, asked. "People loved it. They keep posting on our message board, asking us when we''re showing it," the veteran writer said. Of all of his writers, this particr writer had worked with Jin Cheol the longest. "Is the next trailer ready?" "Yes. That one will have a few bits of Mr. Kang Oh fighting Draka, so people will have an even better reaction to it." "Ok. Have you chosen a broadcast date?" "We''re still undecided." "We need to reveal the air date in the next trailer." "Understood. We''ll have the date set by then." "Tell me when youe to a consensus. Upload the footage on social media too." "Understood!" a few writers replied immediately. "How about the advertisements?" "The advertising department told us that they were going to add expensive ads at the beginning, the middle, and the end," the veteran writer said. "Alright. As you know, the original footage is top-notch, and it was also well edited. All we need to do is promote it. We have to hit a high viewership rating! Let''s try getting into the double digits this time!" Jin Cheol clenched his fist. GBS''s average viewership rating was 5%. Only three of their programs have ever risen to the double digits. But Jin Cheol believed that this clip would increase that number to four. ''We bought it for 200 million won ($200,000 USD), so it has to at least get us into the double digits.'' If they managed to get into the double digits, then it''d be huge for Jin Cheol''s career. Of course, it wasn''t just good for Jin Cheol. "If the viewership is high, then we''ll get a bonus, right?" the youngest writer asked. "Of course." "I''ll do my best!" Jin Cheol and his writers were putting their all into this program. * * * Killing the parasites went smoothly. They encountered Chs, Hepirins, Molgons, etc. Chs possessed 100 tentacles, Hepirins were long, spiked parasitic worms, and Molgons were sharp toothed parasitic bats. None of them were difficult to kill. At the rate they were going, they would be able to kill 500 parasites in about 3 days. However, it didn''t take them very long to realize that that was a huge miscalction. The strength of the parasites varied! The ones they''d killed were the weakest, as they had drained only a small portion of Livi''s strength! Those that''d drained a significant amount of Livi''s strength were so powerful that it was like they had evolved. All of their abilities, including their strength and speed, were far greater, and they had gained new properties as well. The parasitic bat, Molgon, was a good example! Ordinarily, it wouldn''t be able to attack with ultrasonic waves. The best it could do was bite people. However, absorbing so much of Livi''s power had given it the ability to unleash ultrasonic waves, which threatened to burst their eardrums. Biiiik! Biiik! "Shut up!" Kang Oh angrily threw a dion''s Dagger at it. He couldn''t help himself; its ultrasonic waves made his ears hurt like crazy! However, the Molgon pped its wings and easily dodged the dagger. ''None of the Molgons we''ve fought before have been able to dodge my dagger.'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Then, Eder entered the fray. "Constricting Bone!" Eder clenched his fist. Then, the Molgon was trapped in a bone prison, which prevented it from escaping. Bone Bind. Kya? "Good job, Eder!" Kang Oh leapt into the air and swung Ubist downwards. Swish! Ubist cleaved through bone and bat, splitting the monster''s body in half. One down. Unfortunately, there were still several of them left. Biiik! The bats mercilessly emitted their ultrasonic waves. "Haa." Kang Oh wanted to cover his ears, but he knew it wouldn''t help. If he wanted to shut them up, then he''d have to kill them as soon as possible. "Uaaahk!" Kang Oh charged forward and continuously swung his sword. Eder backed him up from behind. Eder used his ne''s special ability: Summon Bees! Five bees engaged each of the Molgons. He also used Agrisan''s Poison! Eder cast various bone spells while the red powder permeated the air. Ultimately, they began taking down the Molgons one or two at a time. "Haa." Kang Oh rubbed his ears. He could still hear the bats'' ''Biii!'' ringing in his ears. "Are you alright?" Eder asked. "Yeah. By the way, do you have a silence curse?" Silence curses ''silenced'' a target, preventing them from speaking. "I do." "Then why didn''t you use it earlier!?" Kang Oh hatefully stared at him. "I tried as soon as they used their ultrasonic waves, but it had no effect." "Ugh, is that right?" "Yes." "They drained so much of Livi''s power that their curse resistance went up too. That''s why the silence curse didn''t work on them. Tch." Kang Oh hypothesized why the silence curse hadn''t worked on the bats. "Our best bet is to kill any monsters that use ultrasonic waves ASAP," Eder said. Kang Oh nodded his head. The two went back to hunting parasites. And... Their troubles continued. * * * An infinite variety. They felt these three words deep in their heart. Parasite Zigarum. On the outside, it looked like a wolf, but it was asrge as a tiger. However, each one of them possessed a different element. Fire, water, wind, lightning, and even light and darkness too! Obviously, they used different skills too. Thus, the way you went about hunting them differed based on their element. Moreover, the amount of power they''d drained from Livi had a direct corrtion on how powerful they were. Some of them would die in a single hit, while others would take an hour to take down. They didn''t appear one by one either. When they appeared in packs, it made them even harder to take down. The newest additions to the parasite family, the Crerabs, Taldans, and Boyas, were just as hard to take down. They had to fight each of them a different way, while keeping their guards up and focusing entirely on hunting. It was extremely tiring, and it took them a long time too. There was a reason they''d only killed 200 of them, even though they''d gone way past three days already. Plus... There was a being that waspletely out of their league. "Mm." Kang Oh and Eder quickly hid behind a crystal. Thud! Thud! A giant monster passed by them. Its back was filled with Chs, and its crocodile-like mouth was filled with Hepirins. Bloodstone monsters, which were designed to deal with parasites like it, were sprawled behind it like a red carpet. [You are the first to discover the source of the parasites, the Parasite King, Kden.] ''A raid boss!'' Without a doubt, it was an extremely powerful raid boss. Kang Oh and Eder had no choice but to hide until it passed by. "Phew. I sure am d that killing that isn''t part of our quest." When it waspletely gone, Eder sighed in relief. "Yeah." After encountering the Parasite King, Kang Oh and Eder were forced to hunt even more carefully than before. If it suddenly showed up while they were fighting, then they''d been in huge trouble! ''Dying is already an issue, but the count also goes down to 0 if you die.'' Ultimately, it took Kang Oh and Eder ten days before they couldplete the Kill the Parasite quest. * * * The second trailer of the Draka hunt was shown. This time, however, the trailer was short and sweet. When Draka returned to his nest, Draka popped out of the pile of corpses and attacked! They showed small glimpses of the battle, and the tension kept building and building! Just that small glimpse was enough to draw people''s interest. After all, the original footage had been amazing enough! At the end, the program''s title and the air date was shown. Predator!Eat or be Eaten! The second trailer drew a ton of interest from the yerbase. As evidence of that, GBS''s chat channel was filled with messages. - Man, just show the program already I can''t wait for it. - Me neither. - Didn''t it show everything already? - If that''s all there is to it, then I''m suing GBS. - It probably isn''t. I have faith in Oga, no, Kang Oh! - I bought some extra underwear just in case. - Buy some more. - No, no. I doubt it''ll be that good. - Isn''t Kang Oh just all bark and no bite? - Has that ever applied to any of the Numbers before? - This program will show us if he''s the real deal or not. - Agreed. - Well, we''ll see I suppose. - In any case, hurry it up! - Yeah! * * * Kang Oh and Eder stood in front of Livi''s Heart. The heart raised its eyelid, revealing the red crystal eye underneath. "You took awhile," Livi''s Heart stared at them and said. "It wasn''t as easy as I thought it would be," Kang Oh replied, looking exhausted. "Those damn parasites, they''re a thorn in my side! Of course it wasn''t easy." "Indeed." "Did you happen to see the Parasite King?" it asked. "Yes, we saw it." "I have to get rid of it no matter what. If I could move freely, then I''d kill it myself!" the heart said disappointedly. Kang Oh and Eder kept their mouths shut. If they said something, then they might get caught up in something tiresome again. ''Something like ''Lure the Parasite King here.''.'' "Anyhow, good work," Livi''s Heart said, and then a message popped up [You havepleted the quest, Kill the Parasites.] [ept your reward from Livi''s Heart.] "I want to go to Despia!" Kang Oh yelled. "Alright." Then, the heart''s eye radiated intense light. At the same time, the heart''s mouth opened wide. A zing, oval-shaped portal appeared within it. [You have discovered a portal that leads to the Land that Borders Hell, Despia.] [What an amazing feat!] [Fame has increased significantly.] [If the Tower, the Historical Association, colleges, etc. learn of this, then your name will be recorded in the annals of history.] Kang Oh clenched his fist, while Eder looked deeply moved. Finally, the gate to Despia had been opened! Chapter 242. Despia!

Chapter 242. Despia!

Trantor: Boko The two entered the portal side by side. Kang Oh had passed through several portals before, but this was the first time his heart had pounded so hard. ''Despia... I wonder what kind of ce it is.'' It was clearly a dangerous ce. Song Lee Shen, a geography professor at Peking University, had named Despia one of Arth''s most dangerous ces. Plus, it was called the Land that Bordered Hell! That only made him more excited. High risk, high reward! The more dangerous it was, the more profitable it would be. ''Plus, if I''m the first yer to enter Despia, then...'' He''d be able to monopolize Despia for a while! That''d be a huge advantage. ''Of course, that only applies if I can live through it.'' Not only would it give him a chance toplete Eder''s quest, but he''d also be able toplete Vn''s third test; find the ck Hammer Dwarves and ask them to make him a demon sword out of the adamantium. Thus, Kang Oh''s heart pounded like crazy. Eder''s heart did no such thing. After all, he was upying an undead body, so his heart would never race. However, he felt so excited that it was almost as if his heart was beating! ''We''re finally going to Despia!'' Eder looked back on his life. In the past, he''d had a good life as the greatest healer in thend. However, the Goddess of Death, Deborah, had cursed him as a price for his arrogance, and had ruined his life. Even so, he''d managed to survive. Then, he''d met Kang Oh. On their travels together, he''d gone through so much abuse and hardship. Ah, what a sad time! Now...! He was headed for Despia, the only ce that''d give him a chance to return to thend of the living. Thus, he couldn''t help but feel as though his heart were racing! A short whileter... Kang Oh and Eder passed through the portal! * * * [You have reached the Land that Borders Hell, Despia.] Thend was entirely ck, as if someone had dropped ink all over it. Gray smoke rose from the cracks in the ground, and the smell of sulfur wafted from somece else. Plus... ''A volcano?'' Kang Oh saw a huge volcano. The crater released a ton of smoke and volcanic ash like an active volcano. Kang Oh raised his head a little higher. The ceiling waspletely ck, just like the ground. ''The underworld...'' Someone had once told him that Despia was the underworld. Was it Tino who''d said that? "This is Despia?" Eder said, sporting a vacant expression. "Yeah, this is Despia." "I only see a giant volcano. I don''t see a temple anywhere." Eder''s only concern was finding the Goddess of Death''s Temple. "Let''s proceed with caution." There was virtually nothing known about Despia. Thus, they had to slowly gather some information. "Where to?" "The volcano." Kang Oh and Eder began moving forward. When they stepped onto the cracked, stone earth, thend began to shake. Rumble. Bang! Several stone monsters suddenly appeared. ''I''ve never seen these before.'' Kang Oh and Eder anxiously readied themselves for battle. However, the stone monsters began fighting each other, as if they weren''t interested in the two. Bam! Whack! Whack! Whack! "What are they doing?" Kang Oh asked, lookingpletely lost. "I have no idea." It was difficult to make facial expressions in Eder''s current body. Even so, Eder managed to look puzzled. Soon, the stone monsters'' battle had an effect on Kang Oh and Eder too. They haphazardly threw rocks, which also flew at the two of them! The two gazed at each other. There was a tacit understanding between them. "Let''s leave." "Let''s run!" Kang Oh and Eder simultaneously said. Then, they ran away from the battlefield far faster than they could speak. Sometimeter... Kang Oh and Eder discovered a pack of monsters that were leisurely walking around. They looked just like rhinos. Of course, they were no ordinary rhinos. There wasva in their mouths, and their bodies were covered in ck rock. ''I''ve never seen these things either.'' Kang Oh carefully looked them over. ''A charge from one of them looks like it''d do some real damage. They must spewva from their mouths too. Defense must be top-notch. They have to be around level 350.'' As expected of Despia! None of the monsters they''d encountered thus far seemed weak. "You''re not going to fight them, are you?" Eder asked. "No. We should prioritize gathering information over fighting." "A wise decision." Kang Oh and Eder didn''t bother the group of rhino-looking monsters, choosing to follow them from a distance instead. The rhinos were headed for the volcano after all! How much time had passed? Kang Oh and Eder continued to follow them, and eventually made it to the volcano''s entrance. "Over there." Eder pointed at a cave''s entrance. "Does that lead you inside the volcano?" "Shouldn''t we take a look?" Eder believed that Deborah''s Temple may exist somewhere within the volcano. "Mm. We should look around some more first." There was a high chance that even stronger monsters inhabited the volcano. Going in without a n was foolhardy. However... The situation suddenly took a turn for the worse. Kyaaaa! All of a sudden, they heard cries from the air. A ck cloud appeared near the crater, and approached the rhinos! A short whileter... The ck cloud was actually a giant flock of eagles. They were the first monsters he''d seen that he actually knew about. ''Death Eagles!'' Death Eagles were so powerful that a single one of them could take on 10 wyverns all at once. To think he''d see so many of them here! ''I''ve only read about them before. It was unknown where they lived, but... It seems like they live in Despia!'' The problem was... The Death Eagles weren''t just attacking the rhinos! They hovered around Kang Oh and Eder too. What''s worse, the rhinos spewed theirva at the Death Eagles, transforming thend into a sea ofva. ''This all happened in the blink of an eye.'' This wasn''t good. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder said anxiously. "We have no choice. Run to the cave!" Now that it''de to this, they only had one option: entering the cave! "Run!" Kang Oh dashed towards the cave. Then, one of the Death Eagles swooped down on him. Whoosh! Its powerful talons, which could even pierce through steel, tried to snatch his head. However, Kang Oh fell to the floor, causing it to misspletely. "Follow me!" Kang Oh suddenly stood up and rushed over to the cave. Eder followed him, running on those two thin legs of his. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist. The Death Eagle had made its way around, and was attacking him again! ng! A sharp, metallic ''ng'' rang out. Then, the Death Eagle quickly soared into the air. "Eder, behind you!" Kang Oh yelled. A rhino walked backwards, threatening to m into Eder. Eder threw himself to the side, which kept him from getting trampled. But they weren''t out of the woods just yet. They had to get out of here ASAP. "Get up." "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder kept moving forward, avoiding all the rhinos along the way. They looked like refugees escaping a battlefield. They''de here with such excitement, but they were weaklings here. Thus, they spent all of their time running! * * * Kang Oh managed to make his way through the chaos, and was the first to reach the cave. "Safe!" Kang Oh looked back. Eder reached the cave soon after, sporting an expression that screamed ''I survived!''. However, a Death Eagle came out of nowhere and snatched Eder away! "Uhahk, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder screamed. Kang Oh calmly looked him in the eyes. "Wait a bit." If he summoned Eder right away, then the Death Eagle woulde right back. If that''s the case, then... it''d be better to hold off on summoning him until the Death Eagle took him high up into the air. Events yed out exactly as Kang Oh had predicted. "Uhaaahk!" The Death Eagle soared into the air with Eder! ''Now!'' "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder reappeared in front of him, looking extremely relieved. There were traces of the Death Eagle''s ws on either shoulder. "Eder! We have to enter the cave!" Kang Oh yelled. It was chaos outside. Plus, they never knew when the Death Eagles would attack them again. "Huh? Yes, of course!" Kang Oh''s scream brought him out of his stupor. The two quickly made their way into the cave, and took refuge deep inside. However...! There was no ce safe in Despia. They didn''t make it very far before they encountered a monster just as brutal as the Death Eagles. Roar! They encountered a Great King Lizard, or a Tmander. The Tmander waspletely coated in me, and was around level 400. It was an incarnation of fire, one that burnt everything to a crisp! If they wanted to proceed, then they had to kill it. Kang Oh resolutely raised Demon Sword Ubist, while Eder tightly held his scythe in a dual-handed grip. ''Whoever attacks first wins!'' Kang Oh moved first. He kicked off the floor, leapt into the air, and swung downwards with Ubist. Huff! The Tmander breathed out, unleashing fire that instantly engulfed Kang Oh''s form. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder said, almost shrieking. Then... Darkness pierced through the mes and struck the Tmander''s face. Evesting Darkness! Once the mes came at him, he used his trump card. Then, he pushed through the mes and reappeared. "Die!" Kang Oh swung Ubist at the Tmander, which had briefly lost itsposure. Swish! He cleaved through the mes that violently zed over its body. Abyss de! This effect allowed him to cut through anything with an immaterial form, whether it be ghosts, spirits, or the Tmander, and inflict a critical strike! However, Abyss de''s effect had only half worked. A Tmander''s mes reced its skin, but it still had bones underneath. Because its bones, or its physical form,y underneath the mes, Abyss de hadn''t allowed him to cut all the way through. ng. Ultimately, his de was repelled by its bones. Then... The Tmander quickly regained itsposure, and counterattacked. It tilted ist head and blew mes at him once more. Bright yellow mes came flying at him. However, Kang Oh wasn''t alone; he had Eder by his side. "Arise!" a baritone, dreary voice resounded throughout the cave, and a thick wall of bone came in between the fire and Kang Oh. That wasn''t all Eder did. He immediately threw two lumps of bone, as well as a bone spear, at the Tmander. Kang Oh seized the opportunity, and aimed for the Tmander''s tail. Ubist cleaved through the air once more. Whoosh! Bam! He cut right through the mes, showing the thick, tough bone underneath. The Tmander retaliated by swinging its tail, forcing Kang Oh to bend backwards. Roar! The mes singed a few of his front bangs. But that was all. He hadn''t taken any real damage. Kang Oh didn''t let up at all. Luckily, Darkness Strike activated. Then, a mighty jet-ck wave struck the Tmander''s side. Boom! It began wobbling around! "Focus fire!" Kang Oh swung his sword twice in an X pattern. Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! Wind and lightning! The two powerful sts swept through the Tmander. Eder followed that up with his own most powerful moves. Bone Bind! Bones wrapped around the Tmander''s body. Bone Bomb! Boom! The huge explosion echoed throughout the cave. [You have defeated a Tmander.] [You have defeated a monster that lives in an extremely dangerous area (Despia).] [You have received additional experience and proficiency.] ''We won!'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. This was his first victory in Despia. It was so very sweet. However...! Another Tmander appeared in the distance. But this time, there were three of them. The battle, as well as Eder''s Bone Bomb, had drawn them over here. Huff! The three Tmanders simultaneously breathed out. Their bright yellow mes filled the cave. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh''s expression stiffened. This really wasn''t good. Chapter 243. Black Hammer Dwarves

Chapter 243. ck Hammer Dwarves

Trantor: Boko They fought as hard as they could. Kang Oh shielded himself with Ubist, and then activated Devil Trigger. Eder covered himself with bone armor and summoned two bone shields, one for himself and one for Kang Oh. They weren''t your ordinary bone shields. They were Munra''s Bone Shields! Their inscriptions imbued them with a mysterious power, one that decreased the power of any magical/elemental attack. ''I wish I could make a bone wall too...'' Eder looked disappointed. However, he hadn''t had enough time to cast a Bone Wall. Once Kang Oh was finished transforming, he cast Abyss Shield. He didn''t have enough time to use Abyss Transfer. Roar! Fierce mes swept through Kang Oh and Eder. [You have been exposed to extremely hot mes.] [Abyss Shield melted away instantly.] [Munra''s Bone Shield has very slightly reduced the intensity of the mes.] [The Draka set has reduced fire damage by 30%.] [You have been burned.] Kang Oh HP went down significantly. However, thebination of Abyss Shield, the Draka set, and Munra''s Shield had kept him alive. Eder was in the same boat. He too had just barely survived. His face was burnt ck, mirroring the color of his robes, but at least he''d survived! Of course, Kang Oh and Eder had nothing to celebrate over. After all, there were still three Tmanders in front of them. ''We can''t win!'' Kang Oh immediately concluded. In their current state, killing three Tmanders was impossible. If that''s the case, then running away was their best option. However, they suddenly heard the sharp ng of weapons from deep within the cave. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! The Tmanders were attracted by the noise. They ignored Kang Oh and Eder, and instead turned around and went back the way they came. "Haa, we survived." Kang Oh wasn''t sure what just happened, but he''d managed to survive, so he heaved a huge sigh of relief. "Hoo." Eder followed suit. However, they couldn''t stay here and rest. After all, the Tmanders coulde back at any time. ''Do we go deeper into the cave, or do we leave.... That''s the question.'' Kang Oh decided on the former. After all, the Death Eagles and rhinos were fighting outside. He didn''t want to return to that chaotic battlefield. "Let''s keep going." "Keep... going?" "Yeah. It should be safer to find refuge inside than to go back out there. That''s what I think at any rate." "I''ll follow your lead, Mr. Kang Oh." Kang Oh and Eder made their way through the cave. * * * A flowing river of boilingva. There was a bridge that crossed over it, which was where a fierce battle was currently taking ce. 100 warriors, armed with the finest equipment, fought against five Tmanders. Kang Oh and Eder hid behind a pile of rocks and watched on. "If I''m right, then... Those are the ck Hammer Dwarves!" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. The ck Hammer Dwarves, who''d purportedly chosen to hide in Despia. It seemed like that''s who the warriors were. Taking into consideration the quality of their weapons, their tout bodies, and their short height, they were definitely dwarves. Anyhow, the Dwarven Warriors easily defeated the Tmanders, as if they were used to fighting them. Sometimeter... Thud! The final Tmander fell to the floor. "Collect the bones and the fire. Make sure to pick up their hearts too," the dwarf leader said. As per his orders, the warriors began to disassemble the Tmanders. ''I have to meet with them no matter what!'' Kang Oh rushed out of the rocks and onto the bridge. "Huh? Mr. Kang Oh?" His ming eyes shook at the suddenness of Kang Oh''s actions. He was definitely taken aback. However, he soon calmed down, remained behind cover, and watched how the situation unfolded. Then, he slightly raised his scythe. If need be, he''d use magic to assist Kang Oh. Meanwhile, Kang Oh greeted the heavily armed warriors. "Hello, my name is Kang Oh," Kang Oh yelled. The warriors said nothing, but they all turned their heads towards Kang Oh. "A... human?" the leader said, surprised. "That''s right. You''re all dwarves, right?" "How did you know that?" "Do you remember Mr. Honadan?" Honadan was the man that Kang Oh had rescued from Lalka''s Ziggurat. Anyhow, Honadan was the one who''d guided the ck Hammer Dwarves to the western desert region, so he believed they''d respond to that name. "Honadan!" As expected, the leader knew who Honadan was. ''They''re definitely the ck Hammer Dwarves.'' After all, the only dwarves who should know about him are the ck Hammer Dwarves. "I don''t have any ties with that damn dragon. I just wanted to ask you something." Kang Oh stretched out both of his hands. ''I''m not a threat, I swear!'' "Mm." "So could we please talk? It''d be even better if we could talk somece safe." "Follow us." It seemed as though he''d piqued the dwarf leader''s interest. Thus, he decided to ept Kang Oh''s request. "I have someone apanying me... Summon Eder!" Poof. Eder reappeared beside him. "He cane with us." "Thank you." "We''re heading back to our hideout!" Kang Oh and Eder followed the ck Hammer Dwarves to their hideout. * * * The dwarves had created a hideout by digging a tunnel through the volcano''s walls. "Igriham, Book, follow me and the outsiders. The rest of you, do your duties and then rest." "Yes, Chieftain!" the Dwarven Warriors yelled simultaneously. "This way." The dwarf leader led Kang Oh and Eder to his own personal room. The Dwarven Warriors, Igriham and Book, were thest ones in line. They were there to keep Kang Oh and Eder from doing anything stupid! But Kang Oh and Eder weren''t here to make trouble, so they didn''t do anything that would draw their ire. Anyhow, they finally reached the dwarf leader''s room. "I''m the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Chieftain, Randelhoff. This is Igriham, and the other is Book. Randelhoff introduced himself without taking off his helmet or armor. His subordinates didn''t either. "My name is Kang Oh." "I am Eder." "Are you undead?" Randelhoff looked at Eder and said. "He''s human, but due to situations outside of his control, he''s currently using an undead body," Kang Oh replied. "Well, I suppose everyone has their own set of problems," Randelhoff said bitterly. "True. That''s why I came here," Kang Oh agreed. "How do you know Mr. Honadan? And how did you get to this god forsakennd?" Randelhoff asked. He''de to Despia so long ago, yet this was the first time he''d ever seen a human here. "It''s a long story. Let me start from the beginning." "Go ahead." Randelhoff seemed rxed. He had plenty of time, so he was all too willing to listen to his story, no matter the length. "So this is how it went..." Kang Oh began exining how he''d tracked the whereabouts of the ck Hammer Dwarves and came here. He started with the quest that Vn had given him. Then, he exined how he had gotten a clue to the ck Hammer Dwarves'' whereabouts from the Adventurer Guild, and had gone to the Great Forest. From there, he visited the Sand Tribe. "Mr. Honadan was the only one who knew where you had gone. But when I went to see him, he was in danger. I saved him from Lalka''s Ziggurat." "Mm." "Mr. Honadan taught me how to get to Despia. I suppose it''s more urate to say that he taught me how you all got here." "You''re referring to that crazy n of deliberately getting eaten by Livi." Randelhoff''s face was covered by his helmet. Even so, Kang Oh could tell that he was smiling. "That''s right. Eder and I were eaten by Livi on the night of the full moon. We went through quite a lot to get here." "Did youe here for us?" Randelhoff asked. "That''s not all of it. The biggest reason is because of him." Kang Oh pointed at Eder. "If he''s to regain his human body, then he needs to find the Temple of Death that exists somewhere in Despia. That''s why we were forced toe here." "The Temple of Death..." "Do you know where it''s located?" Eder suddenly asked. "I don''t know where exactly it is. But I do know that it''s not here." "Not here? What do you mean?" Eder tilted his head. ''The Temple of Death should be somewhere in Despia...'' "To be more specific, it''s not on this floor." "Is Despia divided into floors?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right. Of course, the floors aren''t connected by a stairway or a passageway. To go even further underground, you need to find the door." "Where is that door?" Eder asked. "I don''t know." Randelhoff shook his head. "And... it seems like you have something to ask of us." "Yes. I''d like you to make me a sword," Kang Oh asked politely. "I''m sorry, but I can''t do that," Randelhoff firmly said. "May I ask why?" Kang Oh kept calm. "Hoo." Randelhoff suddenly took off his helmet. "Mm." Kang Oh and Eder looked shocked. Scales, which looked like ck diamonds, were all over his face. "The ck Dragon, Inarius, dragged us into hisir and used us like ves. As if that wasn''t enough, he changed us too," Randelhoff said roughly, his eyes burning with anger. "We just barely escaped his grasp and came here to hide. And we made a vow. That we''d never, ever make another sword or piece of armor for anyone else!" They would never again forge weapons/armor for an outsider, and wouldn''t be used against their will either! True, there was no one in Despia that they could make weapons for, but all of the ck Hammer Dwarves had taken that solemn oath regardless. "We''ll never break our vow," Randelhoff said firmly. He''d never heard someone so determined before. "No exceptions?" "None." "Mm." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. His meeting with them was good. However, he couldn''t ask them to make a demon sword for him. Kang Oh was at his wit''s end. His resentment towards Vn suddenly welled up in his heart. ''Seriously, that guy never gives me any easy quests!'' For the time being, Kang Oh decided not to ask them about the demon sword. ''Let sleeping dogs lie.'' He nned on slowly convincing them. "I understand. But would you be willing to allow myself and Eder to stay here?" They needed a safe home base if they wanted to stay in Despia. And there was no better ce than the dwarves'' hideout. "The ck Hammer Dwarves treat guests with care. We''ll provide a room for you, so stay for as long as you wish." Kang Oh and Eder bowed their heads. Chapter 244. Together with the Dwarves

Chapter 244. Together with the Dwarves

Trantor: Boko "I have one other request," Kang Oh said carefully. "What is it?" Randelhoff answered. "I''d like to go hunting with you," he politely answered. "Hunting?" "Yes. Eder and I know next to nothing about this ce. I''d like to apany the Dwarven Warriors and slowly limate myself to this ce." Hunting the monsters in the volcanic region, just the two of them, was both dangerous and difficult. After all, the monsters here were extremely powerful. But if they were to apany the Dwarven Warriors, then they''d be able to hunt safely. Of course, they''d receive much less experience, proficiency, and loot, but it would be worth it. ''And... I need to stay close by if I want to be friends with them.'' He nned to maximize his closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves, and then ask them to make him a demon sword. "I''m confident in my skills. We won''t get in your way!" Kang Oh said strongly. "What about the loot?" "We''ll only take what we earn." "Alright. We''ll bring you along when we go out to hunt." Randelhoff epted Kang Oh''s request. ''Yes!'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. "Do you have any other requests?" Randelhoff asked. "No," Kang Oh immediately replied. "Igriham, provide them a ce to stay." Randelhoff stared at Igriham, who was standing firmly at the side. "Understood. Please follow me." Igriham motioned for them to follow, and Kang Oh and Eder followed him out the room. With their departure, only Randelhoff and Book remained. "This is the first time we''ve had guests since we established our hideout," Randelhoff said. "Are you sure about this? They could be Inarius''s agents," Book said concernedly. After escaping Inarius''s grasp, the ck Hammer Dwarves hade here, to Despia, in order to hide. But what if Kang Oh and Eder were Inarius''s spies? They would tell Inarius where the ck Hammer Dwarves were hiding. "I know. But they mentioned Mr. Honadan, so we have to treat them as guests." Honadan! He was their tribes'' savior, one who''d helped them escape from Inarius. They couldn''t throw them out, as they''d both saved Honadan and had learned how to get here from him. "And nothing Kang Oh said felt off to me. You saw his sword, right?" "Yes, it''s a demon sword." Book recalled Kang Oh''s jet-ck de, as well as the familiar ''scent'' (darkness) it emitted! "He''s definitely a Demonic Swordsman. We''re the only ones capable of forging weapons imbued with the power of darkness, so it''s not strange that he came to us." Let''s say that you needed something really badly, but there was only one ce you could get it. You''d go there, no matter how far it was. "Do you think they''re telling the truth about the Temple of Death too?" "If Kang Oh is telling the truth, then that undead, Eder, is likely telling the truth too." "Mm." Book nodded his head. "We have to keep a close eye on them. We still don''t know what their true intentions are." Of course, Randelhoff didn''tpletely trust Kang Oh and Eder. "We have no choice but to keep watching them." "Mm, time will tell. Whether they''re actual guests, or our enemies!" The ck Hammer Dwarves'' hideout. To create this hideout, the dwarves had dug a tunnel inside the volcano; as a result, the passageway was narrow, and the road wasplex. The room that Kang Oh and Eder had been provided with didn''t have a door, but a piece of yellow leather draped over the entrance instead. Igriham paused in front of a room, and raised the curtain. "Please use this room," he said curtly. "Thank you." Kang Oh and Eder briefly nodded, and entered the room. The room was rectangr, and contained a stone bed, table, chairs, etc. It wasrge enough for two people tofortably live in. "The path is confusing, so if you need something, please call me with this bell." Igriham passed him a fist-sized brown bell. "Understood." Kang Oh epted the bell and ced it atop the table. "Is there anything you need in particr?" "Nothing at the moment. How about you?" Kang Oh stared at Eder. "I don''t need anything." "Then, please rest." Igriham left, leaving Kang Oh and Eder alone in their room. "I''m d things went well," Eder said. He was referring to the fact that they''d found the ck Hammer Dwarves and were able to stay in their hideout. Kang Oh nodded his head."It''s a relief for sure. Staying here without somece safe would be suicide with all the Death Eagles and Tmanders roaming about." "Moreover... I believe I can set up a transfer magic circle here. With it, we''ll be able toe to and leave Despia whenever we wish," Eder said. Possessing a Lich''s body allowed him to create transfer magic circles, which were simr to the intercity transfer gates or the soul dungeon''s magic circles. He only now brought it up because they were now in a rtively safe location! Let''s say he ced a magic circle just anywhere and returned to the continent. What if the magic circle was attacked by monsters or was damaged in some way? Obviously, they wouldn''t be able to return to Despia via the magic circle. In order to get back here, they''d have to get eaten by Livi again, explore its insides, andplete the heart''s quest again! Thus, Eder hadn''t even thought about setting up a magic circle until now. However, the ck Hammer Dwarves'' hideout was a suitable ce to set one up. It was a safe location, so the magic circle wouldn''t be damaged here! "Don''t set one up yet," Kang Oh said. "Why?" "The dwarves hid here after escaping Inarius''s grasp. Do you really think they''d appreciate us creating a magic circle that connects this ce to the outside world without their permission?" Kang Oh scolded him. ''Think before you act!'' "T-That''s true." Eder scratched his head. He was right. It was like trying to tear down a wall without the home owner''s permission. "So what''s your n from now on?" Eder changed the subject. "Mooch off the dwarves as much as I can!" The ck Hammer Dwarves had lived in Despia for some time! Thus, Kang Oh nned on using them as much as he could. * * * Within the volcano... "I''ming over!" "Raise your shields!" "Kill the left one first!" The Dwarven Warriors were engaged in battle, wielding hammersrger than a person''s head and garbed in thick armor. They were fighting against Hacrabs. Hacrabs were monster crabs that lived inva. They were more than 3 meters in size, possessing giant pincers and a tough, brown exoskeleton. Since they lived in the volcanic region, they were capale of spewingva too. They were in between level 350 to 400! Plus, there were more than 30 of them here. "Hey, Newbie. Help the left nk!" a dwarf yelled at Kang Oh. "Understood!" Kang Oh replied immediately, and dashed towards the left nk. "Huahp!" Kang Oh struck a Hacrab''s shell with Ubist. ng! The repulsive force was tremendous. ''It really is tough!'' Of course its shell was tough; after all, it was a monster that lived inva. The Hacrab opened its mouth. Spurt! Redva gushed from its mouth. Kang Oh quickly moved to the side. Hiss! Lava collected where he''d once been, causing ck smoke to rise from the ground. "Haaht!" Kang Oh attacked once more. sh! A white line followed Ubist''s path. Bam! Kang Oh cleaved its shell, leaving behind a very slight wound on its surface. Switch. Kang Oh swapped Ubist for Blood. Using Blood, a smaller, lighter weapon, would be more effective when targeting such a small wound! He quickly swung his sword, stubbornly aiming for that very spot. Once his de made contact, red shards of light burst from the monster''s body. Whoosh! The Hacrab swung its w. It was as if a giant wrecking ball was flying at him. However, it wasn''t all that dangerous. ''It''s slow!'' Kang Oh''s movements were as light as a feather; he dodged the w and then continued his assault. By continuously striking at the wound, the wound erged and also caused the crab''s shell to crack like a spiderweb. ''Good.'' Switch. Kang Oh gripped Ubist once more. His target had gottenrger, so it was time to hit it hard. "Haht!" He leapt into the air and swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! Boom! The golden tiger-shaped aura fiercely pounced onto the Hacrab. Crack! The already cracked shell fully shattered. Once its shell was broken, the Hacrab entered a confused state and was unable to move. "Over here!" "Finish it off!" The Dwarven Warriors quickly came over and bashed on it with their hammers. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Their giant hammers gave off a earth rending, heavy ''whoosh''. Eventually, the Hacrab met its end. [You have defeated a Molten Rock Hacrab.] [You have defeated a monster that lives in an incredibly dangerous area (Despia).] [You have received additional experience and proficiency.] "Good job, Newbie." A Dwarven Warrior patted his shoulder. "Thank you." Kang Oh grinned. However, the battle wasn''t over yet. There were still a ton of Hacrabs left. ''Next up is... you!'' Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor and dashed towards his next target. Eder wasn''t just standing around and doing nothing. He mmed his scythe onto the floor. Then, a purple ring spread outwards. AoE Curse: Age! Any Hacrab within range of it was weakened. "Seize them!" Eder extended his hand at a crab. Bone Bind! A bone prison grew around the crab''s brown shell like coral. Spurt! The Hacrab spewedva and violently moved around, attempting to break out of the bone prison. But Eder''s body was that of a level 400 Lich, so his magic wouldn''t be broken so easily. "Explode!" Eder clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! Boom! The white bones exploded outwards, apanied by a huge ''boom''. No matter how tough its shell was, it wouldn''t remain unscathed after a point nk Bone Bomb. "Now. Attack!" "Kill it!" The Dwarven Warriors charged at the Hacrab, which was unable to steady itself. Bam! Bam! Bam! Whenever they bashed on the crab, a heavy sound, one akin to what you would expect to hear at a construction site, rang out. Another Hacrab had been taken down. "They''re strong," Randelhoff muttered, witnessing Kang Oh and Eder''s efforts firsthand. "Now I get how they were able to find this ce," Book said from beside him. "They''ll definitely be a huge help." "Indeed." "Our next expedition... is the heart, right?" "Yes. Do you... n on bringing them along?" Book said, surprised. Despia''s volcanic region possessed three extremely dangerous dungeons: the crater, the heart, and the Eagle''s Nest! Every six months, the dwarves picked one of the dungeons and led an expedition there. After all, they could obtain precious resources and minerals there that they couldn''t find anywhere else! With these materials, the ck Hammer Dwarves would be able to better arm themselves. Thus, the expedition was vital to them. "They''ve proven their skill. As you know, the deeper you go inside a dungeon, the more there is to gain." "Mm." "Leaving such skilled individuals here would be such a waste." "Understood." Chapter 245. Transfer Magic Circle

Chapter 245. Transfer Magic Circle

Trantor: Boko With Kang Oh and Eder''s help, the Dwarven Warriors were able to defeat the Hacrabs without much difficulty. Piles of Hacrab corpsesy on the floor. "Hurry up and dismantle them!" "Hey, someone get over here!" "Gather the shells separately!" Even though the battle had ended, the Dwarven Warriors didn''t rest, and immediately got to work. They immediately dismantled the thirty Hacrabs. Randelhoff approached Kang Oh. "Nothing goes to waste. Their shells can be used to make bowls or repair armor, and you can eat their meat. You can even use the Hacrabs'' eggs as medicine." "Is that so?" "I''ll treat you to Hacrab soup sometime. It tastes exquisite! And... good job." Randelhoff patted his shoulder. "It was nothing." Kang Oh grinned. "You''re quite strong." "You don''t see me getting bullied." ''Unless I''m against a monster like Vn!'' "So... I''d like you and Eder to help us out with something." "What is it?" "There are three extremely dangerous dungeons in the volcanic region." "Dungeons?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "The heart, the crater, and the Eagle''s Nest." "The heart, the crater, and the Eagle''s Nest, huh..." Kang Oh muttered. ''The Eagle''s Nest must be the home of the Death Eagles.'' "Our tribes'' greatest warriors will go on an expedition to the heart soon. I''d like you to participate in that expedition," Randelhoff said. "Mm." Kang Oh acted like he was acting thinking about it. "You said you were looking for the Temple of Death, right? You''ll have to head to the next floor... The door to the next floor should be in one of the three dungeons. After all, we''ve looked everywhere else besides those three dungeons," Randelhoff said. "I assume the heart is extremely dangerous?" Kang Oh asked. "Of course it is. But don''t worry. We''re not going to push our luck and try to clear it." "I''d like to participate. But I feel slightly ufortable going on an expedition without preparing myself first." "Are you refusing?" Randelhoff furrowed his brow. "No. But... I''d like to make a request." "I can''t make you any equipment," Randelhoff said firmly. "Mm, then please allow us to set up a transfer magic circle." "A transfer magic circle?" "Eder, exin." "Yes. A transfer magic circle is..." Eder took over and briefly exined how a transfer magic circle worked. "So you want to make a passageway that''ll allow you toe and go as you wish." "Yes. And you can use this magic circle to return to the continent too. Of course, that''s only if you want to," Kang Oh said carefully. "We can''t do that. If we return, then Inarius wille for us. The volcanic region is the only safe ce for us." Despia was Deborah''s domain. Thus, Inarius and his subordinates couldn''t just enter it as they pleased. But if the ck Hammer Dwarves left Despia, then they would inevitably be caught by Inarius once more. "Mm. If that''s the case, then Eder and I will use the magic circle to prepare for the expedition." "What if our enemies or an unwee guestes through it?" Randelhoff asked. "Unless they have our permission, they will not be able to pass through the magic circle," Eder said. "And we can use the magic circle to bring goods from the continent here," Kang Oh added immediately after. "Goods from the continent?" "Yes. Like Phamas Beer." "Phamas Beer!" Phamas Beer was made in the Phamas Mountains, which was the home of the dwarves, and was the dwarves'' most beloved drink. Obviously, the ck Hammer Dwarves were no exception. They haven''t had one sip of it sinceing here. The environment here wasn''t conducive for making beer; even if it was, theycked the materials to make it. "I can also bring food, medicine, potions, and other day-to-day necessities. I know a trustworthy merchant. I can get the goods from him." "Hoo, this isn''t something I can decide on my own. I''ll ask the other dwarves what they think." "Please make a wise decision." "Mm." Several dayster. "Set up the magic circle." Randelhoff finally gave them permission. "And bring some Phamas Beer!" The dwarves had had an intense argument regarding the magic circle. "This is our chance. We can''t afford to squander it!" a young dwarf said, in favor of the magic circle. "Are you kidding me? That''s what Inarius wants us to do. He''s trying to make a path to capture us again! We have to kill Kang Oh and Eder immediately!" an aggressive, middle-aged dwarf yelled. "We can''t keep living like this!" "What''s wrong with this!? Remember our time with Inarius!?" Then, the oldest dwarf said, "Mm, I may not be able to see our home again before I die, but... I''d like to drink its beer onest time." "Mm." "Aah!" Their home''s beer! This had a profound effect on the dwarves. All of the ck Hammer Dwarves yearned for their home, the Phamas Mountains. Ultimately, this singr feeling was the reason the dwarves had allowed Kang Oh and Eder to set up the magic circle. "But you need to let us know when you use it. And we''re going to station some guards around it too," Randelhoff said. "Understood." Kang Oh obediently nodded his head. "Mm, I''m not sure whether this is a good idea or not, but... I''ll be counting on you from now on." "Yes." Kang Oh and Randelhoff shook hands. All of the ck Hammer Dwarves were watching this spectacle. Some of them looked on with excitement, while others looked on with fear. "I''ll set up the transfer magic circle immediately." Eder opened his subspace. A subspace was like a yer''s inventory, except it was exclusively used by mages. Eder pulled out various magic materials from his subspace, like a magic crystal, gold magic powder, a dimensional transfer scroll, etc. "Alright." Eder rolled up his sleeves and began constructing the magic circle. Sometimeter... A circr magic circle, with a radius of about 2 meters, was formed. Whir! The magic circle radiated dim light. That meant it was working properly. "I''m finished." Eder wiped his forehead. Since he was undead, he didn''t sweat, but he did it out of habit. "We''ll be back. And when I return, I''ll be bringing the merchant that I told you about," Kang Oh said. He''d already discussed this with them beforehand. They needed a merchant to bring the goods over and trade with them. "Mm, alright." "Let''s go." Kang Oh and Eder stood atop the magic circle. Swoosh. They were enveloped in iridescent light, and thendscape instantly changed. They were no longer inside of a dark, dreary cave, but were instead surrounded by a bustling crowd andrge, refined buildings! Kang Oh and Eder had returned to Altein! * * * Eder''s mansion. "Wow, I''m back home!" Eder eximed. He''d been through hell and back for a few weeks, so he couldn''t help but feel happy to be back home. Eder exited the Lich''s body and returned to Arumode''s body. It was much morefortable for him. "Hehehe." Eder threw himself onto the sofa. He felt great justying on thefy sofa. Kang Oh sat on a sofa too, and then opened a message window. - Mr. Man Bok. - Yes? An immediate response. - Are you busy? - What''s the matter? - If you''re not busy, then pleasee to Eder''s house. I have something to tell you. - Understood. I''ll be there within an hour. - I''ll be waiting. Man Bok came in about 30 minutes. "It''s been a while." Man Bok''s face was shining. ''Business must be good.'' "Oh, Mr. Man Bok! Wee!" Eder greeted him differently. It only made sense. After all, he was a good person that made him a ton of money! Man Bok smiled and said, "How did... Despia go?" "We found it," Kang Oh said. "Ooh, is that so?" Man Bok was astonished. "We were able toe back because we set up a transfer magic circle there. Of course, we can go back there too," Eder said. "How is Despia?" Man Bok asked, his eyes gleaming. "Despia is..." Kang Oh briefly exined the volcanic region and the monsters that appeared within it. "I met the ck Hammer Dwarves there. And it looks like we''ll be able to trade with them," Kang Oh said. "Hoh, trade huh?" Man Bok''s eyes narrowed. It seemed like his merchant instincts were reacting to that. "They want Phamas Beer the most, but they want other goods, such as food, day-to-day necessities, potions, medicine, etc." "What do they have to offer?" "They''re willing to trade natural resources, minerals, materials, etc. that are found in Despia." "Mm. An exchange of goods." "Yes. So I''d like you to be in charge of trading." "I ept." Man Bok obviously epted. The more customers you had, the better. Plus, Man Bok could monopolize this particr customer! ''Moreover, they''re trading goods thate from Despia.'' There were no downsides to this deal. "We agreed to return in three days via the transfer magic circle. Please be ready by then." "Understood." "And I need some things too." "What do you need?" "All the items that you provided me with while I was in the west." "Ah, the mass-produced BB-rank swords, various potions, and other items needed when adventuring. How about junk?" ''Junk'' referred to crappy items that Kang Oh fed Ubist. "I don''t need those." "I''ll bring everything that you need, along with the items that the dwarves want, in three days." "Yes, I''m counting on you." Once Kang Oh was finished with him, Eder brought Man Bok to his room. They must have something to discuss regarding business. Kang Oh closed his eyes and enjoyed his long-awaited rest. * * * The ck Hammer Dwarves'' hideout. Whir! The magic circle glowed with radiant light. Gulp. Randelhoff and the other dwarves anxiously looked at the magic circle. Swish. Figures appeared above the magic circle. It was Kang Oh, Eder, and Man Bok. Of course, they hadn''te empty-handed. They''d brought along a wagon filled with goods too. "We''re back," Kang Oh said. "Mm." "This is Mr. Man Bok. He''s a trustworthy merchant." Kang Oh pointed at Man Bok. "My name is Man Bok." Man Bok beamed. Then, he pulled out a square box and passed it to Randelhoff. "This is a small gift." "This is..." Randelhoff opened the box and widened his eyes. There was a thick brown cigar inside. "It''s a Phamas Cigar." A Phamas Cigar was, like Phamas Beer, an item that was deeply enjoyed by the dwarves. "Thanks." "I brought a ton of Phamas Beer too," Man Bok said. "Mm!" "Phamas Beer!" a dwarf yelled. "Waaaaa!" the other dwarves eximed. That day, the ck Hammer Dwarves drank through the night. Chapter 246. Predator

Chapter 246. Predator

Trantor: Boko Park Hyun Min was a college student who''d taken a leave of absence from school. He didn''t have a girlfriend and... yed Arth under the ID, ''Sephiro''. "Yawn." He opened the door to his room, yawned, and went inside. He was wearing a tracksuit, and was carrying some snacks in his hand. It was popcorn. He ripped open the bag, and poured the contents into arge bowl. Then, he nced at his clock. ''It''ll be on soon.'' Aftering back from the bathroom, Hyun Min sat in front of his TV and lifted his remote control. Beep. He set it to GBS. It was showing a water bottlemercial. ''C''mon, hurry up.'' Hyun Min threw a handful of popcorn into his mouth. Themercials kept going on and on. To relieve his boredom, Hyun Min turned on his tablet and opened GBS''s chat window. - Ah, it''s anothermercial. - When is it starting? - Did you buy another pair of underwear? - I don''t need it. I found a diaper. - Oh, stop being such a drama queen. - What did you say, punk? - Ah, forget it. Hurry up and start the program! - Right! The chat window was mostly filled with messages like ''Hurry up!''. Hyun Min added a ''Do your job, GBS!'' too. How long had he waited already? Drum roll! The TV began to y some solemn music. "It''s finally starting." Hyun Min focused on the screen. Predator! Eat or be Eaten! The fight between Kang Oh and the Wyvern King, Draka, would finally be revealed to the world. * * * It began with Kang Oh, assuming his Red Demon form, flying up the stone pir. Munch, munch. Hyun Min kept his eyes glued to the screen, eating a handful of popcorn. ''Ooh.'' At some point, Hyun Min eximed in amazement. Kang Oh battled the wyverns, using Darkness Chain to move around like an acrobat. ''''That''s really tough to do. As expected, he really is skilled. Too bad his personality is trash.'''' A short whileter... Hyun Min clenched his fist. Kang Oh was in the air, being chased by a hundred wyverns. Fortunately, he managed to get away from them, andnded in Draka''s nest. "Hoo." Only then did Hyun Min rx his hand and start eating popcorn again. But soon after, he couldn''t help but clench his fist again. Kang Oh hid within a pile of Draka''s prey as he approached, none the wiser. When the tension reached its boiling point... Kang Oh burst out of the pile andunched a surprise attack, initiating the fierce battle between the two predators. They''d finally gotten to the good part! Hyun Min had forgotten all about his popcorn, and watched the program with both hands clenched. There was no time to even breath, and the tension never waned. The show, Predator, was aptly named, as Kang Oh and Draka were two apex predators trying to kill each other! "No!" Hyun Min looked dizzy. Kang Oh was caught in Draka''s Lightning Breath. Draka mistakenly assumed that Kang Oh was dead, so he flew down to his nest. Indeed, Kang Oh''s face was nted in the ground. All of sudden...! Giant wings stretched out of his back. Resurrection! Then, the battle became even more brutal. Having lost his wings, the Wyvern King, Draka, transformed into the incarnation of rage! Meanwhile, Kang Oh was at full strength, using Gluttony, Strong Body, Devil Trigger, and Myul''s Herculean Strength! Eventually, their fight reached its climax. Kang Oh''s Evesting Darkness versus Draka''s Lightning Breath! The two predators'' most powerful attacks had shed head-on. Hyun Min and the viewers knew that whoever won this contest of strength would be the final victor. Lightning and darkness pushed against each other to-and-fro, and Hyun Min groaned as if he needed to use the restroom. "C''mon. Just a little bit more!" Hyun Min yelled. Unfortunately for him, Kang Oh''s darkness was slowly being pushed back. "Ah." He looked disappointed. But the situation changed when the golden aura intertwined with the darkness. Kang Oh had used Tempest Tiger. Boom! "Wow!" Hyun Min eximed, as the st of ck and gold struck Draka head-on. This was his chance to turn things around. Then, Kang Oh and Draka unleashed various abilities. "He won!" Hyun Min said with certainty. However... Kuwaaah! Draka unleashed a final Lightning Breath at Kang Oh. "He survived that?" Hyun Min''s expression stiffened upon seeing Kang Oh''s unstable form. For a moment there, he thought, ''Isn''t he going to lose?''. At that moment... Kang Oh swung his sword. Then, the Lightning Breath and the Wyvern King, Draka, were cleaved in two! This was the result of a single sword swing! Hyun Min gaped. There was only one thing on his mind. ''This is crazy! Absolutely crazy!'' * * * - What did I just watch? - Crazy bastard. - I wet myself a little. - The diaper wasn''t enough. - That was amazing. - I''m really getting goosebumps here. - Let''s date. - Oh god! The chat window was filled with messages praising Kang Oh. Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory, was the same. Once Predator was over, the site was filled with a deluge ofplimentary posts. [The best, and a legend.] [The greatest ever.] [God Oh.] [The strongest Number.] ... Predator, which caused everyone toplement Kang Oh, had an unbelievable viewership rating of 13.2%. GBS''s normal viewership rating was 5%, after all. Obviously, GBS''s executives were happy with Jin Cheol''s work, and the production crew were given a bonus and a vacation. Plus, Predator was rerun from morning to night. There were several people who watched it repeatedly. After all, it was too good to just watch once! The hero of the story, Jae Woo, also got several job offers. He was asked to do an interview, go on a program, was scouted by entertainment agencies, and was even offered a role in amercial! Jae Woo rejected all of the interview and program offers. He wasn''t satisfied with the money they were offering him. He also rejected the entertainment agencies too. Jae Woo only epted themercial offer, as it didn''t require much of his time, but paid him arge sum of money. ''To think I''d star in amercial...'' Jae Woo suddenly realized how popr he''d be. He was the hottest man in Korea right now! However, he had no intention of bing a celebrity. Starring in amercial or being on TV was anciry to his primary goal! His primary goal was to be rank 1 in Arth, which was widely considered to be the best game in the world! In other words, his goal was to be the best. Plus, he wanted to make so much money that he wouldn''t be able to spend it all. Jae Woo didn''t forget that goal too. ''Shall we get going?'' Kang Oh activated the virtual reality capsule and logged into Arth. * * * The dwarven expedition to the volcano''s heart had begun. Chieftain Randelhoff, Book, and Igriham led 50 of their best warriors. Of course, Kang Oh and Eder were included in this. They''d set off for the expedition more prepared than ever before, as Man Bok had provided them with all the supplies they''d need. Is that why? The dwarves'' faces were filled with strength andposure. They crossed the curved road above theva, and gradually went deeper into the volcano. Halfway through, they encountered Tmanders, Hacrabs, Lava Centipedes, etc., but they weren''t an issue. They didn''t get lost along the way either. The expedition force safely reached the dungeon''s entrance. "Let''s eat and repair our equipment before we go in," Randelhoff yelled. The dwarves seemed used to this, as they split off into groups of two or three, and began eating the food they''d brought with them. Kang Oh stared at the dungeon''s entrance. It was a giant, arch-shaped door. Characters he''d never seen lined the door, glowing red. ''Enraged Lava Spirits'' Den...'' Randelhoff had given him a brief exnation of the volcano''s heart. It was a dungeon filled with fire spirits; the smallest would be about 1 meter in size, while thergest would be more than triple that. ''Spirits, huh.'' Kang Oh tightly gripped Ubist. He was excited that he''d be able to use one of its special abilities, Abyss de, to its fullest. "What are you so worked up about?" Eder approached him. "An opportunity." "An opportunity?'' "Yeah. An opportunity to level up like crazy." ''Lava Spirits. You''re all mine!'' Kang Oh grinned. "It''d be nice if the door that leads to the next area is in there," Eder said. As always, he was solely focused on finding the Temple of Death. As fast as he could at that! Sometimeter... "We''re entering the dungeon!" Randelhoff yelled. The Dwarven Warriors got into formation, and advanced towards the arch-shaped door. Kang Oh and Eder stood at the end of the line. Once he entered the door, a system message popped up. [Entering the dungeon, Deskein Heart.] * * * Deskein Heart''syout was extremely simple. A bridge, which wasrge enough to fit more than twenty cars side-by-side, stretched forward. Redvay underneath the bridge, emitting an endless supply of heat, steam, and smoke. Essentially, they were crossing a huge bridge over a sea ofva! ''It''s exactly as I heard.'' He wasn''t surprised because Randelhoff had already told him about theyout of the dungeon. "Everyone, drink your fire resistance potions," Book yelled. Kang Oh pulled out an orange potion from his belt and drank it down. [You have drunk a Powerful Fire Resistance Potion.] [Fire Resistance has increased significantly.] [Duration Time: 30 minutes.] Kang Oh, Eder, and the rest of the dwarves drank their fire resistance potions. Man Bok had obviously provided them with these potions. "Advance slowly," Randelhoff yelled. The expedition force made their way forward. Then, the boilingva rose into the air like a rising dragon and... Boom! A barrage of dark red spheres rained down from above. "Dodge!" "Raise your shields!" The Dwarven Warriors raised their voices, undaunted by the sudden disy. Bam, bam, bam! The dark red spheres flew towards the bridge. They then wriggled around, and assumed an actual shape. Lava Spirits! It was as if a sculptor had tried to sculpt a small child, but had failed halfway and had just clumped the y together into one single mass. They were between 1 meter and 3 meters in size. Their size corresponded with their power, so therger ones were more powerful. "Attack! Stay in formation!" Randelhoff yelled. The Dwarven Warrior split into groups of four or five, and attacked the Lava Spirits. Ederassessed the battlefield, and decided to support the expedition force with curses and bone magic. Meanwhile, Kang Oh fought against a 2 meter Lava Spirit one on one. Swish. The moment his jet-ck de made contact... Bam! A huge shard of light burst from its body. He''d clearlynded a critical hit. ''Abyss de works on them!'' Moreover...! Slice. A dark red mass fell from the Lava Spirit''s body. Its faint, almost unrecognizable face grimaced. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He relentlessly cut it again and again. As a result, he instantly killed one of the Lava Spirits. [You have killed an Enraged Lava Spirit.] [You have defeated a monster that lives in an incredibly dangerous area (Despia).] [You have received additional experience and proficiency.] [You have leveled up.] ''This is the best hunting ground!'' Kang Oh couldn''t control himself. Chapter 247. Deskein Heart

Chapter 247. Deskein Heart

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh rushed at a nearby 3 meter Lava Spirit. Whoosh! The Lava Spirit swung its fist, unleashing a dark red pir of fire. me Cannon! Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. Lightning Breath! Crackle! Sparks danced over his jet-ck de. Boom! The lightning st drilled through the me pir and struck the Lava Spirit''s face. Bam! The spirit reeled from the impact. Kang Oh quickly closed in and horizontally swung his sword. Swish. Kang Oh cleaved through its waist as if he were cutting through tofu. Red shards of light flew through the air. However, he hadn''t been able to cut through it entirely. There was a tough mineral within its body, which stopped his de from going all the way through. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Abyss de wasn''t able to disy its full power. Kuooh! The Lava Spirit stretched out its arms, and attempted to strangle him. Kang Oh backed off, but... Spurt! All of a sudden, mes surged from beneath his feet. This was the work of the Lava Spirit''s ''Eruption'' skill. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and turned his body to the side. The mes singed his nk and his thigh. Although he''d taken some fire damage, it wasn''t that big of a deal. "Don''t try to do everything by yourself." "Yeah, be careful with the big ones." The Dwarven Warriors came over and surrounded the Lava Spirit. "I''ll leave it to you!" Kang Oh turned around. Dealing with the 3 meter Lava Spirits was tough. However, he could kill smaller (2 meter or less) Lava Spirits in a single hit. If that''s the case, then he''d leave therger Lava Spirits to the Dwarven Warriors, and kill as many of the smaller Lava Spirits as he could! ''That guy!'' Kang Oh rushed towards a Lava Spirit, which was just a little over 1 meter in size, and instantly cut it into pieces. Then... "Retreat!" Randelhoff abruptly ordered. ''What?'' Kang Oh took a look around. The battle heavily favored the expedition force. This wasn''t the time to be retreating. "Ava wave ising!" Book yelled. ''Ah, theva wave!'' Kang Oh realized why Randelhoff had ordered their retreat. Ava wave would appear at random and sweep through a portion of the bridge. Anyone caught in theva wave would die, no question about it. "Hurry up and retreat!" Randelhoff yelled. Kang Oh, Eder, and the Dwarven Warriors rushed towards the start of the bridge. Spurt! A giant wave ofva covered part of the bridge. It was truly a breathtaking sight. "Ugh, if you get caught in that, then you''re 100% dead," Eder said. "Yeah, probably." Kang Oh kept the statement ''Be careful of theva wave'' at the forefront of his mind. Once theva wave passed, a few puddles ofva remained on top of the bridge. Minerals they hadn''t seen before had been left behind too! When theva wavees through, it leaves behind rare gems. "Get to it!" Randelhoff yelled. "Mining team, follow me." Ten dwarves ran across the bridge towards the newly formed minerals. At the same time, theva rose several times, spawning new Lava Spirits. "Protect the mining team! Don''t let the spirits absorb the minerals!" Book yelled. If the Lava Spirits absorbed the minerals, then they would evolve into named monsters. "Uaaah!" "Attack!" The Dwarven Warriors charged. Even Randelhoff and Book, who''d focused exclusively on leading the troops thus far, joined the battle. * * * The ck Hammer Dwarves had been Inarius''s ves for a long time. Moreover, their bodies had been modified without their consent as well! The Dwarven Warrior, Igriham. An ogre''s muscles had been transnted into his body, giving him incredible physical strength. As a side effect, however, his face became extremely ugly. He was once considered the handsomest of them all, but one experiment had turned him into the ugliest. That''s why he didn''t remove his helmet, even when he wasn''t in battle. Back then, he''d been bright and sociable, but now, he was cold and reserved. "Enemies. Attack until they''re dead." Igriham swung his hammer at a Lava Spirit. It was a strike with the physical might of an ogre! Whoosh! Bam! His attack was so powerful that the Lava Spirit was ttened like a rice cake. Roar! The Lava Spirit fiercely swung its arms, and the surging mes burned Igriham. In spite of that, Igriham remained calm. He simply whacked the Lava Spirit with his hammer again and again. Whack! Whack! Whack! The two quickly lost HP. However, the Lava Spirit was the first to die. "Hmm." Igriham dusted off the mes as if it were no big deal. The Dwarven Warrior, Book. His left eye wasn''t his own. Book''s original eye had been reced by a Basilisk''s eye, which petrified anything within its sight. Book''s helmet partly opened, revealing his left reptilian eye. Petrifying Evil Eye! The charging Lava Spirit suddenly froze. Its lower body began to stiffen and turn gray. Roar! All it could do was punch him, so that''s what it did. Its fists burned with mighty mes. Fire Mace! Book swung his hammer in turn. Bam! The Lava Spirit''s fist and Book''s hammer shed! They shed a second and third time too. Book kept swinging his hammer, and the Lava Spirit kept punching him. How much time had passed? The Lava Spirit gave in first. Its entire body had turned to stone, so it could no longer move. "Rest in peace." Book swung his hammer, smashing the Lava Spirit''s head. Crack! The Lava Spirit broke into pieces. Diamond-like ck scales sparsely covered Randelhoff''s face. Randelhoff was imnted with a Germadil''s cells, giving him these steel scales. Anyhow, these scales allowed Randelhoff to fend off steel weapons with his body. Moreover, he''d carefully constructed his armor, and even carried around a shield too. Thus, Randelhoff had the greatest defense here. He was obviously their tank, the one who took all of the enemies'' attacks. "It doesn''t even tickle, you bastards!" Randelhoff ordered his troops while tanking three 3 meter Lava Spirits. "Mining team, hurry up! The rest of you, protect the mining team and don''t let the Lava Spirits get close to the rare minerals! Book, be on the lookout for theva wave!" Each of the Dwarven Warriors had an unusual ability. They were all victims of inhumane experimentation after all! These unusual abilities gave them an edge on the battlefield. Plus, Kang Oh and Eder were doing more than their fair share. Kang Oh quickly killed any Lava Spirit that was 2 meters or less in size, while Eder protected the mining team with his bone magic. Obviously, the expedition force was victorious! "May I take a look at the mineral?" Kang Oh approached one of the dwarves. The dwarf was right about to put the mineral into his bag. "Go ahead." The dwarf passed him the mineral. ''Let''s see here...'' The crystal was mostly red, but had a wavy yellow pattern on it. "Item appraisal." [Precious Lava Crystal (Gemstone)] A mineral that has long been condensed inva. Powerful fire energy resides within it. Material Rank: AA. ''Hmm. It''s not special.'' Kang Oh took a look at the mineral, hoping that his Hyper Intuition might activate, but nothing happened. "Thank you for letting me take a look." Kang Oh, who''d lost all interest in the mineral, immediately passed it back to the dwarf. Then... "We''re advancing again!" Randelhoff yelled. The expedition trudged forward. * * * "Ava wave ising!" Book yelled. "Where''s iting from?" "From behind. We have to keep going forward." "You all heard that, right? Forward!" Randelhoff yelled. Sometimeter... Ava wave swept through a portion of the bridge. But this time, theva wave was muchrger than before. Thus, a ton of minerals appeared on top of the bridge. Countless Lava Spirits came for the minerals, intent on absorbing them and bing named monsters. "There are a lot of them. Hold off on mining, and focus on the battle!" Randelhoff yelled. "Ooh!" "Let''s go!" The Dwarven Warriors fought one or two Lava Spirits at a time. Kang Oh and Eder took out the nearby Lava Spirits first. Because there were so manyva crystals out there, a few of the Lava Spirits managed to absorb them and evolve. [The Lava Spirit has evolved.] [The Enraged Lava Spirit, Curis!] [The Lava Spirit has evolved.] [The Enraged Lava Spirit, Baltion!] [The Lava Spirit has evolved.] [The Enraged Lava Spirit, Kesarman!] Named Lava Spirits! They were more than 5 meters in size, and they possessed robust upper bodies. They had gold bracelets around their arms, and ck smoke rose from their bodies. "Keep up your guard!" Randelhoff yelled roughly. Whoosh! Whenever a named Lava Spirit swung its fist, mes would shoot out of it. "Dodge!" "We need reinforcements over here!" "Kill the small ones first!" a Dwarven Warrior yelled angrily. The Dwarven Warriors shielded themselves, pushed through the mes, and bravely swung their hammers. Eder was busy out of his mind. After all, he was the only member of the expedition that could provide long-range support. He swung his scythe. AoE Curse: Slow! Chains flew everywhere. Any Lava Spirit affected would move slower than before. "Grow!" Eder attacked using Bone Spears, and cast a Bone Wall to keep the mes from spreading. He remembered to use Bone Bomb on asion too. ''Now it feels like a dangerous dungeon.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Although it had been called one of the three most dangerous dungeons in the volcanic region, it hadn''t felt that way. Until now, that is! Deskein Heart was finally starting to show its true colors. ''Let''s see how dangerous you are.'' Kang Oh pointed his sword at the Enraged Lava Spirit, Curis. He was clearly saying ''I''m your opponent!''. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh pushed through the mes and rushed at it! Chapter 248. High-Rank Slash

Chapter 248. High-Rank sh

Trantor: Boko Whoosh! The Enraged Lava Spirit, Curis, swung its open palm as if it were swatting a fly. Kang Oh moved to the side, avoiding its attack, and then diagonally swung Ubist. Darkness Strike! His de unleashed a jet-ck wave. Curis shielded itself with its arm, causing the appendage to cken. Bam! "Ugh." Kang Oh scowled as Curis''s ckened arm hit him. It felt as hard as a diamond. ''It can harden its body, huh. In that case...'' Kang Oh leapt into the air and swung downwards. sh! A white line followed his de''s path. All of a sudden, however, an unexpected system message popped up. [Proficiency in sh has reached 100%.] [sh has risen to high-rank.] [sh has be more powerful.] [sh leaves behind a wound, and also causes the target to bleed.] ''Now that I think about it, I haven''t checked my proficiency in a while. When I have the time, I should check my other skills too.'' High-Rank sh! What a joyous asion. But now wasn''t the time to celebrate. After all, he was battling Curis right now. Curis swung its fist. Furious me Cannon! Roar! Mighty mes came flying at Kang Oh. He threw his body out of the way, but mes rose from the ground too. "Tch." Kang Oh shielded himself with Ubist. Unfortunately, the mes passed over his sword. [You have taken fire damage.] [The Draka set has reduced fire damage by 30%.] Kang Oh tried to extinguish the mes by roughly dusting off his sword. Then... Curis suddenly closed in and swung its fist. It was like a giant mace. To make matter worse, it waspletely coated in mes. Lava''s Judgment! Whoosh! ''Toote to dodge!'' Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist upwards. Evesting Darkness! A giant st of darkness spun violently, and then surged. Bam! The darkness made contact with Curis''s fist. Kuooh! Curis put everything it had into its fist, and slowly pushed it back. Its strength was tremendous. However... Before it reached him, its fist shattered into tiny pieces. Boom! Evesting Darkness hit Curis''s face, and it reeled from the impact. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and leapt into the air. Then, he raised his sword and swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger dashed towards Curis, but it quickly hardened its entire body. Boom! Whoosh! A refreshing breeze blew, which quickly evolved into a raging whirlwind. Curis resisted as hard as it could. It ripped through the whirlwind, swung its undamaged fist, and unleashed a me pir. Kang Oh dodged the me pir and closed in. He quickly switched to Demon Sword Blood. ''A weakness!'' His Hyper Intuition was guiding him towards Curis''s dangling wrist. Kang Oh stubbornly aimed at that area with his snow-white de. "Huahp." Cut, thrust, cut, chop! Swish, sh, swish, sh! He''dnded four attacks in a single breath. Huge shards of light burst from its body, which were promptly absorbed by Blood. Kuaah! Curis wailed and then thrust its fist. Roar! It unleashed a fierce, fan-shaped wave of fire. Kang Oh pierced through the mes and got beside it. The system reminded him that he''d taken some fire damage, but he didn''t care. He was now within striking distance of Curis''s weak point: its dangling wrist. "Haht!" Kang Oh swung Blood. High-Rank sh! Where his sword went, a white line followed. The upgraded sh seemed to cleave through space too. Swish! sh left behind a clear, vertical wound on Curis''s wrist. Shards of light, about the size of a thumb, periodically fell from the wound. ''It must be causing it to bleed.'' High-Rank sh gained the ''Bleed'' ability. Then, something he hadn''t expected happened. The shards of light, a result of Curis''s bleeding, were absorbed by Blood! Moreover, they caused a star to manifest on Blood''s de! ''Bleed and Blood! They have good synergy.'' sh would allow him to gain stacks more easily; thus, he''d be able to maximize Blood''s attack power even faster than before! ''I''ll be able to use Blood Bomb more often too!'' Soon enough, fifteen red stars appeared on Blood. Blood Bomb! Blood red energy exploded from Kang Oh''s body. Boom! Curis stumbled. Kang Oh pierced through the resulting dust cloud and repeatedly swung Blood with both precision and speed. That wasn''t all. Darkness Strike activated too. A red wave, as thick and dark as blood, struck Curis head-on. Bam! Kang Oh didn''t stop there. Darkness Strike had fully stacked Blood. Blood Bomb! Boom! Kang Oh bombarded it. Curis couldn''t withstand his relentless assault forever; eventually, its body crumbled into pieces. [You have defeated the Enraged Lava Spirit, Curis.] [You have defeated a monster that lives in an incredibly dangerous area (Despia).] [You have received additional experience and proficiency.] "Oh, it dropped some equipment." Something was glittering near Curis''s corpse. They were gloves with a me pattern engraved on them. Kang Oh immediately picked up the item and ced it into his inventory. He wanted to take a closer look at it, but now wasn''t the time. After all, he was surrounded by an inferno, and the dwarves were still fighting for their lives. "H-Help!" He suddenly heard a desperate call for help. Kang Oh raised his head, and saw a certain Dwarven Warrior at risk of being killed by the Enraged Lava Spirit, Baltion. Kang Oh quickly extended his hand. Darkness Chain shot out of his hand and wrapped around the warrior''s waist. "Haahp!" Kang Oh reduced the length of the chain and forcefully pulled. In an instant, the Dwarven Warrior''s body was pulled towards him. Right after... Baltion''s fist struck the area where the dwarf had just been. If Kang Oh had been even a littlete, then the Dwarven Warrior would''ve been ttened. "Are you alright?" Kang Oh asked. "T-Thanks!" the dwarf said. [You have saved the life of the Dwarven Warrior, Bedrock.] [Closeness with Bedrock has increased significantly.] [Closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves has increased slightly.] ''An increase in closeness!'' Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. He needed to do whatever it took to increase his closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves. When it was high enough, he would ask them to make him a demon sword. Fortunately, he''d just been shown a way to quickly increase his closeness with them. Kang Oh took a look around. ''Are they any people, no, dwarves, in danger!?'' * * * Kang Oh kept doing more than his fair share. With Eder''s help, he was able to take down the Enraged Lava Spirit, Baltion, as well. In addition, Kang Oh saved two Dwarven Warriors, which increased his closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves. Ultimately, the expedition force defeated the spirits. "What about theva wave?" Randeloff asked Book. "It''s calm." "Good. Good job everyone. I know it''s tough, but let''s pick up the loot and dismantle the spirits. Then we can take a break." "Yes, sir." The Dwarven Warriors did as they were told. "How many casualties?" "None," Book immediately said. "None?" Randelhoff looked shocked. They had fought the named Lava Spirits before, and had lost at least one or two warriors each time; at most, they''d lost three or four warriors. But he wasn''t hearing things; Book had definitely said ''none''. Obviously he''d be surprised. "It''s because of the health potions and them." Book pointed at Kang Oh and Eder. "Especially Mr. Kang Oh. He saved several of our warriors. Mr. Eder''s magic was incredibly helpful too," he added. "Mm. I should go and thank them." Randelhoff approached Kang Oh and Eder. "Good work." "It was nothing. It was a thrilling battle." Kang Oh grinned. "It was my pleasure," Eder replied humbly. "Thanks for saving our warriors." Randelhoff slightly bowed his head. [Closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Chieftain, Randelhoff, has increased slightly.] [Closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves has increased slightly.] "Oh, right! Here." Kang Oh pulled out the me pattern gloves from his inventory. "The Lava Spirit, Curis, dropped this." They''d agreed to split the loot after the expedition was over with; that''s why he was giving Randelhoff the gloves. "You killed Curis on your own. Those gloves are yours to keep." "I won''t argue with you." Kang Oh wasn''t exactly a giving person. "I''ll be counting on you from now on." "I''ll do my best!" Kang Oh yelled stiffly. ''I''ll do my very best until you make a demon sword for me!'' "Me too," Eder said curtly. Randelhoff nodded his head and returned to Book. Kang Oh stared at the gloves in his hand. "Item appraisal." [Lava Spirit''s Gloves] Gloves that contain the power of a Lava Spirit. The design is quite refined. + Metal Coat: Hardens your skin. Doubles your defense, but slows your movements. + me Cannon: Unleashes a me pir. MP Cost: 1000. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Rank: AA. Abilities: Defense +210, Physical +50, Magic +40, Fire Resistance +10%. Minimum Requirements: Level 350, Fire Resistance 40%. "Not bad." Kang Oh passed the gloves to Eder. "Want to buy them?" Ooh, my financier! Eder looked at the gloves and shook his head. "I don''t need them." "Ahem, alright." Kang Oh stashed the Lava Spirit''s Gloves into his inventory. Sometimeter... "Let''s go!" The expedition advanced forward. * * * As always, theva wave came and went. More Lava Spirits spawned, and the number of Lava Spirits that evolved into named monsters increased too. It became tougher and tougher for the expedition force. Kang Oh wasn''t able to save every single one of the Dwarven Warriors. They started to incur casualties, one or two at a time. Still, they weren''t in such bad shape that they had to retreat. They killed every single Lava Spirit they encountered and pressed on. Ultimately... The expedition force made it past the bridge. "This is the first time we''ve gotten across the bridge," Randelhoff said. They''d only gotten about halfway across the bridge before; they''d fight some Lava Spirits there and then retreat. However, the expedition force had finally managed to make it all the way across! It was all due to their plentiful supplies, as well as Kang Oh and Eder''s assistance. Anyhow, the expedition force stood before a ck, gaping maw. It was the entrance to a cave, which led to an area that no one had ever stepped foot in before! Chapter 249. Great Lava Spirit, Magnium (1)

Chapter 249. Great Lava Spirit, Magnium (1)

Trantor: Boko Randelhoff, Book, Igriham, Kang Oh, and Eder gathered together. "What do you think?" Randelhoff asked. They''d never gone into the cave before, so he wanted their input. "We''vee far enough. I think we should head back," Book said prudently. "Your will is mymand, Chieftain," Igriham said brusquely. "You two must... want to go inside," Randelhoff said, staring at Kang Oh and Eder. "Of course." "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder simultaneously replied. They hadn''t found the door to Despia''s next area, let alone a clue. "Hmm." Randelhoff stroked his rough, sponge-like beard. Their opinions were divided. If that''s the case, then he, the chieftain, had to break the tie; his decision would decide the expedition force''s course of action. ''What do I do...'' Randelhoff was lost in thought. Then, Kang Oh said, "How about this?" "Do you have a good idea?" "Eder and I will explore the cave first." "Won''t it be dangerous?" "We can always run away if it''s too much for us," Kang Oh said confidently. Few people could push him around! "Mm." "When we return, we''ll share what we''ve seen. Based on that, you can make a decision as to whether you want to continue or retreat," Kang Oh strongly said. "How about it?" Randelhoff stared at Book. "I''m just thankful that Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Eder are willing to take that risk for us," Book said immediately. "I will obey your orders, Chieftain," Igriham said. "Be careful." "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder entered the cave, and disappeared from sight. * * * "Oh light." A sphere of light floated from Eder''s palm, illuminating their surroundings. "Hmm. It looks normal..." Aside from howrge it was, there wasn''t anything that stood out. Stctites lined the ceiling and a few bats hung from them. Thus far, it was definitely a ''normal cave''. "I don''t sense any monsters or a particr flow of mana," Eder said. "Let''s keep going. Keep your guard up. You never know what might show up." "Yes." Kang Oh and Eder kept on moving. There was only one path forward, and nothing unusual happened. "This is the exit." At some point, they found the cave''s exit. Kang Oh and Eder carefully approached the exit, and slightly peeked through. It was a vast clearing! The floor was white, and square/triangr patterns lined the floor. The ceiling itself was dome-shaped. They didn''t see a single monster there, nor did they see a passageway that led somece else. Plus... There was some sort of device in the center of the room. "It doesn''t look dangerous, does it?" Kang Oh looked around warily. "For now, that is," Eder replied. Kang Oh and Eder exited the passageway and made their way to the center of the room, where the devicey. "What do you think this is?" Eder asked. "Hmm." The device appeared to be a giant yellow bowl. There was a sharp, thick needle inside, much like a clock hand. Letters he had never seen before were engraved on the bowl''s surface as well. "Feels like something will happen if you turn the needle, but... Let''s not do anything for now." If they fiddled with it and something went wrong, then they may not be able to handle it. "A wise decision." Eder nodded his head. After that, the two carefully examined the clearing. "It''spletely clean." "Yeah, there''s nothing here. Let''s go back." "Ok." Sometimeter... The expedition force went through the cave, and arrived at the clearing. "This is it." Kang Oh pointed at the yellow bowl. "This is..." It seemed like Randelhoff knew something about it. "This is that device." Book did too. "What is it exactly?" Eder asked. "It''s an elevator. I''ve seen it in Inarius''sir before," Randelhoff said. "An elevator? So this entire room is a giant elevator?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right. If you move the needle around, then the elevator will activate." "Hmm. Then what do we do now? Shall Eder and I use the elevator first, and see what''s there?" Kang Oh wanted to continue exploring the heart no matter what. "No. You''ve already risked your lives for us once, so we''ll return the favor this time. I''ll activate the elevator," Randelhoff said. "If things go poorly, we should be able to use the elevator to reverse course ande back here," Book said. He came to this conclusion because he''d seen the elevator in Inarius''sir used several times before. "Then, I''m activating the elevator." Randelhoff turned the needle clockwise with his thick hands. Creak. It sounded like a spring. Plus... Rat-a-tat-tat! The squares and triangles on the white floor began to sink. * * * Thud. The floor finally stopped descending. They were surrounded byva. It was as if they were trapped on a deserted ind. "It''s justva. I don''t see any roads." "Something''s strange." "Yeah." The Dwarven Warriorsmented. Their expressions stiffened, and they tensed up. Spurt! All of a sudden, arge amount ofva surged into the air. "W-What is that?" "What''s going on?" They were confused by the suddenva geyser. "Who dares trespass into my domain!?" A giant entity revealed itself from within the surgingva. [You are the first to discover the Enraged Great Lava Spirit, Magnium.] Its upper body was at least 20 meters tall! It was as though its body was covered in reddish brownnd, which had long since dried out due to a drought! ck smoke rose from the cracks, and scarletva flowed out as well. The spirit''s head, or what he assumed was its head, was spherical, and two horns protruded from it. Bracelets studded with multi-colored gems covered its thick arms. Most of its lower body remained within theva. Kang Oh''s face hardened. It was his worst nightmare; a boss monster had suddenly shown up! To make matters worse, it had to be a raid boss based on its size and power. "The dungeon''s master!" Randelhoff''s voice shook. "Chieftain, the elevator!" Book, who''d barely managed to keep a level head, yelled. "Aah!" Randelhoff quickly turned the needle counterclockwise. They needed to get out of here! However... Creak. Creak. Creak. It made the same spring noise, but the white floor didn''t move at all. "This is bad. The elevator won''t work!" Randelhoff yelled desperately. "That..." Now, Book couldn''t help but panic. The other Dwarven Warriors were a mess too. "Burn to cinders!" Magnium raised its right arm, readying itself for a downward strike. Then... A violently spinning st of darkness struck Magnium right in the middle. Kang Oh had used Evesting Darkness. Boom! A ''boom'' echoed through the room. "Get a hold of yourselves! Focus on dodging the boss monster''s attacks for now!" Kang Oh yelled. Randelhoff and Book had panicked, so they were in no shape tomand the dwarves. Thus, he had no choice but to do it himself. "Mm." "Ah, whatever!" "Let''s fight!" Kang Oh managed to get through to them. The Dwarven Warriors began to regain theirposure. Randelhoff and Book did too. "Warriors, stay strong." Randelhoff raised his voice. "Its attack ising. Everyone, dodge!" Book yelled. Whoosh! Magnium swung its fist. It was quite slow, so dodging it was an easy task. However... Bam! The floor shook violently upon contact. A few dwarves fell on their backs, and began sliding towards theva. "Help your brothers so that they don''t fall into theva!" Kang Oh yelled. "Grab my hand!" "Get over here!" The dwarves formed groups of two or three and supported each other. "Hmph, you worms!" Magnium swung its fist once more. "Attack now!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder raised his scythe into the air. Three white clumps of bone floated above his head. Aim, fire! They crashed into Magnium''s body, as if they were bouldersunched by a catapult. Eder didn''t stop there. He immediately summoned a giant bone scythe and swung downwards. "Futile!" Magnium opened its hand and grabbed the bone scythe. Crack. It instantly broke the bone scythe to pieces. "Explode!" Eder said drearily. Bone Bomb! Boom! This resulted in a huge explosion. White bone fragments embed themselves all over Magnium''s body. Eder cast another Bone Bomb right after. Boom! "Die, you monster!" "Taste my hammer!" The Dwarven Warriors bashed Magnium''s giant body with their hammers. Whoosh, bam! Magnium swung its fist once more. Whoosh! "Stop! Protect yourselves!" Kang Oh yelled. Thud! The ground shook violently, causing the ground to tilt. A few of the dwarves began to fall, but their brothers grabbed a hold of them, keeping them safe. "You''re all doing good. Keep it up!" Randelhoff screamed at the top of his lungs. Kang Oh was practicallymanding the expedition force, so he was raising their spirits by cheering them on. "Lava, sweep through everything!" Magnium said. Then, a wave ofva came rushing at them from one side. "Ava wave ising!" Book yelled. "Mr. Book, find a ce that''s safe from theva. Everyone, follow Mr. Book!" Kang Oh yelled. "Understood. Everyone, follow me!" Book assessed theva wave and took his position. The rest of the dwarves gathered around him. Roar! Theva wave devoured a third of the white floor and then disappeared. But now, the affected area was filled withva crystals. At the same time, Lava Spirits popped out everywhere. Kang Oh immediately came to a decision. "Stop the Lava Spirits! Don''t let them absorb theva crystals!" He already had his hands full fighting Magnium, so he really didn''t want to fight named Lava Spirits too. Thus, he had no choice but to kill the Lava Spirits first. "Understood!" "Leave it to us!" The Dwarven Warriors dashed towards the Lava Spirits. "Randelhoff, Igriham, Eder, and I will deal with the boss. Mr. Book, please lead the warriors in my ce," Kang Oh quickly said. "Leave it to me." "Understood." Randelhoff and Igriham headed towards Magnium. Meanwhile, Eder began summoning another bone mass again. ''We''re back on track...'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. The boss had appeared without warning, causing the Dwarven Warriors to panic. But with Kang Oh''s direction, they were barely able to turn things around. However, this was only the beginning. They still had a long road ahead of them. Chapter 250. Great Lava Spirit, Magnium (2)

Chapter 250. Great Lava Spirit, Magnium (2)

Trantor: Boko Magnium''s attack pattern was extremely simple. It would either swing its fist or summon ava wave. The expedition force dealt with the Lava Spirits, and gradually dealt damage to Magnium too. Though the Dwarven Warriors looked more rxed than before, Kang Oh was the exact opposite; his gaze remained fixed on Magnium. ''This is still just the 1st phase.'' * * * Bam! Eder shot a bone spear, which pierced Magnium''s body. Bone Bomb! Boom! "Kuaaah, you annoying worms!" Magnium opened its arms. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Magnum was transforming. ''The 2nd phase!'' Roar. Magnium''s entire body was engulfed in mes. "Magnium''s attack pattern is going to change. Everyone, be on guard," Kang Oh yelled. "Die!" Magnium''s body was cracked all over like barrennd. Countless scarlet fireballs shot out of those cracks, spreading outwards. Lava Bombardment! "Gather in the middle!" Kang Oh yelled, and the dwarves quickly followed his orders. "Eder!" Kang Oh called. It didn''t take a rocket scientist to know what he wanted. "Understood." Eder raised his arm into the air. Bone Prison! The dwarves, which had gathered in the middle of the floor, were surrounded byyer uponyer of white bone. Bunker,plete! Then, countless fireballs rained down upon them. Bam, bam, bam! The bones were ripped to pieces, causing bone fragments and powder to fly into the air. The once white bones were also scorched and burnt ck. However, the barrage wasn''t powerful enough to break all the way through. Once the Lava Bombardment was over, Eder immediately released the bone prison. The Dwarven Warriors, who werepletely untouched by the barrage, immediately charged at Magnium and the Lava Spirits once more. "You bastards!" Mangium swung its palm once more. Boom. Striking the floor with its palm, not its fist, caused the ground to shake less. However, a scarlet me spread from its palm. "Leave this to me." Randelhoff stepped forward. He pushed his shield forward, which was engraved with a hammer, and it glowed with brown light. Earth Shield! The spreading mes were sucked into his shield. Once the mes died down, Igriham swung his hammer. Both of his arms bulged; so much so that it looked like they''d burst. He attacked with the might of an ogre! Whack! Which resulted in a refreshing, weighty ''whack''! "Burn to cinders!" Great Spirit''s Fury! Magnum spat a giant me sphere from its mouth. It was like a miniature sun. ''This is dangerous.'' There was something unusual about Magnium''s new skill. Thus, Kang Oh intervened, pointing Demon Sword Ubist at the me sphere. Lightning Breath! The lightning st rammed into the sphere of me. Boom! Which resulted in a huge explosion. The orb of fire was nowhere to be seen. "Kuaaahk!" Magnium angrily wailed. Things weren''t going as it''d nned. Whoosh! Whoosh! Then, it alternately swung its fists. "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled. Boom! Boom! Magnium hit the floor twice, causing the ground to shake violently. Even Kang Oh couldn''t help but fall down. "Ava wave ising! It''sing from both sides!" Book, who''d also fallen down, yelled. "When the floor stops shaking, lead the troops to a safe location. Everyone, follow Mr. Book!" Kang Oh raised his voice. "Yes." Once it stopped shaking as much, the dwarves stood up and began running to safety. "Over here." Everyone flocked around Book. Spurt! Gush! Theva wave swept through where they''d once been from both sides. Severalva crystals were left behind on the snow-white floor. At the same time,va surged, signaling the arrival of many more Lava Spirits. "Uwooooh!" "Die!" The Dwarven Warriors let out a battle cry and bravely battled the Lava Spirits. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ''There are too many of them.'' There were too many Lava Spirits andva crystals, so they wouldn''t be able to stop them all from bing named monsters. ''If we cut down the number ofva crystals, then it''d be doable, but... Wait, what?'' Kang Oh suddenly had an idea. "Mr. Book." "Yes?" "Areva crystals breakable?" "Lava crystals?" "Yes. I think our best course of action is destroying theva crystals before the Lava Spirits can absorb them." "Mm, we can break them. However, it''ll take a lot of effort." ''Effort, huh...'' "Mr. Igriham." "What is it?" "Please take some warriors and destroy theva crystals." "Understood." Igriham dashed away, hammer leaning on his shoulder. "Redrock, Tartan, Basgul, follow me. We''re going to break theva crystals." These dwarves'' enhancements imbued them with much greater physical strength than the rest of their brothers. "Understood." The four of them roamed the battlefield, breaking anyva crystal they could find. Even so, they couldn''t stop all of the Lava Spirits from bing named monsters. Two Lava Spirits had evolved into named monsters! ''I''ll deal with one of them, and the other...'' Kang Oh stared at Eder. Eder was keeping Magnium busy with his powerful bone magic. For the time being, he was their main damage dealer. ''We should keep Eder as is...'' Kang Oh took a look around. His eyes eventually came to the right person for the job. "Group of four. Take care of that named Lava Spirit." This ''group of four'' referred to Igriham''s party. They should be powerful enough to deal with a named Lava Spirit. "Haahp." Kang Oh barraged the named Lava Spirit, Silicin, with attacks. "I''m your opponent, you monster!" Randelhoff tapped his shield with his hammer, drawing Magnium''s attention. "You worm!" Magnium said furiously. It waspletely focused on Chieftain Randelhoff. Rocking Fist! ming Palm! Randelhoff gritted his teeth and tightly held onto his shield. He withstood its attacks again and again. * * * Tempest Tiger! A roaring golden tiger struck Magnium''s face. Shards of light burst from Magnium''s face like firecrackers. "No more mercy!" Magnium yelled. ''Is this the 3rd phase?'' Kang Oh anxiously assessed the situation. However... Magnium suddenly hid itself in theva. "Huh?" "W-What happened?" The Dwarven Warriors were taken aback by Magnium''s sudden disappearance. "Did we do it?" Randelhoff said. "No! It''s not over yet. Keep your guard up," Kang Oh said firmly. Magnium had definitely said, ''No more mercy!'' before entering theva. Which meant that this wasn''t the end; it was a clear indication that Magnium would attack differently from now on. "O-Over there!" One of the dwarves pointed at a section of theva. Something was rising from theva. "Here too!" "Over here too!" Magnium had created miniature versions of itself. They all differed in size. Some of them weren''t even 1 meter in size, while others were more than 3 meters. There were too many of them to count. ''So this is the 3rd phase.'' The miniature Magniums came at them from every direction. "Form a circle! Hurry!" Kang Oh yelled. "Form a circle!" "Hurry up, move!" The Dwarven Warriors stood side-by-side and formed a circle. Kuowaaaah! Kuowah! Then, the expedition force fought against the miniature Magniums. "Die!" "Don''t let them break through no matter what! That''ll put our brothers at risk!" The Dwarven Warriors positioned their shields and swung their hammers. Meanwhile, the miniature Magniums attacked with their tough fists and their wild mes. The intense meleebatsted for quite some time. But no matter how well they fought, they couldn''t win. There were just too many of them. "Ugh." "Haa, haa." "You annoying pests!" "Help!" As time went on, the Dwarven Warriors found themselves increasingly exhausted and they began sustaining casualties. ''We can''t go on like this.'' He needed to do something big to turn things around. Kang Oh pulled out the AA-rank Lava Spirit''s Gloves from his inventory. "Eat it!" Ubist''s darkness devoured the me pattern gloves. Then, Kang Oh''s body emanated jet-ck darkness. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Lava Spirit''s Gloves.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use one of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Metal Coat has been selected.] The more stringent the equip requirements, the longer Gluttonysts. Because the Lava Spirit''s Gloves had a minimum level requirement of 350, Gluttonysted for as long as 30 minutes. Plus, he could use its ability, Metal Coat, too! Using Metal Coat would double his defense at the cost of his speed. ''Let''s not skimp out on this.'' Kang Oh used Devil Trigger too. Because he''d continuously been using Devil Trigger, his assimtion rate was currently at 160%. It wouldn''t be long before he hit his max, 200%. Anyhow...! His face was shrouded by a beast mask, his eyes glowed red, a tail as ck as night, yet as radiant as the stars above, protruded from behind, and sharp pauldrons covered his shoulders. Jet-ck darkness rose from his body like a haze. He had be the Jet-ck Demon! Kang Oh leapt up, leaving the circle, andnded right in the middle of the miniature Magniums. "C''mon!" Kang Oh roared, ferociously swinging Demon Sword Ubist like a rabid beast. Swish, sh, swish! In an instant, he ripped apart the nearby miniature Magniums. "Huaahp!" Kang Oh didn''t stop. He relentlessly sliced them again and again. Kuwaah! Kuooh! Miniature Magniums of all sizes, bothrge and small, swarmed him. This eased the pressure on the Dwarven Warriors, allowing them to endure the miniature Magniums'' assault. "Hold out for just a little longer!" Randelhoff yelled, encouraging them. His encouraging words had a huge effect on the troops. How much time had passed? Swish. Kang Oh swung Ubist, cutting another one of the miniature Magniums in two. "Hoo." Kang Oh breathed deeply. The one he''d killed had been thest of them. The unending stream of miniature Magniums had finally ended! Kang Oh and the expedition force had survived. "We did it!" "We survived!" The Dwarven Warriors cheered. Unfortunately, Kang Oh had to be the bearer of bad news. "It''s too early to be celebrating. Magnium is still alive." He was basically telling them, ''Keep your guard up. It''s not over yet.''. ''Now then, what else do you have up your sleeve?'' Kang Oh stared at theva. Then... "Kuaaaahk!" Magnium wailed, and a huge stream ofva surged. Spurt. The Great Lava Spirit, Magnium, had reappeared! However, it looked different than before. It was less than half its normal size, and the multi-colored gems that''d covered its arms were now gone. Its course, cracked skin, which looked like a rice field that had experienced a long drought, had disappeared, reced with smooth, orange skin. It reminded him of those intable orange dolls that they used for promotional events. "I''ll kill everyst one of you!" Magnium said murderously. Then, its body began to swell. "Damn it." Kang Oh couldn''t help but curse. He knew what it was trying to do. "Everyone, gather up! Use every survival/defensive skill you have!" Most of the expedition force knew what was happening. They knew what Magnium was trying to do. "Power of the earth!" Randelhoff lifted his shield. Earth Shield! The Dwarven Warriors stood side-by-side andyered their shields together. "Rise, rise, rise I say!" Eder quickly yelled. Bone Wall! Bone Wall! Bone Wall! Kang Oh used Metal Coat. Once his body was coated in shining metal... Boom! It was as if a volcano had just erupted. Magnium self-destructed, creating a huge explosion that swept through all of them. Chapter 251. Magnium’s End

Chapter 251. Magnium''s End

Trantor: Boko There was a massive explosion! A huge shockwave came first, apanied by a ''boom'' that threatened to burst their eardrums. Bam, bam, bam! Eder''s bone barrier was ripped to shreds. Those hiding behind the bone bulwark reeled from the impact. The Dwarven Warriors scowled. So that they weren''t pushed back, they put everything they had into their lower bodies. Roar! A mighty me was what followed. The bone barrier, which was already halfway destroyed, was burnt ck and melted instantly. Randelhoff''s shield radiated brown light. ''Earth Shield'' was currently active, a skill which absorbed all sorts of damage. The Dwarven Warriors added their own shields, forming a protective wall. However... The mes were too wild and intense, traveling over the shields and heavily damaging the warriors. "Ugh." "Kaahk!" The Dwarven Warriors were burnt, and their armor melted too. Kang Oh and Eder weren''t doing so well either. They were in bad shape; they''d instantly lost half of their HP. A short whileter... No one came out of this unscathed. * * * The explosion had killed eight Dwarven Warriors. The rest of them had just barely survived, and were in no condition to fight. Book and Igriham weren''t in the best of shape either. Kang Oh, Eder, and Randelhoff arduously stood up. "Anyone that can move... Give the survivors some health potions!" Kang Oh said roughly, as he was still assuming his demon form. While speaking, he emptied a health potion into Book''s mouth. Randelhoff and Eder did the same, but with the other Dwarven Warriors. They also sprinkled the potion on their skin too. Of course, this was nothing more than first aid. So that the Dwarven Warriors didn''t die! Then... Human-shaped mes suddenly appeared behind him. The region around his heart felt cold. His Hyper Intuition was warning him of danger! "Tch!" Kang Oh quickly bent backwards. Bam! A zing fist flew through where his upper body had once been. If he hadn''t reacted in time, then he would''ve been in a world of trouble! Kang Oh then backflipped and stared at his attacker. It was a body of me, with arms and legs like a human being. The mes atop its round face reminded him of someone who''d dyed their hair red. It was about 2 meters tall. The spirit looked much different than before, but it was definitely Magnium. ''It must be the cost of creating that huge explosion.'' He could piece together why Magnium looked the way it did. "I''m going to kill you." Magnium extended its hand, unleashing a fan-shaped me. Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh disappeared within the darkness, and then reappeared behind Magnium. ''I got you!'' Magnium''s body was entirely made up of fire! It was the perfect prey for Abyss de! Swish. He swung downwards. But then, something unexpected happened. Magnum had disappeared. Kang Oh widened his eyes. ''Teleportation!'' Ubist had cut nothing but air. "Be careful! Magnium could pop up anywhere!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder summoned Munra''s Bone Shield and raised it with one hand. Randelhoff continued to administer health potions, but kept his eyes peeled. Swish. Magnium reappeared behind Randelhoff. It swung its hand in a chopping motion. Then, raging fire ignited on his fingers, coalescing into a ming sword. "Ugh!" Randelhoff shielded himself. Roar! The ming sword sliced the shield from above, leaving behind a diagonal scorch mark. "You bastard!" Kang Oh drew a dion''s Dagger and threw it at Magnium. "Constricting bone!" Eder pointed his scythe at it. Bone Bind! White bone grew around Magnium. "It''s pointless." Magnium teleported again. Kang Oh''s dagger pierced bone instead of its intended target! Then... Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer, causing him to disappear into the darkness. A short whileter... Magnium reappeared above Eder''s head, and... Swish! Kang Oh appeared above it. ''Now!'' This was the best chance he was going to get! Kang Oh wouldn''t waste such a golden opportunity. The world slowed. He''d entered the world of hyper concentration, one in which limits were broken. Transcendent de! Demon Sword Ubist''s limits were broken. Add to that... Evesting Darkness! Kang Oh used his most powerful skill in tandem with his most powerful item effect! No particr sound could be heard, nor was thebination as showy as Lightning Breath or Tempest Tiger. He simply shot a beam straight at Magnium. Magnium didn''t know he''d been cut. It was only after he began to disappear did he stare in disbelief. "Imposs..." Magnium began, but wasn''t able to finish. Hepletely disappeared before he could! [You have defeated the Ruler of Deskein Heart, the Enraged Great Lava Spirit, Magnium.] [As a reward for being the first to do so, Magnium will drop its highest rank items.] [You have defeated a raid boss that lives in an incredibly dangerous area (Despia).] [You have acquired the title, Lava Monarch.] [Fame andbat-rted side stats have increased.] [All skill and magic proficiency has increased.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh plopped onto the floor. He''d used Transcendent de while his body was injured, so he didn''t have any energy left. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder rushed over and hugged him. He really wanted to say, ''Hey, get off me, you stupid undead!''. Kang Oh wasn''t interested in men! However, he didn''t have the energy to push him off. "Did we really win?" Randelhoff looked on in disbelief. However, Magnium''s loot glimmered atop the white floor, a sure sign that it was dead. "Aaah!" [Randelhoff is in awe of what you''ve done.] [Closeness with Randelhoff has increased significantly.] [Your actions have saved countless ck Hammer Dwarves.] [Closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves has increased significantly.] [Closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves has been maxed out. You are now the ck Hammer Dwarves'' savior.] * * * Rumble! The white floor began to shake. Randelhoff had activated the elevator. A short whileter... The elevator returned to its original spot. They were inside arge clearing again. It was a safe location, one without any monsters or traps! "Good work everyone. Treat your wounds and rest," Randelhoff said. "Yes, sir." The Dwarven Warriors separated into groups of two or three and plopped onto the floor. Then, they either drank potions, began bandaging themselves, or ate. Some of the dwarves came over and thanked Kang Oh too. "Thanks for saving me." "I''m just d that you survived," Kang Oh replied modestly, which was very unlike him. He obviously had an ulterior motive. ''I have to look good in front of them. I need them to make me a sword!'' Anyhow, Kang Oh examined the items that Magnium had dropped. He couldn''t take it anymore; his curiosity got the better of him. ''There are only four of them?'' Magnium was a raid boss, yet it had only dropped four items. How stingy! "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue and grabbed the me-shaped sword. It was clearly a work of art! He had a feeling he''d just hit the jackpot. [Fire''s Heart] A me-shaped sword forged by the peerless Elvish cksmith, Sunlei. It contains the mystery of metal. The sword gradually bes stronger by absorbing mes. It has remained deep within the Deskein Volcano''sva for hundreds of years, and has absorbed its power over the centuries. + Fire umtion: Absorbs fire. The more fire it absorbs, the more powerful the sword bes. + Evolving Fire: The power of all fire attacks, skills, and magic is tripled. + me Emperor: For 10 minutes, you be the incarnation of fire, the me Emperor. Cooldown: 1 hour. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power +600, Fire Damage +400, Physical +200,pletely nullifies fire damage. Minimum Requirements: Level 400, Physical 800, Spiritual Affinity 500, Fire Resistance 95%. "Wow! Holy shit!" Kang Oh was shocked. ''How much is this even worth!?'' An SS-rank sword! He could sell it for however much he wanted! Although he wanted to put it into his inventory right then and there, there were a lot of eyes watching. ''Should I just take it and run?'' he suddenly thought. But then... "What is it?" Randelhoff approached him. ''You have such bad timing!'' "Ah, that''s... well..." Kang Oh looked around awkwardly. Randelhoff looked interested in the de he was carrying. "It''s a strange looking sword." "Ah, yes." "Let me see it." Randelhoff pretty much snatched it away from him. "T-This is... a sword made by a Master cksmith." He looked at the item in disbelief. "Hehe, so it''s a good item." "It''s not simply a ''good item''... Perhaps it''s a huge blessing for our tribe." "Excuse me?" ''What are you talking about?'' "This sword was created using a Master cksmith''s secret technique. It contains the mystery of metal! So if we study this de, then one of us may one day be a Master cksmith too!" Randelhoff said. A Master cksmith! To think that one of them could be such heights! It was exciting just thinking about it. "But if you want it, then you can have it. You deserve it after all," Randelhoff said. Kang Oh wasn''t the type to look a gift horse in the mouth. He immediately said, "I want it." "Mm. Anyhow, let''s divide the loot once we''ve returned to the hideout. We can discuss what to do with the sword there," Randelhoff said. "Understood." "Have you taken a look at the other items?" "No. I was going to." Kang Oh picked up the red leather belt. It was adorned with a gold skull. [Fire Bomb Belt] A mysterious belt that has the power to create extremely dangerous and powerful fire bombs. The fire bombs should be handled with extreme caution. + Fire Bomb: Summons a fire bomb (projectile weapon) in one''s hand. Every 5 minutes, a fire bomb is automatically stored within the belt. The belt can hold a total of 8 fire bombs at any one time. Rank: S. Abilities: Defense +100, Fire Damage +100, Physical +20, Mental +20, Magic +40, Sense +40. Minimum Requirements: Level 300, Fire Resistance 30%. ''I want this one too.'' Kang Oh was currently wearing the BB-rank ''Leather Belt for Projectile Weapons''. Because this belt possessed the Automatic Return feature, it had incredible synergy with the dion''s Dagger. Thus, he''d never even considered recing it before, even though its minimum level requirement (level 100) was so low. But once he took a look at the Fire Bomb Belt, any attachment he might''ve had for his current beltpletely disappeared. ''Let''s look at all the others too.'' Kang Oh examined the two remaining items. One of them was a material called Magnium''s Core, while the other was... [Door Opening Mysterious Crystal] A mysterious crystal that opens a door that leads you somewhere else. Can only be used once, and the door can only be maintained for an hour. ''Found it!'' He''d found the door that led to the next area! Chapter 252. Opening the Door

Chapter 252. Opening the Door

Trantor: Boko The expedition force safely returned to the hideout. Of course, not all of them had returned. Twelve Dwarven Warriors had lost their lives. It pained them to lose eight of their brothers to Magnium''s explosion. Although they were saddened by the loss of their brothers, they held a party to celebrate their sess. The dwarves lit Phamas Cigars, drank Phamas Beer, and partied rowdily. Kang Oh and Eder were treated like VIPs. "Kuu, thank you for allowing us to drink Phamas Beer again, Lord Orgon," Randelhoff said, downing a huge ss of beer. The cksmith God, Orgon, was worshipped by the dwarves and those who handled metal. Randelhoff bowed at Kang Oh and Eder. "I''d like to thank you again. You''re the reason we came out of this alive." "It was nothing," Eder replied modestly. "If you''re that thankful, then please fulfill my request," Kang Oh said. This was his chance. "Request?" "Yes. Please make me a sword." "Mm." Randelhoff was lost in thought. The ck Hammer Dwarves had sworn an oath; they would never again build weapons/armor for an outsider. Thus, they should rightfully reject Kang Oh''s request. However, Kang Oh was their savior. If that''s the case, then it was only right that they return the favor. "Chieftain, let''s just make it for him," one dwarf suddenly stood up and said. It was Bedrock, one of the dwarves that Kang Oh had saved. "We swore an oath. The ck Hammer Dwarves cannot work for an outsider!" Book, whose left eye was covered with an eye patch, said solemnly. "However, Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Eder aren''t outsiders. They''re one of ''us''." Book grinned. "Ooh, as expected of you, Book. You''re quite clever." "Indeed. Mr. Kang Oh isn''t an outsider, so let''s make one for him!" the dwarves enthusiastically eximed. "So they say. I''ll let our cksmiths know; they''ll make you your sword." Randelhoff smiled. "Thank you. But I''d like to provide the metal." "What metal?" "I have some adamantium that''s long since been exposed to the power of darkness. I heard that only the ck Hammer Dwarves could handle metal tainted by darkness," Kang Oh said. "Did you say adamantium?" "Yes." "Mm." Randelhoff''s face stiffened. Something was off. "What''s wrong?" Kang Oh asked. "Unfortunately, none of our cksmiths are skilled enough to handle it." "Pardon me?" ''Oh, c''mon. Things were going so well. Now you spring this on me!?'' "Many of our brothers died when we escaped Inarius''sir. Our tribe''s greatest cksmith, Lord Swallow, died as well." With a face filled with regret, he continued, "It might be different if he was still alive, but none of our cksmiths can handle adamantium." "No." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Can we use any other metal to make the sword?" Randelhoff asked. "No. It has to be adamantium." If he wanted toplete Vn''s quest, then he needed to make the sword out of adamantium. "Mm." Randelhoff looked like he was at a loss. "Is there any other way?" Kang Oh asked. "Well... I''m not sure it''ll work, but it''s worth a shot." "What is it?" "Do you remember what I told you about the Fire''s Heart?" Fire''s Heart was the name of the SS-rank sword that Magnium had dropped. "By studying this, one of you may be a Master one day," Kang Oh said. "Indeed. It''ll help us make a new Master cksmith." "Mm." "If we want to continue this discussion, then we''ll have to divide the loot first." At this point in time, the Fire''s Heart didn''t belong to anyone yet. The same went for the other items. "Let''s divide it up now. After all, you only need to worry about our share." "Indeed. What do you want?" "The Fire''s Heart and the Fire Bomb Belt. Eder probably wants the Door Opening Crystal the most. Right?" Kang Oh nced at Eder. "Yes." Eder nodded his head. "Hmm. You don''t need theva crystals or the equipment that the Lava Spirits dropped?" "No." "Considering how instrumental you two were... You can take the Fire''s Heart, the Fire Bomb Belt, and the crystal," Randelhoff said. "Thank you." Kang Oh beamed. ''Yeah!'' "Now then, let''s return to our previous discussion. I''d like to make you an offer." "I''m listening." "Lend us the Fire''s Heart free of charge. We''ll return it to you when one of us has be a Master cksmith or is capable of handling adamantium." "Mm." Kang Oh thought over the matter. If he epted Randelhoff''s proposal, then he''d lose the Fire''s Heart for an indeterminate amount of time. After all, he didn''t know how long it''d take for one of them to be a Master cksmith! But he had to face the facts; he needed one of the ck Hammer Dwarves to forge him a sword using the adamantium. Ultimately... "Understood." Kang Oh had no choice but to ept his offer. "You made the right call." Randelhoff extended his hand. "I''m counting on you." Kang Oh shook his hand. Once the party was over, Kang Oh and Eder returned to their room. "Things ended well for us," Eder said. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "So..." Eder pulled out a fist-sized purple crystal from his robes. The crystal glowed brilliantly. "When are we going to the next area?" "Soon," Kang Oh replied curtly. * * * Kang Oh and Eder returned to Altein. They needed to prepare themselves before heading to the next floor. Kang Oh opened a message window. Since the ck Hammer Dwarves decided to remain in the volcanic region, Kang Oh desperately needed some more manpower. - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? - How did your hidden ss quest go? Did you ss change? With the excuse that he had a hidden ss quest, Sephiro, or Worker #2, had escaped his grasp for some time. - I''m not done yet. - Are you lying? - Of course not. Why would I lie? - Hmm. Then we won''t be able to hunt together. - Yes! - How unfortunate. We were going to hunt in Despia. - Despia? The Land that Borders Hell? No one has ever been there before. - It''s quite nice. I found an SS-rank sword there. Plus, I can monopolize all of the hunting grounds and dungeons. Not only that, but monsters give me a ton of experience and proficiency! Alright then, see youter. - Hey, wait! He could tell how anxious Sephiro was. Kang Oh just left the message window open, and didn''t reply back for some time. - Excuse me! - Look here! - Hey! - Yo! Then, Kang Oh sent him a message back. - What? - Well, I think I''ll be done with my quest soon, so I should be able toe along. Hehe. ''As I thought, he was lying to me this entire time. I caught you red-handed!'' Kang Oh smiled. - Will you ss change soon? - Yes, I think so. He''d probably finished the quest a long time ago, so he had already ss changed. ''I wonder what ss it is.'' If they hunted together, then he''d learn what it was eventually. - We haven''t decided when we''d leave yet. Please finish your quest before then. - Yes! "You liar," Kang Oh muttered. "What did Mr. Sephiro say?" "I got him," Kang Oh said. "You got him?" Eder tilted his head. ''What is he talking about?'' "Yeah. I''m not letting him escape this time." Kang Oh smiled evilly. He''d bring Sephiro to Despia and make him work like a dog. It was the price of lying to him for so long! Aah, poor Sephiro. His future was dark. Truly dark indeed. ''Next up is...'' Kang Oh opened another message window. - Mr. Bart. If the Crazy Highschooler/Genius Gamer, Bart, and his party joined him, then they''d be a huge help. - Yes? - Are you busy? - Yes. It''s exam week. - Then why are you online? He didn''t get a response back. Kang Oh sent the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, a message too, but she responded with a curt... ''No thank you!''. In the end, only the three of them would be going to Despia. Two dayster... Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gathered in front of Altein''s intercity transfer gate. "Hehe, it''s been a while," Sephiro said shyly. "Yes it has. Have you been well?" Kang Oh greeted him with a smile, concealing his true feelings. ''Wee, Worker #2!'' "Brother!" Eder, who concealed his face with a smile mask, opened his arms wide. "Aah, Brother!" Sephiro and Eder forcefully hugged each other. "For single guys, you sure are having a good time." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "You don''t have a girlfriend either!" Sephiro shouted. ''You''re one to talk!'' "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Kang Ohughed and stared at Eder. Eder patted Sephiro''s shoulder as ifforting him. "No way..." Sephiro looked at him in disbelief. "It may be hard for you to believe, but it''s true. I saw Mr. Kang Oh''s girlfriend with my own two eyes," Eder said. "Impossible! How can someone as crazy as him have a girlfriend!?" Sephiro shook his head. Kang Oh grinned. People who didn''t have something always envied those that did. "There''s seriously no way!" Sephiro cried out. "Shut up. Let''s enter the gate now." Kang Oh kicked Sephiro''s butt, pushing him into the intercity transfer gate. "The ck Hammer Dwarves'' hideout!" Eder said. Swish. They instantly disappeared. * * * The ck Hammer Dwarves'' hideout. The dwarves saw Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro off. "Take care," Randelhoff said. "We''ll be hearing about each other through Mr. Man Bok," Kang Oh said. "Be careful." Randelhoff patted his shoulder. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head and gave Eder the signal. Then, Eder pulled out the purple crystal from his robes and forcefully threw it. Swish. The crystal radiated bright light as it flew through the air. All of a sudden, it shattered, resulting in something quite fascinating. The crystal fragments formed a giant oval border! And...! A portal formed within. [The door to Despia''s Saharamant Region has been opened.] [The door will remain open for an hour.] "Alright, let''s go." Kang Oh nced back at Eder and Sephiro, and went through the portal first. "Phew." Sephiro anxiously walked through. What would be on the other side of the portal? Eder''s eyes were filled with yearning. He really hoped that the goddess''s templey beyond there! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro passed through the portal. Chapter 253. Saharamant

Chapter 253. Saharamant

Trantor: Boko [You have reached Despia''s Saharamant Region.] "I don''t sense any monsters nearby," Sephiro said, sporting an anxious expression. "I don''t see the temple either." Eder was clearly disappointed. ''Saharamant, huh...'' Kang Oh took a look around. It was a cylindrical space, simr to the Holiseum''s circr diatorial arena. The ground was made of dirt, and the walls and ceiling were ck. Plus... ''Doors?'' There were doors here too; five of them to be exact. Fanciful ornaments hung from each one of them! They also differed in size. The smallest door was about 2 meters tall, while thergest one was almost 10 meters tall. Where there''s a door, there''s a desire to open it and see what''s inside! Kang Oh approached thergest door and forcefully pushed it. However, the door wouldn''t budge. [You are not qualified.] ''Not qualified, huh...'' What kind of qualifications was it referring to? Then... "Huh? It opened," Sephiro said. "It opened?" Kang Oh turned his head. Both Sephiro and the open door were in view. The smallest door had opened. "Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "Please try opening this door." Kang Oh pointed at thergest door. "Understood." Sephiro approached the door and forcefully pushed it. However, the door wouldn''t budge. "It''s saying that I''m not qualified," Sephiro said. "Please try opening the other doors." Sephiro then attempted to open the other doors. However, none of them would open. "I get the same message. It says I''m not qualified. This is... probably that, right?" Sephiro stared at Kang Oh. "Probably." Kang Oh nodded his head. "What is that?" Eder asked. "Only one door opened, and the other doors won''t open until you''re qualified. That means you have to do something through the door for the next one to open." "Aha." "Let''s go." Words were no longer necessary. Kang Oh strode forward and entered the open door. "Wait for me." Eder and Sephiro immediately followed him. * * * [Entering the dungeon, Samon''s Room.] ''It''s a dungeon.'' Once they passed through the door, they entered a dungeon. If that''s the case, then it was highly likely that the remaining four doors were the entrances to dungeons too. "Mr. Kang Oh, it''s a boss," Sephiro said. "Indeed." Kang Oh saw a giant monster sitting upon a throne! Samon''s Room was a boss-only dungeon. "We''re hunting it, right?" Sephiro asked. "Of course we are." There were five doors, but only one had opened. They''d need to prove that they were qualified in order to get through the other doors. But the first door led to a dungeon, and the only thing here was a boss. ''Which means that killing the boss will open the next door.'' Of course, he would''ve hunted the boss monster regardless. A sparrow can''t pass by a mill without stopping! As a Dungeon Hunter, he couldn''t help but kill the boss monster! Anyhow, Kang Oh carefully examined the monster sitting upon the throne. [You are the first to discover Comdo''s Champion, Samon.] It was a lion man. A golden mane surrounded its fearless face, and a three-lined scar covered its right eye. Samon didn''t wear armor. Its bare upper body was lined with thick muscle, and its chest was filled with crooked scars. Its lower body, however, was covered by pants made of tiger skin. It also held a crude podao. "It looks like a warrior-type that specializes in one-on-onebat," Kang Oh said. "It''s called Comdo''s Champion. Do you know what Comdo is?" Sephiro asked, ncing at Eder and Kang Oh. "I''ve never heard of it before," Eder immediately replied. "Comdo. It''s the name of a great tribe that lived in the western grasnds. Of course, it''s been extinct for quite some time." Kang Oh had spent a lot of time as a mercenary in the west. Thus, he was well-versed in its history. "A warrior that came from a long dead tribe appearing here as a dungeon boss..." Sephiro muttered. There had to be some history here. Most of the time, this is where they''d get a special quest. "Don''t worry about it. Let''s just try and kill it," Kang Oh said. He was the hunter, it was the prey. That was enough. ''If it can talk, then we can talk then.'' Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood. The snow-white de radiated a faint red light. Eder pulled ''Eclipse''s Scythe'', which resembled a reaper''s scythe, from his subspace, and lifted it in a two-handed grip. He was ready for battle! "Umph." Sephiro pulled out his signature weapon, the Lasselpino Bow. "It looks different than before," Kang Oh said. "It''s bigger and more beautiful, isn''t it?" Sephiro grinned. As always, the Lasselpino Bow resembled a silver wing. However, it was about as tall as Sephiro now. Of course, it had gotten much thicker too. It had be an English longbow. "Does it have something to do with your hidden ss?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. When I ss changed, my bow got an upgrade too," Sephiro said. "What hidden ss is it?" "I''ll exinter. I''ll show you firsthand how powerful my new ss is." "Sure, if that''s what you want." Now that they were ready for battle, Kang Oh''s party approached Samon''s throne. Then, Samon lifted its podao and stood up. It''d likewise readied itself for battle. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Kang Oh made the first move. ''Let''s see how powerful my new weapon is.'' A ball of me, which was about the size of a baseball, appeared in his palm. It was transparent like a bead, but mes were stored within it. It was the effect of his new Fire Bomb Belt: Fire Bomb. "Hueup." Kang Oh threw it as if he were throwing a rock. Swoosh. The Fire Bomb flew through the air! Salmon quickly cleaved through the Fire Bomb with its podao. However, the Fire Bomb was, as advertised, a bomb. Once Samon shed through the bomb, it exploded. Boom! The Fire Bomb unleashed the mes stored within. In an instant, the tips of Samon''s golden mane were singed ck. ''Nice.'' The Fire Bomb was more powerful than the dion''s Dagger, which he kept stored in his inventory. Samon spun its podao, using it like a shield, and minimized the explosion''s damage. Then, Eder entered the fray. "Seize him!" White bone grew around its body. However, Samon immediately swung its sword four times and then charged. Whack, whack, whack, whack! The bones were ripped to shreds, causing bone fragments to fly into the air. Samon had already gotten right in front of Kang Oh. It swung downwards, its podao surrounded by a golden aura. Aura of Bravery! Kang Oh didn''t back off. Instead, he swung Blood upwards. sh! ng! Upon contact, a metallic ''ng'' rang out. ''Hmm.'' Their sh had given him insight into Samon''s might. For a boss monster, it wasn''t very strong. Then... Samon suddenly withdrew its podao and quickly thrust it like lightning. Lightning Thrust! Swoosh. The podao came flying straight at him. ''Tch!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and bent backwards. Swish. Samon''s de grazed Kang Oh''s forehead and shards of light burst from the wound. He didn''t take much damage, but he felt cold at the realization that ''If I had been even a little slower, then...''. However, he wasn''t out of danger yet. Because he''d bent back, his stance was unstable. Grasping this, Samon attacked him immediately after. Aura of Bravery! Whoosh! Its podao, surrounded by a golden aura, cleaved through the air. At that moment... An arrow, about as thick and long as a javelin, struck the de. ng! Which forced the podao away, giving Kang Oh the chance to stabilize himself. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and quickly counterattacked. The tip of his de went for Samon''s throat, as if it were a snake aiming for its prey. At the same time, an arrow that very much resembled a javelin came flying at Samon''s side. This was obviously Sephiro''s handiwork. Kyaahk! Samon scowled and swung its podao once more. ng. Samon first fended off Demon Sword Blood and then quickly turned its body, dodging Sephiro''s arrow. Then... Eder''s bone spear pierced Samon''s body. Kang Oh and Sephiro''s attacks had been bait; Eder''s attack had been the real deal! Bam! Kuahk! Creases filled Samon''s face. "Explode!" Eder immediately used Bone Bomb. Boom! The embedded bone spear blew up, splitting into bone fragments that further pierced Samon''s body. Kang Oh threw a Fire Bomb at Samon''s feet too. Roar! The mes surged, engulfing Samon''s body. Sephiro''s eyes gleamed. This was his best chance to do a ton of damage! Sun Piercing Arrow! This skill was, like Spinning Arrow, a spiraling arrow, but it rotated much quicker than thetter. Whirl! The arrow, which spun like an electric drill, struck the top of Samon''s head. Headshot! Samon, its body engulfed in me, was unable to withstand the arrow and fell backwards. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled. Samon wasn''t just a boss monster; it was one of Despia''s boss monsters. It wouldn''t go down this easily. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura roared and pounced on Samon. Eder swung his arms. He summoned a giant bone scythe and swung it at the downed Samon. Sephiro barraged it with arrows. Each and every one of his arrows was brutal. Focus fire! A short whileter... There were holes, giant arrows, and bone fragments spread across the room. It was a mess! Samon didn''t move an inch. Despite that, Kang Oh''s party didn''t let up. After all, they hadn''t gotten a message indicating that Samon was dead yet! Whir! Samon was suddenly surrounded by a barrier. ng. Both Sephiro''s arrow and Eder''s bone mass bounced off of the barrier. Kang Oh swung downwards with Blood, but he wasn''t able to break through. His hand tingled from the powerful repelling force. Samon slowly stood up. Its body radiated bright light. By the time that light faded, Samon was fully garbed in golden armor. Its weapon had changed too. Samon was now wielding a giant single-ded sword with a lion head ornament hanging from the hilt! It was clearly a good weapon. Kuhaang! It let out a lion''s roar. Samon was basically saying, ''The real fight starts now!''. Then, it swung its de, unleashing a golden st. Lion King''s w! The golden st split into three, flying towards each member of Kang Oh''s party simultaneously. ''An aura!'' The golden st was definitely an aura, or a crystallization of Samon''s power. It was an extremely powerful aura at that! Moreover, the aura followed Kang Oh''s party like a homing missile. "Everyone, be careful," Kang Oh yelled and swung his sword. Lightning Breath! The lightning st and golden aura shed head-on. Boom! The two opposing forces dissipated with a loud ''boom''. "Tch." Sephiro also realized how dangerous the golden aura was. Thus, he immediately used Absolute Evasion. It was an invaluable skill, which allowed him to dodge any one attack! Boom! The golden aura past him, leaving a lengthy scar in the ground. It looked as though a lion''s ws had scratched the floor. Eder hid behind a bone wall. However, the golden aura broke right through it. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder''s body faded. Bam! The golden aura swept through where Eder had once been. At the same time, it left behind a w mark in the ground. "Thank you," Eder said, having reappeared beside Kang Oh. If Kang Oh had been a little slower, then Eder would''ve taken a ton of damage. "It''s fine. Focus on the battle. Looks like we''ve awoken the sleeping lion." Kang Oh observed Samon. It was emanating a tremendous fighting spirit. Kuha! The enraged king of beasts came rushing at them! Chapter 254. Giant Hunter

Chapter 254. Giant Hunter

Trantor: Boko Samon was fully covered in golden armor. It was almost like he''d been reborn. There was a huge difference between his power before and after his transformation. With every swing of his sword, he''d unleash a shockwave nearby, as well as a golden aura that came straight for Kang Oh''s party. Thus... ''This is fun.'' It felt like he was actually hunting a lion, the king of all beasts. Kang Oh cleaved through a shockwave with Blood, avoided an aura, and approached Samon from the side. Kuhang! Samon roared, and swung his sword. Lion King''s Strike! The shape of a lion flickered from his de. Kang Oh swung Blood horizontally. A white line followed his sword, cleaving through space itself. High-Rank sh! ng! The two des shed. Samon''s strength was greater than Kang Oh''s, forcing him back a few steps. Kang Oh hid a hand behind his back, summoning a Fire Bomb in his palm. Then, he dropped it onto the floor. Samon quickly attacked him. Whoosh! Samon swung his de, coated in a golden aura, diagonally. Kang Oh jumped back, getting out of range of his sword. He quickly withdrew his sword and chased after Kang Oh! But then... Roar! The Fire Bomb beneath Samon''s feet exploded, spreading scarlet mes everywhere. Kuhahk! Samon pushed right through the mes. His armor radiated dim light. It seemed like it reduced the amount of damage he took from the mes. ''Just as nned!'' Kang Oh had been waiting for this. He swung his de horizontally. However, his hands were holding Ubist, not Blood. Evesting Darkness! [As a price for using Evesting Darkness, stolen stats have been consumed.] [Magic -3] A massive st of darkness erupted from his de. Unable to withstand the force of impact, Samon was flung backwards and rammed into the wall. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled. Eder raised his scythe into the air. Bone Mass! A giant lump of bone rained down on Samon, as if it were a boulder flung from a catapult. Bam, bam, bam! Sephiro used one of his new skills. Earth Shaking Arrow! Thud! Once his arrow struck Samon''s armor, it released a giant shockwave that swept through Samon. Kuhaahk! Red shards of light burst from Samon''s body. Sephiro''s attack was just that powerful! Samon stood up using his sword like a cane. Then, he swung his sword at Kang Oh''s party, eyes filled with killing intent. Lion''s w! The golden aura split into three, and flew towards Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. Kang Oh activated Devil Trigger. In an instant, jet-ck darkness engulfed his form, and from that darkness, a jet-ck demon was born. Abyss Transfer! The surrounding darkness consumed him. Having lost its target, the golden aura crashed into the wall and dissipated. Because Absolute Evasion was still on cooldown, Sephiro couldn''t use it to save his skin this time. Thus, he decided to use force against force. Sun Piercing Arrow! The violently spinning arrow flew right at the golden aura. Whir! The spiraling arrow actually pierced through the golden aura. Eder knew a Bone Wall wouldn''t stop it, but he used it anyway. Bam! The golden aura instantly blew through the wall. ''Now!'' Eder used Bone Bomb. Boom! He exploded the crumbling bone, and the resulting explosion consumed the aura whole. Samon didn''t have the luxury of just sitting there and watching his attacks fail. Kang Oh had reappeared behind him and was relentlessly attacking him, that''s why! "Die!" Kang Oh cleaved through Samon''s nk. ck shards burst from Samon''s body. Fang Bearing de! His demon''s sword ability, which nullified all defenses, had activated! ''This ability renders your armor pointless!'' Kang Oh grinned. Grr. Samon swung his gleaming sword. Lightning Thrust! True to its name, the de came for his throat at lightning speed. However, Kang Oh had already seen that trick once before! There was no way it''d work on him a second time. Because of his Hyper Intuition, or more specifically, the chill he felt that indicated where his opponent was aiming at, he could just tilt his head and easily avoid the attack. Then, Kang Oh counterattacked! Thrust! Stab! Demon Sword Ubist dented Samon''s armor. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. Cut, sh, thrust, sh! In a single breath, he''d attacked four times. At the same time, Eder and Sephiro aimed at him from long-range. Bones grew around Samon''s arms and legs, restricting his movements, and long, thick arrows that were akin to javelins came for his head and chest. Kuhang! Even so, Samon continued to fight back. He roared and feverishly swung his sword. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t stop. ''Either you die, or I die!'' He too swung his sword crazily. Samon''s armor was gradually being worn down. There was even a huge arrow sticking out of his back. Ultimately... Stab! Demon Sword Ubist pierced through Samon''s armor and heart. Samon slowly lowered his head. The battle was over. [You are the first to defeat Comdo''s Champion, Samon.] [Samon is a boss monster that only drops one item.] [Samon has dropped Samon''s Token.] [You have defeated a boss monster that lives in the Land that Borders Hell, Despia.] [Fame has increased.] [You have defeated a boss monster while assuming the Jet-ck Demon form.] [More stats have been stolen.] [Physical +2] "Bleh. It didn''t drop anything good." Kang Oh, who''d deactivated Devil Trigger, scowled. Comdo''s Champion, Samon! He was a boss that only dropped certain items. To make matters worse, he only dropped one of them! The dropped item wasn''t even good. [Samon''s Token] Proof that you defeated Samon. It was a golden coin engraved with a lion''s face. This coin must be needed to open the next door. "Tch, tch. I suppose he was too weak." Champion Samon. It wasn''t that hard to beat him. Thus, it made sense that the reward wasckluster. Even so, Kang Oh carefully searched Samon''s Room. Perhaps there was a hidden door somewhere, and perhaps that hidden door led to treasure... Unfortunately, the only thing in the room was a throne. There was nothing else here. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s party was forced to return to Saharamant, only one gold coin richer. * * * Saharamant. It was a cylindrical room! ''Now there are only four doors left!'' Kang Oh gripped Samon''s Token and pushed open the next small door. Creak. Last time, it wouldn''t open, stating that he wasn''t qualified; this time, however, the intricately decorated door opened without resistance. He tried opening the other doors too, but to no avail. As expected, the same message popped up, stating that he wasn''t qualified. ''As expected, you have to go through each door one at a time.'' "Can''t we rest a little?" Eder asked. "Mr. Eder is right. The doors aren''t going anywhere," Sephiro added. "Alright." Unexpectedly, Kang Oh agreed to their request. "Huh?" "Really?" They''d given it a shot, but... Kang Oh wasn''t the type of person to rest already. Eder and Sephiro stared at him anxiously. "What? You don''t want to rest?" "No, I do!" "I want to rest." They rested for a short time. "Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh said. "Yes?" "Please tell us about your ss now." "Hoo, hoo. Can''t you tell?" "I can tell that it''s more powerful than your previous ss." "My ss is called Giant Hunter. It''s a hidden ss," Sephiro said, sporting a haughty expression. ''Now I have a hidden ss too!'' "Giant Hunter?" He''d never heard of that ss before. "It''s an Archer-type ss that specializes in killingrge monsters. As you saw, it allows me tounch extremely powerful attacks." "Was that the ss you got from gathering the Rose family''s arrows?" Kang Oh asked. Sephiro had been gathering the Rose family''s arrows. There were rumors that the Rose family''s arrows were connected to a Archer-type hidden ss. "No. The rumors werepletely bogus." "As I thought." In the past, Kang Oh had given Sephiro the Rose family''s purple arrow. However, his Hyper Intuition never said anything about the arrow. Which meant that there was no secret behind it! Sephiro had just proved him right. "Then how did you obtain the Giant Hunter ss?" "That''s a secret. If you want to know, then please pay me an information fee." Information on a hidden ss was worth money. Obviously, Sephiro wouldn''t give him this information for free. "Never mind. I don''t really need to know..." Of course, Kang Oh didn''t want to know so badly that he''d pay him for it. Even if he learned how to be a Giant Hunter, he''d never be one. "Please tell me about the Giant Hunter ss. We''re going to be hunting together, so we need to know some things about your ss," Kang Oh said. "A Giant Hunter shoots arrows that are much more powerful than an Archer''s. In exchange, it takes a long time to load another arrow after the first. My range has gone down too. Also, it''s hard for me to make precise shots now." Before, Sephiro would never miss a shot. But now, he''d asionally miss. "Hmm. Is that it?" "A Giant Hunter can also raise a pet that can help them duringbat. But I haven''t found the right egg yet." Sephiro scratched the back of his head. He already had a few skills that he could use alongside a pet. However, he couldn''t use them because he didn''t have one yet. "An egg, huh... The Snake Queen, Cassio, dropped a phoenix egg," Kang Oh said. "A phoenix egg!" Sephiro looked shocked. Phoenixes were legendary. What if he were to make such a legendary creature his pet? ''I dunno about the Numbers, but I''ll at least be a high ranker!'' Sephiro, who was currently a middle ranker, sported a subservient expression. "Hehe, Mr. Kang Oh. Where is that egg now?" "Chieftain Aman of the Nedav Tribe should know where it is." Kang Oh had taken the SS-rank Cassio Ring, and the rest of the items had been divided amongst the tribes. Since Aman had been the suprememander, he should know where the phoenix egg went. "The Nedav Chieftain, Aman..." Sephiro''s body twitched. He clearly wanted to go there immediately. "But it should take you about half a year to figure out which tribe has it, and to get that tribe to give you the egg. Someone might have already gotten it too." Kang Oh poured cold water all over him. "Ahem. I see." Sephiro''s face was filled with disappointment. "It may not be as good, but I have something for you." "Something for me?" "Yes." Kang Oh pulled out a round egg from his inventory. It was a ck, red-spotted egg, which was evenrger than an ostrich egg. "This is?" "It''s a wyvern egg. Not only that, but it''s a mutant wyvern egg!" "Oooh!" Sephiro''s eyes gleamed. "Please take a look." Kang Oh passed him the egg. Sephiro carefully epted the egg and looked over its information. Gulp. Sephiro swallowed. It seemed like he wanted it. This is where Kang Oh fanned the mes. "Wouldn''t it be so awesome if you were to shoot giant arrows from atop a wyvern? People would call you something else. Wyvern Rider, Sephiro!" "Hehe." Sephiro opened his mouth wide. ''It worked.'' Kang Oh grinned. Of course, he had no intention of giving it to him for free. "Now then, shall we begin negotiating?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed sharply. Chapter 255. Ripped Off

Chapter 255. Ripped Off

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Sephiro stared at each other. The ck, red-spotted wyvern eggy in between them. "Ahem, how much do you want for it?" Sephiro asked. "How much are you willing to pay?" Kang Oh asked back. "I''m not sure. There''s no way of knowing how much this is actually worth, so..." Sephiro trailed off. "A gryphon egg has been auctioned off before. It sold for about 4,000 gold." A gryphon was a monster that possessed the body of a lion, and the wings and face of an eagle. It was a mighty beast, one that wouldn''t lose to a wyvern. "Let''s go with 5,000 gold on the dot. How about it?" "Keok. 5,000 gold?" Sephiro was shocked. ''How can an egg cost 5,000 gold!?'' "I told you. The gryphon egg sold for 4,000 gold. Wyverns are on the same level as gryphons. However, this is a mutant wyvern egg." It was no normal wyvern egg, but a special one. Obviously it''d be worth more than a normal one. "Mm." Sephiro furrowed his brow. Although he wanted to egg, it put too much of a strain on his finances. 5,000 gold was no small sum! He''d obviously need to think about it. "Then how about this?" Kang Oh said, noticing Sephiro''s conundrum. "What is it?" "A 10 month installment n!" "So I just need to pay you 500 gold a month?" Sephiro looked interested. Paying 5,000 gold all at once was too much, but 500 gold a month was no problem! This kind of thinking was the problem with installment ns. "Yes. Just pay me 500 gold on the 1st day of every month." "Mm." "I don''t really care if you buy the egg or not. I''m fairly certain that I can sell it at the auction house for at least 5,000 gold. But I wanted to offer it to you first since we''re friends. I also don''t want to pay the 10%mission fee either." "Alright, you have yourself a deal." Ultimately, Sephiro decided to buy the wyvern egg with a 10 month installment n. "Good choice. Then..." Kang Oh pulled out a Sabra''s Contract from his inventory. Anyone who vited the contract''s terms would receive divine punishment! "Do you really need to use a Sabra''s Contract?" In the past, Kang Oh had essentially forced him into a ''ve'' contract. What''s worse, that contract was still in effect! Thus, just seeing a Sabra''s Contract made his heart race, and made him recall the day he was forced into the contract. He was also leery of signing a contract with Kang Oh; it made him feel like he was making a deal with the devil. "Or you could just pay me the 5,000 gold up front." "If I don''t buy it, then..." "I told you. It doesn''t really matter to me either way. I can just sell it at the auction house," Kang Oh said nonchntly. "Ahem." "Will you buy it or not?" "I''ll buy it." Kang Oh nodded his head and began writing the contract. The former (Kang Oh) will sell thetter (Sephiro) the wyvern egg. Thetter will pay the former 500 gold on the 1st day of every month; this will continue for 10 months, for a total of 5,000 gold. There was also a provision at the end. If Sephiro vites the contract, then Kang Oh will take the Lasselpino Bow. "Using the Lasselpino Bow as coteral is a bit..." Sephiro said after looking through the contract. "Why? Are you going to vite the contract?" "No, that''s not what concerns me..." "Then it doesn''t matter whether your bow''s used as coteral or not. As long as you don''t vite the contract, you don''t have anything to worry about, sir!" Kang Oh had definitely called him ''sir''. But it felt like he was being called ''idiot'' instead. Thus, he was starting to get suspicious. "Is it true that the gryphon egg was sold for 4,000 gold?" Sephiro stared at him suspiciously. "It''s true. If you can''t trust me, then please look up ''Gryphon Egg'' on Arthtory. The poster was bragging about how they sold a gryphon egg for 4,000 gold." That yer had definitely sold the gryphon egg for 4,000 gold. ''Half a year ago, that is.'' Obviously, the market price of a monster egg would be different now than half a year ago. ''Right now, a gryphon egg probably sells for a little more than 2,000 gold. A wyvern egg should be worth around the same amount. This mutant wyvern egg wouldn''t go any higher than 4,000 gold.'' However, Kang Oh was attempting to sell the wyvern egg for 5,000 gold. He was clearly trying to rip off hispanion. ''So why did you lie to me!?'' Sephiro had lied to Kang Oh; though he''d acquired the Giant Hunter hidden ss a long time ago, he kept iming that he still needed more time. Thus, he was free from Kang Oh for a period of time. Unfortunately, Kang Oh had figured out that he''d been lied to. ''This is your punishment!'' Thus, Kang Oh neither hesitated nor felt any shame in ripping Sephiro off. Anyhow, Kang Oh signed his name and then passed the contract to Sephiro. "Please sign the contract." "Mm." Sephiro was as hesitant as ever. "Isn''t it worth investing 500 gold a month to be a Wyvern Rider?" "Understood." Ultimately, Sephiro signed his name on the contract. The Sabra''s Contract radiated dim light, a sign that the contract was established! Now there was no going back. ''Even if Sephiro finds out how much a wyvern egg is really worthter on.'' Kang Oh smiled wickedly. * * * Kang Oh and Sephiro were finished trading. Sephiro stroked the wyvern egg. He smiled, not knowing that he''d just been ripped off. "When will it hatch?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll have to ask the Tamer Guild to find that out..." Sephiro said. Tamers specialized in hatching monster eggs and raising them. Sephiro had the ability to raise a wyvern, but he wasn''t capable of hatching it. Only a Tamer would be able to hatch this high-rank monster egg. Thus, he''d have to ask the Tamer Guild for help. "At the moment, we have no way of returning to Altein. If we leave, there''s no way ofing back," Sephiro added. "Shall I set up a transfer magic circle?" Hearing of his plight, Eder decided to step up. If he set up a transfer magic circle, then Sephiro would be able to return to Altein ande right back. "Where are you going to set it up?" Kang Oh asked. "Where do you think? Right here." The cylindrical space, which was known as Saharamant! There was no other ce to put it. There weren''t any monsters or traps here either. "You can''t right now! We need to find out whether this is really a safe ce or not." Saharamant. There weren''t any monsters here, nor was there any immediate danger. However, they might encounter some unforeseen issues in the future. After all, this cylindrical space was also part of Despia! Thus, it would be wiser to postpone setting up the magic circle until they were sure it was safe. "That''s fine with you, right?" Kang Oh stared at Sephiro. "Yes. It''s not an urgent matter. Of course, I''d like to see this egg hatch as soon as possible," Sephiro said, continuing to stroke the egg. "Understood. Then I''ll set up the magic circleter." "Mm. I have a favor to ask you, Eder, Mr. Sephiro," Kang Oh said. "What is it?" Eder asked. "I''ve almost maxed Devil Trigger''s assimtion rate, so I''ll need to undergo the Trial of the Demon Sword again." His maximum assimtion rate was 200%, but before he knew it, he''d gotten up to 190%. It was time for him to undergo the demon sword''s trial again. "So while you''re taking the trial, you want us to be ready just in case?" Sephiro asked. "Yes. Please do what you did when I first obtained Demon Sword Blood," Kang Oh said. Back when he''d first obtained Blood, Kang Oh had undergone the Trial of the Demon Sword right in front of Eder and Sephiro. "You want us to be ready, and attack if something seems off about you?" Eder thought back to that time and asked. "Yeah." "Hehe. Leave it to us." "Don''t worry. I''ll make sure to kill you." This would give them a legal opportunity to beat up Kang Oh and kill him if need be! Eder and Sephiro were ready to see blood. Their eyes seemed to say, ''Just give me a reason! I''ll kill you right then and there!''. "Uh-huh. I''m counting on you," Kang Oh said. Then, Eder ced Eclipse''s Scythe right above Kang Oh''s head. Sephiro notched a giant arrow onto the Lasselpino Bow and drew it, aiming right for Kang Oh''s forehead. Kang Oh lifted Demon Sword Blood. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh assumed his Blood Red Demon form, and outstretched his red bat wings. "Tasha," Kang Oh said. "What?" the girl who''d one day be Blood, Tasha, said. "I''m going to undergo Demon Sword Blood''s trial soon." He''d gotten quite close to Tasha. After all, he''d been with her for quite some time now. Kang Oh also wanted to free her from the confines of the demon sword if at all possible. Of course, he didn''t want to free herpletely; he just wanted her to have a break and let her see the world, like a soldier going home for vacation. "Good luck..." "Go easy on me!" Kang Oh said. "Blood. I don''t like being called that, but when I be Blood, my consciousness dims and my dormant demon blood takes over. All that''s left is a desire to destroy. So I can''t go easy on you, sorry," Tasha said decisively. "Mm." Time continued to pass. At some point, his assimtion rate reached 200%. [Demon Sword Blood''s assimtion rate has reached 200%.] [Demon Sword Blood''s trial has begun.] * * * Parmarl Underground Labyrinth. Blood appeared, its body entirely formed of blood, yet retaining a human shape. Its surroundings gave off a strong stench of blood. Blood charged at him and began its violent assault. Kang Oh fought it head-on. Unlike Ubist''s trial, which restricted his abilities, sealed his skills and equipment, blinded him, etc., Blood didn''t limit him in any way. Thus, Kang Oh fought it in perfect condition. ''It''s stronger thanst time.'' Demon Sword Blood had its own level, and Kang Oh had increased its level a ton. That must be why Blood was so much stronger than it had been the first time. Red Fist! Fresh Blood Wave! Blood Spike! Blood Spear! Hatred Buster! Blood Bomb! Blood continuously used its most destructive attacks. However, Kang Oh had also gotten stronger sincest time! Moreover, his equipment was way better, and he had more skills/item effects than before. ''Let''s start with Gluttony.'' Kang Oh dodged Blood''s attacks, pulled out a mass-produced BB-rank sword, and fed it to Ubist. Gluttony! All of his abilities were doubled! "Let''s go." Kang Oh went at it at full power. He used Darkness Chain, Fire Bomb, Lightning Breath, High-Rank sh, Tempest Tiger, Evesting Darkness, and even Transcendent de! The match had been decided instantly. Since he''d fought countless monsters, boss monsters, and even raid bosses, Kang Oh''s strength was the real deal! Even the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, couldn''t stand up to him. In the end, Blood fell to its knees. [The Trial of the Demon Sword has ended.] [Blood''s assimtion rate has been reset.] [Proficiency in Devil Trigger has increased significantly.] The environment instantly changed. He saw Sephiro and Eder, who were ready to attack with their bow and scythe whenever necessary. "Alrighty then. Please put those away. It''s over now." Kang Oh extended both hands, as if telling them to calm down. "Tch." "Tch." Sephiro and Eder looked so disappointed that Kang Oh had seeded. They also kept their weapons where they were. "I told you to get this stuff out of the way," Kang Oh red at them and said. ''Move your weapons. Wanna die?'' "Ahem." Only then did Eder and Sephiro remove their weapons. Kang Oh had safelypleted the Trial of the Demon Sword. Chapter 256. Hamon’s Culvert

Chapter 256. Hamon''s Culvert

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party passed through the second door using Samon''s Token. It was the second smallest door of the five. [Entering the dungeon, Hamon''s Culvert.] There was flowing water on either side of the semicircr passageway. The water flowed through circr holes in the walls, each one equidistant from each other. However, water wasn''t the only thing that flowed through them. Monsters came out of them too! Kuhahk! It was long like a snake, yet had a fin and sharp teeth. The monster looked like a moray eel, which were known as the pirates of the sea. Of course, it was muchrger and more colorful than an eel. Above all, it possessed silver wings. What was the best way to put it? It was like putting a flying fish''s wings on a moray eel. Anyhow, the eel look-alikes came through the holes and began flying towards Kang Oh''s party. Eder quickly created a bone fence around him. Munch, munch! The monsters flew over and began chomping on the bone fence with their serrated teeth. Eder kept his cool and rammed his scythe into the ground. AoE Curse: Age! A purple ring spread outwards, and the curse began to take effect. "Bones are sharp des." Eder cast Bone Spike. Sharp spikes like a rose''s thorns protruded from the bone fence, skewering the monsters. Rather than use the Lasselpino Bow, Sephiro dual-wielded two axes instead. Giant Hunters could wield axes too, so they weren''t that bad at meleebat. "C''mon!" Sephiro swung his axes. Whenever his axes shed, the eel look-alikes would be ripped to shreds. Kang Oh entered the battle too. Swish! He cleaved through one of them using Demon Sword Blood. Then, the monster''s body split into two equal halves. Its severed body writhed on the ground. ''Why are they so weak?'' Kang Oh thought, while observing the easily kible monsters. Strangely, the monsters didn''t get any stronger, nor did they encounter anything different, so he just continued to swing his sword. ''Hmm, this is really weird.'' Whenever he swung his sword, he''d cleave through the monsters. Despite that, he wasn''t receiving a system message indicating that he''d killed them. ''Which means we haven''t been killing them...'' Kang Oh observed the ground. The monsters'' bodies were sprawled across the floor. However, the monsters'' corpses began to heal, and were eventually restored to perfect health. "Proliferating monsters!" Proliferating monsters would, for various reasons, continue to multiply. If these eel-like monsters were ''killed'' using physical attacks, then they would multiply. "Proliferating monsters?" Sephiro looked shocked. "That makes sense. It felt like there were more of them!" Eder yelled. "If you split its body, then it multiplies. So refrain from using a sword or an axe," Kang Oh said. "Then what do we use instead?" Sephiro looked like he was about to cry. "You''d usually use elemental attacks here." Kang Oh summoned a Fire Bomb and forcefully threw it at the ground. Roar! The mighty mes spread, consuming everything in their path. [You have defeated a Proliferating Winged Eel.] [You have defeated a monster that lives in an incredibly dangerous area (Despia).] [You have received additional experience and proficiency.] As expected, elemental attacks did work on them. ''A monster that''s impervious to physical attacks is usually vulnerable to elemental attacks.'' Now it was Eder''s turn. Whenever he used Bone Bomb, several Winged Eels would be killed at once. Whereas Sephiro didn''t really do much. Not only did his ss specialize in physical attacks, but he couldn''t use his bow either, as the eels swarmed him. Thus, he had no choice but to keep swinging his axes, regardless of the consequences. Though Sephiro wasn''t much help, Eder''s Bone Bombs and Kang Oh''s Fire Bombs and Lightning Breath were enough to finish off the Winged Eels. "Phew, it''s over." Sephiro caught his breath. Then, Kang Oh approached him. "We don''t have time to rest. Please pick up the junk items." "Huh? Me?" Sephiro tilted his head. Thus far, Kang Oh had always forced Eder to pick up all of the junk items. "You''ll be picking up the junk items from now on." "Huh? Why?" "Eder can buy items off of me! Besides, I''m the boss here." "Alright fine. I''ll do it." Sephiro decided to just do it. It wasn''t that hard to pick up the junk items after all. "You have to either disarm or destroy the traps, and also make us a map too. Like always." "I have to do that too?'' "You''re the best at it. I trust you." Kang Oh patted his shoulder. "Ahem." "And per our ve... Ahem, excuse mynguage. As per ourbor contract, none of the loot goes to you." "Hey, that''s not fair!" Sephiro strongly resisted. It was only natural after all. No one was willing to work for free. Moreover, this was Despia! Because it was such a difficult and dangerous ce, it was an area that had a high probability of dropping extraordinary items. "Of course, that''s only on principle. You really think I''m that bad?" Kang Oh grinned. "R-Right?" Sephiro smiled awkwardly. "How does 10% sound?" Kang Oh was proposing that Sephiro receive 10% of the loot. "That''s it?" "How about 5% then?" Kang Oh threatened. "20%! If not, then I''ll just go home!" Sephiro countered. "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. Then, Eder intervened. "Mr. Kang Oh. Why don''t you guarantee him 20%?" "Brother!" Sephiro looked moved. ''As expected of you, Mr. Eder. There''s no one like you!'' "Fine. But it''ll start at 15%. If you do well, then I''ll raise it to 20%," Kang Oh said firmly. "Understood. 15% it is," Sephiro agreed. "Alright then. Chop-chop. Please pick up the junk items," Kang Oh said. "Alright, alright!" Sephiro bent over and began picking up the junk. Seeing that, Kang Oh smiled wickedly. ''I''m going to make you work like a dog. And I''m not going to raise your share to 20%, ever.'' This was his punishment too. ''How dare you lie to me!'' Kang Oh was the type to hold grudges for a long time. * * * Winged Eels kepting out of the holes. They weren''t a big issue. After all, they had Eder, who was currently a level 400 Lich! With his help, the Winged Eels weren''t able to do much. "I sense some monstersing. They''re eels and something else," Sephiro said. They saw a shadow from afar. Eventually, its identity was revealed to them. "Bowler." Kang Oh recognized the monster. It was a monster crayfish, or Bowler. These creatures usually lived in the sea, but could asionally be seen on the coast. Bowlers wererger than rhinos, were covered in a thick shell, and possessed two ws. They were around level 350. There were three of them. "Please be careful. They shoot water cannons from their ws," Kang Oh said. Eder nodded his head and raised Munra''s Bone Shield. "I''ve fought them before." Luckily, Sephiro had experience with them. The three Bowlers opened their ws. The hole in-between their ws discharged a powerful jet of water. Water Cannon! Spurt! Gush! Spew! "Dodge!" Kang Oh yelled. Sephiro quickly moved to the side, while Eder backed off. Bam, bam, bam! Upon impact, the cannons broke the floor and the walls, causing both water and fragments to fly into the air. ''It''s quite powerful.'' If a Bowler appeared on the coast, then fishermen or yers that just wanted to enjoy the beach would run away immediately. Not only was a Bowler a high level monster, but its shell was tough and its water cannons were weapons of mass destruction. Still, they had their weaknesses. Bowlers were extremely slow at changing directions. Thus, a yer could attack them from the side or from behind without threat of danger. ''Plus...'' Kang Oh pointed Demon Sword Ubist at the Bowlers. Lightning Breath! Crackle, crackle! The lightning st pierced right through a water cannon and engulfed them in electricity. ''You can also use an attack more powerful than a water cannon.'' Kang Oh grinned. After being struck by the Lightning Breath, a Bowler drooped. Sparks danced across its body, signaling that it''d been electrified. Kang Oh swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pushed through another water cannon, and struck the paralyzed Bowler. Boom! Next, Sephiro was up to bat. Sun Piercing Arrow! The violently spinning arrow pierced through a water cannon, prating the Bowler''s tough shell and embedding itself in the crayfish''s flesh. Such destructive power! As expected of a Giant Hunter, a ss that maximized the power of each and every arrow. It was even easier for Eder. He just needed to summon bones around a Bowler and then use Bone Bomb! Boom! Boom! Boom! He consecutively blew up the bones, the explosions resounding with a ''boom'' and causing the passageway to shake. Shake, shake. The Bowlers began violently swinging their ws. They were definitely pissed. As evidence of this, the Bowlers began shooting quicker, more powerful water cannons. ''Doesn''t matter what you do.'' Kang Oh transformed into the Jet-ck Demon. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh reappeared behind the Bowlers! "You''re still not a match for me." He swung his sword in a wide arc. Abyss w! The jet-ck aura simultaneously swept through the three defenseless Bowlers. Kang Oh kept attacking again and again. They already couldn''t turn that well, but they were also standing side-by-side, which further restricted their movement. Thus, they couldn''t respond to Kang Oh''s assault. Plus...! There weren''t many beings that could withstand Demonic Swordsman Kang Oh''s relentless assault. To his knowledge, only the Immovable Teynos, Burkan, and Vn could do it. The Bowler didn''t have absolute defense like the Immovable Teynos, and wasn''t nearly as strong as Burkan or Vn. Plus, Sephiro and Eder would give him long-range support! Shake, shake! All they could do was attempt to turn around while moving their ws. However, their futile actions didn''t go for long. Kang Oh''s brutal assault killed them soon enough. "Pick up the junk items. We''re going right after." Killing the Bowlers didn''t really excite him. After all, it was really easy. Obviously, they wouldn''t be allowed to rest either. "Alright." As soon as Sephiro picked up the junk, Kang Oh''s party set off. * * * The Winged Eels and the Bowlers. They encountered a new monster, one with a fish''s body but arms and legs like a human being. It also wielded a weapon, like an axe or a spear. In other words, a Fishman. Then there was the monster sea anemone, Veskracho. There were evenndmines here; if you approached them, they''d blow up. Kang Oh''s party encountered several other types of monsters here as well. All of the monsters that could be seen in the sea or the coast showed up in Hamon''s Culvert. ''It''s practically a seafood party.'' Because Hamon''s Culvert was such a dense ce, Kang Oh''s party was forced to do battle continuously. However, none of the battles were difficult. The Demonic Swordsman with Hyper Intuition and a member of the Numbers, considered a supernova by many! Then there was the level 400 Lich, Eder! Plus, the Giant Hunter, Sephiro. The power of these three was incredible. Kang Oh''s party continued to make their way through the dungeon without rest. However, Kang Oh suddenly stopped. "Man, it''s been such a long time," Kang Oh said. "What''s the matter?" Sephiro asked. "He''s finallye." "He?" "Hyper Intuition!" Kang Oh beamed. That feeling, the one where something felt suspicious and that there was something more to it! It''d been a long time since his Hyper Intuition had activated like this! Chapter 257. Tidecaller Hamon

Chapter 257. Tidecaller Hamon

Trantor: Boko Hamon''s Culvert was a semicircr passageway with waterways on either side. Ser ball sized holes lined the walls from which water continuously flowed. One of the holes, however, caused Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition to activate. "This is it." Kang Oh pointed at one of the holes. It appeared no different from any of the other ones. "I see." Sephiro and Eder nodded their heads. Because they''d spent so much time with Kang Oh, they knew that his Hyper Intuition was the real deal. He was either inherently talented, or he had a skill that allowed him to find secrets easily! "Is there something inside of the hole?" Sephiro asked. "We''ll see if we put something in there." Kang Oh put his hand inside. "Please be careful. There might be a Winged Eel or andmine inside," Eder said concernedly. "Yeah," Kang Oh replied absentmindedly. Eder had worried over nothing. There weren''t any Winged Eels orndmines inside. Instead... ''This is...!'' His palm felt a familiar shape. ''It''s like the faucet that we used when we were still living in that half-basement!'' Though he couldn''t see it, he could recognize the feeling. It was a turnable faucet. Kang Oh turned the faucet counter-clockwise, locking it. Then, things happened as he''d expected them to. The amount of water flowing from the holes noticeably decreased! He only pulled his hand out after he was sure that it wouldn''t move anymore. "Was there something inside?" Sephiro asked. "A faucet. I locked it," Kang Oh said. "Ah, so that''s why the amount of flowing water decreased." Eder pped his hands. "Yeah. There are probably a few more of them here, and locking all of them will probably reveal some sort of secret." ''The dungeon''s shaped like a culvert, and if you can control the amount of water by using the hidden faucets... Well, I suppose it''s obvious.'' Kang Oh had found several hidden dungeons and unearthed several secrets thus far. His experience hadn''t gone anywhere. "Then we have to find the remaining faucets." "Yes." If not for Kang Oh, then they would''ve had to put their hands in every single hole and checked them for a hidden faucet. But what if they put their hand in a hole and they were either bitten by a Winged Eel or they set off andmine... It would''ve been a huge mess. With Kang Oh, however, they had no need to do that. Whenever they passed a hole with a hidden faucet, his Hyper Intuition would tell him. ''Hoo, hoo.'' Hyper Intuition. A mysterious psychic ability he''d gained after spending 2 years in aa. He was really milking it for all it was worth. * * * There were four other faucets. Due to Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, they weren''t particrly hard to find. Kang Oh locked every single one of them. By doing so, the water stopped flowing out of the holes entirely. Rumble! The culvert began to shake, and it sounded like a device was activating. "Seems like you were right," Eder said. "Mm. A new section must''ve opened up. We have to find it," Kang Oh said. Now that the flow of water was blocked off, there should be a new door or passageway that had opened up. Kang Oh''s party began looking for it. How much time had passed? "It''s here," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh''s party was in front of a fountain. However, the water from the fountain spilled onto the floor like a bathtub with a hole in it. There were also stairs on the floor that led underground. [You are the first to discover the hidden dungeon, Hamon''s Hideout.] Kang Oh grinned. ''A hidden dungeon, huh... It sure has been a while.'' Because of Vn''s quest, he hadn''t beenpletely focused on his original job, being a Dungeon Hunter. But he''d managed to find a hidden dungeon. In Despia, no less! ''I hope it has a ton of money and expensive materials (magical and otherwise).'' Clearing a normal hidden dungeon yielded a ton of rewards. As long as no one had gone through the hidden dungeon before, that is. However, he didn''t have to worry about that, as the message had confirmed that he was the first. ''It''d be even better if it was a soul dungeon.'' "Shall we go?" "Yes." Kang Oh''s party made their way down the stairs. [You have entered the hidden dungeon, Hamon''s Hideout.] There was a smallke at the end of the stairs. A small, t indy at the center of theke, and there was a wood bridge that''d allow them to cross. Kang Oh''s party crossed the wooden bridge and got onto the ind. There, they met Hamon. [You have discovered the Notorious Tidecaller, Hamon.] Hamon was an old man. Several age spots covered his face. The ''notorious'' title made it clear that he was evil and ill-natured. He wore robes with a blue, wavy pattern, and held a ck staff embedded with a radiant crystal. "Intruders! Good of you toe. I needed some more corpses." Hamon sported an evil smile and raised his staff into the air. "Arise, my minions!" Hamon''s staff exuded blue light like an aurora. Gush! Gush! Gush! Water pirs surged from theke, revealing monsters that they were already familiar with. Hamon had summoned a Bowler and a Fishman. "Eder, take care of the Bowler. Mr. Sephiro, please deal with the Fishman. You can leave Hamon to me," Kang Oh quickly ordered. "Ok!" "Understood." Eder threw a bone spear at the Bowler. Meanwhile, the Fishman rushed at Sephiro with its spearhead pointed at him. However, Sephiro hit it with a headshot. Kang Oh charged at Hamon head-on. Then, Hamon pointed his staff at him. Surging Water''s Fury! The ground underneath Kang Oh''s feet suddenly split, causing him to lose bnce. Then... Boiling water surged from the cracks. "Ugh." Since he''d lost bnce, dodging would be an impossible endeavor. Plus, the stream of water was too fast! Kang Oh twisted his wrist, blocking the stream of water with Demon Sword Ubist. Fortunately, his sword sucked the spell right up! [Demon Sword Ubist has absorbed Surging Water''s Fury.] [Satiation has increased by 0.0002%.] Abyss de had activated. Although his spell had ended in failure, Hamon wasn''t all that worried. "You have quite a strange de. I''ll take it off your hands after I kill you." Hamon swung his staff. Surging Water''s Fury! Thend cracked in several ces below his feet, gushing with streams of boiling water. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Hyper Intuition had warned him of the danger beforehand, and with his outstanding evasion, he was able to avoid all of the streams. "Haha. How fun." Hamon was treating Kang Oh like a ything. Hamon mmed his staff into the ground. Then, the ground began to crack and the surging water began to gather in a single location. Summon Hot Water Golem! The giant Water Golem''s body was about 10 meters tall and was entirelyposed of water. Steam rose from its body, signaling just how hot it was. The Water Golem swung its open palm, as if it were trying to crush a cockroach. Whoosh! Kang Oh ran in a diagonal line. Because he was so good at dodging, Kang Oh was able to approach the Water Golem while avoiding its palm strike. ''That''s the core!'' A golem was an incredibly powerful and durable summon. However, it possessed a weakness known as a core. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition pointed out exactly where one''s weaknesses were. Moreover, Demon Sword Ubist could cleave through the immaterial! Cutting through the golem''s water-based body and destroying its core was nothing to him. "Haahp!" Kang Oh thrust with Ubist. His demon sword cleaved through its body, and at some point, touched something hard. It was the golem''s core. Kang Oh pushed through all the way. Crack! He could feel the core breaking. The Water Golem''s face contorted. At the same time, it burst like a popped water balloon. "What?" The suddenness of it all left Hamon dazed. Even in his wildest dreams, he hadn''t expected Kang Oh to destroy his Water Golem in a single hit. "Ugh." The hot water doused Kang Oh''s body. [You have been doused with hot water.] [The Draka set has reduced water damage by 30%.] [You have lost HP.] Although the Draka set had reduced the amount of damage he''d taken, he took a significant amount of damage nheless. Thus... ''I can''t let this opportunity go.'' Kang Oh swung his sword. Lightning Breath! A blue lightning st violently flew towards Hamon. "Damn it!" Hamon quickly swung his staff. A water wall surged from the ground, but it was already toote. The Lightning Breath swept through him before his spell was ready. "Guaaahk!" Hamon''s body tingled, his face creased, and he screamed in pain. Kang Oh didn''t share Hamon''s hobby of ying around with his food. ''If there''s a chance of victory, then take it!'' Kang Oh quickly rushed towards Hamon and swung Ubist downwards. sh! He cleaved a vertical line. "Guahk!" Demon Sword Ubist sliced through Hamon''s chest. Huge shards of light exploded from his body. "S-Save me!" Hamon desperately yelled. The Bowler shot a water cannon at Kang Oh, and the Fishman rushed over to protect its master too. However, Kang Oh hadpanions of his own. "We have to keep them away from Mr. Kang Oh," Eder yelled. He simultaneously cast his bone magic, dealing with the Bowler''s water cannon before it could reach Kang Oh. Sephiro shot an arrow. Earth Shaking Arrow! The arrow arced. Once itnded on the floor, a giant shockwave rocked the ground. As a result, the Fishman fell on its back, unable to keep its bnce. "Huahp." Kang Oh cleaved through Hamon''s shoulder joint. "Ugh." Hamon cried out in pain, opened his palm, andunched a baseball-sized waterball at Kang Oh. Kang Oh didn''t let down his guard. He tilted his head and easily dodged the waterball. "Water is a passage..." Hamon quickly chanted a spell. But Kang Oh, having not even been hit by the waterball, wouldn''t leave him to it. He immediately swung downwards, aiming for Hamon''s head. "Kyaahk!" Hamon screamed in agony and randomly swung his staff. It was so slow that it almost made Kang Oh yawn. Kang Oh deflected the staff, eyes as cold as winter, and repeatedly swung his sword. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Ugh." Refreshing ''whacks'' and Hamon''s cries dissonantly resounded throughout the ind. "S-Save..." Ultimately, Hamon surrendered and begged for his life. "Rest in peace." Kang Oh''s de didn''t stop. "Even if I die, I''ll get my revenge..." Hamon suddenly opened his eyes wide. Swish! Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through the middle of his body. Hamon stopped moving. [You have defeated the Notorious Tidecaller, Hamon.] [Fame has increased.] [Side stat, Righteousness +3] Once Hamon was defeated, the Bowler and Fishman faded out of existence. The summoner had been killed, so the summons were disappearing! Kang Oh''s party had cleared Saharamant''s second dungeon. Chapter 258. Ratia’s Trial

Chapter 258. Ratia''s Trial

Trantor: Boko Hamon dropped two items. "Let''s see here." Kang Oh picked up the crystal embedded ck staff. It was the same staff that Hamon had used. [Roaring Wave Staff Steeped in Evil] A staff used by Tidecallers, those whomand both the sea and nature. This staff contains the power of Tidecaller Hamon, also known as the Butcher of Silvend. + Roaring Waves: Doubles the power of water spells. + Evil Wave: Just holding the staff increases one''s notoriety. Allows you to use Evil Wave (Active/Spell). The greater one''s notoriety, the more powerful the Evil Wave. Rank: AA. Abilities: Magic Attack Power +400, Mental +10, Magic +100, Charm -20. Minimum Requirements: Level 350, Mage-type ss. "Hehe, Mr. Financier." Kang Oh politely presented Eder with the staff. The staff''s special ability, Evil Wave, seemed to have great synergy with a Lich! But after looking over the details, Eder returned the staff to him. "I don''t need it." The Roaring Wave Staff was much worse than Eclipse''s Scythe. He obviously didn''t need it. "Tch." "Let me take a look." Sephiro snatched the staff. Meanwhile, Kang Oh looked over the other item. It was Hamon''s robes, the ones with the blue wavy pattern. [Wavy Pattern Robes Steeped in Evil] Robes worn by Tidecallers, those whomand both the sea and nature. Only an Intermediate-Rank Tidecaller can wear these robes. These robes were worn by Tidecaller Hamon for a long time, so they are imbued with evil power. + Wave Pattern: Reduces the MP cost of water spells by half. + Evil Song: Just wearing these robes increases one''s notoriety. Allows you to use Evil Song (Active/Spell). The greater one''s notoriety, the more powerful the Evil Song. Rank: AA. Abilities: Defense +200, Mental +10, Magic +80, Charm -20. Minimum Requirements: Level 350, Mage-type ss. "This too?" Just in case, Kang Oh passed Eder the robes. However, it had the same result. "Yes. I don''t need this either." Eder passed Sephiro the robes, and he immediately looked it over. "You don''t need it either, do you?" Kang Oh asked. "No, I don''t. To think it''d increase your notoriety just by wearing it... It''s defective," Sephiro said. "Then I''ll ask Mr. Man Bok to sell it for me. I''ll split up the profitster." Ever since he''d met him, Kang Oh had disposed of all of his unneeded items through Man Bok. "Will those defective goods even sell?" Sephiro asked. "They will. yers that don''t care about their notoriety or criminals that actually want their notoriety to increase will buy it." Countless people yed Arth. Some of them habitually PKed others, while others were criminals who stole and performed other such criminal activities. "Mm. I see." Sephiro nodded his head. "Do you think these items will open the next door?" Eder asked. "Don''t know. Let''s take a look around. There might be something else here," Kang Oh said. This was a hidden dungeon. There had to be a treasure house here, which stored all of Hamon''s riches. A short whileter... "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Sephiro. Please take a look at this," Eder called. "Did you find it?" "Yes. I think this is it." Eder cleared the thicket, revealing a square rock. He then pushed the rock off to one side, revealing a secret room. "Good job, Eder." Kang Oh patted his shoulder and immediately entered the room. "Wow!" Kang Oh eximed. There were piles and piles of gold coins! Magic materialsy on the rack, while grimoires and rare books were stacked on the bookshelf. ''Haha, this is what being a Dungeon Hunter is all about.'' Finding huge rewards after clearing a dungeon was what made it all worth it. "Ooh." "Woah." Eder and Sephiro, who''de inside after, were amazed. ''It''s a good thing I fought for my share!'' Sephiro looked at the riches, recalled his 15% share, and clenched his fists. ''Yes, yes, yes!'' "Let''s begin collecting everything," Kang Oh dered solemnly. A short whileter... They cleaned the ce out. Kang Oh had taken everything, leaving behind only dust. "How much came out of it?" Sephiro asked. "About 900 gold. Selling all of the materials will get us around 2,000 gold," Kang Oh said. "2,000 gold! We''ve hit the jackpot." Sephiro beamed. "We did." Kang Oh smiled too. This is why you clear dungeons! * * * They decided to split the lootter. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder returned to Saharamant, humming. "Now then." Kang Oh lifted Hamon''s staff, while Sephiro lifted Hamon''s robes. The two simultaneously pushed the center door. [You are not qualified.] The staff didn''t work. However... "It says I''m not qualified," Sephiro said. He''d been pushing the door while holding the robes. "Hmm, is it this then?" Kang Oh pulled out a hardcover book from his inventory. It was called Hamon''s Wicked Grimoire. Though it was called a grimoire, it didn''t actually teach you how to use magic. Thus, he assumed it could be used to open the next door. Kang Oh pushed the door once more. Creak. He was proven right. Hamon''s Wicked Grimoire was indeed the key to the third door! The door opened all the way. ''So you need an item that contains the boss''s name.'' "Not too hard, is it?" Kang Oh said, staring at Sephiro and Eder. Beating Hamon had been too easy. It had beenpletely one-sided. It was even easier for Eder and Sephiro, who had fought ordinary monsters instead. "It''s not." "I''m still going strong." Eder and Sephiro replied simultaneously. "Then let''s go through the third door!" Kang Oh yelled. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party immediately went through the third door. [You have entered the dungeon, Ratia''s Trial.] Whoosh. The wind blew, sweeping through Kang Oh''s hair. There was a cliff in front of them, sorge that they couldn''t even see the top. The wind hade from the top of the cliff. "You don''t think we have to scale this cliff, do you?" Sephiro said. Kang Oh took a look around. He didn''t see anything besides the cliff. Moreover, the word ''trial'' was part of the dungeon''s name. "I think we do have to climb it," Kang Oh said. "Mm. We''ll be screwed if we get attacked by flying monsters like wyverns or gryphons along the way," Sephiro said concernedly. "Indeed," Eder agreed. "Ah, that''s right. Can we leave this to you, Mr. Kang Oh?" Sephiro stared at him. "What do you mean?" "I watched you go up Draka''s Nest. Can''t you do the same thing? Fly, then rest, then fly again." "Hmm." "You can just summon Mr. Eder when you''re at the top." "Then what will you do?" "I''ll be waiting in Saharamant." "We can''t have that." Kang Oh shook his head. He couldn''t allow Sephiro to just sit around and do nothing. "Ugh. Then what do we do? You want us to ignore our best option here and climb the cliff?" "No. I''m going to be flying. Do you remember that time we flew into Kainshell''s boss room?" Kang Oh asked. "Ah, yes. How could I forget. I hung onto you while you flew up there... You wouldn''t!" "I would." Kang Oh smiled wickedly. "Aah." Sephiro looked like he''d cry. "Then let''s go." Kang Oh pulled out Blood and used Devil Trigger. His red bat wings stretched outpletely. "Please hold on tight." "Ugh." Driven by necessity, Sephiro hung off of Kang Oh''s neck. "Eder, you just wait here. I''ll summon you once I reach the top." "Alright." "Tasha, please fly me up to the top," Kang Oh said. "That thing''s in the way, so we won''t be able to fly for very long. At best, maybe a minute. We obviously won''t be able to fly that fast either." Tasha''s voice echoed in his head. "Mm. Then just get me up as high as you can. If we repeatedly fly and then rest, we should be able to get up there eventually." "Fine." Tasha forcefully pped his wings. p! p! p! Kang Oh and Sephiro began to rise into the air. However... Whoosh! A powerful gust of wind blew, violently shaking his body. Obviously, Sephiro was in way worse shape. "Uhahk!" he screamed. "Tasha!" Kang Oh said. "The wind''s too strong. I can''t fly properly!" Tasha said desperately. Whoosh! The gale blew once more. Kang Oh lost bnce and plummeted to the ground. "Guaaahk!" Sephiro felt himself fall and shrieked. p, p, p, p, p! Tasha violently pped his wings. Because of that, they were barely able to stay in the air. However... "We can''t keep flying like this! We have tond." Flying was no longer possible. "Let''s go back." Ultimately, Kang Oh and Sephiro were forced back to their original position. Their n hadpletely failed. Kang Oh let Sephiro get off and attempted to fly once more. However, this attempt would end much the same; the mighty gale wouldn''t allow him to progress any further. "Tch. I think it''s set up so that you can''t fly yourself to the top." Kang Oh, who''d returned to their starting point, scowled. Now, their only option was to climb up the cliff by hand. "I guess it can''t be helped." Kang Oh stretched out. He was really going to climb up the cliff. "Phew." Sephiro sighed and stretched out too. "I''ll be waiting here," Eder said. "Yeah. I''ll summon you when I reach the top." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Be careful." "Yeah. Let''s go." Kang Oh began scaling the cliff. "Ok!" Sephiro gritted his teeth. ''If I can''t avoid it, then I just have to do my best!'' He immediately followed after him. * * * Climbing the cliff wasn''t a difficult task. After all, this wasn''t reality. The two of them weren''t climbing the cliff; their in-game characters were. The same in-game characters that could perform inhuman feats due to their tremendous stats! Obviously, Kang Oh and Sephiro scaled the cliff at a speed impossible for their real life counterparts. However, they soon realized why it was called a ''trial''. The fierce wind proved to be a major issue. Whoosh! The ferocious, quick wind swept through them. Kang Oh and Sephiro''s bodies violently shook. ''Grr!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and glued his body to the cliff. He then tightened his body and waited for the wind to pass. However, Sephiro had let go. The stone his right hand had been holding onto had broken off! "Uhaaaahk!" Sephiro plummeted to the ground! Chapter 259. Meeting Ratia

Chapter 259. Meeting Ratia

Trantor: Boko The dizzying feeling of falling from an extreme height without a parachute! That''s exactly what Sephiro felt as he fell from the cliff. "Uhaahk!" He couldn''t help but scream. Then... Kang Oh quickly drew Demon Sword Blood, which hung at his waist, and forcefully stabbed it into the cliff. Bam! Kang Oh tightly gripped Blood''s hilt and extended his free hand. Darkness Chain! Swoosh. A ck chain quickly flew out and wrapped around Sephiro''s waist. Then, Kang Oh pulled as hard as he could. "Heup!" Ting! Sephiro hung from the chain. "Haa, haa." Sephiro breathed roughly and looked shocked. "Ugh, hurry up and grab onto the cliff!" Kang Oh shouted, scowling. Blood, unable to sustain Kang Oh and Sephiro''sbined weight, began to shake! Sephiro finally broke out of his stupor, swung over to the cliff, and grabbed on. Whoosh! A fierce gale blew from above, intensifying Blood''s rattling. But before his sword slipped out, Kang Oh quickly deactivated Darkness Chain and stuck to the cliff like a pancake. The Draka set violently fluttered, as if someone was trying to drag him down. But that was all. The wind wasn''t strong enough to force Kang Oh down. The dizzying moment had passed. "Thank you," Sephiro said. Once the wind had subsided, he''d climbed up beside Kang Oh. "Please be careful," Kang Oh said. "Yes." "Let''s climb!" Kang Oh looked up and extended his hand. * * * A stroke of good luck in the midst of misfortune. Perhaps that was the best way to put it, as they didn''t encounter any flying monsters along the way. ''Then again, I don''t think there are any monsters that could fly in this wind.'' But the fact that there weren''t any flying monsters here wasn''t really a cause for celebration. The further up they got, the more intense the wind became. The wind was so violent that it took everything they had just to hold on. "Let''s stop here and take a break," Kang Oh said. "Y-Yes," Sephiro said weakly. He truly looked exhausted. Whoosh! Unfortunately, the gale blew once more. Kang Oh endured, gluing himself to the cliff, and began thinking. ''Is there any other way? A way to climb up while ignoring the wind... Ah, there is a way!'' He thought of a good method, but there was one problem with it. ''If I use this method, then only I can climb up.'' Kang Oh nced at Sephiro. Using this method would force Sephiro to climb down. Plus, Kang Oh and Eder would have to face whatever was waiting for them at the top without him. ''And he''ll get to rest the entire time.'' Kang Oh looked at Sephiro and scowled. Sephiro would be able to rest, while he''d go through hell. Just thinking about it made his stomach hurt. Whoosh! The gale blew once more. Kang Oh and Sephiro''s bodies shook, regardless of their intentions. At some point, the wind calmed like a gentle sheep. How contemptible! "Mr. Sephiro!" Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "Can you think of a way that''ll let both us get to the top without having to deal with the wind?" Perhaps the Giant Hunter ss had some sort of skill that''d be helpful here. "If I did, then I''d have used it a long time ago!" Sephiro yelled. ''That''s true. Well, I guess it can''t be helped.'' Kang Oh clicked his tongue and said, "Please go back down, Mr. Sephiro." "What?" "I have a way of getting to the top without having to deal with the wind. But you don''t, so go back down!" "Ahem, then you could''ve just climbed up by yourself..." Sephiroined. "I know a way to get you down real fast. How about it?" Kang Oh said murderously. He was essentially saying, ''Want me to drop you?''. "Ahem. No, I''ll be fine. I''ll go down myself." Sephiro carefully began climbing down. Kang Oh ced Blood in his inventory and switched to Ubist. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh transformed into the Jet-ck Demon and looked up. "Let''s go." Abyss Transfer! He was sucked into the darkness. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared at a higher location! He''d teleported as far as he could. After that, Kang Oh continued to rapidly ascend the cliff. Whenever Abyss Transfer was off cooldown, he''d use it and then reappear much higher up the cliff. ''Nice. We can just keep doing this.'' Everything was going as nned. However... At some point, the wind changed. Swish! The wind sounded sharp, as if it were cutting something! His back felt cold, a warning from his Hyper Intuition. "Ugh." It felt like someone had just scratched his back with their sharp nails. [You have taken damage from the de wind.] [The Draka set has reduced wind damage by 30%.] "Damn it!" Kang Oh said. ''I didn''t think of this.'' He assumed the wind would keep getting stronger, but he hadn''t expected it to actually attack him! Kang Oh hung off the cliff with one hand and swung Ubist with the other, curious whether the wind was magical or not. If it was, Ubist would be able to absorb it! However, it didn''t work. Like a pack of wolves aiming for their prey, the wind came rushing at Kang Oh unhindered by his sword. Kang Oh quickly used Abyss Shield. A ck barrier surrounded him. Swish, swish, sh! The de wind began raking the Abyss Shield. ''4, 3, 2... Now!'' Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer the second it was off cooldown. He disappeared into the shadows and reappeared higher up the cliff. Swish! Without even giving him the time to catch his breath, the de wind came flying at him once more. Kang Oh then pulled off a health potion from his Fire Bomb Belt and downed it in a single go. He received alternating system messages; one stating that he''d taken damage from the de wind, and another stating that his HP had been restored. Kang Oh raised his head. ''I''m close.'' It wasn''t much farther until he reached the top. ''I only need to go a little bit more!'' He did his best to ignore the system message, which reminded him that his HP had dropped, and waited for Abyss Transfer to go off cooldown. * * * Kang Oh stood. He wasn''t hanging off the cliff wall, but actually standing on his own two feet! He''d finally reached the top! [You have passed Ratia''s Trial.] [Warning: You only have 5% of your HP left.] Fortunately, the wind no longer attacked him once he reached the top. Kang Oh pulled out a health potion and drank it down. Then, he pulled out some medicinal herbs and bandages from his inventory and used First Aid. First Aid was one of the few support skills he''d learned. "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed in relief after slightly recovering his HP. "I almost died." If Abyss Transfer''s cooldown had been even a little bit longer, then the de wind would''ve killed him. He was lucky that the de wind didn''t keep attacking him once he got to the top because that would''ve killed him too. Anyhow, Kang Oh hadn''t died and had safely reached the top of the cliff. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh took a look around. Kang Oh saw a ck ceiling, just like in any other area in Despia. He must''ve climbed a really high cliff; he felt like he could transform into the Red Demon, fly up, and touch the ceiling. He didn''t even see the shadow of a monster. Instead, he saw some thicket and a wooden house. Smoke was rising from the chimney. ''A wooden house, huh.'' Considering how there was smokeing from it, there must be someone living inside. Obviously, that person must be rted to this dungeon, Ratia''s Trial. If not, then it could be Ratia herself! ''Whatever the case, I have to meet them.'' But he had to do something first. "Summon Eder," Kang Oh said. Then, a Lich appeared before him. He wasn''t surprised by the sudden summon. It was only natural. Eder had been waiting for Kang Oh, after all. "Hoh, this is the top?" Eder said. "Yeah. Let''s go over there." Kang Oh pointed at the wooden house and began walking towards it. "What about Mr. Sephiro?" "Did you not see him? I had a way of climbing it myself, so I told him to go back down halfway." "I see." Eder nodded his head and followed Kang Oh. Knock, knock. Kang Oh knocked on the door. "Excuse me, is there anyone here?" "Pleasee in," a woman replied from inside. Kang Oh and Eder carefully opened the door and went inside. A beautiful priestess stood across from a wooden table. However, her eyes were closed shut. "Please sit down." She pointed at the chairs without opening her eyes. Kang Oh and Eder stared at each other. ''It doesn''t look like a trap, does it?'' ''No, I don''t think it is.'' They didn''t sense any hostility from her. "Thank you." Kang Oh and Eder sat down. "The Fierce Wind, Suhorn, informed me that you''d passed my trial," she said. "Your trial? Then you must be..." Kang Oh looked her over from top to bottom. "I am a servant of the Goddess of Death, Lady Deborah. My name is Ratia." "The Goddess of Death!" Eder pped the table with both hands. He''d finally met someone rted to the Goddess of Death! "E-Excuse me, I have to meet Lady Deborah no matter what. And I have to ask for her forgiveness," Eder said desperately. "The Supreme One has punished you, I see," Ratia said calmly. "Yes, that''s right." "If you wish to see her, then you must head to the great temple." "How do I get there?" Eder asked anxiously. "Saharamant is a ce that tests if you are worthy of entering the goddess''snd. If you pass through all of the dungeons here, then you will step foot into the area where the Supreme One''s temple resides," Ratia said. "Then the Goddess of Death''s temple is located in the next area?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right," Ratia said calmly. "Oooh!" Eder looked moved. His face seemed to say, ''We''re finally there!''. "Hey, it''s too early to be celebrating. There are still two doors that we haven''t opened yet," Kang Oh said. Don''t count your chickens before they hatch! "That''s true. It is indeed too early to be celebrating." Eder did his best to calm himself down. "I need the item that''ll allow me to open the next door," Kang Oh said. "You''ve passed my trial, so you can take this with you." Ratia pulled out a vial, which contained purple liquid, from a pocket that hung from her sleeve. Kang Oh quickly took the vial. The vial was called ''Perfume Made by Ratia''. "Thank you. But may I ask you a question?" "Go ahead." "You said that this ce was a testing ground to see whether an individual was worthy of entering the goddess''snd, right?" "Yes." "Could you please tell us about the 4th and 5th dungeons?" He could talk to Ratia. Moreover, she was a native here! Thus, he should obtain as much information as he could! "The fourth dungeon will test your patience. And the final dungeon will require you to use everything that you have." "Patience, and everything you got," Kang Oh muttered. "If we enter hernd, will we be able to find the goddess''s temple immediately?" Eder asked. "You''ll have to go to find out." "W-Will I... be forgiven?" "That''ll be answered when you reach the temple," Ratia said, giving a simr answer both times. "Is there anything you can tell us? Like ''be careful of this'' or ''there''s a hidden passageway here''?" Kang Oh asked. "There''s a door in the forest nearby. In order to leave this ce, you will need to go through that door." "Understood." "Take care." Their short meeting with Ratia hade to end. Chapter 260. Mandra’s Helix

Chapter 260. Mandra''s Helix

Trantor: Boko Turns out Ratia was right. There was a door here that led outside. With it, Kang Oh and Eder were able to return to Saharamant without going back down the cliff. "Ah, Mr. Kang Oh." Sephiro was waiting for them there. "Did you clear the dungeon?" he asked. "Of course." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Could you tell me what happened after I went down?" "So..." Kang Oh briefly exined how he''d made it to the top using Abyss Transfer, but was attacked by the de winds in the process, as well as their meeting with Deborah''s priestess, Ratia. After that, Kang Oh approached the fourth door with Ratia''s perfume in hand. It was the secondrgest door of the five. Kang Oh forcefully pushed open the gold and silver studded door. Creak! The door slowly opened. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party entered the dungeon. [You have entered the dungeon, Mandra''s Helix.] Exactly as advertised, it was a ''helix''. The road was 10 meters wide! However, there were no rails, so falling would mean grave danger. The spiral-shaped road led downwards. There were monsters along the way too. They wore scarlet armor, as if they''d been doused with blood, and wielded a mace in their right hands and a shield in their left. Red eyes glowed from beneath their visors. There were five of them! "Those are Ghost-Possessed Armors, Red Knights," Sephiro said. Although the armor waspletely empty inside, it was cursed, monsterizing it. The red Ghost-Possessed Armor''s official name was ''Red Knight''. Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Blood. "Attack." That was enough. He didn''t need to exin how the Red Knights attacked, nor did he need to tell them what to do either. Eder and Sephiro would do their part without his instruction. "Roger!" Sephiro pulled out an arrow from his quiver and notched it. Aim, fire! The arrow struck a Red Knight right in its breastte. Earth Shaking Arrow! Boom! The arrow created a shockwave, which swept through everything around it. The battle had begun! Sharp bone spears floated above Eder''s shoulder. "Skewer them!" Three bone spears flew simultaneously and struck the Red Knights. Bam, bam, bam! The Red Knights raised their shields, blocking the bone spears, and then charged at Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh grasped a Fire Bomb and forcefully threw it, like he was a pitcher standing on the mound. In baseball terms, it was a fast ball. The Fire Bomb flew through the air and struck a Red Knight''s shield. Upon contact, a wild me began to spread. Roar! However, it didn''t really do much. The Red Knights simply charged through the mes, their shields protecting their bodies. One Red Knight swung its mace at Kang Oh. Whoosh. A spiked mace flew through the air. ''Slow.'' Kang Oh easily dodged the mace. However, the mace struck the ground, causing... Boom! A small explosion, apanied by a ''boom''. Heavy Blow! Eder could also use this skill when he possessed Arumode''s remodeled body and became a Curse Knight. Kang Oh immediately swung Blood and counterattacked. sh! The Red Knight was over level 300. It wouldn''t be beaten so easily. Though Kang Oh''s sh was frighteningly quick, the Red Knight was able to block it without much difficulty. ng! Blood crashed into the shield, emitting sparks and a metallic ''ng''. In the midst of that, another Red Knight approached him from behind. Shield Bash! This skill allowed the user to deal damage with their shield! And if Shield Bash struck the target''s head, then they would lose consciousness. Obviously, the Red Knight swung the edge of its shield at the back of Kang Oh''s head. "Hmph." Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition was like the equivalent of having eyes on the back of his head. He turned his body to the side, dodging the shield, and immediately thrust Blood. Like a skilled acupuncturist, Kang Oh precisely stabbed the Red Knight''s shoulder joint. Stab! Red shards exploded out! The Ghost-Possessed Armors'' weakness was their joints; the shoulders, the knees, elbows, etc. These areas, which kept the armor whole, were weaker than the rest of the armor. Then, the Red Knight counterattacked. It swung its mace vertically, and ck energy wriggled around its mace. Resentment Strike! This skill dealt a huge amount of damage if the user was damaged, but... It was pointless if it didn''t hit. Kang Oh stepped back. The mace, having lost its target, struck nothing but air. Then... "A new enemy is approaching," Sephiro yelled. As he said, four new Ghost-Possessed Armors appeared from the winding road. They wore blue armor and carried bows. "Blue Knights!" Kang Oh yelled. "Mr. Eder and I will deal with the Blue Knights. Mr. Kang Oh, please take care of the Red Knights!" Sephiro said. Blue Knights were ranged monsters! He believed it was better for him and Eder to fight them rather than Kang Oh, who was proficient in close quartersbat. "Ok!" Kang Oh agreed with him. "Understood," Eder replied immediately. He then summoned a bone mass andunched it at a Blue Knight. After that, Sephiro shot an arrow. The Blue Knights raised their bows. However, they didn''t draw any arrows. They simply drew their bowstrings, forming arrows of blue light. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The blue arrows flew through the air,ing for Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro simultaneously. Swish. Kang Oh swung Blood, cleaving an iing arrow in half. A nearby Red Knight saw the opening and swung its mace, forcing Kang Oh to quickly withdraw his sword in order to protect himself. Bam! Upon impact, the mace created a small explosion. Heavy Blow! Kang Oh backed off. Another two Red Knights attacked him, aiming for his head and sr plexus. What an impressivebination attack! ''Not bad!'' It was impossible to dodge or block. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh rushed at the Red Knight, which was aiming for his head. It was almost as if he were voluntarily running in front of a speeding car! "Huaahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood with transcendent speed. Transcendent de! His de shed! In exchange, a massive amount of HP, MP, and Stamina had been consumed. However...! Split. The Red Knight was split right in the middle. [You have defeated a Red Knight.] Because he''d rushed at the now dead Red Knight, Kang Oh had avoided the other Red Knight''s attack. Kang Oh had simultaneously attacked and defended. After that, the battle became easier for him. After all, there were only four Red Knights left, not five. "C''mon!" Kang Oh rampaged about like a rabid beast. The Blue Knights weren''t able to do much and fell one or two at a time. They couldn''t withstand Eder''s bone magic and Sephiro''s arrows! Obviously, Kang Oh''s party had attained victory. * * * "Huh?" Once the battle was over, Kang Oh noticed that he''d gotten a message. - Oppa. It was Asu. Kang Oh immediately wrote a message and clicked ''send''. - Sorry, I was busy. What''s wrong? - Are you busy the day after tomorrow? She messaged him back rather quickly. - The day after tomorrow? I don''t have anything nned. I''m just going to keep hunting in Despia. Why? - My group has time off then, so we decided to y Arth on that day. - Oh, really? - Yes. I was thinking of having a pic. You shoulde too, Oppa. ''A pic with Soo Ah!'' He really wanted to go. Kang Oh turned to Eder and said, "Eder." "Yes?" "Once we''re finished with this dungeon, set up a magic circle in Saharamant." They''d mostly verified that Saharamant was a safe ce. Moreover, there was a reason he needed the magic circle now. A pic with Soo Ah! He couldn''t afford to miss it. "Understood." "Oh, then I can go back to Altein?" Sephiro asked, seeming mighty pleased. As soon as he returned to Altein, he''d head to the Tamer Guild and hatch the wyvern egg. Kang Oh sent a message, stating ''sure'', and looked at Eder and Sephiro. ''I feel bad for you, you bachelors!'' His eyes were filled with sympathy. Eder had been a bachelor for a long time, and he knew that Sephiro was currently single. The bigger problem here was that he''d never even seen them with a girl before! ''Tch, tch.'' He couldn''t help but click his tongue. "Why are you looking at me like that?" Sephiro stared at Kang Oh. "Yeah. It feels unpleasant," Eder agreed. "Mm, it''s nothing." Kang Oh looked away and messaged Soo Ah back. - I want to go too! Could you ask the others if they''re ok with me bringing Sephiro and Eder along? - Ok, will do. Sometimeter... Soo Ah sent him a message back. - They''re ok with it. - Alright, thanks. - I''ll see you then. - Yep! Kang Oh closed the message window and grinned. "Eder, Mr. Sephiro. Do you have time the day after tomorrow?" "Why?" "I''m going on a pic with my girlfriend and her friends. Let''s go together." "Those friends of hers aren''t men, are they?" Sephiro asked. "They''re women." "I''ll go. I really love you, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder sped Kang Oh''s hands. "I''ll go too." Of course, Sephiro couldn''t stay behind. "Then let''s have fun at the pic." "Yeah!" * * * Kang Oh''s party encountered Red Knights, Blue Knights, White Knights, and ck Knights in Mandra''s Helix. The White Knights wielded spears, but they also had the ability to heal and buff their allies. On the other hand, ck Knights wielded swords. Theirbat abilities were the highest amongst the four. They also had the ability tomand troops. Thus, the Ghost-Possessed Armors becamepletely different when led by a ck Knight. Like right now. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The Red Knights stood side-by-side and advanced, their shields at the ready. Meanwhile, the White Knights, wielding their long spears, stood behind them, just waiting for their opportunity. At the rear, the Blue Knights stood in two lines and drew their bowstrings. Right beside them, a ck Knight stood with its sword nted in the ground. It felt like they weren''t fighting against monsters, but a well trained brigade instead. Of course, there were several ways of engaging a formation like this. There were several ways for Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro, at least. "I''ll break their formation with my bone magic," Eder said. "Please take care of the Red Knights," Sephiro said. "Everyone do your part," Kang Oh said. "Arise!" Eder raised his gaunt hands. Then, a white bone ball rose between the Red and White Knights, separating them and breaking their formation. "Explode!" Eder clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! The massive explosion swept through the Red and White Knights, heavily damaging their ranks. Then... Kang Oh got right in the middle of them! Chapter 261. Mandra Tree

Chapter 261. Mandra Tree

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh leapt into the monsters'' formation and grinned. He held Fire Bombs, transparent spheres containing fire, in both hands. "I have a present for you!" Kang Oh threw a Fire Bomb. Roar! The scarlet mes spread everywhere. Bone Bomb had already caused a mess; the Fire Bombs only made it worse, turning the battlefield intoplete chaos. [Proficiency in Throw Projectile has reached 100%.] [Throw Projectile has risen to intermediate-rank.] [Intermediate-Rank Throw Projectile increases the maximum speed that projectiles can reach when thrown. It further increases their power as well.] What good news. "Here''s one more!" Kang Oh smiled cheerfully and threw another Fire Bomb at the front. He was clearly celebrating his skill upgrade. Roar! The Fire Bomb''s mes surged. Its mes were much stronger than before. Throw Projectile had reached intermediate-rank, further increasing the projectile''s power. Now that his hands were free, Kang Oh drew Blood from his waist. Then, he aimed for a White Knight''s neck with the snow-white de, which emanated red light as dark and deep as blood. The White Knight, its armor slightly singed by the mes, deflected Blood with its spear shaft. Kang Oh had expected that. He opened up his free hand. Darkness Chain! Blocking both Blood and the Darkness Chain was impossible for the White Knight. The ck chain wrapped around its right ankle. "Huahp." Kang Oh quickly pulled the chain. The White Knight lost its bnce and fell to the floor. It waspletely defenseless, and Kang Oh wouldn''t waste such a golden opportunity. He stomped on its chest, and swung his de five times in the span of a single breath. Swish, swish, sh, swish, sh! He precisely swung his de, hitting the White Knight''s joints. Bam, bam, bam! Red shards of light burst from its body, which were promptly absorbed by Blood. Whoosh. As if it were unwilling to watch the one-sided beat down, a Red Knight swung its mace at Kang Oh. ''Too easy.'' Kang Oh held his de askew and parried the Red Knight''s attack. The mace turned in a strange angle, as if it had slipped. This is what the skill ''Sword Parry'' did. Although he hadn''t learned it, Kang Oh could replicate its effect. Thus... ''An opening.'' Kang Oh swung upwards with Blood. sh! He cleaved an upward, vertical line, slicing through the joint that connected the Red Knight''s left arm and shoulder. Red shards of light exploded out, and sh''s new effect caused it to bleed as well. Shards of light steadily spilled from its shoulder. Of course, those shards of light were a delicious treat for Demon Sword Blood. Then, the White Knight writhed underneath Kang Oh''s foot, causing him to lose bnce. Another White Knight thrust its spear at him. Energy as white as milk covered the spear in its entirety. White Meteor! The spear, which was enveloped in white energy, truly looked like a white meteor. Kang Oh responded calmly. He opened his hand, grabbed the Red Knight''s wrist, and pulled. Bam! The Red Knight was the best shield he could hope for. After all, it had blocked the White Knight''s spear for him. He then pushed the Red Knight away, causing the White and Red Knights to collide and fall to the floor. ''Let''s take care of this one first.'' The White Knight he''d stomped on was in the process of standing up. Kang Oh mercilessly swung downwards, which was apanied by a blood red wave. Darkness Strike! Boom! It reeled from the shock, feeling the force travel from the top of his head all the way down to its feet. Kang Oh didn''t let up and continued his assault. He sliced at the joints that connected the breastte, the arms, and the legs together. Eventually, the White Knight''s armor split back into its individual pieces. [You have defeated a White Knight.] [Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.] [Demon Sword Blood is now level 19.] ''Will it get a new special ability at level 20?'' When Demon Sword Blood reached level 10, it gained the Blood Bomb ability. Thus, Kang Oh assumed that it would gain another ability at level 20. ''We''ll see.'' Kang Oh turned around. Several Red and White Knights were charging at him. Blood Bomb! Blood red energy exploded from his body, sweeping through any nearby enemies. When it subsided, none were left unscathed. Then, the ck Knight confronted him. Its de was as dark as Ubist. Kang Oh and the ck Knight simultaneously swung their swords. ng! The ck Knight''s sword was pushed aside. Kang Oh seized the opportunity and relentlessly attacked it. Meanwhile, the Blue Knights simultaneously shot their arrows, descending upon Sephiro like a rain shower. Sephiro rolled on the floor, dodging the arrows. The Blue Knights drew their bowstrings again, and began forming their blue arrows. However, Sephiro had already drawn and fired an arrow of his own. Ting. The arrow flew high up into the air, forming six magic circles nearby. Buster Shot! This was his finishing move, one that unleashed a hundred arrows at once! However, ss changing into a Giant Hunter had changed it a little. The rtively small arrows were reced by the long, thick arrows that the Giant Hunter used! Bam, bam, bam! The giant arrows rained down on the Blue Knights, turning them into porcupines as they fell to the floor. He''d killed all of them at once. "I''ve earned my keep." Sephiro grinned. Eder summoned a giant bone scythe in the air and swung it to the side, as if he were cutting grass. Swish! The bone scythe caught six White and Red Knights, causing them to fall to the floor. Then, Eder opened his hand. Bones rose from the floor, wrapping around the Red and White Knights. "Explode." Bone Bomb! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! He blew up the bones one after another. However, he hadn''t yet killed all of the Red and White Knights. Eder summoned several clumps of bone, about 2 meters in length and width, and threw them at the survivors. Bam, bam, bam! He raised his free hand and clenched it. Bone Bomb! Boom! The armors were reduced to ash! Lich Eder. The bone magic he used was akin to a cmity. Through Sephiro and Eder''s efforts, the number of Ghost-Possessed Armors were quickly cut down. Plus, Kang Oh overpowered theirmander, the ck Knight. It was only natural. The ck Knight wasn''t a boss, nor was it a named monster. There was no way a normal monster could contend with Kang Oh. "Let''s end this." Kang Oh unleashed his final attack. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pounced on the ck Knight''s cracked, dented armor. Boom! The ck Knight died before the whirlwind even came. "Done." Kang Oh''s party continuously attacked the remaining Ghost-Possessed Armors, and annihted them soon after. * * * Kang Oh''s party had finally reached the end of the dungeon. There was a small sprout that stuck its ''head'' out of the dirt floor. On one side, there was a door that presumably led outside the dungeon. But what should''ve been there wasn''t. "This is the end of the dungeon, but... I don''t see the dungeon master," Sephiro said. Like he said, the dungeon master, or boss, was nowhere to be found. "Indeed. Do you think there''s a hidden area somewhere?" Eder stared at Kang Oh. "No. My Hyper Intuition didn''t react on the way here," Kang Oh said. "Mm, then what happened?" Eder tilted his head. In order to progress to the next dungeon, an item bearing the previous dungeon master''s name was required. However, they didn''t see the dungeon master anywhere. "The dungeon''s name is Mandra''s Helix, so there should be something here called Mandra." Sephiro carefully examined his surroundings once more, but he didn''t find anything new. Then... "Mandra. Mandra, huh... I''ve heard that name before," Eder furrowed his brow and muttered. Then, he hit his palm with his fist. "Ah!" "What? Do you know something?" Kang Oh asked. "A Mandra Tree!" Eder yelled. "A Mandra Tree?" "Yes. It''s a tree that grows very slowly. It can take up to 100 years to fully grow! And when it''s fully grown, it only leaves behind a single piece of fruit. It''s quite the mysterious tree!" "You don''t think... that this is a Mandra tree, do you?" Kang Oh pointed at the sprout. "It probably is." "Then do we need to bring this sprout with us?" Sephiro asked. "Probably not." "I doubt it." As soon as Eder said his piece, Kang Oh stated his opinion. "Why?" "Ratia told us that the key to the fourth dungeon was patience." "Yes." "The key that opens the next door isn''t the sprout or even the tree, but the fruit that the tree bears. Only then does it match Ratia''s description." They say that patience is the art of hoping. "What? There''s no way that''s right. A Mandra tree takes 100 years to grow," Sephiro said. ''So you want us to wait 100 years for this thing to grow?'' "There''s a way to reduce the time it takes to grow. We''ll use that method," Kang Oh said. "Mm." "We''ll give it fertilizer and nt growth enhancers. Wouldn''t that make it grow faster?" Kang Oh said. "It sounds like a good idea," Sephiro agreed. "Then let''s return to Saharamant, set up a magic circle, and return to Altein." None of them had fertilizer or nt growth enhancer on them. Thus, they needed to return to Altein and buy it. "Understood." "Alright." Sometimeter... Eder set up the transfer magic circle in the corner of Saharamant. "It''s done," Eder said. The magic circle radiated dim light, indicating that it was working properly. "You set it up properly, right?" "Yes." Kang Oh''s party entered the magic circle. "To Altein!" * * * They returned to the sight of bustling crowds, a giant intercity transfer gate, and the Holiseum, which could be seen from afar. The magic circle had worked properly. Kang Oh''s party had safely returned to Altein. "Mr. Kang Oh, I''ll get going first. I''d like to leave the egg with the Tamer Guild," Sephiro said. The mutant wyvern egg that he''d bought from Kang Oh! He would need a Tamer''s help to hatch it. "I need to buy the fertilizer and the nt growth enhancer, so let''s end it here for today," Kang Oh said. "Alright, then if you''ll excuse me." Sephiro disappeared into the crowd. "I''ll be going too." Eder was trying to weasel himself out of this. "Where do you think you''re going!? You have toe with me and buy the fertilizer and growth enhancer." "Ugh." "You don''t want toe? Then you can stay out of the pic then." "N-No, that''s not what I said. I want to go with you. That includes the pic too!" Eder quickly said. "Follow me." Kang Oh strode forward, and Eder followed close behind. "So where are we going exactly?" "The Tower." "The Tower? You said you were buying fertilizer and nt growth enhancers, so why are you going there?" "I heard the Tower produces a magic fertilizer that causes nts to go extremely quickly." "I see." Thus, Kang Oh and Eder headed for the Mage''s Tower. Chapter 262. Picnic (1)

Chapter 262. Pic (1)

Trantor: Boko There was a store on the first floor of the Mage''s Tower, which sold various grimoires, magic materials, magic devices, and other useful goods. "Fertilizer, fertilizer, fertilizer..." Kang Oh and Eder, who covered his face with a smile mask, looked at the items on disy. "Ah, this is it." Kang Oh examined the brown jar, and the item''s information popped up. [Magic Fertilizer] Fertilizer developed by the Tower. Quickens the growth of a nt and increases yield. It is more effective than normal, or even high-rank fertilizer. In exchange, it costs much more. ''100 gold, huh... It''s really expensive.'' Magic Fertilizer cost 100 gold. Normal fertilizer only cost 5 gold, while high-rank fertilizer cost about 20 gold. Considering how much they cost, the magic fertilizer definitely felt like a rip off, no matter how effective it was. ''Then again, I''m not the one buying it.'' Kang Oh stared at Eder and said, "You buy it." "What? Me?" "Of course. You''re the one who wants to get to the goddess''snd ASAP." "Is this why you brought me?" he asked. ''To pay for everything!?'' "Yeah," he said. ''Isn''t that obvious? I ain''t crazy enough to spend my money on fertilizer and nt growth enhancers!'' "Tch." "Don''t want to? Alright then. We''ll take our time." "I''ll buy it, you stingy human." "Make sure you buy enough. We don''t want to run out." Kang Oh grinned. "I got it, alright?" Eder picked up the jar with both hands and headed for the counter. A short whileter... Eder, who''d bought the jar filled with magic fertilizer, stashed it into his subspace and returned to Kang Oh. "Good enough?" Eder said disrespectfully, but he''d spent a ton of money, so Kang Oh decided to let it go. "Let''s go. We have to buy the nt growth enhancer too." "Ugh, I have to buy that too, don''t I?" Eder said fiercely. Kang Oh grinned. * * * The next day. Kang Oh''s party gathered in front of Altein''s intercity transfer gate. "Did you leave the egg with the Tamer Guild?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "How long will it take to hatch?" "At least 1 week." "In just a week, you''ll get yourself a pet. Congrattions." "Hehe, thank you." Sephiro beamed. "You haven''t forgotten about the pic tomorrow, right?" "Of course. Where are we going?" "Maroon Hill." You could see the most beautiful sunset in all of Arth there. Moreover, it was a spatiotemporal intersection point, so other people wouldn''t bother them. The monsters that spawned there were extremely weak too. Thus, many celebrities were drawn to the area. Kang Oh and Asu had alreadye to Maroon Hill before during Dungeon Conquering Man. "Maroon Hill. Sounds good." Sephiro gave him a thumbs up. Kang Oh nodded his head and nced at Eder. "The fertilizer and the growth enhancer?" "They''re in my subspace." "Good. Let''s go." Eder entered the intercity transfer gate and yelled, "Saharamant!" Whoosh. The magic circle''s light rose and engulfed Kang Oh''s party. By the time the pir of light had vanished, Kang Oh''s party was nowhere to be seen. Kang Oh''s party popped out of Eder''s magic circle, and immediately entered Mandra''s Helix. Red and Blue Knights were waiting for them. "Take them out." Kang Oh''s party defeated the Ghost-Possessed Armors and made their way down the spiral road. They encountered White and ck Knights as well, but they couldn''t stop their advance. The dungeon was long, and there was nowhere else to go but forward, so they couldn''t avoid battle. Thus, it took them three hours to get to the end. "It''s still here." Kang Oh looked at the sprout and grinned. "Eder." He was clearly ordering him to pull out the fertilizer and growth enhancer. However, Eder was staring at the sprout critically, so he didn''t hear Kang Oh. "Eder!" Kang Oh called again. "Ah, yes?" Only then did Eder break out of his stupor. "What''s wrong?" "It''s nothing. I just thought it was kind of strange." "What is?" "The sprout. Doesn''t it look like it grew the size of a fingernail?" "Huh?" Kang Oh looked at the sprout again. He was right; it did look bigger than yesterday. "It does. But aren''t sprouts supposed to grow quickly?" "Yes. Unless they''re Mandra trees, which slowly grow over 100 years." "Ah!" "Fully grown, Mandra trees are only a little more than 2 meters tall. And they require 100 years to grow that much. However, the sprout has grown this much in just one day. Something''s strange." "True. We haven''t even used the fertilizer or growth enhancer yet," Sephiro said. "This dungeon must have a way of elerating its growth," Eder said with certainty. "There are no hidden devices anywhere. My Hyper Intuition didn''t go off even once as we made our way down. If that''s the case, then there are only two possibilities." "Which are?" Sephiro asked. "The amount of time we''re inside the dungeon. The more time we spend here, the more it grows." "What''s the other option?" "The more times you clear the dungeon, the more it grows." "Mm." "Let''s use the fertilizer and growth enhancer first. Then we can figure out which one''s correct." "Alright," Eder said, and retrieved the magic fertilizer and high-rank growth enhancer from his subspace. Eder carefully mixed the fertilizer with the nearby dirt, and then poured the growth enhancer on top. "I''m done." Eder dusted off his hands. "Then let''s see which one is right." "Alright.'' "It took us three hours to clear the dungeon, so let''s just quietly wait here and see what happens. If the Mandra tree''s growth has anything to do with our time spent here, then we should see the sprout grow in the next three hours." Kang Oh''s party sat around the sprout and killed time with idle chatter. However, the sprout hadn''t grown at all. "I don''t think this is the answer," Sephiro said. "Then let''s try the second method." Kang Oh''s ''second method'' referred to their number of clears. He hypothesized that the more times they cleared the dungeon, the more the sprout would grow. His party exited the dungeon, and then went back through it again. Three hourster... Kang Oh''s party reached the end of the dungeon. They also saw the sprout again; it had clearly grown! "Ooh, this is the answer!" The more times they cleared the dungeon, the more the tree would grow! "We have to keep clearing the dungeons until the Mandra tree bears fruit! That''s why Ratia told us we need to be patient," Eder said. "How many times do you think it''ll take?" "It''s a tree that takes 100 years to grow. At least thirty times? Maybe even forty times?" "Mm." Clearing the same dungeon over and over again certainly took patience. It was really boring, that''s why! "It''ste, and we''re going on a pic tomorrow, so... Let''s go through the dungeon again after the pic." There were no disagreements there. Eder and Sephiro immediately nodded their heads. * * * The small, quiet town of Snowprim. Not only was it where the Witch''s Forest was located, but it also had an intercity transfer gate. They''d picked a ce without a lot of people, and where it was easy to gather. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro hade 30 minutes early, and were waiting for the girls to arrive. It wasn''t polite to keep ady waiting, after all. 10 minutes before they agreed to meet... Three women came out of Snowprim''s intercity transfer gate. There was only one familiar face among them. It was the western beauty, Asu! The other two women were Triple Lower''s Hyo Min and Lee Seol. "Wee," Kang Oh opened his arms and said. "You''re here early, Oppa." Asu smiled. "Of course I am." Kang Oh smiled back. "Give it a rest already." The woman behind her red at them. They really needed to read the mood. "Hello, um..." Kang Oh began, but then nced at Asu. "She''s the younger one. Her ID is Choco." Lee Seol''s ID was Choco. She had striking, nted eyes, but the rest of her was rather in. She was just 5% short of being a beauty. "And Unni is..." "My name is Gray." Hyo Min, whose in-game ID was Gray, slightly bowed her head. Her hair, like her name, was gray, and her cute dimples would show whenever she smiled. Her character was indeed beautiful. "These are my subor... Err, they''re mypanions, Sephiro and Eder." Kang Oh pointed at Eder and Sephiro. "My name is Sephiro. It''s a pleasure to meet you!" "My name is Eder." Eder was currently upying Arumode''s remodeled body. There was no way he coulde out as a Lich, now could he? "This is the first time we''ve met, right? My name is Asu. Please take care of me." Asu slightly bowed her head at Sephiro. "Ugh, are you Mr. Kang Oh''s girlfriend?" "Yes." "Ahem. You really did have a girlfriend. But I feel like I''ve seen you somewhere before..." Sephiro tilted his head. ''He probably has. On Dungeon Conquering Man.'' Kang Oh sent Asu a signal to y dumb. Sephiro may figure it outter, but there was no reason to go out of their way and tell him that Asu was a celebrity. Asu definitely got his signal. "Are you sure you''re not confusing me with someone else? This is the first time we''ve met." Asu smiled. "Ah, yes." Sephiro let it go. "So where are we going today?" Gray asked. "You didn''t tell them?" Kang Oh stared at Asu. "No. I thought it''d be better if it was a surprise." "Mm. Then I''ll keep it a secret until we get there." Kang Oh grinned. "Alright, sounds good. I''ll be really looking forward to it, so don''t let me down," Gray smiled and said. "I got it already, so let''s hurry up and go," Choco said. "Understood!" * * * Kang Oh and Asu rode on their white and ck horses side-by-side. There was a sweet atmosphere between them. The other four followed them on horseback. They had just met, so you''d expect them to be extremely nervous and awkward around each other. However, there was a cheerful, rxed mood permeating the air. "Pfft." "So what happened next?" Choco and Gray were the entire reason things were going so well. They listened to everything Sephiro and Eder said, would asionally chime in, and would share their own stories too. Kang Oh''s party reached their destination while maintaining this ''not bad'' atmosphere. "Over there." Kang Oh pointed at Maroon Hill, a ce where yers could see the eternal sunset. "Where is this?" Choco asked Asu. "Have you ever heard of Maroon Hill?" "Nope." Choco shook her head. "Look forward to it. It''s really beautiful." "Ok!" Kang Oh''s party passed through Maroon Hill''s arch-shaped entrance. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Maroon Hill.] It was time for their pic. Chapter 263. Picnic (2)

Chapter 263. Pic (2)

Trantor: Boko "Wow." Choco looked up, marveling at the sky. It was only natural. The sunset''s red glow filled the sky. Gray didn''t say anything, instead widening her eyes as she stared at the sky. Maroon Hill. There was a reason it was renowned for being the most beautiful ce in Arth! "The view at the top''s even better, right?" Asu nced at Kang Oh. "Yeah. You''ll never forget the view." The view at the top was different. It was filled with different shades of red and yellow, appearing like a rainbow sunset. Kang Oh was absolutely sure that the rainbow sunset was Maroon Hill''s most beautiful sight. "Let''s go," Choco urged. Kang Oh nced at Eder and Sephiro. They then nodded their heads and entered the forest. As they''d discussed prior, Eder and Sephiro would go in first, and kill any monsters that they might encounter. "Where are Mr. Eder and Mr. Sephiro going?" Gray asked. "They''re killing the monsters. The view''s amazing, but it''d be a pain if monsters kept showing up," Kang Oh said. "Why''s that? If they show up, we can just fight them." Choco clenched her fist. ''I think she said she was a Fighter.'' Choco''s ss was Fighter, which was said to have the highest physical feedback. "It''ll be hard for you. The monsters here are level 100, but you''re only level 50." "Why worry when one of the Numbers is here? Right?" "That''s true, but... We''vee to have a pic, so let''s just enjoy ourselves without worrying about the monsters." Kang Oh smiled. After that, Kang Oh''s party, excluding Sephiro and Eder, traveled up to the top. On either side of the road, there were red leafed maple trees. "The maple leaves are so red." "It''d be amazing to wear that color lipstick." Gray and Choco continued to chat. Then, a refreshing breeze blew, sweeping the party''s hair and clothes. "Mm." Gray closed her eyes and swept her hair. ''It feels good,'' she thought. Choco did the same. ''The wind feels good!'' Kang Oh grabbed Asu''s hand, and then she leaned against him. They continued to enjoy their rxing, happy time together. * * * Because of Sephiro and Eder''s unseen efforts, Kang Oh, Asu, Gray, and Choco were able to reach the top of the hill without encountering any monsters. Kang Oh''s party stood atop the hill and enjoyed the rainbow sunset. "Wow!" "It''s beautiful." "Yep, yep." They were all marveling at the sight. "It''s as beautiful as always," Asu whispered to Kang Oh. The two were still holding hands. "Yeah, you too." Kang Oh was staring at her from the side, and then thoughtlessly gave her apliment. Kang Oh was suddenly hit by a strong sense of embarrassment, so he quickly turned and scratched his head. "Pfft." He could hear herughing. Then... Choco came over and began sniffing. "I can smell it from here; you two sure are getting along," she said teasingly. "No, we aren''t." "I have no idea what you''re talking about." Asu and Kang Oh feigned innocence. "Whatever. Let''sy out the mat and start eating." ''I''m not just going to stand by and watch you be all lovey-dovey!'' is what Choco seemed to say. "Alright." Kang Oh pulled out a giant mat from his inventory andid it out. It wasrge enough for ten people to sit on. The group sat down together, without dividing the men and women, and took out their lunch boxes. They ced their lunch boxes in the middle, creating a small buffet. There was pork, beef, chicken, fish, ms, etc. The ''armed forces, army, navy, and air force'' were all gathered together. Various side dishes, sds, steaming soup, and Gimbap, which was a staple for pics, apanied them. For dessert, they had various fruit, snacks, and ice cream! "Thank you for the food!" "Thank you for the meal." They began eating thereafter. Unexpectedly, Gray and Choco were the ones who ate the most. It was as if they were filming a Mukbang. "Mm, delicious," Gray savored the beef steak and said. "Virtual reality is amazing. How did they add taste to it?" Choco made a giant lettuce wrap and downed it in one go. "I like how you don''t get fat no matter how much you eat." Gray smiled. Choco, who stuffed herself with lettuce wrap, nodded her head. ''Hmm.'' Only after listening to Gray and Choco''sments did Kang Oh realize why Asu eats so well. They were female idols. One of the core tenants of being one was maintaining a strict diet. In other words, they couldn''t really eat the foods that they wanted. However, Arth had perfectly replicated the taste of food, so you wouldn''t get fat no matter how much you ate. Her gluttonous nature would obviouslye out! "Eat as much as you want. You don''t need to be worried about me," Kang Oh said to her. Unlike Gray and Choco, she was only eating a little bit. "He''s right. Drop the act. I saw you eat ten cream puffs at oncest time..." Choco said. "What are you talking about!?" Asu said indignantly. "I saw it with my own two eyes." "She''s wrong, Oppa. I''m not hiding anything. I''m not a picky eater, but I don''t eat like a pig!" "There''s nothing wrong with eating a lot." Kang Oh grinned. "Seriously, I don''t eat that much!" Asu looked like she''d cry, and stared at Choco. ''I''ll remember this!'' Sometimeter... They had finished eating. Kang Oh''s party drank tea while exchanging idle chatter. It was around this time that Sephiro and Eder had begun to rx, as they began to initiate conversation. What''s worse, Eder didn''t hesitate to tell them his life story. "Do your best, Mr. Eder." "I''m sure you''ll be able to regain your body someday." Choco and Gray evenforted him. "Yes, thank you very much. I''ll do my best." Eder clenched his fist. Kang Oh was satisfied, as it seemed like everyone was having fun. * * * The pic had be a great memory. But now it was time to get back to work. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro returned to Saharamant, and cleared Mandra''s Helix again. While fighting the Ghost-Possessed Armors, however, something unexpected happened. Fortunately, it was good news. [Tempest Tiger 2] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. Defeat 200 enemies using Tempest Tiger, and you will gain arge amount of proficiency at once. Monsters defeated using Tempest Tiger: 0/200. Difficulty: Spontaneous. Reward: Proficiency in Tempest Tiger +5%. Kunta''s Ring had activated. ''My proficiency in Tempest Tiger is at 94.5% right now. By the time I finish this spontaneous quest, Tempest Tiger will have reached high-rank! Nice timing!'' Kang Oh now had a short-term goal. He decided toplete the spontaneous quest while repeatedly clearing Mandra''s Helix. Time passed by. Kang Oh''s party repeatedly destroyed the Ghost-Possessed Armors and cleared the dungeon. The more times they cleared the dungeon, the more the Mandra Tree would grow. Moreover, they continued to give it the fertilizer and growth enhancer, which only further elerated its growth. ''Is this what it feels like to be a farmer?'' Seeing the Mandra Tree slowly grow filled him with pride. Not only that, but he was slowlypleting Tempest Tiger''s spontaneous quest. Kang Oh didn''t understand why Ratia said he''d need to be patient. ''This is fun.'' Seeing the Mandra Tree steadily grow, as well as Tempest Tiger''s spontaneous quest slowly beingpleted, made repeatedly clearing the dungeon fun. Moreover, his level had quickly risen to 330. On the other hand, Eder was quite bored. It was only natural, as he was going through the same dungeon day after day. However, he had a goal: to get to the Goddess of Death''s temple ASAP. That goal kept him going. However, Sephiro proved to be a problem. Around the time that they''d gone through it about 30 or so times... he beganining. It''d been a week since they''d started this. "Ugh, I can''t do this anymore." "What?" "I can''t go through this dungeon anymore." "Why?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "It''s so boring!" Sephiro yelled. He neither had Kang Oh''s patience, nor a clear-cut goal like Eder. Obviously, he was fed up with clearing the same dungeon over and over, with no end in sight. "We''ve only just passed our 30th time." Kang Oh couldn''t understand him. "Just? You should rephrase that. It''s already our 30th time!" "Please keep at it. We only have to go through it a few more times." "No, I won''t do it!" Sephiro threw a tantrum like a child. Then, Eder intervened. "Mr. Kang Oh." "What?" "We can clear the dungeon without him, right?" "Yeah. But that''ll lengthen the amount of time it takes to get through it." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Mr. Sephiro needs to get his wyvern from the Tamer Guild, so why don''t we give him a three day break?" "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. Sephiro stared at him desperately. "Tch, fine." He''d have more use for Sephiro in the future. However, if he pushed him any further, then he''d probably run away and then cut off all contact with him. "Ooh, thank you very much, Mr. Kang Oh. Thank you, Brother." Sephiro beamed. "See you in three days." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Yes!" Sephiro stood atop the transfer magic circle, and yelled, "Sass!" Sass. It was the name of a famous vacation spot. * * * Three dayster... "I''m back!" Sephiro reappeared, his face dry and smooth. There was a small creature in his arms. "Wee." "You''re here?" Eder and Kang Oh greeted him. "This is my pet, Waryong." Sephiro lifted the baby wyvern with both hands. Kyaahk. Waryong opened its mouth wide. "Hoh." Kang Oh carefully examined the baby wyvern, Waryong. It looked just like a lizard. However, there were wings attached to its arms, proof that it was a wyvern, not a lizard. Also, its skin was red. "There are wyverns with red skin?" Kang Oh asked. "Rarely, a mutant Red Wyvern is born. That''s what my Waryong is." "What''s the difference between it and a regr wyvern?" "Hoo, hoo. Don''t be shocked. Waryong, hoo!" The wyvern opened its mouth, scowled, and spat out mes. "It''s a living lighter." Kang Oh saw the mes andughed. "That''s because it''s just a baby. Anyhow, Red Wyverns are wyverns with the fire element. Good boy." Sephiro opened his palm, revealing a grasshopper, and fed it to Waryong. The wyvern ate it in a single bite. However, it hadn''t been able to fit all of it, leaving the grasshopper''s hind legs exposed. "I guess it won''t be of much help right now," Kang Oh said. "No. He still needs daddy''s help right now." Sephiro softly stroked Waryong''s head. "Are you ready to go through Mandra''s Helix again?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes!" "Let''s go." While Sephiro was gone, Kang Oh and Eder had cleared the dungeon more than 10 times. Thus, they''d cleared the dungeon a total of 48 times now. Because of that, the Mandra tree had grown significantly, and was approaching 2 meters in height. Since Mandra''s trees only grew a little more than 2 meters, the Mandra tree was almost fully grown. ''We''re almost there!'' They say that ''patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet''. It was almost time for that oh so sweet fruit to grow. Chapter 264. Mandra Fruit

Chapter 264. Mandra Fruit

Trantor: Boko Three was better than two. With the addition of Sephiro, Kang Oh''s party cleared the dungeon even faster than before. The Red Wyvern, Waryong, sat atop Sephiro''s head as he readied an arrow. "Watch daddy work," Sephiro said lovingly, and let go of the bowstring. Ting. A giant arrow flew from his fully drawn bowstring. Whizz! The arrow hit its intended target; the Blue Knight''s helmet. Earth Shaking Arrow! The resulting shockwave swept through the Blue Knight, as well as the monsters around it. Seeing that, Waryong opened its mouth and spewed fire into the air. It was as if it were cheering for him! "Grow fast, so you cane hunting with daddy!" Sephiro said. Gyaa, gyaa! The baby wyvern gurgled, as if it were saying ''Ok, papa!''. Sephiro beamed. Waryong was just so precious. Kang Oh vertically swung Blood. Then, the snow-white de shined with a golden glow. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura dashed forward, ramming into the Red and White Knights. Boom! Kang Oh''s ne quadrupled Tempest Tiger''s power. Thus, its destructive force was nothing tough about. The Red and White Knights broke apart, as if their armor had exploded. [You have defeated a Red Knight.] [You have defeated a White Knight.] Whoosh. Tempest Tiger''s secondary effect activated; a small, raging whirlwind arose, and then disappeared soon after. At the same time... [You have defeated 200 enemies with Tempest Tiger.] [You havepleted the spontaneous quest.] [Proficiency with Tempest Tiger has increased by 5%.] [Proficiency with Tempest Tiger has reached 100%.] [Tempest Tiger has risen to high-rank.] [Tempest Tiger''s power and range increases.] Kang Oh grinned. Tempest Tiger has finally reached high-rank. His body itched. He wanted to try out his upgraded skill ASAP. However, he couldn''t use it right away due to the ''4 minute'' cooldown. Of course, 4 minutes wasn''t a long time. It was the amount of time it took to cook cup ramen, after all. Kang Oh passed the time by fighting against the most powerful monster here, the ck Knight. ''4, 3, 2, 1!'' Tempest Tiger was usable again. Kang Oh swung his sword upwards like a streak of lightning. High-Rank Tempest Tiger! Demon Sword Blood unleashed a more refined golden tiger aura. ''It''srger and more beautiful than before.'' Indeed, the ''tiger'' wasrger and radiated an intenser golden light than before. Whoosh. Boom! Tempest Tiger struck the ck Knight. It was clearly more powerful than before. The sound it made was louder too. It was a sign of how much more powerful Tempest Tiger had be. Not to mention... Whoosh! Tempest Tiger''s secondary ability, the whirlwind, began to blow. It was obviouslyrger and quicker than before. The whirlwind ripped into the ck Knight, causing it to continuously leak small shards of light. ''It''s definitely gotten stronger than before.'' Kang Oh was satisfied. He had High-Rank Tempest Tiger, Lightning Breath, Evesting Darkness, and Transcendent de! In terms of destructive power, he wouldn''t lose to anyone. * * * Kang Oh''s party repeatedly cleared Mandra''s Helix. The tree, which had once been but a tiny sprout, had quickly grown into a fully grown tree. At some point... Kang Oh reached the end of the dungeon, only to smell a sweet scent in the air. He''d gone through the dungeon countless times before, but he''d never smelled this before! ''This is...'' [The Mandra tree has bore fruit.] Kang Oh immediately examined the Mandra tree. As expected, there was a single fruit hanging from the top of the tree. ''Finally!'' The time for patience was over; it was time to partake in the sweet fruit. There was no reason to hesitate. Kang Oh stretched out his hand and picked the fruit. Snap. The Mandra fruit reminded him of an apple. It had the same size and shape. However, it was a deep blue. It was the same color as the eastern sea during wintertime. It also permeated the air with its sweet scent. Meaning it waspletely ripe! [Mandra Fruit] The fruit of the Mandra tree, which is known to only bear one piece of fruit after growing for 100 years. Permeates the air with a sweet scent. Because it is both incredibly precious and difficult to cook with, only a chef approaching the skill of a Master can use it. Material Rank: S. "Mandra Fruit. I''ve only seen it in books before, yet to think I''d get the opportunity to see it in person." Eder came beside him, and carefully examined the Mandra Fruit. "This is goodbye to this stupid dungeon too." Sephiro wasn''t really interested in the Mandra Fruit. He was satisfied enough by the fact that they wouldn''t have to go through this dungeon any longer. Then... The ground and the dungeon itself began to shake. "What''s happening?" Kang Oh''s party looked around warily. "Over there!" Eder pointed at the exit with a gaunt finger. The exit, which was normally open, had been closed shut. That wasn''t the end of it. Several Ghost-Possessed Armors had been summoned atop the helical road. [The Ghost-Possessed Armors areing to steal the fruit away from you.] [Please escape the dungeon.] "Of course. There''s no way they''d let us go scot free." Kang Oh ced the fruit into his inventory and pulled out the jet-ck sword, Ubist. Sephiro also notched an arrow and prepared for battle. Eder gripped his scythe with both hands and said, "They''reing." Red Knights, Blue Knights, White Knights, and ck Knights. Hundreds of Ghost-Possessed Armor were charging at Kang Oh''s party! * * * Kang Oh activated Gluttony, sacrificing one of his BB-rank mass-produced swords. Jet-ck energy flowed from his body, and all of his abilities were doubled. Ghost-Possessed Armors of various colors were approaching them. ''You''re doing me a favor.'' Kang Oh smirked. Tempest Tiger, Lightning Breath, and Evesting Darkness. He had several ways of dealing with many opponents at once. ''Let''s start off with...'' Kang Oh pointed Ubist at them. Crackle! The tip of his de unleashed a mighty lightning st. Lightning Breath! The Lightning Breath flew straight at them and split right through the middle of them like scissors cutting through paper. Sephiro and Eder were up next. ''This is a great time to use Buster Shot.'' The enemies wereing down a helical road; in other words, their movements were restricted. What if he were to rain arrows down on them? Sephiro notched an arrow. He didn''t need to be precise. As long as he shot an arrow above their heads, it would work. Buster Shot! Ting. The arrow flew through the air, and subsequently created six magic circles nearby. A hundred arrows shot out of those magic circles. Whizz, whizz, whizz! The Buster Shot continued what the Lightning Breath had started. As a result, countless Ghost-Possessed Armors were killed. However, this wasn''t the end. Eder raised his scythe. Whoosh! Several white bones formed within the monsters'' formation. "Break into pieces!" Bone Bomb! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! This resulted in massive explosions that resounded with a giant ''boom''! Bone fragments and pieces of armor flew everywhere, and countless enemies were swept through. It was Kang Oh''s turn again. He assumed an iaido stance and swung Demon Sword Ubist horizontally. Evesting Darkness! [You have used Evesting Darkness.] [Consuming stolen stats.] [Physical -3] A massive, spinning beam of darkness shot forward. The enemies, or the Ghost-Possessed Armors, had already taken considerable damage from the Lightning Breath, Buster Shot, and Bone Bombs. And Kang Oh had just added Evesting Darkness to the equation. Sure, they may be over level 300, but even they wouldn''t be able to withstand such a vicious assault. However... ''This is weird.'' Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Several Ghost-Possessed Armors had fallen on the winding road, but he hadn''t been informed of their death. Which meant...! ''You can''t kill them...'' His hypothesis turned out to be true. The pieces of the fallen Ghost-Possessed Armors glued themselves back together. Then, they stood back up, fully restored. "What''s going on?" Eder looked shocked. ''Why are they still alive?'' "You don''t think...?" Sephiro immediately shot another arrow. Sun Piercing Arrow! The arrow spun like an automatic drill, piercing right through a Blue Knight''s helmet. Headshot! Like a puppet whose strings had been cut, the Blue Knight''s armor broke into pieces. However, the Blue Knight rose again sometime after. In perfect health at that! Seeing that, Kang Oh said, "They''ll keeping back." His voice was calm. "Tch, you''re right." Sephiro clicked his tongue. "What do we do now?" Eder asked. "We have to break through," Kang Oh said firmly. Hundreds of unkible monsters were approaching. There would be no retreat. If that''s the case, then they only had one option: push through! That was it. * * * Saharamant. It was a cylindrical space with five doors. Four of the five were currently open. Something made its way out of the fourth door. It was small, had a lizard-like face, and had red skin and wings; it was Waryong. Gyaa, gyaa! Waryong stared at the door and screamed. ''Papa!'' It was desperately looking for its master. Fortunately, the curly-haired, exhausted Sephiro came through the door. His armor was in tatters, so much so that he''d need an expert to repair it, and dust covered his entire body. He must''ve been attacked countless times, and rolled onto the floor dozens of times. Eder came out next. He wasn''t in good shape either. "What about Mr. Kang Oh?" Sephiro asked. "He''ll be here," Eder immediately said. The two stared at the door, waiting for Kang Oh toe out. A short whileter... Kang Oh, assuming his Jet-ck Demon form, popped out. "Phew." Kang Oh caught his breath as soon as he got out. Breaking through hundreds of unkible monsters was by no means an easy feat. "Good work," Eder said. "Yeah, you too," Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger and said. "It was a tiring dungeon till the very end," Sephiro said indignantly. "At least we got something in return." Kang Oh pulled out the Mandra Fruit from his inventory. It was a ripe, blue fruit which looked like an apple! This was the key that would open the final door. He strode over to the final door and forcefully pulled it open. Creak. The door opened all the way. They''d finally opened all of Saharamant''s doors! Chapter 265. Snowy Fields of Travium

Chapter 265. Snowy Fields of Travium

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party entered Saharamant''s final dungeon. [Entering the dungeon, Snowy Fields of Travium.] They passed through a tunnel, and were greeted by the sight of snowy fields. Snow fell from the sky, and the ground waspletely white, like a piece of nk paper. "Hoo." Their breath waspletely frozen. Plus... It was really cold! [The cold has slowed your movement.] [The cold gradually reduces your HP.] "Ugh." Sephiro shook, his armspletely wrapped around Waryong. The baby wyvern nestled its head against his chest, unable to bear the frigid temperature. Comparatively, Eder was fine, as he was undead, but his movement speed was also slowed. "Can we go back?" Sephiro said. ''It''s so cold!'' Gyaa! Waryong suddenly raised its head and squealed. ''Let''s go back!'' "No," Kang Oh said decisively. Their HP gradually went down, but it wouldn''t kill them right away. They could put up with it for now. "Woo!" Sephiro hissed. Kang Oh remained steadfast, undeterred by the cold. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh made his way through the snowy ins. "Phew." Sephiro sighed. Eder patted his back and said, "Let''s go." "Alright." Kang Oh''s party left footprints in the white, snow-covered ground. Sometimeter... Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground shook. Something was approaching them. "Hide," Kang Oh said. "Hide where?" Sephiro asked. There was nowhere to hide. It was just snow everywhere. "Justy down." Kang Ohid down first. Eder and Sephiro followed suit. Thud! Thud! The shaking only intensified, and the unending rain of snow made it difficult to make out what it was. Nheless, they could see a giant shadow. Gulp. Sephiro swallowed. It was extraordinarilyrge. Sephiro covered Waryong''s mouth in case it made a sound. Thud! The giant creature kept approaching them. And... It finally revealed itself. ''A bear?'' Therge creature''s face resembled a bear, but it didn''t look like your ordinary pr bear. It was a bipedal beast, walking on two legs like a human. Plus, its torso was covered by a blue and white breastte, and held a giant cial axe in its hand. [You have discovered the Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium.] ''It''s a raid boss.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Its sheer power, presence, and size made that all too clear to him. ''Let''s just leave it alone.'' Kang Oh ttened his body even more and held his breath. He didn''t want to fight it right away. They didn''t have enough manpower and they weren''t ready for it either. Moreover, the environment wasn''t good for them. Even now, the cold was slowly decreasing their HP. Thud! Thud! Fortunately, Travium didn''t notice Kang Oh''s party and just passed by them. "Hoo, it left." Sephiro let out the breath he''d been holding. "What did you think?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s a raid boss. It''s over level 400, and it''d be impossible for the three of us to beat it," Sephiro said firmly. Kang Oh nodded his head. He agreed with him; there was absolutely no way that they could beat it. If that''s the case, then... "Let''s build a raid team." * * * Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro returned to Altein. "Mr. Sephiro, Eder." "Yes?" "Yes." "I''d like you two to find out as much as you can on Travium from the Altein Central Library," Kang Oh said. "Understood." Eder nodded his head. "Then what about the raid team?" Sephiro asked. "I''ll try to find some people." "If you need my help, just ask. I know some people too," Sephiro said. "Understood." Eder and Sephiro headed for the Altein Central Library. Kang Oh went in the opposite direction. He headed for the Holiseum, a white building that greatly resembles its real world counterpart. "Brother," Kang Oh opened the door and said. "Oh, you came?" Burkan replied. "How have you been?" "Not bad." Kang Oh examined his face. His skin was shining. "Things must be going well with Ms. Dora, I see," Kang Oh said. ''There''s not a wrinkle on you!'' "Hehe." Burkanughed. That answered his question. "Are you getting married?" "We will." "Congrattions." "Congratte me at the wedding ceremony." "You haven''t forgotten my role in this entire thing, have you?" Kang Oh grinned. Thew of equivalent exchange. He''d given him something, so now he wanted something in return. "What do you want?" Burkan asked. "There''s a raid boss I need to hunt, so..." "No thanks. Sounds like a pain in the ass," Burkan said decisively. "I just need you to swing your sword a few times. Is that so hard?" Kang Oh red at him. ''Have you forgotten what I did for you!?'' "Yeah. No thanks," Burkan said firmly. "Tch, then... please lend me the 100 Fighters." The 100 Fighters was an elite fighting force made up of the Holiseum''s best diators. Then there was theirmander, Dion, who was on apletely different level! What if Dion and the 100 Fighters were to help him hunt Travium? ''They won''t be as effective as Burkan, but they''ll be really helpful.'' They''d be even more helpful than the Witch''s Forest, which helped him hunt Lich Eclipse. "The 100 Fighters are resting right now. Go and ask Dion," Burkan said. "Where is he?" "Darion!" Burkan yelled. The door opened and in came the handsome Darion. "You called?" "Take my little brother to Dion." "Please follow me," Darion said politely. "I''ll see youter." "Yeah, go on." Kang Oh said his farewells and followed Darion. "Been good?" Kang Oh asked while looking him over. "Yes," Darion said curtly. "What level are you?" "...A little over 200," Darion said slowly, avoiding Kang Oh''s gaze. ''Man, take a look at this guy.'' Kang Oh''s eyes narrowed. Darion was acting suspicious and his stated level was way too low. "Liar." "Pardon me?" Darion''s eyes shook. "Don''t lie to me." "I''m not lying to you." Darion was still ying innocent. "Then why don''t we make a bet." "A bet?" "Yeah. If you''re really in your early 200''s, then I''ll start calling you ''Brother''. But if you''re past 250, then..." "T-Then?" Darion''s voice shook. "Then you''ll sign a 3 silver mercenary contract with me. For a month!" When Kang Oh first started ying, he ''employed'' Darion for a measly 3 silver. Ever since then, Darion felt sick whenever he saw Kang Oh''s face. "No thank you. Why would I make that kind of bet?" "Then why are you lying to me?" "I''m not lying to you." Even now, Darion feigned innocence. "Then why can''t you ept the bet?" "T-That''s..." "Should we go back and ask Burkan?" "..." "Tell the truth. What level are you?" Kang Oh red at him. "289..." "Hoh, that''s pretty high." Kang Oh grinned. "Hehe, Mr. Kang Oh. Please just let this go..." Darion said, sporting a servile expression. "Sure, why not." "Thank y..." Kang Oh interrupted him mid-sentence. "In exchange, help me kill a raid boss." "What?" "Is that a no?" "Ugh..." "I asked you a question." Kang Oh stared at him murderously, his voice as cold as ice. "I''ll do it." Ultimately, Darion had no other choice but to ept. "I''m not paying you. I''m not sharing the loot with you either." In other words, he''d be working for free. "Ok," Darion said weakly. Kang Oh was satisfied with the oue. ''I got someone to help out for free!'' While Darion looked on in despair. ''Aah, I got caught by the devil again!'' Why else would he have lied about his level? So that he wouldn''t be worked to the bone by this demon. If he''d told the truth, then Kang Oh would''ve done whatever he could to make use of him. However, telling a lie hadn''t improved his situation; he''d just stalled the inevitable. Ultimately, he''d be worked to the bone again! It was truly horrific. "Now then, hurry up and take me to Mr. Dion." "Yes." * * * "Haahp!" "Haht!" ng, ng, ng, bam, smack! Dion and the 100 Fighters were training intensely within the underground diatorial arena. Dion freely swung his swords around, engaging five diators at once. "I''ll get going now." Darion left. "Yeah, go ahead. Don''t forget your promise with me." "Yes," Darion replied weakly, and trudged away with drooping shoulders. Kang Oh watched Dion and the 100 Fighters'' training session. ''They''re amazing.'' Each and every one of them was a skilled diator. Especially Dion, who stood head and shoulders above the rest. Sometimeter... "Take a break," Dion yelled. Only then did the diators lower their weapons, divide up into groups of two or three, and talk amongst themselves. Dion approached Kang Oh. "It''s been a while." "Yes. Have you been well?" "Mm. You''re undergoing one of Lord Vn''s tests to be his sessor?" "That''s right." "Do your best." "Yes." "So what have youe for today?" "I''d like to hire you and the 100 Fighters." "Go on." "I''d like you and the 100 Fighters to help me hunt a raid boss called Travium. Travium is..." Kang Oh exined its physical features, its qualities, and what he assumed its level was. "Travium, huh... How many do you need?" "I need 20 of your elite troops. Of course, I need you too, Mr. Dion." "What''s our share?" "You can take half." "That''s not enough. You''ll need to pay us too." "How much?" "Since you''re offering us half the loot, I guess it''de out to around 5,000 gold." "Heok!" Kang Oh gaped. ''5,000 gold!? Are you serious!?'' "We''re pros, and we''re strong. So it makes sense that our services would cost that much." "Ahem. Since I''m Master Vn''s sessor, can''t you just help me out for free?" Kang Oh decided to milk Vn''s name for all it''s worth. "You''re not his sessor yet." But it didn''t work at all. "But I''m almost there. So please lower your price." "I won''t lower my price until the day I''m defeated!" Dion said firmly. "Then let''s fight. If I win or it ends in a draw, then you''ll help me out for free." "Hoh." Dion''s eyes gleamed. "If I win, then I''m doubling my price. And you''ll pay me 10,000 gold on the spot! If not, then you''ll have to give up your life in exchange," he threatened. "Mm." Kang Oh bit his lip. ''If I lose... I lose 10,000 gold.'' But if he were to win or tie? Then he''d save 5,000 gold. "I''m fine either way." "No, I''ll do it!" "Is that so?" Dion grinned. "But I''d like to add a condition." "What is it?" "If I manage to hold out for 10 minutes, then that counts as my win." "Why would I agree to that?" "Whatever then." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "Fine. Let''s go." Dion drew a dius and pointed it at Kang Oh. His eyes shone with confidence; he was sure he''d win within 10 minutes. "Ooh, the Commander''s having a match." "C''mon, let''s go." The 100 Fighters'' diators surrounded Kang Oh and Dion. "Who are you going to bet on?" "I''m obviously betting on the Commander." "I''m betting on the other guy. He should be able tost 10 minutes." "Are you kidding me? How''s he supposed tost 10 minutes against the Commander? I''m betting on the Commander!" Where there''s a match, there''s betting. The diators began putting their money on Kang Oh or Dion. Obviously, most people betted on Dion. Those who voted for Kang Oh didn''t believe he''d win. They believed that ''he''d do whatever he could tost 10 minutes''. Anyhow...! That''s how the match between Kang Oh and Dion began. Chapter 266. Kang Oh vs. Dion

Chapter 266. Kang Oh vs. Dion

Trantor: Boko Dion, a middle-aged man with a sharp jaw, big, bright eyes, and a manly face, dual wielded diuses. He was called the Indomitable diator, and possessed great skill and fame. But Kang Oh wasn''t one to be underestimated. The Numbers! Kang Oh was a Demonic Swordsman, which allowed him to wield both Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood. Plus, he was a psychic with Hyper Intuition, and possessed a ton of stats! Even so, Dion was objectively stronger than him. However, Kang Oh had an advantage; he only had tost for 10 minutes. ''This fight will be determined by how I use those 10 minutes!'' With Ubist in hand, Kang Oh pulled out a BB-rank mass-produced sword from his inventory. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness munched on the mass-produced sword. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Steel Sword.] [It is a BB-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 10 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are doubled.] All of his abilities were doubled! Kang Oh''s body overflowed with power. But then... Dion''s body faded, and he reappeared right in front of Kang Oh. Swish. His right-handed dius came for Kang Oh''s nk. Spinning Thrust! A spinning air current surrounded his de. Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. With his doubled speed, Kang Oh responded immediately. Whoosh. His jet-ck de shed with Dion''s sword. ng! Upon impact, the swords let out a metallic ''ng'' and emitted sparks. Dion followed up with his next attack. He swung his left-handed dius in a vertical downwards strike. sh! A white line followed the path of his dius. Moreover, it seemed as though it was cleaving through space itself. Kang Oh quickly ttened his de, and blocked Dion''s attack. ng! Another metallic ''ng'' rang out. Though two of his attacks had failed, there was no panic within his eyes. Dion continued his relentless assault. Swish, whoosh, whoosh, swish! Both of his des aimed for Kang Oh''s vitals like an angry wasp. Kang Oh bit his lip and focused entirely on blocking Dion''s attacks. It felt like he was fighting against both a left-handed and right-handed swordsman at once. ''This is proper dual-wielding.'' Hyper Intuition, which pinpointed his enemy''s weak points, couldn''t find anything. Dion''s relentless assault wouldn''t give him a chance to counterattack. At some point, Kang Oh''s body began to rue small, flesh wounds. He was unable to block or dodge all of Dion''s attacks. It was only natural. Dion was using one of his trump cards, after all. Mad Wind''s Sword! The more he attacked, the quicker his attacks would be. In exchange, any damage he took would be doubled. However, Kang Oh didn''t look like he''d attack anytime soon. He was the recipient of a one-sided beatdown. ''You must''ve thought that you''d be able tost for 10 minutes, but... I''m going to finish you in 5!'' Dion''s eyes narrowed and he mercilessly barraged him with attacks. * * * "Ugh," Kang Oh cried out. Dion''s dion pierced through his left shoulder. Bam. A giant shard of light burst from the wound. Dion had finallynded a proper attack. "Oooh!" "As expected of the Commander!" "Uhaahk, what are you doing?" "Keep at it till the very end!" Those who''d bet money on Dion cheered, while those who''d bet on Kang Oh scowled. "Man, this is way too one-sided." "How is he even going tost 10 minutes!?" Kang Oh was like a flickering light before the wind. "Haht," Dion cried out. Thinking he had an opportunity, Dion aimed for Kang Oh''s neck and sr plexus simultaneously. With the fastest speed that Mad Wind''s Sword would allow at that! It was akin to a sh of light. "Aah." "It''s over!" Those with good eyes assumed that Kang Oh had lost. Dion''s attack wasn''t something that any of the diators here could block. Moreover, Kang Oh had swung Demon Sword Ubist so slowly. If the dius was a tiger, then his jet-ck de was a turtle. That''s how huge the difference in speed was. Obviously, the two diuses reached Kang Oh''s neck and sr plexus first. However...! All of a sudden, something extraordinary happened. Demon Sword Ubist shed and came straight for Dion''s heart! Transcendent de! Kang Oh had swung his de at Dion''s heart with transcendent speed. ''Got you!'' His patience and defense had all been leading to this moment! Kang Oh''s demon sword would pierce Dion''s heart before the diuses made contact! However, another extraordinary event happened. Kang Oh''s attack, which should''ve beenpletely unavoidable, had been avoided. Dion was forced to halt his attack, but ultimately, nothing had changed. "I was wondering what you were aiming for. Transcendent de, huh... It was quite sharp," Dion said. He''d never let down his guard, even when he was gaining the advantage. "If I''d had known that you could use Transcendent de, then I would''ve made a more borate trap." Kang Oh looked disappointed. The reason Kang Oh''s Transcendent de had failed was because Dion had used his own. "Now then, let''s keep going." Dion smiled for the first time. The battle was starting to be fun for him. "Did you know? That it''s already been 3 minutes since the match started?" Kang Oh grinned. "There''s still 7 minutes left," Dion replied. "You only have 7 minutes left. And... Now it''s my turn!" Kang Oh suddenly rushed forward and swung his de upwards. Tempest Tiger! A roaring golden tiger pounced on him. Right when Kang Oh had approached, Dion had retreated; and when he used Tempest Tiger, Dion had swung his dius. ck Sun! His dius unleashed a ck sphere. Tempest Tiger versus ck Sun! The two powerful sts collided! Boom! Which resulted in a giant ''boom''. Kang Oh and Dion were both pushed back. A dust cloud filled the space between them. Kang Oh and Dion got back into position, and then charged forward. They both had the same intention; pierce through the dust cloud andunch a surprise attack. Ultimately, the two met in the middle. Once they saw each other, the two swung their des without a second thought. ng, ng, ng! Kang Oh and Dion''s des shed thrice. The force of their des produced wind, which scattered the dust cloud, and the audience began to take interest in the match once more. "Ooh, that guy. He''s pretty good!" "You''re right." "Aah, what are you doing, Commander? This is embarrassing!" "Crush him!" They ardently cheered once more. Kang Oh and Dion''s match only intensified from there. * * * "It''s already been 5 minutes," Kang Oh said teasingly. "There''s still a lot of time left, I see." Dion didn''t look anxious at all. Dion''s style hadn''t changed; he relentlessly attacked Kang Oh with his dual diuses. However, Kang Oh''s response had changed. He didn''t focus entirely on dodging or blocking Dion''s strikes anymore; he counterattacked now! sh! Darion''s dius etched a white line in the air. Kang Oh swung his own de. sh! The two white lines ovepped, canceling each other out. ''Try taking this too.'' Dion thrust his dius without any prior movements. No prior movements would keep Kang Oh from predicting his attack! This thrust was one of Dion''s trump cards. However, Kang Oh was the wrong person to use it against. Kang Oh possessed Hyper Intuition. Hyper Intuition would warn of him of danger, regardless of the movement orck thereof, which would allow him to respond ordingly. As a result, Kang Oh was able to dodge Dion''s thrust andnd his own attack. Bam! Ubist pierced Dion''s right thigh. "Ugh." Dion furrowed his brow. At the same time, shards of light burst from his thigh. "Ooh, he hit him!" "He''s amazing!" "Aah, Commander. Please get a grip!" "Fight properly!" The diators clenched their fists and yelled. ''I''m not satisfied with just one attack.'' Kang Oh quickly followed up with another attack. Dion got back into position and counterattacked. Then... A beast-shaped, jet-ck wave surged from his de. Darkness Strike! Seeing that, Dion quickly used his own skill. ck Sun! His mighty ck aura consumed the Darkness Strike and flew right at Kang Oh. However, it wasn''t so fast that Kang Oh couldn''t dodge it. By consuming Darkness Strike, ck Sun had gotten significantly weaker. Kang Oh rolled on the floor, and the ck sphere harmlessly passed over his head. Dion raised his diuses and then swung them downwards simultaneously. They came right for Kang Oh''s head! "Uhaahk!" Kang Oh shouted and swung upwards. Lightning Breath! Crackle! An electric st shot straight at Dion. Dion quickly threw his body out of the way, allowing him to just barely dodge the Lightning Breath. After that... "Hoo, hoo." "Haa, haa." The two, some distance away, began catching their breath. "You don''t have much time left." Kang Oh smiled. "True. How much time do I have?" Dion nced at the surrounding diators. "You have 3 minutes left," someone yelled. He was holding an old pocket watch. "Oh, there''s still 3 minutes left?" Kang Oh grinned. He''d said the exact same thing Dion had said when there was only 5 minutes left. "No, there''s only 3 minutes left. So let''s finish this." Dion crossed his arms, and released his tremendous fighting spirit. Fighting Spirit! For 3 minutes, one''s strength, speed, HP, and Stamina would increase proportional to one''s Fighting Spirit side stat. Dion''s Fighting Spirit was outrageously high, so his abilities were increased by 300%. ''Danger!'' Sensing danger, Kang Oh immediately used Devil Trigger. Dion had forced him into using his final trump card! "Die!" Dion''s des came flying at Kang Oh, who''d be the Jet-ck Demon. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and blocked blow for blow. If he lost the momentum, then he''d be in danger. Their des shed. ng. Their des bounced off, and the two swung their swords once more. "Chaht!" "Haaht!" Another sh! Neither Kang Oh nor Dion retreated. Neither of them blocked either. They only charged and attacked! Both of them were trying to kill the other in a single strike. Those watching them eventually closed their mouths and clenched their fists. Who would win? No one could know for certain anymore. Chapter 267. Ruler of the Snowy Plains, Travium (1)

Chapter 267. Ruler of the Snowy ins, Travium (1)

Trantor: Boko Imagine two speeding trains crashing into each other. Neither train would remain unscathed. That applied to Kang Oh and Dion too. Their swords passed by each other. Stab, stab! They stabbed each other''s chest! The two suddenly stopped. If they pushed any harder, then they would both be finished! However, Kang Oh and Darion didn''t take it any further. This was nothing more than a spar, after all. There was no reason to take each other''s lives. Then... A diator looked at his pocket watch and yelled, "It''s been 10 minutes." Kang Oh and Dion simultaneously pulled out their swords. "I lost." Dion gracefully epted defeat. "If we''d have fought any longer, then I would''ve lost," Kang Oh said modestly, which was very much unlike him. His lips curled upwards. ''I saved my money!'' By winning the duel, Kang Oh could use the 100 Fighters however he wanted free of charge. Thus, he couldn''t help but smile. "I can understand why Lord Vn chose you as his sessor. That was fun." Dion''s personality matched his face. He was straightforward and didn''t hold grudges like a true man. "I learned a lot from you too." Kang Oh bowed his head. p, p, p, p. The 100 Fighters apuded them. Though it wasn''t the best match they''d ever seen, it was still an amazing match worth recognition. A short whileter... The apuse died down, and Kang Oh and Dion began talking about their impending hunt. "You wanted twenty of our best, right?" "Yes. But I''ll also need 5 tanks. The rest of them can be damage dealers." "I''ll get you what you want." "You''re included in that too, right?" "Of course. But what about healers?" Dion asked. When creating a raid team, healers were paramount. "I have to go and find some." "How many do you need?" "Six." "I''ll take care of the healers too. We''ll bring some priests from the Rakan Church." "Oh. I''d be very grateful, but why are going so far for me?" "The 100 Fighters go on missions with the Rakan Priests, so we work together well. I''m only doing what I have to in order to increase my men''s chances of survival." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. "We can go over the specificster." "Yes." With this, Kang Oh hadpleted his raid team. Twenty of the 100 Fighters, which included Dion, six priests from the Rakan Church, and finally, Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro, and Darion. In total, they had 30 members. * * * Jae Woo entered a cafe, a hat covering his face. ''He''s not here yet?'' He didn''t see who he''d agreed to meet. Jae Woo checked the time, and realized that he''de a bit early. Jae Woo ordered a drink, and sat down at a corner table. A short whileter... The cafe door opened, and in came a familiar face. "Huh? Am Ite?" GBS producer, Park Jin Cheol, scratched the back of his head. "No, I came a bit early." Jae Woo waved his hand. He wasn''tte; Jin Cheol had actuallye 10 minutes early. "Have you been well?" "Of course. You seem to be doing well yourself," Jae Woo said. "Predator was amazing. I''ve been doing goodtely!" Jin Cheol said. After being edited, Kang Oh''s fight with Draka was shown in a TV program called Predator. "I enjoyed the money you gave me for it too." Jae Woo grinned. "Where have you been as ofte?" Jin Cheol asked. ''Do you perhaps have any good footage for me?'' "I can''t tell you exactly where I am right now. But I can tell you that it''s quite the interesting ce." At the moment, Jae Woo possessed footage of him exploring Despia and hunting its various monsters. However, he had no intention of selling this footage right away. ''I''ll hold off on selling it until I get more out of Despia.'' If he sold the footage now, then yers would find the way to Despia. That wouldn''t bode well for him. ''I''ll sell the footage after I''ve gotten everything I can there, or people figure out how to get there themselves.'' "It''s an interesting ce, but you can''t tell me where it is... I''m looking forward to it." Jin Cheol rubbed his hands together. He was clearly excited. "Please look forward to it. Anyway, why did you call me today?" Jae Woo asked. Jin Cheol had asked for them to meet. "I''m putting a TV show together." "Mm, I see." "Would you please take a look at this proposal?" Jin Cheol passed him a tablet. Jae Woo began looking over the proposal. "First Kill?" Jin Cheol''s new program was tentatively called ''First Kill''. "First Kill is a working title. The entire concept of the show is hunting boss monsters that have never been killed before," Jin Cheol said. Jae Woo perused through each page of the proposal. ''The targets include the Roaming Galmoss, Mt. Croc''s Benolov... Wukong''s there too.'' They were all boss monsters that Kang Oh knew about. There were raid bosses like Wukong, and normal boss monsters like Benelov; however, Benelov''s difficulty was so high that no one had killed it yet. "Hmm, even I wouldn''t be able to beat all of these," Jae Woo said. Especially Wukong, who''d beat all 5 of the great guilds. He was a monster among monsters! "Of course, you won''t have to hunt them alone. You''ll have a team with you. We at GBS will do our best to provide you with the best team possible." "Hmm." "I believe you''ll be able to kill these previously undefeated monsters." Jin Cheol desperately wanted Jae Woo to star in his program. Jae Woo, or his in-game character, Kang Oh, was incredibly famous and recognizable. If Jae Woo went on the program, then at worst, their viewership would be average. But what if Kang Oh, who''d made a name for himself by hunting monsters, managed to kill these unbeatable boss monsters? This could definitely work! However... "I politely decline," Jae Woo replied. "What? Why?" "I''d like to concentrate on the area I''m exploring right now." As of right now, only Kang Oh had discovered Despia. But it wouldn''t stay like that forever. After all, there are so many people who y Arth. Thus, Kang Oh decided to invest as much of his time in Despia as possible before other yers caught wind of it. "Mm, you won''t change your mind in a month?" Jin Cheol asked. He was essentially asking, ''Would you reject if I made you the same offer a month from now?''. In other words, he was willing to give him some more time. "I''m not sure." He''d need to spend more time in Despia to know for sure. "I''ll wait a month. Please give me an answer then," Jin Cheol said. That''s just how much he wanted Jae Woo to star in his program. "You don''t need to do that." Jae Woo waved his hands. ''That puts too much pressure on me! Don''t do that!'' "I''ve prepared some other programs too. I can just proceed with them first," Jin Cheol said. "Mm." Jae Woo scratched the back of his head. It''d feel awkward to refuse after being given all that extra time. However, it didn''t feel right to t out refuse his offer. Thus, Jae Woo could do nothing but nod his head. "Understood." "I''ll be looking forward to your response." Jin Cheol grinned. Just the fact that there was potential there was good enough for him. "Yes." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Jae Woo and Jin Cheol shook hands, and parted ways. * * * The Holiseum''s underground auditorium. Kang Oh''s raid team assembled here. This included Dion and the 100 Fighters'' elites, the Rakan Priests, Kang Oh''s party, and Darion! "Haa, why am I even here?" Darion sat in the corner, his expression like that of a cow going off to the ughterhouse. Kang Oh had somehow managed to scrounge up exactly 30 members! Man Bok participated in the meeting too. He would listen in on the meeting, and provide whatever supplies they needed. "Let''s begin the meeting," Kang Oh said. "We''ll first discuss what we know about Travium." Kang Oh signaled Sephiro to speak. Sephiro stood up from his chair. "Travium is a giant, bipedal bear. It wears a breastte and wields an axe made of ice as well," Sephiro said. "It''s over level 400. We found a few other things in the library too." "Like what?" Kang Oh asked. "Its axe is an SS-rank weapon called the ''cier''s Tear''." "What are its abilities?" "It can create a cier wherever it wishes. There''s a high chance that it has other abilities, but we couldn''t find anything regarding them." "Which means that a cier cane at us at any time," Kang Oh rified. "That''s right. But apparently, there''s a mark that designates where a cier will appear." "Everyone, please keep a lookout. Any other info?" "Travium can stomp on the ground and cause an earthquake. It also roars, which has the same effect as an aging curse," Sephiro said. "Mm." "That''s it." That was everything Sephiro and Eder had found from the library. "We don''t have enough information," Dion said. "We have no choice but to experience it firsthand," Kang Oh said. "Mm." Dion nodded his head. "I also have something to tell you regarding the dungeon." Kang Oh stood up. "The dungeon is extremely cold. Thus, your movements are slowed, and you continuously lose HP." "It''s seriously cold," Sephiro said while shaking. "You''ll need winter clothes," Man Bok, who''d been quietly listening, said. "Yes. And we''ll need items that''ll keep us warm," Kang Oh said. "I''ll provide everyone with some thermal stones." Befitting their name, thermal stones radiated heat. If they wear winter clothes and ce the thermal stones underneath, then they''ll be able to endure the harsh cold. "It might be expensive, but please get us some excellent winter clothes that''s easy to move around in," Kang Oh said. "Understood," Man Bok immediately replied. "Ah, we''ll need cold resistance potions too. Of course, we''ll also need health potions, food, medicine, and other supplies like maintenance tools or return scrolls." "Leave it to me. I''ll get it all for you." Kang Oh turned away from Man Bok and looked at his teammates. "D-Day is in three days!" Chapter 268. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (2)

Chapter 268. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (2)

Trantor: Boko [You have entered the dungeon, Snow Fields of Travium.] Kang Oh entered the dungeon first. The raid team consisted of thirty members. They all wore brown fur clothes, which Man Bok had provided them with, and a warm thermal stone was nestled in their chests. Plus, everyone had drunk their cold resistance potions prior to entering! The party passed through the tunnels and stepped foot into the snowy ins. [The winter clothes have lessened the cold''s effect on you.] [The thermal stone has lessened the cold''s effect on you.] [Your movement is not slowed.] [HP does not decrease.] As expected, the effects of the winter clothes and the thermal stone were incredible. "Oh, it''s not that cold. But..." Sephiro smiled. Then, he subconsciously looked down, but Waryong was nowhere to be found. He obviously hadn''t lost it or sold it. Because he''d be participating in an intense battle, he''d left it with the Tamer Guild. "We''ve dealt with the cold, so now we just need to find it." ''It'' referred to the Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium. Kang Oh led, and his team followed. How much time had passed? The falling snow gradually intensified, eventually bing a full-blown blizzard. Plus... Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground shook. Travium was clearly approaching them. "That way." Sephiro pointed beyond the blizzard. "Get ready for battle," Kang Oh yelled. Five of the 100 Fighters stood at the vanguard, wielding diuses andrge, square shields. They were the team''s main tanks. "Stay in ce!" They were led by Khalidan, another one of the 100 Fighters. He was called ''The Bull''. The rest of the 100 Fighters were damage dealers. They drew their respective weapons, and stood at the ready. Dion was in charge of this group. "Let''s have some fun," Dion yelled. "Darion," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" Darion replied anxiously. "Do you remember your duty?" "Yes. Work with the team to protect the priests," Darion immediately said. "Yeah, take good care of the priests." "I''ll do my best." "Let''s do this." "Yes!" Kang Oh looked away and stared at the front once more. "We''ll begin the blessings," Merlin said. She was a middle-aged woman with straight ck hair, and was the leader of the Rakan Priests here. The six priests, her included, sped their hands together in prayer. Glittering powder or light appeared around the team. [You have received the Rising Life Blessing. HP and MP regenerate more quickly.] [You have received the Brave Warrior Blessing. Your strength and speed are increased.] [You have received the Tough Fighter Blessing. Defense and magic resistance have increased.] A set of three priest blessings! The Rakan Priests'' blessings were the best of the best. However, their healing abilities trailed behind the other churches'' priests. Sephiro pulled his bowstring a few times, and then notched some arrows. Eder stood in silence, supporting himself with his scythe. Thud! Thud! A giant shadow appeared amidst the blizzard. Gulp. A diator swallowed. He was really feeling the tension. The Rakan Priests sped their hands together and softly recited a prayer. "Steady," Kang Oh said calmly, holding Ubist in his hand. Thud! Travium suddenly stopped. It had discovered the raid team. All of a sudden, a giant bear''s head popped out of the blizzard. Kuhaahk! It roared. [You have heard Travium''s Roar.] [You are unaffected by Travium''s Roar due to your Indomitable and high Mental stats.] Kang Oh and Dion weren''t affected by the roar. The 100 Fighters had fought on countless battlefields, so they weren''t affected much either. The Rakan Priests, however, were weakened. "Attack!" Kang Oh ordered, and Dion rushed forward. Swish. He swung his dius and unleashed a ck sphere. ck Sun! Grr. Travium bared its sharp fangs. A clear threat! It easily blocked ck Sun with its cial axe. After that, the tanks stuck close to it. "Hey, you stupid teddy bear. C''mon and attack me!" "I''ll rip out your galldder!" "Attack!" The tanks did their damndest to attract its attention. Whizz. Sephiro shot an arrow. The projectile, which was closer to a javelin than an arrow, bounced off its breastte. Bam, bam, bam! Lumps of bone flew through the air and mmed into Travium''s body. Grr. Travium snarled. At the same time, it raised its foot and forcefully stomped on the floor. Stomp! Boom. The ground shook as if there''d been an earthquake. After that, the piled up snow surged, and the team lost their bnce. "Be careful of the ground!" Kang Oh yelled. A giant blue circle appeared on the ground. Those in the vicinity immediately threw themselves out of the way. Whoosh. A cier arose from the circle. ''So far, he''s only used skills that we already knew about.'' However... Travium walked over to the cier and swung its axe at it! ''It''s not doing what I think it is, is it?'' "Eder, create a wall in front of the priests!" Kang Oh yelled desperately. "Arise!" Eder raised his scythe into the air and cast Bone Wall. Then... Boom! The cier burst into pieces, releasing ice fragmentsrge and small into the air. "Uahk!" It happened in the blink of an eye. Those unguarded by the bone wall tried to find their own means of survival. Kang Oh continuously swung his sword, deflecting any ice fragment that came his way. Dion just dodged all of them. Fortunately, they had only brought the best of the best, so they didn''t sustain any casualties. "Attack!" Kang Oh charged at Travium head-on. It swung its axe downwards. The speed of its axe was beyond his wildest dreams. ''Why is it so fast!?'' Kang Oh immediately threw himself out of the way. Bam. The snow-covered ground split apart, leaving behind a vertical scar. In the meantime, Dion jumped and quickly swung both of his diuses. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Hended four attacks before he touched the floor. Of course, Travium''s breastte protected both its chest and its stomach, and its fur was extremely tough, so he hadn''t done much damage to it. Kuah. It roared and horizontally swung its axe. "Careful!" Dion yelled. The charging 100 Fighters immediately ducked. Whoosh! The icy axe passed over their heads, releasing incredible wind pressure. "Eat this." Kang Oh summoned a Fire Bomb and forcefully threw it. Roar! Upon contact, the sphere broke and spewed mes. However, the mes dissipated almost instantaneously. ''Tch.'' It didn''t do much, as he''d thrown it in the midst of a blizzard. Then... Whoosh! Thwock! A violently spinning arrow struck Travium''s shoulder. Sun Piercing Arrow! A giant shard of light burst from its shoulder. Then, Travium pointed its axe in Sephiro''s direction. Freeze Cannon! A blue beam came straight for Sephiro. "Oh, crap." Sephiro threw himself out of the way. The ce he''d once been standing in was frozen solid. What if he''d been hit by that? He would be frozen solid. "If it aims its axe at you, dodge!" Kang Oh yelled. "Yes," his teammates replied curtly, and they began attacking Travium again. The Rakan Priests hadn''t needed to do much yet. Travium''s attack pattern was extremely simple, so none of their teammates had taken much damage. However, they''d soon be needed. Kuhaaahk! Travium roared and its eyes glowed blue. The second phase had begun. * * * Boom. Travium stomped on the floor. However, its objective wasn''t to cause an earthquake this time. A blue ring spread from beneath its feet! Frozen beasts popped out of the snow wherever it spread. Frozen lions, frozen eagles, frozen wolves, frozen crocodiles, etc. With how many different types it''d summoned, it was basically a zoo. "Warriors, take care of the frozen beasts first." Kang Oh had defeated countless boss monsters. This was absolutely nothing to him. "Darion, I need you and the rest of the team to protect the priests!" he ordered calmly. "Yes, sir!" Darion gripped his dius and protected the priests with his teammates. Kuhang! The frozen tigers and wolves attacked Darion and hispanions. "You will not pass!" Darion quickly swung his dius several times. Whenever he swung his sword, a frozen beast would fall to the floor. Darion was Burkan''s student. This level of skill was expected of him. The other diators, who were responsible for the priests'' safety, did their duty admirably too. ''That side''s fine.'' Kang Oh quickly scanned the battlefield. "Ugh." Khdin and his men were blocking Travium''s attacks. By entering the 2nd phase, however, Travium had be much stronger. It seemed like they weren''t healthy enough to keep this up. "Priests, please heal the tanks! Mr. Dion, Sephiro, Eder, attack the boss." "Yes." After giving the order, Kang Oh began hunting the frozen beasts alongside the 100 Fighters. But then... "It''s pointing its axe! Get out of the way!" Khalidan yelled. This time, it was pointing its axe at the priests. "Damn it! Eder!" Kang Oh called. There was a tacit understanding between them. Bone Wall! Eder raised his hand. A white bone wall rose in front of the priests. Spurt! A Freeze Cannon shot out of its axe. But this time, the cannon split into three different beams. One of them struck the bone wall, freezing it solid. The other two flew at one of the tanks and Eder. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh quickly yelled. Because of his quick thinking, Eder remained unscathed. However... "Ugh." The tank quickly raised his shield, but it wasn''t enough topletely block the Freeze Wave. Everything below his knees had been frozen stiff. Realizing that this was its chance, Travium raised its axe and swung it at the immobile diator. "No!" his nearbyrades yelled. However, Travium would show him no mercy. It swung its axe without hesitation. "Damn it!" The diator raised his ice-covered shield. That''s the best he could do. Whoosh. The icy axe fell, but Kang Oh''s Lightning Breath hit it first. Kuraa! He''dnded a direct hit, causing Travium to scream in pain. Obviously, it hadn''t managed to swing its axe properly. Because of that, the frozen diator had survived. "I need healing over here!" "I need some thawing over here too!" "Lord Rakan!" The priests cast their holy magic, causing the frozen diator''s HP to rise and the ice to quickly melt. "Phew." Only then did the diator let out a sigh of relief. He''d almost died. Then... "Be careful of the ground!" Kang Oh yelled. A massive cier surged from the blue circle on the ground. Whoosh! Travium smashed the cier, scattering ice fragments everywhere! Moreover, the frozen beasts, which they hadn''t killed all of yet, went into a frenzy. Like a harsh winter that only got colder, the battle gradually worsened for the raid team. Chapter 269. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (3)

Chapter 269. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (3)

Trantor: Boko "I need some healing over here!" "Get out of the way!" "Behind you!" Kang Oh''s teammates screamed as they engaged the enemies before them. Some fought Travium itself, while others dealt with the frozen beasts. The Rakan Priests had no time to rest. After all, fights were going on everywhere. Fortunately, they were led by Merlin, a priest with plentiful battlefield experience. "Cast a thawing spell on the right front. sio, heal the left side. Rindo and Bamune, prepare another blessing." Her precise orders and her calm, unwavering demeanor greatly uplifted the other priests. "Yes ma''am!" the priests simultaneously. Merlin slightly nodded her head and assessed the situation. Intense battles were taking ce all across the battlefield. But at the moment, the raid team still held the advantage. The 100 Fighters took down the frozen beasts fairly easily. Kang Oh would help out at just the right times, which was a huge help too. Moreover, Dion, Eder, and Sephiro were safely dealing damage to Travium. ''The 3rd phase will start soon.'' Kang Oh was right on target. Sometimeter... Kuhaahk! Travium roared, signaling the start of the 3rd phase. * * * Whoosh. Travium raised its icy axe into the air. Its axe radiated a blue aura. At the same time, several blue circles appeared within its vicinity. "Dodge!" Khalidan yelled, and he quickly got out of range. The rest of his teammates threw themselves out of the way. cial Crown! Whoosh! ciers rose from the ground, surrounding Travium; it was as if they were protecting him. From afar, it truly did appear like a cial crown. However, this was just the beginning. Travium gripped its axe with two hands and spun like a top! This was the Spinning sh skill. As a result, the surrounding ciers broke into bits. cial Storm! Destroying the cial crown caused countless ice fragments to go flying everywhere. There were so many of them that dodging them was unthinkable. Kang Oh spun Ubist, using it like a shield. His teammates did what they could to ensure their survival. However...! Travium suddenly leapt into the air! Whoosh! Boom! The ground shook, far surpassing the shaking caused by its stomp. It was an earthquake. As if the shaking wasn''t enough, the ground cracked and split, and both people and snow fell into the crevices. "Uhahk!" "Jammer!" A nearby teammate, who lied t on the ground, held out his hand, but it didn''t matter in the end. "Worry about yourselves!" Kang Oh quickly yelled. The storm of ice fragments wasn''t over yet. They had to first protect themselves before worrying about others. Bam, bam, bam! Ice fragments mercilessly struck the shaking ground. "Uhahk!" "Ugh." "Damn it!" "Gyaahk!" Screams of pain and curses could be heard all across the battlefield. The Rakan Priests weren''t in good shape either, so they couldn''t immediately cast their healing spells. They all just had to hope that this horrific situation would quickly pass. There was no nightmare that went on forever. All of the ice fragments had fallen, and the earth had stopped shaking. Thud! Thud! Once the storm had passed, Kang Oh''s teammates began attacking once more. "Stand up and fight!" Dion rushed at Travium, a dius in either hand. "We sustained a ton of casualties over there! Start healing there first! Hurry!" Merlin pressed. "Yes ma''am!" The priests got a hold of themselves and began casting healing spells. Rakan''s Divine Breath! A few of the diators on the brink of death were resuscitated. But their job wasn''t done; several of their teammates still needed them. They didn''t have time to rest. "Cast the blessings again!" "Yes ma''am!" The priests began to reapply the blessings. "Alright, let''s do this." "Let''s go!" The diators, who''d received healing and blessing from the priests, began to attack Travium once more. But there was no way Travium would just sit by and watch. It stomped on to the floor again, and a blue ring spread from beneath its foot. This skill would summon frozen beasts to its side. However, animals hadn''t appeared this time. Frozen goblins, orcs, ogres, gryphons, wyverns, etc. It had summoned well-known monsters this time. Plus, these monsters were stronger than the previously summoned frozen beasts. "Stop them!" "Dodge!" "Get behind them!" "I need some reinforcements over here!" The brutal battle continued. * * * Travium unleashed another Freeze Cannon from its axe. It split off into three different beams this time too. "Ugh." A diator took a direct hit and was frozen solid. Another Freeze Cannon came for Sephiro. Because he was fighting a frozen gryphon, he was forced to use Absolute Evasion. The final Freeze Cannon flew at Darion. He rolled on the floor and just barely dodged it. With the appearance of the frozen monsters and Travium''s rampage, the battle began to turn against them. ''We have to turn things around.'' Kang Oh pulled out an ornately decorated spear. It was called the ''Red Spear''. He''d bought it from the auction house specifically for this raid. It was an AA-rank item with a fantastic ability. Red. Landing an attack leaves a mark in the shape of a red flower. Attacking the flower doubles one''s damage. And if onends a critical hit when striking the flower, one''s damage is quadrupled instead. Kang Oh immediately used Gluttony. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Red Spear.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 15 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use one of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Red has been chosen.] Right when his body began to emanate darkness, he added Devil Trigger to the mix. A beast mask covered his face, and a tail protruded from his back side. The Jet-ck Demon had risen! Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh melded into the darkness, and reappeared behind Travium. He immediately swung Demon Sword Ubist. Swish. His jet-ck de cleaved through Travium''s tough fur. Kuha! It turned around and swung its axe at Kang Oh. As always, its attack was way too fast for its size! But with thebination of his Hyper Intuition and his ability to act on its warnings, it wasn''t so fast that he couldn''t dodge it. He turned his body to the side and dodged the axe. Bam! Its axe left a long scar on the snow-covered ground. Regardless, Kang Oh waspletely absorbed in scanning its body from head to toe. ''Over there!'' There was a red flower mark behind its left thigh. As said, if he struck the mark, his damage would be doubled, and if he managed tond a critical hit, his damage would be quadrupled instead. "Die!" Just in time, Dion drew Travium''s attention away from him. Kang Oh swung his sword right at the mark. sh! Spurt! A white line cleaved through the red mark. He''d left behind a wound on top of the mark, so attacking there would always result in a critical hit. Thus, attacking the wound would always quadruple his damage. Kuha! Had it sensed danger? Travium suddenly turned around, and in doing so, concealed the mark. It furiously swung its axe at Kang Oh. "Tch." Kang Oh pulled back, avoiding its attack. Once he''d gotten some distance away from it, Travium pointed its axe at him. "A Freeze Cannon ising!" Kang Oh and Khalidan almost simultaneously yelled. The diators, who were busy fighting the frozen monsters, and the priests, who had their hands full healing, nced at Travium. They were getting ready, just in case the Freeze Cannon wasing their way. Whoosh! A Freeze Cannon shot out of its axe. However, it hadn''t split off into three sections this time. It was consolidated in a single beam! The Freeze Cannon, faster and more powerful than normal, came straight at Kang Oh. ''Shit.'' He hadn''t expected this at all. Thus, he couldn''t avoid it. "Kuhahk!" Kang Oh swung his sword, desperately struggling against the iing Freeze Cannon. Tempest Tiger! The mighty golden aura shed with the cold, blue aura. Bam! The sh resulted in an explosion, which pushed Kang Oh further back. Grr. Travium raised its axe into the air. The icy axe began to radiate a blue aura. "The ground!" Khalidan yelled. His teammates quickly got out of the way. cial Crown! Travium was surrounded by ciers. "This ain''t going to end how you want it to!" Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh was swallowed up by the darkness. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared within the cial crown. The red mark was right in front of him, as well as the cut that went across it! He thrust his sword. Evesting Darkness! Stab. His jet-ck de first pierced through the mark. Then, his de expelled a massive amount of darkness. Bam! His abilities were already tripled by Gluttony. He''d also struck an area which quadrupled his damage, and added an Evesting Darkness to it as well. ''This''ll probably hurt.'' Kang Oh grinned. ''Hurt'' wasn''t enough to describe the pain it was in; ''the feeling of being burned alive'' was probably more urate. Kuaaahk! It was only natural that it''d wail so desperately! Once his attack was over, Kang Oh attempted to follow up with another attack. However, Travium began to rampage about. It swung its axe at random, cracking the ciers with its arms and body, and rushed out of the cial crown. In such extreme pain, it briefly lost consciousness. It waspletely defenseless. "Dion, Eder, Sephiro. Concentrate all fire on Travium!" Kang Oh, who''de out of the cial crown, yelled. This was their chance! Dion repeatedly swung his swords at Travium''s left leg. Mad Wind''s Sword! The second attack was faster than the first, and the third was even faster than the second; his attacks increased in speed until it was difficult to make out his attacks with the naked eye. Meanwhile, Eder and Sephiro went a different route; they decided to use a singr, powerful attack. Buster Shot! This was Sephiro''s finishing move! A hundred arrows rained down upon Travium. Eder summoned a giant bone scythe and swung it at the boss. Bone Bomb! Boom! The explosion engulfed Travium, and the resulting small bone shards raked at its thick hide. Kuaaah! Travium shrieked unceasingly. Kang Oh appeared out of nowhere, nning tounch an Abyss w at the red mark. However, Travium counterattacked before he could make his move. "Ugh." Kang Oh, struck by the icy axe, went flying. If he hadn''t shielded himself with his sword, then he would''ve taken much more damage than he had. Kuha! Travium stood up scowling. It then did something rather peculiar. It began munching on its SS-rank axe, the cier''s Tear, as if it were candy! "You crazy bastard! Do you know how much that''s worth!?" Kang Oh was appalled. ''Did getting beat on by so many people drive it crazy?'' Kang Oh briefly thought. But when its breastte fell off and its entire body turned to ice, Kang Oh made a realization. "The 4th phase." * * * Thus far, the raid team had to keep fighting off the frozen beasts and monsters. But now, they had to face apletely frozen Travium. Kuhaaaah! It opened its arms wide and roared. However...! It was no ordinary roar. A deep blue energy was gathering within its mouth. "Everyone, be careful!" Kang Oh quickly yelled. Then... Spurt! Travium unleashed a wave of frost that froze the entire world. Chapter 270. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (4)

Chapter 270. Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium (4)

Trantor: Boko The world was covered in ice! There was nowhere they could go. The raid team desperately clung onto hope, doing whatever they could to survive. However, their struggles were in vain. "Ugh." "Damn it." Their fingers and toes began to freeze. In the end, their entire bodies frozepletely. How much time had passed? Phew. Travium, who''d turned into ice itself, ceased its cold breath. Whoosh. Before unseen ice statues appeared within the raging snowstorm. They were Kang Oh''s frozen teammates. Fortunately, they hadn''t died yet. However, they had taken a tremendous amount of damage, and were on the brink of death. But the problem still remained; Travium would go on a rampage and crush the ice statues, instantly killing them! "We have to stop it no matter what," Kang Oh yelled. The only ones who hadn''t be ice statues were Kang Oh, Dion, and Eder. It''d prove difficult, but the three of them would have to keep it upied. "Mm." Dion bit his lip. Eder slightly nodded his head. With grim expressions on their faces, the three drew their weapons and stood before Travium. However... ''Huh?'' Kang Oh''s body radiated light like that of the morning sun. It wasn''t just Kang Oh though. Dion and Eder did too. Their frozen teammates radiated light too, causing the ice to melt. "Phew!" "I-I survived." Their teammates, one or two at a time, began toe back to life! It was like a miracle! Of course, this hadn''t happened out of thin air. Merlin was kneeling on the floor, her hands sped together in prayer. [Rakan has responded to Merlin''s prayer.] [Rakan has bestowed his blessing.] [Rakan''s blessing has thawed the ice.] Merlin had saved them. "Start healing our teammates," Merlin stood up and said steadfastly. "Yes ma''am!" the Rakan Priests said simultaneously. The priests all looked upon her with admiration. Merlin stared at the battlefront. She saw a jet-ck warrior, his tail iling behind him, charge at Travium. Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Abyss w! The three-lined aura cleaved through the snowstorm and flew towards Travium. Kuhaa! Travium swung its right paw, and by extension, the sharp ws attached to them. Then, a cier rose from the ground. Bam! The Abyss w, unable to break through the ice, merely left a scar on the cier. Then, Travium smashed the cier with its paw. Bam! The cier broke into pieces, and the ice fragments came flying towards Kang Oh. Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh hid within the darkness. Bam, bam, bam! The ice fragments embedded themselves into the ground, but Kang Oh was nowhere to be found. Grr. Travium snarled and turned its head. Dion was charging at him. It opened its mouth wide. Boom! It unleashed a blue st of ice right at him. Freeze Cannon! Dion swung his right-handed dius. ck Sun! The ck sphere shed with the ice st. Boom! Resulting in a resounding ''boom''. Then... Whizz, whizz! An arrow fell from the air. Earth Shaking Arrow! Thwock! The resulting shockwave caused it to shake. Then, shards of ice, rather than shards of light, fell from its body. In no time at all, Kang Oh had reappeared behind Travium. His objective was clear; the red mark on the back part of its thigh! If he attacked there, then he''d inflict a tremendous amount of damage. Swish. Demon Sword Ubist cut into the red mark. Bam! Ice around the damaged area began to break like crazy. Kuwaah! Travium angrily swung its paw and swatted him away. Kang Oh pulled out his sword and protected himself, preventing him from taking any significant damage. "Attack!" "Keep up the attacks!" The 100 Fighters, Dion included, bravely began to attack Travium. Meanwhile, Darion stood firmly beside the Rakan Priests, ready to defend them if necessary. Kuah! Sharp ice spears burst from Travium''s icy body, shooting in every direction. Bam, bam, bam! "Dodge!" "Block it!" The raid team quickly protected themselves. However, Travium''s attack didn''t end there. Its torso swelled, and then it exhaled from its mouth. Soul Freezing Wind! The white ''smoke'' spread out in a fan shape. [You have been afflicted by intense cold.] [The intense cold slows your movements.] [The intense cold quickly reduces your HP.] "We have to protect the priests!" Darion said desperately. His body was shaking, but he couldn''t afford to forgo his duty. A few of the diators came to his side. They stood shoulder to shoulder and deflected any iing ice spears. However, they couldn''t do anything about the ice wind. "Ugh." "Keep at it!" "I''ll heal you." Darion, the diators, Merlin, and the priests quickly began to lose HP. Travium kept using this unbelievable AoE attack in session, causing the raid team to incur casualties that they couldn''t do anything about. ''Enduring this is impossible.'' Kang Oh instantly came to a decision. Travium''s assault was too powerful; the raid team wouldn''t be able to endure it for long. If that''s the case... "Attack! That''s the only way we''lle out of this alive!" Kang Oh yelled. Their only option was to kill it before it killed them! * * * The raid teamunched a full-scale offensive. Even Darion and the diators protecting the priests charged at Travium. "Die!" Darion leapt into the air and swung downwards with his dius. Giant''s Sword! The gray energy radiating from his sword coalesced into a giant de. Swish. The giant sword sliced right through Travium. As a result, a massive amount of ice fell from its body. That''s just how powerful his skill had been! Travium immediately counterattacked. It swung its fist at Darion. Whack! "Ugh!" Darion was pped out of the air andnded on the floor. "You bastard!" Dion red at it and charged. His body released a tremendous fighting spirit. Fighting Spirit! For 3 minutes, his strength, speed, HP, and Stamina would increase significantly! sh! Cut! Thrust! Downward strike! Spinning sh! Dion repeatedly swung his dual diuses. Then, Travium stomped on the floor. Thud! The earth shook, and Dion briefly lost his bnce. At that moment...! An ice spear shot out of Travium''s body, piercing Dion''s stomach. "Ugh." Dion cried out in pain. However, he gritted his teeth, got back into position, and crazily swung his sword, despite the ice spear lodged in his stomach. Whizz. Sun Piercing Arrow! The violently spinning arrow struck the top of Travium''s head. Headshot! Sephiro immediately took aim once more. He was confident that he''d be able tond another headshot. After all, Travium was a huge target. But all of a sudden, several blue circles appeared underneath his feet! ''This is...!'' he thought briefly, and then immediately threw himself out of the way. Swoosh! Sharp ciers surged from his previous location, as well as the areas nearby. "Phew." Sephiro caught his breath. If he''d reacted any slower, then he''d have been skewered. "Uhahk!" "Gyaa!" Screams could be heard all across the battlefield. They came from teammates who hadn''t dodged the ciers! They squirmed from atop the sharp ciers. "Focus on attacking!" Kang Oh calmly yelled. They didn''t have the time to rescue their teammates. They had to kill Travium as quickly as possible. "Seize him!" Eder pointed a finger at Travium. Bone Bind! White bone wrapped around its neck like a ne. Bone Bomb! Boom! The bones exploded. Right after, however, Travium shot a Freeze Cannon from its mouth. Whoosh! The icy blue st came straight for Eder, threatening to consume him whole. However, Kang Oh was just a little faster. "Summon Eder!" "Thank you!" "Don''t let up!" "Yes, sir!" Eder cast another spell. At the same time, Dion, Sephiro, and Darion, who''d quickly gotten back to his feet, unleashed attack after attack. Bone Mass! ck Sun! Earth Shaking Arrow! Giant''s Sword! Of course, you couldn''t forget about Kang Oh. Lightning Breath! Travium crossed its arms and protected itself. Bam, bam, bam! shy skill effects! Ear rupturing explosions! Travium''s arms were a mess. However, Travium wasn''t just going to sit there and take it. Countless ciers surged from the ground, and ice spears filled the sky. "Ugh." "Kyahk!" Many of their teammates were caught in the crossfire. To make matters worse, Eder was skewered by one of the ciers. At that moment...! Kang Oh suddenly appeared behind Travium. Right when it''d created the ciers, Kang Oh had used Abyss Transfer! He saw the red mark right before his eyes, so he immediately swung Demon Sword Ubist. Transcendent de! His jet-ck de struck the red mark. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He used Transcendent de again! His HP, MP, and Stamina were almost fully depleted. ''Lastly...'' Transcendent de! He''d used three of them in session! Kang Oh was done; he had nothing left. He didn''t even have the strength left to wriggle a finger. Travium swung its fist at him. However... Crack. The ice around the red mark began to crack, which spread all across its body. Kuhaaah! Travium let out itsst roar. Crack! Right before its fist made contact... its body broke into pieces like ss. * * * They''d finally defeated Travium. "We won!" "Victory!" Cheers could be heard all across the battlefield. The diators raised their weapons into the air, while the priests hugged each other. Kang Oh, who''d regained some of his strength, stood up. A smile was obviously stered on his face. [You have defeated the Ruler of the Snowy ins, Travium.] [As a reward for being the first to defeat it, Travium will drop its highest ranked items.] [You have cleared Saharamant''s final dungeon. What an incredible feat!] [You have acquired the title, cial Master.] [Fame andbat-rted side stats have increased.] [Proficiency in all skills and magic has increased.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh closed all of the system messages and stared at the ground. ''It dropped five items.'' Of the five items that it''d dropped, the SS-rank cier''s Tear was one of them. Kang Oh picked up the axe. [cier''s Tear] An axe created by unmelting ice that can only be found in the northernmost region of Arth, a ce of eternal winter. Exudes extremely cold air that can freeze the world itself. It is a masterpiece that was created by an unknown master! Any cksmith that looks upon this axe will be filled with a sense of awe. + Cold Absorption: The colder your surroundings are, the more powerful the axe bes. + cier: You may summon a cier wherever you wish. + Soul Freezing Wind: Creates a gust of bone-chilling wind, restricting your opponent''s movements and inflicting damage. The wind increases the power of all ice skills and magic. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power +651, Ice Damage +300, Physical +180, Immunity to Ice Damage. Minimum Requirements: Level 400, Physical 850, Ice Resistance 95%. "It''s amazing." Nothing else needed to be said. It was an SS-rank masterpiece! He could sell it for however much he wished! Just this axe alone was worth the price of admission. Then... Eder approached him, carrying a crystal the size of a fist. "Mr. Kang Oh, this is it! This is the crystal that''ll open a portal to the next area!" Chapter 271. Goddess of Death’s Land

Chapter 271. Goddess of Death''s Land

Trantor: Boko The raid team returned to Altein. Then, they gathered at the Holiseum''s underground auditorium in order to divide the loot. "There are five items in total." Kang Oh pulled out the dropped items. Travium had dropped cier''s Tear, a Portal Opening Crystal, Frozen Heart, Unmelting Ice, and a grimoire. Frozen Heart was an S-rank ne, while Unmelting Ice was an S-rank material. The grimoire taught the ''Blizzard'' spell. "Mypanions and I get 50%, and the 100 Fighters and Rakan Priests get the other 50%," Kang Oh said. "How are we going to split it?" Dion asked. "Give us the cier''s Tear and you can keep everything else. How does that sound?" "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder suddenly stood up. ''Then they''ll get the crystal!'' They needed the crystal to ess the next area, the Goddess of Death''snd, so his reaction was understandable. Kang Oh raised his hand and stopped him. He nced at him, seemingly saying, ''Stay out of this!''. "Why don''t you give us the cier''s Tear and take everything else?" Dion said. "No thank you," Kang Oh said decisively. "No deal." Dion grinned. "Then let''s deal with the cier''s Tearter. How about we take two of the four remaining items each?" "Hmm." Dion stroked his chin and whispered to Merlin. "Alright, let''s do it," Dion, who''d finished consulting with Merlin, agreed. "I''ll go first. In exchange, you can take two items at once. I''ll take whatever''s left." "Understood." "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder desperately stared at Kang Oh. ''Please pick the crystal!'' Kang Oh just grinned and picked the crystal. "Ooh, thank you very much!" Eder sped his hands and reverently looked at him. ''I love you, Mr. Kang Oh!'' "Then is it my turn? Ms. Merlin, please choose," Dion said. Merlin picked the S-rank ne, Frozen heart, and the S-rank material, the Unmelting Ice. All that was left was the Blizzard Grimoire. Kang Oh stashed the grimoire and said, "How are we going to deal with the cier''s Tear?" "Let''s hold an auction. Then, we can just divide the gold," Dion said. "Does anyone disagree with Mr. Dion or have a different idea?" Kang Oh took a look around. No one raised their hand. "Alright then. Let''s begin the auction for the cier''s Tear." The auction began, but it didn''tst long. Dion immediately bid 20,000 gold, buying the cier''s Tear immediately. "Nice." Dion stroked the cier''s Tear and smiled in satisfaction. Kang Oh didn''t have any problems with it either. After all, he''d just made 10,000 gold! Of course, he''d have to give Sephiro 15% of it, but it was still 8,500 gold! Once they were finished dividing the loot, the raid team went their separate ways. The 100 Fighters, Dion, and Darion went to the pub, while the Rakan Priests returned to the church. "We have to go." Eder shook the crystal. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. The Goddess of Death''snd, and the Great Temple of Death within it, was waiting for them. * * * After thoroughly preparing themselves, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro gathered in Saharamant. Gyaa. Waryong, who''d briefly been left with the Tamer Guild, had returned. It poked its head out from Sephiro''s buxom. Like most babies, Waryong was quite cute. It was like a baby crocodile. "Aww." Sephiro stroked its head; it was just the cutest thing. "Mm." Eder was clearly excited. His scythe holding hand trembled, a clear indication of his anxiety and excitement. It was only natural. All this time, his only wish had been to reach the Great Temple of Death. "Let''s go." Kang Oh pulled out the crystal. "Yes," Eder and Sephiro simultaneously replied. Gyaa! Even Waryong voiced its approval. Kang Oh forcefully threw the crystal. The crystal cracked in midair and the crystal fragments formed into an oval shape, which served as the outer rim of the portal. Whir. A portal opened from within the ring. [You have opened the door to the Goddess of Death''s Land.] [The door will remain open for 1 hour.] Kang Oh went first, and Eder and Sephiro followed behind him. A short whileter... A portal formed within an arch-shaped construction, and out came Kang Oh''s party. [You have arrived in Despia, the Goddess of Death''s Land.] Kang Oh took a look around. As always, the ceiling was pitch ck. Whenever he looked at the ceiling, he realized that Despia was a subterranean world. Spheres were closely embedded in the ceiling, all of which radiated intense light. They made it look like it was 12:00 in the day. Plus, Kang Oh saw a ton of giant, strangely shaped, exotic trees around him. Did the spheres act as mini suns? Is that the reason for the overgrown thicket and the trees? Kang Oh thought back to the amazon rainforest he''d seen on TV. To put it simply, this ce was... "A jungle," Kang Oh muttered. "I don''t sense any monsters nearby," Sephiro said. "Where should we... go?" Eder asked. In other words, ''Which way do we go to reach the Temple of Death?''. "We head for the highest point," Kang Oh said. He had absolutely no information on the Goddess of Death''snd. If that''s the case, then they needed to find the highest point possible, and get a rough grasp of theyout here. Kang Oh''s party pushed through the thicket. How much time had passed? "It''s an Agrashi tree." Sephiro pointed. It was indeed an Agrashi tree, a tree known for growing indefinitely. The Agrashi tree was smaller than the norm, but it was still muchrger than the trees surrounding it. It was high enough that they''d be able to see everything around them if they climbed to the top of it! "I''ll climb it." Sephiro volunteered. "I''ll go with you," Kang Oh said. He wanted to see they of thend with his own two eyes. "I''ll be waiting for you," Eder said. A Lich''s physical abilities were pathetic. Thus, it would be impossible for him to climb a tree, let alone an Agrashi tree. "Yeah, you do that." Kang Oh nodded his head. If he needed him, he could just summon him. "Then, I''ll go first." Sephiro quickly climbed the tree like a squirrel. Kang Oh also climbed the tree without difficulty. Sometimeter, Kang Oh and Sephiro reached the top, allowing them to see the entirety of the jungle. The jungle went on and on with no end in sight, and a huge river flowed through the jungle. From afar, they could see a majestic mountain that reminded them of Baekdusan Mountain. Plus... "There''s a vige over there." Kang Oh could clearly see a vige that was surrounded by a wooden fence! Their initial destination was decided. * * * "Something''s fast approaching!" Sephiro yelled, having sensed a monster. Then, something popped out of the brush. It was a spider. It looked like a red-spotted tarant, and was about asrge as a person''s head. Kang Oh drew Blood, while Sephiro pulled twin axes from his waist. "A Taranos! Its poison is incurable, so don''t let it hit you!" Eder quickly yelled. "Ok!" "Understood!" Kang Oh and Sephiro heeded his warning. They didn''t rush in and decided to focus entirely on defense, letting it make the first move. Eder summoned a ton of bone, creating a bunker. He wouldn''t allow himself to be bitten no matter what! Ten of the spiders surrounded Kang Oh''s party. Then, they rushed at them simultaneously. ''They''re fast.'' The Taranos were extremely quick and agile, and were capable of leaping great distances. Moreover, their poison was fatal. They rushed at Kang Oh from every direction, baring their poisonous fangs. However... What was Kang Oh''s specialty again? He was an evasion master with Hyper Intuition. Like a man possessed, he dodged all of their attacks and continuously swung his sword. Swish, sh, swish, sh! He cleaved through the spiders again and again. At some point, all fifteen red stars had appeared along Blood''s length. Blood Bomb! A blood red st exploded outwards. Boom! Those caught in the explosion fell to the floor. Kang Oh had no reason to stop. He stomped on a fallen Taranos, and began attacking another one. Sephiro was going crazy. The spiders were attacking him from every possible angle! "Uhahp!" He relentlessly swung his axes around, and violently moved around. That was his only recourse. Guu, guu. Waryong groaned from within his chest. Sephiro was moving so violently that Waryong was getting hurt. However, Sephiro couldn''t stop himself. So long as he didn''t want to get a taste of their fatal poison, that is. "Just hold out for a little bit," Sephiro whispered, and then focused on the battle once more. On the contrary, Eder was doing just fine. He''d hidden his body within his bone bunker, and the Taranos were unable to crush or break through it! Eder looked through the opening, and then cast various spells. Bone Spike! Bone Bind! Bone Spear! Bone Bomb! Sometimeter... The Taranos began to fall one or two at a time, and Kang Oh finished off thest one with a swipe of his sword. [You have defeated a Taranos.] "Phew." Sephiro caught his breath and checked on Waryong. Eder got rid of the bone bunker, approached Kang Oh and Sephiro, and looked them over. "You weren''t bitten, were you?" "Nope." "No." Kang Oh and Sephiro simultaneously replied. "That''s a relief. The Taranos'' poison is one of the 10 most lethal poisons in the world. If the poison spreads, then there''s nothing that can be done." "I''ll keep my guard up," Sephiro said. After collecting the junk items, Kang Oh''s party headed for the vige. However... The Taranos were just the beginning. The Goddess of Death''s Land was the deepest section of Despia. Thus, it was filled with extremely dangerous and powerful monsters. They encountered Reaper Frogs, which possessed poison on the same level as the Taranos! Their poison was also one of the ten most lethal poisons in the world. Not to mention the Cordoma, giant lizards that possessed acid that could melt through anything! They also encountered Giant Krugers, which were a step up from the giant-mouthed Krugers from the Great Forest! None of them were easy to defeat. Each of them had weapons that could prove fatal to Kang Oh''s party. The Giant Krugers posed an especiallyrge threat to them, as they had a ton of HP, and possessed such highbat ability and brutality that made them the most difficult opponent to beat thus far. However, Kang Oh''s party didn''t let any of these monsters stop them; they killed anything that got in their way and eventually made it to the vige. It was the vige surrounded by a wooden fence! Once they approached the tightly shut door, they heard someone speak from atop the wooden fence. "Get lost, outsiders!" a fully armed, middle-aged woman with big, bright eyes yelled. There was a row of men beside her with their bows at the ready. "Hello, I''m an adventurer. My name is Kang Oh..." Kang Oh raised his hands as if surrendering. He was trying his damndest to show that he wasn''t a threat to them. "I don''t want to hear it. If you don''t leave, then we''ll turn you into porcupines!" the middle-aged woman yelled angrily. "Wait, so what I''m saying is..." Kang Oh began, but he was interrupted this time. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! All of a sudden, arrows came flying at him. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro quickly threw themselves out of harm''s way. Whizz! Whizz! The arrows kepting. "We should leave for now," Sephiro said. "I guess we should." Ultimately, Kang Oh''s party wasn''t able to make any progress and was forced to leave the vige. Chapter 272. Kalma, Humanity’s Worst

Chapter 272. Kalma, Humanity''s Worst

Trantor: Boko When he''d first climbed the Agrashi tree and saw the vige, Kang Oh''s thought process had been... Head to the vige, get in their good graces, obtain information on this ce and the Temple of Death, and acquire a safe base of operations. But it seemed like the vige waspletely closed to outsiders. "What do we do now?" Eder asked. "What do you mean? We''ll just have to go through hell," Kang Oh said. Now, they would be forced to explore the jungle and its various dangers blind. Until they discovered another vige or the temple, that is. "Is that really the best idea?" Eder said disappointedly. It would clearly be a dangerous road ahead. "Then do you have a better idea?" "No." "We''ll have to find somece to use as our hideout; something like a cave. We probably won''t be able to find another vige or the temple anytime soon," Sephiro said. "Alright, let''s do that." After they''d agreed on their immediate goals, Kang Oh''s party began to move through the jungle. Their backs slowly got farther and farther away from the vige. * * * The deepest region of Despia, or the Goddess of Death''s Land, was not only filled with monsters, but also various other dangers as well. Ants that left nothing behind wherever they went, the Cmity Ants! Once you got caught in it, there was no way you''d get out; the Silent Swamp! The Illusion Mushrooms'' Maze! An area filled with man-eating nts! And so much more... But any man who lived here had to fear one thing above all. The Kalma. They wore a ne of human skulls and went around killing humans, despite being human themselves! There were rumors that if you were caught by them, you''d never return and you''d be subjected to pain worse than death. Thus, the people living here feared encountering the Kalma the most. However...! Kang Oh''s party came face-to-face with them. "Hehe, there''s plenty of prey today," a man said. His face waspletely covered in red paint and he wore a skull ne around his neck. He was known as Aguta, or the Red Devil. "Indeed." A man who appeared to be his subordinate licked his lips. Twenty of the Kalma had appeared! Five well-built men had already been captured. They were gagged, and were bound in tough rope. "Who are you?" Kang Oh asked. "You don''t know who we are?" Aguta looked at him in disbelief. It was like he was saying, ''How could you not know who we are? We make all those who live in the Goddess of Death''s Land quiver in fear!'' "You don''t seem like the good guys," Kang Oh said. "Hehe, you hit the nail on the head. We''re the evil bastards who are here to catch you!" Aguntaughed. "Then I guess I should punish you." Kang Oh drew Blood. He knew that they wouldn''t let them pass without a fight. Thus, they had no choice but to go through them. Sephiro raised the Lasselpino Bow, while the mes within Eder''s eye sockets zed with even greater intensity. "Get them!" Aguta ordered, and ten of the Kalma rushed at them. Rattle, rattle. Their skull nes noisily rattled against each other. Some of them threw a at Kang Oh''s party, while others threw chains at them. They weren''t trying to kill them; they were trying to capture them alive. Kang Oh and Sephiro immediately dodged. Eder merely summoned a Bone Wall. Then, he mmed the blunt end of Eclipse''s Scythe onto the ground. AoE Curse: Age! A purple ring spread outward. As it was a curse cast by a level 400 Lich, all of their enemies'' abilities had fallen. "Deal with the mage first," Aguta yelled. Heeding his order, the Kalma began focusing entirely on Eder. Eder responded with various bone spells, and Kang Oh helped out too. "Huahp." Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger erupted from Blood, sweeping through the Kalma attacking Eder. Boom! Whoosh. The whirlwind raged. However, someone cleaved right through it. A bloody Kalma came out of the whirlwind, wielding a sickle. "Kihihi." Heughed bizarrely and rushed at Kang Oh. The other Kalmas joined in as well. Kang Oh had to fight several of them at once. ''Not bad.'' Each Kalma was quite powerful. Moreover, their team work was extraordinary, perhaps because they''d spent so much time together. Kang Oh couldn''t easily defeat them. Sephiro was the same. He ran across the battlefield, shooting arrows in the process, and even drew his axes and swung them. However, he wasn''t having much sess against the Kalma. "Projectiles," Aguta yelled. The remaining 10 Kalmas, who weren''t engaging them, threw sharp, poison needles at them. "Eder!" Kang Oh called. It was obvious what he wanted! "Arise!" Eder created a Bone Wall, blocking the poison needles. "Hehe, how defiant." Aguntaughed. He motioned with his hand, and five other Kalmas entered the fray. They leapt over the Bone Wall, and attempted to throw their poison needles again. ''Now!'' Eder clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! Boom, boom, boom! The long Bone Wall exploded with a ''boom'' and bone fragments flew everywhere! "Ugh." "Ugh!" Those caught up in the explosion rolled onto the floor. Plus, Sephiro had shot his arrow at just the right time, following up Eder''s Bone Bomb. Earth Shaking Arrow! Right after the Bone Bomb came a shockwave that swept through five of the Kalmas. "Hmm, you''re quite short-tempered, huh." Aguta was still looking down on Kang Oh''s party. But then... "Kuaahk!" "Haahk." Two of the Kalmas fighting Kang Oh had fallen. In no time at all, Kang Oh had transformed into the Red Demon. The Bone Bomb had distracted them, giving Kang Oh the opportunity to use Devil Trigger. With both Fresh Blood Wave and Blood Spear, he was able to overwhelm them instantaneously. "Die." Kang Oh stomped on a fallen Kalma and stabbed him several times in the chest. Stab! Stab! Stab! His fourth blow was apanied by a Darkness Strike. A bat-shaped, blood red wave devoured the Kalma. [You have defeated Kalma Rangky.] "Kihihi!" "You son of a bitch!" The other Kalmas rushed at Kang Oh. ''They''re like moths to a me.'' Kang Oh grinned. Blood Bomb! Boom! The blood red st exploded outward, and the Kalmas fell to the floor! Kang Oh immediately swung his de. Lightning Breath! The electric st devoured a Kalma, who''d already been damaged by Tempest Tiger. [You have defeated Kalma Rangbo.] "This won''t do. Everyone, attack!" Aguta quickly yelled. All of the Kalma rushed into battle. "You bastard!" Aguta rushed straight at Kang Oh. He wielded a steel club, which resembled a Dokkaebi''s magic club. Whoosh. His mace emitted a crushing, heavy ''whoosh''. If he got hit by that, then his bones would break right then and there. Kang Oh dodged the club and backed off. "Tasha!" Kang Oh said. His bat wings pped forcefully, and he rose into the air. Soar! Kang Oh flew in an arc like a rainbow, andnded onto the floor once more. Right where the five prisoners were located! He had been waiting for an opportunity to free them. "If I free you, can you fight?" Kang Oh asked. "Ueup!" "Eup!" The men fiercely nodded their heads. "No!" Aguta said angrily, but Kang Oh had no reason to stop. Kang Oh immediately swung Blood and sliced through the rope that bound them. Then, he dropped five mass-produced swords from his inventory. "Please fight with these." "Thank you." Once their hands were free, they removed their gags and picked up the swords. Kang Oh turned around and pointed his index finger at Aguta. Twitch, twitch. He was clearly telling him to attack! Aguta''s eyes were filled with killing intent. "Don''t try capturing them anymore. Kill them all!" Aguta roared. Then, the atmosphere around the Kalma changed. They began emitting killing intent, and threw away theirs and chains. They then drew sickles, swords, axes, and clubs. "Kuhahk!" Aguta screamed like a beast and rushed at Kang Oh. * * * His snow-white de, which radiated a peculiar red light, passed through Aguta''s neck. Swish! Red shards of light flew through the air and were absorbed into his de. "Damn it... all," Aguta said roughly, and then... Thud. He dropped his mace. Kang Oh lightly pushed Aguta''s body. His body fell backwards without any resistance whatsoever. [You have defeated the Red Devil, Aguta.] "Aguta''s dead!" Kang Oh yelled. "Ooh!" The five men cheered. "I''ll be finished soon!" Sephiro yelled. The battle wasn''t over yet. After all, there were a few Kalma left that were stubbornly holding on. However, the battle had already been decided. A short whileter... Thest Kalma was killed. "Thank you again," the oldest man of the five said, acting as their representative. "It was nothing." Kang Oh smiled. "I''m a warrior from Morona Vige. My name is Deul. Could you tell us your name?" "My name is Kang Oh. This is Sephiro and that''s Eder." "Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder, huh... I won''t forget you." "What are you going to do now?" Kang Oh asked. "We''ll return to our vige." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "Would you be ok if we tagged along?" "Of course." Deul epted without hesitation. It was only natural. Kang Oh''s party had saved them, after all. Thus, Kang Oh''s party followed Deul and headed for Morona Vige. Sometimeter... "This is Morona Vige?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right." Deul nodded his head. "That''s quite..." Kang Oh scratched his cheek. The vige was surrounded by a wooden fence. It was the same vige that''d refused their entry just a little while ago. "What''s the matter?" "Haa, it''s nothing." Kang Oh shrugged shoulders. ''Deul''s with us this time, so they wouldn''t shoot us, would they?'' They say that you shouldn''t assume; fortunately, they were let off the hook this time. "Arfan, it''s Deul. I''ve returned." Deul raised his voice. "Ooh, Deul!" The middle-aged woman, who''d told them to get lost, was overjoyed by Deul''s safe return home. She immediately opened the tightly shut door for him. "I''m d you''re safe." The middle-aged woman, Arfan, embraced him. The two looked really close. "It''s because of them that I was able to get away from the Kalma." Deul pointed at Kang Oh''s party. "Ooh, thank you so much!" Arfan sped Kang Oh''s hands and shook them. "Huh? But would you happen to be..." "Yes. We came here before and were weed by arrows." Kang Oh smiled awkwardly. ''You never know what''ll happen, right?'' "Mm, sorry about that. The vige doesn''t ept outsiders and I''d heard that Deul had been captured by the Kalma, so I''ve been on edge." "I understand." "Anyhow, you saved Deul and our warriors, so you''re no longer outsiders to us. Wee to Morona Vige." "Thank you." The vige that they''d once been chased out of had weed them with open arms. Chapter 273. Deul’s Guidance

Chapter 273. Deul''s Guidance

Trantor: Boko Morona Vige had one simple, distinct feature; all of its houses were 2 stories high! There wasn''t anything special about the vigers'' clothing or their appearance. "Mypanions and I are looking for the goddess''s temple," Kang Oh said once he entered the vige. "Mm, I see." "Do you know where it is?" "Yes. The temple resides at the top of Mt. Latnia." "Where is Mt. Latnia?" Eder asked. Deul turned his body and pointed somewhere. "It''s that mountain over there." Kang Oh and Sephiro had seen that mountain when they''d climbed up the Agrashi tree. ''The top of that mountain, huh...'' Kang Oh estimated the distance between the vige and the mountain. ''It''s far.'' They couldn''t get there in a day or two. "Let me take you to the Vige Chief first," Deul said. "Alright." Kang Oh nodded his head. A short whileter... "I am the Chieftain of Morona Vige, Haum." The chieftain wasn''t that old. In fact, she was a middle-aged woman, about the same age as Deul. "My name is Kang Oh." Kang Oh briefly introduced himself, followed by Eder and Sephiro. "Thank you for saving our warriors from the Kalmas'' grasp. You''re our savior." "It was the least I could do." "We''ll set up a ce for you, so stay as long as you wish. If you want anything else, just ask." "These people are looking for the goddess''s temple. I think it''d be best if we took them there ourselves," Deul said. "If you''d be willing to do that for us, then I couldn''t ask for anything more," Kang Oh said immediately. "Mm, then who''ll guide them?" "I''ll do it," Deul said. "Are you sure? You just came back after being captured by the Kalma..." "I''m fine. I need to return the favor." "Alright. Is there anything else we can do to help you?" Haum asked. "Yes. We have a few questions regarding the Goddess''s Land." As they always say, information was power. Kang Oh wanted to gather as much information as possible from the natives here. "Ask Deul about that. He should know more about this ce than I." Haum smiled. "Ah, is that so?" Kang Oh stared at Deul. Not only would he be their guide, but he''d also be their source of information. ''Thanks, Deul!'' "Anything else?" "No." Neither Sephiro nor Eder wanted anything from the chief. "Then take care." Once they left the chieftain''s house, Deul said, "I have a spare room in my house, so please stay there." "Alright." There was no reason to refuse. "Please follow me." Like all of the other houses in Morona Vige, Deul''s house was 2 stories high. "You can use the entire second floor as you please." "Is there anyone else here?" Sephiro asked. "No. I live alone." "Wait, why..." Sephiro looked regretful. ''You''re a bachelor at this age?'' "I like living alone," Deul said, looking rather nonchnt about it. "May we talk? When and how are we going to Mt. Latnia? Also, I''d like to ask you about the Goddess''s Land too," Kang Oh said. "Of course." Kang Oh''s party sat around a table, and Deul served them tea. "How long will it take to get to the top of Mt. Latnia?" Eder asked. "If we use the tunnel, then it''ll only take a day," Deul immediately replied. "Really? It''ll only take a day to get there?" Eder beamed. "It doesn''t look like we''d be able to get there in a day..." Kang Oh muttered. "It''s a magic tunnel. Using it will allow you to quickly travel to various ces here." "Ah, is that so?" Kang Oh said. ''Sounds like the freeway.'' "When are you going to Mt. Latnia?" Deul asked. "As soon as possible!" Eder immediately said. "It''ste, so how about tomorrow?" "That''s alright with me," Eder said. Kang Oh and Sephiro nodded their heads. "How vast is this ce? No, I''d actually like to know more about they of thend," Kang Oh said. "Even I don''t know howrge this ce is. And regarding the geographical features... Mt. Latnia is located in the center, the jungle is to the south, and grasnds are to the east. ess to the northern and western areas is strictly forbidden, so I''m not sure what''s there." "ess to the north and west is strictly forbidden?" "If you want to enter either area, then you need to cross the River of Despair. However, the Primordial Goddess told us not to cross it." "Do you serve Lady Deborah?" "Most people here serve the goddess, yes. Aside from the insolent Kalma." "The Kalma? Those gangsters back there?" Sephiro asked. "The Kalma are human hunters. They capture humans and drag them to the forbidden areas, the north and the west." "The Goddess of Death just lets them do that?" Eder couldn''t understand why she would. He, who''d bragged that he could conquer death itself, had been punished by the goddess, so why did she leave the Kalma alone? "I''m not entirely sure. She must have something else in mind for them," Deul said calmly. His trust in her was irond. Kang Oh changed the subject. "I assume that there are dungeons here?" "Yes. The tunnel that we''re going through tomorrow is a dungeon filled with monsters." "Is there any way that I could get a map? Even better if it marks where the dungeons are." Once he was finished transporting Eder''s body to the goddess''s temple, Kang Oh nned on exploring this ce even further. ''I have to go through the dungeons too.'' To a Dungeon Hunter like him, the Goddess''s Land was like a treasure trove. After all, there were dungeons here that no other yer had ever gone through before. "We don''t have any maps. However, you should be able to procure one from Latnia, the only city that exists here." "Hoh, there''s a city here too?" "A long time ago, the Primordial Goddess''s followers moved here en masse. At first, they lived below Mt. Latnia. That was the beginning of the city you see today. Over time, people spread out across the Goddess''s Land, and created several viges." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. Although slight, he was gathering some information on the Goddess''s Land. "Is there anything else you''re curious about?" "I''d like to know more about you, Mr. Deul. We fought together, so I know you''re strong..." Kang Oh said. Since they''d be working together for the foreseeable future, he wanted to know more about him. "I am of the Warrior ss. I can wield all sorts of weapons, but I''m most confident in my swordsmanship. I am level 339. As you know, I was born in Morona Vige and live alone." ''A level 339 Warrior.'' Not only could he guide them, but he''d be really helpful in a fight too. "I see... Then what about..." After that, Kang Oh asked him all sorts of questions, and Deul answered them all earnestly, without a sign of irritation. * * * The next day. Kang Oh''s party, Deul included, left Morona Vige. They wanted to ride their Yumas, which they''d relied upon in the Great Forest, but Deul stopped them. "We have to move covertly. If we want to remain undiscovered by the dangerous monsters and Kalma, that is." Ultimately, Kang Oh''s party trekked through the forest on foot. Though they weren''t riding on their mounts, they weren''t able to avoid all of the monsters. Kang Oh''s party was forced to do battle a few times. After that, they arrived at the entrance of the tunnel. "This is it." It was a cave. However, there was a bluish light seeping out from within. Upon entry, a system message popped up. [You have entered the spatiotemporal intersection point, Shortcut Tunnel.] If ten parties entered a spatiotemporal intersection point, then they''d enter ten different instances of the same dungeon. In other words, outsiders couldn''t interrupt them once they entered the dungeon. Tunnel was truly an apt title; therge, half-moon shaped passageway, went on and on. "Getting to the end of the Shortcut Tunnel takes about six hours. However, there are small passageways like that one all over." Deul pointed at a passageway inside, which went through the tunnel''s wall. Blue light streamed out of the passageway. "Those passageways are connected to the dungeons here." "In other words, if we head through the right passageway, then we can arrive at the top of Mt. Latnia in a day." Kang Oh immediately understood what he was saying. "Exactly." "That''s amazing." Kang Oh admired the technology. ''I should take a closer look at this tunnel.'' Kang Oh would probably use the Shortcut Tunnel many times in the future. After all, he nned on going all across the Goddess''s Land. Then... Crawl, crawl. Something creeped over. It was a Poisonous Centipede. The Poisonous Centipede was about 3 meters long, and was level 300. Its poison was lethal, but it would still be no match for Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh''s party killed it instantly, and made their way forward. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party exited the cave, which radiated blue light, and found themselves near Mt. Latnia. "Ooh, it''s the mountain. We''re really at the mountain!" Eder looked at Mt. Latnia and smiled excitedly. Gyaa, gyaa! It seemed like Waryong liked the fresh air after being cooped up in a cave for so long, as it popped out of Sephiro''s chest and began squealing in delight. "Now, we just need to pass through Latnia City and go up the mountain. It should take about half a day," Deul said. "Let''s go," Eder urged. * * * Kang Oh''s party entered Latnia City. "It''s amazing." Sephiro was in awe. Kang Ohpletely agreed with him. Every one of the buildings looked different. However, their base color was white, making them look unique. "There''s a ck ring on every single one of the houses. Is that the goddess''s symbol?" Eder asked. "Yes. The houses were painted white so that her symbol could look more pronounced," Deul said. "Considering how many of them have Lady Deborah''s symbol... It makes it feel like we''re close to the temple," Eder said, his voice shaking. It was like he was at the finish line of a marathon. "It truly is a city established by the goddess''s followers," Kang Oh said. "You could get lost, so please follow me." "Alright." Kang Oh''s party went along the main street. The atmosphere here was quite strange. Befitting a religious town, it was quite solemn. There were no street stalls, or any business for that matter being conducted on the street. Ding. Ding. The bright, beautiful peal of a bell resounded throughout the city. They began to see people praying all across the city. To them, the goddess was the reason for their existence. Chapter 274. Goddess of Death, Deborah

Chapter 274. Goddess of Death, Deborah

Trantor: Boko "..." Eder remainedpletely silent. If he was in a human body, he would probably be crying right now. Kang Oh patted his back, while Sephiro looked at him supportingly. Only Deul, who wasn''t aware of his circumstances, looked confused. However, he wasn''t foolish enough to intrude on this moment. "Hoo, hoo." Eder took a deep breath. His body didn''t require oxygen; it was just a way to calm himself down. "You ok now?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. I''m ready," Eder said stiffly, and slowly lifted his head. Arge structure came into view. It was a marble pyramid. This was the Great Temple of Death! * * * The Temple of Death wasn''t a ce that just anyone could enter. They tried to climb the stairs, but a pdin stopped them. "Only those permitted may pass," the pdin said. His voice was polite, yet firm. "I must see the goddess," Eder said earnestly. The pdin pointed at the round marble altar. "Pay tribute and pray earnestly. If the goddess responds to your prayer, then you may enter the temple." "Thank you." Eder approached the altar. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Deul quietly watched the situation unfold. Eder pulled off his rings. They were Lich Eclipse''s Sun and Moon Rings! Equipping them both would increase one''s magic damage and reduce the MP consumption of spells; they were treasures among treasures! Eder ced both rings atop the altar, knelt down, and sped his hands in prayer. ''Lady Deborah, Lady Deborah!'' At first, nothing happened. But at some point, a circr ck ring appeared above Eder''s head. The rings had disappeared as well! Deborah had responded to his prayer. Eder slowly stood up. "Go on up." The pdin moved out of the way. Eder suddenly pointed at Kang Oh. "The Supreme One asked me to bring him with me." "Me?" Kang Oh looked bewildered. ''Why me?'' "Go on up," the pdin said. "Brother, what about me?" Sephiro stared at Eder, eyes filled with anticipation. When else would he get the chance to enter the Great Temple of Death! Eder shook his head. "She only asked for Mr. Kang Oh." "Tch." Sephiro pouted. "Let''s go, Mr. Kang Oh," Eder said. "Uh, alright." Kang Oh followed him up the stairs. Once they reached the top, they were greeted by a priestess garbed in white robes. "I''ve been waiting for you. Please follow me." The priestess guided Kang Oh and Eder into the temple. Eventually, they were brought before a giant marble statue of Deborah sitting upon a throne. "Please kneel and wait," she whispered, and then left. Eder sank to his knees withoutint. However, Kang Oh really wasn''t feeling it. He stood tall. ''Why do I have to kneel? She''s just a goddess made by game developers!'' However... "Please kneel, unless you want to be punished like me." Kang Oh immediately kneeled. He''d put so much effort into his character, so he couldn''t afford to lose it by doing something stupid. Whoosh. Wind blew from somece else. The torches, which illuminated the room, flickered in the wind. "Please bow your head," Eder said, and ced his head onto the floor. Kang Oh wanted to say, ''Why do I have to do this!?'', but heplied, afraid of Deborah''s divine wrath. "Raise your heads." A bright voice could be heard everywhere. Kang Oh and Eder slowly raised their heads. ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. A purple veil concealed the goddess statue''s form. He could see Deborah''s silhouette from behind the veil. ''She''s inhabiting the statue.'' "Eder," the goddess called. "Yes, Supreme One." "The Healer who Conquered Death Itself, Eder. That''s what you were once called," she said mockingly. Eder bowed his head once more. "And in your arrogance, you imed to have conquered death," she said icily, as if her voice itself could bring about a harsh winter. "Thus, I showed you what death was truly like. I challenged you to ovee my curse. But you survived, not by curing yourself of my curse, but by moving your soul to an unsightly corpse." "I was arrogant and foolish. Please grant me your forgiveness." Thud. Eder briefly raised his head and then mmed it into the ground. "What is death?" Deborah suddenly asked. "I''m not sure," Eder said honestly. For so long, he''d studied death as a means of avoiding it. However, he hadn''te any closer to understanding what death was. Obviously, oveing something without any knowledge of what it is was impossible. "How foolish. But there was no arrogance in your answer, so I am feeling slightly merciful." Eder didn''t act rashly. He remained quiet, and waited for Deborah to continue. ''What the hell is this?'' At this point, he didn''t care what happened; he just wanted them to hurry up and get to the point. "I''ll give you a chance." "I''ll do whatever you ask of me." "It''s not something you can do alone." "Who do I have to do it with?" "The one beside you." "He''ll do it," Eder immediately said. Kang Oh quickly said, "Wait! Ah, forgive me, Supreme One. Hey, Eder. Why are you deciding for me?" Kang Oh stared at him. "10,000 gold," Eder whispered, his head still bowed. He knew how Kang Oh worked. "Huh?" 10,000 gold! However, Kang Oh shook his head. ''No. This is clearly a task that''s not profitable and will be a pain in the ass to deal with, so... I can''t let him get to me!'' "20,000 gold," Eder whispered again. Kang Oh''s eyes shook, but he shook his head once more. ''Don''t let him get to you! Don''t listen to him!'' "30,000 gold. It''s my entire fortune." ''30,000 gold!'' Kang Oh grinned. He was almost convinced. He bowed before Deborah and said, "Supreme One, what sort of task did you have in mind for someone as lowly as me?" In other words, ''What do you want me to do?''. "It would be faster to show you." Deborah softly waved her hand. Then, Kang Oh and Eder were shown events of the past. In the beginning... There existed four gods: Creation, Destruction, Life, and Death. The God of Creation, Maya, created the sea, the sky, and the continent, as well as countless living beings. The God of Life and the Goddess of Death kept things moving, maintaining bnce. However, the God of Destruction entered a long slumber, waiting for the time when his presence was required. Much time passed. At some point... The God of Creation, Maya, slowly began to change. He began to obsess over and excessively love his creations. His obsession was mostly focused on the Mayanes, which caused him to do something that was strictly forbidden. He shared his power with them! As a result, the Mayanes Tribe became immortal and began creating other species, even though they weren''t gods themselves. The bigger problem was that the Mayanes became increasingly arrogant as time went on! It wasn''t enough that they ruled over other life forms, but they also challenged the other three Primordial Gods! The era of the gods had ended; it was now the era of the Mayanes! For their arrogance, they were strictly punished. The slumbering God of Destruction awoke, andpletely annihted the Mayanes Tribe! Thus, the matter seemed to have beenpletely settled. However, the God of Creation performed another act of lunacy. He sacrificed himself to resurrect the dead Mayanes. The God of Destruction attempted to destroy them once more, but found that he couldn''t. Through Maya''s sacrifice, the Mayanes had gained the God of Creation''s divinity, keeping thempletely immune to a god''s power. Ultimately, the Primordial Gods, with the help of the dragons (the 2nd most powerful species in the world), were able to seal the Mayanes all over the world. That was where the recording ended. "Mayanes," Kang Oh muttered. This was the first time he''d heard of them. He hadn''t known that the God of Creation had sacrificed himself either. "After we sealed the Mayanes, we erased all records of their existence. Only the dragons remember that they existed." "Then what is it you wish for me and Eder to do?" Kang Oh cautiously asked. ''Why are you showing us such a lengthy video? It puts a lot of pressure on me.'' "There are eight revived Mayanes in total. And two of them are sealed here, within my domain." "You''re not asking us to destroy them, are you?" "I am." Kang Oh was speechless. ''How do you expect me to do something that the God of Destruction couldn''t?'' "It''s impossible." "Your jet-ck sword should be able to kill the Mayanes." "Demon Sword Ubist?" "Indeed. The demonic beast that resides within your dees from the ''Demon World''; it''s a being that came to this world from another. Thus, it should be able to kill the Mayanes." Kang Oh tilted his head. ''Demon Sword Ubist isn''t some legendary hero''s sword, so how?'' "The Mayanes cannot be killed by this world''s rules. However, the demonic beast ys by a different set of rules. It should easily be able to destroy this world''s rules." "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. ''Which means it''s not an impossible quest...'' However, Kang Oh wasn''t feeling it. He had a strong feeling that he''d have to bend over backwards toplete this quest, but would get nothing in return. ''Like one of Vn''s quests.'' Of course, he was tempted by Eder''s offer of 30,000 gold. However, 30,000 gold wasn''t enough to quench his appetite. "I understand that this may sound rude to you, but I don''t work for free," Kang Oh carefully said. "I hold great power. I can instantly raise one of your skills or spells to master-rank." "Heok." "I can also grant you the most powerful weapon in the world. Of course, that weapon wouldn''t work on the Mayanes. Also..." Kang Oh pricked his ears and waited for her to continue. "I can remove your limitations; the limitations of a human." "What do you mean?" "A human''s maximum level is 500. Their proficiency also ends at master-rank. I can remove these limitations." "So I''ll be able to pass level 500 and reach level 600, or even 700..." "You can be a Grandmaster." ''Grandmaster!'' At this moment, Kang Oh had learned an extraordinary secret. Bing a Master wasn''t the end, but only the beginning; there was one rank higher, Grandmaster! "When youplete my task, I will give you what you want," Deborah said with her brilliant voice. ''Ooh, I have to do this!'' If Deborah didn''t want to give him this quest, then he''d have to beg her to give it to him. After all, the reward was tremendous! Kang Oh bowed his head and yelled, "Leave it to me! I will do whatever it is that you require!" Chapter 275. Goddess’s Quest

Chapter 275. Goddess''s Quest

Trantor: Boko The Goddess of Death''s silhouette glimmered from beyond the purple veil. "Begin with Mayanes Diabol!" Her resplendent voice filled the room. At the same time, a quest popped up in front of Kang Oh. [Goddess''s Quest 1: Kill Mayanes Diabol.] The Mayanes were favored by the God of Creation, yet they arrogantly revolted against the Primordial Gods. Use Demon Sword Ubist to y Mayanes Diabol, who is located in the western region, and retrieve the God of Creation''s ''source''. If youplete the goddess''s quest, then you may choose one of these rewards. 1. Raise one skill or spell to master-rank. 2. A weapon imbued with the Goddess of Death''s power. 3. Transcend your limitations as a human. Difficulty: Nightmare. Minimum Requirements: Demon Sword Ubist. Reward: Goddess''s Quest 2. Failure: You will automatically fail the quest if you lose Demon Sword Ubist. "Leave it to me!" Kang Oh yelled. [You have epted the Goddess''s Quest.] "You must kill Mayanes Diabol with your jet-ck demon sword. That is the only way to bypass his immortality." Deborah''s brilliant voice rang out. "I will keep that in mind. Is there anything else you''d like to tell us?" Kang Oh asked. ''Please tell me more about Diabol!'' "Cyndia, my faithful servant." "Cyndia?" Kang Oh wanted to ask ''Who is that?'', but Deborah didn''t give him the chance. "Eder." Her calm, yet firm voice could be heard everywhere. "Yes, Supreme One," Eder said, maintaining his reverence and politeness. "There won''t be a second chance." "I promise you. I willplete my mission." "I''ll be watching." Whoosh. The purple veil disappeared and Deborah''s marble statue returned to normal. The goddess had left this realm. Soon after, the priestess that''d led them here returned. "The Supreme One asked that I assist you," she said. "Your name is..." Kang Oh asked. "I am the goddess''s faithful servant, Cyndia." "Mm!" So this was who the goddess was talking about! "Please follow me." Cyndia took them to the priests'' living quarters. "Please sit down." Kang Oh, Eder, and Cyndia sat around a table. "The Supreme One told me that you are to kill the Mayanes," Cyndia said. "Yes. She told us to start with Mayanes Diabol," Eder said. "The Church of Death has long since looked for a way to kill the Mayanes. I will tell you what we''ve learned." "What do you mean?" Kang Oh asked. "The God of Creation''s power has been divided amongst the eight Mayanes. In other words, they are simr to gods. Thus, in order to use their divine powers, they require believers, worshippers, prayers, faith, etc." "Believers? There are people that worship the Mayanes?" Eder asked. Cyndia shook her head. "No. At least not here." "Then?" "In order to use their power, the sealed Mayanes capture people and drain their life force. The more life force they have ess to, the more powerful they be." "Mm." "Are the Kalma connected to the Mayanes?" Kang Oh asked. "The Kalma provide the Mayanes with humans." "Putting this all together, the Kalma supply the Mayanes with people, and the Mayanes drain these people and slowly get stronger?" "Yes." Cyndia nodded her head. "If I save the prisoners, will the Mayanes be weaker?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s correct," Cyndia immediately replied. "Then we should save as many people as we can, and then strike when they''re at their weakest." "We should deal with the Kalma first. Saving the prisoners is pointless if we let the Kalma keep rounding up people," Eder said. "That''s true. But how do we deal with them?" Kang Oh stroked his chin. "If you manage to kill their leader, Mk, then... you should be able to freeze their operations for a while," Cyndia said. "Please tell us more." "Killing Mk will cause internal strife. They won''t have the manpower to capture humans until they''vepletely dealt with their leadership issue." "While they''re busy infighting, save the prisoners and then kill the Mayanes," Kang Oh said. "Yes." Cyndia nodded her head. ''We have a basic n now...'' "Please tell us more about the northern and western regions, the Kalma''s stronghold, and everything you know about Mayanes Diabol. Please don''t leave out anything; tell us everything you know, even things that you might consider trivial," Kang Oh said. Now, they needed to gather as much information as possible, formte a n, and execute said n. * * * Kang Oh and Eder left the temple, and rejoined Sephiro and Deul outside. "What happened inside? Did you meet the goddess? What about Mr. Eder''s body?" Sephiro barraged them with questions. Kang Oh nced at Eder. He was basically saying, ''You exin!''. "So what happened was..." Eder then exined everything that went on in the temple. "Hoh, a quest from the goddess! Moreover, the reward is amazing!" Sephiro desperately stared at Kang Oh. "Can you share the quest with me?" "I don''t think I can." Kang Oh opened the quest window and checked, but there was no ''Share Quest'' option there. "You''re not lying to me, are you?" Sephiro stared at him suspiciously. "If I could, I would''ve sold it to you at a price. Isn''t that right?" Kang Oh asked. "Probably." That convinced him. "Mr. Deul," Kang Oh called. "Yes?" "I''d like to buy a house in Latnia." "A house?" "Yes, a house!" He needed a safe location to set up a transfer magic circle. Thus, he nned on buying a house. "Mm, I know a real estate agent here." "I see. Could you please take us to them?" "Yes." Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party bought a two room house. They nned on using one room for the magic circle, and the other for them to rest in. Eder bought the house of course. There was no reason for him to pay when he had Eder here. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Deul said farewell. "Take care." Kang Oh sped Deul''s hands and vigorously shook them. ''Thank you for everything!'' Once Deul left... "Ah, that''s right. Eder," Kang Oh said. "Yes?" Eder stared at him nkly. ''What is it?'' "We have to write a contract." "What for?" "A contract that states that you''ll pay me 30,000 gold after we clear the goddess''s quest and you get your body back!" "Eh, do we really need a contract? Do I look like someone who''d lie to you?" "You never know. People look different before and after they use the bathroom." "I''m undead, so I don''t think that applies to me," Eder joked tastelessly. "That''s not funny." Kang Oh gave him a look, pulled out a Sabra''s Contract from his inventory, and began to fill it out. When thetter (Eder) regains his body, then he will pay the former (Kang Oh) 30,000 gold. It also contained a use stating that whoever vited the contract would have to give up their entire fortune. "Here, sign it." Kang Oh passed him the contract. "Tch." Eder signed the contract against his will. With this, the contract had been established! "Hehe." Kang Ohughed when he saw the contract''s dim light. 30,000 gold! "I''ll begin setting up the transfer magic circle." Eder entered the room. He''d set up this magic circle many times before, so he was done rather quickly. Kang Oh''s party then entered the magic circle. "To Altein!" * * * "I''ll see you tomorrow." "I''ll be going." Once there, Sephiro and Eder left. Then, Kang Oh sent Man Bok a message. - Mr. Man Bok. - Yes, Mr. Kang Oh? - Please get some supplies ready for me. - How much? - A week''s worth for me, Eder, and Sephiro. - Understood. Ah, and I have something to tell you. - What is it? - The ck Hammer Dwarves wanted a word with you. If you have the time, please go and see them. - Understood. Kang Oh closed the message window, and his eyes gleamed. ''Did they do it? Did they finally get a cksmith skilled enough to handle adamantium? I really hope so.'' Kang Oh went through the intercity transfer gate. "The ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout!" The environment instantly changed, and Kang Oh was greeted by a dwarf guarding the magic circle. "Mr. Kang Oh. It''s been a while," the Dwarven Warrior said. "Yes, it has. Could you please tell me where Chieftain Randelhoff is?" "The Chieftain should be in his room." "Thank you." Kang Oh immediately headed for Randelhoff''s room. "Chieftain Randelhoff." "Oh, you''vee." Kang Oh was a friend of the ck Hammer Dwarves. It was only natural that they''d wee him. "I heard that you were looking for me. You''re not ready to make the sword, are you?" Kang Oh said, his voice filled with excitement. Randelhoff shook his head. "No, that''s not why I called you." "Then what did you need?" "I want to ask a favor." "A favor?" "Could you leave the adamantium gemstone with us?" "The adamantium? Why?" "Seeing good materials motivates us dwarves. The adamantium will serve as good motivation for our cksmiths," Randelhoff said. Kang Oh''s eyes glinted. ''Seeing good materials motivates them, huh...'' He had a good idea. The more precious materials he brought them, the faster they''d produce a cksmith skilled enough to make him a demon sword. "Alright." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Thanks." "I''ll bring it to you immediately." "Mm." Kang Oh returned to Altein and immediately went to Eder''s house. "Huh? Why are you here?" Eder''s eyes widened. He was currently in Arumode''s body. ''It hasn''t been that long since we split?'' "I came to take the adamantium from your safe." "Why?" "The dwarves wanted it." "Ah, are the dwarves making you your sword?" "No. Apparently, dwarves draw inspiration from seeing precious materials, which makes them work harder or something." "I see." Eder pocketed the gold coin, which was engraved with a 1403. This was the key to his safe! "Oh, and by the way, Eder." "Yes?" "You still have the Dragon Bone, right?" "What?" "The Dragon Bone that the Bone Dragons dropped." Eder had bought Eclipse''s Scythe, the Immortal Monarch''s Clothes set, etc. from the auction, but had also bought the Dragon Bone too. "Ah, yes. I have it." "I want to borrow it!" "I''m sorry?" "I want you to lend it to me. Dragon Bone is a rare material. If the dwarves see the adamantium and the Dragon Bone, then they''ll be a lot happier." "..." Eder''s expression clearly said, ''No, thank you.''. "Fine then. I''ll just do the goddess''s questter. There''s no rush, right?" Kang Oh decided to be a pain in the ass. "Phew. Fine, I''ll let you borrow it." Eder sighed. "Good call." Kang Oh grinned. Kang Oh ''stole'' the Dragon Bone from Eder, and then the two headed for Diana Bank. Chapter 276. Blood’s New Ability

Chapter 276. Blood''s New Ability

Trantor: Boko [Large Quantity of Adamantium] Arge adamantium gemstone. Adamantium is the world''s toughest metal. This particr gemstone has been exposed to darkness for some time. Material Rank: S. The adamantium reminded him of the night sky. While mostly dark, it also glimmered like the stars above. Kang Oh ced the adamantium into his inventory. "See youter." Kang Oh waved his hand. "..." As the Dragon Bone had essentially been stolen from him, Eder looked extremely displeased. Kang Oh left the Diana Bank and headed for the Beast''s Tower. The Beast''s Tower was located in the western grasnds, and was also the second soul dungeon that Kang Oh had acquired. The handsome, tinum Lion, Violf, was the guardian''s dungeon! "It''s been a while, Master." Kang Oh appeared atop the magic circle, and was promptly greeted by Violf. "How''ve you been?" "Bored." Kang Oh came over and stroked its fur. "You have something for me, right?" "I do." "Give it here." Bright light radiated from its body, and then gold coins, leather, and metal appeared before him! This was his monthly soul dungeon reward. Kang Oh stashed the 800 gold and 50 leather pieces, and then picked up the metal. [Violf''s tinum] An extremely rare metal that can only be obtained from tinum Violf. The metal is capable of reflecting ranged attacks or spells. Material Rank: S. He''d acquired another item that the dwarves could draw inspiration from. "I''ll be going now." "Visit more often, Master," Violf said, looking disappointed. "I will." Kang Oh stroked its fur again, and then got onto the magic circle. "ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout!" The world in front of him instantly changed. He headed for Randelhoff''s room as soon as he arrived. "You''re back." There were five other dwarves beside him. They stared at Kang Oh with sparkling eyes. "These are our most skilled cksmiths." "Ah, I see." Kang Oh looked them over. ''I wonder which one of them will be able to make me the sword?'' "Do you have it?" Randelhoff asked. "Here." Kang Oh dropped the adamantium gemstone, Dragon Bone, and Violf''s tinum from his inventory. "Oooh!" "Wow!" "Hoh!" The Dwarven cksmiths'' eyes darted around. "This is adamantium!" "This is Dragon Bone!" "Hoh, I''ve never seen this metal before." They all looked excited, as if they were children who''d just received some toy robots. "Dragon Bone?" Randelhoff looked shocked. "I tried bringing a couple other rare materials too." Kang Oh grinned. "Ooh, good work." Randelhoff gave him a thumbs up. "Please be skilled enough to handle these materials," Kang Oh said. "Leave it to us!" "I''m going to start sleeping just two hours a day!" "I won''t put my hammer down!" The Dwarven cksmiths took the materials and went somece else. "If you''re able to create the sword, or you have other news for me, then please tell Mr. Man Bok," Kang Oh said. "Got it." Randelhoff nodded his head. ''I hope they have some good news for me soon.'' Kang Oh truly wanted to hold his new demon sword. * * * Kang Oh bought three items from the auction house: Quinton''s Shield (AA-rank), Von Rene''s Shoes (AA-rank), and Maurelion''s War Sword (S-rank). They all had different effects! He''d bought a variety of equipment, allowing him to pick and choose among them depending on the situation. Eder bought a new pair of rings, as he''d offered the Sun and Moon Ring to the Goddess of Death as tribute. The Red and Blue Skull were an item set. Equipping them both would greatly increase one''s MP regeneration, and also increase the power of necromancy. Sephiro hadn''t bought anything. Waryong was slightly bigger, that''s all. However, Waryong would need at least another month before it could participate in battle. Anyhow, Man Bok had provided them with plenty of supplies, so Kang Oh''s party immediately teleported to their house in Latnia City. Kang Oh pulled out a map from his inventory and spread it out over the table. It was a map of the Goddess''s Land. Though not exactly precise, it did show the geographical features within the northern and western regions. Deborah''s priestess, Cyndia, had given it to them. Then, Kang Oh pointed at a certain area on the map. "This is where we''re going today." He slowly pulled his finger away, showing the words ''Kalma'' underneath. "The Kalma''s home base!" Kang Oh stared at Eder and Sephiro. They both looked ready. "Let''s go." They had taken their first step inpleting the goddess''s quest! The River of Despair existed within the Goddess''s Land. Crossing this river would put you right into the Mayanes and Kalma''s domain. Kang Oh''s party cut down a tree and created a small canoe. After that, they crossed the river without much difficulty. "Mm." They were greeted by the sight of an ashen wastnd. They couldn''t sense any ''life'' anywhere. The few trees here werepletely ck and dried out, with no leaves growing on their branches. All the grass had turned yellow as well. Whistle. They blew their whistles and summoned their mounts. Walking through the endless wastnd on their own two feet was a stupid idea. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh rode his ck horse and forcefully pulled the reins. Neigh! The ck horse galloped with a forceful ''neigh''. Sephiro and Eder''s horses were right behind him. They were heading northwest. That was where the Kalma''s headquarters were. ording to Cyndia, no monsters resided in the ashen wastnd. The Human Hunters, or Kalma, showed up instead. There were ten of them in total. "We''ve struck gold. To think there''d still be people who actually cross the river." A Kalma, who wore a skull ne and had a scar on his cheek, licked his lips. He must''ve thought, ''Delicious prey hade over voluntarily!''. "Don''t let down your guard. They look pretty strong," another Kalma said. "Hmph, it won''t matter in the end." The Kalma with a scar on his cheek snorted. Kang Oh, still on horseback, charged with Blood in his hand. "Giddyap!" Neigh. Gallop, gallop! "Throw thes and chains!" "Catch him!" Thes and chains flew right at Kang Oh. As his horse galloped forward, Kang Oh swung Blood. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger dashed forward and blew away thes and chains. "Dodge!" The golden aura closed in, and the Kalmas acted quickly. Some of them kicked their camels'' sides, while others abandoned them entirely. Boom! None of them were hit by the Tempest Tiger. Whoosh. The whirlwind sucked in the gray sand, bing a raging sandstorm. In an instant, the world became hazy. Then... White bones rose from the ground. It was the work of Eder, who''d raised his scythe into the air. "Careful of the floor!" a Kalma yelled. Then, an arrow pierced through the sandstorm, striking the Kalma''s forehead. Headshot! This was obviously Sephiro''s work. "Grr, calm down!" "Prepare for their attacks!" a Kalma yelled. Whoosh. Kang Oh pushed through the sandstorm. "Uhahk!" Bam. His horse trampled on a Kalma and kept going. After that, Kang Oh swung his sword. "Get a grip!" A Kalma, who was riding on a camel, blocked and then counterattacked. "Catch him first!" "Paralyzing needle!" The Kalmas surrounded him, while keeping an eye out for bone magic and arrows. "Hmph." Kang Oh arrogantly swung Blood. He didn''t have much experience fighting on horseback, but it was much easier than a midair fight with a wyvern. sh! He cleaved a white line into the air, leaving behind a lengthy wound on a Kalma. Paralyzing needles came from behind, but Kang Oh turned his body and swung Blood, deflecting all of them at once. Then, a Kalma swung their sickle downwards. "Go!" Kang Oh yelled. His horse dashed forward. The sickle struck nothing but air. "Haahp!" Swish, sh, swish, sh! Though he was fighting on horseback, his swordsmanship was wless. None of their sickles reached him. Kang Oh sliced through several of them simultaneously and made his way forward. The sandstorm soon died down. Earth Shaking Arrow! Bone Mass! Eder and Sephiro began attacking in earnest. Kang Oh turned his horse around, and charged at the Kalma once more. What followed was a one-sided battle. ''As expected.'' ording to Cyndia, the Kalma''s elites were always in the southern jungle or the western grasnds. Thus, the Kalma here were extremely weak. It was exactly as she said. These Kalma were weak. Kang Oh''s party killed them in no time at all. [You have defeated Kalma Boltrender.] [Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.] [Demon Sword Blood has reached level 20.] [Demon Sword Blood has gained a new ability.] "Oho." What a joyous message! Kang Oh immediately looked over Blood''s updated item info. [Demon Sword Blood (Lv.20)] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. The snow-white de emanates scarlet energy, making the sword extremely beautiful but also ominous. The sword has an ego of its own. It sees, hears, and feels the world through its wielder, and grows. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop, or that you will be a monster under the demon''s control for 24 hours. + Evolving Weapon: Has its own level. Takes a portion of its wielder''s experience points. These experience points are what the demon sword uses to grow. The higher the level, the more powerful the sword and its abilities be. [Next Level Up: 0.002%] + Life Steal: Dealing damage restores your HP. The amount of health restored is based on the damage you deal and the demon sword''s level. + Vampiristic Reinforcement: Sessfully life stealing increases the sword''s attack power by 2%. Life stealing again within a 15 second period causes this effect to stack (15 stacks max). + Blood Bomb: Usable when you reach max reinforcement stacks (15 stacks). Consumes all stacks to unleash a blood red explosion. + Red Butterfly''s Dance: Evasion doubles for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 444, Physical +55, HP +1,000. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. ''Red Butterfly''s Dance.'' Kang Oh had both Hyper Intuition and high evasion. What if he were to add Red Butterfly''s Dance to the mix? ''I wouldn''t be jealous of Sephiro''s evasion, that''s for sure!'' Kang Oh grinned. As expected of an SS-rank demon sword! It never disappointed him. * * * There was a forest within the ashen wastnd. However, it wasn''t a normal forest; you know, the ones that are filled with life, with luscious trees and the sound of birds chirping. It smelled like a mix of blood and another foul odor, and the trees were ck and decaying! Their destination was located somewhere within this forest. "It''s over there," Kang Oh said. He peeked through the faded thicket and saw a white hill. That was the Kalma''s main headquarters! Chapter 277. Infiltration

Chapter 277. Infiltration

Trantor: Boko There was a lone, white hill in the center of the decaying forest. It waspletely bare, without a single de of grass or a tree on top of it. Tunnels had been dug underneath it too. The interior was soplex that even the Kalma here would asionally get lost. That''s why it was called the Ant Tunnel. "Shall I get ready?" Eder asked. "Mm." Kang Oh nodded his head. Eder then pulled out a Kalma''s clothes and skull ne. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder changed immediately, disguising themselves as Kalma. Rattle, rattle. Their skull nes ''rattled'' as they rubbed against each other. That wasn''t all to their disguise. Kang Oh and Sephiro painted their faces with ck and blue paint, while Eder covered his face with a wolf''s head. "Kihihi." "Kukuhu." "Hehe." They even imitated their wicked smiles andughter. "Good. Then as nned, Mr. Sephiro and I will infiltrate the base. You stay here and keep a lookout," Kang Oh said to Eder. "Alright." Kang Oh could summon Eder whenever he needed him, so Eder was tasked with keeping an eye on the outside. "Tell us if there''s something going on too." Kang Oh shook hismunication earring with his finger. "Understood." "Let''s go." Kang Oh and Sephiro popped out of the thicket and headed towards the Ant Tunnel. There were a few Kalma outside, but they didn''t suspect Kang Oh or Sephiro at all. A short whileter... Kang Oh and Sephiro entered the tunnel andpletely vanished. * * * As nned, the two had managed to infiltrate the tunnel. However, this is where things got hard. They had no info to fall back on! Even so, Kang Oh and Sephiro had to find and kill Mk, regardless of howplicated the base was! But it''s not like they had some amazing idea that''d take them straight to Mk. In the end, their only option was to keep moving. But they also needed to remain in character so that their covers weren''t blown! Kang Oh and Sephiro made their way through the tunnel. Forked roads? That''s cute. The path would often split into three, and there were other paths on the ceiling, the floor, and the walls that led somece else. Thus, they wandered around for quite some time. Then... "Someone''sing," Sephiro whispered. "Act natural," Kang Oh whispered back. A short whileter... Rattle, rattle. Two Kalmas appeared, their skulls rattling in the process. "I heard that Aguta was killed," a Kalma covered in bearskin said. "Good. I hated how he went around acting so high and mighty all the time. Kuku," the other Kalma replied, his face resembling a rat. "True. I''m d he''s dead. That means one of the Team Leader positions is vacant." "Keep dreaming. That''s my spot." "Heh. Yeah, right." "You son of a bitch!" The two Kalmas ignored them as they passed by. "Hoo." Once they werepletely gone, Sephiro sighed in a relief. "Let''s go." They had no reason to stop here. Kang Oh and Sephiro kept going. Much time had passed. However, they had nothing to show for it. "We keep going around in circles." Kang Oh scowled. He was familiar with the tunnel by now. It was only natural. After all, he''d gone through it several times already. "Indeed. Have we gotten caught in a trap?" Sephiro furrowed his brow. "Mm. Let''s change our approach." Mindlessly walking through the tunnels wasn''t going to work. "How?" "We have to follow a Kalma." "Won''t we be discovered?" "We follow them from afar. And if we''re discovered... We can think about it then." "I don''t think there''s any other option." Sephiro agreed. The two actively searched for a Kalma. It didn''t take long for Sephiro to sense one. "Hehe." The Kalma was alone. He was holding a money pouch in one hand, and apass in the other. "Let''s follow him." Kang Oh and Sephiro began following him, staying a fair distance away from him as they did so. The Kalma moved without stopping, but made sure to check hispass a few times along the way. He went through the right passageway, then the one on the ground, the right again, and then the one on the left wall... "Thatpass," Sephiro whispered. "It must tell them where to go." "Right? It''s something we definitely need." Kang Oh nodded his head. However, they couldn''t kill him right away. This wasn''t a good ce to hide the body. And if they just left the body here, then the other Kalma could discover it and cause a huge ruckus. At some point... They heard a crowd. "There are several people gathered over there," Sephiro whispered. "Mk might be there." Thus, they couldn''t afford to just pass it by. "Hehe." The Kalma''s money pouch clinked as he made his way through the loud passageway. Kang and Sephiro followed him inside. "100!" "I''ll bet 200!" "Hey, roll the dice!" "Give me my card!" It was a casino. Countless Kalma were gambling inside. "Mm." Sephiro went pop-eyed. He hadn''t imagined it to be a casino. Kang Oh poked his side, seemingly telling him to ''get a grip''. "Look for ck skulls," Kang Oh said. ording to Cyndia, Mk wore a ck skull ne that wasrger than any of the other''s skull nes. "Ugh, understood." "But don''t make it obvious that you''re looking for someone." The two began to look around the casino. However, they didn''t find any Kalma wearing a ck skull ne. "Should we wait until he shows up?" "We can''t do that. We have to leave here soon," Kang Oh said. "Why?" "It looks weird toe to a casino and not gamble." Kang Oh had noticed that some of the Kalma were staring at him. "Ah." "Mr. Sephiro, please lose a couple rounds of whatever game you want. You can''t win or cause amotion. I''ll try to get us apass." "Ok." Sephiro looked around, and then joined a dice game. Kang Oh quickly scanned the room. ''That guy''s a good target.'' Kang Oh approached a Kalma, who waspletely stered and leaning against the wall. "You lost all your money?" Kang Oh asked. "Huh? Who''re you?" He waspletely wasted; his face was flushed and he looked at Kang Oh with unfocused eyes. "I''m not anyone important. What is important is that I have money." Kang Oh pulled out a fistful of gold coins from his breast pocket. "Hehe, give me that!" He sure lived up to his name as a scoundrel; he attempted to steal the gold from Kang Oh. Of course, there was no way it''d work. "I lost that thing that leads me through the tunnels. If you want this gold, then you''ll have to give me that in exchange." "That thing that leads you through the tunnels? Aah, you''re talking about a Chaser." ''A Chaser... As expected, it has a unique name.'' "Yeah, a Chaser." "Hehe, I don''t have it. I sold it at the pawnshop a long time ago. Hurry up and give me the money!" the Kalma said, his eyes stillpletely unfocused. "How do you use a Chaser?" "Haa? How do you use a Chaser? Are you an idiot? You just put it in your hand and choose your target, and it''ll lead you in the right direction!" "Ah, that''s right." Now that he''d gotten the information he wanted, Kang Oh threw him a few gold coins and headed for the pawnshop at the center of the casino. "What do you want to sell?" a pudgy, intimidating man wearing Kalma clothes asked. "I''m not here to sell anything. I came here to buy a Chaser," Kang Oh said impolitely. As he went through the casino, he noticed that everyone here spoke familiarly with each other. Thus, being respectful here would actually look suspicious. "A Chaser?" "Why, you don''t have one?" Kang Oh said aggressively. ''I''m a scoundrel right now!'' "No, I have one." "Then give it here." "You rude bastard. It''s 100 gold." The man pulled out apass. "What? 100 gold? Why the hell is it so expensive!?" Kang Oh said in a fit of rage. There''s no way a true Kalma would ept that. Plus... ''It really is way too expensive!'' "Whatever then." "Damn it. I was going to buy it and use the rest of my money to have some fun." Kang Oh maintained his poor attitude and pulled out 100 gold. The pawnshop man quickly took the gold. "Ugh." Kang Oh epted the Chaser, which looked just like apass, with a dissatisfied expression. "I haven''t seen your face before. You look like a newbie, so you must''ve lost your Chaser somewhere. Seriously, the new ones have a screw loose somewhere," the pawnshop man said spitefully. "Mind your own business." Following his perfect imitation of a Kalma, Kang Oh returned to Sephiro. Then, Sephiro signaled that he was out. "Ugh, I''m already broke." Sephiro dusted off his hands and left the game. "Did you get it?" Sephiro asked. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Good work. Let''s leave now." Kang Oh and Sephiro then left the casino. However... "They''re strange." There was a Kalma that found them suspicious. Rondal, a man who wore demon-faced earrings, stood up and followed them. * * * [Kalma''s Chaser] Apass with a special ability. If you speak the name of your target, then thepass will take you to them. However, the Chaser can only be used within the ashen wastnd. Kang Oh ced thepass on his palm. "Mk." Spin. Thepass''s needle spun several times, and then pointed in a single direction. Kang Oh and Sephiro looked at each other. They stiffly nodded their heads. The Kalma''s Leader, Mk. Kang Oh and Sephiro followed thepass in order to take him out. However, sometimeter, Kang Oh felt like something was off. His back felt strange; it was like someone was watching him! Hyper Intuition had activated. ''Someone''s following us.'' Kang Oh opened his message window and sent Sephiro a message. - Someone''s following us. Don''t show any signs that we know he''s there. Sephiro read the message and briefly flinched, but soon began walking like nothing had happened. He then typed his own message back. - What do we do? - We act like Kalma and try to fool him. Back me up. - Understood. "Kiki, did you hear?" Kang Oh said. "If it''s not important, then just shut up," Sephiro replied. "Aguta''s dead." Kang Oh nned on reying the conversation he''d heard. Sephiro immediately knew what he was doing. "Aguta''s dead? Good. Kuku." "True. That means one of the Team Leader positions is vacant," Kang Oh said. "It has nothing to do with you. That''s my spot," Sephiro said wickedly. "You son of a bitch, that spot''s mine!" "Kuku, you should face reality." "Why don''t you!?" ''I guess they are one of us,'' Rondal thought after listening in on their conversation. He was about to head back to the casino, but something felt off. ''Yeah. I can make sure if I ask what team they''re on.'' Rondal showed himself and said, "Hey, you two!" Kang Oh and Sephiro nced at each other. ''Get ready.'' ''Understood.'' "What?" Kang Oh turned around and yelled. "What team are you on!?" "..." They weren''t part of a team, so they couldn''t say anything. "Hey, what team..." Then... Kang Oh rushed at him. Chapter 278. Kalma’s Leader, Malak

Chapter 278. Kalma''s Leader, Mk

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh instantly swung Blood. The snow-white de''s odd, scarlet energy arced in the air like a monochromatic red rainbow and came right for Rondal''s neck. "Tch!" Rondal quickly drew the sword at his waist. ng! He just barely blocked Kang Oh''s surprise attack. However... Whoosh! A spinning arrow flew through the air, aiming for his heart. Sun Piercing Arrow! "Grr." Rondal gritted his teeth and twisted his body. Although the arrow missed his heart, it still managed to hit his right shoulder. Thwock! "Ugh." The force was such that Rondal fell to the floor. Now it was Kang Oh''s turn. sh! Swish. Kang Oh''s de left a lengthy wound on the downed Rondal''s forearm. "Die!" Kang Oh thrust his sword. "Grr!" Rondal gritted his teeth and rolled on the floor. He just barely dodged Kang Oh''s de, and Blood embedded itself in the ground. However, Rondal had no time to rest. Arge, thick arrow fiercely flew towards him! Rondal rolled to the side once more. Bam. The arrow struck the area where he''d just been. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh was busy pulling Blood out of the ground, and Sephiro was notching another arrow. Rondal quickly pulled out some paralyzing needles, and carelessly threw them. Then, he turned around and began running away as fast as he could. With the paralyzing needles fast approaching, Kang Oh gave up on pulling out his sword and rolled forward. The needles flew over his head. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh stood up from his front roll and extended his palm. Darkness Chain! Swoosh. The chain flew faster than Rondal could run. Once the chain wrapped around Rondal''s waist, Kang Oh forcefully pulled. "Uheok." Kang Oh had pulled him right back. "L-Let me li..." "Die!" Kang Oh pulled Blood out of the ground and mercilessly swung it. Sephiro showed no mercy either. "Kyahk!" Rondal died with his eyes wide open, his body riddled with cuts and arrows. [You have defeated Kalma Rondal.] "How do we deal with the body?" Sephiro looked down and said. "Over there." Kang Oh looked around and then pointed at a downward sloping passageway; it had a lot more shade than the others. The two lifted the body from either side and dumped it into the dark passageway. The darkness concealed the body from afar, but if you took a closer look, it was clear that a human being was in there. "It''s only a matter of time before someone discovers the body, so..." Kang Oh said. "We act as fast as possible," Sephiro said. Bam! The two sprinted, following the Chaser to their final destination! * * * They followed the Chaser until they found themselves in front of avishly decorated door. It was a clear indication that someone important was inside. Mk had to be in there. After all, the Chaser was pointing at the door too. "Summon Eder," Kang Oh whispered. Then, Eder appeared, wearing a wolf head. "Shh." Kang Oh brought a finger to his lip and shushed him. "Our target is right in front of us. Quietly prepare for battle!" Kang Oh whispered. Eder nodded his head. Kang Oh approached the door and then knocked. Knock, knock. "I told you I didn''t want anyone to bother me!" Mk replied angrily. "I apologize! I have something urgent to report regarding Aguta, so it couldn''t be helped." Since Aguta''s death was a hot topic right now, Kang Oh used his name to serve his purposes. "Aguta?" "Yes." "Come in. Let''s see what you have to say." Kang Oh turned his head and whispered, "If it gets loud inside, pleasee in immediately." Sephiro and Eder simultaneously nodded. Kang Oh opened the door and went inside. He then bent on one knee and respectfully bowed his head. Mk was like a stick. The middle-aged man was tall, but also thin, almost dangerously so. He had slicked back hair, a goatee, and a twoyer ck skull ne around his neck. "What do you have to report?" Mk said angrily. "We found out who killed Aguta," Kang Oh said. "What? You interrupted me for something as unimportant as that!?" Mk lost his temper and raised his right hand. He quickly drew a sharp dagger; it was clear he intended to kill Kang oh. "It''s not unimportant. Do you know why...?" "Why?" "Because I''m the one who killed him!" Kang Oh took the initiative and swung Blood at Mk. "You crazy bastard!" Mk didn''t just sit there. He immediately threw his dagger. Swoosh! Swish! Kang Oh twisted his body and avoided the dagger. At the same time, Mk bent backwards, dodging the tip of Kang Oh''s de. "Tch." Kang Oh''s surprise attack had failed; nevertheless, he immediately followed up with another attack. Mk was ready for battle. In no time at all, he held a dagger in either hand. Then, the door opened and in came Sephiro and Eder. But Mk saw their clothes and mistook them for his subordinates. "Deal with him." Mk pointed a dagger at Kang Oh. Eder and Sephiro took advantage of this. "Yes, sir!" They acted as though they were attacking Kang Oh, butunched an arrow and bone spear at Mk. "You bastards!" Mk was momentarily taken aback. It was a perfect surprise attack! However... Mk suddenly divided into two. The arrow and bone spear passed right through the left Mk. "A multi-form technique?" Sephiro furrowed his brow. Then... Gyaaahk! The ck skulls around his neck wailed. [You have heard an Ominous Cry.] [You have been beset with misfortune.] [Luck -100.] [Likelihood of taking fatal damage has increased significantly.] "The Kalma areing," Kang Oh said. The sharp cry would definitely draw the rest of the scoundrels here. Thus, they had to kill Mk ASAP. "I''ll kill you myself." Mk''s body split into three and simultaneously attacked Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder. Swish. His dagger, both quick and precise, came for Kang Oh''s neck, but it wasn''t so overwhelmingly fast that Kang Oh couldn''t dodge it. Kang Oh rushed at another Mk, who was attacking Eder with his back turned to him. Swish. Mk''s dagger struck Kang Oh''s back. No, it appeared as though it did. Kang Oh waspletely unscathed. ''As expected.'' When Mk attacked him, Hyper Intuition hadn''t warned him of danger. In other words, the Mk that was attacking him was just an illusion! Kang Oh had recognized this immediately, so he''d rushed at the one attacking Eder. Whereas... "Huh?" Sephiro didn''t have Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, so he believed that the one he was facing was real. Thus, he did his best to dodge his dagger, but Mk suddenly disappeared. Groan. His violent movements agitated Waryong, causing it to cry out. "Damn it." Realizing that he''d been tricked, he got back into position and stared at Eder. If Kang Oh and Sephiro''s opponents had been illusions, then the one attacking Eder was the real one! Fortunately, Eder was unharmed. By attacking the real one, Kang Oh had caused Mk''s attack on Eder to fail. Swish. Mk nimbly retreated and stared at Kang Oh. "What pointless resistance." "That''s my line. Why don''t you stop resisting and die peacefully?" Kang Oh replied. "Hmph. My subordinates will be here soon. Let''s see if you can still say that once they''re here." Mk smiled cruelly. Kang Oh quickly thought things over. ''Mk''s right. Time''s not on our side. If that''s the case, then we have to buy some time!'' "Eder, Mr. Sephiro." "Yes!" the two replied. "Go outside and stop the Kalmas from interfering. There''s only one passageway that takes you here, so take advantage of that to buy as much time as possible." "Then what about Mk?" "I''ll be plenty. His multi-form technique won''t work on me." "Understood." "Where do you think you''re going!?" They were about to leave, but Mk tried preventing them. "I''m your opponent!" Kang Oh blocked him. ng, ng, ng, ng! Kang Oh versus Mk. They both swung their weapons four times in a single breath, resounding with four separate metallic ''ngs''. Meanwhile, Eder and Sephiro rushed out of the room. In no time at all, Eder and Sephiro were engaged in battle. * * * "You bastard!" Mk relentlessly swung his dual daggers. Chop of Death! This was an Assassin ss skill, one which unleashed countless attacks that aimed for the target''s vitals. Kang Oh responded in kind. Red Butterfly''s Dance! [Your evasion is doubled for 10 seconds.] Whenever he moved, he left behind an afterimage. This was a sign that he''d used Red Butterfly''s Dance! Anyhow,bining his Hyper Intuition, his already high evasion, and Red Butterfly''s Dance, made Kang Oh even more formidable. He moved splendidly, dodging all of Mk''s attacks, and then one-sidedly beat down on Mk! "This is impossible!" Mk was hit again and again, sporting an expression of disbelief. Whereas Kang Oh overpowering Mk didn''t interest him at all. All he was thinking about was killing Mk as quickly as possible. Kang Oh pointed his de at Mk. At the same time, he summoned a Fire Bomb in his off hand. Lightning Breath! Crackle! The electric beam shot straight at Mk. "Not a chance!" Mk used his multi-form technique, dividing into two. One of them was devoured by the Lightning Breath, and Kang Oh threw the Fire Bomb at the other. Kang Oh had expected him to use his multi-form technique. Bam! The Fire Bomb exploded right in front of him. Roar! The fierce mes engulfed Mk. "Kuhahk!" Mk screamed in pain. However, that wouldn''tst long. All of a sudden, ck bat wings protruded from his body. He forcefully pped his wings, extinguishing the mes. "So that''s your true form." Kang Oh looked him over. He was covered in ck fur, had triangr ears, a pig''s nose, and disgustinglyrge eyes! His face was clearly that of a bat. His arms had transformed into wings, and his hands, now fused to his wings, still held two daggers in them. To put it simply, he''d turned into a batman! Mk leapt into the air and hung off the ceiling. "Anyone who''s seen this form has died." Swoosh. Mk descended upon Kang Oh, his body spinning round and round like a top. Chapter 279. Batman Malak

Chapter 279. Batman Mk

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh responded calmly. He swung Blood several times as he backed off, blocking Mk''s falling, spinning attack. ng, ng, ng! Whenever Blood and Mk''s daggers shed, a metallic ''ng'' would echo through the room. Droop. Then, Mk back flipped andnded on the ground. "ytime''s over." His disgustinglyrge eyes shined, and his body disappeared into the shadows. ''Shadow Transfer?'' Shadow Transfer was an Assassin skill, which allowed the user to move between shadows. Kang Oh tightly gripped his sword, and prepared himself for Mk''s iing strike. Mk could reappear anywhere. He could appear underneath the bed or table, or from the shadows cast by the chandelier or the ornaments on the walls. He could even appear underneath Kang Oh''s feet! He suddenly popped out of Kang Oh''s shadow and swung upwards with his right dagger. Shadow Aura! His dagger unleashed a long trail of ck energy. "Tch!" Kang Oh responded as fast as he could. sh! A white line followed Demon Sword Blood''s path, grazing Mk''s cheek. At the same time, Mk''s dagger nicked Kang Oh''s nape. ''Shallow!'' Kang Oh and Mk both thought, and they followed up with another attack. However, Kang Oh''s attack was slightly faster than Mk''s. "Huahp!" Mk''s dagger flew into the air. Swish! The snow-white de cleaved through him. Or it would have, if Mk hadn''t already hung on the ceiling once more. Kang Oh stared at Mk and used Devil Trigger. He was covered in bright red energy, as if a bucket of paint had been dumped on him. "Die!" Mk fell from the ceiling, falling head first. Before his attack made contact, however, Kang Oh''s transformation wasplete. He backed off and avoided Mk''s attack. "Tch." Mk grimaced. Failing attack after attack must be getting on his nerves. Kang Oh pointed his index finger at him. Blood Spear! Two red spears floated around him, and then flew straight at Mk. Whizz! Whizz! "Kyahk!" Mk shrieked and swung his daggers, alternating between the two. He managed to block both of the blood spears. Then, Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Fresh Blood Wave! The fan-shaped, blood red aura came flying towards Mk. Mk flew into the air once more. "Tasha!" Kang Oh immediately yelled. ''You''re not the only one with wings!'' His red wings pped forcefully. Kang Oh rose into the air and followed after Mk. "Haahp!" "Kuhaahp!" Kang Oh and Mk shed in midair. They swung their weapons as much as possible. Kang Oh was the first to gain an advantage. He left behind a lengthy scar on Mk''s left wing! But Mk didn''t stand around doing nothing. His dagger cleaved through Kang Oh''s side as well. A short whileter... Both Kang Oh and Mknded on the floor. However, their expressions werepletely different. Kang Oh furrowed his brow, while Mk was smirking. It only made sense. [Mk has absorbed your strength.] [Abilities -2%.] When Mk sliced his side, that''s what showed up. ''Absorption... What an annoying ability.'' Whenever Mknded an attack, he''d absorb a portion of his enemy''s abilities! Then... The door opened, and in came Eder and Sephiro. Some Kalma hade in with them. Eder and Sephiro had been gradually pushed back by the reinforcing Kalma. In the end, they had been forced back into Mk''s room. "Mr. Eder, the entrance!" Sephiro yelled. "Yes!" Eder immediately swung his scythe, summoningyer uponyer of white bone that blocked the entrance. For the time being, this would stop anyone else from entering, though it wouldn''tst for very long. "Die!" Sephiro shot an arrow at one of the Kalma that''d gotten in. Eder began engaging the others as well. Seeing this, Mk smiled cruelly. "I wonder how much longer you''llst." He didn''t think the bone would block off the entrance for long; soon enough, his men woulde rushing in like a rising tide. "We can''t hold them off for long, Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder yelled. "Do something!" Sephiro said. Kang Oh was quick on the uptake. He knew that the situation wasn''t in their favor. ''I have to end this ASAP.'' That was the only way they''d get out of this alive. Kang Oh switched from Blood to Ubist. As if the setting sun had transitioned to nighttime, the Red Demon transformed into the Jet-ck Demon. ''The best item for this situation would be...'' Kang Oh had prepared three items as fodder for Gluttony: Quinton''s Shield, Von Rene''s Shoes, and Maurelion''s War Sword. Each item would increase a single stat exponentially, whether it be defense, speed, or attack power. What he needed right now was speed, or Von Rene''s Shoes. Mk was quick and nimble. In exchange, his defense was weak. Kang Oh just needed tond a single hit! Thus, increasing his speed was the answer. ''It''s a waste to use it on him, but... Oh well.'' Kang Oh pulled out the shoes from his inventory and used Gluttony. Ubist''s darkness devoured the shoes. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Von Rene''s Shoes.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use one of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Swiftness has been chosen.] [Swiftness] Explosively increases speed by 3 seconds. Cooldown: 1 minute. Swiftness onlysted 3 seconds. But during those 3 seconds, he could match Transcendent de''s speed. Plus, it didn''t just increase his weapon''s speed; it increased his own speed too! If Mk showed an opening, then... ''That''s when you die.'' Kang Oh was confident he''d be able to end him with this ability. ''Shall we?'' Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He didn''t use Swiftness, but Gluttony had tripled all of his abilities! Kang Oh was plenty fast enough. In an instant, he''d gotten right in front of Mk. Whoosh. His greatsword emitted a heavy ''whoosh'', as if it were crushing the air itself. That was just how powerful his strike was! Mk didn''t dare block and chose to retreat instead. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh rushed forward and swung downwards. Abyss w! A three-lined, ck aura came flying at Mk. Then, Mk split himself into two. It was his multi-form technique again. Bam! Mk''s clone was ripped apart by the Abyss w. However, his main body was left unscathed. The real Mk quickly pushed into Kang Oh''s side. His movements were sharp, befitting a true assassin! However, Kang Oh''s eyes were as calm as ever. He''d expected Mk to use his multi-form technique. ''Here you are!'' Kang Oh spun around, sweeping through his surroundings with Ubist. "Kyaahk!" Mk quickly bent backwards. Unfortunately, Ubist had only sliced a bit of his ck fur off. Although his body was bent at such a strange angle, Mk still managed to counterattack. Swish! He shed upwards with his dagger, aiming for Kang Oh''s sr plexus. Kang Oh could easily block the attack, but he purposefully didn''t do so. Stab! The dagger dug into his sr plexus. He received a message stating that he''d taken considerable damage, and shards of red light burst from the wound. [Mk has absorbed your strength.] [Abilities -4%.] Then... Kang Oh grabbed Mk''s arm. "I got you, you bastard!" He immediately swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! It was a straight shot! Moreover, he was grabbing onto Mk''s arm. There was almost no way for him to miss! However...! The golden aura passed through Mk''s body. Close Call! This skill was like an Assassin''s version of Absolute Evasion; it would allow the user to avoid a fatal attack just once. Mk had just used up his lifeline. "Die." Mk triumphantly swung his dagger at Kang Oh''s neck. Shadow Aura! It seemed like the ck energy would slice through his neck. Kang Oh was definitely in a desperate situation! And yet, he was smirking. ''You finally used Close Call.'' Kang Oh had forced Mk to use his multi-form technique and Close Call! This is what he''d been waiting for! ''Let''s go!'' Swiftness! [For 3 seconds, speed is explosively increased.] Kang Oh quickly backed off, and the Shadow Aura cut through air. 1 second down! Then, he approached faster than light. 2 seconds down! Mk looked shocked. He couldn''t believe that Kang Oh had simultaneously dodged his attack and closed in! Kang Oh cleaved through his neck. 3 seconds down! Bam! "Kyaahk!" Mk screamed. Thick shards of red light flew into the air. Unfortunately for him, Kang Oh wasn''t done. Transcendent de! Kang Oh thrust his sword with transcendent speed, and Ubist pierced the crown of Mk''s head. Stab! Kang Oh pulled out his sword, and Mk''s body fell backwards. ''Let''s finish this!'' Darkness flowed from his de, coalescing into an unobstructed stream of darkness. Evesting Darkness! "Guaah..." Mk screamed no more. The darkness hadpletely consumed him. A short whileter... The darkness faded, revealing Mk''s fallen form. He didn''t so much as shake. [You have defeated the Kalma Leader, Ill Omen Mk.] [You have killed a notorious viin in the Goddess''s Land. Reputation and fame has greatly increased within the Goddess''s Land.] [The Kalma Leader has been killed. In order to determine a new leader, the Kalma will begin infighting.] [Until a new leader has taken over, the Kalma''s outside activities will decrease significantly.] He''d finally killed Mk. Kang Oh picked up the ck skull ne and said, "I''m done. Let''s go!" "Yes!" Sephiro whacked a Kalma with the Lasselpino Bow, and then ripped a return scroll from his inventory. Spurt. However... [You cannot use a return scroll here.] "This is bad. Return scrolls can''t be used here!" Sephiro said frustratingly. Kang Oh scowled. To think he wouldn''t be able to use a return scroll here! Then... "It''s crumbling!" Eder yelled. Then, the bones blocking the entrance crumbled, and the Kalma began entering the room in droves. Now wasn''t the time to be thinking. Kang Oh made his decision. "Let''s go right through them!" "What?" "We''re breaking through!" Kang Oh charged. Sephiro gritted his teeth. Eder steeled himself too. Kang Oh''s party pushed through them like a salmon swimming upstream. Chapter 280. Malak’s Memories

Chapter 280. Mk''s Memories

Trantor: Boko "Haa!" "We got out!" "They''re still following us!" Kang Oh''s party defeated countless Kalma and were able to escape the Ant Tunnel. With Mk dead, the Kalma''smand structure fell apart. Kang Oh''s party took advantage of the confusion and were able to break through the blockade. Of course, they were still being followed. Kang Oh''s party blew their whistles. Whistle. A high-pitched ''whistle'' rang out, and their horses came running. "Run as fast as you can!" "Giddyap!" "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party forcefully pulled on the reins. Neigh! Their horses galloped away. "They''re running away on horseback!" "Follow them!" "We can''t let them get away!" The Kalma quickly got on their horses or camels, and followed Kang Oh''s party. They even followed them all the way to the River of Despair. "Hurry!" Kang Oh''s party used the canoe they''d left behind to cross the river. "They''re crossing the river!" "B-Bring over a boat!" "Grr!" "Uaaahk!" They didn''t have a boat ready, so that''s where their pursuit ended. "Good job everyone. Since they''ve lost their leader, there''ll be a lot of infighting. They won''t be able to hunt humans for some time." Kang Oh smiled. "Yes. I''m d it went well. But it was kind of scary when we couldn''t use our return scrolls," Sephiro said. He''d felt light-headed when that system message popped up, indicating that he couldn''t use a return scroll inside the base. "Mm, the fact that we can''t use return scrolls in the ashen wastnds is a huge problem," Kang Oh said. They''d need toe to the ashen wastnds often in order to rescue the prisoners and kill the Mayanes. But if they were in danger, they wouldn''t be able to use their return scrolls, which definitely posed a problem. "We should be more careful when we go through the ashen wastnds," Kang Oh added. Eder and Sephiro nodded their heads. "Oh, and..." Kang Oh pulled out Mk''s ck skull ne from his inventory. "Please grab onto this. It has Mk''s memories inside." [Mk''s ck Skull Ne] The ne that the Kalma Leader, Mk, also known as Ill Omen Mk, wore. An item that represents the Kalma Leader. An unknown ck dye is painted over the skulls. [This item contains memories. Would you like to view Mk''s memories?] Eder and Sephiro stretched out their hands, and grabbed onto the skull. Gya. Waryong popped out of Sephiro''s chest. It was as though it wanted to see it too. Kang Ohpletely ignored Waryong. "View Mk''s memories!" Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro were shown a recording. Mk was the leader of a group of bandits. He and his bandits would steal from small viges in the jungle or the grasnds, or extort money/valuables from pedestrians. One day... They stole from another pedestrian, but they identally died in the process. However, that pedestrian wasn''t just anyone; they had been training to be a priest at the Church of Death. Thus, the Church of Death''s pdins began to pursue Mk and his bandits. There was only one way of escaping the Church of Death''s pdins in the Goddess''s Land: entering the forbidden northern and western areas. Ultimately, Mk and his bandits crossed the River of Despair and entered the forbidden area, the ashen wastnd. The pdins could pursue them no further. Mk''s bandits began to die of starvation, one or two at a time. But all of a sudden, two entities appeared before him. One of them was a man. He had giant white wings and two horns protruded from his head! The other was a woman. Her hands and feet were wrapped in rose vines, and she too possessed beautiful white wings! He wouldter learn that they were a part of an ancient tribe, the Mayanes; he''d also learn that they were sealed within the forbidden zone. Anyhow, the two offered him something that neither he nor the bandits could refuse. "We''ll give you power, food, and money. In exchange, provide us with humans." "Yes. Yes, we''ll do it." They didn''t have a choice in the matter. Mk and his bandits knelt before them and bowed their heads. That was when the Human Hunters, the Kalma, were born. "I''ll grant you a unique power," the horned man ced his hand atop Mk''s head and said. That''s how Mk gained his ability to absorb strength from others. With this absorption ability, Mk was able to be much stronger than the other Kalma. Of course, he paid a heavy cost for it; he was transformed into a hideous batman. After that, Mk added criminals into the fold, causing their numbers to swell. At the same time, the Kalma hunted humans and gave them to the Mayanes. Soon, all would learn of Mk and the Kalma. The word ''Kalma'' became a term synonymous with fear. That''s where Mk''s memories ended. "It contained some good information," Kang Oh said. "The horned, white-winged man is our target, Mayanes Diabol," Eder said. Cyndia had given them some information regarding the Mayanes. The horned man in Mk''s memories matched her description of Mayanes Diabol. "The white-winged woman is..." Sephiro said. "Her name is Mayanes Krishan," Kang Oh said. "We''ll probably have to take her out after Diabol, right?" "Yes. Once we''ve killed Diabol, the goddess''s quest should change. It''ll probably tell us to kill Krishan next." "Could you get me in on the quest then? Please? Pretty please?" Sephiro grabbed onto Kang Oh. "I''ll ask her." "You promised!" Sephiro said yearningly. ''I really want the goddess''s quest!'' "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Seeing the inside of Diabol''s castle and what his creations look like via Mk''s memories is a huge win for us," Eder said. While looking through Mk''s memories, they were able to see what Diabol''s base, as well as his creations, looked like. That was indeed a huge win. "I''m d we learned about the chameleons, which canpletely camouge themselves. If we hadn''t known about them, then we''d have been in for a huge surprise." "Indeed." "Let''s return to Latnia, and use our newfound information toe up with a n." Kang Oh''s party headed for Latnia City. * * * Axes, swords, shields, etc. hung on the ck walls. All of the weapons seemed usable. However, they weren''t actually fit forbat. After all, the real weapons were left in the disy stands! The me-shaped sword, Fire''s Heart, was created by a Master cksmith that somehow managed to store the mystery of metal within the weapon. Beside ity the adamantium, which was considered the toughest metal in the world, Dragon Bone, which came from the most powerful creatures in the world, and finally, Violf''s tinum. They were located in the innermost area of the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout: the smithy! mes zed within the giant brazier, revealing the shadow of a dwarf repeatedly mming his hammer down. At the same time... ng! ng! ng! His hammer hit metal, resounding with a metallic ''ng''. "..." The dwarf, whose mouth was set in a tight line, was called Hoffman. His eyes suddenly became moist. ng! The reddened metal reflected an expression of yearning. ''Liza.'' The name of his dead wife lingered on his tongue. ng! He pounded on the metal once more. Hoffman could see a smiling,ughing child reflected in the metal. ''Hoff...'' His lost treasure. ng. Hoffman raised his head and stared at the Dragon Bone. His face crinkled, as if his heart had stopped. He couldn''t help himself from gritting his teeth. ''Inarius!'' The one who''d killed Liza and Hoff! Hoffman could never forget the day that the ck dragon snatched his everything, his family, away from him. No, he wouldn''t let himself forget it. Never! ''Power!'' ng! His hammer moved more fiercely than before. ''Enough power to y a dragon...'' ng! ng! ''Power!'' ng! Hoffman stopped pounding on the metal. Then, darkness crept out of his body, flowed through his hammer and permeated the metal. Producing weapons with the darkness element was the ck Hammer Dwarves'' specialty! Hoffman briefly stared at the dark red metal, now imbued with the darkness element, but soon used his tongs to throw it into the brazier. ''It''s not enough.'' He stared at the adamantium gemstone. With this level of skill, handling the adamantium gemstone was impossible. "Hoo." Hoffman caught his breath, ced another piece of metal onto the anvil, and began pounding away. ng! ng! ng! His hammer resounded throughout the smithy! At the time, no one had any idea. The Fire''s Heart, which contained knowledge of the mystery of metal, shook ever so slightly. It wouldn''t be long before another Master cksmith was born. * * * Diabol''s domainy west of the River of Despair. It was an ashen wastnd, but it also contained a giant forest and an ancient golden castle too. The golden castle was Diabol''s home base, and the forest surrounding it was where Diabol''s various creations lived. And right now... "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party secretly entered the forest. "I sense a presence over there. It seems like one of Diabol''s creations." Sephiro pointed at one side of the forest, and Kang Oh''s party slowly made their way over. Kuwaah! Something heavy appeared. It was a giant monster that resembled a turtle. Like a true turtle, its back was covered by a shell, but its legs were thick like an elephant''s and its face resembled a lizard''s. This was one of Diabol''s creations. It was called Madon. Liquid filled spheres were embedded in its shell; these spheres actually contained huddled together humans. The Mayanes were beings that gained power by draining humans'' life force! To that end, Mayanes Diabol created these Prison Beasts, and these beasts imprisoned the very beings that gave him his strength. Like the Madon thaty before them. They also acted as batteries; Diabol could drain the life force of the captured humans whenever he needed. Kang Oh''s party nned on confronting the Prison Beasts and freeing as many people as they could. The more people they freed, the weaker Diabol would be! Anyhow, Kang Oh gave Sephiro the signal. He wanted him to take the first shot. Sephiro slightly nodded his head and notched an arrow. Aim, fire! The arrow flew from his fingertips! It was time to fight. Kang Oh rushed through the thicket, and Eder began casting a spell. Their rescue operation had begun in earnest. Chapter 281. Rescue Operation

Chapter 281. Rescue Operation

Trantor: Boko Volcano-shaped protrusions formed over Madon''s shell. Bam! Bam! Bam! ck eggs, the size of ser balls, shot out of the holes. "Careful!" Kang Oh yelled. They were basically grenades. Enough force and they''d explode, releasing bits and pieces of its thick casing everywhere. "Arise!" Eder surrounded himself with bone, while Sephiro dodged the grenades, moved to the side, and shot an arrow. Kang Oh dodged the grenades while zigzagging forward, holding Ubist in his grasp. Bam, bam, bam! Touching the ground, the trees, etc., would cause the grenades to explode, causing pieces of debris to go flying everywhere. Kang Oh''s party had prepared for this, so they didn''t take any damage from the grenades. Guooh! Madon opened its mouth wide. Kyaahk! Ptoo! Yellow spittle flew towards Kang Oh. There was more to it than meets the eye. Its spit was like super glue; it was slightly poisonous too. In other words, the spit would freeze its target in ce and slowly poison them. That would leave them vulnerable to Madon''s stomps or its egg grenades! ''It doesn''t matter if you don''t get hit.'' Kang Oh flung his body away, avoiding the spittle. Bam! The spit froze the area it''dnded on. "Let''s y, you lizard-faced turtle." Kang Oh suddenly stood up, grinning as he rushed in. Whoosh. Kang Oh swung downwards, his de falling upon Madon''s nape. Guooh! Madon roared and hid within its shell. ng! Ubist struck its tough shell instead. The opposing force caused his body to shake. ''Its defense is really high.'' Its shell was tougher than steel. Attacking its flesh or its head would be a better option. Eder''s bone spear came flying while Kang Oh readied his next attack. Whizz! The white bone spear struck one of its forelegs. However, its skin was tough too, as the bone spear bounced right off. "Huahp!" Kang Oh continued his assault. With a two-handed grip, Kang Oh raised Ubist into the air and forcefully swung downwards. Madon curled up. Kang Oh had originally aimed for its front leg, but was forced to attack its shell instead. However, luck wasn''t on its side. Bam! That''s exactly what he wanted to hear! ck shards of light burst from its shell. Luckily, ''Fang Bearing de'' had activated when he needed it most! Kuhuah! Madon shrieked and squirmed. Bam, bam, bam! Egg bombs shot out of its back once more. However, they were red, not ck this time. Bam, bam, bam! The red eggs exploded in midair, releasing red powder. "The powder is poisonous!" Eder quickly yelled and swung his scythe. Gust! It was a basic wind spell that even a Necromancer could use! Although it was weak, it was still strong enough to blow the red powder away. "Good work." Kang Ohplimented him and bombarded Madon with powerful attacks. sh! Lightning Breath! Tempest Tiger! Eder and Sephiro helped out too. Sun Piercing Arrow! Bone Bind! Bone Bomb! Madon repeatedly shot its egg grenades, spewed its spit, tackled them with its heavy body, etc., and resisted till the very end. However, its resistance was futile. "I''ll finish it off!" Kang Oh yelled. Madon''sbat abilities weren''t very high. However, it possessed a ridiculous ability: immortality! As long it remained in this forest, Madon would never die, no matter how much HP it lost. During its creation, Diabol had granted it immortality using the God of Creation''s power. It wasn''t just Madon; all of the prison beasts were immortal. The Church of Death''s pdins and priests had no way of killing them, so they weren''t able to save the prisoners. Abandoning them had been their only option. However, Kang Oh was capable of killing them. The demonic beast, Ubist, was capable of bypassing their immortality. Ubist had crossed over to this world from another, the Demon World, and could even devour the God of Creation''s power. Stab. He stabbed Madon''s head, causing it to slump onto the ground. [You have defeated Prison Beast Madon.] ''I should be able to kill Diabol.'' Mayanes Diabol, who''d granted the Prison Beasts their immortality, was also immortal. However, Kang Oh would be able to kill Diabol in much the same way as long as he used Ubist. Crack, crack, crack! The spheres on its shell broke, causing liquid, human hands, feet, hair, etc. to spill out. Kang Oh''s party quickly untangled the prisoners,id them down, and looked them over. They had saved five people in total. They weren''t in good condition, but at least they were still alive. "I wish we could evacuate them using a magic circle, but since that won''t work..." Before they''d initiated their rescue operation, Eder had performed various tests on how returning and transfer magic circles functioned in the ashen wastnd. Transfer magic circle could be used in the ashen wastnd. However, they couldn''t be used to travel outside of the ashen wastnd. Since the ashen wastnd was meant to seal away the Mayanes, the Goddess of Death must''ve added this measure to ensure that they couldn''t escape. ''People cane and go as they please, so there must be some feature that stops the Mayanes from crossing the River of Despair.'' If not, then the Mayanes would have crossed the River of Despair ages ago. Anyhow, this is why they couldn''t set up a magic circle and teleport the prisoners to safety. They needed to use a different method. "Let''s go with that." Eder stared at Kang Oh. "Go ahead." "Yes." Eder chanted for some time. "...An unending bridge. Come!" Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! Something had popped out of the pile of bones while he was chanting. It was a bone centipede. Unlike a normal centipede, however, there were spaces inside its body, reminiscent of a rollercoaster ride, that allowed people to sit inside it. Summon White Centipede! He''d essentially used Summon Bone Golem, but had adjusted the golem for a more specific task. The white centipede had absolutely nobat ability, but could carry several people at once. Kang Oh''s party immediately ced each person in a different seat. "Go on," Kang Oh said. "Yes." Eder climbed onto the centipede. "You know where to go, right?" Kang Oh asked. Eder nodded his head. Cyndia and the Church of Death''s pdins were waiting beyond the River of Death. If he passed the prisoners to them, then their first rescue operation would be a sess. "Contact me when you''re done." Kang Oh fiddled with hismunication earring. Eder was wearing the samemunication earring. "I''ll summon you then," Kang Oh added. "Understood. Then I''ll be going now." Eder left on the white centipede. It was quite fast, and was surprisingly much quieter than they''d expected. "Let''s continue the operation." "Ok." Kang Oh and Sephiro carefully made their way through the forest. * * * Rustle. "Above us!" Kang Oh gripped Ubist with both hands and assumed a defensive position. Sephiro instinctively shot an arrow at the top of the tree. "Is it him?" Sephiro looked at the barren tree and asked. "Yes. I saw it briefly before it camouged itself," Kang Oh replied. "Mm." Sephiro put his back against Kang Oh''s. The battlefield was rife with tension. However, nothing happened. Despite that, Kang Oh and Sephiro didn''t let down their guard. After all, they had seen the monster in Mk''s memories and knew what it could do. Swish. A long, pink tongue suddenly came flying at them. Kang Oh and Sephiro simultaneously split apart, and the tongue flew through the space between them. "Huahp." Sephiro shot an arrow. Whizz. The arrow flew through the air, aimed at the area where the tongue had popped out from. Ting. Something had blocked it, causing the arrow to bounce off. Then, the creature briefly revealed itself, showing only its face. The prison beast strongly resembled a chameleon. It was called Branga. Kang Oh''s party had seen it in Mk''s memories; had they not, they probably would''ve been taken by surprise. Its camouge was nigh perfect. Like Madon, Branga''s back was filled with spheres, which housed trapped humans. Slither. Branga retracted its tongue and disappeared once more. A short whileter... Danger! His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. Kang Oh''s back felt cold, so he immediately threw himself forward. Kuwahk! All of a sudden, he saw Branga''s scarlet gums as it bit into his previous location. But once it closed its mouth, he couldn''t figure out where it''d gone. It was pretty much invisible at this point. Then... Sephiro''s arrow came flying. However, there was a cylinder at the end of it, not a sharp arrowhead. Bam! Upon contact, the cylinder exploded, releasing red paint everywhere. Normally, archers would carry a variety of arrows with different special abilities. Sephiro was no different in that regard. He''d used a paint arrow. As you can see, it doused its target in paint. The red paint had revealed Branga; they could now see a red outline around its body. ''I got you, you bastard!'' Sephiro grinned. However...! It began disappearing once more. "What!?" Sephiro looked shocked. ''How is it doing that?'' Kang Oh, however, knew exactly what it did. Before the red paint made contact, Branga had created a veil. It had been doused by the paint, not Branga. Thus, once it released the veil, the paint that covered it began to disappear as well! Obviously, there wasn''t anything wrong with its camouging ability either! ''Then how about this!?'' Kang Oh stretched out his right hand. Darkness Chain! Like a snake approaching its prey, the ck chain wrapped around Branga''s foot. "Huahp!" Kang Oh forcefully pulled the chain. However, Branga didn''te along for the ride. On the contrary, Kang Oh was the one being pulled. ''It''s really strong.'' Kang Oh changed his strategy. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura roared and charged right at the Darkness Chain! However...! The chain suddenly loosened and came off. He couldn''t feel any resistance from Branga anymore either. ''What?'' Kang Oh widened his eyes. Boom! Tempest Tiger struck the tree; it''d obviously missed. ''How did... No way!'' What if it possessed an ability to cross space like Abyss Transfer? If it did, this would all make sense. Then... "Uheok!" Sephiro''s cry rang out. Kang Oh instinctively turned his head and saw Sephiro''s upper body in Branga''s mouth! "Mr. Sephiro!" Kang Oh kicked off the floor, and ran as fast as he could to save him. Kuhyaaa! However, Branga suddenly shrieked and spat out Sephiro. "Are you alright?" Kang Oh approached him and asked. "It''s fire!" "Fire?" "When it bit me, Waryong spat fire at it. It wasn''t anything special, but the chameleon backed off," Sephiro yelled. At the same time, Waryong opened its mouth wide and spewed fire. It was stronger than a lighter now, but it was by no means strong. "Hoh, so it''s weak to fire." Kang Oh quickly summoned a Fire Bomb. ''Let''s see how you like it!'' Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 282. Diabol Appears

Chapter 282. Diabol Appears

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh positioned his arm to the side, as if he were skipping stones, and then threw the Fire Bomb. Roar! The mes violently surged. Kuhaaahk! The prison beast shrieked. Brunga''s perfect camouge meant little when its entire body was on fire. It squirmed in an attempt to extinguish the mes. It was immortal, not immune to pain. Moreover, its immortality would keep it alive as it burned forever; it was a fate worse than death. Anyhow, Brunga''s attempts to extinguish the me left it defenseless. This was Kang Oh and Sephiro''s chance to strike. Sephiro narrowed his eyes like a hawk swooping down on its prey. He notched and shot an arrow in 3 seconds t. Ting. Whizz! His arrow left his grasp with a ''ting'', followed by a ''whizz'' as the arrow flew through the air. Sun Piercing Arrow! The arrow spun like a drill, striking Branga''s forehead. Headshot! A fistful of red shards exploded from the wound. Then, Kang Oh continued where Sephiro had left off. sh! Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through Branga''s back, leaving behind a clear wound. Kyaahk! It hadn''t yet extinguished the mes. Kang Oh and Sephiro had attacked while the mes burnt its body. Branga''s eyes bulged and rolled around. Then, it opened its mouth wide and attacked with its tongue. It decided to kill its enemies before dealing with the mes. But that wasn''t the best of ideas. Branga''s best weapon was its camouge! Since the mes prevented it from camouging, it was no longer a threat to them. Kang Oh easily avoided its scarlet tongue. Of course, he didn''t forget to swing his de while doing so. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Kang Oh repeatedly swung his jet-ck sword; it was as if he were drawing a picture. His jet-ck de was a brush, and the chameleon, a nk canvas. Sephiro mercilessly shot another arrow, forcing Branga to use itsst resort. Spatial Leap! This allowed the user to teleport across short distances! Its tail began to disappear, followed by the rest of its body. However, teleporting without being camouged was pointless. After all, Kang Oh quickly spotted it when it reappeared. "Over there!" "There you are!" Kang Oh and Sephiro bombarded it with attacks once more. As he did with Madon, Kang Oh finished the prison beast off. When its HP was depleted, Kang Oh stabbed its heart with Demon Sword Ubist. Stab! Branga''s tongue hung loosely as its body fell to the side! [You have defeated Prison Beast Branga.] Crack, crack! The spheres on its back broke, releasing the prisoners. There were 10 of them in total. Kang Oh and Sephiro quickly checked on them. "They''re alive." "Yeah. These ones are all alive too." Fortunately, they''d managed to save all of them. Kang Oh and Sephiroid them all down in one spot, and waited for Eder to contact them. Sometimeter... Eder contacted Kang Oh after he handed over the captives to the Church of Death. Kang Oh immediately summoned Eder back. "Summon Eder!" A Lich''s face, which would be terrifying at night, suddenly appeared. "Take these guys back." Kang Oh pointed at the peopleying on the ground. "Understood." Eder immediately called the bone centipede and took them away. Meanwhile, Kang Oh and Sephiro went looking for more prison beasts. There were still plenty of people to save! They didn''t have time to rest. After Kang Oh''s party left... A sprout rose from the ground. It continued to grow until it became a vine, and eventually became a cluster of flowers. Swish. Small seeds, much like sunflower seeds, popped out from the center of these flowers. However, these seeds had transparent wings. p, p. The seeds began to fly northeast! * * * Their rescue operation was a huge sess. They had killed several prison beasts like Madon, Buranga, and many others. Overall, they had managed to save more than 100 people! At the moment... Kang Oh''s party was targeting Prison Beast Alkaset. Thud! Thud! Thud! Alkaset''s every step was apanied by a heavy ''thud''. It was more than 20 meters tall, and its body was huge, matching its height. Overall, it looked like a one-eyed giant. Like a hunchback, however, its back was bent over, and an extremelyrge sphere prison was embedded there. There had to be a hundred people trapped inside the sphere. That was why it was referred to as a walking prison. "Attack the legs first and make it fall," Kang Oh said. "Understood." Eder nodded his head. "I''ll do my own thing. Giant hunting is my area of expertise, after all." Sephiro grinned. ''I''m literally a Giant Hunter!'' "Go!" Kang Oh''s party rushed towards Alkaset. "Guoh?" Alkaset pulled out a tree from the ground. Whoosh! "Scatter!" Kang Oh yelled. Sephiro and Eder went left and right, while Kang Oh jumped to the side. Boom! The tree smashed the ground, causing twigs and leaves to fall to the floor. "Kuooh." Alkaset ''groaned'', gripped the tree with both hands, crushed it, and then threw it right at Eder! "Giant''s Arm!" Eder quickly summoned and crossed two giant bones arms in the air. Bam! Bam! Tree and bone shed, causing bone and bark, leaves, and all sorts of debris toe crashing to the ground. In the midst of all that, Kang Oh attacked Alkaset. ''This''ll probably sting.'' Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist horizontally. Sparks danced across the jet-ck de. Lightning Breath! The lightning st exploded when it hit Alkaset''s leg. Crackle! "Kuha!" Alkaset tried stomping Kang Oh with its uninjured leg. What an idiot. It wouldn''t be able to maintain its bnce with its injured leg. To make matters worse, its back was bent over. "Uoooh?" Alkaset''s butt mmed onto the floor. Then... Sephiro shot an arrow. However, this particr arrow was different from the ones he normally used. It was barbed at the sides, and was coated in poison that''d make the wound itch. This was an anti-giant arrow, or ''Giant Killer''. Thwock! The arrow pierced the back of its neck. "Guooh?'' Alkaset furrowed its brow and tried to pull the arrow out. It really itched! However, the arrow wouldn''te out easily, and the slightest pull caused it intense pain; it was because of the barbs that burrowed into its flesh. "Kuaah!" Alkaset scratched its neck and then angrily pulled out the arrow. It had decided to endure the pain! Spurt! Tons of red shards gushed out of the wound. Sephiro smiled wickedly like a demon, and then shot his next arrow. This arrow was also a ''Giant Killer''. Thwock! The second arrow made contact. "Kurahaa!" Alkaset suddenly stood up, picked up a nearby tree, and threw it at Sephiro. Boom! It''d thrown it so hard that the tree splintered into pieces once it touched the ground. However, Sephiro had already left the premises. "Uwaaah!" Alkaset''s eye rolled around, searching for Sephiro. Then... Kang Oh rushed at it and swung Demon Sword Ubist. Tempest Tiger! It swung its fist, but it was already toote. Boom! The golden aura struck its testicles. "Ugh." Alkaset''s face contorted with pain. It grabbed its jewels with one hand, and stretched out its other, intent on grabbing Kang Oh. Then, Eder shot a bone mass at it, like a catapultunching a giant boulder. Bone Mass itself wasn''t a destructive spell. Right before it made contact... "Explode!" Eder clenched his fist. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Alkaset was caught in a huge explosion. At the same time...! Sephiro''s third Giant Killer made contact, and Kang Oh stabbed the top of its foot. Then, Alkaset''s body turned red. It pulled out a tree with both hands and swung it in a mad frenzy. Rampage! This skill would increase the user''s strength in proportion to how angry they were! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! It would unleash a shockwave with every swing of the tree. "Ugh." Kang Oh shielded himself with Ubist and retreated. Alkaset was going crazy, and the shockwaves were extremely powerful. "Tch! Take this!" "Arise!" Sephiro and Eder tried attacking it from afar, but the tree deflected all of the arrows and bones. ''It deflects all attacks from the outside. If that''s the case, then... I have go into the eye of the storm.'' Kang Oh used Devil Trigger, bing a demon d in ck. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh sank into the ground and disappeared. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared above Alkaset''s head and then used Evesting Darkness. Bam! A pir of darkness struck the top of its head. "Guooh." Alkaset fell forward. However, it wasn''t yet time to finish it off. "Focus fire!" Kang Oh yelled, and Eder and Sephiro immediatelyplied. Abyss w! Sun Piercing Arrow! Bone Scythe! All sorts of attacks came flying at it. Sometimeter... "Geuk..." Kang Oh plunged his sword into its neck. It didn''t rise again. The prison sphere cracked, releasing all those that had been trapped within. Alkaset had imprisoned 100 people. Saving and transporting them was a difficult task. Fortunately, Eder''s white bone centipede could carry a maximum of 150 people if he lengthened it as much as possible. "Go on." "Yes." Once Eder left, Sephiro said, "The prison beasts seem a lot weaker than I expected." Killing the prison beasts was too easy. So much so that it was kind of suspicious. Kang Oh nodded his head. Sephiro was right. It was way too easy, wasn''t it? "Doesn''t it feel like we''ll be ambushed?" Sephiro said concernedly. "Ambushed, huh..." "We have to be careful." "Mm!" However... Contrary to their expectations, their rescue operation went off without a hitch. As a result, Kang Oh''s party managed to save 1,000 people in the span of a week. Now, there weren''t that many people left. However, Kang Oh and Sephiro didn''t look happy. "Why haven''t we seen Diabol yet?" Sephiro asked. The more life force he drains, the more powerful Diabol bes. However, he hadn''t made an appearance yet, even though they had saved 1,000 people already. "Perhaps he''s sleeping?" Eder said jokingly. "Perhaps... He''s not here." Kang Oh wasn''t joking. He''de to this conclusion after considering all the facts. "He''s not here?" Eder asked, surprised. "I''m not entirely sure. It''s just a hypothesis of mine." He wasn''t sure of anything yet. But if Diabol really wasn''t here right now, then... this was their best chance of weakening him as much as possible. "Let''s hurry and save as many people as we can." "Yes!" * * * Their rescue operation went on for some time. But at some point... There was a rip in space, and a man appeared before Kang Oh''s party. It was Mayanes Diabol, the one they''d seen in Mk''s memories. He saw Madon''s corpse and furrowed his brow. "What exactly..." He narrowed his eyes at Kang Oh''s party. "Did you do?" His voice was as creepy as a grim reaper''s. Boom! Diabol unleashed his power. Chapter 283. The Beast King

Chapter 283. The Beast King

Trantor: Boko The Mayanes were an ancient race, known for their beautiful wings. As such, tworge white wings protruded from Diabol''s back. However, two demonic red hornsy in-between his golden hair. White wings and demonic horns. It was as if an angel and a devil had been fused together, resulting in something both beautiful and ominous. Plus, Diabol was incredibly handsome. His upper body waspletelyid bare, reminding them of an ancient Greek statue. "Is this your doing?" Diabol asked. Before they could even reply, Diabol continued. "How? Even the God of Destruction couldn''t bypass our immortality..." He looked upon his creation, Prison Beast Madon, in confusion. Any prison beast within his domain, the forest, was immortal. That''s how he''d designed them. However, his creation lied at his feet, dead. This was neither a dream nor an illusion; it wasn''t a lie either, it was the absolute truth. "How did you kill it!?" Diabol snarled. "..." Kang Oh''s party said nothing; they merely remained alert. "How many did you kill? No, I can just check." Diabol stroked the horns on his head. The horns allowed him to sense their life energy, as well asmand them. His body soon shook with rage. "How dare you!?" There weren''t many prison beasts left. They had rescued most of the humans, his precious energy source. Thus, his strength had been cut in half. He welled with anger. Then, he looked northeast, realizing what had just happened. "Krishan! Is this your doing!?" Diabol yelled furiously. After spending more than a week with Krishan, he hade back to his own territory. She had seduced him. Was it just a coincidence? He had spent more than a week with her, but when he came back, most of his creationsy dead at his feet and countless humans had been released. Was it not all connected? ''No, it has to be. You vixen.'' Grr. Diabol gritted his teeth. Krishan had really gotten him good this time. He decided to take out his anger on Kang Oh''s party. "I''ll start with you." Diabol extended his hand, summoning a golden trident. "Die!" Diabol then swung his weapon. Crescent Moon Sweep! His trident emanated powerful energy, which he unleashed in a crescent moon shape. Kang Oh''s party reacted immediately. Tempest Tiger! Bone Road! Earth Shaking Arrow! Boom! The battle began with an ear-rupturing ''boom''! * * * Grr! Diabol gritted his teeth. His Crescent Moon Sweep was way too weak. If he was at full strength, then he would''ve killed them instantly! However, there were too few humans providing him with life energy. Thus, he was much weaker than normal. ''Hmph. It doesn''t matter how much weaker I''ve gotten. Killing these insects is no problem at all.'' Even so, Diabol was as arrogant as always and remained sure of his victory. He spun his trident and then thrust it at Kang Oh! "Die!" "No thanks!" Kang Oh immediately swung Ubist. ng! His jet-ck de shed with the golden trident. They were dead even in strength, so neither side was pushed back. Meanwhile, Eder and Sephiro moved to the left and right, and attacked Diabol. Whizz! Whoosh! A javelin-like arrow and a sharp bone spear came flying at Diabol''s sides. "Hmph!" Diabol swung his trident from side to side, deflecting both of the projectiles. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. "Haahp!" Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards, and Diabol immediately thrust his trident. However, Kang Oh''s sword stopped midway; it was a feint. Swoosh! The trident grazed Kang Oh''s cheek. After that, Kang Oh turned his de, and actually followed through this time. sh! His de was followed by a diagonal white line! Diabol quickly grabbed onto his trident with both hands and held it askew. ng! Ubist struck the spear shaft. "Huahp!" Diabol forcefully pushed on the spear shaft, forcing Kang Oh back. Kang Oh got back into position, preparing for Diabol''s next attack. However, Diabol didn''t attack him again. He suddenly turned around and charged at Eder instead. Bam! Diabol pped his wings, which doubled his speed. It all happened so fast, but Eder remained calm. He''d spent a lot of time around Kang Oh, after all! "Bloom, bone flower!" Bone Bind! White bone grew around Diabol''s wrists and ankles. "How pathetic." Diabol suddenly stopped, and then flew even faster as if he''d been propelled forward by a spring. His violent movements caused the bone to crumble. "Grr!" Eder quickly summoned Munra''s Bone Shield. However, Diabol was too fast for him. Swish! He thrust his trident. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh yelled urgently. The trident passed through Eder''s fading body. Stab! Although the trident''s prongs pierced his robes, Eder was barely able to make it out safely. "Eat this!" Eder simultaneously summoned a bone spear and bone mass, and shot them straight at Diabol. Sephiro notched an arrow, pulled back as far as he could, and then shot it. Whizz! The powerful arrow flew alongside the bone spear. p, p, p! Diabol''s wings weren''t for show. He flew into the air, avoiding Sephiro and Eder''s attacks, and then swooped down on Sephiro like a hawk. "Get lost!" Sephiro shot arrows at him in an attempt to ward him off. However, Diabol easily dodged the arrows and instantly closed the distance. Gya! Waryong cried out from within his buxom. ''It''s dangerous, daddy!'' "Tch!" Sephiro rolled on the floor. Diabol flew low and thrust his trident. Crescent Moon Sweep! "Ugh!" Sephiro''s face grimaced in pain. The trident''s energy st had hit him. p! Diabol turned around and then came for Sephiro once more. This time, however, Kang Oh stood in front of Sephiro. Diabol flew low and stabbed several times. Kang Oh swung his sword just once, his de moving with both power and precision! ng! Once was enough. To block Diabol''s assault, that is. Diabol soared into the air, and then slowlynded on the ground. "I admit it. You''re pretty strong, but you''re still just bugs!" Diabol snarled. Golden fur began to cover Diabol''s feet, arms, and upper body. His face transformed into that of an animal, and a long tail protruded from his butt region. The Beast King! This was Diabol''s battle mode. * * * Combat a transformation with a transformation of your own. Once Diabol began his transformation, Kang Oh used Devil Trigger. His face was covered by a beast mask, his jet-ck tail glimmered like the night sky, and his body was covered in darkness. The Jet-ck Demon had arrived! Diabol stared at Kang Oh. Kang Oh had no reason to look away. In the midst of all this tension... Kang Oh, Diabol, Eder, and Sephiro moved simultaneously. "Huahp!" Kang Oh charged at Diabol head-on, while Sephiro and Eder supported him from behind. Eder mmed the butt of his scythe onto the floor! AoE Curse: Age! A purple concentric circle spread outwards. However, it didn''t seem to have much of an effect on Diabol. Sephiro notched an arrow and then took aim. He was essentially saying, ''Leave yourself open and you''ll be sure to regret it!''. "Huahp!" Kang Oh got in close and swung downwards. Darkness Strike! A jet-ck wave flew at Diabol. Diabol didn''t just sit there and take it. He assumed a javelin throwing posture, and then stretched his arm out. sh! His trident unleashed a sh of light, which crashed against the jet-ck wave head-on. It proved to be a bit stronger than Kang Oh''s attack. The light overcame the darkness, piercing a hole through the wave anding straight for Kang Oh. "Ugh!" It was toote to dodge it. Kang Oh quickly used Abyss Shield. However, the sh of light managed to pierce through the shield as well, and struck Kang Oh''s body. Kang Oh crumpled as white shards of light flew through the air. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder and Sephiro yelled, and began attacking Diabol once more. "Hmph!" Diabol snorted. A bull''s face appeared behind him, which just as quickly disappeared. Bull Charge! Rat-a-tat-tat! Diabol fiercely charged. Neither Sephiro''s arrows nor Eder''s weak bone attacks could stop him. In an instant, Diabol had appeared right in front of Kang Oh! Diabol pushed his shoulder forward, intent on plowing right through him. Danger! Considering how cold he felt, getting hit by this would kill him instantly. ''It''s toote to use Abyss Transfer or dodge to the side. If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh decided not to dodge or retreat. He would take it head-on. He made a split-second decision and immediately followed through! Transcendent de! The world began to slow. Diabol was no exception. Only Kang Oh could move normally in this slowed world. Kang Oh swung his de. Swish. Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through Diabol. However, Diabol didn''t stop, and he rammed into Kang Oh. "Kuahk!" "Ugh!" The two screamed simultaneously. Kang Oh and Diabol were flung away in two separate directions. Diabol stood up first. Kang Oh wasn''t able to stand up immediately. Not only had he used Transcendent de, which strained his body, but he''d taken more damage than Diabol as well. "Arise!" Eder quickly formed a bone fence around Kang Oh. At the same time, sharp bones arose beneath Diabol''s feet, keeping him busy. Sephiro shot an arrow at him as well. "It''s no use!" Diabol swung his trident in a wide arc. The rising bone broke into pieces, and the arrow bounced off the spear shaft. He didn''t stop there. Diabol thrust his trident at the bone fence. sh! He unleashed a sh of light. "No!" Eder yelled desperately. But it was toote; Diabol had already attacked. Boom! The bone fence couldn''t hope to withstand sh''s might; the bones shattered, and the entire area was razed. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Eder said regretfully. At that moment... Kang Oh appeared behind Diabol. Before the light had hit him, Kang Oh had stood up and gotten out using Abyss Transfer. sh! His demon sword descended like a bolt of lightning. Diabol gritted his teeth, turned his body, and swung his trident. Bear Sole Sweep! The image of a bear briefly appeared behind him. ng! Sword versus spear! Kang Oh was pushed back. Diabol''s strength was no joke. "Die!" Diabol swung his trident downwards. The three prongs emanated fierce energy. Lion w! Kang Oh quickly shielded himself with Demon Sword Ubist. ng! Kang Oh was pushed really far back. ''He''s strong!'' Kang Oh''s party had saved so many people, severely weakening Diabol. Despite that, he was still overwhelmingly powerful. Ultimately, Kang Oh pulled out Maurelion''s War Sword from his inventory. He needed more power if he wanted to beat this guy. Chapter 284. Diabol Hunt

Chapter 284. Diabol Hunt

Trantor: Boko Gluttony! The flowing darkness devoured Maurelion''s War Sword. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Maurelion''s War Sword.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 25 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Joy of Battle and Maurelion Warrior have been chosen.] [Joy of Battle] The longer the battlests, the greater your strength and speed be. Also, the power of your skills and/or magic will gradually increase. Once the battle is over, however, you will feel the long-term effects of using the skill. [Maurelion Warrior] HP, MP, and Stamina are doubled for 10 minutes. Combat-rted side stats are increased significantly. Cooldown: 1 day. Not only was Maurelion''s War Sword an S-rank item, but it had a level requirement of 300! It also came with some amazing item effects too. Maurelion Warrior was a buff that explosively increases one''s stats! Joy of Battle was a Berserker skill, which increases the user''s power proportional to how long the battlested. However, this skill came with some long-term negative effects. Once the battle was over, the user''s abilities would decrease by 10% for the duration of a week. It was basically the same as the death debuff. Anyhow, what would happen if he used Gluttony, which already provided an explosive increase in his abilities, in tandem with Joy of Battle and Maurelion Warrior? He''d be strong enough to take on most raid bosses one on one ande out on top! ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh activated Joy of Battle. His eyes glowed red like a monster under the effects of Berserk. "Huahp!" Kang Oh leapt into the air and swung Ubist. "Hmph!" Diabol was as arrogant as ever, even though he''d sensed a change in Kang Oh. ''He''s still just a bug.'' Diabol swept through everything in front of him with his trident. ng! Sword and spear shed, emitting sparks. "Huh?" Diabol narrowed his eyes. Until now, there''d been a certain power disparity between them, but now, Kang Oh wasn''t getting pushed back at all! "Try this on for size!" Diabol forcefully swung his trident. Bear Sole Sweep! "You''re on!" Kang Oh said. ''I won''t back down!'' Kang Oh swung his de upwards. Abyss w! A deep, jet-ck aura erupted from his de. Boom! They were even this time. Kang Oh versus Diabol. Neither side backed down, unwilling to give the other so much as an inch. However... This wounded Diabol''s pride. ''To think I''d be unable to overpower a mere human!'' It didn''t even register to him that he''d been weakened significantly. Grr. He murderously stared at Kang Oh and gritted his teeth. "ytime''s over." Diabol thrust his trident. sh! A powerful ray of light came straight for him, but Kang Oh didn''t back down. sh! He vertically swung Ubist, cleaving through the beam of light. "How dare you!?" Kang Oh quickly closed in, and Diabol swung downwards with his trident, as if he were swatting a fly. Lion w! His trident''s prongs radiated fierce energy. Kang Oh held Ubist in a two-handed grip and swung as hard as he could. ng! Sparks flew into the air and a metallic ''ng'' rang out; it was so loud that it threatened to burst his eardrums. Kang Oh and Diabol. Neither side was willing to slow down or stop attacking. ng, ng, ng, ng! They fiercely attacked each other. Eder and Sephiro acted prudently, choosing not to aid Kang Oh. After all, Kang Oh and Diabol were fighting in incredibly close quarters. Unnecessary assistance in the form of an arrow or a spell may get in Kang Oh''s way. Ultimately, there was only one thing they could do: cheer! "Mr. Kang Oh, you can do it!" "Beat him, Mr. Kang Oh!" * * * Due to Joy of Battle, Kang Oh gradually grew stronger. However, Diabol kept pace with Kang Oh, and matched Kang Oh''s increasing strength. It was like two bidders in a bidding war. When one side bids, the other side bids even higher. ''You really are a monster!'' Diabol truly amazed him. His party had saved so many prisoners, which had to have severely weakened Diabol. And yet, he fought Kang Oh on even footing, even though he was using Gluttony, Devil Trigger, and Joy of Battle! If he hadn''t weakened him as much as he had, then Diabol would have won. However... Diabol had been severely weakened, making what should''ve been an impossible fight doable. ''Wings, huh...'' Kang Oh had noticed something while fighting him. Diabol would immediately react to any attack to his wings, as if he were having an allergic reaction. ''The Mayanes are an ancient race known for their splendid wings. Perhaps these wings have some sort ofrger purpose. If that''s the case, then...'' He could take advantage of this! Kang Oh acted like he was attacking Diabol''s body, but suddenly switched to his wings instead. "How dare you!?" Diabol immediately protected his wings. At that moment... Kang Oh''s de stopped in midair. A feint! He''d taken the bait. Diabol had left himself open, and his Hyper Intuition immediately pinpointed the weak spot. Kang Oh immediately swung Ubist, aiming right at the weak point. Even Diabol wouldn''t be able to dodge this attack. Bam! For the first time ever, red shards of light burst from Diabol''s side! Kang Oh had managed to do some real damage. Of course, one attack wouldn''t kill Diabol. "Die!" Diabol immediately counterattacked, his facepletely crinkled. He stretched out his wings, rose into the air, and thrust his trident. sh! Kang Oh avoided the beam and quickly backed off. Boom! The ray of light scorched the ground. Then... "Now!" Sephiro yelled, and he shot an arrow at Diabol. This was their chance to attack, now that he and Kang Oh had distanced themselves from each other. "Seize him!" Eder cast a spell. White bone grew around Diabol''s wings. Diabol forcefully pped his wings. He ascended into the air, broke through the bones, and avoided the arrows too. "Stay out of this, trash!" Diabol said warningly, and then swung his trident from left to right and vice-versa. Swish, sh! A half-moon shaped energy st came for their heads, as if a guillotine wasing to behead them. "Ugh." "Tch." Eder and Sephiro quickly got out of the way. Bam, bam, bam! The energy st struck the ground, leaving a horizontal scar in the ground. "Hmph." Diabol flew towards Kang Oh at top speed. Crescent Moon Sweep! Kang Oh rolled on the floor. Swish! The energy st flew over his head. Kang Oh immediately stood up and stretched out his hand. Darkness Chain! The ck chain wrapped around Diabol''s foot. "What?" Diabol immediately tried to get it off, but Kang Oh had already pulled on it. Swoosh! Diabol was being pulled in. He violently pped his wings, but he couldn''t get away. ''I''m using Gluttony, you know!'' He was making good use of his tripled strength. "Uhaahp!" Kang Oh threw the chain at the floor, and Diabol mmed into the ground. Bam! Diabol hit the ground hard. "Ugh!" Diabol briefly cried out. Then, his eyes lit up with anger. "You dare!?" Kang Oh was looking down on Diabol, whoy prostrated on the ground. Moreover, his wings, which were beauty incarnate, had been stained with dirt! How humiliating it must be! "Kuha!" Diabol roared like a wounded beast and rushed at Kang Oh. Kang Oh smirked. Darkness Chain was still wrapped around Diabol''s foot! He forcefully pulled the chain, swung it, and mmed Diabol into the ground once more. "I have a present for you." Kang Oh threw a Fire Bomb at him. Roar! The fiercely burning mes burnt Diabol''s wings ck. Diabol flipped his lid. "Kuhaa, I''ll rip you to shreds!" His body began to radiate powerful golden energy. A short whileter... Kang Oh bore witness to Diabol''s erged form! * * * Originally, he and Diabol had been around the same height. But now, Diabol was more than 10 meters tall. His appearance hadn''t changed much from before, but his wings had disappeared. His trident had grown alongside him as well, matching hisrger physique. This was Diabol''s final form. Of course, it wasn''tplete. If Kang Oh''s party hadn''t rescued so many people, then Diabol would be over 30 meters tall. His stats, HP, MP, strength, speed, etc. would be amplified in proportion to the height increase. But there was nothing Diabol could do about it now. He was happy that he''d at least gotten this tall, and decided to do whatever it took to kill the humans in front of him. Plus... ''I have to be careful. They may have a way to bypass my immortality.'' Diabol had finally be wary of them. "Die!" Diabol thrust his spear downwards, as if he were stabbing a meatball with a fork. Whoosh! Though he''d be muchrger, his speed was still the same. Thus, the attack was just as threatening as ever. Kang Oh leapt into the air. Boom! The trident swept through his previous location. ''His speed''s the same, but his power is two to three times higher.'' Kang Oh looked at the size of the crater, and realized that Diabol was indeed stronger than before. Of course, bing bigger had its downsides. "He''s a huge target now." Sephiro pulled out an arrow. But it wasn''t just any arrow; it was a Giant Killer. The Giant Killer''s arrowhead was barbed, so unlike an ordinary arrow, it was difficult to aim. Thus, it was only used against extremelyrge opponents. Diabol had done him a favor; by increasing his size to such an extent, he''d given Sephiro the chance to use this arrow against him. However...! All of a sudden, two white-winged gryphons came out of Diabol''s back and began attacking Eder and Sephiro. Diabol had transformed his left and right wings into these creatures. Their names were Harp and Larp! They could shoot destructive beams of light from their mouths, were skilled flyers, and their talons were like peerless weapons created by a master craftsman. Ultimately, it became a 3 on 3 fight. Eder versus Harp! Sephiro versus Larp! Kang Oh versus Diabol! * * * Kang Oh and Diabol''s fight was obviously the most important of these three battles. The main priority of the other four was to keep the other side from interfering. Of course, it''d be great if they could kill their enemy and then help out theirpanions, but... That was easier said than done! Eder was a level 400 Lich, and Sephiro was a ranker and Giant Hunter. They weren''t weak by any stretch of the imagination. But the white winged gryphons were extremely powerful. They werepletely different from the prison beasts, which Diabol hadn''t put much care into; the difference was like heaven and earth. He had given his wings life. After much deliberation and hard work, he had turned his wings into the ultimate creation! Thus, Harp and Larp were born. In the end, their battle was both shy and intense, but neither side could easily ovee the other. The same could be said about Kang Oh''s battle too; it too was hard fought. Diabol unleashed a series of destructive attacks, while Kang Oh took these attacks head-on! The forest and earth shook from the repeated shes between these two mighty beings. Chapter 285. The Final Victor

Chapter 285. The Final Victor

Trantor: Boko Diabol used a skill he''d never used before. Hell Whirlwind! He spun his trident, and a ring formed around the tip. Then, a ck whirlwind shot out of the ring, flying straight towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh responded with Maurelion Warrior. A diamond mark appeared on his forehead, which radiated dim light. [Your current HP, MP, and Stamina has been doubled.] [Combat-rted side stats have increased significantly.] Kang Oh pointed Demon Sword Ubist straight forward with a two-handed grip. Lightning Breath! This was a Lightning Breath used while under the effects of Gluttony, Devil Trigger, Joy of Battle, and Maurelion Warrior. Itpletely overpowered Diabol''s Hell Whirlwind, even though he had assumed his final form. Crackle! The blinding lightning st ripped through the whirlwind. Diabol quickly blocked the Lightning Breath with his spear shaft. Quiver. The electricity traveled along his spear and spread throughout his body. Grr! Diabol gritted his teeth. It was quite the electrifying experience. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. "Huahp!" Kang Oh leapt into the air and tried to split Diabol''s head in half. Jumping more than 10 meters in the air wasn''t tough for him. After all, he was piloting a game character in a game world. However, Diabol quickly regained hisposure and swung his trident upwards, nullifying Kang Oh''s attack. Plus, the right prong scratched Kang Oh''s side. "Tch." Kang Oh rotated in midair, softlynded on the ground, and clicked his tongue. That had been a good opportunity, so not capitalizing off of it was disappointing. Thud. Diabol stomped on the ground and then swung his trident diagonally. Whoosh! The wind pressure alone would make any normal person go flying. That''s just how powerful it was. Lion w! It wasrger and had a wider radius than before. Perhaps it could be attributed to Diabol''s increased size. Kang Oh knew that he couldn''t afford to let it hit, so he disappeared into the shadows. Boom! The attack scarred the ground, as if a real lion had wed at the ground. Lion w had also swept through the trees, either twisting them around or breaking them apart. Swish. Kang Oh reappeared behind Diabol. However, Diabol had been expecting him. After all, he''d already fallen for this trick once. "I got you!" Diabol attacked Kang Oh with a triumphant expression. Anaconda Thrust! His trident shook like a snake moving from side-to-side, while the prongs resembled a snake''s head aiming for its prey. ''Damn it.'' Failing his surprise attack put him at risk. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! His jet-ck de radiated golden light, releasing a giant, resplendent tiger-shaped aura. However... His trident moved like a snake, and pierced through the golden tiger. But that wasn''t the end of it. Diabol flew low to the ground and attacked Kang Oh once more. ''I can''t dodge this!'' Kang Oh ced Ubist at the centerline of his body. Bam! His demon sword couldn''t shield his entire body. Ultimately, the trident''s left prong pierced his shoulder. Huge shards of light burst out. Based on the size, he could tell that he''d taken a ton of damage, even without taking a look at the system message. "Haahk!" Kang Oh screamed and swung his de upwards. The force from below slightly pushed the trident upwards. Kang Oh used that opportunity to roll onto the floor and get out of Diabol''s range. "Hmph. Did you really think I''d let you go that easily!?" Diabol chased after him and thrust his spear downwards. Kang Oh quickly got back into position and rushed forward, rather than moving to the side or backing off. Diabol hadn''t expected this, so he reacted toote; Kang Oh took full advantage of this opportunity. Swish! His demon sword passed through Diabol''s side. "Ugh." Diabol grabbed his side. With all these buffs applied to him, every one of Kang Oh''s attacks were powerful. Thatst attack took a ton of Diabol''s HP. "How annoying." Diabol stared at Kang Oh and roared. Kang Oh flipped him off. He then used the same finger to provoke him into attacking, as if to say, ''Don''t be scared. C''mon!''. "You arrogant little...!" Bull Charge! Diabol fiercely charged at him. * * * The battle was nearing its end. Eder, Sephiro, Harp, and Larp were injured all over. Kang Oh and Diabol were even worse; their battle had only intensified. Kang Oh was assuming his Jet-ck Demon form, so it didn''t outwardly show, but his HP was almost depleted. The same went for Diabol. He was acting tough, but he didn''t have much HP left either. The bigger problem at hand was that he could die. ''If I make a mistake, then it''s the end of the road for me. I can''t afford to make a mistake!'' Diabol steeled himself. Kang Oh tightly gripped his sword. ''I''m going to win. Do you know how many trials I''ve ovee!? Do you really think I won''t be able to ovee this one too!?'' He stared at Diabol while keeping his guard up. The tension was so thick that you could cut it with a knife. At some point, the gryphons attacked first. Gyaa! Gya! They stretched out their wings and flew towards Sephiro and Eder. Kang Oh didn''t have the time to check on hispanions. His attention waspletely focused on Diabol. Bam. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and threw two Fire Bombs at Diabol. Roar! If two Fire Bombs exploded simultaneously, then the resulting fire would be muchrger than usual. "Kuhaaahk!" The mes burnt him, causing him to scream and writhe in pain. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Something feels off.'' However, Kang Oh decided to spring Diabol''s trap. "Huahp!" Kang Oh quickly approached Diabol. Then...! "I got you!" Whoosh! A beam of light extinguished the mes and came flying at Kang Oh. sh! ''As expected.'' Just as he''d anticipated, Diabol had acted as though the mes had hurt him in order to lure him in. If Kang Oh had actually gone through with the attack, then he wouldn''t have been able to dodge the ray of light. However, Kang Oh had only acted like he was attacking while preparing to dodge whatever came his way. Thus, he was just barely able to dodge Diabol''s attack. Boom! He could hear a giant ''boom'' from behind him; dirt rose into the air and debris went everywhere. Kang Oh got in close and calmly searched for a weak point. "Get lost!" Diabol thrust his trident. Arge, powerful motion was unnecessary. Arger movement ran the risk of exposing himself even more. However...! Something happened that neither Kang Oh nor Diabol had expected. Diabol''s feet suddenly sunk into the ground. "Heok." He lost his bnce. Diabol was shocked. Kang Oh was right in front of him, intent on ending his life. He couldn''t afford to show weakness, but...! ''This is my chance!'' Did the ground sink because it couldn''t withstand Diabol''s weight? Whatever the case, this was his best chance at finishing him off. Kang Oh wouldn''t waste the opportunity. Transcendent de! Evesting Darkness! He used his strongestbo! The massive pir of darkness, strengthened beyond the norm, stretched forward and cleaved the world in two. At the same time...! "No..." Split. Diabol''s expression seemed to say, ''This is a nightmare.'' as he was split in half. [You have defeated the Arrogant One, Mayanes Diabol.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [Several gods have learned your name.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [Several churches will wee you. You can rue contribution points more easily now, and also ept quests from the churches.] [You havepleted the Goddess''s Quest 1: Kill Mayanes Diabol. Please report this to the Church of Death.] Finally! "I beat him!" Kang Oh raised his hands into the air. Once Diabol was killed, his wings, Harp and Larp, disappeared. Sephiro and Eder approached him. "Good job." "Hoo, you actually got him." Spew, spew! Waryong came out, climbed onto Sephiro''s head, and began spewing fire. "Hehe." Kang Ohughed and examined the loot. There were two in total. One of them was Diabol''s trident! ''Is it SS-rank? It has to be least S-rank.'' The other was quite peculiar. ''A star?'' It was as though someone had plucked a star from the night sky and dropped it here. ''No, this is the God of Creation''s source.'' Kang Oh recalled the Goddess of Death''s explicit instructions to bring back Maya''s source. He then extended his hand. But then... Space itself split open, and a figure walked out of the rift. She was beautiful. Her skin was milky white, and she had red hair and jade green eyes. Her arms and legs were wrapped in rose vines, and beautiful white wings protruded from her back! "You did well." Mayanes Krishan smiled like an angel. "Huh?" Everything happened so quickly that Eder and Sephiro had no idea what to do. What was going on? "So... Let me reward you." Krishan stretched out her hand. "Attack!" Kang Oh, sensing danger, swung his demon sword. However, Krishan''s energy st hade first,pletely devouring Kang Oh''s party. * * * Whoosh. The wind blew, passing through Kang Oh and Sephiro''s corpses. The Lich''s body, which was already a corpse, had been ground into dust. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Krishan smirked. She elegantly approached the spot where Diabol had died, and then picked up the God of Creation''s source. ''Everything''s going as nned.'' Krishan had left several of her creations, surveince nts, all across the ashen wastnd. No one had known about these surveince nts but her. Once they saw Kang Oh''s party, they sent the footage straight to her. And when she saw Kang Oh kill the unkible Madon, it sent shivers down her spine! She watched Kang Oh''s party via the surveince nts that were spread throughout Diabol''s forest. ''This is my chance!'' Krishan thought. If she used Kang Oh''s party properly, then she''d be able to get rid of Diabol. What would happen if she were to kill them afterwards, and then take the God of Creation''s source for herself? ''With two sources in my possession, I should be able to escape Deborah''s prison!'' After organizing her thoughts, she immediately put her n into action. Using Mk''s death as a pretext, she kept Diabol at her home for more than a week, making it easy for Kang Oh''s party to kill the prison beasts and free the prisoners. As she''d anticipated, Kang Oh''s party had rescued most of the prisoners, and had fought against a severely weakened Diabol. She had also used her creations, the monster worms, to dig underneath Diabol''s feet, allowing Kang Oh tond the finishing blow. Ultimately, Kang Oh managed to kill Diabol. Just like she wanted. She appeared right after, personally killed Kang Oh''s party, and had taken possession of a second source. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Krishan couldn''t stop herughter. She took Diabol''s trident and then extended her hand towards Demon Sword Ubist. She''d watched firsthand, so she knew that this jet-ck de was the key to bypassing their immortality! ''If I have this sword, then... I can kill the other Mayanes and take all of the God of Creation''s sources for myself...'' Her eyes gleamed with ambition. However...! Something happened that wasn''t part of her n. The red gem on Kang Oh''s ring radiated intense light, and red phoenix wings stretched out from his back! Resurrection! The game wasn''t over just yet. Chapter 286. One Journey is Over

Chapter 286. One Journey is Over

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh stood up. [You have been revived.] [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [For 10 minutes, your abilities increase by 20%, and damage taken is reduced by 50%.] [Cooldown: 30 days.] Kang Oh stared at Mayanes Krishan and bit his lip. ''She got me good.'' Everything was starting to make sense now. Now he understood why Diabol hadn''t shown up when they were saving people, why he''d cursed at Krishan when he had first arrived, and why the ground had sunk! It was all part of her n! Kang Oh took a look around. Sephiroy motionless on the ground. ''What about Eder?'' He couldn''t find his body. ''What happened to him?'' However, Eder was the least of his worries right now. After all, Mayanes Krishan was right in front of him! ''What do I do now?'' Since they hadn''t rescued any of her prisoners, Krishan''s power was at its peak. He''d barely won against a severely weakened Diabol, so there was no way he could beat her. ''I can''t use Gluttony either.'' He''d already used Gluttony against Diabol, so he couldn''t use it again. ''Running away is my best option, but...'' Easier said than done. This was the ashen wastnd. In other words, this was her domain. To make matters worse, return scrolls wouldn''t work here. Kang Oh was between a rock in a hard ce. Then... "Are you... immortal?" Krishan asked. ''This is it!'' It was as if the heavens themselves had given him a chance. "That... is correct." He was about to speak impolitely, but he''d have to humor her for now. ''I''m immortal, so just leave me alone!'' Kang Oh inwardly begged. "Hmm, give me your sword. Then I''ll let you go." Krishan pointed at Ubist. "I cannot do that," Kang Oh said. ''Do you know what Ubist is!? I''ll never let you have it.'' "Give it to me." Her eyes were filled with killing intent. "No... thank you. I''m immortal, so you won''t be able to steal it from me anyway," Kang Oh said strongly, masking the anxiety he felt. ''C''mon, just leave already!'' "We''ll just have to find out, now won''t we?" She smiled icily. ''I''m screwed. What do I do? What can I do!?'' He had no way of beating her. The only thing he had left was Devil Trigger. ''Wait, Devil Trigger?'' Kang Oh thought back to the first time he fought Vn. ''Back then, I definitely... used Devil Trigger using two separate demon swords.'' Vn had subdued him before he couldplete his transformation. Then, he chastised him, warning him not to use powers beyond his reach. He still couldn''t handle a dual Devil Trigger. However, he couldn''t think of anything else. ''Screw it!'' Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Blood from his inventory. Kaishan extended her hand. Whir. Energy began gathering in her hand. "Go for broke!" Kang Oh crossed his des in the air. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh''s body was covered by energy as red as blood, and jet-ck darkness like the dead of night. [Warning: Ubist''s power is going out of control.] [Warning: Blood''s power is going out of control.] [Warning: You cannot handle theirbined power.] The demon swords'' power flowed through his hands. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and did his damndest to keep the overflowing power in check, but nothing worked. The mixture of red and ck energy obscured his vision. From the outside, it looked like he''d transformed into a ck, red-striped egg. [Warning: Your body has been used to summon Ubist and Blood.] [Warning: You have lost control of your character.] Then... "Die!" Krishan unleashed a destructive wave at Kang Oh. Boom! The egg cracked and... Split! Itpletely shattered. Spurt! Darkness, which was surrounded by red energy, shot up into the sky like gushingva. A short whileter... The darkness coalesced into a single being. It was huge, with a sharp face, red eyes, a jet-ck tail that shone like the night sky, a body made up of darkness, and sharp teeth and ws! Grr. It looked the same as it did when he saw Vn''s life story; this was the King of Demonic Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist. However, its body was covered in red stripes, and giant bat wings protruded from its back. Had Ubist and Blood fused together? Whatever the case, one thing was certain... Kang Oh had awakened an uncontroble beast, and it was extremely hungry! Kuhaaaaaah! Ubist''s roar echoed throughout thend. * * * The Mayanes were so arrogant that they sought to rece the gods. Krishan was no different in this regard. That''s why she was in such a foul mood. "You stupid mutt." She didn''t like the fact that Ubist was looking down at her, so she began gathering energy in her hand once more. Hammer of Arrogance! A green st of energy came flying at Ubist. However, Ubist merely devoured the st! Kyaa! ''Not enough!'', Ubist seemed to say. It then opened its mouth and attempted to consume her whole. However, Krishan avoided its attack and flew into the air. "Hmph. Let me show you divine power!" Krishan raised Diabol''s source into the sky. It and her own source resonated, bestowing upon her even greater power. "Come, my children!" Creation! Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Gyaaahk! Gyaa! Gyaa! Monster birds filled the sky; each one was a different shape, size, and color. Tree monsters, vine monsters, tentacle monsters, etc... Countless nt-types monsters had appeared on the ground. There were so many of them! There had to be several hundred of them. "Kill that beast!" Krishan ordered. Countless monster birds swooped down on Ubist. The mobile nt-type monsters approached Ubist, while the immobile monsters attacked with their tentacles, vines, and toxic powder/spores. Kuhaaaahk! Ubist roared. ''Cmon!'' It stretched out its bat wings, which transformed into dozens of tentacles. The red tentacles flew into the air, stabbing the monster birds and sucking their blood. Gulp! Gulp! The tentacles sucked them dry, causing them to dry up like mummies and fall to the floor. The Abyss Predator, Ubist, attacked the iing monsters with its front legs and tail. Its ws ripped through the monsters, and its tail flung them away. Ubist also devoured any monster in its path. However, Krishan''s creations didn''t just sit there and die. The monster birds stuck to Ubist''s wings and body, and attacked it with their talons and beaks. Roots or vines would shoot out of the ground, wrapping around Ubist''s ankles, and toxic powder/spores began to cover its body. Kuha! Ubist opened its mouth wide. It unleashed a fan-shaped wave of darkness, which swept through everything in its path! Its Evesting Darkness was far more powerful than Kang Oh''s, and had more range to boot! Gyaa! Countless monster birds and nt monsters were caught in the sea of darkness and perished. But firing darkness at its opponents wasn''t Ubist''s only skill. Hueup! Ubist took a deep breath and began sucking the expelled darkness back in. It also sucked in the monsters that had gotten caught in its Evesting Darkness! In an instant, dozens of monsters had be its food. However, there were still several monsters left, and Krishan decided to enter the fray. "Let''s end this." She summoned dozens of shining orbs above her head. Photon Bomb! The light spheres fell from the sky and rammed into Ubist''s body. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Kuhaaaa! The spheres exploded with blinding light, as if a sh bang had gone off. A loud ''bam'' apanied Ubist''s pained cry. Krishan summoned even more Photon Bombs and shot them at Ubist. Bam! Bam, bam, bam! The explosions just kepting! Ubist fell to the floor, unable to withstand the vicious assault. * * * Kang Oh was trapped in a dark room. There was a monitor inside that showed him everything that was happening to Ubist. He was somewhere inside Ubist''s body. He watched how things yed out, as there was nothing else he could do. After all, Ubist had taken control of his body. Bam! Bam! Bam! Ubist fell to the floor, overwhelmed by Krishan''s bombardment. "What are you doing, you stupid mutt!" Kang Oh yelled in a fit of rage. Ubist''sbat ability was extremely high. Moreover, it''d gained Blood''s wings too! However, it was only moving ording to its instincts; its desire to fill its stomach. Thus, it wasn''t able to show even a fraction of its true power. "Ah, if only I was able to control him..." Kang Oh said regretfully. Then... "Help." He heard someone''s voice. It was familiar... "Tasha?" "Yeah, it''s me." A young girl, with red hair and a cold face, appeared before him. "You have to help me." "Help you with what?" "The enemy''sst attack really shocked Ubist. This is our one and only chance to regain control. If you don''t take this chance, then we''ll bepletely consumed by him," Tasha said desperately. Ubist was so powerful that it consumed Blood''s power too. This was their chance to regain control. "How?" Kang Oh asked. "You have to open that door." "Door?" "Over there." Tasha pointed at a giant double door. "If we open that door, then we can take back control." "Ok." There was absolutely no reason to refuse. Kang Oh immediately glued himself to the door. Tasha stood beside him. "Push!" "Uhahp!" The two pushed as hard as they could. Creak, creak, creak. The door slowly opened. "Keep going!" Tasha yelled. "Urgh!" Kang Oh pushed with every he had. Ubist was hit by another one of Krishan''s attacks. Then, the room shook like an earthquake; perhaps it was duplicating the shock that Ubist was experiencing. "Now!" Tasha yelled. "Uhaaaaa!" Kang Oh screamed and forcefully pushed. Creak! Thud! The door finally opened, and the once dark room was illuminated. [You have regained control of your character.] Kang Oh felt weird. It was as though he could see, hear, and feel through Ubist. At the same time, he felt like he could control Ubist''s body too. "Good job. Now turn off Devil Trigger!" Tasha said. "Tasha." "What are you doing? Turn it off. If you don''t, then we''ll both be absorbed by Ubist," Tasha said angrily. "This... How long do you think we''llst?" "What do you mean?" "How long do you think we''ll stay in control?" "I dunno. A few minutes at best?" "Then... give me some time," Kang Oh said earnestly. "Why?" "The enemy''s too strong, so I''m going to take her down in this form." "Mm." "Please!" "Haa, fine. But when I tell you your time''s up, you have to turn off Devil Trigger. If you don''t, then it''s over for us." Kang Oh nodded his head. Then...! He began controlling Ubist. * * * Having taken several of Krishan''s attacks, Ubist''s body had fallen to the floor. But its wings, which had transformed into tentacles, were putting up quite a fight! "It''s over!" Krishan raised her arms into the air, creating a giant green spear. Spear of Arrogance! She swung her arm, causing the spear to fly right at Ubist. But then...! Darkness shot up from the ground and engulfed Ubist. Abyss Transfer! Ubist''s body disappeared. Bam! Spear of Arrogance struck the ground instead. A short whileter... Ubist reappeared amidst the darkness. "Attack!" Krishan yelled. Her creations, the monster birds, glued themselves to Ubist. Kuhaaah! Ubist roared. Dozens of blood spears formed around it. Aim, fire! The blood spears tore through the birds, causing them to plummet to the ground. Ubist didn''t stop there. It horizontally swung its front leg. Abyss w! Not only did the gigantic jet-ck aura kill several creatures at once, but it even came for Krishan too. "Hmph!" Krishan unleashed a Photon Bomb. Bam, bam, bam! Once the Photon Bomb exploded, the Abyss w dissipated. Meanwhile, Ubist drained the blood of 10 of Krishan''s creatures using its tentacles. "Just give it a rest already and die!" Krishan shot dozens of Photon Bombs at Ubist. However...! Ubist zigzagged around, avoiding all the Photon Bombs! "What?" Krishan looked slightly taken aback. In no time at all, the jet-ck beast had reappeared right in front of her. She brought her hands together, and thenunched a green st at Ubist. Hammer of Arrogance! Ubist opened its mouth and consumed the st. "Grr!" Krishan gritted her teeth. Then, countless Photon Bombs appeared nearby. Ubist responded immediately. Evesting Darkness! Spurt! A gigantic stream of darkness shot out of its mouth. The radiant Photon Bombs and Evesting Darkness, the deep darkness that threatened to consume all, mixed together. Light and darkness shed! Boom! The two sts, unable to permit the existence of the other, resulted in a massive explosion. Then... Ubist pierced through the explosion. Obviously, its body wasn''t in the best of shape. It''d taken a ton of damage from the st, and it was riddled with wounds. In exchange... it had gained the opportunity tounch a perfect surprise attack. Krishan btedly pulled her body back, allowing Ubist to bite into her. "Gyaahk!" Krishan let out a shrill cry. It was only natural. After all, Ubist had consumed her left wing and left arm in a single go! Ubist opened its mouth in order to finish off its prey! Luckily, Krishan had gotten a hold of herself just fast enough, and responded before the attack hit. Whir! She created an ultrarge Photon Bomb and smashed it into Ubist''s face. Boom! As a result, both Ubist and Krishan were sent flying through the air. * * * "You have to stop! If you don''t stop here and we lose control, then we''re both dead!" Tasha said urgently. "Just a little bit more! I can finish her off!" Kang Oh, who was controlling Ubist with his eyes closed, said. "No! We don''t have time. Turn off Devil Trigger now!" Tasha said anxiously. However, Kang Oh ignored her advice and made Ubist attack Krishan again. "Stop him!" Krishan yelled. Her creations swarmed Ubist, holding it back. Kuhaa! Ubist plowed right through them. Seeing that, Krishan''s eyes shook. She was afraid of that jet-ck beast! ''I don''t want to die!'' Ultimately, she pulled out Diabol''s source. Crack! The source in her hand, as well as the one within her chest, resonated. Then, the space ripped apart, as if a zipper had been pulled down. It was a door that would allow her to escape Despia! "You haven''t seen thest of me!" she said, trying to keep what remained of her pride intact, and then jumped through the tear in space. At the same time, Ubist consumed it! However... "Damn, I lost her." Kang Oh sighed while controlling Ubist. He''d just barely lost her. Poof! Poof! Poof! Poof! Was it because their creator had left Despia? Her creations began to disappear. Then, the door that Kang Oh and Tasha had opened began to close. "What are you doing!? Deactivate Devil Trigger!" Tasha yelled desperately. "Mm." Kang Oh immediately did as she asked. The darkness thatprised Ubist''s body dissipated, and the red-haired girl began to fade. "Thanks," Kang Oh said. "Hmph. If we''d have gotten absorbed by Ubist, then... I would''ve killed you. Nothing would''ve stopped me from finding you." She looked at him fiercely and thenpletely disappeared. "Hoo, how did I manage to survive that?" Kang Oh sighed in relief. It was truly a difficult fight, and he''d only managed to get out of it alive through sheer luck. ''Anyhow...'' Kang Oh read the system messages he''d missed. [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] ... [You have leveled up.] Everything that Ubist had killed had be experience for him. Because of that, he had leveled up a ton. He managed to gain twelve levels in such a short period of time. With this, Kang Oh had past level 350. He was level 351 now! He supposed it was worth not giving up till the end. Then... a green, pale ghost suddenly popped out of the ground. It was Eder. "Mr. Kang Oh!" "Eder! You survived!" "Yes. When Krishan attacked, I ejected my soul from the Lich''s body and hid within the ground." As expected of Eder! He wasn''t called ''He Who Defies Death'' for no reason. He was like a cockroach; he survived everything. "What about the Lich''s body?" "It waspletely destroyed." "Mm. So that''s why I couldn''t see your body." "Yes. Anyway, good work." "Tch. We lost Maya''s source and we lost Krishan. How disappointing." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "We''ll have to consult with the goddess on how to proceed," Eder said. Kang Oh nodded his head. "Let''s return to the Temple of Death." The two crossed the River of Despair and returned to Latnia City. "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder!" Sephiro had been waiting for them. Gyaa! Waryong was safe. Before he''d died, Sephiro had used ''Emergency Escape'' to ce Waryong into his inventory. "What happened? What happened to the woman who killed me?" Sephiro asked. Kang Oh briefly exined what happened after he''d died. "So that''s why we''re going to report to the goddess and see what our options are," Kang Oh said. "I''lle with you." Sephiro followed them. The three of them headed for the Church of Death. * * * Kang Oh and Sephiro kneeled and bowed their heads. Even Eder, who was a green ghost, did the same. Deborah''s silhouette appeared beyond the purple veil. She had possessed her statue. "Raise your heads." Her resplendent voice echoed through the room. Kang Oh''s party did as she asked. "Goddess, I have something to report," Kang Oh said politely. "I saw what happened." "I see." "You did well in killing Diabol. However, losing Maya''s source and Krishan is... not good." "What do we do now?" "Follow Krishan, and kill her as soon as possible. A Mayanes with two or three sources is too dangerous to leave out in the world." "Understood. But I''m not sure where to find her," Kang Oh said. ''So please help us.'' "Cyndia will help you." "Thank you. This man is called Sephiro. Could you please bestow your great task unto him as well?" Kang Oh bowed his head. "Alright." [Goddess''s Quest 1 has changed to ''Goddess''s Quest 2: Kill Krishan''.] Kang Oh stared at Sephiro. He was beaming, so he must''ve gotten the quest that he had wanted so badly. "Eder," Deborah said. "Yes, Supreme One," Eder replied politely. They could see Deborah waving her hand from beyond the veil. Then, bright light rose from the floor, and something appeared in its ce. It was... Surprisingly, it was the frozen tube that contained Eder''s original body. The same one that Eder had been keeping in his private safe! "You will be needing your original strength for the events that lie ahead." "T-Then?" Eder''s voice shook. "I will remove your curse." "Thank you very much!" Eder mmed his head against the ground. However, he was a ghost, so his head just passed through the floor. "Don''t be so happy. If you fail my mission, you will be cursed once more." Her icy voice rang out. "I will not fail." "You must not." With this, their conversation ended. The purple veil was lifted, and the goddess statue turned back to normal. [You havepleted the quest, Transport Eder''s Body.] [Receive your reward from Eder.] Kang Oh read the system message and smirked. Deborah had pretty muchpleted Eder''s quest for him. "I have a favor to ask," Eder said. "What?" "Please take my body out of the tube." Sephiro and Kang Oh removed Eder''s body from the ice-cold tube and ced it on the floor. "Aah." Eder looked down at his body, sporting a face filled with emotion, and then slowly entered it. A short whileter... The once pale face slowly regained its color, fingers wriggled around, and quivering eyelids opened. Clear, moist eyes! Ovee by emotion, he began to cry. "I''m... alive!" The Legendary Healer, Eder! His long journey to regain his original body had finally ended. Of course, nothing had ended. This was just the beginning. "I have to get even stronger, and make even more money." Kang Oh grinned. Be the greatest yer in Arth and be filthy rich! His journey to achieve these two goals had only just begun. Chapter 287. A New Start

Chapter 287. A New Start

Trantor: Boko A g bearing the Goddess of Death''s insignia, the ck ring, hung in the room, and four people sat around the table thaty underneath it. "The Supreme One spoke to me," the priestess calmly said. Cyndia was one of the Goddess of Death''s most faithful servants. "She asked that I find Krishan for you," she added. Eder nodded his head. He was inhabiting his original body, not an undead corpse, and wore a white coat, as if emphasizing his status as a healer. "Where is that nasty woman now?" Sephiro asked. As always, he had curly hair, and his gleaming silver, wing-shaped bowy at his side. The red wyvern, Waryong, slept in his buxom. "I don''t know yet." Cyndia shook her head. "You don''t know?" Sephiro tilted his head. The Goddess of Death had definitely... said that she''d help them. "But you do have a way of finding her," Kang Oh, who''d been quietly listening in, said. "The church''s elites and I will head to the continent and find her. We''ll also ask the other churches for their assistance," Cyndia said. Her voice was as cold as always. "It''ll take quite a while to find her then," Kang Oh said. Then, Eder said, "The goddess wants us to kill her as soon as possible." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "I''d like to, but we have to know where she is to do that." "Can the goddess not use her power to find her?" Sephiro asked. ''Shouldn''t the Goddess of Death be able to do that?'' "The goddess told me that she cannot track Krishan now that she possesses two of Maya''s sources." "As expected..." Kang Oh had somewhat expected this. Obtaining two of Maya''s sources had allowed Krishan to escape the Goddess of Death''s prison. If that''s the case, then she should have the power to hide her location from the Goddess of Death as well. "Will you be able to find her?" Eder asked. "It is the Supreme One''smand. I will find her without fail," Cyndia said firmly. Her voice didn''t waver in the slightest. "I''m counting on you." Eder bowed his head. He''d finally regained his body. However, this was only a ''temporary'' arrangement. Killing Krishan and the rest of the Mayanes would allow him to remain in this body indefinitely. "What happened to Krishan''s prisoners?" Kang Oh asked. Krishan had captured countless people in order to both increase and maintain her power. Now that she''d left, what had happened to those people? "Our church''s warriors have left to save them. Her creations may still be there, but without her, they no longer possess immortality," Cyndia said. "Please take care of the Kalma when you get the chance," Kang Oh said. After all, they were the ones who captured the humans in the first ce, and offered them to the Mayanes. "We n to take it slowly. Because you killed their leader, they are currently in-fighting. We''ll punish them once they''ve been weakened by all the in-fighting," Cyndia said. "What a good idea!" Kang Oh nodded his head. "Select members of the church and I will soon head to the continent. I''ll let you know when I find Krishan, so... please be ready." Cyndia nced at Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. "Understood," the three replied simultaneously. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Their meeting was over, so they left the Great Temple of Death. * * * "Eder," Kang Oh said. "Yes?" "Give it." He firmly extended his hand. "Give what?" "32,000 gold," he said. ''Give me my money!'' "32,000 gold?" "2,000 gold for transporting your body, and 30,000 gold for regaining your body!" Kang Oh said clearly. "Ah!" Eder pped his hands, and then pulled out some gold bars from his subspace. "Here you go." One gold bar was equal to 100 gold. However, it wasn''t what he had expected. There were only 20 of them! He''d only paid him 2,000 gold. "Why only this much? Is the rest in your private safe?" "It''s payment for transporting my body. I''ll give you the rest after we''ve killed all of the Mayanes." "Ah, that''s not what you promised..." "No, it''s exactly what I promised. I promised that I would pay you when I''ve regained my body." "You have regained your body!" "Not yet. If I fail the goddess''s mission, then I''ll be cursed again." "Tch. Then give me 10,000 gold in advance. I''ll take the 20,000 goldter." "No, thank you," Eder said decisively. "Then good luck." Kang Oh waved his hand. ''Forget this!'' However, Eder wasn''t affected in the least. "Doesn''t that hurt you too? You lose all the money, and you lose the goddess''s reward. And the goddess may punish you too." "Mm, you used to be such a pushover. Where did that Eder go?" Kang Ohmented. "He''s gone." Eder grinned. Since he had returned to his original body, he was much more expressive than before. "Seems like you two are done talking. What are we going to do now?" Sephiro, who''d been quietly listening, butted in. "Monopolize all of the dungeons here until Cyndia finds Krishan. After all, we''re the only ones who know about this ce." Kang Oh grinned. There were so many dungeons here that no yer had ever stepped foot in. ''Some of them may be hidden dungeons, or even better, soul dungeons!'' Resting was a waste of time. In that time, he could clear another dungeon, level up, gather more items, and make more money! "I''d like to hunt with you, but... I have something I need to do," Sephiro said. "Which is?" "I''m going to raise Waryong." "Waryong will grow on its own..." Kang Oh had no intention of letting Sephiro slip from his grasp. ''I still have so much use for you!'' "I got a quest to raise Waryong. The reward is tremendous. But it has a time limit, so I have to do it right away." Sephiro wasn''t lying! Gyaa! Waryong spewed mes from its mouth. It was better than a lighter now, but it was still incredibly weak. "I guess it can''t be helped." "Goodbye." Sephiro ripped a return scroll without giving Kang Oh a chance to stop him. "What about you, Eder?" Kang Oh stared at him. ''Worker #1, don''t go!'' he said inwardly. However, Eder wanted to leave. "I... also need some time for myself." "Why!?" "It''s been a long time since I''ve been in my original body, so I''ll need some time to adjust. I''ll need to check my abilities, and buy some new equipment too." "Ahem." "I''lle back when I''m ready." "Alright. Come back quick." "Yes." Eder left. "So it''s just me for the time being." Kang Oh headed for Latnia City looking slightly lonely. "Please save my grandchild! He hasn''te back from Muto Cave!" "Savior, have you heard of vik''s Nest? It''s an incredibly dangerous ce in the forest region. Let me tell you all about it." "Savior!" "Savior!" Once he entered the city, he was swarmed by people. Saving Diabol''s prisoners had maxed out his reputation with the people of Latnia City. Thus, they called him ''Savior'' and tried to give him all sorts of quests. "Wait a minute!" Kang Oh pulled out a detailed map of the Goddess''s Land. He would listen to what they had to say, and only ept the quests that offered a good reward or were rtively easy toplete. "Alright. Please mark the location on the map." If the quest was tooplicated, would take too long, or he didn''t like the reward, then he''d refuse it. "Please find someone else." "How could you!?" "No!" As a result, his reputation took a small hit, but he didn''t really care. If he wanted to get as much out of his time as possible, then he had to pick and choose which quests to take. After epting thirty quests, Kang Oh stopped taking requests. "I''lle back after I''vepleted them." His map was marked with all sorts of dungeons, hunting grounds, ruins, etc. that no other yer had gone to before. Sounds tasty! Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. * * * In the midst of a raging blizzard, space tore apart like an open zipper. "Haa, haa." A beautiful woman with jade eyes and red hair appeared. Her long legs were wrapped in vines, and she was missing a wing and an arm. It was Krishan, who''d just escaped from her brutal battle with Ubist (Kang Oh)! Grr. She gritted her teeth, looking downright venomous. ''How dare he!?'' Her body shook with rage. She couldn''t believe that she''d almost been killed by a lowly beast. Moreover, she''d lost one of her wings, the pride of the Mayanes! But she soon calmed down. The frigid wind helped cool her anger. ''I have to treat myself first. Revenge cer.'' She sped her injured arm and moved forward. Whoosh! Her formpletely vanished within the blizzard. This was Yuki-Onna''s Paradise. * * * vik''s Nest! This was the first dungeon he came to. ''Let''s see here... It''s an underground dungeon with 10 floors, and there''s a swamp along the way.'' Kang Oh recalled the NPC''s exnation. ''I have three quests here.'' Kill 100 Driscools! Gather 50 Sticky Rocks! Kill vik! Driscools spawned in vik''s Nest, and Sticky Rocks were collectables that could be fished out of the swamp. As the dungeon''s master, vik had to be at the dungeon''s deepest point. "Then, shall we go!?" Kang Oh stretched out, and entered the dungeon. [Entering the dungeon, vik''s Nest.] vik''s Nest was a dungeon within the Goddess''s Land. Since it was situated in Despia''s deepest area, the dungeon''s level was extremely high. Monsters that were around level 400 spawned here. Plus, the dungeon itself was vast andplex, and traps lurked in every corner. Despite that, it only took Kang Oh half a day to reach the end. Without Eder and Sephiro''s help at that. That''s just how strong Kang Oh was. Although he was only level 351, he had stolen 400 stats with his demon sword. Plus, he had two demon swords at his disposal, and top-grade equipment too. Add Hyper Intuition, his experience, evasion, and control into the mix, and... Strictly in terms ofbat ability, Kang Oh''s character was over level 450. Perhaps he was closer to level 500. Thus, level 400 monsters couldn''t pose a threat to Kang Oh. Anyhow...! Kang Oh, who''d ughtered any monster in his way and rapidly plowed through the dungeon, had finally encountered the dungeon''s master. Thud! Thud! The ground shook, and a gigantic shadow covered Kang Oh''s entire body. Kuhaahk! vik let out a frightening shriek! [You are the first to discover Two-Headed vik.] It was a dinosaur. Chapter 288. Geskal’s Secret Storehouse

Chapter 288. Geskal''s Secret Storehouse

Trantor: Boko Have you ever seen a Tyrannosaurus? vik looked just like one. It was a giant reptile that stood on two thick legs! However, it had two heads like a dicephalic snake. The left head had green stripes, while the right had red stripes. It was also around level 450! Its thick skin, which was covered in ck bumps, was like armor, and it had menacing, sharp, yellow teeth. vik''s tail seemed just as dangerous. Getting hit by that would snap his bones like straws. A carnivorous dinosaur versus a human being. It was clear who the predator was. If this were real life, that is. However, this was a game world; a yground where humans killed monsters! To Kang Oh, vik was just another level 450 boss monster. It was neither a unique monster nor a raid boss, and it was nowhere near as strong as the ancient Mayanes, who possessed the God of Creation''s sources. ''This won''t be difficult.'' Kang Oh used Gluttony on a mass-produced sword, which doubled all of his abilities. "Die!" Kang Oh charged, his body releasing plumes of darkness. Kuhaahk! Two-Headed vik roared ferociously and charged at Kang Oh. Its right head spewedva, while its left head sprayed yellowish poison gas. Lava spread across the floor, and the poison gas permeated through the air. Fortunately, both theva and the poison gas spread slowly, so Kang Oh was able to dodge them with ease. However, it didn''t change the fact that the room would soon be filled withva and poison gas. ''I''m on a clock.'' He needed to kill vik before theva or poison gas got to him. Kang Oh was confident he''d win this. "Let''s y!" Whack, whack, whack, whack! Consecutive ''whacks'' echoed through the room! Fire Bomb''s mes surged. Darkness Chain flew through the air, while Abyss w cleaved through the ground. Last but not least, a golden tiger rushed at the dinosaur. It was shy and awe-inspiring! Kang Oh, who had already assumed his Jet-ck Demon form, had no intention of slowing down. He dodged vik''srge, weighty tail, leapt into the air, and then swung his sword. Lightning Breath! Was this what Zeus''s lightning bolt would look like? A gigantic lightning st split the world in two, and struck vik dead on! Crackle! vik grimaced in pain. Nevertheless, it rushed forward and attempted to devour Kang Oh with its two heads. At that moment... Kang Oh swung horizontally, and then swung upwards. Evesting Darkness! A de of darkness, darker than even the demon sword itself, followed his swing and cleaved through vik. Thud! Thud! The two heads fell to the floor in different directions! [You are the first to defeat Two-Headed vik.] [As a reward, vik will drop its highest rank items.] [You havepleted the quest, Kill vik. Return to Latnia City and obtain your reward from Dimitri.] Kang Oh examined the loot. It had dropped gloves shaped like a tyrannosaurus''s head! The gloves were an S-rank item with a level 400 equip requirement and three items effects to boot! "Heh." He''d be able to sell it for a lot too. ''As expected of Despia!'' Was it because he''d cleared one of Despia''s dungeons? It dropped items that matched the difficulty level of the dungeon. ''I''m getting all of the first time bonuses here!'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. Then, he immediately opened his map and searched for the next dungeon. "Muto Cave." His course was set, so Kang Oh headed for his next dungeon without dy. * * * Within the ck Hammer Dwarves'' smithy... Hoffman pounded on scarlet metal with his hammer. ng! ''Liza!'' First, he saw his dead wife. Hoffman swung his hammer once more. ng! ''Hoff!'' Then, he saw his son; he had been more precious to him than life itself. ng, ng, ng! Metallic ''ngs'' echoed through the smithy in a steady rhythm. At the same time, the rhythmic pounding of his hammer made the fire-shaped sword, ''Fire''s Heart'', shake. At some point, Fire''s Heart began to radiate intense light. ''Huh?'' Only then did Hoffman realize that something was amiss, and raised his head. "What is going on..." Hoffman didn''t understand what was happening. The Fire''s Heart was glowing all of a sudden. However, the surprise didn''t end there. "A song?" The sword yed a beautiful song! They say that there''s an unearthly metal! No one knows how this metal came to be. Come,e close. I''ll tell you what it is! This is none other than the metal''s mystery! ... "Aah!" Hoffman''s body shook. The song he''d just heard... It was connected to the ''metal''s mystery'', the secret method that Master cksmith, Sunlei, had used to create the Fire''s Heart. ''No way!'' The metal''s mystery was Sunlei''s method of creating alloys. It was priceless information! At that moment... The metal''s mystery was passed down to Hoffman. * * * After clearing vik''s Nest, Kang Oh came to Muto Cave. The cave was located beneath a giant tree. ''The quests here are Exterminate the Mutos and Find Radal.'' Kang Oh went inside. [Entering the dungeon, Muto Cave.] Muto Cave was filled with tree roots, which covered the walls and the ceiling. However, the path itself was simple; all you had to do was follow it. But... nt-type monsters, which disguised themselves as tree roots, or ''Muto'', would pop out of the ceiling or the walls, so he had to keep a lookout for them. Case in point. Swoosh! Dozens of Mutos, which resembled wooden snakes, came rushing at Kang Oh. If he were a normal yer, then there would be nowhere to run. But he wasn''t a normal yer, now was he? Red Butterfly''s Dance! [For 10 seconds, your evasion is doubled.] His movements were as soft as a butterfly, yet as agile as a cat. Plus, his movements left behind an afterimage wherever he went. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! The Mutos went rigid, as if they had be spears, and attacked. They lunged at Kang Oh with their sharp ''mouths''. Gii? Gii? They struck an afterimage, nothing more. Their actual target had disappeared like a mirage, greatly confusing the Mutos. Then... Kang Oh counterattacked. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Whenever he swung Blood, a Muto would get shredded to pieces. Eventually, 15 stars manifested on the de''s length. ''Fully charged!'' "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath, and blood red energy shined over his heart. It soon exploded outwards, sweeping through anything nearby. Blood Bomb! Boom! Those caught in the explosion were flung into the walls or the ceiling. Kang Oh horizontally swung Blood in a wide arc, leaving a long scar in the walls. Of course, he''d also sliced through the Mutos that''d mmed into the walls! The Mutos that''d fallen to the ground or mmed into the ceiling stood up and attacked him once more. However, they were no match for him. "Rest in peace!" Kang Oh continued his assault. The remaining Mutos died soon after. * * * [You havepleted the quest, Exterminate the Mutos.] By the time he''d reached the end of the cave, Kang Oh received a system message stating he''dpleted the quest. Now all that remained was his quest to find the missing person, Radal. However, there was nowhere else to go, and he didn''t see Radal, let alone any trace of him. ''Hmm, I wonder where he went... Huh?'' At the end of the passageway, Kang Oh saw a wall that looked different from all the others. His eyes gleamed. "Hoh." It''s been a while! His Hyper Intuition warned him that something was off about that wall; there was something more to it. In other words, it was hiding something! Kang Oh examined the wall. He extended his hand, spread open an area covered by a tree root, and dusted off the dirt. This revealed a stone b underneath. The stone b was about 1 meter tall, and had a pentagonal groove within it. Clearly, something had to be ced inside. ''Something pentagon shaped.'' Kang Oh sifted through his inventory, looking through all the junk items that the Mutos had dropped. However, none of them would fit in the groove. "Hmm." There was a door in front of him, but it was locked. Moreover, he didn''t know what kind of key it needed. ''I need some more information.'' Kang Oh left the dungeon and returned to Latnia City. Then, he went to an old woman''s house; she was the quest giver. "Hello." "Oh, Savior. What about Radal?" She immediately asked about Radal. It was only natural. Radal was her one and only grandson, after all. "I looked through Muto Cave, but I couldn''t find him. "N-No..." Her face darkened. "But it looks like there''s a secret area inside. That''s probably where he is." "Is that so?" "Yes, but the door requires a pentagonal key. Do you know what it is?" Kang Oh asked. "Mm." The old woman groaned and shook her head. She clearly didn''t know! "Would you mind if I look through Radal''s things?" "Go ahead." Kang Oh looked through Radal''s room. However, there weren''t any pentagonal items inside. But... there was a diary there instead. Kang Oh carefully read the diary. Eventually, he came across an interesting passage. I finally solved Geskal''s secret code. The code points towards Muto Cave. I''m going to investigate the area soon. I found the door. But the key''s not here. Where exactly is the key? The key''s closer than I thought. It took me so long to figure it out! I''m an idiot! Now it''s time to see what''s hidden in Muto Cave! Is this the right answer this time? That was the final entry. Radal had gone missing after writing this; he had found the key, and had gone to unlock the mystery of Muto Cave. ''The key''s closer than he thought...'' Kang Oh closed the diary and met with the old woman again. "Has Radal ever told you about a key?" "Mm... No." The old woman weakly shook her head. "Where did Radal go before he set off for Muto Cave?" "Hmm... Ah, I heard that he went to a smithy and asked them to make him something." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "Where is the smithy?" "So it''s..." She exined where the smithy was located. "Then, if you''ll excuse me!" "Please bring my grandson home!" "I''ll do my best." Kang Oh left the old woman''s home, and came to a smithy with a sign that read ''Brandon''. The brazier''s mes swayed to and fro, and a bulky man weed Kang Oh. "Oh, aren''t you the savior? What business do you have with me?" "Did Radale and see you a short while ago?'' "That''s correct." "Do you remember what he asked you to make for him?" The cksmith nodded his head. Perhaps it was due to Kang Oh''s reputation. "Let''s see here..." The piece of paper had a triangle drawn on it. The exact length of its three sides were written explicitly, and it also had aplicated pattern too. "Is this it?" "Yes. These are the ns that Radal gave me. I made it ording to the ns and gave it to him." "How many of these did you make?" "I made him five." ''Five triangles... Perhaps!'' Kang Oh assumed that these triangles were the key to opening the door. "Could you make them for me too?" "I have the mold, so I''ll make it for you in a sh." How much time had passed? Kang Oh had gotten his hands on five intricately patterned metal triangles. ''Good. Let''s go back.'' Kang Oh headed for Muto Cave. * * * At the end of Muto Cave, there was a stone b with a pentagonal groove. Kang Oh ced all five triangles within the groove. They fit perfectly! However, nothing happened. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh extended his hand and slightly turned the filled groove. Squeak. The b moved forward, sounding like a spring being wound up, and revealed an entrance! [You are the first to discover the hidden dungeon, Geskal''s Secret Storehouse.] [Fame has increased.] [Hunting within Geskal''s Secret Storehouse yields double the experience points. Proficiency gain is also doubled.] "It''s been a while since myst hidden dungeon." Kang Oh grinned. ''Me being the first to discover it makes it even better.'' Which meant that no one had gone through the dungeon before! There may be a huge fortune buried within. ''Or maybe... a soul dungeon.'' If a yer owned a soul stone, then they could own the entire dungeon. And guardians were beings that protected the soul stones. He wouldn''t know whether it was a hidden dungeon or a soul dungeon until he found a guardian. In any case, it was a chance to either make some money, or find a soul dungeon! Kang Oh immediately went inside. Chapter 289. Geskal’s Secret Storehouse (2)

Chapter 289. Geskal''s Secret Storehouse (2)

Trantor: Boko [Entering the dungeon, Geskal''s Secret Storehouse.] Geskal''s Secret Storehouse was extremely straightforward. It was just an arched passageway. He didn''t see any monsters, so he just walked right on in. However...! Once he took a single step, the ground began to radiate light. ''This is...!'' It was a trap. "Grr!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth and threw himself out of the way. But it was already toote; the magic circle had already activated. Swoosh! The iridescent light consumed him, and he was transported somewhere else. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. To think there''d be a trap at the beginning of the dungeon. ''Is it a trap that sends you to a designated location? It doesn''t look like it sent me just anywhere.'' Kang Oh took a look around. It was a circr arena. Plus...! There was a pale man on the floor. He was dead. ''Is he...'' Kang Oh searched the body and found a notebook. [Radal''s Exploration Notebook] Radal dreamt of getting rich overnight. This notebook contains details of Radal''s expedition. "As expected..." Kang Oh looked through the notebook and scowled. "It was Radal." The body did indeed belong to Radal. [You have found Radal.] [The quest, Find Radal, has changed to ''Report Radal''s Death''.] [Return Radal''s keepsake.] Once the messages stopped, something within Radal''s chest began to glow. It was probably his keepsake. Kang Oh stretched out his hand. Then... Rumble! The door to the circr arena opened, revealing a bloodthirsty monster. The boss monster had suddenly appeared. The door to the arena opened, revealing a bloodthirsty monster. The boss monster had made a sudden appearance. [You have discovered the Cruel diator, Maxius.] [You are the first to discover him.] diator Maxius! He was 3 meters tall. His helmetpletely covered his face, and he wore light chainmail over his upper body. Maxius also wielded a sword and an oval shield! Based on the ck fur on the back of his sword hand, the shape of his legs, and the tail protruding from his butt, he wasn''t a human being. "Did you kill him?" Kang Oh pointed at Radal''s corpse. "I killed the trespasser. And..." he said huskily. "I''ll kill you too!" The Cruel diator, Maxius, pointed his sword at Kang Oh. "I wasn''t nning on letting you live either," Kang Oh said icily. * * * Kang Oh and Maxius''s battle was intense. Eventually, Kang Oh managed tond a clean hit. Swish. Demon Sword Blood split Maxius''s helmet in half! Split. The helmet split in two, revealing Maxius''s face. His true identity was that of a saber-toothed tiger with protruding fangs! [You have destroyed Maxius''s armor, which also acts as a seal.] [Maxius''s defense has decreased significantly.] [Maxius''s attack power has increased significantly.] He''d thought that the helmet broke too easily... It seemed like it was meant to be broken. "Die!" Maxius''s face contorted, and he fiercely swung his sword. Earth Scratching Aura! A white three-lined aura shot straight at Kang Oh. Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Tempest Tiger! Arge, beautiful golden tiger flew from his de and crashed into the opposing aura. Boom! The two auras exploded, resulting in a shockwave. Neither Kang Oh nor Maxius were pushed back by the shockwave; they actually charged at each other. sh! A white line cleaved through space itself. w de! Serrated, fang-like energy gathered around Maxius''s de. ng! The two des shed in midair, emitting sparks. "Heup!" "Kyahahk!" The two kept attacking each other. Demon Sword Blood and Maxius''s sword shed several times, and both sides repeatedly used their skills to kill each other. At the same time, they engaged in a battle of wits, predicting each other''s attacks. ''He''s pretty good.'' Kang Oh acknowledged his skill. He wasn''t like other bosses, who moved ording to their instincts and an already established attack pattern. Maxius was more like an NPC; he had a high intellect, could make his own decisions, and could react ordingly! When Kang Oh deliberately exposed himself or used a feint, Maxius wouldn''t fall for it. He also wouldn''t fall for the same thing twice. Thus, it didn''t feel like he was hunting a monster; it felt like he was sparring with a master martial artist. ''This is fun.'' Kang Oh began to deeply immerse himself in the battle. As the battle intensified, Maxius''s armorpletely broke apart. However, that didn''t weaken him at all. Now, only his lower body was covered in brown fur! Once his armor fell to the floor, Maxius came flying at him. He was a sharp, brutal beast, but also a well-trained warrior at the same time! But now that Kang Oh''s concentration was at its peak, ''amazing'' wouldn''t even begin to describe his abilities. It was almost beautiful watching him; he made no wasted movements, and his swordsmanship was sharp and precise. Ultimately, Kang Oh overpowered Maxius. Stab! Demon Sword Blood pierced through Maxius''s heart. Thud! His giant body fell backwards. "Failed to kill... the trespasser..." Those were hisst words. [You are the first to defeat the Cruel diator, Maxius.] [As a reward, Maxius will drop his highest rank items.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh looked at one of the two items that Maxius had dropped. It was an AA-rank oval shield that shone silver, and had an equip requirement of 400. He picked up the other item. It was a brass key. [Storehouse Key] Opens the door to Geskal''s Secret Storehouse, wherever it is. ''The Secret Storehouse''s key!'' Wouldn''t there be treasure there? Moreover, this was a hidden dungeon. He was getting excited. Kang Oh wanted to look for the door, but he had to do something before that. "Rest in peace." He sped his hands together and paid his respects. Then, he picked up the shining item on Radal''s chest. It was ark-shaped ne. [Lark Ne (Keepsake)] The only item that Radal ever received from his deceased mother. He treasured it so much that it never left his body. Returning this ne to the old woman wouldplete the quest. Kang Oh ced the ne into his inventory and turned around. It was time to find the storehouse! However... His conscience kept reminding him of the old woman''s request, as well as how badly she wanted to see Radal. "Mm." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. Ultimately, he carried Radal''s body with both hands and immediately returned to Latnia City. "Ah, Radal!" The old woman wailed after burying her grandson. "Goddess, please take care of his pitiful soul." "I pray that he be delivered by the goddess." "Granny Per, please hold it together." The people nearbyforted the old woman. However, she wasn''t easilyforted, as she cried and cried for some time. Eventually, it seemed like she had managed to calm down just a tiny bit. The old woman, with tears still lingering on her face, came over and bowed at Kang Oh. "Thank you... for bringing back Radal, Savior." [You havepleted the quest, Report Radal''s Death.] "He''s gone to a better ce. Here." Kang Oh passed her Radal''s Lark Ne and his exploration notebook. "Heuk, thank you." After epting therk ne, the old woman began to cry again. "Heup, the notebook... Please take it with you, Savior. I''m sure that''s what he''d want." "Understood." Kang Oh stashed the notebook again. "Please stay strong." That''s all he could say tofort her. He also had no other reason to stay now. He headed back to Muto Cave. [Entering the hidden dungeon, Geskal''s Secret Storehouse.] A magic circle, which had previously transported Kang Oh to Maxius''s circr arena, was installed at the entrance of the dungeon. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t stupid enough to fall for the same trap twice. ''I wonder where the secret storehouse is.'' Kang Oh jumped over the magic circle and began searching the dungeon. There were traps all across the dungeon, but there weren''t any monsters here, so searching was pretty easy. ''So this is where it was!'' He had returned to the circr arena. Kang Oh made his way through the passageway that Maxius hade out of, and discovered... A thick steel door with a keyhole! It was definitely the entrance to the secret storehouse. ''If I''d known earlier, then I would''ve just fallen for the trap again!'' He hadn''t expected the storehouse to be located directly behind the circr arena. That''s why he''d avoided the magic circle at the entrance, and wasted his time looking through the dungeon. It felt like he''d unnecessarily gone through a lot of trouble for nothing! ''Tch, whatever. I found it. That''s all that matters.'' Kang Oh pulled out the brass key and stuck it into the keyhole. What would be inside? Would it be heaps of treasure or a legendary item?" Screech. As it hadn''t been opened in a long time, the hinges were extremely stiff, emitting a harsh ''screech'' sound. Thud! The door hadpletely opened, and what he saw inside was... Absolutely nothing. Kang Oh rubbed his eyes and looked once more. However, he wasn''t seeing things; there really wasn''t anything there. ''Why isn''t there anything here? Did someone get here first?'' "Hmm." Kang Oh briefly thought it over, and then pulled out Radal''s notebook from his inventory. Radal had found this ce first, so there might be some more information inside his notebook. Kang Oh leaned against a wall and began reading through Radal''s notebook. Sometimeter... p. Kang Oh closed the notebook. "Is this a fake storehouse?" Kang Oh muttered as he looked at the empty room. ording to Radal''s notebook, Geskal was once extremely rich, and had hid his fortune somewhere in the Goddess''s Land. Radal had tried to find Geskal''s hidden fortune. However, Geskal had created several fake storehouses all across the Goddess''s Land, so that no one would be able to find his fortune. Which meant that the storehouse Kang Oh and Radal had found was a fake! [You have learned something new regarding Geskal''s Secret Storehouse.] [The dungeon''s actual name is being revealed.] [Geskal''s Bleh Storehouse!] ''Geskal was really rich, right?'' He was also renowned for being a scrooge. So much so that he hid his fortune somewhere within the Goddess''s Land! ''And I''m the only yer that can freely explore the Goddess''s Land!'' Moreover, his solepetitor, Radal, had regretfully died. It was as if the heavens were proiming that ''Geskal''s fortune is yours for the taking!''! "As you wish!" Kang Oh looked at the sky and grinned. * * * Despia was dangerous enough to be called the Land that Borders Hell. Unexpectedly, many people lived in the Goddess''s Land, the deepest and most dangerous part of Despia. It was because many of the Goddess of Death''s followers had moved here in the past. How did they move here? Did they, like Kang Oh''s party, deliberately get eaten by Livi, pass through the portal in its heart, and then go through the volcanic region and Saharamant? No way. Her believers were able toe here directly. How, you ask? Through a giant mirror thaty deep underneath the Great Temple of Death! It was because of the Believer''s Mirror that they were able to travel to the Goddess''s Land. This mirror was essentially a door between the Goddess''s Land and the Arth continent! And it was being used once more. Cyndia and 100 pdins stood in front of the mirror. "Supreme One, please open a path so that we, your humble servants, can fulfill your sacred task." Cyndia reverently knelt on the floor and sped her hands in prayer. "My children, fulfill your calling." A resplendent, divine voice rang out. They couldn''t see the source of the voice, but it was clear who was speaking. It was the Goddess of Death, Deborah! "As youmand." Cyndia deeply bowed her head. Whir! Something strange happened. The world that shone in the mirror transformed into somethingpletely different! "Let us depart," Cyndia said to the closest middle-aged pdin. His name was Muhawk, and he was an old knight that led the Church of Death''s pdins. Cyndia tidied herself up, and then walked over to the mirror. Swish. She passed through the mirror as if she''d just surfaced above water. The 100 pdins followed her soon after. Chapter 290. Church of Death

Chapter 290. Church of Death

Trantor: Boko The central part of the Arth continent. Teros ins. The regional''s specialty resided on the horizon, where the sky and ground touched. The Unbreakable Mirror! This giant, unbreakable mirrory atop a t stone. Many yers believed that there was something more to the mirror, and tried to figure out its secret. Thus far, no one had been sessful. However...! People suddenly came out of the mirror. It was Cyndia and the Church of Death''s pdins. "Look at the Unbreakable Mirror!" "W-What''s going on?" "Who are they?" "They look like priests and pdins... But I''ve never seen their g before." "It doesn''t matter! Let''s record it!" The Teros ins were a hunting ground sought out by many level 150 yers. "To think there''de a day that I step foot on the continent," Cyndia looked around and said. She was born in the Goddess''s Land, and she''d never once left it. "That goes for me as well," Muhawk said. The other pdins shared the same sentiment. No one else had ever used the mirror, aside from the goddess''s first followers. "Where are we going?" Muhawk asked. "First... Let''s find a guide." Cyndia looked at the nearby yers and smiled. * * * A g with a snake head on either end, or an amphisbaena, fluttered through the air. This was the Great Temple of Sabra, the Goddess of Contracts! While most diators served the God of War and Victory, Rakan, merchants, who sought profit and bought/sold goods, worshipped the God of Contracts, Sabra. The Sabra''s Contracts they sold were used by merchants, civilians, and yers alike. However, a unique customer hade to the Great Temple of Sabra. "Thank you for guiding us, Mr. w Hammer." Cyndia bowed her head. She wore priestess robes adorned with a ck ring. "Please don''t mention it. It was an honor to be able to guide you here!" The yer, ''w Hammer'', grinned. He''d been hunting in the Teros ins, but had guided her and the pdins here when she''d asked for his help. "This is the reward I promised." Muhawk passed him a pouch of gold coins. "Thank you. If you need me to take you anywhere else, then feel free to call me, w Hammer!" w Hammer strongly emphasized his name. "See youter. Shall we go, Miss Cyndia?" Muhawk apanied her, and ny-nine pdins followed him. Obviously, they drew the attention of the yers visiting the Great Temple of Sabra. "It looks like another church hase for a visit." "The ck ring on their g... I''ve never seen it before. What church are they from?" "The pdins look really strong. Look at their equipment!" "Is this some new event? It''d be nice if it was... Man, I''m bored." "Let''s keep watching." The yers weren''t the only ones interested. Sabra''s priests suddenly appeared in front of Cyndia''s party! "Hello, I am Lady Sabra''s faithful servant, Crenova. But..." When they were visited by an important guest, Crenova''s role was to be the first to greet them. "Did you reallye from the Church of Death?" He knew that the ck ring was the Goddess of Death''s symbol. But the Church of Death rarely made a showing, so he needed to be absolutely certain that they served the Goddess of Death. "That''s correct. We are the Primordial Goddess''s faithful servants. And we came toplete the Supreme One''s task," Cyndia said calmly. Because their conversation wasn''t exactly a secret, the people watching could hear everything they were saying. [The Church of Death, which serves the Goddess of Death, Deborah, has finally made an appearance!] "Holy crap! A new church has shown up!" "Didn''t the Goddess of Death exist before the continent was even formed?" "A church that worships the Primordial Goddess! This is the first time they''ve appeared, right?" Once it became noisy, Crenova said, "Please follow me." "Understood." Although they followed Crenova into the temple and disappeared, the yers remained interested. "To think they''re from the Church of Death!" "Let me into the Church of Death! Please!" "Excuse me!" Bad news travels fast. Rumors that the Church of Death had made an appearance spread like wildfire. The High Priest, Luina. She was the leader of the Sabra Church. "Wee to the Great Temple of Sabra. My name is Luina. I am the High Priest here." Her age clearly showed. It was only natural. After all, she was over seventy years old. However, she looked much younger than seventy. She looked between forty and fifty. Priests that served a god aged slower than others. "My name is Cyndia. I am a priestess from the Church of Death who serves Lady Deborah. Thank you for the warm wee." Cyndia slightly bowed her head. "I never thought I''d be able to meet a priestess who serves Lady Deborah. It''s a huge honor," Luina said. Her voice was calm and rxed, but also nice to listen to. "The honor is mine." The Goddess of Death, Deborah, was Sabra''s mother. That was why Cyndia hade here first. She believed that Sabra''s followers would do their utmost to help them with their mission! "Did youe from Despia?" Luina asked. The Great Temple of Sabra still possessed a lot of information on the Goddess of Death. That''s how they knew that the Church of Death was located in Despia, and that several of the goddess''s followers had moved there in the past. "That''s right." "It must have been hard to travel all the way here." "No, it wasn''t. The Supreme One herself gave me this task, so it wasn''t difficult at all." "An order from the Supreme One..." She was briefly locked in thought and then continued, "It''s been so long since the Church of Deathst made an appearance. What kind of task could require your presence?" "We''re looking for an escaped convict," Cyndia said. The Mayanes were unforgivable criminals, who rebelled against the gods and hoped to supnt them! This ''escaped convict'' referred to Mayanes Krishan. Luina remained silent, sporting a calm expression. She was waiting patiently for Cyndia to continue her exnation. "The convict is one of the Mayanes. Her name is Krishan. She hasrge, white wings, red hair, and jade eyes. She escaped Despia and is currently hiding somewhere here. The Supreme One tasked me with finding her." Luina attentively listened to Cyndia''s exnation, her lips pressed together in a thin line. "However, the continent is vast, and the Church of Death doesn''t operate on the continent. So please help us." Cyndia had finally revealed why she''de to the Great Temple of Sabra. "So you want us to help you find a criminal who''s hiding somewhere on the continent," Luina said. "Yes." "Understood. I''ll tell our believers to look for this Krishan. I''ll let you know if we find out anything." Luina immediately epted her request. After all, the goddesses they served were mother and daughter, so the Church of Death was no stranger to them. "Thank you." "But I''ve never heard of Mayanes Krishan before." Luina had lived a long time. She was also very learned too. Despite that, she had never heard of ''Mayanes'' or ''Krishan'' before. It was only natural. All knowledge of the Mayanes had been erased, and even mentioning them was forbidden. Thus, people had forgotten they even existed. "Could you tell me more about the Mayanes and Krishan?" Luina asked. "Krishan is extremely powerful, evil, and dangerous. She is also immortal." "Immortal? That is a power only the gods possess... How?" "I cannot tell you anything more. However, I can tell you that we have a way of bypassing her immortality." "I understand. So we just need to find her." "I''m counting on you." Cyndia deeply bowed her head. "I''ll do my best. Is there anything else that you require? Feel free to ask whatever you wish." Luina smiled kindly. "Mypanions and I don''t know our way around. Of course, we don''t know the culture, the history, or the etiquette here either. So I''d appreciate it if you would provide us with a guide for these matters," Cyndia said. "I see. You must be going to the other churches to ask for their assistance. You have to know how to get there." Luina urately predicted Cyndia''s next move. "The Supreme One wishes this matter dealt with as quickly as possible," Cyndia replied calmly. "I''ll send for someone immediately. And may I give you a piece of advice?" "I''ll take it into consideration." "Go to the Adventurer Guild and ask them to find Krishan for you. They''ll definitely be of help to you," Luina said. "Yes, I''ll do that." "I pray that everything goes as the gods will." "As the gods will." * * * Kang Oh returned to Latnia City and gathered information on Geskal, who''d hid his fortune somewhere in the Goddess''s Land. However, he wasn''t able to acquire any information that wasn''t already recorded in Radal''s notebook. "As I thought, it won''t be easy to find." If it was easy to find, then Radal or someone else would''ve found it already. Kang Oh decided not to rush things. ''Let''s take what I can get first.'' He''d make a huge profit by monopolizing all of the dungeons, hunting grounds, and quests in the Goddess''s Land! Kang Oh nned on searching for Geskal''s hidden treasure while making a profit from those. Flutter. Kang Oh spread out his map. He''d already put an X through vik''s Nest and Muto Cave. ''I think I''ll go here next.'' Mt. Biden. Level 400 - 450 beasts appeared on Mt. Biden. He would encounter monster wolves, monster crows, and the Steel Tooth. The wolves were asrge as bulls, the crows let out ominous cries, and the Steel Tooth werepletely covered in metal! The Steel Tooth were shrewd hunters that resembled leopards. ''Yeah, just like Baramut.'' Indeed, they were just like Baramut, the monster tiger he''d hunted so long ago! It had been a seasoned hunter, well-versed in ambushing and running away. The Steel Tooth were exactly the same. They were clever, and excelled in surprise attacks and running away. When they chose to run, they were as swift as an arrow! ''Tch, they''ll be a pain.'' Kang Oh clicked his tongue. Fighting the Steel Tooth was a waste of time. They would ambush him, Kang Oh would counterattack, and then they''d run away. Rinse and repeat. He could stop a few of them from getting away using Darkness Chain, but it wouldn''t be enough; more of them would get away than he killed. ''Eder would be great to have here.'' With his bone magic, he would be able to keep all of the Steel Tooth from escaping. However, it was pointless thinking about it; after all, he wasn''t here right now. Kang Oh skimmed through Mt. Biden,pleted all of the quests there, and then left. He''d pass on this ce! It didn''t offer him anything of value! If there were a boss monster or a hidden dungeon here, then it''d be a different story. However, he couldn''t find either of them here, so there was no point wasting his time fighting normal monsters. Tramp, tramp. He started walking. There were still so many dungeons he hadn''t explored yet. Chapter 291. Saul Graveyard

Chapter 291. Saul Graveyard

Trantor: Boko Tatax''s Trap! Ullevador! Gondra Prison! Child''s Tower! Kang Oh cleared the dungeons one by one. He found one of Geskal''s Secret Storehouses in the Child''s Tower, but it was, of course, just another fake. Kang Oh had also killed Gondra Prison''s boss, which dropped an AA-rank sword. Kang Oh was level 355 now. Leveling up past 300 is supposed to be really difficult, but Kang Oh wasn''t having any problems; perhaps it was because he was hunting monsters over level 400. "Next." His next destination was ''Saul Graveyard''. Sometimeter... The graveyard was surrounded by tall, stone walls, and only half of the barred door was left standing. It was really spooky. His heart pounded. Coming to a dungeon he''d never been to before, one he didn''t know much about at that, was always a thrill. After all, no one knew what would be inside! "Let''s make it big. Let''s make it big," Kang Oh muttered like a prayer, and entered the dungeon. [Entering the dungeon, Saul Graveyard.] Originally, Saul Graveyard was a ce where the denizens of the Goddess''s Land were buried. But one day, undead monsters began to appear, which kept people froming to the graveyard ever since. Anyhow, there were various graves here. The statues and graves hadn''t been properly maintained, so they weren''t in good condition. ''Huh?'' He felt like he''d heard something, so he pricked up his ears. Rattle, rattle. He heard an odd percussive sound, one akin to bones rubbing against each other! Kang Oh froze, and searched for the source. ''That guy is...'' It was a skeleton, an undead body entirelyposed of bones. The skeleton held a luxurious staff, which resembled a twisted bread stick, and wore intricately decorated robes, a belt, and shoes! Skeletons were weak enough that beginner/intermediate yers could fight them. However, this one was different. ''So this is where it spawns!'' Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage! Basically, it was the highest evolution of a Skeleton Mage. For a mere skeleton, it was level 500. It was said that they appeared in the Vestecker King''s Tomb, a dungeon that no yer had conquered yet. ''Let''s get a hit in first.'' Kang Oh grasped a Fire Bomb and forcefully threw it. The Fire Bomb would explode, surging with fire, and then he''d approach and give it everything he got. Whoosh. The Fire Bomb flew through the air, and it looked like it''d hit the Skeleton Mage''s face. However...! Water Shield! The Skeleton Mage quickly cast a Water Shield, blocking the Fire Bombpletely. "Tch!" It didn''t go as he''d expected, but Kang Oh rushed forward regardless. He needed to close the distance! Whoosh! The Skeleton Mage quickly cast another spell, and mmed the end of its staff into the ground. Earth Wave! Thend was upturned, and a wave of dirt came rushing at him. Kang Oh put everything into his thighs, and leapt over the Earth Wave. However, it was a trap! Once he jumped over, the Skeleton Mage raised its staff into the air. Lightning Bolt! A white streak of lightning fell from the sky,ing right for Kang Oh''s head. Since he was in midair, there wasn''t any way he could dodge it. However...! Demon Sword Ubist could absorb magic. The Lightning Bolt waspletely absorbed, leaving no trace behind. [Demon Sword Ubist has absorbed the Lightning Bolt.] [The demon sword''s satiation has increased by 0.0001%.] [Cooldown: 30 seconds.] Kang Ohnded on the floor, and then bounced forward like a spring. Rattle, rattle! The Skeleton Mage gritted its teeth and pointed its staff at Kang Oh. me Pir! Kang Oh felt a cold feeling at his feet, and threw himself out of the way. Roar! mes surged where he''d once been. This was the power of a Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage. It could utilize fire, water, wind, earth, and lightning spells. Moreover, its cast times were short, and its spells were powerful. It also had a ridiculous amount of MP. However...! ''It''s still weak close up!'' A mage''s weakness was close quartersbat. If he got close enough, he should be able to kill it easily. Kang Oh suddenly stood up and closed the distance. His de had gotten within reach of the Skeleton Mage. "My turn," Kang Oh dered icily. At the same time, Ubist cleaved through the air,ing straight for the Skeleton Mage. It quickly retreated and swung its staff. Gust! A vicious wind blew. However, it wasn''t strong enough to push Kang Oh away. Whack! Ubist struck the Skeleton Mage''s rib, causing it to crack. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger pounced on its target, attempting to rip it to shreds. However, a level 500 monster was different from any normal monster. It disappeared! ''Teleportation!'' It was a highly technical spell that allowed the caster to travel across short distances! Tempest Tiger struck the ground, and a Water Spear came flying at Kang Oh from behind. Kang Oh quickly turned around and extended his hand. A small magic circle formed on his palm, and out came a ck chain. Swoosh! At the same time... Bam! The violently spinning Water Spear pierced his flesh. [You have been hit by a Water Spear.] [The Draka set has reduced water damage taken.] [You have lost 23% of your HP.] "Ugh." Kang Oh scowled. However, he didn''t lose his concentration. He kept hold of the Darkness Chain, and managed to ensnare the Skeleton Mage. "Get over here!" Kang Oh screamed, and violently pulled the chain. The Skeleton Mage''s thin leg shook, indicative of its resistance, but Kang Oh was far stronger than it. Rattle, rattle! The Skeleton Mage was pulled feet first. Its bones rattled noisily as it was reeled in. "Die!" Kang Oh held Ubist in a two-handed grip and forcefully swung downwards. Crack! The Skeleton Mage''s already cracked rib broke into pieces, and the fragments flew everywhere. But like any undead, the Skeleton Mage had no sense of fear. Although its rib had been smashed apart, it cast another spell. Exploding Lightning! A cluster of deep blue lightning shot out of its staff. ''It''s useless!'' Suck. Upon contact, Ubist absorbed the spell! He wondered what lightning would taste like. Would it tingle, as if fireworks had gone off in its mouth? Kang Oh quickly shoved such thoughts aside, and immediately swung downwards. Whack! Crack! Shards of light and bone flew through the air. Kang Oh swung his de faster and stronger than before. Whack! That''s what he liked to hear! Every hit made his hands tingle! However, he didn''t get the chance to celebrate, as the Skeleton Mage began its counterattack. Swish! Sharp des of wind passed through his body. ''Dangerous!'' He''d only been hit by two spells thus far, yet his HP had gone below 50% already. The Draka set had even been reducing the elemental damage he''d been taking! Rattle! The Skeleton Mage''s staff began to radiate red light. "Huaahp!" Kang Oh quickly thrust his sword at the ground. Transcendent de! His de shed with transcendent speed. A scar btedly appeared in the center of the Skeleton Mage''s body. ''One more time!'' Kang Oh swung vertically, as if he were dunking a basketball. Darkness Strike activated just in time. A beast-shaped wave wrapped itself around the entire length of his de. Roar! At the same time, the Skeleton Mage cast a me Pir. The two opposing forces shed! Boom! Kang Oh fell to the floor, but he was smiling. [You have defeated a Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage.] [You defeated a monster that was much higher leveled than you. You have acquired arge amount of bonus experience points.] [You have leveled up.] The Skeleton Mage had also been caught in the explosion. But because it was a mage and by definition, physically weak, it had been significantly weakened by Kang Oh''s attacks. Then, it had been caught in the explosion and died. "Hoo." Kang Oh stood up while dusting himself off. Then, he pulled off a health potion from his belt and drank it down. Then, Kunta''s Ring, which resembled an intertwined vine of ck and gold, dimly shined. [Darkness Strike 2] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. Defeat 100 higher leveled monsters using Darkness Strike. Monsters Defeated with Darkness Strike: 0/100. Difficulty: Spontaneous. Reward: Proficiency in Darkness Strike +5%. Kunta''s Ring had activated! At the moment, his proficiency in Intermediate Darkness Strike was at 95%. If hepleted this spontaneous quest, then it''d level up to high-rank. ''The conditions are kind of tough though.'' Darkness Strike had a fixed chance of activating. Thus, he couldn''t intentionally finish off all of the monsters with Darkness Strike. "Eh, I''ll finish it eventually." * * * Like an assorted gift basket, various undead monsters appeared in the Saul Graveyard. However, none of them were weak. There were Hellfire Zombies, which were engulfed in inextinguishable fire, Radioactive Ghouls, which damaged you just by being near them, etc. They were all slightly weaker than the Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage. Then there was the Duhan Master, who''d misced its head, wielding two double-ded axes in its bloodstained hands. He also encountered a group of Skeleton Warriors, which were led by an Elite Death Knight. Lastly, there was the Rag Golem, a monster stitched together using countless corpses. Overall, these monsters were about as strong as the Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage. ''Mm!'' Kang Oh hid behind a half destroyed statue. Roar. The fire wreathed monster horse, or Tehorus, was said to devour memories and only leave behind nightmares. A knight, who was engulfed in ck mist, rode on the horse. It was far stronger than its mount. [You have discovered the Chaos Knight, Jerome.] [It is a named monster.] Death Knightsmanded a legion of undead, while Ruin Knights were like a sharp de, possessing incrediblebat prowess. A Chaos Knight was a being that gained all of their strengths, but none of their weaknesses. ''It should be... over level 600.'' Compared to the other undead here, it was on another level! He''d just barely be able to match it with Gluttony and Devil Trigger. However, he couldn''t predict the oue of the match. ''Let''s not deal with it now.'' Kang Oh held his breath and waited for the Chaos Knight to leave. Normally, he''d hunt monsters without a hitch. However, he couldn''t afford to do that in the Saul Graveyard. The monsters were way too high leveled here. If he discovered three or more monsters grouped together, then he''d avoid them. He would aim for those separated from the packs. The Skeleton Mages were his best target, as they were weak physically, and Ubist could absorb their spells. Fighting the Hellfire Zombies or the Radioactive Ghouls weren''t bad either. He avoided the Elite Death Knights, which led dozens of undead soldiers. You shouldn''t recklessly mess with a hive. It''d take him more than 30 minutes to beat a Rag Golem. After all, it had more HP than most boss monsters. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh had managed to take one down, but it had taken a lot out of him. He leaned against a rectangr grave and rested. Once he had somewhat recovered his Stamina, Kang Oh grabbed onto the gargoyle statue and stood up. However, he shouldn''t have pressed down on its head. All of a sudden, something popped out of the hole in the grave, which was about the size of a 500 won coin. Whoosh! It was a bar coated in deadly poison. Danger! His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. It felt like his heart had frozen solid. Kang Oh quickly shielded himself with Ubist. ng! A metallic ''ng'' rang out. He''d just barely managed to block the bar. "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed in relief and saw the bar return through the hole. ''Traps were set up to keep tomb robbers away I see.'' Graves offered good cover. Thus, he touched or leaned on them. However, the story changed if there were traps set up. Hiding from a monster would bepletely pointless if he died from one of the graves'' traps. ''I have to be careful.'' Kang Oh fiddled with the Cassio Ring. It wouldn''t be able to revive him yet. It hadn''t been 1 month since he''d died to Krishan. Plus, this ce was filled with dangerous monsters that could kill him. Kang Oh carefully walked off, keeping a close eye on his surroundings. Chapter 292. Sword Parry

Chapter 292. Sword Parry

Trantor: Boko ng! Kang Oh deflected the Duhan Master''s double-de axe and then got in close. Whoosh! The Duhan Master wielded two double-ded axes. Kang Oh had deflected one, but another one was stilling. However, the axe''s edges suddenly doubled in size! It was a skill called ''Giant''s Axe''. Obviously, it hadn''t just increased in size. As if it were truly swung by a giant, the speed and power at which it was swung had doubled too. Kang Oh held Ubist vertically, shielding himself from the iing attack. ng! Upon contact, Kang Oh forcefully turned his de to the side. Screech! It resulted in a harsh ''screech'', as if someone were wing at a chalkboard, and the double-ded axe slid off Kang Oh''s de. Bam! Ultimately, the axe lost its original target and hit the ground instead. At that moment... [You parried an overwhelming attack almost perfectly.] ... Several system messages popped up. Kang Oh quickly closed the windows, and thrust his sword at the Duhan Master. He didn''t have the time to read a long list of system messages right now! Bam! Ubist pierced through the Duhan Master''s armor, causing shards of light to spill out. But the Duhan responded so nonchntly, as if it were thinking ''Did a mosquito bite me or something?'', and counterattacked. Whoosh! Kang Oh backed off and got back into position. There was a short lull in the battle. The Duhan Master acted first, spreading out its two axes like outstretched wings. Kang Oh charged forward, Ubist''s tip scraping against the ground. Their intense battle continued. * * * His face was covered by a beast mask; the mask''s eyes glowed red, as if they contained glowing red gems. A beautiful, jet-ck tail came out from behind, filled with glimmering stars like the night sky, and his entire body was dyed ck, as if he were covered in a ck veil. Darkness also rose from his shoulders like a haze. Kang Oh stood proudly, assuming his Jet-ck Demon form. Whereas the Duhan Master had fallen to the floor, as if prostrating itself. The two double-de axes it was so proud of had fallen onto the floor too. What a difference. It was clear who the winner and loser was. Kang Oh turned off Devil Trigger. He was in bad shape. Although wyvern skin was renowned for its toughness, the Draka set was ripped all over and covered in dust. "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed deeply; he waspletely worn out. ''He was crazy strong.'' By using Devil Trigger, Kang Oh had somehow managed to beat the Duhan Master, but it truly was crazy strong. This was the unassable truth. ''It ain''t easy,'' Kang Oh thought. The Saul Graveyard was not to be underestimated. Guooh! Guoh! Guooh! He could hear monsters'' cries. ''This sound is...'' It was the Radioactive Ghouls'' distinct cry. Kang Oh turned his head towards the source of the noise, and saw six Radioactive Ghoulsing towards him. He was at a numerical disadvantage, so he hid behind a nearby grave. Of course, he had to be careful, as he didn''t know whether it had traps or not! Kang Oh held his breath and waited for them to pass. ''Oh, right. Something popped up before.'' Kang Oh reopened the closed system messages that''d popped up during battle. [You have sessfully parried an attack using arge, heavy greatsword.] [You have taught yourself Intermediate Sword Parry (Active/Skill).] [Proficiency 0%.] ''Sword Parry, huh...'' It was a Swordsman skill, which allowed the user to parry an attack with their sword. Although he''d never learned it, Kang Oh asionally parried his opponents'' attacks. However, he''d learned the skill by using it against a Duhan Master (over level 500), with a greatsword at that. Plus, it started at intermediate-rank! Kang Oh peeked his head out and looked around. The Radioactive Ghouls were slowly getting farther and farther away. He rxed and opened the skill window. [Sword Parry (Unique)] Parry your opponent''s weapon with your sword. The sess rate depends on the power of your opponent''s weapon, its speed, the type of sword you hold, and when you use the skill. There is a high chance of failure if used in session. Upon failure, your opponent''s attack is guaranteed to hit. + Dangerous Gamble: If you manage to parry an attack with a greatsword, which has a high failure rate, then your next attack will always be a critical hit. Type: Active/Skill. MP Cost: 50. Cooldown: None. Rank: Intermediate. Proficiency: 0%. "Hoh." When a skill is self-taught, the skill can adjust itself to match the user''s style. A skill or spell can also gain a special ability if a yerpletes a special quest. These were called unique skills/spells. ''So I learned a unique Sword Parry.'' Thus far, he hadn''t needed to learn Sword Parry. Because Sword Parry''s sess rate lowered therger and heavier the weapon was, it didn''t work with a greatsword like Ubist. However, the special ability, ''Dangerous Gamble'', changed things. Depending on the situation, Kang Oh would be able to use Sword Parry with Ubist too. Moreover, Sword Parry was a match made in heaven for his single-handed sword, Blood. ''I''ll use it well!'' Brush, brush. Kang Oh stood up and dusted himself off. He no longer heard the Radioactive Ghouls'' distinctive ''Guooh''. They must be far from here by now. He began walking towards an unexplored area. * * * Altein was thergest city on the continent. It once served as the heart of the Altein Empire, but now it was a free city inhabited by countless citizens and yers. By exiting the north gate and following the road, one would eventually reach a giant temple. This was the Great Temple of Rakan. This temple served as the Rakan Church''s main headquarters; the Rakan Church was widely considered to be the most powerful church in all of Arth. Thus, you could always find hordes of people there! However, there were more people than usual today. A man saw someone off at the gate. He rarely showed his face, and it was even harder to get a private meeting with him; it was the Rakan Church''s High Priest, Mahakan. "I hope you fulfill your sacred task." The High Priest of Blood and Iron, Mahakan, sped his hands together. His voice was as tough and solemn as a rock. "Thank you again for your help." Cyndia also sped her hands together and bowed her head. As ordained, Cyndia was currently looking for Mayanes Krishan. And she''de here to ask for the Rakan Church''s assistance. Her conversation with Mahakan had gone well. The Rakan Church had agreed to help her find Krishan. "Please don''t mention it. I''m merely doing my duty," Mahakan said stiffly. He would help those who needed it; that was the duty of those who had strength. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." "I hope that your path forward is filled with the gods'' blessings." Mahakan prayed for Cyndia and herpanions. Cyndia bowed her head in thanks, and then turned around. "Where to next?" a woman, who''d been quietly standing beside her, asked. She was wearing priestess robes too, but her robes were adorned by an amphisbaena, the Goddess of Contract''s symbol. "The Adventurer Guild. I want tomission them." "I''ll take you there." Her name was Luba, and she was the guide that the Sabra Church had promised. "Please make a path," Cyndia said to Muhawk. "We''re leaving!" Muhawk yelled. Then, the Church of Death''s pdins formed a perimeter around her so that no one could get in. "Please get out of the way. We''reing through!" "We''reing through!" The procession began to make their way through the crowd. "One second please!" "Excuse me!" "I''m from the Asta Guild. Could you please speak with our guildmaster..." "I''ll do whatever you want!" "Where are you headed?" The Church of Death had piqued the yers'' interest; it was as if they''d fallen from the sky itself. "Did youe from Despia?" "How do you get to Despia?" Once it became known that Cyndia''s party came from the Great Temple of Death, which was located in Despia, they began to draw even more interest from the yerbase. "Please get out of the way!" "We''reing through!" The pdins didn''t answer the yers'' questions and merely did their duty. Soon enough, they broke through the crowd. However, several yers followed them. "This way." Luba pointed at the southern road. At the end of the road, they saw the edge of the city. It was Altein. * * * The Adventurer Guild had a branch in every free city. They had four branches here, as Altein was such arge, well-popted city. There was a branch in each of the cardinal directions. The branch that Kang Oh often came to, the one where he got his information, was the northern branch. Cyndia''s party had also passed through the northern gate. "I''d like to take the test to be an adventurer!" "Hmm, what quest should I take?" "Aw, man. My adventurer rank didn''t go up this time either." The door opened, and in came Cyndia, Luba, Muhawk, and five pdins to act as guards. The yers that were following them flooded the branch. Jayce, a veteran adventurer with a scar over his eye, furrowed his brow. "What exactly is..." The branch wasn''t exactly small, so how had it filled so quickly? Luba quickly approached him. "My name is Luba, one of Lady Sabra''s faithful servants. I am also acting as a guide for the Church of Death." "The Church of Death! Mm, please follow me. I''ll take you to the branch manager." A short while ago, Jayce had heard a rumor. Followers of the Primordial Goddess had appeared, and they''d brought several people with them. "Ms. Cyndia, pleasee this way." Jayce led Cyndia and herpanions upstairs. Of course, yers attempted to follow them. However, the guild''s veteran adventurers prevented them from doing so. "Sorry, you can''t go up here." "Anyone not on guild business, leave!" "If you make a fuss, then I''ll throw out all of you!" * * * The branch manager''s room was on the top floor. Knock, knock. "Branch manager, it''s me, Jayce. I have some very important guests that are here to see you." "Please,e in." The branch manager was a thin man who wore sses. His eyes were sharp, and there was a scar on his cheek too. "They came from the Church of Death." Jayce pointed at Cyndia''s party. "Mm, please sit down." The branch manager pointed at the sofa. "Thank you." "We''ll stand." The pdins chose to stand, remaining on guard just in case. "Mr. Jayce, could you please brew us some tea?" the branch manager said respectfully. The branch manager was a high position, but Jayce had been an adventurer for such a long time that he had to show some respect. "Yes, sir!" Jayce left. Then, the branch manager stared at Cyndia and said, "How may I help you?" "I''d like tomission you," Cyndia said. "What kind ofmission?" "I''m looking for a criminal, Krishan." "Krishan? I''ve never heard of him before. Or is it a she? Anyhow, could you tell me more about them?" "Krishan is..." Cyndia began to exin who Krishan was in fair detail. She described her physical appearance, her wings, and her power. "Find, not kill?" the branch manager said. "Yes. We''ll take care of her ourselves. And I''d like tomission as many adventurers as possible. The faster we find her, the better." "Do you have any idea where she is?" "No." "She''s dangerous and you don''t have any clues. For that kind ofmission..." The branch manager looked at her expression and continued, "Normally, you''d leave this to veteran/elite adventurers, but because you want more people searching for her, I''ll allow regr adventurers to take up the request as well." "Thank you." "What will you use as a reward for the quest?" the branch manager asked. Cyndia answered his question with one of her own. "What kind of reward would attract as many people as possible?" Chapter 293. Saul Graveyard’s Secret

Chapter 293. Saul Graveyard''s Secret

Trantor: Boko Rattle. Jayce opened the door and carried a tray inside. "I brought some refreshments," Jayce said. "Please help yourself." The branch manager pointed at the sses on top of the tray; they were filled with fruit juice and ice. "Thank you." "I''ll take my leave." Jayce left. "Let''s continue our discussion. A reward that''ll attract a lot of people..." The branch manager shook his cup, and then continued, "Normally, arge sum of money would do, buttely, adventurers have been preferring quests that offer something special." "Something special?" Cyndia tilted her head. "Mm, what''s the best way to put it. Unique materials, equipment, skills, or spells. Or perhaps another quest, which offers a unique reward uponpletion." "So something that''s difficult to find and has significant value," Muhawk said from beside Cyndia. "Do we have something like that?" Cyndia nced at Muhawk and asked. Then, Muhawk pulled something out of his bag. It was a beautiful, glimmering gemstone that was about asrge as a fist. "This is a precious metal called mithril. I coincidentally came upon it when I was young." "Mithril!" The branch manager looked shocked. Mithril was the greatest metal in the world. It was the best conduit for divine power, so most legendary holy swords were made of mithril. "So you know how valuable this is. Though it''s only a small piece, it''s still quite special. I would like to use this as the reward," Muhawk said, seeing the branch manager''s reaction. "It''s worth more than enough." The branch manager nodded his head. "Are you sure you''re willing to part with something so valuable?" Cyndia stared at him. She too knew how valuable mithril was. No, there was no way she wouldn''t know. After all, those who served the gods, whether it be a pdin, priest, etc., sought equipment made of mithril! "It''s alright. The Supreme One''s mission is far more important than some rock," Muhawk said. His face was firm and unwavering. There were no signs of regret whatsoever. "As the goddess wills." "As the goddess wills." Cyndia and Muhawk chanted. "Mm, then we''ll use this as the quest reward," the branch manager said. "Yes!" Muhawk nodded his head. "If a meeting with you is part of the quest reward, then more people will ept the quest. After all, there are countless people looking to form a connection with the Church of Death." "Then please add that to the quest," Cyndia said. "Understood." After that, a quest was added to every branch of the Adventurer Guild. [Find Krishan] Name: Krishan. She is a beautiful woman withrge, white wings, red hair, and jade eyes. Vines are wrapped around her arms and legs. She is a member of an unknown ancient tribe. If you find her, report her location to the Adventurer Guild immediately! Warning: You only need to find her; killing her is not necessary. She is an extremely powerful being, so please do not fight her! Minimum Requirements: Apprentice Adventurers cannot ept this quest. Reward: Mithril (small quantity), a meeting with the Church of Death. "Who''s Krishan?" "Look at the reward!" "Mithril? That mithril?" "That''s not what''s important here. The Church of Death hasmissioned this quest!" "A meeting with the Church of Death! Is this a link quest? One that''ll allow us to get to Despia?" "Dunno. Anyhow, all you have to do is find Krishan, so I''m taking the quest. If I''m lucky, I''ll be able to get some mithril for free!" "I''ll ept it too!" It went as Cyndia had hoped. Several yers had epted the quest. With this, they''d widened their searchwork. * * * There was one building in the Saul Graveyard that was iparablyrger than the graves. The marble, quadrteral structure likely housed someone''s coffin inside. There were gargoyles statues at either end of the rooftop, and there was a tightly shut metal door in the front. Pushing or pulling did absolutely nothing. It was clearly locked. However, there were differently colored skull buttons on the wall right of the door, much like a numerical keyboard. It was clear that pushing them in the right order would open the door! ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh stared at the nine buttons and thought things over. He was thinking about what order he needed to push them in. The problem was the gold skull in the middle of the 3 by 3 ''numerical keyboard'', or the ''5''. ''Why is this the only one that''s a different color?'' His Hyper Intuition only reacted to the gold skull button. It was telling him that it was suspicious, and that there was something more to it. ''Why?'' In other words, why was his Hyper Intuition only reacting to this one? Of course, there was a chance that pressing only the gold button would open the door. However, that would be way too simple. ''Picking the only one that''s clearly different from the rest would be way too easy.'' If he were the one who''d created this tomb, then he wouldn''t have made it that easy. If they''d have done that, they''d have been better off not making this lock in the first ce. Moreover, his Hyper Intuition wouldn''t tell him what the right answer was. It would only tell him when something was suspicious, or held some sort of secret. It was up to him to do something with that knowledge. If his Hyper Intuition could outright tell him what the right answer was among these nine buttons, then he''d be buying a lottery ticket right now. "Hmm." He didn''t press the gold button; instead, he examined the other buttons and their differences. However, he couldn''t find any discernible differences. Rather than press the gold button, he tried pulling it. Then, Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''This is...?'' He also tried pulling the other buttons too. ''As expected!'' When he softly pulled on them, they felt different. The gold button was the only one that felt like he was pulling something! ''This is it!'' Kang Oh forcefully pulled the gold skull button. Then, the button popped right out. Thud! The door opened. He''d chosen right. However, there was no coffin within the marble building. Instead, there was a set of stairs that went underground. [You are the first to discover the hidden dungeon, Nest Where Death Dwells.] [Fame has increased.] [Hunting in the Nest Where Death Dwells yields twice the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] "Yes!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. ''I found a hidden dungeon!'' Then, something unexpected happened. Even though he hadn''t done anything, the gold button seemed to ''coil up'' and push inwards! It was as if he''d pressed the button. The gargoyles statues on the rooftop simultaneously opened their mouths and shrieked. Biii! Kang Oh quickly covered his ears, but he had a bigger problem to deal with. Guooh! Rattle! Rat-a-tat-tat! Their shrieks had attracted all of the undead nearby. ''Damn it all!'' Kang Oh looked around, saw all of the undead closing in, and quickly entered the hidden dungeon. Thud. As he went downstairs, the metal door shut, and his vision was obscured by darkness. [Entering the dungeon, Nest Where Death Dwells.] Kang Oh pulled out a transparent orb from his inventory. He shook it a few times, and it began radiating dim light. It was a one-time use magicmp. It was sold by the Tower, and was an essential item when light was necessary in a dungeon. With it, Kang Oh could see the inside of the dungeon. It was a simple passageway. There were no monsters that he could see. Tramp, tramp. Kang Oh walked straight forward. A short whileter, the passageway ended, and he found himself somece else. However, the magicmp''s light was too weak, so he was unable to properly make out objects. He forcefully shook the magicmp. Then, the magicmp became even brighter. But in exchange, it would lose its light that much quicker. Kang Oh raised his hand into the air. The magicmp''s light began to illuminate his surroundings. Then... "Heop!" Kang Oh gasped, sporting a reluctant expression. It was unlike him. In front of himy a giant being, one asrge as a small hill. It was definitelyposed of bone, but it still cut an imposing figure... It was a dragon! * * * Dragons were long lived creatures with great intellect. They were the greatest life form, boasting immense magical and physical abilities. In other words, they werest boss worthy. Fortunately, what he''d encountered was a Bone Dragon; an undead dragon, which was made up entirely of bone! Of course, that didn''t mean it wasn''t dangerous. Since it was once a live dragon, a Bone Dragon was an immensely powerful creature. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed. A system message popped up. [You are the first to discover the Bone Dragon that Avoided Death, Akite.] [Fame has increased.] Akite didn''t budge. That was good news for him. Kang Oh didn''t want to fight it. Attacking a raid boss all by yourself was stupid. In case Akite reacted to light, Kang Oh immediately shut off his magicmp. Then, he was thankfully shrouded by darkness once more! He held his breath and slowly backed off so that his feet didn''t make a sound. But all of a sudden, two deep blue mes lit up within the darkness. Rattle. Kang Oh could hear bones ttering too. ''Damn it!'' He was sure of it. The Bone Dragon had awoken. Kang Oh immediately turned around and ran towards the exit. "Light." A voice that wasn''t his own rang out. sh! All of sudden, the room had be bright. The Bone Dragon, Akite, raised its head. Its eye sockets zed with blue fire. Kang Oh didn''t turn around to face it. "Rise." Akite''s jaw rattled, and its voice rang out, even without an amplifying machine. Then, white bones rose from the ground and blocked the exit. Kang Oh didn''t hesitate; he immediately pulled Ubist off his back and swung it at the barrier. Lightning Breath! The Lightning Breath came straight for the bone barrier and broke it to pieces. For a split second, the exit was open. "Stop him." Akite''s jaw rattled once more. The bone barrier had been remade, blocking the exit. Ultimately, Kang Oh had to turn back around. So long as Akite was stopping him, there was no way he''d be able to escape. He decided to use hisst resort. He pulled out a return scroll from his inventory. ''Please!'' Return spells wouldn''t work in some dungeons. Some unique monsters prevented return spells from functioning too. ''I hope this works!'' Rip! He immediately ripped the scroll. However, it didn''t work as he wished. [Akite has prevented you from returning.] ''I''m screwed.'' Kang Oh looked like he was about to cry, but quickly got a hold of himself. He tightly grabbed Ubist with both hands and widened his eyes. "Alright, let''s see how this goes!" Kang Oh decided to fight the Bone Dragon with everything he had. However... Something unexpected happened. Akite moved its jaw, and a calm voice rang out. "Why do we have to fight?" "Huh?" What is he talking about? Kang Oh stared at Akite. It looked like it was smiling. Chapter 294. Bone Dragon Akite

Chapter 294. Bone Dragon Akite

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was quick on the uptake. He''d met creatures that looked like boss monsters, but were actually friendly to trespassers. "Are you a guardian that protects the soul stone?" "That''s right. I''m the Saul Graveyard''s manager, Akite," Akite said. ''Oh, dear god!'' Kang Oh''s lip curled upwards. It felt like he''d been caught in an inescapable trap, but had found a treasure chest inside. "You don''t seem surprised; you must already know about the soul dungeons." "I already own two soul dungeons." He owned Moss Cave, which was located on the continent''s southernmost coast, and the Beast''s Tower, which resided in the western grasnds. "I''m d I don''t have to exin things to you. Then let me ask you this. Do you want to be this dungeon''s master?" "Of course I do. Tell me what you want." In order to be a dungeon''s master, a yer had to either defeat the dungeon''s guardian, or be acknowledged by the guardian. However, Kang Oh didn''t even consider the former option. Beating a dragon by himself was absolutely out of the question. "Dragons like to hoard treasure and gold in their nests. This is my nest." Kang Oh could read between the lines. "So how much do you want?" he said. "I don''t want much." "Ok." Dragons were renowned for their greed. ''I''m d you''re not like them...'' "1 million gold." "Wait, how much?" Kang Oh said. ''You crazy bone lizard! 1 million gold is worth 5 billion won ($5,000,000 USD)!'' The value of gold had depreciated ever since he started ying. When he first started, 1 gold was equal to 10,000 won ($10 USD). As time passed, the supply of gold had increased, and the conversation rate had steadily dropped. Now, 1 gold was equal to 5,000 won ($5 USD). ''As expected, dragons sure are greedy!'' The back of his neck had gone stiff and felt itchy, whereas Akite tilted his head in confusion. "Is 1 million gold a lot?" "Yeah. You''ve stayed in the dungeon for so long that you''re ignorant about the world. 1 million gold is a ton!" "That''s weird. Myst master just gave it to me like it was nothing." "Yourst master? Who was that?" "He died. Humans are so short-lived." Akite groaned. "Short-lived, huh... Well, I suppose from a dragon''s point of view, it''s true." Arth''s dragons lived for 1,000 years. In other works of fiction, dragons could live for 10,000 years or more. Dragons lived much shorter lives in this game, but it was still much longer than the average human''s lifespan. "Humans seem even more short-lived to me, one who has transcended a dragon''s normal lifespan." "Transcended a dragon''s normal lifespan?" "That''s right. Before I died, I turned myself into an undead, allowing me to stay alive. I''ve lived for about 2,000 years now." Kang Oh was wondering how a Bone Dragon was capable of maintaining a sound mental state and using magic, but that exined it. ''Outwardly, he looks like a Bone Dragon, but he''s closer to a Lich on the inside. But is living as an undead truly living? Eh, I guess that''s not important right now!'' "Anyhow, yourst master gave you 1 million gold?" "That''s right." "Must''ve been rich." "He said he was wealthy." Wealthy. Kang Oh thought of one possible candidate. "Was yourst master Geskal?" "That''s right. Do you know him?" "I''ve never seen him before, but I''ve heard of him." He heard that he was a penny-pincher, yet he gave Akite all that money? ''Perhaps...'' "Is this where Geskal died?" "That''s right. His gold coffin rests in my treasure house." "I see. So this is where Geskal hid his fortune!" Kang Oh put the pieces of the puzzle together. Geskal hid his fortune somewhere in Despia! He''d been looking for someone to protect his money once he was gone. In other words, he''d entrusted it to Akite! [You have learned something new about the Nest Where Death Dwells.] [You have discovered Geskal''s Genuine Secret Storehouse.] [If you want his treasure, then kill Akite!] Kill an over level 600 Bone Dragon that looked like a raid boss? Kang Oh waspletely speechless. Heughed emptily, but also thought about how he''d go about killing it. ''It might be possible if I call Vn, Burkan, Eder, Dion, Helena, Bart, and Sephiro. I would need all of them.'' Even then, victory wouldn''t be assured. Plus, Burkan would be hard enough to convince, but he knew he wouldn''t be able to persuade the strongest human, Vn, to help him. Without him, it wouldn''t be worth trying. "What are you thinking so hard about?'' Akite asked, as Kang Oh was just standing there and thinking. "Ah, it''s nothing. Anyhow, if I want the soul stone, then I need to give you 1 million gold, right?" "Exactly." "1 million gold, huh..." There was no way he''d have 1 million gold. If he had that kind of money, then he would''ve bought another house or a building! "Can I pay it on an installment n?" "What''s an installment n?" "I give you a small amount every month. Mm, about 10,000 gold a month." ''If it costs this much, then the reward should be worth more than 10,000 gold a month. Then there''s the various materials and the unique material to consider! If I go with the installment n, then I''ll basically get the dungeon for free!'' It was definitely a good idea; to Kang Oh, at least! However, it didn''t work. "No thanks," Akite said decisively. "How about 100,000 gold every 6 months?" "Not even worth listening to. Stop talking about installment ns and what not!" Akite said, clearly annoyed. "Can I substitute for crowns, gems, or precious items?" Kang Oh asked. "You can. But in exchange, I choose how much they''re worth." So it depended on how he felt. ''I should probably avoid items. He''ll probably value them less than they''re worth.'' "Your previous master was willing to give you 1 million gold on the spot? What could the reward possible be?" "They''re items rted to dragons." "Dragon bone, scales, skin, ws. That kind of stuff?" Every material that came out of a dragon was S-rank, the highest material rank. "There''s also a piece of a dragon''s heart." "A dragon''s heart!" A dragon''s heart was also an S-rank material. But if S-rank wasn''t the highest material rank, then a dragon''s heart would definitely be SS-rank. In other words, a dragon''s heart was unique amongst fellow S-rank materials. ''I wonder how much a dragon''s heart is worth?'' There was no way to tell, since none had ever made their way to the market. "How many of those materials do you give?" "I''ll tell you after you be the dungeon''s master." Kang Oh suddenly had a thought. "So if I, the dungeon master, were to touch your money or treasure, then..." "I won''t forgive anyone who touches my money/treasure, no matter who they are. It doesn''t matter if you''re my master!" The blue fire in its eye sockets burned with even greater intensity. Its voice was both brutal and threatening. "You can''t attack the dungeon master." "Touching my treasure vites the sacred contract. They''ll no longer be my master." "Mm, I see." So he couldn''t use a loophole in the process and take everything for himself. "I just wanted to warn you. You might have a shitty master that tries that someday," he said. ''Like me.'' "Don''t worry about it. No one can touch my treasure." "Yeah, yeah." "Do you want to be the dungeon''s master?" Akite asked. "I''ll think about it ande backter. I don''t have the money on me right now." Kang Oh postponed his decision. ''Getting 1 million gold is a problem, but the bigger problem is whether it''s actually worth investing 1 million gold into this ce.'' It was too hard to make a decision by himself, so he needed to ask for some advice. ''I have just the person in mind.'' Kang Oh thought of the good-natured, generous Man Bok. "Alright. And start telling people that I''m here. No one''s beening here," Akite said. "Yeah, sure." Kang Oh grinned. Sure, that''s what he said, but there''s no way he''d actually spread rumors about the soul dungeon. "Go on." The bones blocking the entrance disappeared. Kang Oh waved his hand and left. Once he''dpletely disappeared, Akite dispelled the Light spell. At the same time, the blue fire in its eye socketspletely disappeared. Darkness and silence had returned to its nest. * * * Kang Oh left the dragon''s nest, and began hunting in the Saul Graveyard once more. [You havepleted the quest, Kill the Saul Graveyard''s Duhans.] ''I''m finally done.'' With this, he''d finished all thirty of the quests he''d received from Latnia City''s citizens. Kang Oh returned to Latnia City. "Ipleted the quests!" "Thank you, Savior! This is the reward I promised." ''Nice.'' Kang Oh ced the gold and rare materials into his inventory and smirked. "Savior, at Atma''s Door..." "I have another request." There were still several people who had quests for him. A few of them were linked to his previous quests. "Please leave it to me!" Kang Oh picked the quests that were easy toplete and yielded the highest reward. He also epted quests for dungeons he''d never gone to before. ''This should be enough.'' Once he felt like he''d epted enough quests, he stopped taking requests. "I have too much to do, so if you''ll excuse me!" "Aah, Savior!" "My request..." Kang Oh quickly left, putting the people behind him, and then sent Man Bok a message. - Mr. Man Bok. - Yes, Mr. Kang Oh? - Are you busy? - Not really. - May I meet with you in Altein? - Understood. I''ll see you in 30 minutes. Viyoom Inn was one of Altein''s many inns. The 2nd and 3rd floors were for lodging, while the first floor was a restaurant and pub. The door opened, and in came Kang Oh and Man Bok. They sat at a corner table and exchanged idle chatter. It was about time to move on. "I''d like to ask your opinion on something," Kang Oh said. "What is it?" "I found a soul dungeon in the Goddess''s Land." "Oh, congrattions." "It''s a dungeon where level 500 monsters spawn. The dungeon boss is even a Bone Dragon." "Oho. A Bone Dragon!" Man Bok''s eyes glinted. "But to be the dungeon''s master, I need 1 million gold." "Pardon me?" Man Bok felt like he''d heard wrong. "1 million gold." "Mm. What are the dungeon rewards?" Man Bok asked. 1 million gold was a lot, yes, but it might not be much of an investment depending on the dungeon''s rewards. "Dragon bone, scales, skin, ws, and a piece of a dragon''s heart." "How many do you get?" Kang Oh shook his head. "There''s no way of knowing." "It''s a risky investment." A risky investment. That was a good way of putting it. "However, if I had 1 million gold, then I''d risk it. Because I''d be spending it now!" Man Bok said. ''You''d risk it because you''d be spending it now?'' Kang Oh thought about what he was saying. He eventually understood why Man Bok hade to that conclusion. "You mean that you''d be able to monopolize the supply of dragon materials?" Man Bok nodded his head. "That''s right. I''d be able to make more than 1 million gold right now with the dragon materials. But I imagine that one day, yers will be strong enough to kill dragons. In the future, investing 1 million gold would be an act of lunacy." If that happened, then they wouldn''t be running a monopoly. "Since the soul dungeon is located in Despia, there''s reason to believe that dragon materials may appear in other dungeons, but they''d be in extremely dangerous locations. Finding a ce like that and then upying it doesn''t sound easy. Moreover, even if you don''t have a monopoly on it, dragon materials, especially a dragon''s heart, are worth more than enough to justify the cost." "I see." Man Bok was essentially saying that if you were to spend 1 million gold on a dungeon, then now was the time. "Now then!" Man Bok lifted two of his fingers. "Now we have two problems left. Gathering 1 million gold, and how to deal with the dragon materials!" Kang Oh stood up straight and stared at him attentively. "I''m all ears!" Chapter 295. In Debt

Chapter 295. In Debt

Trantor: Boko The Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim. They were in charge of the Seorim Store, and ranked 2nd amongst the Numbers. Supposedly, they were so rich that they''d umted a mountain of gold. Wang Seo Rim had been wary of Man Bok in the past. They kept him in check, and eventually went head-to-head with him, which ultimately led to his ruin. With him out of the way, they no longer had to worry about Man Bok''s talent or business acumen. "Mr. Kang Oh, you of all people should be able to gather 1 million gold," Man Bok said nonchntly. "Excuse me?" ''W-Why me?'' "You''ve umted some money thus far, yes? You''re also one of the Numbers, so you''re world famous. Please borrow what you need." "Debt is kind of..." Kang Oh hated borrowing money. Paying interest felt like someone was stealing money from him. "You don''t often get opportunities to make money like this. So please take advantage of the opportunity while you still have the chance," Man Bok advised. "Mm, understood. I''ll try gathering the funds." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''I don''t like it, but I''ll borrow money if I have to.'' "Now, let''s assume you''ve amassed the required 1 million gold and you''ve be the dungeon''s master. You should receive a certain amount of dragon materials every month." "Yes." "Selling the dragon materials as is would be ridiculous. By crafting them into armor or weapons, you''ll be able to sell them for a few times, no, perhaps even ten times what the original material was worth." Kang Oh nodded his head. In a fantasy world, wouldn''t the best equipment be made out of dragon materials? Dragon weapons/armor were top-of-the-line luxury items like Gi, Chanel, and Louis Vuitton. "Plus, you already have craftsmen that can turn them into equipment for you." "I''m not so sure. I don''t really know any craftsmen that are skilled enough to..." "You''re close to the dwarves." "The ck Hammer Dwarves? I don''t think they''re skilled enough to handle dragon materials. At least for now." The ck Hammer Dwarves'' Chieftain, Randelhoff, imed that none of their cksmiths were skilled enough to handle the S-rank adamantium gemstone. Giving them other S-rank materials like a dragon bone, dragon scales, dragonskin, etc. would be pointless. And if those are out of their reach, then handling a dragon''s heart would be out of the question. "A short while ago, I sold them some beer, cigars, and daily necessities. I heard that a great cksmith would be born soon." "Oh, is that so?" That was good news. They''d be able to craft the adamantium ore into a demon sword soon. "If you provide them with the dragon materials, then they can craft them into equipment, and I can sell them. It''d be a perfect arrangement, no?" Man Bok secretly added himself into the mix. A true merchant would seize any opportunity to make money! Kang Oh thought it over. If Man Bok was right, then he''d easily make 1 million gold. Potentially even more than that! Being the sole supplier of dragon equipment would allow them to set prices. ''It''s worth a shot.'' It was literally high risk, high reward. Above all, Man Bok was interested in this business venture. Man Bok had a keen sense of smell when it came to money; if he thought a business would be profitable, then there was no reason to doubt him. "If you want to be involved, then please invest!" He extended his empty hand. It was as if he were asking for New Year''s money. "I''ll try and gather 300,000 gold. In exchange, I want 30% of the profits." "Fine." Kang Oh and Man Bok shook hands. Then, Man Bok said, "Please hurry and gather the rest!" * * * He needed 600,000 more gold. Man Bok would provide 300,000 of the 1 million gold, and Kang Oh had about 100,000 gold saved up. ''Someone that''ll lend me 600,000 gold...'' Kang Oh thought of the Tower''s Director of Water Magic Research, Grano. Even the richest individuals couldn''t sway the Tower with money; they were just that rich. Thus, he believed that Grano would be able to lend him 600,000 gold. However, Kang Oh soon shook his head. Sure, they might lend him the money, but the Tower would ask him to relinquish the dragon materials. ''Hmm, who else could I ask?'' Kang Oh strolled through Altein, lost in thought. Not only were his two demon swords stashed in his inventory, but his face was covered. Plus, people didn''t know about his Draka set yet, so no one recognized him. Then, Kang Oh turned his gaze towards a certain building. He was staring at a white building that resembled a coliseum; upon close examination, however, one would find significant differences between them! It was the Holiseum! ''Maybe...'' Kang Oh headed for the Holiseum. The Holiseum was a diatorial arena. diatorial matches were the favored sport of Altein''s citizens. Thus, the most skilled diators were considered stars. A diator''s poprity determined how much it''d cost to see them. What if the Invincible diator, Burkan, were to appear in the arena? Tickets would cost a fortune, and the huge ''coliseum'' would be filled to the brim. Thus, Burkan could make tens of thousands of gold for just one match. In other words, Burkan was filthy rich, even though he didn''t look like he was. "Brother!" Kang Oh opened Burkan''s door and came inside. "Little Brother? It''s been a while. Have you been well?" He had a huge, robust body, yet he looked like a naive old bachelor, unbefitting his title of Invincible diator. "I was a bit busy. How about you?" "Haha, I''ve been well." "Is everything going well with you and Ms. Dora, no, Sister-in-Law?" Dora was Burkan''s girlfriend. "Of course." Burkan beamed. Then, he opened a ring box, revealing a beautiful ring inside. "I''m going to propose soon." "Congrattions. You haven''t forgotten how much I helped you, right?" Burkan wasn''tfortable with women; he was the type who''d shrink in front of them. Thus, he was an old bachelor, even though he was the Invincible diator. However, Kang Oh had given him a little push, and was paramount in the formation of their rtionship. "I''ll be sure to invite you to the wedding." "That''s obviously a must. I have a favor to ask you," Kang Oh said. This was the reason he''d buttered him up by mentioning Dora. "What is it? I told you before, you have to wipe your own ass." "I''m not asking you to beat someone up or kill a monster on my behalf." "Then what do you need?" "I want to borrow some money?" "Money? How much?" "600,000 gold." "What?" Burkan raised his hand and picked his ear. ''Did I hear wrong?'' "600,00 gold! Do you have it or not?" Kang Oh said firmly, as if he was the one who''d lent money. Unbeknownst to Burkan, he gotpletely caught up in the act. "Yeah, I have it, but..." "Then please lend it to me." Burkan regained hisposure and scowled. "Are you in debt?" "Please just let me borrow it." "No thanks." Burkan folded his arms. It was a sign ofplete refusal. "I''ll pay 10% interest. You''ll get 660,000 gold back." "I can leave it with the bank and I''d get more than that." "Then what do I have to do to convince you?" "First, tell me what you need the money for." "In order to make money!" Kang Oh exined his and Man Bok''s n to make money. "Hmm, dragon materials, huh..." Burkan was locked in thought. Kang Oh kept his mouth shut, and waited for Burkan to continue. "Alright, I''ll lend you the money." "Oh, as expected of you, Brother!" "However!" "However?" "You have a year to pay me back 800,000 gold!" "Ugh." 800,000 gold!? That meant he wanted 200,000 gold as interest. "If you can''t pay me back, then give me the soul dungeon. I know you can transfer ownership." "Mm!" Plus, he wants to use the dungeon as coteral? "There''s no way I''d lend you 600,000 gold without a guarantee. Isn''t that right?" "Can''t you just let me borrow it without all that?" Kang Oh asked. However, Burkanpletely ignored him and kept talking. "Finally, work as one of the Holiseum''s diators. I don''t like the neerstely. Of course, I get everything you make until you pay back what you owe." "Ugh!" If he couldn''t pay back his debt, then he''d have to work it off! Kang Oh wanted to say that they were unreasonable conditions. However, Burkan had all the negotiating power here. "Aren''t interested? Fine then." "Brother, those conditions are too..." "No negotiating," Burkan said firmly, interrupting him. Kang Oh bit his lip. Ultimately, he raised his hands in surrender. "Understood. I ept, so please lend me the money." "Good. Write a contract!" The two wrote and signed the contract, which included everything they''d agreed to thus far. ''To think I''d lose out!'' Kang Oh saw the ''former'' next to his name and shook. He''d often been thetter (the position of power), but he''d never been on the receiving end before. "Ahem." Kang Oh calmed himself down and stared at Burkan. "Give me the money. The 600,000 gold!" "It should be ''Please lend me the money.'', not ''Give me the money.''. You''re the one in debt!" Burkan grinned, seemingly having the time of his life. "Please. Lend. Me. The. Money." "I can''t just give it to you. What if you just take the 600,000 and run?" "Do I really look like that kind of person?" "Yeah." "Tch." ''He knows me too well.'' "Then what do you want to do?" "That soul dungeon, the Saul Graveyard, right? Take me there. I need to make sure you have the coteral." "Understood. Then I''ll call you when I''m ready." "Sure." * * * - Mr. Man Bok, I have 700,000 gold. - Already? - Yes. When will you be ready? - I''ll need about three days. - Understood. Please tell me when you''re ready. - Yes. Three dayster. Latnia City. Kang Oh, Burkan, and Man Bok arrived in the Goddess''s Land via Eder''s transfer magic circle. They made quite the unusual trio. "This is Despia!" "Hmm." Burkan and Man Bok had never been to the Goddess''s Land before. "This way." Kang Oh led them out of the city. Shortly after leaving Latnia City, a Giant Kruger popped out of the ground. "Uooh." Man Bok screamed, surprised by the sudden appearance of the giant-mouthed, hideous beast. But who was he with again? Kang Oh, who was part of the Numbers, and the Invincible diator, Burkan. There was nowhere safer. "It''s a Giant Kruger, huh," Burkan said nonchntly, and swung his dius. Kang Oh immediately barraged it with attacks too. Giant Krugers were renowned for their brutality and tenaciousness! They were rash, ferocious, and powerful monsters! But before Kang Oh and Burkan, it was nothing more than a wild dog. The two of them instantly killed it. "How boring," Burkan brieflymented. "Let''s go." Kang Oh led them to their destination once more. Danger lurked in every corner of the Goddess''s Land. For example, zones filled with cannibalistic nts, or the domain of the hell ants. They weren''t an issue. Kang Oh knew the safest way forward. How much time had passed? "This is the ce." Kang Oh''s party safely arrived at the Saul Graveyard. [Entering the dungeon, Saul Graveyard.] Powerful monsters like the Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage, the Duhan Master, and the Elite Death Knight greeted Kang Oh''s party. But they didn''te here to fight, so they only fought when necessary. And finally...! They could see the marble building and its skull buttons. It was the entrance to Akite''s nest. Chapter 296. Third Soul Dungeon

Chapter 296. Third Soul Dungeon

Trantor: Boko Akite raised its head, blue fire igniting in its eyes. "Light." Bright light illuminated the world. "Mm!" Man Bok, who''d seen Akite for the first time, widened his eyes. On the other hand, Burkan tightly gripped his dius, preparing himself for the worst. "I''m back!" Kang Oh said. "I''ve been waiting for you. Do you have the money?" "That''s right." Kang Oh stared at Burkan and Man Bok. ''Please give me the money now!'' "Before that, I have a question for you, Dragon," Burkan said. "What is it?" "You''re the soul dungeon''s guardian, right?" "That''s right. I manage the Saul Graveyard." "The dungeon''s rewards are dragon materials, right?" "Indeed." "Understood." He''d confirmed Kang Oh''s coteral. After all, 600,000 gold was no small sum. "We''re good now, right?" Kang Oh extended his hand. "Yeah." Burkan passed him a golden scroll. A gold scroll was magic paper that contained a designated amount of gold. Ripping this paper would release the gold that was stored within. Thus, gold scrolls were used when dealing withrge sums of money. Kang Oh opened the gold scroll and examined the sum. 600,000 gold. Nothing wrong here! "I have it right here." Man Bok pulled out a gold scroll without him asking. It did indeed contain 300,000 gold. Then, Kang Oh took out a 100,000 gold scroll from his inventory. In total, 1 million gold! "H-Here." Kang Oh''s voice trembled as he passed Akite the three gold scrolls. Swish. The three scrolls floated into the air and flew to Akite. "It''s definitely 1 million gold." Then, a triangr object flew towards him. There was a dragon''s skull engraved on the surface. ''A soul stone!'' Kang Oh extended his hand and grabbed the stone. Bam! The soul stone radiated intense light, as if a sh bang had gone off. [You have be the master of the soul dungeon, Saul Graveyard.] [You may now exercise your right as dungeon master.] [You may change the dungeon''s name whenever you wish. However, you can only change it once.] "Master, what is your name?" Akite''s jaw moved. "Kang Oh." "Kang Oh. I won''t forget that name." "I''m in your care." "Me too." "Congrattions, Mr. Kang Oh." "Congrats." Man Bok and Burkan said. "Thank you." Kang Oh caught his breath. "Hoo. I''m going to look at the dungeon''s rewards now. Dungeon Management!" A rectangr system window popped up. [Dungeon Management - Saul Graveyard] Saul Graveyard is the Goddess''s Land''s first graveyard. Once the Bone Dragon, Akite, began living here, undead monsters began to appear. It also serves as the secret storehouse where Geskal hid his fortune. (Addendum) Kang Oh selected the ''Dungeon Reward'' tab with his finger. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 20 Dragon Scales. 10 Dragon Bones. 10 Dragonskin. 5 Dragon ws. 2 Dragon Blood. 1 Piece of a Dragon''s Heart. "Mm." It offered more dragon materials than he''d expected. In exchange, it didn''t give him any gold. "How are the rewards?" "They''re better than I expected." Kang Oh then exined exactly how much of each material the dungeon would give him. "You should be able to craft dragon equipment with that much," Man Bok said. "I''ll receive the rewards in a month, so that''s when our work will begin in earnest." "It''ll go well," Man Bok said calmly. "It has to. Isn''t that right, Little Brother?" It was no different from a threat. Burkan was basically saying, ''If it doesn''t go well, then prepare yourself.''. "O-Of course!" "Ah, that''s right. Master, there''s something I have to tell you," Akite said. "What is it?" "If someone offers me more money than you, then I''ll give them the soul stone." "What?" ''What the hell!?'' "Don''t worry. If they don''t have any money, then I''ll show them no mercy." Akite roared. "No, that''s not the issue here. You''ll give the soul stone to just anyone so long as they give you more than 1 million gold?" "That''s right!" Akite said firmly. "Who the hell does that!?" "Me." Kang Oh''s face crinkled. ''You money-grubbing dragon!'' "If that happens, will ownership be automatically transferred?" Man Bok asked. His face had gonepletely stiff. ''That can''t happen.'' "No. If an intruder gets their hands on the soul stone, then the dungeon master or their stand-in will fight in a one-on-one fight. Whoever wins the fight will gain ownership of the soul stone." "I see." Man Bok nodded his head. Kang Oh stared at Burkan. "I have some work for you, Brother." "No thanks." Burkan shook his head. "You want me to be your proxy, right?" He read Kang Oh like a book. "Exactly." "I told you, you have to wipe your own ass..." "If someone steals the soul dungeon, then you lose your coteral. So this is your problem too." Fortunately, only Kang Oh and hispanions hade to the Goddess''s Land. However, he couldn''t afford to lower his guard; after all, NPCs could own soul dungeons too. "Hmm." "I just want you to be my proxy until I''m sufficiently strong enough." Kang Oh was confident in his strength. He wouldn''t lose to another yer. But what if he fought a Master like Vn or Burkan? That would be apletely different story. He couldn''t beat a Master yet. "Please!" Kang Oh bowed deeply. "I got it." Ultimately, Burkan epted his request. "Thank you." "What a relief." Man Bok could rx now. After all, theirst bastion was the Invincible diator, Burkan. "Akite, this man will be my proxy for the sacred duel." Kang Oh respectfully pointed at Burkan. "Understood." The soul stone expelled an orb of light, which spun around Burkan, and then returned to the soul stone. "He''s been registered as your proxy." "Thanks. Ah, and please activate the magic circle." "No problem." A dim purple magic circle appeared in the corner. "Keep this safe too." Kang Oh shook the soul stone. "Got it." The soul stone floated into the air and then flew to Akite. Akite opened its jaw, devouring it, and the soul stonepletely vanished. "Are we done now?" With this, Kang Oh had acquired his third soul dungeon. It wasn''t all good news though. After all, he had to pay Burkan 800,000 gold back. * * * A man opened the door and entered the cafe. He looked like he was in his mid-thirties; he was good-looking and had great style too. However, he looked tired, evidenced by the dark bags underneath his eyes. "Over here." Jae Woo, who''d been waiting for him, waved his hand. "Mr. Jae Woo! It''s been a while." Park Jin Cheol smiled. He was one of GBS''s producers. "Yes, it has." The two greeted each other and then ordered some refreshments. "Why did you ask to see me? I don''t recall you sending me any clips..." Jin Cheol asked. "I didn''t call you to sell footage. I wanted to talk to you about First Kill," Jae Woo said. Jin Cheol had asked Jae Woo to star in First Kill. It was a program that focused on defeating monsters that were considered ''unbeatable''. When Jin Cheol had first given him the offer, Kang Oh had been so busy exploring Despia that he''d refused. However, the situation had changed. Eder had regained his body, and he''d made a lot of progress on the exploring front, so he couldn''t afford to let go of an opportunity to make so much money. Moreover, he had a ton of debt, so he needed to make money whenever he could! "First Kill?" "Yes." "Mm." Jin Cheol looked troubled. "What''s the matter?" "We got someone else to do it because you weren''t avable. Plus, the concept of the program was changed a bit." "Tch. Is that so?" Jae Woo disappointedly clicked his tongue. "Understood. Then I guess it can''t be helped." "I have a new offer if you''re interested." "A new offer?" "Yes. Please take this." Jin Cheol pulled out a tablet from his briefcase, touched it a few times, and then passed it to Kang Oh. "First Hunter?" The tablet showed the project proposal. The program''s prospective name was First Hunter. Jae Woo touched the tablet and carefully examined the n. "This is..." First Hunter''s main concept was simr to First Kill''s original concept: conquering unconquerable monsters! However, it was changed to three teams taking on these unconquerable monsters. Whichever team killed the boss first would receive a significant reward from GBS. "The three teams have already been decided. They''ve already signed their contracts too. But if you sign on, then we''ll change it to four teams," Jin Cheol said. "There''s no appearance fee." "Yes. In exchange, the reward for killing the monster is huge." "So the winner takes all. The losers get nothing." "We offer rewards for five monsters. Which means there are five chances to get that huge reward." "How much is the reward?" "The reward for each monster is a secret." "How much is it in total?" "Here''s a hint: 100 million ($100,000 USD)!" Jin Cheol said. ''So it''s more than 100 million won.'' Jin Cheol said ''100 million'' for a reason. He''d chosen a roundabout way of telling him that the total reward was more than 100 million. "The teams are a secret too, I assume?" "We''ll let you know on the first show." "Are there any Numbers?" "Maybe." "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. ''Should I do it or not?'' "It''s a chance to make a lot of money," Jin Cheol whispered. ''He knows me too well. I''m incapable of turning down money.'' "I''ll do it." "You made the right decision. However, we''re under a tight schedule. The first shoot will be next Monday. Is that ok with you?" Next Monday. Today was Monday, so it''d be in exactly one week. "I''m fine with that." "Please sign here." Jin Cheol touched the tablet a few times, and the contract appeared on the screen. Jae Woo''s name was already in the contract. "You knew this would happen when I called," Kang Oh said. The contract had already been prepared for him. "I prepared it just in case. And it was a good thing I did." Jin Cheol beamed. Jae Woo carefully read through the contract, and then signed next to his name. "Please take care of me." "Let''s do our best together. Ah, do you need something to conceal your face this time?" Jin Cheol asked. In the past, Kang Oh had worn a helmet on Dungeon Conquering Man (He Who Conquers Dungeons) because he didn''t want his face shown to the public. "Please prepare a good one for me." People knew what Jae Woo''s in-game character, Kang Oh, looked like, but they didn''t know that he''d scanned himself to create his character. That''s what kept him from getting bothered in real life. Jae Woo didn''t want to lose this freedom. Chapter 297. Inside the Car

Chapter 297. Inside the Car

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo was getting ready to go out. Normally, he''d just wear a T-shirt, jeans, and a jacket, but the fact that he was ''getting ready'' meant that today was special. "Mm, that''s fine," Mina looked at his selection and said. It was just a navy suit, but because of his work at the kendo dojo, his body filled it out nicely. "Wear this over it." Mina passed him an overcoat. "Alright." "Sit down. I''ll fix your hair." Mina began rubbing his hair with wax. "How have things been going with your boyfriend?" Jae Woo asked. "What do you mean?" "You''re still a minor, so keep it wholesome," he said rigidly. "Don''t worry about me." Mina pulled his hair. "Ugh." Jae Woo scowled at the sudden onset of pain. "Come home on time, and on the off chance that you sleep over, then..." "I''m going to pull out all your hair." Mina stared and brutally threatened him. "..." Jae Woo kept his mouth shut. He wanted to say more, but he decided against it. ''My hair''s important to me, after all.'' "You''re so much better when you''re quiet," Mina said savagely. She smiled and then styled his hair, her fingers moving with familiarity and skill. "I''m done." ''It''s not bad!'' Jae Woo looked at himself in the mirror and liked what he saw. "Thanks." "Give it." Mina extended her hand. "Sure." Jae Woo pulled out 30,000 won ($30 USD) from his wallet. It was payment for services rendered. "Hehe, thanks." Mina snatched the cash and returned to her room. "Guess it''s time for me to leave." Jae Woo looked at the living room clock, and then left the house. * * * Jae Woo had agreed to meet her at this ssy cafe. ''I came a little early.'' He checked the time; he''de 30 minutes early. Jae Woo leaned back in thefy chair and waited for her. Then, he thought about his ns for the future. ''I guess First Hunter''s shoot is first. I''ll be busy for a while.'' He had to go to the studio for his shoot, and he also had to kill the monster for the reward. Whenever he had free time, he had to explore Despia too. When he starts receiving the dragon materials from his new soul dungeon, then he''d be able to begin his new dragon equipment business in earnest. Fortunately, there wasn''t much that he had to do on his end. The ck Hammer Dwarves could craft the equipment, and Man Bok would sell the finished goods. ''I have toplete the goddess''s quest too.'' Killing Krishan, as well as the rest of the Mayanes, and reiming the God of Creation''s sources took priority over all else. His schedule was packed; his shoot, exploring Despia, and the goddess''s quest! He''d have his hands full in the future. ''I hope he doesn''t give me any Guardian of the Continent tasks.'' He already had plenty on his te, but what if Vn were toe and give him a Guardian of the Continent rted task? There wouldn''t be enough of him to go around. Ring. The doorbell rang. Jae Woo came back to reality and stared at the door. A girl wearing a woolen hat and sunsses entered the cafe. She was also wearing a white trench coat; she truly reminded him of an angel. ''Man, she''s pretty.'' As he admired her beauty, he realized how lucky he was to be her boyfriend. Soo Ah came over and smiled. Jae Woo smiled back. "You came early." "Yeah, you too." "Let''s buy some drinks and go." "Sure." Jae Woo and Soo Ah bought some warm coffee and left. There was a yellow car waiting for them in the parking lot. "It''s cute." That was his opinion of it anyway. "Please get in." Soo Ah got into the driver''s seat, and Jae Woo sat in the passenger seat. Whoosh! The car moved smoothly. Soo Ah lookedpletely rxed as she spun the steering wheel. "Do you drive often?" "I drive asionally. You don''t have a license, do you?" Soo Ah asked, keeping her eyes on the road. "Yeah." He had neither a driver''s license nor a car. "I can teach you. Would you like to learn how to drive?" Her teaching him how to drive with that gentle voice of hers... Moreover, during the lesson, they''d be alone in the car. It didn''t sound like a bad offer. "Maybe I should." Jae Woo grinned. After she''d changed gears, Kang Oh saw her soft, white hand on the stick. He ced his hand atop hers and softly grabbed it. "Your hand is so pretty." "Hehe." Soo Ah smiled. Whoosh. The car drove across the road. The two looked quite happy. * * * The car stopped. They could see a giant screen through the windows. It looked like a movie theater. It actually was a movie theater; a drive-in theater! Apparently, they were showing an old movie that Soo Ah wanted to see. However, it was only being shown in a drive-in theater, and Soo Ah had asked him to see it with her. Jae Woo agreed 100%. He didn''t really care what the movie was, so long as he was alone with Soo Ah in the car. "They sell popcorn and some other refreshments over there. If you want something, then you can go buy it ande back." She pointed at the stall. "I thought you didn''t eat anything when you watched a movie?" Jae Woo knew that she liked movies, especially the ssics. He also knew that she didn''t eat anything while watching movies so that she couldpletely focus on the movie itself. "I don''t." "Then I''m good." The screen exined what frequency they should set their car''s radio to, moved on to some ads, and then showed the movie. They could hear the music and dialogue via the car''s speakers, and Soo Ah watched the movie screen with sparkling eyes. At first, Kang Oh wasn''t interested in the movie. He didn''t really care what movie it was, as he''d be able to hold her hand, see the side of her face, and spend time together. He watched Soo Ah focus entirely on the movie, and at some point, he did as well. The movie portrayed the rtionship between a man, who could travel to the past, and a gentle, beautiful woman. It was a good movie, which questioned what true love, life, and happiness were, and came to its own conclusion. The two''s rtionship progressed like flowing water, and the gradual deepening of their rtionship felt natural, making it worth watching. ''I want to live a long, happy life like that with Soo Ah!'' Kang Oh suddenly thought. "How was it?" Soo Ah said after the movie was over. "I was happy throughout the movie." After all, he''d spent time with the girl he loved, watching a good movie. "Me too." Jae Woo and Soo Ah began discussing the movie. They talked about what their favorite scene was, the actors'' performance, the feelings it evoked, and what they thought about happiness, life, and love. The two spoke enthusiastically and at length, so much so that they got hungry! Grumble! All of a sudden, Soo Ah''s stomach grumbled, causing her to blush. "Woah, was that thunder?" Jae Woo turned his gaze, smiling impishly. "What? What noise?" Soo Ah feigned innocence. ''Female idols don''t even use the restroom!'' her expression seemed to say. However, she couldn''t help the reddening of her face and ears. "You didn''t hear it?" "Nope!" "That''s weird. I''m pretty sure I heard it from here." Jae Woo poked her stomach, and Soo Ah defended herself. "Hey, you shouldn''t touch ady''s body like that!" Jae Woo just smiled. ''She''s so cute.'' Her actions were just so adorable! Man, he''d fallen for her hard. "Let''s go eat. Better hurry; we don''t want to hear anymore thunder." "I''m telling you, there wasn''t any noise!" Soo Ah fought back till the bitter end. "It''s ok, it''s natural. Why don''t you let out some gas while you''re at it?" "Oppa!" Soo Ah red at him. It was the same way that Mina would look at him sometimes; it was really brutal! "Let''s go eat. I''m really hungry," Jae Woo said, changing the topic. He also looked as pitiful as he could. If Eder or Sephiro could just see him now... they would punch him or shoot an arrow at him. "Hmph, fine. Let''s go eat." Soo Ah stopped ring at him. "What do you want to eat?" "How does udon sound? There''s a great udon restaurant nearby." "Sounds good!" * * * In no time at all, the sun had set and night had settled in. Jae Woo got out of the car. "Take care, Oppa. Be careful." Soo Ah cutely waved her hand from the driver''s seat. "Be careful? My house is right here." Jae Woo pointed behind him. The streetlight was illuminating the alley, and his house was right across from it. "But thanks for worrying about my safety." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Hehe, it''s nothing." Soo Ahughed. "Drive carefully, and call me when you get home." "Ok. Then I''ll get going now." "Take care." Jae Woo waved his hand. Whoosh. Her and her yellow car left. Jae Woo stared at the back of her car as it got farther and farther away, locked in thought. Soo Ah was an incredibly popr idol. Thus, he had no choice but to be careful when meeting her in real life. But using a car eliminated that problem entirely; no one would pay them any mind when they were inside a car. Moreover, it allowed them to be alone in a confined space! In the future, it felt like they''d have more dates in the car. Since he didn''t have a license or a car, Soo Ah would have to drive every time and drop him off. He didn''t want that. His pride as a man wouldn''t allow it. ''Let''s get a license, and buy a car too!'' Jae Woo grinned as he envisioned him driving Soo Ah and taking her home. * * * GBS''s cast waiting room. Jae Woo sat in his seat, waiting for First Hunter to begin. Knock, knock. "Come in." Jin Cheol opened the door and came inside. He was holding a helmet in his hand. "I have what you requested." Jin Cheol smiled. "Thank you." Kang Oh took the helmet and carefully looked it over. It was a silver helmet that covered everything above the nose. It was simple,cking any sort of ornaments or feathers, but it wasn''t unfashionable either. ''It looks fine.'' "Please try it on," Jin Cheol said. Jae Woo nodded his head and did as he asked. The helmet was a bit too big, but it wasn''t ufortable. It did narrow his vision, but it wasn''t bad enough to ask for a recement. Jae Woo looked himself over in the mirror. He looked like a viin in a fantasy novel or movie. "It''s not bad." It was better to be a viin that did the backstabbing than be the hero that got backstabbed. "Good luck on your shoot today. I''m rooting for you!" Jin Cheol clenched his fist. "Yes, I''ll do my best," Kang Oh replied. "I''ll see youter in the studio." Jin Cheol bid him farewell. "Take care." Jin Cheol left. A short whileter, someone else knocked on the door. Knock, knock. ''Who is this?'' "Pleasee in." It was one of the staff members. "The shoot will begin soon. Please follow me." "Understood." Jae Woo stood up. It was finally time! * * * "Please wait here." Jae Woo sat in his designated seat. There was a giant veil in front of him, obscuring his vision. "We''ll begin the shoot now." He heard a staff member''s voice from beyond the veil. The camera turned around, and the bustling staff members either moved around carefully or stood still and watched. Of course, Jae Woo couldn''t see what they were doing from beyond the veil. "Hello, viewers. I''m the MC of First Hunter, Jeon Seong Gook." He could hear a bright, cheerful voice. ''This voice is... It sure has been a while.'' Jae Woo had once starred in GBS''s Dungeon Conquering Man. At the time, one of the MCs had been Jeon Seong Gook. He was shameless enough to call himself the face of GBS, but he was a skilled MC. "What, you''re curious about the veil behind me? I''m curious too. The staff tipped me off; there are amazing people behind the veil. I wonder who they are!?" ''Yeah, who are they?'' Jae Woo was just as curious to find out who they were. "You usually save the best part forst. Isn''t that right? First, let me exin what First Hunter is all about. Everyone, please take a look at the screen." Seong Gook pointed at therge monitor. The monitor hung from the ceiling, so Jae Woo and the rest of the contestants could see it. Ding! The screen showed a prepared clip. Arth''s yer base ims that some monsters are impossible to kill. Each of these monsters has a huge bounty on them! Experienced hunters havee forth, ready to kill the monsters and take the reward. They aren''trades butpetitors! Who''ll be the one who kills the previously unkible and takes all of the bounties for themselves!? It pretty much just exined what First Hunter was all about. Jae Woo felt sleepy, and forcefully stifled a yawn. He already knew what the program was all about, so he waspletely uninterested in the clip. Fortunately, he received some good news once the clip ended; news thatpletely blew away his sleepiness. "Now then!" Like an MC of a pro-wrestling match, Jeon Seong Gook raised his hand, the one holding the script, into the air and drew the contestants'' attention to him. "Let me introduce our great hunters, those who''ll hunt these unbeatable monsters!" Kang Oh opened his eyes. ''Seriously, just tell me who else is here already!'' Chapter 298. First Hunter

Chapter 298. First Hunter

Trantor: Boko "Let''s introduce our first hunter!" Jeon Seong Gook raised his voice. Drum roll! A video yed on the screen, and the studio was filled with rousing music. "You''re sure to find them where there''s a mystery afoot! The legendary explorer party! Blue Sky''s leader, Marco!" They removed one of the curtains, revealing a foreigner that waved at the camera. He was as good-looking as a foreign model. ''Blue Sky!'' Jae Woo''s eyes gleamed. ''They''ve started things off with a big shot!'' Blue Sky believed that no mystery was unsolvable. They had already solved so many of Arth''s mysteries. For example, they had conquered the Tower of Mystery, restored the forgotten myth of Turkal, cleared Keleman''s iprehensible quest, revealed the Book of Origin, Admor, etc. "Need I say more? They are the greatest explorers!" Seong Gook was right. In terms of clearing quests and solving the continent''s mysteries, they were unequaled! Not only that, but Blue Sky''s leader, Marco, was the only yer to have gained the title of ''Great'' Adventurer. To top it all off, he was ranked 17th. "I''d like to speak to you, Mr. Marco, but we''ll have to hold off on that until after we''ve introduced everyone." Seong Gook waved his hand, as if he were swinging a baton, and drew everyone''s attention. Then, he pointed at the next curtain. "Now, let''s introduce the next team! If Blue Sky are the best explorers, then the Sword Mercenaries are the best mercenaries! The Sword Mercenaries'' vice-captain has joined us today. Let''s wee Mr. Strong Punch!" Another curtain fell, revealing bulky men in their mid-thirties. If he were shooting a mob movie, then these guys might be his first choice; they just had that look to them. They fit the stereotype, but they definitely weren''t gangsters. The Sword Mercenaries was made up of martial artists, and ''Strong Punch'' was a ck belt in Taekwondo. ''Impressive.'' First it was Blue Sky, and now it was the Sword Mercenaries. The Sword Mercenaries was one of the top five mercenary groups. Some people went as far as to say that if they quit their mercenary work, then they''d be one of the 5 great guilds, or even be the 6th great guild. "It''s nice to meet you, Mr. Strong Punch!" Seong Gook said curtly. Contrary to his tough exterior, Strong Punch very politely bowed his head. "We''ll talk moreter. Now then, I wonder who''ll show up next?" They removed the third curtain, revealing a cool woman behind it. She was in her mid-twenties at most, but she seemed incredibly mature for her age. "I''m sure you already know what the Breaker Guild is. After all, it''s one of the 5 great guilds! This is Ms. Snow Flower, a swordswoman that leads one of the Breaker Guild''s three squads, the Leopard Squad!" ''Snow Flower!'' She may not be one of the Numbers, but her skill was on par with them. Helena was the strongest mage in the game, while Snow Flower was considered the strongest swordswoman. She was also ranked 12th, making her the second highest ranked female yer. The Leopard Squad consisted of only the most skilled female yers, and their teamwork was the best among the Breaker Guild''s three squads. "I''d like to speak with you, Ms. Snow Flower, but please wait just a little longer!" Seong Gook pointed at the final curtain. "Let''s introduce the final contestant that''ll join our star-studded cast!" Dun dada dun! Thunderous music yed. "Does he even need an introduction? Monsters that catch his eye will never escape; the strongest predator, Mr. Kang Oh!" Seong Gook yelled at the top of his lungs. The curtain opened slowly, revealing a helmeted Jae Woo behind it. With this, all of the contestants had been revealed. Blue Sky''s leader, Marco! The Sword Mercenaries'' vice-captain, Strong Punch! Captain of the Leopard Squad and executive of the Breaker Guild, Snow Flower! The Numbers'' ck Beast, Kang Oh! It truly was a star-studded cast. * * * The shoot continued. Seong Gook spoke with Marco first. "Please say hello to our viewers and give us a brief introduction of yourself." "Hello. I''m the leader of Blue Sky. My name is Marco. My game ID and my real name are the same." Marco grinned. It was like he came straight out of a magazine. "You''re really good-looking!" Seong Gook gave him a thumbs up. "You exaggerate." "To my knowledge, you originally came from Spain. You''re quite fluent in Korean," Seong Gook said. "My maternal grandmother is Korean, so I was always able to speak it. I lived in Korea for quite some time, and before I knew it, I was better at speaking Korean than Spanish." "Aha, I see. But Mr. Marco." "Yes?" "Blue Sky is more proficient in exploring than hunting. After all, Blue Sky is a collection of the best explorers in the game. So why did you decide to participate in First Hunter, when it focuses on hunting rather than exploring?" Seong Gook asked. "I wanted to let people know." "Know what?" "That Blue Sky isn''t just good at exploring. We''re just as good at hunting." "So I can look forward to your performance?" "You may." After that, Seong Gook asked him a few more questions, and Marco politely answered them without any issue. "I have onest question. Who are you most worried about?" "They''re all amazing people, but if I had to choose..." Marco stared at Jae Woo, whose face was half-concealed by his helmet. "It would be Mr. Kang Oh." "Is it because he''s one of the Numbers?" "Yes. I''ll be keeping an eye out for him." "Understood!" Then, Seong Gook conversed with Strong Punch and Snow Flower. He would always end by asking them who they were most concerned about. "Mr. Kang Oh. If I get the chance, I''d like to fight him," Strong Punch, who had a strong presence, said. "Mr. Kang Oh," Snow Flower replied, but didn''t add any reason behind it. "Now then, let''s speak with Mr. Kang Oh, who everyone''s so concerned about." It was finally Jae Woo''s turn. "It''s been a while." Seong Gook acted like they knew each other. It must be because they were on Dungeon Conquering Man together. "Yes, it has." "You''ve done well for yourself since then. You even joined the Numbers!" "I suppose." "Please say hello to our viewers and briefly introduce yourself." "Hello, my name is Kang Oh." Jae Woo kept his introduction extremely brief. "Is ''keep it brief'' still your motto?" Kang Oh always kept his responses short on Dungeon Conquering Man. "People don''t change that easily." "Understood. Let me ask you some questions." He asked questions like ''What have you been doingtely?'', ''Has anything changed for you after joining the Numbers?'', ''What are your thoughts on First Hunter'' or ''How prepared do you feel?'', etc. Jae Woo answered with ''I''ve been doing well'', ''People I''ve never met before act like they know me'', and ''The reward is mine!''. As always, he kept it brief. "What half-hearted answers. I understand!" Seong Gook said sarcastically. Jae Woo just shrugged his shoulders. ''Who cares?'' Seong Gook sighed and said, "This is myst question. Yourpetitors think you''re the biggest threat to them. Who in your mind will pose the most trouble to you?" "Hmm." Monster hunting was Kang Oh''s specialty, so he was confident that he''d do better than anyone. However, the other contestants were not to be underestimated. ''Blue Sky has a ton of connections. Plus, they''ve cleared countless difficult quests before. The Sword Mercenaries'' special-ss mercenaries are the best of the best. Finally, Snow Flower''s a leading member of the Breaker Guild, one of the 5 great guilds.'' If he were to pick the most annoying contestant, then it''d be... "Ms. Snow Flower." "Why is that?" "Because she''s one of the Breaker Guild''s executives." Support from arge guild was huge. "So if she wasn''t an executive of the Breaker Guild, you wouldn''t be worried about her?" Seong Gook asked, sporting a mysterious expression. "Then I''d have picked Mr. Strong Punch, since the Sword Mercenaries'' support is not to be underestimated." "I see. Thank you." That was the end of their Q&A. "Then let''s reveal the first monster that our distinguished hunters will have to kill. Everyone please look at the big screen." Drum roll! A monster appeared on the screen, one with a particrly strong presence. Its entire body was pale gray, which meant that it was a ghost-type monster. It was about 3 meters tall, and its entire body was covered in armor. Two purple fireballs zed beneath its visor, and it wielded a giant sword in one hand. It was muchrger than even Ubist. "Ugh, save me!" "Run!" "Shit. How the hell are you supposed to kill this thing?" With each swing of its sword, yers would die. Based on their armor, they were at least level 300 yers! Despite that, they werepletely ughtered. ''As expected of the 3 Second Demon.'' The 3 Second Demon. It was called that because you only had about three seconds before it killed you. Some yers even said that three seconds was too long. Anyhow, the screen showed countless yers attacking the monster, but they all died in the process. "We can''t beat it." "It doesn''t matter how high leveled you are. Why? Fight it and you''ll find out. No, die and you''ll find out why!" The video entered with an interview of the yers who''d fought the 3 Second Demon before. Some of the yers were quite famous too. One of them was called the Tanking Machine, a yer whose defensive prowess put him on the level of high rankers. He ended the interview with... "It cheats." Snap. The giant monitor froze. "Ugh, it''s quite the formidable monster." Seong Gook made a big fuss over nothing. Then, he stared at Jae Woo and said, "Mr. Kang Oh. Do you know what that monster is?" "I''ve seen it firsthand." "Did you kill it?" "No. I ran away." "Mm, a monster that even makes one of the Numbers run away! Then let me introduce it again. The monster that you have to kill is the Roaming Galmoss!" The 3 Second Demon, otherwise known as the Roaming Galmoss! In the past, he''d gone to Taksen Castle, seeking clues on Demon Sword Blood''s whereabouts from the Ghost Knights there. It was there that he''d met the Roaming Galmoss, and he remembered turning tail at first sight of it. "It''s supposedly around level 400, but its level isn''t really the problem. Since it cheats!" Seong Gook quoted Tanking Machine. Then, he asked the contestants, "Do you know why?" "The Reaper of Souls," Strong Punch said curtly. Reaper of Souls was the name of Galmoss''s sword. "It''s a ghost-type monster, so it''s immune to physical attacks too," Marco added. "A limited number of party members," Snow Flower said. "Mm, as expected of our esteemed hunters!" Seong Gook gave them a thumbs up and then continued. "Now then, I wonder how much it''s worth? Please show it on the screen!" Seong Gook raised his hand into the air. 100 million won ($100,000 USD)! "Wow!" Jae Woo gaped. It was much more than he''d expected. "We took a hit and made its bounty worth 100 million won. Our production crew increased the bounty significantly because there''s no appearance fee for this program," Seong Gook said. Jae Woo and the other contestants weren''t paid a penny for this! If they didn''t get the reward, then they''d be working for free. ''I can''t let that happen. ''Free'' doesn''t exist in my dictionary!'' Kang Oh pledged to kill all of the monsters and take all the rewards for himself. "Now, let''s pick the order that you''ll be fighting Galmoss in. As you all know, the order is extremely important!" The contestants'' eyes gleamed. "Your fellow contestants will be watching you. In other words, if you fail, then the other contestants can use you as a stepping stone and seed where you could not. At the same time, if you wait too long, you may not get a chance to hunt it at all." They all already knew about this. None of them were surprised, nor did they look like they''d heard it for the first time. p. Seong Gook pped his hands and focused on his surroundings. "This is how we''ll decide the order. First, choose when you''d like to go. We''ll draw lots if there''s a disagreement." "Yes." "Who wants to go first?" Marco stared at the ceiling, while Strong Punch shook his head. Snow Flower didn''t even move. Hunting an ''unbeatable'' monster would prove difficult. This would also prove true to the yers in the studio as well. Thus, going first put you in the worst position. Whoever went first was almost guaranteed to fail. Also, it was clear that the contestants would copy the methods that the previous contestant used should they fail. ''As expected, no one wants to go first.'' "I see." Seong Gook was about to move on, but... "Me." Jae Woo raised his hand. "I''m sorry?" "I want to go first." "Why?" For a reason that even Seong Gook himself wasn''t aware of, he asked ''Why?''. Jae Woo just grinned. That was enough. Chapter 299. Gathering Allies

Chapter 299. Gathering Allies

Trantor: Boko "So you''d like to go first?" Seong Gook asked to confirm. "That''s what I''m saying." Jae Woo nodded his head. Seong Gook and the other contestants were wondering what was going on in that head of his. Why did he volunteer to go first? He has to know that going first puts you at a disadvantage. Did he really think he''d be able to beat Galmoss going first? No way. Defeating Galmoss would be no easy feat. So why did Jae Woo volunteer to go first? So-called ''unbeatable'' monsters like Galmoss would prove to be a challenge to any yer, even Jae Woo. Despite that, he''d chosen to go first; he had a good reason for this. First, the monster had a bounty. It was a ghost-type monster, and Ubist could cut through ghosts. He felt like it was doable. Second, it was an opportunity. Since the other contestants were all distinguished yers in their own right, choosing ater position could be disadvantageous. After all, it gave the contestants a chance to nab the bounty before he even went. If that''s the case, then he''d rather go first and put an end to thepetition. Finally, the others were backed byrge organizations, while he wasn''t. Let''s assume Marco goes first and fails. His failure would allow the other contestants to figure out better ways of fighting it. Since Snow Flower and Strong Punch were backed by arge guild and mercenary group respectively, they could prepare more thoroughly than Jae Woo. They would have ess to tremendous resources, while Kang Oh was limited to what he had on hand. With this in mind, Kang Oh volunteered to go first. "Understood. Mr. Kang Oh will be the first hunter to fight Galmoss!" Seong Gook dered. "Now, who will go second..." A short whileter... They finalized the order. Kang Oh was first, Marco was second, Strong Punch was third, and Snow Flower was fourth. "There are a few things you should know!" Seong Gook said. They were almost finished. "Do whatever you can to kill the monster. You can use your connections, and you may also receive assistance from your guild. However, we ask that you not get in the way of the other hunting teams." Killing Galmoss by yourself was impossible. Marco would likely call upon Blue Sky, while Strong Punch would bring the Sword Mercenaries'' special-ss mercenaries. Obviously, Snow Flower would bring the Leopard Squad''s most elite troops. "If all four of you fail, then the bounty goes up in smoke. I guess that counts as a win for us." Seong Gook grinned. So that answered it. If they all failed to take down Galmoss, then they''d be paid absolutely nothing. Thework would have footage to show, so they wouldn''t care. Thus, them failing would indeed be a win for thework as Seong Gook had said. "Mr. Kang Oh, please hunt the monster within a week. Please let the staff know when you''re ready." Seong Gook stared at Jae Woo. Jae Woo nodded his head. "If Mr. Kang Oh fails, then our next challenger, Mr. Marco, will have a week to hunt Galmoss." Seong Gook stared at Marco this time. "So we have a week to prepare," Marco said. "That''s right. Mr. Strong Punch and Ms. Snow Flower will also have a week to prepare." "Yes." "Understood." The two simultaneously replied. "If you seed, then we''ll contact youter with the time and date of the next shoot. We''ll reveal the next monster and determine your order there." "When will you give us the money?" Jae Woo asked. "When we reveal the next monster. It''ll be in cash!" "Cash. Sounds good!" Jae Woo grinned. "I''ve exined everything. If you have any other questions, then please direct them to our producer." Seong Gook pointed at Jin Cheol. Jin Cheol just softly waved back. "The death of an ''unbeatable'' monster; please look forward to it and give us your support!" Seong Gook gave his closing statement. "Cut! Good work." "Good job." The shoot was over. * * * Roaming Galmoss. Only a team of five could fight Galmoss. Anymore and you''d have to face Ghost Knights too; 1,000 of them at that! Thus, Kang Oh needed to find four allies, or henchmen. Kang Oh sought out Eder, Worker #1, first. "Huh?" Eder''s house used to be a dreary, dpidated building surrounded by cracked statues. But now, it looked as good as new! ''Did he get his house fixed?'' After all, the ghost that inhabited this ''ghost-possessed'' house no longer existed. Knock, knock. Kang Oh knocked on the door, and was greeted by a young girl. She wore a maid uniform, and had orange hair and freckles on her cheeks; she was rather cute. "Who are you?" "I came to see Eder." "You came to see Mr. Eder?" "Mr. Eder?" "Yes, you''re looking for the master of this house and my employer, Mr. Eder, correct?" "Yes." ''Eder, you rascal! You hired a maid!'' "Who shall I say is asking for him?" "Kang Oh." "Understood." The maid quickly walked away. A short whileter, Eder came out to see him. "Mr. Kang Oh, it''s been a while." "You seem to be doing good." Eder''s skin was clear and shiny. "I went through so much to get this body back. I have to take care of it." Eder beamed. "I have something to talk to you about." "Pleasee in." Kang Oh went inside and was surprised by the house''s interior too. The cobwebs, the dust-covered furniture, the broken cups, and the ripped books sprawled across the floor were gone. The house waspletely clean! "I''m trying to live like an actual human being now. I''m no longer a ghost nor a monster," Eder said. He must''ve read Kang Oh''s expression. "What about the maid?" "I can''t manage the entire mansion by myself." "Do you have a butler too?" "I''m in the process of getting one. Would you like to do it?" Eder asked jokingly. "How much?" Kang Oh joked back. "3 gold per day." 3 gold. Back in the day, that''s how much Kang Oh would pay Eder for his services. "That''s a lot." No, it wasn''t. However, if he were to say the opposite, then he''d be admitting that he was a terrible employer. "It is?" "Yeah, but no thanks." "Why?" "I have a job for you." Kang Oh changed the subject. "Did they finally find Krishan?" "Not yet." "Then?" "Let''s talk over tea. I want to try some tea brewed by an actual maid." "Alright." A short whileter... Sip. Kang Oh sipped on his ck tea. It was made by a maid, just as he''d requested. "So what did you want to talk about?" Eder put down his cup and asked. Kang Oh answered with a question. "How''s your body?" Eder needed some time to get used to his original body, so Kang Oh had given him some time off. "I''m managing." "Can you fight?" "Yes." Eder nodded his head. "What level are you?" "426." Eder had once been called the Legendary Healer. His original level was 426. "I assume you''re a Healer?" "I''m a master of the healing arts, and after I was cursed by the Goddess of Death, I learned necromancy as well." If you master a ss, then you can acquire another ss. This was called a multi-ss. Eder was a good example of this concept. "How strong are you inbat? No, what does a Healer do during battle? How good is your necromancy?" Kang Oh was curious about Eder''sbat ability now that he was able to use both his healing arts and necromancy in battle. "Well, I think showing you would be faster than exining. So what did youe here for today?" "I need to kill Galmoss, but it''s too much for me alone," Kang Oh exined. "You want to work together?" "Yeah." "I ept." Now that he''d regained his original body, Eder could level up, and he could gain proficiency too. Which meant that he could be even stronger than before! The stronger he was, the better. After all, the Mayanes were so powerful that they were capable of challenging the gods themselves. Hunting and exploring with Kang Oh was his best chance at getting stronger. "But I have a condition." "Which is?" "Treat me as an equal. Share the loot fairly! And you cannot abuse, threaten, or attack me. I won''t ept any unjust orders either!" "Fine." Kang Oh agreed. It was worth it to nab a level 426 Master Healer. "Do you want me to write a contract?" Kang Oh asked. "No, it''s fine." Eder violently shook his head. He was sick of contracts. "That''s unfortunate. Anyway, get ready. I''ll call you when I''ve gathered enough people." "Understood." Kang Oh left Eder''s mansion. Worker #1, no, Teammate #1, Eder, hade along, so now it was time to ask Sephiro. - Mr. Sephiro. He sent a brief message. - I''m sorry, I''m busy. And received a brief message in return. - What''s wrong? You''re not finished with Waryong''s quest yet? - No. - When will you be finished with it? - Not right now. I''ll let you know when I''m done. - You''re not lying to me, are you? - I''m not. - Despia''s dungeons are waiting for you. - Yes. I''ll finish the quest ASAP and then join you. - I''ll see youter. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. That was really unfortunate. ''Fine, next up is...'' Kang Oh headed for the Holiseum. * * * The Holiseum''s underground arena. Kang Oh paid Burkan a visit. "Brother!" "You''ve beening a lottely." "Hehe." "Don''tugh. It''s creepy." "I have a favor to ask you." "Another one?" "I''d like to hire Mr. Dion." Dion was a diator that wielded twin diuses. He''d be a huge help against Galmoss. "Dion''s not here." "Where did he go?" "I can''t tell you. He took the 100 Fighters with him too." "Damn." ''What bad timing!'' "That''s it, right? Come backter." Burkan waved his hand. "Then I''d like to take Darion with me." It''d be a step down, but something was better than nothing. "Darion?" "Yes." "Go ask Darion yourself." "Can''t you just go and ask him to help me out?" Burkan scowled. "Darion''s a full-fledged diator now. If you want to hire him, then be respectful and pay him appropriately, you rascal." "Tch, understood." "Go on." "Yes. By the way, you haven''t seen Master Vntely, have you?" Kang Oh asked. "Nope." "I hope he never shows up again..." How great would that be? "He''ll show up again." "I''m sure he will." He''s so strong that even if he wanted to, he wouldn''t be able to die. "Tch. Then I''m really going now." "Alright." Kang Oh left his room, grabbed a diator passing through, and asked where Darion was. "Keep following this passageway and you''ll see a white door on your right. That''s Darion''s room." "Thank you." However, he didn''t need to go all the way there. He followed the passageway, and a short whileter, Darion came out of the corner. ''He''s as good-looking as ever.'' Darion had well-defined facial features and a sharp nose. His green eyes glowed like emeralds, and he had thick eyebrows. "M-Mr. Kang Oh?" Darion turned the corner, and was shocked to see Kang Oh. "You''ve been doing well?" "Yes." Darion calmed himself down and replied dryly. ''Don''t get caught in the devil''s scheme,'' he inwardly said. "What ss do you fit in?" "Me?" "Yeah." "I''m a first-ss diator." "What''s above that?" "Special-ss and master-ss." "Mr. Dion is special-ss while Burkan is master-ss? "That''s right." "How much are first-ss diators worth?" "It depends." "How much would it cost to hire you?" Kang Oh asked. "No, thank you," Darion said firmly, suspecting some underhanded scheme. "What''s wrong?" "I don''t like working with you." "Hoh." ''This guy''s gotten a bit smarter. It doesn''t really matter though. He''s mostly the same as ever.'' Kang Oh ced his hand on Darion''s shoulder. "Oho, why are you like that all of a sudden?" Darion began to squirm under his touch. "Now, calm down and listen to what I have to say." Kang Oh whispered like the devil himself! Chapter 300. Soren and Karin

Chapter 300. Soren and Karin

Trantor: Boko "You don''t have a choice." Kang Oh whispered into Darion''s ear. "What?" Darion''s face crinkled. ''What the hell are you talking about!?'' "If I tell Burkan that I want us to hunt together, what do you think he''ll say?" Burkan had told him that if he wanted to hire Darion, then he needed to speak with him in person. He hadn''t expected Kang Oh to coerce him. However, Darion wasn''t aware of this conversation. "He''ll say no!" Darion forcefully said. "I''m sure that''s what you''d like to believe, but you do know that he let me borrow 600,000 gold, right?" "What? Master lent someone else money? 600,000 at that?" "Yeah. Do you think he''d care if I brought you along when he was willing to lend me 600,000 gold?" "Liar!" "When we''re done here, go ahead and ask him yourself." "Mm." It likely wasn''t a lie. If it was, it''d be too easy to ascertain the truth. "So you''ve already been hired. That''s if you don''t have the guts to disobey Burkan''s orders." "That''s..." Darion''s body shook. Did he really have no choice but to work with this devil again!? "I admit, I treated you too harshly in the past. That was my bad. I truly apologize." Kang Oh took his hand off of Darion''s shoulder and bowed deeply. He couldn''t make Darion do whatever he wanted anymore. If he did, Burkan wouldn''t just sit back and watch. After all, he''d instructed him to pay Darion his fair share. If that''s the case, then he needed to mend his rtionship with Darion. "W-Why are you doing this!? It''s so unlike you!" Darion was taken aback. ''Why is this guy doing this? Did he eat something bad?'' "I can''t treat you the same as before, since you''re a first-ss diator now. I''d like to formally hire you. You''ll be treated with respect this time around." "Haa." Darion sighed. "Are... you telling the truth?" "I am." Kang Oh stared directly into his eyes. His eyes were unwavering. "I understand. My daily wage is 100 gold. If I work overtime, please pay me extra. You also cannot hire me the day of, and the day before a diatorial match. Abuse, violentnguage, threats, etc. are not allowed! Please don''t invoke Master''s name to force me into doing something again." Darion named condition after condition. "What about the loot?" "That goes to my employer. It''d be too greedy of me to ask for both gold and loot." "Got it." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Oh, right. Onest condition!" "What is it?" "Take this!" Darion forcefully swung his fist. It contained all of the shame and humiliation he''d endured while working under Kang Oh! Kang Oh could have dodged it, but chose not to. Whack! Darion''s fist struck Kang Oh''s left cheek. It was quite loud, but it didn''t hurt much since he was ying a game. It did make him feel bad inside though. On the other hand, Darion felt thrilled. It was like his indigestion had finally passed! "You good?" "Yes." "Let''s forget the past and move on like men." "Then be a man and forget about me hitting you." Darion extended his hand. "Yeah!" Kang Oh shook his hand. With him on board, he only needed two more members toplete his team. * * * He was able to procure his third and fourth teammates simultaneously. Man Bok had heard that Kang Oh was looking for teammates, so he introduced them to him. "Hello, my name is Soren." "I''m Karin." Soren was a cool-headed woman with braided hair, while Karin was a pony-tailed tomboy. "My name is Kang Oh." Kang Oh smiled. "I know. You''re one of the Numbers." Soren smiled back. Soren and Karin were skilled yers that possessed High-Rank Wizardry. They were in theirte 300s, and were both middle rankers that were aiming for a spot in the high rankers (0-99). "Are you and uncle close?" Karin asked. "Uncle?" "Uncle Man Bok." "Mr. Man Bok is your uncle? He''s not just some guy you know; he''s your actual uncle?" "Yes." Soren slightly nodded her head. "Aha, I see. Mr. Man Bok and I are quite close." Kang Oh grinned. "Are you friends?" Karin asked. "It''s more urate to call us partners than friends." "I see. How old are you, Oppa?" "Oppa?" Kang Oh widened his eyes. That was pretty sudden. "I don''t want to use ''Mr.'' every time I talk to you, and you seem too young to be called ''Uncle'', so I''ll call you Oppa instead." "Hey!" Soren, who''d been quietly listening, red at Karin. She was essentially saying, ''Don''t be rude!''. "What!?" Karin red back. Kang Oh mediated their dispute. "Please call me whatever you like. You''re both Mr. Man Bok''s nieces, so you must be sisters." "I''m the older one," Karin firmly said. She was trying to prop herself up as the older sister. "Older? You were born just a few hours before me. You have to actually act like the older one." Karen pointed out. ''A few hours older?'' "Are you twins?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes. And I am the older sister because I was born a few hours earlier," Karin said. "You''re funny," Soren replied. "You!" "You''re really...!" The two looked like they''d fight any second now. Kang Oh smiled at the sight of the two sisters. ''It''s the same wherever you go.'' They looked just like Mina and Yura when they were fighting. As an older brother who''d seen several of their fights, he knew better than to get in the middle of it. "If you two are going to fight, then I''ll leave ande back when you''re finished," Kang Oh said, and the two did aplete 180, as if they were never going to fight in the first ce. "We weren''t fighting." "Whatever do you mean?" "Then let''s clear some things up. I''m in my early twenties, and you can call me whatever''sfortable." "If you''re in your early twenties, then you are older than us," Karen said. "Then I''ll call you oppa too. You don''t need to be polite with us," Soren said. "Alright." Kang Oh nodded his head. "So, Oppa." Karin stared at him. "Yeah?" "Can we really beat Galmoss? I joined because you''d be taking part, but he won''t be easy to beat." Soren, who was right next to her, nodded her head. They''d actually fought Galmoss before. Of course, they''d been helpless against it. After that, they dreamt of their revenge. Then, Man Bok had told them that Kang Oh was forming a team to beat it. The two had jumped on the opportunity. However, when they actually sat down and thought about it, they asked themselves ''Can we win?''. "We can," Kang Oh said confidently. There was no ''undefeatable'' monster in this world! This was his creed. Kang Oh''s fame and his confidence helped them make up their minds. "Alright, let''s do it!" Karin clenched her fist. "Yeah, let''s!" Soren did the same. "Follow me. I''ll introduce you to our other teammates, and then we''ll talk about the fight ahead." "Ok!" * * * They gathered at Eder''s house. Kang Oh, Eder, Darion, Karin, Soren, and even Man Bok were there! The maid served them tea, and the team began to introduce themselves. "You''re really Darion?" The twins'' eyes gleamed as they looked at him. "Yes. I am Darion, the Invincible diator, Burkan''s final student." Darion raised his shoulders. ''It''s because he''s handsome.'' Darion had several female fans due to his good looks. Thus, he knew that Soren and Karin would be fans of his. Of course, that was a huge misunderstanding on his part. "I''ve heard of you. He''s that Darion," Karin whispered. "Yeah. He''s where the ''Darion'' meme came from." The meme he''d posted on Arthtory was still widely being used. "Oh. He really does look like a Darion, doesn''t he?" "Yep." Honestly, they looked at him like they would a rare animal at the zoo. Anyhow, Kang Oh stood up when the time was right. "Let''s begin the meeting." Everyone went quiet and stared at Kang Oh. "We''re going to hunt Galmoss. Could you please pass them out?" Kang Oh said to the maid, who stood off to the side. She then passed out the stack of papers that she''d been clutching to her chest. "This is what we know about the Roaming Galmoss." Kang Oh pointed at the paper. "Please memorize it before the hunt." Eder perused the paper and said, "The Reaper of Souls will prove to be an issue." Galmoss possessed a greatsword called the ''Reaper of Souls''. It was a truly overpowered weapon. Why, you may ask? The Reaper of Souls bypassed shields and armor. Befitting its name as Reaper of Souls, it did a tremendous amount of damage, as if it''d actually cut through one''s soul. "The Reaper of Souls. That''s the biggest reason that Galmoss is considered unbeatable. Tanks can''t do their jobs properly against it." In general, a normal team consisted of a tank, which would aggro the boss, DPSers, who''d deal damage to the boss, and other teammates that offered support like healers or supporters. However, tanks were useless against Galmoss. The Reaper of Souls would bypass their tough shields and armor. Which meant that Galmoss would kill the tanks in 3 seconds t. "Defense is pointless against it. So you have to keep evading it while dealing damage," Soren said. "Is that even possible?" Karin asked. There was another reason that the Reaper of Souls was called a cheat code. It was widely believed that the de didn''t have any weight to it. Thus, Galmoss swung the greatsword with incredible speed. This made it extremely difficult to avoid its attacks. "If its equipment was where all its strength lies, then someone would''ve beaten it already. However, the boss itself is extremely powerful. It''s a ghost-type boss, so it''s immune to physical attacks. So you''re forced to use elemental attacks like fire or lightning, but it has ridiculously high elemental resistances too," Karin added. "She''s right." Soren nodded her head. If the Reaper of Souls was the strongest spear, then Galmoss''s body was the strongest shield. "I''ll be the tank," Kang Oh said. Soren was right. Fighting it head-on required someone skilled enough to repeatedly avoid its attack. ''Someone like me.'' "You will?" "Will you be alright?" Soren and Karin concernedly stared at Kang Oh. It wouldn''t be easy. However, they also understood that Kang Oh, as one of the Numbers, was the only one capable of aplishing this task. "Mr. Kang Oh will be able to do it." Eder lookedpletely unfazed, as he''d fought alongside Kang Oh for a long time. He knew what he was capable of. ''He''s not the type of person who''s willing to ept that something is ''impossible''.'' "Yes, I''m sure he will." When he fought alongside him in the Snowy Fields of Travium, Darion had seen Kang Oh''s skill firsthand. Thus, he fully trusted in his skill. ''But everything else...'' His character was so-so. Kang Oh promised that he''d treat him better in the future, so he''d just have to wait and see. "Darion, you and I will keep Galmoss busy," Kang Oh said. He wanted Darion to be the off-tank. "Yes." "Eder, you focus on healing, support, long-range attacks, etc., ok?" Eder was both a Healer and a Necromancer. He could do everything aside from tanking. "Understood." "Soren and Karin, you need to do one thing and one thing only: deal damage." "Ok!" "Leave it to me!" Soren and Karin simultaneously replied. "Mr. Man Bok..." "I''ll prepare the basic necessities. Please let me know if you need something in particr. I''ll get it for you," Man Bok, who''d been sitting quietly and sipping his tea, said. Then, the twins stood up as if they''d been waiting for this moment. "Uncle, buy me a staff!" "I need a robe!" "Hehehe." Man Bok justughed. "Let''s end the meeting here and go hunting together. We have to learn how to work together." "Where will we go?" Darion asked. "Velin''s Pce." Chapter 301. Velin’s Palace

Chapter 301. Velin''s Pce

Trantor: Boko Bringserna was one of Arth''s 10rgest cities. It was renowned for its Jewelry Street, which was lined with stores that sold beautiful, expensive jewelry and essories. Countless swans swam through the Swaven Lake here, and the Master Chef, Torre, also ran his restaurant within this city. There was also a giant pce in the middle of the city. Magnificent and ostentatious were perfect words to describe it. However, the pce had a frightening and tragic story. Velin''s Pce! There was once an architect called Velin. He was gifted, but he was so upright and poor that he lived a sad life. One day, the corrupt lord of Bringserna came looking for him, and ordered him to construct a pce. Hisnd was suffering a severe drought, so the people were starving. Even so, he forced excessive taxes onto them, and used those funds to build a pce. Velin knew of the lord''s evil, so he firmly refused, saying ''I won''t build anything for the likes of you.''. The lord, enraged, imprisoned Velin and his family. He then threatened his family, stating that he''d kill them if he didn''t build the pce. Velin remained adamant. But when he saw his youngest son''s finger being sliced off, he had no choice but to build the pce. The pce was supremely beautiful, majestic, andrge. On the day that it waspleted... Velin asked that his family be released, but the lord returned to him the rotting corpses of his family instead! That was the price of his disobedience, or so he said. The poor man wailed and furiously rushed at the lord. However, the lord''s guards killed the unfortunate genius. That night... He held a grand party to celebrate thepletion of the pce. The lord, his family, and his sycophants were in attendance. At exactly midnight, a horrific cry rang out, and evil spirits flew through the floor, the walls, and the ceiling, and began killing everyone there. It was said that Velin and his family were amongst them. Everyone in attendance was killed. The lord''s eyes were dug out, his tongue was sliced off, and he was ripped to pieces. His entire family died in pain, and all of the lord''s sycophants died gruesome deaths as well. Velin was actually a Master Architect, one who''d learned the arcane skill, ''Create Dungeon''. The pce he''d created was actually a dungeon! Thus, the giant pce at the heart of Bringserna was called Velin''s Pce. Time passed by, and the people revolted against the Altein Empire. Bringserna became a free city, and its city hall began managing Velin''s Pce. It wasn''t as amazing as it sounded; they merely kept people from entering the dungeon without permission. If you wanted to enter Velin''s Pce, then you needed a quest from Bringserna''s Adventurer Guild and a ticket. Of course, they didn''t give the quest to just anyone. After all, Velin''s Pce was extremely dangerous. There were two criteria for the quest: you either needed a high adventurer rank, or you needed to be guaranteed by someone of high status. "Here." Kang Oh hade to Bringserna''s Adventurer Guild. Once there, he passed a woman a slice of paper. Jayce had written him a letter of rmendation. Kang Oh had told him he wanted to explore Velin''s Pce, and Jayce had been more than willing to rmend him. In the letter, Jayce vouched for Kang Oh, stating that his skills were the real deal! "Is Mr. Jayce doing well?" the middle-aged woman with flecks of gray in her hair said. "He''s doing really well." "If Mr. Jayce has vouched for you, then that''s good enough for me. Eradicate the evil spirits in Velin''s Pce." Kang Oh received the quest, ''Exterminate the Evil Spirits in Velin''s Pce'', and immediately epted it. "Understood." "This is your ticket." The middle-aged woman passed him a piece of scrunched up yellow paper. [Velin''s Pce Ticket] Show this ticket to the guards, and you may enter Velin''s Pce. "Thank you." Kang Oh left the Adventurer Guild. His party was out there waiting for him. In other words, Soren, Karin, Darion, and Eder! "Did you get it?" the pony-tailed Karin asked. Kang Oh waved the dried up paper. "Wow. I''ve always wanted to go to Velin''s Pce. I guess today''s the day." Karin beamed. The girl with braided hair, Soren, remained silent, but she looked really excited. "Let''s go." "Ok." Kang Oh''s party headed straight for Velin''s Pce. * * * In front of the majestic, grand pce. "Halt." A heavy-armed guard held his palm out. "Here." Kang Oh passed him his ticket. "You can go in." They passed through the front gate and garden, and found themselves in front of a giant, ornately decorated gate. Then, the doors opened by themselves, as if weing Kang Oh''s party in. [Entering the dungeon, Velin''s Pce.] The inside was just as shy as the outside. Chandeliers hung from the ceiling, emitting radiant light, and silver candlesticks hung from the walls. Red silk curtains covered the windows, and the ground was covered in tiger fur. However, they couldn''t get absorbed by the magnificence of the building. This was still a dungeon, which meant that danger lurked in every corner. "They''reing!" Kang Oh yelled. Various spirits flew out of the ground, ceiling, and walls. They were wrapped in ck bandages like ck mummies. At the same time, their bodies were transparent, causing the background to show through them. This was the mostmon evil spirit in Velin''s Pce, Cereb. It was around level 400. Then there was the Noblewoman Ghost, Corna. Her hair was stretched upwards, and she wore a ck dress. She too was around level 400. They encountered Critters too, ghosts that were basically giant spheres with mouths. Like the previous two, they were around level 400. ''Eight of them?'' There were three Cerebs and Cornas, and two Critters. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh smirked. Velin''s Pce was filled with high level evil spirits, so it''d be perfect practice for the team. "Darion, protect Eder. Soren and Karin, stick with me," Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Ubist and yelled. "Yes." "Ok." Whoosh! The surrounding evil spirits flew towards them. Battle had begun! * * * Soren and Karin were quite well-known amongst the yer base. There were several reasons for that, but the biggest reason was that their magic was unique. "...Crush them, the invisiblew of power!" Soren raised her staff into the air. A sphere, like a mirror ball, floated from the tip of her staff. The sphere began to spin and radiate dim light. Stamp! A Cereb came at her, but was suddenly ttened. It was as though an invisible object had crushed it. ''As expected of the Gravity Witch.'' The Gravity Witch, Soren! She possessed a mage-type hidden ss, which allowed her to manipte gravity! However, the evil spirit wasn''t to be underestimated. The Cereb escaped from the gravity trap and rushed at her. "Not a chance." Kang Oh stepped forward, stopping Cereb in its tracks. The Cereb transformed its arms into drills and crazily stabbed Kang Oh. Continuous Thrust of Resentment! ''You''re done.'' Kang Oh swung his de horizontally. Ubist''s special ability, Abyss de, allowed him to cut through the immaterial, which included ghosts and spirits! Swish! His jet-ck de cleaved through its drills, exploding with shards of red light. It looked at its arms, which had been sliced like bamboo stalks, and seemed to lose its will to fight. It attacked no more, and merely rose into the air. He wanted to finish it off, but another Cereb and Corna were just waiting for an opportunity to strike, so he couldn''t act rashly. Then... Karin finished casting her spell. "...Desert warriors, it''s time to go to work!" Jingle-jangle. The bells on her staff jingled beautifully. Summon Sand Warrior! She had summoned three Sand Warriors nearby. The Desert Fairy, Karin! Kingdoms still existed in the eastern desert region, and these kingdoms had formed their own system of magic. Insect Mages and Sand Mages! Karin was atter; she was capable of manipting sand. Her Sand Warriors swung their des at the evil spirits. However, the enemies they faced weren''t ordinary monsters. They were all powerful level 400 vengeful spirits! The Cereb transformed its arms into drills and mutted the Sand Warriors. Meanwhile, a Critter opened its mouth wide and ate a Desert Warrior in a single go. ck energy arose from Crona''s hands, dyeing a Desert Warrior ck. Taint! The Desert Warrior had be Crona''s pawn. This was her specialty. If a yer was reckless, even for an instant, then she could control them like a puppet. Her lips quivered. Then, the ckened Desert Warrior rushed at its previous master, Karin. "Soren!" Karin stared at her sister. Once their eyes met, Soren slightly nodded her head. "The power of tightly bound sand!" Karin cast a spell. Her bell staff created a giant sand fist, which she then shot at the ckened Sand Warrior. "Gateway that holds the world''s mysteries!" Soren cast a spell of her own. An oval-shaped ring appeared between the ckened Sand Warrior and Karin''s sand fist. Whoosh! Upon contact with the ring, the sand fist became much faster. It was at least twice as fast as before! eleration Gate! It would null the air resistance of any object that flew through it, which increased the object''s speed. Bam! The sand fist flew as if it had rocket boosters attached to it; as if plowing through the Desert Warrior wasn''t enough, it struck Crona too. Boom! Huge shards of light burst from Crona''s body. A Critter, which had been waiting for its moment to strike, opened its mouth wide. Inhale! The Critter began to suck in everything nearby like a vacuum. "Shut your mouth!" The cool-headed Soren swung her staff. Stamp! It was like a giant, invisible stamp had ttened it. The pressure forced it to close its mouth, and it quickly attempted to escape. Once it escaped, a crescent moon shaped sand wave came flying at it. Sand de! Swoosh! The Sand de passed through the Critter. ''As expected, they work well together.'' While fighting off the evil spirits, Kang Oh had been keeping a close eye on the twins. Their skills met his expectations. When he faced off against Galmoss, they wouldn''t get in his way. ''How about them?'' Swish. Kang Oh cleaved through a Cereb, and then turned his head to the side. Darion and Eder were in that direction. * * * Turn back the clock... When the battle had just begun. "Mr. Darion." A bag hung from his side, and he wore leather clothes that were easy to move in. There was a staff that was about 1/4 the size of a normal one stuck to his belt. "Yes?" Darion''s clothes were more practical. Vital areas like his heart, genitals, etc. were covered by metal, and his knees or sides were covered in leather or chainmail, allowing for greater mobility without sacrificing defense. But for some reason, three diuses hung from his belt. "Please take this." Eder pulled out medicine that looked a lot like candy. "This is?" "It''s a drug that increases your physical abilities." "Thank you." Darion swallowed it down, and he felt like his body was overflowing with power. If he was a yer, then he would''ve gotten a system message like this. [You have eaten Eder''s Energy Egg.] [Stamina and HP regenerate more quickly.] [Physical +30] [Remaining time: 10 minutes] Eder ate a blue egg, which increased one''s magical abilities instead. Then, he pulled the short staff from his belt. A silver skull adorned the tip of the staff. "Now then, shall we begin?" His heart pounded; this was his first battle since he''d reimed his original body. Perhaps this wasn''t anxiety, but excitement? "Yes." Darion drew his red ded dius. ''I''m counting on you, bud.'' Darion slightly shook the de. Then... Whoosh! ck evil spirits came rushing at him. Chapter 302. Kang Oh Shows Up

Chapter 302. Kang Oh Shows Up

Trantor: Boko A Critter charged with its mouth wide open. Darion rolled on the floor, avoiding its attack, and then counterattacked! His dius cleaved through the air. However, Darion''s one-sided physical attacks wouldn''t work on a ghost-type monster. Of course, Darion was well aware of this, so he used a skill. de Honed with Fighting Spirit! diators often used this skill against ghost-type monsters. A weapon infused with fighting spirit was capable of harming ghosts. Darion''s de glowed with resplendent energy like the setting sun. Swish! His de left behind a clear yellow scar on the Critter''s body, which exploded with shards of light. But the Critter was no pushover. It quickly opened its mouth and attempted to devour him. Inhale! Though Darion tried to resist it, he was slowly getting pulled in. Getting eaten by a Critter meant death. No two ways about it. ''What do I do?'' Darion looked for a way out. Fortunately, he wasn''t alone; Eder was by his side. "Burn even the soul!" Eder swung his short staff like a conductor swinging their baton. Soul Burn! His staff unleashed purple fire, which devoured the Critter. As a result, the Critter began to violently writhe. Eder smiled wickedly. He was both a Healer and a Necromancer! What were Necromancers? They were mages that dealt with death, corpses, and the soul! There was no one better at handling the soul than a Necromancer. "Thank you." Once he stopped getting sucked in, Darion thanked his teammate. "Go all out. I have your back," Eder yelled. "Yes!" Darion rushed at the burning Critter, and instantly swung his dius four times. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Boom! Darion''s de suddenly unleashed an explosion. There was a fixed chance that Darion''s dius, ''Custony''s Trap'', would unleash a powerful explosion, so it was called the explosive sword. The Critter, who was caught in the explosion, writhed in pain once more. Then, a ck-dressed Crona came flying over. She stretched out her arms, shooting ck energy at Darion. Taint. It was a wicked spell that''d allow her to take control of her target! "Not a chance." Eder pointed his staff at Crona. Sharp bone spikes surged from the ground. However, bones couldn''t damage a ghost-type monster like Crona. ''But explosions can.'' Eder clenched his off-hand. Bone Bomb! Boom! The resulting explosion caused bone fragments to go flying everywhere. However, Eder''s Bone Bomb now, and the one he''d used while possessing Lich Eclipse''s body, was quite different. ''As I thought, it''s weaker.'' Eder clicked his tongue. Honestly, in terms of pure destructive power, his necromancy was far superior when he was in the Lich''s body. In exchange, he regained his ability to heal people, so he didn''t have much of a problem with it. ''Indeed.'' Eder had gone through so much trouble to get his body back, after all! He''d be sure to cherish it this time around. However, that vow was almost broken instantaneously. A Cereb suddenly popped out of the ground! It transformed its arms into sharp drills and stabbed at Eder. "Ugh!" Eder was caught by surprise. But there was someone watching him. It was Kang Oh. "Phew." ''That idiot. So he''s the type that lowers his guard during battle.'' There was no helping it. He would have to bail him out. "Summon Eder!" Kang Oh yelled. However, nothing happened. "What?" He could save the ''Why isn''t it working?'' forter. Saving Eder took precedence right now. Stab! The Cereb stabbed Eder with its drill arm. "Ugh." His face grimaced with pain. Then... Whoosh! A dius flew over and hit the Cereb. Even though it was immune to physical attacks, the attack had damaged it. The Cereb wobbled around as shards of light burst from its body. Darion, who''d thrown the sword, quickly came to Eder''s side and protected him. "Are you alright?" "Hoo, I''m alright. Thank you." Eder pulled out a potion from his bag and downed it. Darion shed with the Cereb a few times, and eventually picked up his fallen dius. The dius radiated dim holy light. It was only natural; the sword was imbued with the holy element. It was called ''Rakan''s Honor''; it was a holy weapon bestowed to diators that served Rakan. The explosive sword, Custony''s Trap. The holy sword, Rakan''s Honor. His third and final dius, Steel Heart, was a masterpiece created by the craftsman, Yatu. Darion''s style ofbat focused on switching between these three swords depending on the situation. Of course, he would sometimes dual-wield them too. Like right now. "Haahp!" Darion swung Custony''s Trap in his right hand and Rakan''s Honor in his left as if he were in a trance. His attacks were powerful enough to ward off the evil spirits. With Darion holding them back, Eder was safely able to cast his spells. Whenever he swung his staff, simple spells like bone magic, fireballs, etc. would go flying. ''Soren and Karin are as skilled as I expected. Darion also seems more effective than I thought he''d be. Eder''s magic is slightly below par, but I guess it makes sense; Healer''s his original ss.'' Kang Oh carefully analyzed his teammates'' skills and movements, making sure to remember them. "Now then, let''s end this." His teammates had been fighting so intensely, but only now did Kang Oh decide to fight in earnest. And... "Wow!" "Oppa..." Karin and Soren''s eyes sparkled with awe. With every swing of his de, he sliced through an evil spirit! He moved so gracefully, forbidding any from even touching his cor! Then there was his varied skill use! Kang Oh was way too strong; so much so that they shivered! Once the battle was over, Kang Oh approached Eder. "Eder." "Yes?" "I couldn''t summon you." "I thought as much." "You knew?" "Yes. That ability only worked when I was a ghost." "That so?" Now that he thought about it, a system message had informed him that he could summon Eder after he''d attached to him. "Yes." "Be careful in the future. I won''t be able to bail you out." Kang Oh patted his shoulder. "I''ll keep that in mind." "Darion." "Yes?" "You fight well. You did good defending Eder too." Darion scowled, not expecting Kang Oh topliment him. "Pardon me?" ''This guy''splimenting me?'' "Yeah. Protect Eder and the others from now on." "Ahem. Understood." Darion felt kind of bitter, but he nodded his head nheless. After all, he couldn''t say, ''Why are youplimenting me?''. "Soren and Karin..." "Yes!" "Yes, Oppa!" The two stared at him in admiration. It seemed like his skills had left quite the impression on them. "Your teamwork is great. I''ll be counting on you in the future." "Ok!" the two replied simultaneously. "Alright. I''m going to start treating these evil spirits like they''re Galmoss, so try and keep up!" Kang Oh and his teammates strode forward. A short whileter, they encountered a ton of evil spirits. * * * Velin''s Pce was a popr hunting ground for high level yers. It was really essible, since it was in the middle of a major city, and there were rumors that the Master Architect, Velin, had left behind the ''Create Dungeon'' skill somewhere inside. Plus, it was more efficient to hunt evil spirits, as they had lower HP and defense than other monsters, if you knew how to take them down properly. There was a yer called Light Spring hunting here. Light Spring was a pdin of the Church of Light, which worshipped the God of Light, Garuna. He''d just reached level 350, so he honestly wasn''t ready for this ce yet. However, his older brother was the party leader, and the party consisted of his older brother''s friends, so they carried him through without much issue. Moreover, his older brother was a middle ranker, and his friends were pretty well-known too, so Light Spring''s involvement orck thereof didn''t really matter. "Hehe, I leveled up again," Light Spring said. "Congrattions." "Congrats." His older brother and his friends congratted him. "This really is Velin''s Pce. I''m leveling up really fast. You''re killing the evil spirits so quickly too." It took them about 10 to 20 minutes to kill a group of evil spirits. Considering the fact that their enemies were level 400 evil spirits, it was quite fast. "Hoo, we have to hit level 400 ASAP," his older brother said. He and his friends were in theirtter 300s. They were almost there. "Let''s huntte into the night," a party member said. "Ok." "We can do this." They were all motivated. However, they heard a hugemotion from the far side of the passageway. "What''s going on?" Light Spring stared into the passageway. A short whileter... A party came out of the passageway. The party consisted of three men and two girls. They strode forward and passed Light Spring''s party. However, there were yers following them. "Mr. Rande!" Light Spring''s brother said, recognizing one of the yers following them. "Ah, hello." "What are you doing?" "As you can see, I''m watching." "Watching what?" Rande pointed at the party that''d just passed them. "Who is it?" "One of the Numbers." "What?" "He''s amazing. I''m filming, so if you''ll excuse me." Rande departed. "Want to follow them?" Light Spring asked. He''d never seen one of the Numbers before. "Should we?" "Let''s do it." Light Spring''s party followed Rande. "Who do you think it is?" Light Spring moved quickly and asked. He was essentially asking, ''Which of the Numbers do you think it is?''. "Kang Oh," his brother replied. "Kang Oh? I didn''t see anyone wearing tiger-striped armor." "I saw a yer with a ck sword. After speaking with Mr. Rande, I remembered who that sword belonged to. That sword belongs to Predator Kang Oh." "Wow, the Predator." Kang Oh''s original nicknames were the ck Beast and Red Wing, but after killing Draka, he''d gained a new nickname. Predator! That was also the name of the program which depicted Kang Oh''s fight against Draka. It was clear that the Wyvern King, Draka, was at the top of the food chain, and yet, Kang Oh had defeated it. Thus, people began calling him the Predator. "Let''s hurry!" Light Spring urged. Predator Kang Oh was the most recent addition to the Numbers! No one had heard of him for a while; to think he was here in Velin''s Pce! A short whileter... ''Is that Predator Kang Oh!?'' Light Spring was finally able to see him; the sight of a swordsman slicing an evil spirit in two! "H-How are they killing them so easily?" He gaped. Kang Oh and his teammates only took about 3 minutes to kill a group of evil spirits. Seeing Kang Oh slice through an evil spirit with every swing of his sword was the best part! ''The evil spirits here ain''t slimes!'' "Next." Kang Oh''s party proceeded without rest, searching for their next prey. Light Spring and the other spectators followed Kang Oh''s party as if possessed. * * * Demon Sword Ubist had the ability to cut through ghosts. No ghost was exempt from this ability. Depending on the strength of the ghost, however, the wound he inflicted may quickly stitch itself together, or a sliced off area may regenerate more quickly. This was true for the evil spirits in Velin''s Pce too. Even if he cut them in half, they''d instantly return to their original state. Kang Oh was currently fighting against an evil spirit whose regenerative abilities far surpassed the norm. The Insatiable Critter, Glutton! He was fighting a named Critter, one that was at least four times asrge as a normal one. Its mouth''s suction force was tremendous, and it had tentacles on its body like an octopus. As said, its regenerative abilities were extraordinary, so a normal attack wouldn''t be enough to take it down. ''Then I just have to damage it faster than it can regenerate.'' Cut, thrust, cut, short thrust, diagonal sh, and another cut! Kang Oh''s attacks were both quick and precise, striking at the same location over and over again. Like a steadily erging crack in a dam, the scars on Glutton''s round body began to getrger andrger. Kang Oh kept attacking and dealing damage faster than it could regenerate. Glutton randomly swung its tentacles around, attempting to stop Kang Oh''s focused assault. Getting hit by these tentacles would apply a curse that slowed one''s movement. This ability stacked, so the more one got hit, the slower they''d be. In other words, if he let himself get hit by one tentacle, then it''d be easier for Glutton to hit him with another! However, Kang Oh didn''t allow a single one to hit him. He treated its tentacles like Galmoss''s Reaper of Souls and avoided them at all cost. Of course, Glutton''s tentacles weren''t very fast, and their movements were incredibly simple. However, it was still an incredible aplishment; he dodged the countless tentacles whilst swinging his sword at the exact same location time after time. At some point... Kang Oh felt Demon Sword Ubist''s power welling up. It was a familiar feeling. ckness, one like a starless night sky, engulfed his de. Darkness Strike! Swish! His sword fell from above. Of course, his de crossed the area he''d been attacking thus far! The jet-ck energy transformed into a beast-shaped wave and ripped Glutton apart. Bam! The spherical Glutton was bisected like an apple split into two equal halves! It was truly a memorable sight. [You have defeated the Insatiable Critter, Glutton, using Darkness Strike.] [You havepleted the spontaneous quest, Darkness Strike 2. You are rewarded with arge amount of proficiency.] [Darkness Strike has risen to high-rank.] Chapter 303. Hunting Preparations

Chapter 303. Hunting Preparations

Trantor: Boko ''Nice.'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. Darkness Strike had finally leveled up. Completing the spontaneous quest before his fight with Galmoss was a huge boon. He couldn''t wait to see how the skill had changed, as well as how much stronger it had be. Kang Oh''s hand tingled with excitement. Then, he rushed at a Cereb, an evil spirit wrapped in ck bandages. "...Mysterious Gate!" Soren swung her staff. eleration Gate! A purple ring appeared in front of Kang Oh. ''Nice timing.'' Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor. Once he passed through the ring, his body felt as soft as a feather, and his speed increased significantly. Swish! Demon Sword Ubist bisected the Cereb. It was so fast that the Cereb hadn''t even reacted to it. Then, Karin shot a sand fist at it. The sand fist punched right through it, leaving a hole in its body, and Kang Oh followed up with a downward strike. Darkness Strike! His de unleashed a jet-ck wave. It seemed like Darkness Strike''s activation rate had increased. Anyhow, ''Darkness Strike'' transformed into a jet-ck, beast-shaped wave. However, Darkness Strike looked different from before. Kang Oh had assumed that the jet-ck beast was a wolf or something simr, but it was actually Ubist all along. The wave assumed Ubist''s form, mimicking its sleek, elegant body, and its sharp teeth. Boom! Obviously, its power was far greater than before. ''It''s really strong!'' [You have defeated Velin''s Evil Spirit, Cereb, using Darkness Strike.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +1] Then... Two Cronas came out of the ceiling and attacked him. They gathered lumpy, ck energy in their hands. It was a surprise attack. He was fully capable of dodging their attacks. However, Kang Oh chose to attack the left Crona instead. Then what about the right Crona? "Give them pain!" Eder said with his silvery voice. Soul Burn! The purple me flew through the air,pletely ignoring Kang Oh, and devoured the Crona. He''d fought alongside Eder for how long? Kang Oh knew he''d support him. Plus, Darion came over and swung his dius, which shone with holy light, at the burning Crona''s neck. Spinning Thrust! His dius spun like a drill and pierced the evil spirit''s body. At the same time, Kang Oh sliced through his target with a single swing of his de. Guah. The evil spirits of Velin''s Pce didn''t speak. However, the Cronas'' twisted expressions made it seem like they were groaning. After that, Soren and Karin unleashed their spells, exploding the ck-dressed evil spirits. "Huahp." Kang Oh leapt into the air and swung his sword in a wide arc. His de sliced through the two Cronas in his way. Swish. He decapitated them, and red shards of light flew through the air like a gun salute. That marked the end of the battle. Kang Oh took a look around. On one side, there were a bunch of yers watching him. There were more than ten of them, and their expressions varied. Some looked at him with awe, jealousy, envy, etc. ''Stupid fame.'' They must''ve followed him after recognizing who he was. ''Should I ask them to pay to watch?'' he suddenly thought. However, it was clear what would happen if he interacted with them. They''d act nice to him and ask to join his party; it''d be a pain in the ass. Ultimately, doing what he''d been doing, or ignoring them, was his best option. Kang Oh turned his gaze away and said, "Let''s keep going. Act like they''re not watching." It didn''t matter if people were watching. They had to keep going! * * * The more they hunted, the better their teamwork got. They also got used to the ghost-type monsters here that''d freely pass through the ceiling, walls, and ground, and try to surprise them. As a result, they gradually got faster at killing them. "Hoo, they''re like a bulldozer," a yer watching Kang Oh''s party said. "A bulldozer?" "They''re killing the monsters as soon as they show up." "That''s true." "Look at their hunting speed. Do you think they''ll let me join their party if I ask?" "Read the atmosphere. Kang Oh and his party aren''t even giving us the time of day. And why would he let you in?" "Tch." Velin''s Pce was sorge andplex that there were countless routes that you could go through. It was said that the route that led to the throne room was the most dangerous and would take the longest to get to. Kang Oh''s party had chosen the route to the throne room. Normally, it''d take about half a day to get to the throne room. However, Kang Oh''s party made it there in two hours. "They''re crazy." "They really are amazing." The spectators were shocked. They also hunted in Velin''s Pce, so they knew how difficult the dungeon was. Kang Oh didn''t care what they were doing, and just stared at his party members. "Next!" "Please, let''s rest a little," Darion said. He looked exhausted. It was only natural. They''d been hunting for two hours straight without any rest. Anyone would be tired under those circumstances. Eder, Soren, and Karin were in simr shape. They looked at Kang Oh earnestly. Kang Oh shook his head. "We can''t." "Why!?" "If we rest, then they''ll make our lives hell." Kang Oh pointed at the spectators. "Why are they even following us?" Darion gritted his teeth. "Still, we should rest," Eder said. Soren and Karin longingly stared at him again. "We can''t! In exchange, we''ll only hunt for another hour." "One more hour?" Darion furrowed his brow. "Yeah. Just one more hour. Then we can leave and rest at our leisure." "Sounds good." "Alright!" Soren and Karin agreed. ''Sure, it''s only one more hour! We can do it!'' "Just one more hour," Darion said. "Yeah, one hour." Kang Oh''s party was on the move again. They say a light burns brightest right before it''s about to fade. Kang Oh and his teammates gritted their teeth and gave it everything they got for an hour. Eventually, one hour finally passed. "This is it for today. Good job everyone," Kang Oh said. "I burned brightly," Darion muttered. Eder, Soren, and Karin didn''t even have the energy to speak. "Then I''ll be going first." ''Before those annoyancese over here!'' Kang Oh left like the wind, and his teammates and the spectators began to leave one or two at a time. * * * The world''s biggest video sharing site, Youtube. Although countless videos were uploaded every day, there was one video in particr that drew the public''s eye. The Arth Streamer, Rande. His skills were alright and he had a silver tongue, so a lot of people knew about him and his channel. He uploaded a new video today. It was called ''Numbers Kang Oh Appears in Velin''s Pce! A Bulldozer''s Coming Through. Everyone Get Out of the Way!''. Several people were drawn in by the title and clicked on the video. This could be attributed to Kang Oh''s fame as one of the Numbers, and the fact that he''d had very little exposure for how famous he was for quite some time. After all, Kang Oh had been busy exploring Despia, so he hadn''t been seen on programs, or even on the continent itself. However, this video was recent footage of him! Anyone who loved Arth would click on the video and watch it at least once. Anyhow, Kang Oh was as fast and strong as always. He was also apanied by teammates as well. However, it wasn''t nearly as impactful as Kang Oh''s fight with the Wyvern King, Draka. People''s reaction varied. Some people thought it wasn''t anything special, while others were in awe of his performance. One person went as far as to say that his skills weren''t anything special, that his skills had diminished, and criticized him, while another person attacked the heckler for spewing lies and supported Kang Oh. Anyhow, this showed how interested people still were in Kang Oh, despite him being absent for so long! That was the irrefutable truth. Once he saw the rising view count, Rande yelled in joy. There were others who did the same. It was Jin Cheol and his production crew! They secretly spread rumors that Kang Oh would be on their program, First Hunter. "Make a trailer as soon as Mr. Kang Oh sends us the video," Jin Cheol said to his subordinates. "Understood." "It''d be even better if Mr. Kang Oh actually manages to kill it," the writer who''d worked alongside Jin Cheol for years said. "Yes, it would be." The monster that used a cheat key, Roaming Galmoss! What if Kang Oh were to beat it? He''d make history again. Obviously, the viewership would follow! "Ooh, I trust you!" "Mr. Kang Oh! Ooh, Mr. Kang Oh!" "I trust you!" The youngest writer and the rest of the staff sped their hands and prayed. It was like the gathering of a cult. * * * Kang Oh prepared thoroughly for his hunt. By hunting with his teammates in Velin''s Pce, his party had learned to fight well together. If he needed something, then he''d contact Man Bok right away, and he''d get it for him. He''d asionally visit the auction house too. He needed to find a suitable item to use against Galmoss. However, there weren''t any items that stuck out. Kang Oh asked Eder and Darion to gather information from Altein''s Central Library. He''d asked if Soren and Karin were willing to peruse Arthstory and its affiliatedmunity sites and gather information that way. They said they''d dly do it for him. Kang Oh also visited Tino and Jayce. However, they didn''t know anything in particr. He even visited the Taksen Castle Depths where Galmoss resides. It was to meet the Ghost Knight, Angel Grancia; he was the one who''d told him about the Loxia family''s demon sword, or Demon Sword Blood. He hoped that he''d have some vital information on Galmoss. However, he couldn''t find him anywhere; perhaps he''d already been killed by another yer. ''I hope the others are having more luck than I am.'' Kang Oh headed for Eder''s house. His teammates and Man Bok were already there waiting for him. "We''ll hunt Galmoss in two days at 1 o''clock after lunch." He''d already told his team this, so none of them looked surprised. "I''ll get you your supplies tomorrow," Man Bok said. "Thank you." Kang Oh bowed his head. "It''s not a problem." Man Bok smiled. For some reason, it felt like he''d heard ''Besides, we''re close.'' added after. "Does anyone have any new info on Galmoss?" Kang Oh looked them all over. However, no one raised their heads or spoke. "Did you all memorize the materials I gave you?" "Yes." "What do you have to be most careful of?" Kang Oh asked Darion. "You have to dodge the Reaper of Souls no matter what. You can''t try to block it either, since it''s unblockable." Kang Oh began testing them on the material. Everyone knew their stuff. With a satisfied look on his face, Kang Oh said, "Something unexpected will happen. When it does, trust in your teammates and adapt." "Yes!" everyone yelled simultaneously. "We can do this!" "Yeah!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. His teammates'' eyes were filled with determination. Their hunt was right ahead of them. Chapter 304. Roaming Galmoss (1)

Chapter 304. Roaming Galmoss (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh visited the auction house. The Galmoss hunt was fast approaching, so he needed to pick up some fodder for Gluttony. He sat on a sofa and opened the auction window. Then, he began carefully looking through the AA-rank items and up. ''What would be the most useful effect against it?'' Kang Oh had repeatedly asked himself this question, and he''d finally gotten the answer today. ''This is it.'' He finally came to a decision. Crazy Fast Sailin''s Boots! It was an S-rank item with an equip requirement of 300, and a ''buy now'' price of 3,000 gold. They lived up to their price tag. The boots themselves were amazing; plus, they had special abilities and stat bonuses too. They had everything you could want! It would be a waste to use them as fodder for Gluttony. However, it couldn''t be helped. The item''s special ability would be really useful during his fight with Galmoss. [Speedster] Your movements gradually be faster. Stamina loss is proportional to the increase in speed. You may toggle this ability on and off. [Destructive Speed] You deal extra damage proportional to your speed, and your critical hit damage is increased. Kang Oh immediately hit the ''buy now'' button. His pocket became 3,000 gold lighter, and lightning-patterned shoes appeared in his hand. ''Alright, I''m ready now.'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. He''d spent a ton in order to hunt Galmoss. If he failed to hunt it, then he''d incur a huge loss. Thus... "I''m taking it down no matter what!" * * * D-Day. It was time. However, Kang Oh was meeting with an unfamiliar man. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh." "Hello, Producer." The unfamiliar man was none other than First Hunter''s main producer, Park Jin Cheol! This was his game character. "Here." Jin Cheol passed him a key. [Key to Taksen Castle Depths] A key that will allow you to enter the currently blocked off Taksen Castle Depths. The Taksen Castle Depths was not a spatiotemporal intersection point. Which meant that other yers could get in his way, or someone might be hunting Galmoss already. In order to stop such things from happening, GBS had asked Dreamgate, the producer of Arth, for a favor. They wanted them to keep other yers from interfering. Dreamgate loved theworks since they promoted their game. Thus, they had no reason to refuse GBS''s request. They created the key that Kang Oh was just given. No one could ess the Taksen Castle Depths at this time, so long as they didn''t possess this key. If yers had gotten in before the area was blocked off, then they would''ve received a message. The message asked them to leave, as there was filming nned here. They''d also receive a warning indicating that they''d be returned against their will if they didn''t leave within a certain time period. Kang Oh took the key and ced it into his inventory. "I''ll make sure you''ve turned on film mode too," Jin Cheol said. "Alright." "Please set it to live mode, and let me know your code." Live mode would transmit Kang Oh''s footage directly to them. The bestparison would probably be live streaming. "Film, live mode," Kang Oh said, and film mode activated. [Filming (live mode) has begun.] [Your live code is #KangOh1403.] "My code is #KangOh1403," Kang Oh said clearly. If this code was inputted on Arth''s homepage, or a TVputer with the proper program, then you would be able to watch Kang Oh in real-time. "As you know, the other contestants will be able to see your hunt," Jin Cheol said. That was the reason he was using live mode, rather than filming normally and then showing it after it was edited. Kang Oh nodded his head. This was the core of First Hunter. The other contestants were allowed to see your hunt in real-time! It gave the other contestants a chance to watch another contestant''s hunt, allowing them to gain knowledge that they wouldn''t otherwise have in real-time. "You can''t turn off film mode halfway through! If you do, then you''ll receive a harsh penalty." The penalty was simple. If film mode was turned off halfway through, then you''d forfeit the prize, even if you seeded, and if you failed, then you couldn''t see the other contestants'' hunts. "Understood." He''d already agreed to this prior, so he nodded his head. "Good luck." Jin Cheol clenched his fist. "Yeah!" Kang Oh did the same. * * * A ck castle resided in-between a cliff, a canyon, and a sharp mountaintop. This was Taksen Castle. The castle was divided into two sections: the outer wall and the castle. Galmoss resided within thetter. They didn''t really encounter anything along the way. The named monsters that appeared within Taksen Castle were all low level Ghost Knights, so Kang Oh''s party just avoided them. A short whileter, they reached the entrance to the castle. However, the entrance was tightly shut; there was a keyhole there, one that hadn''t been there when he''de to see the Ghost Knight, Angel, a few days prior. Kang Oh ced the key inside. Screech. Then, the old hinges ''screeched'' and the door opened. "Let''s go." [Entering the Taksen Castle Depths.] The pirs were cracked, and so were the square stones that lined the floor. The pile of rubble and debris was piled up like a grave. The interior was in ruins. It only made sense. It''d already been several years since anyone had lived here. Anyhow, the depths consisted of a central passageway, which led to the exit, and four other areas. A jousting arena, a church, a central conference hall, and an armory. Galmoss would endlessly roam across these four areas! "First, we''ll hide and figure out where Galmoss is." Kang Oh hid behind a pile of rocks, while Darion and Eder hid behind a pile of debris. The twins, Karin and Soren, hid behind a pir. How much time had passed? Galmoss finally showed up. It was slightly floating over the ground, and was walking right to the central conference hall. Kang Oh peeked his head out and carefully examined Galmoss. Especially its cheat-like weapon, the Reaper of Souls! The Reaper of Souls bypassed any and all defenses! Kang Oh''s main priority was to keep Galmoss upied, so that it didn''t aim that weapon at his teammates. ''I can do it.'' Kang Oh was confident. Anyhow, Galmoss disappeared within the passageway leading to the conference hall. "Alright. Let''s head to the jousting arena and wait for it there." Of the four areas, Kang Oh had decided that they''d fight Galmoss in the jousting arena. The reason was simple. It was arge area, there were few obstacles there, and it was outside. "Ok." "Yes!" Kang Oh and his teammates moved quickly. There was a stand there, which was on the verge of copse. Aside from that, it was no different from a stadium filled with weeds. "Let''s clean up the area." They were akin to a catastrophe to the Ghost Knights that roamed the jousting arena. "I am Cristaga''s Knight..." "Shut up." It was a one-sided massacre. There were no longer any roaming Ghost Knights here. After that, Kang Oh, Eder, Soren and Karen waited for Galmoss near the jousting arena''s entrance. Darion was outside of the entrance, watching for Galmoss''s approach. ''It''s about time it came.'' He was absolutely right. Rat-a-tat-tat. Darion quickly rushed into the jousting arena. "He''sing." "Everyone, take the medicine that Eder made and drink your buff potions. Get ready to hit it with everything you got." "Yes!" Kang Oh swallowed the drug Eder gave him. [You have consumed Eder''s Special Energy Egg.] [Stamina and HP will regenerate more quickly.] [Physical +40] [Stamina +200] [Remaining time: 10 minutes] Eder''s drug was actually more effective than most Alchemists'' potions. Moreover, it stacked with alchemical buff potions too. Kang Oh then pulled off a strength and speed potion from his belt and drank them. His body overflowed with power, and he tightly gripped Ubist. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and stared at the entrance. His party eventually saw the 3 meter tall Ghost Knight, Galmoss, fully covered in armor and carrying his greatsword, the Reaper of Souls. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled. The pig-tailed girl, Soren, struck first. The sphere at the end of her staff, whichrgely resembled a mirror ball, radiated bright light. Giant''s Stomp! Her talent lies in manipting gravity, and using it to tten her opponents. Giant''s Stomp would allow her to exert the most amount of pressure she could on her opponent. Thud! A 3 meter radius beneath its feet sunk. It was as if it''d been crushed by an actual giant''s foot. Even Galmoss itself was crushed. However, it didn''t take as much damage as Soren had hoped. It easily escaped the gravity zone. As stated in their info, it had extremely high resistance to magic. After that, Karin and Eder simultaneously cast their spells. The bells jingled as she swung her staff, and Eder''s skull staff radiated green light. Sand Bind! Surging Fang! Sand and sharp bone rose from beneath its feet. However, neither sand nor bone proved to be very effective at keeping Galmoss in ce. Karin and Eder were well aware of this fact. They''d obviously prepared their next move already. "Die!" "Explode!" Desert''s Fury! Bone Bomb! A heap of sand and bone exploded like an erupting volcano. Boom! Did it work? It seemed to, as Galmoss flinched. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh swung Ubist. Lightning Breath! Darion swung his dius, Steel Heart. He chose this one over the others, as Steel Heart possessed the highest attack power. Fighting Spirit Aura! The lightning st and zing red aura mixed together, striking Galmoss head-on. Bam! All of their spells and skills had worked. However, most yers started a battle with Galmoss like this. Despite that, no one had ever managed to defeat it. In other words, there was no way it''d be dead already! Kuooh! Galmoss pierced through the dust cloud. At the same time, Kang Oh rushed forward. Swish! Galmoss raised the Reaper of Souls into the air, and then let it fall like lightning. Kang Oh turned his body to the side, and slightly swung Ubist. There was something he needed to check. The Reaper of Souls was an overpowered de that bypassed everything, allowing it to inflict tremendous damage. But would it bypass Ubist as well? After all, Ubist was just as special, and possessed Abyss de, which would allow him to cut through the immaterial. He quickly confirmed his suspicions. Their des made contact, but no sound could be heard. The Reaper of Souls had passed right through his sword. ''It really is impossible to block.'' Now, Kang Oh''s job was simple: avoid every single one of its attacks! ''Yeah, let''s do this.'' "Haahp!" Kang Oh let out a battle cry. Galmoss swung the Reaper of Souls. It was using a greatsword for god''s sake, yet the sword flew through the air as if it were weightless! Swish, sh, swish! Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! It was like they were Tom and Jerry. The battle of cat and mouse had begun. Chapter 305. Roaming Galmoss (2)

Chapter 305. Roaming Galmoss (2)

Trantor: Boko Although the Reaper of Souls was considered overpowered, it did possess a clear weakness. The fact that it could bypass anything meant that everything would go through it too. In other words, it couldn''t be used for defense! Thus, Galmoss had several weak points. However, there weren''t many yers that could take advantage of this due to Galmoss''s tremendous attack power. Even the best tanks were killed within 3 seconds! Let''s assume you manage to get a hit in, but it counterattacks simultaneously. You might''ve done some damage, but you''d get hit by the Reaper of Souls. No one could withstand a direct hit from its de. Thus, aiming for its weak points was risky. At the same time, Kang Oh had to draw its attention, which meant attacking it too. If he didn''t, then it''d turn its attention to his teammates and rip them to shreds! Ultimately, only a yer that had the willingness and the courage to take such a risk was capable of fighting against Galmoss. ''Someone like me.'' Kang Oh unhesitatingly aimed for a weak point. Swish. Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through its shoulder, and red shards of light leaked from in-between. Abyss de was capable of hurting Galmoss too. Whoosh! The Reaper of Souls flew at him horizontally. Kang Oh quickly reacted to it. He couldn''t afford to be careless. If he reacted a second toote, then it was game over for him. He took two steps back. Kang Oh just barely dodged the de, only a finger''s length separating him and the tip of Galmoss''s sword. He then acted like he was swinging his demon sword. In response, Galmoss swung its de once more. Kang Oh stopped his de halfway. He turned his body and then stepped forward as if he''d slipped. The Reaper of Souls passed by his side. Stab! Ubist pushed through Galmoss''s armor. It felt like he''d just dunked his sword into a vat of gooey tar. ''No!'' Kang Oh didn''t go all the way through, and pulled his sword out. He''d made a good decision. What if he hadn''t withdrawn his sword? Then he wouldn''t have been able to dodge Galmoss''s next attack. "Hoo." Kang Oh retreated and caught his breath. Galmoss, who floated about 30 meters from the ground, straightened its back and walked forward. Then... "Bestow pain upon the soul!" "Pierce through!" "Mysterious gate!" Eder, Karin, and Soren cast their spells. Soul Burn! Snaring Sand Spear! The purple fire and sand spear mixed together, making a sound akin to a musical instrument, and resulted in a gray spear. It didn''t do much damage, but it did manage to distract the boss. Meanwhile, an oval purple ring appeared behind Kang Oh. eleration Gate! Kang Oh stepped back. Once he passed through the gate, he rushed forward as quickly as an arrow. He dodged the diagonal swing of Galmoss''s de, got in range, and sliced through its side. Bam. Huge shards of red light fell to the floor. Then, Darion, who''d been waiting for the right moment, rushed at it from behind. de Honed with Fighting Spirit! The red sunset de sliced through its back. Galmoss waspletely defenseless, so he could get another attack in. However, Darion retreated immediately. ''Wait for your opportunity and attack when it''s safe. Never attack twice!'' Kang Oh had told him. ''You''re my backup. If it hits me or I can''t keep it in ce, then you have to take over. You can''t let yourself get taken out before me!'' Because of that, Darion knew what his role was. He was the off-tank, so he couldn''t afford to put himself in danger! Thus, he only chose to attack once. ''In exchange, I''ll make the best out of it.'' Darion''s eyes gleamed as he waited for his next opportunity. It seemed like he''d get another opportunity soon. After all, Kang Oh and his other teammates were fighting well against that formidable beast! * * * There were five official members of Blue Sky: Marco, Yassen, Sarah, Kun, and Liman. Those five were gathered at Marco''s house, and were watching Kang Oh''s hunt in real-time. "They''ll probably fail, right?" the greasy-looking Yassen said. "They have to," Marco said. If Kang Oh''s party failed, then his party would be up next. Thus, Kang Oh had to fail. "They fight well," Kun said. His head was shaved like a member of the army. "It''s what you''d expect. He''s part of the Numbers, after all," Yassen said. "Now we know Kang Oh''s skills are the real deal. His teammates fight well too," Kun said. "The girls are Karin and Soren," Sarah, the only woman in their group, said. "Who are they?" Yassen asked. "The pigtailed girl is Soren. She uses gravity magic. The one with the bell staff is Karin. As you can see, she uses sand magic," Sarah said. "They must be close to level 400. They''re not high rankers, are they?" "Probably not." "What do you know about the other two?" Kun asked. "I dunno who they are. They look like a diator and necromancer, but they''re not exceptional," Yassen said. "No, they''re fighting well," Kassen refuted. "Sure, let''s go with that." Yassen shrugged his shoulders. "Stop worrying about Kang Oh''s party. Focus on Galmoss and find out everything you can," Marco said. "Ok, boss." The members of Blue Sky began to focus entirely on Galmoss. Sometimeter... "Galmoss has entered the 2nd phase," Liman, who hadn''t said anything thus far, yelled. "Now it''ll be a bit interesting," Sarah said, and everyone nodded. * * * Four gray swords appeared above Galmoss''s head. "It''s the 2nd phase!" Kang Oh yelled. Galmoss''s 2nd phase was really simple. It started to use skills! That was it. Ghost-Possessed Swords! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The four swords flew at Eder, Darion, Soren and Karin. Throughout the 1st phase, Kang Oh had kept its attention fixed on him, so the rest of his team had had it easy. However, they couldn''t rx anymore. From now on, Galmoss would shoot ghost-possessed swords at them whenever it could. Fortunately, the gray swords didn''t have the Reaper of Soul''s overpowered ability; they couldn''t bypass objects. "Chaaht!" "Haahp!" Thus, Soren and Karin could deflect the swords with their staffs. Darion did the same with his sword. "Munra''s Shield!" Eder summoned a shield and blocked the sword that way. Meanwhile, Galmoss etched a bizarre pattern in the air with its sword. Then, Kang Oh got as far away from it as he could. Cold Wave! All of a sudden, a cold wind began to blow; it was so cold that it made their teeth chatter. [You have been exposed to Cold Wave.] [Your movements will gradually slow.] [If your temperature drops any further, then you will start losing HP.] "Take the red drug that Eder gave you!" Kang Oh pulled the red egg off his belt and swallowed it. [You have consumed Eder''s Fire Egg.] [You have begun to run a fever.] [You are no longer slowed by the cold.] [Your temperature does not decrease.] [Duration Time: 10 minutes] People already knew about Galmoss''s Cold Wave. Thus, Eder had created the Fire Egg as a countermeasure. However, this was just the beginning. Ghost-possessed swords flew through the air once more, but this time, five of them had been summoned, and one of the gray des flew towards Kang Oh. If you were far enough away from Galmoss, then you would be the target of its ghost-possessed swords. ng! Kang Oh and his teammates deflected the gray des with their respective weapons. Swish! Galmoss swung its de downwards. Cross de! It unleashed a cross-shaped de of energy from its sword. Kang Oh couldn''t afford to dodge it since Eder was right behind him. "Huahp!" Tempest Tiger! He unleashed a giant tiger from his de. The Tempest Tiger dashed towards its target, leaving a golden trail behind it. Bam! Tempest Tiger shed with Cross de. Kang Oh''s skill was superior. The Tempest Tiger went straight through the Cross de and flew towards Galmoss. Then, Galmoss swung its sword again. It was using another Cross de! Bam! Tempest Tiger shed with another Cross de. This time, the two skills were dead even and they dissipated simultaneously. "Mysterious power that exists, but cannot be seen!" Soren pointed her staff at Galmoss. Gravity Cannon! She shot two concentric circles, which consisted of gravitational force, right at it. The inner circle was red, while the outer surrounding circle was gray. The gravity cannon sucked the floor''s dirt and rocks as it passed. Bam! The gravity cannon hit it dead on. Its vacuum force was tremendous, so Galmoss couldn''t escape it so easily. "Karin!" Soren yelled. Her voice was basically saying, ''Now!''. "Desert''s signpost that whispers of death..." Karen, who''d been casting ever since Soren had unleashed her gravity cannon, had finallypleted her incantation. Pyramid of Death! A sand pyramid surged from the ground and engulfed Galmoss whole. This spell trapped one''s opponent and also drained their life force away! This was her most powerful spell. "Even you won''t be able to get out of this one!" Karin said confidently. It was only natural. The Pyramid of Death wasn''t just a sand pyramid. Ityered several types of sealing spells on top of each other, allowing her to seal even a ghost like Galmoss. She was absolutely sure it wouldn''t be able to escape. However, she was quickly proved wrong. Boom! The pyramid began to break, and immense energy surged from within. At the same time, gray des flew through the cracks. "Be careful!" Kang Oh yelled, but it happened so suddenly that some of his teammates were unable to respond in time. "Ugh." "Ah!" Soren and Karin reacted toote. The gray des had pierced Soren''s shoulder and Karin''s thigh. "Are you alright?" Eder quickly came over, applied ointment over their wounds, and wrapped them with bandages. First Aid! But it wasn''t just any first aid. It was first aid performed by a Master Healer! They instantly recovered their lost HP. "Thank you." Soren bowed her head, whereas Karin was in no state to be thanking him. Galmoss leisurely began floating out of the pyramid, which was halfway destroyed already. "How!?" Karin was shocked. ''You monster! How in the world did you break through the pyramid!?'' If Galmoss was capable of speech, then it''d say something like ''I broke it using brute strength!''. It then approached Kang Oh and swung its sword. Avnche of Despair! This was the skill it''d used to destroy the pyramid. Befitting its name, it unleashed an immense wave of energy that came at you like an avnche. "Aah." Karin''s face was filled with despair. ''We were wrong.'' "Damn it." Darion bit his lip. Eder and Soren began casting spells, trying to do something, anything, to stop the attack, but they were toote. And Kang Oh... ''It has too much range for me to dodge it. If that''s the case, then...'' he thought briefly, and then immediately acted. Evesting Darkness! A massive amount of darkness gathered around his jet-ck de. From afar, it looked like Kang Oh was holding a giant ck pir. "Huaaahp!" Kang Oh screamed and swung downwards. The avnche-like wave was cleaved in two. Seeing that, Karin was reminded of the legend of Moses and how he''d parted the sea. It was like a miracle. Honestly, in terms of pure power, Avnche of Despair was one level, no, perhaps two levels stronger than his Evesting Darkness. While Evesting Darkness was focused at one point like a beam, Avnche of Despair''s power was spread out over a wide area. That''s why he''d been able to slice through the avnche. Kang Oh didn''t let down his guard. By cutting through the avnche, the darkness gathered around his de had dimmed, but it hadn''t been extinguished; he swung his de at Galmoss with whatever power his de had left! Swish! Kang Oh vertically cleaved through Galmoss''s armor, starting from its breastte, all the way down to the groin area. Bam! Countless shards of light flew through the air like cherry blossoms. Now, it was time for the 3rd phase. Chapter 306. Roaming Galmoss (3)

Chapter 306. Roaming Galmoss (3)

Trantor: Boko Strong Punch, the vice-captain of the Sword Mercenaries, was apanied by his friend, Sword. Like Strong Punch, Sword was one of the Sword Mercenaries'' special-ss mercenaries. There was a giant TV in their taekwondo dojo, so they chose to watch Kang Oh''s hunt there. "Kyaha, this is crazy." In general, Sword was quite foul-mouthed. "Sseup!" Strong Punch red at him. ''Watch yournguage in front of the kids!'', he seemed to say. The kids that attended their dojo were watching behind them. "Sorry, kids. Pretend you didn''t hear that." Sword scratched his head. Sure, he was foul-mouthed, but he wasn''t a bad guy. "Ah, it''s no big deal. We know what it means!" one of the children said. Strong Punch ced his hand on the kid''s head. "Chan Wook." "W-What is it?" Chan Wook flinched. "A martial artist has to keep their body and mouth under control," Strong Punch softly admonished. "Boo, I understand." "Mm." "But if I can''t say ''This is crazy'', then what can I say instead?" Chan Wook said. "You could say it''s difficult," Strong Punch said. "Ok. The boss is difficult." The boss he was referring to was obviously Galmoss. "We''ll have to be ready for its Cold Wave," Sword added. "Yeah. We''ll ask Mr. Nerva for his assistance." Nerva was one of Arth''s most skilled alchemists. It was said that he''d almost reached High-Rank Alchemy. "The ghost-possessed swords are a pain too. We''ll be fine, but there''s a chance that our healer and/or mage will have trouble with them," Sword said. "Yeah." Strong Punch nodded his head. "Forget all that, that thing''s sword will be a problem. Do you think you''ll be able to do it?" Strong Punch decided to take on Kang Oh''s role. After all, he was the most skilled amongst them. "It doesn''t matter whether I''m confident or not. If we get the chance, I have to do it." They were third in line. Thus, they weren''t sure yet whether they''d be able to hunt Galmoss or not. "We will. You can''t beat that kind of boss with one or two tries," Sword said. "That''d be nice." Strong Punch wanted to fight Galmoss. The desire to fight strong opponents was a martial artist''s natural tendency, after all. Then... "Wow!" "So cool!" The kids marveled at the screen. The gravity cannon, as well as the pyramid that followed it up, were indeed cool. A short whileter... "Heot." "Mm!" Strong Punch and Sword were absolutely dumbfounded. Galmoss unleashed an energy wave sorge that it filled the entire screen! However, Kang Oh unleashed a ck pir from his de, splitting the wave in half! Moreover... "The 3rd phase." No one had ever made it to the 3rd phase before, but now Kang Oh''s party was about to experience it firsthand. * * * Galmoss''s entire body turned red. "It''s the 3rd phase. We don''t know what''ll happen, so everyone stay on guard!" Kang Oh said, and used Devil Trigger. He''d need to have ess to Shadow Transfer just in case. Ubist''s darkness wrapped around his body, transforming him into the Jet-ck Demon. "...Sand guardian!" Karin cast a spell. Summon Sand Golem! A sand golem, which was over 3 meters tall, rose from behind her. It had wide shoulders, and its arms were abnormally thick and long. Soren was prepared to cast an eleration Gate at any time. With good use of eleration Gate, even a mage like her would be able to move quickly. Darion wielded a dius in either hand. Steel Heart was in his right hand, and the explosive sword, Custony''s Trap, was in his left. Eder didn''t really do anything different. However, if someone needed healing, then he''d rush over and heal them. Hiss. The reddened Galmoss began moving towards them. ''What''s he going to do?'' Kang Oh was feeling really nervous. Ghost-Possessed Swords! Gray swords appeared in the air once more. However, there were ten of them this time. Whizz, whizz! Two des flew at each person. It was troublesome, but it wasn''t enough to take any of them out of the picture. However... "Heeup!" Kang Oh''s eyes widened. Galmoss instantly closed the distance between them, as if it''d teleported! The speed at which it swung its sword was equally as fast. It waspletely different fromst time. ''Holy shit!'' His Hyper Intuition sent him an intense warning. He felt a chill at his midline; it was so strong that it induced goosebumps. He retreated as best he could. However, the Reaper of Soul''s edge just barely touched him. [You have been cut by the Reaper of Souls.] [Maximum HP has dropped by 32%.] [Maximum MP has dropped by 32%.] [Maximum Stamina has dropped by 32%.] "You crazy bastard!" He''d only been grazed, but he lost 32%? Moreover, it reduced his maximum HP, MP, and Stamina? Now he understood why yers called Galmoss a cheat monster. Though he knew this would happen to anyone hit by its de, he couldn''t help but curse. Damage was bad, sure, but reducing one''s maximum HP, MP, and Stamina simultaneously was ridiculous. To make matters worse, Kang Oh''s HP was still at 100%, so Eder couldn''t heal him. ''I can''t let it hit me again!'' Kang Oh tightly grabbed Ubist in a dual-handed grip and forcefully swung it. ''I''m not just going to take this lying down!'' Abyss w! The three-lined jet-ck aura flew towards it. It was as if a beast itself were swiping at it. Galmoss responded immediately. Cross sh! It smoothly swung its sword downwards, unleashing a cross-shaped st. However, there were two crosses this time. It hadn''t used the skill consecutively. Galmoss had literally shot two of them at once. ''No way!'' Kang Oh quickly realized what had happened. Ghost-possessed swords had gone from 5 to 10, Cross sh shot two crosses now instead of one, and its speed seemed to have doubled too. However, he needed to dodge the Cross sh before he came to any sort of conclusion. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh used his trusty skill, which had saved his hide dozens of times already. Suck. Kang Oh''s body disappeared into the floor. Bam! Bam! The two Cross shes destroyed the area where he''d just been one after another. It was as if andmine had gone off. Dirt, gravel, and dried up grass arose from the ground like a fountain''s water. Since Kang Oh had disappeared out of sight, Galmoss switched targets to Karin. "Not going to happen!" Darion blocked its way. It was time for him to do his job as the off-tank! de Honed with Fighting Spirit! Giant''s Sword! His de, which glowed red like the setting sun, suddenly became so muchrger. Galmoss abruptly stopped and then backed off, as if something was pulling it from behind. Swoosh. Darion''s giant de cut through nothing. If Galmoss hadn''t entered the 3rd phase, or in other words, it hadn''t gotten twice as fast, then Darion''s attack would''ve worked 100%. But what could you do? Galmoss had entered the 3rd phase. Galmoss approached Darion with speed exceeding its quick retreat. Darion gritted his teeth. ''I''m going to do my job!'' Then... Kang Oh reappeared behind it, d in his Jet-ck Demon form. Using Abyss Transfer to disappear and then reappear behind the opponent was his thing! "Eat this!" Kang Oh swung his jet-ck de, white sparks dancing along its length. Lightning Breath! Crackle, boom! The lightning st struck it from behind. Was it touched by how electrifying it felt? Galmoss''s armor shook. Meanwhile, his team retreated and then began to bombard it with attacks. "Good work, Darion," Kang Oh said. He deserved thepliment. After all, he''d done his job perfectly. "Save it forter. Let''s focus on taking this thing out first." "Doubled." "What?" "In its 3rd phase, Galmoss''s abilities are doubled. The power of its skills, the amount, and its speed." He''de to that conclusion after seeing Galmoss''s Cross sh. "Aha!" "And I''m going for triple, not double." Kang Oh pulled out the Crazy Fast Sailin Boots from his inventory. They were S-rank boots with an equip requirement of 300! He immediately used Gluttony. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Crazy Fast Sailin Boots.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Speedster and Destructive Speed have been selected.] Jet-ck energy came out of his body. He immediately used one of the consumed item''s abilities too. Speedster! This skill would gradually increase his speed, but would consume Stamina in proportion to the speed increase. "Soren, eleration Gate!" Kang Oh yelled. "Yes!" Soren raised her staff into the air. Then, an eleration Gate appeared in front of Kang Oh. Bam. Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Under the effects of both Gluttony and eleration Gate, his speed was tremendous. Speedster would further increase his speed too. Swish! Galmoss swung its sword at him. Bam! Of the shards of light it''d spilled thus far, these were the reddest. It was only natural. Having used Gluttony, he was at his strongest. Moreover, ''Destructive Speed'' would increase his damage based on his speed. "Yahoo!" Kang Oh shouted and repeatedly attacked Galmoss. Galmoss was quite fast, butpared to Kang Oh, who was under the effects of Gluttony, eleration Gate, and Speedster (which would only make him faster as time went on)... ''You''re slow!'' Was this what it felt to ride a top of the line race car on the autobahn? Kang Oh couldn''t get enough of this speed. Galmoss was helpless before his assault. The disparity between their speed was too great. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Ubist cleaved through Galmoss again and again. Boom! If Darkness Strike activated, then Galmoss''s reddened form would shake and dim. ''Let''s end this!'' Kang Oh didn''t have a brake. His foot was stuck on the elerator. As a result... [Your Stamina has reached 0.] [You cannot move.] Although his speed was gradually increased, he lost Stamina at the same rate. Thus, he had to turn off Speedster at the right time, but he''dpletely forgotten this basic fact. ''Heop!'' Kang Oh''s heart sank. Galmoss was right in front of him, and he waspletely defenseless! Fortunately, his team was by his side. "I knew this would happen." Darion chastised him, and carried him over his shoulder. "We have to protect Mr. Kang Oh!" Soren cast a spell. Stamp! She intensified the gravity around Galmoss. This would slightly slow it down. "Go, Momo!" Karin pointed her staff at Galmoss. Then, her Sand Golem, Momo, rushed at Galmoss. Whoosh. The Sand Golem swung its fist. However, it was too slow. Galmoss''s Reaper of Souls ripped right through it. But it was still better than most tanks. After all, itsted 10 seconds against the 3 Second Demon. Meanwhile, Darion brought Kang Oh to Eder. "Tch, tch." Once Darion handed him over, Eder clicked his tongue. Then, he poured a stamina replenishing potion into Kang Oh''s mouth. "You were about to kick the bucket, weren''t you?" "..." Kang Oh couldn''t speak right now, nor did he have anything to say that could justify his actions. ''To think I made such a stupid mistake!'' "You should be able to move in a minute, but I''m not sure we''ll be able tost that long." But they had no choice. They had to endure for a minute. Eder turned around. "Ugh!" Darion was rolling around everywhere, dodging Galmoss''s de. "Go away!" "Just die already!" The twins, Soren and Karin, screamed and bombarded it with spells. Eder raised his silver skull staff into the air. The skull''s eye sockets began to radiate red light. "Those forgotten by the world, undying lumps of flesh, dishonorable ones! Answer my call and return to life!" Large-Scale Summon Undead! Arise. The ground was either cracked or upturned, and out came an army of the dead! Chapter 307. Roaming Galmoss (4)

Chapter 307. Roaming Galmoss (4)

Trantor: Boko Eder had summoned a variety of undead, including ming Zombies, Poisonous Ghouls, Skeleton Warriors/Mages, Duhans, and Death Knights. The Poisonous Ghouls rushed in with their sharp purple nails, the Skeleton Warriors dragged their rusty swords across the floor, and the Skeleton Mages'' eye sockets zed with deep blue fire. The Duhans, whose severed heads hung from their sides, and the Death Knights, who''d returned to life after hearing their master''s call, rode on skeleton horses. "Attack!" Eder pointed his skull staff at Galmoss. Kuaah! Rattle, tter, rattle! The undead cried out and/or their bones rattled as they charged at the Roaming Galmoss. "Hoo, hoo." Eder looked exhausted. It was only natural. After all, he''d summoned an army of 200 undead all at once! In order to maintain his hold over them, he needed absolute concentration and a huge amount of MP. ''Can we really hold out for a minute?'' The undead he''d summoned were between level 200 and 300. The Death Knights were the highest level, but he''d summoned very few of them. On the other hand, Galmoss was level 400. Moreover, it was a boss monster that possessed power that exceeded its level! Even if he were to summon more undead, he wouldn''t be able to take it down. He was just trying to buy Kang Oh a minute to recuperate. "Hide yourselves and buy time!" Eder yelled. Darion, Soren, and Karin understood the implications. In other words, ''Stay alive until Kang Oh has recovered!''. ''If we manage to hold out until then, then we can beat it!'' Darion, Soren, and Karin all thought the same thing, and hid themselves amongst the undead army. However, 1 minute was way too long. The Reaper of Souls released a massive energy st. Avnche of Despair! "Do whatever it takes to survive!" Darion yelled from amidst the undead army. Bam! The fan-shaped st devoured the undead army. More than half of the undead had been destroyed by the avnche. ''You monster.'' Eder was the farthest away from Galmoss, so he wasn''t caught in the Avnche of Despair. That''s also why he was able to see Galmoss rip through his undead army in a single stroke. Galmoss''s strength was frightening. However, they still had hope; hope known as Kang Oh! "Undead, keep going!" Eder yelled calmly. Fortunately, the undead, which were immune to fear, obediently obeyed their master''smand. Whoosh! Galmoss swung its sword. Several Skeleton Warriors, zombies, and Duhans fell, as if they were puppets whose strings had been cut. Despite that, the undead army kept advancing. Several gray des appeared above Galmoss''s head. Ghost-Possessed Swords! Whizz, whizz, whizz! It unleashed a shower of des. Unfortunately, some of those des made contact with Kang Oh''s party. "Soren!" Karin yelled regretfully. Two gray des had pierced the Gravity Witch''s chest. "Mr. Darion, please take care of Soren!" Karin said urgently. Darion rushed over and held her in his arms. She hadn''t died yet, though her HP was teetering on empty. He immediately brought her over to Eder. "Pleasey her down." Eder pulled out a golden ''egg'' from his bag and ced it in her mouth. Then, her body began to shine. "Hueup!" Eder pulled out the des in her chest. Large shards of light exploded from her chest. If Eder hadn''t given her that drug, then she would''ve died. Eder quickly pulled out the two des. Once he did, the two des turned to smoke. First Aid! He rubbed ointment over the wounds and wrapped them in bandages. Her faint breathes had be much healthier than before. As expected of a Master Healer! "She''s alright now. Now she just needs some time to heal. Mr. Darion, please keep her safe." "Yes!" However, protecting her didn''t seem like an easy task. Galmoss''s de had killed the final undead. Whoosh! In a sh, Galmoss was right in front of Eder, Darion, and Soren. "Tch!" Darion rushed forward and swung his dius. ''I''m going to protect my teammates!'' That''s the only thing that was on his mind. However, it didn''t work out as he wanted. Swish! The Reaper of Souls passed through his body. "Ugh!" Just one hit and Darion was on the brink of death. "Stop, you bastard!" Whoosh! Karin''s Sand Fist struck Galmoss head-on. It did a little bit of damage, but that''s all! Galmoss kept swinging its sword. It targeted Eder this time! Eder threw himself out of the way. He had attempted to dodge its de, but the attack was too fast, so his right leg was sliced through. "Ugh." Eder furrowed his brow and fell to the floor. Galmoss raised its de into the air. Soren wasying right in front of it. "No!" Karen desperately yelled. However, there was no way of stopping it. It swung its sword at the defenseless Soren. At that moment... A jet-ck demon appeared beside her. It was Kang Oh! After taking Eder''s drug and recovering some of his Stamina, Kang Oh had used Abyss Transfer to reappear here. Kang Oh cradled her in his arms and kicked off the floor. He wasn''t slow like Eder; he was fast enough to dodge the lightning quick Reaper of Souls. Bam! Ultimately, the Reaper of Souls missed its target. "Hoo, that was close." Kang Oh sighed in relief. If he''d been a little bitte, then Soren would''ve died. He was d that he was able to save her. "Oppa!" Karin yelled joyfully. ''Kang Oh Oppa is finally back!'' "Karin! Gather up Soren, Darion, and Eder, and protect them. The ghost-possessed swords maye flying at you." "Then what about Galmoss?'' "Just focus on protecting them. I''m going to take him down myself." "Understood. Come out, Momo!" Summon Sand Golem! The golem gathered all of Karin''s injured teammates with its long, thick arms. Kang Oh rushed at Galmoss like aet, his jet-ck tail swishing through the air behind him. Galmoss responded immediately. Cross sh! The cross-shaped st flew right at him. Since this was still the third phase, Galmoss''s attack was doubled. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura and the Cross sh shed. The two sts tangled together, both sides vying for supremacy. Then, Kang Oh horizontally swung his sword. Abyss w! Adding the jet-ck aura caused the bnce of power to shift in his favor. The Cross sh dissipated, and a st of gold and ck struck Galmoss head-on. Bam! It created a hole in Galmoss''s chest. Large shards of light burst out, but the perforated area quickly regenerated. At the same time, immense energy began to surge from Galmoss''s sword. It was Avnche of Despair. ''Damn it!'' How many times would it use that ridiculous ability until it was satisfied? Rather than dodge or retreat, Kang Oh chose to move forward. There was only 1 meter separating him and Galmoss! Then, the world slowed. No, it hadn''t actually slowed. Demon Sword Ubist just moved so quickly that it seemed like everything was slow inparison. Transcendent de! His de shed. Bam! He''d already swung his de. Only after was Galmoss''s body split in two. Gluttony, Transcendent de, and Abyss de had ovepped, allowing him to perform this feat. Moreover, he''d struck Galmoss''s weakness as indicated by his Hyper Intuition! Clear red shards of light spilled from its body like autumn maple leaves.It was clear that it''d taken a significant amount of damage. However, it wasn''t dead yet. "Haahp!" Kang Oh attempted to swing downwards. However, Galmoss''s condition was strange. ck smoke rose from its body. ''Is this the 4th phase?'' He stopped, but he kept up his guard. "Huh?" Fortunately, there was no 4th phase. Galmoss''s body began to scatter like smoke. The destructive energy that''d gathered around its de disappeared like snow on a warm spring day. Thud. The Reaper of Souls fell to the ground. [You have defeated Roaming Galmoss.] [Roaming Galmoss is a unique boss monster.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [Galmoss drops items that bear its name.] [You have defeated a unique boss monster. Combat-rted side stats have increased.] [Gluttony is active. Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] [You have leveled up.] "Uwaaa!" Kang Oh clenched his fists and cheered. ''I beat Galmoss. The 100 million won ($100,000 USD) is mine!'' "Mr. Kang Oh!" "Oppa!" "Wow, we won!" "Waaaa!" Eder, Darion, Karin, and Soren, who''d been protected by the Sand Golem, popped out and cheered. They yelled, embraced each other, and made a huge fuss for quite some time! * * * "Hooray!" "Yes!" "Wow, he actually beat it!" Having seen Kang Oh defeat Galmoss in real-time, Jin Cheol and his staff members pped and cheered. Defeating an unbeatable monster would definitely be a hot topic of conversation. Plus, it was Kang Oh who''d performed the feat, someone who people were still extremely interested in! ''The viewership will be amazing!'' Everyone here was thinking that. "Hey, Byung Jae," Jin Cheol said. "Yes?" "When you get the original footage from Mr. Kang Oh, create some amazing promotional material and a trailer." "Yes, sir!" Byung Jae immediately replied. "Speak with the contestants and set a date for the next shoot ASAP." Since Kang Oh had defeated Galmoss, the contestants had to return to the studio. GBS would reveal the next monster there, and the contestants would choose their order. "Strike while the iron is hot. PR Team, get this to the news, and everyone else, get ready for the next shoot." "Yes," his subordinates replied simultaneously. "Alright then, get a move on!" Jin Cheol pped and encouraged his team. The staff''s writers began to bustle about. He stared at the TV screen, where Kang Oh and his team were hugging each other, and said, "Let''s work together for a long time, Mr. Jae Woo!" To him, Jae Woo was like a goose thatid golden eggs. * * * When they''d had about enough of celebrating, named Ghost Knights began to gather in the jousting arena. "What''s going on?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He hadn''t expected this at all! But they wouldn''t be an issue. Named Ghost Knights were low level monsters, so it didn''t matter how many of them there were. However, they hadn''te here to fight. "Galmoss is dead!" "Aah, finally!" "We''re... free." The Ghost Knights of Taksen Castle had originally been NPCs. But for some reason, they became ghosts after their death. Thus, their intellect was high, as they had memories of their past life, and they were monsters that you could talk to. After all, Kang Oh had spoken to Angel Grancia before, and had gotten a clue regarding Demon Sword Blood in the past. One Ghost Knight glided over. It was a familiar face. "Mr. Angel!" Kang Oh yelled. "It really was you!" Angel recognized him. "Where were you? I came to visit just a little while ago, but I couldn''t find you anywhere... I thought you''dpletely disappeared." "I was hiding from Galmoss on the ceiling. I kind of got on its nerves." "Mm." "Anyhow, thanks." Angel respectfully nodded his head. "For what?" "Killing Galmoss has freed us!" Kang Oh had somewhat realized what their circumstances were. "You were trapped here because of Galmoss?" "That''s right. Galmoss is a monster born from several vengeful spirits that failed to protect their masters. It forcefully transformed knights'' souls into ghosts and kept them here." The Ghost Knights, who''d been forcefully transformed into ghosts and kept here against their will, had all dreamt of freedom. For some, escaping Tasken Castle was freedom, and for others, dying was freedom. Angel was thetter. He wanted to finally rest in peace. "We''re free now. I imagine we''ll all go our separate ways now. I''d like to thank you again on everyone''s behalf." "If you''re that thankful, then give me something before you go," Kang Oh said jokingly. "As you can see, I have nothing on me." Angel extended his bare hands. "Rest in peace." Kang Oh grinned and waved his hand. "Stay healthy, and don''t be a ghost!" Angel''s body flew into the air. The other Ghost Knights did the same. They got into formation, did ap above Kang Oh''s party, and then flew into the air. At some point, there was a ''boom'' as if firecrackers had gone off, and they dispersed in different directions. It was truly a magnificent sight to behold! Chapter 308. Sweet Reward

Chapter 308. Sweet Reward

Trantor: Boko Taksen Castle''s Ghost Knights disappeared. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh stared at the spot where Galmoss had vanished in a puff of smoke. There were four glimmering items there. "Shall we divide up the loot?" Kang Oh asked. "Alright." No one disagreed with him. "Let''s take a look at the items and then figure out how we''re going to split them up after. Ah, Darion, you know you don''t get any items, right?" Kang Oh stared at Darion. "I know." Darion nodded his head. He didn''t have any problems with that. After all, he''d specifically stated that he didn''t need the loot so long as he was paid. "Good." Kang Oh looked satisfied, and picked up one of the items that Galmoss had left behind. The gray helmet was twin-horned like a water buffalo. [Enraged Galmoss''s Helmet] Galmoss, which was created by a collection of vengeful ghosts that failed to protect their masters, wore this helmet. + 2 Set Effect: You are immune to physical damage. However, your HP is reduced by half. + 3 Set Effect: You may equip the Reaper of Souls. Rank: AA. Abilities: Defense +400, Physical +70, Mental +60, Sense +50, Magic +30. Minimum Requirements: Level 400, Physical 800, Knight-type ss. ''An item set!'' The helmet was part of a named set like the Baramut set or Kang Oh''s current Draka set! Kang Oh quickly looked over the other items. As expected, the eagle engraved gray breastte and the refined gray greaves were part of the Galmoss set. Finally, Kang Oh picked up Galmoss''s de, which was considered overpowered by many and symbolic of Galmoss itself. [Reaper of Souls] The sword that symbolizes the Ruler of Taksen Castle, Roaming Galmoss. Due to the Ghost Knight, Galmoss''s influence, it has been imbued with a special ability. It is capable of reaping souls! But to properly wield this sword, you must possess Galmoss''s power. + Unblockable Sword: Bypasses all weapons and armor. + Soul Cutter: Cuts the soul itself, reducing maximum HP, MP, and Stamina. + Soul Absorption: Absorbs the HP, MP, and Stamina that is reduced by Soul Cutter. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power +444. Minimum Requirements: Requires the full Galmoss set. "This is ridiculous," Kang Oh automatically said. "Wow, it''s SS-rank!" "This is insane." "This is why Galmoss is so strong." Kang Oh''s party had a simr reaction after reading through the item information. That''s just how overpowered the Reaper of Souls was. Defending against it was impossible, and it also absorbed reduced stats! ''Overpowered'' was indeed the right term for it. However, it wasn''tpletely imbnced. Demon Sword Ubist''s attack power was over 600, and his other SS-rank sword, Fire''s Heart, had an attack power of over 600 as well. On the other hand, the Reaper of Souls only had an attack power of 444. Also, using the Reaper of Souls required the full Galmoss set. However, the Galmoss set itself wasn''t very good, nor did it have any spectacr abilities. Moreover, using the Reaper of Souls left a yer open to the exact same weakness Galmoss had. Although your attacks couldn''t be blocked, you also couldn''t block your opponent''s attacks with the Reaper of Souls. ''The weapon''s power will depend on the user.'' As said, the Reaper of Souls was overpowered. However, an unskilled yer wouldn''t be able to make proper use of it. What if Kang Oh were to use the Reaper of Souls? It''d be game over! After all, it was an overpowered weapon in the hands of apetent yer. However, the Reaper of Souls wasn''t a demon sword, so he couldn''t use it. At times like this, he really hated that his ss, Demonic Swordsman, was only capable of wielding demon swords. ''Well, I guess it can''t be helped.'' Kang Oh smacked his lips and stared at hispanions. "You''ve all looked at Galmoss''s items, right?" "Yes," Soren and Karin replied. "How should we divide the loot?" Kang Oh asked. "Let''s divide it equally among the four of us," Eder said. Everyone gets 25% each! "Mr. Eder and Kang Oh Oppa did the most, so shouldn''t you two get more?" Soren carefully said. Karin nodded her head. Kang Oh smiled. If Kang Oh and Eder took more, then Soren and Karin would get less. Even so, they were still willing to say something like that! ''What good girls!'' The more time he spent with them, the more he liked them. "No. We all worked hard. Isn''t that right?" Eder stared at Kang Oh. "He''s right. Let''s split it equally." Kang Oh nodded his head. After all, 100 million won ($100,000 USD) was waiting for him. What would be the point of taking more from these kind girls!? "But still..." Soren hesitated. "Just think of it as a present and ept it," Karin said. Soren nced at Karin and then nodded her head. "Understood." "Is there anyone who''d like to use the Galmoss set?" Eder looked around. The twins shook their heads. They were mages, so they couldn''t use it. Kang Oh also couldn''t use it, since he was a Demonic Swordsman! "Then how about we leave the Reaper of Souls and the Galmoss set to Mr. Man Bok, and then divide the profit equally?" Eder asked. Honestly, it didn''t specifically say so, but the Reaper of Souls and the Galmoss set was actually one set. If they wanted to be paid properly, then they needed to sell it all. "Agreed." "Ok." A few dayster... Man Bok gave Kang Oh 25,000 gold. The entire Galmoss set (armor and weapon included) had sold for 100,000 gold! * * * Shortly after his sessful hunt, Kang Oh was scheduled toe to the studio again. Today was the day. Lights shined on him, countless cameras and staff members stared at him, and one man''s voice resounded throughout the studio. "Hello, viewers! I am First Hunter''s MC, Jeon Seong Gook!" Seong Gook politely bowed his head. Then, he raised his head and beamed. "Have you heard the good news? The unbeatable Ruler of Taksen Castle, Galmoss, otherwise known as the 3 Second Demon and cheat monster, has been defeated by one of the people here!" Seong Gook let the news set in, and then continued, "Who is it already? Let me show you." Marco, Strong Punch, Snow Flower, and Jae Woo were all seated a certain distance away from each other. "The winner is a member of the Numbers, and he is known as the ck Beast, Red Wing, and the Predator! It is none other than Mr. Kang Oh!" Seong Gook pointed at Jae Woo, whose face was covered by a helmet. p, p, p! The staff vigorously pped. It felt like they were saying, ''We love you, viewership raising machine!''. Strong Punch pped sincerely, as if he fully acknowledged Jae Woo now. ''You fight well.'' On the other hand, Marco pped insincerely; this didn''t feel right to him. Snow Flower stared at him piercingly, as if she was interested in him. "Thank you." Jae Woo waved both his hands. Seong Gook came beside him. "Mr. Kang Oh, I heard it was an amazing hunt. Moreover, you went first, which makes it even more amazing." Jin Cheol gave him a thumbs up and began sweet-talking him. "I was pretty amazing." Jae Woo grinned. ''What''s modesty again?'' "Indeed." Seong Gook immediately chimed in. "And sess is followed by a reward! It''s time to present you with your reward!" Seong Gook said. Then, Jin Cheol personally brought out a ck 007 bag. "There''s 100 million won inside." Jin Cheol passed him the bag. "May I open it?" "Of course." Jae Woo immediately opened the bag. Neat piles of cash were stacked inside. "Holy crap!" Jae Woo beamed. "Do you see those two security guards over there? Those two will protect you today. And we''ve prepared a ride for you, so we can take you home if you want." Jin Cheol pointed at two men wearing suits, whose mouths were shut tight. "Thank you." "It''s a necessary precaution." They provided him with a bundle of cash, bodyguards, and even an amazing ride! This was all a performance. To the victor goes the spoils! Those who failed or weren''t able to make an attempt would just have to watch as the winner took all! That was the message that this was meant to convey! Was there any better way to convey what First Hunter was at its core? It was ultimately a ''winner take all'' game. Jin Cheol left the studio looking mighty satisfied. Meanwhile, Jae Woo left the bag of money with the bodyguards. Seong Gook took center stage again. "Our viewers must have a lot of questions for you, Mr. Kang Oh. So I''ll be asking you a few questions in their stead." "Yes." Jae Woo nodded his head. "When we were picking the order, you were the only one who wanted to go first." "That''s right." "At the time, were you absolutely sure you''d beat Galmoss?" "I thought I had a better shot of seeding than failing." "Why is that?" "My sword is good at taking down ghosts. And I trusted in my abilities too. However, mypetitors are all amazing in their own right, so I thought I wouldn''t get a shot if I dyed. Thus, I decided to go first." Kang Oh answered more sincerely than usual. He''d made a lot of money, so he was putting more effort into his answers. "Which ended in such an amazing hunt. You''re amazing." "I know how amazing I am." "How did you prepare for the hunt? Did you do anything in particr?" Seong Gook asked. "First, I gathered some skilled teammates. Then, we kept hunting together until we could work together well. We also prepared some supplies beforehand using a merchant that we know." "That''s all?" Seong Gook looked shocked. It was only natural. Would you believe it if a high school student aced the college entrance exam and they said all they did was read the book? "Of course, I prepared a few other things in advance. However, I''ll keep those a secret." This secret was referring to Gluttony. He was also keeping the S-rank boots that he''d bought from the auction house a secret too. "What''s the secret?" "It''s a secret because I''m not telling you." "Can''t you give me a hint?" "No." There was no reason for him to reveal that Gluttony tripled his stats, and that he could use the consumed item''s abilities. Especially in front of hispetitors. "Tch." Seong Gook clicked his tongue. Jae Woo kept his mouth shut, unwilling to reveal any of his tricks. Since he wasn''t going to get an answer out of him, Seong Gook moved on to the next question. "When you fought against Galmoss..." Seong Gook asked him questions for some time, and Jae Woo answered them sincerely. * * * Today''s shoot had two goals: put the spotlight on Kang Oh, and reveal the next monster! Now it was time to do thetter. "Please take a look at the screen! This is the next monster!" Seong Gook pointed at the giant screen. Ding! In the heart of the mountains... "Kuhaahk!" "Shit!" "You monster!" They heard violent screams from afar. The camera kept moving, as if a person were moving through the forest, and headed for the source of the noise. Finally, the monster was revealed! It was a monster that had a strong presence. The lower half of her body was made up of eight spider legs, but a woman''s upper body, her chest covered in ck fur, was attached to it. In-between her blood red hair, tworge eyes and six smaller eyes could be seen. "Benolov..." someone muttered. That''s right. The monster''s name was Benolov! The Spider Queen, Benolov! Chapter 309. Sephiro and Waryong

Chapter 309. Sephiro and Waryong

Trantor: Boko A clip introducing the Spider Queen, Benolov, appeared on the screen. Mt. Croc was her domain, and she would mercilessly kill any yer that trespassed into the mountain. Her main weapon was a bow, and if she shot an arrow into the sky, it could hit any target within Mt. Croc. Thus, she was nicknamed the Grim Reaper''s Sniper. "The next monster that our hunters will have to kill is Mt. Croc''s Spider Queen, Benolov!" Seong Gook yelled. "I''m sure you''re all curious how much she''s worth. Let me show you!" Tada! A number appeared above Benolov''s body. "The reward is 150 million won ($150,000 USD)!" She was worth more than Galmoss. The increased reward signified how much harder it''d be to kill her. Benolov could snipe yers at a distance, so getting close was difficult; plus, she controlled countless monster spiders. Not only that, but she was always guarded by two mid-bosses, the Spider Brothers! Kang Oh could somewhat understand why her bounty was worth more than Galmoss''s. "There''s a huge bounty riding on this one too. I wonder who will take this massive reward this time." Seong Gook stared at the contestants. Marco, Strong Punch, and Snow Flower remained calm, but their eyes told a different story; they were all confident that they could beat her. Of course, Jae Woo was always confident. "We''ll decide the order now. Like with Galmoss, you simply need to volunteer. If two or more people volunteer, then we''ll break the tie by drawing lots." "Yes." "Who wants to go first?" Seong Gook asked. However, no one raised their hand. Considering her notoriety and her difficulty level, there was a high chance that the first batter would fail. "Mr. Kang Oh, you''re not volunteering this time." "Yes." Jae Woo was no exception. Benolov wasn''t a ghost-type monster like Galmoss, so he didn''t have a huge advantage against her either. "Then let''s leave it open for now. Who would like to go second?" "I''ll go second." The Sword Mercenaries'' vice-captain, Strong Punch, was the only one to raise his hand. "Then Mr. Strong Punch will go second. Who would like to go third?" The remaining three simultaneously raised their hands. "We''ll decide by drawing lots." Then, some staff members came in with a ck box. "Whoever picks the red straw will be third. Ms. Snow Flower will pick first." Snow Flower came forward and picked a straw from the box. It was red! "Tch!" Both Jae Woo and Marco clicked their tongues. They''d lost their chance at third ce. "To think you''d pick it on the first try. You''re quite lucky. Ms. Snow Flower will go third." Snow Flower softly waved her hand. "Anyone want to go fourth?" Jae Woo and Marco simultaneously raised their hands. Both of them wanted to avoid going first. "Then let''s pick using straws again. Whoever picks the red straw will be fourth. If you pick the gray straw, then you will have to go first." "I''ll pick first." Marco stepped forward. Unfortunately, he picked the gray straw. "Oh my god!" he cried out. On the other hand, Kang Oh looked relieved. With this, the order had been decided. Marco would be first, Strong Punch second, Snow Flower third, and Kang Oh fourth! ''I hope I get a chance!'' Jae Woo prayed to the heavens. If he actually got a chance to hunt Benolov, then he''d definitely beat her. After all, the previous contestants'' failures would only increase his chance of sess! "Mr. Marco, as you know, I''d like you toplete your hunt within a week. Please let us know the exact time and day of your hunt," Seong Gook said. "Understood." Marco''s despair ridden face had returned to normal. Then, he stared at Jae Woo. ''He went first and beat Galmoss, so I should be able to do it too!'' Plus, going first wasn''t necessarily a bad thing. If he managed to seed, then all the glory would be his! "I wish you luck." "I don''t need luck. I''ll beat it using pure skill," Marco said firmly. "Viewers, please look forward to Mr. Marco''s amazing hunt!" Seong Gook finished with a closing statement. With this, the shoot was over. * * * Once it was over, Jae Woo tried to go home as quickly as possible. However, someone stopped him. "Excuse me." It was Snow Flower, an executive of the Breaker Guild and the only female contestant. "Yes?" "May I please speak with you?" Snow Flower said. ''Why does she want to talk to me?'' He decided to hear her out first. "Alright." The two entered an empty waiting room. "What''s the matter?" Jae Woo asked. "I''d like to first congratte you." "Thank you." "Are you part of a guild right now?" "No." "Then would you like to join the Breaker Guild?" So this is what she wanted. She was trying to recruit him to her guild. But it wasn''t just any guild; it was one of the 5 great guilds! "No, thank you," Jae Woo immediately replied. "May I know why?" "Just because." Jae Woo liked being alone. Plus, if he joined a guild, arge guild at that, then he''d be forced into a lot of troublesome matters. He also hatedrge guilds too. "Understood." Snow Flower didn''t try to persuade him anymore. "Is that everything?" "I have something else to tell you." "What is it?" "I bought Galmoss''s equipment." "You did? The Reaper of Souls and the Galmoss set? There''s no way that..." Jae Woo tilted his head. ''That''s strange.'' Man Bok knew about First Hunter, the program that Jae Woo starred in. He also knew who his fellow contestants were. Even so, Man Bok sold Galmoss''s equipment to Snow Flower, who was one of hispetitors? He''s not the type of person to do that. He couldn''t understand why he would do something like this. "You asked Mr. Man Bok to get rid of the items, yes?" "Yes." "I asked him to sell them to me, but he wouldn''t. He told me it was because I waspeting against you." ''Of course!'' Kang Oh nodded his head and said, "Then how did you get them?" "I bought them from the person that Mr. Man Bok sold them to." "Mm." "So don''t be surprised when I go out there wearing the Galmoss set and the Reaper of Souls." "Hoo." He hadn''t expected that. It wasn''t good news. The Reaper of Souls in the hands of Snow Flower, widely considered the best swordswoman in Arth? Things would be more difficult from now on. ''So this is where you''d say that a tiger sprouted wings.'' Moreover, she would be hunting Benolov before him. Perhaps he wouldn''t get a chance to hunt her. After all, Snow Flower had obtained the Reaper of Souls! Well, it was all water under the bridge now. "Understood." That''s all he had to say. "That''s everything." "I see. I have nothing else to say either." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Ok." * * * It was time for Kang Oh to start exploring the Goddess''s Land again. He didn''t worry about First Hunter, as he wasn''t sure whether he''d get the opportunity to hunt Benolov or not. Cyndia, who''d been tasked with finding Mayanes Krishan, hadn''t contacted him either, so he could hold off on the goddess''s quest for now. Plus, he didn''t have any stupid tasks as the Guardian of the Continent. Which meant that this was his chance to explore the Goddess''s Land! However, Kang Oh wasn''t alone this time. Eder and Sephiro hade along. Some time ago, Sephiro had finished his quest to nurture Waryong. Gyaa! The red wyvern, Waryong, rubbed its head against Sephiro''s leg. Because of the quest, Waryong had grown so much that it couldn''t fit in Sephiro''s buxom anymore. It was about the size of arge dog. Of course, when he considered howrge an adult wyvern was, it still needed a lot more time to grow. Waryong''s wings had gotten stronger too, so if it pped its wings a few times, it could float in the air. However, it wasn''t yet capable of flying in the air. Its fire breath wasn''t as weak anymore either; at least, he couldn''t say that it was weaker than a lighter anymore. "Where are we going today?" Sephiro stroked Waryong''s head and asked. Kang Oh looked over the map. "The Tower of the Full Moon, the Terranogi Underground Ruins, and Metnome Cave." "Three ces?" "Do you have a problem with that?" "Ugh, I joined up too soon. I should''ve rested some more." Sephiroined, but Kang Ohpletely ignored him. "Let''s go!" A dense forest existed in the south, and several towers stood amidst the forest. The tower shaped like a triangr pyramid was the Tower of the Full Moon. [Entering the dungeon, Tower of the Full Moon.] As soon they entered, the monsters inside attacked them. Grr! They were werewolves. Their actual name was Oga Wolves. Oga Wolves were powerful level 400 monsters. Their ws were sharp enough to cut through steel like paper, their speed was like a hummingbird''s, and theirbat senses were extraordinary. Kuha! They only saw three Oga Wolves thus far. The Oga Wolves screamed and rushed at them. Then, Waryong opened its mouth. Hoo! Its chest expanded and then deted, spewing red fire at the Oga Wolves. Fire Breath! Roar! What a sudden fire show! The fire was iparablyrger and hotter than before. However, it wasn''t strong enough to get the Oga Wolves to back down. The werewolves pushed through the mes, and two of them attacked Kang Oh, who was furthest in front. The remaining Oga Wolves rushed towards Waryong. "Not going to happen!" Waryong''s master, Sephiro, widened his eyes. ''How dare you attack my kid!?'' He loaded a long, thick javelin-like arrow onto his silver bow and let it fly. Earth Shaking Arrow! The Oga Wolf attempted to swing its paw and deflect the arrow, but upon impact, the arrow unleashed a powerful shockwave. The shockwave was powerful enough to make it go flying. "Waryong!" Sephiro yelled. Squeal! Waryong unleashed another me st. However, something strange happened. The mes transformed into an arrow! Fire Dragon''s Arrow! This was the reward forpleting his pet quest. He and his pet could use abination attack now. Sephiro grabbed a hold of the ming arrow. It wasn''t hot at all, and he could use it just like a regr arrow. He drew the bowstring and... fire! Roar! The ming arrow flew through the air like a redet. Boom! Its power was tremendous. The Oga Wolf, who''d been forced back by the Earth Shaking arrow, wasn''t able to properly respond to Sephiro''s next attack. Thus, its entire body caught on fire. Kuhang, Kuheong! It cried out in pain. Satisfied with the arrow''s power, Sephiro smiled and notched a normal arrow. Kya! The ame Oga Wolf gave it confidence, so Waryong opened its mouth once more. At the same time, Sephiro shot an arrow. Sun Piercing Arrow! Thwock! An arrow pierced the burning Oga Wolf! Kuhaa! As if it''d had enough, the Oga Wolf, despite being burned and shot at, charged at Sephiro with tremendous speed. It swung its leg at him with its sharp ws. Steel Cut! Whoosh! With the sound of a paper book being ripped apart, a sharp threatening energy came flying at Sephiro. "Tch." Sephiro rolled onto the floor, avoiding its attack. The Oga Wolf stepped forward, ready to attack him again. However, it suddenly felt pain in its other foot. Chomp! Waryong had bitten its foot. Its bite was just as strong as an adult wyvern''s. Sephiro shot another arrow while it was distracted. Thwock! The arrow struck its chest, causing it to shake. Kya! Then, Waryong pped its wings and tackled the Oga Wolf. Whack! Which ultimately forced the Oga Wolf back. "Die!" Sephiro followed it up with another arrow, which hit it right in the crown. Headshot! Giant shards of light burst out. Sephiro and Waryong didn''t stop there. They continued to bombard it with arrows and fire. The two of them made quite the pair! "Next!" By the time he and Waryong had killed the Oga Wolf, Kang Oh and Eder had already finished killing the other two. Tap, tap, tap! Kang Oh''s party began climbing up the tower. Chapter 310. The Trio’s Skill

Chapter 310. The Trio''s Skill

Trantor: Boko The Oga Wolves were powerful, but their opponents were no pushovers. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. Kang Oh''s strength was obvious. Eder was capable of healing, support, and harassment. He could also deal considerable damage at certain key moments. Sephiro and Waryong were a dynamic duo. If an enemy got too close, Waryong would buy him enough time to shoot an arrow; this lessened his weakness in meleebat. Plus, theirbination attack, Fire Dragon''s Arrow, was extremely powerful, making him an even better damage dealer. The three worked well together, as they''d fought alongside each other for quite some time. "Eder, behind you!" Kang Oh yelled. He and his teammates were in the middle of a brutal fight with the Oga Wolves. However, new Oga Wolves had appeared behind them. At this rate, they''d have to face Oga Wolves on both fronts! So why was Kang Oh calling Eder? It was obvious. "Understood." Eder cast spell after spell. His skull staff radiated intense light. AoE Curse: Age! Putrid Smell! The aging curse weakened the iing Oga Wolves, and due to their sensitive noses, the putrid smell caused them to flinch. In the midst of that... Bone Wall! "Arise!" Then,yer uponyer of white bone arose, keeping the Oga Wolves from joining the fight. "I should be able to keep this up for a minute," Eder yelled. In other words, ''You have a minute before they break through!''. "Finish them off before then!" "Yes, sir!" Kang Oh ferociously swung Demon Sword Blood and sliced through an Oga Wolf. Then, 15 stars appeared along Blood''s length. Blood Bomb! Scarlet energy exploded from Kang Oh''s body. Boom! Three Oga Wolves fell to the floor. Whizz! A redet hit the floor. Fire Dragon''s Arrow! Roar! Once it touched the floor, the red and yellow me pped around like a phoenix resurrecting itself. Kang Oh quickly threw a Fire Bomb in an attempt to increase the intensity of the me. It seemed like Waryong had the same idea, as it let out a Fire Breath too. Grr! Kuhaahk! The Oga Wolves either caught on fire or their fur was burnt ck; nevertheless, they pierced through the me and charged at Kang Oh''s party. Their eyes glowed with bright red light. Berserk! This skill increased one''s strength, speed, and destructive power once their HP dropped below a certain threshold. One of the Oga Wolves attacked Kang Oh head-on, swiping with its front paw. Was it because it was under the effect of Berserk? It was too fast to dodge, and it was too powerful to block. ''At times like this...!'' Sword Parry! Kang Oh tilted Blood slightly, and redirected the Oga Wolf''s w to the side. Screech! As he parried the Oga Wolf''s w, the w scraped against his de, producing an eardrum rupturing ''screech''. ''A weak point!'' As always, his Hyper Intuition pointed out the werewolf''s weakness. sh! He shed diagonally across its chest. "Behind you!" Eder yelled urgently. Another Oga Wolf had gotten behind him! His Hyper Intuition red, causing him to feel a chill run down his spine. He moved faster than he''d expected. Kang Oh rolled forward, and the Oga Wolf swiped at the air. Meanwhile, Sephiro''s arrow hit the Oga Wolf''s back. Thwock! "It''s copsing!" Eder yelled. His Bone Wall caved in on itself. Grr! The Oga Wolves bared their teeth, and rushed in to help their fallenrades. "Eder and I will take care of them. Mr. Sephiro, you..." "I''ll finish him off." Sephiro aimed his bow at the Oga Wolf he''d been fighting against. Though it was covered in wounds, Berserk had made it even more vicious. "Haahp!" The brutal battle continued. * * * Kang Oh''s party climbed the tower without rest. Eventually, they reached the top, the 13th floor. However, what awaited them wasn''t a boss. [You have discovered the Oga Wolf, Mandersack.] [You have discovered the Oga Wolf, Kaderban.] ... There were ten named Oga Wolves awaiting them! "Isn''t this a little dangerous?" Sephiro slightly pulled himself back. He was ready to run if need be. "Let''s give it a go." Kang Oh took a step forward. ''Let''s dance!'' His body turned red. Devil Trigger! His face was covered by a bat-shaped mask and wings protruded from his back. The Red Demon had arrived! "We''ll have to give it our all." Eder tightly gripped his staff and stared into Sephiro''s eyes. ''Let''s give it a try.'' ''Ok!'' Sephiro immediately nodded his head. "Now then, shall we begin?" Kang Oh swung Blood. Fresh Blood Wave! Kang Oh unleashed a wave as red and sticky as blood. Battle had begun in earnest. Kuhaahk! The named Oga Wolves went on a rampage. "Those forgotten by the world, the undying lumps of flesh, the dishonorable! Answer my call and return from death!" Eder''s skull staff radiated intense light. Large-Scale Summon Undead! Arise. The ground broke apart, and out came various undead monsters. "Hoo." Sephiro pulled out a bizarrely patterned arrow. Whizz! Buster Shot! The arrow flew through the air, and created five magic circles nearby! Whizz, whizz, whizz! The magic circles began spitting out arrows. The werewolves shed with Eder''s undead army, arrows rained down upon them, a lizard spewed fire, and then there was Kang Oh, who crazily swung his sword around! It was absolute chaos. * * * "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. Rotten flesh, yellow bones, and even rusty metal covered the floor; it''s all that remained of Eder''s undead army. The Oga Wolves'' corpses, riddled with arrows, apanied them on the stone cold floor. Kang Oh turned his head and stared. Eder was sitting on the floor. Sephiro wasying on the floor, his arms and legs spread apart. Waryong was sitting on Sephiro''s right leg,pletely exhausted. They werepletely drained. It was only natural. They''d cleared the thirteen floor tower without rest, and had fought ten named Oga Wolves at the top using everything they had. Overall, they''d spent five hours climbing the tower. "Good work," Kang Oh said. "Hoo, that was hard," Eder said, looking around. Signs of an intense, hard-fought battle were everywhere. "But it wasn''t as tough as Galmoss, was it?" "No, it wasn''t." They had been ready to die when fighting Galmoss. This fight, while hard-fought, wasn''t on the same level; they never felt like they''d die at any moment. "Let''s rest for 5 minutes and then head to the next dungeon," Kang Oh said, but Sephiro reacted violently. "No!" ''Give us enough time to rest!'' "I''d like to rest too." Eder had definitely made his stance clear. Kang Oh grinned. "I was just joking. Rest up, and then let''s head to the next dungeon." "Can''t we just stop here? We can go to the other dungeons tomorrow." Sephiro stared at him desperately. ''Can''t you just cut back on hunting!?'' "No," Kang Oh said firmly. They''d only hunted for 5 hours. They still had a lot of time left! Ultimately, Kang Oh''s party cleared two more dungeons. "You demon!" Sephiro gritted his teeth and left like someone who''d nevere back. Kang Oh and Eder didn''t stop him. He alwaysined, but he would alwayse back the next day. Hunting with Kang Oh was like a tonic. It tastes bitter, but it''s good for you! It was crazy difficult to keep up with Kang Oh, but at the end of the day, he''d find that his proficiency and level shot up. After all, the monsters they fought were always higher leveled than Kang Oh. Plus, they disposed of the monsters quickly, and they spent the entire day fighting. Thus, it would be strange if their levels and proficiency didn''t go up quickly! It''d have to be a bug or an error! Ultimately, Sephiro couldn''t afford to lose this chance; Despia allowed him to grow faster than any other location in Arth. "Phew!" He sighed and joined up with Kang Oh again. * * * The northern part of the Arth continent. Yuki-Onna''s Paradise. A blizzard raged across the snowy fields. Woo! A monster cried out. It stood on four legs, had a mouth asrge as a hippo''s, and was covered in gray fur. It was called a Balbarta. The monster kept ring its nostrils and moving, as if it had a destination in mind. Thud! Thud! Thud! It left behind footprints in the snow as it moved. However, the fierce blizzard quickly covered its tracks. Woo! At some point, it cried out once more. It was in front of a dark cave. Thud, thud! Balbarta red its nostrils. ''This is it! This is the location of that sweet scent!'' Drunk on that sweet smell, it fearlessly entered the dark unknown. It was engulfed in the darkness. However, its cat-like eyes allowed it to see in the dark. Haahk! The fragrance only intensified, and Balbarta began to drool. It began moving at an even faster pace. No matter what the smell came from, it would eat it! However, Balbarta wasn''t the one doing the eating. It was the one being eaten. Whoosh! Thorny vines flew out of the darkness and wrapped themselves around Balbarta. Uwooh! Balbarta struggled and screamed, but it was already toote. The vines were too tough, so it couldn''t break through, and its pull was much too strong. Ultimately, Balbarta was dragged into the cave''s depths. There was arge space in the cave, and in the center of ity a flower bud. This was the source of the sweet smell. Contrary to its beautiful appearance however, the flower bud was surrounded by various monster corpses. Euuu! Balbarta was afraid. It knew what would happen. Swoosh! Tentacles protruded from the flower bud and stabbed Balbarta. Gulp! The tentacle began draining Balbarta''s life force, as if it were drinking through a straw. In an instant, Balbarta shriveled up. The vines released it, and it became another one of the countless monster corpses here. "It''s not enough," the being inside the flower bud said. It was Krishan! She was one of the ancient Mayanes, which were known for their giant white wings and their desire to supnt the gods! Krishan touched her left arm and wing, or what was left of them after Ubist tore them apart. She wasn''t at full power yet, but a new arm and wing were growing. After she''de to Yuki-Onna''s Paradise, she emitted a sweet scent to attract countless monsters and drain their life force. Like what she just did to Balbarta! She was also in the process of regenerating her arm and wing using the God of Creation''s power. Grr. She gritted her teeth. "You haven''t seen thest of me!" She would never forgive Kang Oh, the man who''d humiliated her. However, now wasn''t the time for revenge. She was stillcking in strength. "Come, my offerings!" Krishan yelled. Then, the flower bud surrounding her shook and released a pink powder. Whoosh! The wind carried the scent out of the cave and into the snowy fields. Sometimeter, the 2nd and 3rd Balbarta woulde and give their lives to Krishan. * * * The Storm Guild was one of the 5 great guilds. It was said that they were the weakest of the five, but that was only whenpared to the top 1 or 2 guilds. It didn''t mean they were weak. The Storm Guild was powerful, no doubt about it. They''d recently be invested in exploring the northern part of Arth, thend of ice and illusion. Han Seol, the vice-captain of the guild, led this expedition force. She was currently having a meeting with their top executives. "Within a week, we''ll be finished exploring all of Cropes Mountain''s dungeons," a man said. "Do you think we''ll find anything?" Han Seol asked, but as expected... "There''s nothing really there." If there was something there, then she''d have already gotten a report. "Hoo, is this another waste of time?" Han Seol sighed. The north was more barren than she''d expected. The weather was severe! And yet, the dungeons didn''t offer any special materials or items, and there weren''t any great hunting grounds here either. ''But it''s still too early to pack up and go home.'' "We''ll need to search another location soon. Do you have any ideas?" Han Seol looked around and asked. "The Unfrozen Lake lies to the east of the Cropes Mountain, and the Yuki-Onna''s Paradise lies to the west." "Which ce is bigger?" "The Yuki-Onna''s Paradise." "Then let''s go there next. We''ll leave a small group to explore the Unfrozen Lake, and send most of our members to the Yuki-Onna''s Paradise." "Understood." "Please be prepared when the timees." "Yes." At this point in time, they had no idea what they were in for. Yuki Onna''s Paradise was a tiger''s den that contained an unkible monster. Chapter 311. Dungeon Expansion

Chapter 311. Dungeon Expansion

Trantor: Boko "Good work," Kang Oh said. "We''re finally done!" Sephiro cheered. Eder was smiling too. Kang Oh''s party had just finished another day of hunting. "I''ll see you tomorrow." He needed to be somece else, so he left first. Kang Oh stood on Latnia City''s magic circle and yelled, "Teyno''s Nest!" Bright light wrapped around him and the scenery changed. He was greeted by the sight of the riverside and a giant monster turtle. "You''re here, Master," Teynos said. If it could move, then it would''ve dragged its massive body over. "How have you been doing?" Kang Oh approached it and stretched out his hand. "Not much has happened, so I''ve been pretty bored." Teynos pushed its head forward, and Kang Oh rubbed its head. ''You''re so cute.'' Is this what it felt like toe back to your dog after a long day''s work? Kang Oh pulled out a beautiful blue and yellow stone from his inventory. "This is pretty, right?" "It is." "Here, it''s a present." He''d gotten it from Ullevador, a crystal cave in the Goddess''s Land. "Thanks, Master." Teyno''s shell split open, and the tentacles within grabbed the stone. "If I find something better, then I''ll bring it to you next time." Teynos beamed. "You have something for me, right?" Kang Oh went straight to the point. ''Give me my monthly dungeon reward!'' "Of course. But Master." "Yeah?" "You''ve gathered enough repel points to expand the dungeon." "I''ve umted repel points? Give me the soul stone." Teynos pulled out the soul stone from its shell and handed it over. "Dungeon Management!" Kang Oh yelled, and the Dungeon Management window popped up. "Oho?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. As Teynos said, he''d umted quite a lot of repel points. If the dungeon''s guardians repelled invaders or the dungeon''s traps dealt with them, then the soul dungeon would gain repel points. Repel points acted as currency that could pay for any of the soul dungeon''s features. For example, changing its environment or topography, setting up traps, upgrading guardians, etc. Plus...! Only repel points could be used to expand a soul dungeon. Expanding the dungeon obviously increased its size, but it also increased its monthly payment. "If you expand the dungeon using repel points, then your rewards will increase. Of course, you can use it on other things too," Teynos kindly exined. Kang Oh nodded his head. ''But why have I umted so many repel points?'' Kang Oh clicked on ''Dungeon Log'' and soon had his answer. ''Aha!'' The Dungeon Log stated that his three guardians had killed anyone who''d gone in the water. ''My guardians were able to repel the Dungeon Hunters that were looking for a hidden dungeon.'' The monster shark, Sharkrai! The young kraken, Monju! The venomous sea snake, Skeld! These three guardians had done their jobs well, allowing him to gather enough repel points to expand the dungeon. "I obviously gotta use the repel points to expand the dungeon!" Kang Oh then clicked on ''Dungeon Expansion''. [You have used 100 repel points to expand the dungeon.] Rumble! The ceiling and ground shook as if there were an earthquake, and the water began to violently slosh around. It didn''t shake for long. "Is it finished expanding?" Kang Oh used the Dungeon Management window to examine the dungeon''s new form. ''It''s done.'' The dungeon had certainly gottenrger. Theke, which was the core of Moss Cave, was deeper and wider than before, and the passageway leading up to it had be longer and moreplex. [You can add another entrance to the dungeon.] [The dungeon''s monsters have be stronger. Applicable Monsters: Gnus, Stone Eater.] [A new monster, Milok, will now spawn in the dungeon.] [You may now collect a small quantity of southern sea salt.] [You can now catch more species of fish from theke.] Dungeon Expansion didn''t just increase the size of the dungeon. What was the best way to put it? It was as if the dungeon itself had leveled up. ''I wonder how much the reward has increased.'' Kang Oh clicked on Dungeon Reward. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 2,000 gold. 200 Gnus Skin. 20 Stone Eater''s Core. 10 Milok Whiskers. (New) 2 Potion of Explosive Growth. "Heop." Kang Oh couldn''t contain his shock. All of his rewards had doubled! Moreover, he''d also gained another reward: the Milok Whiskers. "T-Teynos." "What is it, Master?" "Does expanding the dungeon normally increase the rewards this much?" "Of course. Expanding the dungeon increases the rewards significantly. In exchange, the amount of repel points you need to expand it again goes up too." Kang Oh checked how many repel points he''d need to expand it again. 1,000 repel points! ''It''s quite a bit more.'' The first expansion only cost 100 repel points. However, the next expansion would cost 1,000 repel points. Would the expansion after that cost 10,000 points? "And I have something to tell you, Master." "What is it?" "If you want to maintain the expansion, then you need to spend repel points." "What!?" Kang Oh immediately clicked on Dungeon Information. Like Teynos said, there was now a maintenance cost for his dungeon. Maintenance Cost: 100 repel points (Monthly payment). "What happens if you can''t pay the cost?" Kang Oh asked. "Once you expand the dungeon, it doesn''t return to its original state. However, the added monsters, materials, rewards, etc. return to what they were before." If he didn''t pay the maintenance cost, then the dungeon would gradually worsen. It was like a bag of chips filled with nitrogen gas. "Mm. If I want to maintain the upgrades and expand the dungeon in the future, then I''ll need more repel points." Expanding the dungeon wasn''t the end of things. The dungeon required continual maintenance. In other words, it was like managing a fief; you had to keep investing in the dungeon. Kang Oh thought over the matter. Was he going to give up on the additional rewards and keep it as is? That was the easy way. It didn''t require him to draw in yers. Obviously, it reduced the chance that he''d lose the soul dungeon too. On the other hand, expanding it was difficult. He would have to manage several aspects of the dungeon, and he''d also have to get other yers toe to his dungeon. Moreover, it increased the risk of him losing his dungeon. In exchange, his rewards would increase significantly. "Let''s give it a shot." Kang Oh made his decision. He decided to expand his dungeon as much as possible! To choose the easier path due to potential danger; that wasn''t Kang Oh''s style. "Alright then. First..." Kang Oh sent Man Bok a message. - Mr. Man Bok, I have something to talk to you about. Teyno''s Cave, or Moss Cave, was their source of southern fish. Part of the profits of selling southern fish went directly to Kang Oh. However, he''d heard that the business wasn''t doing so well as ofte. As proof, the amount of gold he''d been receiving had been decreasing. It was because there was another source of southern fish now. They could provide more fish than Man Bok could, and they had a muchrger variety too. They had lost their monopoly on southern fish. ''This is good.'' Kang Oh nned on ending the fish business. * * * Kang Oh and Man Bok would asionally meet in the Viyoom Inn to discuss matters. This time was no different. The two sat down at a corner table, exchanged pleasantries, and then went straight to business. "What''s the matter? Is it because of the dragon equipment business?" "No. I have something to tell you regarding Moss Cave." "Moss Cave?" "You mentioned that the fish business isn''t really working out." "Business is always a hard venture." Man Bok smiled. "That may be true, but I think it''s time to end the fish business," Kang Oh said. "Mm? That''s a rash decision. Southern fish is valuable and still sells." In other words, it still made them some money. "There''s something I need to do there." "Something you need to do?" Man Bok tilted his head. Kang Oh exined how he''d expanded the dungeon, how the rewards had doubled, and how he''d decided to focus on expanding the dungeon from now on. "Mm." Man Bok looked disappointed. The southern fish business made Man Bok money too. However, expanding the dungeon was only beneficial to Kang Oh. "In order to expand the dungeon, I need more people to know about it. I''m also going to tell people that you can catch southern fish there. By doing so, several yers with the Fishing skill will begining to the dungeon," Kang Oh said. "That''ll lower the price of southern fish." "Yes. That''s why I want to end the southern fish business, and focus on our new venture." Their new venture was the dragon equipment business. "Understood." Man Bok nodded his head. "But how do you intend on expanding the dungeon? Do you have a concrete n?" "Yes, I have an idea." "What is it?" "I''m going to use my name." Kang Oh grinned. * * * The next day. Kang Oh returned to Teyno''s Nest. ''Let''s get ready to wee our guests.'' He was going to give the dungeon a facelift before he went public with it. Kang Oh held the soul stone and yelled, "Dungeon Management!" Once the Dungeon Management window popped up, Kang Oh changed a few of the dungeon''s topographical features. He made the passageway that led to theke, and by extension, his underwater guardians, easier to navigate through. ''Moss Cave''s specialty will be underwaterbat.'' By expanding the dungeon, a new monster spawned in the dungeon; this new monster, or Milok, was an underwater monster that looked like a catfish. These new monsters, as well as his underwater guardians, would repel anyone who entered theke. ''There has to be some sort of bait.'' Kang Oh created a wrecked ship at the bottom of theke. He watched as the wrecked ship took shape through the Dungeon Management window. [You have added a wrecked ship. 3,000 gold has been spent.] "Ahem." ''It''s crazy expensive!'' In exchange, there was a treasure box inside the ship, and the dungeon master could ce whatever they wanted inside. Kang Oh ced a Potion of Explosive Growth inside. The potion would increase experience and proficiency gained by 300% for a week! However, it stopped being effective once you hit level 300. He didn''t know how much it''d be worth. After all, he''d never sold it before. What did he do with all the other potions? He gave them to Soo Ah. It was to help her level up as quickly as possible in hopes that he''d one day be able to hunt with her! Anyhow, the dungeon had ake inside, and a wrecked ship inside theke. However, there were monsters guarding the wrecked ship. After just barely defeating the monsters, a yer would find a treasure box inside the wreckage! Man, he''d really painted a good picture here! [You have ced a Potion of Explosive Growth inside the wrecked ship''s treasure box.] [Would you like to leave the key with one of your guardians?] "No." He was going to create some more guardians, so he decided to hold off on that for now. [You have not left the key with anyone. In its current state, the treasure box is automatically open.] "Alright, good. Next up is..." Kang Oh clicked the ''Add Guardians'' tab, and he was met with a list of monsters and fish that lived in the dungeon. "I wonder which one I should pick." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Chapter 312. Kang Oh’s Eating Journal

Chapter 312. Kang Oh''s Eating Journal

Trantor: Boko Sharp-toothed Sharkrai! Imperfect kraken, Monju! Venomous Skeld! These three guardians protected Moss Cave. They were a shark, octopus, and sea snake respectively! ''I''m adding a monster to the mix!'' Kang Oh picked a Gnuha, a monster that inhabited Moss Cave. A Gnuha resembled a seal, but it was one-eyed and had a horn on its forehead. It could live onnd or sea. [Adding a Gnuha guardian requires 1,000 gold or 100 repel points. Would you like to proceed?] "I''m using gold." He only had about 200 repel points left. However, he needed to use these points somece else, so he decided to use gold instead. [You have spent 1,000 gold.] [Adding a Gnuha guardian.] [The Gnuha has evolved into Lightning Horn Nuhakan.] A Gnuha that could discharge lightning, huh... It''d be sure to give quite the electrifying feeling to anyone who goes into the water unaware of it. Next, Kang Oh picked a Milok, a monster which closely resembled a catfish. [Adding a Milok guardian requires 1,500 gold or 150 repel points. Would you like to proceed?] "Ahem, pay with gold!" [You have spent 1,500 gold.] [You have added a Milok guardian.] [The Milok has evolved into the Group Leading Tyrant, Milkang.] The catfish-like Milok was level 300. Once it evolved into a guardian, Milkang became his highest level guardian at 350. He looked over its information, and found out that it always swam around with a group of 10 Miloks. It also had the ability tomand them too. "I''m leaving the treasure box''s key with Milkang." [You have left the treasure box''s key with Milkang. If Milkang dies, then the treasure box''s key will be dropped.] If a guardian died, they would respawn after a certain amount of time passed. In Milkang''s case, it would respawn after 24 hours had passed. "Summon Guardians!" The guardians poked their faces through the surface of the water. Milkang and Nuhakan were originally monsters, so they looked more menacing than the rest. Of course, Sharkrai, Monju, and Skeld would probably make you shake in your boots if you saw them in real life. "Your main priority now is protecting the treasure!" Kuha, kuha! Nuhakan shrieked, representing the rest of his guardians. "Go on!" They all left, and Kang Oh went back to the Dungeon Management window. He had onest thing to do. [For one month, the dungeon''s monsters give an additional 5% experience and proficiency.] [100 repel points have been spent.] [For one month, there is a 5% increased chance that monsters drop more and/or better items.] [100 repel points have been spent.] Soul dungeons had a variety of features. As shown, the dungeon master could make the soul dungeon more beneficial to yers. If faced with two simrly leveled monsters, a yer would obviously seek the one that offered more experience, proficiency, and items. He''d decided to expand his dungeon as much as possible, so he''d have to manage basic features like this in the future! "Good. Then let''s start gathering yers!" He nned on taking advantage of his fame as one of the Numbers and the Predator. * * * He made a post on Arthtory''s message board. [Promoting new Youtube channel] This kind of post was doomed to be buried underneath all of the other posts. However, the poster was diator Oga. "Huh?" It was well-known that diator Oga was Kang Oh, one of the Numbers. "It''s Kang Oh!" "Kang Oh posted a message!" "Kang Oh made a new Youtube channel?" People were curious, so they clicked on the post, causing it to rack up hits. With so many people clicking on it, the post became HOT, indicating that it was the most clicked post. Though it was HOT, the contents weren''t anything special. There was only one link inside. However, the fact that Kang Oh had posted it made it worth the click. Click! The link would redirect them to Youtube. It was the world''s most popr video-sharing tform. Jae Woo''s channel was called ''Kang Oh''s Eating Journal''. There was only one video posted on his channel. It was called ''A Novel Dungeon for People Who Want a Different Experience''. Not many people were willing toe this far and not watch the video. Wondering what all the fuss is about, they clicked the video. As soon as the video began, they saw Kang Oh. "It''s Kang Oh!" "It''s really him!" In his right hand, he held the jet-ck Ubist, and in his left, Blood, which radiated red energy. Moreover, he was wearing the tiger-striped silver armor, or the Baramut set. It was proof that this really was Kang Oh! He wordlessly entered the dungeon. Kang Oh made his way through the dungeon, the walls covered in Luminescent Moss. Kang Oh encountered monsters like Utankas, Stone Eaters, and Gnuhas, but he killed them all and reached theke. Then, he pulled some Luminescent Moss off the wall and ate it. Consuming the Luminescent Moss would enable a yer to breathe underwater for 10 minutes! Kang Oh unhesitatingly jumped into the water. A catfish-like monster came swimming at him, but Kang Oh easily defeated it, as if he were proficient in underwaterbat. He swam deep inside theke and eventually came to a wrecked ship! Their hearts began to pound. The first thing that came to mind when you saw a wrecked ship was treasure! At that moment...! Kang Oh''s body was overcast by a shadow. And...! All of a sudden, the Jaws theme yed! Dun, dun, dun! A monster shark swam over, matching the music perfectly, and then several other underwater monsters came rushing over. One, two, three! At the same time, monsters began swarming him! Then... Bam! The screen went dark. "What?" "Huh?" For a moment, the viewers wondered if they were having issues with theirputer or electricity. However, Jae Woo had cut the clip on purpose. Color returned to the screen and they could see akeside. Phew! Kang Oh surfaced from the water. He came out of the water and stood tall. However, he had a treasure box at his side. It was clear that he''d defeated the monsters protecting the wrecked ship and gotten the treasure box from it! "If you''re bored of fighting onnd, then..." Kang Oh finally spoke. "Come here. You''ll be able to experience an exciting underwater fight." He turned around and exited the dungeon, his form bing fainter by the second. As it did, some tips showed up on the screen. This dungeon, Moss Cave, is located at the southernmost point of the continent. To get there, go to the Great Forest''s Nuwak Vige first. From there, go south until you see the beach. That''s where the entrance to Moss Cave will be. Please be sure to tune into GBS''s First Hunter. One of the Numbers, Kang Oh, will star in it! * * * His view count rose precipitously, and people were quicklymenting on his video. Jae Woo looked pleased with himself. However, many of themined, asking why he cut the part where he fought the monsters. ''That''s because I didn''t fight them.'' The underwater monsters he''d faced were his guardians. There was no way they''d attack their master. In the original video, all it showed was his imposing guardians rushing towards him. That''s what he''d asked them to do after all. Thus, he had no choice but to cut it there. Anyhow, people were definitely interested in his dungeon now. There would definitely be some yers that woulde after seeing this! He''d eventually reveal that theke contained southern fish, which would attract fisherman, as well as the fact that the treasure box contained the Potion of Explosive Growth. This would bring in even more people... "And they''ll give me even more repel points." Jae Woo grinned. If he used those umted repel points to expand the dungeon, then he''d gain a tremendous reward! ''Then I won''t be just andlord anymore. I''ll be a true dungeon master!'' Of course, some of the yers might try to steal his soul dungeon away from him. However, not many people would be able to break through Teyno''s ridiculous defense. Even if Teynos lost, and that''s a big if, Kang Oh would just have to win the sacred duel. After all, fighting was his specialty. ''I''ve done everything I can for Moss Cave, so all I can do is wait for now.'' He''d have to wait and see how many repel points he gained. Jae Woo turned off hisputer andid inside his virtual reality capsule. Log into Arth! * * * Kang Oh owned three dungeons: Moss Cave, the Beast''s Tower, and the Saul Graveyard! They were located in the Great Forest, the western grasnds, and the Goddess''s Land respectively. ''I''m finished with Moss Cave, so let''s head to the Beast''s Tower.'' Kang Oh stood atop the intercity transfer gate and yelled, "Lion''s Room!" He was engulfed in bright light, and the scenery instantly changed. The giant, gant lion, Violf, whose body was made of shining tinum, said, "It''s been a while, Master." Itzily lied down in the center of the room. "How have you been?" Kang Oh approached it and stroked its mane. ''Man, you''re so good-looking!'' "Nothing happened." "Give me the soul stone." "Understood." Violf opened its mouth and ced the soul stone in Kang Oh''s hand. "Dungeon Management!" A Dungeon Management window appeared in front of him like it did in Moss Cave. He immediately checked his repel points. He only had 3. Kang Oh looked over the logs. He''d gained the points from killing a yer with his traps. A few Dungeon Hunters came by, but he hadn''t added any guardians, so he wasn''t able to get any repel points from them. ''Will I be able to bring yers here too?'' Kang Oh was locked in thought. However, he soon shook his head. The Beast''s Tower was located in the west. The races here shunned humans, so not many yers came here. It waspletely different from the Great Forest, which was visited by many yers. There weren''t any viges nearby with an intercity transfer gate either. No, perhaps the only ce that would ept humans was the neutral zone, Kasten, where the Mercenary Association was located. But how many yers would reallye to the dangerous western grasnds and attempt to clear the Beast''s Tower? ''It''s impossible until there are viges or cities that have intercity transfer gates here.'' Kang Oh gave up on drawing yers here. Still, he couldn''t just neglect the Beast''s Tower like he''d been doing. If he couldn''t draw in yers, then he''d use NPCs! ''Is there any way for me to draw in the non-human species here...'' Kang Oh unconsciously fiddled with the Dungeon Management window as he thought things over. Then, he looked over the list of monsters within the Beast''s Tower and had a good idea. "It''s worth a shot!" Fortunately, he had a ton of influence in the west. In the past, he''d participated in the huge war, or the fight against the trolls, Evil God Worshippers, and monster army, on the side of the elves, orcs, and other non-human species that opposed them. He''d contributed heavily during the war, so he was given the title of Hero of Kasten! While other yers would find danger at every turn, he would be weed wherever he went. He had a way of drawing non-human species into the Beast''s Tower using his considerable fame and reputation. "Violf, I need to go somewhere real quick." "Take care, Master." "Yeah, I''ll be back." Kang Oh left the Beast''s Tower and headed for the neutral zone, Kasten. Chapter 313. Lobbyist Kang Oh

Chapter 313. Lobbyist Kang Oh

Trantor: Boko Various non-human species (elves, orcs, trolls, anthromorphs, etc.) lived in the western grasnds. There was a long,plicated history of these races waging war against each other. Several tribes were on such bad terms that they''d draw their swords first and ask questionster. And many of their rtions wereplicatedly intertwined. For this reason, the west was said to be a ce of constant strife and battle. However, there was a tacit understanding amongst the tribes that in the neutral zone, Kasten, fists couldn''t be used to solve one''s issues. They couldn''t shun or threaten a human within Kasten either. Within Kasten, there were very few instances of humans being attacked. Of course, that didn''t mean that the non-human species weed humans either. But Kang Oh''s arrival in Kasten, wearing his ssic, refined tiger-striped armor and jet-ck greatsword on his back, was different. "It''s the Hero of Kasten!" "The Hero of Kasten!" "Waa!" Upon entry, he received quite a warm wee. "Heh." Kang Oh grinned, and waved his hand like a campaigning politician. ''Yeah, it''s me!'' Kang Oh was still as popr as ever. "It''s been a while, Hero of Kasten!" "How have you been? You want a drink?" "We''re fighting those ck puppies again. Would you like to fight alongside us White Cats?" Various non-humans began swarming him. "Aah, please get out of my way. I have some business with the Mercenary Association." Kang Oh made his way through the crowd, and headed straight for Kasten Mercenary Association. As the saying goes, where there''s conflict, there''s mercenaries. The Mercenary Association was essentially a giant marketce for mercenaries. Since the west was in a constant state of strife, mercenaries would often be sent off to those battles. Creak. He opened the door and entered the Kasten Mercenary Association. "Who do we have here!? It''s the Hero of Kasten!" the Chewba look-alike said. "I came to see the president," Kang Oh said firmly. "Understood. I''ll let him know." The anthromorph went upstairs. A short whileter... Kang Oh got what he wanted. He was allowed to have a private meeting in the president''s room. "It''s been a long time," the Mercenary Association President, Balduk, said. He was half bull, half man, with tworge beautiful golden horns on his head. "Yes. Thest time I saw you was at the end of the war, so it truly has been a while." Kang Oh brought up the ''war'' on purpose. He was making sure he remembered that he was the hero of that war. "I see. I haven''t seen you ever since," Balduk said. "I was somewhere else." ''I was in Despia. It''s a really scary ce.'' "Is that so? In any case, I''m d to see you again." Balduk smiled. "Me too." Kang Oh followed suit. Since he wanted something from him, he had to humor him. "Since you''vee back, you must be looking for work. I wee it! After all, you''re one of our precious gold rank mercenaries." Balduk opened his arms wide and weed him. "Unfortunately, I didn''te here for work." Kang Oh shook his head. "Mm, is that so? That''s truly unfortunate." "To be honest, I came here to ask you a favor," Kang Oh said carefully. "A favor?" "Yes." "Go on." "I have something to ask you first. Is the qualification test still the same? Go to the mountain, kill a de Beast, and bring back its fang?" If you brought back a de Beast''s Fang, then the Mercenary Association would write your name and rank on it, and you''d be a full-fledged mercenary. In other words, the fang was equivalent to a mercenary''s license. "It is." Balduk nodded his head. "I came to ask you to change the location of the test." "Mm." Balduk furrowed his brow. He hadn''t expected him to ask him that. "Change the location? To where?" he asked. "The Beast''s Tower," Kang Oh immediately replied. "The Beast''s Tower... Ah, a dungeon!" Dungeons were dangerous locations; they contained more monsters than other areas, and whoever entered ran the risk of getting swarmed. Thus, NPCs avoided entering dungeons. Unlike yers, who''d revive upon death, NPCs didn''t have a ''second'' life. "Indeed. de Beasts also appear in the Beast''s Tower." Using the Dungeon Management window, Kang Oh had confirmed that de Beasts did indeed spawn in the dungeon. Once he saw that, it felt like a light bulb had gone off in his head. Perhaps he''d be able to change the location of the qualification exam to the Beast''s Tower! If he managed that, then plenty of non-human species would seek the Beast''s Tower, and he''d be able to make some repel points too! "It''s too dangerous to use a dungeon for the qualifying exam." Balduk disapproved. Kang Oh wasn''t deterred and continued, "I have another favor to ask you. If you change the location to the Beast''s Tower, then I''d like you to change the exam itself too. I want you to make it so that you can only be a mercenary by acquiring the de Beast''s Fang, the Horned Beast''s Horn, and the Crow Beast''s Feather." The Horned Beast and Crow Beast also resided within the Beast''s Tower. The de Beast showed up on the 1st floor, but the Horned Beast and the Crow Beast began showing up on the 5th floor. If the exam went unchanged, then prospective mercenaries would only enter the 1st floor. That''s why he wanted to adjust the exam so that they had to go up to at least the 5th floor. By doing so, his future guardians would have a higher chance of making him repel points! "Hoo, I''m sorry. I can''t fulfill your request," Balduk said. Changing the exam''s location to a dungeon was already a problem, but forcing prospective mercenaries to kill two more monsters that were stronger than the de Beast was too much. If he did as Kang Oh asked, then the test would be too dangerous. Though he refused, Kang Oh wasn''t disappointed at all. Although he was a war hero and was incredibly famous, there was no guarantee that Balduk would fulfill his request. ''This is where it all starts!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "If you do as I ask, then the exam will certainly be much more difficult. However, isn''t that precisely the point?" Kang Oh said. "That''s precisely the point?" "To be honest, the current exam is pretty much pointless. The test itself is too easy, and you can even ''cheat'' by buying a de Beast''s Fang." In other words, anyone and their mother could be a mercenary. "What if these unskilled individuals became mercenaries and were forced onto the battlefield? They''d die on their first mission," Kang Oh said somewhat harshly. If he weren''t the Hero of Kasten, then Balduk would be angrily scolding him right now. Kang Oh quickly continued, "To be a mercenary is to face danger. So why is making the exam dangerous a problem?" "Mm." "Moreover, the Beast''s Tower can teach prospective mercenaries an important lesson: how to survive. Plus, it''ll allow them to use their heads; the smart ones will form parties," Kang Oh said persuasively. Balduk''s hands were on top of his knees, and he kept tapping his index fingers together. It seemed like he was thinking things over. "You basically want us to train mercenaries in the Beast''s Tower." "Exactly. And if I were to suggest one more thing... There''s a Two-Headed Ogre at the top of the tower. Whoever brings back the head of this ogre automatically rises to silver rank." A mercenary''s rank was divided into bronze, silver, and gold. If a mercenary showed off their skills and gathered enough fame and reputation, then the Mercenary Association would automatically increase their rank. However, this method had a huge problem: it took way too long to increase one''s rank. "If the testers pass the test, then they be bronze rank mercenaries. There''ll be some of them that want to be silver rank mercenaries as quickly as possible. If they manage to defeat the Two-Headed Ogre at the top of the tower, then what do you think will happen?" Kang Oh asked. Balduk had been the President of the Mercenary Association for a long time. He quickly realized what he was saying. "They''ll keep entering the tower in order to defeat the ogre." "It''ll naturally increase the skill of the bronze mercenaries. The bronze mercenaries will probably help the testers pass too. And I''m sure you know better than I, but the association''s influence relies on the skill of its mercenaries." Kang Oh was finally finished. Balduk remained quiet. Kang Oh didn''t say anything either. The room remained silent for quite some time. Balduk broke the silence first, hitting his knees. "Hoo, you have quite the silver tongue. I admit, you convinced me." "Then?" "I''ll bring this up with our executives." "Thank you!" Kang Oh beamed. "However..." Balduk''s eyes narrowed sharply. "What exactly do you gain from all this? Ah, just so you know, I won''t ept an answer like ''It''s for the association'' or any rubbish like that. You and I are mercenaries. Mercenaries only do things for their own benefit." "Of course. I asked for this because it''s beneficial to me." "How so?" "It''s a secret," Kang Oh said. No good woulde out of him exining that the Beast''s Tower was a soul dungeon and that he was the owner of said dungeon. "What?" Balduk furrowed his brow. "Should I forget we had this conversation?" he said bitingly. It wasn''t a ruse. Changing the mercenary qualification exam was an important matter. Thus, he, as the president of the association, needed to know everything before he went through with it. If there was anything he didn''t know about, or he felt ufortable about something, then he wouldn''t change it! "Hoo, I understand. But please don''t tell anyone else about this." "My lips are sealed." "I know that. But you always have to make sure. Let''s sign a contract." Kang Oh pulled out a Sabra''s Contract from his inventory. "Do we really have to?" "If you''d like to hear the secret, then yes." "Understood." Ultimately, Kang Oh wrote the contract, stating that Balduk couldn''t share this information with anyone else. The two then signed it. "Alright, now tell me what this big secret of yours is. Why is changing the location of the exam beneficial to you?" "The Beast''s Tower belongs to me." "The dungeon belongs to you?" Balduk tilted his head. He couldn''t understand. "So what I''m saying is..." Then, Kang Oh briefly exined how soul dungeons worked. He could add guardians, and if those guardians either killed the intruders or forced them to retreat, then something good would happen. "Hmm, a soul dungeon, huh... You can add monsters and change the dungeon as you please! How mysterious!" Balduk stroked his chin out of habit. "Don''t make the Beast''s Tower too dangerous." "No, thank you. And I told you, there''s no point if it''s not dangerous." "Ahem. You have to make it dangerous so that it benefits you." "Yes." "You''re not the Hero of Kasten, but the Viin of Kasten instead." "Thank you for thepliment." Kang Oh grinned. "Alright, then let''s do this." Balduk pped his hands. "What do you mean?" "Changing the exam is highly beneficial to you, so you owe me one." "What? Isn''t this beneficial to the association too?" The Mercenary Association''s power directly lies in the skill of its mercenaries! If they go through with Kang Oh''s n, then the association will be able to increase the skill of its beginner mercenaries. At the same time, Kang Oh''s dungeon rewards would increase. This was a win-win for either side, so why did he owe him one? "You owe me one! If not, then you can forget any of this happened." Balduk crossed his arms. It wasn''t an offer; this was going to happen either way. Kang Oh had no choice but to ept. "Understood. I''m willing to help you out just once. Of course, it has to be something I can actually do." "Good. And..." "Something else?" "I want you to take mercenary work at least once every 2 weeks. A gold rank mercenary can''t just rest on hisurels. That''ll allow me to periodically talk to you too." "That''s..." Kang Oh wanted to say ''That''s a pain in the ass, so no thank you!''. "Do it!" Balduk firmly said, interrupting him. "Tch, understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I can always change the exam back to what it was. I can just say that it''s too dangerous and that there are too many casualties. You understand what I''m saying?" Balduk warned. If he forgot about his debt and he didn''t take his mercenary work seriously, then the exam would go back to normal! "Understood." "Good." Balduk smiled satisfyingly. ''What a good use of my time.'' Sometimeter... Everything went as Kang Oh had hoped. The Mercenary Association had switched the location of the exam to the Beast''s Tower. Plus, the testers would need to kill a Horned Beast and a Crow Beast too. If they managed to take down the Two-Headed Ogre, then they''d automatically be promoted to silver rank. "Good!" Kang Oh clenched his fist and headed for the Beast''s Tower. He needed to get ready to wee some guests! * * * [Adding a de Beast as a guardian requires 800 gold or 80 repel points. Would you like to proceed?] "I''ll pay using gold." He only had 3 repel points at the moment, so he needed to use gold! A de Beast was a monster with des as hands. [You have spent 800 gold.] [You have added a de Beast guardian.] [The de Beast has evolved into the Scarlet ded Blooder.] "Next!" Kang Oh picked the Horned Beast, which had horns asrge and shy as a reindeer''s. [You have spent 1,000 gold.] [You have added a Horned Beast guardian.] [The Horned Beast has evolved into Golden Horned Goros.] "One more!" [You have spent 1,500 gold.] [You have added a Crow Beast guardian.] [The Crow Beast has evolved into the Mana Obsessed Crowzard.] A Crow Beast looked half man, half crow, and cast various spells. By transforming into a guardian, it became capable of using even greater spells. ''Three guardians should be enough for now. I might add more when I have some more repel points.'' Buying a guardian cost a lot of money, so he couldn''t bear to spend anymore! Kang Oh made the interior moreplex, added a few more traps, and then closed the Dungeon Management window. "I''m done!" He''d have to wait and see how muchrger the tower would get, and how much better the rewards would be in the future. Chapter 314. Watching a Fight with Popcorn

Chapter 314. Watching a Fight with Popcorn

Trantor: Boko The Saul Graveyard was Kang Oh''s most recent soul dungeon. "I''d love to expand the dungeon, but..." The dungeon''s reward was dragon materials. If he expanded the dungeon, then he''d get so much more of them. And with the extra yield, he''d be able to create more dragon equipment, and turn more of a profit. However, no one visited the Saul Graveyard. The only yers in the Goddess''s Land were Kang Oh and Sephiro after all. It''s not like they could bring over yers using Eder''s transfer magic circle either. There was no reason to share the Goddess''s Land with others. Luring in NPCs would be a stupid idea too. He tried to convince the Church of Death to send their pdins here, but it didn''t work! ''Well, I guess it can''t be helped.'' Ultimately, Kang Oh decided to ignore the Saul Graveyard for now. With this, he''d finished managing all of his dungeons, so Kang Oh went back to exploring the Goddess''s Land with Eder and Sephiro. * * * Whoosh! A violent blizzard blew in the snowy white fields. A cluster of tents was there, keeping those within safe from the snowstorm. In order to explore Yuki-Onna''s Paradise, the Storm Guild''s northern expedition force had created a base camp. The executives were currently gathered in thergest tent here. "Mr. Ga, please take team 1 and explore the north," Han Seol said. She was both the Storm Guild''s vice-captain, and the leader of this expedition. "Understood," Ga, a man wearing thick fur clothes, immediately said. Han Seol nodded her head and looked at another man. "Mr. Goraebap, take team 2 and explore the west." "Yes," the bushy-bearded man said. "Find whatever you can, whether it be dungeons, non-humans capable of speech and their viges, hunting grounds, secret locations, etc. The best would probably be treasure." "Understood." "Hoo, I hope we find something big this time." Han Seol sighed. Their guildmaster, Hernandez, was the one that''d pushed them to explore the north. And yet, he was missing from the expedition force. Thus, Han Seol, as the guild''s vice-captain, was forced to assume responsibility of the expedition force. ''He''s always like this.'' Whenever Hernandez stirred up trouble, it was her responsibility to clean up after him. Anyhow, the guildmaster had pushed for it, so they had significant manpower and resources. However, they didn''t find anything here that could justify the amount of resources they''d invested. It was so bad that Han Seol sighed dozens of times a day. "No pain, no gain. We''ll definitely find something big soon." Ga encouraged her, knowing what was on her mind. "I hope you''re right." Han Seol forced herself to smile. As the old saying goes, out of the frying pan into the fire. Her and the Storm Guild''s future wouldn''t be bright. After all, they''d entered the vengeful Krishan''s domain! * * * [The live code is Marco#9119.] Jin Cheol sent him a message. "Oh, that''s today?" So today was the day that Blue Sky''s leader, Marco, fought the Spider Queen, Benolov? Jae Woo tossed his phone away, logged into Arth''s official site, and entered the live code. Then, his monitor showed Marco''s live stream. "We''re beginning the hunt! Everyone, be careful!" Marco said to his raid team, which included the members of Blue Sky, and yers he''d recruited using his connections. "Yes!" Marco turned around, showing a view of Benelov''s domain. Croc Mountain was beautiful; it was filled with yellow maple leaves. But as they say, every rose has its thorns. Several yers had died here from a single misstep. "Let''s go!" Marco yelled, and the thirty or so members of his team entered Croc Mountain. "Ah, that''s right." Jae Woo went to the kitchen and pulled out a bag of popcorn from the drawer. ''You gotta have popcorn when you''re watching a fight!'' He''d bought the popcorn beforehand, so he''d have something to snack on while watching Marco''s hunt. Whir! Ding! He pulled out the popcorn, which looked like it''d burst from the seams, and ced it into a bowl. Hum-hum-hum! Jae Woo hummed and sat in front of hisputer with a bowl of popcorn. He stared at the screen and kept munching on the popcorn. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Dozens of arrows, which reminded him of a spider''s legs, came flying at Marco''s team. The Spider Queen''s nickname was the Grim Reaper''s Sniper! As an expert marksman, she was capable of hitting anyone at any range, so long as they were within her domain. Thus, a raid team needed some way of stopping her long-range attacks. "Arrows!" "She''s sniping us!" "Raise your shields!" The easiest and most effective way was using shields! Marco and his teammates had prepared giant shields to protect themselves. "Move!" Marco yelled. The next obstacle they faced was a group of monster spiders, which were about asrge as bulls. Not only were they hideous, but they possessed fatal venom, were agile, and their spider webs were incredibly tough! Plus, there were more than 50 of them. The humans and spiders fought, with Benolov continuously sniping them from afar. The battlefield was pure chaos. But Marco''s party was able to ovee the spiders, and make their way to the top of the mountain. They repeatedly encountered groups of spiders, and were sniped from a distance. However, the Great Adventurer, Marco, wasn''t famous for nothing. That held true for Blue Sky too. They overcame every obstacle and eventually came across Benolov herself. However, she would prove to be an even greater obstacle. Two figures stood beside the Spider Queen. They were huge men who were just as sculpted as Greek statues. However, their upper bodies were attached to spiders legs, and they had eight eyes as well. These were the Spider Queen''s children, the Spider Brothers. Each was as strong as a boss! They posed the greatest challenge to hunting Benolov. Benolov herself was powerful enough, but she was protected by two bodyguards who were just as strong. Moreover, the three had a special ability; if one of them was weakened, then the remaining two got a huge power up. Thus, a raid team had to spread the damage equally amongst the three. "Attack!" "Uwooh!" The boss fight had begun. Munch, munch. Jae Woo ate some more popcorn and watched the intense battle. As expected, Benolov and the Spider Brothers'' power was the real deal. asionally, monster spiders would appear from all sides too. "Tch, tch." Jae Woo clicked his tongue. ''You brought too many people with you.'' Marco had brought more than 30 people with him. However, that had be a problem. The more people you brought, the more monster spiders spawned. At some point, they couldn''tpletely eradicate the swarm of monster spiders. Plus, Benolov and the Spider Brothers went on a rampage. Marco and his teammates were slowly forced on the defensive, and it seemed like just a single death would have a domino effect. At that moment... "We''re using that!" Marco yelled, and pulled something out of his inventory. "Got it!" Lisa, a member of Blue Sky, pulled something out too. It was a magic scroll. Marco and Lisa immediately ripped the scrolls. The scrolls radiated intense clumps of light, which hit the Spider Brothers. Then, something fascinating happened. The Spider Brothers were encased in giant crystals. "Hoh!" He didn''t know exactly what spell they''d used, but a spell powerful enough to freeze the Spider Brothers had to be a top-tier spell. ''Each scroll must''ve cost several thousand gold.'' A scroll of that power could only be obtained from the Tower. However, the Tower didn''t just hand out magic scrolls like that to just anyone. What kind of price did Marco have to pay in order to procure those magic scrolls? "Focus fire on Benolov!" Marco yelled. His team focused their attacks on Benolov, who''d lost her bodyguards. "Mm." Countless shards of light were exploding out of Benelov''s body. At this rate, the Spider Brothers'' strength would be amplified significantly. However, they were currently sealed away. They wouldn''t be able to attack, even if they were that much stronger. Moreover, they used two more scrolls to seal the Spider Brothers once they saw cracks in the seals! "Jeez, how many of those scrolls do they have?" Jae Woo was truly shocked. ''They might be able to beat her.'' However, something no one could''ve expected happened. "There were more than two of them?" Another monster appeared. It looked just like the Spider Brothers, but it seemed so much stronger than them. Spider Consort, Adxon! Benelov''s husband had appeared. "Shit, we don''t have much time left! Focus fire on Benolov first!" Marco yelled desperately. However, Adxon was crazy powerful. "Ugh!" "Gyaahk!" He killed Marco''s team one or two at a time. ''It''s way too strong. It seems like the Spider Queen has to be in trouble for it to appear. Does it be stronger the more danger she''s in?'' He''d gained some good information. Jae Woo also felt relieved that he hadn''t been the first one to fight it. With no other options, Marco was forced to use another magic scroll on Adxon. "Focus fire on Benolov!" "Aaahk!" "Yaahp!" However, they had a limited number of magic scrolls, and the magic wore off before they could finish off Benolov. "Aah!" Marco groaned. Benolov was covered in wounds. If they had attacked her just a little bit more, then they would''ve been able to finish her off! But now, the Spider Brothers and the Spider Consort stood in front of her protectively. Marco realized that he''d failed, so he came to a decision. "Everyone, retreat!" Like an ebbing tide, the surviving members of his team began to run. They needed to get out of the mountain. With this, Marco had failed the hunt. Jae Woo finished off the rest of his popcorn. Munch, munch. Gulp. He rubbed the corners of his mouth with the back of his hand and smiled. "One down." ''I hope Strong Punch and Snow Flower both fail!'' * * * Yuki-Onna''s Paradise. The atmosphere in the Storm Guild''s base camp was unusual. "Annihted?" The expedition leader, Han Seol, couldn''t believe it. "Yes. We were all killed without putting up much of a fight," a high level yer scratched the back of his head and said. He''d juste back after a game over. Team 2, who''d gone with him, had suffered the same fate. "What was it?" Han Seol asked. "A giant nt. It looked like a flower bud with several vines and tentacles attached to it. We''ve uploaded the footage onto our guild site, so please take a look at itter." "Is it a raid boss?" "Probably. But there''s something strange about it." "What is it?" "Normally, whenever you encounter a boss, you get a system message that tells you what its name is. But we didn''t get a system message this time." "The entire team?" "Yes. So we''re not entirely sure what it is." "A raid boss, huh... That''s better for us. A raid boss that no one has ever found before. The Storm Guild will be the first one that takes it out! This makes our northern expedition worth it." Defeating a raid boss! That''d be a huge aplishment. "Where is it exactly?" "Go straight west from the base camp. It''s inside of the cave there." Clear and concise. How nice. "Alright. We''ll create a raid team with our most elite members." Sometimeter... They received word of something unimaginable. The Storm Guild''s elites had beenpletely annihted. Chapter 315. The Storm Guild’s Tragedy

Chapter 315. The Storm Guild''s Tragedy

Trantor: Boko As soon as she heard word of their raid team''s defeat, she immediately returned to headquarters. Han Seol stormed into the guildmaster''s room and asked, "What happened?" Their guildmaster, Spear King Hernandez (ranked 8th amongst the Numbers), furrowed his brow and then sighed. "It''s as you heard. Our guild''s elite raid team, Blood Storm, was crushed." "The raid boss was that strong?" Blood Storm was made up of only the best hunters. This marked their second defeat; the firsting from the Great Forest''s Wukong! "Have you ever heard of Krishan?" Hernandez asked. "Krishan?" Han Seol shook her head. "You''ve been in the north for so long that you don''t know what''s going on." "Who is Krishan?" "A never-before-seen church appeared on the continent some time ago. Apparently, they''re called the Church of Death, and they worship the Goddess of Death, Deborah. They came all this way from Despia in search of Krishan." Hernandez shared the quest, ''Find Krishan'', which could be obtained from any Adventurer Guild across the continent. [Find Krishan] Name: Krishan. She is a beautiful woman withrge white wings, red hair, and jade eyes. Vines are wrapped around her arms and legs. She is a member of an unknown ancient tribe. If you find her, report her location to the Adventurer Guild immediately! Warning: You only need to find her; killing her is not necessary. She is an extremely powerful being, so please do not fight her! Minimum Requirements: Apprentice Adventurers cannot ept this quest. Reward: Mithril (small quantity), a meeting with the Church of Death. After looking over the quest, Han Seol said, "An extremely powerful member of an ancient tribe... Do you think this raid boss is Krishan?" "I do. Our raid team assumed it was a nt-type monster, but when they opened the flower bud, a beautiful woman with wings like an angel popped out and ughtered them. When they saw her, they got a system message that stated it was Krishan." "Are you going to report it to the Adventurer Guild?" "No. The mithril isn''t worth it. After all, we lost so many men." Hernandez''s eyes became vicious. "Then?" "I''ll face her myself." "Mm." Hernandez''s strength was tremendous; so much so that his ce in the Numbers was undeniable. There was a reason he was called the ''Spear King''. "I''m taking my elite guard and all of the guild''s high rankers too." "I''m going too, I assume?" "Of course." This team, which consisted of Hernandez, his elite guard, Han Seol, and their guild''s high rankers, was the most powerful force they could muster. "I''ll make the preparations." "Yeah, I''m counting on you." * * * A weekter... Hernandez and his elite team faced off against Krishan on the snowy white fields; her left arm and wing, which had been torn off by Ubist, had somewhat healed. The atmosphere was tense. Hernandez stepped forward and dered war. "You''ll pay for messing with the Storm Guild!" Then, he tightly gripped his SS-rank spear, the Parsus Spear of Ruin, and charged. "Uwaaaaaah!" "Let''s go!" "Let''s y!" The Storm Guild''s elites were right behind him. "Mere bugs... You dare!?" Krishan arrogantly yelled, and gathered energy in her hands. Her left hand pinky was still missing. She hadn''t fully recovered from her fight with Ubist. "Die!" Boom, boom, boom! Her energy sts exploded, resulting in loud ''booms'' that resounded throughout the snowy fields. However, the Storm Guild didn''t just sit there and take it. Spear of Ruin! Hernandez lunged, and his spear released ck energy that took the form of a giant snake. Grouse''s Arrow! Han Seol was a Lighting Hunter, an archer that could wield lightning. Her arrow transformed into a giant bird and flew through the azure sky. The ''bird'' sparked as it flew. The high rankers unleashed their own shy skills/magic from beside them. Frozen Hell! Earth sh! Divine Judgment! Storm Aura! Krishan swung her right arm, which swelled with green energy. Hammer of Arrogance! The giant energy st devoured the Storm Guild''s attacks. "Taste this!" Hernandez closed in and quickly thrust his spear. The vines surrounding Krishan''s left arm grew, protecting her. At the same time, the green energy amassed in her right hand took shape. Spear of Arrogance! Hernandez turned his body to the side. Whoosh! While clearly powerful, the green spear merely grazed Hernandez. He wasn''t ranked 8th for nothing. He immediately counterattacked. Infinite Thrust! This skill would increase the speed of subsequent thrusts. The 2nd would be faster than the 1st, the 3rd would be faster than the 2nd, etc. The suddenness of his attack forced her to p her wings and retreat. Her left wing wasn''t fully healed, so she slightly lost her bnce as she did. Hernandez paused and licked his lips to lessen his disappointment. Both Hernandez and Krishan were well aware that they''d both been just feeling each other out. A short whileter... "Die, you worm!" "You first!" With Hernandez at the head, he and the rest of the Storm Guild''s elites attacked Krishan. The brutal battle continued. * * * Hernandez''s elite guard, which were the least skilled of their group, began to die one or two at a time. At some point, the high rankers began to die too. However, the Storm Guild would be victorious. They made some sacrifices, but the Storm Guild''s forces were powerful, and they''d been steadily reducing Krishan''s HP. "She only has 20% of her HP left," one of their mages said. The mage in question had created magic sses that allowed them to see a monster''s HP. "Good. Don''t let down your guard till the very end!" "You worms!" Krishan furiously unleashed all sorts of skills. Her anger had reached its peak. The Storm Guild was powerful, but she also wasn''t at full strength. Her body wasn''t at 100% yet. Moreover, she couldn''t use the God of Creation''s power either. Belief was required to use divine power. However, the Mayanes didn''t have any followers, forcing them to capture humans and use their life energy to fuel the divine power. However, she didn''t have ess to that fuel right now. After all, the life energy she''d been draining in Yuki-Onna''s Paradise had been used to restore her body. Despite that, she still wasn''t fully healed. Getting wounded by these worms enraged her. "Die, die, die!" Ultimately, Krishan went on a rampage like a madwoman. However, that only served as an opportunity for the Storm Guild. "Stay calm!" Hernandez''s eyes gleamed. ''We can win this.'' He was sure of it. How much time had passed? Stab! Hernandez''s spear pierced through Krishan''s heart. "0%!" the mage who''d kept checking her HP yelled. "Hoo." Hernandez pulled out his spear and sighed in relief. ''We finally won!'' He took a look around. Only five of them were left standing. Twenty of their best guild members had died to Krishan. ''Krishan, you were crazy strong!'' "But in the end, we won..." Hernandez tried to raise his spear. However...! All of a sudden, something was choking his neck. It was Krishan''s hand. "What?" Hernandez was taken aback by the sudden turn of events. ''What''s going on? She was definitely dead.'' The others had the same reaction. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Krishanughed derisively. "I was wondering whether you had that sword, but it looks like you don''t have it." Krishan could clearly remember the jet-ck de that killed Mayanes Diabol, another one of her kind that had been trapped in the Goddess''s Land! Plus, she was almost eaten by the beast that was sealed within it! "You bitch!" He couldn''t help but curse, and swung his spear. However, Krishan''s arm, which was wrapped around Hernandez''s neck, unleashed a st of energy first. Hammer of Arrogance! Boom! Hernandez was dead! "Aah." "This is impossible! Her HP is at 0%. It''s a bug!" The remaining members fell into despair and panicked. Seeing that, Krishan felt so much better. "Hahahaha, yes, despair! And know this. That I, an immortal, was ying around with you this entire time!" Krishan stretched out her arms. The vines around her arms grew and wrapped around the surviving yers. Then, she began draining them of their life force. With this, the Storm Guild had met their end fighting Krishan once more. This truly was a tragedy! ''Just a little bit more! I just need a little bit more before I''m fully restored. Then, I can leave here, capture a ton of people, and supnt the gods! I''ll make sure to kill that guy too.'' Krishan gritted her teeth at the thought of Kang Oh, and returned to her cave. Whoosh. A raging blizzard covered the battlefield. It was as if nothing had ever happened here... * * * The Storm Guild''s headquarters. Bam! Hernandez forcefully mmed his hands onto the desk. He got a game over, and re-logged with a 10% debuff to all of his abilities. The debuff wasn''t a huge issue, as it''d disappear within a week, but getting a game over cost him some levels and a ton of proficiency, which was a huge problem. Moreover, all of the Storm Guild''s elites faced the same issue. It was a huge loss on their part! It would take a long take to recoup their strength. They''d taken so many losses, yet they had nothing to prove for it! This was driving him crazy. "Immortal!" His eyes were downright murderous. "Apparently," Han Seol replied, clearly annoyed. "What the hell were the developers thinking making a monster like that!? Do you think it''s a bug?" Hernandez yelled. "I sent a formalint to the developers, but they told me that it wasn''t a bug or an error. Krishan truly is immortal." "Haa!" Hernandez could do nothing but sigh. It felt like he''d lost all of his money at a casino. Fighting an immortal being like Krishan was like gambling away your money on a game you couldn''t win. But after you lost your money, the casino tells you that there weren''t any tricks involved. "What will you do now?" Han Seol asked. "What do you mean? We have to find a way to beat her." "A way to bypass her immortality?" "You said it yourself. That''s not a bug or an error. The developers aren''t stupid enough to create apletely imbnced monster without any weaknesses. We just have to find out what it is." "The Church of Death probably knows. They''re looking for her precisely because they''re confident that they can kill her. Or perhaps they have a way of sealing her away," Han Seol said. "Mm. We''ll have to get in contact with them." "I already made an appointment. We''ll meet them tomorrow at 6:00 (1800) at Altein''s northern Adventurer Guild." "You sure are good at your work." Seeing her take the initiative cooled his anger slightly. "You should be thankful that someone like me works for you!" "You know I am!" Chapter 316. The Time Has Come

Chapter 316. The Time Has Come

Trantor: Boko Hernandez and Han Seol came to Altein''s northern Adventure Guild. "This way." A veteran adventurer led them to the meeting room. An old pdin and priestess were waiting for them there. It was Cyndia and Muhawk, the pdin responsible for her protection. "Hello, I''m the leader of the Storm Guild, Hernandez." "I''m its vice-captain, Han Seol." "It''s nice to meet you. I am the Goddess of Death''s faithful servant, Cyndia." "I am the sword that defends the goddess and her priestess, Muhawk." They exchanged pleasantries and then went straight to the point. They weren''t close enough to ask how they were doing or share idle chatter. "Do you know where Krishan is located?" Cyndia calmly asked. "Yes." Hernandez nodded his head. "Thank you for finding her. I pray that the goddess''s grace be with you." "A blessing would be nice. However, I''d like to ask you something." "Go ahead." "Did you know that Krishan was an immortal being?" Hernandez narrowed his eyes. "Yes, I knew." "I see. Then why are you looking for her?" "I cannot tell you the details. It has to do with the goddess''s decree. All I can tell you is that Krishan is originally our responsibility." "I''m not interested in the details. I want to know if there''s a way to ovee Krishan''s immortality. Does a way exist?" Hernandez asked, and waited anxiously for Cyndia''s reply. However, she answered with a question instead. "Why do you want to know that?" "We suffered heavy losses looking for her." That was a lie. The Storm Guild had never intended to find her. They''d found her by chance, and had beenpletely annihted by her. However, Hernandez spoke as though they''d been putting all their resources into finding her. He hoped that it''d make what he said next easier to swallow! "That''s quite unfortunate," Cyndia said. "She has to atone for all that she''s done, so we''ll kill her no matter what. So please tell us how to ovee her immortality, or provide us with the method itself." Hernandez bowed his head. "I can''t do that." Cyndia shook her head. Her mission was to help Kang Oh kill the Mayanes, and recover the God of Creation''s sources from them. As per the goddess''smand, no one else could kill the Mayanes besides Kang Oh. After all, the God of Creation''s sources had to be recovered. Moreover, Kang Oh was the wielder of Demon Sword Ubist, the only weapon that could bypass the Mayanes'' immortality. It wasn''t within her right to decide who owned that weapon. "Hmm, then I don''t think we''ll be able to tell you where Krishan is." "Mithril is a precious metal. I don''t know how great your losses were, but mithril should be able to..." Muhawk, who''d been silently listening, interjected. "You are Mr. Muhawk, correct? We lost way more than you think. Mithril, especially such a small amount, is nowhere near enough." Hernandez interrupted him, and continued. "So, I believe that it''s in both our best interests if we trade our knowledge; we will tell you where Krishan is in exchange for the method of killing her." "Mm. What will you do?" Muhawk stared at Cyndia. "As I told you, I can''t do that. And we have other adventurers and churches looking for Krishan as we speak. They will tell me where Krishan is." Cyndia remained firm. Hernandez slightly bit his lip. ''Things aren''t working out.'' Han Seol, who''d been quiet thus far, spoke up. "I heard that the Church of Death is located in Despia." Hernandez kept his mouth shut and watched on. This wasn''t the time to be doubting Han Seol''s abilities. "That''s right," Cyndia replied. "I heard that Despia is dangerous enough to be called the Land that Borders Hell. Do people actually live there?" "The goddess''s followers live there." "Then could you allow the Storm Guild ess to Despia? If you promise to take us there, then we''ll tell you where Krishan is." Hernandez''s eyes gleamed. ''As expected of Han Seol!'' If Cyndia agreed to their terms, then the Storm Guild would be able to enter Despia. Gaining ess to Despia would cover their losses from exploring the north and getting defeated by Krishan. He wasn''t sure how dangerous Despia was. However, it was unlikely that anyone had ever been there before, so it was and rife with opportunity. Hernandez had absolutely no idea that Kang Oh was already in the Goddess''s Land. "Mm." Cyndia mulled things over. Taking them to Despia wouldn''t be difficult. After all, they could just follow them back using the mirror. However, she was reluctant to bring outsiders to the Goddess''s Land. ''I should refuse...'' Realizing this, Han Seol spoke up. "I know how you feel about outsiders entering your home. But we''ll make you a promise. The Storm Guild won''t stir up trouble or break the peace. I promise it on my name as vice-captain of the Storm Guild! If we do cause trouble, then we won''tin when you throw us out," Han Seol briefly caught her breath and said earnestly. She knew that honestly and desperation would work best. "We just want an opportunity to recoup our losses!" Ultimately, her desperation and honesty changed Cyndia''s mind. "I understand. Please keep your word." "Of course." "If you tell us where Krishan is, then I will take you to Despia at the appropriate time." "Thank you!" Han Seol and Hernandez said simultaneously. "So where is Krishan?" Cyndia asked. "In the north. She''s located in Yuki-Onna''s Paradise. To be more specific, she''s inside of a cave on a snow-covered mountain," Hernandez replied. "Have you already fought her before?" Hernandez recalled his terrible defeat at her hands and furrowed his brow. "Yes." "Please tell us about your fight in detail." "Understood. So..." Hernandez exined everything he experienced, as well as what he''d heard from his subordinates as well. "She wasn''t fully healed, and she didn''t create anything or summon any strange monsters?" "Yes!" "Thank you for the information." Cyndia nced at Muhawk. Her message was clear. "We will get ready." "Please let them know too." ''Them'' obviously referred to Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. "Understood." "Then, if you''ll excuse us." Cyndia and Muhawk left first. The goddess wanted them to defeat the Mayanes as soon as possible, so they couldn''t afford to dawdle. "Good job!" Hernandez beamed and gave her a thumbs up. ''You''re the best!'' "Hoo, it sure is a relief." Han Seol sighed. If things had gone slightly wrong, then they wouldn''t have gotten anything in return. "They say that when one door closes, another one opens. To think we''d be able to go to Despia!" "This is a huge opportunity for us. You know that, right?" "Of course." It was an opportunity for them, and a crisis for Kang Oh. Thus far, he was able to monopolize the Goddess''s Land, but he would soon be getting apetitor! Kang Oh and the Storm Guild. What would happen between these two in the future? * * * Kang Oh''s party returned to Latnia City after another day of hunting. "Phew, today was tough too," Sephiro said. Squeal! Waryong nodded its head. "Tough? How can you call that tough? We only went through two dungeons," Kang Oh said. "You''re not supposed to go through them this fast. Two is enough," Sephiro retorted. "Tch, tch. You''re so weak." "I''m not weak. I just want to rest like a normal human being." Sephiroined. ''Humans aren''t machines. Who hunts for 5 to 6 hours straight without rest!'' "If you don''t like my methods, then leave." "Ugh." He couldn''t afford to leave. After all, he couldn''t grow nearly as fast anywhere else. It felt like he understood the meaning behind ''Patience is bitter, but its fruit is sweet.''. It literally applied to every day of his life! Eder patted his shoulder. "Brother, just give up and ept it." Whenever Eder told him that it wasn''t worth it, he would stop arguing orining. "Even the kindest person will retaliate when pushed too far," he stared at Kang Oh and said. Kang Oh grinned. ''Yeah, whatever.'' Like always, the three finished the day with idle chatter. But then, a pdin from the Church of Death came looking for them. "Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder, and Mr. Sephiro." "What''s the matter?" "Ms. Cyndia has contacted us." "About?" Kang Oh asked. "They found Krishan," the pdin said. "Finally!" Eder clenched his fist. He wanted to defeat the Mayanes as quickly as possible. By doing so, he wouldn''t have to worry about the goddess''s horrific curse anymore. "So?" "Ms. Cyndia wants to meet with you on the continent." "Where?" Kang Oh asked. "There''s a city called Altein on the continent. She wants to meet you at the northern Adventurer Guild at lunchtime tomorrow." The Pdin conveyed everything exactly as he''d been told. "Mm, I understand." Kang Oh nodded his head and stared at his teammates. The two nodded their heads in turn; they wereing with him! "Then, I''ll get going now." The pdin immediately left. "See you tomorrow at the Adventurer Guild." Kang Oh''s party promised to meet tomorrow and parted ways. * * * Kang Oh''s party arrived on time. "It''s been a while," Cyndia said. They greeted each other briefly and then went straight to business. "We found Krishan. She''s in the north, in Yuki-Onna''s Paradise," Cyndia said. "She sure hid somewhere remote," Kang Oh said. "When will we kill her?" Eder asked. "We sent some of our pdins there. They were instructed to assess the situation," Muhawk, the leader of the Church of Death''s pdins, said. "We have to be quick about it. ording to our information, Krishan isn''t at full strength and she cannot use the God of Creation''s power either." "Mm, this is our best chance at beating her." Sephiro nodded his head. "If she fully heals herself, then she may run off somewhere else," Cyndia said. "Then we have to strike before she has the chance to run," Kang Oh said. "Yes. That''s why I wanted to leave right away. We''re already prepared for battle." "We''ll need some time to prepare." Kang Oh''s party didn''t think they would need to be ready for departure right away, so they weren''tpletely ready yet. "How much time will you need?" "Mm, two hours?" Kang Oh needed to buy fodder for Gluttony. After all, he didn''t have any items that''d be very helpful against Krishan. Eder also needed to go home and stock up on his drugs, bandages, and salves. Sephiro just needed to buy some more arrows. If he had enough time, he''d like Man Bok to provide them with some supplies too. "Alright. I''ll see you in front of the intercity transfer gate in two hours. Then, we''ll leave immediately." "Understood." Two hours passed rather quickly, but it was enough time for Kang Oh''s party to amply prepare themselves. "Let us go!" Cyndia said solemnly. Kang Oh, his teammates, and Muhawk followed her through the gate. "Santana!" Once they yelled ''Santana'', a city that had a road that led north, Kang Oh''s party immediately disappeared. It was almost time for the rematch between Kang Oh and Krishan! Chapter 317. Mayanes Krishan (1)

Chapter 317. Mayanes Krishan (1)

Trantor: Boko Several footprints had been left behind in the snow. They were created by men wearing armor etched with a ck ring underneath thick leather clothes. The ck ring was the Goddess of Death''s symbol! They were the Church of Death''s pdins, who''de to the continent in search of Mayanes Krishan. "It''s over there." The blue eyed pdin, Bray, pointed at the snow covered mountain amidst a flurry of snow. It wasn''t that big, but he could see a cave about halfway up the mountain, which appeared like the gaping maw of a demon. The other pdins nodded their heads. "We were ordered not to enter the cave, and to remain on standby near the mountain, so that''s what we''re going to do," Bray said. He had the authority tomand them when Muhawk wasn''t present. "Krishan may attempt to escape, so split into groups of three or four and form a perimeter around the mountain." "Yes, sir!" "Get a move on!" The 99 pdins, Bray included, scattered across the snowy fields. A short whileter, a bunch of flowers sprouted from the snowy field. Flowers growing when it''s this cold? Moreover, the flower petals and stems werepletely white. Pop! All of a sudden, seeds that resembled dandelion puffs popped out. Whoosh! Wind blew from the mountain, threatening to send the seeds flying. But something extraordinary happened. The seeds flew towards the mountain, pushing through the intense winds! Obviously, they weren''t normal flowers. They were surveince nts. Krishan had ced them all around the snow covered mountain! The surveince nts had done their job. They let their master know that she had unwee guests. * * * Within the cave, Krishany sideways above the flower in full bloom. "Huh?" She opened her palm. A white seed softlynded inside of it. It was a seed sent by the surveince nt. Krishan instantly went through what it had seen. She narrowed her eyes and began emitting an intense killing intent. "The goddess''s servants!" Krishan suddenly stood up. "Sseup, I''ll drain you all dry!" She smacked her lips. She nned on draining the pdins of their life force, which would fully heal her left wing and left pinky. Krishan took a step forward. However, she didn''t take another step. She remained still, locked in thought. ''Is that all of them?'' Krishan soon shook her head. ''No, it can''t be. They can''t ovee my immortality. Even so, they came here to keep me from escaping. Which means...'' They were waiting for someone. But who? Then, Krishan''s eyes glowed red. "It''s him!" The man who''d humiliated her! Grr! Krishan''s face contorted with rage and she gritted her teeth. How dare a mere human, one that''d transformed into a lowly beast at that, rip off her left arm and her precious left wing. Moreover, he had forced her to shamefully run away. Just thinking about him made her swell with rage hotter than evenva itself. She was so angry that she almost rushed out there without thinking. However, she couldn''t afford to leave the cave and unleash her fury upon the pdins. Because a small part of her was afraid. "Ahem." Krishan bit her lip. She clearly remembered what happenedst time. Kang Oh hadpletely annihted Mayanes Diabol, a fellow immortal, and she had been in danger of being killed herself. ''I don''t want to die!'' The fear of death instantly cooled her anger, like a snowball sliding down a hill. As the wielder of Demon Sword Ubist, Kang Oh was capable of killing her. He had also humiliated her, which made him the target of her revenge. At the same time, she couldn''t forget the fear that he''d nted in her heart! Krishan sat on the flower once more, and then opened and closed her left hand. She wasn''t at her best right now. Moreover, she didn''t have enough life force to use the God of Creation''s power, which would allow her to create monsters, travel through space, etc. In other words, using divine power was out of her reach right now. What if she fought Kang Oh in her current state? She couldn''t even beat him when she was at her best, so what chance did she have now? Back then, she had plenty of life force, so she was able to use the God of Creation''s power without limit. Moreover, her immortality wouldn''t keep her safe from Kang Oh. Krishan thought things over, and her face eventually brightened. It wasn''t the best option, but it was the second best thing. "I have no choice." Krishan''s eyes gleamed, and she clenched her fist. * * * Kang Oh''s party arrived in Santana, and then immediately headed for Yuki-Onna''s Paradise. "Giddy-yap!" They rode on horseback at top speed, so they quickly reached their destination. Muhawk looked for the men he''d send here in advance. Kang Oh''s party and Cyndia followed him. "Sir Muhawk!" The blue eyed pdin, Bray, came over. "What''s the situation?" Muhawk asked. "We established a perimeter around the mountain, but Krishan came out of the cave and attacked us." The pdins had clearly done battle. Based on their expressions, the battle hadn''t gone well. "Were there a lot of casualties?" Muhawk asked. "She got twelve of us." "Mm." "She looked like she was trying to escape, so we stopped her, but the cost was great." Bray bit his lip. He recalled the faces of all hisrades that sacrificed themselves to stop her. "Did Krishan get away?" Cyndia asked. "No. We just barely stopped her from escaping, forcing her to return to the cave," Bray immediately said. "Did you say Krishan attempted to escape?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right." "That''s strange. She can cut through space and travel to another location, but she left the cave and tried escaping?" Kang Oh clearly remembered her slicing through space and showing up out of nowhere! He also remembered her doing that to escape too. "She shouldn''t be able to use a Spatial Leap," Cyndia answered. "Why is that?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "Traveling through space is a power that belongs to the gods. If a Mayanes wants to use a god''s power, then they need life force. She, who hasn''t even fully recovered yet, doesn''t have enough life force to teleport across long distances." "She has the spell, but she doesn''t have enough mana to use it." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Moreover, it''s unlikely that she''s managed to gather an abundance of life energy in such a harsh environment. At best, she''s drained the monsters here. She would''ve used that life energy to heal her body. Thus, she won''t be able to properly use the God of Creation''s power." Cyndia knew exactly what shape Krishan was in via the Storm Guild''s information. There was a reason the Goddess of Death had given her the task of helping Kang Oh destroy all of the Mayanes. There was no one better suited for the task. "Ms. Cyndia, Krishan dragged twelve of us with her..." Bray said. "She''ll drain their life force," Cyndia said. "Would that give her enough power to use a Spatial Leap?" Kang Oh asked. "No, that shouldn''t be enough..." Cyndia''s expression suddenly changed. "We have to enter the cave now!" she yelled. "What?" "There was a guild that fought Krishan before us. The life force she gained from them, and the life force she''s getting from the pdins may be enough for her to use a Spatial Leap!" Kang Oh immediately rushed towards the cave. Eder and Sephiro, who''d fought alongside him for some time, followed after him. "Sir Muhawk," Cyndia said. "Gather all of the pdins and enter the cave," Muhawk immediately replied. "Please keep half of them outside on standby. You never know what''ll happen inside." "Yes." Muhawk gave Bray the signal, and Bray and the other pdins began gathering theirrades. Cyndia turned her body, and followed after Kang Oh as fast as she could. ''Please!'' She prayed that Krishan wouldn''t be able to escape! * * * Did the goddess hear Cyndia''s prayer? Kang Oh was about to enter the cave, but thorny vines shot out of the darkness. It was a surprise attack! "Sseup!" His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning! Kang Oh''s entire body felt cold, so he gritted his teeth and swung Demon Sword Ubist. sh! Swish! He swung diagonally, cleaving through the vines. But there was plenty more where that came from. Whizz, whizz! The vines stood erect like spears and aimed for Kang Oh''s vitals. "Arise!" Eder cast a spell. Bone Wall! Bone tangled together and formed a wall in front of Kang Oh. Bam! Bam! Bam! Many vines stabbed Eder''s Bone Wall. Despite that, the Bone Wall remained intact. The vines weren''t the proper weapon to break down a wall. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath. Then, a powerful green st came flying at him from within the cave. Hammer of Arrogance! Spears might not be proper, but a hammer sure was! Boom! It instantly broke through the wall, causing bone fragments to go flying everywhere. "Ugh!" Kang Oh was caught in the explosion, and was flung back. Tramp. Her foot came out first, which was followed by the rest of her body. She raised her right hand into the air. Then, the gathered energy transformed into a green spear. "Die!" Krishan mercilessly threw the spear. Spear of Arrogance! The mighty green spear cleaved through the air,ing straight for Kang Oh. "No thanks!" Kang Oh horizontally swung Ubist. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger fiercely dashed forward, smashing right into the green spear. However, the Spear of Arrogance instantly pierced through the tiger! It was clearly the more powerful of the two. "Damn it." Kang Oh jumped out of the way. Boom! The spear hit where he''d just been, resulting in an explosion. It left behind arge crater, as if a bomb had just gone off. Krishan didn''t stop there. She drew a circle with her left hand, causing vines to rise from the ground and wrap around Kang Oh. Vine Prison! That wasn''t all. Krishan had already gathered a ton of energy in her right arm. It was clear who she''d soon be aiming that at. "No!" Sephiro shot an arrow, unwilling to lose him. Sun Piercing Arrow! Ground Shaking Arrow! Waryong, who wore a feather hat and leather clothes, spat out its strongest mes. Fire Breath! "Age!" Eder pointed his staff at her. An evil spirit flew straight at Krishan. Aging Curse! She was burnt and arrows pierced her body, but she didn''t care. She didn''t care about the glimmering ck ghost either. Her jade eyes were focused on Kang Oh and Kang Oh only! Hammer of Arrogance! A giant st of energy came at him like a tsunami. "Tch!" He couldn''t dodge it. His body waspletely wrapped in vines. If that''s the case... "I''m breaking through!" His jet-ck de released immense darkness. Evesting Darkness! Kang Oh and Krishan''s attacks shed in the space between them, resulting in an explosion! Boom! Their bloody battle with Krishan had begun in earnest! Chapter 318. Mayanes Krishan (2)

Chapter 318. Mayanes Krishan (2)

Trantor: Boko p, p! Krishan pped her wings and flew towards Kang Oh. At the same time, the thorny vines surrounding her right arm bunched up into a drill. "I''ve been waiting for this," Krishan said. Her eyes were only focused on one thing: vengeance. She thrust her drill arm, trying to cut right through him. Bam! Upon contact with his de, her drill arm violently spun. "Ugh." The force behind it was tremendous. His hands stung, and his feet dug into the ground. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and tightened his grip. He endured, and endured some more until... ''Now!'' He tilted his sword. Sword Parry! He timed it perfectly, allowing him to parry her attack even with such a heavy, unwieldy weapon like Ubist. The drill slid down his de, and Krishan staggered, losing her bnce. Kang Oh narrowed his eyes. Hyper Intuition pointed out countless weak points. Which meant that any one of his attacks would be a critical hit! ''They get really mad when you attack their wings, right?'' Swish! Kang Oh swung Ubist as fast as he was currently able. His jet-ck de passed through Krishan''s white wing, and the cut burst with shards of red light. A sessful parry with a greatsword would always lead to a critical hit. That was his Sword Parry''s unique ability, which differentiated it from the norm. "You dare!?" Her eyes were filled with rage. The Mayanes'' wings were a source of pride. Moreover, she''d lost that wing in the past, to Kang Oh no less! She recalled that hellish day, and her anger reached its peak. Her left arm''s vines transformed into a giant fist. Of course, the fist was covered in thorns. Whoosh! Krishan forcefully swung downwards. He couldn''t afford to get hit by it; its power was extraordinary. Kang Oh quickly backed off. After all, he didn''t want to be ttened like a pancake. Boom! Her attack left behind a giant fist-shaped mark in the ground, and clumps of snow and gravel flew everywhere. "Thorny bone road!" Eder said, and sharp bone spikes surged from beneath Krishan''s feet. Whoosh! A powerful ming arrow came flying at her too. It was Sephiro and Waryong''s newbination attack! However, Krishanpletely ignored their attacks, and stretched both of her hands at Kang Oh. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Her vines grew and chased after Kang Oh. She waspletely focused on him, no one else. Shepletely ignored Eder''s bone magic, Sephiro''s arrows, and Waryong''s mes. It was a wise decision. After all, only Kang Oh was capable of bypassing her immortality. If she killed him, she wouldn''t have anything to worry about! ''I know what you''re doing, but it''s not going to work!'' Kang Oh switched between Ubist and Blood. Red Butterfly''s Dance! [For 10 seconds, your evasion is doubled.] Kang Oh moved swiftly, leaving behind afterimages wherever he went. Whizz, whizz, whizz! The vines hit Kang Oh''s afterimage, not Kang Oh himself. Obviously, the afterimage disappeared like a mirage soon after. At the same time, Kang Oh pierced through a wad of vines and closed in on Krishan. Krishan quickly withdrew her vines, but it was already toote. He stared sharply at her, and swung upwards with his de. Swish! Red shards of light spilled from her body. Blood immediately absorbed the shards, and a single red star appeared on its length. However, green energy began to amass in her chest! ''She''s not doing what I think she is, is she?'' Kang Oh had seen something like this before. It was exactly like his Blood Bomb! Ominous predictions have a tendency of being right! Bam! Krishan''s body unleashed an omnidirectional energy st, forcing Kang Oh to crazily walk backwards. If Red Butterfly''s Dance hadn''t been active, then he would''ve been caught in the green explosion. But with it on, he was narrowly able to avoid the st. "Tch." Krishan disappointedly furrowed her brow. However, her disappointment was only momentary! She aimed for Kang Oh once more. However, Cyndia, the Goddess of Death''s priestess, had arrived. "Goddess, please lend us your strength." Cyndia sped her hands and prayed. Then, Kang Oh and the rest of his party began to glow. God''s Blessing! This was a Priest''s most basic and most effective buff! [You have received the Goddess of Death''s blessing.] [All abilities have increased by 10%.] [The Goddess of Death''s blessing makes you immune to status ailments like fear or confusion, and illusions have no effect on you.] [Duration: 10 minutes] "Surround her!" Muhawk yelled, and the pdins quickly followed orders. "Hoo." Kang Oh cracked his neck from left to right and then dusted off his sword. "Now that everyone''s here, shall we go at it for real?" Kang Oh wanted to settle the score. ''Let''s finish the battle we had in the Goddess''s Land!'' "Hmph! It doesn''t matter how many of you there are, you''re still nothing but insects!" The pdins'' arrival didn''t worry her in the least.That was only natural. She was powerful enough to threaten the gods themselves, so why would she worry about their servants? "We''re not bugs, we''re people. People that havee to kill you!" Kang Oh roared. "No, you''re insects! Insects for me to step on!" The vines covering her arms and legs engulfed her entire body, resembling a flower. She was clearly trying to transform. Kang Oh rushed forward. He wasn''t nice enough to wait for someone to finish their transformation. * * * Swish, sh! Kang Oh switched to Ubist and repeatedly sliced through the vines. When focusing on evasion, the one-handed sword, Blood, was better, as it was lighter and gave him ess to Red Butterfly''s Dance, but when dealing damage, Ubist was far superior. "Explode!" "Taste this!" Eder''s spell and Sephiro''s arrow struck Krishan''s vine flower. Meanwhile, Muhawk and his pdins stayed in ce. "Stay in position! Keep your guard up!" What would happen if they all ran in simultaneously, but Krishan responded with an AoE skill? It was possible that they''d sustain heavy losses. Anyhow, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro''s attacks were unable to prevent Krishan''s transformation. Split! The vines ripped apart, and a muchrger Krishan appeared from inside. She looked much different than before. First off, she was muchrger. She was originally less than 2 meters tall, but now, she was more than 10 meters in height. Her lower body had changed too. Her legs had disappeared, reced by thick green vines. The vines burrowed into the ground. Her arms had turned brown. The length and thickness of her arms had grown, matching her newfound size. Variegated flowers also covered the outside of her arms now. Krishan''s chest was covered by wooden armor, and her white outstretched hand had gotten muchrger too. Her face hadpletely dried up, like a tree''s bark during the wintertime, and her red hair had transformed into vines. The vines that reced her hair reminded him of Medusa and her head of snakes. ''This must be Krishan''s battle mode.'' Kang Oh recalled his previous battle with Mayanes Diabol. Diabol had transformed into a beast, so he wasn''t surprised that Krishan had transformed into a giant nt. Krishan swung her arms. As expected, her target was Kang Oh! Whoosh! It was as though a giant tree were flying at him! Even if his Hyper Intuition hadn''t sent him a warning, he would''ve instantly realized how dangerous the attack was! Kang Oh didn''t even try to block it. Plus, it had such a wide range that he had to either dodge it or not at all. Thus, he forcefully threw his body out of the way. Bam! Her first struck the ground, causing it to shake. However, Krishan''s attack wasn''t a simple punch. The flowers on her arms began releasing pollen! Even Kang Oh couldn''t dodge the pollen. His nose was filled with a sweet and sour smell, and the pollen touched every exposed part of his body like his wrist or neck. [You have inhaled Illusion Pollen.] [You have resisted the illusion via Deborah''s blessing!] [You have been affected by Paralysis Pollen.] [Your movements have slowed.] [If you are exposed to it for a long time, then your body will bepletely paralyzed. Please get away!] [You have been poisoned by Toxic Powder.] [If you do not remove it using clean water or a potion, then you will continuously take damage!] Noticing that something was happening to his body, Kang Oh gritted his teeth and used Devil Trigger. Ubist''s darkness consumed him entirely. But Krishan wasn''t kind enough to let him transform. She swung her fist once more. "It''s dangerous!" Eder raised his skull staff into the air. Kang Oh was surrounded by bone. But before Krishan''s giant fist, Eder''s bone barrier was as effective as straws. Whoosh! Her fist pushed through both air and snow, and came flying at Kang Oh. However, Krishan''s fist hit neither Eder''s barrier nor Kang Oh. A golden barrier had suddenly appeared, protecting him! "Thank you very much, Supreme One!" Cyndia was sping her hands in prayer. The golden barrier had been her doing. "I''ll break through it all!" No matter how great the barrier, it wouldn''t be able to withstand consecutive hits from Krishan''s fist. Crack! Bam! She shattered the barrier andpletely ttened the pile of bone. There was no way Kang Oh was safe inside. If he was still in there, that is. Swish. Kang Oh reappeared behind Cyndia, having finished his transformation into the Jet-ck Demon. Eder and Cyndia had bought him enough time to finish transforming and even use Abyss Transfer to make his escape! "Die!" Kang Oh swung his sword downwards. However, Krishan''s hair, or vines, came flying over and blocked his strike! "You rat! You sure are good at getting away!" Krishan turned around and swung her fist again. Her fist glimmered with green energy this time. Hammer of Arrogance! The giant energy st came right for Kang Oh. He reacted immediately. Abyss w! He also used Lightning Breath right after. Abyss w wouldn''t be able to buy him enough time after all! Kang Oh was right. Abyss w couldn''t overtake Krishan''s Hammer of Arrogance. It was like scissors versus rock in a game of rock-paper-scissors. However, thebination of Abyss w and Lightning Breath would give him enough time to retreat. Bam. Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor and got away. Boom! A short whileter, the Hammer of Arrogance scorched the area where he''d just been. "Bray!" Muhawk, who''d been assessing the situation, decided to enter the fray. "Yes, sir!" the blue-eyed pdin replied immediately. "Engage Krishan with four others that you work well with. Don''t overdo it. Focus on defense and diverting her attention!" "Understood." "When the timees, another five will take your ce. I want you to then get out of there immediately. This''ll be a war of attrition!" Engaging Krishan with several soldiers at once, when she could wave around those thick, long fists of hers like it was nothing and unleash giant sts of energy, would be idiotic. "Yes, sir!" Bray gathered four nearby pdins and rushed at Krishan. However, Muhawk''s n had gone awry from the very beginning. "Huh?" "The ground!" Something started popping out from beneath the pdins'' feet! Vines came out of the ground resembling brown snakes; they were Krishan''s vines that''d reced her legs. With this, all of the pdins were forced to do battle. Muhawk stood in front of Cyndia in order to protect her. Now, there was no safe ce on the battlefield! Chapter 319. Mayanes Krishan (3)

Chapter 319. Mayanes Krishan (3)

Trantor: Boko Brown roots popped out of the ground beneath Kang Oh''s feet. He quickly swung his sword and sliced through them. sh! However, they were tougher than he expected. Screech! He couldn''t cut through them entirely. Two more roots shot out of the ground and came right for him. His Hyper Intuition had already warned him of danger, so avoiding them wasn''t an issue. However, Kang Oh couldn''t afford to be held up by these roots forever. "Die!" Krishan''s harsh voice rang out. Kang Oh was overcast by a shadow. Krishan bent her upper body and swung her palm downwards. He was forced to deal with both Krishan''s main body and her roots. But neither hispanions nor the Church of Death could help him right now. They were all busy fighting against the roots. Kang Oh lowered his body to the ground and rushed forward. Both Krishan''s hand and the roots struck where he''d just been. Bam! Fortunately, Krishan''s attacks were pretty slow in this form. Unfortunately, her flowers would release spores whenever she swung her arms. ''So annoying!'' Kang Oh quickly closed the system messages, which indicated that the spores had either paralyzed or poisoned him. "Eder, I need a cure for paralysis and poison!" That was Eder''s specialty! "Here!" Eder smacked away a brown root, pulled out two balls from his bag, and threw them at Kang Oh. However, he didn''t throw them nearly far enough. Tap, tap! The drugs rolled onto the snowy field! "Hey!" Kang Oh yelled. ''Throw it properly!'' "I''m busy too!" Eder summoned a bone shield and whacked away a root. "Tch!" Kang Oh avoided a surging root and rushed over. Then, he rolled into a standing position and grabbed both of the drugs. "You rat! You sure are good at running!" Krishan threw a Spear of Arrogance at him. Whoosh! "Hey, let me take my medicine!" Kang Oh yelled, and forcefully leapt into the air. Boom! The Spear of Arrogance left a huge crater in the ground. Snow flew everywhere. "Tch." Kang Oh was caught in the resulting shockwave and fell to the floor. While he was on the ground, he swallowed both of the drugs. He received two system messages; one drug cured his paralysis, while the other mitigated the effects of the poison. Kang Oh stood up. Then, he finally heard some good news. "The roots are weak to fire!" Sephiro yelled. As proof, Waryong''s mes were super effective against the roots. ''Fire, huh!?'' Kang Oh immediately summoned a Fire Bomb and threw it at a root, which flew at him like a snake seeking its prey. "Eat this!" Roar! Unfortunately, the biting cold and the severe winds weakened the intensity of the mes. Despite that, the roots quickly caught on fire and burnt to cinders. Kang Oh rushed at Krishan. There was another Fire Bomb in his hand. Whoosh! Krishan swung her fist at him, but Kang Oh dodged it and then threw a Fire Bomb at her. He''d thrown the Fire Bomb at her lower body, or the thick, giant roots. Krishan was unable to dodge it. She was rooted to the ground, so she waspletely immobile. Roar! The fire surged, and shards of light fell from her body. However, the size and color weren''t what he''d been looking for. ''Her main body isn''t weak to fire!'' If it was, then shards of red light would''ve fallen from her body. The size would''ve beenrger too. "You worm!" Was it because he''de too close to her? The vines attached to her head came flying at him. Kang Oh deflected the vines with Ubist, and dodged any of the ones that he couldn''t. "Grr!" Krishan''s face contorted. ''I''m sure there''s no rat as fast as you!'' With Waryong''s help, the roots that had kept Kang Oh''s allies at bay were beginning to disappear. "Bray, cover Mr. Kang Oh! You have to protect him no matter what!" Muhawk yelled. As the wielder of Demon Sword Ubist, Kang Oh was key to defeating Krishan. After all, he was the only one here that could ovee Krishan''s immortality! "Yes, sir!" Bray and five other pdins rushed towards Krishan. "You pests!" Krishan raised both her hands straight up into the air, releasing spores that mixed together with the snow and flew everywhere. "Protect yourselves with holy power!" Bray yelled. Raising one''s resistances with holy power was a fundamental skill amongst pdins. They immediately followed his orders. Cyndia, the only priest they had, began to pray. AoE Heal! Her skill was such that she was able to simultaneously heal 90 people, which even included Kang Oh''s party. Krishan''s right fist radiated green energy. She acted like she''d attack Kang Oh, but suddenly turned her body and aimed for the iing pdins instead. Hammer of Arrogance! "Get out of the way!" Bray yelled urgently. The pdins raised their shields and scattered. In the process, one pdin got hit by her attack. "Kuahk!" He just barely survived, but he was on the brink of death. However, roots surged from the ground, wrapped around him, and dragged him underground. "Luka!" one of his close friends yelled. However, Luka didn''t return. Krishan was right in front of them, so they couldn''t afford to rescue him. Gulp! Roots pierced Luka''s body and drained all his life force. That life force travelled along the roots and into Krishan. Kang Oh saw the golden energy travel along her roots. ''Is this...?'' Krishan absorbed life force, the pdin was dragged underground, and the golden energy travelled along her roots. He connected all the dots. "If you get caught by her roots, she''ll drain your life force!" Kang Oh yelled. "Mm." Muhawk furrowed his brow. Life force acted as fuel for her; fuel that would make her even stronger! "Everyone, keep your guard up! Your death will only benefit her! I don''t want a single one of you dying!" Muhawk yelled firmly. "Ooooh!" The pdins roared, and were ready to fight more than ever. Then, they focused their attacks on the remaining roots. Waryong kept burning the roots like a fish that''d just gotten into water. Meanwhile, Kang Oh disappeared using Abyss Transfer, and then reappeared beside Krishan. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Her vine hair came flying at him like an automatic defense system. "I''ll blow it all away!" Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! A tiger, radiating golden light, ripped through the vines and mmed into Krishan''s side. "Grr!" Krishan extended both her arms and attempted to grab him. ''Just wait until I get you!'' However, she was much toote. "Attack!" The pdins, who''d fixed their battle line and had room to breathe now, began focusing on her lower body. "It''s pointless!" Krishan swung her arm, as if she were swatting away flies. However, the pdins dodged her attack with ease. Whizz! Arge, thick arrow came flying at her. Unfortunately, her vine hair deflected it. "Tch." Sephiro clicked his tongue and prepped another arrow. Eder summoned a lump of bone and threw it at Krishan. Krishanpletely ignored it. She assumed it wouldn''t do much damage to her. However, she should''ve paid closer attention to it. Eder clenched his fist. Bone Bomb! Boom! The lump of bone exploded, scattering countless bone fragments everywhere. Several of them either pierced her body or got stuck. "Uhaahk!" Krishan was pissed. She''d gotten hurt by a human besides Kang Oh! "I''ll kill you all!" Her voice was filled with killing intent, and the atmosphere around her became more threatening. It wasn''t just the atmosphere around her. Somethingpletely unexpected happened. Her lower body, which was embedded in the ground, popped out! Swish, swish! Her vines began slithering around like a snake, and she moved forward as if she were sliding. She was no longer a fixed target. But that wasn''t everything, not by a long shot. Shine! A familiar weapon appeared in her hand. It was a golden trident! This was Mayanes Diabol''s weapon. After Kang Oh had killed Diabol, Krishan had ambushed him and stolen the weapon. That weapon was now in Krishan''s hands. ''She''s not doing what I think she is, is she?'' He recalled the most dangerous move Diabol had used against him. "Everyone, be careful..." Before he could even finish, the golden trident unleashed a giant pir of light. sh! Krishan was using Diabol''s main technique. * * * Normally, Krishan would use a whip called ''Thorn of Arrogance''. It was supposed to be wrapped around her arm at all times. But when Kang Oh had transformed into Ubist, biting her arm and wing off, he''d devoured the whip wrapped around her arm too. Thus, Krishan was forced to use the golden trident that she''d stolen from Kang Oh. Anyhow, the golden trident''s special ability, sh, was much different from any of her other skills. Speed! Befitting its name, sh was an incredibly fast and powerful attack. "Ugh!" "Keoheok!" Several of the pdins hadn''t been able to dodge it. Two of them had died, and eight of them had lost more than half of their HP. "Hahahaha!" Krishan couldn''t help butugh at the sight of the pdins in pain. "Shut up already!" Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist, but Krishan swung her own weapon and deflected it. ng! Their sh confirmed that she''d gotten stronger. ''I''ve definitely gotten stronger!'' However, Kang Oh didn''t look surprised at all. He''d fought countless monsters before, so he knew that Krishan didn''t have any other tricks up her sleeve. In other words, the end was near. Anyhow, Kang Oh''s attack was blocked, so it was Krishan''s turn now. Swish. She swung her trident downwards, aiming for the crown of his head. ''Fast!'' It was at least twice as fast as her arm when she was still immobile. Kang Oh realized that he couldn''t block this. If he did, there was a chance that he''d get hurt, so he shielded himself with Ubist instead. ng! He blocked her attack, but his feet were slightly pushed into the ground. The spear was just that powerful. "Protect Mr. Kang Oh!" Muhawk yelled. "We''ll help you!" Bray and some of the pdins rushed over to help him out. They stood side-by-side in front of Kang Oh and raised their shields. "Out of my way!" Krishan slightly raised her spear and forcefully swung it. Whoosh! ng, ng, ng, ng! The spear shaft repeatedly struck their shields. The pdins gritted their teeth and endured, but the force made their legs shake. But it was due to their efforts that Kang Oh was able to retreat and get back into position. Plus, Eder and Sephiro, as well as the rest of the pdins, began to attack her too. Was it because she''dpletely removed herself from the ground? Roots no longer shot out from the ground. However, she did in fact have another trick up her sleeve. "Come out, my children!" Krishan raised her trident into the air. Then, the ground began to rise and fall. "What''s going on?" "They''reing again!" Bam! Brown roots came out of the ground. However, they weren''t the same roots they had fought before. They fought rootlets before. These were rhizomes. They also had a name: Croot! Croots possessed thick giant bodies. Although they didn''t have eyes, several of their tentacles acted as a mouth. They were iparably stronger than the rootlets. Only by gritting their teeth and fighting them in groups of three or four could the pdins even hope to stand against them! "Damn it!" "We can do this!" "For the goddess!" The bloody battle raged on. Chapter 320. Mayanes Krishan (4)

Chapter 320. Mayanes Krishan (4)

Trantor: Boko Red mes surged atop the snowy fields. Roar! Waryong blew mes at a Croot. When hit by mes, red shards of light would burst from their bodies. It seemed like they shared the same weakness as the rootlets. However, they were also different from the rootlets; they wouldn''t be burnt to cinders so easily. Whoosh! The Croot coiled itself like a spring, and then extended its body, allowing it to quickly approach Waryong. White tentacles came out of its open mouth, like a frog''s tongue flying towards its prey. Kuhahk! Waryong shrieked and floated into the air. Of course, it wasn''t fully grown yet, so it couldn''t fly very high. Thus, the tentacles managed to hit it. Stab! Gyaa! "Get lost!" Sephiro''s eyes widened at Waryong''s cry. ''How dare you hit my kid!'' Sun Piercing Arrow! The violently spinning arrow struck the Croot''s mouth. Fortunately, the tentacle was severed, but the Crootunched another tentacle at Waryong, looking no worse for wear. "I said get lost!" Sephiro shot an arrow at the iing tentacle. Whizz! Thwock! Waryong took the opportunity to hide behind Sephiro. However, Waryong wasn''t moving properly. The tentacle had pierced its right leg, forcing it to drag its leg across the snow. "Does it... paralyze you if you get hit...?" Sephiro was interrupted by the pdins'' cries. "Ugh!" "Be careful of its tentacles! If you get hit by it, then it''ll paralyze you and drain your life force!" "Start using your shields more!" "Oh goddess!" Even amidst the chaos, Muhawk keptmanding the pdins. "Watch each other''s backs and attack together! Don''t act alone. Trust in each other and the goddess!" At the same time, he was protecting Cyndia with two other pdins. "In the name of the Supreme One, be healed!" Cyndia kept praying within Muhawk''s irond protection. AoE Heal! Cure Status Ailments! She was giving it her all, so much so that the tips of her hair were bing white. But due to her efforts, the pdins fought even harder. However, the battle wasn''t going in their favor. "Aah, goddess." No longer able to withstand thebined assault of two Croots, one of the pdins was pierced by a tentacle. None of the Croots had even been taken down yet. That was only the beginning. One became two, two became three... If things kept going on like this, then it would only be a matter of time before the pdins were taken down! * * * Eder was being protected by two pdins. They were fighting much more effectively than the others due to Eder''s medicine. ''This isn''t good.'' Eder assessed the battle and furrowed his brow. He wanted to go out there and begin healing, but the Croot were preventing him from doing so. Ultimately, his best option was using his necromancy to its fullest. He raised his staff into the air. AoE Curse: Age! The silver skull staff''s eye sockets radiated light, and evil spirits flew across the battlefield. Those affected by the curse became noticeably slower. The Croots'' tentacles slowed too. Unfortunately, the aging curse wouldn''t affect Krishan. Eder pulled out a blue drug from his bag and swallowed it. This particr medicine restored his MP. "...Arise!" Eder''s staff glowed after a lengthy incantation. Large-Scale Summon Undead! ming Zombies, Poisonous Ghouls, Skeleton Warriors and Mages, Duhans, and Death Knights joined the battlefield. There were 100 of them! Eder''s maximum number was 200, but he''d summoned 100 of them for now. ''Good job, Eder!'' Although he was fighting Krishan, Kang Oh noticed that the pdins, who had their hands full with the Croots, were able to take a breather due to the undead. Thus, Kang Ohplimented Eder for a job well done. Kang Oh went with the flow, and pulled out an item from his inventory. Giant Batura''s Axe! It was an AA-rank item with a level 350 equip requirement! However, it only had one effect! [Batura''s Roar] Any ally who hears this cry will be filled with confidence, significantly increasing theirbat abilities for 10 minutes. Cooldown: One day. Kang Oh had originally prepared three items for her. He didn''t know what would happen during his fight with her, so he had prepared three items that hadpletely different abilities. He bought Batura''s Axe because he''d be fighting with 100 pdins. Kang Oh had seen first-hand how effective roar-type skills were in the western war. Boom! Kang Oh dodged Krishan''s sh and immediately used Gluttony. Using Gluttony while assuming his Jet-ck Demon form caused darkness to rise from behind him like a halo. All of his abilities had increased threefold! Plus, he got a system message indicating that he could use Batura''s Roar now. Kang Oh immediately used the skill. Uheong! A giant roar, one that a human was incapable of making, resounded throughout the battlefield. [Batura''s Roar has resounded throughout the battlefield.] [Courage +200] [Stamina regenerates shockingly quick.] [Your movements have be lighter, and you have be more powerful than before.] [You have a fixed chance of pinpointing your enemy''s vitals.] [Duration time: 10 minutes] "Uoooooh!" "Uwaaaah!" Once they heard the roar, the pdins felt power well within them, and automatically roared. Guooh! Kuooh! Batura''s Roar didn''t just affect humans; it affected the undead too. The undeads'' movements became quicker, and they became more aggressive too. Kang Oh hadn''t expected this. To think that Batura''s Roar could increase the power of undead too. ''Well, all the better.'' Kang Oh grinned. "Get back into formation! Use the undead! Make sure you finish off the enemy!" Muhawk yelled. "Die!" "Push them back!" "In the name of the goddess!" Fueled by the undead''s support and Batura''s Roar, the once struggling pdins began arge-scale counterattack. "Eat this!" Eder forcefully threw a drug at Kang Oh. Kang Oh leapt into the air and grabbed it. The golden egg gave off a nice smell. He immediately put it in his mouth. [You have consumed Eder''s Special Energy Egg.] [Stamina and HP regeneration have increased significantly.] [Physical +40] [Stamina +200] [Duration time: 10 minutes] Demon Sword Ubist''s overpowered ability, Gluttony! Couple that with Batura''s Roar, the Legendary Healer''s secret drug, and Deborah''s blessing! ''I feel like I''d be able to take on Vn in this state.'' Kang Oh confidently kicked off the floor and approached Krishan. "You''vee to die!" Krishan piercingly stared at Kang Oh with her jade eyes and pointed her spear at him. sh! The pir of light flew through the air and devoured Kang Oh. Or it should''ve, if not for a sharp aura of darkness cleaving right through it. Kang Oh unleashed an Abyss w. However, its power was off the charts. ''This is what it means to be overbuffed!'' Normally, Abyss w wouldn''t be able to cut through sh. sh was just way more powerful. However, he''d been buffed so much that the original power disparity didn''t matter anymore! "Grr!" Her face twisted and she attacked with her trident. ''She''s not good with that thing.'' Krishan didn''t wield the spear properly, as if she was wearing clothes that were a size too big or too small. It was only natural. That weapon didn''t originally belong to her. That''s why she left herself open whenever she swung the trident. Like right now! ''There!'' Krishan had exposed her abdominal area. There was no way that Kang Oh, with his Hyper Intuition, would miss it. Kang Oh slightly dodged the trident, and quickly approached while she was withdrawing her weapon. Then, he swung his de at the exposed area! Swish! Krishan didn''t have time to block. Everything happened so quickly! Bam! Large shards of red light burst from the wound. "Ugh!" Her face grimaced in pain. It was only one attack, but she took much more damage than she had expected. "Get lost!" She punched him with her off-hand. Whoosh! Kang Oh backed off slightly and avoided the fist. Puff! The flowers on her arms emitted various color spores. However, Kang Oh was so heavily buffed that he didn''t have to worry about the spores. It''d prove to be a problem if he was exposed to them for a long time, but there was no reason for him to back down now! Kang Oh pushed forward. "Die! I said die!" Krishan''s vine hair rose into the air and then fell upon Kang Oh and his surroundings like rain. Kang Oh sunk into the darkness beneath his feet. Abyss Transfer! Bam, bam, bam! His previous location was riddled with vines. However, Krishan quickly realized that he''d gotten away, so she withdrew her vines. She tightly gripped her golden spear in her right hand, and gathered green energy in her left. She had prepared herself to deal with Kang Oh wherever, whenever! Swish! Kang Oh reappeared in her blind spot and rushed forward. Having sensed his presence, Krishan quickly turned around and swung her fist covered in green energy. Hammer of Arrogance! A powerful, destructive energy blocked his way forward like a tsunami. "Push through!" Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a powerful st of electricity. Lightning Breath! Bam! The Lightning Breath pierced right through and hit Krishan directly. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Sparks danced across her skin. Her brown arms, the ck armor covering her chest, her lower body''s green vines, and the tips of her wings smoked and were burnt ck. Krishan''s body was pretty much no different from a nt. Electricity shouldn''t be very effective against her. However, Kang Oh''s Lightning Breath was way too powerful. Is this what it''d be like if lightning struck a tree? "Ugh!" Krishan''s teeth chattered. She waspletely paralyzed. This was a perfect opportunity, and you can bet Kang Oh jumped on it. "Huaahp!" A cut, a sh, a thrust, another cut, and another sh! He left behind countless wounds on Krishan. Whenever he sliced through her body, huge shards of red light would burst out. After all, Kang Oh only aimed at the weaknesses, vitals, and exposed areas that Hyper Intuition pointed out. ''The paralysis should wear off soon.'' Kang Oh didn''t get too greedy and backed off. They say that a cornered rat would even bite a cat. He assumed that Krishan would unleash a fierce counterattack. But once the paralysis wore off, she didn''t act as he expected her to. "Hohoho." Sheughed like a madwoman. ''What''s going on?'' Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro, and the pdins were all puzzled. "My children, make sure none of them can get away!" Krishan yelled. At the same time, she began to gather green energy around her heart. She kept going and going, so much so that her chest began to swell! This didn''t bode well. "Get as far away from Krishan as you can!" Kang Oh yelled. "Retreat! Get as far away from here as you can!" Muhawk yelled. Then, he picked up Cyndia and kicked off the floor. Sephiro held Waryong under his armpit and ran as fast as he could, stepping on undead skulls along the way. The pdins had realized what was happening. Krishan was preparing an extremely powerful attack! "Grr!" "Out of my way!" They tried to run away, but it wasn''t easy, as the Croots desperately blocked them. At that moment...! "Let''s see how many of you survive!" Krishan yelled sharply, and the world was filled with green. Chapter 321. It’s Not Here!

Chapter 321. It''s Not Here!

Trantor: Boko Disaster Bringing Arrogance! This skill, in exchange for most of her HP, would destroy everything within a certain radius! This was Mayanes Krishan''s most powerful attack. ''This won''t work. I have to do something!'' Kang Oh stopped running and turned around. The green energy st was consuming everything in its path like a giant tsunami. They wouldn''t be able to get away in time. At this rate, only a few of them would be left standing. "Everyone, do whatever it takes to survive!" Kang Oh yelled desperately. "Supreme One, please grant me the power to protect your faithful servants!" Cyndia prayed within Muhawk''s arms. Heavenly Shield! "Indomitable Spirit!" "God''s Shield!" "I won''t die!" Various skills were used all across the battlefield. "Arise, arise, arise!" Eder constructed a bone tower. In Sephiro''s case, he chose to run as fast as he could with Waryong in tow. "Hoo." Kang Oh raised Ubist into the air, holding it in a dual-handed grip. Evesting Darkness! Kang Oh unleashed a giant ck pir from his de. He even added a Tempest Tiger to the mix! The pir of darkness and golden energy mixed together. In the past, Kang Oh hadbined Evesting Darkness (an item effect) and Tempest Tiger (a skill) together to defeat the Wyvern King, Draka. Just likest time, he needed a single, powerful attack! Kang Oh vertically swung Demon Sword Ubist. Bam! The ck and golden pir crashed against the green tsunami. They were so powerful that neither side easily overcame the other. "Uhaahk!" Kang Oh used every ounce of strength he had and swung his de all the way. The gold/ck pir pierced through the green st. It was only natural. A concentrated beam would beat a wider range, less concentrated attack! Krishan didn''t just sit back and watch this happen. "No!" She too gave it everything she had. Because of how concentrated Kang Oh''s Evesting Darkness/Tempest Tiger was, she realized that his attack would ovee hers. Thus, she gathered all the energy she had into a single point. Now, the two sts were dead even. However, Kang Oh''s st weakened first. The darkness being emitted by his jet-ck de was gradually lessening. ''Damn it.'' Ultimately, his gold/ck pirpletely disappeared, unable to withstand the might of Krishan''s green st. "Hohohoho!" ''I won!'' Krishanughed heartily, and unleashed the green energy everywhere. Whoosh! The green st swept through everything, whether it be people, the Croot, Eder''s bone tower, etc. "Oh goddess!" Some closed their eyes, while others kept their eyes open and fought back against the iing st. However... "Huh?" "What?" The pdins took some damage, but they were still alive. Anyone inside of Cyndia''s barrier waspletely unscathed! Eder''s bone tower had crumbled slightly, but he was fine. The sh with Kang Oh''s Evesting Darkness/Tempest Tiger had weakened Krishan''s attack significantly. Krishan didn''t have any strength to spare either. Ultimately, Kang Oh had managed to block Krishan''s final attack. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh breathed haggardly and plopped onto the floor. He had no strength left in his body; it was as if he''d used Transcendent de repeatedly. "I''m sick and tired of you!" Krishan was furious that her attack had failed. She charged at Kang Oh, eyes filled with killing intent. ''I''m killing you no matter what!'' she pledged. Kang Oh kept his eyes closed and didn''t fight back. He hadn''t given up; he nned on reviving and then finishing her off. But all those people he''d saved wouldn''t just let him die. Whizz! Roar! A zing arrow flew through the sky and pierced Krishan''s body. It was Sephiro''s Fire Dragon''s Arrow. "Undead, sacrifice yourselves!" The few undead that were still ''alive'' threw themselves at Krishan. "Protect Mr. Kang Oh!" Muhawk yelled. "Out of my way!" "Save Mr. Kang Oh!" The pdins pushed through the Croots and formed a wall in front of Kang Oh, even if they had to take some damage in the process. "Get out of my way, you worms!" Krishan mercilessly swung her trident, and pushed away both the undead and the pdins. The undead were defeated easily, but not the pdins. Krishan had weakened significantly by using Disaster Bringing Arrogance. Thus, she couldn''t get through them by just swinging her trident. "If dying all at once is what you want, then I''ll grant your wish!" Krishan thrust her trident, unleashing a beam of light. sh! Boom! The ray of light struck the pdins'' barricade. "Ugh!" "Stay strong!" A few of the pdins fell. However, the wall stood firm. "Be healed by the goddess''s breath!" Cyndia sped her hands together and cast an AoE Heal. Muhawk was right beside her, whacking any approaching Croot away. Eder shot a Bone Spear at Krishan''s wing. The Mayanes were incredibly proud of their wings, so they hated it when anyone messed with them. Knowing this, he''d deliberately aimed for the wing to draw her attention away from Kang Oh, at least a little. Sephiro did the same. A fiercely spinning arrow went straight through her right wing. However, her attention remained fixed on Kang Oh. Even though her wings were being torn apart, she was only worried about breaking through the barricade and killing Kang Oh. "Children, what are you doing!?" Krishan shouted, and the Croots began to approach the pdins and Kang Oh''s party. But then... A jet-ck demon appeared behind her. Their protection had given him a chance to recuperate. Batura''s Roar, which increased his Stamina regeneration, and Eder''s secret medicine really helped. Once he was ready, Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Krishan''s vine hair detected him first and automatically attacked him. However, Krishan reacted too slowly. Kang Oh''s swing was way quicker. No, it had to be. Transcendent de! Demon Sword Ubist passed right between her wing bones! Swish! He cut through her nape, the spine, and even her lower body, which was nothing but vines at this point. Bam, bam, bam! Hitting all those vitals caused red shards of light to burst forth like a gun salute! "Aah!" Krishan instantly lost all strength in her body. Demon Sword Ubist had dropped her HP to 0. "I''ll get my revenge next time!" Even now, Krishan stared at him murderously with her jade eyes. "There won''t be a next time," Kang Oh said firmly. Krishan twisted her lips. ''She''s smiling?'' He might''ve seen wrong, but it looked like she was trying to smile. But with no energy left, her lips simply twisted in a strange way. [You have defeated the Arrogant Flower, Mayanes Krishan.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [Several gods have learned your name.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [Several churches will wee you. You can rue contribution points more easily now, and also ept quests from the churches.] [You havepleted the Goddess''s Quest 2: Kill Mayanes Krishan. Please report this to the Church of Death.] "I did it!" Kang Oh raised his de into the sky from above her corpse. "Uooooh!" "Hurray!" The remaining pdins raised their swords, axes, hammers, etc. towards Kang Oh. They finally defeated Krishan! * * * [You have defeated an extremely powerful foe while Gluttony was active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +3] [You have defeated a member of an extremely powerful ancient race.] [Combat-rted side stats have increased significantly.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] It was worth putting all that effort into killing her. He''d leveled up four times at once! With it, he was now level 371. "Good work." "Good job!" Eder and Sephiro came over and hugged him, but Kang Oh wanted to push them away. ''Hey, don''t cling onto me! I have a girlfriend!'' However, that was only the beginning. The pdins, who''d been raising their weapons, followed suit. "Uwaaah!" They had instantly formed a giant ''hamburger''. Plus, Kang Oh was all the way at the bottom! "Hey, hey! I''m going to die!" Kang Oh exaggerated. Gluttony and his various buffs were still active, so that kind of weight wouldn''t kill him. Not by a long shot. Anyhow, the joy of victory persisted for quite some time. Or it would''ve if they didn''t hear Cyndia''s desperate cry. "It''s gone!" "What do you mean?" Muhawk, who was delightfully watching the human hamburger, asked. "The God of Creation''s sources are gone!" That waspletely unexpected. Why did they kill Krishan in the first ce? To regain the two sources that she possessed! However, the sources were nowhere to be found! "Please get out of my way!" Kang Oh suddenly stood up, pushing the people on top of him away. He approached Krishan''s corpse. She had left behind Mayanes Diabol''s golden trident, but the God of Creation''s sources, which resembled stars in the night sky, were nowhere to be found. ''What''s going on?'' Kang Oh looked around Krishan''s body once more. Only then did the others realize how serious matters were, and began looking for the sources. However, they couldn''t find them either! "Did someone steal it..." Kang Oh looked around. However, everyone had been here following Krishan''s death, so that wouldn''t make any sense. "Do you think someone stole it?" Sephiro said carefully. "Without getting discovered? We''re in the middle of the snowy ins." Kang Oh shook his head. That was unlikely. "The cave! Let''s go inside the cave." Cyndia ran into the cave. Muhawk and Kang Oh followed her. All that was there was a flower bud, the dried out husks of pdins and monsters, and debris. The sources weren''t here. Kang Oh, Muhawk, and Cyndia returned empty-handed. Eder, who''d been thinking with his arms crossed, said, "If that''s the case, then perhaps Krishan never had the sources to begin with." Kang Oh suddenly thought of something, looked around, and said, "Did anyone see her use the God of Creation''s power?" She hadn''t created any monsters, nor did she use Photon Bomb or Spatial Leap. Everyone shook their heads. Krishan had only used her own strength during the fight. "Damn it!" Kang Oh thought back to the moment Krishan ''smiled''. ''That''s why she smiled before she died!'' She smiled because she''d hid the other sources somece else! "Then where do you think the God of Creation''s sources are? And how did she move them in time? Why exactly did she even move them in the first ce?" Sephiro asked several questions. ''Why did this happen!?'' "Let''s ask the person involved!" Kang Oh picked up the golden trident and stabbed Krishan''s corpse. "Isn''t that right, Eder?" "Yes." It was Eder''s time to shine. They needed a Necromancer that could manipte death and souls. Chapter 322. Divine Dragon Gainus

Chapter 322. Divine Dragon Gainus

Trantor: Boko "I''m going to look through Krishan''s memories now. Please put your hand on my back if you''d like to see them," Eder said. Kang Oh, Sephiro, Cyndia, and Muhawk ced their hands on his back. "The body is a container for the soul. Even if the soul has left, the body retains traces of its departed soul. Show us your memories, oh departed spirit!" Ederpleted his incantation and ced his staff on Krishan''s head. Memories of the Dead! Then, Kang Oh witnessed Krishan''s memories like a movie. Those touching Eder''s back experienced the same thing. * * * Through her surveince nts, Krishan had just learned of the pdins'' presence here. She rushed out of the cave, killed some of them, and then returned to the cave, sitting within her flower bud. Krishan realized that not all of the pdins were here yet. Soon enough, that bastard who''d devoured her left wing and arm would be here! She was locked in thought. Kang Oh was capable of nullifying her immortality! Last they fought, she had been much stronger than she was now. Without sufficient life force, she couldn''t use the God of Creation''s power. Her body wasn''t fully healed either. Krishan didn''t think she could beat Kang Oh if he transformed into that terrifying beast again. She was under the impression that Kang Oh could freely switch between his human form and that hulking beast form. However, she was dead wrong. Her best option would be running away. However, the pdins had set up a perimeter, and using the God of Creation''s power to initiate a Spatial Leap required a ton of life force. Life force that she didn''t have right now. She was between a rock and a hard ce, so she continued to mull over her options. Eventually, she had an idea. It wasn''t the best option, but it was the next best thing. "I have no other choice." Krishan left the cave. She needed more life force for her n to work. Krishan captured twelve of the pdins and brought them to herir. Then, shepletely drained them dry. "This should be enough." She gripped a green seed, one about the size of a peach seed, in her left hand. Then, she removed the twobined sources from her body, divided them, and gripped them in her right hand. "Hoo." When she killed the Storm Guild and the pdins, she''d infused all of the resulting life force into the sources. Krishan thought of her destination, raised her hand, and ripped open a hole in space. Split. But it was much too small for her to go through; she''d only managed to make a small crack before the stored life force was depleted. She saw a familiar face, one that was happy to see her after such a long time. "Krishan!" The jade-eyed man was surprised to see her and called her name. "Jigon! I don''t have time to catch up. Take this." Krishan put her hand through the crack and passed him the God of Creation''s sources. "These are..." Jigon looked shocked. "This too!" She also threw the seed into the crack. "What''s going on?" Jigon asked. Then, the crack began to close. "The seed contains all of my memories and knowledge. You''ll understand when you look through the seed," Krishan quickly said. "Krishan!" Jigon said yearningly. "Use that to free yourself! And make sure you revive me!" Krishan made her final request through the closing crack. "Krisha..." She couldn''t hear him all the way through. The tear in space hadpletely shut. "Done." She no longer feared Kang Oh. Krishan had passed the God of Creation''s sources to Jigon, the only person that she trusted in this world. She''d also given him her seed, which was basically her very existence. If Jigon gathered a couple more of the God of Creation''s sources and infused a massive amount of life force into the seed, then she''d be able to live again! "I''ll live once more. Like a wilting flower that blooms again..." Krishan only had one more task ahead of her. To somehow kill Kang Oh, the wielder of the de that could ovee her immortality. Jigon would be in danger if Kang Oh was allowed to live! After that, the memories yed out, but they''d already seen this part. After all, they''d fought against her firsthand. Their viewing of Krishan''s memories hade to an end. "Who is Jigon? He has to be another one of the Mayanes, right?" Kang Oh asked. He could''ve sworn he saw wings behind Jigon''s back. "Yes, Mayanes Jigon. To my knowledge, he is being imprisoned by Lord Gainus." "Gainus?" Kang Oh tilted his head. He definitely wasn''t one of the Primordial Gods, and he didn''t know of a god with that name. "Divine Dragon Gainus. He is the Primordial Dragon, and the oldest dragon in existence." "Divine Dragon Gainus..." "When the Mayanes rebelled, the dragons fought against them alongside the gods. I heard that when their rebellion failed, Lord Gainus was tasked with keeping watch over two of their prisons. Those two are Jigon and Orga." "We have to meet with him ASAP. We have to stop Jigon from escaping!" Kang Oh yelled. If Jigon were to be released, then things would be a lot moreplicated. "We have no way of contacting the Divine Dragon, so I''ll let the Supreme One know of our request." Cyndia knelt and began to pray. The top of her head began to radiate dim light. Her party surrounded her and somberly waited. A short whileter, Cyndia finished her prayer. "How did it go?" Eder asked. "The Supreme One said that Lord Gainus would soon make an appearance," Cyndia replied. Speak of the devil. All of a sudden, a golden magic circle appeared on the snow covered field. An old man appeared, wearing snow-white clothes without a speck of dust on it. The old man''s hair, beard, and eyebrows were all whiter than the snow itself. "Lord Gainus, I am one of the goddess''s lowly servants. My name is Cyndia." Cyndia made every effort to be respectful. "Nice to meet you," Gainus said. His voice was soft, yet contained a sort of dignity to it. "We don''t have time for small talk. Jigon may attempt to escape. We have to stop him," Kang Oh said urgently. Gainus looked him over and shook his head. "It''s really urgent. If Jigon manages to escape like Krishan, then..." Kang Oh was about to pester him, but Gainus cut him off. "He''s already gone." "What?" "Jigon has already escaped my nest. Orga too." "No!" Cyndia looked disappointed. To think that the Mayanes had been released into the continent once more! "Is there no way of pursuing them?" Kang Oh asked. "I thought this might happen, so I branded their wings." "Can we track them using those brands?" "Yeah. But it''s pointless." "Why is that?" "They ripped off their wings before they escaped. Hmm, I didn''t expect them to rip their own wings off; after all, they prize their wings over everything else." "Is there any other way of tracking them?" "There are, but it won''t be easy. Only the hard methods are left." "The hard methods?" "Scouring the continent. Although, it''ll prove difficult as they no longer have their wings!" "Mm." Kang Oh groaned. ''To think things would get thisplicated!'' "How did you find Krishan?" Gainus asked. "We received assistance from several people. People from the churches and adventurers," Cyndia replied. "Then try finding them that way. I''ll try finding them my own way." "Understood. Then please tell us more about Jigon and Orga." "Jigon and Orga are..." Gainus spoke for quite some time. He exined what they looked like, their special abilities, and even their family rtions. ''It''s because Krishan and Jigon are twins!'' It was strange that someone as arrogant as Krishan would leave her fate and the God of Creation''s sources to the hands of another, but it made sense now, since the two of them were blood rted. "Take this." Gainus passed them a hand mirror. "This is?" Cyndia epted the mirror and tilted her head. "You canmunicate with me by rubbing the mirror." "Ah." "Let me know when you find Jigon or Orga." "Yes, Lord Gainus." Then, another golden magic circle appeared beneath his feet. Whir! The magic circle radiated intense light. By the time it disappeared, Gainus was nowhere to be found. "Now what do we do?" Kang Oh asked. "First, we''ll go to the churches and ask for their assistance. We''ll also go to the Adventurer Guild andmission them again." "I''ll leave the searching to you. I need to prepare for the fight itself." This is what he was actually thinking: ''I don''t want to do something so troublesome!''. "Yes. Then I''ll let you know when we find Jigon and Orga," Cyndia said. "If you can''t find me in Latnia City, then pleasee to Altein. There''s a house there that was once supposedly haunted by a ghost. That''s actually Eder''s house." Kang Oh pointed at Eder. "Understood." "Ah, and regarding the trident..." Kang Oh brought up the trident and gauged her reaction. He''d looked over the trident, and it turned out to be an SS-rank weapon. However, it had a small downside: it could only be used by the Mayanes. Weapons could be remodeled to remove that limitation, so it wasn''t really a big w. Thus, Kang Oh looked at her strongly, as if saying, ''Please let me have the weapon.''. But it didn''t work in the slightest. "We''ll store it in the Church of Death. We can''t let another one of the Mayanes get their hands on it." "I can keep it safe too." ''I have an extremely safe spot: my inventory!'' "There''s no ce safer than the Church of Death," Cyndia said firmly. "Ahem." Kang Oh reluctantly gave her the trident, and Cyndia passed it off to Muhawk. Killing her had taken so much effort! To think he''de back empty-handed! Kang Oh got heartburn just thinking about it. "We have a lot of ces to visit, so we''ll get going first." "Yes." Cyndia and the pdins left. Including Muhawk, Cyndia had been apanied by 100 pdins. However, there were only 65 of them left. More than thirty of them had died in the battle with Krishan. The remaining pdins collected the bodies of the fallen. They''d probably be buried in their birthce, the Goddess''s Land. "We''ll get going too." Kang Oh began to walk away. ''What an awkward victory.'' That''s what he thought of the hunt, at least. Killing her was all well and good, but they hadn''t reimed the sources she''d stolen. To top it all off, Jigon and Orga were free, which would prove to be a headache in the future! * * * A nameless hill somewhere in the continent''s central region. Two men stared at each other, their backs baring wounds as if something had been ripped out. They were none other than the escaped Mayanes! The jade-eyed man was Jigon, and the purple-eyed, baby faced man was Orga. "What are you going to do now?" Orga said. "I''m going to revive her." Jigon tightly gripped the deep green seed. He seemed unwilling to lose it. "The old dragon, the goddess, and her servants will track us. If you''re reckless, they''ll catch you," Orga said. "Getting caught isn''t the issue here. Whether we''re killed or not is," Jigon said. He''d looked through Krishan''s memories via the seed and had learned about Kang Oh. A swordsman that possessed a sword capable of bypassing their immortality! Thus, Jigon had departed immediately using the God of Creation''s sources. If he waited any longer, then the swordsman woulde and kill him. Plus, he needed to revive his only remaining kin, Krishan. "We should hide and wait for the right opportunity," Orga said. Jigon nodded his head and said, "Let''s do this." "What?" "Without our wings, we look like everyone else." "So?" "Let''s hide amongst them." "Is that really such a good idea?" Orga didn''t approve. "My sister hid herself in the remote, freezing north. Despite that, they were able to find her." "Then?" "Nowhere is safe. If that''s the case, then it''s better if we hide in in sight." "Hoo, to think I''d have to live amongst those insects." "We have to hunt them to gather life force. Being close to them is an advantage," Jigon said. "That''s true. But what about our otherpanions?" Orga asked. Aside from them, there were still four other Mayanes still alive. "We don''t know where they are, so we can''t save them." With enough life force, they could tear open a rift in space anywhere. But without knowledge of where the other Mayanes were, having the ability to teleport anywhere wouldn''t be helpful in saving them! "You don''t know where they are? Then how did Krishan find you?" Orga assumed that Krishan knew the other Mayanes'' whereabouts. That''s how she was able to pass Jigon the God of Creation''s sources, or so he thought. "We''re twins; we each bear half a soul." No matter how far apart they were, Krishan and Jigon could sense where the other was. "Then we need to gather information." Jigon nodded his head. "Mm!" "Let''s go." Jigon and Orga descended the hill, and then went separate ways. A short whileter, both of them saw a city. Chapter 323. Thriving Soul Dungeons!

Chapter 323. Thriving Soul Dungeons!

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo opened his house''s front door and went inside. "Where''d you go?" Mina, who was loafing around on the sofa watching TV, asked. "Driving school," Jae Woo curtly said. "Driving school? You''re trying to get your license? Why? Wait, are we finally getting a car too?" Mina asked question after question. "I just want to drive. When I get my license, I''ll have to get a car too." "You had absolutely no interest in driving before, but here you are now, working so hard to get your license. Is it because of Sister-in-Law?" Mina called Soo Ah ''Sister-in-Law'', though she had no idea that she was a celebrity. "Did you think I was getting it for you?" "Tch, tch. Sons have no gratitude. When you get your license and buy a car, the first thing you should be doing is driving mom to and from work." Mina clicked her tongue. Though Jae Woo was making a killing through Arth, his mother kept her job at the neighborhood market. No matter how many times he asked her to rest, she didn''t listen to him. When he saw how she nned friendly get-togethers with her co-workers, and going out to drink, he didn''t ask her to rest anymore. He''d realized that this was his mother''s way of enjoying her social life. "I''m obviously going to take her to and from work," Jae Woo said. "Then you''ll eventually take me to school too..." "Just walk to school. It''s healthier." "Oh, c''mon Big Brother!" She acted cute, but it didn''t work. "Bleh!" Jae Woo automatically dry heaved. "Wanna die?" Mina red at him. ''Oh, I''m shaking in my boots!'' Jae avoided her gaze and returned to his room. "Hey!" Mina screamed from behind him. "Bring me along when you buy a car! If you don''t, then I''ll give you the triple whammy: an arm bar, a Boston crab, and a triangle choke!" Jae Woo went inside his room and then peeked his head out. "Why should I bring you along?" "What do you mean why!? I have to be there to make sure you don''t pick a weird car." "I''ll bring you if you''re nice to me." "What?" "This applies outside too. I don''t want to hear you calling me ''you''." "Ok, I got it, Big Brother." Mina smiled. "Let''s see how long thissts." Jae Woo snorted. ''She probably won''tst the day. She won''t be able to help herself.'' There was no helping it. This is his fault for not fixing that habit of hers when they were younger. * * * [The code is StrongPunch#3109.] As soon as Jin Cheol sent him the code, Jae Woo logged into Arth''s official site and entered the code. Then, his monitor showed a live stream of Strong Punch attempting to hunt the Spider Queen, Benolov. There were six people with him. Four of them, including Strong Punch, were special-ss mercenaries. ''Let''s see how strong special-ss mercenaries are.'' The Sword Mercenaries, one of the five greatest mercenaries groups in Arth, only possessed nine special-ss mercenaries. Almost half of them had shown up for this raid. "Let''s go." Strong Punch led his team into Croc Mountain. Obviously, the Spider Queen weed them with an arrow to the face. "Ah, that''s right." Jae Woo brought some dried squid and gochujang from his kitchen, and began nibbling on them. ''Hoh, their teamwork''s great.'' Although Strong Punch''s team only consisted of seven members, they progressed quicker than Marco''s team, which consisted of more than thirty members. Unlike Marco, Strong Punch had only brought the very best with him. Not only that, but these elite yers worked well together. They headed up the mountain like an irresistible force, and eventually got to the top. There, the Spider Queen, Benelov, and her children, the Spider Brothers, were waiting for them. The battlemenced immediately. Each of the special-ss mercenaries engaged one of the three bosses, while Strong Punch ensured that they evenly distributed the damage. The remaining team members supported the special-ss mercenaries, and quickly killed the monster spiders that came out of the forest. "Mu Jin, get back. I''ll handle things from here. When your skilles back on line in 30 seconds, switch ces with me again!" "Deal plenty of damage to the Spider Queen for 20 seconds." "Mr. Karma, please heal Leska for 10 seconds, and then conserve your MP." "Monster spiders have spawned. Kill the ones at 6 o''clock first!" Strong Punch''s orders were precise and well thought out. Jae Woo was especially impressed by how Strong Punch counted down cooldown times, and how hemunicated this to his teammates. "The ground!" "Move!" "Switch with me in 30 seconds!" With apetent leader and a small handful of elites, this team certainly looked like they were heading for victory. At this rate, they should be able to finish her off with ease! ''That''s only if things keep going their way.'' When would the Spider Queen call her consort, Adxion? Plus, it didn''t look like the Spider Brothers showed everything they could do yet. The first half of the battle had ended. Jae Woo ripped off a piece of squid and waited. What for, you ask? He was waiting for the Spider Queen and the Spider Brothers to switch up their attack pattern. ''There are way too many spider webs on the floor.'' There was another reason that Benelov was so difficult to fight. The Spider Queen and the Spider Brothers would periodicallyy out spider webs on the floor. The spider webs didn''t do any damage, but they were so sticky that one wrong move and it was over. You wouldn''t be able to move anymore. You''d just be food for the spiders. Anyhow, in Marco''s case, his team had used magic scrolls to freeze the Spider Brothers, stopping them from covering the ground with spider webs. Thus, they didn''t have to worry much about the ground. However, Strong Punch''s team didn''t use this tactic. They allowed the Spider Queen and Spider Brothers toy out as much webbing as they wanted, confining Strong Punch''s team into a smaller and smaller area. At this rate, they would fail for sure. ''As expected, you need speed to take her out too.'' Taking the slow and steady approach like Strong Punch''s team would end in disaster; after all, the floor was covered in spider webs. Then, Strong Punch''s team used something they''d prepared. Their only mage swung his staff, causing his teammates to float! "Hoh, he was capable of using Flight?" In order to use Flight, a mage required at least High-Rank Wizardry. If not, then they needed a special item. The mage didn''t look like anything special, so he must''ve used a special item instead. Anyhow, now Strong Punch''s team didn''t have to worry about the spider webs. But as time passed, the floor was covered by more and more spider webs, and the Spider Queen and Spider Brothers created a mound of spider webs that rose into the sky. Obviously, the clump of spider webs copsed soon after, spreading everywhere. That was when the rxed vibe turned intoplete chaos. "Dodge!" "Above us! No, the side!" "Monster spiders areing. What do we do!?" "Calm down. Kill the monster spiders first. Special-ss mercenaries, keep your targets upied," Strong Punch yelled. Eventually, they made a huge mistake. The mage, who was supposed to keep them afloat, forgot to recast the spell! "Uheok!" "Mu Jin!" One of the special-ss mercenaries fell to the floor, and the spider webspletely immobilized him. It was game over from there. This was one of the weaknesses of a small, elite team. Losing just one person was huge. Strong Punch used powerful magic scrolls, one-time magic tools, and rare items, allowing them tost until the Spider Consort, Adxion arrived. But after he showed up, they stood no chance. "Damn it!" Strong Punch was thest one standing. He was surrounded by the Spider family, and eventually met his end. With this, the second hunt had ended in failure. "Nice, it looks like I''ll get my chance." Jae Woo''s face brightened. ''Their loss is my gain!'' He felt anxious when he thought of Snow Flower, who now possessed the Reaper of Souls. ''She won''t beat the Spider Queen, will she?'' He really hoped that that didn''t happen! Jae Woo prayed to every religious deity he knew: God, Jesus Christ, Buddha, Ah, etc. * * * Kang Oh came to Teyno''s Nest. "Master! You''ve been visiting me a lottely! That''s great!" Teynos was as cute as ever. "Sorry, I don''t have anything for you today." "That''s ok." "Nothing out of the ordinary happened? For example, did anyone find this ce yet?" "That''s what''s weird. There are a lot more peopleing in, but no one has reached this ce yet." Kang Oh stroked his chin. ''The wrecked ship and its treasure are working better than I expected.'' He''d ced the wrecked ship smack dab in the middle of theke, so the yers tunnel visioned on that. ''I imagine a yer will eventually look around, and find this ce.'' "Could you give me the soul stone?" "Got it." Once he received the soul stone, he opened the Dungeon Management window. He had 800 repel points! "Hoh, I already gathered 800 points!" Kang Oh then went to the Dungeon Log. Guardian A fought yer B. It also showed which battles were won and lost. Moss Cave was thriving! Uploading a Youtube video with his name in it had been a huge sess! Of course, Kang Oh made the dungeon more attractive by setting up bait like the wrecked ship and the treasure box, and he also used repel points to increase the amount of experience that the monsters gave, as well as increasing their item drop rate. ''I should be able to expand the dungeon again soon.'' Kang Oh grinned. Expanding the dungeon meant that the rewards would increase significantly! It would only prove beneficial to him in the future! Kang Oh smiled and stroked Teyno''s neck. "I''ll make a ton of repel points and strengthen you too." If he could give Teynos the ability to reflect a certain amount of damage, then most yers wouldn''t be able to beat it. "Understood, Master." "But I''m going to use the points for something else today!" Kang Oh skillfully manipted the Dungeon Management window. [For 1 month, the monster spawn rate has been increased by 200%.] [200 repel points have been spent.] He had to make sure there were enough monsters to deal with the increasing number of visitors! Plenty of prey came in (repel points), yet he didn''t have enough manpower to collect all of it! Thus, Kang Oh added another guardian. It wasn''t a new type though. He chose a Gnuha this time too, a sea lion looking monster that he''d addedst time. When he looked through the log, he found that the Milok and Gnuha type guardians were much more effective than his other guardians. Thus, he''d chosen them as guardians again. [1,000 gold or 100 repel points are required to add a Gnuha guardian. Would you like to proceed?] "Spend repel points." 1,000 gold wasn''t a small sum, so he''d go with repel points! [100 repel points have been spent.] [The Gnuha has evolved into the Ice Spear Throwing Nubicar.] He''d created a monster sea lion with a horn that possessed the power of ice! [1,500 gold or 150 repel points are required to add a Milok guardian. Would you like to proceed?] "Use repel points!" He was excited because he had so many repel points to spend! [150 repel points have been spent.] [The Milok has evolved into the Group Leading Queen, Milqueen.] "Nice. I''ll be backter." Kang Oh returned the soul stone to Teynos and said goodbye. "I''ll be waiting." "Yeah." Kang Oh stepped onto the transfer magic circle. Then, he teleported to another one of his soul dungeons, the Beast''s Tower. "Yawn." Unlike Teynos, who greeted him happily, the tinum Lion, Violf, looked at him like ''You''re here again?''. "Did anything out of the ordinary happen?" "The tower''s teeming with people." "Anyone gotten here yet?" Kang Oh asked. "Nope." "I imagine so." If you wanted to reach the Lion''s Room, then you needed to kill the top floor ogre within an hour. Clearing the 9-story tower in an hour was a lot harder than you''d think. Moreover, Kang Oh had made it even more difficult via his traps and guardians. "Give me the soul stone." "Here." Once he got the lion engraved soul stone, Kang Oh opened the Dungeon Management window. ''300 repel points.'' Kang Oh looked through the Dungeon Log. There were prospective mercenaries taking the test, or bronze-rank mercenaries who were trying to kill the ogre and be silver-rank. However, he couldn''t make that many points because he didn''t have enough guardians. ''Then I just need to add more!'' Kang Oh decided to invest his points into guardians for now. He wanted the most powerful monster here, the Crow Beast! These monsters were able to cast powerful spells. [You have spent 150 repel points.] [The Crow Beast has evolved into the Mana Calling Crowbi.] [150 have spent 150 repel points.] [The Crow Beast has evolved into the Mana Devouring Caloste.] He used all of his repel points, and then returned the soul stone to Violf. "Good, good." By investing so much time into his dungeons, they began to grow. It was also time for him to get his first harvest from his third soul dungeon, the Saul Graveyard. Chapter 324. Dragon Materials

Chapter 324. Dragon Materials

Trantor: Boko Arge, dark room. Akite, a Bone Dragon and the final guardian of the Saul Graveyard, was napping lying down. Then, the transfer magic circle glowed, interrupting its nap. Kuooh! mes zed within its eye sockets. Upon awakening, it showed its power and dignity for all to see. And yet, a human appeared, smiling fearlessly and waving his hand at it. "Hey, I''m here." It was Kang Oh. "Why are you here?" Akite asked. Akite didn''t really greet him. Honestly, him being here was kind of a pain. After all, he''d interrupted his nap. "First, give me some light. It''s too dark in here." "Light." Akite''s jaw bone moved, and the room waspletely illuminated. "Have you been doing well?" "No reason not to be." "That''s good. Nothing really happened, right?" Kang Oh asked. "What do you mean?" "For example, did anyonee to the dungeon?" "Unfortunately, no. It''d be nice if they did..." "You want visitors?" "For more gold and treasure." ''Ah, that''s right.'' Akite had definitely told him that it''d give the soul stone to anyone who pays it more than 1 million gold. ''You disloyal, money grubbing bone lizard!'' Kang Oh stared at Akite, but it didn''t concern itself with his gaze. "What did youe here for?" They say it takes two to tango, so Kang Oh calmed himself down. "Give me the soul stone," Kang Oh said clearly. "Take it." Kang Oh grabbed the soul stone, which was engraved with a dragon''s skull, and opened the Dungeon Management window. First, he took a look at the Dungeon Log. ''It''s like the diary of someone on vacation.'' It waspletely empty. That was obvious. There was no possibility of anyone visiting the dungeon, after all. Because of that, he had 0 repel points! Of course, he hadn''t set up any traps or added any guardians, so he wouldn''t make a lot of repel points anyway. Kang Oh checked the dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 20 Dragon Scales. 10 Dragon Bone. 10 Dragon Skin. 5 Dragon ws. 2 Bottles of Dragon Blood. 1 Piece of a Dragon''s Heart. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh stared at Akite. "Give me my dungeon rewards!" That''s right. Today was the day that he''d get his rewards from the Saul Graveyard. "Got it." A gigantic sphere of light appeared in front of Akite''s skull. Then, the orb slowly made its way to Kang Oh. The light disappeared, revealing the various dragon materials held within. There were Dragon Bones, which resembled dinosaur bones, and Dragon Scales, shaped like diamonds and glimmering with light. The Dragon Skin was softer than silk, yet tougher and lighter than whale tendons! Just holding the Dragon ws made it feel like they were infusing him with their power! Then there were the bottles of dragon''s blood, said to be a panacea that could even wake the dead! Lastly... Kang Oh picked up the pink shard, which glowed with bright light. [Piece of a Dragon''s Heart] The source of a dragon''s power is their heart. A piece it may be, it still contains an immense amount of power. If you gather six pieces, then the pieces will fuse into aplete dragon''s heart. Material Rank: S. A dragon''s heart was an almighty material. Using it to craft equipment would result in a masterpiece. If other extraordinary materials are used in tandem with a dragon''s heart, and a cksmith of great skill forges the equipment, then it will be even greater. Perhaps even a legendary weapon can be forged. That wasn''t all. There was no material more valuable to an alchemist than a dragon''s heart! After all, it was a centralponent to the philosopher''s stone, which was said to possess the power to enact miracles. Then how valuable was it to mages? A dragon''s heart alone was the greatest magic tool. By absorbing the heart''s power, a mage is capable of unleashing spells of unparalleled destruction for a short period of time. ''But I need six pieces to form one heart.'' In other words, it would take half a year to obtain just one heart. Of course, a piece of a dragon''s heart was still superior to most S-rank materials, but he might as well save it and form aplete dragon''s heart. ''I should use the dragon materials and the dragon''s heart for my equipment.'' Equipment crafted using dragon materials was something that yers could only dream of. Of course, this applied to Kang Oh too. But what if he were to wear such equipment? Equipment that included a dragon''s heart too! ''It''d be tremendous.'' He might be able to fight on par with Vn. After all, being overgeared wasn''t something anyone could ignore. "Well, that''s forter. For now...!" Kang Oh ced the dragon materials into his inventory one by one. He also made sure that he got the exact amount too. "Mm, it''s exact." He nced at Akite. He was worried that that money grubbing pile of bones would steal a portion of the reward, but it seemed like it hadn''t. "Then, I''ll be going now." With his business hereplete, Kang Oh said his farewells. "Go." That was good news for Akite. After all, the sooner he left, the faster he could get back to sleep. Kang Oh stood atop the magic circle once more. "ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout!" Whir! The magic circle lit up and Kang Oh disappeared. Once he left, Akite turned off the Light spell. Akite was shrouded by theforting darkness once more, and returned to his deep sleep. * * * Kang Oh appeared through the ck Hammer Dwarves'' magic circle. "Wee." The good-natured Man Bok was already waiting for him. "Let''s go." "Yes." Man Bok and Kang Oh headed for the Chieftain''s room. Once there, they were greeted by familiar faces. The Chieftain, Randelhoff, was inside, and Book stood to his right. There was also an unfamiliar dwarf there too. "Wee." Randelhoff joyfully weed them in. Hard rock-like objects covered his face, which was the result of Dragon Inarius''s experiments. "Hello. Have you been doing well?" Kang Oh asked. "Hoho, we have. Mr. Man Bok, thank you for always bringing us beer and delicious food." Randelhoff slightly bowed his head at Man Bok. "No, it''s nothing. I''m making money off of it after all." Man Bok waved his hand. Man Bok was providing the ck Hammer Dwarves with beer, food, and various necessities. This wasn''t for free; he received precious materials from the volcanic region in exchange. "I hope to maintain a good rtionship with you in the future." "Of course." "But why have both of youe today? Is it because of the demon sword?" Randelhoff stared at Kang Oh. The ck Hammer Dwarves had agreed to forge a demon sword for Kang Oh using the adamantium he''d provided them with. "There''s that too, but I have a favor I''d like to ask you." "A favor?'' "I heard from Mr. Man Bok. That a great cksmith has been born. Is that true?" Kang Oh asked. Randelhoff smiled and pointed at the unfamiliar dwarf beside him. "Let me introduce you. This is Hoffman. He''s taken his first step to bing a great cksmith." "My name is Hoffman," Hoffman roughly said. He had a scraggly beard like a sponge, and his eyes seemed both hot and powerful like the mes of a brazier. "Are you a Master cksmith?" Kang Oh asked. "I discovered the metal''s mystery that Master cksmith, Sunlei, left in the Fire''s Heart. However, I''m not yet a master," Hoffman said. "Are you capable of handling adamantium?" Kang Oh asked. "I am." Hoffman nodded his head. "Then can you handle dragon materials like Dragon Bone, Dragon Scales, and Dragon Skin?" Hoffman narrowed his eyes. ''Why is he asking me that?'' "Why are you asking that all of a sudden?" Randelhoff asked for him. ''I think it''d be faster to show them.'' Kang Oh pulled out the dragon materials all at once. "What is all this?" "What are you doing!?" It was so sudden that Randelhoff and Book yelled. Hoffman slightly furrowed his brow. "They''re various dragon materials," Kang Oh said firmly. Hoffman quickly picked up a piece and examined it. "It''s the real deal," Hoffman said. "All of this?" Randelhoff said. He was inplete disbelief. "Yes. These are all real dragon materials." "Where did you get all of this? Did you actually kill a dragon?" Randelhoff stared at him in shock. "I have a way of getting this much every month." Kang Oh grinned. "Hoh!" "Mm!" "You asked what my favor was, right? My favor is for you to craft these into equipment." Kang Oh finally revealed why he''de. "So you want us to make equipment for you?" Randelhoff asked, having calmed himself down. "Well, make equipment for me, and equipment to sell on the continent. Of course, part of the profits will go to you as well. If you don''t need money, then we can provide you with other necessities. Ah, and Mr. Man Bok can provide you with materials that you need to craft the equipment if it cannot be acquired here," Kang Oh said. ''I''ve made all of the preparations already, so I just need your manpower!'' He believed that they''d agree to his terms. After all, they''d lose absolutely nothing by epting his deal! However, Randelhoff didn''t look all too pleased. Book was the same. Hoffman didn''t look any different. ''What''s going on here?'' Kang Oh tilted his head. "Did I say something wrong?" "Hoo, Mr. Kang Oh," Book said. "Yes?" "Us ck Hammer Dwarves made a vow when we first made this hideout. That we''d never make equipment for outsiders ever again. Have you forgotten?" Ah, that''s right! The ck Hammer Dwarves had been enved by the ck Dragon, Inarius! They''d been forced to make equipment for their mortal enemy. They''d just barely escaped its grasp and relocated here, in Despia''s volcanic region. It was here that they made their vow; that they would never craft equipment for outsiders ever again! "Heok!" It felt like someone had hit him from behind with a hammer. He hadpletely forgotten the ck Hammer Dwarves'' oath. "You made that kind of oath?" Man Bok had never heard of it before. He waspletely taken aback. Kang Oh bit his lip and considered his options. "I''m aware of your oath. However, you''re willing to make an exception for me, right?" ''You said that I was one of you!'' "We''re more than happy to make equipment for you. However, we won''t make a single piece of equipment that you n to sell," Randelhoff said firmly. Oaths weren''t made to be broken. Especially for people like the ck Hammer Dwarves, who''d suffered at the hands of a dragon for so long. "So there''s absolutely no way?" "No!" "No exceptions?" "No exceptions!" ''Damn, you''re too hard-headed!'' Kang Oh helplessly stared at Man Bok. "Do you know any other cksmiths capable of handling dragon materials?" "We do, but they''ll demand a huge payment." "Who is it?" "Arthand." God Hand, Arthand! He was ranked 9th, and was the most skilled cksmith yer in the game! Certainly, he''d be able to craft dragon materials into armor/weapons. However, Arthand was extremely famous, so his services were extremely expensive! "Hoo, I didn''t think things would go this way." Kang Oh grabbed a fistful of his hair. Everything had gotten twisted, just like the hair in his hand. But then... There was a single glimmer of hope. "Chieftain. Please think it over again." It was Hoffman, the dwarf well on his way to bing a Master cksmith. Chapter 325. The Black Hammer Dwarves’ Oath

Chapter 325. The ck Hammer Dwarves'' Oath

Trantor: Boko "Think it over again? Are you suggesting that we break our vow?" Deep creases formed on Randelhoff''s forehead. "That''s right," Hoffman replied unhesitatingly. "Hoffman!" Randelhoff yelled. It was as if he were berating him, saying ''How could you even suggest that!?''. "I know how important our vow is." "Then why?" Randelhoff asked. "Why did we make that vow in the first ce?" Hoffman asked. "Don''t you know?" "I know far too well why. I was there when we made that vow. It''s all because of Inarius." The true meaning of their vow, ''We will never make equipment for outsiders'', was to never forget the humiliation they''d experienced at Inarius''s hands, and to not forget the tragedy of that day. Also, it was a vow that they''d never be controlled by anyone else ever again. "However... if I were forced to pick between revenge and our vow, then I''d pick revenge." Hoffman''s eyes were filled with various emotions. There was fury and a desire for retribution, yearning and sadness for his deceased family, regret and pity for his own life, etc. "Revenge on Inarius? Where did thate from all of sudden?" "Look at those dragon materials. Don''t you see those as swords, axes, or spears that can pierce Inarius''s hide?" "Mm." "Mr. Kang Oh," Hoffman suddenly said.. "Yes?" Kang Oh replied. He''d been holding his breath and watching how things went. "You said that you could procure this quantity of dragon materials every month. Is that right?" "Yes." Hoffman stared at Randelhoff. "If we get a steady supply of dragon materials, then I can create the best equipment; equipment capable of ying a dragon." As a cksmith, this was his only way of getting revenge; creating a weapon capable of ying Inarius! "However..." "Which is more important: revenge or our vow?" Hoffman asked. "If revenge is possible, then who cares about our vow." They''d experienced so much pain at the hands of Inarius and his experiments. Not only that, but they''d lost countless family members and brothers too. Thus, the dwarves would do whatever it took to get their revenge, no matter the cost. That''s just how much they wanted vengeance on the dragon that wronged them. Grr. "I agree." Hoffman gritted his teeth and his body shook. "But breaking our vow won''t kill Inarius," Randelhoff said. "I know, but it gives us the chance to get revenge. I''ll create the finest equipment." "But who will use that equipment to kill Inarius? You? Me? The entire tribe? We could be killed, or even worse, captured. Do you want our descendants to be Inarius''s ves?" Randelhoff asked question after question. "That''s something to think about after I''ve created the weapons." Hoffman wouldn''t back down. Then... "I''ll kill Inarius." Kang Oh intervened. "What?" "I''ll use the equipment that Mr. Hoffman creates to kill Inarius." Kang Oh quickly rified. "Are you serious?" Randelhoff stared at him. "Yes. I''ll be sure to kill him. But I can''t give you a specific time frame." Kang Oh''s belief was unwavering. ''No monster exists that cannot be defeated!'' One day, he''ll be able to defeat a dragon too. ''I have to get them to work for me.'' Thus, he''d offered to kill Inarius for them. "Chieftain!" Hoffman stared at Randelhoff with a passionate gaze, pressuring him to make a decision. "Hoffman, why did we make that vow in this ce, where no other intelligent life forms live?" "That''s..." "Keeping your oath is important. That oath gave us the strength of will to live in this barren wastnd. What if we were to break our oath? One day, our descendents will forget about what happened to us, the envement and the tragedy we faced, and someone else will be enved." "..." Hoffman couldn''t refute that. He was right. Back then, they had all felt the same way when they made that oath. ''Is it not going to work?'' Kang Oh assumed that he wouldn''t be persuaded. "But..." Randelhoff continued. ''But?'' Kang Oh listened attentively. "You''re right. If we had to break our oath, then it''d be for revenge. Indeed, revenge is more important than our oath." "Then?" "I haven''t forgotten about Liza, Hoff, and all the others who died!" Liza and Hoff were Hoffman''s dead wife and son. Unfortunately, they had died at the hands of Inarius''s minions. "Chieftain..." Hoffman got teary-eyed at the fact that Randelhoff hadn''t forgotten about his family. "However, this isn''t something that I can decide on my own. Book." "Yes," Book immediately replied. "Gather the entire tribe. We''ll discuss this as a whole. Every single one of us has to attend!" "Understood!" Book left Randelhoff''s room. "You guys wait a little. We''ll let you know what we decide," Randelhoff stared at Kang Oh and Man Bok, and said. "Yes!" "Hoffman, if our brothers disagree with us, then there''s nothing I can do." Hoffman nodded his head. Sometimeter... "We''ve gathered everyone." "Let''s go." Book returned, and brought Hoffman and Randelhoff with him. Kang Oh and Man Bok were left alone in Randelhoff''s room. "How do you think it will go?" Man Bok asked. "I hope they agree to our terms." "They probably will." "They will?" "Yes. I met several dwarves here while trading with them. They still bear the scars of losing their loved ones or closest friends." "Mm." "Victims don''t often forget what they''ve lost. Especially if what they''ve lost was extremely important to them. And there''s nothing more important than family and friends." "Whereas the perpetrators are quick to forget." "Indeed." "Then things should turn out well." "Yes." Man Bok was spot on. "We ept your terms. We''ll craft the dragon materials into equipment. You can do whatever you want with them," Randelhoff said as soon as he returned. "Thank you." Both Kang Oh and Man Bok''s faces brightened. "In exchange, you have to keep your promise." A quest popped up. [Kill Inarius] Inarius is known as the Mad Dragon, the Evil Dragon, and the ck Winged Cmity. His nest is located underneath the well-known Istan Cliff. However, killing a dragon, an adult dragon at that, is near impossible. Remaining Time: 365 days. Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Brother of the ck Hammer Dwarves. Reward: Be the ck Hammer Dwarves'' unconditional savior. If you exceed the time restriction, then you will be the ck Hammer Dwarves'' mortal enemy. [Due to your high closeness with the ck Hammer Dwarves, the quest has automatically been epted.] Kang Oh widened his eyes. "Huh? 365 days? Chieftain, this doesn''t look right." "It''s right." "What? How do you expect me to kill a dragon in a year?" "You want us to wait forever?" "No, I''m saying that 1 year isn''t enough time." "I know. I''ll extend the time limit if I see you preparing and getting stronger." "Mm." "You said you''d kill the dragon for us, so keep your promise. If you want the equipment, then you have to work for it. You can''t trick your brothers like that." "I''ll definitely take him down one day. But please give me enough time to prepare." "Of course!" "Ah, and please return the Fire''s Heart to me. You said you''d return it to me when you discovered its secret, and a cksmith skilled enough to handle adamantium was born." Kang Oh hadn''t forgotten about the Fire''s Heart, an SS-rank sword that he''d let the ck Hammer Dwarves borrow. There was no way he could forget about it. After all, it was worth a fortune! "Understood." Randelhoff nodded his head. "Bring the Fire''s Heart here." He ordered Hoffman. "Yes." A short whileter... "Here." Hoffman passed him the fire-shaped de. "Oh, my child. You''ve finallye back to me!" Kang Oh hugged the sword and rubbed his cheek against it. "Don''t you have something to give us too?" Randelhoff asked. He must be referring to the dragon materials. "Oh, of course. Here you go." Kang Oh passed Hoffman the dragon materials. However, he kept the dragon''s blood and dragon''s heart piece for himself. He nned on keeping the piece until he amassed six of them, and dragon''s blood was more valuable to a mage, an alchemist, or a healer like Eder. "Please speak to Mr. Man Bok regarding how many pieces of equipment you''ll make and what kind." Kang Oh''s role was to provide the raw materials. Processing them and selling them was the dwarves'' and Man Bok''s responsibility. "Yes." "Understood." Man Bok and Hoffman replied simultaneously. "And I''d like to ask you about my demon sword. You said that you could handle adamantium now, right?" "That''s right." "Then please make me a demon sword." "Are you going to use it or sell it?" "I''m going to use it." He was only capable of wielding demon swords, so having even one more would be a huge boon. "Do you need it right away?" "No, not really." It wasn''t really urgent. He had Ubist and Blood after all. "In order to be a Master cksmith, I need to leave behind a masterpiece for the future generations. I n on using the adamantium, dragon materials, and other precious materials that Mr. Man Bok provides me with in order to create the finest demon sword." Hoffman exined his aspirations. "Alright." That was wee news. Hoffman was nning on creating the finest demon sword this world had ever seen. "But I don''t have the skill to properly create such a de yet." "So you''re asking for more time." "That''s right." "How much time do you need?" "I can''t say. But I feel like using the dragon materials will put me one step closer." "Hmm." "If you''re not willing to wait, then I can make you a demon sword right away. Of course, I''ll give it my all." "No, it''s fine. I''ll give you as much time as you need. But I need to tell you something. I''m a Demonic Swordsman, so I can only wield demon swords." Hoffman tilted his head. ''Why is he telling me this now?'' "You said you''d make a weapon that''d allow me to y a dragon. But the only weapons I can use are demon swords." "So?" "Please make me an unparalleled demon sword, one that will allow me to kill Inarius." Hoffman nodded his head, his eyes zing with determination. With this, his business with the ck Hammer Dwarves was over. * * * Cyndia, Muhawk, and the Church of Death''s pdins visited several churches, and asked for their assistance in finding Mayanes Jigon and Orga. Then, they came to Altein''s northern Adventurer Guild. "Branch Manager, we have two people we''d like you to find for us this time." Cyndia was immediately allowed a face-to-face meeting with the branch manager, and went straight to the point. "Who are they?" the branch manager asked. "Jigon and Orga!" "What about Krishan?" "We dealt her." "Mm." "They might be even harder to find. You see, Jigon and Orga don''t have their eye-catching wings," Cyndia said. "But we have their faces instead." Muhawk passed him two pieces of paper, each with a drawing of their faces. The Divine Dragon, Gainus, had used his magic to show them exactly what they looked like. "I''ll give the adventurers the quest. But will the reward be the same asst time?" "Yes." Muhawk pulled out the mithril gemstone. "Understood." After that, the quest was put up on the guild''s quest board,plete with a picture of Jigon and Orga''s faces. Chapter 326. The Storm Guild’s Here

Chapter 326. The Storm Guild''s Here

Trantor: Boko "Phew." Jae Woo passed Mina and Yura a card. The card had his ID picture on it; it was his driver''s license. "You already got your license?" Mina asked. "You know how the world works nowadays. You can get your license in a sh." He''d driven plenty of times via virtual reality. When he actually got behind the wheel at driving school, he got used to it after just a few times. Ultimately, he passed his driver''s license test in a single try. "Are you going to buy a car?" Mina asked. "Of course." "Are you going to drive me to school now?" "Who''re you again?" "Wanna die?" Mina red as if she''d beat the crap out of him. Jae Woo just ignored her and spoke to Yura. "When I buy a car, do you want to go for a ride?" "A ride?" Yura wasn''t really feeling it. Was it because she was a homebird? "Yeah. Let''s take mom with us and get something good to eat." "Alright, sure." Yura beamed. Man, she really was crazy about delicious food. That''s probably why she was training to be a chef. "Hey." Jae Woo poked Mina. "What?" "I''m going to go look at some cars. Want toe with?" "Look at?" "Yeah. I''m not going to buy one today. I''m just going to go around and see if there''s anything I like." "Are you going to pay me?" "Forget it." At this point, she''d ask him for money at every turn. ''Am I your wallet?'' "Eh, I guess I can do it for free this time," Mina said ''kind-heartedly''. "Thanks!" * * * The Church of Death was visited by Hernandez and Han Seol, Storm''s guildmaster and vice-captain respectively. "Hello." Hernandez smiled brightly. Cyndia slightly bowed her head. "I saw another quest on the Adventurer Guild''s bulletin board. You''re looking for other people this time," Hernandez said. "Jigon and Orga. If you find them, please tell us immediately," Cyndia said. "Of course. Did you kill Krishan?" Hernandez asked. "Yes." "Mm, to kill an immortal being... You must''ve worked hard." "I merely followed the Supreme One''s decree. There was nothing hard about it," Cyndia said firmly. "I see. In any case, when can you take us to Despia?" The Storm Guild had made a deal with the Church of Death. In exchange for Krishan''s location, the Church of Death had promised them ess to Despia. "We n to leave for the Great Temple of Death in three days. You cane with us then," Cyndia said. "Three days!" Hernandez smiled. ''We''re finally going to Despia!'' "However, you cannot bring that many people. Bringing so many people will scare our devotees and make them ufortable." "Then how many people can we bring?" Han Seol asked. "Twenty should be sufficient." "That''s too few!" Hernandez raised his voice. Han Seol then grabbed his cor and calmed him down. "I have a question," Han Seol said. "Yes?" "Are you saying that only twenty of us can go with you?" If that''s the case, then it wouldn''t be a problem. The guild''s high-rank mages could just set up a transfer magic circle. "No. Only twenty people can enter the Supreme One''s temple and roam across the Goddess''s Land." "I understand. However, I believe twenty people isn''t enough," Han Seol said calmly. "Is that so?" "We took considerable losses finding Krishan, so please take that into consideration." "Mm." "And if you''re willing to do this for us, then we can also help you find Jigon and Orga." "Then how many people do you want?" Cyndia asked. "Fifty." They only had about fifty guild members strong enough to survive Despia. "Fifty is too many." Cyndia disapproved. "We''ll keep our guild members on a tight leash. And if we stir up trouble, then we''ll reduce the number of people." "Understood." "One more thing. We may need more people while we''re there. We''ll ask for your permission beforehand." "So you want permission to add people depending on the situation," Cyndia said. "That''s right." "I can''t make that decision. I''ll have to consult with the other priestster." "Understood." "Is there anything else?" Cyndia asked. Han Seol stared at Hernandez. She was clearly saying, ''I''m done here. What about you, Guildmaster?''. Hernandez shook his head. Han Seol had done his job for him, so there was no reason for him to get involved. "In three days, pleasee to the Guide''s Mirror in the Teros ins." "The Teros ins in three days. Understood," Hernandez said. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Yes." Three dayster... 50 members of the Storm Guild entered Despia via the Guide''s Mirror. * * * After clearing a dungeon, Kang Oh''s party returned to Latnia City, but found that the mood was unsettling. "What do you think happened?" Sephiro looked around and said. As a religious city, Latnia normally exuded a solemn atmosphere. It was rare for there to be such amotion. "I''m not sure." Eder shrugged his shoulders. Kang Oh''s party soon realized why the city was so disorderly. "Am I seeing things right?'' Sephiro rubbed his eyes and asked. "I see it too. You''re not seeing things," Kang Oh scowled and said. "Who are they?" Eder asked. They saw people they''d never seen before in the city from afar. The city''s inhabitants wore clothes adorned with ck rings, the symbol of Deborah, but the neers wore various clothes. A few of them carriedrge gs. The gs showed three whirlwinds clumped together, which was the Storm Guild''s insignia. "That insignia belongs to... the Storm Guild," Sephiro said. There was no way he would mistake them for someone else; it was the insignia of one of the 5 great guilds after all. "The Storm Guild?" Eder asked. "Yes. It''s one of the top 5 adventurer organizations." Sephiro exined so that an NPC like Eder could understand. "I see." Kang Oh scowled for quite some time. ''So the Storm Guild made it here, huh.'' Thus far, Kang Oh''s party had monopolized the Goddess''s Land. However, they suddenly had apetitor on their hands! "I''ll be going now." Kang Oh had urgent business to take care of. "Ah, and let''s not hunt for a few days," Kang Oh added. Sephiro widened his eyes. "What''s the asion?" "I have something I need to do." "Understood." Eder nodded his head. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh left. * * * Youtube. Kang Oh, renowned as a member of the Numbers and the Predator, posted another video on his channel, ''Kang Oh''s Eating Journal''. [Exploring the Land that Borders Hell, Despia!] It was an extraordinary title. To think he''d explored the Land that Borders Hell, Despia! Those who''d subscribed to his channel after watching his video on the Moss Cave were the first to see it. A world with a ck ceiling! Beads embedded the ceiling, casting light upon the primeval forest underneath. And... Kuwaaaah! A screaming Giant Kruger! It was a more advanced type of Kruger, which was known as the Tyrant of the Great Forest! However, the Giant Kruger was only the beginning. There were the marching Cmity Ants, which ate everything in their path like a ck tsunami! There was also a pack of wolves that, unaware of the danger, entered an area filled with colorful mushrooms. However, they soon frothed at the mouth and emitted light. These were Illusion Mushrooms. Illusion Mushrooms possessed one of the ten most lethal poisons in the world; to be more specific, they released spores that induced madness! Poison Spiders, which also possessed poison that ranked amongst the top ten most lethal in the world, fell from the trees. However, these spiders were soon ripped apart by carnivorous nts with serrated teeth! These nt-type monsters were venus fly traps, otherwise known as Verkillers. They were around level 500, but there was an entire colony of them! The video showed countless other dangerous areas and monsters. If you encountered them by coincidence, then you''d die. Anyone who yed Arth knew that this ce was incredibly dangerous. And that this level of danger proved that it was indeed Despia. - Is this really Despia? - Ooh, it''s really Despia! - It was so scary I wet myself. - Mr. Kang Oh, I''m a huge fan of yours! - As expected of the Numbers! He was exploring Despia this entire time? - Holy crap. - Mr. Kang Oh, how do you get there? - Give me money and I''ll tell you how to get to Despia. - It''s a scam! Don''t trust that guy! - Kang Oh, Kang Oh! "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath as he looked over the sudden deluge of posts. Kang Oh had prepared this video beforehand. He knew that someone else would eventually make it to Despia, so he had been saving it for the right moment. Back then, he didn''t have anypetitors, so there was no reason to show the video. However, things had changed. The Storm Guild had shown up, so he had to profit off his videos ASAP. "Let''s add some more wood to the fire." There were bags under his eyes. He''d been editing videos of him clearing Despia''s dungeons all night long. Jae Woo uploaded five more videos, one after another. They were all videos of him clearing dungeons in the Goddess''s Land. And today... [Predator Kang Oh''s Despia Exploration!] [The Land that Borders Hell, Despia, has been revealed!] [An introduction to the most dangerous ce in Arth!] All of the gamingworks began rying the news. At the same time, Jae Woo kept getting called. "Hello?" "Mr. Jae Woo." It was GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol. "Hello." "Ahem, it''s quite unfortunate. If you''d have told me that you had some footage, then I would''ve bought it from you for a high price." "I was going to sell itter. Spreading clips of Despia will just make people want toe here even more. However, the Storm Guild forced my hand. That''s why I had to upload some videos on Youtube ASAP." If the Storm Guild sold footage of Despia before him, then it''d be troublesome for him. The price of his footage would drop. Thus, he had no choice but to make the first move. Forget negotiations or a third party, he needed to upload the videos ASAP, and Youtube would be the fastest way of getting the videos out there. "I heard that the Storm Guild has arrived in Despia. The gamingworks are all trying to contact them right now." "The Storm Guild just got here, but I''ve been here for quite some time." "What are you saying?" "The videos I posted on Youtube are just a teaser." He had plenty of content left. For example, the fight against the Great Lava Spirit, Magnium, the fight against the Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium, and even his fight against Mayanes Diabol. Jae Woo had recorded countless videos of his adventures. "Shall we meet? I''ll call you when I''m near your house," Jin Cheol said anxiously. "Sure." Jae Woo grinned. Chapter 327. The Man Everyone Wants

Chapter 327. The Man Everyone Wants

Trantor: Boko As soon as he hung up on Jin Cheol, his phone rang again. Dream Girl! His ringtone was Soo Ah''s recent drama OST! ''Hye Rim PD'' was clearly written on the screen. "Hello?" "Mr. Jae Woo! Sell it to us! No, sign a contract with us! Yes!? Yes!? Why aren''t you answering me? You haven''t sold it to someone else already, have you? You didn''t even let me know!" Hye Rim asked question after question. "Please calm down. I haven''t sold the footage to anyone yet. I''ve already decided to meet with GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol." "Meet with me too!" "I''ll see you in the afternoon." "Understood. Let''s meet at the cafe at six P.M. Is that alright with you?" "Yes." When he hung up on her, he got another call. It wasn''t a number he was familiar with, but he assumed it was another gamingwork. "Hello?'' "Hello, this is VG Producer, Kim Hyun Seok. Are you Mr. Kang Oh?" "Ah, yes." "I''m calling with regards to your Despia footage. Have you signed a contract with anyone yet?" "Not yet." "Then I''d like to talk to you in person. Is that alright with you?" Hyun Seok asked. "That''s fine with me." "Tell me when you''re free, and where you''d like to meet. I''ll be there." "I''ll text you the time and ce." "Ok, thank you." Jae Woo hung up. TGN, VG, and GBS. Jae Woo had been contacted by the top 3 gamingworks. He would hear them out first. If he wasn''t satisfied with any of their offers, then he''d offer his footage to the minorworks. "Hoo. Man, I wanted to monopolize Despia some more." He weed all the interest from the gamingworks, as they''d pay him a fortune for the footage. However, he didn''t like the situation that led to this. A powerfulpetitor, the Storm Guild, had arrived. * * * Since he didn''t leave behind any children, Geskal''s mansion waspletely empty following his death. The Storm Guild had bought his mansion to use as a home base. "Tch, tch." Hernandez sat at the end of the long table, or the seat of honor, and clicked his tongue. The Storm Guild had gathered around the table. "The broadcastworks, who were ready to offer us the world, are starting to pull back one by one. They must''ve found an alternative." Hernandez looked around. "I told you. That someone had to have been here before us," Han Seol said. She was sitting in the chair closest to him. "I still thought we''d be first. How many people are skilled enough to find this ce? You''d have to be part of the 5 great guilds or the Sword Mercenaries. However, it doesn''t look like any of them havee here." The guild members quietly listened to Hernandez''s rant. "I didn''t think a yer would be able to get here by themself and explore the area." "He''s not just any yer. Kang Oh is a top yer," Han Seol said. "I know! I''dpletely forgotten about the top solo yers like Bart, Helena, and Kang Oh." "Using here is a good thing. Even if someone''se here before us." "You''re right." Hernandez nodded his head. "But it''ll be an issue if Kang Oh tries to bring other yers/guilds over here. No, what if Kang Oh gets scouted by one of the 5 great guilds?" "Why don''t you just go straight to the point? You want to scout Kang Oh first," Han Seol said, as if scolding him. "As expected of my vice-captain. You know me too well." Hernandez grinned. "It won''t be easy. The other 5 great guilds have tried recruiting him already, but they all failed," a man sitting in the middle said. People were unsure whether or not Helena, Bart, and Kang Oh were in a guild. Obviously, they were all yers that you''d love to recruit. "But we have to try. If things go well, then we''ll get one of the Numbers on our side, and we''ll lose apetitor too," Hernandez said. "Indeed." Everyone around chimed in. "If you find Kang Oh, then you have to bring him here no matter what." "You can''t just ''bring him here''. Respectfully ask him toe with you. You can''t force him toe." Han Seol quickly rified. "Is that understood?" Hernandez looked at his guild members. They all nodded their heads and said ''yes''. "Then that''s how we''ll deal with Kang Oh. Now, let''s go over what we''ve learned. Let''s start with Mr. Soonk." Soonk stood up. "This area''s official name is the Goddess''s Land. The Great Temple of Death lies on top of the mountain and..." The Storm Guild''s meeting continued. * * * Jae Woo opened the door to his neighborhood cafe and went inside. "Over here." Jin Cheol, who''de early, enthusiastically waved his hand. "What would you like?" Jae Woo had something he wanted, so Jin Cheol was even friendlier than usual. "I want a sweet shake." "Alright!" Once they had their drinks, the two sat down. Jin Cheol stared at him with a smile. ''Don''t you have something for me?'' "Did you bring a tablet?" "Of course." Jin Cheol pulled out a tablet from his briefcase. Jae Woo inserted the data chip into the tablet and set it up so that it''d be easy to see. Footage that he''d never shown before was beginning to make its way on the screen. "Ooh." It seemed like Jin Cheol really liked the footage. The dungeons and monsters being shown were clearly high level. ''Plus, if you factor in how popr Despia is nowadays...'' Despia had be well-known via Peking University Professor, Song Lee Shen''s Arth is Bigger than China. The book described the most dangerous locations in Arth, and one of them was the Land that Borders Hell, Despia. In other words, Despia was the most dangerous area in all of Arth! It would obviously be a hot topic amongst Arth''s yer base. "This guy''s called Diabol," Jae Woo said. The final clip showed Mayane Diabol''s imposing figure. "Mm, he looks strong." "He''s not just ''strong''. He has quite the interesting story." "What kind of story?" "So..." Jae Woo briefly exined the goddess''s quest, as well as the conflict between the Primordial Gods and the Mayanes! "Mm! A story about gods that have never been heard of before, and an ancient race that waspletely erased from history, despite possessing the God of Creation''s power... This is quite interesting." "Isn''t it? Despia is already Arth''s hardest zone. But if they hear about this, then people will be even more interested." Jae Woo grinned. "May we include the story with the footage?" Jin Cheol asked. "Of course you can. In exchange..." "We have to pay you handsomely." Obviously. Jin Cheol and Jae Woo stared at each other, both smiling simrly. "How many clips do you have?" Jin Cheol asked. "I have dozens of clips clearing dungeons, three killing raid bosses, and one destroying an evil organization in Despia." The raid bosses he''d killed included Mayanes Diabol, the Great Lava Spirit, Magnium, and the Ruler of the Snowy Fields, Travium. The evil organization referred to humanity''s worst, the Kalma. "You have quite a lot." Jin Cheol stroked his chin, locked in thought. Jae Woo patiently waited for him to finish organizing his thoughts. "Buying the videos individually would be inefficient, and it''s not what GBS is looking for either." "Then?" "We''d like you to sell all of your Despia footage to GBS from now on." "So sign an exclusive contract with GBS until there''s nothing more to see." "That''s right." "How much are you willing to pay me?" Jae Woo asked. ''I''m pretty expensive, you know?'' "You had ns to meet with the otherworks, right? Let me know what their offers are. I''ll be sure to offer you arger sum than them," Jin Cheol said confidently. Perhaps it was because he''d worked with Jae Woo the longest, but he was the best at luring Jae Woo in. "Are you sure about that?" "Yes," Jin Cheol said confidently. The reason a second mover like GBS was capable of reaching rank 3 was because its parentpany was filthy rich! Moreover, GBS''s director had told him he''d have his support, so he needed to get Jae Woo on board no matter what. He also had this thought too. ''The otherworks can get their footage from the Storm Guild, so they won''t put everything on the line for Jae Woo.'' It was clear that the otherworks would back off if Jae Woo requested too high of a price. After all, they could just go to the Storm Guild instead. All he needed to do was offer Jae Woo the appropriate price and reel him in. "Oh, that''s right!" Jae Woo smacked his palm with his fist. "I''ve been exploring Despia with Mr. Sephiro." "Mr. Sephiro?" "Yes. So if you sign a contract with me, you''ll need to pay Mr. Sephiro too." "Understood." Jin Cheol calcted how much Sephiro was worth and then nodded his head. Sephiro was worth penniespared to Jae Woo. "Good. For some reason, I feel like I''ll be choosing you in the end." Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly. "Me too." The two shook hands and left, both feeling like their time was well spent. * * * Jae Woo met with TGN Producer, Hye Rim,ter that day. He showed her the same footage he showed Jin Cheol, and even exined the history between the Mayanes and the Primordial Gods. ''This is amazing!'' Her eyes gleamed. Despia! A forgotten myth! A never-before-seen ancient race! Her intuition was telling her that she needed Jae Woo to sign a contract with her. After all, people wille out in droves to see this content! "We''d like you to sell all of your footage to TGN. That includes your future footage, and the myth too!" "How much?" "How does 1 billion won ($1 million USD) sound?" TGN''s director had ordered her to get Jae Woo''s footage no matter what. ''Hye Rim, you have to get him on board. If all goes well, then we''ll be able to sell it across the world. We''ll also fill the programs with expensive ads too.'' "1 billion!" Jae Woo''s lips slightly curled upwards. ''1 billion won!?'' "1 billion is quite a hefty sum. And please remember that we can go to the Storm Guild too." Hye Rim''s warning made him think back to Jin Cheol. ''He said he''d give me more than the otherworks. Can GBS really give me more than 1 billion won?'' "Thank you for the generous offer. I''ll let you know after I''ve heard all of the offers," Jae Woo said politely. Hye Rim furrowed her brow. She was willing to invest 1 billion won, yet Jae Woo''s response was so lukewarm. "Did you already meet with GBS?" "Yes." "What did they say?" "They''d give me more than the otherworks no matter what." "Tch, they sure love throwing money at the problem." Hye Rim clicked her tongue. "What''s wrong with that?" Jae Woo grinned. ''All that money goes to me in the end.'' "Do you have a girlfriend?" Hye Rim suddenly asked. "Where did thise from all of a sudden?" "I have a ton of connections. I know stewardesses, models, and even actresses. Just say the word. If you sign a contract with us, then I''ll introduce you to them. Ah, and it''s not just a one time thing. I can use my connections to get you a..." "I have a girlfriend." Kang Oh interrupted her. "Hmm." Hye Rim furrowed her brow. "Is there anything else you''d like to add?" "You''re going to meet with GBS again, right?" "Of course." "Let me ask you a favor then. When you hear GBS''s offer, let me know. Don''t sign the contract before you do! We''ll prepare an even better offer in the meantime!" "Sounds good to me." Jae Woo nodded his head. "Thank you." "I''ll be waiting for your offer." "Yes. I''ll see you again soon." "Take care." Jae Woo and Hye Rim parted ways. * * * The next day, Jae Woo met with VG Producer, Kim Hyun Seok. "We''d like to buy all of your current and future footage of Despia." "How much are you willing to pay me?" "100 million won ($100,000 USD) for signing with us. We''ll buy your footage for a total of 400 million won ($400,000 USD). We''ll pay you separately for each subsequent clip, around 1 million won ($1,000 USD) to 10 million won ($10,000 USD)," Hyun Seok said. "So 500 million won ($500,000 USD) plus." "Yes. If you''re concerned about anything, then please let me know. I''ll talk to my superiors and see what I can do." "I don''t like any of it." "Pardon me?" "Do you know what TGN and GBS offered me?" "I don''t." "GBS imed they''d offer me more than any otherwork, while TGN offered me 1 billion won." "Mm." Hyun Seok briefly furrowed his brow, but his subsequent expression seemed to say ''Oh, well.''. "Unfortunately, we''ll have to withdraw our offer." VG had already signed an agreement with the Storm Guild. They thought it wouldn''t hurt to shoot Jae Woo an offer too. "I understand. I''m sure we''ll have another chance to work together," Kang Oh said politely. "Yes, it was nice meeting you." Even after Hyun Seok left, Jae Woo remained seated in the cafe. ''VG''s gone, so now TGN and GBS will go head-to-head!'' Sip. Jae Woo drank his hot coffee and thought, ''Who''ll be the final victor?'' Chapter 328. The Storm Guild’s Invitation

Chapter 328. The Storm Guild''s Invitation

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo was currently living in a four room detached house. It came with a garden, and a spacerge enough to park around two cars. This space had always been empty. After all, neither he nor his family members owned a car. But now... There was a good-looking silver car upying that space. Based on the logo, it was clearly a Mercedes-Benz! Jae Woo stood on one side of the yard and stared at the car contentedly. A short whileter... The dealer finished parking and came out of the car. "Here you go." The suited, well-groomed dealer passed him the keys. "Thank you." "There are a few things I need to warn you about." "Alright." The dealer began exining some things about the car. Jae Woo didn''t really pay attention though. When he was still in school, he wasn''t the type of kid to pay much attention to his teachers. "If anything happens or you have any questions, then please don''t hesitate to call me." "Yes." "If you would like to test drive another car, then pleasee by the store at any time." "Ok." Jae Woo was getting irritated. Seeing this, the dealer quickly said his goodbyes. "Then, I''ll be going now. I hope you enjoy your car." Once the dealer left, the front door opened, and out came Mina and Yura. His mother slowly walked out too. "Wow, it''s finally here!" Mina stroked the hood of the car as if she were petting a dog. "Everyone get in. Let''s go for a short ride." "Ok." His youngest, Mina, sat in the passenger seat, while Yura and his mother sat in the back seats. Jae Woo adjusted the driver''s seat, as well as the front and side mirror. Then, he put on his seat belt. "You all put on your seat belts?" "Go go!" "Yeah." Mina and Yura said simultaneously. "Hoo." Jae Woo sighed; he was feeling nervous. He then started up the car. Vroom! ''Let''s keep it simple. Just do as I''ve been taught.'' Jae Woo recalled his time at driving school, and took his foot off the brake. "We''re going!" The silver car''s wheels began to turn. * * * "I killed Dracus." Kang Oh made a quick visit to the Church of Death, andpleted a quest that one of the pdins had given him. "Thank you for all your hard work, Savior. This is the reward I promised." The pdin passed him a gold pouch. [You have acquired contribution points with the Church of Death.] [You can use contribution points to hire the church''s priests or pdins. You may also use them to borrow or acquire items that are stored within the church.] "Is there anything else you need help with?" Kang Oh asked. He weed any quests that allowed him to rack up contribution points. After all, there were plenty of ways to use them. "Not at the moment, no." "That''s unfortunate. If you have any more work for me, then pleasee and find me. Don''t leave it to anyone else." ''Me, not the Storm Guild!'' "Of course." "Hehe." Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly, and left the Great Temple of Death. Then, a man with a fishing rod over his shoulder approached him. He was wearing an armband with the Storm Guild''s insignia on it. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh. I''m Fisherman Angler from the Storm Guild." "What business do you have with me?" "I would like to invite you to our guild," Angler said politely. "I''m fine." Kang Oh waved his hand. Solo yers andrge guilds didn''t mix! "Our guildmaster, Hernandez, wants to meet with you." Angler emphasized the name ''Hernandez''. He was one of the Numbers, and was also called the Spear King. To most, just bringing up his name would be enough, but Kang Oh was different. "I said I''m fine." ''He''s a lower rank than me. Why''s he the one calling me, and not the other way around!?'' "Please reconsider. Here, this is a small token of appreciation." Angler pulled out a money pouch and ced it into Kang Oh''s hand. "Ahem." The pouch was quite heavy. Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. ''There must be at least 100 gold inside.'' He''d dealt with gold long enough to know how much was inside by just the weight. "Um-hum." "Mr. Hernandez asked that we treat you with the utmost respect," Angler said. ''They must be trying to scout me.'' Based on Angler''s attitude, Kang Oh could figure out what Hernandez''s objective was. ''I guess I should go and meet him.'' It wouldn''t be a bad idea to see the Spear King, Hernandez, face-to-face. And if he had the chance, spar with him too. "Let''s go." "This way." Angler guided him towards Geskal''s mansion. * * * Kang Oh carefully examined the man in front of him. He had curly brown hair, a horizontal scar at the bridge of his nose, and a sharp jawline. He truly did give off a manly impression. However, he noticed the mischievous look in his eyes and his rxed posture, so he assumed that he was a troublemaker. ''He really is Hernandez.'' Numbers rank 8. The Spear King, Hernandez! He was so well-known that even Kang Oh knew what he looked like. "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Hernandez." Hernandez beamed and offered his hand. Then, the two shook hands. "My name is Kang Oh." "This is..." Hernandez pointed at the girl beside him. "Han Seol, the Storm Guild''s vice-captain." Han Seol bowed her head. "I know. Ms. Han Seol, the Lightning Hunter," Kang Oh said. "Please sit down and rx," Hernandez said affably. "Yes." "To be honest, we thought we were the first ones here. But it turns out we were wrong. How exactly did you get here?" "I''d like to ask you the same thing. How did you get here?" Kang Oh asked back. "We helped one of the Church of Death''s priests. In exchange, they agreed to take us to Despia." Though Hernandez asked first, he answered Kang Oh''s question before getting an answer to his own. ''So the Storm Guild found Krishan? Now that I think about it, the Storm Guild sent an expedition team into the north. Krishan was found in Yuki-Onna''s Paradise too.'' Now he knew how the Storm Guild hade here so suddenly. "So how did you get here?" Hernandez asked again. "I know the way to Despia. I used that method to get here." "The way to Despia... That''s quite interesting." Han Seol smiled. "I''m not going to tell you how I got here," Kang Oh grinned and said. "Of course. You shouldn''t give that kind of information away to just anyone," Han Seol said. "But what if we''re not ''anyone''?" Hernandez said. It was clear what he was suggesting. "Are you trying to scout me?" "Yes." "I''m extremely expensive. And I have no intention of joining a guild." Kang Oh made his refusal clear. "I know how much you''re worth. You''re expensive, as you should be. Then again, people change their minds all the time. Isn''t that right?" Hernandez stared at Han Seol. "We gathered some info on you. We heard you like money," Han Seol said. "No one hates money." ''It''s just that I like it a bit more than others.'' "50,000 gold a month!" Han Seol said. "That''s it?" Kang Oh crossed his arms. "We''ll allow you ess to the guild''s storehouse too. You can take two, no, three items from it." It was said that the 5 great guilds'' storehouses contained precious treasure and only the best of equipment. And it wasn''t just a rumor. ''So she''s basically saying that I can take 3 SS-rank items. Or magic scrolls/items worth the same amount.'' He was slightly interested, but that was it. If there were a demon sword like Ubist within the Storm Guild''s storehouse, then it''d be a different story. Kang Oh didn''t say anything, so Han Seol sweetened the deal. "I heard that you were currently on First Hunter. I know what kind of program it is. The Storm Guild is willing to help you to the best of our ability." Support from arge guild! Their help would be akin to giving a tiger wings. Depending on the situation, they would lend him equipment, money, fodder for Gluttony, supplies, and even skilled teammates. However, Kang Oh didn''t feel like he needed their help. "I can hunt monsters well enough by myself." "The vice-captain spot!" Han Seol even offered up her own position. Kang Oh grinned. "That''s rich." "What is?" "Me being the vice-captain." "Not at all. As one of the Numbers, you''re certainly qualified for the Storm Guild''s vice-captain spot. Isn''t that right?" "Yeah. He''s more than qualified." Hernandez nodded his head. "Ah, it looks like you misunderstood me." "Misunderstood you?" Han Seol tilted her head. "I''m ranked higher than Mr. Hernandez, so it''d be a joke for me to work under him." Kang Oh was ranked 7th, while Hernandez was ranked 8th. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Han Seol raised her eyes. Kang Oh was clearly demeaning Hernandez. Right in front of him at that! However, Hernandez justughed it off. "Do you want the guildmaster position?" "Can you give it to me? I''m not the type of person that can work under others." "You can''t!" Han Seol said urgently. Hernandez raised his hand, stopping her. "I could." "Then give me the guildmaster position. I''ll lead the guild well." "Alright. If you beat me, then I''ll hand over the guildmaster position. But if I win, you''re joining my guild." Hernandez stared at him strongly. At the same time, his speechpletely changed. "Guildmaster! You can''t just bet your position like that..." "Why not? Do you think I''m going to lose? Why, because his rank is higher than mine? Is that what you''re saying?" "You''d have to fight to know that." Han Seol wasn''t intimidated by Hernandez''s strong stare and his vicious spirit. "But as vice-captain, I can''t allow you to bet your position so frivolously." "Don''t get involved!" Hernandez yelled. "Hernandez!" Han Seol yelled back. "Haa." She was being so adamant, so Hernandez rxed and clicked his tongue. "Tch, tch. You''re pretty dumb at times like this." "What did you say!?" "He has no intention of joining our guild. Look at his attitude. It''s pretty clear to me. But he brought up the guildmaster position to rile me up. Why? Because he''s not interested in the guild itself, but he wants to fight me. Isn''t that right?" Kang Oh just smiled. His silence was affirmation. "This was our chance. ept his challenge and get him into our guild! But you got involved, messing up the entire thing." "What if you lost?" Han Seol asked, looking at him in disbelief. "I told you, I wasn''t going to lose." Hernandez strongly stared at her again. "But what if you did?" "I wouldn''t lose! I''m the Spear King! The Spear King!" "He''s the Predator!" In a one-on-one fight, there was no guarantee that Hernandez woulde out on top. "Whose side are you on!?" "That isn''t the issue here." "Phew. If you''d have trusted in me, then everything would''ve gone well." Hernandez clicked his tongue again. "I don''t think so. What if you lost? I would''ve had to clean up your mess again." "I wouldn''t lose!" "Then let''s go," Kang Oh suddenly said. "Let''s not bet anything. How does that sound?" Chapter 329. Kang Oh, Hernandez, and Han Seol

Chapter 329. Kang Oh, Hernandez, and Han Seol

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh suggested that he fight Hernandez with nothing on the line. "Alright, do as you like," Han Seol replied. Hernandez sulked. "Don''t want to." "You don''t think you''ll win?" Kang Oh provoked him. "I won''t fight you without anything on the line. You''re the only one that gets anything out of this." There was only one reason Kang Oh hade with Angler. He wanted to spar with Hernandez. But if there was nothing on the line, then only Kang Oh would get what he wants. Whereas the Storm Guild would get nothing in return. "Why are you putting it like that? We''re just seeing who''s stronger." "No thanks. If you lose, then will you join our guild?" "Then you''ll have to give me your spot if I win." Neither Kang Oh nor Hernandez thought for a second that they''d lose. "I told you! You can''t make that kind of bet!" Han Seol ced her hands on her hips and raised her eyes. She was basically saying, ''Over my dead body!''. "Man, she keeps saying the same thing over and over again. So I''m not going to fight you," Hernandez said. "By the way, why do you keep speaking to me so informally?" "I''m not the kind of person to be polite to a guy who challenged me to a duel." Hernandez snarled. "Then I guess I can drop the honorifics too." "Do whatever you want." "See ya." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Sure, whatever." "Wait a second!" Han Seol grabbed him. "What is it?" "You have absolutely no intention of joining our guild, yes?" "He doesn''t." Hernandez answered for him. Kang Oh nced at Hernandez and said, "No, I don''t." "We won''t ask you to join our guild anymore. Of course, if you change your mind, you can always let us know." "That won''t happen." ''I''m not good withrge groups.'' "I have a proposition for you." "Go ahead." "Please don''t tell others how you got here. Have you set up a transfer magic circle? If you have, then please don''t bring other guilds or yers to Despia." "That sounds like more of an order than a proposition." "In exchange, we won''t bring anyone else either. More people here means less for us." "That proposition''s way better for you than me." The Storm Guild was arge guild. They''d also already brought over 50 guild members here. Whereas Kang Oh only traveled with Eder and Sephiro. It was three against fifty. What if the Storm Guild attacks him? ''If they do, then I''ll call some friends. No, I''ll threaten them. I''ll tell them that I''m bringing over another guild.'' Thus, he couldn''t ept Han Seol''s offer. "I know what you''re worried about. So let''s sign a contract. You won''t mess with us, and we won''t mess with you. There''s no reason for us to fight each other, is there?" Han Seol said. "Hmm." Kang Oh briefly thought it over. "If you don''t mess with me first, then I won''t mess with you either. But if you get in my way, then... you can imagine what''ll happen." "Let''s try and get along." "But I get to decide who I bring here, not you. I don''t want to share this ce with anyone else either." Han Seol scratched her cheek. ''Should I try convincing him some more? Or should I try threatening him?'' Kang Oh''s lips were in a tight line, so she thought against it. "Understood." "Do you have anything else to say?" "No." "Let''s ignore each other from now on." ''Just go ahead and try getting in my way! You''ll be sure to regret it!'' "If you want to fight, thene find me. If you lose, you''ll join our guild," Hernandez said. Kang Oh didn''t even dignify that with a response. That was already water under the bridge. He stood up and quickly left. "Do you really think I''d lose? I''d definitely win!" Hernandez said. "It''s already water under the bridge. Please give it a rest already." "Tch." For some reason, there was a bitter taste in his mouth. Nothing had gone as he''d wanted. * * * Kang Oh exined what he''d discussed with Hernandez to Eder and Sephiro. "You made a good decision." Sephiro gave him a thumbs up. Gyaa! Waryong pped its wings, trying to imitate a thumbs up. "It would''ve been a pain if the Storm Guild had tried to get in our way or attack us," Sephiro added. "Don''t let down your guard. Large guilds often act friendly, but they stab you in the back when you least expect it," Kang Oh said. "Of course." "Anyhow, we''ll have to pick up the pace from now on. After all, we can''t monopolize this ce anymore." "Yes, sir!" Sephiro jokingly saluted him. Then, Waryong stood on its legs and imitated him with its wings. "Oh, you''re so cute." Sephiro hugged it and rubbed his cheek against it. "So where are we going today?" Eder asked. "We''re headed to the eastern region today." Mt. Latnia was in the middle of the Goddess''s Land, while the northern and western regions were the ashen wastnds, which had once housed the Mayanes. The east was filled with grasnds, small mountains, and shallow hills. Kang Oh''s party had already cleared most of the dungeons in the south. They only ignored a select few, which were too hard for them to clear. This was the best time to explore the eastern area. After all, apetitor had shown up, and Kang Oh''s party had already finished clearing all of the dungeons in the south. "Wait, what did you say?" Sephiro btedly said, as he''d been ying around with Waryong. "Just follow me." Kang Oh began moving towards the east. * * * Kang Oh''s party crossed the vast grasnds on horseback. They could see people driving away a herd of cattle from afar. They were also the goddess''s devotees. The only difference was that their ancestors had first settled in the eastern grasnds, not Latnia City. "This ce looks a lot more peaceful," Sephiro said. You had to constantly watch your back in the southern primeval forest. It was inhabited by insects/spiders with lethal poison, snakes, high level monsters like Giant Krugers, carnivorous nts or the Illusion Mushrooms, etc. But the sight of people rxingly driving a herd of cattle away made it seem peaceful. "It''s probably because the Kalma are gone," Eder said. The Kalma used to hunt humans in the grasnds. However, Kang Oh had not only killed their leader, but the mastermind behind them, the Mayanes. The Church of Death''s pdins were in the process ofpletely wiping them out. Thus, peace had returned to the grasnds. Anyhow, it was because of this that Kang Oh''s party was able to reach their destination unhindered. They stopped before a small mountain made of giant boulders. There was a door there that emanated brass light. Kang Oh forcefully pushed the door open. Screech! The door ''screeched'' as he opened it; the door must not have been opened for quite some time. [Entering the dungeon, Rocking Stone Cave.] It wasn''t dark inside due to the radiant crystals on the ceiling. Kang Oh took a look around. The walls were gray, and there were lines of stone statues, modeled after humans, animals, goblins, orcs, and other monsters. "A monster ising." Sephiro notched an arrow on the Lasselpino Bow. Waryong was behind him, staring in the direction he was aiming. Kang Oh drew Blood, and Eder was prepared to cast a spell at a moment''s notice. Thud, thud, thud! A single monster appeared from the far side of the passageway. It was a huge, yellow-eyed stone lizard that waspletely covered by rocks. tter, tter, tter! Whenever it moved, its rock tail would drag across the ground. He''d never seen this monster before, and it wasn''t even included in Kang Oh''s inner monster encyclopedia. "Do you know anything about it?" Kang Oh asked hispanions. As expected, no one knew what it was. "No, I''ve never seen it before." "Me too." "Be careful. We don''t know anything about it." "Ok." Sephiro shot an arrow at it to test the waters. Sun Piercing Arrow! Whizz! Whir! The fiercely spinning arrow struck the crown of its head. However, the stone lizard was way too tough; it didn''t even leave a dent. Shaa! The stone lizard opened its mouth wide. Whoosh! It expelled sharp rock shards from its mouth. "Arise, wall of bone!" Eder cast a spell. Bone Wall! The white, yellowish bones tangled together and formed a wall. Bam, bam, bam! The shards werepletely absorbed by the wall. Then, the stone lizard rushed at them. Most rock monsters were incredibly tough, but exchanged speed for their high defense. However, the rock lizard exhibited speed far greater than what was expected. Whoosh! It turned its body around and smoothly swung its tail. Bam! A single swing of its tail demolished the Bone Wall. Broken bones and bone fragments flew everywhere. Shaa! The stone lizard didn''t stop there. It rushed at Sephiro, who''d shot an arrow at it. "Tch!" Sephiro walked backwards while Waryong spewed mes at it. Unfortunately, Waryong''s mes werepletely ineffective, perhaps due to its rock body. Kang Oh appeared right beside it. Swish! He swung his snow-white de, which radiated red light, at the stone lizard''s nape. If his Hyper Intuition had found a weakness, then he would''ve aimed there. Unfortunately, the stone lizard didn''t have any clear cut weak spots. For the time being, that is. Thus, he aimed for amon vital, the back of the neck. Bam! It felt like he''d just struck a really hard rock. The rock lizard''s toughness made his hands tingle. Obviously, Kang Oh''s attack wasn''t very effective, and the stone lizard attempted to devour Sephiro. Of course, Sephiro wouldn''t just let himself be eaten. He rolled onto the floor, avoiding the rock lizard''s bite, and then kicked off the floor, widening the distance between them. But the rock lizard was persistent. It quickly closed the distance with its four legs. Kang Oh attacked once more. This time, he wielded Ubist, not Blood. He''d switched between them. "Explode!" Kang Oh cleaved through its side with Ubist. He hoped that Demon Sword Ubist''s special ability, Fang Bearing de, would activate. However, Fang Bearing de didn''t activate, which would''ve allowed him to bypass its defense entirely. After all, its activation rate wasn''t very high. Bam! It was a dud. His hands burned from the opposite force. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh quickly withdrew his sword and attacked the stone lizard again. sh! A white line followed the path of his sword. Bam! This time, he left behind a small crack. However, it was extremely tiny. ''It looks as tough as Teynos.'' The stone lizard momentarily ovepped with the monster turtle, Teynos, whose defense was second to none. ''But you know what, I have a technique that really hurt Teynos.'' Kang Oh got into position. Meanwhile, the stone lizard kept attacking Sephiro. "You stupid stone lizard! Get away from me!" Shaa! Shaa! Were they mortal enemies in their past life? Whatever the case, Kang Oh was able to prepare his attack without any interruptions. Whir! He began to gather more and more darkness around his de. Then... Eder, who''d fought alongside him for so long, supported him. "Copse!" Eder raised his skull staff into the air, unleashing a green ring that spread outwards like rippling water. Ruined Ramparts! This curse significantly reduced the defense of anyone in range! "Good work, Eder!" Kang Oh forcefully swung his sword. Evesting Darkness! The darkness flew forward like a giant spear and pierced through the stone lizard. Chapter 330. Stonemason’s Workroom

Chapter 330. Stonemason''s Workroom

Trantor: Boko Kuhahk! Upon impact, clumps of rock sloughed off the stone lizard''s back, revealing the pink flesh underneath! ''A weakness!'' Even without his Hyper Intuition, it was clear. Attacking that soft, delicate flesh would inflict a tremendous amount of damage! Eder thought the same. He immediately summoned a Bone Mass above its pink skin. "Explode!" Bone Bomb! Boom! Sharp bone fragments pierced its skin, causing red shards of light to burst out. ''It really is a weak point!'' He needed to take advantage of it! Kang Oh moved without hesitation, aiming for its pink flesh. Shaa! The stone lizard, who''d focused entirely on Sephiro, opened its mouth and shot rock shards at Kang Oh. Whoosh! Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura blew away the shards and hit the stone lizard head-on. Bam! Tempest Tiger hit its head, which waspletely encased in rock, so it didn''t do much damage. Whoosh! The skill''s auxiliary effect, the raging whirlwind, didn''t work on it either. Then, Kang Oh pushed through the wind and swung his sword. His target was obviously its uncovered flesh. However, it didn''t show its back to him. It moved its body around and kept shooting shards at him. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way, avoiding the shards, and quickly got back into position. Then, he began his assault. The stone lizard and Kang Oh shed several times within the whirlwind. Whizz! Once the winds died down, Sephiro shot another arrow. The arrow gouged its pink flesh. Kyaa! The lizard''s rock face twisted. ''I just need to draw its attention.'' Instead of attacking its weak point himself, he decided to keep it upied so that Sephiro and Eder could get a clean shot in. It would be a lot easier for the ranged attackers, Eder and Sephiro, to get a hit in. "C''mon, you knucklehead!" Kang Oh provoked it, and kept acting as though he were aiming for its weak point. The stone lizard couldn''t afford to ignore Kang Oh; perhaps it remembered getting hit by his Evesting Darkness. Because of that, Eder and Sephiro were able to strike at its weak point with ease. asionally, the stone lizard would open its mouth and shoot rock shards at Eder or Sephiro, but it didn''t really endanger either of them. Though the stone lizard started with a tremendous amount of HP, constantly striking at its weak point had cut it down to size. In the end, it couldn''t withstand their long-ranged assault. Kang Oh saw how much slower it''d be, and realized that the end was near. However, its eyes suddenly glowed with yellow light. Petrifying Gaze! [You have been affected by Petrifying Gaze.] [Your body has begun stiffening.] ''Damn it!'' Kang Oh had btedly closed his eyes. He felt like his right arm and leg were stiffening. He hadn''t lowered his guard. This was unavoidable, a consequence of fighting a monster that he had no prior knowledge of. Fortunately, Kang Oh hadrades that could cover for his mistakes. "Mr. Kang Oh!" While his eyes were closed, Kang Oh could hear Eder''s voice. At the same time, he felt someone''s presence from behind him. "Please eat this." It felt like something had entered his mouth. Eder had definitely fed him one of his drugs. [You have eaten Cyndria''s Special Recovery Drug.] [Confusion, paralysis, and petrification are undone.] [Your resistance to status ailments has increased.] He could feel his stiff arm and leg again. Kang Oh slightly opened his eyes. He could see a giant bone spear protruding from the stone lizard''s back. [You have defeated a Rock Eating Stone Lizard.] "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. That could''ve been really bad. "Thanks, Eder." "I''m d I brought a few of Cyndria''s Recovery Drugs." Eder had seen its gaze, so his body had stiffened too. He had quickly eaten Cyndria''s Recovery Drug, which was useful in healing status ailments, and threw a huge Bone Spear at the stone lizard. After that, he''d fed Kang Oh and Sephiro the same drug, restoring them to perfect health. "Thank you." Sephiro expressed his gratitude as well. "Petrifying Gaze. It won''t work on me next time," Kang Oh said. Kang Oh kept that information in his head; that stone lizards were capable of using Petrifying Gaze. From now on, whenever he fought one of them, he''d close his eyes as soon as their eyes began to glow. "Yes. Please make sure of that. I didn''t bring that many recovery drugs with me, so I can''t keep using them." "Got it." "Then let''s keep going." Kang Oh''s party continued their exploration. * * * The Rocking Cave only contained rock-type monsters. There were rock lizards, rock spirits, and even ogres. The rock lizards werepletely covered in rocks, while the rock spirits threw boulders at them with arms that were 5 metersrge. Lastly, the ogres were, like the rock lizards,pletely encased in gray rocks. You could beat them all the same way. Attack a single point, break the rock, and attack the pink flesh underneath. That was a weakness that all the rock-type monsters shared. If you attack a single point, then even monsters with outrageously high defense could be defeated. However, every rock-type monster here had a trick up their sleeve, like the rock lizard''s Petrifying Gaze. When their life was in danger, rock spirits would self-destruct, and the rock ogres had two lives, requiring that you kill them twice. "Please attack the area where my arrownds!" Sephiro yelled. "I''ll keep it distracted! Concentrate fire on a single area!" Kang Oh said. "Be careful of its Petrifying Gaze, and don''t forget that the rock spirits can self-destruct!" Eder said. In front of them were two rock lizards, and one rock spirit was behind them. It was chaos. Shrieks and cries, shards and rocks, and arrows and spells came and went. "Focus! Kill the lizards first!" "Yes!" Kang Oh''s party calmly took down one monster at a time. It took quite a long time, but they were able to win regardless. "Let''s move." Kang Oh''s party was back on the move. But a short whileter, Kang Oh froze. "What''s the matter? Is there something here?" Eder asked. "Yeah, that." Kang Oh pointed at the wall. More specifically, to the statue attached to the wall! It was a statue of a boy and a dog. Once he saw it, his Hyper Intuition red; it told him that something was suspicious about the statue, and that there was something more to it! "Is there some sort of secret behind this statue?" Sephiro stroked the head of the boy statue. At the same time, Waryong imitated him, cing its wings on top of the dog statue. Then...! Rumble! The wall, which was attached to the statues, pushed inwards, revealing a passageway somece else! [You are the first to discover the hidden dungeon, Stonemason''s Workroom.] [Fame has increased.] [Hunting in the Stonemason''s Workroom yields twice the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] "W-What is this?" Sephiro was shocked. Why did the entrance of a hidden dungeon suddenly appear? "It seems like touching both statues at the same time opens the door," Kang Oh said. "Ah, I see." Sephiro nodded his head, and patted Waryong''s head. "Good job!" Kyaa, kyaa! Waryong happily opened its wings, basking in Sephiro''s praise. However, the conditions were slightly different than what Kang Oh had described. The entrance to the hidden dungeon would only reveal itself if a master and their pet touched the boy and the dog statue simultaneously. Because Waryong had copied Sephiro''s actions, they were able to satisfy the conditions and open the door. In other words, it was pure luck! "Hehe, let''s go." "Yes." [Entering the dungeon, Stonemason''s Workroom.] There was a stone giant inside. Its skin was tough and gray, wore a Viking helmet on its head, and there was a bushy beard on its face. It held a hammer in one hand, and carried all sorts of crafting tools inside its belt. [You have discovered Stonemason Dragan.] There was a giant dog beside it. The dog, however, wasn''t made of stone. Aside from its huge size, it looked exactly like a Siberian Husky. Grr! It snarled at Kang Oh''s party and bared its teeth. [You are the first to discover Dragan''s Pet, Jet.] The huge dog, Jet, snarled, and then Stonemason Dragan discovered them. Once he saw them, Kang Oh drew Ubist, and Eder and Sephiro prepared for battle. However... "Oh, we have guests?" A familiar, yet friendly voice rang out, as if it hade from the old man next door. Hearing that, Kang Oh''s party lost their will to fight. "Mm, hello. My name is Kang Oh." "My name is Sephiro, and this is Waryong." "I am Eder." "It''s a pleasure. I''m Dragan. As you can see, I''m a stonemason. Anyhow..." Dragan pointed at Kang Oh''s party. "You, do you want to be this dungeon''s master?" They were shocked. ''A dungeon''s master!'' "Are you this dungeon''s final guardian?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right." "Nice!" Kang Oh beamed. ''Wow, another soul dungeon!'' His face filled with excitement, he continued, "I''d like to be the dungeon''s master!" "Not you." "What? Not me? Then who?" "The one over there." Dragan moved his finger slightly. However, his finger was sorge that it was unclear who he was pointing at. "Me?" Eder carefully asked. "No, the one with the young wyvern!" "M-Me?" Sephiro''s eyes widened. ''To think he''d be pointing at me!'' He hadn''t gotten his hopes up, as he''d been with Kang Oh. "Yeah, you." "You want me to be the dungeon''s master?" Sephiro said, looking at him inplete disbelief. "That''s right." "Yes, I''d like that." Sephiro beamed. "Congrattions." Eder patted his shoulder. "Ahem, congrattions." Kang Oh was jealous, but it didn''t matter. Congratting him was amon courtesy. "Thank you." "But why did you choose Sephiro?" Kang Oh asked. "He has a good rtionship with his pet. I wanted to leave this dungeon to someone who treats their pet well." "I see." Kang Oh already owned three soul dungeons, so he knew that the final guardians had different requirements for bing the dungeon''s master. "Here, take this." Dragan pulled out a triangr stone. His hand was sorge that it looked like a millet in his hand. "Aah." Sephiro epted the soul stone; he was absolutely moved. ''I''ve finally be a dungeon''s master!'' Gyaa, gyaa! Its master''s happiness was its happiness. Waryong joyfully danced around. "Hehehe." Dragan looked at the two contentedly and petted hispanion dog, Jet. The giant Siberian Husky began rubbing his face against his hand. "I''ve formally be the dungeon''s master," Sephiro said after receiving a confirmation message. "If you yell ''Dungeon Management'', then the Dungeon Management window will open. With it, you can change the dungeon however you want, look over the dungeon rewards and information, etc.," Kang Oh exined. He owned three of them already, so he knew how they worked. "Dungeon Management!" Sephiro began fiddling around with the window. Then, Kang Oh asked, "So, what are the rewards?" Chapter 331. Hye Rim Switches Things Up

Chapter 331. Hye Rim Switches Things Up

Trantor: Boko Soul dungeons were filled with unique rewards. For example, Moss Cave had the Potion of Explosive Growth, the Beast''s Tower had Violf''s tinum, and the Saul Graveyard had dragon materials. What would the Rocking Stone Cave give? "Money, precious stones, and Acasus''s Book," Sephiro said. "Acasus must be referring to... The Legendary Tamer, Acasus, right?" Kang Oh asked. Acacus was the world''s most powerful and renowned Tamer, who controlled five legendary beasts that were said to equal dragons in strength! "Yes. Acasus''s Book can be used to either increase a pet''s abilities, or teach you a random Tamer skill." While nurturing Waryong, Sephiro asionally visited the Tamer Guild. That''s why he knew so much about Acasus. "That book''s a must-have for a Tamer." "Indeed." "How much do you think it''s worth?" "I''m not sure. I''ll have to figure it out." "Ah, I''m so jealous!" He was jealous that his neighbor just bought somend! And it wasn''t just anynd; it was a soul dungeon! "You already have three soul dungeons." "And I don''t have any," Eder added. "Greedy people always want more." Kang Oh was well aware of how greedy he was. "Anyhow, please take care of me, Mr. Dragan." Sephiro bowed his head. Waryong imitated him, and its head touched the ground. "Let''s be good friends," Dragan said. "Yes!" With this, Sephiro had be a dungeon master, and Kang Oh remained green with envy for quite some time. * * * Jae Woo met with GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol. He was meeting him with regards to his Despia footage. "Have you met with the otherworks yet?" Jin Cheol said confidently. "Yes. VG withdrew their offer, and TGN offered me 1 billion won ($1 million USD). You said you''d offer me more than any otherwork. Do you remember?" Jae Woo said. "Of course. I always offer you my best, Mr. Jae Woo." "Indeed!" Jae Woo quickly chimed in. "How does 1.5 billion won sound ($1.5 million USD)?" "Thank you very much!" Jae Woo sped Jin Cheol''s hands. ''Ah, you sure are generous. Producer, you really are the best!'' "I brought the contract with me. Please sign it right away." Jin Cheol passed him a tablet. All he needed to do in order to formalize the contract was sign it. However, Jae Woo stretched out his hands and stopped him. "One second!" "What''s the matter?" Jin Cheol tilted his head. "Producer Hye Rim told me she was preparing something big. So please let me call her first. I need to hear what she has to say." "Go ahead," Jin replied smoothly. No, he even smiled. He knew what would happen. It didn''t matter what Hye Rim was nning; she wouldn''t be able to offer him more than he could. Jae Woo slightly bowed his head in gratitude and then called Hye Rim. "Yes, Mr. Jae Woo?" Hye Rim picked up almost instantly. "Hello. I''m calling with regards to my Despia footage. I''m speaking with GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol right now. Do you have an offer for me?" Jae Woo went straight to the point. "How much did GBS offer?" "1.5 billion won." "Phew, they sure have a lot of money." "The more money, the better." Jae Woo smiled at Jin Cheol. Jin Cheol replied with a smile of his own. "We have a new offer for you." "Yes, I''m listening." "We''ll give you 1 billion won. However..." "However?" "We''ll give you 10% of the ad revenue!" "Mm. How much will that give me?" Jae Woo wanted a concrete answer. However... "There''s no way to tell. But you have dozens of videos, so the ad revenue from all of them will be considerable." "Mm." Jae Woo nodded his head. She was right; the ad revenue would be huge. "As you know, TGN is thergest gamingwork, and it has the viewership to match; our viewership numbers are even higher than the publicworks. We also get the best ads too. Our average viewership rating is in the double digits." TGN''s average viewership rating was between 10 - 11%. They had a double digit viewership rating despite not being a publicwork! They weren''t the number 1 gamingwork for nothing. "I know. This is TGN''s best offer, right?" "Yes. And please at least take into consideration how unprecedented our offer is. It''s 10% of the ad revenue." Broadcastingpanies made money via advertisements. And yet, TGN was willing to give him a piece of the pie. Which meant they thought very highly of Kang Oh''s footage. Of course, they had to have made a decision like this because they didn''t have nearly as much financial support as GBS. "Yes, I understand. I''ll let you know." "I''ll be waiting." Jae Woo hung up and stared at Jin Cheol. He must''ve overheard his phone call, as he looked extremely worried. "Excuse me... Producer?" "I listened in. They''re willing to give you 10% of their ad revenue?" "Plus 1 billion won." "They''ve raised their offer, so I''ll raise mine. 2 billion won ($2 million USD)! How does that sound?" 2 billion won was the absolute maximum he could offer. "Hmm." Unbeknownst to him, Jae Woo was biting his thumb. That''s how deeply he was thinking about the two offers. ''Which is worth more?'' One reeked of money. The 10% ad revenue! ''People are fascinated with Despia right now, and the story about the Primordial Gods and the Mayanes will garner even more interest. That''ll increase the viewership a fair bit, and the ads will be sold out. Plus, TGN''s viewership is higher than all the rest.'' Jae Woo made his decision. He slightly bowed his head towards Jin Cheol. "My apologies. I''ll have to go with TGN this time." "Please give me a minute. It''s not over yet. Please let me speak with my superiors." "Alright." Jin Cheol stood up. A short whileter, Jin Cheol returned. His expression was quite dark. "Mr. Jae Woo." "Yes?" "Unfortunately, I don''t have a better offer for you." Just now, Jin Cheol had called the director. He exined that TGN was willing to give Jae Woo a portion of their ad revenue. Thus, they needed to give Jae Woo an even better offer. However, the director ordered him to back down. He stated that ''If 2 billion won isn''t enough, then there''s nothing we can do about it. Anymore is too excessive.''. Jin Cheol had tried to convince him, but he failed. "Understood." Jae Woo nodded his head. "I hope your deal with TGN goes well. I''ll see you again at the studio." They shook hands, and Jin Cheol walked out gloomily like the remnants of defeated troops. Jae Woo called Hye Rim back. "What did you decide?" "I''ll sign a contract with TGN." "You made the right choice! Let''s meet immediately and sign a contract." "Understood." After that... Jae Woo and Hye Rim met, formalizing their contract. Several dayster, his Despia footage was shown to the world one by one. He heard that VG and GBS signed contracts with the Storm Guild. Apparently, they nned on life streaming their exploration too. With this, the top 3 gamingworks began showing footage and news regarding Despia. * * * Dream Girl. Jae Woo picked up his phone. He checked the caller and smiled. "Yes?" he said softly. Eder and Sephiro had never heard that tone of voice from him before. "Oppa," Soo Ah said. Her voice was beautiful; it must be a singer thing. "Yura?" Jae Woo yed dumb. "Who''s Yura!?" she said angrily. Jae Woo could imagine her face red with anger. "My younger sister." "That''s not funny!" "Sorry. But the only girls I love are my little sisters and you." "Really?" "Yeah." "Heh, I have a lot of male friends. Do you know how many good looking juniors or trainees we have at ourpany?'' "What!? This won''t do. I gotta keep you somewhere safe. So that you can''t meet anyone." "Kidnapping and imprisonment are huge crimes." "If you actually cheat on me, then I won''t let you off the hook." Half joke, half truth. "If you cheat on me, then I''m going to scratch your face. You''ll be so embarrassed that you won''t be able to show your face," Soo Ah replied. "Sure!" "Same goes for me. If you find me cheating on you, then you can do whatever you want!" "Hoo. But I''m seriously kind of worried. You''re a female idol. Moreover, you''re really popr too. A lot of guys ask you out, right?" "I won''t lie to you." "See?" "But I turn them all down, so don''t worry. I''m a loyal girl!" "I''m a loyal guy too! It''s not like there are any girls to have an affair with here anyway." "What a nice ce." "Right?" "Hehe. It''s nice to talk to you." "You''re crazy busytely, aren''t you?" "I am." Her group, Triple Lower, had released their third album, so they were busy appearing on music programs, talent shows, etc. "Are you done for today?" Jae Woo checked the clock. It was nine o''clock at night. "No, I''m just taking a quick break in-between the shoot." "You''re still shooting? It''s nine o''clock." "There''s still a long way to go." "That much longer?" "Yes." "Aw, must be tough." "I''m ok!" Soo Ah said enthusiastically. Jae Woo slightly bit his lip. She was definitely putting up an act. He heard that she only slept two or three hours when an album was released, and focused entirely on her schedule. Soo Ah was probably doing the same this time too. There''s no way she wasn''t tired! "Where are you right now? I''ll be right there!" ''I''ll go over and give you a big hug!'' "I''m ok," Soo Ah said. "Where are you?" "I''m fine." "Why!? You don''t want to see me?" That made him sad. "I''m busy working. I won''t be able to concentrate if youe and visit me! How are you going to get into the broadcasting station? If youe, then I''ll have to tell my manager too. It''ll be reallyplicated then," Soo Ah said t out. "But still..." Jae Woo said sullenly. Soo Ah reasoned with him. "We can see each other every day once I''m done promoting our album." "When will you be done?" "In about 2 weeks." "Ahem, I got it." "I''ll have to get going now. The shoot''s starting again." "Good luck!" "Hehe, thank you!" Click. He hung up,id on his bed, and stared at the ceiling. Then, he picked himself up and messaged someone. * * * Two in the morning. The shoot was finally over. "Good work." "Good job." Triple Lower''s Soo Ah, Hyo Min, and Lee Seol said farewell to the director, staff, and the other cast members. "Good job." "Yes, thank you for all your hard work, Producer!" "You too, Director!" "Let''s go, kids." Their manager came over and took them out. "Hoo, we''re finally done." The youngest, Lee Seol, stretched out. "You all did good. Let''s go home." "Ah, Unni," Hyo Min suddenly said. "What is it?" "While Soo Ah was out, her father called. He asked if it was ok toe here and see her. I told him it was ok." "Ah, is that so?" "Yes. He''s on the 2nd floor underground parking lot." "My dad''s here?" Soo Ah tilted her head. ''Why''s he here?'' "So go on. He said he''d see your face and then take you home. Is that alright with you, Unni?" "Sure." "Then I''ll be going first." Soo Ah left before everyone else. "Let''s go too." Their manager stood in front. Then, Lee Seol poked Hyo Min''s side. ''Is it that Oppa?'' Lee Seol moved her lips without actually saying anything. Hyo Min replied with a smile. Chapter 332. Beautiful Day

Chapter 332. Beautiful Day

Trantor: Boko Soo Ah went to the 2nd floor basement parking garage and looked for her father''s car. Then... Vroom! Soo Ah flinched at the sudden revving of the engine. She looked for the source of the noise, and then her eyes widened. "Oppa?" For some reason, Jae Woo was here. ''Why are you here?'' Jae Woo approached her. "You''re not happy to see me?" "I am!" Soo Ah replied automatically. "Then give me a big hug." Jae Woo opened his arms wide. Now Soo Ah realized what was going on. Hyo Min had lied to their manager, iming that Soo Ah''s father hade to visit her so that Jae Woo could see her. "Aah, my arms are starting to hurt." Jae Woo began to lower his arms. Soo Ah took a quick look around, confirming that no one was here, and then jumped into his arms. "Oppa! Why are you here?" She snuggled into his arms. "I wanted to see you." "Oh. I like the sound of that. Say it again." "I came because I wanted to see you." "This is why having a boyfriend is so nice!" "So it''s only beneficial at times like this?" "No. I like it all the time." "You must''ve had a tough time today. You usually refuse to drop the honorifics, but you''re not using them now." Normally, Soo Ah would speak with Jae Woo formally. However, she was speaking to him very naturally, as if she were speaking to a same-age friend right now. She must''ve gotten much morefortable with him. That''d be nice... Jae Woo held her tight. "You don''t... like it?" Soo Ah looked up and asked. "No, just talk like this all the time." "Ok." "You''re not just saying that are you? I don''t want to see that formal talk next time we meet." "I won''t anymore. Did Hyo Min Unni help you?" "Yeah. I told her that I wanted to see you, and she agreed to help me. She''s the reason I was able to meet with you! I have to thank herter." "Yeah." "Anyhow, were you surprised I came?" "I was!" "Want me to surprise you even more?" "How?" Jae Woo let go of her and grabbed her hand. "Tada!" Jae Woo pointed at his silver car. "This is my car." "Your car? Did you get your license?" "Of course." "When?" "In secret." Jae Woo had kept both his license and his car a secret from her. So that he''d be able to show up with his new car and take her by surprise! "Are you surprised?" "Yeah. But it''s not more surprising than youing here instead of my dad." "Well, I guess there''s no beating that." "I was stunned." "Looks like my n worked. Anyhow, please get in." Jae Woo politely opened the passenger seat door. "Thank you." Soo Ah slightly bowed her head in respect, and sat inside. Jae Woo sat in the driver''s seat and was about to put her seat belt on for her, but she raised her hands. "That''s enough. Putting on my seat belt for me is too much." "Is it? I see all the guys do it in the dramas." "That''s why they''re called dramas." "Then let''s act like we''re in a drama." Despite her protests, Jae Woo leaned to the side and pulled on her seat belt, but it didn''t budge. "See? Dramas and real life arepletely different." Soo Ah smiled, softly pushed him away, and put on her seat belt. "And a man''s not supposed to do everything for a woman. Being excessive is as bad as doing too little!" "Yes, I understand." "Alright then, Mr. Driver. Please show me your driving skills." She pretended like she was raising her sses, and then crossed her arms. "Please leave it to me." It hadn''t been long since he''d gotten his license; he was definitely a novice driver! However, he would drive his mother to and from work in the morning and the afternoon. Plus, he''d practice asionally too, so his driving wasn''t that bad. "Let''s go!" The silver car drove smoothly across the road. * * * Kang Oh drove across the Gangbyeon Expressway. He couldn''t keep her for too long, as her schedule was packed tomorrow, so he nned on giving her a night view of Seoul and the areas around the Hangang River. "It''s beautiful," Soo Ah whispered, as she looked outside the window. Nighttime in Seoul. The city''s colorful lights illuminated the darkness! Most people were asleep already, so the silence only made it seem even more beautiful. "Want to listen to some music?" Jae Woo asked. "Sure. I''ll choose. I feel like you''ll just pick one of my songs." "Hehe, how did you know?" "Jeez." A calming foreign song yed on her phone. "How is my driving, Miss?" "Good for a beginner... Yawn." Soo Ah smiled and then covered her mouth. "If you''re tired, you can just recline the seat andy down." "Ok." Soo Ah hadn''t had a good night''s rest for a few days now. Thebination of the calming music, the reclining seat, the beautiful view, and Jae Woo''s so-so driving (not bad for a beginner), caused her to fall asleep rather quickly. Jae Woo drove slower, and selected Soo Ah''s amodations on his GPS. He obviously put it on mute! ''Thank you, Ms. Hyo Min.'' He thanked Hyo Min again, as she''d sent him where they were staying beforehand. Jae Woo drove even more carefully, not wanting to wake Soo Ah. How much time had passed? His car finally stopped in front of their living quarters. However, Soo Ah was still sleeping. It was quiet, but she was definitely snoring. She was in such a deep sleep that she probably wouldn''t wake up if someone carried her. Soo Ah was so cute that Jae Woo decided to just watch her for a little bit. However, he couldn''t keep her here. She had things to do tomorrow, so it''d be better for her to sleep in her own bed. Ultimately, Jae Woo softly shook her. "Soo Ah, we''re here." "Mm." Soo Ah opened her heavy eyelids halfway, wiped her mouth, and stretched out. She looked around vacantly, but when she noticed Jae Woo, she spoke hoarsely. "Oppa." "We''re here. Go on in and go to sleep." "Huh?" Soo Ah looked around again. She blinked her eyes a few times and stroked his cheek. "Thanks for today." "No problem." "I won''t be able to see you for a while." Her schedule was packed for the foreseeable future; until her work promoting her album was finished, no, until it was almost finished, she wouldn''t be able to see him. And it''s not like Jae Woo could surprise her like this every day. "I don''t want to go." "But you have to." Soo Ah closed her eyes and slightly pushed her face in. Jae Woo automatically closed his eyes and their lips touched. * * * The next day. "Mm." Jae Woo opened his drowsy eyes and touched his lips. His kiss with Soo Ah felt like a dream. ''Did I really kiss her?'' It felt so unreal to him that he doubted it even happened. However, he could still feel her soft lips on his own. ''I really did!'' Jae Woo clenched his fists and rolled around atop his bed. "Big Brother, what are you doing?" Yura, who''d coincidentally passed by, saw his antics and looked concerned. "I-It''s nothing!" Jae Woo quickly replied. "Have you lost your mind? If you''re sick, then go to the hospital." "I''m fine." ''Phew, she''s so insensitive. She could''ve just left me alone. The mood''spletely ruined.'' Jae Woo rubbed his lips again and stood up. He was about to message Soo Ah ''Good Luck!'', but felt too embarrassed and thought against it. "Guess I''ll go exercise." Jae Woo changed into a tracksuit, and wore a thick jacket over it. He left his house, and returned sometimeter. "Oh, that''s right. Today''s the day." Yesterday was so memorable that he''dpletely forgotten. Today''s the day that Snow Flower attempted the Spider Queen, Benolov raid. He''d been outside, so he hadn''t seen it, but Jin Cheol had already sent him Snow Flower''s live stream code. Jae Woo immediately turned on hisputer and inputted her live code. Snow Flower appeared on the screen; she was not only the only woman on the program, but the leader of the Breaker Guild''s Leopard Squad. Jae Woo carefully examined her equipment. ''Is that the Reaper of Souls? It does look simr.'' The Reaper of Souls was a greatsword, but the sword she was wielding was a one-handed sword. However, she was definitely wearing the Galmoss set. What would be the point of wearing the Galmoss set if you weren''t going to wield the Reaper of Souls? That would be ridiculous. The Galmoss set wasn''t good enough to wear on its own. ''I guess I''ll find out.'' Anyhow, Snow Flower was apanied by three other people. Two of them were high rankers from the Breaker Guild, and thest was someone he was unfamiliar with. "It''s one o''clock sharp. Let''s get going." Her team, which consisted of only four people, entered Croc Mountain. As always, the Spider Queen sniped them from afar. Marco and Strong Punch had opted to use shields to protect themselves from her long-range fire. Snow Flower wielded a shield, so the arrows wouldn''t get through. However, her teammates didn''te with any shields. Instead, they swung their swords and deflected the arrows. Once the barrage of arrows ended, monster spiders the size of bulls appeared, preventing their advance. Snow Flower swung her one-handed sword. It passed right through their hard exoskeletons. "That is the Reaper of Souls!" Jae Woo yelled in disbelief. How did it be a one-handed sword? ''She remodeled it.'' There weren''t many cksmiths skilled enough to remodel a weapon like the Reaper of Souls into a one-handed sword. To his knowledge, only six people could do it; five NPC Master cksmiths and one yer. The yer was called the Remodeling Master and was ranked 9th; God Hand, Arthand! He wasn''t sure who did it for her, but the Master cksmith had definitely remodeled it properly. Snow Flower was skilled, so putting such an overpowered weapon into her hands exponentially increased herbat ability. The monster spiders would obviously be no match for her. They couldn''t even slow her down, and died helplessly before her de. "Move." Snow Flower and her team quickly climbed up to the tip of the mountain where the Spider Queen, Benolov was located. Eventually, they encountered the Spider Queen and the Spider Brothers. Jae Woo sped his hands in prayer. ''Please fail!'' That''s the only way he''d get his chance. Snow Flower and one of her teammates rushed at the Spider Queen. The remaining high rankers fought the Spider Brothers one on one. Like with every other attempt thus far, the start was rather easy. The Spider Queen shot her arrows, and the Spider Brothers would only use physical attacks. They''d also periodically shoot spider webs onto the ground, and monster spiders would pop out of the forest! Since Snow Flower''s team was so small, not many monster spiders spawned. Thus, Snow Flower would instantly kill the monster spiders whenever they appeared, and then return to attacking the Spider Queen. ''Mm. The Reaper of Souls!'' The Spider Queen''s lower body consisted of eight spider legs, while her upper body was that of a woman''s, except that it was covered by ck fur. Her lower body was incredibly tough, as it was covered by a spider''s exoskeleton, so yers would usually focus on her upper body instead. However, avoiding all eight of her legs and aiming for her upper body wasn''t an easy task. Snow Flower chose to focus on the Spider Queen''s lower body instead. In other words, she attacked her spider legs. It was only possible because she wielded such an overpowered sword. Who cares how tough her exoskeleton was? The Reaper of Souls passed through everything. However... ''Is it because it was remodeled? Or is it her skill? The Reaper of Souls doesn''t seem nearly as powerful as when Galmoss used it.'' When Galmoss had used it, the Reaper of Souls had been outrageously powerful. Defending against it was impossible, and even getting grazed by it would do a ton of damage. However, Snow Flower had hit the Spider Queen several times already, yet Benolov didn''t seem to have taken much damage. ''Eh, she can''t use it properly.'' However, he was too quick to judge her. Sometimeter... Jae Woo gaped. Chapter 333. Snow Flower

Chapter 333. Snow Flower

Trantor: Boko The Spider family possessed a unique ability. If one of the three (the Spider Queen or the two Spider Brothers) was severely weakened, then the other two would be much, much stronger. Thus, Snow Flower wasn''t swinging the Reaper of Souls with her full strength. If she''d used the Reaper of Soul''s full power, then Benolov''s HP would drop rapidly, empowering the two Spider Brothers. This would only put her teammates in danger. Due to her efforts, the Spider Queen and the Spider Brothers'' HP had dropped below 30%. None of them had be empowered. Not only that, but only about half the floor was covered in spider webs. Contrary to Strong Punch''s slow and steady approach, Snow Flower''s approach was both safe and quick. At that moment... Kuhaahk! A roar rang out, and out came the Spider Consort, Adxion. "I''ll take care of Adxion. Everyone else, keep fighting the Spider Queen and the Spider Brothers." Snow Flower gave her orders and then rushed at Adxion. She finally began to use her full strength against him. Bam! Bam! Bam! She put everything she had into her attacks. Whenever she swung her sword, Adxion would grimace in pain and stagger. Since he''d been hit by it before, Jae Woo knew what''d happen when that sword hit you. It was an unpleasant feeling, as if all the strength in your body was drained away. It wasn''t called the Reaper of Souls for nothing. It had its downsides though. While its offensive capabilities were unmatched, it left the wielderpletely open to attacks. Although the sword bypassed everything, it allowed everything to go through it too. Snow Flower''s shield covered the sword''s weakness, and her ss, Knight, allowed her to proficiently wield shields. ''As expected of her. She''s not called one of the best female yers for nothing.'' Snow Flower wasn''t much different from the Numbers in terms of her sense, her swordsmanship, and her explosive attack power. Then again, she was pretty high up there. She was ranked 12th. She had the potential to enter the Numbers if she was given the opportunity. Anyhow, Snow Flower rapidly lowered Adxion''s HP with her sword. Jae Woo sped his hands again. ''Please fail!'' Were his prayers answered? The Spider Queen, Benolov, consecutively used her most annoying skill, Reaper''s Rain. This skill unleashed dozens of arrows into the air. The arrows, which were shaped like a spider''s leg, flew into the air, and then rapidly plummeted to the ground via gravity. Their power was absolute! They could pierce right through steel shields. Thus, Reaper''s Rain had to be avoided at all costs. But because Benolov didn''t have much HP left, she used the skill consecutively as ast-ditch effort. A shower of arrows filled the screen. Since the Spider Brothers didn''t have much HP either, they also used their most powerful attacks: Whirlwind sh and Earth Smash. Fortunately, the Spider Queen and Spider Brothers were so busy using their most powerful attacks that they hadn''t had the chance to spread more spider webs on the floor. Plus, Adxion didn''t possess any particrly destructive skills. Anyhow, it was chaos; the word ''intense'' definitely fit here. Jae Woo wasn''t sure who would win. He watched the screen while sping his hands, hoping that Snow Flower would fail. At that moment... "Use our secret weapon!" Snow Flower yelled. Despite how grim things seemed, her team all pulled out a hand mirror from their inventories. ''What are those?'' "Oh light, give our strength to ourpanion!" The three yers pointed their hand mirrors at Snow Flower and yelled. Then, the mirrors radiated yellow light and shined on Snow Flower. Once the light dissipated, the mirrors began to crack. At the same time, the three yers fell t on their faces. In an instant, Snow Flower had lost all three of her teammates. Whereas the severely weakened Benolov, Adxion, and Spider Brothers were still alive. It looked absolutely hopeless for her! However, Jae Woo felt like she''d win regardless. Her teammates hadn''t sacrificed themselves for nothing. It went as Jae Woo had anticipated. The light had increased her strength significantly. It was as if she''d used Gluttony! Whenever she swung her sword, a pir of light would be unleashed from her sword, sweeping through the Spider family. She unleashed the same attack consecutively, killing the weakened Spider Brothers. "Guaahk!" "Kuhahk!" After that, Adxion fell to his knees. Thud! The Spider Queen, Benolov, shot her spider webbed arrows at Snow Flower in a desperate attempt to kill her. However, Snow Flower didn''t let her teammates'' deaths be in vain. Honorable Sword of Victory! She used the Knight ss''s secret skill. The Reaper of Souls changed shape into a legendary de that showered her allies in the joy of victory, and brought defeat and despair to her enemies! Whoosh! Bam! She shed the center of Benolov''s body. Guaaahk! At that moment, Benolov, known as the Grim Reaper''s Sniper and the Spider Queen, had finally been killed. Jae Woo looked on in despair. "No!" 150 million won ($150,000 USD) had just gone down the drain. * * * First Hunter continued three days after Snow Flower''s sessful hunt. GBS needed to give Snow Flower her reward, and also reveal the next monster. "Yes! Hello, viewers. I''m GBS''s MC, Jeon Seong Gook." As always, Seong Gook started the show enthusiastically. "They did it again! Benolov, known as the Grim Reaper''s Sniper, the Death Bringing Spider, and the Spider Queen, as well as her family, have been killed! At the hands of one of our great hunters no less! Now then, who performed such a great feat? They are none other than..." Seong Gook turned around and pointed at Snow Flower. The studio''s cameras all focused on her. "She''s an executive of the Breaker Guild, and just recently went up to rank 11. She''s also considered the most skilled swordswoman in Arth, and is alsopared to the Witch of Annihtion, Helena! Give it up for Snow Flower!" Seong Gook yelled at the top of his lungs. p, p, p. Thepetitors began apuding her. However, Marco and Strong Punch looked bitter. It was only natural. They had failed, and were forced to apud the victor. Failure was indeed a bitter pill to swallow. On the other hand, Jae Woo''s face was covered by a helmet, so it wasn''t shown. However, he was grimacing with disappointment. Snow Flower smiled brightly and waved her hand. Once the apuse died down, Seong Gook approached her. "Congrattions on killing the Spider Queen, Benolov." "Thank you." Snow Flower slightly bowed her head. "It''s time to give you your prize. We''ll ask you how you prepared for the battle, and your feelings about it a littleter." Jin Cheol brought out a 007 bag, the same one that Jae Woo had been given before. "Here you go. 150 million won is inside." "I''ll use it well." "Our bodyguards will keep it safe for you. We''ve also prepared a car for you," Jin Cheol said. "Alright." Snow Flower beamed, and passed the bag to a bodyguard. Once they were finished, Seong Gook approached her. "I have so many questions for you, Ms. Snow Flower. I hope you answer them sincerely, unlike someone I know." Seong Gook stared at Jae Woo. "Go ahead." "How do you feel about defeating a monster that no one has ever beaten before?" "Mm, I obviously felt great. I was worried that I''d fail. However..." Seong Gook kept asking her question after question, and Snow Flower kept answering them with a smile on her face. "Even till the very end, we weren''t sure who''d win. But all of a sudden, your teammates pulled out mirrors and shot light at you. Could you tell us what those mirrors were, and what effect they had?" Seong Gook asked. Jae Woo, who''d been listening inattentively thus far, now paid serious attention. He wanted to know what the hand mirrors were too. "They are items that can be bought from the Church of Light using contribution points." "Hoh, what kind of effect do they have?" "They contain a sacrificial spell inside. It''s a one-time use item." "A sacrificial spell?" "One that sacrifices your life to transfer a portion of your power into another. You can also sacrifice your life to create a miracle. I used the former effect." "Aha, so that''s why you became several times stronger." "Yes." The other contestants'' eyes gleamed. If used properly, then the hand mirror could explosively increase their power like it did with Snow Flower. "However, this buff onlysts for 5 minutes. And it alsoes at a huge cost, so I''d rather use it sparingly." "What kind of cost?" "It costs stats. It takes 10 points." "10 points? The same points that you only get 3 of from each level up?" "Yes." "It onlysts 5 minutes, so ites at a heavy price." "Nothing in the world is free, right?" "Indeed." After that, Seong Gook asked her a few more questions, and Snow Flower sincerely answered them all. "Now then, let''s give Ms. Snow Flower another round of apuse!" p, p, p! "It''s time to reveal the next monster. Everyone, please take a look at the giant screen." Seong Gook pointed at the monitor. Drum roll! The video yed with a strong beat. There was a giant, soaring tower. It was so tall that the top couldn''t be seen; it waspletely obscured by the clouds. ''The Tower of Trials!'' Jae Woo recognized it immediately. The other contestants did too. After all, it was incredibly famous. The video continued. Those entering the tower went up floor after floor. But different monsters appeared on every floor, and they gradually became stronger too. The yers began dying one or two at a time, and at some point, no one was left. No one knew how many floors this tower had! Why, you ask? Because no one had ever made it to the top floor! Someone had once said that a dragon probably lives at the top. Another had said that the top was a gateway to another world. But these were all assumptions. They weren''t founded in reality at all. Despite that, people still tried to get up to the top. Like mountain climbers, who climbed mountains just because they could. This was the Tower of Trials! "The Tower of Trials is next!" Seong Gook dered. Chapter 334. Tower of Trials

Chapter 334. Tower of Trials

Trantor: Boko Once he heard that there was money on the line, Marco raised his hand. "What exactly do you want us to do?" "That''s a good question. Whoever gets to the highest floor will be rewarded." The contestants were locked in thought. "Now, shall we see how much the reward is?" Seong Gook pointed at the huge screen. Ding! Ding! The number zero quickly began to rise. In the blink of an eye, the number passed 100 million won, and stopped at 200 million won ($200,000 USD). "200 million won!" It was worth more than Galmoss or Benolov. "The current record holder is Mr. Bart. He has reached the 49th floor. And the boss that even Mr. Bart wasn''t able to defeat was the 50th floor''s Doppelganger." In the Tower of Trials, a yer would face a boss monster every 10 floors. The 50th floor''s boss was the Doppelganger. A Doppelgangerpletely mimicked another person; their face, abilities, skills, weapons/armor, etc.! Even Bart hadn''t been able to defeat the Doppelganger. No other yer had beaten it either. Although it wasn''t like Galmoss or Benolov, who were notorious for ughtering countless yers, the Doppelganger was a monster that hadn''t been killed yet. "I wonder if any of our great hunters will defeat the Doppelganger and reach the 51st floor? If they do, what floor will they get to? I''m sure our viewers are all curious." "I have a question," Strong Punch said. "Yes?" "So do you get the 200 million for killing the Doppelganger?" "No. Whoever goes the farthest will receive the reward." "Then what if all of us can''t get past the Doppelganger? In other words, what if all of us get stuck on the 49th floor? Will you still give us the reward for that?" "Of course. However, the reward will be split four ways." "So even if we kill the Doppelganger, the reward is split if we end on the same floor," Strong Punch said. "Exactly. This time, someone will be paid no matter what. However, you may have to share your reward with someone else," Seong Gook said. "Understood." "The Tower of Trials is a spatiotemporal intersection point, so you will all start on the same day, at the same time. That''s the only way it''ll be fair!" A spatiotemporal intersection point was just another word for an instant dungeon. In other words, one person, one dungeon. "Does everyone understand?" Seong Gook looked around. No one raised their hands or shook their heads. "Good. You will start this Sunday at noon." It was Monday, so they had six days to prepare. And... "So we''ll be attempting the tower right after it resets," Snow Flower said. "Exactly! The tower resets every Sunday at noon. New traps form, and their locations change. Of course, the monsters on each floor change as well. The only thing that doesn''t change is the boss every 10 floors." "Sounds fun." Strong Punch looked over his fellow contestants and smiled. "I have one more question." Strong Punch raised his hand. "Go ahead." "It doesn''t matter how much time we take, right?" "Oh, right. I forgot to mention that. Thank you for reminding me, Mr. Strong Punch! The floor you end on 24 hours after entering will be your record." "Is there anything else you''ve forgotten?" Marco asked. "Let''s see here..." Seong Gook looked over his cue cards and nced at Jin Cheol too. Jin Cheol nodded his head. "I''ve told you everything you need to know. If there''s anything I missed, then our production crew will contact youter." "Understood." Marco clenched his fist. He vowed to show what he was made of this time. "Viewers, please look forward to our hunters'' ascent up the Tower of Trials! I''ll see you next time. Thank you very much!" Seong Gook wrapped up with a closing statement. With it, the shoot was over. * * * The Tower of Trials was located on top of the Phamas Mountains, or the Continent''s Roof. Kang Oh had, however,e here before the time of his shoot. ''Seeing something once is better than hearing about it 100 times. And experiencing it once is better than seeing it 100 times.'' Kang Oh, who''d finished gathering info on the Tower of Trials, hade here to experience the Tower of Trials for himself. "Hoo, I can''t beat the 40th floor''s boss." "Yeah. If I just got past him, then I feel like I''d reach the 45th floor!" "Those traps are seriously a pain!" There were several people in front of the entrance. People who craved a challenge woulde to the Tower of Trials. Some people were even called Towergoers. They kepting back to the tower, trying to get to a higher floor than before. Anyhow, Kang Oh had changed into extremely inconspicuous clothing, which kept him from being noticed. He pushed through the crowd and approached the tower. The tower was huge. The clouds obscured the top, so it couldn''t be seen, and it was much wider than most pces. Obviously, the entrance was huge too! It was alsopletely open. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Tower of Trials.] Slimes, the lowest rank monsters, appeared on the 1st floor. He didn''t even need to use his sword against them. He just swung his arms a few times and they were dead. nk. Once he killed a Melon Slime, which was about double the size of the others, a key fell to the floor. [2nd Floor Key] Opens the door to the Tower of Trials'' 2nd floor. A key was needed in order to progress to the next floor. Kang Oh opened the door to the 2nd floor. The location of this door was fixed. Even though the tower was reset every week, the door would always be in the same ce. Kang Oh memorized the location of the door, and headed for the next floor. He got up to the 30th floor in a sh. Floors 1 through 10 contained monsters below level 100. Floors 11 through 30 contained monsters that were between level 100 and level 300. They didn''t give him much experience, nor did they drop anything worth noting. It truly wasn''t a good hunting ground. Grr! The 30th floor''s boss was a giant dog that resembled a Doberman. However, it had three heads instead of one. It was called Twipper. It was basically a weakened version of the Cerberus, the three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. The Cerberus still hadn''t appeared in Arth yet. In any case, it was around level 300. Kang Oh pummeled it with Demon Sword Blood, and soon enough, it fell to the floor and dropped a key. Floors 31 to 40 were a breeze. After all, the monsters were nothingpared to the ones he fought on a daily basis in the Goddess''s Land. However, Kang Oh still had to be wary of the traps. If he made one misstep, then there''d be nothing left of him. Arth yersmonly said this. Beginners die to monsters, while experts die to traps. It was basically the shared belief that traps were more dangerous than monsters. Anyhow, Kang Oh reached the 40th floor, and was greeted by an entity that spewed red lightning everywhere. Mad Lightning Spirit, Parniac! It was by no means weak. After all, it could freely wield powerful lightning. However, the matchup was terrible. Demon Sword Ubist was capable of cutting through spirits! Moreover, it was a Lightning Spirit. Take a look at the Draka set''s special ability! [4 Set Effect: Reduces damage done by lightning skills/spells by 90%. Also reduces fire, water, wind, ice, and earth damage by 30%.] It was almost impossible to kill him with lightning. ''Too easy.'' Kang Oh grinned. Kieeek! As expected, Kang Oh easily defeated the 40th floor boss, Parniac. The 41th floor was where things started to get hard; level 400 monsters started to appear. ''This is where things get tough.'' The monsters weren''t simply high level monsters either. They were smarter, possessed dangerous characteristics, or used powerful skills. Also, they knew how to use thend to their advantage, and they even attempted to lure him into traps. Kang Oh fought through them, saving Gluttony and Devil Trigger for when he needed them most. Fighting such powerful monsters without his power-ups forced him to ascend much slower than before, but he didn''t stop. Finally, he''d reached the 50th floor! * * * He saw the Doppelganger. It was a ck mass, resembling a giant lump of y. But as soon as he appeared, it copied Kang Oh''s form. Kang Oh swung Blood, and it swung Blood back. ng! The two des shed in midair. However, Kang Oh was slightly pushed back. "Mm." If the Doppelganger merely copied its enemy''s abilities, then people would''ve beaten it by now. However, it didn''t simply copy its enemy; it ''made a copy that transcended the original''. When it copied its enemy''s abilities, it strengthened them in the process. In other words, say Kang Oh''s power is a 1. When it copies Kang Oh''s abilities, it strengthens them, giving it a power of 1.5. That was why Kang Oh had been pushed back. "How about this!?" Kang Oh tried all sorts of tricks. Switch! He swapped from Blood to Ubist. Then, the Doppelganger returned to a ck mass, and transformed into Kang Oh once more. This time, however, it was wielding Ubist instead of Blood. ''Tch.'' He tried using Devil Trigger too. As expected, it was capable of copying Devil Trigger too. Then, he tried using skills that were only usable during Devil Trigger. Abyss w! s, it could use it too. Abyss w! The two jet-ck auras shed in midair, but the Doppelganger''s pushed through and came flying at Kang Oh. Its Abyss w was definitely stronger than his. Kang Oh retreated, dodging the Abyss w, and switched back to Blood. His body was covered in red now, not ck, andpletely assumed the form of the Red Demon. Then, the Doppelganger used Switch, and swapped to Blood! It had, like him, transformed into a red winged demon. ''How about item effects!?'' Red Butterfly''s Dance. Whenever he moved, he left behind an afterimage. However, the Doppelganger used Red Butterfly''s Dance too. The two of them swung at each other, but they missed every time. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue, and used Gluttony on a mass-produced sword. His body radiated jet-ck darkness, and all of his abilities were doubled! ''It shouldn''t be able to copy this!'' However, the Doppelganger returned to its original form, and then copied Kang Oh again. "Damn it." Since it had doubled in strength, there wasn''t much he could do. Ultimately, he attacked a few more times and then retreated. "Hmm." He couldn''t immediately think of a way to beat it. Nothing said ''This is it!'' in his mind. He also didn''t have anything else he could try either. "This''ll be all for today." Kang Oh ripped a return scroll. Silver powder glittered around him, and his body became fainter and fainter. Since it''d lost its target, the Doppelganger returned to its original form. * * * There was no monster that couldn''t be defeated! That was true of the Doppelganger too. It''s just that Kang Oh hadn''t found a way to beat it yet. ''I need to gather some information first.'' Kang Oh sent a message. - Mr. Bart! The Genius Gamer, Bart! He''d fought the Doppelganger before. Unlike him, who''d wanted to see what it was made of, Bart had fought it with everything he had! Thus, Bart must have more information on it than he did. However, Bart didn''t reply back. Kang Oh sent him another message. - Mr. Bart. This time, he got a message back. -? - What are you doing? - Hunting. - May I see you? - Busy. Seeing as how he wasn''t giving him full sentences, he must be in the middle of battle. - Let''s meetter. - K. That evening, Kang Oh met with Bart. Chapter 335. Kang Oh vs. Bart (1)

Chapter 335. Kang Oh vs. Bart (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh reserved a room at Viyoom Inn, a ce he visited when he needed to meet people, and invited Bart there. Once it was time, the door opened and Bart came inside. The Genius Gamer and Crazy Highschooler, Bart! He was ranked 6th amongst the Numbers. Since he was a famous individual, he came in wearing sunsses. "It''s been a while." Kang Oh extended his hand. "Indeed." "Please sit over here." Bart sat down, and Kang Oh passed him some fruit juice he''d prepared beforehand. "Please drink this." "Thank you." Bart smiled slightly and drank the juice. "Kyaha, this is great!" He wiped his lips with the back of his hand and stared at Kang Oh. "So, what do you need?" "I have a question for you," Kang Oh said. "What kind of question?" "The Doppelganger on the 50th floor of the Tower of Trials." "Ah, that guy." "Do you know how to beat it?" "Maybe." Bart shrugged his shoulders. Bart hadn''t been able to defeat the 50th floor Doppelganger. He was even televised at the time. However, Kang Oh believed that Bart defeated the Doppelganger after his TV appearance. "It''s already been 3 months since you lost to the Doppelganger." "So?" "Isn''t 3 months plenty of time to go back and kill the Doppelganger?" Bart smirked. ''As expected.'' Once he saw Bart''s smirk, he knew he was right; Bart had already defeated the Doppelganger. "How do you beat it?" "Why do I have to tell you? If you''re that curious, then find out yourself," Bart said. "I already fought the Doppelganger. I couldn''t beat it, so I retreated... I have a rough idea as to what I need to do." "And that is?" "I have plenty of methods I could try. For example, strength inrge numbers. Fight it with a team." The Doppelganger could copy a person''s abilities. When faced with two or more people, it would split itself and copy its enemies. Even so, the Doppelganger could be defeated using abination of good teamwork, focus fire, and a sound n. "Hmm." Bart''s expression clearly said, ''That''s not a bad n.''. "What if you''re alone? If there''s any change in its target, then it reverts to its original form to match that change. You could use that opportunity to strike. There are several other methods out there." "Those sound fine. Why don''t you try them?" Bart said absentmindedly. ''It doesn''t concern me. Do whatever you want.'' "I''m curious as to how you defeated it. And I want to know whether the Doppelganger has anything I should look out for or any unique characteristics." "For free?'' "What do you want in exchange?" "Despia. I saw your footage. It looks like a fun ce. It''s like an amusement park." Bart grinned. "You want way too much in exchange." ''He wants a ticket to Despia in exchange for information on the Doppelganger? No thanks!'' "There''s nothing else I really want. Do you have an item that might interest me?" Bart said. "Let''s have a duel." Kang Oh and Bart had fought twice. The first time they''d fought was as mercenaries in the western grasnds. The second time was when Kang Oh wanted Bart to join his Lich Eclipse raid team. Kang Oh had ''lost'' the first fight. To be more specific, it was clear that Kang Oh was bound to lose, but Bart left before finishing the fight. The second time, Kang Oh fought him to get him on his raid team. Kang Oh won the second match by using Burkan''s secret move, Transcendent de. They were at one win, one loss. "If I win, you''ll take me to Despia?" Bart asked. "But if I win, you give me the information I want, and you owe me a favor. You''ll work for me without pay." "Fine!" Both of them grinned. They were confident that they''d win. * * * There was a giant gymnasium underneath Eder''s mansion that wasn''t often used. A healer like Eder wouldn''t have a use for it! Thus, it''d been a while since anyone hadst been there! This ce had two unexpected guests. It was none other than Bart and Kang Oh. "Alright then, do as you wish." Eder led them to the gymnasium, waved his hand, and then left. The two stood a certain distance apart, and stared at each other. Kang Oh drew Blood. Bart pulled out a small dagger. There was a character inscribed on the dagger, which glowed with purple light. [Bart has challenged you to a duel. Would you like to ept?] [If you ept, the duel will begin immediately.] [Whoever''s HP falls below 10% first will be the loser.] "ept," Kang Oh said curtly. [The duel has begun!] Bart made the first move. His ss was called Creator! It was a hidden ss that allowed him to use various skills/spells, andbine them into a more powerful form. Which meant that he had more ways of attacking from afar than a Demonic Swordsman like Kang Oh! Whir. His dagger glowed with yellow light. Tempest sh! Bart softly swung his dagger, unleashing a sharp, horizontal st of energy. It gradually came closer and closer, but Kang Oh didn''t back down. He took it head-on. "Haahp!" Kang Oh cried out, and swung Blood upwards. Swish! Tempest sh and his swing formed a cross. Then, the Tempest sh glimmered like silver powder and disappeared. Right after, a green ring appeared beneath Kang Oh''s feet. Danger! His feet felt cold, so he immediately kicked off the floor and leapt into the air. Mother Nature''s Prison! It was a basic Dryad spell! Tough vines arose from the circle and attempted to bind him, but it didn''t work. Kang Oh was already in the air. Bart pointed his dagger at him. Light''s Judgment! This was a unique spell that priests of the God of Light, Garuda, used! Iridescent orbs of light fell from the sky. Bam! Kang Oh got hit by the spell and plummeted to the ground. Thump! Once he hit the floor, the gym''s umted dust rose into the air. Bart raised his dagger into the air, and a giant ming spear appeared at the tip. ming Spear! Whoosh! The spear of fire flew right at Kang Oh. Then, Kang Oh suddenly stood up and rolled. Roar! Though mes surged from behind him, he didn''t let it concern him; he rushed forward, right at Bart! Bart gave up on attacking him again. He realized that it was already toote tounch another ranged attack. Instead, he decided to fight him up close. "Haahp!" Kang Oh, who''d closed the distance, swung Blood. Fast, strong, and precise! It came flying through the air, intent of slicing through Bart. Bart turned his body to the side and avoided his attack. He immediately counterattacked right after. Fatal Move! It was an Assassin skill that tripled one''s damage if they attacked a vital area! Bart''s dagger aimed for Kang Oh''s neck. Kang Oh bent backwards. Swish! Bart''s dagger flew through the air, and Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Bart had exposed his side. This was his weakness. After he used a skill or spell, he exposed himself until he readied his next ability! Kang Oh quickly got back into position and aimed for Bart''s side. sh! A white line followed his de, seemingly cutting through space itself. This attack would definitely work! He''d aimed for a weak point at the exact right time! That''s what Kang Oh thought, at least. However, Bart dodged Kang Oh''s blow by moving as nimbly as a cat, and then backed off. Absolute Evasion! It was an Archer skill that Sephiro asionally used. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh took a step forward and swung his sword diagonally. Tempest Tiger! A giant, imposing, golden tiger rushed at Bart! Boom! It resulted in a giant ''boom'' and created a dust cloud. ''Did it hit him?'' Whoosh. Tempest Tiger''s auxiliary effect, the raging whirlwind, erased the dust cloud and revealed Bart''s form. He was unscathed. It appeared like a transparent veil was protecting him. ''Sacred Shield, huh...'' Sacred Shield had protected him from both the tiger and the whirlwind. Kang Oh and Bart. The two didn''t move and just stared each other down. "This is fun." Bart grinned. Kang Oh followed suit. And... The two shed once more! * * * "I''m going!" Bart began to use his true strength. The Creator ss was capable of fusing different spells and/or skills together! ''Fusion'' was the specialty of the Creator ss. Bart extended his off-hand and formed a fist. Hebined Chi Torpedo, which released chi from one''s fist, with a Mage''s Chain Lightning! Lightning Torpedo! A sphere floated into the air, discharging lightning everywhere! The lightning swept through the gymnasium like a whip, leaving behind ck, scorched marks on the ground. However, Kang Oh ignored the lightning and charged. Crackle! The ferocious lightning hit him. [The Draka set''s special ability has activated.] [Lightning damage has been reduced by 90%.] [HP -3%] Bart furrowed his brow, seeing Kang Oh rush through the lightning like it was nothing. Then, he stomped on the floor. The ground shook, and the floor split. Earthquake + Mother Nature''s Prison! Split Earth''s Prison! Kang Oh staggered, finding it difficult to maintain bnce. Tough vines arose from the cracked earth, which wrapped around his body! Bart prepared a heavy hitter. ming Spear + Light''s Judgment! Judgment of Fire! A giant pir of fire descended upon him. "Ugh!" Kang Oh pulled on the vine, which was wrapped around his arm, and used Switch. Then, he swung Ubist with one hand and cleaved through the me pir. [Ubist has absorbed Judgment of Fire.] [You are currently in a duel, so satiation does not increase.] One''s level and proficiency didn''t increase during a duel. Perhaps that was why Ubist''s satiation hadn''t increased either. Anyhow, it didn''t matter whether his satiation went up or not; he could still absorb magic no problem! The mes were sucked into his jet-ck de like water flowing into a drain. "Tch." Bart clicked his tongue, and Kang Oh closed in, having cut through the vines. "Die!" Kang Oh quickly swung downwards with Ubist, forming a ck arc in the sky. Bart retreated, knowing that he couldn''t defend himself against Kang Oh''s brutal de. However, he''d reacted a bit toote. His chest was cleaved through. Bart gritted his teeth and counterattacked. Steel sh + Quickness! The Swordsman skill, Steel sh,bined with the Archer movement skill, Quickness, created... Swift sh! Bart swung his now silver dagger extremely quickly. Itcked neither speed nor power. At that moment... Kang Oh swung his sword again. Obviously, it was much slower than Bart''s attack. However, the world had slowed. Transcendent de! In many ways, Transcendent de was the upgraded version of Swift sh. In terms of both speed and power! A single sh of light streaked through the air! Kang Oh assumed that Demon Sword Ubist would go right through Bart. However... Bart was the one smiling in the end. His dagger had pierced through his chest, right next to his heart. Kang Oh couldn''t believe it. Chapter 336. Kang Oh vs. Bart (2)

Chapter 336. Kang Oh vs. Bart (2)

Trantor: Boko Something felt off the moment he used Transcendent de. He was back to where he was a second ago, as if he''d been rewound by a remote control. It was quite a bizarre sensation. Despite his actions, he had regressed to be a previous point in time. ''Bart did this!'' he thought. However, he didn''t have the time to think about what exactly he did, or why this happened. Anyhow, Bart''s dagger was embedded in his chest, and he''d taken a significant amount of damage. Bart''s eyes gleamed, unwilling to let go of such a golden opportunity. "Huahp!" Kang Oh fiercely swung his sword. Lightning Breath! A powerful electric st surged from his de. Crackle! Sensing danger, Bart pulled back. At the same time, he pulled out his dagger, causingrge red shards of light to explode from Kang Oh''s body. [You have been hit by a fatal attack.] [HP -22%] [The wounded area will continue to bleed.] [HP will slowly begin to drop.] Sacred Shield! Bart''s off-hand created a shield that emanated faint, golden light. Boom! The lightning st struck the shield. "Ugh." Lightning Breath smashed right through, and whatever was left of it electrified Bart. "Hoo." Bart quickly cast a healing spell on himself. Rising Life! Kang Oh used that opportunity to use Devil Trigger. The Jet-ck Demon had arrived! Seeing Kang Oh''s beast mask and the emanating darkness, Bart smiled. "C''mon!" he yelled arrogantly. Kang Oh horizontally swung his sword. Abyss w! The three-lined aura flew straight at Bart. In response, Bart raised his dagger, its inscription glowing purple. Violent Blow! His dagger unleashed a powerful shockwave! Boom! The aura and shockwave collided, resulting in an explosion. Then, Kang Oh and Bart rushed at each other. Kang Oh precisely swung his de. Bart used various skills or spells, and asionallybined them too. The scale of their battle becamerger andrger, causing an increasing amount of damage to the gym. The walls were cracked everywhere, the floor was split, and there were giant craters too. Their battle was fierce, though neither side was able to finish the other off. Kang Oh was wary of Bart''s new ability, which countered his Transcendent de, while Bart wouldn''t preemptively use his new move. However, the battle was almost over. Kang Oh''s HP was low, while Bart''s MP was almost gone from using so many skills and spells. If Bart''s MP was depleted, then it wouldn''t matter how much HP he had left. Kang Oh''s attacks were too powerful, so his HP would be gone in a sh. Ultimately, they were forced to use their trump cards. Kang Oh pulled out a mass-produced sword from his inventory. Gluttony! Crunch, crunch! Ubist''s darkness munched on the steel sword, and the darkness surrounding Kang Oh''s body intensified. Bart threw away his dagger and opened both of his hands. A sphere of light was gathered in his right hand, and a ck sphere, much like a ck hole, was in his left. Light''s Judgment + Darkness Wave! Bart smashed the two conflicting energies together, fusing them into something new. However, light and darkness didn''t mix. They were like oil and water. Thus, Chi Torpedo was a necessary addition in order to stabilize the fusion. It would act like the case around a nuclear bomb. Whir! The two conflicting energies fused into a yin-yang sphere. Chaos Sphere! The sphere was unstable, so even the slightest contact would make it explode. Bart pushed his hands forward, and the Chaos Sphere slowly floated towards Kang Oh. Kang Oh had seen this ability before. Bart had used it against Lich Eclipse. Thus, he knew just how powerful it was. He gritted his teeth and raised Ubist into the air. His only option was to put everything into his next attack. Evesting Darkness! Tempest Tiger! His de of ck and gold made contact with the Chaos Sphere. A short whileter... Their attacks had formed a vortex. The conflicting energies tangled together and began to violently spin... Boom! Resulting in a giant ''boom'', as well as a massive shockwave that devoured both Kang Oh and Bart. That''s not all...! Rumble! "W-What is that?" Eder yelled. He''d been leisurely reading a book in his room when all of a sudden, his house began to shake! "An earthquake?" He went under his bed. However, the earthquake didn''tst long. It onlysted a few seconds at most. The mansion suddenly stopped shaking, as if it hadn''t happened in the first ce. ''This isn''t an earthquake.'' This was just a hunch. Something else had caused his house to shake. And there was a 99% chance that it was... "Those guys... Seriously!?" Eder furrowed his brow. He thought of the two men he''d led to the underground gymnasium. ''What the hell are they doing in someone else''s house!?'' Eder suddenly stood up and quickly headed underground. * * * Both Kang Oh and Bart''s faces were in the ground. [HP has dropped below 10%. Your opponent''s HP has also dropped below 10%.] [The match ends in a draw.] It was such a relief that this was just a duel. The shockwave had reduced their HP below 10%. Then, the shockwave, which had been strong enough to shake the entire mansion, vanished like snow on a spring day. That''s how it was set up. Once the match was over, anything that happened during the match would disappear. Plus, it was because it was a match that neither Bart nor Kang Oh died. If it weren''t a match, then both of them would''ve died. Of course, Kang Oh would''ve revived via the Cassio Ring, but the shockwave would''ve killed him again. It was also why Eder''s mansion was safe. If it hadn''t been a match, then his mansion would''ve beenpletely demolished. "A draw!? Then what about the bet?" Bart raised his upper body and yelled. "Let''s go again." Kang Oh stood up too. Gluttony was still active. ''So let''s go again! I''ll definitely win this time.'' "Alright!" Bart agreed. "Let''s restore our HP first." Kang Oh pulled a health potion from his belt and threw it at Bart. Then, he drank one down himself. A short whileter... Once they were at tip-top shape, the two got ready to fight again. "Go?" "Go!" [Bart has challenged you to a duel.] [Would you like to ept?] "e..." Before he could finish saying ''ept'', the door opened. "Stop!" Eder yelled. Then, he began talking like a rapid-fire gun. "What do you think you''re doing in my house!? You have absolutely no respect! This isn''t your living room! You hear me!? But what did you say? You want to fight again? Get out! Now!" "It''s a duel, so it''ll be fine..." Kang Oh was interrupted again. "It''ll be fine!? Bullshit! Get out!" Kang Oh and Bart were kicked out of his house. "What do you want to do? Continue this somewhere else?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ve lost all interest." Bart shook his head. "Tch." Kang Oh checked the time left on Gluttony. He only had about 5 minutes left. By the time he found another ce to fight, Gluttony would be over. "Then about the Doppelganger and the Tower of Trials..." "It''s water under the bridge." Bart shrugged his shoulders. "Tch." Kang Oh couldn''t contain his disappointment. Then, he thought of something to ask him. "By the way, how did you block my secret move?" Kang Oh was referring to Transcendent de. This was the first time Transcendent de had been blocked, so he was wondering how Bart had managed to block it. "Secret move? You mean that scary fast sword?" Bart asked. "Yes." "Not telling." Bart''s expression seemed to say, ''I''m not crazy enough to tell you.''. Honestly, Transcendent de had been blocked by another secret move. One exclusive to the Creator ss at that. Rewind! It was an incredible skill that rewound a target by 1 second. If he increased his proficiency, then he''d be able to rewind up to 2 to 3 more seconds. Of course, it cost a ton of MP and had an extremely long cooldown time. Still, there was no better skill to counter Transcendent de, which boasted unparalleled speed. This is the entire reason that he''d epted a duel with Kang Oh. Anyhow, he had absolutely no reason to exin this to Kang Oh. "We''ve fought three times now. 1 win, 1 loss, and 1 draw. Let''s decide things soon," Bart said. "Alright. But please tell me this." "What is it?" "Is there anything I should look out for when fighting the Doppelganger?" Bart briefly thought about it, and then said, "You''re climbing the tower by yourself?" "Yes." "3 minutes. Stay alive for 3 minutes." "What?" ''The hell is he talking about?'' "I''ll see youter." Bart quickly left. "3 minutes, huh..." Kang Oh muttered. ''The Doppelganger... There really is more to it! I have no choice but to find out in person.'' * * * Kang Oh visited the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. Man Bok had sent word that Hoffman and the other cksmiths had finally created dragon equipment. "Wee." As soon as Kang Oh appeared through the magic circle, Man Bok greeted him. "Thank you. Where''s the equipment?'' "They''re inside the smithy. Let''s go together." "How did they turn out?" Kang Oh asked. "See for yourself," Man Bok smiled and said. Based on his expression and attitude, Hoffman must''ve made some good equipment on his first try. ng! ng! ng! Once they entered the smithy, they heard the sound of pounding hammers, and their skin flushed from the heat. Hoffman and the other cksmiths'' eyes were clear and pure, yet contained a deep sorrow within. They werepletely focused on their work, so they didn''t even hear Kang Oh and Man Boke in. "Let''s just take a look at the items in the storehouse and then leave," Man Bok whispered. Kang Oh nodded his head, and the two moved carefully so that they didn''t interrupt the dwarves. There was a stairway inside that led down to the storehouse. Five disy stands stood at the center of the storehouse, and goods of exceptional qualityy atop them. "Is that them?" Kang Oh approached the disy stands and examined the goods. The first item was a yellow breastte with a magnificent dragon''s head engraved in the middle. [Dracodium Breastte] A breastte made out of the unknown, golden alloy, Dracodium. A dragon''s bones and scales were used to create this alloy. It is no masterpiece, as the cksmith''s skill is stillcking. However, his skill in handling alloys is second to none. The armor is light, tough, and beautiful, so anyone would want it. + Dracodium''s Mystery: Reduces all damage by 30%. This ability does not stack. Rank: S. Abilities: Defense 700, Physical +100. Minimum Requirements: Level 300, Physical 500. Kang Oh rubbed his eyes and looked over the item again. "Why''s it so good?" The armor''s equip requirement was only level 300, yet it offered a defense bonus of 700. Kang Oh''s current armor had a level requirement of 400, yet its defense was only 550. How could its defense be 700!? It was truly a tremendous piece of armor. Plus, it reduced all damage by 30%. The fact that it said ''all'' meant that it was overpowered. It didn''t matter if it was magic, physical attacks, poison damage, etc. It would reduce all of their damage. "Apparently, Dracodium''s Mystery is an effect given to every item made out of Dracodium. Dracodium reduces the equip requirement too," Man Bok said. "This is crazy." Dracodium Breastte! This would definitely sell for a lot. "This was the first item Mr. Hoffman created. He called it a failure," Man Bok said. "A failure?" "Yes. Had he made it correctly, it would''ve had more than one effect, or so he says." "Really? Then did he create any of them properly?" "Yes, he made one amazing item. That one over there." Man Bok pointed at the shield on the far left. Kang Oh immediately looked over the item''s information. "Ah." His eyes widened. He couldn''t help but admire the work of art. Chapter 337. Hamar’s Shield

Chapter 337. Hamar''s Shield

Trantor: Boko On the far left, there was a round shield coated in tinum. There was a story carved into the center of the shield like a panorama. [Hamar''s Shield] A shield created using the unknown, golden alloy, Dracodium. The shield is coated in tinum, which possesses a mysterious power. The shield is inspired by the story of Hamar, the cowardly dwarf that saved his family from a terrifying monster with just a single shield. However, this shield is undoubtedly greater than the shield that Hamar used. It is a masterpiece created by a cksmith who has taken their first steps towards bing a Master. The cksmith in question did not leave behind his name. + Dracodium''s Mystery: Reduces all damage by 30%. This ability does not stack. + A Coward''s Courage: For 3 minutes, the user''s main stats increase proportionally to their Courage stat. Cooldown: 1 hour. + tinum Coating: Intermediate-rank or lower fire, water, wind, and lighting spells are reflected. Rank: SS. Abilities: Defense 1,000, Courage +100. Minimum Requirements: Level 450, ''Coward'' title, Courage side stat. "This is outrageous." Kang Oh gaped. It was an SS-rank shield with a defense bonus of 1,000! Not only that, but it had three item effects, all of which were good. Plus, the fact that it was coated in tinum, and had the ''tinum Coating'' effect meant that... "Was Violf''s tinum used in this too?" Violf''s tinum was a dungeon reward from the Beast''s Tower. It had the ability to reflect physical projectiles and/or magic! "Indeed." Man Bok hadn''t said anything. Instead, the response came from somewhere else. "Huh?" Kang Oh turned his head towards the source and saw Hoffmaning down the stairs. "H-Hello." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Did youe to see the equipment?" "That''s right." "I apologize." "For what?" "Everything besides that shield is a failure. It was my first time handling dragon materials, so I made a lot of mistakes." "Everything else is a failure?" Kang Oh quickly examined the rest of the equipment. There were three other items, aside from the shield and breastte that he''d already seen. One of them was AA-rank, and the other two were S-rank. To him, they weren''t ''failures'' at all. "Are you sure about that?" "They''re failures," Hoffman said firmly. "Then I guess I can look forward to your next creations." Kang Oh grinned. "They should be better next time. But I can''t make something like Hamar''s Shield every single time. That was a gift from Orgon." Orgon was the God of cksmiths. The dwarves believed their greatest creations were gifted to them by Orgon himself. "You used Violf''s tinum for this shield, right?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right. Do you know the story of Hamar?" Kang Oh shook his head. "It''s a story that we tell our children. In it, a cowardly dwarf, Hamir, saves his family from a ferocious monster. It''s said that he wielded a mirror shield that reflected spells. Of course, the mirror shield was extremely weak to physical attacks, even though it reflected most spells. Anyhow, it wasn''t a proper shield." "Mm, I see." "I was going to make a shield with the dragon materials when I saw Violf''s tinum. That''s when I got the idea. What if I used the tinum, which has the ability to deflect magic and to a certain extent, physical attacks as well? With it, I''d be able to recreate Hamar''s mirror shield." Hoffman exined how he''d created Hamar''s Shield. "My brothers and I put our heart and soul into that shield. After all, we''ve all heard the story of Hamar at least once when we were little. Attempting to recreate the shield was quite fun." "And as a result, you created this amazing SS-rank shield?" "Indeed. It''s a gift from Orgon." "Do you think my demon sword will be gift from Orgon too?" Kang Oh asked. "We''ll just have to wait and see. But don''t worry about it. I''ll do whatever it takes to receive another one of Orgon''s gifts. You just worry about your own business." In other words, focus on killing Inarius. "I promise you, I''ll kill that evil lizard one day." ''Not right now. But sometime in the far distant future!'' "You must." Hoffman stared at him strongly. "Of course." "Then I''ll get back to work. I just came down because I heard some noise down here. Please deal with this equipment however you, Mr. Man Bok, and the Chieftain wish." "Understood," Man Bok said. Once Hoffman disappeared, Kang Oh said, "When are you going to start selling the dragon equipment?" "After all of the materials are converted into equipment," Man Bok replied. He nned on starting the business as soon as he had enough in stock. "Wouldn''t it be better to hold off on selling this shield?" Kang Oh pointed at Hamar''s Shield. "Of course. This shield is far more valuable than the others. No one will even take a look at the other equipment if we put the shield up for sale." "A wise decision." "I''ll focus on the S-rank equipment first. I''ll sell the SS-rank itemter." Kang Oh nodded his head. Buying an SS-rank item was tough. There weren''t enough SS-rank items to go around for the amount of yers there were. Thus, SS-rank items were easily worth more than 100 million won ($100,000 USD). ''Moreover, we''re selling dragon equipment.'' Equipment made out of dragon materials was even more expensive. After all, some people assumed that dragon materials were the best of the best, and that equipment made out of it had no equal. ''I should be able to make a fortune.'' Kang Oh grinned. Man Bok''s suggestion that he buy the soul dungeon for 1 million gold and make a business selling dragon equipment wasn''t wrong. He could just smell the money this equipment would rake in. ''Combine the money I make from selling the equipment, the ad revenue from my Despia footage, and the money I get from my soul dungeons every month, and...'' It wouldn''t be that difficult to pay Burkan back his 800,000 gold. Plus, what happens when he''s fully paid off his debt? He''ll buy the house he was currently renting. He could even be andlord in real life! "Hehe." He was just waiting for the day that Man Bok sold the dragon equipment and gave him his share. * * * The Phamas Mountains. Merchants set up yurts around the Tower of Trials so that challengers could get what they needed before attempting their ascent. You could have a simple meal here, and could buy potions, return scrolls, and various supplies. Of course, it was more expensive here than if you were to buy your supplies from a city. Some merchants lent out their yurts too. GBS''s staff members had rented a yurt, and had gathered the First Hunter contestants inside. Predator Kang Oh. Female Knight, Snow Flower. Special-ss Mercenary, Strong Punch. The Great Explorer, Marco. This is the first time these four had ever gathered together in-game. "Contestants, please enter the Tower of Trial in 30 minutes at 12 o''clock sharp. Please turn on live mode ten minutes before it''s time, and give us all your live codes," a GBS staff member said. "Yes." "Understood." "Then I''ll see you allter." The staff member left, leaving only the contestants inside. Everyone turned their attention to Kang Oh. "Did you discover Despia yourself?" Marco asked. There was no ulterior motive behind his question. He just asked as Arth''s greatest explorer. The rest of Blue Sky was with him too. They all stared at him with shining eyes. "Yes," Kang Oh said curtly. "It must have been hard," Marco said. His gaze was one of understanding, knowing firsthand the hardships Kang Oh must have gone through to find Despia. After all, that was what Blue Sky was all about; they discovered several areas and revealed them to the world. None of it had been easy. If a ce was hidden, there was a reason for it. Whether it be powerful monsters, dangerous traps, etc. "Are you trying to find the way to Despia?" Kang Oh asked. After Despia had been revealed, several yers and guilds had attempted to find the way to Despia. Of course, it proved to be a difficult task. "No, it doesn''t really interest me," Marco said. Blue Sky liked discovering things first; they didn''t try to benefit from other''s discoveries. "A wise decision. Despia has already been revealed to the world, so why don''t you try finding one of the other dangerous locations Song Lee Shen talked about? For example, the Devil''s Sea." Kang Oh didn''t want them to look for Despia. After all, if anyone could find it, Blue Sky could; they were the best explorers for a reason. The bigger problem was that once they found something, they revealed it. If they found Despia, then they''d tell the world how they got there too. "The Devil''s Sea, huh... You brought it up, so let me tell you something interesting I heard. It''s said that there''s a giant turtle that lives in the Devil''s Sea. And that turtle''s back is like an ind of its own." "Have you found the Devil''s Sea?" Kang Oh asked. He could read between the lines. "No. But the turtle... If I can find the Emperor Turtle Islet that I read about in the ancient texts, then I could use that as my base of operations while I explore the Devil''s Sea." Kang Oh, Strong Punch, and Snow Flower were all interested now. They couldn''t help it. As the top rankers, they were interested in Despia, the Devil''s Sea, and any other areas that were extremely dangerous and difficult. They were all skilled in their own right, so whoever found it first would reap the most benefits. "Oh, and by the way." Marco pped and livened things up. "Mr. Kang Oh." "Yes?" "Would you like to join Blue Sky?" "What?" "You''re a talented explorer. If you join us, I''m sure you''ll be able to aplish a lot." "I respectfully decline." There was no reason to work with Blue Sky. He needed to do everything himself; that way, he could reap all of the benefits too! It was hard enough to share some of the loot with Sephiro and Eder as is. "Please let me know if you change your mind. Ah, would you like to friend me?" "Sure." He could see no downside to forming a connection with the Great Explorer, Marco. Plus, he said he wouldn''t be looking for Despia. "Mercenary work is fun too." Strong Punch suddenly jumped in. "The Breaker Guild''s doors are always open. And... I''m going to win today!" Snow Flower dered. She had turned theid-back atmosphere tense again. That''s right. They were gathered aspetitors, not friends. Their ce as winner and loser was clearly defined; whoever got to the highest floor would win. After that, thepetitors didn''t speak amongst themselves anymore. They just whispered to their teammates. They were probably discussing their ns to get to the highest floor. How much time had passed? A staff member came inside the yurt. "It''s 10 minutes before 12. Please turn on live film mode, and let us know your code. Please get ready to enter the tower too." With this, the game with 200 million won ($200,000 USD) at stake had begun. Chapter 338. Ascending the Tower of Trials

Chapter 338. Ascending the Tower of Trials

Trantor: Boko At exactly 12:00, the contestants went through the giant doors simultaneously. Marco went inside with Blue Sky for a total of six. Strong Punch entered the tower with another special-ss mercenary. Finally, Snow Flower and Kang Oh went in alone. [Entering the spatiotemporal intersection point, Tower of Trials.] The Tower of Trials was different from thest time he came. The interior, the path, and even the doors were different. Every Sunday at 12 o''clock sharp, the Tower of Trials would reset. Kang Oh and the other contestants had entered right after this hard reset. Still, it wouldn''t prove to be much of an issue for the time being. He didn''t know where exactly the traps were, or what monsters would appear, but it didn''t really matter. Kang Oh wasn''t so weak that ack of information would slow down his progression through the lower floors. Kang Oh reached the 30th floor in a sh. Grr! The 30th floor boss, the Twipper, growled. It was arge, three-headed Doberman look-alike. A short whileter... Whimper! Whimper! Whimper! The Twipper, which had previously bared its sharp teeth at him and growled, began to whimper. It may have three heads, but it only had one body! Kang Oh had relentlessly attacked its body using Blood. Clink. Kang Oh picked up the key it''d left behind, and forcefully opened the door to the next floor. * * * GBS conference room. There were four giant monitors set up inside, and each monitor showed a different yer. They were showing Kang Oh, Snow Flower, Strong Punch, and Marco''s live streams. "Why don''t we make a bet?" Yoon Mi, a veteran writer who''d worked alongside Park Jin Cheol for many years now, said. "On who''ll win?" the youngest writer asked. "Sounds like fun." In other words, he was giving them permission. The youngest writer suddenly stood up, and wrote the four contestants'' names on the white board. "Please write down who you''re betting on, and how much you''re going to bet. Please give your money to me." "10,000 won ($10 USD) on Snow Flower!" "Kang Oh!" One or two staff members came forward at a time and ced their bets. Kang Oh got the most votes. Snow Flower was second by just a small margin; essentially, the staff were equally split between the two. The two had defeated Galmoss and Benolov respectively. Thus, they were ''safe'' picks. There were a few staff members that picked Strong Punch and Marco too. However, they betted on those two not because they believed that they''d seed, but because they''d make a killing if they got lucky and won. "What about you, Producer?" the youngest writer carefully asked. Jin Cheol was the only person who hadn''t voted yet. "Hmm. As expected, most people went for Kang Oh and Snow Flower. Let''s see here..." Jin Cheol stroked his chin, briefly thought it over, and then put his name on the whiteboard. He bet 50,000 won ($50 USD). Unexpectedly, he bet on Strong Punch. "I didn''t expect that. I thought you''d pick either Kang Oh or Snow Flower," Yoon Mi said. "Kang Oh and Snow Flower have already won money. It''d look better if the others got money too." Jin Cheol grinned. Yoon Mi looked at him suspiciously. She''d worked alongside him for many years, so she knew him really well; he tended to bet on high probability picks. ''If that''s the case, then he truly believes that Strong Punch has the highest chance ofing out on top...'' "Do you know something we don''t?" Yoon Mi asked, but Jin Cheol turned their attention to the monitors. "Alright, so who''s gotten the highest thus far?" "You do..." She was rudely interrupted. "It''s Snow Flower!" "Ooh, as expected of Snow Flower!" "Good luck, Unni!" Those who voted for Snow Flower began to cheer for her. Then, those who picked Kang Oh began to say their piece. "Don''t lose, Kang Oh!" "I trust you, Kang Oh!" The staff members that''d bet on Marco or Strong Punch sped their hands together. They didn''t need cheers right now; they needed a miracle. A miracle that''d cause Strong Punch or Marco to go higher than Kang Oh or Snow Flower! "Snow Flower has gotten through the 30th floor!" "Kang Oh, Strong Punch, and Marco''s Blue Sky have passed the 30th floor." Yoon Mi tapped Jin Cheol''s shoulder. "What? I don''t have any inside information." Jin Cheol beat her to the punch. However, Yoon Mi wasn''t nning on asking him about Strong Punch anymore. "It''s not that. What if when we broadcast this, we let the viewers vote on who they think will win?" "Sounds like a good idea. Discuss this with the other writers ande up with a concrete n." "Alright. Regardless of who wins, I need you to promise me that the results won''t get leaked. That''ll keep people in suspense." "That won''t happen." "Ok." Jin Cheol and Yoon Mi focused on the live monitors once more. * * * Kang Oh had reached the 33th floor. There, he encountered a group of scorpions encased in steel exoskeletons. They were about asrge as a dog, and poisonous stingers, like a syringe, were attached to the ends of their tails. They pointed their stingers at him, snapped their ws, and surrounded him. What''s worse, a few of them came from the ceiling, falling right over his head. Kang Oh swung Blood with quick, precise strikes. Swish, sh, swish, sh! The closest scorpions in front of him spurted shards of light and fell to the floor. Suck! Demon Sword Blood absorbed the shards of light! When 15 stars manifested on his de, scarlet energy exploded out of his body. Blood Bomb! Boom! Was there a better skill when dealing with enemiesing at you from every direction? Dozens of scorpions were caught in the explosion, and rolled onto the floor. Despite that, the scorpions kepting, and Kang Oh was forced to keep swinging his sword. Whenever he''d max his stacks, Kang Oh would use Blood Bomb. He would also use Blood Bomb right after Darkness Strike activated too. Boom! Boom! Boom! [Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.] [Demon Sword Blood is level 28.] ''Nice.'' Demon Sword Blood was a sword that had its own level. It had gained new abilities when it hit level 10 and level 20. It would probably gain a new ability once it hit level 30, so he was excited about the prospect. ''I''m almost there.'' He only needed 2 more levels to hit level 30. Kang Oh progressed using only Blood. He nned on ascending the tower with Blood until he reached the 50th floor Doppelganger. * * * Snow Flower was the first to reach the 40th floor. Her power, which was greatly amplified by the Reaper of Souls, was being put on full disy here. Her Disarm Trap was a high level, so the 31st to 40th floor''s traps couldn''t stop her. "Kill all the humans!" the 40th floor boss, the Mad Lightning Spirit, Parniac, yelled. It emitted red lightning from its body, which flew everywhere. The lightning was quite powerful, but Snow Flower''s shield kept her from taking much damage. Crackle! Parniac swung a lightning whip. Snow Flower tread softly, avoiding the whip, and then quickly approached it. The Reaper of Souls came right at it; the unblockable, overpowered Reaper of Souls! Swish! It was extremely effective, even against Parniac, which could be considered a spirit of nature. Just take a look at those clear, huge shards of light! However, Parniac wasn''t to be underestimated. It unleashed a powerful Lightning Cannon from its chest,pletely engulfing Snow Flower. Crackle! Though she''d defended herself with her shield, her body tingled and she took a ton of damage. Snow Flower retreated, drank a potion, and then charged at it once more. Parniac unleashed an even greater st of lightning. The two fought fiercely. Snow Flower gradually got used to its attack pattern, but Parniac had no way of dealing with the Reaper of Souls. Ultimately, Snow Flower swung her de onest time, splitting Parniac in two. "I''ll be back." Parniac would always say the same thing when it died. That held true this time too. Clink. Snow Flower picked up the key and opened the next door. She was the first one to reach the 41st floor. Marco, Strong Punch, and Kang Oh also reached the 40th floor, defeated Parniac, and went up to the 41st floor. Every single one of them at that! * * * Something unexpected happened. Marco was the first one to reach the 50th floor. The monsters in the 41st to 50th floors were much stronger than before, and the traps were far more dangerous. However, Marco''s team worked well together, allowing them to quickly kill the monsters. They also had high Disarm Trap, allowing them to pass through without worrying about traps. Blue Sky specialized in finding the right way forward. Whereas Kang Oh and Snow Flower were forced to find the right path, kill the monsters, and disarm the traps all by themselves. Thus, it took them much longer than Marco. Going alone was better if you had teammates that slowed you down. But if you had teammates that uplifted you, then having a team was much better. In Strong Punch''s case, he and his teammate, the special-ss mercenary, ascended the tower slowly after the 41st floor. "I still don''t think Blue Sky can beat the Doppelganger. They have the lowestbat ability of all the people here," one of GBS''s staff members said. They''d bet money on Snow Flower. "True." "You''re not wrong." Most of them agreed with the staff member''s logic. However, Jin Cheol, who personally cast Marco, thought differently. "Are you so sure about that?" "Excuse me?" "Their countless adventures and discoveries. Is that possible without a high degree of strength?" "But what they''ve shown thus far..." the staff member retorted. "Blue Sky has only shown us what they can do against Benolov. They were first up to bat. Moreover, it was hard for them to show us what they could really do then," Jin Cheol said. "Then do you think they can beat the Doppelganger?" Yoon Mi asked. "I think it''s highly possible." "Then why did you bet on Strong Punch, not Blue Sky?" "Killing the Doppelganger isn''t the goal. Getting to the highest floor is." "So you don''t think they''ll get any higher, even if they manage to kill the Doppelganger?" "Probably?" "So you do know something about the Tower of Trials! What do you know?" It seemed like he knew what would be after the 51st floor. "I''ve heard some things. Anyhow, let''s keep watching." Jin Cheol focused on Blue Sky''s monitor. Once Marco and his team reached the 50th floor, the ck mass, or the Doppelganger, divided into six and copied Marco''s team members. 6 on 6! The result was truly unexpected. Blue Skypletely dominated them! The Doppelganger''s ability, ''Copy that Transcends the Original'' should''ve made it so that its ''team'' was far greater than Blue Sky. However, it was no match for Blue Sky. Marco''s team worked as a single unit, while the Doppelganger''s team was aplete mess. "Yahoo!" the staff members that''d bet on Marco yelled. To think that Blue Sky would be the first to pass the 50th floor! "You were right, Producer!" The staff member was shocked. It was as he said. Blue Sky was able to defeat the Doppelganger. "It''s an effective way of beating it," Yoon Mi said. Oveing it with superior teamwork! It looked like the safest and most efficient way of beating the Doppelganger. "Yeah. But if my info is right, then Blue Sky won''t be able to climb much further." "What kind of info?" "Just watch." Blue Sky stayed on the 50th floor, resting and prepping themselves for what lied ahead. Meanwhile... Kang Oh reached the 50th floor. Chapter 339. Storm

Chapter 339. Storm

Trantor: Boko Once he entered the 50th floor, the ck mass transformed into an exact copy of Kang Oh, Blood and all. After confirming that it was wielding Blood, he immediately switched to Demon Sword Ubist. The Doppelganger was unable to copy Kang Oh''s swap. ''The information was right.'' Kang Oh, who hadn''t gotten much out of Bart, had looked through several sources and found a few tips. The Doppelganger''s copy ability had a cooldown of 2 minutes! In other words, it wouldn''t be able to switch to Ubist for 2 minutes! Plus, it copied the target''s HP too. Unlike most bosses, it didn''t start with a ton of HP. Thus... ''I''m finishing this in 2 minutes.'' That was the method Kang Oh had chosen. He could use Devil Trigger or Gluttony to instantly multiply his strength several fold. But what if his opponent didn''t have much HP to begin with? He could use them topletely overpower his opponent for 2 minutes! Kang Oh used Devil Trigger. He instantly transformed into the Jet-ck Demon, and then pulled out an item he''d prepared to use against the Doppelganger. It was a scimitar that shined silver. Crescent Moon Shaped Scimitar! It was an AA-rank weapon with a level 350 equip requirement, and had set him back 1,200 gold. The scimitar''s item effect was as follows. [Crescent Moon sh] Charge up energy to unleash a crescent moon shaped aura. Charge time changes the power of the aura. You may charge it for a minimum of 1 second, and a maximum of 5 seconds. MP cost depends on how long the aura was charged (100 - 500 MP). No cooldown. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness consumed the scimitar. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Crescent Moon Shaped Scimitar.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use the consumed item''s ability, Crescent Moon sh.] The Doppelganger didn''t sit still while he was transforming. It had used Devil Trigger too, and had transformed into a red winged demon. Swish! It attacked first with Blood. Fresh Blood Wave! The scarlet aura came flying at him. In response, Kang Oh swung his de horizontally. Abyss w! The three-lined aura, reminiscent of a tiger''s w, flew through the air. Bam! The ck and red auras shed in midair. However, the red aurapletely dissipated. Kang Oh''s Abyss w had been empowered by Gluttony. It''d obviously be much stronger than the Doppelganger''s Fresh Blood Wave. In any case, the Abyss w flew straight at the Red Demon. The Doppelganger shielded itself with its wings. Scratch! Three w-like marks appeared on its wings. Right after using Abyss w, Kang Oh began charging Crescent Moon sh. Whir! Dim light radiated from his de, in-between the jet-ck darkness. It was as if the moon, on a cloudy day, had peeked out of the clouds and briefly illuminated the world. Once Abyss w had broken through the Fresh Blood Wave, Kang Oh let loose a Crescent sh. Crescent Moon sh! He''d charged it for 3 seconds! The Crescent Moon sh followed the Abyss w and hit the Doppelganger head-on! Bam! Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He rushed in and swung downwards. As soon as he closed in, the Doppelganger used Red Butterfly''s Dance in an attempt to dodge his blow. However, Kang Oh''s de radiated mighty, golden light. Tempest Tiger! Like a tiger pouncing on its prey, the tiger aura opened its mouth and came rushing at its head from above. It was an aura at close range! Even with Red Butterfly''s Dance active, dodging it would be impossible. Boom! The Red Demon fell to the floor. Kang Oh began charging Crescent Moon sh once more, but this time, he stopped at 1 second. Whoosh! The silver aura fiercely flew through the air, sweeping through the downed Doppelganger. Bam! Whoosh. Once the whirlwind began to blow, Kang Oh rushed forward, avoiding the winds. The Doppelganger arduously stood up andunched a Blood Spear at Kang Oh. Kang Oh easily dodged it and quickly closed in. Then, it forcefully pped its wings in an attempt to escape. However, it couldn''t fly properly. It was only natural. Flying was difficult for Kang Oh too. It was a delicate, difficult process to master. There''s no way it''d be able to do it right on the first try. It might be a different story if it had Tasha though. However, it looked like it couldn''t copy Tasha too. Or perhaps it could, but the copied Tasha just wasn''t listening to itsmands. It didn''t matter either way. Bam! He closed in and kicked it. Even his kick was powerful, as the Doppelganger flew into the air; it must be because of Gluttony. Kang Oh quickly pointed his sword at the airborne Doppelganger. Evesting Darkness! He received a painful message, stating that he''d lost 3 of his stolen stats, but was awarded with a huge pir of darkness. Bam! The ''dragon'' of darknesspletely devoured the Doppelganger. Have you ever seen a ck river at the dead of night? Or a pitiful animal that was being swept up by the current? The Doppelganger reminded him of both. The Doppelganger, unable to resist his attack, was pushed into the ceiling. Boom! The ceiling shook, and dust rose. A short whileter... Once the darkness disappeared, he noticed that the Doppelganger hadpletely fused with the ceiling. It waspletely embedded within it. Kang Oh didn''t stop there; after all, he hadn''t gotten a system message stating that he''d beaten it yet. He began charging another Crescent Moon sh. Whir! When the dim light amidst Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness had finished charging for 5 seconds, Kang Oh swung his sword in an arc. Fully Charged Crescent Moon sh! Like a crescent moon, the aura radiated both yellow and silver light, and flew right at the ceiling. However, the Doppelganger fell from the ceiling and returned to its original form. The Crescent Moon sh hit the ceiling a second toote. Unfortunately, he hadpletely missed. ''Has it been 2 minutes already?'' Kang Oh quickly checked the time. It''d only been 1 minute and 40 seconds. ''It shouldn''t be able to use its copying ability yet. Why did it change forms?'' However, he only briefly doubted himself. ''Let''s hit it again first.'' As it fell, Kang Oh swung Ubust as if he were batting a baseball. Whack! ''This feeling!'' It felt like a clean hit. What was the best way to describe it? It felt like he''d thrown a slime toy he had when he was a kid. Anyhow, Kang Oh went all the way through. The Doppelganger flew horizontally, colliding with the wall. Two-base hit! "Die!" Kang Oh immediately closed in and swung downwards. At that moment... After it hit the wall, it flowed to the ground and began changing. ''It''s been 2 minutes!'' It didn''t matter if it copied Kang Oh''s form now. After all, he''d pretty much won already. ''I just need to finish it off!'' However, the Doppelganger had changed into someone beyond his wildest dreams. The figure''s hair was slicked back, their gaze was powerful, they had a sharp jawline and obstinate lips, their face looked rather old, and contrary to their face, their body was well-conditioned. They were holding neither Blood nor Ubist, but a normal steel sword! "Holy shit!" Kang Oh couldn''t help but curse. The Doppelganger had transformed into Vn. Why did it transform into Vn? He couldn''t understand this at all. "You idiot." It imitated Vn''s voice too. The Doppelganger swung its sword. It was a normal attack, yet it was much faster and sharper than it seemed. It was as if the real Vn was swinging his sword. Swish! Huge shards of light burst from Kang Oh''s body. ''Vn'' repeatedly swung its sword. Kang Oh bit his lip, and was forced onto the defensive. After all, it hadpletely replicated Vn''s skill too. The Doppelganger had instantly turned the tide. Itpletely overwhelmed him, and kept pushing him back, despite Devil Trigger and Gluttony empowering him. "You''re too weak," ''Vn'' said. Then, the Doppelganger softly swung its sword. However, its attack wasn''t ''soft'' at all. Divide the Sea! The Doppelganger imitated the Master Swordsman, no, the Grandmaster Swordsman, Vn''s greatest technique. However, something strange happened. Pop! The Doppelganger popped like a balloon filled with too much air! [You have defeated the Tower of Trials'' Doppelganger.] [You have leveled up.] Once it died, Divide the Sea vanished. "What the hell happened?" He waspletely taken aback. What just happened? Then, he remembered what Bart had told him. ''3 minutes. Stay alive for 3 minutes.'' Kang Oh unconsciously bit his thumb. He now understood what Bart had been trying to tell him. ''Turning into Vn was its trump card.'' But why had it transformed into Vn? Either Vn hade to the Tower of Trials before and the Doppelganger could transform into anyone it''d previously encountered, or it transformed into the strongest person in Kang Oh''s memories. Kang Oh thought it was thetter. Vn had said ''You idiot'' and ''You''re too weak'' to him before. He sent Bart a message to confirm his suspicions. - Mr. Bart. - What is it? - Can the Doppelganger copy a person from your memories too? - Did you fight the Doppelganger for real? lol - I waspletely shocked. It transformed into someone beyond my imagination. I thought I''d have a heart attack. ''Why did it have to be Vn of all people!?'' - It probably doesn''t look through your memories, but thebat data stored in your character. And it transforms into the strongest person in there. As expected! Kang Oh''s hunch had been right. - But it talked exactly like the real person. Is it really just data? - It''s a game. The person''s speech must''ve been included in the data. - I see. - But if it transforms using your character data, then it''ll die on its own. The Doppelganger blew up in 3 minutes when I fought it. That''s why he told him to stay alive for 3 minutes. Only then did Kang Oh understand what he had meant. - For me, it blew up in less than a minute. Do you think it blows up faster depending on how strong the person it transforms into is? - 1 minute? Then it must be based on the person it transforms into, as well as its remaining HP. - Thank you for telling me. - Sure. Kang Oh picked up the key and rushed towards the door. He opened the lock and forcefully opened the door. [Tower of Trials: 51st Floor] ''I have 25 minutes left on Gluttony. I need to get as high up as I can in 25 minutes!'' Kang Oh ascended the stairs, leaping three or four steps at a time. * * * The producers watched Kang Oh defeat the Doppelganger. "Blue Sky''s Doppelganger didn''t do that," the veteran writer, Yoon Mi, said. ''That'' referred to transforming into Vn. "When it fights against several people, it divides and copies them. But when it fights against one person, I heard it transforms into something else like what you just saw." "You heard? From who?" "The Mercenary King." "The Mercenary King? The Sword Mercenaries'' leader?" "Yeah. We drink together sometimes." "Personal connections! But if we show this, then I think anyone will be able to defeat the Doppelganger. I''m not sure about Kang Oh''s method, but Blue Sky''s method seems like it would always work." "Probably." Jin Cheol nodded his head. But then he added, "But it''s a trap." "Pardon me? What are you talking about?" "You''ll see." "Can''t just you tell me?" "Just watch!" Jin Cheol pointed at the monitor where Snow Flower was fighting against the Doppelganger. Chapter 340. 51st Floor

Chapter 340. 51st Floor

Trantor: Boko Several staff members expected Snow Flower to win the contest. However, these peoples'' faces began to stiffen. "No!" "What are you doing!?" "You can do it!" "No way!" The Doppelganger copied Snow Flower and was slowly pushing her back. The reason she wasn''t able to put up much of a fight was because of the Reaper of Souls. To be more specific, it was because there were two of them. Snow Flower had one, and the Doppelganger had another. The Reaper of Souls was a wicked sword that bypassed everything and only cut the soul. However, Snow Flower learned something new today. The Reaper of Souls couldn''t pass through another Reaper of Souls! Thus, against the Doppelganger, the Reaper of Souls was just another sword. Moreover, the Doppelganger''s special ability, Copy that Transcends the Original, allowed it to outstrip Snow Flower in virtually every ability. To make matters worse, Snow Flower had climbed the tower by herself, so no one could bail her out. "To think that the Reaper of Souls was capable of blocking itself." Jin Cheol looked shocked. If Snow Flower couldn''t find a way out that didn''t involve the Reaper of Souls, then she would probably lose. It would prove that she''d put her entire faith in the Reaper of Souls and that she didn''t have a backup n. ''But this is Snow Flower we''re talking about. She has to have a backup n, right?'' Jin Cheol calmly watched Snow Flower. She swung the Reaper of Souls a few more times, which only proved disastrous for her, so she epted that she couldn''t win this way. Snow Flower then tried a different method. She pulled a lightning resistance potion from her belt and drank it down! The Doppelganger would always return to its original form when its opponent''s abilities changed. Snow Flower had taken advantage of this trait; by drinking a lightning potion, she would force the Doppelganger into a defenseless state. As she wanted, the Doppelganger returned to its original form. Then, she swung her sword with blistering speed, and hit the Doppelganger hard. Honorable Strike! This was the first time she''dnded a strike on the Doppelganger. "Ooh!" "That''s how you do it!" "Go!" Those who''d betted on her cheered and supported her. It was as if they were cheering for the horse they''d bet on in a race. Once the Doppelganger transformed, Snow Flower shed with it and bought time. She knew that the Doppelganger''s copy ability had a cooldown of 2 minutes. Two minutester, Snow Flower pulled out a fire resistance potion. As soon as she drank the potion, the Doppelganger returned to its original form. Snow Flower seized the opportunity and attacked repeatedly. If this sequence of events continued, then she should be able to beat it. "You can do it!" "Yeah." Her supporters looked on in anticipation. However, Jin Cheol shook his head, thinking ''That won''t be enough.''. At some point, Jin Cheol was proven right. Prolonging the battle had caused the Doppelganger to transform into something else! If you fought the Doppelganger for a certain amount of time, then it would read its target''s data and transform into the strongest being recorded. It had transformed into... "It''s Wukong!" "The Great Forest''s Wukong!" The staff members yelled. The white-furred, giant monkey, Wukong, beat its chest with its fists and roared. Kuhaaaaahk! ''I''m the Great Forest''s mythical creature, Wukong!'', it seemed to say. All 5 of the great guilds had attempted the Wukong raid, and Snow Flower had been a part of the Breaker Guild''s raid team. Anyhow, Wukong was so powerful that none of the 5 great guilds could beat it! Even someone like Snow Flower couldn''t beat it alone. No, winning wasn''t the issue here. The bigger problem was whether she could even survive against it or not. "Survive!" "Just survive!" In exchange, the Doppelganger would disappear on its own if its target survived for a certain amount of time. After all, they saw firsthand how Kang Oh''s Doppelganger had disappeared. However, Snow Flower couldn''t hold out. The Doppelgangersted more than 5 minutes. Kang Oh''s Doppelganger had onlysted about a minute, if that; it waspletely different! ''The Doppelganger has way too much HP left.'' Jin Cheol had heard about the Doppelganger from the Mercenary King, who''d killed it several times already. When it transforms, it begins to gradually lose HP. And the stronger the person it transforms into is, the more HP it loses. Obviously, a Doppelganger without much HP left would die almost instantly. However, Snow Flower hadn''t damaged the Doppelganger much. Thus, the Doppelganger could remain in its Wukong form for more than 5 minutes. ''She must not have had enough info.'' Snow Flower must not have known about its special ability. Anyhow, Snow Flower wasn''t able to withstand Wukong''s vicious punches for 5 minutes and died. "A leading pick is out of the race," Jin Cheol said. "Strong Punch is fighting the Doppelganger!" Atst, Strong Punch, Jin Cheol''s pick, was attempting the Doppelganger. * * * The Mercenary King had told Jin Cheol about the Doppelganger. He was the leader of the Sword Mercenaries, and Strong Punch was the Sword Mercenaries'' vice-captain. Thus, Strong Punch should know everything he does. No, he should know even more than he does. ''He should have the most info out of everyone here.'' That was why Jin Cheol had chosen him. He had the most information, so he could prepare the most. Strong Punch didn''t disappoint him. Once he and the special-ss mercenary entered the room, the Doppelganger split into two. Strong Punch took on the special-ss mercenary Doppelganger, while his ally took on Strong Punch''s Doppelganger. Strong Punch and hispanion knew each other''s weaknesses. The Doppelgangers copied their strengths, but also their weaknesses. Thus, the two focused on these weaknesses, and were able to fight the Doppelgangers with rtive ease. Because it had split into two, the Doppelganger wasn''t able to transform using theirbat data. "Wow, that was the cleanest method we''ve seen thus far," Yoon Mi said. "Indeed," Jin Cheol replied. "Fighting the Doppelganger with a group makes it a lot easier." "In exchange, the 51st to 60th floors bes a lot harder," Jin Cheol said. "Excuse me?" "Look at that." Jin Cheol pointed at Marco''s screen. Blue Sky had just entered the 51st floor after resting and preparing themselves. However, they were greeted by the sight of a giant maze. It was evenrger than the tower itself. Whereas Kang Oh, who''d entered a little bit earlier, had a much easier time; the floor waspletely normal like all the rest. "If you beat the Doppelganger by yourself, then the maze doesn''t appear. But if there are two of you, then a maze appears on the 51st floor. If there are three of you, then the maze bes evenrger and moreplex. There are six members of Blue Sky. With six... It''ll be hard for them to even clear the 51st floor in a day." That was why Jin Cheol had said that Blue Sky would be able to defeat the Doppelganger without much difficulty, but wouldn''t be able to go much further. "Mm, then Kang Oh has the advantage right now. After all, Mr. Strong Punch will have to deal with the maze too," Yoon Mi said. "The Mercenary King told me that the maze isn''t hard to navigate with two people. So ascending the tower with just two people is best." With two people, defeating the Doppelganger bes easy; plus, the two members can help each other out, and it minimizes the difficulty of the mazes. "How does the Mercenary King know all this? Is it because he''s the Mercenary King?" "He knows because he was a Towergoer for a while." A Towergoer was any yer that climbed the tower day in and day out. "How far did the Mercenary King get? He didn''t get to the 60th floor, did he? No, did he go even farther than that?" "The 55th floor." "Then it''ll be a fight between Kang Oh and Strong Punch to see who can get past the 55th floor. Who do you think will be the final victor?" "We''ll see." * * * Starting at the 51st floor, Lizardmen appeared. Most Lizardmen were between level 200 and 300, but the ones that appeared on the 51st floor were on apletely different level. They were muchrger than normal Lizardmen, and looked like they were a mix between a dinosaur and a human, not a lizard and a human. They were fully equipped with armor, and their weapons were all made of metal. These Lizardmen were around level 400. "Prey!" Arge-chinned Lizardman pointed at Kang Oh. In total, there were five Lizardmen. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh forcefully swung Ubist. He was overflowing with power, as he had more than 20 minutes left on Gluttony. Whoosh! Kang Oh used Crescent Moon sh. He only charged it for 1 second, but it was still incredibly powerful. Bam! The crescent moon shaped aura flew at the group of Lizardmen. The forefront Lizardman was the first hit, and staggered as a result. Meanwhile, Kang Oh pushed in and swung his sword downwards. The Lizardman quickly responded by swinging its axe. Crack! Upon contact, the axe cracked. That''s just how powerful Ubist was. "Be careful!" "We have to weaken him first!" "Attack him one after another!" The Lizardmen swung their tails or weapons at him. Some of them even threw hooks and javelins at him. ''First things first, take one down quickly.'' Kang Oh quickly moved to the left and right, avoiding the Lizardmen''s attacks, and then bounced forward like a spring. His target: the Lizardman Warrior that''d broken its axe! "Get away!" The Lizardman Warrior fiercely swung its chipped axe. Warrior''s Strike! However, Kang Oh''s de made contact first. Spurt! ck shards of light burst from its body. Fang Bearing de, which nullified his target''s defense, had activated! "Kuhahk!" The Lizardman screamed in agony. "You bastard!" "Get away!" The other Lizardmen yelled. ''Would you do that if our positions were switched?'' Kang Oh swung his sword four more times. However, Darkness Strike activated on his fourth swing. Bam! The Lizardman Warrior, engulfed in the jet-ck wave, staggered and then fell to the floor. Kang Oh turned around and swung his sword horizontally. Abyss w! The jet-ck aura flew right at the Lizardmen. They used various skills in response. Fury of the Wilds! Komor''s Axe Strike! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Sharp javelins flew through the air. It was the work of their javelin thrower. ''Its Throw Projectile skill is at least intermediate-rank.'' Kang Oh blocked the javelins with Ubist and then retreated. He reappeared beside the injured Lizardman, who was barely clinging onto life. "Die!" Kang Oh mercilessly thrust his sword. [You have defeated a Komor Lizardman.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] "How dare you!" Once he killed theirpanion, the rest of the Lizardmen went berserk. Their eyes glowed red, and they fiercely rushed at him. However, that wouldn''t work against Kang Oh. "Hueup." A golden tiger burst out of his jet-ck de, sweeping through all of them. Boom! Kang Oh pointed his hand at the javelin thrower. Darkness Chain! The chain flew towards the javelin thrower like a snake seeking its prey. "Get over here!" Kang Oh forcefully pulled on the chain, causing the Lizardman to fall onto the floor. Then, he kicked off the floor, closing the distance, and stabbed it with his de. "Ugh." It sounded as though its mouth was filled with phlegm. Despite that, the Lizardman threw hooks and javelins at him. The hooks were coated in purple liquid; it was definitely poison. Kang Oh threw his body to the side, avoiding the attack, and quickly got back into position. Despite being hit by a Tempest Tiger, the Lizardman Warriors quickly got up and swung their weapons at him. Whoosh! Kang Oh raised his sword, as if he were spreading his wings, and a crescent moon shaped aura followed. "Kuhahk!" "Damn it!" Once the Crescent Moon sh swept through them, the Lizardman Warriors'' bodies exploded with shards of light. Kang Oh suddenly stood up. "I don''t have all day. Die already!" Kang Oh rampaged about even more violently than before. "Uhahk!" "Kyaahk!" It was a sight befitting his title of Predator. The Lizardmen were all taken care of soon enough. Chapter 341. A Three-Way Battle

Chapter 341. A Three-Way Battle

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh encountered Komor Lizardmen on the 52th floor too. However, there were way more warriors and shamans here, as well as a few named warriors. [You have discovered the Komor Lizardman, Wukal.] [It is a named monster.] ''Gluttony willst another 5 minutes.'' Fortunately, Kang Oh had discovered them first, not the other way around. Whir! Kang Oh began to charge a Crescent Moon sh. 5 secondster, he unleashed a fully charged attack. Crescent Moon sh! Bam! The silver aura flew through the center of the group. "An enemy!" "It''s that ck guy over there!" "Shaks, give us power!" A Lizardman Shaman swung its staff, which was covered in all sorts of feathers. Forebears'' Courage! This made the Lizardmen even faster. Kang Oh charged in. His power was amplified by Gluttony and Devil Trigger, so there was nothing to fear! "Huahp!" Whenever he swung Demon Sword Ubist, huge shards of light would fall from the Lizardmens'' bodies. "He''s strong!" The Komor Lizardmen quickly backed off. Then, the named Lizardman, Wukal, stepped forward. "Out of my way. I''ll take him on!" A giant scimitar rested on Wukal''s shoulder. "Quit wasting time ande at me all at once!" Kang Oh beckoned them. "You''re so arrogant for a lesser life form!" Wukal swung its scimitar downwards, and Kang Oh swung Ubist to the side. ng! A sharp, metallic ''ng'' rang out, and their des emitted sparks. However, Wukal''s scimitar was the one that was pushed away. "Heot." Wukal looked shocked. ''To think a human would overpower me!'' "What did I tell you!? Come at me all at once, you stupid lizards!" Kang Oh yelled, and stabbed Wukal''s chest. ''Gluttony''s on right now!'' "Ugh!" Sparks danced across his jet-ck de. Lightning Breath! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! "Kyaruuu!" Wukal''s eyes turned white and his body shook. It smelled like his body was burning. "Protect the captain!" The Lizardmen that''d retreated quickly closed the distance. "Shaks!" The Shamans swung their staffs. Primitive Vitality! Lightning Skin! Wukal, who''d taken fatal damage, was being healed, and the lightning began to dissipate. ''As I thought, I have to take out the shamans first.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed, and he waited for his opportunity. "Die!" "Get away from the captain!" Kang Oh was attacked from behind, the sides, and front simultaneously. At that moment... Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh''s body sunk into the darkness beneath his feet. Bam, bam, bam! The Lizardman Warriors'' weapons missed, leaving scars in the ground. "Where did he go?" "Find him!" "Captain, are you... Ugh!" While the rest looked around, one Lizardman touched Wukal, but was electrified in the process. "I''m over here!" Kang Oh reappeared in-between the shamans. The Lizardman Shamans were taken byplete surprise. ''Why are you there?'' sh! Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist in a wide arc, allowing him to slice through both shamans simultaneously! One of the Lizardman Shamans swung its staff. The other swung its tail. However, Ubist was much, much faster. Swish. "Urgh." "Ugh." A ton of shards fell from their body, and Kang Oh relentlessly attacked them. ''There it is.'' His Hyper Intuition had pinpointed the shamans'' weak points. sh! sh! The tip of his de sliced through one shaman''s throat and another shaman''s heart. Stab, stab! Red shards of light exploded from their wounds! Meanwhile, the Lizardman Warriors rushed over to assist theirrades. ''I have enough time to kill both of you!'' Abyss w! The jet-ck aura raked through the shamans. "Stop!" "You bastard!" ''That''s all you ever say. If you were in my position, would you stop!?'' Kang Oh snorted and swung his sword once more. ''Let''s finish this with a... Tempest Tiger!'' The golden tiger trampled on the shamans'' faces. Bam! Bam! [You have defeated a Komor Lizardman Shaman.] [You have defeated a Komor Lizardman Shaman.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +1] [Mental +1] Now, only the Lizardman Warriors were left. The shamans were dead, and Wukal was hanging by a thread. ''3 minutes is more than enough time.'' He only had 3 minutes left on Gluttony. However, it was plenty of time to kill 5 Lizardman Warriors. * * * Gluttony had ended. Kang Oh had also deactivated Devil Trigger. In spite of that, Kang Oh continued to hunt the Lizardmen. Though he couldn''tpletely overwhelm them like he could while Gluttony and Devil Trigger were active, he was still strong without them. Kang Oh killed all the Lizardmen on the 52th floor, obtained the key from the final monster, and then immediately headed for the next floor. ''I don''t know how the other teams are doing, so I''ll have to go as far as I can!'' The 53th floor was a huge room, which only contained one monster. [You have discovered the Komor Lizard King, Heckar.] [It is a named monster.] It wore a feathered hat like a chieftain, and it was more than 3 meters tall. Heckar''s face looked just like a T-Rex. However, that was where the simrities ended. A T-Rex''s arms were extremely short, but Heckar''s arms were so thin and long that they touched the floor. Its tail was longer and thicker than a normal Lizardman, and there was a round weight attached to the end of it. Though it didn''t wield a weapon, it wore metal gloves on both hands. ''Is it a Fighter? It looks like a mid-boss.'' Named monsters had ranks too. Some named monsters were closer to normal monsters, while others were closer to bosses. Heckar was clearly thetter. It looked like it was around level 450. Kang Oh strode forward. Heckar clenched its fists and got ready to fight like a professional boxer. Bam! Bam! It moved its tail up and down, causing the weight at the end of it to smack the ground. It was as if it were telling him to attack. ''You want me to attack? You got it!'' Kang Oh approached it, but before his de even got in range, Heckar swung its fist. Swish! His face felt cold, so Kang Oh immediately ducked. Swoosh! Heckar''s fist passed over his head. Kang Oh nned on closing in when it withdrew its fist. As expected, Heckar pulled its fist back. Then, Kang Oh rushed in. At that moment... A quick hook came flying at him. It wasn''t its fist, but its tail. "Heot!" Kang Oh preferred his head whole, thank you very much. If he got hit by that, then his head would crack like a dropped watermelon. He quickly rolled onto the floor. Then, Heckar punched him again. It wasn''t easy to dodge its fist while he was rolling on the ground. Thus, he protected himself with Ubist. ng! Its fist struck the center of his de. "Ugh." Heckar''s power was tremendous. Kang Oh''s body was slightly pushed into the ground. ''I have to stand up ASAP.'' If he stayed on the ground, then he''d be on the receiving end of things. Kang Oh suddenly stood up and swung his sword at Heckar. sh! A white line followed his de! Heckar swung his fist at the iing de. Fire Fist! It was exactly as advertised. Heckar''s fist caught fire and crashed into Ubist. Bam! Both sides were pushed away. Kang Oh quickly bnced himself and attacked once more. Then... An uppercut came flying at him. Kang Oh''s chin felt cold, so he quickly turned his body. Whoosh! Heckar''s fist grazed his nose, creating incredible wind pressure. It immediately followed up with its tail. Swoosh! The weight fiercely flew at him like a wrecking ball. "Tch." Kang Oh retreated. Swish! Swish! This time, Heckar approached Kang Oh while swinging its lengthy arms like spears! * * * GBS conference room. "Holy crap." Jin Cheol was truly shocked. Was it because of Kang Oh''s duel with Heckar? Absolutely not. Jin Cheol waspletely focused on Marco''s monitor. ''As expected of the Great Explorer! He truly lives up to his name!'' Why was he so surprised by Blue Sky? It was simple. Blue Sky had easily gotten through the maze, which was sorge andplex that he thought they''d spend the entire day looking for the exit. They also fought the Komor Lizardmen at the same time. Using their experience as explorers, the six team members stayed together, found the right path, and even made it to the exit. It was truly a moving sight. What''s even more surprising was the fact that they got through the 52th floor''s maze, which looked even worse than the previous floor''s. They even got through it before Strong Punch''s team! In other words, Marco''s team got to the 53th floor after Kang Oh did. "At this point, I have no idea who''ll win," Yoon Mi said. Originally, they believed it was a fight between Kang Oh and Strong Punch. However, Blue Sky, which they assumed had dropped out of the race, had miraculously gotten the lead. "Yeah. It looks like Strong Punch will reach the 53rd floor soon." Once he did, Kang Oh, Strong Punch, and Marco would all be in 1st ce. However, Marco had the biggest advantage. Why? Because he had five teammates with him. "Mr. Kang Oh. No, God Kang Oh. You can do it!" "Mr. Kang Oh, please win!" Those betting on Kang Oh sped their hands in prayer. "It''s a miracle!" "That''s right!" The few that''d bet on Marco or Strong Punch yelled. "It looks like we have no idea who''ll win now," Yoon Mi said. "About that idea you were talking about," Jin Cheol said. It was obvious what he was thinking. They''d worked together for how many years already? "You''re referring to my idea of letting the viewers vote on the winner? I''ll coborate with the other writers and get it ready." "Mm. It would''ve been amazing if they could bet real money on it like a horse race..." Jin Cheol looked disappointed. "That''d be the end of GBS." "I''m just saying." Jin Cheol shrugged his shoulders, unable to erase the disappointment on his face. * * * Heckar''s arms were like spears. They had long range, were powerful, and came right at you in a straight line. ''But an arm can''t be a spear.'' Kang Oh switched from Ubist to Blood. If he wanted to respond to Heckar''s quick, powerful attacks, then a lighter, one-handed sword like Blood would be much more effective. Swoosh! Heckar threw a punch at him. Kang Oh turned his body, avoiding the punch, and then quickly swung Blood. He was aiming for its arm, which wasn''t protected by armor! The length of its arm was an advantage, but also a disadvantage at the same time. Swish. Blood passed through its arm, causing it to burst with shards of light. Heckar furrowed its brow and swung its fist even faster, even stronger than before. Repeatedly at that! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Kang Oh was confident in his dodging ability. After all, he knew where Heckar was aiming via his Hyper Intuition. He softly swished around like a willow tree. Heckar couldn''t hit him; it was as if he were missing on purpose. At the same time, Kang Oh swung his sword. None of his attacks missed. Ultimately, Kang Oh gained the advantage, even though Heckar, with his long reach, was the one who was supposed to be at an advantage. Hoo! Heckar snorted and then rushed at Kang Oh. It had realized that attacking from afar was pointless, so it closed in. "C''mon!" Kang Oh weed it. Meleebat was his specialty, after all. Heckar punched several times. Infinite Punches! This skill allowed the user to crazily swing their arms and turn anything in range into a fine paste! However, opportunity lies within danger. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition noticed that Heckar had left both of its sides open. ''It''s safe in the eye of the storm.'' Kang Oh didn''t dare retreat; in fact, he advanced. A short whileter... Heckar''s fist came flying at Kang Oh like a downpour of rain. Chapter 342. Death Eagle

Chapter 342. Death Eagle

Trantor: Boko Bam, bam, bam! Heckar''s fists filled Kang Oh''s body with holes! At this point, it wouldn''t be an exaggeration to call Kang Oh''s body a honeb. But strangely, it didn''t see any shards of light. Heckar didn''t feel anything touching its fists either. "Ugh!" Heckar suddenly groaned. Bam! Bam! Huge shards of red light exploded from its sides. Kang Oh withdrew his sword from up close. Wait, then what had Heckar been hitting? The honeb Kang Oh began to fade, and eventuallypletely disappeared. It was an afterimage! Kang Oh had responded to Heckar''s Infinite Punches with Red Butterfly''s Dance. That wasn''t all! Transcendent de! Within this slowed world, Kang Oh had been able to avoid Heckar''s vicious attacks and simultaneously strike at its weak points. "You lesser being!" That was the first understandable thing it said. Heckar murderously stared at Kang Oh. "What are you looking at!?" Kang Oh said crudely, and swung Blood once more. sh! Heckar narrowly dodged Blood by bending its back and retreating. Then, it swung its tail at Kang Oh. Kang Oh bent over and avoided the tail. Then, he straightened his back and took a step forward. He seamlessly transitioned into a diagonal sword swing! Bam! Kang Oh left behind a wound that stretched from its side to its back. "How dare you!" Heckar bared its teeth, and swung its fists one after another. Kang Oh immediately swung Blood, blocking the attacks. ng, ng, ng! Heckar''s steel gloves and Blood shed several times. Both sides attacked relentlessly, unwilling to give the other an inch. Nevertheless, Kang Oh was steadily making his way forward. "Atatatata!" Once Kang Oh''s swings outnumbered Heckar''s punches, shards of light began to fall from its body. "Impossible!" ''How can a lesser being like a human be beating me?'' Shaahk! Heckar let out a battle cry, increasing both its fighting spirit and power. Then, it began to give it everything it had. Drill Punch and Fire Fist! Skull Cracking Uppercut! Neck Hitting Hook! Tail Grinder! Kang Oh was met with stiff resistance, so he realized that he''d need something with a bit more ''umph''. Tempest Tiger! Kang Oh unleashed a mighty, golden aura from his sword, forcing Heckar to cross its arms. Boom! Heckar took the golden aura head-on, pushing it backwards. Kang Oh took advantage of the opening and used Devil Trigger. Bam! His body was covered in red, his face was covered in a bat-shaped mask, and giant bat wings protruded from his back. The Red Demon had arrived! Heckar smacked the ground with its tail and suddenly came rushing at Kang Oh. The intense battle continued. However, the battle didn''tst all that long. Stab, stab, stab, stab! Blood Spears pierced through Heckar''s flesh! Kang Oh used a Fresh Blood Wave, followed it up with a Darkness Strike, and then finished it off with a Blood Bomb! Heckar bowed its head and fell to its knees. [You have defeated the Komor Lizard King, Heckar.] Clink. Kang Oh picked up the key. Then, he pulled off a health potion from his belt and downed it. "Next!" Kang Oh proceeded to the 54th floor. * * * Once he entered the 54th floor, a giant shadow was cast over his head. ''This is...!'' Kang Oh tightened his grip on Blood. It hadrger wings than a wyvern, and it was entirely ck aside from its beak and talons. A Death Eagle! Death Eagles were the most powerful eagles in Arth. They were capable of ripping through steel armor like it was nothing due to their tough, sharp talons. These monsters, which were notoriously known as ''Flying Death'', were almost unmatched when it came to flight. They were around level 450 too. Death Eagles usually traveled in flocks. Fortunately, Kang Oh had only encountered one of them. Kang Oh stood tall, and tightly gripped Blood. ''I''m not the same as I used to be!'' He''d seen the Death Eagles in Despia''s Volcanic Region, which was where the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout was located. At the time, he wasn''t nearly strong enough to fight the Death Eagles, so he was forced to run away. However, he was different now. Swoosh! The Death Eagle spread out its wings and rapidly flew towards him. Kang Oh swung Blood while assuming his Red Demon state. At the same time, the Death Eagle''s talons shined. ng! Sparks popped out from in-between Blood and its talons. p! Having failed to snatch him up, the Death Eagle rose into the air with a mighty p of its wings. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh extended his hand. Darkness Chain! Once the chain wrapped around the Death Eagle''s left leg, Kang Oh forcefully pulled. However, the Death Eagle''s wings were so strong that he was actually the one getting dragged into the air. ''Tch!'' Kang Oh stopped trying to force it to the ground and tried something new. He could freely manipte the Darkness Chain''s length, so he shortened it, allowing him to rapidly approach the flying Death Eagle. Then, the Death Eagle broke the chain using its beak! Darkness Chain was durable enough to withstand most attacks, but the Death Eagle had broken it so easily! Kang Oh began to fall, but his bat wings automatically began pping, keeping him afloat. p, p, p! Kang Oh followed it in the air. "Get me as close as you can." "Got it." Tasha''s voice rang out in his mind. "Thanks." "Be careful." Once he closed in, the Death Eagle lunged with its beak as if it were a spear. With Tasha''s fine control, Kang Oh dodged the attack, and then unleashed a Fresh Blood Wave at its wing. The scarlet aura hit it dead on, causing the Death Eagle to momentarily stagger, and then plummet to the ground. p! Before it hit the ground, it pped its wings, righting itself. "Die!" Kang Oh shot Blood Spears at it. The Death Eagle forcefully pped its wings, elerating to max speed, and easily dodged the Blood Spears. After that, it stared at Kang Oh and opened its beak. ck Gust! It unleashed a ck energy st from its mouth. "We have to dodge this!" Kang Oh yelled. "I know that!" Tasha also forcefully pped his wings, propelling Kang Oh forward. With her help, he managed to dodge the ck beam with some room to spare, but the situation wasn''t good for him at all. "You can''t fly for much longer." Unlike the Death Eagle, Kang Oh could only fly for 2 minutes tops. "Get me right next to it." Kang Oh decided to scrap the safer n ofnding on the floor, and decided to go with a riskier n. "I''ll try." They flew as fast as they could. The Death Eagle continuously unleashed beam after beam, but Tasha circled through the air, dodging every single beam while getting closer and closer. "Now!" Tasha yelled. Kang Oh immediately used Darkness Chain, wrapping it around the Death Eagle. Then, he forcefully pulled andnded on its back. Gyaa! The Death Eagle shrieked and rapidly spun its body. However, Kang Oh stubbornly hung on, gritted his teeth, and stabbed it with Blood. Lightning Breath! His de rent flesh, and then unleashed a massive amount of electricity right into its body. Crackle! Kang Oh was electrified too, as he was glued to its body, but he wasn''t at risk due to the Draka set''s 90% lightning damage reduction. The same couldn''t be said about the Death Eagle; it was in terrible shape. Its feathers were burnt, and its entire body was paralyzed. So it made sense that it began to fall. Kang Oh had no intention of falling to his death with it. He leapt off using the Death Eagle''s body as a stepping stone. His wings stretched out. Though he couldn''t fly anymore, gliding was still possible. Thud! The giant Death Eagle fell head first into the ground. A short whileter... Kang Ohnded on the floor and finished off the Death Eagle. Stab! [You have defeated a Death Eagle.] "Nice!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. It felt exhrating to defeat a monster that he couldn''t hope to beat in the past. It proved how much stronger he''d be. * * * Kang Oh finally reached the 55th floor. ''Out of the frying pan and into the fire.'' When he saw the 55th floor, he realized that the 54th floor was just an appetizer. He would fight, at most, 2 Death Eagles at a time on the 54th floor. However, there were groups of 4 Death Eagles on the 55th floor. Normally, Death Eagles would fly in groups, and it was this group, not the individual, that befit the name ''Flying Death''. Anyhow, Kang Oh thought about how he would proceed. ''How do I deal with them? No, can I even beat them? Should I just give up here?'' Since he didn''t know how far the other contestants had gotten, Kang Oh was forced to go as far as he could. After all, there was 200 million won ($200,000 USD) riding on this! If that''s the case, then... ''Let''s do what we can.'' Kang Oh moved stealthily in order to map out the terrain and figure out where the Death Eagles were situated. At some point, he entered an area lined with yellow, dried out thicket. ''Why is it only here? It seems unnatural. Unless...'' Kang Oh carefully opened up the bush, and saw a hole a certain distance away. There was something glimmering within the hole. ''As expected.'' His lips curled upwards. He thought of a good way of taking out several Death Eagles at once. * * * Commence operation! Kang Oh aimed for a group of four Death Eagles first. Swish! He dropped a Fire Bomb in the Death Eagles'' nest, causing it to erupt with a surge of intense mes. Kya! Gyaa! Four Death Eagles soared into the air simultaneously, and got ready to punish the one who dared set fire to their nest. Kang Oh ran as fast as he could. p! p! p! Kang Oh could tell how angry they were by how forcefully they pped their wings; they would follow him to the ends of the earth. "Heok, heok." Kang Oh ran as fast as he could, so much so that he breathed haggardly, but there was no way he could outrun the Death Eagles. It would only be a matter of time before they caught up with him. ''Just a little bit more! Just a bit more!'' Kang Oh''s destination was the area filled with the yellow, dried out thicket. If he could just make it there, then...! At that moment...! Whoosh! A Death Eagle swooped down and attacked him. ''This ain''t working!'' His back felt cold, so he threw his body to the side. He''d just barely dodged it in time. If he''d been even a little bit slower, then its talons would''ve wed into his back, and it would''ve brought him into the air. However, he couldn''t afford to rx. The other Death Eagles attacked him right after. ''Keep a move on while counterattacking.'' Kang Oh rolled on the floor a few times, avoiding the Death Eagle''s talons, stood up, and then swung Ubist. His dework caused the Death Eagles to soar into the air. Then, the four Death Eagles simultaneously used ck Gust. Hoooo! Is this how a soldier felt when faced with an aerial bombardment? "Damn it!" Kang Oh ran as fast as he could again. Boom! Boom! Boom! It was like an action movie; ''booms'' could be heard behind him, as well as dirt and pieces ofnd flying everywhere. "Heok, heok!" ''Just a little bit more!'' The ck beams kepting at him from overhead. "Uhaahk!" Kang Oh leapt away. But when the ck Gusts made contact with the ground, they created a shockwave. Kang Oh got caught in it, and was forced to roll onto the floor. Fortunately, he reached his destination. However, he didn''t feel all too happy about that. The Death Eagle''s ceased their aerial bombardment and swooped down once more. Kyaa! Gya! Kang Oh felt like a rabbit that''d just been caught by an eagle in the middle of the grasnds. The Death Eagles opened their sharp talons. At that moment... ''Now!'' Kang Oh pushed through the brush, and deliberately activated a certain device. Twist! Twist! It sounded like something was being wound up. Eventually, it stopped curling, and released something from the ground. Kang Oh quickly rolled to the side. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! They were steel harpoons! Gyaa! Kya! Kyaahk! The harpoons hade out of nowhere, so the Death Eagles had no way of dodging them. The Death Eagles writhed and forcefully pped their wings, but that only caused the harpoons to dig even deeper into their flesh. This trap was originally meant to kill invaders, but Kang Oh had decided to use it against his enemies instead. "I ain''t afraid of flightless birds. Die!" Kang Oh mercilessly cut down the Death Eagles. Chapter 343. End of the Challenge

Chapter 343. End of the Challenge

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s method of hunting the Death Eagles, or luring them into the harpoon trap, proved to be extremely effective. But it wasn''t perfect; there was no guarantee that it''d work every single time. Sometimes, the Death Eagles would realize that it was a trap and return to their nests. Kang Oh tried luring them in a few more times, but they wouldn''t fall for it. ''Oh well.'' He had no choice but to fight them head-on. "Tasha!" Kang Oh transformed into the Red Demon, rose into the air, and fought the giant-winged Death Eagles in the sky. Since he could only fly for so long, Kang Oh would use Darkness Chain when his time was up and hop from eagle to eagle. "Uhaht!" To an outsider, it would look like Kang Oh was performing extremely dangerous stunts. They wouldn''t be wrong. However, he couldn''t take down the Death Eagles without taking this kind of risk. Stab! Kang Oh clung onto a Death Eagle and aimed at its wings. If he took out its wings, then it would plummet to the ground and take a huge amount of damage. "Haa, haa!" Of course, making a monster as powerful as a Death Eagle fall to the ground wasn''t as easy as it sounded. Moreover, Death Eagles were capable of flying with only one good wing, so he needed to damage both of them. When he fought wyverns in the past, Kang Oh had done something simr, but it was about three or four times harder to get the Death Eagles to fall. Even so, Kang Oh could it! "Die!" The Death Eagles began to fall one by one. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t remain unscathed. There was no way it''d be easy to fight off the Death Eagles, which were renowned for their highbat ability and flight! [Warning: HP is below 20%.] [Restore your HP!] His HP was quickly depleted! "Uhaaahk!" He somehow managed to maintain his remaining HP while moving across the Death Eagles and stubbornly swinging his sword. The smallest mistake would result in a game over! If the Death Eaglesnded a solid hit or he fell to the ground, he''d die. This extreme life-or-death situation maxed out his concentration. He didn''t make a single mistake. Ultimately... Kang Oh stood amidst ck feathers and sprawled eagle corpses. Victory was his! [Warning: 5% HP remaining.] [Please restore your HP!] Kang Oh pulled a health potion from his belt. However, this was hisst one. "Tch." He''d definitely bought enough health potions before entering the Tower of Trials. Where had they all gone? Kang Oh didn''t even use them most of the time, thinking they were a waste of money. However, he was forced to drink health potions here. That''s just how high the difficulty level was. Gulp. He drank hisst health potion and then headed for another group of eagles. Would he be able to clear this floor? And if he did, how far would he manage to go? * * * "It''s over," Yoon Mi said. Thepetition was indeed over. She saw thest remaining contestant use a return scroll. "Tell our contestants that we''ll have a shoot in three days," Jin Cheol said. "Yes." First Hunter''s production crew immediately scheduled the shoot. They would announce the winner, reward them, and reveal the next monster there. Three dayster... Seong Gook and the contestants were inside the brightly lit studio. "Hello, viewers! My name is Seong Gook. As always, our hunters are here with us today!" Seong Gook pointed at the contestants. Jae Woo''s face was covered by a helmet from the nose up. Marco was still good-looking, while Strong Punch was as intimidating as ever, despite how polite he was. Lastly, Snow Flower waspletely dolled up, yet gave off a cool impression. "Our hunters went up the Tower of Trials this time. Whoever got the highest will win a prize of 200 million won ($200,000 USD). Did you all make it very far?" Their reactions varied. Marco looked extremely confident, and Strong Punch also smiled faintly. Snow Flower was expressionless, but Seong Gook noticed the creases in her forehead. Jae Woo didn''t really react. His face was half covered by the helmet, and his lips were, as always, set in a thin line. "Based on your expressions, it looks like Mr. Marco will be 1st," Seong Gook said. "I did my best, and I believe I had a good showing," Marco replied confidently. "Now, let''s see! Did Mr. Marco... win? I''m sure many of you are curious how this challenge yed out. I am too. So let''s not beat around the bush and reveal the results!" Seong Gook kept the show moving along. "Please take a look at the screen." The huge monitor turned on. "Let''s start withst ce. It''s none other than Ms. Snow Flower." Snow Flower appeared on the screen with a ''49th Floor - Clear'' next to her name. She had failed to defeat the 50th floor boss, the Doppelganger. "Aah. People had such high hopes for Ms. Snow Flower, since she killed the Spider Queen, Benolov. Unfortunately, she ended inst ce." Seong Gook groaned, and Snow Flower slightly bit her lip. "What happened, Ms. Snow Flower?" "I wasn''t good enough. That''s all," Snow Flower curtly replied. "Mm. There are still two more opportunities for you to win! Good luck!" Seong Gook clenched his fist. "Then let''s take a look at 3rd ce. In 3rd ce, we have..." A new name appeared on the TV. "Sword Mercenaries'' Strong Punch!" "Huh?" Strong Punch looked shocked. ''I''m third?'' He hadn''t expected this at all. That didn''t make any sense. He''d cleared the 56th floor, after all. He''d even managed to surpass the Mercenary King''s previous record; when he was still a Towergoer, the Mercenary King had gotten to the 55th floor. Of course, the Mercenary King had set this record a month ago. Anyhow, he''d gotten to the 57th floor. There, he''d struggled against Giants that were over level 500, and was forced to retreat. ''And I''m still third?'' Strong Punch stared at Marco and Kang Oh. ''How far did they get?'', his gaze seemingly said. "Ah, that''s quite unfortunate," Seong Gook said. "Excuse me?" ''What do you mean?'' "You and 1st ce were very close. It was the difference of a single floor." "So first ce cleared the 57th floor and reached the 58th floor." "That''s right." "Who is it?" Strong Punch instinctively asked. "Who will be awarded 200 million won? Will it be Mr. Kang Oh or Mr. Marco? I''m sure you''re all curious by now. The 1st ce winner is..." Seong Gook let it stew, and everyone waited for him to reveal the results. "1st ce is none other than..." He exaggeratingly pointed at one of the contestants. Pop! It sounded like firecrackers had gone off, and then Seong Gook''s voice rang out. "Blue Sky''s Great Explorer, Mr. Marco!" "Yeah!" Marco happily clenched both his fists, stood up, and raised his arms into the air. "Mr. Marco and his teammates overcame the giant,plex mazes, defeated the 57th floor Giants, and reached the 58th floor. A truly amazing feat," Seong Gook said. p, p, p! Everyone began apuding him. "However, we have another surprise for you. You''re not the only one who achieved this tremendous feat!" For a second there, Marco didn''t understand what he was saying. ''What are you talking about?'' Seong Gook continued, "I would expect nothing less from the Numbers! The Predator! Mr. Kang Oh cleared the 57th floor by himself, and also reached the 58th floor!" Then, Marco turned his head and stared at Kang Oh. ''Y-You too?'' "Tch." Once everyone stared at him, Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''I should''ve gone up another floor.'' Their records were the same. In other words, they were both in first ce. Obviously, the reward would be divided in half. That didn''t feel right. He should''ve taken it all for himself! But it couldn''t be helped. He''d managed to kill the 57th floor''s Giants, and then moved onto the 58th floor. Once he was there, however, he faced Giants made of diamond. They were huge, had immense physical strength, and had defense that rivaled Teyno''s. Thus, he tried to kill them using Ubist, which could ignore a monster''s defense, but he ultimately failed. It would''ve been different had he been able to use Gluttony... "The third reward will be split between Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Marco!" Seong Gook dered. As always, Park Jin Cheol came out with two 007 bags filled with money. "Good job. As expected of Blue Sky. It was amazing to see you clear those mazes. Please work hard in the remaining challenges too," Jin Cheol passed Marco the money bag and said. Marco looked disappointed, as he could somehow feel how much lighter the bag was than normal. Then, Jin Cheol approached Jae Woo. "This is your second time winning. As expected of you, Mr. Kang Oh." He gave him a thumbs up with his off-hand. "100 million won ($100,000 USD), right?" "Yes, that''s right." "Tch." Jae Woo clicked his tongue in disappointment. "You still have two more chances." Jin Cheol smiled. Jae Woo nodded his head and epted the bag. "We have bodyguards on standby. You also have a ride waiting for you. Please use them if you wish." Jin Cheol introduced the bodyguards that were off to the side. With this, the award ceremony hade to an end. "Now then, let''s speak with Mr. Marco and Mr. Kang Oh, who both won the 1st ce prize." Seong Gook began asking Marco question after question, and Marco answered each question earnestly without losing the smile on his handsome face. "Was the hardest opponent you faced the 58th floor Diamond Giants?" "No. We just didn''t have enough time to fight the Diamond Giants. I feel like the Death Eagles were actually harder to beat than the upper floor giants. They kept bombarding us from above while we went through the maze." On the contrary, Kang Oh''s responses weren''t very sincere. "What monster was the hardest for you?" "The Diamond Giant." "Why is that?" "They wouldn''t go down no matter how many times I hit them." "How did you prepare for the Tower of Trials?" "The same as always." But everyone just epted it, assuming it was just his personality. "Understood, Mr. Kang Oh. Thank you for your insincerements. With this, we''re done discussing the Tower of Trials. And now it''s time to..." Seong Gook waited, and then said, "Reveal the fourth monster. Everyone, please take a look at the screen!" Drum roll! The monitor showed a video that the production crew had prepared, apanied by a strong beat. It showed a bizarre, spooky forest filled with dead, dried out trees. The mist shrouded the forest underneath the light of the moon, which only made it spookier. "Hurry up!" "Heok, heok!" People rushed out of the deep darkness and thick mist. It looked like something was chasing them. Then, something pounced on them. It was a beast with shimmering silver fur. The beast was about 3 metersrge and looked like a wolf, but its legs were much longer than the average wolf, and its mouth was smaller too. "Shit!" They stopped running and pointed their weapons at the beast. However, the wolf instantly disappeared from sight. A short whileter... "Keheok!" "Ugh!" Swish, swish. It seemed like something had passed them, but it couldn''t be seen by the naked eye. However, red shards of light burst from the yers'' bodies and they died. "Diak," Kang Oh softly muttered. Their next opponent was Swift Diak, considered to be the fastest beast in all of Arth. Chapter 344. Gathering the Team Once More

Chapter 344. Gathering the Team Once More

Trantor: Boko "The target is... The Ghost of the ck Forest and the fastest beast in Arth, Swift Diak!" Seong Gook yelled once the clip was over. Swift Diak! It was ridiculously fast. The im that it was the fastest beast in Arth wasn''t an exaggeration. Thus, it wasn''t beatable. No, hitting it was almost impossible, let alone killing it. "Now then, the fourth monster has been revealed... How do you feel? Are you confident, Mr. Marco?" Seong Gook asked. "We''ll have to find out, but it won''t be easy." Marco sighed. "What about you, Mr. Kang Oh?" Seong Gook stared at Jae Woo. "No monster is unbeatable." "Oh, I would expect nothing less from one of the Numbers!" "But... there are several monsters that can''t be beaten at this point in time," Jae Woo added. "Does that include Diak?" "For the time being, yes." ''It''ll be different when I face it though.'' Seong Gook nodded and said, "I see. Then, Mr. Strong Punch! How would you fight it?" "There are two ways. Be faster than it, or slow it down somehow." Strong Punch was exactly right. However, if asked ''How exactly would you go about it?'', he couldn''t say. After all, executing the n was the hard part. "Then what about you, Ms. Snow Flower? Are you confident that you can beat it?" Seong Gook stared at Snow Flower. "Galmoss, Benolov... They were once called unbeatable monsters too. Even so, we defeated them, and I feel like this time will be no different." "Thank you for yourments. Then let''s reveal how much Diak is worth. Everyone, please take a look at the screen!" Drum roll! The bounty showed up on the screen. 200 million won ($200,000 USD)! "The reward is 200 million won! However, our production crew has added in a new rule this time." The contestants tilted their heads. They hadn''t gotten any prior notice. "If you go early, then you''ll get a bonus. In other words, if you go first, then you''ll get 300 million won! If you go second, you get 250 million! And if you go third or fourth, then you get the original 200 million." Seong Gook briefly caught his breath and continued. "They came to the decision that it wasn''t really worth going 1st or 2nd,pared to going 3rd or 4th, so the production crew changed things up a bit." The contestants fought these unbeatable monsters in a certain order. Normally, going earlier would be better, but when fighting monsters like Galmoss, Benolov, or Diak, goingter was a huge advantage. After all, you''d be much more likely to fail than seed, while the other contestants'' chances rose by watching you fail. Thus, First Hunter''s production crew decided to reward those who went first. "Now, let''s figure out who goes when. We''ll decide the same way we always do. Who would like to go first? As I''ve told you before, if you go first and seed, then you will be rewarded 300 million won!" Seong Gook emphasized ''300 million''. Someone took the bait, and raised their hand. "Me." It was none other than Jae Woo. The reason he''d raised his hand was, of course, because of the money. But that wasn''t the entire reason. During the Benolov hunt, Kang Oh had been stuck in fourth ce. At the time, he could do nothing but sit on the sidelines as one of hispetitors got paid. There was a chance that would happen this time too. He''d rather go first, damn the risks, and get a shot at the 100 million bonus. He also believed that with Gluttony and Transcendent de, he would be able to surpass Diak''s speed. "Then Mr. Kang Oh will go first..." Seong Gook was interrupted by another hand. "I''d also like to go first," Snow Flower said. Her reason for raising her hand was simr to Kang Oh''s. Although the money was great, it wasn''t her main concern; she had experienced the same thing as him. Ironically, it had been at the hands of Kang Oh himself. In the first round, Kang Oh had volunteered to go first and had killed Galmoss before she got her chance. Thus, she decided toe forward in the event that Kang Oh volunteered to go first. Marco and Strong Punch couldn''t just stand there and watch. Kang Oh and Snow Flower had both seeded before. If they could do it once, then they could do it again! "Me too!" Marco raised his head. "I as well." Strong Punch also raised his hand. It was truly a bizarre sight. The contestants, who had avoided going first, were now fighting over the spot. "Alright. Then we''ll draw lots." Seong Gook sent the staff a signal. Then, they brought a box into the middle of the set. "Whoever draws the red ball will be first." "I''ll go first." Jae Woo immediately stepped forward. It was initiative that Seong Gook had never seen before in their interviews! He ced his hand into the box. It''d be so great if his Hyper Intuition activated at times like this! Unfortunately, that''s not how it worked. If it did work that way, then he''d be buying a lottery ticket right about now. ''Please!'' Jae Woo pulled out one of the balls. "Ah!" "Tch." "Whoa!" Groans and exmations filled the studio. The contestants groaned, while the staff eximed. Jae Woo had pulled out the red ball. "Yes!" Jae Woo cheered. To think there''de a day where he was happy about going first! "Mr. Kang Oh will hunt Diak first," Seong Gook dered. After that, the remaining slots were filled. Kang Oh was first, Marco was second, Strong Punch was third, and Snow Flower was fourth. "Mr. Kang Oh, please hunt Diak within a week." "Understood," Jae Woo replied with a passionate gaze. His eyes seemed to say, ''I''ll kill Diak and take the 300 million for myself!''. "I wonder what Mr. Kang Oh has in store for us. Will he seed or will he fail? Please look forward to it." Seong Gook gave his closing statement, ending the shoot. * * * Kang Oh gathered hispanions. Eder and Sephiro obviously joined in. Karin and Soren, the twins that''d helped him with Galmoss, happily joined in too. The Gravity Witch, Soren! The Desert Fairy, Karin! Their gravity and sand magic would really help in the fight against Diak. Kang Oh hired Darion too. He nned on using him as an off-tank and a melee damage dealer. He also asked Bart if he was interested, but as expected, he declined. "Kang Oh Oppa!" "It''s been a while." Kang Oh and his teammates gathered at Eder''s house. Everyone but Sephiro had been part of his Galmoss hunting team. "It''s nice to meet you. My name is Sephiro." Since he''d never met them before, Sephiro introduced himself to Soren and Karin. "Hello, my name is Karin!" the ponytailed tomboy, Karin, said cheerfully. "My name is Soren." The twin-tailed Soren bowed her head. Gyaa! Waryong unfurled its wings, reminding them that it was here too. "Oh my, is that a baby wyvern?" "It''s so cute!" Karin and Soren werepletely drawn to Waryong. Waryong acted like a baby and jumped into their arms. ''It looks a lot happier now than when it''s with Sephiro. I must be imagining things.'' "Now that we''re all acquainted, we''ll have a quick discussion. Everyone, please sit down." Kang Oh pped, causing everyone to focus on him. "Our target is Diak." "Diak?" Eder tilted his head. "It''s a beast that lives in the ck Forest. It looks like a wolf, but it''s extremely fast," Kang Oh said. "Anything else?" Eder asked. He wanted more information on the target at hand. "It''s about 3 metersrge and has silver fur. Other than that, I have nothing else for you." "Then I suppose we''ll have to gather information first," Eder said. "That''s right. So please gather as much information as you can." Kang Oh looked at his teammates. "Yes!" Soren and Karin replied simultaneously. The rest of his teammates slightly nodded their heads. Eder would peruse the books in the library, while Sephiro would use his information brokers. Soren and Karin would look through themunity sites like Arthtory. And... "Darion," Kang Oh said. "Yes?" "Ask Burkan, Mr. Dion, and the other diators about Diak. Wait, they might not recognize the name, so ask them if they know a ridiculously fast wolf-like monster that lives in the ck Forest." "Understood." "Alright then. We''ll be hunting Diak in a week! We''ll focus on gathering information for the first three days, and then we''ll meet back here and have another discussion. After that, we''ll hunt together for three days in order to improve our teamwork, and then hunt Diak on thest day." Kang Oh exined their schedule. Once the meeting was over, Kang Oh secretly called Eder and Sephiro over. "Eder, Mr. Sephiro." "Yes?" "What is it?" "I''d like your help with something." "Help with what?" Kang Oh grinned, and brought Eder and Sephiro to the underground arena. * * * Kang Oh stood at the center of the arena! Eder pointed his skull staff at Kang Oh, ready to unleash a spell at a moment''s notice. Sephiro notched an arrow, and pointed his bow at Kang Oh. Grr. Waryong snarled and leaned over, ready to burn him to a crisp. "Let''s begin." Kang Oh raised Ubist. "Hehe, anytime." "Don''t worry about failing. Just leave it to me." Eder and Sephiro said. "I won''t fail," Kang Oh said decisively, and used Devil Trigger. A tail gently swished around from behind. How much time had passed? Kang Oh, assuming his Jet-ck Demon form, received a system message. [Demon Sword Ubist''s assimtion rate has reached 200%.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s trial has begun!] Kang Oh''s vision darkened, and Ubist appeared before him. It was much stronger than before, as it shared levels with its wielder. Of course, Kang Oh couldn''t see Ubist''s new form;pared tost time, it wasrger and more hideous, and its ws were sharper than before. What''s worse, Kang Oh couldn''t see anything in front of him, as the darkness obscured his vision. "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh breathed out and waited. Kuhaaahk! Ubist charged at him with an angry roar! Chapter 345. Black Forest

Chapter 345. ck Forest

Trantor: Boko Experience was key. Kang Oh had already taken Ubist''s trial thrice. He fought Ubist without much difficulty, despite the darkness obscuring his vision. Because he shared levels with it, Ubist was much stronger and faster than before. However, its attack patterns were still too easy to read. Kang Oh would dodge an attack using his Hyper Intuition, and then strike at a weak point. There was no reason for him to roll onto the floor likest time. His fundamentals had improved to such an extent that he could block Ubist''s vicious attacks without much difficulty. Plus, he''d realized something about Ubist''s trial. ''The Demonic Swordsman is the greatest of all Swordsman sses. This trial was originally meant for a Master Swordsman.'' The test blinded the challenger and prevented all skill use. Ubist''s power also changed depending on who wielded it. What kind of person would be able to ovee such a trial? The individual''s senses had to be well-trained, so much so that they could fight without relying on their sight, and they had to be skilled enough to fight off Ubist without using any skills. In other words, only Masters like Burkan were supposed to pass this trial. However, this test''s restrictions actually proved advantageous to Kang Oh, due to his overpowered Hyper Intuition ability. Hyper Intuition eliminated his need to see, and allowed him to precisely strike at his opponent, even within the darkness. Moreover, the fact that Ubist shared its level with its wielder meant that the lower one''s level, the weaker Ubist became. ''Hyper Intuition really is broken.'' It was like he was cheating in a game of Go-Stop. Cheating in such a manner that no one knew! In the end, Ubist was defeated. [Ubist''s HP has fallen below 10%.] [Ubist has retreated deep within the darkness.] [You have passed Ubist''s trial.] "I did it," Kang Oh said to Sephiro and Eder, who were pointing their weapons at him. "Tch!" "Tch." They clicked their tongues simultaneously. Then, they slowly lowered their weapons in disappointment. However... "Ah, I''m not done yet. Please raise your weapons." "What?" Kang Oh stored Ubist and pulled out Blood while Sephiro and Eder stared at him puzzlingly. Since he''d used Devil Trigger so much in the Tower of Trials, both Ubist and Blood''s assimtion rate had almost been maxed out. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh transformed into a giant-winged red demon, and waited for his assimtion rate to hit 200%. [Demon Sword Blood''s assimtion rate has reached 200%.] [Demon Sword Blood''s trial has begun!] His environment changed once more. Kang Oh was back in the Parmarl Underground Labyrinth, where he''d killed the Minotaur Brothers and acquired Demon Sword Blood. In front of him stood Blood, once called the Great Forest''s Demon, appearing like a red alien with bat wings behind it. Unlike Ubist''s trial, Blood didn''t restrict him at all. Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Ubist, used Gluttony and Devil Trigger, and attacked. Bam, bam, bam! "Kuhahp!" Kang Ohpletely overpowered it. His form far surpassed the Great Forest''s Demon. Ultimately, Blood fell to its knees. During Blood''s first trial, Kang Oh hadn''t finished it off, and he didn''t this time either. [You have overpowered the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, and have shown mercy.] [Blood''s main personality, Tasha, will begin to trust you a bit more.] [You have passed Demon Sword Blood''s trial.] Kang Oh grinned. "I''m done." Eder and Sephiro lowered their weapons. Waryong closed its mouth, and disappointingly darted its tongue in and out. "Thank you for your help." Kang Oh slightly bowed his head. "Good work," Eder said. Though he looked disappointed, he also looked expectant. He knew how it''d turn out. "Ah, c''mon. You''re no fun." Sephiro tied the Lasselpino Bow to his back and stroked Waryong''s head. "Please gather information on Diak. We''ll see each other again in a few days." "Bye." "Take care." Now that he was done here, Kang Oh waved his hand. Neither Sephiro nor Eder had any reason to stop him. * * * Three days went by in a sh. Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro, Darion, Soren, and Karin met at Eder''s house. Man Bok had joined in this time too. "Please tell us what you''ve learned," Kang Oh said. "You go first. I''ll let you know if I found anything that you didn''t," Eder said. "To be honest, I didn''t really find anything." He''d asked the drunkard, Tino, Jayce from the Adventurer Guild, and Grano from the Mage''s Tower, but they didn''t know anything about Diak. "Me too." "I''m sorry. I couldn''t find anything either. All I could find was that it was incredibly fast and strong." Soren and Karin said. Then, Darion raised his hand. "Go ahead." "One of my seniors has fought the beast before." "Oh, really?" "He just said, ''Don''t fight it.''." "That''s it?" Kang Oh stared at him. ''That''s all you got? Really?'' "He also said that if you have to fight it, then don''t attack it. Wait for it toe to you." "What do you mean?" "Diak is aloof, so it won''t ambush you, nor will it attack you from behind." "It won''t attack you from behind?" "Yes. It always shows itself first, and then rips its enemies to shreds." "Are you sure?" The ck Forest was Diak''s domain. But if what Darion said was true, then they wouldn''t have to worry about any surprise attacks. "That''s what he said." "Anything else?" Darion shook his head. "Did anyone else find out anything?" Eder raised his hand. "I read that the ck Forest''s silver beast is the incarnation of moonlight." Diak possessed shimmering silver fur. Is that why it was called the Moonlight Beast? "What about it?" "It apparently only shows up when the moon is out," Eder said. "Ah!" Sephiro smacked his palm with his fist. "What is it?" Kang Oh stared at Sephiro. "My information brokers told me that Diak is nocturnal. You see, it''s only shown up at night thus far. Thus, it''s assumed that it stays in its hideout during the day... If Mr. Eder is correct, then it probably doesn''t even have a hideout. It probably shows up at night, and then disappears during the day." Diak appeared only during a certain period of time. In cases like this, you had a limited amount of time to hunt it before it disappeared. "So if we want to hunt it, then we have to go at night. It really won''t be easy." It seemed like the hunt would be more difficult than he''d expected. To think they''d have to fight an extremely fast monster at night! "Anything else?" Kang Oh asked. Everyone remained silent. "That''s it for the meeting. We''ll be hunting together now. Mr. Man Bok." "Yes?" Man Bok, who was sitting in the corner, replied. "As always, we''ll be relying on you." In other words, he was asking him to provide them with supplies and anything they might need. "Of course." Man Bok smiled. "Then let''s get a move on." "Where are we going?" Karin asked. "The ck Forest." If you want to catch a tiger, then you have to enter the tiger''s den! * * * The ck Forest was a hunting ground inhabited by monsters over level 400. It mostly contained Centaurs. They were half man, half horse; human torsos attached to a horse''s body. Since they only inhabited forests, Centaurs were called the Protectors of the Forest, and were skilled with bows and spears. They usually wouldn''t travel alone, and traversed the forest in a group of ten or more. Like right now. Rat-a-tat-tat! The Centaurs galloped across the forest, creating a cloud of dust. Kang Oh and his teammates were watching them from behind the trees. "Attack," Kang Oh said, pointing his sword at the Centaurs. His teammates reacted immediately. Earth Shaking Arrow! Stamp! Sand Strike! Boom, boom! Eder cast an AoE aging curse. Evil spirits flew out of his skull staff. "Enemies!" "Enemies have appeared!" "Over there!" The Centaurs immediately counterattacked. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Their arrows flew at Kang Oh and his party members. "Let''s go, Darion!" Kang Oh, wielding Demon Sword Blood, pierced through the shower of arrows. Darion quickly followed behind him, dual-wielding two diuses, with one extra hanging at his waist. "You bastards!" Spear-wielding Centaurs rushed at Kang Oh and Darion. They wore beast fang nes, which rattled with every step they took. Whoosh! The Centaurs stabbed or swung their spears at Kang Oh and Darion. "Hmph." Kang Oh deflected a spear and aimed for the Centaur''s leg. sh! The Centaur raised its hind legs, avoiding Kang Oh''s strike, and attempted to trample him. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way, and rolled onto the floor. Darion rushed forward and swung Steel Heart. Giant''s Sword! His dius surged with gray light, which materialized into a giant sword. He then swept through the Centaur with the giant sword. "Ugh." The Centaur staggered as shards of light spurt from its body. Kang Oh, who''d gotten back into position,unched a Lightning Breath at the wounded Centaur. Crackle! The Centaur fell on its side. Its fur waspletely scorched, and smoke rose from its fallen body. However, the battle had only just begun. "Die!" The other Centaurs surrounded Kang Oh and Darion, and then attacked them. The archers shot arrows from afar. Kang Oh and Darion crazily swung their swords while avoiding spears and arrows. Meanwhile, Soren and Karin finished their incantations. Gravity Cannon! Soren unleashed a mighty energy wave from her staff. Snaring Sand Spear! Karin shot a fiercely spinning sand spear. Bam, bam! Their spells felled two of the Centaurs. "Take out the mages first!" "Let''s go!" Was it because of how powerful the twins'' spells were? A portion of the Centaurs that''d been fighting Kang Oh and Darion switched targets, and rushed towards the twins. "Hey, where do you think you''re going!?" "No!" Kang Oh and Darion tried to stop them. However, Centaurs were level 400 monsters. Kang Oh and Darion''s attacks hurt, but they could ignore them. "Arise!" Eder raised his skull staff into the air. Bone Wall! A wall of whitish yellow bones rose from the ground. Bam! Bam! A few of the Centaurs charged into the wall. However, spinning arrows flew from behind them. This was the work of the archers. Spinning Arrow! Homing Arrow! "Ugh." "Kyaahk!" Both Eder and Soren were hit by the arrows. More and more arrows kepting at them from beyond the wall. "Come out, Momo!" Karin quickly cast another spell. Summon Sand Golem! A giant Sand Golem pulled Soren, Karin, and Eder in. Thwock, thwock, thwock! Countless arrows hit it, but it protected all three of them from harm. However, the spear-wielding Centaurs had gotten through the wall and were charging at the golem. They mercilessly swung their spears at it, causing it to crumble! At that moment... Fire Dragon''s Arrow! An arrow engulfed in mes flew through the air. Once it touched the floor, fierce mes erupted from the ground, which devoured the Centaurs. "Darion, let''s take them out first." Kang Oh, who''d seen all this happen, pointed at the archers. "Yes!" Kang Oh and Darion had already cut down the two Centaurs in their way. They rushed at the archers hiding in the rear. Chapter 346. Diak Appears

Chapter 346. Diak Appears

Trantor: Boko Once they dealt with the Centaurs, Kang Oh''s party continued to hunt in the ck Forest. They encountered other monsters such as Forest Ogres, which possessed incredible physical strength, and Swamp Crocos, which resembled crocodiles. They were all over level 400. The monsters weren''t really that hard to kill, but they couldn''t afford to lower their guard. Kang Oh was hoping that his team would get used to hunting in the ck Forest, since they would eventually have to face Diak here. He was also hoping that their teamwork would improve. As they made their way through the ck Forest, Kang Oh''s party also discussed how they would defeat Diak. "I can use a spell called Gravity Ball. If used well, it can slow down Diak," Soren said. "Wouldn''t using binding magic to keep it from moving be a good idea too?" Karin added. "Eder, do you think you''ll be able to cast a slow curse on it?" Kang Oh asked. "If I use the AoE version, then I should be able to. But I''m not sure it''ll work." "Gravity Ball, Sand Bind, and a slow curse. It''d be great if we could use all three against it," Kang Oh said. "There''s something that worries me though," Darion said. "What is it?" "Me, you, and Mr. Sephiro are all physically fit, so we''ll be able to respond if it attacks us, but... The twins and Mr. Eder might get taken out." "That''s true." "I could summon a Sand Golem as soon as it shows up," Karin said. "What if I make a bone fortress?" Eder asked. "Yeah, let''s think about it some more," Kang Oh said. "Yes." Kang Oh''s party kept hunting, and eventually, the sun began to set. "It''s nighttime. Let''s end it here for today. We''re not ready to fight Diak yet." At nightfall, the ck Forest became Diak''s domain. Kang Oh''s party wasn''t ready to fight it yet, so leaving now was the correct call. "Are weing back tomorrow?" Soren asked. "Yeah." Kang Oh nned on hunting here until they were ready to fight Diak. "Understood." "See you tomorrow." "Yes." "Bye, bye." His party members left one or two at a time, and Kang Oh ripped a return scroll. * * * It was D-Day. Kang Oh and his teammates stared at the full moon. It was a good night for hunting! "Let''s go, shall we?" Kang Oh said. Eder nodded his head, and the others stared at him resolutely. Kang Oh had already turned on live film mode. First Hunter''s contestants and its production crew were probably watching him right now. Several people would see itter down the line too. ''Let''s go with confidence.'' People were normally more conscious when they knew people were watching them. Kang Oh entered the ck Forest, and his teammates followed behind him. The ck Forest contained several bizarrely twisted trees with sharp spikes. Thus, it looked like a scene out of a horror movie, and it only got worse once night came. It was as if graves and ghosts would suddenly pop out. ''I could never bring Soo Ah here.'' Soo Ah couldn''t even watch B-grade horror movies, so he couldn''t bring her to a ce as scary as this. Fortunately, neither Soren nor Karin were afraid of the forest. They had nerves of steel, and could watch horror movies without issue. Thus, there was no reason that they''d be afraid. Anyhow, Kang Oh''s party roamed through the forest in search of the silver-furred beast, Swift Diak. Sometimeter... Diak wasn''t the first monster they encountered. A ck leopard stepped out of the shadows. It was called a Shadow Leopard, and it supposedly only appeared in the forest at night. There were five of them in total. Grr. They snarled and hid within the darkness. Befitting their name, Shadow Leopards could freely move through shadows. Swish! The Shadow Leopards appeared beneath Karin and Soren''s feet. The twins quickly pulled back, and Kang Oh and Darion rushed over and swung their weapons. The battle had begun. The Shadow Leopards weren''t just quick, they were stealthy too. If you took your eyes off it for a second, then it would sink into the shadows and disappear. And if you lowered your guard even just a little bit, then it would reappear beneath your feet or in the shadow of the trees. "Aht." Karin yelled in pain. She''d been swiped by a Shadow Leopard''s sharp ws. Waryong''s neck was also bitten too. "Watch each other''s backs," Kang Oh yelled. His teammates fought crazily. Eder cast various spells. The Shadow Leopards didn''t give Sephiro the chance to shoot arrows, so he swung his bow at them or kicked them. Soren and Karin were weak physically, but they cast quick spells. Darion moved shily, wielding a dius in either hand. Kang Oh stood like an impregnable fortress; whenever a Shadow Leopard popped out, he''d respond with a mighty counterattack. The battle continued for some time. ''What is this?'' Kang Oh suddenly had a strange feeling. He instinctively raised his head and widened his eyes at what he saw. A beast with shimmering silver fur watched them from the top of a tree, beneath the light of the full moon! [You have discovered the Master of the ck Forest, the Moonlight Shard, Diak.] "It''s Diak!" Kang Oh yelled. "What?" "Huh?" His surprised teammates quickly looked around, and eventually found the silver-furred beast. "It really is Diak." "T-The battle''s not over yet." "I''ll let you know if Diak moves, so finish off the Shadow Leopards first," Kang Oh yelled. "Yes." "Understood." Kang Oh kept his eye on Diak. Fortunately, Diak did the same; it watched Kang Oh and his party, but it didn''t make any other moves. ''It''s aloof, so it doesn''t do things like surprise attacks.'' Kang Oh recalled what Darion had told him. If his information was right, then it would exin why Diak wasn''t doing anything. ''It''d be cowardly, so it won''t attack us while we''re fighting other monsters, huh?'' Was it because of its aloofness? However, this was all just a hypothesis on his end. Perhaps it was just watching Kang Oh''s party and collecting information on them. Whatever the case, the best he could do was keep a close eye on it and make sure it didn''t make any sudden moves. At the same time, he relied on his Hyper Intuition to fight off any Shadow Leopards that attacked him. Kang Oh, who''d cleared Ubist''s trial several times already, was used to having his sight cut off. Thus, it wasn''t hard for him to fight without his eyes. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s de and Karin''s Sand Spear pierced through two Shadow Leopards, killing them. Then, the rest of the Shadow Leopards escaped through the shadows, believing that they couldn''t win. Kang Oh and his teammates couldn''t follow them. Diak was right in front of them, after all! "Commence operation! As nned, build a fortress..." Diak interrupted him by suddenly disappearing from the tree top. "Damn it, he''sing!" Kang Oh yelled urgently. All of a sudden... "Aahk!" someone screamed. "Karin!" Soren yelled. Diak reappeared in-between their party, having bitten Karin''s neck. "No!" Kang Oh swung his sword as fast as he could. Transcendent de! [You have used Transcendent de.] [Arge amount of HP, MP, and Stamina has been spent.] [Please keep an eye on your Stamina!] The world began to slow. The only thing that moved at normal speed was his de. Or that''s how it should''ve been. Something else was moving normally within the slowed world. It was Diak! Diak ran off with Karin. Swish! A sh of light. Demon Sword Blood was swung so fast that it couldn''t be seen. Despite that, it didn''t hit Diak. It had been even faster than his sword. Diak quickly widened the distance between them with Karin in tow. Huge shards of light kept falling from her neck, and Diak bit even harder. Crunch. Karin stopped moving and her body turned ashen. The Desert Fairy, Karin, had met her end so easily. ''Holy shit!'' This was the first time he''d ever lost a teammate so quickly. However, this was only the beginning. Bam! Diak vanished once more. Kang Oh responded with another Transcendent de. It was rushing at Eder. Kang Oh swung his sword, faster than what should be possible, and also used Lightning Breath too. Right before it bit into Eder''s neck, the snow-white de unleashed a st of lightning that struck its body head-on. Crackle! Diak''s fur bristled, and sparks danced over its skin. It also rolled onto the floor two or three times. But then, its body glowed brilliantly like a star. Its scorched fur had been restored to its original state. Kang Oh knew exactly what had happened. ''Self-Heal!'' It had a special characteristic that increased its healing and quickly removed status ailments like paralysis. "Arise!" Eder just barely regained hisposure and yelled. Whoosh! He built a fortress that protected Soren, Sephiro, Waryong, and himself. It was like a giant cage. Originally, Karin would''ve added her sand magic to fortify the fortress, but... Karin had died right out of the gate, so the n had gone astray from the very start. Would this bone fortress be able to stop Diak''s attacks? Diak moved. Kang Oh lost him again. If it''d been aiming for him, then his Hyper Intuition would have warned him and he would''ve been able to handle it, but it was aiming for Darion. However... Darion''s dius shined. It was like a sh of light! Bam! Diak fell to the floor, spurting shards of light. ''Transcendent de!'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened. That''s right. Darion had just used Transcendent de. Transcendent de was Master diator, Burkan''s secret move, so it made sense that Darion would be able to use it. However, one''s swordsmanship had to be at high-rank in order to use it. In other words, Darion''s swordsmanship had already gone up to high-rank! Kang Oh couldn''t hide his astonishment. He hadn''t had high hopes for Darion, but he''d managed to surprise him. But that onlysted for a short period of time. He focused on Diak once more. "Haahp!" Kang Oh quickly swung his sword at the downed beast. However, it was a trap. It was as if it''d been waiting for this moment. Diak suddenly stood up, avoided his de, and bit his neck. His Hyper Intuition had warned him, but it didn''t matter if he couldn''t react in time. Like right now... Bite! Diak''s sharp teeth bit into Kang Oh''s neck. It was a game, so it wasn''t that painful, but it was a scary feeling; it was like he was getting a shot. Ding, ding, ding! The warning bells rang in his mind. He also received an actual system message stating that his HP was dropping too. ''Damn it!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! It was a close range aura attack. However, Diak quickly moved out of the way! Ultimately, the golden light struck the ground. "Hoo." Kang Oh rubbed the bitten area with his off-hand. He was almost sure that the path ahead would be nothing but trouble. Chapter 347. Swift Diak (1)

Chapter 347. Swift Diak (1)

Trantor: Boko Eder, Sephiro, and Soren were protected by his bone fortress. Fortunately, Diak couldn''t break through it easily, and if it tried, it''d either be stopped by Sephiro''s arrows or Soren''s magic. Grr. Diak switched targets, aiming for Kang Oh, who was outside of the fortress. Bam! Diak kicked off the floor and disappeared. It reappeared right in front of Kang Oh. Kang Oh didn''t track it with his eyes; instead, if any of his body parts felt the slightest chill, he would swing his sword as quickly as he could. Swish! Demon Sword Blood passed through Diak''s body, and shards of light burst out. In spite of that, Diak attacked quickly, disregarding the damage that Kang Oh had dealt. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and attacked any weak points that his Hyper Intuition found. Stab! Bite! His snow-white de, which emanated red energy, stabbed Diak''s neck. But at the same time, Diak managed to bite his shoulder. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh hugged it tight. However, Diak was muchrger than he was. To others, it looked like Kang Oh was dangling from Diak. Diak violently shook, as if saying, ''Get off me!''. ''Not a chance!'' Kang Oh summoned a Darkness Chain and wrapped it around Diak''s body. Then, Diak lunged with its open mouth, attempting to bite his head off. Kang Oh quickly thrust Blood into its mouth. Screech! His de and Diak''s teeth grinded against each other, resounding with an unpleasant ''screech''. While the two fought for dominance, Kang Oh''s teammates supported him from afar. First, Eder unleashed a green snake from his skull staff. The snake slithered and wrapped around Diak''s body. It was a slow curse. Sephiro forcefully pulled his bowstring and then let the arrow fly. However, the arrow was coated in green liquid. It was a powerful paralytic poison. Whizz! Thwock! The arrow flew through the air and pierced Diak''s body. Darion swung his diuses, alternating between the two, and focused entirely on its back leg. "Unseen, mysterious rule of power, make him heavier!" Soren grabbed her staff with both hands and pointed it at Diak. Gravity Ball! A gray ball, about the size of a baseball, appeared on its body. Once attached, this gray ball wouldn''t fall off for a certain amount of time, and it would double the target''s weight. Grr! Diak snarled and its body began to shine. It was a sign that its Self-Heal ability was activating. All of the debuffs would lose effect soon! "Keep going!" Kang Oh yelled. They had to takeplete advantage of this opportunity and push it into a corner. "Remains of the dead..." Eder began his Bone Bind chant. Sephiro notched another paralytic arrow, and Soren readied her next spell. Still within Kang Oh''s grasp, Diak kicked off the floor. However, it was so much slower than before. It was an easy target now that it''d lost most of its speed. Bam, bam, bam! Boom! Boom! Bam! Bam! It was barraged by all manner of skills and spells. Kang Oh kept stabbing it with his sword too. Although Diak''s Self-Heal ability was quickly restoring its HP, the damage it took exceeded the speed of its recovery. At some point, Diak''s fur bristled like an angry cat. And... Uwaaaah! Diak unleashed a giant roar. It wasn''t a skill that increased its abilities or weakened its enemies. Shivering Roar! It was a sound bomb! A sharp sound wave, which almost ruptured their eardrums, and a giant shockwave spread everywhere. Kang Oh''s teammates lowered their bodies and covered their ears. However, Kang Oh had been too close, and had been hit by the sound bomb at point nk range. [You have heard Shivering Roar in a defenseless state.] [Your hearing is temporarily impaired.] [You have been caught in the shockwave.] [HP -8%.] The unexpected attack caused him to lose hold of Diak. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor a couple of times. Diak seized the opportunity, and pounced on Kang Oh. However, it hadn''tpletely regained its speed yet. "Attack while it''s still slow!" Sephiro yelled. "Uhaahp!" Darion rushed at it. Fighting Spirit''s Aura! Powerful light surged from his dius, which he then swung at Diak''s front leg. Full Moon Strike! Diak''s foot seemingly transformed into a hammer made of light. Boom! Darion fell to the floor. "Stop!" "Eat this!" Sephiro and Soren supported Darion from afar. Diak retreated, rather than pursue Darion. Meanwhile, Kang Oh had drunk a potion, gone over to Eder, and gotten first aid. Now that his HP had been somewhat restored, he turned his gaze towards Diak. Diak''s silver fur bristled, and it brandished its ws, which it hadn''t used thus far. ''The 2nd phase.'' Now things were getting started. * * * Cyndia''s expression was dark. "We haven''t found them yet," she stared at the mirror and said. However, it wasn''t her face reflected in the mirror, but an old man''s. It was the Divine Dragon, Gainus. "I haven''t found them either. They''re hiding quite well." Gainus''s forehead creased even more. They were tracking the two escaped Mayanes, Jigon and Orga. However, they hadn''t even found a trace of them yet. "Where do you think they''ve gone?" "I don''t know." "Mm." "Why don''t you ask the goddess?" "The Supreme One?" "Yeah. She might put us on the right path." "Understood." Cyndia ended the conversation, cleaned herself up, and knelt down. "Supreme One!" She closed her eyes and sped her hands. Then, the top of her head began to shine. "Cyndia, my faithful servant." A sacred, yet mysterious voice resounded through her mind. "I am by no means neglecting the duty you gave me. However, I do not know where to go from here. Please show me the path," Cyndia said with reverence and desperation. "Jigon and Orgon are living amongst humans. However, they hold the God of Creation''s sources, so I can''t ascertain where they are right now." "Then what must I do? Please tell me!" "Deal with the God of Destruction and the God of Life''s Mayanes first. Prevent Jigon and Orga from obtaining another source." "As youmand." Cyndia opened her eyes. Her expression was brighter than before. She knew what she had to do now. * * * "Unseen, mysterious power!" The Gravity Witch, Soren, only used two spells against Diak. Gravity Ball, which would slow Diak down, and elerating Gate, which would noticeably increase Kang Oh or Darion''s speed! Kang Oh passed through the purple, oval portal, and quickly closed in. Diak had entered the 2nd phase, but it couldn''t move faster than the eye could see as of yet. There was obviously no reason for them to let it heal. sh! Kang Oh diagonally swung Demon Sword Blood, and a white line followed the path of his de. In response, Diak brandished its ws and swung its front foot. Tyrant''s w! A giant, surging energy came out of its w. Bam! Kang Oh was pushed back. He hadn''t been able to withstand the force of the blow. Kya! Diak took advantage of this and tried to bite him. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Red Butterfly''s Dance! [For 10 seconds, your evasion is doubled.] Chomp! Diak bit nothing but air.Then, it swiped with its front foot. Full Moon Strike! Kang Oh quickly bent backwards. Its shining paw passed over his eyes. It was his time to counterattack! He quickly swung his sword thrice. Two of his strikesnded, but hisst onepletely missed. ''It''s steadily getting faster.'' Which meant that it was slowly regaining its speed. His teammates realized this too, so they began unleashing spells/skills that would reduce its speed. However, Gravity Balls, paralytic arrows, and Bone Binds began to miss more and more. Soon enough, it became hard to track its movements. Bam! Itpletely disappeared. Kang Oh positioned himself so that he''d be able to react to his Hyper Intuition and swing Blood at a moment''s notice. However, it wasn''t aiming for Kang Oh. It hadn''t forgotten that attacking Kang Oh had caused it to get caught. Kang Oh was dangerous, so it decided to choose a different target instead. Diak reappeared near Eder''s bone fortress! It swung its front paw, d in yellow energy. Full Moon Strike! Bam! Bones crumbled, as if someone had taken a hammer to it, leaving behind arge hole in the fortress. The hole wasrge enough for Diak to enter. Grr. It went inside, head first. It was almost as if it were smiling. Eder, Soren, Sephiro, and Waryong were easy preypared to Kang Oh. However, this was a huge miscalction. "Now!" Eder closed his hand. Bone Bind! The bone fortress partly crumbled, and the crumbling bone wrapped around Diak. Kyaa! It struggled, but it was already toote. The bones had already wrapped around its body. Eder''s bone fortress wasn''t just built for defense; it was also a trap. ''If only Karin were here,'' Eder thought regretfully. What if Karin had reinforced his Bone Bind with her Sand Bind? But it was pointless to think about, since she wasn''t here right now. "Focus fire!" Kang Oh yelled. Kang Oh and his teammates began unleashing their most powerful attacks. Eder started things off. "Death energy engraved on bone... Explode!" Bone Bomb! Boom! There was a massive explosion, and a pile of bones went flying. When the dust cleared, a struggling, pained Diak was revealed. "Waryong!" Sephiro yelled, and Waryong spewed mes. The mes took the shape of an arrow. Whoosh! Fire Dragon''s Arrow! A wave of fire instantly covered the ground. "Huahp!" Giant''s Sword! Darion''s dius materialized a giant, gray sword, which he swung downwards. Bam! A fistful of shards fell from Diak''s body. But that wasn''t the end. "Pulverize everything!" Giant''s Stomp! Diak definitely felt the effects of her spell. Bam! Giant''s Stomp would press down on an opponent with gravity! Now it was Kang Oh''s turn. He switched to Ubist and swung downwards. Evesting Darkness! Energy cker than the very darkness itself shot straight towards Diak. However, a rough barrier formed around it like the surface of the moon! Moon''s Protection! Bam! A massive amount of darkness struck the barrier. However, it didn''t even leave a dent. ''A barrier!? C''mon now, it''s too much for a guy as fast as you to have a barrier too!'' Anyhow, Diak stood up, its barrier remainingpletely intact. However, there was something strange about it. A crescent moon appeared on top of its head! It was obvious what was happening! "Everyone, keep your guard up. It''s the 3rd phase!" Then, the crescent moon mark began to shine. And... Orbs of light fell from the night sky. Light Bombardment! Bam, bam, bam! In an instant, a portion of the ck Forest had been incinerated. Chapter 348. Swift Diak (2)

Chapter 348. Swift Diak (2)

Trantor: Boko Spheres of light descended upon the ck Forest like a meteor shower! The thin, bizarrely twisted trees were crushed, and several craters were left in the ground. Despite that, Kang Oh remainedpletely unharmed. He either dodged the spheres of light or swung his sword at them. [Demon Sword Ubist has absorbed sh.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s satiation has increased by 0.0003%.] The magic eater, Demon Sword Ubist, kept him safe from Diak''s attack, but the rest of his teammates weren''t so lucky. "Ugh," someone cried out. "Eder!" Kang Oh rushed over to him. Eder''s face had lost all color, and his body waspletely burnt as if he''d been in a fire. He had taken a direct hit from the sudden light bombardment. "Get a hold of yourself!" Kang Oh pulled off a health potion from his belt and poured the contents into Eder''s mouth. He also gave him a fire resistance potion, since they healed burns. However, Eder was so badly hurt that a health potion wouldn''t be enough to get him back on his feet. At that moment... Whizz! Kang Oh heard an arrow fly through the air. It was Sephiro. He had used Absolute Evasion, allowing him to dodge the Light Bombardment. Sephiro remembered to hold Waryong tight, keeping him safe too. Once the Light Bombardment was over, Sephiro fought Diak one-on-one. He drew its attention, preventing it from finishing off his injured teammates. However, fighting Diak one-on-one was by no means an easy feat. It easily dodged his arrows, closed in, and viciously swung its paws. Bam! Huge shards of light flew through the air. Sephiro fell to the floor and rolled a few times. Gyaa! ''How dare you hurt daddy!'' Waryong spewed mes. Soon enough, however, it met the same fate as Sephiro. ''I have to get in there!'' Kang Oh rushed at Diak. While he ran over, Ubist''s darkness wrapped around his body. Devil Trigger! A beast mask covered his face, the eye sockets glowing red as if embedded with red gems. Sharp pauldrons covered his shoulders, a jet-ck tail jutted out from behind, and darkness rose from his body like a haze! "Die!" Abyss w! A three-lined aura flew at Diak like the swipe of a giant beast. Diak opened its mouth. Waaahk! Shivering Roar! It unleashed a shrill cry and a shockwave. The shockwave and aura shed head-on. Boom! Diak pushed through the explosion and rushed at Kang Oh. It was so fast that Kang Oh reacted a bit too slowly. Tyrant''s w! Bam! A w mark appeared on his ckened chest. Obviously, shards of light came out too. Unlike Sephiro, however, he didn''t fall to the ground. His legs shook from the sudden impact, but he gritted his teeth and endured it. He then swung his sword horizontally. Diak quickly backed off, avoiding his attack, and then charged with blistering speed. Kang Oh swung his sword using his Hyper Intuition, not his sight. Swish! His attack worked this time, leaving behind a crooked mark on Diak''s neck. "C''mon!" Kang Oh yelled. While Kang Oh engaged Diak, Sephiro stood up and checked on Waryong''s condition. Fortunately, it was still alive. However, it wouldn''t be able to fight anymore. "Emergency Escape!" This skill ced a pet inside one''s inventory. Sephiro looked around, and saw a robe underneath a downed tree. Then, he rushed over and removed the tree. "Ugh." Soren had been underneath it. Sephiro gave her a potion and used the support skill, First Aid, on her. "Are you alright?" "Yes..." Soren replied arduously. ''Tch, if only I''d known sooner.'' Sephiro was disappointed in himself. If he''d have known about Diak''s Light Bombardment, then he would''ve prepared for it. ''Ah, what about Darion?'' Sephiro looked around once more, but he didn''t see Darion anywhere. ''Is he dead?'' However, he was worried over nothing. "Phew!" Darion popped out of a deep crater. Of course, he wasn''t in good condition. However, he wasn''t on the brink like Soren or Eder. "You bastard!" Darion looked at his burnt skin, and furiously rushed at Diak. But... a short whileter. "Kuhahk!" Diak had overpowered him, causing him to roll onto the floor. "Hey, don''t get in my way! Go over there and recover! No, take Soren with you and go somece safe. Mr. Sephiro!" Kang Oh yelled. "Yes!" Sephiro replied. "Eder''s not in good shape. Take him with you and retreat from the battlefield." Eder and Darion were NPCs. Which meant they only had one life. Thus, they couldn''t afford to keep them here any longer. "Then you''ll have to fight Diak by yourself," Sephiro said. "I''ll do whatever it takes to stay alive. So take the injured and go! If you don''t, then they''ll all die when it uses its next AoE attack!" "Understood!" Darion stood up and yelled. Then, he carried Soren and began running away. Kya! ''Where do you think you''re going!?'', Diak seemingly said, as it attempted to pursue Darion. However, Kang Oh realized what it was nning and stopped it in its tracks. "Hurry!" Kang Oh yelled. He was right. If his teammates stayed here, then they''d be killed by Diak''s next Light Bombardment. "I''ll be back soon!" Sephiro picked up Eder and ran as fast as he could. * * * First Hunter''s production crew were watching Kang Oh''s party fight against Diak in real time. "You did enough!" "No, you can keep going!" The staff members were in disagreement. Some of them cheered Kang Oh on, saying he could keep going, while others said that he''d done enough! There was a reason they were in disagreement; it was the white board at the corner of the room. [Pass / Fail] Some of them betted on his victory, while others betted on his defeat. What was interesting was that more people betted on his victory than his defeat, despite the fact that Kang Oh had gone first. It was a sign that they were confident in Kang Oh''s skills, and it made a lot of sense. After all, look at what he''d shown them thus far. Jin Cheol had bet on Kang Oh winning too. "It''s because money''s on the line," Jin Cheol muttered. To his knowledge, Kang Oh would show his best when a ton of money was on the line. He assumed that he would do the same this time too. "What did you say?" Yoon Mi stared at him from the side. "I think he''s going to win," Jin Cheol said. "Are you watching the same thing I am?" Yoon Mi pointed at the screen. Kang Oh''s team had left him to fend for himself. At the moment, he was arduously fighting Diak one-on-one. "Kang Oh hasn''t used his trump card yet." "It doesn''t look like Diak''s in its final phase yet either." Which meant that Diak still had a trick up its sleeve. "Didn''t you bet that Kang Oh would win?" "What about it?" "So why does it feel like you want him to lose?" "Diak''s stronger than I expected. I just think it''d be hard for him to pull out a win." "Is that so? I think it''s just about right. It has to be that strong for us to reward him with that much money." Diak''s greatest weapon was its speed. Obviously, the key to beating it was doing something about its speed. However, its special ability, ''Self-Heal'', quickly cured it of any status ailments like paralysis or slow. Unseeable speed and Self-Heal... It was quite the viciousbination. Moreover, it had several AoE attacks that''d make you think it was a raid boss. At the same time, it was skilled inbat, and its attack patterns weren''t predictable. It was definitely worth calling unbeatable. However, it would be even harder to beat if it weren''t such a proud beast; if it made use of the shadows and struck from behind, then it''d be even harder tobat. Anyhow, it didn''t change the fact that Diak was a ridiculously strong monster. Even so, Kang Oh was the one fighting it. The same Kang Oh, who became exponentially stronger when a lot of money was involved! Jin Cheol could see it; Kang Oh happily dancing around with 300 million won ($300,000 USD)! * * * Something shed. It was Diak''s w. Bam! It cut into Kang Oh''s right forearm. [You have taken damage.] [HP -4%.] [Remaining HP: 45%] Whoosh! He btedly swung his sword, but it retreated in the blink of an eye. After that, Kang Oh''s body gradually rued injury after injury. Of course, he got some hits in too via his Hyper Intuition, but most of the time, he''d just be on the receiving end of a one-sided beat down. The difference in speed was too massive. At the same time, he couldn''t just spam Transcendent de, as it had a hefty cost to using it. ''I can''t keep going like this.'' He had no hope of defeating it one-on-one without Gluttony. Kang Oh pulled out an item that he''d prepared just for Diak. Speed Stealer''s Metal Gloves! It was an AA-rank item with a level 250 equip requirement and one item effect. [Speed Steal] If you inflict a critical hit, then you will steal a small amount of your opponent''s speed. The faster your opponent, the more speed you will steal. This effect is capped at half of your opponent''s speed. It was the best effect to use against such a speedy opponent, wouldn''t you say? Why was he using this just now? He didn''t have enough information on Diak before. What if he used Gluttony and Diak used its incredible speed to run away? Like the Shadow Leopards he''d fought before, which retreated when the battle turned against them. And what if he used Gluttony, but Diak used an unforeseen attack pattern, and he wasn''t able to kill it? That''s why he''d been saving Gluttony until now. However, it''d all go to waste if he kept saving it. He''d die if he didn''t use Gluttony now. Anyhow, Kang Oh attempted to use Gluttony. However, Diak attacked him at the same time. His face felt cold, so he had to duck first. Full Moon Strike! Diak''s paw grazed the back of his head. Kang Oh didn''t counterattack, and used a move to buy time instead. Abyss Transfer! His body sank into the darkness, and Diak tried to bite him before he could disappearpletely. However, it was toote. It bit nothing but dirt. Ptoo! Diak spat out the dirt, looked around, and began sniffing with its nose. Then, its eyes sharply glowed, and it charged somewhere with blistering speed. It was charging at the location where Kang Oh had reappeared. Darkness rose from his form. While he was traveling through the darkness, he had activated Gluttony. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Speed Stealer''s Metal Gloves.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use the consumed item''s ability, Speed Steal.] Kuhaa! It screamed and swiped with its w. Tyrant''s w! Kang Oh btedly swung his sword. Transcendent de! It wasn''t just any Transcendent de; all of his abilities had been increased threefold! Bam! He left a long scar on Diak''s face, and red shards of light burst from the wound. [You have inflicted a critical hit on Diak. Speed has been stolen.] For the first time, Kang Oh had be faster than Diak! Chapter 349. Swift Diak (3)

Chapter 349. Swift Diak (3)

Trantor: Boko Once Sephiro and Darion had gotten a reasonable distance away from the battlefield, they carefully ced Eder and Soren on the ground. Eder hadn''t regained consciousness yet, and Soren stayed quiet, waiting patiently for her HP, MP, and Stamina to replenish. Sephiro gave Eder another health potion, and used First Aid to wrap bandages around his wounds. Then... "Mr. Sephiro!" Darion yelled urgently. "What is..." Sephiro turned his head and furrowed his brow. Monsters appeared in a corner of the ck Forest. They were Shadow Leopards! "Damn." Sephiro pulled out his bow and notched an arrow. Darion also drew his diuses, ready to attack at a moment''s notice. Swish. The Shadow Leopards simultaneously sank into the shadows. Neither Sephiro nor Darion knew where they''d show up. After all, they could appear anywhere within the ck Forest. Haahk! The Shadow Panthers aimed for the weakest one (Eder) first. "No!" Sephiro and Darion responded immediately. Man and beast engaged in battle. Though for Kang Oh''s party, it was an undesirable one. ''Ugh, please hold on, Mr. Kang Oh!'' Sephiro inwardly whispered. * * * Sephiro was worried over nothing. Kang Oh waspletely overpowering Diak. ''Speed Steal. It''s better than I expected.'' By inflicting a critical hit, Kang Oh had stolen some of Diak''s speed. Plus, the speed he''d stolen couldn''t be recovered. Diak''s Self-Heal ability waspletely useless in that regard. Which meant that Kang Oh''s stolen speed progressively made him faster, while Diak became slower as the battle went on. It was a vicious cycle. Kang Oh eventually stole half of Diak''s speed. Thebination of Gluttony and the stolen speed made him even faster than Diak. "Hahaha." Once he surpassed its speed, things started to look up for him. Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh attacked it one-sidedly. Kuha! Kuhaahk! Diak used Tyrant''s w, Shivering Roar, Full Moon sh, and other such skills, but it didn''t matter. Light Bombardment didn''t help either. Countless light spheres fell from the sky! However, only one of them came at him, so he just absorbed it with Ubist. Diak was gradually being backed into a corner. "Alright, then. Hurry up and enter the 4th phase or die! Your choice!" Kang Oh swung his sword, cleaving through its body. Then, the crescent moon on its forehead turned into a full moon. ''The 4th phase!'' As expected, it wouldn''t go down easily. Uwaaah! Diak roared. Then, the moonlight shined upon it. Whir! [Diak has absorbed as much moonlight as it can. It has be the Incarnation of Moonlight, and its power over the moon has increased.] What a bizarre sight. Diak had transformed into the Incarnation of Moonlight; its silver fur began to radiate moonlight like the moon. Moonlight Barrage! It unleashed beams of light everywhere. Kang Oh easily dodged them. However, this was only the beginning. Beams of light continuously shot out of its body. It was as if the moon itself was shining light across thend! Kuha! Diak spun like a top, and charged at Kang Oh. Spinning caused the beams of light to shoot everywhere. Whoosh! It was like a drill made of light. However... "You''re slow!" To think a time woulde when anyone would call ''Swift'' Diak slow. Though it had be the Incarnation of Moonlight, half of its speed was still in Kang Oh''s possession. Thus, it couldn''t help but be slow. Moreover... Transforming into the Incarnation of Moonlight made it more akin to a spirit than a beast. In other words, it was easy prey for his demon sword; its special effect, Abyss de, would allow him to cut through ghosts and spirits! Like Eder from the past, or Taksen Castle''s Galmoss! ''No way I can lose this!'' Kang Oh was sure of his victory now. However, something unexpected happened. Swish! When he sliced through it... Boom! There was a sudden explosion. It wasn''t just loud. He was caught in a wave of light. "Ugh!" This was the first time he''d gotten hit since he''d used Gluttony. He rolled on the floor a couple of times, but quickly stood up and got back into position. Diak came charging at him. Kang Oh sharply swung his sword while avoiding its light beams. Bam! The same thing happened again. Kang Oh was caught in a wave of light once more; with a message indicating how much HP he''d lost too. ''You''re annoying till the bitter end.'' If he backed off, then it''d shoot its light beams at him, and if he got close, then it''d explode. It was so bad that he automatically thought, ''What the hell do you want me to do then?''. Diak quickly closed in and tried to tackle him. Kang Oh instantly backed off. Boom! Once it touched the floor, it exploded. Only then did Kang Oh understand what was happening. ''It''s a really sensitive bomb!'' Kang Oh briefly thought about the best way to beat it, and eventually came to a decision. "Just beat him down!" ''That''s my style!'' Kang Oh rushed at the ''bomb''. * * * Sephiro and Darion managed to drive off the Shadow Leopards. They weren''t tough opponents, but they wasted a lot of their time! "Are you alright?" Sephiro asked. "Yes. I''m hanging in there." Eder woke up, pulled out some drugs from his medicine bag, and ate them. Then, his condition noticeably improved. Soren had improved beforehand, so she was able to help with the Shadow Leopards. "We have to hurry back and help Mr. Kang Oh." "Yes!" Sephiro and his teammates rushed towards the giant boom. A short whileter... They arrived at the sight of Kang Oh fighting Diak, which had turned into light. "Mm." "Huh?" However, it waspletely different from what Sephiro had expected. He assumed that Kang Oh would be just barely holding on against Diak. However, what he was actually seeing was... "Uhaaaahk!" Kang Oh crazily swinging his sword at Diak! His movements were so fast that he couldn''t properly see each swing. Moreover, he used all sorts of skills too. Abyss w, Tempest Tiger, sh, Fire Bomb, Darkness Chain, Lightning Breath, and even Evesting Darkness! Kang Oh was using every single one of his skills. Bam, bam, bam! Whenever hended a hit, Diak would explode. Kang Oh would get caught in the aftermath too. However, Kang Oh would just cleave through the explosion and attack again. Of course, that didn''t mean he wasn''t taking any damage. Shards of light kept falling from Kang Oh''s body. Butpared to the damage Diak was taking, his damage was negligible. Bam, bam, bam! So many shards of light fell from Diak''s body that it was hard to count at this point. "I don''t think we need to get involved," Darion said, scratching his cheek. "Seems that way," Sephiro said. "You can do it, Oppa!" Soren yelled. ''All I can do is cheer at this point!'' "It''ll be over soon," Eder said calmly. He was right. Diak''s luminescent body was beginning to crumble. Sometimeter... "Huahp!" Kang Oh fiercely cried out, and diagonally swung his de. Bam! The final explosion was the shiest. [You are the first to defeat the Master of the ck Forest and Moonlight Shard, Diak.] [As a reward, Diak will drop its highest rank items.] [You have acquired the title, Moon Child.] [Diak will respawn in 30 days.] "300 million!" Kang Oh roared, opening both his arms. ''The reward is mine!'' * * * First Hunter''s conference room. "He did it!" "Yes!" "Ooh, Mr. Kang Oh!" Once he defeated Diak, cheers filled the conference room. Of course, there were some people who weren''t all that happy with the result. "Wait, he actually did it? Just take it all, why don''t you?" "Ah, I should''ve bet on Kang Oh this time too. I didn''t have enough faith." "It went as expected." Those who''d lost said their piece. "I knew he''d do it," Jin Cheol said. "Why was it so weak?" Yoon Mi asked. She was referring to Diak. "You were the one who said it was too strong for him to handle." "It looks weak since Kang Oh beat it all on his own." So much so that Galmoss and Benolov, which had lower bounties, looked much stronger than it. "Diak wasn''t weak. Kang Oh''s just insanely strong." "Is that right?" "Yeah." "Sure, we''ll go with that. Should I schedule the next shoot?" Yoon Mi asked. "Yeah. We have to give Kang Oh his reward, and reveal thest monster too," Jin Cheol said. "Then I''ll schedule the shoot likest time. In three days." "No, wait. It''ll be crazy busy next week, since the first episode of First Hunter will air." "That''s true." "So let''s have the shoot after the first episode airs. We can see how people feel about the first episode, and take a look at the feedback." "Understood. Then I''ll schedule it after the first episode airs." "Yeah." Jin Cheol nodded his head and pped. "Listen up, the first episode will air soon. Do your jobs well, and get ready for it. You got it?" "Yes!" The staff was bustling with activity. * * * Diak dropped four items. "Let''s distribute the items at Eder''s house, since Karin''s not here," Kang Oh said. "Ok." "Alright." Kang Oh collected the dropped items, and returned to Altein. Karin, who''d died ande back to life, was waiting for them at Eder''s house. "How did it go?" Karin asked. Kang Oh gave her a V for victory. "We beat it," Soren said. "Wow! You really beat it? I wasn''t even there." "Kang Oh Oppa pretty much beat it by himself." Kang Oh raised his nose. ''I did good, right?'' "You''re awesome, Oppa." Karin gave him a thumbs up. "Follow us. We''re going to distribute the items now." "Ok." Kang Oh spread Diak''s loot on the table. "Let''s take a look at them first." Kang Oh picked up the most expensive looking item, the ne, first. "Item information." [Moonlight Beast Diak''s Ne] A ne that the Beast of the ck Forest, Diak, dropped. It is surrounded by a dim light, and you can feel incredible strengthing from the ne. It feels like whoever equips it will be blessed by the moon. + Moon''s Blessing: Receive the moon''s blessing. All abilities increase by 10%. + Moon''s Protection: Moon''s Protection is a barrier that protects you from all attacks for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Rank: S. Abilities: Main stats +40, Charm +60. Minimum Requirements: Level 450, or the title, Moon Child. "Hoh." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He really wanted this item. ''Moon''s Protection, huh... It''s amazing.'' A barrier that protected you from all attacks for 3 seconds! In other words, if you use Moon''s Protection, then you''ll be able to survive a Dragon''s Breath. It was on apletely different level whenpared to other barriers, which could only endure so much! While his attack power was off the charts, he was rather weak in the defense department. So this was something that Kang Oh was definitely interested in. ''I call dibs on this one.'' "Here, take a look at this." Kang Oh passed the ne off to the next person, and looked over another item. Chapter 350. Grand Lotus

Chapter 350. Grand Lotus

Trantor: Boko [Moonlight Leather] Leather made of soft, silver fur that shines in the presence of moonlight. The leather can be used to create robes that increase one''s magical ability. Material Rank: AA As expected, the soft fur was a material. However, it wasn''t anything special whenpared to dragon materials. Plus, it was only AA-rank. ''Pass.'' Kang Oh picked up the book next. [sh Bang] A spell created by the mage, Rubana. Reading this book will teach you sh Bang, which you can use to either blind or damage your enemy. ''sh Bang, huh...'' He''d never heard of this spell before. ''Is it a rare spell?'' If it was, then he''d be able to sell it to the Mage''s Tower for a hefty price. He''d be ok with contribution points too, rather than money. "Lastly..." Kang Oh picked up the shoes. [Moonlight Infused Boots of Swiftness] Boots that the Beast of the ck Forest, Diak, dropped. The boots are light and tough, so they are perfect for long distance travel. However, these boots show their true worth when traveling over short distances. Contains the power of the moon. + Moon''s Blessing: Receive the moon''s blessing. All abilities increase by 10%. + Swiftness: For 10 seconds, you may go beyond your max speed. In exchange, this ability rapidly drains your Stamina. Cooldown: 5 minutes. Rank: S. Abilities: Defense +330, Physical +70, Mental +30, Sense +50. Minimum Requirements: Level 400. ''Not bad.'' However, he wasn''t interested in them. He already had the Draka set, after all. ''I''m most interested in the ne.'' Kang Oh stared at the ne that Eder was currently looking at. A short whileter... "Have you all taken a look at the items?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "Yes." "How will we divide up the loot?" "Pick the item that you want. If no one wants an item, then we can give it to Mr. Man Bok. In exchange, you can only pick one item!" Sephiro said. "What if two people want the same item?" Karin asked. "Then it''ll be auctioned off. The money will go to whoever didn''t get an item." Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. "Does anyone want the Moonlight Leather?" Sephiro took the lead. "No one. Then how about the grimoire? Does anyone want it?" Soren was the only one who raised her hand. "Sold!" "Hehe, thank you." "Now it''s time for the boots. I want the boots." Sephiro took a look around. "No one? No one wants them, right?" There was only one bidder this time too. Sephiro smiled brightly and took the Boots of Swiftness. ''Oh, yeah. I got really lucky.'' "I see you were all aiming for this item here. Thest item is the S-rank ne!" Kang Oh and Eder simultaneously raised their hands. But for some reason, Karin didn''t raise her hand. "What about you, Ms. Karin?" Sephiro stared at her. "I don''t really want anything." Karin shrugged her shoulders. However, everyone else knew why she was hesitating. She hadn''t done anything. After all, Karin had died as soon as the battle began. That''s why she didn''t ask for anything. "Then Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Eder. Please bid for the item ore to an agreement," Sephiro said. "Eder." "Yes, Mr. Kang Oh?" "It''s about time I change my ne. Give it up." "I don''t even have a ne." "I probably need it more than you." ''I fight on the frontlines while you fight from a distance!'' "Didn''t you see what happened? I almost died from a single hit. I need it too." Eder didn''t back down. "Are we really doing this?" "I''ve made a lot of money too." "1,000 gold!" Kang Oh yelled. "2,000," Eder replied. "3,000." "4,000." "5,000 gold!" 5,000 gold was Kang Oh''s Maginot Line. If Eder raised his bid, then he would give up the ne. "..." However, Eder raised his hands. 5,000 gold was his limit too. "Then Mr. Kang Oh will get the ne, and Ms. Karin and Mr. Eder will receive 2,500 gold each. We''ll leave the Moonlight Leather with Mr. Man Bok. Does anyone have a problem with this?" "No." They had finished dividing the loot, and Kang Oh had acquired a new ne for the low price of 5,000 gold. ''Thanks for everything.'' Kang Oh pulled off his ne. The Wind Yearning Fire Ne. It possessed the ability to quadruple the power of wind magic or skills. In exchange, it quadrupled the MP cost and cooldown time. Quadrupling the power of wind magic and skills was great, but Kang Oh only had one wind element skill. So to him, it was like casting pearls before swine. If a wind mage equipped this ne, then it''d be able to show its true worth. Anyhow, a full moon hung from his new ne, which glowed with faint light. He equipped it right then and there. [You have equipped Moonlight Beast Diak''s Ne.] [Moon''s Blessing has increased your abilities by 10%.] [You may now use Moon''s Protection.] Hunting Diak had benefited him substantially. Not only did he get a new ne, but he''d also won 300 million won ($300,000 USD)! * * * Cyndia, Muhawk, and Gainus, who was assuming his elderly human form, visited Eder''s mansion. "Wee," Eder said. "How have you been? Pleasee in!" They briefly exchanged pleasantries, and then Cyndia went straight to the point. "It''s time to fulfill the Supreme One''s task." "Have you found the escaped Mayanes?" Eder asked. "Not yet," Gainus replied. "Not yet?" Eder tilted his head. ''If you don''t know where they are, then how do you expect us to fulfill the goddess''s task?'' "Please call Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Sephiro. We''ll continue this discussion once they''re here," Cyndia said calmly. "Understood." Sometimeter... At Eder''s behest, Kang Oh and Sephiro came to his house. "You called?" Kang Oh looked at Cyndia and asked. "We''re all here now, so we can begin." Kang Oh''s party attentively listened to her. "Myself, the church, and the Divine Dragon are tracking the escaped Mayanes. However, we haven''t been able to find them yet." "They hide well," Gainus added. "I see," Kang Oh said. "It won''t be easy to find them. Thus, there''s something we have to do before we find them." "Which is?" Sephiro asked. "With Diabol and Krishan dead, there are six other Mayanes that are still alive. Two of them have escaped our grasp, but four of them are still sealed away." "Do you want us to kill them first?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." Then, his quest was updated. [Goddess''s Quest: Annihte the Mayanes] Though they were favored by the God of Creation, the Mayanes arrogantly revolted against the Primordial Gods. The Goddess of Death, Deborah, wishes for theirplete annihtion. She also wants you to retrieve the God of Creation''s sources, something they arepletely undeserving of. Remaining Mayanes: 6. If youplete the Goddess''s Quest, then you may choose one of these rewards. 1. Raise one skill or spell to master-rank. 2. A weapon imbued with the Goddess of Death''s power. 3. Transcend your limitations as a human. Difficulty: Nightmare. Minimum Requirements: Demon Sword Ubist. Failure: You will automatically fail the quest if you lose possession of Demon Sword Ubist. [The Goddess''s Quest has been updated.] "They may attempt to free theirpanions, so kill the rest of them first. It''s a good idea. So where are the other four?" Kang Oh asked. "The God of Life, Luhan, has two of them. The other two are with the God of Destruction." The God of Life, Luhan, the Goddess of Death, Deborah, the God of Creation, Maya, and the God of Destruction, m. These were Arth''s four Primordial Gods. "We''ll kill Lord Luhan''s Mayanes first. To get there, we need to go to the floating ind, Grand Lotus," Cyndia said. "Grand Lotus!" Eder looked shocked. On the other hand, Kang Oh and Sephiro had no idea what that was. "Why are you so surprised?" "Ah, you''ve never heard of Grand Lotus before? The paradise that is said to reside somewhere in Arth?" Grand Lotus often showed up in fairy tales. It was basically heaven; a ce where someone who does a lot of good in their life goes to. "I''ve never heard of it before," Kang Oh said. ''I might be excited if it were the world''s most dangerous ce, but what good is paradise?'' "Whatever then. So Grand Lotus actually exists, and Lord Luhan''s Great Temple resides there?" Eder asked. "Yes." Cyndia nodded her head. "Mm. Paradise, huh... I''d really like to go. How do we get there?" Eder asked. "Lord Gainus will take us there. Isn''t that right?" Cyndia stared at him. Gainus slightly nodded his head. "When do we go?" Kang Oh asked. "Now." Gainus tapped the ground with his staff. Then, a golden magic circle appeared on the floor. Light arose from the magic circle, forming a pir of light that engulfed everyone there. Gainus was thest to disappear. * * * Whoosh. A cool, refreshing breeze blew across his cheek. Kang Oh was greeted by the sight of a clear blue sky and green grasnds. They were so close together that it felt like he could just reach out and grab a cloud. "Is this Grand Lotus? I only see grass here," Kang Oh said. ''It''s called paradise, but all I see is grass.'' "Look behind you," Gainus said. Kang Oh turned around, and his eyes widened. There was a giant temple there! The temple was built entirely of wood. But it wasn''t created by carving wood and piecing them together. No, the temple was formed out of all sorts of trees! What was the best way to describe it? It was as though the trees themselves wanted to be a part of the temple and grew ordingly. Anyhow, it was both an incredibly mysterious and bizarre sight. "This is Lord Luhan''s Great Temple of Life," Gainus said proudly, as if he were introducing his own house. "I-It''s amazing!" Eder couldn''t stop gaping. Kyaa! Waryong didn''t know what was going on, but it cried out regardless. In response, Gainus gave Waryong a stern warning. "Don''t you dare mess around." Groan. A dragon and a wyvern. Their levels were too far apart. Waryong groaned and hid behind Sephiro. "Shall we go?" Cyndia said, and Kang Oh''s party headed for the Great Temple of Life. Once they made it to the top of the stone stairs, they were greeted by a Birdman. "I''ve been waiting for you, Lord Gainus." "It''s been a while, Ruinari. Would you mind taking us to the audience chamber?" "Please follow me." The Birdman, Ruinari, led the party inside, and Kang Oh took his first step into the Great Temple of Life. Chapter 351. Luhan and Deborah

Chapter 351. Luhan and Deborah

Trantor: Boko The Great Temple of Life reminded him of a mazeposed of trees and vines. Fireflies, which were about asrge as his fist, lined the walls and ceiling, radiating dim light. Overall, the temple evoked a sense of mystery. Creak. Waryong found the fireflies fascinating, so it tried to touch them, but Gainus smacked its head with his staff. "Just sit still." Groan! Waryong groaned, as if saying, ''Why are you picking on me!?''. However, Gainus didn''t pay any attention to it. "This way." The temple''s protector, Ruinari, led Kang Oh''s party to arge room. "Heok." Kang Oh and his party widened their eyes. The only ones who weren''t shocked were Ruinari and Gainus. [You have been granted an audience with the Protector of Life, Gracius.] [Pay your respects!] There was a giant bird within what looked like a nest. The Death Eagle, which Kang Oh had fought not too long ago, was quiterge, but this bird was iparablyrger. ''It looks bigger than a dragon.'' It was definitely bigger than Bone Dragon Akite. The bird''s blue feathers were adorned with a spiral pattern, and itsb was shaped like a crown; it also had a golden beak, with mes covering its torso. "Mother." Ruinari spread his wings and bowed. Gainus dropped his staff and did the same. She was a bird worthy of the Divine Dragon''s respect, so Kang Oh and his party quickly knelt onto the floor and bowed. The bird slowly opened her clear blue eyes. "It''s been a while, Gainus." She wasn''t actually speaking; she wasmunicating telepathically. "Indeed it has, Lady Gracius." Gracius was the mother of all birds/Birdmen, and was the Protector of Life! She was Luhan''s first disciple andpanion. It was said that their union created the sky! "You came without prior notice, so it must be important." Her voice was the textbook example of ''benevolent''. "It has to do with the Mayanes," Gainus said respectfully. "The Mayanes? What about them?" "The Goddess of Death wishes for us to kill the Mayanes and collect the God of Creation''s sources. She ns to revive the God of Creation, Maya." "And?" "Please grant us permission to kill the two Mayanes sealed here." "The Mayanes are outside my jurisdiction. Only Luhan can make a decision regarding them," Gracius said. Her voice was kind, but firm. "Then please let us see Lord Luhan." "Someone of your stature is perfectly qualified to meet Lord Luhan. But keep this in mind. Luhan hates any sort of discussion that involves killing others. Even if it has to do with the Mayanes, who performed an unforgivable sin." "I''ll keep that in mind," Gainus replied, and Gracius closed her eyes once more. A short whileter... A pir of light fell from the ceiling, and a giant of light appeared amidst the pir. The God of Life, Luhan, had personally made an appearance. "Gainus." Like Gracius, Luhan spoke telepathically. "Greetings, Supreme One." Gainus knelt onto the floor, and his head touched the ground. Everyone else followed suit. "Their crimes are severe, but killing them isn''t the answer. I cannot allow you to kill them." "Lord Luhan!" "Gathering Maya''s sources and reviving him is also a mistake. After all, it was his actions that led to the Mayanes rebelling against us." The God of Creation, Maya, had loved the Mayanes far too much. So much so that he named them after himself. Eventually, he made a fatal mistake. He gave his power to his creations! Due to Maya''s obsession, the Mayanes became increasingly arrogant, and ultimately, even dreamt of supnting the gods themselves. The other Primordial Gods sacrificed much, and were barely able to kill the Mayanes. Then, Maya sacrificed himself and revived the eight Mayanes that he loved the most. With his power, the Mayanes became immortal, and the Primordial Gods were unable to kill them. Thus, they had no choice but to seal them away. In other words, this was all due to Maya''s misced love. Thus, Luhan didn''t want Maya to be revived. "If Maya is revived, then all of our efforts will go to waste. He will either revive the Mayanes, or create a 2nd or 3rd Mayanes. Once again, we will have to sacrifice much to stop him. Gainus, you led the dragons in the fight against the Mayanes. Don''t you remember? How many tribes were lost in the battle against them?" Gainus''s face stiffened. Originally, so many more dragons existed. However, they had almost gone extinct from the battle with the Mayanes, and now you could count how many were left with a single hand. The gods gave the remaining dragons enough power to reign over all other species, and had also given Gainus eternal life so that he may watch over Mayanes Orga and Mayanes Jigon. Anyhow, the fact of the matter was that Gainus had lost several friends. And if the Mayanes were revived, then the cycle would continue. That was Luhan''s point. "Supreme One, I understand what you''re saying," Gainus said respectfully. "Then why do you agree with Deborah?" "That''s..." Before he could reply... Cyndia''s body suddenly radiated purple light. The light transformed into a veil, and a giant woman appeared behind it. Kang Oh had seen this when he''d first met Deborah! Both the God of Life, Luhan, and the Goddess of Death, Deborah, hade in person! "Luhan." Deborah''s calm, yet dignified voice rang out. "Deborah." The light his giant body gave off intensified. "The reason Gainus agrees with me is because he wants change." "Change?" "Me, you, m, and Maya are the wheel that makes the world turn." The God of Creation, Maya, created new things, while the God of Life, Luhan, breathed life into them. The Goddess of Death, Deborah, took life away, and the God of Destruction, m, destroyed old things. "But with Maya dead, we''vepletely stopped. The world has stopped changing ever since Maya''s passing," Deborah added. New living things couldn''t be born without Maya. Pre-existing life was born and died in a repetitive cycle. The Arth continent hadn''t changed for a long time. Indeed, the world hadpletely stopped. "I understand what you and Gainus want. But I''m still against you killing the Mayanes and reviving Maya. Reviving Maya will just bring about another tragedy. Deborah, how many living beings died in the war with the Mayanes?" Luhan still wasn''t convinced. "As you say, reviving Maya may cause the cycle to repeat, and it may bring about another tragedy. However, I believe this unchanging world is a far greater tragedy than the one you''re alluding to." "This world is tragic?" Luhan shook. "That''s right. You know better than I as the God of Life. Life equates to change. Death is just a process of life. As you say, stagnation is a tragedy. And I want this tragedy to end." "..." Luhan remained silent. His light intensified and then died down repeatedly. It was clear that he was thinking about this. Deborah remained quiet and patiently waited for Luhan''s response. How much time had passed? Eventually, Luhan spoke once more. "Deborah, I''m still not sure about reviving Maya. However... I won''t stop what you''re doing. You''re right. This unchanging world is a tragedy." "Thanks for understanding." Then, the purple veil disappeared. Obviously, the goddess''s silhouette that had been behind it disappeared as well. At the same time, the giant of light transformed into a pir of light and went back the way he came. The only people left were the Protector of Life, Gracius, the Divine Dragon, Gainus, the Birdman, Ruinari, and Kang Oh''s party. "Lady Gracius," Gainus said. "I know what you want to ask me. You want me to take you to Mayanes Jacques and Mayanes Kragon," she stared at Gainus and said. "That''s right." "Hoo, I got it." The giant bird''s body suddenly diminished in size. Not only that, but her shape changed too. She retained her spiral patterned blue feathers, but she had transformed into a Birdman like Ruinari! "Follow me," she said, and Gainus and Ruinari immediately stood up. Kang Oh had been quietly watching the situation unfold with his mouth set in a tight line. He immediately stood up, and Eder, Sephiro, Cyndia, and Muhawk followed suit. "I''m d things went well," Eder whispered into his ear. He''d been uneasy throughout Deborah and Luhan''s entire exchange. Only by agreeing to kill the Mayanes did he gain his body back. But what if they were unable to kill the Mayanes? The Goddess of Death may curse him again. He really wanted to avoid that if at all possible. "Yeah." Kang Oh agreed absentmindedly and stroked his chin. ''Reviving the God of Creation, huh...'' He hadn''t really thought about it before, but Deborah and Luhan''s exchange made him realize what a huge quest he was undertaking. Let''s assume that Kang Oh kills all of the Mayanes and collects all of the God of Creation''s sources. Let''s also assume that the God of Creation is revived thereafter! What if Maya does something crazy again? It''d be war. A huge war at that. But what if things went ording to Deborah''s wishes? The continent would change, and new living beings or even monsters would appear. Areas or dungeons that''d never been discovered before might appear too. Either way, it was good news for Kang Oh. If there was a war, then Kang Oh would gain a huge reward for siding with the gods, and if there were new dungeons or areas to explore, then he''d take them all for himself like Despia or the soul dungeons! "Hehe." Kang Ohughed. ''Nice, nice.'' Meanwhile, Gracius led while the others followed. Kang Oh came back to reality, and quickly caught up with them. * * * Two giant, 10 meter tall metal mirrorsy side-by-side within the deepest part of the Great Temple of Life. "The left mirror contains Mayanes Jacques, while the other contains Mayanes Kragon," Gracius, in her Birdman form, said. "Who should we kill first?" Cyndia asked. "Let''s kill Jacques first," Gainus said. "Go into the left mirror. Since Lord Luhan has granted you permission, you should be able to pass through the mirror," Gracius said. "Understood. Alright, let me tell you about Jacques. Everyone, listen up," Gainus looked around and said. Kang Oh pricked his ears and listened carefully. Chapter 352. Bug Army

Chapter 352. Bug Army

Trantor: Boko "Jacques is called the Bug Monarch, and is apanied by a huge army of insects. Be especially careful of the worms; they''re actually parasites. If you''re not careful, Jacques will use the parasites to take control of your body." "Anything else?" Kang Oh asked. "Jacques can also transform into a giant insect, and he uses seven different poisons that mirror the colors of the rainbow. Make sure you avoid his purple breath. It''s about as strong as our Dragon''s Breath." "Understood." "Let''s go." "Yes, sir!" They were extremely confident. After all, the Divine Dragon wasing along! "Gainus," Gracius suddenly said. "Yes?" "Bring Ruinari with you." Gracius pointed at the Birdman. "Jacques and Kragon are our responsibility. If anyone should be killing them, it should be us." "Yes, Mother." Ruinari deeply bowed his head. "We''ll feel a lot safer with you, the strongest Birdman Warrior, at our side. Thank you, Lady Gracius." Their party was nowplete. It consisted of the Predator, the Wind Archer, the Legendary Healer, Deborah''s Priestess, her protector, the Divine Dragon, and the strongest Birdman Warrior! All of them were fully qualified to fight the Mayanes, the ancient tribe that dreamt of supnting the gods. "Follow me." Gainus entered the left mirror, which acted as Jacques'' prison. It let him pass without any resistance. Kang Oh went in next. Swish! He passed through the mirror and entered apletely different world. * * * [You have entered the Sealed Area, Snow-White ins.] It was as if the entire world was covered in paper. After all, sand, pebbles, and heaps of earth as white as snow went as far as the eye could see. There was no grass or trees here, which made it seem even more barren. It truly was a snow-white in! However, there was a single, giant structure here. It was cone-shaped, but it was perforated with holes; holes that wererge enough for a person to go through. "That''s Jacques'' home. It''s better that we not enter. It''s teeming with countless insects, poisonous or otherwise," Ruinari said after he''d passed through. "Then we have to drag him out," Gainus said. "That would be for the best." "Let''s go." Once they all made it through, they headed over to the tower. Since it wasn''t that far away, they reached Jacques'' home in no time at all. But once they got close, the scenerypletely changed. Bzzzzzz! They heard the sound of insects'' wings. Flying insects rushed out of the tower. There were wasps, monster dragon flies, hideous mosquitoes, and even one that couldn''t be identified at first nce; it was as long as a centipede, but it was capable of flight. All of the insects were at least the size of a human head. Moreover, they were extremely fast, so their bodies painted the sky ck. "Whose head do you think you''re flying above!?" He may look like an old man, but Gainus was a dragon underneath! And he wasn''t just any dragon either; he was the Divine Dragon. Gainus raised his staff. Judgment of Fire! Roar! Rippling white mes erupted from his staff, which burnt the insects to a crisp! He had killed hundreds of insects with a single spell. However, this was only the beginning. Gainus consecutively cast powerful spells. Thousand Chain Lightning! Ice Storm! With a crack of thunder, lightning shed. At the same time, countless ice shards filled the sky. The term ''catastrophe'' was the best way to describe the scene. The Birdman Warrior, Ruinari, got into position. He opened his wing-arms and softly swung them. Wind God''s Trick! Whenever he swung his arms, he created a vortex, which promptly consumed countless bugs in its way. Gyaa! Waryong opened its mouth and spewed red mes. Its master, Sephiro, was shooting the insects out of the sky, showing off his skills as an expert marksman. Kang Oh swung Blood. A single swing of his de would fell countless bugs and fully stack his sword. Blood Bomb! Boom! Scarlet energy exploded from his body, turning any nearby bug into dust. Eder also used explosions as a means of attack. He would shoot bone shards everywhere and promptly cast Bone Bomb right after. Cyndia sped her hands together and cast a God''s Blessing on her allies. Muhawk stood beside her, cutting through any insects that came her way. The winged insects, which had once nketed the sky with their numbers, had noticeably dwindled down. However¡­! The white sand and dirt began to bob up and down. Bam! A parasite, which looked like a worm the size of a forearm, popped out of the ground. Its head was shaped like a sea anemone, so it was covered in countless tentacles. "It''s a parasite! Don''t let it infect you. If you get infected, then you''ll be controlled by the enemy!" Gainus yelled urgently. Then, he formed a barrier around himself, preventing the parasite from getting any closer. The others prevented it from closing in on them too. Bam! Bam! Bam! The ground cracked open, and more disgusting insects crawled out. If you had entomophobia, then you''d have fainted by now. That''s how many insects hade out of the ground! "Exterminate them!" Gainus said solemnly. Burning Land! A raging fire suddenly surged. Hiss! The insects were burnt to a crisp. However, some of them had managed to pierce through the mes. And it wasn''t a small number of them! These insects possessed hard exoskeletons, which shielded them from the mes. Kya! A strange-looking insect, which looked like a spider with pincers, and mes on its forehead, opened its ws. There was a hole in-between its ws, which sprayed green liquid like a water gun. That was just the beginning. Venomous insects began spraying their poison everywhere too! Hiss! Hiss! Once the poison touched the mes, it turned into ck smoke. "Watch out for the poison!" Kang Oh yelled after cleaving through a monster dragon fly. "Please eat this!" Eder pulled out ck spheres from his medicine bag, and began throwing them at hisrades. Kang Oh took the drug and ate it. [You have eaten Eder''s Special Antidote.] [Detoxifying your system.] [Your poison resistance has been maxed out.] [Duration time: 5 minutes] [If you are poisoned, then the medicine''s effect will wear off much faster.] "Oh goddess!" Cyndia sped her hands together. Holy Domain! A cross appeared over her head, and yellow light spread from beneath her feet, as if it were oil floating on water. This prayer increased her allies'' resistances, defense, and HP regeneration while within this zone. "Blow, wind!" Ruinari bowed down, ttening his body, and began spinning like a top. An intense wind began to blow from his body. Whoosh! The wind blew away the poison. Hiss! Hiss! Realizing that their poison hadn''t worked, the insects quickly charged at their enemies. Any winged insects that were still alive kept flying around, distracting Kang Oh''s party. Moreover¡­! Kuha! Kuhaaahk! The ground shattered, and out came even more insects. Four mantises, which stood more than 2 meters tall with sharp, glimmering de-arms, had appeared. They opened their gigantic wings, and flew for some time. Mantis Demons! Mantises were considered the most powerful insect-type monster, and these mantises were the apex of their species. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Whenever they swung their arms, they would unleash a biting wind with a sharp ''swoosh''. Then, giant, heavily armored scorpions surged from the ground. Armored Scorpions! These insects charged at their enemies like a tank. Strangely, there wererge-headed ants riding on their back. Cannon Ants! They spat potent acid. Thebination of the two made them much harder to deal with than if they had fought individually. "Stop them!" "Die!" Kyaaa! Ptoo! Ptoo! Kang Oh''s party and the insects engaged in an intense melee battle. While Sephiro and Eder were running from a Mantis Demon, Kang Oh climbed on top of an Armored Scorpion and killed the Cannon Ants riding it. The Divine Dragon, Gainus, and the Birdman Warrior, Ruinari, were doing far more than the rest of them. "You bastards!" Gainus stomped on the ground. Earthquake! Lava Eruption! The ground cracked open, releasingva like a fountain. Several of the Armored Scorpions fell into the chasm, and theva pir melted away the mantises. Gainus''s skill in magic was frightening. As expected of the Divine Dragon! ''I should get close to him.'' Kang Oh pledged upon seeing his unfathomable strength. When this battle was over, he''d make full use of his silver tongue! However, there was someone else he wanted to get to know. It was Ruinari, the green-feathered Birdman Warrior that flew through the air! He opened his wings, releasing a giant, golden bird-shaped aura that shredded the insects. Wind God''s Fluttering Wings! Though they''d killed several of the flying insects, a ton of them still remained. And yet, with a single attack, Ruinari had killed them all. The attack was both extremely powerful, and covered a wide radius. ''An attack of that magnitude? Is it a secret move? He looks like a Fighter, but I''m pretty sure he''s a Master.'' In other words, Ruinari was on the same level as the Invincible diator, Burkan. It wouldn''t hurt to get closer to someone like that! "Hoo, hoo." Was it because he''d used such a powerful attack? Ruinarinded on the floor and did nothing but catch his breath. ''Alright, let''s start showing them what I can do.'' Gainus and Ruinari were both powerful beings. He wouldn''t be able to increase his closeness with them by just ttering them a ton. First, he had to get them to acknowledge his skill. Only then would he be able to get through to them. Kang Oh switched to Ubist. Devil Trigger! He instantly transformed into the Jet-ck Demon, and kicked off the floor. His target: an Armored Scorpion! Kya! It swung its thick ws at him. At the same time, Kang Oh swung his sword. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura struck the scorpion. However, it didn''t really do much; perhaps it was because he no longer had his ne, which quadrupled its power. ''It doesn''t matter.'' He''d only used Tempest Tiger to draw its attention anyway. Soon enough, Kang Ohnded on its back! Ptoo! Ptoo! The Cannon Ants, which were already there, spat their acid at him. However, Kang Oh''s ne began to glow with dim light. Moon''s Protection! This barrier would nullify any and all attacks for three seconds! It hadpletely blocked the acid. ''My turn!'' Kang Oh horizontally swung his de in a wide arc. Abyss w! A three-lined ck aura followed his de. Split! Split! The Cannon Ants'' heads were incredibly tough. However, Abyss w ripped them apart. That''s just how powerful it was! ''This is just the beginning!'' "Haaht!" Kang Oh cried out, and went on a rampage. sh! Lightning Breath! Darkness Strike! Fire Bomb! Bam, bam, bam, bam! His fierce assault pushed the Cannon Ants off the scorpion''s back. Then, the Armored Scorpion attacked Kang Oh with its tail. Whoosh! Its poisonous stinger gleamed. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and waited for the right moment. Soon enough, the poisonous stinger was right before his eyes! ''Now!'' Transcendent de! Swish. His de shed, leaving behind a single line in the air. That line crossed through the scorpion''s tail, cutting it in two. Kuhaa! The Armored Scorpion screamed in pain. "Be my experience points!" Kang Oh raised Ubist high up, and then swung downwards. Once his de cut through its thick shell and made contact with the soft flesh underneath¡­ Lightning Breath! Crackle! The electric st coursed through the Armored Scorpion''s body, killing it instantly. [You have defeated an Armored Scorpion.] [You have leveled up.] "Next!" Kang Oh leapt into the air. ''I''ve found my next prey!'' Chapter 353. Bug Monarch, Jacques!

Chapter 353. Bug Monarch, Jacques!

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was eagerly killing bugs when he heard¡­ "Kuhaaaaaaa!" A huge roar echoing through the air. ''What is that?'' Kang Oh turned his head towards the source of the noise. There, he saw Jacques, sporting the Mayanes'' trademark angel wings. He looked much younger than Krishan or Diabol. If he were human, then he''d be a middle schooler. p, p, p! Jacques forcefully pped his wings and approached Kang Oh''s party. Once he was close enough, he beamed. "Who do we have here? It''s Gainus!" He looked at Gainus happily. It was as if he''d just seen an old friend. Kyaa! Suaah! The insects backed off and gathered around Jacques. Then, they ttened their bodies as if they were bowing in respect. As expected of the Bug Monarch. "Jacques!" Gainus red at him. How many of his brothers and sisters had Jacques killed!? Though it had been several years since the war, the sight of a Mayanes was enough to make him tremble with rage. "Ooh. The one and only god, Maya. Thank you so much for sending this damn lizard into my den!" Jacques stared at the sky and stretched out his arms. "You even sent me such delicious looking prey." Jacques looked at Kang Oh''s party insidiously. He may look young, but his gaze was certainly not. "Hehe, don''t worry. I won''t kill you. I''ll imprison you and drain you of your life force for the rest of your lives. Ah, besides you. I''llpletely destroy you." Jacques grinned, and looked at Gainus murderously. ''He''s¡­'' "Insane," Kang Oh muttered. He definitely acted the part. Sephiro and Eder simultaneously nodded their heads. You could tell that he was mentally ill at a single nce. "Nevertheless, his strength is the real deal. Don''t let your guard down," Gainus said. "Yes." Kang Oh''s party assumed battle positions once more. "Kang Oh, do your job," Gainus said, singling him out. It was clear what this ''duty'' was referring to. ''Ovee Jacques'' immortality with Demon Sword Ubist!'' "Of course." "Remember, you''ll have me to deal with if you fail or die halfway through. You can count on it," Gainus said brutally. Of course, that wouldn''t make Kang Oh back down. "I never fail." He was as immodest as always. "I''ll be watching." "As you wish." Kang Oh, still assuming his demon from, tightly gripped Ubist. "You done talking? You could''ve kept going." Jacques grinned. It''d been a while since he wanted to sock someone''s smiling face. That''s just how unpleasant Jacques'' smile was. "Shut up and die." Gainus mmed his staff onto the ground. Lightning Bolt! Crackle! Lightning fell from the sky, aimed right at Jacques'' head. However, Jacques waspletely unharmed. A scorched insect fell to the floor instead. "Hehehe, I''ll kill you after I''m done ying with you! Go, my faithful servants!" Jacques yelled. Kuhaaa! Kyaa! Their master had given the order. The once still bug army viciously charged at Kang Oh''s party. Plus, new insects popped out of Jacques'' home. A shadow was cast over their heads! Swish! Swish! Swish! They were giant moths. Whenever they pped their wings, toxic powder would spread everywhere. Moreover, they shot powerful beams from their eyes. A new, bizarrely shaped insect made an appearance too. Its tail was as long as a dragon fly''s, but it had a mosquito''s legs and a spider''s head. This hideous insect also had two pairs of wings, which were covered in transparent scales. Its total wingspan was 3 meters long. It was called a Sjak. Jacques had created it by fusing several different insects together using the God of Creation''s power. Ptoo! Ptoo! They began spitting sticky liquid from their mouths. A shower of yellowish phlegm descended upon them. There were several other winged insects that hadn''t participated in the battle. Thus, the sky was nketed by insects once more. However, that wasn''t everything. Twitch! Bam! Bam! Mantis Demons, Armored Scorpions, Cannon Ants, parasites, and poisonous spiders popped out of the ground. There was even an insect the size of an elephant. Its head was like that of a beetle''s, yet it had four thick, pir-like legs. The ends of its legs were hooked too. It seemed like it specialized in brute strength. Thud! Thud! It seemed extremely heavy too, as the ground would shake with every one of its steps. Gulp. Sephiro swallowed. He''d hunted several monsters before, but he''d never fought against such a huge army of powerful insects. Thus, he couldn''t help but be anxious. Eder, Cyndia, and Muhawk sported simr expressions. There was no sane human who could look at this andugh¡­ Oh wait, there was. Kang Oh grinned, his eyes gleaming. ''Mm,e here, my precious experience points. The more the merrier. We''re leveling up a ton today!'' At that moment¡­ Whoosh! A ck tsunami, or the insect army, came charging at them. * * * Ice Storm! Burning Land! Thousand Chain Lightning! Lava Eruption! Earthquake! These spells all brought disaster, yet Gainus cast them repeatedly! "Let''s y!" Mayanes Jacques unfurled his wings and flew right at him. Then, his right arm transformed into a sharp drill. The tip was coated in a navy blue liquid. Navy Blue Poison: Pain Worse than Death! Jacques possessed seven different poisons, which corresponded to the colors of the rainbow. The Navy Blue Poison inflicted incredible pain onto its target. The pain was such that people would voluntarily beg for death. "No thanks." Gainus mmed his staff onto the ground. Water Wall! A wall of water suddenly rose from the ground. "Hehe." Jacques pped his wings even harder and pierced through the Water Wall. That''s what Gainus had been waiting for. Blue lightning flew at the soaked Jacques. Chain Lightning! "Ain''t gonna to work!" Jacques extended his left hand. Then, a thick-shelled insect, which looked like a shield, popped out, and took the lightning in his stead. "My turn!" Jacques threw the scorched insect away, charged at Gainus, and swung his right drill arm. "Hmph." eleration! Gainus''s body glowed. His body''s natural speed had been multiplied by a factor of two or three, allowing him to dodge the attack. He counterattacked immediately. Cold Wave! Befitting a dragon, the greatest of all lifeforms, Gainus was capable of casting powerful spells without an incantation. Whoosh! A freezing cold wind, one that''d make your teeth chatter, flew towards Jacques. "Kiki!" Jacques flew upwards, dodging the Cold Wave, and then raised his left hand into the air. A navy blue spear appeared in his hand. Navy Blue Poison Spear! "Kyaha!" he screamed, and then threw the spear! The poison spear came right for Gainus''s head. Magic Barrier! A blue barrier surrounded Gainus. Bam! Upon impact, the blue spear transformed into toxic powder and lingered in the nearby air. Gainus hadn''t expected this. With the poison still out there, Gainus was forced to maintain his barrier. After all, if he dispelled his barrier, then he''d be poisoned. Dragons were almost immune to poison, but Mayanes Jacques'' poison was an exception. Several dragons had been poisoned by him in the past. "I said, let''s y!" Jacques suddenly appeared in front of the barrier, and attacked it with his drill arm. ng! ng! ng! The barrier began to crack. "Hmm." If Gainus wanted to attack, then he would have to dispel his barrier. But if he dispelled the barrier, then he''d be poisoned. ''Then I just have to go somewhere else.'' Gainus''s body faded. Teleportation! "Where do you think you''re going!?" Jacques pierced through both the barrier and Gainus. No, it looked like he''d pierced him. However, his drill arm had hit an afterimage, a result of Gainus''s Teleportation spell. Whoosh! A lump of ice came flying at Jacques from behind. He quickly turned around and swung his drill arm upwards. Split! He could see Gainus''s wrinkled face from beyond the perfectly split ice. "Gainus!" "C''mon!" Gainus and Jacques'' battle continued. * * * Swish! A Mantis Demon swung its sharp de at Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh took a step back and avoided its attack. Then, he stepped forward and cleaved through its side. [You have defeated a Mantis Demon.] Kang Oh swung his sword again and again. He didn''t stop, even for a moment. He aimed for the winged insects'' weakness, their wings, sliced at their rtively weak exoskeletons, or attacked the segments in-between. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Red shards of light kept bursting out! Whenever Tempest Tiger, Lightning Breath, Abyss w, etc. were off cooldown, he''d use them, and kill a ton of insects in the process. On the other hand, the insects spewed poison, or attacked with their poisonous stingers or tentacles. However, their attempts to kill him always failed. Kang Oh''s evasion was unparalleled, and he also had his Hyper Intuition, which would tell him where they were attacking. "Haht!" He leapt into the air and swung his sword in midair. Then, the monster moths and Sjacks plummeted to the floor. It looked like he was carelessly swinging his sword, but he had actually aimed for their wings. Once hended, he leapt over a nearby parasite. Kang Oh grabbed onto its tail region, and mmed it onto the ground. Thump! Then, he stomped on it! The parasite waspletely ttened. [You have defeated Jacques'' Parasite.] "Next." Kang Oh swung diagonally, killing four insects. After that, he rushed forward. His striking, jet-ck tail swished behind him. While running, he threw Fire Bombs in front of him! Roar! The mes engulfed the insects, burning them to a crisp. Then, a shadow cast over his face. A beetle with an armored head and four hooked legs attacked him! It swung its four legs simultaneously. If he moved incorrectly and got caught in one of those hooks, then his body would be ripped apart. However, its attacks were too slow. So much so that he sighed. He easily dodged the attack, and left a lengthy scar in the middle of its body. However, the shards were ck. His attack had been enhanced by Fang-Bearing de, allowing him topletely nullify its defenses. Kang Oh kept up the momentum. He used its tough exoskeleton as a foothold, leapt into the air, and swung his sword downwards. Tempest Tiger! It was as if a golden hammer had mmed into the giant insect''s head. Bam! It reeled from the immense force. Tap. Kang Ohnded on the floor and leapt into the air once more. Then, he swung downwards at the insect''s head; it still hadn''t regained itsposure. Whack! That''s exactly what he wanted to hear. What a refreshing feeling! Shards of red light burst out en masse. The beetle fell over backwards like a tree that''d just been felled by a lumberjack. Thud! White sand flew into the air. Kang Oh quickly climbed onto its body and stabbed it. Stab! A beast-shaped wave coated his jet-ck de. Darkness Strike! Boom! His demon sword pierced through its body, and the ck wavepletely crushed its insides. [You have defeated a Giant Insect.] [You have defeated it using Darkness Strike.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] The bugs were clearly no match for Kang Oh. They were nothing more than experience points for him. Kang Oh instinctively sought an even stronger opponent. He aimed for none other than Mayanes Jacques, who was currently fighting Gainus! "You''re¡­ next." Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh sank into the deep darkness beneath his feet. Chapter 354. Battle Between Monsters

Chapter 354. Battle Between Monsters

Trantor: Boko The Divine Dragon was exceptionally powerful. He didn''t give Jacques the chance to turn the battle around. Plus, the fact that Jacques couldn''t use the God of Creation''s powers, which included creating monsters, healing/reviving himself, and teleporting, was also an advantage in his favor. Because Luhan had sealed him in an area without humans or monsters, Jacques couldn''t collect the life force needed to use the God of Creation''s powers. The countless insects that served at his beck and call couldn''t be used to fuel the God of Creation''s power either. Despite that, Jacques remained confident. Though he couldn''t use the God of Creation''s power, the source granted him immortality. Unlike him, Gainus wasn''t immortal. He had been blessed with a long life, but he could still be killed. ''As always, I''ll be the one whoes out of this alive.'' Even the God of Destruction, m, couldn''t kill him. The lizard''s power was nowhere near the God of Destruction''s power, so how could he even hope to kill him? It was impossible. Jacques hadn''t even been concerned about the humans or the Birdman that''d apanied Gainus. However, Kang Oh, in his Jet-ck Demon form, suddenly appeared behind him. Jacques hadn''t expected it, so he couldn''t respond in time. It was a perfect ambush! Kang Oh swung downwards with both speed and precision. Evesting Darkness! His jet-ck de unleashed a pir of darkness, which ripped apart one of Jacques'' white wings. Split! "Uheok!" Jacques cried out from the sudden pain. The Evesting Darkness pushed him far, far away. Eventually, he rolled onto the floor. Shards of lightrge enough to cover his face flew into the air! "Ugh." Jacques raised his face from the floor, and his eyes glowed red. "How dare you!" The Mayanes took great pride in their wings. Damaging them was the greatest insult one could give them. What''s worse, a mere human had hurt him! Moreover, he''d forced him to roll onto the floor and dirty his wings with dust! "I''ll kill you!" Jacques furiously charged at Kang Oh like an injured beast. His severed wing dangled as he approached. "Uhaaahk!" Jacques had forgotten all about Gainus. All he cared about was killing the ck demon before his eyes. It was probably the biggest mistake of his life. How could you ignore the Divine Dragon!? Great Eruption! Right before he struck, the ground cracked open, and a ton ofva surged through the air. Hiss! Jacques was bathed in dark redva! Immortality kept him safe from death, not pain. His skin and wings were both burned, so he cried out in pain. Once the spell was cast, Kang Oh immediately backed off. He didn''t want to get caught up in theva too. A short whileter... "I''ll kill everyst one of you!" Jacques said following the spell''spletion, and cradled his burnt wings. [Jacques is furious over his damaged wings.] [He is transforming into the Insect Monarch.] Jacques'' body increased in size. And it wasn''t just his size that changed. His skin transformed into a ck shell, and the shape of his body changed too. The Bug Monarch, Jacques, was huge! ''He''s at least 30 meters tall.'' His head was shaped like a helmet, and four dragonfly-like eyes peeked out from within. He had countless legs like a centipede, and his stomach was perforated with holes. Various insects poured out from them. The white wings the Mayanes were so proud of could no longer be seen. In exchange, Jacques had three pairs of transparent bug wings. "Die! Die! Die!" Several red, yellow, and green spheres appeared around Jacques. Infinite Poison Balls! These spheres contained six of Jacques'' poisons, excluding his purple one. Bam, bam, bam! He shot the spheres everywhere. Their abilities obviously differed based on the color. The red poison was a hallucinogenic, while the orange one was a powerful paralytic. The green poison burned the skin, while the navy blue poison caused extreme pain. Anyhow, none of them were ''safe'' to get hit by. "Everyone, be careful!" Gainus yelled. At the same time, he surrounded himself with a water barrier. "Please let me in!" Kang Oh quickly entered Gainus''s barrier. Ruinari, who''d been mercilessly killing insects, forcefully pped his wings in an effort to get as far away from Jacques as possible. "I will protect you, Ms. Cyndia." Muhawk stood in front of her and raised his shield. "Oh goddess!" Cyndia immediately offered up a prayer. Sacred Shield! Rising Life! Bright light spread from her body. "Mr. Sephiro,e to me!" Eder dealt with Sephiro. "Yes." Sephiro quickly rushed over to Eder''s side with Waryong in tow. "Arise!" Eder quickly constructed a bone fence. However, this wouldn''t be enough to keep out all of the poison. Thus, Eder passed Sephiro one of his antidotes. "Hurry, eat this." Gyaa! ''Give me one too!'' Waryong opened its mouth. Eder pulled out two more, tossing one into Waryong''s mouth, and taking the other himself. Bam, bam, bam! The poison spheres rained down from the sky like hail. Unfortunately, the poison managed to seep through the fence. [You have been poisoned by the Red Poison. You have begun to hallucinate.] [You have been poisoned by the Orange Poison. You are bing paralyzed, starting from the tips of your hands and feet.] [You have been poisoned by the Yellow Poison. HP falls quickly.] ... [Warning: Get as far away from the poison as you can!] "Eat this too!" Eder was really busy. He gave Sephiro and Waryong antidotes, pulled out some medicinal herbs, materials, potions, etc. from his bag, and sat down. Then, he began formting an antidote specifically tailored for Jacques'' poison. He wasn''t the Legendary Healer for nothing! Creating an antidote tailor made for a specific poison was his specialty. In fact, Eder was skilled enough to create an antidote for most poisons in 1 minute t. However... "This is impossible. I can''t cure this poison!" Eder had failed to create an antidote for Jacques'' poison. It was only natural. Even the Divine Dragon feared Jacques'' poison. In other words, an antidote for his poison didn''t exist. But this is Eder we''re talking about. Although he wasn''t able to make a cure, he was able to make a drug that lessened its effects. [You have taken a dose of an Emergency Drug.] [Your symptoms have improved.] The barrage of poison balls had ended by the time he finished manufacturing the drug. Eder dispelled the bone fence, and saw Cyndia and Muhawk. Their faces had turnedpletely ck. "Ms. Cyndia, Mr. Muhawk. Please take this!" He rushed over, and gave them the Emergency Drug and some healing medicine. "T-Thank you!" Muhawk fed Cyndia the medicine first, and then took his own. Theirplexions slightly improved. However, they hadn''t been healedpletely; the Emergency Drug merely improved the symptoms, so they were still in danger. Eder raised his head, and searched for Kang Oh and Gainus. The water barrier was dispelled, revealing both Gainus and Kang Oh. Fortunately, both of them werepletely unscathed. "Mr. Kang Oh. We''re all poisoned. We don''t have much time! You have to kill him as fast as you can!" Eder yelled. "Ok." Kang Oh rushed forward, and Gainus cast another spell. p! p! Ruinari, who''d flown far away, forcefully pped his wings and turned back around. Kuhaaahk! Whoosh! Insects popped out of the Bug Monarch'' s stomach, quickly forming another giant army! They were like cockroaches. No matter how many they killed, they kepting back! * * * There wasn''t much point in killing the insects if the Bug Monarch remained unscathed. None of them said it, but they were all thinking it. Thus, they split up their tasks ordingly. Eder, Sephiro, Waryong, and Muhawk dealt with the bugs, while Cyndia focused on support! Kang Oh, Gainus, and Ruinari, who possessed the greatestbat ability, would focus on Jacques! "Let''s go." Gainus took the lead. "Yes!" "Understood." Kang Oh and Ruinari simultaneously replied. Gainus pointed his staff at Jacques. Giant''s Fist! The fist mmed into Jacques'' body. Whack! However, Jacques didn''t move a muscle. "Take this!" Jacques shot yellow, green, and navy blue spears at Gainus. Ruinari flew in front of Gainus, and softly swung his wing. Wind God''s Trick! A giant, powerful whirlwind followed his wing. Whoosh! Not only did the whirlwind devour the poison spears, but it also redirected them at Jacques. Insects had been surrounding Jacques, most likely to protect him. However, the whirlwind either ripped them apart or sent them flying into the air. However, Jacques didn''t really move. He may have wings, but flying was difficult due to his giant, heavy body. Then... Purple light glowed within Jacques'' mouth. "Purple Breath!" Gainus moved quickly. The breath would unleash a massive amount of purple poison at once. Unlike the others, purple poison annihted anything it touched. It really was Jacques'' most powerful and dangerous poison. That''s why he''d warned them prior. To be careful of the Purple Breath! "Purple Breath?" Kang Oh heard him loud and clear. He remembered Gainus''s warning too. "Everyone, get ready for his attack!" Kang Oh yelled. However, Gainus thought differently. All the preparation in the world wouldn''t stop that. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Whoosh! Gainus transformed. To be more specific, he returned to his original form. The old man was reced by a giant, white-scaled dragon that glowed with white light. "Hueup!" Gainus drew in a ton of air. Then... Kuhwahk! Jacques unleashed his Purple Breath, spewing poison all across the world. "It''sing!" Kang Oh used Abyss Shield and Moon''s Protection. The others did whatever they could too. But before it hit them, another energy st, rivaling the Purple Breath in strength, blocked it. Boom! Divine Dragon''s Breath! Gainus unleashed a glittering silver beam; it was as if the stars themselves were embedded within. He had used a dragon''s most powerful ability: Dragon''s Breath. Bam! The Purple Breath and Divine Dragon''s Breath shed, both sides struggling to ovee the other. The purple energy would get pushed back, and then push the silver energy back. Rinse and repeat. This sh of strength resulted in a huge shockwave. The insects, aside from the Giant Insects and the Armored Scorpions, were pushed into the air. Kang Oh''s partyid t on the floor, and waited for it to be over. How much time had passed? The silver beampletely overpowered the Purple Breath. Boom! Gainus powered his Divine Dragon''s Breath with every ounce of strength left in his body, which struck Jacques'' body head-on. "Kieeeek!" Jacques cried out. However, Mayanes Jacques was immortal. Even Gainus''s Divine Dragon''s Breath couldn''t kill him. Thud! Thud! Thud! Gainus rushed forward and bit into his neck. He also used his sharp ws to rip through Jacques'' tough exoskeleton. After all, a dragon''s teeth and ws were weapons without peer. Jacque screamed and struggled. He bit Gainus''s long neck with his fangs. At first, Gainus''s scales protected him, but Jacques kept trying. Jacques'' fangs released poison, which melted away the fangs, and eventually pierced through Gainus''s hide and the flesh underneath. Obviously, Jacques'' seven fatal poisons were released into Gainus''s body via his fangs. "Ugh." Gainus trembled. However, he remained focused, and repeatedly tore into Jacque with his teeth and ws. ''It''s my win!'' Jacques assumed he won. He was immortal, while Gainus was not. In a situation like this, where both sides inflict fatal wounds upon each other, he would be thest man standing. However, that was a huge miscalction. Why would Gainus go to such lengths to attack Jacques? He wasn''t an idiot; he knew the risks. It''s because he had a secret weapon. "My turn." Kang Oh grinned. Ubist''s darkness became even deeper and darker than before. Chapter 355. Price of Arrogance

Chapter 355. Price of Arrogance

Trantor: Boko The humongous Bug Monarch battled against the Divine Dragon, who''d returned to his original form. They werepletely tangled together, both attempting to kill each other. It wasplete chaos. The bug army attacked Gainus, while Kang Oh''s party aimed for Jacques. It was both all-out war and a battle royal at the same time! Kang Oh used Gluttony on a BB-rank mass-produced sword. All of his abilities were increased twofold, and jet-ck energy rose from his body. "Huahp!" Kang Oh cleaved through a Mantis Demon, leapt into the air using an Armored Scorpion as a foothold, andnded on Jacques'' back. Whoosh! Ptoo! Ptoo! Hideous winged insects, or Sjacks, spat yellow mucus at him. At the same time, Predator Ants shot their acid at him from behind. "Hmph." Abyss w! The jet-ck aura immediately cut through anything in his way. Then, Kang Oh thrust his sword into Jacques'' shell. ng! Unfortunately, Jacques'' shell was so tough that he hadn''t even left a mark. But Kang Oh knew several ways of breaking through a tough shell like this one. ''Start with a sh!'' Swish. sh left behind a nail-sized mark. ''A small crack can cause a dam to copse!'' Kang Oh stabbed the small mark. However, Jacques'' body rocked up and down due to Gainus''s assault. "Ugh." For a second there, Kang Oh floated in the air. At this rate, he would fall off of Jacques'' body! Kang Oh immediately used Darkness Chain, and wrapped it around a bump on Jacques'' back. Then, he reduced the length of the chain. By doing so, he returned to his original spot. After that, he thrust his sword into the mark once more. Stab! A small crack formed in the shell. Kang Oh kept striking at the same ce over and over again like a miner. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Demon Sword Ubist was a multi-purpose tool. Fang Bearing de! Upon its activation, Jacques'' shell split open. Whoosh! Kyaa! Monster moths flew over his head and shot beams at him. A Mantis Demon flew over with boisterous ps of its wings, and opened all four of its arms. "Don''t get in my way!" Kang Oh tried to swing his de. However, Jacques'' body shook again, so he lost his bnce. He kept a tight grip on the chain, which kept him from falling, but he was leftpletely defenseless. Bam! "Ugh." The Mantis Demon''s de sunk deep into his flesh. However, that wasn''t the end of it. It had four arms in total, so it could still attack with the other three! Swish! Another one of its des came flying at him. This time, it was aiming for his neck! "Grr!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth, and rolled to the side without letting go of the chain. Snap. The Mantis Demon missed, but it immediately swung its four arms. Moon''s Protection! A barrier surrounded his body. Bam, bam, bam! It blocked all of the Mantis Demon''s attacks, giving Kang Oh the precious time he needed to get back into position. Once he was ready, Kang Oh fiercely swung his sword. "Die!" sh! A white line followed his horizontal swing. The white line passed through the center of the Mantis Demon''s body. Swish! Kang Oh followed up with a strike to its neck. However, his de was empowered by a jet-ck wave. Darkness Strike! Boom! [You have defeated a Mantis Demon.] "What a pain in the ass." Kang Oh refocused on Jacques'' shell; the same shell he''d cracked already! At that moment...! "Kuhaaahk!" Gainus cried out. Jacques had sunk his fangs into Gainus''s neck and wasn''t letting go, no matter how much Gainus retaliated with his teeth and ws. It seems like the navy blue poison had taken effect, making him feel extreme pain. ''I have to hurry.'' Kang Oh raised his de. However, the bugs were interfering again. ''I''ve had just about enough of you!'' He wouldn''t go to any dungeons that contained insect-type monsters for a while! At that moment... "Leave them to me." Ruinari descended from the sky. "Please focus on your task! I will take care of them." "Thank you," Kang Oh said earnestly. He had really needed help, after all. "Hurry!" Ruinari yelled. Kang Oh focusedpletely on Jacques. Ruinari was extremely skilled. He killed countless waves of approaching insects. They didn''t bother Kang Oh again, allowing him topletely break through Jacques'' cracked shell. "Huahp!" Kang Oh thrust Demon Sword Ubist deep into Jacques'' flesh, and then used Tempest Tiger, Abyss w, and Lightning Breath! Boom! He used everything in his arsenal. Red shards of light fell from the exposed flesh like a waterfall. Jacques squirmed. However, Kang Oh tightly gripped the Darkness Chain with his off-hand. Plus, he wasn''t getting attacked by the bugs anymore, so he didn''t fall this time. "Have another taste of this!" Kang Oh repeatedly stabbed Jacques with Ubist. Unable to withstand the pain any longer, Jacques created poison spheres once more. "Keep going. I''ll take care of them!" Ruinari yelled. "Understood!" Kang Oh focused entirely on damaging Jacques. After all, he was the only one that could break through his immortality. Whizz, whizz, whizz! The poison spheres shot in every direction. In response, Ruinari stretched out his wings. Wind God''s Fluttering Wings! Ruinari, who''d killed countless insects, used his secret move. Whoosh! A giant golden bird appeared. It wasn''t a real bird, but an aura, a mass of power that coalesced into a bird shape. However, it was absolutely humongous. It truly was a secret move! The giant bird aura blocked everything. Not only did it stop the bizarre, hideous insects from approaching Kang Oh, but it also stopped the poisonous spheres too! "We have to hold out!" "Please eat this and hold on!" Eder, Sephiro, Cyndia, and Muhawk were all together when the poisonous spheres came flying at them. They constructed a bone fence and a barrier to protect themselves. However, they were already poisoned, and weakened as they were, they weren''t fully capable of blocking the poisonous spheres. Theirplexions gradually ckened more and more. They didn''t have much time left. They weren''t the only ones without much time left; Gainus wasn''t in good shape either. Jacques'' poison had already spread throughout his entire body. Dragons had inherently strong life force, so Gainus was holding out as best as he could, but he would soon reach his limit. "Kang Oh!" Gainus desperately yelled. ''If I die here, or we fail, then I''lle back and kill you no matter what!'' That''s probably what he was saying. Hearing that, Jacques shook with happiness. It looked like Gainus was on hisst legs. ''Ooh, to think I''d be able to kill Gainus! Ooh, Lord Maya!'' He had almost no HP left, but it didn''t matter. After all, he was immortal. ''When this is over, I''m going to step on your corpse andugh!'' But things never really go the way you want them to, do they? At some point, Jacques felt like his body was being drained of its energy. ''What is this?'' He hadn''t felt this feeling ever since he''d be immortal. Jacques had felt this feeling once before, but it was before he''d be immortal. It was the same feeling he''d felt when he was destroyed by the God of Destruction, m! Following his death, the God of Creation, Maya, resurrected him, and ever since, he hadn''t felt what it was like to die. But why was feeling like this? Why now? Jacques couldn''t understand what was going on. ''I''m not dying, am I? No, that''s impossible! I''m immortal!'' He struggled till the bitter end. However... "It''s over!" Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Ubist into the air, and forcefully swung downwards. Evesting Darkness! The Abyss Predator, Ubist, was a demonic beast that came from another world! It was an entity capable of breaking the veryws that bind this world. Ubist was even capable of devouring the almighty power of the gods themselves. "No, that''s not possible..." Till the very end, Jacques was unwilling to ept his death. He should''ve been suspicious. Isn''t it strange that Gainus came here personally? The fact that he''s here means that he has a way of oveing my immortality. But Jacques had been too arrogant; he believed that the world revolved around him. That he was the predator, and Gainus was the prey. Ultimately, Mayanes Jacques paid the price for his arrogance. [You have defeated the Symbol of Arrogance, Mayanes Jacques.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [Fame has increased significantly. The churches will be more weing to you.] [You have partiallypleted the goddess''s quest.] [Remaining Mayanes: 5] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Sense +3] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] "I killed the Mayanes!" Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Ubist into the air, and hispanions beamed and cheered. The remaining bugs lost all of their strength once Mayanes Jacques was killed. With this, the battle was over. However, the bugs weren''t the only ones who''d lost their strength. "Ugh." The Divine Dragon, Gainus, fell t on his face. Thud! He had been exposed to Jacques'' poison for far too long, and had finally reached his limit. "Lord Gainus!" "Divine Dragon!" Kang Oh and hispanions quickly rushed over. * * * "I''ll put my honor on the line and save you." Eder began healing Gainus. It wasn''t easy healing a dragon due to theirrge bodies, but he kept his word. He managed to save Gainus''s life. This was only possible due to Jacques'' death. Once he was gone, the seven poisons went with him. Of course, Eder''s healing skills also helped significantly. Sometimeter... "Did you get him?" That was the first thing Gainus asked once he came to. "Yes," Kang Oh replied. "Good, you got him!" The white-scaled dragon smiled, and transformed back into his old, human form. "Hmm, I''m morefortable in this body than my original one. It must be because I''ve assumed this form for so long." "Thank you for all your hard work." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Haha, yeah. I did go through a lot." Gainus bore a scar on his neck from where Jacques bit him. "I should''ve killed him faster. I''m sorry." Kang Oh had the decency to look apologetic. "You should''ve. If you had taken any longer, then I would''ve died," Gainus stared at him and said. "..." Kang Oh said nothing, and just scratched his head. He wanted to get closer to him, but it looked pretty tough. ''Phew.'' He inwardly sighed. "It''s fine. You managed to get him in the end. I was just joking around." "If you need me to do anything, don''t hesitate to ask. I''ll do whatever you ask of me." "Do your best to kill the rest of the Mayanes." "Yes, sir." "There''s that same confidence from before. I''ll be watching you. Oh, right, what happened to the God of Creation''s source?" Gainus asked. Cyndia opened up her hands, revealing the God of Creation''s source. It looked like a star plucked from the night sky. "We''ve finally reimed one." "We''ll gather all of them soon," Cyndia said. Her voice was calm, yet firm. "Indeed. Protect it well." "I n on delivering it to the goddess as soon as we leave." "Mm, good thinking. Then let''s go. I''m sick of insects now." Everyone agreed with Gainus''s line of thought. ''No more insects!'' "Oh, and Lord Gainus. Jacques left behind a Mayanes-only ring. How will we dispose of this?" Cyndia asked. It was clear that Kang Oh would ask for it. Jacques'' ring was an SS-rank item, and its effects were amazing, befitting its rank. It was an item that could be sold at a hefty price if it were remodeled. However, the ring wasn''t his to take. "A Mayanes-only item, huh. I''ll keep it safe, so that it doesn''t go to the others." "Yes." Gainus took the ring, which was embedded with a giant amber stone. Their business with Mayanes Jacques was over. Chapter 356. Flying City

Chapter 356. Flying City

Trantor: Boko Gainus hadn''t died, but he wasn''t in particrly good shape either. "You need to rest for at least three days. I would''ve rmended more rest had you not been a dragon," Eder said. "Got it. Then let''s kill Mayanes Kragon when I''m fully recovered." "A wise decision," Kang Oh quickly said. "Are you returning to your nest?" Eder asked. "No, I n on resting here. There''s no better ce to recuperate." The temple was a nature friendly building, made of trees and vines. Moreover, the temple resided on the flying city, Grand Lotus, so the air was crisp and clean. "Is that ok with you, Ruinari?" Gainus stared at the Birdman, Ruinari. He both managed and protected this area, so he would need his permission to stay. "Stay as long as you wish," Ruinari immediately said. "Thanks." "I''ll stay here and help with your recovery," Eder said. "Thanks." Gainus beamed. "I''ll stay and care for you too." ''Now!'' This was his chance to form a connection with Gainus. However, Gainus wasn''t interested one bit. "I''m fine. You go train or something. It''s only a few days, so you probably won''t improve that much." "Ahem." "I will return to Despia. I need to deliver the God of Creation''s source to the goddess," Cyndia said. Since they were inseparable, Muhawk followed her back. "You have the hand mirror I gave you, right?" Gainus asked. "Yes." "When you''re done, contact me with the mirror. I''ll summon you here." "Thank you." "What about Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Sephiro?" Eder asked. "Are there any dungeons here?" Kang Oh asked Ruinari. "No." ''There aren''t even any dungeons here. This ce ispletely useless.'' "Ahem, then what is here?" "Vast grasnds, the sky that stretches on without an end in sight... I assume that isn''t the answer that you''re looking for. There''s a flying city where the Birdmen live." "Hoh, may I go there?" "I can take you there if you want." "Thank you." ''This is it!,'' Kang Oh thought, and bowed his head. ''A Birdman city, huh... What kind of ce is it?'' "Oho, I told you to go and train." Gainus butt in. "You said it yourself. I probably won''t improve much in just a few days," Kang Oh retorted, using Gainus''s own words against him. "It''s better than doing nothing." "Well, I suppose that''s true. I won''t be able to improve myself in such a short time; instead, I''ll thoroughly prepare myself." "Prepare yourself?" "Yes. Please tell me about Kragon. I''ll prepare ordingly." ''I''ll be sure to bring the right item for Gluttony!'' "Alright, fine. Kragon is..." Gainus exined what he knew regarding Kragon. "So Kragon can turn his body into diamond?" "That''s right. Kragon has the highest defense amongst the Mayanes. Thus..." "I''lle prepared." "I really hope you don''t disappoint me." "Of course." "What are you going to do, Mr. Sephiro?" Eder asked. "I''d like to go to the city too." Kyaa! Waryong unfurled its wings and yelled as if saying, ''Me too!''. "I''ll take you both there," Ruinari said. "Let''s go immediately," Kang Oh said. "I beg your pardon?" "Strike the iron while it''s hot... Ah, you must not have that saying here. Anyhow, there''s no reason to dy!" "Understood. Lord Gainus, I''ll be back soon." "I''ll be in my room." "Yes. Then please follow me." "Go, go!" Ruinari led Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Waryong to the flying city. * * * "This is the flying city where the Birdmen live." Tada! There was a huge city behind Ruinari''s back. "Holy crap." "Wow." Kang Oh and Sephiro were both genuinely shocked. The flying city wasn''t anything like Arth''s cities. How is it different, you ask? Normally, buildings would be constructed out of wood, stone, brick, dirt, etc. The style of the buildings may differ, but the materials used in their construction werergely the same. Shockingly, the flying city''s buildings were made out of clouds. It seemedpletely unreal. He would''ve never believed it existed until he saw it in person. To think they constructed buildings out of clouds. How is that even possible!? However, it was possible; the evidence was right in front of them. So they had to believe it. "Did you really make them out of clouds?" Sephiro asked, unable to hide his shock. "Haha, no. How would you construct a house out of clouds?" Ruinari smiled. "Then what is that white stuff that looks like clouds?" "It''s a nt that only grows on Grand Lotus. It looks just like a cloud, but it''s actually softer than silk, so it''s our favorite material to use." "What is it called?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s called Grand." "Grand? Is there any connection to the city, Grand Lotus?" "Yes. The ''Grand'' in Grand Lotus refers to those cloud-like nts." "Oho." "Let me show you a few of our attractions. Please take a look around and find the rest yourself." As Ruinari, Kang Oh, and Sephiro strolled through the city, several eyes watched them with interest. It had been a while since outsiders, especially humans, hade to the flying city. "They look strange," a small, sparrow-like child said, pointing at Kang Oh and Sephiro. "They''re saying you look strange." Kang Oh took the initiative. ''They''re talking about you, not me!'' "No, they must be referring to you," Sephiro retorted. Gyaa! ''My dad''s better looking than you!'' Waryong obviously took Sephiro''s side. "No, I''m telling you. They''re talking about you." "No, it''s you!" "I have a girlfriend." "What does that have to do with anything!?" Sephiro said angrily. He was a lonely guy, after all. "If I looked weird, do you think I''d have such a beautiful girlfriend?" "I suppose things that are close to impossible can happen." "Then let''s ask them in person!" "Fine." "Hey, kid. Which one of us looks strange?" Kang Oh asked. "Both of you!" the sparrow child said clearly. "Huh?" "What?" "I said both of you!" The sparrow kid repeated, and then flew off. "Wow. I''ve spent so much time with you that people are treating me the same way." Kang Oh desperatelyforted himself. ''I don''t look strange at all!'' "That makes it sound even worse," Sephiro said sadly. "Ahem." "That child has never seen a human before. That''s why he thinks you''re strange," Ruinari said. "That has to be it. I don''t look strange, do I?" Sephiro said with sparkling eyes. "Of course not. Let''s keep moving, shall we?" * * * Kang Oh returned to the Great Temple of Life with Ruinari. Sephiro and Waryong had decided to explore the flying city some more. "Thank you for guiding me." Kang Oh slightly bowed his head. "It was nothing. Then, if you''ll excuse me." Once he left, Kang Oh walked over to Eder. "Eder!" "What''s the matter?" Eder was making medicine in his allotted room. "Make a transfer magic circle here." "Why do you need that?" "I want to bring someone here." "Who?" "Asu." Asu was Soo Ah''s character ID. Eder had met her before. They''d even had a pic together. With all the members of Triple Lower at that. "No," Eder firmly said. "Why?" "I don''t want to see you happy." "Wanna die?" A vein popped out on his head. ''Why I outta...!'' "Do I look the same as before? Threats like that won''t work on me anymore." "Can''t you just do it for me?" "No." "What do you want? Money? How much do you want!?" "10,000 gold?" "Do you really want me to kill you?" Kang Oh said murderously. He was being genuine this time. ''Are you really trying to rip me off!?'' "Fine then." Eder turned around. But Kang Oh was the only one who''d lose out. "C''mon, Eder. Don''t be like that!" Kang Oh stubbornly glued onto him. ''I''m going to do whatever it takes to have a date with Soo Ah in the flying city!'' "Phew, I understand. I got it, so stop bothering me already!" Ultimately, Eder gave in and set up a magic circle in the corner of the room. "Hehe, you should''ve just done that from the start." Kang Ohughed satisfyingly. * * * The flying city didn''t have any doors. After all, the Birdmen had wings, so they just flew around everywhere. Obviously, there were no walls either. The city waspletely open, filled with buildings made out of the ''Grand'' nt! That was the flying city in a nutshell. "Wow." Obviously, anyone who''de here for the first time would have that kind of reaction. The beautiful blonde with blue eyes, Asu, was no different. "Are these actual clouds?" she asked with sparkling eyes, seeing the buildings seemingly made out of clouds. "No, they''re actually made out of a nt called Grand. Grand looks just like clouds, and only grows in the flying city." "Oh, so they aren''t clouds." "Yeah, but they look just like real clouds, don''t they?" "Yeah. Ah, I want to touch one. I wonder what it''ll feel like." "I''ll let you touch one. Ah, and they apparently use it as an ingredient too." "They eat clouds?" "Not clouds, Grand. Apparently, the Birdmen eat it like rice." "I want to try it. Definitely." "Shall we go, mydy?" Kang Oh gave her his arm, and Asu locked arms with him. ''Let''s go to the Interior Shop first.'' The Interior Shop was a ce that sold furniture or small decorations made out of Grand. "Wow." Her eyes glittered as she looked around. "It''s a Birdman! A Birdman!" She waspletely fascinated by the Birdmen. Simrly, the Birdmen couldn''t take their eyes off of her. Then... The sparrow child that''d called Kang Oh and Sephiro strange came flying over. "Strange Old Guy!" "I''m not strange, and I''m certainly not old," Kang Oh said, sporting a serious expression. The kid tilted his head, as if unable to understand, and stared at Asu. "Don''t be surprised if he calls you strange. When he first meets you, he..." Kang Oh tried warning her ahead of time. However... "Pretty Lady." Kang Oh quickly turned his head. ''You brat.'' "Oh, how cute." Asu stroked the kid''s head, and the kid happily rubbed his face against her hand. "Ahem." Kang Oh''s hand tingled; he wanted to flick the kid''s head so badly. However, he stopped himself, since he might cause an incident. "Shall we get going?" Kang Oh slightly pulled her along. "Alright. I''ll be going now, ok?" "Ok. Bye, Pretty Lady. Bye, Strange Old Guy." He called him old till the very end. "I''m neither strange nor old." But the kid didn''t listen to him at all and flew off. "Why I outta...! I hope I see you in a dungeon next time!" ''I''ll turn you into mincemeat!'' Kang Oh huffed. Seeing that, Asu just smiled. "Let it rest already. Let''s go, Old Guy!" "I''m not an old guy!" Kang Oh felt wronged. He was confident that he had above average looks. Moreover, his body was in the top 1%! "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Asu just keptughing, while Kang Oh looked like he was about to cry. Chapter 357. Flying City Date

Chapter 357. Flying City Date

Trantor: Boko Grand Lotus was a Birdman city. Thus, the buildings were as tall as towers, and their entrances were located on the ceiling or in the middle of the building. Humans were incapable of flight, so it wasn''t easy getting inside. However, it didn''t pose a problem for Kang Oh. "Hold on tight," Kang Oh pulled out Blood and said. "Ok." Asu tightly wrapped her arms around his waist. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Red Demon, unfurled his wings. p! p! Kang Oh forcefully pped his wings and flew through the entrance, which was located in the middle of the building. "Wow!" The building, which was made of Grand, waspletely white inside. It was like they were inside a cloud, or white cotton candy. "Huh? Humans?" An old Birdman, with a chicken''s face and a redb, stared at Kang Oh and Asu in shock. "Yes. We came from the continent," Kang Oh said. "It''s been a while since Ist saw humans here. You still look quite unusual," the old Birdman craned his neck and said. "May we look around?" "Of course." This store sold various furniture and small essories. Obviously, they were tailored for a Birdman''s taste and ease of use. There were nests made of Grand, perches where children could sit down and y, etc. Asu''s eyes sparkled as she looked over and touched the goods. "It''s so soft!" Asu marveled at the feel of Grand. It was much softer andfier than silk. "Pick one of them. It''s on me," Kang Oh said. "Really?" "Of course!" Kang Oh slowly followed her as she moved around the shop. Sometimeter... "Phew." Asu rubbed her face against a Grand cushion. It felt so nice against her cheeks. "I want this!" Asu raised her head and passionately stared at Kang Oh. ''It''s definitely this one!'' "You really want that one?" Kang Oh asked. ''It looks like they have stuff that''s way better, but she wants a cushion?'' "I wish I had a cushion like this in real life too. If I did, I''d sleep with it every day," Asu said happily. "It''s that nice?" "Try it yourself. You''ll understand why." "You don''t need to convince me. As long as you like it, I''m fine with it." Kang Oh picked up the cushion and went over to the old Birdman. "I''d like to buy this." "It''s 10 gold." They used the same currency here. It must be because it''s a game. "Oppa, this too!" Asu btedly passed him a Grand nket. You have to buy a nket with a cushion! "I''ll buy them both." Kang Oh paid for the goods, and then passed her the cushion and the nket. "Thanks. Hehe." Asu ced the cushion under her armpit, and smiled as she rubbed her cheek against the nket. "Let''s go eat." "Ok." * * * The restaurant was a familiar sight. There were circr tables and cushions shaped like nests there. They were used to this setup, since sitting on the floor wasmon in Korean culture. However, they werepletely unfamiliar with the food that was being served. "Ugh." Kang Oh grimaced at the fried bug, which was asrge as his fist. Of course, the Birdmen here were wolfing them down. "Let''s not order that," Kang Oh said. "Why?" "It''s a bug," Kang Oh said, sporting an expression that said, ''You have to ask?''. "But shouldn''t we eat it to have the full Birdman experience? And it''smon to eat bugs in other countries. Haven''t you seen fried scorpions on TV before?" Asu asked. "I can''t eat it." Kang Oh crossed his arms and stood firm. "Eat it! It could taste good." Asu liked to try out new things. When she went overseas, she always tried the local cuisine. "Then you eat it." "I can''t eat by myself." "I really won''t be able to eat it." Yeah, it was a game, but still. "I''ll order a small portion." "C''mon!" Asu sported a mischievous expression. She seemed determined to make him try the local cuisine. Kang Oh looked away from her. It was a clear sign that he''d never eat it. She ordered for both of them, and a short whileter, lunch was served. "I hope you enjoy it, Human." The Grand soup looked good. But... Why in the world were small insects inside the fruit and vegetable sd!? Instead of raisins, there were roly polies in the bread! Last but not least, fried bugs! The only thing he could eat was the Grand soup. "Mm? It tastes different than I''d expected." He was referring to the Grand soup. It looked like it''d taste like cotton candy, but it didn''t taste sweet at all. It tasted clean. It was simr to shark fin soup. "Hmm, it''s not sweet. It''s still good though," Asu tasted the soup and said. "Yeah, it''s good." Kang Oh focused entirely on the Grand soup. ''I won''t eat the sd, the bread, or the fried bug!'' "Ah, that was good," Kang Oh said after finishing the Grand soup. "Huh? That''s all you''re eating? Try this too. It might taste good." She stabbed a huge caterpir with her fork and passed it to him, grinning all the while. "I''m not eating that." "Ah, c''mon. Just try it." "You shouldn''t force someone to eat something they don''t want to eat," Kang Oh said, his face firm and unyielding. "Bleh." She looked disappointed in him, and put the bug in her mouth. "Mm." Kang Oh was slightly shocked. To think a beautiful girl would eat something like that. "It tastes much better than I thought it would. It has a nutty vor like expensive cheese." Asu ate a few more fried bugs. She tried a bit of the sd and bread too. Try was the key word here. Even she couldn''t eat all of it. Eventually, she stabbed another caterpir with a fork and passed it to him. "Try it. It''s pretty good." "I''m good." Kang Oh violently waved his hands. Cold sweat rolled off his back. "Here, say ah!" Asu pushed the caterpir right up to his mouth. "Fine, fine!" Asu''s persistence paid off. Kang Oh waved the white g, and agreed to eat it. If this were Eder or Sephiro, then he''d have grabbed them by the throat. ''Dear god!'' Ultimately, he ate the fried caterpir with his eyes shut tight. It tasted like... "Huh? It tastes exactly like cheese." Asu was right; it tasted like a luxurious cheese. "See? It''s not bad." Asu beamed. "You can''t make me eat anymore!" Kang Oh turned his head. ''It''s hard for a Korean to eat a caterpir!'' "Hoo, hoo." Asu looked at him with delight. On TV, he looked so strong and charismatic, but he acted cute in front of her. ''You only show this side of yourself to me!'' Whenever she saw his cute side, she realized that he really treasured her. Anyhow, they finished their ''traumatizing'' meal, and the two explored the flying city with their arms locked together. Buildings and structures made of Grand came in a variety of shapes and sizes. Perches were situated on the buildings'' outer walls. Birdmen sat on these perches side by side and chirped. That sight brought a warm smile to their faces. The floating clouds in the sky werepletely natural. You could see them from up close too, which made it feel like you could touch them. The azure sky was a darker blue than the sea itself. Then there was the refreshing breeze and the clean air. The sight of Birdmen flying in a group like a flock of migrant birds was also worth seeing. The sun was so bright that wearing a broad-brimmed straw hat would be perfect. "This ce is so amazing," Asu whispered. "Want toe tomorrow too?" "Sure, that''d be great." She looked absolutely ecstatic. * * * Kang Oh, who''d spend thest couple of days with Asu, was called back by Gainus. Of course, he wasn''t the only one called. Cyndia, Muhawk, Eder, Sephiro, and Ruinari were also called back. "Cyndia." "Yes, Lord Gainus?" "Did you give the God of Creation''s source to Lady Deborah?" "Yes." "Good work." "It''s my duty." Cyndia beamed. "Now then, pay attention. We''re killing Kragon at this time tomorrow!" Gainus looked everyone over, except Cyndia, and dered. "Tomorrow? Is Lord Gainus alright now?" Kang Oh stared at Eder. "Yes. Even though he''s a dragon, I assumed he would need a few more days, but... Lord Gainus healed far quicker than I expected," Eder said. "Let''s hurry and kill Kragon. Then, we need to kill the two Mayanes sealed by the God of Destruction, m. We don''t know what Jigon and Orga will do, so we have to do this as quickly as possible," Gainus said. While their escape from Gainus''s prison was an issue, the fact that they possessed four of Maya''s sources presented an even greater issue. The God of Creation''s sources were much too dangerous for them to have. What if they got their hands on any more of them? He didn''t even want to imagine it. Thus, they needed to collect all of the sources that they could while they still had the chance. "Indeed," Cyndia said. "You''ll be ready to fight by tomorrow?" Gainus stared at Kang Oh. "Yes," he immediately replied. "Are you sure?" "Of course!" He wasn''t lying; he would be prepared. After his date with Asu, Kang Oh had returned to Altein and bought fodder for Gluttony. He also bought health, resistance, and stat up potions from Man Bok, as well as other necessary supplies for their battle. "I''ll be ready by tomorrow," Eder said. He needed to restock on medicine, medicinal herbs, bandages, magical materials, etc. He''d spent a few days staying here to look after Gainus''s condition. "Me too," Sephiro said. He and Waryong had spent their entire time in the flying city. Thus, he wasn''t ready to fight yet. "Alright," Gainus said, looking kindly at Eder. "Ruinari, you''ll be participating in the uing fight, right?" Gainus asked. "This will be thest time." In other words, he wouldn''t help them kill the Mayanes sealed by the God of Destruction. "Of course. We''ll take care of Lord m''s Mayanes ourselves." "Yes." "Then I''ll see you all tomorrow. Everyonee prepared and ready to go." "Understood!" "Especially you!" Gainus pointed at Kang Oh. "I know." "You better. Your job''s the most important." The only weapon that could kill the Mayanes was Kang Oh''s de, Demon Sword Ubist. Kang Oh nodded his head. Sometimes, actions spoke much louder than words. "The meeting''s over. I''ll see you all tomorrow." * * * The innermost section of the Great Temple of Life. There were two mirrors within; they were sorge that they''d make you gape. The left mirror once contained the Bug Monarch, Jacques, and the right mirror contained the still alive Kragon. The Immovable Fortress, Kragon! Because he could turn his body into diamond, he possessed the greatest defensive ability of all the Mayanes! Kang Oh''s party stood before the mirror, ready to kill Kragon. The mother of all birds and the Protector of Life, Gracius, came by to see them off. Of course, she had assumed her Birdman form. If she were in her original form, then the entire room would''ve copsed. "Be careful," Gracius said tenderly. Gainus and Ruinari both bowed deeply. Everyone else followed suit. "Raise your heads. I''ll be going now." Gracius left, and then Gainus tapped his wooden staff onto the ground. "The Immovable Fortress, Kragon, is extremely powerful. Don''t ever let your guard down, and follow the n. Follow my orders to the letter!" Gainus said strongly. "Yes!" everyone replied simultaneously. "Let''s go." Gainus and Kang Oh''s party entered the mirror almost simultaneously. [You have entered the Sealed Area, Eternal Lake.] Chapter 358. Mayanes Kragon (1)

Chapter 358. Mayanes Kragon (1)

Trantor: Boko Once he passed through the mirror, Kang Oh found himself above ake, so he had no other choice but to... "Huh?" Kang Oh hadn''t fallen into the water. He was actually standing on top of it. The rest of his party stood atop the water too. "What''s going on?" Intrigued, Sephiro tapped the surface of the water with his toes. Whenever he did so, the water would ripple, but his toes wouldn''t push through the water. "Water Walk is a basic spell. It is for me, at least," Gainus said. His spell had kept Kang Oh''s party from sinking into the water. "Thank you." Eder bowed his head. Some of the medicine in his bag would lose effectiveness when exposed to water. If not for Gainus, some of his medicine would be unusable. "Don''t thank me. Ipletely forgot that this ce was ake." "I did too." Ruinari scratched his head with his wing-shaped hands. "No one fell through, so it''s fine. Let''s go." Gainus pointed his staff forward. He was pointing at a sand ind. * * * Kang Oh''s party walked on water, and eventually reached the sand ind. ''What fine sand.'' His feet could feel the fine texture of the sand. At that moment...! A white-winged being flew over andnded in front of Kang Oh''s party. It was Mayanes Kragon! "Gainus!" Kragon said violently. He was more than 3 meters tall, and bulging muscles covered his brown skin. He had a sharp jaw andrge lips. However, two ''tusks'' protruded from his mouth like a warthog. "Kragon!" Gainus''s wrinkled face darkened. "How dare you appear before me!?" Kragon''s eyes red with anger, and even his ck hair glowed with red light. "How dare I!? How dare you say that to me? You, who killed countless of my brothers and sisters!?" Gainus''s eyes burned with rage. "Shut up, you worthless lizard. You''re just a coward who curries favor with the false gods!" As always, the Mayanes believed that the God of Creation, Maya, was the one true god. The rest of them were false gods. To them, dragons were ''worthless lizards'', exactly as he''d described. However, that worthless lizard and the false gods defeated him, resulting in his death. After he was revived, he had lost once more, and was sealed in here. It was truly humiliating! One of the individuals who''d humiliated him stood right before him; the Divine Dragon, Gainus! Gainus didn''t want to speak with him anymore. It''d be a waste of time. Instead, he opted for action rather than words. Roar! Suddenly, a giant fireball shot from his staff. Fire Ghost! It was a powerful fire spell that''d chase after its target until they burned! "Hmph!" Kragon snorted and swung his fist at the fireball. His fist shined and turned to diamond. Bam! His diamond fist pierced through, and the giant fireball disappeared. "You stupid lizard! Your magic won''t work on me!" Kragon roared. However, Gainus didn''t pay him any mind. He just kept casting spell after spell. Thousand Chain Lightning! Fire Explosion! Ground Flip! de Wind Storm! Bam, bam, bam! The area where Kragon stood was scorched. But by the time the dust settled, Kang Oh could see Kragon. Kragon had turned his entire body into diamond and waspletely unscathed! What''s worse, he had transformed his wings into diamond too. "This is nothing to me." Kragon mocked. The veins on Gainus''s forehead popped out. He had told them to stay calm and keep up their guard, but he welled with rage. Kragon had killed several of his friends. In other words, he was his mortal enemy! However, Kang Oh intervened before Gainus could go on a rampage and haphazardly cast spells. "Lord Gainus, your orders!" Kang Oh had chosen a good time to intervene. He was reminding Gainus that he wasn''t alone, and that he should think about the team. Gainus was the team leader, so he needed to perform his role properly. "Cyndia, God''s Blessing! Everyone else, take Eder''s medicine." "Yes!" Cyndia sped her hands in prayer. A bright light wrapped around her form. Goddess''s Blessing! Kang Oh''s party briefly glowed. Kang Oh closed the system message, which indicated that his abilities had risen by 10%, and ate the red drug from his belt. [You have consumed Eder''s Energy Egg.] [Physical +50] [Stamina has increased significantly.] [Duration Time: 10 minutes] "Die!" While Kang Oh and his party were eating Eder''s medicine, Kragon pointed one of his right hand''s fingers at Gainus. Swoosh! Diamond shards fiercely flew from his fingertip. Shards of Mysterious Light! Gainus couldn''t afford to cast a barrier. In the past, he''d done just that, but the shards had ripped right through! Thus, he used Teleportation instead. It was the right decision. Once the shards made contact with the sand, they emitted intense light. These shards had a strange ability that allowed them to pass through any barrier and harm the person within. If Gainus had forgotten his previous experience with him, and had purely relied on his barrier, then he would''ve taken a ton of damage. Kragon didn''t really care that his attack had missed. He just flew over to where Gainus had reappeared. Mountain Crush! Kragon''s raised right fist turned to diamond, and began emitting brown light. Gainus decided to match fire with fire. Giant''s Fist! A huge fist appeared above the old man''s head, and mmed into Kragon. Bam! Kragon flew quite a bit back. Gainus did the same. He rolled onto the sandy beach a few times and eventually fell into theke. "Haha, look at you." Kragon quickly stood up andughed at Gainus''s drenched state. Then, two shadows appeared at his sides. It was Kang Oh and Ruinari! "Hahp!" A white line followed Demon Sword Ubist''s path. sh! Ruinari unleashed a giant, feather-shaped golden aura from his hand. Wind God''s Push! "Who are you supposed to be?" Kragon''s body shined. He had immediately transformed into diamond. ng! Kang Oh struck his diamond coated flesh, causing his de to shake. It wasn''t the only thing that was shaking; he was too. But it was worse than that. Shards of light fell from his wrists! Kang Oh had been the attacker, yet he was the one who''d taken damage. But now wasn''t the time to be panicking. ''He''s exactly as Gainus described.'' Gainus had stated that Kragon''s tough body was both the greatest weapon, and the greatest shield. Thus, he advised that they refrain from any sloppy attacks. Ruinari''s attack didn''t work either. With his body covered in diamond, Kragon was like a firm, unyielding rock that wouldn''t waver in the wind. "Get lost." Kang Oh and Ruinari''s turn had passed. Kragon swung his arms to the left and right, as if he were swapping away bugs. He had aimed for both Kang Oh and Ruinari simultaneously. Kang Oh bent over, dodging the attack, and then backed off. Ruinari nimbly soared into the air, went around in a circle, andnded on the ground. "Hmm." Kang Oh slightly bit his lip. ''To think that sh wouldn''t even leave a mark.'' sh left behind a wound. However, if the opponent''s defense was too high, then it wouldn''t even leave a mark. The Bug Monarch''s armor had been tough too, but sh had managed to leave a small mark. However, sh hadn''t even left a mark on Kragon''s diamond skin. It was exactly as Gainus had said; among the Mayanes, Kragon had the highest defensive ability. ''Moreover, he can transform quickly.'' Attacking before he could transform would prove difficult. Unless he used Transcendent de, there was no way for him to attack before he transformed. However, Kang Oh and Ruinari didn''t stop their attacks. The other members of their party didn''t either. Attack! Whizz! Sephiro''s arrow hit Kragon''s shoulder. However, it couldn''t pierce through Kragon''s diamond skin. Because his arrows were thicker and longer than normal arrows, his attack power was superior to most archers. ''As expected.'' Sephiro had anticipated this, so he pulled out an arrow he''d prepared just for Kragon. The arrowhead was made of diamond too. How much did it cost? It was obviously really expensive, so he could only procure ten of them. They were arrows he''d have to use and then recollect. "Hueup." He notched the diamond arrow, pulled it back as far as he could, and the arrow flew at blistering speed. Spinning Arrow! The diamond arrow violently spun through the air, and let out a mysterious light like a prism. The arrowhead struck Kragon''s diamond skin. Unlikest time, the arrow didn''t just bounce off; Sephiro had gotten his money''s worth. Screech. A sound akin to a de being sharpened rang out. The diamond arrowhead and Kragon''s diamond skin radiated light, and emitted sparks. Kragon furrowed his brow for the first time. It had hurt him quite a bit. "How dare you!?" Kragon violently swung his fists, pushing away both Kang Oh and Ruinari. Then, he pointed all of his fingers at Sephiro. Shards of Mysterious Light! Swoosh! A barrage of diamond shards flew towards Sephiro, as well as those nearby him; Waryong, Eder, and Cyndia were in danger too. Not only that, but Kragon had shot at least two times more than he had against Gainus. "Get out of the way!" Sephiro yelled urgently. He then carried Waryong under his armpit, and threw himself out of the way. Eder wasn''t as nimble as a Giant Hunter like Sephiro. Thus, he summoned a Bone Wall instead. Muhawk stood in front of Cyndia and raised his shield. Beautiful red light extended from his shield like the glow of the setting sun. Protector''s Shield! This was Muhawk''s greatest defensive skill. If the shards managed to pierce through this technique, then he had no answer for them. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The diamond shards ripped through the Bone Wall like paper. While doing so, the shards themselves radiated bright light. In an instant, the area became an inferno. Like an eruption ofva, sand pirs surged from the ground. "Ugh." Sephiro furrowed his brow. Contact with the shard''s light had damaged him quite a bit. However, he was in much better shape than the rest. After all, he''d gotten out of the way. The problem was Eder, Cyndia, and Muhawk. The barrage came at them head-on. The three gritted their teeth. At that moment... Gainus, who''d gotten out of the water, quickly swung his staff. Urgent Summon! Golden magic circles appeared beneath Eder, Cyndia, and Muhawk''s feet! They were sucked into the golden circles, but by then, one of the shard''s had pierced Eder''s body, and the shards had battered against Muhawk''s shield as well. "Haa, haa." Eder, who reappeared beside Gainus, sighed in relief. Cyndia and Muhawk did the same. Eder quickly pulled out the shard in his thigh, and treated himself using medicinal herbs and bandages. Cyndia cast a healing spell. "Die!" Kang Oh forcefully swung downwards. Caring little for his attack, Kragon merely raised one of his diamond coated arms to block it. However... A ''bam'', not a ''ng'' rang out. Diamond, which had turned to dust, glimmered as it flew through the air. "What?" Kragon widened his eyes. Kang Oh grinned as ck shards of light fell from Kragon''s arm. Fang Bearing de! Demon Sword Ubist''s overpowered ability had activated. At this exact moment no less! ''As expected, Fang Bearing de can break through his armor!'' Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Kragon swung his diamond fist downwards. Boom! Kang Oh was flung into the air. "Haha!" Kragonughed as he saw Kang Oh roll onto the floor, covered in sand. ''That''s where inferior species like you belong!'' Kang Oh immediately stood up. However, there was a silver pickaxe in his hand. Chapter 359. Mayanes Kragon (2)

Chapter 359. Mayanes Kragon (2)

Trantor: Boko [Unknown Lucky Pickaxe] A pickaxe that the Master Miner, Gerolph, used in his youth. The pickaxe grants its user mysterious luck. + Lucky Day: Noticeably increases the activation rate of any effect or skill with a fixed activation rate. (Skill/Passive) Rank: S. Abilities: Attack Power 176, Physical +50. Minimum Requirements: Level 250, Intermediate-Rank Mining. Effects like Fang Bearing de were super effective against enemies with high defense like Mayanes Kragon. However, its activation rate was extremely low, so he couldn''t rely on it. If it did activate often, it would probably break the game''s bnce. Thus, Kang Oh sought a way to maximize Fang Bearing de''s effect. At first, Kang Oh had searched for an item that would increase the speed of his swing. The more attacks he performed, the more likely Fang Bearing de would activate. Eventually, he discovered this silver pickaxe. Once he saw it, he thought, ''This is it!''. It only had one ability, despite being S-rank. The pickaxe itself wasn''t all that great either. The whole reason it was S-rank was because of its special ability, ''Lucky Day''. It truly was an extraordinary ability. Ultimately, Kang Oh bought the silver pickaxe from the auction house, and had brought it out during his fight with Kragon. ''Let''s do this!'' Kang Oh brought the silver pickaxe to Ubist. Gluttony! Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness munched on the silver pickaxe, leaving no trace of it behind. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Unknown Lucky Pickaxe.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities triple.] [You may use two of the consumed item''s abilities, but the consumed item only possesses one.] [Lucky Day has activated.] Kang Oh''s body released darkness everywhere. To add to that... A bright light shined from above, affecting both Kang Oh and his teammates. Courage Awakening Light! Cyndia''s spell increased the power of an ally''s skills or spells. ''I''m overflowing with power!'' Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor. The sand surged as if andmine had gone off. At the same time, Kang Oh explosively flew forward as if he had boosters on his back. "Huahp!" Once he got close enough, he ruthlessly swung his sword at Kragon. Lucky Day was already making a difference. A jet-ck wave shot out of his sword! Darkness Strike, which had a fixed activation rate, had activated. Whoosh! His sword was akin to a bolt of lightning. Ruinari attacked simultaneously. He unleashed powerful energy from his palm. Chi Torpedo! A bluish chi sphere flew at Kragon''s back. Kragon shielded himself with his wings, which turned into diamond. Boom! A huge ''boom'' rang out, almost loud enough to rupture their eardrums. ''Shallow.'' Kang Oh realized that his attack had failed based on how his hand felt. Ruinari''s Chi Torpedo didn''t fare much better. Kragon rushed forward and swung his diamond fist. Mountain Crush! It was an attack powerful enough to make even Gainus go flying! Regardless, Kang Oh took the attack head-on. Darkness Strike activated once more. This was the first time Darkness Strike had activated in session. It was all because of Lucky Day. Boom! Another ''boom'' rang out. Kang Oh and Kragon didn''t stop there. Their battle only intensified as time went on, and the scene was filled with sword swings and glimmering fists. * * * Bam! Kang Oh''s sword cleaved through Kragon''s left shoulder. ck shards of light burst out. Fang Bearing de! His attack had ignored Kragon''s defense! Kragon didn''t just sit there. He endured the pain, and fiercely swung his diamond fist. Whack! He mmed his fist into Kang Oh''s stomach. A huge shard of light fell from the area of impact. "Get back!" Gainus yelled, and pointed his staff at Kragon. Torrent! A thick, powerful stream of water flew out of his staff and devoured Kragon. Bam! Kragon staggered. That''s how powerful the spell was. Gainus quickly cast another spell. Lightning Bolt! A bolt of lightning fell from the sky! Sephiro seized the opportunity and shot an arrow. "Waryong!" Gyaa! Waryong spat mes, which coalesced into an arrow. Sephiro unhesitatingly picked up the ming arrow and shot it. Fire Dragon''s Arrow! mes surged around Kragon. However, the mes didn''t bother him at all. Then, Ruinari soared into the air and opened his wings. Wind God''s Fluttering Wings! A giant golden bird flew towards Kragon. This was Ruinari''s most powerful attack! It was more powerful than Sephiro''s or even Gainus''s attack. Boom! Kragon was pushed back, and shards of light fell from his diamond skin. "Die!" Kang Oh, who''d briefly retreated after getting hit, charged back in. Then, he struck Kragon''s neck with Demon Sword Ubist. However... "Ugh." Kang Oh was the one in pain. Shards of light fell from his hands, which were tightly gripping his sword. Because neither Darkness Strike nor Fang Bearing de had activated, he was like an egg being thrown against a rock. "You worms!" Kragon suddenly stomped his foot. Thud! Orefield! The ground began to shake, and cone-shaped ore surged from the ground. ''What is this?'' Gainus tilted his head. Kragon had just used a technique he''d never seen before. It was only natural. He''d created this technique after being sealed in here. Kragon raised his hands into the air. Falling Shards! Shards rapidly shot out like machine gun rounds, falling from the sky like giant hail. "All of you, die!" Kragon stomped the ground once more. Ore Explosion! The cone-shaped ore in the ground exploded. Everything happened instantly. Boom, boom, boom! There was nowhere to run to. * * * There were explosions everywhere, and shards came flying at him from every which way, so there was nothing Eder could do. It was already toote to summon a Bone Wall or Bone Shield! The best he could do wasy on the floor, curl up, and protect his head. However, he felt absolutely no pain. In fact, he was covered by a warm energy, as if someone had wrapped a nket around him. ''What is this?'' Eder slightly raised his head and saw a bizarre sight. The explosions had violently blown the shards away, making thend look like it''d gone through a winter snowstorm! However, his allies were protected by a purple veil! The shards had bounced off of this purple veil. It had managed to block the sharp shards that could prate any barrier. ''What''s going on?,'' he couldn''t help but ask. However, he soon realized what had happened. Cyndia was kneeling on the floor and praying! Deborah''s symbol, the ck ring, floated above her head. When a god''s symbol manifests via the priest''s body, then... ''A miracle!'' It was a miracle. A miracle that had protected all of them from danger. Of course, a priest couldn''t just enact a miracle whenever they wanted. Miracles were very rare, and only urred when a worshipper genuinely wanted something. However...! As if realizing that she''d enacted a miracle, Kang Oh, Ruinari, and Gainus moved while protected by the purple veil. There was no way they knew beforehand. They just moved instinctively. Once they felt like they were safe, they had attacked Kragon. Was it because he''d used such a powerful, AoE attack? Kragon''s body was coated in diamond, but he didn''t move. He waspletely defenseless. He was nothing more than a sandbag. Ruinari was up first. He ced his wing at the center of Kragon''s chest. Wind God''s Seal! Bam! An imprint of his hand was left on Kragon''s body. It was also apanied by huge shards of red light! This attack was weaker than Wind God''s Fluttering Wings, but it was a skill that prated an enemy''s defense. Of course, Wind God''s Seal was only the beginning. He used all sorts of martial art techniques on him thereafter. Kang Oh was up next. He pierced through countless shards and leapt into the air. As he fell, he swung downwards. Then, the shards around him slowed as if the world was in slow motion. Transcendent de! This skill allowed him to attack with transcendent speed and power! Bam! Kang Oh smashed the diamond coating on Kragon''s back, and left behind a huge cut that went all the way down to his butt. ck shards flew in-between the flying diamond powder! However, he couldn''t let it end here. sh! Kang Oh left behind a wound on Kragon''s back. This time, sh left behind a clear wound. Then, Kang Oh focused entirely on said wound. Whack! Whack! Whack! Darkness Strike or Fang Bearing de would activate every one in three hits. The once unbreakable diamond lost its sheen and kept breaking more and more. Kang Oh and Ruinari''s fierce assault forced Kragon onto one knee. "Get out of the way. If you don''t, you''ll get hurt!" Gainus roared, having transformed into his giant dragon form. Kang Oh and Ruinari immediately retreated. Hoo. Gainus took a deep breath, gathering iridescent light in his mouth. Divine Dragon''s Breath! Boom! Silver light, akin to a tsunami, shot straight at Kragon! The Divine Dragon''s Breath reminded him of the Milky Way. Yes, it was powerful, but it was also so beautiful. On the other hand, Kragon felt pain so extreme that he thought he''d die. Is this what it''d feel like to have a ne ram into you at full speed? He writhed from the intense pain. However, Kragon wouldn''t die due to his immortality. No, he couldn''t die. "Kuhaaahk!" Kragon screamed from within Divine Dragon''s Breath, and began transforming. His chest began expanding first. Then, his chest seemed to open from the left and the right, and minerals like diamonds started popping out of the space in-between. By the time the Divine Dragon''s Breath was over, a giant building stood before them. It was a giant fortress, almost the size of the Divine Dragon himself. There were several minerals used in its creation, such as steel or diamond, so the wall was a variety of colors. There were giant cannons attached everywhere, and there were countless structures nearby the fortress that were made up of various colored minerals. The Immovable Fortress! It was his title, as well as his trump card. "He''s created an immovable fortress. I''ll attack him from the outside, so the rest of you go inside and finish off Kragon," Gainus yelled. "Yes," they replied immediately. Then... Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The fortress''s cannons shot giant steel cannon balls at them. "Get out of the way!" Kang Oh yelled. His allies began to scatter, and Gainus flew into the air. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Whenever the cannon balls hit the floor, the ground shook as if there''d been an earthquake. Kang Ohid t on the ground like a cockroach, stood up, and thenid back down. It wasplete chaos. At that moment... Three giant fireballs fell from the sky. It was the work of Gainus in his dragon form. The nearby mineral structures fused together, forming a giant shield. The fireballs battered the shield. Gainus didn''t stop casting spells. When Kragon extinguished the mes, he''d create a whirlwind. When the whirlwind dissipated, then lightning would fall from the sky. Kragon was forced to focus entirely on Gainus. He counterattacked using the cannons attached to his shoulders. The rest of Kang Oh''s party used that opportunity to infiltrate the fortress. Chapter 360. Immovable Fortress

Chapter 360. Immovable Fortress

Trantor: Boko A sand indy at the center of the Eternal Lake! A giant fortress stood upon its sandy beaches, and a dragon flew all around the fortress! The sky was filled with the fortress''s cannon balls and the dragon''s powerful magic. It definitely wasn''t something you could see every day. However, there was no one avable to catch this on film. After all, everyone besides Gainus had gone inside the fortress. The inside of the Immovable Fortress was like an ant tunnel. It lookedplex and random, but actually had a strange sense of regrity to it. Kang Oh''s party had to find Kragon, wherever he was inside, and kill him ASAP. It was unlikely, but what if Gainus were shot out of the sky? The fortress would transform into a prison, and Kang Oh''s party would be trapped inside. That''s why Gainus had stayed outside, and kept attacking the fortress from the sky. "Where do we go?" Kang Oh stared at Sephiro. "Waryong." Sephiro, in turn, stared at Waryong. Kyaa! Waryong began sniffing, and pointed at a passageway. As a wyvern, Waryong had a keen sense of smell. Thus, Waryong pointed them in the direction that smelt the most like Kragon. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party proceeded forward. * * * Pew, pew, pew! Metal shards suddenly shot out of the walls. The Immovable Fortress possessed traps like a normal dungeon. "Duck!" Sephiro yelled, and everyoneid t on the ground. Fortunately, no one was badly hurt. But the fact that traps existed here would prove to be a problem. They were on the clock, so they couldn''t waste time finding and disarming every single trap they came across. "We''re going to push through," Kang Oh said stiffly. "I think that''s best." Sephiro agreed. No one disagreed with them, as they understood why they''de to that conclusion. Though it''d be a little dangerous, they had to take the risk. "Go!" Shards shot out of the walls. Since they pushed through without regard for their own health, they took damage more frequently than before. But because of Eder''s treatment, and Cyndia''s healing spells, they were able to keep their HP rtively full. They also encountered gemstone monsters. If they weren''t made of diamond or steel, then it didn''t take long to take them down. Kuah! Gyaa! Kuha! Whenever they came across a forked road, Waryong would unhesitatingly choose one of them, and Kang Oh''s party would follow its decision. ''This is the right way.'' Kang Oh was sure that Waryong was putting them on the right path. After all, the road it''d set them on was filled with more monsters and traps than before. Eventually, they found themselves in a vast room filled with a squad of monsters. "Look over there." Ruinari pointed at the passageway behind the monster army. "Kragon is behind them. I can sense his presence." "Let''s take care of these guys quickly," Eder said. ''These guys'' was referring to the gemstone monsters blocking their way. "I''ll take care of them by myself," Sephiro said. "What?" Kang Oh stared at him. "My arrows won''t work against Kragon. I don''t have that many diamond arrows left either. So leave this to me. The rest of you should go on and kill Kragon without me." "Will you be alright by yourself?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m not alone. And besides, the worst that can happen is that I die." Sephiro stroked Waryong''s head and grinned. "Understood." Sephiro was a yer. A yer, unlike an NPC, would respawn upon death. Thus, Kang Oh nodded his head. "Be careful," Cyndia said. "Yes." Gyaa! Sephiro and Waryong replied enthusiastically. "I''ll draw their attention first. Then, sprint to the passageway as fast as you can." Sephiro, with Waryong in tow, dashed away from his party, and pulled out a giant magic arrow. Whizz! The arrow left his grasp, arcing beautifully in the air. Buster Shot! It was a finisher that shot 100 arrows at once! Six magic circles formed in the air, and rained a barrage of arrows onto the gemstone monsters. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Kyaa! Thud! Thud! The 100 or so monsters rushed at Sephiro like a rising tide. "Now." Everyone besides Sephiro rushed towards the passageway at full speed. It was a resounding sess. They were able to enter the passageway without any interference. "C''mon!" Whizz! Thwock! Roar! They could hear Sephiro and Waryong doing battle behind them. However, no one turned back. Everyone knew the n. Killing Kragon ASAP was the best they could do for Sephiro, as well as Gainus. Kang Oh''s party kept sprinting forward. * * * Meteor Impact! A giant meteor appeared in the air, and plummeted towards the Immovable Fortress. However, the nearby mineral structures fused together, forming a ''Mayanes Shield'' thatpletely blocked the meteor. ''Kragon! Your immortality has made you most annoying of the Mayanes!'' Originally, there was no need to infiltrate the Immovable Fortress. Because the fortress was essentially Kragon''s body, you only needed to destroy the fortress to kill him. The mineral structures were also part of Kragon''s body. Just targeting the mineral structures would reduce Kragon''s HP. You could also justpletely destroy them. However, that strategy no longer applied now that he was immortal! Kragon''s immortality hadpletely changed the characteristics of his Immovable Fortress. No matter how much of the outside you destroyed, it didn''t matter! Ultimately, their only option was to go inside the fortress and kill Kragon. And even then, that would only work if you had a way of bypassing his immortality. ''He''s no longer an immovable fortress, but an immortal one.'' Thus, Gainus couldn''t help them kill Kragon. What he could do, however, was bombard Kragon with spells; this would keep the mineral structures at the entrance, keeping Kragon from transforming the fortress into a prison. "Do your best," Gainus muttered, thinking of Kang Oh. Honestly, Gainus didn''t think he was reliable. However, they had no other option. Thus, he had no choice but to trust in him. * * * Kang Oh''s entire body was ck, as if he was coated in ink. He''d used Devil Trigger, and had assumed his Jet-ck Demon form. He, with Ruinari''s help, attacked Kragon from the left and right. Although they''d never really teamed up before, they worked well together. It was because their fundamentals were solid. Moreover, Kang Oh and Ruinari were both strong enough to pierce through Kragon''s diamond skin! "Grr!" Kragon''s grimace deepened as time went on. "How dare you!" ''You''re just a human and a Birdman!'' It sounded like he said ''How dare you!'' after that. Thud! He raised his fist into the air, and fiercely mmed it down. Mountain Crush! His fist, coated with brown energy, grazed Kang Oh''s side. Normally, increasing your defense by transforming a body part like Kragon would lower your speed. However, Kragon remained just as fast as ever. Moreover, he also had some annoying skills up his sleeve. Thud! Once his fist hit the ground, the inside of the fortress shook. It would''ve been great if that was all, but they weren''t so lucky; the walls shot various shards at them too! "Ms. Cyndia, Mr. Eder! Get behind me!" Muhawk raised his shield. Eder created a bone fence, and Cyndia cast Sacred Shield. Kang Oh and Ruinari dodged the shards and Kragon''s attacks simultaneously, and then counterattacked. Kang Oh was empowered by Devil Trigger and Gluttony, and he had his Hyper Intuition too. That made it possible for him to dodge Kragon''s attack from up front, as well as the shards that came flying at him from behind. After all, he''d beaten Ubist a few times already while he waspletely blind! Befitting his title as the Birdmans'' greatest warrior, Ruinari''s skills were extraordinary. Thus, he too was able to dodge the shards and engage Kragon simultaneously. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his sword. Because Kragon wasn''t in top-top condition, there were marks left behind by sh all over his body. His Hyper Intuition pointed one out that Kragon had left exposed. Bam! ''Oh, yeah. ck shards!'' "Stop it, you pest!" Kragon swung his left fist at him. Dodging it wasn''t difficult. However, Kragon''s left wing came at him right after... ''I can''t dodge this.'' Kang Oh made his decision, and shielded himself with his de. ng! Kang Oh was pushed back. Kragon seized the opportunity, and extended his hands. He created a giant lump of minerals, and threw it at Kang Oh as if he were throwing a dodgeball. Bam! Itpletely ttened the area he''d been standing in. "You bastard!" Ruinari swung downwards. His attack was so fierce that it couldn''t be ignored. "You''re annoying too!" Kragon blocked Ruinari''s attack with his wing, and stomped on the floor. Pew! Pew! Pew! Shards shot out from the ceiling and the walls once more. Ruinari retreated, allowing him to dodge the shards. However, Kragon rushed forward andunched an uppercut at him. Mountain Crush! His fist, coated in brown energy, flew through the air. Ruinari flipped backwards, dodging the attack. Kragon focused entirely on Ruinari. Fist, wing, fist, fist, wing! On the other hand, Ruinari focused entirely on dodging. Eder, Cyndia, and Muhawk couldn''t move as they pleased due to the barrage of shards. ''As long as I kill him...!'' Killing the rest of them would be easy. Kragon''s eyes gleamed. However, something suddenly got in his way. Surprise! Kang Oh had reappeared using Abyss Transfer. "What!?" Kragon''s eyes widened. ''Where the hell did this guye from!?'' He instinctively crossed his arms. After all, he knew that Kang Oh had a way of breaking through his diamond skin. However, Kang Oh''s de had already rent flesh. Transcendent de! Bam! More and more shards of light fell from his body. ''Just a little bit more!'' Kang Oh then unleashed a golden aura. Tempest Tiger! Kragon retaliated with his fist. Bam! The golden aura broke into pieces. Unfortunately, it hadn''t worked. However, Kang Oh didn''t stop there. Ruinari righted himself, and approached Kragon once more. Kragon was slowly being pushed into a corner. He clenched his fists, as if he''de to a hard decision. ''I really didn''t want to do this!'' Honestly, this method was the best way to deal with these insects. However, he''d chosen not to use it, as if it grated on his pride to do so. ''Fine. I''ll kill them quickly and then finish off Gainus. I can''t let that lizard leave this ce alive!'' Kragon could use a destructive AoE attack called Mineral Bomb. What if he, who was covered in diamond, was to use Mineral Bomb? Everyone here would die, but he would survive due to his immortality. ''Yeah, you''ll all die!'' Mineral Bomb! There was no warning, no prior sign. Whoosh! Boom! The massive explosion shook the Immovable Fortress. However...! This was Kang Oh''s best chance at finishing Kragon off, but it''d also be a huge risk. The second he used Mineral Bomb, Kragon''s body would blow up too. At that moment, his Hyper Intuition detected a single, fatal weakness. An object that looked like a star in the night sky: the God of Creation''s source! When he explodes, the God of Creation''s source would be exposed for a short period of time. His body moved before he could even think it over. He aimed for the weakness out of habit! Kang Oh stretched out his hand... ''Get it!'' He managed to grab it! Kang Oh held the source, which seemed to glow with bright light, and simultaneously, the explosion rocked the Immovable Fortress. Chapter 361. God of Destruction, Ulam

Chapter 361. God of Destruction, m

Trantor: Boko The Immovable Fortress crumbled following the massive explosion. Gainus''s eyes gleamed as he watched this happen. ''He did it!'' The Immovable Fortress was Kragon''s body. It crumbling meant that Kragon had died. Gainus quickly flew towards the wreckage, and transformed into his old human form. Detect Life! A gray ring rippled outwards. ''Huh? Why do I only sense three? No, there''s another one here, but it''s weak.'' He''d worry about itter. Gainus conjured several giant''s hands, and cleared the wreckage. Gainus saved Sephiro first. Sephiro had used Emergency Escape on Waryong, so Gainus''s spell couldn''t detect it. He cast a simple healing spell on him, and then went to save the other survivors. Eder and Cyndia were next. They were in good condition, despite being caught in such a massive explosion. "Mm." "Ah." Perhaps that was why they regained consciousness so quickly. Gainus headed towards the weak presence he sensed, but all he found was a green egg the size of a dinosaur egg. "Ruinari..." The green egg was none other than Ruinari. As the manager of the Great Temple of Life, Ruinari was given an Egg of Life from his mother, Gracius... This egg would prevent his death just once. In exchange, he would turn into an egg. 22 dayster, he would break through the egg ande back to life. ''Even Ruinari didn''t survive? What happened inside? Was it because of the explosion that urred prior to the fortress''s copse?'' "Mm." Gainus used Detect Life once more. However, he couldn''t sense anyone else. "No..." He had a bad feeling about this. However, giant red bird wings unfurled from beneath the wreckage! Gainus quickly approached the area. "You survived!" Gainus beamed and said. "I died, but I came back to life," Kang Oh said, scowling. The Cassio Ring had lost its sheen. He would need to wait another month before the light returned. ''Tch, I have onest monster to kill for First Hunter, but I''m not going to have my Resurrection ability avable.'' That was why Kang Oh kept scowling. "Good, you survived. What about Muhawk?" Gainus took a look around. He still couldn''t sense the veteran pdin anywhere. Then... "Mr. Muhawk! Mr. Muhawk! Please!" Cyndia yelled. Eder stared at the floor mournfully. Muhawk''s face could be seen beneath the rubble. However, his face waspletely ashen. Even the Legendary Healer couldn''t bring a person back to life. "Mm." Gainus looked regretful. He knew thatbating the Mayanes was risky, but he had hoped that they''d all survive. Ultimately, one of them had lost their lives. Cyndia, who''d been desperately calling his name, epted his death and sped her hands. "Mr. Muhawk... Please return to the Supreme One''s embrace, and rest in peace. This life you saved... I promise to use it to fulfill the Supreme One''s task." Muhawk had sacrificed himself to save Cyndia and Eder. Pdins possessed a skill called Self-Sacrifice. It allowed the user to sacrifice their life to save others. It was meant for yers that could press the continue button after a game over. However, Muhawk, an NPC, had learned Self-Sacrifice, and used it to save Cyndia and Eder from Kragon''s Mineral Bomb. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Gainus offered a silent prayer for Muhawk. They truly hoped that the kind, taciturn old pdin would find peace. "Mr. Muhawk has returned to the goddess''s side," Cyndia said. She was still mourning his death, but you wouldn''t know based on her tone and her expression. "He did his duty," Gainus said. His duty had been to protect Cyndia, and he had done his duty till the bitter end. "Yes. The Supreme One will most certainly let him rest in peace." "She will. I''m sure of it." "Lord Gainus, the God of Creation''s source has to be around here somewhere. Please help me find it," Cyndia said strong-mindedly. "There''s no need for that," Kang Oh interjected. "Excuse me?" "I have it right here." Kang Oh opened his hand, revealing the God of Creation''s source. "I saw this when he exploded, so I snatched it away," he added. "You didn''t finish him off with your demon sword?" Gainus asked. "No. By taking this away from him, he lost his immortality and just died." Kragon had no idea that the God of Creation''s source was exposed for a split second. "Mm, so he self-destructed. He didn''t have that ability before..." Gainus said. "He was sealed here for a long time. He didn''t have anything else to do, so he must''ve created some new skills," Kang Oh said. "Seems that way." "Mr. Kang Oh, Lord Gainus, and everyone else. Good work. I will take the source to the Supreme One." Cyndia carefully received the God of Creation''s source. "This is the second one," Sephiro said. As he said, by killing Mayanes Jacques and Mayanes Kragon, they had gained two sources. "When will we kill the God of Destruction''s Mayanes?" Kang Oh asked. "We have to bring Muhawk''s body to the Church of Death, and give Lady Gracius Ruinari''s egg. So we''ll meet with the God of Destruction, m, tomorrow. I''d like to give you some more time, but we can''t afford to waste any time." They didn''t know what the escaped Mayanes would do. Thus, they needed to collect the God of Creation''s sources ASAP. "Understood." Kang Oh then closed all of his system messages. [You have defeated the Symbol of Arrogance, Mayanes Kragon.] ... [Remaining Mayanes: 4] * * * The next day, the Mayanes extermination team assembled once more. However, it was abundantly clear that someone was missing. Their team seemed iplete without the quiet, kind-faced Muhawk. "We''re still looking for a pdin that can take over for Mr. Muhawk. However, finding someone that can is hard in and of itself," Cyndia said. "Then are we all here?" Gainus asked. "Yes." "Let''s go then." Gainus mmed his staff into the ground, and familiar golden magic circles appeared beneath their feet. Whir! Kang Oh''s body faded, and eventually, he was sucked into the magic circle entirely. The same happened to the others. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party reappeared in a cepletely different from the flying city, Grand Lotus. "Where is this?" Kang Oh looked around and asked. ''It looks like a primeval forest... But it''s not the Goddess''s Land or the Great Forest.'' The environment differed from the Goddess''s Land, and he didn''t see a World Tree either, which meant that it wasn''t the Great Forest either. "Pupu''s Back," Gainus curtly said. "Pupu''s Back?" He''d never heard of it before. Kang Oh stared at Eder and Sephiro. ''Have you heard of it before?'' Eder and Sephiro simultaneously shook their heads. Kang Oh stared at Cyndia this time. "I only know that it''s an ind in the southern sea," Cyndia said. "An ind in the southern sea?" "Yeah," Gainus replied. "Is this where the Great Temple of Destruction is located?" "You really think I''de to this ce if it wasn''t here?" "I just don''t see it." "It''ll be here soon." "It?" Gainus remained silent. A short whileter... "O-Over there!" Sephiro pointed in shock. "What is it?" Kang Oh looked over and widened his eyes. Have you ever seen a mammoth before? It had giant ivory tusks, and was covered in thick fur; it was a mammal that resembled an elephant. An elephant had appeared, one that far surpassed the size of a mammoth. No, it was definitely closer to a mammoth than an elephant. Its body was covered in thick, wooly gray fur. [You have encountered the Walking Disaster, Garmad.] [Be careful so that you''re not discovered! If you are discovered, you will die!] What was even more surprising was the fact that a temple was strapped to its back. From what he knew, that had to be the Great Temple of Death. Thud. Gainus mmed his staff onto the ground, causing Kang Oh''s party to float into the air. He had cast a Flight spell. They passed by Garmad''s giant ivory tusks, andnded at the temple''s entrance. Contrary to the Great Temple of Life, no one came out to greet them. No, there were actually no living presences within. It was like an abandoned house. "Don''t touch anything and just follow me. Waryong, keep your mouth shut," Gainus said firmly. Groan. Waryong quickly nodded its head. It really hurt to get hit by Gainus''s staff. Kang Oh''s party followed Gainus inside. The interior was incredibly dark and quiet. However, Gainus proceeded forward, as if he were intimately familiar with theyout of the building. Sometimeter... Gainus stopped in front of a giant door. The God of Destruction''s symbol, ivory tusks, were drawn on the door. Creak. The door opened automatically, and the interior was revealed to them. There was a giant statue there thatid on its side. It was a statue that resided within the Great Temple of Death, so it had to be m. Once he entered, Gainus knelt down and bowed. Everyone else followed Gainus''s actions to the letter. "Gainus, why did you wake me?" A weary voice resounded throughout the room. "Lord m, we came to kill the Mayanes here. Please grant our request." "The Mayanes are immortal." "We found a way to bypass their immortality. If we use the power of a demonic beast that crossed over to our world from the Demon World, then we can kill the Mayanes. We''ve already killed four of them with its power." "Why are you killing the Mayanes now?" "We seek to gather the God of Creation''s sources." "Why?" "We wish to revive the God of Creation, Maya." "Why?" "We seek to bring change to this unchanging world. Only Lord Maya is capable of bringing significant change to this world." "I cannot grant your request." "Lord m!" Gainus yelled. However, m didn''t reply back. "Lord m! Lord m!" Gainus''s cries remained unanswered. At that moment... Cyndia''s body released a purple veil, which concealed the goddess''s form. Like she did with Luhan, Deborah had personallye to the mortal world in order to convince m. "m." Deborah''s voice rang out. Then, m''s statue opened its eyes! Not only that, but its lips moved too. "Deborah." "I n on gathering the God of Creation''s sources and reviving Maya. I want you to help me with that," Deborah said majestically from behind her veil. "I can''t do that. Maya failed to do his duty as God of Creation. I can''t give him another chance." "We''re not giving him another chance. We''re only reviving him to enact change." "I don''t agree with that. Creation and destruction are apanied by pain. An unchanging world is stable and functions properly. Is there any real need for change?" "We''ve long since been satisfied with that stability. However, you''ll eventually change your mind just like me. I was never interested in change before, but I am now." "So you''ve changed?" "That''s right. I have. I want us to return things to how they were at the beginning, where things changed naturally. We need Maya for that to happen." "I can understand you a little, but I haven''t changed my mind. I do not desire creation, destruction, or the pain that apanies it. Leave." "Don''t just sleep. Watch the world and the beings that live within it. That''s what I did, and then I began to change. I''ll leave it here for today," Deborah said genuinely. "I got it." The purple veil that concealed Deborah''s form disappeared. Despite that, m''s eyes remained open. "Gainus, I want you and the rest of you to leave." "Understood." m shut his eyes, and silence returned to the Great Temple of Death. Gainus looked disappointed, but there was nothing else he could do. He had no choice but to quietly lead Kang Oh''s party outside. "Hmm, then what will we do now?" Kang Oh asked after they left the temple. They were just one step away, but the God of Destruction had ruined everything. ''My reward from killing all of the Mayanes!'' "The goddess ordered us to find Jigon and Orga first. She said that you''d definitely change his mind," Cyndia said calmly. Deborah had left her message when she left. "Then you and I will have to work even harder," Gainus said. Finding Jigon and Orga were their responsibility. "Yes. We''ll find them this time no matter what." Cyndia pledged. "We have to." Gainus nodded his head. Chapter 362. Vertical Cave

Chapter 362. Vertical Cave

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had been so busy dealing with the Mayanes that he hadn''t had time for his main job as a Dungeon Hunter! There were still so many dungeons yet to be explored in the Goddess''s Land and the Volcanic Region. ''I have to get there before anyone else does!'' Kang Oh and Sephiro arrived at the eastern grasnds located in the Goddess''s Land. Eder had some personal matters to deal with, so he wasn''t able to join them. They traversed the grasnds on horseback. "Where are we going?" Sephiro asked. "We''re going all the way to the edge." "The edge?" "Yes. Apparently, there''s a giant cave there that leads to a dungeon even more dangerous than the Saul Graveyard." "Mm, will we really be ok without Mr. Eder?" "That''s precisely why we''re going. We have a continue button if we die. He doesn''t." Of course, he had no intention of dying. He was confident that he wouldn''t die, wherever he went. "Ah." "But you never know. Please keep a close eye on Waryong, so that it doesn''t get hurt." "Of course." The grasnds were vast, so it took them 2 hours on horseback to reach their destination. The Goddess''s Land was an underworld, so it was surrounded by walls and assumed a dome shape. Once they reached the very end, their progress was halted by a giant wall. Kang Oh saw a cave, but it was quite different than what he''d expected. "Can you really call this a cave?" Sephiro asked. "It''s more like a darkke than a cave." That''s right. It wasn''t a normal, horizontal cave, but a vertical one. Plus, it wasrge enough to bepared to ake! Moreover, it waspletely dark, so they couldn''t tell how deep it was. "That looks like the way down. Let''s be careful." Kang Oh pointed at a dark, steep path. sh! Sephiro activated a Magic Lamp, which he''d bought from the Tower. "Go!" Sephiro stood in front, while Kang Oh and Waryong followed from behind. * * * They hadn''t gone down the steep path for long when all of a sudden... Several red eyes glowed from within the darkness. They also heard unusual pping sounds. p! p! Sephiro pointed his Magic Lamp towards the glowing eyes. The light revealed a cliff with 3 meterrge bats hanging on either side. There were at least several hundreds of them. "Emperor Bats. They''re blood-sucking bats that are thergest and most powerful of their species," Sephiro whispered, and weakened the Magic Lamp''s intensity so that he didn''t disturb them. "What level are they?" Kang Oh asked. "It depends on the size. They''re between level 300 and 400. But with that many of them there, we should just quietly pass..." Heedless of his warning, Kang Oh threw a Fire Bomb at the cliff. It all happened so suddenly that Sephiro wasn''t able to stop him. Roar! The fire spread, and the Emperor Bats simultaneously flew away. They then began to hover above Kang Oh and Sephiro''s heads. "Ah, why did you do that!?" Sephiro said hatefully. "You don''t think we can beat them?" "Look at how many of them there are. For just the two of us, it''s..." "Too easy?" Kang Oh grinned. "Too hard, you idiot!" Sephiro said. Biii! Biii! The Emperor Bats shrieked sharply, and flew towards them! Their shrieks were akin to an improperly blown whistle. Sephiro set the Magic Lamp''s light to maximum, quickly threw it away, and pulled out an arrow. He notched three arrows simultaneously and let them fly. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The arrows struck three of them, causing them to stagger in the air, but there were so many of them that it didn''t even make a dent. "Waryong!" Gyaa! The red wyvern, Waryong, unleashed mighty mes towards the sky. The bats that''d been aiming for Sephiro flew away, evading the mes. In that time, Sephiro shot another three arrows. He barely even aimed, focusing entirely on speed over precision. There were so many bats in the air that just firing an arrow in their general vicinity would hit one of them. With Blood in hand, Kang Oh transformed into the Red Demon. Fresh Blood Wave! Bii! Bii! Bii! Those unaffected by the Fresh Blood Wave swarmed him all at once. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh walked through the viciously attacking bats, and swung his sword with both speed and precision. In an instant, he''d maxed out his stacks! He had umted 15 stars in no time at all. "Tasha!" Kang Oh said. "What?" "Take me to the most heavily popted area." "It''ll be dangerous." "Don''t worry. I''m a bomb." The Emperor Bats had to be worried about their safety, not him. "Got it." Kang Oh''s wings forcefully pped, raising him into the air. He was like a re being shot in the darkness. There were bats in front of him. No, it would be more correct to say that they were everywhere. His ears stung from their noisy shrieks. "Shut up!" Before they could bite him, Kang Oh exploded with scarlet energy. Blood Bomb! Boom! Dozens of Emperor Bats were caught in the explosion and fell to the floor. However, there were still so many bats left. Kang Oh elegantly swung his sword wherever Tasha flew him to. He didn''t forget to throw some Blood Spears too. His Red Demon form only allowed him to fly for 2 minutes! Despite that, more than twenty Emperor Bats had taken significant damage and were shaking by the time hended. Kang Oh threw Fire Bombs everywhere too. Roar! They unleashed fire more potent than Waryong''s, frightening the bats and forcing them to fly into the air. ''Just as nned.'' He''d used a Fire Bomb to round up the Emperor Bats. It seemed like he was haphazardly throwing them, but he was actually gathering them up in one single spot! ''You gotta bunch them up!'' Crackle! A powerful electric st shot out of Demon Sword Blood. Lightning Breath! The red lightning st sliced through the ck cloud of bats. Crackle! Crackle! There were sparks everywhere, and several Emperor Bats fell into the unknown abyss below. However, that wasn''t the end of it; Sephiro followed it up with a Buster Shot. Whizz, whizz, whizz! Arrows rained down on the bats, and the bats dropped like flies. Kang Oh and Sephiro hadpletely ughtered them! Though it seemed like they''d killed a ton, there were still several of them left. "See? There are too many of them!" Sephiro said weakly. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled. The more monsters, the better. The two had differing opinions on the matter. Nheless, they both crazily fought against the bats. In the end, they managed to kill all of them. [You have killed more than 400 Emperor Bats at once.] [Fame has increased slightly.] Indeed, the two had managed to kill more than 400 Emperor Bats. "Hoo." Kang Oh examined the system messages that he''d been too busy to look at. [You have leveled up.] Killing more than 400 Emperor Bats has to be worth a level up! ''Now I''m level 390.'' Level 390. He wasn''t far from level 400. Through First Hunter and the goddess''s quest, Kang Oh had faced off against powerful monsters, allowing him to level up quickly. Moreover, Kang Oh wasn''t the only one close to his goal. [Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.] [Demon Sword Blood is level 29.] He''d deliberately used Blood instead of Ubist, even though Ubist''s abilities were far superior. However, he was rewarded for his efforts. ''I wonder what its next ability will be.'' He was excited to see what Blood''s new ability would be when it hit level 30. ''Well, I can be excitedter. Firstes hunting!'' "Let''s move." "Yes." Kang Oh and Sephiro went deeper into the abyss. * * * The vertical cave was extremely deep. In building terms, it was as if it had 20 underground floors. It wasn''t a cave that could be fully explored in a single day. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder, who joined inter, took three days to fully explore the cave. There were dangers iparable to the Emperor Bats that lived near the entrance. They encountered four-armed mutant ogres, Minotaurs, and various other monsters. They also encountered a group of Devil Dogs, which spewed sulfur and hydrochloric acid, giant monster bugs that seemed like a fusion between cockroaches and grasshoppers, centipedes with des for legs, etc. The centipedes were especially tough, as they were all named monsters and were almost level 600. They were definitely the strongest monsters here. However, they weren''t impossible to defeat, so Kang Oh''s party managed to reach the end of the cave. "It''s a door," Eder said. The Magic Lamp''s light shined on the door. "This must be the dungeon that''s at the end of the cave. It''s supposedly more dangerous than the Saul Graveyard, which is teeming with powerful undead," Kang Oh said, his eyes gleaming. The more dangerous the dungeon, the better. After all, a higher difficulty meant better rewards. "I''m opening it!" Kang Oh forcefully opened the door. Screech. The door ''screeched'', as if it hadn''t been opened in a long time, and the inside smelled like old dust. [You are the first to discover???.] "Question marks?" Kang Oh saw the system message and tilted his head. This was the first time the game hadn''t told him the dungeon''s name. Thus, it felt like this ce was more special, and more dangerous than any normal dungeon. Kang Oh''s heart pounded with excitement as he walked forward. [Entering???.] All they saw was darkness. However, yellow eyes glowed from within. [You have seen an extremely potent Petrifying Gaze.] [The petrification is quickly spreading, starting from your fingertips and toes.] [Take action before you are fully petrified!] ''Why did it have to be a Petrifying Gaze!?'' "Doctor Eder!" Kang Oh yelled. "I''ll give us some light first. Light Sphere!" A sphere of light surged from his skull staff. Sephiro raised his Magic Lamp into the air. They could clearly see their enemy now. It was... ''A Basilisk!'' It was a powerful monster that appeared in countless fantasy games! At times, it was depicted as a lizard, and it was sometimes depicted as a snake too. One simrity, however, was that their eyes were usually dangerous. They would either kill you or turn you to stone. These Basilisks were capable of turning them to stone. They were also more like snakes than lizards, as they possessed no legs, and their tongues darted in and out. They were sorge that a fully grown anaconda looked small inparison. It was both hideous and intimidating enough to be a Basilisk. Honestly, it could be called a boss too. Based on the records, it was at least level 600! "Medicine!" Kang Oh saw his hand turn to stone and yelled. "Eat this." Eder quickly pulled out medicine balls for all of them. Once they took the drug, the petrification process stopped, but it didn''t cure their already existing symptoms. "It''ll take a few minutes before itpletely deals with the petrification," Eder said. "Will that guy leave us alone for that long?" Sephiro asked. "No way!" It was exactly as Kang Oh said. Hiss, hiss! It made an unpleasant noise as it approached. Kang Oh, Sephiro, Eder, and Waryong couldn''t move properly, as their fingertips and toes were turned to stone. "Stay alive until the drug works its magic," Kang Oh yelled. "Don''t look at its eyes. If you do, then you''ll get petrified again," Eder yelled urgently. "Ok..." Kang Oh was interrupted before he could finish. The Basilisk tried to gobble him up in a single bite. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Bam! The Basilisk''s mouth left a crater in the ground, as if a bomb had just gone off. Hiss, hiss! It aimed for Kang Oh again, its tongue darting in and out. The Basilisk moved with both speed and precision! However, Kang Oh didn''t just sit there. He pointed Blood at its open mouth. Lightning Breath! Crackle! The electric st went down the Basilisk''s throat, which caused it to tingle. However, it onlysted a short time. Shortly after, it darted its tongue in and out like nothing had happened! ''Looks like its elemental resistance is really high.'' This was the first monster he''d seen that could get back on its feet so quickly after a Lightning Breath. However, there was an even bigger problem. Hiss, hiss! It wasn''t just one Basilisk. There were six eyes that glowed in the darkness! Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro had to fight three Basilisks, despite not being able to move properly. Chapter 363. Basilisk

Chapter 363. Basilisk

Trantor: Boko Three Basilisks! ''We have to run,'' Kang Oh briefly thought, but soon shook his head. He couldn''t run away without putting up a fight first. He had to see how well he fared before he could make a decision. Kang Oh switched to Ubist. Then, he pulled out a mass-produced sword and used Gluttony. All of his abilities were increased twofold! He also activated Devil Trigger, causing his eyes to glow a vicious red. Seeing Kang Oh go all out gave Eder and Sephiro the will to fight. Eder raised his silver skull staff into the air, and uttered a dreary chant from his lips. "Those forgotten by the world, the undying lumps of flesh, the dishonorable! Answer my call and return from death!" Large-Scale Summon Undead! The ground cracked open and shook. A huge undead army appeared from the depths. Guooh! Kyaa! Rattle, rattle! ming Zombies, Poisonous Ghouls, Skeletons Warriors and Mages, Duhans, and Death Knights appeared. The Poisonous Ghouls'' nails were purple, while the skeletons'' eye sockets glowed with blue light. As always, the Duhans carried their severed heads, while the Death Knights rode upon skeleton horses. There were 200 of them! Moreover, the undead didn''t turn to stone, even if exposed to the Basilisks'' Petrifying Gaze. Curses or poison didn''t affect the undead. Sephiro pulled out a bizarre-looking arrow. It looked more like a harpoon than an arrow. This was a ''Giant Killer'', a special arrow designed to killrge monsters. Once this arrow was lodged in a monster''s flesh, it couldn''t be pulled out, and would also cause the wound to keep bleeding. Thus, it would deal damage over time. However, it was difficult to aim, so it had to be used againstrger monsters. "Umph!" Sephiro notched the Giant Killer, and pointed his bow at a nearby Basilisk. Hiss, hiss! With their giant bodies, the three Basilisks trampled on and pushed the undead out of their way. Each of them approached Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro. "Haahp!" Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Jet-ck Demon, swung his sword at the approaching Basilisk. Of course, he turned his gaze away from it so that he didn''t get petrified again. Abyss w! As soon as he let loose the jet-ck aura, Kang Oh swung horizontally. Tempest Tiger! He couldn''t afford to fight the Basilisk without giving it his all. Thus, he did just that. The jet-ck and golden auras struck the Basilisk one after another. Bam! Bam! Obviously, shards of light fell from its body. Although its scales were tough, they weren''t as tough as Kragon''s diamond skin. However, his attacks weren''t strong enough to deter it. The Basilisk kept moving forward, and attempted to devour him with its mouth. Kang Oh rolled on the floor, evading its attack, and then swung downwards. However, its scales suddenly straightened, and shot right at him! Scale Missile! ''Damn it!'' His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning, but it was already toote. Stab, stab, stab! Three triangr scales pierced his body. Huge shards of light fell from his body, indicative of how much damage he''d taken. Nevertheless, Kang Oh swung his sword. sh + Evesting Darkness! Hebined a skill and an item effect! Swish! A massive st of darkness struck the Basilisk. His de had certainly left behind a wound. Hiss! Its eyes narrowed sharply, and it spat ck liquid at him. Petrifying Poison! Kang Oh''s ne glowed. Moon''s Protection! This barrier would nullify all attacks for a duration of 3 seconds! The ck liquid slid down the full moon shaped barrier. Once his barrier disappeared, Kang Oh leapt into the air and aimed for the Basilisk''s head. Bam! He hit the crown of its head. Normally, hitting a monster''s head would stun them. However, the Basilisk seemedpletely fine, and rammed into Kang Oh. Whack! Kang Oh mmed into the wall like a ser ball. Hiss, hiss! The Basilisk immediately approached him. It sought to devour him. Unfortunately, hitting the wall had stunned him, preventing him from controlling his character for a short period of time. There was no one there to help him either. Sephiro and Eder were busy fighting their own Basilisks. Ultimately, the Basilisk devoured him. The world briefly became dark, and his world was engulfed in darkness. * * * The undead monsters swarmed the Basilisk, attacking with their nails or weapons, and even climbing on top of it. Eder cast various curses and bone spells too. He tried an age/slow curse, Bone Spear, Bond Bind, and even Bone Bomb! However, he hadn''t managed to do much damage to it. "Tch." Whenever it got close, Eder would protect himself with the undead and a Bone Wall, and then run away. Sephiro was doing much better than Eder. After all, he''dnded a Giant Killer, which was like a thorn in its side. However, its vitality was overwhelming. Not to mention its yellow eyes that cast a Petrifying Gaze, its body, whichunched Scale Missiles, and the ck Petrifying Poison that came out of its mouth. Since it was such a powerful monster, Sephiro was in constant danger. He shot an arrow, dodged its attack, kept Waryong safe... It was chaos. They were so busy that they hadn''t realized that Kang Oh had been eaten. Even if they knew, they weren''t in any condition to help him. Anyhow, Kang Oh had to figure out a way out of this on his own. The world was dark, and there wasn''t a single spot on his body that didn''t feel cold. At this rate, he''d be fully petrified and make it all the way to the Basilisk''s stomach. ''Please!'' Once he regained control of his body, he immediately used Abyss Transfer. But before he receded into the shadows, his entire body was coated in Petrifying Poison. [You have been coated in Petrifying Poison.] [Your entire body will quickly turn to stone.] [Take action immediately!] Kang Oh gritted his teeth. ''Oh god!'' He prayed that Abyss Transfer would work. Fortunately, his prayers were answered. Kang Oh''s body disappeared. The Basilisk, having lost the feeling of its prey, widened its eyes. A short whileter... Kang Oh reappeared beside Eder. He wasn''t in good shape. His entire body was coated in Petrifying Poison like a man covered in tar. "E-Eder..." He couldn''t even speak properly. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Shocked, Eder immediately used First Aid. He cracked an anti-petrification pill, mixed it with a health potion, and poured it over Kang Oh''s body. [The Petrifying Poison is being neutralized.] [Progress: 1%] ... "Mr. Sephiro, we have to run away," Eder yelled. If they had time, then Kang Oh would be cured. However, the Basilisks wouldn''t be so kind. There were three of them for god''s sake! "I''ll draw their attention, so you run first!" Sephiro yelled. Then, he used a Buster Shot. Whizz! Pew, pew, pew! Countless arrows fell from the sky! It wouldn''t do much damage to the Basilisks, but it would be good enough to draw their attention away from Eder. Eder ordered a Death Knight to lift Kang Oh''s body and run. He also ordered the remaining undead to fight the Basilisks to the death! Sephiro btedly used Emergency Escape on Waryong, and then ran away. Hiss! Hiss! The three Basilisks ''hissed'' and followed them. * * * What a relief. The entrance was right in front of them. It was only natural. They had encountered the Basilisks as soon as they entered, after all. Eder and the Death Knight, which was carrying Kang Oh, safely escaped the dungeon. Sephiro just barely made it out. He was almost devoured like Kang Oh, but he used Absolute Evasion to get himself out of trouble. "Hoo, hoo." "Haa!" Eder and Sephiro sighed in relief. ''Ha, we survived!'' A short whileter, Kang Oh waspletely healed, and he stood up. After all, he had the Legendary Healer, Eder, by his side! "Thanks, Eder," Kang Oh said. "I''m d you''re alright." "I think we''ll have to give up on this dungeon. The Basilisks are too strong," Sephiro said. Eder agreed, nodding his head. However, Kang Oh shook his head. "Let''s try it one more time." "What? We can''t do it. You should know better than anyone." Sephiro furrowed his brow. "Three is too much for us, sure. But I think we''ll be able to do it if we only take on one at a time." "Why are you so insistent?" Sephiro didn''t want to fight the Basilisks again. ''What if we die next time?'' He would lose levels by dying! Plus, his proficiency, which was already so hard to increase, would go down by arge margin too! "There''s a reason I want to try it again. So let''s give it another go." When he used Abyss Transfer to escape the Basilisk''s mouth, Kang Oh had suddenly gotten this message. [Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring has activated.] [A spontaneous quest for Devil Trigger has been created.] [High-Rank Devil Trigger] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. Kill twenty Basilisks while using Devil Trigger! Killed Basilisks: 0/20. Difficulty: Spontaneous. Reward: High-Rank Devil Trigger. His proficiency in Devil Trigger was currently at 85.7%. But if he killed 20 Basilisks, then the spontaneous quest would upgrade Devil Trigger to high-rank! Thus, he decided to kill them, despite experiencing how dangerous it was firsthand. "No!" Eder said firmly. "Eder!" Kang Oh looked disappointed. ''You too?'' "You cannot enter the dungeon again. I''ve run out of anti-petrification medicine." "Mm." "If you want to go inside, then go in by yourself." "I''m not going either," Sephiro said. Kang Oh bit his thumb. He only had 10 minutes left on Gluttony. ''I guess it''s a no-go today.'' "Then let''s try again tomorrow. Please prepare more thoroughly." "This ce again?" Sephiro vehemently expressed his disapproval. "Just one more time, I promise. We''ll only fight them when they''re alone." Honestly, they had absolutely no hopes of winning if they fought two at once. "He''s that desperate toe back, so why don''t we just indulge him?" Eder said. "Just once!" Sephiro said. * * * The next day, Kang Oh''s party returned to the nameless dungeon. [Entering???.] Fortunately, they didn''t encounter any Basilisks at the entrance. It seemed like the Basilisks freely roamed across the dungeon. Kang Oh''s party hid themselves and proceeded with caution. They looked for an area that only contained a single Basilisk. They got their chance pretty quick. "There aren''t any monsters besides that one in a 100 meter radius." Sephiro pointed at a coiled up Basilisk. "Please make sure no other monsterse close. If you sense anything approaching, please let me know immediately," Kang Oh said. "Yes." "Please take this drug before you go." Eder pulled out a drug that had even greater anti-petrification effects. Kang Oh consumed the drug and immediately used Gluttony on an AA-rank item. All of his abilities were increased threefold! The item that he''d consumed would increase the damage he inflicted to snake-type monsters. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh transformed into the Jet-ck Demon, rushed forward, and engaged in an intense battle. As a result... They failed again. A level 600 Basilisk was too strong, and had way too much HP. Kang Oh could take on most bosses using Gluttony. However, beating the Basilisk once it ended was literally impossible. It was just way too hard to kill without Gluttony''s buffs. The Basilisk had a variety of attacks, which included its Petrifying Gaze, Petrifying Poison, and Scale Missile. It also tried to bite, constrict, and tackle them. With so many moves at its disposal, it slowly wore Kang Oh''s party down. Fighting it was like walking on a tightrope. Eventually, another Basilisk appeared. ''It''s over.'' In the end, Kang Oh''s party was forced to retreat. "Hoo." "Haa, haa." Eder and Sephiro sighed in relief after escaping the dungeon. ''I thought I''d die!'' Kang Oh stroked his chin. "We need more people." They couldn''t defeat the Basilisks with just the three of them. But in order toplete the spontaneous quest, he needed to kill the Basilisks! He needed some extremely skilled helpers! Figures like Vn, Burkan, Bart, etc. passed through his head. Chapter 364. Helpers

Chapter 364. Helpers

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh managed to recruit an unexpected helper. "It''s been a while." She was a red haired beauty with sses, and was ranked 4th among Arth''s yerbase. It was Helena, otherwise known as the Witch of Annihtion and Blood Witch. At first, Kang Oh asked Burkan and Bart for their help. However, Burkan always refused requests that''d prove to be a hassle, while Bart had prior arrangements. The next best thing would be Helena, a mage that far surpassed Soren or Karin in skill, so he asked her if she was interested. He used Dragon''s Blood as bait, knowing that no mage could resist the allure of such a valuable material. Kang Oh managed to reel her in. As expected, Dragon''s Blood was an incredible material. After all, it''d managed to attract Helena, who was rarely seen in public, and didn''t like to go out that much. "Hello. It''s been a while." "Hello." Two other members of the Witch''s Forest came too. The Blue Knight, Plum, and the Wind Tracker, Dambi. They were both high rankers, so they''d be a huge help. "I''ll be in your care." Their parties curtly greeted each other. They had all fought side by side during the Lich Eclipse raid, so introductions were unnecessary. "Shall we get going?" They passed through the Vertical Cave, and entered the question mark dungeon. [Entering???.] "An unknown dungeon... How curious," Helena said. "Yeah," Dambi said. "Save the idle chatter forter. Please follow me as quietly as you can," Kang Oh quickly said. He led his team as carefully as he could, and looked for a Basilisk that was alone. "How about him?" "He''ll work. I don''t sense any presences nearby," Sephiro said. "Everyone, get ready!" Kang Oh used Gluttony on an A-rank item, and also used Devil Trigger. "Attack!" Helena extended both her hands, her staff in one of them. "The secret of arcane magic!" Double Casting! This was arcane magic. It was a tremendous ability that allowed a mage to cast two chantless spells simultaneously! Aplex magic circle appeared above her, which shined down on her like moonlight. Exploding Lightning! Ice Drill! Giant, sharp ice appeared from her staff, and red sparks danced along her open palm. Boom! These spells were cast by the game''s most powerful mage. They were power incarnate! Helena hit the Basilisk dead on. The Basilisk retaliated, opening its mouth and spewing Petrifying Poison right at Helena! "Don''t you dare!" The Blue Knight, Plum, intervened. Her sword radiated intense light. Honorable Aura! A snow-white, noble aura sliced through the Petrifying Gaze. Hiss! Hiss! The Basilisk hissed threateningly, as the situation wasn''t to its liking. "Shut up!" Kang Oh, who''d already closed in, swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. Tempest Tiger! The tiger-shaped golden aura rammed into its side. The Basilisk counterattacked immediately. Its triangr scales shot out like hail. Scale Missile! Kang Oh had already experienced this before, so he spun Ubist around and blocked the scales. ng, ng, ng! Sephiro''s harpoon-shaped Giant Killer flew through the air. Ground Shaking Arrow! Dambi''s arrow radiated dim green light. Mysterious Arrow! Thwock! Thwock! The two differently shaped arrows pierced through the Basilisk''s scales and rent flesh. Hiss! The color of its eyes darkened. Petrifying Gaze! "Don''t look it in the eye!" Kang Oh said urgently. However, his warning was unnecessary. Helena, Dambi, and Plum already knew that. After all, not looking at a Basilisk''s eyes was one of the basics. Eder started with an aging curse, and then cast various other curses and bone spells. He didn''t summon any undead this time. Waryong was on standby. After all, it didn''t know when Sephiro would need a Fire Dragon''s Arrow. Grr! The Basilisk slithered towards them, leaving huge marks in the ground. "Scatter!" Helena yelled, and cast an eleration spell on herself. At the same time, she cast an Earth Wall to protect herself via Double Casting. Thud! A giant wall rose from the ground, preventing the monster from approaching. However, the Basilisk charged right through it, breaking the wall to pieces, and spewed Petrifying Poison in a fan shape. Kang Oh, Helena, and their teammates were busy keeping themselves out of harm''s way. A Basilisk was a monster that was over level 600! Even though Helena''s team was with them, it was still just as strong and intimidating as before. Kang Oh and his teammates continued their intense battle. "Get out of the way!" "Poison!" "Ugh, I looked at its eyes by mistake." "I''ll give you medicine. Come over here!" They were all forced to use their trump cards. Kang Oh went all out from the very beginning. Plum summoned an armored valkyrie to help them. Sephiro and Dambi had already used Buster Shot and Arrow Hell. Helena used Overload. This spell tripled the power of her spells, but it sextupled her MP usage in exchange! Even a mage of her caliber couldn''t maintain Double Casting and Overload simultaneously. The MP consumption was too severe, and she''d quickly run out of mana. Despite that, she was forced to keep using Overload. Dambi and Sephiro were riddled with wounds. They also had a little bit of Petrifying Poison on them. However, Eder''s medicine kept the petrification from progressing. This applied to Kang Oh as well. He was in his Jet-ck Demon form, so it didn''t show, but he definitely wasn''t in good shape. "Keep at it for just a little longer! Just a little bit more and it''ll die!" Kang Oh yelled, hoping to raise his team''s morale. The Basilisk wasn''t in good shape either. Due to their attacks and Scale Missile, most of its scales were gone. Its skin was riddled with arrows, sword wounds, and signs of frostbite. Both the hunters and the prey were covered in wounds! "Keep your guard up until the end! Concentrate!" Plum''s pleasant voice rang out. But all of a sudden, the ground shook. It was as if there had been an earthquake. "What''s going on!?" "What is this?" Boom! The ground cracked open, and another Basilisk popped out! It was the cause of the earthquake! "Damn it!" "Another one came!" It was chaos. After all, another level 600 Basilisk had appeared. "Myself and Ms. Helena will take down the weakened Basilisk. Everyone else, please take care of the new one!" Kang Oh yelled. "Roger!" Sephiro and Dambi shot arrows at the new Basilisk while moving to its sides. Plum charged straight at it, while Eder surrounded it with a bone fence. "Ms. Helena, let''s go!" Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards. Evesting Darkness! A jet-ck pir surged from his de, whichpletely devoured the Basilisk. Helena used Double Casting and cast two spells at once. Torrent! Chain Lightning! The blue lightning traveled alongside the stream of water, spreading everywhere until it hit the Basilisk! However, Helena tightly bit her lip. Because she''d used Double Casting while Overload was active, she didn''t have much MP left. ''I hope we can kill it before I run out of MP!'' she prayed, and continued to cast spell after spell with every ounce of MP she had left. Bam, bam, bam! Gluttony wouldn''tst much longer either. ''We have to take it down before Gluttony ends!'' Whack! Whack! Whack! Kang Ohnded hit after hit. The Basilisk desperately struggled. Hiss! It shot its scales at them, and swung its body and tail at both the walls and the ground. The Basilisk spat its Petrifying Poison too, which fell over Kang Oh and Helena''s heads like a. It was do or die for all three of them. It was a rush to the finish. Would they die first, or would it die first!? "Die, you stupid snake!" Kang Oh violently thrust his sword. Abyss w! Hiss! Hiss! The Basilisk swung its tail. Bam! The jet-ck aura scratched the Basilisk. At the same time, Kang Oh was flung away by the Basilisk''s tail. "Please!" Helena used up all the MP she could spare. Firestorm! A giant, ming whirlwind devoured the Basilisk''s body. Roar! Hiss! The Basilisk''s entire body was burning! It writhed in pain, and charged at Helena. This was itsst hurrah. However, Helena was out of gas too. She didn''t even have enough MP to cast a barrier. It was right in front of her, with its mouth wide open, but the only thing she could do was close her eyes and await death! However, Kang Oh suddenly appeared, and forcefully swung his sword at its neck. Whoosh! The jet-ck de cleaved through its weakened scales and flesh, and went deep into its body. "Huaaaahp!" Kang Oh swung his de all the way through. Spurt! Red shards of light exploded from the Basilisk''s neck, which was cut 1/3 of the way through. The burning Basilisk froze, and its head fell to the floor. Thud! [You have defeated a Basilisk.] [There is a huge level disparity between you and the Basilisk.] [You have received arge amount of bonus experience points.] [You have leveled up.] "We got it!" Kang Oh cheered, and raised both his hands into the air. It was like he was a boxing champion who''d just put on the champion belt! "We did it!" Helena opened her eyes and beamed. She usually remained rather emotionless, yet she raised her staff into the air and jumped around. However, their happiness was cut short. "I''m going over there!" "Be careful!" There was still another Basilisk to be killed. Plum, Dambi, Sephiro, and Eder were arduously fighting against it. "Can you fight?" Kang Oh asked. "I need to recover my MP, so not right now." "Mm." Kang Oh only had 3 minutes left on Gluttony. "Ugh!" The Basilisk tackled Plum to the ground. Shards of light burst from her body. "We have to save Ms. Plum. She''s in danger!" Eder yelled urgently. The quick-footed Sephiro went over to help her, while Dambi shot arrows at it to keep its attention away from them. Bam! The Basilisk mmed its tail onto the ground. It was just after Sephiro had grabbed Plum and thrown both of them out of the way. ''We can''t go on like this.'' Kang Oh made his decision. "Everyone, retreat!" Contrary to his wishes, the Basilisk charged at him now. "I''ll buy you some time. Everyone retreat and get out of the dungeon!" Kang Oh yelled once more. "Let''s retreat!" Eder yelled. "Retreat!" Kang Oh''s teammates scattered, and began running to the entrance. Meanwhile, Kang Oh was able to somewhat hold his own against the Basilisk. It was such a relief that Gluttony wouldst just a little bit longer. Because of it, Kang Oh was able to buy his teammates enough time to retreat. [Gluttony has ended.] [All abilities return to normal.] "See youter." As soon as Gluttony ended, Kang Oh sank into the darkness. Abyss Transfer! Hiss! The Basilisk attempted to devour him. However, Kang Oh had already disappeared. Sometimeter... Kang Oh and Helena''s team gathered outside of the dungeon. Fortunately, everyone was safe. "Hoo, good work everyone. Let''s end it here for today," Kang Oh said. Going any further would be suicide. Kang Oh couldn''t use Gluttony anymore, and Helena couldn''t use Double Casting. They had to wait until they were back up. Sephiro, Dambi, and Plum had used their trump cards, so those were still on cooldown too. Plus, Eder barely had enough medicine left. In other words, they couldn''t fight at their best! Fighting the Basilisks when they weren''t at full strength was an act of lunacy. After all, they could barely beat one when they were at their best. So they would end things here! "Good job." "Good work." "Are weing here tomorrow too? You said you needed to kill twenty of them. We killed one today, so you have neen left," Helena said. "I have some personal matters to attend to, so we''ll take a break tomorrow," Kang Oh said. He had a shoot tomorrow for First Hunter. He needed to get his 300 million won ($300,000 USD)! "Understood." "Goodbye everyone." Kang Oh waved his hand. That was his farewell. "Ok." "Take care!" "See youter!" They all ripped their return scrolls. By the time the silver powder disappeared, no one was left in the vertical cave. * * * GBS''s waiting room. Jae Woo reclined in his chair and rxingly waited for the shoot to start. Knock, knock. The door opened and in came Jin Cheol, carrying the helmet Jae Woo always wore under his arm. "Have you been well, Mr. Jae Woo?" "Of course." "Here." Jin Cheol passed him the helmet. "Thank you." "I saw the footage you sold to TGN. We should''ve bought that from you." Jin Cheol looked disappointed. Jae Woo''s Despia footage was yed on TGN day after day. Obviously, the reaction to it was amazing. After all, it was Despia, one of Arth''s most dangerous locations! It was so dangerous that it was called the Land that Bordered Hell! Plus, the footage was taken by one of the Numbers, Kang Oh! A lot of people wanted to go to Despia, and that desire manifested itself in high viewership ratings. "People liked First Hunter too," Kang Oh said. A short while ago, First Hunter aired its first episode. It was a show about Kang Oh and three of Arth''s best yers fighting monsters that were ''unbeatable''! It inevitably drew people''s interest. His Despia footage and First Hunter should''ve increased his fame, but there was no way it could go any higher at this point. Jae Woo was already a superstar. If he walks through arge city with Demon Sword Ubist and his Draka set, then he''d be swarmed by yers. "That''s why it''s so disappointing. What would''ve happened if we showed both your Despia footage and you defeating Galmoss at the same time?" They would''ve broken viewership ratings on both shows. Thus, Jin Cheol couldn''t help but feel disappointed. "I sold the footage to the highest bidder." As they agreed upon, Kang Oh was getting a portion of TGN''s ad revenue. When he saw the numbers, he realized he''d made the correct choice. He was making quite a bit. Hurray for TGN! Hurray for Shin Hye Rim! "Yes, I know." The one that got away is always the biggest fish. "Anyhow, if you have any good footage, then please contact me first." "Understood." Kang Oh still had his footage of killing the Mayanes. It was footage with the Divine Dragon, Gainus in it. However... ''Now''s not the time.'' He nned on killing all of the Mayanes and getting footage of the God of Creation''s revival first. Then, he''d sell all of the footage for the highest price ever. How much would it alle to? ''I can''t wait.'' Jae Woo lips curled upwards. Chapter 365. The Luck of the Draw

Chapter 365. The Luck of the Draw

Trantor: Boko Stage lights and cameras shined upon the studio. ''It''s been a while.'' Jae Woo, wearing his helmet, took a look around. He saw Snow Flower, Strong Punch, and Marco. ''Yo, long time, no see!'' "Hello, viewers! My name is Jeon Seong Gook," Seong Gook said enthusiastically, starting the show. "Our hunters did it again. They defeated the Beast of the ck Forest, Swift Diak, which is considered the fastest monster in Arth! Who aplished this feat? It was none other than... Mr. Kang Oh!" Seong Gook pointed at Kang Oh, and everyone began pping. They''ll probably add sound effects when they edit it. p, p, p! Jae Woo softly waved his hand. This was already his third time cashing in. Galmoss, the Tower of Trials, and now Diak. He was quite used to it by now. "We''ll be awarding you your prize of 300 million won ($300,000 USD)." As always, the bodyguards were present, and Jin Cheol brought him a bag of cash. Jae Woo smiled at the heaviness of the bag. He had split his winnings with Marcost time, but he took everything for himself this time. "Mr. Kang Oh, this is already your third time winning. Isn''t that a bit much?" Seong Gook asked impishly, beginning the interview. "I''m going to win thest one too," Jae Woo said unashamedly. "Aah, the title, Predator, really suits you. You really are greedy." "That''s apliment, right?" "Of course. Greed is a strong motivator." Seong Gook grinned. "That''s true." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. ''You''re right indeed!'' "Now then, let''s move on to the main questions. How did it feel to fight Swift Diak?" "Eh, it was pretty tough." "How so?" "It was fast." "Hmm, you''re stating the obvious again." Kang Oh always answered like this. Seong Gook was used to it by now. After that, he asked various other questions, but the answers definitely weren''t informative. "Yes, thank you for your answers. Then let''s move on to our next segment. It''s time to reveal thest monster. This will truly be their most difficult challenge! Everyone, please take a look at the screen." Drum roll! The video began ying, apanied by solemn music. Uwooooh! A huge, roaring monkey was beating its chest! Its body was covered in white fur, and it was over 20 meters tall. There was also an ornate, golden crown sitting on top of its head. The Monkey King, Wukong! It was an ''invincible'' monster thatpletely crushed the 5 great guilds! Jae Woo had quite the history with that monkey. After all, he was the first one to discover it. Bam! Bam! Wukong pulled out a giant tree and mercilessly swung it around. yers that went to the Great Forest were between level 200 and 300, but they were nothing more than ants before Wukong. Then, the screen switched to the 5 great guilds'' attempts at defeating it. Several distinguished, famous yers were involved. In spite of that, they were defeated so easily. They were no match for Wukong''s might! After that, the video showed other, minor raid teams attempting the raid, but they were defeated just the same. For the time being, no one attempted to defeat Wukong, so it was ughtering the inhabitants of the Great Forest day after day. If a yer encountered Wukong, they''d curse their luck and they''d die. "Wukong! A mythological beast that annihted the 5 great guilds'' raid teams! The Emperor of the Great Forest! Some even call him the God of Destruction! Wukong is First Hunter''s final monster!" Seong Gook dered loudly. None of the contestants looked surprised. They had somewhat expected this. Roaming Galmoss, Spider Queen, Benolov, and Swift Diak; there weren''t a lot of monsters harder than these three. As the killer of countless yers, Wukong was truly the most fitting end to First Hunter. "How much is Wukong''s bounty worth? Let''s show them!" Ding! Ding! Ding! The number on the screen rose precipitously. In an instant, it passed 100 million won, and went up to 200 million. It stopped at... 400 million won ($400,000 USD)! "Wukong''s bounty is worth 400 million won. However, you can make even more than this. If you go first, you can make up to 500 million won! The second challenger can make 450 million won. And the third and fourth challengers will have a shot at the normal 400 million won. As you know, it''s a bonus for those who go first. Plus, we''ll give the first challenger an additional advantage." Seong Gook paused. ''You want to know what the advantage is, don''t you?'' "Whoever goes first needs toplete the hunt within a week. It''s not enough time to gather a team that can defeat Wukong. However, thework can''t give you any more time. Thus, our production crew can provide the first challenger with a raid team if they so desire," Seong Gook said. Marco raised his hand. "What kind of raid team?" "You must''ve heard of them before. Ares'' Warriors." "Ares'' Warriors..." They were a renowned raid team. Ares'' Warriors had defeated the Monster Bull, Caul, the Lava Giant, Kano, the Sand Canyon''s Serapion, etc. All of them were raid bosses. "Since we hired Ares'' Warriors, all of the loot will be yours." Seong Gook grinned. ''Isn''t it worth going first now?'' "Can second ce use them too?" Strong Punch asked. "No, only the first challenger can use them." "Mm." "Then let''s decide the order. As always, please raise your hand if you want to volunteer. If there''s a tie, then we''ll decide using the luck of the draw." The contestants nodded their heads. "Who wants to go first?" Seong Gook stared at Kang Oh and said. ''You always go first!'' However, Jae Woo crossed his arms and turned his head to the side, avoiding his gaze. Seong Gook looked at the other contestants. Strong Punch''s eyes were closed, and Marco was whistling. Snow Flower slightly shook her head. "Huh? No one? You can use Ares'' Warriors for free." ''Isn''t it worth a shot?,'' Seong Gook thought. However, Seong Gook only thought that way because he wasn''t a top yer. ''If Ares'' Warriors could beat Wukong, then the 5 great guilds would''ve beaten him already.'' Even if he were offered a raid team from one of the 5 great guilds, Kang Oh wouldn''t volunteer to go first. The rest of the contestants probably thought the same. "Hmm, then who would like to go second?" Again, no one responded. ''No one for first or second ce.'' "Wukong must truly be amazing for all of you to remain so passive." "Of course," Snow Flower said. She had been a part of the Breaker Guild''s raid team. Thus, she knew firsthand how powerful Wukong was. ''If I want to beat him, then I''ll need Guildmaster Raon on my team and the support of the entire guild.'' ck Lion, Raon! He was ranked 3rd among the yerbase, and was the only one within striking distance of Dukeram! "I''m excited to see how you''ll all fare against Wukong. Anyone want to go third?" No one raised their hand. "Oh, no one wants to go third either..." Strong Punch raised his hand, interrupting him. "If no one else wants to go third, then I will." "Anyone else want to go third?" Jae Woo, Snow Flower, and Marco just stood still. They were all gunning forst ce. "Then Mr. Strong Punch will go third. Let''s determine who will gost. Please bring out the box." The staff brought out a box filled with balls. "There are two white balls inside, and one red one. Whoever picks the red one will gost. Since you''re the onlydy here, you can go first, Ms. Snow Flower." Snow Flower walked over to the box, and carefully ced her hand inside. ''Please!'' Pick the red ball! Jae Woo and Marco anxiously watched, but their thoughts went in reverse. ''Please!'' Don''t pick the red ball! Then, she pulled out a ball. "Aah, it''s white! Unfortunately, you won''t be goingst, Ms. Snow Flower." "I''ll go next." Jae Woo quickly stood up. His chances were 50/50. He put his hand into the box and touched both balls. There was no way of knowing which one was red. Kang Oh hesitated between the two, and eventually pulled one out. Yaahp! "Yeah!" Marco eximed. Unfortunately, Jae Woo had pulled out a white ball. "Mr. Marco will be goingst. Ms. Snow Flower and Mr. Kang Oh will have to assume the first two vacant positions." "I want to go second no matter what." Snow Flower raised her voice. "Me too," Jae Woo quickly said. ''I can''t be first!'' "Then let''s pick lots again." Seong Gook ced one red and one white ball into the box. "If you pick the red ball, then you go second. Please put your hands in at the same time and pull a ball out." As instructed, Jae Woo and Snow Flower stood across from each other. "Please ce your hands into the box and pick a ball." Jae Woo and Snow Flower simultaneously ced their hands inside. "I''ve got mine." "Me too." "Then, on three, pull out your ball. One, two..." Jae Woo and Snow Flower stared at each other. ''You go first!'' The tension was so thick it could be cut by a knife. Both of them didn''t want to go first. "Three!" Jae Woo and Snow Flower pulled out their hands. "Aah." "Yes!" A groan and an exmation resounded throughout the studio. Like light and darkness, Snow Flower smiled brightly, while Kang Oh''s face darkened with despair and disappointment. "Haha, Mr. Kang Oh picked the white ball, so he goes first!" Seong Gook said, sporting a mischievous expression. "This is funny to you?" Jae Woo scowled. "It isn''t to you? You''re our first ce specialist. You could''ve avoided this if you''d just volunteered to go first. Tch, tch," Seong Gook said mockingly. "Tch." ''Who would''ve thought that this would happen?'' Jae Woo pouted. However, Strong Punch and Marco were kind of worried when they heard that Kang Oh was going first. Predator Kang Oh! Unlike them, he would volunteer to go first, and had always seeded on the first try! Thus, they couldn''t help but think ''Will he do it this time too?''. Snow Flower, who''d fought Wukong firsthand, thought differently. ''Even he can''t do it. No way!'' "Mr. Kang Oh, you have to hunt Wukong within a week. Since there are others after you, we can''t give you a time extension." "Looks like you want me to fail." Jae Woo stared at Seong Gook. "No way. I''m always on your side." He was obviously lying. That shameless, sly face of his was clear proof of this. "Now that it''se to this, I guess I''ll have to kill Wukong and get that 500 million." It was already spilt milk. All he could do now was give it his best shot. "Do you want Ares'' Warriors'' help?" "Of course. Why wouldn''t I? I can use them for free." "Understood. Then after the shoot, we''ll give you their leader, Mr. Isher''s contact information." "Yes." "Then let''s put it all together. Mr. Kang Oh is first, Ms. Snow Flower is second, Mr. Strong Punch is third, and Mr. Marco is fourth. I hope you prepare ordingly and do well. Viewers, please look forward to our hunters'' bout with Wukong. You never know. You might see Mr. Kang Oh getting smashed for the first time, so please tune in!" Seong Gook''s closing statement was akin to a curse. "Haa." Jae Woo sighed deeply. "This is bad." ''Wukong, Wukong. He''s a big problem!'' Chapter 366. Gathering Allies

Chapter 366. Gathering Allies

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh only had a week to prepare for the Wukong raid! He had so much to do, but so little time. ''Should I hold off on killing the Basilisks for now? I want to get Blood up to level 30... I need to gather teammates, collect info on Wukong, and work on our teamwork too.'' Kang Oh contacted Ares'' Warriors first. Jin Cheol had already given him their leader''s character code. With it, he contacted Isher. - Hello. My name is Kang Oh, the one you''ll be hunting Wukong with. - Yes. The producer already told me. - Is it possible for us to meet right now? - Where would you like to meet? - Altein''s Viyoom Inn. - Understood. Sometimeter... Kang Oh sat down at a corner table, and a man came over. There was a giant shield hanging from his back. "Hello. You''re Mr. Kang Oh, I assume?" "Are you Mr. Isher?" "Yes, that''s me." "It''s a pleasure to meet you." Kang Oh shook hands with him, and then went straight to the point. "As you know, we''ll need 25 people in order to beat Wukong," Kang Oh said. Wukong had an ability called ''Contempt of the Many''. The more people you brought along with you, the stronger he became. If you exceeded the standard 25 member raid team, then he would enter what was called ''God of Destruction mode'' and became almost invincible. At the same time, if you didn''t bring enough people, then you would be short on tanks, damage dealers, or healers. Thus, a raid team consisting of 25 members had the best shot of taking Wukong down. "We have thirty people. We can provide you with 24 party members," Isher said. "Do you have enough tanks, damage dealers, and healers?" "Of course. We may not look like much, but we''re quite a formidable raid team." Isher tapped his chest. However, he didn''t inspire much confidence in Kang Oh. "Understood. First, I''ll bring people that I need. Please fill the rest of the team with your members." "Understood." "Ah, and I heard that you don''t get any of the loot because GBS has already paid you." He had to make sure. "Yes, that''s right. But if you want to give us anything, we won''t refuse." "I won''t give you anything," Kang Oh said decisively. He had to be clear now so that there weren''t any hups in the future. "Well, I tried." Isher shrugged his shoulders. "We have a week before we need to kill Wukong. I''d like to form the team before then, and have about three or four days to practice." "Mm, I understand." "Please gather info on Wukong. Let''s meet up in a few days and discuss what we''ve found." "Yes." "Let''s do our best." "I''m looking forward to seeing you in action, Mr. Kang Oh." "I hope that you perform above my expectations." "Haha, of course." Once they parted ways, Kang Oh went to Eder''s house. ''Eder and Sephiro will definitely help me,'' Kang Oh thought. But when he asked, Eder shook his head. "I can''t." "Why not!?" "Can''t you tell?" Eder opened his arms. He was asking him to take a look at his clothes. "Are you going somewhere?" It looked like he was going somewhere far away. After all, he was wearing a huge backpack. "Regaining a human body is good and all, but mybat abilities are much weaker now than when I was possessing a Lich''s body. Thus, I''m going on a short trip to refine my Necromancy skills." Several Necromancers lived in a deep swamp that resided in the western grasnds. It was the Ma of Necromancy, Deathnely! Eder nned on going there in order to strengthen himself. "But if you go, what will I do about the Basilisks'' petrification? How will we heal ourselves?" "I already prepared a ton of anti-petrification medicine and gave it to Mr. Sephiro. And a Druid from the Witch''s Forest has already agreed to help out, so you don''t have to worry about healing either. Good luck killing Wukong. It has nothing to do with me," Eder said firmly. "C''mon, aren''t we friends? My work is your work, and your work is..." "We aren''t friends," Eder said decisively. He didn''t even consider it. "Are you really leaving?" "I''ll return stronger than ever, and I''ll be able to do more against any future Mayanes." When Eder was a Lich, he was strong. After all, he could directly use a powerful boss monster''s abilities. However, Eder''s human form specialized more heavily in support than damage dealing. They wouldn''t have to worry about dying if he was there healing them. Despite that, he couldn''t disagree with him; hisbat abilities had taken a nosedive. Kang Oh scratched his head. "Haa, I''m in a pickle. How long will you be gone?" "I''m not sure. But I''lle back immediately if Lord Gainus contacts me, or I''ve heard word that another Mayanes has been found." "Mm, I got it. Have a good trip." He needed Eder right away. But in the long run, letting him go would be far more beneficial. "Take care then! Ah, you can use my house as you like." "Alright, thanks." Eder left. Kang Oh felt like a needle that lost its thread. After all, they''d been together for so long now. p. Kang Oh softly pped his cheek, and got himself back on track. He contacted Sephiro next. Thankfully, he was willing to help him. ''Next up is...'' Kang Oh visited the Witch''s Forest and asked Helena if she wanted to join. She''d be a huge help! Unfortunately... "No thank you," Helena said decisively. "I''ll give you another bottle of Dragon''s Blood next month. I''ll also give you some of the loot too." "No thank you. You said it was broadcasted, right? I don''t want to be on camera." "Mm. Is there any way..." "No!" "Understood. But you''re still helping out with the Basilisks, right?" "Yes. I agreed to help you in exchange for the Dragon''s Blood." "We''ll get back to that after I kill Wukong. I think I''ll be really busy preparing for the raid. Then, I''ll be going now." "Ah, that''s right. You haven''t forgotten about our wager, have you?" "Our wager? Are you referring to Ared''s grimoire?" The Illusion Master, Aerd. His arcane magic, ''Illusionary Projection'' was detailed in three different books. Thus, it could only be learnt by having all three volumes. Kang Oh found the first book, and Helena found the second. They agreed that whoever found the final volume would receive the full set. "Yes." "I haven''t forgotten. Have you found a clue that pertains to the whereabouts of the final volume?" "Perhaps." Helena raised her sses. Kang Oh couldn''t read anything from her expression. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Once he left Helena''s room, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, approached him. She was a pointy-eared beauty with silver hair. "I heard that you were going to hunt Wukong." "Yes." "May Ie with you?" "I''d really appreciate it if you came along." Kang Oh beamed. "Please bring me along." "Understood. We''ll be hunting Wukong in a week. We''ll work on our teamwork before then." "I understand. What about the Basilisks?" "I''m postponing it until I''ve dealt with Wukong." Honestly, hunting the Basilisks was really tough. It''d be hard to kill neen Basilisks within a week. Thus, he would focus entirely on Wukong for now, and deal with the Basiliskster. "Ok." Dambi nodded her head. "I''ll be in touch with you." "Take care." Kang Oh left the Witch''s Forest and messaged Bart. He needed as many skilled yers as possible. - Mr. Bart. - I told you, I''m busy. - Tch. Understood. - What''s the matter? If you''re asking me for help with the Basilisks, then my answer hasn''t changed. - It''s Wukong this time. - That stupid monkey that lives in the Great Forest? There were only a handful of monsters that''d defeated Bart before. In fact, there were only three. Wukong was one of them. - Yes. - When are you hunting him? ''Look at this. He''s volunteering.'' - In exactly one week. - One week. It''ll be tight. Kang Oh waited for Bart''s next message. - One spot for me. No, I''ll bring along two of my friends, so leave three spots empty. - You got it. - We can discuss my shareter, so please don''t message me anymore today! Honoring his request, Kang Oh closed the message window. "Hoo. What a relief." Bart was likely referring to the Storm Fighter, Rohan, and the Harbinger of Death, Viper. They were both high rankers, so they''d be a huge help. Kang Oh returned to Altein, and headed for the Holiseum. "Do it yourself." Kang Oh asked if Burkan was willing to help him, but he refused outright. Since he knew he''d refuse, Kang Oh nodded his head. "And remember to settle your debt, you debtor!" In order to pay Akite 1 million gold, Kang Oh had borrowed 600,000 gold from Burkan. In exchange, he had to pay him back 800,000 gold within a year. "You said I had a year to pay you back." "There''ll be hell to pay if you don''t pay me back on time!" "You''ll get your money, I promise. By the way, where''s Dion?" Kang Oh nned on hiring Dion and his most elite diators. "Dion? He went on a military expedition." "Huh? A military expedition?" "Yeah. Something big is happening in the Phamas Mountains, so he and the 100 Fighters went there." "Tch. Seems like everyone''s leavingtely. What about Darion?" He''d take the next best thing. "Darion went with them." "Phew, he''s not here when I need him most." Kang Oh said goodbye and then left the Holiseum. Finally, he contacted Soren and Karin. They happily epted his request. ''Let''s see here... Me, Bart, two of Bart''s friends, Sephiro, Soren, Karin, and Dambi make eight.'' Kang Oh sent Isher a message. - I''ve recruited eight others including me. - Then you need seventeen more people. That would make a total of twenty-five. - Yes. - We''ll need to discuss how we''ll fill those remaining seventeen spots. Shall we meet now? - Understood. Kang Oh and Isher met once more. The two spoke about various matters, and they picked seventeen of the most skilled members of Ares'' Warriors. * * * Kang Oh and Isher parted ways, and Kang Oh came to the only city in the Goddess''s Land, Latnia City. He could see members of the Storm Guild here. They noticed Kang Oh too, but they acted like they hadn''t seen him. Kang Oh left the city and headed for his third soul dungeon, the Saul Graveyard! However, he didn''t have any business with Akite. He did, however, have business with the powerful undead that resided in the Saul Graveyard! Blood was currently at level 29. If he leveled it up to 30, then it''d gain a new ability. ''I''m definitely getting you to level 30!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed, and he grabbed a Fire Bomb with his off-hand. Guoooh! A Rag Golem, which was several corpses stitched together, approached him. He then threw the Fire Bomb. Roar! The battle began with surging mes. Kang Oh engaged the Rag Golem, but that was only the start. He fought countless undead within the Saul Graveyard. He fought Hellfire Zombies; zombies that were engulfed in hellfire, the very me that could burn the soul. He also fought Radioactive Zombies, which dealt damage to him just for getting close, Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mages, Duhan Masters, and Elite Death Knights. However, Kang Oh wasn''tpletely overpowering them. After all, the Saul Graveyard was filled with level 500 undead monsters. Kang Oh used all sorts of tricks and skills to kill the undead. But there was one monster here that''d be difficult even for him. A horse engulfed in blue fire! It was said that it devoured memories, and only left nightmares behind. It was called a Tehorus. And the figure riding it was a Chaos Knight! [You have discovered the Chaos Knight, Jerome.] [It is a named monster.] Death Knightsmanded a legion of undead, while Ruin Knights possessed incredibly highbat abilities. A Chaos Knight was a monster thatbined the skills of both, with the weaknesses of neither. It was between level 550 and 600. The Chaos Knight was clearly on a different level! Aside from Akite, it was the most powerful monster here! "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and used Devil Trigger. Red wings unfurled from behind his back. ''I''m not going to use Ubist. I''ll beat it with Blood!'' His priority was to get Blood to level 30 no matter what. "Tasha! Can you fly me above its head and then drop me?" "Be careful. That thing oozes danger." "Don''t worry about me!" p! Kang Oh flew into the air, and fell right on top of its head. Neigh! The Tehorus''s blue mes intensified, and the Chaos Knight, Jerome, swung its dark purple sword at Kang Oh. Red Butterfly''s Dance! His evasion was doubled! Whenbined with Tasha''s skillful flying, the Chaos Knight''s attack couldn''t hope to seed. Kang oh seized the opportunity. Hended on the floor, and then cleaved right through it. He''d sessfully ambushed it! Red shards of light grazed Kang Oh''s cheeks, which were then sucked into Blood. However, this was only the beginning. The Chaos Knight, Jerome, and its steed, the Tehorus, emitted a cold killing intent. "C''mon!" Neigh! The red-winged demon and the undead knight on horseback shed head-on. Chapter 367. Festival of Blood

Chapter 367. Festival of Blood

Trantor: Boko Jerome swung his sword downwards. His attack was quick, but Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition let him know where he was aiming for ahead of time. ''Now!'' Kang Oh extended Blood. The moment their des met... Sword Parry! Jerome staggered as his de slid off Blood. Then, Kang Oh swung his sword as quickly as lightning. sh! Blood cut through Jerome''s steed. Red shards of light burst out, and the horse''s blue mes surged. Neigh! It neighed angrily, raised its front legs, and stomped on him. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way, passing by its hind legs. The horse''s hooves stomped on the muddy floor, leaving footprints in the ground. He quickly got back into position. Jerome tried to turn his horse around, but it was already far toote. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger shot out of Blood, which radiated scarlet energy. It was like the red sky and the setting yellow sun. Boom! Its power was considerable, but it couldn''t topple the Tehorus. Charge of Death! Jerome quickly regained his bearings, and the Tehorus charged at Kang Oh like a truck with a malfunctioning brake. Taking a knight''s charge head-on was the pinnacle of stupidity. "Tasha!" Kang Oh flew into the air. From there, he shot Blood Spikes and Blood Spears at Jerome and his horse. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Jerome swung his sword upwards. Chaos Aura! A brown aura, resembling a ck hole,pletely devoured his blood based attacks. Thus far, the two were dead even. Kang Oh descended to the ground, and engaged Jerome once more. Jerome was riding on horseback, so he took advantage of his elevated position and aimed for Kang Oh''s neck. Swish! Kang Oh stretched out his wings, leapt into the air, and quickly swung his sword. Swish! Blood cleaved through Jerome''s neck. Normally, it''d be difficult to target Jerome''s neck since he was on horseback. However, his wings and his lighter, one-handed sword, allowed him to attack with greater precision in the air. It was like he was a red bat! Jerome attacked him while he was trying tond. Kang Oh bnced himself with his wings, deflected Jerome''s de with Blood, and then safelynded on the ground. Tap. ''Mm.'' He realized something from this fight. In his Red Demon form, thebination of his wings and a light, one-handed sword like Blood, allowed him to fight in apletely different way. Flying Swordsmanship! ''I''ve relied too heavily on Ubist thus far.'' Gluttony and Ubist''s other abilities werepletely overpowered. That''s why he''d relied on Ubist so much. But by focusing on Blood, not Ubist, while assuming his Red Demon form, Kang Oh had grasped apletely new fighting style! Learning something new was fun. Kang Oh repeatedly leapt into the air, and further refined his flying swordsmanship. By using this style, hepletely eliminated Jerome''s height advantage. His concentration had hit its peak. He could feel and react to his Hyper Intuition now better than ever. At some point, Kang Oh began topletely overpower the Chaos Knight, Jerome. He knew where Jerome would attack beforehand, and he instantly knew where Jerome''s weak points were. Even Jerome couldn''t properly respond to Kang Oh''s attacks when he was jumping and flying all over the ce. Jerome realized that at this rate, all was lost. Thus, he called forth a Death Knight and a Ruin Knight. The three knights surrounded Kang Oh and attacked him simultaneously. However, he was surrounded on the ground, not in the sky. Kang Oh flew into the air, andunched Blood Spikes, a Fresh Blood Wave, Tempest Tiger, etc. Hepletely bombarded them from above, and thennded on the floor. Swish! Whoosh! Swoosh! Thinking that this was their best chance to kill him, the undead knights attacked simultaneously. "Tasha!" Kang Oh leapt into the air, extending Blood and spinning as if he were performing a triple axel. This was only possible due to Tasha''s skill. If he had to give it a name, he would probably call it Flying Spinning sh or something. Bam, bam, bam! In an instant, Demon Sword Blood sliced through Jerome, the Death Knight, and the Ruin Knight''s necks several times. Spurt! Several shards of light fell from their bodies, and Blood greedily devoured them. 15 red stars now lined his snow-white de! Kang Oh didn''t use Blood Bomb; instead, he kept fighting with max stacks. Each red star increased Blood''s attack power by 2%. He''d rather maintain the 30% increase in attack power than use Blood Bomb. At that moment, Darkness Strike activated. A scarlet, bat-shaped wave swept through the undead knights. ''Now!'' Kang Oh leapt into the air. Transcendent de! Because of Blood''s scarlet light, he looked like a red falling star. Swish! Jerome''s neck was sliced right after, causing brown, ominous energy to leak out. At the same time, cracks began to spread across Jerome''s body. Boom! Ultimately, Jerome shattered into pieces like a dropped ceramic pot! The blue me-wreathed Tehorus, the Elite Death Knight, and the Ruin Knight turned to smoke as well. Tap. Kang Ohnded on the ground and spread out his wings. He then slowly retracted them. [You are the first to defeat the Chaos Knight, Jerome.] [As a reward, Jerome will drop his highest rank items.] [You have leveled up.] A first kill bonus! However, the system messages didn''t end there. Demon Sword Blood radiated wicked red light, which surged into the air in nine different sections. [Demon Sword Blood has leveled up.] [Demon Sword Blood has risen to level 30, and has gained a new ability.] "Yes!" Kang Oh clenched his fist, and quickly checked Blood''s updated item information. [Demon Sword Blood (Lv.30)] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. The snow-white de emanates scarlet energy, making the sword extremely beautiful but also ominous. The sword has an ego of its own. It sees, hears, and feels the world through its wielder, and grows. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword either drops, or you be a monster under the demon''s thrall for 24 hours. + Evolving Weapon: Has its own level. Takes a portion of its wielder''s experience points. These experience points are what the demon sword uses to grow. The higher the level, the more powerful the sword and its abilities be. [Next Level Up: 0.001%] + Life Steal: Dealing damage restores your HP. The amount of health restored is based on the damage you deal and the demon sword''s level. + Vampiristic Reinforcement: Sessfully life stealing increases the sword''s attack power by 2%. Life stealing again within a 15 second period causes this effect to stack (15 stacks max). + Blood Bomb: Usable when you reach max reinforcement stacks (15 stacks). Consumes all stacks to unleash a blood red explosion. + Red Butterfly''s Dance: Evasion doubles for 10 seconds. Cooldown: 10 minutes. + Festival of Blood: Consumes half of your HP. For 30 seconds, your attack power, speed, and life steal increase significantly. The more HP is consumed, the more significant the increase. Cooldown: 2 minutes. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 601, Physical +75, Mental +20, HP +1,500. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. ''Festival of Blood, huh.'' It was a buff like Gluttony. He''d have to use it to find out how significant the increase would be. Kang Oh picked up the item that Jerome dropped. He was only a named monster, yet he dropped an S-rank item. [Hellfire Forged Chaos de] The sword that the Chaos Knight, Jerome, used. It is filled with death energy, so it is precious to the undead. It is unknown what kind of sword it was originally. + Summon High-Rank Undead Knight: Allows you to summon an Elite Death Knight and a Ruin Knight. Cooldown: 1 day. + Chaos: The sword is imbued with significant chaos energy. You may freely manipte this energy. If an undead uses this weapon, then the power of chaos may transform them into an even greater existence. Rank: S. Abilities: Attack Power 715, Main Stats +80, Charm -100. Gives nearby people a sense of unknown hostility and terror. Minimum Requirements: Level 500, undead only. It was an undead only item, but it could be remodeled so that a yer could equip it. ''Should I try selling it to Eder?'' There was a slight demand for undead items. Necromancers would buy undead only items, and equip their summoned undead with them. Anyhow, Kang Oh stashed the Chaos de in his inventory. Then, he looked for suitable prey to test Festival of Blood on. ''That guy looks good.'' He saw a Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mage. It was the strongest skeleton-type monster that had an excellent grasp of fire, water, wind, lightning, and earth spells! Kang Oh quietly approached it, and then immediately popped out of hiding. It immediately cast a spell. Exploding Lightning! It chose wrong. To think it''d use a lightning spell when the Draka set decreased all lightning damage by 90%! He just pushed through the lightning. As expected, the damage was minimal. Festival of Blood! Not only had Blood''s scarlet energy darkened to such an extent that it now more closely resembled actual blood, but the snow-white de had bepletely coated in it. Demon Sword Blood had turned blood red, from the de to the hilt! It was more urate to call it a blood sword than a demon sword now. [Half of your HP has been spent.] [Attack power, speed, and life steal have increased significantly.] [Duration: 30 seconds] [Cooldown: 2 minutes] Swish. Kang Oh softly swung his sword. He''d swung it so softly, yet his sword was as quick as the wind. Bam! It was more like a mace than the wind. With just one attack, Blood hadpletely smashed apart its rib bones! Kang Oh widened his eyes. His power was greater than he''d expected! ''It''s simr to Gluttony when I use a BB-rank item. It increases my abilities twofold.'' The Skeleton Mage''s shards of light were sucked into his blood sword. [You have life stealed.] [HP has been restored.] [+3%] The amount he life stealed increased by a fair margin too. At best, Blood would usually heal him for about 1% of his max HP. However, Festival of Blood had tripled that amount. ''This is great.'' Kang Oh made the most of Festival of Blood''s 30 second duration time. His de streaked through the air again and again! The Skeleton Mage''s body broke into pieces, leaving behind nothing but bone powder. * * * A week quickly passed by, and it was finally D-day. Kang Oh and hispanions met at the outskirts of Modrak Vige, which was the only area in the Great Forest that had an intercity transfer gate. "Hello." Bart was here too. The Harbinger of Death, Viper, stood beside him. He hade along during their Lich Eclipse raid. Like a true assassin, his body was covered in ck cloth. The other was a brown skinned man with a robust body. He carried a giant axe as well. "My name is Mn." "Ah, Mr. Mn! It''s a pleasure to meet you." Kang Oh beamed. Wolf Warrior, Mn! Mn was also a high ranker. He was a werewolf that possessed the ability to transform into an Oga Wolf. "These are Mr. Bart''s friends, Mr. Viper and Mr. Mn. These are Ares'' Warriors, and over there are..." Kang Oh introduced Bart''s party to the rest of them. Bart and his party hadn''t had time to practice with them, and had only just shown up today. Kang Oh felt kind of anxious, as they hadn''t been able to practice together, but Bart, Viper, and Mn were all experts, so they would definitely do their part. Anyhow, Kang Oh, Bart, Sephiro, Soren, Karin, Dambi, Viper, and Mn made eight. There were seventeen of Ares'' Warriors joining them, including Isher, who was a Shield Knight. In total, they had 25 party members for the Wukong raid! "Are you all ready?" "Yes!" Kang Oh turned on live film mode. Then, he sent his live code to Jin Cheol. "Then let''s get going!" Kang Oh rode on his Yuma, the mostmon mount in the Great Forest, and led the rest of his teammates. Miu, miu! Twenty-four Yumas cried out, and Kang Oh''s party traversed through the Great Forest. Chapter 368. Wukong is Going Crazy

Chapter 368. Wukong is Going Crazy

Trantor: Boko The Ungar Swamp was perpetually shrouded in mist. A giant Agrashi tree stood here, and the Stone Monkey''s Hideout was located at the very top of the tree. In order to catch a tiger, you need to venture into its den. Thus, Kang Oh and his raid team would need to enter the hideout in order to hunt Wukong. "It''s been a while," Sephiro whispered, and Kang Oh slightly nodded his head. He, Sephiro, and Eder had been the first ones to find the Stone Monkey''s Hideout. At the time, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition had led them to it. Wukong had also given him a quest, demanding that he keep any outsiders from finding his hideout. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t do anything in particr. Ultimately, another Dungeon Hunter found Wukong''s hideout. Thus, he not only failed the quest, but Wukong began his rampage throughout the Great Forest. "I haven''t heard word of Wukong appearing anywhere else, so he should be inside his hideout," Isher said. "Yes." Kang Oh''s raid team began to climb the giant Agrashi tree. A short whileter, they entered the tree through a hole in the middle. [Entering the hidden dungeon, Stone Monkey''s Hideout.] The Stone Monkey''s Hideout hadn''t changed at all. The wooden footholds and the vines were still here, and they needed to use these in order to get up the tree. Kii, Kiiik! Of course, the monkeys still threw rocks at them. However, Kang Oh was a lot different now than he was when he first discovered the hideout. He was strong enough to beat 10 of his past selves now. That was the extent of his growth since then. Kang Oh climbed up the vines and ughtered the monkeys. Viper and Bart''s movements were impressive too. He had gathered all these people to kill Wukong, so the monkeys were obviously no match for them. They climbed up the tree without any issues. Kiik! Kiik! Unable to hold them back, the monkeys retreated again and again. Eventually, Kang Oh''s team reached the top of the tree! There was a giant room at the top, but it didn''t give them the sense that they were at the top of the tree. It was as if they were within Buddha''s giant palm. At the center of the room, a giant monkeyid on his side, resting his cheek upon the palm of his hand. [You have encountered the Monkey King, Wukong.] "Wow, it''s really Wukong! It''s really him!" Karin said excitedly. ''Wukong''s right in front of me! The same one that I saw on TV!'' "Calm down, Karin." Soren tightly grabbed Karin''s arm. Kiik! Kii! Kii-kik! Countless monkeys stood side by side on the Agrashi tree''s giant branches and shrieked. Wukong opened his eyes. "More annoying bugs havee again," Wukong said. His voice was both irritated and murderous. Eventually, Wukong widened his eyes. "You!" Wukong pointed a giant finger at Kang Oh! "You know me?" Kang Oh feigned ignorance. "Do I know you? Do I know you!?" Wukong suddenly raised his upper body and mmed his fist into the ground, causing the giant tree to shake. What incredible strength! "Listen carefully! I told you to prevent others froming here. You agreed to that. And in exchange, I would give you those shining yellow lumps in exchange. But sometime after you left, more humans came here. I couldn''t find you anywhere. You still don''t remember!?" Wukong clearly remembered Kang Oh. "You were there too." Wukong pointed at Sephiro. "What''s going on?" Bart asked. He stood right behind Kang Oh. On the off chance that Wukong recognized him, Kang Oh had exined his encounter with Wukong to his team. However, Bart, Mn, and Viper hade on the day of the hunt, so they had no idea what was going on. "I was the first one to find him." "Aha." "He gave me a quest, but I didn''t do it. He''s angry over that little thing. Tch, tch." Kang Oh shook his head. "Good of you toe!" Wukongpletely stood up. He was wearing a nted gold crown on his head. Wukong raised his right fist, which began to gather blue energy. "Prepare for battle!" Kang Oh yelled. His team began to get into formation based on their assigned duties. Isher, Mn, and the tanks stood in front, while close-range damage dealers like Kang Oh or Viper stood behind them. Healers and long-range damage dealers stood a certain distance away from them. "Reflect on your mistakes in hell!" Monkey King''s Fist! Whoosh! Wukong''s fist ripped through the air, unleashing a giant Chi Torpedo at Kang Oh. "Get behind me!" The Shield Knight, Isher, positioned his shield in front of himself. Kang Oh hid behind him. Immovable Stance! Isher''s body began turning into steel. Boom! The Chi Torpedo struck Isher''s shield. The attack was so powerful that it left a small dent in the middle! However, Isher neither shook nor was he pushed back a single inch. It was because of Immovable Stance. With him in front, Kang Oh hadn''t taken any damage either. "Attack!" "Move!" The raid team quickly moved around, and bombarded Wukong with attacks. Kiik! Kii! Kiik! The monkeys didn''t stand still either. "I want the kids to stay back. Only the adults will intervene!" Wukong yelled. Only therger monkeys threw rocks or charged at them. "Who are you supposed to be?" Wukong flung a yer away with his finger. "Ugh!" He was one of Ares'' Warriors'' tanks. He clumsily rolled onto the floor, but a green light shined upon him. Their healers had cast a healing spell on him. "Arrows! Magic! Anything''s fine! Use whatever you got!" "Attack!" "Those assigned to monkey duty, go out and kill the monkeys!" The tension began to rise. Kang Oh, who''d been hiding behind Isher, rushed forward. He''d chosen to wield Blood at this moment in time. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh yelled. Kang Oh and Wukong. It was like the battle of David and Goliath. "Hoh." Wukong was speechless. ''You fearless worm! I''ll tten you!'' Wukong swung his palm downwards, as if he were swatting a fly. Whoosh! "Hueup!" Kang Oh dodged his palm, and rolled onto the floor. Thud! Wukong''s palm sunk deep into the ground, and the tree shook. However, he hadn''t caught the fly. Kang Oh had dodged well. Now it was Kang Oh''s turn. Blood turnedpletely red. Festival of Blood! Half of his HP was gone, but for 30 seconds, he''d be as strong as if he''d used Gluttony. Swish! His blood sword cleaved through the back of Wukong''s tough hand. The sudden pain caused Wukong to scowl. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. As he swung downwards, he unleashed a Tempest Tiger! He was aiming for Wukong''s hand! Wukong quickly withdrew his hand, avoiding the golden aura. "You rat!" Wukong gathered blue energy around his hands. Monkey King''s Fist! Wukong swung his fists at him, alternating between the two. Whoosh! Bam! Whoosh! Bam! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh used Red Butterfly''s Dance, allowing him to dodge a few of Wukong''s attacks. However, the resulting shockwaves pushed him back. He wasn''t the only one who''d been pushed back. Aside from Isher and the Wolf Warrior, Mn, all of the other tanks and close-range damage dealers couldn''t move properly due to the shockwave. "Take this too." Wukong raised his right hand. Then, a giant rock formed in the air. He threw the rock at the area where Kang Oh had rolled over to. Whoosh! Boom! The boulder broke into pieces and scorched the ground. However, a red being flew into the air. It was the Red Demon! Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally from midair! Fresh Blood Wave! The red crescent moon wave flew towards Wukong. "Hmph!" Wukong chopped the Fresh Blood Wave in half. Meanwhile, the raid team''s strongest members began moving in earnest. The Genius Gamer, Bart, used Spear of Judgment! The high-rank assassin, Viper, used Silent sh! Sephiro and Dambi, both skilled archers, used Sun Piercing Arrow and Crystal Arrow! Soren used gravity to push Wukong down, while Karin created a sandstorm. All of these attacks were focused on Wukong. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! However, Wukong didn''t seem to care in the slightest. He merely raised his foot and stomped on the floor. "Kuhahk!" One of Ares'' Warriors'' tanks cried out as Wukong stomped on him. Wukong forcefully pushed his foot down and bared his teeth. Perhaps this is what a little kid who liked pressing on ants with their fingers looked like. There was no way to save the tank. The healers couldn''t heal him fast enough; he was losing more HP than they could possibly restore. Ultimately... that was game over for him! It had only been 5 minutes since the battle had begun, yet one of their teammates had already died. However, this was only the beginning. Wukong wasn''t going to let any of them survive. Uwoooooh! Wukong roared and beat his chest. His voice reverberated throughout the tree! * * * Jin Cheol and his production crew were watching Kang Oh''s hunt inside their conference room. "Shall we begin?" the youngest production crew member asked, ncing at their seniors. "Alright." "Go, go!" Jin Cheol nodded his head with his arms crossed, and the youngest wrote this on the whiteboard. - Pass/Fail "Please bet on one of these two options! Please be sure to write down your name and how much you bet." "Ok." The production crew members went up one or two at a time, and did as the youngest instructed. "You''re the only one left, Producer," the youngest said. "Let''s see here..." Jin Cheol stared at the whiteboard. There were way more people that bet on Kang Oh failing, even though Kang Oh was the one who''d seeded the most on this program. That''s just how notorious Wukong was. After all, the 5 great guilds had all failed to defeat Wukong. "Which will you choose?" The veteran writer, Yoon Mi, pestered him from the side. "Hmm." Jin Cheol grabbed the marker, and he kept going back and forth between the two options. But he did eventually stop! Jin Cheol had stopped at ''pass''. No matter how strong Wukong was, he felt like Kang Oh would be able to beat him. This was Kang Oh after all! "You hope you don''t disappoint me," Jin Cheol said to himself. However, Yoon Mi heard him and added, "It looks like he''ll disappoint you this time." "What?" "Look at that." Yoon Mi pointed at the screen. Uwooooh! Wukong roared and beat his chest. Those who heard his cry werepletely frozen solid. Only Kang Oh and a few others were fine. At this rate, the battle would end in tragedy. "Mm!" Jin Cheol couldn''t look away from the screen. The other staff members couldn''t look away either. * * * Wukong''s roar was so intimidating that most of the raid team couldn''t move. "Get a grip!" Kang Oh, who hadn''t been frozen, yelled. However, it didn''t have much of an effect. His voice was too quiet. ''Ah, if only I had Baramut''s Roar at a time like this!'' At that moment... Uhaaahk! A battle cry rang out. Though it wasn''t as loud as Wukong''s, it didn''t lose in intensity. Wolf Warrior, Mn! Mn roared with his double-ded axe resting on his shoulder. Roar of Courage! It felt like blood was circting through their bodies again. It was as if they''d been given the strength to move again. "Heok." "Heot!" The raid team regained theirposure and backed off. "We fight, and we win!" Mn''s yell was curt and coarse. However, he didn''t need to say much to increase his teammates'' morale. "We fight, and we win!" Isher repeated. "We fight, and we win!" The others repeated after him. But that didn''t mean the battle was suddenly in their favor. They had only gotten over a huge hump. Kiik! Kii! Kiik! The Stone Monkeys came from every direction, and Wukong began his merciless assault once more. Chapter 369. Bloody Battle with Wukong (1)

Chapter 369. Bloody Battle with Wukong (1)

Trantor: Boko The Stone Monkeys weren''t really an issue. They weren''t even level 300 monsters. However, Wukong did pose a problem. He was strong, even though he wasn''t at full strength yet! "Uhahk!" "I need healing over here!" "Dodge!" Punches, throwing rocks, and stomps were aplenty. Of course, Kang Oh wouldn''t just sit back and let this continue. Whoosh! Kang Oh unfurled his red wings and quickly flew towards Wukong''s head like an eagle descending on its prey. "C''mon!" Wukong swung his fist at him. His attack was quick, unbefitting his giant body! However, Tasha''s skill overcame his speed. Kang Oh avoided his fist like a stubborn fly and swung Blood. Fresh Blood Wave! A red aura surged from his de. Then, Wukong began gathering energy in his mouth. Boom! Ray of Destruction! A giant pir of light shot out of his mouth, tearing through the scarlet aura and creating an explosion. Boom! It seemed like Kang Oh would plummet to the ground. However...! The fact that Wukong used Ray of Destruction was widespread knowledge, so Kang Oh had kept it in mind. That''s why he''d used Fresh Blood Wave. By using such a shy move, he''d managed to divert Wukong''s attention. Ultimately, everything went as Kang Oh had nned. He used Darkness Chain in tandem with what little flying time he had left tond on Wukong''s head. Switch. Ubist! His snow-white de, which radiated scarlet light, was reced by a jet-ck greatsword. As if the setting sun was giving way to night, he naturally transitioned from the Red Demon to the Jet-ck Demon. If he could, he''d use both demon swords at once. However, he couldn''t control the power of both demons at the same time. Anyhow, this was the best ce tounch a powerful attack! "Huahp!" His Hyper Intuition confirmed that the crown of the Monkey King''s head was his weakness. He wasn''t wearing a crown for nothing. It was probably there to hide his weakness. Kang Oh unhesitatingly thrust his sword into the weak point. Evesting Darkness! Tempest Tiger! Hebined an item effect and a skill! A golden-striped spear of darkness struck Wukong dead on! Bam! Several shards of light, as thick and dark as blood, exploded like firecrackers. "Kuhaaahk!" Wukong cried out in agony, and his giant body writhed. That''s how powerful Kang Oh''s attack had been. It''d also been targeted at Wukong''s weakness too. But this was Wukong they were talking about. It wasn''t a mythological beast for nothing! Wukong remained focused, even while writhing in pain, and grabbed onto Kang Oh with his hand! ''Shit!'' He hadn''t been expecting this. By the time his Hyper Intuition warned him, it was already toote. "Uaaahk!" Wukong mmed him into the ground. He was off bnce, so it wasn''t as strong as it could''ve been, but it was enough to kill Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh had acquired a ne not too long ago. Moon''s Protection! A barrier that appeared like the full moon formed around him, protecting him from certain death. Boom! There was a giant crater in the ground below him. However, Kang Oh was unscathed. He''d used Moon''s Protection, which nullified all damage for 3 seconds, at just the right time. Wukong raised his fist into the air, intending on attacking Kang Oh again. However, Kang Oh wasn''t alone. The Creator, Bart, extended his hands towards Wukong. "Eat fire, you stupid ass monkey!" ming Spear + Light''s Judgment. Judgment of Fire! Roar! A giant pir of me engulfed Wukong. "Grr!" The ends of his white fur were burnt ck. Wukong gave up on attacking Kang Oh, and threw himself out of the me pir. "Karin!" "Soren!" The twins called each other''s names, signaling to each other that they were ready. The Sand Mage, Karin, summoned a pyramid beneath Wukong''s feet. Desert''s Pyramid! It was a sealing spell. Because Wukong was sorge, it couldn''tpletely contain him, but she did manage to keep his feet still. "Law of invisible power!" The Gravity Witch, Soren, unleashed an offensive spell. Great King Gravity Cannon! A gray energy cannon struck Wukong head-on. No, it just looked like it did. Wukong had crossed his arms, blocking the cannon and keeping himself free from danger. "Attack!" Karin yelled. She put everything she had into maintaining the Desert''s Pyramid. Because of that, Wukong''s movements were limited. The Harbinger of Death, Viper, appeared from within Wukong''s shadow. He had used the Assassin movement skill, Shadow Transfer. He didn''t aim for Wukong''s main body. Instead, he began shing at Wukong''s shadow. However, he knew what he was doing. It didn''t look like he was swinging his dagger particrly fast, but whenever he did, shards of light would fall from Wukong''s body. Shadow Hunt! A secret Assassin technique! It was a passive skill that allowed Viper to attack one''s shadow. Any damage dealt to the shadow was dealt to the shadow''s owner as well. On the other hand, Mn''s attacks were simple. He simply swung his double-ded axe as if he were chopping wood. Smack! A refreshing ''smack'' rang out, and huge shards of light burst out. Sephiro and Dambi''s arrows fell from above, and Ares'' Warriors'' attacks/spells followed. However, most of the attacks that followed Mn''s didn''t work. Wukong kicked himself out of the Desert''s Pyramid and swung his fist, nullifying their barrage of attacks. "You bastards!" Wukong''s fist cleaved through the air. Monkey King''s Fist! It was no normal punch; it was a fist containing enough power to crack granite as if it were tofu. The fist kept going until itpletely crushed its target! "It''s our turn!" Isher yelled, and stood in front with the other tanks. Legendary Protector''s Shield! Two pairs of wings protruded from his giant shield. Those wings also blocked anything that came their way. Bam! The wings shook upon contact with Wukong''s fist. Wukong relentlessly punched the wings. Ultimately, the wings dwindled to nothing. However, Wukong''s ridiculously powerful attack had dwindled to nothing too. "Next!" Isher was reced by other tanks, who used Taunt and defensive skills, to protect themselves and keep Wukong focused on them. "Hurry up and take out the rest of the monkeys. Keep healing and offering support!" Isher kept issuingmands, as he was experienced in leading raid teams. "Ok!" "I''m going." The members of Ares'' Warriors responded in kind. This was how a raid team was normally constructed. The tanks, damage dealers, and support had gotten into a good rhythm. However...! Wukong was no ordinary boss. * * * Normal boss monsters had a set attack pattern, and switched things up after they lost a certain amount of HP or a certain amount of time had psed. However, Wukong didn''t have a set attack pattern, and made decisions based on the situation he was in. Like right now! Thud! Wukong jumped over the tank line,nding right in front of Sephiro and Dambi. "Dodge!" "Run away!" Kang Oh and Isher yelled simultaneously. Kuhaahk! Wukong roared, raised his leg, and stomped on the ground. "Tch!" Sephiro instinctively carried Waryong under his armpit, and used Absolute Evasion. Green wings protruded from Dambi''s shoulders. It was a survival skill much like Absolute Evasion called Wind Escape. Thud! Wukong''s stomp shook the tree and created a shockwave. Sephiro and Dambi were safe, but their formation had beenpletely ruined. "Tanks, stay on top of him. Everyone else, retreat and get back into formation!" Isher yelled at the top of his lungs. "Uha!" Wukong formed a giant boulder in the air and threw it. "Sacred Shield!" Seeing the bouldering towards her, the Priest cast a spell to protect herself. Fortunately, the barrier protected her. However, it couldn''t protect her from Wukong, who was fast approaching. Whoosh! He swung his fist downwards. The Priest threw herself out of the way. That was the best she could do. However, it wasn''t enough. The fist was too fast, herpanions were too far away, and she was too slow. Bam! That was game over for her. "That''s two." Wukong grinned. Two of their party members had already died! There were twenty-three of them left. After that, Wukong went on a rampage. It was absolute chaos, as he didn''t let them reform their ranks. Wukong focused on the healers or those who specialized in support. After all, they were the easiest to take out. "Fan out and fight individually! We knew this would happen! Don''t panic!" Isher screamed. Wukong''s strength was well-known, and this wasn''t the first time he''d broken a raid team''s formation. That''s why the team had distanced themselves ever since the battle had begun. "Get lost!" "I''m not going to die!" The yers started getting used to Wukong''s movements. Of course, they still incurred casualties. Before they knew it, they had lost three people in total. Wukong was definitely a boss that possessed incredible destructive power. After all, you need not look any further than the dead members of Ares'' Warriors, which was a seasoned raid team. However, they were putting up quite a fight. Kang Oh and Viper used Abyss/Shadow Transfer to continuously chase Wukong around and attack him wherever he went. Wukong would attack them too, but they were like cockroaches that wouldn''t die. The Wolf Warrior, Mn, was so straightforward. He would chase after Wukong, attack him, and dodge his resulting attack. Rinse and repeat. However, none of his moves were without purpose, so he was both strong and unrelenting. Range had no meaning for Bart. If Wukong was far, then he''d use a long-range attack. If he were close, then he''d use a short-range attack. He would skillfully use one or the other depending on the situation. As expected of the best multi-sser, no, jack of all trades character! Soren and Karin stayed close to each other, but protected each other using elerating Gate, Sand Golem, or Sand Wall. They also repeatedly cast offensive spells, such as Giant''s Stomp, Shining Sand Spear, Sand Bind, Gravity Ball, etc. Sephiro and Dambi''s sses were more suited to fighting individually, so they did their jobs well. The Ares'' Warriors put everything they had into every attack, every arrow, and every spell. At some point, Wukong stopped attacking. An Archer was the fourth casualty on their list. He suddenly plucked one of the Agrashi trees'' giant branches and picked it up with both hands. As an Agrashi tree grows indefinitely, its branches are thicker than most logs. But for someone asrge as Wukong, it was the perfect sized club. Of course, it was a club with plenty of leaves too. "I''ll kill you all!" * * * The Breaker Guild''s headquarters. Snow Flower and the guild''s executives were watching Kang Oh''s hunt. A Giant Mysterious Crystal, which could be bought at the Guild Store, allowed yers to view one''s live broadcast while in-game. It was extremely expensive; a guild could only acquire it if they were at a certain level. Only the top 20 guilds could possibly afford it. "They''ve already lost four people," one of the executives said. "Ares'' Warriors are no match for Wukong," Snow Flower said coldly. She was well aware of how strong Wukong was. Ares'' Warriors were pretty good, but they weren''t good enough to beat Wukong. At that moment... There was one chair within the council chambers that was more borate than all the others! The man who sat upon it said, "Numbers don''t matter." His appearance was unique. He had the body of a man, but the face of a lion. Of course, he was an extremely renowned yer! He was the ck Lion, Raon, who was also known as the Lion King. He was ranked 3rd amongst Arth''s yerbase, and was the only yer that hadn''t lost to Dukeram in a duel! Raon was also a man of incredible charisma. "Watch Kang Oh, Bart, Viper, and Mn carefully. They''re the key to beating Wukong." His voice contained overwhelming strength. "Yes, sir!" the executives replied simultaneously. Raon crossed his arms and watched the crystal''s footage. Chapter 370. Bloody Battle with Wukong (2)

Chapter 370. Bloody Battle with Wukong (2)

Trantor: Boko "Get out of here!" Wukong, who was carrying a giant tree branch with both hands, yelled. He was talking to the Stone Monkeys, not Kang Oh or his raid team. Ukii-kii-kii! The monkeys turned around, showing their red butts, and climbed up the branches. They had understood his warning. If they stayed here, then they might get hit by Wukong''s ''club''. Ukii-kii! Gya-gya-gyahk! In exchange, the Stone Monkeys screamed even more enthusiastically than before. They were probably saying, ''Good luck, King!'', or something like that. Bam! Wukong leapt into the air, andnded in the middle of the room. Of course, he was still holding the branch with both hands. Thud! Green leaves fell from the branch. "Kuhahk!" Wukong swung the club as if he were sweeping the ground. Kang Oh and his team were somewhat prepared for this, so they reacted immediately. An intense battle had begun. They wanted to say that Wukong''s fists were a joke. After all, they had no idea that one of the Agrashi tree''s branches could be used as such as a deadly weapon! Boom! Whack! Whack! Wukong repeatedly swung his club, and the Agrashi tree, not the raid team, cried out first. Rumble! Wood and leaves fell from the branch, filling the ground like a green snowstorm. It was as if the tree was bleeding, as their noses were assaulted by the smell of the forest. Of course, the tree wasn''t the only one screaming. "Kyaahk!" "Oh god!" "Ah, seriously!" Normally, powerful AoE attacks were slow, giving yers a chance to react to them. However, Wukong''s club swept through everything like a typhoon. Right now, there were only four people that could fight back: Kang Oh, Bart, Viper, and Mn! They were the team''s four strongest, and they dealt damage to Wukong however they could while dodging his club. However, the rest of their team was a problem. There was no ce... ''To hide!'' Sephiro rolled on the floor, avoiding the club. Then, he came up with a good idea. There was always a way out! "Everyone, climb the branches and get in-between the monkeys! If we''re going to die, then we''re taking them with us!" The Stone Monkey''s Hideout was at the top of the tree; it was a vast, smooth floor. The tree''s branches went everywhere, and the monkeys were watching from atop them. It was simr to a coliseum; the monkeys were the spectators, and they were the diators. However, Sephiro wanted them to get into the spectator stands. It was quite a good idea. "It''s worth a shot!" The Wind Tracker, Dambi, immediately tried it out. She leapt a few times,nding on a branch that the monkeys were watching from. Kiik! Kiik! ''How dare you!'' The Stone Monkeys made rocks and threw them at her. But it was nothingpared to Wukong. Mine Arrow! Once her arrow touched the floor, shrapnel flew everywhere, giving her space tond. As soon as shended, she turned around and kicked the monkeys. Bam! It was quite the sight; with a single kick, several monkeys had fallen off the branch. "Let''s go!" The others followed her lead, taking refuge in the branches too. Kiik! The Stone Monkeys put up a fierce resistance, but they weren''t nearly skilled enough. No one was left in the ring with Wukong besides Kang Oh, Bart, Viper, and Mn. The fact that their entire team had left the ring wasn''t good news for the four. It meant that Wukong wouldpletely focus his attacks on them. "You four rats! I''ll kill you soon. Especially you!" Wukong stared at Kang Oh, and swept the floor with his club. Kang Oh and Mn quickly leapt into the air. Wukong shot a Ray of Destruction from his mouth, as if waiting for this very moment. There was nowhere for them to run. But still, they wouldn''t go down without a fight. ''Now!'' Kang Oh waited for the right moment, and then shot a Tempest Tiger. His body was blown in the opposite direction of his aura attack. Bam! He managed to avoid a direct hit. However, the Ray of Destruction had blown him back, causing him tond face first into the ground. Mn wasn''t so lucky. He took the Ray of Destruction head-on. Boom! He sank deep into the floor. ''Now!'' Bart and Viper remained calm, even as Kang Oh and Mn were taken down. Wukong had exposed himself the moment he shot a Ray of Destruction, and you can bet they took notice of it. Yellow letters were engraved on Bart''s dagger. It was an SS-rank weapon called Kunta''s Legend! Kunta was a genius. He was once a legendary Archmage and a Master Swordsman! It was a weapon with an overpowered ability; not only did it significantly increase the power of the user''s skills/spells, but it also reduced the MP consumption by a huge margin. Was there a weapon more suitable for Bart, who used several skills/spells, and couldbine them to great effect? Anyhow, this was a golden opportunity tounch one huge attack. A small, weak attack wouldn''t do in this situation. ''I''llbine three of them!'' Bart bit his dagger and stretched out his hands. ''Force light and darkness to mix...'' Light''s Judgment + Darkness Wave + Chi Torpedo! This was Bart''s most powerful attack. He''d used it against Kang Oh before. Chaos Sphere! ''Go!'' The Chaos Sphere struck Wukong''s heel. At that moment... Boom! The collision resulted in a massive explosion! Wukong''s giant body flew into the air, turned halfway, and thennded on the ground. That''s how powerful the explosion had been. ''My turn.'' Viper jumped on top of Wukong''s stomach. A dark, lightning-like energy surged from his dagger, making it longer than most longswords. Grim Reaper''s Sacrificial de! Viper shed, stabbed, and sliced. Muttor! He was most confident in the application of this skill. Swish! sh! Swish! Whenever he shed, shards of light engraved with skulls would burst out. It was because of Grim Reaper''s Sacrificial de. These shards signified that he did more damage than a normal hit, a critical hit, or an attack that nullified the target''s defense. It was as if these skull engraved shards of light were an invitation to the Grim Reaper himself. Wukong quickly got a hold of himself, and swung his fist at Viper. Whack! Viper''s body went flying. Grr. Wukong snarled and raised his upper body. ''How long has it been since someone forced me into the air!? How distasteful!'' Wukong immediately picked up the tree branch. Most of the leaves had fallen off, so it had be an ideal club. He immediately aimed for Bart, who''d caused the explosion that forced him into the air. Whoosh! The club bent like a fishing rod and then struck the ground. Boom! His attack was powerful enough to crack the floor. However, Bart had used the Archer skill, Absolute Evasion, to avoid his attack. Wukong swung the club downwards. Bart didn''t even think about it; he just threw his body out of the way. Bam! Wukong missed once more. Then, Mn, who''d been buried in the ground, rushed forward. However, he lookedpletely different. Silver fur covered his face and body. His mouth had be sharper, his ears were erect, and he bared his teeth, showing scarlet gums and two giant fangs! This was why he was called the Wolf Warrior! It was because he could transform into a werewolf. Transforming into a werewolf was simr to Kang Oh using Gluttony. All of his abilities were greatly enhanced. Awooo! He howled and then leapt into the air! Mn instantly closed the distance, and forcefully swung his axe downwards. Wolf''s Hunt! His axe released a yellow and gold wolf at Wukong. Bam, bam, bam! "Who are you!?" Wukong horizontally swung his club at Mn. Grr! Mn didn''t fall back. He snarled like an actual wolf, and also swung his axe horizontally. Giant''s Axe! His axe became gigantic, and split the tree branch in two. "Grr!" Wukong threw away half the branch, and raised the other half into the air. Kang Oh suddenly reappeared above Wukong''s head via Abyss Transfer. He was aiming for the top of his head, the weakness that was covered by his crown. Lightning Breath! The blue electric st came down upon Wukong''s head like a spear of lightning, but Wukong quickly blocked it with his club. Crackle! The club was scorched and caught on fire. "Tch. A tree branch isn''t good enough." Wukong threw the branch away and suddenly stomped on the floor. Thud. Bright light shined from his foot print, and something shot up into the air. "This is where things get serious." Bart, who always looked rxed, actually looked serious for once. As someone who''d fought Wukong before and lost, Bart knew that Wukong hadn''t shown anything yet. Now he would show what he was truly made of. Wukong had drawn his weapons. "Mm." Wukong had summoned a pair of ck and white metal gauntlets. Click! Click! Once he equipped them, his arms looked like robot arms, not monkey arms. "Haha." Wukong smashed his fists together andughed in satisfaction. * * * "Everyone, prepare for battle! Join the battle again," Kang Oh yelled. Now that Wukong had armed himself, the four of them couldn''t afford to fight by themselves anymore. They needed their entire team. Kang Oh''s teammates quickly returned to the battlefield, and stood a certain distance away from each other. Kii, kii, kii! The Stone Monkeys, who''d been chased away, made their way down, and began shrieking again. ''You can do it, King!'' "He''sing!" Mn, who was at the forefront, yelled. Wukong had indeed taken a step forward. "Attack!" Isher yelled. The mages and archers unleashed long-range attacks. Sephiro''s Giant Killerpletely stood out. Wukong extended his white gauntlet and drew a circle. Then, a spiral-shaped white cloud appeared, shrouding Wukong''s body! Whizz, whizz, whizz! They couldn''t tell whether their spells or arrows hit Wukong or not. He could create a cloud and control it however he wished! "Mages, cast wind magic and blow the cloud away!" Isher yelled. Whoosh! Ares'' Warriors'' mages called a fierce wind. The Sand Mage, Karin, created a sandstorm. Despite that, the cloud wouldn''t go away. Well, it didn''t expand, so it didn''t get any worse. At that moment... A ck silhouette appeared from within the cloud. It was clearly Wukong. "Attack!" Isher immediately yelled. However, Wukong hadn''te out of the cloud. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! ck ropes came out instead. The ropes extended like a long snake, and tried to wrap around them. "It''s the ability of the ck gauntlet!" Bart yelled. The white gauntlet''s ability was to control clouds, while the ck gauntlet was filled with several annoying abilities. For example, the ck gauntlet could make his silhouette appear amidst the cloud, shoot ropes at them, etc. Abilities that were a pain in the ass to deal with. Fortunately, no one was caught by the ropes and dragged into the cloud. After all, they had prior knowledge of the white and ck gauntlets. Bam! As soon as Wukong pierced through the cloud, the situation became tense once more. They could still see Wukong''s silhouette in the cloud, so they couldn''t know for sure if it was the real one or not. Unfortunately, the real one had actuallye out. "Stop him!" Isher yelled urgently. Kang Oh, Bart, Viper, etc. thought this was their chance, so they relentlessly attacked him. In spite of that, Wukong kept charging, aiming for the mages that were keeping the cloud from expanding! He specifically aimed for the female mage wearing brown robes; she was the sole wind specialist on their team. "Die!" He raised his ck gauntlet, which radiated intense light. Explosion Fist! He created a massive explosion. His target, the female mage, died right then and there. The mages nearby didn''t remain unscathed, and fell t on the floor. Kuhahk! Wukong didn''t stop there. His next target was Karin, the one who''d created the sandstorm! She was a primary target too. Whoosh! Wukong immediately swung his fist at her. Chapter 371. Wait For Your Opportunity!

Chapter 371. Wait For Your Opportunity!

Trantor: Boko Whack! Wukong''s white gauntlet struck Karin. However, not a single shard of light fell from her body! Her body dissolved into a pile of sand instead! Sand Puppet! She had learned this spell following her death at Diak''s hands. When hit by a fatal attack, Sand Puppet would rece her body with one made of sand, and would take that attack in her ce. ''Good thing I learned it!'' Karin popped out of the sand pile that the Sand Puppet had left behind. Soren immediately cast eleration Gate. "Karin, get out of there now!" Karin passed through the purple ring, and ran as fast as she could to avoid Wukong''s next attack. However, that attack never came. Wukong had hid himself in the cloud once more! Thus, Karin had lived to fight another day. A short whileter... Wukong''s cloud began to expand. "Wind magic!" Isher yelled urgently. The mages picked themselves up, and called upon the wind once more. Karin created another sandstorm. However, they were off bnce now. It was only natural. The female mage, who''d been most proficient in wind magic, had been killed. Wukong had acted cleverly. He had been willing to take some hits for a few brief moments if it meant killing the female mage. It had certainly paid off. At this rate, the cloud would epass the entire area, which would only make the environment more favorable for Wukong! "It''s better to get it over with. Let''s enter the tiger''s den," Bart said. In other words, enter Wukong''s cloud. It was the best option they had. After all, they couldn''t attack Wukong as is. So long as Wukong didn''te out of the cloud, that is. If that''s the case, then why not attack before the cloud expanded any further? Kang Oh heavily nodded his head. Bart was right. If you want to catch a tiger, then you need to venture into its den. Their only other option was running away. However, he couldn''t afford to do that. Killing Wukong had 500 million won ($500,000 USD) at stake! It was 500 million for god''s sake! "If we enter the cloud, then we won''t be able to cover each other. It''s time for you to show what you''re made of." Kang Oh made his decision. He was the first one to approach the cloud. Kang Oh could see Wukong''s silhouette within. ''Is it the real one, or a fake?'' He wasn''t sure if it bode well for him or not, but nothing stopped him from entering the cloud. In fact, it felt like Wukong was weing him in. Gulp. Saliva went down his dry throat. There was no way of knowing when, where, or how Wukong would attack. "Let''s go too," Bart said, and the others entered the cloud one or two at a time. "Tch." Isher clicked his tongue. He really didn''t think going inside was a good idea. He was worried that Wukong would divide and conquer them. They couldn''t clump together either. If they did, a single one of Wukong''s attacks could kill them all. ''This isn''t good.'' He was more concerned than excited. * * * "Gyahk!" "Ugh." People''s cries rang out. Wukong had begun attacking them in earnest. ''Over there!'' Kang Oh quickly ran over to the source of the noise. He was so fast that his ck tail swished through the air! A short whileter... Kang Oh found Wukong. He had wrapped five people up with his ck gauntlet. "Huahk!" Wukong grabbed the rope and threw them. Bam! Two of the yers managed to survive by using their survival skills at just the right time. However, the other three weren''t so lucky. Two of them died instantly, and the third was unable to fight; one more attack, and their body turned gray. Eight team members had died. There were seventeen of them left. However, those eight teammates were all a part of Ares'' Warriors. Wukong had cleverly aimed for the weakest members of their team;pared to Kang Oh or Bart, Ares'' Warriors were indeed the weakest link. "You bastard!" Kang Ohunched an Abyss w at him. Others had heard themotion, gathered here, and began attacking Wukong. Karin''s Sand Spear pierced through the air, and Soren''s gravity magic pushed Wukong down. You couldn''t exclude Sephiro and Dambi''s arrows either. Wukong''s white gauntlet radiated light. His cloud wasn''t just used for concealment purposes. It helped to replenish his HP, caused attacks to miss, and increased his defense. Above all, itpletely erased his presence! Thus, Sephiro, Dambi, and other archers couldn''t track him with their detection skills. Anyhow, they did manage tond some attacks on him, but the cloud reduced the damage significantly. After that, Isher, the tanks, Bart, Mn, and Viper closed in, and engaged in close quartersbat. Bart used Swift sh, abination of the Swordsman skill, Steel sh, and the Archer skill, Swiftness. Viper used Muttor, while Mn used Wolf''s Hunt and created a group of silver/gold wolves. Kuhahk! Then, Wukong roared and swung his fists one after another. Monkey King''s Fist! Bam! Bam! Bam! His fists already held considerable power, but they also unleashed a shockwave on the third strike. It was his ck gauntlet''s final ability. Storm Bringing Fist! When attacking with one''s fists, there was a certain chance that the gauntlets would unleash a rippling shockwave. Isher raised his giant shield and managed to hold his ground, but everyone else nearby had lost their bnce. "I need healing!" "I need protection!" The healers acted quickly. They cast healing spells and barriers. Karin also created sand coffins in front of her teammates. However, their efforts were in vain. "Uha!" Wukong mercilessly stomped on the floor with both feet, as if he were stomping on bugs. Thud! Thud! Thud! The barriers and the sand coffins crumbled, and their teammates were ttened like pancakes. "Attack!" Sephiro yelled. He was urging his fellow damage dealers to take action. Gyaa! Waryong spewed mes in the shape of a ming arrow. Fire Dragon''s Arrow! A ming arrow pierced through the cloud like a fire bird! Dambi''s Arrow Hell came right after. Intense mes surged. Then, a second arrow came flying. That arrow turned into three, then four, then six. Arrow Hell had caused a rapid proliferation of arrows. Karin''s Shining Sand Spear and Soren''s Gravity Cannon hit Wukong dead on too. Wukong''s white and ck gauntlets shined simultaneously. Silhouette! A ck silhouette popped out, concealing Wukong''s body. At the same time... Cloud Concealment! The white-furred Wukong faded away, and thenpletely disappeared. All that was left was the prone forms of the deceased tanks. * * * Wukong''s cloud covered the entirety of the Stone Monkey''s Hideout. It was definitely bad news for Kang Oh''s raid team. Kang Oh stayed a certain distance away from his teammates, and waited for Wukong to show up. At some point, a silhouette appeared from within the clouds. "Att...!" The team reacted immediately. "Stop!" Kang Oh and Bart simultaneously yelled. ''That''s bait!'', the two of them thought. They were absolutely correct. Bam! A bright yellow Ray of Destruction pierced through the cloud. "I''ll stop it!" Isher''s shield unfurled its four wings. Legendary Protector''s Shield! Kang Oh and Bart instinctivelyunched attacks at the area where the Ray of Destruction came from. Tempest Tiger! Bartbined Homing Arrow and Lightning Spear to create a Homing Lightning Arrow! However, Wukong wasn''t there. Kang Oh and Bart''s skills disappeared within the clouds and exploded. ''What''s going on?'' Wukong actually had a special ability that no one else had. Refraction! When he uses Ray of Destruction, he can turn it 90 degrees just once! This knowledge wasn''t known to the masses, so Kang Oh and Bart assumed that Wukong had to be behind the Ray of Destruction. However, the Ray of Destruction was also just bait! The real Wukong... was somece else. All of a sudden, he popped out of the clouds. No one managed to react properly. No, they didn''t have the time to respond. The ck gauntlet''s ropes caught five people. At least the rope could only wrap around a maximum of five people at once; if it didn''t have such a restriction, then they''d be screwed. Then again, they were still screwed regardless. Wukong pulled on the rope, and threw the five away. Crack! Boom! The five yers died instantly, making a sound akin to a watermelon breaking. They weren''t yers that''d normally be defeated this easily. But Wukong was in a league of his own. Plus, he was intelligent too! "Damn it!" He''d gotten them good. However, it was already spilt milk. They began to attack Wukong once more. Wukong must be having a st ambushing them and ying them for fools. "Hahaha." Wukongughed wickedly, and vanished within the clouds once more. "You damn monkey!" Kang Oh cursed automatically. Who cares if he was recording? He couldn''t help it. * * * In a game, yers were the hunters, and monsters were the prey. Monsters were a good source of protein, no, experience points. But asionally, this rtionship would be turned on its head. Like right now. Whenever Wukong left his cloud to hunt, he would whittle away at Kang Oh''s team one by one. Ares'' Warriors had died, and Soren and Sephiro had died too. Soren was crushed by a boulder Wukong had thrown, and Sephiro had died after shooting one of Wukong''s eyes. They only had one healer left. She was a priestess that served the God of War and Victory, Rakan. Their team had been reduced to ten members total. Despite that, they still had hope. Kang Oh, Bart, Viper, Mn, Karin, and Dambi could do enough damage to finish Wukong. After all, they''d dealt a ton of damage to him despite their losses. Unfortunately, they didn''t have a way of safely dealing damage to him. ''He''s a lot stronger than they say.'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth. There weren''t a lot of monsters as strong and as fast as Wukong. Scratch that. There weren''t any. In other words, Wukong''s very existence made him overpowered! To add to that, Wukong fought cleverly. It made sense that the 5 great guilds couldn''t take him down. If you made a countermeasure for a certain attack pattern, then he''dugh wickedly, switch things up, and mock you. That was Wukong in a nutshell! He was a master of taking advantage of his enemies'' weaknesses. Wukong seemed smart too, which could be attributed to him being a monkey. However, Kang Oh had faith in one thing. The skills of the elites he''d gathered here! He believed that Bart, Viper, Mn, Dambi, Karin, and even Isher wouldn''t go down without a fight! And it also felt like they still had something up their sleeves! ''If things go our way just once, then...'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He only needed one shot. There''s no way he''d let that opportunity go. And he knew how he could turn things in their favor. "Mr. Bart," Kang Oh whispered. "Yes." "Based on what we''ve seen thus far, Wukong will definitely aim for ourst priest." "It''s likely." "That''s when we''ll take him down." "Understood." Kang Oh''s idea was quickly transmitted to his teammates as well. The priestess, who was thest person to hear the news, bit her lip. She would be targeted soon. However, she soon sported a resolute expression, and sped her hands in prayer. "Lord Rakan!" ''Please give me strength and courage!'' Her body glowed with faint light. Bam. All of a sudden, they saw a silhouette. There was no way of knowing whether it was the real Wukong, or a fake created by his gauntlet. The Ray of Destruction wouldn''t help them either. Through a teammate''s sacrifice, they realized that the Ray of Destruction could bend. Bam! It was the real deal. As expected, he aimed for the priestess. Now!" Kang Oh yelled. ''This is ourst chance to take him down!'' Chapter 372. Unexpected Ending

Chapter 372. Unexpected Ending

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh pulled out the S-rank ''Greedy Gouldran''s Hammer'' and used Gluttony. Darkness rose from his entire body, and all of his abilities were increased threefold! Plus, he could use the consumed item''s special ability now. [Incarnation of Greed] For 30 seconds, you may summon the Incarnation of Greed, which consumes everything in its path. But be careful! It does not discriminate; it will attack both friend and foe. The Incarnation of Greed has only ever appeared once. It was during a guild war between two small guilds. As stated, it didn''t discriminate; it ate everyone on the battlefield. This was hisst resort. It was like using Devil Trigger with two demon swords at once. But if you wanted to beat Wukong, then you had to at least prepare something like this! Anyhow, Kang Oh wasn''t alone. Everyone else used their trump cards too. Mn''s body swelled like a balloon, bing a wolf that was about half the size of Wukong. Urcan''s Descent! This ability borrowed the power of the Great Wolf Spirit, Urcan, and transformed Mn into a gigantic, powerful wolf. The transformation drastically increased Mn''s power and speed. Grr! Mn bared his teeth and snarled. His clear eyes watched Wukong''s every move. A scythe-wielding Grim Reaper glimmered behind Viper. Grim Reaper''s Blessing! Lighting-like mes rose from his dagger as well. Grim Reaper''s Sacrificial de! Lastly, ck daggers floated around him. Drifting Death! This was Viper at his strongest. There weren''t many that could stand against him in this mode. Bart and Emperor Dukeram were probably the only ones who could. Green energy gathered at the center of Dambi''s bow like a vortex. Wind God''s Arrow! This was her most powerful attack. The Desert Fairy, Karin, finished her incantation and mmed her staff into the ground. Desertification! This was a fearsome AoE spell that dried up any enemy within it! However, it consumed a ton of MP, so it couldn''t be maintained for very long. It also had a fatal weakness; it made the casterpletely defenseless, so she hadn''t been able to use it thus far! Isher raised his hand, and his giant shield began to glimmer. This skill, Guardian''s Counter, would allow him to unleash an attack that dealt damage proportional to the amount of damage he''d taken thus far. Finally, Bart prepared his most powerful attack, Chaos Sphere. Thebination of light and darkness would result in an extremely powerful explosion. Kuhaaahk! Wukong roared and punched the Rakan Priestess. Whack! The priestess fell to the floor, her body turningpletely gray. At that moment... They unleashed all of their attacks. Isher''s shield-shaped beam, Guardian''s Counter, struck first. Swoosh! Dambi''s Wind God''s Arrow pierced through Wukong''s chest and created a powerful whirlwind. It wasn''t evenparable to Tempest Tiger''s auxiliary effect; it was way more powerful. Bart''s Chaos Sphere slowly flew towards Wukong. Even though he was caught in such a powerful whirlwind, Wukong created a boulder and threw it at the Chaos Sphere. He had been hit by a Chaos Sphere once before. He wouldn''t get hit by it again! Boom! Unfortunately, the Chaos Sphere blew up too early. However, they weren''t done just yet. Now it was time for the melee damage dealers. The giant wolf, Mn, leapt into the air and pounced on Wukong. He bit into Wukong''s neck, and used his ws to rend flesh. "You stupid dog! How dare you!?" Wukong scowled, forcefully pried open Mn''s long mouth, and then kicked him away. Whack! Mn fell to the floor, but he quickly righted himself and charged in once more. At the same time, Kang Oh and Viper attacked Wukong from behind. Kang Oh used everything at his disposal. Lightning Breath, Abyss w, Transcendent de, Tempest Tiger, and Evesting Darkness! Viper did the same. This was the end. Either he died or they died. Viper shily swung his daggers. "Kuhaaaahk!" Wukong screamed, and swung his fists and feet. He too used everything at his disposal! Monkey King''s Fist, Explosion Fist, Fist Storm, and Monkey King''s Roar! Whack! Bam! Boom! Whack! Swish! sh! No one could tell who these shards of light belonged to. Shards of light went flying as a monster, a wolf, and humans fought. At that moment... "This is bad! Everyone, get away!" A desperate cry rang out. It came from Bart, who was attacking from long-range. He could see it very clearly. Wukong''s fur was turning red. Wukong had an ability called ''Contempt of the Many''. If more than 25 yers fought against him, then he would enter what was colloquially called God of Destruction mode. Reddening fur was a clear indication of this mode. However, the fact that his fur was turning red meant that... ''This is his most powerfulst-ditch effort!'' Wukong had never been pushed this far. Thus, no one knew about this. That if Wukong was pushed into a corner, then he would automatically enter his final form. Kuaaaaahk! Wukong''s fur turnedpletely red, and he roared; it was so loud that it threatened to burst their eardrums. His final form gave him two things: strength and speed! His strength and speed became such that no one could block his attacks! Bam! Wukongnded an uppercut on Mn''s stomach. Whimper! The giant wolf was pushed into the air, and thennded on the ground. Wukong put his foot on Mn''s head. After that, Wukong repeatedly punched Mn. Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Whack! Game Over! "Run!" Karin yelled. She couldn''t move while using Desertification, but she could see how things were going. Wukong was like a furnace! A furnace that threatened to consume them all! Viper retreated. Hepletely gave up after watching Mn get beaten to a pulp. Kang Oh felt the same. However, he couldn''t just retreat here. Summon Incarnation of Greed! A giant ck slime-like entity came out of his body. The Incarnation of Greed immediatelytched onto thergest prey here. ''I''m counting on you, Incarnation of Gre...'' Kang Oh tried to retreat. However, Wukong''s fist came straight for him. ''Shit!'' He felt frigid, so he activated Moon''s Protection. This would nullify all damage for 3 seconds! This would keep him from dying to Wukong''s fist. He immediately used Abyss Transfer right after. However, Wukong pulled Kang Oh''s body in, and he was subsequently covered by the Incarnation of Greed. He immediately received this disastrous message. [Abyss Transfer has failed.] [You cannot escape from within the Incarnation of Greed''s body!] ''What?'' Moon''s Protection ended. Wukong tightened his grip around Kang Oh. Squeeze! "Ugh!" Kang Oh did his best to get free. Because Gluttony tripled all of his stats, he was able to avoid dying in a single hit. However, Kang Oh couldn''t withstand both Wukong and the Incarnation of Greed''s sticky liquid body that flowed over his hand. Kang Oh began to melt. ''Is there no way to get out of this!?'' The Cassio Ring''s gem hadn''t regained its light yet, so it wouldn''t be able to revive him. A month hadn''t passed since he''d used it against Mayanes Kragon. [Warning: HP is quickly falling.] [Remaining HP: 10%] [Warning: HP is quickly falling.] [Remaining HP: 9%] ... "Damn." [Remaining HP: 0%.] [You have died.] * * * The Incarnation of Greed onlysted for 30 seconds. However, it had exploded before the 30 seconds had psed. Wukong, whose entire body was covered in red fur, managed to kill the Incarnation of Greed by punching it. Kuhaaahk! Upon hearing his roar, Karin plopped onto the floor. ''We lost,'' she thought. Viper and Dambi quickly retreated. They were scared of Wukong''s true strength. "It''s not over yet. Get a hold of yourselves!" Bart said. He knew that Wukong didn''t have much HP left. "Keep the Desertification up!" Bart raised his voice. If Karin managed to reduce his HP just a little bit more, then...! Wukong''s fist suddenly struck Karin. Theirst hope was gone. Dambi died soon after. The red-furred Wukong was essentially invincible. Viper and Bart were the only ones left. "Screw it!" "Damn it!" Bart and Viper put up ast-ditch effort. No, they were just trying to stay alive. The only thing they could do was try and avoid Wukong''s attacks. At that moment... ck and red energy burst from Kang Oh''s corpse. [The demon sword''s master has died.] [For 24 hours, Ubist and Blood will take control of the yer''s body.] A demon sword''s power was unparalleled! In exchange for those abilities, however, the demon sword''s wielder was always at risk. At risk of being controlled by the demons sealed within! Once a demon sword''s master lost ownership of their de, the entity of darkness sealed within would be released into the world. Whoosh! A ck beast appeared from within the surging darkness, wearing bloody energy like armor. A new demon had been born; it was the fusion of Ubist and Blood''s powers. This demon merely moved ording to its instincts: destroy and eat everything! "What the hell is that!?" Bart was startled. Even Wukong was surprised; it stopped attacking Bart and Viper, and stared at the demon. Kyahahk! The demon roared and rushed at Wukong. After all, he was the biggest prey here. Uhaahk! Wukong swung his fist at it. However, the demon ate his fist in a single bite. It even consumed the gauntlets that it was wearing! The demon was exhibiting Ubist''s power to consume everything. "Uhaahk!" Wukong nevertheless swung his other hand at the beast. ''Do you know who I am!? I''m the mythological beast, Wukong!'' Bam, bam, bam! The gauntlet left its mark on the demon. However, it wouldn''t stop eating. Munch! Munch! If Wukong was in tip-top shape, then he wouldn''t be beaten so easily. However, he had so little HP left. Ultimately, the demonpletely consumed Wukong. It was apletely unexpected ending. Viper and Bart, who''d witnessed this turn of events, rubbed their eyes and looked again. "Wukong''s dead!" Viper yelled excitedly. ''Wukong''s dead! We actually did it!'' However, Bart noticed before Viper did. "Run!" His instincts were telling him that this demon was far more dangerous than Wukong was. Turns out, his instincts weren''t wrong. "Uheok!" In an instant, the demon devoured Viper and then Bart. No one could''ve expected this. However, the cmity had only just begun. The demon wouldn''t stop there. Kiik! Kii-kii! First, it killed all of the Stone Monkeys in the hideout. None of them survived. Once it got out of the Agrashi tree, it began eating every living being it could find. A few yers got caught in the crossfire too. This was only an omen for things toe. If left alone, the demon would leave the Ungar Swamp, and then head to a nearby vige, killing hundreds, perhaps even thousands. But where there is darkness, there is light. Where there is despair, there is also hope. The Guardian of the Continent, an honorable, ill-tempered hero hade to save the day. Vn had arrived! He had appeared out of nowhere. Of course, he hadn''t actually shown up out of nowhere. As the Guardian of the Continent, he could hear thend''s ''whispers''. It would tell him when/where he was needed. Once Kang Oh transformed into a demon, thend itself whispered his name, and Vn came here as fast as he could to deal with the threat. "You idiot." Vn looked at the demon and scowled. It was clear. Kang Oh had lost ownership of the demon sword and had transformed into a monster. Kuhaang! The demon was true to its nature: destroy and eat everything! It rushed at Vn. Vn swung his sword. He unleashed his secret move, Divide the Sea! However, this was no ordinary technique; it was a technique created and refined by the Guardian of the Continent, a Grandmaster. The world was split in two. Chapter 373. Valan, Valan, Valan!

Chapter 373. Vn, Vn, Vn!

Trantor: Boko "Uhahk!" Jae Woo came out of the game capsule and pulled his hair. ''I got a game over!?'' He wanted to login immediately, but he would have to wait 10 minutes first. When a yer logged back in, they''d return to a predetermined area. A game over would reduce a yer''s level, as well as drastically lower their proficiency. Not only that, but the yer would also receive a debuff that lowered all of their abilities by 10% for the duration of a week. For the time being, however, Kang Oh wasn''t worried about the price he''d have to pay in the future. "Did we beat it?" What happened to Wukong? That''s all he could think about right now. However, there was no one he could ask. If the Incarnation of Greed managed to finish Wukong off, then he''d be ok with the game over. But if it failed, then that would be 500 million won ($500,000 USD) down the drain. ''That can''t happen! Please!'' Jae Woo sped his hands, and relogged in after 10 minutes. However, he had forgotten about one little tidbit about his ss, and was greeted by apletely unexpected sight. [Ubist and Blood have taken control of your character.] [You cannot regain control for 23 hours and 50 minutes.] "Aah!" Kang Oh hadpletely forgotten about the demon sword''s penalty! If a yer dies while wielding a demon sword, then the demon sword will either drop, or take control of the yer''s body. He was d that he hadn''t dropped either of them, but being controlled by the demons within wasn''t what he was expecting. Plus, it''s not like he was getting controlled by just one of them. His body had been taken over by both Ubist and Blood! "Tasha!" Kang Oh called for her, but received no reply. He couldn''t send any messages either, since he couldn''t open a system message window. There was nothing he could do. All he could do was watch what the demon was doing. He watched as the demon ughtered the Stone Monkeys. ''What happened to Wukong? What about my other teammates?'' Kang Oh had no way of knowing. And he definitely had no idea that the demon had eaten Wukong, Bart, and Viper. Sometimeter... Killing the Stone Monkeys hadn''t satisfied the demon; it even killed the yers that were in the Ungar Swamp. [You have killed an innocent yer.] [Notoriety has increased.] [If you regain control, you will gain the Red Eye.] "No!" Red Eye was the mark of a criminal. yers with Red Eye would have bounties ced on them. In order to remove Red Eye, he would need to stay in prison for a certain amount of time, or spend contribution points at a church to cleanse him of his sins. However, this was only the beginning. The demon didn''t look like it''d stop anytime soon. At this rate, it would kill even more innocent people and yers! "Please stop!" Kang Oh grabbed his face. If it went any further, he wouldn''t be able to handle the misdeeds itmitted! Let''s assume someone catches ''Red'', who was ranked 5th, and considered the worst criminal in Arth. He would spend at least half a year in jail. Half a year! To think you''d have to spend half a year in an in-game jail! If you had to go to jail for that long, you might as well quit. At this rate, Kang Oh would be put in the same situation. ''Oh my god!'' At that moment... Someonepletely unexpected came to save him. "Aah, Vn!" Has he ever been this happy to see Vn before!? Vn''s ill-tempered, stubborn face had never looked so bright and cool before. "You idiot," Vn said. "Yeah, yeah. I was dumb. So can you please stop this guy!?" Kang Oh yelled. Of course, there was no way that Vn could hear his cry. However, it didn''t matter. The demon foolishly charged at Vn. Vn smoothly swung his sword. That marked the beginning of their fight. * * * "Mm." Kang Oh was in awe. Vn''s swordsmanship was extremely simple, yet incredibly strong. This made it beautiful in some ways. At least it looked that way to Kang Oh, who sought strength above all else. ''I''m still not there yet.'' Kang Oh may be skilled with the de, but his swordsmanship was iparable to Vn''s. Moreover, Vn only used one skill: Divide the Sea. However, hepletely overpowered the demon. He was so overwhelming that it made him think, ''Is he really human? Is he actually a dragon assuming a human form like Gainus?''. Of course, Vn was indeed human. However, he was a Grandmaster, an individual that had transcended the limitations of mankind. "It''s over." Vn''s de pierced through the demon''s head. [The demon has been defeated.] [You have regained control of your character.] Once the demon was defeated, the bloody, oily liquid that covered his body melted away. Then, Kang Oh reappeared from within. "Master Vn." Kang Oh arduously opened his eyes and stared at Vn. He acted as pathetically as possible. "You idiot," Vn said calmly. "Hoo, what happened?" Kang Oh deliberately acted like he had no idea what was going on. "You got controlled by the demon sword. That''s absolutely forbidden for a Demonic Swordsman." Vn''s voice was as cold as ice. It was alsoden with killing intent too. When a situation like this hits you, the best option is to beg. "I''m sorry." Kang Oh bowed deeply. "Forget it. Give me the demon sword." "Excuse me?" "You''re not qualified to wield a demon sword." "Please!" "Give it. Or do you want me to kill you instead?" Vn drew his sword. Kang Oh started to think. ''How do I get out of this?'' ''Ugh!'' He couldn''t think of anything good. Thus, he decided to stand up to him instead. ''Screw it.'' "Kill me!" "You got it!" "But remember this. This is partly your fault!" "What?" Vn said angrily. ''What the hell are you talking about?'' "Yes, I was weak. That''s why I turned into a monster. I almost died too. No, I did die. That''s why I got controlled by the demons." "Why is that my fault!?" "I''m your sessor. How long are you going to leave me like this? This was inevitable with how you''ve been treating me!" Kang Oh fought back. ''It''s toote to go back. I can only go forward!'' "You''re not my sessor yet. You''re just a candidate." "Aah, so you sent a candidate to kill the Evil God''s followers, and told him to make a demon sword with the adamantium? Is that something a sessor candidate does?" "Those are all tests to see if you''re qualified to be my sessor." "Then do you have any other candidates?" "No." "Then I am your sessor. You don''t have any other options." ''Isn''t that right? It''s like I''m the only one who ran for ss president.'' "You have to take some responsibility for my turning into a monster. The fault lies partly with you." He knew he was talking out of his ass. However, he didn''t want to die, and he didn''t want to lose the demon sword either! What was a man to do!? "It''s not my fault." "Are you going to maintain that stance till the very end? I found the ck Hammer Dwarves in Despia. They''re going to start making the demon sword very soon. Remember what you said, Master Vn? That you''d acknowledge me as your sessor if I brought back a demon sword." "That''s right. But you''re not my sessor before then, and you''re not my sessor now." Vn couldn''t acknowledge him as his sessor. The reason was simple. Kang Oh was too weak and he just didn''t like him. More importantly, his stubbornness wouldn''t allow him to ept Kang Oh. Until hepleted all of his assigned tasks, at least. "So if I''m not your sessor, what right do you have to punish me? As you said, aren''t weplete strangers?" "We''re closer than strangers. You''re using the sword I once used." He was, of course, referring to Demon Sword Ubist. "So I inherited your sword, but I''m not your sessor. Since I''m not your sessor, you have nothing to teach me. And even though I''m not your sessor, you can punish me. Isn''t that too much?" "The strong make the rules. That''s why they say that violence can often be more effective than thew at settling disputes." However, Kang Oh noticed that Vn''s voice had softened. Him saying ''Isn''t that too much?'' had worked slightly. ''This is my chance.'' He had to bet it all now. "Please let this go. If I be a demon again, I''ll relinquish the demon sword and my right as your sessor." Honestly, he wanted to get rid of the Guardian of the Continent position a long time ago. But if he did, he''d lose the demon sword too, so he couldn''t do that. "And if you lose me, your only candidate, then how long will it take you to find a new one? Burkan has made it clear that he''d never do it." "Hmm." Vn briefly thought it over. He eventually withdrew his sword. Kang Oh was right. If he killed Kang Oh here, picked a new sessor, tested his character, and nurtured him... It would be too troublesome. He''d rather just give Kang Oh another chance. "Turn the adamantium into a demon sword and bring it to me. If you formally be my sessor, then I''ll train you up, regardless of how I feel about the matter." There were a ton of nuisances in the world. If he made Kang Oh keep killing them, then he''d be stronger on his own. After all, training in the field was best. ''Especially Ja''s followers!'' The Evil God Worshippers hadpletely vanished from the continent. He really wanted to wipe them from the face of the earth. "Understood." "Ah, and make sure you remember this. You''re not my sessor yet. So you being weak and bing a demon isn''t my fault!" Kang Oh nodded his head. "This is yourst chance. If you get controlled by the demon sword again, then that''s the day you die." "I''ll keep that in mind." "Hmph, I''ll be watching you." Vn quickly left. Kang Oh didn''t release the tension in his body until Vnpletely disappeared. Once he was gone, he let out a sigh of relief. "Hoo, I survived." Vn was the hardest person to deal with. * * * Kang Oh asked Bart what happened after he died. Bart messaged him back, telling him exactly what happened. -...And that''s what happened. - Thank you for telling me. Kang Oh learned that he''d eaten Wukong, Bart, and Viper after he became a demon. ''So I killed Wukong. That''s all that matters. Then...'' Kang Oh returned to the Stone Monkey''s Hideout. Wukong''s corpse was nowhere to be found. He couldn''t find any dropped items either. He looked in his inventory, but there was nothing new there. Ubist had consumed all of Wukong''s dropped items, so nothing was left. "Ugh. Wukong''s items had to have been SS-rank. Those items would''ve been the best of the best. But you had to go and eat all of them!? You stupid mutt." Kang Oh''s stomach hurt. SS-rank items were so valuable! He even dropped Demon Sword Ubist to the ground, and vented his anger. But it''s not like that would bring back the items that it''d eaten. "Phew." Kang Oh sighed, and returned to Altein. Since he bore the eyes of a criminal, Red Eye, Kang Oh had topletely cover his face with a helmet. Sometimeter... Kang Oh gathered his teammates at Eder''s house. "Thank you for all your hard work." Kang Oh bowed his head. "Wukong is dead. An unknown beast killed it. Do you know anything about it?" Bart asked. "Yes. The beast was me." "That was you?" "To be more specific, it''s my hidden ss''s penalty. If I die, then I maye back as a demonic beast. Of course, it''s not something I can control. But it doesn''t change the fact that I killed you, so I''m very sorry about that." Kang Oh bowed his head again. "Eh, I''m fine with dying. After all, I saw Wukong die before I did." Bart grinned. "I''d like to apologize to you too, Mr. Viper." Viper had also been eaten by the demonic beast. Thus, he obviously had to apologize to him too. "It''s fine. What about the items that he dropped?" "Hoo, the demonic beast ate them all." "All of them?" "Yes." "You didn''t steal them, did..." Viper looked at him suspiciously. "No." "Tch." Viper clicked his tongue. To think there wasn''t anything to be gained from killing Wukong. What a waste! "Then you can just pay us instead," Bart said. "You''re getting 500 million won, right? Please pay us for all the lost loot. We can treat it as though you bought all of the items. We''ll divide the money appropriately. We''ll talk about how much you owe us soon." Ares'' Warriors didn''t have any right to the loot, as they were hired by GBS. However, he still had to pay Bart, Viper, Mn, Sephiro, Dambi, Soren, and Karin for services rendered. "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. He had a bitter taste in his mouth. ''You stupid mutt!'' His hatred for Ubist swelled once more. ''You should''ve left behind some of the expensive loot for me!'' Chapter 374. First Hunter’s Final Shoot

Chapter 374. First Hunter''s Final Shoot

Trantor: Boko GBS''s First Hunter conference room. When Kang Oh died, his live stream ended. Thus, the staff members believed that Kang Oh had failed. Ring! Ring! All of a sudden, Jin Cheol''s phone began to ring. He checked the caller, and then immediately picked up. "Mr. Jae Woo." - Yes, Producer? "How unfortunate." - Hmm? What is? "You failed the Wukong raid." - Who said that? "Excuse me?" - We beat him. "You beat him!?" Jin Cheol raised his voice, allowing the other staff members to hear him. - Yes. We beat him. "Hoh, really?" - Yes. "How exactly? I watched you die. Did Mr. Bart finish him off?" Jin Cheol asked urgently. - I''ll send you the clip, so you can see it for yourself. Viper and Bart had been filming the raid too. Procuring the footage from one of them, and then passing it onto Jin Cheol would be proof of his sess. "I-I understand. Anyway, good work. I''m shocked that you really did it." - 500 million. "Yes, of course." - I''ll be hanging up now. "Yes." Once Jin Cheol ended the call, the staff members began swarming him. "Did he beat Wukong?" the veteran writer, Yoon Mi, asked. "So he says." "Wow, no way!" "Really?" "In that situation?" "How?" Jin Cheol pped, drawing everyone''s attention to him. "Be patient. He''s going to send us proof." "Yes." Sometimeter... Jae Woo sent Jin Cheol Bart''s footage. Jin Cheol immediately yed the footage on the council room''srgest monitor. They saw the red-furred Wukong destroying the Incarnation of Greed. It was definitely showing what happened after Kang Oh died. Sometimeter... "What did I just watch?" "Oh my gosh." The staff members gaped. A never before seen demonic beast came out of nowhere and devoured Wukong! It was an absolutely shocking turn of events. Moreover, that demonic beast even consumed Bart and Viper too! The clip ended with their deaths. "He wasn''t lying. Wukong was killed, but where did the demonic beaste from? Why did it suddenly appear?" "Can you really say that Kang Oh beat it?" "I''m not so sure." Jin Cheol looked at a particr message. [I''m the demonic beast in the clip.] "He''s saying that he''s the demonic beast," Jin Cheol smiled and said. "Eh!? Really?" "So he says." "I thought the ck Beast was just a title. To think he could actually transform into one, after death at that!" "But why did he kill Bart and Viper too?" "Not sure." "In any case, this is amazing footage. Let''s go for double digit viewership ratings!" Jin Cheol said resolutely. Kang Oh had done what even the 5 great guilds hadn''t aplished; kill the mythological beast, Wukong. He had even transformed into a demonic beast in the process! What kind of reaction would people have to this? Jin Cheol was excited just imagining how they''d react. * * * A few dayster... Today was the final shoot. "Did you really beat him?" "Really?" Marco and Snow Flower stared at Kang Oh and asked. They had watched Kang Oh''s live stream, and had seen Kang Oh die. Thus, they assumed that he had failed the raid. However, GBS''s staff memberster informed them that Kang Oh had seeded, which had shocked them to the core. Once she saw Kang Oh fail, Snow Flower immediately started to prepare for the Wukong raid. She had even formed a raid team with the ck Lion, Raon, at its helm. But out of the blue, GBS had informed her that Kang Oh had actually seeded. She obviously didn''t believe him. Even now, she still wasn''t convinced. However, Wukong couldn''t be found anywhere. He would always, without fail, appear once every day and cause mayhem in the Great Forest. In their curiosity, some yers entered the Stone Monkey''s Hideout, only to hide itpletely empty. In any case, it was confirmed that Wukong was dead. "Yes, I beat him." The helmeted Jae Woo nodded his head. "How?" Snow Flower immediately asked. "They''ll show the clip a littleter. You can see for yourself." "Hoo." Jae Woo passed through Marco and Snow Flower. Sometimeter... Bright lights shined on the studio, and First Hunter''s final shoot had begun. "Hello, viewers. This is Jeon Seong Gook." As always, Seong Gook started the shoot enthusiastically. "First Hunter has finallye to an end. Our hunters have killed Galmoss, Benolov, the Tower of Trials'' Doppelganger, and Swift Diak." Seong Gook caught his breath and briefly paused. "As you know, the final monster was the God of Destruction and ughter, Wukong. By the time you see this program, the news will probably be out. That Wukong, who''d routinely go out and ughter people, ispletely gone! Now then, it''s time to formally introduce the yer who managed to kill that annoying pest. It''s none other than Mr. Kang Oh!" Jin Cheol politely pointed his hands at Kang Oh. He was First Hunter''s main protagonist, or perhaps its hero/champion! p, p, p. The staff pped enthusiastically. Jae Woo softly waved his hand. "You''ve killed Galmoss, Swift Diak, and now Wukong. You went first, but you seeded anyway. You''re amazing. I''m absolutely speechless. Truly!" "I heard that this hunt was harder than the rest. Is that true?" Seong Gook asked. "Yes, it was the hardest." Jae Woo nodded his head. "You got a game over halfway through too?" "Yes." "But you still beat Wukong?" "Yes." "I''d like to know how you beat Wukong, but we have some other business to get to first," Seong Gook said, and Jin Cheol brought out two bags containing 250 million won ($250,000 USD) each. "Good job." "It was really tough this time." If Wukong respawned, he probably wouldn''t be able to beat him a second time. For the moment, that is. Jae Woo was satisfied by the weight of the bags, but he also felt bitter. 200 million of this wasn''t his. It was decided that 40% of it would go to the seven yers that helped him. "As always, we''ll provide you with bodyguards and an escort." Jin Cheol pointed at the bodyguards standing in the corner. "Yes. Please take care of me." Jae Woo passed the money bags to the bodyguards and returned to his seat. "Usually, we''d continue our interview with Mr. Kang Oh here, but today''s show is a little special. We''ll be showing some of the highlights of Mr. Kang Oh''s Wukong raid. Please take a look at the screen!" Drum roll! Solemn music yed in the background as Kang Oh''s team fought fiercely against Wukong. The highlight progressed quickly, starting with Wukong picking off his team one by one. It then showed the raid team''s counterattack, as well as Wukong countering back by equipping his gauntlets and showing his true strength. Eventually, it reached the climax! Snow Flower, Marco, and Strong Punch''s eyes widened. Kang Oh''s live stream had ended, so they hadn''t been able to see this part; the part where Wukong dies. Kyaaahk! A demonic beast appeared out of nowhere and devoured Wukong. Then, the video came to an abrupt end. "Holy crap." Snow Flower, Marco, and Strong Punch were absolutely speechless. That was apletely unexpected ending. They thought Bart had finished off Wukong. Seong Gook pped, bringing everyone''s attention back to him. "You must''ve been surprised by the demonic beast. Apparently, that demonic beast is Mr. Kang Oh. Isn''t that right?" "Yes. I can''t tell you the details, but it''s rted to my ss." "Is it a special ability that you can use after you die?" Jae Woo just smiled. "Now that we''re on the subject, let''s ask a few questions. What was it like fighting Wukong in person?" "He''s one of the three strongest monsters I''ve ever fought." That was no exaggeration. "What exactly made him tough to beat?" Seong Gook began to ask him various questions. As always, Jae Woo kept his answers brief without giving much away. "Mr. Bart, who is also part of the Numbers, joined you for this raid. Are you two close?" "We don''t hate each other." "Have you fought Mr. Bart before?" "Who do you think won?" "I''m not sure. But it seems like you two have fought before." Maybe it was because this was thest show. Seong Gook asked a crazy amount of questions, all of which were directed at Jae Woo. "Then let''s hear what the other contestants have to say. First, Ms. Snow Flower. You were after Mr. Kang Oh, but you didn''t get a chance to perform." "Indeed." "Are you really disappointed?" "Yes, I truly am. Our guildmaster was going to join the raid too." "Ah, the ck Lion, Raon." "Yes. I wanted people to see how strong our guildmaster was, but I suppose it''ll have to wait until next time." "That''s unfortunate. It was a chance to see another one of the Numbers after Mr. Bart... Ugh, Mr. Kang Oh shouldn''t have killed Wukong!" "It can''t be helped." Snow Flower shrugged her shoulders. However, she couldn''tpletely hide her disappointment. After that, Seong Gook spoke with Marco and Strong Punch for quite some time. "Do you have anything to say to Mr. Kang Oh?" "Greedy," Marco smiled cheerfully and said. But he also gave Kang Oh a thumbs up, as if he acknowledged Kang Oh''s skill. "Mr. Strong Punch, you''re the only one who didn''t win any money. What do we do? You go home with nothing." "It just goes to show that my skills arecking. It also shows that I''m not proactive enough. If I get another chance like this, then I''ll show you somethingpletely different," Strong Punch said firmly. "I''ll be rooting for you!" Seong Gook clenched his fists. "Now then, I''d like to speak with you all some more, but time waits for no one. Thank you for all your hard work. No matter what anyone says, you all are the best hunters. I guarantee it. So if we''re renewed for another season, pleasee back. Please don''t leave me out either." Seong Gook wanted to get hired again. ''I''lle on as much as you want, as long as there''s a lot of money involved.'' Jae Woo grinned. There were some hups along the way, but Jae Woo had undeniably made a ton of money off First Hunter. "Now, let''s wrap things up. Let''s all say goodbye together. Everyone, take care!" Seong Gook enthusiastically waved his hands, and the contestants said their goodbyes in their own way. With this, the final shoot of First Hunter was over. Now, all that was left was for the rest of the episodes to be broadcasted. The first episode, or the pilot, went well. If that''s the case, then how high would the viewership be for the final episode? They would just have to wait and see. * * * "Let''s go." Kang Oh led the pack. Sephiro, Helena, Dambi, Plum, and Yericka followed him. Yericka was a Druid that acted as their substitute healer, since Eder had gone on a trip to be stronger. [Entering???.] A Basilisk, a formidable monster that was over level 600, greeted them. ''Five more until I''m finished with the spontaneous quest.'' If hepleted the spontaneous quest, then Devil Trigger would rise to high-rank. Kang Oh had low expectations. ''Will I be able to use Devil Trigger with two demon swords when it hits high-rank?'' Kang Oh was imagining himself holding both Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood, and transforming into a red/ck demon. Chapter 375. High-Rank Devil Trigger

Chapter 375. High-Rank Devil Trigger

Trantor: Boko The yellow-eyed Basilisk spat ck poison out of its mouth. Petrifying Poison! Kang Oh''s party avoided the poison and spread out. However, the poison sttered, so they couldn''t avoid it entirely. "The great power of mother nature!" Yericka, who wore an antler-shaped headband, cast a spell. Detoxifying Light! She raised her owl staff into the air, and released a yellowish-green aurora. Hiss! Due to her efforts, the Petrifying Poison had little to no effect on her party. Seeing that, the Basilisk went on a rampage with its giant body. The Basilisk swung its tail like a whip at the ground and the walls, and shot its sharp scales everywhere. Kang Oh, Plum, Sephiro, and Dambi were busy dodging its attacks. "Grow, roots of the great world tree!" Yericka cast another Druid spell. Giant Roots! Tree roots shot out of the ground, and wrapped themselves around the Basilisk. They were thick and tough enough that even the Basilisk couldn''t easily break free. After that, Helena unleashed a powerful spell. Due to the effects of Double Casting, she was able to skip the incantations and cast two spells simultaneously. Exploding Lightning! Ignite! Earth Spear! Torrent! Whirlwind! Ice Drill! Bam, bam, bam! Various elemental spells filled the room. Hiss! Hiss! However, even that wasn''t enough to take the Basilisk down. On the contrary, it didn''t seem affected at all, and charged at Helena with increased ferocity. Plum, who was covered in blue armor, stood in front of her. Her de radiated faint light. Honorable One''s Strike! Though shended her attack, it wasn''t enough to stop the Basilisk''s charge. At that moment... A red demon with outstretched wings came flying over. It was Kang Oh. Festival of Blood! His snow-white de was encased in scarlet red energy. Even the hilt and the decoration that hung from it was affected. Thus, it looked like he was wielding a giant red cross, not a sword. Kang Oh sliced the back of its neck. He''d already killed neen other Basilisks, so this would be hisst. After fighting so many of them, there was no way he wouldn''t know what their weaknesses were. Swish! His blood sword cleaved right through. Spurt! Red shards of light burst out. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. In a single breath, he swung his de five times. Swish, sh, swish, sh. Bam! Darkness Strike activated on his final swing. A bat-shaped red wave struck the Basilisk. Hiss! The Basilisk, which had been aiming for Helena, switched targets. It extended its neck, intent on devouring Kang Oh in a single bite. However, itpletely missed him. Like a butterfly that suddenly changed course, one of Kang Oh''s wings fluttered, and he soared into the air. He hadpletely avoided the Basilisk''s attack! Kang Oh dove at the Basilisk''s weakness: the back of its neck. Fresh Blood Wave! His de swelled with red energy, and he directed the umted energy right at the Basilisk. Bam! Kang Ohnded, and then immediately leapt into the air. He was like a wasp! He ferociously attacked the Basilisk. Drawing its attention like this pulled the pressure off of Kang Oh''s teammates. Sephiro''s Giant Killer and Dambi''s Crystal Arrow pierced through its skin, and embedded themselves in its flesh. Helena took a deep breath, and unleashed spell after spell from her hand and staff. However, their opponent was a Basilisk, a monster that was over level 600! It wasn''t something that could be defeated so easily. The Basilisk''s attacks became even fiercer. No one let down their guard. If they let down their guard for even an instant, they''d turn to stone, be trampled on, or they''d be hit by its tail. They sessfully killed neen Basilisks before, but none of those battles had been easy. Kang Oh''s team had never sessfully fought off two Basilisks at once. They had to give it their all just to beat one. The same applied to this situation. Kang Oh''s party gritted their teeth and fought. They definitely weren''t in an advantageous situation. * * * Yericka died. She hadn''t let down her guard. The Basilisk was simply strong enough to kill her. However, her absence became a bigger problem than they expected. Her death hit them harder than any of their other teammates'' deaths! The Basilisk shot its sharp scales everywhere; it was a deadly weapon, which slowly cut down their HP over time. Despite that, Kang Oh''s party had been able to persevere and continue the fight for one reason, and only reason only: Yericka''s healing spells. The Petrifying Poison was another issue. They no longer had the means of curing the poison. In other words, Kang Oh''s party didn''t have a lot of time. If they didn''t kill the Basilisk quickly, then its AoE attacks would finish them off. "Attack!" Kang Oh yelled firmly. It was also a statement that running wasn''t an option. Switch! He swapped to Ubist, and transformed into the ck Beast. Gluttony! Ubist consumed an A-rank ring, and his body brimmed with power. Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor, and pushed into the Basilisk''s side. sh, Abyss w, Lightning Breath, Tempest Tiger, Evesting Darkness, and Transcendent de! Do or die! Kang Oh used everything in his arsenal. Whizz! Buster Shot! Whizz! Arrow Hell! A hundred arrows rained down from six magic circles, while Arrow Hell caused Dambi''s arrows to proliferate indefinitely! Helena used Overload, which tripled the power of her spells, and unleashed her magic upon the Basilisk too. Hiss! The Basilisk stiffly raised its head. It shot out even more scales at them, and spat out Petrifying Poison over a wide area in a fan shape. Kang Oh and the rest of his teammates began losing HP/MP fast. Their fingertips and their toes had already begun turning to stone. Of course, the Basilisk had taken significant damage too. Its giant pool of HP was slowly melting away, like an ice cream sundae on a hot summer day. Sometimeter... "Damn... it!" That was the final thing he said before his face turned to stone. ''Leaving Waryong with the Tamer Guild was a good idea,'' Sephiro thought before hepletely turned into a statue. Helena, who''d used up all of her MP, turned into a strand of light. She had just taken a direct hit from the Basilisk''s charge. This was the effect of her SS-rank ring, the Light of Salvation! If she took fatal damage, then she would turn into light and return to a designated area. "Attack!" "Please!" "Die!" Plum, Dambi, and Kang Oh screamed, and kept attacking till the very end. Before Dambi''s right hand turned to stone, she let loose one final arrow. Wind God''s Arrow! A green arrow, which wasrger than Sephiro''s Giant Killer, arced through the air, and struck the Basilisk''s neck. Whoosh! Kang Oh swung Ubist twice, forming an X. He used Tempest Tiger first, and followed it up with an Abyss w. Bam! Bam! Red shards of light fell from its body like fresh blood. The Basilisk''s body was riddled with wounds. It barely had any HP left too. But it had enough left in it to swing its tail, flinging Dambi away, and spewing its Petrifying Poison at Kang Oh. Ptoo! Moon''s Protection! He activated his barrier, which would protect him from all harm for 3 seconds. ck liquid slid down the top of his full moon shaped barrier. Then... "Haahp!" The blue armored Plum leapt into the air, and forcefully swung her sword at the Basilisk''s weakness, the back of its neck. Steel sh! Split! Her sword went right through its thick neck. Plop. Its severed head fell to the ground, but the Basilisk didn''t close its eyes, as if unable to ept its death. "We did it!" Once she killed the Basilisk, Kang Oh clenched his fists. [You have defeated a Basilisk.] [There is a huge level disparity between you and the Basilisk.] [You have received arge amount of bonus experience points.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh''s gold/ck ring glowed with dim light. [You have sessfully killed twenty Basilisks.] [The spontaneous quest, High-Rank Devil Trigger, has beenpleted.] [As a reward, proficiency in Devil Trigger increases significantly.] [Devil Trigger has risen to high-rank.] [High-Rank Devil Trigger!] ''Finally!'' Devil Trigger had risen to high-rank. * * * The three survivors, Kang Oh, Dambi, and Plum, returned to Altein. After all, the three of them couldn''t take down any more Basilisks. Sephiro, Yericka, and Helena were waiting for them. "Thank you for everything." Kang Oh bowed his head. ''Because of your efforts, I was able toplete the spontaneous quest!'' "Good work." "Good job." Plum and Dambi said. "We''re done now, right?" Yericka said, looking disappointed. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. For the time being, he wouldn''t fight anymore Basilisks. After all, hunting Basilisks was a much too dangerous endeavor. ''If I die, I''ll be controlled by the demons again.'' Turning into a demon once was enough for one lifetime. "Then, I''ll be going now." "See youter." Helena left with Plum, Dambi, and Yericka. "Then I''ll be going too..." Sephiro looked at Kang Oh, waiting to see how he''d react. He was worried that Kang Oh would tell him to hunt again. "Ok." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''Yes!'' Sephiro enthusiastically disappeared into the crowd. Now that he was alone, Kang Oh entered Altein''s intercity transfer gate. "The Goddess''s Land." Kang Oh immediately headed for the Saul Graveyard. Since it was filled with high-rank undead, it was the perfect ce to test his High-Rank Devil Trigger. ''Let''s see here...'' Kang Oh opened the system messages. [High-Rank Devil Trigger!] [You have a stronger hold over the demon swords now.] [All skills usable in Devil Trigger have been strengthened.] [You may now use Devil Trigger with two demon swords at once.] [Max assimtion rate has increased significantly, from 200% to 1000%.] [Assimtion rate no longer applies to each demon sword separately. Rather, it applies to every demon sword in your possession.] [Once your assimtion rate reaches 1000%, you will undergo an even harder Trial of the Demon Sword.] [The demons sealed within your des will appear in this trial. It is much more dangerous, so please be careful!] It was exactly what Kang Oh wanted. He was now capable of activating Devil Trigger with both swords at once. His max assimtion rate had risen to 1000% too. However, he hadn''t expected the trial''s difficulty to increase too. ''Mm, I''ll probably have to fight Ubist and Blood simultaneously.'' The Abyss Predator, Ubist! The Great Forest''s Demon, Blood! To think he''d have to fight both of these monsters at once! He would need to undergo the trial to know for sure, but he didn''t think it''d be easy. ''Well, that''s a matter forter.'' His body itched with excitement. He was really curious what would happen if he used Devil Trigger with both swords in hand! "Alright then. Let''s see what happens!" He held Demon Sword Ubist in his right hand; darkness flowed out of the jet-ck de. In his left hand, he held Demon Sword Blood; a wicked scarlet energy flowed from the sleek, snow-white de. Devil Trigger! Jet-ck darkness crept up his right arm and covered his entire body. Red energy, which was thicker and darker than blood, extended from his left hand too. Kang Oh''s entire body was covered in red and ck energy. It was like paint was mixing together, or perhaps it was like a twisted bread stick! A short whileter... A Dual Demon appeared, one which possessed the power of both Ubist and Blood. Chapter 376. Dual Demon

Chapter 376. Dual Demon

Trantor: Boko His new form was mostly ck, but with streaks of red going through it. It was as though he were covered in red bone armor, with darkness creeping through the openings. Two horns protruded from his beast mask too! Unfurl! Kang Oh stretched out his wings, which wererger and a darker red than the Red Demon''s. His tail, which had clearly elongated, fluttered through the air. If his Jet-ck Demon form embodied a beast, and his Red Demon form embodied a bat, then his new Dual Demon form embodied a ''demon''. [You may now use the powers of the Abyss Predator, Ubist, and the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, as your own.] [You bear Ubist''s ferocity. Landing an attack will deal more damage and leave behind a wound.] [You bear Blood''s thirst. You slowly drain the HP of any nearby enemy. The more HP you absorb, the more powerful you be.] [You may now use Abyss Prison, Abyss Shield, Abyss Transfer, Abyss w, Blood Spike, Blood Spear, and Fresh Blood Wave.] [You may now use Demon''s Roar. Demon''s Roar weakens your enemies, preventing them from using their full strength.] [Stats will be stolen from your enemies. However, there is a limit to how many stats you can steal.] "Hoh." Kang Oh checked himself out. ''I really like how I look!'' His Dual Demon form looked more powerful and intimidating than either of his previous forms. What about its abilities? Did it stack up to its appearance? ''It''s time to find out.'' Kang Oh looked for the right prey. A short whileter, he saw a group of undead. There were Hellfire Zombies, Radioactive Ghouls, Elite Skeleton Warriors and Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mages, etc. There were also two Rag Golems there too. "Tasha," Kang Oh said. ''What happens to Tasha when I use Dual Demon?'' "What?" A familiar voice rang out. "Ah, I can talk to you when I''m in this form too." "Seems that way." "Can you control my wings?" "What''s so hard about that?" p! p! His dark red wings fluttered. "Can you fly me to the middle of that group?" "The middle? Why there?" "I want to see how strong this form is." "Eh, alright." p! Kang Oh''s body soared into the air. It was way faster than normal! Swoosh! His wings had gottenrger and his flying time had increased, but that wasn''t all. His flying speed, his rotational speed, etc.; anything ''flying'' rted had been upgraded. After he rose into the air, Tasha manipted his wings, and dive bombed right into the center of the undead group. Thud! He fell like a falling star. Just like he wanted, Kang Oh hadnded smack dab in the middle of the undead group. Guoooh! Rattle, rattle! ''An enemy! An enemy''s here!'' The undead began rushing towards him. Kuhaahk! His beast mask parted, unleashing a strange, horrific roar. Demon''s Roar! [You have used Demon''s Roar.] [Your enemies are daunted by the immense pressure. All of their abilities have been reduced.] Festival of Blood! Demon Sword Blood transformed into a blood sword. By sacrificing half of his HP, his body brimmed with power. Kang Oh briefly crossed his swords, and then opened his arms wide. He simultaneously swung both Ubist and Blood. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! His des unleashed two auras, one ck and one red. The two auras stretched out like two fully extended wings. Bam! Bam! The Hellfire Zombies and Skeleton Warriors were the closest. They were caught in the two auras, burst with shards of light, and fell to the ground. The two Rag Golems couldn''t avoid the auras either. The two reeled from the force of the blow. ''Abyss w and Fresh Blood Wave have gotten stronger. Then next up is...'' Kang Oh engaged the swarming undead, alternating between Ubist and Blood. He also used Blood Spear, Blood Spike, Abyss Shield, Abyss Prison, etc. to see how they''ve changed. Blood Spear and Abyss Shield had noticeably improved. Blood Spear spiraled through the air now, which increased its pration and destructive capabilities. Abyss Shield absorbed an attack like a swamp. However, its functionality had been limited before, as the shield itself was too small. Fortunately, Abyss Shield had gotten muchrger than before. Plus, his Dual Demon form allowed him to use both demon swords'' abilities simultaneously. Blood Bomb! Evesting Darkness! He exploded with blood red energy, and simultaneously unleashed a surging ck pir. ''Using Gluttony with Festival of Blood would be amazing.'' Gluttony doubled all of his abilities if he sacrificed a BB-rank item. An A-rank item or above would triple his abilities. Festival of Blood amplified his abilities significantly for 30 seconds, in exchange for half of his HP. What if he used everything in his arsenal while these two buffs were active? He''d be able to deal even more damage than Helena while she was using Overload and Double Casting. "Hmph." His beast mask covered it, but he was smiling underneath. Getting stronger was always a good feeling. "Come at me all at once!" The dual-wielding Kang Oh went wild amidst the undead group. He was like a typhoon, or a ferocious beast! Kang Oh''s assault caused countless undead to fall. However...! Stab! "Ugh." Unlike usual, Kang Oh was repeatedly hit by the undead. Getting hit by the Death Knights or the Ruin Knights made some sense, as their attacks were both quick and precise. But with an overpowered ability like Hyper Intuition, coupled with his evasion, he shouldn''t be getting hit by something as slow as a Rag Golem. Why? It was because he was dual-wielding. Kang Oh had no experience dual-wielding. He had no experience dual-wielding in Arth, had never practiced it in the kendo dojo, and had never dual-wielded in Warlord either. He was unskilled in it. Moreover, Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood werepletely different; one was a greatsword, while the other was a one-handed sword. So when he swung one de, the other would get in the way, leaving him open to attacks. This wasn''t an issue that could be fixed with the flip of a switch. He needed plenty of practice in the field in order to get used to it. ''I''ll get the hang of it soon. It shouldn''t take that long. After all, this is me we''re talking about!'' Kang Oh''s eyes were filled with certainty, and the undead came rushing at him from every direction. * * * Ten dayster... Kang Oh had trained here for ten days. At the moment, he was fighting the strongest monster here, the Chaos Knight. Neigh! The Chaos Knight, Garum, charged at Kang Oh from atop his blue me wreathed horse. Charge of Death! If you didn''t dodge this, then you''d die 100%! That''s why it was called the Charge of Death. However, Kang Oh, assuming his Dual Demon form, didn''t dodge it. In exchange, he pulled out a BB-rank mass-produced sword and used Gluttony. He also stacked Festival of Blood on top of it. His body unleashed jet-ck darkness, and Blood was coated in blood red energy. Even he wasn''t sure how strong he was in this form. That''s why he was fighting the Chaos Knight. ''Let''s go!'' Once the Chaos Knight got close, Kang Oh swung his des, alternating between the two. He started with an Abyss w, and followed that up with a Fresh Blood Wave. He then used Lightning Breath and Evesting Darkness. He used these all in session, without a moment in-between. Bam, bam, bam, bam! The area in front of him waspletely scorched. The Chaos Knight and his steed had fallen to the ground, unable to withstand his attacks. His power was overwhelming! It was an unbelievable sight! The Tehorus''s mes went out, which meant that it was dead. The Chaos Knight was still alive. However, his armor was cracked everywhere, leaking brown smoke into the air. He definitely wasn''t in good shape. The Chaos Knight stood up with some difficulty. Kang Oh stretched out his wings, kicked off the floor, and immediately closed in. "Haaht!" Kang Oh swung downwards with Ubist. The Chaos Knight immediately swung his own sword. ng! Kang Oh thrust Blood. Garum swung his sword once more, deflecting Blood. Then, Ubist came rushing in. There was no way for him to dodge this. Swish! Ubist passed right through him. Garum immediately swung his sword, as if saying, ''Now it''s my turn.''. However, Kang Oh swung Blood first. sh! Swish! Shards of light fell from Garum''s body once more. ''I''ll definitely get you this time!'' Garum did his best to counterattack. However, Kang Oh''s de came first. Transcendent de! Though Garum had swung faster, Demon Sword Ubist had cleaved through him. After that, Kang Oh didn''t give Garum a chance to counterattack, and repeatedly attacked with both of his demon swords. He was like a relentless storm! Thud! Ultimately, the Chaos Knight fell to his knees. Even a being as powerful as a Chaos Knight was no match for him in this form. [You have defeated the Chaos Knight, Garum.] [You have leveled up.] [Congrattions. You have reached level 400.] [The amount of experience points required to level up have increased significantly.] Kang Oh grinned. ''I''ve finally hit level 400.'' Levels were great and all, but it was more important that he''d fulfilled his goal; he was satisfied with his skill in dual-wielding now. It was time to leave the Saul Graveyard. After all, countless dungeons were waiting for him. ''Ah, I should get the dungeon rewards before I go.'' Kang Oh walked over to the underground tomb where the Bone Dragon, Akite, slept. * * * The Ranking Show was one of VG''s gship programs. It was a show that discussed rankings, rankers, and various other issues. "Hello, everyone. This is Kim Ho Seon." "This is Lee Yumi." The MCs bowed their heads. "Before we take a look at the rankings, I have some news to share with you," Kim Ho Seon said. "What kind of news?" "A while back, I exined how the Numbers'' ranks had changed. The ranks have changed again." "The changes a while back... Are you referring to Predator Kang Oh getting to 5th ce, passing the Genius Gamer, Bart in 6th ce and Red in 5th ce?" Lee Yumi asked. "Exactly. Normally, the Numbers'' ranks don''t shift very much. However, Mr. Kang Oh rose by two ces. The Great Forest''s God of Destruction, Wukong, disappeared at around the same time as his rise in rank. Mr. Kang Oh may have defeated Wukong, causing his rank to rise." "You''re right. But you said that there was a change in the Numbers'' ranks." "There is." "Could you tell us who today''s stars are?" "It''s Mr. Kang Oh and Mr. Bart!" Ho Seon raised her voice. At the same time, the Numbers'' ranks appeared on the screen. Drum roll! [Numbers] Rank 1: Emperor Dukeram Rank 2: Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim Rank 3: ck Lion, Raon Rank 4: Predator Kang Oh Rank 5: Blood Witch, Helena Rank 6: Genius, Bart Rank 7: Murderer, Red Rank 8: Spear King, Hernandez Rank 9: God''s Hand, Arthand "As you can see, Mr. Kang Oh, who just recently rose to rank 5, has risen to rank 4!" Kim Ho Seon said. "Oh, that''s amazing. You know how hard it is for the Numbers to ascend the ranks! How did he manage to go straight up? I''d love to talk to him. If you''re watching this program, then feel free to contact us at any time, Mr. Kang Oh!" Lee Yumi beamed and said. "Mr. Bart went up a rank too. Mr. Kang Oh pushed him down to 7th ce, but he passed the Worst Criminal, Red, and retook 6th ce. As expected of the Genius Gamer! From what I hear, he''s in 12th grade, but he doesn''t study at all." "Why would he study when he''s this good at games," Lee Yumi rebuked. "That''s true." Kim Ho Seon grinned. "But I have to ask." "Yes, Ms. Yumi?" "Will Mr. Kang Oh be able to rise any further?" Lee Yumi asked. "I can''t say it''s impossible. However, it''ll be hard." "Why is that?" "Arth''s ranking system measures a yer''s power, wealth, strength, influence, fame, achievements, etc., and adds them together to determine one''s rank. However, the top three, Mr, Dukeram, Ms. Wang Seo Rim, and Mr. Raon are the heads ofrge organizations. In other words, Mr. Kang Oh can''t match up when ites to power/influence." "Hmm, I see. You could also say that he''s amazing for getting to 4th ce without it," Lee Yumi said. "Of course. Although he doesn''t have much influence, he became one of the Numbers. Mr. Kang Oh, Ms. Helena, and Mr. Bart are all worthy of our respect." "Exactly! Ah, what if Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Bart, or Ms. Helena were to assume rank 1? What do you think would happen?" "They''d be a legend." "I hope that dayes." "Now then, let''s stop the idle chatter and take a closer look at the ranking changes." The Ranking Show continued. Chapter 377. Hoffman’s Request

Chapter 377. Hoffman''s Request

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh shined the Magic Lamp on the dark passageway. He soon reached a vast room shrouded in darkness. "Akite, I''m here!" Kang Oh yelled, and two mes ignited in the dark. Light! The room brightened, as if a fluorescent light had been turned on, and a giant Bone Dragon''s form was revealed. "Why have youe to bother me... This energy... Lord Gainus? Why do I feel Lord Gainus''s energy from you?" Akite''s jaw bobbed up and down. Akite became an undead dragon of his own free will, allowing him to retain his knowledge and intellect. It was obvious that he''d know about the Divine Dragon, also called the Primordial Dragon. "He and I worked together to kill the ancient Mayanes. Ah, you know them too, right? You''re a dragon after all. I heard that the dragons fought them in the past," Kang Oh said. "The Mayanes! They killed more dragons than any other. It''s faint, but I can feel their disgusting energy too." "I killed them." Kang Oh dragged a finger across his throat. "Really?" "Does it sound like I''m lying?" "No. Good work." Though Akite was onlyposed of bones, Kang Oh could tell that he was smiling. [Closeness with the Bone Dragon, Akite, has increased significantly.] [The Bone Dragon, Akite, thinks you are less of a pest now.] ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. This was a chance to score some brownie points with this shameless dragon. "Hoo, hoo. Then let me tell you all the juicy details. I''ll tell you about how I met the Divine Dragon too." "Go on." "The first Mayanes I killed was Mayanes Diabol." "Diabol. Diabol the Beast?" "Yeah, that guy." Kang Oh began to exin how he''d killed the Mayanes. He also made sure to exaggerate and dramatize some events too! "He asked me to spare him." He also added what Akite wanted to hear. "Those dirty, prideless fools!" Akite roared. "He actually begged for his life. He''s nothing like a dragon," Kang Oh interjected. He made sure to add some ttery in too. If Diabol could hear him, he''d go on a rampage. But he wasn''t here right now, so he could say whatever he wanted! "Of course!" Akite pridefully raised his head. [Closeness with the Bone Dragon, Akite, has increased significantly.] Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly, and continued his story. He morized the Divine Dragon, Gainus, making him sound like a hero who''d saved the world, while he made Krishan, Jacques, Kragon, etc. sound like the most wicked, dirty, and cowardly viins ever. "Aah, I wish I could''ve been born a dragon too. They''re such great beings!" Kang Oh praised dragons once more. "Indeed." "Yep." "That''s right!" The Bone Dragon, Akite, would chime in and act snobbishly. [Closeness with the Bone Dragon, Akite, has increased significantly.] [Closeness with the Bone Dragon, Akite, has increased.] [Closeness with the Bone Dragon, Akite, has increased.] ... p. Kang Oh smacked his hands together. "That''s everything I have. We''ve killed four Mayanes so far, which only leaves four left." "Good job. I like you." [The Bone Dragon, Akite, thinks that you are an alright human. Henceforth, he will wee your visits.] "If someone elsees and offers me more than 1 million gold, I won''t give them the soul stone." At first, Akite had, without a hint of loyalty, stated that he''d pass the soul stone to anyone that offered him more than 1 million gold. Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. However, Akite just had to rain on his parade. "But 3 million gold might change my mind." ''Damn you, you money grubbing lizard!'' If Eder or Sephiro were here, then they''d say something like ''The guardian takes after its master.''. After all, money was the only thing on Kang Oh''s mind! "Ahem, I got it. Also, could you pass me the soul stone?" Kang Oh stretched out his hand, and a soul stone engraved with a dragon''s skull came out of Akite''s body. "Dungeon Management." Kang Oh looked over the Dungeon Management window. ''Mm, so they dide.'' ording to the Dungeon Log, the Storm Guild had visited this ce. However, the Saul Graveyard was a high difficulty zone. It seems like they couldn''t stay here, so they chose to go somece else. Nothing else out of the ordinary happened besides the Storm Guild''s brief visit. ''I obviously didn''t gain any repel points either.'' He couldn''t even dream of expanding this dungeon, as he didn''t have any repel points. "Give me my reward." "Got it." A giant sphere of light appeared in front of Akite''s skull. The orb slowly floated down to Kang Oh. The light dissipated, revealing the various dragon materials within. ''Let''s check just in case. 20 Dragon Scales. For bones, there''s one, two... ten. We''re good!'' Kang Oh made sure he got exactly what he''d been promised. He had to make sure Akite didn''t steal any of them. ''The right number of skin and bones!'' The reward was exact. ''This is my second piece of a dragon''s heart.'' Gathering six pieces would form aplete dragon''s heart. There were an unlimited amount of applications for a dragon''s heart. Slosh. He shook the bottle containing the dragon''s blood. Apparently, drinking it would increase one''s magic stat and maximum MP a ton. If Kang Oh were a mage, then he''d have drunk it down immediately. "Thanks." Kang Oh grinned. ''My inventory''s filled with dragon materials, so it makes me feel full!'' "You''re leaving?" "Yeah." "Come again. But don''te too often." ''To think that Akite would tell me toe back! My silver tongue really put some work in!'' "Yeah, I''lle again. Bye." Kang Oh returned the soul stone, and stood atop the magic circle. "ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout!" Whir! Light arose from the magic circle, and Kang Ohpletely disappeared. Unlike usual, the Bone Dragon, Akite, watched Kang Oh leave and then deactivated the Light magic. His mes dissipated, and darkness shrouded the room once more. * * * Light rose from the ck Hammer Dwarves'' magic circle, and Kang Oh appeared from within it. "Oh, Mr. Kang Oh." The always kind Man Bok stood in front of him. He had a giant wagon with him, which contained items that could only be obtained from Despia''s Volcanic Region. It seemed like he was on his way back. He must''ve already provided the dwarves with Phamas Beer, cigars, and other necessities in exchange for precious materials. "Mr. Man Bok! How have you been?" "I''ve been really busytely." "I heard you were opening a store in Altein." "Yes. I thought it best that I oversee everything myself, so I bought a building there." "When do you n on opening?" "In a week." "Are the goods alright?" "Yes. Mr. Hoffman and the other cksmiths worked diligently to create excellent equipment for us." Man Bok grinned. "Please sell them at a high price." "I will." "When the store opens, I''lle for a visit." "Yes, please do. Ah, and congrattions on rising in the ranks." "Thank you." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Take care." Man Bok took his wagon and left via the magic circle. Kang Oh followed the passageway, and arrived at Randelhoff''s room. "Kang Oh, it''s been a while." "Long time no see." He was greeted by Randelhoff, whose face was covered in ck stones, and Book, who wore an eye patch over one of his eyes. "Yes, it has. How have you been?" "Not bad," Randelhoff said. "What happened? Did someonee and find you?" Several yers were trying to find Despia. If a yer managed to find out how to get to Despia, then... They would''ve gone through the Volcanic Region and found the ck Hammer Dwarves. "Who''de to this barren, dangerousnd? Mr. Man Bokes asionally, giving us some smallforts." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''So I''m still in the clear.'' Then again, it wasn''t all that easy to find the way to Despia. On the night of the full moon, you had to be consumed by the giant Death Worm, and go through its maze-like body! "So what''d youe here for today?" Randelhoff asked, as Kang Oh was standing still. "I brought some more dragon materials. I came here to give them to you." "Mm, is that so?" "Yes. Is Hoffman in the smithy?" "Probably. After all, he eats, sleeps, and swings his hammer in there." "Understood." Kang Oh left the Chieftain''s room, and headed for the smithy. The closer he got to the smithy, the clearer the hammer sounds became. It also became hotter too. He entered the smithy, and was greeted by the sight of Hoffman and the other cksmiths pounding away with their hammers. Kang Oh waited patiently. ''It looks like they''re making dragon equipment, so I shouldn''t bother them!'' A short whileter... Hoffman put down his hammer and came over. "I brought some more dragon materials," Kang Oh said. "The storehouse is this way." Kang Oh followed Hoffman into the storehouse, which was right next to the smithy. The storehouse was locked, and only two people had the key: Hoffman and Randelhoff! Kang Oh pulled out the dragon scales, skin, bones, ws, etc., and ced them into the storehouse. "20 scales, 10 dragon skin, 10 bones, and 5 ws." "Mm, it''s all there." "Here you go." Kang Oh stared Hoffman in the eye. ''They''re precious materials, so keep them safe!'' "Thank you." "Then, keep up the good work." Since he had no further business here, Kang Oh started to walk out. However, Hoffman grabbed his shoulder. "Wait a second." "Yes?" "I have something to tell you." "What is it?" "I''d like to start creating your demon sword." "Then?" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''I''ve been waiting so long for this!'' "Learning the mystery of metal and working with dragon materials day after day has increased my skills." Hoffman was this close to bing a Master. Of course, that didn''t mean he would automatically be one. If he wanted to be a Master cksmith, then he needed to create a masterpiece. "I''m confident that I can create a de that can y Inarius." "Please forge a powerful de, one capable of ying a dragon. I''m counting on you." "But I''d like you to do me a favor." "What is it?" "Normally, I''d ask you what kind of demon sword you''d like. However, I''d like to design the sword this time." "You want me to leave it to you?" "Yes." "I agree, but please keep this in mind." "What is it?" "It has to be a demon sword. In other words, please use your special ability as a ck Hammer Dwarf to imbue it with the power of darkness." "That''s the n." "I''m counting on you." Kang Oh bowed deeply. "I have another request." "Go ahead." "The mystery of metal is the ability to create alloys. Do you know what alloys are?" "Yes." An alloy. By mixing various materials together, an alloy, or a metal with unique characteristics, would be born. "There''s an alloy that involves adamantium. It''s called Halium! It''s the toughest alloy in the world, while being surprisingly light! I''d like to create the sword out of Halium and the dragon materials." "Please do. I agreed to leave it all to you." "However, there are some materials I need to create Halium. Please get those materials for me." "I''ll let Mr. Man Bok know. He should be able to get you what you need in a few days." Hoffman shook his head. "Please get them for me yourself." "You want me to do it?" "A masterpiece can only be created with Orgon''s approval. Orgon''s heart can only be moved by a genuine heart, superb skill, unwavering focus, and sincerity." "So you want me to acquire the materials myself to prove my sincerity?" "Yes." "In other words, you want me to kill the monsters and get the materials directly from the source. Buying them from the auction house or someone else is out of the question." "Exactly." "Is that a must?" ''Do you know how the world works nowadays!?'' "Yes." Hoffman''s voice was firm, and his eyes were unwavering. Kang Oh bit his lip. ''I''m busy enough looking for hidden/soul dungeons as it is, so when am I going to find the time to do this!?'' However, he wouldn''t be able to dissuade Hoffman. ''Look at those stiffly closed lips of his!'' "Hoo, I understand." "Thank you for agreeing to my request. In exchange, I''ll build you the finest sword." "You have to." No matter what! Chapter 378. Soul Dungeons are Revealed

Chapter 378. Soul Dungeons are Revealed

Trantor: Boko "I need you to get me four items. A Death Eagle''s Egg, a Kaitan''s Horn, Draxek Powder, and a Calvaidum''s Heart." A quest popped up. [Sincerity Dedicated to Orgon] Procure the materials that Hoffman needs to create the demon sword. To move the heart of the cksmith God, Orgon, you must procure the items yourself. Bought or traded goods will not be epted. Draxek Powder (0/100) Death Eagle''s Egg (0/30) Kaitan''s Horn (0/20) Calvaidum''s Heart (0/1) Kang Oh has hunted Death Eagles in the past, and he''d heard of the other three monsters before. He also knew where they were located. ''I''m d he''s not beingpletely unreasonable.'' "Understood," Kang Oh said. [The quest, Sincerity Dedicated to Orgon, has been epted.] "I''ll go and prepare myself. Once you bring me the materials, I''ll begin forging the sword immediately," Hoffman said. "Yes." "Take care." Hoffman returned to the smithy and began pounding on metal with his hammer. ng! ng! ng! ng! ''Let''s get the Death Eagles'' eggs first.'' Several Death Eagles resided in the Volcanic Region. The Eagle''s Nest! The Volcanic Region''s 3 greatest dungeons were the Volcano''s Heart, the Mouth of the Volcano, and the Eagle''s Nest. Kang Oh started walking the other way. * * * Song Lee Shen. He was a geography professor at China''s Peking University, and was also the author of the bestseller, Arth is Bigger than China. People learned of Arth''s most dangerous locations like Despia, the Devil''s Sea, etc. from his book, and it also poprized them. However, he also wrote another book: Arth''s Dungeons. It contained detailed information on countless dungeons, making people wonder whether Arth even had this many dungeons to begin with. Moreover...! The book contained information on soul dungeons. It revealed the existence of soul dungeons to the masses. Before this book, therge guilds and those who possessed a soul dungeon had kept this information secret. People obviously went crazy. Ownable dungeons! Moreover, they could be changed ording to the owner''s wishes! To top it all off, they gave a reward every month! ''Dungeon Master'' was a newly coined term, one that alluded to andlord, and yers became determined to find these soul dungeons. Dungeons suspected as soul dungeons were put up on themunity sites, and the yers came to those dungeons in droves. Kang Oh''s Moss Cave was one of those suspected dungeons. "You have to go with the flow." Kang Oh, who''d been busy collecting eggs from the Eagle''s Nest, visited Teyno''s Nest immediately. There was a rapid increase in yers that came to the Moss Cave. This was his chance to rue a ton of repel points and expand his dungeon. "Master!" The monster turtle, Teynos, weed him, staring at him with its clear eyes. "Been goodtely?" "Nothing much has happened." "Could you give me the soul stone?" "Of course." Kang Oh gripped the soul stone and opened the Dungeon Management window. [Repel Points: 2,190] He''d umted 2,190 repel points! He needed 1,000 points to expand the dungeon, so he''d have a lot of points left over. ''I''ve made so much!'' Kang Oh grinned and looked over the Dungeon Log. ording to the log, countless yers hade inside and fought his guardians. ''Huh?'' "Teynos, has anyonee here before?" The Dungeon Log stated that Teynos had engaged inbat. "Five people," Teynos said. They had tried and failed to pierce Teyno''s ridiculous defense. They exhausted themselves and retreated. "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. ''Five is just the beginning. There''ll be even more people that find this ce from now on. There''s a chance that someone will be able to pierce through Teyno''s defense.'' Even if Teynos lost, Kang Oh could just win the Sacred Duel to regain control of his dungeon. However, he didn''t want to be called back every single time Teynos lost. ''I''ll use these repel points to strengthen Teynos and add more guardians.'' Kang Oh decided to hold off on expanding his dungeon. Instead, he gave Teynos a special ability. [Teynos can learn Returning Pain.] [It costs 1,000 repel points. Would you like to proceed?] "Yes." [Teynos has learned Returning Pain.] [Returning Pain deflects 5% of the damage it takes onto the enemy.] [Returning Pain can be strengthened. This requires 2,000 repel points.] Teynos'' body shined, and sharp, thick spikes sprouted from its shell. Now he had a damage reflection ability! ''Now he doesn''t have to just sit there and wait for them to get tired. He gets hit and his enemies die!'' Kang Oh looked satisfied. If he could, he''d give it the ability to shoot a Ray of Destruction from its mouth, but he wouldn''t have enough points to spend on guardians if he did that, so he decided to hold off on that. Kang Oh used the rest of his repel points to create eight guardians. [You have spent 100 repel points.] [The Gnuha has evolved into a Water Slicing Sukar.] [You have spent 150 repel points.] [The Milok has evolved into a Group Leading Monarch, Milord.] ... The eight new guardians popped out of the water, showing their faces. They were formidable underwater monsters! "Kill anyone who gets in the water!" ''Make me a ton of repel points!'' The new guardians shrieked, sporting brutal expressions. Kuhaahk! Kyaa! Shiyaahk! "Go!" The new guardians disappeared into the water. Kang Oh then passed Teynos the soul stone and said his goodbyes. "I''ll be going now." "You''re leaving already, Master?" Kang Oh stroked Teyno''s face. "I''ll be back. Be good." "Understood." Kang Oh stepped onto the transfer magic circle. "The Beast''s Tower!" * * * Kang Oh gripped Violf''s soul stone. "Dungeon Management." His lips curled upwards as he read through the Dungeon Log. His second dungeon, the Beast''s Tower, was thriving too. It was due to the non-humans that wanted to be mercenaries, and the bronze mercenaries that tried to kill the ogre at the top of the tower in order to be silver rank. Unfortunately, NPCs gave less repel points than yers, but at least they gave him some. [Repel Points: 554] [You may expand the soul dungeon by spending 100 repel points. Would you like to expand the dungeon?] "Expand the dungeon." The first expansion didn''t cost that many repel points. Thus, he could expand the dungeon without fear. [The dungeon has been expanded!] [A new space has been created underneath the dungeon. You can create a maze there.] [The dungeon''s monsters have be stronger. Applicable Monsters: de Beast, Horned Beast, Crow Beast.] [ming Beasts will now spawn in the dungeon. ming Beasts possess a special ability, which allows them to turn their bodies into fire.] [New traps have been added to the dungeon. You can spend repel points to move the traps, or rece them with more dangerous traps.] [The dungeon now has a maintenance fee. The maintenance fee is 100 repel points every month.] Kang Oh looked through the dungeon''s interior via the Dungeon Management window. The Beast''s Tower was a tower that soared into the sky, but a vast space was constructed underneath the tower, much like an underground parking lot. ''I wonder how much the rewards have increased...'' He clicked the Dungeon Reward tab with his finger. [Dungeon Reward (Monthly Payment)] 1,500 gold. 50 Beastskin. 10 Crow Beast''s Eye. 10 ming Beast''s Embers. 1 Violf''s tinum. Originally, the reward had been 800 gold, 50 Beastskin, and 1 Violf''s tinum. However, the gold had increased, and two new materials, the Crow Beast''s Eye and ming Beast''s Embers, had been added. Kang Oh used the rest of his repel points to create three new guardians. [You have spent 200 repel points.] [The ming Beast has evolved into the ck me Tauros.] [You have spent 150 repel points.] [The Crow Beast has evolved into the Mana Using Corumaru.] [You have spent 100 repel points.] [The de Beast has evolved into the Scissor-Handed Sarca.] Now that his business here was done, Kang Oh waved his hand. "I''m going." "Take care." Violf saw him off. Kang Oh headed to the Kasten Mercenary Association, which was close to the Beast''s Tower. He promised Balduk that he''d do mercenary work once every 2 weeks. He''d kept his promise thus far, and since he was here, he decided to do some work. "Oh, the Hero of Kasten!" the worker said. "I want work that can bepleted quickly. I don''t care if it''s dangerous." Kang Oh went straight to the point. "Then this''ll work. The ck Dogs and the White Cats are fighting again." Kang Oh participated in their battle once more. Due to his overwhelming strength, the White Cats won easily, and he got his reward. ''I''m busy. Really busy.'' Kang Oh went back to gathering the items that Hoffman needed. * * * The 5 great guilds had the most power and influence in Arth. The Empire Guild, led by Emperor Dukeram! The Breaker Guild, which included ck Lion, Raon, and Snow Flower! The Storm Guild, with Spear King, Hernandez, and Han Seol at the helm! The Steel Heart Guild, led by God Hand, Arthand! The Hercules Guild, led by Shion! Kang Oh had pushed Shion out of the Numbers, and he was currently sitting at rank 10. Obviously, the strongest of these guilds was the Empire Guild. After all, it was led by Emperor Dukeram, who''d never left the rank 1 spot! Then there was his vice-captain, Jegal, who was known as the Pocket of Wisdom! You can''t forget about their eight captains either. Each of them led their own squad. Like that wasn''t enough, they had twelve high rankers, which excluded those already mentioned. If the Numbers were included, there were 99 high rankers (1 to 99) in total. Twenty-two of them belonged to the Empire Guild. But right now... Jegal and the Empire Guild''s eight captains had gathered together. "The matter of Song Lee Shen and the soul dungeons... It waspletely unexpected," Jegal said, tapping on the table with his index finger. "What happens to our n?" the captain of the Brown Bear Squad, Ridgely, asked. In the past, he was defeated by Kang Oh, leaving a stain in his history. "The n will proceed as scheduled. However, our soul dungeons have been revealed to the world. If we show weakness, people will take advantage of it," Jegal said. The Empire Guild was the best and strongest guild. They had plenty of enemies to prove it. "If we show weakness, huh..." a man with sharp eyes muttered. He led the Moby Dick Squad. Fittingly, his ID was also Moby Dick. "Involving ourselves with the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war will leave us open," he said. "Indeed." Jegal nodded his head. "What are our countermeasures?" Irene, the only woman amongst them and the captain of the cier Squad, asked. "We have one." "Which is?" "We''re going to throw some bait at our enemies. They won''t be able to help themselves." Jegal smirked. "What is it?" Ridgely asked. "Ecle Pce." "That''s..." Moby Dick looked shocked. "Yes. The same Ecle Pce that we''ve been secretly monitoring." "Mm." "If we spread word of how valuable it is, then everyone will want a piece of it. Moreover...!" "Moreover?" "What will happen while we''re involving ourselves in the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war?" "They won''t target us. They''ll instead target the Ecle Pce while we''re away," Irene said. "It''ll be an interesting fight, that''s for sure. Meanwhile, we''ll take possession of a fortress that can''t be conquered by anyone." Jegal smiled wickedly, and the captains looked satisfied. This was the start of their conspiracy. A conspiracy that would be the cause of what would one day be called the Ecle War! Chapter 379. Mysterious Scroll

Chapter 379. Mysterious Scroll

Trantor: Boko On asion, a huge monster army appears in the Phamas Mountains, which resides in the eastern part of the continent. No one knew why it appeared, where it came from, or how so many monsters had gathered in one ce. What was certain was the fact that it''d leave the Phamas Mountains and head for the port city that bordered the eastern coast, or the Arabas, Baiyan, and Des Kingdoms. Any one of these locations would sustain heavy casualties! Thus, the Baiyan and Des Kingdoms, whichy adjacent to the Phamas Mountains, had dispatched an army to deal with it. Normally, this army would include the Arabas Kingdom''s forces too, but they were in no condition to do so; they were in the middle of a civil war after all. The Port City Alliance hired mercenaries and sent them into the Phamas Mountains. To be more specific, they sent Dion, Darion, and the 100 Fighters to deal with the monster army. Their job was simple. While the Baiyan/Des Alliance engaged the monster army head-on, they would act as a detached force and kill small pockets of monsters in the Phamas Mountains! "We''re going over there!" "Reinforce the right nk!" "Careful!" "Die!" The 100 Fighters fought bravely against hundreds of monsters. Theirmander clearly stood out. He was known as the Indomitable diator, Dion. He relentlessly swung his dual diuses, killing any monster in his way. All of a sudden, something fell from the sky. "The devil?" someone muttered. It possessed ominous dark red wings, and a breastte seemingly coated in blood. An unpleasant darkness wafted from its body, and two horns protruded from its mask. It even had a beast''s tail. Is this what the devil looked like in those childhood stories? However, a clear voice could be heard from behind its mask. "It''s been a while, Mr. Dion." "That sword... Are you Kang Oh?" Dion saw Demon Sword Ubist, and realized that this was Kang Oh. "Yes." "Why are you here?" "We''ll talkter. Let''s kill the monsters first." Kang Oh, wielding a demon sword in either hand, rushed into an area with a high concentration of monsters. Kyahaahk! Demon''s Roar! A fearsome roar rang out, one that struck terror into the hearts of the monsters. Kang Oh killed the monsters with greater power and speed than even Dion himself. "Attack! Don''t let down your guard, and kill everyst one of them." Dion''s voice resounded throughout the battlefield. "Oooh!" the 100 Fighters eximed. The battle ended soon after. Hundreds of monster corpsesy on the floor. Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger, and approached Dion. "Hello again. It''s been a while." Dion nodded his head. He had a sharp jaw, big bright eyes, and a manly face. "It has. Last time we saw each other was back in the snowy ins, right?" "Yes." "Why are you here?" "I came here to kill a Kalvaidum." A Kalvaidum was a giant monster that asionally appeared in the Phamas Mountains. It looked like a hornless rhinoceros, but it was covered in brown fur. Kang Oh needed its heart. "I was in the air looking for one, but then I saw you and the 100 Fighters. That''s why I''m here." Kang Oh grinned. "Mm." "I heard a monster army appeared on the Phamas Mountains. I saw it from above; it was seriously no joke." Kang Oh pointed at the sky. "The three eastern kingdoms, no, the Des and Baiyan forces will deal with it." "What if they lose?" "Then it''ll be a pain." "Anyhow, the 100 Fighters'' job is to go around the Phamas Mountains and kill small pockets of monsters, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah. That''s our job," Dion said. "Then let me help. Looking for a Kalvaidum by myself when the mountains are teeming with monsters is a pain." "Do what you want." "Yo, Darion." Kang Oh raised his hand at Darion, who was in the back, sporting a sullen expression. "It''s been a while," Darion said. "Yeah, it has. Let''s get along." Kang Oh tapped his shoulder. * * * Soul dungeons were a hot topic. Whenever yers gathered, all they''d talk about were soul dungeons, and themunity sites were flooded with rumors, information, etc. However, one post drew more attention than the others. A famous explorer, Belmor, posted an article on Arthstory. Have you heard? Soul dungeons give you special items that can''t be gained anywhere else. Materials, potions, scrolls, etc. They all vary in type and effect. However, I''m most envious of the mysterious scroll that increases a skill or spell by one whole rank. As you know, proficiency increases really slowly in Arth. Thus, you''re forced to concentrate on a few skills or spells. But this mysterious scroll eliminates that problem. You can learn ten or more skills/spells without sacrificing proficiency. It''s the most unique soul dungeon reward that I''vee across. Ah, I can''t tell you which soul dungeon thises from. So please don''t ask me! A mysterious scroll that increased the rank of a skill/spell! If it really existed, then it was an overpowered item; one thatpletely broke the bnce of the game. Thus, people''s opinions on whether it existed or not were divided. Even if it did exist, people argued that you had to pay some sort of price, or that there was some kind of limitation to it. Although he requested that they not ask him about the dungeon, plenty of people did so anyway. However, Belmor didn''t tell anyone which dungeon it was. People used him of lying, and some lost interest too. It seemed like the mysterious scroll would remain buried. But then, information brokers began to pass out information on the mysterious scroll. "It''s the Ecle Pce. If you acquire that dungeon, then you can gain the mysterious scroll." Information was everything to an information broker, so they wouldn''t sell unverified information. That bit of information came from an information broker at quite a hefty price. The intermediate guilds acted first. These guilds dreamt of bingrge guilds, but they just didn''t have the opportunity! The mysterious scroll was their golden ticket to bing arge guild. "Let''s go!" Atrocity, the leader of the Atrocity Guild, led his members to the Ecle Pce. The Atrocity Guild was notorious for their poor behavior. Ecle Pce was located in the Red Thorn Forest, which was filled with powerful nt-type monsters. That''s why most people didn''te here. By the time they got there, however, there were a ton of other people there. "Tch, we''re heading straight for the pce." The Atrocity Guild could literally feel the tension as they entered Ecle Pce. The fact that soul dungeons were located within hidden dungeons was already widespread knowledge. After all, it was written in Song Lee Shen''s book. Which meant that if you wanted a soul dungeon, you had to first find the hidden dungeon. The intermediate guilds here desperately searched for the hidden dungeon. Their fellowpetitors were right there with them, so the tension couldn''t be helped! It was as though the timer of a bomb had ticked down to 1 second. "We have to find it no matter what!" Sometimeter... Rumble. It sounded like a device had been activated. "Someone found the entrance. Get a move on!" Atrocity instinctively yelled. Ecle Pce was an incredibly vast dungeon, and the entrance to the hidden dungeon was found in the throne room. The ground opened up, revealing a stairway that led underground. However, that discovery led to a huge fight. "We found it first. Get out of the way!" "Shut up!" "Attack!" "Die!" In an instant, several guilds engaged in battle, and those that''d arrivedter entered the fray. It wasplete chaos. ng! Bam! Whoosh! Weapons, magic, arrows, roars, and screams filled the room. "Standby." The Atrocity Guild didn''t participate in the battle, and merely watched from a corner. His sharp eyes watched the battle, waiting for his opportunity. ''Now!'' "Follow me! Don''t look back!" Atrocity rushed at the stairway. Then, his guild members followed him as fast as they could. However, Atrocity''s actions caused even greater chaos. Some of the other guilds, which had also been watching and waiting, copied Atrocity and ran for the stairs! "That bastard!" "Stop him!" "Damn it!" "Keep running!" "Block the entrance. No one can go in except us!" The chaos only got worse. Everyone was engaged in battle now. It was hard to differentiate between friend and foe. They just attacked anyone they saw. "Uhaahk!" "Die!" "No you!" "Get out of my way!" "Ugh, save me!" How much time had passed? Only a few yers had survived the battle. However, ordinary yers and the small guilds had arrived. The intermediate guilds'' reinforcements arrived too, and they battled once more. No one had won. Everyone there had sustained heavy casualties. "At this rate, we''ll all die. Let''s agree to a temporary ceasefire," Atrocity said to another intermediate guild''s leader. "How can I trust you? You could just stab me in the back," the Iron Mace''s guildmaster said sharply. "Then what, you want to keep fighting?" Atrocity snarled. "Why not?" "Aah, let''s all calm down and call a truce. We can all enter the hidden dungeon together. We can decide things once we''re inside. Let''s not do this outside," the Lapis guildmaster said. "We''re all going to block the entrance together, so that no one else can get in. In three hours, we''ll all take our guild members inside," Atrocity said. "Alright." "Hmph. Be careful. He might stab you in the back," the Iron Mace guildmaster said. "Worry about yourself." Atrocity flipped him off. Three hourster... Five intermediate guilds, including the Atrocity, Iron Mace, and Lapis guilds, entered Ecle Pce''s hidden dungeon. [Entering the hidden dungeon, Steel Princess''s Underground Labyrinth.] "Let''s all go our separate ways now," Lapis''s guildmaster said. "Fine by me." The five guilds went through separate tunnels. If they came into contactter, then they''d fight then, but not right now. However, they weren''t worried about the future; they were only worried about the present. Their main priority was finding the soul dungeon''s guardian. "Hurry up! We have to find it before the Atrocity Guild!" "Run!" "Let''s go!" * * * The news that the mysterious scroll was located in Ecle Pce spread like a wildfire. Everyone''s attention was drawn to the Ecle Pce, and the Ecle Pce and Red Thorn Forest were filled with battle. Jegal, who''d plotted all this, saw how things turned out and smiled wickedly. "Everything''s going as nned." "Yes." The man standing beside him was Belmor. He was the one who''d made the post about the mysterious scroll. It seemed like he had no connection to the Empire Guild, but he was actually Jegal''s pawn. "It''s unfortunate that the top 20 guilds are acting exactly as expected. They aren''t moving at all. If they broke my expectations and took the bait, then things would''ve been a lot easier." "They don''t act recklessly. When they act, they see things through, but it''s hard for them to take the first step," Belmor said. "Indeed. So we should give them a little push. They can''t link it back to us." "Leave it to me." "If she shows up, then everything will fall into ce. She''s not the type to show herself that easily, so... Try to get Shion to act as nned." Setinel''s Sage, Shion. He was the leader of the Hercules Guild (one of the 5 great guilds), and was recently pushed down to rank 10! "That''ll be easy." Belmor grinned. "I''ll leave it to you." "Yes, sir." "For the Empire!" "For the Empire!" Jegal believed it wouldn''t be long before the Empire Guild realized their ambition. One empire that controlled the entire continent! That was slowly bing a reality. Chapter 380. Gold Dragon

Chapter 380. Gold Dragon

Trantor: Boko For three days, Kang Oh traveled with the 100 Fighters, and searched for a Kalvaidum. Of course, he heard about Ecle Pce and the mysterious scroll too. However, he wasn''t interested in the dungeon. Kang Oh believed that the mysterious scroll was just a rumor. After all, if it was real, then it''d be way too overpowered. Anyhow, Kang Oh watched Dion closely for the past three days. Dion was a skilled dual-wielder, and there was a lot to learn from him. "Mr. Dion." "What?" "I wanted to ask you about Mad Wind''s Sword." The more you attacked a target, the faster your attacks would be. That was the core of Mad Wind''s Sword. In exchange, the user would take twice as much damage. Also, its MP and Stamina usage was severe. Dion was at his strongest when he used this skill in tandem with his twin swords. Kang Oh couldn''t help but want it. "What about it?" "Is it a secret move?" "It is." Like Transcendent de, Mad Wind''s Sword was a Swordsman secret move. "Can I learn it too?" "Why? You want to learn it?" "Of course," Kang Oh immediately replied. ''I really want to learn it!'' "I can''t teach it to you." "I?" "Yeah. I''m not a Master yet, so I''m not fit to teach anyone. In exchange, I can introduce you to the person who taught it to me." "Who is it?" "I can''t tell you for free." Kang Oh pouted. "What do you want?" "ording to Lord Burkan, you''re creating dragon equipment and selling it." "Yes, that''s right." "I''m a weapon collector. But I don''t have a weapon made of dragon materials yet." "Does it just have to be a weapon made using dragon materials?" "No, it has to be at least S-rank. I won''t ept anything less." "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. ''A secret move for a piece of dragon equipment, huh.'' "This deal favors you way too much. You''re not even going to teach me the technique; you''ll just be introducing me to the person who can." "Whatever then." Dion didn''t care either way. "Ahem. Understood." Ultimately, Kang Oh epted his request. Though he could keep pumping out dragon equipment, secret techniques couldn''t easily be learnt. "Bring me the item. Then I''ll tell you where he is." "Yes." Kang Oh didn''t immediately leave for the item. He hadn''t yet acquired a Kalvaidum''s Heart. "Enemies areing," Darion said. Kuhaahk! Uhaahk! Hundreds of monsters wereing down the mountainside. "Get ready for battle!" * * * Hercules Guild headquarters. A long haired man bit his fingers atop a ornately decorated chair. He was Setinel''s Sage, Shion. His ss was Sage. A Sage was a higher rank Druid ss, much like how a Demonic Swordsman was a higher rank Swordsman ss. Shion was the only Druid who''d ss changed into a Sage. Click. The door opened, and in came a blond haired man. He was Paton, Shion''s right-hand man. "What did you find?" Shion asked. "Rumors are being spread about us. However, we can''t identify the source," Paton said, looking regretful. People were saying that the Hercules Guild should be removed from the 5 great guilds. The other four guilds'' leaders were Numbers. However, Shion had dropped out of the Numbers, so they imed that the Hercules Guild wasn''t on the same level as the other four. "Tch. It must be one of the other four guilds." Shion grimaced. The other four guilds would love to see the Hercules Guild go. After all, it meant that one of theirpetitors was gone. "We can''t be shaken by these rumors. Please don''t let it bother you." "I know. But if we don''t take proper action and these rumors continue, then we may actually lose our spot amongst the top 5," Shion said. After all, the smallest of cracks could cause arge dam to copse! "Then what should we do?" Paton carefully asked. "We''ll have to show the world our strength." The Hercules Guild hadn''t weakened just because he''d dropped out of the Numbers. They would prove it to the people. That the Hercules Guild had the power and influence that befit one of the 5 great guilds! "Everyone''s been focused on the Ecle Pcetely, right?" "Yes." "A scroll that increases a skill/spell''s rank. Do you really think it exists?" "I''m not sure." "If that overpowered item really does exist, then we have to take possession of it." Shion''s eyes burned with greed. If he obtained the scroll, then he''d be able to rejoin the Numbers again. "Yes, of course." "Why don''t we upy Ecle Pce right away? That way, we''ll be able to find out whether the mysterious scroll really exists, and we''ll also show off how strong our guild is." "If we act, then the other 4 guilds will follow." "True. But what if we seize it before they can?" "It''s too dangerous. Plus, you know how much harder it is to protect something than to steal it. It''d be a pain if the other guilds form an alliance." "Tch." "We should see how things go for now." "Got it. But when the time is right, we''re going to mobilize, so get everyone ready." "Understood." "Go on." Once Paton left, Shion went back to biting his fingers. * * * While traveling alongside the 100 Fighters, Kang Oh would asionally fly into the air and search for a Kalvaidum. What''s the saying again, ''Faith will move a mountain.''? [You have discovered the Mountain Adapted Kalvaidum, Kd.] [It is a named monster.] Kang Oh, who was flying in the air, spotted a Kalvaidum in the mountains. "Tasha, it''s him!" "Ok." Kang Oh flew towards it. Meooo! The hornless rhino-lookalike roared. Whenever it moved, its brown fur would drag against the ground. "Haahp!" Kang Oh dove vertically, closed the distance, and swung both of his demon swords. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! The jet-ck aura was followed by a surging red st. Both struck the Kalvaidum head-on. Bam! Bam! Then, the Kalvaidum charged. Meooo! Thud! Thud! Thud! Its heavy body caused the ground to shake, but it didn''t impede its speed in the slightest. Festival of Blood! Blood was coated in blood red energy, and Kang Oh swung his des in an X. Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! A golden aura shot out of Demon Sword Ubist, while a st of blue lightning erupted from Demon Sword Blood. Boom! Boom! The Kalvaidum reeled from the impact, but it didn''t stop its charge. Meoo! Right before it rammed into Kang Oh with its massive body...! Moon''s Protection! A moon shaped barrier wrapped around Kang Oh. Bam! Upon impact, it sounded as though an egg had been cracked. However, the barrier waspletely unscathed. To block any and all damage for 3 seconds. What a truly amazing item effect. With its charge ending in failure, the Kalvaidum opened its mouth and gathered white mes. As soon as Moon''s Protection ended, Kang Oh used Abyss Shield. His Abyss Shield and Draka set kept him from taking much fire damage. Right when the mes ended... Bam! Kang Oh pushed through the mes, and unleashed a vicious assault in his Dual Demon form. sh! Cut! Thrust! Transcendent de! Cut! Thrust! Cut! Kang Oh repeatedly left wound after wound on the monster''s body. He wasn''t swinging his swords haphazardly; he did his very best to aim for its weak spots. Bam! Red shards of light burst from its body like firecrackers. Eventually, ck shards came out too. Demon Sword Ubist had activated ''Fang Bearing de''! 30 secondster, Demon Sword Blood returned to its original form. The snow-white de endlessly absorbed the shards of light, causing more and more stars to appear on its length. Kang Oh quickly replenished the HP he''d spent on Festival of Blood. Meoo! The Kalvaidum tried to head-butt him. Contrary to how heavy it looked, the Kalvaidum''s attack was extremely quick and dangerous. His Hyper Intuition had already warned him of danger, so he reacted to it quickly. Boom! Kd''s head mmed into the floor, causing the ground to split apart. It was as though thend had suffered a long drought. What power! But it was pointless if it didn''t hit. It seemed smart enough to know that this wasn''t working, as it shot white mes at Kang Oh once more. However, Kang Oh thrust Ubist into its mouth first. Evesting Darkness! Bam! The massive darkness devoured Kd. It was so powerful that Kd''s body floated about 2 centimeters off the ground, and then fell to its side. Thud! It was as if a trolley had fallen over. Kang Oh kicked off the floor, leapt into the sky, andnded on its downed body. "Give me your heart!" He raised both demon swords simultaneously, and then stabbed Kd. Stab! Stab! His jet-ck and snow-white des pierced through its heart area. Kang Oh twisted his swords, causing red shards of light to explode out of the wound. Meoooo. The dying Kd let out a sorrowful cry. It also left behind the heart he wanted too. ''I have the Death Eagles'' eggs and a Kalvaidum''s Heart, so all I need is a Kaitan''s Horn and Draxek Powder.'' Kang Oh ced the heart into his inventory and ripped a return scroll. * * * A 5-story store opened for business on south main street. The sign depicted a golden dragon biting a ck hammer. Gold Dragon! It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that this was the most popr store as ofte. Beginners, intermediate yers, and rankers all came to this ce at least once. There were plenty of regrs that came every day too. Plenty of people came over from other cities as well. It was only natural. Gold Dragon was the only store in all of Arth that sold dragon equipment! Not only that, but they were S-rank or above. They didn''t even sell AA-rank goods. Moreover, they spared no expense on the interior of the store, and they provided friendly service to anyone and everyone. Of course, that was why the goods were so expensive. The cheapest item cost 10,000 gold. In real money terms, it cost 50 million won ($50,000 USD). It was the equivalent of a luxury goods store in a fantasy world. ''Looks like business is good.'' Kang Oh felt happy seeing so many people crowding the store. He was, of course, wearing shabby clothes and a helmet that covered his face. If the store did good, then he''d make more money. "Wee," a female worker said brightly. She must''ve been trained well, as she treated him with respect despite how shabby his clothes were. "Please take your time to look around. If you need something, please let me know." "Yes. Is Mr. Man Bok in?" Kang Oh asked. "The president is on the 5th floor. Shall I give him a message for you?" "Yes." "Who is this from?" "Tell him it''s his partner." "Excuse me?" "He''ll understand if you tell him that." "Understood." The female employee smiled and touched her earring. It was amunication earring, something Kang Oh had once used in the past. "Yes, someone iming to be your partner wants to meet with you. Yes, yes. I understand." She then kindly pointed towards the stairs. "Please follow me. I''ll take you there." "Thank you." Sometimeter... Kang Oh met Man Bok in his office on the 5th floor. "As I thought, it was you, Mr. Kang Oh." "Is business going well?" "As you can see." Man Bok beamed. "That''s nice to hear. I came here to ask you a favor." "A favor? What is it?" "I need an S-rank weapon made of dragon materials." He needed it in exchange for information on Mad Wind''s Sword. "The quality doesn''t matter?" "No. Just give me the worst item you have. You see, I''m trading it for information." "Information, huh... What kind of information?'' "Information that''ll allow me to learn a Swordsman''s secret technique." "It seems worth the price of a sword." "I feel like I''m losing out, but it''s harder for me to obtain a secret technique than dragon equipment. That''s why I epted." "It was a good decision. I have just the thing in storage." Man Bok went through a door in his office, and came out sometimeter. He came out holding a magnificent sword of gold and silver. "Please take this. It''s an S-rank weapon, but Mr. Hoffman called it a failure. He asked that we not sell this if at all possible." Kang Oh took the weapon and looked it over. In his opinion, it definitely wasn''t a failure. ''It''s kind of a waste to give this to Dion.'' But what could he do? This was a Swordsman secret technique, after all. "I''ll use it well." Kang Oh left the store and returned to the Phamas Mountains. Chapter 381. Sword Duke, Sven

Chapter 381. Sword Duke, Sven

Trantor: Boko It wasn''t that hard to find the 100 Fighters. They were in the mining city, Barto, to resupply and rest. "Mr. Dion. Please take this." Kang Oh passed him the S-rank sword. "Oh." Dion''s eyes sparkled. He examined the sword, stroked it, and sported a satisfied expression. He was happy to be able to add a dragon weapon to his collection. "Don''t you have something for me?" ''Mad Wind''s Sword! Where do I learn it?'' "Get a boat from Citin Port, and ask them to take you to Mokomoko Ind," Dion said. "And then?" "There''s a vige there. Find a man called Sven. He''ll teach you Mad Wind''s Sword." "Sven..." Kang Oh could swear he''d heard that name somewhere before. Then, he struck his palm with his fist. "Are you referring to Duke Sven Covillea?" Kang Oh had tons of misceneous knowledge in his head. This included Arth''s famous figures too. Sven Covillea! He was called the Sword Duke! The Covillea family was the only line of dukes in the old Altein Empire, which was toppled by the people''s revolution. And Sven was the head of the family! But during the people''s revolution, Sven abandoned his title as duke, and became a hero for standing on the side of the people! "He retired a long time ago. He''ll be surprised that you still know him." "How can I not know the Sword Duke?" "Don''t call him that. He doesn''t like that title of his." "Understood. So has Lord Sven been in Mokomoko Ind this entire time?" "I don''t know the details. I know that after the empire''s copse, he roamed around the continent, and eventually settled there in hister years." "Mm." "Don''t be rude. Even Lord Vn is like a gentlemb in front of him." ''Vn bes a gentlemb?'' "Is he that scary?" "Not at all. But even Lord Vn shows him respect." "I''ll keep that in mind." "Get going." "Yes." Going from the Phamas Mountains to Citin Port didn''t take that long. The seagulls flew above the port, which was built along the vast expanse of the eastern sea. His nose was filled with the smell of sea. "I''d like to go to Mokomoko Ind." Kang Oh approached a group of seamen. "Mokomoko Ind?" "Hey, Jack. Didn''t you say you had business there?" The old fisherman asked the intimidating man. "Yes. I have to deliver them some medicine." "Take this young man with you." "Alright. Please follow me." Jack led him to a small wooden ship that was tied down. "Get in." Kang Oh got in withoutint. "Will it take a long time?" "The wind is good, so it should only take about 30 minutes." Jacques untied the ship and opened the sail. Whoosh! The ship followed the wind and the waves across the sea. * * * Mokomoko Ind was a small, crescent moon shaped ind. There were trees behind the sandy beach, and behind those treesy several wooden houses. "How long will you be here?" Jack asked once Kang Oh got off. "I''m not sure. But I have a return scroll, so you don''t have to worry about me." "Understood." Jack carried a giant crate from his ship and left in a hurry. Kang Oh approached a husband and wife couple that wereying on the beach. "Excuse me, I''m looking for someone called Sven." "Lord Sven? Follow the beach. There''ll be a house at the end. That''s where he''ll be," the middle-aged man said. "Thank you." Kang Oh walked across the beach, leaving footprints in the sand. It wasn''t thatrge of an ind, so he reached the house rather quickly. ''That must be it.'' There was only one house at the end of the beach, so there was no reason to be confused. "Lord Sven, are you inside?" Kang Oh said respectfully. Then, the door opened and a chubby, kind-looking old man came out. "Who are you?" "Are you Lord Sven?" "I''m Sven, yes." "Hello, my name is Kang Oh." Kang Oh bowed his head. "It''s nice to meet you. Would you like toe in?" "Thank you." It was cozy inside, but it wasn''t shabby by any means. On the contrary, it gave a warm,fortable feeling. "Sit down." "Thank you." Kang Oh sat down in an old chair while Sven prepared tea. However, there was a teacup half empty on the table already. "Did you have a prior guest?" Kang Oh asked. "They just left." "Ah, I see." Kang Oh nodded his head, and carefully examined Sven. ''He doesn''t look like the Sword Duke.'' Indeed, he felt nothing like the Sword Duke. He was more like a neighborhood grandpa. "Drink." Sven passed him a brown tea cup. "Thank you." Kang Oh took a sip of the tea, and felt a pleasant smell spreading through his mouth. "It''s tea made from a special herb that only grows here." "The smell is amazing." Kang Oh smiled. "Be sure to drink lots of tea. Tea is really helpful for those who wield the darkness like you." Kang Oh widened his eyes. ''Those who wield the darkness?'' "Do you know what I am?" Kang Oh asked. He was wearing simple clothes. Both of his demon swords were inside his inventory too. ''So how...?'' "It''s not so surprising. I sensed your demon swords'' energy, so I assumed that you were a Demonic Swordsman. And I''ve sensed one of them before. It''s the sword that that child, Vn, used once before." ''To think there was someone who''d call Vn a child!'' "That''s right. I am Master Vn''s... sessor candidate?" "Sessor candidate?" "Yes. I inherited his sword, but he says I''m not his sessor yet." "That''s just like him." "But I didn''te to see you for him. Lord Sven..." "Just call me grandpa. I''ll speakfortably too." "Yes, Grandpa." Kang Oh followed his request. "If Vn didn''t tell you, how did you know where to find me?" "Dion told me." "Aha, that child. Is he doing well?" "Yes. He''s doing quite well." ''Probably?'' "Do you know Burkan?" Kang Oh asked. "Ah, that little rascal?" ''To think the Invincible diator would be called a ''little rascal''.'' "He''s my blood brother." "Hoh. Did he get married yet? Does he have children?" "No, not yet. He''s an old bachelor. However, he''s going to get married soon I hear." "That''s good news." Sven beamed. He seemed to like hearing about people he''d known for a long time. For some reason, Kang Oh''s heart became warm. This is probably how he''d feel if he had a grandparent too. "So what did youe here for?" "I came here to learn the secret technique, Mad Wind''s Sword. Could you please teach it to me, Grandpa?" "Sure, why not. That''s not a problem." "Thank you!" Kang Oh sped Sven''s hands. ''To think someone like you exists. You''repletely different from Vn.'' "Umph." Sven stood up and picked up the wooden sword in the corner. "Follow me." "Yes, Grandpa." Kang Oh followed him like a little puppy dog. There was a small bamboo forest behind his house. Swish. The sea breeze blew, causing the bamboo trees to gently shake. "Doesn''t the wind feel nice?" Sven asked. "It does." Kang Oh smiled. "The wind blows endlessly. It doesn''t stop. Whether it blows quick or slow is irrelevant. Mad Wind''s Sword is the same. It never stops." Kang Oh pricked his ears and listened. "I''ll show you, so watch carefully." Sven raised his wooden sword. It was an extremely smooth and natural motion. ''As expected of the Sword Duke!'' He softly extended his sword. It was as gentle as the wind itself! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Each time his sword was swung, his de became quicker and let out a more dangerous sound. At some point, he could barely track the movement of Sven''s sword, and it no longer made a single sound. Nevertheless, Kang Oh concentrated and tried to see the movements. Eventually, he was unable to see the de. It was just that fast. ''It''s like he''s using Transcendent de repeatedly!'' Kang Oh was absolutely shocked. "You saw it?" Sven stopped and said. "I saw about half of it." "You saw a lot." "Why does your sword keep getting faster?" Kang Oh asked. "Because it bes free." Kang Oh couldn''t understand what he was saying. ''What are you talking about?'' "You''ll understand after you use it." Sven smiled mischievously. Then, a system message popped up. [You have learned the Swordsman secret technique, Mad Wind''s Sword (Active/Skill).] [It starts at beginner-rank.] "Huh?" ''What''s going on?'' "You can use it now too." "Ah, thank you. But what happened?" "It''s something called Pass Down... Well, just keep that in mind." ''What''s with this grandpa. He''s so cool!'' This waspletely uncharted territory for him. He admired Sven. However, he felt somewhat anxious at the same time. "Why are you being so good to me?" "Is that so wrong?" "Well, it''s just that..." "I just wanted to." In other words, he was genuinely being kind. "I won''t forget what you did for me." "Eh, it wasn''t that big of a deal. Just get going." "Excuse me?" "You have nothing else to do here. Go on." "No, I''ll stay longer. I''m not busy." "If you leave, then I''ll be able to restfortably. It''s been a while since I swung a sword, so my body aches." Sven rubbed his shoulder. "I can massage it for you." "I''m fine. Just go." He was being so persistent, so Kang Oh couldn''t stay any longer. Ultimately, Kang Oh nodded his head. "I''lle backter." "Alright, sure." Kang Oh ripped a return scroll, and Sven smiled kindly as his goodbye. Once Kang Oh left, Sven turned around and said, "You cane out now." Swoosh. Someone fell from the top of a tree. It was Vn. Vn had been Sven''s prior guest. But when Kang Oh showed up, he immediately hid himself. "Why are you hiding? From what I hear, he''s your sessor." "He''s not my sessor yet. He''s just a candidate! And if I didn''t hide, then you''d treat me like a child in front of him. My authority wouldpletely crumble." "Tch, tch. If only your personality was half as good as your swordsmanship." Sven clicked his tongue. "What''s wrong with me?" "You''re ill-tempered and crazy." "Nothing I can do about that. That''s me in nutshell." Vn agreed meekly. "Tch, tch." "Haha." Vnughed. "But is it really ok to pass on Mad Wind''s Sword that easily?" Vn asked. "It seemed like he needed it. It felt like he recently got possessed by a demon." "He did." ''What kind of Demonic Swordsman lets themselves get possessed by their demon sword!?'' That was the main reason why Vn wanted the demon sword back. "A Demonic Swordsman always has to be careful not to be consumed by the darkness they wield. I wanted to give him strength, so that he won''t be possessed in the future," Sven exined, his face still as kind as always. "You''re too kind, Master." "That''s why I epted someone like you." "That''s true." Vn grinned. "Then try changing that personality of yours." "Why? I''m strong, while the world is weak. That means the world has no choice but to ept me as is," Vn said arrogantly. "You still think so barbarically. Forget it,e inside." "Yes." The two walked side by side. Would people know? That one was the previous strongest man, and the other was the current strongest man? Chapter 382. Forging the Demon Sword

Chapter 382. Forging the Demon Sword

Trantor: Boko A Kaitan was a monster that wore a ck helmet. An upright horn protruded from the helmet, much like a unicorn''s horn. This is what Hoffman needed to create Kang Oh''s new demon sword. It was around level 450. Kang Oh arrived at Vatican Canyon, where the monster was located. In this area, yers would have to face several high level monsters simultaneously. Thus, rankers would hunt in parties here. However, Kang Oh entered the canyon by himself. True to Hoffman''s request, Kang Oh obtained the demon sword''s materials by himself and in person. Then, a female yer spoke to him. Four of her teammates stood beside her. "Look here." Kang Oh nkly stared at her. "Did youe alone?" Kang Oh nodded his head. "Do you know what this ce is!? The Vatican Canyon is a high level hunting ground. It''s dangerous even if you go in with a group, so why are you going in alone! Turn around this instant ande back with a party." Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition would warn him if someone was being malicious. However, he didn''t sense anything from her. ''She''s just being nosy.'' He didn''t need to tolerate her meddling. "I can take care of myself," Kang Oh said, and then entered the canyon. "Look here!" He could hear her yell at him from behind, but he had no reason to stop and listen. "It''ll be dangerous..." the female yer said, furrowing her brow. "It''s his decision whether he lives or dies. You tried your best," herpanion said. "Yeah." The female yer nodded her head. Sometimeter... A man rushed over to her group. He was holding a sword and a shield. "Ah, sorry. I''m a littlete." "It''s ok." "Let''s get going!" "Go, go!" The female yer and herpanions entered Vatican Canyon. A short whileter, they came to an area often infested with monsters. But when they got there, they widened their eyes and gaped. Kaitans were giant monsters that wore horned helmets, while Grugrus possessed mouths that opened up like a blossoming flower! Then there were Lighthighs, which emitted blue lightning, and Death Tongues, whichshed out with their poison covered tongues! A pile of monster corpses soared into the sky, consisting of the Vatican Canyon''s high leveled monsters. And...! There was a single man standing atop the pile! In one hand was a jet-ck greatsword, and in the other, a snow-white de. Darkness rose from the greatsword that rested on his shoulder, while the snow-white de radiated scarlet light like the glow of the setting sun. "That sword... I''ve seen it before." One of their party members pointed at the greatsword. "What? Where?" "On TV." "On TV?" "That''s right! That''s Kang Oh''s sword!" "Predator Kang Oh!" "The Numbers?" "Really?" The female yer, who''d told Kang Oh off, flushed. She actually warned Predator Kang Oh, one of the Numbers, to stay clear of the Vatican Canyon. The girl instinctively covered her face. It felt like Kang Oh was looking down at her from above. However, Kang Oh wasn''t paying her or herpanions any mind. He didn''t even spare them a nce. Kang Oh had gathered enough Kaitan''s Horns, so he didn''t need to be here anymore. He ripped a return scroll, and disappeared along with the silver powder. "Ah, he left." "This is my first time seeing one of the Numbers in person." "Hoo, he killed all of these by himself? He''s amazing." "I wish I could''ve seen him in action." "Yeah. This is all your fault foringte." The tardy man sped his hands together. "I''m so sorry!" * * * Squeak! A giant, hideous moth fell from the sky. Its wings were a beautiful array of various colors. Thud! A leather shoe, which was covered in a red pattern, stomped on the monster moth. [You have defeated an Amtari Swamp''s Draxek.] It was Kang Oh, wearing the armor that the Wyvern King, Draka, had dropped. Kang Oh bent down, picking up the orange powder that it''d left behind, and cing it in a bottle. [You have collected Draxek Powder.] [You have collected all of the required materials for the quest, Sincerity Dedicated to Orgon. Return to Hoffman and give him the materials.] "Phew, I''m finally done," Kang Oh said lightheartedly. He was surrounded by Draxek corpses. It looked like he had killed more than a hundred of them. Kang Oh ced the bottle filled with powder into his inventory, and left the Amtari Swamp. The Amtari Swamp was known for its disgusting odor, so he didn''t want to stay a second longer. He immediately traveled to the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. From there, he went straight to the smithy, a ce that was roaring hot, and where the ng of hammers pounding on metal could be heard. "Mr. Hoffman!" "You came?" Hoffman stared at Kang Oh. His stubborn face sported a hard-hearted expression. "I brought what you asked for." Kang Oh took out the Death Eagle''s Eggs, the Draxek Powder, Kaitan''s Horns, and Kalvaidum''s Heart. "Did you get them yourself?" "Of course." "Good work. Orgon will definitely recognize your efforts." "I really hope so. Anyhow, are you going to start forging the demon sword now?" Hoffman nodded his head. "I''ll forge you a sword great enough to y a dragon. That I promise you!" Hoffman said strongly. "I''ll kill Inarius with that sword." ''Sometime in the future! Just not now!'' "You must!" Hoffman''s eyes red with rage. ''Inarius! You took my wife and child! They were everything to me!'' Even eating Inarius''s beating heart wouldn''t be enough to soothe his rage. "How long will it take?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t know. I''ll tell you when it''s done through Mr. Man Bok." "It won''t take more than a month, will it?" "I don''t know." It didn''t seem like pestering him would make the process go any faster. "I''m counting on you." ''Please make a sword that''s just as good as the ones I own!'' "Please leave. And if possible, please don''te looking for me. I''m going to focus entirely on the demon sword." "Understood." Hoffman took a portion of the materials Kang Oh brought, and disappeared into the smithy. ''A new demon sword, huh...'' He wondered what it''d be like. Kang Oh was so excited to see what the result would be. ''Finish it quick!'' Kang Oh sped his hands together, and prayed before the smithy. * * * The Ecle Pce. Supposedly, the soul dungeon gave its owner a mysterious scroll, which increased the rank of a skill or spell. Countless yers and intermediate guilds had entered its hidden dungeon, ''The Steel Princess''s Underground Labyrinth''. They were all determined to find the dungeon''s final guardian/manager. But it wasn''t called an ''undergroundbyrinth'' for nothing. The hidden dungeon was filled with countless traps, powerful monsters, and giant,plex roads. Moreover, there was something even scarier than thebyrinth itself. People! If a guild crossed paths with another guild or yer, then they would immediately fight, no questions asked. This was due to guilds and yers that indiscriminately killed others in order to get a leg up on theirpetition. At first, some yers avoided battle. But now, they attacked first, as they didn''t want to be on the receiving end of things. "Die!" "You crazy bastards!" "Attack!" "Uheok!" "Ugh." Ultimately, more yers were killed by other yers than thebyrinth''s traps and monsters. The five intermediate guilds (Atrocity, Iron Mace, Lapis, etc.) that had first entered weren''t much different. They were gradually worn down by the monsters, the traps, and the other guilds. In spite of that, they didn''t give up. They made their way through, oveing any danger that came their way, and searched for the master of thebyrinth. It''s said that faith can move mountains. The Lapis Guild had finally found the dungeon''s guardian deep within thebyrinth. [You have discovered the Steel Princess, Amanda.] Amanda was about 3 meters tall, and wore a helmet adorned with wings. She also wore red and silver armor, which was shaped like a skirt. "I want to be the dungeon''s master," the Lapis Guildmaster yelled. "Then defeat me!" Nine swords floated around her like satellites orbiting a. "Attack!" Lapis''s Guildmaster yelled, and his guild members rushed at Amanda. Steel Storm! Amanda''s nine swords flew everywhere, and began slicing through Lapis''s guild members. "Careful!" "Ugh!" "Damn it!" "Get into formation! Don''t panic!" The Lapis Guildmaster raised his voice, and cast a spell. Ice Drill! A sharp cone of ice shot out of his staff. At the same time, Lapis''s guild members shot arrows and other spells at Amanda. Amanda softly leapt into the air! Then, two swords appeared in her hands. Tap. Shended right in the middle of their ranks, and spun. Ecle Style Spinning sh! Swish! Her des unleashed a shining red aura that rippled outwards. "Keok!" "Ugh!" Those close to her exploded with huge shards of light, and fell to the ground. "Damn it. Heal them!" "Tanks, what are you doing!?" The Lapis guild members yelled. However, screams wouldn''t solve their problems. Amanda threw her two swords into the air. Steel Rain! Her nine des rained down from above, quickly flying at them like wasps. Stab! Stab! Stab! Bam! Whack! Amanda''s nine des glowed with silver light, and took three of the guild members'' lives. Lapis bit his lip. It didn''t look like there was any way they could beat Amanda. Normally, the Lapis Guild wouldn''t lose so easily. However, their journey here had been too perilous. Some of their guild members had died at the hands of other yers, and their absence was keenly felt. "We''re retreating." Lapis had no choice but to order their retreat. However...! "Where do you think you''re going!?" People had appeared through their only retreat route. The man at the forefront wore a wolf''s head on his head. This was Atrocity, the Atrocity Guild''s guildmaster. "We''re retreating, so just let us pass. You really want to fight us before fighting the guardian?" Lapis was beingpletely reasonable. However... "Haha, we''ll kill you and the guardian." Atrocity''s eyes were red. It was the clear mark of a criminal. "Even if you manage to kill us all, we''lle back and take revenge. Just let us pass," Lapis said coldly. "Got it. We''ll kill you and take all the items that you have." Atrocity''s eyes gleamed. "You crazy bastard." "Hahaha." Atrocityughed wickedly. "Brothers, kill as many of those bastards as you can!" "Ooh!" The remaining Lapis guild members ignored Amanda, and charged at the Atrocity Guild. "Block the passageway. Don''t let a single one of them through," Atrocity said. "Yes, sir!" The Atrocity Guild rushed out of the tunnel and got into formation. "Go for broke! Get through them!" "Uhaaahp!" The surviving members of the Lapis Guild threw themselves at the Atrocity Guild. "Die, you bastards!" "You dirty bastards!" "Injured animals get hunted." "Ptoo!" The battle between the two guilds was absolutely one-sided. There was no way the Lapis Guild could hope to match up to the Atrocity Guild. The Lapis Guild was already on the brink from trekking through thebyrinth and fighting Amanda. On the other hand, the Atrocity Guild was in rtively good shape. Moreover, the Atrocity Guild had already assumed formation, and the Lapis Guild was charging into them. Not to mention the fact that Amanda had followed them, and was mercilessly cutting them down from behind. "I''ll at least take you with me!" Lapis gritted his teeth, and unleashed spell after spell at Atrocity. However, Atrocity''s mages blocked his spells with their own. Atrocity bounced forward like a spring and pierced Lapis''s heart with his scimitar. Stab! "Haha, smell youter!" Atrocityughed. "You bast..." Lapis died before he couldplete his sentence. Atrocity had twisted his scimitar around, causing Lapis''s face to turn gray. "Lapis!" "Guildmaster!" The fate of his guild members didn''t differ from his own. They were all killed. After killing Lapis, Atrocity quickly yelled, "Let''s take care of that guardian now! You and you, pick up the items they left behind." "Yes, sir!" Now it was the Atrocity Guild''s turn to fight Amanda. Sometimeter... Stab! A smooth, silver de pierced through Atrocity''s heart. "Why... is it so strong!?" That was thest thing he said. "You''re not qualified," Amanda said, and slowly disappeared somewhere within thebyrinth. Behind hery the corpses of the Lapis and Atrocity Guilds. Chapter 383. The Flames of War

Chapter 383. The mes of War

Trantor: Boko The first five guilds to step foot into the hidden dungeon (Atrocity, Lapis, Iron Mace, etc.) had nothing to show for it. If they had prepared thoroughly, and had fought Amanda in tip-top shape, then the results might''ve been different. However, the intermediate guilds weren''t powerful enough to make it through the perilous, thorny path and defeat Amanda. The same fate befell the smaller, minor guilds, and individual yers. No, in their case, most of them didn''t even encounter Amanda. They would die before they even made it far into the undergroundbyrinth. "It''s regrettable, but we''re giving up on Ecle Pce," Lapis said to his guild members. "Instead... we''re attacking Atrocity!" The Lapis Guild had been backstabbed by the Atrocity Guild. They would definitely repay the favor! "Yes!" the victims yelled. "Hmph, let theme!" Atrocity, who''d gotten their deration of war, snorted. Thus, a guild war broke out between the two. They weren''t alone. Even now, the undergroundbyrinth was filled with death, and those killed bore a grudge against their killers. As a result, guild wars and PKs urred all across the continent. "Let''s work together and seize the pce." "Alright." The Iron Mace Guild, which had entered with Atrocity and Lapis, formed an alliance in order to seize Ecle Pce. Several intermediate guilds, including the Dolphin and Red Hammer Guilds, fought under their banner. However, they weren''t the only ones. Having realized that their individual strength wouldn''t be enough, the other guilds formed alliances too. Ultimately, these alliances resulted in evenrger battles in Ecle Pce and the undergroundbyrinth. "The Hellmut Guild will take the right nk! Mr. Agrado, I need you and your guild members to take the center! I''ll take care of the left nk!" "Get into formation and follow orders!" "We''re piercing through the middle!" It wasn''t a battle involving dozens. It was a battle that involved hundreds, or even thousands of people. And... Not one of them became the victor. * * * Even though they formed alliances, the guilds still didn''t have anything to show for it. After all, they would get in each other''s way. Ultimately, they only had two paths avable to them: give up and go home, or gather even more power. Most of them dropped out of the race. If they continued, their guilds would disintegrate. Those that persisted were guilds with alliances. More specifically, they were guilds that had taken too many losses to back down now. They had to recoup their losses in whatever way they could. Ultimately, they only had one choice. "Please help us!" The Iron Mace Guildmaster bowed his head before the Jairus Guild. While it wasn''t one of the 5 great guilds, the Jairus Guild was still part of the top twenty. Their guildmaster, Jairus, was called Testron''s Swordsman, and was a high ranker that had once been part of the Numbers. "Hmm. The Ecles Pce, huh." Jairus stroked his chin. The mysterious scroll! If it truly existed, then it was truly a mouth-watering proposition. "Please help us. We promise that the Iron Mace Alliance will fight under your banner." "But if we move, the otherrge guilds will follow." Tall trees catch much wind. If they moved recklessly, then they''d just be a target. Thus, therge guilds were content with watching and waiting. "Some of the otherrge guilds have already mobilized. The situation has gotten out of hand. So we have to act before it''s toote," the Iron Mace Guildmaster said quickly. "No. The otherrge guilds won''t be able to act. The 5 great guilds are watching down from above. If we move first, then they''ll take us down. Now''s not the time to act. We should just watch and wait for now. It''d be a different story if the 5 great guilds were unable to act, but... Anyhow, I cannot ept your request." Jairus''s decision was correct and also rational. "That..." "You''ll have to find another guild. If the other guilds aren''t stupid, then they''ll answer the same way I did. Then, goodbye." The Iron Mace Guildmaster left the Jairus Guild and sought out the otherrge guilds. However, they too declined. He thought about asking the 5 great guilds too. However, there was no way they''d need him or his alliance. No, even if they did ept them, him, his guild members, and his alliance would just be used as human shields or be sacrificed in some other way. "Hoo, I guess it can''t be helped." With no other options, the Iron Mace Guildmaster decided to give up. However, something happened that poured oil over the fire. "Breaking news!" "We have urgent news. At 12:00, the Arabas Kingdom engaged in a civil war. This is..." "The Empire Guild has entered the war! Five of their squads have already gone to war, but soon..." "Apparently, the Empire Guild has joined forces with Arabas''s 2nd in line, Prince Kanduak!" The strongest guild, Empire! They had joined the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war! In other words, the Empire Guild didn''t care about Ecle Pce or the mysterious scroll. The most powerfulpetitor had disappeared. After hearing the news, the Jairus Guild mobilized immediately. "Fight under my banner." "Thank you very much!" Jairus offered Iron Mace''s Guildmaster his hand. Countless alliances consisting of intermediate guilds rallied under his banner. Tworge guilds, ck Sword and White Lion, joined forces with him as well. With this, they had a strong enough force that could even contest the 5 great guilds. However, their organization was like individual grains of sand. They weren''t truly unified. "We are the Cerberus Alliance," Jairus proimed. The Cerberus was a three-headed dog that guarded the gates of hell. It was a clear indication that the threerge guilds, Jairus, ck Sword, and White Lion, controlled the rest of the alliance. "Our goal is to seize Ecle Pce, obtain the mysterious scroll, and maintain control over it for a long time. We''ll be able to distribute the rewards fairly." He wrapped it up in a pretty little bow, but ultimately, everything would go to Jairus, ck Sword, and White Lion. "We''re advancing towards Ecle Pce!" Jairus moved extremely quickly. Once he heard that the Empire Guild had other arrangements, he formed the Cerberus Alliance, and headed straight for Ecle Pce. The otherrge guilds, or even the 5 great guilds, were unable to respond in time, so no one could stop them. No, there was one. The guardian of the undergroundbyrinth, Steel Princess, Amanda! She had a special ability called Infinite Swords. The amount of swords she could summon varied based on how many opponents she was up against. The Cerberus Alliance allowed her to summon dozens of swords. She was the very definition of strong. Her swords, which glinted with silver light, got into formation and flew through the air. It was as if the milky way was right in front of them. Steel Storm! Steel Rain! Ecle Style Swordsmanship! She used one powerful skill after the other. However, it wasn''t enough to ovee the Cerberus Alliance, which included the forces of threerge guilds and countless intermediate guilds. Jairus''s Guildmaster, Jairus! ck Sword''s Guildmaster, Lee Tan! White Lion''s Guildmaster, Lion Heart! Their elites attacked Amanda from three sides. Ultimately, Amanda fell to her knees. "I admit defeat. You''re worthy of bing the master of Ecle Pce." A soul stone popped out of her body. Wings made up of swords were engraved on the front of the triangr stone. "Ooh, this is the soul stone!" "He''s saying that''s the soul stone!" "Wow!" People widened their eyes in awe. Jairus approached the soul stone. They decided that Jairus would be the dungeon''s master. In exchange, they had signed a Sabra''s Contract that stated that they''d evenly divide the rewards amongst the three of them. Thus, he couldn''t take all the rewards for himself. Anyhow, Jairus slowly extended his hand. Once he grabbed the stone, it began to radiate intense light. [You have grabbed a soul stone that already has an owner.] [A Sacred Duel will now begin to decide the dungeon''s master.] [The victor can only be determined in a one-on-one fight. No one else can help you.] [Summoning Ecle Pce''s master.] [10] [9] ... "It already has an owner?" Jairus widened his eyes. Although so many people had tried to im Ecle Pce, no one had shown up to stop them, so he had assumed it was ownerless. "It already has an owner? Then are you going to fight in the Sacred Duel?" ck Sword''s guildmaster, Lee Tan, said. "Don''t worry. I''m Jairus. I won''t lose, no matter who shows up." "Haha, I know how skilled you are," White Lion''s guildmaster, Lion Heart, said. [2] [1] [The soul dungeon''s master has appeared!] A pir of light surged into the air. Someone slowly made their way out of the pir. At the same time, a giant ring of light appeared on the ground. "Huh?" Those within the ring were pushed out by some mysterious force. Only the dungeon''s master and the challenger, Jairus, remained inside the ring. [The Sacred Duel has begun.] [If your opponent''s HP reaches 0 or they surrender, then you win.] [You have one hour toplete the fight. If you cannot kill the dungeon''s master within an hour, then it will end in your defeat.] [All skill, spell, and item effect cooldowns have been reset. They are only reset during the Sacred Duel. They will go back on cooldown once the Sacred Duel ends.] Swish. The dungeon''s master pushed up their sses. Their red hair gently fluttered in the air. "Mm!" Jairus, who''d been so confident before, stiffened. "Helena!" an individual that''d been pushed out of the ring yelled. "What? Helena?" "The Witch of Annihtion?" "The Numbers!" That''s right. The master of this soul dungeon was Numbers rank 5, Helena! She was known as the Witch of Annihtion and the Blood Witch. Plus, she was the most powerful Mage yer in the game. She expressionlessly raised her staff. Double Casting! Aplex magic circle appeared above her, which shined down on her like moonlight. Earthquake! Chain Lightning! The ground shook, and blue lightning flew at Jairus. However, Jairus had once been part of the Numbers too! He responded immediately. "Chaaht!" Jairus swung his sword horizontally. Great White Shark! A bluish, giant shark shaped aura shot out, moving as though it were actually swimming through water. Bam! The two energies collided, resulting in an explosion. Jairus kicked off the floor, and rushed forward. He was a Swordsman. To defeat a Mage like Helena, he would need to get in close. On the other hand, Helena had to prevent him from getting close. Torrent! Gale! A mighty stream of water and fierce winds flew towards Jairus, acting as a wall between him and Helena. Jairus gritted his teeth. He''d fought in countless battles. Thus, he had experience fighting against mages before. Testron''s Charge! Golden wings of light protruded from his back. Bam! He transformed into a stream of light, cutting through the water and reappearing right in front of Helena. ''I got her!'' Jairus thrust his sword. Once his sword pierced her throat, the battle would be in his favor. Stab! ''I did it!'' Jairus''s lips curled upwards. However, his smile soon disappeared, reced by a scowl. Swish. ''Helena'' swayed, and disappeared like a mirage. ''An afterimage? No, an illusion?'' Jairus turned his head, and looked for the real Helena. At that moment... Helena mysteriously reappeared like paint floating on water. Giant mes surged from her staff. Hellfire! The massive mes devoured Jairus. Whoosh! Jairus''s ring shined. Then, the mes were sucked into his ring. Maora''s Mysterious Ring! It was an S-rank ring, which had the ability to absorb a skill or spell at the discretion of its user. Bam. Jairus kicked off the floor, and rushed at Helena. The Witch of Annihtion, Helena! Testron''s Swordsman, Jairus! Their battle had only just begun. Chapter 384. The Witch’s Forest’s Suffering

Chapter 384. The Witch''s Forest''s Suffering

Trantor: Boko Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory, posted a certain video. [The Witch of Annihtion, Helena vs. Testron''s Swordsman, Jairus.] Helena was one of the Numbers, while Jairus was a high ranker that had previously been one of them! This was a fight between two high caliber yers, so it obviously drew people''s attention. It was exciting enough to satisfy everyone''s expectations. "Wow!" Helena cast powerful elemental spells one after another, as if saying ''Being showy is what a mage is all about!''. Fire, water, wind, earth, lightning, ice, and illusion magic filled the air. This is why she was considered the most powerful Mage yer in Arth. Nevertheless, Jairus fought well. His fighting style wasn''t showy like hers, but he made no unnecessary movements, and he responded well with his skills. "Jeez!" "Holy crap!" People watched in awe as Jairus attacked, showed his impable movements, and unleashed his trump cards. However...! The Numbers, one of the higher-ranked ones at that, proved to be too much for him. At some point, Helena''s continuous bombardmentpletely overwhelmed him. Her MP was bottomless. She cast one hit KOs repeatedly. Jairus used everything at his disposal, but in the end, he was unable to defeat her. Once his facended in the dirt, the Cerberus Alliance member who''d been filming them was pushed out of the dungeon. [The Cerberus Alliance''s representative, Jairus, has lost the Sacred Duel.] [As punishment, the Cerberus Alliance cannot enter Ecle Pce for a week.] That ended the broadcast. This video was only the start; the message boards were filled with posts regarding Ecle Pce and Helena. [Ecle Pce belongs to Helena!] [Helena - her overwhelming power!] [Will her appearance stop the conflict?] [Haahk, please take me, Helena Unni!] ... Now that they knew that Helena was the dungeon''s master, people wouldn''te for the Ecle Pce in droves anymore. They saw the footage, didn''t they? They saw how strong she was. Unless you were more powerful than her, defeating her was impossible. And perhaps the mysterious scroll, which purportedly raised a skill/spell''s rank by one, didn''t even exist in the first ce. I''m not sure whether the mysterious scroll actually exists. This entire conflict came about because of the mysterious scroll, and its ability to increase the rank of a skill/spell. However, no one has ever seen the scroll in person. Only the dungeon''s master, Helena, knows whether it''s fake or not. However...! When I watched the fight between Ms. Helena and Mr. Jairus, I became sure that it was real. Let me exin why. Ms. Helena used fire, water, lightning, wind, earth, ice, and even illusion magic. And none of those spells were low ranked. Is it even possible for one person to learn this many spells? Especially when you consider how hard it is to increase your proficiency in Arth. However, Ms. Helena showed us the possibilities! Of course, it isn''t something just anyone can do. Why else would mages specialize in only one element? They do it because they can''t increase every single element. Then how exactly did Ms. Helena raise all those elemental spells to such a high level? You know what the answer is, right? The mysterious scroll. If the mysterious scroll really does exist, then it exins Ms. Helena''s proficiency in so many different spells. Ultimately, Ms. Helena is proof that the mysterious scroll exists. An anonymous yer wrote that post. It wasn''t just a belief shared by a small handful of yers. People believed that Helena''s unusual strength was due to the mysterious scroll, and they also believed that the mysterious scroll came from Ecle Pce. Obviously, everyone wanted the mysterious scroll. It felt like they''d be as strong as Helena if they had that scroll. However... It just wasn''t possible! You had to defeat the Witch of Annihtion in one-on-onebat. It would be different if you could use your numerical advantage against her, but the Sacred Duel prevented that. Anyhow, someone posed this question on Arthtory. [Is there anyone who can beat Helena?] People''s knee-jerk response was ''Emperor Dukeram''! However, Dukeram and the Empire Guild were involved in the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war. Which meant that Dukeram wouldn''t be fighting Helena anytime soon. Three other people were suggested. Numbers rank 3, ck Lion, Raon, Numbers rank 4, Predator Kang Oh, and Numbers rank 6, Bart! They were all distinguished individuals that could fight Helena one-on-one, though the victor would be uncertain. The Storm Guild''s Spear King, Hernandez, was also suggested. However, most people thought he''d lose to Helena. People deliberately didn''t mention the Worst Criminal, Red. Although his strength was the real deal, people thought he was crazy or a psychopath. Not a single person wanted to involve themselves with him. Steel Heart''s leader, Arthand, was a cksmith, and Hercules Guild''s leader, Shion, specialized more in healing and support thanbat. Thus, the two weren''t even mentioned. Some yers outside of the Numbers were suggested, such as the strongest female swordsman, Snow Flower, and a few other high rankers. But not a lot of people thought they could take on Helena. There was a reason Arth''s ranking system existed. Ultimately, the only ones capable of stealing Ecle Pce from Helena was the 5 great guilds or the other Numbers. However, the Empire Guild was busy with the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war, and the other great guilds didn''t act. Kang Oh, Bart, and Red didn''t show their faces either. It seemed like the matter was over and done with. However... Somethingpletely unexpected happened. The Hercules Guild, which had been as quiet as a sleeping lion, dered war on the Witch''s Forest Guild and initiated a guild war. Of all guilds, the Witch''s Forest!? ording to the Guild Bureau, the Witch''s Forest was a friendship guild, which had, at most, 100 members. Why were they attacking them? People understood immediately. When the Hercules Guild''s elites surrounded the small, quiet city of Snowprim, somethingpletely unexpected happened. Blue Knight, Plum! Wind Tracker, Dambi! Guardian of the Forest, Yericka! Plus... Witch of Annihtion, Helena! It was clear that the Witch''s Forest was no simple friendship guild. And the Hercules Guild''s target was clear. "Whatever you do, make sure you catch Helena," Shion said firmly. As people said, it was difficult to defeat Helena in a one-on-one fight. If that''s the case, then they could just kill her again and again, weakening her, and then challenge her to a Sacred Duel. ''We''re good at stealing things. She''s the perfect target to show how powerful our guild is.'' Helena didn''t have a strong backer, so she was the best offering he could hope for; an offering that would allow him to fulfill his ambitions. "Yes, sir!" The Hercules Guild''s elites engaged in battle. They had more than 1,000 members, whereas only 100 yers came out of the Witch''s Forest''s headquarters. "Hehe. Please don''t forget that this information came from me." A fat man smiled wickedly from beside him. He was an information broker known for his misdeeds. Why? He did anything that made him money, that''s why! In other words, he had no professional ethics. Anyhow, he was the one who''d told Shion about Helena and the Witch''s Forest. "I''ll be sure to pay you handsomely," Shion said. "Hehe, thank you." "We''re fighting right now, so leave." "Yes, sir." The guild war between the Witch''s Forest and the Hercules Guild should''ve been one-sided. However, the Witch''s Forest held on. Dambi, Yericka, Plum, etc. did particrly amazing. Helena, who was being supplied MP via Mana Link, was akin to a raid boss, as she used both Double Casting and Overload. She would burn them to a crisp with her fire or lightning magic, trap them with water or wind magic, or bury them with her earth magic. However, she couldn''t turn the tide of an inevitably lost battle. Setinel''s Sage, Shion, intervened, casting healing spells and various Druid spells. By doing so, he reduced the destructiveness of Helena''s spells. The members of the Witch''s Forest began falling one or two at a time. One of them was a golden haired female knight with a lithe body. She saw an arrow flying at her and closed her eyes. ''Oppa!'' Thwock. A ck arrowhead went in-between her half broken armor and pierced through her heart. Her face turned ashen and she fell to the floor. Helena, who fought till the bitter end, silently stared at the Hercules Guild and its leader, Shion. She didn''t stop casting spells until her HP and MP were fully depleted. Helena pledged to kill as many of them as possible. Ultimately, Helena killed dozens more before her MP ran out. Only then did Shion stand before her. He raised his staff, and a hideous carnivorous nt popped out from beneath her and consumed her in a single bite. "Stop!" At hismand, the carnivorous nt stopped. "Let me give you an offer. If you don''t want to die, then give me ownership of Ecle Pce. If you don''t, then I''ll keep killing you. You and your guild members," Shion said cruelly. "Kill me," Helena said, sporting a cold expression. "You''ll regret saying that." Helena justughed. "Are you shooting a film or something? Stop goofing around. Shut up and kill me already." "Kill her!" The carnivorous nt immediately devoured her. At that moment... The carnivorous nt radiated intense light, and began ripping apart. "This is..." "Run away!" Shion, who''d sensed danger, urgently ordered his troops to retreat. However, it was already toote. When the Hercules Guild hade knocking, Helena knew she wouldn''t be able to avoid death. Thus, she cast a certain spell on herself. The Spell of Ruin! It was a self-destruct spell, one that would create a massive explosion upon her death! It cost her five levels to use this spell, but its power was undeniable. Boom! It resulted in a massive explosion and a huge barrage of light! Protecting oneself or evading it was impossible. That day...! Half of the Hercules Guild''s elites were killed. When they took into consideration the experience, proficiency, and the -10% debuff, all of which wouldn''t allow them to fight at their best... The losses they took were way too heavy. "Uaaahk!" ''Transmigration of Souls'' was a secret Sage skill that would allow the user to revive oneself or someone else after death. Shion, who''d used this skill on himself, looked at the giant crater and yelled in rage. The massive explosion hadn''t even left behind his guild members'' corpses. They had annihted the Witch''s Forest, but could this really be considered a win in their book? They had more than 1,000 elites against only 100 guild members. The Hercules Guild had taken way more damage. Moreover...! They had harmed someone they shouldn''t have. At the moment, they had absolutely no idea how screwed they were. * * * - Oppa, I got killed by the Hercules Guild. They destroyed our headquarters too. T_T When he saw her message, he suddenly stood up. "What!?" His eyes were filled with rage. - I wouldn''t usually ask you for help, but the Hercules Guild says they''re going to make us miserable. They even threatened to kill the guildmaster again and again. Please help. Kang Oh immediately sent her a message back. - Leave it to me. ''How dare you attack my Soo Ah!?'' Grr. Kang Oh gritted his teeth, sporting a fearsome, goosebump-inducing face. Chapter 385. Hercules and Cerberus

Chapter 385. Hercules and Cerberus

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh met with Helena. "What do you want?" Helena asked. As always, she was expressionless, but Kang Oh could detect the barest hint of anger. "What are you going to do about Hercules?" Kang Oh asked. "I have to pay them back," Helena said coldly. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! "I''ll help you." "Why?'' "Those bastards killed Soo Ah." His face twisted with rage. ''Ah, just thinking about it pisses me off! How dare you!'' Helena nodded her head. "It''s a good enough reason." "Taking them on head-on is a stupid idea. Even you can''t beat them in a straight up fight, Ms. Helena. Even if I were to help you, we wouldn''t be able to beat them," Kang Oh said. The Hercules Guild was one of the 5 great guilds. Thus, it was both huge and powerful. It couldn''t be beaten by an individual or a small handful of people. ''For now, that is.'' In his Warlord days, he had crushed arge guild by himself. That''s why he''d gained the title of Human Dragon. But at the moment, he didn''t possess such overwhelming strength. Plus, therge build back then was much weaker than the 5 great guilds. Of course... Kang Oh knew someone who could crush them by himself. Vn! ''If I was as strong as Vn, I would''ve crushed them already.'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. He had to be much, much stronger. Especially if he wanted to defend himself and those he held dear. "They won''t stop until they get what they want. I have no intention of backing down," Helena said. "Hercules wants Ecle Pce, I assume?" "Yes." "They probably want to show their strength too. There have been rumorstely that the Hercules Guild shouldn''t be a part of the 5 great guilds. They want to prove that they''re as strong as ever." Helena nodded her head. That''s definitely the vibe she got from them. "Your best bet is to give up the Ecle Pce." "I can''t do that," Helena immediately refused. "If you give it to them now, you''ll be able to retake it in the future. But if you don''t, there''s a chance that you''ll never get it back." As the master of Ecle Pce, Helena would remain a target. The Hercules Guild or otherrge guilds would continue to go after her. The Witch''s Forest guild members and Asu would get caught in the crossfire. ''Those bastards. They''re like gangsters.'' They were no good hoodlums that had no issue with stealing things by force! "Even so, I can''t. They killed me and my guild members. I can''t give them the soul dungeon no matter what!" Helena said, her eyes filled with killing intent. "Ah, I think you''re misunderstanding me... You can''t give the Hercules Guild the soul dungeon. Those bastards killed Soo Ah." "Excuse me? Then who am I giving it to?" Helena asked. "There are plenty of greedy dogs out there. What''ll happen if you leave a delicious bone out for them?" "They''ll fight amongst themselves in order to take the bone." "Let''s make that happen." Kang Oh knew he was more like a viin than a hero. ''When I want to do bad stuff, my head is filled with ideas.'' Kang Oh grinned. * * * The Cerberus Alliance, which was made up of Jairus, ck Sword, White Lion, and several intermediate guilds, wasing apart at the seams. Since Testron''s Swordsman, Jairus, lost in a Sacred Duel with Helena, there was no point to the alliance anymore. These guilds had joined together to seize Ecle Pce, but Helena''s appearance made that goal seem so far off. However, they had an unexpected piece of good luck. The situation suddenly changed. "Is that true?" Jairus asked, staring at Helena, who''de to their guild headquarters. They had dueled a little while back, but they didn''t have any hard feelings. "Yes. I''ll give you Ecle Pce," Helena said. "Why?" Jairus asked, looking doubtful. "If I keep the soul dungeon, then my guild members will keep getting attacked. But I can''t just give it to the Hercules Guild, now can I?" Helena said. "Hmm." Jairus had eyes and ears too, so he knew about her battle with the Hercules Guild. "Will you be able to handle it?" Helena asked provokingly. Owning Ecle Pce meant that you''d be a target of otherrge guilds. Like what happened to her. "We''ll have to. That''s why we''ve joined forces," Jairus said. The Ecle Pce was part of arger picture for him. Unfortunately, his ns had beenpletely ruined by Helena''s sudden appearance. Ironically, Helena, the very person who''d ruined his n, was willing to give him Ecle Pce. With it, he could look at the big picture again. ''Turn the Cerberus Alliance into the Cerberus Guild and be as strong as the 5 great guilds.'' If the Cerberus Alliance gained ownership of Ecle Pce, then they''ll obviously be attacked by otherrge guilds. But if they managed to hold them off, there was a high chance that everything would go ording to his n. ''We can do it! In terms of pure power, our alliance is as strong as the great guilds, aside from the Empire Guild.'' Jairus''s eyes were filled with ambition. "Alright. Please follow me." "Yes." Jairus followed Helena, and sent a message to his vice-captain, telling him to gather all of the Cerberus Alliance''s leaders in one spot. Sometimeter... The two teleported to the Steel Princess''s Underground Labyrinth via a magic circle, and stood before the Steel Princess, Amanda. "Amanda, I''d like to pass ownership of the dungeon to this person," Helena said. Passing ownership of a soul dungeon was one of the dungeon master''s powers. "Understood. Then give him the soul dungeon yourself." Amanda gave her the soul stone, which she then passed to Jairus. "Take it." "Does the mysterious scroll reallye from here?" Jairus asked, staring at the soul stone. "See for yourself." "Hoo, I understand." Jairus grabbed the soul stone, which began to radiate intense light. [Helena has given ownership of the soul dungeon, Ecle Pce, to you.] [You are now Ecle Pce''s master.] "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Helena disappeared in a streak of light. She had cast a Return spell. Jairus immediately opened the Dungeon Management window and checked the rewards. [Dungeon Reward (Ecle Pce)] 1,000 gold. 10 Steel Hearts. 10 ck Ore. 1 Ecle Royal Family''s Secret Scroll. ''Ecle Royal Family''s Secret Scroll!'' Jairus''s eyes gleamed. "Guardian, what does the royal family''s secret scroll do?" "It increases the rank of a skill or spell." Amanda said exactly what he''d been hoping for. "The mysterious scroll really does exist!" Jairus was in awe. "You can only increase a skill/spell to high-rank using the secret scroll. It only takes one scroll to raise a technique''s rank from beginner to intermediate, but it takes three to increase it from intermediate to high-rank." Jairus stroked his chin. ''Even though it can only increase a skill to high-rank, the scroll''s still worth a fortune. The problem''s the amount... I''m sure expanding the dungeon will solve that problem.'' The Jairus Guild already had a soul dungeon. Thus, they were well aware of the fact that expanding the dungeon would greatly increase the dungeon''s rewards. ''This is my chance to expand the dungeon.'' The other guilds would continuallye here, seeking to obtain the soul dungeon. What if his guardians and the alliance were to stop all the invaders? He would umte a ton of repel points, which would allow him to expand the dungeon. ''I''ll turn this into an impregnable dungeon. Even the 5 great guilds won''t be able to break through!'' * * * Helena, a woman who rarely made a public appearance, let alone appearing on TV, posted a video on Arthtory. It was clearly Helena, with her sses and red hair, in the video. "I gave Ecle Pce to the Cerberus Alliance. I came to this decision because I didn''t want those ruffians from the Hercules Guild to hurt my guild members. Ecle Pce doesn''t belong to me anymore, so take your business to the Cerberus Alliance! And the mysterious scroll really does exist. The exact name of it is the Ecle Royal Family''s Secret Scroll." The news spread quickly. Now, people were aware of the fact that the Cerberus Alliance had taken ownership of Ecle Pce. Not only that, but Helena had confirmed the existence of the mysterious scroll. As if that wasn''t enough, people began ridiculing the Hercules Guild. ''The Hercules Guild did all the work, but the Cerberus Alliance took the dungeon.'' ''Serves you right!'' ''The Hercules Guild is a giant waste of space!'' ''This is why Shion''s not part of the Numbers!'' Bam! Hercules'' leader, Shion, mmed his fist onto the table. "Damn it! I thought she''d try and take revenge." Helena was renowned for being an aloof and prideful woman. Thus, Shion assumed that she''de at them guns zing. Then, they''d kill her again, further reducing her stats. That would''ve made it easy to beat her in a Sacred Duel and take Ecle Pce away from her. However, Helena had instead given Ecle Pce to the Cerberus Alliance, whichpletely foiled his ns. It waspletely out of character. He realized that someone was by her side, advising her. ''I don''t know who it is, but they got me.'' Shion bit his lip and said, "Paton!" "Yes?" The golden haired man instantly appeared. "What''s the situation with Ecle Pce?" "The Cerberus Alliance haspletely seized it. And all of the alliance''s elite yers are there guarding it." "It''s better this way. I''ll just kill them all." Shion was the leader of one of the 5 great guilds. To him, anyone outside of the 5 great guilds was trash. "You can''t underestimate them. In terms of sheer size, they''re just as big as our..." "They''re not one guild; they''re an alliance. They''re like a sand castle. If wepletely overpower them, then their alliance will start to crumble like sand," Shion said. "Mm." "Excluding the Empire Guild, the Storm, Breaker, and Steel Heart Guilds are still just watching how things go. But we''ve already mobilized. We''re in this deep already, so we have to get some sort of advantage. That advantage is Ecle Pce! If we don''t get it first, we''ll be finished." Just possessing the Ecle Pce would give them a good bargaining chip. The mysterious scroll! The higher ranked the yer, the more enticing the scroll was. "Understood." "We''re mobilizing immediately. Gather the men." "Yes, sir." On that very day... The Hercules Guild attacked the Red Thorn Forest, which was protected by the Cerberus Alliance''s elites, resulting in a huge battle. "All forces, charge!" "Charge!" "Attack!" "Uwaaaah!" The first battle resulted in an overwhelming victory for the Hercules Guild. "Retreat!" The Cerberus Alliance was forced to retreat all the way back to Ecle Pce. "We''re capturing the pce within the day!" Shion yelled. "Uwaaaah!" his guild members yelled. However, Shion and the Hercules Guild were unable to seize the pce. As the dungeon''s master, Jairus had not only changed theyout of the dungeon to his advantage, but had also spent a ton of money to create an army of guardians! The Hercules Guild and the Cerberus Alliance fought for six hours, but neither side won. Chapter 386. The Beginning of the Ecle War

Chapter 386. The Beginning of the Ecle War

Trantor: Boko Deep within the Empire Guild. "What about the n to assassinate the 3rd prince?" Empire''s vice-captain, Jegal, asked. The civil war had urred due to the crown prince''s death. The 1st prince had died from an ident, and the 2nd and 3rd princes fought for session. The Empire Guild supported the 2nd prince, so their enemy was the 3rd prince. "We''ve deployed Kraal and our assassins. We can execute the n at a moment''s notice," Jegal''s subordinate said immediately. "They could try assassinating the 2nd prince too, so prepare ordingly," Jegal said. "Understood." "Ah, what about brainwashing the 2nd prince?" The Empire Guild hadn''t entered the civil war just for a position or a reward. Their goal was the Arabas Kingdom itself! They nned on making the 2nd prince their puppet, making him king, and taking control of the entire kingdom. "It''s proceeding very secretly." "Be very careful." "I''ll keep that in mind." "What about our squads?" "They defeated the 3rd prince''s troops, and are pushing towards the enemy''s bases. They haven''t suffered defeat yet." "Good. Contact me immediately if anything happens." "Yes, sir." "Go." A short while after he left, another man came in. It was Belmor, the one who''d instigated the Ecle Pce conflict. "I heard that the Hercules Guild mobilized. Good work." "It was nothing." He was the source of the rumor that the Hercules Guild should be removed from the 5 great guilds. Belmor had also made it so that information on the Witch''s Forest would eventually make its way to the Hercules Guild. "Now the other guilds won''t be able to stay put," Belmor said. "Of course. They can''t just sit back and watch as the Hercules Guild takes Ecle Pce." "However, Helena gave the Ecle Pce to the Cerberus Alliance. That wasn''t part of our n." "It''s fine. That''ll just make the conflict evenrger." Originally, the Cerberus Alliance would''ve disappeared on its own. However, by giving the soul dungeon to them, the Cerberus Alliance had been reborn stronger than ever; it was about as powerful as one of the 5 guilds at that. Hercules, Cerberus, Storm, Breaker, and Steel Heart. The fight among them would certainly be worth watching. ''In the meantime, we''ll seize the Arabas Kingdom. If we capture Baiyan and Des too, then it''ll be a true empire.'' The empire would likely be called Dukeram, after the Empire Guild''s leader. The first emperor would obviously be Dukeram as well. If that happened, then no one would be able to stop the Empire Guild! Jegal smiled. His long awaited ns were progressing smoothly, and it wouldn''t be long before his ambitions were fully realized. * * * The battle between the Hercules Guild and the Cerberus Alliancested for three days. However, Jairus still retained ownership of the soul dungeon. "Hoo, hoo. Seeing those Hercules bastards moaning and groaning is such a wee sight." ck Sword''s leader, Lee Tan, smiled. "Indeed. I never liked how arrogant the 5 great guilds were." White Lion''s leader, Lion Heart, nodded his head. "They were looking down on us. But they won''t be able to do that anymore. We''ll stand alongside the 5 great guilds from now on," Jairus said heavily. "You''re referring to your n ofbining our guilds into the Cerberus Guild," Lion Heart said. "Yes. It''ll be no different; the three of us will control the guild. This is a chance to absorb all of the intermediate guilds'' forces and increase our power, wouldn''t you say?" "I''m fine with the three of us leading the guild. But we''ll have to have a guildmaster. Who will be the guildmaster?" Lee Tan asked. "We''re the guildmaster. Us three. Why else would we have taken the name, Cerberus." Jairus smiled. They would start as three, but there would only be one guildmaster in the end. Him! "Hmm." Lee Tan stroked his chin. "I heard that Ecle Pce only offers one mysterious scroll per month. It''s way too little," Lion Heart said. "If we expand the dungeon, then the rewards will increase. There are plenty of offerings outside that''ll give us a ton of repel points." "I see. The Cerberus Guild, huh..." "Think about the Steel Heart Guild. They were originally five separate guilds, but they joined forces and became one of the 5 great guilds. That''s possible for us as well." "I''ll think about it," Lion Heart said. He also had his own n. ''The final victor is the true victor.'' At the moment, everything was going ording to Jairus''s n. However, no one knew what the future would entail! Perhaps he would control the Cerberus Guild as its sole ruler! "Mm." Lee Tan thought quite simrly to the two. It was every guildmaster''s dream to be one of the 5 great guilds, and then be the greatest guild. Of course, people never shared power. "I''ll think about it too. Ah, but it''s on the condition that we manage to keep the Ecle Pce till the very end," Lee Tan said. "Of course. We have to protect Ecle Pce no matter what. With the scrolls and all of our support, at least one of us has to enter the Numbers," Jairus smiled and said. Lee Tan and Lion Heart smiled too. They all believed that one person would be them. However, life didn''t go as you wanted, or as you nned. We would just have to wait and see. Whether they were actually capable of protecting Ecle Pce till the very end. * * * "How many production workers does our guild have? Think about how much trouble they have to go through to increase their proficiency; they have to sew over and over again, and hammer away day after day. Isn''t that so pitiful!? Gentlemen, we have to obtain the mysterious scroll. Is that understood?" A giant bodied man, who was over 2 meters tall, said from atop a dais. His name was Arthand! He was also known as God Hand. He was the most skilled cksmith, tailor, metalworker, and leather crafter among the yerbase. Arthand was also the leader of the Steel Heart Guild, which was one of the 5 great guilds! "Yes, sir!" Steel Heart''s elites simultaneously yelled. Their equipment shone blindingly bright. Steel Heart gathered the greatest production workers. Thus, their members were always wearing the best of equipment. "Let''s go!" "Oooh!" Steel Heart''s elites left their home base, Tryon City, in lines through the center road. It was truly a magnificent sight. * * * There was a giant mansion in Latnia City. This was the Storm Guild''s headquarters in Despia. "Shouldn''t we go to Ecle Pce too? It''s our chance to have a good fight." The Spear King, Hernandez, stroked his weapon, and stared at his vice-captain beside him. It was clear that his body itched for a good fight. "Why? There''s nothing to be gained there." Han Seol widened her eyes. She was clearly saying, ''Don''t even think about it!''. "What do you mean? There''s the mysterious scroll!" "What about it?" "What about it!? Do you have any idea how valuable that thing is?" "I know how valuable it is. I watched Helena''s ridiculous performance too." To think that there was a Mage who could wield fire, water, wind, lightning, earth, and even illusion magic so proficiently. Her character waspletely busted. If they could get their hands on the scroll, then a 2nd or 3rd Helena could be born without much difficulty. The Spear King, Hernandez, could also use those scrolls to try and ascend the ranks. "So shouldn''t we get involved? We''re not just any guild; we''re one of the 5 great guilds. We can''t just let the other guilds take it." If I can''t have it, then you can''t either. That was what thepetition between the 5 great guilds was like. "It stinks," Han Seol said. "What does?" "It smells so unnatural. Someone made this happen from behind the scenes." "Who?" "Who else? It had to be the Empire Guild. More specifically, it had to be Jegal." "Why?" "They want to take control of the Arabas Kingdom." "Huh?" "Why else would the Empire Guild have ''empire'' in its name? They clearly want to form an empire." "So what?" "Following the people''s revolution and the Altein Empire''s copse, the free cities put several systems in ce to prevent a dictatorship. Thus, even if the Empire Guild has the power, they aren''t capable of seizing the free cities. If the people band together and incite another people''s revolution, then the Empire Guild will have to give up. On the other hand, the three eastern kingdoms are still ruled by kings. The people there are used to dictators, so if they manage to control the leader there, then they can do whatever they want with the kingdom." "Hoh. Then should we aim for one of the three kingdoms too?" Hernandez''s eyes shined. Han Seol shook her head. "The Empire Guild was only able to do it because of the civil war. Unfortunately, the Arabas Kingdom is the only one undergoing a civil war." "Then let''s aim for the Arabas Kingdom. The Empire Guild is backing the 2nd prince, right? Let''s support the 3rd prince!" "That''s impossible." "Why!?" "The Empire Guild nned for this, and prepared ordingly. Perhaps it was their actions that caused the civil war in the first ce. On the other hand, we''repletely unprepared. If we were to fight in the civil war as is, then we''d just be used and thrown away." "Tch." "There''s a high chance that the Arabas Kingdom wille under the control of the Empire Guild. If we really wanted to stop them, then our best course of action would''ve been to gather the other 3 great guilds, and support the 3rd prince. However, the Ecle Pce stopped that from happening." "Hmm, then should we try messing with them while they''re busy with the civil war? We probably won''t be able to stop them from taking control of the Arabas Kingdom, but we should at least hurt them a little bit." "It''s much better than getting involved with Ecle Pce." "Alright, good. Then let''s steal their best dungeons." "Here you go." Han Seol passed him a document from her inventory. It contained a list of the Empire Guild''s dungeons, including their names and their locations. "Oh, you knew this would happen?" "Let''s hit them where it hurts." "Alright." Hernandez and Han Seol grinned. That same day... The Storm Guild''s elites attacked ''Kainshell'', one of the dungeons under the Empire Guild''s control. * * * An intimidating lion man sat askew within a giant chair. He had a bitten apple in his hand. ck Lion, Raon! Numbers rank 3! It was none other than him. "Steel Heart is on the move?" The Breaker Guild''s executives were gathered around him. Of course, Snow Flower was there too. "Yes," the Breaker Guild''s advisor, Brand, said. "What about the Storm Guild?" "They stole a dungeon from the Empire Guild," Brand immediately replied. "So they''ve chosen to go after the Empire Guild. It''s a good decision." "If we didn''t have bigger fish to fry, then we could''ve gone after them too." "This was probably Han Seol''s idea, right? I wish she was on our side." "She''s an extremely loyal person. If you want her, then you''ll have to take over the Storm Guild." "Well, I''m sure we''ll get our chance." "Of course." "Then I guess it''s time for us to get a move on too." "That''s right." "What''s our goal?" "Reducing the other guilds'' power as much as possible." "Exactly. The mysterious scroll or Ecle Pce doesn''t matter. We''ll use this opportunity to reduce ourpetitors'' power as much as possible, and increase our own." "Some of the alliance''s forces have already agreed to fight under our banner. We''ve established amunicationwork between them and us too." Raon clenched his fist, which was covered in ck fur and sharp ws. Bam! The apple in his hand burst, and fruit juices flew everywhere. "We''ll crush Steel Heart and Hercules." With this, the 5 great guilds mobilized, each with their own aspirations and goals. Of course, the 5 great guilds weren''t the only ones that were on the move. The 5 great guilds'' followers, the intermediate guilds, the small guilds, and countless yers that wanted to be famous or had some other reason to join, either joined the 5 great guilds or worked independently. This was the beginning of what would one day be called the ''Ecle War''. Chapter 387. Large-Scale Battle

Chapter 387. Large-Scale Battle

Trantor: Boko "Uhaaa!" The Spear King, Hernandez, shily swung his favorite weapon, the Parsus Spear of Ruin. Infinite Thrust! A demon''s head shot out of his spear, gouging out the hearts of the approaching Empire Guild members. Then, a sparking arrow came flying over. It was the Lightning Hunter, Han Seol. "Damn it! Contact the guild! Tell them we need reinforcements!" "I already did." "We have to hold them off!" The Empire Guild members raised their weapons and screamed. They were in charge of the dungeon, ''Obelsk''s Pir''. Of course, they definitely weren''t the Empire Guild''s elite forces. Their elite forces were currently fighting in the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war. They were being attacked by the Spear King, Hernandez, the Lightning Hunter, Han Seol, and their guild''s elites. They requested reinforcements, but the battle had ended before reinforcements coulde. "That was easy." Hernandez grinned. "Gale Squad, please look after this area," Han Seol said to Gale Squad''s leader, I Like C. "Yes, ma''am," I Like C replied immediately. "Get an admission fee from anyone who wants to enter, and please look after the dungeon. That goes double for the boss. Ensure that no one else kills the boss," Han Seol ordered meticulously. "Of course." "Guildmaster, let''s go to the next spot." Han Seol, who''d finished rying orders, dragged Hernandez away. "Ok!" Hernandez rested his spear on his shoulder. "But why aren''t we going for their soul dungeons? They''re the most valuable." They had information on the Empire Guild''s soul dungeons too. However, Han Seol picked all of the ces that weren''t soul dungeons. "You have to win a Sacred Duel in order to steal a soul dungeon. Dukeram wille out on the other end. Are you confident that you can beat him?" "Yeah, I''ll win." "Say that after you''re rank 1. You''re not even rank 2 or 3; you''re rank 8." Han Seol hit him where it hurts. "That was over the line," Hernandez replied, looking sullen. "That''s just how it is." "Tch." "We don''t have time. Let''s hurry and get to the next dungeon." "Alright, I got it already!" * * * The Empire Guild wasn''t just sitting there and taking it. "Those bastards! Gather all the troops you can spare. We''re forming a squad to intercept the Storm Guild. And call all of our high rankers on standby," Jegal yelled. Sometimeter... 12 of the Empire Guild''s representatives, excluding Dukeram and their squad captains, had gathered in one ce. ck and White Sword, Ilion, Winka''s Monk, Batul, Wildfire''s Fireworks, Red Fighter, Cauron, etc. They were all distinguished individuals. Anyone who yed Arth would''ve already heard of them. "Mr. Ilion will be in charge of intercepting the Storm Guild." "Understood." Illion, a man who dual-wielded ck and white swords, nodded his head. "The Storm Guild is one of the 5 great guilds. You cannot afford to fight them head-on," Jegal insisted. "Then?" "Wait for them at our dungeons, ambush them, and then retreat." "But we won''t be able to protect our dungeons that way," Ilion said. "There''s no need. We can just reim themter. Our main priority is to buy as much time as we can, and weaken their forces. The worst case scenario is them taking our headquarters." A guild''s headquarters was their pride. And they couldn''t afford to lose everything in their treasure house, which was stored deep within the guild, no matter what! "Understood." "The Brown Bear and cier Squads will soonplete their mission and return. Please buy as much time as possible until they arrive." "Yes, sir." Then, the door opened and in came a guild member. "We''ve lost the Historic Site, Patten!" Patten was another one of their dungeons. "Then they''ll probably go after Am Temple next. No, they won''t go for our soul dungeons. It wouldn''t matter if they did. Mr. Dukeram would crush Hernandez in a Sacred Duel. Mr. Illion, please go to Red Sand Castle. They''ll go there next." "Yes, sir." "I''ll let you know if I get any new information." Ilion nodded his head. Jegal tapped Ilion''s shoulder, and looked at the rest of the high rankers. Their steadfast expressions gave him somefort. "The interception squad is ready," Jegal''s subordinate said viamunication earring. "How many did you gather?" "A little bit more than 1,200." "Please depart immediately," Jegal looked at Ilion and said. "I''ll do my best." Ilion, the high rankers, and the interception squad left headquarters. Sometimeter... Once the Storm Guild entered the giant sand castle, which looked like it was covered in blood, the Empire Guild''s interception squad ambushed them. "Attack!" Ilion yelled. "Don''t panic! Remain in formation! Start with long-range attacks!" Han Seol''s cool voice calmed their forces down. There was no chaos, no disorganization. The Storm Guild fought off the ambush as if nothing had happened. "Fight me!" "Spear King is too lofty of a title for you!" Winka''s Monk, Batul, Red Fighter, Cauron, and Wildfire''s Fireworks engaged the Spear King, Hernandez. "Haha. Finally, a challenge. Haahp!" Though it was one against three, Hernandez wasn''t being pushed back. The title, Spear King, wasn''t just for show! "Retreat," Ilion quickly yelled. The ambush had beenpletely ineffective, and his troops were slowly losing ground. Since their retreat had been nned, the interception squad quickly escaped the dungeon. "Why are they backing off so easily?" Hernandez tilted his head. Han Seol crossed her arms and thought about it. Then, her eyes gleamed. "Let''s attack their headquarters, not the dungeons." "What? Why?" "Their ambush and their strategic retreat is designed to buy time." "Buy time, huh... So they''re giving up their dungeons." "Yes. They have something more important than their dungeons. Plus, if they buy enough time, they''ll have enough forces to repel us." "So that interception squad is the best they can throw at us at the moment." "Yes." "You really are smart. Stay with me forever." "No thank you." "Why!?" "Is that even a question? You like making a mess of things, but I''m always the one who has to clean up after you." "I''ve been controlling myselftely." "Yeah, I don''t think so. Anyway, we don''t have a lot of time. Let''s head for the Empire Guild''s headquarters." "Yeah." * * * The Red Thorn Forest was surrounded by people. The Hercules Guild and its followers were to the south. The Steel Heart Guild and its followers had set up a fortress to the east. As a guild of production workers, it seemed only natural. The Breaker Guild and its allied forces were to the north. Their three squads, the Leopard Squad, the Lava Squad, and the Steel Sword Squad were all present. They assumed formation, and stoodmandingly at the front. In terms of sheer size, the Breaker Guild''s forces were thergest. The Cerberus Alliance stayed within the dungeon and didn''te outside. The four organizations watched and waited for their opportunity. Thus, nothing happened on the first day. Nothing happened on the second day either. The tension was so thick you could cut it with a knife. Considering how tense it was getting, it was clear that something would happen soon. Gaming channels like TGN or GBS had already sent people to the Red Thorn Forest. Three of the 5 great guilds had gathered here. And the Cerberus Alliance, an up-anding power, had assumed control of the dungeon. There was a high chance that these four organizations woulde to blows. This was an event that they couldn''t afford to miss. It was clear that this battle would determine the future power bnce in Arth. Perhaps one of the guilds would fall to ruin. On the third day... When the sun was going down, the Cerberus Alliance unexpectedly made the first move. They left Ecle Pce and began fighting the Hercules Guild and its followers. Why exactly was the Cerberus Alliance doing something so foolish? Why? That reason was soon revealed to them. Choosing to fight the Hercules Guild left Ecle Pce empty. Thus, the only ones with the forces to attack were the Breaker and Steel Heart Guilds. The Steel Heart Guild obviously went in. Then, the Breaker Guild attacked them. "It''s begun." "Send the footage as soon as you get it. I''ll kill you if anotherwork gets it!" "There''s no time for subtitles. Just send me all of the important stuff!" Seeing this, the gaming channels immediately recorded the guild war, and sent the footage to their team. "Breaking news! A huge battle has broken out in the Red Thorn Forest. The Cerberus Alliance and the Hercules Guild are fighting against each other, while the Breaker Guild and the Steel Heart Guild are shing head-on." "The Cerberus Alliance attacked first. It must''ve been nned, as the Breaker Guild attacked the Steel Heart guild right after. There must have been some sort of secret deal between the two which allied them together." "We''ll show you the battle momentarily. Please stay tuned, and enjoy this enormous battle!" The screen went to a forest filled with sharp, red barked trees. In-between the trees, countless people were screaming, swinging their weapons or casting spells. "Reinforce the right nk!" "I''m your opponent!" Famous yers could easily be seen throughout the battlefield too. The ck Lion, Raon, God Hand, Arthand, and Sage Shion drew the most excitement. People were charmed by their natural charisma and skill. The ck Lion, Raon, was a wall of despair. His body, which was farrger than the average yer''s, killed several people. Arthand''sbat prowess was incredible, so much so that it was hard to believe that he was a cksmith. Whenever he swung his hammer, he would break swords and armor to pierces. ''Ah. They called him a Battle cksmith before he became popr as a craftsman.'' People began to recollect Arthand''s old name and nodded their heads. Battle cksmith! An existence that was capable of drawing out the full power of his equipment. An overgeared individual was probably the most powerful individual. Shion could show his true abilities in arge-scale battle like this. He summoned giant trees, roots, and carnivorous nts to ruin his enemies'' formation, and cast AoE healing spells with a huge radius. Moreover, his spell, ''Transmigration of Souls'', was a technique that only he could perform. There were some individuals that gave just as strong of an impression as the three guilds'' leaders. Steel Heart''s Nile! He was the only yer who hadn''t died to the ck Lion, Raon. However, Nile wasn''t a high ranker. He was so skilled, however, that people believed he may one day enter the Numbers. Was he the 2nd Bart? The Breaker Guild''s Snow Flower yed a huge role too. Her weapon, the Reaper of Souls, was truly an overpowered weapon. Of course, her skills allowed her to wield that weapon to its full potential. The Cerberus Alliance''s leaders, Jairus, Lee Tan, and Lion Heart, were reevaluated. They were showing skills far beyond people''s expectations. Several other strong yers showed what they were made of too. At the same time, countless yers were dying too. They were lucky it was a game. If this was a war in real life, then it would''ve been gruesome. Hacked or burned corpsesy across the battle. Some of the corpses were dried up husks like mummies. There were obviously some corpses that had been hit by so many arrows that they looked like hedgehogs. In no time at all, the sky started to get dark. "Stop!" "Everyone back off." "We''re returning to Ecle Pce!" "Retreat!" As if they''d made prior arrangements, the four organizations ceased hostilities and returned to their encampments. No one could be considered the winner at this point in time. There were no overwhelming winners or losers, after all. However, one of the organizations was on a high. It was the Cerberus Alliance. "Haha, you all fought well." "Good work." "Let''s do our best tomorrow too." The fact that they were able to fight the Hercules Guild to standstill was a huge confidence booster. The next day... The four organizations fought, and they fought the next day too. However, there were still no clear winners or losers. There were signs that it''d be a prolonged war. Then, the intermediate and small guilds that hadn''t involved themselves entered the war, and the battle only becamerger as time passed. * * * Kang Oh ate lunch with Asu. "Did you see Raon and Nile''s fight?" "Of course. It was amazing." "Who do you think the final victor will be?" "I''m not sure. The Breaker Guild looked the strongest to me." The yers at the table beside them kept talking about the battle in the Red Thorn Forest. "They must be fighting every day," Asu said. "There are several greedy dogs out there, but only one delicious bone. This war was inevitable." "That so?" "Yeah. I''m d your guildmaster gave up on Ecle Pce. If she hadn''t, then you all would''ve been at the center of it." "You said she could get it back." "Yeah, we''ll definitely get it back. After I punish the Hercules Guild for hurting my girl." Kang Oh was waiting for the right moment. "How?" "I''m going to steal the bones they''re hiding in their closet." "What are you talking about?" "You''ll see." Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 388. Kang is on the Move

Chapter 388. Kang is on the Move

Trantor: Boko yers battled in the Red Thorn Forest day after day. The Breaker Guild and the Cerberus Alliance were steadily gaining the upper hand. It was because the Cerberus Alliance and the Breaker Guild had joined forces. The Cerberus Alliance sought to retain ownership of the Ecle Pce, while the Breaker Guild''s main goal was to weaken everyone else. Steel Heart and Hercules had simr goals. They wanted the Ecle Pce''s mysterious scroll! Moreover, their leaders were extremely prideful, so neither side wanted to be the first to ask for help. Thus, they couldn''t beat thebined might of the Breaker Guild and the Cerberus Alliance. When they were driven into a corner, things changed. If they lost this war, then they would have bigger problems than not obtaining the Ecle Pce and the mysterious scroll. The losing side would have to pay huge reparations! It''d be enough topletely bankrupt a guild. Would they even be able to make aeback after losing so much money and resources? They would also lose their position as one of the 5 great guilds. Ultimately, it was a matter of survival. Arthand and Shion knew their guilds were at risk, so they joined forces. "Let''s beat them first." "Yes." It was morning, a week after the outbreak of war. * * * News that the Storm Guild had attacked the Empire Guild''s headquarters spread like wildfire. They had almost conquered it too. "They would''ve been in a lot of trouble if Dukeram hadn''t shown up." ''Almost'' was the key word. The Storm Guild''s elites had made it all the way to the Empire Guild''s treasure house. But then, Dukeram, the Brown Bear Squad, and the cier Squad appeared. With their help, the Empire Guild was able to repel the Storm Guild. It was said that Dukeram''s role had been huge. He had defeated the Spear King, Hernandez. However, footage of the battle couldn''t be found anywhere. The Storm Guild had lost, so they didn''t want people seeing it. On the other hand, the Empire Guild was embarrassed that their enemies had gotten so deep, so they too didn''t show the footage. Although their attack had failed, the Storm Guild had managed to steal the Empire Guild''s dungeons, which was their main source of ie. Thus, they hadn''t lost out in this exchange. As the Empire Guild couldn''t afford to pull out of the civil war, they had no choice but to grit their teeth and allow the Storm Guild to do as they pleased. With this, the battle between tworge guilds quietly came to an end. * * * The Oracle Guild was one of the guilds working alongside the Hercules Guild. They were an intermediate guild, but they had a close rtionship with the Hercules Guild, so they rode on their coattails and acted quite arrogant. Moreover, they owned a dungeon, which didn''t suit the guild''s small size. Alkartan''s Nest! An Alkartan was a bird with steel wings. If you kill one, they drop a Steel Wing. Melting this down would produce the highest grade steel. High quality steel had infinite uses. This dungeon, which allowed you to safely procure a steady supply of high quality steel, was essentially a gold mine. It wasn''t a dungeon that should belong to an insignificant intermediate guild like the Oracle Guild. The dungeon would''ve been stolen a long time ago had it not been for the Hercules Guild''s protection. ''Moreover, there''s a high chance that this is a soul dungeon.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed as he stared at the entrance. It was rumored that Alkartan''s Nest was a soul dungeon. There was one huge clue that''d tell you if a dungeon was a soul dungeon or not. If the dungeon''s interior noticeably changed, then there was a high chance that it was a soul dungeon. The dungeon''s master either changed theyout of the dungeon, or expanded it. Of course, there were some dungeons that changed, even without being soul dungeons. However, those dungeons were quite rare. Anyhow, Alkartan''s Nest looked a lot different than when it had first been revealed to the world. It waspletely different! As the owner of three soul dungeons himself, Kang Oh knew what set a soul dungeon apart from a normal dungeon. And all those features applied to Alkartan''s Nest. ''The soul dungeon''s guardian is within a hidden dungeon. However, a guardian is about as strong as a boss monster. Thus, there''s a high chance that bossless dungeons are soul dungeons.'' It was widespread knowledge that Alkartan''s Nest didn''t contain a boss monster. He was about 90% sure that this was a soul dungeon. "Let''s get going." Kang Oh nced back. Sephiro looked hesitant, while Asu looked ready and willing. "Are you really taking that? Oracle is under Hercules'' protection. The Hercules Guild is one of the 5 great guilds!" Sephiro didn''t have a strong backer behind him. He didn''t like working inrge groups, so he hadn''t joined a guild. Because of that, he was free to enjoy the game as he pleased. Conversely, it meant that he would need to keep an eye out for therge guilds sometimes. When they looked your way, you had to kneel down and surrender. He didn''t want them to target him. Sephiro felt the same way now too. He didn''t want to mess with the Hercules Guild for no reason. "Don''t you remember almost dying to the Empire Guild''s Assassination Squad? You know, the one that came after us because we killed Kainshell''s boss?" Sephiro asked. "That went well, didn''t it?" Back then, he''d asked Burkan for help. With his help, they showed the Empire Guild''s Brown Bear Squad and its leader, Ridgeley, who''s boss. Was the Mad Dog, Kraal there too? "Went well? The Empire Guild''s probably just waiting to kill us." "I wee it. We''re already being targeted by the Empire Guild, so what''s one more?" "What do you mean ''what''s one more?''? It''ll get even worse!" "Either way, you''re on my side, Mr. Sephiro. Do you think you''ll be safe if I make a mess of things?" It was spread far and wide that Sephiro was one of Kang Oh''spanions. "That''s why I''m trying to stop you." "You want me to just sit here? They hurt my girlfriend. I can''t let that pass." It was as ifsers wereing out of his eyes. Asu, who''d been quietly listening in, said, "Mr. Sephiro, if you can''t avoid it, then just enjoy it." She patted his shoulder. Once he got involved with Kang Oh, his fate was sealed. "Ahem." Sephiro bit his lip. Gyu! As if trying tofort him, Waryong rubbed its cheek against his pants. "Alright, let''s go." Sephiro gave up. "You were always going to say yes. Why even bother saying no?" "What?" "Never mind. Let''s go." Kang Oh strode forward, and a pouting Sephiro followed him. Asu sported a cold expression. She couldn''t forgive the Hercules Guild; they''d killed her fellow guild members, who were like family to her. * * * They approached Alkartan''s Nest, but they were stopped by two of Oracle''s guild members. "Sorry, but you can''t go in." "Yeah, just leave." Kang Oh looked them over. ''You small fry.'' He took another step forward. "Phew." Sephiro sighed. "I said stop! If you don''t, then you won''t like what I do!" "Seems like you don''t know who we are... We''re the Oracle Guild, a guild allied with the Hercules Guild!" Kang Oh snorted. It waspletely ridiculous. "Call for reinforcements," one of them said. He had sensed something off about Kang Oh. "Got it." "If you take another step, then I''ll attack!" Kang Oh immediately took another step forward. "This is your fault!" The Oracle guild member thrust his spear. It was so slow that he wanted to yawn. However, Kang Oh didn''t avoid it. Stab! [You have been attacked while defenseless.] [This counts as self-defense.] [Hostility with the Oracle Guild has increased.] [If hostility is maxed, then you can kill each other without bing a criminal.] Kang Oh raised his fist. It felt wasteful to even use his sword. Whoosh! Whack! Kang Oh''s fist struck the guild member''s face. "Shit!" the guild member cursed. He was only punched once, but he had lost half of his HP. At the same time, Asu rushed in and shed with her sword. If a teammate is attacked, then self-defense applies to everyone in the party. Thus, she had nothing to worry about. Swish! Her de was sharp. Aside from her singing and dancing practice, her time on TV, and her dates with Kang Oh, she spent all of her time ying Arth. Moreover, Kang Oh gave her a Potion of Explosive Growth every month, allowing her to grow extremely quickly. Her current level was 312. It wasn''t really that high of a level, but it wasn''t low either. It was right in the middle. Asu was quite skilled, so she was able to move better than her level would suggest. "Ugh," the guild member cried out. Whizz. A harpoon-like arrow flew through the air, and struck the top of his head. That was all it took. Kang Oh''s second punch finished off the second guild member too. [You overdid it.] [Notoriety has increased.] [Hostility with the Oracle Guild is increasing quickly.] Kang Oh''s party stomped on the fallen bodies, and made their way into the dungeon. [Entering the dungeon, Alkartan''s Nest.] "It''s him!" "An intruder!" Several Oracle guild members rushed out. "Let''s take them out quickly and then search for the hidden dungeon." Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Blood. He''d recently been dual-wielding, but his opponents were too weak to warrant using both swords. "Who are you?" "Who do you think you are!?" "If you leave now, we''ll let it go!" The Oracle Guild kept spewing crap. Kang Oh just kicked off the floor, and got in the middle of them. "Whatever, attack!" The Oracle guild members swung their weapons at Kang Oh. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh''s body became faint, leaving behind an afterimage wherever he moved. At the same time, he smoothly swung his sword. Mad Wind''s Sword! Once, twice, thrice... The more he attacked, the faster Demon Sword Blood became. "Kuhaahk!" "Uheok!" It was a one-sided ughter. Asu and Sephiro didn''t really need to intervene, but Asu leapt into the air and sliced through one of them anyway. Waryong spewed mes, and Sephiro began actively participating, realizing that it was toote for regrets. The battle ended instantly. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party walked through the dungeon. He meticulously examined every inch of Alkartan''s Nest. If this was really a soul dungeon, then his Hyper Intuition would surely activate. * * * Then... Oracle''s guildmaster, Otler, learned about the invaders. Dozens of his guild members were in the Red Thorn Forest, fighting alongside the Hercules Guild. - Gather our members and take care of him. I''m fighting a war right now. Do I really have to deal with this right now? Deal with it yourself! - But they''re saying he''s extremely strong. Our guild members were killed instantly. We need the Hercules Guild''s help. - We don''t know when the fighting will start up again. We''re not in a situation where we can send you troops. So try dealing with it on your own. If you can''t stop him, then I''ll let Hercules'' guildmaster know. - Understood. Sometimeter... Otler received apletely unexpected system message. [Alkartan''s Nest''s guardian, Alkatrasha, has been defeated.] [A Sacred Duel, which will determine the dungeon''s master, will now begin.] [Your proxy, Excal of the Hercules Guild, will fight the Sacred Duel in your ce.] [If Excal refuses to take part in the Sacred Duel, then you will have to take his ce.] [Excal has epted the Sacred Duel.] [The Sacred Duel will soon begin.] [Would you like to go to Alkartan''s Nest?] Just in case, Otler had made Excal, one of Hercules'' high rankers, his proxy. ''That was a good idea.'' He knew his limits. Without Shion, he was nothing! However, he was really good at ttering people. "I''m not going," Otler said. Excal will be able to deal with the intruder. Him going there wouldn''t help. But only a few minutester... He saw a shocking message. [Excal has been defeated.] [Ownership of Alkartan''s Nest has been transferred.] [The Oracle Guild and any guild associated with it cannot enter Alkartan''s Nest for a week.] "What!?" Someone of Excal''s caliber lost!? He was called the Armored Shark, and was a master at wielding serrated knives! Yet Excal had lost in only a few minutes t!? ''What''s going on?'' Otler felt like this was all a nightmare. ''If it''s a dream, then please let me wake up from it!'' However, it wasn''t a dream; it was reality. He realized how grave the situation was, so he looked for Shion. He needed to tell him what had happened. At that moment... "Those Cerberus bastards areing!" "It''s the Cerberus Alliance!" "Everyone, prepare for battle!" They battled with the Cerberus Alliance once more. Chapter 389. Burglary (1)

Chapter 389. Burry (1)

Trantor: Boko The eighth day of the war. In order to turn things around, the Hercules and Steel Heart guilds joined forces. They used the first part of their names (''he'' and the Korean word for steel), forming the Hegang Alliance. Because it had the power and influence of two of the 5 great guilds, yers continuously joined their cause. It was a massive, never before seen gathering of yers. It was tough to get an exact count, but it seemed like they had more than 100,000 yers. The Breaker Guild and the Cerberus Alliance had also officially joined forces. The alliance was named after the ck Lion, Raon, due to his incredible charisma. The Raon Alliance was evenrger than the Hegang Alliance. After all, they were already superior before, and now they had joined forces. Of course, that didn''t mean they couldpletely overwhelm their enemies. Moreover, Steel Heart, Hercules, Breaker, and Cerberus hadn''t yet shown everything up their sleeves. Ultimately, no one knew who was stronger. You''d have to watch till the very end! On the Ekrast ins, where the Red Thorn Forest was located...! Thousands of gs fluttered in the wind. The Raon Alliance''s gs were ck, while the Hegang Alliance''s gs were silver. "All forces, charge!" Raon, the Raon Alliance''smander in chief, raised his right fist. "All-out attack!" Arthand raised his hammer into the air. The first battle between the Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance had begun. * * * In the darkness of night, the moon''s brilliance was obscured by the clouds in the sky. However, countless spheres of light filled the air, illuminating the Ekrast ins. "You tiresome bastards!" "Just hold on a little longer!" "Let''s survive this!" Countless people were tangled together, fighting for their lives. Obviously, magic and arrows flew across the battlefield. Toxic powder, projectile weapons, and beasts either summoned by Summoners or trained by Tamers, roamed the battlefield. "I''m Dubal from the Breaker Guild! Come at me!" "Hmph. You''re barely a high ranker. I, Barros, will take you on!" "Lava Squad, we''re piercing through!" "Steel Dragon Squad, raise your shields! We can''t let them get through!" "Crush them all!" "Don''t let them get through!" Elites and squads on either side shed head-on. Meanwhile, their leaders focused entirely onmanding their troops, rather than participate directly in battle. "Gpas, I need you to take Poseidon''s Fury and reinforce the right nk!" Hercules'' leader, Shion, pointed at the right nk with his staff. "Yes, sir!" Poseidon''s Fury''s leader, Gpas, slightly bowed his head, answered curtly, and immediately followed his orders. "Poseidon''s Fury! Follow me!" "Dukal, I need you and your squad to break their formation." Shion pointed at another yer. "Yes, sir!" "Bring the injured and the incapacitated to the rear. Battle Smiths, go around the battlefield and repair our troops'' equipment! Healers, what are you doing!? Hurry up and cast an AoE healing spell! We won''t lose!" Arthand yelled, raising his giant fist into the air. Raon watched the battle from atop a giant rhinoceros. Kuheong! A booming roar rang out. Lion''s Roar! [You have been granted the courage of a lion.] [You have ovee your fear.] [Allbat-rted abilities have increased slightly.] "Steel Sword Squad, Jairus Guild, advance forward! Snow Flower, take the Leopard Squad and break through enemy lines. I need ck Sword and White Lion on the right nk!" "Yes, sir!" Raon''s squads were well-trained, so they moved ordingly. This was a huge battle with more than 200,000 yers! "Uhaahk!" "Die!" "Shit. We need reinforcements!" "Healing! I need healing over here!" Several yers died amidst the chaos, and fell onto the cold floor. ng! ng! Bam! Bam! Whack! ng! ng! Bam, bam, bam! Bam! Whizz! The battlefield was filled with the sounds of explosions, people''s screams, their rough breathing, curses, and the sound of metal upon metal. There was a strange bnce to it all. "Aah, viewers. Please take a look at this heroic battle! You can''t afford to miss it!" "Let me briefly exin what''s happening. The Raon Alliance looks a bit stronger... The Hegang Alliance has just fought back!" "I have no idea who''ll win! So please keep watching till the very end!" The gaming channels'' correspondents were showing the entire world what was happening via live stream. Even the public TVworks were showing it. They postponed their regr programs in order to show this instead. The foreignworks did the exact same thing. The world''s attention waspletely fixed on this battle. * * * While everyone else was focused on the battle in the Ekrast ins... Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Asu hade to Faussman''s Laboratory. This was owned by the Hwarang Guild, a guild affiliated with the Hercules Guild. Unlike the Oracle Guild, the Hwarang Guild was quite a powerful intermediate guild. They were powerful enough to seize this dungeon and then protect it with their own troops. Of the various guilds that supported the Hercules Guild, the Hwarang Guild was the strongest. Their gatekeepers were in another leaguepared to the ones they''d seen in Alkartan''s Nest. There were more than ten of them too. One of them was a ranker in the 8,000s, Kimchi Dumpling. However, the result was much the same. Blood was too fast and powerful. Sephiro, who''d fought alongside Kang Oh for some time, had skills befitting a high ranker. Though his level, feats, and fame weren''t nearly enough to enter the high rankers. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned. Asu''s sword was fierce, as she carried a grudge against the Hercules Guild. "Ugh, invaders..." "Reinforcements!" "This is impossible. How could I be defeated so easily..." Kimchi Dumpling saved face bysting longer than anyone else. Kang Oh''s party immediately entered the dungeon. [You have entered the dungeon, Faussman''s Laboratory.] Kyahahk! Faussman''s creations came rushing at them. But after getting beat up, they ran with their tails between their legs. Kang Oh examined the dungeon as he advanced forward. He hade here for the same reason he''de to Alkartan''s Nest. Kang Oh wanted to steal a soul dungeon from a guild that was affiliated with the Hercules Guild! Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s eyes shined. ''This is it.'' It was a portrait of the lunatic, Faussman. Once he saw the portrait, he felt like something was off about it. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh thoroughly examined the portrait and even touched it. "O-Oppa," Asu suddenly said, her voice shaking. "What is it?" "T-That portrait''s eyes just... moved." She pointed at the portrait''s eyes. "Huh?" Kang Oh stared at its eyes. However, it didn''t move at all. "It''s not moving." "I didn''t notice anything," Sephiro said. Gyaa! Waryong didn''t care either way. It was busy stomping on cockroaches and ying around. "That''s weird... They definitely moved." Asu''s eyes shook. "So they really did move, huh." "Yes... but I may have seen wrong." Asu''s voice steadily lost confidence. "Ok." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. "The handsome, greatest schr in history, Mr. Faussman?" Kang Oh said something strange all of a sudden. What he said definitely didn''t fit a person like Faussman, who was a lunatic that captured countless people and forced them to undergo horrific experiments! However, the portrait''s lips slightly curled upwards. "O-Oppa!" Asu shook. ''It definitely moved! I''m sure of it this time!'' "The handsome, manly, popr, and rich Mr. Faussman?" "Hahaha." Ultimately, the portrait beganughing. Then, Kang Oh''s attitude slightly changed. He suddenly shoved Ubist in front of the portrait! "Get that sword away from me this instant!" Faussman''s portrait yelled in shock. ''As expected, it''s a Ghost-Possessed Portrait.'' A Ghost-Possessed Portrait was just another monster. They would normally disguise themselves as portraits, but they were actually just monsters! It was only natural that it''d feel so scared of Demon Sword Ubist, as it was the mortal enemy of ghost-type monsters. "If you don''t want me to rip you to shreds with this sword, then open the hidden passageway," Kang Oh said murderously. "Don''t make meugh! Do you have any idea who I..." Faussman''s portrait strongly declined, but Kang Oh cut him off by cutting him with Ubist. "Kuhaahk!" the portrait screamed as red shards of light burst out. ''Physical attacks shouldn''t work on me, so why did that attack affect me?'' Faussman couldn''t understand what had just happened. Moreover, he felt such extreme pain; it felt like his body was ripped in half! "Will you open it or not?" Kang Oh scowled and waved around Demon Sword Ubist. ''I can kill you anytime!'' "I-I''ll open it. So please just let me live." Faussman''s portrait waved the white g. "You should''ve started with that." Sephiro just shook his head. ''I thought he''d gotten a bit nicertely, but a person''s true nature doesn''t change.'' Kang Oh threatening someone really fit his character! Rumble! The portrait was pushed to the side, revealing a dark passageway in-between. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Adelia''s Resting ce.] However...! All of a sudden, yers came out of the tunnel and attacked Kang Oh''s party. "Kill the intruders!" "Keep attacking!" It was the Hwarang Guild. They were reserve troops that hadn''t joined the war. When they heard that there were intruders, they immediately teleported to the hidden dungeon via transfer magic circle, and waited for Kang Oh''s party from within the hidden passageway. Moreover, there were 100 of them. However, they had ambushed the wrong man. Kang Oh had gone through all sorts of hardships, which included fighting in the air. Not only that, but he had his trusty Hyper Intuition too! What use would an ambush be against someone like that! With Blood in his left hand, and Ubist in his right, Kang Oh bounced forward like a spring. Festival of Blood! Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! A blue st of lightning shot out of Blood, which had transformed into a blood cross. At the same time, his jet-ck de released a golden aura that dashed forward! Bam! Boom! "Uhaahk!" "Holy shit!" The 12 Hwarang guild members in front were caught in his attacks, and flew everywhere. "He''s strong! Keep your guard up!" One Hwarang member encouraged his fellow teammates. However, there was one member that did the exact opposite. "This skill... I''ve seen it before. It''s Kang Oh''s technique! And that''s Kang Oh''s jet-ck de! It''s Kang Oh! Predator Kang Oh has shown up!" he yelled like a crazy person. "What?" "Of all people, it had to be Kang Oh?" "Damn it, it''s one of the Numbers!" "Why is he going for us?" Their morale had hit rock bottom. That''s how intimidating Numbers rank 4, Predator Kang Oh, was. "Ah, screw it. We can''t just stand around and let him kill us! Attack!" the guild member that''d encouraged them yelled. "Damn it, do or die!" "Let''s do our best. He bleeds just like you and me." However, Kang Oh had gotten right in the middle of them. Asu and Sephiro were starting to move too. Mad Wind''s Sword! His des danced in the air. At first, it was just a gentle breeze, but it gradually became a gale. However, this was only the beginning. The beginning of what would eventually be a typhoon! Asu''s de and Sephiro''s arrows were added into the mix too. "Attack!" "Shit!" "Die!" Hwarang''s guild members screamed and counterattacked. They cast spells, shot arrows, and threws and hooks at them. They even used poison. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh''s movements were the very definition of shy. Whenever he moved, he left behind an afterimage, which his enemies would then attack. At the same time, he swung his swords with power, speed, and precision. Kang Oh mercilessly struck at their weak points as indicated by his Hyper Intuition. Countless shards of light spilled from the bodies. They were mostly red; asionally, ck shards would burst out too. "Why is he so stro..." Stab! The guild member was unable to finish, as Kang Oh''s red de had pierced his throat. His face turned ashen right after. "We can''t beat him by ourselves. We need our elites that are in the Red Thorn Forest!" "R-Retreat!" The gap between them was toorge. Ultimately, the surviving Hwarang guild members had no choice but to run away. However, Kang Oh had no intention of leaving a single one of them alive. After all, they were helping the Hercules Guild, and the Hercules Guild had killed Asu! A massive pir of darkness shot out from Demon Sword Ubist. Evesting Darkness! Kang Oh swung his sword horizontally. Swish! "Kuheok!" "S-Save me..." The deep darkness consumed everyst one of them. None of them survived. Chapter 390. Burglary (2)

Chapter 390. Burry (2)

Trantor: Boko "Let''s go." Kang Oh, who''d killed all of the Hwarang guild members here, went into the hidden dungeon with Asu and Sephiro in tow. [You have entered the hidden dungeon, Adelia''s Resting ce.] Sometimeter... Once they made their way through the entire hidden dungeon, they found themselves in front of the dungeon''s master. Adelia was a beautiful, six-winged woman. Her eyes were covered by eye-patches, and she had pointy ears and flowing golden hair. Of course, they couldn''t let her beautiful looks deceive them. Each of Adelia''s wings possessed a unique and dangerous ability. "Visitors?" Adelia said calmly. "That''s right. Are you this dungeon''s guardian?" Kang Oh asked politely. "Indeed. I am Adelia. I was given the sacred duty of managing this dungeon by the great Dungeon Master." Adelia slightly bowed her head. ''Dungeon Master.'' His guardians had mentioned him before. Apparently, the ''Dungeon Master'' created the soul dungeons. However, this individual had disappeared without a trace, so no one knew where he was at the moment. "My name is Kang Oh. These are mypanions, Sephiro and Asu." "It''s a pleasure." Adelia smiled. "I''d like to be the soul dungeon''s owner," Kang Oh said. "If you wish to be the soul dungeon''s owner, then bring me a Divine Feather." "A Divine Feather?" Sephiro tilted his head. ''What is that?'' "It''s one of Lady Gracius''s feathers. Her wings are greater than any other. And once a year, she flies through the air and drops one of her feathers." "Gracius..." Kang Oh had seen the Protector of Life, Gracius, before. She lived in the Temple of Life, which resided within the flying city, Grand Lotus. Thus, he could go there and ask Gracius for a feather. If not, he could ask Man Bok to procure one for him. However, there was an easier way. "I apologize, but I''m going to take it by force." Kang Oh drew his demon swords. "That can also serve as proof that you''re qualified." Adelia remained calm, despite Kang Oh''s change in attitude. Stretch! Adelia stretched out her six wings. Each of these wings allowed her to use a different ability: gravity, vibration, explosion, wind, luck, and death. Whoosh! Her gravity wing glowed. Then, the gravity around Kang Oh changed. Slow! Itpletely missed him. Kang Oh had already left the area. His Hyper Intuition had warned him of the danger beforehand, so he had quickly gotten out of the way. Whizz! Sephiro''s arrow flew through the air. Adelia''s explosion wing glowed. Boom! The arrow was caught in an explosion, breaking it into pieces. Asu rushed forward. This time, Adelia''s wind wing glowed. Whoosh! A whirlwind rose from the ground. Asu bit her lip and threw herself to the side. Bam! Adelia forcefully pped her vibration wing. A shockwave rippled outwards. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist diagonally. Tempest Tiger! A giant tiger flew straight at Adelia, ripping right through the shockwave. This time, Adelia''s luck wing began to shine. All of a sudden, the ceiling crumbled and rocks fell over her head. However, none of the debris so much as touched her. Boom! Tempest Tiger struck the debris instead of her, creating a huge dust cloud. At that moment... He didn''t feel a chill; he actually shivered. Kang Oh immediately threw himself out of the way. A hole suddenly appeared where he''d been standing. Hole of Death! Anyone who falls into this hole dies no matter what. That was the power of Adelia''s death wing. Asu suddenly knelt to the floor. "Ugh." Gravity Shackles! With the power of her gravity wing, Adelia increased the gravity around Asu. She couldn''t move a muscle. Whoosh! All of a sudden, a giant whirlwind appeared, which devoured both Sephiro and Waryong. Whirlwind Prison! Waryong spewed its mes, while Sephiro shot arrows. However, they couldn''t get out of the prison. Asu, Sephiro, and Waryong wouldn''t be able to move for at least 2 minutes. Tap. Adelia walked through the dust cloud, her six wings outstretched. "It''s not toote. Leave and bring me a Divine Feather," Adelia said mercifully. "Why?" Kang Oh asked. "You saw my power." Adelia pointed at Asu, who was being pushed down by gravity, and Sephiro, who was trapped in the whirlwind. Adelia hated killing, so she was giving them a chance to leave. "I saw. I''ll finish this in 5 minutes." Kang Oh was clearly provoking her. However, it was also the truth. Adelia''s six heterogeneous wings were powerful, no doubt about that. However, Adelia left herself wide open. At least in Kang Oh''s opinion, that is. "If you can''t beat me within 5 minutes, then leave." Kang Oh''s provocation had no effect on her. "Fine by me." Kang Oh grinned. His ck and red demon swords wrapped him in their energy. Devil Trigger! Demonic horns jutted out of his head, dark red wings protruded from his back, and his body was covered in bone armor as red as blood. As always, a beautiful tail swished behind him. The Dual Demon had appeared! That wasn''t all. Kang Oh pulled out a BB-rank mass-produced steel sword from his inventory. Gluttony! All of his abilities were increased twofold! Kang Oh emitted an ominous and dangerous dark red energy. Adelia''s expression stiffened. She realized that Kang Oh wasn''t the same as before. Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor and charged right at her. Adelia fought him using the power of her six wings. Dual Demon Kang Oh! Six-winged Adelia! It was like the battle between an angel and a demon. * * * Once Gravity Shackles and Whirlwind Prison''s time was up, Asu, Sephiro, and Waryong were able to move again. They got ready to attack Adelia, but there was no reason to get involved. Overwhelming! The demon was clearly winning the battle. "Hoo, Mr. Kang Oh really is crazy strong," Sephiro muttered, looking upon Kang Oh''s transformed state. Gyaa. Waryong nodded its head. "Right!?" Asu beamed from beside him. ''As expected of Oppa!'' "He loves money a little too much. Plus, he sometimes acts like a gangster, and forces me to work too much like apany president. He likes doing bad stuff, but his skill is undeniable." "Excuse me!?" Asu red at him. "What is it? Did I say something wrong?" Sephiro stared right into her eyes. His eyes werepletely unwavering. Why? Because he was saying the irrefutable truth! "No, you''re right. That''s him in a nutshell." Asu had to acknowledge it. "I suppose he can be reasonable. At his core, he''s not a bad person," Sephiro said. There were some really bad people in the world. The type of people that stomped on others for the sake of their own pleasure and ambitions! Whenpared to people like that, Kang Oh was just bad enough. "You''re right." Asu nodded her head. While the two were discussing Kang Oh''s pros/cons, Kang Ohpletely gained the upper hand against Adelia. Adelia''s abilities were astounding. However, she couldn''t match up to Kang Oh. After all, he was using his Hyper Intuition in tandem with Gluttony, Devil Trigger, Festival of Blood, Transcendent de, and Mad Wind''s Sword. Moreover, Kang Oh''s experience, abilities, and senses were far greater than Adelia''s. Adelia fought till the bitter end, but she couldn''t prevent her defeat. Ultimately, Demon Sword Ubist reached her neck. "I lost," Adelia proimed and folded her wings. "Please give me the soul stone," Kang Oh retracted his sword and said. "Understood." Her chest glowed with light, and the soul stone popped out of it. Snatch. Kang Oh snatched the soul stone and gripped it tightly. [You have grabbed an owned soul stone.] [A Sacred Duel will now begin to determine the dungeon''s master.] [The victor can only be determined in a one-on-one fight. No one else can help you.] [Summoning Faussman''s Laboratory''s master.] [10] [9] ... [2] [1] [The soul dungeon''s master has appeared!] A bright pir of light surged into the air, and a man walked out of it. He wore light ck armor, and steel gloves on his hands. This was Hwarang''s guildmaster, Muhorang. He was a Fighter, and he was a middle ranker in the 500s. [The Sacred Duel has begun.] [If your opponent''s HP reaches 0 or they surrender, then you win.] [You have one hour toplete the fight. If you cannot defeat the dungeon''s master within 1 hour, then the duel will end in your defeat.] [All skill, spell, and item effect cooldowns have been reset. They are only reset during the Sacred Duel. They will go back on cooldown once the Sacred Duel ends.] A ring of light appeared on the ground. Sephiro and Asu, who weren''t part of the one-on-one fight, were pushed out of the ring. "It is you. Numbers Kang Oh," Muhorang said after looking him over. "C''mon," Kang Oh curtly said. ''I''m a busy guy. Let''s finish this quickly.'' "Why are you attacking our guild? Are you aiming for our soul dungeon? Do you have any idea what''ll happen? When the war''s over, our guild and the Hercules Guild won''t let you go scot free." Muhorang snarled. At that moment... Demon Sword Blood was colored blood red. Festival of Blood! At the same time... Transcendent de! Demon Sword Ubist shed. "Keok!" Muhorang widened his eyes, seeing the jet-ck de embedded in his heart. Huge shards of light burst from the wound. "You crazy bastard!" Muhorang counterattacked. A powerful energy surged from his fist. Tiger Strike! Kang Oh immediately bent back. A roaring tiger grazed the bangs of his hair. He immediately swung Blood upwards. sh! A white line followed his blood red sword! His de cleaved right through the center of Muhorang''s body. "Uaahk!" Muhorang screamed and swung both his fists. Explosive Fist! Bam, bam, bam! Every punch created a small explosion. Moon''s Protection. Kang Oh''s ne glowed, and his body was surrounded by a full moon shaped barrier. Muhorang stopped punching, and opened his arms wide. His steel gloves began to umte purple energy. Rapid Charge! His gloves would increase his abilities proportional to how much energy he gathered. He was finished charging by the time Kang Oh''s barrier faded. Muhorang gritted his teeth, and swung his fist again. True Fist of Ruin! This was his most powerful skill. His body unleashed yellow energy everywhere like an avnche. Kang Oh crossed his swords in an X, and then softly swung them. Mad Wind''s Sword! His sixth swing was apanied by a Darkness Strike. A jet-ck beast shot out of Ubist, and Blood likewise unleashed a shining, scarlet bat-shaped wave. Bam! Bam! He had poked holes through Fist of Ruin''s yellow energy. "No way!" Muhorang widened his eyes. To think he''d be able to block his Fist of Ruin after he''d strengthened it with Rapid Charge! Kang Oh continuously swung his des, and sliced through Muhorang''s body. Swish, sh, swish, sh, swish! "I''ll get you for this!" Muhorang said before he died. Stab! Once his de went through Muhorang''s body, he fell to the floor. Kang Oh looked down at the ashen Muhorang, and slowly lowered his swords. [You have defeated the dungeon''s master in a Sacred Duel.] [You are now the master of the soul dungeon, Faussman''s Laboratory.] [As punishment for losing the Sacred Duel, Muhorang and the Hwarang Guild cannot enter Faussman''s Laboratory for a week.] Kang Oh turned around. "Adelia." "It''s nice to meet you, my new master." Adelia bowed her head. "Take care of the dungeon. And please activate the magic circle too." "Understood." Kang Oh stared at Asu and Sephiro. "Let''s go." Then, he stepped onto the transfer magic circle. ''I''ll take them all.'' His housebreaking had only just begun. There was still a ton of delicious food left. Chapter 391. Burglary (3)

Chapter 391. Burry (3)

Trantor: Boko The first battle in the Ekrast ins between the Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance ended in a draw. It was only natural. It wasn''t a war that would end in a single day or two. Once the battle ended, Hercules'' leader, Shion, gathered the Hegang Alliance''s leaders. "What were our casualties?" Arthand asked. "We lost 20,000 soldiers. Of course, they revived and returned to their squads," Paton replied. He was acting as the Hegang Alliance''s advisor. "What about their losses?" "Around 15 to 20,000." "So we took a bit more damage than they did." Arthand, who was over 2 meters tall, clenched his fist. "You can''t look at it from a pure numbers standpoint. What matters is how much damage our crucial forces sustained." A battle among yers that couldn''t bepletely killed! Though it appeared like a battle without end, it was actually the opposite. Not only would dying yers incur a debuff, but their level and skill proficiency would take a huge hit. Thus, each battle would weaken both sides. At some point, the scales would tip in one side''s favor, and that''s when the final victor would be determined. In other words, their most important task was reducing their losses, especially with regards to their most crucial forces. "Then who took more damage on that front?" Arthand asked. "It''s about even." "Then our core forces are on even footing with theirs. Though in terms of sheer size, they''re slightlyrger than us." "Indeed. However, their size will prove to be an issue," Paton said. "It probably will." "So I have a suggestion." "What is it?" Shion, who''d been quietly listening in, said. "The Empire Guild is participating in the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war, and the Hercules Guild, Steel Heart Guild, and the Breaker Guild are all here in the Ekrast ins. Thest of the 5 great guilds, the Storm Guild, hasn''t joined either side. We have to drag them to our side," Paton said. If the Storm Guild allied with the Hegang Alliance, then the bnce of power would shift in their favor. "Hmm, the Storm Guild, huh. Aren''t they fighting the Empire Guild right now?" Shion asked. "Their dispute ended quietly. It ended with the Storm Guild stealing 12 of their dungeons." "They took a lot away from them," Arthand said. "They were too greedy. Once the civil war ends, the Empire Guild willunch a counteroffensive. They pay back twice what they''re owed. That''s their motto." "They''re probably preparing for the Empire Guild as we speak, so why would they join us?" Shion asked. "That''s how we''ll get them. If they attack the Empire Guild at ater date, then we''ll help them. In exchange, they have to join the Hegang Alliance," Paton said strongly. "They won''t fall for lip service like that. Hernandez might, but Han Seol wouldn''t." Shion shook his head. "That''s why we need to sign a Sabra''s Contract. It will be a contract between Mr. Shion, Mr. Arthand, and Mr. Hernandez. It should state something along the lines of ''If another guild attacks, we''ll help no matter what''." "Paton, you''re suggesting that Hercules, Steel Heart, and Storm work together even after the war is over," Arthand said. "That''s right. With the Storm Guild''s help, we''ll defeat the Breaker Guild and the Cerberus Alliance. Their forces will be absorbed by us, and then the Hegang Alliance will destroy the Empire Guild next." "It''s quite an enticing offer. But there are too many cooks in the kitchen." Arthand, Shion, and Hernandez. None of them could work under another. Thus, the three leaders would only look out for themselves, causing internal discord, which would ultimately split the alliance apart. "That''s why I''m against dragging the Storm Guild into this. And when this war is over, the Hegang Alliance will be disbanded no matter what," Arthand said firmly. "I''m against it too. Even if we get Hernandez to help us, the three of us won''t be able to work together," Shion said. The Hegang Alliance''s top leaders were against it, so Paton''s idea had gone up in smoke. "Understood. At the very least, we need to stop the Storm Guild from joining the Raon Alliance." "How?" "I will arrange a secret meeting with the Raon Alliance." "Where we''ll agree not to get the Storm Guild involved," Arthand said. "Would they agree to those terms?" "They will. They''re the ones with the advantage. They''ll want to get rid of an unknown variable, which can turn the tides against them." "Hmm, then let''s assume neither side gets the Storm Guild. Can we defeat the Raon Alliance? As you said, they have a slight advantage over us." "We have to strike at their weakness." "Weakness?" "The Cerberus Alliance." "How?" "So..." Paton exined the n in detail. "It''s good." "I like it." Shion and Arthand simultaneously pped their knees. "When the n''s ready, we''ll agree not to involve the Storm Guild in this war. And when the Cerberus Alliance crumbles, we''llunch a full-scale assault on the Raon Alliance." "Let''s do that." "Alright." The meeting between the Hegang Alliance''s leaders was over. * * * Once the meeting ended, Shion entered his room and rested. However, someone interrupted him. No, make that several people. "Mr. Shion, I have something to tell you." "Mr. Muhorang! And the rest of you." Hwarang''s Muhorang stood in the center. Hercules'' high ranker, Excal, the Oracle Guild''s Otler, and the leaders of Sea Pce and Tyster also stood there side by side. "What''s going on?" Shion asked. "Our soul dungeon, Faussman''s Laboratory, has been taken from us," Muhorang said. "Alkartan''s Nest has been taken too," Otler said. "Our guild''s soul dungeon, as well as Tyster''s soul dungeon, have been taken as well," Sea Pce''s guildmaster said. "In a single day? Who did this? No, what group did this? Was it the Storm Guild?" Shion thought of the Storm Guild first, who''d just wrapped up their battle with the Empire Guild. Though the Empire Guild possessed great power and influence, they were currently involved in the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war. "No." "Then what guild was it?" "Not what. Who," Excal, who''d been quiet, interjected. "Kang Oh," he added. "Kang Oh? Why him?" Shion tilted his head. Kang Oh referred to Predator Kang Oh. To his knowledge, Kang Oh had no favorable or unfavorable connections with anyone. So why was he attacking them? "I don''t know. What I do know is that he was able to steal all of our soul dungeons in a single day," Muhorang grimaced and said. "Impossible. It should take at least a few days just to find the hidden dungeon." Shion had no way of knowing that Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition was a form of ESP. "Information on our soul dungeons had to have been leaked." "The locations of our soul dungeons is top-secret. How could the information on all of them be leaked simultaneously?" "It''s not impossible," Otler said. "Hmm. So you''re saying that you lost your soul dungeons to Kang Oh. In just one day." "He wasn''t alone. Kang Oh was with the Wind Archer, Sephiro, and an unknown female knight." "Didn''t Kang Oh fight in the Sacred Duel?" A Sacred Duel was a one-on-one fight. "Yes." "He''s strong. Overwhelmingly so," Excal, the high ranker that specialized in serrated knives, said. "Of course he is. He''s not part of arge guild, yet he''s rank 4. He''s on the same level as Helena." "What will we do now?" Muhorang asked for the group. Ultimately, they had all gathered here to ask Shion this very question. Shion bit his finger. Whenever he had something to think about, he''d bite his fingers. It was a bad habit of his. Everyone else just waited for him to speak. ''We have to do what the Empire Guild did against the Storm Guild.'' Shion finished organizing his thoughts. "Give up on the dungeons, and focus entirely on the war." "But...!" Otler said angrily. It hurt to lose the dungeon''s rewards. To think he''d ask him to give that up! "If we lose this war, then the soul dungeons are thest of our worries. Our guild might bepletely destroyed. But if we win the war, then we''ll receive a ton of war reparations. Plus, we''ll be able to take all of Raon''s soul dungeons too. Ah, and not to forget!" Shion paused for a second, and continued, "When the war is over, the Hercules Guild''s elites will take care of Kang Oh for you. Like how we took care of Helena. No matter what!" Shion''s eyes glittered. He wouldn''t let anyone get in his way. "As youmand." Excal immediately bowed his head. "Hoo, I''ll do as you ask, Mr. Shion." Muhorang epted his terms. With this, Oracle, Sea Pce, and Tyster had no choice but to ept. They couldn''t beat Kang Oh on their own, after all. "Keep this in mind. Aside from winning the war, nothing else matters!" Shion stared at them strongly and said. Losing one or two dungeons wasn''t the issue here. This war would determine their guilds'' future. "Yes, sir!" "Go on." Once they left, Shion bit his fingers once more. ''Kang Oh, Kang Oh, Kang Oh...'' What exactly was his goal? * * * Kang Oh kept stealing soul dungeons from the Hercules Guild''s allies. There were more than twenty guilds allied with the Hercules Guild. And Kang Oh''s party went through eight dungeons that they suspected were soul dungeons. Six of them were soul dungeons. He stole Alkartan''s Nest and Faussman''s Laboratory from Oracle and Hwarang. Kang Oh took As''s Garden from Sea Pce, as well as Tram Jungle''s Pyramid from Tyster! Finally, he took Whirlpool Cave and Green Ant Tunnel too! He stole everyst one of them! Normally, the Hercules Guild would intervene. After all, someone was taking their source of ie away from them. However, they didn''t have the luxury of sending troops to stop Kang Oh. After all, they were currently busy fighting a huge war with the fate of their guild on the line. "We''re done with the allied guilds." Kang Oh dusted off his hands. Hercules'' allies may have more soul dungeons, but he didn''t have any information on them, so he couldn''t steal them. ''I''ll use these soul dungeons well.'' Kang Oh recalled Shion''s face on TV. One day, these soul dungeons would be his undoing. They would be a knife in his back. "Are we done now?" Sephiro asked, looking exhausted. He still wasn''t ok with stealing the soul dungeons from guilds allied to the Hercules Guild. "Done? We''ve only just begun." "Just begun? You''re not... You''re not, are you?" Sephiro desperately stared at him. ''Please say I''m wrong!'' "You guessed right. Now we''re going to steal Hercules'' soul dungeons." Kang Oh grinned. He knew of four dungeons that he suspected were soul dungeons. "Are you out of your mind? If we do that, then the Hercules Guild will keeping after us. No, they''re already going to do that. Haa." Sephiro couldn''t help but sigh. His dream of living a long life had disappeared into the clouds. "They''re going toe after us anyway." "Ugh." "You''re a target too, Mr. Sephiro." "Haa, why are you doing this to me!?" "So we have to use this chance topletely erase Hercules from the face of the map." "Excuse me? What are you..." Sephiro was shocked. ''What are you talking about?'' "Your n wasn''t to steal their soul dungeons and hurt them that way?" Sephiro urgently asked. "That''s just the prep stage. My n wille to fruition when the Hercules Guild ispletely destroyed." "Is that even possible?" "It is. Isn''t that right?" Kang Oh nced at Asu. He''d given her a little taste of his and Helena''s n, so she knew what he was nning. "Yes!" Asu beamed. "How?" Kang Oh just grinned. Chapter 392. Furon Underground Cave

Chapter 392. Furon Underground Cave

Trantor: Boko A dwarf with a sharp jaw and stubborn eyes, Hoffman, carried the adamantium gemstone over his shoulder. "Huahp!" As it was considered the toughest metal in the world, adamantium was extremely heavy. But for someone who was one step away from bing a Master, it was manageable. He stepped into an area that was even deeper in than the smithy. It was underground, and it was dark, damp, and cramped like a prison. Thud! Hoffman dropped the adamantium on the ground, and wiped the sweat off his face. Once he hit the wall-mountedmp, the interior was illuminated. Various sized hammersid on one side of the room, and all sorts of materials were contained inside the metal storage closet. It contained the materials Kang Oh had brought him, which included the Kaitan''s Horn, the Death Eagles'' eggshells, a bottle of Draxek Powder, and the still beating Kalvaidum''s Heart. An anvily at the center of the room. On the other side of the room, there was a giant device made of fire stone. It was like an old, giant stove. This ce was Hoffman''s personal workroom! Even Randelhoff couldn''t enter it without his permission. "Hoo." Hoffman approached the device and opened the door. mes surged from within, threatening to devour Hoffman whole. The dwarves'' hideouty within the volcano, and the stove was a device that drew upon the volcano for heat. Of course, Hoffman had created it himself. ''I''m ready. Let''s begin.'' Hoffman pulled out a small statue from his breast. It was a statue of the cksmith God, Orgon. He ced the statue on a small table and knelt before it. Hoffman then slowly, reverently bowed his head. "Orgon, I will burn my very soul. I will not waste a second of your time. So please, allow me to bear a great child of steel amidst the song of fire and metal." ''Child of steel'' was what the dwarves called their creations, while a ''great child of steel'' referred to a masterpiece. Thud! Thud! Thud! Hoffman mmed his head into the ground thrice. Roar! The stove''s great mes burned him from behind. It began burning his clothes too, making him half-naked. However, Hoffman didn''t care about his physical condition. He waspletely focused on his goal: creating a sword capable of ying Inarius. Hoffman stood up, picked up the adamantium gemstone, and threw it into the fire. It looked like it''d melt instantly, but it didn''t. If he wanted to melt it, then he''d need more heat. ''That''s why I need this.'' Hoffman took out the bottle of Draxek Powder, and threw it into the fire. Crack! The bottle broke, and the Draxek Powder went everywhere. At that moment...! White mes arose from the stove. Hoffman''s eyes shook. The surface of the adamantium was slowly melting. ''This part is crucial!'' Hoffman didn''t pry his eyes off the adamantium. No, he couldn''t afford to. He couldn''t afford to be a second too early or a second toote. Hoffman had to pull it out at the exact moment, and then begin the process of transforming it into the alloy, Halium. It wasn''t an easy task. However, it was something he had to do, and he promised himself he''d do it. Hoffman stood firm andpletely unwavering. He didn''t move an inch! * * * Furon''s Pce. A small house sat atop a hill, as pretty as a picture. This hill was located near Trisha City, the location of the Hercules Guild''s headquarters. However, there was something quite interesting about this mansion. One could enter the giant underground cave underneath by going through the firece! The underground cave was teeming with powerful monsters. Moreover, the monsters respawned quickly, and each monster yielded a significant amount of experience, so hunting in a party there was an extremely effective way of leveling up. It was called Hercules'' Farm! This dungeon allowed Hercules'' members to level up quickly. And this is precisely where Kang Oh''s party showed up. ''This is definitely one.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed as he looked at the mansion. The underground cave gave off an unnatural smell. The monsters gave way too much experience, they respawned way too quickly, and it was constructed in a way that made hunting in a party extremely advantageous. This was only possible in a soul dungeon! "Shall we go?" "Yeah." Asu narrowed her eyes. The gatekeepers wore an insignia on their chests; the insignia of the Hercules Guild! They were the mortal enemy of her and her guild mates! "Phew." Sephiro couldn''t help but sigh. However, he soon shook his head slightly and hardened his heart. ''It''s already toote for me. The only way out is forward.'' Sephiro looked grim, and Waryong copied him. Waryong had kept growing, resulting in arger body, so it looked somewhat intimidating now. "Stop right there. Thisnd belongs to the Hercules Guild," one of the gatekeepers opened his palm and said. Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Blood. His body radiated hostility and murderous intent. "Be careful!" "He''s an enemy!" Sensing his readiness to kill them, the Hercules Guild members immediately got ready for battle. Kang Oh stepped forward, one foot after the other. "Who the hell are you!?" one of them yelled. However, Kang Oh didn''t dignify that with a response. "I said, who the hell are you!?" "Forget it. As ordered, we''ll kill the trespassers." "Attack!" A portion of the gatekeepers rushed at Kang Oh. The rest shot arrows and spells at him, or cast healing spells on their allies. They were definitely from the Hercules Guild! These gatekeepers were much better than the ones previous. Unfortunately, their battle ended the exact same way as the allied guilds'' gatekeepers. "Kuheok." "He''s strong." "Ask for reinforcements!" They fell to the floor, overwhelmed by Kang Oh''s strength. Several of them had also been taken out by Sephiro''s arrows. Asu did her part, angrily cutting them down with her de. Stab! Kang Oh, who finished off thest guild member, immediately entered the mansion. Asu and Sephiro followed behind him. [You have entered the dungeon, Furon Underground Cave.] Kang Oh''s party went through the giant firece, and at some point, a system message popped up. Hiss! Hideous monsters with two snake arms attacked them. "Be careful. Don''t get bitten by the snakes. They have venom." "Ok, Oppa!" "I know." Kang Oh''s party quickly took care of them and moved on. Sometimeter... "I sense several presences approaching," Sephiro said. "It must be the Hercules Guild," Kang Oh said curtly. He was right. In order to kill the invaders, the guild members already hunting in here gathered together and approached them. "You bastard!" Haggler, who supervised the Furon Underground Cave, appeared with 50 guild members. However, they were all weak. After all, the guild''s strongest were currently in the Ekrast ins. At his level, Haggler shouldn''t be supervising the dungeon. However, the executive that''d previously supervised this dungeon was called to the frontlines, so he was substituting for him. Kang Oh suddenly swung Blood. Tempest Tiger! A mighty golden tiger struck Haggler and the guild members. Boom! Sephiro shot an arrow, his eyes sharp like a hawk. Sun Piercing Arrow! His arrow flew straight at Haggler''s head. "Not a chance!" Haggler deflected the arrow with his axe. Then... Kang Oh suddenly appeared in front of him. While he was distracted by the arrow, Kang Oh had closed in. "What!?" Haggler widened his eyes, and instinctively swung his axe. However, Kang Oh was much faster. Festival of Blood! Transcendent de! "Keok!" Haggler''s face turned ashen. A single strike and it was game over for him. After that, the one-sided ughter continued. Asu was the angriest of the three. Kang Oh and Sephiro understood her circumstances, so they left the most to her. "Why did you do that to us, you jerks!?" she yelled bitingly, and swung her sword. "What did we do..." She felt refreshed whenever she killed one of them. Revenge truly was sweet. * * * With all the guild members dead, Kang Oh had no one left to stop him. ''This is it.'' There was a giant magic circle deep within the Furon Underground Cave. Even without his Hyper Intuition, it was clear that it contained some sort of secret. However, there was no way for them to solve the secret. ''It looks like it''ll open a portal to the hidden dungeon if you have the right item...'' Just in case, Kang Oh ced all the items that the monsters here dropped onto the magic circle. However, the magic circle didn''t light up or activate. ''As expected.'' If he had the item already, then his Hyper Intuition would''ve activated when he saw it. "What do we do now?" Sephiro asked. Kang Oh pulled out a Sabra''s Contract, and copied the magic circle onto it. There wasn''t really any thought behind it; it was just the only paper he had. "I''ll ask Mr. Grano about this magic circle," Kang Oh said. Grano, a mage in contention for the next Professor spot, should be able to tell him more about the magic circle. If he''s unable to solve the mystery, then he could just move on and attack the Hercule Guild''s other soul dungeons. "Good thinking." Sephiro nodded his head. If you need medicine, go to a pharmacist. If you need help with magic, call a mage! "Let''s end it here for today." "Yes." "Ok." Kang Oh''s party ripped their return scrolls. * * * "All forces, charge!" "Everyone, attack!" "Uwaaaah!" "Uhaaaaa!" The Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance shed atop the Ekrast ins once more. This was their second battle. "Viewers, are you seeing this!? This huge battle!" "Ah, Ms. Snow Flower''s Leopard Squad is pushing through the Hegang Alliance! They''re strong, so very strong!" "Shion has summoned giant tree monsters. They''re tremendous. Those caught by the tree monsters'' vines, roots, or branches be dried up husks!" "Aah, the Breaker Guild''s Mage Squad has burned the tree monsters to cinders!" "They''re dead even!" "The guilds'' elites are showing us a spectacr performance!" "Breaker''s elites, the Steel Sword Squad, and Hercules'' elites, Hades''s Revenge, are fighting head-on!" Theworks didn''t miss this huge battle either. Their correspondents yelled at the top of their lungs, and tried to convey how dynamic and exciting the battle was. They only stopped when the sound of pipes and drums resounded throughout the battlefield. Whistle! Bong! Bong! Bong! "Aah, that''s a signal to retreat!" "The battle is over." "Both sides sustained heavy casualties. Look at all those corpses. I''m d this isn''t real." "We at GBS will analyze the state of the war, and estimate how many casualties either side lost!" Once the battle was over, Hercules'' leader, Shion, met with the Hegang Alliance''s leaders. "How did it go?" Shion asked. He was referring to Paton''s n to weaken the Cerberus Alliance, which would weaken the Raon Alliance as a whole. "I''ve gotten in contact with them, and they replied favorably." Shion and Arthand looked relieved. "But they''re really greedy. Both of them want ownership of the Ecle Pce." "Not happening!" Arthand said decisively. The mysterious scroll! Steel Heart had to take possession of it no matter what. Only those who have improved their production skills would understand. Let''s assume there''s a single seamstress here. If they wanted to be a skilled seamstress, then they would have to master Sewing, create 1,000 Mysterious Threads, have exquisite skill with their hands, their needlework, with scissors, etc. There were so many obstacles to bing a seamstress that created the finest of goods. However, it felt so useless when a yer sewed all night long, yet their proficiency went up by less than 1%! Since it was filled with production workers, Steel Heart needed the mysterious scroll, as it would speed up the process greatly. "I know. The Hegang Alliance must take possession of the mysterious scroll. We''ll act like we''re giving it to them," Paton said. "That''s a relief." "In any case, I''ll negotiate with them directly tomorrow." Paton sounded extremely confident. "Then when will the n go into effect?" Shion asked. "Soon." "I''m looking forward to the day!" Shion smiled wickedly. Chapter 393. Kang Oh vs. Lacus (1)

Chapter 393. Kang Oh vs. Lacus (1)

Trantor: Boko The ck Lion, Raon, was meeting with his guild''s chief executives. "How is the Hegang Alliance doing?" Raon asked. "We haven''t identified any specific movements on their front. But it''s clear that they''re nning something," Brand said. "Of course they are. It''s clear that they''ll lose at this rate." They may look even, but the Raon Alliance actually held a 6:4 advantage over the Hegang Alliance. However, they couldn''t afford to be reckless. A 6:4 lead could always be upturned. "Do you have any idea what they''ll do?" Snow Flower asked. Brand shook his head. "They have so many options. I can''t say for sure what they''ll do." "It doesn''t matter. We''ll just crush whateveres our way." Raon clenched his fist and said firmly. His voice was overflowing with charisma. Of course, his fashionable mane and his lion''s face only added to that. "Sdin is ready to mobilize at a moment''s notice. I''m sure his squad will shock them." Brand grinned. ''I can''t wait for that moment!'' Snow Flower nodded her head. The Breaker Guild was secretly training Sdin''s squad. It only had 100 members, but once it appeared, the Breaker Guild''s three squads would be four. "We have her too," Brand said. "Give her whatever she needs. And try to recruit her to our guild if you can," Raon said. "Yes, sir." "It won''t be long before the war''s over. Keep up your guard till the very end." Raon could feel it. That the end of the war was fast approaching. * * * Kang Oh stopped by the Tower to see Grano. "It''s been a while," Grano said happily. His middle-aged face was absolutely glowing. "How have you been?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ve been doing well. Hoo, hoo. Haven''t you heard of Heaven''s Blessing?" Grano beamed. "You''ve finally achieved your dream?" As a native of the Bariton Desert, it had been Grano''s dream to create a rain-making device that would turn the desert into fertile grasnds once more. "It''s not perfect, but I''ve made major advancements. In several years, the desert should be filled with grass once more." "Congrattions. As expected of you." Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. "It''s nothing. What did you need today?" "Could you please take a look at this?" Kang Oh pulled out a Sabra''s Contract from his inventory. The contract had a drawing of the Furon Underground Cave''s magic circle. "This is..." "This is the Furon Underground Cave''s magic circle. It seems like the entrance to the hidden dungeon, but I have no idea how to activate it." "Did you draw it exactly? If it''s even slightly inurate, then I won''t be able to read it." "I drew it exactly as is." Grano slowly looked over the magic circle. It wasn''t long before... "You need four things to activate this magic circle." "What are they?" "You have to ce a fire object here, a water object here, a wind object here, and an earth object here. That''ll activate the magic circle." Grano pointed at each of the magic circle''s four circles. "Fire, water, wind, and earth, huh..." "For the fire element, a me Candle should suffice. You can go downstairs and buy what you need at the Tower''s store." "Thank you very much." "I''ll mark the elements on the page, so ce them exactly at these points. If you ce them incorrectly, it could result in a huge explosion." Grano marked the elements directly on the page with a pen. "Understood." Kang Oh parted ways with Grano, went downstairs, and then bought what he needed from the store. Specifically, he bought a me Candle, Holy Water, a Wind Doll, and an Earth Shard. "Go, go!" He, along with Sephiro, Asu, and Waryong, headed for Furon Pce. * * * "You jerk..." Kang Oh killed Haggler and the Hercules Guild''s gatekeepers once more. Furon Pce had been attacked once before, so they increased security. However, it didn''t matter how much small fry they gathered, they wouldn''t be able to stand against Kang Oh. Kang Oh''s party immediately headed for the magic circle. Once there, Kang Oh ced the me Candle, Holy Water, Wind Doll, and Earth Shard exactly as Grano had instructed. Whir! The magic circle began to shine. Kang Oh expected a portal to open, one that led to the hidden dungeon. Instead, a giant, transparent gray bear popped out of it. Kuheong! It roared. [You have heard the Spirit Bear, Xiwoong''s roar.] [Your high Indomitable stat has allowed you to ovee your fear.] [Your high Fighting Spirit stat makes you burn with the desire to fight.] Xiwoong charged at Kang Oh. "Oppa!" "Mr. Kang Oh!" All of this happened so quickly. The two flinched. They saw the Spirit Bear charging at Kang Oh and instinctively yelled. However, Kang Oh wasn''t just calm; he was actually sighing. ''Spirits aren''t an issue.'' Kang Oh leapt into the air and swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. It was the mortal enemy of all ghost-type monsters. sh! Bam! Kang Oh cut it in half. However, Xiwoong didn''t die in a single hit. It did whatever it could to glue the two parts of its body back together. But...! Kang Oh didn''t just sit there and watch. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Kang Oh cut the Spirit Bear into smaller pieces. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Red shards kept exploding out. At some point, Xiwoong''s body disappeared like smoke. Whir! The magic circle shined once more. Another ghost didn''t pop out. Instead, the light engulfed Kang Oh''s party. [Entering the hidden dungeon, Furon''s Heart.] The Spirit Bear, Xiwoong, was a guardian created by the Hercules Guild. It was a ghost, so not only was it immune to physical attacks, but it could also freely pass through the walls and the ceiling. Its strength and ferocity was like a real bear''s. However, Kang Oh was its direct counter! Anyhow, once the gatekeeper was killed, the door to the hidden dungeon had opened. The intense light dissipated, and Kang Oh''s party opened their eyes. They were greeted by the sight of a flower garden. The area waspletely filled with beautiful flowers! They were so colorful and they smelled wonderful. "Wow." Asu looked around in awe. At that moment... The ground cracked open, and a giant flower bud popped out. "W-What''s that?" Sephiro widened his eyes. Grr. Waryong bowed its head and snarled. The flower bud opened on its own, and a green alien-like entity popped out. It had a giant head, huge eyes, arge belly, and arms and legs. Overall, it really did look like an alien. "Hi, I''m Uru." "Are you the soul dungeon''s guardian?" Kang Oh asked. "I am." "Can you give me the soul stone?" "If you want it, then you need to give me a nt seed. It has to be one that doesn''t exist here," Uru said. "What if I don''t have one?" Kang Oh slightly raised his sword. "I can''t fight. In exchange, I''m immune to any and all attacks, so you should just go and get a seed." "Immune to any and all attacks, huh... Let''s test that, shall we?" Kang Oh''s eyes shined. However, Asu suddenly grabbed his shoulder. "Oppa." "Yeah?" "Leave it to me." "Uh, ok." Kang Oh stepped back. "Uru, will this work?" Asu pulled out a white seed, which looked like cotton, from her inventory. It was a Grand seed, a mysterious cloud-like nt that only grew in the flying city, Grand Lotus. She had gotten it tomemorate her date with Kang Oh. "Yeah." Uru beamed. It seemed like it really liked the Grand seed. "Can you give me the soul stone?" "Sure." Uru pulled the soul stone out of its body and passed it to Asu. Asu then passed it the Grand seed. "Here!" Asu passed Kang Oh the soul stone. "Hoo, hoo. I wonder who''lle out." Kang Oh examined the soul stone andughed. ''I hope Shiones out.'' He was confident that he wouldn''t lose in a one-on-one duel with him. Kang Oh tightly gripped the soul stone. Whir! The soul stone emitted intense light. [You have grabbed an owned soul stone.] [A Sacred Duel will now begin to determine the dungeon''s master.] [Summoning Furon Underground Cave''s proxy.] The soul stone''s light transformed into a pir of light. A single man walked out of the light. He was a huge man, one more than 2 meters tall. His skin was brown, and his body was extremely muscr. His weapon was an axe. Twin axes at that. However, the two axes differed in size. His right hand held a giant axe, while his left hand held a smaller one. Kang Oh immediately recognized him. He was a prominent figure after all. ''Lacus!'' Rank 14! Destruction Lacus! He was the physical embodiment of Hercules'' power. In the guild''s hay day, both he and Shion were part of the Numbers. The Hercules Guild was the only guild that''d ever had two Numbers. Of course, that was a long, long time ago. Whir! A ring of light appeared on the ground. Sephiro and Asu were pushed out of the ring. "Kang Oh," Lacus said with a deep voice. "Lacus," Kang Oh said. Lacus smirked. "Haha, I always wanted to fight you. Thanks for giving me the opportunity." Although his opponent was Kang Oh, he didn''t seem daunted in the slightest. Kang Oh thought carelessly. Lacus waspletely rxed, like someone who was truly strong. He outstretched his arms, holding a demon sword in either hand. His gesture was basically saying, ''C''mon!'' or ''Attack me!''. "Sure, why not." Lacus threw his left handed axe. Destroy Target! Whoosh! His axe spun in the air like a top, and rapidly flew towards the crown of Kang Oh''s head. Kang Oh moved to the side, dodging the axe. Bam! Once the axe struck the ground, the dirt surged into the air like andmine had just gone off. Whoosh! The axe flew back to Lacus''s hand. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t just sit there. Kang Oh followed the axe right back to its owner. "Huahp!" He swung Ubist upwards. Darkness Strike! A jet-ck wave surged like a salmon jumping upstream. Lacus immediately swung hisrger axe. Shatter! Bam! Sword and axe shed. However, Kang Oh was the one pushed back. ''As expected.'' It was a well-known fact that Lacus put most of his stat points into Physical. Apparently, his logic was that a man was all about strength or something. "I''m going." Lacus threw his small axe once more. Destroy Target! Kang Oh threw himself to the side, simultaneously swinging Blood. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger pounced on Lacus. "Hmph, you stupid cat!" Lacus mmed his axe into the ground. Havoc! Boom! The earth shook. A mighty shockwave rose from the ground and devoured the Tempest Tiger. Then... Kang Oh pierced through the shockwave, and like a deft snake, aimed for Lacus with Blood. However, his back suddenly felt cold. Hyper Intuition was warning him of danger. ''The smaller axe!'' Lacus was capable of retrieving his axe. Which meant that this feeling indicated that the axe was returning. Kang Oh halted midway, and rolled onto the floor. Bam! The smaller axe swept through where he''d once been, and softlynded in Lacus''s hand. "Do you have eyes on the back of your head? To think you''d be able to dodge this too. As expected." Lacus''s lips curled upwards. ''How fun!'' "I''m just getting warmed up!" Kang Oh stood up and spun both of his des. "Let''s have some fun!" Lacus widened his eyes. His pose was themon ''All of youe at me at once!''. "Hmph." Kang Oh snorted. ''You''re no match for me!'' "Kuhahk!" "Haahp!" The two shed once more. Chapter 394. Kang Oh vs. Lacus (2)

Chapter 394. Kang Oh vs. Lacus (2)

Trantor: Boko Whoosh! Bam! Whoosh! Bam! Each and every one of Lacus''s attacks were powerful enough to kill Kang Oh in a single hit. Havoc! Battle Addict''s Axe! Shatter! His attacks weren''t fast, but they had arge radius and were extremely powerful. Thus, it wasn''t easy to deal with them. However, thebination of Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, high evasion, and exceptionalbat abilities kept him from getting hit. Kang Oh continuously avoided Lacus''s attacks and counterattacked with quick, precise blows. "You''re like a rat. You sure are good at dodging," Lacus said after getting hit a few times. He was clearly provoking him. "If this is all you got, then I''m disappointed. Show me that you''re not just a strong, dumb brute," Kang Oh replied. "Alright then." Lacus threw his small axe into the air. Then, something interesting happened. Flying Axe! Lacus''s axe floated in the air, ignoring thews of gravity! That wasn''t all. Lacus pulled out two more small axes from his inventory and threw them into the air. Like the first one, these two axes floated in the air. "Go!" Lacus pointed at Kang Oh with hisrge axe. Then, the three axes went flying like a horde of wasps. Bam! One of the axes struck Kang Oh''s head. However, it was just an afterimage. Kang Oh had used Red Butterfly''s Dance. "Mm." Lacus bit his lip. No one had ever dodged this attack as easily as Kang Oh had. ''This is just the beginning!'' Lacus opened his empty hand. The three axes spun over Kang Oh''s head, and then shot towards him once more. However, it didn''t make much of a difference this time either. Kang Oh avoided, deflected, or blocked them all. "Why don''t youe over yourself?" Kang Oh dealt with them so easily that he could even talk in-between. "As you wish." Lacus closed in. He specialized in using his small axes to distract his opponent, and then split them in two with his main weapon, hisrge axe. "Kuha!" Lacus cried out like a wild beast. His axe was aiming for Kang Oh''s waist. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He deflected a small axe with Blood while tilting Ubist. Screech! Lacus''srge axe slid off Kang Oh''s jet-ck de. Sword Parry! However, Lacus was no weakling. "Hmph!" Lacus had lost his bnce, but kept himself upright with pure physical strength. Normally, Sword Parry would expose an opponent''s weak point, but Lacus had no such weak point to exploit. Despite that, Kang Oh attacked. Festival of Blood! His snow-white de was coated in blood red energy. Lacus''s eyes gleamed. ''I''ll give you my shoulder.'' Lacus gritted his teeth. He was fully capable of dodging or blocking Kang Oh''s attack. However, he didn''t do so. Lacus was willing to take a flesh wound in order to deal a fatal blow! Lacus swung his axe upwards. However...! Kang Oh didn''t follow through, and stopped halfway! In fact, he even stepped back! Whoosh! Lacuspletely missed. Kang Oh pinpointed a clear cut weak point. There was no reason to hesitate. Swish! He swung Ubist. Lightning Breath! Crackle! The mighty electric st struck Lacus. However, Lacus''s body had stiffened like a rock. Rock Armor! A yer of Lacus''s caliber would have several survival skills! Kang Oh couldn''t follow this up with anything. After all, the three small axes stubbornly came after him. ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh deflected the axes and got back into position. Lacus deactivated Rock Armor, and slung hisrge axe over his shoulder. "I guess the 1st round ends in a draw. But you know, a Sacred Duel has a time limit. It''s already been 5 minutes. You only have 55 minutes left. If you can''t beat me by then, then I win." Lacus grinned. "That ain''t going to happen," Kang Oh said decisively. His body was coated in ck and red energy. Devil Trigger! The second round began. * * * At the same time... The Raon and Hegang alliances fought for the third time. "Lacus!" Shion urgently searched for Lacus. He wanted to give Lacus and his squad, ''Zeus''s Spear'' a mission. It was the Hercules Guild''s most powerful squad. "Mr. Lacus left for a Sacred Duel," one of Zeus''s Spear''s members said. "Damn it. Why now of all times? Is it Kang Oh?" Shion gritted his teeth. ''Kang Oh! Just you wait. I won''t let this go unpunished!'' However, he had to deal with current matters first. "Take Zeus''s Spear through the middle, and aim for Snow Flower. Do whatever it takes to kill her." "Understood." "Go!" Shion gave the other executives their orders, and then raised his staff into the air. Tree of Life! Trees rose throughout the Hegang Alliance''s ranks. These trees would heal nearby allies. "Engineer Squad, put it together!" Arthand raised his voice at a different location. "Yes, sir!" The Engineer Squad pulled out parts from their inventory, and began creating something. Surprisingly, it was a cannon. Of course, it was slightly different from a real life cannon. It didn''t use gunpowder; instead, it used H Powder to shoot cannonballs. The engineers stored powerful magic into these cannonballs by using the same method that mages used to create magic scrolls. Only the Steel Heart Guild was capable of creating such a weapon. After all, it consisted of skilled production workers that were able to create and follow the detailed blueprint! "Aim!" Not only were they capable of building the cannon, but they could shoot it without difficulty too. There was a reason they were called the flower of the Steel Heart Guild. "Our target is the Raon Alliance''s Mage Squad and their rear support troops!" "Yes, sir!" "Cannon 1, ready to fire!" "Cannon 2, ready to fire!" "Cannon 3, ready!" ... "Fire!" Arthand raised his hammer into the air. Boom! Several cannons shot their magic cannonballs simultaneously. Stinking yellow smoke spread through the air. Whoosh! A cannonball flew to the heart of the Raon Alliance. "Uhahk!" "Something''sing!" "Above us!" "It''s a cannonball!" "Keok!" Some of the yers died upon impact. However, this was just the beginning! The spells stored within the cannonballs were activating! Great Eruption! Lightning Web! Earth Spear! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The cannons were capable of unleashing a magical bombardment far superior to any normal mage. Moreover, the cannonballs could pierce through barriers too, which were meant to block magic. "So they prepared those toys, huh. Those crazy factory workers." Raon, who''d been assessing the battle, furrowed his brow. Perhaps that wasn''t all that they''d prepared. There was a chance they had something even more dangerous up their sleeve. "It''s more dangerous than we expected," Brand said from beside him. "How do we deal with them?" "We set up a magic circle in the Red Thorn Forest. We can send troops through, and attack the rear. They probably can''t make those things quickly." Brand immediately gave him a countermeasure. He, like Paton, was intelligent enough to serve as his alliance''s advisor. "Can we afford to pull troops away?" The battle wasn''t just intense, it was brutal. The cannons, which came out of nowhere, only made things worse. "The Leopard Squad has the mobility and the ability to execute the mission, so they''d be the best choice, but we can''t pull them out. They''re fighting against Zeus''s Spear. The Steel Sword Squad is dealing with the Cast Iron Hammer Squad. Thus, we''ll have to use the Lava Squad." The Leopard Squad, the Steel Sword Squad, and the Lava Squad. These were the Breaker Guild''s three squads. "Call the Lava Squad." "Yes, sir." Brand immediately sent the Lava Squad''s captain, Magma, a message. The Lava Squad had been named as such due to Magma''s name. "Did you call me?" Magma was a higher ranker, who was called the Fire Dragon. "Exin it to him." Raon left the exnation to Brand. To summarize, deal with the cannons! "It''ll be easy. I''ll be back soon. Let''s go, boys." Magma and his squad left the frontlines. However, the battle was so chaotic that the Hegang Alliance hadn''t noticed their departure. "Sdin is also on standby. He''s there just in case we need to deal with another one of their tricks," Brand said. "Good work," Raon replied curtly, and then watched the battle. * * * Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Dual Demon, ferociously attacked Lacus. Whenever he swung his jet-ck de, his snow-white de wouldn''t be far behind. If heunched a blood red wave, then a ck beast''s w woulde right after. Lacus''s three floating axes werepletely ineffective, as they were nullified by Abyss Shield or Blood Spears. ''This can''t go on!'' Lacus couldn''t let himself get pushed around anymore. "Uheong!" Lacus roared. Kalbatu''s Roar! There was a temple at the top of Steel Rock Mountain that worshipped the legendary warrior, Kalbatu. By oveing five of their trials, a yer could learn a skill! First, Lacus''s body became tough, as if he was covered in steel. Then, his muscles bulged as much as they could. His eyes brightened, allowing him to see objects from afar with fine detail like a hawk, and his other senses were sharpened too. "Uhaaahp!" He withdrew one of his floating axes, and then swung his weapons, alternating between the smaller andrger axe. Hisrge and small axes glowed with red and blue energy respectively. Battle Addict''s Axe! Kalbatu''s Roar significantly increased the power of his attacks. Kang Oh responded in kind. Festival of Blood! Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh used Sword Duke Sven''s secret technique using both his demon swords. Although Battle Addict''s Axe''s proficiency was higher than it, Mad Wind''s Sword was a legendary swordsman''s secret technique! Battle Addict''s Axe gradually increased the force of Lacus''s blows, while Mad Wind''s Sword increased Kang Oh''s speed to impossible levels. It was a battle between strength and speed! ng, ng, ng, ng! The dual swords and axes repeatedly shed against each other, resounding with a shrill, metallic ''ng''. In musical terms, it was like heavy metal! At some point, Kang Oh began to ovee Lacus. When Lacus swung once, Kang Oh would swing his sword two or three times. Swish, sh, swish! "Ugh." Ultimately, Lacus was forced back. Kang Oh stopped Mad Wind''s Sword too. ''Tch.'' Although Mad Wind''s Sword was crazy powerful, it consumed a ton of Stamina and MP. He wasn''t using Gluttony, so his Stamina and MP went down much faster than he''d expected. Whatever the case, he was able to ovee his opponent''s trump card. Kang Oh rushed at Lacus before he was ready. Then... Lacus''s eyes glowed. Desperate Resistance! This was his final trick. This skill could only be used when his HP was low, but it would increase hisbat abilities significantly! Havoc! Lacus mmed hisrge axe into the ground. Boom! Boom! Boom! The ground around him cracked, and a mighty shockwave surged like a fountain. Kang Oh got out of range by rolling onto the floor. Then, he pulled out a mass-produced sword. Gluttony! ck energy shot out of his body. All of his abilities were doubled! "Huahp!" Kang Oh mustered up all of his power via a battle cry, and then rushed at Lacus. "You bastard!" Lacus swung his axes in an X. Shatter! It seemed like the two axes'' energy sts would go right through Kang Oh. But then... p! With a mighty p of his dark red wings, Kang Oh quickly rose into the air. Boom! The sts swept through the area and left behind a long scar as if a bomb had gone off. Kang Oh vertically descended from above Lacus''s head. Swish. Tasha moved his wings in such a way that he spun in the air like a top! His swords automatically danced through the air. "Tch!" Lacus quickly used Rock Armor. His body began to transform into stone, but a whirlwind of ck and red devoured him. Chapter 395. Defeating the Hercule Guild’s Strongest Members

Chapter 395. Defeating the Hercule Guild''s Strongest Members

Trantor: Boko By the time Kang Oh''s sword flurry was over, Lacus''s body was riddled with wounds, and his HP was close to 0. "I lost." Lacus dropped his axes and admitted defeat. "Tell Shion that it''s his turn next time," Kang Oh said frigidly. ''I''ll get you back for what you did to Asu! You can count on it!'' "Don''t make meu..." Kang Oh swung his sword. Swish! Lacus''s body turned gray and fell backwards. [You have defeated the dungeon master''s proxy in a Sacred Duel.] [You are now the master of the soul dungeon, Furon Underground Cave.] [As punishment for losing the Sacred Duel, Lacus and the Hercules Guild cannot enter the Furon Underground Cave for a week.] "Wow. I knew you could do it!" Asu rushed over and grabbed his hands. "How was he? Was he as good as the rumors say?" Sephiro came over and asked. "Weren''t you watching?" "I was." "Then it should be clear." "You fought him personally, so I''m sure you have a different perspective." Sephiro grinned. "He''s strong, but he wasn''t hard to fight. I''ll be able to beat him again the next time we fight." He forced Kang Oh to use Gluttony, so he was definitely deserving of his rank 14 spot. But that was all. There was a huge gap between them. ''As expected,rge guilds'' rankers are just hot air.'' Arth''s ranking was holistic. This obviously included a guild''s strength. Thus, a yer in a small guild would have a lower ranking than a yer in arge guild. "My new master," Uru, the soul dungeon''s guardian, said. "Take care of me." "If you want to smell the flowers, feel free toe whenever you want. This is an eternal flower garden." "Sure. Do you mind if I take some of the flowers or nts?" Kang Oh asked. Some of the nts or flowers were extremely precious medical herbs or materials. In other words, they''d be worth a lot of money! "You can''t!" Uru said firmly. "Why not?" "If you do, you''ll stop being my master." "Alright, I''ll just look at them." "Good idea." "Anyhow, could you activate the magic circle? We''ll have to get going." "Ok." "See youter." "Take care." Kang Oh waved his hand, and Uru waved back at him. "There are only three left," Kang Oh said. In other words, there were three other dungeons that were suspected of being soul dungeons. "Let''s do it!" Asu sped her hands together. "Hoo, let''s go all the way!" Sephiro clenched his fist. ''Screw it!'' Whir! The magic circle''s light enveloped Kang Oh''s party. * * * The Ekrast ins. "Fire!" Arthand swung his hammer down. Then, dozens of cannons fired simultaneously. Whoosh! Boom! Arthand smiled as he saw the cannonballsnd, and unleash their magic spells. The cannons were extremely powerful. The Raon Alliance''s rear troops, the Mage Squad or the Healer Squad, were unable to do their jobs properly. They would either die to the cannonballs or the spells within them, or were too busy dodging them to do much else. "Good, good. Ready the next wave! Raise your shields. Don''t let them reach the Engineer Squad or the cannons!" "Yes, sir!" ''This''ll be a huge win for us. We introduced them a bit early, but it was definitely worth it.'' But at that moment... Several troops rushed out of the Red Thorn Forest, whichy at the side of the Erkast ins. It was the Lava Squad. They had appeared in an advantageous position. As if that wasn''t enough, they were riding on horseback, so they quickly reached the Engineer Squad and the cannons. "Follow me!" The Lava Squad''s captain, Magma, said fiercely. His brown horse galloped towards the cannons, and his squad followed behind him. Rat-a-tat-tat! "No! Protect the Engineer Squad! Surround them. Protect them with your lives!" Arthand yelled. In order to stop the Lava Squad, Steel Heart''s guild members turned around. However, they were in such tight formation that they got in each other''s way. "Hey, get out of my way!" "Ah, excuse me." "Get a move on!" On the contrary, the Lava Squad rushed over with blistering speed. Soon enough, they had gotten right in front of them. "You won''t get past me, you bastards!" Arthand and his elite guard blocked them. "Get past them!" Magma ordered curtly, as if he''d expected this. Then, the Lava Squad parted like the Red Sea, and ran around Arthand and his guards. "You bastard!" Arthand leapt into the air and swung his hammer. The two he''d struck fell off their horses. "Stop them!" "Do whatever it takes to stop them!" Arthand''s elite guard threw themselves at the Lava Squad. However, it was already toote. "Destroy everyst cannon!" Magma''s voice rang out. At the same time, mes surged from his body. His hidden ss, Sun Warrior, was a melee ss that allowed him to wield mes. Sun Sword! His weapon turned yellow and spewed red mes. Firebird''s Fluttering Wings! Magma swung his sword, unleashing mighty mes that consumed the closest cannon and Engineer Squad members. "Raise your shields! Protect the cannons at all costs!" the Engineer Squad Leader, Yassab, said. Befitting their title as the Steel Heart''s elites, the Engineer Squad pulled the square shields off their backs and protected themselves. Roar! Blocked by the wall of shields, the mes could advance no further. However, the shields couldn''t protect them from the charging Lava Squad members. Bam! Bam! Bam! "Ugh." "Uhahk!" Once they pierced through the shield wall, the Lava Squad immediately went for the cannons. "No! Protect the Engineer Squad and the cannons, you idiots!" Arthand yelled. "Destroy all the cannons. You''ll get a huge bonus!" "Uoooh!" The Lava Squad ran amok. Befitting their squad''s name, the members of the Lava Squad were extremely passionate and excitable. They specifically aimed for the cannons with no regard for their safety; it was as though they weren''t concerned about dying. ng! Soon enough, Magma rejoined his squad and melted a cannon with his mes. That was only the start; the rest of the cannons went down like dominos. "Stop!" Arthand rampaged about like a mad buffalo from behind them. Whenever he swung his hammer, he''d crush the Lava Squad members'' armor or weapons. "I''ll take care of Arthand. The rest of you, take care of the cannons," Magma quickly said, and rushed at Arthand. "Go for the cannons!" "Protect the cannons!" The Lava Squad and the Engineer Squad mingled together and screamed. ng! Magma''s ming sword and Arthand''s hammer emitted sparks as they shed. "Magma, you bastard!" Arthand''s eyes were filled with murderous intent. "How was it? Did you like the heat?" Magma sported an impish expression. "Get out of my way!" Arthand swung his hammer downwards. In response, Magma swung his ming sword upwards. ng! While they fought, the Lava Squad did their duty, and began dying one or two at a time. "I got a cannon!" "Cannon, cannon, cannon!" "Go away already!" How much time had passed? "We''re leaving now!" Magma took a quick look around and yelled. "Run!" "Retreat!" "Let''s get out of here!" The Lava Squad members used their trump cards, and did whatever it took to survive. "I''ll be going now," Magma looked at Arthand and said. "That''s not going to happen!" Arthand and his elite guard surrounded Magma. They''d already taken huge losses, so they at least had to kill Magma. However, Magma''s body suddenly transformed into a huge fire. Incarnation of Hellfire! Magma, who''d transformed into a fiercely burning me, unleashed fire in every direction, and broke through their perimeter. "No! Stop him!" Arthand''s elite guards used chains, hooks, arrows, and spells. Arthand himself threw his hammer with all his might. However, Magma pierced through it all. By drawing all of their attention, he allowed the surviving Lava Squad members to escape. Grr. Arthand gritted his teeth, and clenched his hands so hard that it seemed like they''d burst. If he''d been with the Steel Heart''s executives, then this wouldn''t have happened. However, his executives were at the forefront, performing their missions to the best of their ability. "Give me a report on our losses. How many cannons are left?" "That''s..." The Engineer Squad Leader, Yassab, hesitated. "I asked you a question." "We lost twenty-two of them." "Then we only have eight left?" "Three of them are so heavily damaged that they''ll have to be repaired by a cksmith." "Ugh. Then we only have five left?" "Those bastards focused entirely on the cannons, so... At least we managed to kill a ton of them." "You think that''ll make me feel any better!? Do you really think they''re worth the same!? We didn''t even manage to kill Magma!" Arthand yelled angrily. "Please calm down. We still have the Steel Corps." "Hoo." Arthand took a deep breath. The Steel Corps was, like the cannons, another one of their trump cards. "Fix the cannons by tomorrow!" "Yes, sir." Sometimeter... Whistle! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The whistle of a pipe and the beating of a drum resounded throughout the battlefield. Both sides were backing off. "Retreat!" "Everyone back off!" "The battle''s over. Take the injured and leave!" Arthand kicked a pebble on the floor. The Hegang Alliance got a lot out of the cannons. After all, the Breaker Guild''s Mage Squad had taken heavy losses. However, they had also lost the majority of their cannons to the Lava Squad. "Damn it. We lost out." His face would remain creased for some time. * * * Kang Oh aimed for the Hercules Guild''s other soul dungeons. He didn''t stop at Furon Underground Cave. King Vitan''s Tomb! Vice Valley''s Historic Site! Tane Charnel House! Kang Oh had suspected that these were soul dungeons. Of these, two of them were soul dungeons; King Vitan''s Tomb and Tane Charnel House. With his Hyper Intuition and his experience finding countless hidden dungeons, Kang Oh was able to find the entrances to these hidden dungeons. They were hard to find, but easy to open once you found them! His Hyper Intuition did activate in Vice Valley''s Historic Site, but he gave up on it, as he couldn''t figure out the puzzle. Anyhow, Kang Oh''s party easily took down the two dungeons'' guardians too. If you invested a ton of repel points into them, guardians could grow to be extremely powerful. However, the Hercules Guild hadn''t raised their guardians'' abilities at all. Then again, who would be crazy enough to mess with one of the Hercules Guild''s dungeons? There really was no reason to strengthen their guardians! Instead, they used those repel points to expand the dungeon. "Tell Shion that I''ming for him soon!" "Y-You bastard!" Kang Oh mercilessly stomped on the high ranker and pdin, Light Rock, within King Vitan''s Tomb. "We''ll see..." Tane Charnel House''s proxy had been the high ranker, Duvata. He was an archer that was proficient in closebat, as he strapped two crossbows on his arms. Of course, he wasn''t able to beat Kang Oh either. "Shion isn''t showing up." Kang Oh disappointedly smacked his lips. Although he''d attacked the Hercules Guild''s soul dungeons, its guildmaster, Shion, had never appeared. Instead, Kang Oh had fought against his proxies. Whatever the case, Lacus, Light Rock, and Duvata were the Hercules Guilds'' pirs! Kang Oh had beaten everyst one of them. He had also recorded every one of his fights, which depicted their loss and their humiliation. However, Kang Oh still wasn''t satisfied. No, there was no way he would be. After all, he''d started this sequence of events with the end goal of destroying the Hercules Guild! "What are you going to do now? Are you going to go after more soul dungeons? No, the better question is do they even have any left?" Sephiro asked. "No, this is good enough. Now we have to get ready to bring the fight to them." Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 396. Wars Climax (1)

Chapter 396. War''s Climax (1)

Trantor: Boko "I have two pieces of good news!" Paton, the Hegang Alliance''s advisor and Shion''s right-hand man, raised his voice. "Good news? What is it?" Arthand''s eyes gleamed as he looked at him. "We''ve established a secret deal with the Raon Alliance. Neither side will try to reel in the Storm Guild!" With this, they had eliminated one unknown variable. "What else?" He had definitely said ''two'' pieces of good news. "They joined us." "Hoh." "What did you offer them?" Shion asked. "I gave them two of our best SS-rank items, and a 10,000 gold scroll. I also agreed to give them ownership of Ecle Pce once the war ends, and that we''d acknowledge them as one of the 5 great guilds. If the Hegang Alliance wins, we''ll provide them a portion of the loot and the reparations as well." "They wanted all of that? Those greedy bastards!" Arthand spat out. "Haha, they joined us because there''s more to gain. They have no sense of loyalty," Paton said. "You''re not going to give them what they want, are you?" Shion asked. "I''m not giving up the Ecle Pce," Arthand said, brooking no argument over the matter. "Of course not. We''ll get rid of them once they''ve served their purpose." Paton smiled wickedly. "Hoh." "They seemed confident that they wouldn''t be used and discarded, but they''re so mired in greed that they couldn''t assess the situation properly. One of the 5 great guilds? What a joke." "That bodes well for us. That they have people on their side like that." Arthand smiled. "They promised to betray the Raon Alliance, right?" Shion asked. "The day after tomorrow." "The day after tomorrow... That''s when we''ll finish things." "That''s right." "Mr. Arthand." "Go ahead." "On that day, we''re going to use everything at our disposal, so..." "We''ll do the same." "When the war is over, let''s negotiate for ownership of the Ecle Pce, rather than immediately start killing each other." The Hegang Alliance was essentially led by two male lions. A giant, powerful prey was in their way, so they agreed to work together, but once that prey was killed, it was clear that they''d aim their fangs at each other. Shion really didn''t want that to happen, so he asked that they negotiate first. "Fine." Arthand nodded his head. They had already taken heavy losses. The prospect of fighting again after defeating the Raon Alliance wasn''t very appealing to either side. "To the Hegang Alliance''s absolute victory!" Shion raised his ss. "To victory!" * * * After the meeting, Shion returned to his room and was given bad news. "Furon Underground Cave, King Vitan''s Tomb, and Tane Charnel House have all been taken from us!?" Shion mmed his fist onto the table. "I have no excuse." Lacus, Light Rock, and Dulvta, who''d all lost to Kang Oh, bowed their heads. "Hoo. No, it''s not your fault. It can''t be helped. You were against Kang Oh. He''s on the same level as Helena after all," Shion said. "It''s difficult to beat him one-on-one. Once this war is over, I''ll show him the true power of the Hercules Guild. Of course, we''ll reim all of our dungeons too." "Yes, sir!" the Hercules Guild''s high rankers replied as one. "Do your best in the battle tomorrow and the day after. Failure means death." He was slightly exaggerating here, but it was true that whoever lost this war would take considerable losses. After all, they would have to pay extreme war reparations. On the flip side, the victors would profit significantly. ''We may be stronger than the Empire Guild.'' Storm, Breaker, Steel Heart, and Hercules all had one clear goal: to be the strongest guild! On the other hand, preserving their spot at the top was the Empire Guild''s goal. ''The Hercules Guild wille out of this stronger than ever!'' In the past, when he and Lacus were part of the Numbers, the Hercules Guild was strong enough to stand side by side with the Empire Guild. ''Let''s regain our past glory!'' Shion''s eyes shined with ambition. * * * The next day, the two opposing forces didn''t fight as if they''de to a prior agreement. Not only had they agreed to keep the Storm Guild out of this, but they had also agreed to a one day ceasefire. While it was a game, it didn''t change the fact that several yers had spent more than 10 days engaged in an intense conflict. Thus, there was nothing more valuable than a day of rest for them. They rested inside or outside of the game. It was entirely up to them. It''d been a long time since the sun had set over the Ekrast ins without a drop of blood. However, the Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance knew full well that the battle would be the most brutal and intense that it''s ever been following this period of rest! And finally...! It was a bright morning. "Don''t let down your guard. Today''s the most important day!" "Let''s do our best!" "Let''s do it!" The top executives of the Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance focused on getting their troops'' minds right and raising morale. In no time at all, it was midday. "Are we ready?" Raon asked Brand. "Completely. Today, Sdin, her, and her followers will be joining us," Brand said. "Good. Distribute the great magic scrolls to our top executives." The Breaker Guild had prepared these great magic scrolls as an ace up their sleeve. "Yes, sir." "Tell them to only use them when they can do maximum damage!" "Understood." "Any issues with Cerberus?" "Probably not." Brand had way too many responsibilities as the alliance''s advisor. He needed to design their battle formation, solve issues that their allied guilds had, figure out their enemies'' movements, prepare their trump cards so they could be used at the right time, etc.! Thus, he hadn''t taken a closer look at Cerberus. "Probably?" Raon furrowed his brow. "I apologize. I''ll check again." "Hurry up." Then... "The Hegang Alliance is approaching!" "They''reing!" The vanguard yelled from the front. Thus far, the Hegang Alliance had fought defensively, yet now they were openly advancing. "Stay here and do your duty," Raon ordered. "Understood," Brand said. The ck Lion, Raon, rode on a giant rhinoceros, and went to the front. Until now, he''d beenmanding his troops from the rear, but today was D-Day. Thus, he intended on fighting on the frontlines, and using his incredible charisma to bolster his troops'' morale. "It''s Raon!" "Raon! Raon! Raon!" The troops'' cries gradually got louder. Raon came to the forefront, and raised his right fist into the air. Then, the troops stopped chanting his name. "You worked hard thus far." Raon''s voice rang out. "So let''s finish this quick, and then go and get some lunch!" Raon''s charisma was tremendous. But him speaking amicably to his troops, as though they were his close friends, only made them more excited and cheer even louder. "Uooooh!" "Raon! Raon! Raon!" Their cheers resounded throughout the Ekrast ins. Seeing that, Brand and the Breaker Guild''s executives looked at him with respect. As expected of our guildmaster! "All forces... charge!" The Raon Alliance advanced forward. Thud! Thud! Thud! A huge army ran across the battlefield, causing the earth to shake. This war, which would one day be called the Ecles War, had entered its climax. * * * "Fire!" The Hegang Alliance attacked first with Steel Heart''s cannons. They were the same eight cannons that the Engineer Squad had managed to save from the Lava Squad! "They''reing!" "Barrier!" "Shut up and dodge!" The cannonballs were too fast. They weren''t something you could dodge. Bam! Boom! Once the cannonballs made contact with either people or the ground, they would release the spell contained within, sweeping away anyone in the vicinity. However, Arthand couldn''t help but feel disappointed; their firepower was much lower now that they only had eight cannons left. "Grr, if it weren''t for that damn Magma!" Arthand recalled Magma and gritted his teeth. "Our finest, the Steel Sword Squad, the Leopard Squad, and the Lava Squad, forward!" Raon yelled, and the Breaker Guild''s three squads popped out of their battle formation. "Cerberus''s three heads, Jairus, White Lion, and ck Sword, forward!" The three organizations, led by Jairus, Lion Heart, and Lee Tan, followed behind them. "I want the Steel Sword Squad and Jairus in the middle, the Leopard Squad and White Lion on the right, and the Lava Squad and ck Sword on the left!" They followed Raon''s orders to the letter. "Charge!" "Follow me!" "C''mon boys!" The three squads, led by Schaal, Snow Flower, and Magma, went their separate ways. "Don''t fall behind!" "We''re going too!" "Let''s go." Cerberus''s three leaders ordered their own troops. "Aah, the battle between the Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance has begun. Please stay tuned!" "Our experts believe that today will be thergest battle thus far. Please stay tuned to see how the battle turns out!" "I wonder if the war will be decided today? If it is, who will be the victor? Viewers, please keep watching till the very end!" All of theworks, including gaming, terrestrial, and cable, showed the battle between the two alliances on the Ekrast ins. "It''s still a close fight!" "Some individuals are performing above and beyond. Snow Flower, Nile, Lacus, Shion! They''re all even!" "Aah, that''s... A great magic scroll!" "A giant cier has appeared in the middle of the battlefield. It looks like great magic!" Snow Flower had used a great magic scroll, which contained ''Frozen Mountain''. "Keehk!" "Ugh." "Uhahk!" The power of great magic was tremendous. It had ughtered the Hegang Alliance troops that''d been fighting the Leopard Squad in a single go. "Finish off the small fry," Snow Flower said calmly. The Leopard Squad, which wasposed of only the best female yers, roamed across the battlefield. No one could resist their sharp ws. Bam! This time, a small volcano erupted from Magma''s side. He had used his own great magic scroll, which contained the ''Summon Volcano'' spell. "This is the best environment for me." A Sun Warrior was capable of absorbing heat. Which meant that a volcano was like a feast for him! "Let''s go!" Whenever he swung his sword, fierce mes would spread everywhere. He was more powerful than normal, as he absorbed the heat of the volcano. "Come at me all at once!" The Lava Squad passionately engaged the enemy. Steel Sword''s leader, Schaal, had a great magic scroll of his own; it contained a powerful lightning spell. However, now wasn''t the best time to use it, so he saved it. Nevertheless, the Steel Sword Squad was considered Breaker''s most powerful squad for a reason. Even without the scroll, they sliced through their enemies like a well sharpened de. "Kill them all." "Attack!" The Steel Sword Squad mercilessly swung their swords, annihting anyone in their path. Due to the Breaker Guild''s three squads and their use of the great magic scrolls, it was assumed that the Raon Alliance would hold the advantage in the early stages of the battle. However, the battle had only just begun, and the Hegang Alliance was ready to mount a counterattack. "Great magic scrolls. They made a huge investment," Shion muttered. Great magic scrolls couldn''t be bought with money. They could be bought with a huge amount of contribution points from the Tower. The Breaker Guild probably didn''t have much left after buying three of them. "We have to lure them in even deeper," Shion assessed the battle and said. He was referring to the three squads and Cerberus. "That way, we''ll be able to attack them from both sides. Shion smiled wickedly. "Haha. That''s why I ced the intermediate guilds in front. To act as meat shields." "Good job." As Shion wanted, the three squads and Cerberus, which supported them from behind, swept through everything in their path. ''Just a little bit more.'' Shion stared at the battlefield. Then, he immediately said, "Now!" "Yes, sir!" Paton opened a message window and contacted their allies. - Now. Kill them all! "Everyone, attack the Leopard Squad!" "Kill the Lava Squad!" All of a sudden, the White Lion and ck Sword Guilds attacked the Lava Squad and the Leopard Squad. "Traitors!" Snow Flower''s eyes shook. "You crazy bastards!" Magma''s eyes burned with rage. "What happened?" Steel Sword''s leader, Schaal, pointed his sword at Jairus. "I-I don''t know." Jairus looked puzzled. ''Are they crazy?'' "Hmm." Schaal examined the nearby Jairus guild members too. They looked taken aback by the sudden turn of events. ''They weren''t involved.'' "Mr. Jairus, please go and help the Leopard Squad. I''ll help the Lava Squad." "Understood." "The main force will send reinforcements soon. So please trust in us and fight till the very end." "Of course." "Steel Sword Squad, follow me!" "Let''s go!" Schaal and Jairus went their separate ways. This information was immediately reported to Raon and Brand. "Those bastards!" Raon''s face grimaced with anger. ''How dare you turn traitor?'' Brand immediately came over. "Our three squads arepletely surrounded due to Lion Heart and Lee Tan''s betrayal. We have to do something. I''ll send Mr. Sdin and the Wyvern Squad immediately." "Hurry up!" Raon yelled. "We have to send our reserve troops too. If they fall, then we all fall." "I''llmand the reserve troops myself. Contact Sdin and her now! It''s time." "Yes, sir!" Kuheong! Raon unleashed a lion''s roar. "Let''s go and save our brothers. Everyone, follow me!" His rhinoceros advanced forward like a trolley, and the Raon Alliance''s reserve troops roared and followed him. A short whileter...! Several birds flew out of the Red Thorn Forest. However, there was something muchrger that took to the sky. Kyaahk! Gyaahk! Wyverns! "Let''s go." Sdin, riding thergest ck wyvern of the bunch, pointed his sword at the battlefield. This was the first time the world got a glimpse of the Breaker Guild''s fourth squad, the Wyvern Squad. Chapter 397. War’s Climax (2)

Chapter 397. War''s Climax (2)

Trantor: Boko "Ah, what do we have here!? The White Lion and ck Sword Guilds have begun attacking the Breaker Guild''s Leopard and Lava Squads!" "They''re traitors! They betrayed the Raon Alliance!" "The Leopard and Lava Squads are surrounded in enemy territory!" Thework correspondents chatted enthusiastically. "Steel Sword Squad, Tempest Charge!" "Save the Lava Squad!" The Steel Sword Squad primarily consisted of Knights, so they had incredible horseback riding skills. Once they assumed formation and charged simultaneously, no one could dare stop them. "This is the most critical point of this battle. Bring out the Steel Corps!" Arthand yelled. It was time for Steel Heart to use itsst remaining trump card. "Yes, sir!" The white-haired man beside him bowed his head. "Let''s go!" Nine other yers followed the white-haired man. Like auto mechanics, they wore blue overalls with various tools protruding from the pockets. "Come out! Iron #1!" "Go, Iron #3!" They raised their hands into the air, and giant magic circles appeared on the ground. Soon enough, Steel Golems arose from the magic circles. There were ten of them! However, they looked and movedpletely different from a normal golem. They were about 10 meters tall, but they were thin, quick, and wielded a variety of weapons like a sword and a shield, a spear, etc. These golems were the exact opposite of normal golems, which possessed tremendous defense, but moved sluggishly andcked attack power. The yers that''d created them were all Mechanical Engineers, a hidden ss. Mechanical Engineers were capable of creating Steel Golems and ''tune'' machines. These Steel Golems had been fully ''tuned'' as weapons. Though there were only 10 of them, they had power equivalent to a corps. That''s why it was called the ''Steel'' Corps. Thud! The Steel Golems stood before the Steel Sword Squad. Tick! Creak! It sounded as though a spring was being wound up or joints were creaking. "Nothing can stop us!" Schaal and the Steel Sword Squad kept charging forward. Whoosh! Boom! The Steel Golems swung their weapons, causing several of the men and their horses to fall. "These guys are fast!" "Be careful!" "Look for their core!" Befitting its title as one of the Breaker Guild''s elite squads, Steel Sword quickly moved around the Steel Golems, looking for an opportune moment to strike. However, that moment wouldn''te easily. The Steel Golems'' defense was extraordinary, and their huge bodies and unbelievably swift movements made it that much more difficult. "Mm." Schaal furrowed his brow. Although they were surrounded in enemy territory, Magma and his squad were somehow managing to hold out. However, it would only be a matter of time before they died. He''d sent Jairus to save the Leopard Squad, but they were encountering fierce resistance on the way. They, like the Lava Squad, would need help soon or they''d all die. How could they turn things around!? At that moment... "Attack!" "Uaaaahk!" "Kill them all!" Raon, who rode atop a giant rhinoceros, and the reserve troops, forcefully charged into battle. At the same time...! A shadow cast over his head. "The Wyvern Squad!" Schaal raised his head, and his face brightened. A group of wyverns flew in the air like a squadron of fighter jets! Gyaahk! Kyaahk! Roars that brought fear and terror to the hearts of their enemies rang out. "Poison Breath!" Sdin, who led at the front, yelled. "Poison Breath!" "Poison Breath!" The Wyvern Squad members yelled, and their wyverns responded in kind. They opened their mouths and unleashed green poisonous mist at their enemies. Bam! One hundred Poison Breaths were aimed at the enemy simultaneously! It was like a green avnche. "Uhahk!" "H-Holy!" Members of the Hegang Alliance began dropping like flies. This included two of the Mechanical Engineers, who had been controlling the Steel Golems. Creak! Without their Mechanical Engineers, the two Steel Golems copsed like puppets whose strings had been cut. The poison mist didn''t affect Schaal, the Steel Sword Squad, or any troops affiliated with the Raon Alliance. "Kill them all!" Raon rampaged about like a mad beast. "Now''s our chance! Kill the ones controlling the golems!" Schaal yelled. "We''re going again!" "Ooh!" The Steel Sword Squad cheered, and began slicing through their enemies once more like a well forged de. "Now!" "Leopard Squad!" Motivated by the appearance of both the reserve troops and the Wyvern Squad, Magma''s Lava Squad and Snow Flower''s Leopard Squad began fighting even harder. "As expected of Breaker. To think they had something like this up their sleeve. Let''s go too!" Jairus raised his sword into the sky. "We''re going again!" Sdin yelled. The wyverns turned back around, and unleashed another Poison Breath onto the ground. "Arrows or magic! Use whatever you got!" "Do whatever you can!" "Cannons! Shoot the cannons!" The Hegang Alliance couldn''t recover. "Iron #4!" "#6!" The Mechanical Engineers tried to stop the wyverns with their Steel Golems. However, it was a fruitless endeavor; it was like catching a dragonfly with their bare hands. The Wyvern Squadfortably flew through the sky, as if it were their very own home. No one could stop them. * * * "Aah, wyverns!" "Wyvern Riders have appeared!" "That must be the Breaker Guild''s trump card!" The variouswork correspondents went crazy over the Wyvern Squad. Wyverns were considered top-tier flying monsters! The sight of Wyvern Riders flying above the battlefield was truly striking. Moreover, they had assumed formation and were spewing Poison Breath onto the enemy forces! Look at that incredible power! "Aah, the Hegang Alliance is being rendered helpless!" "The Steel Golems are like steel cans. They can''t do anything against the wyverns!" "The Hegang Alliance is retaliating with their cannons, arrows, and magic, but none of them can reach the wyverns! Wyverns are too skilled in the air!" The tides had turned in the Raon Alliance''s favor. So much so that it seemed like there was no way for the Hegang Alliance to recover. However...! At that moment, the Hegang Alliance was nning their counteroffensive. Hercules'' leader, Shion, raised a giant egg into the air, which radiated heat. The Hercules Guild''s best mages surrounded him. They used Mana Link on him, allowing him to use their MP and Magic. "...Within time evesting, you transform into a handful of ash, and are then borne anew as the eternal, legendary bird!" Shion raised the giant egg into the air. He pushed every ounce of power and MP he received from his mages into it. Crack! Roar! The egg cracked, and intense mes leaked out of it. Split! The eggpletely cracked, and powerful embers popped out. The embers devoured every ounce of energy Shion sent its way, and quickly grew like a forest fire. A short whileter... A bird entirely coated in mes appeared. A Phoenix! In the past, Kang Oh and the Warriors of the Great Forest had hunted the Winged Snake Queen, Cassio, who had consumed a phoenix''s egg. One of the items it had dropped was a Phoenix Egg. The Great Forest''s bravest tribe, the Nedav Tribe, kept it in storage. However, the Hercules Guild had caught word of this, and had secretly stolen the egg from them just a little bit ago. By infusing a ton of mana into it, the Hercules Guild had forcibly awakened the Phoenix. Of course, using this method would cause the Phoenix to return to being an egg after a certain amount of time. After all, they had forced an unstable resurrection! "Hueup, your mind and mine are one!" Shion cast a mind control spell over the unstable Phoenix. The Phoenix''s eyes turned ck. Normally, mind controlling a Phoenix was impossible. After all, a Phoenix was a mythical creature. However, he managed to seed. First, because the mana he''d used to awaken it was his own, and second, because the Phoenix was in an unstable state. "Burn my enemies to cinders! Focus on those lizards first!" Shion pointed his staff at the Wyvern Squad. Roar! The Phoenix forcefully pped its wings, and unleashed mes everywhere. "Uhaahk!" "Ugh." Its mes were in a league of its own. The Raon Alliance was unable to cope with them, and began burning. Roar! The Phoenix kept pping its wings, and flew towards the Wyvern Squad. "A Phoenix! Wyvern Squad, we''ll take care of it!" Sdin yelled. He, riding his ck wyvern, flew towards it first. Air sh! His sharp, crescent moon shaped st flew through the air. However, it didn''t do much against the Phoenix. On the contrary, the Phoenix''s mes became even stronger. The rest of Sdin''s squad had arrived. "Scatter and attack it!" As if surrounding it, 100 wyverns flew around the Phoenix and unleashed their Poison Breath. However, the Phoenix was made of fire! Before the poison even hit it, the Phoenix''s mes would burn it into a ck smoke. The Wyvern Squad shot arrows, hooks, powerful aura attacks, and other ranged attacks. Foot that Pierces Through Steel! Aura of Courage! Piercing Sword! Whip of Pain! As Wyvern Riders, all the yers in the Wyvern Squad were proficient in long-rangedbat. However, the Phoenix was a mythical creature, one on the same level as Wukong! Though it wasn''t in prime condition and had been forcefully awakened, thus not allowing it to use its full strength, it was still strong. The Phoenix rose into the air, spread its wings, and spun. Sun Wing! It unleashed feather-shaped mes everywhere. "Dodge!" Sdin yelled, and the Wyvern Squad showed their proficiency in the air. The Phoenix didn''t stop there. Burning Tsunami! Eternal me! Firebolt! It seemed like its mes could burn the sky itself. Kyaahk! "Ugh." Anyone caught in its mes would be burnt to cinders. The Phoenix''s mes were akin to a cmity. However, this was only the beginning. The Phoenix''s mes began to consume both the Wyvern Squad and the wyverns they''d put so much effort into raising. "Lead it outside of the battlefield!" Sdin yelled. Attacking it head-on was an act of suicide. At the same time, they couldn''t back down either. If they did, the Phoenix would burn their allies on the ground. Thus, Sdin ordered a tactical retreat. They would lead the Phoenix outside of the battlefield, buying as much time as possible. "Yes, sir!" The Wyvern Squad assumed formation, and backed away from the Phoenix. The Phoenix obviously tried to chase them. But Shion knew what they were nning. "Ignore the lizards, and burn my enemies on the ground!" he whispered. It was a mere whisper, but to the brainwashed Phoenix, it came out loud and clear. The Phoenix spun around, and then flew low to the ground. Anything it passed by burnt to cinders. Only the Hegang Alliance was spared from its mes! "Hegang Alliance, now is the time! It''s time to grab victory!" Arthand raised his hammer and yelled passionately. "Iron #1!" "Iron #10, go!" Once the Phoenix flew across the battlefield, the Steel Golems were able to show their true strength. Whenever they swung their mighty weapons, several members of the Raon Alliance would die. They were monsters with strength, speed, and toughness! This was the power of the Steel Corps'' Steel Golems. Bam! Bam! Bam! The eight remaining cannons continuously fired cannonballs. They''de with several cannon balls, so they wouldn''t run out of ammunition. "Don''t save your scroll!" ck Lion, Raon, assessed the battle, and yelled. The Steel Sword Squad''s leader, Schaal, ripped his magic scroll. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! A sphere of lightning appeared in the air, which continuously unleashed lightning at their enemies. Magma, Snow Flower, and the Raon Alliance''s other leaders all ripped their magic scrolls too. Powerful fire, lightning, ice, wind, etc. swept through the heart of the battlefield. "We''re attacking the Phoenix again!" Once his n to lead the Phoenix away failed, Sdin and his Wyvern Squad turned back around and attacked the Phoenix. "Don''t lose!" "Do or die. Kill as many as you can before you go!" "Uheok." "Just die already!" The Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance''s yers, countless rankers, the Phoenix and the Wyvern Squad, the Steel Golems and the cannons, the great magic, the Steel Sword Squad, Zeus''s Spear, the elite Engineer Squad, rank 10 Shion, and rank 3 Raon! The yers intermingled and fought brutally with no end in sight. It truly was the war''s climax. Chapter 398. War’s Climax (3)

Chapter 398. War''s Climax (3)

Trantor: Boko The Raon Alliance began to lose a lot of ground. The ck Lion, Raon, stared furiously at White Lion''s Lion Heart, and ck Sword''s Lee Tan. They were the biggest reason the tide was turning against them. The two guilds had made up arge portion of the Raon Alliance, so their betrayal gave the power advantage to the Hegang Alliance. Moreover, the more time passed, the more dangerous the Phoenix and the Steel Golems became. The Wyvern Squad and the Raon Alliance''s elites fought against them, but they were struggling. Raon''s power and his leadership ability outstripped the Hegang Alliance''s leaders, but even he couldn''t make up for the shift in power. However, Raon''s expression remained calm, with no signs of unrest. He still had a card he had yet to y. ''She should be here soon.'' The Raon Alliance fought back, killing any enemy in their way, and waited for her arrival. How much time had passed? "Ugh." Magma, who''d transformed into the Incarnation of Hellfire, cried out. At the same time, the mes coating his body slowly began to die down. He had fought valiantly, but he could no longer withstand the Hegang mages'' concentrated assault. Once their captain died, the Lava Squad crumbled. The Steel Golems, the traitorous ck Sword Guild, and the Hegang Alliance''s troops mercilessly ughtered the Lava Squad. Then... All of a sudden, ck clouds obscured the blue sky, and droplets of rain began to fall onto the battlefield. "This is...?" Hegang''s mages could smell the mana within the raindrops. This wasn''t naturally urring rain. Someone had caused it! "Guaaahk!" "Ugh." Rain and lightning! It was a frighteningbination. The only ones affected by it, however, were the members of the Hegang Alliance. Whoever cast the rain and brought down the lightning was on the Raon Alliance''s side! "O-Over there!" Someone pointed at the Red Thorn Forest. People instinctively turned their heads in that direction. "T-That''s..." There was a small hill in-between the Ekrast ins and the Red Thorn Forest. There were people gathered on top of it. "I-It''s Helena! Numbers rank 5! The Witch of Annihtion, the most powerful mage, and the original owner of the Ecle Pce!" "Aah, it''s her. It''s Helena!" "Helena! It looks like she''s being apanied by the Witch''s Forest." The correspondents yelled. That''s right. How many mages existed that were capable of making it rain on such a massive scale, and then strike one''s enemies with lightning? And if we narrow it down even further, including only yers, then... Helena! She was the only yer capable of such a feat. Of course, she wasn''t strong enough to do it herself. Using Mana Link, she was continuously supplied with her guild members'' MP and Magic. To add to that, she had used Double Casting and Overload, allowing her to use Exploding Lightning and other such powerful spells on such arge scale. Anyhow, her sudden appearance, as well as her killing the Hegang Alliance''s mages, was a wee sight for the Raon Alliance, and a catastrophe for the Hegang Alliance. "Helena is on our side! Shout out in victory!" Raon yelled. Helena wanted to take revenge on the Hercules Guild, and Raon wanted to weaken Hercules'' forces. The two came to an understanding, so they temporarily joined forces. "Uwooooh!" the Raon Alliance yelled forcefully. To think that one of the Numbers had joined them as an ally! How could they not feel good about this!? "That bitch." Shion gritted his teeth and scowled. "Phoenix, burn them all to ash!" Then, the Phoenix flew towards the hill where Helena and her guild members were standing. In response, Helena unleashed two spells at the Phoenix. Ice Drill! Vortex Spear! A sharp piece of ice, and a fiercely spinning stream of water, resembling Poseidon''s trident, struck the Phoenix head-on. Helena, who was using Mana Link, Double Casting, and Overload, and was also being protected by her guild members, could match the Phoenix blow for blow. She continually cast giant, powerful spells at the Phoenix. God of Thunder''s Axe, Monster Bird''s Wind, Ice Storm, Great Tsunami, Absolute Zero! Roar! The Phoenix responded in kind, unleashing all the power it could muster. Sun Wing, Eternal me, Burning Catastrophe, ming Sunset! "Aah! What exactly is..." "This is amazing!" "It''s the match of the century!" The correspondents couldn''t help but praise the fight. After all, Helena continuously cast powerful, showy spells one after another, all of which were different elements. Despite that, the Phoenix''s mes didn''t go out. On the contrary, they became even more intense. They were dead even! ''Dead even'' was a truly urate way of describing Helena''s fight with the Phoenix. "Now, Wyvern Squad!" While Helena kept the Phoenix busy, the 50 remaining Wyvern Riders would begin attacking the surface. They no longer remained in formation. Instead, they flew around freely and spewed their Poison Breath everywhere they could. "Ignore the wyverns, and focus on the ground troops first!" Arthand yelled. He wasn''t prepared to tackle the wyverns. Thus, it''d be better for them to focus on the ground troops instead. "Yes, sir!" The Steel Golems stomped on the ground and swung their weapons. Whenever they were ready, the cannons would fire their cannonballs. Fighting against Helena required a ton of energy. Shion focused on supplying it with energy and maintaining his control over its mind, so he couldn''t do anything else at the moment. The mages that were supplying him with mana couldn''t do anything either. Patonmanded the Hercules Guild in his stead. "Poseidon''s Fury, reinforce the right nk! Hades''s Revenge, attack the Leopard Squad! We''re this close to victory. Don''t let it get away!" Lacus, Excal, Light Rock, Duvata, etc. Once the Hercules Guilds'' high rankers began to take a more active role, the Breaker Guild''s high rankers came out to meet them. The Jairus Guild had joined with the Leopard Squad, and Jairus himself was standing side by side with Snow Flower, cutting through anyone in their way. The Lava Squad had fallen, but the Steel Sword and Leopard Squads had been saved. Raon''s main force was left intact too. However, the battle was still unfavorable for the Raon Alliance. White Lion and ck Sword''s betrayal was a huge blow. "Mm." For the first time ever, ck Lion, Raon, furrowed his brow. He didn''t have any more cards to y. "Now it''s a battle of wills." His heart burned with a fighting spirit. If the battle was unfavorable, then he could turn things around with willpower, determination, and grit! Kuhang! Lion''s Roar! His roar spread throughout the battlefield like a ripple. "Let''s go. Let''s fight. And let''s win!" Raon yelled. His overwhelming charisma gave his troops strength, and made his enemies afraid. "Let''s go. Let''s fight. And let''s win!" "Uhaaahk!" The Raon Alliance, especially the Breaker Guild, began fighting through pure anger and courage alone. They wouldn''t back down until their HP hit 0! "Don''t panic! We have the advantage. Don''t let them get to you, and just kill whoever is in your way! Victory is at hand!" Paton yelled. In terms of leadership, charisma, etc., Raon was much better. Instead...! "Paton is right. Victory is at hand. Follow me!" One of the Numbers, Arthand, was here too. His giant, over 2 meter tall body, acted as a pir that they could lean upon. "Uhaaahk!" This war had gone on for more than 10 days. The end was approaching. Everyone was in terrible shape. They had all died at least once, afflicting them with the death debuff, and they had run out of bandages and potions. Thus, they didn''t have much HP or MP left. Their weapons broke and their armor shattered too. Both sides stared at each other with bloodshot eyes. If they didn''t have a weapon, then they''d use whatever was at their disposal, whether it be their nails or their teeth. So long as there was breath in their body, they would fight. If they couldn''t move their bodies, then they''d curse or spit on their enemies. "Die, die!" "Die!" "You crazy bastard!" "You won''t kill me!" It was a dogfight. No one knew who woulde out victorious. After all, this was the most intense, brutal battle thus far. However...! Rat-a-tat-tat! All of a sudden, the ground shook, and healthy troops arrived on the Ekrast ins. Their gs bore a raging whirlwind. "I-It''s the Storm Guild!" "The Storm Guild!" That''s right. The Storm Guild had appeared on the Ekrast ins. ''Why are they here?'' Raon, Arthand, and Shion simultaneously thought. Why, you ask? The Raon Alliance and the Hegang Alliance had signed a secret deal, stating that they wouldn''t involve the Storm Guild. It was a Sabra''s Contract! The amount they''d have to pay if they went against the contract was tremendous! It was evenrger than the war reparations. ''Are they prepared to pay the penalty?'' Raon, Arthand, and Shion all thought the same thing. They assumed that the other side had vited the contract. However, that was aplete misunderstanding. Kang Oh was riding a horse beside the Storm Guild''s leader, Hernandez. "Hmm." Kang Oh stared at Hernandez and Han Seol, and recalled the events that happened the day prior. * * * The day before. Kang Oh hade to the Storm Guild''s mansion in Latnia City. "Why are you here?" Hernandez saw him and snarled. "I heard you lost to Dukeram." Hernandez raised his eyes. "What!? I didn''t lose." "Really? If you''d have beaten him, then you would be in the Empire Guild''s headquarters right now, not here," Kang Oh said. Hernandez kept his mouth shut. "What business do you have with us?" Han Seol asked, standing beside Hernandez. "I have a business proposal." "A business proposal? What kind?" Hernandez asked. "Let me ask you this first. Do you think you''ll be able to handle the Empire Guild?" "We can. We''re one of the 5 great guilds," Han Seol said. "Of course." Hernandez nodded his head. If they weren''t confident that they''d be able to, then they wouldn''t have attacked the Empire Guild in the first ce. "Then if I gave you the Hercules Guild''s soul dungeons, would you be able to handle them too?" Kang Oh asked. "What?" Hernandez widened his eyes. ''What are you talking about?'' "No," Han Seol quickly replied. She sure caught on quick. "As expected, you wouldn''t be able to handle both the Empire Guild and the Hercules Guild." "For now, that is." "What if the Hercules Guild waspletely destroyed?" Han Seol''s eyes gleamed. "So you''re saying we could possess the Hercules Guild''s soul dungeons without fear of retaliation. But is that really possible? The Hercules Guild is one of the 5 great guilds. They won''t fall so easily. Even if they experienced a disastrous defeat on the Ekrast ins." Han Seol spoke the truth. As one of the 5 great guilds, the Hercules Guild had the power and size to match. "Indeed. But if they were to lose their support, would they stillst?" "Stop talking in circles and get to the point," Hernandez said. "I stole six soul dungeons previously owned by the Hercules Guild''s allies." "Mm." "I''m going to use this as bait to get them to turn their backs on the Hercules Guild." "It won''t be easy." "That''s why I need the Storm Guild. Completely annihte the Hercules Guild. If you do, then they''ll have no choice but to bite." "Could you exin in more detail?" "So..." Kang Oh began exining his n. The more he exined, the more Hernandez and Han Seol''s eyes shined. "That''s everything," Kang Oh said. "Let''s do it," Hernandez replied. Han Seol covered her mouth with her hand, and thought things over. "We have to take this opportunity. This is our chance to greatly increase our forces before the Empire Guild strikes back." Ultimately, she agreed to his proposal too. "Then, shall we sign a contract?" Kang Oh grinned and pulled out a Sabra''s Contract. * * * "Haha, they sure are having a st." Hernandez''s words snapped him out of it, and he then stared at the battlefield. The battle was being fought all across the Ekrast ins! yers filled the battlefield! He could clearly see Shion amongst them. Kang Oh drew both of his demon swords, and pointed both of them at Shion simultaneously. ''You''re mine!'' Chapter 399. Total Annihilation’s Domain

Chapter 399. Total Annihtion''s Domain

Trantor: Boko "Listen up!" Hernandez''s voice resounded throughout the Ekrast ins. "Our only goal is the Hercules Guild. We''ll kill anyone who gets in the way of our goal!" he dered. "Oooh!" The Storm Guild members cheered. Raon''s eyes gleamed. Brand quickly came over to his side. "I''m not sure what happened, but this is our chance." Raon nodded his head. Brand didn''t need to exin any further. "Raon Alliance, listen up!" Raon''s majestic voice rang out. "Don''t get in the Storm Guild''s way. Keep killing the Hegang Alliance!" "Yes, sir!" the Breaker Guild members replied as one. On the other hand, the Hegang Alliance, especially the Hercules Guild, was going crazy. "Are they crazy!?" Shion jumped up. ''Why are they going after us!?'' "Mr. Arthand!" Shion quickly called. However, Arthand was quick on the uptake. He answered first. "Mr. Shion, we''ll take on the Raon Alliance, so please take care of the Storm Guild." It was the correct move. After all, the Raon Alliance was weak and tired, while the Storm Guild was at full strength. ''If things get bad, then we''ll have to retreat.'' Since he''d heard Hernandez''s announcement, he considered retreating too. As of now, there was a high chance that the Hercules Guild would take the most losses. Thus, he wanted to get as far away as he could before they turned their attention to his own guild. "Mm!" Shion knew why he was doing this. However, there was no way of convincing Arthand to do otherwise. Grr. He gritted his teeth, and heavily nodded his head. "Under...stood. I won''t forget this!" "Do as you wish," Arthand replied absentmindedly. It was clear that the Hercules Guild would take considerable losses in this battle. Thus, he wasn''t really concerned with Shion''s remark. ''We have to keep as many of our troops alive as possible.'' "Assume a defensive position. The Hercules Guild will take care of the Storm Guild. Don''t mess with the Storm Guild!" Arthand yelled. Hernandez grinned. "It''s going exactly as nned." "So far." Han Seol nodded her head. "It''s time," Kang Oh said. His body tingled with excitement. He could feel the heat of battle from here. "Alright." Hernandez smiled. He was a natural battle maniac. "Let''s go, everyone!" Hernandez led the charge atop his horse. Kang Oh and Han Seol came after him, and the Storm Guild followed the two of them. "Oh, they''reing!" "Ugh." The morale of the Hercules Guild and its allies began to dwindle. It didn''t look like there was any way they could win. "Haaht!" Soon enough, Hernandez reached the Hercules Guild''s formation, and began showing why he was called the Spear King. Infinite Thrust! Whenever his spear shed, people would die helplessly. "Giddy-yap! Let''s go, Heuk Woon!" He was skilled in horseback riding, and his horse would use its front or hind legs to trample on or kick his enemies away. The Lightning Hunter, Han Seol, and the Storm Guild''s high rankers showed what they were made of too. Whizz. Han Seol''s lightning arrow pierced through one enemy soldier, and then went through two others. Fierce Charge! Silver Stein, a knight called the Silver Wolf, pushed through enemy lines with his favorite horse. Bam! Bam! Bam! His dual des were both heavy and precise. There was also an individual that popped out of the shadows, slit the Hercules Guild members'' necks, and then receded back into the shadows. ck Spider, Saracen! He was an assassin with skills on par with the Harbinger of Death, Viper. Aside from them, the Storm Guild''s elite squads cut through swathes of Hercules'' guild members. ''Shion''s mine!'' Kang Oh pulled out a demonic looking axe from his inventory. It was an S-rank axe that possessed a lethal curse called Total Annihtion. [Total Annihtion] Casts Total Annihtion. Drains the HP of anyone within a 50 meter radius by 1% per second. This effectsts for 100 seconds. Does not discriminate between friend and foe. Only the caster remains unaffected by its effects. When this effect is over, the weapon breaks. This curse was created by Katan, widely considered the worst mage in history. The forbidden spell, Total Annihtion, was contained within this hideous axe. Kang Oh used Gluttony. His jet-ck demon sword''s darkness devoured the demonic axe. All of his abilities were increased threefold, and Total Annihtion was now usable! To add to that, he used Devil Trigger. His demon swords'' red and ck energy mixed together, and engulfed his body. Kang Oh''s body was coated in ck, with streaks of red running through it. Two demon horns protruded from his beast mask, dark red wings sprouted from his back, blood-like armor covered his torso, and his beautiful tail was ever present. The Dual Demon was here! "Tasha, please fly me over to that guy." Kang Oh pointed Blood at Shion. Shion was situated in the heart of enemy territory. "Got it." Tasha began pping his wings, and Kang Oh rose into the air. Wyverns passed by him, but they didn''t interfere. Whoosh! Kang Oh flipped through the air, and then plummeted to the ground. He was like a shooting star! Boom! Hended right in front of Shion. "Kang Oh!" It was as ifsers would shoot out of his eyes. ''Stealing soul dungeons just wasn''t enough for you. You had to appear before me too!?'' "Kill him immediately!" Shion yelled sharply. "Haha, we meet again!" "You bastard!" Kang Oh was surrounded by Lacus, Light Rock, and Duvata, all of whom had lost to Kang Oh before, as well as Shion''s elite guard. "Don''t let him escape. Kill him first and then take care of the Storm Guild!" Shion yelled. "Hmph." Kang Oh snorted. Unfortunately for them, they hadn''t surrounded him. On the contrary, the Hercules Guilds'' top executives had fallen for his trap. Total Annihtion! [Total Annihtion has been cast.] [Anyone within a 50 meter radius will be annihted!] [Anyone who stays inside will lose their HP at 1% per second.] [Remaining Time: 100 seconds] A giant, 50 meter wide ring appeared beneath his feet. Bizarre, ominous red letters appeared on top of the ring. [Warning! You are within Total Annihtion''s Domain!] [You will lose 1% of your HP every second.] [Please escape from Total Annihtion''s Domain!] Once he read the system message, Shion''s face stiffened. Total Annihtion... It was a forbidden spell created by the worst mage in history, Katan! "It''s Katan''s Total Annihtion. Hurry up and get out of the ring!" Shion yelled. At the same time, he called for the Phoenix, which was still fighting against Helena. In order to fly back to its master, the Phoenix turned its back on Helena. However, Helena wouldn''t just let it go scot free; she let loose a powerful spell as a parting gift. Bam! Bam! Despite that, the Phoenix fiercely pped its wings and flew towards Shion. "Sh*t!" "Damn it!" Startled by Shion''s warning, the Hercules Guild members began to back off. Of course, Kang Oh wouldn''t just let them get away. ''I''ll ignore the small fry.'' His target was Shion and his high rankers. He nned on doing his utmost to keep them from escaping. Kuhaaahk! A horrifying roar escaped from his mouth. Demon''s Roar! This roar would cause his enemies to shrink away in fear, and reduce their abilities. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! His red and ck auras swept through anything in front of him. "I''ll deal with him. Everyone else, get away as fast as you can!" The pdin, Light Rock, pushed his shield forward and blocked Kang Oh''s attack. He nned on sacrificing himself for his guild. "Get away! Hurry!" Shion yelled once more. Lacus bit his lip and turned around. Duvata and the other rankers did the same. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Blood Spear! Blood Spears flew everywhere. Lacus and Duvata rolled onto the floor. Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! Kang Oh shot attack after attack at Shion and his executives. Light Rock blocked his Tempest Tiger, but the executives had to roll onto the floor in order to avoid his Lightning Breath. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh retreated into the darkness and disappeared. He then reappeared right beside Shion. Shion was his primary target! Shion gritted his teeth. He kept getting system messages, telling him to get out of Total Annihtion''s range ASAP. However, he couldn''t get past Kang Oh. He was holding the Phoenix Egg in one hand, so he cast a spell using his other, which was holding his staff. Mother Nature''s Fury! His staff unleashed a green energy st. Kang Oh swung Ubist at it. The green energy was sucked into his de like water being drained into a sinkhole. Abyss de, which allowed Ubist to absorb magic, had activated! He immediately swung his sword. Whoosh. His jet-ck greatsword cleaved through the air. Shion gritted his teeth and ducked. The demon sword passed right over his head. "Protect the guildmaster!" Lacus and the other high rankers rushed at Kang Oh. Destroy Target! Vital Strike! Earth sh! Ignite! Honorable Hammer! Lacus''s handaxe, Dulvta''s arrow, as well as the other high rankers'' attacks came flying over. The ordinary guild members used that opportunity to escape Total Annihtion. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Abyss Shield! Kang Oh moved nimbly, and a swamp-like barrier formed around Kang Oh. "Ignore him! Get out immediately!" Shion yelled. Even if he wanted to fight, he had to get out of Total Annihtion''s range first. "Keep him busy while you run away!" Lacus yelled. "I''ll keep him upied until the very end!" Light Rock charged at Kang Oh. "I ain''t letting you go." Kang Oh went on a rampage. He was the only one free to move as he pleased within Total Annihtion''s Domain. Festival of Blood! His snow-white de was covered in energy as thick and dark as blood. Transcendent de! No one saw Kang Oh''s sword move, but they did see the position he was in after. Bam! Kang Oh left a diagonal cut on Light Rock''s body! ck shards of light burst from the wound. Fang Bearing de had activated! The man that was called Hercules'' Shield was so easily defeated. Thebination of Total Annihtion, Gluttony, Devil Trigger, Festival of Blood, Transcendent de, and Fang Bearing de resulted in instant death. "Light Rock!" Shion and the rest of the executives were shocked. Light Rock had the highest defense among them. To think that Light Rock would die in a single hit. Plop. Plop. Plop. Kang Oh advanced. The White Shark, Excal, thought, ''Ah, screw it!'', and charged at Kang Oh. Shiver of Sharks! If hended an attack with his serrated dagger, then his opponent would be ripped apart, as if they were being gnawed at by sharks. However, it waspletely pointless. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition warned him ahead of time, so he knew exactly where Excal was attacking. Plus, it showed him where Excal was exposed too. Stab! Blood pierced through Excal''s heart. "You can''t go..." Excal grabbed Kang Oh''s arms in an attempt to buy as much time as possible. Kang Oh picked up Excal''s body with a single hand, and threw him at Shion. At the same time, Festival of Blood, which onlysted 30 seconds, wore off. Bam! Lacus, who was near Shion, deflected Excal''s body. "Run away!" "Got it." Shion did as he was told. Just a little bit more, and he''d be free from the effects of Total Annihtion. "Hmph!" Kang Oh and Lacus shed. Mad Wind''s Sword! Havoc! An axe and two swords flew through the air. Bam! Lacus''s body fell forward, apanied by glimmering shards of red light. Kang Oh immediately chased after Shion. ''I got him!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed wickedly. "You bastard!" "Uheok!" But then... A giant me stood before him. It was the Phoenix. The Phoenix snatched Shion away and flew out of Total Annihtion''s Domain. "Tch." Kang Oh disappointedly clicked his tongue. The red ring, inscribed with red letters, began to dwindle. Total Annihtion was ending, and there were no longer any living beings within the ring. However, he''d aplished his goal. He''d killed Hercules'' high rankers: Lacus, Light Rock, Excal, etc. Tramp, tramp. Kang Oh left Total Annihtion''s Domain. Shion was waiting for him. A giant firebird stood behind him with its wings outstretched. His elite guard and the Hercules Guild surrounded Kang Oh too. "I''ll kill you!" Shion said angrily. "Shut up and fight," Kang Oh said frighteningly. ''I''ll kill everyst one of you!'' Chapter 400. Punishment

Chapter 400. Punishment

Trantor: Boko Thud! Shion mmed his staff onto the ground. Transmigration of Souls! This was a Sage''s secret technique; a spell that allowed the user to revive themselves, or their allies. Pirs of light arose from Lacus and Light Rock''s bodies. Shion was capable of reviving two people at once. "Mm." Lacus and Light Rock stood up instantly. Their bodies glowed with light. Transmigration of Souls didn''t simply revive its target. It also applied a buff that increased their abilities too. Not only that, but it also removed the target''s death debuff, and kept their level, experience, and proficiency intact. "Thank you, Master." "Thank you." Lacus and Light Rock simultaneously said. "Kill him." "Yes, sir!" "Attack!" Shion pointed his staff at Kang Oh. The Phoenix attacked first. Eternal me! A giant fireball came flying at Kang Oh. Kang Oh''s ne glowed. Moon''s Protection! A barrier akin to a full moon blocked the Eternal me. That was only the beginning. The Hercules Guild''s elites began attacking him too. Lacus swung his axe downwards, while Light Rock threw his hammer. Dulvta shot arrows at Kang Oh''s ankles using his dual crossbows. Because Shion had used Transmigration of Souls, and had to focus on controlling the Phoenix, he couldn''t do anything else. In his stead, the Hercules Guild''s mages began chanting. "Kill him!" Shion''s elite guard threw hooks and daggers at him. Some of them even used poison or javelins. sh! Kang Oh swung Ubist, deflecting Lacus''s axe. Then, he spun around and used Sword Parry, parrying Light Rock''s hammer with Blood. However, he couldn''t dodge or block every one of their attacks. These were Hercules'' elites! They weren''t to be underestimated. Bam! A dagger pierced his shoulder, and a de grazed his side. The Phoenix prepared its next attack. Sun Wing! His sight was filled with feather-shaped mes. Kang Oh swung Ubist diagonally. Evesting Darkness! His jet-ck de unleashed a pir of darkness, which cleaved through both the mes and the Phoenix itself. The Phoenix tottered, and its mes weakened greatly. However, using such a powerful attack left him open, and Lacus, who''d once been part of the Numbers, took full advantage of it. Bam! Lacus''s axe hit his back. Red shards of light burst from the Dual Demon''s body. However, Kang Oh paid him right back. Stab! Blood pierced through Lacus''s stomach. "You bastard." Lacus grimaced in pain. He then threw his small axe into the air. Flying Axe! Three small axes flew at Kang Oh like a swarm of wasps. At the same time, Light Rock swung the edge of his shield at Kang Oh''s head. Kang Oh rolled onto the floor. That was his only way of dodging both of their attacks. "Overwhelm him!" Shion yelled. However...! All of a sudden, the floor shook and a sharp stone pir surged from the ground. Earth Spear! Helena, who''d followed the Phoenix all the way here, had cast the spell. Of course, the Blue Knight, Plum, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, the Druid, Yericka, Asu, and all her other guild members were by her side. On the other side, Hernandez, Han Seol, and the Storm Guild were quickly plowing through the Hercules Guild. Kang Oh had kept the Hercules Guild''s executives busy, and during that time, the battle had been decided. The Hercules Guild had lost! ''It''s time.'' Kang Oh opened his wings and flew into the air. "Guilds allied to the Hercules Guild! I have six of your soul dungeons. If you abandon the Hercules Guild and join the Storm Guild, then I''ll give you a soul dungeon." The 5 great guilds'' powery in their size and their immense power, but the support of their allies yed a huge role too. Even if the Hercules Guild lost this war, it wouldn''t copse as long as its allies remained by its side. But what if those guilds turned their backs on it? The Hercules Guild wouldn''t be able to prevent the Storm Guild from invading their territory. "Come to us. We''ll protect your soul dungeons. But keep this in mind. There are only six soul dungeons avable!" Hernandez yelled. However, Kang Oh and Hernandez couldn''t easily sway the likes of Hwarang, Sea Pce, Tyster, etc.; the more than twenty guilds that supported the Hercules Guild. The Hercules Guild was one of the 5 great guilds! Though this war was lost, the Hercules Guild could always pay them back for their betrayal. This meant that no one wanted to go first. Kang Oh assessed the situation, and then stared at someone. He was staring at the Oracle Guild''s leader, Otler. He had taken the Alkartan''s Nest from him. Their gazes briefly met. "We are no longer allied to the Hercules Guild!" Otler yelled. Kang Oh and Hernandez had already won him over prior. They had agreed to give him a soul dungeon even better than Alkartan''s Nest, and the Storm Guild had also agreed to ept him as one of their own. He''d rather join the winning side than stay on a sinking ship. By doing so, he''d get a small share of the profits. "Alright. Wee, Oracle," Hernandez immediately said. "There are five soul dungeons left. Whoever joins first will get a better soul dungeon! The Storm Guild will also ept you like they did the Oracle Guild!" Kang Oh yelled. "I swear upon my title as the Storm Guild''s leader and the Spear King that Kang Oh''s words are 100% true!" Hernandez immediately backed him up. "Those who reject our offer will be punished! Besides, the Hercules Guild will soon no longer exist!" Kang Oh roared. The battle had already turned against the Hegang Alliance. "Don''t listen to him! He''s trying to trick you!" Shion yelled desperately. Taking the first step was hard, but not the second or third one. "The Baekdusan Guild will join the Storm Guild too!" Baekdusan''s guildmaster said. They were one of the Hercules Guild''s greatest allies. "Wee, brother!" Hernandez opened his arms. "The Sea Pce Guild will join you too!" "No, the Tyster Guild was first!" "No, we joined first. Please!" In an instant, the Hercules Guild''s allies joined the Storm Guild. There were only three guilds, including the Hwarang Guild, that stayed loyal till the very end. "Haha." Hernandez beamed. The Storm Guild had gained so much power in such a short period of time. It was obviously something he''d be happy about. "We have to retreat," Paton whispered to Shion. "What!?" Shion yelled angrily. ''They humiliated me, yet you want me to run!?'' "If we lose any more troops, then there''s a chance that our headquarters and the guild itself will fall," Paton said calmly. "Mm... Will they let us go?" "We have to save as many as we can. And we have to regroup at headquarters. If we manage to get through this, then we may be able to rise up again." "Got it!" Shion heavily nodded his head and said, "All forces, retreat! You have to survive! I''ll see you at headquarters!" "Retreat!" "Retreat!" The Hercules Guild began to run away. "Where do you think you''re going!? Don''t let a single one of them escape!" Hernandez yelled. "Kill them all!" Han Seol yelled. The Storm Guild, as well as its new allies, began to execute the Hercules Guild''s members. "Die!" "Uhahk!" Shion rode atop the Phoenix and flew into the air. Kang Oh quickly followed him, and threw himself at the Phoenix. Roar! The Phoenix''s mes devoured him. His body felt warm, like he was in a sauna. Messages informing him that he was losing HP kept popping up too. However, he didn''t let that worry him. ''I just need to kill you!'' Kang Oh swung his sword at Shion. Shion gritted his teeth. Great Spirit''s Barrier! He was encased in a green barrier. Bam! Blood bounced off the barrier. "I''ll break through!" Kang Oh, in his demon form, released dark red energy. Festival of Blood! Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! Kang Oh crossed Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood together, and unleashed two auras together. Bam! Bam! The Great Spirit''s Barrier was shredded instantly. Tempest Tiger! A golden aura shot out of his jet-ck de. However, the Phoenix''s mes blocked the tiger. "You can only fly for another 30 seconds!" Tasha''s voice resounded through his head. "30 seconds is plenty!" Mad Wind''s Sword! His des danced through the air. He began shredding not only Shion''s body, but the Phoenix''s as well. It was due to Ubist''s Abyss de, which allowed him to cut through the immaterial. "You bastard. Do you know who I am? I''m Shion!" ''You won''t beat me this easily!'' Summoning nts was his specialty. Unfortunately, he couldn''t summon nts on top of the Phoenix. It was a spell that was only usable onnd. But that didn''t change the facts. Shion was still a Sage, which made him better than any Druid in existence. Super Heal! Wise One''s Rest! Indolence! Mother Nature''s Fury! Nature''s Senses! Summon Strong Soul! Shion cast a variety of spells with his staff. This included healing spells, buffs, debuffs, and offensive spells! Add to that the Phoenix''s mes, which attempted to consume Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh was a stronger predator. Each time he swung his swords, he got stronger, and Darkness Strike activated too. The red, bat-shaped wave and the ck beast''s wave mixed together, extinguishing the Phoenix''s mes, and striking both the Phoenix and Shion simultaneously. "Ugh!" Shion''s body shook. At the same time...! A giant chunk of ice came flying, and struck the Phoenix''s body. Kang Oh wasn''t the only one with a grudge against Shion. Helena and the members of Witch''s Forest hated him more than him. There was no way they''d just let him get away. Vortex Spear! Chain Lightning! Helena attacked the Phoenix repeatedly with powerful spells. Kang Oh also kept swinging his swords at both it and Shion. Swish, sh, swish, sh, swish! Ultimately, the Phoenix plummeted to the ground. Thud! The Phoenix crashed into the ground. It briefly surged with me, and then turned into a pile of ash. Kang Oh, Shion, and a Phoenix Egg came out of the pile of ash. "Cough!" Shion suddenly stood up. ''I have to get out of here no matter what!'' That''s all he was thinking about at the moment. However, Blood reached Shion''s throat first. "Stop." "Shut up!" Shion instinctively swung his staff. Kang Oh easily avoided it and overpowered Shion with pure physical strength. Kang Oh grabbed him by the back of his neck, and pushed his face into the ashes. He wanted to just end it right then and there. However, he rxed his grip when he saw the Witch''s Forest Guilde over. Sometimeter... "Do as you please with him." Kang Oh gave him to Helena. He wanted to kill Shion himself, but he believed it best to leave him with the Witch''s Forest this time. After all, Asu was with them too. She''d probably feel a lot better if she could get revenge against him in person. In exchange, Kang Oh secretly ced the Phoenix Egg inside his inventory. ''Firste, first serve.'' Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. Kang Oh excused himself, and Helena coldly stared down upon Shion. "Mana, annihte him." Mana Burn! Helena''s hand, which was pressing down on Shion''s shoulder, began to glow. Then, Shion''s MPpletely disappeared. "Yericka, heal him." "Yes, ma''am." Yericka cast Super Heal, healing Shion back to full. Why, you ask? "Beat him up!" Helena ordered. The Witch''s Forest immediately rushed at Shion, and began hitting, stomping, and scratching him. "You''re just like Yoon Se Hwa!" Asu had specifically prepared stilettos for this very moment. She took them out, wore them, and began stomping on a very delicate area. "You jerk!" "Pay us back for our guild house!" "My experience; my proficiency!" "This is all due to your greed!" Arth limited the pain a yer could feel, but it didn''t mean all pain waspletely eliminated. The purple energy surrounding Helena''s fist, or Mana Burn, inflicted more pain than normal. Anyhow, inflicting small amounts of pain continuously can eventually be too much for one to handle. This was the straw that broke the camel''s back. "Ugh!" Shion cried out in pain. "Yericka!" Helena said coldly. Yericka, who''d been enthusiastically beating on Shion, immediately began healing Shion. Shion''s HP went back to full! "Beat him again!" "You bastard!" The members of Witch''s Forest continually beat on Shion, venting all of their anger and rage. "P-Please let me die!" Shion begged. "No!" the Blue Knight, Plum, said decisively. "Unni, heal him again!" "We''re not through with you yet, you bastard!" Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned! They kept venting their anger... for quite some time! Chapter 401. Hercules Guilds Fall

Chapter 401. Hercules Guild''s Fall

Trantor: Boko "Stop," Helena said, and the members of Witch''s Forest stopped beating on Shion. "Ugh." Shion was sprawled on the ground. There wasn''t a single spot on his body that was unhurt. "Do you want me to kill you?" Helena asked. Shion nodded his head. He''d rather get a game over than get beaten like a dog. It would be a hundred, no, a thousand times better. Moreover, he had to return to headquarters, reorganize his guild, and see how they''d prepare for what came next. "Then give it." Helena extended her hand. "Give what?" "Money to repair our guild headquarters, reparations for hurting our members, etc. Oh, and the equipment you''re wearing too." "Ugh." Shion wavered. Helena''s face turned stone cold. "Yericka, heal him aga..." "I-I''ll do it!" Shion yelled. He had to do whatever it took to get away from here. "That''s pretty impolite of you. And apologize to me and the girls." "S-Sorry." Helena smacked his head. "Be more polite." "I-I am so sorry!" "Give us all your equipment. Don''t leave a single one on. I''ll know if you''re still wearing something." Helena took all of Shion''s equipment. This was the leader of one of the 5 great guilds for god''s sake! "Kill me now..." "Keep your promise." Helena cast a spell. Ignite! Shion was enveloped in mes, and then fell forward. Helena and her guild had gotten their revenge. * * * While the Storm Guild, Kang Oh, Helena, and the Witch''s Forest were destroying the Hercules Guild, the Raon Alliance and Arthand''s Steel Heart Guild were doing battle. The Raon Alliance consisted of the Breaker Guild, its allied guilds, and the Jairus Guild, while the Steel Heart Guild was apanied by its allies and the two traitorous guilds, White Lion and ck Sword. The battle became unfavorable for Steel Heart. It was due to the Wyvern Squad, which dominated the skies. Steel Heart, White Lion, and ck Sword werepletely helpless against the wyverns'' poisonous mist raining down from above. It was difficult to take down a wyvern with their Steel Golems, cannons, magic, arrows, etc. When Arthand saw the Hercules Guild crumble, he made his decision. "Retreat!" The war was already lost. If that''s the case, then retreating and minimizing his losses was his best course of action. Boom! Boom! Boom! The sound of drums resounded throughout the battlefield. "All forces, retreat!" "Don''t go in a disorderly mob! Stay in formation! Your sacrifice will save two or three of yourrades'' lives!" "Withdraw the Steel Golems!" "Engineer Squad, evacuate the cannons!" "We''re leaving too!" "Follow the Steel Heart Guild!" White Lion''s Lion Heart and ck Sword''s Lee Tan simultaneously yelled. They were traitors! The only way they''de out of this alive was staying with the Steel Heart Guild! "Where do you think you''re going! Don''t let a single one of them escape!" Kuheong! Raon roared. "Uwooh!" The Raon Alliance''s elites, whose spirits had been lifted, began attacking the retreating enemy troops from behind. "Steel Sword Squad, let''s go!" "Leopard Squad, follow me!" Steel Sword''s Schaal and Leopard''s Snow Flower led their troops into battle once more. "Focus on those Steel Heart bastards. We can deal with the traitorster!" Raon yelled, charging atop his rhinoceros. Their original goal was to weaken Hercules and Steel Heart as much as possible. The Hercules Guild had already been wiped out, and they could always punish White Lion and ck Swordter. Thus, their main priority was killing as many members of the Steel Heart Guild as possible. "Focus on the Golem Mages!" "The Engineer Squad is over there!" It was a one-sided ughter. ''At this rate, we''ll incur too many casualties.'' "Elite guard, follow me!" Arthand turned around, and led his elite guard into battle. "C''mon!" he yelled confidently. At the same time, he pulled out the ''Rubaha Armor - Made by the Man with God''s Hands'' from his inventory. It was SS-rank armor that he''d personally created. Tribute to the cksmith God! This was a cksmith secret technique. It was an ability that allowed him to sacrifice a piece of equipment to the cksmith God, Orgon, and use a portion of his power for 5 minutes in exchange! Whoosh! Arthand''s SS-rank armor disappeared in a pir of light. Then, his body shined and hisrge body became even bigger. 3 meters, 4 meters... 10 meters! Arthand, who''d transformed into a Giant, swung his hammer downwards. Boom! Earthquake! The ground violently shook, and a mighty shockwave spread in every direction. Crack! "Uheok!" "Kyahk!" The ground cracked in several ces, and countless yers fell into the cracks. Arthand raised his offhand. Giant mes surged from his hand. God''s me! It was said that the cksmith God''s mes could melt anything! "I''ll burn you all to a crisp!" Arthand swung his ming hand downwards. Roar! A ring of me spread throughout the battlefield. In an instant, dozens of people had been killed. "Everyone get away from Arthand!" Raon yelled. Raon knew about Arthand''s secret skill, Tribute to the cksmith God. ''He can use a god''s power for 5 minutes.'' Only 5 minutes. Thus, there was no reason to fight him while he was assuming that form. But that''s exactly what Arthand wanted. "Now! Everyone retreat! You have to get out of this alive! I''ll see you at guild headquarters!" Arthand''s rough voice rang out. That was the entire reason he''d sacrificed an SS-rank item and used his secret technique. Countless yers retreated from behind him like an ebbing tide. "Haha. Let''s y, shall we?" Arthand shot God''s me into the air. "Dodge!" the Wyvern Squad''s leader, Sdin, yelled. They''d already lost over half of their troops to the Phoenix. They couldn''t afford to take any more losses. Kyaaahk! The group of wyverns avoided the mes, and rose into the air. Roar! Unfortunately, one of the wyvern''s wings had been damaged, so it hadn''t been able to dodge the God''s me. Thus, it and its rider were killed. Arthand didn''t stop there. He mmed his hammer into the ground, causing earthquakes, and continually shot God''s me in every direction. However, he stayed put. He didn''t rush in and attack the Raon Alliance head-on. If he did, he''d be able to inflict a ton of damage, but in exchange, he''d be killed right after his technique expired. Thus, he maintained a fair distance away from the enemy troops. He simultaneously bought time for his troops to retreat, and remained far enough from the enemy to get away once his skill was over. Sometimeter... Arthand''s body began to shrink. Tribute to the cksmith God had ended. "Now!" Raon yelled, and then charged at Arthand. The rest of the Raon Alliance followed his lead. "We''ll hold them off. Please hurry and get away," Arthand''s elite guard said. "Got it." Arthand got on a horse and ran away without looking back. "Stop him!" Sdin yelled. The Wyvern Squad, which had remained high up in the sky, descended, aiming for Arthand. "No!" "You won''t get through us!" His elite guards'' bodies glowed, and they self-destructed. Self-Sacrifice! Bam! Bam! Bam! Their sacrifices resulted in massive explosions one after another, which consumed not just the Wyvern Squad, but the Raon Alliance as well. Once the explosions were over, the battlefield was filled with dust clouds. By the time they subsided, Arthand was nowhere to be found. The ck Lion, Raon, took a look around, and then raised his fist into the air. "Victory is ours!" Raon dered. "We won!" "Hurray for Raon!" "Uwoooh!" Cheers of victory resounded throughout the Ekrast ins. * * * Since they lost the war, the Hercules Guild and Steel Heart Guild had to pay huge war reparations to the Breaker Guild. Arthand agreed to pay the war reparations in exchange for a ceasefire, while the Hercules Guild refused to answer them. The Breaker Guild agreed to the ceasefire, and received their war reparations from the Steel Heart Guild. They got ready to make an example of the Hercules Guild next. However, they were a little toote. The Storm Guild, Kang Oh, and the Witch''s Forest had already attacked Hercules'' headquarters. Their headquarters was surrounded by giant ramparts. They were quite tough, and offered them a defensive advantage. However, they had lost most of their allies, as well as a significant portion of their troops. Thus, they couldn''t fight Kang Oh, who came from the skies, Helena, who bombarded them with spells, and the Spear King, Hernandez and his guild. Moreover, their trump card, the Phoenix Egg, had been stolen by Kang Oh! It seemed like their base would be overrun soon. "We have to run away," Paton yelled from deep within the base. "Where do you suggest we run to!?" Shion yelled. "But..." "What about our request for help?" Paton shook his head. The loss of their allies had really hurt them. Plus, no guilds were willing to lend them troops to fight off the Storm Guild. "How did ite to this?" Shionmented. Attacking the Witch''s Forest and Helena had worked wonders. However, nothing went as nned after that. "Take all the treasure from the treasure house and run away with the rest of the guild''s executives. We''ll get another chance in the future," Paton said. "Hoo, got it." Shion gathered all of his guild''s high rankers and headed for the storehouse. "We''re leaving the base. Take the items that you''ve been assigned, and then escape through the hidden tunnels." "Understood." Lacus and Light Rock left the treasure house first. But before they could escape, they lost their lives to Kang Oh and Hernandez. "Ugh, sh*t!" "Hercules will rise again!" Those were Lacus and Light Rock''sst words. Shion, Duvata, and Excal pocketed the treasure, and then left the storehouse. All of a sudden, however, the White Shark, Excal, stabbed Shion in the back with his serrated knife. Stab! "You!" "Hercules is no more," Excal whispered. He had epted Hercules'' fall, and had quickly joined the Storm Guild. "You bastard!" Shion furiously swung his staff. It was one of the items found in the treasure house. After all, his original staff had been taken by Helena. Mother Nature''s Fury! He unleashed a green energy st from his staff. "Guildmaster!" Duvata shot arrows at Excal. Excal moved like a cat, dodging both Shion and Duvata''s attacks. Then, he fiddled with his dual serrated daggers, and circled around Shion and Duvata. His goal was to dy them until the Storm Guild''s elites could get here. "Guildmaster, please go. I''ll take care of him," Duvata said. "Grr, I''ll pay them back for this." "You must!" Shion gritted his teeth, briefly stared at Excal, and turned around. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Excal rushed over, but Duvata stopped him. "I''m your opponent, you traitor." "Hmph. I''m a higher rank than you." The two high rankers engaged in battle. Sometimeter... Hernandez and the Storm Guild''s elites arrived. However, they arrived at the end of the battle. "Rest in peace." Stab. Excal''s serrated dagger pierced through Duvata''s throat. "What about Shion?" Hernandez asked. "He went that way. He''s probably escaping through the hidden tunnels. I know them by heart, so please follow me," Excal yelled. "Let''s go." Hernandez and Excal ran side by side. In the end, they weren''t able to catch Shion. After all, he''d already escaped the Hercules Guild''s headquarters. ''I''ll pay you back for this!'' Shion looked back with bloodshot eyes. He could see the Storm Guild''s gs nted in the Hercules Guild''s headquarters. ''I''ll take my revenge on the Storm Guild, Helena, the Witch''s Forest, and Kang Oh! One day, Hercules will rise again!'' he pledged again and again. However, his path ahead would prove difficult indeed. After all, the Storm Guild would keep killing the Hercules Guild. They wouldn''t stop until the Hercules Guildpletely disbanded! The Breaker Guild was gunning for them too. Was there even a way of getting out of this situation? He would just have to wait and see. Chapter 402. The Scramble for Soul Dungeons

Chapter 402. The Scramble for Soul Dungeons

Trantor: Boko The Hercules Guild''s headquarters had fallen. Now, the Storm Guild''s gs flew within their base, a clear indication that the Hercules Guild was no more. The Storm Guild stole most of the Hercules Guild''s dungeons, mines, viges, businesses, etc. The Breaker Guild had arrivedte to the party, so they only got a small piece of the pie. Both guilds sent out a kill on sight order on Shion, Lacus, Light Rock, Dulvta, Paton, etc. Of course, the members of the Hercules Guild faced the same treatment. If they abandoned the Hercules Guild, however, they wouldn''t have to fear any retaliation. Most of Hercules'' members chose this path and left the guild. They had already realized that the Hercules Guild was a sinking ship. Shion hadn''t officially disbanded the guild, but it was as good as done. The 5 great guilds had been reduced to 4: Empire, Breaker, Steel Heart, and Storm! The Storm Guild had profited the most from this war. Not only did they steal the Empire Guild''s dungeons, but they also absorbed the Hercules Guild''s influence and power. However, it wasn''t all good news. When the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war ended, the Empire Guild would turn their gaze towards the Storm Guild. The Empire Guild doesn''t turn the other cheek. After all, their motto was to pay back twice what they''re owed! The Breaker Guild also profited greatly from this war. First, they received considerable war reparations, soul dungeons, and high quality equipment from the Steel Heart Guild. Second, the traitorous White Lion and ck Sword Guilds copsed, and the Jairus Guild was absorbed into the Breaker Guild. "Lion Heart and Lee Tan. They were part of the Cerberus Alliance, yet they betrayed us. We almost lost because of them. So you and the Jairus Guild have to take responsibility. Please make your decision. Will you lose everything, or join us?" Brand said sharply while Raon and his executives watched. Jairus had no choice but to nod his head. "Understood. We''ll join the Breaker Guild." "A wise decision." "Then what about the Ecle Pce?" Jairus said carefully. "Give it back to Helena." "What?" Jairus widened his eyes. "We made an agreement with her. In exchange for her cooperation, we agreed to leave the Ecle Pce alone," Brand said. "Then?" "As part of the Breaker Guild, you cannot mess with the Ecle Pce. It''s better to return the Ecle pce to her, and have her in our debt." "But that''s where you get the mysterious scroll! Isn''t it a waste to give it up?" Jairus said. "We keep our promises," Raon said, his voice heavy. The Breaker Guild respected strength, and they used their might to steal from others. However, they always kept their promises. "In exchange, we''ll let you manage one of the soul dungeons Steel Heart gave us," Raon added. "Mm." "Take care of the dungeon. You only need to give us half of its rewards." "Still..." Ecle Pce was on apletely different levelpared to other soul dungeons. The mysterious scroll was just that valuable. "Jairus, you''re part of my family now, and you''re also my subordinate," Raon stared at Jairus and said. In other words, ''Follow my orders.''. "Hoo, understood." Jairus arduously nodded his head. Thus, ownership of the Ecle Pce returned to Helena. Things went better than Kang Oh could''ve hoped. At first, he believed that retaking Ecle Pce from the Cerberus Alliance wouldn''t be that difficult, so long as the 5 great guilds didn''t get involved. However, the Cerberus Alliance crumbled, and the Jairus Guild was absorbed by the Breaker Guild. To think they''d return the Ecle Pce so easily! Meanwhile, Steel Heart kept their heads down. They didn''t go outside, and focused all their efforts on recouping their losses while guarding their territory. Fortunately, Steel Heart was filled with talented craftsmen. They created goods from morning to night, allowing them to quickly recoup their losses. The Ecle War, which involved four of the five great guilds, had ended. There were actually only 4 great guilds left, as the Hercules Guild had been destroyed. Few people knew that Kang Oh set this all into motion; only Helena, the Witch''s Forest, Hernandez, Han Seol, and Shion knew this. * * * Drops of sweat fell from Hoffman''s face. However, he didn''t have the time to wipe the sweat off. He was focused entirely on the purple molten metal. The molten metal was Halium. It was an alloy made of the world''s toughest metal, adamantium! Halium was a mysterious alloy. It was as tough as adamantium, but as light as a feather. Hoffman used the Draxek Powder to increase the heat, allowing him topletely melt down the adamantium. He also crushed the Death Eagles'' Eggs and the Kaitan''s Horn into a fine powder, and mixed it with the mysterious liquid within the Kalvaidum''s Heart. Bybining all of these at an exact ratio, he was able to create the legendary alloy, Halium! If this ratio was even a little bit off, then the alloy wouldn''t be formed properly. Thus, Hoffman had to focus entirely on creating the alloy, and was ultimately rewarded for his efforts. "Hoo." Hoffman took a deep breath, and poured the molten Halium into the mold. The mold only kept the sword in a simple shape. Now it was time for him to swing his hammer. Sometimeter... The Halium cooled, and assumed the mold''s shape. Hoffman then began lightly hammering away at it. ng, ng, ng! He couldn''t afford to hit it too hard. Hoffman had to regte his strength, striking the metal hard enough to remove the impurities in the metal and gradually increase its toughness, but not so much that it shatters the cooled metal. Then, he melted the metal again, cooled it, and hammered away at it. Rinse and repeat. This arduous process was required to create the perfect Halium! It obviously wasn''t easy. The slightest mistake, or a smallpse of concentration would ruin all of his efforts thus far. However, Hoffman didn''t lose focus, not even for an instant. He had a clear goal in sight. He wanted to create a demon sword capable of killing Inarius! A demon sword that''d get him his revenge for the death of his wife and son! Hoffman would make it. ''No matter what!'' This clear goal gave him the strength and toughness necessary to undertake this monumental task. ng! ng! ng! He pounded on the metal lightly, yet carefully, and the metallic ''ngs'' resounded throughout the room at regr intervals. * * * Kang Oh had gotten his own share of the profits too. Furon Underground Cave! Of the three soul dungeons he''d stolen from the Hercules Guild, two of them went to the Storm Guild. However, he kept this one all to himself. Kang Oh extended his hand to the soul dungeon''s guardian, Uru. "Could you give me the soul stone?" Uru looked like a green alien. Its residence, Furon''s Heart, was a garden filled with various blooming flowers. "Ok." A triangr soul stone popped out of its body. "Dungeon Management," Kang Oh gripped the soul stone and yelled. Once the Dungeon Management window opened, he immediately went to Dungeon Rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 800 gold. 10 Silver Lavender Seed. 5 Bronze Herb''s Leaf. 1 Gold Bean. "Hehe." Kang Ohughed. This is why he''d taken this soul dungeon over all the others. The Gold Bean! Eating a Gold Bean would randomly increase one of your main stats by 3. It was also an ingredient for the legendary potion, Elixium. ''Elixium! It increases HP, MP, and Stamina by a ton, increases all elemental resistances, and also increases all main stats by 10! Above all, drinking Elixium will increase your proficiency gain.'' Another ingredient needed to create Elixium was Dragon''s Blood! ''I just need the Sea''s Tears and the Sun Seed to create an Elixium.'' The Sea''s Tears asionally dropped from giant sea monsters. The Sun Seed was called the Desert''s Treasure. It looked like a yellow topaz, and was the Baiyan Kingdom''s regional product. The Gold Bean and Dragon''s Blood were the hardest of the four to procure. If you could collect those, then finding the other two would be doable. ''With this, I''ll be able to drink Elixium every month.'' Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. Drinking Elixium every month would be a huge help to him. ''So I can''t let anyone steal this ce.'' Kang Oh made the dungeon''syout extremelyplex. [You have changed theyout of Furon Underground Cave. The paths have be moreplex, and monsters will more ofteny in wait.] [1,000 gold has been spent.] He added traps, and obviously added guardians too. Kang Oh added three Mekradins, monsters with two snakes as arms. [You have spent 1,500 gold.] [You have added a Mekradin as a guardian.] [The Mekradin has evolved into the Venomous Kurasque.] ... He also added a nt-type monster, a Tentacle Hunter, too. This was a monster that remained on the ceiling until an enemy came passing by, and then attacked using its tentacles. [You have spent 1,200 gold.] [You have added a Tentacle Hunter as a guardian.] [The Tentacle Hunter has evolved into the Expert Hunter, Mendalias.] ... ''With this, I own four soul dungeons! I still don''t have enough.'' The Moss Cave, the Beast''s Tower, the Saul Graveyard, and Furon Underground Cave! However, Kang Oh still wasn''t satisfied. He wanted to own even more soul dungeons. ''The more buildings and soul dungeons you have, the better.'' Kang Oh licked his lips and then opened a message window. - Mr. Man Bok. - Yes? - How is business going? By business, he was referring to Man Bok''s new store, Gold Dragon. It was a store that sold the dragon equipment Hoffman and the ck Hammer Dwarves made. - Many people areing. - They aren''t justing to see the goods, are they? - Of course not. We actually don''t have enough. Because of the war, more people came looking for dragon equipment. A war increased demand for such goods. - I''m d to hear that. Gold Dragon doing well was good news for Kang Oh. - Did you need something? - The Sea''s Tears and a Sun Seed. I also need an Alchemist capable of creating Elixium. - Are you referring to that Elixium? - Yes. I have a way of procuring half of the ingredients now. - You have the Dragon''s Blood already, and you need the Sea''s Tears and a Sun Seed, so you must''ve gotten your hands on a Gold Bean. Man Bok was a skilled merchant. He had detailed information on all sorts of goods, so he knew what Elixium was! - That''s right. - Understood. - You can take your time with it. It''s not urgent. After all, I don''t have the Gold Bean just yet. - Yes. "Uru, I''ll be going now." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Master, I have a favor to ask you." "What is it?" "Bring me seeds." "What kind of seeds?" "The rarer the seed, the better." "I''ll get some for you if I get the chance." "Please." "You got it." Kang Oh stepped onto the magic circle and vanished. * * * The Ecle War had ended, but for some, the war went on. The scramble for soul dungeons! Although Ecle Pce returned to Helena, there were still countless yers that came looking for it. Most of them were mercilessly killed by the soul dungeon''s guardian, the Steel Princess, Amanda, but if they somehow managed to get past her, Helena would be waiting for them. No one had managed to defeat Helena in a one-on-one fight just yet. More people came to Kang Oh''s Moss Cave too. Most of them desired the dungeon itself. The gentle turtle, Teynos, was busy dealing with these uninvited guests. However, Teyno''s special ability, ''Returning Pain'' made him unbeatable. Attacking Teynos would damage the attacker, so most of the time, the challengers would end up retreating. Aside from that, wars and battles raged across the continent over the soul dungeons that''d been revealed during the Ecle War. People were obsessed with finding soul dungeons. The prospect of another dungeon offering a mysterious scroll was too hard to resist. For a simr reason, many people went around looking for soul dungeons that hadn''t been revealed to the world yet. Now, yers didn''t go to dungeons just to hunt. They went to dungeons that held some sort of secret, or dungeons that had a suspicious feel to them. New information on Arth''s soul dungeons came up every day. After all, they could make some money posting this information if they didn''t have enough skill to take ownership of the soul dungeon! Surprisingly, the 4 great guilds didn''t get involved. The Empire Guild was still busy with the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war, and Storm, Breaker, and Steel Heart were busy reorganizing themselves after such arge war. Therge, intermediate, and small guilds took this opportunity to seize as many soul dungeons as possible. When the 4 great guilds return to normal operations, then they wouldn''t get a chance to take these soul dungeons. The scramble for soul dungeons was in full swing. Chapter 403. Phoenix Egg

Chapter 403. Phoenix Egg

Trantor: Boko Shion had lost much in the war. Power, authority, influence, and even his future! Storm and Breaker had eyes and ears everywhere. He covered his face with a mask, and passed through the alleys with his mouth shut, as if it were under lock and key. ''I''m out of options.'' Shion gritted his teeth. He had no way of getting revenge on those who''d humiliated him: the Storm Guild, Helena, Kang Oh, etc. ''Especially Kang Oh!'' Kang Oh yed thergest role in the Hercules Guild''s copse. Not only had he stolen their soul dungeons, but he''d also used those soul dungeons to draw the Storm Guild into the conflict. He also used them as bait, causing their allied guilds to turn their backs on them. It was all because of Kang Oh. However, rebuilding the guild was a harder prospect than revenge. He couldn''t get in contact with Lacus, Paton, Duvata, etc. They must''ve abandoned the Hercules Guild already, and gone their separate ways. Ultimately, all Shion had left was the treasure and top-tier items he''d taken from the treasure house. ''Should I dispose of these items and just live in peace?'' he thought resignedly. He soon shook his head. As the leader of one of the 5 great guilds, he''d already had a taste of power and authority. He couldn''t forget that sweet taste. Plus, if he was discovered, Storm, Breaker, and those he''d hurt woulde after him and repeatedly PK him. ''There''s nothing I can do.'' Shion''s shoulders drooped. A sense of frustration welled up within him. Then... A half ripped wanted letter fell to the ground, carried by the wind. Red. That was the name written on it. Then, Shion''s eyes burned with determination. ''Yeah, this guy''s the answer!'' Red led the criminal organization, Red Moon, and was known as the Worst Criminal! Shion clenched his fists. He wasn''t sure how he''d rebuild the Hercules Guild, but he had found his ticket to getting revenge. However, Red and Red Moon weren''t to be taken lightly. If he made one wrong move, then he could be the one getting killed. ''Well, I''ve lost everything anyway. I might as well bet it all.'' Shion, who''d made his decision, disappeared into the shadows. * * * Nowadays, everyone was looking for soul dungeons! Kang Oh enjoyed this time more than any other. Information on soul dungeons came in day after day! Plus, incidents and news regarding soul dungeons were being updated daily! With that information, news, and his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh discovered countless soul dungeons. He defeated the guardians and then their owners,ying im over the soul dungeons. Aktan Tribe''s Valley! Damp Ziggurat! Grudge Filled Catbs! Tristana''s Underground Labyrinth! Those were the soul dungeons he''d recently obtained. He''d also sold them off at an extremely expensive price! Because so many people wanted soul dungeons, it wasn''t difficult to find someone willing to pay arge price for them. Of course, owning the soul dungeon for a long period of time was more profitable than selling it right away. However, the soul dungeons he''d sold didn''t offer him anything special like the mysterious scroll, dragon materials, or the Gold Bean. On the flip side, the dungeons he''d sold were well-known to people, and the guardians were weak. Thus, he would have to fight a Sacred Duel two or three times a day. He thought about reinforcing the guardian and increasing the difficulty level of the dungeon, but in many ways, getting rid of them was a much better option. The scramble for soul dungeons! Soul dungeons were worth more now than any other time! "Hehe, let''s see how far this goes." Kang Oh paid Arthtory''s information fee, and looked over the umted information on soul dungeons. * * * "Tch, it was aplete miss. It''s been a while since that happened." Kang Oh returned to Altein and clicked his tongue. Arthtory''s information wasn''t 100% urate. Unfortunately, Kang Oh had returned to Altein empty-handed. ''I should go there next.'' Kang Oh walked over to the Tamer Guild. The Tamer Guild looked like a giant farm. Several animals and monsters rested within the fenced off area, which wasrger than the main building itself. One of the creatures was quite eye-catching. A Unicorn! It was a creature covered in snow-white fur, and possessed a bright horn on its head, which glowed with seven different colors. He wasn''t sure which Tamer was in charge of it, but its beauty was the real deal. "Ooh, a Unicorn." "Wow." Those passing the Tamer Guild looked on in astonishment. ''Hmph. But it''s still not as good as a Phoenix.'' Kang Oh snorted. He had a Phoenix Egg inside his inventory. A Phoenix was, like Wukong, a mythical creature! A Phoenix versus a Unicorn? There was noparison. Creak. Kang Oh opened the door and entered the Tamer Guild. There were quite a lot of people inside. ''I think he''d be best.'' Kang Oh approached an old Tamer. "Hello," he said. "Hello. You don''t look like a Tamer. What did youe here for today?" "I acquired a rare egg. I''d like to ask you some questions about it." "A rare egg, huh? What kind of egg?" the Tamer asked. "I''d like to speak privately." "Hmm, I understand. Follow me." The Tamer led Kang Oh to his room. "My name is Raven." "I am Kang Oh." "What kind of egg is it?" Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory. "Ooh, this is...!" Raven''s eyes widened. "D-Do you mind if I touch it?" "Go ahead." Raven epted the egg and began examining it all over. "It is a Phoenix Egg!" He was in awe. "Where did you find this precious thing?" "I picked it up." Kang Oh grinned. "Mm, you''re quite lucky. You don''t look like a Tamer... Would you like to sell this egg to me?" "How much?" "10,000 gold! It''s my entire fortune." The value of gold had depreciated so much. 1 gold was equal to 3,000 won ($3 USD). So 10,000 gold was worth 30 million won ($30,000 USD). Kang Oh shook his head. "As expected. A pity." "What do I have to do to get it to hatch?" Kang Oh asked. "Normally, you''d leave it with the Tamer Guild, and it would hatch after a certain amount of time. However, unique eggs like this one require a special method." "What is that special method?" "A Phoenix is a being of fire. If you want to awaken it, then you need to feed it mes," Raven said. "Should I put it in fire?" "That would work. However, you need extremely hot mes. Alternatively, you could leave it with a powerful fire item. If you do, it''ll absorb the item''s mes and awaken." "I see." Kang Oh thought of Fire''s Heart. It was a sword of fire that''d remained withinva, absorbing its mes, for quite some time! This weapon should be strong enough to awaken the Phoenix. "Do you n on awakening it?" "Yes. What''s wrong with that?" "You''re not a Tamer, are you? You won''t be able to draw out its full power." Tamers had their own set of skills. These skills increased the power of an animal or monster. "But it''s still a Phoenix. Bringing it with me should be really helpful." It was a Phoenix for god''s sake! "The Phoenix is a mythical creature, so it may give you a hidden ss. If it does, don''t let that opportunity slip away." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''A hidden ss?'' Then again, it made sense. This was a Phoenix we''re talking about. Why wouldn''t there be a hidden ss rted to a mythical creature? The problem was that Kang Oh was already a Demonic Swordsman, the pinnacle of all Swordsman sses. No other ss would do for him. If that''s the case, then selling it to someone close to him would be a good idea. ''I have just the person in mind.'' "Thank you for chatting with me." Kang Oh stood up. "I had a good time too. You gave me a chance to see a Phoenix Egg up close." Raven beamed. Kang Oh left the Tamer Guild and opened a message window. - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? - I have something for you. Kang Oh grinned. He had a really expensive present for him. - No thank you. Sephiro had spent so much time with Kang Oh. He knew how he operated. Kang Oh never gave anyone anything for free. - It''s a Phoenix Egg. - What? - If you want a Phoenix Egg, then get over here now. I''ll be waiting in the Viyoom Inn. - Understood. Sephiro''s ss was Giant Hunter! A ''Hunter'' was a mixed ss between an Archer and a Tamer. He''d obviously be interested in the Phoenix Egg. * * * "I''m here!" Sephiro appeared before Kang Oh, breathing haggardly and carrying Waryong on his back. "Let''s speak privately." Kang Oh and Sephiro entered a room on the 2nd floor of the Viyoom Inn. "You managed to get your hands on a Phoenix Egg? How did that happen?" "I picked it up." Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory. "Oh, it''s the real deal!" Sephiro read the item''s information and sat in awe. "Do you want it?" "Excuse me?" "How much will you pay for it? I''ll sell it to you for cheap." Of course, that was aplete lie. He nned on selling it to him at an exorbitant price, like the time he sold Waryong''s egg to him. However, Sephiro shook his head. "I''m not buying it." "What? Why? This is a Phoenix Egg. Do you not have the money?" "No. I looked over the item''s information. It said that if I want to raise the Phoenix, then I can''t raise Waryong anymore." Sephiro petted Waryong''s head. Sephiro wasn''t an actual Tamer. Thus, he could only keep a certain amount of pets with him. Because of this, he couldn''t raise both Waryong and the Phoenix together. "Then wouldn''t you obviously go for the Phoenix?" Sephiro looked at him scornfully. "Waryong''s family! How could I get rid of him!?" he yelled. Gyaa! ''He''s right, you bad human!'' Waryong shrieked, as if criticizing him too. "You may receive a hidden ss for awakening the Phoenix. That hidden ss may enable you to raise both it and Waryong at the same time." Kang Oh cajoled him. Convincing Sephiro was the easiest thing ever! "I''m fine. I''m content with my current ss. And one day, I''ll ride on Waryong''s back!" Sephiro''s goal was clear. He would nurture Waryong, and eventually fly through the air on its back! "Anyhow, if I can''t raise Waryong and the Phoenix together, then I don''t need it," Sephiro said firmly. "Ahem. Alright, fine." After parting ways with Sephiro, Kang Oh was lost in thought. ''What do I do with the Phoenix Egg?'' Then... - Oppa. Asu sent him a message. - Yeah? - Could youe to the Witch''s Forest? - Why? - We rebuilt our base, so we''re having a celebratory party. - I''ll be right there. - Our new base is in Icerin, so go there. - Icerin? Not Snowprim? - Icerin! We moved there. - Ok. At this point in time, Kang Oh had no idea. That the Phoenix Egg had found a new owner. * * * The Witch''s Forest was originally located in Snowprim, but they recently moved to Icerin City. It was because of the Hercules Guild. Everyone knew where their previous base was, so people came in droves to either form personal connections with Helena and the Witch''s Forest, or pressure Helena into doing something for them. To counter this, the Witch''s Forest had moved their base to Icerin, which was another small, quiet city that bordered the northern part of the continent. Like before, their headquarters was located inside a forest, only this time, the building was located much deeper within it. The building itself was slightly bigger than before, but it was still the right size for a friendship guild. "You''re here, Oppa," the golden-haired Asu said. "Here!" Kang Oh passed her a flower. "Hehe, thanks." Asu beamed. Upon entry, Kang Oh was given a warm wee. "Wee!" "Good to see you!" "How have you been?" Kang Oh was no stranger to them. He was their savior, the one who''d helped them take revenge on the Hercules Guild; he was also Asu''s boyfriend. Moreover, he was the renowned Predator Kang Oh! "Yes, hello." Kang Oh was crazy busy saying hello to everyone. Sometimeter... The party was in full swing, and Kang Oh was pulled around everywhere. Is this the problem with being a superstar? Then, his savior extended her hand. "Come over here." Asu pulled Kang Oh out of the crowd, and brought him to an empty storeroom. "Look at this." "Hoh, this is Shion''s equipment." The items on disy were definitely Shion''s equipment. "Yeah. We decided not to sell them and leave them here. They''re proof that we won." Asu ced her hands on her hips and opened her shoulders. "You know what, I stole something from him too," Kang Oh said. "What is it?" "This." Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix Egg from his inventory. "Wow. This is a Phoenix Egg!" Asu was astonished. "Yeah." "You really hit him where it hurts." Asu hit his arm whilst smiling. "Hehe." Kang Ohughed. "But how do you get it to hatch?" Asu asked. "Want to see?" "Yeah." Kang Oh pulled out the SS-rank Fire''s Heart from his inventory, and ced it on the egg. "If you leave a fire element item with the egg, then it''ll..." Kang Oh was interrupted. Roar! All of a sudden, the Fire''s Heart spat out a huge volume of mes. "No!" Asu yelled. ''This is a new building! You can''t burn it down!'' Fortunately, her worries were unwarranted. The Fire''s Heart''s mes burnt nothing. Instead, they were all absorbed by the Phoenix Egg. How much time had passed? Crack, crack! The egg was cracking. And... A Phoenix popped out... "Huh?" Kang Oh looked perplexed. "Oh my, how cute." Asu beamed. Chirp! A yellow chick came out. Chapter 404. Phoenix Rudy

Chapter 404. Phoenix Rudy

Trantor: Boko Small, beady eyes stared at Kang Oh and Asu. Chirp! It was clearly a chick. However, a normal chick shouldn''t havee out of a Phoenix Egg! Plus, an SS-rank weapon''s mes had been used to feed it. [You are the first two people the Phoenix Chick has seen. It regards you as its parents.] Kang Oh carefully picked up the Phoenix and looked over its information. [Phoenix (Chick)] A Phoenix Chick. The Phoenix is a mythical bird, and is known as the Eternal me and the Judgment of me. However, the Phoenix Chick is nowhere near its full strength and is extremely weak. In order to trick those who''d attempt to take its power for their own, the Phoenix was born looking like a chick. Parents: Kang Oh, Asu. Food: High quality mes or delicious meat. ''It is a Phoenix.'' After reading the exnation, Kang Oh understood why it looked like a chick. Chirp! It cutely looked at Kang Oh and Asu with its beady eyes. "Ah, my heart!" Asu grabbed her chest. It was just too cute. [The Phoenix Chick requires constant care and supervision.] [Would you like to ss change from Demonic Swordsman to Phoenix''s Protector?] [If you refuse, then the Phoenix Chick will return to being an egg.] "Huh? Oppa, it''s asking me if I should switch sses." Asu looked shocked. "Would you like to raise this chick?" Kang Oh asked. "Really?" "Yeah. I can''t raise it after all." If he became a Phoenix''s Protector, then he would give up his current ss, Demonic Swordsman. He wouldn''t be able to have several sses unless he mastered his current ss. "Sounds good to me! Take good care of me." Asu kissed the yellow chick''s beak. [You have be a Phoenix''s Protector.] [Your original ss was Knight, so you have ss changed into a Phoenix''s Knight.] [You have learned Resurrection (Passive/Skill).] [You have learned Sun Sword (Active/Skill).] [You have learned Phoenix''s Fluttering Wings (Active/Skill).] [You have learned Firebird''s Armor (Active/Skill).] [Main Stats +50] [HP has increased significantly.] [Not only are youpletely immune to fire, but you can also absorb mes to replenish your HP and MP.] [You will grow even faster from now on. You acquire more experience and proficiency.] Her body radiated faint light. It reminded him of sunlight. "Ah!" Asu gaped at the system messages. Phoenix''s Knight! It was clearly no ordinary ss. Above all... Chirp! She was happy that she''d be able to raise a cute Phoenix Chick from now on. [Please give the Phoenix a name.] "Mm, how about Rudy," Asu said. Chirp! The Phoenix, no, Rudy, seemed happy with the name choice, as it shuffled around. "Raise him well," Kang Oh said. "Of course." Chirp! Chirp! Rudy cried out, as if it were whining about something. "He must be hungry." Asu took a look around. ''What should I feed him?'' "He eats fire or meat," Kang Oh said. "Meat? Oppa, do you have any meat on you? I don''t have any with me right now. Do I have to go to the kitchen..." "I don''t have any on me. But this should probably work." Kang Oh softly shook Fire''s Heart, and it spat out mes. Chirp! Rudy immediately pped its tiny wings, rising up into the air, and sucked in the mes with its small beak. As expected of a Phoenix, which disguised itself as a chick! Chirp! In an instant, Rudy waspletely full. He also looked extremely happy. "Hehe, was it good?" Asu petted his head. Not only was he full now, but Asu''s hand was quitefortable, so he began to doze off. He really does whatever he wants, doesn''t he? Kang Oh turned his attention to the Fire''s Heart and stroked it. ''Nothing happened, right?'' He really treasured the Fire''s Heart. After all, it was an extremely expensive item. [Fire''s Heart] A me-shaped sword crafted by the great Elvish cksmith, Sunlei. Contains the mystery of metal. The more mes it absorbs, the more powerful the de bes. For hundreds of years, it has remained deep within the Deskein Volcano''sva, and has absorbed its mes. The Phoenix has taken much of its power. Once the Phoenix is fully grown, however, the de will be much stronger than before. + Fire umtion: Absorbs fire. The more fire it absorbs, the more powerful the sword bes. + Evolving Fire: The power of all fire attacks, skills, and magic is doubled. + me Emperor: For 5 minutes, you be the incarnation of fire, the me Emperor. Cooldown: 1 hour. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power +346, Fire Damage +200, Physical +150. Completely nullifies fire damage. Minimum Requirements: Level 300, Physical 500, Fire Resistance 95%. "Oh my god!" Kang Oh said. Fire''s Heart had originally been a top-tier weapon that possessed a level 400 equip requirement. It had an attack power of 600, and added 400 fire damage to every attack. However, its abilities had dropped significantly. And the reason for this was clear. ''The Phoenix has taken much of its power.'' ''Now it''s just a good sword!'' Who cares if its abilities were good? The sword''s abilities had dropped across the board. Its price had been cut in half. "What''s wrong?" Asu asked. "Rudy ate some really expensive mes," Kang Oh said, forcing himself to smile. "Really?" "Yeah. So you take this sword." Kang Oh passed her Fire''s Heart. "Me?" Asu looked shocked. "Yeah. You should be able to equip it." True to his word, Asu was able to equip it immediately. Rudy had not only weakened the Fire''s Heart, he had also reduced its equip requirement. Plus, by bing a Phoenix''s Knight, Asu gained the fire resistance necessary to equip it. "But this is an SS-rank weapon." She stared at Kang Oh, her gaze seemingly saying, ''Why are you giving this to me instead of selling it?''. "When Rudy''s fully grown, that sword will be even stronger than it used to be. So you should be the one wielding it." It didn''t matter if he carried it around. He wouldn''t be able to restore it to its original state. He couldn''t dunk it back into theva either. "But remember, it''s not free. You''ll pay me back for itter. So make a ton of money. I''ll take it back if you don''t." "Got it. That makes me feel better. I don''t like getting free handouts." The two stared at each other andughed. Chirp. Rudy, who''d fallen asleep, let out a sound akin to a balloon leaking air. * * * The criminal organization, Red Moon. They did a variety of jobs. First, assassination. This was their main source of ie. In exchange for money or some other price, they would assassinate a yer or an NPC. Stealing was nothing to them. Serious criminal offenses like mass killing, arson, piging, etc. were done without a care in the world. If the game allowed them to sexually assault people, they would''ve done that too. It was an organization of sh*tbags that did what they couldn''t do in the real world. ''Here it is.'' Shion was the Hercules Guild''s leader, so he had some information on Red Moon. For example, he knew how to get in contact with them. He was inside a deserted house, which was far from the city. Only the table and the bowl on top of it were intact. Clink. Shion ced a gold coin into the bowl. Then, a ck beast arose from the shadows. It stared at Shion with its red eyes. Surprisingly, human speech came out of its mouth. "Are you a client?" That''s right. This was a ce that allowed you tomission Red Moon for an assassination. "Who do you want dead?" the ck Beast said jokingly. "Hernandez, Helena, and Kang Oh," Shion said, his voice cracking. "The Spear King, Hernandez, the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, and Predator Kang Oh?" "Yes." "It isn''t my ce to answer this." "I want to meet Red," Shion yelled. "Then reveal your identity." Shion pulled off his mask. "I''m the Hercules Guild''s leader and Setinel''s Sage, Shion." "Hahaha, I see. It was you." The ck Beast began tough at him. Whoever was connected to it must beughing. "Shut up and contact Red. Tell him I want to see him." "You must think you''re still the leader of one of the 5 great guilds. You''re so arrogant. Do you know what happened to all the people who talked to me like that? They all died. That''ll happen to you too." "You have some nerve. Tell me who you are." "Taboo." "Mm." Shion bit his lip. He wasn''t what he''d expected. Taboo! He was one of Red Moon''s four high rankers. "I promise this on my name. I''ll kill you." "Sure, whatever. Just hurry up and call Red already," Shion replied, undeterred. "Wait." The ck Beast''s body became faint. Shion restlessly waited for him. How much time had passed? All of a sudden, a hand popped out from beneath his feet, and Shion was pulled into the shadows. Whoosh! A strong wind suddenly blew. The sound of ghosts shrieking resounded throughout the deserted house. * * * One of an Assassin''s skills was called Shadow Transfer. It was a skill that allowed the user to travel between shadows. However, some people suspected that all these shadows were connected. A passageway that connects shadows together; people called this the Shadow World or the Spirit World. It was different from Ubist''s original home, the Demon World. The Arth continent and the Demon World werepletely different worlds, but the Spirit World was akin to an unseeable ce that was hidden by Arth''s shadows. In other words, the Spirit World was Arth''s back alleys! There was an individual that could freely manipte the Spirit World. It was none other than Red! Among criminals, he was called the Shadow King. After all, he was capable of opening and closing the door to the Spirit World whenever he wished. Red ruled Red Moon as king, and brought Shion over to the Crow''s Nest, which was the only city within the Spirit World. The Crow''s Nest was like a ck and white TV. It was only natural. Only two colors existed within the Spirit World. ck and white. "Hahaha." A man stared at Shion andughed wickedly. This was Taboo, the one who''d pulled Shion into the Spirit World. He was bald, but was covered in tattoos from head to toe. "What an invitation." Shion dusted himself off. "You still have that pride of yours, huh. Follow me," Taboo said sarcastically, and turned around. "Didn''t you say you''d kill me?" Shion snarled. He was inside the tiger''s den, so he had to keep up his guard. If they messed with him, they''d pay! "Don''t be so impatient. If my master gives me the go ahead, then I''ll kill you. Haha." Taboo turned back around and stared him in the eye. Shion just flipped him off. "Follow me. You said you wanted to meet my master." Taboo didn''t really care, and just turned around. Shion silently followed him in. Sometimeter... Taboo led Shion to a giant castle, which was just asrge as the Hercules Guild''s base. The castle waspletely ck and white. "I brought him," Taboo said. They stood before a giant, skeletal throne. A man wearing a smile mask sat on the throne askew. The man''s facial expression was concealed by his mask, but the atmosphere around him was strange. Shion went rigid, as if he were a rat before a snake. ''That''s Red!'' "You came with an interesting job for us." Red''s voice rang out. It was a bizarre voice, one that sounded both masculine and feminine at the same time. "Master, this guy wants us to kill Hernandez, Helena, and Kang Oh," Taboo said. "Sounds like fun. Let''s hear your story." Red''s eyes glowed. However, in the Spirit World, they only contrasted with his surroundings. Despite that, Shion could feel his heart pounding, and his blood flowing slowly. Gulp. Shion swallowed hard and barely managed to say, "I... want... revenge!" Chapter 405. Red and Red Moon

Chapter 405. Red and Red Moon

Trantor: Boko Shion exined the sequence of events that led to the Hercules Guild''s demise. He also added how he wanted to take revenge on Hernandez, Helena, and Kang Oh. "The price for revenge is different," Red said. "The price?" Shion tilted his head. "To put it simply, this." Taboo rounded his thumb and index finger. He was talking about money here. Red Moon was an organization of individuals interested in money or something else of value. The higher ranked members demanded a higher price than the lower ranked members. Red was the most expensive, and high rankers like Taboo were the 2nd most expensive. "I can pay you as much as you want." Shion pulled out a few pieces of treasure. An SS-rank weapon, an S-rank material, legendary treasure, etc. were ced beneath his feet. The Hercules Guild had collected this treasure for quite some time. Each and every piece of treasure he dropped onto the floor was priceless. However, Red shook his head. "That''s not enough." "What? Do you not know how much all this is worth?" "I''m well aware of how valuable it is. But it''s nowhere near enough to kill one the Numbers." Grr. Shion gritted his teeth. ''You thieves!'' However, he had no other choice. Shion pulled out some more treasure. "It''s not enough to pay for one, let alone three. It''s almost enough to pay for one though," Red said, his voicepletely even. Left with no other choice, Shion pulled out everything he had. "I don''t have anything else! And if you don''t want this stuff, then tell me straight away. I''ll get the hell out of here," Shion screamed. "It''s just barely enough for one. Hernandez is a no-go. He''s protected by the Storm Guild. Pick between Helena and Kang Oh." "All of this treasure is only worth one person''s life!?" Shion yelled. "I could just kill you instead," Red said coldly. It definitely wasn''t hot air. "Or you could leave on your own. But no one''s going to take you outside. Let''s see how far you get," Red added. "So you can only kill one person for me..." "I''ll kill them guaranteed. Helena or Kang Oh. Pick one of them." Shion was lost in thought. Eventually, he said, "Kang Oh." The reason he''d picked Kang Oh over Helena was simple. He was the orchestrator of the Hercules Guild''s demise. "I''ll erase Kang Oh''s name from the Numbers," Red said confidently. "Kill him again and again. Kill him until he quits the game," Shion said murderously. "That''s how we do things," Taboo said. "Leave half of the treasure here. We''ll take the other half once we erase Kang Oh''s name from the Numbers." "Fine." "Take him to the guest room. Rest there as much as you like," Red said. Then, a woman wearing a fox mask came in and took Shion away. "Mobilize the Four Heavenly Kings," Red said. The Four Heavenly Kings referred to Red Moon''s four high rankers. Taboo was obviously one of them. "You don''t need to call us. We''re already here." A woman wearing oversized clothes came in. Poisonous Scorpion, Scapi. "Yeah, yeah. I''m here." A man with an ever-present smile came in. It was as if his face was covered in beeswax. The Mad Jester, Clown. He usually killed people with traps. "..." The silent man was called Brutal de. His nickname was the Killing Ghost. These three, including Taboo, made up the Four Heavenly Kings. "We have a job. Predator Kang Oh," Red said. "Hoh, what delicious prey." Scapi licked her lips. "Please leave it to the ck Scorpions." She bowed her head. The ck Scorpions were her subordinates. They were all criminals who wielded poison. "Wouldn''t I be a better choice than that witch?" Clown said. "Shut up, you worm," Scapi immediately cursed. ''He''s my prey. Keep your hands off!'', she seemed to say. "I''d like a shot too," Taboo said. The Killing Ghost, Brutal de, just watched how things went with his arms crossed. "You can''t beat him alone. At least two of you are necessary. Scapi, Clown. Both of you go," Red said, ending the debate. "Bleh, I have to go with that worm?" "I don''t like this either." Scapi and Clown hated each other. "Want me to kill you instead?" Red said evenly. However, it felt like the temperature suddenly went down. "I was just joking." "Just saying." Clown and Scapi immediately said. "Use your traps and poison to take him down," Red said. "Understood." "Yes, sir." "If you seed, then I''ll give you a chance at trying to kill me." Red pointed at his neck. There was no loyalty amongst Red Moon. They only stayed together for profit, and their ranks were determined by strength. Thus, a mutiny could happen at any time. Every one of the Four Heavenly Kings was gunning for Red''s spot. This reward meant that when they inevitably tried killing him, he wouldn''t kill them back. "So erase Kang Oh''s name from the Numbers." "I''ll seed no matter what." "I won''t fail." Scapi and Clown said simultaneously. "Hmm." Taboo sped his hands behind his head and left. Now, only Red and Brutal de were left. "They won''t be able to do it," Brutal de said. "Maybe not. We''ll have to see." "A Numbers is required to beat another Numbers. I''ve fought Dukeram before, so I know how powerful they are." Once upon a time, Brutal de had been a sessful guildmaster. However, the Empire Guildpletely crushed him, and he somehow managed to join Red Moon. "Kang Oh is no Dukeram." Red had met Dukeram before. They hadn''t fought, but he felt like he couldn''t beat him. "Plus, killing people is our specialty," Red added. However, Brutal de still wasn''t convinced. ''The only way we have a chance is if the four of us fight him together.'' He would have to get Taboo on board. "Do what you want," Red said, seeing right through him. "Understood." Brutal de left. Now that he was alone, Red reclined on his skeletal throne. "How boring." Aside from killing, everything was boring to him. He wasn''t even interested in assassinating Kang Oh, as he wasn''t directly involved. * * * The Poisonous Scorpion, Scapi, and the Mad Jester, Clown, put their heads together. "We have to figure out where he is first," Clown said. "Can we procure something he''s used before?" Scapi asked. If they could, then she''d be able to use her unique tracking skill to figure out his exact location. "Items he''s used before... I''ll try and get something," Clown said. "I acted all confident in front of the boss, but Kang Oh''s no joke," Scapi said. She referred to Red as ''boss''. "Of course. You can''t join the Numbers without the skills to back it up." "What''s worse, his rank is higher than the boss''s." "So?" "Don''t even worry about who gets the credit. We have to work together to take him down." "You just worry about yourself." "Want to die?" Scapi furrowed her brow. Clown was always smiling. She wanted to just sock him in that smiling face of his. "You, kill me?" "Enough. Focus on the mission." "Haha. Anyhow, we have to gather some information on him. Everything, regardless of how trivial it may seem!" Assassination wasn''t an easy task. Especially when they had to kill someone stronger than them. Of course, that was also the appeal of assassination. "Yeah. If we want to erase his name from the Numbers, then we need to kill him consecutively." "True. The first time''s going to be tough, but the second and third time should be easy." "I know!" "I''ll try procuring something he''s used before, so you gather as much information on him as you can," Clown said. "Alright." Scapi nodded her head. * * * Several dayster. Clown and Scapi met again. However, Brutal de and Taboo were there too. Ultimately, they decided to hunt Kang Oh together, as Brutal de had suggested. "Do you have it?" Scapi stared at Clown. "It was hard to get." Clown pulled out a sharp dagger. dion''s Dagger! It was the projectile weapon he''d used prior to obtaining the Fire Bomb Belt. Kang Oh had sold it back to the auction house, and it had switched hands several times. Ultimately, it ended up in Clown''s hands. "Are you sure?" "I am." "Good. Now we know where his location is. What about the information?" Brutal de asked. "I have it here. I wrote down everything, even the most trivial bits of information." Scapi passed him a thick piece of paper. All sorts of information pertaining to Kang Oh was written on it. It detailed his abilities, skills, personality, characteristics, when he rose to prominence, and even his shoe size. The Four Heavenly Kings carefully read the information. "Fighting him sounds like fun," Taboo grinned and said. "As I expected, he''ll be a tough opponent," Brutal de said. "Killing him is a problem in and of itself. He transforms into a powerful beast when he dies. It was powerful enough to kill Wukong," Scapi said. "But he shouldn''t be able to maintain that form for long," Clown said. "Hit them enough and they all fall," Taboo added. "Our best bet is to lure him into a trap," Scapi said. "I agree. ording to this, he really likes money. Luring him in should be easy," Brutal de said. "True. If we show ourselves, then he won''t be able to help himself," Clown said. Red wasn''t the only one with a huge bounty on his head. The Four Heavenly Kings also had huge bounties. So much so that Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to help himself. "Then I''ll lure him in," Brutal de said. In terms of purebat ability, Brutal de was the strongest here. Thus, he was confident that he''d be able to lead Kang Oh into the trap without getting caught. "Where''s the best ce to set up the trap?" Scapi asked. "How about one of our secret soul dungeons?" Clown asked. Red couldn''t move freely. Thus, he secretly obtained a few soul dungeons, and set up a dummy guild. "I''ll be able to show my true ability there." Clown was an expert in setting up traps. A soul dungeon, which allowed its owner to do with it as they wished, was the best ce for him to show his worth. "Which soul dungeon should we pick?" Taboo asked. "Lupel Temple. That''ll be the best ce to fight him at," Clown said. "Alright. We''ve chosen the location. Clown, you assume leadership of the group," Brutal de said. "What? Him?" Scapi said angrily. "He''s going to turn the Lupel Temple into an inescapable trap. Thus, it makes the most sense for him to tell us where to go, as he knows where the traps are." What Taboo said made sense. "What''s wrong? You said we should cooperate." Clown looked at her and mocked her. "Grr!" Scapi gritted her teeth and arduously nodded her head. "I don''t care who the leader is. But no matter what you say, I''m going to fight Kang Oh," Taboo said. "I''ll set up the perfect ce for you." Clown smiled wickedly. "Keep it to a minimum. If we split up, then we won''t be able to keep killing Kang Oh." Brutal de warned, knowing what Clown''s true intentions were. "Haha, fine." Of course, it didn''t seem like Clown took his warning to heart. "Then it looks like we''re done here. I''ll be going now. I don''t want to be around that sleazebag anymore than necessary." Scapi pointed at Clown and stood up. "I''ll be leaving too." Taboo left immediately. "If you need help setting up traps, then feel free to ask me or any of the other Heavenly Kings," Brutal de said. He couldn''t help but be cautious. Brutal de had experienced the power of the Numbers firsthand via Dukeram. "I''ll be fine on my own." However, Clown had absolutely no idea. He didn''t know what it truly meant to be one of the Numbers! ''I have to keep a close eye on him.'' Seeing how carefree Clown was acting made it feel like there was extra weight on his shoulders. Chapter 406. Deadly Trap! (1)

Chapter 406. Deadly Trap! (1)

Trantor: Boko Lupel Temple. It was originally a temple that worshipped an aboriginal god, but a horrific ceremony transformed it into a breeding ground for monsters. The dungeon''s guardian was called Hug. He was once a High Priest, but now he was a guardian that managed the soul dungeon. Clown and Scapi set up a deadly trap for Kang Oh here. "A trap is basically a surprise attack," Clown said whilst gripping the soul stone. There was an area within Lupel Temple designed forrge ceremonies. However, Clown ced his deadliest traps, as well as the soul dungeon''s traps, there. "The most dangerous traps are the ones you don''t even notice, and the ones you can''t get out of even if you did. It''s already toote by then." Clown was excited that his traps would kill Kang Oh. "I''ve coated all the traps in poison. They''re all lethal, so if he gets touched by them, he''ll be in for a surprise," the Poisonous Scorpion, Scapi, smiled and said. Scapi was a Poison Mage! She was called the Poisonous Scorpion because she could freely manipte more than 100 different poisons. "If the four of us and our subordinates surround this location, then there''ll be no way out for him. Moreover, I''ve set up magic circles across the dungeon that prevent return scrolls or transfer magic circles from working. There''s nowhere for him to run," Scapi said confidently. "True." Clown was sure that even Dukeram wouldn''t be able to escape this trap! "The trap''s set up, so it''s time to lure in the prey." Scapi licked her lips. "Hehehe." Clown''s red eyes gleamed. * * * Brutal de, Scapi, Clown, and Taboo. Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings gathered in one spot. They were in the Spirit World; more specifically, they were in the Crow''s Nest, a city devoid of any color besides white and ck. "Preparations areplete," Clown said whilst smiling. Scapi nodded her head. Thebination of her poison and Clown''s traps transformed the Lupel Temple into an inescapable, deadly trap. Now, all that was left was luring Kang Oh into the temple. "It''s my turn now," Brutal de said. Luring Kang Oh in was his job. "Where is he right now?" Brutal de looked at Scapi. "Let me see." Scapi possessed an SS-rank ring called ''Altago''s Ring''. An Altago was a mysterious animal said to possess the gift of foresight. This ring, which bore the animal''s name, only possessed one ability! [Stalking] Choose an item. You may ascertain the status and location of the person who''s used the item. Normal anti-tracking skills cannot prevent this ability. Several items existed within the game that allowed a yer to track another. However, this ring''s Stalking ability was far greater than any of them. Even the Mongoose Tail, which prevented tracking, wouldn''t protect a yer from Altago''s Ring. Plus, it had never been detected via spells or skills before. In exchange, Stalking required that the wielder possess an item that the target had used before. "Alright, let''s see where you are." Scapi swept her long hair back, gripped the dion''s Dagger in her left hand, and tightly clenched her right hand. Altago''s Ring, which was shaped like an eyeball, glowed on her right hand. [You have used Stalking.] [Five people have used dion''s Dagger.] [Rice, n, Kang Oh, Tehiran, and I Like Ramen.] [Who would you like to stalk?] "Kang Oh," Scapi whispered. Then, the ring created a screen, much like a hologram. It depicted Kang Oh. [Kang Oh - Despia, Goddess''s Land, Latnia.] "No matter how many times I see it, it''s weird," Taboo, who was crossing his arms, said. "I need to make sure she doesn''t get my equipment," Clown whispered, looking at Scapi warily. ''And I have to steal that ring for myself one day. Even if I have to kill her again and again for it!'' His smiling face concealed his malicious intent. "He''s in Despia," Scapi said. "Despia, huh... I''ll wait at the entrance to the Shadow World. Let me know as soon as he returns to the continent." Brutal de stood up. "Alright." Scapi nodded her head. "Clown, when Kang Oh starts chasing me, take the other Heavenly Kings and your subordinates to Lupel Temple. The Killing Ghost Squad and I will lure Kang Oh there no matter what," Brutal de said. The Killing Ghost Squad was made up of his subordinates, and they specialize in killing, whether it be yers or NPCs. "What if you fail?" Clown asked impishly. "I''ll be dead," Brutal de said nonchntly. "Haha, do your best." "I will." Brutal de then left. Clown, Scapi, and Taboo couldn''t hide their excitement. The hunt for the powerful beast known as Kang Oh had begun. * * * Kang Oh and Sephiro were drinking tea in a small restaurant within Latnia City. "Where are we going today?" Sephiro asked, his eyes gleaming. Lately, he and Kang Oh had been going across the continent in search of soul dungeons. They seized several soul dungeons, and made a profit from selling them. Kang Oh wasn''t the only one who made a profit, but Sephiro did too. "We''ll be a bit busy today. We''re going to the Twisted Fortress, Heinzmun Laboratory, and Naples Canyon today." "All three?" "You gotta strike while the iron''s hot. We have to seize as many soul dungeons as possible while the price is still high. Of course, I''m going to keep the soul dungeon if it''s any good." "Mm, you''re not wrong." Gyaa! Waryong, who was beside them, nodded its head. Under Sephiro''s loving care, Waryong grew and grew. Now, Waryong was a teenager in wyvern years. When fully outstretched, its wings were more than 3 meters long. A fully grown wyvern''s wings were about 6 meters long, so it was a bit more than halfway there. Sephiro couldn''t carry it on his back anymore. Waryong was also good at flying now, and its mes had be much stronger. It also ate a lot more. Sephiro asionallyined about how expensive it was feeding it. "If you''re done with your drink, then let''s get a move on." Kang Oh put down his tea cup. "Yes." They used the transfer magic circle to teleport to the city closest to the Twisted Fortress. The two left the city. A short whileter, Kang Oh opened his message window. "I need to send a message." "Ok," Sephiro replied curtly. However, Kang Oh sent the message to Sephiro, who was right beside him. ''Why are you sending it to me? I''m right here.'' - Mr. Sephiro, someone''s following us. Kang Oh possessed Hyper Intuition. Thus, he knew when someone was following him. After all, it felt like someone was watching him from behind. Sephiro widened his eyes. "Real..." - Act normally! Kang Oh quickly sent a follow up message. Sephiro shut his mouth and discreetly used a detection skill. Kang Oh was right. They were quite far away, but there were people surrounding them. - I can sense them. I think there are about 100 of them. What do we do? He sent a message expressionlessly. - Just act normal. Don''t make the first move. We don''t know who they are or why they''re following us. But be sure to keep your guard up. Be ready to act at a moment''s notice. - Understood. "Then let''s keep going," Kang Oh closed the message window and said calmly. "Yes." Kang Oh and Sephiro proceeded to their destination. Brutal de and the Killing Ghost Squad were following them. Scapi had informed him that Kang Oh had returned to the continent, so he had immediately mobilized his squad ande here. "The archer''s Sephiro," Brutal de observed Sephiro and said. "We only want to lure Kang Oh into the trap." "I''ll kill him," Yaksha, his vice-captain, said. In the past, Yaksha had been in the same guild as him. "Can you do it?" "Guildmaster, no, captain, please take care of Kang Oh. As long as Kang Oh is out of the picture, I can kill Sephiro with ease." "How many men do you need?" "Ten is plenty." "Take twenty with you just in case. The rest of the squad and I will lure Kang Oh away." "Understood." "It looks like they''re headed for the Twisted Fortress. We''re going to attack before they enter the dungeon." "Yes, sir." "Don''t let down your guard. Kang Oh is part of the Numbers. Sephiro is not to be underestimated either." "I know." "Let''s go." Brutal de, Yaksha, and the Killing Ghost Squad secretly followed Kang Oh and Sephiro. * * * There was a small forest along the way to the Twisted Fortress. "We''ll attack in the forest." Brutal de pointed at the faraway forest. "Yes, sir." Yaksha immediately nodded his head. Sometimeter... Once Kang Oh and Sephiro entered the forest, Brutal de and the Killing Ghost Squad began moving in earnest. "Projectiles," Brutal de ordered. Then, the Killing Ghost Squad popped out of cover simultaneously, and threw projectile weapons at Kang Oh and Sephiro. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Javelins, daggers, iron balls, needles, etc. came flying at Kang Oh and Sephiro. Since they knew they were being followed, Kang Oh and Sephiro responded calmly. Kang Oh quickly drew Blood, pulled back, and deflected all of the projectile weaponsing his way. ng, ng, ng, ng! Sephiro threw his body out of the way, and Waryong soared into the air. Then, the assassins employed a new strategy. They threw chains, metals, grappling hooks, etc. at them. "Not a chance!" Kang Oh counterattacked. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura flew through the forest,ing right for the clustered assassins. "Scatter!" one of them yelled. Then, they dodged the Tempest Tiger with bizarre movements like that of a ghost, and scattered. ''They move well.'' Just a quick nce at their movements told him that they were pretty skilled. Whizz! Sephiro shot an arrow as thick andrge as a harpoon. Earth Shaking Arrow! At the same time, Waryong opened its mouth and spit mes at the enemies below. However, they dodged both Sephiro and Waryong''s attacks with their strange movements. They werepletely unscathed. A short whileter... The Killing Ghost Squad surrounded Kang Oh and Sephiro. Tramp. "Red Eye," Kang Oh muttered upon seeing Brutal de''s eyes. Red Eye. The mark of a killer. The darker the color, the more people they''ve killed! Brutal de''s eyes were as red as blood. That meant he''d killed quite a bit of people in his time. "Who are you?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m Brutal de." He''d never intended on hiding his true identity. "Brutal de... Red Moon!" Kang Oh knew who he was. He was one of Red Moon''s executives, and was called the Killing Ghost. Most importantly, his bounty was huge! "It''s an honor. To think that one of the Numbers knows me," Brutal de said. "How could I not? You''re worth quite a lot." Kang Oh''s eyes were filled with greed. ''Is this what it feels like for treasure toe right to your doorstep? If I catch him and bring him to the Security Bureau, then it''d be like hitting the jackpot.'' "Your neck''s worth more than mine," Brutal de said. "As expected... Someonemissioned you to kill me." Kang Oh knew why someone like Brutal de would appear before him. "I wonder who it is?" He took another quick look at Brutal de. "It must be someone who wants you dead." "Hmm." Kang Oh thought of a few organizations that wanted him dead. However, he narrowed it down to a single name. "Is it Shion?" Commissioning Red Moon to kill him would cost a fortune. After all, he was Numbers rank 4, Kang Oh! Only someone who really hated him would be willing to pay such a huge amount to see him dead. It would be either Empire or Hercules. However, the Empire Guild was busy with the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war, so they didn''t have time for him right now. Plus, it wasn''t their style to pay someone else to get revenge. If that''s the case, then the only viable option was Hercules. And of all the people he could think of, only Shion came to mind; after all, he had run with a ton of his guild''s treasure. Although Kang Oh had hit the nail on the head, Brutal de didn''t change his expression whatsoever. "Think whatever you want," Brutal de said evenly. "Is this really it?" Kang Oh took a look around and said. ''I''m one of the Numbers, Predator Kang Oh! If you want to kill me, then you need to bring more than this!'' "It''s plenty." Brutal de''s objective was luring him into a trap, not killing him. This was enough to lead him into their trap. But to Kang Oh, it sounded like he was confident enough to kill him with the forces he had. "Alright then. If you''re that confident, thene on!" Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist too. ''Let me show you your ce!'' Swish. Brutal de''s body became faint. At the same time, the Killing Ghost Squad attacked Kang Oh and Sephiro. This is how Kang Oh''s ill-fated rtionship with Red Moon began. Chapter 407. Deadly Trap! (2)

Chapter 407. Deadly Trap! (2)

Trantor: Boko Killing Ghost, Brutal de. His weapon of choice was a katana. It was a long, single-ded, curved sword. It had poor durability, but it specialized in shing. Brutal de swung his sword downwards. Ghost sh! An ultrafast sh that could even cut through ghosts! Kang Oh responded immediately. sh! He quickly swung Blood horizontally. ng! The two des collided. Neither side yielded an inch. Brutal de quickly withdrew his sword, and then thrust it at Kang Oh''s heart. His strike was extremely sharp. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition sent him a cold warning, so he immediately turned his body. Swish! Brutal de''s sword left a small incision on Kang Oh''s armor. However, he hadn''t cut flesh, so no shards of light came out. Kang Oh counterattacked, swinging Ubist upwards. Brutal de immediately retreated. Whoosh! A strike that''d be able to fell a tree swept through where he''d once been. Brutal de rushed forward and swung diagonally. ng! Kang Oh blocked it with Blood, and aimed for Brutal de''s neck with Ubist. Brutal de ducked, avoiding his attack, and swung downwards. ''Hmm?'' It was strange. Brutal de''s sword wasing at him one way, yet his Hyper Intuition made him feel cold in apletely different area. It must be a feint. ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh swung Ubist, acting as though he''d fallen for it. He would use his opponent''s n against him! As expected, Brutal de''s sword shifted midway. He switched from a stab to a sh! Ghost Trick! Switching his attack midway was Brutal de''s specialty. He''d killed countless people with this trick of his. However, it waspletely ineffective against Kang Oh. With Hyper Intuition at his side, Kang Oh saw through this tactic, and easily avoided his unusual attack. And... Transcendent de! Kang Oh swung Blood with transcendent speed. His de shed through the air! Bam! Shards of red light exploded from Brutal de''s neck like firecrackers. Kang Oh pushed him back from there. However, Brutal de was a skilled yer with plenty of experience. He didn''t panic at Kang Oh''s unexpected counterattack, and kept swinging his sword like normal. Ghost sh! Kang Oh reacted toote. Shards of light burst from his body. Then... That was the end of his one-on-one with Brutal de. After all, Brutal de''s subordinates, the Killing Ghost Squad, rushed in. * * * The Killing Ghost Squad gave him the feeling that it consisted of yers that were no stranger tobat, and were specialized in a certain craft. They used weapons best suited for striking at one''s vitals, such as a dagger or a hook, and their movements were secretive, yet quick. They preferred to use techniques that''d cause bleeding, reduce one''s defenses, slow, etc, rather than shy and/or AoE moves. They were also rather skilled too. The squad members were about as strong as one of the 4 great guild''s elites. However, they were fighting against Kang Oh here. Kang Oh fought better against other yers than monsters. It was due to his Hyper Intuition! Not only would it warn him of danger prior, but it would also point out a person''s weak points. It was a mysterious ability that was best suited for PvP. He blocked and/or avoided all their attacks, while retaliating with his own, killing them one at a time. Like right now! Festival of Blood! His snow-white de was covered in blood red energy. Swish! His blood sword left a red arc in the air. Then, an assassin''s neck exploded with red shards of light like fireworks. [You have defeated the notorious assassin, Duhring.] [Fame has increased.] The assassin dropped a gray cloak. Killing an enemy with Red Eye significantly increased the chance that they''d drop an item upon death. And it wasn''t just any item; they''d usually drop their best item! Kang Oh immediately picked up the gray cloak. It was an S-rank item. However, he didn''t have the time to look over it in detail. He quickly swung Ubist, and pierced an approaching assassin''s heart. Stab! Brutal de retreated. He was watching Kang Oh engage the Killing Ghost Squad, and then turned his attention to Sephiro. Yaksha and his men were really giving Sephiro a hard time. Just as nned. Of course, the Wind Archer, Sephiro, was by no means an easy foe. Neither was his partner, Waryong! But their objective wasn''t to kill Sephiro; it was to gradually push Kang Oh and Sephiro apart. ''Just a little bit more.'' Brutal de continually sent the Killing Ghost Squad at Kang Oh likembs to the ughter. Befitting his title as Predator, Kang Oh continuously killed every Killing Ghost Squad member that came his way. ''Now.'' Once it was time, Brutal de joined his subordinates and attacked Kang Oh. A shing de came flying at Kang Oh. ''Good of you toe,'' Kang Oh thought. After all, Brutal de had the highest bounty here. ''I''ll be sure to capture you.'' If he dragged his ass to the Security Bureau, then he''d be rewarded with a huge sum of money. Kang Oh wasn''t the type to lose an opportunity to make money. Kang Oh dodged Brutal de''s sword, and then stabbed his shoulder joint with Ubist. Stab! "Ugh." Brutal de grimaced in pain, and quickly retreated. Kang Oh followed up with another attack, but the Killing Ghost Squad got in his way, so his de didn''t reach him. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh rampaged about like an angry beast. He killed every single assassin in his way. Brutal de would wait for his opportunity and attack again, but he''d fail time after time. Not to mention the fact that Kang Oh would have a counterattack waiting for him too. Ultimately... "Retreat," Brutal de yelled, and the Killing Ghost Squad retreated like an ebbing tide. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh chased after Brutal de. ''Stop right there, you wad of cash!'' "Stop him!" Brutal de yelled. The Killing Ghost Squad literally threw themselves at Kang Oh in an attempt to slow him down. Kang Oh activated Devil Trigger. He unfurled his dark red wings, soared into the air, and flew right at Brutal de. "Sh*t!" Brutal de suddenly pulled an item out of his inventory and threw it. Then, a round purple portal formed in the air. "See you next time," Brutal de said, and threw himself into the portal. "Do you really think I''ll let you go that easily!?" Kang Oh flew right into the portal. At that moment... The portal closed, and Brutal de was smiling. [Entering the dungeon, Lupel Temple.] Brutal de had aplished his mission. He had led Kang Oh right into their trap. * * * Brutal de and Demon Kang Oh stood atop a giant, seven-decker altar. "He seeded," the Poisonous Scorpion, Scapi, said. "Hehehe." Taboo cracked his knuckles. "Then, let''s begin the hunt." Clown opened his arms. Activate Trap! Creak! It sounded like a wind up spring. Whoosh! Arrows fell from the ceiling overhead. The arrowheads were shining, so they had to be coated in poison. "Tch." Once he saw the traps and Brutal de''s smile, Kang Oh realized he''d been had. ''They got me.'' He couldn''t erase that feeling; the feeling that they''d gotten one over him. However, it was already toote now. He had already sprung the trap. What mattered now was that he safely got through all the traps. Kang Oh flung himself out of the arrows'' way. However, there was another trap there too. Giant, sharp rakes popped out of the ground. Like a Venus flytrap, the rakes were situated on either side, and attempted to devour him whole. The ends of the rakes were, like the arrows, coated in all kinds of poison. "Tasha!" "Be careful!" Tasha forcefully pped his wings, raising him into the air. But that activated yet another trap. An iron fell from the ceiling, and thick harpoons shot out from the walls. "Tasha, just dodge the for me. I''ll take care of the harpoons," Kang Oh quickly assessed the situation and yelled. "Got it." His dark red wings pped forcefully, and he shot up like a rocket ship. He just barely slipped past a small gap in the. As expected of Tasha! Whoosh! The harpoons came rushing over. ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh easily deflected the harpoons with his dual demon swords. However, that wasn''t the end of all the traps. Rumble! A portion of the ceiling crumbled, releasing sticky liquid. Even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to dodge that too. He immediately used Moon''s Protection. Kang Oh was surrounded by a barrier, which resembled the full moon, andnded on the floor. Thud! Kang Oh fell into the middle of the altar, and then began rolling down the stairs. "It''s my turn!" Taboo rushed out. His entire body tingled, and he couldn''t help himself anymore. "Wait!" Clown urgently yelled, but it was no use. "Tch, that idiot!" With no other choice, Clown deactivated the traps. Then, Brutal de moved. He hadn''t moved a muscle before so that he wouldn''t get caught in the traps. He also believed that it was time for them to kill Kang Oh. "Die!" Taboo''s weapon of choice was a giant mace. He made it to Kang Oh first, and swung downwards with his mace. Whoosh! Kang Oh sensed danger. That strike could crush his skull. But where there''s danger, there''s opportunity! Deactivating the traps had given Kang Oh a chance to counterattack. He rolled to the side and avoided Taboo''s mace. Bam! His strike was so powerful that the ground cracked, and pieces of rock went flying everywhere. Kang Oh immediately stood up and swung his sword. Ubist cleaved through Taboo''s armor. Bam! ck shards of light burst out. Fang Bearing de! His strike hadpletely ignored all of Taboo''s defenses! However, Taboo wasn''t concerned in the least, and continually swung his mace. Bam! Eventually, Taboo got a hit in. Kang Oh floated into the air and then plummeted to the ground. "Die!" Brutal de, who''de sometime in-between, swung his katana. Although things were so hectic, Kang Oh instinctively responded to his Hyper Intuition''s warning. He rolled to the side, avoiding Brutal de''s katana, and threw a Blood Spear at his face. In order to dodge the spear, Brutal de leapt into the air. Kang Oh used that opportunity to stand up. However, Taboo''s mace came flying at him from behind. Abyss Shield! A ck, swirling vortex appeared behind him. However, it wasn''t enough to block Taboo''s attack. Fortunately, its swamp-like properties bought Kang Oh enough time to react. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Bam! Kang Oh''s skull was crushed. Or it should''ve been, had it not been an afterimage. The real Kang Oh rushed at Taboo. "Hehe, c''mon!" Taboo beamed. He really wanted to fight one of the Numbers. Kang Oh raised both of his des like outstretched wings, and simultaneously swung them. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! A ck beast and a red bat came flying at him simultaneously. "Huaahp!" Golden energy surged from Taboo''s mace. Raging Dragon''s Energy! A golden, dragon-shaped energy crashed into Kang Oh''s two auras. Bam! This resulted in a massive explosion, an ear-splitting ''boom'', and a fierce shockwave. Then... Brutal de swung his katana at Kang Oh''s back. Ghost sh! However, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition basically gave him a set of eyes on the back of his head. He just barely turned his body in time, and dodged Brutal de''s attack. Then, he grabbed Brutal de''s arm and threw him at Taboo. Bam! Brutal de clumsily fell on top of Taboo. In that time, Kang Oh pulled out an item from his inventory. It was the S-rank gray cloak that he''d pilfered off the Killing Ghost Squad member. Gluttony! [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Secret Seranka''s Cloak.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 25 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use up to two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [Ghost-Possessed Sword and Smokescreen have been chosen.] ''Smokescreen!'' Kang Oh hadn''t had the time to check what its abilities were. He had just used Gluttony on it because it was an S-rank item. However, this particr S-rank item had quite the useful ability. It was none other than the Smokescreen ability. Poof! In an instant, his surroundings were covered in cloudy smoke. Kang Oh, Taboo, and Brutal de''s forms couldn''t be seen. Bam! ng! ng! ng! Only the sound of battle could be heard from within. However, the people outside had no way of knowing what was going on inside. Chapter 408. Escape the Trap Hell

Chapter 408. Escape the Trap Hell

Trantor: Boko The smokescreen didn''tst long. It dissipated like cigarette smoke, but only Brutal de and Taboo were here. Kang Oh was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?" "Find him quick!" Red Moon''s executives looked around the dungeon in search of Kang Oh. At that moment¡­ Kang Oh reappeared beside Clown and Scapi. He''d fought Brutal de and Taboo within the smokescreen, and had used Abyss Transfer when it was almost over. ''You''re my first target.'' Kang Oh stared at Clown. He was the most annoying of the bunch since he controlled all the traps. Festival of Blood! Demon Sword Blood was coated in blood red energy. Gluttony, Devil Trigger, and Festival of Blood! Mad Wind''s Sword! His red and ck swords crazily danced through the air. "Ugh." Clown, who''d instantly gotten hit twice, just barely threw himself out of the way, and escaped the storm of des. "Die!" Scapi pulled back and threw a poison filled sphere. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Various poisons spread through the air, causing Kang Oh to momentarily hesitate. "Do I look that weak to you!?" Clown righted himself, pulled out two hooks, and charged at Kang Oh. "Don''t get close to him!" Scapi urgently yelled, but Clown didn''t listen to her at all. ''Thanks for saving me the effort!,'' Kang Oh thought. Transcendent de! Demon Sword Ubist pierced through Clown''s chest. Stab! "Keok!" Clown staggered. "No!" Scapi threw herself at Kang Oh. Clown was the only one who could control the traps here. She couldn''t afford to let him die. Poison Human! Her body changed color like a bronze statue. However, various colors appeared over her bronze skin and then disappeared. This process continued over and over again. "Hueup! Haa!" She spat out a damp, ck poisonous mist. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. ''I''m killing him.'' He decided to finish Clown off, knowing that he''d take some damage in order to do so. Tempest Tiger! Evesting Darkness! A golden aura shot out of Blood, and a pir of darkness surged from Ubist. Then, Clown used his survival skill. His ne began to glow. Pinch Hitter! A wooden doll appeared in front of him, taking the Tempest Tiger and Evesting Darkness in his ce. However, it wasn''t able to protect him entirely. The pir of darkness ripped through the wooden doll and devoured Clown. "Ugh!" Clown cried out, and shards of light burst from his body. Then... Scapi pierced through the pir of darkness and stood in front of Clown. Poison Tsunami! She released a fan-shaped poison energy from her body. Her poison and the darkness shed evenly until they both disappeared. "Haa, haa." Scapi breathed haggardly. Using Poison Human converted her HP and Stamina into poison. Using arge quantity of poison wouldrgely deplete her ''Stamina''. What a relief. Kang Oh was forced back by the poisonous mist. During that time, Taboo and Brutal de had appeared by her side. "Are you ok?" Brutal de looked Clown over. "Of course I am!" Clown yelled. The smile had disappeared from his face long ago. However, Clown wasn''t in good shape. If Kang Oh hadnded another attack, then it would''ve been game over for him. "Scapi, Taboo, take Clown and run away," Brutal de said. "You want me to run!? What the hell are you talking about!?" Clown yelled. "I don''t like it either. I want to fight," Taboo said. "I''ll keep Kang Oh here. Get away and activate all the traps." "Then you''ll die," Scapi said. "Sacrifices have to be made if you want to kill one of the Numbers," Brutal de said nonchntly. "Let''s just all kill him together. Even one of the Numbers can''t take on all four of us at once," Taboo said. "If we do that, then Clown could die. If Clown dies, he can get away. So just do as I say." "Then I''ll stay. I want to fight him!" Taboo said strongly. "No. On the off chance that Kang Oh escapes, you have to be there to finish him off. You have the greatest destructive power amongst the four of us." Taboo tried to talk back again, but Clown replied first. "Fine. We''ll make sure to finish him off for good. He''ll die to my traps, his strength, or her poison. Either way, he''ll die!" "Good." Then... Kang Oh suddenly reappeared via Abyss Transfer. He was still aiming for Clown. Whoosh! Demon Sword Ubist flew through the air, intent on slicing through his neck. However, there was someone in his way. Brutal de! He pushed Clown away and took Kang Oh''s strike in his stead. ng! Kang Oh''s jet-ck de and Brutal de''s katana crashed against each other, resounding with a shrill ''ng''. "Go!" Brutal de yelled, and swung his sword at Kang Oh. "Tch." Taboo was still disappointed, but he did as he was told. "Run!" He, Scapi, and Clown ran away. They had to be a certain distance away from Kang Oh in order to activate the traps. If not, they''d be caught in their own traps. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh swung Ubist in a wide arc, pushing Brutal de away, and then yelled angrily. Blood Spear! Four scarlet spears appeared over his head. At the same time, two gray des appeared beside them. Ghost-Possessed Sword! This was an ability that the gray cloak held. Whizz, whizz, whizz! The Blood Spears and Ghost-Possessed Swords came straight for Clown. "Be careful!" Brutal de yelled. Then, Taboo stepped forward and deflected them with his mace. At that moment... Kang Oh quickly swung Blood. Lightning Breath! Crackle! A powerful lightning st grazed Brutal de''s side. Blood Spear and Ghost-Possessed Sword were just diversions. The true attack was Lightning Breath! "Damn it." Taboo stepped forward and took the Lightning Breath with his body. His hair bristled, and sparks danced across his teeth. "I''m your opponent!" Brutal de yelled, and dashed at Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh didn''t want to waste his time on Brutal de. After all, things would get reallyplicated if he let Clown and the others leave! It''d be great if he could use Abyss Transfer again, but it was still on cooldown. Kang Oh forcefully pped his wings and flew right at them. All of a sudden, however, the ceiling''s traps activated. Kang Oh was a perfect target, and Clown didn''t miss a beat. A, arrows, and sticky liquid fell from the ceiling. "It''ll be tough to get out of this. Fall back," Tasha said. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue, avoided the traps, andnded on the floor once more. Then, Brutal de rushed at him again. Behead! A fierce energy came flying at Kang Oh. sh! Kang Oh swung Ubist vertically, and cleaved through the st. "Let''s see this through to the end." Brutal de''s form began to change. His lean body swelled, and his eyes glowed blue. Battle Maniac! This skill greatly increased one''sbat abilities in exchange for their HP. "Chaa!" A sharp attack, one iparable to his previous ones, came flying at Kang Oh. It was strong enough that Kang Oh couldn''t afford to just ignore it. "Haahp!" Kang Oh went at it at full power. * * * "Hoo." Hoffman sighed in relief. He slowly dropped his hammer. Look! There was a beautiful purple de resting atop his anvil! Hoffman slowly brought the de close. It was still radiating heat. "Hueup." Darkness energy, which rested in his heart, traveled down his arm. The ck Hammer Dwarves were born with the power of darkness. They specialized in using this inherent ability to create weapons imbued with the darkness element. Whir! Hoffman''s darkness energy began entering the sword. Normally, a dwarf could hammer away at the weapon while infusing the energy, but he needed to be more delicate with this particr sword. That''s why he took this extra step. How much time had passed? A thick, ck energy surrounded the purple de. The deeper the color, the better. Hoffman raised the sword, carefully examining its color, shape, bnce, toughness, etc. He knew how great this sword was. ''Good.'' The de was the core of a sword! Hoffman had just finished crafting the de. Now all he needed to do was build the hilt and fuse the two pieces together. However, creating a hilt durable enough to hold a de of this quality was a task in and of itself. He would need to put everything he had into the creation of the hilt too. Fortunately, Hoffman possessed the dragon materials. A hilt made out of dragon materials would be capable of withstanding a Halium de. Hoffman carefully put the de to the side, and pulled out dragon materials from the cab. He would use Dragon Bone to create the frame, and decorate it using Dragon ws and Dragon Skin. ''A dragon yer. It won''t be long before it''s finished.'' Hoffman didn''t lose concentration till the very end. A masterpiece was being born. * * * Deep within the Lupel Temple''s ceremonial space. Kang Oh and Brutal de were fighting against each other. However, it was clear who the winner and loser was. Kang Oh was overwhelming him, and Brutal de was just barely holding on. ''As expected, this won''t work.'' The sight of Kang Oh made him think of Dukeram. Someone who stood at the top with his overwhelming strength! He felt an insurmountable gap between him and Kang Oh, the same feeling he''d felt when he fought against Dukeram. Kang Oh was just that tall of an obstacle for him. However, Brutal de was called the Killing Ghost, and he had the skills and pride of a high ranker. ''I can''t just let you go without a single injury!'' Brutal de forewent defense and threw himself at Kang Oh. Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood mercilessly sliced into him. Stab! Stab! ''Now!'' As Kang Oh''s demon swords were embedded in his body, Brutal de sliced through Kang Oh''s side. Evil Spirit''s Mark! A dark red gammadion cross appeared on his side. Shards of light would automatically spill from the wound. In other words, Kang Oh was bleeding now. That wasn''t all. Evil Spirit''s Mark had another ability. This secondary ability would put him in trouble sometimeter! "Tch." Kang Oh furrowed his brow, and raised Ubist into the air. It was time to finish him off. At that moment... Rumble! The sound of a giant device turning rang out. "Haha." Brutal deughed, despite being a second away from death. This sound meant that Clown had gotten away, and that he''d activated the inescapable trap once more. "Soon, you''ll be dead too." Those were Brutal de''sst words. Bam! Kang Oh sliced his neck with Ubist. Thud. Once he died, he dropped his katana. As the victor, Kang Oh picked up the spoils of war. It was an S-rank item. The effects weren''t great, but its attack power was quite high. Bam! All of a sudden, the ground split open. Kang Oh threw himself to the side. Then, another trap activated. Abyss Transfer! [The Evil Spirit''s Mark has caused your skill to fail.] "What!?" Brutal de''s Evil Spirit''s Mark didn''t just cause him to bleed. There was also a fixed chance that his skill/spells would fail to activate. Stab! A sharp harpoon surged from the ground and pierced his thigh. "Grr!" Kang Oh threw himself out of the way again. Whizz! ng! Bam! He sprung a trap wherever he moved. He had no time to rest. ''How many traps did they install!?'' Clown possessed a secret technique called Recover Trap. This skill would allow him to keep reusing traps over and over again, and also allow him to activate an almost infinite number of traps. Moreover, Scapi''s poisonous mist began to spread throughout the room. He couldn''t avoid the poison mist as he was already too busy dodging the traps. [You have been poisoned by Scapi''s Special Poison.] [This poison isn''t that harmful by itself. However, it amplifies the potency of any other poison in your system.] [Current Poisons: Red Death Poison, Illusion Mushroom Powder, Watery Rock Poison, Rusty Metal Poison, Synthesized Poison.] [Your symptoms are severe.] [HP drops quickly.] [All abilities are reduced.] [You are thirsty, itchy, nauseous, dizzy, etc.] Kang Oh gritted his teeth. He really wanted to see Eder. The Legendary Healer, Eder! If Eder were here, then he would''ve cured him of this poison in a sh. However, looking for someone that wasn''t here was pointless. ''At this rate, I''ll die!'' Kang Oh decided to bet the rest of his HP on his next move. Rather than avoid the traps and run away, he would instead pierce right through the poisonous mist. Tramp! Kang Oh ran at full speed. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Whizz! All sorts of traps activated. Red Butterfly''s Dance! He repeatedly left behind an afterimage wherever he passed through. "Uhaaaahp!" At the same time, Kang Oh crazily swung his sword. Harpoons, daggers,s, hooks, etc. He cleaved through them all. He would clear away the poisonous mist or acid using powerful attacks like Tempest Tiger. However... [The Evil Spirit''s Mark has caused your skill to fail.] "Damn it!" Unexpectedly, his skill had failed, putting him in even greater danger. ''Brutal de, you bastard!'' Despite that, Kang Oh didn''t stop. He would do whatever it took to escape this trap hell! No matter what! Chapter 409. The Resurrected Man

Chapter 409. The Resurrected Man

Trantor: Boko p, p, p! Clown smiled as he pped. "Amazing. He''s amazing." Contrary to his statement, however, his eyes were downright murderous. Scapi and Taboo looked absolutely shocked. Kang Oh had pierced through the trap and poison hell, and had reached their current location. As expected of one of the Numbers! Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t in good shape. His body was riddled with daggers or arrows, and the poison had spread throughout his system, so even if Eder were here, he wouldn''t be able to save him. He only had 4 HP left. Kang Oh was fated to die, even if Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings didn''t do anything. However, the Heavenly Kings were unscathed, and their subordinates were here too. There was no way he''d escape. "Haha, this is only the beginning. We''re going to keep killing you over and over again," Clown said cruelly. Due to the death debuff, killing him a second time would be even easier. From there, they''d just keep killing Kang Oh over and over again in his weakened state. "I''ll finish him off," Taboo said. Kang Oh remained silent, content with staring at the three Heavenly Kings. "Haha. To think I''d kill one of the Numbers. Anything to say?" Taboo asked. Kang Oh flipped him off. "Nice. Rest in peace." Taboo raised his mace, and then forcefully swung downwards. Bam! Kang Oh''s face mmed into the ground; it sounded like a watermelon had just broken. Once he died, the energy surrounding him returned to his demon swords, and Devil Trigger was automatically deactivated. "Hoo, it''s finally over." Scapi let out a sigh of relief. She had been extremely cautious, worried that Kang Oh would mount ast-ditch effort. However, Kang Oh had unexpectedly epted his death, and things had ended rtively smoothly. "He didn''t drop any items. I really like his swords." Clown came over and nudged Kang Oh''s body with his foot. At that moment...! Kang Oh''s ring radiated intense light. At the same time, zing, outstretched wings protruded from his back. His SS-rank ring, the Cassio Ring, had activated its special ability! Resurrection! [You have been revived.] [You are the Phoenix''s father. Resurrection has been enhanced.] [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [For 10 minutes, all abilities increase by 30%, and your maximum HP is doubled.] [For 5 minutes, HP is replenished so quickly that you are essentially immortal.] [You may now use Sun Sword (Active/Skill).] [Cooldown: 30 days.] Since they''d hatched it, Kang Oh and Asu had be Phoenix Rudy''s parents. Thus, the Cassio Ring''s Resurrection ability was enhanced. The increase to his abilities had gone up from 20% to 30%, and he could use Sun Sword now. Plus, for 5 minutes, he gained the Phoenix''s ability to regenerate its HP with such speed that it made it practically immortal. For those 5 minutes, he''d be pretty damn hard to kill. "W-What happened?" "He came back?" Scapi, Clown, and Taboo were shocked. Kang Oh had just stood uppletely unscathed. After all, no one knew that Kang Oh possessed a Resurrection ability. He moved quickly, choosing to remainpletely silent. This was his best opportunity to catch the Heavenly Kings off guard. "H-He''sing!" "Attack." Once he rushed forward, Scapi and Taboo simultaneously yelled. "Kill him!" "Uahaahk!" The ck Scorpions, as well as Clown and Taboo''s subordinates, charged in. Clown turned around and hid amidst his subordinates. There was something wrong with Kang Oh! In situations like this, it was best to take care of oneself first! Devil Trigger! Dark red wings sprouted from his back, a horned beast mask covered his face, a breastte as red as blood guarded his torso, and a beast''s tail swished around from behind! Kang Oh had transformed into a demon. Kuhaaang! A horrific, bizarre cry erupted from his mouth. Demon''s Roar! Kang Oh alternated between his demon swords, and killed the assassins with ease. It was only natural. Kang Oh didn''t even try to dodge them. He just took their attacks like they were nothing. He trusted in his HP regeneration! Despite that, he didn''t die. The system message was right; he was pretty much immortal. Because of that, Kang Oh focused entirely on offense. His attacks were ridiculous when he didn''t have to worry about defense. Darkness Strike! A jet-ck beast and a red batbined, resulting in a massive explosion. Boom! That wasn''t the only explosion. Blood Bomb! A scarlet energy exploded around him. Boom! Fresh Blood Wave! Like a tsunami, a wave as thick and red as blood swept through everything in its path. Tempest Tiger! A roaring golden tiger devoured several assassins. Abyss w! It ripped through anything in its path, whether it be the ceiling, the walls, or people, and left behind a thick scar. Lightning Breath! Evesting Darkness! Blood shot an electric st, while Ubist unleashed a pir of darkness. Boom! Boom! Boom! "Ugh." "Stop him!" "Do something! Anything!" "Uhahk! Die, you monster!" The Heavenly Kings'' direct subordinates did their best, but their resistance was pointless. Sun Sword! Roar! Blood and Ubist were coated in intense mes. Mad Wind''s Sword! Thebination resulted in a raging storm of me. A ming storm that swept through and burned everything in its path! Sometimeter... By the time he lowered his sword, no one was left unscathed. Scapi, Taboo, and Clown weren''t in good shape. Taboo was on one knee, while Scapi had been rammed into a wall. Clown''s facey on the floor, deathly pale. All of them had been burnt, and some mes kept burning within the passageway. The ce had been burnt to the ground! Kang Oh moved quickly, killing both Taboo and Scapi. "I''ll pay you back for this." "We''ll keeping for you! We''ll never stop!" Those were theirst words. "Hiik." Clown, believing that he was next, began running. Kang Oh ced Ubist into his inventory, and used Darkness Chain, wrapping Clown from head to toe. "Eup!" He dragged Clown with him. The chains had covered his mouth too, so he couldn''t speak properly. "Mad Jester, Clown. You''reing with me." Kang Oh wanted to catch all four of the Heavenly Kings and send them to the Security Bureau, but he wasn''t confident that he''d be able to drag all three of them there. Thus, he killed Taboo and Scapi, and nned on taking Clown, who had the most annoying abilities of the three, to the Security Bureau. He dragged Clown outside of the dungeon. There wasn''t anyone to stop him, after all. "Eeup!" Clown just writhed around from within the chains. * * * Altein''s intercity transfer gate. Kang Oh and the wrapped Clown exited the rainbow pir of light. He had arrived wearing the Draka set, and also had Ubist on his back and Blood at his waist. His striking appearance, coupled with the fact that he''de dragging someone in chains, inevitably drew people''s attention. "Who''s that?" "Oh, that sword is..." "It''s Kang Oh!" someone yelled. "That''s Kang Oh? Numbers Kang Oh?" "It''s one of the Numbers!" He was so famous that all eyes were on him. Eventually, they turned their attention to the one in chains instead. "Who''s he dragging with him?" "Not sure. He''spletely covered in chains, so I can''t see his face." "Should we follow him?" "Let''s go." A group of people began following Kang Oh. More and more yers joined in; soon enough, there was an entire crowd following him. It was abination of Kang Oh''s fame and their curiosity. They wanted to know who he was dragging along with him. Kang Oh had set things up so that this would happen, so he wasn''t surprised in the least. Clown''s eyes and mouth were covered, so it was hard for him to tell what was going on. What he did know was that it was noisy outside, so he knew there was a giant crowd amassed outside. ''I have to get away no matter what.'' However, the chains were wrapped around too tightly, so he couldn''t even attempt to do anything. All he could hope to do was writhe around. Kang Oh headed for the Altein Security Bureau with a huge crowd in tow. "He''s going to the Security Bureau." "Is he dragging around a criminal?" "Who is it? He must be pretty famous if Kang Oh''s bringing him here." "Just wait and see." Creak. Kang Oh opened the door and entered the Security Bureau. The huge crowd tried following him inside, but a worker blocked the entrance. "Apologies, but there are already too many people inside, so you cannot go in. Please wait a few minutes." "Aw! Just let me in!" "No. I''m gonna go in." They wanted to see what would happen, so they tried to shove their way through, but the Security Bureau worker barred entry. Kang Oh approached the desk. "I brought a criminal with me." Nearby people began to whisper. "He really did catch a criminal." "Who did he catch?" The Security Bureau worker saw the chains and said, "Who did you catch?" "The Mad Jester, Clown." "Excuse me?" ''Did I hear wrong?'' The worker asked back. ''Clown? As in one of Red Moon''s executives?'' "The Mad Jester, Clown," Kang Oh said clearly. "R-Really!?" "See for yourself." Everyone went hysterical. "He said he caught Clown!" "He''s one of Red Moon''s executives." "It looks like Kang Oh fought Red Moon." "Wow, Red Moon!?" Red Moon was the worst criminal organization. Their leader, Red, and his four Heavenly Kings had never been caught before. "T-Then, I''ll make sure it''s really him." The worker sifted through their drawer and found Clown''s wanted letter. Then, they came over to the bundle of chains. Kang Oh slightly opened the chains, showing Clown''s face while keeping his mouth shut. "Eeup!" Clown forcefully tossed and turned. "I-It''s him!" the worker yelled. It was definitely Clown. "It''s really him!" "It''s really Clown!" "Hey, make sure you get this. One of Red Moon''s executives has been caught." "I''ve been recording since the very beginning. I''m definitely putting this up on Arthtory." Though his surroundings were noisy, Kang Oh merely said his piece. "How much is his bounty worth?" "I-It''s worth 50,000 gold," the worker looked at the wanted letter and said. 50,000 gold!? 1 gold was worth 3,000 won ($3 USD), so in total, he was worth 150 million won ($150,000 USD). Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. He knew there was a huge bounty on Red Moon''s executives, but he didn''t think it''d amount to 50,000 gold. "I''m also quite shocked, seeing as how this is the first time I''ve been given a criminal that''s worth that much. Anyhow, it''s definitely 50,000 gold," the worker rified. "Wow, did you hear what they said? He''s worth 50,000 gold." "Holy crap." "Please deposit it immediately," Kang Oh said. "Yes. We''ll take the criminal first." "By all means. How long will he stay in jail?" Kang Oh asked. "Killing civilians, plundering, arson, torture, etc. He''s such a terrible criminal that... he''ll probably be in there for life." "For life, huh... I see." In Arth, punishment for crimes was severe. So for a criminal as bad as Clown, lifetime in prison made sense! So long as no one broke him out of jail, Clown would have to delete his character and start from scratch. No one yed a game to rot in jail. "Eeup! Eeup!" Clown was probably saying ''I''ll kill you no matter what!'' or something like that. A short whileter... The guards came and took Clown away. However, the gag fell out. "Kang Oh, you son of a bitch! I''ll find you in real life and kill you! I''ll kill your entire fam... Eeup! Eup! Eeeup!" The guards quickly put the gag back in. "What''d you say?" Kang Oh picked his ear. He wasn''t afraid of someone like Clown. Whether it be in-game or outside of it. "Eeup!" Clown writhed like he was having a seizure. "Stay still!" "Take him down!" The guards struck his head with their batons. Whack! Whack! Whack! Clown, now unconscious, was dragged to his cell. "Here, this is his bounty." The worker carefully passed him a gold scroll. It was worth 50,000 gold! Kang Oh epted it and ced it inside his inventory. ''It was worth dying once.'' "Ah, by the way, which criminal is worth the most?" Kang Oh asked. "Red." "How much is he worth?" "100,000 gold." "Heop." 100,000 gold!? Then he''s worth 300 million ($300,000 USD)! ''I have to catch him too.'' Kang Oh''s eyes were filled with greed. "Then, if you''ll excuse me..." Kang Oh left the Security Bureau with a confident gait. There were so many yers standing in front of the Security Bureau. "Ooh, he came out!" "What happened inside?" "Who did you catch?" They barraged him with questions. Kang Oh raised his hand. Then, people quieted down. "I was ambushed by Red Moon today," Kang Oh began. "R-Red Moon!" "Did you hear? He said he was attacked by Red Moon." "This is an exclusive. Kang Oh fought against Red Moon!" "Ah, will you just shut up already? Let me hear Mr. Kang Oh talk!" "Quiet!" Once it got quiet again, Kang Oh continued. "Red Moon''s Heavenly Kings, Brutal de, Taboo, Scapi, and Clown, attacked me. As you can see, I won. I caught Clown and sent him to jail." "Oooh!" "Waaa!" "Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" There were several yers in the crowd that''d been killed due to Red and Red Moon''s misdeeds. Hearing of Kang Oh''s triumph made them feel great, so they cheered him on. "And I have a favor to ask Red Moon." People were puzzled by that statement. ''A favor?'' "Please keeping after me. Please! I''ll send you all to jail, like I did with Clown. Red,e personally next time." Kang Oh was dering war on Red Moon. A deration of war towards the worst criminal organization, Red Moon! Plus, he was provoking their leader, Red! They would keeping after him anyway, so he might as well make his stance clear. ''I''m the hunter, you''re the prey!'' "Uwaaaaah!" "You''re so cool, Kang Oh!" "As expected of the Predator!" "Oppa, I love you!" People cheered at his deration of war. Kang Oh, who challenged the criminal organization, was a hero in their eyes. Of course, they werepletely misunderstanding him. ''Your bounty''s mine!'' Kang Oh smiled, thinking of the gold that was just waiting for him. He was only interested in ''money'' after all. He had no interest in serving justice! Chapter 410. The Search for Soul Dungeons

Chapter 410. The Search for Soul Dungeons

Trantor: Boko It was depressing within the Crow''s Nest. Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings and their subordinates had gone out to assassinate Kang Oh, but they had instead suffered a major defeat at his hands. Red sat atop his skeletal throne, a smile mask covering his face. Scapi, Brutal de, and Taboo knelt before their master. "Four of you left, but only three of you came back," Red said. "I apologize." "Please forgive me." Scapi, Brutal de, and Taboo''s heads simultaneously touched the floor. If Red expelled them from Red Moon and the Shadow World, then they would have no ce to go. They would be hounded by bounty hunters, yers they''d hurt, or guilds. Eventually, they''d be caught and spend the rest of their lives in prison. If that happened, they''d be forced to delete their characters and start anew, or just quit the game altogether. "Things like this can happen. Raise your heads," Red said nonchntly. He didn''t seem angry. There was no way of knowing what expression he wore under his mask. "Clown''s out. He''s been banished from Red Moon." They weren''t loyal enough to each other to break him out of jail. At the same time, they couldn''t just wait for him to get out of jail either. If Clown deleted his character and started fresh, then there was even less reason to save him. After all, he''d bepletely useless to him. "Yes, sir," the three said simultaneously. They already knew that''s what would happen. "And as you saw, Kang Oh dered war on us." Kang Oh dered war on them after passing Clown over to the Security Bureau. The footage was widespread, and could be seen all across Arthtory and Arth''s othermunity sites. "What do you think we should do?" Red asked. "Please give us another chance," Brutal de said. "A chance?" "Yes. The three of us will kill him no matter what!" Brutal de said firmly. "He''s right." "We will." Taboo and Scapi said. "You couldn''t beat him when there were four of you. How could you possibly beat him with three?" "We managed to kill him, but we didn''t anticipate his Resurrection ability, so we ultimately failed... This time, we''ll lure him into a trap with that in mind." "Even without Clown?" "We''ll seed no matter what." Brutal de knew that Red didn''t keep useless people around. In other words, if he didn''t show why he deserved to be here, then he''d be banished like Clown. "Fine. But you''ll go as four, not three." "Four? Who''lle with us?" Scapi asked. "Tell him toe in." The fox mask woman brought Shion with her. He was sporting a nasty expression. "I gave you so much treasure, yet you came back in defeat. You have some nerve," Shion said sarcastically. "Assassinations don''t always work out. However, Red Moon always seeds in the end. It doesn''t matter who it is," Red said. "What a pathetic excuse." "Then why don''t you try killing him yourself?" "What?" "We lost one of the Four Heavenly Kings. I can give you that spot." "Are you crazy? Why would I work for you?" Shion had once been the leader of the Hercules Guild. He had absolutely no intention of working as Red''s underling. "Haha, this''ll probably be yourst chance." "What are you talking about?" "This is the only ce that''ll ept you. If I banish you from here, then you''ll go around getting killed left and right, and eventually quit the game. I suppose you can take sce in the fact that you were sessful once upon ago." "..." Shion couldn''t argue with that logic. He had no idea when the Storm and Breaker Guild''s kill on sight order would end. There was a chance that it''d never be lifted. "Gather your strength here. If you manage to kill me, then you can gain Red Moon for yourself. It could help you restore the Hercules Guild." "Mm." Greed returned to his eyes. Red was right. He couldn''t let things end here. ''I don''t care if ites from an angel or a demon. I need all the help I can get.'' "I have some conditions." "Which are?" "I won''t serve you. We''ll be partners instead." "Do what you want. The others aren''t my subordinates anyway; they''re just waiting for me to slip up so they can kill me and take my ce. Oh, right. There''s a girl there too." Red scanned Brutal de, Scapi, and Taboo. "I''m going to leave whenever I please." "Hmph, do what you want." Thebel of ''Red Moon'' would follow him everywhere. Shion would figure this out eventually. Once he joined Red Moon, he wouldn''t be able to leave it whenever he wanted, or against Red''s will. "Fine. Then I''ll be one of the Heavenly Kings for a short while." "Use Clown''s subordinates as you please. You could also bring your subordinates from your Hercules Guild days too." "Got it." Shion nodded his head. ''I need to take revenge on Kang Oh first.'' He nned on doing things step by step. He would take revenge on Kang Oh, take control of Red Moon, and then revive the Hercules Guild! "The four of you can decide how you want to kill Kang Oh. But keep this in mind. You won''t get another chance," Red said. "Yes, sir," Scapi, Taboo, and Brutal de simultaneously replied. "Alright," Shion replied curtly. With this, Shion joined Red Moon, and the Four Heavenly Kings began preparing for Kang Oh''s assassination once more. However, they couldn''t try to kill him right away. ''We need a more thorough n.'' They''d experienced Kang Oh''s overwhelming strength firsthand. Moreover, Red had stated that he wouldn''t forgive failure twice! They couldn''t help but be cautious. Thus, Kang Oh and Red Moon wouldn''t meet for the time being. * * * For a few days, Kang Oh waited for Red Moon to take revenge on him in a small vige near Altein. He''d make full use of this opportunity, and see Murderer Red, someone who was even more notorious than Dukeram himself. However, Red Moon never showed itself. "They''re unexpectedly quiet," Sephiro said. While Kang Oh was busting his ass escaping the trap, Sephiro had been fighting against Yaksha and the Killing Ghost Squad. Sephiro had given it his all, and had just barely survived. Gyaa. Waryong uttered weakly. It''d been grievously injured fighting Yaksha, so it was currently recuperating. "It feels like they''ll attack us when we let our guard down," Kang Oh said. "Then what do we do?" "We can''t wait for them forever. Especially now." Kang Oh grinned. Soul dungeons were all the rage right now! They presented him with an opportunity to make a ton of money, so he couldn''t wait for Red Moon any longer. "We''ll continue looking for soul dungeons." "Alright." "We''ll start with the Twisted Fortress, which we weren''t able to go tost time." "Ok. But please let me leave Waryong at the Tamer Guild. He can''t fight yet." "I''ll see you at Altein''s intercity transfer gate." "Yes." Sometimeter... Kang Oh and Sephiro teleported to a city nearby the Twisted Fortress. This time, they were able to reach the dungeon without any interference. [Entering the dungeon, Twisted Fortress.] It was suspected that the Twisted Fortress was a soul dungeon. Thus, several yers were already here. This could be seen in every dungeon suspected of being a soul dungeon. These prospective soul dungeons had be battlefields. Bark! As soon as a dog-faced, armored monster respawned, yers rushed in and killed it. The Twisted Fortress was a terrible hunting ground. After all, there were a ton of people here. However, Kang Oh and Sephiro didn''te here to hunt. The monsters here were only about level 300. Plus, Kang Oh and Sephiro wore inconspicuous clothing, so no one recognized them. Kang Oh calmly scanned the dungeon. How much time had passed? ''This is it.'' He felt a suspicious feeling, as if something was hidden here! The walls consisted of simrly shaped, different colored tiles. Once he saw a faded tile, however, his Hyper Intuition activated. Kang Oh stroked the tile. Normally, a tile like this would act as a button, so pushing it would open a secret door. However, it wasn''t a normal device. Pushing, pulling, or sliding it to the side didn''t do anything. It was only natural. After all, Kang Oh wasn''t the first person to find this tile. If it was a simple device, then someone would''ve found the secret door already. "Is that it?" Sephiro asked. "Yes," Kang Oh nced around and muttered. Some people were watching him. However, there were plenty of people that came here examining the tiles. Thus, they quickly lost interest and went somece else. "It doesn''t seem like a normal device," Sephiro said after examining the tile. "There may be a magic circle engraved behind the tile. The kind of magic circle that responds to a key," Kang Oh said. "What if we just break it?" Sephiro knocked on the tile and said. "Break it?" "Yes. This tile seems empty on the inside, unlike the others." Whack, whack. Sephiro smacked a different tile. To Kang Oh, however, the tiles made the same sound. "They sound the same." "There''s a slight difference. You wouldn''t be able to tell unless you had a ss like mine, which sharpens your hearing," Sephiro said. Sephiro was a Giant Hunter. A Hunter''s sight, smell, and hearing were extremely sharp. "So there''s something inside?" Kang Oh checked again. "I''m absolutely sure there is." Sephiro whacked the tile again, and nodded his head with certainty. "Then I''ll break it and see what''s inside." A dungeon''s walls, ground, etc. could be broken. After some time had passed, whatever was broken would be restored to its original state. Kang Oh took a look around, and then mmed his fist into the tile. Crumble! The tile broke into pieces, emitting a sound akin to crushed crackers, and revealed a space behind it. There was a round switch inside. The type of switch that''d activate if you pressed on it! "Breaking it was the right move." Sephiro looked at the switch and grinned. "Then please do what we always do." "Yes." Kang Oh leaned against the wall, covering the switch, while Sephiro went off into the distance. A short whileter... "Over here! The hidden dungeon''s over here!" Someone''s yell resounded throughout the dungeon. "What!?" "Where is it?" The yers rushed towards the source of the noise. Sephiro, who''dpleted his mission, joined Kang Oh a short whileter. "Let''s go." Kang Oh pressed the button. Creak! A portion of the wall rose, revealing the entrance to the hidden dungeon. [You have discovered the hidden dungeon, Veteran''s Refuge.] Kang Oh and Sephiro quickly entered the dungeon. Soon after they entered, the hidden dungeon''s entrance closed back up. The switch hidden behind the tile had been fully restored too. Sometimes, there''d be a device inside the hidden dungeon that closed the entrance. This hidden dungeon happened to have such a device. Once the two entered, they immediately activated the device and sealed the hidden dungeon''s entrance shut. Of course, there were many hidden dungeons that didn''t possess this feature. In those cases, it was clear that other people would enter the dungeon after you, so the best option was to go through the hidden dungeon as fast as possible, and check whether it''s a soul dungeon or not. If it was, then you had to kill the guardian ASAP. Anyhow, Kang Oh and Sephiro quickly went through the hidden dungeon, Veteran''s Refuge. Befitting its name, the monsters here all had the ''Veteran'' title. However, they were no match for Kang Oh and Sephiro. The hidden dungeon itself wasn''t all thatrge, and it didn''t take that long for them to reach the innermost area. And...! They were greeted by a giant dog-faced monster that wore shy armor. Keoheong! The monster roared. [You have discovered General Woongska.] "I''m Woongska, a general of the great Yellow Dog Tribe." It was clear that this was a soul dungeon. Kang Oh and Sephiro''s faces brightened. "A guardian." "He''s a guardian." "That''s right. I''m the Twisted Fortress''s manager." "Enough with the chit chat. What do you want?" Kang Oh asked. "Leave immediately. I won''t betray my master!" Woongska yelled. He was clearly an extremely loyal guardian. "What''s he saying?" Kang Oh stared at Sephiro. "I think he wants a beating." Sephiro had apanied Kang Oh for a long time now, so he knew exactly what Kang Oh wanted to hear! "That''s right." Kang Oh grinned and rushed at Woongska. A short whileter... Whimper! Woongska cried out, and gave up the soul stone. Chapter 411. Settling Things with Bart

Chapter 411. Settling Things with Bart

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh tightly gripped the soul stone. [You have grabbed an owned soul stone.] [A Sacred Duel will now begin to determine the dungeon''s master.] [The victor can only be determined in a one-on-one fight. No one else can help you.] [Summoning the dungeon master''s proxy.] ... [2] [1] [The proxy has appeared!] A pir of light surged into the air and then disappeared. This was a familiar sight. Even so, Kang Oh couldn''t help but furrow his brow. "It''s been a while." The man softly waved his hand. "It has, Mr. Bart." The proxy was the Genius Gamer and Crazy Highschooler, Bart. Though thetter title wasn''t used much anymore, as he was going to graduate high school soon. [The Sacred Duel has begun.] [If your opponent''s HP reaches 0 or they surrender, then you win.] [You have one hour toplete the fight. If you cannot defeat the dungeon''s master or their proxy within 1 hour, then the duel will end in your defeat.] [All skill, spell, and item effect cooldowns have been reset. They are only reset during the Sacred Duel. They will go back on cooldown once the Sacred Duel ends.] "Mr. Bart?" Sephiro yelled in disbelief. At that moment... A ring of light appeared on the ground, and Sephiro was pushed outside of it. "Hmm, I didn''t think I''d see you here, Mr. Bart," Kang Oh said. "It belongs to a junior I know. She made me her proxy," Bart said. "I see." "Alright, let''s go." Bart stretched out, and then pulled out a dagger with yellow inscriptions. It was the SS-rank weapon, Kunta''s Legend. "Are you confident?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t think you should be higher ranked than me." Kang Oh was rank 4, while Bart was rank 6. Bart''s eyes zed with a fighting spirit. "Arth''s ranking system is pretty urate." ''There''s a reason you''re rank 6 and I''m rank 4!'' "Is that so?" "Of course." Bart and Kang Oh. Their current score was 1 win, one loss, and 1 draw. Kang Oh waspletely defeated their first time around. The second time, however, Kang Oh won easily using Transcendent de. Their third battle ended in a draw, as they''d both run out of HP simultaneously. They were tied. Today''s the day they would figure out which of them was stronger! Thunk. Kang Oh and Bart moved simultaneously. * * * Sephiro clenched his fists as he watched Kang Oh and Bart''s fight. It wasn''t everyday that you''d see two of the Numbers fight against each other! He didn''t want to miss even a second of it. Kang Oh swung his demon swords with both speed and power. He''d gotten plenty proficient in dual-wielding, so there were no visible weak points in his movements. Bart had also gotten stronger. The more you saw him, the more shocked you would be. A simple sh, elemental spells, an Archer''s movement and survival skills, a Priest or Dryad''s healing spells, a Pdin''s barriers, an Assassin''s vital strikes, etc.; Bart used them all. Moreover, he''d use his multitude of skills/spells at the right time and ce. "Mm." Sephiro knew that Kang Oh and Bart were just getting started! Kang Oh was using pure swordsmanship, while Bart wasn''tbining two or more skills/spells to create something new. ''Who''ll make the first move?'' Sephiro''s question was answered soon after. Kang Oh rolled the dice first. After all, the Sacred Duel would automatically result in his loss after an hour passed. Festival of Blood! Demon Sword Blood was coated in blood red energy. Swish. His blood sword came flying at Bart''s neck. In response, Bartbined a skill and a spell. Sharp Thorn + Sacred Shield! Sharp Shield! Bart was surrounded by a spiky barrier like a hedgehog''s quills. In spite of that, Kang Oh followed through and struck the barrier. Festival of Blood was in effect, so Blood''s power was considerable. Bam! The barrier crumbled. However, the barrier''s broken shards flew right at Kang Oh, its spikes shimmering in the air. Kang Oh didn''t panic, and calmly dealt with the attack. If he wanted to beat Bart, then he couldn''t afford to be dazzled by Bart''s skill/spellbinations. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Kang Oh swung his des one after another. Then, Bart began his long-range bombardment. Homing Missile + God''s Fury! Orb of Fury! Giant energy, which radiated intense light, flew at Kang Oh. Kang Oh cleaved through the orb using Ubist. Normally, physical contact would cause the orb to explode. However, Ubist had absorbed it; Abyss de had activated. "Ah, that''s right. That sword absorbs magic," Bart said, as if he''d just remembered. "Man, what an annoying sword," he added. "It''s not as annoying as your ss." "Oh, do you know what my ss is?" "Not knowing makes it even more annoying. Want to tell me what it is?" "No thank you." The two spoke amicably, as if they were good friends. However, they exchanged attacks while they spoke, which definitely wasn''t something friends would do. Kang Oh''s swordsmanship was sharp and precise, as his Hyper Intuition could point out his opponent''s weak points. On the other hand, every one of Bart''s fusion techniques were the equivalent of a one hit KO. "Haahp!" Tempest Tiger! "Hmph!" ming Spear + Light''s Judgment! Judgment of me! The giant tiger aura and the red zing mes twisted through the air. Boom! Their sh resulted in a massive explosion. Bart used that opportunity to sink into his shadow, reappear behind Kang Oh, and swing his dagger. Steel sh + Swiftness! Swift sh! Bam! Although his Hyper Intuition had warned him ahead of time, he couldn''t respond fast enough to the attack. However, Kang Oh didn''t just sit there and take it either. Transcendent de! Blood shed through the air. It was as if he''d been waiting for this. Bart used his secret move, Rewind, and nullified Kang Oh''s Transcendent de. But Kang Oh had already experienced the effects of Rewind before. Thus, he''d used Transcendent de while taking that move into ount. In other words, Blood and Transcendent de were just bait! Ubist, which came flying at Bart right after he used Rewind, was his true attack. "Ugh." Bart tried to create a barrier, but Ubist sliced through him first. Bart retreated so that he wouldn''t take a follow up attack. At the same time, he fused two spells together. Earthquake + Mother Nature''s Prison! Cracked Earth''s Prison! Tough vines arose from the cracks beneath his feet, which tried to wrap around his arms and feet. ''Not a chance.'' Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh moved nimbly, dodging every single one of the vines, and rushed straight at Bart. At that moment...! Bart suddenly sped up, so much so that he was difficult to track with the naked eye. It was like he was aser! If he was capable of rewinding time, then he could also fast forward it! Time eleration! In the blink of an eye, Bart had gotten right in front of him. Although Bart had the ability to elerate time, Kang Oh had a secret move that could deal with it. If his opponent had transcendent speed, then he would need to surpass his limitations too! Transcendent de! Ubist shed, and shards of light rose into the air. Bart had taken the hit. For the first time, Bart''s face grimaced. Even though he''d used his new technique, Bart hadn''t gotten anything out of it. Kang Oh already had an answer to Rewind too. ''As I thought, meleebat isn''t the answer.'' Bart used Absolute Evasion, allowing him to dodge Kang Oh''s attack, and widened the distance. Then, he used Fusion once more. Boom! Boom! Boom! Bart unleashed powerful skills and spells in session. Kang Oh had no choice but to back off. That was just how powerful Bart''s barrage was. After that, a simr sequence of events urred. Kang Oh tried to close the distance however he could! On the other hand, Bart used all sorts of spells and skills, and even fused them to keep him away! Their battle was essentially a huge game of cat and mouse. Kang Oh decided to finish this fight. As the challenger, time wasn''t on his side. ''If I go over the time limit, then I lose!'' Kang Oh simultaneously used Devil Trigger and Gluttony. He used one of the items he''d picked up from his battle with Red Moon. It was Brutal de''s katana! This weapon was an S-rank sword with exceptionally high attack power. ''In order to beat Bart, I have to be willing to go at least this far.'' Of course, he needed to seize the soul dungeon too! Whoosh! Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Dual Demon, radiated fierce jet-ck energy as a result of Gluttony. His abilities were increased threefold! He was now capable of using ''Behead'', which unleashed a sharp energy st at his enemy, and also gained a passive skill called ''Strengthen sh'', which increased the damage of his cuts. "Mm." Bart had fought Kang Oh three times already, so he knew about Devil Trigger and Gluttony. He knew just how much stronger they made him! Thus, Bart used his trump card. Summon Golem + Fire Armor + Gigantification! Fire Giant! He fused three abilities to use this technique; it was both aposite skill and a summoning spell! A giant magic circle appeared before him, and a giant engulfed in me arose from within. But that wasn''t all. Summon Spirit + Iceberg + Rapid Growth! Ice Giant! Another giant, which resembled an iceberg, joined the Fire Giant. "Wow." Sephiro couldn''t hide his astonishment. Bart was capable of using all manner of skills/spells, but now he could even summon. It was enough to make him think, ''What''s his limit!?''. Whoosh! Whoosh! The two giants simultaneously swung their fists at Kang Oh. Plus...! Bart cast onest spell with the rest of his MP. Time eleration! His targets: the Fire and Ice Giants! The two giants'' fists came crashing down unbelievably quickly. Kang Oh''s ne glowed. Dodging their fists was impossible; they were too fast and had a wide radius. Moon''s Protection! He was protected by the full moon. Boom! Upon contact, the Ice Giant''s fist released ice shards everywhere. Roar! The Fire Giant''s fist shot mes into the ground which then surged into the air. Kang Oh was fine for 3 seconds. But once Moon''s Protection was up, sharp shards of ice and mes mercilessly flew at him. With no other option, Kang Oh hurriedly used Abyss Shield. However, Abyss Shield wasn''t even close to cutting it. Kang Oh''s body was burnt and his body was torn to shreds by the shards. Whoosh! The two giants followed up with another attack. It was as though he were fighting a giant forest fire or a blizzard; he was fighting nature itself. However, Kang Oh didn''t give up. While Bart had his Fire and Ice Giants, Kang Oh had Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood. Mad Wind''s Sword! His initial swing was gentle and refreshing! However, his swings gradually became faster, more powerful, and more violent! Ubist and Blood danced in the air, unleashing skill after skill. Darkness Strike! Fresh Blood Wave, Abyss w! Lightning Breath, Evesting Darkness! Tempest Tiger, Behead! Transcendent de! Kang Oh unleashed attack after attack, putting everything he had behind each strike. Bam! This resulted in a huge collision, and a huge explosion after that! "Uheop!" Sephiro watched the thrilling spectacle and gaped. He also regretfully kicked the floor. Sephiro had been so busy watching their fight that he''d forgotten to record it! * * * The battle was over. The victor was clear. Swish. The tip of Demon Sword Blood touched Bart''s throat. "I lost." Bart gracefully epted his defeat. He felt both angry and refreshed. Losing to Kang Oh had pissed him off. He had definitely been ahead, but at some point, Kang Oh hadpletely overtaken him. But there was also a part of him that felt refreshed when Kang Oh destroyed his Fire and Ice Giants with pure strength. [You have won the Sacred Duel.] [You are the new owner of the soul dungeon, Twisted Fortress.] "Now our score''s 2 wins, 1 loss, and 1 draw. I''m ahead. And you know what they say, the final victor is the true victor." Kang Oh grinned. "Ugh." Bart''s mood soured. "Hoo, hoo." Whereas Kang Oh was quite satisfied. Is this what it felt like to beat your rival? "Let''s fight again soon." Bart wanted a rematch. "No thank you," Kang Oh said decisively. "You''re just going to run?" Bart said impolitely,cking the normal honorifics. "What''s wrong with that?" ''If you''re going to drop them, then so will I!'' "Are you really going to be like that?" "Nothing''s free." "What are you talking about?" "If you want to fight me, then... You have to do me a favor first." Kang Oh smiled evilly. This was his chance to procure some high quality manpower. "You''re so cheap. I''m not doing it." "Sure, do what you want." Kang Oh had nothing to be disappointed about. After all, he was the final victor. If he didn''t fight Bart anymore, then that''s what he''d remain. On the other hand, Bart would keep being the loser. "Ah, seriously!?" ''You can''t do that!'' His pride as a ''genius'' was on the line. Ultimately, Bart acquiesced to his demands. "Alright, fine. Let''s fight again. I''ll do you that favor." "Do the favor first. Then we can fight." "Fine, I got it already!" "Heh." Kang Oh grinned. He was so happy he''d be able to use the Genius Gamer, Bart, however he wished. Chapter 412. Third Demon Sword

Chapter 412. Third Demon Sword

Trantor: Boko By defeating Bart in a Sacred Duel, Kang Oh became the new owner of the Twisted Fortress. As per Bart''s request, Kang Oh also met with the Twisted Fortress''s previous owner. "This is Katrina." Bart pointed at the female yer at his side. "Hello, my name is Katrina." Katrina wore a striking red dress, which really brought out the auburn in her eyes. "Katrina? As in one of Altein''s three best seamstresses?" Sephiro asked. "That''s her," Bart said. "My name is Kang Oh, and this is Sephiro." Kang Oh introduced himself and Sephiro too while he was at it. "I know. Predator Kang Oh," Katrina said. "Anyhow, you said you wanted to buy the Twisted Fortress back?" Kang Oh went straight to the point. "Yes." "For how much?" "Is 5,000 gold enough?" "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. He''d already checked the dungeon''s rewards. It would give him 700 gold, some items that the monsters dropped, and an AA-rank material, ''Floras''s Mysterious Cloth''. Altogether, it would be worth about 1,000 gold a month. In other words, he would have to keep the dungeon for 5 months in order to make that much money. ''It''s not a bad offer.'' A soul dungeon was normally sold at a rate of three to six times its total monthly yield. Katrina had offered him five times what the dungeon was worth. It definitely wasn''t a bad offer. "If you don''t want to sell the dungeon to me, then please sell me Floras''s Mysterious Cloth every month," Katrina said. Her goal wasn''t the soul dungeon itself, but the cloth that the soul dungeon offered her! "No. I''ll return the Twisted Fortress to you for 5,000 gold," Kang Oh said. "Ok!" "I have one request." "What is it?" "Please make some beautiful clothes for me." Sephiro wasn''t the only one who''d heard of her. Katrina''s Dress! Apparently, her dresses were in extremely high demand. "But I only make dresses, women''s clothes." "I need a dress. I want to give it to my girlfriend." Kang Oh grinned as he thought of Asu. "I have a request too." "Yes?" "Please don''te after the Twisted Fortress anymore." Her request was fair. It would be wrong to sell the dungeon to someone else, and then steal it again by force. "I won''te after the Twisted Fortress so long as you''re its master." "Then let''s sign a contract." Kang Oh and Katrina wrote a contract right then and there, and both of them signed it. With this, the Twisted Fortress returned to its original owner, and Kang Oh received 5,000 gold. 20% of it, or 1,000 gold, went to Sephiro. * * * The eastern part of the Arth continent was a vast desert, which contained oases and oasis cities that were built around them. At the eastern edge of this regiony a canyon that was reminiscent of the Grand Canyon. Royal Family''s Canyon! It contained the graves of the royal families of old, and also contained the graves of the Baiyan Kingdom''s royal family. This ce waspletely off limits to outsiders, and even the Baiyan Kingdom''s nobles couldn''t juste to this ce whenever they wanted. If one entered the Royal Family''s Canyon by mistake, then it''d be hard toe out alive. The Grave Keepers wouldn''t let trespassers go unscathed. However...! These powerful, loyal Grave Keepers'' bodies were strewn across the canyon. Demons either devoured them or brutalized their bodies. They were apanied by Evil God Worshippers, who wore their traditional ck robes, and were enveloped in wicked energy. "Hurry and find Axion''s tomb," a man yelled. He seemed to be the leader of the group. The man was bald, yet possessed an extremely muscr physique. His body was covered in tattoos of people writhing/screaming in pain. He was the Evil God''s Third Disciple, ughter Lubatchi! He''d killed everyone here for one reason: Axion''s tomb. Long ago, when the Evil God''s followers were at their strongest, and spread pain, misery, and death throughout the continent, there was a party that destroyed the Great Temple of Ja and stole their sacred treasures. One of their members had been Axion; he had been a part of the then desert kingdom, and was its most powerful warrior. Following his death, the sacred treasure he''d guarded had been buried with him. This information had onlye into their possession just a short while ago. Thus, they had only nowe and ughtered everyone here. However, it had been hundreds of years since Axion had been buried. No one knew which one was his, nor did they know where it was located. There were no records of it anywhere either. Ultimately, the Evil God Worshippers killed the Grave Keepers and were forced to look through every single grave. "Yes, sir!" Grr. The Evil God Worshippers, apanied by their demons, searched the Royal Family''s Canyon. "We''ll find it soon," Lubatchi said. A man wearing a bronze mask stood beside him. There was a giant sword strapped to his back. "We have to. Lord Ja''s sacred treasure must return to its rightful ce: with us." "Of course." Sometimeter... The Baiyan Kingdom''s army showed up. They had gotten word that the Evil God Worshippers had trespassed into the Royal Family''s Canyon, and had ughtered all of the Grave Keepers. Baiyan''s army was led by Heinel, a Master Warrior. "These damn Evil God Worshippers! Where do they think they are!? How dare they step foot into this holynd!?" He was truly angry. The Royal Family''s Canyon was both a forbidden area and a holynd. How dare the Evil God Worshippers dirty this holynd with their presence!? This was a huge offense, one that couldn''t be forgiven even with their lives. "We''re reiming the holynd before nightfall." "Yes, sir!" "Kill them all." The Evil God Worshippers and the Baiyan Kingdom''s elites fought. However...! The battle ended unexpectedly. Baiyan Kingdom''s Master Warrior, Hainel, was killed! Their army of 10,000 strong waspletely annihted too! * * * Kang Oh, who''d gone looking for soul dungeons, returned to Altein after an unsessful haul. - Mr. Kang Oh. Man Bok sent him a message. - Yes? - The demon sword is ready. - Really? - Please visit the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. Mr. Hoffman is waiting for you. - I''ll be right there. Kang Oh suddenly stood up, and headed for the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. A demon sword made out of the world''s toughest metal was waiting for him! To be more specific, it was made out of Halium, an alloy that incorporated adamantium! ''I wonder what kind of sword it''ll be.'' Hoffman had specifically told him that he''d create a dragon yer, a sword capable of killing the apex species in this world. Kang Oh''s heart pounded as he entered Altein''s intercity transfer gate. "ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout!" Kang Oh''s environment immediately changed. He reappeared amidst ck walls and passageways. A bushy bearded dwarf with short, thick arms and legs stood before him. "Wee, Mr. Kang Oh," a ck Hammer Dwarf said. His face was flushed, so Kang Oh assumed he had been drinking Phamas Beer. "Do you know where Mr. Hoffman is?" Kang Oh asked impatiently. It was only natural. After all, he wanted to see the demon sword ASAP. "Hoffman? Not sure. I haven''t seen him anywheretely." "Understood." Kang Oh went to Randelhoff''s room. "Hoffman''s inside his personal workshop," Randelhoff said. "Where is that?" "Once you leave my room, take a right and go straight. You''ll eventuallye to an underground stairway. It''ll be at the end of the stairs." "Thank you." Kang Oh headed there in a hurry. Once he went downstairs, his nose was assaulted by a stale smell, and he could feel the heat of a furnace. He could also see the faint glow of light too. "You''re here," Hoffman said as soon as Kang Oh came through. He lookedpletely exhausted. But underneath it all was a sense of aplishment. "You''ve finallypleted it." Kang Oh''s voice shook. ''A demon sword! A new demon sword!'' "That''s right." "Is that it?" Kang Oh pointed at therge disy stand that stood beside Hoffman. There was an object inside of it, covered in cloth. "Please take a look." "Yes." Kang Oh gripped the edge of the cloth and pulled it off, revealing the demon sword Hoffman had created. "Ooh!" Kang Oh couldn''t help but marvel at the sight. The demon sword was a long, gently curved longsword. The de itself was purple with a deep ck sheen. The hilt was made out of dragon bone, which was wrapped with long, tough dragon skin like a bandage. The area that adjoined the de and the hilt was made out of dragon scales and dragon ws. Hoffman had processed the dragon scales so that they''d shine like gems; the scales were spaced evenly apart, and the dragon''s w formed a unique pattern! Several ws wereyered on top of each other, making them look like outstretched wings. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed, and grabbed the demon sword as if he were propping it up. He was surprised by what he felt. ''Why''s it so light?'' His new demon sword was obviously lighter than his greatsword, Ubist, but it was also lighter than his one-handed sword, Blood, too. Kang Oh immediately looked at its information. [Demon Sword Akanhoff] A once in a lifetime masterpiece created by Hoffman! You would be hard pressed to find a finer de than this. The de is made up of the mysterious alloy, Halium, and various dragon materials were used to create the hilt. Halium makes the de extremely light, yet tough. At the same time, the de is unbelievably sharp. Hoffman''s skill, which enabled him to put the sharpest edge on the world''s toughest alloy, Halium, has even shocked the cksmith God, Orgon! The de is imbued with the power of darkness, which is as dangerous as it is powerful. Hoffman''s desire for vengeance is contained within this sword. When you face Inarius, atent ability will activate. The weapon bes untradeable once equipped. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop. + Absolute Destruction: Anything that shes with this de will break. This includes weapons, armor, tough scales, and even bone! The object in question will eventually break, depending on how tough it is. + Damage Amplification: Always increases the damage you deal to your enemy. At minimum, increases damage by 1.5 times, and at maximum, increases it by 3 times. Will stack with critical hits! + Dangerous Gamble: Demon Sword Akanhoff''s wielder loses 1% of their HP every 5 seconds. In exchange, the demon sword''s attack power increases for every percent of HP lost. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1200. Minimum Requirements: Master Swordsman, or 50% proficiency in High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship. 500 in all main stats, 70% darkness resistance. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed again. ''It''spletely overpowered!'' That''s the first thing he thought after looking it over. Demon Sword Akanhoff was like the Reaper of Souls. Why? It waspletely unavoidable like the Reaper of Souls. It crushed anything in its way, and did a considerable amount of damage via Damage Amplification and Dangerous Gamble! What''s worse, its original attack power was extremely high. Demon Sword Ubist''s attack power was 850, while Demon Sword Akanhoff''s starting attack power was 1200! Hoffman''s promise that he''d create him a dragon yer wasn''t hot air. Akanhoff''s incredible attack power, coupled with its abilities, would be able to break through a dragon''s tough skin, scales, and bones. It would truly allow him to y a dragon! However...! It''s said that wielding such a powerful weapon would hurt its wielder too! Demon Sword Akanhoff''s attack power was off the charts, but it also drained its user''s HP. It really was like a traditional ''demon sword''. ''It takes 1% of my HP every 5 seconds, so it''ll take 500 seconds to kill me at full HP. So I have a little more than 8 minutes.'' However, Kang Oh already possessed a weapon that gave him a powerful Life Steal ability. What if he were to use Blood and Akanhoff in tandem? Dangerous Gamble wouldn''t be much of an issue. Moreover, he didn''t have to take the Trial of the Demon Sword, most likely because there was no demon sealed within it yet. In exchange, the equip requirements were really, really high. Fortunately, Kang Oh met those requirements. His Demonic Swordsmanship was both high-rank and at 67% proficiency! Plus, Demon Sword Ubist and his amazing gear increased his main stats significantly, allowing him to fulfill the stat requirements within any issues. Because of that, his main stats were all over 500. What''s worse, his Sense stat, which he''d invested all of his level up stat points into, was over 1,500. Thest requirement, 70% darkness resistance, was already met just by being a Demonic Swordsman. The ss itself gave him an extremely high resistance to darkness! Kang Oh could equip Akanhoff right away. His body tingled with excitement. He wanted to test out this weapon''s absolute power. "Do you like it?" Hoffman asked. "Absolutely. 100%," Kang Oh immediately replied. Then, he asked a question that he suddenly thought up. "But why is it called Akanhoff?" ''Akanhoff. What does that mean?'' "Akan means hero in the ancient tongue. Hoff is the name of my son, who was killed by Inarius." "Ah." "You promised to kill Inarius with this sword." "That''s right." "If you do, then people will remember my son''s name. They''ll remember the sword that killed Inarius, Akanhoff. Hoff always dreamt of bing a hero. He can no longer achieve that dream of his, but I wanted people to know his name," Hoffman said bitterly. "I promise to kill Inarius for you," Kang Oh pledged. ''I''ll kill him one day!'' "Please kill him in the most painful and embarrassing way possible!" Hoffman said, his voice cracking and filled with resentment. He clenched both his fists, and his eyes were filled with rage. "Yes!" "That sword is now yours." "I''ll use it well." Kang Oh respectfully brought Demon Sword Akanhoff to his chest. He had finally obtained his third demon sword. Chapter 413. Demon Sword Akanhoffs Power

Chapter 413. Demon Sword Akanhoff''s Power

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh wanted to try out his new demon sword ASAP. ''I have just the ce.'' He left the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout, and headed for the mouth of the volcano. The volcanic region had three high difficulty dungeons: the Death Eagles'' Nest, the heart of the volcano, and the mouth of the volcano! Kang Oh had been to the Death Eagles'' Nest before. He had gone there to collect the Death Eagles'' Eggs, which were needed to create Halium. He had also defeated the giantva spirit, Magnium, in the heart of the volcano, and had obtained the SS-rank Fire''s Heart as a reward. The only ce he hadn''t gone to yet was the mouth of the volcano. So now...! Kang Oh headed for the top of the volcano in order to clear the area, and test out his new demon sword. Sometimeter... [Entering the dungeon, Deskein Crater.] The mouth of the volcano didn''t have an entrance. However, there was ake of boilingva that endlessly emitted ck plumes of smoke. Once a yer entered the giant basin surrounding the crater, they would immediately enter the dungeon. "First up." Kang Oh gripped the purple longsword with a ck sheen. [You have equipped Demon Sword Akanhoff.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has be untradeable.] [Be warned! Demon Sword Akanhoff will drain your HP!] These were all expected messages. However... [Demon Sword Ubist, Demon Sword Blood, and Demon Sword Akanhoff! You are the possessor of three demon swords with different abilities and characteristics.] [Your talent as a Demonic Swordsman has increased.] [The power of Demonic Swordsman skills has increased, and their proficiency increases even faster than before.] [Applicable Skills: Demonic Swordsmanship, Darkness Strike, Devil Trigger, Darkness Chain, and Seal Demon.] [Main Stats +20] [Resistance to status ailments, curses, and poison has increased slightly.] Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''I didn''t get any bonuses when I obtained Demon Sword Blood, but...'' It seemed like this bonus would only apply when a Demonic Swordsman obtained three separate demon swords. ''Unexpected bonuses like this are always wee!'' Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] Kang Oh immediately added Demon Sword Akanhoff to Switch''s list of weapons. Switch was a support skill that allowed a yer to quickly swap a weapon with one from their inventory. It could also be used to pull out a weapon, or ce a weapon into one''s inventory. [Demon Sword Akanhoff has been added. The current list is as follows: [1. Demon Sword Ubist] [2. Demon Sword Blood] [3. Demon Sword Akanhoff] Switch Blood! Demon Sword Akanhoff was instantly swapped with Demon Sword Blood. Switch Akanhoff! Akanhoff had found its way back to his hand. ''Good.'' Kang Oh dashed forward. A short whileter... Roar! A Tmander, a giant lizard covered in mes, not skin, rushed at Kang Oh. It was around level 400. In the past, Kang Oh could barely kill one, but now it wasn''t that difficult. The Tmander''s body was covered in fire, so Demon Sword Ubist would be super effective against it. After all, its special ability, Abyss de, allowed him to cut through the immaterial. However, Kang Oh used Demon Sword Akanhoff instead. He was here to test his new demon sword''s abilities, not to hunt. ''What is this!?'' Kang Oh was shocked as he swung the sword. Akanhoff was a longsword, but it felt as light as a dagger. Swish! Akanhoff''s purple de cleaved through the mes, and mmed into the Tmander''s bones. Bam! The Tmander''s ribs immediately cracked. At the same time, shards of light burst out. Absolute Destruction! Damage Amplification! Due to these two abilities, Demon Sword Akanhoff instantly broke its bones, and dealt a considerable amount of damage in a single blow. Kyaa! The Tmander shrieked, and shot intense mes from its mouth. Kang Oh kept swinging Akanhoff instead of dodging. Swish, sh, swish, sh, swish! He swung his de five times. The Tmander''s bones were crushed to pieces. They were too weak to withstand Akanhoff''s toughness. Shards of light burst out amidst the mes! Grr. [You have defeated the Fire Lizard, Tmander.] ''It''s tremendous.'' He only needed to swing his de five times to kill a level 400 monster. Kang Oh hadn''t even needed Gluttony, Devil Trigger, Festival of Blood, or any other buff. Demon Sword Akanhoff! It was definitely a tremendous weapon. Gaining a second demon sword was like giving a tiger wings, but adding a third into the mix had basically turned him into a dragon. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] Kang Oh went looking for new prey. A short while, Kang Oh encountered five Tmanders. They rushed at him, and attempted to surround him. He tried using Devil Trigger, but... [Devil Trigger has failed.] [There is no demon within Demon Sword Akanhoff.] ''As expected.'' Devil Trigger was a skill that allowed him to draw out a sealed demon''s power and use its dangerous, yet great power as his own. Although Akanhoff was already imbued with the power of darkness, Seal Demon hadn''t been used on it yet. It made sense he wouldn''t be able to use Devil Trigger with it! Roar! The Tmanders spat mes at him, and Kang Oh moved from his location. Then, he used Switch to put Blood in his empty hand. Festival of Blood! This ability reduced the wielder''s HP by half. In exchange, it would increase one''s attack power, speed, and life steal significantly for 30 seconds. ''Next is...!'' Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh freely moved around the Tmanders, swinging his demon swords with both speed and grace. Bam, bam, bam! Countless shards of light exploded from their bodies! Those shards were instantly sucked into his blood sword, restoring his HP. A short whileter... 30 seconds had passed, and the effects of Festival of Blood had ended. By then, Kang Oh''s HP had been fully restored. Blood possessed an exceptional life steal ability! Akanhoff possessed the Absolute Destruction ability, yet damaged its wielder! Using Blood in tandem with Akanhoffpletely eliminated the risk of using thetter. ''As I thought, Blood and Akanhoff have good synergy.'' Kang Oh grinned and ced Blood back into his inventory. In order to get a better feel for its abilities, Kang Oh decided to use only Akanhoff for now. Eventually, Darkness Strike activated. Whoosh! A purple energy st in the shape of a bird in flight shot out of his de. Swish! It was so sharp that it instantaneously bisected a Tmander. After that, Kang Oh tested out all of his skills using Akanhoff. sh! Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! Mad Wind''s Sword! Transcendent de! Their power was ridiculous! However, Mad Wind''s Sword and Transcendent de were on a league of their own. Thebination of Akanhoff''s light weight and Mad Wind''s Sword/Transcendent de allowed him to reach unthinkable speeds; speeds that were impossible to replicate with his other two demon swords! Kang Oh instantly killed five Tmanders, and then searched for new prey. Thud! A Lava Stone Giant strode over to Kang Oh as if saying, ''It''s my turn now.''. Its body was made of rock, butva flowed from its joints. A Lava Stone Giant was more powerful and more annoying than a Tmander. The monster''s defense was obviously high, but more importantly, attacking it would cause theva seeping from its joints to burst out. Thus, attacking it would cause the attacker to take more damage than they dealt. Well, that only applied when it was fighting someone on the same level as it. Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Akanhoff at its right leg. Crack! Once Akanhoff''s purple de made contact with its knee, cracks began to spread from the area of impact. Spurt! Lava spurt from its body like water from a squirt gun. However, his Hyper Intuition and his high evasion allowed him to dodge it with ease. He immediately swung his sword thrice. Kang Oh aimed directly at its cracked knee! Crack! Crack! Bam! Demon Sword Akanhoff''s ability was ridiculous. With just four swings, the Lava Stone Giant''s knee was shattered, and it fell onto its face. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] [Warning! Remaining HP: 18%] Kang Oh pulled out Blood once more. Akanhoff was in his right hand, and Blood in his left! Festival of Blood! [Half of your HP has been consumed.] [Your attack power, speed, and life steal have increased significantly.] [Warning! Remaining HP: 9%] Kang Oh climbed onto the downed Lava Stone Giant, which was writhing on the floor, and began swinging his dual demon swords one after another. Bam! Bam! Bam! Shards of light spurt out like a fountain. His blood red sword absorbed everyst one of them. His low HP was quickly restored. [You have life stealed.] [HP +3%] [HP +3%] ... [You have defeated a Lava Stone Giant.] ''Tch.'' Kang Oh looked disappointed. He had killed the Lava Stone Giant before he could fully restore his HP. Gulp! Kang Oh drank a health potion, restoring the HP that he wasn''t able to recover, and moved on. Hiss! Hiss! Hiss! He encountered a Hydra next, a monster with several giant snake heads on a single body. If it only had 3 heads, then it was just a powerful level 450 monster. However, if it had 5 heads, it was an almost level 500 named monster. If it had seven heads, then it was a boss monster, and if it had nine heads, then it was a raid boss. The one he faced only had three heads. However, there were five of them. Kang Oh switched between Blood and Ubist. He nned on pairing up Ubist and Akanhoff this time in order to test how well they worked together. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword danced through the air, as he gracefully moved across the battlefield. Swish, thud! Swish, bam! Swish, whack! The Hydras'' severed heads fell to the floor. * * * The Evil God Worshippers, who''d annihted the Baiyan Kingdom''s army, searched every nook and cranny of the Royal Family''s Canyon. They had no regard for the dead, didn''t care to preserve this historic site, and didn''t act any differently, despite it being a sacred ground. In order to find Axion''s grave, and by extension, the sacred treasure that rested with him, the Evil God Worshippers dug up andpletely ruined countless graves. Bodies that had long since been buried here had already disappeared, but those that had been buried somewhat recently still maintained their shape. The Evil God Worshippers just threw those bodies onto the ground in search of the sacred treasure. However, the Royal Family''s Canyon was aptly named. The entire canyon was one huge graveyard, so the Evil God Worshippers couldn''t find Axion''s grave that easily. But on the third day... "I found a trace of the sacred treasure." "Finally! Take me to it." The Evil God''s Third Disciple, Lubatchi, suddenly stood up and walked over. "I''ll go too." The unknown man, who wore a bronze mask and had a greatsword strapped to his back, followed them too. "Over there." There was a hole in the middle of the huge cliff, as if it were the entrance to a cave. "I can faintly feel Lord Ja''s power from there." Lubatchi''s face brightened. "We''re going immediately." Lubatchi, the bronze mask man, and the Evil God Worshippers rode on their flying demons, and entered the cave. But as soon as they entered, the ground and the ceiling radiated intense holy light. "Ugh." The Evil God Worshippers in the front werepletely melted by the holy light. Chapter 414. The Devils Sword, Sraka

Chapter 414. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka

Trantor: Boko "This is..." Lubatchi stared at the melting Evil God Worshippers and furrowed his brow. This light was like a natural enemy to anyone who possessed the Evil God''s power. It belonged to one of the four Primordial Gods: the God of Life, Luhan! Luhan''s light annihted anyone who bore the Evil God''s power. "What do we do now?" an Evil God Worshipper asked. Lubatchi immediately threw him at the device that emitted the light. "Uhahk!" the Evil God Worshipper screamed. At the same time, the device emitted Luhan''s light, which devoured the Evil God Worshipper. "It works more than once." Lubatchi''s expression was calm, despite the fact that he''d just used his subordinate as ab rat. What''s worse, the rest of the Evil God Worshippers thought his actions were justified. Anyhow, Lubatchi stretched out his hands, and shot out the Evil God''s energy. The energy flew towards the device. However, the device sensed the evil energy, and Luhan''s light filled the cave once more. Bam! Lubatchi hoped that his energy wouldst long enough to break the device. However, it was a fruitless endeavor. Before it even reached its target, the Evil God''s power hadpletely disappeared. "Tch, how annoying. Lord Sraka," Lubatchi said to the bronze mask man. "I''ll take care of it." Sraka stepped forward, and drew the greatsword from his back. Swish! He swung his sword, unleashing the dreary, wicked energy of the Evil God. The device unleashed Luhan''s light once more. Upon contact, Sraka''s st weakened, but it didn''t disappearpletely. It was such a giant, powerful st of the Evil God''s power! "As expected of you, Lord Sraka!" Lubatchi was in awe. Bam! The device broke into pieces. The transparent sphere, which controlled Luhan''s light, had been destroyed, so they no longer had to fear being vaporized. "Let''s go." Lubatchi and his men progressed through the cave. They had to deal with the devices that unleashed Luhan''s light time after time. However, Sraka destroyed everyst one of them. Though he was an Evil God Worshipper, his power and skill were undeniable. After all, he had killed the Baiyan Kingdom''s Master Warrior, Heinel. Killing Heinel had turned the battle into a one-sided ughter in favor of the Evil God Worshippers. Anyhow, the traps couldn''t hold back Sraka. Ultimately, the disciple and his men reached Axion''s coffin. "The sacred treasure is definitely in here," an Evil God Worshipper said excitedly. Thick energy rose from the coffin and permeated the room. "Hurry up and get it out. We have to reim Lord Ja''s sacred treasure as soon as possible," Lubatchi said. Then, Four Evil God Worshippers stood at the four corners of the coffin and pulled. At that moment... Luhan''s light seeped out of the coffin, filling the world with light. "Guaaahk!" "Ugh." All of the Evil God Worshippers were vaporized, aside from Sraka, who''d shielded himself with his greatsword, and Lubatchi, who''d hidden himself behind Sraka. Thud! Since the Evil God Worshippers who''d opened the lid had all been vaporized, they covered the coffin once more, and the light disappeared. Grr! Lubatchi gritted his teeth. ''To think there''d be a trap of this magnitude at the very end!'' But there was a bigger problem here. If they wanted to open the coffin and reim Ja''s sacred treasure, then they needed to somehow deal with Luhan''s light. Sraka solved the problem again. His greatsword unleashed giant, sticky energy, which devoured the coffin. Boom! Once the Evil God''s energy destroyed the coffin, Luhan''s light spilled out. Sraka pushed even harder, imbuing his sword with even more of the Evil God''s power, andpletely suppressed Luhan''s light. Crackle! Crackle! Ultimately, Luhan''s lightpletely disappeared and the coffin was destroyed. Axion had died a long time ago, so his body hadn''t remained. Instead, the Evil God''s sacred treasurey there. It was a bronze ceremonial knife. This was the sacred treasure known as Ja''s Knife. It was the de that the four-armed Ja wielded in one of his bronze arms! "Ooh!" ''Lord Ja! We''ve finally reimed your sacred treasure!'' As soon as he saw the treasure, Lubatchi knelt down onto the floor and mmed his head onto the floor. Sraka also knelt down, and bowed so deeply that his bronze mask touched the ground. They were showing an extreme level of respect towards Ja''s sacred treasure. A short whileter... Sraka respectfully wrapped Ja''s Knife in cloth, and ced it into his breast pocket. His chest was the safest ce in the world for it. "We''vepleted our mission, so let''s go. The demons are waiting for us outside," Lubatchi said. "Alright." Sraka and Lubatchi lightheartedly left Axion''s grave. However...! Someonepletely unexpected was waiting for them. "Uhahk!" "Lord Ja!" Kyaaahk! Not all of the Evil God Worshippers had entered the cave. On the contrary, there were more people that stayed outside. However, all of them and their mounts had been killed by just one man. Sraka and Lubatchi couldn''t understand what was happening. The Evil God Worshippers did the ughtering, not the other way around. "Grr! Lord Sraka, I''ll take care of this. Please go on ahead and take the sacred treasure to safety," Lubatchi said. "Alright. There''s nothing more important than the sacred treasure, after all." Sraka raised his hand, and two hideous demons flew down. The two then rode on top of them. Sraka rose higher into the air, while Lubatchi descended to the ground in order to kill whoever was responsible for killing his men. At that moment... Whoosh! All of a sudden, a long line, one that resembled the horizon itself, flew through the air. That line passed right through Sraka''s flying demon. Swish. It was so quick that the flying monster kept pping its wings, unaware of its death. However, it soon split in two, and Sraka plummeted to the ground. Lubatchi quickly caught Sraka with his own demon. "Are you alright?" "Yeah." "I''ll put you down first." Lubatchi dropped Sraka to the ground. Thud. A middle-aged man, who''d killed all of the Evil God Worshippers and their demons, walked over to Lubatchi and Sraka. He had slicked back hair, a sharp jawline, stubborn eyes and lips, and wrinkles on his face! The man held a sword in his hand, yet it didn''t seem like a particrly good weapon. No, it actually seemed like a cheap, low quality sword. There was only one man in this world that could unleash such a powerful attack with such a crappy sword. Vn! He was both the Guardian of the Continent, and the continent''s most powerful swordsman. "Who are you!?" Lubatchi yelled angrily. "..." Vn remained silent, turning all of his attention to Sraka. "You''re a follower of a false god that doesn''t know his ce. How dare you ignore me!?" Lubatchi stared at him with bloodshot eyes. All of a sudden, however, Sraka gripped Lubatchi''s shoulder. "Fall back." "Excuse me?" "You can''t beat him. This is the first time I''ve seen someone so strong ever since I was revived." "Mm." That stung. Although he was the Evil God''s Third Disciple, he was nowhere near Sraka''s strength. Tap, tap. Sraka stepped forward. "Are you an Evil God Worshipper too?" Vn asked. "That''s right. I''m Ja''s First Sword, Sraka." Vn furrowed his brow. He knew who Sraka was. That''s why he was confused. Sraka shouldn''t be standing here. Why, you ask? He''d been dead for hundreds of years already. "Are you really the Devil''s Sword, Sraka?" "That''s right." "How did youe back?" "Lord Ja is the one true god. His power is infinite." In other words, the Evil God, Ja had revived him. A light bulb went off in his head. "Ilunati''s Snake!" Ilunati''s Snake was, like Ja''s Knife, one of the Evil God''s sacred treasures. In exchange for the lives of thousands, or even tens of thousands, Ilunati''s Snake was able to revive the dead. "So you know," Sraka said. "The Evil God Worshippers have already reimed one of their sacred treasures, huh." Vn''s eyes glowed intensely. He knew full well what would happen if they reimed all of their sacred treasures. ''At minimum, tens of thousands will die. They''ll sacrifice them to bring Ja back into this world.'' The Evil God''s sacred treasures, such as Nemeth''s Skull, Ja''s Knife, and Ilunati''s Snake, were all meant to be used to bring Ja into this world. That was their final goal; to bring Ja into Arth. "Give me the sacred treasure while I''m still being nice." Vn''s voice suddenly became rough. "Not a chance!" Lubatchi yelled. ''How dare you demand that we return the sacred treasure!?'' "Lubatchi. Take this and leave." Once Sraka pulled out Ja''s Knife and passed it to Lubatchi, Vn swung his sword. Divide the Sea! It was the greatest sh, one that could cut through anything! "Uheok!" A diagonal line flew at Lubatchi. He imagined his body being cut in half. If Sraka hadn''t swung his greatsword, then Lubatchi''s vision would''vee to pass. However, Sraka had blocked Divide the Sea, allowing Lubatchi toe out unscathed. "Go. I''ll take care of him." "Yes, sir." Lubatchi realized that Vn wasn''t someone he could contend with. He called his flying monster, but Vn attempted to stop him. Unfortunately, Sraka wouldn''t let him interfere. ng! Sraka''s greatsword and Vn''s steel sword shed. It''d been a long time since Vn''s sword had been blocked. p! Lubatchi got onto his mount, and the demon outstretched its crow-like wings. Vn swung his sword at Lubatchi again. However, Sraka blocked his de once more. ''Damn it. I should''ve brought Burkan, or even Kang Oh with me.'' Vn regretteding here alone. If he''d have brought one of them with him, then he wouldn''t have lost the sacred treasure. In the end, Vn wasn''t able to stop Lubatchi from running away with the sacred treasure. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka! He was a swordsman that became a Grandmaster hundreds of years ago. During his time, it was said that Sraka killed more than tens of thousands of people. How would Vn have known that they''d revive a legendary swordsman to stop him!? ''Whatever the case, I have to kill this guy.'' Vn focused entirely on Sraka. It waspletely silent, and neither side moved a muscle. However, they were actually engaged in a fierce, invisible fight. How much time had passed? It seemed like a lot of time had gone by. A single drop of sweat dripped from Vn''s forehead, which slipped into his eye. Vn instinctively blinked! At that moment... Sraka swung his sword, and Vn btedly followed suit. It all happened in an instant. In that short time span, the battle had been decided. Thud. Vn''s left arm fell to the floor. A stream of red shards of light spilled from the wound. On the other hand, Sraka looked just fine. "Is this what you were aiming for from the start?" Sraka asked. "An arm to kill a Grandmaster. What a cheap deal," Vn said nonchntly, despite the loss of one of his limbs. "What about the sweat?" "I don''t sweat that much." "Amaz..." Sraka couldn''t finish his sentence. A red line appeared across his throat, and his head rolled onto the floor. Only then did Vn grimace. There was no one who''d be ok with losing their arm! "Ugh." Vn gritted his teeth, bore the pain, and left with his severed left arm. * * * Vn had told him toe and find him once the demon sword waspleted. By bringing the sword to him, Vn would formally acknowledge him as his sessor, and would begin teaching him in earnest. Kang Oh, who''d gotten a feel for his new demon sword, recalled Vn''s words, and came to the Holiseum. Fortunately, he''de at the right time. Both Vn and Burkan were here. "Master Vn, I''ve finally created the demon sword as you instructed." ''So please teach me Divide the Sea.'' went unsaid, but then Kang Oh''s eyes widened. After all, one of Vn''s arms was missing! "Huh? Master Vn, what happened to your arm?" "Some guy chopped it off," Vn said nonchntly. "Is that possible?" ''To think that someone could cut Vn''s arm off. Who was it?'' "Shut up. Come over here and sit down." Vn pointed at the chair in front of him with his foot. "Yes." Kang Oh did as he asked and sat down. He didn''t want to anger Vn, especially with his arm chopped off. There was no reason for things to get heated, was there? "Give me the demon sword." "Yes!" Kang Oh respectfully presented the sword to him with both hands. Vn stroked the sword with his one remaining arm. "It''s too good for you," Vn said, looking at him with a jaundiced eye. "Hehe." Kang Oh scratched the back of his head. ''Can''t argue with that. This demon sword is quite overpowered.'' "Eh, a promise is a promise. From this point forward, you''re my sessor," Vn proimed. Kang Oh had finally be the sessor of the continent''s most powerful man. Chapter 415. The Guardian of the Continents Rights and Responsibilities

Chapter 415. The Guardian of the Continent''s Rights and Responsibilities

Trantor: Boko Once Vn acknowledged him as his sessor, several system messages popped up. [You havepleted the quest, Trial to Be Vn''s Sessor 3.] [Congrattions. You have formally be Vn''s sessor.] [You have acquired the title, Future Guardian of the Continent.] [You have inherited the Guardian of the Continent''s rights and responsibilities.] [You have received the Earth''s Blessing.] [All main stats +50] [All side stats +50] [Max HP, MP, and Stamina have doubled. HP, MP, and Stamina regeneration have increased.] [Damage reduction +10%] [Resistance to various status ailments, curses, and poison has increased.] [Skills and spells start at intermediate-rank.] [Your beginner-rank skills, Darkness Chain, Transcendent de, and Mad Wind''s Sword, have risen to intermediate-rank.] [You gain double the experience and proficiency.] [You now hear the Whispers of the Earth.] [The Whispers of the Earth give the Guardian of the Continent their missions. These missions must bepleted no matter what. If they are notpleted, or the mission itself is failed, then you will lose your position as Guardian of the Continent.] ''Rights and responsibilities!'' The Guardian of the Continent''s ''rights'' included the Earth''s Blessing. All main stats and side stats were increased, experience and proficiency gain were doubled, skills/spells started at intermediate-rank, etc. The Earth''s Blessing was tremendous; it couldn''t possibly be valued in terms of money. However, his ''responsibilities'' were the Whispers of the Earth. He had toplete its missions ''no matter what''. Even a single failure wouldn''t be tolerated. "Congrattions," Burkan said, and patted Kang Oh''s shoulder. "Is this really a cause for celebration?" Kang Oh thought of himself roaming across the continent, doing all manner of dangerous, thankless work, and sported a bitter expression. "Not at all. You''ll be going through hell from now on," Vn said. The Guardian of the Continent wasn''t exactly an easy or profitable position. "You''re still too weak. It''d be embarrassing if you went around calling yourself my sessor." Vn was just telling the truth. "Ahem. I don''t let people push me around." Kang Oh pouted. ''You''re the only one who can treat me like this!'' "Whatever. First, be a Master," Vn said firmly. "I will. And I won''t stop there. I''ll be a Grandmaster, and be even stronger than you." Kang Oh confidentlyid his ambitions bare. "That''s impossible. You can''t find anyone stronger than me in the past, and there won''t be anyone stronger than me in the future either," Vn said arrogantly. "I don''t think that''s what someone who lost an arm should say," Kang Oh retorted. "Wanna die?" "Ahem!" Once Vn scowled, Kang Oh immediately backed down. "Little Brother, Sraka cut Master''s arm," Burkan said. "Sraka?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. Have you heard of him before?" "The Devil''s Sword..." Kang Oh sifted through his memories, but he couldn''t figure out who he was. "He was a fallen swordsman that was alive hundreds of years ago, when the Evil God Worshippers were at their peak. He''s on the same level as Master Vn," Burkan said. "Then Sraka is a Grandmaster too?" "Yeah," Burkan said. "And he was the one that sliced off Master Vn''s arm? But you just said that he was alive hundreds of years ago." ''He''s been alive for that long?'' "The Evil God''s sacred treasure, Ilunati''s Snake, can be used to revive the dead," Vn said. Kang Oh could piece the rest of it together by himself. ''They revived a Grandmaster using Ilunati''s Snake, and he''s the one who cut off Vn''s arm.'' "Did you lose, Master Vn?" Kang Oh asked. "I gave him an arm, but I killed him in the process," Vn said. "Tch, tch. That was a bad trade." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "What?" Vn scowled. "You said it yourself. They can revive him using Ilunati''s Snake." "A swordsman of his caliber would require more than 10,000 sacrifices. They won''t be able to revive him easily," Vn said. "But what if they manage to revive him?" "I''ll kill him again." "With only one arm?" "What are you trying to say?" "The Evil God Worshippers are too dangerous with a sacred treasure like that. Even you won''t be able to stop them if they manage to keep reviving powerful figures like Sraka." "They''re even more dangerous now. They reimed another one of their sacred treasures," Vn said. "Please go over there and kill them immediately." This was the best way to prevent the Evil God Worshippers from bing too much of a threat. Vn could just go over there and kill them all! ''It''ll make things easier for me too.'' The Guardian of the Continent and the Evil God Worshippers. It was clear that both sides had no choice but to fight each other. Kang Oh wanted Vn to take care of this matter before it got out of hand and he was forced into the fight. "I''d like to do that too, but I don''t know where their base is," Vn said. They were under the Evil God''s protection, so they couldn''t find the Evil God Worshipper''s hideout. The Whispers of the Earth didn''t tell him either. "Hmm." "I heard from Burkan. You left Nemeth''s Skull with the Rakan Church?" Vn asked. "Yes." In the past, Kang Oh had killed the Evil God Worshippers in the Batiyu Ruins, who had been performing a ritual that weakened the seal over Nemeth''s Skull. He had reimed the sacred treasure, and had passed it on to the continent''s most powerful church, the Rakan Church. "The Evil God Worshippers will appear, intent on reiming the sacred treasure. When they do, we can get the location of their base out of them." Vn''s eyes gleamed. It was the eyes of a predator aiming for its prey. "It''s a good idea." "So I can''t leave Altein for the time being." The Great Temple of Rakan was right next to Altein. Vn and Burkan had to remain on standby within the Holiseum so that they could go to the Great Temple of Rakan at a moment''s notice. "You need toplete the missions in my ce." "Understood. In exchange...!" "In exchange?" "You told me to be a Master earlier. Can you please help me be one even faster?" The strongest swordsman, Vn! With his teachings, he should be stronger even faster than before. "That''s the n." "Good. Then what will you teach me first? I''d really like to learn Divide the Sea." Divide the Sea! The ultimate technique that cut through everything in this world! It was truly a mouth-watering technique! "You can''t learn it at your current level," Vn said decisively. "Then when can I learn it?" "Master sh first." In order to learn Divide the Sea, one needed to first master sh. "Ahem. Then please give me some other advice." "Let me tell you something first. You and I are fundamentally different," Vn said. "Of course we are." ''Isn''t that obvious?'' "Our final goals are different." "Excuse me?" ''What are you talking about?'' "Burkan and I are swordsmen. We train our skills to the utmost limit. But you''re different." "I''m a swordsman too though." "Normally, the Demonic Swordsman ss is reserved only for those that have reached the peak of swordsmanship, and are capable of freely wielding demon swords. However, youpletely skipped that step. Rather than refining your swordsmanship to the limit, you started out as a Demonic Swordsman." Kang Oh had cleared the Fight Against 100 Men at level 1, and had then gone on to pass Demon Sword Ubist''s trial. Thus, he started out as a Demonic Swordsman. This was the result of his Hyper Intuition, his fundamental abilities, and good fortune alling together. "To think you''d be able to wield a demon sword without the level of swordsmanship typically required. You''re a unique case." "So?" "You''re a Demonic Swordsman, not a Swordsman, so you can only wield demon swords. Focus on developing your skills as a Demonic Swordsman." Kang Oh knew what he was telling him. Demon swords possessed unique powers and abilities. Since Kang Oh had started out as a Demonic Swordsman, he was capable of drawing out the demon swords'' individual strengths using skills such as Darkness Strike or Devil Trigger. "Seal a demon within Akanhoff. I think I told you this before, but sealing a demon within a sword already steeped in darkness will retain its original abilities and gain new ones from the demon sealed within. This will create the ultimate demon sword," Vn said. Kang Oh nodded his head. Demon Sword Akanhoff was already ridiculous. Absolute Destruction, Damage Amplification, and Dangerous Gamble! What if, when he sealed a demon within it, these abilities remained intact? What if the demon sword gains an ability like Ubist''s Gluttony or Evesting Darkness, or Blood''s Festival of Blood? It would indeed be the ultimate demon sword! ''I need to choose the right one to seal.'' He needed to seal a powerful demon like Ubist or Blood within the sword. "There''s a skill called Seal Demon. It allows you to seal a demon within a sword. I''ll teach you this technique, so..." "I already know it." When Kang Oh had first acquired Demon Sword Blood, Blood''s previous owner, Grande Loxia, had taught him Seal Demon. "I see." "What kind of demon should I seal?" Kang Oh asked. "The stronger the demon, the better. But remember, a stronger demon will make the demon sword that much harder to control." "Just asking, but what if I were to seal the Evil God, Ja, into the de?" Was it because they were talking about the Evil God Worshippers? He suddenly wondered what would happen if he were to seal the Evil God inside Akanhoff. "The sword won''t be able to contain him." "Then what about a dragon?" Dragons were Arth''s apex species! What if he were to seal a dragon within his sword? "Dragons aren''t demons, so Seal Demon won''t work on them." Demons used the power of darkness, while dragons used mana. "What about the Evil Dragon, Inarius?" "Inarius too. If he falls, or bes a demon, then it might work." "Hmm, then what should I seal inside?" "That''s up to you," Vn said calmly. "Anyhow, seal a demon within your sword, master Demonic Swordsmanship, and learn a Demonic Swordsman secret technique." "A secret technique?" "Yeah. Not a Swordsman technique, but a Demonic Swordsman technique. After all, a Demonic Swordsman''s secret technique will allow you to maximize the demon swords'' power." "Where do I learn one?" "I don''t know. So go out and find one," Vn said, speaking as though it had nothing to do with him. You cold-hearted bastard! "Is there anything else you can do that''ll help me get stronger? Just a short while ago, I met an amazing man called Sven. He immediately taught me a secret technique." Sword Duke, Sven! He had learned the Swordsman secret technique, Mad Wind''s Sword, from him. "That isn''t all." "As expected." Kang Oh stared at him in anticipation. ''Is it time for him to start training me in earnest? What''s he going to start with? It''s probably something huge!'' However, Vnpletely destroyed his expectations. "I''ll give you 100 days. Do everything I asked for within that time frame!" "Excuse me?" "If you can''t, then... I''ll kill you!" A quest immediately popped up. [Trial to Be Stronger] You have be the sessor to the Guardian of the Continent, Vn. But at the moment, you are too weak. Unable to let this continue, Vn has taken special measures! You mustplete all of the conditions Vn has set within 100 days. If you don''t, then Vn will take everything you have. Condition 1: Master Demonic Swordsmanship. Condition 2: Seal a demon within Demon Sword Akanhoff. The monster must be a raid boss over level 500. Condition 3: Learn at least one Demonic Swordsman secret technique. Remaining Time: 100 days. Difficulty: Impossible. Minimum Requirements: Future Guardian of the Continent. Rewards: Increased Closeness with Vn. Failure: If you fail, then you will lose your position as Vn''s sessor. Vn will also kill you over and over again, and take Demon Sword Ubist, Demon Sword Blood, and Demon Sword Akanhoff from you. [You cannot refuse the quest.] [The quest has been epted.] The quest was literally ''impossible''! "Are you crazy? 100 days? You want me to do all that in 100 days?" Kang Oh yelled. ''Vn, you bastard! How the hell do you expect me toplete this quest!?'' "You have to, unless you want to die." Vn''s unreasonable requests made Kang Oh briefly lose all reason. "Screw you!" Kang Oh drew Ubist and Akanhoff, and rushed at Vn. However...! Despite the loss of an arm, Vn was still out of his league. A short whileter... Vn''s de touched Kang Oh''s throat. "Will you do it or not?" Vn said murderously. "Fine, I''ll do it!" Kang Oh didn''t have the luxury of choice. He had toplete this ridiculous quest! Chapter 416. Arabas Kingdom

Chapter 416. Arabas Kingdom

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was lost in thought. ''I only have 100 days to do this. There are three things I need to do by then.'' Master Demonic Swordsmanship, seal a demon within Akanhoff, and learn a Demonic Swordsman secret technique! The simplest task was sealing a demon. Although the demon had to be at least a level 500 raid boss, it wasparatively much easier than the other two tasks. The problemy in the other two tasks: mastering Demonic Swordsmanship and learning a Demonic Swordsman secret technique! His proficiency in High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship was currently at 67%. Which meant that he needed to raise it another 33% within 100 days. ''Is it possible?'' Normally, he''d say it was impossible. After all, proficiency rose at a snail''s pace in Arth. However, there were three things in his favor. First, the Earth''s Blessing! The Earth''s Blessing would double his experience and proficiency gain. Second, his talent as a Demonic Swordsman had increased! Once he obtained his third demon sword, Kang Oh''s proficiency in all Demonic Swordsman rted skills would increase more quickly. Finally, the legendary potion, Elixium! Elixium required four rare ingredients. Dragon''s Blood and the Gold Bean could be obtained from his soul dungeons, and he had asked Man Bok to procure the Sun''s Seed and the Sea''s Tears. If given to a skilled enough Alchemist, these ingredients could be used to produce Elixium. Drinking this legendary potion increased proficiency gain. Even taking all of this into ount, mastering Demonic Swordsmanship would prove to be a difficult endeavor. Learning a Demonic Swordsmanship secret technique would be a problem too. Where exactly was he supposed to learn it? ''I guess I have no choice but to find out during my 100 days.'' Kang Oh nned to use his informationwork to its fullest. At that moment... Tap. Burkan ced his hand on Kang Oh''s shoulder. "Little Brother." "Yes?" "If you master Demonic Swordsmanship, then you won''t have to worry about the secret technique." "What do you mean?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "When you be a Master, you get the opportunity to create your own secret technique." Kang Oh''s face brightened. "Then?" "Mastering Demonic Swordsmanship and the secret technique are one issue, not two." "Ah, thank you very much, Brother!" Kang Oh sped Burkan''s hands. "You can do it!" "Yes." "If you''re done, then go out and train. You''re wasting time that you could have spent killing another monster, or swinging your sword," Vn, who''d been listening in on Kang Oh and Burkan''s conversation, said. Kang Oh stared at Vn. ''You bastard!'' "Why are you looking at me like that? Want to die?" Vn asked, and Kang Oh immediately turned away. "I have one more piece of advice. You can''t be a Master by just training your swords..." "Enough." Vn cut Burkan off. "He has to figure that out himself. You can''t spoon feed him," Vn added. "What is it? What were you trying to tell me?" Kang Oh asked. Burkan shook his head. "Never mind. Just keep this in mind. You can do it!" "Ok." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Remember to do the missions," Vn said. Kang Oh bit his lip. Not only did he need toplete Vn''s quest, but he needed toplete the Guardian of the Continent''s missions too. He didn''t have much time. ''I''ll have to hold off on searching for dungeons.'' He had a bitter taste in his mouth. If not for Vn''s impossible quest, then he would''ve been looking for soul dungeons right now, and making a huge profit! Oh well. He didn''t have the luxury of choice. Thus, he had to put everything he had into mastering Demonic Swordsmanship. ''It''d be great if I could fight him along the way.'' Kang Oh thought of the perfect target and ce. "If you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh quickly left. ''Every second is precious!'' Now, only Vn and Burkan were left. Then, Burkan said, "That was too much." In other words, ''That quest was cruel.''. "It can''t be helped. The Evil God Worshippers already have two of their sacred treasures. I lost one of my arms too. I can''t train him the conventional way." With two of their sacred treasures reimed, the Evil God Worshippers were rapidly increasing their strength and influence at this very moment. It''ll be chaos when they decide to use their umted power and influence to the fullest. Thus, he didn''t have the time to patiently wait for Kang Oh to grow. That''s why he had chosen to be so heartless and cruel. Then again, he was always ill-tempered. "Do you think he''ll be able to do it?" "He has to if he''s going to be my sessor." * * * There were three kingdoms in the eastern desert region: the Arabas Kingdom, the Baiyan Kingdom, and the Des Kingdom. Of these three, however, the Arabas Kingdom was by far thergest and most powerful. It was said that their mages were superior to the other two nations as well. In other words, the Arabas Kingdom was like the oldest in the family! Its desert cities, which were built around oases, were always bustling with nightlife, and were called the Desert''s Lamps. Befitting its title as the Desert''s Treasure, the Arabas Kingdom''s capital, Numeka, was extremely beautiful and mysterious. However, the Arabas Kingdom was incredibly unstable right now. The crown prince had suspiciously died, and the current king, Yomund, had fallen deeply ill and could die at any moment now. With those two out of the picture, the 2nd and 3rd princes were next in line. Thus, the two fought in order to seed the king. Fierce battles took ce all across the Arabas Kingdom between the 2nd and 3rd prince''s forces. And right now... The 2nd and 3rd prince''s forces shed above therge sand dune, Camel''s Hump. The 2nd prince''s forces were led by the Lord of Cule City, Narbaham. He led countless Desert Warriors and Insect Mages into battle. The Empire Guild, which was assisting the 2nd prince in the war, had lent them two of their squads, the Moby Dick Squad and the Iron Horse Squad. The 3rd prince''s forces were led by Phukal, a warrior nicknamed the Ghost Spear. He led Desert Warriors and Sand Mages, as well as six intermediate-size mercenary groups. "I''m your opponent!" "Chaaht!" The Desert Warriors, which rode on camels and wore white turbans, swung their scimitars and killed each other. The sound of metal striking metal, as well as screams, curses, and camel''s cries resounded throughout the battlefield. "Summon Swarm of Red Flies!" The 2nd prince''s Insect Mages summoned swarms of red blood-sucking flies, which covered the sky. Then, the 3rd prince''s Sand Mages responded with magic of their own. "The desert''s heartless winds!" A sandstorm swept through the swarms of flies. Summon - ded Mantises, Emperor Dragonflies, and Poisonous Spiders! The two magical disciplines in the east, insect and sand, only made the battle more chaotic and intense. To add to that, the Empire Guild''s Moby Dick and Iron Horse Squads shed with the 3rd prince''s mercenaries. "They''re small fry. Kill them all!" "Show them the power of the Empire Guild!" Their leaders, Moby Dick and Taker, yelled. "Die!" "Ugh." "They''re strong. Be careful!" The Moby Dick and Iron Horse Squads were filled with the Empire Guild''s elites, the #1 guild in all of Arth. Even though the six mercenary groups had bunched together, they were getting overpowered right from the start. "We have to work for our pay!" "Use hit and run tactics!" The mercenary groups'' leaders yelled, and did their damndest to hold out. "Die!" Moby Dick rushed at Thalesban, the leader of the Salt Mercenaries. Moby Dick was a high ranker that was over level 400! His weapon of choice was a mace and a shield. Whoosh! Moby Dick''s mace came flying at Thalesban''s head, so he quickly raised his shield. Bam! His power was so great that Thalesban fell to the floor, his shield dented. Then, Moby Dick''s mace unleashed mighty energy. Typhoon Whale! A giant, golden whale struck Thalesban. Boom! Sand flew everywhere, apanied by a giant ''boom''. It was as if a bomb had just gone off. "Hahaha!" Moby Dick smiled and attempted to finish off the greatly weakened Thalesban. Bam! Was it his pride as a mercenary leader? Thalesban just barely raised his shield and blocked Moby Dick''s finishing blow. However, he couldn''t withstand anymore than that. "Just die already." Moby Dick swung his mace, crushing Thalesban''s head. Bam! That was the end of Thalesban. Moby Dick spun his mace around, and then searched for a new opponent. Taker had already killed one of the mercenary groups'' leaders. The Moby Dick and Iron Horse Squads were ughtering the mercenaries. It waspletely one-sided! "Hahaha!" Moby Dick rushed forward. He was ecstatic. ''Who would dare get in my way!?'' However...! ng! He heard a sudden ''ng''. Moby Dick widened his eyes. Someone had blocked his mace. "Not bad." He smiled at the man who''d blocked his blow. It was a man wearing leather armor and a wolf-shaped mask, wielding a purple sword. Was he a yer? "Try blocking this too!" Moby Dick''s mace began radiating golden light. Typhoon Whale! The man swung his sword horizontally. Whoosh! His de unleashed golden energy. Kuheong! A golden, roaring tiger aura rushed forward! Bam! The two mighty auras shed and then exploded, resulting in a sand cloud. Then, a purple de flew through the sand cloud. "Uheot." Moby Dick raised his shield and blocked the man''s sword. ng! A clear, metallic ''ng'' rang out. However, somethingpletely unexpected happened right after. Crack! It sounded like his shield had just cracked. "What?" Moby Dick couldn''t understand what had happened. Why had his metal shield cracked? The man''s purple de came flying through the air once more. Moby Dick raised his shield. Bam! The purple de had left behind a clear, cross-shaped mark. Realizing that this wasn''t normal, Moby Dick quickly backed off. However, the owner of the purple sword quickly approached him. Swish. He swung his sword once more. ''Why is he so fast?'' Moby Dick couldn''t hope to dodge the attack. Thus, he raised his shield again. Bam! Pieces of his shield fell to the ground. "Haahp!" Moby Dick swung his mace. Giant''s Hammer! His mace radiated silver energy, which coalesced into the shape of a giant hammer, and mmed down on his enemy. The owner of the purple de backed off. "Are you alright, Captain?" Members of his squad surrounded him. They were all elite members of the Empire Guild. They too had realized that Moby Dick''s opponent was on another level, so they had quicklye to help him. "Tch." The man clicked his tongue from behind his mask. ''How unfortunate. I could''ve finished him off.'' "Who are you?" "Reveal yourself!" There was no way someone with that level of skill was nameless! The man said nothing. Instead, he pulled out a jet-ck sword. "That sword is...!" Moby Dick''s eyes widened. He knew who that jet-ck greatsword belonged to. "You''re Kang Oh!" Moby Dick yelled. "Predator!" "The Numbers!" They looked shocked. Why was Predator Kang Oh here? Kang Oh pulled out a BB-rank mass-produced sword from his inventory and used Gluttony. All of his abilities were increased twofold. Devil Trigger! His body was ckened, as if he''d been covered in squid ink. A beast mask covered his face and a jet-ck tail swished behind him. In his right handy Demon Sword Akanhoff, and in his left, Demon Sword Ubist! Because Akanhoff wasn''t inhabited by a demon yet, Devil Trigger had transformed him into the Jet-ck Demon, not the Dual Demon. "It''s whale hunting time!" Kang Oh rushed at them with blistering speed. * * * "Stop him!" "Holy sh*t! Why is he so strong!?" "My sword broke!" Kang Oh killed the members of the Moby Dick Squad again and again. There were already a ton of them that''d died by his hand. He was so strong that people would take one look at him and think, ''As expected of one of the Numbers.''. His purple de, Demon Sword Akanhoff, was the most dangerous part about him. Anything it touched would break, whether it be a weapon or armor. That wasn''t all. It amplified his damage by a factor of 1.5 to 3 times! Just a few attacks would be enough to kill the members of the Moby Dick Squad. Ultimately, Moby Dick sacrificed his subordinates in order to buy time, and called Taker for aid. If he wanted to beat that crazy beast, then he needed Taker''s help. It was impossible to beat him alone. Sometimeter... Only after he''d killed several members of the Moby Dick Squad did Taker arrive. "Kang Oh showed up?" "That guy over there." Moby Dick pointed at Kang Oh. "Nice. Let''s kill him." "Don''t underestimate him. He''s a monster," Moby Dick warned. "We''ll see. Let''s go." "Yeah!" Taker and Moby Dick. They led two of the Empire Guild''s eight squads. "Let''s go too!" "For the Empire Guild!" The Moby Dick and Iron Horse Squad followed behind them. Chapter 417. Kang Oh vs. Moby Dick and Taker

Chapter 417. Kang Oh vs. Moby Dick and Taker

Trantor: Boko Taker was a Spear Knight, and his signature weapon was a trident. God of Thunder''s Spear! Crackle! His spear gathered blue lightning energy, and sparks went flying everywhere. "Haahp!" Taker thrust his spear at Kang Oh. Bam! The mighty lightning st shot straight at Kang Oh like aser beam. Kang Oh made no attempt to dodge or block it. He simply took the attack head-on. [The Draka leather armor set''s special ability has activated.] [Lightning damage has been reduced by 90%.] [HP -3%] With the Draka set equipped, lightning was like a cute kitten to him. ''Now.'' Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Akanhoff diagonally. Once he was struck by God of Thunder''s Spear, the nearby Moby Dick members came rushing in like moths to a me. sh! A white line followed Demon Sword Akanhoff. It was as if it were slicing through space itself! Swish! "Keheok!" Kang Oh''s strike left behind a diagonal wound on a Moby Dick member, and huge shards of light burst from the wound. He turned around and then followed up with Demon Sword Ubist. Whoosh! His jet-ck de sliced through the squad member''s neck. Bam! The squad member fell, but didn''t get back up. "Damn it! He got Eric." "Get into formation and attack." "We have to give our captain a chance to get a hit in!" "The Iron Horse is joining us too!" "Don''t move recklessly!" The Moby Dick and Iron Horse squads surrounded Kang Oh, creating an inescapable perimeter around him. Moby Dick''s mace and Taker''s spear came from the left and the right. Kang Oh bent backwards, avoiding the rapidly approaching spear, and then swung Akanhoff to ward off the mace. Right after, the Moby Dick and Iron Horse members shot projectile weapons, arrows, and magic at him. Due to their interference, Kang Oh was unable to counterattack, and moved from his location. "Net!" "Throw poison tacks where he''s going." "Use status ailment magic like Slow, rather than offensive magic." As expected of the Empire Guild''s elites! They knew how to best deal with someone like Kang Oh. The squads moved as one, gradually wearing him down! They didn''t try to end the battle as soon as possible. ''I have to break their formation first.'' Kang Oh was being pressured on all sides. He had to break through their ranks before things got even worse. Demon Sword Ubist surged with thick jet-ck energy. Abyss w! "I''ll take care of it, so keep attacking him!" Moby Dick yelled, and pushed his shield forward. Protector''s Shield! His shield, minutes away from shatteringpletely, transformed into a giant shield. Bam! Abyss w raked at the shield. That was all. It didn''t have the force necessary to break through Protector''s Shield. The two squads threws, daggers, and arrows at Kang Oh, and evenid down a smokescreen. Taker, who''d been waiting for his opportunity, attacked too! Excise Heart! His spear glowed red, and came straight for Kang Oh''s heart. Rather than dodge or back off, Kang Oh turned his body and rushed straight at Taker. Bam! Taker''s spear grazed Kang Oh''s chest. Shimmering shards of light flew through the air. A dagger had lodged itself in his side, and an arrow was in his back too. But this was all manageable. Kang Oh swung Akanhoff upwards. "Tch!" Taker quickly withdrew his spear and protected himself. However...! Kang Oh didn''t follow through. Instead, he changed course and pushed deep into their perimeter. "Heot." "Stop him!" The surprised squad members quickly yelled. However, Kang Oh was already right in front of them. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh advanced, all the while fiercely swinging Ubist and Akanhoff like a raging storm. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! None could block his two rampaging des. Moreover...! Darkness Strike! Two waves, resembling a beast and a bird, shot out, sweeping through everything in his path. "Uhaahk!" "Keok!" His attack managed to poke a hole through their perimeter. Kang Oh attempted to escape right through the opening. Moby Dick and Taker wouldn''t let this happen. Their spear and mace simultaneously came for Kang Oh''s back. Hell Thrust! Judgment! ck energy, resembling an aurora, shot out of Taker''s trident, while Moby Dick''s mace radiated intense light like the sun''s rays. At that moment... ''Now!'' Kang Oh immediately turned around. Transcendent de! The world began to slow. Kang Oh simultaneously swung Akanhoff and Ubist. Swish! Bam! Clear red shards of light fell from Taker and Moby Dick''s bodies. They had been too focused on keeping Kang Oh here that they left themselves way too open. Aiming for these weak points was a piece of cake for Kang Oh. "Keuk!" "Ugh." They''d sustained such a huge amount of damage in such a short time that they lost all their strength and fell to one knee. ''Just one more.'' Kang Oh, in his Jet-ck Demon form, swung both of his des simultaneously. His ck tail softly swished behind him. Lightning Breath! Evesting Darkness! Akanhoff''s Lightning Breath came for Moby Dick, while Evesting Darkness came for Taker. However, Moby Dick and Taker were high rankers, and symbols of the Empire Guild''s power. They couldn''t just die like this. The two gritted their teeth and responded to Kang Oh''s attack. Red Demon''s Thorn! Red thorns sprouted from Taker''s body, and his trident became a red thorn as well. Whoosh! He swung his red spear downwards, cleaving Evesting Darkness in two. Absolute Defense! Moby Dick''s shield created a barrier that covered his entire body. Crackle! Lightning Breath struck the barrier, but it didn''t crack, let alone shake. Kang Oh prepared his next attack. However, Taker attacked him before he could. "You bastard!" Taker raised his red thorn into the air, and swung it at Kang Oh. "Fix the perimeter." "Long-range attacks!" "Heal the captain!" The two squads busily moved around. Kang Oh softly swung Akanhoff. Sword Parry! Taker attacked like lightning, yet his spear rolled off of Kang Oh''s purple de. "Sh*t!" Taker was shocked. ''To think he''d use Sword Parry here!'' It was pretty much a gamble. After all, if it failed, then Taker''s spear would''ve pierced Kang Oh''s heart! However, his risk paid off, and Taker had lost his bnce. Stab! Demon Sword Akanhoff pierced through Taker''s heart. "Keheok!" Red shards of light burst from his body. Kang Oh pulled Akanhoff out and switched to Blood! Akanhoff''s special ability, Dangerous Gamble, had taken a lot of his HP. Gluttony was still active, so he couldn''t switch out Ubist yet. Thus, he had no choice but to switch Akanhoff with Blood, and use it to restore his lost HP. Whoosh! Once he gripped Blood, red energy began to spread across his body. Horns sprouted from his beast mask, a breastte as red as blood covered his torso, and wings protruded from his back. The Dual Demon was here! ''Time to finish you off!'' Kang Oh crossed Ubist and Blood, and swung both of them at the defenseless Taker. However, his attack ended in failure. After all, Moby Dick had rushed in and blocked his attack with his shield! ng! ng! His two demon swords struck Moby Dick''s shield. Then, shards of light spilled from Kang Oh''s body. ''Damage Reflect!'' It was simr to Sword Parry. Damage Reflect was a shield skill that could only be activated at the precise time! As expected of Moby Dick! He had sessfully used Damage Reflect against Kang Oh. Kang Oh really didn''t have much HP left. He didn''t have ess to the Cassio Ring''s Resurrection ability either. ''Can''t be helped.'' Kang Oh backed off without finishing Taker off, and drank an HP potion from his belt. "Don''t let up! Keep attacking him!" "Throw everything you have at him!" "Fix the perimeter!" The two squads attempted to patch the hole that Kang Oh had made in their perimeter. ''Sorry, can''t let you do that.'' "Tasha!" Kang Oh yelled. It was clear what he wanted. "Got it!" Kang Oh unfurled his red wings, and flew through the hole. Normally, if the perimeter was at full strength, then they''d have throwns, hooks, chains, magic, etc. at him, keeping him from escaping. However, they couldn''t stop him, as they hadn''t fixed the perimeter just yet. "No!" "He''s getting away!" "Stop him!" The two squads chased after him. However, they had to stop just a short whileter. A portion of the two squads were engaged in a fierce battle with the 3rd prince''s mercenaries. "Kill the mercenaries first!" Moby Dick yelled. "Yes, sir." Those fighting Kang Oh dashed towards the mercenaries instead. Meanwhile, Kang Oh disappeared into the distance. "We''ll get you next time." Moby Dick gritted his teeth. Numbers Kang Oh! ''Next time we meet, you won''t get away!'' he pledged. * * * Kang Ohnded in the middle of the desert. He could hear the sound of battle from afar. "Thanks, Tasha." "Be more careful." "Yeah." Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger, stabbed both demon swords into the sand, and caught his breath. "Hoo." After he received that ridiculous quest from Vn, Kang Oh wondered how he could possibly reach the level of Master in just 100 days. His only option was to keep fighting. Small fry wouldn''t do; he''d have to fight against the strongest opponents! The Arabas Kingdom''s civil war satisfied both of these requirements. Battle was ever-present in the Arabas Kingdom, and it gave him the opportunity to fight against both the Empire Guild and the desert''s strongest warriors, so it was the best ce to train for Vn''s quest. ''Moby Dick and Taker. They weren''t bad. But they''re not good enough!'' Kang Oh wanted to fight someone even stronger than them. ''Yeah. If I get the chance, I''ll try fighting Dukeram.'' Emperor Dukeram! Numbers rank 1! He was the leader of the Empire Guild, and wasmonly acknowledged as the strongest yer around! Kang Oh wanted to have a match with him. "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh breathed properly again. Was it because of the Earth''s Blessing? His HP, MP, and Stamina were restored rather quickly. Once his HP went over 50%, he blew his whistle and called his ck horse. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh rode his horse, drew the reins, and kicked the horse''s sides. Neigh! He was obviously headed for a battlefield where the 2nd and 3rd prince''s armies were doing battle. The battle wasn''t over yet. * * * "Umbarahabahaya!" A bizarre, dreary chant rang out. "Sob, sob!" "Please let me live!" "You''ll receive divine punishment for this!" Horrific screams and curses were mixed in with the chants. At the top of a giant altar... A woman, a middle-aged man, and an elderly man were bound atop the altar. Their cries were mixed in with the chant. Tramp. An emaciated man wearing ck robes came over. The bags under his eyes were so deep that it looked like he was wearing makeup. This was the Evil God''s First Disciple and the Evil God''s High Priest, Divine Punishment Amak! That was the man''s true identity. "Umbaraha! Umbahaya!" Amak began reciting the chant once more. Anyone hearing the ominous chant would feel goosebumps run across their body. He was holding Ja''s Knife in his right hand, and Ilumati''s Snake in his left hand. Ja''s Knife was a wavy, ceremonial knife, and Ilunati''s Snake was a scale made of a giant, T-shaped, coiled up snake. "Let me live!" "The gods won''t forgive you for this!" The middle-aged man and elderly man yelled. However, Amak slowly raised Ja''s Knife as if he couldn''t hear them. "Umbahara!" Amak finished his chant and then stabbed the three. Stab! Stab! Stab! All three of them became silent. Pale souls came out of their bodies, and were sucked into Ilunati''s Snake. "I need more sacrifices," Amak said. Countless Evil God Worshippers bowed their heads behind him. Then... The Evil God''s Third Disciple, ughter Lubatchi appeared from the far side of the passageway. "High Priest, I figured out where thest sacred treasure is," he said respectfully. His entire body was covered in tattoos of people screaming out in pain. "Where?" "The Great Temple of Rakan." "Finally, it''s time to reim all of Lord Ja''s sacred treasures!" Amak''s body shook as if deeply moved. "Ooh, Lord Ja!" "Lord Ja!" The Evil God Worshippers bent over and spoke as one. Chapter 418. Dukeram Appears

Chapter 418. Dukeram Appears

Trantor: Boko The Kman Ruins Battle. The Giant Devouring Quicksand Battle. The Nian Oasis Struggle. The Tulu Desert City Siege. Kang Oh participated in all of the battles between the 2nd and 3rd princes as a mercenary. He also fought most of the Empire Guild''s eight squads. Kang Oh fought Moby Dick and Taker again in the Nian Oasis Struggle, but he wasn''t able to kill them there either. He encountered Ridgeley, the captain of the Brown Bear Squad, in the Kman Ruins. Kang Oh had given him a humiliating defeat in the past, so upon seeing him, Ridgely rushed at him without any regard for anyone or anything else. Not only was he unable to pay him back, but he was humiliated even further. He was so excited that he wasn''t able to fight properly. Once Demon Sword Akanhoff broke his halberd, the fight was over. Indeed, he was humiliated once more. In the Desert City of Tulu and the Giant Devouring Quicksand, Kang Oh encountered the captains of ck Wolf, Giant Soldier, and Yellow Dragon: ck Wolf, Tainos, and Eric. Eric was his most difficult opponent. The Yellow Dragon Squad was the Empire Guild''s strongest squad. The Spirit Swordsman, Eric, managed to bring Kang Oh to death''s door. If he''d killed Eric anyter, then he would''ve died. The only captains he didn''t get a chance to fight were cier''s Captain, Irene, and Red King''s Kuskal. These two captains and their troops were guarding the Empire Guild''s headquarters, so he probably wouldn''t get a chance to fight them. Aside from them, Kang Oh fought the 2nd prince''s strongest warriors too. The ck Insect Mage, Hayaba! The Lord of the Desert City Turkal, Agman! The Desert''s ughterer, Kwan! Kang Oh performed admirably against them, so much so that the 3rd prince''s executives tried to scout him. However, he firmly refused their offer and continued as a mercenary. The looming shadow of defeat had cast over the 3rd prince. Kang Oh believed the 3rd prince didn''t have a chance in hell of turning this war around. Thus, he had no reason to join the 3rd prince''s forces. After all, it was the height of stupidity to join a sinking ship. Being one of the 3rd prince''s mercenaries fit him best, as it allowed him to fight the Empire Guild and the desert''s strongest warriors without being tied down. ''This civil war will end soon.'' The 3rd prince was gathering as many forces as possible. Plus, they stopped fighting every single day. It was clear that they were out of options, and were trying to end the war in one single battle. There were rumors that the 2nd prince was consolidating his forces too. The two forces were getting ready to end things in the Parmana Desert Basin. While they were preparing for the final battle, Kang Oh went to the Goddess''s Land, and went through its high level hunting grounds. He went through the Saul Graveyard, the Nightmare''s Nest, the Cannibal Garden, and even the??? Dungeon. The Saul Graveyard was, of course, an undead paradise, and the Nightmare''s Nest contained horrific monsters known as Kowlers. True to its name, the Cannibal Garden contained various carnivorous nts, and the??? Dungeon was where the Basilisks lived. Basilisks were top-tier monsters that had the ability to use Petrifying Gaze, Petrifying Poison, Scale Missile, and charge attacks. In spite of that, he hunted them all by himself! Though he possessed Demon Sword Akanhoff now, it still didn''t make hunting them a walk in the park. It was, as always, an extremely dangerous endeavor. After all, Basilisks were normally too much for Kang Oh to take on alone. However, all of his hard work had paid off. The stronger his enemies, the more quickly his proficiency would go up. His efforts didn''t go to waste. When Kang Oh had first gotten Vn''s quest, his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship was at 67%. Only a week had passed, yet his proficiency had gone up to 70%. In other words, his Demonic Swordsmanship had gone up by 3% in a single week. With his talent as a Demonic Swordsman increasing, and the Earth''s Blessing doubling his proficiency gain, his growth was explosive! At this rate, he would be able to raise his proficiency to 100% within the 100 day time limit. However, there was an unknown variable here: the missions given to him by the Whispers of the Earth! It''d be terrible if it gave him a mission that was both extremely difficult and long. He also needed time to use Seal Demon. Defeating a level 500 raid boss wouldn''t be easy.. ''Fortunately, I can get Bart''s help for that.'' He could also ask Helena and the Witch''s Forest for their help too. After all, they were indebted to him for his help with the Ecle War. Anyhow, he heard that the 2nd and 3rd princes had gathered all their forces in the Parmana Desert Basin, so he immediately left the Goddess''s Land and headed for the desert. The 2nd and 3rd prince''s forces stood across from a giant basin, which resembled a volcanic crater. ''I''m on time.'' Kang Oh let the Mercenary Leader, who was in charge of all the mercenaries here, know that he was here, and then stood at the vanguard. He examined the enemy''s g. ''Over there.'' The Empire Guild''s g was fiercely fluttering through the desert wind. "Are you over there, Dukeram?" Kang Oh muttered. He wanted to fight with Dukeram today. However, there was no guarantee that they''de face-to-face. He''d just have to wait and see. * * * The sun''s rays were intense today. The Desert Warriors stood in rank and file, and sweat fell from within their turbans. It was as if their camels were thirsty too, as they stretched out their long tongues. The Arabas Kingdom''s 2nd prince, Tehiyon, rode out in front of his army. "Everyone, listen up!" The 2nd prince''s forces quieted down, and focused on Tehiyon''s face, expression, and voice. "My older brother, the crown prince, met a tragic end. Doesn''t that make me, the 2nd prince, the one who will follow in my father''s footsteps and rule this kingdom? Isn''t that right?" "That''s right!" "However, my ambitious little brother tried to take the throne for himself and started a civil war. I, the true sessor to the throne, order you. Crush my little brother and the wicked forces that follow him, and show the world that I am the Arabas Kingdom''s true ruler!" "Uooooh!" His men''s cheers rang out. The Empire Guild''s mastermind, Jegal, had been watching this all happen. Then, Jegal whispered, "How is the mind control going?" "We''re almost done. He''ll be a puppet king under our control," his subordinate said, smiling. "Good." Jegal smiled wickedly. An Empire that would control the entire continent; that Empire would find its beginnings in the Arabas Kingdom. Once Tehiyon''s long speech was done with, the 3rd prince, Tehiram, stood before his army. "Tehiyon, you''re not the true sessor to the crown! How can we serve you, the one who killed our older brother, as king!? Isn''t that right?" Tehiram yelled. There were rumors that the 2nd prince had assassinated the crown prince, and this was the 3rd prince''s justification. "That''s right!" the 3rd prince''s forces yelled simultaneously. "By killing the true sessor, the crown prince, you lost all rights to the throne. That makes me the true sessor to the throne!" Tehiram raised his sword into the air. "Uwaaaah!" It was followed by cheers. "I, the true sessor to the throne, order you. Punish Tehiyon and those who follow him!" "Charge!" "All forces, charge!" Then, themanders ordered their troops to advance. Boooooo! Bang! Bang! Bang! The sounds of horns and beating drums resounded throughout the battlefield, and two giant armies closed in on each other. "Aah, the battle has started!" "The battle has finally begun." "I know you''ve waited a long time. The battle has started now, so stay tuned!" The gamingworks'' correspondents raised their voices. This was thergest war ever since the Ecle War. Obviously, it was the gamingworks'' number 1 priority! "The Empire Guild''s eight squads are making their move. The cier Squad and the Red King Squad are here too." "Do you think Emperor Dukeram will make an appearance here?" "I don''t see Emperor Dukeram anywhere. He must be in that wagon that''s being pulled by all those camels." Numbers rank 1. Emperor Dukeram! He didn''t show up much on TV, but whenever he did, he left behind a huge impression. The correspondents had learned that Dukeram had arrived, so they were desperately waiting for his appearance. His appearance guaranteed huge viewership ratings. "Aah, the 2nd and 3rd prince''s forces are fighting!" "Are you seeing this? The sight of all these people and camels filling the desert!? Don''t miss any of it. You''ll be sure to regret it!" The battle had begun in earnest. The 2nd prince''s forces were slightly stronger than the 3rd prince''s. It was about a 6 to 4 advantage. However, they hadn''t fought for very long, so that advantage wasn''t visible as of yet. "Lure them into the trap as nned," Jegal said to his subordinate. "Yes, sir. I''ll send a message to each of our captains." "Mm. We have to provide Mr. Dukeram with a stage worthy of his stature," Jegal said firmly. His face disyed how much he respected Dukeram. Some say that Dukeram is just a figurehead, and that Jegal is the actual brains behind the operation. That wasn''t true at all. Jegal was #2. His position had been given to him by Emperor Dukeram himself. And he was satisfied with his current position. It was Dukeram for god''s sakes! ''He''s the most perfect person I''ve ever seen!'' Talent, ability, brains, character, appearance, ambition, etc. He had them all in spades! That was Dukeram in a nutshell. Anyhow, Dukeram would be the star in today''s battle. And they''d also realize something. Dukeram was the best, and he always would be. * * * The 3rd prince''s army possessed the Arabas Kingdom''s 2nd and 4th Corps. The 4th Corps Commander, Stan, was called the ''Kingdom''s Star''. He was a Master Desert Warrior. He was a genius that became a Master before the age of thirty, and he was also considered an outstanding individual that''d lead the Arabas Kingdom for the next 50 years. Stan was the Empire Guild''s goal. "Charge at Stan!" "Let''s go." The Empire Guild''s Yellow Dragon, Giant Soldier, ck Wolf, Red King, cier, and Iron Horse Squads cut through anyone in their way and made their way to Stan''s 4th Corps. They had sent six of their squads to cut a path to Stan. Although the 4th Corps'' soldiers were elites, they were individually far weaker than the Empire Guild''s members. Despite having the numerical advantage, the 4th Corps'' vanguard crumbled instantly, and the entire corps was beginning to copse. "You idiots! Get a hold of yourselves!" Stan appeared like a messiah on top of a two-humped camel. "Ooh!" "The Commander is here!" "We''re the invincible 4th Corps!" Stan was not only the 4th Corps Commander, but was also considered the future of the Arabas Kingdom; with his appearance, the troops'' morale rose to its maximum. "T, reinforce the right nk. I want the rest of the 1000 manmanders to gather in the middle. Desert Mages, what are you doing? Form a giant wall on the left nk and prevent the enemies from advancing! Bring the injured to the rear! Mages, save your healing spells for now!" Stan''s leadership ability was exceptional too. Once he gave his orders, the Empire Guild''s advance slowed. "The target''s in sight," Eric said. "Just as nned. Yellow Dragon Squad, cut a path to the target!" "Yes, sir!" "cier Squad, get a move on!" "Giant Soldier Squad, let''s go!" The three squads formed a triangr formation, and began piercing through the center of the 4th Corps. It was a foolish n. "How foolish. Left and right nks, crush them!" Stan yelled. The Empire Guild pierced through the middle like a sharp drill, but it seemed like the left and right nks would surround them soon. At that moment... Another squad btedly came after them. Dukeram''s wagon was going with them! The Brown Bear Squad and the Moby Dick Squad were guarding it! "Moby Dick Squad, to the right nk. Brown Bear Squad, to the left. Please buy us some time," Jegal yelled. "Yes, sir!" Moby Dick and Ridgeley yelled simultaneously, andmanded their troops. "Now then, let''s go!" Jegal said to the wagon. Dukeram''s wagon made it all the way to Stan without a single obstacle in sight. The Empire Guild''s squads had carved quite thefortable path for him. "Youe to the center of the battlefield in such a gaudy wagon. Who are you, little boy!? Get lost!" Stan scanned the wagon and yelled. Then... The door to the wagon opened, and a man came out. "Aah, he''s finally shown up!" "The Emperor hase in person!" "The immovable rank 1! Dukeram has finally shown up!" The correspondents yelled at the top of their lungs. Tramp. The man came down from the wagon, and leisurely walked over to Stan. He sported a soft smile on his face. "Sorry. My vice-captain likes to make things shy." Emperor Dukeram had finally arrived. Chapter 419. Emperor Dukeram

Chapter 419. Emperor Dukeram

Trantor: Boko Dukeram was exceedingly handsome. He''d scanned his physical features, so he looked exactly like he did in real life. He had a small face, dimples, curly hair, clean-cut features, and bright, sharp brown eyes. In an age of stic surgery, he was apletely natural handsome man! People even modeled their characters after him. His body was well proportioned too. He was 189 centimeters tall, and had no ounce of fat on his body. Thus, the entertainment business called him dozens of times every day. However, Dukeram wasn''t just handsome. He was a gaming genius. It only made sense. Despite how many skilled yers there were worldwide, Dukeram had remained rank 1 since Arth''s inception. His talent and sense were undeniable. Dukeram was supposedly part of Mensa. He had been the one to scout Jegal, who was originally from a small guild, which meant he had a discerning eye too. Plus, there were rumors that he wasn''t just rich, but filthy rich. He was purportedly the second son of the Daehyeon Group, the 2ndrgestpany in Korea. Apparently, it was impossible to hate Dukeram once you met him face-to-face. It had something to do with watching him constantly try to better himself or what not. In other words, he was a hard working genius! Dukeram didn''t have any issues with women either. He didn''t have a lover, but he wasn''t a womanizer. Any woman who came across himplimented his manners and how straightforward he was with them. He clearly possessed great leadership abilities too. After all, he immediately scouted Jegal, Eric, and other skilled individuals after establishing the Empire Guild, causing them to skyrocket in power overnight. Jegal''s view of Dukeram wasn''t an exaggeration; Dukeram was the perfect human being! "It''s a pleasure, Mr. Stan. My name is Dukeram. I''m the leader of the Empire Guild," Dukeram said. There was a certain grace to his movements. "Mm." Originally, Stan believed that some spoiled brat was inside the wagon. However, hepletely purged that from his mind. The strong recognized each other! Stan wasn''t blinded by Dukeram''s face, the atmosphere surrounding him, or his shy equipment. Thus, he realized just how strong Dukeram was. Dukeram definitely wasn''t weaker than him. ''I''ve finally found a worthy opponent.'' Stan drew his scimitar. He was excited at the prospect of fighting Dukeram. "You said your name is Dukeram?" "Yes, that''s right." "I want to fight you at full strength." Stan red at Dukeram. "That''s why I came here." Dukeram''s eyes gleamed, and he drew the sword at his waist. Max Cain! It was one of the four peerless des crafted by the legendary artisan, Max. The most famous of these des was Max Perado, the sword used by the Hero Javen! Demon Sword Ubist had once been Max Gemina, one of the four legendary swords in the Max Series. "Max Cain, huh." Stan knew exactly what Dukeram was wielding. After all, Max Cain was known for its glittering sky blue de, as if the stars themselves were embedded within. "That''s right." "My Teros has finally found its match." Teros''s Sword. It was an SS-rank scimitar that had originally been used by the great desert warrior, Teros. It was iparable to the Max Series, but it was definitely a top-tier de. "I think words are no longer necessary," Dukeram said. Stan nodded his head. It was time for them to cross des. He leapt off his double-humped camel andnded in front of Dukeram. "Don''t interfere," Stan said to his subordinates. "Yes, sir!" "I believe in you, Commander!" The 4th Corps'' troops cheered for theirmander. "The same goes for me. Do not interfere with our duel," Dukeram said to the Empire Guild. "Of course." "We know you''ll win." The Empire Guild fully believed in their leader. Not a single one of them believed he would lose. The two took their positions and stared each other down. Neither of them moved. However, anyone with a bit of sense knew what was happening. Dukeram and Stan were engaged in an intense imaginary battle. Though it was an imaginary battle, it could easily turn into a real life battle at any moment. How much time had passed? Swish. The wind swept through the sand in between them. Despite that, neither Dukeram nor Stan made a move. * * * "The Empire Guild''s leader and rank 1, Dukeram! It''s already been 5 minutes since he''s engaged the Arabas Kingdom''s Desert Warrior, Stan, but... He hasn''t moved a muscle yet. How long will he stay put?" "The tension is so thick you could cut it with a knife!" "I wonder how Dukeram will fare against a Master like Stan?" "Aah, they''re finally moving!" "The one who moved first... No, they moved simultaneously!" The correspondents said. The two rushed at each other simultaneously. Dukeram swung his sword horizontally, while Stan swung his downwards. ng! A shrill, metallic ''ng'' rang out. Neither side was pushed back. After that, the two sides shed des several times. It was such a simple fight that it''d make you wonder whether this was really a fight between Dukeram and Stan. But those with a discerning eye bit their lips. That ''simple fight'' was much moreplicated than it looked. Kang Oh knew this fact well. He too had chased after the gaudy wagon in hopes of fighting Dukeram. Thus, he had a front row seat to Dukeram and Stan''s battle. Kang Oh realized what the two were intending as they shed des. ''He exposed himself on purpose there; wow, he didn''t fall for it? Looks like he''s baiting him into doing something here. That''s how experts fight; they act like they''re doing something and then do something else. But this is just a taste of what''s toe.'' Kang Oh crossed his arms and continued to watch their battle. Eventually, Kang Oh''s eyes widened. Dukeram wasn''t being overwhelmed at all. On the contrary, he had quickly gotten the upper hand. He was fighting the Master Desert Warrior, Stan, at that. This could only mean one thing. ''He''s a Master!'' Dukeram was just a in old Swordsman. He had to be a Master Swordsman; if he wasn''t, then there''s no way he''d be beating Stan. ''I was wondering why they were so confident. They set this up to show the world that Dukeram has be a Master.'' Other people began to make the same realization. "Aah, Dukeram isn''t being pushed back at all. In fact, he seems to be winning." "Breaking news. It''s highly likely that Emperor Dukeram has be a Master!" "It seems like Emperor Dukeram is the first yer to be a Master!" "As expected of Dukeram." The correspondents went crazy. Those watching at home werepletely shocked. A Master! Experts believed that it''d take a yer at least half a year to be a Master based on the way Arth''s proficiency system worked and the average yer''s growth. However, Dukeram had blown all of those figures out of the water. Arthtory and the othermunity sites went crazy. They were filled with posts exalting Dukeram. [Dukeram is the God of Arth.] [The First Master, Dukeram!] [Forever No.1, Dukeram!] ... Kang Oh had a bitter taste in his mouth. If he hadn''t experienced an automobile ident, and had yed Arth from its inception, then things could''ve been different. Perhaps he could''ve been the first Master. Of course, if not for the ident, then he wouldn''t have his Hyper Intuition. "Mm." Kang Oh dragged his foot across the sand. He was suddenly lost in thought. He originally nned on challenging Dukeram. So long as Dukeram was a Master, however, Kang Oh had almost no chance of beating him. ''So should I just back off now?'' Kang Oh thought. ''No, no. He''s the first yer to be a Master! If I fight him, I may get a better understanding as to how to be a Master.'' Kang Oh had a feeling that raising one''s proficiency wasn''t the key to bing a Master. He believed there was something beyond that! ''Yeah, let''s fight him.'' Kang Oh made sure he had a return scroll ready. He nned on fighting Dukeram, and if he need be, run away. A game over for him was worse than it would be for other yers. He couldn''t afford to die here. * * * ''Everything''s going as nned!'' Jegal''s lips curled upwards. Dukeram and Stan''s battle gradually became more intense. Stan attempted to retake the momentum with abination of sharp strikes, flowingbo attacks, and skills used at the precise time. What''s worse, he mixed in Desert Warrior secret techniques too. Scorpion King''s Judgment! A rainbow-colored scorpion aura attempted to devour his enemy! Sword of Demise! Anyone cut by his de would wither away like a mummy until all that was left was a handful of sand. However, Dukeram was a Master Swordsman. There was no need to reiterate how skilled he was, and all of his equipment was SS-rank too! He also knew 3 Swordsman secret techniques. Sword that Brings Victory! This skill would unleash a killing blow that possessed absolute destructive power. Space-Time Sword! This skill would unleash a sh that twisted both space and time! It would either cause an attack 3 seconds ago to appear 3 secondster, or allow a melee attack to strike someone from several hundreds of feet away. Enlightened One! This secret move would boost all of his abilities, increase the power behind his sword, and draw out the maximum power of his sword''s item effects! There was no reason he''d be beaten by Stan when he had these three skills. Ultimately, they fought for more than an hour. However, once Dukeram sliced Stan''s wrist, the battle was essentially over. "Aah!" "No, Commander!" "You can do it!" "Commander Stan!" The 4th Corps'' troops desperately cried out. On the other hand, the Empire Guild was having a st. "Ooh, the great Dukeram!" "We''ll always be with you!" "Hehe." Jegal kept smiling. What would happen if Dukeram were to kill Stan now? Kang Oh, Helena, Bart, Raon, and Hernandez would be nothing more than the glow of a firefly. Their gentle light wouldn''t hold a candle to Dukeram''s brilliant moonlight! Plus, what would happen after the civil war was over and the Arabas Kingdom came under the control of the Empire Guild? The Empire Guild would no longer be one of the 4 great guilds; they would surpass them and be the indisputably strongest, best guild there is! Jegal''s eyes zed with ambition. * * * Stan was a Master Desert Warrior. Although he was losing to Dukeram, he was still a Master. Thus, he had a final card to y. ''I''m going to wait until the very end.'' No matter how great Dukeram was, he would inevitably lower his guard when victory was within sight. That would be Stan''s final chance at turning things around. Thus, Stan didn''t give up till the bitter end. However, he didn''tst long. The force behind Stan''s scimitar progressively became weaker and weaker. It was time to decide who the winner and loser were. Dukeram thrust his sword, aiming for Stan''s heart. Then, Stan counterattacked at the perfect time. It was quick, precise, and sharp! It was as if a dying rat had suddenly got its second wind and bit the cat! Dukeram quickly turned his body. Swish! His scimitar ripped through Dukeram''s armor and rent flesh, causing him to burst with huge shards of light. Stan grimaced, and his sword hand had lost all its strength. Dukeram was sure that Stan didn''t have anything left! ''This is the end.'' Dukeram swung downwards, aiming for Stan''s neck. However...! Right when Dukeram''s de sliced through Stan''s neck... ''This is really the end!'' Stan pushed his neck forward, allowing Dukeram''s de to push even deeper, and thrust his scimitar at Dukeram''s heart. Sword of Demise! Red shards of light burst out of Stan''s neck like a fountain of blood. The Sword of Demise made contact with Dukeram''s body. With this, Dukeram''s body would wither away into a dried up husk and eventually be a handful of sand! At the very least, this battle wouldn''t end in Stan''s defeat. Unfortunately...! Dukeram''s armor radiated iridescent light. The SS-rank armor set, ''Invincible Tarsonis'', had activated its special effect. Full Heal! This ability dispelled all curses and status ailments, andpletely restored one''s HP, MP, and Stamina. "Too bad," Dukeram said. He waspletely unscathed. "Damn it." Stan didn''t even have the energy to raise his scimitar. Dukeram swung his sword. Swish. Stan''s body fell to the ground. The man who was once called the Arabas Kingdom''s Future had perished. "Commander Stan!" "Commander!" "Waaaa!" "Dukeram! Dukeram!" The 4th Corps and the Empire Guild hadpletely different reactions. "I won!" Dukeram raised his sword into the air. Then, the Empire Guild''s cheers got even louder,pletely drowning out the 4th Corps'' anguished cries. At that moment...! Whoosh! Thunk! A ck object fell from the sky,nding right in front of Dukeram. It folded its dark red wings, and two demonic horns on its head pointed at the sky. Darkness crept out of Ubist from his right hand, while Blood''s snow-white de glimmered like a spotless mirror from his left hand. "Let''s fight!" Kang Oh yelled. Chapter 420. Kang Oh vs. Dukeram (1)

Chapter 420. Kang Oh vs. Dukeram (1)

Trantor: Boko Dukeram''s clear brown eyes gleamed. He was smiling from underneath his helmet. "Kang Oh!" He immediately recognized the man that stood before him, and greeted him amicably as if he were meeting a good friend. "Dukeram!" Kang Oh yelled. On the contrary, Kang Oh''s cry was anything but friendly. In fact, the voice behind his beast mask was incredibly hostile. ''Damn you!'' When you saw someone better than you, you''d naturally feel jealous. Dukeram was a Master Swordsman! Moreover, he was the guildmaster of the Empire Guild. He definitely made more money than Kang Oh, and what''s worse, he was handsome and he was higher ranked than him. There were so many other reasons he hated Dukeram. "Aah, Predator Kang Oh has shown up!" "Breaking news! Kang Oh has challenged Dukeram to a fight!" "A fight between the Numbers! Emperor Dukeram versus Predator Kang Oh!" The special correspondents, who were in-between the members of the Empire Guild and had previously televised Dukeram''s fight with Stan, raised their voices. Their live broadcast was being shown to the entire country, no, the entire world. Kang Oh versus Dukeram! On one side, you had the leader of the Empire Guild and indisputably the most powerful yer in Arth. On the other, you had someone who came into the scene out of nowhere, beating countless experts to cement his spot as one of the upper rank Numbers! If Dukeram was the Hero, then Kang Oh was the Demon King. "Did you know?" Dukeram began. "Know what?" "I was your fan, back when you yed Warlord." The most popr game prior to Arth was Warlord. Back then, Kang Oh was called the Human Dragon and had reigned supreme as the number 1 yer. "You yed Warlord? I don''t remember an ID called Dukeram..." "My ID was Isaac back then." "Monster Isaac!" Kang Oh was shocked. Kang Oh had been Warlord''s most powerful yer, but Isaac had been renowned for his talent and his speed of growth; he had managed to reach the max level in the shortest known time. Monster Isaac! After he''d disappeared due to his automobile ident, Isaac inherited Kang Oh''s title as strongest. ''He also beat Kaigon, someone even I couldn''t beat.'' Kaigon was a five-headed dragon, and was Warlord''s most powerful boss. Of course, there was a chance that Kang Oh would eventually be able to beat it too, had the automobile ident not happened. But it was nothing more than a hunch. Isaac, the legendary yer that killed Kaigon, went by Dukeram now. ''The rumors were true.'' ''As expected, Dukeram was Isaac.'' The correspondents'' eyes gleamed. There''s no way someone like Dukeram came out of nowhere. Thus, some people suspected that Dukeram was actually Isaac. Of course, Dukeram neither confirmed nor denied the rumors, so it didn''t be a huge issue. But now...! Dukeram''s past was revealed. "Aah, Dukeram''s past has been revealed. He used to be Isaac, Warlord''s final rank 1 yer!" "Isaac and Dukeram are one in the same. He used to be rank 1 in Warlord, and now he''s rank 1 in Arth! He is a true champion!" Kang Oh didn''t care about their chatter. After all, his gaze was entirely focused on Dukeram. "So what? Do you want an autograph or something?" Kang Oh said provocatively. "I was a fan of your past self." "Past? Then what about now?" Kang Oh asked. "Someone I want to fight against!" Dukeram''s eyes gleamed, radiating his incredible power. At the same time, his expression seemed to say... ''Let''s fight!'' ''Fine by me!'' Kang Oh grinned. That was exactly what he wanted. There was a thick tension between the two. The two engaged in an invisible battle, one in which their breathing, their small movements, the shuffle of their feet, their eyesight, the shaking of their feet, etc. couldn''t be seen. It was an imaginary battle, or a capturing race. Kang Oh was the first one to break the stalemate. Whoosh! Kang Oh rushed forward, and swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards with blistering speed. Dukeram responded immediately. His weapon, Max Cain, drew a beautiful arc in the air. Whir! Before Ubist was sealed inside, the demon sword was originally Max Gemina, one of the four greatest des produced by the master artisan, Max. In other words, it was like a brother sword to Max Cain. The two ''brotherly'' swords forcefully shed. ng! The force of impact was so great that both des were pushed back in opposite directions. Dukeram quickly got back into position, and swung his sword diagonally. Steel sh! Max Cain, coated in a thinyer of dim light, flew through the air with great speed and power. Kang Oh immediately swung Demon Sword Ubist horizontally. sh! ng! Sparks flew once more, and a metallic ''ng'' rang out. Kang Oh and Dukeram continually crossed des. ng! ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh was akin to a forest fire. He repeatedly attacked Dukeram with both his blood sword and jet-ck de. Whereas Dukeram was like ake. With his calm and simple movements, he was able to repel Kang Oh''s fierce assault without much issue. Thus, it appeared like Kang Oh waspletely pushing him around. However, looks could be deceiving. If Kang Oh hadn''t been wearing his beast mask, then people would see how creased his forehead was. Kang Oh was like fire, while Dukeram was like water. The me was slowly diminishing. ''He has no weak points.'' Normally, when Kang Oh attacked his opponent like this, they would expose some weak points. After all, Kang Oh''s attack power was ridiculous. However, Dukeram blocked every one of Kang Oh''s attacks while not revealing a single weak point. Which meant...! ''I don''t want to admit it, but he''s a level above me.'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth. At that moment... sh! Dukeram''s sword flew over, as if he''d used Transcendent de. It was as though someone else had swung his sword. After all, his attack waspletely different from before. Swish! Max Cain sliced through Kang Oh''s neck, causing shards of light to burst out. Fortunately, it wasn''t a fatal hit. Before it hit him, Kang Oh leaned back, causing the de to merely graze his neck. ''Hoh!'' Dukeram''s eyes gleamed. Whenever Max Cain was swung, it charged up. When it was fully charged, it could be swung at its maximum speed. This was called Supersonic Speed Strike. Kang Oh was the only person who''d ever dodged it on his first try. His supposed rival, the ck Lion, Raon, had managed to dodge it after their 2nd encounter. It was due to Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition. When his Hyper Intuition activated, his body would instinctively move before his mind could even catch up. That happened this time too. Thus, he just barely managed to dodge Dukeram''s Supersonic Speed Strike. "Chaaht!" Kang Oh counterattacked. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! The two waves tossed and turned, and flew straight at Dukeram. Dukeram quickly swung his sword. Steel sh! Max Cain, surrounded by dim light, cleaved through both the jet-ck and red waves with a single swing! Dukeram dashed through the split waves, and thrust his sword. Vital Thrust! Kang Oh quickly turned his body, and tilted Blood. Sword Parry! ng! Max Cain slid across Blood, and Dukeram lost his bnce. ''An opening!'' This was the first time he''d seen a weak point. He immediately aimed for the opening with Ubist. ''This will definitely work!'' Kang Oh was certain of that. However...! He wasn''t sure when he withdrew his sword, but Dukeram blocked Ubist with Max Cain. No, he parried it. Screech! Bam! Ubist slid off Max Cain''s sky blue de and was stuck in the ground. He had used Sword Parry himself, as if saying, ''Did you think you were the only one who could use it!?''. Whoosh! Max Cain glowed with golden light. Sword that Brings Victory! A golden pir of light surged from his sword. It felt like a yellow dragon was trying to gobble him whole. Then, the world slowed. Transcendent de! Kang Oh quickly pulled Ubist out of the ground, and swung upwards. At the same time... Evesting Darkness! Ubist unleashed a drill of darkness. Fortunately, he hadn''t been toote. Kang Oh had reacted before it hit him. Bam! The two auras, golden and ck, intertwined, as if two snakes were coiling around each other. There was no explosion. The two auras transformed into golden powder, rose into the air, and then fell to the ground. Kang Oh and Dukeram shed once more amidst that beautiful sight. * * * Their fight obviously drew a ton of attention. However, there were plenty of people that didn''t have time to watch their fight. The 2nd prince''s 1st and 3rd Corps, the nobles and affluent families, and the Insect Mages! The 3rd prince''s 2nd and 4th Corps, the intermediate families, and the Sand Mages! Stan''s death at the hands of Dukeram had caused the 4th Corps to quickly crumble under the might of the Empire Guild''s elites. The remaining 2nd Corps, the nobles, and the Sand Mages fought fiercely against the 2nd prince''s forces. "You traitors!" "Hmph. You''re the traitors. You immoral bastards!" Countless camel footprints were imprinted on the sand. The warriors'' weapons shined with the intense sunlight, and the battlefield was filled with their screams and cries. "Uhaaahk!" "Let''s go!" The soldiers screamed and rushed at each other with their swords or spears. Sand and Insect. Although they were the desert''s two schools of magic, the two organizations had extremely bad rtions. The fact that Asand, the leader of the Sand Mages, immediately joined the 3rd prince when Inhart, the leader of the Insect Mages, joined the 2nd prince proved this. As a result, the Insect Mages and the Sand Mages fought to their heart''s content. This day was no different. The Insect Mages'' leader, Inhart, raised his staff. Countless Insect Mages were by his side. He was getting a continual supply of mana from his subordinates via Mana Link. "Come out, the true terror of the desert!" A huge, huge worm popped out of the sand. Summon Monster Worm! It opened its wrinkled mouth, revealing the serrated teeth within. Chomp! "S-Save me!" "Guhaaahk!" The monster worm devoured dozens of regr soldiers. "Hmph, it''s just a mere bug!" The Sand Mage''s leader, Asand, drew a circle with his staff. He too was using Mana Link. Sand Giant! He summoned a sand monster the size of a small hill. Whoosh! Like a tsunami made of sand, the Sand Giant pushed forward, sweeping through the 2nd prince''s troops and flying at the monster worm. Whoosh! A fist popped out of the sand, and struck the monster worm head-on. Bam! Bam! Kyaa! The monster worm writhed in pain, and then spat out yellow acid. It had spewed so much that it flew everywhere like a fountain. Hiss! Upon contact, the Sand Giant''s body was scorched ck, and let out an unpleasant smell. From there, the Sand Giant and the monster worm continuously fought, both trying to kill the other. Meanwhile, Inhart and Asand cast other spells. Large-Scale Summon Insect! Inhart summoned a swarm of blood-sucking flies, monster dragonflies, Assassin Mantises, Bombardment Bugs, Steel Armor Bugs, etc. At first nce, they were clearly horrific beings. Gold Pyramid! All of a sudden, a shimmering pyramid rose from the sand. "Kill them all!" Inhart yelled. Then, the insects flew straight for the pyramid. "Annihte the insects!" Asand yelled. Whir! The surface of the pyramid glowed with light, burning the insects to a crisp. "Kill them all!" "If you don''t want to die, then kill them first!" The 2nd and 3rd princes'' decisive battle was getting more and more intense. Chapter 421. Kang Oh vs. Dukeram (2)

Chapter 421. Kang Oh vs. Dukeram (2)

Trantor: Boko Dukeram wielded Max Cain, a sky blue de that sparkled like the stars in the night sky, and wore stylish armor! Kang Oh, however, looked like a demon, and wielded both Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood in his hands. The two fought evenly. Dukeram proved why he was worthy of rank 1, as well as how he''d defeated the Master Desert Warrior, Stan. Not only that, but he was a Master Swordsman himself. He was strong, quick, and his swordsmanship was sound. He also timed the use of his skills well. Dukeram was sharp and experienced, so he didn''t overreach and didn''t let down his guard either. Not to mention all of his equipment was SS-rank! ''He''s definitely the strongest yer I''ve ever fought against.'' Even Bart was nowhere near as strong as Dukeram. Helena''s magic or Hernandez''s spear wouldn''t match up to him either. Kang Oh couldn''t match up to Dukeram with pure swordsmanship either. However, he had his Hyper Intuition. It would tell him what his opponent''s weaknesses were, as well as send him a warning whenever an attack wasing! This psychic ability allowed him to fight Dukeram evenly. "Mm." Dukeram furrowed his brow for the first time after Kang Oh dodged his attack. He couldn''t understand Kang Oh. Kang Oh shouldn''t be at a level that would allow him to dodge all of his attacks, yet he was somehow managing to do just that. ''How about this!?'' Dukeram used another secret move. Space-Time sh! This skill allowed him to transcend time and space! Dukeram swung Max Cain. Then, Kang Oh''s back felt cold. He instinctively rolled to the side. Swish! A thick line appeared where he''d once been. This was Space-Time sh! Space-Time sh made the user''s attacke out three secondster, ore at an angle that their opponent didn''t expect. However, Kang Oh had managed to dodge this too! "Are you psychic or something?" Dukeram asked. "..." Kang Oh said nothing. He merely stood up and extended Blood. Stab! The snow-white de sliced through Dukeram''s right arm, causing it to burst with shards of light. At that moment... Supersonic Strike! Dukeram activated Max Cain''s special ability. The sky blue de cleaved through Kang Oh''s body with blistering speed. Bam! "Ugh." Kang Oh staggered. After witnessing Kang Oh''s ridiculous evasion, Dukeram hade to the conclusion that he''d have to sacrifice his body tond a critical blow. Immediately after he''de to that conclusion, he put it into effect. His tactic of risking injury to deal fatal damage had worked perfectly. Dukeram attacked the staggering Kang Oh once more. Steel sh! Max Cain flew at Kang Oh, intent on finishing him off. Whir! Kang Oh''s ne glowed with light. Moon''s Protection! A full moon surrounded him. Bam! Once Max Cain struck Kang Oh''s barrier, Dukeram quickly withdrew his sword and prepared his next move. Space-Time sh! He swung his sword in the air. As soon as the barrier disappeared, a line was etched on Kang Oh''s body. "Tch!" Kang Oh held Ubist horizontally. ng! Upon contact, a metallic ''ng'' rang out. However, Space-Time sh was just bait! Dukeram forcefully swung Max Cain, which glowed with golden light. Sword that Brings Victory! Regardless of his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh couldn''t dodge everything. He couldn''t dodge Dukeram''s sequence of attacks. Bam! The giant, mighty energy devoured Kang Oh whole. [You have been swept away by a powerful attack.] [You have fainted.] [HP -2%] [HP -1%] [HP -3%] ... ''Damn it!'' Countless shards of light fell from Kang Oh''s body. The impact of Dukeram''s attack had caused him to faint, so there was nothing he could do. At that moment... Kang Oh''s dark red wings forcefully pped. Having sensed the danger he was in, Tasha had begun controlling his wings. Like a flying fish jumping out of the water, Kang Oh soared into the air. Once he escaped the Sword that Brings Victory, the status ailment, fainting, was dispelled. "Thank you, Tasha!" Kang Oh said. ''You saved me!'' "Don''t lose!" Tasha said telepathically. "Of course!" Kang Oh swung Ubist. Tempest Tiger! A roaring tiger-shaped aura shot out of his de, and dashed towards Dukeram. If you use a huge attack, then you leave yourself open! Bam! Since he''d just used a secret move, Dukeram was unable to block or dodge the Tempest Tiger, and fell to the floor. This was a first. Dukeram''s butt had hit the hot sand. "Emperor Dukeram has fallen!" "Kang Oh''s counterattack worked!" Theworks'' correspondents became heated. "Mr. Dukeram!" "How dare you!?" "That bastard!" The Empire Guild members yelled. Whoosh! Tempest Tiger''s auxiliary ability, the raging whirlwind, caused sand to go flying everywhere. Swish! However, the whirlwind was split in half and disappeared. Tramp. Dukeram walked out, his entire body covered in sand. Wings of light protruded from his back. He had activated his ne''s special ability. Valha''s Wings! This effect doubled his abilities for 10 minutes. But that wasn''t all. Silver energy rose from Max Cain like a haze. Kang Oh had seen this ability before. Dukeram used it against Stan. ''Enlightened One!'' Sword that Brings Victory, Space-Time sh, and Enlightened One. Those were the three secret moves that Dukeram possessed! Not only did it strengthen his abilities, but it would increase the power of all his Swordsman-rted skills and draw out his sword''s maximum potential. In other words... Rank 1, the Master Swordsman and strongest yer, Dukeram, had be even stronger! ''I need to use something good!'' Kang Oh hung Blood on his waist, and pulled out a sapphire ring from his inventory. Lycas''s Ring! It was an S-rank item that he got from Ridgeley after he beat him a second time. It was an incredible ring, so he could sell it for a ton of money! Even so, he had to be willing to sacrifice at least this much to fight against Dukeram. Gluttony! Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness coiled around Kang Oh''s arm, and then devoured the ring. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Lycan''s Ring.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use the abilities: Lightning Bolt and Lightning Veil.] [Lightning Bolt: There is a fixed chance of lightning striking the enemies around you. The user''s magic stat affects the lightning''s power.] [Lightning Veil: Imbues the power of lightning into one''s weapon. Deals lightning damage to the user''s enemy and asionally paralyzes them. There is also a fixed chance of casting Chain Lightning whenever you swing your sword.] Kang Oh stretched out his dark red wings, and darkness exploded from his demonized body. Dukeram swung his sword at him. Kang Oh was in the air, so there was no way his attack would hit. So long as he didn''t use Time-Space sh, that is. Swish! Dukeram targeted Kang Oh''s wing. Tasha quickly reacted, and dodged his Space-Time sh. He swung his sword once more. Crescent Moon sh! A crescent moon shaped st flew right at him. "Tasha! Let''s go get him," Kang Oh said. "Got it." The Dual Demon stretched out his wings, dodged the aura, and flew right at Dukeram. Kang Oh swung Blood while flying horizontally. He was so used to swinging his sword midair now, so he had no problems with it. sh! A white line followed Demon Sword blood. Dukeram responded with a skill of his own. Steel sh! Max Cain was swung downwards, shing with Blood. ng! The collision resulted in a huge ''ng''. It was a sign that the power behind both their des was tremendous. Kang Ohnded on the floor. Then, Dukeram extended Max Cain. Vital Thrust! Max Cain radiated intense light. It was the effect of Enlightened One. As a reminder, this skill increased the power of any sword-rted skills! Noticing how powerful his attack seemed, Kang Oh swung both his demon swords simultaneously. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! The jet-ck and blood red waves shot forward. Boom! Upon contact, both Kang Oh and Dukeram were pushed back. Dukeram was the first to get back into position and attack. Kang Oh responded btedly. He swung both Ubist and Blood, but Dukeram deflected them and pierced the middle of Kang Oh''s chest. Red shards of light burst from his body. Dukeram didn''t stop there. Attack! Attack! Attack! ''This bastard!'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Dukeram''s skill with the de was tremendous. Even though he was using both Devil Trigger and Gluttony, Kang Oh was getting overpowered. He was arduously blocking Dukeram''s attacks, but he couldn''t block them all, and he didn''t often get a chance to retaliate. ''I can''t keep this up!'' To think he''d be pushed back after using Gluttony! Kang Oh decided to use hisst resort. A short whileter... The effect of Lycan''s Ring activated. A bolt of lightning fell from overhead. However, Dukeram didn''t dodge it. He instead swung his sword at it. Crescent Moon sh! It was quite a shocking turn of events. Dukeram split the lightning bolt in two, as if he were felling a tree, and the lightning dissipated on its own! As expected of Dukeram! However, that gave Kang Oh the time he needed to use Switch. Demon Sword Blood was switched with Demon Sword Akanhoff. Although Akanhoff possessed abilities second to none, it drained its user''s HP! This sword may enable him to win against Dukeram. Anyhow, once Blood disappeared, Kang Oh''s appearance changed. The horns on his mask, the dark red wings, and the red blood armor disappeared. He had be the Jet-ck Demon. Lightning Veil! Crackle! Sparks danced across Demon Sword Akanhoff''s purple de. Kang Oh also added a secret move to that. Mad Wind''s Sword! Ubist and Akanhoff! Both of his demon swords began to dance through the air. Unwilling to be outdone, Dukeram began to swing his sword as fast and as powerfully as he could. ng! ng! ng! ng! Their des continually met, resounding in repeated ''ngs''. Plus, shards of light began to spill from Kang Oh''s body. Dukeram was really crazy. He deflected both of Kang Oh''s demon swords while he was using Mad Sword''s Wind and even managed to find the time to counterattack like it was nothing! However, Kang Oh didn''t just sit there and take it. Kang Oh focused on Max Cain more so than Dukeram himself. Even a de of Max Cain''s caliber wouldn''t be able to withstand Akanhoff''s Absolute Destruction ability, especially when they made contact so many times. Once Max Cain''s de dulled ever so slightly, Dukeram furrowed his brow. ''It''s dulling Max Cain''s de!? That sword''s dangerous.'' Dukeram realized how overpowered Demon Sword Akanhoff was. Thus, he decided to finish off Kang Oh before his sword could be destroyed. His attacks became even fiercer. However, Kang Oh was using Mad Wind''s Sword! The more he swung, the quicker his attacks would be. Thus, he was able to match Dukeram''s speed. Moreover...! The increase in attacks caused Darkness Strike to activate. ck beast and purple bird shaped wavespletely overwhelmed Dukeram. This was the first time Kang Oh had gotten the upper hand in his fight against Dukeram. Of course, Kang Oh''s condition wasn''t good. He''d taken tremendous damage from Dukeram, Akanhoff was steadily draining his HP, and Mad Wind''s Sword was quickly depleting his MP and Stamina! ''I can''t keep this up for long. I have to finish him off while I still have the chance!'' Kang Oh rushed forward and barraged him with attacks. Crackle! Lightning Veil''s secondary effect activated, causing Chain Lightning to shoot out of Akanhoff. Swish! Dukeram cleaved it in two using Steel sh. Then, Kang Oh let out a battle cry and bombarded him with powerful skills. "Uhaaaa!" sh! Lightning Breath! Tempest Tiger! Abyss w! Evesting Darkness! Dukeram''s handsome face contorted significantly. He also yelled fiercely. "Haaahp!" Dukeram knew that this would determine the winner and loser of the fight, so he used every single one of his item effects and skills. Steel sh! Time-Space sh! Vital Thrust! Supersonic Strike! Crescent Moon sh! Sword that Brings Victory! Kang Oh and Dukeram. One was a huge wave and the other a huge storm; a wave and storm that devoured everything in their path! shing with their full strength caused shockwaves to spread everywhere, affecting the guild members, the special correspondents, and the 4th Corps. "Damn it!" "Uheok!" Aside from just a few of either sides'' strongest, everyone else was blown back in a 50 meter radius of Kang Oh and Dukeram, and fell to the floor. So much sand had flown into the air that it was difficult to see what was going on. Sometimeter... People began to get a hold of themselves one or two at a time. "Haa, haa!" "What the hell is this!?" "So who won?" "Who won?" The sand began to clear. And...! Kang Oh and Dukeram were revealed. Chapter 422. Whispers of the Earth

Chapter 422. Whispers of the Earth

Trantor: Boko Dukeram was on one knee, while Kang Oh stood tall with his Devil Trigger deactivated. It was clear that Kang Oh hade out victorious. "Aah!" "How could this be!?" "Mr. Dukeram!" The Empire Guild members couldn''t believe what they were seeing. All of a sudden, however, Kang Oh pulled out a return scroll from his inventory and ripped it! "Grr!" Dukeram gritted his teeth, suddenly stood up, and swung Max Cain. However, he couldn''t go all the way through. Bzzzt. Sparks danced across his body. His body was partially paralyzed due to the electricity. In the meantime, Kang Ohpletely disappeared, leaving behind silver powder on his way out. "Tch!" Dukeram stabbed Max Cain, which was cracked all over and dulled, into the ground and clicked his tongue. ''I''ll kill you for sure next time!'' * * * "Haa, haa." Kang Oh, who''d returned to Altein, ced both of his demon swords into his inventory and checked his remaining HP. [Warning. HP is critically low.] [Remaining HP: 2%] "Hoo, I barely got out of there." Kang Oh and Dukeram had given it everything they had at the end. He was the one who''dnded the final attack. He had used Transcendent de with Akanhoff and had dealt Dukeram a serious blow. Not only did the strike deal significant damage, but Lightning Veil had electrified Dukeram too. The attack, coupled with the paralysis, was why Dukeram had fallen to one knee. However, Dukeram truly was monstrous. Kang Oh''s final attack hadn''t managed to finish him off. Unfortunately, Kang Oh wasn''t able to continue the fight after that. Thus, he was forced to use a return scroll and escape. In other words, he''d lost. "Damn it." Kang Oh forcefully punched a nearby wall. Whack! Losing always made him feel dirty! ''I have to get even stronger. I''ll definitely beat Dukeram one day!'' Kang Oh pledged. * * * "We won!" "Waaaaa!" The final battle between the 2nd and 3rd prince had ended in the 2nd prince''s victory. Dukeram and the Empire Guild''s part in annihting the 4th Corps and Stan had been crucial to their victory. Ultimately, the 2nd prince, Tehiyon, ascended to the Arabas throne. It had gone exactly as the Empire Guild had wanted. The 3rd prince, Tehiram, was executed, and the leading members of his faction were either killed or imprisoned. The Desert Mages and their leader, Asand, were pardoned. After all, they couldn''t afford to eliminate one of their two schools of magic. If the 3rd prince hade out victorious, then he likely would have spared the Insect Mages for the same reason. The Empire Guild was given a huge territory, and Dukeram was given the position of 2nd Corps Commander. Aside from that, the Empire Guild''s executives were given key positions in the Arabas Kingdom. The Empire Guild had brainwashed the new ruler, so he was nothing more than a puppet king. In other words, the Empire Guild had actually taken control over the Arabas Kingdom, not the 2nd prince. "Good work everyone," Dukeram gathered his executives and said. "As you know, this is only the beginning," he added. "Indeed." Moby Dick chimed in. "The Arabas Kingdom is only the first of many. Next on our agenda is the Baiyan and Des Kingdoms. Eventually, we will invade the free cities on the central part of the continent, and form a true empire," Dukeram said strongly. Those here imagined a huge empire that controlled the entire continent with Dukeram as its emperor. "First, we have to ensure that the Arabas Kingdom is under ourplete control. Please do as you''ve been told," Jegal, the brains behind the operation, said. The Empire Guild had taken several key positions in the Arabas Kingdom. They would use that as the foundation topletely take over the kingdom. "Excuse me." Ridgeley raised his hand. "What is it?" Jegal asked. "How are we going to deal with Kang Oh? That crazy bastard challenged Mr. Dukeram to a fight." Kang Oh had defeated Ridgeley in the Great Forest, and again in the civil war. He had also stolen his precious Lycan''s Ring too. Obviously, his heart was filled with vengeance. "We have to focus on taking full control of the Arabas Kingdom first," Jegal said. "Then are we just going to let him go scot free?" Ridgeley scowled. "Now''s not the time. However, we''ll deal with him eventually," Jegal said firmly. "Ahem." Ridgeley shut his mouth and nodded his head. He realized that bringing this up anymore would be pointless. "What if he messes with us again?" the cier Squad Captain, Irene, asked. "Then I''ll take care of him," Dukeram responded. "Excuse me?" "I''ll kill him myself." After fighting him, Dukeram realized that Kang Oh was not to be underestimated. If that''s the case, then the only way they could kill him with certainty is if he went personally. "So please focus on your assigned tasks. This is a critical stage if we want to fulfill our ambitions." "Yes, sir!" the executives replied as one. * * * In his quest to be stronger, Kang Oh went through the Goddess''s Land''s most difficult dungeons alone. Eventually, he heard someone''s voice. "Future Guardian of the Continent," a soft voice said. He knew right away that this was the Whispers of the Earth. By bing the Guardian of the Continent, Kang Oh was both blessed by the earth, and given the ability to hear the Whispers of the Earth. "What''s the matter?" Kang Oh asked the empty sky. "Evil beings are targeting the Great Temple of Rakan. You must stop them." A quest popped up. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Stop the Evil God Worshippers] The Evil God Worshippers and their demons are advancing on the Great Temple of Rakan in order to reim their sacred treasure. You must stop them no matter the cost! Their Current Location: Esranca Mountain. Remaining Time: 3 days. Difficulty: Hard. Minimum Requirements: Future Guardian of the Continent. Rewards: None. Failure: You lose your right as Guardian of the Continent, and the effects of the Earth''s Blessing disappear. "Mm." He really didn''t like the ''none'' written next to rewards. ''As expected. The Guardian of the Continent''s work is difficult and profitless.'' He didn''t want to be the Guardian of the Continent. However, he couldn''t give up on the Earth''s Blessing, especially since it doubled his experience and proficiency gain. Plus, if he didn''t seed Vn as Guardian of the Continent, then Vn would kill him and take his demon swords. Thus, he didn''t have the luxury of choice. He just had to do it, that''s all. Kang Oh used a return scroll to teleport to Altein. Then, he went over to the Holiseum. "You''re here." That was the first thing Vn said to him. "You knew I''de?" "I can hear the whispers too." "Ah." "This mission involves killing the Evil God Worshippers, so we''ll be working together this time." Just in case the Evil God Worshippers sought to reim their final sacred treasure, Vn had remained in Altein. He had stated that Kang Oh would take over any of the Guardian of the Continent missions in his ce. Fortunately, this mission involved the Evil God Worshippers, so both Kang Oh and Vn could work together toplete it. "Understood. But where''s Brother?" Kang Oh looked for Burkan, as he was nowhere to be found. "He''s at the Great Temple of Rakan. They need to be informed of the impending attack too." "I see." Sometimeter... Burkan contacted them. Apparently, their troops were ready to intercept the Evil God Worshippers, so he wanted them toe on over. "Let''s go," Vn said. "Yes." Kang Oh followed behind him. * * * Vn, Burkan, Kang Oh, and the Rakan High Priest and Master Monk, Mahakan, had gathered together. Mahakan, nicknamed the High Priest of Blood and Iron, was garbed in ck priest vestments, and was over 2 meters tall. The Rakan Church''s pdins, monks, and priests solemnly stood behind him. Mahakan''s disciples, Nazaran and Saru, stood at the forefront of the monks. Steel Monk, Nazaran! Small Sun, Saru! It was said that they''d be Master Monks like their teacher, and they''d seed Mahakan as leaders of the Great Temple of Rakan. This especially held true for Saru. Befitting his title as Small Sun, he was incredibly talented and skilled, had a warm character, and was beloved by several believers. That''s why people imed that Saru would seed Mahakan as High Priest, despite Nazaran being his first disciple. Nazaran wasn''t deficient by any means. He was just worse whenpared to Saru. ''I''ll prove to you that you''re wrong.'' Nazaran pledged to show everyone that he had what it took to seed Mahakan and lead the Great Temple of Rakan. "Hoo, aren''t you scared?" Saru, who stood beside him, asked. "Not at all. Are you?" Nazaran asked back. "I am. Please take a look at those demons and the Evil God Worshippers. If we don''t stop them here, then I can''t even imagine how many people will suffer at their hands." Saru was staring at the ins. Hideous demons and figures covered in ck robes stood atop the ins. This was the group of Evil God Worshippers advancing on the Great Temple of Rakan in order to reim their sacred treasure. "They sure brought a ton with them," Vn looked up front and said. There were more than 10,000 demons with them. "Indeed," Burkan said. "They''ll prove to be good prey." ''I was disappointed that the Arabas Kingdom''s civil war ended, but it was immediately followed by such a huge feast. The Evil God Worshippers have their uses I guess.'' Kang Oh grinned. "Then let us begin," Mahakan said heavily. "Yes, let''s begin the hunt." Vn drew his sword with his one remaining arm. Kang Oh drew Blood and Akanhoff, Burkan drew his dius, and Mahakan clenched his fists. His knuckles were covered in thick calluses. "Attack!" Mahakan ordered. "Uwaaaah!" A battle cry rang out, causing the trees in the forest to shake and the birds to fly into the air all at once. Rakan Pdins, Monks, and Priests rushed at the Evil God Worshippers and their demons. Nazaran, Saru, and Kang Oh stood at the forefront. "They''re followers of a false god!" "Let''s offer them up to Lord Ja!" "Kekeke." The Evil God Worshippers unleashed horrific spells, and began controlling the demons. ''The most delicious prey is over there!'' Kang Oh threw himself towards the highest difficulty area. Kyahaahk! Uwooh! The horrifying monsters barraged Kang Oh with attacks. They used their teeth, ws, tentacles, poison, ck mist or spittle. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Festival of Blood! He left behind an afterimage whenever he moved, and Blood was coated in a thick blood red energy. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! He relentlessly swung his dual demon swords. Akanhoff crushed their teeth, ws, and scales, allowing him to cut through the skin underneath. As a result, shards of light asrge as huge snowkes burst out. Suck! Demon Sword Blood greedily absorbed all of the shards! His HP, which had been depleted by Festival of Blood, was quickly being replenished. "You follower of a false god!" An Evil God Worshipper cast a wicked spell at him. Eternally Burning Curse of Pain! Ja''s Breath! Some of the Evil God Worshippers swung their spiked whips or turned into bronze and rushed at him too. Kang Oh forcefully swung downwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura flew right through the Evil God Worshippers. Boom! "I want someone even stronger!" Kang Oh roared. Then, the Evil God''s Fourth Disciple, Cannibal Garup, appeared. "Hehe, I''ll take you on." "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Garup shed. Chapter 423. Evil Gods Disciples

Chapter 423. Evil God''s Disciples

Trantor: Boko The Evil God''s Fourth Disciple, Cannibal Garup, was, as his title suggests, a demon that enjoyed eating people. He opened his mouth, revealing the sharp serrated teeth within. However, his teeth were made of bronze. His arms were covered in tough scales, and ck fur covered the areas in between. Garup''srge, long nails were made of bronze and were definitely a lethal weapon, one designed to kill humans. He rushed at Kang Oh and swung his sharp nails. In response, Kang Oh swung Akanhoff. sh! ng! Akanhoff''s purple de shed with Garup''s bronze nails. However, his bronze nails werepletely unscathed, and Kang Oh''s sword hand stung. ''They''re tough.'' Akanhoff''s special ability, Absolute Destruction, would destroy its target faster or slower depending on how tough it was. If his nails were this tough, then he didn''t need to go out of his way to destroy them. He''d rather attack Garup''s body instead. Whoosh. Garup swung his left arm once more. Sword Parry! Kang Oh parried Garup''s nails with his longsword. Then, he stabbed his right chest with Blood. Stab! The heart was on the opposite side, or it should''ve been, but red shards of light burst out. Garup widened his eyes. "How did you know?" Unlike normal people, Garup''s heart was on his right side. Although this was his first time meeting Kang Oh, his first attack had gone straight for his heart! ''What do you mean? My Hyper Intuition told me.'' His Hyper Intuition had pointed out the right side of his chest as a weak point. Kang Oh remained silent, and continuously swung his swords. However, the stab wound Blood had left behind instantly closed up! ''Super Regeneration!'' Now he knew what Garup''s special ability was. There were two methods of dealing with enemies with such rapid regeneration. Seal their regeneration, or deal damage that exceeds what they can heal. Kang Oh didn''t possess a healing debuff, so he chose thetter. Mad Wind''s Sword! His two demon swords shed with Garup''s bronze nails again and again. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! At some point, Garup was unable to withstand Kang Oh''s assault. After all, Mad Wind''s Sword was a secret move that progressively increased the speed of one''s attacks. Swish, sh, swish, sh! In an instant, Kang Oh tore through Garup''s body! Shards of light burst from his body like firecrackers. However, Garup''s regeneration was far greater than he expected. sh left behind a wound at the area of impact. However, Garup''s regeneration instantly mended the wound. At the same time, Garup gathered red energy in his mouth. Vengeful Breath! It was a skill that dealt damage proportional to how much damage he''d taken. Bam! Powerful energy, reminiscent of a dragon''s breath, shot out of his mouth. He''d taken a significant amount of damage, so its power was tremendous. "Ugh." Kang Oh crossed his demon swords and protected himself. It was already toote to dodge it. Vengeful Breath mmed into his twin swords and pushed him back, leaving a lengthy indentation in the ground. Shards of light flew everywhere. Still, Kang Oh managed to protect his vitals, so he didn''t take too much damage. Kang Oh quickly got back into position. "Haha, I''ll eat your headst. Watch as I eat your body piece by piece." Garupughed. His mouth was so oddly shaped that it looked like he came straight out of a horror movie. Kang Oh switched Blood with Ubist. Then, he pulled out a mass-produced sword from his inventory. Gluttony! All of his abilities were increased twofold! "This will be your grave." Kang Oh rushed at him like a mad beast. * * * Nazaran''s fist unleashed powerful energy. Sacred Fist! The cross-shaped energy flew towards a pudgy, pig-faced demon. Bam! The demon gave off a burnt smell as it fell backwards. Nazaran leapt into the air and repeatedly swung his fists. Chi Torpedo! Spheres of chi shot out of his fists, bombarding the demons and Evil God Worshippers from above. Bam, bam, bam! It truly was like a bombardment; the ground was upturned, and both the Evil God Worshippers and the demons flew everywhere. ''How''s that!?'' Nazarannded on the floor, boastfully opened his arms, and stared at Saru. ''This is my power!'' or so he seemed to say. However, Saru wasn''t concerned with him in the least. He waspletely focused on dealing with the Evil God Worshippers. Nazaran focused on his hands, while Saru focused on his feet. Saru''s kick struck an Evil God Worshipper''s head. Bam! The Evil God Worshipper''s head was crushed and red shards of light burst out, as if a watermelon had just exploded. He smoothly turned his body around, andunched another kick. Bam! The Evil God Worshipper''s body flew into the air, and plummeted to the ground. That was the end of him. Saru leapt into the air, and swung his heel downwards at a demon. Crushing Downward Strike! Boom! The four armed, goat-headed demon fell to the floor. Then, flying monsters came rushing at them. This time, Saru used a jump kick. Bam! Bam! Those struck by his feet exploded as if they''d been imnted with a bomb. That''s just how powerful his kicks were. ''Mm.'' Nazaran couldn''t help but be astonished by Saru''s skill. Saru truly was amazing. Still, he couldn''t let Saru take his future position as High Priest. ''I''m his first disciple.'' Nazaran kicked off the floor. He had to kill more enemies than Saru did. No matter what! * * * The Invincible diator, Burkan! The High Priest of Blood and Iron, Mahakan! Both of them were Masters. Their enemies were absolutely no match for them. Thus, the Evil God''s Disciples took them on. "Come on, you heretics!" the Evil God''s Third Disciple, ughter Lubatchi yelled. Lubatchi, whose body was covered in tattoos of people writhing in pain, took on Mahakan. The third disciple specialized in destruction! He was capable of ripping people in half with his bare hands, and boasted the greatest physical strength amongst the disciples. "Followers of the Evil God, return to the void!" Mahakan''s cry resounded throughout the battlefield. Mahakan was the one who''d taught Nazaran and Saru how to properly throw a punch or kick! He was a true fighter, one who was proficient in both his hands and feet. He instantly closed the distance, and the two''s fists crashed against each other. Bam! Mahakan was pushed back. In terms of raw strength, Lubatchi was stronger. However, strength wasn''t everything in a fight. Chi Torpedo! ming Kick! Sacred Fist! Mahakan used all sorts of Fighter skills against Lubatchi. While he was busy dealing with Lubatchi, Burkan faced another one of the Evil God''s Disciples. "Are you my opponent?" Burkan asked. A woman wearing a ck dress stood before him; she was extremely beautiful, but gave off a decadent feel. "That''s right." Her voice was so sweet. This was the Evil God''s Second Disciple, Bewitching Sora! She specialized in the Evil God''s wicked spells and illusions. "I won''t go easy on you just because you''re a woman." Burkan narrowed his eyes and pointed his dius at her. Sora smiled and opened her ck book. Then, a tremendous amount of dark energy flowed from the book. ''I can''t let her do that.'' Burkan immediately rushed at her and swung his dius. Fighting Spirit''s Aura! Red energy surged from his de like a roaring fire, and cleaved through the wicked energy. However, Sora was nowhere to be found amidst the dissipating ck energy. Kyaaahk! An evil spirit came flying at him from behind. Curse that Inflicts Horrible Pain! Burkan quickly turned his body and swung his dius upwards. Mana sh! The diagonal line split the evil spirit in two. However, the evil spirit was only the beginning. Sora continuously cast spell after spell. Ja''s Bronze Harpoon! ming Earth that Melts Skin! Poison Mist that Inflicts Horrible Pain! Bronze spears rained down at him from above, and ck mes that smelt of sulfur surged from the ground. Green poisonous mist spread everywhere too. "Guaaahk!" "Ugh." "Lord Rakan!" Sora wasn''t just aiming at Burkan. The nearby pdins and monks choked and fell to the floor, or were run through by the spears. "You witch!" Burkan pierced through the wicked spells and swung his sword. ng! A demonic shield appeared before her, blocking Burkan''s strike. Pain Eating Shield! "Hmph, this won''t stop me!" Burkan instantly swung his sword thrice. ng! ng! Bam! It only took three strikes for him to break through the shield. Sora widened her eyes. He''d broken the shield faster than she''d anticipated. Burkan wasn''t lying when he said he wouldn''t go easy on her. He immediately cleaved through her with his de. "Ugh." A fistful of shards of red light fell from her body. However, Burkan couldn''t attack her anymore. Sora transformed into ck smoke and disappeared. Burkan quickly looked around, and chased after her once she reappeared. * * * "Lord Rakan!" "Oh lord!" The Rakan Pdins, Monks, and Priests did their damndest to stop the demons and the Evil God Worshippers. "You heretics!" "Follow the true god!" The Evil God Worshippers fought like hell. After all, there was a reason they couldn''t back down. They needed to reim the sacred treasure that the Great Temple of Rakan possessed! Thus, it was only natural that the battle between these two forces was both intense and bloody. A pdin, who''d been half eaten by a demon, swung his mace and crushed the demon''s head. An Evil God Worshipper, who had a hole blown in his chest via a monk''s fist, bit into the monk''s neck, killing them both. "Healing!" The priests did everything in their power to heal their brothers and sisters. Eventually, they got caught in the crossfire; they were either hit by an Evil God Worshipper''s spell or curse, or the demons ate them. "Aah, oh lord!" "Glory to Rakan!" However, Vn was rxed this whole time; it was like he was taking a stroll through the park. Whenever he swung his sword, he would kill a great number of Evil God Worshippers and demons. "T-Thank you!" "Vn! Vn! Vn!" Just his presence, the presence of a Grandmaster, raised the troops'' morale. Who could possibly stop him!? However, the demons parted, and out came a man wearing a bronze mask with a greatsword strapped to his back. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka! How exactly had hee back to life? Vn had given up an arm to kill himst time! "We meet again," Sraka said. "They revived you again? How? They shouldn''t have enough souls to bring you back," Vn said expressionlessly. Ja''s sacred treasure, Ilunati''s Snake, was capable of reviving the dead. In exchange, it required several people''s lives as fuel. In order to revive a Grandmaster like Sraka, it would require at least 10,000 sacrifices. If the Evil God Worshippers had killed that many people, then he would''ve known about it by now. However, he hadn''t heard anything at all. How exactly had they revived him? "Lord Ja''s miraculous knife," Sraka said curtly. "Mm." There were already countless souls contained within Ja''s Knife. "Now then. If you have no other questions, let''s move on to killing each other again." Sraka drew his greatsword. "It won''t end likest time." "Is that so?" The Guardian of the Continent, Vn! The Devil''s Sword, Sraka! The two Grandmasters shed once more. * * * The Evil God''s First Disciple, Divine Punishment Amak, apanied the demons. He held the Ilunati''s Snake and Ja''s Knife in either hand, but his loose ck robes concealed them. ''This way.'' Amak slowly walked in a certain direction, guided by Ja''s Knife. Sometimeter... ''It''s him.'' He found his target and smiled wickedly. "Haahp!" The Steel Monk, Nazaran, who bravely swung his fists and destroyed the demons! Ja''s Knife shook when pointed at him. The sacred treasure possessed the ability to sense one''s deepest, darkest ambitions. The more violently it shook, the greater the individual''s ambition. ''We can''t afford to fail.'' Amak''s body dimmed more and more. He then quietly approached Nazaran. "Die, you dirty bastards!" Nazaran kept swinging his fists, intent on killing more demons and Evil God Worshippers than his fellow priest, Saru. At that moment... Stab. All of a sudden, a thin hand stabbed his back with a knife. "Ugh!" Nazaran cried out, feeling the sudden pain in his back. Things had gone as nned, so Amak quickly withdrew Ja''s Knife, and disappeared while remaining invisible. "W-What?" Nazaran turned around, only to see nothing there. He stroked the area where he''d felt the pain, but that too had disappeared. ''Was it just me?'' Nazaran tilted his head and went back to killing demons. He had no idea that a seed had been nted inside his body. Chapter 424. Overpowered

Chapter 424. Overpowered

Trantor: Boko The Steel Monk''s fists were devoid of mercy. Bam! Bam! Nazaran''s fists would pop the Evil God Worshippers'' heads, or pierce holes through the demons'' bodies. However, Nazaran didn''t have time to admire his work. ''More. I have to kill more!'' There was only one thought in his mind. ''I''m going to do better than Saru!'' "That''s right. You''re better than Saru." A sweet voice whispered in his ear. However, Nazaran didn''t notice it. He just kept punching again and again. Unlike Nazaran, Saru looked around and focused on helping and/or saving his brothers and sisters. He didn''t even think about how much he was contributing. Saru saw a priestess about to be eaten by a four-armed demon with a giant mouth. "You bastard!" Saru leapt into the air and extended his leg. ming Kick! White mes wrapped around his right foot. It was a sacred me, one meant to burn away all evil. Bam! Roar! Saru''s foot struck the demon''s head! The white me instantly devoured the demon. Kuhaahk! The demon screamed in pain, and tried grabbing Saru with its four arms. However, it couldn''t catch Saru, who was as nimble as a cat. Then, Saru barraged it with attacks. The demon wasn''t able to withstand his assault for long, and fell to the ground. "Are you alright?" Saru examined the priestess''s condition. "Yes, I''m alright." The priestess bowed her head. "It''s dangerous alone, so please follow me. I''ll take you to our brothers." Saru killed all of the demons nearby, and aided hisrades. "Mr. Saru!" "Mr. Saru, we''ll help you too." The Rakan Church naturally gathered around him. "Kill the Evil God''s followers while protecting our brothers!" Saru said strongly. "Of course!" "Yes, sir!" The Rakan Pdins, Monks, and Priests forcefully replied. They swung their weapons more feverishly than before, or performed their tasks. "Pdins, please form a wall in front. Monks, I need you at the sides and the rear. Priests, please support us from the middle. For Lord Rakan!" Saru yelled. "For Lord Rakan!" "For Lord Rakan!" Morale had shot up. * * * Kang Oh was fighting against the Evil God''s Fourth Disciple, Garup. Cannibal Garup! He possessed a hideous face, rapid regeneration, and a beam that dealt damage proportional to how much damage he''d taken. Garup couldn''t be beaten unless you prevented him from regenerating, or dealt so much damage that his regeneration couldn''t keep up. Fortunately, Gluttony had increased his abilities twofold, so his destructive power was tremendous. "Huahp!" Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh relentlessly swung Ubist and Akanhoff at Garup, ripping his body to shreds. Swish! sh! Swish! sh! Whenever he sliced through Garup''s body with Akanhoff, severalrge shards of red light would fall from his body. Not only was Akanhoff''s original attack power exceedingly high, but Damage Amplification and Dangerous Gamble further increased its damage. Although Garup''s body was covered by tough scales, Akanhoff''s Absolute Destruction ability crushed them as if they were chinaware. Plus, he was hitting him with Ubist too; whenpared to Akanhoff''s attack power, it was certainlycking, but it was still an incredibly powerful weapon. Ubist''s ability to ignore the target''s defense, ''Fang Bearing de'' was especially effective, as it would amplify his damage significantly. "Grr!" Garup scowled. He''d never lost his HP this quickly before. ''No!'' Sensing danger, Garup violently swung both of his hands. Rip to Shreds! His bronze nails shed and flew at Kang Oh''s vitals. Several white lines, resembling a beast''s ws, flew through the air! This was Rip to Shreds'' activation effect. It was definitely a quick, sharp attack. However, Kang Oh could react to an enemy''s attack much faster than anyone else due to his Hyper Intuition. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung his demon swords one after another, and deflected Garup''s nails. ng! ng! The force behind them was incredible. However, Garup got the worse end of the deal. He reeled from the impact, and his arms were pushed into the air. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. He crossed his swords like scissors, and pierced Garup''s heart. Stab! "Ugh." Garup''s body shook. ''T-This is bad!'' Garup, who was nigh immortal due to his Super Regeneration, was in danger of dying. Truly! At this rate, even he would die. Ultimately, he only had one choice. Whoosh! Garup''s mouth gathered red energy. Vengeful Breath! This was his finisher; it dealt damage proportional to how much damage he''d taken! Bam! A red energy deeper and darker than blood came straight at Kang Oh, who was focused entirely on offense. Garup had taken a tremendous amount of damage, so Vengeful Breath''s power was considerable. It came straight for Kang Oh like a dragon''s breath, threatening to crush anything in its path. ''I did it!'' Garup''s face brightened. He saw Kang Oh get caught in the Vengeful Breath. However...! Kang Oh came out of itpletely unscathed. His ne''s light slowly diminished. He knew that Garup''s only option was Vengeful Breath. He''d obviously prepared for it. Once he let loose, Kang Oh activated Moon''s Protection, which protected him from all harm for 3 seconds. "H-How!?" Garup looked at him in disbelief. "Just did!" Kang Oh swung Akanhoff at him once more. Swish! "Ugh!" Garup''s HP was teetering on the edge. Then, he turned around and ran away. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh widened his eyes, and stabbed him in the back with Ubist. At that moment... An oval mirror appeared between the two. Kang Oh''s form was reflected in the mirror. Bam! Ubist pierced through the mirror. Then, shards of light burst from Kang Oh''s body. ''Damn it, I didn''t think he''d have this up his sleeve!'' Kang Oh believed that this was Garup''s ace in the hole. However, that was a misunderstanding. Whoosh. A man appeared beside Garup. He waspletely dried up like a husk. It was the Evil God''s First Disciple, Amak! He had dispelled his invisibility, and had stepped in to save Garup. "High Priest!" Garup''s face brightened. "Go." Amak drew a circle with Ja''s Knife, creating a portal that led somewhere else. "Thank you." "You think I''ll just let you go!?" Kang Oh leapt into the air. Amak quickly summoned mirrors that surrounded Kang Oh. Mirror Seal! Kang Oh couldn''t break through the mirrors. After all, he''d already experienced what would happen if he did; they would reflect the damage right back at him. Having such high attack power was a problem at times like this. Getting your damage reflected would hurt like crazy. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. There was nothing he could do. Garup used that opportunity to escape through the portal. Mirror Seal onlysted 5 seconds. Once 5 seconds had passed, the mirrors disappeared. Both Garup and Amak were nowhere to be found. Amak had turned invisible again. "I lost them." Kang Oh''s face was filled with disappointment. If he''d have managed to kill Garup, then he would''ve been rewarded with a considerable amount of experience and proficiency. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] Kang Oh stashed Akanhoff and pulled out Blood. Gluttony was still active, so he needed to keep it out. At the same time, he couldn''t keep using Akanhoff without Blood. ''I guess I''ll go for the next best thing.'' Thud. Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor and killed any demon or Evil God Worshipper in his way. * * * Meanwhile, the High Priest of Blood and Iron, Mahakan, was fighting against Lubatchi. "Kuha!" Lubatchi let out a fierce cry. His fist contained boiling energy, like that of explodingva. Mahakan decided to back off, rather than take it head-on. Bam! Lubatchi hit the floor, creating a giant crater in the ground, and causingnd fragments to go flying everywhere. Whoosh. Mahakan''s fist glowed with light. Sacred Fist! Cross-shaped energy came flying at Lubatchi. Lubatchi sped his hands together, raised them into the air, and then mmed them into the ground. Bam! Another ''bam'' resounded throughout the battlefield. His blow upturned the earth, creating a makeshift shield that protected him from the Sacred Fist. Thud! Lubatchi leapt into the air. He jumped more than 10 meters into the air, and descended onto Mahakan like a shooting star. Mahakan crossed his arms and protected himself. Rakan''s divine energy encased his body. Boom! Once he hit the floor, a giant crater formed in the ground, and a powerful shockwave spread everywhere. The shockwave pushed Mahakan back. Lubatchi walked out of the crater he''d just created. ughter Lubatchi! He was like a bulldozer; a bulldozer that pushed through everything with pure power! "Hahaha." Lubatchi''s eyes turned red, and his body began to swell. Madness! The already ferocious beast only got worse. Bang! Bang! Bang! His fists echoed with a ''bang'' and upturned the earth. However, Mahakan''s face didn''t change at all. He calmly searched for Lubatchi''s weak points, and punched his face. Bam! "Kuhaahk!" Enraged, Lubatchi became even crazier. Whenever he did, Mahakan stood like a firm mountain, and responded to his attacks calmly like the coldest ice. When did the tides begin to turn? Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Lubatchi''s body was being hit again and again by Mahakan''s punches and kicks. "Kuha, die! Die! I said die!" Lubatchi struggled against him. But the more he did, the easier it was for Mahakan to hit him. Ultimately, Lubatchi''s knees fell to the floor. Despite that, Mahakan kept up his guard. Whir! He stretched out his fist, coated in sacred energy, tond the finishing blow. At that moment... ck mist rose from the ground and into the heavens, devouring both Lubatchi and Mahakan. Wicked Mist! Sensing that Lubatchi was in danger, the Evil God''s Second Disciple, Bewitching Sora, had cast this spell to save him. She was currently fighting the Invincible diator, Burkan, but their battle was a battle of hide and seek. Sora kept attacking him with evil spells while hiding herself from him! That''s when Sora had cast a spell to aid Lubatchi. However, Burkan didn''t miss that opportunity. Transcendent de! It wasn''t just your ordinary Transcendent de. It was a Master Transcendent de! Burkan''s sword shed, but by the time she noticed, her body was already cleaved in half. "Ugh." Her pale face grimaced in pain, but she overcame the pain and cast another spell. Ant''s Revenge! The shards of light that spilled from her body transformed into small ck ants and attacked Burkan. His vision was filled with ants! Burkan unhesitatingly swung his dius horizontally. Fighting Spirit''s Aura! The powerful energy cut right through the ants. However, Sora had disappeared again. Lubatchi was gone too. Sora had cast a teleportation spell, transporting both her and Lubatchi away. Mahakan approached him. "They escaped." "Let''s follow them and finish them off." "Yes." Mahakan and Burkan searched the battlefield. However, they couldn''t find Lubatchi or Sora anywhere. Chapter 425. The Way to Become a Master

Chapter 425. The Way to Be a Master

Trantor: Boko Vn and Sraka''s duel was intense. It waspletely different fromst time, where they engaged in a capturing race and then ended everything in an instant. ng! ng! ng! Vn''s steel sword and Sraka''s greatsword repeatedly shed. This was a duel between Grandmasters! The resulting shockwaves upturned the earth or caused the air to cry out. There were obviously no spectators nearby. No matter how much you wanted to watch them duke it out, the price was too high; you''d have to die to get close enough to see their fight! Anyhow, their fight was dead even. In terms of pure skill, Vn had a slight edge. However, he was also hampered by the loss of an arm. For a swordsman of his caliber, losing an arm wouldn''t prove to be a huge detriment, but it would certainly be a handicap against a fellow Grandmaster like Sraka. Plus, Sraka was an Evil God Worshipper, so he could unleash the Evil God''s wicked energy at will. Thus, it wasn''t easy to tell who''d win their duel. However, there was someone who dared to interrupt their duel before the victor was decided. Whir! All of a sudden, a portal appeared, and Amak walked right out of it. At the same time, Amak and Sraka were surrounded by fist-sized mirrors. It was as if they were being surrounded by a barrier. Vn''s appearance was reflected in the mirrors. Vn had a bad feeling about the mirrors, so he couldn''t afford to recklessly attack them. "We''re retreating, Lord Sraka," Amak said respectfully. Although he was the current High Priest, Sraka was the only one who''d transcended time. Thus, he was the only man worthy of being Ja''s Sword. His authority was on the same level as Amak''s. "Retreat!?" the bronze masked Sraka said. "The situation''s not in our favor. The disciples have lost, and their Masters will soon be here," Amak said. "Mm." Sraka fiddled with his greatsword. He was eager to pay Vn back for his loss. Plus, he needed to reim Ja''s final sacred treasure. "What about Lord Ja''s sacred treasure?" "I nted a seed. When that seed''s fully grown, the sacred treasure will be returned to us." Amak had nted this seed within Mahakan''s disciple, Nazaran. This seed would grow by feeding on the host''s ambition! "Fine." Sraka ultimately epted. Whir! A portal appeared beneath their feet, and the two were sucked into it. Poof. Once Amak disappeared, the mirrors transformed into glittering powder and dispersed. "Hmm." Vn stared at the ce where they''d left, and then turned around. Although there were several demons left, he didn''t see any Evil God Worshippers or sense the dreary energy they emitted. ''They''ve all escaped already.'' "Master." "Lord Vn." Burkan and Mahakan approached him. "I lost them," Vn said curtly. "Ahem, me too." Burkan scratched his head. "They wouldn''t give up on the sacred treasures so easily... Something''s strange," Mahakan said. "Yeah, something''s up." Vn nodded his head. "I''ll increase security around the temple. And I''ll ask the other churches to be ready to assist us at a moment''s notice," Mahakan said stiffly. "Yeah. There''s nothing wrong with being prepared. Have our trackers moved yet?" Vn asked. In order to find out where the Evil God Worshippers'' main base was, a group of skilled trackers was formed. They had one mission and one mission only: follow the Evil God Worshippers and find out where their home base was! "Yes. The squad leader, Krasler, has sent word that they are in the middle of pursuit." Krasler was a Hunter, and was better known as the Tracking Master. "I hope we find where they''re hiding this time," Burkan said. "Mm." Vn nodded his head. Sometimeter... Saru and the Rakan devotees finished off thest remaining demon. "We won!" the Small Sun, Saru, yelled. The two pdins nearby raised him over their shoulders. "Uwoooh!" "Rakan! Rakan!" "Saru! Saru!" They cheered, spreading Rakan and Saru''s name far and wide. However, not a single soul was cheering for Nazaran. Grr. Nazaran stared at Saru and gritted his teeth. ''I killed more demons than you, so why!? Why are they calling your name, not mine!?'' He clenched his fists so hard that it seemed like they''d burst. All of a sudden, a voice whispered into his ear. "Aah, poor Nazaran." "What!?" Shocked, Nazaran took a look around. However, there was no one nearby. He didn''t hear the whispers again. "Was it just me?" Nazaran tilted his head and stared at Saru once more; rage rose from the deep recesses of his heart. ''Saru! Saru! Saru!'' * * * After repelling the Evil God Worshippers, Kang Oh, Burkan, and Vn returned to the Holiseum. "Good work." Burkan patted him on the shoulder. "Good work, my ass. He just did what was required of him as Guardian of the Continent. Isn''t that right?" Vn said, ruining the mood. "That''s true." Kang Oh agreed half-heartedly. Then... A system message popped up. [You havepleted the Guardian of the Continent Quest, Stop the Evil God Worshippers.] [There is no reward.] "Phew." Kang Oh softly sighed. There really wasn''t a single reward. ''I really don''t want to do these Guardian of the Continent Quests.'' Kang Oh felt like he was being suffocated. He was worth so much nowadays. If he captured a soul dungeon and sold it, then he''d make thousands of gold, and if he went on a program, then he''d make millions of won (thousands of dors) just from showing up. But from now on, he''d have to do these quests that''d give him nothing in return. It gave him heartburn just thinking about it. "Excuse me." Kang Oh stared at Vn. "What?" "How many times a month do you do the Guardian of the Continent''s missions?" "It varies. If nothing threatens the continent, then you won''t get any missions. But during times of great chaos like when the Evil God Worshippers are on the move, you''ll be really busy," Vn said. "Master Vn, could you please extend the time limit you gave me? As you said, I''ll be busier than usual," Kang Oh said carefully. ''100 days is way too short! So please give me some more time!'' "No." Vn attempted to cross his arms, but when he realized he was one short, he dropped his lone arm. "Does it really have to be 100 days?" Kang Oh said desperately. ''Why does it have to be 100 days? It could be 200 or even 300!'' "Should I reduce it to 50 days?" Vn growled. "..." Kang Oh shut up. Vn was the type to follow through with his threats. "You have 85 days left," Vn said. 15 days had already gone by. "If you''re anything like me, then you''ll spend every waking moment killing monsters. Well, it''s not like killing monsters will make you a Master... Ahem, ahem. Anyhow, get going." Vn changed topics and waved his remaining hand. However, Kang Oh was smart enough to figure out what Vn had been trying to say. "What do you mean by that? You can''t be a Master by just killing monsters." "Little Brother, you have to cross the wall to be a Master." "The wall?" "Not anyone can be a Master," Vn said. "How do you cross that wall?" Kang Oh asked. "It varies from person to person. For me..." "Enough." Vn cut him off. Kang Oh stared at him hatefully. ''Oh, c''mon!'' "When something''s easy, it''s not worth doing. Do it the hard way," Vn said, and Burkan nodded his head. "I understand what you''re trying to tell me." ''A wall, huh... That means that at some point, my proficiency won''t rise anymore. And crossing the wall likely means...'' Kang Oh had heard this from Hoffman before; that he had to create a masterpiece in order to be a Master cksmith. Which meant that pounding on iron all day wouldn''t turn you into a Master cksmith. Bing a Master Demonic Swordsman must have the same limitations. A Master cksmith had to create a masterpiece, so a Master Demonic Swordsman would likewise have to perform some great feat. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh left like the wind. "It looks like he''s realized how to be a Master," Burkan said. Vn nodded his head. "I''m excited to see what he''ll do." A great feat! Burkan''s feat was winning 1,000 diatorial matches without a single defeat. Thus, he was bestowed the honorable title, Invincible diator, and was promoted to Master. What kind of feat would Kang Oh perform in the future? "Don''t care," Vn retorted. Contrary to hisnguage, however, his eyes were filled with a small sense of anticipation. * * * Kang Oh took the intercity transfer gate to the small, quiet city of Icerin. Once he was there, he immediately headed for the Witch''s Forest. Knock, knock. He knocked on the door, and an unfamiliar girl peeked her head out. "Who is... Oh, Mr. Kang Oh." "Hello, I came here to see Asu." "Unni? Ok, please wait right here." She disappeared, and a short whileter, a blonde haired beauty with a beautiful smile greeted him. "Oppa!" She sped his hands. Chirp! The Phoenix Chick, Rudy, popped out of her chest. As always, it looked like a chick. It flew over and rubbed its body against Kang Oh''s cheek. "Have you been doing good too?" Kang Oh carefully propped him up and said. Chirp! Chirp! Rudy''s chirps were automatically tranted as ''I missed you.''. ''Kuu, is this the joy of raising a pet?'' "Rudy must''ve missed you a lot. Come back to mama''s arms now." Asu carefully took Rudy back and pulled it into her chest. "What brings you here? I heard you were really busytely," Asu asked. "I am busy. But I have enough time to see you." It was strange. Dating made him say such cringy stuff that you''d never hear him say otherwise. "Good to hear. Want toe in for a bit?" Asu pointed at the guild. Kang Oh shook his head. "No, let''s go out for a walk instead." "Ok." Kang Oh and Asu held hands as they strolled through the city. Icerin was filled with small, cute buildings, so it wasn''t a bad sight. Plus, there weren''t a lot of people here, so the quiet atmosphere was the best. "It feels like I haven''t seen you in 2 weeks," Asu said resentfully. She had finished promoting her album and was currently on break. But for some reason, it was harder to see Kang Oh now than when she was busy promoting her album. It was because Kang Oh was putting all his efforts intopleting Vn''s quest. "Sorry." "If you stop contacting me, then we''re going to break up," she puffed her cheeks and said. Of course, she was just kidding. "No thanks. I ain''t letting you go," Kang Oh said firmly. She must like that kind of talk, as her lips twitched. "Then treat me better!" "I will. But as I told you before, I''m busy with Vn''s quest." "For how long?" "At most, 85 days." "Call me often and send me a message every day. Ande and see me asionally. They say that love even blossoms in war. So you being busy is no excuse!" Asu said. "Of course." "I want to have a date in real life too, but I''ll be patient on that front." "Thank you, Madam." "In exchange, you have to take me wherever I want after you''re done with Vn''s quest." "Where do you want to go?" "I don''t know yet." "I''m ok with wherever as long as I''m with you." "Promise." "Yeah, I promise." Kang Oh and Asu pinky promised. After that, they walked for quite a long time, and then parted ways. Asu returned to her guild headquarters, while Kang Oh headed for the intercity transfer gate. Vn had given him three tasks: be a Master Demonic Swordsman, seal a demon with Demon Sword Akanhoff, and learn a Demonic Swordsman secret move! He only had 85 days to do all three of those tasks. ''I''ll do it, alright!'' Kang Oh firmly clenched his fist. Chapter 426. The Center of the Great Forest

Chapter 426. The Center of the Great Forest

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh prioritized one task over the others. He would raise his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship until it wouldn''t go up anymore. In other words, he would reach the ''wall'' that Burkan referred to as soon as possible. ''It''d be nice if my ring gave me a spontaneous quest for Demonic Swordsmanship.'' Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring! This ring asionally triggered spontaneous quests that yielded a huge increase in proficiency. If it gave him a Demonic Swordsmanship quest, then it''d make his life a lot easier. However, he wasn''t overly reliant on it, as he didn''t know when it''d activate, and which skill it''d activate for. Ultimately, Kang Oh had to invest a ton of time and effort to increase Demonic Swordsmanship to its max. Thus, Kang Oh slept only four hours a day. Aside from his time spent eating, he spent his time going through all of the hardest difficulty dungeons he knew of. This included the??? Dungeon, the Saul Graveyard, and the Garden of Death. Basilisks, Chaos Knights and high-rank undead, and carnivorous nts over level 500 spawned in these three dungeons. Kang Oh frequented these three dungeons, as well as some other dungeons in the Goddess''s Land. Plus, he asionally went through the Volcanic Region''s three hardest dungeons: the Heart, the Crater, and the Death Eagle''s Nest. The??? Dungeon was by far the hardest dungeon of the lot. Even to this day, hunting Basilisks was difficult for Kang Oh. He couldn''t hunt two Basilisks at once. The Petrifying Poison was the issue. If he fought two Basilisks and got hit by the Petrifying Poison, then even he''d die. Thus, he yearned for Eder whenever he fought them. ''If only I had the Legendary Healer with me...!'', he couldn''t help but think. However, Kang Oh didn''t just hunt in the??? Dungeon. Instead, he alternated between various dungeons. It was to keep himself from familiarizing himself with a single dungeon. If he only went through a single dungeon, then his skills would dull. However, there were only six dungeons he knew of that could increase his proficiency at an eptable rate, and at some point, he''d gone through them so many times that he got sick of them. ''Are there any new, harder dungeons out there?'' He couldn''t afford to go out and search for a new dungeon. After all, finding a dungeon that''d satisfy him wouldn''t be easy to find. However, he received a message from an unexpected source, one who''d offer a solution to his problem. - Mr. Kang Oh. It was Sephiro. Kang Oh had told him that he needed to train by himself, so Sephiro had spent all of his free time trying to upgrade his weapon, the Lasselpino Bow, while nurturing Waryong. - What''s the matter? - Please help me. - I''m busy. - It''ll be helpful to you too. -??? - I discovered a ridiculously hard hunting ground in the Great Forest''s central region. However, I''m not strong enough to hunt there alone. - How tough is it? - It''s a historic site where the ancient Tum live. ''The Tum?'' Kang Oh thought back to everything he knew. ''Ah, them!'' When the Altein Empire was just a small, weak nation, they had been invaded by another kingdom and were almost brought to ruin. Back then, it wasn''t people, but the unique Tum that saved the Altein Empire. They were a mythical race! It was said that one Tum Warrior was equivalent to 100 men. He would get a chance to fight them? - I''ll be right there. - Yes. I''ll see you in the Nuwak Vige. - Understood. Kang Oh immediately headed for the Great Forest. * * * Due to the fallen trees, the giant rocks, and the winding roads, Yumas were required to navigate through the Great Forest. Miu! Kang Oh and Sephiro cut across the brush and trees from atop their Yumas, which were like furry dinosaurs. Waryong flew through the trees and brush, and followed after them. It was chewing on something, so it must''ve caught the insects or small animals that lived on the trees. "How far do we have to go?" Kang Oh asked. "Distance wise, it should only take 30 minutes. But as you know, passing through the central region won''t be an easy trip," Sephiro said. The Great Forest was located in the southern part of Arth, and was divided into the northern, southern, eastern, western, and central regions. The central region was considered one of Arth''s most dangerous locations. Like Despia, most yers wouldn''t be able to explore this region. But with the prevalence of soul dungeons, several yers hade here, and equally many yers had met their end here. "Why are you exploring the central region, Mr. Sephiro?" "Because of this." Sephiro pointed at his bow, which glimmered with silver light. "As you know, the Lasselpino Bow can be upgraded with the right materials. One of the materials I need is the Tum''s Token. Thus, I gathered information on the Tum, and came here after figuring out that their main base is somewhere here." "Hmm, how many times did you die?" Kang Oh asked. The Great Forest''s central region was an extremely dangerous area. "I only died once." "You went through a lot by yourself." "At least I managed to find out where they live!" "But you can''t hunt them by yourself." "Ahem, the Tum are powerful. My one death came from them." Kang Oh was excited. If they were strong enough to kill Sephiro, then they''d be worth fighting. "Please tell me what you know." "I don''t know much about them either. What I do know is that they''re all named. I''m not sure whether there''s a boss or not." "Hoh." "They''re at least level 500. Not only are they extremely smart, but theirbat ability is top notch too. Honestly, each and every one of them is like a ranker," Sephiro said, furrowing his brow. His face automatically creased when he thought back to them. "That''s exciting." Kang Oh grinned. How much time had passed? Kang Oh and Sephiro''s faces were overcast by a deep shadow. Because of the World Tree, the Great Forest''s trees wererger and thicker than any other ce''s trees. Thus, its giant branches and leaves served as shade for Kang Oh and Sephiro. In other words, they were in the central region now. "We have to be careful," Sephiro warned. His words bore fruit. Swish! All of a sudden, a ck being popped out of the trees. It was a leech that was thicker and longer than a human forearm. Miu! Their Yumas shrieked. Kang Oh quickly grabbed a Fire Bomb and threw it. Swish! Upon impact, the mes spread like a. The leech was scorched by the mes and fell to the floor. "This is a leech arrow. It''s shot by a Cbro. This is only the beginning. A lot more wille flying at us," Sephiro said. He was absolutely right. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The ck leeches pierced through the brush and flew at them. Kang Oh leapt off his Yuma. In an instant, his hands were filled with Blood and Ubist. Swish, sh, swish! His dual demon swords cleaved through every single leeching his way. Shards of light and dark red liquid flowed from their wounds. [You have been exposed to King Leech Poison.] [Due to your high poison resistance, you are unaffected.] The Demonic Swordsman ss offered him high resistance to status ailments, curses, and poisons. He was essentially immune to poison, except when it came to the top 10 most lethal poisons, a Basilisk''s Petrifying Poison, and Scapi''s poison. Moreover, he''d been fighting the Basiliskstely, which only further increased his poison resistance. Kang Oh pushed through the brush and rushed forward. There was a monster riding a giant spider. It appeared like a long-armed, ck monkey, but it only had one eye, and wielded a bow made of spider legs. This was a Cbro. It was the mostmon monster in the Great Forest''s central region! Kii. It didn''t just look like a monkey, it sounded like one too. There were six of them in total. Their mounts, the spiders, began to fan out. The Cbros pulled out King Leeches from an opening on the spiders'' backs and notched them. Whizz! Whizz! The arrows flew through the air, but in an irregr, zigzag pattern. However, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition told him where their final destination would be, so he could dodge them with his eyes closed. Thus, he was easily able to cut through all of them. Dark red poison spilled from the leech arrows, but Kang Oh waspletely unaffected this time too. Kii-kii-kii! Their spiders quickly climbed up the tree. Kang Oh leapt over to the closest Cbro and its spider. Shaa! The spider pounced on Kang Oh with its two front legs. However, Kang Oh was much faster than it. He aimed Blood at the spider, and Ubist at the Cbro. Swish, sh! A huge shard of light fell from Cbro''s body, while red shards of light fell from the spider. He had struck at the spider''s weakness, the area adjoining its body and head together. Swish, thud. Bam! The two fell from the tree and mmed onto the ground. On the other hand, Kang Ohnded without issue. Whizz! Three harpoon-like arrows flew in between the trees, and struck the spiders that were climbing the tree. Whizz, whizz, whizz! They were so powerful that every single spider hit fell from the tree. Meanwhile, Kang Oh stabbed Ubist and Blood into the ground, and threw two Fire Bombs simultaneously. His Throw Projectile skill was intermediate-rank! The Fire Bombs quickly flew towards his targets. Bam! Roar! The two remaining spiders and Cbro were engulfed in mes. Shaa. The spiders shrieked and fell from the tree, along with their riders. Kang Oh gripped both of his demon swords once more, and began killing the nearby Cbro. Those far away from him were dealt with by Sephiro. With this, their ''warm wee'' into the Great Forest''s central region and their first battle here hade to an end. "Let''s go." "Yes." Sephiro and Kang Oh''s Yumas moved deeper into the forest. * * * An empty alley in the continent. The worst known criminal organization, Red Moon, lived within the Shadow World''s only city, the Crow''s Nest. "You''re all here." Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings (Brutal de, Scapi, Taboo, and Shion) gathered in one spot. "What is it, Scapi?" Taboo asked, as Scapi was the one who''d gathered them all. "Our target''s in the Great Forest." Scapi stroked her eye-shaped ring. As long as the user possessed a piece of equipment that the target had previously used, they could track the target wherever they may be. "The Great Forest, huh... We''ve finally gotten a chance to kill him," Shion said. His voice was filled with a desire for vengeance. Originally, his thirst for vengeance wasn''t this high. But whenever hepared his past, as the leader of the Hercules Guild, to now, a mere pawn in a criminal organization, his desire for vengeance only deepened. "It won''t be easy. You all saw his fight with Dukeram, right?" Brutal de asked. Kang Oh''s fight with Dukeram was revealed to the entire world. It was also rebroadcast several times after that. How many yers could honestly say they weren''t shocked by Dukeram and Kang Oh''s power? "It seems like he got even stronger thanst time," Taboo said. "He had a sword I''ve never seen before too. It''s clearly an SS-rank sword," Brutal de said. "So are we giving up?" Shion said angrily. "I''m saying we have to be careful," Brutal de said calmly. "You cowards. If you''re not doing anything, then I''ll go by myself!" Shion yelled sharply. Taboo snorted. "You and your little gophers have no chance." Shion had inherited Clown''s Madman Squad. "Do you want to die?" Shion eyes were downright murderous. "Haha. You''re new here, so shut up and sit tight. If you don''t want to die, that is," Taboo said bleakly. "Enough!" Scapi yelled. "We have to attack him now. You heard the boss. He''s getting tired of waiting. If we don''t kill Kang Oh soon, then it''s over for all of us," she said desperately. The Worst Criminal, Red! What if he, the sole ruler of the Shadow World, exiled them? They would be killed by the guilds or the bounty hunters, and would eventually be put in jail for life. As a result, they would be forced to delete their characters and start anew. That was their life, so long as they didn''t kill Kang Oh as soon as possible. "Mm." The other three gulped. "Our trump cards are even more lethal thanst time. So let''s give it a shot." Scapi''s eyes gleamed. "Ok." "Let''s do that." Brutal de and Taboo replied, and Shion clenched his fist. ''Finally! It''s time to kill you!'' Shion thought of Kang Oh''s face and gritted his teeth. Chapter 427. Red Moons Four Heavenly Kings

Chapter 427. Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings

Trantor: Boko The Shadow World was connected to various ces across the continent. It was even connected to the Great Forest''s central region, which was widely considered one of Arth''s most dangerous zones. Agrashi trees were said to grow indefinitely. It would take more than ten people to surround one, and it was from the giant hole in this tree that Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings and their subordinates appeared. The Poison Scorpion and her brigade specialized in handling poison, while the Killing Ghost and his brigade specialized in the physical act of killing. Tiger Taboo''s brigade, Tiger King, consisted of bandits that he''d recruited. Lastly, Shion''s Madman Squad, which he''d inherited from Clown, specialized in setting up traps. Scapi checked the Altago Ring. Its eye was pointed in a certain direction. That could only mean one thing: it was leading her towards her target! "Come this way," Scapi yelled, pointing in the direction of the eye''s gaze. "Let''s go." Their troops moved through the forest. However, the Four Heavenly Kings had overlooked something. This was the Great Forest''s central region, one of Arth''s most dangerous locations! "Guahk!" A cry suddenly rang out. A leech arrow had struck a Madman Squad member''s neck. Chwi, chwi! The leech burrowed into the squad member''s neck, causing them to fall to the floor and writhe in pain. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Several leech arrows came flying at them. "Kill the archers." "Get a move on!" Sometimeter... After killing the Cbros, Red Moon got back on track. However, the Cbros were just the beginning. Next, they encountered a Maucrocker, a monster crocodile that was almost 5 meters in size! It was a hunter with perfect camouge. Red Moon''s troops walked over the Maucrockers, which were disguised as the dirt floor. The result was gruesome. The Maucrockers undid their camouge, and began eating the criminals four or five at a time. "Kuheok!" "Damn!" "Don''t panic. Attack!" "You idiots. What the hell are you doing!?" The Four Heavenly Kings avoided the Maucrockers'' teeth, and leapt into the air. Brutal de swung his katana. Hisst katana had been taken by Kang Oh, so he''d bought a new one. This katana, however, was slightly better than the one he''d used previously. "Huahp!" Taboo''s weapon of a choice was a giant mace. He mmed his mace into a Maucrocker''s head. Meanwhile, Shion transformed a nearby Agrashi tree into a nt monster and controlled it. The nt monster''s roots pierced through the ground, and wrapped around the Maucrockers. Scapi unleashed a lethal poison cloud. In spite of the Four Heavenly Kings'' best efforts, countless members of their respective squads were ripped apart or crushed by the Maucrockers. By the time they finished off thest Maucrocker, 50 people had already died. "You idiots!" Although the Tiger King Squad had incurred the most casualties, Taboo cursed up a storm and went crazy. Incurring the most casualties gave him the feeling that his subordinates were the weakest of the bunch. "Hoo, we underestimated the Great Forest''s central region." Brutal de sighed. "No, we didn''t take it into ount at all. We were only focused on Kang Oh," Scapi said. "Should we go back and prepare some more?" Brutal de asked. "That''s not an option!" Shion yelled. He thirsted for vengeance. "Shion, calm down and think about this calmly..." Scapi interrupted him. "We can''t go back. We already told Red that we''d kill Kang Oh. If we return with our tails between our legs, then..." "Mm." Taboo bit his lip. The scariest person in the world was also someone they couldn''t figure out at all. They didn''t know what he''d do. That was Red''s personality. "Hoo, we don''t have a choice." Brutal de sighed once more. "We may not have a choice in the matter, but we do have a way out." "Which is?" Taboo asked. Scapi stared at him as if he were hopeless. ''You can''t even figure that out?'' "You not interested in seeing anymore? I can help you with that." Taboo curved his index and middle fingers, pointed them at Scapi''s eyes, and snarled. "Do us all a favor and put someone else''s brain in your head. Anyhow, everything is resolved if we kill Kang Oh, you idiot!" "What are you doing!? We have to catch him ASAP." Taboo rested his mace on his shoulder and strode forward. At that moment... Bzzzz! Bzzz! Bzzz! A swarm of wasps attacked them. They were one of the scariest monsters here, Killer Wasps! Killer Wasps were strictly carnivores, and loved soft, delicate human flesh the most! "Damn it!" "Deal with them!" "Uheok!" "Kuhaahk!" The sound of the wasps'' wings, as well as people''s screams, curses, and cries of pain continuously rang out. * * * "Haa, haa." "Sh*t." The Four Heavenly Kings'' troops weren''t in good shape. They had lost almost half of them too. It was only natural. They had been fighting the swarm of wasps when 100 Cbros showed up and shot leech arrows at them. A short whileter, they encountered five Giant Krugers too, which began devouring Red Moon''s troops; these were the upgraded version of Krugers, the Tyrants of the Great Forest. That wasn''t all. They encountered all sorts of monsters that resided within the central region. It was as if it were a party! This was a disaster brought upon by the Four Heavenly Kings'' ipetence. Why didn''t therge guilds explore the Great Forest''s central region? It was because the central region had a special feature; the more people you brought along with you, the more monsters you would encounter. Thus, exploring the central region was only possible with a small handful of elites. However, that didn''t negate the danger to the elites either. After all, the central region was brimming with dangerous monsters. Moreover, the area was huge, so it could take that small handful of elites several months to fully explore the central region. Of course, the members of that small group had to at least be middle rankers. If you didn''t have a clear cut goal or urate information like Sephiro, then you wouldn''t be able to enter the central region. That was the Great Forest''s central region in a nutshell. However, Red Moon''s executives had foolishly brought a ton of troops with them. It was as if they had deliberately opened the gates of hell. Shion was the dumbest of the lot. He should''ve known how dangerous the central region was, as he was once the leader of the Hercules Guild. However, he was so caught up in revenge that he had forgotten to warn them. If he had, they wouldn''t have gone on this expedition in the first ce. Anyhow, the Four Heavenly Kings and their subordinates were able to repel the Killer Wasps, the Cbros, the Giant Krugers, and the other beasts that came their way. How, you might ask? They had used their trump cards, the ones they''d prepared to use against Kang Oh. Shion and the Madman Squad had prepared an autonomous metal puppet. Of course, it was no ordinary puppet. It was an assassination puppet, which contained a total of eighteen traps within it! It was one of Clown''s inventions, but Shion had inherited andpleted it. This assassination puppet was extremely proficient in the art of killing. It was only natural. It was basically a walking trap! The Madman Squad could also make use of this puppet to set up traps anywhere, regardless of the terrain. Thus far, Shion had been able to create 30 assassination puppets in total! However, he had lost 18 of them in battle. Five of them were damaged too. Ultimately, he only had seven left that were in working condition. Brutal de''s Killing Ghost Squad had prepared a formation called Killing Ghost Hell. If caught in this surround, then he was sure that even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to escape. However, he needed a certain number of troops in order to use this formation, but so many of them had been killed. Thus, he wouldn''t be able to execute a proper Killing Ghost Hell anymore. They could probably manage one, but it''d be filled with holes; theplete opposite of what he''d intended. Taboo and the Tiger King Squad had brought some mana bombs, which had been created by Magic Engineers. They originally belonged to the Tower, but Taboo and his subordinates had stolen them. Apparently, the Tower''s Battle Mages were searching high and low for them! As weapons created by the Tower, they possessed extreme destructive power. However, they didn''t have that many in the first ce. Plus, this battle had forced them to use most of what they had in stock. The assassination puppets, the Killing Ghost Hell, and the mana bombs were nigh unusable! Fortunately, Scapi hadn''t used her trump card yet. They were all formidable trump cards. However, they had been forced to use them against the Great Forest''s monsters, so the Four Heavenly Kings sported unpleasant expressions. "What do we do now?" Even Taboo, the most stubborn of the lot, had lost hope. "We have to retreat," Brutal de said angrily. Kang Oh wasn''t the issue here. At this rate, Red would kill them and their troops before they even reached Kang Oh. ''To think that the central region was this dangerous.'' Just hearing the words ''Great Forest'' sent a shiver down his spine. "We don''t have a second chance! So we have to find Kang Oh and kill him no matter what!" Shion yelled. After all, if they went back now, they''d be punished by Red. Or perhaps they''d get exiled. If that''s the case, then they had to at least get a look at Kang Oh''s face before leaving. ''Who knows? We might be able to kill him. No, I''ll kill him no matter what!'' Shion, who was obsessed with revenge, was incapable of making a rational decision. "Retreat. We have no chance," Scapi said weakly. ''To think we''d be put in this state before we even found Kang Oh!'' "Scapi, we still have your trump card left. We can use that to kill him!" Shion desperately yelled. "It might work if Kang Oh were to show up right this instant. However, do you really think we''ll be able to find him? What if a pack of monsters shows up along the way?" Scapi stared at Shion and yelled bitingly. "We''ll see. We might find him faster than you think," Shion said unreasonably. At that moment... A man popped out of the brush. "Hi." It was Kang Oh! * * * Waryong was the one who''d discovered the presence of the Four Heavenly Kings and their troops. After all, it was a wyvern. Wyverns had a keen sense of smell, and were capable of smelling prey from dozens of kilometers away! Waryong was no different. It smelled a familiar, unpleasant smell through the wind. This was the smell of the Killing Ghost Squad, which had almost managed to kill it and Sephiro in the past. ''They''re here!'' Waryong immediately came over, and gave Sephiro a signal. Theirmunication wasn''t perfect, but Sephiro was capable of feeling Waryong''s emotions. Waryong sent feelings of anger, fear, and vengeance to him. Plus, Waryong was capable of sending him fragmented images. ''This is the Killing Ghost Squad. If that''s the case, then... Is it Red Moon?'' "Mr. Kang Oh," Sephiro said. "Yes?" "Please stop for a minute." "Alright, sure." Kang Oh, who saw how serious he looked, pulled on the Yuma''s reins. His Yuma wailed and then stopped. "What''s the matter?" "Red Moon is here." "Red Moon? How do you know that?" "Waryong told me. As you know, wyverns possess a keen sense of smell. Waryong must''ve memorized the scent of the Killing Ghost Squad." "I see." "I''m not sure whether it''s just the Killing Ghost Squad, or all of them likest time. What do you want to do?" Sephiro asked. "Hmm. Red Moon wouldn''t havee here to hunt," Kang Oh said. "They specialize in hunting people, not monsters. As you can see, there are no people here." "Besides us, you mean," Kang Oh said. "Yes. So it''s safe to say that they''re aiming for us." "Then we have to find them first. Can Waryong follow their scent?" "He can." Gyaa! Waryong sniffed the air like a dog, and then turned its head in a certain direction. "Let''s approach them quietly." Kang Oh and Sephiro disembarked from their Yumas, and began walking on foot. How much time had passed? "You monster!" "Die!" Kang Oh and Sephiro heard screams, cries, and curses. They slowly approached the source of the noise, and came to a battle between Red Moon and the Great Forest''s monsters. "Tch, those idiots! They actually brought a huge number of troops into the Great Forest''s central region. They must be crazy." Sephiro clicked his tongue. "You''re right about that." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''They say there''s no medicine that can cure stupid!'' "What will we do now?" "What else? We wait. Until the food''s ready." Kang Oh grinned. They would wait until Red Moon was tired, exhausted, and riddled with wounds! Then, they would swoop in and finish them off. What appetizing prey! ''Killing Ghost, Brutal de, Poison Scorpion, Scapi, Tiger Taboo, and is that Shion? I''ll take you all to the bureau and cash in on your bounty.'' Sometimeter... Red Moon managed to kill all of the monsters. However, they were riddled with wounds. It appeared like they were contemting retreat. ''Aah, we can''t have that, now can we?'' Kang Oh suddenly stood up and pushed through the brush. "Mr. Kang Oh!" Sephiro said. "I''m counting on you to cover my back!" Kang Oh waved. A short whileter... Kang Oh smiled at the Four Heavenly Kings and said, "Hi." ''I''m here to collect your bounties!'' Chapter 428. Red Moon Hunt (1)

Chapter 428. Red Moon Hunt (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh suddenly appeared! The Four Heavenly Kings, who''d lost so many of their troops to the Great Forest''s monsters and had decided to retreat, were left speechless by Kang Oh''s sudden appearance. Kang Oh opened up his hands. Switch Ubist! Switch Blood! Darkness flowed from his jet-ck greatsword, while ominous, mysterious light glowed from his snow-white de. "Kill him!" Scapi, who got a hold of herself first, yelled bitingly. Kang Oh''s sudden appearance gave the Four Heavenly Kings a second chance. They weren''t sure why Kang Oh hade out from there, but if they killed him, then all their problems would be solved. Contrary to her order, however, Scapi ran away from Kang Oh. She needed a long time to get her trump card ready. Thus, she''d gotten away from Kang Oh so that she wouldn''t be interrupted during the process. "You bastard!" Brutal de and Tiger Taboo rushed at him. "Kang Oh!" Shion mmed his staff onto the ground, his eyes filled with murderous intent. ''You son of a bitch!'' "Nice." Kang Oh smiled as he saw the ''bounties''ing straight for him, and pulled out a bronze hook from his inventory. The Reaper''s Wicked Torture Device! It was an A-rank item that he''d obtained from one of the Evil God Worshippers. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness devoured the bronze hook. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Reaper''s Wicked Torture Device.] [It is an A-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 20 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] Kang Oh''s body expelled energy as dark as the night sky. Brutal de was the first one to reach him. He forcefully swung his katana downwards. Ghost sh! It was a quick, sharp sh that could even cut through ghosts! Kang Oh swung Blood horizontally. sh! ng! Brutal de''s katana was forced back with a metallic ''ng''. His strength was increased threefold by Gluttony, so Kang Oh''s strike contained an overwhelming amount of power. Kang Oh took a step forward and thrust Ubist. Brutal de urgently backed off and swung his katana diagonally. ng! Another ''ng'' rang out! However, he wasn''t able to fully deflect Ubist. Kang Oh''s jet-ck greatsword pierced through Brutal de''s body. Bam! Shards of ck light burst from his body. Ubist''s special ability, Fang Bearing de, had activated! ''A good start.'' Kang Oh followed up by swinging Blood. His snow-white sword came for Brutal de''s neck like a snake lunging at its prey. At that moment... "Die!" The giant bodied Taboo came over and forcefully swung his mace. Raging Dragon''s Energy! Taboo''s mace, which was coated in golden energy, came flying over, forcing Kang Oh to stop and back off. Whoosh! Taboo''s mace swept through where he''d just been. Once his feet touched the floor, Kang Oh rushed back into the fray. Festival of Blood! Blood''s snow-white de was covered in blood red energy. It was like the clear sky was filled with the glow of the setting sun. Kang Oh swung Blood, cleaving right through Taboo. Swish! "Ugh." Taboo didn''t even have time to block it. With Gluttony and Festival of Blood in use, Kang Oh was way too fast. Kang Oh didn''t stop there, and swung Blood and Ubist one after another. He swung his des five times in a single breath, and Taboo wasn''t able to block a single strike. Not only did he strike at Taboo''s weak points, as indicated by his Hyper Intuition, but his speed had been amplified so much that Taboo couldn''t respond to them. Countless shards of light spilled from Taboo''s body, which were then sucked into Blood''s de, restoring Kang Oh''s HP. "Sh*t!" Taboo scowled and backed off. He''d lost a significant amount of HP from repeated encounters with the Great Forest''s monsters. However, Kang Oh had done more damage than all of thembined in just a few seconds. This didn''t make any sense! Kang Oh''s attack power was really off the charts. Kang Oh kept focusing on Taboo, and extended Ubist. However, someone got in his way. Brutal de appeared at Taboo''s side, and blocked Ubist for him. Of course, his strength, speed, skill, etc. were all inferior, so he couldn''t hold Kang Oh off for long. Fortunately, he wasn''t alone. They had Shion, who was once the leader of the ruined Hercules Guild and was previously part of the Numbers. Setinel''s Sage, Shion! He, who possessed an unhealthy level of hatred for Kang Oh, began casting a spell. "Bow before the great power of nature!" Mother Nature''s Fury! A deep green energy flew at Kang Oh like lightning in a zigzag pattern. Its power was considerable. Kang Oh quickly protected himself with Ubist. Abyss de! This skill allowed him to cut the immaterial, and also absorbed a spell every 30 seconds! Suck! Shion''s magic was sucked into Ubist''s de like rainwater flowing down the sewers. "Surround him!" Shion yelled. As he did so, he cast huge AoE healing and support spells. Rising Life''s Earth! Bear''s Power! Cheetah''s Speed! Those buffed by Shion''s spells tried to surround Kang Oh. The Killing Ghost Squad and the Tiger King Squads stood at the forefront of the perimeter, while the Poison Scorpion Squad and the Madman Squads stood at the rear. However, some of the Tiger King squad members were holding mana bombs in their hands. Creak! Screech! The Madman Squad manipted their seven remaining assassination dolls. Those who''d lost their assassination dolls stood in front of the seven members as meat shields. The ck Scorpion Squad, which all had a tattoo of a scorpion etched on their bodies somewhere, prepared to fire their poison tipped arrows or needles at Kang Oh. Kang Oh was at a significant numerical disadvantage. However, Kang Oh didn''t think he was at a disadvantage at all. In fact, he wasn''t at any sort of disadvantage. ''Mm, what delicious prey.'' Red Moon''s yers were, after fighting the Great Forest''s monsters consecutively, significantly weakened. Several of them would die if he just pushed them over! Red Moon''s Four Heavenly Kings weren''t in great shape either. Moreover, Kang Oh still had Demon Sword Akanhoff waiting in the wings. Not only that, but he wasn''t alone. Whizz! A giant arrow arced through the air Whir! Whir! Six magic circles formed around the arrow, and arrows as thick andrge as harpoons poured out of them. "Uheok!" "Damn it, this is... Buster Shot!" The low HP Red Moon members didn''t expect the Buster Shot at all. "Now then." Kang Oh''s form began to change amidst the shower of arrows. Devil Trigger! His face was covered in a horned beast mask, his torso protected by a red breastte, dark red wings protruded from his back, and a ck tail swished around from behind. The Dual Demon had appeared! "Let''s begin the hunt." * * * Buster Shot was only the beginning. Sephiro shot arrow after arrow. Sun Piercing Arrow! Earth Shaking Arrow! None of his arrows missed, piercing the criminals'' vitals like their eyes, neck, heart, etc. Moreover, as a Giant Hunter, his arrows were several times more powerful than a normal Archer''s arrows. The criminals were already heavily injured, so when they were struck by these arrows, they died instantly. Thwock! "Keheok!" Die, die, die! ''This is nice.'' Sephiro''s lips curled upwards, as he saw a system message informing him of his increase in fame. The criminals also gave him a ton of experience. "Killing Ghost Squad, follow me. We''re going to take out Sephiro." Ultimately, the Killing Ghost Squad''s vice-captain, Yaksha, was forced to deal with him. Him and the remaining members of the squad came rushing at Sephiro. Kyaa! The red wyvern, Waryong, appeared from atop a tree, and unleashed red mes at them. "It''s a wyvern!" "Kill it!" The Killing Ghost Squad shot arrows, javelins, and chains at it. However, Waryong was too fast in the air, so they couldn''t keep it at bay. Roar! A wall of fire arose, and one of Sephiro''s arrows pierced through the wall. "Dodge it!" "Be careful!" Thwock! Thwock! Those struck by the arrows died instantly. "Sh*t! Scatter and approach him! Avoid the mes!" That was the best Yaksha could do. While Sephiro and Waryong dealt with the Killing Ghost Squad, the Dual Demonpletely overpowered Taboo and Brutal de. Swish, sh! Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood mercilessly struck at their weak points. "Chiaht!" "Ugh." Kang Oh was too powerful. So much so that two high rankers, Taboo and Brutal de, couldn''t even scratch him! "What are you doing!? Attack him!" Taboo yelled. The Tiger King Squad broke formation and rushed at Kang Oh. The ck Scorpion Squad threw poison coated daggers or needles at him. In the meantime, Taboo and Brutal de backed off so that they could get a chance to breathe. At that moment, Kang Oh raised his swords into the air, as if he were stretching out his wings, and then swung downwards as hard as he could. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! Boom! Boom! "Ugh!" "Damn." The two mighty auras cut through the Tiger King Squad. "Madman Squad, kill him!" Shion yelled murderously. Creak! The seven puppets approached Kang Oh. Whizz! Sharp spikes shot out of their mouths. It was quite dangerous whenbined with the ck Scorpion''s daggers and needles. However, it was pointless against Kang Oh. He deflected all of them with his dual demon swords. Creak! The assassination dolls simultaneously opened their chest cavities, and shot outs made of Red King Ant Thread, which was renowned for its toughness. Kang Oh swung Ubist horizontally. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pushed away thes, and devoured a doll. Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the floor, and leapt into the middle of their formation. Swish, sh, swish! His twin swords danced through the air. It was a dance that brought death to anyone they came in contact to! In an instant, several criminals were killed. The assassination dolls weren''t much help either. The Madman Squad didn''t have the time to install any more traps inside, and they didn''t have enough of them either. If they wanted to fight Kang Oh, then they had to, at minimum, bring the Four Heavenly Kings. Taboo, whose HP was somewhat restored via Shion''s healing spell, rushed at Kang Oh once more. "You bastard!" "Hmph." ''You''re no match for me.'' Kang Oh softly swung his sword. Lightning Breath! Since Festival of Blood had ended, Blood unleashed a mighty electric st from its snow-white de. Taboo gritted his teeth and swung his mace upwards. Tornado! Like a salmon swimming up a waterfall, Taboo''s mace surged with energy that shed with Kang Oh''s Lightning Breath. Bam! This resulted in a massive explosion and a shockwave that swept through everything in its path. Brutal de, who''d been healed by Shion and was waiting patiently for his opportunity, quietly approached Kang Oh from behind. Swish! He thrust his katana, but against Kang Oh and his Hyper Intuition, sneak attacks were pointless. Kang Oh turned around, smoothly avoided his attack, and counterattacked. Swish! He sliced through Brutal de''s chest, forcing him to quickly step back. Bam! All of a sudden, the ground cracked open, and out came thick green vines. This was Shion''s work. Kang Oh quickly swung his twin swords and split the vines apart. At that moment... A nearby Tiger King squad member threw a mana bomb at him. Abyss Shield! A jet-ck barrier surrounded him. Bam! Bam! The contact resulted in a massive explosion. It was much stronger than he''d expected. Shards of light spilled from his body. "Come out, my alter egos!" Shion mmed his staff onto the ground. The nearby trees gained eyes, a nose, and a mouth, and their branches transformed into two arms and two legs. Thud! Thud! Shion had summoned five nt monsters. They approached Kang Oh as if surrounding him, and swung their arms like whips. Bam! A long scar was left on the ground. However, Kang Oh was nowhere to be found. He had used Abyss Transfer. ''Here I am!'' Kang Oh reappeared behind Shion. "Shion, behind you!" Brutal de urgently yelled, and Shion cast a barrier. Mother Nature''s Protection! However, Kang Oh was much, much faster. Transcendent de! Stab. Demon Sword Ubist pierced through his back and his heart. "Ugh!" Several shards of red light shot into the air. Kang Oh pulled Ubist out, forcing Shion to one knee. "No!" "Stop him!" Taboo and Brutal de rushed over to save Shion. However, they wouldn''t make it there unless they could move at supersonic speeds. Evesting Darkness! Ubist unleashed a pir of darkness, which devoured Shion whole. That was the end for him. * * * The Poison Scorpion, Scapi. There was a giant incense burner in front of her. This incense burner was her trump card! However, using this trump card required quite a bit of preparation time. A dangerous monster was sealed within the incense burner, and breaking the seal was quite a lengthy process. The seal had finally been released. "Come out!" Scapi opened her arms. Slide. The lid opened like a blooming flower, and a seven colored snake slithered out. Snake King, Croik. It was a snake among snakes, one that possessed the greatest venom of its species! There were ten fatal poisons in Arth, but Croik''s poison was among the top three. Several people believed it to possess the greatest poison in Arth. The Croik possessed such lethal poison, not to mention that it was extremely rare, so it was really expensive to get your hands on its poison. Scapi had cut out the middleman; rather than procure Croik''s poison, she had procured the Croik itself. Not only that, but it was a fully grown Croik. This was her trump card. "Come here!" Scapi fearlessly extended her hand towards it. Hiss! Its tongue darted in and out, and its yellow eyes shed, as if saying ''How dare you!?''. It bit the hand that approached it. Her hand adopted the Croik''s seven colors. This was the property of Croik''s poison. Once her hand felt numb, she transformed into a Poison Human. Her skin was colored bronze likest time. A Poison Human could absorb poison and use its strength as their own. The stronger the poison, the more powerful the user bes. ''If I absorb the Croik''s poison, which is one of the greatest poisons in the world, then... I can gain power close to a Master.'' Scapi''s lips curled upwards. Suck! Once she began to absorb its poison, the Croik began to tremble. However, the Croik''s poison was so lethal that it was called the Snake King. Obviously, it would take a while before she could fully absorb its poison. ''Please hold out until I get there. Please!'' She thought of Taboo, Brutal de, and Shion, who were fighting against Kang Oh, and gripped the Croik even tighter. Chapter 429. Red Moon Hunt (2)

Chapter 429. Red Moon Hunt (2)

Trantor: Boko Brutal de and Taboo rushed at Kang Oh. However, it was clear that they were no match for him. "Ugh." Brutal de blocked Kang Oh''s strike and grimaced. "Damn it!" Taboo exploded with anger. ''Why the hell are you so strong!?'' At that moment... Shion, whose face was embedded in the cold floor, began to twitch. A short whileter, he stood uppletely unscathed! This was his secret technique, ''Transmigration of Souls''. Shion had used this skill to revive himself. "Kang Oh!" Shion stared at Kang Oh with bloodshot eyes and pointed his staff at him. Mother Nature''s Fury! The ground parted beneath Kang Oh''s feet, and deep green energy surged from below. Kang Oh absorbed the spell with Ubist. The other two used that opportunity to attack Kang Oh. Brutal de''s katana gleamed, and Taboo''s mace ripped through the air, giving off a weighty sound. Red Butterfly''s Dance. Kang Oh''s body sped up, as if he''d hit the fast forward button, and he managed to dodge both of their attacks. He would turn this crisis into an opportunity! Kang Oh swung Ubist and Blood one after another! The twin swords formed an X. That X etched itself onto Taboo''s body, bursting with shards of light. "Ugh." Taboo backed off, absolutely stupefied. However, Kang Oh pursued him. "You bastard!" Brutal de attacked him from behind. Ghost sh! At the same time, the ground parted between him and Taboo, and out came a blockade of trees. Shion had cast a spell called Tree''s Protection. However, neither Brutal de''s katana, nor Shion''s spell could stop Kang Oh. Swish. Brutal de''s strike connected, causing a fistful of shards of light to burst from his body. Kang Oh paid no attention to this, and cleaved through the barrier. Mad Wind''s Sword! Taboo''s shocked face appeared beyond the shredded tree barrier. Kang Oh charged right at him. "I won''t take this lying down!" Taboo yelled desperately, and unleashed a powerful attack. Rising Dragon''s Energy! Great Pulverize! Tornado! Bam! Bam! Bam! They all came at him, but Kang Oh didn''t back down. Festival of Blood! He continuously swung his blood sword. Ultimately, Kang Oh won. He pierced through all of Taboo''s attacks. "Ugh." Taboo''s lips shook. He was thinking ''There''s no way we can beat him.'' "Huahp!" Mad Wind''s Sword had greatly increased his speed, and Kang Oh used that amplified speed to its fullest to mercilessly rip Taboo to shreds. No matter how much endurance Taboo had, there was no way he''d be able to withstand this. In an instant, his HP had dropped to dangerous levels. However, Kang Oh didn''t finish him off. Instead, he forcefully whacked Taboo''s head with the t of Ubist''s de. Whack! When a yer is at critically low HP and they get hit by a strong physical blow, they''ll be ''incapacitated''. Of course, deliberately inducing this required incredible skill, but Kang Oh had that in spades. "Gargle." Taboo fell backwards, making a sound as if he were gargling spit. He was incapacitated, so he couldn''t move anymore. ''Just sit still.'' Taboo was worth a fortune. Thus, he''d chosen not to kill him and incapacitated him instead. The amount of time a yer stayed in this state varied, but in general, a yer wouldn''t be able to control their character for about 10 to 15 minutes. "Shion!" Brutal de yelled. "Got it." Shion cast a healing spell on Taboo; or he tried to, at least. However, Kang Oh had disappeared. He had used Abyss Transfer. ''He''ll aim for me.'' Shion stopped casting the healing spell, and cast a spell to protect himself instead. It was as he expected. Kang Oh reappeared right in front of him. Shion cast all of the spells he''d prepared. Mother Nature''s Fury! Nature''s Barrier! Green energy quickly flew at Kang Oh in a zigzag pattern, and a barrier formed around Shion''s body. However, it wasn''t nearly enough to stop Kang Oh. Blood Bomb! 15 stars had long since appeared on Blood''s de. Since he''d been continuously cutting his enemies apart, he''d maintained max stacks. Blood red energy exploded from Kang Oh''s body. Boom! The barrier cracked. Kang Oh immediately swung his sword, aiming for the crack. Shatter! A few strikes caused the barrier to shatterpletely. "Tch." Shion threw himself out of the way. Transmigration of Souls was still on cooldown, so he couldn''t revive himself again. Thus, he had no other choice. The best he could do was get out of the way. Fortunately, the heavens hadn''t forsaken him yet. Battle Maniac! This skill drained the user''s HP in exchange for a substantial increase in theirbat ability. Brutal de rushed at Kang Oh, buying Shion time to make his escape! "Go!" Because of him, Shion was just barely able to back off in time. ng! ng! Kang Oh and Brutal de shed des several times. However, even with Battle Maniac active, Brutal de was no match for Kang Oh. "Ugh." Kang Oh''s fierce assault kept pushing Brutal de back more and more until he fell on his backside. ''Now!'' Kang Oh swung the t side of Ubist, and smacked Brutal de''s head. Smack! Brutal de''s body fell over sideways. Now, he was incapacitated too. All that was left was Setinel''s Sage! Kang Oh rushed at Shion, who was busy healing himself. "Grr, stop him!" Shion yelled. The few remaining members of the Tiger King Squad, the Madman Squad, and the ck Scorpion Squad threw themselves at Kang Oh. However, it was like throwing yourself into a typhoon. They were cut down instantly. Bam! Kang Oh stood before Shion. "I''ll get my revenge someday!" Shion widened his eyes and yelled. "Sure, see youter." Kang Oh calmly stabbed his chest with Ubist. Stab! His face turned ashen, and he died. There was a good reason he''d chosen to kill Shion but not the others. Shion was essentially a walking treasure house. Everything he wore was a masterpiece. Thus, killing him and picking up whatever he dropped was more profitable than cashing in on his bounty. Plus, he hasn''t been associated with Red Moon for very long, so unlike Taboo or Brutal de, his bounty wouldn''t be all that high. "Oho." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Shion had left behind a shimmering belt. ''Helmaris''s Silk Belt!'' This was the SS-rank belt that the Hercules Guild had gotten from killing their first raid boss, Helmaris! Kang Oh quickly stashed the belt and took a look around. There was still a small handful of criminals left. However, they looked like they had no will to fight. "R-Run away!" "Damn it. Run!" They ran in every which way. However, there was one individual that was quickly approaching him. Poison Scorpion, Scapi! She had fully absorbed the Snake King''s venom. * * * "Sh*t!" Yaksha cursed. He, along with the Killing Ghost Squad, hade to kill Sephiro. His reaction was understandable. Just look at what''s in front of him. Kuhaaahk! The Killing Ghost Squad were taking on Giant Krugers. Sephiro and Waryong were nowhere to be found. ''This damn ce!'' The Great Forest''s central region was truly a horrific ce. Once he and his squad came rushing at Sephiro, Sephiro ran away as if saying ''Catch me if you can.''. They focused entirely on chasing after Sephiro, but along the way, they were attacked by Giant Krugers. ''Don''t explore the Great Forest''s central region in arge group''. This had all happened because they hadn''t adhered to that. To make matters worse, an arrow came flying at them from an unknown location. Whizz! The Killing Ghost Squad couldn''t dodge the arrows and the Giant Krugers. Thwock! Upon impact, the squad member lost his bnce. The Giant Kruger then swung its fist and sent him flying. It was a vicious cycle. If they focused on the arrows, then the Krugers would kill them, but if they focused on the Krugers, then the arrows would inevitably leave them open to the Krugers anyway. Yaksha bit his lip. They had to retreat. They could handle the Krugers, but they had no idea where Sephiro was. Plus, there was no guarantee that they wouldn''t encounter any more monsters along the way. "Retreat! Run away!" Ultimately, Yaksha was forced to order their retreat. As if waiting for that order to be given, the Killing Ghost Squad immediately scattered. However, they couldn''t get away that easily. It was hard to get away from the Krugers, and Sephiro''s arrows were like homing missiles; they''d never miss or go astray. Gyaa! Out of the blue, a red wyvern appeared and spewed red fire, which was a pain in the ass to deal with. Regardless, retreating was the correct answer. "Don''t stop. Retreat!" Yaksha and the remaining members of the Killing Ghost Squad rushed back to the area where the rest of Red Moon were fighting Kang Oh. Of course, Sephiro and Waryong chased them all the way back and kept attacking them. The Giant Krugers did the same. "Tch." Yaksha deflected one of Sephiro''s arrows and kept running. The Killing Ghost Squad struggled to survive. However, he was shocked by what he saw. "Holy sh*t!" The notorious criminal organization, Red Moon! Red Moon''s Heavenly Kings and their elites were sprawled on the floor. There were only two people standing: Kang Oh and Scapi! ''Kang Oh beat all of them by himself? Only Scapi is left?'' Yaksha rubbed his eyes and looked again. He couldn''t believe it. However, he wasn''t seeing things. Kang Oh hadpletely annihted Red Moon''s elites! Does this make any sense? No, it doesn''t! Fortunately, Scapi was fighting Kang Oh evenly, no, she was slightly ahead! ''Please win, Scapi!'' Yaksha desperately cheered for her. * * * After bing a Poison Human, Scapi''s bronze skin gained a rainbow hue. Fatal Breath! Purple poison mist escaped from her lips like a long snake. ''Fast!'' Kang Oh was shocked. Normally, her poisons were extremely fatal and had a long range. In exchange, however, they were extremely slow. He wasn''t sure what she''d eaten, but Scapi''s attacks were extremely fast now. "Tch!" Kang Oh quickly threw his body out of the way. However, he wasn''t able to dodge itpletely. The poison had slightly grazed his skin. [You have been slightly exposed to Croik''s poison.] [It is impossible to resist Croik''s poison.] [Your HP will be reduced by 30% in 30 seconds.] [You have seven symptoms of being poisoned!] [Thirst, slow, dizziness, limited eyesight, chills, burning pain, and numbness.] [Warning! It is an incredibly dangerous poison.] Croik''s poison was one of the world''s most dangerous poisons! The scariest part was that it couldn''t be resisted, no matter how high one''s poison resistance was. It was different if you had an ability like Poison Human, which allowed you to absorb poisons. ''Did she absorb the Croik''s poison?'' Fatal poisons were like a tonic for Poison Humans. If she had truly absorbed Croik''s poison, then it would be as if she''d drank the highest quality tonic. Kang Oh came to a decision. This wasn''t the time to be happy about killing Shion, and capturing Brutal de and Taboo alive. ''I''m in a huge pickle here.'' Switch Akanhoff. He stored Blood and swapped to Akanhoff. Kang Oh still had 6 minutes left on Gluttony. In the remaining time, he had to beat Scapi. The Dual Demon devolved into the Jet-ck Demon. He lost his horns, his wings, and his red armor. Scapi opened her hands. Poison Sphere! The mottled spheres shot at him like bullets. Rather than deflect the spheres, Kang Oh rolled on the floor. If his des made contact, then they''d explode. There was no point in dealing with them straight up. Scapi raised her right hand into the air. Whir! Her hand glowed with brilliant rainbow light. Poison Whip! She swung her arm, and a whip made of fatal poison came flying at Kang Oh. Kang Oh instinctively followed his Hyper Intuition''s warning, and rolled to the side. He dodged the whip and then sank into the darkness. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh instantly appeared behind her and forcefully swung Akanhoff downwards. Swish! Akanhoff sliced through her back. Take a look at the shards of light that exploded from her body. They were so clear, red, andrge! Scapi turned herself around. Her chest bulged and her cheeks swelled like a chipmunk. Then, she deted and unleashed powerful poison energy at him. Huueup! Hoo! Poison Tsunami! Croik''s rainbow poison came straight for him. There was no way he could dodge this. Even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to survive if he were hit by this directly. Ultimately, there was only one option avable to him. Moon''s Protection! A barrier shaped like the full moon surrounded him. For 3 seconds, any and all attacks would be nullified! However, Scapi had nned for this, as she continued to spew poison even after the 3 seconds had passed. ''If I want to survive, then I have to take it head-on!'' When the barrier slowly disappeared, Kang Oh swung his sword. Abyss w! Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! Evesting Darkness! He alternated between his most powerful attacks. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh''s attacks crashed into the Poison Tsunami. Boom! It was like a volcano had erupted. Kang Oh''s attacks and the Poison Tsunami intertwined, surged into the air, and then exploded. The situation wasn''t looking good for him. Croik''s poison was falling like rain. He got several system messages warning him of impending danger. ''Go for broke.'' He''d already been affected by Croik''s poison, so there was no point in backing off. He''d either kill her, or he''d die. There were no other options. "Die!" Kang Oh rushed at Scapi. Chapter 430. Jackpot!

Chapter 430. Jackpot!

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s body was dyed ck, yet splotches of rainbow appeared all over his body. This made Scapi think¡­ ''He''s definitely been poisoned!'' Croik''s poison was absolute. Resisting or curing it was impossible, and the poison would persist until death as long as she was alive. This was a handicap given to all poison users. Contrary to the real world, killing the user would remove the effects of the poison. To be more specific, killing a poison user would halt the effects of their skill or spell. ''If I hold out, it''s my win. Then...'' She had already won. Scapi leapt backwards. At that moment... "Die!" Kang Oh rushed at her. He quickly closed the distance. It was only natural. His physical capabilities far exceeded hers. However, Scapi had the Croik''s poison. Hueup, haa! She shot the rainbow poison at Kang Oh once more. Kang Oh swung Ubist, cutting through the poison mist. However, there was no way he''d bepletely safe from the poison. [Your symptoms have worsened.] [Thirst, slow, dizziness, limited eyesight, chills, burning pain, and numbness have worsened.] [HP decreases even faster than before.] [Remaining HP: 33%] [Warning: You have been affected by fatal poison!] He didn''t feel much pain. You could only feel a certain amount of pain in-game, after all. The numbness/tingling in his hands and feet were the real problem. He felt really thirsty too. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and advanced. He pushed through the poison mist, and saw Scapi. ''I can''t keep going like this!'' he thought. At the same time, a light bulb went off in his head. ''I only have one shot at this!'' Kang Oh leaned forward and staggered; then, he fell to one knee and bowed his head. "Ugh." To the untrained eye, it seemed like the poison was preventing him from moving properly! However, Scapi was a vixen. ''Hmph, that won''t fool me!'' To her, Kang Oh''s acting was piss poor. It didn''t matter if he wasn''t acting. If she kept widening the distance between them, then she''d win. Scapi leapt back, trying to widen the distance between them even further. ''Now!'' Kang Oh suddenly stood up, and swung Akanhoff as if he were drawing it from a sheath. Akanhoff may be a longsword, but Kang Oh was too far away for him to hit her. Then, the world began to slow. Transcendent de! Kang Oh extended Akanhoff with transcendent speed, and then let go of the handle. Throw Demon Sword Akanhoff! The purpose of his poor acting was to hide what he was trying to do and get into position. Scapi saw something sh. By the time she got a hold herself, there was a sword right in front of her! "Kyaahk!" Demon Sword Akanhoff pierced through her body. Now! Kang Oh gritted his teeth and ran as fast as he could. The dizziness and numbness he experienced caused him to lose bnce along the way, but he didn''t fall or stop. He instantly closed the distance, and tightly gripped Ubist with both hands. Mad Wind''s Sword! He''d been dual wieldingtely, so it had been a long time since he''d used the greatsword by itself. "You think that''ll beat me!?" Scapi yelled bitingly, and spewed a poison mist. She also shot poison spheres at him from either hand. Abyss Shield! It was better than nothing. A barrier, which resembled a ck swamp, formed around his body. Warning! Warning! He ignored the cold feeling that his Hyper Intuition sent him, and allowed himself to be consumed by the poison mist. The poison spheres pierced through the Abyss Shield, and struck his body head-on. ''There, there, and there!'' Hepletely forwent defense. Guided by his Hyper Intuition, he attacked every single one of her weak points with Ubist. Whack! Bam! Whack! Bam! Kang Oh and Scapi''s bodies simultaneously/continuously exploded with shards of light. However, Scapi''s shards of light gradually gotrger and more numerous. It was due to Mad Wind''s Sword. Demon Sword Ubist steadily got faster and faster! The faster it got, the more powerful it became! Scapi''s face was filled with fear. At this rate, she would die before he did. Gyaahk, ptoo! Scapi spat poison at him. If Kang Oh bent backwards or backed off, then that''d give her a chance to retreat. However, Kang Oh''s responsepletely baffled her. He allowed the poison to strike his face, yet continued to swing his sword. It was as if he were saying, ''If I go down, you''reing with me.''. ''You stubborn bastard!'' What''s worse, he shouldn''t even be able to see properly, yet his jet-ck greatsword kept striking at her vitals. Due to his experience with Ubist''s trial and his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh could fight without sight. "You crazy bastard!" Scapi cursed,pletely sick of Kang Oh''s dogged persistence. However, Kang Oh didn''t even hear her. He waspletely focused on killing her. "Die, die, die!" Scapi, realizing that there was no other way around it, unleashed all of her stored up poison. That was the best she could do. Unfortunately, her stored up poison acted as her HP bar in this form. Using her poison was like consuming her very own life force. "No!" Ultimately, Scapi died first. She couldn''t ept her loss till the very end. Kang Oh read the system message, informing him that the effects of Croik''s poison had disappeared, stabbed Ubist into the ground, and then leaned against it. "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed in relief. Taboo, Brutal de, and Shion were well within his expectations. They, weakened as they were from fighting the Great Forest''s monsters, were easy to defeat. However, Scapi far exceeded his expectations. To think she''d used the Croik''s poison! Where did she even manage to buy that? Even though he knew how much her bounty was, he had no choice but to kill her. At that moment... A figure appeared from Kang Oh''s shadow. It was the Killing Ghost Squad''s vice-captain, Yaksha. He''d been watching Kang Oh and Scapi''s duel, and had waited patiently for his opportunity. However, he wasn''t strong enough to get directly involved. Thus, he had been watching until now. Now was the time to strike, as Kang Oh waspletely wide open! ''I should be able to finish him off!'' he thought, and used Shadow Transfer. That''s how he''d appeared behind Kang Oh. "Tch!" Kang Oh''s back felt cold, so he turned around. However, he had reacted a little toote. "Die!" Yaksha quickly swung his sword downwards. But... Whizz! Thwock! Sephiro''s arrow hit him dead on. It was as if he too had been waiting for this moment. Honestly, Sephiro had been watching Kang Oh and Scapi''s fight too. Once the battle ended, he saw how Yaksha had disappeared, and had aimed his bow at Kang Oh. It was clear where Yaksha would show up after all. "Tch!" Yaksha gritted his teeth. He briefly staggered from the arrow, but he wasn''t so weak that he''d fall from a single arrow! He swung his sword all the way. However, Sephiro had bought Kang Oh plenty of time. He dodged Yaksha''s sword by a hair''s breadth, and... Swish! Cleaved through Yaksha''s body too. Sephiro did the rest. Sun Piercing Arrow! A violently spinning arrow pierced Yaksha''s head. Headshot! The tremendous impact caused him to fall. In no time at all, Waryong flew over and climbed on top of Yaksha''s body. Gyaa! Waryong opened its mouth wide, bit his head, and began chewing. "Don''t kill him!" Kang Oh quickly yelled. The Killing Ghost Squad''s vice-captain would be worth a ton. Gyaa? Waryong looked up at Kang Oh with its round eyes. ''Why?'' "I''m going to knock him unconscious, so sit tight." Waryong seemingly understood him, as it flew into the air once more. Kang Oh struck Yaksha''s head with the t side of his de. Smack! Controlling one''s strength was paramount. After all, it was so easy to kill someone rather than incapacitate them. A short whileter... "Are you alright?" Sephiro approached him. "Yes. Please tie up Taboo and Brutal de. It''s him and him. They''ll soon regain control of their characters," Kang Oh pointed at the two of them and said urgently. "Mm, understood." Sephiro pulled out some rope from his inventory. Then, he quickly tied the two of them up so that they couldn''t escape. "Ugh." Taboo, who was the first to be knocked unconscious, shook. He had finally regained control of his character. However, he was alreadypletely tied up. Brutal de was quiet, as if he were already dead. He still hadn''t awoken yet. Kang Oh stored his demon swords and drank an HP potion to somewhat restore his HP. Then, he approached them. Yaksha, who waspletely bound from head to toe with Darkness Chain, was resting on Kang Oh''s shoulder. He looked like a ck cocoon. Thud. Kang Oh dropped Yaksha to the ground, and then grinned at the bound Taboo and Brutal de. "Hehe." All he saw when he looked at them was gold coins. "You son of a bitch! Let me go! I''ll kill you!" Taboo yelled. "Shut up!" Sephiro smacked his head and gagged him. "Please keep a close eye on them. I''m going to go and pick up the items that were left behind," Kang Oh said. "Alright." Sephiro nodded his head. "Ah, by the way." Sephiro quickly grabbed Kang Oh, who''d turned around. "What''s my share?" "Don''t we split the loot 70-30?" Kang Oh said, looking at him as if that werepletely obvious by now. "That''s different. This is their bounties we''re talking about." "Same difference." "It''s different. Plus, if not for me, you would''ve died at the end there. Isn''t that right?" "Nope," Kang Oh said decisively. "I filmed it all. Shall we watch it together?" "60-40!" "You have a deal!" Sephiro smiled in satisfaction. ''Ah, I''ve won the lottery!'' Kang Oh roamed the battlefield, and picked up all the items that the criminals left behind. As expected of a criminal organization. Every single one of them had dropped an item. There were quite a lot of items that''d sell for a hefty price. Red Moon had given him a ton of fame, experience, proficiency, gold, and items. To him, it was a generous organization that always gave to him, never taking. "Let''s return to Altein now," Kang Oh said after collecting all the items. "Alright." Sephiro nodded his head. They''d originallye here to hunt the ancient Tum. But now, their main priority was to bring the Red Moon''s executives to the Security Bureau. Kang Oh and Sephiro returned to Altein with Taboo, Brutal de, and Yaksha in tow. * * * Kang Oh and Sephiro left the Security Bureau, which was reminiscent of a giant prison. "Please take care!" The worker came out of the building, and bowed at a 90 degree angle. It was only natural. Kang Oh and Sephiro had captured two criminals, Taboo and Brutal de, which were only one level lower than the Worst Criminal, Red! Plus, Kang Oh had captured the Mad Jester, Clown before, who was on the same level as the aforementioned two. "They won''t be able to breathe the outside air ever again," the worker said. He was referring to Brutal de, Taboo, and Yaksha. They had gotten a life sentence. "Hehe. Alright then, take care." Kang Oh couldn''t close his mouth. Brutal de and Taboo were worth 50,000 and 40,000 gold respectively! Because Brutal de was responsible for assassinations, his bounty was a little higher. Yaksha was worth 10,000 gold, which was much less than he''d expected. In total, they had made 100,000 gold! Of that, Sephiro got 40,000 gold and Kang Oh got the remaining 60,000. 1 gold was worth 3,000 won ($3 USD), so 60,000 gold was worth 180 million won ($180,000 USD)! He''d hit the jackpot! "Hehehe." Sephiro couldn''t stop smiling either. After all, his portion was huge too. Gyaa! Waryong stretched out its wings and waddled around. It was probably thinking something along the lines of ''My master''s happy so I''m happy too.''. "Mr. Kang Oh." Sephiro looked at him warmly. "Yes, Mr. Sephiro?" Kang Oh replied enthusiastically. "Let''s keep working together forever!" "Sure." Kang Oh and Sephiro sped each other''s hands. It was a rtionship formed out of money! "I''ll leave the items with Mr. Man Bok. Please take your share of the profitster," Kang Oh said. "Understood." "Let''s hunt the Tum tomorrow." He wanted to go to the Great Forest immediately. However, he''d already used Gluttony, so it didn''t feel right to go there now. "That sounds best." "See you tomorrow." "Yes." The two parted ways, and Kang Oh headed for the Saul Graveyard. Then, he continuously killed the high-rank undead again and again. If he wanted toplete Vn''s quest, then he couldn''t waste a single day. Even if he''d just had a brutal battle with Red Moon. Chapter 431. The Ruler of the Shadow World

Chapter 431. The Ruler of the Shadow World

Trantor: Boko The Great Temple of Rakan. Mahakan, Nazaran, Saru, Vn, and Burkan sat around a table thaty atop the marble floor. "Lord Mahakan. How has the tracking gone?" Vn asked. Due to his arrogant personality, there were very few people that Vn respected. However, one of them was Mahakan. "We''ve lost contact with Krasler," Mahakan said. Krasler was a renowned hunter, and was called the Tracking Master. He had beenmissioned to help them find the Evil God Worshippers'' headquarters. However, they had lost contact with Krasler and those that had apanied him. "When did we lose contact?" Vn asked, furrowing his brow. "After he sent word that he''d followed them to the Daltrak Region," Mahakan said. The Daltrak Region was in between the central, western, and northern parts of Arth. "Daltrak, huh..." Vn stroked his chin. There was a vast coniferous forest, which only grew in cold environments, in the Daltrak Region. The area had plenty of wood for furniture and wooden buildings, so plenty of logging businesses operated there. There was a medium-sized city there, and more than twenty small cities. It was nothingpared to the central region''srge cities, but plenty of people lived there. "Do you think they''re hidden somewhere in Daltrak?" Burkan asked. "Daltrak is a big ce. There are plenty of dense forests and quarries there too. It''d be a good ce for a hideout," Vn said. "It sounds like a ce worthy of investigation," Burkan replied. "Do you want to go?" "Hoo. I probably should. If the Evil God Worshippers really are there, then you''ll need a certain level of skill toe back alive." Burkan sighed. Burkan didn''t want to leave Altein. He still needed to marry his girlfriend, and start a family with her. Honestly, he didn''t want to do something so dangerous. However, there was no one else that could assume the responsibility. Vn couldn''t afford to go. He couldn''t leave the Great Temple of Rakan due to the looming threat of Grandmaster Sraka. What would happen if Vn wasn''t here, and the Evil God Worshippers and Sraka attacked? Who would stop him? It was more important to safeguard the sacred treasure than to find the Evil God Worshippers'' hideout. "You could bring Kang Oh along," Vn said. Burkan shook his head. Kang Oh was at a delicate stage right now. After all, bing a Master was no easy feat. "I''ll bring Dion and the 100 Fighters." After they''d repelled the monster army in the Phamas Mountains, the 100 Fighters had been roaming the continent, doing jobs here and there. "Hmm, they''re certainly trustworthy. But be sure to disguise yourself and hide your true identity. Divide up into groups of three or four, and move with caution." "Understood." "Remember, be careful. The Evil God Worshippers aren''t to be underestimated," Vn said, overly concerned about Burkan''s welfare. "Yes." Burkan nodded his head. Then, Saru raised his hand. "Lord Burkan." "What is it?" "I''d like toe with you," Saru said strongly. "No," Burkan said t out. "I know my skills arecking. However, I''d like to do what I can to bring peace to the continent and its people." Saru stared at Burkan with his bright eyes. "I''ll go too." Nazaran butted in. His reason for volunteering was different from Saru''s. He wanted to prove himself, and this was an opportunity for him to do just that. "Neither of you can go. It''s not because of your skill, but because you''re the future of the Rakan Church," Burkan said firmly. One of the two would seed Mahakan and be the leader of the Rakan Church. There''s no way he could bring them to a ce that may be incredibly dangerous. This was his belief as one of Rakan''s followers. "You''re not good enough yet," Mahakan said. "But Master!" Saru''s body twitched. ''I know I''m not good enough but still...!'' "Enough. Saru, this isn''t something you can handle," Mahakan said firmly. "Mm." "Nazaran, you can''t go either." "As you wish." Nazaran bowed his head. Since his half-brother had epted their Master''smand, Saru had no choice but to bow his head too. "I''m counting on you," Mahakan said. "Leave it to me." Burkan grinned and raised his fist. "Saru, Nazaran. Trust in me and sit tight. I promise to bring you along when it''s time to strike," Burkan said. "Yes." "Understood." Thus, it was decided that Burkan and the 100 Fighters would search for the Evil God Worshippers'' hideout. Mahakan turned the topic of conversation. "Starting tomorrow, the other churches'' pdins and priests will be staying here. I told them about the Evil God Worshippers, and they all agreed to aid us without question." Now, the Rakan Church need not deal with the Evil God Worshippers alone. Their guests would call reinforcements if they needed it. "The Evil God Worshippers are the enemies of all who live," Vn said. They believed that the Evil God, Ja, was the one true god. ording to them, the other gods were false gods. In the past, they''d gone so far as to wage war with all of the other religions. "I keep tabs on the sacred treasure three times a day. Even if someone infiltrates the temple, they won''t be able to get past me." "That''s reassuring to hear, Lord Mahakan." Burkan gave him a thumbs up. After that, they chatted about simpler matters and then ended the conference. Vn and Burkan left first, and Mahakan let his disciples go. Once he left, Nazaran heard Mahakan''s voice whisper in his ear. "You really are my sessor, Saru." Nazaran turned around. He saw Mahakan sitting in his chair, his eyes closed, and quietly offering a prayer to Rakan. ''Did I hear wrong, Master?'' Nazaran gave Mahakan a piercing gaze. "What''s wrong, Brother?" Saru tilted his head and stared at Nazaran. He looked at Saru and boiled with rage. However, he tried his best to hide it. "It''s... nothing." "Are you really ok, Brother?" Saru said concernedly, as he saw how stiff Nazaran''s face looked. "I said it''s nothing." Nazaran''s voice sounded slightly annoyed. He then passed right by Saru. Nazaran kept hearing ''You really are my sessor, Saru.'' over and over again. He shook his head. "No, there''s no way Master actually said that. No way." However, there was a small part of him that thought, ''But what if it''s true? What if he truly believes that Saru is his sessor?''. He couldn''t get that thought out of his head, and his jealousy and anger towards Saru wouldn''t go away. It was like the small embers of a cigarette stub that eventually caused a giant forest fire. * * * This was the Shadow World, a ce devoid of all color besides ck and white. Scapi trembled as she kowtowed before Red. Shion stood beside her while clenching his teeth. "You came back empty-handed," Red said, sitting on a ck and white skeleton throne. This time, however, he wasn''t wearing a smile mask; he was wearing a mask with an angry expression painted onto it, and his voice was as cold as the winter wind. "Please! Just give me another chance!" Scapi yelled desperately, and mmed her head onto the ground. Shion merely scowled at her actions, but he didn''t do or say anything in particr. "Do you have anything to say?" Red asked. "I only failed because the others were idiots. It''s not my fault. And as I said when I first joined, I''m not one of your subordinates. I''m just temporarily working with you," Shion held his head up high and said. Red stretched out his hand towards him. Whoosh! All of a sudden, shadowy lines popped out of the ground and wrapped around Shion''s body. Red had the power to freely control the shadows as he pleased. Shadows had no substance, so giving them force was a piece of cake. Moreover, his power was amplified in the Shadow World. "Ugh! What the hell are you doing!?" Shion yelled. "I''m teaching you who the master is, and who the dog that''s about to be punished is," Red said coldly. "You crazy bastard." Shion''s body glowed with light. However, everything was expressed in shades of ck and white here, like a manga. Whizz! Shion, who''d used his magic to free himself from the shadows, bombarded Red with spells. Mother Nature''s Fury! Crow Bringing Misfortune! A colorless, lightning-like energy shot out of his staff, and a monster crow popped out of his offhand. Red softly flicked a finger. Kuhaahk! Shadow beasts endlessly appeared within the room. A shadow beast appeared in front of Red, shielding him from Shion''s st, and then returned to its original state. Shion realized that he was at a disadvantage, so he quickly pulled out a return scroll and ripped it. However... [You cannot return from here.] "What!?" He''d tested it just a little while ago and it worked, so what gives? "This ce is like my stomach. I can just prevent you from returning." Shion gritted his teeth. "Damn it." "Eat him." Red pointed a finger at Shion. "I won''t go down without a fight! I''m Setinel''s Sage, Shion!" Shion used everything in his arsenal. However, he wasn''t even able to touch Red. ''Red is invincible in the Shadow World. Even Dukeram can''t win against him in this world.'' He remembered hearing that from one of the Four Heavenly Kings. ''Was it Taboo or Brutal de?'' It didn''t matter who said it. All that matters was that it was true. The Worst Criminal, Red! The Ruler of the Shadow World! Shion''s body waspletely devoured by the shadows. He was definitely dead, as he''d dropped an item on the way out. "How do you want to die?" Red asked. Scapi was dead silent, and was still kneeling before him. "Please just give me another chance!" Red slowly pointed his finger at her. Grr! The remaining shadow beasts snarled and licked their lips. "Eat her!" he ordered. The shadow beasts rushed at her. "I''m still useful. I have the Altago''s Ring and Kang Oh''s equipment. I can keep tracking his location! So please forgive me!" Scapi yelled desperately. Honestly, death wasn''t the issue here; getting exiled from the Shadow World was. "Let her live," Red said, and the shadow beasts dispersed. "Fine. I''ll give you onest chance." Red''s voice returned to normal. Scapi felt relieved at that. "I''ll do whatever you ask of me," she quickly said. "Kang Oh. Bring him here, right in front of me." "Understood." "Taboo, Brutal de, and Shion have been exiled from the Shadow World. Now you''re Red Moon''s #2." "Yes." "Get lost." Scapi quickly walked backwards and left. "Kang Oh, Kang Oh, Kang Oh." Red tapped his throne, and kept humming Kang Oh''s name. * * * Jae Woo called GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol. "Hello?" He heard Jin Cheol''s familiar voice on the other end. "It''s me. Jae Woo." "Oh, Mr. Jae Woo! How have you been?" "I''ve been busy. Anyhow, I''ve emailed you a clip. Please watch it, and message me back if you have any interest in buying it." "I''m sorry?" The one-sided exchange must''ve made him ufortable. "I''m really busy, so I don''t have time to meet with you, Mr. Jin Cheol. Please watch it and name your price. Just a heads up, I''ve emailed the footage to TGN''s Hye Rim too." "What kind of clip is it?" "A clip of me annihting Red Moon. Please watch it for the details." "Red Moon? Understood!" It was widespread news that Kang Oh had not only caught Clown, but Taboo and Brutal de as well. After all, countless people in Altein had seen him and Sephiro drag Brutal de, Taboo, and Yaksha''s bodies to the Security Bureau. Jae Woo''s footage probably showed the fight that happened before that. "I''m busy, so I''ll be hanging up now." "Pardon me?" Jae Woo hung up, and called Hye Rim next. However, she didn''t pick up. He sent her a message, rying the same information that he''d told Jin Cheol, and thenid into his capsule and logged into Arth. "You''re here." Sephiro was already waiting for him. "Let''s go." It was time to hunt the Tum, an ancient tribe renowned for theirbat prowess! Chapter 432. Tuslam (1)

Chapter 432. Tum (1)

Trantor: Boko Once their Yumas crossed through the central region, Kang Oh and Sephiro were weed by Cbros. These monsters, which resembled gibbons, rode on giant spiders and shot leech arrows at their enemies. Kang Oh and Sephiro dealt with them quickly. Munch, munch. Waryong was chewing on one of the giant spider''s legs. What was the best way to put it? It was like a dog chewing on a bone. "This way. Hiya!" Sephiro pulled on the reins, and took the lead. Kang Oh and Sephiro engaged in several battles along the way. Maucrocker! These monsters, which possessed perfect camouge, would lie on the ground, the trees, the rocks, etc. until they found their prey. When they did, they''d mercilessly rip apart their prey! Giant Kruger! They were the very definition of brutality. The Giant Krugers were advanced Krugers, which were known as the Tyrants of the Great Forest! Amtaurus! These beasts, which possessed the upper body of an ogre and the lower body of a bull, were called the Great Forest''s Butchers! Even Giant Krugers cowered before an Amtaurus! Ripplesia! It was a carnivorous flower, one which appeared like a flower bud with serrated teeth. A Ripplesia''s roots had suckers on them like an octopus''s legs, which were used to hunt its prey. Countless yers that''d entered the central region were killed by these dangerous monsters. However, even the strongest of these monsters, the Amtaurus, was no match for Kang Oh and Sephiro''sbined might. They would be fine as long as they didn''t encounter the Amtarus Chieftain, which was rumored to be somewhere deeper inside the forest. "We can''t go there no matter what." Sephiro pointed at a quarry made of red rocks. "Why''s that?" "It''s the Killer Wasp''s Nest." "Mm!" The Killer Wasp''s Nest, the Inescapable Swamp, the Poisonous Spider''s Den, etc. With Sephiro''s help, they were able to avoid all of the Great Forest''s most dangerous zones. Ultimately, Kang Oh and Sephiro safely made it to their destination. "We''re here." "Hoh." Kang Oh was astonished. There were a ton of ruins amidst the various sized trees. Old buildings, statues, and structures, which were colored red, white, and ck, were there, and were surrounded by walls with a diamond-shaped pattern evenly spaced apart. [You have discovered Tstrum.] [Tstrum is one of the Great Forest''s mysterious areas.] [Who created these huge ruins? And why were they created?] "It''s huge," Kang Oh said. "I don''t think anyone knows how big this ce is. No one has properly explored it yet," Sephiro replied. "Then let''s find out ourselves." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Will there be a dungeon inside the ruins too?'' "Be careful. We''ll encounter the Tum now." Kang Oh grinned. ''That makes me even more excited!'', his smile seemed to say. Tramp, tramp. Kang Oh and Sephiro passed through the arch-shaped entrance. Tstrum had aplexyout. The buildings and structures weren''t the same size, so there were stairs everywhere; there were also plenty of bridges that connected these buildings together. Some of the ruins had protrusions on the outer walls. Thus, they would have to climb them as if they were rock climbers. Plus...! "That''s them." Sephiro pointed at the Tum. At the same time, they seemed to notice them too. "Trespassers." "Take care of them." Two Tum rushed at them. Kang Oh and Sephiro immediately readied themselves for battle. Kang Oh pulled out Blood and Akanhoff; his snow-white de radiated scarlet light, while his purple de gave off a ck sheen. Sephiro notched an arrow on the Lasselpino Bow. Waryong stood behind Sephiro, ready to fly into the sky or spew mes whenever necessary. [You have encountered Tum''s Descendent, Yan.] [You have encountered Tum''s Descendent, Menar.] The Tum didn''t look much different from humans, and their faces were all different too. Yan was slit-eyed, while Menar had a piercing on his thick lips. Both of them looked approximately 2 meters tall and their skin was brown. They seemed to have trained their bodies rigorously, as their long arms and legs were filled with lean muscle. Several gold boomerangs hung from their belts. On the way here, Sephiro had exined that the Tum were masters at boomerang throwing. Of course, boomerangs were their secondary weapons. The Tum had specialized in something different. It was their custom to craft their weapons out of the monsters they killed, using their skin, ws, bones, stingers, etc. Yan wielded a serrated sword, crafted out of a Maucrocker''s teeth, while Menar wielded a spiked club, studded with the Killer Wasps'' stingers. "I''ll deal with the swordsman." Yan pointed at Kang Oh. "No. I want to fight the swordsman too. You take the archer," Menar said. "Fine." Yan nodded his head. "Haahp!" Menar forcefully kicked off the floor, and instantly closed the distance between him and Kang Oh. He was like a tiger pouncing on its prey. Whoosh. The club came flying at Kang Oh. The stingers embedded within reflected the light of the sun and glimmered. Kang Oh swung Akanhoff. ng! The stingers scraped across Akanhoff. Killer Wasp stingers were more durable than most steel. Thus, Akanhoff''s Absolute Destruction ability hadn''t broken them in a single strike. "Ugh." Kang Oh was pushed back. Whoosh! Menar''s club came flying at him once more. Kang Oh bent backwards, dodging Menar''s attack, and then swung Blood. Swish! Menar sidestepped Kang Oh''s sword and then kicked him. ''He''s fast.'' Kang Oh gritted his teeth and ducked. Luckily, Menar''s kick only grazed his hair. He felt a tingle go down his spine. Menar continued his assault. He continually attacked with his club, fists, or feet. His attacks were incredibly powerful, not to mention they were incredibly fast and they aimed for his vitals every time. Kang Oh was busy dodging his attacks. Of course, he wasn''t getting hit. His Hyper Intuition, coupled with his tremendous evasion, made it extremely difficult to hit him. ''I have to finish him off with a single strike.'' It''d been a long time since he was the one on the defensive. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed as he waited patiently for his opportunity to strike. ''Now!'' Right when Menar swung his club downwards, the world slowed. Kang Oh swung Akanhoff diagonally. Transcendent de! Akanhoff was surprisingly light. Which meant that he could swing it faster than Blood or Ubist. Add Transcendent de to that, which allowed him to swing it even faster than he would''ve normally been able to, and he had an unavoidable attack! However...! Menar managed to block the attack with his club! Screech! Upon impact, a shrill ''screech'' rang out. It was the sound of the stingers scraping against Akanhoff. ''He blocked this?'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened. However, he quickly calmed himself down and swung his sword once more. In any case, he''d managed to counterattack, and Menar had been forced on the defensive. If he continued to attack, then he would regain the momentum as nned. However, Menar responded with an insipid n. Match fire with fire! Swish! Akanhoff passed through Menar''s earlobe. At the same time, Menar''s club grazed Kang Oh''s side. Shards of light rose from their bodies, and both Kang Oh and Menar stared at each other. They were both pretty much saying, ''Let''s see who wins.''. "Huahp!" "Liaht!" Their battle only intensified from there. * * * Swish! Swish! Quickly spinning metal boomerangs came flying at Sephiro and Waryong. This was the work of Tum Yan. "Waryong, be careful!" Gyaa! Waryong forcefully pped its wings and rose into the air, while Sephiro shot an arrow at Yan. Sun Piercing Arrow! Whizz! Bam! The spinning arrow collided with the boomerang, pushing them both in opposite directions. Waryong flew away, hiding in between the branches of a tree. Thus, the boomerang hit the tree instead of Waryong. Bam! Something unexpected happened. Upon impact, the tree was split in half, as if it had been cut by an axe. What incredible power! This was the true power of a boomerang thrown by a Tum. That was also the reason that Sephiro had used a Sun Piercing Arrow against the boomerang. Last time, Sephiro hadn''t been concerned with the boomerang, and he''d paid dearly for it. "Hueup." Sephiro quickly shot another arrow. Whizz! The harpoon-like arrow came flying at Yan. Yan deflected the arrow with his serrated sword. After that, Waryong flew over at top speed, and spewed mes from overhead. However, the mes didn''t do much. A Tum''s skin was tougher than a Maucrocker''s skin. Plus, the Tum Tribe inherently possessed high elemental resistance. That was the reason they didn''t need to wear armor. Their bodies themselves were top-tier armor. Yan nted his serrated sword into the ground, and pulled some more boomerangs from his belt. Two in each hand! "Haaht!" He stretched out his arms and then forcefully threw them. Four boomerangs flew through the air. All four of those boomerangs had only one target: Sephiro. "Sh*t." Sephiro quickly shot another arrow. His skill was tremendous, allowing him to hit two of the four in quick session. However, he didn''t have time to deal with the other two. Absolute Evasion! Sephiro threw himself out of the way. Bam! Bam! The two boomerangs struck the area he''d once been in, causing dirt and pebbles to go everywhere. It was as if there had been an explosion. Yan pulled out many more boomerangs. As stated, the Tum were specialists in boomerang throwing. Some boomerangs came straight for Sephiro and Waryong, while others flew around the trees and came for them from behind. It was impossible for him to dodge them all, as he didn''t have something as overpowered as Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition. "Ugh." Sephiro cried out in pain, as a boomerang struck his shoulder de. The Tum were powerful enough to overwhelm a long-range specialist in long-rangebat. They were also skilled in close rangebat, as Menar was disying in his fight with Kang Oh. They truly were the ones who''d saved the weak Altein Empire from invaders. Fortunately, Yan didn''t have any more boomerangs left. They were either scattered across the floor, or were stuck in something. Tramp. Yan rushed forward. Sephiro quickly righted himself, and shot an arrow at Yan''s feet. Landmine Arrow! Boom! Once the arrow touched the ground, it created an explosion. However, it wasn''t arge enough explosion to force Yan back. Yan pushed through the surging dirt and swung his serrated sword at Sephiro''s neck. Sephiro rolled on the floor. If he''d responded a littleter, then he would''ve taken a ton of damage. Bam! Bam! Waryong swooped down on Yan. "Hmph!" Yan turned his body and kicked Waryong away. Whack! Waryong''s body soared into the air, and mmed into a tree. However, Waryong''s diversion allowed Sephiro to shoot another arrow. Earth Shaking Arrow! It was an arrow shot at point nk range. Even a Tum wouldn''t be able to dodge it. Bam! The arrow pierced Yan''s chest, and created a shockwave that coursed through his body. Yan was pushed back, andnded on his butt. Sephiro decided that it was time. He notched an arrow muchrger than the usual arrow. This was called a Giant Killer! It was originally designed to killrge enemies like Giants. Sephiro forcefully pulled the bowstring. When he couldn''t pull back anymore, he let loose. Ting! A pleasant sound rang out, and the giant arrow spun around. Sun Piercing Arrow! The Giant Killer pierced Yan''s shoulder. Several shards of red light exploded too. However, Yan didn''t just sit there and take it. He''d thrown his serrated sword before the arrow hit him. Bam! Sephiro looked down at his chest. "Sh*t." There was a sword protruding through his chest. Red shards of light spilled from the wound, as if it were profusely bleeding. At that moment... "Kuhaahp!" Yan rushed over in order to finish him off! Chapter 433. Tuslam (2)

Chapter 433. Tum (2)

Trantor: Boko Sephiro gritted his teeth as Yan charged at him. There was already a sword lodged in his chest, so if Yan got in close and started wailing on him, then it''d be all over. ''Get a grip!'' Sephiro opened his eyes. Swish! A quick, powerful straight came flying at him. Sephiro tilted his head to the side, avoiding the punch, and then swung the Lasselpino Bow like a stick. Whack! The bow smacked Yan''s body. Right after, Yan''s fist hit Sephiro''s stomach. "Ugh!" For a second there, Sephiro lost control of his character. Yan fiercely pulled out his serrated sword, and shards of light exploded from the wound. But that wasn''t the issue here. He immediately swung downwards. ''Dodge! I have to dodge it!'' Sephiro tried to move. However, he moved slower than normal; perhaps it was due to his chest wound. It seemed like Sephiro was destined to be ripped apart by the teeth that lined Yan''s sword. Whoosh! Bam! If a golden tiger didn''te flying at him, that is. Kang Oh had saved him from certain death. "Thanks." Sephiro backed off and shot another arrow. Unfortunately, Kang Oh was punished for diverting his attention and saving Sephiro. Bam! Menar''s club struck Kang Oh. As it was surrounded by the Killing Wasps'' stingers, the club pierced through his body and dealt additional damage. Unwilling to lose this golden opportunity, Menar quickly withdrew his club and forcefully swung it like a bat. However, it was all for nothing. Moon''s Protection! A full moon surrounded Kang Oh''s body. "Tch." Menar, sporting a disappointed expression, bashed on the barrier. Bam, bam, bam! However, Moon''s Protection would persist for 3 seconds, regardless of what attacks came its way! Once the barrier disappeared, Kang Oh reappeared as the Red Demon. He''d used Devil Trigger from within the barrier. Since he was holding Blood and Akanhoff, he''d assumed that form. Festival of Blood! Fresh Blood Wave! Blood red energy flew straight at Menar. "Kuhaahp!" Menar screamed, and crazily swung his club. Explosive Power! Menar''s muscles bulged, and his club unleashed a shockwave. The shockwave was powerful enough to match Kang Oh''s Fresh Blood Wave, even though he was using Festival of Blood on top of it. Bam! The two energies exploded. Kang Oh''s hair and the hem of his leather armor fluttered in the wind. He was pushed back, his feet leaving behind two vertical lines in the ground. However, Menar pushed through and rushed at Kang Oh. His club came for Kang Oh from above. ''In every crisis lies an opportunity!'' His concentration was at its peak. It felt like Menar''s attack wasing at him slowly, as if he''d used Transcendent de. ''Right... now!'' Sword Parry! Kang Oh parried Menar''s club with Blood. However, Menar didn''t lose his bnce. He tightened his bulging muscles, forcing him to stay standing. Nevertheless, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition pointed out Menar''s weak points. Swish! Demon Sword Akanhoff sliced Menar''s slightly shaking right thigh. Huge red shards of light exploded like firecrackers. A Tum''s skin was tough, yet light. Most attacks wouldn''t be able to cut through. But Demon Sword Akanhoff wasn''t like most attacks. It was capable of cleaving through any defense! Absolute Destruction! Damage Amplification! Dangerous Gamble! These three abilities worked in tandem, dealing tremendous damage to Menar. His strength was sapped from his body and he subconsciously fell to one knee. Crackle! Akanhoff unleashed a mighty st of lightning. Lightning Breath! The lightning st followed his horizontal swing,shing out at Menar like a whip. Crackle! Menar clenched his teeth, and his body tingled. However, he immediately regained control of his body. After all, the Tum Tribe possessed tremendous elemental resistance. "You bastard!" Menar stood up and barraged Kang Oh with attacks. "Die!" Kang Oh swung both of his demon swords simultaneously. Mad Wind''s Sword! ng! ng! ng! ng! The swords and club repeatedly shed, emitting a noisy ''ng''. In terms of raw power, Menar was superior. However, Kang Oh made up for that with the number of his attacks. It was a fierce exchange of attacks! At some point, a powerful wave erupted from his demon swords. Darkness Strike! A bat-shaped wave as red as blood pushed Menar back, and then a purple wave shaped like a bird in flight struck Menar''s body dead on. Bam! Menar rolled on the floor. Kang Oh then threw Demon Sword Akanhoff. Swish, bam! Menar, who tried standing up, was struck by Akanhoff, and was forced back onto the floor. "Tasha! Fly me high into the air and drop me right on top of him!" Kang Oh yelled, tightly gripping Blood. "Alright." Tasha''s voice echoed through his head. p! p! p! His wings forcefully pped, and he soared high up into the air. Kang Oh spun in midair, folded his wings, and then descended like a falling star. Whoosh! As he descended, he heard the wind scream. That''s how fast he was flying! Kang Oh extended Blood. He was like a bee preparing its stinger! "Kuhahp!" Menar pulled Akanhoff out of his body, raised his head, and saw Kang Oh flying at him at blistering speed. Menar''s face stiffened. ''That''s dangerous!'' He tightened his legs and bit his lip. Then, when Kang Oh closed in, he swung his club as hard as he could. A short whileter... A red falling star descended on Menar. Boom! The club was pointless. Menar reeled from the impact. Even a Tum wouldn''t be able to endure this attack. Thud. Menar''s face turned gray, and he fell over backwards. [You have defeated Tum''s Descendent, Menar.] [You have defeated a powerful opponent.] [A portion of your side stats have increased.] [Fame has increased.] [You have leveled up.] "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed. In order to defeat Menar, Kang Oh had tried out a few stupid ideas, so he wasn''t in great shape. However, he didn''t have time to rest. ''Sephiro!'' He''d saved him once before, but he already wasn''t in good shape; he was like a child that was left next to the river. Waryong was groaning off to the side. Kang Oh picked up Akanhoff and rushed towards Yan. * * * The Tum were undoubtedly powerful. Yan, despite fighting both Kang Oh and Sephiro simultaneously, put up a good fight. Kang Oh had even been pushed back, and Sephiro had almost died. ''They specialize inbat, it seems.'' The Tum possessed tough skin, which made armor unnecessary. Plus, they were flexible, but their muscles also gave them explosive power. Their arms and legs were long, and they moved skillfully. They understood how to use their weapons properly, and knew how to adapt to situations. Not only that, but they possessed a secret weapon, their boomerangs, and were adept atbat. If Kang Oh were to fight 2 of them or more at once, then he wasn''t sure he could win. It would be a different story if he used Gluttony though. He understood why Sephiro had died to them before. It wasn''t just Sephiro; even most high rankers would find it difficult to win against the Tum. In any case, Kang Oh engaged Yan in an intense melee battle. He eventually crushed Yan''s serrated sword with Akanhoff, and then grasped victory. [You have defeated Tum''s Descendent, Yan.] [You have defeated a powerful opponent.] [A portion of your side stats have increased.] [Fame has increased.] "Hoo. We somehow managed to beat them," Sephiro said, and examined Waryong. Yan''s boomerang had ripped through Waryong''s wing and its body was riddled with wounds. The pet healing items he had on hand wouldn''t be enough. "Is Waryong alright?" Kang Oh asked. "No. I think I''ll have to go back," Sephiro said. "Go ahead." "What about you?" "I''m going to stay. I''ve finally found suitable opponents." The Tum! There was no one better to help him refine his skills. "Will you be ok by yourself?" Sephiro said, sporting a concerned expression. "I''ll be alright." High risk, high return. Sephiro''s absence would make hunting more difficult, but he''d potentially gain so much more in the process. "If possible, please get me a Tum''s Token. I''ll be sure to pay you for it," Sephiro said. That was why he needed to hunt the Tum. With the Tum''s Token, he''d be able to upgrade the Lasselpino Bow. "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Be careful." "Yes." Sephiro hugged Waryong and ripped a return scroll. The shimmering silver powder flew through the air, and he and Waryong turned more and more transparent until they eventually disappeared. "Now then." Kang Oh drank a health potion and then went up the stairs in front of him. * * * For three days, Kang Oh tested his mettle against the Tum. It would take him a long time to get back here, so he didn''t return to Altein and stayed here the entire time. Fortunately, he didn''t encounter any Tum that were overwhelmingly more powerful than Yan or Menar. He continuously fought Tum that were slightly stronger or just as strong as them one-on-one. They all used different weapons. Some used swords, while others used axes, clubs, spears, scythes, halberds, whips, etc. Their fighting style noticeably differed depending on what weapon they wielded. There was also a slight difference in the skills that they used too. Of course, they all used boomerangs exceedingly well. If he got the chance, he would do whatever it took to learn how to use boomerangs as well as them. Anyhow, it felt like his desire to fight strong opponents had been somewhat sated. Whenever he fought a Tum, he felt extremely tense, like he was standing at the edge of a cliff. That tension increased his concentration, and drew out his true abilities. Because of that, his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship rose extremely quickly. At this rate, he would be able to master Demonic Swordsmanship much faster than he''d expected. Kurahaaahk! All of a sudden, he heard a powerful goosebump inducing cry. Rumble! The Great Forest''s birds simultaneously retreated into the air, and both the trees and their branches shook violently. So many birds had flown into the air that they ckened the sky. Kang Oh hid himself in the tower-shaped ruins, and gulped. ''Where is that sounding from?'' A simr cry periodically echoed throughout the Great Forest''s mysterious ruins, Tstrum. However, he had no idea where it wasing from. Kang Oh had only been here for three days. There were plenty of ces he hadn''t gone to before, and whatever made this noise would probably be waiting for him there. Just in case, Kang Oh sent Sephiro a message, asking him if he knew about it. Sephiro had heard the cry too, but he replied by saying that he didn''t know who or what made the noise. ''This kind of cry could onlye from a raid boss level monster...'' Was it the Tum Chieftain? It wasn''t likely. The Tum he''d fought thus far tended to be neutral. However, the cry gave off a feeling of ferociousness and wickedness. ''There must be a monster here besides the Tum.'' He was curious. However, he couldn''t afford to just roam around the ruins as he pleased. Kang Oh decided to be patient, and carefully moved through the ruins. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He discovered a Tum that gave off apletely different vibe from the others he''d faced. The biggest difference was that he wielded two weapons, rather than one. He held a Dokkaebi''s club in his hand, with a giant javelin hanging from his back. Plus, there weren''t any boomerangs around his waist. He didn''t even have the belt. Another unusual trait was that there were metal rings on every single one of his fingers and toes. [You have discovered Tum''s Descendent, Warrior Kargagon.] ''A warrior!'' As expected, he was no ordinary Tum. It was clear that he was stronger than any of the Tum he''d faced thus far. ''I wonder how strong he is...'' Kang Oh took a quick look around. There wasn''t anyone here besides Warrior Kargagon. ''Should I take him on?'' Kang Oh repeatedly clenched and unclenched his fist. His body twitched too. However...! All of a sudden, Kargagon drew his javelin and forcefully threw it! Whoosh! The javelin came flying at Kang Oh, spinning like a blender''s des! ''Damn it. He found me.'' Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Boom! The javelin destroyed a 2-story building. It was like a grenade had gone off. Kang Oh ran away, dodging all of the sharpnel. "Heok! Heok! Heok! Ha! Ha. Mm!" When he came to, Kargagon was right in front of him. Chapter 434. Warrior Kargagon

Chapter 434. Warrior Kargagon

Trantor: Boko Kargagon raised his hand into the air, the same hand he''d thrown the javelin with. Bam! Whoosh! After it destroyed the building, the javelin was buried in rubble. However, it suddenly popped out from underneath the debris and returned to Kargagon''s outstretched hand. ''That''s why he doesn''t have any boomerangs.'' Warrior Kargagon had no need for boomerangs. After all, he possessed a javelin that wasrger, more powerful, and automatically returned to him. The Tum''s hierarchy was straightforward. Regr Tum, which Kang Oh had fought in abundance, were at the bottom. The Tum Warriors, which were much stronger and more skilled, were above them. The strongest of them, the Tum Champion, stood at the top. In order to be a Tum Warrior, a Tum needed to learn a secret move that allowed them to throw evenrger weapons and automatically return them. This was the Tum''s secret move, Weapon Bombardment! Thus, Tum Warriors possessed two weapons; one for throwing, and one for meleebat. Kargagon was one such example of this. Anyhow, once he''d sensed Kang Oh''s presence, he threw his giant javelin with Weapon Bombardment, forcing the surprised Kang Oh out of his hiding ce. "It''s been a while since a trespasser has gotten this far," Kargagon said, and then threw his giant javelin once more. Weapon Bombardment! Whoosh! The spinning spear threatened to pierce through Kang Oh''s neck. Kang Oh quickly pulled out Ubist and Akanhoff. His opponent was much stronger than the rest, so he needed to use his two strongest demon swords to deal with him. "Huahp!" Kang Oh forcefully swung Ubist. Screech! His demon sword made contact with the spear, which spun around like a top, and emitted a shrill ''screech''. Sparks came out too. "Ugh." Kang Oh was shocked. The power behind the javelin was incredible. It felt like Ubist would be pushed out of his hand. He immediately ced Akanhoff behind it, and pushed back. Screech! The ''screech'' intensified, and Kang Oh''s feet slightly sank into the ground. Fortunately, the force behind the javelin slowly lessened. The javelin also began to spin less violently too. "Hoh." Karagon stared at him curiously. ''Not bad'', his eyes seemed to say. Then, he opened his hand and pulled his javelin back. As if it were attached to a string like a yoyo, the javelin came right back to his hand. He then returned the javelin to his back, and walked over to Kang Oh. Kargagon dragged his Dokkaebi''s club across the floor, leaving a lengthy scar across the ground. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath and slightly calmed down. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] Kargagon slowly closed the distance between them while Akanhoff''s Dangerous Gamble activated. 8 meters, seven meters... three meters, two meters...! ''I''m not interested in waiting.'' Kang Oh made the first move. Once he got in range, Kang Oh swung Akanhoff. sh! He etched a white line that divided the heaven and the earth in the air. Kargagon swung his club upwards. ng! A metallic ''ng'' rang out. Kargagon''s club was made of a Steel King Centipede''s exoskeleton, which was renowned for its toughness even within the Great Forest''s central region. ''Mm.'' Kang Oh was pushed about two steps back. As expected, Kargagon was stronger than him. The ordinary Tum were already stronger than him, so it was obvious that there would be an even greater divide between them. He''d already anticipated this. There was no reason to panic. Kang Oh quickly swung Ubist. If he was weaker physically, then he would make up for it with his speed and the number of his attacks. Kargagon blocked Ubist with his club. It was like he was hitting a wall. His hand tingled. "Hmm." "Huahp." Kang Oh and Kargagon repeatedly exchanged attacks. ng! ng! ng! The sound of metal on metal repeatedly rang out. Kang Oh deliberately struck his club with Akanhoff. He nned on breaking his weapon using its Absolute Destruction ability. However, Kargagon nned to do the same thing. His club had a special ability called ''Destruction'', which destroyed his enemy''s weapon or armor. Sometimeter... Something interesting happened. Chip! Kang Oh blocked Karagon''s club, dulling Ubist''s de. After that, Kang Oh counterattacked with Akanhoff. The two weapons collided, and this time, the club''s sharp spikes fell to the ground. The club possessed the Destruction ability, but Akanhoff possessed Absolute Destruction! Their effects may be simr, but Absolute Destruction was far more effective. Obviously, repeated shes between the club and Akanhoff would damage the club first. "Your sword possesses a Destruction ability too, huh. One that exceeds my club''s ability." Kargagon narrowed his eyes. "As I thought, the club does possess a Destruction ability." After seeing how Ubist''s de had dulled, Kang Oh realized that his club had a Destruction ability. "Do you know how to counter it too?" Whoosh. Kargagon''s club was enveloped in red energy. Fighting Spirit Veil! "Huahp!" Kargagon fiercely swung his club, and pushed Kang Oh back. It felt like he''d instantly gone up two or three gears. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! He repeatedly wailed on Akanhoff and Ubist. What''s interesting is that their weapons no longer made a nging noise. Crack! Ultimately, Demon Sword Ubist''s de wasn''t just dulled, but it actually cracked too. Whereas Kargagon''s club didn''t break, despite repeatedly shing with Akanhoff. ''As expected!'' Kang Oh was amazed. Demon Sword Akanhoff''s Absolute Destruction ability waspletely overpowered. He didn''t think there would be a way around it! By enveloping one''s weapon in an aura, the weapon wouldn''t break. ''I learned something new today.'' Unfortunately, there wasn''t a way to put what he learned into practice. Plus, at this rate, Ubist would break. [5 seconds have passed.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff has drained your HP.] [HP: -1%] [Akanhoff''s Attack Power: +1%] Plus, the longer the fight went on, the more damage he''d take from Akanhoff. Ultimately, his only option was to finish this battle ASAP. ''Fine.'' Kang Oh steeled himself and swung Ubist at the ground. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger struck the ground, causing a pir of dirt to rise into the air. Kang Oh''s form waspletely hidden from Kargagon. Kang Oh used that time to pull out an item from his inventory. It was a hammer made of a Kruger''s skull. He''d gotten it off of one of the Tum he''d fought over his three days here. It was an A-rank weapon. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness consumed the hammer, and Kang Oh''s body surged with jet-ck energy like outstretched wings. All of his abilities were increased threefold! "Huahp!" Kang Oh kicked off the floor and forcefully swung Ubist downwards. Whoosh! His de emitted a heavy ''whoosh'' as it cleaved through the air. Kargagon obviously swung his club at Ubist. After all, his club would cause Ubist to break. Bam! Ubist and the club shed. However...! "Ugh!" The force behind it was iparable to before. It was as if someonepletely different was swinging the de! Bam! He pushed the club away, leaving Kargagonpletely exposed. He then aimed Akanhoff at those weak spots. Transcendent de! Even Kargagon wouldn''t be able to dodge or block this attack. If he''d been preparing for it beforehand, then he might''ve had a chance, but not now, when he waspletely unprepared. Bam! The force behind his blow was tremendous. This feeling is why we y games! The pain must''ve been immense, as Kargagon grimaced in pain. A shard of light asrge as Kang Oh''s face burst out. ''Now!'' Kang Oh fiercely barraged him with attacks. sh! Ubist cleaved through Kargagon''s side. As a result, a wound was left behind, and a few shards of light fell from the wound. "Not bad!" Kargagon yelled and counterattacked. He skillfully swung his club in between both of Kang Oh''s demon swords! His club, which was coated in red energy, unleashed radiant light. Fighting Spirit Explosion! Boom! It was like Kang Oh''s Blood Bomb; the club exploded with powerful energy, creating a shockwave that swept through everything nearby. If Kang Oh had shielded himself with Ubist just a secondter, then he would''ve taken a ton of damage. "Mm." Kang Oh was pushed far back. Kargagon pulled the javelin off his back and forcefully threw it. Weapon Bombardment! Whoosh! It gave off the sound of countless angry bees. Kang Oh pointed Akanhoff at the javelin. Crackle. A blue lightning st erupted from his de. Lightning Breath! A piercing beam of electricity struck the javelin head-on. Ting! The javelin embedded itself into the ground like a baseball that''d been hit by a batter. However, the Lightning Breath still had energy to spare and made its way to Kargagon. But Kargagon''s appearance had changed. His body was covered in red stripes, and a tattoo of a sun appeared around his heart. The red stripes began to radiate faint light. Great Forebears'' Power! His ancestors'' souls dwelled within him, granting him their power. "Huahp!" Kargagon swung downwards, cleaving the Lightning Breath in two. ''Time''s not on my side.'' Kang Oh rushed forward. His body was surrounded by jet-ck energy, as if someone had spilled ink on him. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh got right in front of him, his transformation alreadyplete. A beast mask covered his face, gaining eyes like red rubies, and a tail akin to the night sky protruded from behind. The Jet-ck Demon had arrived! "Die!" "That''s my line!" Kang Oh and Kargagon fiercely shed des. They were like the raging waves that resulted from a typhoon. The two were fierce and brutal. It was only natural that each and every one of their attacks would deal tremendous damage to the other. Despite that, neither of them could hit the other properly. They dodged each other''s attacks by a hair''s breadth. It was like a tug of war. Neither side could get an edge. ''Damn it.'' ''Tch.'' Both sides were restless. They knew that this tug of war wouldn''tst forever. However, both of them knew that time wasn''t on their side. Akanhoff was making Kang Oh restless. Every 5 seconds, Akanhoff would drain his HP, so the longer this battlested, the worse it would get for him! On the other hand, Kargagon wouldn''t be able to put up a fight without his forebears'' power. Plus, he couldn''t maintain this skill for very long. ''It''s time to end this!'' ''Now!'' Ultimately, the two came to the same conclusion. ''Let''s end this!'' Kargagon''s club unleashed powerful blue energy from either end like an invisible tsunami. Power of the Ancients! Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a massive amount of darkness, which was akin to the sight of a river at night. Evesting Darkness! Whoosh! It was difficult to tell whose attack was greater. The ck and blue energies mixed together. The intertwined energies looked like a part of Van Gogh''s The Starry Night. It was that beautiful of a sight. However, the two energies were as dangerous as they were beautiful. Boom! Their sh resulted in a massive explosion. The nearby ruins, towers, statues, etc. crumbled, and the clouds in the sky dispersed. A shockwave rippled outwards, destroying everything in its path. Kang Oh and Kargagon weren''t an exception. The two were caught in the resulting shockwave, and their forms were hidden by the dust cloud. "What is this?" "What happened?" The Tum gathered, shocked by the sudden dust cloud. "Disperse the dust cloud!" "Got it." The Tum used their respective skills, and began clearing the dust cloud. Then, they saw thepletely destroyed ruins. "It''s Kargagon!" someone yelled. He had pointed at Kargagon''s fallen form. His chest was rising and falling, making it clear that he wasn''t dead yet. His ancestors'' souls had protected him till the very end. However...! All of a sudden, space itself opened up, as if a zipper had been pulled down, revealing the Jet-ck Demon. Kang Oh had used Moon''s Protection to save himself, and had then used Abyss Transfer to approach Kargagon. "It''s my win!" Kang Oh stared down at Kargagon and simultaneously raised Ubist and Akanhoff. "No!" "Stop him!" The nearby Tum quickly pulled out their boomerangs. However, Kang Oh''s des were much faster. Stab! Stab! His twin swords stabbed Kargagon''s fallen body, causing it to momentarily twitch, and then stop moving entirely. [You have defeated Tum''s Descendent, Warrior Kargagon.] [You have defeated a powerful opponent. You have received additional experience and proficiency.] [Fame and a portion of yourbat-rted side stats have increased.] [You have leveled up.] There was a shining metal object beside the ashen Kargagon. ''That''s...!'' Kang Oh quickly snatched it, and then crazily swung his twin demon swords at the approaching boomerangs. Bam, bam, bam, bam! ''Now.'' Switch Blood! Akanhoff had gone into his inventory, and out came Blood. Because he was wielding both Ubist and Blood, he transformed into the Dual Demon. He gained horns, dark red wings, and blood red armor. Kuhaaahk! Demon''s Roar! His roar, which brought fear to the hearts of his enemies, caused the Tum to cover their ears. Then... "Tasha!" "Got it!" It was obvious what he wanted. With a mighty p of his wings, Kang Oh soared into the air. "Stop him!" "Throw your boomerangs!" The Tum, who''d btedly gotten a hold of themselves, threw their boomerangs at him. However, Kang Oh had already ripped a return scroll. Kang Oh disappeared, leaving glimmering powder in his wake. Chapter 435. So Much to Do (1)

Chapter 435. So Much to Do (1)

Trantor: Boko Altein''s intercity transfer gate. "Hoo." Once he saw Altein''s bustling street, he took a deep breath. However, Kang Oh had returned in his demon form, so he drew a ton of attention. "W-Who''s that?" "Huh?" Kang Oh quickly deactivated Devil Trigger. "Is that..." "It''s Kang Oh!" "Where?" "Over there!" The people nearby immediately recognized him. It was Predator Kang Oh, who not too long ago lugged the Red Moon''s executives to the Security Bureau! "Please give me an autograph!" "Please add me as a friend!" yers came rushing at him. Kang Oh quickly stashed his demon swords, and then equipped a featureless cloak and an ordinary mask. Then, he disappeared into the crowd. "Where did he go?" "Do you know this guy?" "Is it that guy?" That was a relief. As expected of Arth''srgest city, Altein! Altein was bustling with people and everyone wore different clothes, so once he changed into simple clothing and pushed into the crowd, no one could find him. Kang Oh retreated to a secluded alleyway and then examined the medal that Kargagon had dropped. [Tum''s Token] A token carried by the warriors of the legendary Tum Tribe. It is a symbol of strength. Rank: AA. ''This is the item Sephiro wanted.'' Kang Oh opened a message window. - Mr. Sephiro. - Yes? - Where are you right now? - I''m watching over Waryong at the Tamer Guild. - Is Waryong alright? - Yes. Its ripped wing has been treated. - Let''s meet. I have what you asked for. - What I asked for? - The Tum''s Token. - Where are you right now!? - Let''s meet at Eder''s house. - Understood. Kang Oh headed for Eder''s house, which was currently vacant. In order to improve his necromancy, Eder had gone on a journey to Deathnely, which was known as the Necromancers'' Cradle and the Grave City. ''I suppose no news is good news.'' He didn''t have time to worry about Eder. Kang Oh had way too much on his te as it is! Anyhow, before he left, Eder told him he could use his house. Thus, Kang Oh confidently walked towards the vacant house. A short whileter... "I''m here." Kang Oh arrived at the house first, and Sephiro arrived soon after. "Do you have it?" Sephiro said excitedly. "I have it right here." Kang Oh pulled out the Tum''s Token. "Ooh!" Sephiro stretched out his hands, trying to snatch the token. "Oho!" Kang Oh hid the token behind him. "There''s nothing free in this world." "Ahem, what do you want?" Sephiro asked with an expression that seemed to say, ''As expected. I knew it wouldn''t be that easy.''. "I''ll trade it for an Acasus''s Book," Kang Oh said. Sephiro was the owner of the soul dungeon, Rocking Stone Cave. One of its dungeon rewards was Acasus''s Book. Acasus was a legendary tamer. This book, which contained his name, significantly increased the growth of a pet. It could also be used to learn a Tamer skill. "Mm, Acasus''s Book, huh. I need that for Waryong..." Sephiro hesitated. "Waryong''s pretty much fully grown now." "Ahem. But what will you use the book for? You don''t have a pet." "I have a kid now too." He had Rudy now, a baby phoenix that resembled a chick! Kang Oh and Asu were the bright yellow bird''s parents. "I''m sorry?" ''What are you talking about?'' Kang Oh hadn''t told him about Rudy. "I''d rather not exin. Please decide quickly whether you''ll trade the token for the book or not." "I will." Sephiro pulled Acacus''s Book from his inventory. He''d been saving it to use on Waryong when the time was right. They traded the items immediately. Sephiro obtained the Tum''s Token, while Kang Oh obtained Acasus''s Book. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Take care." The two parted ways. Then, Kang Oh headed for the Tower. He wanted to see Grano. * * * "It''s been a while." He took a seat in the Tower''s 2nd floor cafe, and a middle-aged man showed up, wearing a whiteb coat and a radiant smile. "Have you been well?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "You look so happy. It must have something to do with you bing a professor." Kang Oh had asked a certain mage to ask Grano toe down, as he worked in the Water Mage Laboratory. However, that mage had called Grano ''Professor''. "Please don''t say that. Having such a high position weighs heavily on me." Grano truly was a humble person. "If I''d known that you had be a professor, then I would''ve brought you a present... I''ll bring you something next time." A professor wielded significant influence within the Tower. The Tower had great power, and as one of its leaders, Grano could exert its power if he wished. Countless mages woulde running at his call. "I won''t refuse one." Grano grinned. ''I should reserve a few materials for him when Akite gives me my next reward.'' Dragon materials. They would be the perfect gift for a professor. "Look forward to it. And I came here to buy something today." "What is it?" "Do you have any scrolls that can create a transfer magic circle?" Kang Oh asked. The huge ruins, Tstrum, was a perfect training ground for him. The problem? The road there was too far and dangerous. If Eder were here, then he would''ve set up a transfer magic circle a long time ago. However, Eder wasn''t here and he needed the magic circle, so he''de to Grano instead. "A magic scroll that can set up a transfer magic circle doesn''t exist," Grano said. "Is that so?" Kang Oh looked disappointed. "Creating a transfer magic circle is bothplex and difficult. Creating one requires a mage to weave several spells together, so it cannot be set up by using a magic scroll." "Hmm, I saw Eder doing it so easily, so I figured it wasn''t that hard," Kang Oh said. "Mr. Eder is extremely talented. So much so that I''d like to offer him a ce at the Tower." Grano thought highly of Eder. It was only natural. After all, it was already hard enough to rise to a level of excellence in a single field, but Eder was both a talented healer and mage. "Well, I guess it makes sense. Eder was once a legendary healer." Kang Oh nodded his head. Eder was a Master Healer. Which meant that he was on the same level as figures like Burkan or Mahakan. ''But to me, Eder is Eder.'' "Couldn''t you just pay a skilled mage to set one up for you?" Grano asked. ''Why do you want a scroll instead?'' "It''s a dangerous ce. It''s not the type of ce I''mfortable bringing people to." "Where is it?" "The Great Forest''s central region." "Mm." "There are ruins there, where the descendents of the Tum Tribe reside. The Tum are extremely powerful. Even I can barely beat them." "I understand. Most mages wouldn''t be willing to follow you to such a dangerous location unless you were willing to pay an arm and a leg." "Right." Thus, he wanted a magic scroll instead. If it had existed, he would''ve been able to avoid all the trouble. "Now that I know a magic scroll for it doesn''t exist, I have to go out and find a mage," Kang Oh said. "Shall I introduce you to one?" "No. There''s someone thates to mind." Kang Oh grinned. "I see." "Well, I''ll have to get going now. I''ll bring you an amazing present for you next time." Kang Oh stood up. "Yes. See you next time." The two softly shook hands, and then Kang Oh left the Tower. After that, he opened a message window. - Hey, Karin. The Desert Fairy, Karin! She was a first-rate mage that specialized in sand magic. - Oppa. It''s been a while. - Yeah, it has. Have you been well? - Of course. - Have you been busytely? - No, not really. What''s wrong? - Do you know how to set up a transfer magic circle? - No. I''ve never done it before. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''Damn!'' However, her following message brought a smile to his face. - Soren knows how to, though. The Gravity Witch, Soren! She was Karin''s twin, and was a mage that wielded the mysterious gravity element. - Ah, really? I need to set it up in a dangerous ce, so could you help me out with that? I promise to keep you safe. - One second please. I''ll ask Soren for you. - Sure, thanks. A short whileter... - Oppa. - Yeah? - Soren said she''d help you. But where do we need to go? - The Great Forest''s central region. - Wow, really!? That sounds like fun! - It''s a dangerous ce. Anyhow, I''ll let you know the precise time and date soon. - Ok! Kang Oh closed the message window and began walking away. * * * Light illuminated a giant room shrouded in darkness. It was the light of a transfer magic circle. Tap, tap. Kang Oh walked over. "Akite." Kang Oh''s call awakened Saul Graveyard''s manager, the Bone Dragon, Akite. His empty eye sockets zed with fire, and his giant bones rattled as he moved. "Light." With but one word, Akitepletely illuminated the room. "Have you been well?" "Of course." "Has anyone gotten here yet?" "Unfortunately, no." "Give me the soul stone." "Understood." After iming the soul stone, Kang Oh yelled, "Dungeon Management." The Dungeon Management tab popped up, and Kang Oh examined the Dungeon Log and its umted repel points. Unexpectedly, there was actually something written in the Dungeon Log. Most of it was Kang Oh killing the Saul Graveyard''s undead. ''Nothing worthwhile.'' Kang Oh looked up at Akite. "Give me my dungeon rewards." "It''s already been 1 month?" "Yeah." "Take it." Kang Oh opened the bundle of presents, which was surrounded by light. It was filled with all sorts of dragon materials! He ced every single one into his inventory and then waved his hand. "I''ll see youter." Surprisingly, Akite kept him from leaving. "Master." "Yeah?" "Has anything happenedtely?" "What do you mean?" "For example, did you kill another one of the Mayanes?" "No. Two of the Mayanes escaped, and we haven''t found them yet." Cyndia and Gainus were looking for Jigon and Orga. However, they hadn''t had much luck thus far. Kang Oh believed this to be fortuitous. He was already busy with Vn''s ridiculous quest and the Guardian of the Continent missions. He really wouldn''t want to add the goddess''s quest to that. "Hurry up and find them, and then kill them," Akite said angrily. "Yeah. If we find them, I''ll be sure to kill them," Kang Oh said absentmindedly. "If you kill one of them, you have toe here and tell me the story." "For free? If I tell you, will you let me see your treasure house?" Kang Oh asked. "...Take care." Akite immediately turned his head. ''You greedy bone lizard.'' It seemed like he didn''t even want Kang Oh to step foot into his treasure house. "Alright. See youter." Kang Oh went atop the transfer magic circle again. "Furon''s Heart!" Kang Oh was engulfed in light. * * * As soon as he arrived, his nose was soothed by the scent of various flowers. He felt great, as if he''d just smelled the fresh scent of grass atop a mountain. "Master, you''re here!" The dungeon''s guardian, Uru (a green ''alien'') toddled over with its arms outstretched like a baby. "How''ve you been?" "The flowers and nts have grown well, so I''m happy. Look over there." Uru pointed at a part of the garden. "Oho." Grand, which was supposed to only grow on Grand Lotus, was growing rapidly there. "Over here too! Over here!" Every flower or nt Uru pointed at was extremely rare. Plenty of them were expensive too. ''I want to sell them.'' However, it was clear that Uru wouldn''t allow it. "Ahem. Could you give me the soul stone?" Kang Oh stifled his greed, and extended his hand. "Sure." Kang Oh grabbed the soul stone and opened the Dungeon Management tab. Plenty of yers came to the Furon Underground Cave, seeking the soul dungeon. Because of that, the guardians had rued quite a bit of repel points. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh clicked on ''Dungeon Expansion'' with his thumb. Rumble! The dungeon''s ceiling and walls shook as if an earthquake was urring. Chapter 436. So Much to Do (2)

Chapter 436. So Much to Do (2)

Trantor: Boko "Ack! The flowers!" Expanding the dungeon made it shake violently, so Uru waved its arms around, not knowing what to do. Seeing that, Kang Oh smiled and looked over his system messages. [You have used 100 repel points to expand the dungeon.] [The dungeon now has a maintenance fee. The maintenance fee is 100 repel points a month.] [You can add another entrance to the dungeon.] [The dungeon''s monsters have be stronger. Applicable Monsters: Mekradin, Tentacle Hunter.] [Bomb Bugs will now spawn in the dungeon. Bomb Bugs remain dormant in the ground or the walls until someone approaches. When someone approaches them, they explode.] [Two new types of medicinal herbs can be gathered from the dungeon.] "Wow!" Once the earthquake ended, Uru did a 180 and leapt around. Expanding the dungeon had increased the size of Furon''s Nest, so it could house more nts and flowers now. "Let''s see here..." Kang Oh examined the new dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 1,500 gold. 15 Silver Lavender Seed. 10 Bronze Herb Leaf. 5 High Quality Green Tea. (New) 1 Gold Bean. The gold increased from 800 to 1,500 gold. The dungeon would also give him green tea every month, and his previous rewards had increased as well. Unfortunately, expanding the dungeon hadn''t increased the number of Gold Beans. Gold Beans were an ingredient necessary to creating the legendary potion, Elixium, so the more he had, the better. ''Tch. Hopefully, my next expansion yields more Gold Beans.'' "Uru, give me my dungeon rewards," Kang Oh said. "Ok." Uru slowly raised its hands. Then, a giant dirt bowl popped out of the ground. The bowl was filled with shining gold coins. He could also smell the faint, pleasant odor of the herbs inside. Of course, thevender seeds and the green tea were in there. ''Is this it?'' Kang Oh put his hand into the bowl, pulling out a bean asrge as his fist. Unlike its name, however, it was closer to yellow than gold, like a Forsythia flower. It didn''t shimmer like actual gold either. [Gold Bean] A bean as precious as gold, hence its name. It has nothing to do with gold. It is excellent at curing diseases, detoxification, and dispelling curses. Also, eating a Gold Bean will randomly increase one of your main stats by 3. Material Rank: S. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh ced the Gold Bean into his inventory first. Then, he ced the gold and the materials inside. "I''ll be backter." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Take care." Uru waved both its hands. It was quite a cute look. Kang Oh couldn''t help but smile. However, he didn''t have time to y with Uru anymore. He had so much to do. "Yeah." Kang Oh stepped onto the corner magic circle. Then, he clearly said, "Beast''s Room!" * * * The Beast''s Tower, which resided in the western grasnds, belonged to Kang Oh. The Beast''s Room was Violf''s room. Whir. Once the light dissipated from the transfer magic circle, Kang Oh walked out. However, Kang Oh could clearly hear... Kuheong! Loud snoring. The snores belonged to none other than the tinum Lion, Violf. Violf wasying on its back, revealing its belly for the whole world to see, and was drooling as it slept. Its normal majestic form hadpletely disappeared. Kuheong! Violf''s snores resounded throughout the room again. ''He sure is sleeping well.'' Kang Oh approached Violf. "Hey, Violf." Kang Oh pulled out Blood and poked Violf. "Hey! Hey, wake up already!" ''I''ve been busy out of mind, sleeping only 4 hours a day. Yet here you are, sleeping without care in the world!'' he thought, making him wake Violf even more violently than before. Kuhaaahk! Violf let out a fierce cry, and opened its eyes. It gave him a threatening look. ''How dare you interrupt my nap!?'' or something to that effect. "It''s me," Kang Oh said, hurriedly hiding Blood behind his back. Upon seeing Kang Oh, Violf''s expression rxed. Then, it righted itself and sported a solemn expression. "Master, you''vee." Violf also lowered its voice, making it sound more dignified. "Hey, you have some drool on your mouth." Kang Oh pointed at Violf''s mouth. "Ahem." Violf used its front paw to rub the drool off its mouth. "If you''re awake, then give me the soul stone." Kang Oh stretched out his hand, as if saying ''I''m busy, man!''. "Got it." Once Kang Oh received the triangr soul stone, he opened the Dungeon Management tab. He started off by looking at the Dungeon Log. The Beast''s Tower was where the western mercenaries took their entrance exam, and was also a ce that fast tracked a bronze mercenary to silver rank. Countless non-humans came here in order to either be a mercenary or to improve their rank. ''Things are going well as always.'' Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly and looked at his umted repel points. [Repel Points: 891] [Next Dungeon Expansion: 1,000] [Dungeon Maintenance Fee: 100] Unfortunately, he didn''t have enough repel points to expand it again. For the time being, that is. "Tch." NPCs yielded far less repel points than yers. Thus, he hadn''t umted as many repel points as he expected, even though his guardians and traps were hard at work repelling the countless non-humans that came here. Kang Oh was briefly lost in thought. Should he save his repel points and expand his dungeonter, or spend his repel points right away and add more guardians and traps to rue even more repel points? ''Let''s add more guardians.'' Expanding a soul dungeon increased its maintenance fee. In other words, it wasn''t always a good idea. You first needed to ensure that you had a way of making enough repel points to maintain the dungeon. Kang Oh used every single repel point he had to buy guardians. [You have used 200 repel points.] [The me Beast has evolved into Blue Fire Kairos.] ... The Daily Log had revealed that the me Beast had made him a ton of repel points. Thus, he added four more me Beast guardians. 800 repel points went into them, so he only had 91 repel points left. [You have used 300 gold.] [You have added a trap at the entrance to the 2nd floor, which causes the floor to disappear.] [You have used 100 gold.] [You have reinforced the 3rd floor poisonous arrow trap.] [You have used 100 gold.] [You have moved the 8th floor''s methrower to the 1st floor.] He spent gold instead. ''I want to use the tower''s underground area too, but...'' Kang Oh had already expanded the Beast''s Tower once before. Back then, the tower had gained a vast underground space that resembled a maze. However, he had no way of using it at the moment. Building the maze would cost a tremendous amount of repel points. And even if he did, the non-humans that came here wouldn''t have an incentive to go inside the underground maze. ''I''ll make use of it someday.'' Kang Oh closed the Dungeon Management window, and stared at Violf. "Give me my rewards." "Understood." A bundle of light popped out of Violf''s body. It contained 1,500 gold, various beast materials, and Violf''s tinum, which reflected magic back at its source. He ced everything into his inventory. Now that he was done here, Kang Oh returned the soul stone to Violf and said goodbye. "I''m going now." "Take care," Violf quickly said. It clearly wanted Kang Oh to leave ASAP, based on its speech, expression, and actions. Kang Oh was well aware of the fact that Violf yawned while he was making changes to the dungeon. It clearly wanted him to leave so that it could return to its nap. "Should I stay?" Kang Oh said, sporting an impish expression. "No, just go." Violf looked dead serious. ''Just go already!'' "Alright, alright. I''m leaving." He kind of wanted to give him a hard time, but he was extremely busy. Kang Oh waved his hand and then stepped onto the transfer magic circle. "Moss Cave!" Bright light wrapped around his body. "Yawn." Violf let out a huge yawn andid down on its back. 1 secondter... Kuheong! Snores resounded throughout the room. Violf was the type to fall asleep as soon as itid down. * * * Teynos was the busiest among Kang Oh''s guardians. Moss Cave was one of the few dungeons that allowed yers to experience underwaterbat. Plus, the wrecked ship and the treasure box inside it incentivized people to go underwater. Not only that, but the Moss Cave yielded a ton of experience and proficiency! And if a yer got lucky, then they''d get their hands on a Potion of Explosive Growth. Lastly, the Moss Cave was widely known as a soul dungeon. All these reasons were why so many yers frequented the Moss Cave. asionally, there were yers that made it past Kang Oh''s guardians and fought Teynos. Like right now. yers were fighting Teynos, which looked like it came straight out of a monster movie. "Die!" "Haahp!" The party consisted of a Warrior, an Assassin, an Archer, a Mage, a Priest and a Druid. The party''s leader was named Pantheon; he was a famous middle ranker. The rest of his party consisted of rankers (top 10,000 yers). Pantheon''s axe and the assassin''s dagger bashed on Teyno''s tough body. The archer and mage shot arrows and spells at it from behind. Bam! Bam! Bam! In exchange for its overwhelming defense, Teynos couldn''t move. After all, its name was Immovable Teynos! It was forced to take everything. However, Kang Oh had given it a special ability. It was called Returning Pain! This ability would return 5% of the damage dealt to it onto its attacker! At first, yers weren''t knowledgeable about its special ability. Thus, they would bash on it again and again, and then run away when they realized they would die. Bam! Bam! Shards of light burst from Pantheon and the assassin''s body. Of course, the same went for the archer and mage too. However, knowledge of its ability was widespread now, so Pantheon and his party had prepared for this beforehand. Holy Light! Mother Nature''s Breath! The priest and druid simultaneously cast healing spells, recovering much of Pantheon''s HP. It was due to the fact that a party of six had as much as two healers. If they only had one healer, then the healer would have run out of MP before Teynos died. "Good. Keep going!" "Go!" Pantheon''s party had prepared a way to deal with Teyno''s defense, as well as a way to prevent it from healing. Crush Wall! Single Point Breakthrough! Seal Healing! The best Teynos could do was stretch out its neck and attempt to bite them. However, it wasn''t very threatening. 1 hour passed. "Hoo, you sure are tough." Pantheon groaned. They''d attacked Teynos for an hour now, yet it still hadn''t gone down. However, Pantheon''s party was sure of their victory. Due to their thorough preparation, Teyno''s HP was gradually dropping. At that moment... The transfer magic circle, which sat at a corner of Teyno''s Nest, glowed with dim light, and out came Kang Oh. "Master!" Teynos yelled happily. ''Please help me!'' "What?" "The dungeon''s master has shown up." Pantheon''s party momentarily panicked. However, they soon stared at Kang Oh with a cold gaze. It was the era of soul dungeons. Soul dungeons were stolen from their original masters all the time. Obviously, there were often battles between the dungeon''s master and those who sought to take their dungeon. Not a Sacred Duel, but simply a dungeon''s master fighting to protect their dungeon. "Nice. Let''s kill the dungeon''s master instead," the Assassin said. There was no way Teyno''s master would sit back and watch as its guardian was attacked. If that''s the case, then attacking him first was a better move. "Ok!" "Yeah!" The assassin rushed at Kang Oh, the archer notched an arrow, and the mage began chanting a spell. Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood. It was a fight he had no reason to refuse! Stab! The assassin''s dagger pierced Kang Oh''s body. At that moment... "W-Wait!" Pantheon, who''d seen Kang Oh''s sword, yelled urgently. However, it was already toote. [You have been attacked.] [This counts as self-defense!] That was why Kang Oh had taken the attack, even though he could have just as easily dodged it. Festival of Blood! Mad Wind''s Sword! Blood was coated in red energy, and then his twin demon swords flew through the air. Swish, sh, swish, sh, swish! Shards of light fell from the assassin''s body like a waterfall. They were uncountable, as so many had fallen at once. "S-Sh*t." The assassin''s face turned gray, his eyes wide open. Game Over! The priest and druid hadn''t even had the time to save him. "What happened?" "Mr. Jack died?" The archer and mage were confused. Only Pantheon understood what deep sh*t they were in. "That''s Kang Oh! Numbers Kang Oh! Damn it. I didn''t think this dungeon belonged to the Predator. Everyone, run!" Pantheon yelled. "I just stepped on sh*t!" "Run!" Kang Oh wasn''t so kind that he''d let them leave when they attacked him first. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Chapter 437. Crafting Armor (1)

Chapter 437. Crafting Armor (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh dealt with Pantheon and his party instantly. If they had fought to the death, then they might''ve put up more of a fight, but cutting them down when their backs were turned was a piece of cake. "Thanks, Master," Teynos said. "Are there a lot of people who make it this far?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." Teynos nodded its head. "Thanks for all your hard work." Kang Oh stretched out his hand and patted Teyno''s head. "It''s my duty," Teynos said maturely. ''Teynos is such a good kidpared to that money grubbing dragon and thatzy lion.'' Kang Oh''s favorite guardian was Teynos. "But it''s getting harder and harder to repel them," Teynos said somewhat tiredly. "Mm. First off, hand me the soul stone." "Understood, Master." Teyno''s thick shell split, and a tentacle popped out with the soul stone. Its shell was essentially a top-tier safe. Kang Oh took the soul stone and immediately opened the Dungeon Management window. The Dungeon Log was filled with encounters, and the contents were updated in real-time. Even now, several yers were hunting within Moss Cave. ''If there are this many people, then...'' He must''ve umted a ton of repel points. Kang Oh''s heart pounded as he checked his repel points. [Repel Points: 3,684] [Next Dungeon Expansion: 1,000 repel points] [Maintenance Fee: 100 repel points] "Oho!" It didn''t disappoint him. He''d umted 3,684 repel points! There was nothing to think about; he immediately expanded the dungeon. Rumble! The ceiling and floor shook, as if there had been an earthquake, and the water leading to Teyno''s Nest rippled. [You have used 1,000 repel points to expand the dungeon!] [The maintenance fee has increased to 1,000 repel points.] [The dungeon''s interior has berger and moreplex. Dungeon rewards have increased significantly.] [The dungeon''s monsters have be stronger. Applicable Monsters: Gnus, Stone Eater, Milok.] [Giant Blowfish will now spawn in theke. Giant Blowfish are covered in spines, which secrete a fatal poison.] [You may now collect arge quantity of southern sea salt. In order to collect this salt, the people from the Great Forest will periodically visit this dungeon.] [Arge quantity of seaweed now grows at the bottom of theke. A small area, the coral zone, has been created.] [It is an excellent ce for fish to live in. Precious fish will often appear in this area.] Expanding the dungeon didn''t simply increase its size. It also improved the inherent features of the dungeon. ''Let''s see here.'' Kang Oh examined his dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 3,000 gold. 300 Gnus Skin. 30 Stone Eater''s Core. 15 Milok''s Whiskers. 5 Giant Blowfish''s Poisonous Spine. (New) 3 Potion of Explosive Growth. Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. 3,000 gold! 1 gold was equal to 3,000 won ($3 USD), so the Moss Cave would give him 9 million won ($9,000 USD) every month. There was a reason dungeon masters were consideredndlords in Arth. Moreover, the Potion of Explosive Growth went up from two to three. ''I''ll give one to Asu, ce one in the treasure chest, and I''ll sell thest one.'' "Teynos, give me my rewards," Kang Oh said. "Of course." Then, Teynos provided him with his rewards. Kang Oh left a single Potion of Explosive Growth behind, and ced the rest inside his inventory. "ce this inside the wrecked ship''s treasure chest." Kang Oh passed him the potion, and Teynos nodded his head. "Understood." While Teynos was busy dealing with the potion, Kang Oh thought about how he''d spend the rest of his repel points. [Repel Points: 2,684] [Next Dungeon Expansion: 5,000 repel points] He didn''t have enough repel points to expand the dungeon again. ''Then first...'' Kang Oh clicked on the Dungeon Management window. [You have used 200 repel points.] [For 1 month, the dungeon''s monsters yield 10% more experience and proficiency.] [You have used 200 repel points.] [For 1 month, more monsters will spawn in the dungeon, and there is a 10% increased chance that the monsters drop higher ranked items.] [You have used 200 repel points.] [For 1 month, monsters respawn at double the speed. The chance that named monsters spawn has increased slightly.] In order to attract more customers, he needed to make the dungeon more attractive. ''Next up is...'' Kang Oh created five new guardians using the newly added Giant Blowfish as a base. [You have used 200 repel points.] [The Giant Blowfish has been added as a guardian.] [The Giant Blowfish has evolved into the Poison Spine Bogota.] ... [Remaining Repel Points: 1,084] Finally, Kang Oh used the rest of his repel points to strengthen Teynos. [You have used 1,000 repel points to strengthen Teynos.] [Teynos has learned Vengeful Tsunami.] [Vengeful Tsunami''s power and range is proportional to the damage that the user takes.] "Oooh!" Teynos raised its head and wailed. Its body had gained blue stripes. "Master, I''ve gotten stronger." Teyno''s voice was filled with joy. It was only natural. Before, it had essentially been a punching bag, but now, it had gained a way of fighting back. Plus, it was an AoE attack at that. "You should be ok for now," Kang Oh said. ''I''m busy enough as it is, so I don''t want to be called here.'' If Teynos lost to a challenger, then he''d be forced to fight in a Sacred Duel. Although he was confident that he wouldn''t lose to anyone, he didn''t have the time to spare. "I''ll see you next time." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Master, you''re leaving already?" Teynos looked disappointed. "I''ll stay longer next time. I''m kind of busy right now." "Understood." Kang Oh walked over to the transfer magic circle. ''I''m done managing my dungeons. I''ll finish off the rest of my work and then return to hunting.'' * * * - Mr. Man Bok. Kang Oh sent Man Bok a message. - Yes? - Have you procured the Sun Seed and Sea''s Tears? The Sun Seed and the Sea''s Tears were two items required to make the Elixium. - Of course. - Do you have an alchemist skilled enough to make the Elixium? - I have them ready. - Thank you. - Do you have the Gold Bean? - Yes. I''ll head to Gold Dragon right now. - Understood. Kang Oh closed the message window and passed people by. He had just popped out of Altein''s intercity transfer gate. Of course, he was wearing ordinary clothes and a mask so that people wouldn''t recognize him. ''It was this way, I think.'' Kang Oh entered a secluded alley. At this point, he had a perfect map of Altein in his head, so he knew a shortcut to Man Bok''s shop. A short whileter... Kang Oh easily navigated through Altein''s crisscrossed alleys, which made it more akin to a maze than a city, and found himself in front of an expensive 5-story building. The shop''s sign was that of a golden dragon biting a ck hammer. This was Gold Dragon. As always, the store was bustling with people. "Wee." As soon as he entered, Kang Oh was greeted by a female worker. "I''d like to meet the president." "Do you have an appointment?" "Yes." "What shall I tell him?" "Tell him that his partner is here to see him." "Understood." The female worker used hermunication earring to contact Man Bok. "Sir, your partner is looking for you. He said he already has an appointment." - Please take him to my room. Then, the female worker smiled and led Kang Oh to Man Bok''s room. "This way." Man Bok''s office was on the 5th floor. "Wee," Man Bok said. He always felt this way about him, but Man Bok gave off such a good vibe. His taut cheeks and his plump stomach were endearing. "How is business going?" Kang Oh asked. "We don''t have enough in stock." "Good to hear." Kang and Man Bok smiled at each other. It won''t be long before they settle their ounts! "I know why you''re here, so how shall I help you?" Man Bok asked, and Kang Oh pulled out the Gold Bean, a vial filled with Dragon''s Blood, and a Potion of Explosive Growth. "This is a Gold Bean, and this is Dragon''s Blood. Please give these, as well as the Sun Seed and the Sea''s Tears to the Alchemist you told me about, and ask them to make Elixium." Kang Oh passed him those items first. "Understood." "Ah, and may I ask who the alchemist is?" "Ms. Strawberry Milk." "Good." Strawberry Milk was one of the three most skilled Alchemists in Arth. Plus, she often gave out free potions to new yers, and sold high quality potions at a reasonable price. Thus, she had a good reputation and was quite famous. "Please sell this one," Kang Oh passed him the potion and said. "Is this the same potion thates from the Moss Cave''s treasure chest?" Man Bok softly shook the bottle and the liquid sloshed around inside. "It''s a reward from my soul dungeon." "Aha, then you were the one who ced the potion inside the treasure chest?" "To be more specific, I asked my guardian to do that. If I want people toe to my dungeon, then I need the right bait." "Indeed. I''ll disy this in the store." Gold Dragon also disyed items that rankers left them, whether it be valuable equipment or materials, for free. "I''d appreciate that." "Yes. Then that''s how we''ll deal with the potion... I''ll let you know when the Elixium is finished." "Yes. Then, if you''ll excuse me. Please sell as much as you can. I''m rooting for you!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. "Good luck to you too." Man Bok replied with a smile. As he exited from Man Bok''s room, Kang Oh took a quick peek at the items on disy. It felt like the shining equipment kept him from leaving. ''I should ask Hoffman to make me some armor too.'' An armor set that a Master cksmith put their heart and soul into! Although the Draka set was a top-tier armor set, it couldn''tpare to armor created using dragon materials. Kang Oh immediately headed to the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. He needed to go there anyway, as he needed to pass on the dragon materials, so he might as well kill two birds with one stone. * * * Kang Oh entered Hoffman''s office; his cheeks flushed from the heat. ng. Hoffman forcefully swung his hammer. "What are you here for?" Hoffman asked indifferently. "I brought the dragon materials." "Please put them down and go." Hoffman looked away and began pounding on the metal once more. ng! ng! "I have a favor to ask you." Kang Oh emphasized the word ''favor''. "A favor?" Hoffman stopped and stared at Kang Oh. "You created the ultimate weapon for me already. I''d like you to create the ultimate armor for me this time; one that can withstand a dragon''s attack." "Mm, I can''t refuse." Hoffman''s lifelong goal was Inarius''s death. The weapon he''d prepared was Kang Oh. It was only natural that he''d help Kang Oh however he could. "Thank you." Kang Oh grinned. Master cksmith, Hoffman! The craftsman who''d created Demon Sword Akanhoff! If he put his heart and soul into it, then the resulting dragon armor set would be tremendous! "What kind of armor do you want?" Hoffman asked. "I''d like leather armor. It''s easier to move in, after all." Thus far, Kang Oh had used two armor sets. The metal Baramut set, and the leather Draka set. He much preferred the leather armor set. "I want the whole thing. A top, a bottom, shoes, gloves, and a helmet. Rather than high defense, I''d prefer it if it allowed me to maximize my evasion. Plus, it''d be nice if it increased my attack power or allowed me to unleash a powerful attack." Kang Oh exined everything he wanted. "I have a feel for what you want. However, there''s a problem." Hoffman''s face was almost always as stiff as a rock. His face remained the same, even as he voiced his concerns. "A problem? I''ll try and procure any material you might need." "No, that''s not the issue here. I''m a cksmith, not a tailor. Thus, I''m not skilled in handling leather. Honestly, I have no confidence in making leather armor." "What then?" "You have two choices. Give up on leather armor and wear metal armor instead." "And the second option?" "Bring a Master Tailor here. With their help, I should be able to create the armor you want." "Mm." There were no production workers that''d reached Master tier yet. It was rumored that God Hand, Arthand, would be a Master in the near future, but rumors were rumors. ''Then I''ll have to find an NPC Master Tailor.'' Kang Oh stroked his chin. "What will you do?" Hoffman asked. "I''ll try looking for a tailor first. And if I can''t find one, then I''ll go with your specialty, alloy armor." "Alright." "I''ll be back soon." Kang Oh left after dropping off the dragon materials and Violf''s tinum. Then, he immediately sent a message to various yers, including Asu, Man Bok, Sephiro, Helena, Bart, etc. - I''m looking for a Master Tailor! Chapter 438. Crafting Armor (2)

Chapter 438. Crafting Armor (2)

Trantor: Boko Personal connections were power. Kang Oh received a message faster than he''d expected. - Oppa, Soo Min Unni knows a tailor! It was Asu. Once she saw Kang Oh''s message, she spread it to all her friends, and had gotten a message back from Chef Soo Min. - Really? - Yeah. Apparently, the Master Tailor is inside her shop right now. - Where is it? - I''ll go with you. I''ll see you in the Gourmet City, Correa. I''ll be at the gate! - Got it. The Gourmet City, Correa. It was originally a small, unassuming city, but was eventually called the Gourmet City. This was due to one person, and one person only. in, a legendary chef who was known as the ''God of Cooking''. Kang Oh knew there was a realm that went beyond Master, so he assumed that in was a Grandmaster Chef. Anyhow, in had set up shop in Correa. Countless people came to the city to try his cooking, and the once small, dainty city had be sorge that it was hardly recognizable. Correa was also called in''s City. Plus, other chefs began to open up shop in Correa, increasing the renown of the Gourmet City. Hundreds of years after in''s death, Correa was still renowned for its great food. Whir. Kang Oh stepped out of Correa''s intercity transfer gate. Befitting its title as the Gourmet City, his nose was filled with mouthwatering smells. "Oppa." Asu, who''d been waiting for him, waved her hand. Chirp! The Phoenix Chick, Rudy, who''d been using Asu''s head as a nest, pped its tiny wings and greeted Kang Oh. "Asu, Rudy!" "Let''s go." Asu grabbed his hand. The two quickly pushed through the crowd. "It''s that one over there." Asu pointed at one of the shops. It was a small restaurant that gave off a simple, honest vibe. The restaurant was called Little Gift! "Unni, I''m here," Asu entered the restaurant and said brightly. "Yeah. Give me a second." Chef Lee Soo Min was currently serving one of her customers. The restaurant only had four tables, so Chef Soo Min did it all, whether it be taking orders, cooking, or servicing. "Her restaurant is only open two hours a day," Asu muttered. Chef Lee Soo Min was a famous chef in real life too; she had her own restaurant. Which meant that she couldn''t afford to y a virtual reality game all day long. Thus, she opened ''Little Gift'' for two hours a day. After all, it was fun cooking ingredients that could only be found in Arth. "Please enjoy." Lee Soo Min, who''d finished serving her customers, motioned for Kang Oh and Asu toe over. She was standing at a table with a middle-aged man, who gave off a simple vibe and was currently enjoying his dessert. "Say hello. This is Mr. Dink. He''s Dink Workshop''s best craftsman, which is renowned for its high quality goods." Soo Min introduced the middle-aged man. "Hello, my name is Kang Oh." "My name is Asu." Kang Oh and Asu immediately introduced themselves. "They''re my close friends," Soo Min said softly. "It''s a pleasure to meet you." Dink smiled. "Unni, Dink Workshop makes Diole luxury bags!" Asu''s eyes glittered. "That''s right." Soo Min nodded her head. "So why did you want to see me?" Dink asked. His actions, his tone, and his speech were all polite and respectful. He wasn''t the type of person to lord over others using his position or his age as an excuse. "I have a favor to ask you," Kang Oh said carefully. "What is it?" "Have you ever worked with dragon materials before?" "It''s the best leather. And I have some experience with it, yes." "I''d like you to make me some dragon leather armor." Kang Oh went straight to the point. "How much do you have?" "I have enough to produce a full armor set." "You have quite a bit in stock. Where exactly did you get it? No..." Like most craftsmen, Dink''s creative urges red whenever he was presented with a rare material. However...! "I don''t know how to make armor. I''ve only ever made craft items, so I can''t help you," Dink said, exining why he couldn''t fulfill his request. "You can make it with a Master cksmith; a dwarf cksmith at that. You just need to process the leather." "Mm. It''s quite an enticing offer. To think I''d get the chance to work with a dwarf cksmith and touch dragon skin." Dink''s eyes gleamed. "Then?" "Please bring the Master cksmith to Dink Workshop. I''d like to meet him and have a long discussion." "That''d be kind of difficult." "Why is that?" "There are some extenuating circumstances that force the cksmith to stay inside. You can go to him, but he can''te to you." "Mm." He looked to be at his wit''s end. "Can''t youe with me, Mr. Dink?" Kang Oh said carefully. "Is it far?" "It is, but we can use a gate to get there immediately." "Hmm, I''m kind of busy myself, so I can''t afford to just leave..." Dink stroked his beard. "Then let''s go right now." "Right now?" "Yes. I won''t take too much of your time. And I''ll guarantee your safety." "That''ll be somewhat difficult." This was the first time he''d met Kang Oh. How could he trust him to keep him safe? Not only that, but he was taking him to somece he''d never been to before. This was a conclusion that any rational person woulde to. "If it puts you at ease, please bring the workshop''s guards. These are dragon materials we''re talking about here. They''re not something you can get just anywhere." Kang Oh tried persuading him. "Mm." Dink was locked in thought. ''What do I do?'' "If we have any dragon leather left over, I''ll give it to you as a gift." Kang Oh threw him some huge bait. ''Fall for it!'' "Mm." Dink''s eyes shook. ''Dragon materials!'' Asu helped him out too. She sped her hands at Soo Min. ''Unni, help!'' Soo Min sighed and said, "Mr. Dink, I''ll go with you." "You''re willing toe with me, Chef?" "Yes. You might not trust them, but you trust me." "I do. Anyone who''s tasted your food would trust you." Dink smiled, and Soo Min followed suit. He was absolutely obsessed with Soo Min''s cooking, so he came here every day. "Alright. Then I, two guards, and Chef Soo Min will apany you." Dink finally epted Kang Oh''s request. "Thank you." Kang Oh bowed his head. Sometimeter... Two skilled guards showed up, and Soo Min closed up shop. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party used the intercity transfer gate to teleport to the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. The ck Hammer Dwarf who stood guard over the magic circle was shocked by the new members and responded with hostility. However, Kang Oh exined the situation, and was able to appease him. After that, Kang Oh briefly exined why the ck Hammer Dwarves lived in hiding. To be more specific, he exined how the ck Hammer Dwarves were avoiding the ck Dragon, Inarius. "To think that something like that happened." Dink, Soo Min, and Asu looked either shocked or sympathetic. "That''s why they drew their weapons on you. They panicked, thinking that you might be working for Inarius. That''s also why they can''t return to the continent," Kang Oh said. "I see." "I understand." Dink and Soo Min nodded their heads. "Anyhow, pleasee this way." Kang Oh led his party to Hoffman''s personal office. "Mr. Hoffman, I''ve brought over a Master Tailor." "Already?" Hoffman looked shocked for a change. Kang Oh hadn''t even left for very long, and hade back with a Master Tailor. Even he couldn''t help but be surprised. "This is the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Master cksmith, Mr. Hoffman. And this person is the Master Tailor, Mr. Dink." Kang Oh introduced the two to each other, and they shook hands. "My name is Hoffman." "I am Dink." "May I see the dragon materials?" Dink asked. "Of course." Hoffman led him to a shelf, which was filled with dragon materials. "Ooh." Dink marveled at the sight. The shelf wasn''t just filled with dragon skin, but also dragon bones, ws, scales, as well as materials that could only be procured in the volcanic region. "Mr. Hoffman, Mr. Dink stated that he specialized in leather goods, but he was unable to make armor, so..." Hoffman raised his hand and stopped him. "From here, we''ll take care of it ourselves." "Excuse me?" Hoffman stared at Dink. "Mr. Dink, I can tell how much work you put into making leather just from the calyces on your hands. So let''s work together," Hoffman said strongly. Dink smiled. "Me too. An artisan''s hands don''t lie. How do you n on making it?" "That''s... Ah, we''ll take it from here, so please leave." Hoffman waved his hand at Kang Oh, Asu, Soo Min, and the guards. In other words, ''You''ll get in the way, so please leave.''. "Guards, please stand outside the door," Dink said. "Understood!" "Yes, sir!" Asu, Soo Min, and the guards left Hoffman''s private workce. "Then, I''m counting on you," Kang Oh said, and then left. "It went well, right?" Asu asked. "Yeah. It couldn''t go any better." Kang Oh grinned. Then, he bowed towards Soo Min. "Thank you for your help." "It wasn''t free." Soo Min smiled impishly. "Yes, I''ll pay you back. Just say the word," Kang Oh replied. "Hehe, I was just kidding. Come eat at Yurim with Soo Ah next time. Watching people enjoy my food is good enough for me." Yurim was Soo Min''s real life restaurant. It was also the name of her precious daughter. "Understood!" "I think I''ll have to go now. I''ll see youter." "Yes." "See youter, Unni." Soo Min logged out. Then, Asu and Kang Oh walked through the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout side by side. "Oppa, what are you going to do now?" "I''ve done everything I needed to do, so I''m going to go out and hunt again. If I want toplete Vn''s quest, then I can''t waste any time." "Can''t you just y with me today?" Asu pulled on Kang Oh''s hand. "Sorry." Kang Oh really wanted to do that too. However, he wasn''t the type to dy urgent matters. "Mm." Asu''s cheeks swelled. Chirp! At some point, Rudy, who''d remained within Asu''s chest, popped its head out and warbled. "Ah, that''s right." Upon seeing Rudy, Kang Oh remembered something. He pulled out Acasus''s Book from his inventory and passed it to Asu. "What''s this?" "A present." "Hmph, it''s not a romantic present at all!" Asu slightly red at him. "But it''s a good present for you and Rudy." "Me and... Rudy?" Asu tilted her head. "It''s Acasus''s Book. Using this book either increases a pet''s growth or randomly teaches you a Tamer skill." "Hmm, this is..." Asu looked the book over. "Can I use it right away?" "Of course you can. Use it however you wish." "Hehe, then I''m going to use it!" Asu opened Acasus''s Book and bright light radiated from within. [You have opened a book written by the Legendary Tamer, Acasus.] [You may choose between two choices.] [1. Increase a pet''s growth. Applicable Target: Phoenix Rudy.] [2. Learn a random Tamer skill. There is a 5% chance that you learn a Tamer secret move.] It was a parent''s desire to see their child grow healthy. Thus, Asu chose option #1. "Give Rudy strength!" Bam! Acasus''s Book burned. Despite that, Asu''s hands didn''t feel hot at all. The mes slowly rose, and pushed into Asu''s chest. To be more specific, they were seeping into Rudy, who''d extended its head. Chirp! Although it looked like a chick, it was actually a Phoenix. High quality mes were not only its favorite food, but the most nutritious food for it! It opened its small mouth and immediately devoured the mes! A short whileter... Burp! Once it finished its meal, Rudy burped. Small mes, like that of a lighter, came out of its beak, but it immediately consumed that tiny light too. Chirp! Rudy forcefully pped its wings. Its body and wings had gotten slightlyrger, and the feather on its head had be red. [The Phoenix Chick, Rudy, has grown. Rudy''s growth rate has increased.] [It may now spew weak mes. It is strong enough to light matches.] [Once a week, it may transform into a true Phoenix for 5 minutes. However, the size of its true form is determined by how much fire it has eaten thus far.] [Your abilities as a Phoenix Knight will increase depending on how much Rudy has grown. Asu quickly read the system messages. "Transform into a Phoenix''s body?" Asu muttered. At that moment... Chirp! All of a sudden, Rudy''s body transformed into arge, uncontainable fire. Then, it stared at them with its bright, beady eyes, but with a Phoenix''s body, not a chick''s. Chapter 439. Party Hunting

Chapter 439. Party Hunting

Trantor: Boko "Wow." "Oho." Kang Oh and Asu proudly stared at Rudy''s true form. This is what Rudy would look like when it was fully grown. Eternal, inextinguishable orange mes were characteristic of a Phoenix. A Phoenix was a bird wrapped in these mes! Rudy''s wings and tail, which were entirelyposed of mes, gave off a mysterious vibe. Of course, it wasn''t nearlyrge enough to be considered a full-fledged legendary bird. After all, it hadn''t gottenrge enough to destroy the entire passageway. Shriek! Rudy let out a brilliant cry, and softly pped its wings. Then, ming feathers fell from its wings andnded on Kang Oh and Asu''s hands. Was it because it''d pulled out its own feathers? Rudy gradually diminished in size until it returned to its original shape. Chirp. Rudy flew back to Asu''s chest. She then petted its head. Kang Oh sported a fatherly smile, and then turned his attention to the ming feather in his hand. Mysteriously, it wasn''t hot at all. In fact, it radiated a pleasant warmth. [Phoenix''s Feather] The feather of a Phoenix, which is wrapped in living me. It is a gift that a Phoenix gives only to those it trusts most. The mes won''t go out until the Phoenix returns to being an egg. So long as the mes persist, the effects are as follows: First, any action that replenishes your HP, whether it be medical attention, a healing spell, draining, or life steal, is buffed by 50%. In addition, your body remains warm, regardless of where you are. Second, you may use ''Phoenix''s Life Force''. If you use this ability, then your HP is instantly restored. However, the Phoenix''s Feather will disappear. ''It''s amazing.'' Kang Oh was shocked. The feather''s ability was far greater than he''d expected. As expected of a legendary bird''s feather! The feather''s first effect would increase Blood''s life steal. Moreover, the second effect, Phoenix''s Life Force, was like his Resurrection; it was a one-time use ability that may save his life. "Thanks, Rudy." Kang Oh ced the feather inside his inventory, and petted Rudy with Asu. Chirp! Rudy rubbed its head against Kang Oh and Asu''s hands. It was absolutely adorable. "Oppa," Asu said. "Yeah?" "Where did you get that book?" "I bought it from Sephiro." "Can you get another one? I think Rudy really liked the book''s mes." "Alright, I''ll see what I can do." "Thanks." "I''d like to stay some more, but I think I''ll have to go now." Kang Oh said goodbye, lookingpletely disappointed. "Call meter." "I''m going to huntte into the night." Kang Oh scratched his head. "It doesn''t matter. Call me!" Asu stared at him and said firmly. ''I won''t forgive you if you don''t call me!'' "Alright." "Go." Kang Oh and Asu parted ways atop the ck Hammer Dwarves'' transfer magic circle. "Icerin!" That''s where the Witch''s Forest was located. "Latnia!" Kang Oh travelled to the Goddess''s Land, and hunted Basilisks in the??? Dungeon. * * * Modrak Vige was the only vige in the Great Forest with an intercity transfer gate. This is where Kang Oh, Sephiro, Karin, and Soren met. Kang Oh asked Soren to set up a transfer magic circle in Tstrum, the ruins where the Tum lived. While they were at it, they decided to hunt as a party. "Hello," Sephiro said. However, he wasn''t apanied by his pet. "Where''s Waryong?" Kang Oh asked. "He''s still notpletely healed, so I left him with the Tamer Guild. Plus, I''m only here to test out this thing''s new abilities." Sephiro pulled the Lasselpino Bow from his back and showed it off. The bow itself had gottenrger, and the ends of the silver bow were now adorned with intricately patterned ornaments. It seemed like he''d sessfully upgraded the bow using the Tum''s Token. "It''s been a while." "Have you been well?" The twins sported joyful expressions. Karin wore her hair in a long ponytail, and her eyes were covered by frameless, horn-rimmed sses. On the other hand, Soren, who gave off a calm vibe, wore her hair in twin tails and was garbed in purple robes. She was also holding a metal staff in her hand. "How about you?" Kang Oh asked. "We''ve been good." "Yep!" Soren replied softly, while Karin replied more forcefully. "Do you have Yumas?" If you wanted to explore the Great Forest, then a Yuma was a must. "I have one." "I obviously have one." Karin shook her whistle, which was used to call the mount. "As I told you before, we''re going to the Great Forest''s central region, so prepare yourselves," Kang Oh said. "Bleh, you don''t need to worry about us so much. We''re not newbies, you know." Karin puffed up her cheeks. "She''s right." For once, both twins had agreed on something. Soren and Karin were middle rankers, and they had almost broken into the top 100. They were skilled yers who did their jobs well, regardless of where they went. "Nagger," Sephiro muttered. However, Kang Oh had heard him. He widened his eyes and stared right at Sephiro. ''What did you say?'' "Ahem, I got some dust on my bow!" Sephiro avoided his gaze, immediately pulled out a clean cloth, and began ''cleaning'' his bow. "Tch. Let''s go!" Kang Oh clicked his tongue and led the party. Miu! Myu! Miu! Kang Oh''s party rode on their Yumas and headed for the Great Forest''s central region. An hourter... "This is the central region," Kang Oh said. They''d finally reached the central region. "How much farther do we have to go?" Soren asked. "About 30 minutes or so. However, we have to kill monsters along the way, so it''ll take even longer." "Phew, it''s crazy far." She was sick of how far it was. "It is," Sephiro said. Kang Oh carefully watched his surroundings. After all, he never knew where or when a Cbro, a Giant Kruger, an Amtaurus, a Maucrocker, a Ripplesia, etc. would show up. How much time had passed? Kang Oh''s Yuma stepped over the ground, except it wasn''t the ground. A giant mouth with sharp teeth shot up and tried to devour him whole. It was a monster crocodile, or Maucrocker, a monster extremely skilled at camouge. Kang Oh instantly drew Demon Sword Akanhoff and Demon Sword Blood, kicked off his Yuma, and leapt into the air. Tempest Tiger! His purple de unleashed a golden tiger aura, which flew right into the Maucrocker''s mouth. Boom! Kyahahk! The Maucrocker writhed in pain, revealing its giant body. Kang Oh safelynded on the floor, and his Yuma disappeared into the brush. However...! It wasn''t alone. The Maucrockers lunged with their giant heads, intent on devouring the other three Yumas. But the Gravity Witch, Soren, immediately cast a spell. "...Mysterious gate!" eleration Gate! A purple ring formed in the air. Should a person pass through this ring, their speed would be increased significantly. Miu! Her Yuma, which ran through the elerating Gate, quickened, and was able to nimbly dodge the Maucrocker''s sharp teeth. "Taste the desert''s hot sand!" Karin raised her staff. Killing Heat Wind! Whoosh! The hot desert''s wind, which gathered around Karin''s staff, rippled outwards like a shockwave. Hiss! Hiss! The Maucrocker''s bodies gave off the smell of burnt flesh, and shards of light burst out. Now it was Soren''s turn. "Oh twisted space, the mouth of the cosmos that consumes everything!" ck Hole! She pointed her staff at a Maucrocker, and a ck hole appeared above its head, sucking it in like a vacuum. What shocking gravitational force. The Maucrocker looked over 6 meters long, yet it was devoured instantly! Crack, crack, crack! When the ck hole disappeared, the Maucrocker reappeared, except its limbs were twisted in unnatural ways. Its body exploded with shards of light and it fell to the floor dead. Killing Heat Wind and ck Hole were high-rank skills that Karin and Soren had just recently learned. They hadn''t just been sitting on theirurels! Sephiro pulled his bowstring. However, there was no arrow behind it. What the hell was he doing, you might ask? He hadn''t gone crazy, that''s for sure. Whir. An arrow automatically formed. It wasn''t just any arrow; it was a spinning arrow made of wind! This was the Lasselpino Bow''s new effect. Tempest Arrow! The wielder could spend MP to create an arrow. The more MP the wielder spent, the more powerful the arrow became. Ting! Sephiro shot the arrow, firing a projectile akin to a blue and green screw bar, which struck a thick skinned Maucrocker''s head. It possessed both shocking power and pration! However, that was only the beginning. Tempest Arrow had an infinite number of uses. This time, Sephiro shot a Tempest Arrow in tandem with a Giant Hunter skill. Sun Piercing Arrow! The Tempest Arrow, which already spun by itself, spun even faster through the effect of Sun Piercing Arrow. Whoosh! It was akin to a small hurricane. Bam! Not only had the arrow pierced through the Maucrocker, but it caused it to spin like a top. With Kang Oh''s help, even a Maucrocker couldn''tst long. After that, there was nothing that could stop them. They cut down any monster in their way, and advanced to Tstrum. "Wait a second." Kang Oh saw the entrance to Tstrum, and stopped his party. "What''s the matter?" Sephiro asked. "Should we set up the magic circle inside or outside of Tstrum?" Kang Oh asked a question of his own. "Both have their pros and cons. If we set it up inside, then there''s a higher chance that the magic circle remains undamaged/untouched. After all, you never know what''ll show up in the Great Forest''s central region." Kang Oh nodded his head. "But if we set it up inside, we may be forced into an unfavorable battle as soon as wee out of the magic circle. If there are several Tum around the magic circle, then we''re likely to be discovered," Sephiro added. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh was briefly lost in thought, but soon came to a decision. "Let''s go inside." He''d decided to set it up inside Tstrum. "Let''s go. Let''s see what these Tum or whatever are made of." Karin''s eyes were filled with determination. "This''ll give me a chance to cut loose." Soren, who was normally so calm, mimicked her sister''s attitude. Kang Oh''s lips tingled. He wanted to say something along the lines of ''The Tum are strong, so keep your guard up.''. However, he feared that Sephiro would call him a nagger again, so he decided against it. "Let''s go," Sephiro said. Kang Oh''s party passed through the arch-shaped entrance. * * * The advantage of hunting in a party was that they could now hunt two or three Tum at once. When Kang Oh hunted alone, he was forced to fight them one at a time. They were so powerful that he wasn''t sure he could take on two of them by himself. Anyhow, Kang Oh, Sephiro, Karin, and Soren began with two Tum. Kang Oh and Sephiro had fought them before, so they responded appropriately. However, Karin and Soren didn''t have any experience fighting them, so they struggled against them. "Kyahk!" "Ugh." The Tums'' metal boomerangs instilled fear into their hearts. After all, they flew at blistering speeds, and it was difficult to tell where they were aimed at. Moreover, they wouldn''t just throw one; they''d throw several at once, so they were busy casting sand or gravity magic just to stop them. Once Kang Oh and Sephiro began to overpower them, the twins began to show off their true skills. They would intercept the boomerangs with a sand wall, or slow them down with gravity magic, and then counterattack with a barrage of spells. Giant''s Stomp! Snaring Sand Spear! Soren crushed the Tum with gravity, and Karin shot a sand spear at him. However, the Tum Tribe inherently possessed great elemental resistance, so he didn''t take much damage from their attacks. If that''s the case, then... "Karin!" "Soren!" The twins simultaneously called for each other. It was obvious what they were nning. They were casting abination attack. eleration Gate! Killing Heat de! A sharp, hot de passed through the eleration Gate, and struck the Tum''s chest. It left behind a red mark across the Tum''s chest, as if he''d been struck by a whip. Soren and Karin didn''t stop there. ck Hole! Killing Heat Wind! A ck hole, which devoured anything in its path, appeared over the Tum''s right arm. However, the Tum nted his feet, keeping himself from getting sucked inpletely. Only his right arm was sucked into the ck hole. Bam, bam, bam, bam! Then, scorching desert wind swept through the Tum, and the small grains of sand were also sucked into the ck hole. "Ugh." The Tum grimaced. The sand, which was sucked into the ck hole, violently swirled around like gravel caught in a vacuum, and bashed on the Tum''s arm. However, he was still a Tum. Once the spell ended, he threw the rest of his boomerangs at the twins. At the same time, the other Tum, which was fighting against Kang Oh and Sephiro, threw the rest of his boomerangs at the twins too, knowingly leaving himself open to his opponents'' attacks. It seemed like they nned on killing the weakest ones first. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Eight boomerangs spun in the air! "Unni!" "We have to stop them!" Soren and Karin urgently cast a spell. Chapter 440. Northern Disaster

Chapter 440. Northern Disaster

Trantor: Boko Sand Castle! Karin''s defensive spell created a giant sand castle, which protected both herself and her allies. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Sand pirs rose around Karin and Soren. However, the boomerangs came flying at them before the spell was ready! "Mysteriousw of nature, which increases weight... Gravity Sphere!" Soren shot Gravity Spheres at the iing boomerangs. Upon contact, the boomerangs noticeably slowed. They eventually stopped spinning, and fell to the floor. However, Soren had only managed to hit three of them. There were still five boomerangs left. Whizz! Whizz! Sephiro''s Tempest Arrows rapidly flew through the air. He''d only shot two arrows, but both of them hit the boomerangs dead on. What frightening uracy! Bam! Bam! Now, there were only three arrows left! ''I can do this!'' Karin put even more effort intopleting her spell. Completing the sand castle was impossible. The sand just barely assumed the shape of a castle and formed a ceiling. Then, the boomerangs struck. Bam! Bam! Bam! The sand castle crumbled instantly, and the resulting sand cloud obscured both Karin and Soren''s forms. Honestly, the power behind those boomerangs was ridiculous. How in the world were their boomerangs as explosive as a bomb!? Despite that, Kang Oh was sure that Karin and Soren had survived the Tums'' assault. ''They''re not so weak that they''d die from that.'' The best he could do was take care of the enemy in front of him. He swung Akanhoff and Blood one after another. For the time being, Sephiro focused on the other Tum. He was well aware that he''d die if he let down his guard for even a second. After all, he''d died to them before! Whoosh! Kang Oh''s Tum wielded an axe. The handle was made out of an Amtaurus''s thigh bone, and the de was made out of a Steel King Centipede''s tough exoskeleton. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! Kang Oh repeatedly bashed on his axe, intent on breaking it into pieces. In his experience, breaking the Tum''s weapon was the most effective way of defeating them. Crack! The axe cracked as the two weapons shed, and the Tum widened his eyes. After that, the Tum did his very best to avoid Akanhoff. As expected, the Tum were adept atbat. After all, the Tum prepared a countermeasure for Akanhoff as soon as his weapon cracked. However, this presented Kang Oh with an opportunity. He would act like he were aiming for the Tum''s weapon, and then strike at his vitals instead. Stab! Blood''s snow-white de left a small wound on the Tum''s tough skin. Then, Blood absorbed the airborne shards of light! Due to the Phoenix''s Feather, he life stealed way more than usual. ''Let''s go!'' He either acted as though he were aiming for the axe and then struck somece else, or did the exact opposite. Kang Oh wouldn''t lose in a 1 on 1 fight with the Tum. Kang Oh gained momentum, and began overpowering the Tum. Thus, the Tum couldn''t help but slowly rue wound after wound. On the other hand, Sephiro''s fight with the Tum was going nowhere. Thus, he bought as much time for Kang Oh as he could. Sephiro''s Tum wielded a spear. The tip of the spear was made out of a Giant Kruger''s w, so it was more like a scythe than a spear! The ''scythe'' came flying at Sephiro from overhead like an eagle swooping down on its prey. Sephiro threw himself out of the way. Absolute Evasion! The Tum''s spear struck the ground, and Sephiro quickly pulled out a harpoon-like spear. There were times when an actual arrow, not a Tempest Arrow, was preferable. That time was now. Mine Arrow! The arrow struck the ground below the Tum''s feet. Boom! The ground exploded, and the Tum was covered in dirt. At the same time, the arrow broke into pieces, spreading sharp shrapnel everywhere. Unexpectedly, the Tum didn''t back off. On the contrary, he rushed at Sephiro instead. Five pieces of shrapnel pierced his forearms, but Sephiro looked far more concerned. ''This isn''t good!'' The Tum thrust his spear, and Sephiro responded too slowly. Ultimately, the spear pierced through Sephiro''s throat. Bam! Huge shards of light burst out of Sephiro''s body. The Tum immediately raised his spear and forcefully swung downwards. Bam! Sephiro''s body fell to the floor. He was on the brink of death. All of a sudden, however, Soren and Karin returned to the battlefield. As Kang Oh thought, the two had survived. "No!" Karin mmed her staff onto the ground. Sand Disappearance! The ground beneath Sephiro''s body transformed into sand and sucked his body in. Normally, a mage would use this spell to trap their opponent in sand, but it could also be used like this. Unwilling to lose his target, the Tum thrust his spear into the sand. However, he was pressed down by an incredible physical force. Giant''s Stomp! Soren cast a gravity spell on the Tum. Due to her and Karin''s efforts, Sephiro was able to escape safely. Meanwhile, Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Akanhoff, crushing the Tum''s axe. ''Now!'' Festival of Blood! Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh fiercely attacked the Tum with both his des like a pack of wolves pouncing on their wounded prey. The Tum Tribe were talented martial artists too. They weren''t out of the fight even if you disarmed them. He swung both his fists, matching Kang Oh attack for attack. However, Demon Sword Akanhoff should not be dealt with bare-fisted. Stab! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh repeatedly cut through him again and again until he fell to his knees! Then, Darkness Strike activated. Two waves, resembling a blood red bat and a purple bird in flight, flew at the Tum one after another. The Tum crossed his arms, but it wasrgely meaningless. After all, Darkness Strike was much too powerful to block! Even so, the Tum resisted till the bitter end. He dodged Blood and then swung his fist. If not for Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, then it would''ve worked. But the Tum had no luck. The Tum''s fist came flying at him! His Hyper Intuition had already warned him, so he just barely managed to dodge it. That had been the Tum''sst chance. Swish! Akanhoff split the Tum in two. That spelled the end for him. Kang Oh immediately got back into position. There was still another Tum to deal with. A short whileter, Kang Oh''s party focused fire on thest remaining Tum and finished him off. "Wow, this is crazy." Karin plopped onto the ground. "Hoo." Soren calmly caught her breath. This had been their first experience with the Tum. Their power was beyond their wildest imagination. "I don''t think we can take on three," Sephiro said. "Yes. Let''s focus on two for now," Kang Oh said. Sephiro looked at the old buildings, structures, statues, etc. "Where are you going to ce the magic circle? Do you have a ce in mind?" "No. We''ll just have to find one." * * * The northern part of Arth was a world of snow and ice. The harsh environment (the intense cold) kept most life from surviving there. However, there were beings that''d adapted to those harsh conditions. For example, the Yetis, who possessed two arms and legs, faces, and hands like humans, but were covered in fur. They weren''t monsters; they were actually non-humans like elves or dwarves that''d adapted to the intense cold. They lived in the north, and possessed a unique culture. Once upon a time, one of their tribes, the Cold Blizzard Tribe, unified the tribes and prepared to do war with the continent. The one who''d prevented them from doing so was the Guardian of the Continent, Vn. After Vn annihted their elite troops, the Yetis, which possessed thergest force in the north, waspletely broken. After that, nothing of importance happened in the north. Of course, that didn''t mean that nothing actually happened. At the northernmost edge of the continent...! There was a giant frozen temple that overlooked the frozen North Sea. The Great Temple of the North Sea! This temple wasrger than any temple in Arth. Yetis, Yuki-Onnas, pr bears, seals, etc. All of the non-humans that lived in the north believed in the ''Ice Soul'', which resided in the temple. It was said that the Ice Soul was the source of coldness. They believed that the reason the north was so cold was because the Ice Soul remained dormant. Obviously, the Great Temple of the North Sea was both a holy ground and a forbidden zone. The brave, robust Seal Tribe and Pr Bear Tribe safeguarded the temple, and the Yetis were given the task of maintaining the temple, as they were skilled with their hands. Certain Yuki-Onnas were selected as female shamans. They either performed ancestral rites or various ceremonies. However, great power was seductive. One shaman desired the power of the Ice Soul for herself. Her name was Sa. She was the future Great Shaman. She was the daughter of the current Great Shaman, which was the equivalent of the churches'' High Priests, and would one day inherit the position. However, she didn''t want to be the Great Shaman. No, she hated the position of shaman itself. She wanted to leave the north and freely roam the continent. Unfortunately, the role of shaman was hereditary. For that reason, she was forced to remain at the temple and be a shaman. In spite of that, Sa didn''t give up on her dream. ''If I use a portion of the Ice Soul''s power, then I''ll be able to leave this ce! Then I''ll be able to explore the vast world!'' Her position was quite high amongst the shamans. After all, she was the Great Shaman''s daughter, and the future Great Shaman! She used her authority to go in and out of the innermost part of the temple, where the Ice Soul was partly exposed, and steadily absorbed its power. Originally, she had nned on absorbing enough power to leave the north and no more than that. But things change. Power was addictive. Sa couldn''t help herself. She gradually absorbed more of the Ice Soul''s power. At some point, she absorbed so much power that her body couldn''t withstand it, and she lost all reason and went on a rampage. The temple''s warriors attempted to stop her, but their resistance was futile. Sa also froze the Yuki-Onnas who''d dragged her here against her will and broke them to pieces. No one could stop her. With so much power at her fingertips, Sa escaped the temple and headed south. Even though she''d lost all reason, she apparently hadn''t lost sight of her dream. She always wanted to see the Arth continent with her own two eyes, so she was moving ordingly. This was a cmity. After all, the Ice Soul''s power would freeze everything around her. She would freeze at least half of the continent along her way! * * * Kang Oh, Sephiro, Soren, and Karin defeated any Tum in their way, and searched for the appropriate ce to set up a magic circle. However, finding the right ce wasn''t as easy as it sounded. There were a number of conditions that made it a viable spot. It had to be a ce outside of the Tum''s reach, and be out of the way enough so that they wouldn''t immediately fight as soon as they exited the magic circle. Plus, it had to be easy for them to move to and fro. All these conditions made it difficult to find the right ce. At that moment... Kuhaaaahk! A horrific roar resounded through Tstrum, and Karin and Soren widened their eyes. "W-What was that?" "Heok!" Kang Oh remained calm, as he''d heard it many times. Sephiro was the same. "There''s definitely something here..." Kang Oh muttered. "Oppa." Karin pulled on his sleeve. "What was that noise?" "I don''t know. But you can hear it asionally." "Is it Tstrum''s boss?" Soren asked. Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "It might be, and it might not be. We''ll just have to see for ourselves." "Yeah." Soren nodded her head. "First, let''s find a ce to set up the magic circle!" "Yes!" Sometimeter... "This is the ce!" Kang Oh''s party was inside of the sewer system. The ce reeked. But due to the horrible smell, the Tum didn''t set foot here. Plus, there were several exits here that led to different parts of the ruins. This was the best spot to set up a transfer magic circle! "There''s a small room over there." Soren pointed at the room. "That''s the perfect ce for it." Kang Oh looked through the door, and he then sported a satisfied smile. "I''ll set up the transfer magic circle immediately," Soren said. "Thanks. I''m counting on you." "It''ll take a while." "Alright." Soren went inside the room and began setting up the magic circle. He''d asionally watched Eder create transfer magic circles, so he wasn''t all that interested in the process. He leaned on the wall, crossed his arms, and waited for Soren to finish her task. However...! "Future Guardian of the Continent!" A soft voice suddenly whispered in his ear. It was the Whispers of the Earth. ''Damn it. The Guardian of the Continent missions. They''re a time sink, yet they don''t reward you and they''re hard as shit!'' Kang Oh scowled. He really, really didn''t want to do it. Chapter 441. Second Guardian of the Continent Quest

Chapter 441. Second Guardian of the Continent Quest

Trantor: Boko ''I don''t want to do it!'' Despite Kang Oh''s protests, the Whispers of the Earth continued. "Stop the Yuki-Onna, Sa, who absorbed the power of the Ice Soul and went mad. She is a cmity that threatens to freeze half the continent." Then, a quest popped up. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Stop Sa] A shaman of the Great Temple of the North Sea, Sa. She absorbed too much of the Ice Soul''s power, bing a catastrophe that threatens the peace of the continent. If she passes through the north and reaches the central, western, or eastern regions, then she will freeze half the continent. The power that she absorbed from the Ice Soul is finite. The wider her icy domain, the weaker she bes. Stop her before her cold breath covers the central, eastern, or western regions in ice! Sa''s Current Location: She is heading for Alkasha Canyon (a path that leads out of the north). Difficulty: Hell. Minimum Requirements: Future Guardian of the Continent. Rewards: None. Failure: You lose your right as Guardian of the Continent, and the effects of the Earth''s Blessing disappear. [You cannot refuse a Guardian of the Continent Quest.] [The quest has been epted.] Kang Oh thoroughly read through the quest info. ''Stop Sa.'' He''d never heard of her before, but he had heard about the Ice Soul and the Great Temple of the North Sea. ''Was it from Song Lee Shen''s book?'' Arth''s most well-known geographer, Song Lee Shen, had, after studying various books, relics, and observing the areas firsthand, wrote a masterpiece called Arth is Bigger than China! ording to this book, the game''s most dangerous areas were Despia, the Devil''s Sea, the Great Forest''s central region, etc. Anyhow, the Temple of the North Sea was thergest and most mysterious temple in existence, and waspletely made up of ice. The World Tree, which was the source of life, transformed the entire southern part of Arth into a giant forest. Simrly, the Ice Soul covered the northern region in bitter cold, heavy snow, and biting winds. It was a tremendous source of power. ''She absorbed its power until her body couldn''t take it anymore... How powerful would she be?'' If left unchecked, she was capable of freezing half the continent! She had to be extremely powerful and dangerous. But why did it have to be him that had to stop her!? There was no reward for stopping her at that! ''It won''t be easy.'' A scowl wouldn''t leave his face. Sometimeter... "Oppa," Soren said. "Yeah?" Kang Oh, who''d been scowling, widened his eyes at her call. "I finished setting up the transfer magic circle." She pointed at the room. A circr magic circle was etched on the floor. "Good job." "It was nothing." Soren grinned. "Can I use it right away?" "Yes. It''ll activate by voicing the location. If you want toe here via another gate, then just say ''Tstrum''. I set it up so that only you, me, Karin, and Mr. Sephiro can use it. People we''re in a party with can use it too." "You did good." Kang Oh patted her head. "Let''s get back to hunting," Sephiro plucked his bowstring and said. He wanted to try out his bow''s new ability, Tempest Arrow, some more. "No. We''ll have to end it here for today," Kang Oh said. "We''re done already?" Sephiro asked. ''What''s the asion?'' "Yes. I have some business to attend to." "What kind of business?" "So..." Kang Oh briefly exined what was happening in the north. And ended it with... "I have to stop her." "I see. Then, good luck." Sephiro waved his hand. It was clearly fraught with danger. He still hadn''t recouped the levels, experience, and proficiency he''d lost from dying to the Tum, so he didn''t want to risk dying again. ''I''ll pass!'' However, Kang Oh wouldn''t let him weasel his way out, and grabbed his wrist. "Let''s go together. It''ll be a good experience." Kang Oh smiled evilly. ''I won''t go alone!'' "No thank you." Sephiro tried shaking him off, but Kang Oh was stronger. "Oppa, I want to go too!" Karin yelled. Her eyes gleamed, seemingly saying, ''It sounds like fun!''. "Me too." Soren shyly raised her hand. "Of course. Then let''s go!" Kang Oh dragged Sephiro along with him. "Hey, wait. I don''t..." Sephiro struggled, but it proved futile. "Let''s go together." "It''ll be fun!" Soren and Karin pushed Sephiro forward. Once the party stood atop the magic circle, Kang Oh yelled, "Santana!" Santana was a city situated right in front of the northern region, thend of ice and illusions. * * * Sa had killed several beings in the north, but there were some that survived her wrath. Borora! She was the Temple of the North Sea''s Great Shaman, as well as Sa''s mother! In order to stop her daughter, she had contacted all of the northern tribes for aid. "We have to stop Sa!" The Great Shaman''s power was absolute within the northern region! The most powerful northern tribes, the Yuki-Onna, the Yetis, the Pr Bear Tribe, the Seal Tribe, the Sea Lion Tribe, the White Wolf Tribe, the Ice Giants, etc. responded to her call. The tribes'' elite troops were sent to Alkasha Canyon, the path that led out of the north. From an airborne view, the Alkasha Canyon looked like a giant Swiss roll. In between the long, giant frozen walls were small roads that people could pass through. Igloos of all sizesy on the snowy fields behind Alkasha Canyon. Yuki-Onnas and Yetis, which were talented in manipting ice, had created them for the northern troops to use. The tribes'' representatives were gathered within thergest igloo there. "Sa''s current location is Jamra Lake. Based on how fast she''s going, she''ll be here in six hours," the White Wolf''s representative, Large Teeth, said. The White Wolves were the fastest tribe in the north. Thus, they were given the task of scouting Sa out. "Six hours... We don''t have much time," the Sea Lion Warrior said. Their fangs protruded from their mouths like tusks. After escaping the Temple of the North Sea, Sa had gone straight south. Thus, the tribes were forced to gather here, at Alkasha Canyon, as fast as possible. "Do you know anything about her power?" the Yeti representative asked. "She has the power of the Ice Soul, the source of cold. I heard she froze the temple''s shamans and broke them into pieces," the Yuki-Onna representative, who wore blue clothes, said. She possessed pale, white skin, and her blue eyescked pupils. These blue eyes were the most distinguishing trait of the Yuki-Onna Tribe. "Mm. To think she was able to freeze the shamans..." From beside her, the Seal representative furrowed his brow. It was said that the Yuki-Onnas were born from ice due to their inherently high resistance to the ice element. And yet, Sa was able to freeze them? That just showed how powerful and dangerous the Ice Soul''s power was; power that Sa now possessed. "Which means she can freeze us, even though we''ve adapted to this harsh environment. We need to be ready," the Yeti representative said. "But we don''t have much time," the Sea Lion Warrior said. "We have to make use of the time we''re given," the Yeti muttered. "By the way, isn''t Sa your only daughter and the next Great Shaman? Is there any way to bring her back to normal?" the Pr Bear representative asked. "Even the Great Shaman can''t do anything about it," the Yuki-Onna representative said regretfully. When Sa had gone mad with power, her mother, Borora had been the first to try and stop her. However, even she hadn''t been able to stop Sa. "So we have no choice but to kill her," the Pr Bear Warrior said. The gathered representatives agreed, sporting solemn expressions. That was the only thing they could do for Sa at this point. Six hourster... "Sa is here!" "Get ready for battle!" "Let''s go!" * * * Kang Oh''s party arrived in Santana via the intercity transfer gate. Large snowkes fell on the quiet city. Snow was a constant in the north, and any city nearby would be affected too. "Let''s prepare for the cold," Kang Oh said. The system prevented yers from feeling excruciating pain, so the harsh environment merely felt cold to them. But that didn''t mean they could withstand the harsh environment without any special measures. The bitter cold would slow a yer''s movements, freeze their hands and feet, and gradually lower their HP. Thus, they needed fur coats and/or fur boots, a fur hat, and something to cover their eyes like goggles. Santana was a city that bordered the north. You could easily procure fur clothes, fur boots, and fur hats here, which were made from the creatures that''d adapted to the harsh environment here. A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party gathered, wearing thick fur coats, boots, gloves, and hats. Their goggles differed from person to person. Kang Oh pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather from his inventory. It had a special ability that maintained its wielder''s core temperature. He ced the feather over his chest, and then adjusted his fur coat. His chest felt warm, as if he''d ced a hot pad there. Whistle! He blew on his whistle, calling his ck horse over. Then, he covered the muscr ck horse''s body in thick fur clothing. Neigh. The horse snorted and then licked his face. Kang Oh stroked its neck. "Please take this." Sephiro, who''d also covered his horse in winter clothes, passed Kang Oh, Soren, and Karin vials. "It''s a potion that gives you high resistance to the ice element. If you find your movements slowing or your HP beginning to drop, please drink it." "Thank you very much." "Thank you." Kang Oh''s party finished their preparations and passed through Santana''s north gate. "Where are we going?" Sephiro asked. "Alkasha Canyon," Kang Oh said. The Guardian of the Continent Quest stated that Sa was heading for Alkasha Canyon. If they waited at Alkasha Canyon, then they were sure to meet Sa there. "Alkasha Canyon?" Sephiro tilted his head. He''d never heard of it before. "I asked Santana''s Adventurer Guild about it. Apparently, Alkasha Canyon is one big wall made of ice. If we just follow the road, then we''ll reach a snowy field. From there, we just keep going north and we''ll find it," Kang Oh said. "Let''s go!" Karin yelled. Neigh! Their horses forcefully stomped on the ground. "Do you have a solid n?" Sephiro asked from atop his sprinting horse. "We have to learn more about her first," Kang Oh said. "So you''re not going to fight her right away." That was a huge relief. "If she''s weak, then we''ll take her on immediately. But if she''s not, then..." There was no way she''d be weak. Kang Oh''s experience was telling him that. "We need to gather information on her first?" "Yes." Kang Oh would take a look at her first, and then decide his next course of action. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party passed a sharp, coniferous forest and reached a vast snowy in. They''d finally entered the northern region. [You have entered the Land of Ice and Illusions, Arth''s Northern Region.] [The harsh cold, the crevasses, and the starving monsters are just a taste of the danger that lurks within! Be careful!] Chapter 442. Saila’s Power!

Chapter 442. Sa''s Power!

Trantor: Boko Karin and Soren stared at the vast snowy ins. "It''s the north!" "This is my first time here! There really is nothing but snow here!" Kang Oh''s party crossed through the snowy ins, their horses leaving footprints in the snow. They were ambushed by white-furred, dog-like monsters, or Snow Hounds, along the way. They were only level 200. Kang Oh didn''t even need to intervene. Sephiro''s arrows killed them instantly. After that, they didn''t encounter anything in particr. Sometimeter... Kang Oh''s party stood before a giant wall of ice. It was their destination, the Alkasha Canyon. The wall was so high that it was obscured by the clouds. "There''s a path here." Sephiro pointed towards one side of the wall. There was a passageway that cut through the wall. No, there was more than one. "Which one do we use?" Karin asked. "It doesn''t matter which one we use. They all lead to the same ce," Kang Oh said, recollecting what he''d heard from Santana''s Adventurer Guild. Kang Oh''s party entered the closest passageway. p, p, p! All of a sudden, a swarm of blue-eyed bats came flying out. They weren''t your average bats; they were huge, and their eyes were like snow crystals. "Law of nature that increases weight!" Soren cast a gravity spell. Gravity Control: Stomp! The horde of bats was pushed down, as if an invisible hand were pressing down on them. "Sand spikes that line the desert!" Karin raised her staff with her fur gloved hand. Sand Spike! Spikes protruded from the snow covered ground, skewering the bats. "Hehe, Waryong loves bats," Sephiro said as he collected a few of their corpses. Waryong was currently receiving treatment for its wing at the Tamer Guild. Kang Oh''s party moved on. "It''s a mural." Soren stroked the wall. A mural was etched upon it. It depicted Yetis charging at giant monsters from atop their rhino-like beasts. The northern non-human tribes all had their own culture and way of life. However, the Yetis were extremely skilled with their hands, allowing them to leave behind murals that depicted their history. The murals continued till the very end of the passageway. Kang Oh''s party appreciated the murals, and before they knew it, they had reached the end. "Hmm?" "Huh?" Kang Oh''s party was shocked by what they saw. They passed through Alkasha Canyon, and were greeted by the sight of various sized igloos. "This is a northern vige," Karin muttered, her eyes sparkling. "But there are no people here." Soren tilted her head. There were plenty of igloos, yet there were no people, or non-humans, here. "I hear something. It sounds like screaming," Sephiro said. Since he possessed an Archer-type ss, he had a keen sense of eyesight and hearing. "Let''s head over to the source of the noise," Kang Oh said. "Please follow me." Sephiro led his team. A short whileter... Kang Oh, Karin, and Soren could hear the noises too. "Ugh." "You monster!" "Save..." Curses, cries, screams, etc. An ice wall surrounded the igloos. They could definitely hear something from beyond the wall. "There''s a stairway over there." Kang Oh rushed over. He quickly climbed up the stairs, rising to the top of the wall, and widened his eyes. ''Impossible!'' "Oh my god." "Mm!" Sephiro and the twins, who''d made it up right after him, stiffened. Atop the vast snowy ins... There were hundreds of non-human species, including the furred Yetis, the glowing blue-eyed Yuki Onnas, the Sea Lions, the Pr Bears, and even the Ice Giants! They had surrounded someone. It was a blue-eyed, pale skinned Yuki-Onna. Unlike the other Yukia-Onnas, whose bodies greatly resemble human beings, her body was more than 3 meters tall. Two ice horns protruded from her head, and an ice skirt was wrapped around her lower body. Her long nails were red, as if they''d gone through a manicure. Various sized metal spheres floated around her. It was Sa! "Attack!" the furry Yeti representative yelled. Then, he threw a giant snowball at Sa. Thud. An Ice Giant, which was more than 5 meters tall, swung its fist at Sa, while the Pr Bear, Sea Lion, and Seal Warriors charged at Sa with their weapons. The Yuki-Onnas created a blizzard, and shot sharp ice shards at her. Sa stretched out her arms. The metal spheres, which floated around her like satellites, flew in every direction. They were like bullets. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Thergest metal sphere struck the Ice Giant''s face, causing it to fall over backwards. "Kuhahk!" "Ugh." It wasn''t the only one. Upon impact, the others fell too, filling the snowy fields with cries of pain and agony. That attack''s power was tremendous! Nevertheless, there were some warriors who braved the danger and charged in with their weapon raised. Stab! Stab! Sa''s body burst with shards of light. Then, she pointed a finger at the warriors. Absolute Freeze! An ice flower, which radiated blue light, surged from the ground. "Kyahahk!" Upon contact, the warriors were frozen and broke into pieces. ''Frozen'' was a status ailment, which either slowed your movements, orpletely froze you. However, Absolute Freeze was a status ailment that could only be inflicted by one with the power of the Ice Soul. It was an absolute power that transformed a person''s essence into ice itself! Whoosh! The metal spheres went flying, crushing the frozen warriors to bits. The battlefield reeked of death. Even a dragon would die if it were frozen by Absolute Freeze and it were broken into pieces. Kang Oh bit his lip as he watched Sa ughter the troops. ''She''s powerful enough to freeze the northern warriors, who have such high ice resistance?'' Absolute Freeze! What a dangerous ability! Sa continuously ughtered the northern warriors. Summon cier! Frozen Orb! Frost Wind! Absolute Freeze! She unleashed powerful spell after spell. At the same time, she bombarded the northern troops with her metal spheres. "Don''t back down! We still have a chance!" "Don''t let your brothers die in vain! Die in battle!" The Pr Bear and Sea Lion representatives roared. "Uhaaahk!" "Die!" The Yuki-Onnasunched ice spears at her, while the Yetis threw snowballs and rocks. The northern warriors valiantly threw themselves at Sa. They were by no means weak. Though they incurred severe casualties, they did manage to cut down her HP by a fair margin. "Her HP has gone down below half," Karin yelled. Mages were capable of using a spell that allowed them to urately gauge a target''s HP/MP. "At this rate..." Sephiro said excitedly. They had plenty of troops left. They would likely incur even more casualties now, but at this rate, they would be able to defeat Sa. If that happened, then he wouldn''t have to face that fearsome ice witch. The northern troops''manders thought the same. "Keep at it for just a little longer!" "Brave children of the north!" The tribes'' representatives encouraged their troops. "Uhaaahk!" "Let''s die together!" The brave warriors cared little for their own well-being. It was like a swarm of ants taking down a mantis. The ants repeatedly bit the mantis, even though it kept mowing them down! However, Sa''s true power was beyond the representatives and Kang Oh''s wildest imagination. Whoosh! Sa''s horns glowed with light. Absolute Zero! A sky blue wave rippled outwards. It was the power of the Ice Soul, which was considered the source of cold! Once the wave passed by, the snow transformed into lumps of ice. The snow-white field was instantly covered in ice. For the northern troops, it was akin to a disaster. "Ugh!" "Uhaaa!" "No way!" The ice crept up their feet and froze their entire bodies solid. No, their entire bodies transformed into ice. To make matters worse, Kang Oh''s party, which was some distance away from the battlefield, had felt the effects of the skill too. The Ice Soul''s energy climbed up the wall and swept through Kang Oh''s party. Absolute Zero. It was a one hit KO with unbelievable range. [You have been exposed to Absolute Zero.] [Warning: Your body is turning into ice!] "Uhahk!" Sephiro panicked as he saw his hands turn to ice. "Karin!" "Soren!" The twins called each other''s name, as they saw their bodies turn to ice. "Holy shit!" Kang Oh was no exception. He couldn''t help but curse as he saw the ice creep up his body. All of a sudden, however, mes surged from within his chest. "What?" Kang Oh touched the me with his frozen hand. Then, something astounding happened. His hands, which had been frozen solid by Absolute Zero, returned to normal! ''The Phoenix''s Feather!'' Kang Oh quickly pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather. The feather, which was coated in the fire of life, was burning as bright as ever. [The fire of life is one of the only energies in the world that is capable of resisting the Ice Soul''s power!] [The fire of life has removed the Ice Soul''s effect on you.] ''Thanks, Rudy!'' Kang Oh rubbed the Phoenix''s Feather all over his body. Then, his frozen body returned to normal. "Oppa!" "Mr. Kang Oh!" Hispanions desperately called for him. Kang Oh moved as quick as he could, and melted the ice with the Phoenix''s Feather. "Haa, I survived." "Hoo, thank you." Hisrades were relieved. "O-Over there." Soren pointed at Sa. Most of the northern troops had transformed into ice statues. Only a small handful of troops remained unscathed. They too had items or some sort of power, like Kang Oh, that allowed them to resist the Ice Soul''s power. Whoosh! Bam! Bam! Whack! Boom! ng! Sa shot her floating metal spheres at the ice statues, breaking them into pieces. "R-Run away!" "You want to abandon ourrades and run away!? I can''t do that." "It''s toote." "Huaahk!" The surviving troops lost their will to fight and scattered. Sa neither chased nor attacked the retreating troops. Instead, she continued her way to the wall, where Kang Oh and his party were, while crushing any ice statues in her way. Her goal wasn''t really Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh''s party was just between her and the road that led south. "Let''s run away too," Sephiro said. "Karin, how much HP does Sa have left?" Kang Oh asked. "47%." "47..." Kang Oh bundled the Phoenix''s Feather inside his fur coat again. Then, he said, "Please use your return scrolls." "Ok." Sephiro immediately pulled out a return scroll. "What about you?" Soren asked. "I''m going to finish her off." "By yourself?" "Yeah. Only I can do it, since I have the Phoenix''s Feather," Kang Oh said firmly. "However..." Soren hesitated. Karin also wanted to fight, even though she might die in the process. "Ms. Karin, Ms. Soren. We''ll just get in the way. It''s not because we''re not good enough, but because we''re not prepared enough," Sephiro said calmly. What if they were caught in the Ice Soul''s power once more? Kang Oh would have to save them again. But this time, Kang Oh would be fighting Sa. Thus, he would have to go out of his way to help them! Kang Oh firmly nodded his head, agreeing with Sephiro''s assessment of the situation. "Good luck, Oppa!" Karin changed her mind and pulled out a return scroll. Soren clenched her fist at Kang Oh, wished him good luck, and ripped her own return scroll. His allies disappeared, leaving only shining silver powder behind. Then, Kang Oh leapt down from the wall. Switch Blood! Switch Ubist! Once the two demon swords were in his hands... Devil Trigger! A demon flew into the air with dark red wings. Chapter 443. Kang Oh vs. Saila

Chapter 443. Kang Oh vs. Sa

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh rapidly approached Sa. In response, her floating metal spheres shot at him like a swarm of angry bees. "Tasha." "Leave it to me!" Tasha''s voice echoed in his head. p! With a mighty p of his wings, Kang Oh''s body was propelled forward. Tasha was exercising her fine control over his wings. Her flying skill was incredible! Thus, Kang Oh safely passed through the bombardment of metal spheres unscathed. Sa then extended her hand. Frost Wind! Biting wind blew. It was cold enough to freeze Kang Oh''s wings solid. Kang Oh then swung both of his demon swords simultaneously. Fresh Blood Wave! Abyss w! A red crescent moon st was first, followed by a ck three-lined aura. Swoosh! The two sts were powerful enough to pass through the biting wind. "Tasha, get me closer!" Kang Oh seized the opportunity, closing in as fast as he could. Swish, sh! Kang Oh swung Blood and Ubist, aiming for Sa''s twin horns. ording to his Hyper Intuition, those were her weak points. It was right; clear shards of light burst out. The expressionless Sa''s blue eyes widened, and she furrowed her brow. Though she didn''t scream, her lips quivered, so it must''ve hurt quite a bit. "One more time!" "Ok!" Kang Oh spun in the air and turned around, but Sa didn''t sit idly by. She extended her index finger and by extension, her long red nail. Summon cier! Giant ciers surged from the ground. At the same time, the metal spheres Kang Oh had dodged came back around and fell from overhead. He was being sandwiched in between the two. "We won''t make it if we keep going straight. I''ll fly you up!" Tasha said, and Kang Oh''s body soared vertically. By doing so, he was able to dodge the bizarrely moving spheres. "Huahp!" Kang Oh stretched out his dark red wings, and pointed Ubist at Sa. Lightning Breath! Crackle! A mighty beam of lightning came straight for her. However, she created a shield of ice, which took the attack in her stead. At the same time, Sa pointed her long nail at him. Absolute Freeze! Danger! Hyper Intuition''s warning chilled his body to the core. Kang Oh controlled his wings personally, and attempted to escape as quickly as possible. p! An ice flower bloomed over his previous location. Had he not responded in time, the Ice Soul''s power would''ve consumed him and frozen him solid. Of course, the Phoenix''s Feather would''ve kept him mostly safe, but while it was melting the ice, Sa could attack him. Sa extended both her hands. Ice Spear! She created dozens of ice spears around her, and then fired them straight at Kang Oh! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! The metal spheres, which were embedded in the ciers, rose into the air and flew at Kang Oh once more. However, Sa was controlling the speed of the spheres this time. The ice spears and the metal spheres were moving at different speeds. "I can''t dodge all of them!" Tasha said. "Just dodge as many as you can. I''ll take care of the rest!" Red Butterfly''s Dance! [For 10 seconds, your evasion is doubled.] Kang Oh relentlessly swung his twin demon swords while Tasha controlled his wings. At times, Ubist''s Abyss de allowed him to absorb the ice spears, and he also used Sword Parry with Blood to deflect the metal spheres. Once he made it through the storm, Kang Oh had a chance to counterattack. Tempest Tiger! Kang Oh resolutely swung Ubist, unleashing a golden st Sa''s way. Kuheong! A roaring tiger dashed towards her! However, Sa protected herself with another ice shield. Boom! Tempest Tiger struck her shield, but it wasn''t powerful enough to break through it. "You can''t fly for much longer," Tasha said. "Get me in close. I''ll fight her on the ground!" "Got it." Kang Oh folded his wings and plummeted to the ground. He then unfurled his wings and flew extremely close to the floor. This way, he would be alright even if she knocked him out of the air. He''d fall to the floor, yes, but he wouldn''t take too much damage. Obviously, Sa wouldn''t let him approach her without any resistance. She cast an ice spell while her metal spheres hovered around her protectively. Frozen Orb! Spheres of ice popped out of the snow-covered ground, and flew right at Kang Oh. "You''ll feel a little dizzy!" Tasha started spinning him round and round. His twin demon swords were like a mixer''s des. Kang Oh sliced through the orbs like shredded ice, and made his way to Sa! ng! ng! ng! ng! He deflected the metal spheres too. With no other option, Sa created an ice shield. Kang Oh extended his twin demon swords. He was essentially a drill at this point. Crack! He instantly shattered her ice shield and pierced through it. At that moment... p! Tasha pped his wings onest time, causing him to soar into the air. At the same time... Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh''s twin demon swords ripped Sa to shreds. Bam! Bam! Bam! Shards of light exploded from her body like firecrackers. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh focused till the very end. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! The jet-ck and blood red auras precisely struck Sa''s ice horns. Bam! Bam! Sa staggered as red shards of light flew through the air. "You can''t fly anymore!" "Ok!" Now that Kang Oh''s wings were effectively useless, he stomped on Sa''s head, using it as a foothold, and leapt into the air. He nned tond on the floor, and then attack her from behind. At that moment... Sa''s frozen horns radiated intense light. Absolute Zero! The Ice Soul''s absolute power, which froze everything in its path, covered both Kang Oh and the snowy ins they stood upon! * * * The Daltrak Region, which was situated somewhere in between the northern, western, and central regions, was filled with forests, hills, and mountains. Many people that worked in the logging industry were here. Giant trees or thick boards were stored within the wagons here, which were pulled by several horses. If this lumber was transported to the Daltrak Region''srgest city, Dalturion, then they could use its intercity transfer gate to sell their goods all over the continent. In order to find the Evil God Worshippers'' headquarters, Burkan was disguised as a transporter that moved the wood around. He wore shabby clothes and a bucket hat. At the moment, he was sitting in the wagon, transporting the goods somece else. Most people wouldn''t see through his disguise. From first nce, it was clear that he was one of the Daltrak Region''s transporters. No one spared a second nce at his firm muscles or his robust body either. After all, the lumberjacks here, who felled trees and transported them, were much stronger than normal people. How much time had passed? Burkan entered an area shaped like a gourd bottle. It was a giant lumber market. "Twenty medium-sized pine trees. Selling at the market price!" "I''m looking to hire a lumberjack that can get me some birch trees. You have one week." "Trevan Lumber Company is hiring new lumberjacks. We''ll provide you with amodations and three meals a day. We''ll discuss your pay separately!" Workers stacked and sold their lumber here. Plus, there were tents with gs all over the ce. "Whoa, whoa. Stop." Burkan pulled on the reins, and stopped the wagon. Neigh! The horses, which snorted or dragged their hooves against the floor, smelt the ground or began eating the green grass. Then, Burkan entered the lumber yard''s bar. It reeked of both sweat and alcohol. He sat in the corner and took a sip of his drink. How much time had passed? The door creaked open, and a man that rested his axe over his shoulder came inside. He was clearly a lumberjack. His skin was rough and tanned, and his hands were as thick as a bear''s paws. "Oh, Mr. Nouveau." The man approached Burkan. Nouveau was Burkan''s undercover name. "Is that you, Mr. Tadal?" Burkan joyfully greeted him. "It''s been a while." "Let''s have a drink." "Sounds good." They cheered and then discussed various matters. It was just a normal conversation. The two spoke about the price of wood, which wood sold welltely, etc. "Kuhu, I think it''s time I left. I need to cut down a few more trees by the end of the day." Tadal stood up first. "Let''s have another drink next time." "Sure." Then, Tadal left for real. However, no one had noticed the shred of paper within Burkan''s hand. Burkan rubbed his nose, and ced the paper inside his pocket with his other hand. "Ugh, did I drink too much?" Burkan stood up. He finished his business in the restroom, and passed by a burly man. "Go ahead." Another piece of paper had made its way into his hand. After that, he secretly got in touch with his brigade and umted several notes from them. "Hey, give me a room." Burkan tossed a silver coin onto the bar, and the bar owner passed him an old key from the wall. "Room 402." "Got it." The bar''s upper levels were amodations. Burkan wobbled around, as if he were extremely drunk, and barely made it up the stairs. No one paid attention to him. Burkan entered room 402, locked the door, and sensed for any presences nearby. All he could hear was the sound of snoring and boisterous chatter. "Hoo." Burkan sighed. Then, his flushed face, which resembled a ripe permission, returned to normal. He had only acted drunk! Burkan pulled out a map of the Daltrak Region and spread it across the table. There were already countless marks on the map. ''Let''s see here...'' Burkan pulled out the notes from his pocket and looked them over. - No one''s missing from Ant Vige. Couldn''t find any signs of the Evil God Worshippers. - Reporter: 100 Fighters'' diator, Shika. - Five people missing in the small city of Trible. Currently tracking them down. - Reporter: 100 Fighters'' diator, Macol. ... Burkan marked the map in ordance with the notes. Blue dots meant that the vige, city, or location in question wasn''t likely where the Evil God Worshippers'' main base was located. However, the red dots meant that more information was needed. The ck dots meant that there was an extremely high chance that the Evil God Worshippers were located there. They hadn''t marked any ck dots yet. ''Where exactly are they?'' Burkan looked down at the map and thought back to the Evil God Worshippers. If they were located somewhere within the Daltrak Region, then he would find them! ''No matter what!'' Burkan clenched his fist. * * * Absolute Zero. The Ice Soul''s power left only ice in its wake. However, Kang Oh was an exception, as he possessed the Phoenix''s Feather, which constantly burned with the fire of life. Roar! The Phoenix''s Feather''s mes protected his body from the cold. ''I love you, Rudy! I''ll get some delicious mes for youter!'' Kang Oh gripped Blood and Ubist once more, and readied himself to attack Sa. However, Sa''s appearance began to change. Her pale skin transformed into clear ice, and her blue eyes, which once possessed a hint of green, had turned into a dark blue, like that of a sapphire! Ice extended from her hand like an icicle, which transformed into a staff. She now held an ice shield in her other hand, which was thicker and moreplex than any ice shield she''d created thus far. Bam! Feather-like ice shards formed over her shoulders, which reached down and touched the floor, almost like an ice cape. [Sa, who has been possessed by the Ice Soul, has almost lost all traces of her mind and is at risk of beingpletely devoured by the Ice Soul.] [Sa has transformed into the Ice Queen. Sa''s consciousness has faded significantly.] [The Ice Queen is the manifestation of the Ice Soul''s power. The Ice Soul''s only objective is to make the entire world cold.] [Be careful! The Ice Soul''s power will go out of control!] Ting. The Ice Queen tapped her staff onto the ground. Then, a huge block of ice appeared above Kang Oh''s head. cial Impact! The Meteor spell is often the most powerful spell in games. This was simply an ice version of it! Whoosh! A giant cier fell from the sky! Chapter 444. Kang Oh vs. The Ice Queen

Chapter 444. Kang Oh vs. The Ice Queen

Trantor: Boko Boom! A cier, or a giant chunk of ice, struck the frozennd. As a result, ice fragments flew everywhere, and a cier protruded from the ground like a drill. Rumble! The frozen earth violently shook, but that was nothingpared to what came next. The ground cracked open, forming crevasses everywhere! Then, the chunk of ice broke into several pieces, filling the crevasses and the uncracked earth with ice of varying size. It was like an ice avnche. The avnche came for the Ice Queen too. However, the Ice Queen softly swung staff from left to right, causing the wave of ice to part like the Red Sea. Then, the ice harmlessly passed by her. At that moment... Kang Oh appeared behind her. He had used Abyss Transfer the moment the cier fell. Switch Akanhoff! Kang Oh swapped Blood with Akanhoff. The snow-white de disappeared, reced by a purple longsword with a ck sheen. His Dual Demon form was also downgraded to his Jet-ck Demon form. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Akanhoff downwards, his ck tail iling around from behind. Transcendent de! His strike possessed transcendent strength and speed! Kang Oh left a diagonal line across the Ice Queen''s cape of ice, and a thread-like fissure gradually widened from the center of the wound. Crack! The Ice Queen''s cape broke right then and there. Ice fragments flew everywhere, some of which pierced Kang Oh''s body. However, Kang Oh didn''t care; he swung Akanhoff once more. sh! Akanhoff cleaved through the Ice Queen''s clear ice body. Screech! His de sliced through the ice, causing a fistful of shards to fall from her body. The Ice Queen turned around and swung her staff. Whoosh! Her staff formed an ice hammer, which came straight for Kang Oh. "Ugh." Kang Oh fell and rolled onto the floor. Then, the Ice Queen pointed her staff at him. Her dark, sapphire eyes glowed with intense blue light. Chilling Freeze Cannon! A bone-chilling st of ice came flying at him. It was toorge for Ubist to absorb, and its st radius was too wide for him to dodge. Ultimately, he had no choice but to take it. Kang Oh suddenly stood up and forcefully swung Ubist. Evesting Darkness! A pir of darkness surged from his de, crashing against the freeze cannon head-on. Boom! Before the explosion had even subsided, giant ice spikes surged from beneath his feet. As soon as he felt a chill, Kang Oh threw his body out of the way. Bam! Bam! Bam! Spikes of ice kept shooting out of the ground, forcing Kang Oh to keep rolling. Whoosh. The metal spheres, which originally floated around Sa, linked together and came flying at him. It was like a giant snake was darting towards him. A metal snake at that! Bam! The metal ''snake'' struck his location, flinging him into the air. "Haa, haa!" Kang Oh breathed haggardly and stood up. At that moment... He felt a chill, one so intense that his hairs stood on end. Kang Oh then threw his body out of the way again. Absolute Freeze! An ice flower popped out of the ground, which grazed Kang Oh''s body. Although it''d only grazed him, that section of his body immediately turned to ice. Kang Oh, who was sprawled on the floor, pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather and melted the ice. Whoosh! Bam! The metal snake swept through the ground. "Haht!" Kang Oh mustered up all his strength and leapt into the air. The metal snake swept through his previous location. Whizz! Then, a giant ice spear came flying at him. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and protected himself with his twin demon swords. Suck. That was a relief. Demon Sword Ubist absorbed the ice spear. However, the Ice Queen''s merciless assault didn''t end there. It wasn''t an exaggeration to say that every single one of her ice spells was like a one hit KO. After all, they wouldpletely destroy the ces he upied. "Damn it!" Sa was possessed by the Ice Soul''s power! The power she''d exhibited against the north''s troops was just the tip of the iceberg. After all, she hadn''t been consumed by the Ice Soul''s immense power back then. There wasn''t much he could do. No, he really couldn''t do anything. Thus, he had no choice but to hold out for now! Although he was merely dodging her attacks, Kang Oh wasn''t disheartened. ''I''ll get my chance!'' He knew that the Ice Queen would expose herself eventually. "Uhahk!" Kang Oh threw his body out of the way, leapt into the air, and rolled onto the floor once more. * * * The free city, Myron. It was where the Great Alchemist, Kudal, was born. The Alchemist Guild''s main headquarters was also located here. Myron was the ma of alchemy; there were more Alchemist yers here than NPCs! Strawberry Milk''s personalboratory was also located here. Her High-Rank Alchemy was near 50% proficiency. Herrge pouch, which hung from her grayb coat, contained simple alchemical materials like vials and catalysts. She was also wearing pink, bunny-shaped slippers. The soles of her slippers dragged on the floor whenever she moved. That was just the way she walked. She tied her straight hair with a headband, and then stood in front of her workbench. There, the Gold Bean, Dragon''s Blood, the Sun Seed, and the Sea''s Tears stood side-by-side within four separate beakers. These were the ingredients necessary to make the legendary potion, Elixium! ''Let''s check again.'' Strawberry Milk opened the book whichy on the side of her workbench. This book, High-Rank Alchemy, was written by the Great Alchemist, Kudal, himself! It detailed the method of how to create Elixium. There were two ways production workers created items. They either used a skill, which automatically created the item for them, or they created the item manually. Elixium was impossible to create using the former method. Thus, Strawberry Milk was forced to thoroughly study the process. Plus, she''d never made it before; though she knew how to make it, this was actually her first attempt. Thus, she was more careful than she would have otherwise been. ''I''ve soaked the Gold Bean in holy water for six hours already, used the Dragon''s Blood as is, melted the Sun Seed''s exterior with acid, and crushed the Sea''s Tears until it turned into a fine powder. I''ve done it all.'' Strawberry Milk turned the page. ''The other materials needed to create Elixium are... Mu''s Sap, Emperor Honey, ashitaba, fresh water...'' She looked through her bag, which sat on the workbench, ensuring that every single supplementary ingredient was in there. ''Alright, I''m ready.'' She turned the page with her long fingers, and then looked over the details once more. "Alright!" She pulled up her sleeves, clenched her fists, and cheered herself on. Then, she began production on the Elixium. Creating the legendary potion required that she not make a single mistake along the way. She had to add a specific ingredient at the exact time, stir it, etc. It was an extremely specific process. A short whileter... Sweat dropped from Strawberry Milk''s forehead. However, she didn''t bother wiping her sweat, as she waspletely focused on her task. ''Now! If I stir this and wait just a little bit, then... Now!'' At some point, the alchemical pot thaty in front of her began radiating bright light. She stirred the liquid within the jar with her alchemy stick, and then raised thest remaining ingredient, a beaker of Dragon''s Blood. ''Now I have to pour the Dragon''s Blood in a thin, steady stream like red silk.'' She carefully tilted the beaker, pouring the blood inside the jar like a thin piece of thread. ''At the same time, I have to stir it one way so that it''s well mixed!'' She began stirring the pot with her stick. Once she added the Dragon''s Blood, the brightly glowing liquid assumed the color of a sunset. ''I did it. A red sunset!'' That was proof that she had sessfully created Elixium. Strawberry Milk carefully poured the Elixium into a top-tier vial. There were three vials in total. [You have sessfully created the legendary potion, Elixium.] [Fame has increased.] [Main stats +1] [For 1 week, you will receive a bonus to your Alchemy proficiency.] "Hoo!" Strawberry Milk wiped off her sweat and opened a message window. - Mr. Man Bok. - Yes, Ms. Strawberry Milk? - I''ve created three bottles of Elixium. - Good job. I''lle over right now. - Yes! * * * Kang Oh''s belief that he''d be presented with an opportunity if he held out long enough was a huge miscalction. The Ice Queen''s bombardment never stopped. She was like a bottomless spring! She didn''t even give him the chance to use Abyss Transfer or Gluttony. After all, he was constantly getting shot at! At this rate, he''d die before he even got anything done! Kang Oh decided to change his method. ''I''m breaking through.'' Kang Oh then pushed through the center of her bombardment. Bam! A chunk of ice struck Kang Oh''s shoulder. The long chain of metal spheres came flying at him right after like a heavyweight boxer''s punch. "Uhaahk!" Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh kept advancing, swinging his twin swords with both speed and precision. ng! ng! ng! His jet-ck de and purple longsword deflected the metal spheres. At that moment... "Ugh." An ice spike protruded from the ground, grazing Kang Oh''s shoulder. Despite that, Kang Oh tightened his legs, remaining upright, and continuously swung his swords. Abyss w! Tempest Tiger! Ubist unleashed a jet-ck aura, while a golden tiger aura shot out of Akanhoff. The two auras mixed together and pushed forward. The Ice Queen swung her staff from left to right. Three ice spheres appeared, which shot ice beams. Bam! Bam! Two of the spheres crashed against his skills and disappeared instantly. However, the sole remaining sphere came flying at him head-on. "Uhahk!" Kang Oh forcefully swung Ubist downwards. Ubist sliced the sphere in half and absorbed it. It was like a delicious treat for his sword. Then, Kang Oh kicked off the floor and thrust Akanhoff. In response, Sa protected herself with an ice shield. Transcendent de! Lightning Breath! He used a secret move and an item effect simultaneously. It was a wise decision. His purple de, which was engulfed in lightning energy, pierced through the thick ice shield and into Sa''s body. Crackle! The mighty lightning st swept through her. "Uhaahk!" Kang Oh screamed, and followed up with a downward swing with Ubist. sh! His jet-ck greatsword crushed a portion of the Ice Queen''s frozen body. ''She doesn''t have much HP left!'' The north''s troops had reduced her HP to 47%, so she didn''t have much HP to start with. Considering how much damage he''d dealt to her thus far, she had, at best, 15% of her HP left. At that moment... The Ice Queen''s horns glowed with intense light. Kang Oh knew exactly what that meant, so he quickly pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather and put in his mouth. Absolute Zero! But it wasn''t on the same level of Sa''s Absolute Zero. Absolute cold, which could freeze the entire world, swept through him. Is this what the dinosaurs experienced during the ice age? ''Please!'' Kang Oh prayed to the Phoenix''s Feather that he was biting down on. He needed to hold on just once! However...! The Phoenix''s Feather''s me of life weakened like a flickering candlelight! [You have been exposed to Absolute Zero.] [The me of life is weak.] [It cannot resist the cold.] [Warning: You have been affected by the status ailment, Absolute Freeze.] "Damn... it!" Kang Oh''s lips, as well as the rest of his body, turned to ice. The Ice Queen raised her staff. Then, her metal spheres linked together, transforming into a giant club. She neither hesitated nor showed any mercy. The club was swung downwards! Whoosh! Bam! Kang Oh, who waspletely frozen, broke into pieces. His body flew into the air; half of his face shattered, while the other half cracked. Chapter 445. Saila’s Soul

Chapter 445. Sa''s Soul

Trantor: Boko Whoosh. The Ice Queen stood amidst a raging blizzard. Kang Oh''s corpse, which had turned to ice and broken into pieces,y beneath her feet. However, Kang Oh''s broken hand radiated an intense red light. To be more specific, the Cassio Ring was glowing. Whir! Countless shards of light appeared in the air, and gathered within the ring. It was like apleted puzzle; his body was rebuilt, starting from his hands, all the way down to his feet. Then, his head was reconstructed. At the same time, a pair of giant, ming wings unfurled from his back. [You have been revived.] [You are the Phoenix''s father. Resurrection has been enhanced.] [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [For 10 minutes, all abilities increase by 30%, and your maximum HP is doubled.] [For 5 minutes, HP is replenished so quickly that you are essentially immortal.] [You may now use Sun Sword (Active/Skill).] [Cooldown: 30 days] Resurrection! Kang Oh supported himself with Ubist and Akanhoff. His eyes narrowed at the Ice Queen. ''Let''s go!'' There was no way around it. He either kills the Ice Queen, or is broken into pieces! Kang Oh pulled out an item from his inventory. It was an A-rank item called Amtaurus''s Bone Ne. He had picked this up while hunting the Tum with Sephiro, Karin, and Soren. He immediately used Gluttony. Darkness seeped out of Ubist, which devoured the ne. Bam! Jet-ck energy exploded out of Kang Oh''s body. All of his abilities were tripled! Kang Oh activated Devil Trigger again. Darkness crept up his hand and spread across his body. At that moment... The Ice Queen, who was still surrounded by her metal spheres, pointed her giant club-like staff at him. Absolute Freeze! An ice flower, which froze anything it touched, rose from beneath Kang Oh''s feet. However, Kang Oh had already leapt into the air. Whoosh! Then, the Ice Queen swung her staff. Her staff let out a heavy ''whoosh'' as she cast another spell. Summon cier! Crack! Crack! Boom! The slippery ice split apart, and out came a giant cier. Thus, Kang Oh didn''t have a good ce tond. Abyss Transfer! Space itself ripped apart, and Kang Oh was consumed by darkness. Swish. The Ice Queen''s metal spheres linked together, forming a long snake once more. Then, Kang Oh reappeared above her head. He was aiming for her frozen horns, which were her one and only weakness. However, the metal snake came at him first. Whoosh! It was as if a giant whip was flying towards him. "Haahp!" As he fell, Kang Oh swung Akanhoff as hard as he could. Lightning Breath! The lightning st shot out of his purple de, striking the metal snake. Thebination of his Resurrection and Gluttony buffs, as well as Akanhoff''s inherently high attack power, increased its power significantly. Its destructive power was undeniable. Crackle! Sparks danced across the metal spheres as they flew through the air. Then, Kang Oh swung Ubist, aiming for the frozen horns once more. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger dashed at the Ice Queen, but she had already finished casting her spell. Frost Wind! Whoosh! A biting wind blew, but Tempest Tiger cut through the wind like a shark swimming through a wave, and struck the Ice Queen''s horns. Boom! Red shards of light burst from her horns! Kang Ohnded on the floor, and dashed at her once more. He was exceedingly fast, as he was under the effect of Gluttony. He instantly closed in, and horizontally swung Akanhoff. Transcendent de! His de sliced her horns with transcendent speed and power. Crack! A giant crack formed on her frozen body. Now was the time. Just a little bit more! If he dealt just a little bit more damage, then Kang Oh would win. However, the Ice Queen possessed a move that could turn things around. Absolute Zero! Her frozen horns emitted bright light, unleashing an absolute, bone-chilling cold that could even freeze one''s soul. ''C''mon, I just need to hold out!'' Kang Oh did everything in his power to survive. Moon''s Protection! A barrier akin to the full moon surrounded Kang Oh''s jet-ck body. For 3 seconds, it would nullify any and all damage! Although the barrier was frozen solid, it didn''t break. However, Absolute Zerosted longer than the barrier''s full duration. 2 seconds, 1 second... Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Sun Sword! His twin demon swords were coated in mes. The Phoenix''s Feather, which was kept in his chest, had reignited with fire; perhaps it was due to him using this skill. Moon''s Protection quickly disappeared. Then, Absolute Zero''s energy mercilessly rushed at him like an invading force. [You have been exposed to Absolute Zero.] His feet werepletely frozen, as if they had been dipped in tar. However, that was it. Roar! The Phoenix''s Feather and his demon swords'' mes intensified. [The Phoenix''s power has given you a near-immortal body!] [The mighty mes of life have resisted the effects of Absolute Zero.] When exposed to Absolute Zero, you normally wouldn''t be able to move, and your body would turn into ice. However, that didn''t apply to Kang Oh. His feet were frozen, so he couldn''t move, but he could still swing his swords. Kang Oh swung his ming jet-ck sword. Evesting Darkness! A pir of darkness shot at the Ice Queen. Perhaps it was due to Sun Sword, but orange mes wrapped around the darkness. The Ice Queen attempted to protect herself with her metal spheres and an ice shield, but it was no use. The ming darkness devoured the metal spheres, the shield, and the Ice Queen herself. Bam! Countless shards of light burst from her body. The fire and darkness dissipated, but the Ice Queen was still alive; she was, however, heavily injured. She raised her staff into the air. cial Impact! A giant chunk of ice appeared in the air, casting a giant shadow over Kang Oh''s body. If he allowed that cier to fall, then the Ice Queen might be able to turn the battle around. Kang Oh wasn''t willing to take that chance. Transcendent de! The world began to slow. Kang Oh precisely aimed at the Ice Queen and swung the me-wreathed Akanhoff. ''Now!'' Halfway through, he loosened his grip over Akanhoff. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Akanhoff left his grip and spun in the air like a wheel. Then, it hit the Ice Queen right in the middle of her body! The harsh winter had ended. Crack! It was as if ss had cracked. Shards of ice, bothrge and small, broke off from her body. The shadow overhead disappeared too. The giant chunk of ice transformed into small grains of shaved ice, and dissipated into the air. What a sight! Countless grains of ice shined in the sun''s light. It was the very definition of ''resplendent''! "Hoo." Kang Oh sighed in relief. ''I won... Huh?'' All of a sudden, something unexpected happened. As the Ice Queen''s body crumbled, Akanhoff naturally stabbed itself into the ground! A clear, bluish entity popped out in her ce! ''It wasn''t the end?'' "Damn!" Kang Oh tightly gripped Ubist. Now that he thought about it, the system hadn''t informed him of the Ice Queen''s death! The clear, bluish being assumed the shape of ady. [Sa''s soul is absorbing the Ice Soul''s power.] [If she fully absorbs the Ice Soul''s power, then there is a high chance that she will explode and cause a disaster!] Kang Oh was relieved that he held Ubist in his hand, as it was capable of cutting through the immaterial. He rushed forward, and swung Ubist at Sa''s soul. However...! "I... have... a favor to ask!" the soul said. It was Sa''s voice. The raw desperation in her voice forced him to stop. "What kind of favor?" Kang Oh asked. "You can''t... kill me..." She paused halfway through her sentences. Was it because she was absorbing the Ice Soul''s power? "I can''t do that." Kang Oh t out refused. "If I die, then... the Ice Soul''s... power will go out of control and explode... As a result, the continent''s climate will be irreversibly changed..." "Change the temperature!? What are you talking about?" "The Ice Soul... will cover half the continent... causing a long winter..." "Hmm." Sa spoke the truth. How did he know, you ask? If she was lying, then his Hyper Intuition would''ve told him such. It would''ve given him a feeling that made him want to punch her! "Then what do I do?" "Bring me... to the north..." "I just need to take you north?" "Take me... to the Temple of the North Sea. The Ice Soul... is there." "So you want to return the power you gained from the Ice Soul." Kang Oh, who was quick on the uptake, realized what her n was. "That''s... right." "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. Killing her might change the climate of the continent. But he didn''t think she''d make it to the Temple of the North Sea before she exploded. "We... don''t have time." During their conversation, Sa had been continuously absorbing the Ice Soul''s power. Thus, she had swelled like a balloon. Whatever the case, he needed to make a decision, and he needed to make it fast. What should he do? While he was mulling over his options, however, his purple de shimmered in the sunlight. ''Could I...?'' Kang Oh walked over and gripped Akanhoff. Then, Kang Oh activated the skill that he''d learned from Blood''s previous master, Grande Loxia. Seal Demon! [You can seal a demon within a sword, transforming it into a demon sword.] [Applicable Target: Sa] ''As expected.'' Sa had killed countless people, corrupting her very existence. She was simr to Blood, who had sewn terror in the Great Forest. "There''s a third option," Kang Oh said. "Which... is?" "I can seal you within my sword." Kang Oh had experienced her power firsthand. After all, turning his body to ice and breaking it into pieces was by no means an easy feat! He was sure that Sa was the right fit for Demon Sword Akanhoff. Plus, if he sealed her inside, then he wouldplete one of Vn''s three tasks! "Me...?" "Yeah. You wouldn''t be returning the Ice Soul''s power. Instead, you''d be sealed inside my sword with the Ice Soul''s power intact." Kang Oh pointed Akanhoff at Sa''s soul. "Do... it. Before the Ice Soul''s... power... explodes." "Alright." Seal Demon! Once he activated the skill, Akanhoff''s de radiated dim light. At the same time, Sa''s soul was sucked into the sword like a vortex. [The Ice Queen, Sa, is being sealed within Demon Sword Akanhoff.] [The sword cannot contain the entirety of her power. Any excess power will be released.] [Progress: 1%] The Ice Soul was powerful enough to change the continent''s climate. It was impossible to seal the entirety of that power within a single sword, no matter how great the weapon was. Whoosh! The Ice Soul''s uncontainable power transformed into a blue aurora and dispersed in every direction. That too was quite a sight. Sometimeter... Sa waspletely absorbed, and Akanhoff stilled. [Seal Demon was sessful!] [Seal Demon is a one-time use ability. Thus, the ability has been expunged.] [Demon Sword Akanhoff''s name has changed. Its new name is Ice Demon Sword, Sarahoff.] [You havepleted the Guardian of the Continent Quest.] [You havepleted one of Vn''s tasks. You have two tasks left.] His purple de radiated blue light. It was like how Ubist radiated jet-ck darkness, while Blood glowed with scarlet light. "Sarahoff," Kang Oh muttered, stroking the de. Then, he looked over his new demon sword''s abilities. Chapter 446. Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (1)

Chapter 446. Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (1)

Trantor: Boko [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff] A once in a lifetime masterpiece created by Hoffman! You would be hard pressed to find a finer de than this. The de is made up of the mysterious alloy, Halium, and various dragon materials were used to create the hilt. Halium makes the de extremely light, yet tough. At the same time, the de is unbelievably sharp. Hoffman''s desire for revenge is contained within this sword. When you face Inarius, atent ability will activate. The Northern Disaster, the Ice Queen Sa is sealed within. Sealing a demon within a demon sword crafted by a Master cksmith has resulted in something extraordinary. The demon sword has retained its abilities, and has gained the demon''s power on top of that! Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop, or that you be a monster under the demon''s control for 24 hours. + Absolute Destruction: Anything that shes with this de will break. This includes weapons, armor, tough scales, and even bone! The object in question will eventually break, depending on how tough it is. + Damage Amplification: Always increases the damage you deal to your enemy. At minimum, increases damage by 1.5 times, and at maximum, increases it by 3 times. Will stack with critical hits! +??? [Depends on the result of the Trial of the Demon Sword] Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1200, Main Stats +50. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. "Ahem." Kang Oh carefully read through Sarahoff''s information. There were three major changes. First, the item effects had changed. Demon Sword Akanhoff''s ''Dangerous Gamble'' had disappeared, and would be reced by an unknown ability in the future. Second, the equip requirements had changed; like Ubist or Blood, he could only equip it by passing the Trial of the Demon Sword. Finally, it increased all of his main stats by 50. Since there were four main stats, it increased his stats by 200! ''It all looks good, but... The demon sword''s trial will prove to be a problem.'' Oveing the Trial of the Demon Sword was no easy feat. Especially when faced with an opponent that he had no prior knowledge of. ''No, that''s wrong. I do have some info.'' The trial definitely had something to do with ice. Sa was originally a Yuki-Onna, and had transformed into the Ice Queen by absorbing the Ice Soul''s power. ''It''ll be hard if it wants me to withstand Absolute Zero.'' Kang Oh thought back to Absolute Zero''s frightening power, and trembled briefly. ''So I have to prepare some insurance before I even attempt the trial.'' Kang Oh ced Sarahoff into his inventory without equipping it. Then, he ripped a return scroll. The glittering powder flew through the air, and hepletely vanished. He had returned to Altein. * * * Several churches'' pdins and priests were staying at the Great Temple of Rakan. For example, the followers of the God of Light, Garuda, the Goddess of Contracts, Sabra, the God of Fate, Hamel, the Goddess of the Earth, Mina, etc. If the Evil God Worshippers showed up, then they''d be able to call for reinforcements, and they were also here to prevent them from reiming their sacred treasure. In other words, they were the Rakan Church''s honored guests. The Rakan High Priest, Mahakan, had given his 2nd disciple, Saru, the responsibility of serving their guests. There was a reason he''d asked his 2nd disciple, not his 1st. Saru was a bit more considerate than Nazaran, and he was more thorough too. "Is your room to your liking?" Saru asked the Garuda Church''s priests, sporting a bright expression. "The room was clean and quiet. Thank you." A priestess bowed her head, representing the rest of the priests. "It''s justmon courtesy. If you have any issues during your stay here, or if you need my help for anything, then please don''t hesitate to call me." Saru''s smiling face exuded warmth. "Yes..." the priestess said, blushing and smiling slightly. After that, Saru met with the other churches, and treated them with proper respect. "Hoho, I already know who you are, Mr. Saru. Let''s spar someday," the representative of the God of Fate, Hamel, said. He was a pdin. "I wee the challenge anytime!" Saru immediately replied. "Thank you for your kindness. Please visit our church sometime. We''ll be sure to repay the favor," one of Sabra''s pdins said, moved by how considerate he was. The Small Sun, Saru. He truly was a bright, warm person. Plus, he was extremely likeable. There wasn''t a single person from the other churches that hated him. This was a talent that Nazaran, Mahakan''s 1st disciple and the Steel Monk, didn''t possess. Saru was definitely the right man for the job. However, Nazaran couldn''t ept this. ''Damn it!'' Nazaran clenched his fist as the other churches surrounded Saru. ''Why!? Why is it!?'' Not only was Saru''s task extremely important to the Rakan Church right now, but he was also acting as their representative too. ''So why wasn''t I, the 1st disciple, picked instead?'' Of course, he''d heard Mahakan''s exnation. Apparently, Saru was a better fit for this particr job. Plus, Nazaran had been given a crucial task himself. He was put in charge of the temple''s security. If he had been of sound mind, then he would''ve let this go. Unfortunately, Nazaran wasn''t thinking straight right now. He couldn''t help but feel a sense of jealousy, as well as fear that Saru was stealing his rightful ce. "It''s clear." A voice whispered in his ear. At first, Nazaran thought it was just his imagination, but at some point, he started believing that these whispers were his thoughts, not someone else''s. He had no idea that these whispers were the result of the Evil God''s First Disciple. "It''s clear?" Nazaran muttered. "It is, isn''t it? This is your future." "My future..." ''No way!'' "Saru will follow in Master Mahakan''s footsteps and be the next High Priest. And you''ll be reduced to a dog that protects the temple." "Shut up!" Nazaran furiously yelled. "You can''t deny it, can you?" the voice whispered treacherously. "I said shut up!" "Nazaran, Nazaran. My foolish Nazaran. If you don''t deal with Saru, then there will be no future for you." Nazaran bit his lip and covered his ears. However, he couldn''t block out the whispers. "You''re the only one who''s clueless. Saru is the future High Priest." "No, shut up!" Nazaran screamed. Yet again, the whispers continued. "Loser, coward, trash." Then, Nazaran''s eyes briefly turned murderous. ''What if Saru was out of the equation?'' However, he still had a speck of reason left in him. He quickly shook his head. ''No, no!'' "Haa." Nazaran sighed deeply and weakly walked away. * * * Kang Oh, who''d walked out of Altein''s intercity transfer gate, sent a message to hispanions. He exined that he''d defeated Sa, and in turn, received a ''you must''ve worked hard''. ''Yeah, I did.'' Kang Oh nodded his head and headed for the Holiseum. The area underneath the white building, which had a strong resemnce to the real life coliseum, was where the diators lived. However, it was quieter than normal. Burkan, Dion, Darion, and the rest of the 100 Fighters were in the Daltrak Region right now in search of the Evil God Worshippers'' main base. Click. Kang Oh went inside Burkan''s room and saw Vn there. "I''m here." Vn looked him over. "I heard the Whispers of the Earth a little while ago. Did you deal with it?" Vn asked. "I just came back from dealing with it." "Good job." "I was able to seal a demon because of it. Would you like to take a look?" "Sure." Kang Oh pulled out the Ice Demon Sword, Sarahoff, and passed it over to Vn. Vn stroked Sarahoff''s long de. "Did you seal the Northern Disaster inside?" Vn remembered what the Whispers of the Earth had told him. It had definitely stated that the Northern Disaster threatened to freeze half of the continent. "Yes. And as you said, the demon sword didn''t lose its inherent abilities. The demon''s abilities were added on top of them." "It''s too good a sword for you to use." Kang Oh pouted at that. ''There''s no one better at dampening my spirits.'' "I suppose you''ll grow into it when you be a Master," Vn said. "I''m going to be a Master," Kang Oh said firmly. "You better, if you don''t want to die by my de." Vn narrowed his eyes. His training philosophy was simple. Just do it. If you can''t, then you get beat up, or you might even die. "Ahem, ahem." Kang Oh couldn''t hide his difort. ''Man, this old man''s always threatening my life! Do I look like that much of a pushover to you!? Huh!?'' "If it pisses you off, thene at me." Even though he''d lost an arm, Vn hadn''t changed. He was still just as stern and arrogant as when he first met him. "No, I''m ok." Kang Oh lied to save his skin. He wasn''t strong enough to match up to him yet. "Enough with the chit-chat. Go out and train." "There''s something I''d like to ask you to do for me first." "What?" "I have to take the demon sword''s trial. If, and I mean if, I don''t pass the trial, then..." Kang Oh trailed off. "You mean if you''re possessed by the demon?" "Yes." "Then that''s when you die." Vn snarled. The Guardian of the Continent bing a monster that threatened the continent!? That waspletely unthinkable and unforgivable. "So if something seems off about me, then please don''t hesitate to kill me." "You''re going to take the trial here, so you want me to sit and watch." "Yes, exactly." Vn stared at him nkly. "You''re the one who sealed the demon, right?" "Who else would''ve done it?" "Idiot." "Excuse me?" "No, never mind. Do what you want." "Then..." Kang Oh retrieved Sarahoff from Vn and gripped it tightly. [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff''s trial has begun.] The environment momentarily changed. It was a snowy field that stretched on for miles on end! His vision was obscured by the raging blizzard too. Kang Oh checked his condition. He was carrying Sarahoff, and his equipment had remained the same. ''Is it like Blood''s trial?'' At that moment... He received apletely unexpected system message. [You have passed the Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff''s trial.] "What?" ''I didn''t do anything, but I passed. Wait, what the hell is going on?'' The blizzard died down, and a giant castle of ice and snow appeared before him. He then entered the castle. There was a shining chandelier made of ice that hung from the ceiling. A beautiful woman with long ck hair, pale skin, and blue eyes stood below it. It was the Yuki-Onna, Sa. "Sa... Is hello appropriate here?" Kang Oh said carefully, remaining tense. "Sara. Please call me Sara," she said. "Sara?" "That''s my original name. I was called Sa once I became a shaman. I don''t like that name." Sa, or Sara, dreamt of a life of freedom. However, she was forced to be a shaman, so she obviously hated the name she''d been given. ''So that''s why the demon sword is called Sarahoff.'' "Alright. Sara then. Did I pass the demon sword''s trial?" Kang Oh asked. "Of course you did." "I didn''t do anything though." "What do you mean? You sealed a demon within the sword. Hmm, calling myself a demon is kind of weird. Anyhow, you''re the one who sealed myself and the Ice Soul''s power within the sword." "So I automatically passed the trial because I''m the one who sealed you?" "Yes," Sara said. Kang Oh suddenly thought back to how Vn had called him an ''idiot''. He knew that Kang Oh, as the one who''d sealed Sara into the sword, had no need of passing the trial. Thus, he must''ve felt like Kang Oh was being ridiculous by asking him to kill him just in case something went astray. ''If you knew, then you could''ve told me earlier. You asshole.'' However, Kang Oh knew that Vn wasn''t exactly the nicest person in the world, so he shouldn''t have expected him to warn him. ''Phew. It''s my fault for getting involved with someone like him.'' Anyhow, Kang Oh stopped worrying about Vn, and focused on Sara instead. "If it wasn''t me, but someone else, what would the trial have been like?" Kang Oh asked. "You''d have to fight the Ice Queen and win." "Mm." Kang Oh thought of Devil Trigger. If he reached an assimtion rate of 1,000%, then he''d have to face all of his demons simultaneously. The Abyss Predator, Ubist! The Great Forest''s Demon, Blood! Finally, the Ice Queen, Sara! To think he''d have to face all of them at once! ''It''d be crazy hard.'' However, it wasn''t something he''d have to worry about right now. After all, his assimtion rate was far from maxed out. "Since I passed the trial, I can get going now, right?" "No. You have to do something first," Sara said. "Which is?" "You have to pick between the two of us: me or the Ice Soul!" At that moment... A system message popped up. [You must make a choice between two options. Based on your decision, the demon sword''s power and abilities will change.] Chapter 447. Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (2)

Chapter 447. Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (2)

Trantor: Boko [Option 1 - Sara] [Option 2 - Ice Soul] Kang Oh examined the two choices, and then asked, "So what are the pros and cons of either choice?" He wasn''t all that surprised, as he was offered a simr choice when he''d first obtained Demon Sword Blood. "Choose me," Sara said. "Like I said, what are the pros and cons?" Kang Oh said calmly. ''I''ll make a decision after I''ve heard all the information!'' "If you pick me, then it''ll be an ego sword." "Growth," Kang Oh said. "Yes. The sword will be an evolvable demon sword." "If I choose the Ice Soul, it''ll be more powerful now, but it will have no room for growth." "Yes." "Let me ask you something." "What is it?" "If I choose the Ice Soul, can I use Absolute Zero?" "Yes." "Then I''ll pick the Ice..." There was nothing to think about. Come here, Absolute Zero! "Wait," Sara yelled. "You have to pay a hefty price in order to use Absolute Zero." "A price?" "Your life. After all, the more powerful a demon sword is, the more danger it presents to its user." She probably wasn''t lying. That''s how demon swords worked. "Can you give me any concrete details?" "I cannot. You''re here not to find the right answer, but to make a choice," Sara said decisively. "Let me ask you one more thing. If I choose you and I upgrade the weapon, will I be able to use an Absolute Zero that''s less harmful towards me?" "No. Absolute Zero is the Ice Soul''s power. Its power is absolute, but it has a limited number of uses." "Hmm." Kang Oh looked at his choices and thought them over. If he could, he would pick the Ice Soul over Sara. After all, it would allow him to use Absolute Zero! But what if Absolute Zero''s activation cost was the user''s life? Moreover, it had a limited number of uses. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s decision was... "I''m picking Sara." [You have picked Sara.] [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff''s power and characteristics have been determined.] [You may use a Yuki-Onna''s power, as well as a portion of the Ice Soul''s power. The weapon has infinite room for growth, but its raw power cannot match up to the Ice Soul''s.] [Sara''s ego has been retained. She indirectly sees, hears, tastes, and feels the world through her wielder.] "Thank you." Sara beamed. As an ego sword, she could now indirectly experience the world through Kang Oh. Originally, her dream was to explore the continent. In a way, she had fulfilled her dream. Whirl. Thendscape began to spin quicker and quicker! When he started to feel a little dizzy, he returned to the real world, with Vn haughtily sitting in front of him. "Did it go well?" Vn asked. He was clearly being sarcastic. It was like he was saying, ''How''s it feel to make such a fuss over nothing?''. "Thanks to you." Kang Oh grinned. ''How does that make you feel!?'' "You finished the easiest task. Hurry up and finish the rest," Vn said. He needed to master Demonic Swordsmanship and acquire a Demonic Swordsman secret move! There was still so much for him to do. "Yes. Now if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh quickly left. Staying with Vn for too long was a recipe for disaster. "Hmm, it won''t be long now," Vn said, staring vacantly at the spot that Kang Oh had left. He was referring to the wall that prevented proficiency from rising any further! It wouldn''t be long before Kang Oh faced this wall. * * * As soon as he left the Holiseum, Kang Oh examined Sarahoff''s item information. [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (+0)] A once in a lifetime masterpiece created by Hoffman! ... + Absolute Destruction: Anything that shes with this de will break. This includes weapons, armor, tough scales, and even bone! The object in question will eventually break, depending on how tough it is. + Damage Amplification: Always increases the damage you deal to your enemy. At minimum, increases damage by 1.5 times, and at maximum, increases it by 3 times. Will stack with critical hits! + Frost Demon''s Domain: Lowers the temperature of anyone within a 10 meter vicinity of the demon sword. This lowers their abilities, and also inflicts frostbite or freezes them. + Sara''s Collectible: If you explore a new area, kill a new monster, orplete a difficult quest, then there is a low chance that you will obtain Sara''s Collectible. If you collect enough, then the sword will evolve. Next Evolution: 0/3 Sara''s Collectibles. ''Hmm. Frost Demon''s Domain and Sara''s Collectible, huh...'' The ''Dangerous Gamble'' ability, which increased the sword''s attack power by 1% every 5 seconds in exchange for a proportional amount of his HP, had disappeared. Frost Demon''s Domain had taken its ce, which lowered the temperature of anyone within a 10 meter vicinity, reducing their abilities and possibly inflicting frostbite or freezing them. Like Ubist''s ''Predation'' or Blood''s ''Evolving Weapon'', ''Sara''s Collectible'' acted as a way of upgrading it. The only difference was its approach; like Sephiro''s Lasselpino Bow, Sarahoff required that he collect items to upgrade it. ''As expected, it''s not all that great.'' That''s how evolving weapons were. Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff didn''t meet his expectations. For the time being, that is. However, his judgment would change based on its future evolutions. ''You can''t expect too much on your first time.'' Kang Oh headed for the intercity transfer gate. Although he''dpleted the Guardian of the Continent Quest, he still needed to be a Master. "Tstrum!" Soren''s magic circle worked without a hitch. He immediately arrived in Tstrum, which was inhabited by the powerful, ancient Tum. His nose was assaulted by the unpleasant smell of the sewer, so he quickly got out. Then, he saw a Tum sitting upon a lotus-shaped statue. His weapon was a bone hammer made out of a Giant Kruger''s skull. Metal boomerangs hung from the belt around his waist as well. [You have discovered Tum''s Descendent, Moldon.] Kang Oh hid behind the half-destroyed statue and pulled out Sarahoff. Devil Trigger! He''d sealed Sara within the demon sword, so he could use Devil Trigger with it now. The purple de expelled a cold, blue energy, which wrapped itself around Kang Oh''s body. His eyes turned a frigid blue like a Yuki-Onna''s eyes. Two frozen horns protruded from his forehead, and frozen, sky blue armor covered his arms and legs. It was as though he were covered by the snowy fields themselves. "Hoo." Kang Oh breathed out, releasing a misty cloud of air. [You may now use the Ice Queen, Sara''s power as your own.] [You arepletely resistant to the ice element. You be more powerful in cold environments.] [You may now use Yuki-Onna''s Breath, Ice Wall, and Frozen Spike.] [Ice damage is added to your attacks. There is a fixed chance that your attacks will freeze your opponent!] ''Yuki-Onna''s Breath, huh...'' Kang Oh jumped out from behind the statue, and horizontally swung Sarahoff at the Tum. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! A frigid, fan-shaped energy st shot out. The weeds froze instantly, and the st also froze the surface of the ruins too. It was an aura technique, reminiscent of Ubist''s Abyss w or Blood''s Fresh Blood Wave, that allowed him to unleash the demon''s power. "An enemy!" Tum Moldon reacted immediately. He backed off, dodging the Yuki-Onna''s Breath. Then, he immediately drew two boomerangs, one in each hand, and forcefully threw them. Whoosh! Whoosh! Moldon''s boomerangs flew at Kang Oh, emitting a dangerous ''whoosh''. Ice Wall! A thick wall of ice formed in front of Kang Oh. Bam! Bam! As always, the Tum''s boomerangs were extremely powerful. Upon contact, the boomerangs let out a giant ''bam'' like dynamite and destroyed the wall. "Huahp!" Moldon screamed and threw his boomerangs once more. Kang Oh stomped on the ground. Frozen Spike! Icicles surged from underneath Moldon''s feet. "Tch." Moldon threw himself to the side. Kang Oh seized the opportunity. "That''s what I was waiting for!" The Tum possessed inherently highbat prowess, so they were capable of fighting Kang Oh evenly in a one-on-one fight. At first, that is. When did it start? When did Moldon''s lips turn purple? Sarahoff''s special ability, Frost Demon''s Domain, had lowered his core temperature. As a result, his movements slowed, and the force behind his weapon weakened. Swish, sh, swish! Sarahoff cleaved through his body. At that moment... Crack! The wound froze over. It was a vicious cycle. Moldon''s core temperature went down, reducing all of his abilities, and left him more open to Kang Oh''s attacks. With him unable to block Kang Oh''s attacks, Sarahoff would inflict status ailments, making him even weaker than before! "Grr!" Moldon fought back as hard as he could. He moved fiercely, shaking off the ice that lined his body, and swung his hammer threateningly. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Kang Oh calmly swung Sarahoff and blocked Moldon''s hammer. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! Crack! Ultimately, Moldon''s hammer shattered into pieces. ''It''s better than I expected.'' Sarahoff''s abilities were pretty good. ''Frost Demon''s Domain'' lowered his opponent''s abilities, allowing him to better make use of the sword''s original abilities, ''Absolute Destruction'' and ''Damage Amplification''. However, Moldon was still a Tum! He wouldn''t lose that easily. Moldon picked up a sharp piece of bone, a remnant of his broken hammer, and swung it like a dagger. It was a quick, precise attack! Kang Oh, who''d sensed the attack prior, quickly pulled his neck back. However, he was a bitte. Swish! The bone fragment grazed Kang Oh''s neck. The neck was a vital area! Thus, a huge fistful of shards of red light burst out. Kang Oh got back into position, and quickly swung Sarahoff downwards. Transcendent de! Sarahoff''s purple de pierced through Moldon''s chest. While it was still embedded in his chest... Yuki-Onna''s Breath! The Tum Tribe possessed incredible elemental resistance. But that didn''t matter when the cold energy was injected directly into their body. A heart-shaped ice fragment appeared on his chest. "You bastard!" Moldon angrily threw the bone fragment. Danger! Guided by his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh swung Sarahoff at the iing bone fragment, deflecting it, and then swung downwards. sh! Swish! His sword left behind a sword scar across Moldon''s muscr chest. ''Now.'' Kang Oh spun around like a top, and then swung his de at Moldon''s neck. At that moment... Moldon ducked down like a frog about to jump! His demon sword cut through nothing but air. Bam! Moldon sprung up and tackled Kang Oh. At this range, it was almost impossible to dodge. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Bam! Kang Oh was pushed back with a ''bam''. Huge shards of light fell from his body. However, he didn''t take as much damage as he''d expected. ''He''s a lot weaker than I thought.'' There''s no way a Tum''s tackle would be this weak. Seeing how it was, Sarahoff''s Frost Demon''s Domain must''ve reduced his abilities significantly! ''What if Sarahoff were to gain another ability on top of this?'' Just thinking about it left him excited. Kang Oh grinned and swung Sarahoff several times. Moldon wasn''t able to fight him off, and ultimately fell to his knees. * * * Kang Oh roamed across Tstrum, searching for Tum that were alone. A short whileter, Kang Oh found a suitable opponent. [You have discovered Tum''s Descendent, Barad.] Kang Oh pulled out Blood with his offhand. Devil Trigger! Blood''s crimson energy and Sarahoff''s blue energy mixed together and engulfed Kang Oh''s body. Overall, Blood''s energy was more pronounced, covering more of his body. Kang Oh sported a red body with wings and a bat mask to match. However, two frozen horns protruded from the mask, and frozen armor covered his arms and legs. It was as though a white whirlwind pattern streaked through a red background. Fusing Sarahoff and Blood''s power had resulted in this new Dual Demon form! Chapter 448. Frostblood Demon!

Chapter 448. Frostblood Demon!

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s Dual Demon form yielded him new abilities. No, to be more specific, Sarahoff and Blood''s power mixed together. [You may now use the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, and the Ice Queen, Sarahoff''s power.] [Blood and the Ice Soul possess great affinity. The two energiesbine as one.] [Frostblood! This is the name of the scarlet snow you now create, which absorbs your opponents'' HP while simultaneously weakening them.] [You may now use Red Avnche, Frostblood Drill, and Red Cliff.] [Dealing damage has a high chance of inflicting a bleed or frozen state. There is a low chance of inflicting a healing debuff (reducing healing) or freezing your target.] [You may now fly. The Frostblood Demon leaves behind a blizzard in its path.] [You may fly for 5 minutes.] Ubist and Blood''s Dual Demon form only gave him the Demon''s Roar ability. However, Blood and Sarahoff had great affinity; thus, the two powers mixed together, forming apletely new element. What a wee surprise. ''Frostblood!'' Kang Oh tested the power of his new form on the Tum. Red Avnche! Energy shot out of his twin demon swords simultaneously. Blue and red energy mixed together, forming a giant st of energy that truly resembled an avnche. Even Tum Barad couldn''t take it head-on. He gripped his serrated de, which was made of a Maucrocker''s teeth, and backed off. He was trying to escape the Red Avnche''s range. It was truly a wise decision. The Red Avnche swept through everything in its path, leaving almost nothing in its wake. Whoosh! Barad threw his metal boomerangs from afar. Frostblood Drill! Kang Oh unfurled his wings, which possessed a white vortex pattern, and sharp red ice shards formed around him. "Go!" Kang Oh yelled, and the ice drills quickly flew through the air, striking the boomerangs. They weren''t as sturdy as the boomerangs. Thus, they shattered into pieces. However, they did manage to change the boomerangs'' course. Red Cliff! Kang Oh stomped his right foot, and a Frostblood wall rose in front of him. The boomerangs, which changed course, struck the Frostblood wall! Bam! Bam! As always, the boomerangs were as powerful as ever and seemingly exploded. However, the wall didn''t break. It was incredibly sturdy. ''As expected!'' Blood and Sarahoff''s skills had beenbined, reinforcing them into something far greater. Whether it be their power or their durability. "Tasha," Kang Oh said. "What?" Her voice immediately rang out. "Sara?" he called, but he didn''t get an answer back. "They''re both ego swords. Is Tasha the only one capable of speech?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "That ice woman I''m fused with? She''s too weak to talk to you yet," Tasha said. "I guess I''ll be able to talk to her when I strengthen the sword like you." "Yep." "Ok, then let''s go!" Tasha controlled Kang Oh''s wings in his stead. With a mighty p of his wings, Kang Oh flew towards Tum Barad. Kang Oh was used to swinging his sword in midair by now. He ferociously swung his swords at Barad like a wasp attacking an invader. Barad responded in kind. He swung his serrated de, blocking every single one of his attacks. To make matters worse, he was able to block Kang Oh''s attacks with one hand, and use his offhand to throw a boomerang at him. Bam! A boomerang struck Kang Oh''s wings, causing him to fall and roll onto the ground. Barad seized the opportunity, closing the distance instantly and forcefully swinging his serrated de. Kang Oh rolled to the side and avoided Barad''s attack. Though Barad''s de was stuck in the ground, he just dragged it towards Kang Oh. Shards of dirt went everywhere, and a long scar was etched in the ground. Kang Oh sprang up from the floor. Then, he quickly crossed his twin demon swords. ng! Barad''s serrated de struck Kang Oh''s crossed des. His body tingled from the impact, but he wasn''t pushed back. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Blood at Barad''s upper body, and Sarahoff at his lower body. Barad quickly backed off, avoiding Kang Oh''s attack, and then rushed back in as if he''d been propelled by a spring. Kang Oh and Barad shed once more. How much time had passed? Time usually wasn''t on Kang Oh''s side. However, that definitely wasn''t the case this time. Frost Demon''s Domain! Sarahoff''s ability gradually lowered Barad''s core temperature. He was experiencing a truly harsh winter indeed. On the other hand, if Kang Ohnded an attack, he would restore his HP and possibly inflict a status ailment like bleed, frostbite, a healing debuff, or freeze. ''This is easy!'' It had never been easier to fight a Tum! He wasn''t sure he''d ever experienced this before. "Rest in peace," Kang Oh said, andunched a finishing blow. Red Avnche! His twin demon swords'' energiesbined, forming a giant avnche. It wasn''t just big; its power was considerable too. Although Barad''s defeat was inevitable, he didn''t give up and fought till the bitter end. "Kuhaahk!" Barad let out a bestial cry and mustered up all the energy he had left. He swung his serrated de, which was right on the brink of breaking from repeated shes with Sarahoff, at theing avnche. However, the avnche swept right through him. [You have defeated Tum''s Descendent, Barad.] [You have leveled up.] "Nice. Next up is...!" Kang Oh''s heart pounded. Switch Ubist! Kang Oh stashed Blood, and Ubist took its ce. Now, he wielded Ubist in one hand, and Sarahoff in the other. His Frostblood form disappeared, and he transformed into something else entirely. Two frozen horns protruded from his beast mask, his ck body was covered in white tiger stripes, and his arms and legs were covered by armor which shone dark red. Of course, you couldn''t forget the Jet-ck Demon''s trademark, its tail! It was certainly a new Dual Demon form. However, his excitement soon turned into disappointment. Ubist and Sarahoff''s power didn''t mix well. Plus, it didn''t give him a new ability like Demon''s Roar. It literally just stacked the two swords'' power together. It was basically one plus one! Aside from being able to use both swords'' abilities simultaneously, there wasn''t any benefit to this form. ''Seems like Ubist and Sarahoff don''t have much affinity.'' He was disappointed, but what could he do about it? There are some rtionships that work out, and some that don''t. Still, Ubist and Sarahoff''s inherent abilities were tremendous. Sarahoff possessed maximal attack power and tremendous offensive capabilities! On the other hand, Ubist possessed various abilities, such as Gluttony, Abyss de, and Fang Bearing de; it was basically an assorted gift basket! Because of their power, Kang Oh used these two des together most often! He nned on using them together from now on too, even if its Dual Demon form was mediocre. Anyhow, his new demon sword allowed him to fight in different ways. Using Ubist and Blood together gave him ess to Gluttony and Festival of Blood. If he used these two buffs together, then his power would skyrocket! Blood and Sarahoff were the exact opposite. Theirbined power would weaken his opponent and allow him to keep his HP high, which was perfectly suited for long battles. Finally, Ubist and Sarahoff, which had absolutely no synergy, gave him pure attack power. Out of all thebinations, it was geared purely towards offense! Using Devil Trigger with only one sword was a waste. After all, his assimtion rate would go up at the same rate, regardless of how many swords he used. "Now then, let''s go shall we?" Kang Oh went off in search of new prey. Sometimeter... Kang Oh killed countless Tum. The normal Tum were no longer a challenge to him. ''It''s time to take it up a notch.'' In other words, it was time to find the Tum Warriors, the Tum that''d learned Weapon Bombardment. However... Kuhaaahk! As always, a goosebump-inducing cry resounded throughout the ruins. ''Who''s making this strange cry? Hmm, I''m really curious...'' Kang Oh was gradually getting more and more interested in the source of the noise. * * * Kang Oh, who''d roamed across Tstrum in search of Tum Warriors, quickly returned to Altein. He pushed through the crowd of people, using theplex alleyways as a shortcut. "Wee." He entered Gold Dragon, was greeted by a worker there, and was then taken to Man Bok''s office. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh." Man Bok greeted him with a joyous expression. "Let me see the goods," Kang Oh said. "Hoo, hoo. I have them right here." Three luxurious vials stood side-by-side on his table. The red liquid inside shined like the most brilliant gems. ''It''s exactly as I''ve read. It''s wrapped in red light, and it''s more brilliant than any gem.'' Kang Oh gulped and carefully picked up one of the bottles. After all, it was just that precious. [Legendary Elixium] This body strengthening potion was created by the legendary, no, mythical alchemist, Varian! No potion exists that can match its effects. It was created by using precious materials, including the Gold Bean, Dragon''s Blood, the Sun Seed, and the Sea''s Tears. This potion can only be created by a skilled enough alchemist, who puts their heart and soul into its creation and makes not a single mistake in the process! [Effects] (1) Upon first consumption, all main stats and side stats increase by 10. However, stats do not increase the second time. (2) Max HP, MP, and Stamina increase by 10% each time you consume it. (3) All elemental resistance increases slightly. The increase in resistance depends on the user''s current elemental resistance. (4) Increases your experience and proficiency gain by 5% each time you consume it. [Conditions] Can only be consumed 10 times. (0/10) "Jackpot!" Kang Oh opened his mouth wide. He''d heard how tremendous the Elixium''s effects were, but he didn''t think they would be this good. ''I heard that in the early days of Arth, the Empire Guild obtained a few bottles as a reward forpleting an extremely difficult quest. Dukeram must''ve drank all of them.'' Emperor Dukeram! While Kang Oh used Ubist to raise his stats, Dukeram used his organization and drugs to increase his stats by the same amount. ''Now I have ess to it too!'' Kang Oh didn''t think of Dukeram as a rival. The only one who could actually be his rival was Vn. Dukeram was just someone in his way. Thus, he wanted to surpass him ASAP. "Hehe." Kang Ohughed and opened one of the vial''s lids. Pop! It emitted a pleasant pop, and released a refreshing fragrance not unlike tea. ''Let''s do this!'' Kang Oh drank it down in a single go. It felt warm as it went down his throat, but otherwise, it had no taste. [You have consumed Elixium.] [All Main Stats +10] [All Side Stats +10] [Max HP, MP, and Stamina +10%] [Elemental Resistance has increased slightly] [Experience and Proficiency Gain +5%] [Maximum Number of Uses (1/10)] "How does it taste?" Man Bok asked curiously. "It''s pretty tasteless. I guess it''s like warm soy milk." It was an apt description of it. Kang Oh drank the other two Elixiums immediately. Although the second and third potions didn''t increase his main/side stats, Kang Oh''s maximum HP, MP, and Stamina had increased, as well as his elemental resistances and proficiency/experience gain. ''This is why people take drugs!'' Kang Oh''s body brimmed with power, eliciting a pleasant feeling inside. "When I get another Gold Bean, please put in another request for Elixium. Please obtain a Sun Seed and Sea''s Tears at that time too," Kang Oh said. ''I''m going to drink all 10 of them!'' "Understood. I''ll take the expenses out of your share," Man Bok said. "Yes. Please do that." Kang Oh nodded his head and waved his hand. "I''m busy, so if you''ll excuse me." "Good luck." Kang Oh left Gold Dragon and headed for Tstrum once more. Chapter 449. Scapi’s Offer

Chapter 449. Scapi''s Offer

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh encountered a Tum Warrior, who was far stronger than an ordinary Tum. [You have discovered Tum''s Descendent, Warrior Amun.] Amun wielded a different sized axe in either hand. Therger axe was double-ded, while the smaller one was single-ded. "Who are you!?" As soon as he sensed Kang Oh''s presence, he threw his axe at him. Weapon Bombardment! This was the Tum''s pride and joy! The axe arced like a swooping eagle, flying straight at Kang Oh. Kang Oh, with Blood and Sarahoff in his hands, threw himself out of the way. Boom! The space he''d upied had been razed. The explosion created a giant crater in the ground, and pieces of the ruins and dirt flew into the air. This was the Tums'' secret move, Weapon Bombardment. However, Kang Oh had already experienced this move before, so he reacted to it calmly. He kicked off the floor and quickly charged at Amun. Swish! Swish! Swish! Amun manipted his thrown axe, causing it to fly at Kang Oh from behind. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition allowed him to dodge it without issue. Then, he swung Sarahoff. "Huahp!" Amun swung hisrger axe. "Haahk!" Amun''s double-ded axe was made out of dark red metal. This metal was called Cardium, and could only be found in a cave that existed deep within the Great Forest''s central region. ng! Their weapons shed, emitting a loud ''ng''. However, Amun''s axe released a dark red powder. Hiss! Upon contact, Kang Oh''s purple de hissed and emitted smoke as if it were meat being cooked on the grill. This was Cardium''s special ability. If struck by a hard enough force, it released a powder as hot asva! Kang Oh avoided the powder and backed off. "I''m not letting you go anywhere!" Amun immediately rushed at him and forcefully swung his axe. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed, and he softly swung Blood. Sword Parry! Screech! Amun''s double-ded axe slid off of Blood''s snow-white de. At that moment... Transcendent de! Kang Oh aimed for Amun''s neck within the slowed world. Stab! His purple de struck Amun''s neck. "Ugh." Amun grimaced in pain. However, Kang Oh found himself doing the same. Amun''s axe had shed with Blood, releasing dark red powder that burned Kang Oh''s body. "You bastard!" Amun pounced like a tiger and swung his axe. "Die!" Kang Oh counterattacked with Blood. ng! ng! ng! Repeated ''ngs'' resounded throughout the ruins. Kang Oh and Amun''s battle continued. * * * "Hoo." Kang Oh, assuming his Frostblood Demon form, stared at Warrior Amun''s corpse and took a deep breath. ''I can''t break the warriors'' weapons.'' Kang Oh stared at Amun''s double-ded axe, which he hadn''t let go of till the very end, and made a mental note. The Tum Warriors could use a skill called ''Fighting Spirit Veil''. Amun was no exception. Once his weapon began to crack, Amun used the skill to protect his weapon from Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction. By coating it in fighting spirit, the Tum Warriors were able to prevent Sarahoff from actually making contact with their weapons. Thus, Kang Oh wasn''t able to break Amun''s axe. However, Sarahoff''s other ability, ''Frost Demon''s Domain'' worked without a hitch. It reduced the opponent''s core temperature, thereby reducing all of their abilities! As their fierce battle continued, Frost Demon''s Domain slowly weakened Amun. When he was sure of his victory, Kang Oh transformed into the Frostblood Demon and finished him off. ''Huh?'' Kang Oh, who deactivated Devil Trigger, saw something shining atop Amun''s body. It was a medal. [Tum''s Token] A token carried by the warriors of the legendary Tum Tribe. It is a symbol of strength. Rank: AA. There was a fixed chance that it''d drop if you defeated a Tum Warrior. But Kang Oh didn''t know what it was used for. ''I suppose I''ll find a ce for it eventually.'' Kang Oh pocketed the token and moved on. * * * He kept fighting again and again. Kang Oh wasn''t satisfied with a single Tum anymore. He''d fight two, three, or even four at once. The Tum Warriors never gathered in groups. They were solitary existences like cranes. To Kang Oh, however, they were extremely nutritious prey. Defeating a Tum Warrior in singlebat yielded an extraordinary amount of experience and proficiency. Of course, he didn''t win every single time. Some of the Tum Warriors were much stronger than the rest. They were the Veteran Warriors. Their strength was the real deal. His current record versus them was 4 wins, 6 losses. If he weren''t so lucky, then he would''ve died six times already! In any case, Kang Oh lived dangerously day by day in order toplete Vn''s quest. Kuhaaahk! He also tried to figure out what that scream was too. However, Tstrum was such a huge ce that he hadn''t found out much. * * * ''I''ll have to make a quick trip to Altein.'' His belt waspletely empty. He was so focused on hunting that he hadn''t realized that he had run out of health potions. He would also need to go to a cksmith and repair his weapons too. Whir! Kang Oh ripped a return scroll and teleported back to Altein. He exited Altein''s intercity transfer gate and entered a secluded alleyway. However, an unwee guest suddenly popped out. "Kang Oh," the woman said. She wore red robes and a mask engraved with a scorpion. "Who are you?" Kang Oh was currently wearing normal clothes so that he wouldn''t stand out. However, this person had seen right through him. No, it''d be more correct to say that she''d been looking for him. ''How did she...?'' Swish. The unwee guest took off her mask, revealing a familiar face. Poison Scorpion, Scapi! She was both a Poison Mage, and one of Red Moon''s top executives! Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Just my luck!'' There was a huge bounty on her head. ''You''re mine!'' Swish, sh! Kang Oh instantly used Switch and cleaved through her with his demon swords. However, something bizarre happened. Sword marks appeared on her body, and then promptly disappeared. It felt like he was cutting water. "It won''t work. This is just a copy created out of poison," Scapi''s poison copy said. "Hmm." A copy couldn''t operate far from the original. If that''s the case, then Scapi should be somewhere close! Kang Oh immediately looked around. However, he didn''t see her anywhere. ''Is she hiding somewhere?'' "What do you want?" Kang Oh asked. "I have an offer for you." "An offer?" Kang Oh replied, ready to strike her down at a moment''s notice. "...hire you." "What?" Kang Oh''s eyes widened. ''Did I mishear you?'' "I''d like to... hire you!" Scapi repeated. "Hoh!" That hade out of nowhere. * * * Murderer Red had given Scapi one single task: do whatever it took to bring Kang Oh before him! She was locked in thought. How the hell was she supposed to bring Kang Oh to him!? After all, all four of the Heavenly Kings were no match for Kang Oh. Realistically speaking, there was no way she could bring Kang Oh to the Shadow World. ''Should I lure him in?'' However, luring him in wouldn''t be easy. Considering how great Kang Oh''sbat abilities were, it''d have to be perfect. Otherwise, she''d be captured. If that happened... She''d rot in jail like the other Heavenly Kings. At the same time, she couldn''t afford to disregard Red''smand. If she didn''t do as she was told, then Red would exile her from the Shadow World. If she was exiled from Red Moon, her only safe haven, then there''d be no ce for her but jail. Scapi was in between a rock and a hard ce. She thought about how she''d go about her task, but Red eventually gave her an ultimatum. "You have a week. Bring him here by then. Otherwise... you know what''ll happen, right?" "You don''t care what I do to bring him here?" "Nope." "Even if I have to betray you?" "There''s no loyalty between us. Just bring him here. Do whatever it takes!" "...Understood." ''How do I bring him here?'' "So?" Kang Oh asked. He and her poison copy were staring at each other within the secluded alleyway. "As I''ve exined, I have to bring you to Red. No matter what! But I''m not strong enough to bring you there by force, so I''ll hire you instead." Scapi then pulled out two dried out pieces of paper. One of them was definitely a gold scroll, which contained a certain sum of money. "It''s 100,000 gold. I made it by doing all sorts of nasty stuff." Scapi waved the gold scroll. 100,000 gold. In terms of Korean currency, it was the equivalent of 300 million won ($300,000 USD). Kang Oh''s eyes followed the gold scroll as it shook. "And this is everything I know about Red!" Scapi waved the other scroll too. "Mm." "If you put Red in jail, then I''ll give you 100,000 gold. Ah, and do you happen to know how much Red is worth?" "100,000 gold," Kang Oh replied immediately. The Worst Criminal and Murderer, Red, was definitely worth 100,000 gold. "Exactly. So you''d be making 200,000 gold," Scapi said. "200,000 gold, huh..." Kang Oh was enticed by her offer. After all, it was like she said; he would be making ''200,000 gold''! "If you ept my offer, then I''ll make it so that you can fight Red one-on-one. You won''t be interrupted by anyone. Of course, if you want me to sign a Sabra''s Contract, then I can do that too. You can add a use that states that I can''t betray you too," Scapi said. "What do you gain from all this?" Kang Oh asked. "If you put Red in jail, then Red Moon will be mine. All of mypetitors have been either exiled or put in jail, so I''m number 2. If you lose, then I''ll havepleted Red''s task and I won''t lose my entire fortune." "So either way works for you. After all, if you be leader of Red Moon, then you''ll make far more than 100,000 gold." Red Moon made a ton of money via their assassination contracts. If Scapi became the leader of Red Moon, then that money would fall into her hands. "So I''d appreciate it if you epted my request." "And if I don''t?" "Then I''ll have no choice but to take revenge." "Revenge? Then do it." Kang Oh wasn''t afraid of her in the least. "Do you know how I was able to find you?" Scapi asked. "I don''t think you were following me..." "I have an item that lets me know exactly where you are. There are rumors that the Empire Guild is just waiting to kill you. Should I tell them where you are?" "..." That''d be pretty annoying. Especially if Dukeram came looking for him. He wasn''t confident that he could beat him yet. "If you ept my offer, then I''ll add a use in the Sabra''s Contract stating that I won''t use my tracking item on you again." "Hmm. Red, huh..." Kang Oh was confident that he''d be able to beat Red in a one-on-one fight. Moreover, he was enticed by the potential 200,000 gold. ''It''s 200,000 gold for god''s sake!'' In other words, there was 600 million won ($600,000 USD) at stake! "How about it?" "I''ll... ept your offer." "A wise decision." The copy melted into a puddle of poison, and from there, Scapi''s true body came out. "Let''s write the contract, shall we?" Scapi waved a Sabra''s Contract. Chapter 450. Darion’s Missing

Chapter 450. Darion''s Missing

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Scapi came to an agreement. The contract was as follows: (1) If Kang Oh defeats Red, then Scapi will provide Kang Oh with a 100,000 gold scroll. (2) If Kang Oh defeats Red, then Scapi will never use the Atago Ring''s item effect, ''Stalking'', on Kang Oh. (3) Scapi is not allowed to betray, lie, or trick Kang Oh before his fight with Red is over. (4) Likewise, Kang Oh cannot attack Scapi before his fight with Red is over. Kang Oh and Scapi looked over the contract again, and then signed their names at the bottom. Once they did that, the contract glowed with dim light and split into two identical copies. [You have signed a Sabra''s Contract.] [If you vite the contract, then you will be punished ordingly. If there is no stated punishment, then you will receive divine retribution instead!] [If you feel the contract is unfair, then please rip the contract. The Goddess of Contracts, Sabra, will make a final judgment, and will rain divine punishment on the fool who knows not what a contract is!] Eder had insulted the Goddess of Death, Deborah, resulting in her cursing him with an incurable disease. This was one type of divine punishment. Divine punishment was no joke. There were several types of it too, so you never knew which one you''d get. Thus, yers couldn''t just vite their contracts, as they feared the consequences. "Give it here." Kang Oh extended his hand. Then, Scapi passed him the scroll containing info on Red. "Is the information reliable?" "I wrote everything I know. However, there are some things that even I don''t know." "I need some time to prepare." "I can give you three days max." "I don''t need three days. I''ll see you tomorrow." Kang Oh nned on beating Red ASAP, and then getting back to Vn''s quest. "Friend me." "Sure." Kang Oh and Scapi parted ways. * * * ''Red. He possesses the ability to control shadows. This power is amplified within the Shadow World. So much so that he feels invincible.'' Kang Oh meticulously read the scroll on Red. Scapi had served under him for such a long time, and had written everything she knew about Red on this scroll. None of it was false. After all, Scapi wanted to use Kang Oh to kill Red. Of course, Kang Oh losing wasn''t an issue either. If he lost, then she wouldn''t be exiled from Red Moon or the Shadow World. ''The Shadow World, huh...'' Kang Oh''s thoughts went to Ubist. It possessed the Abyss de ability. Would its ability to cut the immaterial work on shadows? The correct answer was an emphatic ''Yes!''. Kang Oh had killed a shadow monster before. At the time, Ubist''s Abyss de had worked on it. ''I should use Ubist and Sarahoff against Red.'' Kang Oh envisioned his fight against Red, and kept reading Scapi''s information. ''Red is also a skilled assassin. Even without his ability to control shadows, hisbat abilities are extremely high. He uses a giant scythe called Infinite Shadow. It''s an SS-rank weapon. The de is made out of shadows, which he can length and shorten at will. Besides that...'' Kang Oh memorized everything it said about Red. "I can''t underestimate him." He''d need Devil Trigger and Gluttony to beat him. He may even need to use an S-rank item for Gluttony. Unfortunately, he didn''t have the right item for the job. Kang Oh headed for the auction house. There was a green crystal that hung from the ceiling, which allowed yers to ess the auction interface. It was the auction apparatus. The auction house also provided yers withfy sofas to sit on while they browsed. Kang Oh sat on a sofa, opened the auction window, and began looking for the right item. Arth was a worldwide game, so there were plenty of items to choose from. In other words, if you needed something, you could find it here. He browsed for quite some time, and eventually found an item that caught his eye. [Gandara''s Spear] The spear that the Rakan Pdin, Gandara, used. Gandara was called the Tempest Pdin! Although he wore heavy armor, he was surprisingly fast and sharp. + Warmonger: When you enter battle, your Stamina increases significantly, and any Stamina costs are reduced. Strength and speed are increased by 10%. + Tempest Thrust: A wind element thrust! This thrust''s power is determined solely by one''s speed stat. It can be used repeatedly, as it has no cooldown. Uses Stamina instead of MP. Rank: S. Abilities: Attack Power 500, Physical +20, Mental +80, Stamina +2,000, Physical Damage +20%. Minimum Requirements: Pdin-only, Level 400, the Fighting Spirit side stat. The more he swung his sword, the faster his strikes would be. That was the effect of Mad Wind''s Sword! What would happen if he added Tempest Thrust to this? It would be tremendous. Of course, it would cost a ton of Stamina, but Gandara''s Spear''s other item effect, Warmonger, reduced Stamina costs too! Thus, he''d have enough Stamina to use both Tempest Thrust and Mad Wind''s Sword simultaneously. ''This''ll be my trump card against Red.'' He immediately clicked buy now. [You have bought Gandara''s Spear.] [You have used 5,500 gold.] The spear cost 5,500 gold. It was a painful expense, but he thought of it as an investment to make 200,000 gold. Kang Oh made sure Gandara''s Spear was in his inventory, and then left the auction house. After that, he repaired his armor, sharpened his swords, and bought plenty of health potions, antidotes, and buff potions. ''If I still had Resurrection, then I''d have nothing to fear.'' Kang Oh looked down at the Cassio Ring, which had lost its light. He''d been revived against his fight with the Ice Queen, so he wouldn''t have any insurance against Red. In exchange...! Kang Oh still had the Phoenix''s Feather, which he could use to restore all of his HP and MP if need be. He pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather, tucked it into his chest, and clenched his fist. Kang Oh was ready for battle! * * * Burkan was in the Daltrak Region, disguised as a lumber transporter, in search of the Evil God Worshippers'' main base. However... "Darion is missing?" Burkan said, wearing humble clothes and a bucket hat. "That''s right. He and two of the 100 Fighters are missing as well," Dion said. There was a giant axe at his side. "Where and when?" Burkan asked, as if urging him to continue. His concern was understandable. Darion was his final student. There was no teacher who wouldn''t be worried about their missing student. "He didn''t send his regr report an hour ago. We can''t get in touch with him via hismunication earring either. Neither he nor the two men he was with are responding." "Do you think the Evil God Worshippers got to them?" "They might have." Dion stiffly nodded his head. "Where was Darion searching?" "Mt. Tetra." "Mt. Tetra..." Burkan quickly spread out the map. Then, he searched for the mountain and looked for the information they had on it. "It''s an abandoned mine. It was once thergest iron mine in the Daltrak Region." Burkan''s eyes gleamed. His instincts were whispering, ''This is the ce!''. "Gather the men." The 100 Fighters were spread out all across the Daltrak Region in search of the Evil God Worshippers'' main base. "Understood." "I''ll go first. Come after you''ve gathered your men." If Darion and the two diators were still alive, then they had to hurry and rescue them. The more time passed, the less likely they would still be alive. Thus, Burkan couldn''t wait for the 100 Fighters to gather. "Understood." Dion fiddled with hismunication earrings, ordering the 100 Fighters to gather. Whistle! Burkan blew a whistle, which was adorned with a horse head shaped ornament. Neigh! A tough, brown horse came running over. "Let''s go!" Burkan got on, and the horse galloped away, leaving a thick dust cloud in its wake. * * * A gloomy, evil atmosphere permeated a room decorated with human skulls and bones. Darion and the two diators were tied up within the room. A woman wearing a ck dress and Evil God Worshippers came inside. "Who are you?" the woman said tiredly. "..." Darion and the diators kept their mouths shut. "If you don''t want to say anything, then don''t. I can just read your memories." The woman opened her ck book. Evil energy like a ck cloud rose from it, and devoured one of the diators. "Ugh..." the diator cried out, but the Evil God Worshippers didn''t even bat an eye. "Stop!" "You demons!" Darion and the diator yelled, ring at the Evil God Worshippers. Then, the Evil God Worshippers came over and gagged the two with rags. "Eueup!" "Eup!" Meanwhile, the woman withdrew the dark energy. Then, the diator fell backwards. "Euup!" "Eup!" Darion and the diator writhed at theirrade''s unsightly state. However, their struggles were pointless. "Hueup!" The woman opened her purple lips, and sucked in the ck energy. Her pupils disappeared, showing only the whites of her eyes. A short whileter... The woman''s eyes returned to normal. "Lady Sora, who are they?" an Evil God Worshipper cautiously asked. "diators," the Evil God''s Second Disciple, Bewitching Sora,nguidly said. She''d used an evil spell, ''Soul Absorption'', to see a portion of the diator''s memories. "Rakan''s followers!" The Evil God Worshippers widened their eyes. The diators were connected to the God of War and Victory, Rakan. And the Rakan Church was safeguarding Ja''s sacred treasure, the one that they had yet to reim. "I have to see Lord Amak." Sora turned around. "How shall we deal with the other two?" "Let them live for now." "Understood." Sora left the room and met with Ja''s High Priest, Amak. "Lord Amak." "What about the trespassers?" Amak asked. Amak was so thin that he was basically a walking skeleton. He was carrying Ja''s Bronze Knife in one hand, and Ilunati''s Snake in the other. "They''re diators that were instructed to find our base." "They found out where we are?" "Not yet. However..." "It''s only a matter of time before they find us." "Since they won''t give up until they do." "Get ready to move to our 2nd church." "Understood." Once Sora left, Amak stood before the giant bronze mirror in his room. ''We have to hurry and reim the Supreme One''s final sacred treasure!'' "Nazaran, Nazaran," he whispered, and the mirror showed the Steel Monk, Nazaran. "Saru will steal everything from you." Then, Amak''s voice whispered in Nazaran''s ears. "Uhaaahk! Stop, stop!" Nazaran screamed, his form reflected in the mirror. * * * One dayter... Kang Oh entered an abandoned house. "You''re here?" Scapi said. She had been waiting for him. "You''re ready, I assume?" she asked. Kang Oh nodded his head. "Then let''s go." Scapi pulled out an open palm-shaped ck leaf. It was a key that''d open the door to the Shadow World. She stabbed the tip of it into a shadow, causing it to resemble a swamp. "Follow me." Scapi walked into the shadow, and Kang Oh followed right behind her. [You have entered the Shadow World.] Chapter 451. Kang Oh vs. Red (1)

Chapter 451. Kang Oh vs. Red (1)

Trantor: Boko He''d heard a lot of rumors about the Shadow World. It was the pr opposite of a shy city; it was a white and ck world that existed on the reverse side of the continent, one that gave the feel of a secluded alleyway. ''What a strange experience.'' Kang Oh looked down at his hands and feet. His hands were white, but they were outlined by ck lines! The ground, the grass, the trees, the roads, the sky, and the clouds were all ck and white. It was as though he were trapped within a ck and white TV. "Hey," Kang Oh called Scapi, who was walking in front of him. "What?" "Is fighting in the Shadow World the same as the outside? Is there anything I should watch out for?" "If you have any skills that rely on color, then don''t use them. They won''t work. Conversely, you can take advantage of the world''sck of color. Poison, which has different colors and effects, all be ck or white poison here." The Poison Scorpion, Scapi, grinned. Her smile was a warning; a warning that her poison may be more dangerous here than on the outside. ''So don''t even think about it!'' Kang Oh ignored her warning and stroked his chin. "Skills that use color..." ''Frostblood sounds like a viable option.'' On the outside, Frostblood looked distinct from regr ice due to its color. But in the Shadow World, there was a chance that it''d look less dangerous than it actually was. "But you can still tell the difference. The shade is different. In general, the darker the shade, the more powerful the attack." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head and kept following Scapi. He saw a ck and white city in the distance. It was the only city within the Shadow World, the Crow''s Nest. * * * The Crow''s Nest was a nest of criminals. That''s probably why bars and casinos were somon here. They were filled with the appropriate crowd too; several of them were famous criminals. ''Crow''s Nest is a good name for this ce.'' Scapi and Kang Oh kept moving through the city. Sometimeter... They stopped in front of a small castle, which was surrounded by walls. This was Red''s main base. "Wee back, Miss!" A gatekeeper, wearing a German Shepherd mask, stood in front of the huge entrance. "Who is this?" The gatekeeper pointed at Kang Oh. "One of the boss''s guests," Scapi said curtly. "Ah, is that so? Hey, open the gate!" the gatekeeper said, and the giant door opened. "Let''s go." After that, they proceeded without dy. No one stopped Scapi or asked about Kang Oh''s identity. "Red''s in here." Scapi pointed at the intricately decorated door. Kang Oh readied himself for battle. He didn''t pull out his weapons since they were easily essible via Switch. He did, however, pull some buff potions off his belt and drank them. "Let''s go," Kang Oh said. Scapi nodded her head and forcefully pushed open the door. Creak. The door emitted an ominous sound. Kang Oh saw a ck and white skull throne from between the door. The Worst Criminal, Red, sat upon it. "Boss, I brought Kang Oh," Scapi said. "He came here on his own?" Red''s voice could be heard behind his smile mask. It was a bizarrely neutral voice, one that could be either masculine or feminine. "I did as you asked. You told me to bring him here no matter what, even if it meant betraying you." Scapi grinned. "Yeah, I did say that," Red said, and the room was silent for a time. Scapi lowered her body and kept her mouth shut, while Kang Oh stared at Red like a hawk. There was no way to know what expression he was wearing underneath his mask. "Leave. I''ll take care of the rest." Red voice''s rang out once more. "Yes, sir." Scapi walked backwards. Once she left, Red, whose body was deeply entrenched in his seat, pushed his upper body forward as if he were trying to get a better look at Kang Oh. "What could she have possibly offered you for you toe here of your own free will?" Red asked. "Money, and your neck," Kang Oh said curtly. "Haha, what a clever woman." Although he''d indirectly told him that she''d sold him out, Red didn''t appear concerned in the least. After all, his executives were always gunning for his seat, so there was nothing to be surprised about. "I''d like to make you an offer." "Which is?" "Red Moon iscking manpowertely. Aah, there are so many useless people out there. You look pretty useful... Want to work for me?" Red said teasingly. "You''ll be number 2. No, I suppose you''ll be a little higher than that, like a 1.5, since that''s the woman''s position," Red added. "No thanks." Kang Oh t out refused. Kang Oh was like a true predator, while Red Moon and Red were like a pack of hyenas. The two werepletely ipatible. "Haha, I knew you''d say that. Then... Die!" Red''s attitudepletely changed. Once ''Die'' came out of his mouth, he became downright vicious like the harsh wind of winter. Kuhaaahk! Kuhaahk! A great number of vicious shadow beasts rose from the ground. There were dozens and dozens of them. Kang Oh drew his demon swords. Demon Sword Ubist! Demon Sword Sarahoff! "I''m pretty busy, so let''s finish this up quick." Kang Oh and Red. Neither side believed they''d lose. Who exactly woulde out on top? * * * Mt. Tetra in the Daltrak Region. The Dalktrak Region''srgest iron mine once existed here. However, it has been quite some time since it was abandoned. The abandoned mine''s interior was asplex as a maze, and the Evil God Worshippers'' base existed deep within this mine. People would probably be surprised to hear that. The Evil God Worshippers had constructed a vast underground base beneath the abandoned mine; the inverted triangr temple was a proof of this! A bronze statue of Jay within it, as well as nine altars, chapels, a tribunal, a torture room, a repentance chamber, a prison, etc. Plus, it contained a pool of ck, sticky, tar-like substance! If the Evil God Worshippers threw corpses into this pool, then horrific monsters would pop out of them. It was essentially a demon factory. However...! Their hideout was invaded by Burkan. He was all alone! "Darion!" Burkan fiercely yelled. "A heretic!" "Let''s capture and torture him!" Suah! Kya! The Evil God Worshippers, garbed in ck robes, as well as the demons, which looked as though they''de right out of a horror movie, rushed at Burkan. However, they couldn''t halt the Invincible diator''s advance. Whenever he swung his dius, a mighty aura would push through them like a tsunami, killing them instantly. "Darion!" Burkan kept yelling while searching the Evil God Worshippers'' hideout. Burkan appeared like the wind, yet raged like a storm. Thus, the Evil God Worshippers confusedly tried to stop him, but to no avail. However, Burkan was the restless one here. He was in the heart of enemy territory after all. ''I have to find him before the disciples show up.'' Sometimeter... Fortunately, Burkan sensed Darion''s presence. "Over there!" Burkan cleaved through a four-armed, bronze monster monkey, and then swung his de at the tightly shut gate. Transcendent de! The diagonal line cut right through the door. Burkan kicked open the door, went inside, and saw the tightly bound Darion. Two of the diators were with him, but one of them was already dead; his face had turned ashen. "Euup!" "Euup!" Burkan quickly swung his dius, cutting the chains that bound them. "Master!" Darion said effervescently. "We don''t have time. Let''s get out immediately." "Yes!" However...! By the time Burkan, Darion, and the diator left the prison, they were greeted by countless Evil God Worshippers and demons. But the bigger problem was... "Haha, I''ll tear you apart." "You look tasty." The Evil God''s Disciples, ughter Lubatchi and Cannibal Garup, were standing in front of them too! * * * Red''s shadow beasts varied in size and shape. Some of them looked like wolves or tigers, while others looked like crocodiles orrge lizards. There were even some that hadrge wings. However, there was one thing true about all of them; they were strong. Especially here, in the Shadow World; their power was far greater here than anywhere else. Kuhaaahk! Kyahahk! The shadow beasts shrieked, and attacked Kang Oh with their sharp ws, beaks, and wings! They were quick, sharp, and were difficult to kill. However...! There was always an exception to the rule. Whenever Kang Oh swung Ubist, the shadow beasts crumpled like wet paper. Abyss de! This was Ubist''s ability, which allowed it to cut through the immaterial! Then there was an unforeseen benefit of the Shadow World! Ubist was the abyss, the darkness itself. In other words, it was a darkness far greater than mere shadows. Thus, Ubist didn''t just cut through the shadows; it devoured them! [Ubist has consumed the Shadow Beast.] [Satiation has increased slightly.] The shadow beasts trembled before Kang Oh like scared children. Ultimately, it only took Kang Oh 3 minutes to kill scores of shadow beasts. However, the shadow beasts just kepting. A greater number of them at that! This is why Red was purportedly invincible within the Shadow World. He could create and control as many shadow beasts as he wanted without worrying about MP/Stamina costs or cooldown time. "Hmph!" Kang Oh just snorted. He wouldn''t bat an eye even if thousands, no, tens of thousands of shadow beasts appeared. As long as he was wielding Demon Sword Ubist, that is. However...! All of a sudden, his back felt cold; his Hyper Intuition was warning him. Kang Oh''s body reacted faster than he''d expected it to. He threw himself forward, and a ck scythe cut through the space he''d been upying. It was Red''s SS-rank weapon, Infinite Shadow, that Scapi had warned him about in her notes. Red was obviously the one swinging it. Red, who''d been sitting on his throne, sunk into the shadows as soon as a new shadow beast appeared. Then, he suddenly appeared behind Kang Oh andunched what should''ve been an undetectable attack. Camisado! It was the upgraded version of the Assassin skill, ''Ambush''. As exined, it made the Assassin''s attackpletely undetectable. This skill was only usable by Red, the Assassin closest to bing a Master and the ruler of the Shadow World. Even Dukeram, who was higher ranked than Kang Oh, would likely have fallen for this attack! However, Kang Oh hadpletely avoided his Camisado, so he couldn''t help but be shocked. To put it simply, Kang Oh was his absolute worst opponent. His Hyper Intuition made him the only enemy that could perfectly avoid his Camisado. "Thanks for saving me the trouble." Red hade within striking distance of his own ord. This was his chance! Kang Oh immediately swung Sarahoff. Transcendent de! His purple longsword cleaved through Red at transcendent speed. Stab! Huge shards of red light burst from Red''s body. Sarahoff''s ''Damage Amplification'' effect had further increased his damage dealt. However, Red wasn''t your ordinary foe. He didn''t just sit there and take it. Swish! He swung his scythe, the Infinite Shadow, at Kang Oh''s neck. Kang Oh quickly shielded himself with Ubist. At that moment... Something fascinating happened. Upon contact, the shadow scythe split apart! ''My chance!'' Kang Oh withdrew Sarahoff and swung upwards. Swish! His purple de, which emitted blue energy, cut through Red''s smile mask. Crack! Absolute Destruction''s effect caused it to break in half. Red''s face was revealed! He immediately covered his face with his hand. His eyes sparkled from in between his fingers. He always wore a mask, so no one knew what his real face looked like. There were rumors, but that was it. Even the Four Heavenly Kings had never seen what Red''s face looked like underneath his mask. However, Kang Oh had taken a peek at his face before he managed to cover himself up. "What an unusual face," Kang Oh said. Red realized that it was toote to hide his face, so he slowly lowered his hand. Then, Red''s face was revealed! Chapter 452. Kang Oh vs. Red (2)

Chapter 452. Kang Oh vs. Red (2)

Trantor: Boko Red''s face was peculiar. His clean, oval face was hairless, his eyes were sharp, and a tongue darted in and out of his long mouth. He looked like a snake! To reiterate, he wasn''t a human being. ''He''s like the Breaker Guild''s ck Lion, Raon.'' ck Lion, Raon, was a yer who''dpleted a unique quest to be an anthromorph, or more specifically, a lion man. He was the most well-known yer that sessfully changed races. But it seemed like Red had changed his race too! ''Is he... a Lizardman?'' Kang Oh examined Red''s hands and feet. His hands were long, and he had five fingers like normal. The size of his feet were normal too. He didn''t even possess a Lizardman''s trademark tail. "He doesn''t look like a Lizardman..." Kang Oh muttered. ''What exactly are you?'' Red had no intention of answering him. "Die." Red''s true voice was bizarre, like the sound of a rattlesnake''s rattle. Kuhaahk! The shadow beasts rampaged about like wild horses. They either shot their long, ck tongues at him, or attacked with their ws or talons, which looked to be more than 30 centimeters long. However, Demon Sword Ubist was the shadow beasts'' mortal enemy. Swish, sh, swish! Demon Sword Ubist danced through the air, ripping apart the shadow beasts like fruit caught in a blender. However, the shadow beasts were nothing more than a distraction. Red mmed his shadow scythe onto the ground. Then, shadow spikes surged from below. To make matters worse, spikes popped out of the shadow beasts'' bodies too. Spike Hell! It felt like he was trapped in a forest filled with ck spiked trees. He felt cold all over, as if ice was pressed all over his body. Kang Oh simultaneously attacked and defended. He relentlessly swung Ubist while pointing Sarahoff at Red. Lightning Breath! He cleaved through the shadow beasts, causing them to disappear in a puff of ck smoke or be absorbed, which left a path forward for his Lightning Breath. Crackle! Red positioned his scythe vertically in front of him. Then, the shadows coalesced into an oval, coiled ''shield''. It was as if it were a snail''s shell. Suck. The lightning st was sucked into the vortex. This was one of Infinite Shadow''s item effects, ''Shadow Snare'', which imprisoned a skill or spell. Red immediately swung his scythe diagonally. Shadow Snare was also capable of releasing the imprisoned effect right back at its user. Crackle! The returned Lightning Breath destroyed a few shadow beasts and devoured Kang Oh. However, it did almost no damage to him. His Draka set reduced lightning damage by 90%. Kang Oh finished off the shadow beasts, rushed at Red, and swung his sword. As the game''s most powerful Assassin, Red had the speed and reflexes to match; he immediately swung his shadow scythe. However, Kang Oh was far superior at close-rangebat. Red had no way of dealing with Demon Sword Ubist. "Ugh." Red grabbed his injured chest like a wounded beast, and quickly backed off. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh immediately chased after him, but the shadow beasts got in his way. Kuhaahk! Kyahahk! Thus, Red was able to widen the distance once more. Then, Red did what he was best at in this world: oveing his enemy with sheer numbers! "Rest in peace!" Summon Shadow Beast! He had summoned 100 more shadow beasts. Spike Hell! The floor, the corners of the room, the ceiling, and the shadow beasts were covered in countless spikes! Tentacle Hell! Unsteady, ck tentacles popped out too. At the same time...! Red repeatedly swung his scythe. Shadow Boomerang! V-shaped shadows flew at Kang Oh in formation like a flock of migratory birds. If an ordinary yer had faced this onught head-on, then they''d say something like ''Shit'' and give up. It was impossible to dodge all of this. But Kang Oh was a bit special. It was only natural. He''d already seen how the abyss could devour the shadows! ''I''ll deal with you all in a single blow!'' Kang Oh stabbed Sarahoff into the ground, and tightly gripped Ubist with two hands. Whoosh! Have you ever seen a broken dam, and the resulting flow of water? The darkness that radiated from his jet-ck greatsword looked exactly the same. Evesting Darkness! "Huaahp!" Kang Oh swung Ubist in a wide arc. Kuwaaaah! Ubist''s darkness consumed everything in its path. * * * Burkan and Darion began fighting the Evil God Worshippers in their way. Normally, the Invincible diator would prove to be more powerful than either of the two disciples. However, that wasn''t the case for Darion. Plus, the fact that they were in their home base only served to empower the two disciples. Finally, Lubatchi and Garup were reinforced by countless Evil God Worshippers and demons. Arge-mouthed demon even managed to devour the rescued diator. Ultimately... Burkan and Darion were forced to fight for their lives. Fortunately, no other Evil God''s Disciples showed up. ''The worst possible scenario would be if Sraka showed up.'' The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. He was a Grandmaster, someone that even Burkan couldn''t hope to beat. He was truly relieved that he didn''t sense his presence anywhere. Of course, that didn''t mean the situation was in their favor. Burkan''s expression stiffened by the minute, and Darion was beginning to breath haggardly. At some point... Darion''s lips turned ck. He''d been exposed to a demon''s poison for far too long. "Haha, die!" Garup, who possessed bronze teeth and beast arms, charged at the staggering Darion. Darion gritted his teeth and somehow managed to swing his dius. However, he couldn''t stop Garup''s attack. Bam! Darion fell to the floor, and Garup opened his mouth wide. Kyaa! True to his name, Garup attempted to eat him while he was still alive. "Not going to happen!" Burkan''s eyes lit up with rage. ''Over my dead body!'' Fighting Spirit''s Aura! His dius unleashed a giant, mighty aura. "Kuhaahk!" The aura cleaved through Garup''s side. However, Garup possessed Super Regeneration. His torn flesh was quickly restored to its proper state. "Bow before the Great Ja!" "Writhe under theshes of Ja''s whip!" The nearby Evil God Worshippers began casting their wicked spells. Curse of Obedience! Evesting Pain! Lubatchi, whose body was covered in tattoos of people writhing in pain, thrust his hands at Burkan. His specialtyy in his physical might and destructive capabilities! He preferred to kill his enemies by ripping them apart with his bare hands. "Uhaahp! Not a chance!" Burkan roared, and swung his dius several times. The title of Invincible diator was well earned. Burkan repelled every attack that came at him while also killing one of the Evil God Worshippers; he even left a gash in Lubatchi''s shoulder. "Die, die, die!" Lubatchi charged at Burkan, his eyes filled with madness. However, he was pushed back and rolled on the floor. Swish. A demon, which resembled a giant toad, extended its giant tongue and wrapped it around Darion''s foot. If it pulled him in, then it''d be able to swallow Darion whole. Before it could, Darion pulled his foot and shed the tongue with his sword. Kyahahk! The demon shook. Darion gritted his teeth and raised his dius into the air. Giant''s Sword! His dius radiated gray energy, which coalesced into a giant de. "Huaahp!" The giant gray de swept through everything in its path. Countless Evil God Worshippers and demons fell to the floor. Burkan and Darion continued to fight for their lives. However, it was an unwinnable fight. There was no way they''d be able to get through the group of Evil God Worshippers and demons. To be more specific, Burkan would be able to escape somehow if he were alone, but he was weighed down by Darion. Darion was acutely aware of that. The poison was spreading, worsening his symptoms, and his ckening lips twitched. "Master, please escape." "I don''t want to hear it," Burkan said firmly, unwilling to even consider it. "Please. At this rate, we''ll both die." "I''ll save you no matter what!" No good teacher would abandon their student! Darion was touched, but that only motivated him even further. ''Should I instead... throw myself at their perimeter?'' If he died, then Burkan would be able to escape without him. Burkan knew exactly what he was thinking. He quickly said, "Survive. The 100 Fighters will be here soon." "Mm." Darion bit his lip. That wasn''t a good decision. The poison had burnt his lips and his actions only caused him more pain. Darion gripped his dius, his brow furrowed. ''I have to stay alive long enough for the 100 Fighters to get here and take Master away!'' Darion steeled himself, his eyes filled with determination like that of a brave lion. "C''mon, you bastards!" * * * It was like a hurricane had blown through. That''s what the battlefield looked like in the aftermath of Evesting Darkness. Evesting Darkness had destroyed all of the shadow beasts, as well as Red''s spikes and tentacles. However, Red was nowhere to be seen. At that moment... Camisado! Red suddenly appeared behind Kang Oh and swung his scythe. It was apletely undetectable attack. What''s worse, the scythe made no sound either. That was Camisado''s strength. However, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition made him immune to surprise attacks. He immediately turned around and sliced through Red with Ubist. Swish! Strangely, Red''s body was split in half. He didn''t feel any resistance either. ''It''s a fake!'' That''s right. It was a fake. To be more specific, it was a shadow clone. His Hyper Intuition had actually been used against him. The shadow clone had been bait. However, his Hyper Intuition had tricked him into believing that that was the real one. ''Then where''s the real one?'' If he''s not in back of him, then he''s probably in front! Kang Oh turned back around. However, he felt a chill run down his spine again, and then felt pain as if someone had smashed his back. The true Red had reappeared and sliced through Kang Oh! Reaper sh! This Assassin skill always inflicted a critical hit. Also, there was a small chance that it''d instantly kill its target, regardless of their HP or defense. "Tch." Red looked disappointed. Reaper sh''s skill hadn''t activated. Instead, Kang Oh cried out, shards of light spilling from the wound by the dozen. "Ugh." Red swung his scythe again. He used Reaper sh again! The shadow of a skull followed his scythe, a byproduct of the skill. However, Red had been too hasty. Kang Oh extended Sarahoff and the world began to slow. Transcendent de! The unbelievably light sword and Transcendent de had incredible synergy. Stab! Sarahoff pierced through Red''s body. "Keheok!" The sudden impact stopped him from following through with his attack. ''Now.'' Kang Oh simultaneously swung Ubist and Sarahoff in an X motion. Then, he reversed course, swinging them in a V motion like outstretched wings. Darkness Strike! Two waves, one of a ck beast and another of a bird in flight, struck Red head-on. Boom! The mighty waves swept through him, pushing him into the air. He quickly manipted the shadows and created a ck barrier around him. However, shadows were nothing before Ubist! Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh relentlessly swung his twin swords. His des were quick, powerful, and precise! 3 seconds. That''s how long it took for him to break Red''s barrier. ''I got you!'' Kang Oh repeatedly attacked Red like a raging storm. He didn''t give him a chance to retaliate. Even Red wouldn''t be able to withstand this. He finished him off by knocking him unconscious. Whack! He struck the top of Red''s head with the t of Ubist''s de. Red fell to the floor. Kang Oh stashed his swords and tightly wrapped Red in Darkness Chain. "The 100,000 gold is mine." Kang Oh grinned. It was a lot easier than he''d expected it to be. He was able to beat him without using Gluttony or Devil Trigger after all. ''I''m like his mortal enemy.'' Kang Oh was definitely his mortal enemy. Demon Sword Ubist nullified Red''s ability to control shadows, and Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition made his Assassin skills useless against him. "Haha, let''s go to the Security Bureau." Kang Oh dragged the Darkness Chain along with him. However...! All of a sudden, a giant shadow surged from behind him. "What''s that?" Kang Oh turned around in shock. [You have discovered the Abyss Eating Snake, Kaik.] Chapter 453. Rejuvenation

Chapter 453. Rejuvenation

Trantor: Boko Like Ubist, the Abyss Eating Snake, Kaik, originated from the Demon World. Originally, Kaik had been an insignificant creature, one that roamed the depths of the abyss river that flowed through the Demon World. It had been smaller than a worm. But when a hole was punctured in the wall that separated this world and the Demon World, something terrible happened. Ubist, a beast that ate everything in the demon world and even the abyss itself,pletely knocked down the wall and crossed over to this world. Fortunately, the Guardian of the Continent, Vn, managed to seal Ubist, and the wall that separated the two worlds was promptly fixed. However, Kaik, which traveled along the abyss river, was forced into the Arth continent. To Kaik, a demon that lived in the darkness, the sunlight was like poison to it. In order to survive, it hid itself within the shadows, and was eventually taken to the Shadow World, a ck and white world devoid of light. After that, Kaik absorbed the Shadow World''s power and gradually becamerger and stronger. However, it didn''t know how to use its power. One day... An unfamiliar being came to the Shadow World. It was Murderer Red. He had cleared a unique quest and had be a ''Kunaga''. A Kunaga possessed a snake''s face and inherent abilities, and could alsomunicate with snakes. With this ability, Red was able to speak with Kaik, which had transformed into a giant snake. They soon came to an agreement. Red would teach it how to control shadows, and in exchange, Kaik would share its power with him. Then... Red became a Shadow Ruler (a hidden ss). It was simr to how Asu had ss changed by bing Rudy''s mother. Anyhow, Red and Kaik began to rule the Shadow World together. They built the city now known as the Crow''s Nest, gathered criminals together and established Red Moon, and created passageways that would take them all across the continent. Of course, only Red and Kaik had the power to open and close these passageways. However...! Kaik''s contractor and its only friend, Red, waspletely wrapped in chains. That''s why Kaik, which dwelled deep within the Shadow World and gathered power, had made an appearance. Of course, Kang Oh was shocked by Kaik''s sudden arrival. "What''s that?" Kang Oh widened his eyes, but kept a firm grip on the chain. [You have discovered the Abyss Eating Snake, Kaik.] Kaik stared at Kang Oh and opened its mouth wide. Hiss! Unlike normal snakes, Kaik didn''t possess a tongue. In exchange, darkness flowed out of its mouth. It was clearly hostile! ''This snake must be linked to Red somehow.'' Kang Oh was quick on the uptake. There was always an exnation for something. There was no reason for Kaik to appear now of all times if it wasn''t for Red. In order to test his theory, Kang Oh slightly tugged at the chain around Red''s neck. As he expected... Hiss! Kaik hissed even louder and narrowed its eyes. ''There''s no way it''ll just let me go.'' Kang Oh let go of the chain and used Switch to draw Ubist and Sarahoff. All of a sudden, however, Ubist began to shake. [It has been a long time since the Abyss Predator, Ubist, has smelled the scent of home.] [Like Ubist, Kaikes from the Demon World. It too wields the abyss.] [If Ubist, which possesses the ability to consume other demons, devours Kaik, then Demon Sword Ubist''s power will increase.] ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. All this time, Kang Oh had been feeding Ubist all of the junk items he''d been picking up. Sometimes, he''d buy some B-rank or lower items and feed them to it too. However, it didn''t really increase its satiation by any noticeable margin. Obviously, he was far off from reinforcing Ubist again. But... If Ubist ate Kaik, then it would be reinforced. ''Good news for me!'' Kang Oh grinned and said, "Ubist will definitely feel rejuvenated today." The jet-ck demon sword shook as if saying, ''I''m hungry!''. At that moment...! Hiss! The snake shook its head from the left to the right, and then shot a fan-shaped wave of darkness at him. Abyss Spray! It had such a huge area of effect that he couldn''t dodge it. ''But I can keep myself from taking damage!'' Kang Oh used Devil Trigger. A ck beast mask covered his face, which sprouted twin frozen horns, and his body was painted ck with white stripes streaking through it. A sharp tail protruded from behind, and his arms and legs were covered by frozen armor. Boom! Kang Oh, who''d assumed his Dual Demon form, was consumed by the darkness. However, he took no damage whatsoever. [You arepletely immune to the darkness (abyss) element.] Ubist was the darkness itself. By using Devil Trigger, Kang Oh was able tomand Ubist''s power as his own, so any darkness based attacks would bepletely ineffectual against him. Of course, it also meant that his darkness based attacks wouldn''t work on Kaik. Abyss w or Evesting Darkness would be equally as ineffective against Kaik. ''Anyhow, I have to finish him off ASAP.'' Red was unconscious right now, so he wouldn''t regain control of his character for 10 minutes minimum. But if he took too long and Red regained control of his character, then things would getplicated. Thus, he had to take down Kaik before he woke up. He had just the thing too. Kang Oh pulled out Gandara''s Spear from his inventory. Kang Oh had overestimated Red and had prepared this S-rank item for him. He certainly hadn''t expected to use this against a snake when he''d first bought it. ''A 5,500 gold investment to reinforce Ubist is a steal.'' Gandara''s Spear had cost him 5,500 gold at the auction house. However, if he used Gluttony on this, killed Kaik, and then reinforced Ubist, then it''d be more than worth it. After all, spending 5,500 gold on junk items wouldn''t be enough to reinforce Ubist. Gluttony! [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Gandara''s Spear.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use the consumed item''s abilities: Warmonger and Tempest Thrust.] [Warmonger: When you enter battle, your Stamina increases significantly, and any Stamina costs are reduced. Strength and speed are increased by 10%.] [Tempest Thrust: A wind element thrust! This thrust''s power is determined solely by one''s speed stat. It can be used repeatedly, as it has no cooldown. Uses Stamina instead of MP.] Kang Oh''s body brimmed with power. ''Let''s go!'' Bam! He rushed forward. However, Kaik''s body popped out of the ground. Not all of it, but a small portion of it. Even so, that ''small portion'' was huge. Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh! Tentacles popped out of its body. They were definitely the shadows that Red had used. Obviously, they''d deal physical damage! Bam, bam, bam! The tentacles sliced through the ground, as if multiple people were swinging whips, and shot at him with ridiculous speed. However, they wouldn''t be able to stop him. Kang Oh avoided the shadow tentacles via his Hyper Intuition, and cleaved through them with Ubist again and again. Abyss de allowed him to cut through them with ease. Hiss! Kaik released a dreary, ominous sound. It released shadow beasts from its body. They were chimeras, monsters that were the result of fusing several beasts together. This was the upgraded version of Red''s skill. Just the same, Kang Oh ripped through the shadow beasts like wet paper. Of course, the shadow beasts were more powerful than before. "If you think you can stop me, then go ahead and try!" Mad Wind''s Sword! He charged forward, repeatedly swinging his twin demon swords. It was like he was an uncontroble train. There was no way to stop him. The shadow beasts were broken to bits, and Kang Oh charged at Kaik''s tail. Hiss! ''Good of you toe!'', it seemed to say, and attempted to devour him. That was exactly what Kang Oh wanted. It would take a lot of time for him to kill a monster of Kaik''s size from the outside. What if he were topletely crush its insides? He''d be able to kill it rather quickly. Thus, Kang Oh allowed himself to be eaten. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Kaik''s insides were like a blender''s des. The shadow des continuously spun around. ''If you''re a blender, then I''m a hurricane!'' Tempest Thrust! This ability became avable to him by using Gluttony. Mad Wind''s Sword would amplify his speed the more he swung his swords, and Tempest Thrust''s attack power was determined by his speed! Thisbination had incredible synergy. He truly was like a hurricane. Bam! Kang Oh began ripping Kaik''s insides to shreds. He even cut through its skin. Kuhaaa! It screamed in pain, and its body violently writhed. ''This is just the beginning!'' Kang Oh walked even deeper inside. Of course, he never stopped swinging his swords! Kyaahk! Kyaahk! Kaik desperately tried to spit him out. However, Kang Oh kept his bnce and went deeper inside its body, all the while ripping its insides to shreds. ck and white shards of light fell like a waterfall. Kyahaaa! Kaik gathered a ton of darkness within its body. It appeared to be using Abyss Spray in an attempt to push him out. ''We can''t have that, now can we!?'' In this form, Kang Oh could use the power of ice too. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Frigid energy violently blew within its body. To add to that... Tempest Tiger! Lightning Breath! The cold energy wasbined with a st of lightning and a golden tiger aura. At that moment... Bam! Abyss Spray. Kaik spat out darkness. The ice, wind, and lightning energies intertwined within Kaik''s body. Kaik''s body began to swell, and Kang Oh was slowly being pushed back. Boom! Ultimately, the energies created a giant internal explosion. Four disparate sts of energy had crashed against each other, so it only made sense. However, the force of the explosion was far beyond his expectations. Danger, danger! Hyper Intuition sent him a dire warning; his body felt cold all over. ''Shit.'' Kang Oh immediately used Moon''s Protection. He also added Ice Wall and Abyss Shield to that. He needed to use everything he could. ''I just need to live through this!'' Bam! The internal explosion swept through Kang Oh as well. A short whileter... Kang Oh had been spat out and was sprawled on the floor. He didn''t look like he was in good shape. But then... Thud! Kaik''s head hit the floor, and its mouth began to froth. The internal explosion had dealt such severe damage that it wasn''t able to recover. "Haa, haa." Kang Oh stood up. ''I almost died there.'' It had been such a huge explosion. ''Thanks.'' Kang Oh stabbed his swords into the ground and tightly grabbed his ne. If not for Moon''s Protection, then he would''ve been in a world of pain! "Hehe, now then." Kang Oh grinned. Red was still wrapped in chains, unconscious, and Kaik had been beaten, so everything had gone as he''d wanted. [Stab Ubist into Kaik''s forehead! If you do, Ubist will devour Kaik!] "Ok!" Stab! Kang Oh did exactly as the message instructed. He stabbed Ubist right in the middle of its forehead. Then, darkness gathered around Ubist and coalesced into a giant beast. The abyss beast roared and got ready to feast. ''Thanks for the meal!'', it seemed to say. "Enjoy," Kang Oh said, and the abyss beast began ripping Kaik apart. Ubist was getting rejuvenated! Chapter 454. Prison

Chapter 454. Prison

Trantor: Boko Ubist voraciously ate Kaik. Meanwhile, Kang Oh checked on Red''s condition. Fortunately, he was still unconscious. Giving it everything he had and beating Kaik as soon as possible had been worth it. Creak. He could hear the door open. The Poison Scorpion, Scapi, peeked in through the opening. She had remained on standby outside of the door. When she could no longer hear the sound of fighting, she slightly opened the door. Kang Oh and Scapi''s eyes met. He gestured for her toe inside. "Did you really beat Red... W-What is that!?" Scapi looked at the shackled Red in disbelief, but was even more shocked once she saw the abyss beast eating the snake. "Nothing to worry about," Kang Oh said curtly. "What do you mean ''nothing to worry about''!?" How could he even say that? "How do I leave this ce? Will a return scroll work?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah. Boss, or Red, is in no shape to stop you, so a return scroll should work," Scapi said. "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head and looked her over. ''She has a huge bounty on her head too.'' Was there any way for him to capture her too? Unfortunately, there wasn''t; he had agreed to leave her alone until Red waspletely dealt with. ''That''s so unfortunate. Unfortunate indeed.'' Kang Oh had a bitter taste in his mouth. "I don''t like the way you''re looking at me." Scapi stared at him. She was basically saying, ''I know what you''re thinking.''. "Be careful." Kang Oh smiled like a viin. ''I''ll catch you someday too.'' "Hmph." Scapi snorted. ''You''ll catch me?'', she seemed to say. However, her thoughts and actions werepletely different. ''I''ll never get involved with him ever again!'' When she assumed control of Red Moon, she would cut off all contact with him. Kang Oh was a monster amongst monsters, and was the one who''d defeated Red; the same Red that was supposedly invincible within the confines of the Shadow World. There was no way that a mere high ranker like her would be able to stand up against him. "By the way, we were pretty loud. Will Red Moon really just stay put?" "I sent them all away," Scapi said. "I see." Kang Oh slightly nodded his head. Then, he received a system message. [The Abyss Predator, Ubist, has consumed the Abyss Eating Snake, Kaik.] [Ubist''s appetite has been sated. Closeness has increased slightly.] He could barely recognize Kaik. ''Did it drop anything?'' Kang Oh looked around, but he didn''t see any glittering items. ''Ubist didn''t eat all of them, did it? Aw, c''mon. No way.'' Kang Oh shook his head and tightly gripped Ubist. Ubist''s powerful abyss energy spread everywhere. He''d already seen this sight before. Ubist was getting upgraded. [Ubist''s satiation has reached 100%.] [The demon sword has be even stronger!] Once he pulled Ubist out of Kaik''s corpse, the snake turned into ck smoke. It was as if it never existed in the first ce. Kang Oh grabbed the chain rather than look over Ubist''s updated information. He needed to focus on his work first. His main priority was leaving the Shadow World and taking Red to the Security Bureau before he woke up. Kang Oh immediately ripped a return scroll. He didn''t even bother saying goodbye to Scapi. He left behind glittering powder on his way out andpletely disappeared. Then, Scapi''s eyes shined with greed. "Now then." It''s time to take control of Red Moon! * * * Once Kang Oh exited Altein''s intercity transfer gate, all eyes were on him. They were curious who was dragging the bundle of chains. However, Kang Oh''s armor was well-known to people by now, and his face had also been revealed. There were obviously people who recognized him. "Huh? It''s Mr. Kang Oh!" "Predator Kang Oh!" "Mr. Kang Oh has shown up!" "Who did he bring with him?" One yer cautiously came up to him. "Mr. Kang Oh, it''s an honor to meet you. Who did you bring with you?" they asked. "Red," Kang Oh replied curtly, and dragged the bundle of chains. "Red? Who''s that?" the questioner tilted their head. Then, a light bulb went off in their head. "Murderer Red!" they yelled. "Kang Oh caught Red! He caught Red!" That caused a hugemotion. News that Kang Oh had caught Red spread far and wide, and people gathered around Kang Oh. After all, Red was Numbers rank 7! He was known as the Worst Criminal and Murderer! He was more notorious than his Four Heavenly Kings put together! It was shocking to see Kang Oh dragging Red''s body along in chains. "Waa! Hooray!" "Hooray!" Those who''d fallen victim to Red Moon''s evil schemes began to cheer, and the people who followed Kang Oh began to grow exponentially. "Pleasee in!" "Wee!" The Security Bureau workers greeted him outside. It seems like they''d heard the news. "Pleasee inside quickly." One worker led Kang Oh inside, while the other yelled, "My apologies, but no one can enter the Security Bureau. Please understand!" "Oh, c''mon." "Yeah, we want to see Red''s face!" They voiced theirints, but the worker stood his ground. "No!" Meanwhile, Kang Oh deactivated his skill, and Red opened his eyes, which were even darker than blood. "Kang Oh!" Red looked like he''d kill him. His eyes were the very definition of ''murderous''. "I-Is this Red?" The worker looked shocked. It seemed like they were surprised by Red''s snake face. "That''s right." "Please give me a moment. I''ll go and check." "Go ahead." The worker came over with a magic mirror. They shined the mirror onto Red, and the name ''Red'' was clearly reflected in the mirror. "It is Red!" the worker yelled. "What are you doing? Put some cuffs on him and throw him in jail!" "Yes, sir." The workers busily moved around. In the meantime, Red''s eyes were glued to Kang Oh''s face. "Do you have anyst words?" Kang Oh asked. "This won''t be thest time you see me," Red said coldly. Kang Oh grinned. "You know, everyone I put in jail so far has said that to me." "..." "You''ll be put in there for life, so why don''t you just delete your character and start fresh? Live an upstanding life next time!" Kang Oh tapped his shoulder. "Kuhaa!" Red opened his mouth and tried to bite him. Then, a worker came over, grabbed Red, and started beating him with his baton. "Stop it, you!" "Hold it right there, you trash!" Whack! Whack! "Kang Oh, Kang Oh, Kang Oh!" Red chanted. "Shut up, you bastard!" The worker put a giant gag in his mouth. "Euuuup!" He couldn''t understand what Red was saying. However, his murderous eyes said it all. ''Kang Oh, I''ll destroy everything that you hold dear! Just you wait!'' "Yeah, have a nice time." Kang Oh waved his hand indifferently. You usually don''t need to be afraid of anyone who says something like ''This isn''t thest you''ll see of me!''. He probably didn''t need to fear Red either. "We finally have the Worst Criminal. This is all due to your efforts, Mr. Kang Oh." The worker grabbed his hand and expressed their heartfelt thanks. Murderer Red. He had massacred six cities, and had set fire to ten viges. He repeatedly killed innocent NPCs and yers too. Moreover, he was the one who created the criminal organization, Red Moon. He was like the source of all evil. "May I receive my reward now?" "Of course. I''ll prepare it immediately." The worker quickly brought out a gold scroll. It was a gold scroll worth 100,000 gold. "Here you go." "Thank you." Kang Oh grinned. ''Oh, yeah!'' There was another cause for celebration soon after. [The Worst Criminal, Red, has been locked up. He has received a life sentence.] [As per the Sabra''s Contract, you have received a gold scroll worth 100,000 gold from Scapi.] Kang Oh checked his inventory. The glittering gold scroll was definitely in there. "Uhaahk!" Kang Oh raised his fists into the air. ''I made a ton of money!'' * * * If they had arrived even a minuteter? ''I probably would''ve died.'' Darion recalled that dizzying moment. He and Burkan had been fighting for their lives against the Evil God Worshippers. There were too many demons surrounding them, and the Evil God''s Disciples were strong too. However, Darion had gritted his teeth. He would survive until reinforcements arrived! Unfortunately, no matter how long he waited, reinforcements wouldn''te. ''I have to at least save Master!'' Darion thought, watching Burkan fight the two disciples. Plus, his symptoms were getting worse; the poison was sapping all of his energy. Ultimately, Darion lost his focus, and the Evil God Worshippers'' wicked spells slipped through his guard, causing him to fall to the ground. Kyaa! The impatient demons rushed at him. ''This is the end!'' Darion closed his eyes, but death didn''te for him just yet. "Open your eyes, Darion!" Although he was battling two disciples, Burkan found the time tounch an aura, annihting the demonsing Darion''s way. In exchange, Burkan left himself open, allowing Lubatchi tond a punch. Whack! Burkan''s body flew into the air and then rolled onto the floor. Lubatchi was known for his overwhelming physical strength, so even Burkan wouldn''t remain unscathed. "Hehe, it''s over." Cannibal Garup charged at Burkan. "No!" Darion tackled Garup with everything he had left. Unfortunately, it had little effect. Garup looked at him as if he were joking, and then threw Darion over to a horde of demons. ''This really is the end of the line for me!'' Darion anticipated his death for real this time. However, someone rushed in and caught Darion. "Are you alright?" It was a familiar voice. "Mr. Dion!" He never thought he''d be so happy to see his face. "Uhaaa!" "Save Lord Burkan!" "Kill them all!" The 100 Fighters rushed into battle. That was thest thing Darion saw before he lost consciousness. And now... Burkan and Darion were able to escape the Evil God Worshippers'' base with the help of Dion and the 100 Fighters. They truly were lucky. It was as if Rakan himself had been watching over them. As said, if the 100 Fighters had even been a minuteter, then Darion would''ve died. "Contact Lord Mahakan and Master Vn. Tell them that we''ve found their main base, so we have to strike immediately," Burkan said. They''d found their base, so it was only a matter of time before the Evil God Worshippers fled. They needed to attack before then. "Understood." Dion nodded his head. * * * The churches'' elites gathered in one ce. The suprememander was the High Priest of Blood and Iron, Mahakan. "We''re going to annihte the Evil God Worshippers!" Mahakan yelled. "Uoooh!" the churches'' forces yelled, raising their morale. "In the name of the gods, charge!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The churches'' elite troops headed for the Daltrak Region. However, Nazaran was nowhere to be seen. He was bedridden with a sudden illness. Nazaran suddenly opened his eyes. However, his eyes were different from usual. They glowed with a dreary, wicked light! "I finally seeded." The Evil God''s High Priest, Amak, smiled wickedly. "Hehe!" Chapter 455. Abyss Predator

Chapter 455. Abyss Predator

Trantor: Boko The expedition force,posed of the churches'' elite troops and led by Mahakan himself, quickly arrived at the Evil God Worshippers'' main base in Mt. Tetra. They came through the intercity transfer gate of the Daltrak Region''srgest city, Dalturion, and joined up with Burkan and the 100 Fighters. "We''re heading for the abandoned mine," Mahakan ordered, and the expedition force immediately did as they were told. It was an all-out surprise attack. That was their strategy at its core. They wanted to destroy the Evil God Worshippers before they had the chance to prepare themselves. Although the abandoned mine was asrge andplex as a maze, Burkan had already found their base, so he was able to lead them through it without any issues. "Heretics!" "Enemies!" "For Ja!" The Evil God Worshippers and their demons poured out of the abandoned mine''s various passageways and attacked the expedition force. However, the expedition force easily dealt with them. After all, the expedition force wasprised of various churches'' elite forces, which included the High Priest of Blood and Iron, the Invincible diator, the 100 Fighters, the Brilliant Pdin, Barus (from the Church of Light), Ta (the saintess that led the Church of Fate''s forces), etc. In other words, the expedition force was an all-star team. "Purify them!" "Oh god!" The expedition force was able to reach the Evil God Worshippers'' temple with ease. Kyahaahk! Shaa! Kya! Kya! Kya! Kya! Kek! A temple, built like an inverted triangle or an opposite pyramid, was surrounded by countless demons. The expedition force felt a chill run down their spine. If these demons were set free, then the Daltrak Region would be filled with death. "Ask the Great Ja for forgiveness!" "Punish the heretics!" The Evil God Worshippers, who stood amidst the demons, spoke lines befitting religious zealots. One of them, however, was eye-catching. His upper body was bare, and he was covered in tattoos depicting people writhing in pain. He was one of the Evil God''s Disciples, ughter Lubatchi! "How dare you set foot here!? Kill them all." His murderous voice resounded throughout the mine. Kuhaaahk! The demons let out various cries and rushed at the expedition force. "Let''s go!" "Lord Garuda!" "Please grant me courage!" As stated, the expedition wasposed of the churches'' best. They radiated bright light, and prepared themselves for the iing dark red demons. And... The fierce battle began. * * * "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh was finished here, so he left the Security Bureau. However, there were countless people waiting for him outside. "Mr. Kang Oh!" "What happened to Red?" "Where did you catch him?" "Was it really Red?" Once he stepped out of the Security Bureau, a crowd of people began speaking and asking him questions. It was like a busy marketce. Kang Oh raised his hand. He was asking them to be quiet. "Mr. Kang Oh is trying to say something!" "Be quiet!" "Ah, shut up already!" Themotion slowly died down. "Red is..." Kang Oh briefly paused. Several people were staring at his lips, just waiting for him to finish his sentence. Kang Oh smiled and continued, "Finished. Forever!" His voice exuded absolute confidence! Many yers had been hurt by Red and Red Moon''s actions. But news that Kang Oh had caught Red relieved the victims. ''See!?'' ''That''s what you get!'' they said, and they never felt better. "Uwaaaah!" The crowd began to cheer. It was loud enough to hurt one''s ears, like the crack of thunder. "Then, if you''ll excuse me!" Kang Oh waved his hand, pushed through the crowd, and left. Then, people began to cheer his name. "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" Countless people followed him and chanted his name. This continued until Kang Oh entered the intercity transfer gate and disappeared. However, their praise continued on through themunity sites. - God Oh! - Justice is served! - Kang Oh destroyed Red Moon by himself! - We finally got you, you bastard! - Murderer Red''s viinous acts. ... Arth''srgestmunity site, Arthtory, was filled with posts exalting Kang Oh. The other sites faced the same situation. "The Worst Criminal, Red, has finally been caught!" "Kang Oh was the one who caught him!" TGN, VG, GBS, and the other gamingworks broke the news to the public. "Hurry up and get in touch!" "Ask him if he has any footage of him catching Red. If he does, buy it no matter what!" Kang Oh received countless offers for his footage, and was also asked to do an interview. * * * Kang Oh returned to Tstrum. Then, he looked over Ubist''s updated information from within the sewers. [Demon Sword Ubist (Lv432/+4)] Max Gemina, a peerless de created by the legendary artisan, Max. It contains the spirit of the King of Demonic Beasts and Abyss Predator, Ubist. Darkness dwells within the de, and the serrated pattern is representative of Ubist''s fangs. Shares its level with its wielder. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop, or the wielder bes a monster under the demon sword''s control for 24 hours. + Predation: Consumes all items. When the sword ispletely sated, the de will be stronger and gain a special ability. [Satiation: 0.00%] + Gluttony: By consuming a BB-rank or higher item, you enter Gluttony mode. All abilities are doubled for a limited amount of time. Stats are stolen from fallen enemies. A maximum of 500 stats can be stolen. Cooldown: 12 hours. + Abyss de: A jet-ck de made of darkness. It is capable of cutting the immaterial like ghosts or spirits. May absorb magicing towards you once every 30 seconds. If magic is absorbed, satiation increases. + Rip Apart: The upgraded version of ''Fang Bearing de''. You have a fixed chance of ignoring your target''s defense. At this time, Ubist''s damage will be increased by 50% of damage dealt. ck shards are indicative of the effect. + Abyss Predator: The upgraded version of ''Evesting Darkness''. Releases the full extent of Ubist''s power. Its power is absolute. Using this item effect consumes 10 stolen stats. Active/Skill. Cooldown: 10 minutes. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1006, Physical +250, Darkness Damage +20%. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. Demon Sword Ubist had be much stronger. However, it didn''t gain any new abilities this time. Instead, its existing abilities were upgraded. ''Rip Apart and Abyss Predator.'' ''Fang Bearing de'', which ignored his target''s defense, had changed to ''Rip Apart''. Unlike its original counterpart, Rip Apart would increase his damage by 50%. Evesting Darkness had been upgraded to Abyss Predator. Instead of 3 stat points consumed, it would take as much as 10 now. ''It must be that much stronger now.'' He liked its description: ''Its power is absolute.''. Finally, the demon sword''s attack power had exceeded 1,000. Plus, it also increased darkness elemental damage by 20%. Not only that, but his stolen stat limit had increased from 400 to 500, and Gluttony could now be used every 12 hours instead of every 24 hours now. Although it hadn''t gained any new abilities, the upgrade had exceeded his expectations. ''Is it because it consumed Kaik? It''s way better than I possibly could have imagined.'' Kang Oh''s body tingled with excitement. He wanted to try out Abyss Predator ASAP. However, he couldn''t afford to use it just anywhere; after all, it consumed 10 of his stolen stats at once. ''I have just the opponent in mind.'' Kang Oh left the Tstrum sewers, which smelled abhorrent. Then, he saw a normal Tum, but ignored them in favor of even bigger prey. Sometimeter... He finally found a suitable opponent: a Tum Warrior! Kang Oh gripped both Ubist and Sarahoff, and attacked him. A fierce battle ensued. At first, Kang Oh seemed like he was getting pushed back, but at some point, Kang Oh gained the upper hand. He quickly began to overpower him. This was all due to Sarahoff''s Frost Demon''s Domain. The effect lowered his opponent''s core temperature, which reduced their abilities. ''Now then, it''s about time I give it a spin.'' The Tum Warrior still had a lot of HP left. What if Abyss Predator killed it regardless? ''It''d definitely be an absolute finishing move.'' After all, the Tum Warriors possessed power superior to most bosses and even some raid bosses too! Only the Numbers and the most powerful high rankers had a chance at beating them one-on-one. "Haaht!" Kang Oh swung Ubist vertically, his heart pounding in his chest. Abyss Predator! [You have used Abyss Predator.] [10 stolen stats have been consumed.] [Physical -5] [Mental -3] [Magic -1] [Sense -1] [Cooldown: 10 minutes] Whoosh. His jet-ck de unleashed a massive amount of darkness. That darkness spread far and wide, devouring the Tum Warrior whole. The rushing darkness, which appeared like the darkness of night, was inescapable. ''Hoh.'' Kang Oh was amazed. Originally, Evesting Darkness could only be shot in a straight line. To an observer, it looked like he was swinging a giant pir of darkness. However, Abyss Predator spread like a wildfire, and devoured everything in its path like a starving beast. [You have defeated Tum''s Descendent, Warrior Bayaba.] [You have defeated a powerful foe. You have received more experience and proficiency than usual.] "Hehe." Kang Oh grinned as he read over the system message. ''Its power really is absolute.'' Abyss Predator. He really liked it. * * * The expedition force, which sought to end the threat of the Evil God Worshippers for good, hadpletely eliminated the demons, even though their numbers were far less than the opposing force. It was an obvious result. After all, the expedition force was made up of only the churches'' best. The Brilliant Pdin, Barus, had pierced through countless demons'' hearts, while Judge Odir''s hammer and Battle Priest Taylor''s holy spells returned the demons to whence they came. Mahakan and Burkan had killed hundreds of monsters themselves. However, the expedition force didn''t look too happy once they entered Ja''s Temple. "It''spletely empty." "There''s no one here." The pdins said after searching the temple. "Mm!" While the expedition force was fighting the demons, the disciples and the remaining Evil God Worshippers had fled to the temple. However, they were nowhere to be found. They didn''t see any of the other disciples, the sacred treasures, or the ceremonial tools that should''ve been here. If they failed to destroy the ceremonial tools, then the Evil God Worshippers would be able to perform a horrific ritual somece else... "So they''ve already fled," Pdin Barus said angrily. This ce was basically an empty fridge. "They must''ve been prepared to flee whenever the need arose. If not, then they wouldn''t have been able to escape so quickly," Saintess Ta said. "I know. That''s why we came so quickly." Judge Odir looked disappointed. "It isn''t all bad. We did manage to destroy one of their bases," Battle Priest Taylor said. Silver ornaments hung from his priest vestments. "We''re going to demolish this temple and bury it so that they won''t be able toe back here again," Mahakan ordered. "Yes, sir!" "Destroy the temple!" The expedition forcepletely destroyed the temple, caved in the mine, and returned to the Great Temple of Rakan. But as soon as they arrived, they received some shocking news. "H-High Priest!" "Nazaran...!" "He stole the sacred treasure!" Nazaran had betrayed them, and had delivered the sacred treasure to the Evil God Worshippers. Chapter 456. Franco’s Fall

Chapter 456. Franco''s Fall

Trantor: Boko Once he heard of Nazaran''s shocking betrayal, Burkan asked, "Master, what exactly happened?" Mahakan was no fool. He knew that in the elite troops'' absence, the Evil God Worshippers could strike at the Rakan Temple. Thus, he asked Vn to guard the temple. "Sraka showed up," Vn said. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. He was the hardest to deal with. After all, he was a Grandmaster, so only Vn could contend with him in one-on-onebat. "While I was fighting him, Nazaran fled with the sacred treasure." "Mm." Burkan bit his lip. Nazaran''s betrayal was an issue. They had prepared for an enemy invasion, but they hadn''t realized that they had a traitor in their midst. "Why would that child...?" Mahakan was in disbelief. Nazaran was his apprentice, so he knew him best. Betrayal just wasn''t in his nature! "T-That''s not possible. Brother would never do such a thing!" Mahakan''s second disciple, Saru, yelled. He refused to ept that Nazaran had betrayed them. "You never know what one might do," Vn said curtly. Sraka had shown up, Nazaran had betrayed them, and they''d lost the sacred treasure to boot. All of this had happened like clockwork. This had definitely been nned. "Are we just going to sit here and twiddle our thumbs? We have to follow Nazaran and..." Burkan began. "They have a woman that''s capable of teleportation. That woman already took him away. It''s toote," Vn interrupted. Vn was referring to the Evil God''s Second Disciple, Bewitching Sora. She specialized in Ja''s wicked magic and illusions. Now they understood why only Lubatchi was with the demon army. Sraka drew Vn''s attention, and Amak manipted Nazaran into stealing the sacred treasure. Once he did his job, Sora teleported him away, and Garup was in charge of transporting their ceremonial tools to their secondary church. Ultimately, everything went as the Evil God Worshippers wanted. They were probably drinking to celebrate their sess right now. "What do we do now?" Burkan asked. "War," Vn said. "Excuse me?" ''Did he just say war?'' "The Evil God Worshippers have reimed all of their sacred treasures. Their next step is obvious." "...Bringing Ja into this world," Mahakan muttered. "Those crazy bastards!" Burkan yelled furiously. A long, long time ago, the Evil God Worshippers started a war that spread across the entire continent. At the time, their goal had been to bring Ja into this world. In order to do that, they had to offer up tens of thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of lives. To that end, the Evil God Worshippers started a war, which began an era of misery and tragedy. And now... They were trying to go back to that time. * * * Countless free cities existed within Arth''s central region. Some of them wererge cities like Altein, while others were small like Icerin. Franco was arge city; there were more than 1 million people that lived there! It was once the capital of the Franco Kingdom, a monarchy that existed before the Altein Empire! It was also called the Mural City. To this day, Franco''s walls retained the murals of the Franco Kingdom. Wherever you went, you''d be able to see these murals all across the city. Morning, a painting left behind by the genius painter, Leora, was the most famous of them. Franco was also renowned for its spicy cuisine, as well as their jewelry. Thus, there were always plenty of women shopping for jewelry here. There was an Adventurer Guild, a bank, an auction house, a department store, etc. Befitting arge city, it had everything you might need. But no one could have guessed that this city would be a ce of tragedy and despair in a single day. All of a sudden, an oval portal appeared within Franco''srgest za, Marcione Square. The Evil God Worshippers came out of that very portal. "Kneel!" Ja''s High Priest, Amak, yelled. He held Ja''s Bronze Knife in his left hand, and Ilunati''s Snake in his right. Nemeth''s Skull hung from his neck. Sraka, Sora, Lubatchi, and Garup stood behind him. Hundreds of Evil God Worshippers and starving monsters apanied them too. Whir. Nemeth''s Skull began to glow, and purple mist began to spread around Amak. "Aah!" "Uaaah!" Those who inhaled the mist grabbed their heads. A short whileter... With a vacant look in their eyes, the civilians said only one word. "Ja." "Ja." This was the power of Nemeth''s Skull. Forced Conversion! It was a tremendous ability that transformed normal people into Evil God Worshippers! The sacred treasure''s only weakness was its inability to affect the strong-minded. A yer with a high Mental stat wouldn''t be affected. "Ugh, Evil God Worshippers!" "R-Run away!" "What the hell is going on!?" "You bastards!" NPCs and yers who''d resisted the effects of Nemeth''s Skull defiantly stood before them. "We''ll use the heretics as offerings," Amak said. Then, the Evil God Worshippers grabbed those who resisted the Forced Conversion. "Grr, you demons!" "Die!" They tried to resist, but the Evil God Worshippers were much too wicked and powerful. "Let''s go." Amak led, and was followed by a long procession of people. This included the Evil God''s Disciples, the Evil God Worshippers, and those forcefully converted to serve Ja. "Ja." "Ja." Thousands had been forcefully converted. Plus, this number rapidly increased. The mist, which forced people to serve the Evil God, began spreading throughout the city. But then... "Evacuate the civilians! Hurry!" Franco''s guards stood in defiance. There were 10,000 of them. However, a portion of them had been forcefully converted into Evil God Worshippers, and the other half was forced to retreat, as they couldn''t attack the mind controlled civilians. Ja''s followers went on a rampage, especially Sraka. He showed why he was called the Devil''s Sword. None could stop him! "Uaaahk!" It was aplete massacre. The bodies began to pile up in the streets. Once the city''s guards were killed, there was no one that could stand up to the Evil God Worshippers. Although there were plenty of guilds set up here, they either fled the city or hid within their guild headquarters. They had neither the strength nor a reason to get involved. Thus, Franco City waspletely seized by the Evil God Worshippers. "Set up the altar!" Amak yelled. "Ja!" "Ja!" The forcefully converted civilians gathered the ruins of their beloved walls, and used them to construct a giant altar. The altar was necessary to conduct the ritual to bring Ja into this world. "I''ll create the Metamorphosis Pool," Sora said. The Metamorphosis Pool was essentially a monster breeding factory. If corpses or sacrifices were dumped into the pool, then new demons would be spawned. Amak nodded his head and stared at Garup. "Garup!" "Yes?" Garup, who was busy eating a corpse, stared at Amak wide-eyed. "Go to the nearby cities and gather offerings. If we want to call the Supreme One, create more demons, and revive our fallenrades with Ilunati''s Snake, then we''ll need more offerings." "Hehe. Yes, sir." Garup grinned, showing his shining bronze teeth. "Let''s go, Mr. Lubatchi." Lubatchi, Garup, and the demon army went west of Franco. There was a small city there called Tn. * * * News that the Evil God Worshippers had seized Franco spread far and wide. Bam! Burkan forcefully pounded the table with his fist. "Those crazy bastards!" He was surrounded by Mahakan, Vn, and the churches'' representatives, such as Barus, Odir, and Ta. "I told you. War," Vn said firmly. He knew that it''de to this as soon as they lost thest sacred treasure. "We have to take care of them ASAP," Burkan said strongly. Mahakan nodded his head. "From what we know, Franco is covered by a purple mist of some kind. This mist is probably..." the Bright Pdin, Barus, said. "Forced Conversion. The power of Nemeth''s Skull, which has the Evil God''s power to convert others to his cause," Mahakan said. He was the one who sealed and safeguarded Nemeth''s Skull. Thus, he knew exactly what power it held. "Indeed. Most of Franco''s citizens must be under their control by now," Barus said concernedly. They knew what he was worried about. "Mm." "So we have to kill innocent civilians!?" "If we do nothing, they''ll bring the Evil God into this world," Judge Odir said. He believed that sometimes, the few had to be sacrificed for the many. This ideology of his applied to Franco''s citizens as well. "Is there a way to undo the Forced Conversion?" Ta asked. "If we kill the disciple who carries it, or we take Nemeth''s Skull away from him, then the effects will be undone. But it won''t be easy," Mahakan said. "We should never have lost Nemeth''s Skull." Odir furrowed his brow and nced at Mahakan. Nazaran''s betrayal cut deep. Thus, his teacher, Mahakan, bore the brunt of the responsibility. Of course, Mahakan wasn''t the type of person to avoid taking responsibility for his student''s actions. After this war, he nned on giving up his seat as High Priest. "It''s already water under the bridge. Let''s deal with that particr issueter, and figure out what we''ll do now," Burkan said. "Yes, let''s do that." "Agreed." They began a long discussion. During the meeting, they got word that Tn, the small city closest to Franco, was destroyed. Everyone was well aware of the implications. This was only the beginning. The Evil God Worshippers'' forces would spread like wildfire, just like in the past. "We have to deal with this as quickly as possible," Burkan said. Vn and Mahakan nodded their heads. "How?" Ta asked. "A small group of elite troops will enter the heart of enemy territory," Vn said. He wanted these people to head over to Franco immediately, and end the threat of the Evil God Worshippers once and for all. "What if you fail?" "He''s right. There''s a high chance you''ll fail. And we don''t have enough strength on our own," Barus said. In other words, the churches weren''t enough. "We need to gather more manpower," Ta said. "We need to ask the free cities, the eastern kingdoms, the western grasnds, and the Great Forest for aid. After all, this is an issue that determines the future of the continent," she added. "While we''re busy gathering strength, the Evil God Worshippers will be that much stronger. We have to take into ount Nemeth''s Skull," Burkan said. Forced Conversion was too dangerous of an ability to leave in the hands of the enemy. ''You want to leave that with them for the time being!? Are you crazy!?'' "They''ll also perform the ceremony to bring Ja into this world. What if the Evil God appears before we''re ready?" "Mm." "Hmm." Mahakan, who''d been quietly listening in, said, "You''re both right. So... Let''s proceed with both ns!" It was at this moment that the Protectors of the Continent Brigade was created, a force meant to annihte the Evil God Worshippers to thest man. Mahakan was the leader. Although he was at fault for Nazaran''s betrayal, he was still the best leader they had. "Lord Vn, Lord Burkan. I''m counting on you. We''ll try to gather reinforcements as fast as we can." Vn, Burkan, and the 100 Fighters were given the task of keeping the Evil God Worshippers at bay. "Mr. Barus, please head to the Great Forest. Ms. Ta, I need you to head to the west. And Mr. Odir, please go to the eastern kingdoms. Tell them what has happened and ask for their aid." The three representatives went their separate ways in order to unite the continent''s forces under one banner. * * * When the Evil God Worshippers seized control of Franco, Kang Oh heard the Whispers of the Earth. "The Evil God Worshippers are preparing a ritual to bring the Evil God into this world. You must stop them." Then, a quest called ''Stop the Evil God''s Descent'' appeared. As always, it didn''t offer him a single reward. ''Ah, what a pain in the ass,'' he thought honestly. However, he couldn''t postpone it, and he couldn''t afford not to do it either. ''But Franco? Is that the same Franco I know?'' Kang Oh immediately sent Man Bok a message. - Did something big happen recently? - It''s absolute chaos. - Why is that? - Evil God Worshippers seized Franco City. - Is it the same Franco that you and I know? - Yes. The Mural City, Franco. - Thank you for telling me. - Please let me know if you need anything. - I will. Kang Oh returned to Altein. He needed to see Vn. Chapter 457. Ilunati’s Snake

Chapter 457. Ilunati''s Snake

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh couldn''t find Vn at the Holiseum. Burkan wasn''t there either. But he did manage to hear that they were at the Great Temple of Rakan. "Good timing," Vn said to Kang Oh. ''Good timing?'' "Is this rted to the Evil God Worshippers?" "Who else would cause such a ruckus?" Vn seemed really fed up with them. "What do you need me to do?" "What I do best." "Insulting people? Ignoring people? Cockiness?" Kang Oh said jokingly. "Want to die?" Vn scowled, causing Kang Oh to shut his mouth. Then... Burkan came over. "The 100 Fighters are all ready and ounted for... Oh, Little Brother." "Brother. What''s going on?" Kang Oh wanted a detailed exnation as to what had happened. "Hoo, so..." Burkan briefly exined the events that had taken ce. They had found the Evil God Worshippers'' hideout in the Daltrak Region, and had sent troops to destroy it. However, Nazaran had betrayed them and stole Nemeth''s Skull. After that, the Evil God Worshippers seized control of Franco City. "Ultimately, the Evil God Worshippers reimed all of their sacred treasures." Kang Oh sighed. He had a feeling that this would be a difficult endeavor. "Yeah. That''s why they seized control of Franco." Burkan gritted his teeth. ''You evil bastards!'' "Franco has a total poption of 1 million. That''s enough people to summon Ja." "Yeah. That''s why we need to stop them," Vn said. "How?" "We have to get in their way as much as possible. You help out too," he saidmandingly. "No thank..." Kang Oh instinctively said. After all, he was the type of person that talked back the harder you pressured him. However, he was also weak to threats. Especially Vn''s threats, as he knew that none of his excuses would work on him. "Then should I kill you instead?" "No, I''ll do it." "Good. Follow me." "Yes, sir." Vn, Burkan, Kang Oh, and the 100 Fighters left the Great Temple of Rakan. * * * Their first order of business was to attack the demon army led by Lubatchi and Garup. The two disciples would go around the nearby cities, killing, kidnapping, destroying, etc. Any viinous act you could think of, they did. It was time for justice to be served. "Enemies!" "They''re heretics!" Kyahaahk! Kuhaaa! The ck robed Evil God Worshippers cast their evil spells, and the starving demons rampaged about. "Kill them all, 100 Fighters!" Dion raised his voice. "Let''s go!" "Attack!" Kang Oh and Burkan also joined the 100 Fighters. Meanwhile, Vn kept his only hand in his pocket. There was no need for him to get involved. ''This is exciting.'' Kang Oh loved fighting on arge battlefield. It was the perfect stage to show how powerful he was. He excitedly swung his jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword. Kang Oh split the demons'' skin, which was tougher than a whale''s tendons, or their scales, which was tougher than the strongest steel. Kang Oh cut down a giant mosquito-like demon, and then stabbed arge mouthed, four-armed demon in its eye. Bam! Some of the demons exploded on contact, but he could just throw a Fire Bomb at them and that''d be the end of that. Kang Oh was plenty strong enough without using Gluttony or Devil Trigger. "You bastard!" Lubatchi rushed at him. Or he would''ve if Garup hadn''t grabbed his arm. "Mr. Lubatchi, we have to retreat. Look over there." Garup pointed at Vn, who was observing the battle. "T-That man is...!" Lubatchi clearly remembered him. It was only natural. He was the monster that fought Sraka one-on-one and won! ''I can''t beat him.'' Lubatchi instinctively yelled, "R-Retreat!" "Retreat!" The Evil God''s followers retreated like sand escaping between one''s fingers. Then, Vn moved to intercept them. He had no intention of letting Lubatchi or Garup go. He drew his sword and swung horizontally. Divide the Sea! Swish. A horizontal line suddenly appeared! Any demon or Evil God Worshipper in its path was split in half. Absolute power! Divide the Sea''s sharp energy came for Lubatchi and Garup too. "S-Shit!" "Ugh!" Lubatchi ducked and just barely managed to dodge it. However, Garup''s body was split in half. Fortunately, Garup possessed Super Regeneration. The severed parts of his body quickly began to heal. But...! In an instant, Vn closed the distance, releasing a bleak killing intent. He didn''t really say anything. He just swung his sword. Swish, sh. Lubatchi and Garup were the Evil God''s Disciples. Even Vn wouldn''t be able to kill them in a single hit. At the same time, they had no chance against him. Burkan was by his side too, after all. "L-Lord Ja." "Ugh. I''ll definitely pay you back for..." Ultimately, the Evil God''s third and fourth disciples, Lubatchi and Garup, lost their lives that day. However...! Amak had Ilunati''s Snake. * * * The Evil God Worshippers possessed all three of Ja''s sacred treasures: Nemeth''s Skull, Ja''s Bronze Knife, and Ilunati''s Snake. Nemeth''s Skull was capable of forcefully converting people into Evil God Worshippers. The other two sacred treasures also possessed tremendous abilities. Ja''s Bronze Knife was capable of drawing out a living soul and storing it. These stored souls could be used at the wielder''s discretion. Plus, it could be used to nt a ''seed'' within someone, and allow the user to control them. Amak had done this to Nazaran. Ilunati''s Snake was capable of bringing back the dead. It obviously had certain strings attached. First, you had to possess something connected to the dead individual. For example, Amak was able to revive Sraka by possessing his greatsword. Second, you need a certain amount of sacrifices to revive a person. It differed depending on the individual; for some, it would require thousands, but for others, it might take tens of thousands. Human life and souls were what fueled this process. Lastly, reviving a person that had already been revived before would require so many more sacrifices. Moreover, the revived individual could only live for a year. Every time they were revived, that 1 year lifespan would go down significantly. Despite that, Ilunati''s Snake was an overpowered item for sure; it could bring the dead back to life for god''s sake. Like right now. The countless souls stored within Ja''s Bronze Knife were sucked into Ilunati''s Snake, a scale with a snake coiled around it. Then, the scale began to tip in either direction. Creak! Creak! The scale gave an unpleasant ''creak'', and shards of light formed in the air. Then, those shards gathered around the yellow teeth on the floor. At some point, the scale became perfectly bnced, and Ja''s Bronze Knife stopped feeding it with souls. The shards of light coalesced into the shape of a human and soon became recognizable. ughter Lubatchi hade back to life. "Uheok!" As soon he came back, Lubatchi opened his eyes and raised his upper body. Then, he began to pat his body. "Lubatchi," Amak called. "H-High Priest!" Lubatchi still looked as confused as ever. Most people who were revived using this process had a simr reaction. "I revived you." "Heok, thank you." Lubatchi bowed his head. He understood what was going on now. "Who killed you?" Amak asked. As the Evil God''s High Priest, he knew right away when one of the Evil God''s Disciples were killed. But he didn''t know how they were killed or for what reason. "I-It was him," Lubatchi recalled Vn and said. "Him?" "The one who could fight Lord Sraka." "Vn!" Amak knew who he was. In fact, there was no way he wouldn''t know who he was. He had sacrificed the lives of his fellow Evil God Worshippers to resurrect the Devil''s Sword, Sraka. He was their greatest weapon, so it was worth the price. Sraka was a Grandmaster! Throughout history, there were few that managed to reach that level of skill. However, Sraka was one of the few that had. But he hadn''t expected there to be an individual that could not only match him, but defeat him as well. When he sensed Sraka''s death, he couldn''t believe it. But it was the irrefutable truth. If not for Ja''s Bronze Knife, as well as the countless souls trapped within, then he wouldn''t have been able to revive Sraka again. Anyhow, he asked Sraka who''d killed him, and was able to learn about Vn. "Vn has shown up, huh..." Amak''s emaciated face creased with frustration. The Guardian of the Continent, Vn, was their biggest hurdle. "He killed me." Lubatchi gritted his teeth. But he also felt fear as well. Vn was someone he couldn''t contend with, after all. "As you know, you only have 1 year left to live." "I understand." "But don''t worry. When the Supreme Onees to this world, he''ll take care of you." "Of course." "So do your best so that he can step foot into this world." "Of course." Lubatchi hit his chest as if saying, ''You can count on me.''. "Will you revive Garup too?" "If I need to." Amak possessed items that were linked to each of the disciples. For example, he had used Lubatchi''s teeth to revive him. He obviously possessed the item necessary to revive Garup too. However, he didn''t feel the need to revive him at the moment. "Mm." "I want you to apany Lord Sraka." "Yes." "And tell Lord Sraka to deal with Vn." "Understood." Lubatchi stood up and left. Amak was lost in thought. ''Vn, Vn... Is there any guaranteed way of killing him?'' He couldn''t think of anything, so his face only further creased with frustration. * * * The ck Hammer Dwarves'' Master cksmith, Hoffman, had never taken a day off. This day was no different from the rest. ng! ng! ng! ng! His hammer didn''t stop. But there was one thing that had changed as ofte. There was someone else who made use of his personal workspace. The Master Tailor, Dink. Dink Workshop was renowned for its luxury craft goods, and Dink was its main designer! He would show up at the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout every two or three days, and work together with Hoffman. Of course, the two were currently working on Kang Oh''s dragon leather armor. Creak. The door to Hoffman''s personal workspace opened, and in came a middle-aged, honest looking man. It was Dink. He didn''t bother Hoffman. Instead, he went over to the workbench and concentrated on his own work. Hoffman liked that aspect of him; Dink would always put everything into his work, and not allow anything to bother him. They were alike, so they worked well together. After all, they were both true craftsmen. ng, ng. Hoffman kept swinging his hammer. Sometimeter... Dink, who''d finished his work for today, came over. "Hoffman, would you like to have a drink together?" The two had acknowledged each other''s skill, and after working together, they began to speak to each otherfortably. Plus, both of them were ''middle-aged'', regardless of the difference in species. "Sounds good to me." "I like the taste of Phamas Beer now too." Dink smiled honestly. "Phamas Beer is the best." Hoffman showed a rare smile. "Let''s go!" "Yeah." In the workspace, there were four items hanging atop a wooden mannequin. A hat, gloves, boots, and pants. All they needed for aplete set was the upper body piece, or the leather jacket. * * * Kang Oh, Burkan, Vn, and the 100 Fighters stared at the ruined city of Franco and were lost in thought. The city was covered in thick mist. They all knew that that mist was responsible for forcibly transforming innocent citizens into Evil God Worshippers. Burkan hungered for battle, twirling his dius around. "They''re noting out." After they killed Lubatchi and Garup, the Evil God''s followers stopped their excursions from Franco. ''They''re probably wary of us.'' "Burkan, Dion, Kang Oh," Vn said. "Yes!" Dion immediately replied, as if he were a private in the army. Whereas Burkan and Kang Oh just stared at him. ''What do you need?'' "You three and I are going into the city." "Just the four of us?" Kang Oh nced back at the 100 Fighters behind them. ''Then what about them?'' "That ce is nothing but a den of Evil God Worshippers now. We can''t take everyone; they''ll just get in the way." Apparently, Vn didn''t think the 100 Fighters were strong enough to join them. "Only those who are strong enough wille with me. And our goal is..." He looked over Kang Oh, Burkan, and Dion''s faces. "To prevent the ceremony!" "Plus, you want us to kill the disciples with the sacred treasures and take them back, right?" Kang Oh stared at him and asked. "That''s right." Sometimeter... Vn, Burkan, Kang Oh, and Dion secretly entered Franco. It was such arge city that it wasn''t that hard to enter undetected. But like Vn had said, Franco had be a den of Evil God Worshippers, so they had no choice but toe across some of the disciples along the way. However...! They came across one that Kang Oh had never seen before. Chapter 458. Nemeth

Chapter 458. Nemeth

Trantor: Boko Franco was covered in thick mist; the same mist that turned people into Evil God Worshippers. [You have a high Mental stat.] [You do not serve Ja.] Kang Oh obviously wasn''t affected by Forced Conversion. Burkan, Dion, and Vn were likewise unaffected by it. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh examined the disciples in front of him. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. He wore a bronze mask, and a greatsword was strapped to his back. He also exuded a dangerous ''smell''. Bewitching Sora. She wore a ck dress, and held a ck bound grimoire in her hand. ughter Lubatchi. As always, his body was etched with tattoos of people writhing in pain. He stared at his killer, Vn. There was one other person that stood beside them. He was an incredibly handsome man, but his eyes were vacant. His hair was so long that it reached his waist, and he was barefoot too. ''Who is that?'' Kang Oh tilted his head. He''d never seen him before. But he, like the other disciples, gave off a dangerous smell. He had to be one of the Evil God''s Disciples. "Vn," Sraka said drearily. "Sraka." Vn stared right at him. There was no doubt the two would fight. After all, only a Grandmaster could take on another Grandmaster! Swish! sh! Vn and Sraka drew their des. ng! The ''ng'' of their des signaled the start of the battle. "Rip them apart!" ughter Lubatchi yelled. The Evil God Worshippers, the demons, and even the converted civilians charged at Kang Oh, Burkan, and Dion. However, no one would dare to interfere with Vn and Sraka''s duel. The Evil God''s Disciples also joined the battle. The master of evil magic, Sora, gathered deep purple energy in her hand. Her target was Burkan. Wretched Pain! The purple energy spread out like spider webs. Burkan immediately counterattacked. Fighting Spirit''s Aura! He shot a red aura straight at her, which devoured the purple energy along the way. Then, Sora''s body began to fade. Boom! A ''boom'' rang out, but Sora was nowhere to be found. Burkan immediately found her with his sharp senses. Once Sora reappeared, she cast a follow-up spell. Burkan''s de and Sora''s spells went back and forth. He was more skilled than her. But whenever he approached, the nearby demons would throw themselves at him and protect her. Was it loyalty? Absolutely not. As a master of evil magic, she was capable of controlling the demons. Thus, she could force the nearby demons to take Burkan''s attacks in her ce. The Evil God Worshippers knew that their attacks would do little against Burkan, so they either buffed the demons or cast curses instead. Meanwhile, Dion fought Lubatchi. Though skilled, Dion had difficulty facing Lubatchi, the demons, and the Evil God Worshippers all at once. Kang Oh cut through anything in his way, whether it be demons, Evil God Worshippers, or mind controlled civilians with Sarahoff and Blood. It was unfortunate, but he didn''t have a choice in the matter. If he wanted to return the civilians back to normal, then he''d need to kill Amak. However, he was nowhere to be found. Swish, stab! Blood sliced through a demon''s neck, and Sarahoff pierced through an Evil God Worshipper''s heart. In no time at all, Kang Oh had killed more than twenty of them. Despite that, the barefooted man didn''t move. His expression was as vacant as ever. At that moment... Burkan threw a demon, which flew right at the barefooted man. Bam! However, the barefooted man didn''t budge. On the contrary, the demon was flung away. Then, the man''s eyes began to show signs of life. Did the shock cause him to regain consciousness? The man furrowed his brow, and turned his head around. Sora, who''d been fighting Burkan, teleported to the man. "Lord Nemeth." "Who are you?" "I am the Supreme One''s second disciple. My name is Sora." "Sora?" Then... Burkan''s Fighting Spirit''s Aura came flying at Nemeth and Sora. Nemeth extended his arm, unleashing energy from his fist that crashed against Burkan''s aura. Bam! The resulting shockwave caused Nemeth''s hair and clothes to flutter in the wind, but otherwise, he waspletely unscathed. "Quickly exin what''s going on," Nemeth said. "You were revived by Ilunati''s Snake." "And?" "We are conducting a ceremony that will bring the Supreme One to this world. However, those heretics are trying to interfere with the ritual." "So I just need to deal with them?" "Yes." "Got it." Nemeth raised his right fist, which was coated in dim light. "Haahp!" He swung his fist downwards. Boom! The mighty energy came flying at Burkan. "Ugh." Burkan was forced back. Its power exceeded his expectations, so he hadn''t responded to it properly. Burkan was excited. A single move was enough to tell him how powerful his opponent was. "Haahp!" He rushed at Nemeth, dius in hand. Burkan and Nemeth''s fight was like a battle between a dragon and a tiger. Surprisingly, Nemeth fought Burkan on equal footing. This meant that Nemeth was on the level of a Master! That''s right. Nemeth was a Master Monk. Burkan and Nemeth continued to do battle. However, Burkan was slowly being pushed back. It was the first time Kang Oh had ever seen Burkan getting overpowered. ''Where did that monstere from? Wait a sec... Nemeth?'' Kang Oh recalled what Sora had called him. "That Nemeth? The one whose skull was used as a sacred treasure?" He didn''t have much time to think about it. Danger! His Hyper Intuition sent him a warning. Kang Oh''s entire body felt cold. With Burkan fighting Nemeth, Sora turned her attention to Kang Oh. Sora had just shot a spell at Kang Oh. It was quite hot too. Burning Pain! Roar! Dark red mes came flying at him. It was as if an evil spirit''s face was etched in the hellish mes. Switch Ubist. Kang Oh swapped Blood with Ubist. Once he felt Ubist in his hand, he forcefully swung it. Swish. His jet-ck greatsword sliced the mes in half, but the aftermath was much more interesting. Suck! Ubist absorbed the hellish mes. Abyss de allowed him to absorb a spell every 30 seconds. It also gave him the ability to cut through the immaterial like ghosts or spirits. Anyhow, Kang Oh rushed forward. Kuhaahk! The nearby demons prevented his advance. While they kept him busy, Sora prepared her next spell. This was his chance. Sora had made a grave error. Rather than teleport away, she had chosen to cast another spell under the protection of the demons. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''I''ll sweep through you all.'' Whir. Ubist shook. Abyss Predator! His jet-ck greatsword unleashed a massive amount of darkness, which spread out instantly like a winter wildfire. It''s time to eat! The darkness devoured the demons, and then came straight for Sora. Though she cast a barrier to protect herself, it was already toote. Before the barrier was even ready, she was consumed by darkness. "Kyaa!" Sora shrieked, and countless shards of light fell from her body. ''Nice.'' Once the darkness dissipated like cigarette smoke, Kang Oh prepared a follow-up attack. Tempest Tiger! He was absolutely certain that the golden tiger would pounce and rip her throat out. After all, she waspletely defenseless. Plus, there weren''t any demons nearby that could protect her. Abyss Predator had already taken care of them. However...! Someonepletely crushed his expectations. All of a sudden, an individual''s fist struck the golden tiger, causing it to dissipate. It was Nemeth. ''Why is he here?'' Kang Oh looked for Burkan. His eyes widened with disbelief. Burkan was on one knee! This was the Invincible diator we were talking about! "Heal yourself," Nemeth said. "Thank you, Lord Nemeth." Sora bowed deeply. Hearing his name brought doubts within his mind. "Are you actually the Evil God''s First Disciple, Nemeth?" "Ja isn''t an evil god. He''s the one true god," Nemeth said like a true fanatic. "That wasn''t what I was asking. Are you actually his first disciple?" "That''s right." After he''d been revived, Lubatchi had exined that Vn had shown up. Amak thought about how he could deal with Vn, and suddenly thought of Nemeth. After all, Nemeth''s Skull was actually made of the first disciple''s skull. Plus, Nemeth was once a renowned Master Monk. Whenpared to the strongest monks in history, Nemeth ranked within the top ten. By using Nemeth''s Skull as a catalyst, Amak was able to revive him using Ilunati''s Snake. That''s how the first disciple, Nemeth, was reborn. "Tch, what a pain," Kang Oh muttered. He was referring to Amak. To be more specific, it was Ilunati''s Snake that he was most worried about. ''At this rate, they''ll summon all of the Evil God''s most notorious disciples.'' The Devil''s Sword, Sraka, was trouble enough, but Nemeth was powerful enough to fight on even ground with Burkan. If that''s the case, then it was well within the realm of possibility that Amak revived another disciple that was just as strong. ''The Evil God''s followers... they''re really dangerous.'' He could understand how they were able to wage war on the entire continent. Then... Dion was struck by Lubatchi''s fist and fell to the floor. Both Burkan and Dion had been defeated! Of course, Dion immediately got back up and engaged Lubatchi once more. However, the presence of the demons, as well as the Evil God Worshippers'' curses, were slowly putting him at a disadvantage. Whoosh. Nemeth''s fists glowed. He kicked off the floor and rushed at Kang Oh. Great God''s Fist! However, Nemeth''s fist didn''t reach him. Burkan had intervened. "I''m your opponent!" Burkan said murderously. Transcendent de! Fist and sword intersected. Stab! Whack! Burkan''s dius pierced Nemeth''s neck, while Nemeth''s fist struck Burkan''s chest. The two were pushed back simultaneously. Burkan gritted his teeth and moved first. Nemeth responded right after. The two exchanged attacks once more. Their battle was no ce for Kang Oh. ''Good luck, Brother!'' Kang Oh inwardly cheered, and aided Dion with Lubatchi and Sora. How much time had passed? Boom! A massive ''boom'' rang out. Those present automatically turned their attention to the noise''s source. The Guardian of the Continent, Vn! The Devil''s Sword, Sraka! A thick cloud of dust rose from the area they were fighting in. However, a fierce gust of wind blew the dust away. At that moment... Kang Oh''s party and the Evil God''s followers had exact opposite expressions. Kang Oh, Burkan, and Dion looked on with hope, while the Evil God''s followers looked on in despair. Sraka had fallen to the floor, and Vn was standing over him. The victor was clear. However, Vn said somethingpletely unbing of a victor. "Retreat!" Vn began to run away. "What?" For a second there, Kang Oh, Burkan, and Dion were shocked. But they quickly got a hold of themselves and followed after Vn. "Wait for me!" "S-Stop them! Don''t let them escape!" Lubatchi yelled. However, he felt like it was already toote. Vn and hispanions were already long gone. Chapter 459. Protectors of the Continent Brigade vs. Evil God Worshippers

Chapter 459. Protectors of the Continent Brigade vs. Evil God Worshippers

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Burkan, and Dion followed Vn, and safely made it out of Franco. "Did you lose to Sraka?" Kang Oh asked. "What?" Vn''s expression seemed to say, ''What the hell are you talking about?''. "Then why did we retreat?" He couldn''t understand it. Vn looked like the victor, so... Why did they retreat? "I couldn''t finish him off. Myst attack was supposed to kill him, but he survived." "So?" "What do you mean ''so''? If I wanted another chance at killing him, then I''d need to fight him for a while. But you guys wouldn''tst that long, now would you? That''s why I backed off," Vn rebuked. ''Ugh, you worthless fools!'' Burkan and Dion looked away. After all, they had lost to Nemeth and Lubatchi. "What''s our next step?" Kang Oh asked. "We wait until reinforcements arrive." * * * A giant altary within Franco''s Marcione Square. Amak stood at the top of the altar, which stood more than 10 meters tall. "Great Ja!" He opened his arms wide. Then, Ja''s three sacred treasures (Ja''s Bronze Knife, Ilunati''s Snake, and Nemeth''s Skull) glowed. Whir! The dark red light gathered at a single point, creating something akin to a ck hole. It was still only about the size of a fist. "Bring the offerings!" Amak yelled sharply. "Yes, sir!" The Evil God Worshippers brought over the criminals that''d been locked up in the Security Bureau''s underground prison. "You demons!" "Ugh, please let me live..." "M-Mom." A long procession of people walked up the stairs that led to the altar. They were walking to their death. The first victim was a man that possessed a rough beard and sharp, bright eyes. "You''ll pay for this!" He was a daring man. Although death was all that awaited him, he stared at Amak and the Evil God Worshippers hatefully and said his piece. The man seemed fearless. "Hmph. Think of it as an honor to be sacrificed to the Supreme One!" Amak raised the bronze knife. "Ptoo! You cult bastards!" Stab. The bronze knife pierced the man''s heart. "Ugh." The man''s body toppled over, and his pale soul popped out of his body. Then, the soul was sucked into the dark red ck hole. "Dispose of the body, and bring me the next offering without dy!" Amak yelled. "Yes, sir!" Two Evil God Worshippers dragged the victim''s corpse away, and then threw him outside of the altar. After that, more victims were brought before the altar. How much time had passed? More than 1,000 people were killed atop the altar. The fist-sized ck hole had expanded to the size of a ser ball. Once the hole expanded, however, something Amak hadn''t expected urred. Ja''s wicked energy flowed out of the hole. He was essentially bestowing his blessing upon his followers. Kyahaahk! Kuhaahk! The nearby demons were empowered. Their ws and teeth sharpened and elongated, their abilities were increased, and their overall appearance became even more hideous than before. The demons weren''t the only ones affected. "Ooh, Lord Ja!" "This is Lord Ja''s blessing!" The Evil God Worshippers brimmed with energy. Amongst them... "Heok!" A new disciple was born. His name was Umtara. Ja had bestowed him the power to destroy everything, Annihtion. "Uhaahk!" His hands secreted dark blue energy, which left behind nothing in its path like a swarm of locusts. "Brother!" Amak said. "High Priest!" Umtara kneeled. The Evil God''s followers had be even stronger. The bigger problem was that they would continue to increase their strength from this point on. * * * The Protectors of the Continent Brigade was gathering manpower. First, the churches gathered their forces and joined the brigade. The free cities sent their troops as well, fearing that they''d meet the same fate as Franco. Soldiers and officers, aside from the absolute minimum required to keep peace within the cities, were sent to the brigade. The free cities also sent food and supplies. The Tower sent their Battle Mages. The Adventurer Guild put up a job to destroy the Evil God Worshippers. Countless yers, assuming that this was a huge event, joined the Protectors of the Continent Brigade. However, therge guilds didn''t act hastily. They adopted a wait-and-see approach. First, they needed to ascertain howrge the risk and return was... So they decided to test the waters. The Great Forest sent their bravest warriors. Although they didn''t send that many, they made up for it in quality. Each and every one of them was extremely skilled. Especially the Nedav Tribe, which was widely recognized as producing the Great Forest''s most warlike, yet bravest warriors. They were led by their chieftain, Aman. The non-humans that lived in the western grasnds didn''t like humans. No, it was more urate to say that they hated them. However, they were united by the belief that the Evil God Worshippers had to be stopped. Thus, Kasten sent their mercenaries. Of course, they weren''t sent for free. The problem was the eastern kingdoms. The Arabas Kingdom, which was taken over by the Empire Guild, made it clear that they couldn''t send a single soldier. Thus, the Des and Baiyan Kingdoms stated that they couldn''t either, as the Arabas Kingdom might attack them while their troops were away. Because they were still monarchies, the three kingdoms possessed thergest armies on the continent. Plus, their troops were powerful and experienced. Unfortunately, the brigade had to wage war on the Evil God Worshippers without them, which really hurt their chances. They had lost one of their most powerful cards. Mahakan tried to persuade them himself, but it was for naught. The Protectors of the Continent had, aside from the three kingdoms'' forces, gathered all of the continent''s forces under one banner. They then headed for Franco in order to destroy the Evil God Worshippers. * * * Vn, Burkan, Kang Oh, and the 100 Fighters decided to act as a detached force. They also gained some reinforcements. First, Darion and the diators! As soon as Darion had recovered, he left the Holiseum and led the rest of the diators here. Next was the Small Sun, Saru! He led the Rakan Priests. "I''m going to find my brother." He nned on fighting the Evil God''s followers while searching for Nazaran. If he managed to find him, then... "I''ll settle things with him," Saru said resolutely, and clenched his fist. He didn''t want to do it, but it was his duty. Finally, Sephiro, Bart, and Helena joined them too! Kang Oh had called them. After all, they were the best of the best, who''d do their part without supervision. "We''ll make our move when the main force attacks," Burkan said. "As I''m sure you know, our goal is to stop the ritual. We also need to take back the sacred treasures too." "Yes, sir!" "Understood." Darion and the diators replied immediately, while Kang Oh''s party listened attentively. Gyaa! Only Waryong voiced its understanding. Saru and his priests sped their hands in prayer. ''Lord Rakan, please lead us to victory!'' * * * The main force, which was under Mahakan''s directmand, advanced on the city. Luckily, Franco wasn''t a city enclosed with walls, so the main force and the Evil God Worshippers engaged in a street battle. Mahakan didn''t lower his guard, but Barus, Odir, etc. believed their victory was guaranteed. The Protectors of the Continent was made up of almost the entire continent''s forces, so its size and power was tremendous. However, things didn''t go as expected in their first battle. "Uheok!" "You monstrous bastard!" "Uaaahk!" The demons were way too strong. The vanguard was made up of the free cities'' troops, but dozens of them couldn''t even handle a single demon. Plus, the ritual was still ongoing. Ja''s power would sometimes seep through the ck hole, empowering the demons, the Evil God Worshippers, and the disciples. Chomp. A giant-mouthed demon devoured two soldiers in a single bite. And whenever the four-armed demon swung its arms, three or four soldiers would fall. Even the yers, who fought alongside the troops, had difficulty fighting off the demons. If they weren''t at least a middle ranker, that is. The Evil God Worshippers were bing stronger and stronger, almost unrecognizably so. Their whips rent flesh, and their curses and wicked magic induced madness in their targets. "Oh light!" "Attack!" "Arise, raging mes!" The churches'' pdins and priests, as well as the Tower''s Battle Mages entered the fray. Only then was the bnce of power somewhat evened out. However, that didn''t go on for very long. Rumble! Boom! All of a sudden, the earth shook, and the buildings broke into pieces. Demons rushed out of the thick dust. They looked to be around 30 meters tall. They were basically four-armed King Kongs. However, their faces looked more like dinosaurs than monkeys. Kurahaaa! They began going on a rampage. ''Rampage'' was definitely the right word for it. The demons randomly swung their fists and feet, killing dozens of troops at a time. Moreover...! Bam! They spewed dark red mes from their mouths. The Metamorphosis Pool, which spawned demons, had also been affected by Ja''s seeping energy. As a result, it created five of these demons that boasted an unbelievable level of strength. "Damn! What the hell are they!?" "Shut up and run!" "There''s no way to run!" "Uheok!" The ordinary troops couldn''t even faze them. Thus, the brigade''s most powerful members stepped forth. The Brilliant Pdin, Barus! Judge Odir! Weapon Master, Valdor! Gold Mercenary, Dida! Cmitous Mage, Lucius! Etc, etc. They worked together to fight off these ''super'' demons. With their intervention, the ordinary troops and yers were able to escape and fight enemies that were more suitable. "Uheok, die!" "Repel the Evil God!" Fierce battles were scattered across Franco. However, Mahakan didn''t look happy. It was only natural. ''The disciples haven''t even shown up, yet we''re only fighting them to a standstill.'' He was more worried about the disciples that''d show upter. * * * Once the main force engaged the Evil God Worshippers, Kang Oh''s detached force made their move. Contrary to the main force, which attacked the city from the south, they entered the city from the north. The main force had drawn the Evil God Worshippers'' attention, so they didn''t see a single person in the streets. "The altar is over there." Vn pointed with his sole remaining arm. They could see the top of the altar from beyond the buildings. "Let''s go." Burkan took the lead. However, it wasn''t long before they encountered resistance. "Hehehe, here you are, you rats." It was Umtara, the most recent addition to the Evil God''s Disciples. The Master Monk, Nemeth, as well as countless demons, had apanied him. Umtara wanted to try out his newfound power as soon as possible. However, Nemeth remained calm. "We''re backing off." "Excuse me? Why?" "Vn''s over there." "Vn... A Grandmaster!" "That''s right. We need Sraka." But they didn''t need to retreat. All of a sudden, a portal appeared, and out came both Sora and Sraka. Sora and Sraka had been on standby, ready to teleport to another location at a moment''s notice. They had been readying themselves for Vn! What if Sraka were to fight on a battlefield without Vn? He would have ughtered the enemy troops. But in Sraka''s absence, Vn may be able to kill Amak or destroy the altar. Thus, the best way of utilizing Sraka was having him fight Vn. "Let''s finish this long fight of ours." "That''s my line." Vn and Sraka fought once more. The rest of the detached force engaged Umtara, Nemeth, and the demon army. The detached force consisted of powerhouses like Kang Oh, Burkan, Helena, and Bart. In exchange, the demon army had way, way more numbers. Not only that, but they were empowered by Ja''s energy, making them much more powerful than usual. Umtara and Nemeth had been blessed by Ja too. Thus... It was anyone''s game. Chapter 460. Two Battles

Chapter 460. Two Battles

Trantor: Boko As always, no one could interfere with Vn and Sraka''s battle. Staying clear of them was the best move. Strangely, their fight waspletely even. Why is that strange, you might ask? The ceremony had empowered the Evil God Worshippers and the demons. The Evil God''s power would periodically seep out of the ck hole. Sraka was strengthened by this energy as well. In spite of that, Vn and Sraka''s fight was dead even. It was as if nothing had changed. Isn''t that strange? However, Sraka hadn''t been strengthened at all. Why? Because he was a Grandmaster. He was essentially a giant bowl that was filled to the brim. There was no room to put anything else in, and there wasn''t enough of the Evil God''s power to increase the size of the container. At the very least, this applied to Grandmaster Sraka. In other words, Vn and Sraka''s fight was no different fromst time. ''I''m a bit stronger,'' Vn thought. ''I''m getting pushed back again,'' Sraka thought. Ultimately, their match wouldn''t be decided easily. Meanwhile, Kang Oh and the detached force battled Nemeth and Umtara''s forces. Burkan and Dion were forced to fight Nemeth together, as he''d been strengthened by the Evil God''s power. He was just that strong. "Repent in death!" Nemeth''s body unleashed destructive energy. Divine Explosion! Boom! The explosion scorched the area with a massive ''boom''. "Ugh." "Tch!" Burkan and Dion were caught in the explosion, and rolled onto the floor. "Submit!" Nemeth punched the floor, and the ground split as if there''d been an earthquake. Burkan and Dion quickly righted themselves, and then leapt into the air. However... a portion of the detached force fell into the cracks. "Uhaaahk!" Kuhaahk! Of course, the demons were no exception! "Are you alright?" Dion, who''dnded on the floor, checked on Burkan. Burkannded on his own two feet, and then assessed the battlefield. It wasn''t looking good. The Evil God Worshippers and the demons were too powerful. The diators just couldn''t match up to them. However, there were those who shined on the battlefield. For instance, Kang Oh! He relentlessly swung his jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword, and engaged Annihtion Umtara, who was surrounded by demons. Sephiro, Bart, and Helena were backing him up. Then there was Saru! He and the Rakan Priests engaged the Evil God''s followers while aiding the diators. "Brothers, maintain formation and aid our troops! Don''t worry about the demons! The diators and I will stop them!" Bam! Saru kicked a demon''s head, causing it to explode. It was enough to make people feel that he was Mahakan''s true sessor. Of course, Nazaran wasn''t even in the running anymore, as he''d betrayed them all. But even if Nazaran was still in the running, Saru would''ve certainly led the Rakan Church in the future. Anyhow, Burkan wanted to trust in Kang Oh and Saru. "Dion, we have to lure Nemeth away from the battlefield. At this rate, his AoE attacks will ughter our troops," Burkan said. Nemeth''s attacks were not only destructive, but had an extremely wide radius. Even if he wasn''t focusing on them, his attacks would kill some members of the detached force. The diators that''d fallen into the cracked earth were a good example of this. They needed to lead Nemeth away from the detached force before they incurred even greater casualties. Of course, that would mean that Burkan and Dion wouldn''t be able tomand the detached force. But it would be alright. Kang Oh and Saru were there! "Master Vn will take care of Sraka, so if we keep Nemeth busy, Kang Oh and Saru should be able to take care of the rest." "Understood." Burkan and Dion continued to battle Nemeth, but steadily led him further and further away from the battlefield. Now, only Kang Oh and Saru''s detached force, as well as Umtara''s forces, remained in the heart of the battlefield. "Lord Rakan!" "How dare you say that heretical name here!?" "Die, you bastards!" "Ja! Ja!" The brutal battle continued. The diators charged at the demons, while the Rakan Priests dealt with the Evil God Worshippers'' wicked spells! Meanwhile, the mind controlled Franco civilians rushed at them like starving zombies. "Give them a taste of the Great Ja''s power!" "Guaaahk!" Umtara''s Annihtion energy swept through the diators, leaving only screams in its wake. "You bastard!" Darion furiously swung his dius, unleashing a Fighting Spirit''s Aura at him. Kyaha! A demon, which was covered in a thick shell, protected Umtara like a living shield. Boom! Unfortunately, his aura wasn''t able to pierce through its shell. However, Bart and Helena immediately followed up with their own attacks. Helena''s eyes glowed blue, and a st of lightning shot out of her staff. One Thousand Forked Lightning! Bart used his specialty, ''Fusion''. Light''s Judgment + ming Spear! Judgment of Fire! Crackle! Roar! The mighty lightning and fire swept through the ground. "Kuhahk!" "Kyahaaa!" Theirbined might was tremendous. As expected of the Numbers! Add to that the Rakan Priests''bined holy spell. Rakan''s Great Sword! A sword of light fell from the sky. Boom! Once it pierced the ground, the sword of light released a wave of holy energy. However, it didn''t do too much damage to the Evil God Worshippers and the demons, as they were supercharged with the Evil God''s power. "Aah, Lord Ja!" "Please lend me your strength!" The Evil God Worshippers threw off their ck robes, and their bodies turned to bronze. Bronze was the metal that represented Ja! A dark red pattern lined their now bronze skin. Wheel of Evesting Pain! Hellfire! Fallen One''s Hand! Impending Doom! The Evil God Worshippers cast wicked spells or curses. However, the power of said spells was shocking. "Ugh!" ck spots covered Terry''s face, a diator known for his good looks. Soon enough, his entire body was dyed ck and he died. What a futile death. The curse, Impending Doom, had killed him on the spot. "Kill as many of them as you can!" Cubam, a diator called the Attack Dog, rushed at and killed a demon, even though his entire body was coated in Hellfire, or ck mes. What incredible willpower! Unfortunately, he wasn''t able to escape unscathed. "Brothers, let''s fight and die together!" Saru yelled, a vein popping out in his neck. His voice was both strong and warm. Just hearing it improved the troops'' morale. "Of course!" "Uwoooh!" The 100 Fighters normally possessed tremendous willpower, so much so that they would never give up a fight. Though the Evil God Worshippers tried to frighten them or cause them to hesitate with their wicked spells and curses, it didn''t work. But when their unbreakable willpower and Saru''s voice werebined... Things began to turn around. Plus... Kang Oh grinned. Gurgle. It was as if his stomach was rumbling. ''Now then, let''s feast!'' The battlefield was the best of restaurants for a predator like himself. After all, there was plenty of prey here. Kang Oh''s body transformed. Devil Trigger! The vicious beast began hunting its prey. * * * The Protectors of the Continent Brigade were fighting for their lives. Kuhaaa! Roar! The five super demons, which were more than 30 meters tall, spewed mes from their mouths that turned the entire battlefield into an inferno. "Guaaaahk!" "S-Save me!" "I''m on fire." "Priest!" That wasn''t all! Whenever they swung their four arms, dozens of soldiers would go flying like a broom sweeping dust away. Several troops were trampled by their giant feet too. "You bastard!" "Die, you monster!" The soldiers thrust their swords and spears at them, and shot arrows at them too, but it was all for naught. Any yer that wasn''t a ranker had no chance of even damaging them. Their skin was so thick that most attacks wouldn''t even leave a mark. They also possessed incredibly high magic resistance. Ultimately, the brigade''s elites were tasked with eliminating the five demons. The Brilliant Pdin, Barus, Judge Odir, Saintess Ta, Battle Priest Taylor, etc., as well as the pdins and priests at theirmand! The Earth Mage, Lucius, who was one step away from bing a Master, as well as his Battle Mages joined in as well! The Weapon Master, Baldor, and his elite troops bravely fought against the demons too. The Nedav Chieftain, Aman, and the Great Forest''s warriors worked with the Kasten mercenaries to fight off one of the super demons. Finally, the elite yers, or rankers, took on the demons too. "Yahoo!" "Hey, he''s mine!" Their facescked anxiety or fear. It was only natural. They were ying a game right now. They alsocked teamwork. However, theypensated with their individual skill. Sometimeter... They were somewhat able to suppress the giant demons. The battle between the two opposing forces had be tense like a tug of war. However, the situation changedpletely once the Evil God''s Disciples entered the fray. "Brothers, spread pain throughout the world, and show it the greatness of Lord Ja!" ughter Lubatchi''s voice resounded throughout the battlefield. He began tomand their forces. Large-Scale Command! "Worshippers, I want each of you to control ten demons a piece. Kill everyst one of them! I want the low-ranking members to fight without regard for their lives too. Lord Ja will be pleased!" The demons, which had previously fought without direction, were now moving ording to the Evil God Worshippers'' wills. "Ja!" "Ja!" They had obviously gotten a lot more dangerous. "Huhehehe. Kill them all!" Garupughed bizarrely, baring his sharp, bronze teeth. The Evil God''s Fourth Disciple, Cannibal Garup! He had lost his life to Vn. However, he was revived using the power of Ilunati''s Snake just a short while ago. Garup had, just like the others, gotten much stronger by absorbing Ja''s power, and had even gained a new ability to boot. Demon Metamorphosis! Bulge! His body swelled and was covered by ck fur, and horns sprouted from his forehead. His sharp, glinting ws were the definition of ''deadly weapons''. "I''ll enjoy eating you all!" Thud! Garup leapt into the air andnded in the heart of the battlefield. Then, he began ughtering the brigade''s soldiers. There were other powerhouses here besides Lubatchi and Garup. His face was covered by a bronze helmet, and his hands and feet were in chains like a prisoner. "Uoooh!" He let out a bestial cry. However, his movements were like that of a well-trained martial artist. They were both precise and powerful. Swish, bam! Bam! Bam! His fist caused the brigade''s troops to explode. However... Mahakan grimaced. He knew right away who that was. How could he not!? "Nazaran!" He was none other than his first disciple and the Steel Monk, Nazaran! That was the identity of the man wearing the bronze helmet. "It really is you!" Mahakan groaned. Nazaran was his disciple. His first disciple at that. How could he not love him? It was just so unfortunate that he''d chosen the wrong path. Plus, it was his responsibility to punish him for his mistakes. "General Hannibal," Mahakan said to the old man at his side. Hannibal was an old man with gray hair, but his eyes were sharp and he had amanding presence about him. He definitely wasn''t someone normal. General Hannibal! He was the resplendent star that protected Altein! "Yes?" "I''ll have to join the battle myself. I leavemand to you." "That won''t be a problem." Hannibal nodded his head. "Hoo." The High Priest of Blood and Iron, the Supreme Commander of the Protectors of the Continent, and the Master Monk; Mahakan, who was called all these things, stepped forth into the battlefield. Chapter 461. The Tragedy of Teacher and Student

Chapter 461. The Tragedy of Teacher and Student

Trantor: Boko A feeling of inferiority wasmonce. There was probably not a single person alive that''d ever not felt jealous of another. Then there was the all toomon feeling of greed associated with it; the ''what if'' I was there instead. Nazaran was all too familiar with these feelings. A priest of Saru''s caliber would inevitably make those around him feel that way. Saru was just that gifted. Was it too much to ask for to be Mahakan''s sessor? No, it wasn''t! However, Nazaran''s inferiorityplex, jealousy, and greed had gone too far, resulting in this tragedy. The Evil God''s High Priest, Amak, had imnted a seed within Nazaran, which only intensified and brought those emotions to the surface; so much so that Nazaran was no longer able to repress them! In the end, Nazaran''s willpower momentarily crumbled, allowing Amak to control him via the Evil God''s seed. After that, Nazaran betrayed them all, stealing Nemeth''s Skull and escaping the Great Temple of Rakan. However, Nazaran was no traitor. He slowly put himself back together amidst the Evil God Worshippers, and was able to think logically once more. However...! All that awaited him was horrific torture, drugging, and magic brainwashing. In the end, theypletely destroyed his mind, and he became nothing more than a beast. But he retained the skills he''d learned under Mahakan. After all, his body remembered the training he''d gone through. Nazaran had beenpletely destroyed by Amak''s evil plot. And...! This horrible tragedy culminated in the meeting of student and master. "Uoooh!" Nazaran was no longer capable of human speech. His mind had beenpletely shattered. However, he was able to move his fists no problem. Those fists were heading straight for his master, Mahakan. Whoosh! Mahakan avoided the fist with quick steps. Contrary to his light feet, however, it felt like a heavy rock was weighing down his heart. ''Nazaran...'' Mahakan saw him up close, and realized that he wasn''t in good shape. It was clear, even by just hearing the bestial shrieks he uttered. There were also signs of torture all over his body, as well as shackles around his wrists and ankles. He was certain that the bronze helmet hid the scars he''d sustained from the torture. Mahakan could guess what he''d been through. He knew that he was no traitor too. Nazaran hadn''t gone rogue, and he had certainly not joined the Evil God Worshippers either. He''d acted against his will. Obviously, Mahakan wanted to save his student. "Nazaran, Nazaran! Come to your senses! Please!" Mahakan yelled desperately. However, all he got in return was a savage cry and a fist. Mahakan couldn''t bear to attack him. He just kept dodging his blows. "Nazaran, it''s me, Mahakan! Your teacher! Pleasee to your senses!" Mahakan''s voice was filled with regret. "Nazaran! Please..." "Uoooh!" However, his pleas went unanswered. ''This won''t work.'' Mahakan changed his approach. Bam! His fist struck Nazaran''s stomach. "Ugh." Nazaran''s body shook. It was only natural. This was a Master Monk''s punch. Mahakan bit his lip. He didn''t want to hit him either, but he needed to shock him. After all, words weren''t working. "Nazaran! Get a hold of yourself!" Mahakan yelled. "Please!" Faith will move a mountain, or so they say. "M-Master...?" For the first time today, Nazaran uttered human speech. "Yeah, it''s me. Nazaran, I''m your teacher, Mahakan!" Mahakan''s face brightened. Perhaps... there was a chance that he''d be able to save Nazaran. "Master... what exactly happened... Uaaahk!" Nazaran knelt down,y face down like a dog, and grabbed his head. Then, he began writhing around. "Nazaran!" Mahakan tightly grabbed onto him and yelled strongly. "You have to stay strong! You''re my student, the Steel Monk, Nazaran! Don''t forget that!" At that moment... Bam! Nazaran''s fist struck Mahakan''s chest. "Keheok." Mahakan stared at Nazaran''s fist and cried out. It was strange. His body was well trained. There was no way Nazaran''s fist would pierce through his chest, no matter how much he''d let down his guard. Plus, his body felt as if it were being drained. Evil energy was spreading through his body via Nazaran''s fist. "Na...zaran?" Mahakan said. "Hehehe." Nazaranughed wickedly. On second thought, it wasn''t Nazaran''s voice at all. It was the Evil God''s High Priest, Amak! The seed he''d imnted within Nazaran''s body was still there, and Amak could take control of him, especially now that Nazaran''s willpower was broken. All this time, Amak had been speaking, not Nazaran. He had merely acted as though he were Nazaran. And once Mahakan approached him, he hadunched a fatal attack using the evil energy radiating from the seed. "Garup, finish him off!" Amak ordered, speaking through Nazaran''s body. "Understood!" Garup, who''d transformed into a hideous demon, quickly came over. "No!" "High Priest!" The brigade''s soldiers and pdins threw themselves at Garup. However, the Evil God Worshippers and demons prevented them from getting any closer. Lick. The demonized Garup licked his lips with his long tongue. Ordinary people probably wouldn''t know this, but people, or human flesh, had certain ''grades''. The more powerful the prey, the more tasty their flesh was. Thus, Mahakan''s flesh was top-tier to a cannibal like Garup. Drool fell from his lips. ''It''s been a while since I''ve had a good meal.'' Mahakan was busy preventing the Evil God''s energy from spreading any further, so he was unable to prevent Garup from biting the back of his neck. Chomp! Mahakan''s eyes widened. Veins popped out of his neck and forehead. Garup attacked with his ws next. His ws were sharper than any ordinary dagger. Swish! His ten ws cut through the flesh in between Mahakan''s ribs. Mahakan felt horrendous pain wash over his entire body. It was like he could see his death approaching. ''Nazaran!'' He didn''t mind dying. However, he couldn''t die without saving Nazaran first. ''I may not be able to save him, but... I can free him from their control, so that he can''t be used any further.'' Whoosh. Bright light glowed from his body. Self-Sacrifice! This skill imparted one with power in exchange for their life; power that would allow them to perform a miracle! Bam! Mahakan''s body exploded in a pir of light. * * * Twin horns of ice sprouted from his ck beast mask! Kang Oh, who''d demonized with Ubist and Sarahoff in hand, cut through the demons and Evil God Worshippers. None were able to stop him. Boom! Abyss w! Yuki-Onna''s Breath! The jet-ck st split into three, resembling a beast''s w, and scraped through the floor. Meanwhile, a cold beam of energy flew from above. The two auras either ripped the demons apart or froze them solid. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He aggressively charged at Umtara. Kuhaahk! A demon with an unusuallyrge right arm swung its fist downwards. His Hyper Intuition had already warned him beforehand, so he dodged the fist, got in close, and then leapt into the air. Swish! He swung his swords with such speed that several sword scars appeared on the demon''s body. Countless other demons swarmed him too. They would attack with their ws and teeth, of course, while some of them spat sharp needles or poison at him. However, none could stop him. "Stop him!" "Stop the heretic!" The Evil God Worshippers, who''d turned bronze, unleashed the Evil God''s energy from their fists. Impending Doom! Wheel of Horrendous Pain! However, they didn''t work. After all, Kang Oh''s curse resistance was extremely high. Roar! ckish mes, or hellfire, came flying at him too. This was one of the Evil God Worshippers'' spells. "Hmph!" Ubist cleaved right through it, and then promptly absorbed it as a snack. After that, the Evil God Worshippers continuously bombarded him with spells. Ja''s Fatal Poison! Bronze Spear! Ruin Bringing Shockwave! Etc, etc. Even Kang Oh couldn''t dodge or absorb all of these spells. But he didn''t have to. He wasn''t alone, after all. Helena''s magic, Bart''s fusion skill, Sephiro''s arrow, and Darion''s aura came flying at the Evil God Worshippers'' spells. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! It was quite the spectacle. A true battlefield was rife with misery and despair, but they were within a game right now. And it wasn''t just any game; it was a fantasy game. Thus, there was much to see within a battlefield like this one. This held true for Helena''s magic and Bart''s skills too, as they were extremely showy. Lightning fell from the sky, me pirs erupted from the ground, and countless ice spears and tsunamis came rushing at their enemies! Bart''s Ice and Fire Giants roamed across the battlefield too. While his allies guarded him and distracted their enemies, Kang Oh aimed for Umtara. "You ridiculous bastard!" Umtara mocked. Bing a disciple had made him quite arrogant. Whoosh. A dark blue me rose from his body. This was the power of Annihtion, which burnt everything in existence! Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''As I expected.'' He had seen this energy before. During the western race war, the Troll Great Chieftain, Razul, had be a disciple of the Evil God and had been bestowed with the same power. ''I should be careful. But that''s all.'' He''d already fought against it before. He knew how powerful it was. Of course, he knew how to deal with it too! "Die!" Umtara yelled sharply. Annihtion Spear! Spinning dark blue energy shot at Kang Oh. As expected, however, it wasn''t very fast. That was the critical weakness that the power of Annihtion possessed. "It''s slow!" Kang Oh dodged the spear, and vertically swung Sarahoff. Although Umtara''s body was covered with the dark blue me, it didn''t help him. Tempest Tiger! The tiger, which radiated clear golden light, raised its front paw and pounced on Umtara. Kuheong! Bam! Tempest Tiger hit him dead on. However, it couldn''t deal much damage to him. Due to the power of Annihtion, Tempest Tiger''s damage was weakened considerably. Its auxiliary effect, the raging whirlwind, more than made up for it. The main attack had weakened the power of Annihtion significantly. Kang Oh briefly withdrew his body, but quickly stood up straight and swung Sarahoff. Sarahoff was as light as always. Add to that... Transcendent de! "Uheok!" Umtara cried out, feeling pain at the center of his chest. However, this was only the beginning. Kang Oh quickly swung Ubist upwards. Lightning Breath! Crackle! The mes of Annihtion rose to protect its master like a swarm of ants trying to protect their home. This time too, the power of Annihtion was weakened by Kang Oh''s primary attack, so he unleashed a secondary attack with Sarahoff. sh! Kang Oh cut the same area again. Unwilling to be the recipient of a one-sided beat down, Umtara widened his eyes and unleashed a st of Annihtion energy. Bam! The Annihtion energy rippled outwards. In exchange for its incredible power, however, it was extremely slow. Kang Oh leapt backwards and avoided the wave. Then, he stomped on the ground. Frozen Spike! Bam! Sharp chunks of ice surged from beneath Umtara''s feet. Because he''d just unleashed the wave of Annihtion, he waspletely defenseless. "Uhaaahk!" Yes, it hurt, but the scream was also one of rage, as Kang Oh was beating him so one-sidedly. But what could he do about it? He was no match for Kang Oh from the start. Plus, it hasn''t been long since he''d be one of the Evil God''s Disciples, so he wasn''t able to use the power of Annihtion to its fullest yet. ''I''ll finish him off quickly, and then end this battle.'' Darkness rose from behind him, which consumed his form. Abyss Transfer! He immediately reappeared behind Umtara. ''This is the end!'' Whoosh! Demon Sword Ubist shook. Abyss Predator! The dark abyss which consumed everything in its path; the demon sword unleashed a wave of darkness that spread like a wildfire. "N-No!" Umtara tried to gather as much energy as he could, but Abyss Predator was like a ck hole that consumed even the power of Annihtion itself. However... It ended in disappointment. All of a sudden, an oval portal appeared beneath Umtara''s feet. "Uheot!" Umtara, who was half consumed by the darkness, was sucked into the portal! Of course, the darkness flowed through the portal too. However, the portal closed halfway through the attack, so it wasn''t able to show its true power. "Tch." Kang Oh had a bitter taste in his mouth. He knew that one of the disciples possessed the ability to teleport. It was Bewitching Sora! She had shown up all of sudden and had saved herrade. However... "Huh?" Kang Oh rubbed his eyes and stared at her again. "Hey, there are two of her." Bewitching Sora! There were two witches in front of him, both wearing the same ck dress. Chapter 462. Spell Fusion

Chapter 462. Spell Fusion

Trantor: Boko ''Does she have a twin? Or is that a doppelganger? It could also be an illusion,'' Kang Oh thought as he stared at the two ''Soras'' standing side-by-side. However, they wouldn''t give him much time to think. The two witches cast spells. Fortunately, the weapons they wielded differed, allowing him to differentiate between the two. Sora #1 carried a ck book, while Sora #2 carried a staff decorated with a bat-shaped ornament. "...mes of darkness, burn the world to cinders!" "...Master of chaos!" Once theypleted their incantations, the two Soras unleashed spells of great power. mes of Despair! The mes spread far and wide like a bird''s outstretched wings. However, it seemed like the mes were actually healing the Evil God''s followers. On the other hand, the ck mes mercilessly burned the detached force. Anyone caught in their path would most likely be met with death. At the same time... Destruction and Chaos! Whoosh! A purple and yellow vortex appeared in the middle of the battlefield, pulling everything in its vicinity in. "Uheok!" "Avoid it!" In an attempt to avoid the swirling vortex, the detached force scattered. In spite of that, dozens of soldiers were pulled in by its tremendous vacuum force. "Brothers, prepare a barrier!" Saru yelled urgently. All of a sudden, Sora #1 and Sora #2 reappeared. The detached force wasn''t sure why they had split into two. Anyhow, their spells were powerful enough to be ssified as ''great magic''. It wasn''t supposed to be this easy to cast great magic, and its strength matched its difficulty; just one spell could turn the tides of battle. Thus, their main priority was to reduce the amount of casualties as much as possible. "Aaah, Lord Rakan!" "I implore you, Supreme One!" The white robed priests sped their hands in prayer. Blue light surged into the air, which then poured down like rain, forming a giant protective barrier around them. The mes of Despair, which spread like a giant wildfire, were unable to burn through the barrier. For the time being, that is. "Hoo!" "We survived!" The mes hade an inch away from killing them, but the barrier had prevented its advance. The soldiers cheered, but it was too early to be celebrating just yet. Whoosh! The whirling vortex of destruction and chaos was still here. "Go!" Bart took center stage. Thud! Thud! Thud! The Fire and Ice Giants approached the vortex from the sides, and simultaneously swung their fists downwards. Bam! Bam! The surrounding area shook from the impact, and the vortex exploded. Boom! The giants, which were closest to the explosion, crumbled instantaneously. That''s just how powerful the explosion was. The nearby demons, Evil God Worshippers, and soldiers weren''t safe from the explosion either. "You witch!" Darion rushed at Sora. Kang Oh quickly appeared right beside him. "I''ll take the left," Kang Oh stared at Sora #2, which was holding the staff, and yelled. "Then I''ll take the right one." Sora #1, which held the ck book, became his mark. The two came to an agreement, and then charged at their respective foes. However, there was someone that got in their way. Kyahahk! The nearby demons threw themselves at them, forming a barricade around the two witches. Sora #1 and #2 used that opening to teleport themselves away from them. A short whileter... The two Soras reappeared, and cast their powerful wicked magic once more. Fortunately, Kang Oh''s party consisted of not just him, but Bart, Helena, and Sephiro. Helena used her magic to fight Sora #1 head-on. Fireballs the size of houses came flying by, and darkness and lightning crashed against each other. Bart continually used his own fusion skills. He fused Swordsman, Mage, Druid, Priest, Fighter, etc. skills and magic together in session, causing those around him to gape. However, Sora #2 was no easy foe. She unleashed evil spirits from her bat-shaped staff, and caused acidic smoke to rise up from the split ground. At that moment... Sephiro entered the fray. His arrows, which had killed countless demons and Evil God Worshippers, were now solely aimed for Sora #1 and #2. Whizz! Sun Piercing Arrow! Earth Shaking Arrow! Fire Dragon''s Arrow! Sephiro used his three strongest attacks. Waryong, which had grownrger than Sephiro himself, spat dark red mes so that no demon could approach its master. Sora #1 cast a barrier, protecting herself from Sephiro''s barrage. Then, Darion rushed in and swung his dius. However, Sora #1 immediately retaliated with a spell, causing him to fall to the floor. It truly was a sight worthy of Darion. Sora #2 created a transfer magic circle. Like most mages, however, her physical abilities were nowhere near her magical expertise, so she was struck by an arrow while walking through the portal. Thwock! "Ugh." Sora furrowed her brow. Of course, it wasn''t enough to cancel her spell. She reappeared in an empty area. The arrow had gone more than halfway through her right ankle. "Huahp!" Kang Oh rushed at her. He had anticipated where she''d reappear, and had moved ordingly. Sora #2 swung her staff, urgently casting a protective barrier. The demons nearby btedly came rushing to her aid as well. However, both her and the demons were toote. sh! Sarahoff cleaved through the middle of her body. Bam! Shards of light exploded like firecrackers. However, something strange happened next. Sora #1, who should''ve been unscathed, received the same wounds! But Kang Oh didn''t realize this right away. He instead focused on killing Sora #2 as quickly as possible. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh''s twin demon swords flew at her like an eagle and a hawk swooping down on their prey. Kuhaahk! The nearby demons threw themselves at him, but to no avail. Kang Oh just cleaved through them and Sora #2. Bam! Bam! Bam! The same thing happened this time too. Sora #1 took the exact same damage as Sora #2. Kang Oh caught it this time. ''So they''re connected, huh.'' Sora #1 and Sora #2 shared HP. In other words, he just needed to defeat one to defeat the other! Kang Oh was right on the money. The Evil God''s overflowing energy had given Sora a new ability. Self-Copy! It was exactly as advertised; she could make an exact copy of herself. This exined why there were two of her. The advantage of this ability had already made itself clear. After all, she was the most powerful mage on their side, and now there were two of her! However, it also had its downsides. Everything was shared, which included HP, MP, pain, status ailments, etc. Which meant that killing one would kill the other. Not only that, but if one side was weakened in any way, then the other side wouldn''t be able to use her full strength. ''Nice. I''ll finish you off quick.'' Kang Oh''s eyes lit with determination. If he defeated one of the Soras, then it''d be like killing two birds with one stone! At that moment... Sora #1, the wielder of the ck book, popped out of the portal. She had appeared to save her counterpart. "...The power of magic!" Shocking Whirlwind! A spiral shockwave shot outwards, as if a taut rubber band had just been released, pushing everything away. It swept everything away, be it the rolling pebbles on the floor, the debris from the broken buildings, the gray, dead bodies, the giant demons, etc.! But Kang Oh didn''t back down. "Haahp!" Kang Oh stayed his ground, and cut through everything that came his way. Sora #1, who was taking care of her counterpart, widened her eyes. She hadn''t expected this at all. If things had gone as nned, then Kang Oh would''ve been pushed back by the shockwave and the debris that came along with them. No, it would''ve at least made him pause. He wasn''t supposed to be pushing through it! "Die!" Kang Oh attacked before they could even react. Like a rapid beast, he cut them again and again with his jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword. Shards of light flew through the air. Their already pale faces lost even more color. They were at the brink of death, their HP almostpletely gone now. ''We can''t keep going like this!'' ''We need to find a way...'' However, there were no demons or Evil God Worshippers they could use as shields. In other words, they were on their own. Sora #1 and Sora #2 simultaneously cast spells. The spells were weak, but they could be cast quickly. sh! Illusion! As hard as it was to believe, Kang Oh was a person too. The blinding light forced him to close his eyes. In spite of that, his swords never stopped for a second. Swish! His de passed through Sora #2. However, her body faded and turned into smoke. It was an illusion. Sora #1 and Sora #2 quickly cast a doubleyered barrier. "Kuha!" Kang Oh let out a battle cry, and struck the barrier from overhead. Kang Oh''s attack power was ridiculously high. Crack! Crack! Boom! The first blow cracked the barrier, the second widened the crack, and the third shattered the barrierpletely. Because it was a doubleyered barrier, there was still one left, but Kang Oh blew through that one instantly too. They tried to escape via a portal, but before it was fully open, Kang Oh''s swords pierced through their hearts. Realizing that there was no escape from this mad beast, the two steeled themselves. ''Let''s see who dies first!'' The two sped each other''s free hands. This was her trump card, a spell that she could only cast because of her new Self-Copy ability. Spell Fusion! It was an arcane spell, which fused two separate spells into a more powerful one! "...Tremble, shatter, destroy..." "...Devour everything..." Before they could finish their chants, Kang Oh shattered their barrier''s finalyer and attacked them. Sarahoff''s cold de sliced Sora #1''s neck, and Ubist pierced Sora #2''s torso. However, they managed toplete their spells before he could finish them off. "...Destroy them!" "...Devour them!" Great Copse! Demon''s Tsunami! The two spells resulted in... Disastrous Land! Whoosh! Wicked energy flowed from their book and staff, which darted forward like a snake and then coiled up. Danger! Danger! Hyper Intuition was warning him of danger. He felt cold from head to toe. Rumble! The ground violently shook. This didn''t look good! "Everyone, get away! Now!" Helena''s expressionless face, which was borderline unfriendly, turned urgent. She had an immense knowledge of magic. Thus, she knew of Magic Fusion, as well as the great power it could unleash! Kang Oh ignored his Hyper Intuition''s warning, as well as Helena''s urgency. He could finish Sora off in just one more hit. If he killed her, then the magic should go away on its own, right? ''Let''s finish this!'' Kang Oh swung Ubist and Sarahoff simultaneously, and the world began to slow. Transcendent de! Swish! He left an X mark on Sora #2''s body. Bam! Amidst the outpouring of shards, Kang Oh saw Sora #2''s face turn gray. At the same time, Sora #1, who shared her counterpart''s HP, fell to the floor too. [You have defeated the Evil God''s Second Disciple, Bewitching Sora.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [You have been given a significant amount of contribution points with the continent''s various churches.] [You have leveled up.] ''Nice!'' However, that happiness didn''tst long. Although the caster had died, the fusion spell persisted. Why, you ask? Fusion spells couldn''t be reversed or taken back. Once cast, they would continue, regardless of the caster''s condition. Whoosh! The coiled up energy spread everywhere. Rumble! The ground split apart and the darkness energy surged, resembling a small hill. And then... Boom! The darkness energy transformed into a giant tsunami, crushing everything in its path. "Tch!" Kang Oh quickly switched to Blood, and dark red wings appeared on his back. Then, he forcefully pped his wings! p! p! Kang Oh soared into the air. "Uheok!" "R-Run away!" "Retreat! Retreat!" The detached force btedly ran away. Sometimeter... The battlefield, where the Evil God Worshippers and the detached force had once fought, had transformed into a giant swamp of darkness. ''Disastrous Land'' was truly an apt term for the spell. This cmitous spell had killed several people. Of course, several demons and Evil God Worshippers had been caught in the crossfire too. Anyhow, there weren''t many that''d survived. Kang Oh, Helena, and Bart had survived. They weren''t Numbers for nothing. Sephiro had also survived. Waryong had picked him up and flown him into the air. Many of the Rakan Priests had survived too. A few of them had cast a Self-Sacrifice spell, giving up their lives to save their brothers. Saru was alive because of them. However, the 100 Fighters had sustained way too many casualties. There were only ten of them still standing. Most of the diators that''d apanied Darion hadn''te out of this alive. If Darion hadn''t carried the diators on his shoulders and escaped the st, then none of them would''ve survived this. "Mm." They had killed Sora and had annihted the enemy force. That was definitely a win. However, the detached force had sustained several casualties, and they couldn''t continue with their mission with such a small handful of troops. "Let''s retreat." Kang Oh and the detached force quickly left therge city of Franco. Chapter 463. Losing a Pillar

Chapter 463. Losing a Pir

Trantor: Boko Mahakan had fallen right into the enemy''s trap. They had used Nazaran as bait, so there was no way he could have avoided it. As a result, Nazaran''s fist pierced through his chest, and Garup''s sharp ws went through his side. Mahakan knew he was going to die, so he cast Self-Sacrifice. This spell allowed the caster to perform a miracle in exchange for their life! "Ooh, Lord Rakan! Punish the wicked!" Whir. A gigantic pir of light surged from Mahakan''s body. "Kuhaaahk!" Garup writhed in pain, his hand still stuck in between Mahakan''s ribs. "I... can''t die again!" Garup desperately resisted the holy light with his Super Regeneration. However, that proved to be impossible. Garup''s body disintegrated and turned to ash. It didn''t even take 5 seconds! Amak, who was controlling Nazaran''s body, didn''t remain unscathed either. The powerful, radiant light burnt away the seed embedded within Nazaran''s body, and dealt tremendous damage to Amak. "Kuheok." In order to conduct the ritual, Amak''s main body stood before the altar. All of a sudden, however, he knelt to the floor and mmed his head against the ground as if he were begging for forgiveness. He also writhed in pain; it was as if his organs were being twisted around. Shards of light spilled from his body like endlessly shedding fur. "High Priest!" "Are you alright!?" The nearby Evil God Worshippers quickly came over and checked on his condition. One of them ced their hand on Amak and immediately turned to ash. The holy energy still wasn''t done with Amak. "Heop!" The other Evil God Worshipper gasped and distanced himself. Amak continued to writhe in pain. Then, Nemeth''s Skull emitted wicked energy, which enveloped his body. "Ugh." Amak cried out once more. It was only natural. Rakan''s power and Ja''s power were shing within his body. Obviously, Rakan''s power slowly gave out. After all, its power source was finite. But that didn''t change the fact that Mahakan''s Self-Sacrifice was extremely powerful. The Evil God''s power was oveing it, but it wouldn''t go down without a fight. If Amak wanted to go back to normal, then he''d need at least ten days to heal. What a relief. The ceremony could only be performed by the Evil God''s High Priest. In other words, it would be postponed for at least ten days. Plus...! The gigantic pir of light had annihted half of the Evil God Worshippers and demons on the battlefield. Three of the super demons had been destroyed by his sacrifice too. Mahakan''sst act of sacrifice had spelled defeat for the Evil God Worshippers. However...! The Protectors of the Continent couldn''t rejoice at this news. Once the pir of light disappeared, the troops could see Mahakan''s form once more. He stood tall, but he didn''t move at all. Tick. A shard of light fell from Mahakan''s cheek. That was only the beginning. His entire body turned to light and dispersed into the air. "No!" "Lord Mahakan!" "Uheok!" "Please no!" Grief-stricken cries filled the air. * * * Mahakan had died. This was a huge loss for the Protectors of the Continent. The High Priest of Blood and Iron wasn''t receable. He was a religious man that had been respected and beloved by many, and was strong enough to reach the level of Master. Plus, he was incredibly famous. He was known by the denizens of the Great Forest, the non-humans in the western grasnds, and even the dwarves in the Phamas Mountains. There were no faults in his personality either. He was a taciturn, yet trustworthy person. Not only had he been extremely charismatic, but he had been an excellent leader as well. The reason they had been able to gather so many troops was because of their fear of the Evil God Worshippers, as well as Mahakan''s name. However... Mahakan had died. The one renowned as the High Priest of Blood and Iron! "Mm." Hannibal, who led the Protectors of the Continent in Mahakan''s stead, bit his lip. He was the general that protected Altein. His skills were unquestionable. Even so, he was no substitute for Mahakan. However... he knew what he had to do. Hannibal nted his feet, and coldly stared at the battlefield. "Hear me, Protectors of the Continent!" the gray-haired old man yelled. "Lord Mahakan has died. Those wicked beings that killed him are still alive. Kill them all! Leave none alive!" He spoke with all the rage he could muster. "He''s right." "You bastards!" "I won''t forgive you!" "I''ll kill everyst one of you!" The brigade''s pdins and diators acted first. They fiercely charged at the nearby demons, almost recklessly so. Even the most handsome priests'' faces sharpened; they gathered holy energy in their hands and unleashed their most destructive spells. The ordinary soldiers'' eyes were filled with hatred and malice. They let out a battle cry, and lunged with their spears or swung their swords. As a final act of respect, Kasten''s mercenaries and the Great Forest''s warriors fought with everything they had. The yers, however, didn''t react much differently. They fought for the same reason as before; for their own entertainment, for rewards, etc. The Evil God''s followers had already lost half of their army. They had also lost three of their super demons. Not only that, but Garup had died too. Nazaran''s shackles and bronze helmet had been shattered, and heypletely silent. His chest rose and fell, so he didn''t appear to be dead. Even though they''d lost Mahakan, the troops'' morale was at its peak. ''We can''t win this.'' Lubatchi disappointingly smacked his lips. If not for Mahakan''s Self-Sacrifice, then... They would''ve had a chance. Then again, Mahakan was dead now, so they had definitely won out on this exchange. "Everyone, retreat. Low-rank demons, stay here and hold them off until the end!" Lubatchi nned on giving them the weakest of the demons and making his escape. "Retreat!" "You useless idiots, go over there and hold them off!" "Lord Ja!" "Ja!" The Evil God''s followers retreated deeper into the city. The super demons disappeared the same way they appeared; through the ground. "Where do you think you''re going!?" "I''ll kill you all!" "Die!" The Protectors of the Continent pursued them in order to kill as many of them as possible. Sometimeter... The battlefield, which was rife with demon and human corpses, was no longer filled with Evil God Worshippers or demons. The Protectors of the Continent had won. However, not a single person cheered. They were saddened by Mahakan''s death. ''What do we do now?'' ''Haa, what do we do?'' ''Aah, Lord Mahakan!'' Normally, they''d advance on the altar and prevent the ritual. But once the battle was over, the troops'' morale hit rock bottom. Battle was no longer feasible in their condition. "Are we going to... advance?" the Brilliant Pdin, Barus, asked. Hannibal shook his head. "I don''t think that''s possible." "But... even now they''re conducting the ritual. Time isn''t on our side." Judge Odir''s eyes were red with tears. He was truly saddened by Mahakan''s death. That''s precisely why he wanted to finish what Mahakan had started. It''s what he would''ve wanted. Topletely annihte the Evil God Worshippers! "I know. But take a look at the troops," Hannibal whispered. The soldiers lookedpletely lifeless. They had just gone through a bloody battle, fueled only by their desire for revenge. But that spark, that desire for vengeance, could sustain them no longer. "Mm." Odir bit his lip. Then, he said heavily, "Let''s retreat and reorganize our troops." "Yes." The Protectors of the Continent left Franco. They had lost something irreceable. * * * The detached force was camped out in a forest north of Franco. "Wee." Vn, Burkan, and Dion came after them. They hade back after fighting off Sraka and Nemeth, the two most powerful members of the Evil God Worshippers. They weren''t able to finish them off. "What the hell happened?" Dion said in disbelief, seeing the state of the detached force. "Hoo, well you see..." One of the 100 Fighters exined in detail. They had sustained huge casualties from the witch''s wicked spell. "Impossible!" Dion groaned, and Burkan''s face darkened. Sometimeter... They received even more shocking news from the main force. Mahakan had died. "T-That''s not possible!" Saru suddenly stood up. ''Master is dead? That''s impossible!'' Saru couldn''t ept what had happened. Vn, Burkan, and Dion''s expressions stiffened. That wasn''t news that they could just brush off. But if Mahakan truly was dead, then there was something they had to do as soon as possible. They had to pick someone else to lead the Protectors of the Continent! "Mm, let''s go." Vn, Burkan, and Saru headed for the main force. * * * A new leader was chosen. Like how Mahakan was chosen, the church''s representatives discussed and came to an agreement. After all, the churches were in direct opposition to the Evil God Worshippers. The churches truly wished for the Evil God Worshippers'' destruction more than any other force thatprised the Protectors of the Continent. They obviously sent every soldier they could spare in order to annihte them. Thus, a few of the churches'' High Priests were suggested. For example, the Sabra Church''s High Priest, Luina, the Church of Light''s High Priest, Sai, and the Church of Fertility''s High Priest, Malik. However, they were all old, and they weren''t nearly as renowned as Mahakan. That''s just how influential the Rakan High Priest was; after all, the Rakan Church was the most powerful and most well-known church on the continent. The High Priests didn''t believe they could fill the void left by Mahakan, so the executives decided to pick someone amongst themselves. They agreed on three names. First, General Hannibal. He was a man of extraordinary character, and his leadership was second to none. He was also pretty charismatic. Of course, his abilities weren''t nearly as good as Mahakan''s. Unfortunately, he wasn''t renowned enough to bring the Great Forest''s warriors, Kasten''s non-human mercenaries, and countless yers all together. Then there was the Guardian of the Continent, Vn. His power was undeniable. He was a Grandmaster, after all! He was also incredibly charismatic. However, he wasn''t skilled in leading others. Plus, he had strongly refused the position. Burkan was the final candidate. He was the most suitable recement for Mahakan. He was extremely renowned as the Invincible diator, was a Master like Mahakan, and was charismatic enough to bring all the diators together! Plus, he was a devout follower of Rakan, so he was well liked by the other churches. However, he had nevermanded such arge army before, and some imed that he was too young. But that wasn''t much of an issue. After all, General Hannibal could remain by his side and assist him. Ultimately, Burkan filled the role of suprememander in Mahakan''s ce. "I won''t forget Lord Mahakan''s sacrifice. We must punish the Evil God''s followers." Burkan''s inaugural speech was short, but profound. He also went right to work. He requested reinforcements from the various churches and free cities, and began reorganizing their troops. He also asked the four great guilds for assistance. While they had great power, they were always so slow to act. Thus, they were offered a sizable reward in exchange for their help. * * * Burkan, Saru, and the Rakan Priests were removed from the detached force. It was only natural. Burkan had assumed the role of suprememander, and with Mahakan dead and Nazaran out ofmission, leading the Rakan Church fell to Saru. As the new Rakan High Priest, Saru had to look after his church''s pdins, priests, and followers, and lead them himself. But in their absence, the detached force was given reinforcements. The Great Forest''s warriors filled the void. Each and every one of them was just as skilled as the diators they were recing. "It''s been a while." "Indeed." Kang Oh and Aman greeted each other. In the past, the two had fought side-by-side. Several members of the Witch''s Forest had joined them as well. The Blue Knight, Plum, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, and the Kind Druid, Yericka were a given, but several other skilled members had decided to join in. Asu had obviouslye along too. "Hehe, Oppa." "Hehe." Kang Oh and Asu had a short date deep within the forest. Chirp! The ever so cute Rudy hade along too. Rudy would follow Waryong everywhere. Why, you might ask? Waryong would spew mes in order to chase Rudy away, but Rudy would eat those mes! Rudy really liked how Waryong''s mes tasted. Bart''s friends came too. The Assassin, Viper, the Storm Fighter, Rohan, and the Wolf Warrior, Mn! They were all high rankers, so they were all sufficiently skilled. Thus, the detached force hadn''t weakened significantly, even with Burkan and Saru''s absence. For now, they waited. They waited until the main force was ready for their final battle with the Evil God Worshippers. The final battle would probably begin in a few days. After all, they had to stop Ja''s ritual as soon as possible! Chapter 464. Avenger Set

Chapter 464. Avenger Set

Trantor: Boko Man Bok was the bearer of good news. - Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Hoffman wants you to pick up your order. He''s finished with it. ''Finally!'' Kang Oh had asked Hoffman to make him some leather armor. It was created using dragon materials, as well as other invaluable materials, with the collective skill of a Master cksmith and a Master Tailor! - Thank you for telling me! Kang Oh immediately headed for the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. What good timing. The way it was going, the final battle with the Evil God Worshippers would be in a few days. He was lucky; he''d get a chance to rece his equipment before the final battle! Whir! Kang Oh appeared via the transfer magic circle. "You''vee, Brother?" The Dwarven Warrior happily greeted him. He remembered fighting alongside him against the Great Lava Spirit. He probably saved him personally, though he didn''t remember what his name was. "Nothing much going on?" "Not really. Besides the fact that Phamas Beer tastes as good as ever." "Please don''t drink too much." "Phamas Beer isn''t alcohol. It''s life itself. So the more you drink, the better!" Kang Oh passed the Dwarven Warrior, and headed for Hoffman''s personal workspace. The closer he got, the more his heart throbbed. ''I wonder what it''ll be.'' Apparently, they had used arge quantity of dragon materials in order to create the armor, so... ''It should be SS-rank, right?'' Please be SS-rank! He walked down the stairs, and saw a door at the end of it. Light peeked out from the opening, and the nging of a hammer could be heard from within. Kang Oh went inside, and saw Hoffman and Dink. "You''re here," Dink said. "I heard the armor was done." Dink nodded his head. "Did it turn out well?" Kang Oh asked, his voice trembling. "Look for yourself," Hoffman put down his hammer and said. "It''s over there." Hoffman pointed at the armor set. The leather armor hung from a clothes rack. It was an armor set that consisted of a hat, gloves, boots, a top, and bottoms. The top was a long leather jacket, while the bottoms were narrow-legged, ssy pants. Kang Oh liked the color. It was pitch-ck like the night sky! The gloves were made of metal, not leather. It wasn''t made of glittering silver, but heavy silver that glowed with faint light! They were more like greaves, as they went all the way up his forearms. Upon closer inspection, it was lined with leather inside. He suddenly wanted to put his hand inside, as it seemed like it''d feel incredibly soft. The boots were made of metal too. They were simple, without any shy ornaments or decorations. That just made him like them even more. Like the gloves, they were lined with leather inside. The hat was a hood that was attached to the jacket. Of course, it couldn''t be removed. It was also adorned with ornaments that resembled a dragon''s wings. If the hood was worn inside out, then these metal wings would be revealed at the ears. Overall, Kang Oh really liked the design. It was simple, yet ssy. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed, and then reverently stretched out his hand. He examined the leather jacket first. [Avenger''s Night Sky Jacket] An armor set created by the Master cksmith, Hoffman, and the Master Tailor, Dink. The set name is Avenger. To think that dragon leather could be handled so perfectly. The dragon leather is wless, and retains all of its original properties. Hoffman, the master of alloys,bined dragon bone, dragon scales, and rare metals together to create a mysterious alloy. The leather armor was made out of thread extracted from this mysterious alloy. It is a perfect coboration between two Masters! There is no doubt; it is a masterpiece. + 3 Set Effect: Dragon Armor. Reduces all damage by 30%. There is a fixed chance that magic or curses is reflected. There is also a fixed chance that your opponent''s physical attacks miss. + 4 Set Effect: Dragon''s Fury. Unleashes a destructive beam of energy that crushes everything in its path like a rampaging dragon. Physical attribute attack. User''s attack power increases the power of this attack. Cooldown: 10 minutes. MP Cost: 10,000. + 5 Set Effect: Summons the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir, for 1 minute. Shumir imbues you with great power, and also fights by your side. Cooldown: 1 hour. MP Cost: 0. Rank: SS. Abilities: Defense +880, Main Stats +60. Minimum Requirements: Avenger title. Gulp. Kang Oh instinctively swallowed. This was a bad habit of his when he came across an amazing item. The more his Adam''s apple moved, the better the item was. His Adam''s apple had never moved more. Which meant that the Avenger set was the best item set he''d ever seen. Look no further than the 3 piece set effect. Dragon Armor. Not only did it reduce all damage by 30%, but it had a chance of reflecting magic and curses. It could also make his opponent''s attacks miss. This effect already made it a masterpiece, but it had two more excellent effects! Dragon''s Fury was, like Lightning Breath, an extremely powerful finishing move. No, it was much stronger than Lightning Breath. It cost 10,000 MP to use, while Lightning Breath cost 3,000 MP. Finally, the Avenger set allowed him to summon the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir. Kang Oh knew only a little bit about it. Shumir was almost on par with a Great Spirit. In terms of levels, it was over level 500. The Avenger set''s defense was much higher than the Draka''s set defense. Plus, it would increase his main stats by 60. "Jackpot!" Kang Oh yelled. He couldn''t hold back his excitement. ''This is the best. No doubt!'' He quickly looked over the other items too. [Avenger''s Dragon Wing Hood] [Avenger''s Dragon Talon Gloves] [Avenger''s Gxy Walking Boots] [Avenger''s Night Sky Pants] The set effects were the same, but the equipment''s defense and stat increases were far greater than the Draka set. However... "Huh?" Kang Oh was so excited that he''d skimmed over a small little detail: the equip requirements. The Avenger set didn''t require a specific level, stats, ss, etc. The wielder only needed the Avenger title. "Avenger?" It was a title he didn''t have. He also had no idea how to obtain it. He was in a pickle. How would he obtain this title? Fortunately, he was worried over nothing. "Once you take the Avenger set, you''ll receive a quest for the Avenger title," Dink said. Kang Oh''s face brightened. "Ah, is that so?" "However, the quest will be extremely difficult. After all, it will allow you to equip the armor." Hoffman was definitely warning him. He needed to take the quest seriously. "I''m going toplete the quest no matter what," Kang Oh said firmly. ''And I''ll wear the Avenger set!'' "Take it." "Thank you so much!" Kang Oh stashed the Avenger set. Then, he heard a beep and quest popped up. [Revenge by Proxy] Take revenge for the vengeful spirit, Michael. If you ept the quest, you will receive more detailed information. Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: The Avenger Set. Rewards: Avenger title. Failure: Unknown. [Would you like to ept the quest?] [If you ept the quest, then canceling it is impossible.] Kang Oh scowled. "Hmm." He wouldn''t be able to find out more before he epted the quest. But if he did ept the quest, he would have toplete it. Was it a tacit warning? Was it telling him not to ept it without any prior thought? What if Michael wanted revenge on a dragon? To make matters worse, what if he had a limited amount of time toplete the quest? He couldn''t even cancel the quest either. The quest probably wouldn''t ask him to kill a dragon, but there was a chance that he could fail the quest based on the difficulty and its contents. At the same time, he couldn''t investigate who Michael was. After all, Michael was such amon name. It was like looking for a man with the name ''Kim'' in Seoul. ''What do I do?'' Kang Oh grabbed his chin and began to tap his fingers. No matter how he thought about it, there was only one option here. ''I can''t do it right now.'' He would participate in a huge battle with the Evil God Worshippers in a few days. Plus, he hadn''t finished Vn''s quest yet. He still had a long way to go. Kang Oh didn''t have the time toplete the Avenger set''s quest. Considering how great the armor was, the quest would be extremely difficult. It may take him a long time toplete too. Postponing the quest until he had time toplete it was definitely the right move. However, it felt like such a waste. He had such great armor at his fingertips, but he wouldn''t be able to use it! Plus, the quest may be easier than expected. Not to mention how much the Avenger set would help him during the final battle with the Evil God Worshippers. ''Should I ask Vn for his help?'' he suddenly thought. If Vn helped him, then no quest would be too difficult! If there was a secret to be found, then his Hyper Intuition would help him find it quickly, and if there was something that needed killing, then Vn could help him take care of it. Considering how arrogant Vn was, there was little chance of him helping him. ''I suppose it wouldn''t hurt to ask.'' It would truly be a waste to let the Avenger set rot in his inventory. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh bid them farewell and left the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. * * * "Master Vn!" Kang Oh said. "What?" Vn was as prickly as always. "Please take a look at this." Kang Oh passed him the Avenger set. "It''s good armor," Vn took a quick look and said. "It''s not just ''good''. It''s the best. But if I don''tplete the quest, then I can''t equip it. Aah, if only I could equip this armor set. I''d be able to fight the Evil God Worshippers much more effectively..." Kang Ohid out the bait. "You''re too wordy. Just get to the point," Vn said. "Please help me." If Vn agreed to help him, then the quest wouldn''t be a problem. However, Kang Oh was ready for him to refuse. Taking into ount Vn''s normal attitude, there was no way he would ept his request. However... "Alright." "Ah, c''mon. Don''t be like that... Wait, what?" Kang Oh''s eyes widened. ''Did I hear wrong?'' "I said I''d help you." He wasn''t hearing things. "R-Really?" Kang Oh had prepared a few lines for when Vn refused him. Something like ''You haven''t done anything for me, your sessor, so why don''t you help me with this?''. However, he didn''t need to use any of his ten or so excuses. Surprisingly! "Why? You don''t want my help?" "No, please help me!" "Hurry up and ept that quest. Tell me what it''s about." Vn wasn''t doing this out of the kindness of his heart. He wanted Kang Oh at his best in their final battle with the Evil God Worshippers. "Yes, sir." Kang Oh''s face brightened. ''Oh, how unexpected!'' [You have epted the quest, Revenge by Proxy.] [You can no longer cancel the quest.] Then, a gray spirit appeared. He was a middle-aged, bald man, who had a bushy beard and a pudgy stomach. This must be Michael. "Are you the one who''ll get my revenge?" Michael said hoarsely. His voice was filled with rage. "That''s right. What do you need me to do?" Kang Oh asked. The spirit''s face grimaced. "Let me show you." At that moment... A memory yed before his eyes. Chapter 465. Revenge by Proxy

Chapter 465. Revenge by Proxy

Trantor: Boko It was a desert; a sea of sand below the blistering heat of the sun! Rat-a-tat-tat! Nasty looking men rode on galloping horses, which created a thick dust cloud behind them. They soon arrived in a quarry, which was filled with nothing more than sand and some yellow grass. "Let''s go." The men got off their horses and entered a normal-looking cave. "The Gold Valley!" the leader yelled as soon as they reached the end of the cave. Then, something extraordinary happened. Rumble! A giant boulder, which blocked their path, rolled to the side and revealed a road that led somece else. None of them looked surprised. It seemed like they were used to this phenomenon. The men went inside. The passageway inside was as tiny as an ant tunnel. However, there was a giant space thaty at the end of the tunnel. It was no normal room. "Hurry up and get a move on!" "Do you want to die!?" It was a giant workhouse! The overseers repeatedly yelled and swung their whips, their eyes filled with murderous intent. The workers beneath them were mining something. It shone with yellow light... It was gold! That''s right. This was a gold mine. "Hurry up and move! Do you want to die!?" Swish, bam! An overseer''s whip struck anky, elderly man''s back. "Ugh," the man weakly cried out, and then died. "Wait, you''re dead already? Hey, hurry up and get him out of here!" Although he''d just killed a man, he bore no guilt whatsoever. He truly was the worst that humanity had to offer! However, this wasn''t a rare sight; the same thing, or worse, was happening all over the workhouse. It was only natural. This was a ce where people were bought and sold, and worked to the bone as ves; it belonged to a criminal organization, and was called the Desert Fox''s Nest! The recording continued. Now, it began to depict Michael''s tragic end. When he was young, Michael served as one of the Des Kingdom''s Desert Warriors, but when he got older, he became a nomad; a nomad that roamed across the desert''s various oases. Eventually, he was caught by the Desert Fox Brigade. Him and his entire family included! The Desert Fox sold his wife and daughter somece else, and forced him and his son into vebor. His son was the first to go, unable to withstand the harshbor. Michael cradled his son''s dead body, even as he was being whipped by an overseer, and swore he''d get revenge someday. He would kill them all no matter what! Michael bided his time, and then fought back against the organization. In his youth, he was a renowned warrior, so he was able to kill an overseer and steal his weapon. Then, he swung his sword in a frenzy in an attempt to kill all of them. However... The Desert Fox''s leader showed up. He was too powerful. So much so that Michael wouldn''t be able to win against him in his prime! Ultimately, Michael was overpowered and captured. However, the boss was crueler than the average person. He retrieved Michael''s wife and daughter, who''d already been sold, and killed them before his eyes. The leader was making an example out of him, so that the ves wouldn''t think to rebel again. "Uaaaahk! I''ll get my revenge no matter what!" After that, Michael was killed by the Desert Fox''s leader, and became a vengeful spirit due to his grudge. "The Desert Fox Brigade are trash that operate on the borders of the Des, Baiyan, and Arabas Kingdoms. Kill them all as painfully as possible! And I want you to liberate those that have been imprisoned as fast as you can!" Michael said furiously. [Detailed information has been added to the quest, Revenge by Proxy.] [The quest has a limited timeframe. Remaining Time: 7 Days.] "Those sons of bitches!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. To think they''d kill his family right in front of him! Michael was right; they really were the worst. Kang Oh stared at Vn. "Did you see it?" He was making sure Vn had seen Michael''s story. "I did." Vn''s face was stone cold. "Where exactly is their cave?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll take you there." "Let''s go now." Kang Oh suddenly stood up. Vn nodded his head and followed suit. "Ah, there''s something I have to add." "What is it?" "Their leader is a Master Desert Warrior." "Excuse me?" ''A Master? Like Mahakan and Burkan?'' Kang Oh realized that this quest was a lot harder than it first seemed. "Why''s a Master going around doing stuff like that?" Kang Oh couldn''t understand him. "Sraka''s an Evil God Worshipper, yet he''s a Grandmaster. One''s character and skill arepletely separate." "Mm." He was right. After all, Vn was a good example of this. "His name is Gajil. He was once a promising Desert Warrior from the Baiyan Kingdom, but he eventually fell from grace due to his lust for money. I hadn''t heard news of him for a while, but I didn''t think this was what he was doing," Vn said angrily. With great poweres great responsibility! Gajil''s actions went against Vn''s beliefs. Thus, he needed to punish him for his wrongdoings. "Let''s go and take care of him." Who cares if he''s a Master? He had a Grandmaster right next to him! "Yeah, let''s go." Kang Oh and Vn immediately headed for the desert. * * * When Kang Oh had first started ying Warlord, he was carried (a high level yer helping out a low level yer) by a renowned yer. The more skilled the yer and the more efficiently they cared for a low leveled yer, the better the results. That was the only time Kang Oh had ever been carried. But today... Kang Oh, who was led to the Desert Fox''s Nest, was being carried by the very best. The Guardian of the Continent, Vn! "Enemies..." "Tres..." None of their enemies could block or evade Vn''s de. One by one, they were judged by Vn''s sword. "I''ll take care of Gajil. Protect the prisoners," Vn said. "Yes, sir," Kang Oh immediately said. Kang Oh wasn''t strong enough to take on a Master yet. However, no one else here would be able to pose a threat to him. "I sense his presence over here. I sense several people over there," Vn said at a forked road. "Let''s split up here." "Please be careful." "Careful? Me?" Vn grinned. He was as arrogant as always. "Yeah, yeah." Kang Oh brushed him off and went off to rescue the prisoners. "Who are you!?" "Where do you think this is!?" A ton of trash barred his way. There were dozens of them. "Hmph." Kang Oh pulled out Blood. It felt like a waste to use two swords against this trash. Kang Oh quickly swung Blood, and fully charged it in a sh. Fifteen red stars appeared along Blood''s de. Festival of Blood! Blood Bomb! Boom! Blood red energy exploded from Kang Oh''s body, sweeping through all the trash around him. There was no trace of them left. "H-He''s strong!" "Call the boss!" The viins cowered before Kang Oh''s might. Kang Oh had no intention of letting even a single one of them live. He mercilessly swung his sword again and again. Mad Wind''s Sword! Blood Bomb! Boom! None of them could stop Kang Oh. Sometimeter... Kang Oh reappeared at the forked road, but was followed by several people. They were the people he''d saved. "C-Can we really leave?" a man asked. He shook at the thought of the Desert Fox''s leader. After all, he was quite the frightening individual. Kang Oh had some idea as to what he was thinking. Thus, he simply smiled and spoke softly to assuage them. "It''ll be alright." After all, he hade with an even more frightening individual. In no time at all, they had reached the entrance. "You''re here?" Vn was waiting for him. "What about Gajil?" Kang Oh asked, and Vn swiped a finger across his neck. "Already?" ''How did you kill a Master this quickly!?'', he wanted to say, but considering how powerful he was, it made sense. ''He really is amazing.'' There were no ws in Vn''s skill. "He was a Fake Master," Vn said. "A Fake Master?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "He''s a Master all right. But he hasn''t trained a lick after reaching that stage, so he''s a Master only in name. These guys are the easiest to kill." All Masters weren''t on the same level. They were divided into ranks as well. Apparently, Gajil fit into the lowest echelon of Masters. "Let''s go." "Yes. Everyone, please follow me!" It took a quarter of a day to kill the ''Terror of the Desert'', the Desert Fox Brigade, and save the prisoners. As expected of Vn! There was no quest he couldn''tplete with him at his side. * * * All eyes were on Franco. It was only natural. After all, it was where the war that would determine the fate of the continent would take ce. If the Evil God was truly brought into the world, then the world would be filled with chaos. But even at this time, there was an organization that was only focused on their own gain. "All forces, charge!" 50,000 of the Arabas Kingdom''s troops crossed the Baiyan Kingdom''s border. Dukeram was at the helm of this army. Emperor Dukeram, ranked 1st amongst all yers! The greatest and most powerful of them all! He hadplete control over the Arabas Kingdom''s military. "Hehe, finally." "What a time to be alive. It''s time for us to let loose!" "Indeed!" Dukeram''s executives couldn''t withhold their excitement. Empire. This was their dream, after all; to unite the continent under one banner, one empire. * * * Empire, Breaker, Storm, and Steel Heart were the four most powerful guilds. That''s why they were called the 4 great guilds. Of course, these four guilds had a power structure too. The Empire Guild was the most powerful. This had always been the case. Second ce was either Storm or Breaker. You could go either way. These two guilds had profited significantly from the Ecle War. Inst ce was Steel Heart. Unlike Breaker or Storm, Steel Heart had lost the war. As a result, they had incurred significant losses. Although they''d somewhat recouped their losses, they had been forced to halt all their activities outside following the war and heal their wounds. However, Steel Heart was profiting immensely by providing the Protectors of the Continent with war supplies. On the contrary, Breaker and Storm weren''t so quick to join the war. The reason was simple. They wanted to prevent the Empire Guild from aplishing their goals. The Empire Guild had consumed the Arabas Kingdom whole. Soon, they would devour the Baiyan and Des Kingdoms too. That was made clear when the Arabas Kingdom had refused the Protectors of the Continents'' request for aid. Normally, Storm and Breaker wouldn''t be worried about the Empire Guild taking over the Arabas Kingdom. After all, the free cities existed. These free cities elected their own officials, and couldn''t be controlled by therge guilds. But they hadn''t expected the Empire Guild to try and control all three of the desert kingdoms, which still had a monarchy in ce! This wasn''t something that could happen overnight. They had definitely nned this from the very beginning. Whatever the case, the Empire Guild had taken control of the Arabas Kingdom, giving them power that no other guild could normally obtain. But what if they were to take control of the other kingdoms as well? They would be unassable. Breaker and Storm were afraid of this. Thus, when the Empire Guild made their move, the two guilds stood against them and slowed down their progress. Like right now. Storm and Breaker''s leaders, Hernandez and Raon, had heard news of the Empire Guild''s advance. However... The Protectors of the Continent had sent them a request for aid. The reward was almost too enticing to give up. Hernandez and Raon had two choices ahead of them. They could either participate in the war against the Evil God Worshippers, or halt the Empire Guild''s advance! Logic dictated that they head to the desert. The problem was that it wouldn''t yield very much in return. Sure, the Des and Baiyan Kingdoms would reward them, but it wouldn''t amount to much. They hadn''t asked them toe, and they wereing over to fight on their own ord. "What do we do?" Hernandez asked Han Seol. Han Seol was an intelligent woman who served as Storm''s vice-captain. "Isn''t it obvious? We have to stop the Empire Guild." "But... Won''t Baiyan be alright on its own? Do we really need to step in? As you know, if we go to the desert, then we can''t fight the Evil God Worshippers. You know what we''ll be missing out on, right?" They would lose out on a ton of gold, the ability to pick items out of arge city''s treasure house, and a huge amount of contribution points from the Tower. Not only that, but it was also a good opportunity to increase their closeness with the forces thatprised the Protectors of the Continent. There were plenty of other opportunities that would yield them a huge profit. Especially the churches! If they got close to a church as powerful as the Rakan Church, then they wouldn''t need to fear the Empire Guild. "Joining the Protectors of the Continent may be more profitable in the short run, but if we don''t stop the Empire Guild now, then they''ll be unstoppableter on. If that happens, we''ll lose everything," Han Seol said decisively. "Still..." "We''re going to the desert!" The decision had already been made. "Fine." Hernandez nodded his head. The Storm Guild''s elites headed to the Baiyan Kingdom. At around the same time, the Breaker Guild mobilized their own troops. They were headed for... "We''re headed for the desert!" The ck Lion, Raon, had strongly pushed for this oue. Eight out of ten of their executives had insisted that they join the Protectors of the Continent. They argued that the profits would be far greater in the short run. However, Raon stood firm, and they ultimately followed their guildmaster''s decision. What would be the result of their decisions? They''d just have to wait and see. Chapter 466. Annihilate the Evil God Worshippers (1)

Chapter 466. Annihte the Evil God Worshippers (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Vn decided to take the freed prisoners to a nearby city. This was also Michael''s request. After all, danger lurked in every corner of the desert. For example, there was the hot weather, monsters, quicksand, sandstorms, mirages, etc. You never knew what kind of danger you''d face. Thus, it made sense for them to take full responsibility of the freed prisoners till the very end. There was a giant procession of people that stretched from the quarry to the sand dune above it. Kang Oh and Vn stood at the front of it. The pale spirit, Michael, deeply bowed his head at Vn. "Thank you so much!" When Vn and Kang Oh had parted ways at the forked road, Michael had followed Vn. He wanted to see his mortal enemy, the one who''d murdered his family, killed right in front of him. It was the best decision he could''ve made. Although Vn called him a Fake Master, it didn''t change the fact that Gajil was strong. Even if it''s rotten, it''s still a herring. However, Vnpletely overpowered him. Tears streamed down Michael''s face when he saw Gajil plead for his life. It was because of trash like him that he, his family, and countless others had lived a life of suffering! When Vn struck him down, he felt several emotions at once. He felt pleased, which was followed by a sense of futility. Then, he felt a sense of yearning for his family and felt apologetic. In any case, they had upheld their end of the bargain. There was no better person than Vn to get his revenge. "I am thankful to you too," Michael said to Kang Oh. "It was nothing." Kang Oh grinned. ''After all, it''ll let me equip an SS-rank armor set.'' Kang Oh hadn''t really done much anyway. The main difficulty of this quest was killing Gajil, but Vn had solved that problem for him. If Kang Oh was forced to kill Gajil on his own, then it would''ve been really hard for him. It was only because Vn was here that the quest was so easy. Of course, if Kang Oh used Gluttony, Devil Trigger, and his triple demon swords properly, then he probably would''ve won regardless. After all, Gajil was much weaker than other Masters like Burkan or Dukeram. ''I should ask him to help me y a dragon.'' Kang Oh nced at Vn. He would eventually have to kill Inarius. What if Vn joined him? His help would be invaluable! "Excuse me... Master Vn." "Not going to happen," Vn said decisively. "I''m sorry?" ''I didn''t say anything yet.'' "It''s written all over your face. You want me to help you with something else, but it''s not going to happen." He was really quick on the uptake; he was even quicker to refuse. "Ahem." Kang Oh coughed and shut his mouth. He hadn''t given up yet. ''I''ll ask him again if I get the chance.'' Kang Oh decided to postpone it forter. "I-It''s an oasis!" "It''s the desert city of Ticon!" "We can go home!" "Hueehk." Once they passed the sand dune, they saw a city with an oasis and gray houses. The freed prisoners cheered and marveled at the sight. They actually felt like they were free upon seeing a city. Sometimeter... "Thank you! Thank you so much." "We won''t forget what you''ve done for us!" "Please visit the Baiyan Kingdom''s Nadal Tribe. We''ll be sure to repay you!" The freed prisoners expressed their thanks to Kang Oh and Vn, and then left one or two at a time. They headed for their hometowns or houses! Once they all left, Michael''s body radiated dim light. "I''ll be sure to repay this debt in my next life." Michael''s body gradually dimmed, and eventuallypletely disappeared. He had attained peace. [You have avenged Michael.] [Spirits are now aware of your existence. Very rarely, spirits may seek you out, asking you to avenge them.] [You havepleted the quest, Revenge by Proxy.] [You have acquired the title, Avenger.] [You have leveled up.] "Oh, yeah!" Kang Oh clenched his fists. Then, he equipped the Avenger set. [You have equipped the Avenger''s Night Sky Jacket.] [You have equipped the Avenger''s Night Sky Pants.] ... [The set effects, Dragon Armor, Dragon''s Fury, and Incarnation of Vengeance, are now active.] Kang Oh wore the long coat and pants, which were both as ck as the night sky! The glittering gauntlets and boots shined like stars. The boots actually had the word ''gxy'' in their name. ''Then you add in...'' Kang Oh pulled out his jet-ck greatsword and snow-white sword, and assumed various poses. ''Man, this is great!'' Vn, who was watching him, said, "Stop goofing around." "Don''t I look cool?" Even though he was told off by Vn, Kang Oh turned around and marveled at his appearance. "That''s not why I helped you." "I know." "Let''s go back. You want to test that armor out, don''t you? I have just the thing." The final battle with the Evil God Worshippers was near. "I''ll kill them all!" Kang Oh felt like he could take on the Evil God himself. "Yeah, do your best. Make sure of it." It was almost as if he were threatening him. ''I helped you this much, so you better deliver. If not, then you know what''s waiting for you, right?''. "Yes, sir!" Kang Oh raised his voice like a private in the army. He had to look his best in front of Vn. If he wanted to get his help next time, that is. * * * Burkan, who had assumed leadership over the Protectors of the Continent, was crazy busy. Of course, he wasn''t the only one. The brigade''s executives were just as busy. The busier they were, the more smoothly things went when it came to preparations for the final battle. "Our troops'' morale has gone back up." "We''ve procured all of the necessary supplies." "We''ve finished organizing the troops too. Themand structure has also been reorganized." "Once the reinforcements arrive, we''ll form some reserve corps." "The detached force is ready to go whenever." "Just give the order!" The brigade''s executives like the Brilliant Pdin, Barus, and General Hannibal, all expressed their readiness forbat. "In 10 minutes, we''re finishing the fight with the Evil God Worshippers," Burkan said. It wasn''t a sudden decision. Burkan had already told them beforehand that he nned to strike when all preparations wereplete. "Yes, sir!" Then, the executives went out and performed their assigned duties. Exactly 10 minutester... Several of the Protector of the Continents'' gs fluttered through the air. The brigade''s main forces stood beneath them. "I''ll be quick. We''re going to win!" Burkan said strongly. Hope sprouted within the chests of anyone who heard him. This was proof of Burkan''s charisma. Burkan had only said ''We''re going to win'', yet that was enough to raise the men''s spirits. "Uwaaaah!" the troops yelled, and began their advance. Their target: Franco. The tragic city that was held captive by the Evil God Worshippers. * * * "They''reing!" "Sacrifice yourself to protect the altar!" The Evil God Worshippers had weakened significantly. Kang Oh had killed Bewitching Sora, and Mahakan''s Self-Sacrifice had killed Garup and had grievously injured Amak. Amak''s absence proved fatal to the Evil God''s followers. Because their High Priest hadn''t awoken, they couldn''t progress with the ritual, and couldn''t revive Sora or Garup either. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. The Evil God''s First Disciple, Nemeth. ughter Lubatchi. Annihtion Umtara. They were the most powerful members on their side, yet they were all that was left. "Tighten our defenses," Lubatchi yelled. That was the best they could do at the moment. They had to stay strong until Amak awoke. Then, they''d be able to revive their fallen disciples and continue with the ritual. As a result, the Evil God would provide them with an even greater blessing. Time was on their side. Plus, in terms of sheer numbers, they held the advantage. They had collected the corpses from the previous battle and had thrown them into the Metamorphosis Pool. As a result, the Metamorphosis Pool had provided them with new demons! Countless demons of various shapes and sizes were born, and sixrge ''super'' demons were created. ''We can hold them off,'' Lubatchi thought, ncing at Sraka, Nemeth, and the countless demons. Sometimeter... The Protectors of the Continent arrived at Franco, and fought the Evil God Worshippers head-on. Their ordinary troops were overpowered by the enemy forces. These soldiers were made up of the troops provided by the free cities. Ordinary yers that had epted the quest from the Adventurer Guild were much the same. "S-Shit!" "Uhahk!" The demons ughtered the troops and yers as if they hade to a buffet. However...! The power of the brigade''s highest ranking members was undeniable. The Pdin Squad was led by Brilliant Pdin Barus and Judge Odir. Saintess Ta led their priests, while Battlemage Lucius led their mages. Finally, the Lightning Squad was made up of rankers, non-human gold mercenaries, and knights from the free cities. Therge guilds had lent their assistance too, drawn in by the promise of treasure! The eight super demons and Evil God Worshippers desperately fought back, but it wasn''t nearly enough. "We''ll have to intervene," Lubatchi said. "Yes," Umtara replied. Nemeth nodded his head. Sraka was nowhere to be found. He was protecting both Amak and the altar. After all, if Vn appeared, he would need to fight him. In any case, once the Evil God''s Disciples showed up, the situation slightly changed. Lubatchi''s physical strength was tremendous. In terms of pure power, there was no one who could match him. "Die, you heretics!" Anyone in his grasp would die. Even the knights, who wore thick te armor, were split apart like an apple. The power of Annihtion shined on arge battlefield. Not only did it have a wide radius, but anyone it passed through would disappear without a trace. The ordinary troops or yers couldn''t do anything against them. "Kill the Evil God''s Disciples!" "Kill him!" The famed warriors, rankers, gold mercenaries, andrge guilds'' executives rushed at them. "C''mon!" "Hmph!" Lubatchi and Umtara, guarded by several demons, took on all of them at once. Killing them was no easy task, as they''d been blessed by the Evil God himself. Not everyone could be Kang Oh. At the same time, it wasn''t like they were being ughtered. When it came to Lubatchi and Umtara, that is. Nemeth proved to be a problem. He was a Master Monk, and had be even stronger due to Ja''s blessing. There weren''t many that could contend with his kicks or punches. Glorious Fist! His fist unleashed wicked energy, creating a cross on the ground. "Dodge it!" Boom! "Kuhaaahk!" "Keok." The ordinary troops died in droves. Then, Nemeth''s body glowed with intense light. Divine Explosion! Boom! Countless troops met their end once more. "Ugh!" "Tch!" Barus, Odir, Baldor, etc. tried to take him down, but to no avail. They weren''t strong enough. Burkan wanted to run in and take him on himself. However, General Hannibal stopped him from doing so. "Themander can''t just go in and fight. Think about Lord Mahakan." Mahakan''s death was a huge loss for their side. They couldn''t afford to lose someone of his caliber again. "And we''re still at an advantage. They''re much weaker than we expected. So please wait it out just a little longer." "Understood." Hannibal was spot on. The Protectors of the Continent were pushing them back. The Pdin Squad, the Mage Squad, and therge guilds were turning the tides in their favor. Kuhaahk! The super demons went down one or two at a time, and the Evil God Worshippers were forced to back off. The battlefield was filled with the corpses of various demons. However, the fact remained that they couldn''t defeat Nemeth. "Be judged by the Supreme One!" Nemeth''s fist pierced through Judge Odir''s heart. "Ugh." Odir swung his hammer till the bitter end. However, his hammer didn''t reach him. "Odir!" Barus rushed at Nemeth, but Nemeth responded with a kick. He was definitely not someone they could win against. However, the brigade was filled with strong individuals. The gold mercenaries and the high ranker, Peanut, rushed towards Nemeth. It was like a swarm of ants charging at a wasp. They were steadily gaining the advantage. Chapter 467. Annihilate the Evil God Worshippers! (2)

Chapter 467. Annihte the Evil God Worshippers! (2)

Trantor: Boko The detached force mobilized at the same time as the main force. This force, led by Vn, consisted of Kang Oh, Sephiro, Bart and his friends, Helena, Asu, and the Witch''s Forest, as well as Aman and the Great Forest''s warriors. They made their way to the altar without any obstacles. Of course, it was apletely different story once they made it to the altar itself. "You can''t go any further." Sraka and the Evil God Worshippers showed up. They would fight to thest to protect the altar. They had to protect the altar no matter what. After all, the Evil God Worshippers'' one desire was... Bringing the Evil God into this world! This was their best chance of attaining that divine dream of theirs. Well, that only applied if they were able to ovee this ordeal. Vn wasn''t leader-like at all. He was the most powerful vanguard. As soon as he saw Sraka, heunched a Divide the Sea at him. Sraka drew his greatsword, gathered a ton of evil energy within it, and thenunched it at Vn''s attack. The battle had begun. There weren''t any demons to be found. In exchange, the guards were much stronger than the norm. The Evil God Worshippers were ssified based on their power. Obviously, they possessed skilled and powerful members aside from the disciples. Their final defense line consisted of these members. They were the elite Evil God Worshippers! Although there were only 100 of them, they couldn''t be underestimated. Helena, Bart, and the Great Forest''s mages cast mighty spells. Most Evil God Worshippers were proficient in wicked spells and curses. These elite troops were no different, but their power was on another level. Roar! Helena''s chunk of ice was melted by their ck mes. Kieek! Evil spirits flew overhead, and the floor turned ck. They had cast an AoE curse. Bart used a Fusion skill. Hebined the Priest spell, Holy Land, and the Druid spell, Purify! The ground began to glow, and the curse''s progression was halted. Meanwhile, Sephiro''s arrow crashed against an Evil God Worshipper''s whip. The two side''s spells and ranged attacks scorched the battlefield. Kang Oh, Plum, Viper, etc. avoided the explosions and rushed at the enemy. "Let''s go, boys!" The Nedav Chieftain, Aman, who was always the first to a fight, led his warriors into battle. "Die!" "None of you will get through!" ng! ng! ng! Screams, cries, and sharp metallic ngs resounded throughout the battlefield. These ngs came from weapons shing against each other and the Evil God Worshippers'' bodies! The Evil God Worshippers turned to bronze, which made their bodies impervious to most normal attacks. Unleashing a powerful blow would perhaps leave a dent. Plum or Viper, who used a thin sword or daggers, had trouble dealing any damage to them. Of course, this didn''t apply to Kang Oh. He pulled out Sarahoff and Blood, and transformed into the Frostblood Demon. His body turned blood red, with swirling streaks of white running through it. Bat wings protruded from his back, and stiff, cial horns jutted out of his mask. His arms and legs were also covered by icy greaves and gauntlets! Kang Oh leapt into the air, descended like a streak of lightning, and swung Sarahoff downwards. His attack possessed both speed and power. It was all due to his prior movements. The Evil God Worshipper known as Cornell crossed his arms and protected himself. At the same time, ck energy popped out from behind, coalescing into a giant w. He nned to block Kang Oh''s strike and then immediately counterattack. However... Upon contact, spider web like cracks spread across his bronze skin. "What?" Cornell looked in disbelief. ''To think he''d be able to break the Supreme One''s bronze skin so easily!'' It was only natural. Before Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction, Ja''s bronze was nothing more than tough metal. Kang Oh was also incredibly strong. Then, Kang Oh swung Blood upwards. Red Avnche! The Frostblood Demon''s power surged. Red and blue energy rose and increased in size, forming an avnche that consumed Cornell whole. "He''s dangerous!" "We have to kill him!" Kang Oh stood out way too much. Three nearby Evil God Worshippers rushed at him. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh''s movements quickened and he left behind an afterimage as he disappeared. The Evil God Worshippers had aimed for his vitals, but they weren''t on Kang Oh''s level. "This guy!" "Catch him!" The panicking Evil God Worshippers urgently yelled, as all of their attacks missed. Kang Oh grinned. ''Here''s a present for you!'' Festival of Blood! Blood swelled with blood red energy, as if it was a red balloon on the brink of exploding. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh activated the Avenger set''s special ability. This was his first time using it. Dragon''s Fury! [You have used Dragon''s Fury.] [10,000 MP has been consumed.] [Cooldown: 10 minutes.] Kang Oh''s armor glowed with dim light. However, Blood and Sarahoff shined much brighter than his armor. He felt as though his swords had be much heavier than normal. That was how much power was contained within his des. "Huahp!" Kang Oh raised his des into the air like a dragon''s outstretched wings, and then forcefully swung them. Whoosh! A giant, mighty energy swirled around Kang Oh and rose into the air like a hurricane. Dragon''s Fury devoured all the Evil God Worshippers in its path. "Guaaahk!" He could hear agonizing cries all around him. However, those cries didn''tst very long. All of the affected Evil God Worshippers died in a sh. Only 3, no, 5 seconds had passed. Dragon''s Fury was ridiculously powerful. "He''s on the level of the disciples!" "Be careful!" "Attack him from afar! Don''t fight him close up!" These were the enemy''s elites. Once they realized how powerful Kang Oh was, they widened the distance while casting spells. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh stomped on the floor. Red Cliff! An ice wall surged from the ground, preventing the three Evil God Worshippers from escaping. Frostblood Drill! Sharp ice fragments flew at them. With their escape route blocked, the three had no choice but to focus on defending themselves. Bam! Bam! Bam! Although the drills were made of frostblood, a special type of ice, it was still ultimately ice. Upon contact with their bronze skin, the ice shattered into pieces. Of course, they had been just a diversion. Kang Oh quickly closed in and fiercely swung his twin demon swords. Mad Wind''s Sword! He had killed three of them with Dragon''s Fury, and had killed three more with his merciless assault. Suck! Blood absorbed their shards of light, restoring Kang Oh''s HP. "T-This is bad!" "Aah, Lord Ja!" The elites'' faces darkened. They couldn''t hope to match Kang Oh. To make matters worse, he was apanied by other powerhouses such as Bart, Helena, and Aman. The Evil God Worshippers had no chance of victory. At that moment... A thick shadow cast over Kang Oh''s body. It was the bronze masked Sraka, wielding his giant greatsword. He swung his sword at him. Great Devil''s Sword! Sraka used the skill that gave him the name, the Devil''s Sword. It was a secret move that only an Evil God Worshipper could learn! However, Sraka had trained it to Master level. The power behind it was unimaginable. It was as though his de opened the gates of hell. All sorts of dark, evil beings stretched out their hands and peeked out their heads. ''Shit!'' Kang Oh immediately used his survival skill. Moon''s Protection! However, Sraka''s de had cut through him before the shield could protect him. At the same time, the demons'' ws and horns ripped through Kang Oh. Their sticky, long tongues poisoned him, and gave him all sorts of status ailments. He took a tremendous amount of damage too. He''d lost 90% of his HP in a single hit, and his remaining HP was quickly going down. The Cassio Ring''s Resurrection ability was still on cooldown. ''Is there any way I can survive?'' At that moment... "Oppa!" Asu yelled. Chirp! Rudy, who was hiding within Asu''s chest, popped out and chirped as loud as it could. ''That''s right!'' A light bulb went off in his head. He immediately pulled out the Phoenix''s Feather from his chest. Just having a Phoenix''s Feather provided a slew of benefits. However, it could also be used as a consumable item that would instantly restore the user''s HP and MP to full. ''Use the feather!'' [You have used the Phoenix''s Feather.] [Your HP rises quickly.] The Phoenix''s Feather burned intensely, and the resulting mes were absorbed into Kang Oh''s body. [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [The Phoenix''s Feather has disappeared.] The Phoenix''s Feather burned to a crisp. In exchange, Kang Oh was able to survive Grandmaster Sraka''s full power. He didn''t have to worry about a follow up attack. After all, Sraka was taking on Vn. Vn showed up out of nowhere, just like Sraka. He cut through Sraka''s neck with his steel sword; it looked so in that it made him wonder, ''Why does he use that sword?''. But he didn''t actually cut through his neck; it only appeared that way. Something flew through the air. It hadn''t cut his neck, but his left arm. Like a lizard giving up its tail, Sraka had turned his body, giving up his left arm for his life. There was no way he''d have been able to block or dodge Vn''s strike. Vn was no ordinary foe and attacking Kang Oh had left Sraka open. Vn wouldn''t let such a golden opportunity pass him by. Ultimately, there was no way Sraka coulde out of this unscathed. Thus, he decided to give up an arm, minimizing the amount of damage taken. "Now we''re even," Sraka said softly. Like Vn, he was now one-armed. Vn just silently swung his sword. Sraka also held his greatsword with his one remaining hand and blocked his strikes. Their fight had a huge effect on the battlefield. Whenever their swords shed, a shockwave would spread throughout the battlefield, making it difficult for anyone caught in it to even stand. Kang Oh, as well as Aman and the Evil God Worshippers, distanced themselves from the shockwaves. However, Sraka blocked Vn''s de and then rushed at Kang Oh. He had no choice. There was no one besides himself that could take on Kang Oh. If he didn''t take him down now, then the Evil God Worshippers wouldn''t be able to survive. Thus, Sraka had no choice but to take on both Vn and Kang Oh at once. He also nned on using Kang Oh to distract Vn. Of course, neither Vn nor Kang Oh had realized this right away. Kang Oh anxiously gripped his sword tight. ''Focus!'' If he, for even a second, lost focus, then he would die. Sraka came right at him! ng! An unseeable, super fast attack came flying at him. Even while he was fighting against Vn at that. Danger! Kang Oh just barely blocked it via his Hyper Intuition. However, the attack was so powerful that he was pushed back several meters and he rolled onto the floor. Of course, Sraka had to pay the price for dividing his attention between two opponents. Swish! Shards of light burst from Sraka''s side. Vn''s attack hadnded. "You keep dividing your attention," Vn said unpleasantly. ''You dare divide your attention against me?'' "I can take on both of you at once." Vn swung his de with even greater ferocity. Sraka used everything he had to repel Vn''s attacks. ''Damn it!'' Only Kang Oh, an ''innocent bystander'' to their fight, was the one that almost died. He wanted to get out of the area as soon as possible, but Sraka stuck to him like glue. At the same time, he couldn''t recklessly attack Sraka either. ''He''s waiting for me.'' Kang Oh''s instincts whispered. Sraka was just waiting for Kang Oh to lose his cool and attack him. "Just sit still and don''t do anything. I''ll finish him off soon," Vn said. However, Vn and Sraka''s battle didn''t end anytime soon. Kang Oh knew why this was the case. ''It''s because of me.'' Vn was being careful so that Kang Oh wouldn''t get hurt. It was unlike Vn. Had he started liking Kang Oh a little bit? Not at all. It was Vn''s principles. With great poweres great responsibility. Letting Kang Oh get hurt in the process of killing Sraka was a vition of his personal values. ''He''s quite clever.'' Kang Oh knew that this was no coincidence. Sraka had nned this. As they fought, he had seen right through Vn, and had ascertained his true nature. By taking advantage of his beliefs, Sraka was able to keep both Kang Oh and Vn here. ''What should I do?'' Kang Oh took a look around. The Evil God Worshippers fought desperately, but his allies were stronger. Since he, the second strongest here after Vn, was unable to act, the battle would take longer than normal. But that still didn''t change the fact that they''d win. However, he didn''t like how he was just wasting time. ''There''s no guarantee that something else won''t show up.'' None of the disciples had shown up yet. He''d killed Sora, but Amak could revive the other disciples with the sacred treasure! Plus, there was no way of knowing how far Ja''s ritual had gone. Neither Kang Oh nor the Protectors of the Continent knew how close it was topletion. ''Time is of the essence. I have to do something!'' Ultimately, Kang Oh ignored Vn''smand and headed to the top of the altar. The High Priest, Amak, should be there, right? ''Let''s see your ugly mug!'' Kang Oh may be an ''innocent bystander'' dragged into a fight between two titans, but he wouldn''t go down without a fight. He''d drag in another innocent bystander into the fight. Chapter 468. Annihilate the Evil God Worshippers! (3)

Chapter 468. Annihte the Evil God Worshippers! (3)

Trantor: Boko "What the hell are you..." Vn yelled, seeing Kang Oh''s back turned as he flew up the altar. However, his sword moved before his mouth. He needed to stop Sraka, who swung his sword at Kang Oh''s exposed back. ng! Vn and Sraka''s des shed, emitting a weighty ''ng''. He had sessfully warded off Sraka''s attack. It was as Kang Oh expected. Vn was trying to keep him safe. If that''s the case, then Kang Oh would be safe even if he turned his back to Sraka. Of course, Vn wanted him to stay put. That''s why he''d questioned his actions at first, but was forced to fight off Sraka. Sraka''s expression was concealed by his bronze mask. However, someone as skilled as Vn could read a person based on their breathing and the small changes in their movements. ''He''s panicking.'' From an outside view, Sraka seemed like a barbarian who simply overpowered his opponent''s with superior strength. However, he was no bear, he was a fox. Yet he was panicking? Someone as astute as Vn knew exactly why. It was because Kang Oh had suddenly flown up to the altar. ''There''s a reason he can''t let Kang Oh go up the altar.'' He knew what Kang Oh was nning. To be more specific, Kang Oh''s n was to force Amak into harm''s way. ''It''s not a bad n.'' They had to take out Amak anyway. Plus, they could use Amak to distract Sraka. They were using the exact same strategy back at him. Sraka nced at Vn, and then rushed after Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh''s demon form gave him wings, so he was already out of his reach. Even Sraka would have a hard time following him at this point. He still had the option of attacking him from afar, but Vn was right on his tail, so he wouldn''t get the chance. In the end, Kang Oh reached the top of the altar first, and Sraka and Vn came afterwards. The detached force fought against the Evil God Worshippers, even though Kang Oh, Vn, and Sraka were absent. "We have to hold out no matter what." "For Ja!" It was harder to break through them than anticipated. They showed why religious fanatics were dangerous opponents to face in battle. However, the tides of battle turned when Helena and Bart began showing what they were made of. * * * The top of the altar looked different than he''d expected. Kang Oh thought that Amak would be conducting the ritual. However, Amak wasying on a cot as if he were dead. He was just sticks and bones. ''Amak wasn''t in good condition after all!'' A few of Kang Oh''s questions were answered. Why was it that Sraka was guarding the altar on his own? Where were the other disciples? It all made sense. Amak wasn''t in top-top condition, so he couldn''t revive the other disciples. He also understood why the Evil God Worshippers so desperately protected the altar. They had no other ce to go. ''This is good news!'' If Amak wasn''t in good shape, then it''d be easier to kill him! Kang Oh folded his wings and plummeted to the altar. "Protect the High Priest!" "Get lost." There were two Evil God Worshippers protecting the High Priest. They specialized in defensive magic. Ja''s Bronze Barrier! Whir. They instantly created a shining bronze barrier! Kang Oh quickly swung Blood and Sarahoff. However, it was so tough that he didn''t even leave a scratch. What''s worse, his hands stung from striking the barrier. ''It''ll be hard to break the barrier like this. If that''s the case, then...'' Switch Ubist! Kang Oh stashed Blood away and grabbed his jet-ck greatsword in its ce. He transformed into a jet-ck demon with icy horns protruding from his beast mask. He then pulled out an item from his inventory. It was called Duvalok''s Mighty Gloves. Kang Oh had bought this item in preparation for the final battle! He immediately used Gluttony on it. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Duvalok''s Mighty Gloves.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use Duvalok''s Mighty Strength.] [Duvalok''s Mighty Strength: Imbues you with the power of Beast Duvalok. Increases physical damage by 70%.] All of his abilities were tripled, and Duvalok''s Mighty Strength increased his physical damage by 70% to boot. Kang Oh was a tiger with incredible destructive power. And now, that tiger had gained wings. "Huahp!" Kang Oh forcefully swung his twin swords with his overwhelming power. Whoosh! His des cleaved through the air, emitting a heavier sound than normal. Bam! Upon contact, the barrier...! Crack! The barrier was cleaved in two. It was as though a raw egg had been split in half. "What?" "Impossible!" They were shocked. Ja''s Bronze Barrier was one of their greatest barrier spells, so its defensive capabilities were tremendous. However, Kang Oh had cut right through it in a single strike. This didn''t make any sense. They couldn''t understand how he''d done it. But Kang Oh had expected this. Kang Oh, a stat monster, had all of his stats tripled by Gluttony; that, coupled with Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction and Duvalok''s Mighty Strength, had increased his destructive power exponentially! ''This is my chance!'' Kang Oh aimed for Amak. If he killed Amak, the source of all their troubles, then this battle would be over! "Not going to happen!" "No!" The Evil God Worshippers crossed their arms. Evil energy surged from their hands. Bronze Wall! Shadow Spider''s Ambush! A bronze wall surrounded Amak''s body, and sharp energy in the shape of a spider popped out of Kang Oh''s shadow. However, that wasn''t enough to stop Kang Oh. First, he absorbed the shadow spider with Ubist. Magic was nothing more than food for Ubist, after all. Then, he broke through the bronze wall with Sarahoff. He could see Amak once more! But then... Someone else interfered. It was Sraka, who''d climbed up the altar while fighting Vn. "No!" He released a tremendous murderous intent, suffocating Kang Oh. He was basically saying, ''Don''t you dare move!''. It didn''t work at all. ''Let''s see which one of us goes first. Will it be you or me?'' Kang Oh aimed for Amak. The High Priest was necessary in order to conduct Ja''s ritual. They couldn''t afford to lose him. "You crazy bastard!" Sraka immediatelyunched evil energy his way. Sword of Death! However, Vn stepped forth and stopped him. Divide the Sea! The giant sts crashed against each other. Obviously, Kang Oh had remained unscathed. "Stop him!" Sraka fiercely yelled, and moved to intercept him. The Evil God Worshippers threw themselves at Kang Oh and blocked his way. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh strongly swung his twin demon swords. Abyss w! Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Two disparate auras flew towards them. However, both of them were powerful enough to deal with the two guards. Boom! "Uheok!" "L-Lord Ja!" The two of them fell from the high altar. Then, Kang Oh swung Sarahoff at Amak. However, Sraka quickly closed in and thrust his sword. Danger! His Hyper Intuition was sending him a harsh warning. Kang Oh stopped his attack and focused entirely on dodging Sraka''s de. Since Gluttony was active, he should be able to dodge his attack. Sraka''s greatsword passed by Kang Oh. But... Vn''s attack didn''t miss. Swish! Stab! Huge shards of light burst from Sraka''s back. If he hadn''t pulled back, then he would''ve been cut in half. Vn and Kang Oh stared at each other, neither side looking disappointing at all. ''Let''s go!'' ''Yes, sir!'' The two quickly signaled to each other, and then performed their respective tasks. Kang Oh aimed for Amak while Vn kept Sraka busy. ''Damn it!'' Sraka was going crazy. He had to stop Kang Oh from killing Amak, but he also had to deal with Vn. He crazily swung his greatsword, but in the process, he left himself open. It was a tiny weak point. If it were anyone besides Vn or Kang Oh, then it would have gone unnoticed. However, Sraka was unfortunately fighting against one of the two. Vn''s de came right for that small exposed weak point. Sraka''s body began to rue wounds one or two at a time. ''I can''t win at this rate!'' He couldn''t see himself winning this. Ultimately, Sraka decided to gamble everything on this. This gamble was his only way of turning things around! But for the time being, he continued his struggle. He asionally fought back as hard as he could, but it didn''t work. If it had, then he would have no need for this dangerous gamble. ''C''mon, c''mon!'' Sraka was waiting for the moment that Vn tried to finish him off. ''Please!'' The problem was that he might die before his gamble paid off. That''s how gambles worked, after all. Stab! Vn''s de pierced his heart. Although Sraka had been showing weak points all this time, he''d never once exposed a vital area like his heart. Was it on purpose? No. He couldn''t withstand Vn''s assault any longer. Sraka was truly holding on by a thread. Despite that, he lunged forward. Stab! Vn''s sword went even deeper. In exchange, it would be that much harder to pull out! "Die!" Sraka''s used everything he had left, and swung his greatsword at Vn''s neck. Vn quickly withdrew his sword. Or tried to for that matter. However, it waspletely stuck. If that''s the case, then... he let go of his sword and backed off. Whoosh! He had dodged it by a hair''s breadth. Sraka''s sword merely grazed Vn''s body. His gamble hadn''t paid off. No, it only appeared that way. However, Sraka had been aiming for something else. By stabbing Sraka, Vn only had two choices. Either let himself be killed, or let go of his sword and back off! Vn had obviously chosen thetter. And it was at this moment that... ''This is where you die!'' Sraka attacked twice. A sh and a thrust! The sh was nothing more than a feint. His true attack was the thrust! His greatsword flew towards the defenseless Vn! Sword of Death! His sword was filled to the brim with Ja''s energy! Stab! Sraka''s sword pierced Vn''s chest. Swish! The Evil God''s energy seeped into Vn''s body. Vn grimaced. The pain was too much. It felt as though ants were crawling over his body and eating him piece by piece. However, he hadn''t died. Sraka, who was critically wounded, hadn''t had enough strength to finish him off. If Sraka was in prime condition, then Vn would''ve died right then and there. "Master Vn!" Kang Oh yelled in shock. But Vn was the same as ever. "Kill... him!" he opened his eyes and said clearly. "Uhaaahp!" Kang Oh raised Sarahoff into the air and forcefully swung it. Transcendent de! His de shed. When the sh of light disappeared, Sraka''s severed head flew through the air. [You have defeated the Evil Grandmaster, the Devil''s Sword, Sraka.] [The Evil God''s Sword and the worst Grandmaster in history, responsible for the deaths of countless innocent lives, has finally returned to his rightful ce.] [You have achieved a feat worthy of recognition in the annals of history.] [You have defeated an opponent that should be impossible to ovee.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [Main Stats +10] [Combat-rted Side Stats +20] [You have acquired the title, Immortal Hero.] [You have received an unimaginable amount of experience and proficiency.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [Proficiency in High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship has reached 99%. Achieve a grand feat and be a Master!] Hey, mom! I got thest hit! Chapter 469. Collapse

Chapter 469. Copse

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh didn''t celebrate for very long. After all, Vn was on his knees, Sraka''s greatsword embedded in his chest. "Master Vn." Kang Oh looked him over. Evil energy was spreading from the cut. "I''m going to take it out now." Kang Oh removed the greatsword with his overwhelming strength. Then, he pulled a health potion off his belt and sprinkled it onto the wound. However, the wound wouldn''t close. Plus, the evil energy prevented Vn from moving properly. "Are you alright?" "I''m... ok, so go and stop... the ceremony..." Vn said arduously. "Understood. Please rest here. I''ll go and finish this." Kang Ohid Vn downfortably, and then turned his attention to Amak. Despite the ruckus, Amak was still sleeping as if he were dead. The hole in the air, a direct result of Ja''s ritual, had remained unchanged too. It had gottenrge enough for an adult to pass through it. How many people had they sacrificed for it to get like that? ''At least it won''t get anyrger.'' Today would mark the end of Ja''s ritual. Kang Oh would make it so. "Hoo." Kang Oh approached Amak and raised Demon Sword Ubist into the air. Then, he forcefully thrust downwards. Stab! The jet-ck greatsword pierced Amak''s dried up, mummy-like body. Amak''s body shook. At the moment, Amak was focused on using Ja''s energy to repel the remnants of Mahakan''s holy energy. Thus, he couldn''t move an inch right now. What if he moved, you ask? He would explode. Amak''s body was akin to a bomb; one that would go off at just the slightest touch. However, Kang Oh''s de had pierced through his body. Moreover, Kang Oh added an Abyss Predator to it too in order to ensure Amak''s death. Bam! The abyss energy seeped into Amak''s body. Amak''s body already contained Mahakan''s holy energy and Ja''s evil energy. So what if Ubist''s overflowing abyss energy was pushed inside too? Amak''s body inted like a balloon. It kept going and going! Of course, there was no balloon that would keep inting forever. "N-No..." Amak opened his eyes and said his final words. Pop! Amak exploded, causing red shards of light to go flying everywhere. It was like the fireworks that marked the end of a festival. [You have defeated the Evil God''s High Priest, Divine Punishment Amak.] [You have killed a treacherous viin who led the Evil God Worshippers and spread pain, terror, and death to countless people.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [Combat-rted side stats have increased slightly.] [You have acquired the title, He Who Judges the Wicked.] [You have leveled up.] The Evil God''s High Priest was no more. With the High Priest dead, the ceremony couldn''t continue. However, things wouldn''t end peacefully. Amak had sacrificed tens of thousands of people to bring Ja into this world. Tens of thousands! These people''s souls were converted into evil energy, and were sucked into the hole. Souls were essentially packages of information. These ''packages'' were used to fill the container that was the Evil God''s body! However, Amak''s death caused this container to shatter. Spew! The giant hole in the sky began spewing sticky, tar-like liquid. The amount was out of the ordinary. It was almost like the water from a copsed dam. It would probably flood the city soon. He knew, even without his Hyper Intuition''s warning, that he needed to get out of here. The energy was purely evil, giving off the stench of death, destruction, and chaos. Getting caught up in that definitely wasn''t a good idea. Kang Oh quickly took a look around. The Evil God''s sacred treasures rolled across the altar. He picked up Nemeth''s Skull, Ja''s Bronze Knife, and Ilunati''s Snake. His intuition was screaming that he shouldn''t let the evil energy and those sacred treasures touch each other! That''s why he picked them up. In the process, he picked up Sraka''s greatsword too, and stashed it into his inventory. ''Now I just need to get the people out of here.'' Kang Oh ced Ubist and Sarahoff into his inventory, and pulled out Blood. His red wings stretched out. "Please hold on tight." Kang Oh cradled Vn and soared into the air. He then flew over to the battlefield nearby. The battle was already over. There were only a few Evil God Worshippers left. "I killed the Evil God''s High Priest and prevented the ritual!" Kang Oh yelled, and people cheered. "Uwaaah!" "Kang Oh, Kang Oh!" "We can celebrateter. I may have prevented the ritual, but that stuff has started toe out." Kang Oh pointed at the top of the altar. The evil energy devoured the top of the altar, and was beginning to creep downwards. Fortunately, it didn''t spread very quickly. "W-What is that?" someone asked. "We should stay away from it," Kang Oh said. "Mm, alright. Everyone, follow me!" Aman yelled. Although there were a few Evil God Worshippers left, they weren''t worth worrying about. Kang Oh grabbed Aman. "We should spread out and leave." "Spread out? Why?" "I''ve retrieved all of the Evil God''s sacred treasures. That includes Nemeth''s Skull, which has the power of Forced Conversion. Haven''t you noticed that the mist has begun to clear up? There must be some people here that have regained their minds. We should leave while rescuing them." "Mm, you''re right. Did everyone hear him?" "Yes, sir!" the Great Forest''s warriors yelled. The Witch''s Forest and Bart''s party nodded their heads. Asu clenched her fist and looked resolute. Even now, she looked so cute. She''d been on an entertainment showtely, and had instinctively responded with a crowd pleasing reaction. "We''re going to save as many as we can. Get a move on!" The detached force scattered throughout the city. * * * The main force had dealt with most of the demon army. All eight of the super demons had been killed. However, no one could defeat Nemeth. Hundreds of people were killed by his fists. He had felled several renowned individuals as well. "I think it''s time that I intervene," Burkan said. He had wanted to intervene earlier, but he''d stopped himself. After all, General Hannibal had warned him that the Supreme Commander couldn''t act rashly. But now it was time for him to step forward. The tides had turned in their favor, so if he took down Nemeth, the battle would bepletely over. "Please be careful. And bring some guards with you." Twenty knights stood behind Burkan. All of them were renowned, skilled individuals. "Of course." Burkan grinned. At that moment... Something extraordinary happened. A middle ranker, Jackie Chan, fearlessly rushed at Nemeth. Nemeth thrust his fist, but then... Shards of light suddenly spilled from his body. Nemeth wasn''t the only one. The tattooed Lubatchi was undergoing the same thing. Annihtion Umtara was the only one unscathed. "What?" "What''s going on?" It was just so sudden. The troops halted and watched as the situation unfolded. "Aah, no!" Lubatchi''s desperate voice rang out. However, it didn''t change anything. His body crumbled and broke into pieces. Nemeth''s body underwent the same process. The only difference was that he swung his fist and foot onest time in order to kill at least one more person. In the end, Lubatchi and Nemethpletely disappeared. Seeing that, Burkan had a hunch. "The detached force did it." "The detached force?" Hannibal asked. "Nemeth and Lubatchi were revived by the power of a sacred treasure. So the fact that they disappeared means..." "The Evil God Worshippers have lost their sacred treasures. Now that you mention it, the Forced Conversion mist has disappeared too," Hannibal said. "Yes. And the only ones capable of doing so would be Master Vn and the detached force." "That''s good news." "Indeed." Burkan stepped forward. "Protectors of the Continent! The detached force has stopped Ja''s ritual, and has retrieved the Evil God''s sacred treasures!" Then, the battlefield was filled with cheers. "Is that true?" "Wow!" "Uwaaaah!" "Now, all that''s left is for us to dispose of these insects and rescue the people of Franco. You can do that, right?" Burkan said strongly. "Of course!" "Kill them all!" "Yes, sir!" The brigade''s morale couldn''t be any higher. Whereas the Evil God Worshippers'' morale had hit rock bottom. "N-No way!" Umtara couldn''t believe it. No, he didn''t want to believe it. However, he had seen the proof firsthand. Both Nemeth and Lubatchi had disappeared without a trace. Umtara looked around. ''The battle''s lost. If that''s the case, then... I have to get out of here.'' "Everyone, protect me. I''m getting out of here." He nned on sacrificing the other Evil God Worshippers and demons in order to escape. ''I''m one of Lord Ja''s disciples. If I survive, then I can gather forces again. Perhaps I''ll even be the High Priest.'' It was an unreachable dream. "Where do you think you''re going?" The Invincible diator, Burkan, stood before him. "D-Damn." He resisted futilely. Sometimeter... Burkan smoothly swung his dius, which arced beautifully in the air. Whoosh! Umtara was split in two. Thest of the Evil God''s Disciples had been sent to hell. Hannibal approached him. "I received word from the detached force. As you anticipated, they stopped the ritual and killed the Evil God''s High Priest." "Yes." "But once they stopped the ritual, the evil energy engulfed the city." "So?" "We have to save as many people as possible and escape the city." "We don''t have much time. Get a move on!" Like the detached force, the main force tried to save as many people as possible. Due to their efforts, they saved several people. However... The evil energy had covered the entire city. Franco had be a city of death,pletely uninhabitable by the living. "Aah, our city!" "No!" The people had lost their home and their way of life. ording to Priestess Ta, purifying the evil energy around Franco would take dozens of years. She also added, "Demons will continue to spawn here. Evil individuals may gather here in the future and try to bring back the Evil God''s followers. So we''ll need to periodically dispose of the demons, and purify the area." The task of purifying the city would go to the churches'' pdins and priests. Ta would lead this endeavor. The Adventurer Guild would take care of the demons. Eventually, the adventurers woulde to this city and wipe out all of the demons. What would eventually be a popr hunting ground, the City of Death, Franco, had been born. * * * "Ugh." Vn grimaced in pain. "Are you alright?" Kang Oh asked concernedly. Not only was Vn missing an arm, but his skin was pale and there was a giant wound in his chest. Applying a health potion, or having a priest cast healing or curse dispelling spells wouldn''t make it any better. The wound wouldn''t close, and the Evil God''s energy filled it to the brim. "I''ll have to take you to a healer." Since health potions and healing spells didn''t work, that was his only remaining option. "Stop making such a fuss. I won''t die easily," Vn rxed his brow and said firmly. "By the way, good job." "Excuse me?" Kang Oh looked shocked. He''d never heard Vnpliment him before. "I said good job." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. "I did good, didn''t I?" "Cut the crap," Vn retorted. Kang Oh grinned. "Hehe. Anyhow, I think we should take you to a healer first." "Head for the main force. We need to see Burkan." "Why?" "You retrieved the Evil God''s sacred treasures, right?" "Yes." "We have to take care of them somehow so that the Evil God''s followers can''t retrieve them. I''m not in good shape right now, so Burkan''s our best bet. They should have a healer there, so they can look me over too." "Can''t we just destroy them?" "Even I can''t destroy them. Even if you could, you''d just be releasing all of the stored up evil energy inside." Vn pointed at Franco, which was engulfed in darkness. Kang Oh understood what he meant. He''d rather not destroy the sacred treasures with Sarahoff. "Let''s go." Kang Oh supported Vn. The battle with the Evil God Worshippers was over, but they still had the aftermath to deal with. Chapter 470. The World’s Most Secure Safe

Chapter 470. The World''s Most Secure Safe

Trantor: Boko "Master, what happened!?" Burkan yelled. He was shocked to see him so heavily injured. "It just happened," Vn said firmly. "I''ll call Saintess Ta." Of all the priests here, she was the most skilled in the healing arts. "Hold off on that..." Vn nced at Kang Oh. It was clear what he wanted. Kang Oh pulled out the Evil God''s sacred treasures from his inventory: Nemeth''s Skull, Ja''s Bronze Knife, and Ilunati''s Snake. Each of them possessed immense power. However, they couldn''t be used by anyone other than an Evil God Worshipper. "Burkan." "Yes?" "How should we deal with the sacred treasures?" "Store, no, seal them in different locations." "Right." "But where should we store them..." Burkan stroked his chin. However, he couldn''t think of any appropriate ces to store them. If Mahakan were still alive, then they would be able to leave one of them with the Rakan Church. But Saru, who''d just been promoted to the position of High Priest, wouldn''t be able to handle such a responsibility right now. Plus, a sacred treasure had been stolen from the Rakan Church before. "How does this sound?" Kang Oh began. "Go on." "We leave one of them with the Church of Death. To be more specific, we ask them to seal one of the sacred treasures." "The Church of Death, huh..." "I''m pretty close to them. If I ask them to seal the sacred treasure, they probably won''t say no. Plus, Despia is a hidden location, so even the Evil God Worshippers will have trouble finding it." "It''s a good idea," Burkan said. "What about the other two?" "I''ll leave one of them with the Divine Dragon, Gainus. As you know, a dragon''s treasure house is the world''s most secure safe." "Will a prideful dragon, the Divine Dragon at that, be willing to ept your request?" "I''m working with Gainus right now, so he won''t t out refuse my request." They were working together to kill the Mayanes, and he nned to continue working with him in the future too. "What about thest one?" "I think it''d be safest in Brother''s hands." "You want to seal it in the Holiseum?" "Yes." "So he says." Vn stared at Burkan. "Understood." Burkan nodded his head. He''d been given a heavy burden, but he couldn''t reject it. After all, he was the Supreme Commander of the Protectors of the Continent! "Proceed with your n." Vn gave his approval. Kang Oh passed Burkan Ja''s Bronze Knife. "Good work, Little Brother." Burkan received the knife and softly grabbed Kang Oh''s shoulder. "You too." Kang Oh smiled. "Master, I need to take care of the aftermath, so if you''ll excuse me." "Alright." Burkan left, and Kang Oh took Vn to Saintess Ta. Even with her holy power, she was unable to heal Vn''s wound. "I won''t be able to heal it." In the end, Ta gave up. Vn received medical treatment from the brigade''s healers too, but none of them made any progress. Meanwhile,rge shards of light spilled from Vn''s wound. Kang Oh''s face darkened, though Vn seemed no worse for wear. "I think I''ll have to call Eder," Kang Oh said. "Eder?" "He''s a legendary healer." Kang Oh and Eder were far more than acquaintances. However, he hadn''t heard from Eder ever since he left to study necromancy. "Do as you please. And don''t worry too much. I''m suppressing the Evil God''s energy with my own, so I won''t die easily." "Yes." "Take care of the treasures. The less people know about this, the better." "I''ll keep that in mind." Then, Kang Oh called Darion over and asked him to take care of Vn. He had a job to do, so he couldn''t stick by Vn forever. "Take care of him." "I''ll do my best," Darion replied. Both his voice and attitude were trustworthy, which was very much unlike him. ''Now then.'' Kang Oh''s first destination was Despia. However, he examined Sraka''s greatsword first. [Hell Greatsword] The greatsword that the Devil''s Sword, Sraka, used. Further information is restricted. Rank: SS. Abilities: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Evil God''s Disciple. It was an SS-rank weapon, but most of the information was cked out, so there was no way of knowing how good the weapon really was. That wasn''t all... [Would you like to ept a quest that will allow you to ss change into the hidden ss, Evil God''s Disciple?] The Hell Greatsword was a dangerous weapon that allowed you to be an Evil God''s Disciple. ''How do I dispose of this?'' He couldn''t sell it. After all, it was the Guardian of the Continent''s job to eliminate any threats to the continent, and the Evil God''s Disciples were at the top of that list. At the same time, sealing it away with the sacred treasures felt like a waste. It was an SS-rank weapon for god''s sake. ''Hmm. Should I try using Gluttony on it?'' Kang Oh had never used an SS-rank weapon as fodder for Gluttony before. After all, SS-rank items were too precious to use for a momentary power up. However, he felt like it''d be ok to use the Hell Greatsword. Although it was an SS-rank weapon, he couldn''t sell it or use it himself. ''I''ll just keep it with me for now.'' Kang Oh ced the Hell Greatsword into his inventory and began walking once more. He headed north, as Cyndia was located in Altein''s northern Adventurer Guild. * * * Kang Oh had been so busy with his job as Guardian of the Continent, as well as Vn''s task, that he''d forgotten all about the Goddess''s Quest. However, Cyndia had never once forgotten about the Goddess''s Quest. It was only natural. After all, the goddess herself had given her this task. Thus, she would put everything she had into fulfilling this task. At the moment, that''s exactly what she was doing. She was sifting through information that came from the Adventurer Guild''s many branches. With the Adventurer Guild''s help, they had spread wanted posters all over the continent. As a result, they were getting a ton of information regarding Jigon and Orga. Most of the information was either fake or useless. However, some of it was factual. Thus, Cyndia and the Church of Death were able to find Orga''s hideout. Unfortunately, Orga had realized that something was amiss. He had abandoned his hideout and vanished. In any case, both Kang Oh and Cyndia were extremely busy, so they hadn''t been in touch for quite some time. "Mr. Kang Oh, have you been well?" "I''ve been busy." "Me too." Cyndia showed him the papers in her hands. "I have a favor to ask." "What is it? Does it have anything to do with the Mayanes?" Kang Oh shook his head. Then, he pulled out Nemeth''s Skull from his inventory and pushed it towards her. Creases formed on Cyndia''s beautiful face. "What an unpleasant item. I can sense unimaginably evil energy from it." "It''s the Evil God''s sacred treasure, Nemeth''s Skull." "Mm." Because the Church of Death resided in Despia, they weren''t a part of the war with the Evil God Worshippers in the past. However, they, like all the other churches, loathed them. After all, they believed that Ja was the one true god. The Evil God''s followers believed that even the Primordial Goddess was a fake! "Why are you showing this to me?" Cyndia tilted her head. "I''ll like to store, no, seal this in the Church of Death." Kang Oh went straight to the point. "Hmm." Cyndia thought it over. In order to win her over, Kang Oh added, "If the Evil God''s followers reim the sacred treasure, then they''ll go around saying that the supreme and primordial goddess, Lady Deborah, is a fake god." If you wanted to convince a believer, then all you needed to do was show your support for the god they served. For a monk, you would show your devotion to Buddha, and to a Christian, you would speak of Jesus Christ. "Hoo, this too must be the goddess''s will. Alright, we''ll take care of this." Cyndiayered several pieces of clean cloth, and then wrapped Nemeth''s Skull in it. It was as if she were disposing of something extremely dirty. "I have one other request." "Another one?" "This one is simple. I would like to speak with the Divine Dragon, but I have no way of contacting him..." Gainus gave those he trusted a mirror that allowed them tomunicate with him. Cyndia possessed one of these mirrors, and Eder, who''d saved his life in the past, had one too. "Shall I contact him for you?" "Please." Cyndia pulled out a hand mirror from the pouch at her waist. She rubbed the backside of it a few times, and then a person''s face appeared in the ss. A man with long white hair, eyebrows, and beard appeared. He looked just like a hermit. "What''s the matter, Cyndia?" Gainus asked. "Mr. Kang Oh had something to ask you, Lord Gainus." "Kang Oh?" Then, Kang Oh took over. "It''s been a while, Divine Dragon." "It has. What''s the matter?" "May I meet with you first?" "Mm." All of a sudden, a glowing gold magic circle appeared in the room. "This''ll take you to my nest. Come over here," Gainus said. "Thank you." Kang Oh bowed his head and entered the magic circle. Whir! Golden light rose from the magic circle, softly enveloping him in a pir of gold light. * * * [You have entered the Divine Dragon''s Nest.] [Fame has increased significantly.] A dragon''sir, or the Divine Dragon''s Nest, was much different than he''d expected. Various vines formed an arch, holding up a purple hemisphere shaped ceiling. The ceiling was filled with stars. Mysteriously, the stars gathered together in certain spots, forming different shapes. For example, some of the stars made up a fish, but it twitched like an actual fish. The stars also formed a bird, which seemed to p its wings through the air. Kang Oh couldn''t help but marvel at the sight. Below the ceilingy a resplendentke that seemed to shine upon all of creation like a mirror. There wasn''t even a single ripple going across the water. Gainus, in his human form, stood upon thiske. He was standing on top of the water! But before he knew it, Kang Oh was standing on top of theke too. It was quite a mysterious experience. This was none other than... The Divine Dragon''s Nest! "What business do you have with me?" Gainus asked. "I''m going to pull out a certain item. You might find it unpleasant." "It doesn''t matter." Kang Oh pulled out Ilunati''s Snake. "It reeks of Ja''s energy. It''s definitely one of the Evil God''s sacred treasures." Gainus knew exactly what it was. "Exactly. Just a short while ago, I killed the Evil God''s Disciples and stole the sacred treasures away from them." "Hoh." Gainus''s eyes gleamed. ''As expected.'' Things were going as nned. Most dragons were collectors. The Evil God''s sacred treasures were items that''d definitely draw their interest. "I''ll give it to you." Kang Oh picked up Ilunati''s Snake with both hands and respectfully presented it to him. "You''re just going to give this to me for free?" "Yes. In exchange, you have to keep a promise." "Which is?" "This can never leave your nest." "So you don''t want it to reach the outside world." "Yes." "Works for me." "Me too." Gainus took the sacred treasure. "Is that everything?" "Ah, there''s something else." "Tell me. I''ll help you as long it''s not too extreme. Ah, you can''t ask for my treasure though." It seemed like Gainus was in a good mood now. "Please contact Eder for me. I have something to tell him." "That''s easy." Gainus stretched out his hand and a mirror appeared on his palm. "Take this. This mirror will let you contact Eder and vice versa." "Thank you." Kang Oh rubbed the backside of the mirror. Then, a familiar, yet unfamiliar face appeared within the mirror. It was Eder! Chapter 471. After the War

Chapter 471. After the War

Trantor: Boko As always, Eder''s face looked extremely shabby. It gave the impression that he''d rub his hands together in glee andugh frivolously. Though this was an extremely subjective assessment on his part! Honestly, Eder was quite handsome. He looked like the older brother type. Anyhow, there were bags underneath Eder''s eyes. Had he not slept well? Eder''s surroundings were dark and dreary. It was as if he''d turned a musty, underground prison into aboratory. "Lord Gainus... Huh?" Eder looked at the mirror, thinking it was Gainus. However, someone unexpected showed up on the other end. "Mr. Kang Oh?" "Yeah, it''s me." Kang Oh grinned. ''It''s been a while!'' "Why are you there?" "I needed to talk to you, so I came to see Lord Gainus." Plus, he needed to hand off the Evil God''s sacred treasure along the way. "What did you need?" Eder asked. "You know who Master Vn is, right?" "Of course." "He was grievously injured. I need your help." "Understood. I''ll return to Altein as soon as possible." Eder was in Deathnely in order to improve his skill in necromancy. After all, Deathnely was called the Ma of Necromancy. This hidden city was located in the western grasnds, in a swamp that was always shrouded in thick mist. "How long will it take?" "You can''t use a transfer magic circle here, and the west doesn''t have any intercity transfer gates, so it''ll probably take at least a few days." "Got it. We can go over the details when you arrive." "Yes." That was the end of their conversation. "Thank you." Kang Oh politely returned the mirror to Gainus. Then, he asked, "Has there been any progress on finding the Mayanes?" Gainus scowled. "They''re slippery bastards." In other words, they hadn''t made much progress. "Then how does this sound?" "Go on." Gainus''s eyes gleamed. ''Do you have a good idea?'' "What is it that they want?" Kang Oh asked. "Hmm, I wonder." Gainus stroked his beard. It was as if he were saying, ''You tell me.''. "They..." The Mayanes were arrogant, and they all wanted the same thing. ''If I take into consideration what they''ve said and done...'' "Want fuel in order to use the God of Creation''s sources. Their ultimate goal is to be existences that surpass the gods themselves." "So?" Gainus waited for him to continue. "What if we use what they want as bait?" "Bait, huh..." "We can lure them in with the sources we have." Killing Jacques and Kragon had given them two more sources. At the moment, these sources were heavily guarded by the Church of Death. "Will they really fall for it? And if something goes wrong, it''ll blow up in our faces." Gainus looked skeptical. "They''ll definitely bite. It''ll be like moths to a me." The Mayanes desired the God of Creation''s sources above all else. "What if things go wrong and we lose the sources?" "We have to be ready so that doesn''t happen." "Mm." Gainus briefly thought it over. Kang Oh remained quiet and waited for his answer. A short whileter... "We need Lady Deborah''s permission to use the sources. I''ll ask for her permission," Gainus said. He was essentially agreeing with Kang Oh''s n. "A wise decision." ''Let''s finish this long, drawn out fight!'' * * * Two days had passed. Eder had returned to his mansion, which, once upon a time, was said to be possessed. "Hmm. You look more tired than usual, but other than that, you don''t look any different," Kang Oh said, giving him a once over. "What do you mean? Aside from his face, he lookspletely different." Sephiro, who stood beside him, voiced apletely different opinion. Sephiro was right. Eder lookedpletely different. First, Eder''s hair had gotten so long that it went down to his waist. The bags under his eyes had be more pronounced, and his cheeks had sunken in so much that you could see his cheek bones. His lips were blue, and skull earrings hung from his ears, the ones that rock stars used to wear. On the contrary, his body had gotten healthier. His shoulders were wider than before and he filled out the robes he wore. Eder''s arms were also lined with lean muscle now. Kang Oh couldn''t see Eder''s lower body, as his robes covered them, but his posture was much more rigid than before, so it seemed like he hadn''t forgone his lower body training. "But your face and your body don''t match," Sephiro said. Then, Eder exined his circumstances. "As you delve deeper into necromancy, your body steadily declines, bing more and more like a skeleton. However, I am primarily a Healer. If I turn into an actual skeleton, then no one will want to be treated by me. They''ll say ''Take care of yourself first.''. Thus, I ate a lot of nutritious food, and diligently trained my body." That exined why Eder''s body, besides his face, had improved leaps and bounds. "Did you learn enough to be satisfied?" Kang Oh asked. "I had a breakthrough." Eder grinned. He looked extremely confident. ''Look forward to it!'' "We''ll see how much stronger you''ve beter. First, follow me." "You said you needed me to treat Lord Vn, right?" "Yeah." "Please give me a minute." Eder brought out a giant treatment bag from his room. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh''s party immediately set off for the Holiseum. They went underground and opened the door to Burkan''s room. However, Vn, not Burkan, was upying the room. He was missing one of his arms, and there was a giant sword scar on his chest. Vn was definitely in bad shape. However, his expression remained as confident as ever. It was as if nothing had ever happened to him. "I brought Eder over. Go on, take a look at him," Kang Oh said. "I''m in your care," Vn said politely, which was unlike him. However, this was actually how he would normally act. He would always show respect to those who deserved it. For example, he had unreservedly shown respect to Mahakan. Eder was a Master Healer. Moreover, he hade a long way to treat him. Thus, he was deserving of his respect. "Yes." Eder began to look him over. How much time had passed? "Mm." Eder furrowed his brow and groaned. "What''s wrong?" "I don''t think I can fully treat him at this point in time." "What?" ''Even a legendary healer can''t treat him!? What the hell!?'' "The wound itself isn''t the issue. The evil energy within it is. I''ve never seen such bizarre energy before. It bears the characteristics of poison, a curse, and divine energy all at once. What I can say for sure is that the energy is focused on destruction." "So?" "If a patient is poisoned, I would give them an antidote. If they were cursed, I would cast a purification spell, but... As I said, it possesses multiple characteristics, so it''ll be hard to treat all at once." Eder scratched his head. "You said fully treating me isn''t possible. How much can you treat?" Vn asked. "Your own energy is strong already, so if I prescribe a medicine that boosts your body''s natural energy, you should be able to suppress it. You shouldn''t have any trouble performing daily activities." Eder briefly caught his breath, looked at Kang Oh and Vn''s expressions, and then continued. "However, I don''t have a way of dealing with the evil energy itself. Of course, I''ll keep looking for a way to treat it, but I don''t know when I''ll find the proper treatment or if it... even exists." "Will I be able to swing a sword?" Vn asked. Eder shook his head. "You can''t do anything strenuous. Battle is out of the question and so is anything that puts a strain on your body! Please take special care not to use your internal energy for anything besides suppressing the evil energy. You mustn''t use it for anything else!" Eder emphasized the word ''mustn''t''. Kang Oh''s expression stiffened. To think that a swordsman of Vn''s caliber would be unable to swing a sword. It was basically like telling him to go jump off a cliff. However, Vn just smiled. "Understood." "Are you alright?" Kang Oh asked carefully. "I''m fine." "Really?" Kang Oh said, doubting his ears. "He said I''m not going to die. Why wouldn''t I be ok?" Vn shrugged his shoulders. "But he''s saying you can''t..." He stopped himself before he said ''swing a sword anymore''. Kang Oh had bit his tongue. "If I can''t swing one with my body, then I''ll do it with my mind. I''ll definitely slice apart the energy within my body." Vn''s eyes gleamed. "Is that even possible?" "Why not?" That''s how Vn operated. If there was something blocking his way, then he would just cut through it! "Please take good care of me." Vn bowed at Eder. He had be Vn''s primary physician. "Yes, I''ll do my best," Eder said strongly. The Guardian of the Continent, Vn, would be on vacation for the foreseeable future. No one knew when Vn''s condition would return to normal, or if it would for that matter. And... Kang Oh sported an expression of despair. ''I''m screwed.'' Why, you ask? Now, he would have to handle all of the Guardian of the Continent Quests. Those quests that wouldn''t pay him a dime. * * * Following the war with the Evil God Worshippers, Burkan was busy dealing with the aftermath. First, he needed to provide the people of Franco temporary shelter and help them settle in other cities and viges. Plus, he needed to hire several healers in order to provide them with psychological and physical treatment. Relief goods, which were sent by various people and the churches, had to be distributed evenly too. Then there was the matter of the dead. Tens of thousands had been killed at the hands of the Evil God Worshippers. Perhaps more than 100,000 people had been in. It wasn''t just the people of Franco either; several soldiers had been killed in battle too. Funerals went on for three days. A long line of mourners stood atop the grasnds where the funerals took ce. They needed to pass out rewards too. However, they had fought to protect theirnd, not seize enemy territory, so there was almost no loot. Fortunately, the free cities gathered arge sum of money, items, and supplies. Plus, the churches offered contribution points and other rewards to the troops. Therge guilds and yers received rewards based on their quests. Finally, they also looked for any stragglers and cut them down. However, this wasn''t something that could be done in just a couple of days. They would have to continue searching for any leftover Evil God Worshippers. "Protectors of the Continent, thank you for defending the continent and the entire world. I''m proud of all of you. Go home and return to your families!" Burkan said, officially disbanding the Protectors of the Continent. Once the brigade was disbanded, Kang Oh''s Guardian of the Continent Quest waspleted. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Prevent the Evil God''s Return has beenpleted.] As always, there was no reward attached to it. Kang Oh knew this would happen. ''Now then.'' It was time to continue Vn''s quest. All he needed to do was master Demonic Swordsmanship and acquire a Demonic Swordsman secret move! At the moment, his proficiency in High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship was 99%. Killing a Grandmaster, the Devil''s Sword, Sraka, had maxed it out in one fell swoop. ''I guess it makes sense. I did take out a Grandmaster.'' Kang Oh hadn''t just gotten thest hit. He had been involved in the process of taking him out, and had even managed to kill him in the end. This was a sign that his role had been huge. That''s why his High-Rank Demonic Swordsmanship had gone up so much. Anyhow, Demonic Swordsmanship wouldn''t go up anymore. This was the ''wall'' that Burkan had told him about. In order to be a Master Demonic Swordsman, he would need to achieve a great feat. Something like killing Sraka. ''If only I had gotten my Demonic Swordsmanship to 99% before killing Sraka...'' If he did, he would already be a Master. But what could he do? What''s done is done. He needed to find something he could do that was worth recognition. "Do you have anything in mind?" Kang Oh asked. Vn picked his ears and replied annoyedly, "Don''t know. Not interested either." Kang Oh turned around and stared at Eder. Eder just shrugged his shoulders. "To be a Master Healer, I had to cure a city''s gue. But... You have abat ss, so you''ll probably have to kill a dragon or something." A dragon was overdoing it. He wouldn''t be able to kill something like that. "I don''t know." Sephiro shook his head before he even asked. Waryong mimicked him from the side. "Hmm." Kang Oh was lost in thought. ''Is there any monster or work that''ll let me be a Master?'' He quickly thought over all his options. Chapter 472. Necromancer Eder

Chapter 472. Necromancer Eder

Trantor: Boko Hunting certain monsters would count as a great feat. For example, killing the Mamonas (a giant, gluttonous whale) would work. It was a raid boss that inhabited the Golden Desert, and there were several stories passed down about it. The Golden Desert was originally a lush grasnd. However, the Mamonas came and ate everything in sight, and spat out sand. Thus, the area eventually became a desert. That was just how gluttonous it was. It was equally as strong too! Defeating the Mamonas would definitely count as a ''great feat''. However, Kang Oh shook his head. ''It''s impossible.'' yers weren''t strong enough to take it down yet. Dragons, Mamonas, Vivolga, Titanos, Livi, etc. were all beyond their reach. Kang Oh looked for monsters that satisfied two conditions: hunting them had to count as a great feat, and killing them had to be within the realm of possibility. However, he couldn''t think of anything that would fit those two conditions. ''What about monsters that aren''t well-known?'' In other words, monsters that had never been seen before, but were written about or there were rumors of. Kang Oh tapped his finger as he thought about it. "Ah!" A light bulb went off in his head. "What''s the matter?" Sephiro asked. "I found a monster that satisfies both conditions." "Who is it?" "The Tum Champion." Kang Oh grinned. ''I''ve decided on you!'' * * * Once Arth was released, the gamingworks became extremely busy. People''s attention was inevitably drawn to the events that urred in therge world. A short while ago, the Evil God''s followers appeared and seized arge city. In response, countless people banded together and fought against the threat. Every single gamingwork showed footage of the battle, and the reactions to it were satisfactory. But another battle had begun in the eastern desert before the battle with the Evil God Worshippers had reached its conclusion. The Arabas Kingdom versus the Baiyan Kingdom! To be more specific, the Arabas Kingdom had invaded the Baiyan Kingdom! By now, everyone knew that the Empire Guild had seized control of the Arabas Kingdom. Some said that the Empire Guild was beginning their n to conquer the eastern kingdoms. They were right. The Arabas Kingdom''s Supreme Commander was Emperor Dukeram. Self-proimed experts in the art of warfare or battle maniacs put up posts analyzing the war between the two kingdoms on Arthtory. [Desert Warfare, Tactics, and Strategy.] [Comparing the full strength of the Arabas and Baiyan Kingdoms.] [I''ll tell you who''ll win the battle between the two.] [The Empire Guild''s objective: Conquer the Baiyan Kingdom, and eventually unite the eastern kingdoms under one banner.] ... Most people believed that the Arabas Kingdom wouldpletely crush the Baiyan Kingdom. After all, they were controlled by the Empire Guild. It was only natural. Not only was the Arabas Kingdom originally the most powerful of the three eastern kingdoms, but the most powerful guild was added to that. How in the world could the Baiyan Kingdom hope to face off against the two? Some of the battle maniacs even debated on ways the Baiyan Kingdom could win. - The Baiyan Kingdom needs to bring in the Des Kingdom no matter what. - They need to fight a war of attrition, and cut off the Arabas Kingdom''s supply lines. This is the answer. - Fighting them head-on is an act of lunacy. The Baiyan Kingdom''s leaders were no fools. They were well aware of the fact that they couldn''t win this war by themselves. Their prime minister, Abduh, headed to the Des Kingdom and begged for their aid. "Great Des King, please help us. The desert kingdoms have long since been split into three. But if the Baiyan Kingdom falls, then the bnce of power will crumble, and the Des Kingdom will be next." "I''ll send troops immediately," the Des King said. Indeed, if the Baiyan Kingdom fell, then the Des Kingdom would be next. If that''s the case, then the Des Kingdom had to send aid before the Arabas troops set foot in their territory. It''d be better to fight in Baiyan territory than their own. "Thank you so much!" The Baiyan Kingdom also sent their princes and princesses to the free cities to ask for their aid. "Please help us. We won''t forget what you''ve done for us." "I''m sorry." However, the free cities had already sent troops to stop the Evil God Worshippers, so they didn''t have the soldiers to spare. The Baiyan Kingdom would take all the help it could get. They also hired mercenaries, as well as adventurers, promising to reward them handsomely. Of course, they didn''t expect much. After all, the quality of the mercenaries and adventurers surely wouldn''t be that high. However, somethingpletely unexpected happened. Breaker and Storm had agreed to help the Baiyan Kingdom! Raon, Hernandez, and Han Seol hade in person. "Thank you. We won''t forget this!" The Baiyan King thanked them personally. The yer base went crazy too. - Storm and Breaker have joined Baiyan! - Then it''s Empire versus Storm + Breaker. Who will win? - Apparently, Des''s reinforcements will arrive soon. - We still don''t know who''ll win! The Storm and Breaker Guilds had joined forces with the Baiyan Kingdom, while the Arabas Kingdom was backed by the Empire Guild. In other words, this war would determine which guilds would be the dominant force. And right now... The invading and defending forces shed for the very first time. They fought at Tamur Fortress, a key strategic location for the Baiyan Kingdom. * * * The battle at Tamur Fortress ended in a single day. "Uwaaah!" The Baiyan Kingdom''s troops watched as the invading force ran with their tails between their legs. "Go back to mommy!" "Where do you think this is!? Don''te back!" "Woooo!" The Baiyan troops sent all sorts of insults to the retreating Arabas troops. "What a good start." "Indeed." Baiyan''s mercenaries and yers grinned. "Uhaaa!" "The Empire Guild''s nothing special!" Members of Breaker and Storm gave the Empire Guild''s gs a thumbs down. "Don''t let down your guard. This is only the beginning!" the Storm Guild''s vice-captain, Han Seol, said calmly. "Don''t be like that. They''re just trying to calm down," Hernandez said from beside her. Han Seol red at him, causing him to look away and begin whistling. She then sighed, but said nothing more. Whatever the case, the Baiyan Kingdom was able to repel the Arabas Kingdom''s forces in their first battle. However, the war had only just begun. * * * Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro traveled to the giant ruins of Tstrum. "I should be able to satisfy the conditions by fighting a Tum Champion." The Tum Tribe was divided into three categories: Tum Soldiers, Tum Warriors, and Tum Champions. He hadn''t encountered a Tum Champion before, but he could imagine how powerful they would be based on the power disparity between a soldier and a warrior. A champion was either as strong as a Master or close to it. However, he didn''t know where to find one, so he nned to search the entirety of Tstrum. He would keep going until he found a Tum Champion! "Let''s go!" Aftering through the magic circle, Kang Oh''s party exited the sewers. They were then ambushed by a group of Tum Soldiers. "Kill the trespassers!" "Come at me!" The Tum Soldiers threw their boomerangs simultaneously. Swish! The boomerangs flew through the air with a threatening ''swish''. It didn''t just sound dangerous; the force behind those boomerangs was tremendous. "Eder, show me what you can do," Kang Oh said. "Of course." Eder pulled out a lengthy bone staff. There was a round, eyeball-shaped ornament at the end of it. "...I rule all bone." Ederpleted his incantation in a sh. His quicker cast speed was the fruits of hisbor. Bone Mass! Eder formed watermelon-sized bone masses around him. He had matched the number of boomerangs flying at them. "Go!" The bone masses each flew at a different boomerang like homing missiles. Of course, striking the boomerangs would cause the bones to shatter. "Devour them!" Eder swung his staff. Then, the bones spread out likes and wrapped around the boomerangs. Of course, the boomerangs'' power was extraordinary. One secondter, the bone masses shook. They were one step away from breakingpletely. Eder clenched his offhand. Bone Bomb! Eder cast his signature move. Boom, boom, boom! Fabulous explosions filled the air. The boomerangs and bone fragments fell to the floor. However, Kang Oh and Sephiro were already familiar with thisbination attack. They obviously weren''t surprised one bit. "Is that it?" Kang Oh asked impatiently. "This is just the beginning." Eder''s staff began to glow. He had alreadypleted the incantation. Whir! A giant magic circle appeared on the ground, and yellowish-white bone began to pile up. Koo! Something popped out of the heap of bones. It had the head of a bull, but the body of a human being. It was made up of a Minotaur''s bones. The Bone Minotaur wielded a shimmering bone axe with both hands. Summon Bone Minotaur! "Hoh." Kang Oh was surprised. It was clearly a powerful undead monster. Eder continued to cast new spells. Bone Armor! The Bone Minotaur was, like a knight, covered head to toe in thick armor. Shrink Muscles! Then, he applied a curse that weakened the target''s strength. As a reminder, curses actually had the reverse effect on the undead; they strengthened them instead of weakening them. Thus, the Bone Minotaur''s strength went up instead. He cast other curses, such as Rusty Armor, Age, Slow, etc. to increase its defense, speed, and the rest of its abilities! "Go, White Horn!" Eder said, and the Bone Minotaur rushed at two of the Tum Soldiers. Although it was enormous, it was actually quite fast. So was its attack speed as a matter of fact. Whoosh! It horizontally swung its sharp axe. The Tum Soldiers avoided White Horn''s attack, and then counterattacked with their own weapons. Bam! Bam! However, White Horn''s bone armor didn''t break; instead, bone powder flew through the air. Bone Armor had increased its defense far more than Kang Oh had anticipated. Uoooh! White Horn let out a bull-like roar. It was entirely made up of bone, so he wasn''t sure where the roar came from; it was a mystery. Spinning sh! Bull Charge! Earth Crush! White Horn used all manner of Minotaur skills. However, its skills were far more powerful than any Minotaur that Kang Oh had ever fought against. However, he did notice one downside to it; it didn''t fight intelligently. Despite that, White Horn was fighting the Tum Soldiers evenly. The Tum Soldiers were by no means weak, so the fact that White Horn was capable of fighting two of them at once meant that it was just that strong. At that moment... One of the Tum Soldiers rushed at Eder. Then, Eder summoned a new undead monster. Summon Bone Saber-toothed Tiger! This time, a long, 3 meter size bone tiger with sharp teeth popped out of the heap of bones. "Protect me, Goni!" Apparently, the tiger''s name was Goni. It was derived from the Korean word for canine. It moved as fiercely as a real saber-toothed tiger, standing in front of Eder and protecting him from the Tum Soldier. Due to its protection, Eder was able to move rtively freely. He pulled out bandages and medicine from hisrge bag. "Mr. Sephiro, pleasee over here." Kang Oh and Sephiro had also engaged the Tum Soldiers. But because Sephiro and Waryong were far weaker than Kang Oh, they were having a much harder time than him. Obviously, they were slowly ruing all manner of wounds. However, Eder''s First Aid and bandages instantly restored Sephiro and Waryong''s HP to full. Moreover, he gave them medicine that increased theirbat abilities too. As expected of a legendary Master Healer! In the midst of all that, White Horn and Goni were fiercely fighting against the Tum Soldiers. ''Amazing.'' Kang Oh couldn''t help but marvel at Eder''s performance. Normally, Eder would be busy out of his mind. He had to cast necromancy spells and heal hispanions, after all. But right now, he was effectively doing both at the same time. Eder was primarily a Healer, so he allowed his summons to do the fighting for him! If he didn''t have anyone to heal, then he could use bone magic, curses, etc. to help his summons or hispanions. This was the new and improved Eder! Chapter 473. Tuslam Champion

Chapter 473. Tum Champion

Trantor: Boko The battle with the Tum Soldiers ended quickly. Kang Oh was strong enough to beat them all on his own, but Eder and Sephiro were with him, so it made sense. "Eder, I like your new fighting style," Kang Oh said. "I told you I wasn''t fooling around in Deathnely." "It seems like you focused on summoning magic. The Minotaur and saber-toothed tiger were no joke." Eder''s summons could stand up to the Tum Soldiers no problem. They were just that strong. "Originally, I wanted to focus on AoE magic. But I realized that using AoE magic in battle would keep me from healing others. So I changed my mind and focused on necromancy spells that''d allow me to help out on the battlefield while healing others." "And that''s how you came to summoning undead," Kang Oh said, and Eder nodded his head. "Are there any other creatures you can summon?" Sephiro asked. "I have one more, but it''s more of ast resort, so... I''ll show youter when I get the chance." "I''ll be looking forward to it." In order to find a Tum Champion, Kang Oh''s party continued to explore Tstrum! They continuously engaged in battle. Since Sephiro and Eder were with him, Kang Oh had no reason to avoid battle. He didn''t avoid the Tum Warriors either. On the contrary, the Tum Warriors seemed easier to deal with than before. After all, they were confident in their skills, so they always travelled alone. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro took them down rtively easily by focusing fire. Fighting Veteran Tum Warriors, however, was a different story. They were tough to beat, but they didn''t have to run on sight anymore. Eder definitely made a difference. Getting hit by one of the Tum Warrior''s attacks would cut Kang Oh''s HP by half, while Sephiro would be on the brink of death. However, Eder was like insurance; if they did get hit, he could quickly patch them up. Not only that, but Eder''s summons allowed him to do more than his fair share, as he could cast spells while his undead fought on the frontlines. Lastly, Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro had a long history, so they worked well together. Thus, their effectiveness didn''t equate to the sum of their parts. Because of that, Kang Oh was able to explore Tstrum faster than he''d expected. Kang Oh hadn''t explored much of Tstrum by himself, but with Eder and Sephiro by his side, he was able to explore more than half the area in a single day. "Is that a temple?" Kang Oh stared at a giant, eye-catching building. It was a ruined building with a dome-shaped ceiling. It had no windows they could peek through, and the walls were covered in diamond patterns. There was a 3 meter tall brown door in front, but it was tightly shut. "Let''s take a closer look," Sephiro said. "Yes." Kang Oh''s party approached the building. At that moment... Kuhaaahk! A frightening, goosebump-inducing roar could be heard from inside. "W-What was that?" Eder''s legs shook, as this was the first time he''d heard the roar. Squeal. Waryong, who''d heard this sound several times already, instinctively shrunk. On the other hand, Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Hoh, so this is where the sound came from.'' He had been wondering who or what was making this noise. Perhaps today was the day he''d be able to meet it. His heart thumped with excitement. "Let''s open the door," Kang Oh said yearningly, and stood at the forefront of his party. "P-Please wait a moment. Don''t be hasty..." Sephiro quickly tried to stop him, but it was no use. Kang Oh forcefully pushed the brown door. ''Let''s see who was making the noise!'' However, the door wouldn''t budge. It was locked. Kang Oh examined the door. His Hyper Intuition didn''t activate at all, so there was nothing suspicious about it. There was one thing, however. There were nine round holes and one star-shaped hole in the door. If you put in the right pieces, then it''d probably open. ''The size of these holes...'' Kang Oh pulled out a Tum Token from his inventory. If a Tum Warrior or Veteran Tum Warrior was defeated, then they''d drop this token. He then ced the token into one of the round holes. "It fits perfectly." Sephiro pped his palm. At the moment, Kang Oh possessed eight Tum Tokens. Thus, he couldn''t fill all of the open slots right now. He also didn''t have the star-shaped object either. ''The Tum Champion probably drops the star-shaped token.'' It was a logical conclusion. Tum Soldiers, Tum Warriors, and the Tum Champion. Nine of these tokens could be obtained from Tum Warriors. Then where would the star-shaped tokene from? Obviously the Tum Champion! "We''ve found another reason to find the Tum Champion," Kang Oh said. There was much to be gained by defeating the Tum Champion. First, he would achieve a great feat, which would allow him to be a Master Demonic Swordsman. Second, he would be able to open the door, revealing the frightening being that resided within the locked building. "Let''s hurry up and find the Tum Champion!" Kang Oh said. His party began to explore Tstrum once more. There were still ces they hadn''t gone to yet. * * * For three days, the Arabas Kingdom attacked Tamur Fortress. However, they weren''t able to conquer the fort. Thus, the morale of the troops stationed there couldn''t be any higher. Both the Baiyan army, as well as the Storm and Breaker guild members, were ecstatic. "The Empire Guild''s nothing special," a Storm guild member, Mangwoo, said. "Hey, this is just the beginning. It''s too early to say something like that," a fellow member, Godttery, retorted. "No, that''s not right. The Empire Guild has to end this war quickly. But look at what''s happening. It looks like this war will drag on. Doesn''t that mean we''ve already half won?" "That''s... true." "Good. Let''s use this opportunity to beat the Empire Guild and raise ourselves up." "Is that possible?" "Why not? The Hercules Guild made one wrong move and they werepletely destroyed!" "That''s right! The strongest guild, Storm... Hehe, feels good just thinking about it!" However, there were some that weren''t distracted by their sesses. The ck Lion, Raon, for example, wasn''t convinced and called for Han Seol. "How do you feel about this battle?" the majestic lion man, Raon, asked. "A false victory," Han Seol said curtly. The Baiyan Kingdom''s defenders hadn''t won per say. They were spoon fed a victory. Why did she think that way? It was too easy. Not only that, but their Supreme Commander, Dukeram, and his elite forces hadn''t made an appearance yet. "As expected..." Raon nodded his head. He was satisfied with her response. ''Her talents are wasted as the Storm Guild''s vice-captain.'' He wanted her to be part of his guild. "Why don''t you join our guild? I''ll give you the vice-captain seat and pay you handsomely." He immediately tried recruiting her. "No, thank you," Han Seol said decisively. "If you change your mind, let me know." "That won''t happen." "Understood. In any case, it feels like the Arabas Kingdom, no, the Empire Guild is losing on purpose." To be more specific, they weren''t giving it their all. "That''s true." "That means..." "They''re trying to make us lower our guard," Han Seol said. "Indeed. The problem is their strategy is working." Some of the Baiyan Kingdom''s higher ups, emboldened by their recent victories, wanted them to attack immediately. "We have to take it, even though we know it''s happening." Raon shrugged his shoulders. "Since they''re still losing. They''re losing on their own ord, so it''s not like we can do the same. And it''s also a risky strategy. After all, losing repeatedly like that can lower their troops'' morale significantly." "Then the Empire Guild wille at us with everything they got soon enough." "Yes. They''re aiming for an absolute victory that makes their previous losses look like nothing. They''ll be aiming for where we''re weak." "That''s when the war truly starts." "Yes." Contrary to their expectations, no full-scale assault came. The Arabas Kingdom and the Empire Guild continued to lose again and again. It got to the point that people began to say, ''At this rate, the Empire Guild will suffer the same fate as the Hercules Guild.''. * * * There was a ce in Tstrum that waspletely different from the rest of the ruins. It was a giant square that must''ve been used as a ce to gatherrge amounts of people. However, there were dozens of tents there that were made of Giant Kruger skin. It was the Tum''s home base. "That tent looks the biggest here." Kang Oh pointed at a tent that was four times as wide and two times as high as the other tents. Unlike the other tents, which were rtively in, this particr tent was adorned with bone and metal ornaments. Plus, there were small, strangely patterned rocks that hung from the entrance like sausages. It clearly belonged to someone important! It had to be the Tum Champion''s tent. "Be quiet and hide your presence. If you have a muzzle, put it on Waryong!" Kang Oh lowered his body as much as possible and moved quietly. "Shh!" Sephiro put a finger to his lips and shushed Waryong. Kyaa! Waryong nodded its head and stayed quiet. Sephiro petted its head and then followed after Kang Oh. Eder had already been following him. Kang Oh''s party hid themselves behind the rocks, grass, and half-broken ruins, and slowly made their way to the Tum Champion''s tent. However, the Tum were no ordinary beings. Kang Oh''s party couldn''t avoid them forever. "Who are you!?" Ultimately, they were discovered. Kang Oh bounced forward like a spring. He held Sarahoff and Ubist in his hands. Eder and Sephiro followed after him. His twin demon swords danced through the air. Or they would have if he hadn''t heard these words. "Are you a challenger?" a Tum Warrior asked. Kang Oh put down his swords. "A challenger?" "You didn''te to challenge the champion? If that''s not why you came, then why are you here?" Kang Oh''s head began to turn, and he immediately changed his attitude. "That''s correct. I''m a challenger. I came to see the champion." "Then show me your token." "Token? Is this what you''re referring to?" Kang Oh pulled out a Tum''s Token from his inventory. "That''s right. However, you don''t have enough." Kang Oh took out all of the tokens on him. He had a total of nine. He needed nine of them to open the door, so he''d killed every Tum Warrior along the way. "Am I still short?" "No, you have just enough. Follow me." Kang Oh''s party followed the Tum Warrior and headed for the champion''s tent. On the way there, they drew the attention of several soldiers and warriors. However, none of them attacked them. "What''s going on?" Sephiro asked. "I''m not sure. But I don''t think it''s bad for us," Kang Oh replied. "True..." Sephiro took a look around. There was no hostility in the Tums'' eyes, but they weren''t looking at them kindly either. "The champion''s inside. Go on in." That''s where the Tum Warrior''s guidance ended. Kang Oh''s party entered the tent. The interior looked exactly as he''d expected. The Great Forest''s monsters were stuffed and preserved inside, and there were various weapons off to one side. It seemed like the floor was made of bear fur, as it was extremely soft. Plus...! A man was sitting cross-legged on a dolmen. He gave off an extremely strong vibe. ''It''s like I''m looking at Burkan.'' The Invincible diator, Burkan! The man in front of him gave off the same vibe. "The champion..." Sephiro muttered. That''s right. This man was the Tum Champion. The man slowly opened his bright, brave eyes. "You''ve finallye!" The first words that came out of his mouth weren''t what he was expecting at all. Chapter 474. The Tuslam’s Story

Chapter 474. The Tum''s Story

Trantor: Boko ''You''ve finallye?'' That was quite a strange choice of words. "Were you waiting for one of us?" Kang Oh asked. "One of you may defeat Tstrum''s Demon." The Tum Champion grinned. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Tstrum''s Demon?" "You don''t know what it is? Then why did you say you wanted to challenge me?" The Tum Champion tilted his head. "If I beat you, will I get the star-shaped token?" Kang Oh asked. "See, you do know. That''s the main key that unlocks the seal to Tstrum''s Demon," he said. ''Seems like that demon is responsible for that frightening roar.'' Kang Oh had a lot he was curious about. "I''ll be honest. I don''t know much about the demon. I just wanted to fight you." And obtain the star-shaped token in the process. He could decide whether or not he''d defeat the demonter. "That works for me too. But it''s been a long time since a challenger hase all the way here. ording to the previous champion, it''s been more than 100 years. So could you listen to my story first?" Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder quickly exchanged nces. ''Let''s hear what he has to say.'' ''Let''s listen.'' Sephiro and Eder seemed to say. Kang Oh slightly nodded his head. "Can we sit down and listen?" Sephiro asked. "Of course." Kang Oh''s party ced soft bear fur beneath them, sat down, and listened attentively. "Long ago..." He wasn''t sure when exactly it was. What he did know, however, was that it was a long, long time ago. A tribe with beautiful wings rebelled against the gods, and the God of Destruction punished them. However, the God of Destruction was so powerful that he blew a hole in the wall that separated this world from another. At that moment... Beings from this other world came to this world. The being that wouldter be called Tstrum''s Demon was one such being. These monsters rampaged about, but were quickly dealt with by the gods and their followers. However, Tstrum''s Demon hid deep within the Great Forest. Time went by, the world quieted down, and the Primordial Gods went into a deep slumber. It was at this time that the demon began to act. The demon realized just how powerful it was! The Great Forest''s vicious monsters and beasts were no match for it. At the time, the elves flourished within the Great Forest. After all, a primeval forest was the perfect ce for elves to live in. There was even arge elven city called Tstrum. Despite how many forces they had at their disposal, the Tstrum Elves were unable to stop the demon. The elves'' pride and joy, their Elementalists and archers, were ripped apart by the demon''s bare hands, and countless viges were either destroyed or burnt to the ground. In the end, the elves asked the Tum for aid. However, even the Tum were unable to contend with the demon. One day, the demon attacked Tstrum, which would prove to be the final battle. Countless elves and Tum were killed in the conflict. In exchange, the Tum Champion was able to seal the demon within his body. However, the seal wouldn''tst for very long. Then, a mysterious sage from the east said, "You can use this city to seal the demon for all eternity." Left with no other choice, the elves and Tum sealed the demon within Tstrum. After all, they never knew when the seal would be undone. They followed the sage''s advice, and created a giant temple within Tstrum. Then, they sealed the Tum Champion within it. "This temple will continuously sap the demon''s power. It will take a long time, but... There wille a day where the demon will be killed for good." That day, the elves and Tum made a promise, and safeguarded Tstrum. However, for reasons unknown, the elves left the city, leaving the Tum behind. And as time passed, the elvish city of Tstrum turned to ruins. "You''ve heard the demon''s roars before, right? It makes those sounds whenever its strength is being drained. Anyhow, it was an interesting story, wasn''t it?" The Tum Champion grinned. "Yes." Kang Oh''s party nodded their heads. "But why haven''t you killed it yourself after all this time?" Kang Oh asked. It had been a long time since it''d been sealed away. The demon must''ve been weakened significantly. If that''s the case, then the Tum Champion should have no trouble beating it himself. "The demon possesses an annoying ability." "Which is?" "It absorbs the life force of anyone it kills. From what I''ve heard, killing just one elf will restore it to full strength. That''s why my ancestors weren''t able to kill it, no matter how many status ailments or curses they applied to it." In the past, Kang Oh had possessed the Phoenix''s Feather. By using it, it would restore his HP, MP, and Stamina to full! ording to the Tum Champion, it seemed like Tstrum''s Demon possessed the same ability. It just had to consume elves instead. "Does this apply to the Tum too?" "Yes. That''s why the sage told us that neither the elves nor the Tum can enter the temple. If the demon absorbs either of us, then it would return to full strength and break the seal." That was why the champion and the rest of the Tum merely guarded the temple. "Then can we not enter either?" Sephiro asked. "No, you can," the Tum Champion replied curtly. "Excuse me? You just said..." Sephiro tilted his head. ''You just said we couldn''t enter.'' "Tstrum''s Demon cannot eat humans." "So it can''t absorb humans?" Kang Oh asked. "To be more specific, it can, but it''ll only restore a small bit of its power. It won''t bring it back to full strength." "That''s why you''ve been waiting for a human to kill it?" Eder asked. "Yeah. We''ve been waiting for such a long time. 100 years ago, the challenger didn''t return. I don''t know if this time will be any different." Kang Oh recalled his first meeting with the Tum Champion. He had said ''You''ve finallye.''. Now he understood why he''d said those words. "Do we have to challenge it? Can we choose not to?" Sephiro checked to see how he reacted. He didn''t like to take risks, so he didn''t want to do it. "I won''t force you." "That''s a relief." "What will you give me if I beat it?" Kang Oh asked. Kang Oh had the exact opposition disposition. He would do whatever if he was promised a huge reward! The Tum Champion stroked his chin and said, "Hmm, I''m not sure. I hadn''t thought about it. I think the challenger 100 years ago wanted our secret move." "Weapon Bombardment!" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Although it appeared like they were just throwing their weapons, Weapon Bombardment allowed the Tum to freely control their weapons and throw them with incredible power. "Yeah, that." "Anything else?" Kang Oh was a greedy bastard. He would always push for more. "I can also teach you our tribe''s skills." "I don''t need those," Kang Oh muttered. The Tum Champion furrowed his brow. "They''re skills used by the most powerful of warriors." "Anything else!?" "Hmm. I''ll need to see if you''re strong enough to fight the demon first." "Whatever you want." Kang Oh had absolute confidence in his abilities. Thus, he had no reason to be intimidated. "Can I stay out of this?" Sephiro stepped back. "Oho!" Kang Oh widened his eyes. ''No way, mister!'' "Do what you want. Only one of you can go in, after all," the Tum Champion said. "Only one of us?" "Only one person can go through the seal. That''s how it''s set up." Sephiro grinned. "Oh, is that so? I''m so disappointed. I''d really like to go, but... I''ll have to leave this to you, Mr. Kang Oh." "Me too," Eder quickly said. "Ahem." Kang Oh stared at them. ''Why I outta...!'' Sephiro and Eder turned around, avoiding Kang Oh''s scathing gaze. "Let''s see if you have what it takes. Follow me." The Tum Champion pulled a weapon from the disy stand and left the tent. Kang Oh''s party followed him out. * * * There was a giant, circr arena built out of tough rocks and trees. Once they entered the arena, the Tum Soldiers that''d been following them sat down in the stands. Sephiro and Eder sat in the front row seats. Gyaa! Waryong''s nostrils red and it looked around. It didn''t look guarded, but it seemed to not like the nearby Tum Soldiers. Anyhow, Kang Oh and the Tum Champion stared at each other. "Now that I think about it, I haven''t introduced myself. I am the great Tum Tribe''s Champion, Kuharap." For an individual leading such a powerful tribe, he didn''t seem that old. At most, he was in his mid thirties. He had a sharp jaw, bright eyes, and a manly face. His shoulders were covered by soft bear fur, and the parts of his legs that he could see were lined with muscle. Kuharap was more than 2 meters tall. Compared to the other Tum, he was neither short nor tall. He wielded three weapons in total. Kuharap carried a sword; a double-ded axe was strapped to his back, and a club hung from his waist. The Tum Tribe made their weapons out of the bones of the Great Forest''s monsters, but Kuharap''s weapons were all made of metal. "Kang Oh." Kang Oh briefly introduced himself and drew two of his demon swords. Demon Sword Blood and Demon Sword Sarahoff! He''d picked Blood due to Festival of Blood and Red Butterfly''s Dance. And he''d picked Sarahoff for its Absolute Destruction and Frost Demon''s Domain. Kang Oh wasn''t sure how powerful Champion Kuharap was, but thisbination would allow him to react to any situation. "C''mon," Champion Kuharap yelled arrogantly. Kang Oh wasn''t going to turn him down. ''Let''s start strong!'' Kang Oh kicked off the floor and closed the distance. Then, he forcefully swung Sarahoff. Transcendent de! Swish. His purple longsword came flying like a streak of lightning. Bam! Kuharap''s body burst with shards of light. He looked slightly surprised, but only just ''slightly''. He immediately counterattacked. Whoosh! Kuharap swung his de, which emitted a ''whoosh'' as it ripped through the air. It was a clear indication of how powerful his blow was. ''This much is nothing.'' Kang Oh knew where the attack would being via his Hyper Intuition, so he took a step back. He dodged it by a hair''s breadth. The tip of his de almost made contact, but it ultimately missed. But right after, he let go of his sword. Swoosh! Something bizarre happened. Kuharap''s de twirled around in the air. It soared into the air and then plummeted to the ground,ing for Kang Oh''s head like an eagle swooping down on its prey. This was the Tum secret move, Weapon Bombardment. Kang Oh tightly gripped Blood and forcefully swung it, deflecting the iing de. ng! A sharp, metallic ''ng'' rang out. Kang Oh''s hands tingled. As expected of Weapon Bombardment! The power behind it was tremendous. However...! That wasn''t the end. Kuharap drew the double-ded axe from his back. Weapon Bombardment! "Tch!" Kang Oh leapt out of the axe''s way. Then, Kuharap''s sword came flying at him again. Kuharap was skilled enough to manipte two of his weapons simultaneously via Weapon Bombardment. Kang Oh''s heart raced as the sword and axe, which aimed for his blind spots with incredible power, came flying at him. Red Butterfly''s Dance! With his doubled evasion, Kang Oh was able to avoid the axe and sword. At that moment... Kuharap pulled the club off his belt. He was a fair distance away from Kang Oh, so if he wanted to hit him, then he''d need to get in close. In spite of that, Kuharap swung his club through the air. It obviously wouldn''t hit Kang Oh. Kang Oh briefly thought, ''What is he doing?'', but soon widened his eyes. "W-What the hell!? Is that a magic staff!?" The club suddenly elongated, and came straight for Kang Oh. Bam! "Ugh!" Kang Oh fell to the floor, and the violently spinning sword and axe fell from above. Bam! Bam! Chapter 475. Talastrum’s Demon

Chapter 475. Tstrum''s Demon

Trantor: Boko Kuharap''s sword and axe upturned the earth, creating a giant crater in the ground. It was like andmine had gone off. That''s how powerful Weapon Bombardment made his projectiles. Kang Oh, who''d been hit repeatedly by both the sword and axe, hadn''t remained unscathed. His body flew into the air and then rolled onto the floor. Shards of light burst from his body. "Uooh!" "As expected of Kuharap!" The spectators in the stands clenched their fists and cheered. What a hit! "Oh, nice!" "Mm, that was amazing." Sephiro and Eder apuded. They weren''t really on Kang Oh''s side. On the contrary, a small part of them wanted Kang Oh to get beaten. However... ''Kang Oh won''t lose.'' ''Mr. Kang Oh will do well, regardless of whether we cheer for him or not. His skill is one thing I can''t find fault in.'' They fully trusted that Kang Oh would do what needed to be done. "Mm." Kang Oh was in better shape than they thought. Well, his ears hurt, but aside from that, he was fine. It was due to the Avenger set. More specifically, Dragon Armor! This ability reduced all enemy damage by 30%, and could also reflect magic and curses. To top it all off, it could make his opponent''s physical attacks miss! Thus, the damage he''d taken had been significantly reduced. Plus, the double-ded axe missed. Anyhow, Kuharap wasn''t kind enough to let Kang Oh rest while he was on the ground. While Kang Oh was rolling on the floor, Kuharap''s club returned to its original length. Then, he stuck it into the ground and withdrew his sword and axe with both hands. Weapon Bombardment! The weapons came flying at Kang Oh as soon as he stood up. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung Sarahoff. sh! A white line followed his de, crossing paths with Kuharap''s sword. Bam! The collision emitted a heavy ''bam'', rather than a sharp, metallic sound. The force of impact made his hand ache. However, he was given no time to rest or collect himself. He had to block the double-ded axe right after. He nted his snow-white de. Sword Parry! Screech! The fiercely spinning axe slid across Blood''s length and nted itself into the floor beside him. Boom! The ground cracked as if afflicted by a long drought. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and thrust Sarahoff. Tempest Tiger! Golden energy briefly flickered around his purple de, and then a giant, imposing tiger dashed forward. It went straight for Kuharap! Kuharap pulled his club out of the ground. Fighting Spirit Veil! Then, he forcefully swung his club, which was enveloped in reddish energy. Bam! It was as if he was killing a tiger with a club. Tempest Tiger futilely disappeared. Kang Oh readied his next move without a hint of disappointment on his face. ''I have to get in close!'' It was hard to find a weak point when he was so far away from him. After all, Kuharap would shoot his axe and sword at him via Weapon Bombardment, and extend his club. Even closing the distance would prove difficult. Kuharap''s fighting style was trained and perfected. As expected of the strongest of a tribe of natural-born warriors! However, this was Kang Oh''s chance. Both his axe and sword were embedded in the ground, and he was only holding his club right now. Kang Oh rushed at him. Kuharap grinned. Both sides of the club lengthened. It really was a magic staff! Once he was satisfied with its length, he let go; it was like he was a batter who''d let go of the bat. Weapon Bombardment! Whoosh! Whoosh! Kang Oh swallowed as he saw the t hurricaneing towards him. ''If that hits me the wrong way, then it''ll blow my head off.'' Kang Oh counted down, and then lied face down. Whoosh! The incredible wind pressure caused a few strands of hair to go with the spinning club. Kang Oh didn''t stop there. He tightly gripped his swords and crawled forward. Once the club hadpletely passed him, he stood up and dashed towards Kuharap. Kuharap raised both of his hands. Whoosh! His sword and axe softly flew through the air andnded in his hands, as if they were birds that were returning home. Boom! Kang Oh heard a huge noise from behind him. It was probably Kuharap''s club smashing into the arena''s wall. "Jeez, take it easy!" "At this rate, you''ll destroy the arena!" The spectators heckled them. "Shut up!" Kuharap yelled. His voice held both weight and power, quieting down the fools that''d interrupted his fight. In the midst of that, Kang Oh got in close. ''I don''t see any weak points, but I can make them.'' His Hyper Intuition hadn''t spotted any weak points or openings. Kang Oh swung his twin demon swords. However, Kuharap was like a tough, immovable rock! He wasn''t shaken in the slightest. He held his sword in his right hand, and his axe in his left; he swung them one after another and blocked Kang Oh''s attacks. ng! ng! ng! ng! Swish! sh! Their attacks were both fierce and powerful, but neither side would back down. It was as if they thought that if they did, they would lose. Despite that, neither of themnded a critical hit, let alone a regr one. It was a strange phenomenon. They were bothpletely focused on offense, yet neither of them couldnd a clean hit! That was just how skilled both of them were. ''He''s good at meleebat too.'' ''He''s good!'' They were amazed by each other''s skill. However, Kang Oh was a bit more rxed. He wanted this stalemate tost longer. He wanted to take advantage of Sarahoff''s special ability, Frost Demon''s Domain! It would lower one''s core temperature, thereby reducing all of their abilities! Kuharap had already fallen for his trap. An invisible trap at that! Plus, he could use Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction ability to destroy Kuharap''s weapons if he got the chance. Demon swords, Sarahoff in particr, were overpowered weapons. There was a reason people were so obsessed with being ''overgeared''. If they continued to fight like this, then Kang Oh would gain the advantage! However... The strong were quick to detect danger! Kuharap didn''t know what exactly Sarahoff''s abilities were. But he did feel like he was stiffening ever so slightly. It definitely wasn''t a good feeling. ''This is weird. I should finish this quickly!'' Great Forebears'' Strength! Red stripes lined his body, and a sun pattern appeared over his heart. The effect was simple. It would increase all of his abilities significantly! Due to the skill''s high rank and his proficiency in it, Great Forebears'' Strength would more than double his abilities. As said, the strong were quick to recognize danger. This applied to Kang Oh too. ''I can''t lose!'' He could sense how much stronger Kuharap had gotten. Festival of Blood! Blood was coated in blood red energy, significantly increasing all of his abilities. It increased his abilities by at least a factor of 2! Festival of Blood could only be maintained for a short time, but it wouldn''t matter. Why, you ask? He was going to unleash a quick, powerful attack! Dragon''s Fury! Kang Oh''s Avenger set glowed with dim light, while his twin demon swords unleashed intense light. "Die!" Kang Oh fiercely swung his swords, and tremendous energy rose from around him. "Kyahaht!" Kuharap''s face contorted violently like a lion about to rip apart its prey. Power of the Ancients! Fighting spirit exploded from his body, spreading out like giant branches of a tree. It was as though the unleashed energy went from a calm sea, which reflected the glow of the red sunset, to a giant reddish tsunami which swept through everything in front of it. Kang Oh and Kuharap''s attacks were huge. So much so that it made the arena they were in look small. No, it was definitely too small. After all, it couldn''t withstand the force of their attacks. The arena violently shook as if it''d break apart. However, this was just the beginning. "D-Damn!" "Get out of the way!" The Tum Soldiers threw themselves out of the way. "Take it easy! Waryong!" Gyaa! Waryong snagged Sephiro and flew into the air. "Goni!" Eder rode on his Bone Saber-Toothed Tiger and escaped the arena. Whoosh! Kang Oh and Kuharap''s attacks mixed together, transforming into a giant, raging whirlwind. What happened to the arena? It waspletely destroyed. If the spectators had left even a secondter, then they would''ve been caught in the crossfire. "Kiek! Kehk!" "Ugh!" "Jeez. Are you serious!?" Not only had the arena beenpletely destroyed, but the sh of energies resulted in a giant dust cloud, forcing them to breath in unwanted dust. A short whileter... Once the dust cloud disappeared, Kang Oh and Kuharap''s forms were revealed. The two were staring at each other. They lookedpletely unscathed. It was only natural. They hadn''t used everything they had. Kang Oh hadn''t used Gluttony, let alone Devil Trigger. Ubist hadn''t made an appearance either. Kuharap was in the same boat. He still had a card to y. "Nice attack." "You too." The two praised each other. Then, they readied themselves for battle once more. "Let''s end this." "Of course!" However, the Tum Soldiers wouldn''t just sit there and watch as they wreaked havoc on their base. "Stop!" "Was destroying the arena not enough for you?" "Champion, at this rate, our home will be destroyed." The Tum Soldiers shouted. "Mm." Kuharap took a look around and scratched his cheek. He could understand why they were raising such a fuss. Ultimately, he decided to acquiesce to their demands. "Sorry, but it looks like we''ll have to end things here." Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ''I haven''t achieved a great feat yet.'' Kuharap was unbelievably powerful. If he defeated him, then it''d definitely count as a great feat. However... If he wanted to keep fighting him, then he''d have to face off against the entire tribe. After all, the Tum Soldiers'' firm gazes made it clear that they wouldn''t allow anymore fighting. ''Meh. I guess I''ll take the second best thing.'' He''d kill Tstrum''s Demon instead! "About the demon..." Kang Oh said. "You obviously pass. No, you''re overqualified. I''m begging you. Please kill the demon!" "Alright." Kang Oh smiled. "Good, good. I have something to give you and things to tell you, soe to my tent again." Kang Oh nodded his head and followed him. Sephiro and Eder sneakily followed him. "I expected nothing less from you, Mr. Kang Oh." "I hadplete faith in you." They gave him a thumbs up. Kang Oh narrowed his eyes. "I saw you pping when I was rolling on the floor. You seemed quite happy." Sephiro and Eder flinched frighteningly. ''Phew. He saw that while he was fighting the champion?'' ''Are you serious!?'' They''d partnered with Kang Oh for a long time, so they knew how to deal with him. "Hahaha, no way! Did you do that, Mr. Eder?" "No way. I''ve had my fists clenched the entire time. Like this. So there''s no way I could''ve been pping!" The two yed dumb. * * * The champion''s tent. "Take it." Kuharap passed him the star-shaped token. [Champion''s Token] A token given only to a warrior that the Tum Champion finds worthy. It is a key that unlocks the temple''s seal to Tstrum''s Demon. Kang Oh didn''t refuse. He tightly gripped the token and then ced it into his inventory. "If I kill the demon, you''re going to teach me Weapon Bombardment, right?" Facing Kuharap reminded him just how powerful Weapon Bombardment was. And... ''I could dual wield demon swords, and then use Weapon Bombardment tounch my third.'' If he learned Weapon Bombardment, then he''d be able to make use of all three of his demon swords at once. Thus, he wanted to learn it no matter what. "Of course. I can teach you all of our tribe''s techniques." "I don''t need anything else," Kang Oh said decisively. "You should probably learn Fighting Spirit Veil before fighting it though." "Why?" "Physical attacks don''t work on the demon, so you have to use Fighting Spirit Veil if you want to hurt it." "What are you talking about?" "It''s exactly as I said. Physical attacks don''t work on the demon." "That''s not what I''m asking. I''m asking why physical attacks don''t work on it. Is it a special ability, or is it because it''s like a ghost and has an immaterial form?" The distinction was important. If it was the former, then he''d have to learn Fighting Spirit Veil. If it was thetter, then he could just use Ubist to cut through it. "It''s thetter. Tstrum''s Demon is made up of liquid; more specifically, it''s made out of blood." "Blood?" Kang Oh recalled Tasha, or Blood, the form she appeared as within the demon sword''s trial. The Great Forest''s Demon, Blood! It was also a being made up of blood. ''Is there some sort of connection between them?'' he suddenly thought. At that moment... Blood, which was in his hand, began to shake. Had it responded to his thoughts? If that''s the case, then... There was definitely some sort of connection between Tstrum''s Demon and Blood. Well, he''d find out for certain when he actually fought it. Chapter 476. Kiting

Chapter 476. Kiting

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh was a seasoned hunter. He knew that the more information he had on his target, the better his chances. ''I need more information!'' He looked at Kuharap and said, "I assume there''s more you can tell me about Tstrum''s Demon." ''Information. Give me more information!'' "I''m not sure." Kuharap stroked his chin and paused. Then, he continued, "It was said that the demon was so powerful that it was unbeatable. But it''s been sealed for so long that I can''t say for certain how strong it is." That made sense. But he should have a sense of how strong it was based on the challenger 100 years ago. "How strong was the previous challenger?" Kang Oh asked. "He beat the champion in a one on one fight," Kuharap said. "Was the previous champion about as strong as you?" "Probably." "Is there anything else you can tell me regarding the challenger?" "No." Kuharap shook his head. "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. The challenger had beaten the previous Tum Champion, who was about as strong as Kuharap himself! ''He was either a Master, or someone on the cusp of bing one.'' However, he still wasn''t able to beat the demon. In other words, the demon was more powerful than a Master 100 years ago. But how about now? It was crucial that he find out how much it had weakened in 100 years. "How much has the seal weakened it?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t know. It''s been such a long time that... The wise sage set up the seal, and the elves constructed the temple. The Tum were only meant to safeguard the demon''s seal. But..." "But?" "The demon''s roar sounds a lot weaker now. It was frightening when I was young." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. His instincts whispered, ''This is a clue!''. The demon''s roar was an indication of its current strength. "Kuharap, how does its roar soundtely?" "I''m not really scared of it," Kuharap said firmly. "What about you, Mr. Sephiro?" Kang Oh asked Sephiro, who was quietly standing beside him. "I''m not really scared either..." Sephiro trailed off. Kang Oh had his doubts; he could ''smell'' the lie. "You have to be honest. It''s important." "It does make me flinch, but... how should I put this. It''s the same feeling I get when I encounter a monster that''s stronger than me." Kang Oh nodded his head and stared at Eder. "How about you?" "I get the same feeling." "As expected!" Kang Oh nodded his head. It was at this point that the others realized what he was looking for. "I see." Sephiro struck his palm with his fist. "The monster''s roar. If it doesn''t make you flinch, then..." "You have a chance at beating it." Kuharap finished the sentence for Eder. "What about you?" Kuharap asked. He was essentially asking, ''Does the roar affect you?''. Kang Oh grinned. His confident expression was answer enough. * * * Kang Oh wanted even more information on the demon. The more information you had, the better. However, Kuharap didn''t have any more information to give. All he knew was the demon''s name. di! That was its name. "I''ll kill it when I''m ready." As always, Kang Oh was extremely confident. "Be careful," Kuharap said. "Yeah. If you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder left Kuharap''s tent, and returned to Altein. "Good luck." Sephiro bid him farewell. Kang Oh had to face di on his own, so he had no further business here. Kang Oh grabbed him. "Please help me." "With what?" "Please find whatever you can on di." "I''m not sure anyone even knows about it." "We''ll just have to find out. If anyone knows about the demon, then your information brokers should." "I''ll ask them." "Thank you. And Eder." "Yes?" "You were in the west just a little while ago." "That''s right." "Did you meet any elves there?" Deathnely, the city where he''d studied necromancy, was located in the west. The west was where the orcs, trolls, elves, and other non-human species lived. "I treated a few elves there." "Then could you ask them about di? As you know, Tstrum was once an elvish city, so they should know about the demon." At the moment, the elves didn''t live in the Great Forest. Almost all of them lived in the western grasnds. However, what if there were elves still living that fled from the Great Forest and settled in the western grasnds? They may know something about di. "Understood. I''ll try finding what I can from the library too." "Thanks." Kang Oh tightly grabbed his hand. "Don''t mention it." "What will you do?" Sephiro asked. ''You''re not going to leave all the grunt work to us and just do nothing, are you?'' "I''m going to train." He nned on increasing his abilities to the fullest prior to fighting di. "Train?" "To be more specific, I''m going to increase my stats." "How?" "With this." Kang Oh stroked Demon Sword Ubist. * * * After capturing Red, Kang Oh had fed the Abyss Snake to Demon Sword Ubist. As a result, the sword itself had been strengthened, and the amount of stats he could steal had increased from 400 to 500. In other words, Kang Oh could steal 100 more stats. The most effective way of stealing stats was using Gluttony. If he killed an enemy while using Gluttony, then he would automatically steal stats. However, the target had to be at a certain level for him to steal stats. It couldn''t be something significantly weaker than him. To put it into perspective, if Kang Oh used Gluttony and killed the slimes that resided in the meadows near Altein, then he wouldn''t gain any stats. The downside to this approach was that Gluttony had a cooldown of 12 hours, and would onlyst, on average, about 15 to 30 minutes. 15 to 30 minutes. That wasn''t much time. Especially in Arth, where battles tended to take a long time. Thus, he needed to fight in a ce where a ton of suitable monsters spawned. ''This is just the ce.'' Kang Oh passed through an arch-shaped entrance. [Entering the Saul Graveyard.] High ranked undead spawned here. It was also a soul dungeon in his possession. Guooh! Rattle, rattle! Hellfire Zombies, Radioactive Ghouls, Elite Skeleton Knights, Mana Enlightened Skeleton Mages, etc. were roaming around in groups. These undead were all over level 400. Kang Oh stretched out both of his arms. Red spheres appeared in his palms. They were Fire Bombs. "Alright. Let''s begin, shall we?" Kang Oh threw the Fire Bombs to the left and right. Roar! Fire ''flowers'' rose from the ground, which attracted the undeads'' attention. Kuhaa! A group of Hellfire Zombies and purple-nailed Radioactive Ghouls came rushing at him first. Kang Oh gracefully dodged their attacks and rushed forward. He was holding even more Fire Bombs. Throw! Roar! Rattle! The Skeleton Warriors dashed towards him, their rusty swords dragging on the floor, while the Skeleton Mage''s staff radiated dreary energy. Kang Oh threw as many Fire Bombs as he could, and then drew Blood and Ubist. More and more undead came rushing at him. ''This isn''t enough yet!'' Devil Trigger! In an instant, he gained dark red wings and demonic horns. "Tasha! Fly me close to the ground." "Got it." Tasha''s voice rang out in his head. He forcefully pped his wings, soared into the air, and circled around. Then, he flew low to the ground like a swallow flying above water. Countless undead were on his tail. It was like a scene from a zombie movie. Or perhaps it was more like an undead version of Pied Piper. Meanwhile, the slow Skeleton Mages began casting their spells. Hellfire Ball! Chill of Death Spear! Whizz! Fireballs and ice spears came flying at him, but not a single one of them hit him. There was no way they''d hit him with Tasha controlling his wings. Kang Oh gathered even more undead. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! Boom! The auras swept through the undead, both enraging and drawing their attention. They too began to follow him. Some of them rode on horseback like the Death Knights or Duhans. And some Rag Golems were following him too, which were little more than several corpses stitched together. Kang Oh unleashed a Tempest Tiger behind him. It was like a present to entice them to keep following him. Of course, the recipients of this ''present'', the undead, didn''t feel like it was much of a present. ''Good, good. All of you, follow me!'' A huge mob of monsters was following him. If a yer had done this in a popted dungeon or hunting ground, then they''d get cursed out and might even get PKed too. Aggroing all the monsters like this took all of the monsters away from everyone else. Plus, if a yer didn''t execute it properly, then it could be a giant monster wave that spread out and damaged the surrounding area. However, Kang Oh was the only yer here, and there was no one else that could get hurt in the process. "Hoo. Haa." Kang Oh kept aggroing more and more monsters for quite some time. Since the Death Knights and Duhans were on horseback, they were able to keep up with Kang Oh. They were right on his tail. Their swords and axes just barely missed Kang Oh, who was flying low to the ground. He also deflected them with his swords too. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whizz! Whizz! Countless spells and arrows came flying at him. It got to the point that it was hard to deal with them all. "You can''t fly for much longer," Tasha said. "Got it!" It felt like he''d caught a ton of fish on his line. ''It''s time to harvest!'' Kang Ohnded on the floor. The skeleton horses'' rusty horseshoes came at him first. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Boom! Their hooves struck his afterimage, nothing more. After that, a Death Knight''s de came flying at him. With his Hyper Intuition''s warning, Kang Oh was able to dodge it with ease. Kang Oh quickly pulled out a mass-produced steel sword from his inventory. Gluttony! All of his abilities were doubled! The buff wouldst 15 minutes. His body swelled with power. Kuhaaahk! Shaa! An undead horde came rushing at him. The sky was filled with magic. The Death Knights and Duhans kept attacking him too. However, Kang Oh was as rxed as ever. ''I have to aggro even more.'' Moon''s Protection! His ne glowed, and a barrier in the shape of a full moon enveloped him. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Whack! Bam! All sorts of attacks crashed against his barrier like the Duhan''s axe, the Skeleton Mage''s magic, the Skeleton Archer''s arrow, the Rag Golem''s club, etc. However, Moon''s Protection would protect him from any and all attacks for 3 seconds no matter what. 3, 2, 1... Moon''s Protection was over. At that moment... Kang Oh''s armor glowed with dim light, while his twin des glowed intensely. However, Blood was coated in blood red energy. He had used Festival of Blood within the barrier. "Let''s go!" Dragon''s Fury! Gray energy swirled around him like a huge typhoon! Whoosh! Those closest to him, like the Death Knights, Duhans, and Rag Golems, were the first to go. However, this was just the beginning. Dragon''s Fury continuously devoured countless undead. [You have defeated a Death Knight.] [Gluttony is active.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] [You have defeated a Duhan.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Mental +1] ... Several system messages popped up, but he didn''t have the time to check them right now. ''Let''s do it again!'' Kang Oh extended his twin demon swords and spun like a top. Abyss Predator! Dragon''s Fury was like a typhoon that swept through and crushed everything in its path; the most powerful, giant typhoon! Abyss Predator, however, was like a tsunami. If there''s an ocean in hell, then that''s where this tsunami of darkness woulde from! Demon Sword Ubist unleashed a giant jet-ck tsunami that engulfed the world. Boom! It was an unavoidable cmity. To the undead, that is. Chapter 477. Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir

Chapter 477. Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh stood tall. Around himy leftover Hellfire Zombie arms, the Radioactive Ghouls'' green teeth, the Skeleton Warriors'' yellowish rib bones, the Death Knights'' dark swords, the Rag Golems'' flesh, etc. [You have defeated a Rag Golem.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Magic +1] [You have defeated a Skeleton Hellfire Warrior.] [Stats have been stolen.] [Physical +1] [The Bringer of Weak Magic (Skeleton Mage) has been defeated.] [Magic +1] ... [You have defeated a Hellfire Zombie.] [You cannot steal anymore stats.] [Stolen Stats: 500/500] [You have defeated 132 undead monsters at once.] [Fame has increased slightly.] [You have leveled up.] "It went well." Aggroing a huge mob of undead monsters had born fruit. He had maxed out his stolen stats in a single go, after all. Rattle! tter! However, some of the undead had survived. To be more specific, they had been outside the range of Dragon''s Fury or Abyss Predator! They mostly consisted of long range attackers like Skeleton Mages or Skeleton Archers. The survivors immediately shot their magic and arrows at him. Of course, they didn''t pose a threat to Kang Oh. He immediately deflected the arrows and quickly closed the distance, killing them all in no time t. * * * The Saul Graveyard''s most powerful monster was the Chaos Knight. It was basically a Death Knight and a Ruin Knightbined. A Death Knightmanded a battalion of undead troops, while a Ruin Knight possessed incredibly highbat abilities. It was around level 550 - 600. The Chaos Knight rode upon a skeleton horse, or Tehorus, known for devouring one''s good memories and leaving only nightmares behind. [You have discovered the Chaos Knight, Gardner.] [It is using its charisma to intimidate you. However, it has no effect on you.] Kang Oh had already defeated several Chaos Knights before. They weren''t difficult for him to defeat. This time was no different. Gardner was more like a test subject. Neigh! The Tehorus, wreathed in blue mes, fiercely rushed at him. Gardner gripped a sharp de in one hand. Charge of Death! They were akin to a brakeless, speeding train; they would break through anything in their path! ''Not a chance.'' Kang Oh''s Avenger set glowed. Summon the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir! This was the Avenger set''s final ability. Whir! Kang Oh''s shadow stretched out, and a three-dimensional shape appeared. It was a sleek ck panther. Its tail was as thin and as long as a rope; no, to call its tail long wouldn''t really cut it. Technically speaking, it would be called a long-tailed ck panther or tail whip ck panther. Its eyes were a deep purple, and ancient purple markings were engraved on its ck fur like a pattern of sorts. [You have summoned the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir.] [Shumir will persist for 1 minute.] [Shumir imbues you with the power of vengeance. This power disappears along with Shumir.] [Power of Vengeance: Inflicts pain proportional to your hostility towards them. Against enemies that cannot feel pain or whose pain is reduced, you deal additional damage to them instead.] ''Pain, huh...'' There were times that pain could be a superior status ailment than even poison, burn, frostbite, paralysis, and unconsciousness. What if the pain was too much? They wouldn''t be able to do anything. The target would just writhe on the floor and scream in pain. Taking down such a target would be a piece of cake. But against the undead, who were immune to pain, or yers, whose pain was reduced to a certain threshold, he would deal additional damage instead. Like right now. His Hyper Intuition sent him an icy warning. In no time at all, the Chaos Knight''s mount had appeared before him. Red Butterfly''s Dance! Kang Oh leapt out of the way. Bam! He was so fast that the Charge of Death merely grazed him. Swish! Shumir swung its long tail. The lengthy tail elongated even further. It was basically a whip at this point. However, the speed at which it moved was extraordinary. It was difficult to track with the naked eye. Bam! Shumir''s tail struck the Tehorus''s side. Neigh! The Tehorus screamed in pain and fell to the floor. It was only natural. The Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir, inflicted horrendous pain to its victims. Its ability wasn''t limited to hostility. The Tehorus wasn''t able to stand upright when faced with such overwhelming pain. In any case, the Chaos Knight leapt into the air. Swish! Shumir, as if waiting for this moment, fiercely swung its tail. Bam! But the Chaos Knight was not to be underestimated. It deflected Shumir''s tail with its sword. In midair at that! However, Shumir''s tail was relentless. It immediately attacked him once more. Whack! A clear ''whack'' resounded throughout the graveyard. The Chaos Knight was undead, so it didn''t feel any pain. In exchange, a huge amount of shards burst from its body. When Shumir was unable to inflict pain onto its opponent, it dealt additional damage instead. It was simr to the power it bestowed onto Kang Oh, the ''Power of Vengeance''. After that, Shumir one-sidedly beat down on the Chaos Knight like a sandbag. It mercilessly bashed on Gardner with its tail. The Chaos Knight tried its best to close in. However, a good offense was the best defense. True to that saying, Shumir continued tounch sharp attack after attack, preventing it from closing the distance. Ultimately, the Chaos Knight gave up on approaching it. It radiated arge amount of dreary energy from afar andunched an aura attack. Swish! Like a true panther, Shumir moved with incredible speed and grace. It easily dodged the Death Aura and continued to swing its tail. Shards of light continuously fell from the Chaos Knight''s body. ''It''s strong, as I expected.'' Kang Oh watched the fight without interfering. ording to literature, Shumir''s power was equivalent to a Great Spirit. It was said that it was over level 500, but it was clear that it was around level 600. After all, it waspletely overpowering a Chaos Knight. However, it could only be summoned for 1 minute. Once that minute had passed, it would disappear like a mirage. Obviously, the power it granted its summoner would disappear as well. "Hmm. If only the duration time was a little longer..." It would probably be too overpowered. That''s just how powerful Shumir was. ''The cooldown time is 1 hour, yet its duration time is only 1 minute. You really have to use it at the right time.'' The more powerful an ability, the more difficult it was to use. If mistimed, Shumir wouldn''t be able to show its true worth. Neigh! Now that Shumir was gone, the Tehorus could stand up again. It righted itself and rushed at Kang Oh. The same went for the Chaos Knight, who''d been fighting Shumir directly. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh swung Blood and Ubist simultaneously, engaging the Tehorus and the Chaos Knight at once. It didn''t take long before they became experience points; after all, Shumir had already softened them up for him. * * * Once the war with the Evil God Worshippers ended, everyone''s attention turned to the desert. The war between the Arabas and Baiyan kingdoms. Most people believed that the Arabas Kingdom woulde out victorious, but reality greatly differed from their expectations. The Arabas Kingdom hadn''t won a single battle. The Empire Guild''s pride and joy, their eight squads, retreated without doing much. Despite that, Raon and Han Seol couldn''t shake off the uneasiness they felt. "What are they thinking?" Han Seol asked. "I don''t know. Perhaps they''re weaker than we expected, and the Baiyan Kingdom is stronger than we first thought," Raon said. The Arabas Kingdom and, by extension, the Empire Guild, had lost every single battle thus far. It actually made Raon start to doubt himself. On the other hand, Han Seol still believed that the Empire Guild was letting them win. "No! They''re definitely up to something." "However... The tides have already turned. If you take into ount their losses, it''s clear that they''ll retreat soon." "Are you sure about that?" "They will." Sometimeter... Information was leaked to the Baiyan Kingdom''s higher ups. The Arabas Kingdom''s invasion force was divided into two separate factions. One of them was the Empire Guild. The other was the nobles, as their power had been seized by the former. The nobles were secretly passing off military secrets to the Baiyan Kingdom. Han Seol came looking for Baiyan''s 2nd Corps Commander, Balkmas. "Is the rumor true?" Han Seol asked. She was somewhat friendly with the corpsmander. "It''s true." "What do the Arabas nobles want?" There''s no way they''d leak military secrets for free. "When the Arabas Kingdom loses the war, they want to me their loss on the Empire Guild and drive them out. They want us to help them with that." "Mm." "It can''t hurt us. If the Empire Guild disappears, then the bnce of power will be restored." "Can we trust the Arabas nobles? If they betray us at a critical moment, then..." Han Seol still had her doubts. However, Balkmas shook his head. "Their information has never been wrong. That''s why we''ve been able to win every single time. The tides have already turned in our favor. We have more troops now too. All that''s left is for this war to end," Balkmas said firmly. "Understood." That answered all of Han Seol''s questions. ''The Empire Guild made a mistake. They should''ve strengthened their hold over the kingdom before dering war. They were trying to me an outside force for their own failings. They struck at this particr moment, when the free cities couldn''t help the Baiyan Kingdom.'' The Empire Guild''s upper management were all human too. They could make mistakes. "We''re ending this in two days, in the Grendal Desert. We''ve already made an agreement with the nobles to end the hostilities there." "Congrattions." Han Seol smiled. "Hoo, the fruits of victory are sweet. But it''s the aftermath that concerns me. I can feel a headacheing along with all the paperwork I''ll be left with." Balkmas clutched his forehead. "Shall I help?" "I''d appreciate it." The two stared at each other and smiled. * * * The Grendal Deserty on the border between the Arabas and Baiyan kingdoms. There was a huge oasis there called the Grendal Oasis, so the two kingdoms fought for this piece ofnd several times in the past. After all, water was the most precious resource in the desert. At the moment, the Baiyan Kingdom was the owner of the Grendal Oasis. Thus, the Baiyan Kingdom was able to set up camp nearby, while the Arabas Kingdom was forced to pitch tents in the blistering heat. The oasis versus the desert. These differing locations were symbolic of the state of the two opposing forces. "Let''s put an end to this war!" Baiyan''s Supreme Commander, Kab, yelled. "Uooooh!" "Uwaaaah!" "Baiyan! Baiyan! Baiyan!" The Baiyan force''s morale couldn''t be any higher. Their cries resounded throughout the desert. "All forces, charge!" Kab thrust his sword forward. Thud! Thud! Thud! The Baiyan Kingdom''s forces advanced, leaving behind countless footprints in the sand. On the other hand, the invading force''s morale had hit rock bottom. The Supreme Commander, Dukeram, was nowhere to be seen. "Crush them!" "Kill them all!" "Let''s go!" The Baiyan army, the mercenaries, and members of Breaker and Storm enthusiastically rushed forward. The victor had already been determined. Now it was just a matter of who contributed the most, and who collected the most loot. "T-They''reing!" "Uheok!" As said, the Arabas army''s morale had hit rock bottom. They were like fallen leaves in the autumn wind. The Arabas army was trampled on, unable to put up a proper fight. However...! A hero shows up at the end! "Brave sons of Arabas!" A man riding a winged, snow-white horse, or Pegasus, descended from the sky. It was Emperor Dukeram! Chapter 478. Empire Shows Its True Colors

Chapter 478. Empire Shows Its True Colors

Trantor: Boko The Pegasus was definitely eye-catching, but the man riding on top of it was even more so. Dukeram was the leader of Empire, which reigned supreme over all guilds, so his Charisma stat was extremely high. Even without his exceptionally high Charisma, Dukeram would surely stand out. In any case, Dukeram held a g in his right hand, and a severed head in his left. He raised the severed head for all to see, revealing a gray-haired, strong-minded face. Dukeram flew over the Arabas army. Those with keen eyesight were able to identify the old man. "N-No way." "General Hamil?" "Did you say General Hamil?" "What''s going on!?" Once the man''s identity was revealed, the soldiers felt like they''d all been struck. After all, Hamil was known for his firm, unwavering loyalty that was tougher than even adamantium! And yet, that man''s severed head was being held by their suprememander. What the hell was going on!? "This is the 2nd Corps Commander, Hamil! He''s a traitor that has been feeding information to our enemies!" Dukeram''s voice rang out. "No way." "He betrayed us?" A majority of the soldiers thought, ''You''re using General Hamil of treason? No way!'', and began cursing Dukeram out. "Who do you think you are!?" "How dare you speak ill of the general!" "You''re the traitor!" The soldiers'' loyalty towards their general was absolute. At that moment... "No, the Supreme Commander is right. We were colluding with the enemy!" the man said tearfully. "That''s right. We sent the enemy military secrets!" "I''m a criminal!" The Empire Guild dragged these people out of nowhere, and they began confessing to their crimes. None of them were uninjured. They were all grievously injured or seemed mentally unstable. There were traces of torture all over their bodies. "Is that Lord Pike?" "The Lord of Darren Oasis is there too!" "T-The desert nobles are over there!" "Do you understand!? Hamil and the nobles conspired against us and secretly sent information to the enemy. That''s why we lost." Dukeram''s voice resounded throughout the desert. "Aah, no way!" "Why did you do such a thing!?" "You bastards! My friends died because of you!" The troops'' morale was already at rock bottom. It couldn''t go any lower than this. Or it shouldn''t have been able to, at least. However, the news of Hamil and the nobles'' betrayal made them feel even greater despair. "Aah, this country is screwed!" "Damn it! Shit!" Countless soldiers dropped their weapons and plopped onto the floor. Some of them rushed at the nobles in rage. Of course, these events would only prove beneficial to the Baiyan army. "Forget about them. Just kill them all!" Kab''s voice rang out. The Baiyan soldiers, who''d stopped due to Dukeram''s sudden appearance and the chaos that ensued, got a hold of themselves. "Die!" "Let''s go!" They resumed their one-sided ughter. The Arabas troops were no different from training dummies. "Kill him too!" Kab pointed at Dukeram. The archers and Desert Mages joined the fray. "Aim, fire!" Arrows filled the sky and pirs of sand surged from the ground. At that moment... Dukeram raised a g into the air. Swish! The wind blew, showing the g in all its glory. Rakan''s symbols, the honorable sword of victory and the shield that prevents defeat, were drawn upon it. Whir! The g radiated intense light. That light rippled and then spread out, covering the entire battlefield. Upon contact, the arrows fell to the ground, and the sand pirs dispersed into regr sand. That wasn''t all. The light passed through the Arabas troops as well, filling them with power. It felt as though something was brimming within them; it was like hope that they coulde out of this battle victorious. And this hope sessfully raised the troops'' morale. It was astonishing. To think that he''d be able to raise the morale of all of these troops instantaneously! What exactly was that g? It was one of Rakan''s sacred treasures: The g of Great Victory! As shown, it would protect the g bearer and restore their allies'' morale to full. However...! How in the world had Dukeram obtained one of Rakan''s sacred treasures? The g of Great Victory was stabbed through the heart of the nine-headed hydra by the great Rakan Pdin, Dekard, during the arduous sealing process. With the help of his guild, Dukeram undid the seal, defeated the hydra, and achieved a great feat. That''s how Dukeram had be a Master, as well as how he''d obtained the g of Great Victory. Obviously, the sacred treasure should be returned to the Rakan Church, but the Empire Guild had been keeping it in storage to use at a time like this. Anyhow, the g of Great Victory raised the morale of the weary Arabas troops. "Brave sons of Arabas, from this day forward, we know no defeat!" Dukeram dered strongly. "Uoooh!" The sitting soldiers stood up. For some reason, they felt obligated to do so; they also picked up the weapons that they''d thrown away. "Let''s go!" "We can win!" We can win. That''s exactly how the soldiers felt right now. "W-What''s going on? These bastards!" "They had given uppletely! Stop resisting and just die!" It was no longer a one-sided ughter. Brutal battles took ce all over the battlefield. "It''s our turn now." "Finally, I don''t have to hold back." The Empire Guild''s members were the best of the best. However, they had been ordered to not give it their all in the previous battles. Everything had been nned. It was all for this moment! "It''s the Empire bastards." "Toothless tigers, just die already!" Storm and Breaker faced off against the Empire Guild. However... The Empire Guild wasn''t considered the strongest for no reason. Four of their eight squads were rampaging across the battlefield. "Just as nned." Empire''s vice-captain, Jegal, watched all the events unfold and smiled evilly. All those losses? They had been expected. The nobles''munication with the enemy? They obviously knew about it. They even goaded them on. Why? They wanted to get rid of them all. The battlefield was the perfect ce to kill political rivals, after all. General Hamil? He was no traitor. However, the Empire Guild had eliminated him because he''d get in the way of their ns in the future. ''He definitely would''ve been against Mr. Dukeram bing Emperor.'' There was no one more loyal than Hamil. Thus, he wouldn''t stand by and allow the puppet king to cede his power to Dukeram. He held substantial military power, so he could even incite a civil war by siding with the puppet king. Whatever the case, he would definitely get in their way. Thus, they used this opportunity to kill him. They had also nned tounch theirrge-scale counteroffensive here, in the Grendal Desert. Obviously, they had prepared a trump card that would guarantee victory. "Please activate the transfer magic circles." Several transfer magic circles were required to move arge number of troops. It took a considerable amount of resources, manpower, and time. And they couldn''t be set up quickly either. Thus, Jegal had already set up several transfer magic circles beneath the Grendal Desert''s sands. He also made sure to maintain them too. It was time to use the magic circles. The soldiers that guarded the border between the Arabas and Des kingdoms, as well as the missing members of the Empire Guild, woulde through. Of course, the guards would have to be recalled as soon as possible, but a brief absence shouldn''t pose too much of a threat. After all, they were only needed for this battle. "Activate the magic circles!" Then, Jegal''s subordinate left his side and vanished. Sometimeter... Countless people appeared atop the sand dune behind the Baiyan army. They were carrying Arabas gs! On that day...! The Baiyan army was almostpletely annihted. Dukeram killed their suprememander, Kab, and the 2nd Corps Commander, Balkmas, lost a foot. The Storm and Breaker Guilds took considerable losses too. It was a rout. They couldn''t recover from these losses. These false victories that the Baiyan Kingdom had umted all came crashing down on their heads. It was like a sand castle on the beach that''d been washed away by the current. Thus began Arabas''s, no, the Empire Guild''s true invasion. The Baiyan Kingdom was well on their way to ruin. * * * Kang Oh had asked Eder and Sephiro to gather information on Tstrum''s Demon, whether it be through their connections or otherwise. However, they weren''t met with any sess. "My information brokers asked me who di was," Sephiro said. "The elves didn''t have much information for me. Neither did the Altein Central Library," Eder said. "Well, I guess it can''t be helped." From the start, Kang Oh hadn''t been expecting much. He had just tried to get as much information as he could. "Are you going to hunt it now?" "Yes. I''m ready now." He''d reached his limit on stolen stats, tested Shumir out, and bought an AA-rank item called ''Arnea''s Mysterious Belt'' to use for Gluttony. Plus, he kept Sraka''s Hell Greatsword inside his inventory. If need be, he would use Gluttony on the SS-rank sword. ''If di is stronger than my expectations, that is.'' He''d restocked his healing and resistance potions, and had some of Eder''s antidotes and bandages in his pocket. cksmith Hoffman had sharpened his demon swords for him, and Tailor Dink had restored his leather armor to optimal condition. Above all, the Cassio Ring was radiating red light. His Resurrection ability was good to go. ''I''m all ready.'' Kang Oh headed for Tstrum all by himself. After all, he had to face the demon alone. There was no reason to bring Eder and Sephiro with him. He appeared in Tstrum via the transfer magic circle, and then headed for the temple where di was sealed. Kang Oh showed the Champion''s Token to the soldiers and warriors there, and they let him pass without issue. "Good luck, Challenger!" "Stay strong!" They even cheered him on. Kang Oh softly waved his hand. He sure was popr. It would''ve been nicer if theyid out the red carpet for him. He finally reached the entrance of the temple. Somehow, Kuharap knew he wasing and was waiting for him there. "Are you ready?" "Completely." Kang Oh grinned. Kuharap ced his hands on Kang Oh''s shoulders, his facepletely serious. He gave off quite a somber vibe. "I pray that our great forebears bless you." Red light, like that of a red sunset, flowed from his fingers and into Kang Oh''s body. He suddenly felt warm. [You have received the Tum Champion''s blessing.] [Because you are not a Tum yourself, the blessing loses effectiveness.] [All stats have increased slightly.] [HP, MP, and Stamina have increased slightly.] [All resistances have increased slightly.] [This buff will remain while you are within di''s seal.] "Thanks." "Go on in." Kuharap pointed at the temple''s doors. Kang Oh plugged the nine round holes with the Tum Tokens. Then, he ced the Champion''s Token into the star-shaped hole. Creak. As it hadn''t been opened in 100 years, the old door ''creaked'' as it opened. He peeked through the door, but could only see darkness within. However, it felt like the darkness was weing him, as if gesturing him toe on in. Kuharap softly ced his hand on Kang Oh''s back. He was basically saying, ''Don''t be afraid.''. ''Afraid? The darkness is like my home now.'' Kang Oh took a step forward. Then, something peculiar happened. The darkness stretched forward and dragged him inside, as if it had be a hand. Soon enough, the darknesspletely devoured him. [Entering the Temple of Deep Darkness (Tstrum''s Demon''s Seal).] Creak! Boom! The door was shut tight. Now, there was no going back. This door wouldn''t open until he killed the demon. Chapter 479. Vladi (1)

Chapter 479. di (1)

Trantor: Boko Befitting its title as the Temple of Deep Darkness, the entire ce was obscured in darkness. Kang Oh pulled out a Light Sphere that he''d bought from the Tower. To put it simply, a Light Sphere was a shlight. A magic shlight to be more precise. "Light," Kang Oh uttered, causing the apple-sized sphere to glow. The Light Sphere cast away a portion of the darkness, slightly revealing what was inside. There wererge, rectangr pirs here that were equidistant from each other. ''Where''s the demon?'' Kang Oh began walking around. He had his Hyper Intuition, so he didn''t have to worry about being caught by surprise. If he felt even the slightest chill, then his body would instinctively react. However, he explored the temple for quite some time, but he hadn''t encountered the demon, let alone a trace of it. He expected to find a temple coated in blood, or skulls rolling around, but he saw neither blood nor skulls anywhere. "Hmm." Kang Oh continued to look around. He eventually found something new. It was a bell and mirror. Therge, blue bell was more than 3 meters tall, and the mirror was 2 meters wide. It was almost as if the bell was meant to be struck. After all, there was a mallet with a round head off to the side. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath, and then forcefully swung the mallet. Ding! A bright, resonant chime rang out. It was the deepest, grandest peal he''d ever heard. Kang Oh immediately drew Ubist and Sarahoff. He needed to prepare himself in case di appeared. But something interesting happened. The surface of the mirror rippled like water. At that moment... Kuhaaahk! It was the same roar he''d heard in Tstrum. ''That''s where you are.'' Kang Oh ced his hand atop the rippling surface of the mirror. His hand went straight through. It wasn''t all that surprising. After all, the God of Life, Luhan, had imprisoned one of the Mayanes in a mirror world! He''d experienced it once before. Kang Oh pushed through the mirror, causing his surrounding environment to changepletely. He found himself in a vast wastnd. Kang Oh could see sparse patches of dried yellow grass, but he didn''t see any trees or giant rocks; there wasn''t anything here that he could use to hide himself. That must be why he found di so quickly. [You have discovered Tstrum''s Demon, di.] [He is an ominous being.] [Luck -10] [Your strong willpower keeps you from flinching at the sight of him.] A demon. A truly apt term for him. He was a demon made of blood! To be more specific... His face was round like a lizard, his eyes were covered in a dark red membrane, and it as though the sides of his lips were torn. The demon''s arms and legs were long, yet his stomach was t. di also possessed a tail that was asrge and thick as a dinosaur''s. Grumble! His stomach grumbled loudly. The tness of his stomach and the grumble that was as loud as a p of thunder...! These were clear indications that di had starved for several years now. Kuhaaa! He opened his mouth, and his thick, long tongue came shooting at him. Kang Oh''s right thigh felt cold, so he immediately moved to the side. Bam! The red tongue struck where he''d once been. The tongue, long like a whip, squirmed around. At the same time, di retracted his tongue and rushed forward. Several hooks protruded from his long right arm. ''Those look like they''d hurt. But that''s only if they hit!'' Kang Oh swung Ubist upward in a vertical line. Swish. His jet-ck de sliced off the arm. No, it only looked like it sliced it off. However, he didn''t feel anything. This held true when he ''cut'' off di''s arm too. Plus, there were no shards of light apanying it. ''It didn''t work.'' He didn''t cut through anything. If he did, then Demon Sword Ubist''s special ability, Abyss de, would have activated. Whatever the case, he was certain that his attack had missed. Plus, di''s attack hadn''t ended yet. di followed through with his right arm. Whoosh! Bam! Kang Oh quickly shielded himself with Sarahoff, so he didn''t take much damage. However, he could feel how powerful di was. Sarahoff''s purple de shook from the force of impact. Still, Kang Oh couldn''t afford to lose the momentum. "Haahp!" Kang Oh counterattacked. sh! Ubist cut diagonally, leaving behind a clear white line in the air. This time too, di''s body was cut apart. However, he didn''t feel anything. There were no shards of light either. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh swung his sword a few more times while di bombarded him with attacks. Since red spikes could pop out from anywhere on his body, and sharp red fragments shot out of his hands, it was quite hard to deal with him. His entire body was a deadly weapon! ''Blood was like this.'' Kang Oh had faced Blood, a demon that bore several simrities, during the demon sword''s trial. Because of that experience, Kang Oh was calmly able to respond to di''s erratic attacks. The problem was... his attacks weren''t working. ''His liquid body isn''t impossible to cut. My attacks are actually missing altogether.'' To put it into perspective, it was like di''s blood body would move out of the way right before his sword made contact. Kang Oh was cutting nothing but air. Of course, to the untrained eye, it would appear like Kang Oh was hitting him. That''s how quick di''s body shifted and changed. ''His evasion is incredible.'' Kuharap had ryed incorrect information to him. It wasn''t that di''s liquid body prevented him from taking any damage from physical attacks; it''s that he avoided all of them! ''Good.'' Since he''d figured out di''s special ability, he now had a lot of options to try out. Tempest Tiger! A roaring golden tiger shot out of Demon Sword Ubist. However, this too missed, as di hollowed out his body. After that, simr events repeated. Kang Oh would attempt various AoE attacks, all of which would miss. Because di could transform his body at will, Kang Oh hadn''t managed to hit him even once. di was even able to dodge the Fire Bomb with ease! ''I''ve never seen someone with such high evasion. If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. Kuhaaahk! di transformed his long leg into a crescent moon and swung it at Kang Oh''s neck. Kang Oh ducked, but sharp spikes protruded from the leg. The blood spike stabbed Kang Oh, as he''d reacted a bit toote this time. However, Kang Oh wasn''t worried about that and just swung Sarahoff. Transcendent de! Only his purple longsword moved at a normal pace in this slowed world. Swish! ''Nice.'' He definitely felt that. di''s body writhed, and shards of light burst from it. ''You just need to attack him faster than he can transform.'' He''d finallynded his first attack! In the process, he''d discovered the proper way of fighting him! "Now then, let''s go at it for real." It was Kang Oh''s turn to go wild. * * * Mad Wind''s Sword! His twin demon swords danced through the air. The wind blew. It started out as a gentle breeze. di didn''t feel threatened by Kang Oh''s attacks at all. That''s why he focused entirely on offense, rather than defense. At first, di overwhelmed him. However, Kang Oh kept swinging his swords, regardless of how much damage he was taking in the process. Sometimeter... The tides had turned. Mad Wind''s Sword increased one''s speed the more they swung their swords! Kang Oh''s twin demon swords had definitely started as a gentle breeze. However, that gentle breeze had, at some point, transformed into a gust of wind, and had even be a typhoon. He overwhelmed di with his quick, fierce assault. Sensing danger, spikes popped out all over di''s body. It was like he was a red sea urchin. However, that wasn''t enough to stop Kang Oh. Though his body was pierced in the process, Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards and Sarahoff horizontally. Swish! He definitely felt something in both of his hands. Since he''d attacked faster than di could transform, his attacks hadnded. Guuu! di let out a low cry. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh tightened his grip and intensified his assault. "Haahk, haahk." Kang Oh breathed haggardly. His Stamina was dropping quickly. Plus, di''s sea urchin-like body pierced and scratched his body, dropping his HP just as quickly. However, di took much more damage than he did. Especially from Ubist, as Abyss de was effective against him. Darkness Strike activated at times too. His swords were swung at such speed, only to be amplified by a powerful wave behind them. They too had struck di''s body. In the end, di backed off first. Of course, Kang Oh had no intention of letting him go. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh stepped forward and continuously swung his swords. At that moment... di folded his hands together and struck the floor. Boom! The ground shook, but that wasn''t all. The blood fragments that di had shot...! The drops of blood rose from the ground and hovered in the air. Kyaa! di crossed his arms. Then, the drops of blood shot right at Kang Oh. There were dozens, no, hundreds of them. Danger! Danger! His body felt cold. Kang Oh briefly weighed his options. He could either stop attacking and block the drops of blood, or press his offensive and allow himself to get hit. It''d be difficult to finish off di as is. Thus, he decided to pick the former. His ne glowed with light. Moon''s Protection! The barrier protected him from the hundreds of projectiles. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The sound of fireworks exploding kept going and going. Kang Oh quickly drank a health potion. By the time he was finished drinking it, the barrier had disappeared. Now, he was forced to either block the drops of blood with his swords or dodge them. ''They''re tough.'' Indeed, the drops of blood were quite hard. ''Now that I think about it, whenever di attacks with his blood spikes or his arms, they''re solid, not liquid.'' Not only was he capable of transforming his body at will, but he was also able to solidify, or harden, his body as well. Grrr. di snarled from afar. Then, his body changed. ''The 2nd phase, huh.'' Kang Oh kept his eyes fixed on di. * * * When themunity saw the Empire Guild''s string of defeats, they hoped that they''d fall to ruin. Just like the Hercules Guild! However, the battle of Grendal Desert had turned the tides of the war. Like a fire that was sparked on a dried field, the Arabas Kingdom conquered more and more of the Baiyan Kingdom''s territory. By now, half of Baiyan had gone to Arabas. - Phew. I guess Empire''s not #1 for nothing. - Is there any way to beat Arabas... No, is there any way to beat Empire? - Mm, nope. After all, Des''s reinforcements have already been beaten. - What about Storm and Breaker? - The war would''ve been over ages ago if not for them. - There''s no turning things around. Arabas, no, the Empire Guild has already won. - Man, I really wanted the Empire Guild to fall. I guess that ain''t happening now. - Probably? - Damn it! Themunitymented over Empire''s sess. After all, the rich were only getting richer! They were jealous of their sess. Normally, people who hated the Empire Guild hated the world itself. After all, that was how the world worked. Anyhow, there was no way to stop the Arabas Kingdom anymore. After all, Baiyan''s military waspletely broken at this point. Sometimeter... The Baiyan Kingdom mustered up what forces they could and had theirst stand at Tamor Fortress. It was futile. But there was one thing noteworthy about this battle; ck Lion, Raon, and Spear King, Hernandez, fought Dukeram two on one. Although he knew the war was lost, Hernandez was determined to kill Dukeram. Raon, deciding that it was worth a shot, joined in and requested a duel. The result was shocking. Numbers rank 3. The ck Lion, Raon! Numbers rank 8. Spear King, Hernandez! Although they fought him together, they werepletely destroyed by Dukeram. It was aplete massacre. People couldn''t help but shudder at Dukeram''s strength. He was the real deal. After that, Dukeram was given a new title. The One and Only God, Dukeram! ''There exists two realms in the Numbers. The realm of the gods and the human realm. The One and Only God, Dukeram, lives within the realm of the gods. No one can approach him!'' The title came from this anonymous post. Chapter 480. Vladi (2)

Chapter 480. di (2)

Trantor: Boko The temple was a barren wastnd. And within this barren wastndy a starving, giant red lizard that writhed in pain. Reason? It didn''t have a single shred of that left. At this point, it only moved ording to instinct; the instinct to feed itself. It was a brutal carnivore thatcked any sort of reason or critical thinking. That was di in a nutshell. Until now, that is. di hadpletely changed. First, his outer appearance had changed. A pinkish blood cape had appeared, which sloshed rather than fluttered. His body, which had been as sleek as a loach''s, had transformed into a fit man wearing a blood red tuxedo. Not only that, but his round, red face peeled away like an orange peel, revealing a human-like face underneath. The man had pale skin, pointy ears, and red, me-like hair that drooped like dry seaweed. His eyes, which had been covered by a red membrane reminiscent of a fly''s eyes, were now clear like a human being''s eyes. He became lucid and focused entirely on Kang Oh. Then, his lips twitched. "Haa, it''s been a while since Ist assumed this form," the demon said, his voice hoarse. As if noticing this, his long tongue began licking his lips. Kang Oh, his hands tightly gripped around his twin demon swords, stared intensely at di. ''He can talk? Has he regained his intellect?'' What he''d fought thus far was a starving beast. However, di now appeared like a being that possessed intelligence. ''A Vampire.'' Kang Oh''s mind immediately went to Vampires, a staple in works of fantasy. They were often called Bloodsuckers, and were considered creatures of the night. They bit their victim''s neck with their sharp fangs and drained their blood. Plus, they were weak to sunlight, slept in coffins, and were extremely long lived. Well, that only applied to normal Vampires, that is. "Hoo." di swept back his messy hair, giving him slicked-back hair. The pink cape, red tuxedo, paleplexion, sharp fangs and ears, and swept back hair made him reminiscent of Drac. "Who are you?" di asked. "Kang Oh," he replied curtly. "You''re a human." "Are you a Vampire?" "A Vampire? I am Red Moon di." Apparently, this game didn''t use the term ''Vampire''. "Red Moon, huh..." "Red Moon is a great, noble race that rules a world far more beautiful and resplendent than this one," di said, and a system message popped up. [You have acquired information on Tstrum''s Demon, di.] [Red Moon is a race thates from the Illusionary World.] ''The Illusionary World.'' Kang Oh recalled what Champion Kuharap had said to him. He had definitely told him that di hade from another world. Apparently, this world was called the Illusionary World. "I appreciate you waking me up from such a long slumber." This was di''s normal appearance. But his starvation had caused him to assume the form of a feral beast. Getting beaten by Kang Oh had restored his intellect. "So? Are you going to pay me back?" Kang Oh kept up his guard. After all, if negotiating with him were possible, then they wouldn''t have locked him up for so long. "Pay you back, huh... I will." di smiled wickedly. He looked so full of himself. "I''ll give you the honor of bing one with me, the great di!" In other words, ''I''ll eat you!''. Though he''d regained his reason, his objective hadn''t changed: feed himself and stave off his starvation! di stretched his right arm to the side. Swoosh! Eight red, octopus-like tentacles shot out of it. Devouring Tentacles! The tentacles almost simultaneously came flying at Kang Oh. But Kang Oh wouldn''t just sit there and take it. He immediately swung his twin demon swords. Swish, sh! He cleaved through the iing tentacles, but it didn''t actually feel like he''d cut through anything. ''That damn transformative ability of his!'' Before he made contact, the tentacles had opened up, avoiding his attack. Then, the tentacles'' tips hardened, bing akin to sharp drills. Danger! His body felt cold, so he twisted his body to the side. The first tentacle merely grazed him, but the rest of them kepting. Kang Oh had his hands full dodging them. Of course, his evasion was so high that he was able to dodge all eight of them. "Hoh." di suddenly looked interested. He pushed his cape aside, revealing his left hand. Red Fruit! Blood spheres, about the size of a fist, flew from his left hand. It was as if he''d just shot shotgun slugs at him. He was already busy with the tentacles, but now he had to deal with the merciless barrage of blood spheres! However, Kang Oh didn''t just sit idly by. ''Now!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He pushed through an opening in between the tentacles and rushed forward. Then, he slid across the ground as if he were slide tackling. The blood spheres harmlessly passed over his head as he slid across the floor. Bam! Bam! Bam! They struck the ground, bursting like bubbles. Meanwhile, Kang Oh kicked off blood-soaked ground, stood up, and swung his jet-ck greatsword. Of course, an ordinary attack wouldn''t work on di. After all, he could just transform his body and evade his attack like normal. So Kang Oh used an attack he wouldn''t be able to dodge. Transcendent de! His jet-ck de shed, cleaving right through di. "Ugh!" di grimaced in pain. A fistful of red shards burst from his body. As expected, Abyss de''s power against the immaterial was absolute. It had allowed him tond a proper attack on di''s liquid body. "You lowly prey!" di''s eyes widened with anger. It was as if he were saying, ''How dare you damage one such as me, a member of the Red Moon?''. Red de! di''s cape came flying at Kang Oh; the tips of the cape had turned sharp. Kang Oh quickly rolled to the side, and the cape struck nothing but air. Now it was Kang Oh''s turn again. Transcendent de! Ubist cut through him once more. As a result, shards of red light fell from di''s body. "Grr!" di was pissed. To think he had been hit not once, but twice by a human being. It wasn''t even at the hands of an elf or a Tum, but the most lowly race in this world! This he could not allow as a member of the Red Moon race. "Kyaha!" di opened his mouth wide enough to fit two fists inside. Blood Revenge! He let out an animalistic cry and unleashed a mighty st of energy. It was a red mist. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition was warning him of great danger. However, Kang Oh didn''t dodge it. Instead, his purple longsword glowed with golden energy. Tempest Tiger! A golden tiger struck the energy head-on. Boom! This resulted in a massive explosion. Both Kang Oh and di were pushed back, spilling shards of light from their bodies. Kang Oh had stabbed his twin swords into the ground, keeping himself from flying away, and had maintained his bnce. di had also stabbed his cape into the ground and kept himself upright. Whoosh! The explosion resulted in a shockwave that rocked both Kang Oh and di''s bodies. Kang Oh righted himself first. He pulled out his twin demon swords and attacked once more. Transcendent de! As soon as he swung Sarahoff, the world began to slow. ''Over here!'' Kang Oh let go of Sarahoff. Demon Sword Throw! Swoosh! Demon Sword Sarahoff exceeded di''s transformation speed, hitting him dead on. Bam! "Kuhahk!" di''s body shook. The chilly energy that permeated Sarahoff made it feel as though di''s blood body was freezing. Then, Kang Oh opened his hand, recing the thrown Sarahoff with Blood. Switch Blood! He tightly gripped Blood. As a price for transcending his limits, Transcendent de consumed arge amount of HP, MP, and Stamina. Not to mention that he''d used such a costly skill three times in session. He''d also umted some damage when fighting the feral di, so he didn''t have much HP left. Thus, he''d thrown Sarahoff away and drawn Blood instead. Kang Oh would use Blood''s Life Steal ability to replenish his HP, and keep Red Butterfly''s Dance at the ready just in case. Then, he used Devil Trigger. Devil Trigger would further enhance Blood''s Life Steal ability. A ck, horned beast mask covered his face, and dark red bat wings protruded from his back. Blood soaked bone armor guarded his chest, and a jet-ck tail swished around from behind. This was his Dual Demon form! Unexpectedly, Blood''s snow-white de began to shake. "I have something to say." Tasha''s voice echoed inside his head. Her tone waspletely different from usual. It was as if her voice was trembling. "What is it?" Kang Oh asked. "You have to kill that demon no matter what!" Tasha said viciously. Then, Kang Oh recalled Tasha, or Blood''s past. A ck Mage had summoned a demon, that demon was offered virgins as tribute, and Tasha was born from this union. Tasha was definitely rted to a demon that wielded blood. ''Could it be?'' "Is that guy your father?" "No! But he has a connection to him." "A connection?" At that moment... "What do you think you''re doing!?" di stood up and barraged Kang Oh with attacks. Red Moonlight! Powerfulsers shot out of his eyes. They flew at him with blistering speed. Swish! Bam! The ce he''d just been was scorched. If Kang Oh hadn''t jumped out of the way, then the Cassio Ring would''ve had to bring him back to life. "We''ll talkter. I need to finish him off first," Kang Oh said. "Alright!" Kang Oh soared into the air with mighty ps of his wings. Red Fruit! Devouring Tentacles! di''s arms shot tentacles and blood spheres into the air. "Tasha!" "Leave it to me!" This was Tasha we were talking about. Her flying skill was unmatched. Kang Oh began plummeting to the ground. A vertical descent! Kang Oh left the flying to Tasha and focused entirely on swinging his twin demon swords. Mad Wind''s Sword! He swung his des with increasing speed! It was as if his des were dancing through the air. Soon enough, di''s present came flying at him: the blood spheres and the tentacles! "Let''s go!" "You got it!" Kang Oh and Tasha decided on a frontal breakthrough. Tasha controlled his wings while Kang Oh swung his swords. Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh immediately burst through the obstacle of tentacles and blood spheres. Of course, he didn''te out of this unscathed. A few of the blood spheres exploded, causing shards of light to spill from his body. Some of the tentacles had pierced him too. Still, they couldn''t stop Kang Oh''s descent. Plus, Mad Wind''s Sword had sped up his attacks enough that di wouldn''t be able to dodge them. That was why Kang Oh had chosen to fly at him, rather than instantly close the distance using Abyss Transfer. di sensed danger. He felt a tingle go down his spine. It was as if someone was whispering to him ''Don''t contest it. Avoid it.''. But that was soon reced by a feeling of rage. ''I''m feeling danger from a human? He''s just a lowly human!'' di opened his eyes wide and nted his feet firmly onto the ground. He clearly had no intention of backing off. "C''mon!" His capepletely spread out. Executing Harpoon! Dozens, no, hundreds of red harpoons shot out of di''s cape simultaneously. They came straight for Kang Oh, who was within striking distance. Bam, bam, bam! Imagine 100 soldiers thrusting their spears at you all at once. That was exactly what Kang Oh was experiencing right now. However...! Kang Oh swung his twin demon speeds with such speed that he cut through every single one of them. The blood that made up these harpoons fell like rain. In the midst of that...! Kang Oh, who''d be a streak of lightning, descended upon di. Chapter 481. Vladi (3)

Chapter 481. di (3)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh wouldn''t let up. He continuously swung his twin demon swords and ripped di apart. Spurt! Bam! Bam! sh! Kang Ohnded four attacks in a single breath. And... "Hoo, heup." Kang Oh breathed haggardly, but managed tond ten attacks. The white and red shards of light mixed together and flew into the air. Every attack hended with Ubist resulted in a critical hit. di''s body was in tatters. Suck! The shards of light were absorbed by Blood. [You are life stealing. You have been healed slightly.] ... More than ten red stars appeared on Blood''s snow-white de. Vampiristic Reinforcement increased Blood''s attack power by 2% for each star. When he amassed all 15 stars, he could use Blood Bomb. At that moment... "Kuhaaaahk!" di roared. It was the very same roar he''d often heard as he traversed through the ruins; it was frightening, evil, and goosebump-inducing. Rumble. The ground shook. No, the entire temple shook. The sound probably made its way outside too. [You have heard di''s frightening roar up close. It is a roar belonging to a frightening, old demon.] [The roar instills fear in his opponents, and reduces all of their abilities by half.] [You possess a high Mental stat. Indomitable, Courage, and the Luck side stats have protected you from the roar''s effects.] [You have ovee your fear.] [All abilities have been reduced by 10%.] [Your abilities will not return to normal until you defeat di.] Kang Oh furrowed his brow. He had ovee his fear, yet his abilities had still fallen! The roar probably reduced one''s abilities no matter what. However, Kang Oh''s high Mental stat, as well as his side stats, allowed him to minimize the effects. Anyhow, di''s body glowed with blood red energy. Kang Oh was familiar with the effects. ''He''s not using Blood Bomb, is he?'' He was both right and wrong. Blood Storm! It was the upgraded version of Blood Bomb. Obviously, it was more powerful than Blood Bomb too. Boom! Kang Oh was caught in the explosion and was pushed away. Fortunately, he''d used Abyss Shield prior to its activation, so he had minimized the damage he''d taken. Moreover, the Avenger set reduced all damage by 30%. p! p! Tasha pped his wings, helping him maintain bnce. "Are you ok?" Her voice rang out inside his head. "Of course!" Kang Oh firmly nted his feet into the ground. di''s Blood Storm resulted in a thick dust cloud. A red silhouette appeared within it, and then di popped out. Several sword scars, the result of Ubist, remained on his body. Slosh. di''s body rippled, as if a rock had been thrown inside, and the sword scars disappeared entirely. "I apologize. I thought you were just a lowly human," di said. Was it because of the massive roar? Or was it because he released all of his pent up rage with Blood Storm? di waspletely calm now. He no longer underestimated Kang Oh. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. di''s calm vibe, unwavering eyes, and even breathing made him realize that taking him down would be even harder than before. Kang Oh quickly pulled out a piece of equipment from his inventory. It was the AA-rank Arnea''s Mysterious Belt! Right when he was about to use Gluttony, di began his assault. Annihting Thorn! di pointed his fingers at him, and red thorny vines surged from beneath Kang Oh''s feet. "Tch." Kang Oh stuffed the belt into his pocket and backed off. Then, he swung Ubist horizontally. Swish! Kang Oh sliced a portion of the thorny vines. ''It''s... not magic.'' If it were, then Ubist would''ve absorbed it. In any case, di continuously attacked him. Red Spear of Judgment! Dozens of long, red spears appeared over his head, and then fell upon him like rain. Fresh Blood Wave! Abyss w! ck and red. The two disparate auras shot over his head. Boom! The auras and the red spears shed head-on. As a result, the auras dissipated, and the spears were flung away. Kang Oh used that opportunity to retreat. However, di wasn''t about to let him go so easily. He raked the air with his hand. Mysterious Ambush! All of a sudden, Kang Oh''s chest felt cold, so he instinctively crossed his swords and shielded himself. Screech! An unpleasant, shrill ''screech'' rang out as something grated against his demon swords. However, he couldn''t see what exactly it was. di narrowed his eyes. Mysterious Ambush was an invisible attack. The Red Moon race would use shy attacks to distract their opponents, and then finish them off with this attack. It had a 100% sess rate. However, Kang Oh was the first person to ever block this attack. ''This isn''t good.'' That made Kang Oh even more of a threat. At that moment... Kang Oh pulled the belt from his pocket and used Gluttony. Ubist''s darkness munched on the belt and thenpletely devoured it. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Arnea''s Mysterious Belt.] [It is an AA-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 25 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use Arnea''s Healing.] [Arnea''s Healing: For 5 seconds, all HP, MP, and Stamina is healed. Cooldown: 1 hour.] Kang Oh''s demonized body exploded with jet-ck energy. ''He''s dangerous.'' di opened his hands, bent them, and then swung them one after another. Mysterious Ambush! An invisible attack came at Kang Oh once more. But it was no use. Unseeable attacks were pointless before Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition. Kang Oh moved to the side, dodging the invisible attack, and then melted into the darkness. Abyss Transfer! di scowled at Kang Oh''s sudden disappearance and kept a close eye on his surroundings. Kang Oh could pop up anywhere, after all. Kang Oh reappeared behind di. It wasn''t a good idea. Swish! Over 100 harpoons flew from di''s cape. Executing Spears! di predicted that Kang Oh would reappear at his blind spot. Thus, Kang Oh''s n had gone up in smoke, and he was actually on the receiving end. 100 blood spears came flying at him! Kang Oh gritted his teeth. ''I''ll crush them all!'' Whoosh! Ubist unleashed a massive amount of darkness. Abyss Predator! Like a giant forest fire, the jet-ck energy spread far and wide. Plus, Gluttony was active. On the other hand, di had been sealed for so long that he wasn''t at full strength. Abyss Predator was far greater than the blood spears. Thus, it devoured the projectiles and their master too. "Heok." di was shocked. After all, it was an attack that even he, with his transformative abilities, couldn''t dodge. It was, like Transcendent de, too fast to dodge, but it was also a powerful AoE attack. di urgently used Blood Storm. Whoosh! Boom! The condensed blood red energy exploded outwards. However, it wasn''t strong enough to deal with an Abyss Predator used in tandem with Gluttony. di was well aware of this fact. He continuously backed off and used Red Moon skills again and again. Blood Revenge! Red Moonlight! Red Spear of Judgment! Sea of Blood! di''s efforts weren''t for naught. Whenever his skills made contact with Abyss Predator, the attack would gradually lose strength. Ultimately, Abyss Predator, which had consumed ten of his stats, waspletely blocked without dealing any damage to di. "Hoo." di sighed in relief. Abyss Predator. What a fearsome attack. At that moment... "It''s not over yet." Kang Oh came rushing at him. di was no fool. He was a jack of all trades, which meant that he could fight in close range and long range; he could even use magic or fight over extremely long distances. On the other hand, Kang Oh was a close range specialist. It was clear after fighting him firsthand. Thus, fighting Kang Oh in meleebat would be idiotic. After all, he would be allowing his opponent to fight at his best. Annihting Thorn! Summon Red Swarm of Flies! Thorny vines, as well as a huge swarm of small red flies that emitted a ''bzzzzt'', appeared between Kang Oh and di. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh fiercely yelled and tried going right through them. However, the swarm of flies obscured his vision, and the thorny vines slowed him down. Meanwhile, di widened the distance. "I said... Get out of my way!" Kang Oh fiercely swung Ubist. Tempest Tiger! The golden aura pierced right through the flies. "Tasha!" It was clear what he wanted. p! p! His dark red wings forcefully pped, and Kang Oh''s body was propelled forward like a missile. He instantly passed through the hole that Tempest Tiger had created for him. Then, di''s cape hardened like a b of concrete. Festival of Blood! His sword was coated in blood red energy. He was using Gluttony and Festival of Blood in tandem. At this point, he was both fast and strong enough to hit di, even without using Transcendent de. Whoosh! Bam! Ubist fell like a streak of lightning, cracking the hardened cape. Kang Oh immediately thrust Blood into the crack. Stab! He could feel his attack going in. Suck! Blood voraciously absorbed the shards of light. But di didn''t just sit there and take it. His arm, which had transformed into a drill, popped out of his cape and pierced Kang Oh''s shoulder. Crack! The blood soaked bone armor, which protected his shoulder, waspletely broken, and a fistful of shards of light burst from it. In spite of that, Kang Oh grinned. He could have dodged di''s attack if he wanted to. However, he had deliberately let it hit. Why, you ask? Arnea''s Healing! Repeated use of Transcendent de, Mad Wind''s Sword, Festival of Blood, and di''s most recent attack had depleted his HP. However, Arnea''s Healing quickly restored his HP, MP, and Stamina. He was going to use it anyway, so taking damage didn''t really matter. More importantly...! Right after di hit him, Kang Ohunched a counterattack. Dragon''s Fury! The Avenger set radiated dim light, and his twin demon swords glowed intensely. "You crazy bastard!" di tried to retreat as quickly as possible. "Where do you think you''re going!?" However, Kang Oh remained close. Blood Spike! Countless spikes protruded from di''s body like a sea urchin. His cape had also hardened. "Hmph!" Kang Oh snorted. ''Let''s see if you can handle this!'' Kang Oh crossed his twin demon swords and swung them. Then, explosive gray energy erupted from his body. Whoosh! Bam! di was caught in Dragon''s Fury. His cape was split apart, and the intense energy seeped into his body through the cracks. "Guaaaahk!" di screamed in pain. It was only natural. Each and every one of his cells was being vaporized. Boom! Ultimately, di''s body was ripped to shreds. At the same time, blood sprayed everywhere like a squeezed lemon. ''Did I win?'' Kang Oh briefly assessed the situation. However, he hadn''t received a system message indicating his kill. Whizz! di''s blood, which was spread all over the ce like red paint on a nk canvas, rose into the air andbined into a single shape. It was incredibly fast. If he gave him even a little bit more time, then di would return to his original form. Of course, Kang Oh wasn''t going to let that happen. Summon the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir! A ck panther with a long tail and purple eyes came out of his shadow. Grr. It snarled and nced at Kang Oh. "Rip it to pieces." Kang Oh pointed his snow-white sword at the blood clot. Shumir moved immediately. To be more specific, its tail did! Swish! Bam! Its tail struck the airborne blood clot like a whip. Then, the blood fell to the floor. Kang Oh acted next. Mad Wind''s Sword! He mercilessly swung his twin des at the blood clot. Whenever he did so, drops of blood would fall from it, soaking the ground below. However, the drops of blood would immediately rise up and merge with the blood clot once more. "Keep attacking!" Kang Oh never stopped. Shumir also kept swinging its whip tail. It was abined all-out assault by Kang Oh and Shumir! Despite that, the blood clot continued to getrger, and the shape of arms and legs began to form. What frightening regeneration! As expected of Tstrum''s Demon. At that moment... "Freeze it." An unfamiliar woman''s voice echoed inside his head. "Who are you?" "It''s me, me. Sara." Sara! The Yuki-Onna, who possessed the Ice Soul''s power, that was sealed within Demon Sword Sarahoff! Tremble! Tremble! Sarahoff, which he''d previously thrown at di, violently shook within the ground. Chapter 482. Master Demonic Swordsman

Chapter 482. Master Demonic Swordsman

Trantor: Boko The Incarnation of Vengeance''s duration time was a measly 1 minute. Grr! Once 1 minute had passed, Shumir disappeared like smoke. Kang Oh continuously swung his swords, but the blood clot, or di, was gradually returning to his original form. At this rate, it would only be a matter of time before di was fully restored. "Grab hold of me! You should be able to take him out for good with the power of Frostblood!" Frostblood! Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. If he used Devil Trigger while holding Blood and Sarahoff, then he''d transform into the Frostblood Demon. In this form, he was able to use red ice called Frostblood. This blood not only froze his targets, but drained them of their strength. ''If I freeze his blood and absorb his strength, then...'' It was worth trying. Kang Oh stabbed Ubist into the ground, and then dragged Sarahoff over using Darkness Chain. Swish. Kang Oh grabbed Sarahoff with his empty hand. Then, he transitioned from the Dual Demon to the Frostblood Demon. Icy horns, mostly red in color, protruded from his head, and frozen gauntlets and greaves covered his arms and legs! "When did you gain the ability to talk?" Tasha asked. It seemed like she could hear Sara''s voice too. "Don''t know. It just happened," Sara said. When Kang Oh had killed Sraka, his Demonic Swordsmanship had gone straight up to 99%. His control over his demon swords had gotten that much stronger too! Thus, he was able to hear Sara''s voice, despite the fact that the sword itself hadn''t gotten much stronger. "Anyhow, let''s leave the idle chatter forter. Hurry up and use Frostblood!" Sara said urgently. "When the demon''s HP reaches zero, he''lle back even stronger than before. He''ll revive three more times from there. That''s why you have to take him out now!" Four hearts. That was di''s overpowered ability. To put it simply, he could revive four times, and each time he did, he woulde back even stronger than before. ''How does she even know that?'' He had looked for information on di, but hadn''t found anything. But he couldn''t worry about that right now; he had a job to do. Killing di took priority. "Hueup!" Kang Oh stabbed both Blood and Sarahoff into di''s body simultaneously. di''s head hadn''t regenerated yet. "Use Red Avnche!" Sara yelled. Red Avnche was an aura attack that could only be used in his Frostblood Demon state. Kang Oh immediately did as he was told. Whoosh! Blood''s scarlet energy and Sarahoff''s ice cold energy joined together, and then seeped into di''s body. di''s body was instantly encased in red ice. "Now what do I do?" Kang Oh asked, keeping a tight grip on his demon swords. "What do you mean? The Red Demon''s descendent needs to absorb his power. You can''t leave a trace of it behind," Sara said. "Me?" "Yeah, you." "Go on, Tasha. The power of Frostblood should allow you to absorb his power," Kang Oh said. "Alright." After that, something interesting happened. Blood began to suck di''s body into its de. Kang Oh thought that this was the appropriate time to ask. "Sara, how did you know so much about Tstrum''s Demon?" "I read about him in a book." "A book?" "A man named Dzule left the book behind. It''s written that he came to the Temple of the North Sea, searching for a way to defeat the Red Demon once and for all." "Dzule... Is he the sage that came up with the method of sealing him?" "To be more specific, his grandfather was the one who sealed the demon." "So he''s the sage''s grandson." "Anyhow, the sage told Dzule much about the Red Demon. That information was recorded in the book." Kang Oh and Sara kept conversing. Meanwhile, Tasha didn''t say a word. No, she couldn''t. She had to focus on absorbing all of di''s immense power, after all. Blood did shake from time to time though. "You said he came to the Temple of the North Sea to find a way to kill the Red Demon?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah. Dzule went across the continent in search of a way to kill the demon once and for all. Eventually, he learned of the Ice Soul, the source of all cold in this world." "Aha." "However, the Ice Soul is akin to a god to the northern people. There was no way they''d share their god''s power with an outsider. Plus, no container existed that could properly store the Ice Soul''s power. Most people who used the Ice Soul''s body broke. Like... me." Which meant that Dzule wasn''t able to obtain the Ice Soul''s power. "Though he was disappointed, Dzule left behind a book on the Red Demon at the Temple of the North Sea. I read that book. After all, the only thing I could do there was read books and dream of the outside world." "I see." "When I read the book... I couldn''t have imagined that I''d be trapped inside a sword and be fighting against the Red Demon. Though I did always want to visit the ruins where the Great Forest''s Demon was sealed." Sara''s voice contained a deep sadness. If she hadn''t been born a Yuki-Onna, the Great Shaman''s daughter at that, then she might''ve been able to achieve her dream; to explore the continent and visit new ces. Kang Oh kept his mouth shut. Sara didn''t have anything else to add either. Only Blood''s asional trembling broke the heavy silence that permeated the temple. All of a sudden, the Frostblood cracked. It was due to di struggling from within the ice prison. "Use Red Avnche again!" Sara urgently yelled. Kang Oh did as she ordered, andpletely froze di once more. This continued again and again. Whenever di writhed within his prison, the ice would crack. Then, Kang Oh would use Red Avnche to refreeze di. ''He''s getting thinner.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. di''s body had gotten a lot smaller. Which meant that Blood had consumed much of his power already. How much time had passed? Suck! Demon Sword Blood sucked everyst bit of di''s power. Ding. A system message popped up. [Tstrum''s Demon and the Red Moon''s Count, di, has entered his eternal sleep.] [Though he has been forgotten, di was once an Archdemon that threatened both the Great Forest and the entire world.] [di was starved and sealed for hundreds of years, but he remained a dangerous being that could regain his full power at any time with his absorption ability.] [One of the dormant threats that could plunge the continent into chaos has been destroyed.] [What an amazing feat!] [By performing a great feat, you have broken through the wall blocking Demonic Swordsmanship.] [You have mastered Demonic Swordsmanship.] [Congrattions. You are now a Master Demonic Swordsman. The power and speed of any action pertaining to demon swords has increased significantly. Proficiency in skills pertaining to demon swords or even regr swords will increase much faster than before.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [Combat-rted side stats have increased significantly.] [You may now create a Demonic Swordsman secret move. This skill cannot be passed down. If you have decided on what skill you would like to create, then please yell ''Create Secret Move''.] [Demon Sword Blood haspletely absorbed Tstrum''s Demon, di.] [Blood''s full potential has been unleashed. The weapon''s power has also increased significantly.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh smiled. He''d finally be a Master! Plus, he could create his own secret move now too! Moreover, by absorbing di, Demon Sword Blood had gotten much stronger. "Uhaaaahk!" Kang Oh raised his arms into the air and eximed. He jumped automatically; he couldn''t help himself. He was so happy. Kang Oh celebrated for quite some time. * * * "Good job," Tasha said while Kang Oh was prancing around. "I''m d you were able to take him out." Kang Oh suddenly had a thought. "You said you had a connection with him. What kind of connection is it?" "I''m not sure..." Part of her voice sounded sad. Kang Oh remained silent, waiting for her to continue. "Half of the blood that runs through my veins, the blood that that dirty demon left behind, is from the Red Moon race." Tasha''s father was a demon summoned by a ck Mage. It seemed like that demon came from the same ce as di. "Mm." "My mother was a virgin that was given up to the demon as tribute. If di were to escape to the outside world, I was afraid that that tragedy would repeat itself. The same goes for what happened to me. That''s why I wanted you to kill him no matter what." What happened to Tasha and her mother was horrible. She was given to the demon against her will, was impregnated by the demon, and when she returned, she was treated with hatred and scorn. Tasha''s mother was even stoned to death. After that, Tasha, who''d awakened her demonic powers, began ughtering the people of the Great Forest, and was called the Great Forest''s Demon. "You did good," Kang Oh said. That was the best he could do for her. After all, what good would sympathy or pity be at this point? "Tasha, youpletely absorbed di. Will that cause any problems?" Kang Oh asked concernedly. "I''ll be fine," Tasha said firmly. "I absorbed his power while he was in an iplete state, so it won''t be a problem," she added. "I see. Then I''ll talk to youter." "Alright." "Wait a sec!" Sara suddenly intervened. "What is it?" "I did really good, right?" "Yeah, you did." Kang Oh nodded his head. "I have a favor to ask!" "A favor?" "I want to see more ces! I want to see the world!" Though she was sealed within the demon sword, Sara''s dream hadn''t changed. And she was able to fulfill her dream, albeit indirectly, via Kang Oh. "I''ll do that." When he was done with Vn''s quest, Kang Oh would go across the continent in search of new dungeons. In the process, he would fulfill Sara''s wish too. "Thanks." "No problem." Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger. Now that he''d exited his Frostblood Demon form, he could no longer hear their voices. "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin and searched di''s previous location. Tstrum''s Demon, di, hadn''t left behind any items. He hadn''t even left behind his body either. It made sense. Blood hadpletely absorbed him, after all. ''A boss as powerful as di should''ve dropped some items... It must be because Bloodpletely absorbed him.'' Kang Oh felt disappointed. A boss as powerful as di would''ve dropped SS-rank items for sure. But that disappointment didn''tst long. ''Let''s see!'' Kang Oh stroked Blood''s snow-white de. Its scarlet energy felt thicker and stickier than before. He then checked Demon Sword Blood''s item information. [Demon Sword Blood (Lv. 37)] Blood, the demon that made all beings within the Great Forest tremble in fear, is sealed within this sword. By absorbing a supreme being of the Red Moon race, Blood''s power now exceeds that of a half-demon. The snow-white de emanates scarlet energy, making the sword extremely beautiful yet ominous. The sword has an ego of its own. It sees, hears, and feels the world through its wielder, and grows. Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword drops, or that you be a monster under the demon''s control for 24 hours. + Evolving Weapon: Has its own level. Takes a portion of its wielder''s experience points. These experience points are what the demon sword uses to grow. The higher the level, the more powerful the sword and its abilities be. [Next Level Up: 42.121%] + Life Steal: Dealing damage restores your HP. The amount of health restored is based on the damage you deal and the demon sword''s level. + Red Star: Whenever you life steal, a red star manifests on the de. Each star increases the sword''s attack power by 7%. Life stealing within a 15 second period causes this effect to stack (max: 7 stacks). + Blood Storm: Usable at max stacks (7 stacks). Consumes all stacks to unleash a blood red storm. + Red Demon''s Dance: Evasion triples for 20 seconds. Leaves behind several afterimages. Cooldown: 10 minutes. + Blood Emperor: Consumes half of your HP. Unleashes an Emperor''s Strike in front of you. Also, your attack power, speed, and life steal are increased significantly for 30 seconds. Cooldown: 2 minutes. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power +845, Physical +85, Mental +25, HP +5,000. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. "Hoh." Kang Oh thoroughly read through all the new info. For starters, Blood''s attack power had increased significantly. Before, it hadn''t even hit 700, but now it was 845. Moreover, it increased his HP by 5,000! That was a huge leap from 1,800. Then there were the improvements to its item effects. Vampiristic Reinforcement had evolved into Red Star. Before, it would increase Blood''s attack power by 2% for every stack, but now, it would increase it by 7% per stack. Plus, the max stacks went down from 15 to 7. It would be much easier to fully stack Blood now, and its max attack power had gone up from 30% to 49%! When fully stacked, Blood''s attack power wouldn''t be inferior to either Ubist or Sarahoff. Blood Bomb had evolved into the more powerful Blood Storm, and Red Butterfly''s Dance had been upgraded into Red Demon''s Dance, increasing his evasion by three times, not two. Let''s not forget Blood Emperor. Not only would it apply Festival of Blood''s powerful buffs, but it would alsounch a powerful attack. ''It said that the demon sword''s full potential was unleashed. They weren''t kidding.'' Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction. The new Demon Sword Blood! Yippee! Chapter 483. Learning Weapon Bombardment

Chapter 483. Learning Weapon Bombardment

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh stashed all three of his demon swords into his inventory. Then... A system message popped up. [You have satisfied the condition, ''Master Demonic Swordsmanship'', for the Trial to Be Stronger quest.] [You only have one condition left: ''Acquire a Demonic Swordsman secret move''.] [Remaining Time: 35 days] Kang Oh clenched his fist. The Trial to Be Stronger! That was the quest Vn had given him. It was a ridiculous, nigh impossible quest that forced him to master Demonic Swordsmanship, acquire a Demonic Swordsman secret move, etc. in just 100 days. However, he was just one step away frompleting the quest; all he needed to do was learn a Demonic Swordsman secret move within the next 35 days. As a reward for mastering Demonic Swordsmanship, he was able to create a secret move of his own. Thus, he was in no rush. This was all due to Sraka. If he hadn''tnded the finishing blow, then he would be busy raising his proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship (which went up at a snail''s pace) and nonstop hunting. ''Hmm. What kind of secret move should I make?'' There were so many secret moves he wanted to make. ''I''ll take some time to think about it first.'' After all, he still had 35 days left. That was plenty of time to think about it. Plus, there was another secret move he needed to learn first. Weapon Bombardment! He wanted to learn the Tum''s secret move as soon as possible. The Tum Champion had agreed to teach it to him if he defeated the demon, so it was time to leave and learn it right away. ''But how do I get out of here?'' Kang Oh took a look around. The wastnd stretched on and on with traces of Kang Oh''s battle scattered across it. However, he couldn''t find a way out. ''When you can''t find a way out, a return scroll is usually the answer.'' Kang Oh opened his inventory. Then... Rumble! All of a sudden, the room shook and then copsed. Starting from beneath Kang Oh''s feet at that! "Heok!" Kang Oh was shocked. Hyper Intuition hadn''t sent him a warning! Kang Oh fell, and was consumed by the dark abyss below. A short whileter... When he woke up, Kang Oh saw a giant mirror in front of him. di had been sealed within a mirror world, but Kang Oh had been released into the outside world. Kang Oh took a closer look at the mirror. Crack! The mirror cracked in the middle, and thenpletely shattered. The prisoner had been defeated, so there was no longer any need for the seal. "Hmm." There was nothing else for him here. Kang Oh headed for the entrance. As he approached the entrance, the door automatically opened. He was greeted by bright light. Kang Oh furrowed his brow, took a quick look, and saw a familiar face. It was the Tum Champion, Kuharap! "I... defeated the demon." Kang Oh grinned. * * * Kuharap''s tent. Kang Oh and Kuharap were staring at each other. "To think you''d really defeat the demon... You''re amazing," Kuharap said. "Well, I suppose I was lucky," Kang Oh said humbly. It really wasn''t like him. But he wasn''t lying; those were his true thoughts. Kang Oh had been lucky, and di had been unlucky. What if he hadn''t had Sarahoff, which contained the Ice Soul''s power? And what if he didn''t have Blood, which was capable of absorbing di''s power? Fortunately, he had both of them. What''s worse, Kang Oh possessed Hyper Intuition, which allowed him to counter di''s invisible attack. Kang Oh was like di''s mortal enemy. It was due to this mismatch that Kang Oh was able to beat di with rtive ease. ''I might''ve lost if I couldn''t freeze him with Sarahoff and drain him with Blood.'' di was capable of reviving himself four times. The more times he revived himself, the more powerful he became! If he fought him normally, then Kang Oh might''ve run out of options first. And if that happened, he would''ve be di''s next meal. ''His transformative ability makes it hard to hit him, and he uses several powerful AoE attacks in session. Then there''s his resurrection ability... and he can also absorb an elf or Tum''s corpse to regain his full strength.'' He was the very definition of overpowered. However, the seal had weakened di tremendously. What if he were to fight di at full strength? ''There''s a high chance I would''ve lost.'' Now he understood how the elves, who had been powerful enough to set up a giant city within the Great Forest, were so easily defeated by di. He also understood why they were forced to seal him too. ''It doesn''t matter. I won in the end.'' Kang Oh grinned. Whatever the case, winning was all that mattered. In apetitive world, that is. "The demon''s gone, so... It''s time for us to leave," Kuharap said. "You''re leaving?" Kang Oh asked. Kuharap nodded his head. "Our tribe made a promise to the wise sage, who taught us how to seal the demon. We would continue to guard the seal until the day it was defeated. Those damn elves broke their promise and left, but we don''t break our promises. We''ve kept our promise, so it''s time for us to leave." "Where will you go?" "Home." "Home?" "The Ruman Mountains." "The mountains in the western grasnds?" "That''s right." "I think the orcs have taken residence there." The Ruman Orcs were one of the three most powerful tribes in the west. "We''re its rightful owners." "I''m not sure they''ll agree." ''They'' referred to the Ruman Orcs. "It doesn''t matter. We''ll show them who the true owners of the Ruman Mountains are." Kang Oh predicted there''d be chaos in the west for the foreseeable future. Oh well, it didn''t really concern him anyway. "I want to see where we came from. No, I want to make a new start there," Kuharap said. "Good luck. Don''t you have something for me?" "Of course." Kuharap pulled out an old book from a drawer. The cover was made of beast leather, and the title was engraved on the front. - Weapon Bombardment It was a textbook that''d teach him the skill. "Take it." Kuharap passed him the book. "Thanks." Kang Oh snatched it away, and immediately learned the skill. The book broke into particles of light, and a system message popped up. [In order to learn Weapon Bombardment, you must possess a high-rank weapon skill (swordsmanship, spearmanship, axemanship, etc.).] [You have satisfied the conditions in order to learn Weapon Bombardment.] [You are blessed by the earth. Any skill or spell you learn for the first time will start at the intermediate-rank.] [You have learned Intermediate-Rank Weapon Bombardment (Active/Skill).] Kang Oh clicked on Weapon Bombardment in the skill window. [Weapon Bombardment] The Tum Tribe''s secret move. Throws a weapon at a target with great power. You may freely control this weapon or any weapon that you have already thrown, and also have them return to you. + Refinement: The skill has been adapted for human use, as they possess a smaller frame and weaker physical abilities than the Tum. The weapon''s power has been reduced and the MP cost has been increased, but controlling one''s weapons will be much easier. Type: Active/Skill. MP Cost: Varies based on how long the weapon stays in the air. Cooldown: None. Rank: Intermediate. Proficiency: 0%. "Let me give you some advice on how to use Weapon Bombardment properly." Kang Oh listened attentively. "First, throw your weapon poorly. But only if you don''t think you can finish them in a single hit." "Why?" "You can make them lower their guard and then withdraw your weapon. In the process, you''ll be able to hit them from behind." "Aha. That''s a pretty good tip." "A tip?" "Eh, don''t worry about it. Anyhow, I''m leaving now." Kang Oh stood up, but Kuharap stopped him. "What do you mean leave!?" "What''s wrong?" "We''re preparing a banquet for you. Stay and celebrate." It was like he was ordering him; it made him feel somewhat unpleasant. "And if I want to leave?" Kang Oh said bluntly. "Then you leave." ''I won''t keep you!'' "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. He began to weigh his options. The Tum were more skilled and trustworthy than most mercenaries. If he managed to gain their trust, then... there would be nothing better. "Let''s have some fun!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. That day... The Tum held a giant feast. Kang Oh, the guest of honor, put his arms around the Tum warriors'' shoulders and drank and ate happily. It was time for Kang Oh''s silver tongue to go to work. "Haha. As expected of the Tum; you aren''t called the continent''s greatest, most powerful tribe for nothing! Cheers!" "I''d like to be born as a Tum warrior in my next life! No matter what!" "No, wait. Can''t I just be a Tum now? Please!? More drinks over here!" "My Tum Brothers, let''s be friends forever!" As the ''great warrior who defeated Tstrum''s Demon'' and ''the one who freed the Tum Tribe'', Kang Oh used his silver tongue to sweet talk the warriors here. Thus, he got what he wanted in the end. "You''re one of us!" "Brother!" [Your closeness with the Tum Tribe is extremely high.] [The warriors of the Tum Tribe consider you a brother. They will prioritize your requests over others, no matter what they are.] [You have acquired the title, Honorary Tum Warrior.] Kang Oh grinned. He''d gained a group of skilled mercenaries that he could work to the bone for cheap! * * * Kang Oh arrived at the Holiseum. Once the war with the Evil God Worshippers was over and the Protectors of the Continent was formally disbanded, the Holiseum''s diators returned to their daily lives. "Hello." Kang Oh greeted a diator he was acquainted with, and then headed straight for Vn. Knock, knock. Kang Oh heard a familiar voice on the other side of the door. "Pleasee in." Creak. Kang Oh was greeted by Darion''s elegant face. He was the one who''d responded to him. Vn was sitting in a stiff chair beside him. One of his empty sleeves fluttered in the air, and a huge sword scar lingered on his chest. He''d heard that Darion was in charge of taking care of Vn. "Have you been well?" Kang Oh said politely. Vn gently opened his eyes. "Hoh," he said in amazement. "You''ve be a Master." "How did you know?" Kang Oh looked surprised. ''He''s seriously way too sharp for his own good.'' "I can tell." What a Vn-like answer. "Seriously? He''s be a Master?" Darion looked on in disbelief. ''That guy became a Master? We''re doomed!'' Vn caught his disapproval and grinned. "Skill and one''s character arepletely separate." In other words, Kang Oh''s skill didn''t match up to his confidence. "He''s right. Master Vn is a good example of this," Kang Oh retorted, using his words right back at him. "And Darion." "Yes?" Darion still looked shocked. Kang Oh approached him and patted him on the shoulder. "Try harder, will ya? At this rate, it''ll take years before you be a Master." Darion bit his lip and his fists shook. "I''ll be a Master too." "I''m not so sure about that. I don''t think you will." "I will!" "Then shall we bet on it?" Darion flinched at the word ''bet''. He recalled some unpleasant memories for a second there. "I''m never going to make a bet with you, Mr. Kang Oh! Please have a pleasant conversation. I''m going to go train!" Darion quickly left Vn''s room. "Pfft." Vnughed, seeing Darion turn tail and run. "You''ve beenughing a lot moretely." "I usuallyugh a lot, but I had to be strict because of some idiot." "Are you referring to me?" "Who else would I be talking about?" "Is that so?" Kang Oh grinned. He didn''t feel any malice in Vn''s words. "Yeah!" "How are you feeling?" "Not bad. Dr. Eder''s medicine is working well." "What a relief." "Did youe to ask me about the secret move?" Kang Oh looked shocked. "How did you know?" "I can just tell." "Mm. I have to create a Demonic Swordsman secret move, but I''m not sure what I should make." "I wanted a sword that could cut through anything," Vn said. Thus, Divide the Sea was created. "Burkan probably wanted a sword that could surpass me." Hence, Transcendent de. "What I want..." Back then and now, there was only one thing he''d ever wanted. "The strongest." In other words, the peak. He wanted to be higher than anyone else, with no one looking down at him from above. That was what Kang Oh wanted. "That''s impossible," Vn said firmly. "Why is that?" "I will always be the strongest, whether it be the past, the present, or the future," Vn said arrogantly. "No, I''ll rece you!" Kang Oh retorted. "Tough talk for someone who''s just be a Master." Vn grinned. "Anyhow, keep this in mind. You''re not creating a Swordsman secret move, but a Demonic Swordsman secret move. You know what the difference between these two is, right?" "Of course." "Then get going." Vn waved him off. "Stay healthy." Kang Oh left the Holiseum and looked up at the sky. ''A Demonic Swordsman secret move, huh...'' His thoughts only deepened. Chapter 484. Demonic Swordsman Secret Move

Chapter 484. Demonic Swordsman Secret Move

Trantor: Boko VG''s signature program, the Ranking Show, began. "Hello, viewers. I''m one of the show''s MCs, Kim Hoseon," she said, and bowed her head. She was wearing a neat suit. "This is Lee Yumi." Yumi bowed her head. "Now, let''s take a look at the weekly rankings. Please show us the rankings," Kim Hoseon said, and Numbers 1 through 10 were shown on the screen. Rank 1: The One and Only God, Dukeram! Rank 2: The Master of Gold, Wang Seorim! Rank 3: Breaker''s ck Lion, Raon! Rank 4: Predator Kang Oh! Rank 5: Blood Witch Helena! Rank 6: Genius Bart! Rank 7: Spear King Hernandez! Rank 8: God Hand, Arthand! Rank 9: Leopard Squad Captain, Snow Flower! Rank 10: Scheming Master, Jegal! "Oh, it looks like we have a change." Lee Yumi''s eyes gleamed. "Yes. The Worst Criminal, Red has been pulled from the ranks. Red, who was captured by Kang Oh and imprisoned by the Security Bureau, has been on the leaderboard for quite some time, hasn''t he?" Kim Hoseon stared at Lee Yumi, as if saying ''It''s your turn now!''. "That''s right. There were a lot of people who thought it wasn''t right that a criminal was in the leader board. I thought the same." "Red''s name has finally been pulled from the Numbers. I''m sure there are a lot of people who feel good about that." "People keepplimenting Mr. Kang Oh for capturing Red. He was able to do whatrge guilds couldn''t, no, wouldn''t do." Lee Yumi smiled. "Mr. Kang Oh performed an amazing feat. Justice has been served. Ah, our doors are always open for you, Mr. Kang Oh. Please contact us!" Hoseon mimicked a phone, shaking her fist with her pinky and thumb extended. "Please!" Yumi made a heart with her fingers. "Now then, let''s get back to the rankings. Red''s absence made room for new members of the Numbers," Hoseon said. "That''s right. She''s finally entered the Numbers. The captain of Breaker''s Leopard Squad, Snow Flower!" Lee Yumi apuded. "When ites to female yers, Helena''s the best at magic, while Snow Flower''s the best at swordsmanship," Hoseon exined. "She might be able to turn things around for the Breaker Guild after their humiliating defeat to the Empire Guild." "That''s right. Now the Breaker Guild has two Numbers. It''s definitely the second strongest guild now, right behind the Empire Guild." "Congrattions to Ms. Snow Flower. Our doors are always open," Lee Yumi said cutely. "Are you trying to act cute?" Kim Hoseon looked sick of her antics. "What!?" Lee Yumi red at her. "Aah, I wish I could unsee that." "Do you want me to teach you a lesson!?" "Ahem!" Kim Hoseon pped her palm and moved on. "That''s enough teasing from me. Let''s take a look at the changes in the ranks." "Sounds good!" As always, Hoseon and Yumi progressed with the Ranking Show as normal. But at some point, the staff seemed unsettled. ''What''s going on?'' Since Yumi was talking, Hoseon kept her mouth shut, but she could see the staff moving around in a disorderly manner. At that moment... Breaking news appeared on her tablet. She quickly looked it over and then slightly opened her mouth in shock. "Ms. Hoseon? Ms. Hoseon!" Yumi, who''d passed the baton to Hoseon, called her since she wasn''t responding. "Ah, yes? Yes!" Hoseon btedly got a grip. The producer signaled for her to report the breaking news. "Yes. Viewers, I apologize, but you''ll have to forget about everything we''ve just said." "Excuse me? What are you talking about?" Yumi''s eyes widened, as she hadn''t seen what was on the tablet yet. ''What''s going on?'' "There''s been a huge change in the rankings. Please take a look!" A list of the Numbers showed up on the screen once more. Rank 1: The One and Only God, Dukeram! Rank 2: Predator Kang Oh! Rank 3: Master of Gold, Wang Seorim! Rank 4: Breaker''s ck Lion, Raon! Rank 5: Blood Witch Helena! Rank 6: Genius Bart! Rank 7: Scheming Master, Jegal! Rank 8: God Hand, Arthand! Rank 9: Spear King Hernandez! Rank 10: Leopard Squad Captain, Snow Flower! "Is this right?" Yumi was shocked. It was indeed a huge change. "The owner of the Geumsan Store, Wang Seorim, has always been 2nd, but Kang Oh has taken that spot from her!" By bing a Master, Kang Oh''s rank had shot up to rank 2. Of course, no one knew that Kang Oh had be a Master yet. "Wow, rank 1 Dukeram and rank 2 Wang Seorim. Their positions haven''t changed in such a long time." "Yes. Ever since the Geumsan Store crushed the Manbok Store and reached the top of the business world, she has never dropped below rank 2." "What do you think happened to Mr. Kang Oh?" "I''m not sure. There''s no way of knowing either. Please call us, Mr. Kang Oh! Please!" "Yes, please contact us." Hoseon and Yumi simultaneously bowed their heads. After that, Hoseon exined the changes in the other Numbers'' ranks. Snow Flower, who''d just recently entered the Numbers, had been reced by the Empire Guild''s vice-captain, Jegal. He even started at rank 7! The Baiyan Kingdom had surrendered to the Arabas Kingdom, or the Empire Guild, resulting in his jump in rank. The Empire Guild''s power and influence had increased significantly. On the other hand, Breaker and Storm had lost the war, so their power and influence had diminished. With it came the drop in Raon and Hernandez''s ranks, and Snow Flower''s drop to rank 10. Kang Oh bing a Master, Baiyan''s surrender, Red''s imprisonment, etc. All of these events caused the sudden change in ranks. * * * As soon as Kang Oh rose to rank 2, he was swarmed by congrattory messages. - Congrattions. I hope you stay with me for a long time. (Man Bok) - You beat di, didn''t you? That''s how you became a Master? Damn, I''m so jealous! (Sephiro) - Oppa, I''m always rooting for you. Let''s y together soon. (Asu) - Congrattions. Let''s hunt again sometime. (Soren) - Me too. (Karin) - Let''s fight. (Bart) - Please let me interview you! Please! Oh, and congrattions. I guess I got the order backwards. Haha. (TGN Shin Hye Rim) - Congrattions on rising in the ranks. And please remember, I wee any and all clips you have for me. (GBS Park Jin Cheol) He sent them all a return message, and was then lost in thought. ''Rank 2, huh...'' He was right behind the Emperor, or the One and Only God, Dukeram. As a result of his car ident, Kang Oh had been forced to start Arthter than others. Despite that, he grew faster than anyone else and had ultimately risen to rank 2. Of course, he wasn''t content with rank 2. After all, it wasn''t rank 1. ''That''ll be my spot soon.'' Kang Oh thought of Dukeram''s handsome face and his fighting spirit burned. Now he was on equal footing with him; they were both Masters. He wouldn''t lose to Dukeram anymore! Plus, he would make sure to pay him back for his loss! No matter what! Kang Oh made an oath to himself. And in the process, he became sure of what secret move he wanted to create. "Create a secret move!" [Creating a Demonic Swordsman secret move.] [Exin what kind of secret move you wish to create, or show it.] [Warning: Secret moves are incredibly powerful. Thus, they are as powerful as they are risky.] "The strongest sword!" he said. [Please exin in more detail.] ''As expected... That didn''t work.'' Kang Oh said, "I want to summon the demons sealed within my demon swords. I want to be able to summon multiple demons at the same time!" [You wish to be able to summon the demons sealed within your demon swords. Is this correct?] "Exactly." [Will you create this Demonic Swordsman secret move? Once you make a decision, there is no going back. This secret move cannot be shared with anyone else.] He''d made this decision after much thought. There was no reason to hesitate. "Create the secret move!" Kang Oh''s body glowed with intense light. [You have learned the Demonic Swordsman secret move, Demon''s Descent.] [Due to Earth''s Blessing, Demon''s Descent begins at the intermediate-rank.] Kang Oh looked over his new secret move''s information. [Demon''s Descent] Summons the demon trapped within a demon sword. At this time, the demon sword acts as a medium and allows the demon to have free will. The number of demons that you can summon depends on the skill''s rank. At the moment, two demons can be summoned at one time. The demons may choose not to obey you, or may even attack you. Also, if you die while using Demon''s Descent, there is a chance that the demons will escape from their prison. Please be very careful when using this skill! Type: Active/Skill. MP Cost: None. Cooldown: None. Rank: Intermediate. Proficiency: 0%. ''It''s exactly what I wanted.'' Kang Oh had been thinking about what secret move he wanted. Hisbat ability was already overwhelming. And he already possessed several skills he needed to increase his proficiency in. sh, Sword Parry, Tempest Tiger, Darkness Strike, Darkness Chain, Transcendent de, Mad Wind''s Sword, and Weapon Bombardment. What if he were to add Vn''s Divide the Sea to this list? He wouldn''t need any morebat skills. Thus, there was no reason to create abat-oriented secret move. Therefore, he thought about a way to use the demon swords themselves, and decided upon Demon''s Descent. ''Wouldn''t it be so much easier if my demon swords, no, the demons sealed within them helped me during battle?'' That was his thought process. The problem was that Demon''s Descent was, as Kang Oh had anticipated, an inherently risky skill. What if he couldn''t control the demons, or he was presented with a situation where he couldn''t control them? Then the Abyss Predator, Ubist, the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, and the Ice Queen, Sa, would be unleashed unto the world once more. ''I have to use them well so that that doesn''t happen.'' He was confident that he could use them properly. After all, this was him he was talking about. Predator Kang Oh! Numbers rank 2, and soon to be rank 1! He was also a legendary gamer that was once called the Human Dragon in Warlord! Kang Oh started walking. He wanted to test how much stronger he''d be by bing a Master, how much greater Blood had be, how well he could control the demons, etc. There was so much he needed to test out. * * * Deep underneath the Saul Graveyard. Kang Oh appeared in the room where Bone Dragon Akite was sleeping. Rattle. Akite stood up, his bones ''rattling'' as he did so. "You came, Master." "Yeah. I want your help with something." "With what?" "I''m going to summon some demons. If they attack me, I want you to restrain them." "It''s not hard, but..." "You won''t do it for free?" "You know me so well." "Tch." ''You money grubbing bone lizard! If Vn wasn''t injured, then I''d have gone to him instead!'' However, Vn was still an injured patient, and Burkan was crazy busy. Thus, Akite was the only one strong enough to help him right now. He needed someone strong in case something went wrong with Demon''s Descent. Kang Oh pulled out a 100 gold bar. Just one. "Just one?" "If you don''t want it, then whatever." Kang Oh acted like he was going to put it back. "No, I''ll take it." "A wise decision." Kang Oh threw the gold bar at Akite and stabbed Blood into the ground. ''I trust you, Tasha.'' He picked Tasha first, as he believed she''d be the easiest to talk to. Not only had he spoken to her several times already, but he had spent a lot of time flying with her too. "I''m starting." "Alright." Demon''s Descent! Whir! Demon Sword Blood released scarlet energy, which wrapped around the de like a cocoon. ''The sword''s used as a medium to summon her, right?'' In other words, the demon wasn''t pulled out of the demon sword, but the demon sword itself transformed into the demon. A short whileter... The red cocoon opened up like a flower bud, and Blood, or Tasha, appeared from within. Tasha was incredibly beautiful. Her long, wavy red hair was striking, and she wore a shoulder-less dress with a bat emblem on her chest. Her nails were long and sharp, and her eyes were quite fierce. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed hard. How would Tasha react? ''She won''t attack me right out of the gate, will she?'' "Hi, Tasha," Kang Oh said carefully. Tasha looked him over and then opened her pomegranate colored lips. "Hi," Tasha replied. That was a good start. Chapter 485. Demon’s Descent

Chapter 485. Demon''s Descent

Trantor: Boko Tasha quickly said hello and then looked herself over, sporting an odd expression. How long had it been since she''d breathed the outside air? "What''s... going on?" Tasha asked. "I became a Master Demonic Swordsman, and created a secret move that allows me to release you from the demon swords," Kang Oh said. "How long can I stay out here? No, how often can Ie out? Can I just stay like this?" Tasha asked question after question, her eyes gleaming. "You can just stay like this." Kang Oh answered her final question first. There was no price for using Demon''s Descent. There was no set duration time, cooldown, or MP cost either. Thus, Tasha could remain in the outside world for however long she wanted. Of course, Demon''s Descent wasn''t without its downsides; although using it didn''t cost him anything, there was always a risk that the demons would run free. When released from their prison, the demons may run away from him or even try to kill him. However, Kang Oh nned on letting Tasha stay outside, despite the inherent risks involved. "Really?" Tasha asked. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Why? What if I were to run away or try to stab you in the back..." Half of the blood that ran through her veins was demonic. She had descended from a wicked demon. ''So how can you trust me?'' "But you''re not going to." Kang Oh smiled. He trusted Tasha. Even if she tried to run or kill him (and that''s a big if), he was confident that he could deal with her. "Hmph. Are you sure?" Tasha pointed her sharp nails at him. However, Kang Oh didn''t feel threatened by them at all. "If you wanted to run away or attack me from behind, then you wouldn''t have told me beforehand. You would''ve just gone through with it," Kang Oh said. "That''s... true I guess," Tasha agreed. "Fight with me. Ah, but if I need Demon Sword Blood, then you''ll return to being a sword. When the battle''s over, I''ll summon you again," Kang Oh said, and Tasha slowly nodded her head. "Sure." "Let''s work together." Kang Oh grinned and extended his hand. Tasha took it with her clean white hand, and the two shook hands. * * * Bone Dragon Akite, who''d been watching their interaction, said, "Are you finished?" "Not yet," Kang Oh said curtly. "He''s..." Tasha looked at Akite warily. She''d only just noticed him. "He''s a bodyguard," Kang Oh said. "So he''s not an enemy?" "No." "Alright." Tasha lost all interest in Akite. "I''m going to summon another demon," Kang Oh said. Intermediate-Rank Demon''s Descent allowed him to summon up to two demons at once. "But I''m not sure if I''ll be able to control this one." "Ubist?" "Yeah." "Don''t. He''s a beast. An untamable beast," Tasha warned. "But I want to try taming him." "Do what you want," Tasha said, and calmly prepared for battle. Her white hands were surrounded by red energy. "I''m going!" Kang Oh pulled out the jet-ck greatsword, Demon Sword Ubist. Demon''s Descent! Darkness enveloped the sword, forming a ck cocoon around it. A short whileter... The cocoon shattered, revealing a jet-ck beast. Its fur was darker than the deepest abyss. It had sharp fangs, red glowing eyes, a beautiful tail, and four long, robust legs. This was Ubist, who was known as the Abyss Predator and King of Demonic Beasts. Kuhaaahk! It roared and dashed towards Akite. ''I''m hungry! I''ll eat you all!'' That was its mentality right now. It charged headfirst into thergest prey here. "Restrain him!" Kang Oh yelled. Ubist wouldn''t listen to him, so he decided to train it instead! Bone Dragon Akite was the first to react. It was a dragon; a dragon called the ''Incarnation of Magic''! Of course, bing a Bone Dragon had reduced its ability to use magic, but it was still a dragon! Nine Stars! Twinkling stars floated around Akite. Whir! The stars unleashed powerful rays of light, which struck Ubist head-on. Bam! This resulted in an explosion. Grr! Ubist staggered, but Bone Dragon Akite''s magic bombardment wasn''t done. Relentless Fire Burst! de Wind''s Dance! Fire and wind great magic came flying at Ubist. The two elements naturally mixed together, creating a giant whirlwind of fire. Ubist opened its mouth wide, and absorbed the fiery whirlwind! At that moment... Tasha stepped forward. She was once called the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood! Just a short while ago, she had absorbed di''s power, which further increased her abilities. Tasha pointed her fingers at Ubist. Red Spear of Judgment! This was a skill that di, a member of the Red Moon race, had used against him. Blood spears appeared over Ubist''s head, which then fell like rain. Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Red spears pierced Ubist''s back. Tasha crossed her hands. Then, red thorny vines burst from underneath Ubist''s feet and bound it. Annihting Thorn! di had used this against him too. It was likewise a Red Moon race skill. Tasha raised her right hand and then forcefully swung it. Fresh Blood Wave! This was one of Blood''s original attacks. The red energy rushed forward like a tsunami. At the same time...! Akite cast another spell. cial Ring! A giant ring of ice formed in the air, shooting ice fragments everywhere. Ubist opened its mouth. It unleashed unfathomably deep jet-ck darkness from it. This happened in the blink of an eye. Ubist was covered in darkness as if it were dyed in squid ink. The Fresh Blood Wave and cial Ring were absorbed by the darkness. Nothing had happened. Ubist couldn''t be found anywhere, and Akite and Tasha just waited for it to reappear. All of a sudden, Ubist reappeared behind Akite. Abyss Transfer! Kuhaaa! Ubist bit Akite''s rib bone. "You pup!" Akite grabbed Ubist''s neck with its bony arm, and wrapped its tail around its body. The two giant beasts were fighting hand to hand. Akite and Ubist, both tangled together, rolled onto the floor. Rumble! Akite''s giant nest shook, and dust fell from the ceiling as if it''d copse at any moment. At some point, Akite threw Ubist away. Ubist righted itself in midair and thennded on its feet. However, there was a giant rib bone in its mouth. Crack! Crack! Then, Ubist ate the bone. With Sarahoff in his hand, Kang Oh dashed towards Ubist''s side. Ubist swung its front paw. It was as though a cket was flying through the sky. Its attack possessed great power and speed. However, this was Kang Oh we were talking about. In terms of ''evasion'', he was superior to even Dukeram. He easily dodged Ubist''s paw and swung his sword. sh! He left behind a lengthy scar on Ubist''s body, and shards of light burst out. Kuhahk! Ubist unleashed a fierce roar and tried to devour Kang Oh in a single bite. ''Not today!'' Kang Oh threw himself to the side and dodged Ubist''s attack. Then, he bounced forward like a spring and counterattacked. Bam! Sarahoff cleaved through Ubist''s leg. Huge shards of light fell from the wound. After that, Kang Oh and Ubist shed several times. However, Kang Oh was winning one-sidedly. More and more sword scars appeared on Ubist''s body. On the other hand, Kang Oh waspletely unscathed. He didn''t even have a scratch on him. ''My mind, body, and sword are all light!'' Was it because he''d be a Master? Probably. Kang Oh felt a lot looser than before. Even if he swung his de softly, there was plenty of force behind the blow. It was like he was using Gluttony. ''This is why I lost to Dukeram.'' A Master and a non-Master werepletely different beings. Kang Oh attacked with even greater ferocity. Tasha and Akite backed him up. Ubist could absorb Akite''s spells, but they definitely served as a good distraction. After all, they were all on the level of grand magic. Kang Oh and Tasha seized those opportunities, and easilynded hits on Ubist. Ubist desperately struggled against them, sweeping through Akite''s nest with its abyss energy. However... It was up against Predator Kang Oh, the Great Forest''s Demon, and Bone Dragon Akite! Even Ubist was no match for all three of them at once. In the end, Ubist fell to the floor. Kang Oh slowly approached it, and just as slowly took a look at it. The intensity in its gaze hadn''t gone down at all. ''I''m an untamable beast!'' That''s what its eyes were conveying to him. "Hmm." Kang Oh was disappointed. He thought he''d be able to tame it if he brought it down a peg. At that time, he would treat it with kindness and give it some snacks too. The carrot and the stick! However, this particr method wouldn''t work on Ubist. Ubist was unyielding in the face of defeat. The stick hadn''t worked at all. "Return to the sword." Ultimately, Kang Oh canceled Ubist''s summon. Grr! Ubist snarled for onest time. Its giant body transformed into smoke, and in its cey Demon Sword Ubist embedded in the ground. "Is that all of them?" Akite asked. ''Please tell me that''s everything!'' His bodynguage made it clear that this activity was particrly bothersome. "No, I have one more." Kang Oh raised Sarahoff into the air. The purple longsword, which expelled blue energy, glowed. * * * Ice Queen Sa, who possessed the power of the Ice Soul, was trapped within Demon Sword Sarahoff. Sa was Yuki-Onna Sara''s formal name. Like Tasha, Sara had an alternate name. Kang Oh stabbed Demon Sword Sarahoff into the ground. Demon''s Descent! The sword radiated chilling energy, and an ice flower sprouted. Although it didn''t smell like anything, it was an incredibly beautiful flower nheless. Sara appeared from within this flower. She possessed a graceful face. However, her eyes were pupiless, so she also looked frightening at the same time. Sara had short ck hair that went down to her nape, and she wore white fur clothes. She wore a blue muffler, which was adorned with a purple morning glory flower pattern. Her hands were covered with ck gloves, and she wore brown boots over her feet. "Hoo. Hoo." Whenever she exhaled, she would let out a white mist of air. "Hi," Kang Oh said. In the previous battle, Kang Oh and Sara had talked for the first time. Sara said nothing. She just looked on vacantly. "Sara?" Kang Oh repeated. Only then did Sara''s expression change. It looked like she had gotten a hold of herself. She looked over herself and her surroundings. "How?" It was as if she were saying, ''How was I released from the demon sword?''. "I used a secret move to summon you from the demon sword," Kang Oh said. "Can I stay like this from now on?" she asked. "If you''re willing to cooperate with me. Of course, if I need Demon Sword Sarahoff, then you''ll have to return to being a sword..." Before he could finish his sentence, Sara sharply yelled, "No!" At the same time, she gathered cold energy. Ice Wall! A frozen wall stood in between Kang Oh and Sara. Kang Oh pulled Ubist from the ground and forcefully swung it. Tempest Tiger! The mighty aura instantly crushed the wall. Then, he saw Sara running for the exit. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh knew that Sara would try running away when he summoned her. Why, you ask? Her dream was to explore the continent. Being released from the sword gave her an opportunity to explore the world on her own. Thus, he knew she would try to run away no matter what! Of course, he couldn''t just let her go. She was a being that contained the Ice Soul''s power. And there was a chance that she could transform into the Ice Queen again. The same Ice Queen that had the power to freeze half of the continent! Plus, he couldn''t afford to lose Demon Sword Sarahoff. "Akite," Kang Oh said. His intentions were clear. Bone Dragon Akite cast another spell. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The only exit was blocked by a ton of bones. Sara looked at the blocked exit and bit her lip. Then, Kang Oh approached her. "I think it''s time we talked." Chapter 486. Secret Move Inheritance

Chapter 486. Secret Move Inheritance

Trantor: Boko Sara remained on guard. She believed that Kang Oh could, at any time, return her to the confines of the sword. Kang Oh felt like this behavior was undeserved on his part. "Weren''t you the one who decided to be sealed?" That''s right. After he defeated her, Sara had allowed herself to be sealed in order to keep the Ice Soul''s power from going out of control. Kang Oh hadn''t forced her into it! "T-That''s..." "I picked you when I was presented with the choice between you and the Ice Soul. That way, you were able to see the world, albeit indirectly. Am I wrong?" The Trial of the Demon Sword had forced him to pick either Sara or the Ice Soul. Kang Oh had picked Sara, which allowed her to maintain her ego. "And yet, you act as though I''ve imprisoned you," Kang Oh said logically, causing Sara to bite her lip. Everything he said was the truth. She furrowed her brow, thought things over, and said, "Thanks." "Good. We can get to talking now." "Talk about what?" "For starters, don''t run away from me. And don''t attack me either. If you don''t escape my control, then I can give you some measure of freedom." "Freedom..." "You can see the world with your own eyes, touch things yourself, and explore ces with your own two feet." Kang Ohpletely understood what it was that made Sara tick. "That''s what I''ll do for you," Kang Oh added. "Really?" Sara''s eyes gleamed. "Yeah. But I can''t set you free. After all, you possess the Ice Soul''s power, capable of freezing half the continent." "I don''t have that kind of power anymore..." "Do you want to stay in the sword?" Kang Oh suddenly asked. "No!" she immediately yelled. "Then will you ept my terms?" "I won''t run away, and I won''t attack you either. In exchange, you''ll give me some measure of freedom, right?" she repeated. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Alright. I''ll do it." It wasn''t a bad offer. It was a hundred times better than staying inside of the sword. "Good choice. Ah, and I want you to help me in battle. And if I need Demon Sword Sarahoff, then I''ll need you to return to being a sword." "Ok." Sara nodded her head obediently. "Good!" Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction. "I''m Tasha," Tasha suddenly said. "I''m Sara. A Yuki-Onna." "Yawn. Are we done, Master?" Akite said tiredly. ''Please just go already!'' "Yeah, good work," Kang Oh said. "Take care. Don''t visit too often!" "Yeah, I''lle frequently." When someone tells you not to do something, it just makes you want to do it even more! "That''s the direct opposite of what I said!" Akite yelled. ''Don''t interrupt my sleep!'' "Eh, I''ll think about it. Alright, we''re leaving." Kang Oh smiled, and left with Tasha and Sara in tow. Akite''s Nest was submerged in aforting veil of darkness once more. It immediately entered a deep sleep. * * * Kang Oh headed for the Holiseum. But upon entry into Altein, the continent''srgest city, Sara widened her eyes. "Wow, wow, wow!" Sara looked around and marveled at all the sights. ''To think that there was stuff like this in the world! There are tons of people, all kinds of buildings, and... some strange buildings here too.'' "Don''t be such a drama queen." Tasha scolded her. However, she couldn''t hide her astonishment at the city''s majesty either. ''It''s a lot different than before.'' The knight, Grande Loxia, had lived in this city before. Of course, she was sealed within a sword then, but she could hear, see, and feel everything that Grande Loxia did. Thus, she could remember what Altein was like in the past. However, Altein was a lot different from what she remembered. It only made sense though. Altein was once the capital of the Altein Empire, and was special amongst all the cities. Kang Oh could hear Sara marveling at the city''s sights, as well as Tasha telling her off, but he didn''t concern himself with them. After all, their reactions were much to be expected. Plus, their beauty didn''t really stand out, as characters could be built however one wished. Thus, they didn''t overly draw people''s attention. ''As long as people don''t see through my disguise, that is.'' Kang Oh had raised the Avenger set''s hood, and was wearing a smile mask as well. Obviously, no one had recognized him yet. He, Tasha, and Sara reached the Holiseum without any issues. "Wow, to think such a huge building existed!" Sara looked touched. It was thergest building she''d seen in her life. Tasha likewise looked surprised. It was only natural. Those who saw the Holiseum for the first time would be taken aback by its beauty and grandeur. "This way." Kang Oh went down the stairs that led to the Holiseum''s basement. He greeted a few diators he was acquainted with, and then headed straight for Vn''s room. Knock, knock. "Come in." He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of Vn. His caretaker, Darion, was nowhere in sight. "Why are you here?" Varion wasn''t all that happy to see him. Kang Oh grinned. "I''vepleted your quest, Master Vn." Sara and Tasha came inside. "Hoh, this energy... It feels like your demon swords. Are they the demons sealed within?" Vn was as sharp as ever. He had immediately ascertained Tasha and Sara''s identities. "Yes. This is the secret move that I created: Demon''s Descent! It allows me to summon the demons within my swords." "Hah, you''ve created quite the dangerous secret move." As expected, Vn knew the downsides of the move too. He had realized the risks that were involved. "Don''t let them control you," Vn said firmly. "I won''t." "We''ll see." "Anyhow, I came to tell you that Ipleted your quest." "Yeah." Vn slightly nodded his head. [You havepleted the quest, Trial to Be Stronger.] [As a reward, closeness with Vn has increased slightly.] [You havepleted an extremely difficult quest. You have acquired Sara''s Collectible.] Considering how difficult the quest was, the reward sucked. All he got out of it was increased closeness with Vn! It was also tagged with the ''slightly'' to boot! Still, Kang Oh was satisfied that he was able toplete such a difficult quest. Plus, he unexpectedly got something out of it too. Sara''s Collectible! It was a material that was used to reinforce Demon Sword Sarahoff. If he explored an area he''d never been to before, defeated a monster he''d never fought before, orpleted a difficult quest, then there was a low chance that he''d gain one of them. Though the chances were low, Kang Oh had acquired one of them frompleting Vn''s quest. It was good news. At that moment... Vn grinned. "Strike when the iron''s hot. I''ll give you another task." "I''m fine! I refuse!" Kang Oh said decisively. ''No! I don''t want to!'' "I refuse your refusal!" A quest popped up. [Inherit the Absolute Secret Move] Grandmaster Vn''s secret move, ''Divide the Sea'', is special. It contains the power to cut through anything. Vn has acknowledged you as his sessor, and wishes to teach you this secret move. However, sh must be mastered before Divide the Sea can be learned. Master sh! Current Proficiency: High-Rank sh 92.1%. Difficulty: Easy. Minimum Requirements: Vn''s Sessor. Reward: Divide the Sea. Failure: There is no reason to fail. [There is no reason to refuse.] [The quest has automatically been epted.] Kang Oh anxiously read over the quest. ''What kind of crazy hard quest will it be this time!?'', he thought, but as he read it, his expression gradually rxed. "Huh?" Vn''s quest was way too easy. The difficulty was set to easy, and it even stated that there was no reason he''d fail it. It was only natural. In order to master Swordsmanship, Demonic Swordsmanship, Wizardry, etc., one needed to achieve a great feat and break through the wall. However, normal skills and magic could be mastered by increasing one''s proficiency. Of course, these ''normal'' skills/magic couldn''t surpass one''s ss skill (Swordsmanship, Wizardry, etc.). Let''s say Kang Oh''s Demonic Swordsmanship was still at high-rank 50%. That would mean that all of his other skills could only reach high-rank 50%. However, Kang Oh had mastered Demonic Swordsmanship. Thus, all he needed to do to master sh was raise his proficiency in it. "There isn''t even a time limit." That just surprised him even more. Vn''s quest didn''t have any time restriction to it. Vn had given him a nigh impossible quest with a time restriction of 100 days, yet this new quest had no such limitation! "Why? You want me to add a time limit?" Vn grinned impishly. "No!" Kang Oh replied immediately. "I shouldn''t have to add a time limit. If you want to learn Divide the Sea, then I''m sure you''ll do your best." This quest had Vn''s secret move on the line. Since it had such a huge reward at stake, Kang Oh couldn''t afford to take it lightly. "Of course!" "Anything else?" "No." "Get going then." Vn waved him off with his good arm. "Stay healthy." Kang Oh left with Tasha and Sara in tow. He passed Sara her collectible. Sara''s Collectible was a cube that glowed with sapphire light. "Wow!" Sara suddenly jumped up. Now he only needed two more. When he collected the other two, Demon Sword Sarahoff would be upgraded. * * * Kang Oh arrived at Eder''s house. He had already sent Sephiro a message to meet him there. "This is my friend, Eder." Kang Oh introduced Tasha and Sara to the white gown wearing Eder. "Who are they?" Eder tilted his head. These women gave off a peculiar vibe. Where had he met them before? "They''re the beings that were sealed within the demon swords. This is Tasha, who was once called Blood, and this is the Ice Queen, Sara." "Excuse me?" Eder looked shocked. "So..." Kang Oh exined their appearance in more detail. "Aha, I see. It''s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Eder." Eder smiled brightly. "Tasha," Tasha crossed her arms and said. She didn''t trust anyone besides Kang Oh. No, she hated them. Kang Oh knew this fact well. That''s why he didn''t say anything like ''Let''s get along'' or ''Let''s be friendly''. ''I''m sure things will change with time.'' Eder was a good guy. If she interacted with him some more, then she would eventually open herself up to him. Just like how her and Kang Oh had gotten close. On the other hand, Sara stretched out her hand with gleaming eyes. "I''m Sara. A Yuki-Onna!" It was because she''d seen the people of Altein joyously greet each other with a handshake. She had wanted to try it out. "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Ms. Sara." Eder reciprocated. "Just call me Sara." "Yes." Now that they were done with their introductions, a maid came in with refreshments. "Wow, what is this!?" Sara looked shocked as she tried a sweet snack. ''It tastes good!'' Tasha sported a haughty expression, but she was wolfing down the snacks. Kang Oh and Eder just watched them and sported satisfied expressions. Sometimeter... Sephiro came inside with Waryong. "This is my other friend, Sephiro. And that''s his wyvern, Waryong!" "My name is Sephiro. As you can see, I''m an archer." He shook the Lasselpino Bow. Kya! Waryong bobbed its head up and down. It looked like it was trying to bow. "Tasha." "I''m Sara!" "These two are..." Kang Oh revealed their identities. "Ah, I see." Sephiro just epted it. "Anyhow, why did you call me?" he asked. Sephiro''s gaze contained a hint of jealousy and envy. It was only natural. Kang Oh had be a Master! It felt like he''d die of envy. Unfortunately, Kang Oh could feel those negative emotions being directed at him. "Are you jealous?" "What do you mean?" "That I became a Master." "N-Not at all!" Sephiro strongly rejected his im. "I don''t think that''s true." "I said I''m not!" "Haha. If you''re that jealous, then please try harder." Kang Oh grinned impishly and stared at Sephiro. Sephiro grimaced and changed the topic. "Ahem. Anyhow, why did you call me today?" "Ipleted Vn''s quest, so it''s time to look for dungeons again." Kang Oh grinned. ''It''s time to get back to work!'' Chapter 487. Explore the??? Dungeon

Chapter 487. Explore the??? Dungeon

Trantor: Boko There existed a nameless dungeon within the Goddess''s Land. [Entering the??? Dungeon.] This dungeon, which Kang Oh called the??? Dungeon, was where the fearsome Basilisks spawned. Basilisks were legendary beasts, which petrified their prey with a single nce! They also possessed petrifying poison, scale missiles, and giant bodies that allowed them to charge at their foes. They were so powerful that Kang Oh had his hands full fighting one. Those times had passed. It should be different now. Kang Oh, Sephiro, Eder, Tasha, and Sara began hunting Basilisks. Hiss! A Basilisk stared at Kang Oh''s party with its yellow eyes. It also shot petrifying poison and sharp scale missiles at them too. Its Petrifying Gaze wasn''t a problem. They could just not look straight at it. The poison was bearable too. Eder had given them a drug that slowed the progression of its effects. Lastly, the scale missiles were quick, but they weren''t lethal. "I''m going!" Kang Oh threw Demon Sword Ubist. Weapon Bombardment! He was finally using the Tum Tribe''s secret move. Swish! Swish! Swish! His jet-ck greatsword fiercely spun like a fan''s des, slicing through the flesh at the back of the Basilisk''s neck. This was its weak point! Bam! A ton of red shards burst like firecrackers. Weapon Bombardment was, as expected, extremely powerful. It not only crushed the Basilisk''s tough scales, but the thick skin underneath. Hiss! Ptoo! The enraged Basilisk spewed Petrifying Poison at him, but he was too quick. Kang Oh gracefully dodged it, and in no time at all, Demon Sword Ubist had returned to his hand. Bam. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and leapt into the air. As he did so, he naturally swung his sword. sh! Swish! He left behind a long wound on the Basilisk''s body. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Dozens of scales, which resembled spades, came flying at Kang Oh all at once. Once hended on the floor, Kang Oh spun his jet-ck de around. ng! ng! ng! The scales flung off his demon sword. In the meantime, Eder''s summon, Bone Minotaur ''White Horn'', swung its giant axe at the Basilisk''s tail. Earth sh! The savage energy struck the Basilisk''s body head-on. Bam! The axe had gone about halfway through the Basilisk''s body. Kyaha! The Basilisk cried out in pain, and furiously rammed into White Horn. Bam! It was a huge collision. However, White Horn was unscathed, besides a few cracks to its bone armor. Moo! White Horn mooed, pulled out its axe, and swung it once more. Then, the angry Basilisk spat a ton of Petrifying Poison at the Bone Minotaur. Normally, poison wouldn''t work on the undead. However, the Petrifying Poison was on another level, so White Horn''s speed noticeably slowed. Then, the Basilisk opened its mouth and devoured White Horn''s head. However, White Horn was an undead, so it didn''t fear death. It obviously felt no fear when its head was swallowed. The Bone Minotaur continuously swung its axe, gouging the Basilisk''s body. Meanwhile, the rest of Kang Oh''s party barraged it with arrows, mes, blood, and ice magic. For quite a while at that! Bam! Bam! Bam! Thwock! Whack! Bam! Ultimately, the Basilisk, riddled with wounds, fell to the floor. Then, Kang Oh finished it off. He forcefully swung downwards with his de, and sliced the Basilisk''s head clean off. That ended it. "That was way too easy." Kang Oh grinned. The Basilisks hadn''t gotten any weaker. Kang Oh and hispanions had just gotten that much stronger. And they would only continue to get stronger from now on! "Let''s clear this dungeon today!" Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. It was time to figure out what this dungeon was hiding. * * * The Basilisks weren''t an issue, even if two or three of them appeared at once. Three or four was somewhat difficult, but it wasn''t impossible. This proved just how powerful Kang Oh''s party had be. Especially Kang Oh himself! He wasn''t a Master for no reason. With every swing of his sword, he cut through the Basilisk''s tough skin like it was a thin piece of cloth. In other words, the Basilisks were no match for him anymore. Thus, Kang Oh''s party made their way deeper inside the??? Dungeon. Of course, Kang Oh made sure to carefully search the dungeon, just waiting for his Hyper Intuition to activate. However, it hadn''t activated even once yet. In exchange... Swish. He extended the Light Sphere he''d bought from the Tower, revealing a stairway that went further underground. The dark and seemingly unending stairs gave off quite the creepy vibe. Gulp. Someone swallowed. It was probably Sephiro, since he was a scaredy-cat. "Let''s go." Kang Oh was the first to walk down the stairs. His party soon followed him. Once they made it to the end, Kang Oh raised the Light Sphere into the air. The luminescent light illuminated their surroundings. There was a passageway before them. In for a penny, in for a pound. It was toote to back down now. They made their way through the passageway. As soon as they made it out, Kang Oh extended his Light Sphere once more so that he could take a look around. At that moment, Kang Oh and his party widened their eyes. There was an absolutely huge door in front of them. Howrge was it, you ask? It was about as tall as a 10-story apartment building. [You have discovered the forbidden secret, the Underworld.] [What a tremendous discovery.] [If you report this to the continent''s universities, then you will be an honorary professor.] [You have acquired the title, Adventurer Who''s Taken a Great Step Forward.] The door to the underworld! In other words, this is where the continent''s dearly departed went after death. However... There was a guard, no, a guard dog in front of it. It was quite a renowned monster in works of fantasy. It was the three-headed dog, the Cerberus! This monster, no, raid boss, had yet to be seen in Arth. The Cerberus''s three heads were sprawled on the ground, seemingly in a deep slumber. Snore, snore! Their snores rang out as resonantly as the p of thunder. They also opened their mouths and licked their lips. Whenever they did so, they would show their sharp fangs. [You have discovered Deborah''s Guard Dog, Cerberus Rakio.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Warning: Run away!] The system message urged them to run away. It made sense. [Rakio''s special ability, House Dog, is activating. This ability makes Rakio nigh invincible within a designated area.] [Rakio''s special ability, Deborah''s Blessing, is activating. Deborah''s power has made Rakio nigh immortal.] He understood why the system warned him to run away. The Cerberus possessed the Guard Dog ability, which gave it almost limitless power within a certain area. Not only that, but the Goddess of Death''s Blessing made it almost immortal too. ''Hunting it is impossible,'' he quickly concluded. He wanted to see whaty behind the door, but he wasn''t about toy down his life for it. After all, there was a 0% chance of victory at the moment. "Let''s retreat," Kang Oh whispered. Sephiro and Waryong fiercely nodded their heads. Tasha and Sara had noints either. "Yes," Eder said quietly. Kang Oh''s party quietly backed away. Sephiro was covering Waryong''s mouth in order to keep it quiet. They couldn''t afford to awaken the Cerberus. Thus, they had to be as careful as possible. However, life doesn''t always go as nned! Kang Oh stepped backwards and stepped on Waryong''s tail. Kyaha! Waryong cried out in pain. ''Shit!'' The hairs on his body bristled. ''Why did this have to happen now!?'' "Hueok!" Sephiro quickly silenced Waryong with two hands. "Shh!" Eder and Sara stared at Waryong and shushed it with their index fingers. ''Be quiet!'' Kang Oh quickly took a look at the Cerberus. Snore, snore! What a relief. It hadn''t woken up. Kang Oh used bodynguage to direct his party. ''Keep backing out as quietly as possible until we reach the end of the passageway!'' His party seemed to understand. No, they had no choice but to understand. That was their only viable course of action, after all. Steady... Kang Oh approached the passageway without any problems. However... All of a sudden, Cerberus''s middle head opened its eyes. It''s like those times where you suddenly wake up and open your eyes for no reason. That was exactly what it was doing. Kang Oh''s party suddenly froze as if they were ying a game of freeze tag. ''Please go to sleep!'' They begged again and again. Did their prayer work? It seemed to, as the Cerberus shut its eyes. ''Hoo!'' The party sighed in relief and began to back away again. However...! The middle head suddenly opened its eyes again. Its face was contorted, and gave off an extremely brutal vibe! Kuhaahk! The Cerberus roared. Then, the left and right heads awoke from their slumber. "We''ve been discovered. Run!" Kang Oh yelled. The party didn''t give it a second thought and began running. ''Where do you think you''re going!?'' the Cerberus seemed to say, as it suddenly stood up and stomped on the floor. The ground rippled like a wave, and Rakio quickly approached Kang Oh''s party. "Go, go!" Kang Oh yelled urgently. The passageway was right in front of them. The ones farthest back, Eder, Sara, and Tasha, safely made it to the passageway. Kyaa! Waryong grabbed Sephiro with its feet and forcefully pped its wings. Safe! Thest one to arrive was Kang Oh, as he''d been at the forefront. He threw his body forward. However, the shaking ground had caught up to Kang Oh. Bam! The ground surged, blocking the entrance. "M-Mr. Kang Oh!" Sephiro yelled urgently from behind the barrier. "Damn it!" Kang Oh cursed, as he waspletely alone. He pulled out Ubist and swung horizontally. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger struck the obstacle. However, the ground didn''t even budge. His party tried to open up a path too, but they didn''t have much sess either. ''I''m sealed off.'' Some raid bosses blocked off one''s escape routes so that running away was impossible. Apparently, Rakio was one such raid boss. Kang Oh quickly pulled out a return scroll. However... [You cannot use a return scroll here.] "Damn it." Kang Oh dropped the return scroll. Then... Rakio''s body cast a giant shadow over him. Grr. The Cerberus had caught up, its three heads drooling. ''I''m screwed.'' That was the only thing on Kang Oh''s mind. * * * The Arabas Kingdom, or the Empire Guild, wouldn''t be satisfied with the conquest of the Baiyan Kingdom. They had to have more. Once the Baiyan Kingdom fell, the Empire Guild reorganized the Arabas army and invaded the Des Kingdom. It all happened in the blink of an eye. They hadn''t expected the Arabas Kingdom to invade them before they had stabilized the areas they''d conquered! Fortunately, the Des King and the kingdom''s higher ups weren''t fools. Although their forces were much smaller than the Arabas Kingdom''s, they had a way of avoidingplete ruin. "We have to draw out this battle as long as possible," the Des King yelled. Although the Baiyan royal family had copsed, there had to be some forces spread across the Baiyan Kingdom that were still loyal to them. When they gathered a critical mass of them, then... The Arabas Kingdom would regret not stabilizing their conquered territory first. It was like the old saying, ''If you run after two hares, you will catch neither!''. They formted and immediately executed a n that''d draw out the war as long as possible. However...! The Des army was no match for the Arabas army. "Kill anyone in our way!" Dukeram yelled, riding atop his snow-white Pegasus. "Uwooooh!" Both the Arabas army and the Empire Guild came out in droves. "Uhaaahk!" "Uheok!" "M-Mom!" In an instant, the Des army crumbled. They were crushed in the first battle, and were forced back into a fortress. However, it was a lost cause. Arabas, or more specifically, the Empire Guild, destroyed the fortress with siege weapons they prepared in advance. The fortress''s copse was synonymous with the Des Kingdom''s copse. Sometimeter... The Des Kingdom fell. It had only taken the Arabas Kingdom 15 days to conquer them. Chapter 488. Rakio

Chapter 488. Rakio

Trantor: Boko His fight against Cerberus Rakio was ''doomed to fail''. Its three heads radiated fire, lightning, and ice, all of which were superior to great magic. Dodging these elemental sts was hard enough, but there was something even worse. Chains! There were chains looped around the three-headed dog''s neck, which were about asrge as a human torso. This chain ''ne'' possessed a special power. Like Kang Oh''s Darkness Chain, Cerberus could freely create and control the chains. It could control several of them at the same time at that! Its fire, lightning, and ice were already disastrous enough, but he also had to dodge the countless chainsing his way too! How the hell was he supposed to dodge them all!? However, Kang Oh was somehow managing to do the impossible. Of course, it was only possible because he''d used Gluttony, fueling it with one of his mass-produced swords. Also, bing a Master was definitelying into y here. Add to that his already existing Hyper Intuition and his high evasion, and the impossible became possible. But all he was doing was dodging; he didn''t hold an advantage, nor was time on his side. "Hahk, hahk." Kang Oh breathed haggardly. Dodging Cerberus''s unending assault was taking a lot out of him. ''Think, Kang Oh. How do I get out of this alive!?'' His mind worked faster than his body. Ultimately, he could only think of one viable option. He had to break through the exit no matter what. However, Kang Oh didn''t have the time to do that. ''I hope mypanions will do that for me!'' Hispanions were probably doing their utmost to pierce through the blocked exit. He was absolutely right. Sephiro, Eder, Tasha, and Sara were doing their best to break through the blockage. However, it was by no means an easy task. The Cerberus hadn''t simply caused the ground to rise up and cover the exit. There was some immense power blocking it. It was probably Cerberus Rakio''s power. Nevertheless, they didn''t give up. Kang Oh didn''t give up either. ''I''m definitely getting out of this alive! I''m more resilient than a cockroach!'' * * * "Ooh, it''s crumbled a little bit," Sephiro yelled. Various sized cracks spread across the tough wall. "Keep going!" Eder yelled. "Got it!" Tasha and Sara yelled simultaneously. Two of their hands were sped together, while the other two were extended towards the wall. Whoosh! Tasha released a blood red energy st, while Sara shot chilling blue energy. The two mixed together in midair, forming red ice. Frostblood! This was special ice that both froze its target and drained their power! Honestly, this was Tasha and Sara''s best chance at escaping Kang Oh''s grasp. If they just ran away, then neither Eder nor Sephiro would be able to stop them. But they didn''t. Why? Tasha didn''t really have any ce to go. Not only that, but Kang Oh was the only person she trusted in the entire world. Sara had briefly thought, ''Should I escape?'', but soon shook her head. She wanted to be free. However, she was afraid that if left unchecked, the Ice Soul''s power would go out of control once more. But Kang Oh was capable of keeping the Ice Soul''s power in check. Thus, she decided to do her best to save him. The wall blocking their path was frozen by red ice. "Let''s go!" "Yes!" Sephiro and Eder yelled simultaneously. The Bone Sabre-toothed Tiger, Goni, opened its mouth wide. Bam! It unleashed a powerful shockwave. At the same time... Sephiro forcefully drew his bowstring, and then let loose. Sun Piercing Arrow! Ting! Whizz! The shockwave and the arrow struck the frozen wall. Boom! The red ice shattered into pieces. Obviously, the wall had slightly crumbled too. ''Please be safe, Mr. Kang Oh.'' "Again!" Eder yelled. * * * "We got through!" Sephiro yelled. Their efforts hadn''t gone to waste. They had finally poked a hole through the wall. Then, they saw the gate to the underworld, Cerberus, and Kang Oh. "He''s still alive!" Sephiro yelled joyfully. That''s right. Kang Oh was still alive, even though 15 minutes had passed. "Hurry," Eder yelled. They focused on widening the hole so that Kang Oh could pass through it. "Grr!" Kang Oh gritted his teeth. [Gluttony has ended.] Since 15 minutes had passed, the effects of Gluttony had worn off, making his body feel a lot heavier than before. ''I need to hold on for just a little while longer!'' Kang Oh had eyes too. He saw the hole in the wall. He then activated Devil Trigger. It had been a while since he''d transformed into the Jet-ck Demon instead of the Dual Demon. Kang Oh''s vision was filled with nothing but Rakio''s fireball and lightning. Roar! Crackle! His body was a lot slower without Gluttony. Thus, it was difficult to dodge them. Plus, he had already used Moon''s Protection, which nullified all damage for 3 seconds. Ultimately, he had no choice but to take it head-on. Dragon''s Fury! The Avenger set let off a faint glow, and Ubist radiated intense light. Then, a massive and equally mighty power surged from Kang Oh''s body. "Huahp!" Kang Oh swung downwards with a vertical strike. The gray destructive energy spread outwards, which devoured Rakio''s fireball and lightning. Grr! Rakio backed off so that it wouldn''t be consumed by Dragon''s Fury. Unbefitting itsrge body, its movements were extremely quick and agile. ''Now!'' Kang Oh turned around, and pointed Ubist at the wall. Abyss Predator! In an instant, ten of his stolen stats were gone. But in exchange, his de unleashed a powerful darkness st at the wall, which was well worth the price. Boom! The wall crumbledpletely. He could see hispanions in as day. "Mr. Kang Oh!" "Hurry!" "Over here!" At that moment... A giant cier surged from beneath Kang Oh''s feet. It was the work of Rakio, who could also control ice. "Huh?" "Mr. Kang Oh!" He could hear hispanions'' pitiful cries as his body melted into the darkness. Abyss Transfer! He had dodged it by a hair''s breadth. Ice and snow appeared where he''d once been. If he had been even a second slower, then he would''ve been frozen solid. Anyhow, Kang Oh instantly teleported to hispanions'' side. "Mr. Kang Oh." "I''m d you''re alright!" Both Sephiro and Eder sped one of his hands each. "Hurry up and run!" Kang Oh said. Even he thought his performance was admirable. How the hell did he manage to stay alive against that monstrous Cerberus for 15 minutes? ''You did good, Kang Oh!'' Kang Oh ran, feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. Hispanions also ran as hard as they could. But then... Something unexpected happened. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Cerberus''s chain ne, or its magical chains, wrapped around Kang Oh''s party. "What?" "Hurry up and break the chains!" Kang Oh yelled urgently, and swung at the chains. However...! "Uheok!" The chains'' pulling force was tremendous. It instantly pulled Kang Oh''s party in without giving them a chance to resist. Thendscape changed quickly, as they were dragged through the air. They couldn''t control their bodies at all. "Ugh." Ultimately, Kang Oh and hispanions were dragged in front of Rakio. Grr. The three-headed dog snarled, as if weing them to try and take it on. It opened all three of its mouths simultaneously, gathering fire, lightning, and ice energy within. Aim, fire! The three powerful sts descended upon their heads. There was absolutely nothing they could do. * * * Even if he died, the Cassio Ring would revive him. And if Tasha or Sara died, they would return to their demon swords. Sephiro was a yer, so he would be revived too. The problem was Eder. If he died, it would be the end of the line for him! "No!" Kang Oh threw himself at Eder and shielded him with his body. However... Rakio''s attack hadn''t killed Kang Oh''s party. Why, you ask? "What... is going on?" Kang Oh looked surprised. A giant purple veil separated Kang Oh''s party and Rakio. The veil had protected Kang Oh from Rakio''s attack. "Who...?" Kang Oh nced at his party members. However, they looked as clueless as him. At that moment... The silhouette of a woman appeared behind the purple veil. "L-Lady Deborah!" Eder yelled in shock. When he had visited the Great Temple of Death and was granted an audience with the goddess, he had seen this very sight. At the time, a purple veil had appeared, and a silhouette of a woman had appeared behind it. Eder quickly knelt onto the ground and bowed his head. However, he couldn''t understand what was going on. Why did the Goddess of Death suddenly appear? The rest of his party followed suit. Strangely, Rakio also bent over and bowed its three heads. "Begone," the goddess said, her voice lofty, yet cold. Arf. They even saw the Cerberus, the formidable, unbeatable beast, wagging its tail at her. ''Wait a sec.'' A light bulb suddenly went off in his head. The Goddess of Death, Deborah, was definitely the manager of the underworld. And this was the Goddess''s Land! Not to mention the fact that the system message had described Rakio as ''Deborah''s Guard Dog''. In other words, Rakio was Deborah''s pet. "Kang Oh, Eder." The goddess''s voice rang out once more. "Yes, Supreme One," Eder said respectfully. "Please speak." Kang Oh didn''t want to get on her bad side either. After all, she had just saved him and his party''s lives. "This ce is forbidden. Normally, I would''ve watched you die. However, you have been tasked with an important mission. That''s why I saved you." She had saved them because of Kang Oh. He had received a mission to defeat the Mayanes. Due to the God of Creation''s sources, the Mayanes were immortal, and the only one capable of bypassing their immortality was Kang Oh, as the possessor of Demon Sword Ubist. "Thank you," Kang Oh yelled. "Don''te here again. This is no ce for humans. And Kang Oh, Eder. Do your duty," Deborah said. "Yes!" "Understood. But... Supreme One," Kang Oh said. "What is it?" "Has Gainus contacted you? Or sent you a request?" Kang Oh had spoken to the Divine Dragon, Gainus, regarding alternate ways of finding the Mayanes. Since they were so hard to find, they would be better off setting up a trap; instead of pursuing them, the Mayanes woulde to them. Thus, they needed some mouth-watering bait. Like the God of Creation''s sources! Gainus had ryed this idea to Deborah so that they could use the sources as bait. However, he hadn''t gotten any word back. "He wanted the God of Creation''s sources in order to lure out the Mayanes." "Did you give them to him?" "No." ''As expected.'' That''s why he hadn''t heard any news. "Why did you refuse?" Kang Oh asked. "I possess two of the God of Creation''s sources. The God of Destruction has two, and Jigon and Orga have four." "That''s correct." "Things could go wrong, and Jigon or Orga could obtain their fifth source. That''s why I refused." "Does something bad happen if they obtain their fifth source?" "They be a demigod." "A demigod?" "They would be so powerful that you couldn''t hope to stand against them." Although they would only be half god, that half was still too much for them to deal with. "If that happens, then the God of Destruction will have to intervene. However, the God of Destruction''s power is so great that he will destroy not only the Mayanes, but the continent, no, the entire world. With the God of Creation''s absence, a destroyed world cannot be created anew." "Mm." It was aplicated problem. He couldpletely understand where she wasing from. However, Kang Oh wanted to kill the rest of the Mayanes andplete the goddess''s quest as soon as possible. Bypleting her quest, the goddess would remove the limitations on his body, which would allow him to be a Grandmaster. Since he''d already be a Master, which was the end of the line for normal humans, he wanted her to remove his limitations as soon as possible. But he wasn''t sure when they would find Jigon or Orga, or if it was even possible to find them. After all, they hadn''t been able to find them all this time. ''I can''t just sit here and do nothing.'' Kang Oh quickly looked for an answer. Was there any way to convince Deborah to give him the God of Creation''s sources? He thought even harder. However, Deborah didn''t give him much time to think. "Begone," Deborah said. ''No, I don''t have any time. Is there a way... Is there?'' Hispanions stood up one or two at a time. The purple veil gradually began to disappear. However...! If you want something really badly, then you''ll get it. "P-Please wait a moment!" Kang Oh suddenly thought of a good idea. Chapter 489. Kang Oh’s Offer

Chapter 489. Kang Oh''s Offer

Trantor: Boko The purple veil, and by extension, Deborah''s silhouette, was slowly disappearing. However, Kang Oh''s sudden cry caused it to reopen in its entirety. "What''s the matter?" the Goddess of Death asked. Her voice was as stern as ever. "I have been thinking of a way to reduce the risk of having the God of Creation''s sources stolen, while also using them to lure in the Mayanes." "And?" "I would like to ask you a few questions. Can the God of Creation''s sources be duplicated or faked?" That was Kang Oh''s first method of persuading Deborah. "No, they cannot. The sourcese from the God of Creation, Maya, himself. Do you think yourself capable of duplicating or forging a god? You would have to recreate one of the Primordial Gods at that." ''As expected.'' If it had been possible, then Deborah or Gainus would''ve done it already. "The Mayanes need exactly five sources to be demigods, correct?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s right." "What if they don''t have five? What if they have four and a half?" Deborah knew what he was trying to say. "...You want to split the sources in half?" "That''s right. The sources are already fragmented, so I assume that splitting them is possible." This was what Kang Oh thought of. Splitting the God of Creation''s sources! "If the God of Creation''s sources can be split, and the Mayanes cannot be demigods with an iplete source, then... Wouldn''t using the split source as bait be worth a try?" Although he''d said his fill, Deborah said nothing in return. Silence permeated the room for some time. ''It''s not a bad idea.'' Deborah remained quiet, not yet refusing his request. She was clearly weighing her options. At some point, the purple veil glimmered. "Kang Oh," Deborah finally said. "Yes?" "Splitting the sources is possible. And the Mayanes cannot be demigods with half a source. In order to be demigods, they need fiveplete sources." "Then?" Kang Oh''s face brightened. Deborah seemed to be in favor of his n. "I ept your request." "Thank you!" Kang Oh bowed deeply. ''Oh, yeah!'' "However, I have a task for you." "What kind of task?" "Only the God of Creation himself and the cksmith God, Orgon, are capable of splitting the sources. You will need to meet Orgon and ask him to split the sources." Then, a quest popped up. [Split the God of Creation''s Source] Meet the cksmith God, Orgon, and ask him to split the God of Creation''s source for you. Orgon''s temple is located on Mt. Helver, the highest peak of the Phamas Mountains. Mt. Helver is extremely dangerous, so please prepare ordingly! Difficulty: Very Hard. Minimum Requirements: Kang Oh. Reward: God of Creation''s Half Source. Failure: Reduced credibility, and the Goddess of Death will no longer ept your requests. ''Mt. Helver...'' The Phamas Mountains were thergest mountain range in the continent, and Mt. Helver was located at the very top. Plus...! It was one of the most dangerous ces in Arth, like Despia, the Devil''s Sea, the Great Forest''s central region, etc. ''No yers have gotten to the top of Mt. Helver yet.'' It wouldn''t be easy for him to get to the top. However, it was worth a shot. "Understood." [The quest has been epted.] "Head to the temple by yourself," Deborah said. "May I ask why?" "You need a certain title to enter the temple. Helver Conqueror. In order to obtain this title, you must climb the mountain by yourself." "I see. Is there anything else I should be aware of?" Kang Oh asked respectfully. "Orgon doesn''t work for free. Bring him a gift that''ll satisfy him." "What kind of gift should I bring him?" "Ask the dwarves." The dwarves, cksmiths, and other production workers worshipped Orgon. "Understood." Whir. A silver glowing object flew over to Kang Oh from Deborah''s silhouette. Kang Oh thought she''d give him the God of Creation''s source. However, it lookedpletely different from it, which resembled a twinkling star in the night sky. It was a ck ring. ''Deborah''s symbol!'' It was the same symbol that was painted on every single house in Latnia City. "This will allow you to call me. When Orgon agrees to help you, use this to call me. That''s when I''ll give you the source." "Yes, mydy." "Now, begone. This is no ce for humans." "We''ll leave immediately." The goddess''s silhouette disappeared, followed by the purple veil. Only then did his quiet teammates begin to speak. "Hoo." "Are we finished now?" "Let''s go back, Mr. Kang Oh." Cerberus Rakio growled at Kang Oh''s party. However, it didn''t attack them again. Kang Oh''s party ignored it and left the dungeon. What a relief. * * * Kang Oh came to the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. He needed to ask them what would be an appropriate gift for Orgon. Chieftain Randelhoff, whose face was embedded with tough rocks, greeted him. Like a needle and thread, Book was, as always, by his side. "Have you been well?" Randelhoff asked. "Yes. Has anything happened as ofte?" The Dwarven Chieftain shook his head. "I''d like to ask you something." "What is it?" "What kind of gift would the cksmith God, Orgon, like?" "A gift that Orgon would like?" "Yes." "Why are you asking me that?" "I have to ask Orgon a favor. But I can''t go empty-handed, now can I?" "Are you going to climb Mt. Helver?" Like all dwarves, the ck Hammer Dwarves'' home was the Phamas Mountains. Obviously, they knew all about Mt. Helver. "Yes." "It''s a dangerous ce, but I suppose you''ll be fine. Anyhow, a gift for Orgon..." Randelhoff stroked his beard and stared at Book. "Orgon likes rare metals," Book said. "Metals like adamantium or mithril?" "No, metals that are even rarer. After all, Orgon possesses every metal that can be found in the continent." Orgon wasn''t called the cksmith God for no reason! "A metal rarer than adamantium or mithril?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." "What is it?" "A metal that falls from the sky." Book pointed a finger at the sky. Kang Oh tilted his head. ''What are you talking about?'' "He''s referring to a meteorite," Randelhoff said. "Aha." Kang Oh tapped his palm with a fist. "Some meteorites are mixed with ore. That''ll be an appropriate gift for Orgon." "Thank you for telling me. Hehe." Kang Oh bowed his head and rubbed his hands together. "...So do you have any on you?" * * * "Tch." Unfortunately, the ck Hammer Dwarves didn''t have any. Kang Oh passed through the crowded streets of Altein. He wore in clothing and his face was covered, so no one noticed him. "Uwah." Tasha and Sara followed him through the street, taking a look at everything along the way like meerkats. Their beauty surpassed most celebrities. However, there was an abundance of beautiful women in Arth. yers could build their character however they wished, after all. That included one''s clothes too. yers all wore different equipment. Thus, Tasha''s red dress or Sara''s white fur clothes didn''t draw much attention. They were like two stars in the entire gxy. Of course, it wasn''t like they didn''t draw any attention. They gave off a unique vibe, after all. Tasha and Sara gave off a proud vibe, as if they were queens in their own right. If they kept their mouths shut, that is. All of a sudden, Sara grabbed Kang Oh''s sleeve. "What''s the matter?" "That." Sara pointed at a shop selling chicken skewers. The smell of its seasoning stimted her appetite. "I want to try it." Sara stared at him passionately. "Me too," Tasha said, thinking this was the best time to butt in. "Wait a sec." Kang Oh bought two chicken skewers, which were more than 30 centimeters long, and passed them to the twodies. "Thanks." They ate it immediately. The two were quite gluttonous. Sara''s eyes gleamed once more. It looked like she was searching for new prey. She then pointed somece else. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. At this rate, they would eat everything in the street. So he said decisively, "No more!" "Bad human." "How cheap." Kang Oh t out ignored them and walked quickly. Sometimeter... He saw a gold dragon with a ck hammer in its mouth. Ah, of course, he was referring to the sign, not an actual dragon. "Wee, customers." One of Gold Dragon''s female employees greeted them. "I came to see Mr. Man Bok." "Do you have an appointment?" "Yes." "Ah, are you Mr. Kang Oh?" It seemed like he had told her about him already. Kang Oh slightly pulled off his smile mask and showed his face. "I''ll take you to him." The employee smiled and led him to Man Bok''s room at the topmost floor. "Wee," Man Bok said happily. "Is business goodtely?" "Of course. It''s going well. But who are they?" Man Bok stared at Tasha and Sara. Kang Oh briefly exined who they were. "Ah, is that so? Hello, my name is Man Bok. As you can see, I''m a merchant." Man Bok pped his pudgy stomach. "Sara." "Tasha." "It''s a pleasure, haha." Man Bok gave that good-natured smile of his. "Now then, let''s talk business," Kang Oh said. "Yes." "How much is it?" Kang Oh suddenly asked. "Please see for yourself." Man Bok pulled out a shining gold scroll from his inventory. Kang Oh opened the scroll, his heart pounding all the while. "Heop." Kang Oh gaped. The gold scroll was worth 300,000 gold! In other words, it was worth 900 million won ($900,000 USD). "I-Is this real?" This was Kang Oh''s share of the profits from Man Bok''s business. "Yes. It was actually 299,000 gold, but I rounded it up to 300,000 for good measure." Man Bok beamed. "You were only open for two months, but you already made this much?" "Isn''t dragon equipment usually expensive? Some of them are worth 10,000 gold. But people can''t sell them because there''s not enough supply." Man Bok was raking in the dough, and Kang Oh was profiting off his sess. "Hoo, so this is why people start businesses." Kang Oh thought he''d made quite arge sum clearing dungeons, but the amount Man Bok gave him was on another level. "Business is risky though. If you''re not careful, then you can lose everything in a single moment." "Indeed." There were way more people who fail than seed in business. "We''re at a critical stage. Gold Dragon, which has a monopoly on dragon equipment, has be the continent''s best luxury goods store. We have to further promote this image from now on." As expected of Man Bok. He sure was trustworthy. Kang Oh sped his hands. "Let''s work together forever!" "Haha." Man Bokughed heartily. Kang Oh carefully ced the gold scroll into his inventory. He''d never felt so full before! As expected, the more money you had, the better. "But didn''t you have something you needed from me?" Man Bok asked. ''Ah, that''s right!'' Kang Oh struck his palm. "Please get me some meteorite ore. I searched the auction house, but they didn''t have it." "Meteorite ore... That''s not something that you would find in the auction house. After all, it''s something that cksmiths actively look for." Production workers bought rare materials regardless of cost. It was simr to how battle-oriented yers bought the best of equipment. "Will you be able to get it for me?" "Of course." "As expected." Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. ''You''re awesome!'' "I''ll let you know when I find it." "Thank you." Everything was going smoothly. Chapter 490. Amusement Park Date

Chapter 490. Amusement Park Date

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Asu held hands. There was a beautiful sunset stretched out in front of them. They were in Maroon Hill, a ce where the sunset could always be seen. And they weren''t interrupted by anyone else either! "It''s as beautiful as ever," Asu said. This was her third time here. As always, the sunset''s glow was more beautiful than any gem. Kang Oh and Asu watched the sunset for some time while holding hands. Their hair fluttered in the cool breeze, and Kang Oh''s voice was carried on the back of the wind. "Where should we go tomorrow?" Once he finished Vn''s quest, he went on dates with Asu whenever he had spare time. Sometimes they were short and sometimes they were long; it depended on their schedules. "Where do you think we should go?" Asu asked back. "Wherever is good." ''As long as I''m with you.'' "Really? Then let''s go there." Asu grinned. "Where?" "An amusement park." "What?" Kang Oh''s eyes widened. "Something wrong?" Asu sported a mischievous expression. "Mm." Asu wasn''t just any idol, she was a really popr one! What would happen if he showed up to an amusement park with her? ''The paparazzi will have a st, that''s for sure.'' To be honest, Kang Oh didn''t care if their rtionship was revealed to the public. No, he actually wanted to reveal it eventually. It would be like saying to the world ''she''s mine''. However, he didn''t want other people to gossip about their love life, and he didn''t want to damage her reputation either. Thus... "An amusement park doesn''t sound..." Kang Oh said, sporting an awkward expression. "No? Oh, that''s weird. You were the one who said you''d go anywhere I wanted when you were finished with your job." Asu stared at him piercingly. It was as ifsers wereing out. "If it''s alright with you, then we can go. But are you sure it''ll be ok?" Kang Oh said with genuine concern. "It''ll be fine. I have an idea." Asu pounded on her chest. ''Trust me.'' Kang Oh couldn''t help but look concerned. * * * The weather was so clear. There wasn''t a single cloud in the sky, and there was a refreshing breeze blowing. Underneath that fair sky... "Gyaaahk!" "Uwaah!" There was a giant amusement park rife with cries of excitement and fear. This is the amusement park Jae Woo and Soo Ah chose. They came with their arms linked together, but they weren''t wearing hats, sunsses, or masks to disguise themselves. It was quite bold. Did she not care if word got out that she was dating someone? Then, something strange happened. Countless people passed Kang Oh and Soo Ah. Not a single one of them recognized her though. They didn''t notice the popr girl group, Triple Lower''s main vocalist for god''s sake! What was going on? "Hehe." Soo Ahughed. Jae Woo scratched his cheek. He had been worried abouting to an amusement park, but it looks like his concerns weren''t necessary. ''This ce will be fine.'' Jae Woo took a look around. Yes, it was an amusement park, but it wasn''t an actual amusement park. After all, there were rides and attractions farrger than any in real life. Rollercoaster World. It was basically the virtual reality version of Rollercoaster Tycoon. The game allowed yers to construct their own amusement park! yers could ride their own roller coasters, and they could alsoe to other people''s amusement parks too. It wasn''t a popr game, but it had a cult following. Anyhow, they were inside Rollercoaster World! It was an amusement park created by an ardent fan of the game, ''Tycooni''. What about Jae Woo and Soo Ah? They were having a date using their scanned characters. "This is nice," Soo Ah said. No one recognized her here. Aside from them, everyone that moved was an NPC. This ce was like heaven to her, as she didn''t have to worry about what other people thought. "Oppa, let''s ride that one." Soo Ah grabbed his hand. She had pointed at a giant roller coaster that looked like a tiger''s open mouth. Jae Woo sported a bitter expression. To be honest, he wasn''t really good at riding roller coasters. When he was young, or to be more specific, when his father was still alive, he hade to an amusement park with his parents. That was when he''d ridden his first roller coaster. Although it was meant for kids, the mini roller coaster was still quite the frightening experience for him. Jae Woo could still remember it clear as day. He could remember how scared he was. After that experience, Jae Woo hadn''t been fond of roller coasters. It was basically childhood trauma. ''But it''s virtual reality, so I should be ok, right?'' "What''s wrong, Oppa?" Soo Ah stared at him. "Yeah, let''s go!" Jae Woo hid his frightful expression. ''Yeah, I''ll be ok. It''s virtual reality, after all!'' He dragged his feet across the floor as if he were bound in shackles, and followed Soo Ah. Sometimeter... "Uheok! Mom!" "Gyaaa, this is so fun!" Though their arms were linked together, their reactions werepletely different. One was pitifully crying out for his mother, while the other was enjoying the thrill of the ride. * * * "Heok, heok!" Kang Oh covered his mouth. He felt nauseous. His body shook too. There was something he''d forgotten. It was because it was virtual reality that the creators went all out. Plus, Rollercoaster World was designed specifically to replicate the thrill that you would experience in a real rollercoaster. Thus, the roller coasters here were actually scarier than the ones in real life. As he didn''t have much experience with roller coasters, these rides were akin to brutal monsters that were far higher leveled than him. The rollercoaster he''d just ridden was proof of that. ''It was called Happy Rollercoaster, right? What a load of shit!'' The creator''s naming sense was the worst. ''How could you put ''happy'' in the name!?''. "Oppa, are you ok?" Soo Ah asked, looking concerned. "I-I''m ok. I''m fine!" Jae Woo acted tough, but he didn''t look ok at all. "Let''s take a break." Soo Ah was definitely a considerate woman. "Yeah." Kang Oh obediently followed her. Soo Ah sat him down on a nearby bench, and then sat beside him. "Now then!" She tapped her thighs. ''Lay down!'' "Excuse me." Jae Wooid his head on herp. She stroked his forehead with her hand. Both her thighs and hand were soft. Jae Woo''s lips naturally curled upwards. "Looks like you''re not good with roller coasters," she said teasingly. "...I never said I was," Jae Woo replied a bit sullenly. "Hmph. You kill monsters so easily, but you can''t handle roller coasters?" "Yeah. I''d rather fight a dragon." "If you do something bad, then I guess I should make you ride a rollercoaster from now on." Soo Ah sported a wicked expression. She was like a cute little demon. "...I''ll be good." "Really?" "Yeah." "Then let''s ride some more roller coasters!" "Uheok!" Jae Woo flinched. Soo Ah screamed withughter. * * * Fortunately, Soo Ah let him off easy. She didn''t force him to ride the most intense rides. They had a normal date instead. However... "Why am I wearing this?" Jae Woo pointed at his cute bunny ear hairband. On the other hand, Soo Ah wore a tiger hairband. Of course, she still looked cute with tiger ears. "It''s a herbivore." Soo Ah smiled impishly. "What?" Kang Oh said angrily. "What''s wrong? Want to ride on another rollercoaster? There''s one called Mega Swing..." Mega Swing. It was frightening just hearing it. "Want some?" He quickly switched topics. Kang Oh pointed at a cotton candy stand. "Sure." The two bought one and shared it. "Let''s go to the zoo." Soo Ah licked her fingers and led the way. The zoo, which was a part of the amusement park, was different from normal zoos. It was a giant grasnd area with tigers, elephants, and even extinct creatures like mammoths, triceratops, etc. However, there was no fence around the animals. You could observe and touch the animals from up close. Hurray for virtual reality! "Oppa, look at him!" Soo Ah picked up a baby bunny. Kuhang! It threateningly bared its teeth, but because it was so young, it looked cute instead. "Oh, so cute!" Soo Ah''s eyes gleamed. But then, something unexpected happened. "Hey!" Soo Ah said hatefully. The baby bunny was peeing all over her! "Pfft." Jae Woo couldn''t contain hisughter. ''Hey, nice shot!'' he thought, and began pping. "Oppa!" Soo Ah yelled. "Haha." It felt like the pain he''d experienced had washed away. Their remaining time was filled with plenty of memorable, happy moments. * * * After seizing both the Baiyan and Des kingdoms, the Arabas army returned to the cheers of its citizens. "Uwaaah!" "Arabas! Arabas! Arabas!" The triumphal arch opened, and the Arabas army proudly marched into the city. Bam-ba-ba-bam! The military band sang sonorously. Neigh! A Pegasus, ridden by a handsome man, swooped down to the ground. Emperor Dukeram! "Dukeram! Dukeram!" "Dukeram! Dukeram!" "Aah, Lord Dukeram!" The citizens cheered his name. It was only natural. He was the great general that conquered both the Baiyan and Des kingdoms! The Arabas Kingdom''s most beautiful women, who were called the ck Pearls of the Desert, threw flowers at him. Dukeram softly waved his hand and flew towards the imperial pce. "Ooh, you''re here!" the Arabas King said. He was nothing more than the Empire Guild''s puppet. The king and the nobles passionately stared at Dukeram. Since they had purged all the dissenters, they were made up of the Empire Guild. In other words, they had full control of the Arabas Kingdom now. No one could touch Dukeram or the Empire Guild. "Ipleted my mission." Dukeram knelt on one knee and made a fist. "Good work. Go on and rest. I''ll reward you afterwards." "Thank you very much!" Dukeram stood up and headed to the side. That was where the Empire Guild''s mastermind, or Jegal, was located. "We will begin stabilizing our territory now. We have to ensure that our newnd is firmly under our control." "And whates after?" "The kingdom will be an empire. Of course, the emperor will change." Jegal smiled wickedly. "The new empire will likely be called the Dukeram Empire," he added. In the future, the puppet king would abdicate the throne to Dukeram. They had already purged all the dissenters, and Dukeram was extremely popr with the people. There was no one here that could prevent Dukeram''s rise to power. "Sounds good." Dukeram beamed. He was just waiting for the day. Since times long gone, men have always hoped to experience a coronation! After that... The Arabas Kingdom focused on destroying all traces of resistance. Resistance groups popped up every day, but they were mercilessly killed by the Arabas Kingdom''s military might. When the mes of resistance were quelled, the people of Baiyan and Des bowed their heads in surrender to the Arabas Kingdom, no, the Empire Guild. And... Rumors were secretly being spread that the Arabas King was nning on abdicating the throne to Dukeram. It was almost time for the three eastern kingdoms to join as one. Chapter 491. Mt. Helver

Chapter 491. Mt. Helver

Trantor: Boko Three days after asking him to find him some meteorite ore, Man Bok contacted him back. - I have it. - I''ll be right there. Once Kang Oh entered Man Bok''s office, Man Bok handed him the goods. "This is it." "Mm." It was a rock filled with holes. However, there was a ck sheen within those holes. [Meteor from a Far Off ce] Flew here from somece else. Contains metal that cannot be procured in the continent. Unknown what kind of metal and what kind of properties it contains. Material Rank: S. "This was expensive, right?" Kang Oh asked. "It was, so I''ll take it out of your next share." "Ahem, please do." Kang Oh left Gold Dragon and prepared for his trip to Mt. Helver. He didn''t do anything out of the ordinary. Kang Oh bought a few AA-rank items in case he needed Gluttony, since he didn''t know how long it would take him to reach the top. Kang Oh also bought plenty of potions. He ced them in his belt so he could use them at a moment''s notice, and put the rest inside his inventory. "That." Sara pestered him along the way. She would ask him to buy her a useless essory or something to eat. She had an insatiable curiosity. Sara wouldn''t pass something by without making a big deal about it. On the other hand, Tasha gradually lost interest; perhaps she had gotten used to Altein already. She also wore a strange, cynical expression on her face, one of hatred and distrust towards mankind. Kang Oh thought it was for the best. If Tasha pestered him too, then it''d be even more of a hassle. Anyhow, Kang Oh had finished all of his preparations, so he headed for the intercity transfer gate. "Where are we going?" Tasha asked. "Mt. Helver." It was the highest summit in all of Arth! "Aah, I''ve never been there before." Sara happily pped. "The ce the goddess was talking about?" Tasha asked. "Yeah." "Are there a lot of monsters there?" "Only the strongest." "Sounds good." Tasha licked her lips. "Why?" "It''s irritating spending so much time around humans." "You looked pretty happy before." "Only for a bit." "So?" "I want to vent. So don''t even think about returning me to the sword. Got it?" Tasha grinned. It was like a witch was smiling at him; her eyes shined like a snake''s eyes. "Only if I don''t need to use Demon Sword Blood," Kang Oh said firmly. His actions wouldn''t be dictated by Tasha or Sara. "Tch." Tasha clicked her tongue. * * * The Phamas Mountains were extremely vast. However, Kang Oh''s party could see the mountaintop, Mt. Helver. Kang Oh, Tasha, and Sara walked towards the mountaintop. "Hmm." Kang Oh held a map of the Phamas Mountains in his hands. However, Mt. Helver waspletely nk on the map. ''A detailed map of Mt. Helver would probably sell for a lot,'' Kang Oh suddenly thought. This was Kang Oh''s way of thinking: money, money, and more money! How far did they travel? A group of monsters appeared. There were more than thirty of them, and they came in all different shapes and sizes. Kiek! Kyaheuk! A few of them held their stomachs, so they must be starved. Kyaoh! Arge-bodied monster yelled. It must be the leader. Then, the monsters rushed at his party. "Good of you toe." Tasha''s eyes lit up. "Hum-hum." Sara snorted. They had been like that sinceing here. Kang Oh drew his jet-ck greatsword. Weapon Bombardment. Three or four monsters exploded from his attack. Kya, kyaa! The leader urgently cried out. It had sensed the insurmountable power disparity between it and Kang Oh. Then, the monsters scattered in all four directions. ''If you were going to run away, then don''t attack in the first ce.'' Kang Oh repeatedly used Weapon Bombardment. Boom! Boom! Boom! Ubist''snding was followed by an explosion; it was as if someone had nted dynamite there prior. Monsters, dirt, grass, etc. were all caught in the explosion. Sara trapped the monsters with an Ice Wall or used a spell called Ice Grasp to keep them from escaping. In the midst of that, Tasha rampaged about, her red dress fluttering in the wind. Blood-soaked ws! Whenever she swung her ws, red lines would appear in the air. Any monster in their way would explode with shards of light. The monsters were finished off instantly. "Pick up the junk items," Kang Oh said. Tasha and Sara stared at each other. Then, Tasha red at her, so Sara bent down and picked up the items. ''Seems like they already decided the pecking order.'' Kang Oh > Tasha > Sara. He fed the junk items to Ubist and then continued his way up the mountain. * * * Mt. Helver was the highest summit in the Phamas Mountains. It was considered one of Arth''s most dangerous areas because the way there was so perilous. First, the altitude was a problem. The higher you got, the less oxygen there was. As a result, your Stamina depleted much faster than normal. Obviously, stamina regeneration was much slower too. Eventually, a yer would catch altitude sickness (a debuff), and would no longer be able to continue. Fortunately, this didn''t prove to be a problem for Kang Oh. After all, he wasn''t Jae Woo right now; he was a Master Demonic Swordsman! His physical abilities were high enough to conquer the mountain. Of course, his Stamina would be fine too. Then there were the monsters. Although Mt. Helver was smaller than the Goddess''s Land, its monsters were much stronger. Annoying metal monsters spawned here too. The weakest monsters here were level 450 Steel Golems. What if a yer had to fight a monster that possessed defenseparable to Teynos, but also consumed more Stamina than normal? Most yers would exhaust themselves and fall to the floor. There were also exploding rocks all over, as well as sulfur pits that would cause you to asphyxiate on approach. The Hell Ants that promised a world of pain if they got to you? They were cute inparison. Anyhow, Mt. Helver was filled with things that could kill you. Finally, the climate was terrible. Lightning fell all year around, and the fierce winds blew harmful mineral powder that was fatal to the human body. Fortunately, it didn''t often rain or snow. Kang Oh had finally stepped foot into this hellishnd. Thud. A 5 meter tall Steel Golem appeared before them. It left behind deep footprints wherever it went. "Sara. Go back to being a sword," Kang Oh said. "Why!?" Sara resisted. However, Kang Oh stared her down, causing her to bite her lip and cease her resistance. Whir. Sara radiated blue light, transforming into Demon Sword Sarahoff once more. With Ubist in his right hand and Sarahoff in his left, Kang Oh rushed at the Steel Golem. It swung its heavy fist at him. However, Kang Oh''s twin demon swords were much faster. ng! ng! A clear, metallic ''ng'' rang out. However, Sarahoff had cracked its body. That was the entire reason he''d asked Sara to return to her sword form. Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction ability was perfect for dealing with monsters that possessed high defense. Whoosh. The Steel Golem''s fist btedly came flying at him. However, it didn''t touch him, as Kang Oh was too nimble. Tasha also attacked the golem, unleashing scarlet energy of various shapes and sizes. At that moment... sh! A lightning bolt fell from the cloudy sky. Kang Oh threw his body out of the way, but he couldn''t outrun lightning. Crackle! It tingled. "Kang Oh!" Tasha said concernedly. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Fortunately, he hadn''t taken much damage. He wasn''t paralyzed either. As if he''d bounced off of a spring, Kang Oh rushed back into action and attacked the Steel Golem. Bam! ck shards of light exploded from the golem''s body. Ubist''s special ability, ''Rip Apart'' had activated. This ability ignored the target''s defense and increased the damage they took. Demon Sword Ubist''s Rip Apart and Demon Sword Sarahoff''s Absolute Destruction. Add to that Kang Oh''s skill as a Master, as well as Tasha''s support. There was no reason for him to lose. The Steel Golem fell over backwards. At that moment... Boom! All of a sudden, there was a huge explosion. It seemed like the Steel Golem''s huge body had touched an exploding rock, which was buried underneath the grass. The slightest touch would cause exploding rocks to go off. Tasha stood in front of Kang Oh. Then, her red dress stretched out, wrapping around both her and Kang Oh. Bam! The powerful shockwave spread in every direction. However, neither Kang Oh nor Tasha shook, like a tree with deep roots. "Thanks." Tasha just smiled. * * * ''Jackpot Dice'', led by the high ranker, Vibra, was the only group of yers operating on Mt. Helver at the moment. However, their goal wasn''t to hunt. After all, Mt. Helvert was the worst hunting ground ever; the monsters were too hard to beat. They were gathering minerals instead. Expensive, precious materials like adamantium and mithril could be found here. Jackpot Dice was a party that focused on gathering these minerals. "Damn, run!" their party leader, Vibra, yelled. His five party members began to run. They were all middle rankers, so they were skilled in their own right. Kyahaaahk! A horrific cry rang out. Dozens of them at that! The cries belonged to the Ts; monster birds that possessed steel wings. If they fully stretched out their wings, they would be about 3 meters long. They were around level 400. Killing one or two of them was doable, but the Ts would always travel in flocks of 50. Ultimately, the correct choice was to run away! Jackpot Dice was quick on their feet. The Ts pursued them, but they couldn''t catch up to them. At that moment... There was a man and woman walking towards them. Vibra, who was at the forefront, yelled, "Hurry up and run!" He assumed they would run too. If they had eyes, then they would be able to see the flock of Ts chasing them. However, the man and womanpletely ignored his warning. "I said run away!" Vibra yelled again. But once again, they didn''t listen. On the contrary, the man lightly waved his hand. He was basically saying, ''Don''t worry about me.''. "Boss, just leave them be." "He''s right." Hispanions yelled. "Tch." Vibra clicked his tongue and kicked off the floor. A short whileter... Kyahaahk! The flock of Ts flew towards Kang Oh and Tasha. Vibra couldn''t help but feel guilty. He just had to run this way, getting innocent people caught in the crossfire. He apologetically turned his head around. "What?" Vibra stood still, absolutely shocked. "What is it, Boss?" "What''s the matter?" "Hurry up and run. The Ts..." Hispanions likewise turned their heads, and soon sported the same exact expression as their leader. Shock. That''s right. They were shocked. The group of more than 50 Ts were ripped apart by the man and woman as if they were nothing! * * * Kang Oh nted his twin demon swords into the ground and dusted himself off. "Tch. Sara''s not here, so I have to pick up the junk," Tasha said grumpily. Then... Vibra and hispanions hesitantly approached them. "Excuse me... I''m sorry, Mr. Kang Oh." There was no way he wouldn''t know who he was. A man who wielded a jet-ck greatsword that was skilled enough to kill a group of 50 Ts? It could only be Predator Kang Oh! "For what?" Kang Oh asked. "We led the Ts to you." Vibra scratched his head. He was truly apologetic. Kang Oh grinned. So that''s why he had yelled at the top of his lungs for them to run away. "It''s alright." "I''m d. And... I watched you fight. It was truly something." "I''m pretty strong." Kang Oh was never humble when he should be. "If it''s ok with you, may I ask why you''re here? I''m just asking because I''m curious. If there''s anything we can do to help, then we''ll do it." Vibra''spanions nodded their heads. "Ah, before that, let me introduce myself. My name is Vibra." "Jackpot Dice''s Vibra?" Vibra looked touched that Kang Oh had recognized him. "Yes." "Then these must be your party members." His party members introduced themselves. "I appreciate the offer, but I don''t need any assistance. After all, I need to reach the top of the mountain by myself." Only then would he receive the title, Helver Conqueror, which would give him ess to Orgon''s temple. "I see. Then maybe next... Huh? You''re going to the top of the mountain?" Vibra yelled in shock. To think he was headed for the top of Mt. Helvert! After all, it was something no yer had ever done before. Kang Oh was attempting that? It was breaking news. "I have business at the top of the mountain. Ah, please keep this a secret." Kang Oh grinned. Vibra made a ''my lips are sealed'' motion. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh and Tasha headed up the mountain once more. "Wow." "He''s so cool." Vibra and hispanions stared at Kang Oh''s back in amazement. Then, they thought, ''Kang Oh might be able to reach the top of Mt. Helvert!''. Chapter 492. Blacksmith God, Orgon

Chapter 492. cksmith God, Orgon

Trantor: Boko Several areas in Mt. Helvert hadn''t been explored yet. There was no way of knowing what would be there, or what possible dangers he might face. Kang Oh had no choice but to adapt to the situation and respond ordingly. However, that was one of his specialties. "This way." Kang Oh pointed in between a road and a pile of sharp rocks. "That''s not a road," Tasha said. "Yeah. But it''s almost certain that there''s a dangerous trap waiting for us along the road." Kang Oh pointed at the road. "Why?" "The footprints." "Huh?" "The road looks nice, so why aren''t there any footprints here?" Tasha examined the road again. Kang Oh was right. It was free of any footprints, as if it had been covered in snow. "You''re right." "The inhabitants here know that this road is dangerous." They had warned him that even the strongest of monsters didn''t pass through this road. "Mm." "But look at the rock. There are signs that people came through here." Kang Oh pointed at several areas on the sharp rock. "Yeah." Kang Oh and Tasha walked towards the sharp rock pile. It was a good decision. What if they had picked the road instead? They would''ve disappeared in a swamp filled with poisonous gas. In any case, Kang Oh and Tasha had avoided a dangerous trap, and continued to make their way up the mountain. There was never a dull moment. They were assaulted by lightning, fierce de winds, powerful monsters, and various dangers without a moment''s notice like spam messages. "Are you ok?" Kang Oh asked. "Why do you ask?" "Isn''t it hard to breathe? We''re pretty high up now." It was even slightly difficult for Kang Oh to breath. "I''m ok." "Alright then." At some point, the ground shook and a giant sound rang out. Thud! Thud! It was the sound of a one-eyed giant''s footsteps. This monster was called a Cyclops, which was considered the most powerful type of giant. The Cyclops should be around level 600. ''So this is where you find the Cyclops.'' He''d only read about them in books. ording to them, the Cyclops possessed immense HP and HP regeneration, so it was almost impossible to kill them. [You have discovered the Metal Eating Cyclops, Vicekul.] [You are the first to discover it.] Kuha! It munched on ore. Now that he thought about it, it was no normal Cyclops. A few scale-like objects covered its body. ''Mm, maybe it''s a Steel Giant.'' It was probably a more difficult foe than a normal Cyclops. "What are you going to do?" Tasha asked. "Let''s just ignore it," Kang Oh said. They had suddenly encountered an extremely powerful monster. He wasn''t sure they''d be able to beat it, so avoiding it was their best option. However, things don''t always go as nned, now do they? Sniff, sniff. All of a sudden, the Cyclop''s nostrils red. Then, it flipped its lid. "I smell meat!" Thud! Thud! The Cyclops thoughtlessly ran towards Kang Oh and Tasha. Now that he thought about it, he read that they loved human flesh. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "Let''s fight." Tasha gathered a ton of blood red energy in her hands. "I''m hungry!" The Cyclops swung its cudgel, which resembled a Dokkaebi''s magic club. It had it all, whether it be range, power, or speed; it wasn''tcking in anything. And yet, this was just a normal attack! Kang Oh and Tasha quickly backed off. Boom! It was as if dozens of sticks of dynamite had gone off simultaneously. Countless chunks of dirt, pebbles, and other objects flew through the air. Then, Kang Oh threw Demon Sword Ubist. Weapon Bombardment! He used Sarahoff to deflect the debrising at him. Tasha shielded herself by extending her red dress. Swish! Swish! The jet-ck greatsword spun like a helicopter''s rotors, flying straight at the Cyclop''s eye. That was its weakness. However, the Cyclops guarded its eye with its palm. Boom! Demon Sword Ubist sliced through its palm instead of its eye. Shards of light exploded from the wound, but considering how much HP it had, this much damage was basically nothing. Kuhahk! It softly picked up the rough rocks nearby and forcefully threw them like a baseball pitcher. How fast were they? To put it simply, he should''ve learned the Cyclop''s throw instead of Weapon Bombardment. "Dodge it!" Boom! It was as if a giant meteor had fallen from the sky and smashed into the ground. A giant, crater-like hole was left in the ground. Every single one of its attacks was like a one hit KO. Kang Oh withdrew Demon Sword Ubist. Then, his body was coated in jet-ck darkness. Devil Trigger! A beast mask covered his face, which sprouted twin ice horns, a jet-ck tail came out from behind, and cial gauntlets and greaves formed over his arms and legs. The Dual Demon had appeared. "I said I''m hungry!" It seemed intent on destroying the entire area, as the Cyclops violently swung its giant club. Kang Oh disappeared inside the darkness. Abyss Transfer! In the midst of that, Tasha drew its attention. Red Spear of Judgment! Fresh Blood Wave! Executing Harpoon! The sky was filled with blood spears and harpoons, as well as an aura. Kuha! The Cyclops cried out. Giant''s Roar! Smoke rose from its body, and its club became even fiercer than before. Whoosh! Bam! In an instant, it had destroyed all of Tasha''s attacks. It was stupidly strong. That pretty much summed up what a Cyclops was. Anyhow, Kang Oh reappeared in the air. To be more specific, he appeared above the Cyclop''s head! "Haahp!" Kang Oh quickly fell from the sky. It was only natural. He didn''t have any wings, after all. However, he had nned this. The Cyclops would think that it was nothing more than a fly that had passed by. Transcendent de! Abyss Predator! Kang Oh used a secret move and an item effect in tandem. First, his de passed through the cyclop''s eye frighteningly fast, and then, a deluge of darkness came after. Kuhaaahk! The Cyclops clutched its eye and writhed in pain. This was her chance. Tasha gritted her teeth and gathered all the power in her body. However...! "What are you doing!? Hurry up and run," Kang Oh yelled. "Why?" "Fighting it is pointless. We may be able to beat it, but it''ll take at least a few hours. Are you still interested?" Tasha quickly lowered her hand. "Let''s go!" Kang Oh and Tasha quickly ran away. "Kuhahk! Meat! I won''t let you get away!" Though its eye was closed, the Cyclops sniffed the air and chased after Kang Oh and Tasha. But soon after, it tripped over its leg and fell forward. Thud! The ground shook as if there had been an earthquake. Even so, Kang Oh and Tasha didn''t stop running, allowing them to escape the Cyclops''s grasp. * * * What a relief. There were no monsters here that were more powerful than the Cyclops. Kang Oh aimed for the eye of any Cyclops they came across, which let them pass without much issue. They were also forced to fight several other monsters too. Kang Oh avoided the many dangers of Mt. Helvert like the exploding rocks. In the end... "We''re here!" Kang Oh stepped foot onto the mountaintop and stretched out his hands. [You have reached the top of Mt. Helvert.] [You are the first yer to reach the mountaintop.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [You have acquired the title, Great Mountaineer.] [You have acquired the title, Helvert Conqueror.] Whoosh. All of a sudden, Kang Oh felt heat wash over him, and looked forward. There was avake at the top of the mountain. Ava temple was located right in the middle of theke. "Wow." Kang Oh couldn''t help but gape at the sight. "Mm." Tasha couldn''t hide her astonishment either. Shake! Demon Sword Sarahoff shook violently. ''Me too, me too!'' Kang Oh grinned. Demon''s Descent! Sarahoff transformed into Sara once more. "Wow! It''s amazing! This is the Great Temple of Lava!" She pped her hands. [You have reached an area you''ve never been to before.] [You have acquired Sara''s Collectible.] ''Oh, I wasn''t expecting this. Nice.'' Kang Oh grinned at the unexpected present. "Here." Kang Oh gave her the collectible right away. "One more until the next evolution." With one more collectible, Demon Sword Sarahoff would evolve. Of course, Sara would too. "Yeah. By the way, you called it the Great Temple of Lava, but isn''t this Orgon''s temple?" "In the north, the Great Temple of the North Sea worships the Ice Soul. And in the east, the Great Temple of Lava worships the essence of fire, the Sacred me," Sara said. She knew a lot more than he gave her credit for. It was due to the fact that she''d read every single one of the books in the Great Temple of the North Sea. "Then what about Orgon?" "Dunno. He must be inside." Sara shrugged her shoulders. "Hmm. Does the Great Temple of Lava also function as Orgon''s temple?" He would find out soon enough, he supposed. Kang Oh approached thevake. However, there was no path that led to the Great Temple of Lava. ''Should I fly over?'' He would, but there were me pirs all over theke. One wrong move and he''d be burnt to a crisp. At that moment... Theva parted, and a giant turtle appeared within it. Of course, it was no normal turtle; after all, it lived inva for god''s sake. Its skin was red, and its ck shell reminded him of a normal rock. Baaa! The turtle extended its neck, stared at Kang Oh with its red face, and cried out. Then, it turned towards the temple. [The Lava Turtle is waiting for you.] ''Waiting? Wait... I''m supposed to ride this thing?'' It felt like he was right. ''Deborah said I needed the Helvert Conqueror title in order to enter the temple. I guess you need the title to ride this guy.'' In an instant, he hadpletely organized his thoughts. "Return to your sword forms." The turtle could only amodate one person. "Ah, why!?" "No thanks." Tasha and Sara strongly refused. He scowled at them, and they returned to their sword forms, all the whileining up a storm. Kang Oh stashed his swords and carefully climbed atop the turtle''s back. Bau! The Lava Turtle roared and swam over to the temple. It wasn''t a bad ride. * * * The Great Temple of Lava was made up entirely ofva. He was honestly kind of worried. Was there any person who could run throughva and not die? However, he was worried over nothing. The temple was made up of hardenedva, as well as flowingva. Kang Oh entered the temple via the hardened sections. [You have entered the Great Temple of Lava.] [Please be respectful.] The inside of the temple was quite special. Thick pirs, which were made up of hardenedva, were equidistant from each other, andva flowed from the grooves. ''It''s pretty hot.'' Well, it certainly made sense. The heat made it feel like the insides of his lungs were on fire. However, Kang Oh kept moving forward regardless. A short whileter... Kang Oh finally met a being evenrger than the Cyclops. It was essentially a giant statue. And it shared some simrities to a dwarf. [This is the cksmith God, Orgon.] [Please be respectful!] "Lord Orgon!" Kang Oh bowed deeply. Orgon slowly began to move, though his movements were quite stiff. "Who are you?" His voice was both loud and heavy. "My name is Kang Oh. I dare ask you a favor, Lord Orgon," Kang Oh said as respectfully as possible. "Not happening. Begone," Orgon said decisively. Kang Oh had expected this. There was no way a god would easily fulfill a lowly human''s request. ''So that''s why you need a bribe.'' Kang Oh pulled out the meteorite from his inventory. Then, he respectfully presented it to Orgon with both hands. "Lord Orgon, please ept a small token of my appreciation." Then, Orgon''s face did a 180. "Ooh, that''s...!" Orgon extended his hot, giant hand and grabbed the meteorite. It was as if a fully grown adult was picking up a grain of rice. "Ooh! Oooh!" Orgon marveled at the meteorite, despite it being a mere fraction of his size. "Metal that came from outside this world. You''re giving me this precious thing!? Alright, tell me what you want. I''ll do whatever you want." "Anything?" "That''s right. Speak." "Then..." Kang Oh pulled out Deborah''s symbol from his inventory. Whir. A purple veil spread out from the ck ring like an aurora. Swish. A ck silhouette appeared. "Orgon." "Deborah!" At that moment, the Goddess of Death and the cksmith God met. Chapter 493. Stealing Dungeons is a Piece of Cake (1)

Chapter 493. Stealing Dungeons is a Piece of Cake (1)

Trantor: Boko "I need you to do something for me," Deborah said. "What is it?" Orgon asked. Whir. One of the God of Creation''s sources, which glittered like a star in the night sky, appeared in between the two gods. "That''s..." Orgon narrowed his eyes. It seemed like he knew what it was. "It''s the God of Creation''s source. I want you to split it in half." "Why?" "I just need you to do it." Orgon nced at Kang Oh. "I told you I''d do whatever you asked, so... Fine. I''ll do it." The cksmith God stretched out his hand, which was so muchrger than the source itself, and softly grasped it. "How long will it take?" "One week should be enough." "Understood. Also, Kang Oh." He could feel the ck silhouette''s gaze upon him. Kang Oh reverently bowed his head. "Yes." "After one week has passed, take the split source from Orgon and finish off the Mayanes." "I''ll do my best," Kang Oh replied, and Deborah nodded her head. Whir. The purple veil gradually disappeared. Once the goddesspletely vanished, Kang Oh could once again feel the heat of the temple. "Come back in exactly 7 days," Orgon said. "Is there any way for me toe here directly? Climbing Mt. Helver isn''t easy." "I imagine it wouldn''t be easy for a weak human like you. Follow me." Orgon turned around. Whenever he stepped on the floor, the ground would resound with a heavy thud. Kang Oh immediately followed him. At some point, his eyes widened. ''Oho!'' [You have discovered the source of fire, the Sacred me.] [What an amazing discovery.] [Fame has increased significantly.] He was faced with a giant tree. The entire tree, including its roots and branches, wasposed of shining metal. However, its leaves were made of white mes! The mes covered the tree like maple leaves. Orgon pointed at the tree with his finger. Then, one of the metal tree''s white, ming leaves rose into the air and flew in front of Kang Oh. "It''s a leaf of the Sacred me. You can use that to teleport here." "Thank you." Kang Oh carefully grabbed the white me with both hands. Surprisingly, it wasn''t very hot. "Leave." Orgon waved his hand. "I''lle back in a week." "Do what you want." Kang Oh said his farewells and ripped a return scroll. Silver powder flew through the air, and his formpletely vanished. * * * Gainus''s Nest was as mysterious as always. The arch-shaped entrance was made of brown vines, and the ceiling resembled a purple semi sphere with shining stars that formed various constetions. Most importantly, there was a clear, giantke in the middle! Kang Oh, Gainus, and Cyndia were conversing atop theke. Although they stood above the water, they didn''t sink due to Gainus''s magic. "A split source, huh..." Gainus stroked his long, white beard. "We''re preparing the bait, so now we just have toy the trap." Once he left the Great Temple of Lava, Kang Oh let Gainus and Cyndia know about the split source, and they decided to meet at one ce. As you can see, they had decided to meet at Gainus''s Nest. And right now, they were formting a n to lure in the Mayanes. "Will the Mayanes take the bait?" Cyndia asked. "Absolutely." Kang Oh was certain they would. After all, they wouldn''t be able to miss an opportunity like that. "Then we''ll have to let them know. How should we go about this?" "The sources were originally one, so they''re drawn to each other. By strengthening this property with magic, the Mayanes will learn about the split sources," Gainus said. "Then now we have to figure out where and how we''ll set the trap," Cyndia said. "First, we need information on Jigon and Orga. We''ll use that information to determine how we''lly the trap." "Leave that to me. They were originally my responsibility, after all." Gainus drew a circle with his finger. Then, Jigon and Orga appeared like holograms. "Jigon''s the one with jade eyes, and Orga''s the one with purple eyes." Jigon was much taller than Orga, and was also extremely handsome. On the other hand, Orga looked like the next door neighbor''s naughty little brother. "There''s a high possibility that they''re wingless, as they tore off their own wings. Then again, they have such pride in their wings that they might''ve regrown them already." "Is there any difference between a Mayanes with and without wings?" Kang Oh asked. "They can''t fly without their wings. However, it doesn''t really interfere with their power or the God of Creation''s power either." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Moving on. Orga is extremely skilled in controlling water. He''s also capable of using cold energy too." "So Orga is water and ice," Kang Oh softly muttered. He kept that information firmly in his mind! "Jigon uses giant mes and powerful light." "Fire and light... the sun?" "Right. He''s crazy enough to call himself the Sun God." Kang Oh recalled the Mayanes he''d fought thus far. Krishan used a whip, while Diabol used a spear. Then what about Jigon and Orga? "What kind of weapons do they use?" Kang Oh asked. "Orga uses a bow. Jigon wields a sword made of fire." After that, Gainus exined everything he knew about Jigon and Orga. With it, Kang Oh was able to paint a detailed picture in his mind. They had to be about as strong as the other Mayanes he''d fought in the past. "Then where and how will we set the trap?" Cyndia asked. "Do you have any ce in mind?" Kang Oh nced at Cyndia and Gainus. "It should be a ce without any water or fire around." "Indeed." The sea, ake, or the desert was no good. Obviously, a volcanic region wouldn''t work either. "We should pick an unpopted area, and prevent civilians from getting caught in the crossfire," Cyndia said. It was a response fit for a priest. "It should also berge enough for me to revert to my true form and go crazy..." Gainus''s true form was that of a giant, majestic dragon! "I have a ce in mind." Gainus snapped his fingers. "Where?" "Maam Cliff." "Maam Cliff?" Cyndia tilted her head. Since she had lived in the Goddess''s Land all her life, she was unfamiliar with the continent''s geography. On the other hand, Kang Oh knew exactly what he was talking about. "The one in the west?" He was especially knowledgeable regarding the west, as he''d spend a long time there working as a mercenary. "Yeah." "That sounds good." "This is what it looks like." Gainus twirled his finger around. Then, an image of Maam Cliff appeared in the air. Maam Cliff. It was nicknamed the ''The Prison that Holds the Devil''. It was like a deep, giant well. Essentially, it was a cliff shaped like a giant donut or ring with a pit in the middle of it. Cyndia seemed to understand after getting a look at it. "It looks alright." "Now we''ve decided where we''ll set the trap." Kang Oh, Cyndia, and Gainus all looked satisfied. After that, they continued their discussion in order to form a concrete n to kill the Mayanes. * * * Gainus, Cyndia, and the Church of Death headed for Maam Hill in order to set the trap. On the other hand, Kang Oh woulde in a week with the split sources in hand. In the meantime, he was free. He called Eder and Sephiro, and exined what he''d discussed with Cyndia and Gainus with them. "We''re finally continuing the goddess''s mission." Only by epting the goddess''s mission was Eder able to avoid her divine punishment and return to his original body. Therefore,pleting this mission sessfully was his main priority. If he failed the goddess''s mission, then he may once again be cursed by the Goddess of Death. "I''m looking forward to it too." Sephiro beamed. He was in the same position as Kang Oh. If hepleted the goddess''s task, then he would be rewarded handsomely. Thus, he wouldplete the quest no matter what. "Anyhow, if I give the split source to Gainus in a week''s time, then he, Cyndia, and the Church of Death will take care of the preparations," Kang Oh said. "Then we don''t have to wait in Maam Cliff?" Sephiro asked. "No. I negotiated with Gainus." "Negotiated?" "I told him that I''m the only one who can kill the Mayanes, so it''s in everyone''s best interest if I get stronger. And I also told him to call me only when the Mayanes appear." Gainus''s magical prowess was tremendous. It would be easy for him to summon Kang Oh wherever he may be. "That''s just like you." "Just because we''veid the bait doesn''t mean they''ll bite immediately. In other words, we don''t know when they''ll show up, so staying there would be a waste of time." Time was worth more than money, after all. "Indeed." Sephiro nodded his head. "So what are we going to do now?" Eder asked. "Isn''t it obvious? We do what we always do." Kang Oh grinned. "Do what we always do?" Eder tilted his head. ''And what is that?'' "Look for dungeons." * * * The scramble for soul dungeons was over. Why, you ask? The owners were mostly well established by now. How? Most of the soul dungeons were owned by the 4 great guilds, as well as therge guilds. Small guilds or independent yers weren''t powerful enough to im a soul dungeon for themselves, and didn''t have enough manpower to keep them safe either. "The Lash Guild got their hands on ka Cave. The hell is this? Therge guilds are taking everything." "I''m sick of them. Ptoo!" "It''s the same here as in real life. The rich only get richer." The yer basemented over the state of the soul dungeons. The previous era, when people were fighting over soul dungeons, was like the United States'' western expansion. It was a time filled with opportunity. However, these opportunities slowly diminished, and like real life, where the huge conglomerates absorbed everything, therge guilds had mostly taken control of the soul dungeons. Then again, this happening was inevitable. After all, independent yers and small/intermediate sized guilds had no power. Without power, they couldn''t keep their soul dungeons from therger, more powerful guilds. However...! Some yers were singrly powerful enough that their power trumped an entire organization. "Only members of the Lash Guild can enter ka Cave. Get lost!" The entrance to the cave was shaped like a toad''s open mouth. yers wearing gargoyle armbands stood in front of Kang Oh. There was more than one guard too. Twelve members of the Lash Guild stood before Kang Oh, wearing murderous expressions. Lash was arge guild, which had risen to rank 12, and was known for their misdeeds. Then again, they were just like otherrge guilds in that regard. "So he says." Kang Oh nced at hispanions. Sephiro, Eder, Tasha, Sara, and Waryong stood beside him. Eder, Tasha, and Sara nonchntly looked at him as if saying, ''Do what you want.''. Waryong just yawned. Only Sephiro seemed ufortable with the idea. ''Stop stirring up trouble withrge guilds, will you!?'', Sephiro''s gaze seemed to say. ''No thanks.'' Kang Oh turned his head and stared at the members of the Lash Guild. "Ifrge guilds like Lash have taken over a majority of the soul dungeons, then how am I supposed to make a living?" Kang Oh''s lips twisted strangely. He really disliked it when weaklings gathered together and acted like they were all that. No, ''hate'' would be more urate. "If you''re weak, then you get trampled underfoot. That''s how it works. If you don''t want to die, then get lost," a guard yelled maliciously. This was apparently how he always spoke. "If you''re weak, then you get trampled underfoot, huh... Go ahead and try." Kang Oh smiled like the devil himself. Chapter 494. Stealing Dungeons is a Piece of Cake (2)

Chapter 494. Stealing Dungeons is a Piece of Cake (2)

Trantor: Boko ''Ah, I knew this is how it''d turn out.'' Sephiro had a bitter taste in his mouth. The ashen corpses of the Lash Guild were sprawled on the floor around him. Kang Oh and Tasha''s rampage had caused this. The two were way too powerful, while the Lash Guild was much weaker than they acted. Sephiro hadn''t done anything. Even so, just by being here, he''d be a target of the Lash Guild. "W-We''re the Lash... Guild!" the guild member, who''d spoken so disrespectfully before, yelled shakily. He was the only one left, though it wouldn''t be long before he too was dead. Kang Oh tilted his head. "So what?" "We won''t forgive you for this!" "The likes of you are going to punish me?" Kang Oh snorted. "What?" ''The likes of you?'' "If you want to kill me, then you''ll need to bring someone of Dukeram''s level." Even if Dukeram came, and that''s a big if, Kang Oh may stille out victorious. "Crazy bastard." "Tell your guildmaster that Kang Oh killed you." Kang Oh raised Demon Sword Ubist. "What? Kang Oh? W-Wait a second... Are you really..." Kang Oh didn''t give him a chance to finish. His de had already cut through his neck. "Is it really ok to disclose your identity?" Sephiro asked. "They''ll eventually figure out who I am anyway. This guy leaves a huge impression." Kang Oh shook his symbol, the jet-ck greatsword. "I might as well just tell them. That''ll make them think whether they''ll retaliate or not." Kang Oh disclosing his identity was a provocation. ''If you''re confident, thene out and fight! If not, then shut up and get lost.'' "What if they retaliate?" "A tiger won''t lose, no matter how many weaklingse at it." "Indeed." He didn''t want to admit it, but when considering Kang Oh''s strength, the Lash Guild was truly ''below'' him. However... Sephiro couldn''t say the same thing about himself; the Lash Guild definitely weren''t below him. ''I can''t let myself get caught in the crossfire.'' He really hoped that Kang Oh''s actions wouldn''te back to bite him. He prayed to God, who he didn''t even believe in most of the time. "Let''s go," Kang Oh said happily. [Entering the dungeon, ka Cave.] * * * ka Cave''s original owner was a yer called Dick. He was quite renowned as an explorer. But one day, Dick made a post on Arthtory. He imed that the Lash Guild had stolen the ka Cave from him. Apparently, he had been killed and threatened countless times. In the end, he sold the soul dungeon for just 1 gold. If you won a dungeon via a Sacred Duel, then the soul dungeon getspletely reset. However, if you buy a soul dungeon from its previous owner, then their upgrades won''t be reset. Dick loved his soul dungeon, so he had invested everything he had into it. He had expanded his dungeon and reinforced the guardians, but... in the end, the Lash Guild stole the soul dungeon from him. Thus, Dick decided to get revenge. He wrote how to enter the soul dungeon, what level and how strong the guardians were, their special properties, etc. He hoped that someone would steal the ka Cave from the Lash Guild. And so... ''This is easy.'' Kang Oh grinned. Rumble! By saying ''Open sesame'', the boulder that sealed off the entrance to the soul dungeon rolled to the side. [You have discovered the soul dungeon, kaban Waterfall.] Normally, finding this soul dungeon wouldn''t be easy. After all, Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition had gone off nine times ever since he''d set foot inside the dungeon! It had gone off whenever he came across the stones that resembled magic pearls scattered across the dungeon. These stones had to be touched in a certain order. However, this order differed depending on the time of day. If Dick hadn''t revealed that the order differed based on the time, then it would''ve taken him ages to find the right order. In any case, Dick''s information allowed Kang Oh''s party to enter the soul dungeon without much difficulty. However...! Exactly 101 yers were waiting for Kang Oh inside. This included Lash''s guildmaster, Ogura, as well as the guild''s elite force, the Gargoyle Knight Order! "It''s a pleasure to meet you, Numbers Kang Oh." Ogura stretched out his arms and weed him. Of course, contrary to his speech, his body and eyes weren''t weing at all. "I''ve always wanted to meet you at least once, since you''re so famous. To my knowledge, you haven''t joined a guild yet. Would you like to join the Lash Guild?" he continued. Kang Oh said nothing. It wasn''t even worth listening to. If the 4 great guilds offered him the guildmaster seat, he wouldn''t be interested, so why would he even hear them out? It was ridiculous. "Hmm. Well, take some time to think over my offer. So, why have youe to this dungeon?" It appeared that Ogura had absolutely no idea why he was here. "Why else would a Dungeon Hunter be here?" Kang Oh retorted. Then, Sephiro saw Ogura''s eyebrows wriggle. It must be because of Kang Oh''s disrespectful way of speaking, as well as him ignoring Ogura''s previous offer. ''He must feel like Kang Oh''s looking down on him.'' Sephiro had read him like a book. "...So? You''re going to try and steal the soul dungeon from the Lash Guild? How dare you?" Ogura said murderously, dropping all pretenses. He reminded him of a hissing cat when its food was stolen. Kang Oh grinned. "What''s so great about the Lash Guild?" Wriggle. Ogura flinched like a stomped worm. "You''ll regret this." "Huaahm." Kang Oh yawned and picked his ear. "You piece of shit," Ogura cursed. Kang Oh truly was good at pissing people off. Kang Oh opened his arms wide. "Shut up and fight already!" He moved his hands in a beckoning gesture. ''Come on already!'' No more talk. "Kill him!" Ogura yelled. His voice cracked. "Uhaahk!" "We''re killing one of the Numbers!" "Die!" The Gargoyle Knight Order rushed in. Contrary to its name, it didn''t consist purely of knights. It was mostly made up of knights, but there were a few mages, assassins, archers, etc. mixed in too. Thus, the Gargoyle Knight Orderunched magic, arrows, poison darts, javelins, etc. at him first. Kang Oh grinned. ''Let''s y.'' His enemies greeted him with a long-range attack, so he should reply in kind. Kang Oh threw Demon Sword Ubist. Weapon Bombardment! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! The giant jet-ck greatsword spun violently and mmed into the vanguard. Boom! The collision resulted in a giant explosion. "Uhahk!" "Keok." The ground was upturned, and four or five members of the Lash Guild fell to the floor. Its power was far greater than they expected! Then, the Gargoyle Knight Order flinched. "Don''t panic! There are only five of them!" Ogura scowled and yelled. "He''s right!" "He bleeds just the same!" "Overwhelm him with numbers. He can''t beat us!" ''Is that really true?'' Kang Oh softly shook his stretched out right hand. His demon sword followed the path of his hand. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! His jet-ck de ughtered them like an eagle swooping down on a rabbit. At the same time...! Tasha and Sara got involved. Fresh Blood Wave! Tasha''s red dress fluttered in the wind as a blood red wave flew through the air. "Hueup, phew!" Sara inhaled, puffing her cheeks, and then let out a frigid breath. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! A wide, fan-shaped cold energy that was colder than any winter wind spread out. "Waryong." Sephiro extended his hand at the wyvern, and Waryong spewed out dark red mes. Roar! It only took 5 seconds for the mes to materialize into an arrow. Sephiro immediately shot the arrow. He didn''t really need precision; he just needed to aim it at the area with a lot of people. Fire Dragon''s Arrow! Roar! It was as if a phoenix was pping its wings and flying towards them. Meanwhile, Eder summoned his Skeleton Minotaur, White Horn, and his Skeleton Saber-toothed Tiger, Goni. Since he had strength to spare, he summoned a few clumps of bone too and exploded them. Boom! Boom! Boom! Explosions were an electrifying feeling, so long as one wasn''t caught in them. His party''s attacks did considerable damage to the Gargoyle Knight Order. However, there were still more healthy people than casualties. Befitting arge guild, the elites moved with some finesse. "Attack!" "If we get close, then we win!" Four knights rushed at Kang Oh. They wielded a sword, spear, axe, and mace respectively, and all aimed for a different vital area. Kang Oh softly evaded their attacks. Then, he summoned his demon sword back. Bam! On the way back, Demon Sword Ubist cleaved through one of the knights. The axe wielder was caught with his pants down. Red shards of light exploded from his body, and he died right then and there. Kang Oh stretched out his hand and caught Demon Sword Ubist. Then, he... sh! He left a white, diagonal line in the air! Kang Oh had definitely swung his sword lightly. However, it didn''t feel that way to his opponents. The force behind his blow was tremendous. Bam! The three knights fell simultaneously. "You bastard!" "It doesn''t matter if he''s one of the Numbers. We''ll still win!" Several members of the Gargoyle Knight Order rushed in like a colony of ants trying to collect food. Kang Oh just kept swinging Ubist. It was a fight between a colony of ants and an anteater. Kang Oh instantly defeated the ''ants''. But it wasn''t just Predator Kang Oh that was victorious. "Ohohoho." Tashaughed sharply, and continued to y the humans. ''Die, you trash!'' Phew. Sephiro breathed out and shot another arrow. Meanwhile, Waryong continued to set his enemies aze. Sara and Eder fought half-heartedly. Of course, White Horn and Goni had no idea what the word ''half-heartedly'' meant. "Aaah." "This is... ridiculous." The Gargoyle Knight Order could see their impending defeat, and fell to their knees in despair. Even their guildmaster''s face had stiffened. He knew they were strong, but this was ridiculous. Ogura was referring to Kang Oh''s party, of course. But he still had a trump card waiting in the wings. "Wakaiser!" Ogura yelled. Whoosh. A fully armored wyvern swooped down from above the waterfall. It was muchrger than Waryong or a normal wyvern, but it was still smaller than the Wyvern King, Draka. This was kaban Waterfall''s final guardian, Wakaiser! Kyahaahk! Wakaiser let out a threatening roar. ''Good boy.'' Ogura clenched his fists. At that moment... "Shut up!" Kang Oh leapt into the air and threw his sword. Weapon Bombardment! The greatsword flew at the wyvern with frightening speed and struck its face. Bam! Kieek. It was as if its chest had been punctured. A refreshing ''bam'' rang out, and the giant wyvern copsed onto the floor. Shiver. Ogura''s body shivered in fear. Kang Oh''s power was downright terrifying. Then, his expressionpletely shifted. ''He''s empty-handed!'' Perhaps... this was his chance! Ogura quickly yelled, "Attack Kang Oh. He''s empty-handed!" The remaining members of the Gargoyle Knight Order gritted their teeth and rushed at Kang Oh. Please! However, a woman wearing fur clothes softly walked over to him. Then, the woman transformed into a sword. Sara had returned to her sword form, Demon Sword Sarahoff. It dominated the cold, and was just as good a demon sword as Ubist! Kang Oh grinned. They had taken the bait. Mad Wind''s Sword! His de showed them no mercy. He cleaved through each and every one of them. It was aplete one-sided ughter. Meanwhile, Tasha, Eder, and Sephiro beat on Wakaiser, who still hadn''t recovered from Kang Oh''s Weapon Bombardment. "Aah." Ogura hadpletely given up. ''We lost.'' His elite force had lost to only five people! Sometimeter... The Gargoyle Knight Order waspletely obliterated. Wakaiser had also been defeated, its body sprawled on the floor and its tongue hanging outside its mouth. The only one left standing was Ogura. "Hey." Kang Oh poked Ogura''s cheek with the tip of Sarahoff. "Uheok." "Choose." "What?" "Huh? Did you just ''what'' me?" Kang Oh scowled. His eyes were downright murderous. "Excuse me, what did you say?" Ogura knew when to back down. He quickly adjusted his speech. "Either sell the soul dungeon to me, or fight me. If you pick option 2, then you''ll die. You''ll lose levels and proficiency for sure, and you may even drop some equipment. Either way, I get the soul dungeon. I just need to crush you in a Sacred Duel." Ogura quickly weighed his options. He would lose the soul dungeon either way, so he might as well just sell it to him. That way, he would at leaste out of this alive. "I''ll pick option 1." "A wise decision." "Then how much will you give me... Hehe, this is worth quite a lot." Ogura rubbed his hands together andughed. "1 gold." "Excuse me?" "You bought it for 1 gold too, didn''t you?" They had threatened a good yer like Dick into handing over the soul dungeon. "B-But still..." The words ''Isn''t 1 gold pushing it?'' hung in his throat. After all, he''d done the same thing to Dick. "You can pick option 2 if you want. I don''t care either way. Your equipment looks quite nice." Kang Oh''s eyes lit up with greed. Ogura instinctively hid his weapon behind his back. It was an SS-rank sword and his greatest treasure. What if this were to drop? He didn''t even want to think about it. "Your belt and your shoes are SS-rank too. You really are the head of arge guild. Your equipment is quite nice." "I''ll sell it for 1 gold." "Why not choose option 2?" "No!" With this, Kang Oh obtained another soul dungeon. Chapter 495. Fifth Soul Dungeon

Chapter 495. Fifth Soul Dungeon

Trantor: Boko Wyvern wings were engraved on ka Cave''s soul stone. "Here, take it." Kang Oh ced a single gold coin in Ogura''s hand, and snatched the soul stone. Then, the soul stone radiated intense light. [You bought the soul dungeon, ka Cave, with one gold.] [You have be the dungeon''s master.] "Go on." Kang Oh waved Ogura off. Ogura bit his lip, sporting a humiliated expression on his face. "Oho, what''s with that look? Are you nning revenge or something?" "No... I am not," Ogura replied with a forced smile. Kang Oh beamed. "Come and find me whenever. Make sure youe with that SS-rank weapon and equipment too." ''I''ll give you a warm wee.'' "Ahem." Ogura coughed ufortably, used a return scroll, and disappeared. "What are you going to do if the Lash Guildes at you at full force? They mighte with several thousand, no, tens of thousands." Sephiro was such a worrywart. "That won''t happen. They have to protect their guild headquarters, their other dungeons, and their businesses. If they doe at us with everything they got, then we can just run away." "I really hope that doesn''t happen. Anyway, how will you deal with the soul dungeon? Will you sell it?" Sephiro asked. "Let me take a look at the dungeon first." Kang Oh softly gripped the soul stone and whispered, "Dungeon Management." Then, the Dungeon Management window popped up. ''Hoh.'' The dungeon reward was 3,000 gold, wyvern skin, teeth, and ws. Because the gold reward was so high, the dungeon had to have been expanded twice already. After all, expanding the dungeon increased its rewards significantly. It also yielded quite a substantial amount of wyvern materials. ''I should keep this one.'' The soul dungeon offered him 3,000 gold every month. That was 9 million won ($9,000 USD) every month! As he thought, a dungeon master was superior to andlord! Moreover, wyvern skin, teeth, and ws were popr materials. Especially wyvern skin, as it was often used to create leather. Its demand was high, so it sold for quite a lot. However, the dungeon had an extremely high maintenance fee. [Maintenance Fee: 1,000 repel points.] [Next Expansion: 5,000 repel points.] If he wanted to reap the rewards, then he would need to attract people here, like he did with Moss Cave and the Beast''s Tower. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh thoroughly read over the dungeon''s information. Monsters around level 350 spawned within ka Cave. It was mostly filled with Spiked Lizards. They were around 1 meter in size, and could shoot the sharp spikes that surrounded their bodies. Glowing Insects, Steel Rock Puppets, Gyuts (rat-faced monsters), etc. also appeared within the dungeon. The hunting difficulty was normal, but the monsters didn''t offer much experience or loot. It wouldn''t attract yers, who looked for dungeons that offered good experience, proficiency, and loot. Kang Oh opened the dungeon''s map, and looked for minerals, medicinal herbs, rock salt, etc.; anything that could draw yers here. His face brightened. ''You can find Wind Stones here.'' Fire Stones, Earth Stones, Lightning Stones, etc. contained an elemental spirit''s power. A Wind Stone was no exception. These elemental stones were essential when creating elemental weapons, equipment, or essories. However, there wasn''t arge supply of them, so it wasn''t easy to procure them. What if you could mine those elemental stones, albeit a small amount of them? ''Alright, let''s go with this.'' Most yers possessed the support skill, Mining. Thus, ka Cave could be a dungeon where people hunted and found Wind Stones if they were lucky! This would be ka Cave''s main selling point from now on. Seeing Kang Oh''s smiling expression, Sephiro said, "Have you decided what you''ll do with it?" "I''m going to keep it. The rewards are good." "What are they?" "Wyvern materials." "Does it also give you a lot of gold?" "How did you know?" "Your mouth is wide open. You only do that when you get your hands on a lot of money." "Hum-hum." Kang Oh wiped his chin with his sleeve just in case he was drooling. "I''ll let you know if I need any wyvern materials," Sephiro said. ''This works out well for me.'' "Me too." Eder quickly raised his hand. "Sure, if you pay for it." Kang Oh grinned. "C''mon, aren''t we friends?" Sephiro elbowed his side. "Who are you again?" ''I won''t give you a discount!'' Kang Oh pledged. * * * Bam! Lash''s guildmaster, Ogura, mmed his fist on the table. As if that wasn''t enough, he kicked the table''s legs, and threw everything on top of the desk. "You bitch, you bitch! You stupid bitch!" he violently cursed. He had never been humiliated like this before. ''How dare you!?'' He thought of Kang Oh, who humiliated him so thoroughly, with bloodshot eyes. Grr. Ogura gritted his teeth. It felt like he''d turned the heater on full st on a hot summer day. He was boiling with rage. "Uaaahk!" He threw another tantrum. Crack! Nothing in the room was left unscathed. "Haa, haa." Ogura breathed haggardly. "Have you calmed down?" his vice-captain, Valdesar, carefully asked. "Calm? Really!? Do I look calm to you!?" Ogura yelled. "Bring me that bastard right now! I said right now!" It was as if his angry voice could break through the wall. "How?" Valdesar asked calmly. "What?" "How could we possibly beat Kang Oh, who''s ranked 2th?" "We can overwhelm him with sheer numbers. Take all of our guild members and catch him!" "Guildmaster, please calm down." Valdesar remained as calm as possible. "How do you expect me to calm down when I suffered such humiliation?" Ogura yelled once more. Bam! He mmed his fists onto the table. "I heard this from an acquaintance." "What''s this all of sudden?" "Hercules." "Hercules?" "I heard that Kang Oh was the real reason that the Hercules Guild, one of the 5 great guilds, copsed." "What? What are you talking about?" "I heard this from someone who was doing well in the Hercules Guild. He told me that everything was Kang Oh''s fault." "Tell me more." "While the Hercules Guild was waging war, Kang Oh stole their allies'' soul dungeons. He also stole some of the Hercules Guild''s soul dungeons." "He''s got balls. So what happened?" "He used those soul dungeons as a bargaining chip. Kang Oh traded those stolen soul dungeons in exchange for the allied guilds'' loyalty. He also got the Storm Guild involved." "Is that true?" "It is. We tracked the previous owners of those dungeons, and confirmed that it was Kang Oh." "Hoh. So Hercules fell due to Kang Oh?" "He had a huge role in it. And he''s not just a normal solo yer either. He''s close with the Storm Guild, Helena and the Witch''s Forest, Bart, etc." Storm, Helena, Bart... He couldn''t underestimate any one of them. "Damn it." Ogura mmed the table again. If he provoked him, what would stop him from destroying his guild like he did with Hercules? He recalled Kang Oh''s unassable strength and suddenly got worried. "Will we... be ok?" "We have to stay out of his way for now." "You want the Lash Guild to bow to just one yer!?" Ogura clenched his fist. It became so red that it looked like it''d burst. "Guildmaster." "What?" "We''ll get our chance." "What are you talking about?" "I heard rumors that Kang Oh''s rtionship with the Empire Guild isn''t good." "Is that so?" Ogura''s face brightened. He somewhat knew what Valdesar was trying to say. "Dukeram and Kang Oh fought sometime ago." "They did." "The Empire Guild, which took control of the three eastern kingdoms, will soone for Kang Oh. After all, their motto is to pay back twice what they''re owed." "If things go well, then we won''t have to lift a finger." Ogura grinned. ''Just thinking about him getting ripped to shreds again and again makes me feel good.'' "So we have to steer clear of him for now. We can''t be the ones that make the first move." "Hoo, I got it." Ogura nodded his head. The Lash Guild had decided to stay out of trouble. * * * Kang Oh let Sephiro and Eder go, and then reorganized ka Cave. First, he bought guardians that would earn him some repel points. [You have spent 1,000 gold to transform a Spiked Lizard into a guardian.] [The Spiked Lizard has transformed into the Poison Spiked Guana.] The Spiked Lizard, which previously walked on four legs, now walked on two. It resembled a Lizardman now, and wielded hook-like weapons in both hands. [You have spent 800 gold to transform a Steel Rock Puppet into a guardian.] [The Steel Rock Puppet has transformed into the Tough Rock Puppet, Bark.] The glossy puppet became evenrger. It was originally around 2 meters tall, but now it was more than 3 meters tall. At the same time, its body becamerger, and eyes, a nose, and a mouth appeared on its once empty face. [You have spent 800 gold to transform a Gyut into a guardian.] [The Gyut has transformed into the Brainy Mers.] The rat, which sported an evil smile, held a square box in its hands. It seemed like it could set up a trap just once. That square box was probably the device necessary to set up the trap. "Repel any intruders." Kang Ohmanded. ''Next is...'' He had 314 repel points left. Kang Oh invested all of it into making the dungeon a more attractive hunting ground. [You have spent 100 repel points.] [For 1 month, monsters yield 20% more experience.] [You have spent 100 repel points.] [For 1 month, monsters respawn 200% faster.] [You have spent 100 repel points.] [For 1 month, the resources and materials found within ka Cave have increased by 1.5 times.] Finally, he reorganized the dungeon itself. He created vacant lots where adventurers could rest, and made theplicated roads much simpler than before. ''I''ll slowly add the traps as I go.'' When people started trickling into the dungeon, he would start adding traps to gain even more repel points. Finally, he checked the Steel Armored Wyvern, Wakaiser. It was level 400, and possessed statsparable to a simrly leveled boss. It had one eye-catching trait: its Poison Breath. Plus, it could fly low to the ground and stab its enemies with its steel wings. ''Unless you''re a high ranker, you won''t be able to beat it easily.'' He didn''t feel the need to reinforce Wakaiser. Plus, he didn''t have the repel points to do so even if he wanted to. Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly and closed the Dungeon Management window. "Take care of it for me." Kang Oh passed Wakaiser the soul stone. It had somewhat recovered from its previous beatdown. Kyaha! Wakaiser nodded its head. Although it couldn''t speak, it seemed to understand hismand. It swallowed the soul stone and rubbed its head against Kang Oh''s body. "Let''s get along." Kang Oh petted Wakaiser. Gyaa! It cried out happily. "Ah, that''s right. Where''s the transfer magic circle?" Kang Oh asked. Wakaiser pointed behind the waterfall. Now that he looked a little closer, there was some dim lighting from behind the waterfall. It was probablying from the transfer magic circle. ''Good. Now it''s time to promote it.'' Kang Oh logged out. Then, his vision turned ck as if he''d turned off the TV. * * * The world''srgest video-sharing site, Youtube. Kang Oh had a channel there. He hadn''t uploaded any new contenttely, so he lost half of his subscribers, but he gained many more after rising to rank 2. So he actually had more subscribers than before. "Hum-hum-hum." Jae Woo hummed and began editing the footage of him ughtering the Lash Guild''s elites. "Add special effects when they get hit, and use Noir for the background music." "Yes, Master." If he told it what he wanted, the AI would edit the video by itself. Of course, it was much worse than a video edited by a professional editor. In exchange, it was much simpler and easier! Jae Woo clicked ''upload video''. He uploaded the video of him ughtering the Lash Guild, and ced his cursor over the title. ''What should I call it?'' Kang Oh stroked his chin and thought about it. He wondered whether there was a title that had a lot of impact. Jae Woo bit his finger since he couldn''t think of anything. Then, he heard the word ''liberation'' from the opening of his door. ''Liberation?'' Jae Woo opened the door, and saw his mother watching TV. She was watching a documentarymemorating Korean independence. ''Liberation!'' That was exactly what he was looking for. [Dungeon Liberation Movement Part 1 - ka Cave!] Chapter 496. Dungeon Liberation Movement

Chapter 496. Dungeon Liberation Movement

Trantor: Boko Dungeon Liberation Movement. Jae Woo edited the video and then uploaded it. Although he had a ton of subscribers, there was no way people would respond to the video right away. "Hum-hum." His job done, Jae Woo picked up his phone and called Soo Ah. He would talk to her for a bit before going to sleep. * * * The Dungeon Liberation Movement drew a lot of attention. Why, you ask? It was due to Jae Woo, or rather, Kang Oh''s fame. The Numbers were more famous than even most athletes. That''s just how popr Arth was worldwide. However, his recent rise in the ranks, from rank 4 to rank 2, had an even greater effect. yers also couldn''t help but watch Kang Oh''s video, as it had been such a long time since hisst upload. They were drawn in, thinking, ''Will this show us how he rose from rank 4 to rank 2?''. Then there was the curious title. Dungeon Liberation Movement? It was a title formted by one of the Numbers, so there had to be some deeper meaning to it. The video began with an exnation of what the Dungeon Liberation Movement was. It exined that Kang Oh sought to ''liberate'' soul dungeons fromrge guilds, which restricted ess to yers, and let anyone explore them. Kang Oh also challenged yers to try and take the soul dungeon from him if they had the skill. Through legitimate means, of course. He also asked people to stay tuned, since he may or may not sell these soul dungeons for a suitable price. However, the yers who bought them were not allowed to restrict ess to normal yers. They obviously weren''t allowed to take an entrance fee either. After that, the viewers saw Predator Kang Oh take a soul dungeon from arge guild. The video depicted Kang Ohpletely overpowering the 12th ranked guild, Lash, and taking the ka Cave from them. The highlight of the video was Kang Oh buying the soul dungeon from Lash''s guildmaster, Ogura, for 1 gold. It was such a refreshing feeling for yers oppressed by theserge guilds to see them get their just desserts. Kya! At the same time, people were astonished by Kang Oh''s overwhelming strength. They were also fascinated with the Dungeon Liberation Movement itself. That''s how the world worked; the messages of the strong were always the loudest. The video ended with an advertisement. It stated, ''Pleasee to the liberated ka Cave!''. It had only been six hours since he''d uploaded the video, but it spread like wildfire. The video filled message boards everywhere. - Let''s Not: Hey wait, he''s just promoting his new soul dungeon. I can''t believe we have people selling soul dungeons now. - Kumquat: You''re missing the point. Kang Oh''s stance against therge guilds is showing us our path forward. The Dungeon Liberation Movement! Let''s go, everyone. - Anonymous: It doesn''t matter whether it''s therge guilds or Kang Oh. They just suck weak yers dry. The Dungeon Liberation Movement is nothing more than a ploy to take more from us. In a way, Kang Oh is worse than therge guilds. After all, he stole what belonged to someone else for his benefit. - It''s Salty: Oho, don''t be silly. Are you part of arge guild? Or a part-timer? Let''s be real here. If the Dungeon Liberation Movement really gets going, who''ll be hit the hardest? - Tamatama: Therge guilds. They won''t be able to keep the soul dungeons all to themselves. - It''s Salty: Then let''s support Kang Oh. Honestly, there are a ton of dungeons I want to explore, but therge guilds force me to either pay an entrance fee or prevent me from entering altogether. - Tamatama: Agreed. To think that there''s a solo yer that could bring arge guild to its knees. I want to call him ''bro''. - Maria: I want to call him ''oppa''. - Dick: Hello, my name is Adventurer Dick. I was the original owner of the ka Cave, but the Lash Guild took it away from me. They forced me to give it up for 1 gold. However, I felt so refreshed when I watched Mr. Kang Oh do the same thing to Ogura. Thank you, Mr. Kang Oh! And I visited the ka Cave too. I could enter without anyone stopping me, and there was no entrance fee either. It was organized much better than when I owned it too. As expected of you, Mr. Kang Oh. I have faith in you! - Han Byul: Yeah. Honestly, seeing Kang Oh annihte the Lash Guild''s elites was both exciting and refreshing to watch. Keep showing us stuff like that. - Spider: The video was subtitled with the phrase, ''Dungeons belong to everyone''. - Strawberry: He''s right. I''m 100% for the Dungeon Liberation Movement. Get out of the way,rge guilds! - Kumquat: Let''s do this. The Dungeon Liberation Movement! - It''s Salty: I''vepiled a list of soul dungeons that therge guilds have taken on Arthtory''s information board. ka Cave is first on the list, and I''ve marked it as ''liberated''. Ah, by the way, if there''s any dungeons I''ve missed, feel free to post it on the message board. I''ll make sure to add it immediately. "Why are they making such a fuss over this?" Jae Woo was absolutely speechless. ''Dungeon Liberation Movement'' was just a catchy title. He just thought it fit, and there was no deeper meaning to it. His original intention was to wrap it up with part 2 and part 3 with footage of him stealing dungeons from therge guilds. From the start, he''d never had a grand n like challenging the authority of therge guilds and their tyranny. Of course, he didn''t likerge guilds. But at the same time, he couldn''t fight all of therge guilds by himself. It would be a different story if he was on the same level as Vn though. However, things had taken a strange turn. He had somehow be a freedom fighter that fought against the tyranny and injustice of therge guilds. It was as if he were one of the men fighting for Korean independence during Japanese colonial rule. ''How do I stop this?'' Deep creases formed on his forehead. If he were to say that his title had no meaning behind it, then what would happen? That anger and criticism that had been directed at therge guilds would be directed at him. The yers would call him a liar, a cheat, and a fraud! He couldn''t let that happen! Jae Woo changed his approach. It was toote to change the message. It had lit a fire under the yerbase. If he wasn''t cautious, then he''d get burned. ''If that''s the case, then... I need to make it work in my favor,'' he thought. ''The Dungeon Liberation Movement. I guess I should really go for it.'' Jae Woo''s eyes gleamed. He had originally only intended on stealing a couple more dungeons from therge guilds. After all, if he was too greedy, then therge guilds could form an alliance and take him out. But what if he were to steal all of their dungeons with the support of countless yers? ''Therge guilds will have to be careful. They won''t be able to take me out easily. After all, I have justification. Wow, if I y my cards right, then I may be able to take dozens of soul dungeons for my own.'' Jae Woo grinned. However, he quickly wiped that grin off his face. ''No, I need to take my time. If I act too hastily, then it''ll all blow up in my face. I have to form a n, and then take it step by step.'' Plus, Jae Woo had to finish his task of killing the remaining Mayanes. This mission was more important than the Dungeon Liberation Movement. After all, the quest reward would give him the chance to be a Grandmaster. Tap. Tap. Tap. Jae Woo tapped his index finger on his chair''s armrest, and his eyes stilled. * * * Kang Oh met with Bart and Helena. "What is it?" Helena asked in a businesslike tone. She was as blunt as always. "Hey, Freedom Fighter." Bart sported a mischievous smile and tapped Kang Oh''s shoulder. Kang Oh grinned. "Please sit down." The three sat around a circr table. "You made a huge mess," Bart stared at Kang Oh and said. "A mess?" Kang Oh replied. "The Dungeon Liberation Movement. It''s like dering all out war on therge guilds." "What''s wrong with that?" "Well, I guess there''s nothing wrong with it." Bart grinned. Bart had simr feelings towards therge guilds; he too wasn''t fond of their actions. "Why did you call us?" Helena drank some tea and said. He could see the boredom in her eyes. "I''d like your help." Kang Oh grinned. ''Let''s leave a good impression!'' "No thank you," Bart immediately said. "You didn''t even hear me out." "I know exactly what you want. No thank you," Bart said firmly. He had seen right through Kang Oh. Kang Oh hade to ask them to help him with the Dungeon Liberation Movement. "It sounds troublesome, so I will pass as well." Helena likewise knew what he wanted. "Don''t you owe me?" Kang Oh decided to convince her first. "I paid my debt by helping you fight the Evil God Worshippers." "I think you still owe me." "I don''t think so," Helena said decisively. "Then let''s do this." "What?" "Let''s ask the Witch''s Forest for a vote. Ask them whether you still owe me or not." "...You''re a bad man." Both Helena and Kang Oh knew what the oue would be. The Witch''s Forest was made up of good, friendly girls, so they would never forget who saved them. There would be no point in calling for a vote. "Please pay off the rest of your debt by helping me." "Hoo, understood." Helena nodded her head. "I''ll also introduce you to the Divine Dragon, Gainus." Give and take. He had essentially forced her into this, so he had to pay her back appropriately. "Really?" There was only one thing that drew her attention: magic. And the Divine Dragon had reached the pinnacle of magic. "Yes." "Then that changes things. Alright. I''ll do my best." Helena looked excited again. Magic is Better than Food. If she wrote an autobiography, then that''s probably what the title would be. "Thank you." Kang Oh bowed his head, and then stared at Bart. "Now then, Mr. Bart." "Yes?" "Are you afraid of therge guilds?" "You''re not going to convince me with a cheap trick like that." "It''s no trick. It just seems weird to me. I thought you''d appreciate my offer. Instead, you quickly rejected it." "Why''s that?" "This is your chance to give them their just desserts." "I''m worried about the aftermath." "So you are afraid of them." "I''m not." "It seems that way to me." Bart silently stared at Kang Oh. Kang Oh pped, clearing up the atmosphere. ''I can''t keep provoking him. If that won''t work, then... I have to say something shocking and unbnce him. Then, I have to wait for my opportunity.'' "Ah, that''s right. Mr. Bart." "What is it?" "I became a Master." "What?" Bart looked shocked. Helena reacted simrly. Her eyes shook. "Really?" Bart asked, his face inplete disbelief. "How do you think I rose to rank 2? I became a Master, that''s how." "Ah, I thought I''d be the second Master after Dukeram. Damn it." Bart looked disappointed. "How high is your proficiency?" "...98%." "You''re pretty far." "I just need to raise it another 2%." "The final 1% will be the hardest. There''s a wall there, after all." "A wall?" "You didn''t know? Your proficiency won''t rise beyond 99%. So long as you don''t break the wall, that is." Bart bit his lip. It seemed like he really hadn''t known. "Normally, a teacher would tell you this." Just as Vn and Burkan did for him. "My ss doesn''t really have a teacher." Bart was truly a genius. After all, he had gotten this far by himself. "Want to know how to break the wall?" This was his opportunity. "It''s not free, I imagine?" "Give and take." "If it''s nothing big, or a lie, then..." "Then you can refuse my request." "Mm, ok." Ultimately, he managed to draw Bart in too. Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction, and pulled out two pieces of paper from his inventory. "Please take this. These are the dungeons you must liberate." Helena''s paper had information on the Aldebarun Tomb, which was currently owned by the 9th ranked Corruption Guild. On the other hand, Bart was responsible for Demian Pce, which was owned by the 10th ranked Bleach Guild. "How long do we have?" Bart asked. "Three days should be enough, right?" "More than enough." "Not a problem." Bart and Helena replied. "Then let''s do our best," Kang Oh said strongly. "Yes." "Ok." Bart and Helena left. Kang Oh sent Bart a message, detailing how one would go about breaking the wall separating a normal human from a Master. He exined that he needed to aplish a great feat. - What? That''s so simple. You cheated me. I''m not doing it! Bart messaged back. Kang Oh had expected this reaction from him. - It''s not as easy as you think. So I''ll help you aplish that great feat. How does that sound? - Understood. - Good luck. There was no message back. Kang Oh grinned. He could just imagine how much Bart wasining and pouting right now. "I guess I should get going too." Kang Oh stood up. The Dungeon Liberation Movement. ''Let''s do this!'' Chapter 497. Dungeon Liberation

Chapter 497. Dungeon Liberation

Trantor: Boko Aldebarun Tomb was a giant dungeon consisting of three underground floors. It was a popr hunting ground because of the above-average experience and proficiency gain. But that was all in the past. When it was discovered that it housed a soul dungeon, the surroundingrge guilds fought against each other for ownership of the dungeon. The final victor was the 9th ranked Corruption Guild. Aside from them and their allies, the Corruption Guild didn''t allow entry into the dungeon. Eun Kang was a member of the Corruption Guild, as well as a gatekeeper to the Aldebarun Tomb. He and nine other guild members protected the dungeon from outsiders. "Someone''sing," a slightly pudgy man said. Eun Kang saw them too. It was a woman with fluttering red hair. ''I feel like I''ve seen her before. Who is she again?'' At that moment... "This dungeon is owned by the Corruption Guild. You can''t enter, so get lost!" the chief gatekeeper yelled. The woman pulled out her staff and began to chant. "A chant? Battle positions!" the chief gatekeeper yelled. Eun Kang instinctively drew the sword at his waist. ng, ng. Hisrades also drew their weapons. An archer notched an arrow. However... The woman''s lips froze. No way. Had she already finished her incantation? Indeed! Roar! Giant mes surged from her staff. She gathered golden energy in her off-hand as well. me Tempest! Raging Wind! Mighty fire and wind spells were cast simultaneously. "W-What''s going on!?" The chief gatekeeper looked shocked. The power of her spells was already incredible enough, but she had cast two of them at once! Bam! The mes spread everywhere like a wildfire over dry, aridnd, and raging winds blew above them. It all happened in the blink of an eye. "Uheok!" "Holy shit!" Two of them were defeated instantly. Then... Eun Kang remembered who the woman was. There was only one woman with red hair that controlled magic of that scale! "I-It''s Helena!" he yelled. "What?" "The Witch of Annihtion!" "The Numbers!" The chief gatekeeper furrowed his brow. ''It''s Helena?'' Why would someone like Helena show up here? He couldn''t understand her intent. But he was certain that... this didn''t bode well for them. "Buy as much time as you can!" the chief gatekeeper yelled. "Haahp!" "Die, you witch!" The gatekeepers pierced through the inferno and charged at Helena. However, she retaliated with powerful spell after spell, sweeping them away like twigs in a flood. "W-Why?" Eun Kang asked. He somehow managed to be thest one standing. ''Why are you doing this?'' Helena looked at him nonchntly, and then said, "Dungeon Liberation." That was thest thing Eun Kang heard. Roar! He was devoured by a me pir. * * * A glimmering chandelier hung from the ceiling, soft carpet lined the ground, delicate,tticed wallpaper covered the walls, and ornately decorated furniture could be found everywhere. Demian Pce was a beautiful ce. However, dangerous monsters like Blood Knights, ck Maids, etc. could be found here. More importantly, this pce contained a soul dungeon called the ''Bloodstained Torture Chamber''. This soul dungeon was filled with bloodstained prisons and torture devices that''d make your skin crawl. Plus, the resentment of those that''d been tortured gathered here, creating the guardian known as Vengeful Spirit Aurike. Aurike would surrender the soul dungeon to anyone who ''offered him 100 souls''. "Will you offer me 100 souls?" Aurike said huskily. Bart grinned. He was surrounded by the defeated members of the Bleach Guild. They were the guild''s elite members, who''d attempted to stop him, but werepletely annihted instead. "Yeah, I''ll give you 100 souls. So give me the soul stone," Bart said. "Understood." Aurike raised its ckened hands. Whoosh! The dead yers'' souls popped out of their bodies, and were absorbed by Aurike. Give and take. Once the final soul was absorbed, a triangr stone was released from its body. Bart snatched the soul stone, which glowed brightly. The light rippled outwards, and a circr arena appeared thereafter. A Sacred Duel would nowmence, which would determine the owner of the soul dungeon. The Bleach Guildmaster, Kanon, stepped out of the portal. "Let me ask you one thing." "What is it?" "Why are you attacking our guild? I don''t think we''ve done anything to you." Kanon red at Bart loathingly. "You didn''t do anything to me. But..." "But?" "I''m simply liberating the dungeon." Two giant magic circles appeared to his left and to his right, and out came a Fire Giant and an Ice Giant. The Bleach Guildmaster and high ranker, Kanon, looked on in despair. * * * Kang Oh''s target was Lividon Garden. Tons of nt-type monsters, as well as carnivorous nts, appeared there. It was owned by the 7th ranked Festival Guild. Their g stood at the entrance of the dungeon. It was adorned with their symbol, fireworks. However, there was no one protecting the entrance. There was only a warning sign. - Warning: This dungeon is the property of the Festival Guild. You cannot enter unless you have permission. Trespassers will not be forgiven. Kang Oh softly swung Demon Sword Ubist. Swish. The sign fell to the floor. After today, there would no longer be a use for this signpost! Why? Because the dungeon would be free to the public after he was done here. Kang Oh entered the dungeon. [You have entered the dungeon, Lividon Garden.] It was a dense jungle. "A trespasser!" "Didn''t you see the warning sign?" "It doesn''t matter. Kill anyone who trespasses." Lividon Garden was the Darius Squad''s hunting ground. Three members of the squad immediately bombarded him with attacks. Kang Oh merely threw Ubist at them. Weapon Bombardment! Bam! Bam! Bam! There was no need for any other techniques. Once struck by the jet-ck de, his enemies fell. Kang Oh strode forward. A short whileter... Darius and several members of his squad appeared in front of him. "Was it you?" Darius looked Kang Oh over and scowled. Eventually, his expression did aplete 180. "K-Kang Oh?" "Yeah, it''s me." Kang Oh grinned. "Why are you here? You''re not..." Darius recalled the recent hot topic, the Dungeon Liberation Movement. "Yep. Dungeon Liberation." "Mm. You should rethink this. If you back off now, then we''ll let this slide. But if you continue, then... the entire Festival Guild will get involved," Darius said murderously. "Oh man, I''m shivering in my boots." Kang Oh shook exaggeratingly. Darius bit his lip. Kang Oh''s speech and actions were in clear contempt of the Festival Guild. "Are we really doing this?" "Yeah, let''s go." Kang Oh grinned. "Attack!" Darius and his squad rushed at Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh''s strength far exceeded their wildest imaginations. ''N-No way!'' Darius couldn''t help but gape as he saw his subordinates get sliced down without putting up much of a fight. ''How can he be this strong? Yeah, I get that he''s 2nd and all, but still!'' In other words, he and Kang Oh were realms apart. "A-Are you... a Master?" Darius voiced the one and only thing that could exin the overwhelming power disparity. "Yeah. I''m a Master," Kang Oh smiled and said. This wasn''t a fight he could win. "Retreat!" Darius yelled. Darius and his squad members quickly ran away in every direction. "See youter." Kang Oh didn''t pursue them. Sometimeter... The owner of Lividon Garden changed. * * * Arth''s ranking system was unique. It took into ount multiple factors, such asbat ability, skill, wealth, influence, charisma, fame, etc., in order to determine one''s rank. However, Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena were unable to receive a high ''influence'' rating. They weren''t part of the 4 great guilds, nor were they in one of the top 20rge guilds. Despite that, Kang Oh was 2nd, Helena was 5th, and Bart was 6th. This meant that theirbat ability was much higher than the norm topensate for theircking influence. In other words, they possessed enough power to ovee the power of an organization. Large guilds weren''t weak. Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena were just freakishly strong; so much so that they were capable of stealing soul dungeons fromrge guilds. "Good work." Kang Oh beamed as he looked upon Helena and Bart. "I emailed you the video where I stole therge guild''s soul dungeon," Helena said. "Me too," Bart added. "Thank you." "What should we do with the soul dungeons?" Helena asked. "Do with them as you wish. You can take them for yourselves or sell them. But..." "Whatever we choose, you want us to allow anyone to pass through them," Helena said. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. "Understood." "I assume we can''t sell them torge guilds," Bart said. "You can." "We can?" "Yes. In exchange, you have to ensure that they don''t bar anyone from entering the dungeon. Plus, they have to give skilled yers the chance to take ownership of the dungeon. They can''t just keep them out." Kang Oh sought to liberate the dungeons, not ostracize therge guilds. If hepletely ostracized therge guilds, then they wouldn''t sit still. They would probably make a huge fuss, which would be bothersome for him to deal with. "So if we were to sell them to arge guild, we need a definite answer from them or a Sabra''s Contract. Ok." Bart gave him an ok sign. "What''s next?" Helena asked. "For the time being, you two can do as you wish. I don''t need your help right now," Kang Oh said. "Understood. By the way, when can I meet Gainus?" "Soon." "Alright. Well, it seems like we''re done here, so I''ll be going now." Helena stood up. "I''ll get going too." Bart followed suit. Kang Oh sped his fingers together. ''Let''s make this even bigger.'' * * * Gamingworks gained incredible influence when the era of virtual games began. It was because people went wild over these games, where you could see, hear, taste, and feel. Arth''s release only cemented the position of these gamingworks. ''Is this the ce?'' Jae Woo looked up at the skyscraper. It was about the same size as a broadcast televisionwork building. There was a giant sign at the top that said VG. That''s right. This was the second highest rated gamingwork, VG. A short whileter... "Wee." He was greeted by a man with a rough beard and thick, horn-rimmed sses. "My name is Lee Han Cheol." He passed Kang Oh his business card, which stated that he was a producer. "My name is Choi Jae Woo. I go by the ID, Kang Oh." "I know. Thank you for epting our invitation." Han Cheol slightly bowed his head. "I''m grateful for the opportunity to be on VG''s most popr show, the Ranking Show. I asked you to put me on the show as soon as possible, and you amodated me too. I have a lot to say." ''Indeed, I have a ton of stuff to say.'' Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 498. Appearing on the Ranking Show

Chapter 498. Appearing on the Ranking Show

Trantor: Boko VG''s signature program, the Ranking Show, began. Much like the news, it was broadcasted live. "Hello, viewers. This is Kim Ho Seon." "This is Lee Yumi." The program''s MCs bowed their heads. "First, I have something to tell you." "What is it?" Yumi feigned ignorance. "We have an extremely rare guest with us today. So today''s Ranking Show will be a bit different; it''ll be more like a talk show." "Oh my, who did we get?" "I''m sure you''re all curious." "Yes!" Yumi replied. "Alright then, let''s get him in here. Our special guest is none other than Mr. Kang Oh!" p, p, p, p. Jae Woo appeared amidst thunderous apuse. He was wearing a cat mask that concealed the upper part of his face. "Hello. My name is Kang Oh, also known as the Predator." He softly waved his hand. "It''s truly a pleasure to meet you. You finally came on our program," Ho Seon said, sporting a joyous expression. "That goes for me too." Yumi''s hand shot into the air. "It''s nice to meet you too. And I''d like to give my thanks to the production crew for agreeing to my unreasonable request." Jae Woo bowed his head. p, p, p. The staff pped in response. "An unreasonable request... Are you referring to your request to show up on the Ranking Show as soon as possible?" Ho Seon asked. "Yes." "Hoh. It looks like there''s a reason for it." Ho Seon naturally kept the conversation going. "Yes, there is." "What''s the reason?" "Mm. Ms. Ho Seon." "Yes?" "Have you heard of the recent Dungeon Liberation Movement?" "I do, but... Could you please exin it to our viewers who don''t know what it is?" Ho Seon softly pointed at the camera. "Ahem." Jae Woo cleared his throat and continued. "In Arth, there are ownable dungeons called soul dungeons. However, most of these dungeons have already been taken by therge guilds." "Is there something wrong with that? After all, soul dungeons can be acquired by anyone," Yumi asked. She voiced what was on most people''s minds. "Them owning the soul dungeons isn''t a problem." "Then what is?" "What therge guilds do after they obtain them. They prevent regr yers from essing them, force them to pay an entrance fee, or prevent people from taking them away using their power and influence. Not only that, but they also use that same power to steal soul dungeons away from others." "Now then, we''ve prepared a clip that''ll exin this in greater detail. Please take a look." Ho Seon took over and continued with the program. Then, the studio''s giant TV began ying the aforementioned clip. It was a video that depicted the atrocitiesmitted by therge guilds during the process of, or after acquiring a soul dungeon. Sometimeter... The clip ended. "How was it, Ms. Yumi?" Ho Seon stared at her. "It felt unfair." "I felt the same." Ho Seon agreed, and slightly peeked at Jae Woo. ''It''s your turn now!'' "Dungeons belong to everyone. I want everyone to be able to explore them however they wish. yers shouldn''t have to get permission from someone else to do this. Plus, dungeons should be able to exchange hands if a yer takes the proper steps. For example, a yer should be able to buy a soul dungeon for a reasonable price, or be able to win it via a Sacred Duel." "That''s what the Dungeon Liberation Movement is, right?" Ho Seon said whilst smiling. "That''s right. I seek to liberate dungeons under therge guilds'' control." "Have you found any sess?'' "A little." "Now then, let''s take a look at the video that Mr. Kang Oh has prepared for us." Then, the video began ying. It depicted Kang Oh, Helena, and Bart stealing dungeons fromrge guilds. At this moment... The Ranking Show''s chat window went crazy. - It''s Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena. - This is nuts. Three of the Numbers have shown up. - Man, does this make any sense? One person ispletely destroying arge guild. - Holy crap! - Are Helena and Bart involved in the Dungeon Liberation Movement too? - I don''t know anymore. There are three Numbers involved, so it''ll really put therge guilds in a pickle. - Considering how he''s on TV, Kang Oh must have public opinion on his side. - Large guilds. Your time is over. - I really hope so. The Corruption Guild really did a number on me. You awful bastards! The clip ended. p, p, p. Ho Seon pped in astonishment. "Amazing. Putting aside the various issues, your skills are unparalleled." "You won''t see me getting pushed around anywhere." "The other two people are Ms. Helena and Mr. Bart, right?" Yumi asked. "Yes." "Are they involved in the Dungeon Liberation Movement too?" "Yes, they''re helping me." "Wow, then that means three Numbers are working together." Yumi looked shocked. "That''s right. Myself, Mr. Bart, and Ms. Helena liberated Lividon Garden, Demian Pce, and Aldebarun Tomb respectively. Pleasee and visit these dungeons. Anyone can enter them without charge. There''s no entrance fee, and if you''re confident in your skills, then feel free to challenge me, Mr. Bart, or Ms. Helena in a Sacred Duel. Ah, I may also sell Lividon Garden to someone else too. When that happens, you won''t be able to fight me anymore." "Again, the liberated dungeons are Lividon Garden, Demian Pce, and the Aldebarun Tomb. If you haven''t been to them before, why not go and give them a visit? If you y your cards right, you might be able to fight one of the Numbers!" Yumi smiled. "May I ask you what your future ns are?" Ho Seon asked. "For the time being, I n to sit back and assess the situation. I only want dungeons to be avable to everyone; I have no intention of attacking therge guilds." "Then?" "Their guildmasters will have to make a tough decision. My wish is that they open the doors of their soul dungeons and allow anyone to enter freely." "I hope thates to pass. However... Greed isn''t something easily discarded." "True." Greed wasn''t necessarily a bad thing either. It could help motivate someone and move them closer to achieving their goal, after all. "What will you do if they don''t change?" "Mr. Bart, Ms. Helena, and I, as well as anyone who shares my beliefs, will begin liberating the dungeons as shown in the video." "But will therge guilds just sit back and watch?" Ho Seon looked at him concernedly. Therge guilds wouldn''t just sit there as someone takes a piece of their pie. "I''ll have to go as far as I can." "I hope therge guilds make a wise decision," Ho Seon said genuinely. "I have a question." Yumi slightly raised her hand. "Yes, go ahead." "Are you going to liberate the dungeons owned by the 4 great guilds too?" Therge guilds were powerful in their own right, but the 4 great guilds'' power and influence were iparable. "I won''t exclude them. However, if the 4 great guilds agree with my ns, then the rest of the top 20 guilds will follow." "I''ll be watching with great interest." "Yes, please do so." "I hope that things end well for the Dungeon Liberation Movement. I truly do! But Mr. Kang Oh." "Yes?" "I''d like to ask you some Ranking Show questions now." "Go ahead." "You went from rank 4 to rank 2, right? How did you manage that?" "I''m curious about that too," Yumi added. "Are you that curious?" "I am!" Ho Seon and Yumi replied simultaneously. "If you want to know, then please wait until themercial break..." "The Ranking Show doesn''t have any breaks, so please just tell us." Ho Seon interrupted him. "Tch. Is that so? Alright then, why do you think my rank jumped up so suddenly?" Jae Woo answered with a question of his own. "At first, I thought one of the 4 great guilds scouted you. If that happened, then your power and influence ratings would shoot up. But the fact that you started the Dungeon Liberation Movement puts that theory into question," Ho Seon said. "Indeed. I''m not part of a guild." "You acquired some legendary equipment!" Yumi raised her hand and yelled. It was as though she were answering a professor''s question. "I did obtain some new armor, but it doesn''t really factor into my ranking change." "Then what is it exactly? Yes? Did you be a Master or something?" Yumi stretched out her hands, as if she''d strangle him if he didn''t answer her soon. Then, Jae Woo finally answered her. "Ding-ding-ding! I became a Master Swordsman." To be more specific, he became a Master Demonic Swordsman, but he figured that a Master Swordsman was close enough. "Excuse me?" "I beg your pardon?" Ho Seon and Yumi both looked shocked. "Really?" Ho Seon looked at him in disbelief. Kang Oh had joined the Numbers quitete. However, he had surpassed other longstanding yers and be the second Master after Dukeram! "Yes, I''m a Master Swordsman. So if you want to challenge me, then you''ll have to prepare yourself." Jae Woo stared straight at the camera. His gaze was powerful enough, even with the mask concealing his face. ''Yeah, this is a warning.'' That was why he revealed it. He was warning therge guilds or those with deep-seated grudges that he wasn''t to be trifled with. ''If youe at me, then I''ll destroy you!'' * * * This episode of the Ranking Show, with Kang Oh as their guest, was the highest rated episode in history. Once the program ended, everyone went crazy. Arthtory''s message boards were filled with Kang Oh. [Master, my master!] [God Oh. No, just God.] [The appearance of the second Master after Dukeram?] [A look into Kang Oh''s achievements.] [Regarding the Dungeon Liberation Movement.] [The gap between Masters and the other rankers?] ... Arthtory''s chat window was also praising his name. - Take me, bro! - I support the Dungeon Liberation Movement. - List of Kang Oh''s achievements: Defeated the Great Forest''s Wukong, destroyed Red Moon, liberated a dungeon, and became a Master! - What is our guild doing? Mr. Kang Oh said he''s not part of a guild. Hurry up and recruit him! - The second Master, Kang Oh. Does that mean he can face off against Dukeram one on one? - Probably not. Dukeram has the Empire Guild behind him. Plus, he has the Arabas Kingdom too. - Dukeram is the One and Only God. Did you forget what happened when Spear King Hernandez and ck Lion Raon faced him? They gotpletely destroyed. - Hernandez and Raon? How can youpare them to a Master like Kang Oh? - Agreed. Dukeram and Kang Oh would have to fight for us to find out. - Masters have tiers too. The One and Only God, Dukeram, is far greater than someone like Kang Oh. - You''re in the Empire Guild, aren''t you? - In any case, if a Master like Kang Oh is working together with Bart and Helena, then even therge guilds can''t move hastily. - Yeah. It''s obvious that the ones that move first will get beaten down. They''ll probably just wait it out and see what everyone else does. - Then what''ll happen from now on? - Dunno. We''ll just have to see how therge guilds react. - Whatever happens, this is great. Either therge guilds agree with Kang Oh''s terms and show their tails between their legs, or we see them fighting for real. - Agreed. The ''Dungeon Liberation Movement'', words that he''d just thrown out there without any proper consideration, had spread like wildfire. How would these mes be extinguished? They would just have to wait and find out. Chapter 499. Maam Cliff

Chapter 499. Maam Cliff

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had made his stance clear on the Ranking Show. He wanted to liberate dungeons, and keep the pre-established rules set for them. If therge guilds didn''t follow these rules, then he would fight them till the bitter end. What was therge guilds'' reaction to this? The top twenty guilds, which included Lash, Corruption, Bleach, and Festival, remained silent on the matter. On the other hand, the 4 great guilds adopted a wait and see approach. They went with the attitude, ''Let''s see how therge guilds react.''. In any case, the reason therge guilds remained silent was because they had no other choice. Kang Oh, a Master, as well as Helena and Bart, who possessed extraordinarybat prowess even for Numbers, backed the effort. These three had the power to rival, or even surpass the great guilds. Thus, Kang Oh''s statement had a profound impact on them. Moreover, the Dungeon Liberation Movement was backed by the people. In other words, Kang Oh was perfectly justified in his actions. To therge guilds, Kang Oh and the Dungeon Liberation Movement proved to be a huge threat. People looked at their guild members strangely now. However...! They couldn''t obey Kang Oh''smands. There was no way they''d be willing to part with something so profitable. At the same time, they couldn''t refute Kang Oh''s points. Doing so would be the same as dering war. They didn''t want to fight Kang Oh, Helena, or Bart. Plus, they needed time to form a n. Some of the guildmasters had already gathered in one ce. "It''s been a while." "Indeed." "Tch, things have taken a turn for the worse." "Kang Oh. He''s an issue." "So how will we deal with him?" "Mm..." ''Let''s band together and take him on.'' If a few of them banded together, then even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to take them on. However,rge guilds banding together wasn''t as easy as it sounded. "If the don Guild takes the plunge, then we''ll follow." "Oho, so you want me to be the leader?" "That''s not what I''m saying..." "In terms of size and manpower, the Swift Steed Guild..." It was hard for greedy people to work together. In the end, therge guilds couldn''te to a decision, and were forced to remain silent. ''Just as I expected.'' Therge guilds did nothing, intent on maintaining the status quo. What would Kang Oh do now? ''What do you mean? I''ll do as I please.'' He had given them some friendly ''advice''. Kang Oh had asked them to allow Dungeon Hunters entry into their dungeons free of charge. However, they had t out ignored him. ''If words don''t work, then maybe violence will.'' Kang Oh continuously clenched and unclenched his fist. However...! He had something more important to do first. "Let''s go, shall we?" White mes burned in his left hand. It was a Leaf of the Sacred me. If he used this, then he would be transported to the Great Temple of Lava. That''s right. Today was the day that the cksmith God, Orgon, would give him the split source! ''Let''s go.'' Kang Oh tightly gripped the leaf. Then, giant white mes rose from his hand and devoured his body. [You have used the Leaf of the Sacred me.] [You are being transported to the Great Temple of Lava.] * * * Kang Oh was greeted by the sight of a giant statue, the cksmith God himself. His face flushed from the heat of the flowingva all around him. "Greetings, Supreme One." Kang Oh politely bowed his head. Then, he slowly raised his head and said, "Is the taskplete?" "It is." Orgon extended his giant hand, revealing a shiny source at the tip of his index finger. Kang Oh carefully epted the source. It was half the size of the original source, exactly as advertised. However, its shape, that of a star in the night sky, remained the same. "Thank you." Kang Oh ced the source into his inventory. "Deborah has already taken the other half. And you don''t need to thank me. You already paid me for my work," Orgon said bluntly. "Um, excuse me..." "What is it?" "If I bring you a meteorite again, will you make me some equipment?" Equipment forged by the cksmith God would no doubt be incredible. "I can. But you probably won''t be able to use it." "May I ask why?" "I am a cksmith for gods. So everything I make is meant to be wielded by a god." In other words, he had to be a god in order to use his equipment. "If it''s remodeled..." "It most likely can''t be remodeled. There''s no cksmith in this world that''s skilled enough to remodel my equipment." ''Tch.'' Kang Oh had a bitter taste in his mouth. ''How unfortunate!'' "Get going." Orgon waved his hand at him. "Yes." Since he had no more business here, Kang Oh wordlessly left the Great Temple of Lava. * * * In the western grasnds, there existed a mountain range whose summits were perpetually covered in snow. This mountain range was known as the Ruman Mountains. It was the orcs'' territory, a faction that possessed immense power in the western grasnds. And it was here that the Maam Cliff was located, a cliff that was as deep and giant as a well. The cliff was so deep that it was called the Demon Sealing Prison. Most orcs didn''te here. Why, you ask? Because it was dangerous. If they fell in, there was no way to get out. However, there was a group of people there. First, there was an old man whose white hair fluttered in the wind. It was the Divine Dragon, Gainus. The Draco Tribe was beside him. They were a tribe that served dragons. Their faces resembled lizards, but they boasted incredible physical strength and possessed dragon scales. They either carried boulders, or set up borate devices all around the cliff. There were also those that assisted them. They wore shiny te armor with a ck ring embedded in the middle. They were the Church of Death''s pdins. "Please take these over there," Cyndia said clearly, and pointed at an area. "Yes, ma''am," a pdin enthusiastically replied, and carried a log over to the area she pointed towards. "Hoo." Cyndia sighed, and then took a look around. ''Is there anywhere else that needs work?'' Then, she saw Gainus look at his mirror. It seems like Eder was contacting him. Cyndia approached Gainus. "...Yeah, I''ll summon you right away," Gainus said, and immediately tapped his staff onto the ground. Thud! A golden circle glowed across the barrennd. Whir! A pir of light rose from the magic circle, and people appeared in its ce. Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro, as well as a man and woman they''d never seen before had appeared. "Do you have it?" Gainus asked. "I have it right here." Kang Oh passed him the halved source. "Hmm." Gainus briefly looked over the miniaturized source, and then ced it into his subspace. "How far along are your preparations?" Kang Oh asked. "It''ll take a few more days." "Understood. Ah, and these are mypanions that''ll be helping me this time around. I can guarantee their skill." Kang Oh pointed at the man and woman. "My name is Bart." "I am Helena. I always wanted to meet you." The red-haired woman stared at Gainus with sparkling eyes. "Me? Why?" "I wanted to learn magic from you." Gainus looked her over. "You''re pretty good for a human. Fine. When this is all over, I''ll give you a few pointers." "Thank you." "Mr. Kang Oh, this has something to do with me achieving a great feat, right?" Bart asked. At the moment, Bart''s ss proficiency was at 99%. He had finally reached the wall. However, Kang Oh had told him that defeating the Mayanes would fulfill the conditions. Thus, he had gotten Bart to help him. "I''ve defeated a few of the Mayanes before, and all of them were considered great feats." "I''ll trust you." "Please do." Kang Oh turned his gaze away from Bart, and pointed at Cyndia. "This is Ms. Cyndia. She''s a high-ranking priestess from the Church of Death." "It''s a pleasure to meet you." "Yes." "It''s nice to meet you." With this, all of their introductions were over. Kang Oh then said, "Alright then. Mr. Bart, Ms. Helena. Let me exin the traps that we''ve prepared. If you have anything to add, then please feel free." "I will." "Understood." A few dayster... They hadpleted their preparations. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Bart were nowhere to be seen. It was decided that they''d rush in when the Mayanes were spotted. There was a transfer magic circle set up on one side of the cliff. It was set up so that they could teleport to the battlefield whenever/wherever using the magic scrolls that Gainus had provided them with. Eder and Helena remained in Maam Cliff. Eder stayed to make sure the pdins remained healthy, while Helena wanted to spend time with Gainus. "I''ll lure in the Mayanes now." Gainus swung his staff. Whir. A dragon statue popped out of the ground. Gainus cast a few protection spells on the dragon statue. Then, he pulled out the halved source from his subspace and ced it inside the statue''s mouth. At that moment, the dragon statue''s eyes glowed. Whir. White energy spread out. Thus began the luring of the Mayanes! * * * Kabul. Back in the times of the Baiyan Kingdom, it was the third most popted city. It was also called the ''Rat''s City''. There was a giant,plex tunnel underneath the city, much like a maze, which acted as a hideout for those who had been abandoned by the world, or those who were running away and sought refuge. Eight criminal organizations were located here. These organizations were involved in assassination contracts, drugs, theft, etc. This ce was deeply connected with the criminal underworld. It was said that when night came, rats woulde out. Hence the name, Rat''s City. But at some point, residents of Kabul could no longer see these ''rats''. One man, who went through the tunnels out of curiosity, shockingly said, "T-They''re all gone. All of them!" The people couldn''t believe it. Where had all of those rats gone? But there was a man here that could answer this question. His face was covered by white cloth, and only his purple eyes were visible underneath. Tramp, tramp. The man walked along the tunnel, and eventually found himself in front of a shabby door. He opened the door, and found a small pub. There was only one customer there. Like him, his face was covered by cloth. The owner of the pub was nowhere to be found. The man approached the sole customer. The customer''s jade eyes shined. Then, the man removed the cloth, revealing the yful face underneath. "Did you feel it too?" Orga asked. The jade-eyed man, Jigon, firmly nodded his head. "But you''re still going to stay here?" Orga rebuked. "It''s a trap," Jigon said curtly. "I know it''s a trap. But it''s still one of the God of Creation''s sources. I need it," Orga said yearningly. Not long ago... He could clearly feel his source shaking. His source was resonating with the other, calling for him to im it. In other words, if he just followed its call, then he''d find himself another source. "I told you. It''s a trap." Jigon firmly stared at him. "So?" "Don''t do anything." "You know only too well that I can''t do that. The God of Creation''s source is calling me! Moreover... I''ve gathered a lot of fuel." As possessors of the God of Creation''s sources, Jigon and Orga were capable of creating beings. Of course, using this ability required life force, and the two Mayanes had spent a lot of time gathering it. How? By feeding on the trash that gathered in the tunnels underneath Kabul. They were the fuel that recharged their sources. This is also the reason why the city''s ''rats'' could no longer be seen. Jigon and Orga had killed them, and sucked them dry of their life force! "You still can''t go," Jigon said firmly. Now wasn''t the time to act. Plus, it was clearly a trap! "Don''t make meugh. I''m going." Orga turned around. ''It doesn''t matter if it''s a trap. I''ll just have to destroy it.'' "Orga!" Jigon yelled. However, Orga didn''t stop and heed him. "Haa." Jigon watched Orga''s back as he left and sighed. He eventually followed him. He only had so manypanions left. He couldn''t afford to lose any more of them. Chapter 500. Charge

Chapter 500. Charge

Trantor: Boko The Dungeon Liberation Movement was in full swing. Kang Oh, with Sephiro in tow, came to Albation''s Nest. Albations, ostrich-like monsters, spawned in this dungeon. The Albation Egg, which could only be found here, was one of the five greatest delicacies of Arth. At the moment, this dungeon was under the ownership of the 6th ranked Swift Steed Guild. "K-Kang Oh!" The guild''s guards recognized Kang Oh from afar. There was no way they couldn''t. After all, he was one of the Numbers, a Master, and the leader of the Dungeon Liberation Movement! "He''s here. Inform the guildmaster immediately!" "Understood!" The entrance guards lifted their respective weapons. On the outside, they looked resolute, but there were signs of unmistakable fear on their faces. Tramp, tramp. Kang Oh approached them. Tasha, Sara, Sephiro, and Waryong followed from behind. "The guildmaster has given the order. Withdraw into the dungeon," one of the guild members said. "Understood." The guards vanished before Kang Oh''s party even reached the entrance. "Man, look at them go. They run as soon as they see us like we''re some gue," Sephiro said. "So we''re not fighting?" Tasha asked, sporting a dissatisfied expression. She really wanted to let off some steam. "No, we are," Kang Oh said. Why had the guards retreated inside? There was no way they''d just hand over the dungeon to him. ''They want to fight me for real.'' Swift Steed''s guildmaster was probably gathering his most elite members via the soul dungeon''s transfer magic circle. "Let''s go." [Entering the dungeon, Albation''s Nest.] Kang Oh''s party made their way through the dungeon without any resistance, and opened the door to the soul dungeon with a method that''d been revealed to the entire world. "T-There are way too many of them." Sephiro''s voice shook. The giant, ostrich-shaped monster, the Albation Queen, stood in the middle, while countless members of Swift Steed stood around her in formation! He quickly counted how many enemies there were with his hawk eyes. There had to be around 1,000 of them. "Hello." One man made their way through the crowd. He was Steel Steed''s guildmaster, Kwon Rang. Not only was he a renowned Fighter, but he was also a high ranker. "Good of you toe." Kwon Rang confidently stared Kang Oh down. It was only natural. He had brought his entire guild with him! Normally, a guild wouldn''t gather their entire force unless they were battling another guild. After all, no one would be crazy enough to keep their headquarters, businesses, and other dungeons unguarded, now would they? But Kang Oh made it possible. The Dungeon Liberation Movement prevented therge guilds from making any hasty moves, and a few of them had even made an agreement to not attack one another for the time being. "C''mon." Kwon Rang beckoned Kang Oh with one finger, sporting an expression of arrogance. He was singling him out. Tasha couldn''t hold herself back any longer. "You got it!" Her eyes turned red, and red energy gathered in her white hands. ''I''m the Great Forest''s Demon!'' "Are we really doing this?" Sephiro asked, gauging Kang Oh''s reaction. Kang Oh coldly stared at the battlefield and assessed it. Then, he said, "Thanks for the warm wee." "Wee?" Kwon Rang said. "I''d like you to open your dungeon to the public so that anyone can go through it," Kang Oh said calmly. "Shut up and attack. And prepare yourself. No matter how strong you are, you can''t beat the Swift Steed Guild. This is the power of arge guild!" Kwon Rang opened his arms wide. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Steel Steed''s members simultaneously stomped on the ground, causing the ground to shake. The pressure they were exerting was tremendous. "Hmph!" Tasha snorted. She couldn''t hold herself back anymore, and was about to rush in. ''I''ll kill you all!'' However, Kang Oh grabbed her wrist. "We''re leaving," Kang Oh said. A part of him wanted to take them on, but there were too many of them. There were 1,000 of them for god''s sake! Moreover, they were on their enemies'' home turf. "What?" Tasha looked at him in disbelief. ''You want us to go home with our tails between our legs?'' Kang Oh slightly nodded his head, pointed at Kwon Rang with his index finger, and whispered into her ear. "You''ll see him get his just desserts, I promise. So for now, let''s back off." "...Alright." Tasha bit her lip and slightly nodded her head. There was only one person in this world that could stop her: Kang Oh. "Who said we''d let you leave? Boys, attack!" Kwon Rang yelled. "Uwaaahk!" the Steel Steed members shouted and rushed at Kang Oh''s party. At that moment... "Run!" Sephiro, who''d already twisted his waist around, turned fully and rushed for the exit. Waryong and Sara moved quickly too. Kang Oh and Tasha didn''t leave without a parting gift though. Abyss Predator! Red Spear of Judgment! Demon Sword Ubist''s darkness rushed forward like hail, while countless red spears descended on their enemies like rain. "Keok!" "Ugh." "I need healing!" Their power was tremendous. So much so that Steel Steed''s vanguard staggered. Kang Oh and Tasha took advantage of that and ran away. "Catch them!" "Stop right there!" Arrows, magic, and projectile weapons came flying at them from afar, but they weren''t very threatening to the two. While running away, Kang Oh''s party unleashed another barrage of powerful attacks, and then focused on running away. In the end, they were able to get out of the dungeon safely. "Tch." Kwon Rang clicked his tongue. Losing Kang Oh was disappointing. Though they had profited from this endeavor. "Upload the video of Kang Oh running away." That day... A video titled ''Kang Oh runs away from the Swift Steed Guild with his tail between his legs'' was uploaded on the inte. Those who were jealous of Kang Oh, or were quick to judge went ''This is my chance!'' andmented on the video. At the same time, Kang Oh''s supporters did their best to back him withments of their own. - As I thought, even Kang Oh can''t do it. A corner shop can''t beat a huge business. - Swift Steed Guild > Kang Oh. - Kang Oh didn''t even make it to the 4 great guilds and was beaten by the Swift Steed Guild, right? - Are you really bragging that you stopped 1 guy with 1,000 people? - Cowardly Swift Steed Guild. Ptoo, ptoo! - It looks like therge guilds are gonna stop Kang Oh by using mass numbers to their advantage. - I have faith in you, Mr. Kang Oh! Six hours after the Swift Steed Guild uploaded their video, Kang Oh uploaded his own on Youtube. "Hello, this is Kang Oh," he said, disying his jet-ck greatsword. "I was going to liberate the Albation Nest, but I backed off. You might be wondering why. Because there were 1,000 of Swift Steed''s elites waiting for me." At that moment... The camera turned, giving the audience a closer look at the neer. It was a man that was just as famous as Kang Oh. "So what''s your n now?" It was the Genius Gamer, Bart. "Hmm. What do you think?" Kang Oh asked back. "Should we take them on by ourselves?" a calm female voice asked. The woman wasn''t visible on the screen. Step. A red-haired woman, who wore horn-rimmed sses, or Helena, entered the screen. "You two would be a huge help." Kang Oh grinned. "I''m here too." Sephiro raised his hand. "I don''t think you''ll be much help." "What did you say!?" Gyaa! Sephiro and Waryong stepped forward, and stood side-by-side with Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena. "But they''re not the ones I need the most help from. I want your help." Kang Oh stared off into the distance and opened his arms wide. He was speaking to the audience now. "What do you need their help for?" Sephiro asked. "I''m going to make a second attempt at liberating the Albation Nest tomorrow. If there''s any of you out there that want to join me, then pleasee to the Maduria ins by tomorrow at 6:00 P.M. Let''s liberate the dungeon together." Kang Oh emphasized the word ''together''. "Are you afraid that the Swift Steed Guild will strike back? Then pleasee with a mask on in order to keep your identity a secret. However, you muste with a blue band around your wrist. After all, blue is the color of freedom." France''s national g was made up of three colors. And its three colors, blue, white, and red, represented freedom, equality, and benevolence respectively. It represented the mindset of the French Revolution. Thus, blue was the color of freedom. "So what if you''recking in skill or ability? Come and at least get a hit in. You''re not abat ss, you say? Thene and do whatever you can. If you''re a cksmith, sharpen our swords. If you''re a Tailor, then repair our clothes. If you''re an Alchemist, you''re wee to join us too. I''ll buy potions from you!" Kang Oh briefly let his words stew, and then said, "Finally... If you do nothing, then nothing will change. So let''s do this together!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. Bart, Helena, and Sephiro were standing by his side. "Thank you for hearing me out!" That was the end of the video. * * * The next day. Kang Oh, Sephiro, Helena, and Bart made their way to the Maduria ins. Tasha and Sara had returned to their demon sword forms, and were safely stored in his inventory. "How many do you think showed up?" Sephiro asked. "I''m not sure." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. "I''m sure a ton of people came," Bart said. Helena looked like she didn''t care either way. "Really?" Sephiro''s eyes lit up. "Yes. Themunity sites are going crazy. That cringe worthy video you put up... When we were filming that, I felt like I''d throw up. Anyhow, themunity sites are filled with posts talking about that video." "How are people reacting to it?" "There are a ton of people saying they''d be here." "That''s a relief." A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party finally arrived in the Maduria ins. However... "W-What is this?" Sephiro looked shocked. Why, you ask? "Uwaaaaah!" A huge cheer erupted from the crowd. It was as if lightning struck; the crowd''s cheers were loud enough to rupture his eardrums. "It''s Mr. Kang Oh!" "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" There were way too many people here. To put it into perspective, the vast Maduria ins were crammed with people. Some of them wore masks, while others didn''t. However, all of them wore blue bands around their wrists. ''There''re at least 10,000 people here. How many people actually showed up?'' Sephiro gulped. "See? A lot of people showed up." Bart grinned. "There are way too many people here!" Sephiro yelled. "Yeah." Kang Oh nodded his head. He''d gathered a lot more people than he had expected. "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" The people were staring at Kang Oh like sunflowers. "Ms. Helena, please make me a tall tform with your earth magic." Helena immediately cast the spell. Whoosh. The ground Kang Oh was standing on rose into the air. "I cast wind magic to project your voice," Helena said. Kang Oh slightly bowed his head to her, and then stared at the crowd once more. "Hello." Kang Oh''s voice resounded throughout the ins. "Uwaaaah!" The crowd cheered once more. Kang Oh softly waved his hand, and the crowd quieted down. "I truly thank you foring here to help me." Kang Oh bowed his head, and the crowd apuded him. p, p, p! "I was surprised that so many of you came, but our mission hasn''t changed. Dungeon Liberation. Then let''s enter the Albation Nest immediately. Are you all ready? If you are, then please raise your freedom bands into the air." Kang Oh raised his right hand into the air. The blue band fluttered in the wind. At the same time...! Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Countless blue bands rose into the air, fluttering in the wind. It was a magnificent sight. "Myrades and I will stand at the vanguard. Please watch our backs! Now, let''s go!" "Uwaaaaah!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The ground shook as the yers moved in unison! It was time to attack. Chapter 501. Swift Steed Guild vs. the Dungeon Liberation Army

Chapter 501. Swift Steed Guild vs. the Dungeon Liberation Army

Trantor: Boko "How many?" Kwon Rang said angrily. "We can''t know for sure, but it looks like there are at least 100,000 of them," his subordinate carefully said. "What? Are they crazy!?" Kwon Rang yelled. His startled subordinate shrank away and kept his mouth shut. "Mm." Kwon Rang furrowed his brow and bit on a finger. ''100,000, huh...'' Then, he stared at his subordinate once more. "How many do we have?" "We called all of our forces here. We have 10,000 total." "10,000. 10,000, huh... It sounds doable." "Excuse me?" "The peopleing in are just rabble. Moreover, 100,000 people can''t enter the Albation Nest all at once. We can win if we just take out Kang Oh and a few others. And if we win... there''s a lot that we can gain." Kwon Rang''s eyes lit up with greed. What if he used this opportunity to show the world just how powerful the Swift Steed Guild was? The 4 great guilds could be the 5 great guilds once more. Of course, the new guild wouldn''t be the fallen Hercules Guild, but the ''Swift Steed'' Guild. "Where are mymanders?" The Swift Steed Guild had eight squads, each with their ownmander. "They''re all gathered in one ce." "Ok, I''m going." Opportunities are found in times of crisis. All that he was thinking about was ''How shall I deal with Kang Oh and that rabble of 100,000 strong?''. * * * Although the Albation Nest was huge, it wasn''trge enough to fit 100,000 yers all at once. "Anyone focused on support, please stand off to the side." A ton of yers left the main army. These yers consisted of cksmiths, Alchemists, etc. Production sses that weren''t focused onbat. "The rest of you, please buy whatever you need from them, or prepare yourselves for the battle ahead." "Yes!" "Anyone who''s between level 300 and 400 with abat ss, step forward," Kang Oh yelled. Thousands of yers stepped forward. Kang Oh looked them over. He saw some renowned rankers amongst them. Even those he didn''t recognize looked quite confident. "You''re in charge of the first corps." "Yes." They responded simply or nodded their heads. After that, Kang Oh, with the help of hispanions, formed nine squads of 10,000 each. Those with wide-scale Command skills were givenmander or vicemander roles. "The first, second, and third corps will enter the dungeon. When the battle begins, the remaining corps will trickle in one at a time." If they incurred losses in the first, second, or third corps, then the remaining troops would fill in. "Yes!" they replied. Kang Oh smiled satisfyingly, and extended his right hand, which held the blue armband. "First, second, and third corps, advance!" "Uwoooh!" * * * Kang Oh was able to enter the soul dungeon without any interference. As soon as he entered, however, a powerful barrage of magic came flying at him. "...mes of death!" "...Force of the earth!" "...Thousand Chain Lightning!" It was the mages in Swift Steed''s Owl Squad. Bam, bam, bam! Giant mes surged, the ground cracked, and lightning bolts branched out a thousand times. "Uhahk!" "Keok!" The low-level yers melted instantaneously. "Hedgehog Squad! Attack!" Swift Steed''s Hedgehog Squad was made up of archers. He supposed that their name was representative of how their enemies would look after they were done with them. Whizz, whizz, whizz, whizz! Arrows filled the sky! "Protect yourselves!" "Raise your shields!" "Don''t just sit there! Fight back!" The Liberation Army''smanders yelled. Frontline fighters raised their shields, while the mages began to chant. The archers hid behind their shield-bearers and notched arrows. Their most skilled yers rushed forward. They avoided the spells and deflected any arrows that came their way. Of course, Kang Oh was part of this force. He held Ubist and Sarahoff in his hands. ''It''s time to feast.'' In total, the Swift Steed Guild had 10,000 members. To Kang Oh, that was nothing more than a buffet. "Hohoho." Tasha was excited too. She gathered red energy in her hands, and shot it everywhere. "You bastard!" The two armies'' vanguards shed. Kang Oh swung his demon swords one after another. Swish, sh, swish, sh! He repeatedly unleashed sharp, powerful attacks! "Huh?" "Heok." There were very few who could stop him. It was only natural. Not only was he a Master Demonic Swordsman, but his demon swords were overpowered, he''d stolen a ton of stats so his stats were way higher than anyone else''s, and he also had his Hyper Intuition to boot! He was worth a hundred warriors. "It''s Kang Oh! Kang Oh''s over here!" "Catch him! I''ll give whoever catches him a huge reward and a high post!" Kwon Rang yelled. Then, Swift Steed''s rankers stepped forward. "Who do you think you''re attacking!?" Tasha''s eyes lit up with rage. She stood right beside Kang Oh. Fresh Blood Wave! Annihting Thorn! Red Spear of Judgment! Tasha began unleashing powerful blood attacks one after another. Bart, Helena, and Sephiro began to take things seriously too. Helena used her specialty, Double Casting! Powerful spells repeatedly shot out of her fingertips or her staff. Bart was a jack of all trades. He cut through anyone who attacked him, and dealt with the long-range damage dealers with long-range spells or skills of his own. It was too easy for him! Meanwhile, Sephiro shot arrows at his enemies with perfect uracy, and Waryong flew around, spewing mes at their enemies. At the same time...! The Liberation Army''s first corps, which consisted of their very best yers, was doing work. The middle ranker, Bravo, swung his giant axe, killing a member of the Swift Steed Guild. A female assassin, Chocte Candy, who wasn''t known or recognized on the ranking board, had already killed more than ten of them. However... "Hahaha, these guys are so weak!" "Trample them!" The second and third corps were indeed rabble. They were gettingpletely destroyed by their enemies. In exchange, the second and third corps fought bravely. They were all freedom fighters that fought under the banner of ''Dungeon Liberation''. "I''ll die after I get one more hit in." "Hey, attack him while I''m keeping him busy!" "You can''t pass!" The second and third corps engaged in an intense dogfight. Though their HP was at the brink, they grabbed onto their enemies'' hair or ankles while gritting their teeth. That allowed theirpanions to attack their enemies unimpeded. "You insects!" "Don''t fight back. Just die!" "Let''s die together!" "Dungeon Liberation!" The intense battle continued. However, the quality of their troops was beginning to show. The second and third corps dwindled quickly. However, there was no despair painted on their faces. "I''ll be going ahead. I''ll be waiting for you!" "I''ll catch up to you soon!" "I''ll leave the rest to you!" Their faith was rewarded. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! The fourth and fifth corps had entered the soul dungeon. There were 20,000 of them. And they still had the sixth, seventh, eighth, and ninth corps left. It was said that you couldn''tpete with sheer numbers. There were some exceptions, but they were right most of the time. This instance counted as part of the majority. "Damn it!" "You persistent bastards!" "There are too many of them!" The Swift Steed Guild was slowly crumbling. * * * Kwon Rang''s assessment had been right on the money. The Liberation Army was indeed filled with rabble. On the other hand, the Swift Steed Guild was filled with countless skilled warriors that''d ovee adversity time after time. No matter how many there were, they should win ten times out of ten. Moreover, the dungeon was too small for them to take advantage of their sheer numbers. After all, it couldn''t fit all 100,000 of them at once. In other words, they only had to fight a small portion of the Liberation Army at a time! There was no reason they should lose! ''So why!?'' Kwon Rang bit his lip. It was as if he could hear his loss approaching. ''Why!? Why!? Why!? Why is this happening?'' Honestly, he knew the answer already. It was due to Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena! They were killing all of his rankers. It was like a scene out of the Three Kingdoms! It was as if Xu Chu, Guan Yu, and Zhang Fei were killing enemymanders. Each of them were worth a hundred, no, a thousand warriors! Theypletely overwhelmed his forces, so much so that he couldn''t help but think this. If you wanted to deal with Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena, then you needed people that were on the same level as them, or defeat them using overwhelming numbers. However, the Swift Steed Guild didn''t have the numerical advantage, and no one on their side was skilled enough to deal with Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena. He had made a mistake. Kwon Rang had mistakenly believed that if several rankers attacked them simultaneously, then his men would win. Even he, a high ranker, would have trouble dealing with five or six rankers at a time. But no matter how many rankers came at them, the results would remain the same. The gap between them was too wide. With no other choice avable to him, Kwon Rang and his elite guard attacked Bart. However, he had aplished nothing but getting his elite guard killed. The Albation Queen had been defeated long ago by Helena''s magic bombardment. What about Kang Oh? He was absolutely speechless. Kang Oh had already killed four of themanders that they were so proud of. He couldn''t even count how many of their rankers had died by his hand. There were just too many of them. He was way too strong. So much so that he couldn''t even begin toprehend it. ''Was there always such a huge difference between a Master and a regr yer?'' At that moment... Kang Oh finally appeared before Kwon Rang. There had been no one that could stop him. "You have a nice item equipped." Kang Oh''s eyes lit up with greed. Jet-ck energy rose from his body. He had already used Gluttony, which tripled his abilities. Kwon Rang raised his fist. Normally, he went aroundparing himself to the Spear King, Hernandez, calling himself the Fist King. But at this moment, his fists felt much too small. Still... ''Whatever, I don''t care anymore!'' "Die!" Kwon Rang desperately yelled, and rushed at Kang Oh. However, the miracle he was hoping for didn''t happen. Stab! Demon Sword Sarahoff''s long, purple de pierced through Kwon Rang''s heart. "Ugh." Kwon Rang grimaced in pain. "See youter," Kang Oh whispered. Bam! Once he pulled out Sarahoff, Kwon Rang''s face turned gray, and his body fell to the floor. "We won!" Kang Oh yelled. "Uwaaaah!" the Liberation Army cheered. "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" Victory was always so sweet. * * * Kang Oh was given the soul stone by the Albation Queen. But because Kwon Rang didn''t ept the Sacred Duel and surrendered, he was immediately given ownership of the soul stone. "Brothers, we have liberated the Albation Nest." Kang Oh raised his right hand into the air, and the Liberation Army followed suit. Their blue armbands fluttered in the air. "So how are you going to deal with the soul dungeon?" Sephiro asked. He had promised to ask this question beforehand. "That''s a good question. Since everyone worked together to liberate this dungeon, it doesn''t feel right that I take ownership of it." "Then?" someone in the crowd said. "Mr. Man Bok, pleasee out." A chubby man with a good-natured face came out of the crowd. "Oh? It''s Mr. Man Bok!" "Uwaah, it''s Mr. Man Bok!" The people relished in his appearance, and waved their hands at him. Man Bok was famous for his personality and his reputation. He was the type of person that you''d think of if you said ''a good merchant'' or a ''good-natured merchant''. "I''ll leave the Albation Nest with Mr. Man Bok. I''ll remain as the proxy for the Sacred Duel. Mr. Man Bok, please tell people how you''re going to manage the soul dungeon." "Hello, everyone. You did something truly amazing here today. The Albation Nest belongs to you all, so I''ll put all of the rewards into improving the dungeon." "What does that mean?" someone asked. "I will buy the materials thate out of the dungeon. I''ll use that money and the money that naturallyes out of the dungeon to increase the respawn rate of the monsters, increase the quality of the loot they drop, and increase the proficiency/experience they give. I''ll use the repel points to strengthen the guardian and expand the dungeon. Of course, all of this information will be revealed to the world." "In other words, the Albation Nest will slowly be a better hunting ground. Of course, anyone can use it as they please," Kang Oh added. "Uwaaaah!" Their cheers resounded throughout the nest. There were some that screamed Kang Oh and Man Bok''s names at the top of their lungs. A short whileter... Kang Oh raised his hand and slowly calmed them down. "Thank you for your cheers. However... The Swift Steed Guild still has three other soul dungeons. I can''t liberate them by myself. So please help me again." Kang Oh nned on going all the way. He had to. ''If I want things to go ording to n, that is.'' Chapter 502. Fall of the Swift Steed Guild

Chapter 502. Fall of the Swift Steed Guild

Trantor: Boko The Swift Steed Guild''s remaining soul dungeons were the Lava Lake, Halidin''s Laboratory, and the Gray Clocktower. Kang Oh led the Liberation Army towards Lava Lake. "Urgh! Why are you going after us!? What did we do to you anyway!?" Kwon Rang gritted his teeth and yelled. "Dungeon Liberation," Kang Oh replied curtly. However, his thoughts were different. ''I''m making an example out of you.'' Even Kang Oh couldn''t fight all of therge guilds. Thus, he would make it clear that doing as he asks and liberating the dungeons would be easier for everyone. The Swift Steed Guild was just an unfortunate victim. "The Swift Steed Guild will never fall. Moreover..." A handsome man stood beside Kwon Rang. He was a famous yer known as Gradon, the guildmaster of the 12th ranked Gradon Guild. "Hmm." Gradon carefully looked Kang Oh over. "The Gradon Guild will fight with us," Kwon Rang yelled. "Remember your promise," Gradon whispered into Kwon Rang''s ear. There was nothing free in this world. Gradon was obviously helping the Swift Steed Guild because it would be beneficial to him. In exchange for his help, the Swift Steed Guild had promised him a substantial sum. "Of course." Kang Oh carefully assessed his enemies'' forces. ''That many... It''s worth a shot.'' Why? On their way here, more and more yers wearing blue bands joined them. The Liberation Army had swelled to 150,000 strong. Him relinquishing ownership of the Albation Nest, as well as the promise that it''d be made into a hunting ground for all yers, had drawn them in. Those who''d been watching on the sidelines were moved by Kang Oh''s speech, and joined the Dungeon Liberation Movement. They were just going with the flow, or following their friends. In any case, their numbers gradually increased. By the time they were done with Lava Lake, and were on their way to the other two dungeons, they might surpass 200,000 strong. "Liberate your dungeon. If you do, we''ll leave," Kang Oh said. "Don''t make meugh! I''ll kill you all!" Kwon Rang yelled. Now it wasn''t an issue of whether their dungeons were stolen or not. It was a battle of pride. Could they regain the pride they''d lost or not. If he backed off now, then he was sure that his guild would lose its dignity. The Swift Steed Guild would be a house of cards that no one was afraid of. "I guess you''re not open to negotiations. Let''s go! Liberate the dungeon!" Like the Albation Nest, the Lava Lake wasn''trge enough to amodate all 150,000 of the Liberation Army at once. Thus, they decided to adopt the same strategy asst time; they would split their army into pieces and enter a few at a time. Kang Oh and the first, second, and third corps rushed at the Swift Steed and Gradon Alliance. ng! ng! ng! ng! Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! The sound of metal upon metal, arrows flying through the air, and magic smashing against each other and exploding resounded throughout the battlefield. Rat-a-tat-tat! The Gradon Guild''s proud Giant Knight Order charged at Kang Oh. Fierce Charge! A thick dust cloud rose into the air. ''I can''t use Gluttony, but I can use...'' Kang Oh activated Devil Trigger with Ubist and Sarahoff in hand. He became a Dual Demon, one possessing a jet-ck beast mask and ice horns! "Haahp!" Kang Oh unleashed skill after skill at the Giant Knight Order. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Abyss w! Tempest Tiger! Ice, darkness, and wind swept through everything in front of him. Bam! Whoosh! Whoosh! Those at the forefront of the knight order fell onto the floor. To think he''d be able to blow away their heavily armed knights all at once! The skills he used possessed incredible power, yes, but he wasn''t able to stop the entire knight order with just three attacks. The remaining knights rushed at Kang Oh like a torrent of water. At that moment... Dragon''s Fury! He activated his Avenger set''s special ability. Gray energy swirled around Kang Oh''s body, and then rose into the air. Was this what it would look like to see a dragon ascending into the heavens? However, that wasn''t the end of it. Kang Oh swung Ubist next. Abyss Predator! A ck predator appeared that consumed everything in its path! The ck beast opened its gigantic mouth and devoured Kang Oh''s enemies. Dragon''s Fury and Abyss Predator! Boom! The two resulted in a massive explosion. The shockwave itself was enough to cause those nearby to fall onto the ground. Then what about the Giant Knight Order, who''d been hit by them directly? "Ugh." "I need healing!" "Uaaahk!" They incurred severe casualties. It looked like 1/3 of them had died on the spot. The rest of them had sustained injuries bothrge and small. However, the Giant Knight Order were elites that symbolized the Gradon Guild. The survivors gritted their teeth and attacked Kang Oh once more. Their attacks boasted great speed and precision! It seemed like their sharp des would cut him into pieces. Their eyes were filled with killing intent. "Hoo." Kang Oh quickly caught his breath, and concentrated. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Kang Oh just barely managed to dodge their attacks. He immediately counterattacked while they were vulnerable. He was using Hyper Intuition to its fullest, which both warned him of danger, and pointed out his opponents'' weak points. "H-Holy shit!" "He''s a monster!" Their attacks had fallen upon him like rain, yet Kang Oh had dodged all of them whilst counterattacking. The knight order waspletely shocked at this turn of events. But because Kang Oh couldn''t use Gluttony right now, he couldn''t take care of the Giant Knight Order as fast as he''d expected. Of course, Sarahoff''s special ability, Frost Demon''s Domain, made it so that the battle turned in his favor the longer it dragged on. "Send more elites to deal with Kang Oh!" Kwon Rang yelled. ''We have to take care of Kang Oh no matter what!'' Swift Steed''s rankers, which had previously been in by Kang Oh, stepped forward once more. ''We''ll take you down this time!'' They, in tandem with the Giant Knight Order, attacked Kang Oh. "C''mon, all of you!" Kang Oh moved even quicker than before. It was a beautiful sight to an onlooker, to see a warrior moving with no superfluous movements. Sword Parry! sh! Even basic skills became deathblows when used by him. Bam! He parried a knight''s de, and split his thick armor with sh. Transcendent de! Sarahoff was so fast that it couldn''t be seen by the naked eye. However, the purple long sword had already killed three of the knights. "You demon!" "You monster!" The Giant Knight Order had their hands full fighting Kang Oh. Swift Steed''s rankers didn''t make much of a difference. Kang Oh was a predator at the top of the food chain! Bart, Helena, Sephiro, etc. fought even harder here than they did at the Albation Nest. Why? The alliance between the tworge guilds had increased how many skilled members they had. Whoosh! Boom! Roar! Bart''s Fire Giant swung its giant fist, sweeping through the enemies'' ranks. Then, another summon appeared amidst the Swift Steed and Gradon Alliance. To put it simply, it was a giant sand spirit. The giant sand spirit and the Fire Giant shed head-on. Fists of sand and me went back and forth. The margin of victory was razor-thin. "Everyone, I''m going to summon another one!" Bart summoned an Ice Giant next. Then, the Lava Lake''s guardian, a giant gori, engaged it. The Ice Giant and the gori took turns striking each other''s face. It was as if they were having apetition of whose fist was stronger. However, finishing the battle wouldn''t be an easy task. "Hmm." Bart simultaneously controlled the giants and killed anyone that came his way. The Witch of Annihtion, Helena, couldn''t use her magic as freely as before. Swish! Swish! There was a man who quickly circled around her. He was the Gradon Guild''s vice-captain, Itachi, and was an assassin that wielded a scythe. Itachi was apanied by the Weasel Squad, which were so skilled at taking down mages that they were called Mage Hunters. Of course, Helena was on apletely different levelpared to the mages they normally hunted. If the Weasel Squad let down their guard for even a moment, then they''d be barbecued alive, frozen, struck by lightning, etc. They could even be buried in the ground. On the other hand, if Helena let down her guard, then she would be in danger too. No, she had already been put in danger a couple of times. ''I should''ve brought some of my little sisters with me.'' She thought of the Blue Knight, Plum, the Wind Tracker, Dambi, the Druid, Yericka, etc. If they were with her, then she wouldn''t be in this situation right now. Well, they weren''t with her right now, so she''d just have to deal with this herself. Overload! This secret technique simultaneously increased the power of her spells and their MP cost. To add to that... Double Casting! "Die, you insects!" Her true character was showing. Aah, my condolences, you poor, poor weasels! * * * "Mm." Gradon scratched his cheek. Then, he reluctantly said, "Gradon Guild, retreat!" "What?" Kwon Rang, who was attacking with his fist, looked shocked. "Retreat? What are you talking about?" Kwon Rang yelled. "My apologies, but we''ll be taking our leave. I didn''t think they''d be this strong." Gradon looked at Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena, and shook his head. He also looked fed up with the swarm of Liberation Army troops. "That''s not what you promised!" "Promise, huh... I think I''ve done my part. You''re not asking us to go down with you, are you?" Kwon Rang bit his lip. "Gradon Guild, retreat!" Gradon turned away from Kwon Rang and yelled. "R-Retreat!" The Gradon Guild members yelled simultaneously. There were several ways out of Lava Lake. Gradon''s guild members headed for one of the many exits. At that moment... Kang Oh cut down three of the rankers that came at him and sprung forward, blocking Gradon''s way. "Where do you think you''re going?" Gradon scowled. "Can''t you just let us go?" "No." Kang Oh quickly looked over his equipment. ''Gairus''s Ring. It''s an SS-rank ring with a resurrection ability!'' This ring was renowned for its ability to revive its wielder upon death, much like the Cassio Ring. What if he were to take possession of that ring? ''It''d be amazing!'' Kang Oh looked at him with eyes like an eagle swooping down on its prey. ''Give me your ring!'' "I don''t want to die. Is there any way you''ll let me go?" "Your ring!" Kang Oh pointed at Gradon''s right hand. More specifically, he was pointing at the ring with a giant emerald embedded in it. "That''s a bit..." "Then die!" ''And please drop that ring on the way out!'' "W-Wait! In exchange, we''ll liberate all of our dungeons." "What?" "The Gradon Guild will liberate all of our dungeons. So stop attacking the Gradon Guild!" Gradon yelled. "Wow, the Gradon Guild surrendered." "Holy crap!" "As expected of Mr. Kang Oh!" The crowd cheered. Whereas Kang Oh scowled. ''Clever guy.'' He couldn''t kill Gradon anymore. "Tch, go. And keep your promise." Ultimately, Kang Oh got out of his way. "Understood." Gradon quickly left Lava Lake. Then, Kwon Rang raised the white g. "We lost. We''ll liberate all of our dungeons." "It''s already toote for that," Kang Oh said coldly. "What are you..." "The Swift Steed Guild is at its end." "What did we even do to you... Are you really going to see this through!?" "We''re not going to finish you. Anyhow, give me your soul dungeon and then leave." Kang Oh waved his hand. "Mm." With a heavy heart, Kwon Rang gathered the remaining survivors and left Lava Lake. Kang Oh then led the Liberation Army towards the Gray Clocktower and Halidin''s Laboratory. They were met with no resistance, and were able to take the soul dungeons easily. "Mr. Man Bok will manage the Lava Lake, the Gray Clocktower, and Halidin''s Laboratory. They will, like the Albation Nest, be dungeons that everyone can enjoy." Kang Oh raised his hand into the air. "Uwaaaah!" Their cheers were so loud that it seemed like they''d reach the heavens themselves. It was here that a festival took ce. They created bonfires everywhere, and the production sses were busy at work. Especially the chefs! There was plenty of mouth-watering food, fruit juice, and alcohol here. They all ate, drank, hugged each other, and sang songs through the night. The next day. There was shocking news. Swift Steed had been absorbed by the Storm Guild. Plus...! "The Storm Guild supports the Dungeon Liberation Movement. Thus, we will liberate all of our dungeons," Storm''s vice-captain, Han Seol, dered. Just as nned! Kang Oh grinned, and remembered what he''d discussed with Hernandez and Han Seol. Chapter 503. Let’s Free All of the Dungeons

Chapter 503. Let''s Free All of the Dungeons

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had met with Hernandez and Han Seol after he''d retreated from the Albation Nest. To be more specific, it was right after the Swift Steed''s video was uploaded onto the inte. He visited the Storm Guild''s mansion in the Goddess''s Land. ''I have to turn the Dungeon Liberation Movement into a phenomenon that no one can ignore.'' Therge guilds were essentially the establishment. Given how profitable they were, there was no way they''d let the soul dungeons slip through their fingers. It was only natural thatrge guilds like Swift Steed would put up a fierce resistance. However, Kang Oh couldn''t deal with every singlerge guild by himself. It would prove to be too tiresome and too hard. Thus, he wanted them to liberate their dungeons on their own ord. How? First... ''I have to make an example of one of them. If they don''t agree to my terms, then terrible things will happen to them.'' Then... ''I have to make the 4 great guilds, thergest organizations in Arth, agree to my terms. That way, it''ll make it clear that there''s no stopping the Dungeon Liberation Movement.'' That was Kang Oh''s n. Thus, he went to the Storm Guild, which he was already acquainted with. Hernandez and Han Seol were like a needle and thread. They were always together. "It''s been a while." Hernandez looked him over. Kang Oh could almost feel his jealousy. ''Jealous, huh...'' He must know he''s a Master now via the Ranking Show. ''I''m sure you''re jealous. After all, I''m a Master, and you''re not.'' "Yeah, it has." Kang Oh grinned. Hernandez slightly furrowed his brow. He didn''t like Kang Oh''s smile one bit. "Why have youe?" Han Seol asked. "I came to make a deal," Kang Oh replied. "What kind of deal?" "I want the Storm Guild to let ordinary yers into their dungeons. Also, I want you to formally support the Dungeon Liberation Movement," Kang Oh said proudly. Despite how shameless he was, Han Seol''s expression didn''t shift at all. She was the very definition of a poker face. "You said it was a deal, so what do we get for helping you?" Han Seol asked calmly. "If there''s nothing, then... get lost," Hernandez said. He could hear a little bit of annoyance in his voice. ''Tch, tch. If you''re jealous, just say so.'' Kang Oh looked at Hernandez and curtly said, "The Swift Steed Guild." "What?" Hernandez furrowed his brow. ''What about the Swift Steed Guild?'' "I need more details." "Please speak!" Han Seol said. "I''ll give you a chance to swallow the guild whole." "How?" "I''ll tell you if you ept my deal." "If we don''t ept your deal, then you''ll give that offer to the other guilds, I presume?" Han Seol asked. She knew Kang Oh so well. Han Seol was truly gifted at reading people. Kang Oh just grinned. Hernandez and Han Seol locked eyes, and whispered to each other. "Do you think he''s telling the truth?" Hernandez asked. The Swift Steed Guild was ranked 6th. It was mouth-watering prey. As long as they didn''t get a stomach ache after eating it, that is. "I don''t think he''s lying. He was like this when we took down the Hercules Guild." Kang Oh and the Storm Guild had briefly worked together during the Ecle War. They had both done so for their own benefit. As a result, one of the 5 great guilds had fallen, and the Storm Guild had absorbed the Hercules Guild''s dungeons, businesses, etc., which resulted in a huge profit on their part. On the other hand, Kang Oh had gotten revenge for Asu''s death, and had also gained ess to Furon Underground Cave. This dungeon yielded the Gold Bean, which was a material needed to create Elixium. "We''ll... listen to what you have to say," Hernandez said. "Have you agreed to the deal?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah. But if it''s some ridiculous, far-fetched n, then... prepare yourself." "Yeah, sure. But no take backs." "Sure, as long as the n''s good." After that, Kang Oh exined to them what he''d do in the future. He would use his name and ''Dungeon Liberation'' as justification to gather people, and would also get Bart and Helena to help him too. Together, they would take every single one of Swift Steed''s soul dungeons. Since the Swift Steed Guild was putting all their resources into protecting their soul dungeons, if they and Kang Oh''s forces shed, there would be a huge fight. "In other words, we just need to bide our time and attack when the time is right?" Hernandez said after listening to hisplete exnation. "Yeah. If you time it right, then you''ll probably be able to enter their headquarters scot free. Moreover, everyone will be so focused on the Dungeon Liberation Movement that they won''t really notice you taking over their guild. Since they''d be fighting against the people, no one would want to help them too." Kang Oh grinned. The Swift Steed Guild had messed with the wrong person. How dare they put up a video insulting him!? He had been looking for the perfect target to make an example out of, and lo and behold, the perfect target had appeared. "We don''t have to worry about any future problems then. What do you think?" Hernandez stared at Han Seol. She was in such deep thought that she didn''t reply right away. Han Seol was thinking about whether the n had merit, what would happen after they took control of the Swift Steed Guild, etc. "Hmm." Han Seol slowly spoke up. "It''s not a bad deal for us." "Right?" Hernandez interjected immediately. The deal was so good for them that it was actually suspicious. Was he cheating them? However, this was a deal presented by Kang Oh himself. They had done business with him before, so they had a certain level of trust in him. "If things go ording to Mr. Kang Oh''s n, then we can take control of the Swift Steed Guild, and if things go awry, then we can just stay here. If we can absorb the Swift Steed Guild, then... liberating the dungeons isn''t a loss. We don''t have a lot of dungeons that charge an entrance fee, and we have enough power to keep our dungeons safe." "You''re right. But do you think things will really go ording to n?" Hernandez stared at Kang Oh passionately. ''Please make it so!'' "They will," Kang Oh dered. "Ok. Then if things go ording to n and we absorb the Swift Steed Guild, then we''ll liberate our dungeons and throw our support behind the Dungeon Liberation Movement." "Keep your end of the deal. If you don''t, then you''ll have another Master besides Dukeram on the opposite side. Bart and Helena will be your enemies too." Kang Oh didn''t forget to give him onest warning. After all, people felt a lot different before and after going to the bathroom. "Of course." "We''ll keep our promise no matter what." Han Seol and Hernandez replied simultaneously. With this, the deal between Kang Oh and the Storm Guild was established. After that, the Storm Guild followed through with their promise. Once they absorbed the Swift Steed Guild, they liberated all of their dungeons. Plus, they threw their support behind the Dungeon Liberation Movement. * * * Everything had gone ording to n. Kang Oh and his supporters had liberated Swift Steed''s soul dungeons. Plus, the Storm Guild had absorbed the aforementioned guild, liberated their dungeons, and thrown their support behind the Dungeon Liberation Movement. Therge guilds could stay silent no longer. Why? Because if they didn''t agree to Kang Oh''s terms, then they might be the next Swift Steed Guild. He had made a good example out of them. Moreover, the Storm Guild, which was not onlyrger, but had more power and influence than therge guilds, had liberated their dungeons and had thrown their lot in with Kang Oh and the Dungeon Liberation Movement. They couldn''t afford to defy or ignore the Dungeon Liberation Movement anymore. In the end...! The Gradon Guild, which was the first to surrender to Kang Oh and liberate their dungeons, was the first domino to fall. Otherrge guilds soon followed in their footsteps and opened their dungeons to all yers. "As the yers desire, the Festival Guild will open all of its dungeons to yers." "From this day forward, the Bleach Guild will open all of its dungeons to the public!" "The Corruption Guild..." Of course, there were a few guilds that held out till the bitter end. However...! "Could you tell us about the Dungeon Liberation Movement in detail?" "The soul dungeons were designed to make it more fun to y the game. Moreover, soul dungeons rely on yers to grow and expand. It''s like a butterfly and a flower. They both depend on each other!" Hoo. Kang Oh briefly caught his breath, and continued the interview. "That''s why restricting ess to the dungeons or demanding an entrance fee like therge guilds have done is wrong. Keeping people from challenging the owner of the soul dungeon via a Sacred Duel is also wrong." "Why is that? Is it so strange that an owner is trying to guard their house?" "Soul dungeons aren''t houses; they''re content meant to be enjoyed by all yers. Mm... They''re like amusement parks. Everyone has to be given a chance to own their own soul dungeon! This is the true message behind the Dungeon Liberation Movement. Thankfully, severalrge guilds have already liberated their dungeons, correcting their mistakes. However..." Kang Oh let his words stew. This is where he gives his true message! "There are still a few guilds that haven''t heeded my message and are still out there doing bad things. You all know what guilds I''m talking about. I''ll give you onest warning. Liberate your dungeons. If you don''t, then I''ll punish you. You''ll face the same fate as the Swift Steed Guild." Kang Oh went on various programs to send these remaining hold outs a warning, causing them to immediately liberate their dungeons. With this, all of the dungeons they owned could now be explored by anyone! However, Breaker, Steel Heart, and Empire were still left. The Empire Guild didn''t have any soul dungeons. When they participated in the Arabas Civil War, the Storm Guild had taken all of them away from them. Ultimately, the only ones left standing were Breaker and Steel Heart. It was time for Kang Oh to negotiate with them. The Breaker Guild was first on his agenda. "Please liberate your dungeons." "Why do we have to do that?" ck Lion Raon asked. He was the only lion man amongst yers. "Because it''s more beneficial to you." "More beneficial? Are you going to give us a present like you did with the Storm Guild?" "I''m your present." Kang Oh pointed at himself. "Fine. If we get you, then liberating the dungeons is..." "Ah, that''s not what I''m saying." Kang Oh quickly waved his hands. "Then?" "You''ll have a good rtionship with me." "How is that beneficial to us?" Raon sped his hands together and stared at Kang Oh. It was clear that he wouldn''t allow any foolish talk. "As you know, I''m quite close to the Storm Guild." It was a business rtionship, but to an outsider, it looked like he and the Storm Guild were friends. He had helped them with the Hercules Guild and the Swift Steed Guild, after all. "It certainly seems that way." "If the Storm Guild and the Breaker Guild fight, which side do you think I''ll take?" Kang Oh grinned. ''Please take a guess.'' "Mm." Raon furrowed his brow. He would definitely help the Storm Guild. However, he couldn''t bring himself to say it out loud. "If I help the Storm Guild, then I''ll bring Bart or Helena along no matter what." Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena were like one set. None of them were part of arger organization, and they had worked together oftentely. Raon considered Kang Oh, Bart, and Helena the third great power, aside from the 4 great guilds and therge guilds. "And if we have a good rtionship with you?" "I''ll stay out of any fight between Storm and Breaker. Or perhaps..." "Depending on the situation, you may choose to help us." As expected of the Breaker Guild''s leader. Raon realized what Kang Oh was implying. "Exactly!" Kang Oh snapped his fingers. ''Bingo!'' "And I think Ms. Snow Flower will be able to grab you a few soul dungeons on her own. But if you keep your dungeons under lock and key, and you steal a dungeon from someone else, then you''ll get a lot of hate for it. Plus, it shouldn''t be hard for you to protect your dungeons from other people. You have the strength." "One more thing." Raon raised his index finger. A sharp w gleamed at the end of it. "What is it?" "You won''t mess with our soul dungeons." "That''s..." Kang Oh looked to be at a loss. To be honest, a few of their dungeons were on his radar. He wasn''t telling them to liberate their dungeons for no reason! "You want to establish good rtions with us, so we can''t have you going around and stealing our things." "Mm. A soul dungeon should change hands if you go through the proper procedures." "So you refuse?" "How about a period of three months? Shouldn''t one of you be a Master by then?" If they gained a Master of their own, then they would have a card they could y should Kang Oh challenge them to a Sacred Duel. "Let me discuss it with my executives. I''ll get back to you with a decision." "Understood." Sometimeter... The Breaker Guild epted Kang Oh''s terms. ''Nice. That''s one down.'' Kang Oh snapped his fingers and made his way to the Steel Heart Guild. It was way easier to convince Steel Heart''s guildmaster, Arthand. "Please take this." "This is..." Arthand, who''d epted the dragon bone and leather, smiled brightly. As expected, precious materials were the perfect gift for a cksmith. By giving him the materials, Kang Oh wasfortably able to speak with Arthand. He offered them a deal simr to the one he''d offered the Breaker Guild. Ultimately, they came to an agreement. Kang Oh wouldn''t touch their dungeons for three months. In exchange, they would liberate their dungeons. Finally...! All of the dungeons had been liberated. Completely! * * * The Dungeon Liberation Movement had been a huge sess. Kang Oh was receiving praise from Arth''s yers. Some even went as far as to call him ''Arth''s Saint''. That made Sephiro hold the back of his neck. From an outsider''s view, Kang Oh had indeed done this for the yers. However, this was a huge misunderstanding on their part. Kang Oh had arduously liberated these dungeons not for them, but for his own benefit. He had essentially created a stage where he, a Dungeon Hunter, could operate most efficiently. In the past, if he stole a dungeon that belonged to arge guild, then he would have to fight them over and over again. But now that the soul dungeons were free for anyone to take, he could do whatever he wanted. ''The dungeons belong to everyone. However, there''s a really high chance that they''ll belong to me.'' The ownership of a soul dungeon was ultimately determined by a one-on-one fight. In other words, Kang Oh was the greatest beneficiary of this system. There were only two Masters in the game! No one could stop him besides Dukeram. So long as they didn''t set up a Master NPC as a proxy, that is. "Hehehe, let''s go, shall we?" Kang Oh strode forward,ughing wickedly like a viin. Everyone, get out of the way. The Dungeon Predator ising! Chapter 504. Mayanes Orga (1)

Chapter 504. Mayanes Orga (1)

Trantor: Boko "Phew, you''re rich," Sephiro said, looking over Kang Oh. He was right. Kang Oh''s lips were curled upwards like a crescent moon. It was only natural. For three days now, Kang Oh and Sephiro had stolen nine dungeons that originally belonged to therge guilds. He had stolen each of them from a differentrge guild. Of course, he had done this by defeating the guardian and winning the Sacred Duel. There was no one that could beat him orst long enough. Plus...! Man Bok began a new business. He was a soul dungeon broker! Like a real estate agent, Man Bok would manage the soul dungeons, and eventually sell them for a suitable price. Plenty of people wanted soul dungeons. After all, they were highly customizable, and also offered a substantial monthly reward! Some dungeons offered rewards that couldn''t be obtained anywhere else. Due to therge guilds'' iron grip over them, ordinary yers hadn''t been able to acquire soul dungeons of their own. However, the Dungeon Liberation Movement changed all that; now, yers had plenty of opportunities to own their own soul dungeons. Several yers tried to obtain their own dungeons through their own efforts or money. A smart merchant wouldn''t let this opportunity pass by. Thus, Man Bok had decided to start his new business. The Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim, had also begun to buy and sell soul dungeons via the Geumsan Store. They were Man Bok''s biggest rival. The mercenary business, much like the soul dungeon broker business, was booming. Skilled mercenaries or experts were paid a fortune in order to be someone else''s proxy for the Sacred Duel. Videos of X ranker fighting Y ranker in a Sacred Duel were put up on Youtube or Arthtory daily. Anyhow...! Kang Oh left the nine new soul dungeons to Man Bok. However, Man Bok had sold the soul dungeons immediately, giving Kang Oh a huge profit. But there were some dungeons that Kang Oh wanted to keep due to their incredible rewards. So why did he sell them? There were two reasons. One, he would benefit more from selling them. Kang Oh always had the option of reiming the soul dungeon after Man Bok sold it. He could also repeat this process over and over again. Second, he was concerned about people''s opinions of him. If he acquired most of the soul dungeons, what would happen? People would figure out that the Dungeon Liberation Movement was meant to benefit him, not others. If that happened, then therge guilds would be justified in attacking Kang Oh. The public would immediately turn on him, and begin cussing him out. That''s why he had been selling his soul dungeons to Man Bok. In any case, liberating dungeons was a worthwhile endeavor. "Hehehehe." Kang Ohughed when he saw the gold scrolls that Man Bok had given him. ''How much is this all worth!?'' "You''ve struck gold." Sephiro looked at him and clicked his tongue. However, there was a glowing gold scroll in his pocket too. He had also gained quite a fortune by traveling with Kang Oh. At that moment... Kang Oh''s expression suddenly changed. He ced the gold scroll inside his inventory and stared at Sephiro. "Let''s go." "Where?" "Maam Cliff. Helena contacted me. The Mayanes have... finally shown up." Kang Oh and Sephiro immediately ripped Gainus''s scrolls. It allowed them to instantly teleport to Maam Cliff. Whir! Gold powder flew in the wind, and both Kang Oh and Sephiro''s formspletely disappeared. * * * Thendscapepletely changed. The next thing they knew, they saw a giant cliff. They had safely arrived in Maam Cliff. "You''re here," the Divine Dragon said. Eder and Helena were beside him. Cyndia, the Church of Death, and the tough-looking Draco Tribe were behind him. Whir. The magic circle they''d juste out of glowed once more, and then Bart came out. Kang Oh and Bart nodded to each other. Then, Kang Oh said, "What about the Mayanes?" "He''s on his way. I caught him in my surveincework." Gainus softly waved his staff, and a video yed in the air. A robe-wearing man was quickly heading towards their location. The Mayanes had been caught in the surveince magic that Gainus had cast all across the Ruman Mountains like a spider''s web. "It''s Orga." The man had purple eyes and a youthful face. It was definitely Orga. "What about Jigon?" Sephiro asked. "I don''t see him," Gainus said. "Do you think he came by himself?" "It looks that way, but it''s best that we assume that Jigon could appear at any time." In other words, don''t let down your guard. "When will he arrive?" Kang Oh asked. "He''s already here." Gainus looked over the cliff. A ck shadow glimmered above the distant cliff. Mayanes Orga had arrived. * * * Mayanes Orga scanned Kang Oh''s party with his purple eyes. "You rats!" He already knew this was a trap designed to catch him. However, Orga was confident in his ability to destroy the trap, and stomp on anyone in his way. Arrogance. That was a characteristic typical of any and all Mayanes. "This will be your grave!" Orga threw off his robe. Whir. There were still traces of the wings he''d ripped off on his back. All of a sudden, however, new white wings grew from his back. Through the God of Creation''s power, Orga had createdrger and more powerful wings than before. Of course, using this power required the life force of human beings. But he had plenty of that. Orga had created a monster that could store life force for him. It looked like a giant worm. Fittingly, it squirmed through the ground surrounding Maam Cliff. The worm was embedded with transparent stones, which housed the bodies of the scum that once lived in the Rat City, Kabul. Through them, Orga was given a constant supply of life force, which allowed him to create a new set of wings. Of course, that wasn''t all there was to it. With a mighty p of his wings, Orga flew into the air and raised his hands above his head. ''I''ll show the power of the Mayanes!'' At that moment... A device set up at the top of the mountain went off, and a magic circle suddenly appeared that let off bright light. Some of the traps had been activated. Whoosh! Metal, hook-like projectiles came flying at Orga. Meanwhile, fire, wind, lightning etc. came out of the magic circle, each elemental spell on the other''s heels. "Hmph!" Orga shook his index fingers. Drench! A powerful deluge of water flowed out of his fingertips, sweeping away both the projectiles and the spells. No, it merely looked that way. The hooks actually overcame the water pressure, and stuck onto Orga''s flesh. A few of the spells made contact too. The Divine Dragon had put his heart and soul into this trap. It wasn''t to be underestimated! "Keuk." Orga furrowed his brow. To think they''d damage the wings he''d just made. Orga couldn''t help but grit his teeth. He was probably feeling as if someone had just scratched his newly bought sports car. At that moment... Gainus returned to his true form. He became a dragon with shining white scales! A white beardy underneath his chin like a bearded goat! p! Gainus fiercely pped his wings, and his giant body flew into the sky. However, Gainus wasn''t the only one flying. Kang Oh, Bart, Helena, as well as everyone else, were flying in the air too. How? A dragon was unmatched when it came to magic. And Gainus''s magical talent stood out, even amongst his kin. It was really easy for him to cast a Flight spell on everyone here. Plus, it was obvious that they would have to fight Mayanes Orga in the air. "I''m going first!" Bart yelled excitedly, his body glowing with dim light. It was a side effect of the Flight spell. Swoosh! Bart quickly rose into the air like a rocket. He was the fastest among Kang Oh''s party. ''A battle in the air! This''ll be fun!'', or so his eyes seemed to say. However, Orga had absolutely no intention of fighting them in the air. Since Orga controlled water, what location would be the most advantageous for him? It would obviously be underwater. However, there was no water in the Maam Cliff. ''Then I''ll just have to make some!'' Orga quickly descended to the ground. Gainus, who ascended into the air, and Orga, who did the exact opposite, came close to one another instantaneously. The Divine Dragon cast powerful spells at Orga. If Helena was capable of double casting, then Gainus was capable of triple casting. Lightning Judgment! Scarlet me! cier Fang! The mixture of lightning, fire, and ice magic reminded him of the trinity. "Hmph!" Orga crossed his hands. Unbreakable Ice w! He swung two giant ice ws that extended from his hands. This ice was special. It was called ''unbreakable'' for a reason; it was incredibly tough. However... Boom! Upon contact with Gainus''s magic, the ice broke into pieces. Thebined might of Gainus''s three spells overpowered the toughness of Orga''s ice ws. Orga reeled from the impact and spat out shards of light. He plummeted to the ground amidst shards of ice. However, Orga quickly righted himself and began flying downwards with a mighty p of his wings. Bart came flying over, but a Water Cannon kept him at bay. He could see his target clear as day. The ground! "Stop him!" Gainus yelled. The halved source was on the ground, sealed within the mouth of the dragon statue. Gainus and Kang Oh''s party mistakenly assumed that that was what he was aiming for. Kang Oh, the Pdin Order, and the Draco Tribe blocked the way to the dragon statue. However, Orga''s primary goal wasnding on the ground. Tap. Orga had taken a detour, allowing him tond safely on the ground. Whoosh! Gainus, Helena, and Bart cast powerful spells that descended from above. Orga stood firm and stretched out his hands and wings, forming an X. At that moment... Orga fused his own power with the God of Creation''s power. Great Flood! Gush! Gush! Gush! Gush! It happened in the blink of an eye. The ground cracked, and a giant torrent of water surged from the cracks like a dragon ascending to the heavens. The stream of water made contact with their spells, causing them to disappear with an ear ringing sound. "Uheok!" "Keheok!" The pdins and the Draco Tribe screamed as they were swept away by the sudden surge of water. Kang Oh dodged the deluge, and rescued one of the nearby Draco with Darkness Chain. "Thank you." "Please be careful. This is only the beginning." Kang Oh continuously saved his allies using Darkness Chain. Helena, Bart, Eder, and Gainus did their utmost to save their allies too. Of hispanions, Waryong''s actions were the mostudable. It would swoop down and snatch up anyone trapped in the water like an eagle. But in an instant, the once barren Maam Cliff was filled with water, essentially bing ake. The water level gradually rose. It was only natural. Water kepting out of the cracks, after all. "Everyone, calm down!" Gainus''s voice resounded throughout the cliff. His charisma instantly drew their attention. "We prepared for underwaterbat too. Go!" It was as he said. They had prepared fornd, air, and underwaterbat. Kang Oh and the rest of hispanions glowed with blue light. Mermaid''s Teachings! This spell, which Gainus had cast on all of them, allowed the user to breathe underwater, granted them wider vision, and allowed them to move more freely. As expected of Gainus! He was a dragon that surpassed even an Archmage! Ssh! Ssh! Ssh! Ssh! Kang Oh, Bart, Eder, the Knight Order, and the Draco Tribe jumped into the water. Kang Oh switched to Blood and Sarahoff. A lighter sword would be more effective underwater than a heavy one! ''Over there!'' He pointed his sword at Orga. He only slightly kicked with his feet, but he moved quite far forward. It was due to Mermaid''s Teachings. Kang Oh and hispanions shot at Orga like a dozen torpedoes. Then... Orga''s lips curled upwards. Creation! The God of Creation''s power was being used once more. Whir! Whir! Whir! Several of his creations appeared underwater. There were monster sharks, monster whales, monster jellyfish, ammonites, monstrous Fishmen, etc. They all looked like they hade out of a horror movie. Chapter 505. Mayanes Orga (2)

Chapter 505. Mayanes Orga (2)

Trantor: Boko The two-headed monster shark, which looked to be about 5 meters long, fiercely charged at Kang Oh. Kang Oh swung Sarahoff downwards. It felt different underwater. The water resistance made his swing heavier and much slower than usual. Moreover...! ''Ugh!'' As the shark approached him, the water current sped up, making it difficult for him to stay upright. He still wasn''t ustomed to underwaterbat. Ultimately, his body wobbled around as it pleased. He couldn''t swing his sword as he wished, nor could he dodge the monster shark''s attack. Bam! The shark''s twin heads bit both his upper and lower body simultaneously. Its serrated, saw-like teeth pierced through Kang Oh''s flesh, causing shards of light to spill into the water. Kang Oh bit his lip. The monster shark''s attack hurt quite a bit. In other words, he took a substantial amount of damage. However, there was a silver lining. The shark was a sitting duck. Blood and Sarahoff simultaneously pierced its body. Though the shark''s skin was extremely tough, Kang Oh''s attack power was too much for it to handle. Then, the shark angrily shook its heads left and right. Shards of light burst from Kang Oh''s body once more. Tempest Tiger! His purple longsword, which was embedded in the shark''s flesh, unleashed golden energy. Bam! The golden energy made a mess of the shark''s insides. After that, the shark foamed at the mouth, and Kang Oh was able to escape from its grasp. Kang Oh kicked at the water, allowing him to regain bnce, and then swung Blood. sh! The snow-white de cut through half of the twin-headed shark. The resulting shards of light were absorbed by his sword, restoring his lost HP. Tremble. The monster shark fiercely waved his tail around, propelling itself towards Kang Oh once more. However, the same trick wouldn''t work twice. Rather than attack, which he knew would miss, he kicked at the water, causing him to rise and avoid its attack. After that, he extended both of his demon swords simultaneously and pierced its back. Stab! Stab! The shark opened both of its mouths and shook. ''I''m starting to get the hang of this.'' Rather than go against the current, Kang Oh went with the flow and got in close. Then, he pulled out his des and stabbed it once more. Stab! Stab! The shark turned around and counterattacked. However, Kang Oh''s de was faster. Transcendent de! Swish! His purple longsword separated the upper and lower halves of its body. [You have defeated a Twin-Headed Great White Shark.] Kang Oh quickly took a look around. The Draco Tribe, which possessed draconic faces and scales, fought the monsters with their sharp ws. They fought well, so they must''ve already been trained in underwaterbat. On the other hand, the Church of Death''s pdins hadn''t aplished much. Not only were they not ustomed to underwaterbat, but their heavy armor made it even more difficult to move underwater. But they didn''t seem to be in much danger due to the efforts of Cyndia and the Church of Death''s priests. Bart was a genius, no two ways about it. He was doing well underwater. He gracefully swam through the water like a seal, and overwhelmed the underwater monsters with all sorts of Fusion skills. He even looked a little excited. Eder was doing well. Rather than summon his Bone Minotaur and Bone Saber-Toothed Tiger, he transformed the fallen underwater monsters into undead. He created Skeleton Sharks, Rotten Krakens, and Zombie Fishmen! By outfitting them with bone armor and casting all sorts of curses on them, they became quite useful. ''Orga is... over there.'' Perhaps it was because they were underwater, but no one could approach Orga, whose wings were folded. It was because of the powerful water elemental spells he was using. Water Cannon! Whirlpool! Bubble Bombardment! The bubbles he unleashed, which were about asrge as a forearm, presented the greatest threat. They flew at them like kicked ser balls, making them akin to torpedoes. Upon contact, you would take damage from the force of impact, as well as the bubble exploding. They had incredible destructive power. Bam! Bam! Bam! However, Orga stubbornly aimed for Gainus, who was in the air and above the water. It made it difficult for the Divine Dragon to enter the water. In exchange, he shot magic at him from above and watched the situation unfold. As an archer, Sephiro''s abilities were limited in underwaterbat. Thus, he shot his arrows onnd, outside of the water, aiming for any monsters that came up to the surface. Waryong hung from the cliff, and would snatch any monster that came up to the water''s surface. Helena stood beside Gainus and supported him. It was only because of her skill that she was even capable of supporting one such as him. Swish. All of a sudden, a monster kraken shot a slimy tentacle at Kang Oh. Danger! His Hyper Intuition warned him, and he instinctively moved. sh! He swung Blood, cleaving through the tentacle. Then, the rest of its tentacles came flying at him. Kang Oh swung as gracefully as a seal, allowing him to dodge the monster''s attack and cut through its tentacles. ''Hmm. This seems doable.'' Underwaterbat was easier than he expected. * * * ''Doable? Bullshit it is!'' Thinking that underwaterbat was easy was a huge miscalction. To put it into perspective, a normal-sized fan blowing on you would feel cool and refreshing, but a huge, industrial fan wouldn''t. You wouldn''t be able to keep yourself steady. That urately depicted the situation he was in. Fighting against the monster sharks or krakens was like fighting while a normal-sized fan was blowing on him. However, Orga suddenly unleashed strong currents of water everywhere. Bubble. Not only were they unable to bnce themselves, but they were swept away as well. Kang Oh used Darkness Chain on a protruding rock in the ground, anchoring himself so that he wasn''t swept away. Eder had wrapped his arms around Kang Oh''s waist. It was like a mother monkey was cradling its child. Healers and Necromancers possessed low physical abilities, so Eder''s arms shook as he grabbed onto Kang Oh''s belt. Although the Draco Tribe were adept at underwaterbat, and had great physical strength, strong bodies, and dragon scales, they too had difficulty coping. They stuck their ws into the floor, doing everything they could to prevent themselves from getting swept away. Meanwhile, the Pdin Order grouped together. With the help of the priests'' protective barriers, they were somehow able to hold on. Amidst all of this, the underwater monsters went on a rampage as if they were on amusement park rides! The once rxed battle had suddenly beplete chaos. Obviously, they incurred some casualties along the way. One of the young Draco Warriors was skewered by a Fishman''s trident. The Fishman looked like a moray eel. Bubble! The pdin that''d been swept away by the current wasn''t seen ever again. Orga smirked. ''Lowly beings.'' He''d only revealed a small portion of his power, yet the insects couldn''t deal with it. ''As expected, the only one I have to be careful of is that damn lizard.'' Orga didn''t turn his gaze away from the white dragon. He couldn''t afford to let down his guard. Gainus''s magic was certainly dangerous. ''But I''ll still win in the end.'' His body brimmed with life force; life force that he could use to fuel the God of Creation''s power. Because of that, Orga was confident that he could defeat anyone. That was exactly why he hade here, despite knowing that it was a trap. ''Now then, let''s give them a big one!'' Orga extended his left hand, and a bow formed in his hand. The top of the bow was gold, while the bottom was ck. It was called the Bow of Anger! This bow was Orga''s favorite weapon. Orga forcefully drew the bowstring without even notching an arrow. But once he drew the bowstring, swirling white energy appeared. Aim, fire! He let loose a vortex, which drew in water and steadily increased in size as it traveled. Eventually, it made its way outside of the water and transformed into aet. It was one of Orga''s trump cards. Ocean''s Fury! How powerful was it, you ask? In his prime, he had used this technique to destroy a small mountain range. Although he wasn''t as strong as he used to be, it would at least kill a dragon if they got hit by it. Had Gainus sensed its incredible power? Rather than cast a spell, he immediately opened his mouth. Divine Dragon''s Breath! He unleashed a stream of silver energy, which sparkled as if stars were contained within it. A Breath was the most powerful attack a dragon could use! Bam! The two mighty energies mixed together above the water. However...! The Divine Dragon''s Breath was more powerful than the Ocean''s Fury. Ocean''s Fury popped like a balloon that had too much air put into it. The Divine Dragon''s Breath didn''t stop though. It passed through the water and came for Orga. ''Damn!'' Orga crossed his arms. Unbreakable Ice Wall! Creation! Water Barrier! A tough ice barrier formed in front of him, and countless underwater monsters appeared in between him and the barrier. They were essentially meat shields. Finally, Orga surrounded himself with a Water Barrier. Bam! The Divine Dragon''s Breath tore a hole right through the middle of the ice wall. Next up were the underwater monsters, which were fried to a crisp. However, Orga didn''t take much damage. The Divine Dragon''s Breath had run out of power when it destroyed Orga''s final water barrier. ''Hahaha.'' Orga grinned. However...! He was suddenly surrounded by magic circles. More specifically, they were underneath him. It was another one of Gainus''s traps! ''What?'' Orga widened his eyes. Gainus had been waiting for this moment. The moment that Orga used every single one of his defensive abilities. ''Damn it!'' Orga pped his wings as hard as he could. They served the same purpose as a whale''s tail. The wings pushed away arge volume of water, and propelled him through theke like a rocket. At that moment...! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Ten of Gainus''s traps went off simultaneously! Orga had already pushed everyone away by creating a strong current, so he was the only one in the st zone. Its power was tremendous. The force was so great that the surface of the water swelled, and water burst into the air like a volcanic cone. Orga was in the midst of that, his body and wings in tatters. Kyaha! Gainus wouldn''t let this golden opportunity go. He extended his neck and bit Orga! However, Orga didn''t die from that. Since he had the God of Creation''s power, he was immortal. The only thing that could kill him was Kang Oh and Demon Sword Ubist. However, Kang Oh wasn''t in any situation to be killing him. Although he hadn''t been directly caught in the st, the shockwave was strong enough to affect the entireke. Kang Oh was unable to steady himself, and was swept away by the current. Well, it shouldn''t be a problem if Gainus takes care of Orga... No, it couldn''t be that easy. All of a sudden, a me pir surged over Gainus''s head. Roar! "Lord Gainus!" Helena, who stood beside him, urgently cast a spell. Mana''s Protection! Water Barrier! Water rose from theke, protecting Gainus''s body, and on top of thaty a purple protective barrier. Gainus also avoided the me pir and threw himself into the water. Bam! Helena''s shields were immediately destroyed. And all of a sudden, countless me pirs burned Gainus''s back. It was aplete shock. To think fire magic would be able to burn through a dragon''s skin and scales! After all, dragons possessed incredible resistance to all magic. But this was no ordinary fire. It was the me of the sun. ''No way.'' One of the Mayanes called himself the Sun God. Helena raised her head. She saw outstretched white wings, the symbol of the Mayanes. There stood the jade-eyed Mayanes, Jigon. Chapter 506. Mayanes Jigon and Orga (1)

Chapter 506. Mayanes Jigon and Orga (1)

Trantor: Boko In the end, Orga didn''t heed Jigon''s advice. He had warned him not to go, as he knew it would be a trap. Left with no other choice, Jigon followed him, but he made sure to keep his distance. It wasn''t that hard for him to avoid the surveince magic that Gainus had set up all across the Ruman Mountains. He assumed that Orga knew about the surveince magic, but couldn''t care less about being detected. ''You idiot.'' Anyhow, Jigon hid his presence and watched as Orga engaged his enemies. Why? The Maam Cliff was a giant trap designed to catch both him and Orga. Fighting here would be foolish if you didn''t know where the traps were. Plus, he came here as insurance, nothing more. If Orga was caught in the trap and was in danger, then he''de out and rescue him. It had gone as he expected. Once Orga was put in danger, Jigon had no choice but to save him. * * * Mayanes Jigon had an attractively tall body, a handsome face, jade eyes, and white, outstretched wings. He immediately stretched out his hands. Dark red fireballs formed atop his palms. me pirs burst from the orbs like an erupting volcano. Sun God''s Fury! The two miniature suns descended on the Maam Cliff, which had transformed into ake. There were three people outside of theke: Helena, Sephiro, and Waryong. ''I have to stop him!'' Helena grabbed her staff with both hands. Then, her eyes glowed with a purple hue. Overload! This secret technique simultaneously increased her magic power and her MP consumption. "The power of great mother nature..." Gainus could cast every spell without chanting. However, Helena needed to recite the chant of a few of her most powerful spells. "...Sweep through everything!" Of course, her chant was brief, and she recited it quickly. Uponpletion, she cast two spells simultaneously. It was the effect of Double Casting! Torrent! Ice Fang! The water in theke surged. A portion of it transformed into a fang made of ice. Helena''s staff radiated intense light. Exploding Lightning! Whirlwind! Blue lightning flew through the air, and a whirlwind raged around her. Bam! Bam! Bam! Whoosh! These spells, which she had put her heart and soul into, made contact with the two miniature suns. Roar! The fireballs blew up like firecrackers. However, the small cinders of fire spread like hail. Helena immediately flew out of the way via Gainus''s Flight spell. She didn''t forget to protect herself with a Water Barrier either. Hiss! Hiss! Upon contact, the water barrier released steam, which obscured her vision. Then... "Keok." She heard someone''s cry. Helena cast a wind spell to clear away the steam. Then, she saw Sephiro plummet to the ground, the mes burning his entire body. It seemed like he hadn''t been able to dodge all of the cinders. When she was about to help him... Swish. Waryong pped its red wings and quickly flew down to save its master. A short whileter... Ssh! Hiss! Sephiro was drenched in water. The mes were extinguished, causing steam to rise from his body. After that, Waryong rushed into the water. Helena raised her head. She saw several ming spears in the air. Sun God''s Judgment! Jigon forcefully lowered his raised hand. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The ming spears fell like shooting stars. At that moment... Ssh! Ssh! Ssh! People shot out of the water. It was the pdins and priests from the Church of Death. "You are the highest and most sacred being in this world..." With Cyndia in the middle, the pdins and priests cast arge-scale protective barrier. Bright light radiated from their bodies. Goddess''s Shield! A giant umbre of light surrounded them. Countless cinders fell upon the umbre. "Hoo." Helena sighed. That was a relief. If they hadn''t cast that protective barrier, then they would have incurred a ton of casualties. Ssh! All of a sudden, a giant water pir surged from underneath her feet. Bart came out of the water with an Ice Giant. It was as if this scene were from a robotic. "How''s it going down there?" Helena asked. "The dragon and Orga are fighting right now. We divided our forces. Gainus, Kang Oh, and Eder will deal with Orga, while the rest of us will take on Jigon," Bart said. "I see." Helena nodded her head. "Ice Beam," Bart said jokingly. "Excuse me?" ''What are you talking about?'' Then, the Ice Giant opened its mouth and unleashed a snow-white beam! "Cool, right?" Bart gave her thumbs up and flew into the air. That was the beginning of their counterattack. Members of the Church of Death rose into the air to fight Jigon too. Ssh! Ssh! The Draco Tribe btedly popped out of the water and flew towards Jigon. However...! Gyaaa! Waryong was flying in between them, its wingspletely outstretched. Sephiro was riding on its back. The Wyvern Rider, Sephiro, hade. * * * When Mayanes Jigon''s me pirs burnt Gainus''s back, he jumped into the water. Let''s not forget that Mayanes Orga, who was grievously injured, was still in his mouth. ''Where''s Kang Oh?'' Gainus looked around with his giant eyes. However, there were giant bubbles obscuring his vision, so he couldn''t ascertain Kang Oh''s location. Then... He felt Orga writhe within his mouth, so he bit even harder. However, Orga''s body suddenly started to swell. Plus, Gainus began to feel incredible pain on his tongue! Ptoo! Gainus was forced to spit him out. ''Mm!'' Orga had transformed into an unknown, giant being. His legs had fused together into a giant tail, and his waist had elongated. Plus, blue scales began to grow all over his body. Orga''s legs had be a giant snake tail. Orga''s white wings became evenrger too. His chest swelled significantly, and his shoulders widened. Also, his arms, which had thickened and elongated, were covered in scales as well. He wore a white, bony starfish on his face like a helmet, and his shark eyes radiated intense light. This was Orga''s battle mode. It was simr to how Jacques had transformed into a giant insect. ''I''ll kill you!'' Orga raised his Bow of Anger. It too had gottenrger to match his new size. Swoosh! Orga quickly pulled and let go of the bowstring. Furious Wave''s Arrow! The white energy shot out like a torpedo. Gainus immediately responded with a spell. Whirlpool! A swirling vortex consumed the white energy. Orga followed this up with a number of blue beams that he shot out of his body. Gainus immediately counterattacked as well. His spells appeared everywhere. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! There were repeated explosions between the two, and water pirs surged from the surface of the water. It was a battle that you couldn''t intrude upon. Thus, the pdins, priests, and the Draco Tribe focused on Orga''s underwater monsters. Bart summoned an Ice Giant and joined in as well. Then, Kang Oh and Eder appeared again. They had been pushed a fair distance away by the strong current, and had only just returned. Kang Oh approached Gainus, and then locked eyes with him. ''Let me help you,'' he seemed to say, tapping his weapons together. Gainus slightly nodded his head. Then... Ssh. Sephiro fell into the water''s depths. Hiss. The mes were immediately extinguished. After that, Waryong rushed into the water and pulled him out. That got Gainus''s attention. ''We have to send people to fight Jigon!'' He quickly sent a message to his allies via telepathy. ''Kang Oh and Eder will stay here. The rest of you, get out of the water and deal with Jigon!'' The Church of Death, which acted as one, got out of the water first. Bart and his Ice Giant, as well as the Draco Tribe, fought off the underwater monsters as they surfaced from theke. Sephiro was brought out of his stupor by Gainus''s telepathy. He naturally got on top of Waryong''s back. ''Let''s go!'' He tapped Waryong''s back. Then, Waryong rose up out of the water. ''How dare you look away!?'' Orga unleashed even more destructive attacks. Gainus matched him with even greater spells. The underwater monsters began to gather around Kang Oh and Eder. Eder created more undead monsters using their corpses. The undead bone sharks and monster sharks bit each other. The Rotten Krakens, with two of their tentacles cut off, tangled with the still healthy krakens. Lastly, the bone armored undead Fishmen fought with the Fishman Warriors. Of course, there were more underwater monsters than there were undead. However, Eder wasn''t alone. ''Let''s clear these guys out first.'' He couldn''t join Gainus just yet. After all, he didn''t want to get in between those two and risk getting hurt. Demon''s Descent! Demon Sword Sarahoff transformed into a Yuki-Onna that wore white fur clothes. Freeze! Once she appeared, Sara began freezing anyone that got close. The frozen monsters floated to the surface of the water. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh switched to Ubist. Devil Trigger! Both Blood and Ubist''s respective energies covered his form. His face was covered by a beast mask, demon horns protruded from his head, dark red wings sprouted from his back, and a jet-ck tail came out from behind. The Dual Demon hade! Underwater monsters came at him from every which way. "Careful." Tasha''s voice echoed through his head. ''Ok!'' Kang Oh spread out and swung his swords. Fresh Blood Wave! Abyss w! The two disparate auras flew at his enemies. Then, Kang Oh began to rampage about. ''I should''ve used it earlier.'' Tasha controlled his wings, helping to steady himself underwater. Plus, pping his wings propelled him through the water even faster. It had the same effect as him kicking at the water. ''Now...'' Underwaterbat wouldn''t be an issue for him anymore. Mad Wind''s Sword! His jet-ck and snow-white des went clean through the monsters. He began shredding the underwater monsters to bits! Snip-snap! * * * "Kuhahk!" Even the Draco Warriors, which possessed dragon scales, were burnt ck by Jigon''s mes. Jigon coldly looked at his handwork and then turned his head. Pdins were charging at him with their shields in front. He raised his slightly bent right hand and then forcefully swung it. Sun God''s Scar! He swung a ming w at them, which burst from his five fingers. "Ugh." They couldn''t block all the mes with their shields. Jigon''s targets began to ignite with me. The priests sped their hands together and quickly cast spells to aid theirrades. Sacred Healing! The pdins'' condition began to improve. Plus, Helena used water magic on them to douse the mes. Jigon swung both of his hands. Sun God''s Scar! It was like a rainbow made of mes. Two of them at that! The pdins began to burn once more. "Hurry, I need healing!" "I need a barrier over here!" The priests and Helena couldn''t save all of them. Two of the pdins burnt to cinders instantly. Whizz! Sun Piercing Arrow! A fiercely spinning, harpoon-like arrow flew at Jigon. It was too fast! Thwock! The arrow grazed Jigon''s left wing. If he had folded his wing even a second slower, then the arrow would''ve punctured a hole through his wing. Jigon slightly furrowed his brow. The Mayanes were extremely proud of their wings. However, his wing had just been damaged. That was an unforgivable crime. ''Repent in death.'' Jigon pointed a finger at Sephiro. Incinerate! A me pir suddenly appeared where he was. However, Sephiro waspletely fine. Gyaa! Waryong had flown them out of danger. Ting. He left the driving to Waryong, and focused entirely on attacking Jigon. Whizz. Thwock! He hit him for real this time. His arrow pierced through Jigon''s right wing. ''How''s that feel!?'' Sephiro clenched his fist. ''I''m a Wyvern Rider!'' However... It looked like he''d really pissed Jigon off. "You insect!" Jigon''s face contorted. Bam! ck mes surged from his hand. The mes soon transformed into a ming sword. This sword had once killed countless dragons, and was a de that even the gods feared. The ''ck Sun'' had appeared. Chapter 507. Mayanes Jigon and Orga (2)

Chapter 507. Mayanes Jigon and Orga (2)

Trantor: Boko Gainus had told them everything he knew about Jigon and Orga. [Which one is stronger?] Sephiro had probably asked him that question. [Jigon''s more dangerous.] [Why is that?] [Because he has the ck Sun.] Gainus had replied curtly. [The ck Sun?] [It''s a de made out of endlessly burning fire that can incinerate anything.] That was the ck Sun in a nutshell. And that was exactly what Jigon was holding right now. Whir. Jigon swung the ck Sun. His de extended, sweeping through everything in its path. "D-Dodge it!" Those floating in the air were shocked, and scattered in every direction. However, Jigon had been aiming for Sephiro. To him, he was ''unforgivable trash'' that had pierced through his wing! "W-Waryong!" Sephiro urgently yelled. "We can''t afford to get hit by that!" ording to Gainus, even if you''re grazed by the sword, the mes would continue to burn you until you were nothing more than ash. Kyaaa! Waryong crazily pped its wings. Whoosh! They had avoided the ck Sun by a hair''s breadth. However, there was someone who''d been unintentionally grazed by the mes. It was Helena. Roar. ck mes ignited at the tip of her cape. Fortunately, she acted quickly. Helena quickly threw away her cape. 3 seconds. It had only taken 3 seconds for the cape to burn to cinders. It had been an S-rank robe, yet it had beenpletely destroyed. Rather than feel regretful for its loss, she felt goosebumps. What if she had been a little slower? And what if those mes had reached her skin? There would be no trace of her left. Helena bit her lip. Then, she recalled what Gainus had told them. [There''s a simple way to deal with it. Hold out. The ck Sun requires a tremendous amount of life force, so he can''t use it for very long.] It wasn''t just her. Bart, Sephiro, Cyndia, the Church of Death, and the Draco Tribe clearly remembered those words. They all had a singr goal to strive towards. ''Survive until the very end!'' They all gritted their teeth. "Die, you insect!" Jigon swung the ck Sun at Sephiro once more. "Damn it!" Waryong and Sephiro struggled to survive against the ck Sun. * * * Bubble. Air bubbles floated to the surface of the water. A white shark floated in the water with its stomach face up, and was swept away by the current. Kang Oh pushed away the ammonite corpses that obscured his vision. His surroundings were filled with the corpses of the hideous underwater monsters. None of them had survived their battle with him. Kang Oh, Eder, and Sara had destroyed them all. Tap. Kang Oh grabbed Eder''s shoulder. Eder turned his head around and looked into Kang Oh''s eyes. He pointed at Gainus and Orga. Gainusunched giant boulders at Orga, which he shattered with his off-hand and tail. Kang Oh pointed at Orga with his index finger, and then slid it across his throat. Eder nodded his head. Next, he pointed at himself, and then at Gainus''s left. Then, he pointed at Eder and directed him to Gainus''s right side. ''I''ll go left, you go right.'' ''Understood.'' Sara pointed at herself. ''What about me?'' Kang Oh pointed at himself with his thumb. ''Follow me.'' The two moved as nned with Sara following Kang Oh. Gainus knew that Kang Oh and Eder wereing over. ''I should open a path for them.'' Kang Oh was the only one that could put an end to Orga for good. Gainus opened his mouth wide. Suck. Sparkling energy gathered in his mouth. He was clearly trying to use a Breath. ''Crazy bastard!'' Orga prepared his counterattack. He drew his bowstring so hard that it seemed like it''d break. Gainus had proven that Ocean''s Fury was no match for his Breath. Thus, he needed an even more powerful attack. He felt the God of Creation''s source shake within him. ''More, more!'' The worm began to drain more life force from the humans. At that moment... Bam! Gainus unleashed a Divine Dragon''s Breath. Split! Theke was split in two, just like how Moses parted the Red Sea. The Divine Dragon''s Breath came flying at Orga. Then, Orga let go of his bowstring. Bam! Leviathan''s Fury! There were monsters called the Cmities of the Sea. Leviathan was one such creature. With the God of Creation''s power, a tremendous amount of life force, and his skill in manipting water, he created an imitation Leviathan. Kuhaahk! A giant snake had appeared. It was evenrger than Orga or Gainus. The Leviathan opened its mouth and devoured the Divine Dragon''s Breath. Even so, Gainus didn''t stop. He continued his assault till the very end. The fake Leviathan''s body began to swell. Despite that, it continued to devour Gainus''s attack until it finally reached him. Bam! The Leviathan devoured half of Gainus''s body. What if Gainus was done in by that attack? It would be a tragedy. ''No!'' Eder saw that and clutched his head. However... The Leviathan''s body continued to expand. ''No way.'' Eder immediately cast a spell. Bone Scythe! A giant white scythe appeared in the water. It was sorge that the top of it protruded from the surface of theke. ''Go!'' Swish! The scythe cleaved through the water and pierced the Leviathan''s body. Bam! It poked a hole through its body. And through that hole, sparkling energy flowed out. What if a hole was pierced through a dike that was about to overflow? Boom! The Leviathan blew up. Then, a giant water pir surged from theke, and the Divine Dragon''s energy spread outwards. A portion of it left a giant hole in the ground, while the rest pierced through the surface of theke and damaged the cliff. The strong currents swept away the dead monster corpses. Eder hid behind his undead underwater monsters in an attempt to keep himself from getting swept away. However, Kang Oh and Sara were nowhere to be seen. Once the water calmed down, Eder immediately checked Gainus''s condition. There was no way he would be in good condition. Exhaustion could clearly be seen on his long face, and there were vivid teeth marks on his body, courtesy of the Leviathan. Red shards of light kept flowing out of those wounds! Gainus slowly closed his eyes, and then his giant body fell to the ground. ''I need to heal...'' The Legendary Healer, Eder, approached Gainus''s body. Where exactly was Kang Oh and Sara? * * * Leviathan''s Fury. Creating a fake Leviathan had taken a lot out of Orga too. He had no more energy left. That''s why he couldn''t do anything, despite seeing how powerful the Leviathan had been, and how weak Gainus had be. ''Damn it!'' Orga sensed how much life force he had left. However, it was onlying in at the speed of a small stream. He had probably drained too much life force by using Leviathan''s Fury, killing about half of the humans. The rest of them didn''t have much life force to spare either. ''But if I squeeze out just a little bit more.'' He could restore his body with just a little bit of life force. Then, it wouldn''t be difficult to kill the groggy lizard. However...! Something strange happened. The space before him opened up, as if someone were undoing a zipper, and out came a dark red winged demon. He was apanied by a Yuki-Onna wearing fur clothes. It was Kang Oh and Sara. Abyss Transfer was truly an amazing move. It could even be used underwater, and Sara could travel through it too. It probably worked because the system recognized Sara as a demon sword that was equipped to him. In any case...! Kang Oh was quick on the uptake. He immediately realized that Orga wasn''t in good shape after using Leviathan''s Fury, and had used Abyss Transfer to close the distance. As you can see, this is the result! Jackpot! ''This is my best chance to take him out!'' He was all in! Kang Oh pulled out an item from his inventory. It was an S-rank ring called Barias''s Despair. He had bought this to use in his fight against the Mayanes. It was incredibly expensive, but it had an incredible effect to match. ''No!'' Orga didn''t know much about Kang Oh. But Jigon had told him about his ability to nullify their immortality. [Be careful of his jet-ck greatsword that radiates darkness.] However, that jet-ck de was being wielded by the demon in front of him. ''I don''t want to die! No, I can''t die!'' He mustered up as much energy as he could and swung his fist. Was he feeling desperate? It was quite a strong punch. Kang dodged his fist before using Gluttony. Then, Sara intervened. Summon cier! Orga''s snake tail began to freeze. ''Grr!'' Orga kept drawing as much power as he could, and clumps of ice fell from his tail. Kang Oh used that opportunity to use Gluttony. Ubist ''s darkness devoured the ck gem ring. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Barias''s Despair.] [It is an S-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [You may use two of the consumed item''s abilities.] [You may use ''Mark of Despair'' and ''Summon the Incarnation of Despair''.] The demon released jet-ck energy. ''Spacur! Save me! Hurry!'' Spacur. That was the name of Orga''s giant worm. Sensing danger, Orga had called Spacur, the being which stored his life force. ''Hurry, hurry!'' In order to buy as much time as possible, Orga swung his tail, his fist, and the bow in his left hand. However...! Kang Oh had no intention of giving him any more time. That was why he had used Gluttony. He would deal with him as quickly and as cleanly as possible! Demon Sword Blood was coated in blood red energy. Blood Emperor! [You have used Blood Emperor.] [Half of your HP has been consumed.] [For 30 seconds, your attack power, speed, and life steal are increased significantly.] [Unleashing an Emperor''s Strike.] The blood red energy that coated his de shot forward. Boom! The Emperor''s Strike struck Orga in the center of his chest. The blood red energy ate away at his chest, and consumed the countless shards of light that spilled from his body. It was like a starving swarm of red ants. ''Not yet.'' He swung Ubist and Blood one after another. Abyss w, Fresh Blood Wave, Tempest Tiger! Bam! Bam! Bam! Sara helped him too. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Ice Fang! Frozen Sphere! She released cold energy from her mouth and hands. Orga no longer had the strength to resist, so he curled himself up. That was the best he could do in his current condition. Dragon''s Fury! A gray vortex raged around Kang Oh''s body,pletely devouring Orga. Bam! Orga''s body shook. Countless bubbles and shards of light surged. At that moment.. Kuwaaahk! One side of the cliff broke, and a giant worm''s head popped out. Spacur, the one Orga had desperately called for, had finally arrived. It immediately charged at Kang Oh. He could see spheres all over its body where people were trapped inside. There were a ton of them in there! ''So that''s what provides him with life force. But it''s already toote.'' Kang Oh rushed forward and thrust Demon Sword Ubist into Orga''s body. Stab! Abyss Predator! Darkness coursed through Orga''s body, causing his insides to shake. ''N-No! I don''t want to die!'' Orga extended his hand and attempted to grab onto Kang Oh, but it was no use. ''Die!'' Kang Oh dragged Ubist downwards, his de still lodged within Orga''s body. Bam! Orga''s body split in half, releasing the darkness contained within. The world was covered in ck. Chapter 508. The Battle with Jigon (1)

Chapter 508. The Battle with Jigon (1)

Trantor: Boko The darkness that devoured Mayanes Orga''s body disappeared like the night giving way to dawn. [You have defeated the Bow of Arrogance, Mayanes Orga.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [Several churches will wee you. You can rue contribution points more easily now, and also ept quests from the churches.] [You have partiallypleted the Goddess''s Quest.] [Remaining Mayanes: 3] The God of Creation''s source, which glimmered like a star, and the ''Bow of Anger'' floated in the water. Kang Oh, still in his demon form, quickly snatched them up. With its creator dead, the giant worm quickly melted away like chocte ice cream. Countless people, both living and dead, popped out of it. However, those barely living would die soon. After all, they had suddenly reappeared underwater. Kang Oh quickly pulled them to the surface, but he wasn''t sure how many of them would survive. Sara helped out too. If he''d asked Tasha to help, she would cross her arms and look at him like he''s crazy, but Sara didn''t have negative feelings towards humans. Kang Oh popped out of the water, took a look around, and saw red/ck mes flickering everywhere. ''Yeah, it''s not over yet.'' Kang Oh turned his head and searched for Gainus. Because he was sorge, it was easy to find the white-scaled dragon. He was curled up on the bottom of theke. Kang Oh could see Eder and his undead monsters beside him. Bam. Kang Oh kicked at the water. The dark red wings on his back moved in sync, and pushed away the water. His body was propelled forward. Sara slowly followed him. ''Mm!'' Gainus clearly wasn''t in good shape. His back was burnt ck, and there were teeth marks all over his body, which continuously bled red shards of light. Both of his eyes were closed, so he must be unconscious. Tap. Kang Oh approached Eder and grasped his shoulder. Eder turned his head and looked into his eyes. Kang Oh pointed at Gainus. ''How is he?'' Eder shook his head concernedly. ''He''s not doing well.'' Orga''s fake Leviathan had mimicked the original''s special ability. Poison! It was an extremely lethal poison. The poison was dangerous enough that even Eder wasn''t capable of treating it properly. It made Kang Oh wonder why this poison wasn''t part of the top 10 most lethal poisons in Arth. If he wasn''t a dragon, the Divine Dragon at that, then the poison would''ve imed his life a long time ago. Anyhow, based on Eder''s expression and actions, Kang Oh could tell how bad Gainus''s condition was. Kang Oh concernedly stared at Gainus. ''He won''t die, will he? After all, he''s the Divine Dragon.'' They most likely wouldn''t be able to rely on his help to fight Jigon. Kang Oh tapped Eder''s shoulder. ''Watch over him.'' ''Understood.'' Eder nodded his head and sped his hands as if in prayer. He was probably saying something like ''Please be careful'', or ''I pray that you are victorious''. Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up, and forcefully kicked at the water. His wings supported him, pushing the water away. Swoosh! Kang Oh shot upwards like a rocket being sent off to space. Sara followed after him. * * * Mayanes Jigon was incredibly powerful with the ck Sun in hand. After all, it annihted anyone who even so much as touched it. Bart, Helena, Cyndia and herpanions, and the Draco Tribe felt like they were in hell. No, they were already there. Half of the pdins, priests, and Draco Tribe had died. They were either burnt to cinders, or werepletely annihted without a trace. Because Sephiro had punctured a hole in Jigon''s wings, he relentlessly attacked him, which drove the pair crazy. The ck Sun repeatedly came at him. Like right now! "Die!" Roar! The ck mes flickered, and came straight for Sephiro and Waryong. Kyaa! Waryong desperately cried out, and pped its wings as fast as it could. "You can do it, Waryong!" Sephiro desperately yelled. Waryong was special amongst the wyverns, which were known for their skill in flying. It was a mutant wyvern that spat mes, not poison, and had red skin as well. Its wings were also muchrger than its peers. Thus, it flew with the skill of an adult wyvern, even though Sephiro was riding on its back. Because of that, they had remained safe. The ck messhed out like a snake''s tongue, almost singing Waryong''s tail, but it barely managed to dodge it. Sephiro gritted his teeth and shot another arrow at Jigon. Since he knew he''d be fighting the Mayanes, he had brought along a few special arrows. That arrow had been one of them. After all, normal arrows would''ve burned up before they even left his grasp. Whizz. There was a sphere at the end of it, rather than an arrowhead. Thwock! The sphere grew, and released its contents. It was the spit of a ''Kono Kono'' monster. It was used as a type of glue in Arth. The monster''s spit was extremely sticky. Jigon extended his off-hand. Spiral me! Spiraling mes gradually gotrger andrger in his palm. Hiss! The mes burnt away the Kono Kono spit, turning it into ck smoke. Then, Jigon''s statuesque face contorted. "Uhaht!" He covered his nose due to the foul stench. If burnt, Kono Kono saliva would smell incredibly foul. Sephiro had known about this all along. Jigon had covered up his nose, and his bodypletely stiffened. "Hoo." Sephiro and Waryong used that chance to take a breather. Theirpanions did the same. The Draco Tribe and the Church of Death had already incurred severe casualties. They all widened the distance between them and Jigon. The ck Sun was a de that couldn''t be used for an extended period of time. Thus, they had to stay alive for as long as possible! Their mindset was ''Even if I die, I have to buy even 1 more second of time''. Bart and Helena knew that just avoiding his attacks wasn''t the answer. Thus, when he was frozen solid, they attacked him immediately. Chaos Sphere! Bart created a sphere of light and darkness, two disparate elements that shouldn''t mix, and thenunched the unstable sphere at Jigon. "...Punish him!" Helena quicklypleted her incantation. Thousand Chain Lightning! It was great magic cast whilst using Overload. Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Crackle! Blue lightning flew from her staff, enveloping the sky. Jigon scowled and swung the ck Sun in arge arc. Roar! The ck mes incinerated the Chaos Sphere and the lightning bolts, which spread out like spider webs. Bart clicked his tongue, and Helena bit her lip. The ck Sun. It was a tremendous de that annihted both skills and spells! "Grr." Jigon pinched his nose; he must still be smelling the Kono Kono saliva. Then, he angrily raised his hand. Sun God''s Judgment! Countless ming spears appeared in the air. Their faces were overcast by deep shadows. The ming spears and the ck Sun would result in several more of theirrades'' deaths. However...! Jigon''s face suddenly stiffened, and he didn''t let loose the ming spears. ''What''s going on?'' Sephiro analyzed Jigon, and looked around all over the ce. He saw Orga''s water turn ck, and then turn back to normal. It was one of Kang Oh''s darkness skills that he asionally used. ''Did Mr. Kang Oh finish off Orga?'' That''s right. He did. That''s why Jigon had suddenly stiffened. Orga''s presence hadpletely disappeared. The God of Creation''s source made Orga immortal. However, his presence had pletely'' disappeared. It was as if it had never existed in the first ce. That wouldn''t happen unless he were dead. In other words...! ''That fearsome sword that killed Krishan and myrades is in the water.'' Jigon recalled the jet-ck de that radiated darkness. Then, he started to think about it. Orga was already dead, and the only de that could kill him was still in the water. Moreover, Gainus could pop out of the water. So was there a reason for him to stay and fight? ''I don''t sense the God of Creation''s source in the water.'' His life was much more valuable to him than the God of Creation''s source. Ultimately, Jigon decided to retreat. ''This is a final parting gift!'' Jigon lowered his hand. The ming spears shot everywhere. Kang Oh''spanions either protected themselves or tried to avoid them. Bam! Jigon stretched out his white wings and tried to fly away. But then...! As if he were waiting for him to do that... Whizz! An arrow with an orb instead of an arrowhead shot at him. Thwock. The orb grew, and sticky Kono Kono saliva sprayed onto Jigon''s body. ''Damn!'' He knew that if he burned it, it would unleash a truly foul smell. Ultimately, he had no choice but to swing the ck Sun and burn it all away. However, Sephiro was clever. He had shot the arrow at the opposite end of his body, the part that wasn''t holding the ck Sun. Jigon would be forced to slowly turn his body around in order to swing the ck Sun and burn away the Kono Kono saliva. So he was already toote. The Kono Kono saliva had gotten on Jigon''s wing. "Damn it!" Jigon yelled furiously, and tried moving his wing. Unfortunately, he couldn''t properly move his half folded wing. It wasn''t like he couldn''t fly, but he wouldn''t be able to fly at any respectable speed. "He''s trying to run away. We have to stop him!" Sephiro yelled. He was riding atop Waryong. Thus, he left dodging to Waryong, and focused on what was in front of him. That''s why he had seen what Jigon was trying to do, and made an effort to stop him. Bart and Helena reacted to him first. They dodged the ming spears, and attacked Jigon on both sides. Of course, they made sure to stay clear of the ck Sun! Jigon furiously swung the ck Sun. ''Get out of my way!'' Bart saw the ck Suning his way, and smirked. ''This is fun.'' He did ap in the air. Absolute Evasion! He dodged the ck Sun by using an Archer''s prized survival skill. Bam! There was a giant clump of ice on Jigon''s back, courtesy of Helena. Jigon bent his hand. Sun God''s Scar! A ming w came flying at Helena. However, it wasn''t an attack that she couldn''t block. After all, it wasn''t the ck Sun. Water Barrier! Ice Shield! Using Double Casting, she cast both spells simultaneously. Boom! The Ice Shield was split into six pieces. The ming w cut straight through the Water Barrier as well. Hiss. Thick steam rose. "Huahk!" Jigon screamed, and swung the ck Sun once more. His de extended, which cut through the steam. However, Helena wasn''t there anymore. She had gotten herself out right after casting Water Barrier. At that moment... Ssh! A water pir surged into the air, and out came a demon with dark red wings, demonic horns, and a beast mask. Behind him was an exhausted Sara. Jigon widened his eyes. ''That sword!'' Demon Sword Ubist. That de had killed several of hispanions, and was even capable of killing him. Chapter 509. Battle with Jigon (2)

Chapter 509. Battle with Jigon (2)

Trantor: Boko Although Jigon was, like other Mayanes, extremely arrogant, his decision-making wasn''t impaired by it. When his twin sister, Krishan, entrusted him with her sources, he ripped off his own wings in order to escape Gainus''s grasp. He''d known all too well that Gainus had branded his wings. Plus, he''d warned Orga against seeking the halved source, knowing that Gainus was leading them into a trap. Thus, he immediately transformed when he saw the demon and its de. His entire body, aside from his wings, let off a golden hue, and he was covered in gold armor. Jigon''s face was covered by a gold lion helmet, and his breastte was adorned by a sun emblem. Lastly, he wore gauntlets and greaves over his arms and legs, each of which were engraved with a me pattern. Gold Monarch''s Armor! Kang Oh reacted immediately. Of course, Gainus had told him about the ck Sun, so he didn''t even try to challenge him from up front. He nned on holding out until the ck Sun was no longer usable. Abyss w! Kang Oh unleashed a jet-ck aura, and then flew far away. With a huge helping hand from Tasha, he was able to fly extremely quickly. Bam! The Abyss w struck the ck Sun. He assumed it would vaporize on impact, but something strange happened. The ck mes and the darkness intertwined. It was as if the darkness energy was fighting back. Of course, the ck mes eventually consumed the darkness without a trace. Kang Oh, who''d closely watched this spectacle, suddenly had an idea. ''Can Ubist''s darkness resist the ck Sun?'' Now that he thought about it, Demon Sword Ubist possessed the Abyss de ability. In other words, it was capable of shing through mes. Did that mean it was also capable of cutting through the ck Sun? What about his de''s emanating darkness? This was Ubist''s power, a demonic beast capable of shrouding the entire continent in darkness. The energy was more like Ubist''s stomach acid rather than pure energy. There was nothing it couldn''t eat. However, he wasn''t in a rush to prove his theory anytime soon. If by chance he''s wrong, then he''ll be destroyed by the ck Sun. ''Let''s y it safe. Gainus isn''t here to bail me out either.'' His core item effects like Abyss Predator or Dragon''s Fury were still on cooldown. Plus, he still had 25 minutes left on Gluttony. He had no reason to rush. With Tasha''s help, Kang Oh quickly flew around Jigon and attacked him from a distance. Fresh Blood Wave! A red wave shot out of Blood. Sara, who''de out of the water, gathered cold energy in her mouth. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Her lips released a frigid stream of energy. Bart, Helena, and Sephiro didn''t sit still. They barraged Jigon with attacks of their own. Even so, Jigon charged at Kang Oh. However, the Kono Kono saliva limited the mobility of one of his wings, so he couldn''t move very fast. Bam! Whoosh! The Fresh Blood Wave and Yuki-Onna''s Breath struck Jigon, but he was almostpletely unscathed. Not even a single shard of light came out. Bart and Helena''s spells, Sephiro''s Sun Piercing Arrow, and the Draco Tribe''s hooked javelins had no effect either. It was due to the Gold Monarch''s Armor. This armor setpletely negated the effect of long-range attacks. What apletely unbelievable effect. Auras, arrows, spells, etc. Any attack that came from a certain range waspletely nullified. In other words, the only way to damage him was to engage him in close quartersbat while he was wielding the ck Sun. Did he have no other choice but to rush into the mes? The ck Sun and the Gold Monarch''s Armor. What a disgusting pairing. Roar! Jigon swung the extended ck Sun downwards. Danger! He felt so cold that he had goosebumps on his forearm. Kang Oh quickly flew forward. Roar! The ck mes cut through where he''d just been. Jigon repeatedly swung the ck Sun at Kang Oh. It was as if he were saying, ''I''m only going for you!''. His allies continuously bombarded Jigon with attacks. However, the Gold Monarch''s Armor''s ridiculous ability shielded Jigon from harm. They weren''t even capable of distracting him. At the same time, they couldn''t afford to rush in either. After all, a single graze of his sword would spell the end for them. There was nothing they could do. The best they (Helena and the priests) could do was buff Kang Oh. Kang Oh''s concentration was at its maximum, so he was able to dodge Jigon''s attacks. It was a relief that Jigon''s skill with the de was below Kang Oh''s. What if Jigon could wield the ck Sun with the skill of a Master Swordsman? Thebination of the ck Sun, the Gold Monarch''s Armor, and Master level swordsmanship would make him an even more terrifying foe. Although his swordsmanship didn''t match up, his control over the ck Sun''s mes was beyondparison. Jigon''s de would miss Kang Oh, but the mes would expand sometime after, which scared the ever living shit out of him. Not only that, but the ck Sun would suddenly change shapes or slow down. If not for his Hyper Intuition and Gluttony, then he would''ve died long ago! ''Damn it.'' Even someone like Kang Oh had trouble keeping up. Jigon''s glimmering armor also made his eyes hurt. Still... ''I''m going to hold out!'' Kang Oh had faith that time was on his side. * * * That was a terrible miscalction. Even after 5 minutes had passed, the ck Sun didn''t seem to weaken at all. What''s worse, Jigon didn''t show any anxiety or concern. He only sensed Jigon''s intention of killing him no matter what. ''Why isn''t he worried? He shouldn''t be able to maintain the ck Sun for very long,'' he automatically thought, but he didn''t have the time to think about it in depth. Kang Oh gritted his teeth as the ck Sun and ming spears came rushing at him. Red Demon''s Dance! Left with no other choice, Kang Oh multiplied his evasion threefold. No, this was the perfect time to use it. "Tasha!" "You can count on me!" Kang Oh quickly flew through the air. He was so fast that he was hard to track with the naked eye. "You can''t get hit by the ck mes no matter what!" "I know." After dodging the ck Sun, she quickly weaved through the iing me spears. As expected of Tasha! Then, the ck Sun came flying at him again. Damn it all. Whoosh! "Aht!" A priest sported a shocked expression, sping their hands on their mouth. They saw the ck Sun cleave through and vaporize him. However, Kang Oh waspletely unscathed. "Ah." The priest sighed. What a relief. It was just an afterimage. The priest sped her hands in prayer. She was trying to cast a Goddess''s Blessing on him. "Mm." ''This isn''t going to work!'' his instincts whispered. Kang Oh needed some time to organize his thoughts. ''Alright, let''s try it.'' Kang Oh swung Ubist at the iing ck mes. Abyss w! What a relief. The darkness kept the ck mes at bay for 2 seconds. ''It can somewhat resist the ck Sun.'' However, it wasn''t capable ofpletely overpowering the ck Sun. Kang Oh alternated between Abyss Shield and Abyss Transfer. In the few seconds that Abyss Shield bought him, Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer to sink into the darkness. It would give him enough time to catch his breath and organize his thoughts. "You bastard! Where did you go!?" Once Kang Oh disappeared, Jigon, who waspletely focused on killing him, took a look around and screamed. At the same time, he fiercely swung his lengthened sword, forcing Kang Oh''spanions to focus on dodging. Not all of them hade out unscathed. "No!" a priest yelled pitifully. That was it. She was immediately devoured by the ck mes and waspletely incinerated. There wasn''t even a trace of her left. "Ugh." "Lord Gainus!" Two more died right after. They were Draco Warriors. Now, there were only eight Draco Warriors left. However, they didn''t lose their nerve and continued to fight bravely. They pulled out w-shaped projectile weapons from their chests, and forcefully threw them. Of course, Jigon''s golden armor rendered thempletely ineffective. "Where are you!? Come out, you insect!" Jigon continuously searched for Kang Oh. Then, Kang Oh appeared from a rift in space. "There you are!" Jigon thrust his de at him. However, Kang Oh, who''d only focused on dodging thus far, suddenly flew towards Jigon! "M-Mr. Kang Oh?" That actpletely shocked Sephiro. ''What are you doing?'' Whoosh! Jigon and Kang Oh passed each other. Bam! Shards of light burst out from Jigon''s body. While they were passing each other, Kang Oh had used Transcendent de. "Let''s see who wins!" Kang Oh rushed at Jigon once more. * * * Kang Oh, who''d bought some time using Abyss Transfer, quickly organized his thoughts. ''Gainus said that the ck Sun couldn''t be used for very long due to how much life force it requires. So why isn''t Jigon concerned at all?'' If Kang Oh were in Jigon''s position, then he''d be really worried. After all, it was like he was wielding a match that could go out at any second. Despite that, he wasn''t worried at all. Which meant... ''He''s either a really good actor, or there''s a reason he''s not worried.'' Kang Oh''s instincts were telling him that it was thetter. In other words, Jigon had no reason to be anxious. Why? Kang Oh began to organize all the information he had. He didn''t have much time. ''Orga only had one source. That means that Jigon has the two sources Krishan gave him. He has three sources in total. I got to see Orga''s creation, as well as how many people it was draining dry. If... Jigon has the same amount of people fueling him, then...'' The God of Creation''s sources were engines, and human life force was the fuel. With three sources under his belt, he basically had a super engine. So what if he had plenty of life force to fuel them? There would be no reason for Jigon to panic. Jigon would be able to maintain the ck Sun for far, far longer than he or his allies expected. Kang Oh came to a realization. ''Time''s not on my side.'' He only had 18 minutes left on Gluttony. What if Jigon could still use the ck Sun after that time was up? Kang Oh wouldn''t stand a chance. And if he didn''t stand a chance, then none of his allies would survive this fight. ''It''s a race against the clock. I have 18 minutes to take him down. Plus, I can''t get hit a single time,'' he concluded. Kang Oh rose from the darkness, focused entirely on Jigon, and began fighting him in earnest. It was like a heavenly judge with white wings, golden armor, and a zing sword was fighting against a hellish demon with dark red wings, a ckened body, demonic horns, and two wicked des. Is this what the battle between an angel and a demon would look like? Hispanions nervously watched the battle. What if Kang Oh lost? His loss meant that they''d all die. Without him, there was no way to kill Jigon! However, there was nothing they could do to help him. Even people as skilled as Bart and Helena! Kang Oh and Jigon''s fight was close enough already. If they needlessly got involved, then they might get in Kang Oh''s way. ''Please!'' ''Win!'' ''Good luck!'' Ultimately, hispanions sped their hands together and desperately prayed for Kang Oh''s victory. That was the very best they could do. Chapter 510. Battle with Jigon (3)

Chapter 510. Battle with Jigon (3)

Trantor: Boko Back when he was in elementary school, there was a TV show that showed a pro''s game y. He remembers watching the show regrly. There was one yer that left an impression on him. He didn''t remember the title of the program, but he did remember it was a shooting game. It was a brutal game where countless bullets came at the yer. However, the pro was able to beat the game in one try. It was a one coin clear. All he could say was that it was amazing. But... Right now, Kang Oh felt like he was that very same shooting game pro. After all, he was engaging Jigon in close quartersbat. Even the slightest touch would mean death. If he wanted to survive, then he would have to clear it on the first try. There were no do-overs. ''No, I guess I have two tries.'' The Cassio Ring gave him a little leeway. But he''d buckle down and act like he didn''t have it in the first ce. Roar. ck mes flickered in front of his face. If he''d pulled his head back even 0.1 seconds slower, then he would''ve been in trouble. He didn''t even have a chance to rx. Kang Oh immediately counterattacked. sh! Demon Sword Blood''s snow-white de sliced Jigeon''s golden armor. However, Kang Oh didn''t follow all the way through. He stopped and flew out of the way. "Uhahk, damn it!" Tasha yelled. Tasha was going crazy. After all, she was keeping him afloat whilst dodging the ck Sun, as well as matching Kang Oh''s movements. p! The ck Sun passed Kang Oh again. At the moment, Jigon waspletely focused on swinging the ck Sun. He wasn''t even using the fire techniques he was so proud of. Jigon knew full well that focusing on the ck Sun was far more effective than his me techniques. He didn''t need to hit Kang Oh several times; he only needed one hit. He would actually need two hits due to the Cassio Ring, but he had no way of knowing that. In any case, Kang Oh and Jigon''s battle was quite strange. Kang Oh''s attacks were the only ones hitting, while Jigon kept missing. Despite that, it seemed like Kang Oh was the one on thin ice, not Jigon. Of course...! Jigon was capable of shortening or lengthening his ming de at a moment''s notice. Not only that, but he also made his mes spread wildly. Even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to dodge all of Jigon''s attacks at such close range. So how was it possible that Kang Oh kept dodging his attacks? The first reason was Demon Sword Ubist. "Huahp!" Ubist''s jet-ck darkness was capable of holding the ck mes at bay. It onlysted a few seconds at best, but those precious seconds kept Kang Oh''s life intact. The second reason was the mark at the center of Jigon''s breastte. Kang Oh had used Gluttony on the S-rank ring, ''Barias''s Despair''. Thus, he gained the Mark of Despair and Incarnation of Despair abilities. The Mark of Despair was an amazing ability. There was a fixed chance that a marked enemy that missed an attack would gain the ''despair'' status ailment. The despair status ailment sapped the enemy of their strength, momentarily paralyzing them. Jigon constantly missed, so the mark asionally took effect, leaving himpletely defenseless. Kang Oh made full use of those opportunities. In order to best dodge the ck Sun, Kang Oh minimized his movements when he counterattacked. Thus, these moments were the only times when he was allowed tounch a huge attack! Like right now. The Mark of Despair spread across Jigon''s armor like veins. He had entered the ''despair'' state. Kang Oh thrust Blood, which was coated in blood red energy. Blood Emperor! HP was meaningless before the ck Sun. If the ck Sun hit him, he''d die regardless. In exchange for half of his HP, Kang Oh''s abilities were explosively increased. At the same time...! Blood red energy struck Jigon. It was the Blood Emperor''s Strike. Red shards of light burst from Jigon''s body, which were promptly sucked into Blood. Seven stars manifested along the length of the blood red sword. ''I can get one more hit in!'' Blood red energy swirled around him like a vortex. Blood Storm! This was the upgraded version of Blood Bomb, gained after absorbing Tstrum''s Demon. Boom! The power was incredible. Moreover, it had been activated at point nk range. Thus, the Gold Monarch''s Armor, which nullified ranged attacks, was helpless before the Blood Storm. Bam! Jigon was pushed back, and mmed into the Maam Cliff. Thump! His body made an imprint in the wall, his arms, legs, and wings all outstretched. Shards of light spilled from his body. Kang Oh swung Ubist downwards. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger dashed forward, but... wasn''t able to hit him. The status ailment had worn off, so Jigon had burned the aura away with the ck Sun. Jigon fiercely pped his wings and swung his de at Kang Oh. Abyss w! The dark energy and the ck mes tangled together. While his attack held the mes at bay, Kang Oh quickly flew towards Jigon. Kang Oh was giving Jigon a one-sided beat down. However, the tides of this battle could turn at any moment. At this point, the spectators were worried sick. * * * Kang Oh was getting desperate. Gluttony would onlyst another 2 minutes. Despite that, he wasn''t able to finish Jigon off yet. He had even gotten some Darkness Strikes and Rip Aparts in. Not only that, but he made full use of the opportunities that Mark of Despair gave him. So why? First, the golden armor proved to be a problem. It provided a substantial defense boost, which greatly reduced the damage Kang Oh dealt. Second, Jigon possessed three of the God of Creation''s sources. Third, the three sources released a ton of life force, allowing Jigon to maintain the ck Sun and somewhat restore the life force he lost. Finally, the ck Sun forced Kang Oh to attack passively. Obviously, that reduced the amount of damage he dealt too. These factorsbined exined why Jigon was still alive. However, the fact that Kang Oh was still alive was more surprising to Jigon. So much so that it grated on his pride. Anyhow, Kang Oh came to a decision. He would use everything he had while Gluttony was still active. Danger! Kang Oh instinctively obeyed the cold warning and turned his body. He couldn''t dodge all of the ck mes, so he shielded himself with Ubist. Upon contact with Ubist''s dark energy, the mes and the darkness lovingly embraced. At this rate, even Demon Sword Ubist might burn to a crisp. Kang Oh pped his wings and quickly got out of the way. But Jigon extended his sword, aiming for Kang Oh''s back. Jigon''s de quickly flew through the air. Red Demon''s Dance! Kang Oh''s body became quicker, and he spun in the air. Then, he rushed at Jigon once more. Fortunately, Jigon was affected by the Mark of Despair. ''Now!'' Kang Oh used everything in his arsenal. Blood Emperor! Tempest Tiger! Blood Storm! Bam! Bam! Bam! Jigon was pushed back. "Tasha!" "Leave it to me!" Kang Oh flew even faster than Jigon, and stuck to him like glue. Summon the Incarnation of Vengeance, Shumir! Summon the Incarnation of Despair, Kabel! A long-tailed ck panther, as well as a one-eyed, four-winged bird appeared. Gyaa! Kabel shrieked, immediately turning the atmosphere gloomy. Jigon, who''d just recovered, was immediately paralyzed once more. After that, Shumir struck Jigon''s body with its lightning fast whiptail. Bam, bam, bam, bam! "Out of my way!" Kang Oh yelled fiercely, and got right in front of Jigon''s body. Dragon''s Fury! Gray energy expanded from Kang Oh''s body, which swirled around him like a vortex and devoured Jigon. "Hoo." ''Please die already.'' Kang Oh took a deep breath and swung Ubist and Blood one after the other. Mad Wind''s Sword! Transcendent de! And... Abyss Predator! He''d used everything he had. Crack! The Gold Monarch''s Armor cracked. Shards of light exploded from Jigon''s body like the many stars in the Milky Way. ''Did I... win?'' he suddenly thought, but he didn''t let his guard down until the very end. Kuwaaah! The darkness devoured Jigon''s entire body, spreading from his toes to his head to his wings. Jigon''s body no longer emanated a golden glow. At that moment... Whoosh! The ck Sun suddenly pierced through the darkness. "Umph!" Fortunately, Kang Oh hadn''t let down his guard, so he was able to dodge it. However...! Another ck Sun btedly came out. "What?" "Kang Oh!" Tasha cried out. His Hyper Intuition did the same. It was as if it were screaming at him to dodge. However, he didn''t have time to use Moon''s Protection, nor could he dodge it. After all, it was the fastest Jigon had ever swung the ck Sun. Roar! mes ignited on Kang Oh''s body. Crackle! It was as though his Avenger set was ''screaming''. Whoosh! Jigon cleaved through the giant tsunami of darkness, his helmet and armor torn to shreds. He looked exhausted. However... "Two?" Kang Oh couldn''t believe it. Jigon was wielding a ck Sun in either hand. To think he could wield two at once! Had he been hiding it all this time? Was it his trump card? "Oh my." Jigon sported a wicked expression. Then, he let go of the sword in his left hand. Once he did, the ck Sun turned into ordinary mes. The ck Sun that''d attacked him first was a fake. Now that he thought about it, the first ck Sun had been a light purple rather than ck. He''d been had! ''Damn it''. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. "I finally got you." Jigon sported a triumphant expression. "You insect!" Roar! The mes had already incinerated Kang Oh''s lower body and left arm. Kang Oh flipped him off. The Terminator used its thumb, but he used his middle finger instead. Then, he said the ssic line. "I''ll be back." Roar! The ck mespletely devoured Kang Oh. * * * Jigon should have died to Kang Oh''s all-out assault. However, he survived due to the God of Creation''s sources. When he was swept away by Ubist''s darkness, his three sources repaired his damaged body. Thus, he was able to survive. At that moment... Jigon realized that this was his best chance at taking Kang Oh out. However, he didn''t think a normal ambush would work. Thus, he created a fake ck Sun using the power of the sources. Then, he tricked Kang Oh by attacking with that one first. As he''d anticipated, Kang Oh had dodged the first de. Because of that, Kang Oh was unable to dodge his follow-up attack with the true ck Sun. His n had worked beautifully. He had killed the only being capable of killing him! In exchange, he barely had any life force left. He could only maintain the ck Sun for about 5 more minutes too. There was a giant whale in the air far from here. There were countless spheres embedded in its back, which held humans that acted as fuel. Most of them had already died. ''I can just refill them again.'' To the Mayanes, human beings were nothing more than batteries. ''Now then, let''s finish off the rest of them. Gainus is the main dish.'' There were a few insects still around. He could sense the weakened presence of a dragon underneath theke. As a parting gift, Orga had grievously injured Gainus. "Hehehe." Jigonughed wickedly and emitted killing intent. Roar. The ck Sun fiercely burned within his hand. Chapter 511. Battle with Jigon (4)

Chapter 511. Battle with Jigon (4)

Trantor: Boko Without Kang Oh, they couldn''t kill Jigon, nor could theyplete the goddess''s task. Cyndia and herpanions went as white as a sheet. ''Ah, Goddess!'' Meanwhile, the Draco Tribe looked ready to fight till the bitter end. Helena furrowed her brow, while Bart considered running. Was he worried about Jigon? Nope. He was worried about Kang Oh. ''That demonic beast may show up again.'' In the past, Bart and Kang Oh had hunted Wukong together. At the time, Kang Oh had died. And when he did, he transformed into a fearsome demonic beast that devoured both Wukong and hispanions. Would that happen this time too? He thought it would when Kang Oh said ''I''ll be back.''. Of course, Kang Oh meant that he''d be revived, not that he would transform into a demonic beast. Not that Bart knew that. "It''s ok. Mr. Kang Oh is alright." Sephiro calmed down hispanions. "He''s alright?" Helena asked. "Mr. Kang Oh has two lives." "...Resurrection?" Bart asked. The Sage ss had a secret technique called Transmigration of Souls. This spell allowed the user to revive themselves and others. A yer could also be revived via items that possessed the ''Resurrection'' ability. Garius''s Ring (SS-rank) was one such item that possessed this ability. It was owned by Gradon''s guildmaster. "Yes," Sephiro quickly said. "Understood." "Ok." Helena and Bart''s expressions brightened. They finally understood what Kang Oh meant. "Mr. Kang Oh will be back, so please attack Jigon. Our long-range attacks should work now!" Sephiro yelled. It certainly seemed that way. After all, Kang Oh''s attacks had destroyed Jigon''s breastte and helmet. However, Jigon struck first. Once he regained his bearings, he flew towards Kang Oh''s party. "All that''s left for you is despair." As always, he held the fearsome ck Sun within his hand. Roar! The ck mes spread over arge area. Kang Oh''spanions flew all over the ce. However, not all of them were capable of dodging the ck mes. "Uaaahk!" A pdin''s face contorted in pain as his body was engulfed in mes. Roar! He was vaporized instantly. The Church of Death didn''t have that many people left. They had Cyndia, twelve pdins, and seven priests. Twenty people in total, even though they''d started with a hundred. ''Oh, Goddess. Please watch over us so that we can fulfill the duty you left for us.'' "Take heart, everyone. The goddess will watch over us," Cyndia yelled, sporting a resolute expression. "Yes, ma''am!" "Understood!" The pdins raised their shields and flew around Jigon. They would do whatever it took to draw Jigon''s attention. Bart, Helena, and Sephiro bombarded Jigon with attacks. "Grr!" Waryong just barely dodged the ck mes, while Sephiro forcefully drew his bowstring. Whizz. The arrow flew from his fingertips, and fiercely spun as it made its way to its target. Sun Piercing Arrow! Thwock! The arrow pierced Jigon''s shoulder. Sephiro had been aiming for his throat, but Jigon had twisted his body right before it hit. Helena and Bart were up next. Torrent! A refreshing stream of water erupted from Helena''s staff. Summon Wind Spirit! Bart cast an Elementalist spell. A wind spirit, which emanated dim light, flew towards Jigon. Then... Jigon drew a circle with his off-hand. Sun God''s nce! As a result, a blinding, incandescent light filled the sky as if a sh-bang had gone off. Normally, Jigon didn''t feel the need to use such crude methods to deal with insects like them. He would just crush them with his overwhelming strength like a child stomping on an ant. However, the situation had changed. His fight with Kang Oh had exhausted his supply of life force. Now, he could only maintain the ck Sun for another 5 minutes. He couldn''t restore his Gold Monarch''s Armor either. He didn''t like it, but he had to resort to such crude methods. This attack, which waspletely unlike Jigon, worked beautifully. "Ugh!" The blinding light forced them to close their eyes. Roar! Jigon swept through them with the ck Sun. It was as if a pack of wolves were rushing towards their prey. Helena''s Torrent spell evaporated immediately, and Bart''s Wind Spiritbusted. Half of the eight remaining Draco Warriors were killed. And... "Finally!" Jigon beamed. Why, you ask? He had finally punished the criminal that had poked a hole in his wing. "Uheok!" Sephiro widened his eyes and screamed. ck mes burned on his arm and Waryong''s wings. Gyaaa. Waryong sadly cried out. Roar! In an instant, Sephiro and Waryong disappeared. Sephiro tried to do whatever he could to save Waryong. "Emergency Escape!" This skill transported a pet into one''s inventory. Waryong was sucked into Sephiro''s inventory. Fortunately, the ck mes didn''t follow. Had Waryong survived? ''Please be alive!'' The ck mespletely devoured Sephiro. Roar! A short whileter... Sephiro floated in a ck background and received a game over screen. * * * A hexagonal shard of light appeared in the air. However, it wasn''t alone. More and more shards of light appeared and clumped together with the first shard. The shards fused together into a honeb-like shape. Then, the shards coalesced into the shape of a human being. The light faded, revealing Kang Oh''s face and the ck color of his Avenger set. Whoosh! ming wings spread out of his back. Kang Oh slowly opened his eyes. [You have been revived.] [You are the Phoenix''s father. Resurrection has been enhanced.] [HP and MP have been fully restored.] [For 10 minutes, all abilities increase by 30%, and your maximum HP is doubled.] [For 5 minutes, HP is replenished so quickly that you are essentially immortal.] [You may now use Sun Sword (Active/Skill).] [Cooldown: 30 days.] ''It took longer than I expected.'' The ck mes were truly formidable. Since Kang Oh''s body waspletely destroyed, it had taken longer than normal to fully revive him. Only after his body was fully reformed was he able to regain control of his character. However, what he saw didn''t bode well. The Draco Tribe and the pdins had beenpletely wiped out. Only Cyndia, a few priests, Bart, and Helena were left. ''What about Sephiro and Waryong? Did they die?'' Jigon fought cleverly. He would use Sun God''s nce to blind them, act as though he were attacking someone and then suddenly switch targets, etc. Even though it had only been a few minutes since Kang Oh had died, almost all of hisrades had died. "It''s Mr. Kang Oh!" "He''s here!" The few survivors weed his arrival. "You''rete!" It took him way too long to revive himself. Bart rebuked him, but he looked quite happy to see him. On the other hand, Helena looked indifferent. She was busy casting spells and avoiding the ck Sun. However...! Jigon, who''d been aiming for Helena, suddenly switched targets and attacked Kang Oh. He was shocked by Kang Oh''s return. Plus, he was still wielding that fearsome jet-ck demon sword of his. He''d obviously have to kill Kang Oh first. Kang Oh responded immediately. He didn''t have any more second chances, after all. However, his ming wings disappeared, and he suddenly plummeted to the ground. By dying, Gluttony, Devil Trigger, and Gainus''s Flight spell had all been removed. He immediately used Devil Trigger. As soon as the dark red wings protruded from his back, he quickly flew through the air. Tasha had flown him out of harm''s way before he even had a chance to order her around. At the same time, he forcefully swung Demon Sword Ubist. Abyss w! The three-lined energy shed with the ck Sun. Bam! For a brief moment, the ck Sun stopped. And that brief moment was enough to save Kang Oh''s skin. Kang Oh dodged the flickering ck me and escaped. Jigon bit his lip. The ck Sun wouldn''tst much longer, and the only one that could kill him hade back! He couldn''t help but get desperate. ''I have to kill him before then!'' Jigon drew a circle with his off-hand, and unleashed blinding light. Sun God''s nce! This skill had worked quite well against Kang Oh''spanions. Kang Oh hadn''t experienced it before, so it had to work. As expected, Kang Oh closed his eyes. ''Now!'' Jigon swung the ck Sun as hard as he could. However...! Kang Oh could fight even without his sight. Not only did he have his Hyper Intuition, but he had experience fighting in Ubist''s trial without his eyes. He predicted his enemy''s attack via his Hyper Intuition, and instinctively gauged the distance between him and Jigon. Rather than retreat, he skillfully flew forward and avoided the ck Sun. Then, he was able to open his eyes. He was greeted by the sight of Jigon''s flustered face. He was only 2 meters from Jigon! Transcendent de! His sword shed! Demon Sword Ubist sliced through Jigon at transcendent speed. After that, he immediately turned his body. Blood Emperor! Coated in blood red energy, Blood pierced through Jigon''s heart. Suck! His snow-white de unleashed blood red energy, which spread across Jigon''s body. It was an Emperor''s Strike. "Y-You bastard!" Once he felt the red energy gnaw at his body, Jigon widened his eyes and forcefully swung the ck Sun with both hands. Abyss Shield! Darkness spread across him like an umbre, which blocked the ck mes for the briefest of moments. Then... A giant lightning spear struck Jigon. This was Helena''s handiwork. Bart''s Chaos Sphere came after. Kang Oh had seen Helena and Bart unleash these attacks. Thus, he had bought some time so that their attacks could hit. Boom! The Chaos Sphere resulted in a massive explosion. Bart was one step away from bing a Master, so the attack was far more powerful than before. "Kuhaaahk!" Jigon was caught in the explosion without his golden armor. What about Kang Oh? A yellow full moon appeared within the explosion. Kang Oh had used Moon''s Protection, which shielded him from all attacks for 3 seconds. Fortunately, he had remained unscathed. However, Jigon was immortal. Kang Oh, Helena, and Bart''s attacks had put his HP to 0. "Uhaaahk!" Still, the pain he felt was very real. It was as if he were being ripped to shreds. Even so, the ck Sun came for Kang Oh. Bam! The ck mes consumed Kang Oh''s barrier. 3 seconds wasn''t a long time. The barrier disappeared by itself. The ck mes spread like an invading force. ''I did it!'' They couldn''t kill him without Kang Oh. ''I won in the end!'' He was sure of it. However, the barrier waspletely empty. "What?" Jigon widened his eyes. ''Where did he go?'' At that moment... Bam! A jet-ck greatsword pierced through Jigon''s chest. Jigon turned his head and saw a horned demon. Moon''s Protection had been bait. Right after he used it, he used Abyss Transfer to escape. Then, he appeared behind Jigon andunched a surprise attack. "Grr!" Jigon tried swinging the ck Sun again. However, it dwindled in size until it disappearedpletely. The ck Sun wasn''t the only thing that disappeared. Ubist''s darkness devoured Jigon''s body too. "Aah, Sister." His eternal twin, Mayanes Krishan, had entrusted him with her sources and her seed, and had asked him to revive her. ''Sorry. I don''t think I''ll be able to fulfill that...'' He wouldn''t be able to revive his sister, revive the Mayanes, ughter the gods and take their ce, etc. All of it had gone up in smoke. This marked the end of Mayanes Jigon, the one who called himself the Sun God and had possessed three of the God of Creation''s sources. Chapter 512. Goddess’s Quest - Cleared (1)

Chapter 512. Goddess''s Quest - Cleared (1)

Trantor: Boko [You have defeated the Arrogant Sun, Jigon.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [The Mayanes''st hope has been destroyed.] [You have achieved a great feat.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [Several churches will wee you. You can rue contribution points more easily now, and also ept quests from the churches.] [You havepleted the most critical part of the goddess''s quest. The quest is 90%plete.] [Remaining Mayanes: 2] Jigon was finally gone. "Hoo." Kang Oh caught his breath. Three glittering sources floated in front of him! He quickly grabbed them. Unfortunately, he didn''t see the ck Sun or the Gold Monarch''s Armor anywhere. ''How disappointing.'' He was especially disappointed that the ck Sun had disappeared... He really coveted that weapon. After all, he''d seen firsthand just how powerful the weapon was. Then... "Uwaaaah!" Bart eximed. He seemed unbelievably happy. ''He must''ve be a Master.'' That''s the entire reason Bart had helped him with the Mayanes. He needed to achieve a great feat in order to be a Master! But for some reason, killing Mayanes Orga hadn''t been enough. Was it because he wasn''t good enough? Well, it didn''t really matter. After all, defeating Jigon was more than enough to break the wall. Cyndia and three of her priests approached Kang Oh. "Good job. It''s because of your efforts that we were able to fulfill the goddess''s mission," Cyndia said. She looked exhausted. "My condolences for those who died," Kang Oh said respectfully. Of the 100 pdins and priests that''d fought, only three priests had survived. Any normal person would offer their condolences when so many had died. "The Supreme One will take good care of them." "Yes." Kang Oh gathered the survivors and headed down the Maam Cliff. Following Orga''s death, theke slowly receded, eventually revealing the pit at the bottom of the cliff. Once there, they saw Gainus, who hadn''t regained consciousness yet, as well as Eder, who was watching over him. "How''s Lord Gainus doing?" Kang Oh approached Eder and asked. "The Leviathan''s poison is too strong." "He didn''t..." ''Die, did he?'' he thought, unable to voice it out loud. "If it had been anyone else, then they would''ve died, but Lord Gainus was able to just barely survive." "Then?" "He needs to be somece safe. He can''t receive any outside stimtion either! The best thing for him right now is to rest." Gainus''s insides were in a strange state. His body was filled with the Leviathan''s poison, but he was just barely suppressing its effects. If Gainus regained his strength, then he would be able to get rid of the poison on his own. "Mm, how do we move him? No, even if we could move him... Where would he go?" Kang Oh was at his wit''s end. However, Gainus took that moment to open his eyes. His giant eyes stared at Kang Oh. "Kang Oh." "Lord Gainus!" Kang Oh yelled in shock. "What about the Mayanes?" "They''re dead." "Good." The old dragon''s face began to rx. "You have to rest," Eder quickly said, his face filled with concern. "Can I?" "Of course. I''ll take care of the rest." "Thanks." [Closeness with Gainus has increased significantly.] [Gainus now considers you a trustworthy human.] Gainus turned his attention to Cyndia. Cyndia slightly bowed her head. She was basicallymunicating that she and Kang Oh would take care of the rest. Whir. A giant magic circle appeared beneath Gainus''s lying form. It looked quite familiar. Kang Oh remembered seeing it when they teleported to Gainus''s Nest. "I''ll go with you," Eder yelled. ''I go where my patient goes!'' Gainus nodded his head. Helena wanted to say something, but she kept her mouth shut. Whir. A golden pir of light rose from the giant magic circle, which softly wrapped around Gainus and Eder. A short whileter... Gainus and Eder disappeared. All that remained was the imprint Gainus left behind on the ground. "When Lord Gainus is healthy again, I''ll set up another meeting for you." Kang Oh had seen Helena try to speak to Gainus before he left. He could roughly tell what she wanted to say. She probably wanted to follow him. After all, she wanted to learn magic from him. "Understood." Helena nodded her head. "I can go now, right?" Bart asked. "Did you be a Master?" "I did." Bart grinned. "Congrattions." "Hehe. Just you wait, I''m going to create an unbelievable secret move." When one bes a Master, they gain the ability to create a secret technique that cannot be passed down. "See you next time." Once Bart left, Helena cast a Return spell. Kang Oh and Cyndia headed towards the dragon statue, and reimed the halved source. "Let''s go see the goddess." "Yes." Kang Oh headed for the Great Temple of Death. * * * Mt. Latnia was located in the Goddess''s Land, and at the very top of this mountainy the Great Temple of Death. Kang Oh, Cyndia, and the revived Sephiro entered the temple. "Is Waryong alright?" Kang Oh asked. "Its wing was heavily damaged. It''ll need treatment for at least a week. But still... I consider myself fortunate." Sephiro forced a smile. Kang Oh tapped his shoulder and then took a look around. The temple hadn''t changed much. Words like ''solemn'', ''sacred'', or ''quiet'' were good descriptors for this ce. "This way." Cyndia guided them with her calm voice. The goddess''s statue, whichy in the innermost part of the temple, was still the same as ever. Cyndia was the first to kneel onto the floor and bow her head. Kang Oh and Sephiro btedly followed suit. "Supreme One!" Cyndia''s voice was the very definition of ''reverent''. Whir. A breeze blew, causing their hair and clothes to flutter in the wind. A purple veil concealed the sitting goddess statue''s form. They were used to it by now; it meant that the goddess had descended into the mortal realm. "Cyndia, Kang Oh, and Sephiro." The goddess''s voice rang out from the ck silhouette. Kang Oh pulled out the God of Creation''s sources from his inventory. He gained one from Orga, and three from Jigon. In total, they had four and half, including the halved source they used as bait. The sources rose from his palm, and disappeared into the ck silhouette. "Good work," Deborah said. "We only did as youmanded," Cyndia replied. "Raise your heads." "Thank you." Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Cyndia simultaneously raised their heads. "Kang Oh." "Yes?" "It''s due to your efforts that we were able to collect six of the sources. However, there are still two sources that remain." "I am aware. How have things been going with the God of Destruction..." Kang Oh said carefully, deliberately trailing off. The remaining Mayanes were safeguarded by the God of Destruction, m. However, m was against their mission of destroying all of the Mayanes and reviving the God of Creation. Deborah had been trying to convince m. "I haven''t been able to convince him yet." "Then?" "I need you to go to m." ''Wow, is this what it feels like to have your boss shove all of their work onto you?'' "I don''t really have a way of convincing the God of Destruction." Kang Oh looked helpless. "That''s not why I want you to go. I''m going to settle things with m today. That''s when you''ll take care of the remaining Mayanes." "I mean no disrespect, but... May I go tomorrow? I need to prepare myself for the battles ahead." ''Gluttony''s still on cooldown, so please!'' "You don''t need to prepare. If things go well, then all you''ll need to do is stick your sword into them and they''ll die." "I beg your pardon?" Whir. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Cyndia''s surroundings radiated bright light. Then, their environmentpletely changed. * * * They were greeted by the sight of another temple''s interior. If the Great Temple of Death was silent and solemn, then the Great Temple of Destruction was quiet and gloomy. It was only natural. No living organisms lived in the walls of the Great Temple of Destruction. The God of Destruction''s followers didn''t live here either. "This way." Kang Oh, Cyndia, and Sephiro had been here before. They remembered the way they wentst time, and headed for the God of Destruction''s statue. The God of Destruction''s statue was of a giant man with closed eyesying on his side. Cyndia knelt and sped her hands together. Then, a purple veil appeared over her head. A god could only appear in the mortal realm within a temple, a sacred treasure, or their followers. Why? What if a god''s divine body could appear anywhere in the world? A god''s power was so great that a full manifestation in the mortal realm would instantly destroy a portion of the world. Thus, they limited their appearance in the mortal realm. For example, they would restrict themselves from appearing in their true forms, or act indirectly when trying to influence the world. Thus, the Evil God Worshippers'' n to bring Ja into this world was an act of lunacy. Anyhow, Cyndia was the Goddess of Death''s priestess. Deborah was capable of manifesting herself in the mortal realm through her. Obviously, it wasn''t her true body. It was like she was summoning a shadow of her true body like a silhouette. "m." Deborah''s voice resounded throughout the temple. Then, the statue''s eyes opened, and the lying man stood up. "Deborah, you came again." m was sick and tired of seeing her. "That''s right." "My opinion hasn''t changed," m said firmly. Whir. Deborah''s purple veil flickered. Then, six glittering sources came through it, forming a ring. "I''ve gathered six of Maya''s sources. As you know, this is enough to revive Maya." "It won''t be a proper revival. He won''t be able to use his power properly." "He will, as long as Luhan and I help him." There were four Primordial Gods in total. Luhan was one of them, and was called the God of Life. And he had agreed with Deborah''s decision to revive Maya. "Deborah," m said angrily. Then, the temple began to shake furiously. "Nothing new has appeared ever since Maya disappeared." No new species,ndscapes, or continents had appeared. Nothing had been created. After all, the God of Creation hadn''t created anything anew. "However... some species have disappeared." As the Goddess of Death, she was acutely aware of this fact. Once a living being dies, they would be sent to the underworld, where they would go through the cycle of rebirth. However, she had noticed that some species had gonepletely extinct, which reduced the diversity of species in the world. "In the end, all of the species will disappear, or only a few species will thrive." A world without diversity would either end or be extremely ck and white. "Thus, I will do whatever it takes to revive Maya. If you won''t help me, then so be it," Deborah said unwaveringly. She had made her decision. And it was that stubbornness that moved him. "Deborah, what''re you going to do if Maya makes the same mistake again? As you know, if I''m forced to act, my power will create a hole in the world." "If that happens, then it''ll at least be a stimulus for change. Otherworldly creatures wille through the hole and into our world." Of course, those otherworldly beings were extremely dangerous. "Without change, all that''s left for us is death." Deborahnded the finishing blow. "Death is a long ways away, but... you''re not wrong. I agree with your decision." Ultimately, m agreed with Deborah''s n. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh clenched his fist whilst kneeling. He''d finally ovee the biggest obstacle to himpleting the goddess''s quest. "I''ll give you the Mayanes." m opened his clenched palms. Now that he thought about it, m, or m''s statue, had always kept his hands clenched. However, the white-winged Mayanes wereying in the palms of his hands. Chapter 513. Goddess’s Quest - Cleared (2)

Chapter 513. Goddess''s Quest - Cleared (2)

Trantor: Boko The Mayanes within m''s palms weren''t in good shape. They were like dried up husks. Their wings were missing most of their feathers too. Kang Oh recalled what Deborah had told him prior toing to the Great Temple of Destruction. "You don''t need to prepare. If things go well, then all you''ll need to do is stick your sword into them and they''ll die." She was right. He could kill the Mayanes with a single strike of his demon sword. However, he couldn''t help but wonder. ''So wait, if you''re capable of weakening the Mayanes like that, then why the hell did I have to go through so much trouble?'' It would''ve been so much easier if Deborah, Luhan, and Gainus had kept their prisoners at the edge of death. However, only m was capable of such a feat. The God of Destruction was a unique god. m''s power didn''t require faith or life force. In other words, he was capable of destroying the captive Mayanes over and over again. In exchange, excessive use of his power could lead to the destruction of the continent, or puncture a hole through the world. Thus, m kept his power in check, and used only a small portion of it to keep destroying the two captive Mayanes. Of course, even with his great power, he couldn''t kill the Mayanes. On the other hand, Deborah, Luhan, and Gainus didn''t possess the means to keep their captives at the brink of death. Thus, they had chosen to seal them instead. Deborah''s seals were especiallyx, as she was busy overseeing the underworld. This allowed Diabol and Krishan to capture humans and drain them of their life force. Then again, Kang Oh had no way of knowing the circumstances that went behind their decisions, so he felt like he''d gone through more work than he should''ve. Then... "Kang Oh, do your duty," Deborah said telepathically. "Understood." Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist. Then, m ced the two Mayanes on the ground. Kang Oh had no reason to hesitate. He immediately raised Ubist into the air, and thrust it into the heart of the Mayanes on his left side. Stab! The Mayane''s HP was already at 0. Ubist''s darkness immediately devoured the Mayanes. [You have defeated the Arrogant King, Mayanes Buehler.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [Remaining Mayanes: 1] ''Nice!'' It was so easy to kill the Mayanes. Kang Oh smiled, and then raised his de once more. ''You''re thest one!'' Kang Oh thrust his sword into the final Mayanes. [You have defeated the Arrogant Staff, Mayanes Aragon.] [You have cast judgment on an unforgivable criminal, who not only insulted the gods but also attempted to supnt them.] [Fame has increased significantly. You will be more well-known to people of faith in particr.] [You havepleted the Goddess''s Quest. Please receive your reward from Deborah!] He''d finallypleted the Goddess''s Quest! Kang Oh could choose among three potential rewards: master a skill or spell, obtain a weapon imbued with the Goddess of Death''s power, or have the goddess lift his limitations as a human being. He would obviously pick the third option. ''Now I can get to the same level as Vn.'' Grandmaster Vn! He thought back to Vn''s overwhelming strength, and felt goosebumps on his skin. ''What if I get as strong as him?'' He was excited just thinking about it. In any case, the darkness devoured the two Mayanes, causing two shining ''stars'' to roll onto the floor. Then, they floated into the air and flew towards the ring of six sources. There were eight sources in total! With this, they had gathered all of the God of Creation''s sources. Once the two sources gathered with the rest, they all began to spin in midair. Whir! They suddenly radiated intense light. Kang Oh, Cyndia, and Sephiro closed their eyes. The light remained with no end in sight. Sometimeter... Noticing that the blinding light had weakened, Kang Oh peeked with half-closed eyes. ''Ooh.'' Kang Oh suddenly opened his eyes. He bore witness to white wings that were simr to the ones the Mayanes possessed. However, this figure''s wings wererger and radiated dim light. Moreover, they had three pairs of wings. These wings were possessed by the God of Creation, Maya. But because he was engulfed in bright light, Kang Oh couldn''t make out his facial features. [The God of Creation, Maya, has been revived.] [This is a legendary moment in history.] "Maya." "Maya..." Deborah and m simultaneously called for him. However, Deborah''s voice was filled with anticipation, while m''s voice seemed more concerned than anything. Kang Oh also swallowed some spit. After all, think about all the crimes that Maya hadmitted. He had favored the Mayanes so much that he had abandoned his duties as a god. Not only that, but he had imparted his power to them and had granted them immortality. How would the revived Maya act? "Deborah... m..." Maya''s voice rang out. It was soft, unlike Deborah''s grim voice or m''s stiff, gruff voice. "I revived you," Deborah said. "Why?" Maya asked. "To bring change to the world." "Change..." "You create, m destroys, and Luhan and I preside over life and death. Are you going to abandon your duty again?" Deborah rebuked. "I... I..." Maya waspletely confused. "I don''t know." "Are you going to make another mistake?" m fiercely yelled. It was like the crack of thunder. Tremble! The temple shook. "I loved the Mayanes. I created them in my image, and treated them like my children. However, the love and power I gave them caused so much pain to countless beings." Maya had seen firsthand what the Mayanes had done through the eight sources. It was truly horrifying what he was forced to witness. Yes, he favored the Mayanes, but he didn''t hate his other creations. He obviously loved them too. In the end, Maya watched in anguish as the Mayanes did unspeakable acts of evil. "The Mayanes were punished appropriately. So I don''t n on reviving them again," Maya said bitterly. Although he''d seen the evil the Mayanes hadmitted, he still didn''t hate them. It was as if a parent was watching their childrenmit great crimes. "That''s a relief," m said. "But I''m not sure it''s right that I, who made such a huge mistake, be given the power of a god again. What if I make another race like the Mayanes?" "I''ll destroy them. That''s my role," m immediately said. "m is right. Just do your duty. Creation and change. The rest is the other''s responsibility." "But..." Maya was afraid. Afraid that his creations would spread that same pain and suffering towards his other creations. "All life has a will. You may create them, but it''s up to them to decide what kind of life they lead. So anything you create from this point on will have to take responsibility for their own actions." Deborah''s argument waspletely reasonable. However, Kang Oh knew that parents were different. They would always be haunted by the crimes their childrenmitted. In other words, any wrongdoings caused by his creations would ultimately hurt him. "I... I..." As expected, Maya was unable to answer. Then... "May I speak?" Kang Oh raised his hand. "Go ahead," Deborah said. "From the moment I was born, I was happy. After all, I was given the chance to live my life as I see fit. At times, I''m happy, and at other times, I''m sad. There are even times that I get screwed over... Ahem, I mean times where bad things happen to me. Lord Maya, you will be giving your creations the chance to live, to experience these feelings." ''Don''t overthink things.'' "A chance... But what happens if my creations spread pain and misery to other living beings, like draining their life force?" "Then you punish them. Punishing your children is also the job of a parent." If his little sisters did something wrong, then he''d punish them. After all, teaching them what they did wrong was his responsibility as their older brother. There was a brief moment of silence. "Ah, is that so?" He just needed to punish them. It seemed like Maya had been enlightened. Thus far, he''d believed that love was hugging, forgiving, and supporting someone. However, Kang Oh had opened his eyes; that wasn''t all there was to it. "If you have trouble doing it by yourself, then you can always call on me. I''ll punish them for you." Kang Oh pointed at himself with his thumb. It seemed incredibly disrespectful in front of three gods, but they would probably let it go. "Thanks." Maya''s body radiated bright light. Then, he rose into the heavens. He hadpletely passed through the ceiling. Later, Kang Oh would hear that a giant pir of light could be seen in the Arth continent. And... A huge change swept through the continent. * * * At the very edge of the western grasndsy a dark body of water known as the Devil''s Sea. However, the once dark sea transformed into a body of blue seawater. It was at this moment that the Devil''s Sea transformed into the Western Sea. After that, a huge earthquake rocked the entire continent. Various inds rose from both the Western and Southern Seas, resulting in a giant tsunami sweeping through. Arth''srgest mountain range, the Phamas Mountains, had gotten even higher too. Never-before-seen caves, cliffs, etc. formed along the mountains, and a portion of them became dungeons. In the east, the sand parted in a few locations, causing water and rivers to begin flowing through thend. Different animals and fish appeared within these new bodies of water. New species adapted to the water or thend appeared too. In the south, the Great Forest went through great chaos. After all, they too felt a huge earthquake. "Uaah, the World Tree is angry!" "The World Tree!" Denizens of the Great Forest held great respect for thergest tree in the world, the World Tree. They believed that the earthquake was caused by the World Tree''s anger. However, they were mistaken. The events that were urring had nothing to do with the World Tree. In any case, the Great Forest began to change while the earthquake went on. Some ces rose, while others fell. New rivers and waterfalls flowed too. New animals popped out of the shadows cast by the Great Forest''s giant trees. Wood Golems were birthed from the ground too. Great change came to the north as well. The north originally consisted of a ton of nds, but various hills rose from the ground. Surprisingly, nts thrived within these hills. The trees and grass were extremely resistant to the cold. A few ruins were formed out of tough dirt and ice as well. A white haired, blue-skinned species took residence there. Crack! The shamans in the Great Temple of the North Sea heard something cracking. They assumed that the earthquake was causing the temple to copse, so they quickly rushed out. However, it was merely the ice in the North Sea that had been cracked. A pitch-ck herd of whales had appeared within the water, spraying water out of their blowholes. The central region had changed significantly too. In some areas, a volcano suddenly appeared, while in others, ake appeared. Some mountainous areas became nds, while previously nd areas became mountains or cliffs. The Great Change resulted in several cities taking significant damage. Altein was no exception. The city''s eastern district flooded, as a river suddenly appeared smack dab in the middle of it. On the other hand, the ground rose in the western district, causing the buildings to crumble. "Uaaahk!" "Oh god!" The citizens were panicking. While the yers were... "Uoh, this is crazy!" "Holy crap!" "What a huge change!" They couldn''t keep themselves silent. To think there was an event thatpletely changed the entire continent. As expected of the best game! Arth wasn''t called a masterpiece for no reason, after all. Chapter 514. Limit Break

Chapter 514. Limit Break

Trantor: Boko The God of Creation had made extensive changes to the continent as a whole. Volcanoes surged from the ground, rivers flowed through thend, the ground itself would disappear, and never-before-seen forests would appear out of nowhere. What''s worse, the Devil''s Sea had transformed into the Western Sea. However, Kang Oh, who was still in the Great Temple of Destruction, couldn''t feel the effects of the change. The only reason he knew about it was because Deborah told him. "Maya has finally done his duty." ''I wonder how it''s changed.'' Though he wondered how the continent had changed, there was a more pressing issue: receiving his quest reward. He nced at Sephiro; his passionate gaze mirrored his own. There was a tacit understanding between them. Although his reward was nowhere near as great as his, it was still quite substantial. "Supreme One," Kang Oh said politely. "Ah, that''s right. Good work, Kang Oh. Thanks for convincing Maya for me." "I only did my duty," Kang Oh said humbly, which was so unlike him. "What about my reward?" "Youpleted my quest admirably. You deserve a suitable reward for your efforts." Kang Oh nodded his head. ''Keep going!'' Then... "Deborah, your business here is finished, so get going," the God of Destruction said. "Understood." The Goddess of Death''s purple veil began to disappear. Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Cyndia''s bodies were surrounded by light. Thendscape before them changed. In the blink of an eye, they had been transported to the Great Temple of Death. The purple veil fell, concealing the Goddess of Death''s statue once more. "I will give you your reward." "Thank you," Sephiro quickly yelled. "You''re first, Kang Oh. You can pick among three different rewards. Do you remember what they are?" "Yes. I''d like you to break my limitations." Getting a reward would always put you in a good mood! Kang Oh opened his chest and spoke without hesitation. Deborah nodded her head. Whir. A sphere that resembled a glittering star was sucked into Kang Oh''s body. [The Primordial Goddess, she who manages death, has granted you her blessing, allowing you to break the limitations of your species.] [You have acquired the title, Superman.] [Your body allows for explosive growth.] [You no longer have a level cap. Henceforth, you will gain four times the amount of experience.] [The experience required to level up past 500 has increased significantly.] [You may be a Grandmaster.] [Mastered skills or spells will grant significantly less experience or proficiency. In other words, you cannot obtain much proficiency from hunting at that point.] [''Enlightenment'' is now possible. Creative usage, adaptation, or an increase in fundamental knowledge will grant you ''Enlightenment'', which greatly increases your proficiency.] Kang Oh read each and every line. Humans had a level cap of 500. However, Deborah''s blessing hadpletely eliminated said cap. Moreover, he was given an unexpected bonus. His experience gain was increased fourfold! On the other hand, the proficiency he received for mastered skills/spells from hunting would be reduced. So much so that the system message stated that the reduction was ''significant''. Which meant that killing monsters over and over again wasn''t the way to be a Grandmaster. In exchange, he gained ''Enlightenment''. To be a Grandmaster, one needed to deeply study a skill/spell, and improve one''s abilities. ''Whatever the case, I have to be a Grandmaster.'' Bing the strongest was Kang Oh''s goal. He needed to be Numbers rank 1! Thus, he needed to be the first yer to reach the realm of Grandmaster. Only then would he be able to pull Dukeram down from his throne. Although Dukeram had be the first Master, Kang Oh would be the first Grandmaster. This he vowed! "Kang Oh," Deborah said. "Yes?" Kang Oh bowed his head. "I will grant you another reward for a job well done." ''I hit the jackpot!'' "Thank you!" Kang Oh yelled immediately before she could change her mind. ''I wonder what she''ll give me. I hope it''s some amazing item...'' Kang Oh''s eyes glimmered. After learning Weapon Bombardment, there was little point for him to use Throw Projectile. Thus, he wanted to switch out his Fire Bomb Belt. So if she was going to give him something, then he''d prefer a belt! However, Deborah gave him somethingpletely unexpected. "I''ll allow you to enter the underworld just once." "The underworld?" ''What would I even do there? Plus, I can only go there once.'' Kang Oh sported a dubious expression, so Deborah started to exin. "The underworld will be your greatest trial. And this trial will make you even stronger." Kang Oh was quick on the uptake, so he realized the value of the underworld. ''Seems like it''s a hunting ground. An extremely high difficulty hunting ground at that.'' Moreover, he would be the only one allowed ess to it. After all, Deborah had only given him permission to enter it. "Thank you. When I''m ready to explore the underworld, I will let you know." ''Just not right now.'' "Got it." Now that she''d given Kang Oh her reward, she turned her attention to Sephiro. "Sephiro, I''ll reward you with equipment that contains my power. Choose one item among these three." Float! Three pieces of equipment appeared in the air. There was a beautiful ck bow, a glittering metal belt, and giant armor toorge for a human to wear. It felt like... it was meant for a warhorse. "May I take a closer look at them?" Sephiro asked, his voice trembling. "Take your time." Sephiro began to look them over immediately. Kang Oh stood beside him too. The ck bow was an SS-rank weapon called the Harbinger of Death. It possessed incredible abilities, especially the ''Rain of Death'' ability. The Belt that Evades Death was also amazing. Not only did it possess a ''Resurrection'' ability, but it also possessed two other abilities. However, Sephiro made his decision and shouted before Kang Oh could look at the final piece of equipment. "I''ll choose this one." Sephiro pointed at the giant armor. Kang Oh hadn''t gotten the opportunity to look over its specs yet. "Got it." Sephiro epted the ck armor. "Yahoo!" Sephiro beamed. "What kind of armor is it?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s armor for Waryong." He''d thought it was way toorge for a human. Indeed, it was never meant for human use; it was meant to be worn by a wyvern. Was it better than the Harbinger of Death or the Belt that Evades Death? "How good is it?" Kang Oh asked. Sephiro merely gave him a thumbs up. He''d be able to ascertain how good the armor was by observing Waryong. Rather than pestering him, Kang Oh just nodded his head. "Cyndia." Deborah''s voice rang out. "Yes, Supreme One," Cyndia said reverently. "I will leave you with my stigmata. I want you to continue to lead the church well." "As youmand." Cyndia deeply bowed her head, and a ck ring appeared on her forehead. This was both Deborah''s symbol and her stigmata. It was also the mark signifying who the High Priest of the Church of Death was. The vacant High Priest position had just been filled. "Eder worked really hard too," Kang Oh said. "I''ll lift the curse." With this, Eder was a free man. Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. ''The 30,000 gold is mine.'' In order to receive the goddess''s forgiveness, Eder needed toplete her quest. At the time, he asked Kang Oh to help him, luring him in with the promise of 30,000 gold as a reward. Kang Oh hadn''t forgotten about that. He had kept the contract they''d signed safe too. "Now, get going. To the continent that Maya has changed." Kang Oh, Cyndia, and Sephiro left, and the purple veil disappeared by itself. Their long journey, which involved killing the Mayanes and reviving the God of Creation, had finallye to an end. * * * It was chaos. The continent had suddenly changed, and never-before-seen animals, nts, monsters, and species had appeared. "Did you see the volcano that appeared in the Catron in?" "Phew, that''s nothing. A basin suddenly appeared in my city. To top it all off, there are underground ruins underneath it." "They say that there are rivers running through the desert now." "Isn''t this amazing? As expected of the best game out there!" When yers gathered together, they would usually be talking about the great change enacted by the God of Creation. There were a ton of posts on Arthtory or othermunity sites regarding the ''Great Change''. [The appearance of the new Arth] [Does the ind that appeared in the Southern Sea belong to whoever ims it first?] [The Devil''s Sea before and after] [A brief study of the new Fishmen in the desert, the Nergal.] [The new species that appeared in the western grasnds. What kind of effect will they have on the non-humans that already live there?] ... People were also curious about why this had suddenly happened. They typed away in the chat channels all day. - There are way too many quests in the Adventurer Guild. Investigate new areas, make contact with new species, hunt new monsters, trade with the north, etc. - If this is an update, then it''s probably thergest update to date for a virtual reality game. - ording to a Dreamgate employee, ''It''s not an update. It''s an event.'' - An event... Someone did something, didn''t they? - Who do you think it was? - It''s either the 4 great guilds or someone in the Numbers. - I think it''s Kang Oh. - Why? - Take a look at how the 4 great guilds are acting. They seempletely taken aback. Which means that they have no idea what''s going on. Thus, it can''t be anyone that''s part of the 4 great guilds (Dukeram, Jegal, Raon, Hernandez, Arthand). That money grubbing Wang Seo Rim would''ve formed a n in advance to cash in on this event if they''d have known about it. So we can exclude them too. The only ones left are Bart, Helena, and Kang Oh. Considering the scale of the event, it has to be Kang Oh. - The one who arrested Red, destroyed Red Moon, brought therge guilds to their knees and started the Dungeon Liberation Movement! - Agreed. - Even if theworks don''t show the associated quest, their viewership ratings will probably hit 10%. - I''ll watch it no matter what. I wonder what he did to get the entire continent to change. Aren''t you curious? - I''ll definitely watch it. - Me too. - What are theworks doing!? Do your jobs! The people were quite sharp. There were a ton of people who assumed that Kang Oh was the cause of this change. Of course, there were a few people who knew for certain and moved ordingly. The GBS Producer, Park Jin Cheol, and TGN Producer, Shin Hye Rim. * * * When Hye Rim had negotiated with Kang Oh for his Despia footage, she had heard a little bit about the goddess''s quest. Thus, she knew exactly what had happened. "This is your work, isn''t it, Mr. Jae Woo?" Hye Rim asked over the phone. "It is." "Let''s meet!" ''Right now!'' "I''ll text you the time and ce." "Understood." At that moment... Jin Cheol, who''d already spoken to him, was speaking with his superior. "Get it no matter what," the director yelled. "Please provide me with plenty of ammo," Jin Cheol said. "We''ve never lost when ites to money, have we?" "Never." Jin Cheol grinned. VG approached Kang Oh after TGN and GBS. Lee Han Cheol, the producer of the Ranking Show, called him. It was because Kang Oh had shown up on the show just a short while ago. Butpared to TGN or GBS, he didn''t have a long rtionship with VG. Which meant that they were two or three steps behind the otherworks. Thus, Han Cheol prepared a secret weapon: a nk check! With this, the battle among the threeworks over the rights for the goddess''s quest footage had begun. Chapter 515. Great Change (1)

Chapter 515. Great Change (1)

Trantor: Boko Jae Woo met with the three producers (GBS''s Park Jin Cheol, TGN''s Shin Hye Rim, and VG''s Lee Han Cheol) at a nearby cafe. "Mm." "Ahem." The three looked ufortable around each other. "I know you''re ufortable being around each other, but I didn''t want to exin this more than once. Please understand," Jae Woo said. Inviting each producer into a meeting where he exined what happened would be a pain in the ass. "Understood," Jin Cheol said. "First off, the reason why the continent suddenly changed was because Ipleted the goddess''s quest." Jae Woo pulled out a tablet he''d prepared beforehand. It was something he''d bought a short while ago, and it was extremely cost-effective. He used the tablet to show them the God of Creation, a figure with three pairs of beautiful wings. "This is the God of Creation, Maya. He is..." The tablet yed a clip while Kang Oh exined the Primordial Gods, the Mayanes and Maya, as well as the goddess''s quest. Jin Cheol, Hye Rim, and Han Cheol''s eyes gleamed, and they listened carefully. They kept their mouthspletely shut. "...In the end, the God of Creation was resurrected, and he was responsible for the change that affected the continent." That was the end of Kang Oh''s exnation. "Ooh." There was no need to think on this any further. Kang Oh had footage of all the Primordial Gods, his battles against the Mayanes, and the God of Creation''s resurrection! They had definitely struck gold. It wouldn''t get any better! Jin Cheol, Hye Rim, and Han Cheol vowed to get the rights to use his footage, and became wary of the others beside them. They began calcting in their heads. How much would they have to spend to procure his footage? Jae Woo fiddled with the tablet again, and then said, "I''ve emailed you the full video. Please take a look at it, and if you''re interested in buying it, then please send me a message. Of course, you need to let me know how much you''re willing to buy it for too." It was basically an auction. However, there was no reason to sell it to just one person. "I don''t have to sell it to just one person. You can also negotiate with the other producers if you want." He didn''t care if onework bought his footage for 100 or all three of them bought his footage for a total of 100. Either way, he''d make the same amount. In the past, he would''ve tried to get the three topete to extract the maximum sum from one of them. However, that wasn''t really necessary. Jae Woo knew exactly how much his product was worth, after all. It didn''t matter how things went. He was confident that he''d get a good offer. The three producers stared at each other. They quickly exchanged looks. It was as if sparks were popping out of their eyes. None of them intended to give up on monopolizing Kang Oh''s footage. In other words...! ''They''llpete in earnest.'' That wasn''t bad either. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Jae Woo left the cafe. "Ahem." "Hmm." "Hmph." Jin Cheol, Hye Rim, and Han Cheol parted ways immediately. * * * Thergest city in Arth, Altein. A river now flowed through the eastern part of the city, while a mountain had surged through the western part, causing a ton of damage via flooding or copsing buildings. People were moving busily to repair the damage. They were especially focused on constructing a bridge over the newly formed river. "Over here!" "No, no. That goes over here!" Kang Oh watched them work as he crossed the river with a crude raft. "Hehe, thank you. Pleasee again." The newbie beamed after Kang Oh paid his boat fare. It seemed like he had quite the business acumen. As soon as a river appeared in the capital, the yer built a raft and began ferrying people through for a price. Kang Oh began walking through the city. Fortunately, the Holiseum, which was located in the southern part of the city, hadn''t taken much damage. Kang Oh went underground and immediately headed for Vn''s room. Knock, knock. Once he knocked on the door, he heard a familiar voice from the other side. "Come in," Vn said. Creak. He opened the door, and was greeted by the sight of Vn, Burkan, and Darion. "Oh, you came, Little Brother?" Burkan said. "How have you been?" "The city''s in chaos. It''s been crazy. We''re in the middle of a short break." "Ah, I have something to say about that." "What about?" Kang Oh exined his involvement in reviving the God of Creation. "So you''re the reason for all this?" Burkan furrowed his brow. "No. Maya''s to me for all of this." "You''re the one who revived him in the first ce." "No, the Goddess of Death did that." Kang Oh only killed the Mayanes and gathered the God of Creation''s sources. "To think that the God of Creation was resurrected... I didn''t even know that he was dead." "Simr events may happen in the future." ''It also may not happen. It''s up to the God of Creation.'' "Mm. Then I should speak with the president and prepare just in case. You don''t have business with me, do you?" "No." Kang Oh nced at Vn. As always, Vn was missing one of his arms, and there was a huge scar on his chest. "Follow me, Darion. Let''s go see the president." "Yes, sir." Once Burkan and Darion left, Kang Oh was left alone with Vn. "Have you broken your limits?" Vn asked. He truly was a monster. "That''s right. How did you know?" Kang Oh asked in shock. "You need a god''s help in order to break your limitations. However, you have to do something worthy of that reward. After all, there''s nothing free in this world. From what I hear, that mission of yours was big enough to warrant such a reward." As expected of Vn. He hit the nail on the head. Kang Oh was suddenly curious. "Did a god help you too?" "The great Rakan helped me." "What did you do?" "Something hard." "So what exactly did you do?" "You don''t need to know," Vn said decisively. "Bleh, you can''t tell me anything?" "It left some unpleasant memories." Vn''s expression became bitter. However, he quickly changed the topic. "Anyway, the fact that you''re here means you want something from me." "I wanted some advice on how to be a Grandmaster. If you have anything to teach me, that''d be even better." Hehe. Kang Oh rubbed his hands together and bowed his head. "There''s no right answer. All I can tell you is that you need to follow your own path to be a Grandmaster." "How did you be a Grandmaster?" He was really curious. If he could follow his method, then he''d do so. "I went looking for people stronger than me. And I would fight them until I beat them. After I beat them, I would keep searching for and fighting others that were stronger than me. I overcame death thousands of times." Vn grinned. "How long did it take for you to be a Grandmaster?" "It doesn''t matter how long you take. ''Enlightenment'' is what matters. If you''re enlightened enough, then you''ll be a Grandmaster." "Then if I were enlightened enough, I could be a Grandmaster right now?" "Your understanding will build and build, causing an even greater understanding. You''re still not ready," Vn said. It appeared that no single Enlightenment would increase his proficiency enough. "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. ''What should I do from now on? How can I be a Grandmaster faster than anyone else?'' "Trials make people stronger. That''s the truth. Bing a Grandmaster follows the same logic. The harder the trial, the stronger you''ll be." "I''ll keep that in mind." Ultimately, if he had a choice between an easy and a hard road, then he should take the hard road. Plus, there was no shortcut to bing a Grandmaster. "But... How is your body doing?" Kang Oh asked. They were discussing ''trials'', but there was no trial harder than oveing Vn''s immense strength. Well, that only applied if Vn were at full strength. "Not bad." Honestly, Vn did look a lot better than before. "You have to recover quickly." "You know, this is kind of fun." "Excuse me?" "Trying to cut through the Evil God''s energy stuck in my chest." "Good luck." Kang Oh clenched his fist. "Yeah, you do your best too." Vn gave him an uncharacteristic smile. After they vanquished the Evil God''s followers, Vn had be a lot more rxed. ''Seems like Sword Duke Sven''s influence. It looks like people who''re high level enough can get through to him.'' Sven was an old grandfatherly figure who was as warm as the sun. However, Vn ''smelled'' like Sven right now. "I''lle back." "Bring a gift next time." "Yes." Kang Oh left the Holiseum. * * * Icerin was a small, quiet city that was close to the north, even though ity in the central region. Is that why? It waspletely unaffected by the Great Change. This is where Kang Oh had reappeared. He''de here a few times before, so he was used to it. Kang Oh headed for the Witch''s Forest, and saw a golden-haired woman leaning on a wooden fence. The cold breeze kept messing with her hair, so she kept patting it down. He connected his thumb and index finger together, forming a ''camera'' of sorts that he used to look at Asu. ''Man, she''s picture perfect!'' Asu turned her head around and stared at Kang Oh. Then, she beamed. "You''re here?" "Yeah." Chirp! The Phoenix Chick, Rudy, came out of her buxom. It resembled a slightlyrger than normal chick. A red feathery on its head. "Good boy. You''ve been doing good?" Kang Oh petted Rudy, and pulled out a Fire Stone he''d prepared beforehand. Then, Rudy pped its adorable wings and opened its beak. Roar. mes surged from the stone, which were sucked into Rudy''s small mouth. Burp. Rudy enjoyed the mes and burped. Then, ck smoke came out of its mouth. "Was it good?" Asu petted its head. Rudy fiercely nodded its head. Kang Oh''s heart ached. ''Ugh! This is too precious!'' Chirp. Rudy disappeared inside her buxom once more. "Oppa, let''s go." "Yeah." Kang Oh and Asu held hands and headed for the intercity transfer gate. They had decided to look at the changes brought by the Great Change. "Where should we go first?" "Just follow me." Kang Oh grinned. * * * They started with Palmar. Palmar was arge city. However, the Great Change had cracked the floor, causing countless trees to rise from the cracks. Thus, half of the city had transformed into a forest. Upon arrival, the two looked around. "Something smells sweet." Asu sniffed. "That''s because they''re all fruit trees." All of Palmar''s new trees were fruit trees. They were filled with various fruits, such as pears, apples, melons, etc. Kang Oh pulled off two purple fruits from a nearby tree that resembled apples and gave one to Asu. "What kind of fruit is it?" "It''s a Purple Fruit. You can only eat it in Arth. Give it a try. It''s good." Asu took a huge bite. Her face crinkled like a wrinkled newspaper. "It''s sour!" "Haha." Kang Oh smiled impishly. Purple Fruit was five times more sour than lemons, even though it appeared like an apple. One person had said it was quite a ''shocking taste'' on the inte. Even so, Asu took another bite of the fruit. "Huh?" Kang Oh looked shocked. ''Hey, what are you doing?'' "Ugh, it''s so sour!" It was bitter enough to make you shake. However, Asu had eaten the entire fruit. "Wow, you ate the whole thing." "Hoo, hoo." Asu gave him a V for victory. Then, she said, "Now it''s your turn. Eat it." "No, wait. That''s..." "It''s edible." Asu smiled like a demon. In the end... "Uaahk!" It was so sour that it felt like his tongue had gone numb. Kang Oh was KO''d by just one bite of the Purple Fruit. He couldn''t eat any more of it! Chapter 516. Great Change (2)

Chapter 516. Great Change (2)

Trantor: Boko The atmosphere of Palmar City, which was filled with fruit trees, was quite peculiar. Tall trees had pierced through the four to five story buildings. Fruits dangled off their branches, not to mention the... monkeys. Kii-kii-kii! The city''s evolution into a fruit tree forest had also brought along monkeys. And it wasn''t just one type of monkey either; there were all sorts of them here. Some had long tails, while others hadrge noses or were extremely furry. They also varied in size. Plus, they were extremely mischievous. They threw fruit at anyone that passed by. However, the yers enjoyed them, so they didn''t take any action against them. After all, they were ying a game, so they wouldn''t be hurt much no matter how hard the fruit was. A white monkey approached the pair and suddenly climbed up to Asu''s shoulder. Kii! Kii! Although it was covered in white fur, its hands were ck. It began pulling on Asu''s golden hair with its cute, small hands. "Oh, how cute." Asu looked at the baby monkey and smiled. Then... Chirp! Rudy popped out of her buxom. mes zed from its cute, beady eyes. Swish. It immediately tackled the monkey. ''Don''t bother my mom!'', it seemed to say. Kii-kii! The unexpected attack made the monkey go mad. But at the end of the day, it was still a monkey. On the other hand, Rudy was a Phoenix, regardless of how young it was. Chirp! It spewed mes from its tiny mouth, surprising the monkey and causing it to run away. "It''s ok." Asu calmed Rudy down. Chirp! Rudy sat on top of Asu''s head. Then, it watched out for any monkeys that might bother her. Kang Oh and Asu enjoyed the city, which had be a monkey''s paradise, for a little while longer, and then went on to their next destination. * * * The God of Creation had created several species during the Great Change. The Burumon were one such species. The Burumon were about half as tall as an adult human. They possessed small, round bodies, pudgy bellies, and short arms and legs. Their hair was so long that it touched the ground. Plus, they were extremely friendly towards other species, which mademunicating with them really easy. Their vige was built on the basin that resided in between the central and western regions. Several yers visited this area. Why, you ask? The Burumon sang beautiful songs. Beautiful melodies and chords could always be heard throughout the vige. Plus, pping their pudgy bellies imitated the sound of a drum. Seeing them p their bellies while singing made people feel happy. Thus, it always felt like there was a festival going on. Minstrels, musicians, dancers, etc. visited the vige in order to sing songs and dance with them. Skilled merchants had already begun to sell alcohol, snacks, and other goods here. Kang Oh and Asu passed the time by listening to their beautiful songs with a ss of beer in their hands. "This ce is so nice." Asu''s cheeks were slightly red. In Arth, drinking alcohol would get you buzzed, but it wouldn''t make you drunk. You would have to face a monster that cast a status ailment on you in order to get ''drunk''. In any case, it seemed like she really loved the atmosphere in the vige. Then... Two of the Burumon waddled over, grabbed Asu''s hands, and dragged her away. Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. They tapped their stomachs, imitating the sound of a drum. At the same time, they began to sing songs. Asu was part of the girl group, Triple Lower, and was both its leader and the main vocalist. When it came to singing, she wouldn''t lose to anyone. She began singing along with the beat. It felt like her voice itself was shining. At least that''s what Kang Oh thought. He sat on a nearby empty stump and watched her. In no time at all, people began to gather in the festivities. It wasn''t surprising. After all, that was how the vige worked. When the Burumon began to sing, people gathered around them. The Burumon began to sing their traditional songs. Asu couldn''t really follow along. Thus, she began to shake her body around. The Burumons'' voices were already quite quirky, but the ones with Asu had especially striking voices. The yers began to follow the beat, bobbing their heads, their hands or their feet. But all of a sudden, five Burumon appeared, who began to sing and pound on their bellies. Their voices joined together in harmony. After all, they were originally part of one team. Asu pulled away, returned to Kang Oh''s side, and sat beside him on the stump. "Hoo, that was fun." Kang Oh gave her a thumbs up. ''You''re the best.'' She snatched his ss and drank down the rest of his beer. "Phew." Asu shook the empty ss and beamed. Then, she locked arms with him and leaned on his shoulder. "Oppa, let''s stay here a little longer." Kang Oh had originally nned to go somece else. There were plenty of ces worth seeing, after all. However, those ns were pointless now. "Sure." Kang Oh and Asu stayed in the Burumon Vige until night came, watching the sun go down. Kiss. A sweet sound could be heard in the night. * * * TGN, VG, and GBS were feeling really antsy. The whole world was focused on the Great Change right now. So what if they were to add Kang Oh''s footage to this? They would easily pass 10% viewership. In fact, they may pass 20%. Moreover, people overseas were excited about it too. If Kang Oh sold them exclusive rights to his footage and it were properly edited, then they could sell it to the U.S., Japan, China, etc. with ease. Arth had maintained global interest for quite some time. However, Arth had begun in Korea for half a year before anyone else had ess. Only after that did servers for the other countries open. Koreans, which were said to have gaming in their DNA, had gotten ess to Arth for half a year longer than anyone else. Thus, all of the Numbers were Korean. Plus, the 4 great guilds were all Korean, and most of therge guilds were operated by Koreans as well. In any case, this is why Korea''s gamingworks prioritized Arth over all else. Ultimately, the other countries were forced to buy footage from Korea''s broadcastworks. Of course, they didn''t buy everything. The overseasworks made their own footage, after all. However, they would have no choice but to buy Kang Oh''s footage this time! In the end, TGN, VG, and GBS were confident that they''d be able to make a killing, regardless of how much they paid Kang Oh. That''s why they wanted to have exclusive rights to Kang Oh''s footage. Thus began theirpetition. TGN made an offer first. They offered him 1.5 billion won ($1.5 million USD). However, this quickly became 2 billion won. This is when TGN, which had the least mary resources, began to add other incentives to their offer. They offered him a percentage of their advertising revenue, as well as a percentage of their sales to other countries, etc. However, GBS and VG weren''t willing to back down. They added incentives of their own. Not only that, but they raised their offer to 2.5 billion won. In the end, TGN was forced to resign. Thus, GBS and VG fought in earnest. As a result, GBS came out on top, as they were backed by a huge parentpany. Their final offer was 3.3 billion 800 million won. This also included incentives such as a percentage of their ad revenue, as well as a percentage of their profit from overseas sales. "Hurray!" Jae Woo raised his hands into the air. He had made a killing. GBS put all of their resources into Jae Woo''s footage. They edited it, readied the program, created promotional material, and pre-sold it to overseasworks. "Let''s shoot for more than 20%, and hit rank 1!" GBS''s director gathered all of his employees and yelled. * * * Change was apanied by both joy and pain. Although Maya''s changes made several people happy, it also caused huge chaos. Various incidents urred all across the continent. There were plenty of people attempting to make use of this change in order to make a profit. There were battles everywhere. Kang Oh was busy too. "The Forney are being oppressed. Save them. If they go extinct, then the continent will face the God of Creation''s wrath," the Whispers of the Earth said. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Aid the Forney] The Forney Tribe, which suddenly appeared in the Phamas Mountains, has been caught and oppressed by the ck Bandana Brigade. Save them, and help them settle in a safe location. Difficulty: Hard. Minimum Requirements: Guardian of the Continent. Reward: None. Failure: God of Creation''s Wrath. Since Vn was still healing from his wounds, Kang Oh was the only avable Guardian of the Continent at the moment. Following the Great Change, however, Kang Oh was constantly given quest after quest. "Haa, it''s the Phamas Mountains this time." Kang Oh sighed. He''d juste back from the north, thend of ice and illusions. His recent quest was to protect the Forney, one of the God of Creation''s newly created species, and/or stop the ck Bandana Brigade from doing any more harm. The Guardian of the Continent''s role was to prevent any incidents that may cause chaos across the continent. But if he failed to protect this new species, then the God of Creation''s wrath would sweep through the continent. ''Yeah, I know I told him I''d punish his children when they were being bad, but... Why''s he asking me to punish an entire species? And what''s with his anger?'' However, there was nothing as dangerous as the God of Creation''s wrath. For example, what if he were to create and set off a volcano in arge city like Altein? ''I can''t let that happen.'' Kang Oh immediately headed for the Phamas Mountains. Eder and Sephiro weren''t with him. Eder was treating Gainus''s wounds in the dragon''s nest, so he couldn''t leave at the moment. On the other hand, Sephiro said he was busy while Waryong''s wing was healing. At least he had Tasha and Sara with him. "It changed," Sara looked around and said. There were definitely a few mountaintops she''d never seen before. ording to themunity sites, it wasn''t just mountaintops. There were new caves, cliffs, valleys, waterfalls, other dangerous locations, etc. Moreover, there were apparently some new dungeons here too. ''I want to explore the dungeons!'' How could he pass up an opportunity like that? Kang Oh nned on finishing the Guardian of the Continent Quest, which had no reward by the way, and then go through all of the dungeons here. Sometimeter... Kang Oh found the ck Bandana Brigade''s hideout. There were several holes throughout the vertical cliff, which made the interior asplex as an ant tunnel. ''Where are the Forney being imprisoned...?'' The ck Bandana Brigade was a gang of bandits that operated on the Phamas Mountains. They, like their namesake, wore ck bandanas around their heads. They were made up of humans, intelligent monsters, and non-humans that went around robbing others. In the past, the Arabas, Des, and Baiyan Kingdoms had led an expedition against them. However, they had, like cockroaches, survived, and amassed forces once more after time had passed. With the Empire Guild taking control of the three eastern kingdoms, there was no longer anyone to stop them. Thus, their numbers had swelled significantly. "Intruders," the gatekeeper yelled, seeing the three approach. He was a man with a robust body, a wicked face, and a ck bandana around his head. There was also an orc with tusks that protruded out of his mouth. He too wore a ck bandana around his head. Aside from them, there were twenty bandits sitting around a bonfire. "Take them down," Kang Oh said. "It''s hunting time." Tasha smiled wickedly, and gathered blood red energy in her hands. Sara furrowed her brow as if she were disgusted by their appearance, transformed her hands into ice drills, and rushed into the fray. "Die!" "Get out of my way!" They were up against the Great Forest''s Demon, as well as the Ice Queen, who threatened to freeze half of the continent in solid ice. The bandits were no match for them. "Uhahk!" "Ugh." "You witch!" They screamed, cursed, and yelled in agony. One or two of them began to fall at a time. Whistle! One of the bandits forcefully blew on a whistle. Swish! Kang Oh cut his head with Demon Sword Ubist. A short whileter... When they were finished with the bandits, several more popped out of the entrance like a swarm of bats. "Who are you!?" the ringleader scowled and yelled. However... Swoosh! A fiercely spinning jet-ck greatsword flew at him! Boom! The greatsword ripped right through the ringleader. "Uheok!" "B-Boss?" Having lost their boss, the bandits momentarily panicked. "I won''t let a single one of you go!" Kang Oh''s brutal voice resounded throughout the cliff, causing his enemies to tremble in fear. They had gotten the drop on them. Chapter 517. Black Bandana Brigade

Chapter 517. ck Bandana Brigade

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh, Tasha, and Sara annihted the bandits. With a single swing of his sword, Kang Oh would kill two or three bandits at a time. Tasha''s blood red energy swept through the bandits, while Sara''s breath turned them into ice statues. The bandits were never a match for Kang Oh''s party. Moreover, their ringleader had died early on. "T-They''re monsters!" "Run away!" The bandits couldn''t withstand their assault any longer. They didn''t have a speck of loyalty. The bandits ran away without any concern for their rades''. Kang Oh grinned and stabbed the retreating bandits in the back. If they were going to give him experience for free, then who was he to refuse? "Sara, stop them!" Tasha yelled, her eyes glowing red. Executing Harpoon! Tasha summoned hundreds of harpoons. "Got it." Sara raised her hands into the air. Northern Wind! Sara summoned blue wind, which froze the ground and the bandits'' feet. "All of you, die!" Tasha crossed her arms. Hundreds of glimmering red harpoons shot everywhere. Bam! Bam! Bam! The nearby bandits were skewered by the harpoons. "Uhahk!" "Ugh." The battlefield was filled with their cries of agony. Kang Oh, Tasha, and Sara finished off the rest of them. It was all too easy. Stab. Demon Sword Ubist was thrust through a wolf man''s heart. He was thest man standing. [You have defeated a ck Bandana Bandit.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh grinned. Breaking his limitations had quadrupled his experience gain, so he was starting to level up like crazy. Kang Oh had hit level 480. It felt like he''d keep leveling up until he hit level 500. After that, the amount of experience he''d need to level up would increase significantly. "Let''s go." Kang Oh''s party headed to the vertical cliff''s giant entrance. * * * The interior was asplex as a maze. ''Where are they being held?'' Kang Oh''s mission was to rescue the captive Forney Tribe. However, he had no idea where they might be. Thus... He paid for a guide. "Hehe, this way." The bandit wore a servile expression. His face was swollen and he had a ck eye. "Are you sure?" Kang Oh red at him, and smiled brutally. "O-Of course!" the bandit replied. "You know what''ll happen if you''re wrong, right?" Kang Oh swiped a finger across his throat. "I-I understand." The fearful bandit led Kang Oh''s party to where the Forney Tribe was imprisoned. They encountered some bandits along the way, but they weren''t an issue. In no time at all, they reached their destination. There was a long corridor in front of them, and caves on either side sealed off with iron bars. Kang Oh looked through the jail cells. He saw a variety of species, which included humans, dwarves, anthromorphs, etc. "Are the Forney Tribe here?" Kang Oh yelled. "W-Who are you?" A man warily peeked through the iron bars and scanned Kang Oh''s form. "Are you part of the Forney Tribe?" Kang Oh asked. "Yes." Kang Oh looked over the man and the people behind him. On average, the Forney were about 150 cm tall, and possessed varying horns on their heads. They also wore clothes that resembled qipaos, both men and women included. "I came here to rescue you," Kang Oh said, sporting an amicable expression. "R-Really?" "Yes. Please back away from the bars. Sara,e here." Sara returned to her demon sword form. Swish, sh, swish! Three swings was plenty. Crack! His de''s Absolute Destruction ability broke through the iron bars. "Thank you!" They walked out of their cell and expressed their thanks. "Please save us too!" "P-Please rescue us!" The other prisoners desperately begged for his aid, pushing their heads and hands through the iron bars. "Please step back. You might get hurt if you don''t." Kang Oh cut through all of the bars. Prisoners flooded out of the jail cells. There were about two hundred of them in total. The Forney Tribe made up about half of them. ''Doesn''t seem like that''s all of them.'' "Are there other prisoners here?" Kang Oh asked the Forney Tribe''s representative. "Yes," the representative replied. Then, he knelt onto the floor. "Please save them too. We''ll never forget what you''ve done for us." Kang Oh quickly stood him up. "Don''t worry. I''ll save them all." ''If I don''t, then the God of Creation will unleash his wrath on the entire continent.'' "Hey." Kang Oh looked to the side. "Y-Yes?" the guide yelled in shock. "How many more prisons do you have?" "There are four others." "Four? Are there that many people imprisoned in them too?" "Yes." "Hmm." If he freed all of the prisoners, then he''d have about 1,000 people on his hands. Gathering all of them and then leading them to safety would be a huge problem. ''This won''t work. I have to take care of the ck Bandana Brigade first.'' The more prisoners there were, the harder it would be to protect them. Thus, it would be best if he took care of anything that might do them harm, and then safely lead them out of the base. "Please follow me. We''ll lead you out of the base first. Hey, lead us to the entrance." Kang Oh pushed the bandit''s back with Sarahoff. "Y-Yes." Kang Oh and the bandit stood in front, while Sara, Tasha, and the two hundred prisoners followed him from behind. Fortunately, they didn''t encounter any resistance along the way. They weren''t attacked by any bandits. But when they exited the cliff, they were surrounded by the ck Bandana Brigade. "Was it..." "You?" Two voices rang out. The first voice sounded weaselly, while the other was rougher and huskier. Kang Oh saw a giant 3 meter tall man, as well as a man that wasn''t even 1 meter tall. They were the ck Bandana Brigade''s bosses, the brothers Gide and Mide. The smaller man was the older brother, Gide, while therger man was the younger brother, Mide. Gide was a mixed-blood, a man who was born between a human and a dwarf, while Mide was born between a human and an ogre. There were about 500 bandits around them. There were a variety of species mixed in, including humans, anthromorphs, Lizardmen, orcs, dwarves, etc. "If you surrender, I''ll let you have a beautiful death." "Hahaha." Gide and Mide smiled wickedly. ''Hmm.'' Kang Oh slightly furrowed his brow. His original n was to kill all of the ck Bandana Brigade, and then lead the prisoners to safety. However, that n had gone up in smoke. Kang Oh looked back. ''Doesn''t look like they''ll be able to fight.'' Their faces were filled with dread. They were in no condition to fight. "Please stay inside. I''ll take care of them. And... Tasha." "Yeah." "Protect them for me." "What?" It was clear she didn''t want to. ''Why me?'' "Please." "Then what about them?" Tasha pointed at the bandits with a sharp nail. "I''ll take care of them. You keep them safe for me." "Will you be alright?" Kang Oh nodded his head. "Tch, fine." Tasha clicked her tongue, but ultimately epted Kang Oh''s request. Kang Oh stared at the two brothers, Gide and Mide, once more. Then, his gaze settled on the smaller one. "Hey, dwarf." Gide''s forehead creased. ''Dwarf''. He hated being called that. "Do you want to die?" Gide roared. "Ha, someone as short as you is going to kill me? If you can, go ahead and try. If you''re too afraid to give it a shot, then go back to drinking your mother''s milk." Kang Oh wanted him to attack him first, so he could finish him off quickly. However, Gide didn''t fall for his trick. "Hmph, you really think I''d fall for that? Everyone, kill him!" Gide ordered. "Uwaaahk!" The bandits charged at him from the front and the sides! Devil Trigger. Kang Oh was d in Ubist and Sara''s respective energies. His face was covered by a beast mask with frozen horns, and icy gauntlets and greaves encased his arms and legs. Swish! Swish! The closest bandits threw theirs and chains at him. Some of them even threw spheres at him. They were poison bombs. Poison darts and poison spears came flying at him too. Kang Oh backed off and swung his demon sword. Swish, sh! ng! Bam! He cut thes, deflected the chains, and avoided the poison bombs, darts, and spears. "Throw projectile weapons from afar! Those in front, attack him in threes. Exhaust him! He''s strong. Don''t rush," Gide yelled sharply. Once he heard that his men had been easily killed, Gide realized that Kang Oh''s party wasn''t to be underestimated. Thus, he had set up a perimeter at the entrance. Kang Oh had finally taken the bait. Now all they had to do was wait until Kang Oh got tired. However... Kang Oh was no easy fish to catch. No, perhaps he was a whale that no fishing rod could hope to catch. sh! Tempest Tiger! Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Abyss w! His power was overwhelming. Bam! Bam! Bam! None of the bandits could hope to match up to his strength. Plus, he moved so gracefully, allowing him to dodge all of the bandits''s and chains. In an instant, more than fifty bandits had been killed. "Brother," Mide said, unable to witness the one-sided fight any longer. "Shouldn''t I get involved?" Mide was the strongest member of the ck Bandana Brigade. An enemy''s head would explode with a single swing of his club. "Not yet," Gide said firmly. "But..." "Wait until he''s tired. Even you''ll have trouble against him right now." "Understood." Gide ordered the ringleaders to hold off too. Ultimately, the only ones who died were their low level henchmen. Kang Oh killed bandit after bandit. He had killed more than 100 bandits at this point. Despite that, there were still more than 400 bandits left. "Haa, haa." His breath quickened, and his Stamina went down below half. However, he had no time to rest. After all, the bandits wouldn''t let him collect himself. Gide''s lips curled upwards. "Haha, you can''t beat this many people by yourself!'' It wasn''t their intention to kill him. He just wanted them to make him swing his sword one more time, and give him one less second of rest. Kang Oh could hear the warning bells ring in his ear. ''I can''t keep going like this.'' His Stamina would hit 0 before he could kill all of the bandits. ''I need to conserve my Stamina!'' Kang Oh began to kill the bandits while conserving as much Stamina as possible. First, he used Switch to store Ubist into his inventory. Because Ubist was a greatsword, it took a lot more effort to swing it, which consumed much more Stamina than a normal weapon. Whereas his longsword, Sarahoff, was much lighter than the average weapon. He also deactivated Devil Trigger. Kang Oh didn''t require any powerful techniques or the demons'' power at the moment. He also changed his fighting style. Kang Oh didn''t use any of his skills that consumed a lot of MP, and focused on thrusting his sword with minimal movements. After all, thrusting required less Stamina than shing. He turned to the side, adjusting his stance to look more like a fencer. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Sarahoff''s sharp tip thrust forward again and again like a shining star. Plus, Kang Oh didn''t dodge every one of their attacks either. Most of his Stamina had been depleted, but his HP was still sitting at 98%. He assessed the strength of his enemies'' blows, and allowed any weak attacks to hit him. His armor''s set effect, Dragon Armor, was really putting in work. It reduced all damage by 30%, and sometimes made the bandits'' attacks miss on their own. Kang Oh also concentrated on his footwork. When he was hit, he would unleash a vicious counter. "Hoo. Hoo." He also deliberately took deep breaths. When did it start? Kang Oh felt as if his body became rxed. However, his thrusts became more natural and refined. The power behind them had increased as well. ''Aah.'' Kang Oh recalled his meeting with Sword Duke Sven. Grandpa Sven had told him that his de would ''gradually be freer''. At the time, he didn''t understand what he meant, but now he could understand it, if just a little. ''He was trying to tell me to rx.'' In other words, he wanted him to use less strength in order to swing his sword with greater speed and power. Discarding any unnecessary power behind his blows would make it freer and more natural. At that moment... A system message popped up. [You have been enlightened.] Chapter 518. Enlightenment

Chapter 518. Enlightenment

Trantor: Boko [Your understanding of swordsmanship has increased.] [Proficiency in Demonic Swordsmanship, sh, Mad Wind''s Sword, and Transcendent de has increased.] [The power of your Demonic Swordsmanship, sh, Mad Wind''s Sword, and Transcendent de has increased.] [The MP cost of sh, Mad Wind''s Sword, and Transcendent de has slightly decreased.] ''Enlightenment!'' Kang Oh''s body shook with excitement. He had taken his first step to bing a Grandmaster. However, he was also given another unexpected present. His ck and gold ring glowed. [Kunta''s Golden Talent Ring has been activated.] [A spontaneous quest has been created.] [Enlightenment] Kunta''s talent dwells within you. Be enlightened once more. Then, you will receive a greater sense of enlightenment. Enlightenment: 0/1. Difficulty: Spontaneous. Reward: A clue to another Enlightenment. It had been a while since Kunta''s Ring had activated. However, it was slightly different from the spontaneous quests he''d been given thus far. Normally, the ring''s spontaneous quests would give him a huge boost in proficiency, but this time, it would give him a clue to ''another enlightenment''. That''s why it was even better than normal. Enlightenment was a huge part to bing a Grandmaster, and Kunta''s Ring would give him a clue to said Enlightenment! ''I''ve hit the jackpot!'' In any case, Kang Oh easily dealt with the attacking bandits. Perhaps it was due to the effects of his Enlightenment. "Ugh." "You monster!" In no time at all, the bandits had been cut in half. Despite that, Kang Oh lookedpletely fine. Gide furrowed his brow. Kang Oh had looked visibly exhausted. But at some point, that exhaustion had washed off of his face. ''Why isn''t the poison working!?'' The bandits would asionally throw poison bombs, poison darts, and poison spears at him. Some of them had struck Kang Oh''s body. However, Kang Oh showed no signs of being poisoned. It was only natural. Kang Oh was a Demonic Swordsman. As such, he was extremely resistant to curses and poisons. Moreover, he had spent a lot of time with the Legendary Healer, Eder, and had taken several of his medicines. By facing the Basilisk and its Petrifying Poison, his poison resistance had gotten an even greater boost. Most poisons wouldn''t work on him anymore. Especially the poisons that the bandits were currently using. "Brother," the three meter tall half-ogre, Mide, said. "At this rate, all of our men will die." "I know." "I''ll take him on." Gide bit his thumb. Then, he looked all over the ce. ''No. Even Mide can''t beat him. However...'' Gide stared at the entrance to their base. There was a witch inside with a piercing gaze. He also saw the prisoners behind her. "Mide." "Yes, Brother." "Don''t fight that monster head-on. Exhausting him by whatever means necessary is the answer. Instead, focus on that woman and the prisoners. That may weaken him." Gide pointed at Tasha. "Understood. Follow me, boys." Mide led his direct subordinates and charged at Tasha. Once he closed the distance, Mide raised his giant club into the air and forcefully swung downwards. Whoosh. His club let out a heavy ''whoosh'' and pushed through the air. As expected of a half-ogre. He was born with incredible physical strength. Tasha merely smiled. It was quite a brutal one. "Good of you toe." Kang Oh had asked her to protect the prisoners. If not for his request, then she would''ve gone out and killed all of the bandits already. However, a portion of the bandits were rushing at her like moths to a me! It was as if they were pushing their heads into a tiger''s gaping maw! Whir! Her snow-white hands were coated in red energy. Fresh Blood Wave! The red energy flickered and swept through everything in its way. Bam! Mide''s body was pushed back, and his subordinates quickly caught him. "Grr... Grr..." Mide''s face turned red. "I won''t go easy on you next time." Mide fiercely swung his club. Brown Bear''s Aura! A ''ming'' bear-shaped energy coated his club, which he then swung at Tasha. "Hmph." Tasha snorted. She was about to dodge it, but then remembered that there were people behind her. If she dodged, they might get hurt. "Everyone, go deeper into the cave! Hurry!" Tasha briefly turned around and yelled sharply. The horned Forney Tribe and the rest of the prisoners retreated into the cave. However, there were two hundred of them, so they couldn''t go very fast. Meanwhile, Tasha gathered a ton of blood red energy. The edges of her dress extended, transforming into a red veil that blocked Mide''s aura. Then... The roaring Brown Bear''s Aura struck Tasha''s barrier. Boom! The aura transformed into mes, which spread across the ground like spider webs. Mide kicked off the floor and charged like a bull. He saw Tasha clearly. Her hair was disheveled, and both her hair and her clothing were burnt significantly. "Huahk!" Mide fiercely swung his club. Earth Crush! Tasha crossed her arms. Annihting Thorn! Red thorny vines surged from the ground and wrapped around Mide''s body. However, Mide had the blood of an ogre flowing through his veins, a monster renowned for its great physical strength. He ripped through the vines and then forcefully swung his club. Bam! Tasha fell to the floor. "Haha. Boys, go and get them!" Mide yelled. "Yes, sir!" His direct subordinates went inside the passageway. "Gyaahk!" "N-No!" The prisoners and the Forney Tribe screamed. However, Tasha suddenly floated into the air. Her entire body was coated in blood red energy. Tasha''s eyes glowed red, and red bat wings protruded from her back. Tasha''s dormant demonic power had been released. "I''ll kill you all!" Tasha yelled brutally. p! p! She fiercely pped her wings, and sprung forward. Bloodstained w! Countless red ws flew through the air. Rip! Rip! Rip! "Kuhahk!" "Ugh." Mide''s subordinates were ripped apart. Tashanded on the floor, and then spun around. Blood Storm! A raging tempest of blood red energy swept through them. Bam! "Guahk!" "Ugh!" The bandits screamed in agony. Countless shards of light flew through the air, which were absorbed into Tasha''s body. "Stop right there!" Mide rushed at her. "You smell good." Tasha stared at Mide and licked her lips. His blood smelled so sweet. * * * "Guaaahk!" Gruesome cries echoed throughout the entrance. A short whileter... Mide ran out of the entrance. Swoosh! A blood red spear flew through the air, and pierced through Mide''s body. Then, thorny vines surged from the ground and wrapped around Mide once more. Tap, tap. Tasha walked out. There was an ominous vibe surrounding her. "L-Let me live..." Mide desperately yelled. "No! Everyone, save Mide!" Gide urgently yelled. The ringleaders that''d been ordered to ''standby'' quickly rushed into action. However, Tasha was too fast for them. Stab! She thrust her hand into Mide''s chest. Suck! Mide''s body began to shrivel up. The more it did, the healthier Tasha''s face and body became. This was Blood''s power, the reason she was called the Great Forest''s Demon. The demon''s instincts, which had long sinceid dormant within her, had been brought to the surface. "Let him go!" "You demon!" The ringleaders'' weapons pierced Tasha''s body. However, her rippling body was made up of blood. She was essentially immune to physical attacks. Tasha smiled frighteningly. Blood Storm! Boom! Blood red energy spread outwards, sweeping through the ringleaders and any nearby bandits. Gide''s face stiffened. ''Impossible!'' Tasha was showing power on the same level as Kang Oh. In other words, they had two monsters on their hands. ''Damn it. I have to get away.'' Gide decided to escape. However, that would prove difficult. Why? Kang Oh repeatedly swung Sarahoff, and charged at him like a bulldozer. He took advantage of Tasha halfway reverting to her demonic state. Once they turned their attention to her, Kang Oh wasn''t pressured as much as before. Kang Oh immediately headed for Gide. Mad Wind''s Sword! Demon Sword Sarahoff broke apart any obstacles in his way. "Stop him!" Gide urgently yelled. However, Kang Oh''s de was too fierce for them, keeping all the bandits from approaching him. "Damn it!" He couldn''t just sit there and die. Gide pulled the chakrams off his waist. Gide was an expert in throwing four chakrams at once. And with this skill of his, he had made all of the bandits submit to his rule. "Huahp!" He threw two first, and then threw two more after. Whoosh! The four chakrams let out a fearsome ''whoosh'' as they aimed for Kang Oh''s legs, his back, and his head. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. The trajectory of the chakrams, as well as the different areas they were aimed at, made them difficult to block. Of course, that made it just as difficult to wield them. But to Kang Oh, who possessed Hyper Intuition, they weren''t all that hard to block. Kang Oh knew that the chakrams woulde at him wherever he felt cold. ng! ng! ng! ng! He instantly deflected all four of the chakrams. "No way!" Gide was taken aback, but he immediately manipted the chakrams once more. However, Kang Oh had already closed the distance. Sarahoff, which had gotten that much faster by using Mad Wind''s Sword, ripped through Gide. "Kuhaahk!" Gide''s face contorted in agony as he was ripped apart by Kang Oh''s de. "Grr!" Gide unleashed his final, desperate counterattack. Whoosh. Four chakrams flew at Kang Oh in different directions simultaneously. However, Kang Oh pretty much had eyes on the back of his head. Before they made contact, Kang Oh ducked. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! The chakrams flew over Kang Oh''s body and struck Gide. "Kuheok." Gide''s eyes rolled back into his head. At that moment... Transcendent de! The world gradually slowed. Within that slowed world, Kang Oh swung Sarahoff normally and shed Gide''s neck. Bam! Gide''s neck spurted shards of red light like a fountain. His body fell backwards. Thud. He didn''t stand up again. * * * Gide and Mide had been killed by Kang Oh and Tasha''s overwhelming strength. The bandits no longer had the will to fight. They quickly ran away. "Kyaha!" A bestial cry escaped Tasha''s lips. She flew through the air like a butterfly, picking off the bandits that ran away. Kang Oh used Switch to wield Demon Sword Ubist once more. Weapon Bombardment. He threw Ubist first, and then followed it up with Sarahoff. It was extremely difficult to use Weapon Bombardment with two weapons. He had to focus all of his concentration on controlling his weapons, and it took an extreme toll on his MP and Stamina. However, there was nothing better when it came to finishing off the retreating bandits. In the end, they had killed most of the bandits. There were less than 100 of the original 500 bandits left. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath. Fortunately, things had gone well. He had also gained Enlightenment. However...! Tasha suddenly attacked Kang Oh. Bloodstained w! A refined, sharp w flew at Kang Oh. It was too quick for him to dodge. Bam. Shards of light fell from his body. Kang Oh bit his lip and raised his twin demon swords. "Grr." Animalistic cries kept flowing out of her mouth. ''Did she lose it?'' It seemed like her demonic instincts had taken over. "Return to your sword form." Kang Oh deactivated Demon''s Descent. However... [Your control over the Great Forest''s Demon, Blood, has weakened.] [You cannot deactivate Demon''s Descent.] [Warning! Suppress Blood. If you cannot, Blood will bepletely unsealed.] "Damn it!" The battle wasn''t over yet. Chapter 519. Rescue

Chapter 519. Rescue

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh fought hard against Blood. ''It''s stronger thanst time.'' Whenever he undertook the Trial of the Demon Sword, he fought against Blood. However, Blood was much stronger than it ever had been. He had an inkling as to why. ''It must be because she absorbed di.'' After absorbing Tstrum''s Demon, Blood had gotten iparably more powerful. Of course, Tasha had only used a limited amount of her power thus far, so it wasn''t seen very often. Tempest Tiger! Kang Oh unleashed a mighty attack, then quickly backed off and pulled out a mass-produced greatsword from his inventory. This was a new product he''d bought off of Man Bok, who was the original supplier of the mass-produced BB-rank swords. It was about 1.5 times more expensive than the BB-rank swords, but it was A-rank. Thus, the mass-produced greatswords would increase the duration of Gluttony by 5 minutes. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness devoured the mass-produced greatsword. All of his abilities were increased threefold! Jet-ck energy rose from his body. Had it sensed the change in Kang Oh''s power? The demon unleashed red energy from its body. Blood Emperor! Its wavy body was covered by blood armor. Whoosh! Then, a giant mass of energy came out of its hands. Kang Oh was familiar with this technique. Emperor''s Strike. It was as if red mist was creeping towards him. Perhaps it was more urate to describe it as a swarm of ants or flies that came rushing at their prey. Kang Oh swung Ubist upwards. Abyss Predator! A jet-ck st flew at the Emperor''s Strike. Then, the two swirled together into a vortex of energy. However, there was no explosion. The blood red energy drained the darkness of its power, while the abyss attempted to devour the former. Neither side held the advantage. However, Kang Oh was able to gain the upper hand. Blood Emperor had a limited duration, so Blood''s power wouldn''t be enhanced for long. Whereas Gluttony had only just begun. They shed a few times, but ultimately, Kang Ohpletely overpowered the demon. Kyaha! It knew that it''d lost, so it gathered all the power it had left. Blood Storm! Red energy exploded outwards. Kang Oh crossed his twin swords, but was pushed back by the force of the explosion. Blood used that opportunity to retreat. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t let that happen. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Weapon Bombardment! His jet-ck de flew through the air and pierced Blood''s chest. Then, Kang Oh bound Blood using Darkness Chain. Subjugationplete. Kang Oh approached Blood. It no longer had the power to resist him. "Return to your sword form." Atst, Tasha returned to her original form. "Haa." Kang Oh sighed as he observed the beautiful, yet ominous snow-white sword. Tasha was like a ticking time bomb, one that could blow up and revert to her demonic instincts at any time. He had no way of knowing when/where he would lose control over her. Plus, what if Kang Oh wasn''t there when that happened? ''I have to be a little bit more careful with her.'' He vowed to never let Tasha or Sara get out of his sight. * * * The ck Bandana Brigade was dissolved. It would probably be formed again, but it was definitely gone for the time being. "I''ll go and rescue the others. Please wait here. I''ve defeated all the bandits, so you don''t have to worry." "Thank you." Kang Oh took a look around. He didn''t see his guide anywhere. He must''ve been killed by Tasha or ran away during the battle. "Do any of you know theyout of this ce?" Kang Oh asked, and the people all directed their attention to one person. The person in question looked reluctant. "He should know. He''s originally a part of the ck Bandana Brigade," someone said. "Then why was he imprisoned?" Kang Oh asked. "That''s... I fell out of favor with my boss." "How so?" Kang Oh wanted a detailed exnation. "I took a portion of the money... that we stole from the people. I was wrong! Please don''t kill me!" The bandit knelt onto the floor. "Hmm." Kang Oh coldly looked him over and said, "Lead the way. If you do, I''ll let you go. Take me to the closest prison first." "U-Understood." Sometimeter... Kang Oh rescued some more people. There were about 150 of them. 100 of them were part of the Forney Tribe. "Let''s head to the next prison." "Yes." There were five prisons in the ck Bandana Brigade''s main base. Kang Oh rescued every single person that was imprisoned here. Now it was time to reap the fruits of hisbor. "Hey." "Yes?" "Take me to the ce where you keep your treasure." "T-That''s..." "Take me there. You''ve stolen money before, so you must know where it''s stored!" Kang Oh red at him. "Yes." The ck Bandana Brigade''s treasure house could be essed via a secret passageway. There were piles of gold and treasure there. He also saw some rare materials here and there, and there was also some pretty good equipment here too. "How much is this all worth? You gathered a ton of stuff from all your misdeeds." The Empire Guild, which had absorbed the three eastern kingdoms, hadn''t led expeditions against the ck Bandana Brigade. Thus, the ck Bandana Brigade had been able to gather this much treasure. Kang Oh thought about taking it all for himself. However, they all had owners. Where else would the bandits have gotten this from? They obviously took it from the prisoners. If he took it all for himself, then how was he different from the bandits? "Everyone, please help me move all of this outside. We''ll split it fairly once we''ve moved it all." "Understood." The freed prisoners beamed at his promise of ''splitting it fairly''. Although they were d that they were freed, their future wouldn''t be stable if their stolen goods weren''t returned to them. The prisoners carried as much treasure/gold as they were able. "You stay put. If you don''t want to die, that is," Kang Oh said coldly, seeing the bandit inch his way towards the treasure. The bandit immediately stiffened on the spot. A short whileter... The treasure house waspletely empty. All that was left was dust and trash. Kang Oh and the prisoners, who''d gathered as much treasure as they could, left the ck Bandana Brigade''s base. Then, he split the treasure as evenly as he could. There was no way to split it in a way where everyone was happy, but the Forney Tribe was satisfied. They had been freed, and had gotten a portion of their treasure back. "I''ll protect you until you get to a nearby city. After all, fearsome monsters appear on the Phamas Mountains." "Thank you," the freed prisoners yelled simultaneously. Kang Oh headed for the mining city, Grangpel, with more than 800 people in tow. "Which one of you is the chieftain?" Kang Oh asked. "I am," a short old man with beautiful, gazelle-like horns replied. "Do you have a ce to stay?" "Hoo, that''s..." the old man struggled to reply, and thenmely shook his head. "I''ll help you settle in a newnd." "Really?" "That''s what your creator wants." ''If I don''t, then something bad will happen.'' "Aah, thank you so much. Thank you." "Hmm. Do you know where you want to live? Do you want to live in the ins, the mountains, a forest, or snowy fields?" "Are grasnds ok?" a young Forney asked. "Of course." "Chieftain. Let''s live in the grasnds. We''ll construct fences there and raise animals." The Forney Tribe was skilled in raising livestock. It was their natural talent, like how dwarves were skilled in creating objects. "Let''s hear what the rest of our tribe have to say first." The chieftain moved around busily, listening to the opinions of his tribe. Meanwhile, Kang Oh prepared for any monster ambushes that mighte their way. A short whileter... "We''d like to go to the grasnds." The Forney Tribe had made their choice. "The west is filled with vast grasnds. You can settle there." Of course, a portion of the central and eastern regions contained grasnd areas. However, the east had long since been conquered by the Arabas Kingdom. The central region was dominated by humans, so it wouldn''t be easy for them to settle there either. Whereas the western region was filled with a variety of non-humans, and also contained thergest grasnd area in all of Arth. Although the western grasnds were filled with constant strife, the Forney Tribe was unlikely to get involved, so it wouldn''t be a problem. ''It''s been quiet ever since the trolls were defeated.'' The western region was the perfect ce for them to settle in. "We''ll follow you, Savior." They arrived in the mining city, Grangpel, without any issue. Several people gathered around Kang Oh like a group of clouds. "How can I possibly repay you!?" "Please tell me your name!" "I don''t have anything to give you, but pleasee and visit our house sometime. Our house is..." "You''re one of us, one of the Blue Night Dwarves!" "Please be careful. And look out for bandits too." Kang Oh smiled and said his goodbyes. [Fame has increased.] [Your name has been spread far and wide across the Phamas Mountains.] [The dwarves and other species in the Phamas Mountains wish to make contact with you.] "Shall we get going?" Kang Oh led the Forney Tribe to the western region. There were about 500 of them. The Phamas Mountains were in the eastern region, and their destination was the western region. It was way too far away. But it didn''t matter. They could just use intercity transfer gates. The intercity transfer gates, which were set up and managed by the Mage''s Tower, enabled several people to travel acrossrge distances. Of course, he had to pay the fee to use it, but the Forney Tribe had been given a portion of their treasure back, so they could pay the toll. "All you need to do is enter the gate and yell Kuwang. Do you understand?" Unfortunately, there weren''t any intercity transfer gates in the west. Thus, they had no choice but to teleport to the military city, Kuwang, whichy at the border between the central region and the western region. "Yes!" Thus, the Forney Tribe was transferred to the entrance of the western region. * * * The Kasten Mercenary Association aided Kang Oh in his efforts to resettle the Forney Tribe. He was popr enough to be called the Hero of Kasten, and was also a gold rank mercenary, which was the highest mercenary rank, so it wasn''t hard to get their assistance on the matter. The Kasten Mercenary Association''s power and influence in the west was tremendous. Things went a lot smoother with their help. They found a good settlement site, and provided the Forney Tribe with goods and manpower in order to construct a vige. Plus, the Mercenary Association introduced the Forney to the nearby tribes. Because of that, the Forney Tribe was able to speak with their neighbors and establish friendly ties. Normally, they wouldn''t have weed the Forney Tribe, but the Mercenary Association put in a good word for them, so there weren''t any problems. However, all of this help came at a price. "Take care of the Kushara conflict for us," Balduk said. He was a gold-horned bull, and the president of the Mercenary Association. "Understood." Kang Oh couldn''t afford to refuse. Balduk had signed a contract with him regarding the Beast''s Tower, so Kang Oh had agreed to periodically do a job for him. Plus, he had helped him with the Forney Tribe. "But who are the Kushara?" Normally, when X name was ced in front of a conflict, then that X would either be the name of the ce where the battle took ce, or would refer to a certain tribe. To his knowledge, however, Kang Oh didn''t know who or what the Kushara were. "They''re a new species that appeared via the Great Earthquake." The west referred to the Great Change as the Great Earthquake. ''Haa, I have to take care of another new species.'' "I see. Then please tell me what I need to do." "Understood." Kang Oh listened to Balduk''s exnation, and then left the Mercenary Association. After that, Kang Oh visited the Forney Tribe''s vige and checked up on them. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Aid the Forney has beenpleted.] [There is no reward.] [The Forney regard you as their savior sent by the God of Creation himself. From now on, you can receive gifts of high quality meat and fur from them.] He had finally finished the Guardian of the Continent Quest. ''I have to hurry and deal with the Kushara conflict, and then return to the dungeons.'' Themunity sites had a ton of information on the new dungeons. Some of them had extremely high difficulty. His body itched with excitement at the prospect of exploring those dungeons. However...! The world wouldn''t let Kang Oh do as he pleased. "You need to do something for me." All of a sudden, he heard a whisper in his ear. "Oh, c''mon!" He was given another Guardian of the Continent Quest. This was seriously driving him crazy. Chapter 520. Empire

Chapter 520. Empire

Trantor: Boko The Empire Guild''s executives gathered in the Arabas Pce''s council chamber. It wasrge enough to house hundreds of people, and luxurious carpets, which were the Des Kingdom''s specialty, covered the ground. The carpet was so high quality that dropping an iron pestle on it wouldn''t make a sound. A marble round table, which was made by the guild''s craftsmen,y atop the carpet. The marble itself was mined from the Phamas Mountains. There were ten luxurious seats around the table, and no seat was vacant. The One and Only God, Dukeram! Scheming Master, Jegal! The remaining seats were filled with the Empire Guild''s eight captains. Yellow Dragon''s Erik, Giant Soldiers'' Tainos, ck Wolf, Red King''s Kuskal, Iron Horse''s Taker, cier''s Irene, Moby Dick, and Brown Bears'' Ridgeley! Each and every one of them was famous. "Let''s begin the meeting," Jegal said. "First, we looked into the Great Change via the broadcastworks. The people were right. It was Kang Oh," Jegal said, emphasizing Kang Oh. Ridgeley, who had a poor history with Kang Oh, grimaced in anger and gritted his teeth. "Then?" "Kang Oh seeded in reviving the God of Creation, and in the process, the God of Creation spread change throughout the world." "The God of Creation, huh... It must''ve been some quest." Irene seemed interested all of a sudden. "GBS will show us exactly what happened soon enough," Jegal said. "I see." "So what do we have to worry about? No, what might hinder our goal of taking over the continent?" Dukeram asked. "First, we have to figure out whether this change is a one-time thing or not. Our empire''s schrs and priests are looking into it, so we''ll have an exact answer soon." "Give them whatever they need. If another Great Change is to ur, we could profit off of it." Dukeram''s natural charisma made him extremely persuasive. "Of course." "What about the problems that arose in the empire due to the Great Change?" Dukeram asked. "The Great Change got rid of a few useless deserts, and rivers now flow through those areas. We can use them asmercial areas or farnd." "And?" "The Fishman that came with the rivers are extremely strong. I think we''ll be able to bring them into our army." "What''s the bad news?" "The Great Change has caused a lot of civil unrest, and more groundless rumors about us have been spreading. Plus, some of the Fishman have refused to ept the empire''s im over thend. But... I''ve dealt with everything already." Jegal grinned. The Empire Guild, which had taken over the three eastern kingdoms, had a significant military presence. Jegal used their military to deal with most threats that came their way. He had dealt with the rumor mill using their military might, had stationed troops in the cities or towns that showed signs of civil unrest, and had banished the Fishman that wouldn''t submit. Jegal had originally intended to kill the Fishman, but the priests advised against it, as it would draw the God of Creation''s ire. "I expected nothing less." Dukeram looked satisfied. "Next up on our agenda is turning all eight of our captains into Masters." Turning their captains into Masters was key to controlling the entire continent. At the moment, the Arabas Kingdom only had three Masters. The One and Only God, Dukeram, the Arabas Kingdom''s Guardian Angel, Dalton, and the Baiyan Kingdom''s God Spear, Kantos. Although they possessed incredible military might, it was nowhere near enough to challenge the free cities for dominance over the continent. The continent had fifteen Masters. They were in the process of bringing five of them over to their side, so they had to deal with ten others. In other words...! If all eight of their captains were to be Masters, then they would have a good shot at conquering the continent. Of course, they probably wouldn''t fight the entire continent like idiots. ''Hoo, hoo. I''ve already won a lot of them over.'' Jegal had already bribed several of the mayors and civil servants that lived in the central region''s free cities. He''d also finished negotiating with a few of the churches. If they helped them, then their church would be the state religion. Of course, they would have to see whether or not that promise would hold weightter on. In any case...! When their captains became Masters, they would begin their war against the free cities. It wasn''t long now. Erik, Irene, and Tainos already possessed 99% proficiency in their ss skills. Ridgeley and Kuskalgged behind, but even their proficiency was over 95%. The eight captains, with the help of their guild, were growing at an exponential rate. Even the other great guilds paled inparison. The support of an empire versus the support of a guild was like the light of the full moon versus a firefly. They received blessings from their priests, which increased their daily proficiency gain, and they also carried several God''s Relics that further increased their growth. Moreover, they had taken ten doses of Elixium (the max dosage). Their equipment was also the best of the best. If they raised their proficiency to 99% and achieved a great feat, then the Empire Guild would gain eight Masters all at once. Thus, they had to keep their heads down for now. If anyone caught word of their n, then they might get attacked by their enemies, or even an alliance, before they were ready. "Put your undivided attention into raising your proficiency to 99%. Those who''ve alreadypleted this task, keep training. Don''t be satisfied with where you are." Dukeram urged, looking each of his captains in the eye. "Understood!" Ridgeley clenched his fist. The other captains steeled themselves as well. "We''re continuously increasing our military strength, and we have enough troops to control half of the continent already. Plus, we''re ready to change our war footing at any time." "Good." Dukeram softly apuded him. As expected of Jegal. He did his job meticulously, and would always match his expectations. "Finally, we have to go over our enemies. There are three obstacles we have to ovee. Raon, Han Seol, and Kang Oh. And the worst possible scenario is..." "If those three band together," Dukeram said. "Indeed. Raon has the Breaker Guild, while Han Seol has the Storm Guild and her incredible brain. Lastly, Kang Oh is a Master with incredible skill and fame. Things will get a lot harder if these three join together." Of course, even if they banded together, he was confident that they''d win in the end. That''s just how powerful thebined Empire Guild had be. "Is there any way to deal with them ahead of time?" "We''re trying to cause a war between Breaker and Storm. The Great Change caused a lot of chaos, so the two are slowly inching towards war. After all, misunderstandings worsen and worsen until it''s toote. And once you''ve formed a grudge, it''s difficult to forgive or forget." Jegal smiled wickedly. That''s why he was called the Scheming Master. However, Jegal furrowed his brow. "That''s not all there is to it, right?" ''Don''t disappoint me, Jegal.'' "Of course not. We''re trying to break the two guilds from within as well. When you defeated Raon and Hernandez, they lost a ton of respect and influence they had in the past. That''s when a ton of ambitious people began to move in the shadows. I''m secretly backing them. Ah, and one more thing! There''s a saying, ''let barbarians fight it out among themselves''. We''re making moves against the Steel Heart Guild too. Arthand must be thinking that the Breaker Guild is aiming for him. There would be nothing better if Steel Heart or Storm attack Breaker first." If Jegal was born in the warring states or three kingdoms periods, then he would''ve fit right in. "Good." "What about Kang Oh?" Ridgeley suddenly asked. "I don''t have anything I can do about him right now." "Why?" "I don''t know what he''ll do. If we make a mistake, then he could start a second or third Dungeon Liberation Movement. We won''t fall like the Swift Steed Guild, but there''s no reason to stir the ho''s nest." Kang Oh was incredibly famous. If they attacked him, it could blow up in their face. "Plus, it''s difficult to even do anything to him, since he''s not affiliated to an organization. And if we fight a war of attrition with him, then we may be the ones on the losing end. He''s also close with figures such as Bart, Helena, and Burkan." Jegal believed that Kang Oh had to be dealt withst. "Mm." Ridgeley sported a regretful expression. ''Looks like I''ll have to get my revenge at ater date.'' "Ah, and I''ve gotten word that Bart has be a Master. I''ll need more time to verify this information, but... if he really did be a Master, then it''s not good news for us." No matter what anyone said, Bart was close to Kang Oh. The same Kang Oh that would prove to be the Empire Guild''s greatest obstacle to ovee. "What if he really is a Master?" Dukeram asked. "He still won''t make much of a difference," Jegal replied. "Is there any news on Helena or Snow Flower?" Irene asked. It was said that Snow Flower was the greatest swordswoman, while Helena was the greatest mage. Irene couldn''t ept this. She believed that she was the strongest female yer, and that she hadn''t gotten the opportunity to show her true power yet. "No. If we do, you''ll be the first to know." "Thank you." There was nothing more to report or discuss. The eight captains left one or two at a time. Once Dukeram and Jegal were alone, Dukeram said, "How did it go?" "We''re still investigating. However, there are records of a being far greater than a Master. We also learned that these beings are called Grandmasters." The original line of thought was to be a Master, master another ss, and be a Dual Master. Dukeram was currently leveling up a hidden ss of his own in addition to his Master Swordsman ss. However, he''d coincidentally learned that there was a realm above Master. Dukeram immediately sought Jegal''s counsel. In response, Jegal investigated the truth of these ims. "A Grandmaster... How interesting." Dukeram smiled like a person who''d just found a new toy. * * * [Guardian of the Continent Quest: You havepleted the quest, Punish the Baltu Tribe.] [There is no reward.] "I''m done." Kang Oh stretched out. He had been crazy busy, since he''d been repeatedly getting Guardian of the Continent quests. And...! He''d finally finished all of the quests and was able to rx. "I''m not doing any more! I''m taking a vacation for the time being!" he yelled at the ground. "Ah! I can''t hear you!" He plugged his ears and turned his head from side to side. Had the earth heard him? Fortunately, he didn''t hear the earth''s whispers. Kang Oh beamed. ''Now then!'' There were a ton of dungeons he wanted to explore. Is this what it felt like to not go to a bookstore for a long time, but when you actually went, you spent a lot more time than you''d first thought you would? However, he had to manage his soul dungeons first. If he didn''t hear the Whispers of the Earth after managing his soul dungeons, then he''d go out and explore new dungeons. He ripped a return scroll, returned to Altein, and yelled, "Teyno''s Nest!" ''I want to see you, my little turtle!'' The gate engulfed him in bright light. Chapter 521. Guardian Summoning Scroll (1)

Chapter 521. Guardian Summoning Scroll (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh appeared in Teyno''s Nest. "Wee, Master!" The giant monster turtle happily greeted him. Teynos was the kindest of his guardians, so Kang Oh really liked him. It was also the guardian of his first soul dungeon. "How have you been?" Kang Oh petted the tip of Teyno''s nose. Then, he pulled out several items from his inventory. They were regional products he''d gained from traversing the continent andpleting various Guardian of the Continent quests. "They''re for you." "Thanks, Master!" Teyno''s shell opened up, making way for tentacles that grabbed the treasure. [Teynos is thankful for all of the presents.] [Closeness has increased significantly.] [Closeness with Teynos has been maxed out.] [Teynos regards you as his true master.] Kang Oh smiled. Is this what it felt like to see a dog wagging its tail at you? ''As expected of my pet turtle!'' However... That wasn''t all there was to the system message. [You have satisfied a special condition.] [The Teynos Summoning Scroll has been added to the dungeon''s rewards.] ''The Teynos Summoning Scroll?'' "Give me the soul stone." Kang Oh quickly extended his hand. "Understood." Kang Oh epted the soul stone, and opened the Dungeon Management window. [Repel Points: 10,415] [Maintenance Fee: 1,000 Repel Points] Without his knowledge, he''d rued a ton of repel points. He had so much that he''d have more than enough to expand the dungeon and have a lot left over. Kang Oh immediately checked his dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 3,000 gold. 300 Gnus Skin. ... 1 Teynos Summoning Scroll. "Teynos," Kang Oh said. "What is it?" "A new reward called the Teynos Summoning Scroll has been added..." ''Is this what I think it is?'' "It''s a scroll that''ll allow you to summon me wherever you want, Master." ''Wow, it really is!'' "For how long?" "10 minutes." "Mm, it''s too short!" Kang Oh said. "There should be an option to increase it under the Reinforcement tab." "Oh!" Kang Oh checked immediately. It was exactly as Teynos said. There was a new option that allowed him to increase the summoning duration. "Teynos." He was curious about something now. "I''m listening, Master." "Are you the only one who provides this summoning scroll? Or does every soul dungeon guardian have one?" Kang Oh''s heart pounded as he anxiously waited for Teyno''s answer. ''Please give me the answer I''m looking for!'' "All of them have one!" "Oh, yeah!" Kang Oh clenched his fist, and quickly asked a follow-up question. "Was the scroll added because I satisfied a special condition?" That''s what the system message had told him at least. "That''s right." "What''s the condition?" "Your closeness with your guardian has to be maxed out, and you have to spend a certain amount of repel points or gold on expanding the dungeon, reinforcing the guardian, changing the interior of the dungeon, etc." "That''s it?" "Finally, the owner has to be a Master. The ss doesn''t matter." The guardian summoning scroll could be a powerful weapon. What if he were able to summon Bone Dragon Akite? That''s why it could only be unlocked by a ''Master''. Only then would the yer be judged skilled enough to handle such a potentially powerful weapon. Kang Oh pped his hand. ''Yeah, that''s right! I have to get the scroll from my other guardians too!'' Kang Oh thought of Akite, Violf, Wakaiser, and Uru. He had to do whatever it took to get the scroll from Bone Dragon Akite! A part of his mind desired to summon even more guardians. Thus far, he''d obtained and sold a ton of soul dungeons. Did any of them have a half decent guardian? What about the soul dungeons that''d already been revealed to the world, but he''d yet to go to? "By the way, Master. At some point, a lot less people starteding here." Teyno''s voice broke Kang Oh out of his stupor. "Ah, is that so?" Kang Oh checked the Dungeon Log. Teynos was right. The Moss Cave had fewer visitors than before. ''It must be because of the Great Change.'' The God of Creation had changed the entire continent, and in the process, new dungeons had been formed. The yers headed for new dungeons or any areas that had been affected by the Great Change. Thus, dungeons like his, as well as other normal dungeons, had gone quiet. ''I should postpone expanding the dungeon or investing too much into it for now.'' If he expanded the dungeon, he''d also have to pay arger maintenance fee. Plus, the Great Change discouraged people froming to dungeons that weren''t affected, so it didn''t matter what he did. It would remain this way for quite some time. After all, the effects of the Great Change would be felt for a long time toe. Thus, he decided to spend a ton of repel points on Teynos. He needed Teynos at its best if he wanted to summon it. ''Let''s see here...'' In the past, Kang Oh had reinforced Teynos twice. He had given Teynos an ability called ''Returning Pain'', which deflected a certain percentage of damage done to it, as well as ''Tsunami of Vengeance'', which increased in power and scale based on how much damage Teynos had taken. What else would Teynos need to be effective when he summoned it? Kang Oh thought about it, and eventually came to a decision. [You have spent 500 repel points to reinforce Teynos.] [Teynos has acquired the Slowpoke ability.] [The once Immovable Teynos can now move, albeit very slowly.] [Teyno''s title has changed from Immovable Teynos to Slowpoke Teynos.] [The Slowpoke ability can be strengthened further. Requires 1,000 repel points.] [Remaining Repel Points: 9,915] "Ooh, Master. Look at this!" Teynos, whose four feet had been deeply embedded in the ground, pulled out its feet and slowly moved across the floor. Kang Oh nodded his head. If Teynos were to just sit here and guard his dungeon, then not being able to move wasn''t very detrimental. However, if he were to summon him, being unable to move may prove disastrous. Thus, he had given it the Slowpoke ability. He continually reinforced Teynos. [You have spent 1,000 repel points to reinforce Teynos.] [Teynos has acquired Large-Scale Taunt.] [Large-Scale Taunt forces any enemy within 100 meters of it to attack it for 30 seconds.] [Large-Scale Taunt can be strengthened further. Requires 1,000 repel points.] [Remaining Repel Points: 8,915] [You have spent 1,000 repel points to reinforce Teynos.] [Teynos has acquired the Surprising Regeneration ability.] [Teynos regenerates 300% more HP every 10 seconds.] [Surprising Regeneration can be strengthened further. Requires 1,000 repel points.] [Remaining Repel Points: 7,915] [You have spent 1,000 repel points to reinforce Teynos.] [Teynos''s summoning duration has increased by 20 minutes.] [Remaining Repel Points: 6,915] Lastly... [You have spent 2,000 repel points to strengthen Returning Pain.] [The amount of reflected damage has increased significantly.] [Returning Pain can be strengthened further. Requires 5,000 repel points.] [Remaining Repel Points: 4,915] He''d thought long and hard which skill he should reinforce, Returning Pain or Tsunami of Vengeance. In the end, he had picked Returning Pain. Kang Oh would love to see the expressions of those who''d been affected by Teyno''s Large-Scale Taunt. He would keep the rest of his repel points in reserve for now. He would save it for the maintenance fee, and use it as needed. "Master, I''ve gotten stronger." Teynos extended its giant face and rubbed it against Kang Oh''s body. "Yeah, I''ll make you even stronger from now on." "Thanks. You''re the best." "Ah, and could you give me my rewards?" "Oh, right." Kang Oh received the dungeon rewards from Teynos. There was a dried out scroll amongst them. It was the Teynos Summoning Scroll. ''This is cool!'' It felt like he''d been given a button that''d allow him to call a missile anytime, anywhere. He was sad that he''d only been given one of them though. If he wanted another one, then he''d need to wait another month. Thus, it was a precious treasure that couldn''t be used haphazardly. Kang Oh carefully ced the summoning scroll in his inventory. "Then, I''ll get going now," Kang Oh said, sporting a satisfied expression. "You''re going already?" "Yeah, I''ll be back." "Take care." Teynos slowly walked over to the magic circle and saw him off. ''You''re so cute.'' Kang Oh smiled and yelled, "Saul Graveyard!" To the dungeon that Bone Dragon Akite managed! * * * ''You money grubbing dragon!'' That''s how Kang Oh thought of Bone Dragon Akite. Thus, he would always look at Akite somewhat scornfully. But that was all in the past. ''Mm, he looks awesome.'' Today of all days, Akite''s giant body and his thick,rge bones looked so cool. What if he were able to summon him? His enemies would bepletely speechless. Kang Oh smiled as he imagined that scene. "It''s been a while, Akite. How''ve you been? Good? Anything stressing you outtely?" Kang Oh said sweetly. "Why are you acting like this?" Kang Oh''s attitude actually made him wary of him. It was just so different than how he''d normally act. "What do you mean?" Kang Oh feigned ignorance. "Why are you acting so differently?" Akite rebuked. "I just thought you looked really cool today." ''I''m being honest here. You really are a cool weapon, Akite!'' Akite could hear the honesty in his voice. "Haha, I''ve always been like this." Akite''s jaw bone opened. If it were alive, it would probably beughing right about now. ''Nice. Let''s get in his good graces.'' Kang Oh knew exactly how to do that. The most reliable way would be to pay him. However, the dragon was really greedy, so if he went that route, he''d probablye out penniless. ''So let''s use a different method!'' "Take a good look at me." Kang Oh stretched out his body. Akite briefly observed Kang Oh. "I can sense Lord Gainus''s energy from you. I can also feel those damn Mayanes'' energy too." Long ago, dragons thrived in the Arth continent. However, they were almostpletely annihted in the war against the Mayanes. In other words, the Mayanes were the dragons'' mortal enemy. "You got it in one. What do you think happened to the Mayanes?" "Did you kill them?" ''I really hope you did,'' Akite earnestly thought. Kang Oh waved his finger. He did kill them, but that wasn''t all there was to it. "Then what else?" "I annihted them. The Mayanes have gone extinct." "Really?" Akite stood up. "Yeah." "How?" "Where should I start?" Kang Oh sat on the ground. Then, he began to tell his story, like a storyteller in the marketce whispering to their listeners. "So..." Akite listened to Kang Oh so attentively that its bones made no sound, not even the sound of them rubbing against each other. Kang Oh exaggerated the story of how he dealt with the Mayanes. He also lied a lot too, like a private who''d just been discharged from mandatory military service. He adjusted the story to match Akite''s preferences! He made it sound as though Gainus was the hero of the story, and continuously praised the Divine Dragon and his race as a whole. On the other hand, he disparaged the Mayanes and spoke of them as though they were weak beings. "...Then I stabbed my sword into the final Mayanes, who was coiling up in fear. It was easier than smashing an ant. Even an ant tries to move out of the way, but the Mayanes couldn''t even do that. They''re much different from dragons, aren''t they?" "Indeed! The Mayanes have ck souls and are lower than bugs! Comparing them to us, who have pure souls and bodies, is likeparing heaven and earth!" Akite nodded its head and chimed in excitedly. [Closeness with Bone Dragon Akite has increased significantly.] Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. That''s exactly what he was hoping to see. Then, he continued his story. "That''s how thest Mayanes died... About Lord Gainus..." Ultimately, Akite waspletely fooled by Kang Oh''s silver tongue. He added that Gainus believed that Kang Oh was a trustworthy human. "He''s right. You are a trustworthy human." [Closeness with Bone Dragon Akite has increased significantly.] [Akite thinks of you as a small friend.] However, he hadn''t maxed out his closeness with it yet. Kang Oh opened his inventory, ready tond the final blow. He had prepared an amazing present. Chapter 522. Guardian Summoning Scroll (2)

Chapter 522. Guardian Summoning Scroll (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had taken Mayanes Orga''s weapon, the Bow of Anger, after killing him. That was exactly what he''d pulled out of his inventory. "Do you know what this is?" Kang Oh asked. "It''s definitely a Mayanes weapon. It reeks of their energy." Akite instantly figured out what it was. "Exactly. This is the weapon that I got from Orga. You can have it." "Really?" "Of course. It''s a gift for a great dragon like yourself. Plus, it''s proof that Lord Gainus and I vanquished the lowly Mayanes. It''s the spoils of war." "I''m really thankful. You''re an ok human." Akite epted the Bow of Anger. He would probably store it inside his treasure house. [You have given an extremely valuable gift.] [Closeness with Bone Dragon Akite has increased significantly.] [Closeness with Bone Dragon Akite has been maxed out.] [Akite recognizes you as the dungeon''s true master.] "Master!" This was the first time he''d heard ''Master'' from Akite''s mouth. "Ooh, yeah!" Kang Oh beamed. However, the guardian summoning scroll hadn''t been added to his dungeon rewards. It was to be expected. ''I haven''t satisfied one of the conditions yet.'' ording to Teynos, he needed to invest a certain amount of gold or repel points into the dungeon in order to receive the guardian summoning scroll. Almost no one came to the Saul Graveyard. The only people that did came from the Storm Guild, which operated in the Goddess''s Land. Thus, he didn''t really have a way of earning repel points. He also didn''t have much of a reason to invest money into the dungeon either. But now he had a reason. "Give me the soul stone." "Got it." Kang Oh held the triangr stone, which was engraved with a dragon''s skull, and opened the Dungeon Management window. [Repel Points: 89] [Maintenance Fee: 0] Apparently, the Storm Guild hade to his dungeon before. However, he hadn''t created any guardians or set up any traps, so he hadn''t earned that many repel points. Even if he had, the only people that''de here is the Storm Guild, and only a handful of them even came here. Thus, he wouldn''t be able to make that many repel points either way. In any case, that''s why he didn''t have enough repel points for his first dungeon expansion. ''It doesn''t matter.'' Kang Oh picked the Guardian Reinforcement tab. He could just spend gold to upgrade Akite. However...! His face soon stiffened. ''Holy shit!'' He couldn''t have imagined that reinforcing Bone Dragon Akite would cost this much. Bone Dragonscked scales or skin, so their defense was weaker than a real dragon''s. Even so, the cheapest ''Bone Reinforcement'' ability would cost him 20,000 gold. It would''ve cost him 2,000 repel points. Kang Oh recalled investing 1 million gold into this ce. ''You money grubbing dragon!'' However, there was no way he''d be able to earn enough repel points to upgrade Akite. If he wanted to earn repel points, then he''d need to bring people to the Goddess''s Land. The problem is that he''d already agreed not to bring outsiders here. He didn''t really want to change the terms of their agreement, nor did he want to ask the Storm Guild for their help. After all, there was no way the Storm Guild would help him out for free. ''I have to spend my hard earned money if I want to get one of those scrolls. How much will it cost?'' "Akite." "What is it?" "I want a summoning scroll." "You haven''t satisfied the conditions yet." "I know. I''ve satisfied the closeness and the Master conditions. So how much do I have to invest into the dungeon to get a scroll? Tell me in terms of gold!" "100,000 gold." "Keheok." ''100,000 gold? 1 gold is equal to 3,000 won ($3 USD), so... that''s 3 million won ($300,000 USD)!'' "It''s not much." "How can you say that!?" Kang Oh retorted. "Eh, do what you want." Akite lied down. ''I don''t need to take care of it right away, so...'' Kang Oh decided to postpone it. After all, the value of gold might drop below 3,000 won. If it did, he''d be able to buy the scroll for even cheaper. If he urgently needed Akite''s scroll, then he could worry about it then. "Give me my rewards," Kang Oh said. A sphere of light dispersed in front of Kang Oh. Then, all sorts of dragon materials fell to the floor. Kang Oh collected them, and then picked up the piece of the Dragon''s Heartst. ''This makes four.'' Just two more pieces and he''d have aplete Dragon''s Heart. ''Should I try making a belt with it?'' He had his demon swords, the Avenger set, Kunta''s Ring and the Cassio Ring, and the Moonlight Beast''s Ne. None of those needed recing; they were the best of the best! His Fire Bomb Belt was the only exception. It had be absolutely useless after he''d learned Weapon Bombardment. After all, he could throw one of his demon swords, which held far more power than a Fire Bomb. At the same time, he didn''t really have an urgent need to rece his belt. A worthwhile belt would cost a fortune, and any dragon belt that Hoffman had crafted thus far wasn''t top of the line, so it would be better if he just kept the belt and sold itter. In any case, Kang Oh wouldn''t have to worry about a belt in the future if he obtained apleted Dragon''s Heart and used that to create a new belt. "I''ll be back." Kang Oh waved his hand. He had no more business here. "Take care, Master." "Yeah." Kang Oh stepped onto the transfer magic circle. His next destination was the Beast''s Tower, which was located in the western grasnds. * * * Violf, the tinum coated lion, cut quite the gant figure. Contrary to its appearance, however, it was sleeping quite deeply. It was almost as if it slept 20 hours a day. Lo and behold, Violf was asleep. Kuheong, kuheong! Kang Oh was greeted by the sight of azy lion snoring away with its belly exposed. ''Jeez, he''s even drooling.'' Normally, he''d give Violf an earful. He would say something like, ''Your master''s going through hell, yet you''re living the life!''. However, Kang Oh spoke softly instead. "Violf, I''m here." Kuheong! It didn''t wake up. Kang Oh smiled, walked over, and softly petted its stomach. Only then did Violf open its eyes. "Mm." Violf wiped its drool using its paw. "I wasn''t sleeping," Violf said. He remembered Kang Oh giving him an earful for sleepingst time. "It''s alright. If you''re feeling tired, you can sleep." Kang Oh smiled, and let him off the hook. "Really?" Violf couldn''t believe what he was hearing. ''Why''s he acting like this?'' "Of course." Kang Oh maintained his smile and nodded his head. Then, Violf''s facepletely rxed. "Hehe, you''re right. If I''m tired, I can just go to sleep." "Yeah. Anyhow, did anything happen around here?" "Not really. No one came." Entering the tower''s soul dungeon was quiteplicated. It was essentially a timed run. A yer or NPC had to ascend the tower and defeat the named monster at the top within a certain amount of time. If this were a dungeon in the central or southern regions, where several yers resided, then plenty of people would''ve discovered it already. However, this was the west, thend mostly inhabited by non-humans. Thus, there had been almost no one that had discovered the soul dungeon as of yet. That hadn''t changed, even after Kang Oh had persuaded Balduk to host the mercenary licensure test here. "Master." "Yeah?" "I can sense your nobility." The guardians were all unique. Violf''s personality revolved around nobility. It made sense, he supposed. After all, Violf was a lion made of tinum. Thus, he sought a noble individual as a master. Of course, Kang Oh had be his master by overpowering him. [Closeness with tinum Wolf Violf has increased significantly.] [Now, Violf considers you a suitable master.] "Is that so?" ''He can sense my nobility, huh...?'' It must be because he became a Master. If not, then it could be because he''d surpassed the limitations of a human being. Perhaps it was abination of the two. "You''re cool too." He sensed that this was an opportunity to increase his closeness with Violf, so he started to tter him. "That''s obvious." Violf puffed out its chest and boasted. "No, you''re cooler than you think!" Kang Oh gave him two thumbs up. "Really?" "Of course!" After that, Kang Oh kept ttering him. However, his closeness with Violf wouldn''t go up any higher. ''I guess I have no choice but to increase my ''nobility''.'' As expected, nobility was the only thing it''d recognize. If he wanted to increase his closeness with Violf, then he''d need to increase his nobility. It wasn''t something he could aplish overnight. If this weren''t a game, that is. However, there was a side stat called ''Nobility'' in the game. There were also items that increased the Nobility stat. Complete junk that only looked good like diamond nes or ruby rings. If he were to buy such items and then appear before Violf, then his closeness would probably increase. ''Of course, I won''t buy such items. You can rent luxury items like them.'' He''de equipped with a ton of luxury goods next time. "Give me the soul stone." Kang Oh epted the soul stone and opened the Dungeon Management window. [Repel Points: 2,137] [Maintenance Fee: 100] The Beast''s Tower was sought out by those who wished to be a mercenary, or those who wished to increase their mercenary rank. Most yers didn''te here, so the Great Change didn''t have much of an effect on his earnings. In other words, he could keep getting the same amount of repel points from now on. ''I should be able to expand this ce.'' He should be able to pay the maintenance cost every month. Kang Oh immediately expanded the dungeon. [You have expanded the Beast''s Tower!] [The Beast''s Tower''s 1st, 2nd, and 3rd floors have been expanded. Thus, the tower''s appearance has changed.] [The monsters that inhabit the Beast''s Tower have be stronger. Applicable Monsters: de Beast, Horned Beast, Crow Beast, ming Beast.] [A new monster, the Giant Beast, will now spawn in the Beast''s Tower. This beast will appear in the first three floors and the basement.] [New traps have been added to the Beast''s Tower. Repel Points can be used to move these traps around or to rece them with more dangerous ones.] [The dungeon has a maintenance fee. The maintenance fee is 1,000 repel points per month.] [Remaining Repel Points: 1,137] Kang Oh surveyed the dungeon using the Dungeon Management tab. The Beast''s Tower was previously a cylindrical building that resembled a telephone pole. However, by expanding the first three floors, the tower now more closely resembled a three tiered cake. ''I should go tell Balduk about this.'' The Beast''s Tower was the location where the mercenaries took their licensure test. The testing ground had not only changed, but new monsters appeared within it now too. He obviously needed to let the Mercenary Association''s President, Balduk, know. ''But before that...'' Kang Oh checked his dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 2,500 gold. 100 Beast Skin. 20 Crow Beast''s Eyes. 20 ming Beast''s Embers. 2 Giant Beast''s ws. 2 Violf''s tinum. The dungeon rewards had increased significantly. It had gone from 1,000 to 2,500 gold, and it gave him a lot more materials too. Not only that, but the precious material, Violf''s tinum, woulde in twos now. "Nice. Give me my rewards." "Understood." Kang Oh pocketed the dungeon rewards, left the dungeon, and headed for the Kasten Mercenary Association. His talk with Balduk had ended well. They had decided to keep using the Beast''s Tower as the location of the mercenary licensure test. Of course, it didn''te without cost. He had been forced to deal with an annoying request. It was a request pertaining to a new tribe that''d appeared via Great Change. Kang Oh hadpleted several of these quests because of his duty as the Guardian of the Continent, all of which were far more difficult, so he was able to deal with the issue rather quickly. However, he couldn''t freeze time. In the end, time passed quickly, and night had fallen. ''I''ll visit ka Cave early in the morning.'' Kang Oh''s day had ended. Chapter 523. Demon Sword Sarahoff’s New Ability

Chapter 523. Demon Sword Sarahoff''s New Ability

Trantor: Boko The next day. Kang Oh visited ka Cave at around 4 o''clock. He had originally nned on going early in the morning, but as soon as he logged in, he heard the Whispers of the Earth, and was forced to partake in a Guardian of the Continent Quest. Fortunately, it didn''tst too long, and he was able to finish it in about six hours. After that, he headed straight for ka Cave. The dungeon was guarded by Wakaiser, an armored wyvern. p, p! Wakaiser flew to the top of the waterfall. Kyaha! Then, it weed him with a joyous shriek. Wakaiser wasn''t capable of speech. However, it could understand its master, and was capable ofmunicating with them through its bodynguage and cries. "Have you been doing well?" Kang Oh petted Wakaiser''s helmeted head. Wakaiser nodded its head. "Here." Kang Oh pulled out some meat that he''d prepared beforehand. There was beef, pork, and chicken, as well as all sorts of monster meat! Why had he prepared all of this? If you need medicine, you go to a pharmacist. Since Sepiro was the wyvern specialist, he''d asked him for some advice beforeing here. - What do you have to do to get closer to a wyvern? - Have you ever raised a dog before? - No. - It''s like raising a dog. Treat it like it''s part of the family, and be good to it always. That wasn''t what Kang Oh wanted to hear. Thus, he sent a follow up message. - Is there a faster method? - Grilled meat. Wyverns love grilled meat. If you keep giving them grilled meat, then your closeness with them will go up. You won''t know what kind of meat they prefer until you give it to them in person. - Thanks. Kang Oh made a fire, and began grilling the meat. Wakaiser stuck to Kang Oh''s side and red its nostrils. "Let''s try the pork first." Kang Oh threw a well roasted piece of pork into Wakaiser''s mouth. It ate it in a single bite. Kang Oh gauged Wakaiser''s reaction to it, and continued to roast the meat. It was definitely an effective way of raising a wyvern''s affection towards its owner. There was a definite sign it was working at around the fourth piece of meat. [Wakaiser loves Wakdon Meat. It is well roasted.] [Closeness with Wakaiser has increased slightly.] Of the countless meats he''d brought with him, Wakaiser had certain favorites. If he grilled those specific meats, then his closeness with Wakaiser would go up. Kang Oh memorized which meats Wakaiser enjoyed the most, grilled thest piece of meat, and fed it to Wakaiser. Burp! Wakaiser devoured thest piece of meat, and let out a refreshing burp. Then, it rubbed its face against Kang Oh. ''I really enjoyed it,'' it seemed to say. He could feel the coldness of Wakaiser''s metal helmet against his skin. Kang Oh petted its head, and then asked for the soul stone. [Repel Points: 1,961] [Maintenance Fee: 1,000] Following the Great Change, very few people hade to the ka Cave. ''There''s no way I can expand the dungeon... I should just save up on repel points.'' He needed at least 1,000 repel points per month in order to keep his dungeon''s upgrades intact. Kang Oh only had about 2 months worth of repel points at the moment. He wasn''t sure when the dungeon would be popr again, so he decided to save his repel points for a rainy day. "Could you give me my rewards?" Kyaa! Kang Oh received his rewards, which included a small amount of gold and some wyvern materials, and then left the dungeon. * * * "Hi!" "Hi, Uru." A skilled gardener by the name of Uru was Furon Underground Cave''s guardian. Although Uru possessed nobat abilities, it could nullify any and all attacks that came its way. However, there was an option under the Guardian Reinforcement tab that''d allow Uru to summon nts during battle. "Hey, Uru. If I give you the ability to summon nts during battle, could you help me fight?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t like fighting." Uru shook its head. "I thought as much." Kang Oh had no intention of forcing it to fight. He did, however, intend on receiving its scroll. There was no rule that stated that a guardian summoning scroll needed to be used duringbat alone. He could also increase the duration of the scroll too. Plus, he knew exactly how to increase his closeness with Uru. "Here, I brought a gift for you." Kang Oh pulled out multiple seeds from nts that''d appeared via the Great Change. "Wow, I''ve never seen these before." Uru beamed. "Thanks!" [Closeness with the nt lover, Uru, has increased slightly.] [Closeness with the nt lover, Uru, has increased slightly.] ... Presents were the best way to increase his closeness with both Uru and Wakaiser. "Could you give me my rewards now?" "Sure." A dirt bowl, which contained the dungeon rewards, rose from the ground. It also contained the Gold Bean, a necessaryponent for the legendary potion, Elixium! "Then I''ll get going now. Have fun," Kang Oh said. However, Uru was so busy nting the new seeds that it didn''t reply back. Kang Oh grinned and stood atop the transfer magic circle. * * * Kang Oh gave Man Bok the Gold Bean, and asked him to create another Elixium via his Alchemist contact. He also asked him to provide him with meat that Wakaiser enjoyed, as well as new nt seeds. "Leave it to me." "Thank you. Then, if you''ll excuse me." "Take care." Man Bok waved his hand, his face as kind as ever. Kang Oh left Gold Dragon, and then pulled out a piece of dried paper from his chest. ''Finally!'' It was time to explore the new high difficulty dungeons that came about via the Great Change. - Alpatra teau! - Phalces Nest! - Whispering Wind Cliff! - Red Desert! ... ''The Whispering Wind Cliff is the closest.'' Through the Great Change, the ground had split, creating a steep cliff in its wake. The dungeon resided within that opening. Kang Oh used an intercity transfer gate to travel to the city closest to the dungeon. Sometimeter... The Bagot ins. Kang Oh reached his destination. It was as if a Giant had swung their sword, cutting through the ground and leaving a giant scar in its ce. Kang Oh followed the cliff. ''It''s over there.'' There was a pin deeply embedded in the ground. A spider web, or multiple of themyered together, was connected to it, which went all the way down to the cliff. Blue Sky! It was Arth''s greatest team of explorers, and was led by Marco, an individual he''d oncepeted against in a TV program. They had seen flying monsters within the cliff, so they believed there was something inside of it. Thus, they had set up a T-pin, as well as a ''rope'' that allowed them to go down the cliff. Ultimately, they found a new dungeon. After that, Blue Sky informed the yerbase that this dungeon was called ''Whispering Wind Cliff''. They also warned them that the dungeon was so perilous that even they weren''t able to reach the end of it. Blue Sky was even kind enough to leave the T-pin and the rope they''d used here for other yers. ''Thanks, Marco.'' Kang Oh briefly recalled Marco''s handsome face, and then grabbed onto the rope and climbed down. A short whileter, Kang Oh discovered the entrance to a cave at around the midway point of the cliff. ording to Blue Sky, there were plenty of flying monsters inside of the cave, and the dungeon''s entrance existed at the end of it. Gyaahk! Once he entered the cave, he was attacked by monsters with two pairs of wings. They used their mouths to unleash sound waves at him. "Shut up!" Kang Oh drew Demon Sword Ubist using Switch and then swung it. sh! Swish. The monsters were cut in half. After that, a multitude of flying monsters came flying at him from within. Demon''s Descent! Tasha and Sara appeared wearing the clothes they always wore (a red dress and white fur clothes respectively). The three quickly dealt with the monsters, and headed for the end of the cave. A short whileter... They were face-to-face with the dungeon''s entrance: a tightly shut double door. Kang Oh forcefully pushed open the doors. [Entering the dungeon, Whispering Wind Cliff.] The configuration of the dungeon was quite bizarre. It was a downward spiraling road. What if you fell off the path? Then you would fall into the unending abyss. Fortunately, the path was illuminated by dim light. Of course, the light was so weak that everything but the path waspletely obscured in darkness. Swish. Wind blew from somece else. At the same time, they heard whispers in their ear. "Come in." "What!?" Tasha angrily fiddled with her ear. "That''s how it''s supposed to be," Kang Oh said. That''s why it was called the Wind Whispering Cliff! Tasha furrowed her brow. Kang Oh grinned and took another step forward. However, he suddenly received a system message. [You have taken your first step inside a dungeon you''ve never been to before.] [You have acquired Sara''s Collectible.] "Nice." ''Where did thise from all of a sudden!?'' Kang Oh passed the sapphire colored cube to Sara. Two identical cubes popped out of her chest. Then, the three cubes began spinning around her. [You have collected three of Sara''s Collectibles. Sara and the Ice Demon Sword have evolved.] At some point, the three cubes fused together into a sapphire the size of one''s fist. Then, it began to spin around Sara like a satellite orbiting around a. Sara softly moved her hand. The sapphire flew exactly where she had pointed. Whir! The sapphire unleashed a blue cold beam. The ce it''d hit was instantly frozen solid. "Hoh." ''That sapphire looks quite useful.'' Kang Oh was curious as to how Demon Sword Sarahoff had changed. "Turn back into a sword." Kang Oh held his purple longsword and looked over its information. [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff (+1)] A once in a lifetime masterpiece created by Hoffman! You would be hard pressed to find a finer de than this. The de is made up of the mysterious alloy, Halium, and various dragon materials were used to create the hilt. Halium makes the de extremely light, yet tough. At the same time, the de is unbelievably sharp. Hoffman''s desire for revenge is contained within this sword. When you face Inarius, atent ability will activate. Ice Queen Sa, otherwise known as the Northern Disaster, is sealed within. Sealing a demon within a demon sword crafted by a Master cksmith has resulted in something extraordinary. The demon sword has retained its abilities, and has gained the demon''s power on top of that! Untradeable. Upon death, there is a high chance that the demon sword will drop, or that you be a monster under the demon''s control for 24 hours. + Absolute Destruction: Anything that shes with this de will break. This includes weapons, armor, tough scales, and even bone! The object in question will eventually break, depending on how tough it is. + Damage Amplification: Always increases the damage you deal to your enemy. At minimum, increases damage by 1.5 times, and at maximum, increases it by 3 times. Will stack with critical hits! + Frost Demon''s Domain: Lowers the temperature of anyone within a 10 meter vicinity of the demon sword. This lowers their abilities, and also inflicts frostbite or freezes them. + Ring of Frost: Unleashes a cold wave that affects anyone within a 5 meter radius. Freezes targets up to a maximum of 30 seconds. Attacking enemies afflicted with the ''Frozen'' status ailment will cause them to take more damage. Cooldown: 10 minutes. MP Cost: 5,000. + Sara''s Collectible: If you explore a new area, kill a new monster, orplete a difficult quest, then there is a low chance that you will obtain Sara''s Collectible. If you collect enough of this, then the sword will evolve. Next evolution: 0/9 collectibles. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1300, Main Stats +60. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. Ring of Frost. The fact that its cooldown was 10 whole minutes meant that it was on the same level as ''Abyss Predator'' or ''Dragon''s Fury''. How powerful would it turn out to be? This dungeon would prove to be the ultimate test. "Let''s go, Tasha." Kang Oh went down the spiral road with Demon Sword Ubist in his right hand, and Demon Sword Sarahoff in his left. Tasha quietly followed him with red energy gathered in both of her hands. A short whileter... p, p, p! He could hear countless wings pping from within the darkness. "C''mon!" Kang Oh raised both of his demon swords and yelled confidently. ''Come here and have a taste of Sarahoff''s new ability!'' Chapter 524. Serpentra Queen (1)

Chapter 524. Serpentra Queen (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had never seen these monsters before. Theycked arms or legs, and were as long as anacondas; they had to be about 5 meters long. Their skin also shimmered, as if they were coated in some sort of substance. They had giant silver wings, triangr faces, and sharp horns at the end of their noses. These monsters werepletely new, and were brought about by the Great Change. They were called... ''Serpentra!'' Blue Sky had not only unveiled the Whispering Wind Cliff, but the existence of the Serpentra as well. They were about level 550. The Serpentra were difficult to face due to their exceptional flying abilities, as well as their ''Mysterious Scales''. Their scales had a high chance of making both melee and ranged attacks miss. It was apparently close to 50%. However, they also had incredibly high elemental resistance. "I ain''t doing this. I can''t kill them!" Blue Sky''s mage had said in annoyance. Moreover, each one''s elemental affinity differed. Some of them could spew mes, venom, darkness, or light, while others could shoot water, dirt, or lightning from their bodies. At least 50 of them had appeared. Swoosh! The Serpentra opened their mouths, simultaneously unleashing fire, lightning, poison, etc. Countless colors mixed in the air, as if there was some fabulous show going on. Danger, danger! His body felt cold. Hyper Intuition was warning him! Kang Oh leapt into the air. Now! Some of them flew towards him, theirrge, tough horns ready to skewer him! Swish! They were like giant arrows shot out of a ballista. ''C''mon!'' Markings of the Yuki-Onna Tribe appeared along his purple de. He had activated Demon Sword Sarahoff''s new ability! Ring of Frost! Whoosh! A cold wave spread outwards. The Serpentras'' silver wings were frozen solid, and then their bodies followed suit. Despite their high level and elemental resistance, Ring of Frost had still managed to freeze thempletely! Amazing! Every monster within a 5 meter radius of him was frozen solid, and their bodies plummeted to the floor. Gravity was a cruel mistress; Kang Oh started to fall too. In spite of that, he swiftly swung his twin demon swords. Mad Wind''s Sword! Their ''Mysterious Scales'' offered them little protection while they were frozen. Bam! Bam! Bam! The ice coating their bodies broke into pieces and went everywhere. These were followed by red shards of light flying through the air. In the midst of that, Ubist''s special ability, ''Rip Apart'' had activated, so he could see ck shards in the air too. [You have defeated a Sky Predator, Serpentra.] [You have defeated a Sky Predator, Serpentra.] ... Attacking an enemy while they were ''frozen'' ensured that you''d deal extra damage, but... it was much greater than he anticipated. To think he''d be able to defeat level 550 monsters this easily! Of course, there was also the fact that Kang Oh was way too strong, and that the Serpentras'' defense was much lower than you''d expect from a high level monster. Kyaa! The remaining Serpentra cried out at theirrades'' tragic demise, and flew at him even more fiercely than before. They were clever too. The Serpentra had realized that close rangebat wasn''t the answer, so they kept their distance and attacked from afar. Not only that, but they did so while maintaining formation. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Bam! Huge holes appeared where he''d just been. Jet-ck darkness shimmered from beneath the holes. ''This formation of theirs... is a lot more dangerous than I thought!'' He was standing on a descending spiral road. Although it was illuminated by faint light, there were no guardrails that''d keep him from slipping off. However, it wasn''t just a matter of dodging the Serpentras'' attacks. Their attacks were gradually destroying the path itself. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh forcefully threw his demon swords. Weapon Bombardment! His jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword fiercely spun and flew at his enemies. Swish! Bam! The Serpentra were ripped apart by his spinning des. As expected of a secret technique developed by the battle hardened Tum! However, the Serpentra were not to be underestimated. They flew through the air and dodged his spinning des, and then immediately reformed their ranks. After that, they bombarded Kang Oh with all manner of elemental attacks. Kang Oh urgently moved his body in order to dodge their attacks. Bam! Bam! The Serpentra continuously poked holes into the path. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Kang Oh decided to use their formation against them. "Tasha, turn back into a sword!" he said. Tasha had her hands full fighting them off. "Got it!" Kang Oh grabbed the snow-white sword as soon as the transformation wasplete. He then used Weapon Bombardment with all three of his demon swords! It was draining on his MP reserves, and it was a lot harder to control all three at once than he''d expected. Moreover, he had to focus on dodging the Serpentras'' attacks as well. In spite of that, Kang Oh was capable enough to perform all of these tasks. Ubist and Blood acted like herding dogs, forcing the group of Serpentra into a corner, while the fiercely spinning Sarahoff ripped them apart. The properties of their Mysterious Scales frequently made his attacks miss, but he attacked so many times that it didn''t matter. Kang Oh also added Darkness Chain into the mix. Kyahaahk! Kyahuu! The cliff was filled with the Serpentras'' cries. His three demon swords didn''t stop until all of the Serpentra were dead. * * * Swish! The wind whispered to him once more. "Come here." "Let''s y together." Kang Oh ignored the whispers and picked up the glimmering silver scales. [Serpentra Scale] A scale that shines silver. This scale can make physical attacks miss. Each Serpentra only possesses one scale underneath their neck. Material Rank: AA. The Serpentra were a new type of monster. However, they dropped precious materials. Moreover, each one of them dropped one scale without fail. If he sold these to new material enthusiasts, then he could make a fortune. He also felt like Hoffman would be able to craft new dragon equipment with these. ''It''s a gold mine.'' As expected, the dungeon rewards matched the difficulty level of the dungeon. Kang Oh collected the Serpentra Scales with a satisfied look on his face. After that, he continued down the winding road. The Serpentra would periodically attack him. The group steadily becamerger andrger, and Serpentra Leaders started to appear too. They were quite intelligent, and were skilled atmandingrge groups, so even Kang Oh was put in danger when he faced them and the groups they led. Plus, some of the Serpentra shot sts at him that were stronger than two or three Serpentrabined. Then there were Serpentra with especiallyrge horns that charged at him. However, they weren''t nearly strong enough to stop Kang Oh, who was slowly getting used to using Weapon Bombardment with three demon swords. But...! Kang Oh progressed through the dungeon much slower than normal. Why? First off, the difficulty level was extremely high. Even someone like Kang Oh would take at least 30 minutes to clear out a group of Serpentra by himself. Plus, he had to use his MP every battle. Therefore, he had to constantly drink the MP Potions he''d brought with him and/or wait for his MP to regenerate after each battle. Ultimately, it took about ten hours for him to reach the end of the dungeon, even though he''d taken a quick break in the middle for lunch and had spent all of his time hunting. ''Finally.'' At the end of the dungeony arge, circr te. It was there that... [You have discovered the Serpentra Queen, Rubion.] [You are the first to discover it.] He found the dungeon boss, which radiated an overwhelming presence. * * * Rubion reminded him of an eastern dragon. Its long, giant, coiled up body was covered in shining silver scales. On the contrary, normal Serpentra only possessed one such scale. And yet, its entire body waspletely rife with them. As expected of the Serpentra Queen! It had a long face, and two horns were situated on its forehead, not its nose. However, its horns were colored differently than normal Serpentra. They were ck and white respectively. ''Does she possess the darkness and light elements?'' He had realized something after fighting countless Serpentra. The color of their horns hinted at what elemental attribute they possessed. Those with reddish horns possessed the fire element, while those with bluish horns possessed the water element. Plus, the depth of the color would determine how powerful their elemental attacks would be. The Serpentra Queen''s horns were extremely dark and bright. Finally, its wings were extremelyrge and beautiful. ''It''s about... It has to be level 600.'' At least level 600. It was possible that it was even higher than that. The circr te that ity upon seemed to be about 100 meters in diameter. ''Can I beat it?'' Kang Oh thought from atop the adjoining path. It didn''t seem easy. He didn''t have Eder or Sephiro with him either. However, Vn told him that ''Trials will make [him] stronger''. Kang Oh made up his mind, and stepped onto the circr te. Then... p! Rubion rose into the air. It uncoiled its body, making it seem evenrger than before. [The Serpentra Queen, Rubion has revealed itself in its entirety.] [All beings cower in its presence.] [Your high rank, as well as your Mental, Courage, and Indomitable stats have allowed you to ovee your fear.] [Fame has increased.] Bam! Rubion unleashed a ray of light from its mouth. Photon Cannon! Kang Oh leapt into the air. Boom! The st pierced a hole in the ground. It was as if the darkness was speaking to him. ''If you don''t want to die, then don''t fall into the abyss.'' Kang Oh focused entirely on the Serpentra Queen. Whir! This time, it used its darkness element. ck Sphere! A giant ck sphere came out of its mouth. It sucked in and devoured everything around it like a ck hole. Tempest Tiger! Kang Oh swung Ubist, unleashing golden energy at the Serpentra Queen. Bam! The ck Sphere versus the Tempest Tiger! The two sts collided in midair! However, the ck Sphere devoured the Tempest Tiger and continued on, threatening to devour Kang Oh too. But Kang Oh had already vacated the area. Once more, the ground was perforated with another hole. At that moment... Swish! A snow-white de and a purple longsword fiercely spun and flew towards its sides. When the two energy sts had collided, Kang Oh had thrown two of his demon swords. Swish! Swish! Swish! The two demon swords cleaved through Rubion''s flesh. However, there weren''t as many shards of light as he expected. Rubion''s scales were far greater than normal Serpentra scales. It possessed the ''Queen''s Noble Scales'', which were a step up from the ''Mysterious Scales''. These scales made physical attacks miss more than 50% of the time. That was why it took so little damage from Weapon Bombardment. "Hmm." Kang Oh had clearly seen his attacks miss. Thus, he immediately realized how much greater its scales were. ''Are they even better than the Mysterious Scales?'' Kang Oh had made his way here by cutting down countless Serpentra. Thus, he knew exactly what their weaknesses were. A Serpentra''s weakness was physical attacks. Unbefitting a high level monster, their defense was poor. In exchange, their elemental resistance was extremely high. Thus, the Serpentra possessed the ''Mysterious Scale'' ability, which made physical attacks miss. In other words, victory or defeat against a Serpentra was determined by how well you were able to ovee this special ability. The strategy wasn''t much different, but the difficulty level was. Swish! Rubion spun in the air, and then unleashed six beams of light from its wings. Serpent Queen''s Judgment! It was exactly as advertised. It was a barrage of beams. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Boom, boom, boom! In no time at all, there were eight holes in the ground. He realized that the Serpentra Queen''s bombardment wouldn''t end anytime soon, and that if this continued, then there wouldn''t be anywhere he could go. If he let that happen, then he''d either be swept away by the bombardment, or he''d fall through one of the holes and sink into the abyss. ''I can''t let that happen!'' He had to end this quickly. Kang Oh stuck Ubist into the ground and extended both his hands. Swish! Sarahoff and Blood softly flew to his hands like birds returning to the nest. He had three demon swords. ''What I need right now is...'' The ability to fly, which was granted by Blood, and Gluttony, which Ubist could provide. He ced Sarahoff inside his inventory so that he could switch his weapons whenever necessary, and then gripped both of his des. Devil Trigger! Blood and Ubist''s energies engulfed Kang Oh''s body. Then... Kuwaang! The Serpentra Queen unleashed darkness energy from its mouth, whichpletely devoured Kang Oh. Bam! A dark red winged demon pierced through the darkness and flew into the air. Chapter 525. Serpentra Queen (2)

Chapter 525. Serpentra Queen (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh pulled out a mass-produced greatsword from his inventory while he was in the air. Gluttony! Ubist instantly devoured the greatsword, and jet-ck energy radiated from his body. His body welled with power. All of his abilities were increased threefold! Kuhaahk! Demon''s Roar! Normally, this skill made his enemies cower in fear and reduced their abilities, but it had absolutely no effect on the Serpentra Queen. On the contrary, it only made it angrier. Kurahaahk! It opened its mouth as wide as it could and shrieked. Kang Oh was caught in the resulting sound wave, and staggered in midair. "Be careful. It''s strong," Tasha said telepathically. "I know." Kang Oh quickly flew towards Rubion. Then, Rubion gathered light in its outstretched wings. Six spots in total glowed with light. Serpentra Queen''s Judgment! Whir! Six beams of light flew at Kang Oh. Red Demon''s Dance! Kang Oh''s evasion was tripled instantly. "Let''s break through!" Kang Oh yelled. "I''m going!" Tasha controlled his wings for him. Not only was her skill unrivaled, but Gluttony and Red Demon''s Dance were currently active. Thus, he managed to dodge the beams of light by a hair''s breadth. Kang Oh rushed at the Serpentra Queen. Mad Wind''s Sword! In just a short time, Kang Oh had swung his swords ten times. However, only three of his strikes hadnded properly. Seven of his attacks had missed due to the effects of ''Queen''s Noble Scales''. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. "Try harder," Tasha scolded. Then... The Serpentra Queen began its counterattack. ck Doom! Rubion pped its wings, and ck powder suddenly flew through the air. Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition sent him a cold warning as the powder got close. ''Please dodge it!'', it seemed to say. "We have to dodge it!" Kang Oh urgently yelled. "Ok!" Tasha pulled him back, but then, Rubion''s white horn glowed. Seal of Light! All of a sudden, a light cross descended from above. It was the same type of skill as Water Prison or Abyss Prison. No good coulde from getting hit by it. However, it was toote to dodge it. Blood Emperor! His snow-white de unleashed a blood red st, which devoured the light cross. It was like a red tide phenomenon. Bright white energy glimmered amidst the blood red energy. Ultimately, the two disparate energies destroyed each other. Kang Oh turned around and pointed Ubist at Rubion. Tempest Tiger! His de glimmered with golden energy. At the same time, a menacing tiger dashed towards the Serpentra Queen. Rubion opened its mouth. Photon Cannon! A ray of light pierced through the air! Boom! Upon collision, the two energies exploded. Normally, Tempest Tiger wouldn''t be a match for Photon Cannon, but with Gluttony and Blood Emperor in effect, it was able to go toe-to-toe with it. Whoosh! Kang Oh pierced through the explosion and appeared before the queen. Mad Wind''s Sword! At the same time... He unleashed auras that contained the demons'' power. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! He attacked ten times again. But this time, his sixth attack was apanied by a Darkness Strike. Ubist and Blood unleashed overwhelming waves of pure power. Kang Oh''s physical attacks were mixed with the abyss and blood elements. However, the Serpentra Queen possessed high elemental resistance, so it didn''t do him much good. Plus, six of his attacks had missed. In exchange, his sessful attacks werergely effective. After all, he was under the effects of Gluttony and Blood Emperor. The problem was... "You have to keep your flying time in mind." He couldn''t fly forever, unless the Divine Dragon came out of nowhere and cast a Flight spell on him. "How much time do I have left?" "1 minute." "Get me to the ground. I''ll attack the queen with Weapon Bombardment and assess the situation." "Got it!" Tasha folded his wings, and made him dive to the ground. Kuhaahk! He could hear its roar once more. ck Sphere! The ck Sphere followed Kang Oh on his way down. It was no different from a ck hole. If he got caught in that, then he''d be screwed. Fortunately, he flew extremely fast. Kang Ohnded on the floor and threw Blood. Then, he drew Sarahoff and threw it too. Weapon Bombardment! Only Demon Sword Ubist was left in his hands. He automatically reverted to his Jet-ck Demon form, whichcked the blood red armor, horns, and dark red wings. The ck Sphere fell from above. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh sank into the darkness. Bam! A giant hole was made where he''d once been. At the same time... Blood and Sarahoff flew towards the Serpentra Queen''s wings. The effects of ''Queen''s Noble Scales'' applied to its wings too. Blood missed. However, Sarahoff hit the bullseye. Not only that, but the force provided by Weapon Bombardment amplified its power. Boom! This resulted in a massive explosion. Kyahahk! Rubion''s body staggered in the air. Sarahoff had left behind a giant hole in its wing. But that wasn''t the end. All of a sudden, a ck beast appeared above its head. Kang Oh opened his off-hand, and called Sarahoff. Once he felt Sarahoff reach his hand... Ring of Frost! A chilling wave of frost spread outwards. Ring of Frost affected any enemies within a 5 meter radius. Rubion''s head, as well as a portion of its wings were frozen solid. He didn''t manage to freeze its wings in their entirety, so it didn''t plummet to the ground. Even so, Ring of Frost had done its job! ''It''s amazing.'' To think he''d be able to freeze a boss. However, the ice soon began to crack. It seemed like it wouldn''t remain frozen for long. ''No!'' He''d realized that any attack on a frozen area wouldn''t miss from fighting the normal Serpentras. Thus, he couldn''t afford to let this chance go. Of course, he didn''t have enough time to target every single afflicted area. He had to focus on the areas he could reach, and the ones that would do the most damage. Kang Oh aimed for its wings. He wouldn''t deal much damage, but he would hamper its ability to fly. Abyss Predator! Ubist unleashed a tsunami of darkness that devoured one of the queen''s wings. Crack! The darkness passed through, cracking any ice it made contact with. Clear red shards of light flew through the air. Kuhaaahk! The wing was so damaged that it couldn''t function properly. Thus, the Serpentra Queen writhed and plummeted to the ground. However, it didn''t just sit there and take it. Whir. Scattering of Light! Hundreds of beams shot out of its body. Kang Oh immediately shielded himself with his demon swords. Bam! He was shoved away by the incredible force. ''Damn it!'' The angle wasn''t great for him. He was really far from the round te. A dark abyss was just waiting to swallow him whole. ''What do I do?'' Abyss Transfer was still on cooldown. There wasn''t anything he could use Darkness Chain on either. He had to figure something else out. ''Yeah, that''ll work!'' If he didn''t have anything he could use Darkness Chain on, then he''d just make one! Kang Oh quickly wrapped Darkness Chain around Sarahoff''s hilt. Then, he threw Sarahoff as far as he could. Weapon Bombardment! His demon sword flew in a straight line. Kang Oh, who was holding onto the chain, was naturally pulled forward. Thud! Only then did Rubion''s giant bodynd onto the ground with a huge ''thud''. Various sized holes perforated the ground. Bam! Then, Sarahoff hit the ground, causing a portion of the ground to crumble beneath its power. Kang Oh followed his de, arcing in the air, and thennded safely on the ground. He quickly pulled Sarahoff out of the hole it was falling into and retrieved it. "Hoo, I survived." Only then did he sigh in relief. ''I almost died there.'' Swish! Thwock! Demon Sword Blood returned and stuck itself into the ground in front of him. Kang Oh threw Demon Sword Blood once more, and charged at the Serpentra Queen with both Sarahoff and Ubist in hand. Now there was no need for anyplicated tactics; after all, he didn''t need to fight in the air, nor did he need to rely on ranged attacks. Kang Oh could focus on what he did best. * * * The ground crumbled. For Rubion, this was exactly the position it wanted to be in. After all, it could fly and attack its opponent from afar, while its opponent had less and less room to move. However, this crumbled floor became the worst possible environment for it. If it mustered up even a little bit of its power, then the floor would crumble beneath its body. It also couldn''t move as it pleased. Even so, Rubion was the master of this ce. The queen''s twin horns glowed, causing the holes to repair themselves. Now, the floor wouldn''t crumble from the slightest of touches, and it wouldn''t pose a problem to the queen. However, Kang Oh weed this act. ''Let''s fight for real!'' Kang Oh fiercely bombarded it with attacks, and Rubion counterattacked despite its damaged wing. The queen alternated between its powerful light and darkness element attacks. Even its huge body was a threat to Kang Oh. Despite that, it seemed far weaker than before, when just its mere presence was overwhelming. On the flip side, Kang Oh was able to fight at his fullest. Indeed. Onnd, Kang Oh was a far more fearsome and more powerful predator. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! All sorts of wounds appeared on Rubion''s body. If it''dcked the Queen''s Noble Scales, then it would''ve taken much more damage than it did. How much time had passed? As its HP went down, Rubion would change its attack patterns and gradually unleash more of its trump cards. Its most threatening attack was much like Bart''s Chaos Sphere; it would mix the disparate energies together andunch them at him. After all, the slightest touch would cause this unstable mixture to explode. However, the Serpentra Queen was unable to fly again, so Kang Oh was able to respond to it appropriately. Ultimately... Kang Oh stabbed Sarahoff into the crown of its head. Kyaa! That was the end of Rubion. [You have defeated the Serpentra Queen, Rubion.] [You are the first to defeat it. As a reward, it will drop its highest rank items.] [Fame has increased.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] [You have leveled up.] "Hoo." Kang Oh stared at the giant queen''s body and realized just how much stronger he''d be. He had defeated a boss that was at least level 600 on his own! "Let''s see what it dropped." Rubion had dropped three items in total. Kang Oh bent down, intent on picking up the shimmering items. However... Rumble. The ground suddenly shook. "What''s going on?" ''This feels ominous for some reason.'' Kang Oh quickly picked up the dropped items and left the area. He attempted to do so, at least. However...! The floor suddenly disappeared. "Uheok!" Kang Oh was swallowed up by the darkness. [Entering a sealed location within the darkness.] ''A sealed location within the darkness, huh...'' It was a dome-shaped space. However, there were golden giants standing in front of the walls. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed and carefully observed the giants. The gold giants'' hands and feet were bound by chains. [You have discovered sealed beings.] They didn''t move an inch. They didn''t open their eyes either. If not for the weak sound of their breathing, then he would''ve thought they were dead. Then... A giant pir of light rose from the center of the room, and someone he hadn''t expected appeared before him. They had three pairs of beautiful, resplendent wings, and were surrounded by bright light! The God of Creation, Maya, had appeared. Chapter 526. The Birth of a New Continent

Chapter 526. The Birth of a New Continent

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh couldn''t hide his shock. Why did the God of Creation suddenly appear before him? "You are..." Maya''s voice resounded throughout the room. Only then did Kang Oh get a hold of himself. "Greetings, Supreme One." Kang Oh bowed immediately. "There''s no need for that." Maya raised his light encased hand, and Kang Oh''s body automatically stood up. "Thank you. But... may I ask why you have suddenly appeared?" "Of course. I appeared because of these children." Maya pointed at the nearby gold giants. "These children are from the Bargon Tribe. They were exterminated during the war against the Mayanes." "Is that so?" It seemed like the dragons weren''t the only species that participated in the war. "The crimes that the Mayanesmitted... are ultimately my fault. I wasn''t able to guide them properly. Thus, I wish to recreate the Bargon Tribe. I want to see them thrive once more." "Then why did you seal them?" Kang Oh asked. "These children were powerful enough to stand in the frontlines against the Mayanes. Thus, I can''t afford to just resurrect them as I please." "Mm." They clearly looked strong. If they were released into the world, then they could follow in the dragons'' footsteps and be apex predators. Plus, some of them would likely turn evil like Evil Dragon Inarius. "Are there other ancient tribes like them?" "There are four other tribes. All of them perished against the Mayanes, but they''re all powerful in their own right." "Hoo." If they were all released into the continent, then it''d be absolute chaos. "Their fate is tied to your decision," Maya said. "I beg your pardon?" ''What''s this out of the blue?'' "You make the decision. Whether I release their seals or they remain sealed here forever." Maya had decided to let their fates be decided by an individual who lived on the continent, rather than him. Thus, he had sealed them within a few of the dungeons he''d created. "Wait, why are you asking me..." "I''m asking you as a powerful member of the continent. I want to know if you''re confident that you''ll be able to handle them." There was a condition to reach this ce, the area where the Bargon Tribe were sealed. The yer had to defeat the Serpentra Queen by themselves. Kang Oh had aplished this feat. "Objectively speaking, how strong are they?" Kang Oh asked. "They''re stronger than you." "One of them is stronger than me?" "Indeed." "Are they stronger than a dragon?" "They''re weaker than a dragon." "I think they should be sealed." You should just let sleeping dogs lie. "Don''t be hasty and think hard. The fate of their tribe lies in your hands," Maya said harshly. "Mm." Kang Oh rubbed his chin. No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t allow them onto the continent. It wouldpletely break the bnce between the races. Plus, what if they decided to use their strength for evil? He would be the one who cleaned up their mess as the Guardian of the Continent. ''I already suffered through the Mayanes. That''s enough ancient races for me.'' Kang Oh made his decision. "Please keep them sealed." "Is that... the best decision?" Maya said regretfully. It seemed like he yearned for the past, where ancient races lived together in harmony. If not, then perhaps he was feeling guilty for their deaths at the hands of the Mayanes. "If ants live among humans, then the ants will be trampled on." "Mm. I understand." Maya''s voice was tinged with regret. Kang Oh scratched his head. ''He won''t cause trouble, will he? Mm.'' Maya didn''t have a good track record. Kang Oh was sure that he''d cause trouble in the future if he didn''t deal with this now. Thus, he gave Maya another option. "What about removing their strength and recreating them?" "They would no longer be the Bargon Tribe. They''d be another tribe that looks like them." It seemed like Maya had no intention of changing their power, their appearance, etc. "Hmm, then how does this sound?" "I''m listening." "Unseal them and then iste them." "What do you mean?" "You said there were four other tribes. What if you created an ind far away from the continent where the five tribes lived together? Those who live on the continent won''t be harmed by them, and the ancient tribes should be able to prosper if left to their own devices. Ah, and if possible, please create it in the Southern Sea. To be more specific, please ce it behind the Devil''s Sea. That way, neither side can easily cross paths." Maya seemed to be locked in thought. Kang Oh silently waited for him to answer. "Is that your decision?" Maya asked. "That''s the best I cane up with. The ancient tribes can prosper once more, and peace in the continent will be maintained." ''I want to live in peace too!'' "I''ll do as you ask." Maya and the golden giants were engulfed in light, and disappeared somece else. Sometimeter... A small earthquake rocked the southern part of the continent, or the Great Forest. "Uheok, it''s an earthquake." "Another one?" Unlike before, there wasn''t a huge change. The inhabitants and the yers within the Great Forest looked relieved. No one knew. A new continent about 1/4 the size of the continent had appeared behind the Devil''s Sea. Kang Oh''s decision had resulted in the creation of a new continent. And this continent wouldn''t be revealed to yers for a long, long time. * * * Kang Oh safely returned to Altein. Then, he examined the three items that the Serpentra Queen had dropped. First, he took a look at the rare material. [Queen''s Noble Scales] The Serpentra Queen''s scales. It seems like it contains an extremely noble and unique ability. Material Rank: S. ''Hoffman will love this.'' Kang Oh looked over the next item. It was a thick grimoire. [ck Doom] Unleashes powder that possesses the darkness element. Absorbs a portion of the stats of anyone it touches. Anyone affected by the powder will take damage over time, and all their abilities will fall. ''Hoh.'' Darkness element grimoires were rare. Their prices matched their rarity. However, the spell was amazing too. ''I should sell this to Helena or the Tower.'' No matter who he sold it to, he would make a huge profit. The final item was a long spear. Ornate engravings lined the spear shaft, and the weapon itself was well bnced. The spear tip was shaped like a giant drill, which was a mixture of white and ck like a twisted breadstick. ''Heop.'' Kang Oh''s eyes widened as he looked over the information. [Light and Darkness Spear] The legendary Dwarf cksmith, Bargo, put his heart and soul into this spear. It is also his final work. Light and darkness, which cannot coexist, somehow exist in harmony within this spear. It is impossible. How did he manage this? cksmiths will do whatever it takes to see this weapon in person. What''s worse, the weapon has an ego of its own. It remains dormant at the moment, waiting for its rightful owner to awake. + Light and Darkness: Deals both light and darkness damage. The two energies sh, annihting one''s enemies. + Spear Master: Significantly increases the power and speed of any spear-rted actions. Cuts the cooldown of all spear techniques in half. It will asionally give you a hint to reach Enlightenment. + Chaos Spear that Pierces the Heavens: Unleashes chaos energy that annihtes one''s opponent. Cooldown: 10 minutes. MP Cost : None. Every enemy kill reduces this skill''s cooldown by 10 seconds. + Summon Armored Horse Eternal: Allows you to summon and ride Eternal, an unrivaled steed garbed in armor made of the mysterious metal, Archon. Eternal provides a significant boost to its rider''s abilities. However, the rider must possess High-Rank Horseback Riding or higher in order to ride Eternal. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1714, Pration +500, All Stats +70, Light and Darkness Damage +30%. Minimum Requirements: Level 500, a Master Spearman ss, and at least one mastered offensive Spearman skill. It was said that Max created the finest des, while Bargo created the finest spears. Bargo was another legendary cksmith that stood alongside Max, who created the famed Max Series of swords. Spear King Hernandez''s favored weapon was a product of Bargo''s youth. However, this spear was Bargo''s final work! It followed that its abilities would be absolute bonkers. The spear''s attack power exceeded even his demon sword''s. However, it also had four item effects, which were all ridiculous in their own right. Moreover, it was an ego spear! If awakened, this ego would add another ability into the mix, or may greatly increase the power of the weapon itself. Of course, it made sense why the equip requirements were so crazy. How much would this be worth? He couldn''t even begin to guess! If he showed this to Hernandez, then he would likely do anything to obtain it, offering money, treasure, another tremendous item, or even the vice-captain position in exchange. In any case... "Jackpot! I struck gold!" Kang Oh clenched his fists and raised them into the air. How long had it been since he''d struck gold from a dungeon? "Yeah!" Kang Oh joyfully danced around. It felt like he was rewarded all at once for everything he hadn''t gotten from his Guardian of the Continent quests. It also felt like God was giving him a gift for living a proper life. "Hahahahaha!" Kang Oh couldn''t contain his excitement. It felt like the world was in his hands. Though he would have to think about how to deal with this spear in the future. He had no intention of selling it for the time being. Why would he do others a favor? * * * "Aaah, Unni!" "It''s Soo Ah!" "Lee Seul, look over here!" "Hyo Min Noona!" People cheered at Triple Lower''s appearance. "Thank you. I love you all!" Soo Ah, who wore a red sweater, waved her hand. The other members of Triple Lower followed her into the van. Soo Ah lowered the window and said her goodbyes. The other members in her group did the same. Though she''d gotten wildly popr, she hadn''t forgotten her roots. She knew that her poprity was all due to her fans. The other members of her group followed the same line of thought. "You won''t be seeing us for a while, but please don''t forget about us!" Soo Ah said. "We won''t!" "No! I won''t let you go!" "Aah, Unni!" The van slowly drove off, and Soo Ah closed her window only after seeing her fans off. "Hoo." Only then did Soo Ah breathe a sigh of relief. "Here, Unni." Lee Seul, the team''s youngest, passed her a bottle of water. "Thanks." She guzzled it down. ''Mm, now I feel more alive.'' Her busy schedule for today was finally over. Soo Ah hadn''t just finished today''s schedule. Her schedule for the entire nation had ended. "Did you finish packing?" their manager looked at the back mirror and asked. This manager of theirs sure was strange. He was always sitting in the driver''s seat, stating that he didn''t trust the automatic driving feature of his car. Plus, he considered himself ten times better than a machine at driving. Then again, he really was good at driving. "No, not yet," Hyo Min, their oldest member, said. "Where would we have found time to pack? We only slept four hours a day and had to get through our schedule," Lee Seul said tiredly. "That''s why I told you to cut back a little," their manager said pitifully. It was as if he were saying, ''Why do you go through so much hardship?''. "Oppa, our fans here won''t be able to see us when we go abroad. That''s why we have to see them as much as possible while we still can!" Lee Seul said decisively. "She''s right," Hyo Min chimed in, and Soo Ah grinned. That''s right. Triple Lower would perform abroad in Europe, and was scheduled to leave tomorrow. They would only be there for about two days. Their stay could be longer if they were received positively. They would just have to go and see how it went. "Oppa, I''d like to use this now." Soo Ah raised her virtual reality goggles. There was someone she wanted to meet. "Yeah, alright." Soo Ah often yed virtual reality games while she was in the car, so the manager didn''t have any problems with it and nodded his head. Hyo Min and Lee Seul smiled impishly. It''s always the quiet ones. She seemed quite anxious. Soo Ah avoided their eyes and quickly wore the goggles. A short whileter... She logged into Arth. Soo Ah transformed into an armored, western blonde beauty! She immediately sent a message. - Oppa! - Where are you? I''ll be right there! Chapter 527. One Month Later

Chapter 527. One Month Later

Trantor: Boko There was a ce called ss Lake. It was so clear that people could see their reflection on the surface of the water. It was also one of Kang Oh and Asu''s asional date spots. After all, it was both quiet, and a ce that allowed them to focus only on each other. The two spent time with each other on top of a sailboat. Jae Woo knew that Triple Lower was headed for Europe tomorrow. He was d that virtual reality existed; it allowed him to meet her at any time or ce. Her tight schedule wouldn''t let her log in much, but there was a huge difference between not seeing each other for two months and asionally seeing each other. Still, he couldn''t help but feel sad that she was going far away. It would be a lot harder to see her. "Is this your first time going to Europe?" Kang Oh asked, burying his true feelings. "No. My parents and I went there when I was young." "Oh, where did you go?" "Paris, London, Berlin... The popr spots. How about you?" "I haven''t even gone to Japan before." The only ce he''d flown to was Jeju Ind. "Then let''s go somewhere when Ie back." "Really? I''d love that." "We''ll go to a ce where no one will notice us." "Even better." Kang Oh grinned. "Promise." Kang Oh and Asu pinky promised. It may seem childish, but that''s what made it fun, no? "You''re not sad?" Asu suddenly asked. She was feeling kind of down right now. ''Why''s she acting like this?'', her fellow members would probably ask in shock. After all, times had changed. Virtual reality eliminated one of the barriers to long-distance rtionships. However, people''s feelings hadn''t changed. They couldn''t help but yearn for someone they cared about when they went far away. Kang Oh remained silent. However, his expression said everything. He, like her, was still too traditional. "I shouldn''t have asked. It''s obvious." Asu smiled timidly. "Have a good time. Be careful." "Don''t worry. I''ll make a fan out of Europe too." Asu made a peace sign. It was nice to see her so confident. Then... Asu furrowed her brow. "Oppa, I think I have to go now." "Why?" "We''re home now, so I have to go. I have to start packing now." "Packing? You haven''t packed yet? Your flight is tomorrow, right?" "I''ve been busy." "Wherever you go, you have to remember to eat, understand?" "Oppa, are you treating me like one of your sisters?" Asu red at him. "That wasn''t my intention." He wasn''t such a kind, considerate brother to his little sisters. "Fine." "Call me anytime. I''ve linked my phone and capsule together." "I''ll call you in the middle of the night." Asu grinned. "Fine by me." "I''ll go... Ah, that''s right. Oppa." Asu pulled out the sleeping Rudy from her buxom. It had gotten quite plump. "Take care of Rudy for me. I don''t think I''ll be able to log in that much..." "No problem." Kang Oh epted Rudy. Then, Asu softly kissed Kang Oh''s cheek. "When I''m back, I''ll give you a kiss on the lips instead!" "I''ll be waiting." ''Really!'' "I seriously need to get going now." Asu waved her hand. Kang Oh slightly shook Rudy and woke it up. "Say goodbye to mom." Chirp! Rudy softly chirped while half asleep. Asu smiled and slowly disappeared. Kang Oh watched the space she''d upied for some time. Chirp! In a sh, Rudy had woken uppletely and had taken residence on top of Kang Oh''s head. "Let''s do our best." Chirp! ''Ok, dad!'', Rudy seemingly said. * * * One monthter. For the first few days, Asu frequently logged into Arth. Apparently, she wasn''t as busy as she expected. But after that, she didn''t log in for two whole weeks. She''d briefly log in, see Kang Oh and Rudy''s faces, and then log back out. She must be really busy. He heard that Triple Lower was getting really popr in Europe now too. Kang Oh was busy too. First off, there were way too many Guardian of the Continent quests for him to deal with. Thus, he tried looking for a sessor. Unfortunately, he couldn''t find anyone that fit the role. Bart didn''t fall victim to his scheme either. Whenever he had free time, he would explore new dungeons, and find and sell soul dungeons. He would also buy soul dungeons with useful guardians. As the starter of the Dungeon Liberation Movement, it''d be a terrible PR move for him to steal other dungeons by force. However, buying them at their market value was fine. Thus, he now owned eight soul dungeons. Managing all of these soul dungeons proved to be a lot of work too. Still, he couldn''t afford to bex with them. After all, he needed their rewards and their guardian summoning scrolls. His efforts hadn''t gone to waste. Kang Oh had gotten all of their summoning scrolls, which included Teynos, Violf, Wakaiser, Uru, and all of his other soul dungeons'' guardians. The money grubbing dragon was the only exception. Akite''s summoning scroll was way too expensive! He had passed level 500, and was already level 503. Reaching level 500 was easy, but leveling up after that was really hard. There was also Enlightenment. He had reached Enlightenment in Mand''s Bizarre Cave. A yer''s movements were slowed within that area. However, it only slowed a yer''s movements, not their thoughts. It forced him to swing his sword slower, which gave him a better understanding of himself. Because of that, he cleared the spontaneous quest, and was given a clue to another Enlightenment. ''Sword Duke Sven.'' That was the reward his spontaneous quest had given him. Kang Oh went to Grandpa Sven, and learned some of the basics from him. However, he didn''t receive what he was looking for. But it wasn''t all for naught. It was clear he''d gotten much stronger than before. Practicing with Burkan helped a lot too. Now, there was barely a difference between their skill level. ''I''ll surpass you soon enough!'' He still hadn''t paid Burkan back his 800,000 gold, even though he had the means. GBS was showing his footage of the goddess''s quest right now. Their average viewership rating was 21.1%, but they had reached an all-time high of 24.3%. It was a huge hit. He received a bonus for surpassing viewership records too. Kang Oh also received arge cut of the profits from selling the footage to the U.S., China, Japan, India, Europe, etc. This didn''t even include the 3,300,800,000 won ($3,300,800 USD) that he received for signing the contract. Although 800,000 gold was worth 2.4 billion won ($2.4 million USD), he could pay it back right now if he wanted. However, Kang Oh believed that the price of gold would depreciate even further, so he held off on it for now. After all, he''d be able to pay back much less if he waited for gold to be worth even less. Plus, Burkan was no longer a bachelor. He had married Dora, the owner of a pub. The two looked good together during the wedding ceremony. Kang Oh saw his own and Soo Ah''s faces when he looked at them. However, it was still too early for that. He was only in his mid-twenties! Plus, he was working hard taking care of their kid. "Isn''t that right?" Kang Oh looked at the chick sitting in his palm and grinned. Chirp! Rudy, whose head was covered by a handful of red feathers on an otherwise yellow body, brightly cried out. On the outside, Rudy hadn''t grown at all. Unlike other living beings, Phoenixes didn''t have an in-between point. They went straight from infancy to adulthood. Thus, they assumed the form of a chick during their infancy in order to conceal their presence from anyone that''d seek their power, and grew to adulthood when they were powerful enough. In other words, they didn''t grow, they evolved! If he wanted Rudy to evolve into an adult, then he''d have to feed it as many high quality mes as possible. As he went around the continent, Kang Oh made sure to take care of Rudy, ensuring that it got plenty of mes to eat. By doing so, Rudy had gained the ability to transform into its true form for a total of three hours. Of course, it wouldn''t be able to transform again for a week. In any case...! Bypleting plenty of difficult Guardian of the Continent quests, as well as exploring high difficulty dungeons, Kang Oh''s proficiency in his various skills went up. Transcendent de, Mad Wind''s Sword, and Weapon Bombardment had reached high-rank. Fleet Footwork, Basic Evasion, and Sword Parry had likewise leveled up to high-rank. Darkness Chain, Throw Projectile, and Demon''s Descent had reached intermediate-rank. There were, however, two skills that approached the master-rank. They were none other than sh and Tempest Tiger! sh was especially close, as he''d recently been spending most of his time on it. Why, you ask? ''Because I want to learn Divide the Sea.'' In order to learn Divide the Sea from Vn, Kang Oh had to first master sh. His current proficiency in it was 99.3%. Unlike ss skills, which wouldn''t go over 99%, normal skills/spells would rank up upon 100% proficiency. "Let''s work hard today." Kang Oh stepped forward. There was a giant pyramid in front of him. It was a dungeon that formed from the Great Change. It was said that Sphinxes spawned in this dungeon. Though Sphinxes were popr in real life, this was the first time they had appeared in Arth. Plus, the dungeon had 30 floors! Even Kang Oh hadn''t reached the top floor yet. Chirp! Rudy bravely chirped atop Kang Oh''s head. To others, it wasn''t intimidating at all; it merely looked adorable. The red dressed Tasha, as well as the fur clothed Sara, followed him. At that moment... Kyahaa! A beast''s cry rang out. Then, a shadow appeared above Kang Oh''s head. A fully grown wyvern came flying at him. However, its body was fully garbed in armor, and there was a person flying on its back. It was Sephiro and Waryong. He had achieved his dream; he had be a Wyvern Rider. Not only that, but he had be a high ranker and was ranked 97th. "Let''s go together!" Sephiro yelled forcefully. * * * In one month''s time, Kang Oh had gotten a lot stronger. However, he wasn''t able to take the rank 1 spot from Dukeram. Thebination of the Empire Guild''s influence and power, which grew massively from taking control of the eastern three kingdoms, as well as Dukeram''s own ability, power, and influence far exceeded Kang Oh''s. "We''re ready," Jegal said. He, Dukeram, and their captains were all gathered together in one room. It was finally time for their eight captains to ascend to the rank of Master. Their captains had reached 99% proficiency in their ss skills. Now, all they needed to do was achieve a great feat, and the Empire Guild would have eight more Masters at their disposal. "Our target is... is the Mamonas." The Ruler of the Golden Desert, Mamonas. It was a giant raid monster, which lived in the Golden Desert, and resembled a whale. The Mamonas was a huge glutton that ate everything but sand, so it was said that it caused the desert to expand. It was that great of a being. "The Mamonas is even greater than Wukong. It cannot be beaten by any normal means. However, we know its weakness: Serena''s Water!" Serena was the Goddess of Water. The water created from her sacred treasure, the ''Pure Chalice'', was called Serena''s Water. This water was considered a panacea to many, and it was an extremely precious resource, as only a certain amount of water could be made each day. The Empire Guild knew that the holy water would greatly weaken the Mamonas, and had traded with the Church of Serena in order to procure arge quantity of water. They had finally gathered enough to hunt the Mamonas. "If we use Serena''s Water against it, it will be as weak as a level 600 raid boss." "We should be able to beat it then," Ridgeley said confidently. "Indeed. And we won''t be alone. Myself, Mr. Dukeram, all of you, our guild''s elites, and all of our high rankers will be joining us. We''ll bring 10,000 of the kingdom''s soldiers, as well as 100 Insect and Sand Mages." "That''s a lot of troops," Kuskal said in awe. Jegal nced at Dukeram. ''It''s your turn, Guildmaster.'' "This operation is called Whale Hunt. The operation will begin in two days. We have to seed if we want to conquer the continent. So I won''t allow failure no matter what!" Two dayster... The Empire Guild, as well as the three eastern kingdoms'' elites, gathered atop the endless Golden Desert. Chapter 528. Whale Hunt (1)

Chapter 528. Whale Hunt (1)

Trantor: Boko The sand shined like gold underneath the hot rays of the sun. This was the Golden Desert. 10,000 of the Arabas Kingdom''s army stood side by side, along with their Insect and Sand Mages. Dukeram, Jegal, the captains, and the guild''s elite troops/high rankers were also in attendance. They hade to hunt the Ruler of the Golden Desert, Mamonas. It was a spectacr sight. As the Commander in Chief, Dukeram took charge of their troops. "The army will stay back. General Dalton, please assumemand over them," Dukeram said, referring to an old, white-haired man with plenty of scars on his face. The elderly man looked quite intimidating, as his battle scars resembled a tiger''s stripes. He was the Arabas Kingdom''s Guardian Angel, Dalton. He was the kingdom''s most talented general, and was also a Master! "Understood," Dalton said curtly. "Moby Dick, Tainos, Ridgeley, I want you to take on the Mamonas head-on," Dukeram said. Dukeram usually spoke formally to his captains or guild members, but today was different. He was the Commander in Chief, so he adjusted his speech to reflect that. "Yes, sir!" the three captains replied simultaneously. "I want the Yellow Dragon Squad on the right nk, and the cier Squad on the left." "Yes, sir." Erik and Irene, the captains of Yellow Dragon and cier respectively, nodded their heads. Dukeram shifted his gaze towards the leaders of the Insect and Sand Mages. Sand Mage Sadry. Insect Mage Tiagon. "I want the Sand Mages to support the Yellow Dragon Squad, and I want the Insect Mages to support the cier Squad." "As you wish," Sadry said. "Understood," Tiagon replied. Dukeram turned his attention to someone else. "Divide your squad into two groups and protect the mages." "Yes, sir," Kuskal said. Half of his face was covered by a piece of red cloth. "ck Wolf," Dukeram said. "Yes, sir." ck Wolf, who wore ck fur clothing, stared at Dukeram. "I''m giving you the most important mission. You''ll be in charge of Serena''s Water, so make sure you keep dousing it during the battle." Serena''s Water was like the Mamonas'' natural enemy; it would weaken it without fail. "I permit the use of ck Wing." ck Wing was something they''d been preparing to conquer the continent. "Leave it to me." ck Wolf tapped his chest. Dukeram nodded his head and said, "The Iron Horse Squad and I will attack from the rear." "Understood." Dukeram looked at Jegalst. ''It''s your turn now.'' Jegal slightly nodded his head. "The mages and healers will be divided up amongst the squads like normal." The Empire Guild had two squads consisting of mages and healers. However, these squads would be evenly divided amongst their eight squads whenever they started an operation. For example, the first group of mages would go to the Yellow Dragon Squad, while the third group of healers would go to the cier Squad. That was the reason the Empire Guild''s eight squads had no mages or healers within their ranks. "I''m sure you''ve all memorized all of the information by now." Both the Empire Guild and the three kingdoms'' schrs had read through the texts in the Arabas Kingdom''s library, as well as any ancient texts within therge cities'' libraries, the academic institutions or colleges. The information had already been disseminated to all of their guild members, and they had made preparations ordingly. "However, we don''t know everything there is to know about it. Please keep this in mind. And..." After that, Jegal did his duty as Dukeram''s adviser. He went over the more fine details of this operation, and made sure everyone had plenty of supplies. They were ready for battle. It was time for monster hunting. * * * "It''s here." That''s what they had been waiting for. Dukeram suddenly opened his eyes. "Brown Bear, Moby Dick, Giant Soldier, go out and attack the Mamonas. Everyone else, remain on standby until you''re given further orders." A portion of the Empire Guild''s elites moved out. "Giddyap!" "Let''s go!" The Brown Bear Squad rushed into the fray. They wore brown bear armbands around their shoulders, and had a roaring lion, the symbol of their guild, emzoned on their chests. They were Ridgeley''s elites. The Brown Bear Squad was both courageous and foolhardy. Thus, they often charged into battle as the vanguard. This time was no different. "Haha!" Brown Bear''s captain, Ridgeley, rested his halberd on his shoulder. His giant red horse was at the forefront. "We''re going too!" Moby Dick yelled. "Yes, sir!" The Moby Dick Squad consisted of shield bearers. Swoosh! Tainos, the leader of the Giant Soldier Squad, thrust his huge double-ded axe forward. ''Let''s go!'' His in-game character was over 2 meters tall. Like Kang Oh, he had scanned his character, which allowed him to pilot an exact duplicate of his real body. In any case, the Empire Guild''s elites galloped across the desert. A short whileter... A ton of sand rose into the air. Bam! A huge whale came out of the sand. It was more than 500 meters long, and had a height of more than 200 meters. This was the Ruler of the Golden Desert, Mamonas! It had a total of eight eyes, four on the left and four on the right. Its mouth was both huge in both length and width. The monster''s back was also filled with bumps. The Mamonas opened its mouth and unleashed a tremendous roar. Guhaaaahk! It was an ear-piercing noise. [You have heard Mamonas''s roar.] [Its power is absolute.] [Please run away!] Mamonas''s roar had no effect whatsoever. It was simply a message of intent. It was basically saying, ''I''ll eat you all!''. "Spread out!" "Scatter!" "Go at it as nned!" Ridgeley, Moby Dick, and Tainos simultaneously yelled. Then, their subordinates moved as one. It was clear why they were considered the Empire Guild''s elite troops. However, the Mamonas was basically the embodiment of a natural disaster. It didn''t matter what a human did before a natural disaster; they would bepletely powerless before mother nature. Clean Up! Mamonas opened its mouth and sucked everything in like an electric vacuum cleaner. The horses fell and were sucked into its mouth. Protector''s Shield! Absolute Defense! Great Barrier! The three squads had already discarded their horses, and were using their respective survival skills. Dukeram, who was assessing the situation, said, "ck Wolf, go in when it''s done sucking everything in. Spray it with Serena''s Water." "Understood." "Everyone else, do as you were instructed once it''s done." "Yes, sir!" Mamonas''s ''Clean Up''sted for 5 minutes, and inevitably, some of their guild members were sucked into its gaping maw. However, that wasn''t nearly enough to satisfy its hunger. Mamonas struck the ground with its Y-shaped tail, and slid forward. Ride Sand! It was as if an avnche wasing at them... No, it was actually much worse than that. "Dodge!" "Where!?" Bam! The Empire Guild''s members were devoured by the Mamonas''s giant mouth. Although they had spread out, the Mamonas was so big that several of their troops had died regardless. At that moment... The Empire Guild began to fight back. Giant ck eagles flew through the air in a V formation. They were called the Predators of the Azure Sky, and their beaks and talons could cut through even the hardest steel with ease! These Death Eagles had cors around their necks, and people riding on top of them. The ck Wolf Squad. They were filled with Tamers. Their leader, ck Wolf, was considered the best Tamer yer in the game. This squad of Death Eagles was one of their trump cards that would help them conquer the continent. It was called the ''ck Wing'' project! Death Eagles were powerful flying monsters. One of them was capable of taking on ten wyverns at once, after all. However, taming a wild Death Eagle was impossible. One had to raise it from birth. There was also a problem with procuring such arge supply of eggs. Then there was the fact that they only had a 5% chance of hatching. Plus, even if they did hatch, there were very few that could actually be tamed and be a Tamer''s pet. In other words, getting just one Death Eagle would require an incredible amount of manpower, skill, and resources. Thus, even the Empire Guild, the greatest guild of them all, didn''t have that many of them. They only had about thirty of them. Twenty of them had been brought out to aid in their operation. "Drop!" ck Wolf yelled. He stood at the very end of their V formation. His Death Eagle let go of the giant bottle it was holding. "Drop!" The other Death Eagles followed suit. Barrels of water fell down towards the Mamonas''s back. "Explode!" ck Wolf yelled. Whir! The Death Eagles unleashed fierce winds from their mouths. de Wind! The fierce winds cut through the barrels. Spurt! Clear water spilled from the barrels. It was Serena''s Water. Hiss! Upon contact, the Mamonas''s body shrunk and its body smoked. That wasn''t all. All of its abilities and strength had been reduced significantly. Guooh! The Mamonas unleashed another weighty cry. At the same time, the bumps on its back unleashed clumps of sand at them. Bam, bam, bam! It was like thebination of a shotgun and a submachine gun. It fired repeatedly, but it also had a huge radius. However, the Death Eagles were unequalled in the air. "Dodge!" The Death Eagles quickly flew through the air. They were like ck falling stars. ck feathers fell from their wings and swooshed through the air. "Next!" ck Wolf pulled out a scroll from his inventory. The rest of his squad did the same. Rip! He ripped the scroll, and a barrel appeared in its ce. It was obviously another barrel containing Serena''s Water. The Death Eagles unleashed another barrage of de Wind. And once again, Serena''s Water doused the Mamonas''s body. Hiss! The Mamonas''s body gradually diminished in size. Sometimeter... ck Wolf and his subordinates hadpleted their mission. They had doused the Mamonas''s body with their entire supply of Serena''s Water. The Mamonas, which was originally 500 meters long and 200 meters tall, had been reduced to 1/4 that size. Everything had gone ording to n. They had reduced an unbeatable monster to a level 600 raid boss. * * * "Everyone, charge!" Dukeram yelled. He charged, and was apanied by the Iron Horse Squad. Yellow Dragon, cier, Red King, and the Insect/Sand Mages began their attack. Once they began their full-scale assault, the Mamonas fiercely fought back. It would hide itself in the sand, and then suddenly pop out and attack. Or it would unleash a tsunami of sand that spread in every direction whenever it surged out of the ground. "Fight as one! It may be weaker than before, but it''s still a powerful monster. Don''t overextend yourself and go at it alone!" Moby Dick was a Guardian, and wielded a mace and a shield. His squad consisted of Guardians and Pdins! They were garbed in tough armor and wielded nigh unbreakable shields. They were their guild''s tanks. After all, they had the highest defense amongst the guild. The Moby Dick Squad stood side by side with their shields at the ready. Then, they released energy whichbined into one giant wall. The wall was capable of blocking both theing sand and the Mamonas''s charge! Then, the Brown Bear Squad and Giant Soldier Squad joined in. The rash Brown Bears charged in without looking back, and the Giant Soldiers rushed in with their sharp axes. The Yellow Dragon Squad and cier Squad attacked from the monster''s sides. Yellow Dragon was the Empire Guild''s most powerful squad. Each member was higher than level 400. In other words, they were all rankers. Their captain, Erik, was the second strongest member of the Empire Guild. Whir. He swung his de, which glowed with dim golden light. Great Spirit''s Aura! A powerful blue energy st struck the Mamonas''s side. Bam! The energy swirled around and then exploded. After that, his troops and the Sand Mages unleashed their skills/spells, which led to a repeated sequence of explosions. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Then... The Mamonas pierced through the dust cloud, suddenly turned around, and aimed for Erik and the Yellow Dragon Squad. Whir! Whir! A ton of energy was gathered in its mouth. "Not a chance!" Spirit Swordsman Erik unleashed his secret move. Spiritization! He had chosen a great wind spirit! His body swelled, and his body unleashed golden energy. Waves of yellow energy rose from his back. Erik''s de, which had matched his size, unleashed a whirlwind. Great Wind Spirit''s Fury! He swung his sword downwards. In an instant, the whirlwind, which had wrapped around his body, became muchrger. At that moment... Ray of Destruction! Boom! A pir of light shot out of the Mamonas''s mouth. Chapter 529. Whale Hunt (2)

Chapter 529. Whale Hunt (2)

Trantor: Boko Once the dust cloud settled, Erik reappeared. He was injured. However, he was in good shape considering the fact that he''d taken the Mamonas''s Ray of Destruction head-on. It was truly an amazing feat. While it was true that the Mamonas had been significantly weakened by Serena''s Water, it wasn''t an attack that could normally be blocked by a single yer. Erik managed to do the impossible. As expected of the Empire Guild''s second strongest! Then, Irene, who assaulted the beast from its left nk, took center stage. "Groups 1 through 3, attack it head-on! Groups 4 through 6, use long-range attacks! Insect Mages, summon artillery bugs!" She immediately took control of their troops. Irene was nicknamed Queen Bee. She was called that because her troops moved like a swarm of bees whenever shemanded them. The cier Squad moved in unison as if they were a singr entity. It was almost like they were engaged in siege warfare. A portion of her troops climbed onto the Mamonas, while the rest attacked it from afar. "Arise, Hellfire Bug!" Tiagon, as well as the rest of the Insect Mages, began summoning insects. Whir! A giant insect arose from the massive magic circle on the ground. It was about 5 meters tall. It had a thick body, and was encased in an exoskeleton. Compared to its chest or head, its stomach was by far thergest and roundest. They had summoned a total of ten of them. Ten Insect Mages worked together to summon one each. The Hellfire Bugs stuck their thick, long legs into the ground and turned around. Then, they pointed their abdomens at the Mamonas. They tightened their stomachs like a spring, and then released the pressure. Roar! A cone of dark red,va-like energy shot out and struck the Mamonas. Roar! Guooh! The Mamonas quickly sank into the sand, and then reappeared right under the cier Squad. At that moment... Men whose faces were shrouded by red bandanas popped out of the Insect Mages'' shadows, cradled them, and then quickly got them out of there. These were the Red King Squad''s elites. Most of the Red King Squad consisted of Assassins. They specialized in assassination, harassment, and gueri warfare, rather than straight up fights. They were also good at guarding others, as they had just shown. Thus, the Insect Mages were saved, even though the Hellfire Bugs were eaten by the Mamonas. Bam! Bam! The Mamonas went on a rampage, swinging its giant tail like an iron mace. "I want the first group to pierce through the front. The second group will fall back, and the third group...!" Irene keptmanding her troops. The cier Squad retreated in perfect order. Thus, they were able to minimize their losses at the Mamonas''s hands. Uwooh! The Mamonas let out a heavy cry, as if verbalizing its regret. Then... ck Wolf and his brigade of Tamers/Death Eagles began their aerial bombardment. The Death Eagles unleashed sharp de Winds from their mouths, while the ck Wolf Squad used long-ranged attacks. ck Wolf used a Tamer secret move. He opened his arms, and powerful sparks danced across his hands. Crackle! At the same time, blue beads of light gathered in the Death Eagle''s mouth. Whir! Combination Attack: Lightning Bomb! His lightning and the Death Eagle''s energy st mixed together, forming a gigantic bolt of lightning. Crackle! Crackle! Upon contact, the Lightning Bomb exploded. Guooh! The Mamonas quickly sank into the sand, and then surged into the air. It was trying to devour the Death Eagles. Jet-ck darkness shimmered within its gaping maw. "We can''t afford to lose the Death Eagles!" ck Wolf yelled urgently. The Death Eagles did their very best to spread out. Fortunately, none of them were eaten by the Mamonas''s attack. However, the Mamonas violently spun andnded on the floor! Hellfire Spin! Boom! When it touched the ground, a massive ''boom'' rang out, which resulted in a sand explosion. The Empire Guild''s troops were forced toy on the ground in order to withstand the fierce winds and burning grains of sand. Then... The Mamonas opened its mouth wide. Clean Up! It began to suck in everything once more. There wasn''t anything they could hold onto in the desert. "Uheok!" "D-Damn it!" Several members of the Empire Guild were sucked into its mouth. * * * A golden pir of light pierced through the dust cloud and sandstorm, and struck the Mamonas''s body. Bam! Shards of all sizes fell from its body like a cascading waterfall. Dukeramy beyond the st. He held the legendary de, Max Cain, in his hand. It was a sky blue de that was embedded with shimmering stars! There was a small amount of golden energy still surrounding the de. Sword that Brings Victory! It was a secret move. Dukeram then used another one in his arsenal. Swish, sh, swish, sh! Four cuts suddenly appeared on its body. Space-Time sh! It was a sh that vited thews of time and space. The attack allowed him to strike at an opponent from a distance, as well as adjust when it would hit by a factor of three seconds. "It''s our turn now." Taker and the Iron Horse Squad stepped forward. The Iron Horse Squad all rode on armored horses, and wielded weapons such as spears. Taker himself wielded a trident. He was also their guild''s foremost spear expert. He was called the Ghost Spear due to his skill. Taker''s body glowed with red light, indicative of a Spearman secret move. Charging Spear of Annihtion! This skill maximized one''s piercing power. He stretched out his spear, and red energy rose from it like a haze. "Follow the captain!" "A great charge!" "Let''s go!" The Iron Horse Squad followed his lead. They used their own skills, and the resulting energy made them resemble a giant spear. Rat-a-tat-tat! They charged, kicking up a dust cloud. Bam! The giant, sharp spear of energy pierced through the Mamonas''s body. Shards of red light endlessly spilled from the wound. In terms of prative power, the Iron Horse Squad had no equal. They truly did live up to their reputation. The Mamonas roared. At the same time, each of its eight eyes turned a different color. "This is the 2nd phase. Scatter!" Taker yelled. Taker had specifically chosen these men for this operation. They were the absolute best of the best. They reacted immediately, and spread out. Then... The Mamonas shot beams from its eyes, each possessing a different element. Fire, ice, earth, lightning, darkness, light, wind, and poison! What a spectacrser show. But that''s not all. Each beam had its own special ability. The darkness st would both blind and slow you, while the fire st would burn you. The ice beam would cause frostbite and freeze you, the earth beam would bind you, etc. Only the light beam had no particr ability attached to it. In exchange, its power was the greatest of the eight beams. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Long beams of light flew around the Mamonas. Moreover, the Mamonas continuously shot lumps of sand from its back. The sand didn''t do much damage. However, it was as sticky as glue. Once it touches skin, it won''te off easily. It was absolute chaos. Lumps of sand fell from the sky, beams swept through the battlefield, and a giant whale monster came rushing at them. It never closed its mouth either, as it was unable to sate its hunger. However, the Empire Guild hade prepared. If they got hit by the sand, then they''d just melt it with Serena''s Water. Each person had received about a half cup''s worth, and one or two drops was plenty. Thus, they had incurred almost no casualties from the clumps of sand. They also had a n for the beams. Moby Dick, Giant Soldier, and Brown Bear pulled out mirror shields from their inventory. A mysterious metal, which reflected magic, could be found within the Garlico Desert. It was called Atarium! The Arabas Kingdom''s cksmiths crafted these mirror shields out of this metal. Their effectiveness was undeniable. The Mamonas''s beams were unable to pierce through the shields, and bounced right off! Then, the Yellow Dragon and cier Squads pulled out the magic bombs they''d prepared beforehand. Magic bombs were the Tower''s hit item this year. Though they were far inferior to magic scrolls, which could contain great magic, they possessed power that surpassed most normal spells. Plenty of yers carried one or two of them around due to their utility. "Now!" They simultaneously threw the magic bombs through the hole the Iron Horse Squad had made. Boom! A ton of red shards fell from the Mamonas''s body. It was as if a huge fireworks festival was going on. The Mamonas fiercely swung its tail. However, the Empire Guild''s elites wouldn''t be defeated so easily. While the Empire Guild was fighting it off, the 100 Insect Magesbined their power to create a gigantic magic circle. Summon Giant Insect! The Giant Insect was considered the most dangerous organism within the desert! It popped out of the ground and ripped the Mamonas apart with its serrated teeth. It usually couldn''t be beaten in terms of size, but the situation was a little different today. If we were topare the Mamonas''s size to the Giant Insect, then the Giant Insect would be like a leech attached to a human body. The Sand Mages didn''t just sit there and twiddle their thumbs. Summon Sand Golem! They created a giant tsunami of sand. The sand transformed into a giant fist, which struck the Mamonas''s body. Whack! After that, the Empire Guild continued their assault. Erik, Ridgeley, ck Wolf, Taker, etc. The captains did most of the work. After using ''Sword that Brings Victory'', Dukeram hadn''t participated in the battle. Why, you ask? ''I have to raise morale before we try to conquer the continent.'' If Dukeram actively participated in the hunt, then it''d have been a lot easier. But by holding himself back, other people, like his captains, were allowed to shine. That raised the morale of both his captains and his subordinates. This would definitely y a huge role in the war of conquest in the future. At that moment... The atmosphere surrounding the Mamonas changed. ''It''s finally reached the 3rd phase. As expected...'' From here, they would be fighting it blind. They didn''t have any information on it. "This is the 3rd phase. You never know what might happen, so don''t let your guard down!" "Follow my orders to the letter!" "Whatever happens, don''t let go of your shields or your weapons!" "We have to make sure the Death Eagles survive. You got it!?" The captains yelled. At some point... Mamonas burrowed into the sand. The Giant Insect and the Sand Golem both went with it. A short whileter... "Ugh!" The Insect and Sand Mages staggered at the same time. It seems like both the Sand Golem and the Giant Insect had been eaten. If a summon was forcibly canceled, then the summoner would take damage. "It''sing!" a member of the Red King Squad yelled. Kuwang! It was as if a sand volcano had erupted from the ground. Mamonas leapt into the air. It was higher than it had ever been before. The beast''s body was sorge that it even concealed the sun itself. In an instant, the desert was covered by its giant shadow. Dukeram quickly wracked his brain. ''If we take into ount the Mamonas''srge body, how high it''s getting, the speed at which it falls, and the spinning move it used before, then... We can assume that this entire area will be destroyed.'' In other words, it would be akin to a meteor. ''It''s toote to run. If that''s the case, then...'' Dukeram used Switch, and pulled out a golden staff. It was called the ''Emperor''s Staff''. It was an item rted to Dukeram''s secondary ss. The unique ss, Desert Emperor! A unique ss could only be possessed by one person on the continent. Giant energy surged from Dukeram''s body. Summon Immortal Army! Immortal Guardian! Dukeram summoned sand troops equal to the number of Empire Guild members he''d brought with him. Then, the sand troops engulfed his guild members. To be more specific, his guild members were covered by indestructible sand, but to the outside view, it looked like they werepletely consumed by sand. Whoosh! The Mamonas fiercely spun as it plummeted to the ground. Catastrophic Disaster! Boom! An ear-piercing ''boom'' resounded throughout the battlefield. It was as if a giant, which wasrger than the earth itself, had grabbed a hold of it and shook it a few times. A tsunami of sand, more than 100 meters tall, spread outwards! This was apanied by a giant sandstorm that reached the heavens! It was like witnessing the end of the world. Chapter 530. Eight Masters

Chapter 530. Eight Masters

Trantor: Boko How much time had passed? A giant, yellow sand cloud covered the battlefield, and the Death Eagles soared through the air. ck Wolf''s face stiffened. "Mm." Once the Mamonas''s body fell, ck Wolf ordered his men to fly as high as possible. The Death Eagles were powerful flying monsters. Thus, they were able to navigate through the raging sand winds and escape the devastation. Of course, not all of them made it out. He didn''t see three of the Death Eagles or their riders. However, it was insignificant when he took into ount the scale of the Mamonas''s attack. The problem was... Unlike him, hispanions had no way of escaping the st radius. ''They didn''t all die, did they?'' They probably did. Surviving that seemed like an impossibility. ck Wolf cooled his head, and organized his thoughts. ''First, let''s focus on the Mamonas. It''d be difficult to defeat it with the troops I have on hand.'' He opened a message window and clicked on Jegal from his friends list. Jegal was on standby with Dalton and 10,000 troops from the Arabas Army. They were quite far away from the battlefield due to the Mamonas''s size. - Mr. Jegal. - What''s the matter? I felt an earthquake, and I saw a giant sand cloud in the air. - The Mamonas caused it. - How is the situation? - It looks like we lost all of our troops on the ground. The Mamonas is still alive, so we''ll need our reserve troops if we want to finish it off. - Understood. ck Wolf waited for their reserve troops. At that moment... A small portion of the Mamonas''s body could be seen amidst the dust cloud. ''As expected!'' It was still alive. "ck Wolf Squad, the Mamonas is still alive. It might attack us next, so fly up even higher." "Yes, sir!" However, the Mamonas didn''t attack them again. And the Mamonas wasn''t the only thing moving within the dust cloud. * * * ck Wolf rightfully assumed that their ground troops had perished at the hands of the Mamonas''s Catastrophic Disaster. It was a logical conclusion. After all, its attack was like a ck hole that devoured everything in sight. However, more people had survived than expected. Some people, like Dukeram or his captains, survived through sheer skill, while others were helped by theirpanions. Thetter included the Insect/Sand Mages. Sadry watched the sand fall from his body with respect. There were two reasons he had survived. First, Serena''s Water had significantly weakened the Mamonas. If it had been at full strength, then the st radius would''ve been far greater. Weakened as it was, most people weren''t able to survive the Mamonas''s Catastrophic Disaster. However...! Dukeram had performed a miracle. He had summoned sand soldiers, which shielded the ground troops with their own bodies. The sand soldiers, which covered them like armor, were akin to a bomb shelter, and doubled as an oxygen tank that allowed them to breathe underneath the sand. ''I won''t forget this debt.'' Sadry stared at Dukeram and deeply bowed his head. A short whileter... The surviving members pierced through the sand one or two at a time. s, Dukeram mostly remained an observer throughout the battle. He wanted his captains to be the star of the show, so he remained on the sidelines. His captains were skilled enough to finish the Mamonas off without his intervention. "We''re rebuilding our ranks. Yellow Dragon Squad,e over to me!" Erik, who assumed the form of the Great Wind Spirit, raised his sword into the air. Whoosh! Wind raged around his body, which began to blow away the sand cloud. The members of Yellow Dragon gathered at his side. "We''ll assess our lossester. We have to focus on killing the Mamonas for now!" Irene yelled. The remnants of the cier Squad gathered around her like bees seeking their queen. The other squads gathered around their respective captains. "Irene, Taker. The n remains the same. We''ll attack, while Moby Dick, Brown Bear, and Giant Soldier tank it," Erik yelled. "Ok!" "Got it." Moby Dick and Taker replied, while the rest of the captains acted. "Kuskal," Erik said. "I know what you''re going to say. We''ll attack it too." The Red King Squad was responsible for protecting their mages. At the moment, however, killing the Mamonas as soon as humanly possible was far more important than protecting them. Kuskal rushed at the beast, and his squad members, garbed in ck, followed him like a shadow. "Let''s go!" Erik and the Yellow Dragon Squad charged. Guoooh! The Mamonas popped out of the sand. Its body was lined with wounds. However, it''s said that a wounded tiger is more dangerous! It fired its eight eyesers, rained down lumps of sand onto the battlefield like hail, opened its mouth and sucked in everything in sight and/or fired beams, and burrowed into the sand, only to pop up from underneath its prey. However, the battle had already been decided. When its Catastrophic Disaster failed to reduce their numbers to a manageable level, it had lost. Moreover, their reserve troops of 10,000 strong had joined the battle. Not to mention they were the Arabas Kingdom''s elite troops led by their greatest general! The Mamonas, long since called an invincible being, a disaster, or the Ruler of the Golden Desert, died this day. And... [You have achieved a great feat that will remain in the annals of history.] At that moment, eight new Masters were born. * * * The Empire Guild had kept the Mamonas hunt a secret. Most of the rank and file members didn''t even know about it. They didn''t suspect a thing. After all, they assumed that the captains and their elites were just given separate missions. Mobilizing 10,000 troops had also been disguised as an expedition to wipe out thieves. The fact that 100 Sand/Insect Mages had gone to the Golden Desert had also been hidden from the masses. Even Breaker or Storm, who were watching them like a hawk, didn''t know about the Mamonas hunt. That''s how well Jegal covered his tracks. However, there was something that the Empire Guild couldn''t control: the ranking system! Eight Masters had been born simultaneously. Plus, they were all part of the Empire Guild, which possessed the most power and influence on the continent. The Numbers and the high rankers had changed significantly. [Ranking] 1: The One and Only God, Dukeram! 2: Predator Kang Oh! 3: Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim! 4: Spirit Swordsman, Erik! 5: Ghost Spear, Taker! 6: Genius Bart! 7: Beast King, ck Wolf! 8: Scheming Master, Jegal! 9: God Hand, Arthand! 10: ck Lion, Raon! 11: Blood Witch, Helena! 12: Spear King, Hernandez! 13: Whitebeard, Moby Dick! 14: Giant Tainos! 15: Leopard Squad Captain, Snow Flower! 16: Queen Bee, Irene! 17: Brown Bear, Ridgeley! 18: Red Rain, Kuskal! ... It was both frightening and shocking. Dukeram and Jegal had already been part of the Numbers before, but now Erik, Taker, and ck Wolf had joined their ranks. Half of the spots were upied by the Empire Guild. Moreover, their weaker members had be the top high rankers. Above all, Helena, Raon, and Hernandez had been ejected from the Numbers! This meant that the bnce of power among the four great guilds hadpletely shifted. The gamingworks, as well as the normal newsworks, broke the news. Arthtory''s chatting channels and message posts were going crazy right now. [I wonder what happened?] [A huge change in the rankings!] [Supreme Dignity, Empire!] [The One and Only God, and the one and only Empire!] [Hypothesis on what happened! (My opinion)] ... - This is crazy! - What happened? - What''s going on!? - Whoever''s part of the Empire Guild,e out! - I''m a member. I can''t disclose my ID or my affiliation though. But even I don''t know what''s going on. - That doesn''t make any sense. - It does. If someone like me knew, then you''d have all known about it by now. - That''s true. - The poor get poorer. - What happened? What exactly did the Empire Guild do!? - I don''t know! - Come out, Speed Wagon! -... - Didn''t Kang Oh''s rank skyrocket after he became a Master? The situation''s simr. However, the Empire Guild''s eight captains simultaneously rose within the ranks. That means they all be Masters. What''s the chance of that happening? Well, this is just a theory of mine and there''s no way of verifying it. We''ll have to listen to their official statement to find out for sure. - So when''s their official statement being aired? - Dunno. That''s up to them. - What are theworks doing!? - TGN and VG should try harder. They can''t lose to GBS again, like they did with the goddess''s quest footage. Theworks tried contacting their acquaintances in the Empire Guild via their phone or their character codes. However, they weren''t able to get a hold of them. The rank and file members didn''t know anything, and the higher ups weren''t willing to talk. "They''ll reveal what happened soon. Please wait until then." Thework''s employees were feeling anxious. "And how soon will that be?" "Aren''t we close? Can''t you give me a source at least?" "How much do you want?" Theworks tried to barter with the Empire Guild''s top brass, but they weren''t able to get anything out of them. Jegal had warned them that if the information leaks before they make their official statement, then they''d be sure to regret it. After that, the Empire Guild remained silent, even though people were getting more and more curious. * * * Arabas Kingdom''s Pce. Dukeram and Jegal met. "We''ve controlled the flow of information. I told theworks to wait for the time being," Jegal said. "Good work." "What about the captains?" "I told them to make a secret technique by the end of the week." When one bes a Master, they are able to create a secret technique that cannot be taught to others. The Empire Guild had just gained eight new Masters, so eight never-before-seen secret techniques will be born within the next week. "One week, huh..." Jegal stroked his chin. His mind started racing. "Once the captains return, we should establish the Empire, and begin our war of conquest," Jegal said. Their preparations were allplete. Now all they needed to do was carry out their ns. "In one week... Not bad." "We''re ready to fight at a moment''s notice. Our enemies, however, aren''t. I believe it best if we take advantage of this and dere war as soon as our captains return. If time passes... and it''s revealed that our captains have be Masters, then our enemies will join together." "Indeed. Then the date has been decided. In one week, on Friday the 13th." "It will be a bloody Friday." Jegal smiled wickedly. "It''ll probably be a national holiday once this is all over." Dukeram grinned. Then, he continued, as if he''d just remembered something, "Ah, that''s right. Do you have any more information on Grandmasters?" "We''re still investigating. What we''ve discovered is... that you need a god''s help to be a Grandmaster." "A god''s help?" "You can only be a Grandmaster by transcending humanity''s limitations. Only a god can lift these restrictions. We''re currently investigating how to get this help, as well as the relevant quests." "The way to get a god''s help..." Dukeram''s eyes gleamed. Then, he suddenly thought of something. "Like the quest that brought about the Great Change?" Jegal''s eyes widened. "You don''t think... Then Kang Oh?" "I''ll need to see for myself," Dukeram said. "But you can''t afford to mess with Kang Oh. It''s like stirring up a ho''s nest." Following the Dungeon Liberation Movement, the people had been on Kang Oh''s side. If they messed with him, then the public could turn against them. "That''s only true if the guild gets involved. I''ll act covertly. I have a good way of luring him out." "Which is?" Jegal tilted his head. "A soul dungeon," Dukeram replied curtly. "Ah, a Sacred Duel!" Jegal struck the palm of his hand with a fist. A smile appeared on Dukeram''s handsome face. ''I''ve finally gotten my hands on a worthy opponent.'' He was truly excited for his fight with Kang Oh. Chapter 531. Sacred Duel (1)

Chapter 531. Sacred Duel (1)

Trantor: Boko Once he was prepared for his uing fight with Kang Oh, Dukeram headed for Moss Cave. It was well-known that this soul dungeon was owned by Kang Oh. A few yers who''d sessfully defeated Teynos had fought Kang Oh in a Sacred Duel. Dukeram wore the Steel Heart Armor set, a hit item that level 200 yers wore like a uniform. His face was concealed by a helmet, and he held a sword crafted by the Steel Heart Guild. There were absolutely no signs that he was affiliated with the Empire Guild. No one knew that this man was actually Dukeram. However, it was quiet within the Moss Cave. In other words, there was almost no one here. It seemed like the people that were here were focused on collecting materials, rather than actually hunting. Dukeram''s lips curled upwards. ''I can take care of the guardian without any interruptions.'' Popr soul dungeons often made you wait in line for a chance to defeat the guardian. Plus, other yers could get in your way during the fight. There was a very low chance of that happening here. Tramp. Dukeram moved with measured steps. None of the monsters here could dare challenge him. His mere presence and dignity was too much for them to handle. Sometimeter... He passed the cave, which was filled withrge quantities of Luminous Moss, and found himself in front of a giantke. Dukeram ced the Luminous Moss into his mouth. It didn''t really taste like anything. [The Luminous Moss allows you to breathe underwater.] [Remaining Time: 10 minutes] Ssh. Once he entered the water, Kang Oh''s underwater guardians came out to greet him. He encountered a shark, a poisonous water snake, a mini kraken, etc. Dukeram softly swung his sword. Although the water slowed his sword down, it didn''t pose much of a problem. The underwater monsters were no match for him. ''That''s it.'' He saw a turtle idly swimming through the water. Dukeram fluttered his feet and followed the turtle. The turtle acted as apass that would allow the yer to navigate their way through theplicated, intertwined underwater caves and find Teyno''s Nest. Sometimeter... Dukeram finally reached Teyno''s Nest. [You have discovered Slowpoke Teynos.] A monster turtle stood before him. They engaged in battle immediately. However, Dukeram attacked it one-sidedly. ''It''s quite tough.'' He could feel how tough it was with every sword strike. Once he started dealing damage, however, Dukeram noticed that shards of light were falling from his body too. ''It reflects damage, huh.'' To be more specific, it dealt a certain percentage of the damage it took back onto its opponent. Moreover... "Eliminating the intruder." Teyno''s eyes glowed. Tsunami of Vengeance! All of a sudden, water surged from the ground, transforming into a giant tsunami that came rushing towards Dukeram. Then, Dukeram''s de radiated golden light. Sword that Brings Victory! Boom! The tsunami was cleaved in half, and the golden pir of light struck Teyno''s body. "Ugh," Teynos cried out. Dukeram''s secret move was just that powerful. Tap. Dukeram quickly rushed at Teynos and swung his sword. Swish, sh! Swish, sh! Dukeram continuously attacked the tiny wound that was inflicted by Sword that Brings Victory. He was incredibly precise. His strength and speed were equally as impressive. The wound widened more and more, and red shards of light fell from Teyno''s body. Of course, Reflecting Pain inflicted damage to Dukeram too. However, it wasn''t much of a problem. He was confident that he''d be able to defeat Teynos before his HP was depleted! However, something unexpected happened. Crack! Dukeram''s de broke into pieces. ''It broke too easily.'' It was a cheap sword anyway. There was no way it''d be able to withstand a Master''s might. Moreover, it had struck Teyno''s tough body over and over again. Dukeram dropped his severed de onto the ground. Then, he pulled out his favorite weapon. Switch Max Cain. It was part of the Max Series of swords, created by the legendary cksmith, Max himself! The beautiful sky blue sword with glittering stars had made its appearance. After that, there was nothing that could stop him. Even Teynos couldn''t contend with Dukeram''s attack power when wielding Max Cain. What was even more impressive was the fact that Dukeram didn''t use ''defense nullification'' or ''healing debuff'' abilities. He simply overpowered Teynos. "Give me the soul stone." Dukeram extended his hand. "...Fine." Teynos surrendered the soul stone, which was engraved with a turtle''s shell. [You have grabbed an owned soul stone.] [A Sacred Duel will now begin to determine the dungeon''s master.] [The victor can only be determined in a one-on-one fight. No one else can help you.] [Summoning Moss Cave''s master.] [10] [9] ... Dukeram removed his inconspicuous clothing, and equipped his normal equipment. Invincible Tarsonis Armor set! Violent Giant Agunta''s Belt! Honorable Valha''s Ne! The Eternal Ring, and the Split Second Ring! [2] [1] ''C''mon, Kang Oh!'' * * * Mt. Helver was the highest mountaintop in the Phamas Mountains, and was also considered Arth''s most dangerous region. The God of Creation had changed this area significantly. The Phamas Mountains were raised, making Mt. Helver even higher than before. Plus, the Galmadra, a new monster withrge mouths and feet, now spawned in this area. Perhaps it would be appropriate topare it to the Great Forest''s Kruger, but a more mountainous version of it. What differentiated it though was the fact that it traveled in packs. They were so brutal that even the Cyclops, which lived in solitude, traveled in groups of two or three following their appearance. Some lone Cyclops had already been killed by them. There were more dangerous locations now, and they of thend had also changed. The map he''d created previously was almostpletely useless now. The climate had be more unforgiving too. Lightning struck Mt. Helvert, and the frequency at which this lightning came had increased. However, the lightning, the changed topography, the group of Galmadras or Cyclops couldn''t stop Kang Oh. ''As expected.'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. He hade here for two reasons. First, to look for new dungeons. Most of the dungeons had already been found, except for the ones in the most dangerous locations like the Great Forest''s Central Region or Mt. Helver. Thus, there was a high chance that there were dungeons in these ces. He was proven right. Kang Oh discovered a new dungeon mid-mountain, which resembled ancient ruins. [You have discovered the dungeon, Lava Demon Eurasis''s Ruins.] [You are the first to discover it.] [Fame has increased.] [Hunting within Eurasis''s Ruins yields twice the experience. Item drop rate is also doubled.] Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction. ''Two times the experience, and a higher chance for drops!'' The difficulty level of a dungeon in Mt. Helver would be high too. Chirp! Rudy, who sat within Kang Oh''s buxom, popped its head out. "Wait just a little bit longer. Daddy will feed you some tasty mester." There was another reason Kang Oh hade here. The Great Temple of Lava was located at the top of the mountain. It was basically a buffet for Rudy, who grew by eating mes! Chirp! Rudy pped its tiny wings in delight. "First, let''s go inside the dungeon." Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! ''Ok, dad.'' However... He received an unexpected system message. [The soul stone has been stolen from Moss Cave''s guardian, Teynos.] [You have not chosen a proxy.] [Would you like to represent yourself in the Sacred Duel?] [If you refuse, or are defeated in the Sacred Duel, then you will lose ownership of the Moss Cave.] [10] [9] ... "I''ll fight in the Sacred Duel myself," Kang Oh yelled confidently. Whir. Bright light softly wrapped around his body. A short whileter.. Kang Oh walked out of the pir of light that surged from Teyno''s Nest. Then, Kang Oh''s eyes widened. Dukeram was thest person he was expecting. "...Dukeram." "Kang Oh." Dukeram, better known as the One and Only God, or Emperor, smiled. * * * A ring of light appeared on the floor. If someone else were with Dukeram, then they would have been pushed out of the circle. [The Sacred Duel has begun.] [If your opponent''s HP reaches 0 or they surrender, then you win.] [You have one hour toplete the fight. If you cannot defeat the dungeon''s master within 1 hour, then the duel will end in your defeat.] [All skill, spell, and item effect cooldowns have been reset. They are only reset during the Sacred Duel. They will go back on cooldown once the Sacred Duel ends.] "You''re not here for the dungeon, are you?" Kang Oh asked. Dukeram giggled. "This dungeon is nothing more than a neighborhood mom-and-pop storepared to the kingdom." Once he''d gained control of the three eastern kingdoms, Dukeram had lost all interest in soul dungeons. "So you''re here for me..." "Yes. I wanted to talk to you." "For?" "Mm. First, I''d like to offer you a ce in my guild. Would you like to join the Empire Guild?" Dukeram''s goal was to assess Kang Oh''s strength. If he had truly broken his limitations and was on his path to bing a Grandmaster, then he needed to assess him before he could create any countermeasures. Honestly though, him joining them was the best possible scenario. They would get rid of an obstacle in their way, and gain a huge amount of power. "You can have the vice-captain spot, a high position in the kingdom, and however much you want as a down payment." "I''ll think about it if you''re willing to hand over your spot," Kang Oh said. ''Give me your spot!'' It was pretty much a t out refusal. "As I thought." Kang Oh wasn''t the type of person that could work under others. "I heard you became a Master. Let''s fight for real." Dukeram was feeling reallypetitive. ''Let''s see who''s stronger!'' That was what Kang Oh was hoping for. In the past, Kang Oh had fought against Dukeram in the desert. He had lost. Kang Oh had never forgotten that painful loss. It was time to rece that painful memory with the sweet taste of victory. "Things won''t go likest time." Kang Oh''s eyes lit up. "We''ll see." Dukeram pointed Max Cain at Kang Oh, sporting a serious expression. Kang Oh quickly used Switch, and pulled out both Blood and Sarahoff. The once rxed vibe suddenly became tense. At that moment... Chirp! Rudy popped out of Kang Oh''s buxom and flew away. It was smart enough to know that it''d just get in the way. And...! Rudy''s pping wings were the signal that started the battle. Kang Oh and Dukeram moved simultaneously. They were way too fast. Dukeram started the battle off with a secret move. Space-Time sh! A sh which distorted thews of space and time came flying at Kang Oh''s back. Kang Oh predicted the attack via his Hyper Intuition, and blocked it with Blood. ng! Blood rang out with a shrill ''ng''. Vital Thrust! Then, Dukeram swung his sword like a streak of lightning. sh! Kang Oh swung Sarahoff downwards. ng! The two des shed. After that, their des met again and again. ng, ng, ng, ng! Dukeram furrowed his brow. ''He really has changed.'' Kang Oh followed suit. ''As expected of Dukeram!'' Rudy was the only one watching them. The battle between two men aiming for the top had begun. Chapter 532. Sacred Duel (2)

Chapter 532. Sacred Duel (2)

Trantor: Boko All bark and no bite. Kang Oh and Dukeram''s fight would make one think of this phrase. These men were ranked 1st and 2nd! However, their fight was neither showy nor intense. On the contrary, other yers might find this fight dull and boring. The two swung their swords, blocked/avoided each other''s strikes, and then repeated this sequence over and over again. They only used basic skills against each other too; skills like sh, Steel sh, Vital Thrust, etc. Most yers wouldn''t be able to understand the intricacies of their fight. The two engaged in psychological warfare, adding in feints by deliberately leaving themselves open, looking somece else, or using slight movements to indicate a certain action. Their des would suddenly stop, and be swung a different way. They would also adjust the strength/speed of their blows in order to break through their opponent''s guard! They even fought each other for the slightest of advantages, such as picking a more advantageous position! It was a battle to determine who was the better swordsman! If either of them read their opponent wrong, then a fatal blow would be awaiting them! That''s also why they only used basic techniques. Although basic skills were weak, their movements were tight, so they didn''t expose a yer to attack. There was no clear victor yet. They were still both feeling each other out! And till now, they were dead even. Kang Oh swung his twin demon swords with grace and precision. Dukeram smoothly swung his glittering, sky blue de. ng! ng! ng! The three des locked together, releasing a heavy ''ng''. It appeared as though Kang Oh and Dukeram were softly swinging their swords. However, the power behind their blows was by no means weak. Thus, a heavy sound would reverberate throughout the room whenever their des met. These heavy blows never made contact. Neither side couldnd a fatal blow, never mind even graze their opponent. Both sides didn''t think much of it. This much was to be expected. Then, Dukeram''s lips slightly curled upwards. ''He''s like apletely different person.'' Dukeram had fought Kang Oh in the past. At the time, Kang Oh had been weaker than him. He couldn''t fight as well, his equipment was inferior, and his level was lower. He was weaker in every aspect! Moreover, Kang Oh used to have a clear weakness. It was a weakness that he shared with every dual wielder. Dukeram exploited this weakness, making him invincible against dual wielders. What was it? Dual wielders had a tendency to always alternate between their des. When they switch from one de to the next, they often leave themselves open. Striking at that precise moment will leave you with an advantage. Kang Oh had done so in the past. Of course, Kang Oh''s skill far exceeded that of a normal yer''s, but he still possessed that fundamental weakness that all dual wielders shared. However, he waspletely different now. It was as if he were battling against two swordsmen fighting inplete harmony. He didn''t see a single weakness that he could exploit when Kang Oh was alternating between his two des. Moreover... ''He even deliberately leaves himself open while he''s alternating between his swords.'' They weren''t unconvincing either. Kang Oh had crossed his swords, which left himself open, and Dukeram had unknowingly fallen for the trap. Of course, Dukeram had realized that it was a trap when Kang Oh''s de came flying at his neck. ''He''s truly amazing.'' Dukeram''s eyes gleamed. It was like his heart was beating out of his chest. How long has it been since he''s felt this tension and excitement during a fight? ''As expected of Kang Oh.'' In his Warlord days, Kang Oh had reigned supreme as number one! It was as if he had gone back to those days. No, he was even stronger now than he was back then. ''Good, good!'' Dukeram began to swing his sword with even greater ferocity. It was as if a fierce tiger was finally revealing its hidden ws. * * * He lives up to his reputation. Kang Oh understood why Dukeram had remained rank 1 all this time. ''Strong'' didn''t even cut it when describing him. His strength was perfect. However, Kang Oh could see Dukeram''s limitations too. ''No, he''s definitely not perfect.'' Kang Oh had broken his limitations, and had received tutge from the continent''s greatest swordsmen like Sven or Vn. Plus, he had repeatedly sparred against the Invincible diator, Burkan, and had corrected any mistakes that he found. On the other hand, Dukeram was still limited; he was under the illusion that he was perfect. Unlike Kang Oh, he hadn''t had anyone that could show him the error of his ways. Plus, Dukeram''s swordsmanship was incredibly formic. His style heavily relied on his fundamental abilities, which made him like an imprable fortress! It was the ideal style for most swordsmen. However, that was exactly why it was so inflexible and limited. As proof of this... Kang Oh swung Sarahoff, but let go of it mid swing. Dukeram widened his eyes in shock. ''You let go of your sword!?'' Dukeram couldn''t even fathom doing that during battle. Sarahoff spun through the air at a strange angle. He hadn''t used Weapon Bombardment. He simply let it go naturally. The sword returned to him and came flying at Dukeram''s back. Dukeram blocked Sarahoff with Max Cain. ng! However, he was a bit toote. Transcendent de! Demon Sword Blood, which emitted a mysterious, yet ominous light, shot out like aser and shed through the air. Swoosh! He thrust his snow-white de at Dukeram''s body. Dukeram hadn''t been able to react in time. However, he heard an unexpected sound. ng! Blood bounced off of Dukeram''s armor. Moreover, not a single shard of light fell from his body. It was due to his armor. Invincible Tarsonis! It was an SS-rank armor set, which had an ability called ''Absolute Defense''. This ability had a fixed chance ofpletely nullifying the damage taken from an attack. Plus, the first attack he took would always be blocked by the effects of Absolute Defense. That''s why Kang Oh''s attack failed. Dukeram immediately counterattacked. One of Dukeram''s specialties was using the Tarsonis Armor to block an attack, and then unleash a powerful counter. Max Cain activated its item effect. Supersonic sh! Whenever you attacked with Max Cain, it would slowly charge up. When it was fully charged, it could unleash an attack called Supersonic sh. Whoosh! Supersonic sh truly did live up to its name; it flew towards Kang Oh at supersonic speed. However...! Kang Oh reacted extremely quickly. Once he felt his Hyper Intuition''s warning, he protected himself with Sarahoff. Plus...! Sword Parry! Screech! He nted Sarahoff, and a sharp ''screech'' rang out as Max Cain''s sky blue de slid off his sword. ''Holy shit!'' It wasn''t enough that he blocked Supersonic sh, but he had also used Sword Parry as well! Dukeram couldn''t believe what had just happened. Kang Oh grinned. While sparring with Burkan, he had often been on the receiving end of many of his Transcendent des. Thus, he gained the ability to counter any ridiculously fast attack. In any case, Dukeram wobbled on his feet, and left a huge opening on his right side. Even without his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh could tell that this was a perfect time to attack. Blood Emperor! His snow-white de, which was coated in blood red energy, was swung diagonally. Then, an Emperor''s Strike was unleashed. A violent wave came rushing at Dukeram. It was like he was being attacked by a swarm of red ants. The glimmering red energy greedily devoured the shards of light. Bam! Dukeram rolled onto the floor. However, he stood up faster than he expected. Moreover, a lump of brown sand fell from the area he''d just been hit. Dukeram had protected himself with an ability from his secondary ss, Desert Emperor. Through it, he was able to minimize the damage he took. However, he had taken a huge hit to his pride. He hadn''t nned on using his Desert Emperor abilities. After all, this wasn''t thest time he''d fight Kang Oh. When they began their war of conquest, he would probably fight Kang Oh again. His ''Desert Emperor'' ss was a trump card for his fight with Kang Oh. He wasn''t supposed to reveal it already. But the moment Kang Oh''s Blood Emperor hit him, he realized that he would take way too much damage, so he had btedly summoned the immortal sand to protect him. ''Damn it.'' It couldn''t be helped. He had shown his hand. This was a clear indication that he was weaker than Kang Oh. Then, he locked eyes with Kang Oh. Kang Oh was arrogantly looking down on him. ''How dare you!?'' Grr. Dukeram gritted his teeth. From Arth''s inception, Dukeram had never looked up to anyone. There had never been anyone who looked down on him either. However, he had met an opponent that had made him experience both. Feelings of inferiority, anger, jealousy, etc. welled within him. These negative feelings mixed together like y and rolled through his body. ''I can''t ept this!'' Dukeram fiercely swung his sword. Sword that Brings Victory! A giant pir of light rose from Max Cain. It was aplete mistake. A mistake made by the man described as ''perfect'' by Jegal. Using such arge-scale skill right now was definitely the wrong move. ''This is my chance!'' Red Demon''s Dance! Kang Oh left behind an afterimage whenever he moved. Swoosh! He just barely dodged the golden energy. Kang Oh was so close that he could hear the power that it contained. However, he hadn''t been hit, so whatever sound it made didn''t matter. Kang Oh quickly closed the distance. He didn''t need a big move. He needed a small, quick, and unblockable move. If it had the power to back it up, even better. Mad Wind''s Sword! His dual demon swords danced through the air. Swoosh! Raging winds followed his swords. Swish, sh, swish, sh, swish! Sword scars lined Dukeram''s body. Red shards of light continuously spilled out. Kang Oh''s second and fifth attacks were nullified by Dukeram''s armor, but it didn''t matter. Dukeram was a yer, not a boss with a ton of HP; not to mention the fact that he was a Swordsman/Desert Emperor, both of which didn''t specialize in defense. He instantly lowered Dukeram''s HP to below half, regardless of how amazing Dukeram''s armor was. Dukeram wasn''t the only one with the finest equipment around. "Grr!" He couldn''t just sit there and take it. Dukeram''s eyes glowed, and powerful energy rose from his body like a haze. Enlightened One! This secret move increased the power and speed of any swordsman-rted action, and also increased the swordsman''s stats, HP, MP, and the rest of their abilities as well. Immortal Guardian! This was a defensive technique usable by a Desert Emperor. Immortal sand stuck to Dukeram''s feet, and spread across his body. Valha''s Wings! Dukeram''s ne glowed, and he unfurled beautiful wings from his back. This ability would double his abilities for 10 minutes! Space-Time sh! Finally, he unleashed a sh that distorted thews of both space and time. By using all of his abilities, Dukeram had instantly be far stronger than Kang Oh. Bam, bam, bam! Max Cain''s murderous energy sliced through Kang Oh. Red shards of light burst from his body. Kang Oh was forced onto the defensive, and focused on blocking Dukeram''s strikes with his twin demon swords. ''Die, die, die!'' Dukeram pushed him back, his eyes reflecting his murderous intent. However, true strength was reflected in an individual who kept his head cool, even when his heart was as hot asva. Dukeram was usually the personification of this ideal. But right now, he was theplete opposite. This was the first time he''d experienced this feeling of inferiority, loss, and above all, anger. He couldn''t focus on anything else but these emotions. Thus...! Kang Oh left himself open. Dukeram immediately aimed for his weak point. He hadpletely fallen for Kang Oh''s trap. ''Die!'' An attack, reflecting all of his pent up emotions, came flying at Kang Oh. Kang Oh twisted his body to the side, and avoided Dukeram''s attack by a hair''s breadth. What if Dukeram had been a little calmer? His de would''ve been sharper, and Kang Oh wouldn''t have been able to dodge his attack. However, Max Cain simply grazed Kang Oh''s body. Dukeram exposed his neck. It didn''t matter if the Tarsonis Armor was protecting him or not. Ring of Frost! A cold wave rippled outwards. It had even frozen a level 600 boss monster, the Serpentra Queen, before. There was no way Dukeram could resist its effects. His handsome face and robust body turned into a frozen statue. Of course, he had high elemental resistance, so he would break out of it in no time. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t just sit back and let him recover. He raised Sarahoff into the air and forcefully swung downwards. Crack! The ice statue broke into pieces. Chapter 533. Stain

Chapter 533. Stain

Trantor: Boko Chirp! Rudy forcefully chirped from the corner of the room. ''My dad won!'' Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Rudy pped its tiny wings. However, its celebration was premature. The shards of light, which had escaped from the ice fragments, fused together into a human-like shape. It was Dukeram. This was another of the Tarsonis Armor''s special abilities; one that he''d used when he was at the brink of death. Full Restore! It fully restored his HP, MP, and Stamina, and also cured him of all injuries or status ailments. ''As expected. I knew you wouldn''t die that easily.'' Kang Oh immediately rushed at Dukeram and attacked him. It was the perfect opportunity while he was still out of it. However... Swoosh! A sharp thrust came flying at him. Kang Oh wasn''t able to turn his head in time, and a deep wound formed in his forehead, causing huge shards of red light to fall. "Mm." Kang Oh''s body staggered. He hadn''t been expecting that. Dukeram, who''d returned to his original form, had gotten a hit in with a technique he had never seen before. Kang Oh touched his forehead and stared at Dukeram. An injured beast. It didn''t seem prudent to attack him right now, so Kang Oh stood his ground. "You had... another secret move up your sleeve?" That thrust... It far surpassed the speed of anything that could be aplished with a normal skill. He could see the skill effect coating Max Cain''s de too. Indeed. It seemed like he did have another secret move up his sleeve. He wouldn''t be surprised if Dukeram had a few more that he was hiding. "Hoo." Dukeram sighed. It was as if he were ridding himself of his anger. Then, he softly said, "...Steel Rain." "Steel Rain, huh..." That must be the name of the secret move. "Is it a series of thrusts?" Kang Oh asked. "I''m only telling you the name. It''s payment for showing you something so unsightly," Dukeram said firmly. "It has ''rain'' in the name, so I''m probably right. Telling me that is enough." Kang Oh grinned. He sure was quick. Then, Dukeram asked, "I''d like to ask you something in return. The goddess''s quest... Does it have anything to do with bing a Grandmaster?" Kang Oh widened his eyes. He hadn''t been expecting that at all. ''He knows about Grandmasters? How much does he know?'' Was he in the middle of a quest that''ll allow him to be a Grandmaster? No, why exactly was he asking him that? "..." Kang Oh had so much to think about that he couldn''t answer him. "Understood," Dukeram said. "What?" he instinctively asked. "I have my answer." It was clear why Kang Oh couldn''t answer him right away. The goddess''s quest was connected to bing a Grandmaster, and he didn''t want to give that information away. ''Well, I guess it wasn''t apletely fruitless endeavor.'' He hade here to see if Kang Oh hadpleted the goddess''s quest, and gained the ability to be a Grandmaster. Thus, Dukeram had fulfilled his objective. ''He did seem way too strong.'' There were ranks among Masters too. At the beginning, he assumed that he was a higher rank Master than Kang Oh. However, Kang Oh was on apletely different level. ''While I was swimming in a small river, he was already in the sea.'' There was no point in fighting him anymore. If they kept fighting, then he would have to reveal all of his trump cards. Even then, he didn''t have much of a chance at beating Kang Oh. ''Especially when I have to fight him one-on-one!'' Kang Oh was pursuing the path of a Grandmaster, while Dukeram strived to be a Dual Master. However, his second ss, Desert Emperor, wasn''t good at one-on-one fights. He could only make full use of it during arge-scale battle. ''I''ll see you on the battlefield. It''ll be a lot different next time.'' Dukeram stared at Kang Oh once more, and then epted his defeat. However, it was a lot harder to say it than he''d expected. It was the first time he''d said it ever since he was born. "I surr..." Ultimately, Dukeram wasn''t able to say the words and hesitated. Kang Oh knew what he was trying to say. "Hey, where do you think you''re going!?" Kang Oh threw Sarahoff and Blood at him. Weapon Bombardment! However, Dukeram managed to say the line. "...ender." Dukeram''s body was engulfed in a pir of light. Bam, bam! Blood and Sarahoff had arrived a second toote, and the system protected Dukeram from taking any damage. [The challenger has surrendered.] [The Sacred Duel has ended.] [You have retained ownership of the soul dungeon.] [You can return to yourst known location. Would you like to proceed?] Swoosh. Dukeram''s formpletely disappeared. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. He regretted the fact that he couldn''t finish Dukeram off, and that he''d given him info on how to be a Grandmaster. There would be nothing more annoying than if the Empire Guild decided to get in his way. ''Haa, I have to be a Grandmaster ASAP.'' What if he was as strong as Vn? Then he would go to the Arabas Kingdom immediately andpletely annihte the Empire Guild. An individual that surpassed the power of an organization. An invincible individual. That was what a Grandmaster signified to Kang Oh. "Rudy,e over here." Kang Oh extended his hand. Chirp! A yellow chick flew onto Kang Oh''s hand. "I''m going back to where I was." A pir of light surged from beneath his feet. Thendscape changed, and he was back in Mt. Helvert. * * * After he lost to Kang Oh, Dukeram immediately checked the ranking board. 1. Dukeram. 2. Kang Oh. There was no change. ''Looks like it''s not such arge difference that one loss will make me switch ces with him.'' Dukeram possessed the three eastern kingdoms. That power was still far greater than Kang Oh''s. ''I might''ve lost, but the Empire knows no defeat.'' Besides, he was the one who would be the Empire''s Emperor. Dukeram walked over to Jegal''s office. "Wee," Jegal said. "The goddess''s quest was a Grandmaster quest." "Is that so?" Jegal furrowed his brow. That wasn''t good news. "How was Kang Oh?" "He was strong. He was the strongest Master... that I''ve ever seen. And he''ll only be stronger from here on out. After all, the path to bing a Grandmaster is open to him. I can''t even imagine how much stronger he''ll be." The Empire Guild''s Masters were split among four categories: beginner, intermediate, high-rank, and elite. This ''elite'' tier only included a few people on the continent. It was reserved for people like Dukeram or Burkan. On the other hand, those in the ''beginner'' tier were only Master in name. They were those who rested on theirurels after bing a Master; what''s worse, some of them even became weaker. Vn called these people ''Fake Masters''. The Empire Guild''s captains were considered Intermediate Masters. They were skilled enough to defeat Beginner Masters before they ascended. But now that they had be Masters, they were considered strong enough to be Intermediate Masters. High-Rank Masters were individuals like General Dalton, God Spear Kantos, and Spirit Swordsman Erik. Kang Oh had previously been ced in this spot. After all, he had a firm hold of 2nd ce, despite hisck of backers. "Mm." Jegal''s expression turned dour. However, it wasn''t because of Kang Oh; it was due to Dukeram. ''He lost.'' Dukeram wasn''t the type of person to tell you things himself. If he had beaten Kang Oh, then he wouldn''t have said so. You would have to ask him to find out. However, he wouldn''t have such a high view of Kang Oh if he had won. Because he was his right-hand man, Jegal could see right through him. Kang Oh had definitely won their duel. It was shocking. He couldn''t even imagine someone as perfect as Dukeram losing to someone else. And a stain on the reputation of he who would be emperor of the continent couldn''t be allowed. Jegal decided to erase Kang Oh from the face of the earth no matter what. "The elite tier. Not only that, but he has limitless growth... We''ll have to prepare countermeasures for him." He nned on using all of their resources to take him down, even if it meant dying the conquest of the continent. Dukeram shook his head. "That''s not a good idea." "Then?" "We''ll proceed as nned. Once we conquer the entire continent, even Kang Oh won''t be a problem." "However..." Jegal hesitated. He wanted Dukeram to remain as a perfect individual. Thus, he wanted to get rid of Kang Oh as soon as possible. He even had the power to do so. "I lost to Kang Oh in the Sacred Duel," Dukeram suddenly said. "Excuse me?" It was like he''d been struck by lightning. Jegal wasn''t sure if he was hearing things right. "A Sacred Duel favors Kang Oh more than a Dual Master like me. However, I will win on the battlefield. I will not... lose again," Dukeram proimed. He was no longer the One and Only God. Gods were neither defeated, nor did they have anypetition. However, this failure would make Dukeram an even greater emperor. After all, failure made one better. "Understood." Jegal bowed his head. "We''ll begin our war of conquest on Friday the 13th. Make sure there aren''t any issues." "Yes, sir!" "Oh, and one more thing." "Go ahead." "Please keep looking for Grandmaster quests." "Excuse me?" "Kang Oh isn''t a Grandmaster yet. And if we conquer the continent, he will never be one. Then... I will be the first Grandmaster." Dukeram smiled brightly. The world only remembered first ce. They wouldn''t remember Kang Oh if he didn''t be a Grandmaster first. They would conquer the continent and destroy Kang Oh. ''I''ll make it so.'' That would be his response to his defeat at Kang Oh''s hands. He paid back twice what was owed. Dukeram was the one who''d created that motto in the first ce. * * * Before he fought Dukeram, Kang Oh had been searching for a new dungeon. Lava Demon Eurasis''s Ruins! This dungeon was located in Mt. Helvert, the continent''s most dangerous area, and had formed as a result of the Great Change! The ruins'' entrance was rectangr. It was made up of cube-shaped rocksyered atop each other like brick. Amongst them, there was one particr brick embedded with a crystal. Kang Oh forcefully pushed it in. Rumble! Once he pushed the crystal in, the door opened from both sides. [Entering the Lava Demon Eurasis''s Ruins.] Kang Oh took a step forward, and darkness consumed him. Chirp! Even Rudy''s cries were masked by the darkness. A short whileter... Kang Oh walked out of the darkness. There was a crystal the size of a watermelon embedded in the ceiling. The crystal illuminated his surroundings, so he could see where he was now. He was in the middle of a passageway filled with murals. Kang Oh inspected the murals. It was about a specific individual. The individual had horns on their heads, and wore hot rocks around their body like armor. Lava spilled from the openings between the rocks. There were also individuals who fought against them. ''Dwarves?'' Dwarves were drawn on the murals. There weren''t a lot of races that had such thick, short arms and legs. Then... Thud. Thud. Thud. Thud. It had wide shoulders, long arms, but short legs like a giant gori. Its eye resembled a cat''s eyes; it was as if they were made out of cut topaz. It also had menacing horns at the top of its head. It was as if it hade straight out of the mural. This was the first time he''d ever seen a monster like this. Kang Oh drew Sarahoff and Ubist, and prepared for battle. However...! "Move!" All of a sudden, a hidden passageway appeared along the wall, and dwarves popped out. Then, they began to fight the monster. "What the hell is going on?" What a strange dungeon. Chapter 534. Lava Demon Eurasis’s Ruins

Chapter 534. Lava Demon Eurasis''s Ruins

Trantor: Boko Twenty dwarves had suddenly appeared. They held a shield in one hand, and a giant hammer in the other. "Hey, you over there!" "Concentrate, will you!?" The dwarves surrounded the giant monster, and bombarded it with attacks. Their weapons, which were encased in powerful auras, shattered the monster''s tough armor. The monster didn''t just sit there and take it. It spewed dark redva from its mouth, and shot beams from its topaz-like eyes. Whenever it swung its huge fists, a weighty ''whoosh'' could be heard. If it struck the ground, then the ground would shake. Kang Oh scratched his cheek. "What the hell is going on?" Had it heard him muttering? The system suddenly gave him a quest. [The Struggle for the Ruins] These ruins are the Lava Tribe''s home. However, the Red w Dwarves have their eyes set on these ruins. They are under the control of the ck Nightmare, Inarius. The Red w Dwarves seek the giant heap of rcon Ore, which lies in the innermost point of the ruins. The tribe hopes to present this ore to Inarius in exchange for their freedom. rcon Ore is left behind by deceased members of the Lava Tribe. rcon is regarded as their ancestor andpanions'' most precious keepsake and gift. You may choose a side and help them. If you choose the Lava Tribe, then you must find and kill the Red w''s expedition leader that lies somewhere in the dungeon, and destroy the teleportation crystal. If you choose the dwarves, then you must kill Eurasis, and obtain the rcon Ore. You will be able to trade with either the Lava Tribe or the Red w Dwarves depending on your decision. You will also be rewarded by the faction you choose. Difficulty: Hard. Minimum Requirements: Enter the Lava Demon Eurasis''s Ruins. Failure: None. [Would you like to ept this quest?] ''It''s a faction quest.'' In other words, it allowed the yer to choose a side, and then fight the opposing faction. The quest''s rewards would differ depending on which side was chosen, so the yer would have to choose wisely. However, Kang Oh didn''t really have to think too hard about it this time. ''The ck Nightmare, Inarius.'' It was the name of the ''lizard'' that Kang Oh would have to kill someday. Inarius was the mortal enemy of the dwarves! In spite of that, the Red w Dwarves were working for it. It seemed like the dwarves sought to steal the Lava Tribe''s treasure and present it to Inarius in exchange for their freedom. ''So if I help them, then I''ll be giving Inarius all of that treasure.'' He couldn''t let that happen! "I choose the Lava Tribe." Kang Oh chose immediately. [You have chosen the Lava Tribe.] [The quest has changed to ''Drive Out the Red w Dwarves''.] [Defeat the dwarves in front of you.] "Ok." Now that he thought it, he had already pulled out Ubist and Sarahoff when he saw the giant monster. Although he didn''t need to put them back, his target did change. "Haahp!" Kang Oh cried out, and simultaneously threw his demon swords. Weapon Bombardment! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! His jet-ck greatsword and purple longsword spun through the air, and struck the backs of two different dwarves. Boom! Boom! Upon contact, the power within the weapons was released, resounding with a giant ''boom''. "Who was it!?" "Who are you!?" "Don''t get in our way!" The dwarves stared at Kang Oh and yelled. "Me? I''m your new nightmare." Kang Oh acted like that line wasn''t corny. He had gotten the idea from Inarius. ''I''ll be an even scarier nightmare!'' or something like that. "What are you talking about!?" "Take care of him!" There were twenty dwarves in total. Five of them charged at Kang Oh. The ck Hammer Dwarves had undergone horrific live experimentation! The Red w Dwarves were the beneficiaries of their experiments. First, they received an ogre''s strength! The Red w Dwarves possessed an ogre''s muscles, which gave them strength that far surpassed any normal dwarf''s. Second, they possessed a Rikao Snake''s skin! They were covered in snakeskin, which was not only tough, light, and soft, but also extremely resistant to fire. Third, they received a Covantus''s blood. The blood of a Covantus, or a rhinoceros that lived in the north, flowed through their veins. This blood had incredible regenerative properties. They were also given other modifications, such as a Falcao''s eyes, a Ruma Rabbit''s hearing, etc. A Falcao was considered the fiercest hawk in existence. In summary, the Red w Dwarves'' entire bodies were modified! All they had left was their physical appearance and their skill with their hands. Inarius considered these dwarves a sess, while it considered the ck Hammer Dwarves a failure. They were obviously strong; they far exceeded a typical dwarf in every single way! Whoosh! The frontmost dwarf swung its hammer downwards. It was fast, and it let out a threatening ''whoosh''. Kang Oh quickly backed off. Bam! The hammer hit the ground, leaving behind a huge crater and a thin crack. What incredible power! But then, the dwarf withdrew its hammer, positioned its shield in front of it, and charged. It moved and responded quickly. Kang Oh kicked off the floor and flew over the dwarf''s head. Then, two other dwarves rushed at him. They aimed for his upper and lower body respectively. Whoosh! Whoosh! His Hyper Intuition warned him of danger; it was to the extent that he felt cold all over. That''s how powerful their attacks were. However...! Swish! Swish! Swish! His demon swords flew from the sides, and struck the dwarves. Bam! Bam! The dwarves fell to the ground, and Kang Oh retrieved his twin demon swords. Kang Oh''s previous opponent turned around and aimed for his back. But Kang Oh had eyes on the back of his head, his Hyper Intuition! He timed it just right, and moved to the side. Whoosh! The heavy hammer grazed him. Kang Oh could see a weak point. Swish! Kang Oh swung Demon Sword Ubist at its neck. However, he didn''t like what he was feeling. It felt as though his sword was stuck in thick gum. Sure enough, the dwarf counterattacked as if it were uninjured. Kang Oh dodged it by folding his body in half. Then... The dwarves he thought he''d killed stood back up. ''They''re not ordinary dwarves, huh.'' He tightly gripped his demon swords. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh began to go on a rampage. * * * sh! Sarahoff''s purple de, which was encased in blue energy, passed through a Red w Dwarf''s neck. Though the dwarf possessed Rikao Skin, Kang Oh''s sword passed right through it. Red shards of light spurt out like a fountain of blood. ''Now I get it.'' Razor sharp attacks were effective against their skin. He couldn''t give them time to heal either, due to their vast regenerative abilities. Switch Blood! Kang Oh reced Ubist with Blood. A weighty de like Ubist wasn''t suitable for extremely quick, sharp attacks. If he really put forth the effort, then he could, but he had Blood, so there wasn''t any point to using Ubist. Mad Wind''s Sword! His twin demon swords ripped the dwarf to shreds. Darkness Strike also acted halfway through too. Two waves, resembling a bat and a bird in flight, devoured the Red w Dwarf. [You have defeated a Red w Dwarf Warrior.] [Closeness with the Lava Tribe has increased slightly.] [The Red w Dwarves are Inarius''s subordinates.] [Hostility from the Red w Dwarves and Dragon Inarius has increased.] Killing a Red w Dwarf increased Inarius''s hostility towards him as well! That was exactly what he wanted. He had no intention of ying nice with such an evil lizard. ''And that makes three.'' Kang Oh had already killed three dwarves. Now, there were only two left! However... "W-We need reinforcements!" "Help!" His opponents yelled. "Got it." "Five of you, go over there and help them. The ten of us are plenty against this thing." Some of their troops, which had previously been fighting the monster, rushed towards Kang Oh. Now he had to fight against seven of them! "You bastard!" "Die!" Kang Oh was attacked on all sides. The dwarves in front and back of him rushed in with their rectangr metal shields. It seemed like they nned on sandwiching him. The shields were the bread, and Kang Oh was the contents within. Meanwhile, the dwarves on the left and right gathered red energy around their hammers. Aura of Fury! The remaining dwarves stayed far away. They pulled hand axes off their belts and waited for their opportunity. Then, Sarahoff released a massive cold wave. Ring of Frost! The approaching dwarves'' hammer and shields froze first. Then, their beards and a portion of their bodies were frozen. The dwarves widened their eyes, and their teeth chattered. ''It''s cold!'' Kang Oh''s lips twitched. ''Ring of Frost truly is amazing.'' There wasn''t anything it couldn''t freeze. After all, Sara was a Yuki-Onna that possessed the Ice Soul''s power! Now it was Blood''s turn, the sword that held the Great Forest''s Demon. Blood Emperor! The blood red energy that surrounded his snow-white de spread to the floor, and then rippled outwards. Crack, crack, crack! The red energy ate away at the ice. Countless shards of light fell from their bodies, which the red energy greedily consumed. Kang Oh''s HP was quickly restored, and stars shone on the length of Blood''s de. There were a total of seven of them! "Throw them!" "Save our brothers!" The three faraway dwarves threw their hand axes. Their proficiency in Throw Projectile seemed pretty high. The axes flew with great speed and power. ''I''m taking you all down at once!'' Blood Storm! Blood red energy thrashed around him. It was instantaneous. A red whirlwind swept through his nearby enemies, and also devoured the iing hand axes. "Damn it!" "Shit!" Since their hand axes had failed, the three dwarves rushed in with their shields. They would save theirrades and attack Kang Oh simultaneously. Then...! Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh feverishly swung his demon swords. However, he wasn''t swinging them randomly. His movements were extremely sharp. None of his attacks were imprecise. He dealt so much damage that it far surpassed the healing abilities of the remodeled dwarves. [You have defeated a Red w Dwarf.] [You have defeated a Red w...] ... [Closeness with the Lava Tribe has increased slightly.] [Hostility from the Red w Dwarves and Dragon Inarius has increased.] Four of the dwarves had died. That was their destiny as soon as Kang Oh had joined hands with the Lava Tribe. "We can''t stop him!" "Aah, Orgon!" The remaining dwarves soon joined them. sh! Swoosh! Kang Oh cleaved thest one in half. Then, Kunta''s Ring radiated dim light, triggering a spontaneous quest. [sh Master] There is nothing that can stop you, who is pursuing the path to greatness. The leader of the expedition team, Gainof, cannot stop you either. He, unlike his brothers, was given dragon skin by Inarius. Cut through Gainof''s dragon skin! (0/1) Difficulty: Spontaneous. Reward: Master-Rank sh, sh gains a unique ability. Failure: sh does not gain a unique ability. His proficiency in sh was sitting at 98%. Now, he only needed to raise it another 2% in order to master it. However, getting that 2% was a problem. After all, proficiency rose at a snail''s pace. That''s when Kunta''s Ring hade in with a spontaneous quest! Moreover... ''It''ll add a unique ability too!'' When a basic skill or spell gains an ability it didn''t originally have, it bes a unique skill or spell. If hepleted the spontaneous quest, then sh would be a unique skill. ''Thanks!'' Kang Oh kissed Kunta''s Ring. Thud. The monster approached him. Like a gori, it had extremely long arms and a huge body, and wore rock armor that seepedva out of the cracks. He didn''t sense any hostility whatsoever. It was because Kang Oh had helped it take out the dwarves. "Um... Hello?" Kang Oh awkwardly waved his hand. ''Can I speak with it? It looks like a monster from the outside.'' However, the monster''s body suddenly released a ton of steam. "W-What''s going on?" Kang Oh instinctively stepped back. Then, his eyes widened and he gaped. Whoosh! The chest armor opened up, revealing the cockpit inside. Then, the ''true'' Lava Tribe member came out. Chapter 535. Lava Tribe

Chapter 535. Lava Tribe

Trantor: Boko [You have encountered the mysterious Lava Tribe.] [This is an extremely rare urrence.] [Luck stat has increased.] Members of the Lava Tribe were actually quite small. They looked like they weren''t even 1 meter tall. Their arms and legs were made of tough rock, while their chests looked like soft y. There was a hole at the top of their heads which containedva. They also released ck plumes of smoke like an actual volcano. Their chest was embedded with long, diamond-like ore. Zigzag-shaped roots spread from the metal and covered their entire body. It was as if their body was the ground, and the metal was a seed nted inside of it. ''Is it rcon?'' rcon was a mysterious metal left behind when they died! "Thank you," it said, and deeply bowed its head. Theva within its head sloshed around, but it didn''t spill out. Then, Kang Oh thought of something ridiculous. ''I-Is theva like hair to them? It sloshes around?'' "My name is Volick." "My name is Kang Oh," Kang Oh said courteously. He wanted to leave the best possible impression. First impressions were everything. They''ll be working together from now on, so he should keep a close rtionship with them. If he did, they''d be more likely to give him a good reward too! "I see. So that is your name. Thank you again for helping me. I was almost killed by those dwarves." Volick''s eyes were made of two crystals, and its pupils, which consisted of two smaller crystals, were extremely clear. "They''re evil dwarves that are under the control of an evil dragon. That''s why I helped you." "Indeed. They''re aiming for our treasure." "Do you want my help?" "Would you really help us?" "Yes. I''ll help you kill the exploration leader, and destroy their teleportation device." "Aah, thank you so much!" Volick bowed its head once more. Theva within its head sloshed around again. However, it didn''t spill this time either. ''I-Is it really their hair?'' All of a sudden, a me pir surged from the hole in its head. Things he couldn''t have imagined happening weremonce in this dungeon. Then... Chirp! Rudy flew into the air. The baby Phoenix, which resembled a chick, opened its tiny beak and began eating the mes. "R-Rudy!" Kang Oh quickly extended his hand and snatched Rudy away. ''We have no idea what these mes mean to them, so don''t go eating them!'' "Are you alright?" Kang Oh carefully asked. ''I hope we didn''t insult you. We didn''t do any damage to your body, did we?'' Volick sported a strange expression. "I''m so sorry. My child..." Kang Oh was about to bow his head, but... "I-Isn''t that a Phoenix?" Volick waved its arms, lookingpletely shocked. "It is. Rudy is a baby Phoenix. How did you know?" Kang Oh asked. "How could I not? It ate my mes. Only a Phoenix is capable of such." Volick''s eyes gleamed. "Um, excuse me, but may I ask why you suddenly released those mes?" Kang Oh asked. "Ah, when we get excited, we release mes from our heads. I was so touched by your offer to help us that I couldn''t help myself. I apologize." "Ah, I see. That''s alright. I''m not sure if Rudy offended you or not." "Absolutely not. To think I''d be able to meet a Phoenix. It''s an honor!" Chirp! Rudy popped out of Kang Oh''s hand and straightened its head. ''Dad, I''m a big deal!'', it seemed to say. "Are you... the Phoenix''s father?" "Yes, I am." ''Yes, I''m Rudy''s father!'' [Closeness with Volick has increased significantly.] [Closeness with the Lava Tribe has increased significantly.] "Do you know a lot about Rudy?" Kang Oh asked. "The Phoenix was first born in Mt. Helvert. It''s said that it has returned here several times. It is a miraculous and precious bird that was born from the Sacred me." Chirp, chirp! Rudy pped its wings. ''That''s me!'' [You have acquired information on the Phoenix.] [The Phoenix was born from the Sacred me, which resides within the Great Temple of Lava.] "Hoh." He hadn''t known about that before. So this was Rudy''s hometown. But how did the Lava Tribe, which only recently appeared, know about this? As he roamed across the continent performing his duty as Guardian of the Continent, he had interacted with Maya''s various creations, and in doing so, realized something. The God of Creation hadn''t created newborn infants. His creations were adults with basic knowledge, their own culture,nguage, history, etc. Because of that, his creations adapted to their new lives rtively well, and there was less chaos than there could have been. Perhaps that was the God of Creation being considerate to his new creations; he wanted to close the gap between them and his other creations, which were already thriving. If not, then whatever. "Mr. Kang Oh, let me take you to our vige. Lady Eurasis can give you an in-depth exnation," Volick said. "Lady Eurasis?" "She''s our leader. She also created the Lava Demon." Volick pointed at what Kang Oh had assumed was the true Lava Tribe. That machine was a Lava Demon. "She made that? She must be quite talented." "She''s probably the wisest person on Mt. Helvert." His expression and tone made it clear how much he respected her. "Mm, I''d really like to meet her." ''Then I''ll ask if she can make me one too! It''s a dream for all men to ride one of those!'' "Let''s go." Volick rode the Lava Demon again, and walked through the passageway. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! Kang Oh patted Rudy''s head, and followed Volick. A short whileter... There was a giant door in the middle of the passageway. The door opened as soon as the Lava Demon''s eye beams made contact with it. There was a rectangr room inside with no floor to speak of. Chains were affixed to the ceiling, which went down the pit. The Lava Demon pulled on the red chain. Rumble! Rumble! Volick hoisted the pulley, and a short whileter, a b of rock rose from the pit. ''Is it a manual elevator?'' He was right. It was indeed an elevator that had to be manually operated. Kang Oh and Volick walked onto the b. Then, Volick manually lowered the elevator. * * * The Lava Tribe''s vige was located in the deepest section of the ruins. Their buildings were designed like igloos made of rock, and were topped by various domes. There were plenty of people here too, who stared at Kang Oh in wonder. "It''s a human!" "Its skin is so soft." "Its hair is ck." The Lava Tribe began to chatter about him. "Pleasee this way." Volick led Kang Oh to thergest house. It was Eurasis''s residence. "Please wait here for a moment." Volick went inside, and announced Kang Oh''s arrival. "Elder, I have a guest here that wants to help us drive off the dwarves. He is also the father of the Phoenix." "Please let him in," Eurasis said kindly. Volick led Kang Oh inside. "This is Lady Eurasis." Volick pointed at the figure sitting on the t stone bed. "Hello, my name is... Kang Oh." Eurasis was not a part of the Lava Tribe. There was no way she could be. She was a snake made up entirely of mes. ''A spirit...'' Yeah, she felt like a spirit to him. "My name is Eurasis. I was born from the Lava Tribe''s mes." ''As expected.'' He was right. "It''s a pleasure to meet you." Chirp! Rudy suddenly popped out. Kang Oh immediately grabbed it. It was clear what the troublemaker was trying to do. Rudy couldn''t help itself when there were such delicious looking mes in front of it. "No," Kang Oh muttered. Chirp! Rudy turned its head. ''Dad, you meanie!'' "That is the Phoenix, I see. I can sense the warm and massive mes that exist within its small, weak body." "Yes, it is." Kang Oh stroked Rudy''s head. Rudy was mad at him, so it tried to avoid his touch, but it was within Kang Oh''s grasp. "Please keep it safe. It is a precious being that spreads the me of Life throughout the world." "Of course." Rudy was family to him. "You''re as kind as you are powerful. Please lend us that strength." Eurasis bowed her head. "Yes. I''ll take care of the dwarf exploration leader and their transportation device no matter what!" Kang Oh beat his chest. ''Leave it to me!'' [Closeness with the Lava Tribe has increased significantly.] [You are the Lava Tribe''s precious guest.] [The Lava Tribe will now treat you very favorably.] [They still do not consider you a friend.] "We''ll support you with soldiers that are capable of wielding the Lava Demons." "Thank you. By the way, is it possible for me to use one too?" Kang Oh asked. "That would be difficult. The Lava Demons were created specifically for the Lava Tribe, after all." "I see." ''How disappointing.'' "Volick, stay with Mr. Kang Oh and help him with whatever he needs," Eurasis said. "Yes." Volick nodded its head. Theva within its head sloshed around! Kang Oh wasn''t very surprised by it anymore. "Alright then, I''ll go deal with the dwarves ande right back." Kang Oh stood up. He didn''t ask what kind of reward they''d give him. His many years as a gamer told him that asking about his reward now would lower his closeness with them. "May the Sacred me light your path." It seemed like this was the Lava Tribe''s way of saying goodbye. "May the Sacred me light your path," Kang Oh softly repeated, and then left Eurasis''s residence with Volick in tow. * * * Kang Oh gathered all sorts of information first. If you know your enemy and you know yourself, then you can win every battle. "How many dwarves are there?" "We haven''t been able to figure that out. They keeping, no matter how many we kill." ''It said they had a teleportation crystal, right?'' Kang Oh recalled the quest''s contents. The teleportation crystal must be at their main base. "Where is the dwarves'' main base?" Kang Oh asked. Volick shook its head. "The dwarves have created several tunnels with little regard for the ruins, and have set up their main base in a hidden location. We do not know where their main base is." "Howrge are the ruins?" "There are around 30 floors underground. This is the 30th floor, and each floor is about the size of our vige." Kang Oh took a look around. ''This ce is crazy big, isn''t it!?'' "Is the elevator safe?" Kang Oh had gotten here without any issue via the elevator. But if the dwarves were able to use this elevator, then they could go directly to the vige. "It''s safe. It''s made of a special rock, so the dwarves won''t be able to damage it, and it''s protected by Lady Eurasis''s power, so only the Lava Tribe can operate it." "I''d like to freely use the elevator." "I''ll go with you. In order to open the door and operate the elevator, you will need a Lava Demon." "Please take care of me." Kang Oh grinned. Then, he continued, "We''ll have to find the exploration leader and the transportation crystal." "It won''t be easy. Not only is this ce incredibly vast, but the dwarves have created several tunnels that we have no knowledge of that lead to their base." Volick sported an angry expression. "That''s ok. I have a solution for that." Kang Oh grinned. Chapter 536. Master-Rank Slash

Chapter 536. Master-Rank sh

Trantor: Boko The Red w Dwarves conversed amongst themselves. "I can''t believe we lost him!" "We were so close, but it just had to be near the door." "Damn it, we have to find a way to break through that door. Then, we''ll be able to go straight to their vige!" "Our cksmiths have tried their best, but they all failed. It''ll be tough." "But it looks like Lord Orgon hasn''t forsaken us. A short while ago, the Lava Tribe got themselves a powerful ally, but Lord Orgon has sent us some help too." The dwarf pointed at an individual within the crowd. The individual had half-curly hair, and looked quite meek. There was a bow strapped to the human''s back too. "Yeah. He''s extremely strong." "He also brought a powerful wyvern with him." Gyaa. There was a giant, ck armored wyvern standing beside him. For some reason, looking at the wyvern would grip one''s heart in fright. It was Sephiro and Waryong. "Is there anything you need me to do?" Sephiro asked. "Not yet. Our scouts haven''t found any members of the Lava Tribe either." "I see." Sephiro softly stroked Waryong''s exposed skin. That day... The dwarves which had set off to hunt the Lava Tribe came back empty-handed. They hadn''t been able to find any Lava Demons, and hade back to their base with Sephiro in tow. The Red w Dwarves'' main headquarters could only be reached by passing through a series ofplicated tunnels. Sephiro couldn''t memorize the directions or how to open the path. Then again, there was no need for him to do so. ''I can just record it. And... missionplete.'' Sephiro recalled Kang Oh''s deal and smirked. * * * "I have a favor to ask," Kang Oh said. "Which is?" "I need you to be a spy." "Excuse me? What did you say?" ''Did I hear wrong?'' Sephiro picked at his ears. "A spy," Kang Oh said clearly. "A spy? Me? Why?" "There''s a new dungeon that appeared on Mt. Helvert. And..." Kang Oh told him the whole story. "...And that''s it. Do you understand?" "Yes." Sephiro nodded his head. "Please pick the dwarves. I''ll take you to the dungeon myself. After all, it''s difficult to climb Mt. Helvert by yourself. After that, let me know when you find out how to get to the dwarves'' main base. Easy, right?" "It doesn''t sound easy to me. And I''m not doing it for free." Sephiro was a high ranker now. ''I don''t work for chump change anymore!'' "Elixium." "What did you say?" "I''ll give you one bottle of Elixium." "You have Elixium?" "I drank six bottles already." But it didn''t have much of an effect on him anymore. After all, he had be a Master, and also broke his limitations. "You''ve been drinking that all by yourself?" Sephiro looked at him as if he''d been betrayed. "Yes," Kang Oh said firmly. "I should never help you again." ''You have no loyalty!'' "Two bottles." "Two bottles?" ''Two, huh...'' "Hmm." Sephiro remained silent. ''Two bottles could be three!'' However, he waspletely misunderstanding something. "I''m ok either way. I can just go find someone else." Kang Oh turned around. "Oho!" Sephiro quickly grabbed him. "I''ll do it!" "If you''re going to do it, then be quicker about it next time." "Ahem." Their deal had been established. * * * ''Elixium sure is good for you, right? Haha.'' He thought of the Elixium he was promised and couldn''t stopughing. Now that he''d be a high ranker, his next goal was to break into the top 50. At that moment... "Wee. I''m in charge of the expedition here. My name is Gainof." A rough voice snapped him out of it. A dwarf with dark blue skin and a three-pronged mustache on both sides of his face appeared. "Hello, my name is Sephiro." "I heard you agreed to help us." "Yes." "Thank you. We won''t forget this." "I''m d to hear that." Sephiro conversed with him for a bit longer, and then left his residence. Then, he immediately sent Kang Oh a message. - Prepare the Elixium. - Understood. * * * He gave Sephiro the Elixium, and was given the footage in return. With this, he knew exactly where the Red w Dwarves'' main base was. Strike the iron while it''s hot. Kang Oh gathered all of the Lava Tribe''s warriors. "It''s time to drive out those vicious thieves. Let''s go!" Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! 300 Lava Demons followed Kang Oh. The dwarves'' main base was located between the 13th and 14th floor. Kang Oh opened the hidden passageway exactly as shown in Sephiro''s footage, and went inside. "How did you get here!?" "Enemies! It''s the Lava Tribe!" There were a few groups of dwarves, but they fled as soon as they saw how many Lava Demons there were. Sometimeter... Kang Oh and the Lava Demons made their way through the hidden passageway, and eventually reached a vast space. It was the Red w Dwarves'' main base. The ce was filled with buildings unlike the Lava Tribe''s, and there were a ton of dwarves there too. There were more than 1,000 of them. A dwarf with a three-pronged mustache stood amongst them. His skin was dark blue, unlike the other dwarves'' skin. His flesh was covered in dragon skin, not Rikao Snakeskin! "How did they find this ce?" Gainof furrowed his brow at the sight of the Lava Demons. Then, he quickly looked around. "Where is that human and his wyvern!?" Gainof yelled. The dwarves looked around for him, but Sephiro and Waryong were nowhere to be found. It was only natural. He had already left the dungeon. "He''s nowhere to be found." "I-I don''t see him." Gainof''s eyes lit up with rage. Grr! ''It was him!'' When he heard about the Lava Tribe''s powerful new ally, he didn''t even question how convenient it was that Sephiro and Waryong had just shown up out of nowhere. "That scum!" Gainof yelled furiously. Then... "Squad 1, front and center! Squads 2 and 3 will take the right and left nks!" Kang Oh yelled. Beforeing here, Kang Oh split the Lava Demons into three separate squads. He also appointedmanders and vicemanders to each, and gave themmand over their respective squads. Thud! Thud! Thud! The advancing Lava Demons were quite a spectacr sight. It was clear that the Red w Dwarves'' morale had sunk. Kuhaang! Then, Gainof suddenly unleashed a roar. Lion''s Roar! It was as if an actual lion had just roared. It was only natural. His vocal cords were that of a lion, after all. "Get a grip! Our tribe''s freedom depends on this. And once we''re freed, we''ll stand at the top of all dwarves!" Gainus wielded a hammer in either hand. Once he''d finished his speech, he mmed his hammers together. "Woo! Woo! Woo! Woo!" The Dwarven Warriors struck their shields with their hammers and yelled. "Commanders, lead your troops." "Yes, sir!" "As youmand!" "For the prosperity of the Red w Dwarves! Everyone, charge!" Gainof raised his twin hammers into the air. 300 Lava Demons and 1,000 dwarves shed. Whoosh! Whoosh! The Lava Demons and the Dwarven Warriors swung their giant rock fists and tough hammers at each other. Those struck by the Lava Demons'' fists flew through the air like ser balls, while the dwarves'' hammers crushed the Lava Demon''s armor. Spurt! The Lava Demons releasedva from their mouths, which spilled and covered the floor, while the dwarves threw auras through the air. It wasmonce for the Lava Demons'' eye beams to be blocked by the dwarves'' shields. Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh! The Lava Demons spun their arms around, as if they were chasing away a fly. "Dodge!" "Get out of the way!" The dwarves quickly scattered. There were far less Lava Demons than there were dwarves. Thus, they each had to fight at least two dwarves at once, and four to five in the worst case scenario. The dwarves made full use of their numerical advantage. They would use one of theirpanions as bait, and the rest of them would break the Lava Demon''s tough rock armor. It was only possible due to the presence ofmanders that had fair leadership capabilities. "Now, attack!" "Now back off!" "No, it''s already toote." The dwarves were winning due to theirmanders. Meanwhile... Kang Oh moved in secret. With Ubist and Blood in hand, he transformed into the Dual Demon. Sara was apanying him via Demon''s Descent. Three sapphires floated around her like satellites. ''I''ve found my target.'' Kang Oh attacked the closest dwarfmander. sh! He sharply swung Blood. It was as if he were wielding a razor de! Shards of light burst from the dwarf, and a wound appeared on his body. Then, Sara blew a breath of cold energy at him. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! A portion of the dwarf was frozen solid. Kang Oh shattered the ice using Ubist''s heavy de. ''It''s just right.'' He would use Blood to unleash finer, more precise attacks. Sara would then freeze them, and he''d break the ice using Ubist! It was super effective. He would also mix in the best skill for the situation. Kang Oh would cleave the dwarves in two with sh, or use Tempest Tiger, Abyss w, or Fresh Blood Wave to crack the ice. He didn''t skimp on Transcendent de, Weapon Bombardment, or Mad Wind''s Sword either! ''Hurry, hurry!'' Kang Oh worked in sync with Sara, and killed as manymanders as fast as he could. There were no dwarves that could stop them. Kang Oh would either cut them in half, or Sara would freeze them; then, Kang Oh would shatter the ice. It didn''t really make much of a difference when Kang Oh only killed one or two of theirmanders. The dwarves were still winning the battle. However, when Kang Oh killed more than twenty of them, that''s when the Lava Demons turned the battle around. It was a small spark, but it would soon turn into an uncontroble wildfire. Ultimately, that wildfire would eat every single dwarf alive! Why? Because Kang Oh had created that wildfire! Gainof wasn''t an idiot. He had been wary of the Lava Tribe''s skilled helper from the very beginning. And he hade to a conclusion. ''I have to take him down.'' Gainof led his bodyguards, which consisted of twenty men, and charged at Kang Oh. ''C''mon!'' Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed as he saw him. Then, he quickly pulled out an AA-rank item that he''d prepared beforehand. Razor Sharp Dagger. It was an AA-rank weapon with a special passive ability called ''Dagger''. It increased the sharpness of every one of his attacks, and would also make him deal more damage. Kang Oh, who already appeared like a demon, emitted even greater jet-ck energy. It made him only more demon-like. "I won''t let you do as you please anymore!" Gainof had made it to him. His twin hammers radiated blue lightning. Lightning Strike! Gainof, who already had the advantage of dragon skin, was also capable of producing lightning. The lightning was too fast, and it came at him from every direction, so there was no way Kang Oh could dodge it. Crackle! The lightning struck Kang Oh head-on. Fortunately, the Avenger set reduced the damage he took by 30%. Even so, it stung quite a bit. Crackle! Crackle! Sparks danced across his skin. "Uhahk!" Gainof immediatelyunched a follow up attack. He swung his raised hammer downwards. Then... Transcendent de! Demon Sword Ubist cut through the center of Gainof''s body at transcendent speed. Bam! Shards of light spilled from his body, which Blood greedily devoured. However, there were already seven stars shining upon his snow-white de. He had gathered them in the process of killing the dwarfmanders. Blood''s attack power was maximized! To add to that... Blood Emperor! Blood was covered in red energy, and before an Emperor''s Strike had even been unleashed, his sword shed through the air. sh! He cleaved through the sword scar that Ubist had left behind. Sometimes, you have to cut along the grain. The sword scar was the result of him doing just that. This attack was the result of Gluttony, Blood Emperor, the Dagger passive ability, Blood at full stacks, and his concentration at its maximum. This had been his n all along. Kang Oh had been thinking of the big picture. He set this up so that he''d be able to cut through Gainof''s dragon skin, andplete the spontaneous quest. It worked spectacrly. Bam! Gainof''s body was split in half. The dwarf''s dimming eyes looked at him with resentment and futility. [You have defeated the Red w Dwarves'' Expedition Leader, Gainof.] [You havepleted the spontaneous quest, sh Master. Your reward will be given to you right away.] [You have mastered sh.] [sh has gained a new ability.] [You havepleted the Master sh quest. Please find Vn for your reward.] Chapter 537. Divide the Sea

Chapter 537. Divide the Sea

Trantor: Boko ''I''ve finally mastered sh! Now I can learn Divide the Sea! Oh, yeah!'' However, he would have to put an end to this battle first. Kuhaaang! Kang Oh unleashed a fearsome roar. Demon''s Roar! "W-What was that!?" "Uheok!" The Red w Dwarves were so shocked that theypletely focused on the source. "I defeated Gainof!" Kang Oh yelled. "I-Impossible!" "Aah, Lord Gainof!" Gainof''s gray, bisected body sat underneath Kang Oh''s feet. "Surrender! If you don''t, then I won''t show you any mercy!" Kang Oh yelled murderously. "What a load of shit!" "Don''t make meugh!" The temperamental dwarves strongly resisted his offer. They then rushed at Kang Oh all at once. "I will inherit Lord Gainof''s will!" One of them desired power. "Hmph!" Swish! sh! Swish! sh! Swish! None of them could withstand more than five swings. Some of them were cut in half from a single sh. The dwarves went pale at the sight. They feared Kang Oh''s overwhelming power. "I-I surrender!" "P-Please spare me!" They bent their knees one or two at a time. With this, the battle had reached its conclusion. The Lava Demons raised their thick arms into the air, and stomped on the floor. Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud! That was the best they could do to respond to Kang Oh''s efforts. With the Lava Demons and Sara''s help, Kang Oh tied up all of the dwarves. Some of them were tied with rope, while the others were bound by ice. He nned on leaving their fates to the Lava Tribe. Kang Oh pointed at a nearby dwarf. "You!" "Y-Yes?" The dwarf looked surprised. "Take me to the teleportation crystal." "U-Understood." The bound dwarf arduously stood up and led him to the teleportation crystal. Kang Oh followed him and entered a giant building. In the middle of the wide underground room was a bright, floating crystal. "T-That''s it." Kang Oh approached the crystal. Whir. A giant golden tiger shot out of Ubist, and struck the crystal. Crack! The crystal waspletely destroyed. With this, he hadpleted all of his objectives. [You havepleted the quest, ''Drive Out the Red w Dwarves''.] [Return to Eurasis for your reward.] Kang Oh left a portion of the Lava Demons here to keep an eye on the remaining dwarves, and returned to the Lava Tribe''s vige with the rest of them. It seems like they had already gotten the news, as members of the Lava Tribe popped out and swung their adorable arms into the air. But that wasn''t the best of it. All of their heads surged with me pirs. ''Oh my gosh!'' "Lady Eurasis is waiting for you." "Ah, yes." Kang Oh stood before Eurasis. "I''ve returned afterpleting my task." "Good job." [Closeness with the Lava Tribe has increased significantly.] [You have acquired the title, Friend of the Lava Tribe.] [You may now trade with the Lava Tribe. You may use their facilities or buy goods from their stores. The Lava Tribe will ept your money.] "There are about 800 dwarves that have surrendered. I''ll let you and the Lava Tribe decide their fate." "Understood. And this is a small token of our appreciation." An object shrouded in me popped out of Eurasis''s body andnded in Kang Oh''s hand. It was a long, diamond-shaped ore. "This is rcon. It is left behind when a member of the Lava Tribe dies. However, that rcon is somewhat special." "How so?" "I used my mes to rid it of any impurities, so it''s the purest piece of rcon we have. It''s also our most valuable treasure." Kang Oh checked the item''s information. [Pure rcon] The mysterious metal, rcon. It is a perfect piece of rcon thatcks any impurities! It is unknown what kind of ability it possesses. Material Rank: S. "How would you use this? I don''t really know much about rcon." "I use it as a core to create Lava Demons." Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''Oho, is that so? I should show this to Hoffman.'' He would be able to find a use for this ore. "Thank you again for your help." Eurasis bowed her head. "Please don''t mention it," Kang Oh said, smiling happily. He''d mastered sh a lot faster bying here. Plus, it had gained a unique ability. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh stood up. His business here was done. "May the Sacred me light your path." After that, he left Eurasis''s residence, and immediately went around the vige, looking for anything he could buy. "Wee." "Please take your time looking around." ''You can buy Lava Stones here!'' Lava Stones were, like Wind Stones or Fire Stones, rocks that could store special energy. They were also more difficult to obtain than Wind Stones or Fire Stones. The Lava Tribe also sold some other rare materials, as well as the Lava Armor set,va weapons, etc. He didn''t need any of them, but they would sell for a lot. He also found some unique food ingredients; things like edible coal. The ingredients tasted horrible. They tasted exactly as they looked: burnt. However, the Lava Tribe ate them as if they were delicious. Rudy really loved the ming Pine Mushrooms. They were quite cheap too. Thus, he bought as many of them as he could. Chirp! Chirp! Chirp! Rudy pped its wings in excitement. ''I''ve taken a look around, so I guess it''s time to return to Altein.'' He''d mastered sh, so it was time to inherit Vn''s Divide the Sea. Kang Oh was also able to use an arch-shaped gate thaty in the corner of the vige. "Altein!" Once he yelled his destination, the gate created a portal. "Take care!" "Come again!" The Lava Tribe saw him off, and Kang Oh entered the portal. * * * The Holiseum. It was the shrine of diators everywhere, and was also the ce where countless diatorial matches took ce. It was every diator''s dream to fight in this arena! Kang Oh hade here hundreds of times; he could find his way even with his eyes closed. He immediately headed underground. He encountered Darion in the passageway. Normally, he''d tease Darion, but today, he didn''t have any interest. Kang Oh passed him by, and immediately headed for Vn''s room. Before he even knocked on the door, Vn said, "Come in!" Kang Oh opened the door and saw Vn inside. "Your footsteps gave you away. I knew it was you as soon as you came down." Vn grinned. Although he''d lost an arm, and the Evil God''s wicked energy coursed through the wound on his chest, he hadn''t lost his sharp senses as a Grandmaster. He was truly an amazing individual. "How are you feeling?" Kang Oh asked. "Just say what you came here to say." "Does it show?" Kang Oh rubbed his face. "A lot." "I mastered sh, so please teach me Divide the Sea!" Divide the Sea! It was the technique that Kang Oh wanted to learn the most. It was an absolute sword that cleaved through everything! "Fine. Sit down." "Yes." "Do you know how Divide the Sea came to be?" "No." "When I became a Master, I had no interest in secret techniques. I believed that the greatest speed and power behind one''s de would result in the most powerful strike. But one day, I thought..." Kang Oh remained silent, and listened attentively. "Why don''t I try cutting the sea? It''d be so cool to cut the sea with my de!" ''This guy was really weird.'' "That''s when I started swinging my sword at the sea. I don''t remember how much I did it, but when I got a hold of myself, I was able to cut the sea, and became a Grandmaster." "Excuse me?" Kang Oh gaped. "Plus, I learned Divide the Sea. After that, I would use it from time to time. It was prettyfortable to use." "That''s not your only skill, is it?" ''No way.'' "One is enough." Vn tried to look cool, but it didn''t work. Now that he thought about it, he''d never seen Vn use any Swordsman skills besides Divide the Sea. Divide the Sea had unmatched cutting power and range, so he understood why Vn regarded it as enough. "So how do I learn it? Sword Duke Sven used something called ''Pass Down'' to teach me the skill right away." ''Please do that too, Master Vn.'' "Swing your sword at the sea to your heart''s content. You''ll eventually learn Divide the Sea." ''Yeah, I expected too much from you.'' [Divide the Sea] Vn''s absolute secret technique, Divide the Sea! It is the supreme sword that cuts through everything in this world! Use Divide the Sea to cut through the sea! Then, you will acquire Divide the Sea. Divide the Sea (0/1). Difficulty: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Master sh. Reward: Divide the Sea. Failure: None. [You have epted the quest. There is no reason not to.] Kang Oh grimaced. "Are you messing with me?" Kang Oh rebuked. Was it even possible to cut the sea with a sword? Ah, even if it was possible, how long would it take? However, the yfulness in Vn''s face disappeared. "I''m not lying to you, nor am I messing with you." "Then what do I do?" "I told you. I repeatedly swung my sword at the sea, and eventually became a Grandmaster and learned Divide the Sea." "Mm." "In order to be a Grandmaster, there are times when you have to be foolish and unrefined. Ah, I wasn''t supposed to tell you that. That was stupid of me." "...Understood. I''ll go to the sea." Kang Oh ultimately agreed to his terms. "Ah, by the way, there''s almost a 0% chance that you''ll be a Grandmaster by following my method. You''re not a genius like me, after all." ''You''re so shameless,'' he suddenly thought. Vn was definitely a genius. However, he was also shameless and entric. "But... It will definitely help you. I''m sure of it," Vn said earnestly. Kang Oh could hear the slight consideration in his words. ''Yeah, he''s not a bad guy.'' Kang Oh nodded his head, and gave him some ingredients from his inventory. He gave him the edible coal, the ming Pine Mushrooms, the Rock Tomato, etc. He had bought these from the Lava Tribe''s vige. "I got these from a new dungeon. You''ll probably have never seen some of them, or tasted them before." "Hoh. I should tell Darion to bring some cooking tools. I''ll eat them well." Vn smiled kindly. Kang Oh suddenly yearned for his father. His father used to smile just like that. Sniff. Kang Oh wrinkled his nose and said goodbye. "I''lle again." "I''ll give you hell if youe back soon. I hope you seed." "Yes." Vn watched the door as Kang Oh left. "I thought he was nothing special, but he was actually a hidden gem. On the other hand, the one who I thought was a hidden gem is bing worse and worse." Kang Oh was the worst possible sessor. He had no idea how he passed the Fight Against 100 Men, overcame the demon sword''s trial, and became a Demonic Swordsman. He had been so weak. Moreover, he was greedy for money, and was calctive. However, he had a clear sight of his goals, and was actually arrogant enough to think that he could surpass him. Not only that, but he wouldplete any hard task he made him do. Ultimately, Vn had no choice but to acknowledge him. He was his true sessor. Moreover, he had broken his limitations! Whereas... he was getting less and less impressed with Burkan, who had just as much talent as him. His swordsmanship had worsened after he''d gotten married. ''You ungrateful brat. You got married before your teacher. You must be living it up right now.'' Vn stroked his chin with hisst remaining arm. How would he deal with Burkan? ''Yeah, lions drop their children off cliffs.'' It was time for Burkan toplete the task that he hadpleted to be a Grandmaster. ''Indeed!'' Vn nodded his head, and then rang the bell on his table. Ding! Ding! Ding! Ding! Darion quickly opened the door and came inside. "What''s the matter?" "Call Burkan for me." ''I''m not doing this because Burkan got married before me and is having the time of his life right now! Definitely not!'' Chapter 538. Friday the 13th

Chapter 538. Friday the 13th

Trantor: Boko Moco Ind was about a 30 minute boat ride away from the eastern port city of Citin. This is where Sword Duke Sven lived. He was the one who''d taught Kang Oh Mad Wind''s Sword. Following Soo Ah''s departure and him assuming full responsibility for Rudy, Kang Oh frequently visited the ind to learn under Sven. Since he couldn''t take a boat every time he wanted to visit, Kang Oh bought an old house, and asked Karin and Soren to create a transfer magic circle for him. Thus, he was able to travel there immediately. Whir. Kang Oh appeared above the magic circle. ''This is the best ce to learn Divide the Sea!'' It was an ind, so it was surrounded on all sides by water. Moreover... ''I should ask Sven for his help.'' Sword Duke Sven was a great swordsman. Although he wasn''t a Grandmaster, his swordsmanship had reached the pinnacle of the Master rank. He would definitely be a huge help to him. Kang Oh immediately headed towards his beach house. "Grandpa, I''m here." "It''s open, so you cane in." Once he opened the door, he could smell the faint scent of tea wafting through the air. Sven''s house always smelled of tea. "Good timing. I''m brewing my second pot of tea." Sven touched the tea cup and smiled. It was a gentle, kind smile. The kind that''d make you feel all warm and fuzzy inside. Sven passed him a steaming cup of tea. "Thank you." Kang Oh blew on the tea and carefully drank it. "Have you eaten?" "I have." "Good. You should always eat and keep up your strength." "Yes, Grandpa." Kang Oh and Sven spokefortably, as if they were truly grandson and grandfather. However, Kang Oh naturally transitioned the topic of conversation to why he was here. "Alright, so why have youe today? Do you want me to teach you some more?" "That would be nice. However, I have something I need to do first." "Which is?" "I need to learn Divide the Sea." "Divide the Sea, huh... The technique that child taught himself." Kang Oh had learned that Sven was Vn''s teacher during their time together. "Yes." "It''s for your own good. If you learn the technique by yourself, then your swordsmanship is sure to improve." "Vn said the exact same thing." "Hmm, but I don''t think there''s anything I can help you with." "Why is that?" "I''ve never learned the technique before, so I''m not familiar with it. I may lead you astray, so you should just learn it on your own. Isn''t that right?" Sven grinned. "Still..." "Just do it by yourself this time." Sven patted Kang Oh''s shoulder. Sven actually had in-depth knowledge of Divide the Sea. However, he nned on not helping Kang Oh this time around. ''I imagine that''s what that mischievous child is hoping for.'' If Vn hadn''t immediately passed down the technique, then there must be a good reason for that. He may be ill-tempered, but he didn''t mess around when it came to the sword. "I''ll go at it alone then," Kang Oh said firmly. ''Yeah, let''s try the crude method.'' He immediately walked over to the beach. The Emerald Light Sea''s waves crashed against the beach, emitting a refreshing sound. Kang Oh ced Rudy on the ground, and pulled out Ubist. He had wielded this sword ever since he was level 1. Thus, he was most familiar with this de. Kang Oh walked into the water one step at a time. Swoosh! The water foamed, and a wave came rushing at him. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath, and vertically swung his sword. sh! Whoosh! The wave was cleaved in two! However, the wave instantly reformed itself, and swept through Kang Oh. Bam! "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh kept swinging his sword while taking deep breaths. Sven watched him from afar and muttered, "Do your best." It was a warm gaze akin to a grandfather watching his beloved grandson. * * * The Empire Guild sent theworks and reporters an invitation. - Time: The 13th (Friday), 2:00 P.M. - ce: The Arabas Pce''s Ballroom. - Purpose: Press Conference. "The Empire Guild is finally breaking their silence." "You''re telling me. What do you think they''ll say?" After their captains skyrocketed in the ranks, people wondered what had happened. Theworks and the press shared their opinion. However, the Empire Guild kept parroting "We''ll tell youter". At longst, the Empire Guild had sent them an invitation for a press conference. TGN, VG, GBS, and other TVworks sent their reporters. "Wow!" "This is a pce in the desert!?" The Arabas Pce was kept secret from outsiders, but the invitees were the sole exception. Of course, only the ballroom and select locations were revealed to them, and they could only enter the pce, not explore it. In any case, the pce''s ballroom was huge, and it was set up spectacrly like a party. Musicians sat at the corner, continuously ying beautiful music, while the attendees kept eating and drinking. "Hoh, it looks like a party." "As expected of the Empire Guild. Their press conferences are different too." The reporters enjoyed the food and drinks, and members of the Empire Guild began to trickle in. How much time had passed? "The lord of therge desert city, K, has arrived." "The Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ymir, is here!" "Defense Researcher, Violent Spear Sewol has arrived!" The Arabas Kingdom''s key people, as well as the Empire Guild''s executives began toe in one or two at a time. However, their captains, Jegal, and Dukeram were still nowhere to be found. "When are theying out?" "Seriously. They should hurry up already." They were the true power behind the kingdom, after all. The ones who ruled the Empire Guild and the Arabas Kingdom! Then... "His Imperial Majesty has graced us with his presence!" Thud! The doors opened, apanied by a resonant voice. "What?" "Arabas the Third? Why is he here..." Theworks'' interested parties and reporters were confused at the sudden turn of events. "His imperial majesty? Not his majesty?" Although thebined territory of the three eastern kingdoms was the size of an empire, they hadn''t yet proimed the formation of an empire yet. Thus, they assumed that the ruler of the Arabas Kingdom should be called ''his majesty'', not ''his imperial majesty'', which was reserved for emperors, not kings. However, they had definitely said ''his imperial majesty'' in this formal event. A short whileter... A man walked through the giant door. The man wore a white cape, which dragged against the floor, gold and silver thread, morous clothes made of precious fennec fox fur, and a crown with eight jewels on his head. He held a gold staff adorned with a lion, and an ornate, ceremonial scimitar hung at his waist. It was indeed the clothes an ''emperor'' would wear. "His Imperial Majesty has graced us with his presence!" A resonant voice rang out once more. They referred to him as ''his imperial majesty'' again! "Arabas the Third..." He was definitely the 2nd prince, Tehiyon, whose face had been revealed during the Arabas Civil War. Now, he was known as Arabas the Third. "Oh, dear!" "Keep your head down!" The attendees bowed their heads one or two at a time. Arabas the Third slowly strode into the room, and eventually sat down on the most ornate seat. Powerful bodyguards stood behind him. It seemed like they''d cut down anyone who got too close. "Raise your heads!" The attendees did as they were told. However... "He looks really sick." "Yeah." At one time, Arabas the Third had been so renowned for his bravery that he was called the Desert Wolf. However, he looked so sickly now! His face was emaciated, his eyes reflected exhaustion, his lips were pale, and his wrists and his fingers, which weren''t covered by his robes, were gaunt and thin. It was clear that he was sick. "Bring in the Arabas Empire''s treasures!" Arabas the Third yelled. He had definitely called it the Arabas Empire. The quickest of the reporters narrowed their eyes. ''Something''s going on!'' Something weird was going on. They held their breath and watched the situation unfold. Twelve people came through the door Arabas the Third had entered through. Emperor Dukeram stood at the front. Arabas''s Guardian Angel, Dalton, as well as the Ghost Spear, Kantos, were apanying him. The Empire Guild''s eight captains stood firmly behind them. Jegal stood at the end of the line, as the guild''s mastermind. "Greetings, your imperial majesty!" Dukeram knelt down and yelled. Then, the others followed suit. "You can stand." Dukeram, Jegal, Dalton, Kantos, and the captains stood up. The attendees'' eyes werepletely fixed upon these twelve. Thud. Arabas the Third tapped the ground with his gold staff, drawing all attention onto him. "I have a dream." "What is that?" Dukeram asked politely. "To bring the desert together as one. This is just a small dream, and it has already been achieved." "A small dream... Then what is yourrger dream, your imperial majesty?" "To unite the entire continent." Dun-dun. Arabas the Third''s statement was like the strike of lightning; a lightning bolt that would spread chaos across the continent! Of course, this had all been nned. After all, Arabas the Third was nothing more than a puppet king under the Empire Guild''s control. "The Altein Empire, which united the entire continent, was destroyed by fools 54 years ago. And then, the continent was ripped into pieces and countless battles took ce." That was the irrefutable truth. Following the people''s revolution, the Altein Empire crumbled, and battles took ce all across the continent. "So long as the continent remains divided, these battles will continue to take ce. That is reflected in our own history, as well as in the western grasnds, the Great Forest in the south, and the free cities in the central region." The eastern kingdoms were originally made up of several smaller nations. However, they had been united under the banner of the three desert kingdoms of Arabas, Baiyan, and Des. And now, the desert had been fully unified under the Arabas Empire. Even now, the western grasnds were gued with conflict and strife amongst the disparate non-humans. There was also evidence in the Great Forest''s history that the different tribes fought against each other. Meanwhile, the free cities fought for their own rights and interests even to this day. "I will unite the continent under one banner, and create a peaceful continent without war. I will follow in the footsteps of the great Altein Empire!" Thud! Arabas the Third tapped the ground with his staff. "From this day forward, the Arabas Kingdom no longer exists. Now, only the Arabas Empire remains; that which will unify the entire continent!" With this, the Arabas Empire was formed. "But unfortunately... I am too sick to take part in the battle myself. So, my most loyal and precious servant, Dukeram." "Yes, your imperial majesty." "You will be suprememander of this expedition, and will be given the authority to use the empire''s full power as you wish. And I will also grant you my de, which represents my authority." Arabas the Third pulled the ornate scimitar from his waist, and passed it to Dukeram. Dukeram politely epted the sword with two hands. "As youmand!" Dukeram said. "Don''te back until you conquer the continent!" "Yes, your imperial majesty!" "I''ll leave it to you." Arabas the Third gently looked at him, and then stood up and left the ballroom. "Hoo! Ha!" Only then did the attendees breathe again. It felt as though a storm had just passed. However, the storm, no, the typhoon had only just begun; a typhoon that would sweep through the entire continent. * * * The Empire Guild''s intention to conquer the entire continent was finally revealed. People were no longer curious why their captains had skyrocketed in the ranks, nor did it really matter anymore. The party''s attendees quickly revealed the Empire Guild''s n. [The Birth of the Arabas Empire!] [Empire Shows its True Colors!] [Breaking News: The Empire has dered war on the continent!] However...! The Arabas Empire moved before the news could spread. Dukeram marched west with the 1st Corps of 300,000 troops on the day of Arabas the Third''s deration. Saw Rock Fortress was a strategic point thaty in between the eastern and central regions. This impregnable fortress, whichy atop Saw Rock Cliff, was conquered in just one day! With this, they had gained the fastest route to conquering the continent. At the same time... Dalton''s 2nd Corps, which consisted of 200,000 troops, headed east and passed through the Phamas Mountains. He headed for the mining cities, and signed a nonaggression treaty with the dwarves. Three dayster, the port cities fell like dominos. Ghost Spear Kantos and his 3rd Corps went south, and subjugated the desert tribes. The entire eastern region had fallen into the Arabas Empire''s hands. Chapter 539. The Formation of the Freedom Alliance

Chapter 539. The Formation of the Freedom Alliance

Trantor: Boko Following the establishment of the Arabas Empire, war was dered upon the continent, and the Empire conquered not only the Saw Rock Fortress, but the rest of the eastern region as well. The n of the guild''s masterminds, which include Jegal and his subordinates, had only just begun. Dukeram, who''d conquered the Saw Rock Fortress with the 1st Corps, proceeded with the next phase of the n. Horseback riders exited the fortress''s giant gates, and headed for nearby cities. They carried letters bearing Arabas the Third''s name. The contents of the letter were quite easy to understand. ept his terms and surrender. If they surrendered without incident, then they wouldn''t be harmed. However, if they didn''t surrender, then they would be forced toply by force. These letters were also sent to the central region''s free cities. They used the Tower''s long-rangemunication service to do this. "How many of them will surrender?" Dukeram asked. "There are eight free cities within the central region, excluding the meaningless small cities. At first, most of them probably won''t surrender, fearful of what the others might think," Jegal replied. "You have something in mind, right?" Jegal grinned. "I managed to buy off the higher ups of ten free cities. If we gain their support and turn the opposing cities to ash, then at least twenty of them will join us. Then, the free cities will crumble like sand." "Check again to make sure there are no problems." "Understood." "Ah, and the emperor''s condition is worse than I expected. We can''t let the emperor die too early." Of course, Arabas the Third had to die eventually. But they would push that to the end of the war. Arabas the Third''s heirs would die during the war, and Dukeram would be given the title of emperor. "Please don''t worry. We''re making sure that the emperor doesn''t die too soon." Jegal''s eyes gleamed. "I have faith in you." Dukeram patted his shoulder. They had spoken atop Saw Rock Fortress''s highest spire. * * * Following the people''s revolution and the copse of the Altein Empire, the cities transformed the old empire into a collection of free cities. very and the nobility disappeared, and citizens voted on a mayor that would, for a fixed amount of time, rule over the city. The dictatorship had disappeared, giving way to a democracy. The free cities also formed a ''loose'' alliance amongst themselves. It was called the Free City Alliance. Once the Arabas Empire dered war, the continent''srgest cities'' representatives gathered in Altein. "Hello, representatives. I am in charge of this meeting today. I am Altein''s Minister of Defense, Akamun." Normally, you''d give the man a round of apuse as a form of respect, but he was only met with silence. "Then let''s begin. How shall we deal with the Arabas Empire, who have just dered war on us? Please give us your opinions." "Opinions? That''s unnecessary. We have to fight for our freedom!" Rapuly (Krampal''s representative) struck the table and yelled. He was over eighty years old, and was also the oldest representative here. However, he didn''t seem like an old man. His eyes showed passion that didn''t match the countless wrinkles on his face. Rapuly was one of the leaders of the people''s revolution. He was a revolutionist that fought for freedom! Plus, he had governed Krampal for more than 50 years. It wasn''t a dictatorship. The citizens kept voting for him of their own ord. He had the best reputation of all the representatives, and had a powerful voice. "It''s only been 54 years since the fall of the Altein Empire. But now the Arabas Empire is trying to unite the continent? I can''t allow anyone to threaten our freedom!" Rapuly said. His voice was passionate enough that it didn''t seem like it came out of an eighty year old man! "He''s right." "Indeed." Some of the representatives spoke in agreement. However, not all of them agreed with his positive outlook. "However... The Arabas Empire has a ton of soldiers. If youbine their 1st, 2nd, and 3rd corps, they have a total of 700,000 soldiers," Natale (Trium''s representative) said. Trium was in close proximity to Saw Rock Fortress. Thus, he could feel how powerful the Arabas Empire was. "If we work together, then we can gather 1 million troops," Rapuly said. "I know, but it''ll take some time before we can gather that many troops..." "And?" "My city will fall to the Arabas Empire by then." "Yes, it will." "We need a n that''s effective immediately!" "Or you could gather your troops and send them to us!" The representatives of the cities under threat said. "But do we really have to fight them? How about we try negotiating with them first?" Kalduria''s representative asked. His cityy far, far away from the Arabas Empire. "He''s right." "War isn''t our only option." A few of them chimed in. Bam! Rapuly forcefully mmed the table. "You negotiate when you''re on even footing. If we negotiate with them now, we''ll be forced to ept all of their unreasonable demands. So first, we need to gather enough troops to fight them! We can decide whether to fight or negotiate then!" "..." Kalduria''s representative kept his mouth shut. However, he didn''t seem to agree with Rapuly''s viewpoint. He believed that Rapuly was being too aggressive. More than 100 representatives were gathered here, so they couldn''t easilye to any sort of conclusion. Plus, the representatives that''d been bribed by the Arabas Empire did their best to block any sort of consensus from being reached. In the end, the meeting went on for several days. That was the weakness of a democracy; it took a long time to reach a majority. Then, they came across a problem. Tap, tap, tap. A man urgently rushed into the room, and whispered something into Natale''s ear. "Aah!" Natale suddenly stood up. The other representatives fixed their gaze on him. "I-I''ll have to excuse myself." "What''s the matter?" Rapuly asked. "Trium has been surrounded by 300,000 troops!" "What?" "They said they''d burn down the city if we don''t surrender. I... No, we''ll surrender to the Arabas Empire! You can do what you want." Natale left before they could stop him. Representatives of the cities near Trium looked ufortable, but ultimately stood up and left the conference room. Sometimeter... They heard word that six free cities, including Trium, had surrendered to the Arabas Empire. However, they were no closer to an agreement. There were two factions in particr, the faction that wanted to fight and the faction that wanted to negotiate, that couldn''t get along at all. The officials that Jegal had paid off were also keeping them from reaching any sort of agreement. At this rate, nothing would get aplished. "Hoo." Rapuly sighed. ''Freedom''s something you have to fight for.'' He knew this better than anyone. Negotiating for the good of all? Surrender for peace? That was all a load of horseshit. They would be ves if they surrendered to the Arabas Empire. ''It can''t be helped!'' Ultimately, Rapuly made his decision, and used all of his political influence. Rapuly''s influence was tremendous. He would also use immortal tactics like threatening others or bribing them, and even instigating the citizens too. He''d normally detest these methods. After all, they were the tactics of a corrupt politician. However, he couldn''t argue with their effectiveness. Rapuly won over more than half of the representatives, giving his faction the majority, and decided to go to war with the Arabas Empire. They waved the Anti-Arabas g, and created the Freedom Alliance. However, more than ten free cities had already surrendered to the Arabas Empire. Moreover...! The ten cities Jegal had paid off simultaneously showed their support for the Arabas Empire, and stated that they would support them with supplies and manpower. Of course, their citizens vehemently opposed their elected officials'' decision and tried to impeach them, but they were suppressed by the military. Plus, the Church of Serena, the Church of the Sun (the desert region''s local religion), the Church of Luak (God of Darkness), and four small churches joined their cause. Finally, the Empire Guild tried to recruit yers to their side too. Jegal had a special squad called the Incitement Squad, which was responsible for stirring up themunity. "Join the Empire. We don''t care about your past. Let''s unite the continent together. The continent is vast, and there are so many NPCs for us to control! Our yers will be nobles, and when the war is over, they''ll gain so much more!" The Incitement Squad bewitched the yerbase with the promise of yer ''aristocracy''. More people fell for these promises and joined the Empire than expected. "It doesn''t sound bad." "It''s better to join the winning side. Then we''ll get at least a small piece of the pie." "Yeah, this is our chance. If we do well in the war, then we can get even more." Jegal smiled wickedly at the crowd of yers gathering at the Arabas Pce. ''As expected, the public are so easy to manipte.'' They were like livestock that wagged their tails at the person offering them food! * * * The Freedom Alliance dispatched several troops to Altein. They had actually managed to scrape up 1 million troops. Moreover, most of therge guilds, including Breaker and Storm, and the small guilds joined the Freedom Alliance. ''Do you really think they''ll share the profits with you? What a load of crap!'' They knew how power worked, so they weren''t swayed by the promise of a yer aristocracy. Han Seol even refuted the logic behind the aristocracy. "The yer aristocracy is a load of crap. Arth has more than tens of millions of yers. There''s no feasible way to make all of these yers into nobles. So when the Empire Guild unites the continent, only the ''pure-blooded'' members will be nobles. Is that not true? Which means...! If you believe their lies and join the Empire Guild of your own ord, then you''re signing yourself up for very. It''s not toote! Join the alliance and fight the Empire. Protect your freedom!" However, people only believed what they wanted to believe. No matter how correct Han Seol was, the yers wouldn''t be swayed; they could see nothing but the promise of profit. Thus, more yers headed for the Arabas Pce than Altein. There was also a group that dered their neutrality: the Steel Heart Guild! It was one of the 4 great guilds, and was renowned for its skilled craftsmen. "We''ll remain neutral. We will provide weapons or armor to either side, so long as they pay us. And if we''re attacked, then we''ll join the opposite side!" Arthand yelled. "Merchants don''t discriminate!" Wang Seo Rim''s Geumsan Store was also a neutral party. They nned on selling supplies to both sides. "We won''t forgive anyone that messes with us!" The Mage''s Tower was like a ho''s nest; if you messed with this magical ho''s nest, you best be prepared to go through hell! "Also, you cannot use our intercity transfer gates to transport arge amount of soldiers or supplies. If you do notply with these rules, then you will be our enemy!" The Tower ensured that they wouldn''t get caught up in this war. Thus, they had prevented either side from using their intercity transfer gates for the war. Lastly, most of the churches joined the Freedom Alliance. This included the Rakan Church, which was led by their young High Priest, Saru. With this, everyone had chosen their sides. The prologue of the war that would decide the fate of the continent had ended. Chapter 540. The Freedom Alliance vs. the Imperial Army (1)

Chapter 540. The Freedom Alliance vs. the Imperial Army (1)

Trantor: Boko The Freedom Alliance''s 1 million troops gathered in Altein. As the Alliance''s Commander in Chief, Rapuly picked three people to lead their troops. His first pick was his close friend, Gheor. He was a general during the reign of the Altein Empire, and was called the Mad Tiger. His second pick was the general of Krampal, Ould. And hisst pick was the Invincible diator, Burkan. Gheor was an extremely renowned general, and had the leadership skills to match. Plus, he was one of the continent''s Masters. Burkan was much stronger than Gheor, and had assumedmand of arge army against the Evil God Worshippers just a short while ago. Ould wasn''t on the same level as them; he wasn''t a Master. However, he was much smarter than his peers, and was called the Tactical Genius. "It''s time to organize the army." Rapuly put Gheor in charge of 400,000 troops, which was called the Tiger Corps after his own nickname. Breaker and Storm were part of this army, and Han Seol was given an advisor post. It was also the alliance''srgest corps, as it included therge guilds. It was clearly the Alliance''s main force. Burkan was put in charge of the Eagle Corps. The eagle was a symbol of diators. It included diators, Dion and the 100 Fighters, and two of the five great mercenary groups: Sword and Drak. General Ould was given 300,000 troops, which was called the Elephant Corps. The elephant was the symbol of therge city, Krampal. The yers were spread amongst these three corps. Once they had finished organizing their troops, Rapuly called Gheor, Burkan, and Ould to a meeting. Han Seol, as well as the other advisors, joined them. "I need a n to defeat the Arabas Empire," Rapuly said. An old man, who had clear eyes and a giant body more than 2 meters tall, stood up. Strangely, the man''s hair was white, but his eyebrows were ck. It was General Gheor, who was once called the Mad Tiger! "Our best bet would be to guard Saw Rock Fortress, and make sure the Arabas Empire can''te out. However, it''s far toote for that... This is the next best thing!" Gheor pointed his index finger at the spread out map. Golden Road Fortress! The continent''s roads went through this major transportation point. "We have to protect this ce no matter what. If they take it, then the Arabas Empire will be able to travel anywhere within the central region. They''ll also get a safe supply route too." Everyone listened carefully. "The Golden Road Fortress is in the middle of five other fortresses. These fortresses are set up in a way that they protect each other. Thus, we''ll be able to fight off our enemies with less troops. But if we want to adequately staff each of the fortresses, then we''ll need to send one of our corps." Rapuly stroked his chin. It was a bad habit of his when he had some thinking to do. He looked at Ould and Burkan one after another. Then... "Ould." "Yes!" Ould was a short man in histe thirties. However, no one looked down on him for his age or his height. The Tactical Genius, Ould! He was much smarter than his peers. "Go to the Golden Road Fortress. Do whatever it takes to protect it!" Rapuly ordered. "Understood!" Ould replied. "Ould." "Yes, General Gheor." "Protecting the fortress isn''t everything. You know what I''m talking about, right?" "Of course. We''ll protect the fortress, and attack the Imperial Army''s rear and/or destroy their supplies if we get the opportunity. Then, the Empire will be forced to split their army to deal with us," Ould said without hesitation. Gheor smirked. ''As expected of Ould!'' "Gather the Elephant Corps and go now. If I was the Arabas Empire, then I''d be aiming for Golden Road Fortress right about now." "Understood. Please send me the details of the meeting separately." "I will." Ould left the conference room. Sometimeter... The Elephant Corps departed Altein and headed for Golden Road Fortress. Those remaining continued with the meeting, which was primarily led by Rapuly and Gheor. "If Ould is sessful, then the Arabas Empire will be forced to advance on Altein." Gheor marked two ces on the map. It was the Nazrak in and the new Sunset River. "And route and a sea route," Rapuly said. "My friend, I think they''re going toe bynd," Gheor said. "It makes sense. Desert soldiers would have a hard time moving through water." The Arabas Empire didn''t have enough boats to move hundreds of thousands of troops across the water. If that''s the case, then they would have to build or steal them. Even if they managed that, they wouldn''t be effective at fighting above water. "But they may surprise us ande by sea." That''s why he didn''t unmark the Sunset River, and pointed at it. "Which means we have split our troops. We''ll have to read their movements and act ordingly." "Yeah." "Then the Tiger Corps will go to Nazrak in, and the Eagle Corps will head to the Sunset River." "Understood." "Yes, sir!" Gheor and Burkan replied simultaneously. "However... Arabas has a powerful organization called Empire behind them. You know them well, right?" Gheor stared at the advisors, or more specifically, a female advisor. He was looking at the Storm Guild''s vice-captain, Han Seol. She was the Tiger Corps'' advisor. "Yes. I have been watching them, studying them, and preparing for them for a long time." "That''s why I chose you as my advisor. Tell me about Empire." "Empire is..." Han Seol exined what she''d learned in detail. She went over the Empire Guild''s members, their power and troops, their ambitions and ns, and what she believed they did, and what they nned to do. Gheor smiled. "Empire, huh... I really want to fight them." Gheor emitted a fierce, valorous energy from his body. Old soldiers never die. This phrase fits a man like Gheor quite well. * * * The Imperial Army was divided amongst Dukeram, Dalton, and Kantos. As the Supreme Commander, Dukeram was in charge of the 1st Corps, which consisted of 300,000 troops. The Empire Guild''s troops, as well as their eight squads, were part of this corps. It was clearly their main army! Arabas''s Guardian Angel, Dalton, led the 2nd Corps of 200,000 troops. It consisted of natives of the Arabas Kingdom. It also included Insect/Sand Mages, as well as the desert''s mercenaries. Lastly, Ghost Spear Kantos (a native of the conquered Baiyan Kingdom) was put in charge of the 3rd Corps, which possessed 200,000 troops. His origins may exin why his corps was made up of soldiers of the Baiyan and Des Kingdoms, as well as the yers that''d recently joined the Arabas Empire''s cause. The 1st Corps conquered Saw Rock Fortress, and made the nearby free cities surrender. The 2nd Corps crossed the Phamas Mountains, captured the port cities, and then returned. The 3rd Corps went south, and subjugated anyone who didn''t follow the Empire''s rule. Then, they conscripted 30,000 more Desert Warriors. 20,000 troops were added to the Arabas Empire''s reserve troops, bringing their number up to 250,000. After that, a new order was given. Jegal, the Imperial Army''s Chief of Staff, ordered them to advance on the Golden Road Fortress! Kantos led his troops across the border. It was supposed to be a dangerous journey due to the mountains, but the 3rd Corps wasn''t weak.. Along the way, they passed a few small towns that''d surrendered to them, and would fight any enemies that they came across. In spite of that, they quickly advanced forward. By the time they reached the Golden Road Fortress, however, elephant gs were fluttering from atop the fortress''s walls. Ould hadn''t had any interruptions along the way, so he was able to make it there first. Kantos knew how the Golden Road Fortress was designed, so he immediately ordered his subordinates to assess the other five fortresses. "They all had elephant gs, and a rtivelyrge force was stationed at each one." "Mm." Kantos looked up at the Golden Road Fortress, and furrowed his brow. The Golden Road Fortress was designed in such a way that each fortress could help each other. If he attacked the fortress, then the other castles'' troops would attack them from the side or the rear. Of course, the other castles would also help guard the fortress. Thus, they had to simultaneously conquer the other castles before they could conquer the main fortress! ''We won''t be able to do this in a single day or two.'' Ultimately, Kantos'' troops pulled back and set up camp. They needed to rest before they did anything. After that, he contacted Jegal via a Communication Mage. The Communication Mage created an oval mirror, which showed a reflection of Jegal. "I apologize. The Golden Road Fortress has already been upied by our enemies. Considering the fact that there are elephant gs all over the ce, it must be Ould''s forces." "It can''t be helped. We already had a backup n in case you couldn''t conquer the fortress, so it won''t be a problem." "Then?" "Construct a fortress nearby, and make sure the Elephant Corps can''t leave and get in the Imperial Army''s way." If they could keep Ould and the Elephant Corps trapped within the fortress, then it wouldn''t be a losing deal for them. "Understood!" "Please keep your supply route safe." "I''ll keep that in mind." As Jegal ordered, Kantos began constructing a new fortress on a nearby mountain. However, Ould wouldn''t let this pass. He formed a detached force of 50,000 troops, and ambushed them at night. "Enemies!" "Enemies have appeared!" Intense screams and cries, as well as the sound of weapons crashing against each other, resounded throughout the battlefield in the shadow of night. "Move quickly!" Ould led his troops from the front. Their weapons easily killed the 3rd Corp''s troops. A short whileter, their tents ignited with mes, illuminating the dark night. "Damn it!" Kantos'' leadership was nowhere near as great as his ability as a warrior. He hadn''t been expecting an ambush, and had beenpletely blindsided. However...! He was called the Ghost Spear. His individual power was tremendous. "You bastards!" Kantos quickly thrust his 3 meter long spear several times. Stab! Whoosh! His spear pierced through his enemies before it even made a sound. He was ridiculously fast. "I''ll kill you all!" The tip of his spear was like the reaper''s finger. Whoever he pointed his spear at would die without exception. "Mm." Ould witnessed Kantos'' rampage and bit his lip. ''He''s an Elite Master.'' The Elephant Corps had two Masters of their own. However, he would need both of them to keep Kantos at bay. Moreover, the 3rd Corps was filled with powerful troops. At first, they panicked from the sudden ambush, but they quickly got a hold of themselves and fought back. On the other hand, the Elephant Corpscked battle experience. That was a problem most of the free cities'' troops possessed. Ultimately, the ambush was only effective at the beginning. "Everyone, retreat!" Thus, retreating was their best option right now. That decision allowed them to escape before the 3rd Corps could construct a perimeter around them. Bam! Thud! Kantos struck the ground with his spear shaft, leaving a deep, long scar on the ground. "Shit!" Kantos gritted his teeth. Ould had got him good. Luckily, they hadn''t taken as much damage as he''d expected. Following that, Kantos kept his guard up, and prepared for ambushes. ''We''re ready for you anytime!'' However, Ould never came out again. Ould had 300,000 troops, while Kantos had 250,000. However, that number was split amongst six fortresses. On the other hand, the 3rd Corps'' fortress wasn''t divided into smaller fortresses, so all of his troops were stationed in one ce. Moreover, Kantos'' troops were more skilled than Ould''s. A head-on battle would be risky. Ultimately, Ould couldn''t discard his defensive advantage, and Kantos, who had less troops than Ould, couldn''t afford to siege the fortress. This boring, conflictless confrontation continued. * * * While the Elephant Corps and the 3rd Corps were in a stalemate... Dalton''s 2nd Corps passed Saw Rock Fortress and entered the central region. His mission was simple. The 2nd Corps was to subjugate the eastern part of the central region, and take it over for the Empire! It definitely wasn''t a difficult assignment. Most of the eastern free cities had surrendered to them, after all. Dalton divided his troops into eight separate brigades, and advanced. He wanted to take control of as much territory as possible. However...! The Freedom Alliance didn''t just twiddle their thumbs and watch. Burkan''s Eagle Corps, which was guarding the Sunset River, advanced from the south and engaged them in small battles. The owner of the mountains and ins changed day after day. In the morning, the Eagle Corps would nt their gs in the city, and at night, the 2nd Corps'' shield gs would flutter atop the castle walls. The battle continued over and over again. The residents took up arms and attacked them. It was, however,mon for them to lose their lives,e back to burning buildings, and lose their homes. This resulted in countless orphans and refugees. The ground was filled with countless corpses. Chapter 541. The Freedom Alliance vs. the Imperial Army (2)

Chapter 541. The Freedom Alliance vs. the Imperial Army (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh remained on Mokomoko Ind, and continuously cut the approaching waves. However, he hadn''t learnt Divide the Sea yet, nor did he feel any closer to learning it. It had already been 2 weeks. "Hoo." Kang Oh entered Sven''s housepletely soaked. "It seems like you didn''t get any closer today." Sven passed him a towel. "I swung my sword fast, slow, forcefully, and softly, but I didn''t get a feeling of ''this is it'' from any of them." ''If I want to cut the sea, then how am I supposed to swing my sword?'' Sven kept his mouth shut and passed him a cup of warm tea. He didn''t have anything to say, but he was basically telling him to keep at it. Sip. The feeling of warm tea going down his throat was great. "I need to bepletely focused on my sword, so much so that I lose my feeling of self, but it''s not as easy as it sounds." As he cleaved the waves, Kang Oh constantly recalled Vn''s words. He had said that he concentrated so hard that it was as if he wasn''t even there. It felt like that was where the answer lied. Sven slightly raised his lips. Kang Oh was going in the right direction, even though he hadn''t told him how to get there. He wanted to give him a piece of advice so badly that his lips tingled. However, he felt as though Kang Oh learning it by himself would be far more beneficial to him than spoon-feeding him, so he kept his mouth shut. "I haven''t seen boatsing here for a while now." Citin Port would periodically send supplies to Mokomoko Ind. However, it had been more than a week since a boat hadste. "There must be some circumstances behind it. As I told you, Citin Port, as well as the entire eastern region, has been taken over by the Arabas Empire." Kang Oh knew about Empire''s war of conquest. He had kept himself up to date with current events via themunity sites and the media. However, he had no ns of joining the war, at least not right now. Plus, the Arabas Empire hadn''t gotten their hands on Mokomoko Ind yet. ''I''ll join the battle once I''ve learned Divide the Sea.'' Divide the Sea was suitable for mass destruction. His spine throbbed at the thought of annihting several members of the Empire Guild with Divide the Sea. "It''s only been a little more than 50 years since the fall of the Altein Empire, yet they haven''t learned anything." Sven groaned. Arabas was foolishly trying to be the 2nd Altein Empire. "Empire, no, Arabas won''t be a 2nd Altein. I won''t let thate to pass." What if Empire controlled the entire continent? That would make things difficult for Kang Oh. They wouldn''t let him go unpunished, but even if they did, he wouldn''t be free to do as pleased. It was clear as day what Empire would do once they united the continent. The continent would be a hierarchical society divided between those that were part of Empire, and those who weren''t! They wouldn''t stop there; they would rule over others, suppress them, steal from them, etc. They would do everything! ''I can''t let that happen.'' There were plenty of virtual reality games. However, there weren''t any games that were as perfect as Arth. It was a game that he could profit off of for 3 to 5 more years. If he was lucky, then he''d be able to y it for another 10 years. ''You''re not taking what''s mine!'' He would destroy their dreams and aspirations! "Thank you for the tea. I''ll go back out there now." "Good luck." Kang Oh left Sven''s house. There was a parasol and two long chairs set up on the beach. Sara, Tasha, and Rudy were resting underneath the shade. Rudy was sleeping with its head stuck in afy cushion. ''You guys sure have it good, don''t you?'' While Kang Oh was training, Sara, Tasha, and Rudy had nothing to do. Thus, he told them to rest on their own. And here they were, shamelessly resting while Kang Oh was hard at work. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh''s stomach hurt, but he didn''t interrupt their rest and headed for the shore. Switch Ubist! Kang Oh held Ubist and stood in front of a wave. "Hoo. Let''s do this!" sh! Kang Oh swung his jet-ck greatsword vertically. The wave was cut in two, but that was all. It wasn''t on the level of cutting the sea yet. ''Again!'' Kang Oh began to concentrate. But sometimeter, he heard a whisper in his ear. "Guardian of the Continent, there is something I need you to do." It was the Whispers of the Earth. ''It''s been quiet for a while.'' He thought it was about time that he got a Guardian of the Continent Quest. "The war is severely polluting thend." Ding. A quest popped up. [Guardian of the Continent Quest: Save the Continent!] A huge war has broken out. It is a tragedy brought about by humanity''s endless greed! Countless living beings are dying every day. The world is filled with bodies, resentment, hatred, and screams. This has resulted in evil energy that has polluted thend. If the war continues, then the evil energy will pollute some areas beyond repair. (Remaining Time: 99 Days, 23 Hours, 59 Minutes) Difficulty: Unknown. Reward: None. Failure: You lose your status as Guardian of the Continent, and the effects of the Earth''s Blessing disappear. The formation of dead, uninhabitablend. [You cannot refuse a Guardian of the Continent Quest.] [The quest has been epted.] "Tch." ''You want me to end the war in 100 days!? Stupid Guardian of the Continent Quest. You give me a hard ass quest, yet you give me nothing in return.'' "Hmm." Kang Oh stroked his chin. A way to end the war in 100 days... There were only two things he could think of. First, the Freedom Alliance and the Arabas Empire could sign a ceasefire agreement. However, this n had a 0% chance of seeding. How could he possibly manage to convince the Empire Guild''s higher ups, who are dead set on controlling the entire continent, to a ceasefire? The second option was for the Freedom Alliance to defeat the Arabas Empire within 100 days! However, this was also a difficult task. After all, the Arabas Empire''s military might was tremendous. Still, it had a much higher chance of working than the 1st option. It was also more in line with Kang Oh''s style. ''When a kid''s being bad, you gotta punish them.'' Kang Oh grinned. "I guess I''ll have to learn Divide the Seater." Kang Oh withdrew his sword, left the sea, and headed straight for Tasha, Sara, and Rudy. "It''s time to get to work." * * * Kang Oh looked for Burkan, who led the Eagle Corps. His fame was pretty much a free pass ticket. As soon as he revealed his name, he was led straight to Burkan. "Brother!" "Oh, Little Brother." Burkan was happy to see him. "You got caught up in something troublesome." "It''s really not. It''s my duty as a diator to protect our freedom," Burkan said firmly. To be honest, Vn had forced him to do something extremely bothersome. What is that, you ask? It was a task given by Rakan, which would allow him to break his limitations! However, leading a corps let him weasel himself out of it. Hurray! "I came here to help you." "Really?" "Yes!" "Thanks." Burkan beamed. Kang Oh was just as strong as him. He''d be a huge help. "How are things going?" Kang Oh asked. "We''ve been engaging Dalton''s 2nd Corps in regional wars." "I''ve already heard about that. So what''s the score so far?" "6 to 4." "Who''s winning?'' "The Empire is winning. We have more troops, but the quality of their troops is a little higher. So we''ve been taking some heavy casualties." "I see." Kang Oh nodded his head. At that moment... A man entered the tent. It was Dion, a diator who specialized in the use of dual diuses. Now, all he needed to do was achieve a great feat and he''d be a Master. "Mr. Dion!" "Oh, it''s you." "It''s been a while." "Yeah, it has." "What''s going on?" Burkan asked. "I have an urgent report from our scouts. The 2nd Corps'' Gray Sand Squad is headed for Madrick City." The Gray Sand Squad was made up of the 2nd Corps'' finest troops. The only ones who could deal with them were Dion and the 100 Fighters, or the Sword Mercenaries. However, the Sword Mercenaries were currently away doing a different assignment. "Take the 100 Fighters to Madrick. We can''t let them take the city!" "Yes, sir." "You go too." Burkan stared at Kang Oh. "Can I kill them all?" Kang Oh grinned. "Don''t let down your guard. Theirmander is strong." "How strong?" "He''s as strong as Dion." "So a Fake Master could take care of him." "Yeah." "Leave it to me!" Kang Oh hit his chest. "Let''s go." Dion left in a hurry, and Kang Oh followed him. A short whileter... Rat-a-tat-tat! Dion and the 100 Fighters'' horses galloped across thend. Kang Oh''s ck horse rode amongst them too. * * * Madrick City was called the ''Uphill Flower''. It was constructed above a hill, and was renowned for its beauty. The city was filled with buildings of all sizes and colors, which made it look like a single flower. This is where the Gray Sand Squad appeared. This organization was made up of Arabas troops that had proven themselves in battle. There were a total of 5,000 of them! ng, ng, ng, ng! "E-Enemies!" "Get inside!" The residents of Madrick locked their doors and held their breath. Madrick''s soldiers, which stood atop the castle walls, looked grim. They didn''t have enough soldiers to stop the Gray Sand Squad, nor were the castle walls high enough to mount a proper defense. Plus, the main gate wasn''t thick enough. "What about our reinforcements?" the garrison captain asked. "The 100 Fighters are on their way," his subordinate replied. "Really? What a relief." The garrison captain''s face slightly rxed. However...! "Uheok!" "S-Save me." Before they even arrived, the Gray Sand Squad defeated the garrison, and took over the city''s ramparts. Theirmander, Darcun, did especially well. He leapt onto the ramparts and killed dozens of the city''s troops. "We''ve killed all of their troops," Darcun''s subordinate said. "Good. Now we just wait for the 100 Fighters!" "Yes, sir!" Their goal wasn''t Madrick. They sought to lower the 100 Fighters'' numbers. After all, they were the Eagle Corps'' bravest and most powerful fighting force. "I''m in your care," Darcun said. "Leave it to me," an old man, whose face was half covered by his robes, replied. His voice was extremely dreary and unpleasant to listen to. Darcun slightly furrowed his brow. However, he quickly rxed his face. The old man was incredibly ill-tempered. He didn''t want to face the old man''s wrath. * * * Less than thirty minutes after the Gray Sand Squad had captured the city''s walls, the 100 Fighters arrived. The 100 Fighters was originally made up of 100 elite diators. But when they joined the Eagle Corps, several elites joined their group, swelling their numbers to 5,000 troops. "Tch, we''re toote." Dion saw the Gray Sand Squad''s gs atop the castle walls and clicked his tongue. "What do we do?" a diator asked. "Lord Burkan''s orders were clear. Do not let them take Madrick. We''ll have to recapture the city." "Understood." "Fortunately, the ramparts are low, so we''ll be able to climb them. Kang Oh." "Yes?" "I''m counting on you." "Leave it to me." Kang Oh pulled out Ubist and Blood. "Let''s go!" Dion wasn''t the type to stay idle; he was the type to charge right in. His leadership reflected that too. "Charge! Reim Madrick City!" "Uwaaah!" 5,000 soldiers cried out, and charged at Madrick. At the same time...! Whoosh! Bam! A dark red winged demon with a horned beast mask shot into the air and descended on the castle walls. Chapter 542. The Lord of the Red Tower, Raika (1)

Chapter 542. The Lord of the Red Tower, Raika (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh flew over the castle walls and searched for Darcun. Darcun was themander of the Gray Sand Squad. On his way here, Dion had shared what he knew about him. Darcun was known for his viciousness and brutality on the battlefield, which is why he was known as the Kruger. ''It''s him!'' Kang Oh could tell right away. Darcun let off an atmosphere of cruelty, and his clothes were a lot different from the surrounding troops. "Who are you!?" "Take him down!" His enemies swung their des and shot arrows at him. Kuhaaahk! Kang Oh unleashed a fearsome roar. Demon''s Roar caused his enemies to wither away in fear, and reduced all of their abilities! However, the Gray Sand Squad was made up of the 2nd Corps'' finest troops. "Uht!" "Chiaht!" They briefly staggered on their feet, but they managed to follow through and attack Kang Oh. Kang Oh softly swung his swords, deflecting every one of their attacks. ng, ng, ng, ng, ng! The sound of shing metal rang out. Bam! Kang Oh forcefully kicked off the floor. He quickly charged forward, his dark red wings folded and his tail swinging behind him. It was as if he were a dark red meteor. In an instant, he bridged the gap, and then forcefully swung Ubist downwards. "Hmph!" Darcun snorted and swung his serrated sword. Screech! Their des shed, emitting a piercing ''screech''. Darcun was pushed back, his physical strength no match for Kang Oh''s. He quickly reoriented himself, and prepared for Kang Oh''s next attack. However...! Swish! Kang Oh''s jet-ck greatsword had already passed through his neck. He had used Transcendent de, granting his sword unmatched speed. Bam! Red shards of light burst from the wound. Kang Oh didn''t let up. He swung his demon swords one after another. Dukeram had described Kang Oh''s swordsmanship as ''two swordsmen working inplete sync''. Darcun wasn''t even a Master, so he had a tough time blocking Kang Oh''s attacks. Even though he waspletely focused on defense, some of Kang Oh''s attacks slipped through his guard. As a result, countless red shards of light fell from his body. Darcun''s face turned gray. ''He''s an Elite Master!'' Kang Oh''s speed and power far exceeded his own. Plus, his swordsmanship was frighteningly sharp and precise. "Lord Raika! Please help..." Darcun said urgently. However, it was already toote. Dragon''s Fury! A giant, gray vortex of light raged around Kang Oh, whichpletely devoured Darcun. Boom! Darcun flew through the sky. Bam! Kang Oh leapt into the air, and then stretched out his dark red wings. "Attack him as much as you want!" Tasha said telepathically. Kang Oh relentlessly swung his demon swords. Shards of light continuously fell from Darcun''s body like hail. He would be able to finish him off at this rate. However, someone got in his way. The old man, who Darcun had called ''Lord Raika'', raised his cobra adorned staff. His face was half covered by his robes, making it difficult to make out. "...Suck out even the soul." It had only taken him 1 second toplete the chant. He was clearly a top-tier mage. Swoosh! Blood Red Spiral Spear! Red sand gathered together, forming a gigantic drill. Then, it rapidly spun around and flew towards Kang Oh. Danger! His Hyper Intuition sent him a cold warning. Tasha tried to fly him out of there, but... "Don''t back off!" Kang Oh yelled. "What? Why?" Kang Oh said nothing. His actions would speak for him. Swish! His jet-ck greatsword cleaved the spiral spear in half. The red energy contained within the scattered sand was absorbed by his de. Abyss de! This ability allowed him to cut through the immaterial, and absorb a spell every 30 seconds! "Now''s our chance! Let''s finish him off!" "Got it!" Kang Oh descended to the ground, andnded atop the rolling Darcun. Stab! Stab! His demon swords pierced through Darcun''s chest. Darcun''s body thrashed around like a surprised shrimp, and shards of light fell from his body. There was a mix of both ck and red shards. [You have defeated the Gray Sand Squad''s Kruger, Darcun.] With this, Gray Sand''s leader had met his untimely death. At that moment... The mage cast another spell at him. Blood Red Sand Strike! Heat Killing Snare! A giant clump of red sand came flying at him, and Kang Oh could feel the scorching heat that the nearby sand spheres were emitting. The mage hadn''t even bothered to chant. However, he had cast two spells simultaneously! Their power was tremendous too. ''Is he using Double Casting!?'' Double Casting was an arcane spell that allowed the user to cast two spells at once. Dodging was his first priority. "To the sky!" "Got it!" Kang Oh forcefully pped his wings, and flew into the air. A pile of sand swept through the area he''d once been in. "Try dodging this too!" The mage wasn''t going to stop there. He relentlessly cast spell after spell at Kang Oh. Sand Bomb! Heat Killing Sword! Red Pir! ... However, Kang Oh was way too fast, and quickly got out of harm''s way. "Scallion," the mage said. "Yes, Lord Raika?" "Darcun is dead. You lead the Gray Sand Squad now." "Yes, sir!" Kang Oh was under the assumption that killing their leader wouldrgely weaken them. However, he was dead wrong on that front. Every member of the Gray Sand Squad had a rank. When theirmander died, the next in line would just take over and assume his role. Non-scattering sand. That''s what Dalton had called them. Darcun (rank 1) had died, so Scallion (rank 2) would take over. Scallion looked around. The 100 Fighters and the Gray Sand Squad were fighting atop the ramparts. They were their corps'' elites! Thus, the two sides were evenly matched. Scallion raised Darcun''s body into the air and forcefully yelled, "Darcun is dead. Now I''m themander!" The Gray Sand Squad briefly looked at him, and then refocused on the battle. No one had anyints. Scallion turned his head and stared at Raika. "Lord Raika, please help me. It''ll be difficult to win this battle by ourselves." Darcun was more powerful than him. However, he had died so easily at the hands of that demonic beast! Scallion didn''t think he could beat that demon. "That''s why I came." Raika swung his cobra staff to the side, and released yellow sand into the air. Unblockable Sandstorm! All of a sudden, the yellow sand covered the top of the castle walls. "Ugh!" "Damn it!" The sand made it difficult for them to see. On the other hand, the Gray Sand Squad wore goggles around their necks or heads, and were barely affected by it. They, who were used to fighting in the desert, knew the value of their goggles in the face of a sandstorm. Raika''s magic continued. "Desert soldiers made of agglomerated blood!" Summon Blood Red Sand Soldiers! Crimson soldiers appeared one or two at a time. "...The fairy ys tricks!" Fairy Teasing Mirror! The mage summoned a copy of each and every member of the Gray Sand Squad. It was impossible to tell which one was real and which one was fake. "Red sand, illusion magic... Is he the Lord of the Red Tower?" Dion''s face stiffened. The Lord of the Red Tower, Raika. He led the Sand Mages, and was also a Master Mage! ''We didn''t hear anything about him.'' The Empire''s Sand/Insect Mages were dispatched to Dalton''s 2nd Corps. However, their troops were led by the two leaders'' sessors. The leaders themselves hadn''t joined the war. And yet, one of the leaders had appeared out of the blue. He was a Master Mage at that! ''What a relief.'' Dion rxed at the thought of Kang Oh. Although their enemies had Raika, the 100 Fighters had Kang Oh. "Haha. Get ready." "We''ll grant you a lovely death." The Gray Sand Squad''s morale shot up, and they fiercely attacked the 100 Fighters. "Fight back to back! We''re the 100 Fighters! Kang Oh is with us too!" Dion cleaved through his enemies with his dual diuses and yelled. "Oooh!" "We''re the 100 Fighters!" "C''mon!" The 100 Fighters'' morale didn''t go down at all. They fought back to back, and bravely engaged the enemies that came at them from every direction. As one would expect, the Gray Sand Squad''s attacks were well-organized, quick, and powerful. On the other hand, the Red Sand Soldiers were quicker, tougher, and stronger than normal troops. Plus, the copies kept fooling the 100 Fighters, as they couldn''t differentiate them from the real soldiers. Nevertheless, the 100 Fighters put up a good fight. "I''ll take the right side." "You can leave the left side to me." "It doesn''t matter whether you''re real or an illusion. I''ll cut through anything thates my way!" "You won''t get through unless you kill me first!" They trusted theirrades and fought rigorously, so they didn''t fall easily. "Die!" "Right back at you!" The intense battle continued. Then... The demon came out of the darkness. He had used Abyss Transfer. Raika was right in front of him. Kang Oh immediately swung Ubist. Tempest Tiger! Roar! A shining golden tiger flew towards the mage. Raika reacted immediately. He tapped the butt end of his staff onto the ground, and sand surged like a fountain. Sand Coffin! Tempest Tiger struck the tough, coffin-shaped sand. Boom! The sand crumbled instantly. Then, Raika cast another spell. Blood Red Spiral Spear! Shimmering Heat Killing Spear! A drill-shaped red sand spear, and a scorching hot spear came flying at Kang Oh simultaneously. Kang Oh swung both of his des at the same time. Abyss w! Fresh Blood Wave! His auras shot out in an X, and flew towards the spears. Boom! Boom! The four energies shed in the air and exploded. Grains of sand fell from the sky, making it difficult for him to see ahead. However...! Swish! Swish! Swish! Demon Sword Sarahoff fiercely spun like an electric fan, and came flying at Raika. Kang Oh had pulled out Sarahoff and forcefully thrown it using Weapon Bombardment the moment the energies exploded. "No!" Raika urgently cast a spell. Red Pir! A red pir of sand surged from the ground. Boom! Sarahoff broke through the pir. "Bind him!" Raika quickly finished his incantation. Sand Seal! Countless grains of sand stuck to Sarahoff. At the same time, Raika threw a sharp de of sand at Kang Oh. Kang Oh cleaved through the sand with his jet-ck de. Abyss de had activated, so the magic within the sand was sucked into his sword. Then, he swung Blood downwards. Blood Emperor! His snow-white de''s blood red energy flew at Raika. Kang Oh immediately used another ability. Demon''s Descent! Sarahoff, which was half covered in sand, glowed with dim light. However, Raika hadn''t noticed this. It was happening behind him, and he had to focus on blocking the Blood Emperor in front of him. "The source of sand that protects the desert..." Raika swung his staff and began a long chant. Sand rose from beneath his feet, which formed into a small hill. Sand Avnche! This was one of Raika''s most powerful spells. Not only did it possess incredible destructive potential, but it also had a huge radius. It summoned arge amount of sand that, like a snow avnche or andslide, devoured everything in its path. "Sweep through everything!" Raika said from atop the sand dune. Then... Bam! An ice spear pierced through Raika''s chest. "What?" Raika opened his eyes and turned around. He saw a Yuki-Onna with pale skin, pupiless eyes, and fur clothes. "Who the hell are you!?" Raika yelled fiercely, and swung his staff downwards. Then, the cobra ornament transformed into a real cobra and tried to bite Sara. Hoo! Sara, who''d sucked in a ton of air, forcefully blew. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! It was so cold that it felt like it''d freeze his very soul. Sara''s three sapphires also shot ice beams at him. He waspletely frozen solid. The cobra popped out of the ice and lunged, but it didn''t have enough reach. Kang Oh finished them both off. He quickly flew over and swung his demon swords. Mad Wind''s Sword! The cier broke into pieces. However...! The one trapped within the ice wasn''t actually Raika. It was an illusion that didn''t shatter, and slowly faded away into nothingness instead! "Illusion magic..." Kang Oh muttered. When had he swapped his real body with an illusion? He had definitely been the real deal until he''d summoned the sand dune. "You''re quite something," Raika said. Kang Oh turned his head around and stared at Raika. ''Huh?'' Raika was holding a staff in one hand, and a grimoire in the other. "To think you''d force me to use Ared''s grimoire." Kang Oh''s eyes widened. The cover of the book was definitely... - Illusion More Real than Reality Itself Grimoire 3 ''Ared''s grimoire!'' Ared was an unknown Illusion Master that wrote down his secret spell, ''Imaginary Projection'', in three separate grimoires. The grimoire in Raika''s hand was thest volume! Kang Oh had the first volume, while the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, possessed the second. Whichever of them found thest volume would get the whole set. And at this moment... The final volume appeared right before Kang Oh''s eyes. ''What luck!'' Kang Oh wanted to yell hurray. Chapter 543. The Lord of the Red Tower, Raika (2)

Chapter 543. The Lord of the Red Tower, Raika (2)

Trantor: Boko It didn''t matter how Raika had gotten his hands on Ared''s final grimoire. What did matter was that he had it, and that he''d appeared in front of Kang Oh! ''You''re mine.'' Kang Oh, Raika, and Sara moved simultaneously. Sara extended her hand at Raika. Ice Spike! Sharp ice surged from beneath Raika''s feet and pierced through his body. However, it was just an illusion. Raika had already gotten out of the way, and the grimoire in his hand glowed with bright light. ''The third volume must be special.'' Grimoires were books that allowed a person to learn magic. They had no real use in battle; at least when it came to normal grimoires, that is. Extraordinary grimoires could be used as equipment during battle. ''I want it even more now. I won''t let you get away.'' Kang Oh kicked off the floor. He folded his wings and shot at Raika like a rocket. Raika stomped on the floor. A yellow ring of sand rippled outwards. Then, Raika swung his staff. Bam! The ring exploded and spread through the air like thrown flour, obscuring his vision. ''Over there!'' Kang Oh found Raika in the sand cloud, and thrust his sword at him. However, he didn''t feel anything. It was definitely an illusion. ''Is he over there?'' He moved to the location where he sensed a presence. However, there were two Raikas there. No, two became four, and four became eight. He couldn''t tell which was the real one. He sliced the closest one first. However, he didn''t feel like he''d cut through anything. Raika eventually created more than 100 clones of him. Infinite Illusion! That was one of the spells that Raika had discovered in Ared''s grimoire. The countless illusions chanted simultaneously. All of their staffs glowed as if they were actually casting magic. Moreover, all of their spells were different. "Die!" Raika and his clones simultaneously yelled. Countless spells came flying at him. It started with Sand Spears and Sand des, and then clumps of sand fell from the sky. Sand Soldiers were created, and a sandstorm raged too. There were several other spells cast as well. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The explosive sound, the resulting effect, the fierce magical energy, etc. All of it seemed like it was real. However, they weren''t real. All of them were ultimately just illusions! ''Fake, fake, fake!'' Kang Oh confidently took every spell that came his way. If his Hyper Intuition didn''t warn him of danger, then the spells were just illusions. Then... Kang Oh felt a chill run up his spine. The attack came from the back, not the front. ''Behind me!'' Kang Oh quickly turned around. Something invisible grazed his body. To be more specific, he could see little bits of it. Although it was transparent, it clearly looked different from the space around it, so you could see the outline if you looked hard enough. The cobra had grazed him. Raika''s staff had transformed. Plus, he could see the outline of a person holding a staff. ''You''re the real one!'' His Hyper Intuition activated. There were three weak points in total! Kang Oh aimed for all three of them. He swung Ubist, Blood, and then Ubist again using Transcendent de. Bam! Bam! Bam! He could actually feel something this time, which differentiated it from illusions! The transparent being staggered, and Raika appeared spilling shards of light. He looked at him inplete disbelief. ''How did you find me?'' Summon illusions of himself, draw his opponent''s attention with countless spells, and then conceal his body with illusion magic. After that, attack his opponent with his cobra staff. That sequence of events was basically his sure kill move. The cobra was coated in King Scorpion''s poison, which was considered the strongest poison in the desert. Moreover, he had repeatedly modified it to increase its potency, so it was even stronger than a normal King Scorpion''s poison. Whoever was poisoned by this venom would die no matter what! At least, that''s what Raika thought. However, Raika''s secret weapon had failed. What''s worse, his opponent had unleashed a fierce counter, which made him feel like running was his only option here. "Argh!" Raika quickly shot sand at him. As soon as the sand flew at his eyes, Kang Oh closed his eyes and swung his sword. The tip of his de struck nothing but air. Did he make a mistake because he couldn''t see? Nope, that couldn''t be. His body had been well trained from oveing Ubist''s trial, so not being able to see wasn''t a problem for him! Bam! A refreshing ''bam'' rang out from an area with nothing but air. The illusion faded away into nothingness, and Raika reappeared, lookingpletely dumbfounded. When Kang Oh closed his eyes, he was pretty much Raika''s natural enemy. Raika''s illusions were useless before Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition. "How are you doing this!?" Raika yelled furiously, and randomly fired spells. Sand fists came flying at him from every direction. However, Sara''s flying sapphires either blew them away or froze them solid. He knew who the real Raika was, so it''d be stupid not to take advantage of it. Kang Oh then sliced through Raika again and again. "Ugh!" Raika felt like he''d go crazy. None of his strategies were working. Not only that, but Kang Oh''s attacks were way too sharp and they hurt so much. ''I have to run away!'' That''s all he could think about. "S-Save me, you idiots!" Ultimately, he called for help. However, there was no one there to help him. The Gray Sand Squad had their own problems to worry about. While Raika was engaging Kang Oh, the sand soldiers, the illusions, and the sandstorm had gone away. Moreover...! Scallion, who''d taken over after Darcun died, had long since been killed by Dion''s diuses. The next in line wasn''t able to stop him either. More than half of the Gray Sand Squad had been killed already, or were unable to fight anymore. Raika was on the brink of death. ''This is the only thing I can do!'' He used his trump card. Summon Red Golem! All of a sudden, a sand golem with a muscr upper body reminiscent of a genie in themp appeared. The golem''s fist came out of the ground, so Kang Oh had no choice but to back off. Then... ''Now!'' Sand Explosion! This spell was exactly as advertised; it allowed him to explode sand! The more sand there was to work with, the more powerful the explosion. The Red Golem was the perfect bomb. Using it as a medium would allow him to unleash a spell equal to the strength of three or four great magic spells! The golem''s arms and chest swelled. The countdown had begun. 9, 8, 7... Kang Oh widened his arms like an eagle soaring into the air. Blood Emperor! Abyss Predator! His demon swords unleashed explosive power. A red pir of energy shot out of Blood, while Ubist released a deluge of darkness. "Huaahp!" He crossed his arms and swung his swords. sh! The abyss and blood energy mixed together, and struck the golem. Right before it was about to explode... Bam! Kang Oh left a cross mark on its body, splitting it into four equal parts. Then, the two attacks swallowed Raika whole. "Ah, no..." Raika extended his hand and fought back. His bloodshot eyes were filled with resentment towards Kang Oh. However, he couldn''t avoid death. Boom! The mighty sts of energy swept through him, and countless shards of light flew through the air as he exploded. That marked the end of Raika, the Lord of the Red Tower. * * * Because he''d killed both Darcun and Raika, the 100 Fighters defeated the Gray Sand Squad in andslide victory. That was the result of the battle fought atop Merick''s walls. "Hoo." Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger and caught his breath. Then, he thought back to his fight with Raika. If he were to give his opinion of Raika, then he''d say... ''He was strong, but... He was unlike any mage I''ve ever encountered!'' Raika was a Master Mage. But rather than destructive, shy spells, he used cheap tricks and illusions to defeat his opponent. Without his tricks, he had no other choice besides death. Kang Oh stopped thinking about him and examined the items he''d dropped. He had dropped three items in total. Raika had dropped an SS-rank cobra staff, an S-rank star-shaped ne, and Ared''s grimoire! "Haha." Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards. Kang Oh ced the staff, the ne, and the grimoire into his inventory. Then... [There are memories contained within the grimoire.] [Would you like to see the memories?] "Memories? Ared''s memories? I''m going to look at them." A recording appeared before his eyes. * * * There was a ce called the ''Miraculous Oasis'' in the eastern desert. Are you familiar with a mirage? It''s a strange phenomenon that tricks travelers in the desert! Natives of the desert have all seen a mirage, something that suddenly appears and then disappears as soon as you get close. The Miraculous Oasis was the exact opposite of a mirage. When people lose their way in the desert, the Miraculous Oasis will suddenly appear before them. It truly was miraculous; it was an oasis that suddenly appeared in the vast desert! Moreover, it wasn''t a mirage. It was an actual oasis. You could actually drink refreshing water from it too. Countless people were saved by the Miraculous Oasis. However, at some point, the Miraculous Oasis stopped showing up. People began to think of the Miraculous Oasis as nothing more than a myth. Once the Miraculous Oasis disappeared, one particr Sand Mage gained incredible renown. He could use red sand, which was more powerful than ordinary sand. Moreover, his illusion magic was first-rate too. The man was the Sand Mage Leader''s sessor, and eventually reced him without incident. The Red Sand Tower was both his home and hisboratory, so they called him the Lord of the Red Tower. There was probably no way of connecting the Miraculous Oasis and Raika''s sudden proficiency in illusion magic. "I want my Miraculous Oasis to at least help people a little." Ared was a great mage, who''d spent his life using his magic for the betterment of others! He had created the Miraculous Oasis using his ''Imaginary Projection'' in his old age, creating an illusion that was more real than reality itself! However, people couldn''t tell that the Miraculous Oasis was actually an illusion. That was the type of magic Imaginary Projection was. The device that sustained this illusionary oasis and helped those in need was An Illusion More Real Than Reality Itself Grimoire 3. The Miraculous Oasis did exactly as Ared hoped for some time. It had saved countless lives. But not everyone who was saved was good-natured. Raika, who''d been saved by the Miraculous Oasis, began investigating it, and eventually managed to find the third volume of Ared''s grimoire. Then, Ared''s ghost appeared. Ared asked him not to take the grimoire. He exined that if he did, the Miraculous Oasis would disappear. However, Raikaughed wickedly and refused, and took the grimoire with him. That was when the Miraculous Oasis disappeared. After that, Raika took advantage of the knowledge contained within the grimoire, and those lost in the desert would roam around and die. That was the end of the recording. [A remnant of Ared''s thoughts are contained within the grimoire.] [Would you like to speak with them?] This was a chance to meet a great mage like Ared. There was no reason for him to refuse. "Yes!" Then, a man appeared. It was an old man with a t, round nose like an actual clown. "I''m a mage that studied illusion magic. My name is Ared." "My name is Kang Oh. I am a Demonic Swordsman." "I''d like to offer my thanks for defeating Raika." Ared bowed his head. His voice waspletely genuine. "I just did my duty," Kang Oh said. He was unexpectedly modest. Even someone like Kang Oh could respect someone who spent their entire life trying to make others happy. Thus, he automatically became respectful around him. "I have a favor to ask you." "What is it?" "Could you please restore the Miraculous Oasis?" "How?" "You can learn Imaginary Projection if you collect all three of the grimoires. You can recreate the Miraculous Oasis with that spell." "It doesn''t have to be me, does it?" ''Since I''m not a mage.'' "I don''t care who does it, as long as the oasis is restored." "Hmm." Once he obtained the third volume, all three volumes became his. And when he got rid of these grimoires, all he needed to do was ask the buyer to recreate the Miraculous Oasis. "Understood." "Thank you so much." Then, Ared''s spirit slowly faded away until it disappearedpletely. Kang Oh respectfully dusted off the grimoire, and ced it into his inventory. He grinned. ''I won the bet.'' Kang Oh would have to visit the Witch''s Forest soon and meet Helena. Chapter 544. Nazrak Plains

Chapter 544. Nazrak ins

Trantor: Boko Saw Rock Fortress. It was a key military stronghold, and was the quickest path between the central and eastern regions. This is where the 1st Corps, the Empire''s main force, was currently located. The 1st Corps wasmanded by Dukeram. Jegal acted as its advisor. It also included the Empire Guild''s eight captains and their squads, as well as any guilds allied to them. "It''s time," Jegal said. Dukeram nodded his head. "Finally!" Ridgeley, who was known for his brashness, clenched his fist. He wanted to fight on the battlefield as soon as possible, and show how powerful he''d be. "The 3rd Corps is taking care of the Elephant Corps, so they won''t be able to escape the Golden Road Fortress. The Eagle Corps are engaging the 2nd Corps in regional wars, so they won''t be able to move that easily. If the 1st Corps advances on Altein, then Gheor''s Tiger Corps will move to stop us." The Freedom Alliance had more troops than they did. In exchange, the quality of the Imperial Army''s troops was higher, and they also had more battle experience. It was a battle of quality versus quantity. If the two armies fought head-on, there was no telling who would be the victor. What was certain, however, was the fact that the longer the war went on, the worse it was for the Empire. The free cities were rich. Even though they had conquered the entire eastern region, the Arabas Empire had no way of outproducing them. Thus, Jegal had nned to end the war as quickly as possible. He let the 3rd Corps deal with the Elephant Corps, and ordered the 2nd Corps to continue to engage the Eagle Corps in regional wars. However, he had gotten word that the 2nd Corps'' Gray Sand Squad and the Sand Mage''s Leader, Raika, had been killed. Despite that, Jegal''s overall n didn''t really change. After all, the only army left to take on their 1st Corps was the Tiger Corps. What if they won andslide victory against the Tiger Corps? The 1st Corps was far greater than people knew. Even if the 2nd and 3rd Corpsbined their might, they wouldn''t be able to match the 1st Corps. The Tiger Corps, which was their enemy''s most powerful corps, wouldn''t stand a chance against them either. If they fought head-on, then they would definitely win. Thus, Jegal had worried that the Freedom Alliance would stay in their cities and fortresses, and engage them in a long-term defensive war. However, the Alliance had yed a bad hand in the worst possible way. They should''ve let the 2nd Corps conquer the eastern part of the central region, rather than send the Eagle Corps to stop them. He had concealed the true might of the 1st Corps and split up the 2nd Corps, making the Alliance''s leaders feel as though there was an opening to exploit. Jegal''s n was nothing short of brilliant. Anyhow, the war was going as nned, so he couldn''t feel any better. There was nothing more gratifying than when a n came together! Nothing could erase the wicked smile off his face. "As you know..." Dukeram began. "We''re going to fight in the Nazrak ins. It''s the only cerge enough for the Alliance and our army to fight on the path to Altein." The Nazrak ins were thergest ins in the northern region. "Is there any chance that the Alliance will engage in a defensive battle instead?" cier''s Irene asked. Altein was the old Altein Empire''s imperial capital. Thus, its castle walls were incredibly high and sturdy. They could also hold several troops. "They won''t. If they do, we''ll just attack the surrounding free cities, breaking them apart piece by piece. I''m sure they''re well aware of this," Jegal replied. The Freedom Alliance was made up of the soldiers provided by all of the free cities. In other words, they couldn''t afford to just defend Altein. How many of them would be willing to watch their hometown burn to the ground? "So victory or defeat will be determined in this battle," Dukeram said. "Be ready for the battle ahead. That''s all." Several dayster... The 1st Corp''s 300,000 troops departed Saw Rock Fortress. This information was immediately ryed to the Freedom Alliance. * * * "The 1st Corps has mobilized. They''re headed for Altein," Gheor said. "Mm!" "Finally!" The 1st Corps''manders sported heavy expressions. Hernandez and Raon stood amongst them too. "Our n hasn''t changed. We''ll fight our enemy here." Gheor pointed at the Nazrak ins on the map. Then... "Please reconsider," Han Seol said. Gheor furrowed his brow. However, she wouldn''t let that deter her. "Fighting on the ins isn''t a good idea. We should instead engage in a defensive battle, and aim for their rear. An invading force always has the same weakness. Their supply route gets longer and longer. It''ll definitely work since they can''t use transfer gates." "It''s a good n, but it''s not the right n." "There is no ''right'' in war! If we want to win the war, then we have to be willing to sacrifice some things!" Han Seol had also advised him not to send the Eagle Corps away. She didn''t want them to defend the central region''s eastern territory from the 2nd Corps. However, Gheor hadn''t listened to her. He had insisted that he had to protect the cities and their people. "We can''t sacrifice the cities or the people. I told you before; a soldier exists to protect the cities and its people. We cannot sacrifice them for victory," Gheor said unwaveringly. He really did act like a stubborn war veteran. Han Seol felt like she was speaking to a wall. "But that can lead to even more sacrifices!" "..." Gheor was silent. He wouldn''t change his mind. Ultimately, Han Seol bowed her head and sighed. "Hoo." ''Things are going exactly as they want.'' She scowled as she thought of Jegal''s wicked smile. ''Sick bastard!'' "We were prepared for this when we sent the Eagle Corps away. And we''ve already prepared some countermeasures for our battle. Trust in me and follow mymand." "Yes, sir!" Han Seol bit her lip so that she wouldn''t say ''please reconsider'' again. No one else voiced aint. Hernandez patted her shoulder and whispered, "It''ll be alright as long as we win." "True," Han Seol said. However, there was no confidence in her voice. She had a really bad feeling about this. The next day... The Tiger Corps left Altein and headed for the Nazrak ins. * * * The vast Nazrak ins were filled with people. Dark clouds loomed over the battlefield, so it seemed like it could rain at any moment. The Alliance and Empire''s gs fluttered through the violent winds. The soldiers'' faces were tense. "Hoo, hoo." No matter how much they breathed, they couldn''t control their racing hearts. This was even worse for the free cities'' troops, as they had less battle experience than the Imperial Army. Gheor, who stood at the front of the army, cleared his throat and said, "Everyone, listen up!" His voice wasn''t amplified by magic, yet both his troops and the Empire''s troops could hear him. Then, some of his soldiers mmed the bottom of their spears onto the ground. Thud! Thud! Thud! The others began to imitate them. Soon enough, the ground''s cries resounded throughout the battlefield. Gheor raised his hand, and the soldiers stopped. "Are you afraid?" Gheor asked. They were afraid. However, no one could say it out loud. They all remained silent. Then... "It''s natural to be afraid of death." Gheor''s voice softened. "So stand up straight and tightly grip your spears! Don''t let fear overtake you." Let fear overtake them? What was he talking about? However, the soldiers did as Gheor asked. They tightened their grip, and stood up straight. It seemed like they felt even more nervous than before. "Now, think about the people you love. Your family, your lover, and your friends." When they thought about those they loved, they automatically tightened their grips and curled their toes. "You have to protect them. And... you have to protect yourself too. You have to survive so that you can return to them!" A warm feeling spread throughout the hearts of his soldiers. It was Gheor''s charisma at work. They were still feeling tense, but now they had the strength to swing their spears. "Uwaaah!" some of the soldiers cried out. Then, the rest of the army followed suit. It was as if they were releasing their tension, restlessness, fear, etc. Their emptied hearts were filled with desire; the desire to survive this battle and return to those they loved! Gheor pointed his sword at the Imperial Army. "I want the reserve troops to stay back! Everyone else, charge!" he said resonantly. It was as if a tiger were roaring. "Uwaaaah!" A huge battle cry and the sound of feet and horses'' hooves echoed throughout the battlefield. A giant dust cloud rose into the air! The battle had begun. * * * Unlike Gheor, Dukeram didn''t need to do everything in his power to raise his troops'' morale. All he needed to do was ride his Pegasus and wave his g. g of Great Victory! It was one of Rakan''s sacred treasures, which would raise his troops'' morale to its zenith no matter the situation! The Rakan Church had asked them to return it, but the Empire Guild just gave them excuse after excuse. In the end, they didn''t return it. Whir! The g released bright light, whichnded on the soldiers like an aurora. "Uwaaaaahk!" His soldiers'' hearts swelled with courage, and they cheered loudly. "For the glory of the Empire!" Dukeram''s voice, which was magically amplified, spread far and wide. "For the Empire!" "The Empire!" The Empire''s troops raised their weapons into the air. "Reserve troops, remain on standby! Center troops, charge! I want the left and right nks to advance slowly!" He had finally ordered them to charge. The centermost troops rushed forward, but the left and right nks advanced slowly. The army resembled a drill. On the other hand, the Alliance''s troops charged simultaneously, making them appear like a trident. Rat-a-tat-tat! The ground quaked, and the two armies quickly closed the distance! "Come and get me, you bastards!" Ridgeley yelled. He was riding on horseback, and stood at the forefront of the Empire''s army. The Brown Bear Squad followed behind him. He wasn''t the only one. Eric, Taker, Moby Dick, etc.; the Empire''s captains and their squads were standing at the vanguard too. Jegal, who watched from afar, beamed. "Commence Operation Unicorn''s Horn!" * * * "Aah, the Battle of the Nazrak ins has begun!" "Are you all seeing this? Are you hearing their cries? Do you feel this tension? Please don''t miss the start and end of this battle! Stay tuned!" The Battle of the Nazrak ins was being broadcast to the entire world. Some of theworks hired casters, and even went as far as to hire military experts. GBS hired Jeon Seong Gook as a caster. Professor Lee Myung Won, who taught military science at University A, was hired as another caster. "Professor, the Alliance and Empire''s formations look different," Seong Gook said. "They are. The Alliance has assumed a typical charge formation. The center, as well as the left and right nks, charge at the same time. On the other hand, the Imperial Army has sent only their centermost forces. If you looked at them from overhead, the Imperial Army would look like a drill. Therefore, the Alliance has the advantage strictly in terms of formations," Lee Myung Won replied. "Why is that?" "The Alliance can surround the Imperial Army''s center forces and attack them from three sides. It''s akin to the saying ''a tall tree catches much wind''." "I see!" "Even if their centermost forces are powerful... in most cases, they''ll copse very quickly. The Empire''s center forces have to stay alive as long as possible." "Then?" "The battle has begun in the Alliance''s favor!" "As expected! Then let''s keep watching and see if things go as the Professor says!" Sometimeter... "P-Professor. What''s going on?" Seong Gook asked, his voice trembling. "..." Lee Myung Won remained silent, and vacantly looked at the screen. The battle did indeed go as he nned. The Alliance copsed on the Empire''s center forces. However...! The Alliance was getting torn to shreds. All three sides of them at that! It was truly a shocking sight. Chapter 545. Battle of the Nazrak Plains (1)

Chapter 545. Battle of the Nazrak ins (1)

Trantor: Boko The Nazrak ins. The entire Tiger Corps charged simultaneously. Sionil, Gheor''s loyal subordinate, had taken charge of their center troops. The Young Tiger, Sionil. He was a young warrior that resembled the powerful, courageous Gheor in his youth. Sionil had thick eyebrows, a sharp jaw, and arge, pointy nose! He was almost two meters tall, and possessed a giant body. He wielded a scimitar, which had a wide, long crescent moon shaped de and a somewhat long hilt. There was a tiger engraved on the de itself. His ck horse quickly galloped towards the enemy. The Tiger Corps'' elites, the Fierce Tiger Squad, were right behind him. He was both the leader of the vanguard, and the tip of the Tiger Corps'' spear! The enemy was in his sights. It was Ridgeley, who wore reddish armor, and rested his halberd on his shoulder. The Brown Bear Squad was right behind him. The distance between him and Ridgeley was bridged in an instant. It was only natural; after all, both of their horses were galloping towards each other. Sionel raised his scimitar into the air and forcefully swung it. His scimitar was engulfed in powerful energy. Fierce Tiger''s w! Sharp energy, split into five lines, came flying at Ridgeley. It was as if a real tiger had swiped its w and left behind a mark. Ridgeley swung his halberd. Roaring Brown Bear! Sunset energy rose from his halberd, and a giant brown bear shot out. Boom! Upon contact, the two energies created a shockwave that spread everywhere. Sionel and Ridgeley, as well as the squads under theirmand, forcefully pulled on their reins and charged at each other. Then, Sionel bravely swung his scimitar downwards. Ridgeley opened his eyes and swung his halberd horizontally. Both warriors'' muscles bulged. Scimitar and halberd shed. ng! A shrill, metallic sound rang out. ''Mm.'' ''As expected!'' They could feel their opponent''s strength through their weapons. Sionel and Ridgeley''s lips curled upwards. A worthy opponent! They suddenly felt extremelypetitive. "You''re not bad!" "You too!" They instantly exchanged several blows. Sionel''s scimitar grazed Ridgeley''s side, while Ridgeley''s halberd cut Sionel''s cheek. At the same time...! The Fierce Tiger and Brown Bear Squads were tangled together. Most of the Fierce Tiger Squad was made up of knights who wielded long weapons such as scimitars or spears. The Brown Bear Squad was much the same. However, most of the Brown Bear Squad favored halberds instead. Swish! Swish! The Fierce Tiger and Brown Bears'' spears and halberds crossed each other and cut through the air. "Die!" A member of the Brown Bear Squad swung his halberd in a wide arc. The Fierce Tiger member bent back so far that his head touched the horse''s butt, and avoided the attack. Then, he sprung back up and swung his scimitar diagonally, unleashing fierce bluish energy. His enemy immediately swung his halberd vertically, unleashing red energy. ng! Their weapons emitted sparks. The sparks slowly disappeared, and the members of both squads continued to fight each other intensely amidst sts of red or blue energy. The battle was heating up. Not a single one of them retreated. It was as if they were trying to see which squad could burn hotter. As expected of both side''s vanguards. However...! Not all of their troops were faring as well as they were. A good example of that was the Giant Tree Squad, which was led by Commander Gyust. Gyust was quite a renowned swordsman. He was skilled enough to one day be a Master. However, he waspletely outmatched. His opponent''s sword shined silver! Whir! The enemy swordsman''s de glowed with emerald light. It was so beautiful and clear that it briefly bewitched the hearts of its enemies. The captain of the Yellow Dragon Squad, Eric, swung his de all the way through. Great Wind''s Sword! It was a never-before-seen secret move. Spirit Swordsman Eric had created it himself! Swoosh! An emerald whirlwind raged across the center of the battlefield. "Uheok!" Gyust and his troops were both ripped apart and imprisoned by the green whirlwind, unable to do a thing to save themselves. They kept taking damage as they soared into the air. At some point, the whirlwind disappeared. Everyone who''d been caught in the whirlwind had died, and started falling to the ground. "You''re weak," Eric said, staring at Gyust''s corpse. Then, he turned his head. "I hope you''re stronger than he was!" Snap. Eric pulled on the reins, and his white horse forcefully kicked off the floor. He was heading for another strong member of the Alliance. "We''re the Empire''s strongest squad, Yellow Dragon. Kill all of the small fry and then follow the captain!" The Yellow Dragon Squad instantly ughtered the remnants of Big Tree. This scene was happening all across the battlefield. "Charge!" Irene looked around, and then pointed her sword at a section of the battlefield. There was a giant group of infantrymen there, which held their shields and spears in front of them, making them resemble a porcupine. She ordered her troops to charge? Against a group of soldiers that had their spears at the ready? However, the cier Squad followed Irene''s orders without question. Dangerous Charge! The cier Squad quickly closed the distance. 50 meters, 20 meters, 10 meters... When they hit 3 meters... The Alliance infantry''s spears were close enough to hit the cier Squad''s horses. At that moment... A g of light fluttered above Irene''s head. g of Absolute Victory! The members of the cier Squad and their horses began to shine brightly. Then, something extraordinary happened. ng! ng! ng! The spears were deflected, even the ones that hit the unarmored portions of the horses! This was Irene''s secret move. g of Absolute Victory! She could give her subordinates one of five abilities for 30 seconds. Irene had chosen the ability to nullify all damage dealt to her subordinates for 30 seconds. Bam! The cier Squad crushed through the wall of shields. Pieces of broken shields and spears flew all over the ce. Now it was time to hunt! As a ''group'', cier was the Empire Guild''s most powerful squad. They were basically like a swarm of bees led by Irene, the Queen Bee! "Uaahk!" "Keok!" The soldiers'' pitiful cries echoed throughout the battlefield. Hundreds of lives had been lost in just a short period of time. Irene scanned the battlefield once more. She pointed somewhere else this time. "Charge!" Now is when she began to truly hunt. * * * Kang Oh hung out in the ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout while the Battle of the Nazrak ins was going on. To be more specific, he was in Hoffman''s private workce, sporting an anxious expression as he bobbed his finger. Why was Kang Oh here instead of participating in the Battle of the Nazrak ins? "Is it almost done?" Kang Oh asked. Then, three people immediately said, "Please don''t bother us." Hoffman was one of these voices. He answered bluntly while continuously hammering on the piece of metal. He didn''t even look Kang Oh in the eye and put his heart and soul into his work. "Please wait," the Master Tailor, Dink, wiped his sweat and said. There was a ck belt made of dragon materials in his hand. "Shh!" A middle-aged woman with silver hair andrge sses furrowed her brow and shushed him. Then, she continued with her work. Kang Oh bit his lip. ''Phew. You should''ve started the battle a dayter.'' Ten days prior... Kang Oh received his rewards from Bone Dragon Akite. He had finally collected six shards of a Dragon''s Heart. He immediately went looking for Hoffman. Kang Oh wanted him to make him a belt of the highest quality using the Dragon''s Heart. Fortunately, Dink was with him. "I would like you to make me a belt made out of Dragon Skin, adorned with a Dragon''s Heart in the front," Kang Oh said. "We need a Master Jeweler," Dink said. "Why is that?" "A Jeweler is necessary to bring out the full power of the Dragon''s Heart. And for a material of that quality, you''ll obviously need a Master." ''They''re right!'' "Do you know any Master Jewelers by any chance?" "I''ll write you a letter of introduction to Armiel Jewel Workshop''s top designer, Ms. Ris. Please go and meet her." "Thank you." Kang Oh went to the Ariel Jewel Workshop immediately. He was easily able to meet with her by using Dink''s letter of introduction. "My name is Kang Oh." "My name is Ris. I heard that you were sent here by Mr. Dink... What business do you have with me?" "I''d like you to work on a Dragon''s Heart." "Excuse me?" "A Dragon''s Heart..." "Did you really say a Dragon''s Heart?" "Yes." Ris looked doubtful. It was only natural. After all, a Dragon''s Heart was no ordinary item! Kang Oh pulled out a piece of the heart. ''Here, take a look.'' "Heop!" Ris was shocked. "It''s a real piece. Do you have aplete Dragon''s Heart?" "Yes." "I''ll definitely do it. No, please let me take care of it." With this, all of the craftsmen he needed were assembled. Dwarf Master cksmith, Hoffman! Dink Workshop''s top leatherworker, Dink! Armiel Jewel Workshop''s lead designer, Ris! They brainstormed ideas for three days. After that, they began construction of Kang Oh''s belt. The belt was crafted by Dink, the decorative ornament that the Dragon''s Heart would be slotted into would be created by Hoffman, and Ris cut, polished, and refined the Dragon''s Heart. Kang Oh roamed the continent in search of the materials they needed. There were some materials that Man Bok could get him, but some of the items they needed were so rare that he had no choice but to get them himself. Time passed in that manner. It was as if fate were ying tricks on him. The belt would bepleted after the battle started. Today was thest day. Kang Oh waited for the belt''spletion. He nned on testing out the belt on the battlefield. However, the finish date went through dy after dy, and eventually, it wasn''t ready by the time the battle had started. And... That''s why Kang Oh looked at the three craftsmen so anxiously. * * * Gheor had ordered the Tiger Corps'' three fronts to charge simultaneously. Whereas Dukeram had only ordered his center forces to charge. This was because the 1st Corps'' most elite troops were stationed in the middle. This was called Operation Unicorn''s Horn! It had worked spectacrly. The Imperial Army''s center troopspletely overwhelmed the Tiger Corps. However, this strategy had a huge weakness. That was the reason Gheor wasn''t panicking, despite how badly they were getting pushed back. The enemy had a surefire weakness. "Left and right nks, attack their center troops!" Gheor yelled. The g bearers, which stood beside him, quickly waved giant gs into the air. They also usedmunication magic to ry Gheor''s orders to themanders. Voltram and Kalcho, who were in charge of the left and right nks, did as they were told. The Empire Guild''s center troops were annihting the Tiger Corps'' troops with their overwhelming power. Sionel''s Fierce Tiger Squad fought hard, but that was all. If this went on any longer, then they would bepletely annihted. At that moment... Troops from the left and the right copsed on the Imperial Army. "Commander Sionel, I''m here! Let''s go!" "Save our brothers, and destroy our enemies!" Voltram and Kalchomanded their troops from the front. It was time to counterattack. They doubled the Imperial Army in troops. A numerical advantage was huge in an open battle like this. For every enemy soldier, they had two. "Uheok." "Damn it! We''re surrounded." "Do we not have any reinforcements!?" "You bastards!" The Empire''s troops were getting mowed down. "Uwaaahk!" "All of you, die!" The Alliance''s morale started to go up. * * * Hernandez''s Storm Guild was reorganized into the Storm Squad, and battled in the army''s right nk. "Let''s destroy the Empire Guild!" Hernandez''s spear went all across the battlefield. His High-Rank Spearmanship was at 99% proficiency, so he was one step away from bing a Master. The Storm Guild was getting ready for a raid that''d allow him to achieve a great feat. But before he could, the Empire had dered war on the continent. ''This is even better. I can achieve a great feat here instead.'' It was exactly as advertised. He basically just had to do something amazing. He may even be able to be a Master by killing 10,000 enemies. As always, Hernandez was filled with confidence. His confidence was backed up by his skill too. ''That guy!'' Hernandez kicked off his horse and rose into the air. Spear of Ruin! Hernandez unleashed ck, twisting energy that resembled a boa constrictor at the man. The man''s name was Rock. He was called the Fire Mage! Rock was one of Empire''s high rankers, and was a Battle Mage that specialized in fire magic. "Hernandez!" Then, Rock cast the spells he was most confident in. Raging Fire! me Pir! Fire Wheel! Powerful fire spells came at Hernandez one after another. Roar! Giant mes and ck energy shed in midair. They were dead even, so neither side got an edge over the other. Then... Hernandez spun his spear like an electric fan, and pushed through the mes. ''I hate meleebat!'' No matter how talented of a mage he was, Rock was no match for Hernandez in close rangebat. Fire Jet! mes rose from beneath Rock''s feet, which propelled him into the air like a rocket. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Hernandez forcefully swung his spear downwards. Meteor Spear! A trail of blue energy shot out of the tip of his spear like an actual shooting star. "Ugh." Rock swung his staff. Fire Chain! The chains coiled up into a round shield. Hernandez''s eyes gleamed. ''Now!'' Meteor Shift! He twisted his spear, and the spear shaft tossed and turned like the waves. At the same time, the meteor that wasing straight for Rock suddenly fell and then surged into the air! Hernandez had changed the trajectory of his attack. "Kuhahk!" Rock wasn''t able to dodge in time, and the energy swept through him. ''I got you!'' Hernandez swung his spear to the left and the right. Then, string-like energy surrounded Rock. "Heeup!" Hernandez forcefully pulled his spear with Rock in tow. "Haahp!" Then, he continuously lunged with his spear. Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! Infinite Thrust! The more he attacked, the more powerful his thrusts would be. In just a short while, Rock''s body would be filled with holes! ''It''s over!'' Hernandez was sure of it. However... A giant red energy st in the shape of a horn came flying at Hernandez. "Tch!" Hernandez stopped his assault and threw his body out of the way. If he didn''t dodge it, then he''d take a lot of damage. Boom! The ground in the area he''d been in had been upturned, and there was a giant hole there too. What incredible power! "It''s been a while, Hernandez." A man approached him, his spear resting on his shoulder. Hernandez''s lips curled upwards. ''Hoh, that guy is...'' "Ghost Spear." Taker, nicknamed the Ghost Spear, was a man with unparalleled skill with the spear. He was the leader of the Iron Horse Squad, and had been second to Hernandez in terms of spearmanship. At that moment... Taker pointed his spear at Hernandez. "I came here to take your title from you." Chapter 546. Battle of the Nazrak Plains (2)

Chapter 546. Battle of the Nazrak ins (2)

Trantor: Boko ck Lion Raon and his guild were stationed in the army''s left nk. Of course, he was apanied by his guild''s elites. His guild, like the Storm Guild, was reorganized into the ''Beast Squad''. "Prioritize the people we''ve marked first," Raon yelled, his lion''s mane fluttering through the wind. However, he wasn''t the only lion man here. Most of the Breaker Guild''s elites were non-humans. Some of them could transform into werewolves, while others had actual animal faces. Most of them had the ears or tails of leopards, cheetahs, wolves, foxes, etc. In the past, Raon and Hernandez had allied together to defeat Dukeram. Unfortunately, the two werepletely trounced. Raon learned something from that loss. He couldn''t surpass Dukeram by himself! ''If that''s the case, then...'' He would form groups that surpassed the Empire Guild''s eight squads! Then, Raon brainstormed a squad that wasposed of purely non-humans. Anthromorphs had far greater physical abilities than humans. Moreover, they would gain various abilities based on their species, such as a beast''s instincts, a wolf''s keen smell, a bear''s physical strength, a cheetah''s quick legs, etc. Sometimes, their race change would offer them a special ss too. There were basically no downsides to it, besides it lessening one''s aptitude for magic and a few other sses. In exchange, transforming into an anthromorph took an incredible amount of time and energy. Plus, they were duty bound to protect their respective tribes. With his experience and knowledge, as well as the might of the Breaker Guild, Raon was able to transform all of his guild''s elites into anthromorphs. And... These anthromorphs were showing their might. Chicken and Beer had transformed into a cheetah; he ran across the battlefield with blistering speed, sharply swinging his rapier. Stab! Stab! Stab! Stab! "Ugh." "Keuk." He would leave behind soldiers with holes in their throats wherever he passed by. A female yer, who''d transformed into a cat, nimbly moved across the battlefield and harassed her opponents. It was as if she were a cat that was hunting a rat. "Kill them all, nya!" "Nya, nya!" Were they getting too into the game? Everyone who''d transformed into a cat added ''nya'' to the end of their sentences. Grr! The werewolves hunted in groups like actual wolves. They would surround their enemies, aim for their weaknesses, and bite their necks. Snow Flower had also transformed into an anthromorph some time ago. She had be a leopard woman! There was white fur and leopard ears at the top of her head, and a white tail swished around behind her. Snow Flower, who had once been known for her cold beauty, had be strangely cute instead. However, her weapon wasn''t cute at all. The Reaper of Souls. It was an unblockable sword that could even cut the soul itself! It was definitely a ridiculous, unbnced weapon! She was already a powerhouse with the Reaper of Souls, but she had also transformed into a leopard woman, further increasing her physical abilities. No one could stop her attacks. ck Lion Raon was amazing too. Kuhaang! He let out a lion''s roar and ripped his enemies apart. His teeth and ws were sharp des, and his fists were hammers. He bit into his enemies, rending flesh, and he would kick their heads, crushing them. Raon''s entire body was a deadly weapon! That would be the simplest way to describe him. The Tiger Corps, on the back of the Beast Squad, pushed the 1st Corps back. The Imperial Army also took a ton of damage too. But a short whileter, they were met by a thick, tough wall. Thud. They encountered the Giant Soldier Squad. "It''s time for you to stop," their captain, Tainos, said. Then, he menacingly swung his double-ded axe. It looked like it weighed more than 100 kilograms. However, he swung it with ease as if it weighed as much as a fruit knife! Barbaric Warrior Tainos! He was a strongman; it was even rumored that he''d spent all of his stat points on Physical! ng! There was another man beside him, who wielded a mace in one hand, and a beautiful shield in the other. ''I''m here too!'' It was Moby Dick. Members of the Moby Dick Squad could be seen in between the Giant Soldier Squad. The Moby Dick Squad possessed the greatest defense amongst the Empire Guild. Of course, they didn''t impress him. After all, Raon believed that the Beast Squad was the strongest squad. "Giant Soldier and Moby Dick? That''s it? You can''t stop us. Stop joking around and bring the Yellow Dragon Squad over here!" Raon waved them off, as if telling them to get lost. Both Tainos and Moby Dick''s faces were filled with rage. ''How dare you!?'' "I''ll kill you!" "No, I''m going to do it!" Empire and Breaker''s elites shed. Raon fiercely shed with Tainos, while Snow Flower swung her de at Moby Dick''s shield. A beast versus a barbarian. Sword versus shield. * * * Garend was a mage, and also one of Storm''s high rankers. Aside from Helena, who was aplete monster, he was the only person who could use all of the elements. His ice magic was said to be on par with Helena''s, so he was primarily an Ice Mage. He was refined and handsome, so he was called the Ice Prince. He was currently dueling Empire''s Fire Mage, Rock. Rock was supposed to die against Hernandez, but he was saved at thest minute by Taker. After that, he encountered Garend, who was freezing the Imperial Army, and engaged him in a magic duel. They specialized in fire and ice! Their battle was showy, but no one was really interested in it. Why? Spear King Hernandez and Ghost Spear Taker were fighting, that''s why! Their duel was much more impressive. The battle''s correspondents focused on Hernandez and Taker too. "Empire''s greatest spearman, Ghost Spear Taker, is fighting Hernandez for the title of Spear King!" "Who will win this fight?" "Taker is higher ranked right now. However, he''s up against the Spear King! You''ve all heard of him before!" Their battle was broadcasted live throughout the world. These are the kinds of titles it got. Defending his title as Spear King! Champion Hernandez versus Challenger Taker! Hernandez was skilled enough to be deserving of his title. He had the power, ability, proficiency, and the practical skill to prove it. Moreover, he used countless AoE skills that made you wonder, ''Were spearman techniques supposed to be this shy?''. He was a showman at his core! But it takes two to tango. The reason their bout was so shy was because of Taker. Taker wasn''t pushed back at all during their fight. He didn''t fall back or try avoiding him either. He was only interested in a straight up fight! Think about it this way. What would happen if two giant waves crashed against each other? The water would surge into the air. That was an urate way to describe their battle. They were equally skilled, so they continuously attacked each other with high skill, shy attacks. But the more time passed, the worse Hernandez''s expression became. It was a slight difference. Taker''s spear was ever so slightly stronger and faster than his. Why? Hernandez was probably a higher level than him. After all, he had reached the maximum level of 500. ''My equipment is better than his too.'' Hernandez was the leader of one of the 4 great guilds. Thus, all of his equipment was SS-rank. Only someone like Dukeram could possibly have better equipment than him. ''So why am I losing?'' There was only one thing he could think of. Proficiency. Taker''s proficiency in Spearmanship was higher than his, which was stuck at 99%. ''This guy''s a Master.'' Grr. Hernandez was filled with anger and jealousy. ''I''m the Spear King.'' At the same time... He cooled himself down. True, Taker''s spear was slightly stronger and faster than his. It was a small difference. However, one small difference could stack up again and again. In a fight between experts, oveing this small difference was almost impossible. ''How do I win?'' Hernandez had to win to defend his title as Spear King. Thus, he thought again and again. ''In the end... That''s my only option.'' Hernandez bit his lip and made his decision. In the battle ahead, he wouldn''t look like the Spear King at all. He may look unsightly. However, this was his only path to victory. "Hoo." Hernandez, who''d just barely dodged Taker''s spear, slowly began to change his stance. Normally, he overwhelmed his opponent with shy moves. The spearmanship he specialized in was like a fire show. However, Hernandez curled his body up, minimized his movements, and focused entirely on defense. Taker''s expression changed. His spearmanship was equally as ''showy'' as Hernandez''s. Thus, their styles were quite simr. In other words, they had been fighting fist against fist. The one with thergest fist had been Taker, who''d be a Master. If the fight had continued as is, then Taker would''ve won with ease. However, Hernandez had changed his style. He put everything he had into defense in order to counter Taker''s showy moves! ''So that''s what you''re going with, huh.'' Now, Taker had three options avable to him. First, he could keep using the same style he''d been using;pletely overwhelm his opponent with his refined spearmanship! However, there was a risk of Hernandez turning things around if he continued to use this style. Second, he could use the same defensive style that Hernandez was using. It would be a fight between two defensive fighters, and was sure to be a long and boring battle. Lastly, he could try countering whatever Hernandez had up his sleeve. Hernandez was aiming for one decisive strike. If he manages to predict this attack, then he would be able tounch a fatal counter. But if he guessed wrong, then this duel would end in his loss. ''Thest option is best.'' Only someone of higher skill could urately predict what their opponent was doing. Taker wanted to show everyone that he was the Spear King, not Hernandez! Plus, his secret move was designed for situations like this. Then, Taker changed his style too. It became even showier than before. Hernandez was pressured even harder. However, Taker''s movements becamerger, which made him a lot more open than before. ''C''mon!'' These openings were a trap. The moment he went for them, Taker would unleash a lighting fast counter. However, Hernandez didn''t aim for these weak points. He wasn''t the Spear King for nothing, after all. As soon as Taker''s style had changed, Hernandez knew that Taker was just waiting for him to fall for his trap. ''Let''s see how long we can keep up this long, boring battle.'' Hernandez sported a spiteful expression. Taker set up a few more traps after that, but Hernandez wouldn''t fall for them. ''As expected.'' The fight between experts, one in which they saw through each other''s feints and traps, had begun. They watched each other and softly swung their spears. Neither of them used any powerful techniques or wide movements. However, the tension between the two had only increased. It was as if it had changed from an action movie to a thriller. Those watching amidst this breath-taking tension could only watch on in silence. Those watching this on TV did the same. How much time had passed? sh! Hernandez and Taker''s spears crossed each other. Bam! Shards of light burst from Taker''s body. "Uwaaah!" "Spear King! Spear King!" Nearby members of the Storm Guild screamed his name. However, they had celebrated too soon. "Keuk." Hernandez suddenly fell to his knees. He barely managed to not fall down by using his spear to prop himself up. More shards of light came out of his body than Taker. Taker turned around. Hernandez raised his head. His eyes were shaking. "I definitely struck first..." Hernandez looked on in disbelief. "It''s the Ghost Spear." That was the name of Taker''s secret move. It was the perfect counter. Those who''d fallen prey to this move couldn''t help but feel as though they''d been tricked by a ghost. After all, this skill swapped the order in which events happened. No matter how much faster or stronger an enemy''s attack was, Ghost Spear would make his attack hit first. "Haha, rest in peace." Taker beamed and approached Hernandez. "Damn... it." Stab. Taker''s spear pierced through Hernandez''s heart. Hernandez fell to the ground, and the Parsus Spear of Ruin rolled onto the floor. A new Spear King had been born. * * * ck Hammer Dwarves'' Hideout. Dink ced the leather belt, which was made of Dragon Skin and had Dragon Scales embedded equidistant from each other, onto the stand. "Hoo, I''m done." Dink''s work was finished. Now it was Hoffman''s turn. He attached the metal ornament, which resembled the sun, into the middle of the belt. Finally, it was Ris''s turn. She carefully raised the Dragon''s Heart. The Dragon''s Heart looked like a diamond that radiated scarlet light. However, it was further refined by Ris''s exquisite craftsmanship, making it even more beautiful than before. Ris held her breath, and ced the Dragon''s Heart within the metal ornament. It was a perfect fit. At that moment... The belt radiated intense light, and a giant silhouette appeared. "Greetings, Lord Orgon!" Hoffman immediately bowed down. The silhouette belonged to none other than the cksmith God, Orgon! "You''ve created a masterpiece!" Orgon blessed the belt. Then, something amazing happened. The dragon''s scales transformed into tiny stars! A short whileter... Orgon''s silhouette disappeared and... "It''s done!" Thepleted product appeared. Kang Oh quickly came over and grabbed the belt. "Everyone, I''m really busy, so I''ll need to get going now. I''ll tell you exactly what it does after Ie back." He wrapped the belt around his waist, and ripped a return scroll. ''Wait for me, Empire!'' He was heading for the Nazrak ins, the battlefield where the Tiger Corps and the Empire''s 1st Corps were fighting! It was finally time for Kang Oh to enter the ring. Chapter 547. Battle of the Nazrak Plains (3)

Chapter 547. Battle of the Nazrak ins (3)

Trantor: Boko Hernandez was a pir that supported the Storm Guild. However, the Storm Squad, which was made up of the guild''s elites, weren''t overly shaken by Hernandez''s loss and his subsequent game over. On the contrary, they fought even harder to make up for his death. Storm was one of the 4 great guilds, and the Storm Squad was made up of elites that were recognized by both Hernandez and Han Seol. They wouldn''t have been picked for the squad if they were weak enough to lose their will to fight at the sight of his death. "Kill them all!" "We''re the strongest guild!" "Let''s go!" They still had their four captains and their squads. The ck Bull Squad and ck Sword Orion. The Tempest Squad and the Tempest Knight, I Like C. The Strong Bow Squad and the Strong Bow Brothers, Yoo Hwan and Yoo Hyuk. The Magic Emperor Squad and Kim Ma Boo. Hernandez had gotten a game over, while Han Seol, the guild''s vice-captain, was acting as Gheor''s advisor. In other words, these four individuals were the only ones who had the right to lead the guild. "C, you lead the Storm Squad," Orion said. He had a funny ID, but no one could ignore him. C had the best leadership abilities among the four captains, and was a good-natured, witty person. "Agreed." "Anyone else can do it but me," the two brothers, Yoo Hwan and Yoo Hyuk, said. They both carried bows asrge as they were. The Strong Bow Brothers were in the top 30. "We can trust C," Kim Ma Boo said. There were three crystal balls floating around him. He was a Gravity Mage, a hidden ss. I Like C nodded his head. "Ok. Orion, take ck Sword and fight Taker. It''ll be difficult to beat him on your own, so Kim Ma Boo and the Magic Emperor Squad will help you." Taker was powerful enough to defeat Hernandez, so if they let him be, they''d take significant losses. "Ok." "Got it." "The rest of us will take out the Iron Horse Squad. Let''s avenge our guildmaster." "Alright!" I Like C and the Storm Squad charged at the Iron Horse Squad. ''We''re the Storm Guild. We''ll show you just how strong we are!'' * * * There was a city west of the Nazrak ins called Tayloe, which was set up with an intercity transfer gate. However, the Tower had strictly forbidden the Alliance or the Empire from using these gates for any military action. The gates were pretty inactivetely, since most people went to the battlefield to observe. Sephiro and Waryong came out of the gate. He was carrying a square mirror, which was showing him a TV broadcast of the battle. It was kind of like a small TV. "Empire... They''re strong." Sephiro''s body tingled. He wanted to fight on the battlefield too. ''With Waryong, of course!'' Waryong was lying down behind him. It was wearing the armor he''d gotten as a reward for clearing the goddess''s quest. ''You''re so cool!'' Sephiro petted Waryong''s head and stared at the gate. "He said he''d be here soon... Why isn''t he here yet?" The reason he hadn''t participated in the battle yet was because of Kang Oh. Kang Oh had asked him to fly him to the battlefield. That''s why Sephiro had been waiting here for so long; he''d been here even before the battle had started. But because of the dys in Kang Oh''s belt, they weren''t able to join the battle in time. Eventually, he received a message that said, ''I''ll be right there.''. Whir. Finally, the gate glowed and Kang Oh came out. He was wearing a belt that Sephiro had never seen before. "Let''s go." Kang Oh was in a hurry. "Yes." Sephiro and Kang Oh rode atop Waryong''s back. Kyaaaahk. Waryong forcefully roared and soared into the air. p! p! p! Waryong was incredible at flying. It flew quickly, even though it had two people on its back. Sephiro''s hair wildly fluttered through the air. "How is the battle going?" Kang Oh asked. "You don''t know?" "I heard that the center forces of both armies shed. Who''s winning?" "The Empire." "Mm." "They''re really strong. And Hernandez was beaten by the Ghost Spear." "He lost to Iron Horse''s Taker?" Kang Oh looked shocked. ''That doesn''t make any sense.'' Even Kang Oh acknowledged Hernandez''s strength. He shouldn''t lose to someone like Taker. "Don''t be surprised. Taker was a Master all along. Everyone''s going crazy saying there''s a new Spear King in town." "A Master!" Then, Kang Oh had a bad feeling. "A while back, the Empire Guild''s captains skyrocketed in the ranks. Did they..." "Their captains are all Masters. Eric, Tainos, Taker, Irene, and Moby Dick are definitely Masters. Ah, Brown Bear''s Ridgeley too. I don''t see ck Wolf or Kuskal anywhere." While he was waiting for Kang Oh, Sephiro had kept himself busy by watching the broadcasts of the battle. Like many others, he was shocked by the power of the Empire''s captains. "What are Storm and Breaker doing?" The only organizations that could oppose them were Storm and Breaker. "The Storm Squad is fighting well, even though they''ve lost their leader. The Beast Squad is struggling against Moby Dick and Giant Soldier. The Alliance doesn''t have enough Masters." That''s why it didn''t matter how many strong individuals came rushing at the Empire''s captains. They weren''t Masters, so they were no match for them. "What about Dukeram?" "He hasn''t joined the battle yet. He''s watching the battle from above on his Pegasus." "That''s a relief. Anyhow..." ''We''recking Masters?'' Kang Oh opened a message window and messaged Bart. - Mr. Bart. Where are you right now? - They didn''t tell us to join yet, so I''m waiting on the outskirts of the Nazarak ins. - What about the others? - They are too. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Gheor shouldn''t be saving them for this long." "Excuse me?" Sephiro tilted his head. ''What are you talking about?'' "So this is how it is..." While Kang Oh exined what he knew, Waryong flew as fast as it could. Whoosh! * * * Gheor sported a heavy expression as he watched the battle. "General Gheor, our forces in the middle are getting pushed back. This is..." Han Seol said. They were supposed topletely overwhelm them. After all, the Tiger Corps had attacked them with two times the number of troops from three different sides. However, the 1st Corps'' center troops were far stronger than they had anticipated. ''No, I knew they were this strong.'' Han Seol had been fiercely opposed to this operation. While she was on her way here, she couldn''t shake off that feeling of unease; it was because she had a rough idea as to how powerful the 1st Corps was. "The enemy still has their left and right nks. If we continue, then our army will be surrounded. We have to do something. If not, then we should retreat." Gheor nodded his head. She wasn''t wrong. "This won''t be solved by sending in the reserve troops. I guess I have to use them." They were his trump card that would allow them to defeat the Empire! "I think that''s our only shot. But which side will you choose?" Han Seol asked. "Both," Gheor immediately said. "Where do you want them to strike?" "The enemy''s left and right nks will move soon in order to surround us." "You want them to aim for the Empire''s left and right nks?" Gheor nodded his head. "Tell them toe to the central region immediately. Whatever happens, things will be decided here." "I''ll let them know immediately." "Tell them to hurry. The battle isn''t in our favor." "Yes, sir." Han Seol immediately opened a message window and contacted someone. * * * The 1st Corps'' advisor, Jegal, could see the vast expanse of the Nazrak ins. Blue and red dots glittered from above. The red dots represented the Tiger Corps, while the blue dots represented the 1st Corps. This spell was called Large-Scale Detection, which fell under the category of Detection Magic. Jegal had pursued this category of magic as his main field of study. It scanned everything within a 10 kilometer radius, and gave the mage any information they desired. Jegal, who looked between the battle and the topographic map, smirked. "It''s going as nned." The Battle of the Nazrak ins. The battle between the Empire''s vanguard and the Alliance''s forces was close, even though the Alliance had sent their entire army after only a third of the Empire''s army. Of course, most of the Empire''s elites were in the middle. "Order the left and right nk to advance. Tell them to spread out as much as possible, and to make an imprable perimeter around the enemy''s forces." Jegal had ordered the soldiers on the left and right nks to stop midway. That way, the Tiger Corps would invest more troops into fighting off their vanguard. Since they had aplished that goal, it was time to spread out their troops and surround the Tiger Corps. ''Looks like we''lle back with a full boat.'' It felt like he''d be a fisherman who''d just thrown his into a group of fish. The enemy troops reminded him of fish that sshed around in the, but couldn''t escape. "I''ll let them know right away," his subordinate yelled. "Tell Mr. Dukeram that it''s almost time for him to join the fight." From the very beginning, Dukeram had remained in the sky, watching the battle from atop his Pegasus. If he joined the battle at the beginning, then he''d have been a huge help to them, but Jegal had deliberately asked him to stay his hand. He wanted the enemymander to think that the battle was still winnable. If the 1st Corps had shown its full strength from the very beginning, then they would''ve run away already. ''If that happened, then they would''ve drawn this war out. That would''ve been the worst possible scenario for us.'' Anyhow, it was about time. Countless Alliancemanders, strong individuals, and soldiers were drawn into the middle. It was time for the 1st Corps to show its full might and ughter their enemies. "Yes, sir!" Jegal''s direct subordinate had contacted the left and right general''s, as well as Dukeram. The 1st Corps'' left and right nks widened their formation and advanced, while Dukeram''s Pegasus spun in the air and then descended to the ground. At that moment... He suddenly detected enemies he hadn''t noticed before. They wereing from the east and the west. ''Who are they?'' Jegal consecutively looked at the western and eastern armies. The Nazrak ins were huge. There were no forests or small hills here. Thus, there was no real way of hiding anything here. Although he couldn''t see them right away, something was definitelying. ''There are a ton of soldiersing.'' Jegal furrowed his brow and thought this through. ''There''s a high chance that it''s the Breaker''s Wyvern Squad. But there are way too many for it to just be the Wyvern Squad.'' He didn''t like this. "Mr. ck Wolf!" ck Wolf, who was on standby, quickly came over. The ck Wolf Squad, or ck Wing, which sessfully raised and rode upon Death Eagles, was on standby to intercept the Wyvern Squad. The rest of ck Wolf''s squad was fighting in the middle right now. "You called?" "Enemies have shown up from the east and the west. It looks like the Wyvern Squad, but there are a lot more than I expected. Take ck Wing and..." Jegal examined the red dots on either side again. The western troops were weaker than the eastern troops. ''They won''t be able to ignore the Death Eagles. It''s better to block one sidepletely than try to block both and stretch ourselves too thin. I should stop the weaker side first.'' "Block the reinforcementsing from the west." "Understood." "If things don''t go well, then please retreat. The Death Eagles are worth a fortune. You know this better than I do." Indeed, they were worth a fortune. They took a ton of time, energy, and resources to raise and train. "Yes, sir! Bring out all the Death Eagles!" ck Wolf took out a ck egg from his inventory and raised it into the air. It was a device that summoned his pet. The others did the same. Whir! Forty magic circles appeared in the air, and the ''Nightmares of the Sky'', or Death Eagles, came out of them. There were a total of 40 of them! Kyaaaahk! The Death Eagles shrieked and pped their wings. Members of ck Wing skillfully rode atop their pets. "Fly!" It was an impressive sight. 40 Death Eagles flying in formation. Chapter 548. True Nightmare

Chapter 548. True Nightmare

Trantor: Boko Gheor wasn''t an idiot, nor was he underestimating the Imperial Army. He knew full well that the Empire had prepared several ns to take down the Tiger Corps. In spite of that, he had chosen to fight for two reasons. First, it was his responsibility to protect the cities and their citizens. Gheor had dispatched the Eagle Corps and the Elephant Corps in a way that''d protect the free cities. However, that had been exactly what the Empire had wanted. Second, he knew that the Empire sought to destroy the Tiger Corps, so he struck at their weakness. They would use ''airships'' to aplish this! These airships were designed by Gheor and Han Seol, and the Storm Guild had created them. It was finally time to use them. Instead of sails, they flew using giant balloons. Plus... Kyaaaahk! Each ship was pulled by ten wyverns. Their job was to drag the airship in the right direction, as well as guard them if necessary. It was a method of transportation that hadn''t existed within Arth! Moreover, they were traveling through the sky! That''s why they were able to transport the Eagle Corps and the Elephant Corps without being detected. Of course, if you took a good look at them, you''d notice how crude they were. They used an actual boat as the hull of the ship, and it was pretty clear how much of a rushed job the balloons were. Still, there was no better method of transportation when the Tower wasn''t letting the Alliance or the Empire use their gates! Without the Flying Dragon Squad or the Storm Guild, they couldn''t have been constructed. Fifteen airships from both the east and the west quickly flew towards the Nazrak ins. They could transport 200 people per ship. There were 3,000 of the Eagle Corps'' elites in the eastern airships. Each of them was a powerhouse in their own right. It included the Eagle Corps'' Commander, Burkan, as well as Dion, the 100 Fighters, and the Sword Mercenaries! Burkan had asked Kang Oh if he knew anyone who''d be of help to them, and Kang Oh hade through. They were apanying Burkan on the ship. Bart and his friends hade, which included the Harbinger of Death, Viper, and the Wolf Warrior, Mn. Helena, Plum, Dambi, and Yericka hade too. The western airships carried 3,000 of the Elephant Corps'' elites. Theirmander, Ould, and the Master Knight, ndo, were with them. The captain of the Flying Dragon Squad, Sdin, the Master of Melee Combat, Cracker, and other rankers apanied them. This was Gheor''s trump card! Although it was a paltry 6,000 troops, they possessed enough power to turn this battle around. However...! All of a sudden, something happened to the western airships. "The Alliance has made something strange." ck Wolf looked at the airships and smiled murderously from atop his Death Eagle. Ould saw the Death Eagles from the deck of the ship, and hisplexion paled. "The Nightmares of the Sky are here! Everyone, get ready for battle!" Ould yelled. "Flying Dragon Squad, get on your wyverns! We can''t let the airships fall!" Sdin rushed over to his wyvern and whistled. The Flying Dragon Squad quickly followed Sdin. Shriek! The riders quickly got on their wyverns one or two at a time. They immediately detached from the lines connecting the wyverns to the airships. After all, they couldn''t fight when they were immobilized, now could they? Due to therge balloons, the airships didn''t fall. Kyaaahk! 150 wyverns flew at the Death Eagles. Whir! The wyverns unleashed ck or green Poison Breaths from their mouths. "Scatter, and fight individually! If you lose your Death Eagle, then there''ll be hell to pay!" ck Wolf yelled murderously. "Yes, sir!" ck Wolf''s Death Eagle avoided all of the Poison Breath. Its flying ability was truly extraordinary. Now it was time for their counterattack. The members of ck Wolf pointed at their targets, and the Death Eagles opened their beaks, revealing a mass of blue energy. de Wind! The swift, sharp energy was like the finest of des. Rip! The wyverns'' wings ripped, and plummeted to the ground. "Damn it." A Wyvern Rider, who was glued onto their wyvern''s back, quickly pulled out an adhesive meant for first aid. The Breaker Guild''s alchemists had developed this in case their wyverns'' wings ripped. However, a shadow cast over him and his wyvern. A Death Eagle had flown over in the blink of an eye. The ck Wolf member pierced the Wyvern Rider''s body with their spear. "Keok." His wyvern wasn''t left alone either. The Death Eagle pierced through it with both its talons and its beak. Kyahaahk! The wyvern writhed, but it couldn''t escape the Death Eagle''s grasp. "Save Rick!" A group of wyverns came rushing at the Death Eagle. They couldn''t use their Poison Breath or they''d risk hitting Rick too. At that moment, the Death Eagle forcefully pped its wings. p! Whoosh! The Death Eagle quickly soared into the air with both the wyvern and its rider in tow! There was no way the wyverns could match that kind of speed. Its skill in the air was unparalleled. "Damn it. It''s too fast." "Close the distance however possible! Take advantage of our numbers!" It was a fight between 150 wyverns and 40 Death Eagles! Plus, the mages and archers in the airships offered long-range support. But as time passed, they realized why the Death Eagles were called the ''Nightmares'' of the Sky! It was as if they were piloting dozens of old aircraft versus the top of the line fighter jet. There was no way they could possiblypete with them. The wyverns and their riders kept dying, while the Death Eagles and the ck Wolf Squad werepletely unscathed. In the end... A Death Eagle approached the airship. Its mouth was filled with blue energy. ''This is bad!'' Sdin''s face was filled with despair. It was toote. There was no way to stop them. He could see the airship being ripped to the shreds, and falling to the ground. Then... A red meteor came flying by. It was incredibly fast! What was that? "A-A wyvern?" Sdin gaped. It was a mutant wyvern with red skin and ck armor! The wyvern was faster than the Death Eagle, even though it was carrying two people on its back. Inhale. Roar! Waryong spewed zing mes. Fire Dragon''s Fury! The Death Eagle countered with sharp wind energy. de Wind! The two energies fiercely shed in the sky. Waryong and the Death Eagle''s energies engaged in a tug of war. "What are you doing!? Go help that wyvern!" Sdin yelled. The red wyvern wouldn''t be able to stop the Death Eagle by itself. After all, a wyvern was like an old aircraft, while a Death Eagle was like the newest fighter jet. However...! "C-Captain!" A member of the Flying Dragon Squad widened his eyes. "Hoh!" Sdin gaped once more. Waryong''s mes pushed through the Death Eagle''s st, andpletely devoured it and its rider. Roar! Gyaaahk! The Death Eagle released an anguished cry and plummeted to the ground. Its rider didn''t remain safe from the mes either. This was the first time that the top of the line fighter jet, the Death Eagle, was defeated. It had been defeated by an older model at that. Sdin stared at the wyvern in disbelief. However, what he had seen was irrefutably true. ''There''s nothing more surprising than... Heok!'' It felt like his eyes would pop out of his head. A man on Waryong''s back pulled out a yellow ''something'' from his chest. It looked like a chick of some sort. However...! That chick was engulfed in mes and instantly transformed into something else. A Phoenix! The mythical bird had appeared! * * * Empire''s Giant Soldier and Moby Dick Squads were engaged in an intense battle with Breaker''s Beast Squad. Tap. Tap. Tap. The white-winged Pegasusnded on the ground. Then, cheers rang out all around the rider. "Uwaaaah!" "Commander Dukeram has appeared!" "Emperor! Emperor! Emperor!" "Dukeram! Dukeram! Dukeram!" Dukeram''s mere presence brought strength to his soldiers and the members of the Empire Guild. Dukeram was invincible. Thus, his presence was a sign that victory was at hand. "Damn it." Raon, who was fighting against Tainos, furrowed his brow. He was ashamed that he was having such a hard time fighting someone like Tainos. But now, they had Dukeram to deal with too! ''Someone needs to take care of him.'' However, there was no one that could. Him and Snow Flower were busy dealing with Tainos and Moby Dick. "Magma, Schaal!" Raon yelled. The Breaker Guild had four squads of its own: Steel Sword, Lava, Leopard, and Flying Dragon! Schaal was the leader of Steel Sword, while Magma led the Lava Squad. They were two members that represented the Breaker Guild''s power! Although they weren''t in their best condition, as they were tired from fighting the Empire Guild and had rued wounds, there was no one else that could handle Dukeram. "Yes, sir!" Schaal, who possessed a tiger''s face, yelled. Magma, who hadn''t be an anthromorph, turned his head and stared at Raon. "Take your men and keep Dukeram busy. Buy as much time as possible!" "Understood." Schaal, Magma, and their men did as they were ordered. Dukeram pulled out two pieces of equipment from his inventory. The unrivaled Max Cain, and the Emperor''s Staff! Dukeram raised the golden staff into the air. A bright yellow sphere like the sun rose from the end of his staff. Summon Invincible Army! Glittering sand soldiers rose from the ground. There were so many of them. He had summoned 10,000 soldiers! Who would believe you if you said that one yer could summon 10,000 soldiers at once!? However, if Dukeram did it, a lot of people would say ''as expected'' and nod their heads. He was a one man army! That was the best way to describe him. Even so, Dukeram couldn''t summon 10,000 soldiers whenever he wanted. When he became a Desert Emperor, Dukeram gained a new side stat called ''Rulership''. Summoning and maintaining these sand soldiers consumed these stat points. Dukeram had just used up more than half of his saved up points by summoning all of these soldiers at once. "Desert Emperor!" "Great One! Give us your orders!" Two sand men, who were more than 3 meters tall, and were garbed in glowing golden armor, shouted simultaneously. These were the generals that led the Invincible Army! "Kill anyone who opposes me!" Dukeram ordered. "As youmand!" "Invincible Army, follow me!" The sand generals yelled. Long ago, there was a man who lived for hundreds of years and ruled the desert as emperor with his strange Hourss Magic. It was said that this emperor''s army was invincible; it didn''t die, eat, or sleep. It was the Invincible Army. This legendary army had returned once more. "Holy shit!" "He''s a monster!" "Theye back even if you kill them!" The sand soldiers were far stronger than any normal troops. Even if you did manage to kill them, they woulde back. Hence the name, the Invincible Army! They wouldn''t disappear until Dukeram exhausted his entire Rulership stat. Dukeram, the Invincible Army, and the Empire! Thisbination... Was too dangerous! * * * Rudy, who''d transformed into its true form, was truly a majestic creature. Not only was itrger than the Death Eagles, but its outstretched wings burned with the Fire of Life. Sun Wing! Rudy unleashed feather-shaped mes everywhere. There were so many of them that the sky waspletely filled with them. The Death Eagles pped their wings and avoided the barrage, but three were unable to do so. The feathers didn''t give them any room to dodge. The Phoenix was a miraculous bird birthed from the Source of Fire. Any enemy opposing it would be burnt to a crisp. Roar! The three Death Eagles'' wings quickly burnt away. Then, their skin, talons, beak, and bones melted away too. Their riders tried to extinguish the mes, but it was no use. Then... "Let''s go!" Sephiro grabbed Waryong''s back. A dark red meteor flew through the air. Meteor Crash! This was one of the effects of Waryong''s armor. For 10 seconds, Waryong''s speed would be quintupled, and it would be surrounded by energy. It was basically a mace that would break through any barrier. Boom! Waryong rammed into a Death Eagle. Meteor Crash made Waryong so fast that the Death Eagle couldn''t hope to respond in time. Kieeek! The Death Eagle fainted and plummeted to the ground. If it fell from this height, then it wouldn''t remain unscathed. Sephiro stood up and shot an arrow as thick as a harpoon. Waryong spewed red mes at the Death Eagles. After that... A dark red winged demon threw a Darkness Chain at a Death Eagle! Of course, a Death Eagle was skilled enough to dodge something like that. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! If Kang Oh hadn''t thrown Sarahoff using Weapon Bombardment beforehand, that is. The Death Eagle was being chased by Sarahoff, so predicting where it''d fly to next was no problem at all. Swish! Once the chain wrapped around the Death Eagle''s talon, Kang Oh shortened the chain and quickly closed the distance. "Get lost!" The rider thrust a fine-looking spear at him. However, he was nowhere near skilled enough to hit Kang Oh, the evasion master. Kang Oh dodged the attack and then jumped on top of the Death Eagle. Then, he swung Ubist and Blood. Mad Wind''s Sword! A merciless de storm raged across the Death Eagle''s back. Countless ck feathers and shards of light mixed together in the air. The rider had died long ago, and the dying Death Eagle plummeted to the ground. Kang Oh flew into the air once more. ''This is a sick nightmare!'' They had already lost six Death Eagles to Kang Oh''s party! The ck Wolf Squad realized that the true nightmare wasn''t the Death Eagles, but Sephiro, Kang Oh, Waryong, and the Phoenix! Chapter 549. Falling Wings

Chapter 549. Falling Wings

Trantor: Boko ck Wolf was pissed off. They had lost six Death Eagles, which took a tremendous amount of time, energy, and resources to raise! He looked at the main culprit and gritted his teeth. "Kang Oh!" The man assumed the form of a demon, and swung his twin demon swords! There was no one who wouldn''t recognize the most well-known person in Arth. He knew about Sephiro''s red wyvern too, and it didn''t take long for him to realize just how special it was. Moreover... The Phoenix! It was a mythological creature! He saw its strength with his own two eyes; the sight of a Death Eagle burned to nothing from the slightest touch of the Phoenix''s mes. That was why he ordered their retreat, despite having 34 Death Eagles left. "Get out of here as fast as you can!" "Yes, sir!" The Death Eagles began to retreat from the battlefield. "Captain, they''re getting away." "Don''t let them get away," Sdin yelled. The wyverns forcefully pped their wings in pursuit. Their numbers had gone down from 150 to 80. Of course, Kang Oh had no intention of letting them go quietly. He used Weapon Bombardment and said, "Rudy, Eternal me!" One of the long, ming feathers on Rudy''s head pointed at the air. Then, bright yellow mes surged around ten of the Death Eagles'' tails. "What!?" "Heok!" Their riders were astonished. It was as if the mes themselves had traveled through space; there was absolutely no way to dodge them. After all, there was no sign that they wereing! "Your scrolls, use your scrolls!" ck Wolf yelled urgently. However, the mes continued to spread across the Death Eagles'' bodies, devouring them whole. The ck Wolf Squad quickly pulled out magic scrolls from their inventories. White smoke arose from the scrolls. This was fire-extinguishing magic that the Empire Guild''s mages had developed. It was basically a magical fire extinguisher. However, they couldn''t put out the fire. The Eternal me was special. It could only be stopped by the Phoenix itself. Roar! Roar! Ten Death Eagles burnt to a crisp. Their riders shared their fate. ck Wolf was shocked. ''To think a Phoenix was this powerful!'' At this rate, they would be annihted. He had to save as many Death Eagles as he could. "Retreat! Retreat, you idiots!" ck Wolf shouted at the top of his lungs. However, one of the Death Eagles had already been caught by Kang Oh. He had used Weapon Bombardment to block its escape route, and had attacked it from behind. The Death Eagle''s fate was decided. Death! After that... "Where do you think you''re going!?" Sephiro yelled. Waryong quickly flew over and bit the Death Eagle''s neck. Waryong''s normal speed was equal to a Death Eagle''s, but that didn''t take into ount Meteor Crash. It was surprising. A wyvern was supposed to be slower in the air, and weaker across the board. That''s how they were at birth, after all. However, Waryong was different. Even the Wyvern King, Draka, would be no match for Waryong now. Why, you ask? Waryong was a mutant wyvern. Thus, its limitations were far higher than a normal wyvern''s. Plus, Sephiro had put his blood, sweat, and tears into raising it. He lovingly cared for it, fed it good food, paid close attention to it, and rigorously trained it. To add to that, the goddess had gifted him wyvern armor, which raised all of its abilities by 1.5 times. This ability was called ''Transcendent Being''. Lastly, Acacus''s Book and Dragon''s Blood had made it even stronger. Acacus''s Book was a reward from his soul dungeon, the Stonemason''s Workroom. This book could be used for a chance at a random Tamer skill, or significantly increase the abilities of one''s pet. With it, Waryong quickly reached its maximum strength. Plus...! Sephiro would bother, beg, or negotiate with Kang Oh for Dragon''s Blood. This also allowed Waryong to surpass its limitations. Then, the process would repeat. Through loving care, training, and Acacus''s Book, Waryong''s power would grow to its new cap. Thus, Waryong was more powerful than even a Death Eagle. Kyaaahk! Waryong stretched its neck and bit a Death Eagle''s wing. Kieek! The Death Eagle released an agonizing cry, struggled to get free, and scratched at Waryong''s skin with its talons. However...! ng, ng! The Death Eagle''s beaks and talons, which could cut through the strongest steel with ease, couldn''t pierce through Waryong''s armor. Sephiro kicked off Waryong''s back, and shot three arrows in the air. Triple Shot! Waryong wasn''t the only one who''d grown. Sephiro had grown strong enough to shoot three of these thick arrows at once. Thwock! Thwock! Thwock! Two of the three arrows struck the rider, while thest one hit the Death Eagle itself. "Waryong!" Swoosh! Waryong quickly flew over and caught the falling Sephiro. Then, it immediately opened its mouth and unleashed red mes. Fire Dragon''s Arrow! Sephiro notched a ming arrow, and shot it at the Death Eagle. Roar! The arrow finished off the Death Eagle and rider duo. Sephiro quickly scanned his surroundings. The Death Eagles were already far off into the distance. "Let''s go, Waryong!" Meteor Crash! Waryong, who transformed into a dark red meteor in the sky, instantly caught up with the group of Death Eagles. "Eek!" ck Wolf gasped. Waryong smashed into one of the Death Eagles. Boom! The Death Eagle instantly lost consciousness and plummeted to the ground. Without a parachute, the rider began to fall to his death. Chirp! Rudy used thest of its power. A me pir appeared out of nowhere, devouring a Death Eagle. After that, Rudy returned to its weakened form. Chirp! In an attempt to keep itself afloat, Rudy pped its tiny wings. Kang Oh quickly flew over and grabbed it. The Eternal me was Rudy''s finishing move. It used up most of the mes it''d consumed thus far. Rudy had used it to kill ten Death Eagles simultaneously, and had used what remained of its mes to take one more down before it reverted to its powerless form. It entered a deep sleep within Kang Oh''s buxom. "Your time is almost up," Tasha said telepathically. "Got it." Kang Oh flew down to the airship. Kyaahk! Kyaahk! Several wyverns passed by him. However, normal wyverns had no hope of catching the Death Eagles. Only Sephiro and Waryong pursued them till the very end, and managed to kill one more pair before they returned. ck Wing had originally started with 40 Death Eagles. However, half of them had died. Rudy had killed fourteen of them with its mes, Kang Oh had killed two, and Sephiro/Waryong had killed four! That was the result of the ck Wolf Squad''s horrible nightmare. * * * Kang Oh safelynded on the frontmost airship. Soldiers approached him and thanked him for saving their lives. One of them was Ould, the leader of the Elephant Corps. "Thank you!" Ould said enthusiastically. What if they had lost the Elephant Corps'' elites? That would''ve been a huge blow to the Alliance. They would''ve lost Ould too. ''Ould! Themander of the Elephant Corps, the Krampal General, the victor of the Corvault Expedition, and the Tactical Genius! I should get closer to him.'' Kang Oh, who''d figured out who he was speaking to, suddenly acted modest. "I''m d I could save you. After all, you''ll do much in the battle that is toe. Ah, and the Corvault Expedition really left a huge impression on me." He also added some ttery too. "May I know the name of my savior?" "My name is Kang Oh." "Ah!" Kang Oh had aundry list of several outstanding deeds, which made him incredibly famous. He had plenty of titles to prove it too. "The Evil God Punisher." It was a title he''d gained from the battle against the Evil God Worshippers. This battle had taken ce in therge city of Franco. Thus, the citizens of the central region remembered Kang Oh as the Evil God Punisher. In the west, he was known as the ''Hero of Kasten'', while he was called a ''True Friend'' in the south for his efforts in taking down the Winged Snake Queen. To yers, he was known as the Predator. "I will be sure to return the favor!" Ould yelled passionately. [Closeness with the Krampal General, Ould, has increased significantly.] [Ould will grant your request, whatever it may be.] ''Whatever it may be, huh... It should prove useful someday.'' Kang Oh grinned. After that, Kang Oh acquainted himself with the Master Knight, ndo, as well as other big shots on the airship. He also briefly said hello to the rankers on the ship. Soon enough, Sephiro and Waryong returned to the ships. He received just as good of a reception as Kang Oh. He was especially weed by Sdin and the Flying Dragon Squad. They just wouldn''t let him go. "Mr. Sephiro, I heard you haven''t joined a guild yet. Pleasee to our guild." "Mr. Sephiro!" "I admire you! You''re my new role model!" They were enamored by the sight of Sephiro and Waryong taking down the Death Eagles. "Hoo, hoo, hoo." Sephiro smiled brightly. He didn''t dislike the attention they were giving him. Gyaahk! Gyaahk! Waryong imitated its master, yelling enthusiastically and pping its outstretched wings. Meanwhile, the wyverns continuously pulled the airships towards the battlefield. * * * The eastern airships hadn''t been blocked like their western counterparts, so they arrived at the battlefield earlier. The 1st Corps'' right nk was the first ones to notice them. "What''s that?" "Flying boats?" "That''s the symbol of the Alliance. Attack!" Magic and arrows came flying at the airships. "Clear the ground," Broli yelled. He was the Flying Dragon''s vice-captain. The Flying Dragon Squad, which was already on standby, quickly flew towards their enemies. There were 150 of them! The wyverns simultaneously unleashed Poison Breaths at the ground. "Uahk!" "Ugh." Anywhere the green or ck energy passed through, anguished cries could be heard. ck spots would appear on their bodies, their faces would melt off, or they would feel symptoms of severe poisoning and fall to the ground. This happened for hundreds of soldiers. This was the true power of a wyvern squad! The 1st Corps'' right general couldn''t handle the wyverns'' bombardment. "Scatter, hide, dodge!" That was the best he could do. It was only natural. Most of the 1st Corps'' elites were in the center, so the right nk contained only normal soldiers. They didn''t have the ability to stop the airships. "Let''s not waste time here and head straight for the middle," Burkan said. "Understood." Only a few wyverns attacked the ground troops, while the rest of them tugged the airships towards the middle of the battlefield. * * * ''Airships flown using wyverns!'' Jegal bit his nails. He finally knew how they''d gotten their troops here so quickly. Jegal quickly thought things over. Who would be on those ships? ''The other corps'' elites!'' Jegal had ordered the 2nd and 3rd Corps to carefully monitor the Eagle and Elephant Corps for any suspicious movements. They had reported that they hadn''t done anything suspicious. They had been too rxed, no, overconfident because the Alliance couldn''t use the gates. ''Damn it!'' Those airships would allow them to ferry their elites without being noticed. "Contact Mr. ck Wolf. Tell him to hurry up with the western airships and thene straight back." Death Eagles were the best when facing wyverns. If he could, he wanted to shoot down the airships before the soldiers got off. "Yes, sir!" His subordinate immediately sent ck Wolf a message. However, he didn''t get a reply back. "He isn''t replying back." "What?" Jegal quickly looked at the map. He looked at the red and blue dots in the west. The blue dots, or ck Wing, wereing back. However, the red dots were the same as before. Which meant...! ''They failed to destroy the western airships.'' "Order the left and right generals to join up with our center troops ASAP!" "Then we won''t be able to surround them..." "That''s not the issue here. Our victory is no longer assured. Bring out all of our reserve troops too!" "U-Understood!" His subordinate moved quickly. Jegal bit his index finger''s center joint. It was a bad habit of his that happened whenever things weren''t going well. "Mm!" He anxiously looked at the battle. The airships had already reached the center of the battlefield! In the west, another set of airships were following the defeated ck Wing. Chapter 550. Fool’s End

Chapter 550. Fool''s End

Trantor: Boko The western airships. Several of their wyverns had died at the hands of the Death Eagles. They only had 80 wyverns left. However, they didn''t have a problem pulling the fifteen airships. "We need to get to the center of the battlefield. Could you please help us out?" Sdin asked. "Let''s go!" Sephiro nodded his head, and Waryong flew forward. Kyaaahk! Waryong flew through the air and inhaled. Then, it spewed mes at its enemies, forging a path. The wyverns shot their Poison Breath from beside the red wyvern. The Empire''s troops scattered, avoiding the mes and the poison. Then, the airships flew towards the vacated area. Kang Oh stood atop the figurehead at the end of the ship, and assessed the battlefield. The wyverns and the airships that flew from the east caught his eye. ''I''m d they made it here in one piece.'' The airships proved to be an effective bunker for their troops. The mages and archers unleashed long-range attacks from the deck of the ships. The wyverns began to fight the Death Eagles in the sky. As soon as ck Wolf and the Death Eagles returned, Jegal ordered him to join the battle in the middle. Bart and Helena were an impressive sight. Bart stood on the head of a Rock Giant. An Ice Giant and a Fire Giant stood at its sides. Whenever they swung their fists, the Empire''s soldiers let out agonizing cries. They would kill at least four or five with each swing, and ten at most. The enemy soldiers took substantial damage from the fire or the ice fragments too. Helena''s magic needed no introduction. She truly was the Witch of Annihtion. However, their enemies were not to be underestimated. ''Sand soldiers?'' The invincible soldiers, which reformed themselves no matter how many times they were cut down, were sweeping through the battlefield. Plus... ''Dukeram!'' His eyes focused on Dukeram, who was holding a golden scepter from atop his Pegasus. "Descend!" Ould yelled. "Yes, sir!" The sailors disabled the devices which regted the gas output, and the airships slowly began to drop. However, Kang Oh leapt off of the ship before itnded. Both the Dragon''s Heart and the stars tightly packed within his belt glowed brightly. Devil Trigger! His transformation was instantaneous. A dark red winged demon charged at Dukeram. ''Let''s go!'' He nned to usurp Dukeram''s rank, as well as test his new belt. However, Dukeram had no intention of fighting Kang Oh right now. "Stop him!" Dukeram yelled. "You dare!?" "What insolence!" The two sand generals leapt at Kang Oh. They swung their glittering sand scimitars at him, which let out a menacing sound. Sharp Attack! However, Kang Oh''s ability to fly, or Tasha''s for that matter, was too great for them. He flew through the air and dodged both of their des. Then, he went straight for Dukeram. "Huahp!" His jet-ck de was aimed straight for Dukeram''s neck. Dukeram slightly furrowed his brow and swung Max Cain upwards. ng! Ubist was pushed upwards. Kang Oh turned his body in the air, and thrust Blood. Transcendent de! He swung his sword with unparalleled speed! However, Dukeram''s Tarsonis Armor blocked his attack. Its ''Absolute Defense'', which nullified an attack, would always activate on his enemy''s first strike. ng! Blood bounced off his armor. Then, Max Cain shed. Supersonic Speed Strike! Kang Oh''s reaction time was ridiculous. He tilted Ubist and shielded his body. ng! He sessfully blocked it. However, the force behind Dukeram''s de was too much to handle, so he was pushed back. Tasha quickly pped his wings, ensuring that he didn''t lose bnce. "You bastard!" "How insolent!" The sand generals charged from behind, while the invincible soldiers gathered around him. Dukeram''s Pegasus flew into the air. ''I''ll see youter.'' He nned on fighting Kang Oh when he was weakened; when his skills, abilities, or item effects were on cooldown. Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to face his sand soldiers or the Empire''s elites without using any of them. Dukeram had definitely lost to Kang Oh one versus one. However, he would never lose on a battlefield. He nor the Empire! * * * Kang Oh knew exactly what Dukeram was nning. It seemed like he wanted to fight him after Kang Oh had used some of his most important skills or item effects. ''Will it really go as you nned?'' Kang Oh thought of his new belt and grinned. Dukeram''s n wouldn''t go as he wanted so long as he had this belt. At the same time, fighting the sand generals or their soldiers was a waste of time. After all, no matter how many times he killed them, they woulde back! Dukeram didn''t want to fight him right now, and it would be a waste of time to try following him too. The sand soldiers were standing near their emperor, as if taunting him toe and attack them! If that''s the case, then... ''I should go after the captains instead.'' If he went after them, then Dukeram woulde and find him on his own two feet. They made up most of the Imperial Army''s strength, and there was also no one besides Dukeram that would be able to stop him. Then, he''d use the belt''s special ability to take Dukeram''s head! ''Man, what a perfect n.'' Kang Oh deflected the sand general''s scimitar and then leapt over him. Then, he ran as fast as he could. Dukeram, who watched Kang Oh''s form get blurrier and blurrier, pointed at a different area. "Don''t follow him. Take care of them!" Dukeram pointed at Bart''s Giants. "As youmand!" "As you wish!" The sand generals and their troops charged at Bart''s Giants. Dukeram turned his Pegasus towards Kang Oh. ''Kang Oh must be aiming for the captains.'' Even so, Dukeram had no intention of chasing after him. That was exactly what Kang Oh wanted, after all. Plus, the Empire''s captains weren''t as weak as Kang Oh believed them to be. Dukeram nned on killing the strongest members of the Alliance while Kang Oh was busy fighting his captains. His first target was Helena. Her magic was too dangerous on a battlefield of this scale. Thus, he needed to eliminate her first. Countless sand soldiers followed after Dukeram. * * * Kang Oh deactivated Devil Trigger and charged through the battlefield. He didn''t want to stand out too much. Then, his ears rung from the sound of a stupid bear''s roar. "Uwoooh!" It was the captain of the Brown Bear Squad, Ridgeley! He was trampling on a man. It was the body of Sionel, the leader of the Fierce Tiger Squad. The man who was called the Young Tiger! "I won!" Ridgeley opened his arms and yelled. "C-Commander!" "Commander Sionel... lost!?" "Get a grip. We have to avenge him!" The Fierce Tiger Squad unleashed their anger onto the Brown Bear Squad, fighting even harder than ever before. ''You''re my first target.'' Kang Oh turned his body, and rushed at Ridgeley. At the same time, he pulled out Blood and used Demon''s Descent. Tasha''s hatred towards humanity would help her unleash her full power on the battlefield! A pale beauty in a red dress and fluttering red hair appeared. "Kill everyone with the Brown Bear insignia." "Just them?" "You can kill the ones with the roaring lion and star marks too." The roaring lion was the Empire Guild''s insignia, while the star was the symbol of the Arabas Empire. "We''ll see." "Don''t kill our allies. There are a ton of enemies for you to kill," Kang Oh said firmly. He didn''t want her to get any ideas. "...Fine." Tasha gathered a ton of red energy in her hands, and then shot it into the sky. A short whileter... Ornate blood spears fell from the sky. What an ostentatious disy. "What is that!?" "It''s a witch." The Brown Bear Squad and the Imperial Army responded immediately. Meanwhile, Kang Oh sliced through anyone in his way, and swung Sarahoff at any nearby members of the Brown Bear Squad. Then, one of them swung their spear shaft at him with both hands. Swish! Kang Oh sliced through the spear shaft with Sarahoff, and then thrust his sword into their heart. "Keok!" Red shards of light fell from their body. Kang Oh pulled Sarahoff downwards. sh! They fell t on their face. "Chimney!" "How dare you do that to him!?" Three members of the Brown Bear Squad rushed at him like angry bears. What idiots. To think they''d charge straight into the mouth of a tiger. Mad Wind''s Sword! He ferociously swung his twin demon swords. It only took 10 seconds for him to kill all three of them. Only then did the Brown Bear Squad understand that he wasn''t to be taken lightly. They didn''t rush at him and just watched him. "K-Kang Oh!" "Damn it. It''s the Predator." It was a brief standoff. Tasha unleashed a Fresh Blood Wave at them, as if saying, ''I''m here too!''. The undting blood red energy came straight for them. Then... Glittering white energy cleaved the Fresh Blood Wave in two! Ridgeley could be seen beyond the two halves of the st. "Good of you toe!" He had a bone to pick with Kang Oh. Ridgeley could still remember how badly he''d lost to him in the Great Forest. He hadn''t stopped resenting Kang Oh for the humiliation he''d given him. He sure was confident. Ridgeley had, like Kang Oh, be a Master, acquired top of the line equipment with the support of his guild, and had reached the max level of 500. He was also energized from killing someone as strong as Sionel, and was fueled by his resentment for Kang Oh! It didn''t seem like he''d lose at all. "Die!" Ridgeley charged like a warthog, and swung his halberd downwards. His halberd was surrounded by fierce energy. The silhouette of a wicked demon appeared behind him. "Fool," Kang Oh said. Ridgeley wasn''t better than him in any way. Kang Oh was a higher level, his equipment was better, he was more skilled and had morebat experience, and was higher ranked than him too! So why was he so confident that he''d win? No matter how he thought about it, he couldn''t think of him as anything but a fool. Kang Oh smoothly swung Sarahoff. It was the same Master sh he''d used to cut through the sea! The energy surrounding Ridgeley''s halberd was like a child''s toy. It was cut apart, and Ridgeley''s halberd flew through the air. "What?" Ridgeley was shocked. That had been his secret move. Demon King Spear! This strike, which contained the power of the Demon King, could destroy anything! It was apletely arrogant move. Even so, to think that the Demon King Spear would be blocked so easily! Ridgeley couldn''t believe what he was seeing. "No way!" Ridgeley was a fool till the very end. He was all bark and no bite. Ring of Frost! Demon Sword Sarahoff released chilling energy, which engulfed Ridgeley. It was instantaneous. He waspletely frozen solid. Kang Oh''s twin demon swords and his armor released gray energy. Dragon''s Fury! A raging gray whirlwind surrounded him, sweeping through the frozen statue that was Ridgeley. Pieces of ice flew everywhere. Shards of light came out of every part of Ridgeley''s body. However, Ridgeley didn''t die. Bear God''s Protection! This skill quickly restored his depleted HP, safeguarding him from death. Then, the Brown Bear Squad threw themselves at Kang Oh. "Save the Captain!" "Go away, you monster!" Kang Oh smirked. They weren''t the Brown Bear Squad; they were the Idiot Squad. To think they would walk into their own graves! Whir. Sarahoff glowed with golden light, and darkness surrounded Ubist. Tempest Tiger + Abyss Predator! ck and gold mixed together, creating a giant flood of energy! Boom! The Brown Bear Squad was swept away. Not a single one of them survived the st. However, Ridgeley pierced through the destructive st. If nothing else, his body was indeed Master rank. "Shit! You bastard!" Ridgeley cursed, and swung his halberd at Kang Oh''s neck. Behead! This was one of Ridgeley''s favorite skills. He had used it to decapitate several of his foes. ''If he dodges or blocks it, then I''ll use Soul Steal right after!'' Soul Steal! It was a Warrior secret move. This attack was impossible to dodge or block. In exchange, it could only be used as a follow up attack. Ridgeley had killed countless people with this Behead/Soul Stealbo. It would do the same to Kang Oh! Kang Oh raised Ubist. ''He fell for it!'' Ridgeley let out a battle cry and put everything he had into his halberd. However...! Kang Oh tilted his sword, and Ridgeley''s halberd slid across his de. Sword Parry! "Hey, you bast..." Ridgeley couldn''t help but curse once he lost bnce. To think he''d use Sword Parry at a time like this! He btedly used Soul Steal. However, he was unable to finish cursing or use the technique in time. Transcendent de! In the blink of an eye, Kang Oh''s jet-ck de cut through Ridgeley''s neck. Ridgeley''s head flew through the air, as his body mmed into the ground! Countless shards of light fell from his severed head. "You''re a fool to the bitter end." Did he really think he''d fall for his Behead/Soul Stealbo? None of Ridgeley''s new tactics would work on him, so why would abo that he''d used thousands of times before work on him? Ridgeley wasn''t even close to fighting Kang Oh. He was foolish, reckless, and simple, but there were times that Ridgeley''s style, that of pure destructive power, would be advantageous to him in a fight. However, that style would never work against an opponent that was stronger than him. ''Hmm, I wonder if Eric, Taker, or Tainos wille out.'' He needed to fight someone even stronger. "Let''s go, Tasha!" "Got it." Tasha, who choked a soldier with both her hands, beamed and followed him. The Brown Bear Squad didn''t dare follow him. Kang Oh had shown them his overwhelming power! He was a true monster. Chapter 551. Dragon’s Treasure Belt

Chapter 551. Dragon''s Treasure Belt

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh used several skills against Ridgeley, including Ring of Frost, Dragon''s Fury, Abyss Predator, etc. These skills had a cooldown of 10 minutes. In his next fight, he may have to use Gluttony or even Resurrection, which had a cooldown of 12 hours and 30 days respectively. That was exactly what Dukeram was hoping for. ''But Dukeram doesn''t know about this belt.'' Kang Oh examined his belt. [Dragon''s Treasure Belt] A belt that contains Akite''s heart. Akite, a dragon who sought immortality, extensively studied the legendary Time Magic. Remnants of that research still remain within this heart. Hoffman, Dink, and Ris worked together to craft this work of art. Dink worked on the leather. His ability to cut leather has reached the realm of the gods. Ris created the mysterious alloy, Oradium. The Jeweler secret technique, Ultimate Craftsmanship, was used to refine the Dragon''s Heart. Somehow, the three Masters'' superhuman skills harmonized perfectly to create this work of art. The cksmith God, Orgon, is extremely pleased, and has blessed the item. It is so valuable that it could be a national treasure. It is an item worthy of a dragon''s greed. + Three Person Masterpiece: The user''s leather, metal, or jewels will never rip or break, and will always remain in tip-top condition. The stat bonus of any equipment made of leather, metal, or jewels increases by 10%. + Eternal Spring: The user''s maximum MP is tripled. MP always replenishes very quickly. At this time, any effect that blocks MP regeneration is nullified. + Dragon''s Hourss: Summon an hourss that speeds up or slows the flow of time. You may choose one of these two options: (1) Speeds up time, reducing the cooldown of all skills, spells, and item effects. (2) Slows down time, increasing the duration of all buffs affecting the user. Cooldown: 1 week. MP Cost: Consumes all of the user''s MP. Time goes by quicker or slower based on the amount of MP consumed. Rank: SS. Abilities: None. Minimum Requirements: None. However, if a yer possesses a Dragon''s Heart without the acknowledgement of a dragon, then they will be attacked by an enraged dragon. It was so amazing that it''d make you gape. Due to ''Three Person Masterpiece'', Kang Oh''s equipment gave him an extra 10% in stat bonuses. ''Eternal Spring'' was a tremendous ability. Just this ability alone would make the belt extremely valuable. After all, sses that consumed a ton of MP like Mages woulde running for something like this. ''Dragon''s Hourss'' was the most ridiculous ability though. It allowed him to control an aspect of time at the cost of his MP bar! Using this ability would either reduce his cooldowns significantly, or increase the duration of his buffs like Gluttony or Blood Emperor. It was amazing! Although he''d need to save skills like Gluttony or Resurrection, he could use his other skills (10 minute cooldown) without worrying about Dukeram. That''s why he''d used Ring of Frost, Dragon''s Fury, and Abyss Predator against Ridgeley. He was disappointed that it didn''t give him any stat bonuses, but it made sense when he thought about how amazing its abilities were. The minimum requirements didn''t affect him at all. After all, he was acknowledged by both Gainus and Akite. Anyhow, Kang Oh continued to search for the Empire Guild''s captains with the belt around his waist. It wasn''t that hard to find them. All he needed to do was go to where the Alliance was being pushed back, and lo and behold, a captain would be there. "Hoh." The cier Squad Captain, Irene. She was Kang Oh''s next target. * * * The Battle of the Nazkrak ins had quickly be an all-out war. As soon as the western and eastern airships arrived, Gheor ordered all of his reserve troops to join the battle. Jegal did the same. He sent all of the 1st Corps'' reserve troops into the frontlines. A group of wyverns and Death Eagles were battling in the air for supremacy. Normally, wyverns couldn''t match up to Death Eagles. However, things were different when Sephiro and Waryong were involved. They had enough power to finish the job! The wyverns were willing to sacrifice themselves if it meant grouping the Death Eagles together. Once they were clumped together, Sephiro and Waryong would finish them off. However, that didn''t change the fact that they were facing Death Eagles. The wyverns took significant losses. ck Wolf repeatedly used his secret move, ''Combination Attack: Thunder Bomb'', and showed why he was a Master Tamer. Ultimately, it wasn''t easy for either side to control the skies. They would have to keep fighting till the bitter end. Breaker''s Beast Squad was in the worst possible situation. They fought against the sand soldiers, the Giant Soldier Squad, and the Moby Dick Squad, significantly reducing their numbers. Fortunately, their most powerful members (Snow Flower, Schaal, Magma, and Raon) were still alive and fighting hard. The Storm Squad was in a simr predicament. They had managed to ovee the loss of their leader, Hernandez, and were fighting intensely. However, that didn''t change the fact that they had taken significant losses. None of them could stop the Ghost Spear. His spear had killed Kim Ma Boo, the leader of the Magic Emperor Squad. If Ould and Sir ndo weren''t fighting the Ghost Spear, and the Elephant Corps weren''t assisting the Storm Squad, then they would have been annihted by now. The Invincible diator, Burkan, as well as Dion and the 100 Fighters, fought against the Empire Guild''s most powerful squad, Yellow Dragon. Eric, who hadn''t found anyone who could challenge him, was having a tough fight against Burkan. However, he was managing to hold his own. On the other hand, the 100 Fighters were slightly weaker than the Yellow Dragon Squad. Bart, his Giants, and the Eagle Corps'' elites were battling against Dukeram''s sand generals/soldiers and Empire''s Red King Squad. Most of the Red King Squad was made up of Assassins. Those who weren''t Assassins had leaned towards that direction anyway. Their captain, Kuskal, had done the same. He was an Archer, but he specialized in sniping his opponents from afar. Kuskal kept shooting long-range arrows at Bart, and Bart responded with all kinds of Creatorbination skills. Helena encountered her worst nightmare. It was none other than Dukeram! She was surrounded by Dukeram''s sand soldiers. What''s worse, she had Dukeram to worry about too. Her guild''s high rankers (Wind Tracker Dambi and Druid Yericka) were by her side. They fought to the best of their ability, but the situation was difficult to ovee. The Blue Knight, Plum, had already met her end via Dukeram''s de, and Dambi barely had any HP left. If not for Dambi''s healing spells, she would''ve died long ago. Worst of all, Helena wasn''t able to cast her magic properly. Whenever she tried to cast a spell, Dukeram would immediately use Space-Time sh. It was a secret move that distorted thews of both time and space! Thus, she would always have to reserve one of her two spells (Dual Casting) for defense. Of course, Helena was a top-tier yer for a reason. She would always attack Dukeram with one offensive spell. However, she didn''t have enough firepower to take him down. The more time passed, the worse the trio''s faces became. The Eagle Corps tried to help them, but they were stopped by the sand soldiers. Ultimately... Dukeram and the sand soldiers closed in. After that, the trio fell like dominos. Yericka died first, followed closely by Dambi. Once Dukeram''s sword pierced her body, Helena used her trump card, Self-Destruct. Unfortunately, glittering sand surrounded Dukeram''s body, minimizing the damage he took from her spell. With this, the Witch of Annihtion, Helena, left the stage. * * * Irene''s cier Squad had the highest kill count of all the squads. Why? The cier Squad only aimed for the Alliance''s troops. Jegal had ordered her to do so. Irene''s superb leadership abilities, coupled with the cier Squad''s skill and excellent teamwork, allowed them topletely overwhelm ordinary soldiers. The Alliance''s soldiers were swept away like tree leaves on an autumn day. Kang Oh and Tasha rushed towards the cier Squad. "Kang Oh." Irene, who immediately ascertained his identity, looked at him coldly. She waspletely different from that fool, Ridgeley. Irene always remained calm, regardless of the situation. Plus, she valued the strength of the organization more than her own personal strength. ''You''re weak by yourself. But if you''re with others, you''re strong.'' That''s the motto she lived by. Moreover, she had excellent decision making, and she didn''t hesitate either. "Everyone get off your horses. Assume defensive positions!" Irene ordered, and the cier Squad immediately assumed a circr formation. The shield bearers raised their shields in the front, while swords, spears, etc. were positioned behind them. The priests and the horses were in the middle. Most of the churches had remained neutral in the war. However, there were some churches that joined the Empire''s cause early on. Their priests were fighting on the Empire''s behalf in the Battle of the Nazrak ins. The Alliance had no priests that could heal them, but the Empire did. It was a bigger difference than you might expect. In any case, even Kang Oh was surprised by the cier Squad''s formation. He felt a shiver run down his spine too. It felt like he was looking at a bee''s nest. ''She''s not called the Queen Bee for nothing.'' It seemed like she had earned her title. "Hmph. It doesn''t matter how many of you there are. You''re still just small fry to me." Tasha, who was drunk off the battle, couldn''t help herself and attacked the cier Squad. Fresh Blood Wave! Annihting Spike! An undting blood red wave came flying at them, and red thorn vines surged from the ground. "Castle Wall!" Irene yelled, and the cier Squad''s shields glowed. Then, the light epassed the rest of their squad as well. Bam! Bam! Tasha''s attacks were stoppedpletely in their tracks. "Spear Strike!" ''Spear Strike'' was a term that Irene had made up. The spear-wielding troops unleashed sharp energy at Tasha all at once. Because they hadn''t physically thrown their spears, it didn''t count as a projectile attack. They focused their energy in one part of the spear and then released it. That was a Spear Strike. Tasha''s dress formed into a blood shield. Bam! Bam! Bam! The Spear Strikes almost made contact at exactly the same time. A Spear Strike wasn''t just pointing in a direction and shooting energy at it. It relied on its users to time it exactly right, and delicately control the power output. It was something that required long and intense training. The power of their Spear Strikes was surprising. They pierced through Tasha''s blood shield, pushed her back, and made her m into the ground. "Mm." It seemed like it would be harder to break through their defensive formation than he thought. ''They''ll probablyunch Spear Strikes at me even if I fly in from above.'' "Move!" Irene yelled. The cier Squad slowly approached Kang Oh. Their defense might be extremely high, but that also meant that they moved extremely slowly. If he retreated, then they wouldn''t be able to catch him. However, he had no intention of running away. ''Yeah, I choose you.'' Kang Oh pulled out a scroll from his inventory. Rip! A giant magic circle appeared on the ground. Then... a giant monster turtle appeared in its ce! He had summoned Moss Cave''s final guardian, Slowpoke Teynos. [You have used the Teynos Summoning Scroll.] [Duration Time: 30 minutes.] This was the first time he''d ever used a guardian summoning scroll. "Master! Why did you call me?" Teynos asked. Kang Oh pointed at the cier Squad. "Push through!" "Got it!" Teynos slowly made its way to the cier Squad. Bulldozer Teynos is in the building. Everyone, get out of the way! Although Teynos had appeared out of nowhere, Irene remained calm. "Spear Strike!" The cier Squad''s spear-wielders simultaneously unleashed sts of energy at Teynos. Bam, bam, bam! The sts hit Teynos simultaneously. They had enough power to leave marks on Teyno''s shell. However, it wasn''t enough to stop Teyno''s advance. Left with no other choice, Irene ordered her troops to scatter. "Scatter. Reorganize into small groups! Group leaders, lead your teams!" "Yes, ma''am!" As expected of the elite cier Squad. They quickly reorganized themselves into small groups. At that moment... ''Now!'' Kang Oh rushed forward like the wind. He needed to get as close to Irene and her small group as possible! Chapter 552. Predicament

Chapter 552. Predicament

Trantor: Boko Rank 2, Predator Kang Oh! Irene thought highly of him. After all, his ranking hadn''t changed even after the Empire Guild''s captains became Masters. The Arth ranking system measured power, influence, skill, etc., and added those all together to determine one''s rank. Thus, anyone with high ''influence'' would be rated highly. There wasn''t anyone in the game that had a higher ''influence'' rating than the Empire Guild. Despite that, the Empire Guild''s captains couldn''t pull Kang Oh off his throne, even after they became Masters. He waspletely different from Raon or Hernandez, who were shoved out of the Numbers. Kang Ohcked any sort of influence, yet his rank remained the same? If that''s the case, then his ''power'' must be tremendous. ''He''s at least as strong as Mr. Dukeram.'' ''At least'' was the key word here. Perhaps he was even stronger than Dukeram. That''s why Irene had ordered her squad to assume a defensive formation as soon as she saw him. And... It''s also why she reorganized her troops into small groups. Irene remained wary of Kang Oh, despite her numerical advantage. She had to fight Kang Oh with everything she had if she hoped to win. "Siam, Stana, Barami, Jjawang, engage the turtle with your troops. Lygon, Pinwheel, Gold Spear, keep the red witch busy!" "Yes, ma''am!" the group leaders yelled simultaneously. Then, they approached Teynos and Tasha. "The rest of you, we''re using the strategy against Kang Oh." "Yes, ma''am!" Kang Oh was rushing towards Irene at max speed. On the other hand, the cier Squad would pull back a certain distance, and then gradually close in. They were indeed like a. "Out of my way!" Kang Oh cut through anyone in his way. Kang Oh''s power, speed, and skill gave them chills. They didn''t even know when they were cut; it all happened in the blink of an eye. The other members of the cier Squad readied their shields and blocked Kang Oh. "Castle Wall!" Their shields radiated energy, which spread out like a castle wall. However, the size and toughness of it was far less than when they were all together. ''I can pierce through it.'' Golden energy undted around his jet-ck greatsword. Tempest Tiger! A giant tiger shot out of his sword. Rather than strike their shields, it struck the ground in front of them. Boom! Dirt surged into the air like a fountain, rocks of all sizes flew everywhere, and a shockwave rippled outwards. Their formation was destroyed instantly. Kang Oh didn''t let that golden opportunity go. sh! He swung Sarahoff downwards. Thebination of Sarahoff''s ''Absolute Destruction'' and Master sh was tremendous. He cleaved right through a shield. "What!?" The squad member was shocked. In spite of that, he immediately attacked Kang Oh. It was a well-trained movement. The other squad members did the same. However...! Kang Oh''s twin demon swords were much faster. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh instantly felled five of them, and bounced forward like a spring. Irene was right in front of him. 5 meters, 4 meters, 3... "Spear Strike!" Irene yelled. She had been waiting for this moment. The cier Squad, which hadpletely surrounded him, unleashed their Spear Strikes in unison. Danger! He felt cold all over. It was as if bees were stinging his entire body. Then, his ne glowed. Moon''s Protection! A full moon rose. For 3 seconds, this barrier would protect him from any and all harm. The cier Squad''s energy sts struck the barrier, but to no avail. Bam, bam, bam! It waspletely useless. Once 3 seconds were up, the barrier disappeared on its own. Kang Oh rushed forward. Frozen horns protruded from his beast mask, streaks of white went through his ckened body, and frozen gauntlets and greaves formed over his arms and legs. The Dual Demon had arrived! Abyss w! Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Darkness surged through the air, and a cold gust of wind blew. However, these were nothing more than a diversion. Kang Oh instantly approached Irene. "Stop him!" "Protect the Captain!" The cier Squad was made up of elites that operated like a well-oiled machine. However, there were times that they acted instinctively. It was when Irene was in danger! Now was his chance. Six members left formation and threw themselves at Kang Oh. "Ready your Spear Strikes!" Irene said calmly. The rest of her squad pointed their spears at Kang Oh. At that moment... Kang Oh used Ice Wall. He, Irene, and her small group were suddenly surrounded by walls of ice. The Ice Walls obscured their vision; neither Kang Oh nor Irene could be seen. "Kuhahk!" Agonized cries could be heard from within. "Damn it. Shoot your Spear Strikes!" the vice-captain urgently yelled. Bam, bam, bam! The Ice Wall crumbled from the barrage of Spear Strikes. Broken ice fragments shined like gems and scattered through the air! Downed members of the cier Squad could be seen within. Kang Oh and Irene were shing head-on! Surprisingly, Irene''s sword had pierced Kang Oh''s shoulder, and shards of light were falling from the wound! There was a g of light over her head. g of Absolute Victory! Irene, a Master Commander, had created this secret move! With this ability, she could grant her troops one of five abilities for 30 seconds. She had chosen the ability to nullify all damage. After that, Kang Oh continually attacked Irene. She obviously didn''t take any damage, and had managed tond a counterattack. "Infinite Spear Strikes!" Irene yelled harshly. The effects of g of Absolute Victory made her and her subordinates'' bodies glow. The cier Squad repeatedly bombarded Kang Oh with Spear Strikes. After all, Irene had ordered them not to stop until she said so. Fierce energy kept shooting at Kang Oh and Irene''s location. Irene didn''t take any damage due to g of Absolute Victory, but Kang Oh had no choice but to rely on his Hyper Intuition and roll onto the floor. He used Abyss Shield and deflected some of the energy sts too. However, there were way too many of them. Bam, bam! Kang Oh was struck by one of them, and fell to the floor. "Master!" Teynos roared. However, it was way too slow. It was hard enough for it to stop the nearby soldiers. Tasha was in the same predicament. She continuously unleashed fierce energy sts at her enemies, but it wasn''t easy for her to achieve victory in the face of the cier Squad''s perfect teamwork. That''s why the cier Squad was, as a group, equal to the Yellow Dragon Squad. Moreover...! "I''m going to kill Kang Oh." "No, I will." Two more Masters hade to kill Kang Oh: the double-ded axe wielding giant, Tainos, and the heavily armored mace and shield wielder, Moby Dick! * * * The invincible desert soldiers rampaged across the battlefield. A portion of the sand soldiers, led by their generals, battled against Bart, his Giants, and the Eagle Corps'' elites. Kuskal and the Red King Squad supported them. They would pop out of the sand soldiers'' shadows and use assassination techniques, which made them incredibly dangerous and annoying to deal with. Bart, his Giants, and the Eagles Corps'' elites fought an uphill battle. "Aim for the others, not the sand soldiers!" Bart yelled. However, that was no easy task. The Red King Squad always hid behind the sand soldiers. Plus, the sand soldiers would continue to rise whenever they were killed. Fortunately, the Harbinger of Death, Viper, was doing well against the Red King Squad. But the battle was gradually bing worse and worse for them. Wolf Warrior Mn''s axe had dulled, and Storm Fighter Rohan was injured all over. The Eagle Corps'' diators looked exhausted too. Bart was busy engaging Kuskal in a long-range battle, so he didn''t have time to help them. His Giants were also fighting an unending battle with the sand generals. However, the situation became even worse. A white-winged Pegasus came flying towards them! Bart, who usually didn''t lose his smile, lookedpletely serious for once. ''We''ll be annihted if Dukerames!'' He would have a hard time fighting Dukeram, but he wasn''t alone; he had the invincible sand soldiers and the Red King Squad by his side. ''Commander Burkan is the answer.'' The Invincible diator, Burkan! He would be able to fend Dukeram off. Bart unleashed a Chaos Sphere. Its destructive power was beyond one''s wildest imagination. Boom! Bart opened a path. "Fall back to Commander Burkan and the 100 Fighters. We''ll fight them there!" Bart''s Giants were the first to run through the path, and the diators btedly followed them. Viper finished off one of the Red King Squad members and disappeared into the shadows. However, not all of them could escape safely. "Damn... it!" Three arrows pierced Rohan''s heart, and he fell to the ground. Kuskal had sniped him from afar. The Light diator, Peon, was skewered by the sand soldiers'' spears. Hundreds of the Eagle Corps'' elites died. "Follow them and finish them off," Dukeram ordered. Because of Bart''s quick thinking, he hade a littlete to the party. "Yes, sir!" "Understood!" The Red King Squad and the sand generals yelled, and chased after Bart''s group. Bart''s party wasn''t that far from Burkan and the 100 Fighters, so it didn''t take long for them to join them. "Commander Burkan," Bart said. Burkan, who''d been fighting against Eric, immediately assessed the situation. "Get into formation with the 100 Fighters. We''re making our stand here." "Yes, sir!" Every soldier that''de from the eastern airships gathered here. Burkan, Dion, Darion, the 100 Fighters, Bart, and his friends! Eric and the Yellow Dragon Squad backed off and caught their breath. Soon enough, the Red King Squad, Kuskal, Dukeram, and the Invincible Army had joined them. "Attack!" "Charge!" Burkan and Dukeram yelled simultaneously. "This is exciting!" "Uwaaah!" "Die!" "For the Empire!" Both sides charged at each other. * * * Kang Oh wanted to save Gluttony so that he''d have it ready for Dukeram. However, he didn''t really have a choice right now. Irene was already tough enough, but both Tainos and Moby Dick had shown up too. He was facing three Masters at once! What''s worse, the cier Squad had remainedrgely unscathed. On the other hand, Kang Oh hadn''t been able to escape their barrage of Spear Strikes uninjured. Then you take into ount Irene''smands... ''I''ll die before I fight Dukeram!'' Kang Oh surrounded himself with an Ice Wall once more. He needed to buy time to use Gluttony. Bam! He could hear the ice cracking. It wouldn''tst long. Kang Oh pulled out a greatsword that emitted ominous energy from his inventory. The Hell Greatsword. It was the weapon of the Devil''s Sword Sraka, a Grandmaster that served the Evil God, Ja. The weapon was SS-rank, but the item''s abilities couldn''t be examined by anyone other than a disciple of Ja. Thus, he didn''t know what it did. But it was wielded by a Grandmaster like Sraka, so it had to be a good sword. ''I think this is my first time using Gluttony on an SS-rank item too.'' SS-rank items were too valuable to use Gluttony on. But today, he would give Ubist a chance to taste what an SS-rank weapon was like. Boom! The Ice Wall shook, and a hole was pierced through one side. Tainos was grinning from beyond the hole. It was as if he were saying, ''Thanks foring.''. "Hmph." ''You, beat me?'' Kang Oh snorted and ced the Hell Greatsword on top of Ubist. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness began to consume the Hell Greatsword, starting from the tip. Gyaaaahk! The Hell Greatsword violently shook, and it released a sharp shriek akin to a ghost''s cry. It seemed like it was an ego sword. Even so, there was nothing that the Demonic Beast, Ubist, couldn''t eat. Soon enough, it had consumed the hilt too. Whir! Kang Oh''s body released jet-ck energy. It was so powerful that his own energy was responsible for the destruction of his Ice Wall. And...! Something materialized behind his back. It was the four-armed Evil God, Ja! The silhouette looked exactly like Ja''s bronze statue. Chapter 553. He’s Too Strong (1)

Chapter 553. He''s Too Strong (1)

Trantor: Boko [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Hell Greatsword.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [It is an SS-rank item. The effects of Gluttony are strengthened significantly.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [While Gluttony is active, you have infinite Stamina.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s attack power has increased. Current Attack Power: 2,013.] [The activation rate of Rip Apart has increased significantly.] [You may use all of the consumed item''s abilities. This includes Awful Pain, Evil God That Dwells In Your Back, Soul Absorption, and Annihtion Spear.] It was actually worth it to use Gluttony on an SS-rank weapon. First off, he had infinite Stamina! Transcendent de and Mad Wind''s Sword cost a ton of MP and Stamina, but now, he''d be able to use them without holding back. His belt''s ''Eternal Spring'' ability gave him enough MP to use these skills as much as he wanted. Demon Sword Ubist''s attack power had also gone up from 1,513 to 2,013. To add to that, ''Rip Apart'' would activate more frequently now! Lastly, the Hell Greatsword had four item effects. Awful Pain, Evil God That Dwells In Your Back, Soul Absorption, and Annihtion Spear. It had four tremendous abilities, and their effects were as follows: [Awful Pain] All of your attacks inflict awful pain onto your opponents. [Evil God That Dwells In Your Back] Activating this ability will create a four-armed silhouette of the Evil God that will assist you in battle for 10 minutes. The Evil God''s silhouette can also cast four different curses. Cooldown: 1 day. Mp Cost: None. [Soul Absorption] Absorbs the souls of the enemies you kill. Each soul increases your maximum HP by 1% for 30 seconds. HP can be increased by a maximum of 1,000%. Plus, every soul absorbed extends the duration of Evil God That Dwells In Your Back by 10 seconds. [Annihtion Spear] Unleashes an energy st shaped like a spear that annihtes everything in its path. This attack possesses tremendous destructive and prative power. Cooldown: 10 minutes. MP Cost: 10,000. Kang Oh activated Evil God That Dwells In Your Back. He could extend its duration with Soul Absorption, and there was plenty of prey for him to choose from, so using it now would be best. The jet-ck energy transformed into a four-armed silhouette. "Do you think that''ll scare me!?" Tainos swung his double-ded axe at Kang Oh. Whoosh! That was one of the top three most dangerous sounds he''d ever heard from a weapon. It wasn''t extremely fast. It did, however, act as a sort of vacuum that sucked him in. When he became a Master Barbarian Warrior, Tainos created this secret move. Herculean Whirlwind! It was a passive skill. Whenever Tainos attacked, his enemies would be sucked into his weapon. Tainos was well aware of his weakness. He had arge build, and he was neither agile nor flexible, so his movements were simple and he was weak to change. Thus, he created a secret move that would catch his opponents for him. Kang Oh made no attempts of blocking or dodging it, and merely swung Ubist at him. Bam! A blunt sound rang out. Both Kang Oh and Tainos were shocked. ''He wasn''t pushed back?'' ''As expected of Tainos.'' Though Kang Oh''s abilities had been increased threefold, Tainos was able to match him in strength. This was the first time Tainos had found someone equal to him in pure physical strength. Then... "Tainos, get out of the way!" Irene yelled. Everyone in the Empire Guild acknowledged her leadership abilities. When Dukeram wasn''t there, she was the one who ordered their troops. Tainos backed off, sporting a regretful expression. The nearby members of the cier Squad pointed their spears at Kang Oh. ''Not going to happen!'' Tainos would be a good meat shield. Kang Oh rushed forward and glued himself to Tainos. Tainos swung his axe at him. Herculean Strike! He unleashed fierce energy, which could crush a rock into fine powder, and Kang Oh was dragged in by a strange vacuum force. However, the strange pull wouldn''t prove a problem for him, especially since Gluttony was active. He swung Sarahoff without any issues. sh! Bam! Tainos was pushed back three steps. "Spear Strike!" Irene yelled coldly. Then, the cier Squad immediately shot fierce energy at Kang Oh. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh repeatedly swung his twin demon swords. The four-armed silhouette worked diligently. His defense was absolutely perfect. He sliced through or blocked every single energy st. At the same time, the silhouette unleashed four different colored rings. The red ring was Fear, the purple ring was Age, the yellow ring was a healing debuff, and the green ring was Bad Luck. The Fear Curse brought fear and terror into the hearts of his enemies, while the Age Curse reduced all of their abilities. The healing debuff nullified any healing or HP regeneration, while the Bad Luck Curse reduced the activation rate of skills or magic. These four curses went far and wide. They worked perfectly. Most of his enemies were affected by two curses, while some of the cier Squad was affected by all four. Irene, Tainos, and Moby Dick proved why they were Masters; they weren''t affected by a single one. "Priests, dispel the curses. The rest of you, ready your Spear Strikes! Don''t panic." Irene reacted immediately. Kang Oh kicked off the floor. His target: Tainos! Gluttony would onlyst for 30 minutes. He had to make the best of that time. ''I''m killing the captains!'' Transcendent de! He swung Sarahoff so fast that Tainos couldn''t react to his neck being cut. Bam! Shards of light burst from the wound. "Kuhahk!" Tainos cried out. He waspletely shocked; he had never felt this level of pain since he''d started ying Arth. Kang Oh continuously swung Ubist and Sarahoff one after another. Mad Wind''s Sword! There was no reason to hold back. He had infinite Stamina and plenty of MP to spare, so why would he!? Rip Apart! ck shards of light burst from Tainos''s body. The Evil God''s silhouette barraged him with attacks too. It continuously raked Tainos''s body with its ws. After that, Darkness Strike activated. A jet-ck wave in the shape of a ferocious beast came flying at him, and right after, a purple bird shaped wave followed it. Countless shards of light fell from Tainos''s body. He gritted his teeth. It was so painful that he was getting pissed off. "Kang Oooooh!" Madman''s Fury! Tainos randomly swung his double-ded axe. It was truly indiscriminate. However, the axe unleashed tremendous shockwaves with every swing. At the same time... "Spear Strike!" Countless energy sts came flying at Kang Oh once more. He had no choice but to raise his swords and briefly fall back. Then... His back felt cold. A spiked mace came flying at him from behind. It was Moby Dick. Kang Oh ducked, and then immediately turned around and thrust Sarahoff. Moby Dick raised his shield. ng. He blocked it easily. The Evil God''s arms came flying at him next. However, Moby Dick''s shield skills were second to none. He tilted his shield, dispersing the force of its attacks, and blocked them perfectly. "Kuhahk!" Tainos let out a bestial cry, and swung his axe at Kang Oh. Bam! His axe mmed into Kang Oh''s shoulder. Huge shards of light exploded from it. That wasn''t all. Moby Dick swung his mace at him from behind. Kang Oh had to make a decision. Does he dodge it or take it head on? ''There really is nothing free in this world.'' Instead of dodging Moby Dick''s mace, he extended Ubist and stabbed Tainos''s body. Annihtion Spear! The Hellfire Greatsword''s special ability exploded from the tip of Ubist''s de. Whir! Thick, ominous green energy whirled around Kang Oh''s jet-ck de, which then pierced through Tainos''s body. It had incredible prative power! Tainos''s eyes widened from the incredible painbined with the sudden loss of so much HP. Then, Moby Dick''s mace struck Kang Oh''s body. Although he''d expected it, he wasn''t able to withstand the force of the blow and fell to the floor. However, he soon stood up. ''It wasn''t that bad!'' While Moby Dick''s defense was incredibly high, his attack power wasn''t anything to write home about. Because he was using Gluttony, he was able to take it without difficulty. However... "Spear Strike!" It was annoying to deal with three people who specialized in offense, defense, and leadership. While his des and the Evil God''s arms blocked the barrage, Kang Oh pulled out a scroll from his inventory. ''It feels like a waste, but... Now''s not the time to be stingy.'' He immediately ripped the scrolls. There were four in total. After that, four magic circles appeared on the ground. First up was the tinum Lion, Violf. It was followed by the Monster Wyvern, Wakaiser. He had summoned his soul dungeon guardians. The remaining two guardians were from soul dungeons he''d bought. The Iron Knight, Redman, and the Monster Elephant, Indra. Redman was a 4 meter tall golem, which was covered in steel armor. Indra was a white elephant that was muchrger than Redman. There were sharp spikes all over its body like a shark''s serrated teeth. "Kill them all!" "Understood!" Kyaaahk! Violf, Redman, and Indra went their separate ways and rampaged about. The tinum Lion reflected the enemies'' ranged attacks back at them, and bit or trampled on them. The Iron Knight released metal fragments from its body. Indra was like an unstoppable bulldozer that swept through everything. Wakaiser soared into the air. Then, it released its Poison Breath, grabbed enemies off the ground, and ate them. Meanwhile, Teynos used Tsunami of Vengeance and swept through any nearby enemies. Tasha also took this chance to create countless blood harpoons and shot them everywhere. "Let''s see who wins in the end." Dukeram had his Invincible Army, but Kang Oh had his soul dungeon guardians. There was a sense of urgency on the battlefield now. "Deal with the closest guardians first. Don''t panic! We need the help of the sand army. Contact Commander Dukeram." Irene gave order after order. Tainos and Moby Dick''s target hadn''t changed. Kang Oh! Tainos rushed at Kang Oh and swung his axe. It seemed like Moby Dick was going to try something with his shield too. Frozen Spike! Sharp frozen spikes protruded from the ground in front of him. Then, Kang Oh leapt off of one of them. He dodged Tainos''s attack and then aimed for his head. However, Moby Dick''s shield got in the way. He had thrown his shield at him. "Tch." Kang Oh crossed his swords, and pushed the shield over his head. At the very least, the Evil God''s silhouette managed to attack Tainos. But Tainos wouldn''t just sit there and take it. He swung his axe at Kang Oh once more. Bam! Kang Oh mmed into the floor, his body releasing shards of light. Then, Moby Dick''s shield came flying at him like a homing missile. This was Moby Dick''s secret move, Flying Shield. It was incredibly simr to Weapon Bombardment in terms of application and power! Boom! The shield struck the ground, resulting in a huge explosion and arge crater in the ground. However, Kang Oh was nowhere to be found. "Where did he go?" Tainos tilted his head. "He used Abyss Transfer. Be careful; he could show up anywhere!" Moby Dick yelled. The Empire Guild kept collecting information on Kang Oh. Thus, they were aware of how Kang Oh''s Abyss Transfer worked. Kang Oh reappeared behind Tainos. "Behind you!" Moby Dick urgently yelled. Tainos turned around and swung his axe. The two exchanged blows several times. Moby Dick forcefully threw his shield. The Evil God''s silhouette blocked the shield for him, allowing him to focus entirely on Tainos. There was no way Tainos could beat Kang Oh in a one-on-one fight. The gap between them was too great. Mad Wind''s Sword! Opening, opening, opening! Kang Oh''s demon swords continuously ripped through Tainos''s body. Red and ck shards of light fell from his body like a waterfall. "Tainos!" Once his Flying Shield was blocked, Moby Dick charged in. However... sh! Demon Sword Ubist sliced through Tainos''s neck. Thud. Tainos fell to the floor. It was as if a giant tree had just been felled. Kang Oh had pierced through his heart. It was definitely game over for him. With this, Kang Oh had killed two of the Empire Guild''s captains. Chapter 554. He’s Too Strong (2)

Chapter 554. He''s Too Strong (2)

Trantor: Boko You''re familiar with dominos, right? When one falls, the others follow. Tainos''s death was the first domino. Moby Dick would be the next. Kang Oh immediately fought Moby Dick. At around that time, Irene, who''d beenmanding her squad against Kang Oh''s guardians, got a chance to catch her breath. She saw Tainos''s corpse and slightly furrowed her brow. ''This isn''t good.'' Kang Oh was too strong. It seemed like he was even stronger than Dukeram. Moreover, his guardians were posing a problem. They were no ordinary guardians. Kang Oh had reinforced them a ton, so they weren''t easy to beat. ''Summoning guardians... How did he do it? If we''d have known about this, then we would''ve weaponized them too.'' The tinum Wolf, the Iron Knight, the Monster Elephant, and the Giant Wyvern. They were impressive weapons. If the Empire Guild had known about the summoning scrolls, then this war would''ve been a little easier. In any case, the battle wasn''t in their favor. ''Should we ignore the guardians and just focus on Kang Oh? If we do that, then the guardians should disappear on their own. No, there''s no guarantee that killing Kang Oh will make them disappear. But at this rate...'' She had a lot to think about, but she seemed ever so slightly more rxed than before. Giant Soldier and Moby Dick had defeated the Beast Squad, so they grouped up with her squad. Of course, they weren''t in tip-top shape. They had only about 1/3 of their normal strength. However, they needed all the help they could get. "Help Moby Dick! My squad will take care of the guardians," Irene immediately ordered. "Understood, Captain." "Let''s go help Captain Moby Dick!" "Captain Tainos! Damn, he got our captain. We have to avenge him." Kang Oh waspletely overwhelming Moby Dick. In a one-on-one fight, there was no one in the world that could beat Kang Oh right now. After all, he''d used Gluttony on an SS-rank item. In this situation, the two squads'' assistance was like water in the desert. "I''m going to catch my breath. Protect me!" "Yes, sir!" The shield bearers of the Moby Dick Squad stood in front of him, their shields at the ready. Meanwhile, the Giant Soldier Squad furiously rushed at Kang Oh. Kang Oh realized that this situation wasn''t bad for him. The Evil God''s silhouette was behind him, after all! The silhouette would remain for 10 minutes. Whenever he killed an enemy and absorbed their soul, this time would be increased by 10 seconds. Plus, absorbing souls would increase his maximum HP by 1% for every kill, and to a maximum of 1,000%. ''I''ll kill you all.'' Different colored rings spread out from the silhouette''s arms. It had cast four types of curses. Both squads staggered. Each squad''s priests sped their hands together and tried to dispel the curses, but it would take time. Kang Oh went on a rampage. sh! Tempest Tiger! Abyss w + Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Mad Wind''s Sword! Transcendent de! He used everything in his arsenal, aside from his skills with a 10 minute cooldown. "Uahk!" "You monster!" The Giant Soldier Squad was made up of tall,rge individuals. They would be close to or above 2 meters tall. It was impressive to see so many of them falling to the ground. "Help the Giant Soldier Squad!" Moby Dick saw them get ughtered and yelled. However, the Moby Dick Squad didn''t make much of a difference. Moreover...! "H-How!?" "Keok." Kang Oh was really putting Sarahoff''s ''Absolute Destruction'' ability to good use. Giant Soldier and Moby Dick had fought the Beast Squad for so long that their weapons/shields were worn out. Breaking them with Sarahoff was a piece of cake. Their armor also suffered the same fate. The Evil God''s silhouette indiscriminately wed at these defenseless individuals, but Kang Oh''s twin demon swords were far fiercer and sharper. Moreover, getting damaged by Kang Oh would activate the Hell Greatsword''s Awful Pain effect. It also seemed as though Rip Apart activated once every three attacks too. There was a reason Tainos had been defeated so easily. It wasn''t because he was weak. It was because Kang Oh was too strong. Now, the Moby Dick Squad were being ughtered too. Irene couldn''t bear the sight of this, so she sent a portion of her troops to help them out. But it was like putting a band-aid on a bullet wound. They couldn''t stop Kang Oh. ''He''s too strong.'' Moby Dick''s face darkened. Kang Oh was one crazy bastard; a crazy strong bastard. Moby Dick, who''d replenished some of his HP, MP, and Stamina, took on Kang Oh once more. Of course, he didn''t think he had a chance. He nned on using his shield skills to hold out. Bam! Moby Dick''s hands shook from the force of impact. Kang Oh was as strong as Tainos. However, his swordsmanship was on par with Dukeram. Plus, getting hit by him meant you were in for a world of pain. ''As expected, I can''t beat him.'' They needed at least three captains to beat him. Dukeram would be a match for him too. However, they didn''t get any reinforcements. Moby Dick''s shield, as well as the three squads, weren''t in good condition. This was the fate of anyone who fought against Kang Oh. "Let''s end this." Transcendent de! Sarahoff struck a single point on Moby Dick''s shield. Bam! Moby Dick''s shield broke apart like a four-leaf clover. Since his shield was all that kept Kang Oh away, his fate was decided. "Stop him!" "Captain!" All the Moby Dick Squad could do was throw themselves at Kang Oh. However, the Evil God''s silhouette ripped them all apart. Meanwhile, Demon Sword Sarahoff shattered Moby Dick''s armor, or more specifically, his breastte. Stab! His jet-ck de pierced through Moby Dick''s chest. Abyss Predator! His de unleashed a deluge of darkness, which swept through Moby Dick and any enemy troops in the vicinity. "Guaaahk!" Moby Dick writhed in pain. The others did the same. He truly was the Empire''s greatest shield. All of his subordinates had died, but he alone had survived. That didn''t bode well for him though. Lasting this long meant that he had to experience the awful pain for that much longer. ''Just kill me already.'' Moby Dick lost his will to fight and knelt to the ground. Kang Oh gave him what he wanted. Swish! It was a clean swing. It was enough to deplete the rest of Moby Dick''s HP. Moby Dick''s severed head rolled onto the ground. ''Now Irene''s the only one left.'' Kang Oh turned his head. However, he saw Irene and her troops retreating in perfect order. He could also see the Elephant Corps rushing in. Theirmander, Ould, was at the forefront. They were originally fighting against Taker''s Iron Horse Squad. The knight of knights, Sir ndo, had crossed des with Taker. The Elephant Corps had managed to defeat Taker and the Iron Horse Squad. After that, they rushed over to offer Kang Oh assistance. As soon as she saw the Elephant Corps'' elites, Irene and her cier Squad retreated from the battlefield. He would expect nothing less from her. She always kept a cool head, and made her decisions quickly. ''Should I chase after Irene and the cier Squad?'' Kang Oh shook his head. ''I only have 13 minutes left on Gluttony, but I can extend its duration by using Dragon''s Hourss. Let''s fight Dukeram!'' He was so confident that he thought, ''No one can stop me!''. Moreover, his guardians were here too! "Wakaiser!" The fully armored Monster Wyvern came flying over. "Tasha, turn back into a sword! The rest of you, follow me!" Kang Oh ced Demon Sword Blood in his inventory, and flew through the air on Wakaiser''s back. "Let''s go!" Kyaaahk. Wakaiser opened its wings and quickly flew through the air. Violf, Redman, Indra, and Teynos followed him. Teynos was so slow that he got farther and farther away from them. "Let''s follow Mr. Kang Oh. It looks like he''s heading for the Eagle Corps," Ould saw Kang Oh fly on Wakaiser''s back and said. "Yes, sir." ndo, who had a fashionable moustache, nodded his head. "Follow me men!" Rat-a-tat-tat! Ould and the Elephant Corps'' horses galloped across the battlefield. The Battle of the Nazrak ins. They headed for the ce where this battle would end. * * * Kang Oh observed the battlefield from atop Wakaiser. ''There he is.'' There were a ton of sand soldiers, Alliance troops, and Imperial troops there. Kang Oh also saw Gheor, Han Seol, and Jegal. They had sent all of their soldiers into battle. Now, there would be no reserve troops or reinforcements avable. There was no fighting in the other areas, which meant that victory and defeat would be decided here. It seemed like the Iron Horse Squad and the cier Squad had joined up with the main force. There were all sorts of battles going on here. Two prominent figures, Bart and Eric, were fighting each other! Meanwhile, Kuskal was battling Dion and Viper. However, they were all like fireflies before the light of the moon. The Invincible diator, Burkan versus Emperor Dukeram! It was a tremendous battle. However... The battle was going differently than Kang Oh had expected. ''What''s going on?'' Burkan, who was equal to him in both power and skill, was losing to Dukeram. Why was he losing? ''I need to take a closer look.'' "Let''s go down." Gyaahk. Wakaiser shrieked and descended. He was slowly able to get a better look at Burkan and Dukeram''s fight. Kang Oh rubbed his eyes. ''Is that really Dukeram?'' Dukeram was much stronger than he expected. Burkan was more skilled. However, Dukeram was much stronger and faster. He waspletely different fromst time. ''I know he was holding backst time, but still, I didn''t think he''d be this strong.'' Kang Oh''s heart pounded. Strong people were attracted to other strong people! He wanted to fight Dukeram at his full strength. "Wakaiser, you can fight without me, right?" Gyaaahk! "When the other guardians get here, fight with them, ok? I''m counting on you." Gyaahk! Kang Oh stroked its neck and jumped off the wyvern. However, he hadnded right in the middle of the Imperial Army. "Who are you!?" "An enemy!" "Kill him!" They were just ordinary soldiers. Kang Oh instantly took care of them with Ubist and Sarahoff. His power was overwhelming! The Empire''s strongest and/or their rankers came at him next. "Kang Oh, I''ve always wanted to fight you." It was one of the Empire Guild''s high rankers. His name was Fried Seaweed. He wielded two gently curved des. "For the Empire." One of the 1st Corps'' Desert Warriors, Artal apanied him. He was strong enough to win 2nd ce in the desert''s Golden Fighting Tournament three times. The two charged at Kang Oh simultaneously. What fools. sh! A sharp horizontal line rapidly approached them from Demon Sword Ubist. "Uheok!" "Keok." They cried out briefly. Fried Seaweed and Artal had died instantly. Those witnessing this felt goosebumps on their skin. The rumors of Kang Oh''s monstrous strength weren''t exaggerated. Kang Oh ''smelled'' like Vn; the smell of invincibility. "Get out of my way," Kang Oh said curtly. He didn''t want to waste Gluttony on them. The crowd parted on both sides. ''Please just go!'' they all thought. Tramp, tramp, tramp. Kang Oh quickly passed through. The atmosphere was so heavy that they couldn''t even breathe. It was the result of Kang Oh''s immense pressure. As he passed, the Evil God''s silhouette wed at them with its four arms. The soldiers clenched their butts and their legs shook. One bad move and they''d even piss themselves. At some point... "Shit!" Kang Oh kicked off the floor. Stab! Dukeram''s sword, Max Cain, had pierced through Burkan''s body. "Brother!" Kang Oh instantly closed the distance, and swung Ubist downwards. Dukeram''s lips curled upwards. He seemed almost excited to see him, and swung Max Cain at him. Their des shed, and sparks popped out like firecrackers. At the same time, the two warriors'' eyes met. "Viewers, it''s Kang Oh. Kang Oh has appeared!" What a hit! Burkan and Dukeram''s fight was followed by a battle between Kang Oh and Dukeram! The excitedwork correspondents yelled at the top of their lungs. "It''s a fight between rank 1 and 2. This will determine who''s actually the strongest!" "The limitless challenger, Kang Oh. Will he be able to ovee the obstacle that is Emperor Dukeram? Stay tuned to find out! Don''t change channels, you''ll be sure to regret it!" Kang Oh and Dukeram''s battle was broadcast to the entire world. Chapter 555. Battle to Determine the Strongest (1)

Chapter 555. Battle to Determine the Strongest (1)

Trantor: Boko At the heart of the battlefield... People lowered their weapons and vacantly watched Kang Oh and Dukeram''s battle. Even Darion couldn''t take his eyes off the battle, even though he was taking care of Burkan, who was at the brink of death. That''s how spectacr Kang Oh and Dukeram''s fight was. It was a close fight, and there was plenty of tension too. It was because Kang Oh and Dukeram had gone at it with everything they had from the very start. Kang Oh wanted to take him out before Gluttony ended. He had 10 minutes left. Kang Oh didn''t know how much time Dragon''s Hourss would give him, so he nned on taking Dukeram out before it ended. Thus, he fought Kang Oh with everything he had. Dukeram was in a simr situation. The reason he was able to beat Burkan was because of his Desert Emperor secret move. Invincible Emperor! This skill gave him the ability to control sand, and increased all of his abilities fourfold. His MP and Stamina regeneration were also greatly increased. In exchange, the Invincible Army would disappear one or two soldiers at a time while it was active. He had started with 10,000 sand soldiers, which had dwindled to 5,000. ''I have 30 minutes. That''s plenty of time.'' It had taken 30 minutes to lose 5,000 soldiers. Thus, he had 30 minutes left. Dukeram had to beat Kang Oh within that time. Thus, he too used his full power from the very beginning. Their blows were the very definition of ''brutal''. None of them were feelers; every single strike was meant to kill their enemy. Kang Oh even deactivated ''Evil God That Dwells In Your Back''. It would just get in his way. He only focused on his des, nothing else. Kang Oh attacked in a way that''d allow him to kill Dukeram most effectively. ''Now!'' Transcendent de! Kang Oh thrust Sarahoff. Its lighter weight was a better fit for Transcendent de. ''How about this!?'' Supersonic Strike! Dukeram swung Max Cain diagonally. They exchanged unseeable blows. Bam! Kang Oh''s body exploded with shards of light. However, Dukeram waspletely unscathed. They had both been hit, but the Invincible Tarsonis Armor''s special ability, ''Absolute Defense'', nullified Kang Oh''s first attack. ''Not bad.'' He hadn''t lost out; after all, Dukeram had lost his safety. ''A good start.'' Dukeram was satisfied. Kang Oh forcefully swung Ubist downwards. At the same time, his other hand slightly flinched. He had deliberately shown him that Ubist was bait, while Sarahoff was the main attack. If Dukeram ignores Ubist and goes for Sarahoff, what would happen? What if he counterattacked the moment Sarahoff came at him? sh! Kang Oh etched a white line in the air, which cleaved space itself! However, Dukeram wasn''t fooled. He took a step back. Demon Sword Ubist just barely grazed Dukeram''s nose. It wasn''t enough to cause shards of light toe out. Then, Dukeram counterattacked. Dukeram swiftly thrust his bright sword. However, it didn''t end with just one strike. Steel Rain! It was a Swordsman secret move. "Hueup." In the span of a single breath, Dukeram thrust his sword nine times. It was as if nine different people were attacking Kang Oh at once. He aimed for nine different areas simultaneously! There was no way Kang Oh could dodge all of them. Then again, he was no normal yer. Kang Oh used a secret move of his own. Mad Wind''s Sword! He swung his swords as quick as lightning, and as smooth as the wind. ng, ng, ng... ng! Nine ''ngs'' resounded through the air. Transcendent de! Sarahoff''s purple de arced in the air with transcendent speed! Space-Time sh! Dukeram countered with a secret move that distorted thews of time and space. Bam! Shards of light burst from Dukeram''s chest. Exactly one secondter... Simr sized shards fell from Kang Oh''s back. ''He''s strong!'' ''I''m the strongest!'' It was as if their des were speaking with one another. Their brutal attacks, which conveyed their ''words'', made their spines tingle. This pleasure could only be achieved when putting everything on the line and facing a strong opponent. Kang Oh''s surroundings became silent and time seemed to slow; all of Kang Oh''s senses became clear. He asionally experienced this when he was concentrating as hard as he could. His Hyper Intuition became more sensitive, and spotted weak points that were smaller than a needle''s eye. ''Here!'' Stab! His jet-ck de pierced through the weak point. Kang Oh''s lips curled upwards as he felt the feeling behind it. However...! Stab! Max Cain''s cold de pierced through Kang Oh''s shoulder. Dukeram grinned too. He too was fully focused on this fight. ck shards of light fell from Dukeram''s body, while red shards fell from Kang Oh''s. The shards flew into the air and intermingled dizzily. Kang Oh and Dukeram. There was no better way to describe it; it was a close fight. It was still a draw. * * * The battle had briefly stopped due to Kang Oh and Dukeram''s battle. As soon as Kang Oh''s guardians and Ould''s Elephant Corps appeared, however, the battle resumed. "Reinforcements have arrived! We''re almost there. Survive until the very end for yourselves and for your families!" The Tiger Corps'' Commander, Gheor, encouraged his troops. "Commander Ould, please take on the Yellow Dragon Squad!" Han Seol said. She and Gheor were doing their best tomand the Alliance. "Understood!" Ould took his soldiers, and joined up with Bart and the 100 Fighters. The Empire didn''t sit idly by. "Iron Horse Squad, Red King Squad, support the Yellow Dragon Squad! cier Squad, take on the guardians! Glorious soldiers of the Empire, victory is at hand!" Jegal led his men. ''This is finally the end.'' Jegal pulled out a dried up scroll from his inventory. This scroll was dropped by the Ruler of Golden Desert, Mamonas. Rip! He immediately ripped it, causing something extraordinary to happen. A giant magic circle (3 kilometer radius) appeared over the battlefield. It was probably thergest recorded magic circle in history. Rapid Desertization! That was the scroll''s name. It was capable of transforming the area within a 5 kilometer radius into a desert. It was a scroll that brought disaster. A short whileter... White sand came out of the magic circle like underground water, creating various sand dunes.. The Nazrak ins had be the Nazrak Desert. Of course, it had only affected a certain portion of the battlefield. Since this was the final battlefield, it was correct to say that the entire battlefield had been transformed into a desert. This sudden turn of events dumbfounded both the Alliance and the Imperial Army. ''Holy crap!'' The ins had transformed into a desert. They thought another Great Change had urred. "Desert soldiers and warriors, Invincible Army! This is a desert. Go wild!" Most of the Imperial Army was born in the desert. Plus, Desert Warriors and the sand soldiers became even stronger in this environment. "Uoooh, I can feel my strength increasing!" The sand general destroyed Bart''s Ice Giant. The nearby soldiers, which were made of glittering sand, brutally attacked their enemies. They were definitely faster and stronger than before. They even regenerated faster than before. "Uwaaah!" Those born in the desert became even stronger. They immediately adapted to their new environment and attacked the Alliance troops. However, the Tiger Corps had the elites of the Elephant and Eagles Corps at its side. "Dirty servants of the Empire, I''ll kill you all!" "C''mon!" The Alliance had more men. Plus, Kang Oh''s guardians were here too. Kuheong! The tinum Wolf, Violf, roared. It rampaged across the battlefield, tearing apart the imperial troops with its ws and teeth. The Iron Knight, Redman, swung its thick, heavy two-handed sword. The soldiers attacked it with their swords and spears, but Redman''s armor was so tough that they couldn''t get through. Plus, metal fragments shot out of its armor too. The white elephant, Indra, ttened its enemies with its thick, pir-like legs, and it coiled up its trunk and swung it like a fist. Its ivory tusks, which were shaped like saw des, would deal a serious injury at minimum. Wakaiser helped Sephiro and Waryong. Both the wyverns and the Death Eagles had taken significant losses. There were only 40 wyverns left. On the other hand, there were only 5 Death Eagles left, including ck Wolf''s own. "Let''s go, Waryong!" Waryong transformed into a dark red meteor. "The ck Wolf Squad and the Death Eagles are the true nightmares and rulers of the sky! We won''t lose to the likes of wyverns!" ck Wolf gathered lightning in his hands, and unleashed it in tandem with the Death Eagle''s de winds. It was his secret move, Combination Attack: Thunder Bomb. Wakaiser''s extremely potent Poison Breath struck the Thunder Bomb. Boom! There was a massive explosion. Below them, the Alliance and Imperial Army were fighting their final battle. * * * Dukeram''s second ss, Desert Emperor, was capable of controlling sand. Once the battlefield was transformed into a desert, he used his ss''s abilities more aggressively than before. The sand would continuously try to grab Kang Oh''s ankles or pull his feet in. It was like he was stepping in quicksand. That wasn''t all. Sand spikes would suddenly surge from the ground, or the sand would suddenly hollow out. ''This is really annoying!'' It was insignificant in the long run, but it was definitely effective. If he moved too slowly or he lost concentration for even a second, then Dukeram would attack him right away. In a battle between experts, small advantages like this could determine victory and defeat. The goddess of victory was definitely smiling down at Dukeram, who had gained the territorial advantage. ''I can''t let him gain the upper hand that easily!'' Although Dukeram had power over sand, Kang Oh had demon swords with different specialties. His three demon swords had power over darkness, blood, and ice! First, he pulled out Blood and forcefully threw it. Weapon Bombardment! Swish, swish, swish, swish! His snow-white de fiercely spun through the air and came flying at Dukeram. Dukeram blocked it by making a wall of sand. Boom! Blood blew up the sand, causing sand to go everywhere, and a thick sand cloud rose into the air. Kang Oh nned on taking advantage of this. However, Dukeram attacked Kang Oh first. He saw through Kang Oh andunched the first attack. Thus, he was forced to go on the defensive. Then... The sand under his feet disappeared, and Kang Oh lost his bnce. Max Cain radiated intense light. Sword that Brings Victory! A golden pir came flying at Kang Oh''s head. However...! The hollowed out sand transformed into ice. Sarahoff''s power had fixed the crater. Bam! Kang Oh kicked off the ice like a rocket and leapt into the air. The stepping stone he''d used cracked into little pieces. He didn''t have to take Dukeram''s powerful attack head-on due to that small, frozen stepping stone. Whir! Ubist surged with arge quantity of darkness energy. Abyss Predator! ck and gold pirs intersected in an X between the two. Their destructive power was incredible. Neither side was pushed back easily. Kang Oh and Dukeram shouted, and put a ton of power into their des. Then... Kang Oh''s back felt cold. Danger! Danger! However, there was no way he could pull back now. Stab! A sand spear pierced through his chest. Dukeram had used his power to manipte sand. However, Kang Oh grinned. ''Go!'' Blood, which he''d thrown using Weapon Bombardment, had transformed into Tasha. He had used Demon''s Descent. Then, Tasha, wearing her fluttering red dress, transformed her hand into a blood spike and stabbed Dukeram in the back. Stab! Red shards of light exploded from Dukeram''s body. He had returned the favor. However, both sides were definitely umting wounds. After all, Kang Oh and Dukeram''s attacks were extremely destructive. If they took a few more fatal hits, then Kang Oh would have to use his Resurrection, and Dukeram would have to use his Full Heal. Of course, that HP would quickly be depleted too. Kang Oh and Dukeram. Who would be the final victor? Chapter 556. Battle to Determine the Strongest (2)

Chapter 556. Battle to Determine the Strongest (2)

Trantor: Boko Tasha pulled her hand out of Dukeram''s chest and then gathered red energy. ''I''ll crush you all!'' All humans besides Kang Oh were her enemies. "Die!" Fresh Blood Wave! Bam! Blood red energy exploded from her hand, and pushed forward like a wave. However...! Dukeram quickly swung Max Cain and sliced the energy in two equal pieces. Then, he unleashed a barrage of powerful attacks. Dukeram''s strength was beyondpare with Invincible Emperor active. In an instant, he hit her five times. Tasha''s body rued wound after wound, and eventually returned to her demon sword form. Since she was defeated, it would take a long time before Kang Oh could call her out again. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t twiddle his thumbs while Dukeram was attacking Tasha. The ice-horned demon swung Sarahoff at Dukeram''s neck. Dukeram responded immediately. He tilted Max Cain and blocked Kang Oh''s attack. Then... Ring of Frost! His purple de expelled bitter cold energy, which spread outwards. Dukeram''s hair, eyebrows, the tip of his nose, and Max Cain''s de began to freeze. Invincible Guardian! Sand crawled along Dukeram''s feet and spread across his body, protecting him like armor. Only a small portion of Dukeram''s body was frozen solid. The rest of his body was covered by sand. Dukeram then swung Max Cain. Time-Space sh! Kang Oh felt as though a frozen snake was lunging at him from behind. His Hyper Intuition was warning him! Bam. Red shards of light burst from his back. Unfortunately, he hadn''t been able to dodge it. However, Kang Oh didn''t just sit there. "Huahk!" Ubist''s wide de mmed into Dukeram''s body. Bam! What little ice was on Dukeram''s body sloughed off, and he was pushed back. However, he didn''t take much damage; Invincible Guardian significantly raised Dukeram''s defense. Then, the sand was carried off by the wind. Although Invincible Guardian significantly increased one''s defense, the sand hardened, so it also limited one''s mobility. That''s why he''d turned it off. Kang Oh retrieved Blood and forcefully threw it. Weapon Bombardment! The effects of ''Eternal Spring'' caused his MP to regenerate extremely quickly. Plus, using Gluttony on the SS-rank Hellfire Greatsword gave him unlimited Stamina. There was no reason to save his secret moves, which cost a ton of MP and/or Stamina. Swish! Swish! Swish! Swish! Blood, which fiercely spun through the air, possessed incredible power. Even so, Dukeram didn''t even try to dodge it. Sword Parry! Screech! Blood slid off of Max Cain and fell into the soft sand. Kang Oh didn''t let up. He immediately rushed at Dukeram. Mad Wind''s Sword! He repeatedly swung his jet-ck and purple des! Dukeram stomped on the ground, forming a wall of sand that separated the two of them. However, a sand wall wouldn''t be able to stop Kang Oh. Bam, bam, bam! He immediately crushed through it. However, the sand wall had been nothing more than a diversion. Dukeram charged straight at him like a drill amidst the scattering grains of sand. Steel Rain! Stab, stab, stab! Dukeram repeatedly thrust his sword at him. ng! ng! ng! ng! Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Sarahoff versus the legendary Max Cain. The three des continuously shed, emitting a constant ''ng'' in the air. The more he swung his sword, the faster he would be. That was Mad Wind''s Sword. Steel Rain worked simrly. The power of his thrusts would be stronger and stronger. Mad Wind''s Sword was like a raging storm, while Steel Rain was like a meteor that cut through the world. Both Kang Oh and Dukeram''s attacks became even stronger, but neither of them backed down. They actually slightly, very slightly, advanced. The more they did, the more intense their attacks became. It was like the Wind God and Thunder God were doing battle! Countless shards of light fell from their bodies. How much time had passed? Kang Oh and Dukeram kept attacking each other. Hyper Intuition! It was due to this mysterious, psychic ability that he gained from a sudden automobile ident that he was able to dodge and find weaknesses faster than Dukeram. At some point, Dukeram was unable to block Kang Oh''s des. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Kang Oh shed, cut, and stabbed Dukeram''s body again and again. Red and ck shards rose through the air like a fire show. Dukeram''s HP quickly dipped to critical levels. Ultimately... Stab! Kang Oh managed to stab Dukeram in the chest with Sarahoff. However, Kang Oh didn''t look happy in the slightest. Dukeram''s face was contorted due to the effects of ''Awful Pain'', but it wasn''t the face of a loser. Both were well aware that this wasn''t the end. Dukeram''s Tarsonis Armor glowed brightly. Full Heal! Dukeram''s HP, which Kang Oh had worked so hard to lower, had been fully restored. Not only that, but his MP and Stamina had been restored too. Then, he began his counterattack. Enlightened One! This skill significantly increased the power of any sword-rted skill, and maximized the potential of a sword''s item effects! Dukeram had used this secret move against Burkan, so it had been on cooldown this entire time. However, it had be usable during his intense back and forth with Kang Oh. "Huahk!" Dukeram yelled, and activated Max Cain''s special ability. Supersonic Strike! It was amplified by both Invincible Emperor, which quadrupled his abilities, and Enlightened One, which drew out the full power of his sword''s item effects. This was a first. Kang Oh had been hit before his Hyper Intuition could even warn him. It was just that fast. It was even faster than Swift Diak, which was regarded as the fastest monster in Arth. Stab! Max Cain''s glittering de pierced Kang Oh''s stomach. Kang Oh lost a ton of HP instantly. He was even at risk of dying. However, he couldn''t afford to die and revive himself. ''I can''t let Gluttony turn off.'' If he revived and came back, then all of his buffs would disappear. Without Gluttony, he wouldn''t be a match for Dukeram. Dukeram pulled out his de and attacked Kang Oh again. Supersonic Strike was a chargeable move, so he couldn''t use it consecutively. Instead... Vital Thrust! Max Cain''s de shed, and came flying at Kang Oh''s neck. This time, however, Kang Oh defended himself in time. Moon''s Protection! His ne glowed and a full moon barrier shielded him. Bam! Max Cain couldn''t prate the barrier. However, he would only have to wait three seconds for the barrier to disappear. Crack. After three seconds had passed, the barrier cracked like an exploding watermelon! However, dark red energy came out like seeping fruit juice. Dukeram tightened his legs and swung his sword downwards. Steel sh! Enlightened One had greatly increased the power of his skill. Dukeram nned to bisect the red energy in a single strike. It was a huge mistake. The power contained within the blood red energy was far greater than he could''ve imagined. Dukeram was swept away and fell to the floor. "Ugh." Awful Pain followed. However, Dukeram wasn''t so weak that he''d let a little pain beat him. He used Max Cain to support himself and quickly stood up. Tramp. Kang Oh had transformed into the Dual Demon, with Blood in hand rather than Sarahoff, and demonic horns on his head and dark red wings on his back. A giant hourss embellished with gold and a draconic ornament appeared above Kang Oh''s head. This was the effect of his Dragon Treasure Belt, ''Dragon''s Hourss''. Whir! A magnificent sound rang out, and the sand began to move. Crunch. Crunch. The sand fell, and the hourss radiated dim light onto Kang Oh. The Dragon''s Hourss could either elerate time, reducing all of his skill''s cooldowns, or slow down time, increasing the duration of all his buffs. Kang Oh chose thetter. [You have summoned the Dragon''s Hourss.] [You have slowed down time, increasing the duration of all your buffs.] [All MP has been consumed.] [Gluttony''s remaining 3 minutes has been increased to 33 minutes.] [Blood Emperor''s remaining 25 seconds has been increased to 30 minutes and 25 seconds.] [The duration of Eder''s Secret Medicine has increased from 10 minutes to 40 minutes.] Kang Oh had consumed a drug he''d gotten from Eder when he was protected by Moon''s Protection. It increased his Physical stat by 40, and also increased his HP and Stamina regeneration. ''Blood Emperor'', whichunched an Emperor''s Strike soon after its activation, onlysted for 30 seconds, and increased his attack power, speed, and the demon sword''s life steal significantly. However, all of his buffs had been extended by 30 minutes. 30 minutes! It was ridiculous. Kuhaang! Kang Oh used Demon''s Roar. It was as if he were saying, ''C''mon!''. However, he was actually thinking the opposite. ''Don''t attack me right now!'' Why? Blood Emperor cost him half of his HP. Thus, his already low HP was now teetering on the brink. Plus, Dragon''s Hourss had consumed all of his MP. Although Eternal Spring was quickly regenerating his MP, he still needed some more time. Therefore, not fighting was the best move for Kang Oh right now. He had roared and exaggerated his movements. ''Cmon! C''mon!'' It was as if he were beckoning to him. Dukeram couldn''t move hastily. He didn''t know the effects of the hourss, and the provocation made it seem like he was walking into a trap. It was too obvious of a trap though. It wasn''t like Kang Oh at all. Thus, he wanted to jump right in. At the same time, he knew he shouldn''t. ''What''s he nning?'' Kang Oh was wearing a beast mask, so he couldn''t see his expression. He didn''t know what to do. Dukeram harassed him from afar using sand. However, it waspletely ineffectual. Ultimately, Dukeram kicked off the floor and rushed at Kang Oh! There were times when you had to go in, even though you knew you were walking into a trap. That time was now. He only had 22 minutes left on Invincible Emperor. Even now, his sand soldiers were disappearing. Without Invincible Emperor, Dukeram had no hope of beating Kang Oh. It also hurt to see how many forces he lost at the cost of the buff. Thus, he had to finish this battle as soon as possible. "Die!" Dukeram yelled roughly. However, his sword was anything but rough. Steel Rain! Dukeram unleashed sharp thrusts at Kang Oh. ''Tch.'' Kang Oh inwardly clicked his tongue. He didn''t use any special abilities and just protected himself with his twin demon swords. Dukeram kept attacking him, and Kang Oh did nothing but defend himself. ''Is he...?'' Dukeram''s eyes gleamed. Kang Oh was being overly defensive. He didn''t counterattack, and focusedpletely on protecting himself. Which meant...! ''He doesn''t have much HP left. He''s waiting for his HP to go back up.'' He was trying to buy time. If that''s the case, then he had to take him down now! Dukeram kept up his assault. His thrusts continued to gain strength. Break, break, break! Kang Oh gritted his teeth. There would be no point if he died here. Mad Wind''s Sword! His MP, which had gone up to about 1/3, didn''t go up anymore. Any MP he might''ve regained was spent using Mad Wind''s Sword. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! The sound of metal upon metal repeatedly rang out. However, neither side could block the other''s attacks forever. Kang Oh and Dukeram''s bodies were filled with small, superficial wounds that bled with shards of light. Things were worse off for Kang Oh though. His HP would go down to 0 before Dukeram''s did. He was losing more HP than Blood could restore. ''I guess it can''t be helped.'' If he wanted to win against Dukeram, then he would have to bet it all. Kang Oh steeled himself. Chapter 557. Battle to Determine the Strongest (3)

Chapter 557. Battle to Determine the Strongest (3)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh didn''t like gambling. Gambling meant that victory and defeat was determined by luck. If his likelihood to win was high, then he wouldn''t call that a gamble. It was an act of desperation; the desperate act of a loser and a weakling. Thus, he hated taking risks like this. However, he had no choice. At this rate, he would die ande back, but without Gluttony, he would have no chance against Dukeram. He couldn''t afford to die. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. He waited for the right moment to parry Dukeram''s destructive, indiscriminate attacks, which were like a buffalo''s charge. ''Will I be able to use Sword Parry?'' It was almost impossible. Thrusts were the most difficult type of attack to parry. That''s because they were targeted at a single point, not a wide area. Even more so when referring to Steel Rain, which unleashed consecutive quick and powerful thrusts. Plus, if he failed, he would die. He didn''t have a chance in hell of surviving. But he didn''t have any other choices. If he used Abyss Transfer, Dukeram would immediately stop him. Moon''s Protection was still on cooldown. Abyss Shield would offer as much defense as a piece of paper before Dukeram''s assault. Ultimately, Kang Oh''s only choice was to parry Dukeram''s attack,nd a counter, and break his momentum. After that, he could use Abyss Transfer to run away, or continue to attack. Sessfully parrying his attack was the answer. However, the chance of sess was way too low. That was why it was a gamble. Kang Oh endured, and waited for his opportunity. Unfortunately, Dukeram had seen right through him. His thrusts didn''te at him at the same speed; some were slower and some were faster. It seemed like he knew exactly what he was trying to do. ''Damn!'' Even with his Hyper Intuition, there was no way he could time Sword Parry correctly. Kang Oh''s face darkened behind his beast mask. He only had 5,000 HP left. If he took two or three more attacks, then he''d be finished. Swish. Max Cain cut through his earlobe. [You have lost HP.] [Remaining HP: 3,115] [Warning! You do not have much HP left.] He was in trouble. Most people would give up or think about it after they revived. But Kang Oh was different. ''This isn''t going to work!'' They say that if you ovee adversity, then you be that much stronger. Kang Oh, who''d ovee near death situations again and again, didn''t give up till the very end. Was that why? He didn''t think; he just moved. He searched for a way to survive, and his body responded to that desire. Kang Oh slightly jumped. Then, Dukeram aimed his sword at Kang Oh''s stomach. A short whileter... The tip of his de struck Kang Oh''s belt. More specifically, it struck the Dragon''s Heart! Something surprising happened. Bam! Max Cain bounced right off. The Dragon''s Treasure Belt had an effect called ''Three Person Masterpiece''. This ability increased the stat bonuses of any armor that contained leather, metal, or jewels by 10%. Plus, it safeguarded all of his leather, metal, or jewels from destruction. Normally, the Dragon''s Heart would''ve shattered or at least cracked. That''s how powerful Dukeram''s thrust was. However, the Three Person Masterpiece effect protected it, and repelled Dukeram''s attack with an equal amount of force. Dukeram staggered from the unexpected force. ''Now!'' Kang Oh didn''t waste this golden opportunity. He thrust Ubist and Blood simultaneously. Even if he swung Max Cain, he wouldn''t be able to block both of them! He nned to strike Dukeram with one de, and then use Abyss Transfer to catch his breath. However...! Kang Oh saw Dukeram pull out a round ss shield from his inventory using Switch. There was a giant monster whale engraved on the surface of it. Mamonas''s ss Shield! It was an SS-rank item that the Ruler of the Golden Desert dropped. The shield would reflect any attack back at its owner. It didn''t matter if it was a Dragon''s Breath, or an Archmage''s Meteor Fall. In exchange, it could only be used once. It was a ss shield, so it was extremely fragile. Plus, it would take a week to repair itself. ''One attack is plenty.'' Dukeram was absolutely sure that his final card would work. It would be game over for Kang Oh the moment his demon swords made contact with his shield. Kang Oh would die, and when he revived, he would be no match for him. The Empire Guild had exhaustively researched Kang Oh, the greatest obstacle in their path. Thus, Dukeram knew all about Gluttony and Resurrection. Resurrection was an incredible ability, but he wouldn''t retain his buffs upon revival. ''I win!'' Dukeram smiled as if he''d won. However...! Right before his des made contact, Kang Oh let go of both Ubist and Blood. It was due to his Hyper Intuition. His body had felt cold all over, so Kang Oh had let go of his swords. After all, several ss shields had the ability to reflect attacks. Crack! Mamonas''s ss Shield shattered into pieces. At the same time, it unleashed fierce energy that contained the same amount of damage it''d taken at Kang Oh. Kang Oh threw himself to the side. Boom! It was as if dynamite had just exploded. There was a massive explosion. Sand surged into the air and flew everywhere. Swish! Swish! Demon Sword Ubist and Demon Sword Blood, which had soared into the air, fiercely spun and came flying at Dukeram''s head. Weapon Bombardment. Dukerammanded the sand to rise and protect him, while he went directly after Kang Oh. ''Damn it.'' It was infuriating how perfect Dukeram''s decision was. Kang Oh almost wanted to sigh, but he quickly switched to Sarahoff instead. Bam! Bam! His two other demon swords struck the sand wall. Meanwhile, Dukeram swung his de at Kang Oh. Supersonic Strike! There was no way Kang Oh could dodge this. He never had any intention of dodging it in the first ce though. He knew that Dukeram would use this specific move. ''He''s going for the neck or heart!'' Dukeram''s swordsmanship valued efficiency above all else. He would take the best route to striking at his opponent''s weak points. Plus, Dukeram wanted to end this as soon as possible. If that''s the case, then he would aim for the heart or the neck. There was nowhere else. It didn''t matter even if he was wrong. If he didn''t aim for those body parts, then he wouldn''t die from a single attack. Before Dukeram even swung his sword, Kang Oh protected both his heart and neck. It was the correct decision. ng! The force behind his attack was tremendous, but fortunately, he didn''t lose any HP from it. Where one sees danger, another sees opportunity. Blood and Ubist, which had broken through Dukeram''s sand walls, came flying at him. Bam! Bam! Dukeram rolled onto the floor. Kang Oh used Abyss Transfer. However, he was concerned that Dukeram kept staring at him, even as he was rolling on the floor. It was as if Dukeram wanted him to use Abyss Transfer. Thus, he canceled its activation and assumed a defensive posture instead. "Tch." Dukeram clicked his tongue and stood up. Then... The shattered pieces of his ss shield came flying at Kang Oh. This was Mamonas''s ss Shield''s second ability, ''ss Trap''. As expected! Kang Oh protected his backside with Abyss Shield, and deflected the rest of the pieces with Sarahoff. Swish! Ubist and Blood returned to him, andnded in the sand next to his feet. Then, Dukeram forcefully swung Max Cain. Space-Time sh! His Hyper Intuition warned him, so he knew where Dukeram was aiming. Kang Oh twisted his body and dodged the attack. Then, sand spikes surged from the ground. Kang Oh picked up Ubist and cleaved through the spikes. Then, Dukeram rushed over and attacked him. Steel Rain! Kang Oh responded in kind. Annihtion Spear! It was the ability of the Hellfire Greatsword! Annihtion energy, which destroyed everything in its path, swirled around his body, and then shot straight at Dukeram. The Annihtion Spear was more powerful than Dukeram''s Steel Rain. However, Dukeram did something that even surprised Kang Oh. Sword Parry! He parried an energy st, not a weapon attack with the t of his de! This wasn''t something anyone could do. Not even Kang Oh could do it. It was only natural. It was a special skill that only Dukeram possessed. Vital Thrust! Max Cain came flying at Kang Oh with blistering speed. However, Dukeram''s body twisted midway. Then, the area Dukeram''s right foot was stepping on turned into ice. Kang Oh readied his next move as soon as Dukeram parried his Annihtion Spear. He had created an icy road using Sarahoff''s power. It was a simple move, but sometimes simplicity was good enough. Tempest Tiger! His jet-ck de released a tiger wrapped in golden light. It roared, and then pounced on Dukeram. Invincible Guardian! Sand surged from the floor and formed into faultless armor. Boom! The nearby sand surged into the air. Kang Oh pulled a health potion from his belt and drank it down. ''Man, that sure tastes good.'' However, he wasn''t safe just yet. He still didn''t have much HP left. Bam! A golden pir of light shot out of the giant sand cloud, and came flying at Kang Oh. It was the Sword that Brings Victory. Kang Oh threw himself out of the way. Dukeram kept swinging his sword. It felt like something had left a long cut on his body as he was rolling on the floor. It was a Space-Time sh. Kang Oh rolled on the floor like a log. He wasing straight for Dukeram. It wasn''t his intention; Dukeram had made it happen. Once they were close enough, Dukeram used Steel Rain again. Kang Oh bounced back up like a spring, and was about to use Mad Wind''s Sword, but hesitated. If he fought Dukeram in a war of attrition, then their HP would slowly go down. Eventually, he, who possessed Hyper Intuition, would have the upper hand. However... he didn''t think he could get there. He didn''t have much HP left! ''I''m finishing this.'' Kang Oh didn''t rush himself, and waited for an opportunity to strike. The problem was that Dukeram didn''t show any openings. He didn''t have any choice but to force him to expose himself. Kang Oh stepped back and summoned the Spirit of Vengeance, Shumir. It was a panther with a long, whip-shaped tail! As soon as it appeared, it swung its tail with blistering speed and deflected the Steel Rain. However, not 5 secondster, its tail had been ripped to shreds. Kang Oh had expected this, so he threw Ubist at Dukeram. He didn''t use Weapon Bombardment. Demon''s Descent! The sword expelled darkness, which formed into the King of Demonic Beasts, an entity that even Kang Oh couldn''t tame! Here it was! Dukeram remained calm and advanced forward, continuously using Steel Rain. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! It was as if it were actually raining steel. Ubist''s body was filled with holes. However, Ubist was no ordinary beast. It bit Dukeram''s neck. At that moment... Kang Oh reappeared amidst Ubist''s dark, shadowy body. He had assumed an iaido stance with Sarahoff at his side. He only had one thing on his mind. Divide the Sea! There was only one technique that could kill Dukeram in a single hit. He didn''t worry about ''Can I''s?''. He didn''t have a choice. He had to do it. ''How?'' didn''t enter his mind either. There was only one thing in his mind. A strong will to cut Dukeram using Divide the Sea! Kang Oh repeated the scene of Dukeram being split in half dozens of times in his head. He didn''t think about anything else. All he cared about was cutting Dukeram. His hair bristled, and his back tingled. Warm,va-like energy filled his body from head to toe, which he poured into Sarahoff. ''This is it!'' Kang Oh swung Sarahoff horizontally. A single line that divided the world in two! ''Sloppy.'' That''s what Vn would''ve said if he saw it. ''But still... you did good!'', he would''ve added. The Grandmaster''s absolute killing technique, Divide the Sea, was revealed to the world through Kang Oh. Chapter 558. The Strongest

Chapter 558. The Strongest

Trantor: Boko Kyaahk! Ubist''s body was cleaved in two, and returned to its demon sword form. Dukeram hadn''te out unscathed. A horizontal line appeared across his armor, and huge shards of light poured out of his rent flesh like a waterfall. However, he hadn''t fallen just yet. If Kang Oh''s Divide the Sea had been perfect, then Dukeram would''ve died in a single hit. However, his technique was far from perfect. ''I still have a chance!'' Glittering sand gathered together, mending Dukeram''s wound. Dukeram tightened his legs and rushed forward. There was no way Kang Oh could respond to him in time; he had used a powerful, destructive technique when his body was in terrible condition. It was a wise decision. Kang Oh''s expression was vacant, as if he were a toy that''d run out of batteries. ''I''m the final victor!'' Dukeram swung Max Cain at the top of Kang Oh''s head. Then... Kang Oh smirked. Dukeram couldn''t believe it. ''No way.'' Blind trust can kill a person. Kang Oh had set up a perfect trap, and had acted ordingly. He had definitely lured Dukeram in. Sword Parry! There was no way he''d miss the proper timing. Sparks popped out as Max Cain slid across Ubist''s wide de. ''Still...'' He could still counterattack. Dukeram didn''t give up just yet. However...! Kang Oh used Divide the Sea again! He swung Demon Sword Sarahoff upwards, and the absolute energy, which split the world in two, passed through Dukeram''s body. "No way!" Dukeram couldn''t help but voice his true feelings. How could he repeatedly use a secret technique that had such cutting power and a wide area of effect? It was a cheat. Itpletely broke the game''s bnce. But...! As if twice wasn''t enough, Kang Oh swung Sarahoff again, unleashing a third Divide the Sea. How exactly was he doing this? Divide the Sea consumed a ton of Stamina. A single use of it cost him about 90% of his maximum Stamina. There was also a chance that it could fail. What''s worse, the failure rate was influenced by the user''s concentration, skill, sense, etc. The failure rate wasn''t as big of an issue as the Stamina cost; it was impossible to use the technique in session. Normally, Kang Oh would only be able to use it once, and then he would have to wait a long time before he could use it again. However, Gluttony had given him infinite Stamina, so he could use Divide the Sea as many times as he wanted. He didn''t fail either. It was because he''d learned Divide the Sea through firsthand experience. If he had taken the easy route, and had gotten the technique passed down to him by Vn, then... He would''ve failed 50% of the time. "I won''t lose!" Dukeram red and readied Max Cain. Divide the Sea crashed down from above. As expected of Max Cain! The de remained intact, even though it had blocked a Divide the Sea empowered Sarahoff. However... The same couldn''t be said about Dukeram. Bam! Dukeram''s body was split apart diagonally. "Next time..." Dukeram tried to say hisst words, but Kang Oh interrupted him. "Just shut up and disappear, loser." This was the worst humiliation he''d ever experienced. ''How dare you call me a loser!'' Dukeram''s crinkled face turned gray, and his entire body broke down. [You havepleted the quest, Divide the Sea.] [You have been rewarded with the absolute Swordsman secret technique, Divide the Sea.] [sh has been reced with Divide the Sea.] [Divide the Sea starts at intermediate-rank due to the Whispers of the Earth.] [You have been enlightened.] [Your sword can contain strong feelings. Anger will make your sword fierce, while honesty will make it virtuous. This is an important clue, one that will allow you to transcend the limitations of your sword.] First, he read through the messages rted to Divide the Sea, and then continued on. [You have defeated the Arabas Empire''s Supreme Commander, Dukeram.] [Friendship with the Free City Alliance has been maxed out.] [Hostility with the Arabas Empire has been maxed out.] [You have performed too many meritorious deeds.] [Fame has increased significantly.] [The Alliance''s morale has increased significantly, while the Empire''s morale has dropped to rock bottom. This will have a direct influence on the oue of the battle.] Glitter. The peerless de, Max Cain,id on the ground just waiting for Kang Oh to take it. ''I gave him a humiliating defeat, and he dropped Max Cain.'' He wondered what Dukeram''s expression would be like when he logged into Arth and checked his equipment window. Dukeram would probably look really bitter. Kang Oh picked up Max Cain and raised it high into the air. "Dukeram''s dead. And..." Kang Oh uttered the statement he''d held deep in his heart ever since he''d started ying Arth. "I''m the strongest!" Predator Kang Oh. This was the moment that he reced Dukeram as Arth''s strongest yer. Since Dukeram and Kang Oh''s battle had been broadcasted from start to finish, he was essentially making a statement to the entire world. "The Invincible Emperor, Dukeram, has been defeated!" "The final victor... is Kang Oh!" "Dukeram''s time is over. Now it''s Kang Oh''s time!" The correspondents had been yelling this entire time, so they were taking a break. Even so, they made sure to praise Kang Oh enough for his achievements. An even louder, more enthusiastic cheer awaited Kang Oh. "Uwaaaaah!" The soldiers and yers affiliated with the Alliance yelled crazily. "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" Kang Oh''s name echoed through the Nazrak ins like the roar of thunder. "Impossible!" "Aah, Guildmaster!" "To think the Corps Commander would die... N-No. The battle is over too." "We''ll die too." On the other hand, Dukeram''s death was horrifying news to the Imperial Army. The Invincible Army had all disappeared too. "Ahh, we failed to protect our emperor once more." The Sand General grieved, and copsed into a pile of sand. Jegal couldn''t believe this. ''To think Dukeram would lose!'' He had fought on a battlefield filled with sand, allowing him to make full use of his Desert Emperor abilities, and had even used Invincible Emperor! This was a dream. It had to be a terrible nightmare! Jegal angrily chewed on the tip of his index finger. It hurt. What''s worse, he didn''t awaken from his ''dream''. Everything was real. Jegal had to do whatever he could to decrease their losses. The battle was over. Thus... ''We have to kill Kang Oh. No, we have to at least waste his Resurrection ability!'' That was the least he could do if he wanted to maintain his pride. It wouldn''t be difficult. Although Kang Oh had beaten Dukeram, the fight had taken a lot out of him, so there was no way he''d been in good shape. "Empire, captains! Take revenge for Mr. Dukeram''s death!" Erik, Taker, Kuskal, and Irene dropped what they were doing, and rushed at Kang Oh. Erik and Taker had previously been fighting against Bart and Ondo respectively. Empire''s squads also came after Kang Oh. A portion of the Empire Guild''s troops threw themselves at the Alliance''s powerhouses to buy their captains time. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath. Countless enemies were swarming him. Kang Oh gripped Ubist, which currently had the highest attack power of all his weapons, in both hands and forcefully swung it. Divide the Sea! His de unleashed a line that cleaved the world in two! However, Irene was apanying the Empire Guild''s troops. A glittering g floated above her head. g of Absolute Victory! The Empire Guild''s troops glowed; the g would make them invulnerable to all damage for 30 seconds. A short whileter... Their troops charged in, despite taking Kang Oh''s Divide the Sea head-on. There were too many of them, especially now, when his HP was extremely low. Of course, he coulde back after death and keep fighting, but he didn''t want to waste the ability on fodder like them. Kang Oh put Sarahoff into his inventory, and pulled out Blood. He spread out his dark red wings. "Tasha," he said. However, he didn''t hear a reply back. It seemed like she hadn''t fully healed from her defeat at Dukeram''s hands. Kang Oh rose into the air, controlling the wings by himself. Unfortunately, his control over them was far worse than Tasha''s. "Where do you think you''re going!?" "Get him!" Taker and the Iron Horse Squad forcefully threw their spears at him, and the cier Squad urgently shot Spear Strikes at him. Meanwhile, Kuskal went with his specialty, and sniped him from afar. Erik used a Spirit Swordsman secret technique on him. Great Wind''s Sword! An emerald whirlwind surged into the air. Plus...! ck Wolf, riding atop his Death Eagle, aimed for Kang Oh from above. Deep blue energy gathered within the Death Eagle''s beak. Whizz! Kuskal''s arrow spun through the air, and tore through Kang Oh''s wing. Kang Oh lost his bnce, and his body tilted in midair. An emerald whirlwind wasing at him from the front, while the Death Eagle''s de Wind wasing for him from above. ''Damn it. I''ll see you after I revive.'' Kang Oh prepared himself for death. At that moment... Whoosh! A dark red meteor came flying by with blistering speed, and snatched Kang Oh up. The ''meteor'' avoided the de Winds, and pierced right through the emerald whirlwind. "You owe me one," Sephiro said from atop Waryong''s back. "Thank you." He was being honest. Sephiro saved him a 30 day cooldown on his Resurrection ability. "Catch him!" ck Wolf fiercely yelled. The armored Wakaiser and the remnants of the Flying Dragon Squad flew over and stopped the Death Eagles'' pursuit. On the ground, the Alliance''s troops were making quick work of what remained of the Imperial Army. The tinum Lion, the Iron Knight, and the Monster Elephant were fiercely rampaging across the battlefield too. Ultimately, Jegal had only one choice. "Retreat! Retreat!" he said arduously, his eyes bloodshot. "We''re leaving." "Run away!" "Run without looking back!" The enemy soldiers ran from the Nazrak ins in every direction. "Don''t let a single one of them get away!" Gheor yelled. "You damn invaders!" "You''re not going anywhere!" The greatly motivated Alliance troops relentlessly chased after the Imperial Army, and struck their backs with both spears and swords. Four Death Eagles, which had just narrowly survived, snatched Erik, Taker, Irene, and Jegal, and flew away from the battlefield. The captain of the Red King Squad, Kuskal, was nowhere to be found. Sometimeter... The Alliance''s final squad, which had been chasing after the fleeing imperial troops, returned. "The Alliance has beaten the Empire! This is a victory for all of us!" Gheor yelled. "Uwaaaah!" The resulting cheer of joy was never-ending. The Nazrak ins. Although a portion of it had transformed into a desert, the battle had ended in the Alliance''s victory. It was such a brutal fight. The Tiger Corps, which originally had 300,000 troops, had dwindled to less than 100,000. On the other hand, the Empire''s 1st Corps, which started with 250,000 troops, went down to 50,000 troops. Both sides had lost 200,000 troops. It was truly a disaster. Gheor could feel goosebumps just thinking of the 1st Corps'' strength. Although the Eagle and Elephant Squads'' elites had joined them, they had lost a simr amount of troops. What if Kang Oh hadn''t done as much as he did? The battle might have gone in the Empire''s favor. Gheor extended his hand towards Kang Oh. "You''re the hero of this battle!" [You have done the most in this battle. When the war between the Alliance and the Empire is concluded, you will be rewarded appropriately.] [You have acquired the title, Hero of Nazrak.] [All free city citizens will remember your name and your title.] [We rmend you apply for a mayoral election. There is a high chance that you will win the seat as long as you do not pick arge city.] Kang Oh clenched his fists and threw them into the air. ''I''m the strongest!'' "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" Cries proiming the new strongest yer in Arth continued for some time. * * * The 1st Corps retreated all the way back to Saw Rock Fortress. However, the battle between the Alliance and the Empire wasn''t over yet. The Imperial Army''s advisor, Jegal, was busy out of his mind. Once the Eagle and Elephant Squads appeared in the Nazrak ins, Jegal had ordered the Empire''s 2nd and 3rd Corps to mobilize. Dalton''s 2nd Corps seized five major cities on the eastern part of the central region. Without Burkan, the Eagle Corps was unable to stop their advance. With this, the Empire had taken control of the entire eastern region. Kantos'' 3rd Corps attacked the Golden Road Fortress. Once the Battle of the Nazrak ins was over, Ould and hismanders immediately returned to the Golden Road Fortress via the leftover wyverns. Had he not done so, the fortress would''ve been conquered. Losing the Golden Road Fortress was much worse than losing the eastern part of the central region. It was a relief that they had managed to get back in time. Of course, the 2nd and 3rd Corps'' sesses couldn''t make up for the colossal loss in the Nazrak ins. The Tiger Corps'' council room. "We have to retake the Saw Rock Fortress as soon as possible." Han Seol raised her voice. Saw Rock Fortress was a strategic location that separated the central and eastern regions. If they managed to recapture it, then they would definitely win the war. It would cut off the retreat route of any troops still in the central region, and simultaneously cut off their supply route too. If need be, they could even advance upon the Arabas Empire''s imperial pce. Since they had just beaten the Empire, now was the perfect time to strike. Gheor nodded his head. "We''ll reorganize the Tiger Corps while advancing on Saw Rock Fortress. We''ll get reinforcements and supplies on the way there. We can''t afford to give them time to prepare." "A wise decision!" The Tiger Corps'' 100,000 soldiers went straight for Saw Rock Fortress. Chapter 559. Bounty Hunting (1)

Chapter 559. Bounty Hunting (1)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh and Dukeram''s duel in the Nazrak ins was the climax of the battle. It was at this moment that Dukeram, who''d gone from the ''Invincible Emperor'' to the ''One and Only God'', lost his title as strongest. However, half of the yerbase still believed that Dukeram was the strongest. After all, Dukeram had retained his position as rank 1. His rued wealth, achievements, etc. had kept him firmly in the top spot. Although he''d officially lost to Kang Oh once, the Empire Guild was still alive and well. People believed that Kang Oh needed topletely destroy the Empire Guild in order to take rank 1. They also said that this was his best chance to do so. After all, the Alliance was advancing towards the strategic stronghold, Saw Rock Fortress, after defeating them in battle. If the Alliance defeated the Empire once and for all, then the Empire Guild would bebeled as the ''instigators'' of the war, and would be punished ordingly. Kang Oh was of the same mind. He nned on taking advantage of this opportunity, and destroying the Empire Guild once and for all. Kang Oh would be so thorough that they''d never be able toe back! Thus, Kang Oh and Sephiro were riding on Waryong''s back, and heading for the south. It was due to Gheor and Han Seol''s request. "Ould has requested reinforcements. Please head for Golden Road Fortress," Gheor said. "The 3rd Corps'' strength has increased significantly. ck Wolf, what remains of the Death Eagles, the Iron Horse Squad, and Taker have joined them," Han Seol added. ck Wolf and Taker were both Masters. To make matters worse, God Spear Kantos, as well as his son, Fabio, were also Masters. Ould, ndo, and the Eagle Corps'' rankers would find it difficult to deal with them. "But won''t you need us to take Saw Rock Fortress?" Kang Oh asked. Although Golden Road Fortress was an important strategic location, protecting it wasn''t nearly as important as capturing Saw Rock Fortress. "Of course. So please go with Mr. Sephiro. We just need you toe back in four days. That''s when we''ll begin our siege," Han Seol said. In other words, head for Golden Road Fortress, quickly deal with their enemies there, and then return for the siege. Their method of transportation would obviously be Waryong. "Your skill and strength are equivalent to a full-fledged corps, so if you go across multiple battlefields, you''ll be able to deal a huge blow to their troops and force them toe up with a solution," Gheor said. "For free?" If they wanted his help, then they''d need to pay. That was the basics of business, after all! "What do you want? We''ll do our best to... No, we''ll give you whatever you want." "I want two things. First, gold." "Alright." Gheor immediately agreed. "You''ll give me as much as I want?" "Yes. Cost is no object. In exchange, bring me the heads of the Empire''s Masters." "300,000 gold for each." That amount was the real life equivalent of 900 million won ($900,000 USD). 900 million! "Kantos, Fabio, Taker, and ck Wolf. If you kill three of them, then I''ll give you 1 million gold. Of course, if you kill all of them, then I''ll give you 1.5 million gold instead." "You sure are generous!" Kang Oh was plenty rich already. However, it wasn''t enough to satisfy him. He couldn''t call himself a ''tycoon'' yet. "What''s your second request?" "Please give me as many upper-immediate level SS-rank items that you can before I leave." If he used Gluttony on an SS-rank item, then he wouldn''t have to be afraid of Kantos or anyone else. After all, he could fire as many Divide the Seas as he wanted with unlimited Stamina, so he was as good as invincible. "Got it." Gheor nodded his head. "We have a deal!" Kang Oh pped his hand and smiled. "In exchange, you have toe back in four days and participate in the siege." "Of course. But I''ll be just as expensive." "You''re good enough to warrant your high price," Gheor said honestly. He hadn''t been kidding when he said that Kang Oh was as strong as a corps. After that, Kang Oh received four pieces of SS-rank equipment from Gheor. Although they were fantastic items, they were still upper-immediate tier; they weren''t the best of the best. They were iparable to Kang Oh''s equipment. However, they were perfect to use as fodder for Gluttony! Then... Gyaahk! Waryong shrieked, breaking him out of his reminiscence. "I see it. Golden Road Fortress," Sephiro said. He could see a sturdy fortress thaty atop a hill from afar. * * * The morale of the Empire''s 1st Corps, which had returned to the Saw Rock Fortress with their tails between their legs, was at rock bottom. "Tch, take a look at the vibe around here. It''s like we''re at a funeral." "Following the Battle of the Nazrak ins, a ton of yers joined the Alliance... The Empire won''t lose, will it?" "Oh, c''mon, there''s no way..." "Seriously, think about it. Dukeram was beaten, the captains were killed, and we lost more than 200,000 troops. It was a crushing defeat!" "Hoo, should we switch sides before it''s toote?" "Isn''t it too early for that?" "Maybe. Let''s keep an eye out for now." yers that''d joined the Empire, swayed by the promise of a ''yer Aristocracy'' or massive rewards, were beginning to gossip amongst themselves. However, the war wasn''t over yet. They still had a chance to win. "Please take care of it," Dukeram said, his face dark and gloomy. He had lost way too much at Kang Oh''s hands. "Leave it to me." Jegal hadn''t lost his touch. No one could match him when it came to conspiracies. ''I didn''t n on setting this in motion, but things don''t always go as nned. I have to seed at this no matter what.'' Jegal sported a resolute expression. His body waspletely covered; a helmet concealed his face, cored clothes protected his neck, and he wore gloves and other long clothing. None of his skin was visible, as was intended; he needed to keep his identity a secret. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Jegal stood atop the magic circle he''d prepared. "Kuwang!" His destination was Kuwang. It was a military fortress that was in between the central region and the western grasnds, and also the location of the ''Monster Road''. Sometimeter... A rumor began to spread across Kuwang. Apparently, the western anthromorphs had joined forces with the Empire, and it was only a matter of time before they conquered Kuwang and the central region. It was also said that one of the three great tribes, the Ruman Orcs, was at the center of it all. * * * The clouds of war were gathering. At least, that''s how Kang Oh and Sephiro felt as soon as they reached Golden Road Fortress. "Wee!" "Thank you foring." Kang Oh and Sephiro were weed by both Ould and the Eagle Corps'' executives. Then, they immediately discussed the looming battle. Golden Road Fortress wasn''t high enough, nor were its walls thick enough to call it ''impregnable''. At the same time, it wasn''t established in dangerous terrain either. In exchange, the five nearby castles protected the main fortress, as well as each other, making it extremely difficult to conquer. However, the 3rd Corps, which now included the Death Eagles and the Iron Horse Squad, had managed to capture one of the five castles. This would have a domino effect. If they weren''t stopped, then the other castles would soon follow. And in the end, the 3rd Corps would capture Golden Road Fortress. Without the other castles, the main fortress would bepletely defenseless. "They''ll aim for Lenoc Castle next. I assume the Iron Horse Squad and the Death Eagles will be there. I''m sure they''ll keep us from moving our forces there as well," Ould said. "Then what about me?" "I''ve already sent some skilled adventurers to the castle. Mr. Kang Oh, Mr. Sephiro, please go to Lenoc Castle. Please work with the adventurers to fend off the Iron Horse Squad and the Death Eagles." ''Taker and ck Wolf are first, huh.'' Kang Oh thought of their bounties, and nodded his head. "Understood." Sometimeter... Kang Oh and Sephiro rode on Waryong''s back, and reached Lenoc Castle. It was much smaller than the Golden Road Fortress. However, the castle walls were thick, and it was capable of housing several soldiers and rankers. ''Now we just wait for them to arrive.'' Kang Oh rested in the corner where there was shade, ready to fight at a moment''s notice. Sephiro entered a private room in order to give Waryong some rest. Kang Oh closed his eyes, and thought back to his fight with Dukeram. That fight was extremely educational. Whenever he thought back to it, he had a clearer understanding of his ws or weaknesses. ''I didn''t maximize the effectiveness of my demon swords. If I had, I would''ve been able to beat Dukeram easier.'' Due to Gluttony''s limited duration time, he hadn''t been able to use Sarahoff''s ''Frost Demon''s Domain'' properly. Frost Demon''s Domain slowly lowered his opponent''s core temperature, weakening them as the battle went on. Thus, it was extremely effective in long, drawn out battles. Plus, he regretted not making use of Blood''s flight ability. Flying in midair could''ve given him the advantage he needed. ''It would''ve been better had I started out as the Frostblood Demon, making full use of its unique abilities, and then used Ubist after.'' Kang Oh could transform into three different types of demons. However, he hadn''t made use of all three of these forms against Dukeram. It wasn''t because it wasn''t the correct situation for it. If he had made Dukeram fight against his different forms, then he would''ve had an even greater advantage. However, the battle was so intense that he couldn''t actually put it into practice. Kang Oh decided to engrave Vn''s advice deep in his heart. ''You''re not a Swordsman; you''re a Demonic Swordsman. Don''t forget that.'' He was a swordsman that used demon swords. In other words, he wielded the power of darkness. That was what Kang Oh was. However, Kang Oh had fought too much like an ordinary ''Swordsman''. Then again, he had opened Dukeram up at the end by transforming Ubist into its beast form. ''Darkness, blood, and cold. I have to get better at using their unique abilities. I need to get a better grasp on my Dual Demon forms too, whichbines their power!'' ''I''m a Demonic Swordsman!'' Kang Oh said to himself once more, and then recalled his fight with Dukeram. At the same time, he remembered something. ''Put my feelings into my sword... If I swing my sword in anger, then it''ll be wilder.'' The reason he was able to use Divide the Sea in the first ce was because he had focused on cutting Dukeram. He hadn''t thought of anything else but that. However, his technique was still sloppy. After all, Vn''s Divide the Sea was far more powerful than his. If he wanted to be as strong as Vn, no, even stronger than him, then he needed even greater emotions. And in order to transfer these feelings to his sword, he would need to give it his all in training. If he could keep fighting against strong opponents like Dukeram, then it''d be even better. Sometimeter... Kang Oh opened his eyes. The castle walls had be a lot noisier. "Enemies!" "They''re here!" That''s what he had been waiting for. Rat-a-tat-tat! Armored horses charged at the castle, far in front of the rest of the enemy troops. It was the Iron Horse Squad. Kang Oh could see Taker at the front. ck Wolf and his surviving members flew in the air atop five Death Eagles. Kang Oh grinned. They were perfect test dummies to try out what he''d learned in his fight against Dukeram. Kang Oh leapt off the castle walls. He couldn''t just sit by and wait for them. He wielded Sarahoff in one hand, and Blood in the other. Then, he activated Devil Trigger. As he fell from the castle walls, his appearance changed. Ice horns protruded from his red mask, red bone armor covered his breast, cial gauntlets and greaves protected his arms and legs, and white streaked wings unfurled from his back. The Frostblood Demon had appeared! Chapter 560. Bounty Hunting (2)

Chapter 560. Bounty Hunting (2)

Trantor: Boko The war between the Empire and the Alliance was an ''unrted'' matter that the west couldn''t care less about. The orcs that lived on the Ruman Mountains, which was covered by snow all year around, didn''t care about the war either. However, there were some orcs that thought differently from the majority. "Father, this is our chance. The humans are so busy fighting themselves that they won''t be able to stop us. Let''s steal their territory, and ce our gs on theirnd! This will bring honor to our ancestors," Touch said enthusiastically. He had wide shoulders, thick muscles, and tusks that protruded from his mouth. "That would be foolish," Asuka said. He was Touch''s father, as well as the Great Chieftain of the Ruman Orcs. He was a hero that, together with Kang Oh, saved the western grasnds from the trolls, and was also an exceptional leader. Asuka had also wisely dealt with the conflict between his tribe and the Tum, who imed that the Ruman Mountains were theirs. He had made it so that they could coexist without a single drop of blood being spilled. "But...!" Asuka tapped Touch''s shoulder and calmed him down. Then, he said, "Touch! Learn from the failures of the trolls. Engaging in a war of conquest without proper justification will always lead to ruin." Touch''s frustration was still widely apparent on his face. In fact, Touch red at him like a wild animal. Then, Asuka showed Touch his ce. "Touch!" Ultimately, Touch bowed his head. "Under...stood." However, Touch''s expression didn''t match his speech. Touch left Asuka''s home, and furiously struck a wall. Bam! ''If we make good use of this opportunity, then we can take control of the entire world!'' Touch was absolutely infuriated. ''The father is so wise, yet the son is so foolish,'' the orcs whispered. Not only was Touch hot-tempered and violent, but his leadership abilities were poor. The orcs were clearly looking down on him. However, he believed that the true fool was his father. He was an orc without any dreams or aspirations that was content to live in peace! Touch was different. He dreamt of bing an Orc Emperor! Then... "Mr. Touch." An orc approached him. He was undersized for an orc, and waspletely covered in robes. "Ge!" He was called the Wanderer. Ge would show up like the wind, and then just as quickly disappear. "Is something wrong?" Ge grinned. His smile looked downright evil. * * * What if countless men came rushing towards you? And what if these men were riding on horses, and those horses were galloping towards you at max speed? It would make you shiver in your boots. However, Kang Oh was excited. The weak had the right to group together, while the strong had the right to feel excited when they ughtered countless enemies by themselves. "It''s Kang Oh. All forces, full speed ahead!" Taker yelled, and pointed his spear at Kang Oh. Lance of Annihtion! It was a Spearman secret move. Taker''s body brimmed with red energy, and his horse ran even faster, breathing haggardly as it did so. "Follow the captain!" The Iron Horse Squad released fierce energy of their own. Their energybined into one, forming what appeared to be a giant spear. It was clear how powerful their attack would be. However, Kang Oh wouldn''t back down. ''I''m a Demonic Swordsman!'' He was going to use his powers as he pleased. Kang Oh would start with a ''red wall''. A giant, red ice wall rose from the ground, separating Kang Oh and the Iron Horse Squad. Sharp spikes lined the surface of the wall like icicles. "Don''t stop. We''re breaking through!" "Yes, sir!" Taker and the Iron Horse Squad charged through the wall. Boom! They made a hole through the wall, causing red shards of ice to fly through the air. However, the Iron Horse Squad took a lot of damage themselves. "Ugh!" "Uheok!" Frostblood wasn''t merely red colored ice. It was unique ice that possessed a level of resilience that no ordinary ice could imitate, and could also absorb the enemies'' strength. Five of the Iron Horse Squad were ovee by the ice wall, and fell off their horses. Those pierced by the ice shards also felt their strength draining. "Kang Oh''s over there! Go, go! Keep moving forward!" Taker said roughly. At that moment... Kang Oh swung Sarahoff and Blood simultaneously. Red Avnche! It was exactly as advertised. Reddish blue energy mixed together, creating a giant red avnche that came rushing towards the Iron Horse Squad. Its power was incredible. Plus, it retained Frostblood''s special abilities; it was not only extremely tough, but it also drained his enemies'' strength. More of the Iron Horse Squad fell to the floor. However, Taker had managed to get in close, and unleashed the Lance of Annihtion. Boom! It resulted in a massive explosion. But that was after Kang Oh had quickly stepped back. The ground had also turned to ice, making it incredibly slippery. "I won''t let you go!" Taker leapt off of his horse like a spring, and thrust his spear at Kang Oh''s head. Hell Thrust! His spear glowed with demonic energy. ng! ng! Kang Oh swung Blood and Sarahoff one after another, and deflected his spear. Then, he moved forward. At the same time, a clump of ice, resembling a professional runner''s starting block, came out of the ground and supported him. To add to that, Tasha forcefully pped his wings. Kang Oh picked up a ton of speed, and then he extended his body like a washing line. Bam! Kang Oh left an X mark on Taker''s breastte; Taker hadn''t even been able to respond to it. Spurt! Shards of light fell from his body. ''Let''s take him down before he can escape!'' Taker had a huge bounty on his head. There was no way he''d let him get away. Tempest Tiger! He diverted Taker''s attention with the mighty, golden aura. Taker had fallen for the bait, and had overreacted to Kang Oh''s attack. Spinning Spear! His fiercely spinning spear pierced through the tiger-shaped aura. However, he wasn''t able to react to Kang Oh''s follow-up attack. Transcendent de! Sarahoff had already struck one of Taker''s vital spots. But...! Kang Oh''s back suddenly felt cold. He instinctively threw himself forward. However, he wasn''t able to dodge the lightning quick attack in time. Bam! His HP fell by almost 10%, even though his Avenger set reduced damage taken by 30%. ''He''s strong!'' Kang Oh immediately turned around and ascertained his foe. Based on his clothes, he was part of the Iron Horse Squad. However, his spear left quite the impression. The tip of the spear was shaped like an X, like a butterfly''s red wings. Blood Bringing Butterfly Spear! This was the spear that the God Spear was renowned for. In other words...! That middle-aged man, who appeared like a member of the Iron Horse Squad, was Kantos! Death Sentence! Kantos softly thrust his spear. However, it was much faster and sharper than it appeared. This was proof of Kanto''s skill. ''Tch!'' Kang Oh ducked and used Frostblood Drill. An ice spike rose from the ground, pushing Kanto''s spear into the air. With this, Kang Oh was able to escape from Kanto''s assault. However, there were others that were aiming for him besides Kantos and Taker. The tip of a spear, which was shaped like a lightning bolt, sparked and came flying at him. Lightning Spear! It was an incredibly sharp attack, though he was able to dodge it because of his Hyper Intuition and high evasion. ''Fabio!'' He was Kanto''s son, and like him, was a Master that was known as the Lightning Spear. Fabio had alsoe disguised as a member of Iron Horse. Why else would the God Spear and the Lightning Spear disguise themselves as members of Taker''s squad? ''They''re aiming for me.'' Kang Oh was immediately surrounded by three Master tier opponents. Moreover...! Giyaahk! A shadow cast over him, apanied by a shrill shriek. ck Wolf''s Death Eagle quickly descended like a hawk trying to snatch its prey. Kang Oh rolled on the floor and avoided the Death Eagle''s talons. However, there were so many attacks he needed to avoid. The Ghost Spear, God Spear, and Lightning Spear came at him one after another. This was driving him crazy. * * * Kantos had learned that Kang Oh and Sephiro had arrived at Golden Road Fortress via a spy in the Elephant Corps. "Let''s take him down." Kantos devised a trap in order to kill the Hero of the Nazrak ins, Kang Oh. Taker and the Iron Horse Squad would be the bait! After all, they would be such appetizing prey! Especially for Kang Oh, who wouldn''t pass up a chance to fight against other strong opponents. He and his son, Fabio, would disguise themselves as part of Taker''s squad, and would wait for their opportunity to strike. Back to the present... Kang Oh was busy dodging their attacks. His choice of jumping down the wall and engaging the enemy before anyone else hade to bite him in the ass. His allies would take a long time to join up with him. "Open the gates. Let''s help Mr. Kang Oh!" It would take some time before he received reinforcements, even though the Lord of Lenoc Castle had responded as quickly as possible. "Iron Horse Squad, form a wall. Don''t let anyone get through, and make sure Kang Oh doesn''t escape!" Taker yelled, and the Iron Horse Squad quickly surrounded Kang Oh. Kang Oh couldn''t escape through the air either. Five Death Eagles were hovering in the sky above him. However, Kang Oh didn''t feel pressured at all. He had a trick up his sleeve. ''I''ll take you down all at once!'' He could just use Divide the Sea repeatedly with his unlimited Stamina. Kang Oh''s ne glowed. Moon''s Protection! While he was protected by his ne, Kang Oh quickly pulled out an SS-rank item from his inventory. It was a snow-white dress made out of Taranturus Thread. ''Flying would be pointless for the time being due to the Death Eagles.'' Kang Oh switched Blood with Ubist. His wings disappeared, and he transformed into a jet-ck demon with frozen horns. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness devoured the dress. It was as voracious as ever. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Snow-White Dress.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [It is an SS-rank item. Gluttony''s effects have been improved significantly.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [Rip Apart has a much higher chance of activating.] [You may use all of the consumed item''s abilities: Spider''s Movement, Taranturus''s Poison, and Hell Thread.] [Spider''s Movements: You can stick onto walls or the ceiling. Greatly increases your agility.] [Tarantarus''s Poison: Coats your weapon in Tarantarus Poison. You can control anyone affected by the poison.] [Hell Thread: You may produce thin, yet extremely tough skein. It is useful for capturing your enemies or setting up an invisible trap.] ''Huh? Did I miss something?'' Kang Oh checked the system messages again. However, he didn''t see anything indicating that his Stamina was unlimited. Why wasn''t his Stamina infinite? ''No way...'' He suddenly had ominous thoughts. The Hell Greatsword and the Snow-White Dress. Both of them were SS-rank, but they weren''t on the same level. The Hell Greatsword was in the highest ss of SS-rank weapons, while the Snow-White Dress was in the middle of the pack. That''s probably why it didn''t give him unlimited Stamina or buff his weapon. It seemed right. After all, his weapon''s attack power hadn''t gone up. Since he''d consumed an SS-rank weapon, he was able to use all of the item''s abilities, and Rip Apart''s activation rate had gone up. That was all. ''Shit. Then does that mean I have to sacrifice a weapon like the Hell Greatsword for infinite Stamina?'' The Hell Greatsword was a weapon used by a Grandmaster. To be more specific, the Devil''s Sword, Sraka. The only items he had that were on the same level were his demon swords and his belt. Ah, that''s right. Max Cain, the weapon he''d pilfered from Dukeram, was on the same level too! The Avenger set, Kunta''s Ring, and the Cassio Ring just barely didn''t reach the mark. Even if he had an item that could match the Hell Greatsword, it would be such a waste to use it for Gluttony! Crack. The barrier was broken. He didn''t have time to think about this anymore. Kang Oh cleared his mind, and focused on the three Master Spearman! Demon Sword Sarahoff released a powerful, chilling energy. Ring of Frost! Intense cold spread outwards, freezing even the air like dry ice. Taker, Kantos, and Fabio gathered a ton of energy in their spears, and either spun them or thrust them lightning fast in order to deal with it. However, Ring of Frost was powerful enough to freeze even the soul. The cold froze their spears, spreading to their hands, their ears, hair, and even their toes. Tap. Kang Oh rushed forward. When fighting against multiple opponents alone, this strategy was usually effective; take out the head, or chop off the tail. Kantos was his strongest enemy. His gaze waspletely fixed on Kang Oh. ''If that''s the case, then...'' Fabio was weaker than Taker. Even so, he aimed for Taker. After all, Kantos wouldn''t sit idly by while his son was getting attacked. You should think before deciding to mess with a parent''s child. He immediately swung Sarahoff at Taker. Taker responded immediately, since his body hadn''t frozen so much that he couldn''t swing his spear. However, Kang Oh''s attack was a feint. His weapon stopped halfway through, and he suddenly thrust Ubist. Transcendent de! He was absolutely sure this would hit. But...! Spurt! Kang Oh looked at his own chest in astonishment. Taker''s spear had pierced through it. ''How?'' He hadn''t gotten any warning. His Hyper Intuition hadn''t activated either. It was as if he were really possessed by a ghost. "How''s it feel?" Taker had used his secret technique. Ghost Spear! It was an absolute counter that switched the order of his and his opponent''s attacks! However...! ''It''s not that bad!'' Kang Oh rushed forward, even though the spear went even further into his body. He didn''t care in the slightest. "Hey!" ''What the hell are you doing!?'' Taker tried to pull his spear out, but it was no use. "Stop!" "Get away!" Kantos and Fabio barraged Kang Oh with attacks. They weren''t very fast, courtesy of Ring of Frost. Kang Oh didn''t even bat an eye and swung Ubist at Taker''s neck. Rip Apart! ck shards of light flew through the air, and Taker fell to the floor. At the same time, a ton of darkness seeped out of Ubist, engulfing both Taker and Kang Oh. Then... Swish! Swish! Fabio and Kantos'' spears pierced through the darkness! Chapter 561. Bounty Hunting (3)

Chapter 561. Bounty Hunting (3)

Trantor: Boko Kantos and Fabio didn''t feel like they had hit anything. Their attacks had missed. "Keep attacking!" Kantos yelled coldly. "But...!" Fabio hesitated. It wasn''t just Kang Oh in there; their ally, Taker, was inside the darkness too. What if Kang Oh was using Taker as a meat shield? "You''re a Master. Act like one. Do nothing and we might be next!" Kantos relied on his senses, and repeatedly thrust his spear. Fabio bit his lip and followed suit. Stab! It felt like they''d hit something. However, they had no idea who it was. Had they hit Kang Oh or Taker? At that moment... Something popped out of the darkness. Kantos and Fabio instinctively thrust their spears at it. They had once again hit something. However, it felt like they were stabbing a viscous liquid. Stab! A red dress fluttered within the darkness, and a pale, red-haired beauty came out. "You little...!" Two spears had pierced Tasha''s sides; she looked absolutely furious, and opened her hands. Hatred Spike! Sticky, blood red spikes rose around her. Fabio backed off while swinging his spear. On the other hand, Kantos pushed the blood spikes away and charged at Tasha. However, Kantos wasn''t focused on Tasha. He was still wary of Kang Oh, who was just waiting to strike from within the darkness. Swoosh! Someone else came out of the darkness. They gave off such bloodlust that it couldn''t be Taker, who was grievously injured. ''It''s Kang Oh!'' Kantos unleashed a skill in his direction. Butterfly''s Revenge! Red butterflies hovered around the shaft. At the same time, powerful energy rose from his spear. Whoosh! However, Kantos quickly twisted his spear around. A purple longsword came flying at him. He was forced to block the violently spinning de with his spear. If that was just his weapon, then where was Kang Oh? Tada! Kang Oh came out of the darkness and aimed for Fabio. He wasn''t assuming his Dual Demon form; instead, he was in his Jet-ck Demon form. His ck tail fluttered behind him as he swung Ubist at him. Abyss Predator! His jet-ck greatsword unleashed a deluge of darkness. Fabio gritted his teeth and used his most powerful skill. Thunder God''s Fury! Crackle! His lightning-shaped spear transformed into an actual blue lightning bolt. At the same time, he unleashed a ton of electricity everywhere. Boom! Darkness versus electricity. The two energies shed head-on. If the abyss was a swamp, then electricity was a sharp drill. The darknesspletely devoured the lightning st. "Fabio!" Kantos urgently yelled, and threw his body towards his son. Meteor Spear! He unleashed red energy from his spear, which resembled a falling star, and struck the widespread deluge of darkness. At the same time, Fabio swung his spear downwards. The movements of his spear could make the electric discharge even more chaotic. However, Kang Oh wasn''t alone. Tasha had gotten behind Fabio. "Die!" She transformed her hands into blood red drills, and stabbed Fabio''s sides. Tasha had done exactly what the father-son duo had done to her. "Get away from him!" Kantos yelled furiously, leapt into the air, and swung his spear downwards at Tasha. However, four frozen beams came flying at his side. It was Sara. Four sapphires floated around her. Kantos'' body glowed with intense light. Warrior''s Hymn! This skill would unleash one''stent potential. It would increase the user''s strength, speed, and even elemental resistance. Kantos took the ice beams head-on, and followed through with his attack. "Kyaahk." Tasha screamed like a cat, and fell to the floor. Kang Oh swung Ubist at Kantos. It was quick, precise, and sharp! Kantos gritted his teeth. There was no way he could block or dodge it. The best he could do was counterattack afterwards. However, an unexpected ally came to help him. Combination Attack: Thunder Bomb! It was ck Wolf, who had waited patiently in the air for the opportune moment to strike. The duo''s (master and pet) lightning and de winds melded together, producing an electric st that came straight for Kang Oh. The attack was too powerful for Kang Oh to ignore. Kang Oh stopped himself, used Abyss Shield, and pulled his body back. The Thunder Bomb instantly tore through Abyss Shield, causing it to disappear in a plume of ck smoke. However, it had slowed down the attack just enough for Kang Oh to retreat. Then... Kyaaahk! Waryong roared, transformed into a red meteor, and attacked ck Wolf and his Death Eagle. The archers and mages that remained atop the castle''s walls also barraged the Death Eagles with arrows and magic. Of course, they weren''t able to hit them, as Death Eagles were a ss apart. ''It would be nice if I had Rudy right about now.'' Rudy would be able to end them in a single hit! However, Rudy had used all of its power protecting the airships. It was currently resting within a private nest for pets, which was tucked safely in the corner of his inventory. It would probably sleep for several more days. "Save Mr. Kang Oh!" "We''re here." The castle gates opened, and reinforcements came flooding out. Soon enough, they were fighting the Iron Horse Squad in earnest. "You bastard!" Kantos barraged Kang Oh with attacks. Ubist unleashed a ton of darkness. It was as if it''d spat out squid ink. However... ''I won''t fall for that again!'' Kantos thrust his spear at Kang Oh, relying on his other four senses and his intuition. Stab! He definitely felt something on the other end. Unfortunately, what appeared beneath the veil of darkness wasn''t Kang Oh, but Taker. Several green veins were visible on his face. Taker had been poisoned. Taranturus Poison was considered one of Arth''s ten most dangerous poisons, and was also called Puppet Poison! The Snow-White Dress, which Kang Oh had used for Gluttony, gave him the ability to use ''Taranturus''s Poison''; he could control anyone hended a hit on. As a result, Taker, who was fully under his control, had taken the hit for him. "Go!" Kang Oh said. "Uoh..." Taker sloppily swung his spear at Kantos. Kantos'' eyes became even colder. ''Get out of my way!'' Butterfly''s Vengeance! Stab! His spear pierced Taker''s heart. "Guooh." Taker moaned pitifully, and then slumped onto the floor. His face had turned gray. It was game over for him. "I''ll kill you no matter what!" Kantos was truly pissed now. God Spear Style: Four-Leaf Clover! Four sharp spears appeared behind his back. This technique is why he was called the God Spear! The four spears flew into the air, and then fell from the sky like falling stars one after another. However, Kantos was making a huge mistake. Kang Oh and Kantos. Who was stronger in a one-on-one fight? Kang Oh was. Kantos was on the same level as Burkan. Dukeram had beaten Burkan, and Kang Oh had gone on to beat him, so he was inevitably stronger than Kantos. Mad Wind''s Sword. Kang Oh repeatedly swung Ubist, and repelled all four of the spears. Then, he deflected Kantos'' spear, closed the distance, and pierced Kantos'' heart. "Father!" Fabio yelled. He was engaging both Tasha and Sara. "I''m the God Spear!" The four spears violently spun through the air like a vortex, and came straight for Kang Oh. At that moment... Dragon''s Fury! Ubist unleashed a massive amount of gray energy, which soared into the air. Boom! There was a massive explosion. The spears were swept away by the resulting shockwave, and Kantos hadn''te out unscathed. "Run... away," Kantos, who was sprawled on the ground, said. "God Spear, you were a strong opponent." The least he could do for such a strong warrior was end his life painlessly and as quickly as possible. He deserved that much. Although Kang Oh did whatever it took to win, he would still show respect to truly strong opponents. "Father!" Fabio''s desperate yell rang out. His face crinkled like an evil spirit. Then, he repelled both Tasha and Sara''s attacks, and charged right at Kang Oh. It was a foolish decision. Fabio was physically a Master, but his mental fortitude wasn''t up to par. He was far, far weaker than his father. Transcendent de! Ubist cleaved Fabio in half. "I''ll get my revenge, even in death..." Fabio kept staring at Kang Oh till the very end. Kang Oh didn''t look away; it was his way of showing respect to a powerful warrior before they passed on to the underworld. "R-Retreat." Since Taker, Kantos, and Fabio had been killed, ck Wolf had no choice but to retreat. He had to at least save the five Death Eagles they had left. "The Iron Horse Squad will retreat too. This operation is a failure!" The Iron Horse Squad''s Vice-Captain yelled. The squad quickly retreated every which way on their horses. "Tasha,e over here! Sara, stop the eagles!" Kang Oh grabbed Blood, transformed into the Dual Demon, and flew into the air. Sara used Yuki-Onna''s Breath and her Ice Beams on the Death Eagles. However, the Death Eagles were masters in the air. If they decided to run away, then the only thing that could stop them was Sephiro and Waryong. ck Wolf''s Death Eagle flew at the front, and the remaining four Death Eagles followed him in formation. ''No, there''s still another way!'' Kang Oh got into position in midair. Blood Emperor! His snow-white de turned blood red and unleashed an Emperor''s Strike. However, he hadn''t intended on hitting them; he was merely trying to buff himself. He just carelessly shot it in a random direction. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath, concentrated, and then swung Ubist horizontally. Divide the Sea! It was an absolute technique that cut through anything! His de unleashed a line that cut through space and divided the blue sky in two. The technique cost 90% of his Stamina, so Kang Oh momentarily felt powerless. However, he soon heard something that raised his spirits. Kyaahk! The Death Eagles screamed! It was as if someone clipped them with scissors; all five of them were cut into pieces and plummeted to the ground. ck Wolf and a squad member were lucky enough to avoid his attack. They quickly used the special clothes that''d been prepared for them. The clothes itself looked like a flying squirrel. However, they weren''t able to survive. Kyaaaa! The ck-armored Waryong flew over, grabbed ck Wolf with its talons, and ripped his upper body apart. Kang Oh smiled at the sight of that. ''Kantos, Fabio, Taker, and ck Wolf! That''s 1.5 million gold for me.'' It''d been a long time since he''d made such good money! * * * The Lord of Lenoc Castle reported that they had not only defeated the 3rd Corps, but that Kang Oh had killed Kantos, Fabio, Taker, and ck Wolf. Then, Golden Road Fortress sent them good news in return. While Kang Oh was fighting against the four Masters, the 3rd Corps had sent a force to prevent them from reinforcing them. However, Ould had seen through Kantos and Fabio''s scheme, and had led his forces against the 3rd Corps, dealing a huge blow to their enemies. As expected of the Tactical Genius. With this, the Elephant Corps hade out victorious. "Let''s go." Kang Oh got on top of Waryong''s back. "Where are we going?" Sephiro asked. "The Eagle Corps'' main forces are staying in a city called Iceram, right?" "Probably." "Then let''s go." "Why?" "There are still three days before the siege of Saw Rock Fortress, so let''s go over and kill Dalton." Gheor paid him handsomely, so he would likely pay him at least 500,000 gold for Dalton''s head. After all, he was called the Arabas Empire''s Guardian Angel. Kang Oh''s bounty hunting wasn''t over yet! Chapter 562. Conspiracy

Chapter 562. Conspiracy

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s n to kill the 2nd Corps Commander, Dalton, had gone awry. Once he reached Iceram, he learned that the 2nd Corps had, after the Empire''s colossal loss in the Nazrak ins, divided up their troops amongst the cities/castles that surrounded Saw Rock Fortress. His target was currently located in Saw Rock Fortress. Apparently, the Eagle Corps was running themselves into the ground reiming city after city in the eastern part of the central region. Arge portion of their troops had been sent to the Tiger Corps as reinforcements. ''Oh well. I guess I''ll have to take him outter.'' "Should we join up with the Tiger Corps now?" Sephiro asked. "Why?" "I mean, there''s nothing else for us to do." "We still have a lot of time left. All we have to do is not bete." Of course, a date waspletely different. If he had a date with Soo Ah, then he''d arrive 30 minutes early no matter what. However, this was the Tiger Corps we''re talking about; he didn''t really know anyone there, so why would he arrive early? "The guys who say that are always the ones who show upte." Sephiro pouted. "I disagree." Kang Oh shrugged his shoulders. ''That doesn''t apply to me!'' "Whatever. So what''s your n?" "I''m going to see Master Vn." Kang Oh nned on asking him all about Divide the Sea. He would use his remaining time to perform maintenance on his dungeons, hunt, and feed Rudy delicious mes. He never had a problem finding things to do. "Understood. Then please send me a messageter. I''lle pick you up." "Thank you." Waryong was such a good taxi. And it wasn''t just any taxi; it was a flying one! Kang Oh said his farewells, and tore a return scroll. His surroundings began to change, and he was soon greeted by the sight of Arth''srgest city, Altein. Due to the Great Change, a river flowed through a section of the city, and giant hills had appeared, so it was like he''de to a whole new area. There was construction going on, so the city seemed livelier than before. Apparently, an Architect yer was constructing a city on the riverbank that was modeled after Venice. There were also talks that they were nning on constructing an underground pce beneath the hills. It really was like life; Arth was a world that continuously underwent change. "Arth is a virtual reality game, but it definitely doesn''t seem that way." Kang Oh suddenly recalled what a schr had said. What would Arth look like in the future? ''It has to be a world where I can make a good living like I am right now.'' For that to happen, the Empire had to disappear. Forever! Kang Oh headed over to the Holiseum. * * * There was a cold atmosphere within Chieftain Asuka''s abode. "Touch!" Asuka''s furious voice rang out. However, no one outside could hear his voice, most likely due to soundproofing magic. "Father, please understand," Touch said. Asuka, Touch, Wanderer Ge, and unknown individuals were inside. The Orc Chieftain was tied up, and Touch looked down on his father, biting his lip. "Touch, get a grip!" Asuka yelled. Touch shook his head. "Just rest for a little bit. When everything is over and done with, you''ll definitely tap my shoulder and say I did a good job." "Touch! You fool! Their words are poison. They''ll only bring harm to you. How can you not see that!?" "You''re the one who doesn''t understand. We''re far greater than humans, so why do we have to remain cooped up in the mountains? Even the trolls are living in the ins! Moreover, we had to split our territory with those barbarians that showed up not too long ago. Father, you''re nothing more than a cowardly pacifist." Touch said his piece, and gagged his father with thick leather. "Ge." "Yes, Chieftain." Touch wasn''t the Orc Chieftain yet, but Ge called him that to stroke his ego. "If anything happens to my father..." "Of course. I won''t let any harme to him." ''How cute. Is the mouse mistaking itself for a cat?'' Ge snickered inwardly. "Give him the utmost respect." Ge ordered his mask-wearing subordinates. His subordinates silently grabbed Asuka''s arms, and dragged him into the shadows. Ge pulled out a small dagger from his breast pocket. "This will hurt a little bit." "Hmph!" Ge stabbed Touch''s forearm with the dagger. Touch snorted air out of his nostrils and fell to the floor. ck energy spread across his body like spider webs. "Please perform your role well. Then, if you''ll excuse me." Ge disappeared into the shadows. At the same time, the soundproofing magic surrounding Asuka''s home disappeared. A short whileter... "Ugh!" Touch yelled. "S-Someone... help me!" The guards around the chieftain''s house quickly rushed in. "Mr. Touch!" "W-What happened?" "What happened to the chieftain?" "P-Pull out... the dagger," Touch arduously opened his mouth and said weakly. One of the warriors pulled out the dagger, and the spreading ck energy disappeared. "Are you alright?" "Where is the chieftain?" "You!" Touch pointed at one of them. "Yes, sir!" "Father, no, the Great Chieftain was kidnapped. Gather your men and find him! They couldn''t have gotten very far." "R-Really?" "Hurry!" Touch yelled, and the warrior immediately left. "You!" Touch pointed at the other warrior. "Yes, sir!" "Bring Mr. Mumugul and the elders here. I need to discuss what just happened." "Understood." "You bring a shaman here. My wound''s pretty deep." Touch pointed at the hole in his forearm. "Yes, sir." Sometimeter... Asuka''s right arm, Mumugul, as well as the orcs'' higher ups gathered together. "What happened?" "I was speaking with my father when we were attacked." "What about them?" "They covered their faces, so I don''t know who they are. But they looked and smelled like ''humans''." Touch red his nostrils and emphasized the word ''human''. "Humans? Who would do something like this?" "I''m not sure. Father ordered me to find them, but..." Touch nced at Mumugul and the elders. Would they act as Ge had predicted? One of the elders known as the ''Tribe''s Ear'', as he dealt with outside information, ced his hand on Mumugul''s shoulder. "There''s a strange rumor going around Kuwang." "What kind of rumor?" Mumugul asked. "There''s a huge war between humans. The Empire versus the Alliance." "I''m aware of that." "There''s a rumor circting that the western tribes have joined forces with the Empire. They also say that we''re the first ones who joined forces. They believe that we''re ready for war, and that we intend to conquer the entire central region after we''re finished with Kuwang." "How could such an absurd rumor like that spread!?" "Yes, it''s absurd. But... the fact that the chieftain was kidnapped at this moment... And it was by humans no less." "Mm." Mumugul furrowed his brow and considered what he said. "Did the humans kidnap the chieftain to ensure we wouldn''t do anything?" "There''s a chance that they did." "Our first priority is finding the chieftain. I want everyone to help out with this task!" Mumugul yelled. "Yes, sir!" "I''ll help too." Touch wrapped his injured arm and stood up. "No. You''re injured, so you need to recover. A shaman wille to take care of you soon." "But..." "If something happened to the chieftain, then you will be the one who takes his ce. So please understand." "Understood." Touch feigned ignorance and ''helplessly'' agreed. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Once Mumugul and the elders left, Touch''s eyebrows glistened. "As expected of Ge. Everything went exactly as he said." If he used Ge''s intelligence, then conquering the world would be a piece of cake. "Father... Our great ancestors have chosen me. Me, not you!" Ge was like an emissary sent by his ancestors. With his help, everything went as he wanted! Touch clenched his fist. The mes of ambition zed within both his eyes and his heart. * * * Sometime after his kidnapping, Chieftain Asuka''s body was found. His body showed traces of fierce resistance. Based on this evidence, they assumed that Asuka had made an escape attempt, failed, and had been forced to fight his capturers. "F-Father!" Touch stared at his father''s corpse and wailed. However, he waspletely shocked. ''It really looks like the real thing!'' The corpse was a fake. ording to Ge, there were apparently people called Monster Schrs that were able to create a corpse that was almost identical to the original. Asuka should be safe and sound. When he finished conquering the humans, all the orcs and his father would praise him. Ah, Touch, you fool. Asuka''s corpse was real. Ge had lied to him. Touch, blinded by his greed and ambition, hadn''t been able to see through his lies and did exactly as he was told. "Why did he have to die!? Why!?" Touch said furiously. "The chieftain''s body was found on the road to Kuwang," the Tribe''s Ear said carefully. "Kuwang! Gather our troops immediately. Kuwang will burn before the day''s done," Touch yelled brutally. "W-Wait! Mr. Touch. We haven''t gotten any concrete information yet..." Mumugul urgently tried to stop him. However, Touch interrupted him. "I don''t want to hear it! It''s clear that this is the work of humans, so what''s there to look into!? Who else would benefit from my father''s death!? The elves or the trolls? Why would they kill my father!? The other western tribes? None of them besides the aforementioned two tribes have the strength to kidnap my father. So that only leaves the humans! I can''t wait; I have to avenge my father immediately. Anyone who gets in my way is my enemy. And I''ll kill all of my enemies with my axe. Mumugul, which side are you on!? My side, or the humans'' side!?" Touch stared at Mumugul with bloodshot eyes. "...Understood." Mumugul decided to back down for now. He nned on looking into this matter by himself. There were way too many things that jumped out at him as suspicious. ''I''ll need to ask them for their help.'' He was referring to the Tum, the ancient race that became their neighbors on the Ruman Mountains! Unlike him, they would be able to find out what had actually happened without anyone questioning their motives or getting in their way. "Aside from the elderly, women and children, I want everyone who can bear arms to follow me. We''re heading for Kuwang!" 100,000 Ruman Orc Warriors headed for Kuwang. "Don''t let anyone survive! This is revenge for the chieftain!" Touch yelled murderously, and led the warriors at the vanguard. "Uwooh!" "Vengeance for our chieftain!" Their departure made the trees shake, causing all of the birds to fly into the air en masse. There was one orc who witnessed this: Ge. There was a wicked smile on his face. ''Everything''s going as nned.'' Then... "Mr. Ge," the Tribe''s Ear said stiffly. "I did as you asked, so please don''t forget what you promised us. The Tnga Orcs'' freedom." The Tnga Tribe was one of many orc tribes that had been absorbed by the Ruman Orcs. "Of course. As long as the orcs survive till the very end." Ge smiled coldly. Would they survive when they were so foolishly entering a war of their own volition? Ge looked at them as if they were moths to a me. They were nothing more than foolish insects. "Excuse me? What are you talking about..." "Take care of him." Assassins popped out of the shadows, and decapitated the orc. "What should we do with the body?" "Dispose of it. Be discreet; make sure no one finds out." "Yes, sir." The assassins dragged the orc''s body into the shadows. "Hoo, this is suffocating." Ge''s form suddenly changed. His green skin turned white, and the protruding tusks disappeared. His undersized body (for an orc) diminished in size, but it wasn''t that small for a normal human being. Smooth, curly hair rose from his head, which he swept back. He had sharp, nted eyes, and his true identity was none other than the Empire Guild''s mastermind, Jegal. Magic Metamorphosis! This was a Mage secret move that allowed the user to transform into something else. Of course, it wasn''t capable of transforming the mage into a dragon. It only allowed the caster to transform themselves into something on the same level as them or below. Jegal definitely wasn''t your typical mage. He focused more on detection or transformation spells than offensive ones. "Hahaha, stupid orcs." Jegal wrote characters in the air. - Ge. Reversing the first three letters would get you Jegal. It was a very simple anagram. He jokingly said, ''Be careful of Jegal'' as he was acting as Wanderer Ge. However, none of the orcs recognized a human named Jegal. "Hahaha." What if the Alliance was suddenly attacked from the west? They would be sandwiched and have to fight on two fronts. ''This will be worth watching.'' The war wasn''t over yet. No, the war would never end until the day that the empire that he and Dukeram built came out victorious. Thus, the entire continent would fall to the Empire! "Hahaha." Jegal couldn''t stop himself fromughing. Chapter 563. Master Key (1)

Chapter 563. Master Key (1)

Trantor: Boko Kuwang''s original purpose was to stop a western invasion, so it was surrounded by high, thick walls. However, the Ruman Orcs had a way of oveing them. Crider! It was said that these spiders lived deep within the Ruman Mountains. Their bodies were 3 metersrge, and they had eight legs that were more than 5 meters long. They didn''t have any poison, but they were extremely agile, and possessed thick exoskeletons. Plus, their webs were as thick and tough as rope, unlike normal spiders. The Ruman Orcs had raised 1,000 of these spiders. "Go!" Touch pointed his axe forward and yelled. The Criders, which several Orc Warriors rode upon, spat webs at the ramparts, and the orcs quickly ascended to the top of the walls. "Why are the orcs attacking us?" The Lord of Kuwang was dumbfounded by the orcs'' sudden invasion. However, he quickly got a hold of himself and ordered his men to protect the fortress. "Activate the fortress''s defensive magic!" "Yes, sir!" The mages gripped their staffs and began to cast. Then, oval magic circles appeared all across the fortress. Roar! Dark red pirs of fire rose from the fortress like Waryong''s fire breath. "Now, pour oil!" "The rest of you, fire your arrows. Don''t let those bastards get up the wall!" Although they were attacked out of the blue, the guards did their utmost to protect the fortress. Roar! The Criders were engulfed in me and fell to the floor. The riders obviously didn''te out unscathed. "Don''t skimp on the oil! Maintain the fortress''s defensive magic. We won''t let them have Kuwang!" the Lord of Kuwang said. "Arrows! Oil!" "Neers, don''t freeze up and stab them with your spears when they get up the wall!" The soldiers did their very best. However, they couldn''t ovee the massive numerical disadvantage. It was only 10,000 soldiers at most against 100,000 orcs. "They killed our chieftain. Don''t let a single one of them survive!" Touch said murderously. The Orc Warriors protected themselves with me resistant shields, which were made of Ongra Wood, and climbed the castle wall. The Criders had left behind several rope-like webs all across the wall, so the orcs hung off those and ascended the wall. The problem was the pirs of fire, as well as the arrows and oil that fell from overhead. However, it wasn''t enough to stop their advance altogether. The Criders pierced through the me pirs, and were the first to reach the top of the wall. The riders fiercely swung their weapons and ughtered the guards. "Bring our brothers to the top of the wall," an Orc Commander yelled, and the Criders spat webs at the climbing orcs, instantly bringing them up to the top. Countless orcs had reached the top of the wall! The Lord of Kuwang''s face was filled with despair. Sometimeter... The continent heard word that Kuwang had been taken over by the Ruman Orcs. * * * Per Touch''s orders, the orcs tortured Kuwang''s leaders. He wanted them to confess that they''d kidnapped and killed Asuka. However, they did no such thing, so there was no information or confession that could be gotten from them. "Uaahk, I really don''t know anything!" "You dirty pigs! Do you think you''ll be safe!? The Alliance won''t let you live." "L-Let me live. Please! I don''t know anything!" However...! They found a letter in the lord''s residence. It stated that the orcs had joined forces with the Empire, so they had to kidnap the Orc Chieftain in order to prevent them from mobilizing. The Alliance''s Supreme Commander and Mayor of Krampal, Rapuly, had signed it at the bottom. "So it was you!" Touch pushed the letter towards the lord. "I... never received anything like this!" the Lord of Kuwang yelled. He had never received this letter, and Rapuly had never sent it either. It was all Jegal''s work. When the orcs attacked Kuwang, Jegal''s men had trespassed into the lord''s residence and left it there. "We have the evidence right here, so are you really going to deny it?" Touch red at him, and split the lord''s head with his axe. "No more mercy. Kill all the humans in Kuwang. Take all of their treasure and use them as offerings to cate the dead chieftain''s soul!" A cruel massacre began to take ce. Kuwang''s streets were filled with bodies. Touch sat on a luxurious chair and smiled satisfyingly. He had taken his first steps to conquering the humans and establishing an Orc Empire. Then, Wanderer Ge appeared. As stated, it was actually just Jegal in disguise. "Chieftain." "Wee, Ge," Touch said, and then took a look around. "There''s no one here. I''ve also cast soundproof magic." "How''s my father doing?" Jegal smiled. ''Foolish orc. You''ve already seen Asuka''s corpse, so why are you still looking for your father?'' However, Jegal concealed his true feelings and said, "He''s doing quite well!" "Good. Take good care of him. And like you said, I seized control of Kuwang. What should I do next? I want to conquer the humans as soon as possible." "Did you find the letter?" Jegal asked. "Was that also your doing?" "Haha." ''Isn''t that obvious?'' "You really are smart. Things are going smoothly because of you. Everyone thinks the humans kidnapped my father." "There''s another reason I nted that letter." "Which is?" "Our next target." Touch tilted his head. "What are you talking about?" "Rapuly is the Mayor of Krampal, and also the Supreme Commander of the Alliance." "So he''s our next target?" "To be more specific, Krampal is our next target. If we capture Krampal, then we can use that as a base to conquer the rest of the continent." Krampal was, like Altein, one of the core cities of the Alliance. What if the orcs advanced on that city? ''The Alliance will have no choice but to pull their troops back.'' Then, the Empire could strike when they''re most vulnerable. "Hoh, is that so?" Touch''s eyes ignited with ambition. "Yes. If you capture Krampal, then you automatically get control of the central region''s breadbasket, Lamper in. With those supplies, you''ll be able to bolster your forces." "As expected! You truly are a guide that the ancestors sent me." "Haha." "I''m counting on you from now on." "Yes." Jegal would stay here for the time being, disguised as an orc, and manipte Touch so that the Empire Guild could reap the most benefit out of him. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Jegal disappeared into the shadows. Touch''s smile disappeared, reced by the vengeful face of a son who''d lost his father. * * * Rapuly was the Alliance''s Supreme Commander. However, he was merely a figurehead; its truemander was actually the Tiger Corps'' Commander, Gheor. "Why did the orcs take over Kuwang? Is this the work of the Empire?" The Altein Empire, which had controlled the entire continent, fell 50 years ago, and with it, the western non-humans gained independence. After that, the free cities didn''t actively pursue trade with them, but they didn''t have a hostile rtionship with them either. They just ignored each other as if they wereplete strangers. That was the rtionship between the central and western regions. That''s why the west wasn''t all that worried about the war between the Alliance and the Empire. However, the orcs had captured Kuwang at a critical juncture. There was no way it was a coincidence. "It''s the Empire. I''m 99% sure of it," Han Seol replied. "They won''t stop at Kuwang, will they?" "No, they won''t. They''ll invade the cities around Kuwang and... Krampal may be in danger too." "That''s troubling. We can''t afford to turn back now." If they captured Saw Rock Fortress, then the Alliance could win the war right then and there. Thus, the Tiger and Eagle Corps were advancing on Saw Rock Fortress, which was protected by both the Empire''s 1st and 2nd Corps. The Elephant Corps nned on chasing the 3rd Corps, which was retreating back to the east, and then go north once they entered desert territory. If things went as nned, then they would be able to attack Saw Rock Fortress on both sides. But if the orcs forced them to split up their forces, then conquering Saw Rock Fortress would be an impossibility. In siege warfare, the defending side had a huge advantage. In order to ovee the opponent''s defensive advantage, one had to have an overwhelming numerical advantage. Moreover, Saw Rock Fortress was considered an impregnable fortress. In other words, they would need even more soldiers than usual. At the same time, they couldn''t afford to just watch as the orcs took key cities away from them. "Do you have a n?" Gheor asked. "Leave it to Mr. Kang Oh," Han Seol replied clearly. "Kang Oh?" "Yes. Mr. Kang Oh is fully capable of dealing with the orc army." Kang Oh was popr enough to gather countless yers to his side. That was made clear by the Dungeon Liberation Movement. If these yers aided him, then it shouldn''t be difficult to suppress the orcs. "Then we won''t have Kang Oh during the siege." The Tiger Corps would reach the vicinity of Saw Rock Fortress tomorrow. And in two days, all of their troops would be ready and ounted for, so the siege would begin then. "We have to deal with urgent matters first." Urgent matters. A truly apt way of describing it. Gheor nodded his head. "I''ll leave it to you." "Yes, sir." Han Seol left Gheor''s residence and sent Kang Oh a message. - Mr. Kang Oh! Predator Kang Oh. He was like a master key that could solve any problem. * * * The only neutral area within the western grasnds, which was rife with conflict, was Kasten. Kang Oh opened the doors to the Mercenary Association and went inside. He was called the Hero of Kasten for his part in defeating the trolls! "It''s Kang Oh!" "It''s been a while, Hero." "Have you been well?" Several non-humans joyfully greeted Kang Oh. Kang Oh smiled professionally, briefly greeted them, and immediately met with the Mercenary Association''s President, Balduk. Balduk was a golden-horned oxman. "It''s been a while." "Yeah, it has. Have you been well?" Kang Oh briefly exchanged pleasantries, and then went straight to the point. "Why are the orcs suddenly acting this way?" Han Seol left the issue with the orcs to Kang Oh. Of course, she promised to reward him handsomely. She wanted him to gather several yers to his side and suppress the orcs, but Kang Oh wanted to deal with it in a simpler manner. Thus, he came to the Kasten Mercenary Association to get some more information. After all, the Mercenary Association knew everything that was happening in the west. "The Orc Chieftain, Asuka, was kidnapped and eventually killed. They apparently found several pieces of circumstantial evidence that painted Kuwang as the perpetrators. That''s why the orcs, blinded by vengeance, attacked Kuwang and took control of it." "Please exin what happened in more detail. I need to know everything that happened." "So..." Balduk began to exin everything he knew about the incident. How much time had passed? It seemed like time had gone by in a sh. "...That''s what happened." "Hmm." Kang Oh organized the information and bowed his head. "Thank you for telling me." "I hope it helped." "Then, I''ll see you again some other time." Kang Oh left Kasten and headed for the Ruman Mountains. He wasn''t heading for the orcs. He was going to meet the Tum, who''d established a new home in the Ruman Mountains! Their vige was located on the Warrior''s Summit, the most dangerous location in the already perilous Ruman Mountains. * * * "It''s Kang Oh." "Brother!" The Tum passionately weed him. In the past, they had guarded Tstrum, a set of ruins in the Great Forest that sealed di. Then, Kang Oh hade along and defeated the demon, giving them a chance to return to their hometown. In other words, Kang Oh was like a savior and a brother to them. "I''d like to see the champion." "Alright, follow me." This is why you had to form connections. Kang Oh was able to meet with the Tum Champion, Kuharap, immediately. However...! Kuharap already had a prior visitor! "Hero of Kasten!" It was Asuka''s right hand, the skilled Orc Commander, Mumugul! Chapter 564. Master Key (2)

Chapter 564. Master Key (2)

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh had fought with the orcs before, so he remembered Mumugul''s face. "Mr. Mumugul..." Kang Oh said carefully. He assumed that Mumugul would feel some hostility towards him; after all, the Orc Chieftain, Asuka, had purportedly been killed by humans. However, Mumugul responded a lot differently than he''d expected. "Oh, ancestors. To think I''d meet Mr. Kang Oh here! Thank you so much." Mumugul raised his hands over his head. "Hero of Kasten, please help us." "Excuse me?" Kang Oh tilted his head. ''Hmm, what''s really going on here?'' Then, Kuharap joined in. "I''d like to ask for your help too. Find the true culprit behind my sworn brother''s death. You, who killed Tstrum''s Demon, should be able to do so." Following di''s death, Kuharap led his tribe back home to the Ruman Mountains. However, the Ruman Orcs had already staked their im over the mountains. The two tribes almost went to war. That''s when Asuka intervened, and negotiated with Kuharap. He wanted them to coexist, and was even willing to give up a portion of theirnd. Kuharap was impressed by Asuka''s courage and wisdom, so the two became sworn brothers. Afterwards, the orcs and the Tum agreed to live in peace. That''s how the Tum Champion and the Orc Great Chieftain became blood brothers. Then, Asuka was killed. Kuharap couldn''t just sit idly by. He nned on killing the humans, who were responsible for his brother''s demise. However, Mumugul stopped him. He exined that there were several facets that didn''t make sense. Thus, Kuharap ordered his men to discreetly investigate the circumstances surrounding Asuka''s death. In the course of their investigation, they discovered several suspicious objects and reported them back to him. Then, Kuharap notified Mumugul of his findings, believing that there was some sort of conspiracy behind Asuka''s untimely demise. The two had gathered here to discuss their future ns. That''s when Kang Oh had appeared before them like a true problem solver. "There''s definitely something behind the chieftain''s death," Mumugul said. "What specifically are you referring to?" Kang Oh asked. "Asuka''s kidnapping. He was taken too easily. We''re talking about Asuka here; he''s called the Orc Hero. There''s no way to kidnap him without the help of a traitor," Kuharap said. He was right. Kang Oh nodded his head. "There''s no way this traitor would suddenly appear out of nowhere. This must have been nned for a long time. Which means that there''s a separate party out there," Mumugul continued. "I''m sure there is." "I don''t know who the traitor is, nor do I know the identity of the third party. At least for now. But I do know that we''re doing exactly what they want us to do," Mumugul said. "As if killing Asuka wasn''t enough, they used his death to get what they wanted. I won''t forgive them," Kuharap said. "Hmm." Kang Oh was locked in thought. Han Seol believed this was the Empire''s doing. Taking into consideration the information Balduk had provided him with, as well as Mumugul and Kuharap''s discoveries, there was a 100% chance that there was a conspiracy going on... "It''s probably Jegal." The Scheming Master, Jegal! There was no one else who''d do this. He had a habit of using his intellect for terrible deeds. "Jegal? Did you just say Jegal? Who is that?" Mumugul looked shocked. "He''s the Arabas Empire''s advisor, as well as the vice-captain of the Empire Guild. He''s called the Scheming Master. Do you know him?" "There''s an orc that asionally says, ''Be careful of Jegal!''. Do you think he''s the person you''re referring to?" "Be careful of Jegal? Which orc said that? No, when did he start spreading that around?" "He''s a wandering orc that appeared a few months ago. His name is Ge. Hees and goes, giving us precious gifts and telling us what''s happening on the outside. I''m not sure when exactly he starteding, but... I''m certain that he''s the one who said it." Mumugul had heard it directly from Ge''s mouth, so he was absolutely sure. "The Wandering Orc, Ge..." Kang Oh repeated. ''He''s the one who spread that around? And it was a long time before this conspiracy happened? Does he have the ability to look into the future? No, there''s no way. After all, Arth is ultimately just a game world.'' NPCs weren''t people; they were limited in what they could do. ''If that''s the case, then...'' There was only one answer. Ge and Jegal were connected in some way. In other words, Ge was the traitor they were looking for. But how could a wandering orc help them kidnap someone like Asuka? And why would the traitor tell people to beware of Jegal? Then... It was like a light bulb went off in his head. ''He''s not a traitor; he''s the one who came up with this!'' Kang Oh wrote the letters ''Ge'' in the air. Ge! When he switched the first three letters... Jegal! What a simple anagram. ''It is you! I''ve caught you, you rat bastard!'' Kang Oh grinned. ''Now that I''ve figured out it''s him, how should I deal with him?'' Several ns passed through Kang Oh''s head. * * * Touch gathered the Orc Commanders. Mumugul, as well as the Wandering Orc, Ge, took part. Strictly speaking, Ge was clearly not a Ruman Orc. "We''re still not done with our revenge," Touch said brutally. Then, he threw a letter onto the ground. Rapuly''s signature was at the bottom of the letter. Of course, this signature was obviously a forgery. "Rapuly''s behind all of this. I won''t forgive him." "He''s located in Krampal''s municipal building," Ge added. "Did you hear that? We''re going to attack Krampal, and take Rapuly''s head." "Chieftain, that may force us into a war with the humans," an Orc Commander said carefully. "We''re already at war with the humans. Once they killed my father, they became our enemies; either they go, or we go." "But..." "Are you telling me not to get revenge for the chieftain''s death?" "No, that''s not what I''m saying." "The humans are so busy fighting amongst themselves that they won''t have the strength to fight us. This is our best chance at getting revenge for our fallen chieftain. Isn''t that right?" Touch stared at Ge. "Indeed." Ge smiled wickedly. One of the Orc Commanders furrowed his brow. "Ge! You''re not one of us. How can a mere wanderer be involved in our matters?" "He can stay. Henceforth, he''s one of us, and my right arm!" Touch dered. He was the chieftain''s right arm, so he was basically second inmand. "Chieftain!" "We already have Mr. Mumugul, so how can you..." The Orc Commanders yelled in shock, and then watched how Mumugul reacted to the news. Mumugul was their true number 2. He shouldn''t have to lose his position to someone like Ge. His expression stiffened. He slowly opened his mouth and said, "Chieftain." "Mumugul, I''m truly grateful for everything you''ve done for the tribe. Thus, I give youmand over the elders. Be an elder and watch closely as Ge and I bring the orcs to greatness." Mumugul was in his prime right now, so there was no reason for him to be an elder. He was being cast aside, in and simple. It was like he was being stationed in the suburbs. "Chieftain!" "You can''t do that!" The orcs respected Mumugul. Thus, the Orc Commanders feverishly made their disagreements known. However, Mumugul calmed them all down. "Enough! I will do as you ask." "As expected. You truly are wise." Touch grinned. "But I have a favor to ask." "Which is?" "The deceased chieftain''s sworn brother, Kuharap, wants to enact vengeance on the humans too. Please allow them to join us and conquer the humans together!" "The Tum? Those barbarians?" Touch said, sporting a reluctant expression. At that moment... Ge intervened. "Mr. Mumugul, you truly are an Orc Hero. Chieftain, the Tum will be a huge help in the war. Please use them to your heart''s content." The Tum were renowned for having the strength of 100 men. If they joined the orcs, then they would cause even more damage to the Alliance. "Fine. Mumugul, inform Kuharap of my decision." "Understood." Kuharap led 5,000 of his warriors, and joined up with the orc army. However, there were two men amongst them that were far smaller than the norm. One man wore bearskin over his head, while the other wore wolf fur over their body, so no one could tell who they were. * * * After getting the elders'' approval, Touch became the Orc Chieftain, and opened a banquet in his honor in Kuwang. Touch opened Kuwang''s cers, and the warriors ate and drank to their heart''s content. The elders,manders, Ge, and Kuharap were invited into the main castle. The two men, who wore bearskin and wolf fur, stood beside Kuharap. They were introduced as Tum Shamans. The Tum were warriors, and didn''t actually have any shamans. However, Touch regarded them as barbarians, so he looked down on them and their history, so he had no idea. Jegal didn''t have a deeper insight into their culture either. "Don''t think and just drink as much as you want today!" Touch yelled, raising a ss made of a water buffalo''s horn. "For the new chieftain!" "For the prosperity of the Ruman Orcs!" Thus began the drinking party. Then, Kuharap raised his voice. "Hey, bring out the Blood Wine!" "Yes, sir." Two warriors brought out a giant barrel. A liquid of some sort sloshed around from within. "Chieftain, we made this wine using a secret method. A single drink of this will make you as courageous as Asuka himself. I''ll give everyone here a ss of this wine." Kuharap opened the lid, releasing a bewitching smell that spread throughout the banquet hall. "Ooh, thank you, Kuharap." Touch, who was drunk off the smell, smiled widely. He could tell how high quality the wine was just by the smell alone. He really wanted to have a taste of it. "Give everyone a ss!" Everyone in attendance was given a full ss of Blood Wine. Blood Wine was an expensive-looking red liquid that glittered like rubies. "This is precious wine. I won''t forgive you if you waste even a single drop. Isn''t that right, Chieftain?" "Indeed. You can''t waste this wine. Drink it all." Touch looked around, sporting a joyous expression. Then, his eyes stopped at Ge. Jegal hadn''t drunk a single drop of alcohol thus far. However, it would look strange if he didn''t at least drink this. He was also curious as to what it''d taste like, as its smell was so bewitching. "For Asuka!" Kuharap yelled, and gulped it down first. "For the chieftain!" The rest of them drank it down simultaneously. Jegal did too. "Kuha!" "It''s amazing." "Ooh, I feel my strength rising." Orcs voiced their awe all across the banquet hall. It was truly amazing alcohol. "This is great! Great I say!" Touch stomped on the floor. Jegal slightly furrowed his brow. The alcohol was a lot stronger than he thought. ''Why do they drink this?'' He extended his hand in order to grab a nearby snack. However...! "Heop!" Jegal gasped. His short, thick orc arm, which was covered in green skin, began to change. It was beginning to turn white. Jegal quickly groped his body. It was getting smaller. ''No! My transformation''s being released!'' Jegal quickly stood up. He had to get out of here. Then... "Are you feeling unwell somewhere?" A man wearing bearskin walked over. All he could see on the man''s face was his lips, which curled upwards into a grin. Chapter 565. Master Key (3)

Chapter 565. Master Key (3)

Trantor: Boko Jegal felt like he''d seen this man before. ''I know that smile!'' It was a smile that never failed to irritate him. However, he had bigger fish to fry; finding out this man''s identity was the least of his worries. He didn''t have the time to mull over what had happened to his disguise. Fleeing the area took precedence. "Excuse me... Mm!" His deep, orc-like voice returned to its original tone, so he shut his mouth and attempted to leave the banquet hall. "You look really unwell," the bearskin man said. His voice truly was irritatingly familiar. ''Where have I heard his voice before? No, I''ll think about itter. I have to get out of here as quickly as possible!'' Then, the bearskin man forcefully grabbed Jegal''s shoulders. "Why are you doing this!?" Jegal fiercely writhed in the man''s grasp, but the man was so strong that he wasn''t able to break free. "I asked you a question, Mr. Jegal." Then, Jegal felt goosebumps over his body. ''It''s a trap!'' Jegal put his hand inside his chest. He had prepared a smoke bomb in case of an emergency. However, the man stretched out his hand, unleashing a ck chain that wrapped around Jegal''s body. This prevented him from pulling out his smoke bomb. ''This chain is...!'' Jegal was shocked. "Kang Oh!" "Yeah, it''s me." Kang Oh pulled off the bearskin and grinned. "Damn it." Jegal looked around. He hadn''t expected Kang Oh at all. Whatever the case, Kang Oh had discovered his true identity, and this banquet was a trap meant to reveal who he really was. Jegal had to get out of here using whatever means necessary. "Shadow!" Four assassins wearing Dokkaebi masks came out of Jegal''s shadow. But...! "...Bones!" the wolf fur man said drearily. At the same time, yellowish bones suddenly appeared in the air. Bone Bind! The assassins were trapped in bone. Kang Oh used Switch and instantly pulled out Blood. Then, he killed one of the assassins right then and there. Kuharap rushed in and killed two other assassins, and the final assassin was buried in a heap of bone. "What exactly is..." The orcs looked dumbfounded. Touch wasn''t sure what was going on either. ''What the hell is going on!?'' Then, Mumugul stood up. "Great Ruman Orcs, listen to me! We''ve been deceived. Ge is actually a human disguised as an orc!" Mumugul pointed right at Jegal. The orcs could clearly see Jegal reverting back to his human form. "What the hell is going on!? Who is that?" an Orc Commander yelled. "His name is Jegal. He''s an advisor to the Eastern Empire, and is called the Scheming Master. It''s because of him that the previous chieftain died, and also why we''re fighting in an unnecessary war with the humans." Jegal''s face stiffened. However, he hadn''t given up just yet. "He''s lying. He''s a traitor!" Jegal yelled. "I''m an orc. However, these traitors fed me some weird medicine, which turned me into a human! Chieftain, please kill these traitors! Hurry!" "Mm." Touch had no idea what to do. ''Who''s telling the truth? Is Ge really a human? Or was he really fed some kind of medicine, turning him into a human?'' Like Touch, the other orcs couldn''te to a quick conclusion. Everything had happened so suddenly, after all. "They''re spies that the humans sent. They n on framing me and weakening the orcs! Here, take a look. He''s a human too!" Jegal pointed at Kang Oh with his chin. Then... Kang Oh''spanion pulled off his wolf fur, revealing the Legendary Healer, Eder. "Don''t be ridiculous. Your Blood Wine contained a special magic nullification drug that I concocted. That''s why your transformation was dispelled," Eder said. "Bullshit!" "We''ll see who''s lying." Eder raised his skull adorned staff. First, he introduced himself. High-Rank Summon Undead! A Bone Minotaur appeared behind Eder. Thud. The Bone Minotaur, White Horn, swung its axe downwards as if showing off. "A-A Necromancer," an orc yelled. "Indeed. I''m a Necromancer. As you can see, I''m skilled enough to summon a powerful undead beast like this." "A Necromancer... Can you call the souls of the dead?" Kang Oh said. This is a line he''d prepared beforehand. "Of course. I''ll call Chieftain Asuka''s soul right here and now," Eder said. High-Rank Necromancers could summon the souls of the dead from the underworld. Of course, they couldn''t summon every soul. It was only possible with recently departed souls. "What?" "Chieftain Asuka?" "The chieftain is dead." Once they heard Asuka''s name, the orcs were in agreement. Summon Soul! Eder slightly shook his staff and cast the spell. Whir. Asuka appeared in the air, his body transparent and made up of glowing, gray light. "Chieftain!" "Chieftain Asuka!" The orcs were happy to see their chieftain again. On the other hand, Touch''s face turned dark. He stared at Ge, no, Jegal. ''You bastard!'' The fact that his father had appeared meant that Jegal had killed him. Only then did Touch realize that Ge had tricked him; the fake corpse that had been presented to him was actually his father''s corpse. ''Damn it.'' Jegal avoided Touch''s murderous gaze and clenched his eyes shut. Everything had gone awry. "Orc Chieftain Asuka. Please tell us how you actually died," Eder said courteously. "Foolish child." "F-Father." Touch suddenly stood up, knelt to the ground, and mmed his head onto the floor. "I... thought you were safe. Ugh, I''m so sorry, Father!" Thud! Thud! Touch mmed his head onto the ground again and again. Asuka gazed upon his child with incredible sadness. "My son. My foolish son. Regardless of what you did, I still love you." "F-Father." Tears flowed from Touch''s bleeding eyes. "However, I''m the Orc Great Chieftain. I may be able to forgive you as your father, but I can''t forgive you as the Great Chieftain. Mumugul!" "Yes, Chieftain." Mumugul sadly looked at Asuka. Everything that had happened was a tragedy. "Lead the Ruman Orcs in my ce. As for Touch... Punish him as you see fit. But please spare his life. He''s just a foolish, ungrateful child." "...Understood." "Thanks. Great Ruman Orcs." Asuka''s spirit stared at every single orc in the banquet hall. "I was unworthy of your support, yet you followed me anyway. For that, I thank you. Don''t forget your pride as an orc." "C-Chieftain!" "Aah, Chieftain!'' The orcs sobbed and wailed. Asuka stared at Kuharap. "Brother." "Brother." The two quietly stared at each other. That was enough for them. "Thank you," Asuka said to Kang Oh and Eder, and then disappeared. "Aaah!" "Chieftain Asuka!" "You scum!" "I''ll kill you all!" The enraged orcs rushed at Touch and Jegal. Then, Mumugul roared. It was as if a bomb had just gone off. Kuhaaa! Their ears stung. "Enough! I''ll judge Touch and that man myself!" Mumugul showed off his incredible charisma. It was as if he were the seconding of Asuka. "Mm." "...Understood." Mumugul approached Touch. "Touch." "..." Touch silently cried. "You, who took part in the chieftain''s kidnapping and eventual death, can only repent in death. But Chieftain Asuka asked me not to kill you, so I will spare your life. In exchange, you will remain in solitary confinement for the rest of your life without a speck of sunlight." Mumugul coldly passed judgment on Touch. Then, he walked in front of Jegal. "Death." There was no need to even think about it. Mumugul immediately drew his axe and swung it at Jegal''s neck. However...! ng! Kang Oh blocked the blow with Blood. "What are you doing!?" Mumugul scowled at Kang Oh. "This man is an ''Immortal'', so he''lle back even if you kill him." An Immortal. That''s how NPCs refer to yers that they saw die ande back to life. They couldn''t understand the phenomenon behind it, and considered it ''iprehensible''. "Then what do you suggest?" "You should imprison him." Arth had a prison system. This system could prevent yers from logging into the game for a long time. Red Moon''s executives were imprisoned using the same system in the Security Bureau''s underground prison. "Understood. Ge. You''ll live the rest of your life in prison without a single ray of sunshine." A system message appeared in front of Jegal. [The Orc Great Chieftain has reached a verdict.] [You have been given a life sentence.] "No! Just kill me instead!" Jegal yelled. However, it was to no avail. "Take him away!" The Orc Commanders stood up and dragged both Touch and Jegal away. "Uaahk! Kang Oh, you bastard! This isn''t the end! You hear me!? The Empire will win in the end! The orcs will be exterminated, and I''ll be set free!" Kang Oh just flipped him off. ''Yeah, whatever. See youter! Oh, and the Empire will be finished soon. I''ll make sure of it.'' * * * With the reveal of Jegal''s conspiracy and Touch''s misdeeds, all the secrets surrounding Asuka''s death were revealed. But that didn''t mean the orcs'' crimes were forgiven. After all, they had killed every human being in Kuwang. "We''ll pay our debt in blood," Mumugul said. "I''ll pay the Empire back for killing my sworn brother." That was the moment that 100,000 orcs and the Tum''s elite troops joined the Alliance. They immediately headed for Saw Rock Fortress. Jegal''s goal had been to weaken the Alliance and give the Empire a chance to strike, but it had done the exact opposite; the Alliance was strengthened by his actions. After all, 100,000 orcs and elite Tum troops were no joke. Moreover, the orc army possessed 1,000 Criders, giant spiders specializing in scaling walls via their webs. They would definitely be helpful when they besieged Saw Rock Fortress. Kang Oh also used them to his advantage, and gathered more yers into their army. ''Now that the orcs and the Tum have joined the Alliance, all that''s left for the Empire is defeat! Hurry up and join the Alliance while you still can!'' He had spread rumors like that around. A huge army of orcs marched through the continent. They held gs with the Alliance''s insignia, and Mumugul, Kuharap, and Kang Oh stood at the front. "It looks like the rumors are true." "Uwaah, there are so many of them." "The Empire already lost in the Nazrak ins, so if they join up with the Alliance, then it''s all over for them. Ain''t that right?" "Should we join them? It looks like the Alliance will win the war." "Yeah, let''s do it!" 10,000 became 20,000, and 20,000 became 30,000... The number of yers that joined the orc army increased exponentially. A few dayster... "I see them!" someone yelled. Kang Oh looked far away. It was like he was looking at the grand canyon. There were saw-like rocks that lined the top of the giant cliff. Castle walls were constructed along the cliff! The grandeur, the size, and the toughness reminded him of why it was called an ''impregnable fortress''. Kang Oh, the yers, and the orc/Tum army had finally reached Saw Rock Fortress. Chapter 566. The Siege of Saw Rock Fortress

Chapter 566. The Siege of Saw Rock Fortress

The Alliance had already besieged Saw Rock Fortress three times before Kang Oh and his army arrived. The 1st siege was like a feeler. Gheor had sent only a small portion of his troops to test the durability and the fortification of their walls. He hade to the conclusion that... ''It won''t be easy.'' It seemed impregnable. Not only was the fortressrge and durable, but the guards defending it were formidable. They wouldn''t be able to conquer it with just quantity alone. The fortress allowed the defending side to fight off 10,000 soldiers with just 1,000. ''But if we want to end this war, we have to take it no matter what!'' The 2nd time they attacked in earnest. Gheor lined up 100 magic cannons that he''d bought from the Steel Heart Guild. These cannons would fire long-distance rounds; both the cannon balls and the magic contained within them would deal significant damage. They were an improved version of the magic cannons they''d used in the Ecle War. "Fire!" The cannons shot their rounds, coupled with a dazzling show of magic. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! It was so loud that it felt like someone was smacking their ears with a hammer. But...! The same sound could be heard atop Saw Rock Fortress. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! The Steel Heart Guild was a neutral party. Thus, they had sold the magic cannons to both the Empire and the Alliance. Although they both had simr weaponry, the Empire''s cannons were more effective. They were protected by the fortress, and they shot from an elevated position. "Uheok!" "Kyaheuk!" Cannon balls rained down from the sky, destroying the Alliance troops. The 2nd siege ended unsessfully. The third and most recent siege was basically all-out war. Gheor utilized magic cannons, as well as ssic siege weapons like catapults. He also made use of great magic scrolls and a squad of mages. Furthermore, he mobilized all of his soldiers, including the reserve troops! Gheor didn''t leave out the Alliance''s power houses either; everyone was involved. However, Saw Rock Fortress was impossible to conquer. In the fantasy world of Arth, fortresses weren''t simply made out of rock. Various spells were applied during construction. First, there were magic circles all over that increased elemental resistance, and others that reduced the effectiveness of anyrge-scale magic. Next, there was a spell cast that increased the fortress''s durability. This is whyrge rocks or cannon balls shot out of siege weapons wouldn''t do that much damage to the walls. Finally, there were several magic circles applied to the outside of the wall. These would punish any enemy that tried to climb the wall. The walls would spit pirs of fire, as well as release poison clouds, lightning, etc. There were so many different types of magic that it was impossible to list them all. Saw Rock Fortress had the highest defensive capability of all fortresses in the continent. Plus, the Empire Guild''s captains and Dukeram were aiding with the defense, so there were no blind spots either. In the end, the Alliance couldn''t capture the fortress, and retreated in despair. * * * It was after they''d failed their siege three times when Kang Oh and the orc/yer army arrived. The Alliance had felt firsthand how impossible conquering the fortress was and despaired. However, the appearance of reinforcements caused their morale to shoot right up. With Kang Oh and these new troops, they may be able to conquer the fortress! They had hope that it was possible now. Gheor rode the momentum. He immediately called Kang Oh, Mumugul, Kuharap, and the Alliance''s higher ups into a meeting. "...Then that''s what we''ll do." "Yes, sir!" After the meeting, Gheor immediately besieged Saw Rock Fortress again. "Honorable warriors of the Alliance! Let''s conquer Saw Rock Fortress with our new brothers!" "Uaaaahk!" The Tiger Corps rushed towards the fortress. Mumugul''s orc army charged from the side. Giant spiders, or Criders, were interspersed among the troops. The yers went wherever they pleased. All forces, charge! Thud! Thud! Thud! The vast wastnd shook as if there''d been a minor earthquake, and a thick dust cloud rose like mist. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! Both the Alliance and the Empire aimed their magic cannons at each other and fired. Cannon balls exploded on both the ground and castle wall, causing shards of both to go flying into the air. "Uhahk!" "Ugh." Being anywhere close to the explosion would mean instant death. The Alliance took far more damage from the cannon balls, as they were charging headlong into danger while the Empire was safe in their fortress. The same went for the arrows too. Countless arrows rained down from above. On the other hand, most of the archers shooting up didn''t reach the top of the wall. Next came the Battle Mages. "...Rise, spirit of ice!" The Alliance''s Mage Squad was led by Garend. He was part of the Storm Guild, and was called the Ice Prince! At hismand, the mages created ice stairs next to the walls. They acted asdders for the troops. The vanguard quickly climbed the wall, but could only get so far. "Be burned by a great catastrophe!" The Empire''s Mage Squad was led by the Fire Mage, Rock. Their mages pointed their staffs at the giant magic circle, causing fire to rain down on the Alliance''s troops. "Activate the wall''s magic circles!" Rock yelled. The Empire''s mages swung their staffs once more. Saw Rock Fortress was basically like a nk canvas. Countless letters and drawings were inscribed upon it. me pirs rose from the walls, lightning flew everywhere, huge pieces of ice or rock fell, etc. "Pour the oil!" "Throw the rocks!" The Empire''s troops, which were densely packed at the top of the wall, continuously did their best to defend the wall. "Don''t be afraid and climb the wall!" "Raise your shields!" The Alliance''s soldiers didn''t stop either. They stretched their arms as far as possible, and climbed up by grabbing onto small crevices or protruding areas. "Brave orcs, destroy the Empire. They killed our chieftain!" "For Asuka!" "Topple the Empire!" The Orc Warriors under Mumugul''smand, as well as the Tum''s elite troops arrived at the wall. The Criders led the charge. Ptoo! Ptoo! Ptoo! The giant spiders spat tough, thick webs onto the wall. Countless orcs clung onto the webs and climbed the wall. They made the fastest progress among the Alliance''s troops. Seeing this, Irene urgently said, "ck Wolf, you have to take out those spiders!" "Leave it to me!" ck Wolf and his squad rushed over to the orcs. They were Tamers. Although they had lost their precious Death Eagles, they still had the pets they''d used beforehand. "Take care of the spiders!" "Kill them all!" The ck Wolf Squad pulled out round eggs from their inventory and forcefully threw them. All sorts of animals popped out of them. Various birds, mottled snakes, monkeys, and even spiders appeared. Of course, they were much smaller than the Criders. Anyhow, it didn''t matter what kind of pet they summoned, as long as they were capable of fighting on top of a ''wall''. The Criders and the various animals began to fight in the middle of the wall. Their snakes spewed venom, while the Criders fought back with spider webs. Some of the Criders were attacked by birds, but the Criders quickly avoided their beaks or talons. The ck Wolf Squad used small bows, projectile weapons, or Tamer skills to aid their pets and keep the orcs at bay. "Orcs are brave!" "We won''t back down!" Those riding on the Criders'' backs swung their weapons or shot energy attacks at the iing weapons/pets. "Send more troops to the left nk! Tell the archers to remain on standby until the reinforcementse! Then order them to open fire!" There was a figure assessing the battle and barking orders from atop the fortress''s highest watchtower. It was General Dalton! As a war veteran, he was overseeingmand over the Empire''s troops. "Yes, sir!" his adjutant replied, and quickly ryed the general''s orders. "There are a ton of them." Dalton furrowed his brow as he looked down. However, he soon rxed his face. "But they won''t be able to conquer this fortress!" There were indeed a ton of Alliance troops. However, the Empire was on the defensive in a purportedly impregnable fortress. He was confident that they''d be able to repel an enemy many times greater. At that moment... Wyverns, including a dark red wyvern, came flying through the air. There were around 30 of them. Kyaaahk! The wyverns flew in formation and quickly approached the fortress. "Intercept them!" Countless spells and arrows were shot into the air, but wyverns were one of the most skilled flying monsters in the game. Since the Empire had lost all of their Death Eagles, it wouldn''t be easy for them to take them down. The wyverns unleashed Poison Breaths on top of the wall. There was also Waryong, who unleashed a fiery breath that was as hot as Hellfire. However...! That wasn''t all they had in store. Kang Oh and Sephiro were on Waryong''s back. "I''m going!" "Have a nice trip!" Kang Oh leapt off Waryong''s back with Blood and Sarahoff in hand. At the same time...! There were others who leapt off the wyverns too. Genius Gamer, Bart! Spear King Hernandez! ck Lion Raon! Leopard Squad Captain, Snow Flower! Witch of Annihtion, Helena! There were about twenty high rankers that jumped off the wyverns too, which included figures like Viper, Mn, and Plum. Plus, there was a single NPC that apanied them: the Tum Champion, Kuharap. They were special airborne troops tasked with conquering the fortress. * * * Theworks'' correspondents were covering everything that was happening in the siege. It was a huge battle that revolved around a fortress enclosed with walls on all sides! Everywhere they looked was a highlight worthy scene. However, their voices got even louder when they saw Kang Oh and the Alliance''s strongest members jump off the wyverns. "Aah, Kang Oh has finally arrived!" "I can see Bart, Helena, Hernandez, and Raon!" "They''re the Alliance''s high rankers! It''s an all-star team!" "Ah, to think I''d see them all in one ce!" Their attention was obviously fixed on Kang Oh. After all, thebat prowess he''d shown in his fight with Dukeram needed no introduction. "Kang Oh ising down!" "What will Kang Oh show us!? Please look forward to it!" As soon as Kang Ohnded on top of the wall, he pulled out Guardian Summoning Scrolls. There were four in total! Rip! Slowpoke Teynos! tinum Lion Violf! Ferocious Wakaiser! Red Knight Redman! He didn''t have any summoning scrolls left for the Monster Elephant, Indra. Even so, four guardians were plenty to wreak havoc on top of the wall! Whir! Whir! Whir! Whir! Four giant magic circles glowed, and out came his guardians. "Crush them all!" Kang Oh said curtly. "Understood, Master." "Sounds good." "That''s what I was waiting for!" "As you wish." His guardians responded, and then moved to either the left or the right. ''Now then!'' Devil Trigger! Kang Oh transformed into the Frostblood Demon,plete with ice horns and dark red wings with streaks of white running through them. Then, he immediately headed for Dalton. ''You''re worth 500,000 gold!'' He immediately closed the distance. Dalton raised his sword, which he was gripping like a cane. Dalton was also a Master. There was no reason he should cower before Kang Oh. However, a golden beam of light suddenly came flying towards him, separating both him and Dalton. Kang Oh quickly changed course and avoided the beam. Swish. Dukeram flew over on top of his pegasus. "I''m your opponent," Dukeram said, pointing his sword at him. "Oh? Your sword''s different this time. Did you sell Max Cain or something?" ''Oh, that''s right. It''s in my inventory!'' Kang Oh stared at Dukeram and snickered. Dukeram''s eyebrows quivered. ''It must be killing him. Then again, I would feel the same way if he stole one of my demon swords. I would be so pissed that I wouldn''t be able to sleep properly for a few days.'' "I''m going to kill you," Dukeram said coldly. "You really think you can?" ''With your level of skill?'' Although he didn''t actually say that out loud, it was clear by his expression and his tone that that was what he was implying. At that moment... Whoosh. A fierce wind blew from behind him, and Spirit Swordsman Erik appeared. He was the Empire Guild''s second strongest! "Don''t let your guard down no matter what!" Let''s not forget that Arabas''s Guardian God, Dalton, was here too. With Kantos dead, the Empire''s three strongest had gathered around Kang Oh. "C''mon!" Kang Oh gave them a beckoning sign. It was the right of the strong to fight several people at once. Kang Oh nned on taking full advantage of this right. Chapter 567. God of War (1)

Chapter 567. God of War (1)

Trantor: Boko The east had developed two unique schools of magic revolving around insects and sand. These practitioners engaged Kang Oh''s guardians. "The Sand Mages will take care of the lion and the turtle." "Then we''ll take care of that hunk of metal and the wyvern." Summon Sand Giant Sandium! 200 Sand Mages worked together to summon this colossal beast. The giant quickly swung its fist at Violf. Kuheong! Violf roared and swung its front paw. However, Sandium wrapped its arms around it and sucked it into its body. The tinum Lion struggled, but the more it did, the deeper it would get sucked in. "Concentrate! Don''t let Sandium crumble!" "Understood!" The Sand Mages worked their asses off. Sandium had a tendency of breaking apart into individual grains of sand. It wasn''t an easy task to clump this sand together and maintain a solid shape. "Now we have to deal with the turtle." The Sand Mages gave it everything they got and summoned a sandstorm, which obscured Teyno''s vision. Then, they buried Teyno''s feet into the ground, preventing it from moving. Teynos had to be attacked in order to be effective. By binding it in one ce, it wouldn''t be able to do anything. Now it was the Insect Mages'' turn. "...Great queen, please honor us with your presence!" Summon Insect Queen Insectura! A giant, 20 meterrge insect appeared in the air. It was apanied by all manner of insects, ckening the sky. "Kuheok." "Grit your teeth!" Insectura''s power was so great that it was normally unsummonable. However, they just barely managed it by concentrating the efforts of 200 Insect Mages. It was extremely difficult to maintain the summon, as well as control it. Several of the Insect Mages'' hair was already starting to turn white. In exchange, it was extremely powerful. Insectura opened its mouth and spewed acid at the Red Knight. Hiss! The Red Knight''s body began to melt. Plus, Insectura''s minions flew through the battlefield and made the Alliance troops'' lives a living hell. Even Wakaiser, Waryong, and the wyverns were having trouble dealing with them. There were so many of them that they couldn''t take them out one by one. Kang Oh''s guardians did far less than he had originally expected. "It''s our turn." "Let''s wash away our failure at the Nazrak ins!" "Let''s go." All of the Empire''s captains, aside from Erik and ck Wolf (one was fighting Kang Oh and the other was dealing with the orcs), entered the fray. This included Taker, Moby Dick, Ridgeley, Kuskal, Tainos, and Irene! This was an opportunity to show the world their skill, so the Empire''s high rankers joined in too. They rushed at the Alliance''s power houses such as Bart, Helena, or Hernandez. Two all-star teams were heading right for each other. * * * Dukeram, Erik, and Dalton! They were not to be underestimated. Even so, Kang Oh grinned. ''This is fun!'' Dukeram attacked from the front, Erik from behind, and Dalton from the side. However, he wasn''t pushed back at all. In fact, they were the ones feeling the pressure. He hadn''t even used Gluttony. ''Now!'' Kang Oh crossed his demon swords and used Switch. Then, Blood disappeared, reced by the heavier Ubist. The Frostblood Demon naturally transitioned into a ck beast with icy horns. Sword Parry! Screech! Dalton''s de slid off Ubist''s wide de. At that moment... His de emitted a ton of darkness, and Kang Oh''s form disappeared. "Not on my watch!" Erik unleashed a mighty gust of wind. He was intent on blowing away all of the darkness! Dukeram created countless sand spikes, which pierced through the darkness. Dalton, whose body was halfway through the darkness, quickly pulled himself out. However, he found that he couldn''t. ''What!? When did he...?'' The ground and his feet were frozen solid, so he couldn''t get out. Then... Ubist slightly peeked out of the darkness. Dalton instinctively extended his sword. Although it looked like it was swung in panic, there was plenty of force behind it. Whoosh. Dalton''s de emitted a threatening ''whoosh'', and shed with Ubist. ng! That was unexpected. The collision resulted in a powerful shockwave. As Dalton backed off, shards of light fell from his body. Swish! Ubist flew through the air and came straight for Erik. Kang Oh hadn''t thrown it himself; he had used Weapon Bombardment. Erik swung his sword horizontally and deflected Ubist. Tap. The Frostblood Demon walked out of the darkness. Then, Dukeram quickly swung his de downwards. At almost the same time, red ice rose from the ground. Bam. Dukeram''s de struck ice. However, the opposing force made his sword hand sting. Red Avnche! Giant, red energy came rushing towards Dukeram. Dukeram gritted his teeth and infused a ton of energy into his de. Sword that Brings Victory! Boom! The golden energy broke the ice and shed with Kang Oh''s attack. Erik and Dalton simultaneously attacked Kang Oh from the sides. Their strikes were incredibly sharp. Red Demon''s Dance! Kang Oh moved with such grace and beauty that it made their eyes hurt. Whenever he did, Erik and Dalton would strike an afterimage. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh fiercely swung Blood and Sarahoff with such speed that Dalton had already been cut several times. Shards of light fell from Dalton''s wrinkled skin. Blood voraciously ate every single one of them. Seven red stars had manifested on Blood''s length. At the same time, red energy glowed around Kang Oh''s heart. Dukeram urgently stomped on the ground. Invincible Guardian! Glittering sand covered Dukeram, Erik, and Dalton''s bodies. Blood Storm! Boom! A blood red whirlwind raged around Kang Oh''s body, sweeping through everything in its vicinity. However, it didn''t possess enough power to break through Dukeram''s Invincible Guardian. Kang Oh was well aware of this fact. Thus, he immediately followed it up with another card. ng. A ck chain came flying at them like a snake aiming for its prey. Darkness Chain! The chain was aimed at Dalton, who was frozen solid by glittering sand. In an instant, his upper body was wrapped in chains. Although the sand slowly disappeared, Dalton still couldn''t move his arms properly. However, he had to get out of the chains as soon as possible. After all, Kang Oh would clearly go after him first. Dalton lowered his body and stabbed his sword into the ground. Earth sh! The ground was upturned, and a powerful shockwave came rushing at Kang Oh. However, he dodged the shockwave with a single leap and came straight for Dalton. "Now!" "Go!" Erik and Dukeram had expected this, so they immediately went for Kang Oh''s sides. Spirit''s Fury! Steel Thrust! This would work 100%! Erik and Dukeram were sure of it. However...! Kang Oh forcefully pped his wings, and his body soared into the air! Erik and Dukeram had never had wings before, so they couldn''t have predicted this. ''Damn it!'' ''We missed!'' Their attacks hit nothing but air. Kang Oh attacked from the sky. The key to Flying Swordsmanship was properly moving one''s upper body. Since one''s feet weren''t nted on the ground, they wouldn''t be able to add power to their blows the normal way. Instead, they had to make full use of their upper body to increase the strength of their attacks. Of course, Kang Oh was proficient in Flying Swordsmanship, so he was able tond a precise attack on both Erik and Dukeram. "Ugh." Dukeram and Erik reeled from the impact, and took a half step back. p. With a mighty p of his wings, Kang Oh fiercely spun like a drill and rocketed towards Dalton. Dalton had already gotten out of the chains. He lowered his body and swung his sword upwards. Guardian God''s Strike! Sand surged from the ground, which transformed into a wave. This was one of the techniques Dalton specialized in. But Dalton knew this was nowhere near enough to stop Kang Oh''s advance. Thus, he immediately threw himself out of the way. It was the correct decision. Kang Oh instantly cut through his sand wave, and flew through the air Dalton had previously been upying. Bam! He extended his des and spun his body like a top! It was like he was a high-power mixer. Dalton protected himself with his sword, and was just barely able to block Kang Oh''s attack. Then, Dukeram and Erik approached him. They instantly exchanged nces. "This won''t work." "We tried to buy as much time as possible, but at this rate, he''ll kill one of us." As said, their objective was to buy as much time as possible. If the Empire managed to defend the fortress, then Kang Oh would be trapped. It wouldn''t be toote to take care of Kang Oh then. But if they didn''t give it their all, then they would lose Dalton. "Let''s pull out all the stops." "Yes, sir!" Erik''s body swelled and glowed green. Spiritization: Great Wind Spirit! Dukeram used his secret techniques one after another. Enlightened One! Summon Invincible Army! Invincible Emperor! Dalton''s eyes ignited with fire too. The mes then spread across his entire body. Sun''s Warrior! The mes that''d engulfed his body came flying at Kang Oh. Kang Oh pulled back while summoning a wall made of Frostblood. Then, he stabbed Blood into the ground and extended his hand. Ubist came flying back to him. If they were going full force, then he would respond in kind. But he decided not to use Max Cain for Gluttony. Using Gluttony on Max Cain would give him max Stamina, which would allow him to use the absolute killing technique, Divide the Sea, repeatedly. Even so, Max Cain was too valuable to sacrifice for a temporary power up. It was a legendary de, after all! Erik, Dukeram, and Dalton weren''t strong enough to warrant the sacrifice of Max Cain. Ultimately, Kang Oh pulled out God Spear Kantos'' weapon, the Blood Bringing Butterfly Spear. He had gotten it after killing him and his son. Gluttony! Ubist''s darkness devoured the spear. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed the Blood Bringing Butterfly Spear.] [It is an SS-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s attack power has increased. Attack Power: 1814.] [The activation rate of Rip Apart has increased significantly.] [You may use all of the consumed item''s abilities: Master''s Spear, Grievous Wound, Butterfly''s Dance, and Blood Bringing Butterfly.] A demon appeared with Ubist and Sarahoff in hand, its body radiating fierce jet-ck darkness. Tasha, whose blood red dress fluttered in the wind, had appeared beside him too. "You bastard!" "Die!" The Great Wind Spirit, the Incarnation of Fire, and the Desert Emperor surrounded Kang Oh and attacked him all at once. In the past, Kang Oh had been the challenger, but the situation had changed. Kang Oh was the champion. Dukeram, Erik, and Dalton were the challengers. * * * "Climb the wall!" "Stop them!" The battle between those who sought to climb the wall, and those who sought to prevent them continued. The Empire poured oil, shot arrows, and dropped rocks, causing countless soldiers and orcs to fall off the wall. Some of them managed to reach the top of the wall via the Criders, but they were quickly dealt with by the Empire''s troops and the ck Wolf Squad. There weren''t any other troops that''d reached the top. The Insect Queen''s presence was akin to a catastrophe for the Alliance. What were they supposed to do when all manner of poisonous insectstched onto them!? Waryong, Wakaiser, and the wyverns did their best, but it wasn''t easy. Ultimately, it was near impossible to conquer Saw Rock Fortress with pure force. The only ones who could turn the tides of this battle were the yers that''d reached the top of the fortress. However, their situation wasn''t much better. Although the Alliance had more rankers, the numerical advantage didn''t help that much. Why? Their teamwork wasn''t nearly as good. The Alliance''s all-star team fought separately. Whereas the Empire''s all-star team was unified under Irene''s leadership. Moreover...! Irene used her secret move, g of Absolute Victory. It was an incredible ability that allowed her to imbue her troops with one of five special effects for 30 seconds. In a small-scale battle, it was basically as overpowered as Divide the Sea. At least the Alliance had unrivalled powerhouses like Bart, Helena, and Kuharap. If not for them, then they would''ve already lost by now. Despite their best efforts, the soldiers felt the shadow of defeat looming over their heads. At that moment... Boom! Saw Rock Fortress''s highest watchtower blew up, and Kang Oh, Tasha, Erik, Dalton, and Dukeram appeared. They leapt onto another watchtower and fiercely fought atop it. However...! Kang Oh waspletely overwhelming them! He was their light in the darkness! Chapter 568. God of War (2) Chapter 568. God of War (2) Kang Oh''s appearance had changed the situation at the top of the wall. "We have to take them out as soon as possible," Irene yelled, pointing at the Alliance''s all-star team. They were in danger, but this could also prove to be a valuable opportunity for them. It was a chance to kill Kang Oh. At the same time, Kang Oh could easily turn the tables on them. Thus, they had to defeat the Alliance''s power houses as soon as possible, iste Kang Oh, and then throw everything they had at him. That would be the best possible scenario. "Let''s go!" Moby Dick yelled, and attacked the nearby rankers. Bart looked as though he''d found a ray of light amidst the darkness. ''There''s always an opportunity after every crisis!'' Kang Oh versus the Empire''s strongest. Surprisingly, he was beating them. What if they survived until Kang Oh defeated them? They would be a stepping stone that''d allow the Alliance to climb the wall. "We have to hold out for as long as possible! Stay alive until Mr. Kang Oh wins!" Bart yelled. The eyes of the Alliance''s all-star team ignited with ambition. They started to work together, and began to watch each other''s backs. However, Kang Oh''s appearance wasn''t all good news. Dukeram''s Invincible Army hade along with them. The all-star team had to fight even harder than before. They did, however, have a monster that fought against Tainos, Ridgeley, and their soldiers simultaneously. "I''ll kill you all!" The Tum Champion, Kuharap! He hade to take revenge for his sworn brother''s death, and he was showing a level ofbat prowess that befitted his tribe. Kuharap used Weapon Bombardment with his two weapons, and also possessed ridiculous physical strength. Even the Empire''s Masters marveled at his power. Bart gritted his teeth and gave it his all. He was surrounded by three giants (ice, fire, and rock) that swung their fists at his enemies. Roar! Bam! Boom! The sand soldierspletely crumbled under their might. It would probably take several minutes before they could reform. However, there was also an arrow that flew through the gaps between their fists. Bart quickly turned his body, but he was a little toote. Thwock! It was the Red King, Kuskal. He shot several arrows in quick session. Bart created a barrier with one hand, and used the other to point his dagger at him. Lightning Arrow + Sacred Spear! Thunder God''s Spear! Crackle! A blue lightning bolt flew towards Kuskal. Kuskal disappeared into the shadows, and the spear devoured the nearby soldiers. Then, a thick shadow appeared. Buzz! It was the unpleasant sound of an insect''s fluttering wings. Bart could see the Insect Queen''s giant body. Bam! Insectura opened its mouth and spat powerful acid at him. Helena stepped forward. Her magic was at its strongest right now, amplified as it was by Overload and Double Casting. She immediately cast two spells, one after another. Fire Harpoon! Mysterious Wind! Ice Drill! Lightning Axe! The mes travelled along the wind and devoured the acid. Then, pirs of ice rose from the ground, and lightning fell from the sky. However, a swarm of nearby insects gathered like a cloud and took Helena''s attacks for their queen. Tap. Ghost Spear Taker, who''d been waiting for his opportunity, kicked off the floor and rushed forward like a tempest. Excise Heart! His spear was aimed right for Helena''s heart. "I''m your opponent!" "I''m going!" Spear King Hernandez and ck Lion Raon stood before Helena. Hernandez took on Taker, while Raon moved across the battlefield, switching between offense and defense. Soldiers made up of glittering sand, as well as the Empire''s rankers, came rushing at them. The Alliance''s power houses didn''t sit idly by. They gritted their teeth and counterattacked. At that moment... A g appeared above Irene''s head. g of Absolute Victory! She had activated one of her g''s five abilities: explosively increase her soldiers'' attack power for 30 seconds! The Empire''s rankers glowed red. "Break through!" Irene yelled firmly, and the Empire''s power houses pushed through like a tsunami. Crumble! The Alliance''s all-star team was swept aside. * * * Kang Oh was feeling rxed as he fought against Dukeram, Erik, and Dalton. There was no one stronger than him in this world aside from Vn at his prime, a dragon, or a few mythological creatures. He was mankind''s strongest! Kang Oh was the champion that held this honorable title. Moreover...! Erik, who''d transformed into the Great Wind Spirit, and Dalton, who had be a Sun''s Warrior, were easy pickings for him. To be more specific, they were easy pickings for Ubist! After all, Abyss de allowed him to cut through the immaterial, whether it be a ghost or a spirit. A single cut from his jet-ck greatsword made Dalton and Erik be wary of him. That single cut had taken so much of their HP that it made them gasp. Ultimately, Dukeram was the only one who could really keep Kang Oh at bay. He wasn''t sure why, but Abyss de couldn''t cut through that mysterious sand of his. Plus...! Kang Oh had his Hyper Intuition. It would warn him of any potential danger beforehand, and pinpoint his opponent''s weaknesses for him! This was extremely useful in a battle between experts. Kang Oh was able to predict the three''s movements ahead of time, and take advantage of it. Finally, Kang Oh used the power of his three demon swords to their fullest. He was the most skilled, had an affinity advantage, and also had ESP! Though he fought against the three representatives of the Empire, there was no reason he wouldn''t be able to win. In fact, he wanted topliment Erik, Dukeram, and Dalton forsting as long as they did. Contrary to his assured victory, however, the siege wasn''t going well; the shadow of defeat was looming over them. The Alliance''s power houses were killed by the Empire''s rankers one or two at a time. That caused a domino effect, in which the Insect Queen''s minions dealt even more damage. Thus, there weren''t any soldiers that''d made it up the wall. Though there were plenty of soldiers or orcs that had been killed while making the attempt. They had plenty of troops left, but it wouldn''t matter if they couldn''t get to the top of the wall. Even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to defeat all of the soldiers that were in Saw Rock Fortress. If it were possible, then he would''ve done it already. In the end, he would win the battle, but lose the war. ''At this rate, that is. I won''t let it go on like this!'' Kang Oh deflected Dukeram''s de, and swung Ubist in a wide arc, forcing Dalton back. Then, he pulled out a fist-sized scarlet egg from his inventory. A small me design adorned its surface. "Come out, Rudy!" Chirp! The egg cracked in half, and a bright yellow chick came out. Rudy''s feathers shined. This was because it''d had plenty of rest following its battle to protect the airships, and had also eaten plenty of high quality mes. Swoosh! Dukeram thrust his sword at Rudy. He remembered hearing about it from ck Wolf. ck Wolf had told him to be careful of the chick Kang Oh carries around with him. He had told him that it was actually a Phoenix. Thus, he needed to take it out before it transformed. Kang Oh opened his eyes wide. ''How dare you attack my cute little Rudy!'' Kang Oh sharply swung Sarahoff, deflecting Dukeram''s attack, and then stabbed his neck. However, the mysterious sand blocked his attack again. "Aim for the chick!" Dukeram yelled urgently. However... "It''s toote!" Rudy''s body emanated intense light, and it opened its fiery wings. Garuuuu! Then, it unleashed a clear, brilliant cry and revealed its body, coated in whitish red mes. The true form of a Phoenix was both beautiful and noble. "Rudy, time to eat!" Food! Rudy opened its mouth, and began sucking in any nearby mes. "Guaahk!" Dalton, whose body was made of mes, felt like he was being ripped apart. A ton of shards flew into the air, and then he returned to his human form. Stab! Kang Oh''s jet-ck greatsword pierced through Dalton''s breastte and shredded his heart. Dalton widened his eyes and used the remainder of his strength to grab Ubist''s hilt. "N-Now!" Dalton yelled. Dukeram and Erik rushed at Kang Oh. Sword that Brings Victory! Great Wind''s Sword! They both used their most powerful attacks. Golden energy cleaved through the world, and an emerald whirlwind raged. In spite of that, Kang oh didn''t look worried in the least. Rudy forcefully fluttered its wings. Fire of Life! Warm mes engulfed Kang Oh''s body like an egg. Erik and Dukeram''s attacks struck the surface of the barrier. A short whileter... Their attacks disappeared, but the egg was still in the same ce,pletely safe and sound. The mes gradually dissipated, revealing an unhurt Kang Oh. He hade out with a dead Dalton. ''That''s 500,000 gold for me.'' Kang Oh smirked. Erik and Dukeram didn''t blindly rush in. There was a Phoenix with its wings outstretched above his head. However... "Guildmaster." "We''re here." Kuskal and Irene had appeared. Irene, who''d been overwhelming the Alliance''s powerhouses, came rushing over once she saw the Phoenix. Kyaaahk! She hade with the Insect Queen too! Dukeram''s eyes gleamed. They had Irene''s secret move, Kuskal''s sniping, and the Insect Queen! Although he couldn''t be sure of their victory, they had enough people to keep him at bay! "Insectura will deal with the Phoenix. The rest of us can take care of Kang Oh. We have to turn this into a battle of attrition; we have to buy as much time as possible," Irene said. Dukeram, Erik, and Kuskal nodded their heads. Kang Oh scowled. ''Says who!?'' He pulled out a scroll from his inventory. It looked extremely luxurious. ''I really didn''t want to use this! I need to borrow ''his'' power if I want to win. At least while Rudy''s in its true form.'' He spread open the scroll, revealing a dragon bone inscription. Bone Dragon Akite''s Summoning Scroll! Kang Oh immediately ripped it. Whir. A giant magic circle appeared. [You have used Bone Dragon Akite''s Summoning Scroll.] [You must offer proper tribute in order to summon Bone Dragon Akite.] [It costs 1 million gold, or treasure equivalent to 1 million gold to summon it.] "Stop him!" "Stop Kang Oh!" Dukeram and Irene yelled, noticing that something was off about the magic circle. Dukeram, Erik, Irene, Kuskal, and Insectura rushed at him. However...! Rudy didn''t just sit idly by. Eternal me! These were evesting mes that''d never go out! The mes rippled outward like a wave, forcing them toy t on the ground. Insectura''s body was too big, so it couldn''t avoid it. Instead, it spat out as much acid as it could. Bam! Hundreds of thousands of its minions were burnt to a crisp instantly. The Insect Queen didn''t remain unscathed either. As soon as its acid touched the Eternal me, it burnt up in a plume of smoke, and the Insect Queen was engulfed in mes. Its giant, transparent wings were the first to go. "Keheok!" "Ugh." 200 Insect Mages, who were barely holding on, cried out in pain. It was like they were overloaded engines that''d finally exploded. Kang Oh sighed as he saw the grand show. "Phew, you bastard." His hand trembled as he pulled out a gold scroll worth 1 million gold. Bone Dragon Akite! As if everyone didn''t already know that it was a money grubbing dragon, it forced him to pay a huge sum to summon it. It would''ve been fine even if it cost him. But it was way too expensive! What the hell is up with 1 million gold!? But in any case... He definitely needed its strength right now. "Phew!" Kang Oh sighed again, and then arduously let go of the gold scroll. As soon as it touched the magic circle, it disappeared and the magic circle radiated intense light. [You have used 1 million gold.] [Summoning Bone Dragon Akite for 10 minutes!] Thud! A giant, bony leg came out of the magic circle. Then, it revealed its skull, as well as the purple me that zed within its eye sockets. ''Now then, let''s end this battle for real!'' Chapter 569. God of War (3) Chapter 569. God of War (3) Bone Dragon Akite finally made its way out of the giant magic circle. It was so majestic that it even made the Insect Queen, which Rudy had burnt to a crisp, look like a puny bug. Moreover, Rudy was still in its adult form. The summoning obviously caused amotion. "I-It''s a dragon! A Bone Dragon!" "Kang Oh called a Phoenix and then a Bone Dragon!" "Aah, what exactly is Kang Oh? Is he the Legendary Tamer Acasus''s sessor!? Tell me!" The correspondents covering the battle couldn''t help themselves. "T-This is ridiculous!" "It''s a bug!" The Empire''s rankers and soldiers looked like they''d go crazy any second now. Having a Phoenix was bad enough, but he also had a Bone Dragon at his disposal! It was the highest-tier raid monster! "Hoh!" It also made ck Wolf, who was considered this era''s greatest Tamer, feel a sense of shame. ''What was I doing all this time? I wasn''t able to tame a Phoenix or a Bone Dragon!'' "Uwaaaah!" "Mr. Kang Oh called a dragon!" "Kang Oh! Kang Oh! Kang Oh!" The Alliance''s power houses cheered simultaneously. It was amazing enough that Bart clenched his fists, and Helena, who always remained calm, cheered out loud. On the contrary, Kuharap didn''t react to either the Phoenix or the Bone Dragon. He simply overwhelmed Tainos like a true battle junkie. Dukeram, Erik, Irene, and Kuskal grimaced. They had to fight Kang Oh, a Phoenix, and a Bone Dragon. To think they''d be up against a Phoenix and a Bone Dragon. That was crossing the line. Irene quickly shook her head. ''No!'' Then, she said, "We can beat a Bone Dragon. It''s not a real dragon! Moreover, Bone Dragons can''t use magic. They''re undead! Just be careful of its Poison Breath." She was right. Bone Dragons were merely undead beasts made out of dragon bones. They had been too fearful of it due to its sudden appearance and its massive presence. The Empire''s rankers quickly overcame their fear. "Plus, he shouldn''t be able to maintain the Phoenix and the Bone Dragon for very long," Irene added. "You hear that?" Kang Oh stared at Akite. "That''s funny. They dare call me, the great dragon Akite, an undead?" Bone Dragon Akite was an incredibly unique existence. It was a dragon that sought immortality, so it voluntarily transformed itself into an undead! Do you remember the Lich, an undead high-rank mage? Just think of Akite as the dragon version of that. It could use the magic it''d learned when it was still alive, and it also possessed a very dragon-like arrogance and intellect. "You have to work for your pay, right?" ''It cost me 1 million gold to summon you. Moreover, you''ll onlyst 10 minutes. Hurry up, you stupid lizard!'' "It''s been a while since I could go all out!" Akite''s jaw rattled. It seemed like it was smiling! Whir! Akite released a ton of pressure from its body. This was called Dragon Fear. Any who encountered a dragon would instinctively feel fear. "Ugh." "L-Let me live." The Empire''s soldiers suddenly knelt to their knees and shook in fear. There were a ton of them that fainted too. A portion of them fell from the top of the wall. Whir. Giant stars appeared around its body. Star''s Promise! The glittering stars unleashed powerful rays of light. Akite, who had already destroyed half of the wall with its giant body, bombarded the surrounding structures. Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! "H-Holy shit!" "Uhahk!" Kuskal, Dukeram, and Erik threw themselves out of the way. "It''s using magic?" Irene stepped back in shock. ''How exactly is a Bone Dragon using magic? This is impossible!'' She wanted to find Arth''s developer, Dreamgate, and give them a piece of her mind. ''This doesn''t make any sense!'' Dukeram deactivated ''Invincible Emperor'', which depleted his sand soldiers one by one, and then called forth as many sand soldiers as he could muster. "Attack the dragon!" 2,000 sand soldiers swarmed the Bone Dragon. Immortal soldiers should be able to handle a Bone Dragon, even if it could use magic! But that was just an unrealistic dream. "Hoh, this is..." Akite''s purple mes flickered. There was once an emperor that used this mysterious sand to control time. He had lived for hundreds of years, and had taken control of the entire desert. Dukeram''s unique ss, Desert Emperor, hade from him. However, Akite, in his pursuit of immortality, had extensively studied time magic. He obviously knew about this mysterious sand, as well as the time magic involved. "Sand that has an immortality curse, huh... It''s been a while." A giant clock appeared above Akite''s head. Time eleration! The clock hand turned quickly. Then, the sand soldiers crumbled into nothingness! Dukeram widened his eyes. The Invincible Army was unkible. That''s precisely why it was called ''invincible''. So how...? He didn''t have the chance to think about it. Kang Oh quickly approached him. Dukeram had deactivated Desert Emperor, so he was no match for Kang Oh. Irene urgently supported him from the side, and Kuskal shot an arrow from behind. Erik unleashed wind energy at him. "We have to take him down no matter what. If we kill him, then the Phoenix and the Bone Dragon will disappear," Dukeram yelled. "That''s our only option. I''ll call all of the captains." Irene calmly observed Kang Oh and gripped her weapon. "Hoo." Erik caught his breath and waited for his opportunity. Then, Sand Giant Sandium appeared. The Sand Mages were supposed to deal with Violf and Teynos. However, their summoning duration was already up. "What crude magic," Akite said. Magic Explosion! A portion of the magic that kept it together violently shed. Boom! Sandium then exploded. "Ugh!" "Uaahk!" The Sand Mages weren''t in good shape. The mana they''d been providing flowed backwards. "Die, you monster!" "Don''t get involved in a battle between humans!" The Empire''s rankers and their courageousmanders rushed at Akite. If magic was no use, then they would fight it in meleebat! The clock above Akite''s head slowly turned counterclockwise. Eternal Clock. Their movements slowed like that of a sloth. Akite raised its front foot and stomped on them as if they were ants. "Huhahaha, I''m Dragon Akite!" Akite yelled enthusiastically, and then unleashed all manner of magic. It was like a cmity had just been unleashed on the Empire. Karuuu! Rudy cried out, and opened its wings. Sun Wing! ming feathers went everywhere. It was as if a male peacock had spread its tail. Anyone touched by the feathers would be engulfed in mes without exception. The Empire''s Magic Squad, which was led by Rock, usedrge-scale magic. Various rocks came flying at it. Rock Seal! However, Rudy''s mes intensified, causing even the rocks to burn to a crisp. At that moment... mes appeared underneath the Mage Squad''s feet. "Get aw..." It was toote. Eternal me! A dark red pir of fire rose from the ground. "Guaaahk!" Their screams didn''tst very long. All that remained were their ashes. Chirp... Rudy returned to its chick form. It had destroyed Insectura and its minions, as well as the entire Mage Squad. Rudy didn''t have any strength to spare. Swish. Kang Oh appeared in a sh and carefully grabbed Rudy. Then, it turned into an egg and he ced it into his inventory. "Haahp!" "Chaaht!" Dukeram and Erik aimed for his back. Kuskal''s arrow also came flying at him. Kang Oh quickly twisted his body and simultaneously swung Ubist and Sarahoff. He deflected their attacks with ease. But then, Irene, Moby Dick, Ridgeley, Taker, and ck Wolf, who rode on a giant wolf, came rushing at him from every direction. All of the captains had appeared, aside from Tainos, who had died in battle against Kuharap. "Hurry!" Irene yelled. They had to take Kang Oh out before the Bone Dragon dealt even more damage to their forces. Plus, the Alliance''s powerhouses were sure toe and aid Kang Oh if they gave them too much time. g of Absolute Victory! A g of light appeared above her head. Dukeram and her fellow captains glittered like stars. For 30 seconds, they would be impervious to damage! "Huaaahk!" "Die, Kang Oh!" They simultaneously used their most powerful attacks. Steel Rain! Great Wind''s Sword! Red Demon''s Thorn! Shield of Divine Punishment! Demon King Spear! Reaper''s Arrow! Combination Attack: Wolf''s Hunt! A silver meteor shower rained down from above, and a green whirlwind surged from the ground. Taker''s spear, which transformed into a red spike, cut through the air, while Moby Dick''s shield glowed with a cross shape. A demonic spear, as well as a pack of eight wolves, came flying at him too. Finally, Irene unleashed a mighty aura from her sword. Compared to her peers, her finishing blow was much weaker. Kang Oh neither dodged nor backed off. No, there was no reason to do so. ''Dukeram''s worth 600,000, while the rest are worth 300,000 a piece!'' This was his chance to kill them all in one fell swoop! Kang Oh used everything in his arsenal. Ring of Frost + Dragon''s Fury! Sarahoff unleashed an intense cold; even the air froze. At the same time, a fierce gray energy surrounded him and rose into the air. Boom! Boom! The massive energies shed. However, Dukeram and his captains were impervious to damage right now. They pushed through his attacks and attacked even more fiercely than before. Switch Blood! Kang Oh grabbed his snow-white de in one hand, and his jet-ck greatsword in the other. Blood Emperor + Abyss Predator! Blood unleashed drill-like red energy. Meanwhile, a torrent of darkness flowed out of his jet-ck greatsword. Kang Oh swung his swords one after another. Mad Wind''s Sword! The two disparate energies, blood and darkness, mixed together. The reddish ck energy swept through the world. Boom! The massive, destructive energies shed! A portion of the wall crumbled. Kang Oh''s form could be seen amidst the debris. "There''s no going back!" "Let''s go!" Dukeram and his captains, who were safe due to the effects of g of Absolute Victory, rushed at Kang Oh from all sides. They unleashed their strongest attacks once more. Stab! Taker''s spear made contact with Kang Oh''s flesh. Dukeram''s de grazed his side, and Erik''s wind energy sliced his earlobe. "Keep it up!" Irene yelled roughly. At that moment... The effects of g of Absolute Victory disappeared. Whir! An hourss appeared above Kang Oh''s head. Dragon''s Hourss! Kang Oh thrust Blood at Taker, and deflected the remaining captains'' attacks with Ubist. More and more sand dropped from the hourss. He had activated his belt''s special ability, reducing the cooldown of all his skills, magic, and item effects! Kang Oh''s most powerful moves, which he''d just used a second ago, were all ready to go. Grin. It was time to eat the prey that''d walked into his jaws of their own volition. Blood Emperor! Blood red energy surged from his de like a fountain. Then, he let go of his de entirely. Weapon Bombardment! This resulted in a vortex of blood. "Grr!" Dukeram and Erik moved through the blood red energy. They seemed determined to kill him no matter what. Kang Oh stabbed Ubist into the ground. Abyss Predator! A massive amount of darkness exploded like a volcano. "Kyaahk!" Irene, who was much weaker than the others, was pushed back. Then, ck Wolf and his pet followed. Dragon''s Fury + Ring of Frost! Kang Oh used two more abilities one after another; one could crush anything, and the other could freeze anything. Dukeram couldn''t withstand this any longer. He lowered his body and used Full Heal. The rest of the captains weren''t faring any better. They protected their bodies and used their survival techniques. "Ugh!" Kuskal, who tried to sink into the darkness, was shocked to find that his feet were frozen. "Damn it!" Left with no other choice, Kuskal erected a Shadow Barrier. They had absolutely no idea that Kang Oh had done this all on purpose. They were standing in a straight line; their positioning was perfect to kill them all in a single swing. Kang Oh grabbed Ubist with both hands. This was the first demon sword he''d acquired! Thus, he was the most familiar with it! ''This is the end.'' Kang Oh swung his sword. A single line that promised absolute death cut the world in two! This Divide the Sea was far more refined than the one he''d used against Dukeram. The slightly nted line passed right through Dukeram and the captains'' necks. In exchange, he had used up all of his Stamina. He couldn''t even wriggle his fingers. Kang Oh plopped onto the ground. His enemies'' bodies copsed to the ground, their severed heads rolling on the floor. Kang Oh smiled in satisfaction and fell backwards. Thud. At that moment... Arth''s ranking changed. [Rank 1] Predator Kang Oh! Kang Oh had finally reached the peak. * * * The Alliance, which had seized Saw Rock Fortress, immediately advanced towards the Empire''s capital, Cain. Cain wasn''t a nigh impregnable, strategic location like Saw Rock Fortress. It was just a giant city. The Alliance surrounded the city and conquered it within three days. With that, the war was over. The Empire had lost! Arabas the 3rd and the Empire Guild were punished for their actions. However, Dukeram had run away before his capture, so wanted posters with his face were spread all across the continent. The Arabas Empire was dissolved and the monarchy was put to an end. The desert''s cities became free cities. The Empire Guild was also dissolved. Its captains and executives were given life sentences and ced in an underground prison. Cain''s treasure house was opened, and the treasures that the Empire had collected were divided based on one''s contributions during the war. Kang Oh was given gold and treasure that equated to more than 10 billion gold. He had really hit the jackpot this time. Of course, it was what he deserved for his part in the war. It was because of him that the Alliance had beaten the Empire. The God of War! That was the new title he''d been given. * * * There weren''t a lot of ces where criminals could hide in Arth. Most of them found themselves in the Shadow World. Dukeram was the same. However, he couldn''t let go of his ambition yet. ''I''ll start here! I''ll return stronger than ever! No matter what!'' Unfortunately... "Hey." Kang Oh had found him before he could even do anything. "Why are you here?" Dukeram''s eyes widened and he gripped his sword. "I''m close to Scapi, the one who manages this ce." Poison Scorpion, Scapi. Scapi was the only executive of Red Moon that hadn''t been imprisoned. She was currently managing the Shadow World in Red''s ce. She had also been the one who informed him of Dukeram''s presence. After all, there was nothing she could do about Dukeram with her skills. "Now then, let''s have another bout." Kang Oh grinned. Dukeram still had a lot of valuable equipment on him. For example, the Invincible Tarsonis Armor, Valha''s Ne, etc. Dukeram''s face stiffened. However, he wasn''t going to make it easy for him. Of course, thinking that wouldn''t make it any less easy for Kang Oh to kill him. Sometimeter... Kang Oh picked up the gloves that were part of the Tarsonis armor set. After that, Kang Oh found Dukeram wherever he hid, and killed him again and again. Scapi had given him her ring, which allowed him to track someone wherever they were. "Please stop killing me already!" Dukeram screamed. In no time at all, his level had dropped below 400. "Yeah, no thanks." Ultimately, Kang Oh took all of Dukeram''s equipment. And...! Finally, he brought him to the Security Bureau and collected his bounty. "You... you bastard!" Dukeram was given a life sentence for his crimes. Kang Oh heard his voice on the way out and snickered. "You sure are like a sweet orange tree." He just gives and gives. * * * With the Empire''splete defeat, Arth''s ranking had gone through a major change. Kang Oh assumed rank 1, and the Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim, was rank 2. Bart and Helena were rank 3 and 4 respectively, and Hernandez and Raon had entered the Numbers once more. Their creased faces finally had a chance to rx. Arthand, the leader of the Steel Heart Guild, was no exception. However...! The lowest seat, rank 9, was taken by an unexpected individual. Wyvern Master, Sephiro! Yep, it was him. There were two simple reasons he had joined the Numbers. First, he had traveled alongside Kang Oh and had improved his skills. Second, he had gotten some unintended help from Kang Oh. What is that, you ask? Kang Oh recreated the ''Going as Three'' guild he''d made in the past. He had gotten a quest for Rudy, which would reward him with mysterious mes. However, the reward was guild only. There were only three people in the guild: Kang Oh, Sephiro, and Eder! When the Empire Guild was destroyed, the vacancy of strongest guild was surprisingly filled by the Going as Three Guild. Arth''s rankers were judged based on several factors. Because he was part of the ''strongest'' guild now, Sephiro''s rank jumped from 13th to 9th. Now that he''d joined the Numbers, Sephiro grabbed Waryong and cried tears of joy. What''s funny was that Waryong was more popr than Sephiro, even after he joined the top echelon of yers. The Flying Dragon Squad, which was part of the Breaker Guild, put pictures of Waryong on Arthtory. Waryong was nicknamed ''Wayomi'' (cute) due to these photos and was also put in advertisements. Waryong even had action figures made in its image, which sold extremely well. Apparently, children really loved them. There was no one like Sephiro who understood what it felt like to not be the main character. * * * Incheon International Airport. Spotlights were shined on Kang Oh, who wore sunsses. "You officially epted a sponsorship from Adidas regarding their luxury sportswear. I heard that that contract is worth the same as ser yer Damon''s. How do you feel about that?" "I heard that the Breaker Guild has offered you 10 billion to join them. Is that true?" "I''ve heard rumors that there was a guild overseas, more specifically a Chinese guild that offered you 100 billion." After he defeated Dukeram and destroyed the Empire, Jae Woo couldn''t go anywhere without people recognizing him. ''Damn scanned character! Why did I make my in-game character look exactly the same?'' It didn''t matter where he went; people would recognize him. He was way too famous! "I need to get through. I''m busy." "Let''s go!" Jae Woo made his way through the crowd, protected by his bodyguards. "Please give us an interview!" "Please!" "Mr. Kang Oh!" They were too much. "Haa." Kang Oh couldn''t help but sigh. ''A superstar. Yeah, that''s me.'' "At least tell us this. Why are you going to Paris?" a reporter asked, and unbeknownst to even Kang Oh himself, he smiled. "To attend a concert!" * * * Jae Woo, who''d gone to Europe and seen Soo Ah, returned to Korea and immediately logged into Arth. Then, he opened the ranking window. [Rank 1] Predator Kang Oh He stared at the ''1''. Rank 1. He was the strongest! It was his dream and his goal. However, he ced his hand on his stomach and rubbed it. Grumble. He felt hungry. Why? "I still need to kill a dragon and find a way to cure Master Vn." If you reach the top of a mountain, you may feel the desire to reach the top of an even higher mountain. That mountaintop was gesturing to him, as if saying e here''. ''Fine!'' Kang Oh grinned. He had no intention of stopping here. Kang Oh had finally achieved a small goal, so now it was time to achieve an even bigger one. He still hadn''t be a Grandmaster, had he? ''Let''s go!'' He took a step forward into the vast world of Arth. Chapter 570. Purifying Water Chapter 570. Purifying Water It had been 100 days since the end of the war between the Alliance and the Empire, as well as the Empire Guild''s dissolution. Kang Oh walked the path of a game tycoon. He had 50 soul dungeons in his possession. He bought some of them, and also discovered some himself. Some of his acquisitions hade at therge guilds'' expense. The value of the ''Kang Oh'' brand was tremendous. Kang Oh was a superstar both in-game and in the real world! Kang Oh had shot a few advertisements during the week, raking in a ton of money. Plus, he''d signed some contracts with huge corporations. He had also opened a new shop called Kang Man with Man Bok. Their business, which focused on dragon materials and brokering soul dungeons, had expanded so much that it even threatened the Geum San Store''s number 1 spot. Of course, there was no way Kang Oh would be satisfied with the number 2 spot. Someday, he''d be the richest in the game too! It wouldn''t be easy though. The Master of Gold, Wang Seo Rim. Wang Seo Rim was a talented merchant. Their business acumen was legendary; so much so that they may prove to be a more difficult opponent than Dukeram. Still, Kang Oh had Man Bok at his side. As long as he had him, he had a fair shot. Anyhow...! ''I''m a walking middle-sizedpany!'' However, Kang Oh hadn''t just been winning over thest 100 days. He had been faced with some bitter memories too. The Evil Dragon, Inarius! Hoffman had given him a quest, which asked him to take revenge on the dragon. epting this quest hade along with a slew of benefits. Kang Oh, Asu, Bart, Helena, Sephiro, etc. attempted the Inarius Raid. However, they didn''t make it that far. They couldn''t beat Inarius''s most powerful guardians. ''I need around 25 Masters... or a Grandmaster,'' Kang Oh concluded. Procuring a Grandmaster would be faster than gathering 25 Masters. ''I can be a Grandmaster myself or heal Vn.'' It would be easier to heal Vn than be a Grandmaster. Back to the present... That''s why Kang Oh was exploring Lalka''s Ziggurat, which was considered the most dangerous area within the western grasnds. * * * Lalka''s Ziggurat. Kang Oh hade here in the past to save a man named Honadan. At the time, he was crucial to finding the path to Despia. The Purifying Water, widely considered a panacea, was located somewhere within the confines of this ziggurat. The ''Purifying'' Water. Doesn''t that sound like something Vn, who was poisoned by the Evil God''s power, needed? Kang Oh came with two other people. There was a beautiful, blonde-haired woman with a chick on her shoulder, as well as a young man with freckles on his face apanying him. The woman was the Phoenix Knight, Asu. She had already surpassed level 400 and had be powerful in her own right. Moreover, she was far stronger than simrly leveled yers due to her unique ss. However, the freckled young man, who wore gauntlets on both hands, seemed even more powerful. A single nce would tell you that he was strong. Supernova Nile! He had participated in the Ecle War, and had be well-known for his battle against the ck Lion, Raon. At the time, he waspared to Bart in terms of talent. He had proven that he was indeed gifted. Rank 8! Not only was he a Master, but he was the fastest to reach that stage! He was called the 2nd Kang Oh. One day... "I want to fight you!" Nile came looking for Kang Oh and challenged him to a duel. Kang Oh had no reason to refuse a duel with a Master. After all, he needed to fight countless strong opponents in order to be a Grandmaster. Then, he defeated him with ease. "I want to fight you again!" Nile challenged him the next day, but the oue wasn''t any different. One weekter... Seven matches, seven wins! Kang Oh didn''t lose. Nile couldn''t even tie with him. However, Kang Oh was shocked by his talent and skill. He truly was incredible! After losing seven consecutive times, Nile didn''t challenge him anymore. Instead, he started following Kang Oh around. "Why do you keep following me?" Kang Oh scowled and asked. "I want to watch and learn from you," Nile smiled brightly and said. Time passed. Nile was alright. As time went on, Kang Oh started to treat him like his little brother and rxed his speech around him. Is this what it would feel like to suddenly gain a little brother? "Brother, over here. Don''t touch that wall over there. There''s a huge trap behind it!" Nile pointed at a hidden passageway. He was talented in various fields, especially when it came to finding the right path or discovering traps. Nile was even better than Kang Oh when it came to them. Of course, that was only when Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition wasn''t considered. Lalka''s Ziggurat was a huge, underground structure that possessedplex, maze-like roads. Moreover, the ce was rife with traps. If not for Nile, then it would''ve taken a lot longer to get through the dungeon. The traps probably would''ve given him hell too. "Let''s go." Asu walked forward. The further down you went, the stronger the monsters were. However, Nile and Asu were way too strong. There was no need for Kang Oh to get involved. Asu''s sword, the Fire''s Heart, was an SS-rank, me-shaped sword that was created by the Elven cksmith, Sunlei. Sun Sword! Her de ignited with Rudy''s mes. Rudy''s mes and the Fire''s Heart had great synergy. The softest swing of her de would create a massive amount of mes. Roar! Five Devil Mongs, evil-looking monkeys with two pairs of wings, were burnt to a crisp instantaneously. "Haahp!" Nile extended his arm. He was a Master Fighter that used a secret martial arts technique known as ''Beast Style''. Ferocious Tiger Strike! His fist unleashed fierce energy, which coalesced into a tiger''s face, and knocked over everything in the entire passageway. This caused the passageway to shake, and pieces of the ceilings splintered off and fell to the ground. Gieek! The energy swept through the Devil Mongs. "Don''t step on that, that, or that. They''re traps." "Alright." "Got it." Kang Oh and Asu simultaneously replied. The three quickly made their way through the ziggurat. Sometimeter... They stood before a giant door made of thick rock. There were three triangr grooves in the middle of the door. Nile pulled out a transparent, triangr stone from his inventory and slotted it into one of the grooves. It was a perfect fit. "We need two more." Kang Oh''s party found this rock on their way here,ying atop a small altar. In other words, there were two other altars within the ziggurat, and these two rocks were keys that would allow them to pass through the door. "Any traps?" Kang Oh asked. "I don''t think the door has any set up." "Really? Then move aside." ''I have a master key.'' Kang Oh gestured for him to move back, and Nile did as he was told. Then, Kang Oh stepped forward and pulled Sarahoff out of his inventory. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath, and then swung his sword diagonally. Divide the Sea! This is what he meant by a ''master key''; thebination of Divide the Sea and his de''s Absolute Destruction ability! Swish! The thick door was split apart like a piece of tofu. Kang Oh lost 80% of his Stamina at once. In the past 100 days, he had continuously refined the technique, reducing its cost by 10%. Not only that, but he had increased its range and its cutting power. However, it was still impossible for him to use the technique repeatedly. Then again, using it once was plenty in situations like this. Thud. The door opened just like a m that''d been pried apart. * * * There was a spring filled with clear water. Was that the Purifying Water? However, there was a Basilisk around the spring. Basilisks used their Petrifying Gaze and Petrifying Poison to turn their enemies into stone. [You have discovered the Emperor Basilisk, Variderin] [You are the first to discover it.] It was definitely a formidable opponent. However, Kang Oh had plenty of experience ughtering Basilisks that lived in the ??? Dungeon. Although this particr Basilisk wasrger and stronger than the norm, taking it out wouldn''t be a problem for him. "Be careful of its eyes and its poison," Kang Oh said curtly. "It won''t work on me." Asu grinned. She was right. As she was protected by the Phoenix''s mes, poison had no effect on her. The Basilisk''s Petrifying Gaze would be just as useless. "So I just need to make sure I don''t get hit. I can just not look at it." Nile smiled. Kang Oh nodded his head and stabbed Sarahoff, Blood, and Ubist into the ground side-by-side. He picked Sarahoff and Blood, and then used Devil Trigger. The Frostblood Demon had appeared! Demon Sword Ubist transformed into a jet-ck demonic beast. The King of Demonic Beasts had appeared! Grr. Ubist snarled, but it didn''t charge at Kang Oh. Sometime ago... Kang Oh cleared his final trial and mastered Devil Trigger. This test was unlike any other; it was a ridiculously hard trial that required him to fight Ubist, Blood, and Sa all at once. He had barely, just barely cleared it. By doing so, he mastered Devil Trigger and was able to use it as much as he pleased. He had awakened much of Tasha and Sarahoff''stent abilities, and he was partially sessful in taming Ubist. Ubist didn''t listen to all of Kang Oh''smands, but it almost never attacked Kang Oh anymore. "It''s time to eat," Kang Oh said. Grr. Ubist brandished its fangs. Food sounded good right about now. Tap. It leapt into the air. It was as if a ck meteor was flying towards the Basilisk. The battle had begun. Kang Oh''s party began to fight the Emperor Basilisk in earnest. * * * They sessfully hunted the Basilisk, collected the Purifying Water, and then returned to Altein. Of course, Kang Oh''s appearance waspletely concealed. If anyone saw his face, then he''d be in hot water. ''Man, it''s a pain being a superstar!'' "I''ll see you tomorrow, Brother." Nile waved his hand and left. "Oppa, I''ll get going too." "I''ll call youter." "Ok." Kang Oh headed for Eder''s mansion. "Wee." "I brought the Purifying Water." The Purifying Water sloshed around as he passed the ceramic pot to Eder. [Purifying Water] The Purifying Water, which can be procured from Lalka''s Ziggurat, possesses the power to wash away any impurity. That is why it is called a panacea. "Good work." The Legendary Healer, Eder, began to work on increasing the Purifying Water''s efficacy. Funnily enough, there were gown-wearing skeletons that helped Eder with his tasks. They reminded him of research assistants. It was a sight befitting a Dual ss (Necromancer and Healer). "Nice. It''s finished!" Once Eder mixed a liquid, which smelt of alcohol, with the Purifying Water, it began to radiate a dim light. "It''s finished. Let''s head over to Lord Vn now." "Have a nice trip," a cute maid said. Then, Kang Oh and Eder headed for the Holiseum. Sometimeter... Vn, Kang Oh, Eder, Burkan, and Darion were in Vn''s room. As always, there was a split open wound in the middle of Vn''s chest. The Evil God''s energy, which appeared like a mass of bacteria or insects, was still there too. However, that energy hadn''t spread any further. Vn was able to suppress the Evil God''s energy with his own. "Let''s begin." Eder tilted the vial filled with the enhanced Purifying Water. The falling water doused Vn''s wound. "Ooh." "It''s disappearing!" As expected of the Purifying Water! The Evil God''s energy was washed away by the water, and new, reddish skin appeared in ce of the open wound. "Congrattions!" "It''s done!" Darion and Kang Oh yelled. However, they had celebrated too early. "Not yet!" Eder didn''t pry his eyes off the wound. The Evil God''s energy reappeared. Eder poured the Purifying Water on the wound again and again. Drip. The final drop of Purifying Water fell onto the wound. However, the Evil God''s energy persisted, and spread like a well. Eder shook his head with a heavy expression. They had failed. "Tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''Damn Evil God''s energy!'' Darion and Burkan both looked disappointed. Vn, who''d looked the same throughout the procedure, didn''t look affected by the failure. "It''s alright. I''ll cut through this energy soon enough," Vn said confidently. He was fighting against it even now. Him versus the Evil God! Who would win? ''Obviously I will.'' "I didn''t think the Purifying Water would fail. I''ve used everything I could think of, but nothing''s working." "Then what?" Kang Oh asked. "I''ll pay Deathnely a visit." The Ma of Necromancy, Deathnely! If he can''t deal with it as a Healer, then he would find a way to heal Vn''s wound using Necromancy. "I''ll go with you," Kang Oh said. He''d always wanted to go to Deathnely at least once. "Yes." The next day... "Let''s go!" Kang Oh, Eder, Asu, Nile, and Sephiro headed for Deathnely. Chapter 571. Deathnely

Chapter 571. Deathnely

Trantor: Boko Deathnely was located within the Death Swamp. Countless poisonous creatures lived in the swamp area, and it was always clouded by a thick mist. It was a frightening ce that didn''t let go of visitors that easily. However, Eder had spent so much time in this ce that he treated it like his front yard. Because of that, Kang Oh, Asu, Sephiro, and Nile were able to reach Deathnely with ease. "Hoh." Deathnely was a mysterious city. Most of the houses were towers; the city was basically jam packed with tall buildings. Befitting a city for Necromancers, there were countless undead such as Death Knights, Ghouls, Zombies, and Skeletons roaming across the streets. There were plenty of people walking around in robes too. "Just think of each tower as a Necromancer''s personalboratory. Therger the tower, the greater the Necromancer''s influence. That, that, and that. You see those?" Eder pointed at the three tallest towers. "Deathnely''s three high-ranking Necromancers live in those towers. Let''s visit myboratory first." Eder led Kang Oh''s party through Deathnely. Asu, Nile, Sephiro, and Waryong looked around with sparkling eyes. Rattle. Skeletal dogs and cats ran around, and skeletal pigeons flew to and from the tower. Thud. A giant Bone Golem was carrying arge quantity of supplies, while a skeletal horse was pulling a carriage. Purple magicmps hung from sections of the tower, which protruded outwards like branches of a tree. This purple light, which illuminated the entire city and the undead, gave the city a strange atmosphere. Strange. Indeed, that was a good way to put it. Asu tightly grabbed Kang Oh''s hand. Kang Oh felt a soft, warm feeling in his hand, and stared at Asu. They both stared at each other and smiled. "Ahem!" Sephiro coughed ufortably. ''Damn, I''m so lonely!'' Then, Waryong rubbed its head against his side. Nile had a girlfriend already, so he had no idea what all the fuss was about. "We''re here." After sightseeing for a while, they found themselves in front of Eder''s tower. It was considerably tall. "You must be pretty high up here." "Just consider me one rank below the high-ranking Necromancers I was talking about before," Eder said proudly. He was already a Master Healer, and he was so close to bing a Master Necromancer too. "I know how talented you are." Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. ''We''re in this for life!'' Eder''s tower was managed by skeletons, and was absolutely spotless. What a nice idea. Skeletons neither ate nor slept, and always worked at peak performance, so they were the best housekeepers. Eder provided them with rooms, and then said, "I''ll look for a way to treat Lord Vn. Everyone else, please do with your time as you will." Then, he shut himself inside the library. "Oppa." Asu came to his room. Her eyes were sparkling, which made it clear what she was thinking. "You want to go sightseeing?" "Hehe." Asu smiled beautifully. Then, Sephiro and Nile passed by them. "I''ll see youter." "If you''ll excuse me." They left Eder''s tower first. Kang Oh and Asu left after them. Deathnely wasn''t really a tourist location. There was no way there''d be direction boards anywhere. There weren''t really any worthwhile attractions either. Kang Oh and Asu just walked through the city side-by-side. "Oppa, over there." Asu pointed at an alleyway. It was bustling with people and undead. The ce was clearly a marketce. "Let''s go." "Ok." It felt different from a normal market. There were all sorts of monster corpses, dried insects, a variety of bones (differing in shape and color), vials of red blood, animal hair, etc. This particr market sold plenty of unusual goods you wouldn''t find anywhere else. It was a market where Necromancers bought materials for their craft. "This is cute." Asu lifted a skull bracelet. There were two of them, one ck and one white. "I''ll buy them for you." "Hehe." Kang Oh and Asu wore the ''couple'' bracelets. "Let''s try that." Asu pointed at the snake skewers. "You want to try that?" Kang Oh furrowed his brow. "Doesn''t it look tasty?" "Not at all!" "Haha, that reminds me of that one time. Do you remember the flying ind?" That brought something to mind. "Aah, that bug soup!" That was the most shocking thing he''d ever eaten. "Isn''t a snake better than a bug?" "I guess that''s true." "Right?" Asu instantly bought a snake skewer and passed it to Kang Oh. "Say ah." Kang Oh kept his mouth shut and shook his head. Then... Chirp! Rudy popped out of Asu''s chest, fluttered its tiny wings, and flew somece else! "Rudy!" "Where''re you going!?" Kang Oh and Asu chased after Rudy. Roar! The purple mes burned more intensely. Then, Rudy opened its tiny beak and sucked in the mes. "Rudy!" Asu rebuked. She red at the Phoenix, as if saying, ''How many times did I tell you not to eat all the mes you can see!''. Kang Oh looked at the surrounding area. The mes came out of a magic pot. Thus, there had to be someone who created the mes. "My apologies." Kang Oh bowed his head at the old man. ''I''m sorry. Rudy always gets excited when it sees mes.'' "Haha." The old man let out raspyughter. Then, he said somethingpletely unexpected. "I can''t believe I''m seeing a Phoenix. It''s amazing!" "Excuse me?" Kang Oh widened his eyes. To think he''d figure out what Rudy was in a single nce! "This is fun. Really fun. You, you, and that kid of yours. Would you like to have a talk with me?" The old man pointed at Kang Oh, Asu, and Rudy, and smiled like a kind old man. However, it felt like there was some sort of terror hidden behind that smile of his. * * * Necromancy was almost limitless in its application. The basics involved manipting corpses and souls, but it also included more advanced techniques such as casting curses and using blood, bones, and flesh as mediums for spells. Plus, it also dipped its feet into poison and summoning. Thus, most Necromancers specialized in one specific application of the art. For example, Eder had chosen to specialize in bone magic. The old man''s name was Thalesman. He was called the Walking Librarian. The information of at least hundreds of thousands of books were contained within his head. That''s why he had gained his title. He was also one of the three greatest Necromancers in Deathnely! Thalesman was also called the Necromancer of Knowledge. Kang Oh''s party drank tea at the top of his nine-story tower. "So you were Eder''s acquaintances. Go figure." Thalesman nodded his head and wrote shining letters in the air. "I contacted Eder, and told him that I was meeting you. Now then, let''s talk." Thalesman stared at Rudy, who was sitting in Asu''s palm, with sparkling eyes. In response, Rudy turned its head, as if it were annoyed by Thalesman''s gaze. Asu gently stroked Rudy''s head. "As expected! It''s exactly as I read. A young Phoenix. It looks like a chick in order to fool its enemies. But when it returns to its original form, a red feather appears on its head. It looks like quite arge Phoenix." Thalesman''s knowledge was frightening. As soon as he saw Rudy, he started spouting all sorts of facts regarding Rudy. Chirp! Rudy chirped, as if saying ''Stop looking at me!''. "It sounds like a chick too. As I thought!" Of course, it didn''t work on Thalesman at all. He got worked up whenever he got a chance to sate his curiosity. "May I touch it?" "No. Rudy doesn''t want you to," Asu said firmly. "Haha, then I just need to make it like me." Thalesman brought over a magic pot from his shelf. He muttered something, and then a purple me ignited from the pot. Then, Rudy''s eyes changed. The mes it had tasted were delicious. They were as sweet as cotton candy. Chirp! Rudy instantly devoured the mes and then burped. "We use this to refine metal. Phoenixes think it tastes like cotton candy. It''s extremely sweet." Thalesman stretched out his hand and petted Rudy. Rudy pecked at him with its beak. It wasn''t threatening at all; it just looked absolutely adorable. Kang Oh and Asu smiled like idiots. "Ooh, its feathers are just like a chick''s. Truly amazing. I didn''t think such perfect imitation was possible!" Thalesman attempted to sate his curiosity for quite some time. Eventually, Eder showed up. He''de after being contacted by Thalesman. "Lord Thalesman." "Eder, it''s been a while, hasn''t it?" "That''s right." "You have some interesting friends." Thalesman pointed at Kang Oh, Asu, and Rudy. "Yes, well." Eder half-heartedly nodded his head, but his eyes gleamed. This was a good chance. "I have something I''d like to ask you." "Which is?" "I know someone who''s been poisoned by the Evil God''s energy. Is there a way topletely remove this energy?" Eder asked. There was no limit to Thalesman''s knowledge. He had an in-depth knowledge of Necromancy, healing, and other fields of study. "Hmm, the Evil God''s energy, huh..." Thalesman started stroking his long beard. "There''s a way." "What is it?" "The God of Life, Luhan, has power that directly opposes the Evil God''s. Use Luhan''s light to heal them." "We already tried that, but it wouldn''t work." Eder had truly tried everything. He had asked the Divine Dragon, Gainus, for help, and had used Luhan''s light to heal Vn. "It didn''t work? That doesn''t make any sense. There''s no way Luhan''s light wouldn''t work unless it was Ja himself. Wait..." "You''re right. He''s been poisoned by the Evil God himself." Sraka''s technique, Sword of Demise, was directly fueled by the Evil God''s power. "Hoh. He''s been poisoned by the Evil God himself, yet he''s still alive?" "Yes." "How surprising! Who is it? Can I meet them?" Thalesman''s eyes gleamed. ''I''m curious. Really curious!'' "That would be difficult, since he''s not here." "Ahem, is that so?" "Is there any way to get rid of energy thates from the Evil God himself?" Eder asked. "There isn''t," Thalesman said clearly. Then, he added, "The Evil God''s power will never disappear until its target has beenpletely destroyed." "But there has to be a way." Eder would never give up on his patient. "It''d be a different story if you had the Resurrection Stone, but obtaining it is impossible, so realistically, there is no other way." "The Resurrection Stone? What is that?" Kang Oh asked. "The Resurrection Stone can revive the dead. It recreates the body that the soul inhabits. It''s impossible to get rid of the Evil God''s energy, so the Resurrection Stone would allow you to create a new container for the soul. Theoretically, it wouldpletely heal your friend." "Where do you find it?" "A ce where the living cannot walk. However, the dead cannot attain it either. That''s why I said it''s impossible." "Is it in the underworld?" Eder asked. "Yes. The underworld. It''s a ce where every Necromancer wants to reach, but also a ce that you cannot go to until you die." The underworld! It felt like Kang Oh had been struck by a bolt of lightning. He suddenly stood up. "The Resurrection Stone... I''ll go and get it." The Goddess of Death, Deborah. He had killed all of the Mayanes for her. When he was finished with her task, she rewarded him with a single ticket that''d allow him to visit the underworld. Now was the time. Time to get on the train that''d take him to the world of the dead. Chapter 572. To the Underworld!

Chapter 572. To the Underworld!

Trantor: Boko As a reward forpleting the Goddess of Death''s task, Kang Oh and Eder were given a single opportunity to venture into the underworld. Sephiro was also given this rare opportunity, though he wasn''t here at the moment. "Eder, you''re the hope of all Necromancers! Promise me that you''lle back and record everything that you''ve learned! Do you understand?" Thalesman tightly grabbed Eder''s hand. "Understood." Eder nodded his head. "Is there anything you know about the underworld?" Kang Oh asked. A high-ranking Necromancer was capable of calling the souls of the dead. He must have learnt something from those souls. "The living know basically nothing about the underworld. A huge river flows through it, which washes away the deceased''s memories." "Hmm." If this was all the Necromancer of Knowledge knew, then there must be almost no information on the underworld. However...! The Goddess of Death''s priests should know more about the underworld. Kang Oh thought of Cyndia. If he wanted ess to the underworld, then he would have to talk to her first. He might as well ask her about the underworld while he''s at it. Kang Oh, Eder, and Asu left Thalesman''s tower, and then met up with Sephiro and Nile. "Ooh, the underworld. Please take me with you!" Nile grabbed Kang Oh''s sleeve looking mighty jealous. ''Bro, please take me with you!'' "I want to go too!" Asu said, her eyes bright and clear. "Let''s go to the Temple of Death together. I''ll ask them if you cane with us." "Really?" "I knew you wouldn''t let me down, Brother!" Asu and Nile jumped into the air. Kang Oh''s party headed for the Goddess''s Land. * * * They reappeared in Latnia, a city devoted to the Goddess of Death. The buildings were all painted with a ck ring, which was Deborah''s symbol. Now it wasn''t such a rare sight to see yers here. An adventurer had discovered the way to Despia. That adventurer had set up a transfer magic circle in Latnia, and had begun a transportation business. After that, high level yers trickled in, attracted by the promise of a better hunting ground and dungeons. Kang Oh had to hide his identity. It wasn''t as bad as arge city like Altein, but it''d be a pain in the ass if he went around with his face uncovered. Sephiro and Nile had to do the same. They were both Numbers. While they weren''t nearly as popr as Kang Oh, they were still renowned enough that someone would recognize them. Waryong was just as popr as them, so it was resting in its own personal nest, an egg, within Sephiro''s inventory. Asu was different; unlike in real life, she wasn''t really well known in the game. Kang Oh''s party followed the road to the top of Mt. Latnia. The Great Temple of Death was located on the summit. It wasn''t a ce that anyone could enter. The church''s pdins studiously guarded the entrance. Normally, an individual would be required to offer up tribute on top of the altar, and would be allowed entrance if the goddess was satisfied. However, Kang Oh''s party was an exception. "Hello." Kang Oh slightly showed his face. "Hello, Mr. Kang Oh." The pdin, who''d fought alongside Kang Oh against the Mayanes, smiled happily. "I came to see Ms. Cyndia." "I''ll take you to her." The Temple of Death hadn''t changed. The old pirs and statues were well-kept, and the atmosphere inside was both solemn and heavy. This was Asu and Nile''s first time here, so they spent all their time looking around. However, there wasn''t actually that much to see, so they soon lost interest. "Ms. Cyndia is inside." The pdin left them right after. They opened the marble door, and saw Cyndia sitting in front of a long table. She was wearing the High Priest''s garments. "Wee." Cyndia slightly smiled. "It''s been a while. Congrattions on bing the High Priest." The High Priest. It was the highest attainable position in a church. "Thank you. Please, sit down." His party sat down side-by-side. Then, he said, "I came to speak with the goddess. I want to go to the underworld. That includes everyone here. Please ask her if it''s alright if Asu and Nile join us." "I''ll let the goddess know." "Thank you. By the way, is there anything you know about the underworld?" "The underworld is a ce where souls are cleansed." "Souls are cleansed?" "Souls are filled with memories. If those memories aren''t washed away, then they cannot be born again." "Is there anything else you can tell me?" ''Please tell me more.'' "I don''t know much else either." Cyndia shook her head. "Tch." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Cyndia closed her eyes and sped her hands. Then, the top of her head radiated light. A purple veil, along with the goddess''s silhouette, appeared behind her. "Kang Oh, Eder, Sephiro." The goddess''s voice was as grim as ever. It made anyone who listened to her pay attention. "Supreme One," Kang Oh bowed his head and said politely. The rest of his party followed suit. "I heard you wanted to go to the underworld." "Yes. Is it alright if these two apany us?" Kang Oh said carefully, pointing at Asu and Nile. He was well aware that the underworld wasn''t a ce that just anyone could go to. "I''ll allow it." "Thank you." Kang Oh was rattled by how easily she epted his request, so he quickly thanked her before she changed her mind. "In exchange... I need you to do something for me." As expected! There was nothing free in this world. "What do you require of me?" ''It won''t be as hard as killing the Mayanes, will it? Well, I suppose I''ll do it if she offers me a good enough reward.'' "In three days, the door to the underworld will open at nighttime. There''ll be a guide there. Follow their instructions." "Understood. Supreme One." "Speak." "I wish to procure the Resurrection Stone from the underworld." The Resurrection Stone. It was a precious treasure that could create a new body suitable for one''s soul! Even if he managed to find it, he would need Deborah''s permission to take it outside of the underworld. "The Resurrection Stone is not for you to take." "I know someone who was poisoned by the Evil God''s power. His name is Vn... I need the Resurrection Stone in order to save him. Is there any way you can grant me your permission?" Kang Oh said earnestly. "The Guardian of the Continent, Vn." "Yes. Do you know him?" "Vn did much to maintain the bnce of the continent..." The goddess was briefly silent, and then said, "Fine. I will allow you to use the Resurrection Stone on Vn. However, I will not permit you to use it on anyone else. Do it, and divine punishment awaits you," Deborah said strictly. "Of course." "The guide will show you the way to the Resurrection Stone." "Thank you." "This is Vn''s reward for protecting the continent. Prepare yourselves thoroughly. The underworld is incredibly dangerous. Make sure you bring Demon Sword Ubist with you. You''ll need it." The purple veil disappeared. Deborah had left the mortal ne. "Nice." Nile clenched his fist. ''Yeah, I get to go to the underworld!'' "Thanks, Oppa." Asu hugged him. Kang Oh grinned. * * * Three days went by in a sh. Kang Oh, Asu, Sephiro, Eder, and Nile prepared themselves the best they could, and then returned to Latnia City. The Goddess''s Land was an enclosed space; it didn''t have a sky, but a ceiling. The ceiling was lined with giant spheres which illuminated thend. Then, they would shut off, allowing darkness to cover thend. "Let''s go." It was the time to enter the underworld. Kang Oh''s party immediately headed east. The door to the underworld was located in a dungeon to the east. p. Waryong forcefully pped its wings and flew in the air, carrying Sephiro, Eder, and Nile. There was a white-winged pegasus behind them. It was the pegasus that Dukeram had originally used. However, Kang Oh had killed Dukeram over and over again, and had eventually gotten his hands on the summoning whistle. Snort. The pegasus snorted, carrying both Kang Oh and Asu. The wyvern and pegasus cut through the dark, vast grasnds. Sometimeter... [You have entered the Entrance to the Underworld.] Kang Oh''s party entered what was originally the??? Dungeon, which was filled to the brim with Basilisks. Yellow eyes glowed within the darkness! They released incredible pressure, but they were nothing more than delicious, nutritious prey for Kang Oh''s party. Moreover, Kang Oh knew where the door to the underworld was. His party ughtered every Basilisk in their way, and instantly reached their destination. Kang Oh, who led his party from the front, raised his head and stopped his party. Then, he shushed them with his index finger. Shh. Snore. Snore. Snore. They could hear snoring from within the chamber. It wasing from the three-headed dog, the Cerberus. A door the size of a 10-story building stood behind the prone, sleeping dog. Kang Oh carefully approached Cerberus. His party assumed battle positions and watched how the situation unfolded. Sniff, sniff. The Cerberus sniffed at the air and then opened its eyes. Grr! It bared its teeth and growled at him. Sharp ws came out of its front paw. Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed, and gestured for it to stay down. ''Who''s a good boy!'' At the same time, he quickly looked around. Deborah stated that there''d be a guide waiting for him. However, he didn''t see anything besides the Cerberus. ''The Cerberus shouldn''t be the guide.'' Kuhang! The Cerberus lunged at Kang Oh with its giant body. He wasn''t sure what to do. After all, he couldn''t hurt Deborah''s favorite pet, now could he? Kang Oh quickly pulled out Blood and Sarahoff, and then used Devil Trigger. Bam! The Cerberus stomped on the ground where Kang Oh stood with its giant paw. However, Kang Oh managed to dodge it by flying into the air. "Stay away!" Kang Oh yelled to hisrades. If they got involved, then the situation might be worse. The Cerberus lunged with its three heads one after another, and tried to bite Kang Oh. However, none of them managed to hit him. He was pretty good at dodging. ''Where the hell''s the guide!?'' Kang Oh desperately looked for the guide. Then... The giant door opened slightly, and a kind-looking old man came out. "Oh dear, it looks like I came a littlete." The old man looked a bit embarrassed, and then released enormous pressure. Kang Oh opened his eyes wide. His skin tingled. Only someone of Vn''s level could release this kind of pressure. Kueong? The Cerberus was confused and looked back. It smelled the old man and then started to wag its tail! Once the old man approached it, the Cerberus pushed its head forward. "It''s ok, it''s ok. They''ve been given permission to enter." The old man rubbed the dog''s giant chin. Purr. The Cerberus purred and stepped back. "Come over here." The old man waved. Kang Oh and his party approached the old man. ''He looks familiar.'' Kang Oh had seen the man''s face before. ''Where have I seen it?'' Shake! Then, Blood violently shook. At the same time, he heard Tasha yell in his mind. "Grande!" A light bulb went off in his head. ''That''s right!'' "Loxia!" The knight who sealed away the Great Forest''s Demon, creating Demon Sword Blood! Grande Loxia! He was the first head of the Loxia family, and was a great man that served as a model for all knights! When Kang Oh had first obtained Demon Sword Blood, he had spoken with Grande''s vestigial thoughts. That''s why he looked so familiar. He could understand Tasha''s reaction too. After all, Grande was the first person to treat her with kindness and protect her till the very end. "Tasha?" Grande Loxia looked at Demon Sword Blood in astonishment. Kang Oh''spanions looked dumbfounded. ''What''s going on?'' Grande Loxia got a hold of himself, smiled, and then said, "Follow me. We can talk when we get inside." "Yes," Kang Oh replied. Loxia went through the slightly open door. Kang Oh and his party followed behind him. Thud. Once Nile passed through, the door closed shut. Yawn. The Cerberus''s three heads yawned, and then it went back to sleep. Snore. Snore. Snore. Chapter 573. The Underworld (1) Chapter 573. The Underworld (1) What would the underworld look like? Kang Oh thought of a vast in with a giant river flowing through it. After all, Thalesman had told him that there was a river here! However, the underworld waspletely different from his expectations. "Huh?" "What is this?" Kang Oh and his entire party looked shocked. ''Space?'' There was a vast, ck expanse in front of them, much like what you''d expect to see in space films. Kang Oh''s party floated in this ce, whichcked any sort of gravity. Kang Oh looked back and saw the door they''d just entered through. It looked like a ck sinkhole from here. However, they weren''t actually in space. First, Kang Oh was able to breathe no problem. At the same time, the ce didck gravity; whenever he waved his hands, his body would automatically move forward. "Wee to the underworld," Loxia said, smiling kindly. "It''s a lot different from what I expected," Kang Oh said. Asu, Sephiro, and Nile nodded their heads in agreement. Meanwhile, Eder waspletely engrossed in observing his surroundings. "Is that so?" "Yes. I heard that there was a river here, so I assumed it would be a vast in with a river flowing through it." "There is a river here." Loxia pointed above his head. Kang Oh''s party looked upwards. Then, they saw the endless milky way. However, it was different from the normal milky way. All of the stars were flowing to one side. It was as if they were being swept along by a river. "That''s..." "The souls are traveling along the river, where their memories are washed away and they be as in as a piece of paper. Anyway, follow me." Loxia pushed his body forward. ''How did he do that?'' Kang Oh''s party waved their arms and legs around as if they were swimming, and followed after him. It was a strange experience. They were ''swimming'' through an area thatcked gravity. Moreover, they passed by brilliantly shining spheres of various colors. "What is that?" Asu asked, unable to withhold her curiosity. "Those are a portion of the memories that have been washed away. The yellow spheres are happy memories, the blue spheres are sad memories, and red spheres are intense emotions." "Wow." To think that there existed such a mysterious and marvelous ce! They couldn''t help but feel amazed. All of a sudden, however, a ck ''something'' came from underneath and swallowed a red sphere! It looked like a huge leech. "Don''t be surprised. They''re cleaners. They get rid of the leftover memories." Loxia smiled and calmed Kang Oh''s party down. After that, Kang Oh continually watched as these ''leeches'' rid the underworld of the memory fragments. How much time had passed? A hemisphere-shaped appeared. There were a few buildings and structures on the t surface of the. Their styles and sizes were all different. "This is the only ce in the underworld where you can stay. We call it Noah." Loxia led Kang Oh''s party to his residence on Noah. It was a small castle. Rumble. Blood shook violently. It was as if she were asking him to let her out. Kang Oh used Demon''s Descent. Then, Tasha appeared in her fluttering red dress. "Lahinder Castle!" Tasha saw the castle and looked moved. It was the castle that she lived in back when Loxia was still alive. It was exactly the same as she remembered it. "It''s been a while, Tasha." Loxia looked at her with nostalgia. "I missed you." Tashatched onto him. She acted like a child, which was very unlike her. Loxia warmly embraced her. It was as if Kang Oh were seeing a grandfather and his granddaughter. "You''ve been well?" Loxia looked at her warmly and smiled. "I''ve been ok." Tasha beamed. To think she''d smile so unreservedly like that. Kang Oh waspletely shocked. "We can talk moreter. First, let''s go inside. Everyone, follow me." The inside of the castle was archaic, though it did give off a warm atmosphere. "Aah, it''s exactly as I remember it." Tasha touched the wall and the ground, and looked deeply moved. "Of course it is. I made it out of my memories," Loxia said. "Your memories?" Kang Oh asked. "As long as you satisfy a few conditions, you can retain your memories in Noah." "Hoh." The underworld was truly a fascinating ce. "Sit down." Loxia pointed at the circr table and then served Kang Oh''s party some tea. Tasha wouldn''t leave Loxia''s side. "First, let me introduce myself. My name is Grande Loxia. I died a long time ago." "Does that mean you''re a soul?" Eder asked. He didn''t feel like a soul at all. Loxia extended his hand. "Feel for yourself." Eder grabbed his hand. It felt warm and stic like real skin. "I did die, but I still have a body." "The Resurrection Stone!" Eder yelled. "Indeed. I received a new body with the Resurrection Stone." "We came here to procure the Resurrection Stone. Where do we get it?" Kang Oh asked. "I received one in exchange for bing a Soul Guardian and doing various matters for the goddess. However, the Resurrection Stone appears somewhere around here once every month. One of my duties as a Soul Guardian is retrieving that stone and presenting it to the goddess." "When will the next one show up?" Kang Oh asked. "In a week. And the goddess told me to give it to you when your job isplete." Kang Oh sped his hands together and prayed. ''Thank you, Lady Deborah!'' "What do we have to do?" Nile asked. Loxia began to exin what this ''job'' entailed. "When a person dies, they pass through the river of souls and their memories are washed away. It''s in preparation for their rebirth. However, strong souls are capable of resisting this process." "Then what happens?" Sephiro asked. "Some of them escape the river of souls and pass through the area we were just in, while others arrive here. But no matter how strong the soul is, its memories slowly begin to fade. Those spheres you saw are fragments of their memories. It''s different if you gain a new body like I did. In the end, a soul will inevitably lose all of its memories and return to the river of souls." Kang Oh''s party nodded their heads. ''Yes, I see!'' "But there''s a way to retain one''s memories even without a body." Kang Oh realized that his ''job'' would be rted to what Loxia said next. "Eating other souls. We call it a Soul Eater. Its main goal is to procure the Resurrection Stone and gain a new body." "Mm." Kang Oh could guess what Loxia''s next words would be. "So we just need to kill this Soul Eater?" "Indeed. And from what I hear, you have a sword that can cut through souls." "Yes, it''s this sword." Kang Oh pulled out Ubist. "It''s a demon sword, I see." "Yes. A ck beast that originally came from the Demon World is sealed within." "Good. The Soul Eater is made up of souls, so it should prove useful." Deborah had stressed that he brought along Demon Sword Ubist, and now he knew why. "Now I''ll teach you how we fight here. Let''s go outside." "Yes!" * * * "Fighting here is different from fighting on the continent. You''re fighting without gravity. Thus, you have to learn how to move your body first," Loxia said, as he ''walked'' out of the castle. "This is what''s called a Cube." Loxia sped his hands, and a transparent, film-like hexahedron appeared in the space in between. "Basic movement involves using this Cube." Loxia soared into the air. Then, he rapidly moved his body through the air. Kang Oh took a closer look at what he was doing, and noticed that a Cube appeared beneath his feet before he moved. Loxia would use it as a stepping stone to move forward. It had various applications. For example, you could grab the Cube and use it to scale a wall. Plus, it could be used to jump from branch to branch like a monkey. A short whileter... Loxia, who''d demonstrated all sorts of shy moves, descended to the ground. p, p, p. They couldn''t help but apud him. "You have to make good use of the Cube in order to fight properly in this ce. Let me pass down the method of summoning this Cube." Then, a system message appeared. [Loxia has passed down Summon Cube.] [This skill can only be used in the underworld. The skill will disappear upon exiting the underworld.] Kang Oh had inherited Mad Wind''s Sword from Sven before. Loxia had used the same technique to pass on Summon Cube. ''How exactly are they doing it?'' "Now, try using the Cube to move around," Loxia said. "Alright!" Nile leapt into the air. He was a bright kid, so he adapted to the Cube rather quickly and started performing shy movements in the air. Sephiro called forth Waryong. Without him, he was like red bean bread without the red bean. He got on Waryong''s back, and it forcefully pped its wings. At some point, Waryong started to get ustomed to moving without gravity. Sephiro tested how far an arrow would go. It was quite strange to see an arrow move in a straight line like a bullet. Kang Oh got ustomed to it rather quickly too. It was because he''d trained in Flying Swordsmanship. He, like Nile, was also rather bright. He also called Tasha, Sara, and Ubist, and got them familiar with the environment too. Tasha unleashed blood energy, Sara used ice as stepping stones, and Ubist used Abyss Transfer to teleport through the gravity-less area. Asu had a bit of trouble using the Cube, but she eventually got somewhat familiar with how it worked. Moreover, she had Rudy with her. If need be, Rudy could transform and fly her around. "Good. Now, attack me." Loxia floated in the air using a Cube as a stepping stone, and drew his sword. However, he was holding Demon Sword Blood. "That''s..." "It''s like the castle. I recreated it using my memories." "Aha." "Then I''ll go first." The Master Fighter, Nile, forcefully pushed off of a stepping stone and charged at Loxia like a rocket. He went full throttle from the very beginning. Loxia gave off the same feeling as Kang Oh. He felt like someone truly strong! Mad Dragon Cannon! Enormous energy rose from Nile''s right fist, which transformed into a long dragon. Its power wasparable to Kang Oh''s Abyss Predator. After all, it was a Beast Fighter secret move that he developed himself. However, its power wouldn''t matter if it didn''t hit. Loxia quickly soared into the air and dodged it. "Quick, precise attacks are preferable torge, shy attacks here." Loxia softly swung his sword. Space-Time sh! It was a Swordsman secret move, the same one Dukeram had used! Nile quickly created a Cube, grabbed it, and twisted his body. Swish! Loxia''s sh passed through where he''d once been. After that, Sephiro shot an arrow at him and Waryong spat its mes. Loxia''s refined movements and his application of the Cube allowed him to dodge theirbo attack with ease. Asu and Kang Oh attacked him next. He held Ubist and Sarahoff in his hands. Kang Oh did exactly as Loxia had instructed. He barraged him with small, precise attacks. Meanwhile, Asu stood beside Kang Oh, and thrust her sword whenever she saw an opening. Theirbined assault was impressive. Plus, Sephiro and Nile backed them up. However, Loxia just smiled and parried every single one of their attacks. Some of them he deflected, and some of them he just dodged. "Good, that''s it. Those are some good attacks." Loxia evenplimented them. He wasn''t even breaking a sweat. Kang Oh''s eyes gleamed. ''As expected!'' He became sure of it after fighting him. "A Grandmaster..." Loxia responded with a kind smile. That was enough confirmation. "I''ll be in your care." "Me too!" Kang Oh and Nile''s eyes gleamed. Their eyes were earnest and identical; it was as if they were actual brothers. Asu backed off and Sephiro lowered his bow. They were giving the two a chance to challenge the Grandmaster on their own. Predator Kang Oh! Supernova Nile! That''s how the battle between Arth''s strongest yers and a legendary knight began. Chapter 574. The Underworld (2)

Chapter 574. The Underworld (2)

Trantor: Boko ''Oh man, I gotta get this on tape!'' Sephiro turned on film mode, and recorded Kang Oh and Nile''s fight against Grande Loxia. Gravity was much weaker here than it was on Earth or Arth. The higher one was in the air, the weaker its effects would be; at some point, the effects werepletely negligible. The three were fighting within this gravity-less space. Kang Oh and Nile looked ustomed to using the Cube to maneuver through the air. It goes without saying that Loxia, who''d spent many years here, was adept at using it too. "Haahp!" "Chaaht!" Kang Oh and Nile continuously attacked Loxia. Neither of them held anything back. Plus, the two of them had excellent teamwork. They wouldmunicate with each other and then follow through. Even Dukeram, who was once the world''s strongest yer, wouldn''t be able to do anything against their attacks. However, Grande Loxia was iparable to Dukeram. "Good, very good." Loxia''s kind expression didn''t waver, even in the midst of their vicious assault. Strangely, Loxia''s movements and his sword weren''t all that fast. Despite that, none of Kang Oh or Nile''s attacks hit the mark. ''Mm.'' Kang Oh had fought against two Grandmasters before. The Invincible Swordsman, Vn. The Devil''s Sword, Sraka. Vn''s style was basically one shot, one kill. He was a de that cut through everything! Sraka was like a catastrophe; he used the Evil God''s power to destroy everything. Both of them had extremely high attack power. On the other hand, Loxia was like an imprable shield. Kang Oh had never met someone with such an irond defense before. It made him wonder if his Blood was a ma. Although it wasn''t their intention, Kang Oh and Nile''s swords and gauntlets would naturallye for Loxia''s body. It was a bizarre, yet shocking experience. It was as if he had unknowingly walked into a spider''s web; Kang Oh felt like he was trapped. Nile was likely thinking the same thing, as his face stiffened. Then, Loxia said, "How about we stop it here?" "No." "I''m not done yet." Kang Oh and Nile yelled simultaneously. "Thene at me with your strongest attacks. There''s no point in fighting anymore." "Understood." "I''m going!" Two horns sprouted from Nile''s head. Beast Fighter: dion! dion was Graden in''s raid boss. It was a monster that possessed two horns, each with the power of fire and lightning respectively. Roar! Crackle! Huge mes ignited over his left fist, while blue lightning danced across his right one. "Huaahp!" Nile thrust his fists simultaneously. A shower of fire and lightning made its way to Grande Loxia. At that moment... Kang Oh created two cubes and nted his feet. Then, he swung Demon Sword Ubist downwards. Divide the Sea! His sword etched a line in the air, which cleaved through space itself! If it hit, then Loxia''s body would be vertically bisected. These were Nile and Kang Oh''s most powerful attacks! Loxia was astounded. ''They really are good!'' He felt as though Kang Oh and Nile would someday be Grandmasters. As a sign of respect, Loxia responded with his full power. He also used his most powerful attack. Whir. A ck panther appeared on one end of his snow-white de, and a white panther appeared on the other end. ck and White Fang! His de unleashed an aura, which transformed into a ck and a white panther. The two energies intertwined, and resembled a yin-yang symbol. If Bart had seen this, then he''d be shocked. To think that light and darkness could harmonize like this! They say that nuclear fusion is more powerful than nuclear fission. It exined the fundamental difference between Bart and Loxia''s strongest attacks. Rather than force the two opposing elements to sh, Loxia harmonized the two elements, resulting in a much more durable and powerful energy. Nile''s fire and lightning was the first to disappear. Then, the ck and White Fang collided with Kang Oh''s Divide the Sea. Divide the Sea sliced through Loxia''s attack. However, the two pieces wrapped around Kang Oh''s attack! It was as if a soft thread was being wrapped around a sharp de. Kang Oh was shocked. To think that Divide the Sea could be blocked! But he soon realized why. ck and White Fang hadn''t blocked Divide the Sea. Let''s say that that was Vn''s Divide the Sea. The situation would bepletely different. Loxia''s ck and White Fang would''ve beenpletely destroyed. In other words...! His Divide the Sea was nowhere near Vn''s. ''Damn it!'' Kang Oh looked furious. A short whileter... ck and White Fang came flying towards them. Kang Oh''s body felt frigid, as if he were already a corpse. ''How do I avoid this? Do I have to block it instead? Is that even possible?'' As ast act of desperation, Kang Oh got ready to use Ring of Frost, Dragon''s Fury, and Abyss Predator. However, Loxia''s attack dispersed at thest minute. "Good job," Loxia smiled and said. The battle was over. * * * p. Loxia cleared up the air and said, "Now then, let''s go and take care of the Soul Eater." Kang Oh''s party followed Loxia. Now they didn''t need to ''swim'' through the underworld. Instead, they could use the cubes to maneuver around. They reached the giant milky way, and could see the river of souls. However, there was a long structure that resembled a lighthouse right next to it. "We call that ce the Lamp. The guardians take turns and watch over the river of souls from there." "Are there more guardians?" Sephiro asked. "I think Khan should be there today," Loxia said. "Are you referring to the Great King?" Nile asked. The Great King, Khan. He was a legendary martial artist that every fighter respected. In the times of the Altein Empire, there was an event every four years called the Rakan Carnival. The fighting tournament was the star event. It was here that distinguished diators, knights, and swordsmenpeted against each other. Khan was the first and only man who''d ever won in this tournament bare-fisted. After that, he was called the ''God of Fighting''. "That''s right. Khan''s fighting style is called Great King." "Oh my god!" Nile yelled. ''It''s Khan!? The God of Fighting!?'' Kang Oh had heard of Khan too. He was a legendary fighter! "Is Khan a Grandmaster too?" Kang Oh asked. Loxia nodded his head. "Are there any other Grandmasters beside you and Mr. Khan?" "You have to be a Grandmaster in order to be a guardian." "How many guardians are there?" "Five including me." There were 5 Grandmasters here!? Kang Oh almost yelled ''oh my god'' like Nile, but barely stopped himself. "And there are other Grandmasters that aren''t guardians in Noah too." "Didn''t you say that your memories slowly fade without a physical body?" "The stronger the soul, the longer it takes for the memories to fade. Most Grandmasters choose not to enter the river of souls and remain in Noah." "Mm." ''It''s like Grandmaster heaven here.'' "ording to the goddess, you guys will return to the continent if you die. If that happens, you won''t be able toe back here. So be careful. There are some ill-tempered people here." "Yes." "I''ll keep that in mind." Kang Oh''s party replied, sporting solemn expressions. To think that this ce was teeming with Grandmasters. The underworld was clearly the most dangerous ce in Arth! It made sense why the Soul Eaters, for all their power, were unable to procure the Resurrection Stone and gain a new body. Defeating the guardians, which was made up of five of the most powerful Grandmasters, and taking the Resurrection Stone was basically impossible. Anyhow, Loxia and Kang Oh''s party reached the Lamp. Like Noah, the ce was affected by gravity. "What brings you here?" the man asked. He looked extremely young, and had a well-trained body. He was the God of Fighting, Khan. Khan looked like he was in his early thirties. "They''re the ones that the goddess told us about." Loxia pointed towards Kang Oh''s party. "Ah, so today''s the day. Who is it?" Khan asked, his eyes narrowing sharply. "It''s this one." Loxia pointed at Kang Oh. "Do you have a sword that can cut souls?" Khan asked. "Yes." "Good. If things go well, then we should be able to take out that monster once and for all." "Monster?" "A while back, an annoying soul appeared and became a Soul Eater," Loxia said. "Have you heard of the Mamonas before?" Khan asked. "Are you referring to the Ruler of the Golden Desert?" Kang Oh had all sorts of information in his head. The Mamonas was basically on the level of a dragon. The Empire Guild had defeated it, but they wouldn''t have had a chance if not for Serena''s Water. "Yeah. It came here some time ago, and made a huge mess." The guardians had worked together to defeat it, but they hadn''t been able to kill it for good. "Sometimes, a soul gains a new ability when they be a Soul Eater. The Mamonas gained quite an annoying ability." "What is it?" Sephiro asked. "Proliferation." "Excuse me? Are you saying the Mamonas has split itself into several copies of itself?" Kang Oh asked, astonished. "Yeah. We''ve been reducing their numbers, but they''re endless," Loxia said. "Mm." "That''s why we''re putting our hopes in you. We believe that your sword should be able to put an end to that monster once and for all," Khan said. "Cutting it may be less effective than just eating it whole," Kang Oh said. "What do you mean?" "A demonic beast, which can consume anything in existence, resides within this soul cutting sword. We can just make it eat the Soul Eater. You see, the demonic beast is capable of breaking this world''s rules." "Hoh, is that so? I can see why the goddess sent you here." Loxia responded favorably, while Khan nodded his head. "We should be able to get rid of that annoyance this time around." "It''ll probably show up when the Resurrection Stone appears. We''ll kill it then," Loxia said. "Shouldn''t we train them up a bit before then?" Khan pointed at Kang Oh''s party. "I already taught them the basics. The guardians will take turns training them." "That one looks like a Fighter to me. I''ll take him under my wing." Khan pointed at Nile. "It''s an honor!" Nile immediately replied. "Rx, it''s nothing so special." Khan grinned. "Are there any souls that became Soul Eaters today?" Loxia asked. "Not yet." "I wanted them to fight a Soul Eater today, so... Let''s wait a little bit." Kang Oh and Asu looked out the window side-by-side. The river of souls, which resembled the milky way, could be seen up close. It was as if they could reach out and touch it. Countless glittering stars were drawn to one side, and there was also a long procession of souls with faint human shapes among them. Various colored memories were drawn out of these bodies, manifesting as spheres of light. These spheres were sucked into the nearby stars. It was a mysterious, yet marvelous spectacle. Kang Oh was once again surprised by Arth, no, the world itself. He was experiencing something he''d never be able to experience in real life. "I don''t know how to describe it. I don''t think ''beautiful'' will cut it!" Asu said faintly, leaning her head against Kang Oh''s shoulder. "You don''t need to say anything. Just remember what it looks like in your heart," Kang Oh smiled and said." "I guess that works." Asu smiled back. Then... The procession of souls suddenly stopped. What''s going on? "Looks like a Soul Eater has appeared," Loxia said. "Follow me," Khan said, and led them to the source. Everyone headed for the river of souls. A short whileter, they could see what had caused themotion. It was a giant silhouette! There stood a Soul Eater, which grabbed onto souls with its two long arms, and ate them with its gaping, snake-like mouth. Chapter 575. Heroes!

Chapter 575. Heroes!

Trantor: Boko The Soul Eater reached out, grabbed, and ate nearby souls. "It''s a baby," Khan said. ''A baby? In what world is that a baby?'' "That''s what a Soul Eater looks like in its early stages. It doesn''t look like it has a special ability either," Loxia said. "The newbies should be able to handle one that size. They''ll have to get used to fighting them anyway." "Agreed." Ultimately, Khan and Loxia backed off and allowed Kang Oh''s party to hunt the Soul Eater. "Let me give you one piece of advice. A Soul Eater is a soul. Normal physical attacks won''t work on it," Loxia warned. "Don''t worry about us." Kang Oh grinned, holding both Ubist and Sarahoff in his hands, and kicked off a Cube. Devil Trigger! Kang Oh rocketed forward, his jet-ck body gaining a beast mask, a ck tail, frozen horns, greaves, and gauntlets. His party followed after him. Kang Ohunched the first attack. Tempest Tiger! A gold tiger roared and dashed towards the Soul Eater. Then, the Soul Eater''s appearance changed. A ck serrated de sprouted from its right arm, and its left arm transformed into a cannon. Whoosh! It swung its right arm and cleaved through the Tempest Tiger. Then, it aimed its cannon at Kang Oh. Boom! A destructive ck beam came flying at him. Now it was Nile''s turn. Ferocious Tiger Strike! His fist unleashed a tiger-shaped aura, which crashed into the ck beam. Swoosh, swoosh! Tentacles popped out of the Soul Eater''s body. Asu swung her ming sword, and Waryong spewed its mes. Sephiro shot an aura-imbued arrow. Eder was a Necromancer. Although he specialized in bone magic, he was quite proficient in spells that specifically targeted and damaged the soul. "...Chains that bind the soul!" Soul Bind! His skull staff released a gray chain, which wrapped around the Soul Eater''s left cannon arm. The Soul Eater fiercely swung its right arm and quickly cut through the chains. Then... Kang Oh, who''d kicked off of a Cube, rocketed forward and cleaved through the Soul Eater with Ubist. Kuhaah! He left a huge gash on the monster''s side, which released a mass of pale souls. "Hoh." "As expected!" Khan and Loxia were both astonished. It seemed like they were satisfied by Ubist''s ability to cut souls. The Soul Eater now recognized Kang Oh as the greatest threat. Thus, itunched all of its tentacles at him. Kang Oh quickly summoned a Cube, used it as a stepping stone, and soared into the air. Swoosh! Countless tentacles passed through where he''d just been. Whir! Ubist and Sarahoff unleashed darkness and cold energy. Yuki-Onna''s Breath! Abyss w! Sarahoff''s ice could even freeze the soul. First, Yuki-Onna''s Breath froze its tentacles, and then the ferocious beast ws raked at the Soul Eater''s body. Nile and Asu charged at the Soul Eater''s sides. Beast Fighter: Thunderbird! Sun Sword! Nile''s fist unleashed mighty bolts of lightning, and Asu''s sword released Phoenix mes, which could burn all creation to ash. Kuhaaahk! The Soul Eater writhed in pain, and spewed ck spheres from its mouth. They were bombs. Boom! Boom! Boom! Nile and Asu were caught in the giant explosions, and were pushed back. Whizz! Fire Dragon''s Arrow! A ming arrow entered the Soul Eater''s mouth. A short whileter... Dark red mes leaked out of the cracks on the Soul Eater''s chest. Then, Kang Oh thrust Demon Sword Ubist from behind. Bam! The resulting hole spat out countless souls. How many souls had it eaten!? The Soul Eater started to get desperate. It shot beams out of its cannon arm, and swept through its surroundings with its de arm. However, it didn''t hit anyone with its beam, and Eder dealt with its de. Homing Bone Fragments! Bone Bomb! Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom! White bone fragments flew towards its sword arm, which then exploded,pletely annihting its right arm. "Huahp!" Nile dove for the Soul Eater''s head. Mad Dragon Cannon! Nile thrust his fist, which unleashed draconic energy that consumed the Soul Eater whole. Boom! There was a massive explosion, and the freed souls floated in the air. The battle was over. It was duller than they''d expected. Kang Oh recalled what Khan had said. He had called it a ''baby''. "Good work," Loxia walked over and said. "This is the weakest kind of Soul Eater. It won''t be as easy if you encounter a higher ranked Soul Eater or the Mamonas. So don''t let your guard down," Khan said. "Yes, sir!" "Good. Let''s see if there are any other Soul Eaters around." However, they didn''t find any more Soul Eaters. Kang Oh''s party, along with Loxia and Khan, returned to the Lamp. * * * Nile had decided to stay with Khan at the Lamp. Apparently, he wanted to learn a thing or two from him. The rest of Kang Oh''s party returned to Noah, where they met the rest of the guardians. "Nice to meet you. My name is Howlka." Howlka was double the size of a normal orc, and had a brave face and protruding tusks from his mouth. Revolutionist Howlka! Howlka was considered the western region''s greatest hero and leader. He had defeated Zhankara, the tyrant that was known as the ''Troll Emperor''. He was the orcs'' first Grandmaster. The story of him killing thousands of Zhankara''s guards and taking his head was a story that was passed down even to this day. "I''m Kunta." The handsome, middle-aged man smiled. Kang Oh absentmindedly fiddled with his ck and gold ring. "Oho, that''s the ring I wore when I was young." Kunta! It was said that he was the most talented individual in history, and was both a Mage and a Swordsman! Why, you ask? He had mastered both swordsmanship and magic, while so many others had difficulty just mastering one. However, there was one thing people didn''t know about him. He hadn''t just mastered two sses; he had mastered three. Swordsmanship, magic, and archery. In other words, he was history''s greatest Triple Master. The Greatest Knight, Grande Loxia! The God of Fighting, Khan! The Revolutionist, Howlka! Golden Talent, Kunta! They were all distinguished individuals, which made it hard to rank them. However, their leader was far greater than them. "It''s a pleasure. My name is Javen." Like Grande, Javen''s hair and eyebrows were both white. However, Kang Oh was shocked to hear the name he''d just uttered. Javen was the hero who''d saved the world! He was history''s greatest hero! In the past, when the Evil God and his disciples plunged the world into darkness and chaos, he and a few of hisrades struck down the Evil God Worshippers, the disciples, and the High Priest, and saved the world. The Evil God Worshippers Kang Oh had encountered were nothing inparison to the ones Javen had fought against. "Are you really the hero who saved the world?" Kang Oh asked, astonished. "The hero who saved the world... Some people do call me that." "It''s an honor to meet you. However..." Kang Oh stared at Javen''s belt. There was one sword that came to mind. Max Perado! It was considered Max''s finest work, and the greatest de within the Max Series. Demon Sword Ubist had originally been Max Gemina, a sister sword to Max Perado. Kang Oh had also gained Max Cain by defeating Dukeram. However, it was unknown where the final sword, Max Natalie, was located. Perado, Cain, Gemina, and Natalie. They were the names of Max''s children. However, Max Perado was far superior to its sister swords, so much so that it was called a ''holy sword'' or a ''hero''s sword''. Kang Oh was curious about Javen''s sword. Was it really a copy of the holy sword? "Do you recognize these swords?" Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist and Max Cain. "Max Cain and... Its color and atmosphere have changed, but it''s definitely Gemina." "Indeed! Is the sword on your belt..." "It''s Perado. Though it''s simply a copy recreated through my memories." "May I take a look at it?" "Of course." Javen pulled Max Perado from its sheath. It looked slightly different than how he''d expected it to look. Max Perado was way too in. ''It''s like a steel sword that you can find anywhere.'' However, it was definitely Max Perado. After all, Demon Sword Ubist and Max Cain were resonating with it. Kang Oh checked its item info. [Steel Sword] It looks like an ordinary steel sword. + Unknown. + Unknown. + Unknown. + Unknown. Rank: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Unknown. Kang Oh furrowed his brow. ''It''s just a steel sword?'' Moreover, everything was cked out with an ''unknown''. "Aha, my apologies. This child''s pretty shy around strangers." Javen tightly squeezed its hilt. Then, something shocking happened. What was once an ordinary steel sword transformed into a silver sword that radiated intense light! ''Now!'' Kang Oh quickly checked its info. If he didn''t check now, then he wouldn''t get a chance to see its abilities! [Max Perado] A peerless de created by the legendary artisan, Max. It is one of the four swords among the Max Series. Max named it after his first child. It is considered the world''s greatest and most powerful sword. It is also called the hero''s sword. When Max Perado waspleted, the cksmith God, Orgon, said this: "It''s a work of art that even a god wouldn''t be able to create!" This sword travels around the world in search of its wielder. If you are a true hero, then wait! Perado wille and find you! + Holy Sword: It is the greatest sword in the world. The greater the hero, the more power it can exert. + Great Hero''s Sword: Gives the hero the ability to escape danger. + Invincible Sword: Cannot be destroyed. Cannot be sealed. Untradeable. If you lose your qualifications as a hero, then the sword disappears. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1200, Light Damage 2300. Doubles all stats, and reduces enemy damage by 50%. Minimum Requirements: You must be chosen by the sword. ''Holy shit! What did I just see?'' Kang Oh had seen countless ''peerless'' des before. His demon swords were also considered ''peerless des''. However, Max Perado blew all of them out of the water. First, its total attack power was a whopping 3,500. Ubist''s attack power was less than 2,000. Moreover, the holy sword doubled the wielder''s stats and reduced all damage taken by 50%. ''Isn''t that a bit much!?'' Plus, it would give the hero whatever ability they needed for that exact situation. If he had a chance to trade his demon swords for Max Perado, then he''d do it in an instant. Hispanions noticed his expression, and then took a look at Max Perado for themselves. "I don''t know what to say," Sephiro said. "Max Cain wasn''t anywhere near this." Asu looked over Max Cain''s item information. [Max Cain] A peerless de created by the legendary artisan, Max. It is one of the four swords among the Max Series. Max named it after his second child. It is considered the most beautiful sword in the world. The sword twinkles like the stars above, so it is called the ''Gxy Sword''. + Supersonic Strike: After attacking for a while, you will be able to unleash an attack that surpasses the speed of sound. Cooldown: 0. MP Cost: 0. + Damage Amplification: Always deals double damage to your opponents. + Skill Amplification: Doubles the effectiveness of all your skills. + Star Sword: The sword is blessed by the stars, so it cannot be destroyed. Allows the wielder to cut through magic. You will be blessed with good luck. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 1411, Pration +200, All Stats +70, All Resistances +40%. Minimum Requirements: A Master Swordsman with at least three secret moves. Max Cain was no joke. Even so, it couldn''tpare to the likes of Max Perado. "Are you done looking?" Javen smiled and asked. "Ah, yes. Thank you for letting me take a look." Kang Oh bowed his head. "If you want to take a look at Max Natalie, then give Max a visit." Kang Oh was shocked once more. "The legendary cksmith is here?" "Do you know who Bargo is?" "Max makes the greatest swords, while Bargo makes the greatest spears. Is that who you are referring to...?" Javen smiled. Noah. It was a ce where he could meet all sorts of legendary figures. Chapter 576. Hero Javen

Chapter 576. Hero Javen

Trantor: Boko The Resurrection Stone would appear in a week, so the guardians would train Kang Oh''s party in the interim. "I''ll take you and you." The Triple Master, Kunta, pointed at Eder and Sephiro. "When you''re done with me, learn from Acasus too." "Acasus is here too?" The Legendary Tamer, Acasus! Acasus was called the God of Taming, having tamed four mythological creatures including the Phoenix! "Um." Asu raised her hand. "May I see Acasus too?" Rudy slightly pushed its head out from her chest. Kunta looked at the other guardians. "I''ll take care of her," Loxia said. Grande Loxia was the knight of knights, so he would be a good teacher to her, a Phoenix Knight. "Alright," Asu beamed and said. "I''ll take Tasha with me too." "Understood." Kang Oh used Demon''s Descent and released Tasha from the confines of the sword. She followed Loxia without giving Kang Oh the time of day. It felt kind of sad. It was as if he''d picked up a stray cat and raised it as his own, but its original owner hade back and taken it away. "Once we''re done, you can go where you want," Loxia said. "Thank you so much," Asu replied. "The three of you can meet Acasus togetherter on." Kunta nced at Asu, Sephiro, and Eder, and then turned around. "Let''s go." Kunta left with Sephiro and Eder, while Loxia departed with Tasha and Asu in tow. Kang Oh stared at Howlka and Javen. "Javen, you take him. I''m more suited to teaching orcs," Howlka said. "Alright." "Call me if you need anything." "Got it." Once the two of them were alone, Javen asked Kang Oh all sorts of questions. For example, he asked him what his ss was, his rank, what skills he''d learned and how proficient he was with them, etc. Kang Oh answered sincerely. After all, he may never get another chance to learn under Hero Javen! He would learn everything he could from him! "Hmm, a Demonic Swordsman, huh..." Javen stroked his beard. "I''m pretty sure there aren''t any Master Demonic Swordsmen here." "I''m fine with you, Mr. Javen." "No, I''ll teach you to the best of my ability, but it''d be better if you learned from someone with the same ss as you. They''ll have better advice for you." Kang Oh felt kind of odd. It seemed like every Grandmaster he''d met, be it Vn or Sraka, had gained warped personalities in exchange for their great power. However, Loxia and the other guardians seemed like normal people to him. They werepletely different, despite being Grandmasters themselves. "Hmm, Master cksmiths like Max, Bargo, or Sun Lei may be helpful to you. Well, we can worry about thatter. Let''s see how skilled you are first. Follow me." Kang Oh and Javen stood across from each other within arge, vacant lot. Then, Javen''s vibepletely changed. The gentle, almost grandfatherly vibepletely disappeared. It was reced by incredible pressure that pushed Kang Oh down. ''Come at me with everything you got!'', Javen''s killing intent seemingly said. Kang Oh pulled out Ubist and Sarahoff, and then used Gluttony on one of the many A-rank steel greatswords he''d brought with him. Gluttony, Devil Trigger! After fighting Grande Loxia, he realized that a Master was absolutely no match for a Grandmaster. Thus, he had no choice but to go full throttle from the very beginning! Kang Oh, who had transformed into the Dual Demon and released incredible jet-ck energy, forcefully kicked off the floor and charged at the greatest hero. * * * Kang Oh had assumed that Javen''s personality hadn''t been warped by his incredible strength. He waspletely mistaken. First, Kang Oh was the recipient of a one-sided beat down. Javen''s ss, Hero, as well as his holy sword, were the mortal enemies of a Demonic Swordsman like Kang Oh. He easily erased Kang Oh''s darkness with his sword''s holy light. This is how the sh between light and darkness always went. The stronger side wouldpletely annihte the weaker side. Kang Oh was usually the stronger side, so he''d do the annihting, but right now, the situation waspletely reversed. If that''s the case, then he had to ovee Javen with pure skill. However, he was nowhere near as skilled as Javen. Ultimately... True Hero''s Strike! Kang Oh was struck by an unrivaled secret move that could only be learnt by a true hero, and fell to the floor. "You''re so weak. I just gave you a little tap and you crumpled to the floor," Javen said. He was staring down at Kang Oh, who knelt on one knee, as if he were hopeless. In the past, Vn had alsomented on Kang Oh''s apparent weakness. Javen and Vn''s voices had briefly ovepped. "You told me everything there was to know about you. But you know absolutely nothing about me. So why are you attacking so hastily? Are you stupid?" Javen rebuked. Kang Oh was almost ovee with anger, but he quickly calmed himself down. Javen wasn''t wrong. He had fought and acted foolishly. "I have no excuse." Javen''s lips curled upwards. Then, Kang Oh went for a surprise attack. ''Taste this!'' Transcendent de! Sarahoff shed through the air. ng. But it unfortunately shed with Max Perado. Javen smiled. "This is much better! A weakling should act their part and use dirty tactics like this. However... you should''ve thought about what to do in case it fails." Bam, bam, bam! Javen pulled out his sheath and swung it like a club. Relying on his Hyper Intuition, Kang Oh attempted to block or dodge Javen''s attacks, but he eventually reached his limit and got hit by the sheath. ''He''s amazing!'' Kang Oh grinned, even as he was getting hit. His Hyper Intuition was an unbeatable psychic power. However, Javen''s chaotic attacks confused even his Hyper Intuition, keeping him from responding properly. ''I learned something good.'' Kang Oh etched this method of attacking into his bones. He was getting his ass handed to him, so he might as well learn something in exchange! Javen smirked. "You''re tougher than I expected." "Die!" Kang Ohunched another surprise attack. ''Hit me some more!'' "Hehehe!" The one-sided beatdown continued. Javen''s peculiar attacks, which managed to ovee Kang Oh''s Hyper Intuition, served as a good lesson for Kang Oh. Then, Kang Oh was enlightened. [You have been enlightened.] [You have found a clue to unperceivable swordsmanship. This swordsmanship specializes in overloading one''s opponent with too much information, which results in confusion and chaos. It is especially effective in a battle between experts.] Kang Oh''s swordsmanship was all about effectiveness. After all, it needed to be effective if he wanted to strike at his opponent''s weaknesses and avoid his opponent''s blows. In other words, it was very simple! However, Javen''s swordsmanship was theplete opposite. It was so chaotic that he couldn''t predict his next move. It was filled with ''unnecessary'' moves. As time passed, however, he realized that what seemed unnecessary was actuallypletely necessary. It was an eye-opener. This was the first time he''d felt this flustered, even with his Hyper Intuition by his side. "Let''s stop there. You got what you were looking for." Javen sheathed Max Perado. "I''m not even close." Kang Oh wasn''t willing to back down just yet. However... "Want to die?" Javen''s threatening expression looked exactly like Vn''s. That''s why he knew it was no empty threat. "No." Kang Oh quickly withdrew his swords. You couldn''t return to the underworld if you died. Thus, he couldn''t afford to die by Javen''s de. "It was a good fight." Javen''s expressionpletely changed. He seemed like a friendly neighborhood old man again. ''Wow, is he a psychopath?'' Kang Oh felt goosebumps on his arms and legs. Was he really a legendary hero when he was alive? "I am a legendary hero, you rascal." "Heop!" Kang Oh gasped. ''Did he read my mind?'' "Haha." Javenughed impishly. It seemed like he was enjoying having fun at Kang Oh''s expense. "Watch your opponents closely. Everything starts from there." "Yes, sir," Kang Oh replied. "Your sixth sense is amazing, but your other five senses need more training. Your sixth sense and your other five senses are like your legs. You can''t train one side without the other." Javen had hit the nail on the head. Kang Oh had been overly reliant on his Hyper Intuition, and tended to ignore any sensory information from his basic five senses. "I''ll keep that in mind." Kang Oh deeply bowed his head. He was truly thankful for Javen''s advice. "You know, you remind me of someone." "Who?" "There was this kid that followed me around everywhere. Svergen Kalintz. He would be a rude brat one moment, and then act like a respectable person the next. Just like you." "Svergen Kalintz?" He''d never heard that name before. It was only natural. Hero Javen had been alive several hundreds of years ago, after all. If he were alive back then, there was no way he''d know about him. However, rtionships could be a lot more mysterious andplicated than one might think. Kalintz. It was a prestigious family before the time of the Altein Empire. However, the family was caught in a conspiracy, and was brought to ruin during the era of the Altein Empire. Not all of its descendants had been killed. The survivors hid their identities and lived out their lives. One of their names was... Vn Kalintz. The great swordsman, Vn, was actually a descendent of the ruined Kalintz family. And the basis for Vn''s swordsmanship, or the Kalintz swordsmanship, was the Hero Javen. Ultimately, the reason Vn was able to be a Grandmaster was because of the seed that Javen had nted all those years ago. However, Kang Oh, Vn, and Javen would never fully realize the extent of their rtionship. * * * Kang Oh, who''dpleted his horrifying training with Javen, headed for the residence of the three legendary cksmiths. Javen had told him that there were three smithies facing each other, each with chimneys puffing out smoke. Apparently, the most human-looking smithy was Max''s workshop. ''That''s it.'' Like Javen said, there were three smithies here, and all of them had differing characteristics. Finding Max''s smithy was easy. To be more specific, the other two smithies didn''t look fit for humans at all. One of them looked like an underground bunker, while the other was an elegant, beautiful building made of wood. What was especially eye-catching was the giant tree that went through one of their smithies. "Is there anyone here?" "Who are you?" a middle-aged man with a scar ridden body and face said. He had ck hair with flecks of gray in between. "Are you Mr. Max?" "That''s me. But I''ve never seen you before. Are you new? You don''t look like a ghost." When he took a better look at him, Kang Oh realized that Max''s body was slightly translucent. He''d been in thepany of the guardians, who had gained physical bodies using the Resurrection Stone, but this was the first time he''d seen what actual ghosts looked like. "I came here with permission from the goddess." "Hmm, is that so? So why are you here?" "Do you recognize this sword?" Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist and Max Cain. "I made these swords. How could I not recognize them? But who the hell did this to Gemina!? Was it you!?" Max angrily stared at Kang Oh. "It wasn''t me. By the time I got it, it was already like that." ''It''s all Vn''s fault!'' "Tch. If you''re going to make a demon sword, then do it properly... It doesn''t have any of Gemina''s original features!" Max yelled. "I know, right? I don''t know who did it, but they must''ve been an idiot to turn Max Gemina into a demon sword." Kang Oh truly believed what he was saying. Turning Max Gemina into a demon sword was an act of lunacy. ''Do you know how much Max Gemina is worth!?'' "Ugh. Well, at least the demon sword''s not half bad. It''s been maintained well. This is the work of a Dwarven cksmith." He saw right through it. Hoffman performed maintenance on all of Kang Oh''s equipment. "This child''s exactly the same." Max softly stroked Max Cain. ''How''s he touching it when he''s a ghost?'' Kang Oh thought. It was a natural phenomenon in the underworld. The stronger the soul, the more they could feel/touch. At that moment... Bam! The door to a nearby smithy opened, and a Dwarven cksmith stepped out. "Why is it so damn loud!?" "Mr. Bargo?" He was a legendary craftsman on the same level as Max! By defeating the Serpentra Queen, Rubion, Kang Oh had gained the legendary ''Light and Darkness Spear'', which was created by Bargo. "Do you know who I am?" "Of course." Kang Oh pulled out the aforementioned spear from his inventory. "Oho, this is...!" Bargo instantly approached him and snatched the spear away. "Ooh, Max. Take a look at this. This is my final work. Can you still say that your swords are better than my spears when you see this?" Bargo raised the spear and yelled. "Of course. I''m the continent''s greatest cksmith. This is proof of that!" Max lifted Demon Sword Ubist and Max Cain, and yelled. "In thend of the blind, the one-eyed man is king..." A man''s voice could be heard from behind them. They turned their heads and saw an old elf with pointy ears. "My weapons are the strongest. They''re created using an alloy production method that only I possess, and are imbued with the spirits'' power. The Heart Series are my greatest masterpieces." ''Sun Lei!'' The great Elven cksmith! The Fire''s Heart, which he''d gifted to Asu, was made by him. Three of the continent''s legendary cksmiths, which represented three of the races (humans, dwarves, and elves) had gathered in one ce. However... "Mm." Kang Oh noticed it right away. These three really didn''t get along. Think about it. If there were three tigers on top of one mountain, there was no way they would get along, now would they? "Ahaha, I''lle by some other time..." Kang Oh had a bad feeling about this and tried to leave. "You came at a good time. Let''s finish this once and for all," Bargo raised the Light and Darkness Spear into the air and yelled. "Fine by me." Max immediately raised his own two swords into the air. "We have a suitable judge too. You!" Sun Lei pointed at Kang Oh. "Haa." Kang Oh held his head and sighed. ''I''m screwed.'' Why was he never wrong when he felt like something was going to go wrong!? Chapter 577. Please Give me a Demon Sword!

Chapter 577. Please Give me a Demon Sword!

Trantor: Boko Max and Bargo lived in the same era. However, Max got famous first. It was said that he was so skilled that he even surpassed the skill of the greatest Dwarven cksmiths. Bargo couldn''t ept that. How could a mere human be greater than the dwarves, which were blessed by the cksmith God himself!? Bargo visited Max and bet on who could make the better sword. They agreed that the loser wouldn''t make another sword ever again. Unfortunately, Bargo was handily defeated. After that, Bargo stopped making swords. Instead, he put his heart and soul into making spears in order to surpass Max. Bargo and Maxpeted againter. That time, he just barely won. That was when Max and Bargo became renowned for their peerless swords and spears. Even after that, Max and Bargo didn''t stoppeting. They repeatedly won and lost against each other. This rtionship continued on through their death. They continuously battled for supremacy even in the underworld. Then, Sun Lei, an Elvish cksmith from an earlier era, joined in on theirpetition. They had already mastered their craft, so it was impossible for them to determine whose weapons were better. That''s why they grabbed any souls that passed by and asked them to judge their weapons. They were quite obstinate at that. This is why people stopped visiting them altogether. They knew that if they went, they''d get caught up in all sorts of trouble. It had been a really long time since someone could judge their work! "Hmm." Kang Oh sported a careful expression. There were three weaponsying in front of him. Max''s sword, Bargo''s spear, and Sun Lei''s bow. The three cksmiths created materials with their memories, and used them to forge these weapons. They were brand spanking new! It was probably more urate to call them limited time goods that could only be obtained in the underworld. "Then..." Kang Oh began to look them over one by one. He started with Max''s sword. It was an SS-rank sword called Max Esna! "I named it after my fifth child," Max said. It had more than 2,000 attack power, and also had four extraordinary abilities. It was definitely worthy of the title ''peerless de''! However, it was nowhere near the level of a ''holy sword'' like Max Perado. "Ah, I see." Kang Oh put down the sword and picked up the spear. Gluttonous Whale Spear! It was an SS-rank spear that possessed the ''Gluttony'' skill like Demon Sword Ubist. Even without taking anything else into ount, this spear was a work of art. "I was inspired by the Mamonas," Bargo fiddled with his rough beard and said. ''How is it? It''s amazing, right?'' Finally, Kang Oh looked over Sun Lei''s bow. Snow-White Heart. It was white like its name. The bow could create blizzards through the spirits'' power, and used frozen arrows, rather than physical arrows. ''Sephiro would love this...'' Kang Oh thought briefly. Then, the cksmiths urged him to make his decision. "Now that you''ve seen them, pick my spear," Bargo yelled. "What are you talking about!? My bow''s the best. Isn''t that right?" Sun Lei yelled. "It''s my sword. My sword is definitely the best," Max said. It was like three children were fighting. Kang Oh didn''t want to be here anymore, so he just picked one at random. He was a Demonic Swordsman, so he was most familiar with swords. "I choose..." Right when he was about to pick up the sword, however, Bargo and Sun Lei stared at him murderously. Seriously, they looked like they''d really kill him if he picked the sword. Kang Oh stopped reaching for the sword, and then switched to the spear. This time, Max and Sun Lei gave him that look. If he picked the bow, then Max and Bargo would look at him like they''d rip him apart. ''I knew this would happen.'' Ultimately, if he picked one, the other two would hate him. At the same time, he couldn''t tell them that all three were equally good, or that he couldn''t tell which one was better. It definitely wouldn''t work on these three. If that''s the case, his best bet was... "All three are nothing special." Then, the three cksmiths gave him the same look. It was as if they would beat him down with their hammers! "What?" "Is this really your best? Well, is it?" Kang Oh taunted them once more. "How dare you!" "Do you want to die!?" Max and Bargo went absolutely crazy. Sun Lei grabbed his bow with a cold expression. However, Kang Oh didn''t back down. "Then prove me wrong." "How?" Sun Lei asked. He pulled the bowstring, and a frozen arrow automatically formed. ''They''ve taken the bait.'' Kang Oh smirked. "I''m a Demonic Swordsman. I can only use demon swords." ''That''s why I can''t use Max Cain or the Light and Darkness Spear!'' "So?" "In a week, the Resurrection Stone will appear along with the Mamonas, which has be a Soul Eater. Please make me your best demon sword by then." "Mm." "A demon sword, huh." "I''ll use them against the Mamonas and pick the most useful of the three. That way, I''ll be able to determine which weapon is truly the best. You have to actually use a weapon to know how good it is." Kang Oh had looked for other demon swords. However, not only were demon swords incredibly rare, but the ones he did find only possessed the power of darkness; they didn''t have a demon sealed within them. He pulled out Sarahoff and showed it off. They could already see Ubist, and Tasha was with Loxia right now. "I won''t ept a half-assed demon sword. It has to be a demon sword with something sealed inside of it! Please bring me aplete product." ''I want to try out a new demon sword!'' "Why do we have to do that?" Bargo crossed his arms and looked speechless. "Ah, that''s right. You specialize in spears, not swords. Then I guess you fail!" "Fail!? I started out making swords!" "Can you make aplete demon sword?" "Of course I can! I''m the best Dwarven cksmith on the!" Bargo raised his index finger. ''I thought as much.'' Max, Bargo, and Sun Lei were Grandmaster cksmiths. If you were to pick the three greatest cksmiths in history, you would undoubtedly choose them. However, he wasn''t sure who the best was. With their skill, they would obviously be able to make demon swords. "You can''t make swords. Have you forgotten your bet? Haha, I suppose it''s just between me and that greenhorn." Max gestured at Sun Lei with his chin. Sun Lei smiled. ''Fine, I''ll ept your challenge!'' Then... "I''m going to make a sword spear," Bargo said bluntly. "That''s still a sword." Max furrowed his brow. "It''s a spear. But he can only use swords, so I''m going to add a little attachment to it," Bargo insisted. "Why don''t you just stay out of this? You''ll just embarrass yourself. It''s been hundreds of years since you''ve made a sword. I''m saying this for your benefit." "Yeah, right." Bargo red at Max. "Demon swords aren''t my style, but I suppose making one isn''t such a bad idea," Sun Lei said. Then, he immediately returned to his smithy, as if he couldn''t bear to be part of this conversation any longer. "Hmph!" "Tch!" Max and Bargo turned their backs to each other. Kang Oh retrieved his demon swords, Max Cain, and the Light and Darkness Spear. "Hum-hum-hum." Kang Oh snorted. ''Come to me, my new demon swords!'' * * * Three days had passed. Kang Oh trained with Javen, dealt with some Soul Eaters, and became more and more used to fighting in the underworld. He used the rest of his time visiting the cksmiths, and talking to them about the demon swords. Max, Bargo, and Sun Lei. All of their demon swords were different, but one thing was simr. They would recreate demons from their memories and seal them within the swords. "Please choose a legendary creature." "Get lost." Sun Lei may have delicate features, but he had a foul mouth. "Alright." Bargo was the opposite; he looked rough on the outside, but he was actually a gentle man underneath. "..." Max was the type to remain silent when he was working. He also thought of Kang Oh as a nuisance. That''s why Kang Oh kept visiting Max. He wanted to annoy him some more! ''Ah!'' Now that he thought about it, the three demon swords shared one other trait. The type. Kang Oh wanted a weapon farrger than Demon Sword Ubist. Why? First, he wanted to use a sword he''d never used before. Blood was a one-handed sword, Sarahoff was a longsword, and Ubist was a greatsword. If he wanted a different sword, then he would need either a dagger or a weapon evenrger than a greatsword. However, arger weapon would be more effective against a huge monster like the Mamonas. A small weapon wouldn''t even hurt it. While he eagerly awaited thepletion of the demon swords, Kang Oh went all over Noah. He also met Acasus. Acasus was a midget. He was about half the height of a normal, full-grown adult man. Contrary to his height, however, he wasrger than life. After all, he was a Grandmaster Tamer that had tamed four mythological beasts on the same level as the Phoenix! In the underworld, however, he was taking care of all manner of dogs and cats. Chirp! Rudy pped its tiny wings from beside Acasus, and performed cute tricks. Acasus had a long rtionship with Rudy. He had previously been one of its guardians, after all. "Hahaha." Acasus was a warm person. He was friendly with pretty much everyone. Seeing him with a cat in his embrace was like looking at a real-life Buddha. "Did you say his name is Rudy? A Phoenix shouldn''t just eat mes. They should eat meat and vegetables too." "Really?" Asu looked shocked. ''A Phoenix can eat meat and vegetables too?'' Then, Rudy flew towards Acasus and tried to shut him up. ''Don''t tell them that!'' "Please give it some meat and vegetables after it eats some mes. That''ll make it grow quickly and healthily," Acasus said, gently stroking Rudy all over. "Aha, thank you very much. Rudy, did you hear? Don''t be picky and eat everything!" Asu smiled. Rudyid down and rolled around, as if it were throwing a tantrum. Chirp! ''I''m only going to eat mes!'' Of course, it didn''t work at all. "Should I just give you meat and vegetables instead?" Chirp... Rudy burrowed its head into its body. It looked like a yellow tennis ball. So adorable! "I don''t have any advice for you. Waryong is growing so well on its own." "Haha, is that so?" Sephiro scratched the back of his head in embarrassment. Gyaahk! Waryong pulled its neck back, stretched out its wings, and then waddled around. It tended to do that when it was in a good mood. ''My master''s the best!'' "Good, good. Keep it up." Acasus stroked its chin, and Waryong seemed to smile. "There''s a small fingernail-sized bump on a wyvern''s chin. They like it when you touch this area." "Aha!" Sephiro immediately tried it out. When he scratched that area, Waryong happily rubbed its head against Sephiro''s body. Acasus was even able to tame Ubist. "I''ve never seen it before, but it looks kind," Acasus said. Then, he began tob Ubist''s fur. Ubist was made up of darkness, so flecks of darkness passed through theb. Despite that... Purr. Kang Oh had never heard such a gentle, happy sound from Ubist. ''Not only did he tame it, but it''s even starting to wag its tail. He''s amazing!'' He started to respect Acasus even more. However... Some people in Noah were the exact opposite of Acasus. He encountered one of these people on his second day in Noah. * * * There were countless people in Noah. For example, the Legendary Hero, a dragon, legendary Masters, and even viins! "I''ve never seen you before. Are you new here?" Destructive red mes suddenly came flying at Kang Oh. Kang Oh immediately pulled out Demon Sword Ubist. One of the huge fireballs was split in two and was absorbed, while he dodged the other one. "Let''s see how long youst!" The old, emaciated man with age spots on his face bombarded him with vicious spells. His spells'' power even surpassed Helena. Kang Oh couldn''t even get close. Moreover, the spells were increasing in range and power. ''Who is he?'' He was either at the cusp of bing a Grandmaster Mage or already was. However, there wasn''t anyone that stood out in his memory. History''s greatest mage, Lasia, was a woman. He had already met Kunta too. Then... Brilliant light came flying at the mage. It was the Orc Hero, Howlka. "Don''t get in my way," the mage yelled. "Get lost. If you don''t, then you''ll get a taste of my axe." Howlka slightly ttened his axe, giving him a glimpse of the glimmering de. "I''ll turn you into a roast pig!" An incredible battle between Howlka and the mage began. Only after he saw the mage use the Total Annihtion curse did Kang Oh figure out who he was. Katan! He was the lowest of the low that''d killed the most people in history! Chapter 578. Residents of Noah

Chapter 578. Residents of Noah

Trantor: Boko The battle between Katan and Howlka ended soon after it began. "This is boring." Katan lost interest and left the area. Howlka dusted off his axe and then approached Kang Oh. "Are you alright?" "I''m fine." "There are some ces in Noah that house dangerous people like him. I''ll tell you where they are, so stay clear of them." Kang Oh had been exploring Noah, and had unknowingly entered a dangerous area. "Understood. Thank you for saving me." "I just did my job." The two stood side-by-side and discussed various matters. "I heard the Ruman Orcs became a major faction." "Yes. All orcs have been assimted by the Ruman Orcs." "Is that so? In my time, the Ruman Orcs were a tiny tribe." "Which tribe do youe from, Mr. Howlka?" "The Gurabashi Tribe. It was made up of the orcs'' bravest warriors," Howlka said proudly. "The Gurabashi..." Mumugul, the Orc Great Chieftain that seeded Asuka, was originally a Gurabashi Orc. There were also several renowned warriors that came from the Gurabashi Tribe. "I apologize. I don''t know much about them..." "That''s alright. What happened to the trolls?" "They''re called the Ingrit Trolls..." "Looks like they''re still the same." After conversing with him, Kang Oh realized that Howlka was an ok guy. Contrary to his wild and boorish face, he was extremely knowledgeable, and was also quite funny. He was also able to learn several western secrets that couldn''t be obtained through books or the inte from him. For example, Howlka told him a story of how a ck Dog and a White Cat fell in love. It was Arth''s interpretation of Romeo and Juliet. The only difference was that it had a happy ending. "I''ll see youter. Remember to avoid those ces I told you about." "Yes." Howlka departed. His back was as wide as the vastest ins. Kang Oh had met all sorts of legends here, which included Grande Loxia, Hero Javen, Kunta, God of Fighting Khan, the legendary cksmiths, and Acasus. He had even encountered Arth''s worst criminals here too. Without a doubt, this was the most interesting ce in all of Arth. Moreover... He hadn''t met all of Noah''s residents yet. His heart pounded, excited at the prospect of meeting more legends, heroes, or criminals. * * * "You don''t have enoughbat experience," Javen said. "I don''t?" Kang Oh couldn''t ept that. "You can''t call beating those weaker than you experience." "I haven''t been doing that." Kang Oh strived to fight those who were stronger than him. After all, that was the fastest way for him to grow. "You haven''t?" Javen had seen right through him. He stared at him, causing Kang Oh to avoid his gaze. "Well, I suppose that has happened recently..." Kang Oh had be one of the strongest warriors on the continent, so there weren''t that many people who could challenge him. "Sparring doesn''t have much meaning once you be a Grandmaster, but to be one, you need to fight as many people that are stronger than you as possible." Javen summoned Noah''s powerhouses one at a time, and had them spar with Kang Oh. All of them were at least Masters. Some of them were even Grandmasters. Dragon Knight, Valdes! The Reaper, Sr! The Pioneer of Magic, Lacia! They were as strong as the Soul Guardians. Kang Oh wasn''t able to beat a single one of them, but he gained something invaluable from them. What was the best way to put it? It was as if he''d realized that he wasn''t perfect, and that he had a long way to go. "You fought well," Javen said. "Fought well? I gotpletely destroyed." "Well, you didn''t die." ''He''s not wrong there.'' They were more like death matches than spars. He''d been on the cusp of death dozens of times during those fights; one small mistake and he''d have been dead. ''I won''t die no matter what!'' The underworld. He couldn''te back here, so there was no way he''d die and waste his opportunity! "Just in case... Why don''t you leave the soul cutter here? That''ll let us use it even if you die," Javen said, sporting an impish expression. "I won''t die no matter what!" Kang Oh said firmly. "Let''s go and eat." Noah only had one restaurant. However, it was extremelyrge and magnificent. It was owned by the God of Cooking, ''in''. He was the chef who''d opened a store in Correa, which changed it from a nd, boring city to the Gourmet City. However, in''s restaurant had one rule and one rule only: there was to be no fighting within his restaurant! Countless heroes, viins, legendary figures, dragons, monsters, etc. lived within Noah. Some of them knew each other and continued their rtionships after death, while others met their killers here. There was no shortage of conflict. However, most of the residents here didn''t intervene in other people''s fights, nor did they formrge groups, so the fighting didn''t spread. Most of the fights ended like Katan and Howlka''s. One side would lose interest and the fight would end rather quickly. Anyhow...! in believed that even mortal enemies could share a meal within the confines of his restaurant. That was why he had established this rule. If a person vited this rule, then they would never again be wee into his restaurant. Thus, Noah''s residents never vited this rule. That was why Katan, who sat at a table next to Howlka, sat quietly with his arms crossed. Howlka was sitting at a table with Khan and Nile. At that moment... Kang Oh and Javen entered the restaurant. "Over here." Khan raised his hand. Kang Oh and Katan stared at each other. Katan licked his lips and smiled wickedly. ''Crazy bastard.'' Kang Oh just ignored him. "Here you go." Nile passed them a menu. However, the menu was as thick as a phone book. Every cuisine that existed in Arth was written on it. Kang Oh and Javen didn''t look at the menu. "Two of today''s special." "Yes!" Fairies the size of children did various jobs within in''s restaurant. For example, they took the customers'' orders and quickly came out with the food. It was rice, soup, and some side dishes. He was getting a chance to eat Korean cuisine in a game! "Mm!" "Mm! in put everything he had into his cooking. That''s why his food always surpassed one''s expectations, no matter how high they were. It was the type of taste that made you remember it deep down for the feelings that it evoked. Kang Oh ordered twice and ate until his belly was about to burst. ''Damn! I won''t be able to eat this when I leave the underworld!'' "Burp!" He even rinsed his mouth with fruit juice made out of Arth''s fruits. Then... The restaurant''s doors opened and a new customer came in. It was a man with hair and eyebrows as red as blood, and a woman with long, golden hair that touched the floor. They scowled in disgust when they saw Katan, but did a 180 when they saw Javen. "Javen!" "Lord Zepharius, Lady Merius," Javen beamed and said. Kang Oh instinctively knew what they were. ''Dragons!'' They gave off the same vibe as Divine Dragon Gainus when he transformed into an old man. Based on their hair color, it seemed likely that they were a Red Dragon and a Gold Dragon respectively. "I haven''t seen them before," Zepharius said, looking at Kang Oh and Nile. "They were brought here by the goddess. They''re here to help us defeat the Mamonas." "I see." That was where his curiosity ended. Zepharius and Merius passed by, and sat at their own table. "They''re dragons, right?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah." Javen nodded his head. "How many dragons are here?" "Only those two." "Excuse me?" He thought there''d be more than two. How unexpected. "It''s very rare for a dragon''s soul toe here." Now that he thought about it, he hadn''t heard of a dragon being in in thest 100 years. Then there was Akite, who transformed himself into a Bone Dragon in order to stay alive. "Why? You want to fight a dragon?" "No." Kang Oh shook his head. ''I have my hands full already with the Evil Dragon, Inarius.'' However, he couldn''t help but stare at the dragons. ''Will the Red Dragon know anything about Inarius?'' Inarius was a unique case. Its wings were ck, yet its body was red. It, like Waryong, was a mutant. He also heard rumors that it was a mixed blood, the offspring of a Red Dragon and a ck Dragon. ''Inarius, huh...'' Kang Oh tapped his finger on the table. Kang Oh hade to the underworld in order to heal Vn. But would they be able to defeat Inarius even with Vn at full strength? He wasn''t so sure. But two had to be better than one. Kang Oh decided to remain in the underworld, even after he procured the Resurrection Stone. After all, there was no better ce to be a Grandmaster than here. That''s also why he couldn''t afford to die. While he was busy thinking, new customers came in. It was Loxia, Asu, and Tasha. "Oppa!" Kang Oh smiled once he saw her. * * * When he heard that the demon swords were finished, he visited the three cksmiths right away. "I''m here. Where is it?" Kang Oh came to Max''s smithy first. "Here." Max passed him an object, which was wrapped in white cloth. Kang Oh gulped and removed the cloth. ''Hoh?'' It was a giant sword. However, its design was quite strange. The transparent de was shaped like a long triangle. There was also a horn stuck in the middle of it. "Is this a demon''s horn?" Kang Oh asked. "Yeah, this is my demon sword!" "It looks quite strange." "It''s not strange, it''s unique. It''s a work of art that allows you to draw out the demon''s power, while simultaneously eliminating any risk to the user! Moreover, I installed five mechanisms that will increase the demon''s power." A demon''s horn would always be the source of their power. Max didn''t seal the demon within the sword, but rather incorporated the demon''s horn into it. Rather than infuse the power of darkness into the sword and seal a demon within it, he had chosen to go halfway. Kang Oh tried to use Devil Trigger. Although it didn''t have a demon within it, the horn''s power began to change his form. "Oho." He couldn''t know for certain until he tried the sword out, but he found it extremely beneficial that there was no demon trying to wrest control of his body. Moreover, Max had designed the sword to amplify the demonic power housed within the horn, so its power was actually stronger than the original demon''s. In exchange, he couldn''t use Demon''s Descent on the sword. "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh left Max''s house and entered Bargo''s smithy. It was right next to Max''s. "I''m here." "It''s over there." Bargo pointed at the disy stand. His creation sat atop it. He had kept his word. It was indeed a sword spear. The de was like a long drill, which made it more like a spear than a sword. However, its shaft was much too short for a normal spear. It was barely long enough for a two-handed grip. Kang Oh approached the demon sword, but he felt an ominous energying from it. "The sealed demon is..." "Karadin." Bargo grinned. "Mm." He''d heard that name before. That was the demon he''d used, huh... Bargo had constructed quite a wicked demon sword indeed. "There''s no better demon sword than this," Bargo said confidently. "We''ll see." Kang Oh grabbed the second demon sword, and then headed for Sun Lei''s smithy. "Here." Sun Lei passed him a giant, feather-shaped sword. "Don''t use it with another demon sword. This sword is enough," Sun Lei said. "I''m sure it will be. The de is sorge that it''d be hard to use with one hand." ''Haha, a man always dreams of using a huge, two-handed sword.'' Kang Oh, who always dual-wielded swords, actually dreamt of wielding two giant greatswords in either hand. Swish. Kang Oh extended his hand, but the sword unleashed a fierce wind. It was as if a fierce beast was growling at him. "It is what I think it is, right?" "A Monster Bird," Sun Lei said curtly. "I''ll use it well." "You better." With this, Kang Oh had gained three new demon swords. However, he would only be able to use them during his stay in the underworld. After all, the materials that were used in their creation were based on memories. The demons were the same. Plus, the weapons'' information clearly stated that they would disappear once he left the underworld. ''That''s why I''ll use them to my heart''s content.'' ''Ubist, Sarahoff, Blood. You guys are on vacation for the time being!'' Chapter 579. My New Demon Swords (1)

Chapter 579. My New Demon Swords (1)

Trantor: Boko In order to wield a demon sword, a trial must be ovee by the prospective wielder. However, this no longer applied to Kang Oh. Why? Once he mastered Demonic Swordsmanship and Devil Trigger, he gained a new ss ability. [Your control over demon swords has been maxed out.] [You have be the master of all demon swords. The trial is no longer an obstacle to wielding demon swords.] However...! He hadn''t made use of this ability because there weren''t any new demon swords to be found. Fortunately, the three legendary cksmiths gave him an opportunity to make full use of this ability. Kang Oh was able to equip all three of the demon swords without any fuss. ''Nice. Now then...'' Kang Oh called on Eder. "Make me a Bone Golem. Make it really tough." "Understood." A giant Bone Golem would prove to be an excellent sandbag. Kang Oh tested out his new demon swords, ascertained their abilities, and gradually got more familiar with them. Eventually... He heard the news he''d been waiting for. "The Resurrection Stone has appeared," Javen said. He had called all of the Soul Guardians and Kang Oh''s party, aside from Loxia and Asu; they were at the Lamp, watching over the river of souls. "Finally!" Kang Oh clenched his fist. Why else had hee to the underworld? For the Resurrection Stone, of course! "Let''s go!" * * * The Resurrection Stone. It was a miraculous stone that could create a new vessel for the soul! The word ''stone'' made him think of the soul dungeons'' triangr soul stones. ''Maybe it''ll look simr.'' He waspletely wrong. The Resurrection Stone was like the sun. The only difference was its size; it was about asrge as a watermelon. Loxia, Tasha, Asu, and Rudy (adult form) were already there, dealing with low-rank Soul Eaters with long arms and legs. The Resurrection Stone''s appearance would coincide with a massive influx of new Soul Eaters, and all of them would, without question, rush towards the stone like moths to a me. However, they couldn''t ovee the giant wall that was Grande Loxia. Whenever he swung Blood, which he infused with a ton of aura, powerful blood red energy would devour a Soul Eater. You can''t forget about Asu, Rudy, and Tasha, who''d all undergone special training with him, either. By the time Kang Oh''s party made it there, Loxia and his team had already cleaned up the Soul Eaters. However, they all knew that this was only the beginning. The whale hadn''t shown up yet. "You''re here?" Loxia said. "Yeah." Javen nodded his head and stared off into the distance. The Orc Hero, Howlka, repeatedly tightened and loosened his grip over his axe. Kunta and Khan crossed their arms, and shared idle chat. "I can sense its power," Javen said. ''It... He must be referring to the Mamonas, right?'' A short whileter... "It''s here," Howlka said. Then, a giant hole appeared, and out came the Mamonas. It looked like a whale, but it was much wider than a normal one. Plus, its body waspletely ck, as if it''d been sprayed with squid ink. This was the Ruler of the Golden Desert, Mamonas! It was the highest ss Soul Eater! There were six of them in total. In the process of bing a Soul Eater, the Mamonas gained the ''Proliferation'' ability, exining why there were duplicates of it here. "We''ll each take one," Javen said. Javen, Loxia, Howlka, Khan, and Kunta! There were five Soul Guardians in total, but there were six Mamonas. The legendary hero nced at Asu, Nile, Sephiro, and Eder. They all looked confident. The Soul Guardians'' training had really paid off. "You and your friends take care of thest one. You can do it, right?" Javen said, looking at Kang Ohst. "Of course." Kang Oh grinned. Hisrades nodded their heads. "We can all take one each. Looks like today will be an easy day," Kunta said sarcastically. "I can take two no problem," Howlka retorted. "I can take three." Khan raised three fingers. Loxia chuckled and charged at the closest Mamonas. Tasha was right on his tail. ''Tch, you two are inseparable!'' "Let''s go." The Soul Guardians went their separate ways. "All that remains is... that one. I''ll go on ahead!" Sephiro took the lead, riding on top of Waryong''s back. Kang Oh, Asu, Nile, and Eder propelled themselves forward using the Cubes as stepping stones. * * * The Mamonas had eight eyes total, four on the left and right sides of its head. Befitting its gluttonous nature, its mouth was extremelyrge. Lastly, it radiated an immense amount of pressure. Kuhaaaahk! A powerful roar, strong enough to rupture their eardrums, rang out. All six of the Mamonas had roared simultaneously. [You have heard the Mamonas''s Roar.] [It possesses tremendous strength.] [Please be careful!] It was dering its intent to eat them all! Kang Oh''s target went straight for the Resurrection Stone. "Let''s go, Waryong!" Kyaaahk! Sephiro notched a giant, harpoon-like arrow onto his bowstring. It was called a ''Giant Killer''. True to its name, the arrow specialized in killing giant monsters. Of course, the Mamonas was a soul, so no matter howrge the arrow was, it wouldn''t hit it. Sephiro was well aware of this fact. In spite of that, he shot the arrow anyway. Whizz! The giant ''harpoon'' flew through the gravity-less space. At some point, the harpoon radiated intense light and transformed into a wyvern. It was as if it were truly alive; the wyvern of light rotated in the air, and then struck the Mamonas''s head. Kuwaang! A ring of light rippled outwards. It was so powerful that the Mamonas briefly stumbled back. "Oh, yeah! How''s that feel!?" Shining Bombardment! It was a secret move that Kunta had passed down to him. The technique gave his arrow incredible power, and also possessed the ''Homing'' ability. The Giant Killer was a huge arrow, which made it difficult to aim. However, Shining Bombardment allowed him to maximize the Giant Killer''s power while simultaneously increasing his uracy. It was a match made in heaven! Moreover, it had no cooldown time, so it could be used repeatedly as long as he had MP to spare. Whizz! Whizz! Whizz! Sephiro continuously used Shining Bombardment. Shining Bombardment manifested differently with each user, and for Sephiro, it appeared like Waryong, only made of light. He truly was a Wyvern Master. However, the Mamonas was a legendary beast. Shining Bombardment only made it hesitate for a brief moment. It continued its charge, despite the shower of Giant Killers. Bam! Different colored beams shot out of its eight eyes. Each beam was of a different element. Kang Oh''s party quickly created Cubes, used them as stepping stones, and avoided the beams by leaping upwards or to the side. Eder was next up to bat. Unlike Sephiro, he hadn''t learnt anything in particr from the man. However, his equipment was different. Demon King''s Staff! It was a limited-time item that could only be used in the underworld! It was on the same level as the holy sword, Max Perado. That was in spite of the fact that it only had one ability. Which meant that that one ability was out of this world. Great Demon King''s Power! This ability would turn every spell that the caster used into one that the Demon King once used. However, it could only be used ten times, and once those ten times were up, the staff would break. "....Soul binding chains!" Soul Bind! He cast a Necromancer spell that allowed him to trap the ordinarily unbindable soul with mysterious chains. But... The chains were huge. They were like the Kraken''s tentacles. Moreover, there were dozens of them. Whoosh! The chains wrapped around the Mamonas''s giant body, preventing it from moving a muscle. ''This is the Demon King''s magic!'' Eder shivered. Kuhaang! The Mamonas writhed around, opened its mouth wide, and unleashed ck energy from within. It was like an avnche. Eder cast another spell. Bone Trap! Countless bones appeared. It was like all sorts of debris that floated around in space. The bones gathered together, absorbed the beam, and transformed into a ball. Boom! There was an explosion, but it wasn''t all thatrge. Kang Oh, Asu, and Nile plummeted towards the Mamonas''s back. "Haht!" Asu and Rudy unleashed the mes of Demise, which began to burn the Mamonas. "Uhahp!" Nile unleashed lightning and fire from his fists. Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Countless tentacles burst from the Mamonas''s back. Its eye beams also repeatedly fired at them. "Hmph!" There were too many tentacles. It was as if he were inside of brushwood made up of tentacles. The elemental beams were a pain in the ass too. At that moment... Kang Oh pulled out Bargo''s demon sword. It was the one that looked like a giant drill. Demon Sword Spear, Karadin! ''You''re up first!'' He held the de with two hands, and silver energy spread from his grip. Devil Trigger! His body was coated in well-polished silver. There was also a crescent moon shaped horn on one side of his forehead. Bam! Kang Oh thrust the sword spear and kicked off a Cube. He cleaved through countless tentacles... and a streak of silver fell upon the Mamonas. * * * The Great Change had unearthed countless secrets thaty dormant in the ground. The Kramas Ruins were one of them. It was a silver city thaty in between the cracked earth! The historians couldn''t help but find these ruins curious. It was because all of the buildings were made of silver. Plus, it was filled with exquisite silver statues of people, cats, dogs, etc. Who could craft this silver with such precision? The skill it would require was astounding. However...! The historians soon uncovered a shocking truth. Kramas wasn''t originally made up of silver statues and buildings. Some sort of disaster had taken ce, transforming all of the buildings and inhabitants into silver. In order to uncover the cause of this, the historians looked through ancient texts, and eventually came to an ominous name. The Silver Cmity, Karadin. It was born in the Bowdle Mine, where the continent''srgest supply of silver could be found! The Karadin could turn even the soul into silver, keeping the unfortunate victim frozen in time! Its birthce was located near the Dwarven city of Orgonia, and it was there that the Karadin made its first appearance. Since the dwarves were extremely talented in handling metal, they were able to drive off Karadin, but they sustained huge casualties in the process. At the time, Bargo lived in Orgonia, so he clearly remembered what the Karadin looked like. In any case, the Demon Sword Spear Karadin gave him power over ''silver''. Bam! Kang Oh, who''d transformed into a demon, thrust his de into the Mamonas''s body. Whir! The drill-shaped ''sword'' fiercely spun. It was one of its special abilities, ''Vortex''. Bam! He pierced through the Mamonas''s flesh, and turned its innards to silver. Cmity Bringing Silver! It was another one of its abilities. Whenever hended an attack, the opponent would turn to silver. And eventually, they would turn into a silver statue, just like the people of Kramas did. Kuhaahk. Mamonas violently struggled against the chains, and was able to break a portion of them. Then, it attempted to swallow Kang Oh whole with its giant mouth. There were tentacles inside that packed a punch. Plus, powerful energy gathered in its throat. Kang Oh used the Silver Demon''s power. Silver Nest! Silver flowed out of his feet and rose into the air. It was a defensive technique simr to Abyss Shield. What differed was the fact that it''d protect him on its own. The silver absorbed the tentacles like gum. However, there was still the matter of the beam to worry about. One hit of that and it''d be game over for him. However, there was no ce he could go inside of the whale''s mouth. "Hoo." Kang Oh took a deep breath and used another one of the Silver Demon''s powers. White Silver''s Vengeance! Silver energy flickered around his de. Then, the energy spread out like an umbre. Bam! The Mamonas''s beam came flying at him. Kang Oh grinned. White Silver''s Vengeance would deflect his opponent''s attack back at them. Screech! Once the Mamonas''s beam was reflected back at it, its body began to shake. There were holes everywhere. ''Now!'' Kang Oh created a sturdy Cube, and then swung his drill sword like a golf club. Divide the Sea! The silver line cleaved the Mamonas in two. Split! Chapter 580. My New Demon Swords (2)

Chapter 580. My New Demon Swords (2)

Trantor: Boko The Mamonas was cleaved in two! This seemed too easy to him, but that didn''tst long. The severed pieces grew, and transformed into two new Mamonas! This was its Proliferation ability. Due to the ability''s inconsistencies, the Soul Guardians hadn''t been able to figure out how it worked. Let''s say that condition A is a prerequisite for its ability. When that condition is met, the Mamonas should copy itself. However, they found that the Mamonas wouldn''t follow this set pattern, often choosing not to copy itself even when the conditions were met. In other words, they couldn''t get the gist of it. Thus, the Soul Guardians ced their hopes on Demon Sword Ubist. It was a soul rending de, so they believed it could rid the world of the Mamonas once and for all. Kang Oh had a better idea. He used Demon''s Descent, and summoned the King of Demonic Beasts, Ubist. Grr! It furiously red at Kang Oh; it must be sensitive because it''s hungry. "It''s whale hunting time. Eat to your heart''s content," Kang Oh quickly said. Bark! Ubist sank into the darkness. Kang Oh summoned Sara too. Her power originated from the Ice Soul, so she should be capable of freezing souls. "I''m counting on you." "Got it." Sara soared into the air in her white, fur clothes. Four sapphires trailed behind her like a tail. "Huahp!" Nile thrust his fist, unleashing mighty energy that struck the Mamonas''s side. Then... Various spheres shot out of the Mamonas''s body. Once they touched Eder''s summoned bones, they exploded. ''Bombs!'' Kang Oh''s party backed off. "I''ll take care of them," Eder yelled, and summoned countless bone fragments. The Demon King''s Staff had increased the number significantly. Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh! The bone fragments fell like rain, and the bombs repeatedly blew up. Then, the two Mamonas pierced through the resulting smoke and approached Kang Oh''s party. Since there were two of them now, sixteen beams shot out of their eyes. They continuously expelled spheres from their bodies, and the tentacles on their backs flew towards Kang Oh''s party as well. It was difficult to approach them. ''If that''s the case, then we just gotta use long-range attacks.'' Asu rode on top of Rudy. Then, Rudy soared into the air and unleashed ming feathers everywhere. Sun Wing! Nile added his secret move to the mix. Mad Dragon Cannon! The giant dragon of light broke through the bombs, tentacles, and beams, and then struck the Mamonas. Sara''s sapphires also shot Ice Beams simultaneously. However, the repeated explosions made them have little to no effect. "We have to prevent it from reaching the Resurrection Stone no matter what," Eder yelled, and cast another spell. A giant, meteor-like bone appeared in the air. It was a simple Summon Bone spell, but with the Demon King''s power, it had be ridiculouslyrge. Couldn''tin. Eder immediately threw the bone meteor at the right-sided Mamonas. How much damage would it do if he used Bone Bomb with it? There was also the power of the Demon King''s Staff to consider... It would probably be powerful enough to obliterate half of a small city. "Everyone, get back!" Eder yelled. Kang Oh had spent so much time with him that he knew exactly what he was nning. ''It''ll be like a nuclear bomb.'' Kang Oh kicked off of a Cube and propelled himself backwards. Nile did the same, except he also unleashed energy from his hands, giving him more momentum. Asu, Rudy, Sephiro, and Waryong soared higher into the air. The two Mamonas simultaneously opened their mouths. It was as if two volcanoes had gone off at the same time. Their massive beams struck Eder''s bone meteor. Eder slightly bit his lip. The bone melted away. He wanted to blow it up when it was a little closer, but... There was no chance of that happening now. Bone Bomb! The Demon King''s Staff radiated intense light. Boom! It was a massive explosion; it really was reminiscent of a nuclear bomb. Even the Soul Guardians, who were spread out around the Resurrection Stone, turned their heads in shock. ''Damn it!'' Kang Oh and Nile had misjudged the power of the explosion, so they were caught up in the aftermath. Likewise, Rudy and Waryong were unable to fly properly, and were pushed back. Eder, who was the furthest one back, almost dropped his staff. Even the Mamonas wouldn''t be unscathed from an explosion of this scale. Eder was right. The two Mamonas had lost 1/3 of their bodies. However...! Something shocking happened next. One of the Mamonas consumed the other. ''What?'' Kang Oh, who just barely kept his bnce by using a Cube, had a bad feeling about this. A Soul Eater. It was said that they became stronger the more souls they ate. But they didn''t think that it was capable of eating a copy of itself. As always, those bad feelings of his were always proven right. Not only did the Mamonas return to its original size, but it got even bigger soon after. It wouldn''t be so bad if it had just gotten bigger. But it had gained more eyes, ten on each side of its head. Plus...! The Mamonas opened its mouth. It seemed like something was squirming within its gaping maw, and soon enough, baby Mamonas popped out. They were much smaller than the original, but they were still about the size of an elephant. Only then did Kang Oh''s party return to battle positions. Kang Oh remembered an old cartoon he saw a long time ago. It was set in space, and was a famous series that involved battleships and robots. The babies, surrounded by the original Mamonas, reminded him of a giant fleet of ships he''d see in that cartoon. After all, the underworld looked just like space. Plus, the sight of the main character, an ace pilot manning a robot, destroying the entire fleet by himself left asting impression. ''How about I give it a go?'' Kang Oh stashed Karadin, and pulled out a new demon sword. Demon Sword Homura! It was a giant, wing-shaped sword. Kang Oh used Devil Trigger and assumed the form of a demon. The silver gave way to emerald light. He looked more like a spirit than a demon. Glimmering emerald wings of light protruded from his back. Swish! His wings unleashed a powerful gust of wind. Booster, on! Whoosh! ''Get out of my way. A new demon''s in town!'' * * * The Monster Bird, Homura, was a warped Great Spirit that had power over storms. It was simr to Magnium, a Lava Great Spirit that Kang Oh and the ck Hammer Dwarves had once killed. Homura was originally a spirit, or a crystallization of nature, but had been warped by an outside force. The elves wanted to destroy it. If they left Homura be, then it would destroy their home, the forest. Demon Sword Homura was the de that contained that fallen Great Spirit. Its winds were tinged with madness, and itsmand over the wind was ced in Kang Oh''s hands. Raging Storm! Kang Oh, who quickly closed the distance, grabbed the wing-shaped de in a two-handed grip and forcefully swung downwards. Swish! It sounded like mixer des were turning; several green whirlwinds surged from the de. The baby Mamonas were swept away by the winds and flew into the air. However, not all of them were caught in the whirlwinds. They came at him from every direction, even from above him. However, there was nothing to be concerned about. He activated one of Homura''s abilities. Northern Wind! Kang Ohbined it with one of his secret moves. Mad Wind''s Sword! Whenever he swung his sword, it would be followed by an extremely fine aura. But that wasn''t all; it was absolutely freezing. The baby Mamonas were ripped to shreds. Kuhaaahk! The Mamonas suddenly roared and writhed around. 20 beams shot out of its eyes, each possessing a different element. Quickness! His body moved as fast as his sword when he used Transcendent de. Swish! Kang Oh flew through the countless beams of light, and engraved an X on the Mamonas''s forehead. It looked like he had only struck once, but by the time he was done, there were two clear sword marks. Bam, bam, bam! Various spheres shot out of its body. Kang Oh backed off as fast as he''d approached. Knowing when to retreat was a skill in and of itself. Hisrades then attacked, as if they''d been waiting for him to do that. The only one who could dodge its tentacles, the bombs, and the countless beams of light, as well as approach it, was Kang Oh. If Nile risked it, he would be able to do it too, but his long-range attacks were plenty strong enough, so there was no need to put himself in harm''s way. In any case, in the time that Kang Oh had bought them, his allies had prepared their strongest attacks, which they now unleashed on the beast. Combination Attack: Red Arrow! Sephiro had learned this Tamer secret move from Acasus. Waryong stretched out its wings, and it extended its neck and tail. It looked like a bow that had an arrow ready to fire. Sephiro got on top of Waryong''s back. Thump! Thump! Thump! Their hearts beat as one. Roar! Waryong''s body heated up, and its eyes glowed red. Ready, fire! Waryong unleashed a pir of fire. This ability had a very specific property: pration! Most mes spread out in a wide area and burned anything they touched, but the Fire Arrow concentrated those mes in order to pierce through a single area. Roar! The me pir pierced right through the Mamonas''s body. Then, Asu used a secret move that Loxia had passed down to her. ck and White Fang! This was Loxia''s most powerful move, whichbined the powers of light and darkness perfectly, resulting in massive destruction! A ck and a white panther popped out of her sword. Of course, it was much weaker than Loxia''s own rendition of the attack, but it was still extremely powerful. The two panthers merged together and flew towards the Mamonas. It had a much wider range than Sephiro''s move. The baby Mamonas, the tentacles, and the bombs were swept away simultaneously. It also dealt quite a bit of damage to the Mamonas itself. "Haa, haa." In exchange, Asu waspletely drained of energy. This was the result of using a secret move far above her abilities. Rudy flew her away from the Mamonas. It had realized that its mother was defenseless, so she may be in danger if she remained so close to the beast. Nile returned to the basics. He used a Fighter''s most basic move: Chi Torpedo! Nile repeatedly punched the air, releasing dozens of Chi Torpedoes one after another. These were Chi Torpedoes used by a Master Fighter. Thus, each and every one of them packed a punch. However, that force wasbined, so the result was tremendous. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! All sorts of craters appeared across the Mamonas''s body. However, it quickly returned to its original state. Was it because it was a ghost? Or was it because it was a beast? Kang Oh flew at the Mamonas using Quickness. Demon Sword Homura was enveloped in green energy. It was fully charged. Storm sh! This was another one of Homura''s special abilities. However, the Mamonas devoured the sharp wind in a single bite! That wasn''t all. Its gaping maw began to suck him in like a ck hole. At the same time... Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Its tentacles came flying at him. The ends were sharp, but Kang Oh couldn''t get out of the way due to the vacuum force. Moon''s Protection! His ne glowed, and a full moon shaped barrier surrounded him. ng, ng, ng! The tentacles bounced off the barrier. However, Kang Oh, along with the barrier, were continuously sucked into the Mamonas''s mouth. Hispanions weren''t really concerned for his safety. What, was this the first time he was in this situation? As expected, Kang Oh didn''t disappoint them. Kuhaaahk! The Mamonas writhed and opened its mouth wide. Then, a ton of sparks gathered within its mouth. Swoosh! Kang Oh got out. But...! He was holding another demon sword alongside Homura. It was a triangr, transparent sword with a horn stuck in the middle. Max Chow! Kang Oh''s new Dual Demon form was quite peculiar. First, his two oversized weapons made him look unbnced. Moreover... Half of his body resembled the Great Spirit''s form, with an emerald wing and radiating emerald light, while the other half resembled a beast, covered in fur and a horn. The two swords were like their creators; they didn''t mix, like oil and water. Their powers wouldn''t harmonize at all. Chapter 581. Disobedient Children Get Punished

Chapter 581. Disobedient Children Get Punished

Trantor: Boko Ubist arose from the darkness and bit a baby Mamonas''s tail. Then, it ripped it off as if it were taking a huge bite from a hamburger. Before the insatiable Abyss Predator, souls were nothing more than prey. Kuheong! The baby Mamonas opened its mouth and tried to consume Ubist instead. ''You''re not the only one with a mouth!'' Ubist and the baby Mamonas tangled together. However, Ubist''s ferocity and appetite had no equal. It didn''t even take 30 seconds for it to devour the baby Mamonas. However... Ubist wasn''t satisfied. On the contrary, it felt hungrier, even though it had already consumed five baby Mamonas. ''I want to eat even more!'' Ubist''s eyes glowed a fierce red. Grr. It snarled, melded with the darkness, and then sought its next prey in order to sate its appetite. Ubist headed for the gigantic monster, the Mamonas. * * * If the Mamonas was a legendary monster, then the Soul Guardians were the legendary heroes that fought monsters like it. The Great Hero, Javen! The Legendary Knight, Grande Loxia! The God of Fighting, Khan! The Orc Revolutionist, Howlka! The Triple Master, Kunta! They each dealt with a Mamonas on their own, yet they had no problem taking care of them. Loxia''s de radiated a shining silver aura that was dozens of meters long. Holy Sword Excurion! Only a Knight that had attained the rank of Grandmaster could use this unmatched secret move! Before the legendary knight and this holy sword, the Mamonas was nothing more than a pathetic monster. Tasha aided him with her blood red energy. Once Kang Oh mastered Devil Trigger, she was able to use her full power, the power that made her feared as the Great Forest''s Demon. Thus, she didn''t hold him back. The God of Fighting, Khan, increased the size of his body and pummeled the Mamonas. It looked like he was 4 meters tall. Plus, his body flickered with golden light. Great King''s Descent! He had studied the Great King fighting style all his life, and Great King''s Descent was one of its secret moves. It was only avable to those who learned the style, so he couldn''t teach it to Nile. Boom! There was so much force behind his fist that it went ''boom''. His fists left dozens of craters on the Mamonas''s body; it was as if you were looking at the surface of the moon. But the Mamonas didn''t just sit idly by. It unleashed its explosive spheres at Khan. Khan swung his arms, and softly repelled the explosives with the back of his hand. Despite that, none of the explosives blew up. He had simply changed their direction. His skill was unmatched. Khan raised his foot vertically. Rising Dragon! Like an erupting volcano, gigantic energy rose from his foot and struck the Mamonas''s lower stomach area. Then, he thrust his fist. Great King Style: Hit! His fist unleashed gigantic energy like a meteor, piercing through the Mamonas''s body. It sure was a good sandbag. The Orc Hero, Howlka, always had three secret moves active, which happened to be passive abilities. Deep-Rooted Tree! Eternal Fighting Spirit! The Last Warrior! All of these secret moves explosively increased Howlka''s abilities. Most of Howlka''s skills were passives, which augmented his physical abilities. Strictly in terms of physical abilities, Howlka was the best among the Soul Guardians. No, you couldn''t find anyone who could match Howlka''s stats in the entire underworld. His stats were higher than a dragon''s! Of course, that applied to the Mamonas too. To put it simply, he was a stat monster. The legendary axe, ''History of Battle'', which was regarded by the orcs as a treasure, was swung again and again. That''s it. He just took most of the Mamonas''s tentacles and bombs with his body. The Mamonas was being ripped apart, but Howlka waspletely unscathed. Howlka was the very definition of ''simple is best!''. On the contrary, Kunta was extremely talented. He was a master of swordsmanship, wizardry, and archery! However, he was empty-handed. It was because he had no need for a weapon. If he made a hand de, a glimmering sword would shoot out of it, and if he pointed his finger at a target, then a magical arrow would go flying at them. Incantations were meaningless for him; he could cast whatever spell he wanted without dy. Kunta''s fighting style was basically an upgraded version of Bart''s. He used the skill or spell that matched the situation. He used Swordsman secret moves, cast grand magic, or filled the sky with glimmering magic arrows. In Arth''s history, a Triple Master was far rarer than a Grandmaster. In terms of sheer ''talent'', Kunta was the best amongst the Soul Guardians. However...! If Kang Oh were to pick the strongest Soul Guardian, he would, without hesitation, pick Javen. Not only did he possess the world''s most powerful sword, but his swordsmanship was also without equal! If Kunta was a better version of Bart, then Javen was a better version of Vn. He was also Kang Oh''s ideal. The Mamonas was no match for Javen. Ultimately, the Mamonas were fated to either lose or die by their hands. * * * Demon Sword Chow! This sword, which was crafted by the legendary swordsmith, Max, held no demon within it. In exchange, it possessed the demon''s horn. Have you heard of a Unicorn? It was a snow-white horse with a horn on its head. Legends say that it was born from the light itself, and it was a mythological creature like Wukong or the Phoenix. The Unicorn was also one of the four legendary beasts that Acasus had tamed. Chow was also a Unicorn. However, it was born from the darkness, not the light, and possessed hair darker than the deepest ck. Also, it was said that its horn radiated lightning that originated from the darkness. These were just stories. Although Acasus had proved that the Unicorn existed, there was no proof that the Chow did. Until Max had coincidentally found a Chow''s horn, that is. He had recreated the Chow''s horn through memory, and used it as the core for Demon Sword Chow. Whir! Kang Oh''s body was half emerald spirit, half ck-furred beast! He held a giant wing-shaped sword in one hand, and an ultrarge, triangr sword in the other. Crackle! The furred part of his body radiated fierce lightning. However, the lightning traveled to the other side of his body and attacked it! The spirit side likewise unleashed mighty energy, which burned the fur. [Demon Sword Homura and Demon Sword Chow''s energy hase into conflict.] [HP has been reduced.] This was the first time this had happened to him. The two demon swords refused each other. It was as if they were water and oil. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. Was there some sort of grudge between Chow and Homura that he wasn''t aware of? He soon shook his head. Chow wasn''t actually in there; only its horn was. So it wasn''t two self-aware demons fighting against each other. He suddenly remembered what Sun Lei had warned him about. ''Don''t use it with another demon sword.'' ''They did something to these swords!'' Sun Lei had definitely made it so that his demon sword was ipatible with any other demon sword. However...! Max Chow had struck first. Only after that did Homura fight back. In other words...! Sun Lei and Max had both set up their demon swords so that they''d be unable to be used with others! ''You idiots!'' Kang Oh was pissed. What if he was in the thick of things, used both of the demon swords simultaneously, but found that they conflicted with each other? It was like a soldier''s gun malfunctioning in the heat of battle. But the reason he was pissed was because this was no ident; they had purposefully put in a design w into their des. Even so, he didn''t want to use the swords as Max and Sun Lei wanted. Now that it hase to this... ''I''m doing whatever it takes to use them together.'' When he came back from this, he would stand in front of Max and Sun Lei and say, ''These demon swords are the worst!''. He needed to live through this so he could see their shitty expressions. ''Yeah, let''s do this!'' "Hoo." Kang Oh calmed himself down and quickly took a deep breath. Hispanions were bombarding the Mamonas with long-range attacks. Ubist consumed its tentacles like well-grilled squid. As it did, its body steadily grewrger andrger. "Eder," Kang Oh said. "Yes." "I want you to protect me." "Why?" "I have something I need to do." "Something you need to do?" Eder tilted his head. Then, Kang Oh crossed his two demon swords. "I ept the demon swords'' trial!" [You are the master of all demon swords. There is no need for you to ept the trial. Do you still wish to take part?] "Yeah!" [Demon Sword Homura and Demon Sword Chow''sbined trial will now begin!] Thendscape in front of him changed. * * * He was greeted by the sight of a gray wastnd. The sky was filled with dark clouds, and sharp winds that''d cut the flesh off one''s bones blew. Crackle! The p of thunder rang out, and lightning descended from the sky; it was so intense that it seemed like it''d rip the world in two. In the midst of that... Homura was there. It was a giant bird that radiated emerald light. Like all spirits, its body was transparent. However, its eyes glowed with wicked light, and it let out sharp, shrill cries. There was a giant ck horse there too. It was the Unicorn born of darkness, the Chow. Why was that there? Demon Sword Chow didn''t have a demon sealed within it. When he took a closer look at it, he noticed that only its horn was clearly visible; the rest of it was faint, almost like a ghost. It wasn''t the real thing; it was just a manifestation of the Chow''s powers and memories. Homura and Chow attacked each other. The Great Spirit unleashed an emerald whirlwind, while Chow shot ck lightning from its horn. Two ''demons'' were fighting against each other! Homura''s power was obviously greater. However, shining letters appeared on Chow''s body. Then, Chow''s lightning became thicker and even more powerful than before. Max had told him that the sword would amplify Chow''s power. It seemed like that was what he was talking about. Homura and Chow were so busy fighting each other that they ignored Kang Oh entirely. Despite the fact that this was the Trial of the Demon Sword. Kang Oh looked down at his hands. The wing-shaped sword and the triangr sword were in his hands, though he couldn''t sense the power of darkness within them anymore. Yeah, they were big and tough... ''Clubs!'' Kang Oh strode forward, dragging the two giant swords across the ground. It''s like his parents said, ''Disobedient children need to be punished!''. * * * Eder stared at Kang Oh. His appearance was truly strange. Half of his body looked like a beast, while the other half looked like a spirit. It wasn''t like he was ordering half fried and half marinated chicken, which was popr in Arth right now. Moreover, the two sides were attacking each other. Eder pulled out a health potion from his bag and poured it over Kang Oh''s body. ''He''ll take care of it.'' All he had to do was take on the Mamonas while protecting Kang Oh''s body. He turned his head and stared at the Mamonas. Ubist gnawed at the Mamonas''s tail while Asu and Rudy unleashed gigantic mes. Meanwhile, Nile released powerful energy from his fist. However, Sephiro''s attacks were the most effective against it. Shining Bombardment, which he''d learnt from Kunta, continuously hit the top of its head. ''Do I have about five uses left?'' Eder stared at the Demon King''s Staff. This staff''s unmatched power could only be used five more times, so he needed to be careful. Eder readied himself to cast at a moment''s notice, and waited patiently for his opportunity to strike. How much time had passed? ''Now!'' The Mamonas turned its attention to Ubist. Eder immediately started his incantation. "Through the power of great knowledge, death, reveal yourself to me. So..." The incantation didn''t go on for very long. "...Soul, burn!" Soul Burn! Purple mes quickly spread out like fire through a dried field. However, the Mamonas hadn''t forgotten that Eder was there. It remembered the giant explosion that Eder had created previously. The Mamonas opened its mouth and unleashed ck energy. The purple mes and the ck beam violently crashed against each other, both sides vying for supremacy. Each side would push the other side back and vice versa. Then... Kang Oh soared into the air from behind Eder. He was no longer half and half. A horn protruded from the center of his forehead! Plus, there were ck stars all across his body that radiated emerald light. His outstretched wings of light released powerful sparks that spread out in every direction. Whir! He slowly becamerger andrger. The demon swords, which seemed toorge to wield with a single hand, now looked small enough to be one-handed swords whenpared to his increased size. Great Spiritization! It was an ability that allowed him to use Homura''s power to its fullest. "Hoo." Kang Oh slowly opened his eyes. He''de back after beating the crap out of Homura and Chow. Yep. Disobedient children need to be punished. Homura and Chow now obediently followed hismands. ''Now then, shall we?'' Whoosh! His wings of light created a mighty gust of wind, and Kang Oh shot towards the Mamonas. Lightning Veil! The horn radiated lightning, which covered Kang Oh''s body like armor. Kang Oh crossed his arms. There were countless tentacles blocking his way. Then, he extended his arms again, forming an X through the air. Wind God and Lightning Emperor! First came the raging whirlwind. The raging winds cut through the tentacles like a weed cutter through grass, clearing a path towards the Mamonas. Then, a deep ck lightning bolt shot through the path. Crackle! It struck the top of its head. Kuhaang! The Mamonas writhed in agony. However, this was only the beginning. Kang Oh passed through the open path and stood before the Mamonas. An emerald de shot out of his wing-shaped sword, while a zig-zag lightning de came out of his triangr sword. Mad Wind''s Sword! Thus began the frightening sword dance that heralded the Mamonas''s end. Chapter 582. Procuring the Resurrection Stone

Chapter 582. Procuring the Resurrection Stone

Trantor: Boko While Kang Oh was hacking at its side, the Mamonas opened its mouth. Suck! Kang Oh was sucked in by an incredible vacuum force. However, Kang Oh still had his wings of light. They glowed with more intensity, and kept him from getting sucked in. The explosive spheres couldn''t get anywhere near him either. Demon Sword Chow had created a suit of lightning armor around him, which went out and destroyed the spheres before they even got close. Kang Oh, who had assumed the form of a gigantic demon, continued his assault using Mad Wind''s Sword. Crackle! Whoosh! ck lightning and emerald winds continuously flew through the air. The Mamonas was forced to divert all of its attention to Kang Oh. In the meantime, Ubist dodged the monster''s tentacles and spheres, and got on top of its back. Grr! Ubist unleashed abyss energy, which grabbed a hold of the Mamonas''s soul. However, there was something different about Ubist; it was hugepared to when he''dst seen it. It had doubled in size by devouring the baby Mamonas and the tentacles. Ubist opened its mouth as wide as a snake, and began to devour the beast. A monster of Mamonas''s size was like a blessing for one with such a voracious appetite as Ubist. Ever since it''d departed from the Demon World, it had never encountered suchrge, tantalizing prey. After all, Vn had been the first individual it''d encountered in Arth, and had promptly been sealed away. Meanwhile, Asu, Rudy, Nile, Sephiro, and Waryong were busy at work softening the Mamonas up. Kang Oh''s party had impressive whale hunters and chefs. Kuhaaah! The Mamonas violently struggled, summoning more of its minions and unleashing beams of light from its twenty eyes. It also created as many tentacles and explosives as it could. The intense battle continued on. However, the tides had already turned. It onlysted as long as it did because the Mamonas, unlike other monsters, was muchrger, so it had a gigantic HP pool to match. In the midst of that, the Soul Guardians began to defeat their own Mamonas one or two at a time. The Mamonas, cognizant of its impending death, summoned baby Mamonas of all sizes that ran away from the battlefield. Some of them were the size of elephants, while others were the size of a fingernail. "Don''t let a single one of them escape!" Javen yelled. The Soul Guardians nodded their heads. If they allowed even a single one of them to escape, then the Mamonas would proliferate. It could then potentially cannibalize itself and transform into a giant Mamonas once more. Then... Eder raised the Demon King''s Staff into the air. Soul Binding Net! Mysterious chains, which had the power to trap even the soul, formed a giant that fell from the sky like a veil. "Nice." Kunta grinned and destroyed the Mamonas that were trapped inside. The other guardians cleaned up their end, and made sure they didn''t allow a single Mamonas to escape. From then on, Eder would cast Soul Binding Net on the Mamonas whenever it died. Crack! Once he used up the staff''s charges, it shattered like ss. Eder felt bitter with disappointment. But he''d made good use of it, so he didn''t have any regrets. Now there were only two Mamonas left. Kang Oh''s ultrarge Mamonas and one normal sized one. The Soul Guardians focused on the smaller one first. If you''re too greedy and go for two rabbits at once, you''ll lose both of them. Thus, they focused on one and made sure it was dead before they moved on to the next one. They finished it instantly. Once the Mamonas exploded, the baby Mamonas exited its corpse and tried to make their escape. "Don''t let them get away!" Howlka yelled. The five guardians did their best. Eder also supported them with Soul Bind. Tasha used her sticky blood like an adhesive. "Hoo." The mission was sessful. Exterminationplete! Now all that was left was the ultrarge Mamonas. However, there was no need for the guardians to get involved. The King of Demonic Beasts, Ubist! Its darkness spread all over the Mamonas''s body. Kuhaang! The Mamonas continued to struggle, but it couldn''t extinguish the darkness. Chomp! Chomp! Ubist continued its feast. It kept going until there wasn''t a single shred of its soul left. Of course, Kang Oh didn''t stop attacking till the very end either. * * * They hadpleted their whale hunt. However, Ubist was still hungry. Now that it''d gotten a taste, it couldn''t help itself. Kuhaang! It charged at Kang Oh, its red eyes glowing. ''I''m hungry!'' By devouring the ultrarge Mamonas, Ubist had increased to monstrous proportions. It was so big that it made Kang Oh, who''d increased in size via Great Spiritization, look like a dwarf inparison. It had also regained its full strength. Ubist had nothing to fear. However, neither humans nor demons could do whatever they wanted whenever they wanted. They would pay dearly for it. "Please help me!" Kang Oh yelled. "Got it." The Soul Guardians joined the fray. Sometimeter... The defeated Ubist returned to its demon sword form. "Tch, tch." Kang Oh clicked his tongue. ''You idiot!'' With this, everything had been resolved. "The Mamonas won''t return," Javen said. Their hunt had gone perfectly. They hadn''t let a single one get away either. "Good work." "Good job." Kang Oh and his party said. Rudy, who''d returned to its chick form, tucked itself into Asu''s chest and entered a deep sleep. Waryong also rested its wings, choosing to float around in the air. "The Resurrection Stone!" Kang Oh looked at the Resurrection Stone, which was reminiscent of a miniature sun, and yelled. Then, he extended his hand. The guardians didn''t stop him. After all, the Goddess of Death had agreed to give him a Resurrection Stone in return for his services. "Ooh!" Kang Oh held the stone with both hands. [Resurrection Stone] May create a container for the soul. If a soul enters this container, then the deceased individual wille back to life. When the container is fully formed, the Resurrection Stone will break. It is an item coveted by powerful individuals that seek immortality. They foolishly order their men to retrieve it, sending them to their death. Finally! He had gotten what he''de for. They would be able to heal Vn with the Resurrection Stone. "Are you going to leave?" Javen asked. Kang Oh shook his head. "No. I''d like to stay here a little longer." Vn wasn''t in critical condition, so he nned on training in the underworld for as long as possible. If possible, he would stay here until he became a Grandmaster. "Mr. Kang Oh," Eder said. "Yeah?" "I''ll be leaving." "To where?" Kang Oh tilted his head. "Home." "Why?" "I need to treat Lord Vn." "We can take our time with that..." Eder shook his head, sporting a grave expression. "Is... Master Vn in critical condition?" Kang Oh asked in astonishment. "No. However... he''s probably experiencing excruciating pain." "Pain?" ''He didn''t show any signs of that though.'' "I only learned of this right before we left for our trip. I coincidentally saw Lord Vn squeezing his chest in pain. If he had shown how much pain he was in... I can''t even imagine how he''d react." "Mm." Kang Oh''s expression adopted a simr severity. ''He had been meeting me this entire time in such incredible pain, yet he kept a smile on his face?'' He had never once asked them to fix him, nor had he asked them to alleviate his pain. Kang Oh recalled Vn''s confident expression, as he stated that he''d defeat the Evil God''s energy on his own. ''Saying it doesn''t hurt when it does isn''t a virtue. If it hurts, just say so! How can you be so stubborn?'' "Let''s go," Kang Oh said. Eder shook his head. "Just give me the Resurrection Stone. I''ll go by myself." "Why?" "Lord Vn''s treatment doesn''t require all of you. So please stay here until you get what you want." Asu shook her head. "How can we do that?" ''We''re all part of one team! Plus, we should be there when you''re treating Vn!'' Kang Oh, Nile, and Sephiro nodded their heads. How could they leave such a difficult task to Eder, while they were here having the time of their lives? They couldn''t do that. However, Eder remained firm. "No. You all have to stay here as long as possible. That way, you can tell me all about your experiencester. Plus, I''ll need all those stories for when I write my book!" Eder wanted to stay in the underworld too. There was no greater research material than the underworld. However, he was a Healer before he was a Necromancer. He had a duty to his patient, to relieve Vn''s pain as soon as possible. Thus, this was the best he could do. "But..." Sephiro remained hesitant. "Lord Vn would be disappointed in you if you were to discard such a valuable opportunity for him," Eder said. "Nah, he''d probably say I did good," Kang Oh retorted. "Are you sure of that?" Eder stared at Kang Oh. "Hoo, no. He wouldn''t say that." Vn was ill-tempered, but he was a good man. That was irrefutably the truth. "Then we''ve decided." Eder took the Resurrection Stone from Kang Oh. "Experience all there is to the underworld. I''ll do my best on my end." "Got it." "Yes." Kang Oh and Asu replied. Sephiro clicked his tongue, while Nile furrowed his brow and scratched his head. ''It doesn''t feel right...'' It sounded like that''s what he was saying, at least. "Sir Loxia." "Alright." Loxia led Eder to the underworld''s front door. The rest of them followed Eder all the way to the door and said their farewells. "I''ll see youter." Eder smiled and waved. Then, hepletely disappeared from the underworld. * * * Once Kang Oh returned to Noah, he immediately headed for the three legendary cksmiths. He went there while dragging Demon Sword Homura and Demon Sword Chow across the ground. He wasn''t sure how they''d heard, but the three cksmiths were waiting outside of their smithies. "You''re here?" Bargo said. "We heard that your hunt was a sess. Good work. So..." Bargo trailed off, but Kang Oh knew what he was asking. ''So, which demon sword was the best?'', Kang Oh assumed. "Why!? Why are you using two demon swords at once? You didn''t actually use them together, did you? I definitely told you not to do that; that my demon sword was good enough on its own." Sun Lei crossed his arms and stared at Kang Oh. "Of course one is good enough. If you''re talking about my Demon Sword Chow, that is. But why are you carrying my sword with that pathetic wing?" Max scowled. Kang Ohughed. That was exactly the reaction he was looking for. ''Now, let''s begin, shall we?'' Swoosh! Swoosh! He threw the demon swords at Max and Sun Lei''s feet. "What the hell are you doing!?" "How dare you do this to one of my swords!" Sun Lei and Max''s faces became red with anger. "Your demon swords are the worst." He was speaking from the heart. It was like the president of yourpany did something bad, and you were awarded something in recognition of your achievements. You wouldn''t want to take it because it''d leave a bitter taste in your mouth. "Do you want to die?" "I''m going to kill you!" "You made it so that they couldn''t be used together," Kang Oh said furiously. "What?" Bargo looked astonished. "What''s wrong with that?" "So?" Max and Sun Lei didn''t look ashamed at all. "You''re fighting on the battlefield, yet your weapons have a deliberate design w. Would that make someone angry or not? Huh?" "A design w?" "That''s funny." There was nothing else he could say to them. Though their skills might be top-notch, their personalities were the worst. They were so interested in ending this long, unendingpetition of theirs that they were willing to introduce ws in their products. He no longer had any expectations for either of them. Then, he pulled out Bargo''s demon sword from his inventory. "This one was the best." Demon Sword Karadin was different from Chow or Homura. It worked well with other demon swords, and it was also designed to maximize the potential of other demon swords as well. Bargo had one simple goal in mind: to make the best demon sword that he could. And the results showed. That was what he''d concluded after testing out the sword spear some more on his way here. It was good enough that he thought, ''I should''ve just used this one from the beginning.''. "Thanks." Bargo beamed. Then, he clicked his tongue at Max and Sun Lei. "Tch, tch." ''You''ve forgotten the basics.'' Bargo''s face definitely conveyed that. Max and Sun Lei looked like they couldn''t ept the result, but they also looked ashamed. However, they had no intention of repenting for what they did. "Fine, just keep being like that." Then, Kang Oh took his leave. After that, Kang Oh never visited Max or Sun Lei ever again. He did, however, speak with Bargo, who asionally came looking for him. Chapter 583. Villain’s Plot

Chapter 583. Viin''s Plot

Trantor: Boko Once Eder left the underworld, he immediately returned home. "Wee back." The cute maid smiled at him. "I''ll have to go out soon." Eder went to his personalboratory and took all of the medicine there. He also packed his medical equipment too just in case Vn''s condition took a turn for the worse. This would be Eder''s first time using the Resurrection Stone. He couldn''t help but feel nervous about it. However, Kunta had instructed him on the proper way of using the Resurrection Stone. That took some pressure off his shoulders. "I''m leaving." "Have a safe trip." Eder headed for the Holiseum. On the way there, he took a detour to Burkan''s new matrimonial home. "I found a way to treat Lord Vn." "Really? Oh, thank you so much." Burkan grabbed Eder''s hand, lookingpletely moved. ''Finally!'' "Honey, I''ll be back." "Take care." Dora smiled and saw her husband off. Darion lived in the Holiseum, so there was no need to go looking for him. Eder, Burkan, and Darion headed for Vn''s residence together. Sip. Vn was drinking tea. His chest wound was the same as ever. He was still missing one of his arms too. Plus... Eder could see the slight creases in Vn''s forehead. Even now, Vn was in excruciating pain. He was, however, extremely good at hiding it. "Lord Vn." "Wee, Doctor," Vn said happily. "I found a way to heal you." "Is that so? I''m curious. What kind of magic will you use to treat me?" Vn grinned. "Please trust me. I''ll release you from your pain. No matter what." The word ''pain'' made Vn''s lips slightly tremble. "You knew?" "I figured it out just a little while ago." "I hid it well, didn''t I?" Vn sported a mischievous expression, like that of a prankster. Eder wanted to chide him. ''You should''ve told me that it hurt!'' However, he decided not to nag at him, since he thought it might hurt his pride. Instead, he yed along. "You could''ve been an actor." "If I had, I would''ve been the best. Don''t you agree?" Vn asked. "The way of the sword is your calling, Master. So please get better and hold a sword again," Burkan replied earnestly. "Yeah, you''re right." "As we discussed, we''ll turn the council chamber into an infirmary. Mr. Darion will assist me, and when I call, please bring Lord Vn with you." "Understood." Eder and Darion left the room, leaving only Burkan and Vn there. "Master." "What is it?" "When you''re all better, let''s have a duel." Burkan missed when Vn was at his strongest, despite how ill-tempered and impetuous he was. He truly did! "You sure?" "Of course." "Alright. It''s been a while since west sparred." Vn beamed. Burkan also smiled back at him. Sometimeter... Darion returned to the room. "We''re all ready for you. Let''s go." Darion and Burkan wanted to support him, but Vn refused their help. "I''ll be fine on my own." For some reason, the magic lights that lined the ceiling of the Holiseum''s familiar hallways seemed to be a lot brighter than usual. "Hoo." Vn took a deep breath, and slowly walked into the light. * * * Pcio was a general that defended therge city of Lonk. Following his death, he was transported to the underworld. He was a soldier that''d trained all his life, so his soul was incredibly strong. His soul didn''t flow through the river of souls; it instead entered the gravity-less space outside of its pull. "Is this the underworld? It''s quite a mysterious ce." Pcio looked around, surveying his surroundings. "What is that?" He saw the hemispherical world of Noah. There were all sorts of buildings on top of its surface. "Is that a city?" Pcio was drawn to the city. Although he couldn''t move that well yet, it wasn''t like he couldn''t move at all. Pcio headed for Noah. However, he wasn''t able to reach it. It was because of the ck-robed man that stood before him. "W-Who are you?" "Me?" The man smiled. Pcio had unknowingly readied himself for battle, sensing the man''s malicious intent. "A viin." The man pulled out a ck sphere, which wasrger than a watermelon. Crack! The sphere cracked and a ck tongue popped out, devouring Pcio''s soul whole. "Grow quickly." Then, the man left. There was no one that knew that Pcio''s soul had made it to the underworld, nor did anyone know that his soul had been devoured. * * * It had been one week since Eder had left the underworld. Had Vn''s treatment gone well? Probably. Kang Oh trusted Eder. Then... Sephiro broke him out of his stupor. "Really?" Sephiro asked. The Soul Guardians and hispanions were sitting around a round table, sporting grave expressions. "I saw it with my own two eyes." Kunta pointed at his eyes. "The Mamonas has returned... Didn''t we destroy all of them back then?" Sephiro looked at him in disbelief. "We did." "Do you think we missed one?" Nile asked. Javen shook his head. "No. Wepletely destroyed it back then." "Then it must be a Mamonas that wasn''t there," Asu said. "That''s what''s strange. When the Resurrection Stone appears, the Soul Eaters instinctively head towards it like moths to a me," Howlka said. "That''s also one of the Resurrection Stone''s functions. It serves as bait to lure out all of the Soul Eaters," Loxia added. "When the Resurrection Stone appears, all of the Soul Eaters show up... And wepletely annihted the Mamonas. Yet, a new Mamonas has appeared?" Kang Oh muttered, locked in thought. Something smelled off. "There''s only one exnation," Javen said. The Soul Guardians nodded their heads. "Which is?" Sephiro asked. "Someone is creating the Mamonas," Kang Oh answered. "Yeah. Someone here is growing the Mamonas," Loxia said. Asu furrowed her brow. "Who would do such a thing?" "That''s what we have to find out," Javen said coldly. ''Whoever it is, I''ll find them and kill them no matter what.'' * * * The guardians and Kang Oh''s party divided into groups of two or three, and set off to find the source of the Mamonas. Kang Oh followed Javen. "Do you have any guesses?" Kang Oh asked. "I do. But the problem is that there''s more than a few of them." The underworld, or Noah, contained all sorts of people. There were heroes, viins, dragons, legendary beasts, etc. Thus, if they didn''t have concrete evidence, then they wouldn''t be able to find the culprit. There were too many people here that were capable of growing the Mamonas. "Did something like this ever happen before?" Kang Oh asked. "It did." "How did you deal with it then?" "There were people who used the Soul Eaters to procure the Resurrection Stone. They controlled the Soul Eaters to attack us guardians." "Then what happened?" "They were punished ordingly." Javen smiled brutally. "The same will happen to whoever did this," he added. "How should we find them?" "Let''s go see Acasus." "Why him?" "You''ll see." The midget, Acasus, was sitting on a rocking chair. There was a ck cat on hisp, and there were a ton of cats and dogs around him. "Have you been well?" "Yes." "I''d like to ask you something." "Go ahead." "So..." Javen briefly exined why he was here. "Is there any way to find the culprit?" "So the culprit has a piece of the Mamonas with him?" Acasus asked. "Probably." "Hmm." Acasus stroked the cat''s head, locked in thought. "Do you have anything that smells like the Mamonas? This one here has a keen sense of smell." Acasus pointed at the spotted dog. "No. Any other options?" "I''m not sure..." Acasus shook his head. Then, he looked at Kang Oh and it seemed like a light bulb had gone off in his head. "Was Ubist present when you were fighting the Mamonas?" Acasus asked. "Ubist? Yes, it was," Kang Oh replied. "Did it eat the Mamonas?" "Yes." ''A ton of it, in fact.'' "Then you just need to ask Ubist for help." "What do you mean?" "Ubist has the ability to track whatever it''s eaten. It''s probably an ability it gained to keep it from losing its prey." "Really?" ''My dog had such a useful ability?'' "It''s true. I saw it, after all." Acasus pointed at his eyes. His eyes were different from most other''s eyes. God''s Eyes. He could instantly ''see'' an animal''s emotions, strengths, abilities, characteristics, etc. "That''s good," Javen said. "Yeah." Kang Oh pulled out Demon Sword Ubist and used Demon''s Descent. The demon sword transformed into a jet-ck beast. Its body, which had greatly increased after eating the Mamonas, had reduced to its original size. It had finished digesting the monster. Grr. Ubist bared its teeth at Kang Oh. However, it didn''t charge at him. Then... Acasus put the cat down and stood up. "Looks like it''s angry." Acasus pulled out a small bottle from his chest and opened it, permeating the room with a delicate scent. Ubist sniffed it and slowly lied down! Acasus pulled out ab, and carefully brushed Ubist''s ''fur''. Purr. Ubist purred happily. Kang Oh decided to learn how to properly interact with Ubist while he was here. "Could you tell us where the whale you ate is?" Acasus asked softly. Ubist turned its head to the side. "That way? Where?" Grr. Ubist stood up and led them away. Acasus, Kang Oh, and Javen followed after it. * * * Ubist led them to a small mountain. There was also a gate in front of it, which was supported by a thick, round pir. It was like the entrance to a grave or even a nest. "This ce is..." Javen''s expression turned severe. Acasus looked like he didn''t know what to do. "Where is this?" Kang Oh asked. "This is Zepharius''s Nest," Javen replied. "Zepharius... A dragon''s nest?" Kang Oh recalled the man with red hair and red eyebrows that he''d met at the in Restaurant. He was a dragon, and his name was definitely Zepharius. "Yeah." "..." Kang Oh and Javen remained silent. ''This isn''t a dragon''s doing, is it?'' Kang Oh couldn''t dare utter those words. After all, dragons were undoubtedly the most powerful beings in the world. They were powerful enough that they even made the Soul Guardians feel on edge. If it were truly a dragon''s doing, then things would be a lot moreplicated. "Is this the right ce?" Kang Oh asked. Grr! Ubist angrily bared its teeth. "He''s saying it''s the ce," Acasus said. "How shall we... proceed?" Kang Oh asked carefully. Javen didn''t say anything. Eventually, he said, "No matter how I think about it, it can''t be a dragon. Especially if it''s Zepharius we''re talking about." It wasn''t Zepharius''s style to do something so shady. "I see." Kang Oh really only had two views on dragons. On one hand, you had the Divine Dragon, Gainus, and on the other, the Evil Dragon, Inarius. Good versus evil. An angel and a demon. Thus, he didn''t feel like it''d be strange if it were a dragon. After all, there were evil dragons like Inarius. "First off, don''t let anyone know what we''ve learned today. I trust you won''t tell anyone either." "Understood," Acasus immediately replied. "What''s your n?" "We have to find more information. Secretly." "Understood." Kang Oh nodded his head. Then, he sped his hands together and desperately prayed. ''Please don''t let the culprit be a dragon!'' He already had his hands full with Inarius. ''So please no more dragons!'' Chapter 584. The Worst Mage, Katan

Chapter 584. The Worst Mage, Katan

Trantor: Boko It had been two days since Kang Oh had gone to Zepharius''s Nest. Whenever he had a bad feeling about something, it would almost alwayse true. Fortunately, that wasn''t the case this time. "Zepharius has no connection to the Mamonas," Javen said. "Really? Oh, thank god!" Kang Oh sped his hands together. ''It''s not a dragon!'' "But the culprit is somewhere inside his nest." "Have you found him?" "Yeah." "Who is it?" Rather than answer him right away, Javen waited for the rest of the guardians to arrive. Kunta, Loxia, Howlka, and Khan came to Javen''s residence one by one. They hade with Nile, Sephiro, and Asu too. "I found the culprit," Javen said. The guardians'' eyes gleamed, and they waited with bated breath. Kang Oh''s party did the same. "Katan." "Mm," Kang Oh said curtly. The Worst Mage, Katan! He was strong enough to fight Howlka to a standstill, so he was definitely a Grandmaster! "Are you sure it''s him?" Khan asked. "With Acasus''s help, we figured out where the Mamonas is. It''s in Zepharius''s Nest." "Zepharius''s Nest? Is a dragon involved in this matter..." Khan furrowed his brow. "No. He has nothing to do with this. However, the culprit is operating from within his home." "There''s no way. How could Zepharius have nothing to do with this when it''s happening in his own home... Are you telling me that his home was stolen from him?" Khan looked at him in disbelief and asked sarcastically. ''Yeah, no way someone was able to steal a dragon''s nest. That''s funny...'' "Yeah, it was stolen from him." "Excuse me?" "Zepharius lost a bet with Katan, so he agreed to lend him his nest for half a year." "Hoh, then where is Zepharius staying?" "He''s been staying with Merius. I heard it directly from her, so it has to be the truth." Kang Oh suddenly recalled something. He had seen Katan and Zepharius in the in Restaurant one day. At the time, Zepharius had red at Katan with incredible hostility. "Katan is definitely using Zepharius''s Nest. A dragon''s nest is safe from prying eyes, and is probably the best ce to raise a creature like the Mamonas. That''s why we were led to Zepharius''s Nest while we were tracking the culprit." "Katan''s definitely the type of person to do this. But do you think he''s working alone?" Loxia asked. "I''ve never seen him with anyone else," Howlka said. "But you never know; someone may be helping him," Kunta said. "That''s why all of us will go," Javen said. Although he was called the Worst Mage, none of the guardians would lose against him in a one-on-one fight. However, they didn''t know if Katan had a helper or not, so they would all go just in case. "We''re leaving in 10 minutes. Be ready by then." * * * Zepharius''s Nest was shaped like a small hill. On the outside, however, it looked like the tip of an iceberg. If you passed through the entrance, which was essentially a giant, thick pir, then you would find yourself in front of a grand, underground room. Normally, there would be keepers standing guard outside, but there weren''t any present at the moment. After all, there was nothing to protect in the underworld. Thus, Zepharius didn''t have any keepers. Because of that, Kang Oh''s party was able to reach the innermost area of Zepharius''s Nest. They found themselves inside of a giant room reminiscent of a ser field! This is where dragons rested while assuming their true forms. Katan was standing right there. He was a middle-aged man with tattoos lining half of his face, and he was holding ck spheres in both of his hands. "Wee." Katan''s lips curled upwards. Howlka furrowed his brow. "Wee? You were waiting for us?" "I was." Katanughed. Javen took a step forward. "Are you confessing to your crimes? You were the one who unleashed the Mamonas?" "Would you believe me if I said it wasn''t me?" Katan asked back. "If it wasn''t you, then cooperate with our investigation. As the leader of the Soul Guardians, I promise that the investigation will be fair." "No thanks." "Then we have no choice but to use force." "Nice. That''s exactly what I was waiting for." Katan snickered. "Crazy bastard," Kang Oh muttered. Words hold no meaning now. The guardians resorted to force. It was instantaneous. The guardians unleashed powerful energy, which came at Katan from every direction. At that moment... Katan''s spheres split open, releasing a ton of ck smoke. That smokepletely devoured the guardians'' attacks. Then, the smoke bunched together, transforming into a giant Mamonas. ''As expected.'' Katan was the source of everything. However, something unexpected happened. The Mamonas devoured Katan. "What?" Kang Oh widened his eyes. ''What the hell is going on?'' On the other hand, the Soul Guardians didn''t seem very rattled. They immediately unleashed mighty energy at the Mamonas. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Their attacks dented the Mamonas''s body, turning it into a crushed can. Whir! Then, something unusual happened. The Mamonas''s crushed body swirled around like water flowing through a drain, and was sucked through one spot. A short whileter... The Mamonas disappeared, and Katan stood in its ce. However, it was as though Katan''s body had been painted with ashes. "A Soul Eater!" Javenmented. Katan had devoured the Mamonas''s soul. Crack, crack. Katan cracked his neck and assessed his condition. Thud. Howlka kicked off the floor, instantly closing the distance, and swung his axe downwards. Bam! His gleaming de split Katan''s body right through the middle. However...! "Hehehe!" "Hahaha!" The two separate halves uttered simr sounds ofughter. Moreover, the two halves transformed into twoplete Katans. "Proliferation!" That was definitely the Mamonas''s special ability. "Now..." "Then!" The two Katans yelled simultaneously. Their heads split apart once more, creating another two copies. Now there were four of them! But that wasn''t the end of it. Two more split apart! Now, all of the guardians rushed forward. shy and impressive attacks filled the giant space. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Massive explosions rang out one after another. A powerful shockwave swept through everything around it. Kang Oh tightened his legs and grabbed onto Asu''s arm so that she wasn''t swept away. Sephiro and Nile hid behind Waryong. Rumble! The huge room shook and a ton of dust fell from the ceiling, obscuring their vision. How much time had passed? Once it was all over, the ceiling, the ground, and the walls stopped shaking. Kang Oh swung Ubist horizontally with his free hand. Tempest Tiger! The golden tiger dashed forward, dispersing the dust in the air. Then, Katan and the guardians'' forms were revealed. To be more specific, there were five diamond-shaped mirrors which each contained a copy of Katan and a Soul Guardian. The Soul Guardians and Katan were fighting intensely from within the mirrors. It was as if Kang Oh''s party was watching an action film on TV. God Sealing Mirror! It was capable of even sealing the gods themselves. No matter how powerful the Soul Guardians were, they wouldn''t be able to break these mirrors. Until they defeated the Katans within the mirrors, that is. There was also a Katan outside of the mirror. Right when Katan was about to split into eight, the guardians worked together to kill one of them right away. Thus, he didn''t go from four to eight, but from three to six. Five of them had been trapped in the God Sealing Mirrors with the rest of the Soul Guardians. Thest remaining Katan was... "Hehe." Katan smiled wickedly and walked towards Kang Oh''s party. * * * The reason the Mamonas''s Proliferation ability was so overpowered was because the copies possessed the exact same strength as the original. Basically, there was no loss in strength in the division process. Rather than 0.5 and 0.5, you had 1 and 1. Katan was a Grandmaster known as the Worst Mage. Even if Kang Oh worked together with hispanions, their chances were pretty slim. It would be a better option to stay alive as long as they could. If they did, the Soul Guardians could eventually break through the mirrors and help them. "Stay alive." Kang Oh gripped Sarahoff in his empty hand. He was already holding Ubist. Blood, or Tasha, was sealed in the God Sealing Mirror with Loxia. Nile, Asu, Sephiro, and Waryong prepared themselves for battle too. But...! Kang Oh suddenly felt cold, so he instinctively pulled himself back. Swoosh! A square-shaped mirror appeared in front of him. Sealing Mirror! It was a low-rank spell, but... It would be good enough to seal Asu, Sephiro, and Waryong. Unlike them, Nile had reacted, but he was just a little toote. Ultimately, Kang Oh was the only one who hadn''t been sealed within the mirror. "Hoh." Katan licked his lips. His eyes were reminiscent of a snake staring at its prey. ''Damn it.'' Kang Oh used Devil Trigger. Frozen horns sprouted from his jet-ck beast mask. His arms and legs were covered in shimmering, cial armor, and a jet-ck tail swished around from behind him. Then, he pulled out S-rank shoes from his inventory. They were called Sylphir''s Feather Boots! In preparation for his trip to the underworld, Kang Oh had bought plenty of items that had all sorts of abilities. These boots were one such item. These boots were great for increasing his survivability. Swoosh! Without warning, darkness spears surged from beneath his feet. But with his Hyper Intuition, he was able to react in time. He immediately used Gluttony. His jet-ck greatsword overflowed with darkness, which then devoured the boots whole. All of his abilities were increased threefold! Sylphir''s Feather Boots gave him two abilities: Feather-like Steps and Sylphir''s Barrier. Feather-like Steps increased his movement speed, as well as how high he could jump. On the other hand, Sylphir''s Barrier negated damage that exceeded 30% of his HP. This ability could be used once every 10 minutes. "You sure are good at dodging!" Katan smiled and swung his bent fingers. Spatial Rake! Three ws came through space as if an invisible beast had swung its ws at him. However...! Kang Oh pushed himself towards the ws. It would be an act of lunacy if he didn''t have Demon Sword Ubist. Swish! He swung his sword horizontally at the diagonal w marks. Then, Abyss de activated and absorbed the spell. Tap. Due to thebination of Gluttony and Feather-like Steps, Kang Oh could charge at explosive speeds. Swoosh! He lunged with Sarahoff. A Grandmaster Mage was capable of using buff spells like Strength Reinforcement or Speed Reinforcement that gave them more power or speed than most close-range sses. Katan was the same. He sharply dodged Kang Oh''s attack and then unleashed an even more powerful spell. A darkness spear came flying at Kang Oh. Swoosh! At the same time, an ice pir surged from the ground. Crack, crack! The ice pir broke into pieces, but Kang Oh was already gone. Abyss Transfer! Katan furrowed his brow and stomped on the floor. Then, a ck circle spread outwards like a ripple. That''s when Kang Oh reappeared at Katan''s blind spot. As soon as he appeared, however, the ground began to shine. It was a magic circle. Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! Bam! As if they''d been shot out of a shotgun, bullets came out of the magic circle covering a wide radius. It was a situation that''d make you want to curse. However, Kang Oh quickly swung his twin demon swords and deflected all of the shells. "Hoh." To Katan, Kang Oh was simply a way to pass the time. He then cast his next spell; it didn''t even take 1 second for him. But Kang Oh''s sword was faster. Swish! His jet-ck greatsword cleaved through Katan''s body. ck shards of light burst from the wound. Rip Apart had activated! Kang Oh attacked once more, and Katan retaliated with another spell. This time, bullets came out of the ground. However, the oue was the same. Kang Oh''s attack was faster than Katan''s spell. Even if he purposefully cast the spellte, Kang Oh would just dodge it or absorb it with his jet-ck greatsword. Katan looked overjoyed. "This is great! Absolutely amazing!" Katan had taken it easy at the beginning. But soon enough, he began to cast his spells at full force. "Hmph!" However, Kang Oh''s ice, darkness, and his ridiculous evasion kept him from taking much damage from Katan''s spells. Moreover...! Demon Sword Ubist was capable of cleaving souls! Not only was it capable of absorbing magic, but it was super effective against souls. ''He''s a lot stronger than I expected!'' Katan beamed. To think he''d be able to have such a match against someone he thought would be a time sink! ''Good, good!'' ''I''m stronger than I thought.'' Kang Oh smirked. "Haahp!" Kang Oh, a Master, was overwhelming a Grandmaster. This was apletely unexpected development. Chapter 585. Kang Oh’s Return

Chapter 585. Kang Oh''s Return

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh wasn''t a Grandmaster. However, he was much stronger than your average Master. He was on the cusp of bing a Grandmaster. Then you factor in Gluttony, which multiplied his abilities several fold, as well as Demon Sword Ubist, which was the mortal enemy of mages and souls. These factorsbined allowed Kang Oh to fight Katan on even footing. Kang Oh focused entirely on overwhelming Katan. Ubist dealt so much damage to souls that Katan''s HP instantly went below half. However... Katan was called the Worst Mage for a reason. There was no way things would end this easily. "Hehe, let''s have some more fun!" Tworge, sharp horns sprouted from his forehead. Demon''s Horns! This was a ck Mage secret move. It had a simr effect to a normal mage''s Overload. It amplified the caster''s magic power significantly. Moreover, it gave the user almost infinite MP. However, this ability couldn''t be used for very long; it ran the risk of transforming the user into a demon that lost all traces of their former intellect. Roar! Two giant dark red fireballs ignited in his palms. Annihting Fireball! Roar! The fireballs came flying at Kang Oh one after another. Kang Oh stomped on the floor, summoning an ice wall. Unfortunately, the mes were too hot, so the wall instantly melted away. He activated Abyss Shield and backed off. At that moment... Spike of Death! Kang Oh''s escape route was filled with sharp spikes. The spikes covered so much ground that there was nowhere he could go. ''Then I just need to avoid the ground!'' Kang Oh quickly created a Cube and leapt off of it. Rusty Mist! Reddish brown mist filled the room. Now, there was nowhere he could go. Kang Oh summoned two more Cubes, and forcefully kicked off of them. Bam! He flew through the air like a meteor. Kang Oh was surrounded by mist. [You have been exposed to Rusty Mist.] [Please avoid it. Rusty Mist is an extremely potent acid.] Hiss! Kang Oh heard his armor melting away, but he didn''t worry too much. He instantly closed the distance between him and Katan. Annihting me Pir! Dark red pirs of fire surged from the ground, but Kang Oh had already seen iting via his Hyper Intuition, so he had already dodged it. Then, he swung Ubist. Katan seemed to be quite wary of his jet-ck de. He quickly pulled back. That was exactly what Kang Oh was hoping for. Ubist was just a diversion; his true attack came next. Transcendent de! Sarahoff shed through the air, and cleaved through Katan''s body. Ring of Frost! His de unleashed cold energy, which was capable of freezing the soul! At that moment... Katan''s body transformed into dark red mes. Only his demonic horns were left intact. Fire Demon''s Armor! Maximum firepower! The mes and ice shed. Kang Oh got back into position, and swung Ubist diagonally. Abyss Predator! All of a sudden, darkness interrupted the battle between fire and ice. The key feature of darkness, or the abyss, was its endless depth, which allowed it to consume everything. Abyss Predator swallowed up both the fire and the ice. Katan was forced to cast a new spell. Reflecting Demon''s Mirror! The massive amount of abyss energy was sucked into the mirror. Even the mes and the ice were sucked in. Two-thirds of the mirror was ckened, while the rest of it was red and blue. Kang Oh suddenly had a bad feeling about this. He immediately backed off. "I have a present for you!" Crack. The Reflecting Demon''s Mirror cracked. Then, Abyss Predator, Ring of Frost, and the dark red mes mixed together, forming a deluge of chaotic energy. Kang Oh gritted his teeth. There was only one way of oveing that massive energy. Kang Oh forcefully swung Ubist downwards. Divide the Sea! His de etched a line that divided the world in two. Swish! Katan wasn''t safe from his attack either. Divide the Sea sliced off one of Katan''s demonic horns. What a waste! If Katan had pulled his neck back even a second slower, then he would''ve been killed right then and there. "Kuhaahk!" For the first time since the fight began, Katan let out a cry of agony. He clutched what remained of his severed horn and trembled. However, Kang Oh wasn''t able to take advantage of this. He had spent most of his Stamina on Divide the Sea, after all. Hiss. What''s worse, the Rusty Mist was shaving off Kang Oh''s HP. Kang Oh pulled off a health potion from his belt and gulped it down. Katan had recovered by the time Kang Oh was battle ready. His eyes gleamed, and his body ignited with dark red mes. Roar! Katan quickly flew towards Kang Oh, leaving a trail of fire behind him. Then, he softly stretched out his hand, unleashing waves of fire at Kang Oh. Kang Oh collected as much darkness as he could to shield himself. Roar! The mes passed through the darkness. However, Kang Oh was nowhere to be seen. Katan took a look around. He had already seen him use Abyss Transfer. Thus, he should be able to respond to whatever he did next. He would turn him to ash when he reappeared! Intense mes ignited in Katan''s hands. However... Kang Oh reappeared where he''d previously been located; the ce where the mes had just been. He hadn''t used Abyss Transfer. Kang Oh had insteadid t on the ground. Though he had been nketed by the darkness, concealing his presence. Most of the ''nket'' had been swept away by the mes. In any case...! Kang Oh managed to surprise Katan. Swish! Ubist cleaved through Katan''s body. Katan charged at Kang Oh with zing mes, even though his body was split in half. ''No thanks.'' Moon''s Protection! A full moon rose. The mes licked the surface of the barrier like a snake''s tongue, but it didn''t melt through it. Moon''s Protection wasn''t something to be trifled with, after all. 3 seconds had passed. The yellow sphere broke apart. Katan, who''d glued his body back together, was blown away by a breath of air. However, what came out of the barrier wasn''t Kang Oh, but Sara. Her floating sapphires came forward and joined together. Frozen Shield! She formed a shield made of ice. This ice contained the Ice Soul''s power, so even Katan''s mes couldn''t easily melt through it. Katan was wary of his surroundings since he didn''t see Kang Oh anywhere. Tap. Kang Oh suddenly appeared behind him. Katan stretched out his hands, attacking both Sara and Kang Oh with his mes simultaneously. At that moment... Kang Oh used Divide the Sea once more. "Kuhahk!" Divide the Sea split apart the mes and sliced through Katan''s body. Kang Oh gritted his teeth and threw Ubist with all the strength he could muster. Demon''s Descent! His jet-ck greatsword transformed into the King of Demonic Beasts in midair. ''Devour him!'' It knew, even if he didn''t say it out loud. Ubist opened its mouth wide. Katan''s lips couldn''t rise any higher. "Kyahahaha!" Dark red mes intensified around the one-horned ck Mage. He truly looked like a demon. "C''mon, you beast!" However, everything was equal before Ubist. Demons, mes, and even a Grandmaster''s soul would be eaten by its insatiable hunger. Ubist devoured Katan, leaving no trace of him behind! * * * ''Did I win? Did I really beat the Worst Mage?'' Katan was not someone you could beat by coincidence or luck. Kang Oh realized that his skills had almost reached the level of a Grandmaster. ''I''m not far off.'' Fighting so many strong opponents had strengthened him significantly. Not only did it improve his skills, but it helped him fight against Katan too. His fight with Archmage Lacia was especially helpful. Fighting her gave him a chance to experience what it was like to fight against a Grandmaster Mage. After he lost to her, he thought about a way to beat her. He had actually used what he''d concocted in his battle against Katan. As expected, Ubist was key to beating any mage. Yeah, the demon sword itself was great, but having a demonic beast at your side that could devour any and all spells spelled death for a mage. Kang Oh shook his head and then looked around. The God Sealing Mirrors, as well as the Sealing Mirrors, were exactly the same. Was it because all the copies of Katan hadn''t been killed yet? "Come back!" Kang Oh stretched out his hand at Ubist. Grr! Ubist snarled, signaling its displeasure, but it didn''t attack him. Kang Oh reimed Demon Sword Ubist and tried scratching Nile''s mirror with it. It went as expected. Demon Sword Ubist could cut through all magic, so it left a tear in the mirror. And out of that tear came Nile. Kang Oh saved Sephiro, Waryong, and Asu with the same method. He carefully analyzed the God Sealing Mirrors. Looking through them was like watching the guardians'' fight through a TV. ''I don''t think I need to get involved.'' Katan was no match for the guardians. In every one of the mirrors, it looked like the guardians were close to victory. There was really no reason for Kang Oh or hispanions to get involved. They''d deal with Katan on their own. "Hey... Does anyone have any popcorn?" "I have some!" Asu pulled out some popcorn from her inventory. Real-life foods that were recreated in the game were popr; popcorn was one of them. "I have some too." Sephiro pulled some out too. Nile crossed his arms and focused on Khan and Katan''s fight. Munch, munch. ''Mm, taste''s good.'' Man, watching a fight sure was fun. * * * Howlka was the first one to escape the God Sealing Mirror. A short whileter, the other guardians began to make their way out of the mirrors. Of them, only Javen had walked out of the mirror without killing Katan. Although he waspletely demolished and his plot was exposed, Katan lookedpletely unburdened. Crazy bastard. "Why did you do this?" Javen asked the kneeling Katan. "Haha, what are you talking about?" "Why did you raise the Mamonas, turn it into a Soul Eater, and attack us? Did you really think your n would work or that you''d be able to defeat us?" Javen asked. "Of course. Look. Everything went exactly as nned." "What?" "What are you talking about!?" Howlka yelled. "Hehehe, it was fun." Then, rainbow particles of light escaped Katan''s body. He had given up thest of his memories. Then, Katan''s soul rose into the air and departed for the river of souls. "What happened?" Kang Oh asked. "I told you. The longer you stay here, the hazier your memories be. When you''ve been stripped of all your memories, you return to the river of souls and you''re reborn. He probably... wanted to have some fun before he was reborn." "Have fun?" Kang Oh was absolutely speechless. Everything he''d done thus far was a game to him? "He didn''t have a lot of memories left. That''s why he wanted to end it with a bang," Khan said. "If things went well, he''d be able to take out the guardians and procure the Resurrection Stone. And if things went poorly, he''d have a chance to fight with us. Either way, he wins," Kunta said. What if Katan had been able to split into ten copies, not six? Things might have ended a lot differently. Then again, there was probably some limit to his Proliferation ability, which is why he waited so long to devour the Mamonas. Now that both the Mamonas and Katan were gone, there was no way of learning anything else about the ability. "Whatever the case, the problem has been solved," Javen said. "Let''s go eat." Sephiro clutched his stomach. Waryong''s stomach rumbled. They were definitely a great duo. "Yeah. Let''s head for in Restaurant." With this, all the ruckus that Katan had started was over. * * * Late in the night. Eder''s mansion was filled with darkness. Only his study, which was illuminated by a magicmp, was bright. There was a book in front of him. A portion of it had already been filled. Eder wrote on the nk page with a pen. "Yawn." His face crumpled up like a piece of paper, and he let out a loud yawn. He rubbed his eyes, feeling kind of sleepy. When he removed his hands, he felt even sleepier. "Hoh." ''I should sleep.'' Eder closed the book and stood up, revealing the book''s title. The Dead''s Journey. It was a record of everything he''d seen and experienced within the underworld. However, he didn''t have nearly enough materials to finish it. ''When are theying back?'' Eder thought of Kang Oh, Sephiro, Asu, and Nile. Ah, you couldn''t forget Rudy or Waryong either! He turned his head and checked the date. ''It''s already been two months.'' Eder had left the underworld more than two months ago. However, Kang Oh''s party had yet to return. ''Well, I suppose they''lle back eventually.'' "Yawn." Eder yawned again, turned off the magicmp, and headed for his bedroom. Then, he dove into his bed. He closed his eyes, satisfied by howfy it was. At that moment... Boom! He could hear a huge sound. And... "Eder! We''re back." He heard that bastard''s voice again. Chapter 586. Kang Oh and Valan

Chapter 586. Kang Oh and Vn

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh spent more than two months in the underworld. During that time, several events happened on the continent. His guild, ''Going as Three'', had dropped from first ce; the Gold Heart Guild had supnted it. Gold Heart was the fusion between Wang Seorim''s Geumsan Store and Arthand''s Steel Heart Guild. Kang Oh was actually at fault for this. To be more specific, both Wang Seorim and Arthand had been feeling threatened by the Kang Man Group. Also, ''Going as Three'' didn''t just consist of Kang Oh, Eder, and Sephiro anymore. It included people he was close to such as Nile, Bart, and Helena. Bart''s close friends and the Witch''s Forest''s high rankers were also included. It was filled with a small minority of the strongest, most elite yers. However, Kang Oh had also joined forces with Man Bok, and created the Kang Man Group. To theirpetitors, it looked like Kang Oh had established the most elite fighting force, and was now trying to take over the business world. It was actually due to Kang Oh and Man Bok''s names that the Kang Man Group was able to slowly eat away at the Geumsan Store''s business. In response, Wang Seo Rim and the Steel Heart Guild joined forces. It was thebination of Arth''s greatest merchant and craftsman. Essentially, they controlled production and the means to distribute it effectively! The incredible synergy between the two groups propelled them to the top of the ranks. With this, the Geumsan Store was able to maintain their position at the top of the business world, as well as put a brake on the Kang Man Group''s momentum. The Steel Heart Guild, which had never been at the top before, had finally be the strongest guild. However...! Gold Heart wasn''t able to keep its position for long. Storm Breaker soon reced them as number one. Storm Breaker was exactly as advertised; it was thebination of both the Storm and Breaker guilds. Neither of the guilds cared about the conflict between the Kang Man Group and the Geumsan Store, but they had to get involved once Steel Heart joined the picture. Individually, Storm and Breaker were both too weak topete with the Kang Man Group or Gold Heart. Thus, the Storm Breaker Guild was formed! After that, they united therge guilds, which had weakened due to the Dungeon Liberation Movement, and created an ultrarge guild under their banner. People likened it to the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. Kang Man, Gold Heart, and Storm Breaker would battle for supremacy! However, Kang Man was suspiciously silent. If Kang Oh decided to get involved, then countless people woulde running like gathering clouds. That was proven in the Dungeon Liberation Movement and the Siege of Saw Rock Fortress. Kang Oh''s name possessed incredible power and influence. And yet, Kang Oh seemed to have little interest in this war. In a way, he was simr to Vn. He was the strongest, yet he walked his own path. It wasn''t in his character to do something by relying on the power of arge organization. Kang Oh just wanted to be left in peace. At the top, that is. * * * Kang Oh, alongside Eder, headed for the Holiseum. Nile, Sephiro, and Asu didn''te along. They didn''t have a personal connection with Vn, after all. Creak. They opened the door. There was a young man inside. Kang Oh immediately recognized this man as Vn. Although he recognized his face, his eyes were a dead giveaway; there''s no way he wouldn''t recognize that intense gaze of his. That''s right. Vn had gotten younger. Plus, he didn''t see a wound on his chest, nor was he missing an arm anymore. The Resurrection Stone was that amazing. After all, it had gifted Vn with a younger, more robust body. "Have you gotten younger?" Kang Oh smiled. ''You haven''t just gotten better. You''ve been rejuvenated!'' "It''s all thanks to Dr. Eder." Vn slightly bowed his head at Eder, who''d followed Kang Oh inside. Eder just smiled. "You have two arms, and your chest wound is gone. I''m d." "Haha." Hisugh was bizarre. Although heughed like an old man, it sounded weirding from such a young man. "You look much better too. You''ve gotten stronger." Vn narrowed his eyes. "No one can push me around anymore. Not even you." Kang Oh unleashed incredible pressure. ''I wasn''t ying around in the underworld.'' "Cheeky brat." "I have a right to be. That''s how much stronger I''ve gotten." Kang Oh felt like a new man. To think he''d be speaking like this in front of apletely healed Vn! As expected, you couldn''t act tough without the strength to back it up. "I wouldn''t go that far." "Want to try me?" "You want to fight me?" Vn pulled out his steel sword. Kang Oh couldn''t pull his eyes off of it. It was because he''d seen an ordinary steel sword transform into a holy sword in the underworld. "Is that sword Max Perado?" "Max Perado? You mean the one that''s part of the Max Series?" "Yes." "It isn''t." "May I take a quick look at it?" "I''m telling you, it''s not." Vn furrowed his brow. "You know I''m right. That''s why you''re not showing it to me." "Seriously, it''s not." "Then show me." "Tch." Kang Oh took the steel sword and checked its item information. [Steel Sword] It looks like an ordinary steel sword. Rank: Unknown. Abilities: Unknown. Minimum Requirements: Unknown. "It is Max Perado!" Kang Oh yelled. "What?" Vn scowled even harder. "It''s actually Max Perado?" "You didn''t know?" "Does it look like a legendary sword to you?" "You''re right about that, but..." Kang Oh couldn''t understand it. Why didn''t Vn know that his sword was the legendary Max Perado? Then, he remembered something he''d learned during his time with Javen. ''Max Perado reveals its true form when its chosen hero is in danger. Until then, it''s just a regr steel sword.'' "Have you never been in danger before?" Kang Oh muttered. The steel sword didn''t react at all. Kang Oh stared at Vn. "Master Vn." "What?" "Have you ever been in great danger ever since you''ve picked up this sword? Or have you ever been at the brink of death?" "No, not after I started using that sword." "Even when you fought against Sraka?" "Isn''t that obvious?" ''Why would I have trouble with someone like Sraka?'', his expression seemed to say. "Haa." Kang Oh was absolutely speechless. He felt sorry for Max Perado. Vn was so strong that the sword never had a chance to reveal its true strength. "Where did you get the sword?" "I picked it up at a nearby smithy." He had picked at random, but the holy sword had chosen him. "Have you ever performed maintenance on it?" "No." "You never thought that was strange? That an ordinary steel sword could withstand your power?" "Only a poor swordsman lets their sword get damaged. If you''re skilled enough, then your sword won''t get damaged." "Haa." ''Poor holy sword.'' "That sword is definitely Max Perado." "So what?'' "It''s the Max Perado. The legendary holy sword!" "Demon Sword Ubist was originally Max Gemina." Vn had used the greatest of swords too. However, he didn''t have a reason to do so anymore. Whatever sword he wielded would be the strongest sword, after all. "Gemina and Perado arepletely different. Gemina is a fine de and all, but it''s no holy sword." "They''re the same to me." "We have to awaken the holy sword no matter what. I came back after seeing the legendary hero wielding the holy sword''s full power firsthand! It was absolutely incredible." Kang Oh nned on bringing Vn along with him during his Inarius hunt. What if Vn came with an awakened Max Perado? They would be able to take it down much easier. "The legendary hero... I heard about him from Dr. Eder, but are you actually talking about the Hero Javen?" "I am." "Is he strong?" "He is." "Him versus me." "Javen," Kang Oh said instantly. He didn''t hesitate for even a second. Vn furrowed his brow. "Javen uses the holy sword while you don''t," Kang Oh added. If nothing else, Vn was incredibly self-confident. "Only weaklings rely on their equipment," Vn said furiously. "Javen was the most skilled Grandmaster in the underworld. When you add the holy sword to the mix, then it''s obvious that he''d win." "That so? I want to fight him." Vn licked his lips. "I''m sure you''ll get your chance someday." When he died, he''d get his chance. Though he wasn''t sure when that''d be. "So there are a ton of strong people in the underworld?" Vn''s eyes gleamed. "That''s right." "Tell me more." "Mm, so..." Kang Oh began to tell him about his experience in the underworld. "Kunta, Khan, Dragon Knight Valdes, and Archmage Lacia. They''re all legends that I''d heard stories about when I was young." Vn rubbed his chin, lost in thought. It was obvious what he was thinking about. ''Is there any way I can go to the underworld?'' "I''ll ask the Goddess of Death if you can go." Before he went on his journey, Kang Oh had spoken to the Goddess of Death. She had given him permission to use the Resurrection Stone on Vn, acknowledging his efforts as the Guardian of the Continent. She may give her permission this time too. "Really?" "But I have a condition." "Name it." "Please help me kill Inarius." "That lizard that''s called the Evil Dragon?" "Yes." "Fine." The contract has been established. "Alright, follow me. Let''s see how much better you''ve gotten." Vn stood up. "Sounds good to me." Kang Oh grinned. He truly has been... Waiting for this moment for a long time. * * * Eder watched Kang Oh and Vn''s duel. Kang Oh held Ubist in his hand, while Vn held Max Perado, disguised as an ordinary steel sword. It didn''t feel very tense. Both of them looked extremely rxed. Kang Oh and Vn slowly walked towards each other. Once they got close enough for their swords to touch, they simultaneously swung their swords. It didn''t feel like they were doing anything special. ng! ng! ng! ng! They repeatedly exchanged blows. Kang Oh''s body burst with shards of light. However, Vn''s body did the same. "Good, very good." Vn smiled. Kang Oh did the same. Demon Sword Ubist gradually got faster. He was using Mad Wind''s Sword. Vn''s sword didn''t get any faster. Instead, he minimized his movements and easily blocked Kang Oh''s de. At some point, Eder wasn''t able to track Kang Oh''s de. All he heard was the metallic ''ng'' from Vn slightly tilting his de. Kang Oh lookedpletely focused. He put everything he learned into each of his blows. Vn''s lips were tightly shut too. His smile had obviously disappeared. Both of them focused entirely on their des. Within the silence, all that could be heard was the sound of their des. However, no duel couldst forever. Vn, who had focused on defense, swung his de upwards. Divide the Sea! Kang Oh swung downwards. He also unleashed a Divide the Sea. The two lines ovepped. Gulp. Eder swallowed and didn''t blink. What would the result be? Bam! Kang Oh''s body burst with shards of light, and he fell to one knee. However, he didn''t look disappointed, and he hadn''t given up either. Bam! Shards of light btedly burst from Vn''s chest. He took a step back. "Hehe." "Hahaha." The twoughed simultaneously. Eder looked dumbfounded. ''What''s going on?'' He couldn''t help himself and said, "What is this?" Unfortunately, he didn''t get an answer back. That''s why he asked a follow-up question. "Who won?" This time too, no one answered him. Instead, Kang Oh and Vn readied themselves and then continued their battle. ng! ng! ng! Then... Burkan quietly walked in, stood beside Eder, and watched their duel. A short whileter... "A Grandmaster..." Burkan whispered. Chapter 587. A Dungeon Master is Better than a Landlord

Chapter 587. A Dungeon Master is Better than a Landlord

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh dealt with everything he''d put off. His soul dungeons came first. Once he was recognized as the strongest, very few yers challenged him for ownership of his dungeons. Thus, they were fine without him, even if he ignored them for two months. "Master, it''s been so long. Why didn''t youe to visit?" Teynos whined resentfully. "Sorry, sorry. I went to a ce really far away. Could you give me the soul stone?" Kang Oh went through all of his soul dungeons starting with Moss Cave. He received his long overdue dungeon rewards, and used his repel points to expand the dungeon, add more guardians, or reinforce the primary guardian. Kang Oh possessed fifty soul dungeons in total. Plus, the Kang Man Group managed and sold more than 100 dungeons. That''s why ''dungeon'' was added to his nickname, resulting in many people calling him the Dungeon Predator. In any case, Kang Oh came to the Melmoth Underground Ruins. This dungeon had thirty underground floors, and contained various monsters between level 200 and 400. There were plenty of rare materials that could only be found here. Plus, the monsters not only yielded a ton of experience and proficiency, but they also respawned extremely quickly. Moreover, every floor contained different named monsters, and there was a field boss every 10th floor. The dungeon was also easily essible. It was located east of therge city, Alkrama, and was about a ten minutes walk away. Countless yers came to this dungeon. It was so popr that if you were to select the game''s top ten dungeons, this would definitely be on the list. That''s just how popr it was. The dungeon originally belonged to Dark Moon (arge guild), but Kang Oh had seized it by defeating their guildmaster in a Sacred Duel. "Give me the soul stone." "Understood." The dungeon''s guardian was the Monster Elephant, Indra, which yed a huge role in the Battle of the Nazrak ins. Indra pulled out the soul stone with its long trunk. Kang Oh immediately opened the Dungeon Management Window. [Repel Points: 324,210] [Maintenance Fee: 100,000] [Next Dungeon Expansion: 500,000] The cost of expanding a dungeon came in increasing increments. [100 > 1,000 > 5,000 > 10,000 > 50,000 > 100,000 > 500,000] Kang Oh had already expanded the Melmoth Underground Ruins six times. The dungeons rewards were obviously amazing. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 150,000 Gold. 1,500 Red Fang Wolf''s Fur. 1,200 Cong''s Tendon. 900 Fire Ox''s Tongue. ... 6 Gold Box. 1 Indra''s Summoning Scroll. Gold kept depreciating in value, so now 1 gold was equivalent to 1,000 won. Despite that, 150,000 gold was still worth 150 million won ($150,000 USD). Plus, the materials were worth a total of about 200 million won ($200,000 USD). The Gold Box was basically a loot box. There would be random items inside. Opening these was quite fun. There was a reason people said that dungeon masters were abovendlords. Of course, this dungeon was an exception; most other dungeons didn''t give him this many rewards. He had expanded it six times, and it was popr enough for him to pay the maintenance fee. There were no more than ten dungeons in the entire game that were like this one. Maintaining these dungeons obviously required power. With Kang Oh at its helm, there was no one that could oppose the Kang Man Group. "Hum-hum-hum." Kang Oh hummed. The more money you had, the better, right? He invested the repel points in guardians, who''d make him even more in the future, and also set up several traps. Kang Oh streamlined the path through the dungeon, and added lights in dark areas. Plus, he added rest areas here and there for yers. He also added several incentives that would draw people in. For example, Kang Oh increased the monsters'' experience, their respawn rate, and their item drop rate. He also increased the likelihood that rare materials would appear! yers determined the future of the dungeon, after all. If yers didn''te to soul dungeons, then it''d be difficult to make a profit out of them. "Let''s enter the dungeon ranking''s top three." Recently, the gamingwork, VG, had added a new corner to the Ranking Show. It was called Dungeon Ranking! The show would rank the dungeons based on the amount of yers that visited them. Belmoth''s Underground Ruins was ranked 7th. It was originally 5th, but it had dropped two spots since Kang Oh was busy in the underworld. Kang Oh invested almost all of his repel points, keeping only the bare minimum for the maintenance fee. "Here." Kang Oh returned the soul stone to Indra. Then, he collected all of his rewards and exited the dungeon. His next and final dungeon was the Saul Graveyard. It was where Bone Dragon Akite resided. * * * It had been some time since the Goddess''s Land had be a hunting ground for the game''s elite. There were plenty of yers that came to precious locations like the Saul Graveyard. The named Chaos Knight had a low chance of dropping the ''Chaos de Forged in Hellfire''. In order to procure this de, several yers came to this dungeon. Although it was an undead-only weapon, it could be remodeled, turning it into an S-rank, level 500 de. News that it was a soul dungeon had already spread far and wide. Plus, yers knew that the soul dungeon''s guardian was Bone Dragon Akite, as well as the fact that they''d be the new owner if they spent 1 million gold. However, yers remembered Bone Dragon Akite from the Siege of Saw Rock Fortress, and no one in their right mind would spend 1 million gold on a soul stone. After all, they would still have to defeat Kang Oh in a Sacred Duel, and no one in the game could beat him right now. "Nice!" Kang Oh took the soul stone, opened the Dungeon Management window, and smiled. [Repel Points: 2,743] [Maintenance Fee: 100] [Next Dungeon Expansion: 1,000] Kang Oh immediately expanded the dungeon. [You have expanded the Saul Graveyard.] [You have used 1,000 repel points.] [The maintenance fee has increased to 1,000 repel points. If you do not pay the monthly maintenance fee, then you will not receive your increased rewards.] Rumble! The Saul Graveyard shook. Kang Oh monitored the dungeon''s expansion via the Dungeon Management window. Ten 3-story bone towers appeared across the graveyard. They were filled to the brim with undead. Kang Oh added undead-type guardians at the top of them, and used the rest of his repel points on incentives in order to draw more yers here. Finally, he took a look at his new and improved dungeon rewards. [Dungeon Rewards (Monthly Payment)] 40 Dragon Scales. 20 Dragon Bone. 20 Dragon Skin. 9 Dragon ws. 4 Bottles of Dragon Blood. 1 Dragon''s Heart Shard. 1 Akite''s Summoning Scroll. The dragon skin had gone up from 30 to 40, and the bone had increased from 15 to 20. Everything else had increased as well. "Give me my rewards." "Got it." Kang Oh stashed the pile of dragon materials (2 months worth) inside his inventory. * * * There were countless attractions in Altein. For example, there was the Holiseum, the Mage''s Tower, the Altein Pce, etc. However, the Artist''s Hill, Arnesia, and the Gold Dragon''s department store were the most popr ces as ofte. Due to the Great Change, a river and several streams flowed through the eastern district of Altein, and there were many hills that arose in the west. Arnesia was a city of water located near the riverside in the eastern district, and was modeled after Venice. It was a beautiful ce that was popr as a dating location, and Kang Oh and Asu had been there before. In the west, if you went up the ascending path, then you''d find yourself in front of murals, pictures, statues, etc. It was famous for the works of several artists, and was called the Artist Street. Lastly, there was the Gold Dragon''s department store. It was thergest building in Altein, aside from the pce, the Mage''s Tower, and the Holiseum. There was a banner outside the building that said... - Gold Dragon Department Store! Anything you want, we have! Several people came in and out of the wide open doors. Kang Oh, who disguised himself with beginner clothes and a mask, went inside. Flowers were sold on either side of the entrance, and there was a guide in the middle. "Hmm." Once he smelled the sweet fragrance of the flowers, he felt a lot better. Kang Oh immediately headed for the top floor, which was Man Bok''s office. The top floor was a restricted area, so there were guards there, but they would let Kang Oh pass if he showed him their face. "Oh, Mr. Kang Oh." Man Bok, who''d gotten even fatter than before, opened his arms wide. His face and his general vibe were like afy nket. He made people feel at ease. "How was your trip to the underworld?" "It was fun." "Did you bring anything from there?" ''Even better if it''s something valuable.'' "Unfortunately, you can''t bring anything back from the underworld." ''Aside from what you went in there with, and your body.'' "I''d like to go there too." "I''m sure you''ll get your chance. Anyhow, I assume the Kang Man Group is doing fine?" "Geumsan, no, Gold Heart must have gotten a way to procure dragon materials." "Is that so?" "It''s nothingpared to how much we have to work with, but they started showing off products made out of them." There was no guarantee that the Saul Graveyard was the only ce you could get dragon materials. "Then?" "It''s time to use our secret weapon." The Master cksmith, Hoffman, created countless products out of dragon materials. Amongst them, there were some extremely valuable pieces. Man Bok only sold a portion of those goods so that he''d have a card to y at a time like this. Once he revealed these goods, Gold Dragon''s fame and poprity would skyrocket again. When it came to dragon equipment, this would prove to be an unbridgeable gap between them and the Geumsan Store. "If you need me, just let me know." "Understood. You can at least rest assured that Wang Seorim won''t break any rules." These rules dictated that businessmen fought with strategy, not with their fists. Wang Seorim never broke this irond rule. That was made clear by the fact that they joined forces with a production-focused guild rather than a guild known for its power like Breaker or Storm. Wang Seorim was intent on defeating the Kang Man Group by controlling production and distribution. Indeed, Wan Seorim was a merchant at the core. Man Bok also had no intention of using Kang Oh''s power to force them to capitte. He wanted to defeat Wang Seorim with his abilities as a merchant, not piggyback off of Kang Oh''s strength. "Why did youe today?" Man Bok said. "I have a lot of goods that I need to get rid of. I''ll take them to the storehouse likest time. There are a bit too many items for me to get rid of them here." "Understood." "And I''m going to challenge the dragon again." "Hoh, is that so?" Man Bok''s eyes gleamed. "I''m confident this time," Kang Oh said firmly. "I''ll help you to the best of my ability." There were few ways that a merchant could help. They could procure information and provide the customer with any goods they may require. "I''ll contact you again after I''ve assembled my team." "Alright." "Then, if you''ll excuse me." Kang Oh headed downstairs to the Gold Dragon''s underground storehouse, and dropped almost all of his dungeon rewards there. ''Ah, I feel much better now.'' He briskly walked out of Gold Dragon. * * * Kang Oh spoke to the Goddess of Death again with Cyndia''s help. He asked her permission for Vn to enter the underworld. Of course, he wasn''t asking her to do this for free. Kang Oh would sweet talk her by offering up the most expensive/valuable manpower in the world: Vn. "Use him as you see fit. You could use him to destroy Soul Eaters, or ask him to deal with another task. If you allow him entry into the underworld, then he won''t refuse, no matter what you ask of him." "Alright," the goddess agreed. ''Nice!'' Kang Oh clenched his fist. With this, one member of his dragon extermination team had been decided. To think he''d get Vn on his team! Getting him was the absolute best decision. Chapter 588. Dragon Hunt Preparation Chapter 588. Dragon Hunt Preparation Trantor: Boko The members of Kang Oh''s team had been decided. It included Kang Oh, Vn, Nile, Sephiro, Bart, Helena, Asu, and Isshin. There were eight people total. Eder was missing from the team. For all his strength, Kang Oh wasn''t sure he''d be able to beat Inarius the first go around, so he decided to leave Eder out of this. After all, he was an NPC, and wouldn''t respawn after death. Vn was a different story. No matter what happened, he was strong enough to save himself. Supernova Nile! Wyvern Master Sephiro! Genius Bart! The Witch of Annihtion, Helena! Kang Oh had a long-standing rtionship with them. Plus, they were all Masters and Numbers. In Asu''s case, he brought her along because she was a Phoenix Knight. Inarius was a Fire Dragon that spewed mes that were even hotter than hellfire. Not only could the Phoenix devour these mes, but it lent its fire immunity to its guardian, the Phoenix Knight. Moreover, Asu had gotten much stronger from her time in the underworld. The Soul Guardians had passed down several of their secret moves to her. She definitely wouldn''t get in their way. Finally, Isshin was Nile''s friend. He was a Pdin of Life. It served the God of Life, Luhan, and was a hidden ss that could effectively tank and heal simultaneously. Although he hadn''t be a Master yet, there was no questioning hispetence. He was a high ranker that, together with Nile in the old Steel Heart Guild, had performed admirably during a raid. Kang Oh had gathered reliable and distinguished members for his team. None of them were rabble! Now they needed to prepare for the Inarius raid. First, Kang Oh gathered the three master craftsmen: Dink, Ris, and Hoffman. They were the ones responsible for the dragon belt that he wore! He also invited Grano, a professor of the Tower and a magic tool engineer. Kang Oh had once traveled the desert with him at his side. Kang Oh asked them to create equipment for his team. Him and Man Bok provided them with dragon/other precious materials. However, they wouldn''t be able to finish hismission in just a day or two. It took a whole month. In the meantime, Kang Oh and his team hunted raid bosses in order to refine their teamwork. Their first target was Lich Akkad. The Immortal King, Akkad! He was an Immortal Monarch that was far stronger than the Lich he''d previously defeated, Lich Eclipse. The Great Change created an ancient tomb deep underground. The ruler of this tomb, as well as the raid boss, was Lich Akkad. yers hadn''t sessfully defeated it yet. That''s how powerful it was. Not only was it guarded by thousands of powerful undead, but there were two Bone Dragons as well. They weren''t ''fake'' Bone Dragons like Akite; the power of darkness was infused in dragon bones, resulting in their creation. Although they were weaker than Akite, they were amongst the strongest undead-type monsters. However¡­! Before Kang Oh and Vn, these mighty Bone Dragons were nothing more than dinosaur fossils in a museum. They were absolutely no threat to them. Nile, Asu, Bart, Helena, and Isshinpletely demolished the thousands of undead. The Immortal King, Akkad, was a pain in the ass to deal with. It possessed powerful curses, could summon undead on arge-scale, and could also use mastered ice magic. Akkad''s most dangerous spell was Absolute Zero. This spell was a cmity that''d freeze anything in its path. However, Kang Oh''s party had Rudy on their side. No matter how cold its environment was, a Phoenix''s mes would never go out. Isshin was the one who''d destroyed Akkad''s life vessel. His hammer, which contained the energy of life, smashed apart the pot filled with death energy. Guaaaah! Akkad turned to ashes, leaving behind glimmering items on the floor. [You are the first to defeat the Immortal King, Akkad.] [Akkad has dropped its highest ranked items.] [What a great feat.] [Fame has increased.] [You have acquired the title, Bringer of Light.] [You have leveled up.] Kang Oh split up the items right then and there. Helena benefitted the most. She was given the grimoire that contained ''Absolute Zero''. * * * Krocsar was their next target. It was a Spider Queen, which was located in the innermost section of a huge cave within the heart of the Great Forest! The Spider Queen''s exoskeleton was so tough that it wasparable to the world''s hardest metal, adamantium! There were several Cannon Ants riding on its back, which repeatedly spat acid at them. The queen''s room also contained eight passageways, and soldiers ants continuously came out of them. However, Kang Oh and Vn were the world''s sharpest swords. They cleaved through the Spider Queen''s tough exoskeleton with Divide the Sea. Bart and Helena used AoE magic to wipe out the queen''s minions. In order to be Grandmasters, they were currently undertaking a god''s task. From what he heard, Hernandez, Raon, and Arthand were all doing the same thing. Kang Oh would just have to wait and see who became a Grandmaster first. Sephiro and Waryong did spectacrly against the ants, while Asu and Nile focused on the Spider Queen itself. Isshin just smashed the ants'' heads with his hammer. In the end¡­ Shake, shake. Krocsar''s antennae shook violently, and its giant body fell to the side. Thud! [You are the first to defeat the Spider Queen, Kroscar.] The second raid was a resounding sess. Nile obtained an SS-rank belt, while Isshin received metal gloves that boasted incredible defense. * * * Dragons were the most skilled in magic by far. A dragon''s heart had nigh limitless mana, and a dragon''s spells were both stronger and on a muchrger scale than any other race. Thus, their spells were more like natural disasters than magic. No one knew how skilled Evil Dragon Inarius was at magic. The only thing that he could hope for was that it was inferior to the Divine Dragon. In any case, the most important factor was how well their dragon equipment would fare against a dragon''s powerful magic. At first, the Dwarven cksmith, Hoffman, suggested that they use Violf''s tinum in order to reflect the dragon''s spells. However, Grano was against it. "Completely reflecting a dragon''s spells is impossible. Why don''t we instead focus entirely on dragon magic, and make the armor as resistant to it as possible?" You go to a pharmacist for drugs, while you go to a mage for magic. Hoffman, Dink, and Ris epted Grano''s reasoning, and began creating armor that''d reduce the damage of Inarius''s spells as much as possible. That''s how the armor set, ''Dragon yer'', was born. Hoffman called Kang Oh to his personal workspace. "Please take a look." "Understood." [Dragon yer''s Heart] The breastte of the Dragon yer set. It was created for the sole purpose of fighting a dragon, and was made by craftsmen and a magic tool engineer. Those who seek to fight a dragon should first procure this set of equipment. + 3 Set Effect: Dragon yer''s Sessor. You do not tremble in fear before a dragon. A dragon''s roar will not reduce your morale or your abilities. + 4 Set Effect: Magic Reduction. Reduces the damage of a dragon''s spells by 50 - 90%. +5 Set Effect: Dragon Killer. Deal double damage against a dragon. Rank: SS. "How is it?" Hoffman asked. "It''s great," Kang Oh replied. The Dragon yer set was definitely a requirement when fighting dragons. There was, however, a downside to it. It didn''t have an item effect that''d help him deal with a dragon''s breath! A dragon''s breath was their most powerful attack, so if it protected them from that, then they''d have nothing to fear. "Is there no way of adding an effect that''ll protect us from a dragon''s breath?" "Completely nullifying a dragon''s breath is impossible. It''s not magic, but the power of nature itself. It''s simr to how we can''t stop floods or forest fires from starting," Grano replied. "I see. Understood. Please make this armor set for mypanions." There were two types of Dragon yer armor. One was made of Dragon Bone and precious stones, while the other was a lighter leather armor that was created out of Dragon Scales and Dragon Skin. Their effects were simr, but the te armor had higher defense and was heavier, while the leather armor was weaker in the defense department but far lighter. Kang Oh, Vn, Nile, Sephiro, Bart, and Helena chose the leather armor, as it''d be much easier to move around in. On the other hand, Asu and Isshin, who both had knight-type sses, chose the heavier armor. Knights had a special ability that increases the performance of heavy full te armor. His teammates also made separate requests. For example, Sephiro wanted a belt, Bart and Helena wanted an essory, Isshin wanted a belt, etc. Kang Oh asked Eder for a secret drug that''d increase his abilities, andmissioned Strawberry Milk (the alchemist that created the Elixium for him) for healing and buff potions. Their preparations for the fight with Inarius were progressing smoothly. * * * Their third raid involved the Nine-Headed Hydra, Kargagon. Defeating a raid boss that was over level 500 wasn''t an easy task. However, it wasn''t that hard either due to Kang Oh''s all-star team. Fourth was Thunder Cura. It was the ruler of Thunder Cliff, and unleashed powerful lightning at its enemies. Cura actually looked like a Dokkaebi. Plus, it was said that Cura was the Lightning God''s third son. It was stronger than the three raid bosses Kang Oh''s team had faced before. They felt goose-bumps across their bodies when Cura covered the world in lightning. However, it was weaker than a dragon. There was no reason Kang Oh''s team wouldn''t be able to beat it when they were gathered to kill a dragon. Moreover, the more raids they participated in, the better their teamwork became. Cura left an incredible de behind. It was called the ''Lightning''s Heart'', and was created by the Elvish cksmith, Sun Lei, someone he had bad memories of. The only ones who used swords were Vn, Kang Oh, and Asu, but¡­ Kang Oh could only use demon swords and Vn had no interest in quality swords. Ultimately, Asu became the possessor of two of Sun Lei''s creations: the Fire''s Heart and the Lightning''s Heart. She had no interest in dual-wielding, so she decided to swap between them using Switch. "At this rate, I''ll gather all of the Heart Series," Asu smiled and said. Sometimeter¡­ Hoffman told him what he''d been waiting to hear. The anti-dragon equipment was finally finished. * * * Now they were fully prepared to take on Inarius. "Please kill him no matter what, and avenge Hoff and our tribe for everything he''s done to us," Hoffman said passionately, staring at Kang Oh with bloodshot eyes. This was a man who''d lost his wife and son at the hands of that dragon. Kang Oh could feel the weight of his words. "I''ll kill it. I promise." Kang Oh''s party, wearing their red colored Dragon yer set, headed to the Phamas Mountains'' northernmost point. Sometimeter¡­ They arrived at a mountain with two peaks like a demon''s horns. The mountain was called Munir. In the ancient tongue, Munir meant twins. The twin peaks, which stood side-by-side, were called that because they were indistinguishable from each other. At the moment, however, it was called the Antagos Mountain, or ''That Mountain''. Antagos. This too had a meaning in the ancient tongue. ''Anta'' meant nightmare, while ''gos'' meant despair. The two words had been fused together. Nightmare and despair. That''s what the dwarves called this mountain ever since Inarius, the ck Nightmare and the Wings of Despair, turned this into its nest. Chapter 589. Inarius’s Nest

Chapter 589. Inarius''s Nest

Trantor: Boko The entrance to Inarius''s Nest was like a sideways ripped open mouth. It felt like a frightening monster woulde right out of it. Kang Oh looked over hispanions'' faces. None of them looked particrly nervous. "Let''s go." A short whileter... Kang Oh''s party was enveloped in deep darkness. [Warning! This is Inarius''s Nest.] This wasn''t the first time he''d ventured into Inarius''s Nest. Sometime after the Empire''s fall, Kang Oh hade here to kill Inarius. However, he couldn''t even make it past the guardians, so he was forced to retreat before he could even see it. ''This time will be different.'' There were ornately sculpted pirs inside, which supported the ceiling andy equidistant from each other. They were created by the dwarves that Inarius had captured. Some of them were even sculpted by the ck Hammer Dwarves. Warriors, who wore glimmering scale mail, appeared from the far side of the passageway. Their faces were wide like lizards. Spartoi. They were the mostmonly seen enemies within a dragon''s nest. However, Inarius''s Spartoi were stronger than the norm. Their weapons, which the dwarves put their blood, sweat, and tears into, gave them an edge over their peers. "Trespassers." "Exterminating them." Ten Spartoi rushed at Kang Oh''s party. They were so quick and agile that they reached them in a sh. Swish. One Spartoi swung its de at Kang Oh. Considering how sharp the de was, it must have been made by a dwarf with some skill. He wasn''t sure whether the cksmith had created the de of his own free will, or if he was forced to by the dragon. ''I suppose this''ll do for a light warm up.'' Kang Oh dodged the blow by twisting his body, and then used Switch to pull out Blood and Sarahoff. Devil Trigger! His body was soaked in blood red energy, and horns and wings protruded from his head and upper back respectively. Frostblood! Red ice spread across Blood and Sarahoff, transforming them into ice des. Swish! sh! Swish! sh! Kang Oh''s swift, powerful attacks passed through the Spartoi''s body. * * * The Spartoi weren''t the only ones guarding Inarius''s Nest. There were the K, Oricon, Clockwork Steel Golems, and Chimeras. K wore bear fur, and traveled alongside fire-spewing Hellhounds. Oricon were half-snake, half-human monsters, while Chimeras were monsters made up of several different beasts. They were all more powerful than the Spartoi. Even so, they weren''t nearly strong enough to stop Kang Oh''s party. Kang Oh asionally saw some dwarves too. In fact, some of them rushed at them stating ''Lord Inarius!'' like religious zealots. On the other hand, they also encountered dwarves in chains, who gave Kang Oh a quick nce and then went back to work. Kang Oh looked at them, and realized that that was how the ck Hammer Dwarves had lived under Inarius''s rule. "Let''s go." Vn tapped Kang Oh''s shoulder. Vn''s gaze was intense. As the Guardian of the Continent, he would punish the wicked dragon for its crimes. "Yes." Kang Oh nodded his head. He pledged to kill Inarius no matter what. Inarius''s Nest was vast. The evil dragon would capture dwarves, and use them to further expand the dungeon. There were statues of Inarius everywhere. The other statues depicted people trembling in fear of it or begging for mercy. At that moment... "Careful!" Nile yelled urgently. Then, Kang Oh, who led the pack, froze. Swish. Nile quickly pulled him back. "It''s a trap." Nile pointed at the floor. "There weren''t any traps herest time." "They either moved the traps or added more." Nile quickly disarmed the trap. ''I would expect nothing less!'' Kang Oh gave him a thumbs up. However, the traps weren''t the only things that had changed. The path inside had changed as well. Although he''de here once before, he inevitably got lost. Meanwhile, more and more Chimeras started to attack them. "Eliminate the invaders." "For Lord Inarius!" At some point, they only encountered named monsters. They were intelligent, and were far more powerful than the rabble they''d faced before. However, the power level of Kang Oh''s party was out of this world. Especially Kang Oh and Vn. They swept through the monsters like an irresistible force. No one could stop them. Until ''that guy'' appeared, that is. * * * They encountered an individual garbed in ck armor; his face was concealed by a helmet, and he held an incredibly sharp sword. It was clearly an excellent de. "You''re here." He was the reason Kang Oh had been unable to advance any furtherst time. The ck Knight! Since he hadn''t heard his namest time, hebeled him as such for convenience''s sake. "I thought you diedst time... Are you an Immortal?" The figure spoke in a baritone voice. "I guess it doesn''t matter. I can just kill you again. After all, entering Lord Inarius''s nest without permission is a crime punishable by death." "Who''s going to kill who?" Vn retorted and stepped forward, holding an ordinary ''steel sword'' in his hand. Kang Oh had done his best to help Vn awaken Max Perado. In the end, however, there was nothing strong enough to truly endanger him. Although he couldn''t see the ck Knight''s face, he clearly saw the tip of his de slightly shake at Vn''s appearance. ''Is he excited or is he scared?'' There was no way of knowing just yet. Then... Vn attacked. The battle had begun. The ck Knight blocked Vn''s attack with ease, and then countered with a sharp blow of his own. "Are you a Dragon Knight?" Vn asked. "Yeah. I''m Lord Inarius''s loyal servant. Who are you?" "Vn, the continent''s strongest swordsman." "The strongest, huh..." The ck Knight and Vn''s duel intensified instantly. The ck Knight had suddenly switched gears. ng! ng! ng! Sharp metallic ''ng'' noises rang out repeatedly. ''I''ve never seen swordsmanship like that before.'' Kang Oh carefully watched the ck Knight. However, his style seemedpletely unfamiliar to him. "Are you an elf?" Vn asked. The ck Knight flinched, but didn''t answer him. "..." "You fight like an elf." "You''re a sharp one." The ck Knight removed his helmet, revealing a pointy-eared elf. However, his skin was coffee-colored; he was a Dark Elf. "What''s your name?" Vn asked. "Rokan." "Your name starts with Ro, which means... Are you from Roharim Forest?" "...That''s right." "You''re a survivor of the Roharim Forest Massacre." The Roharim Forest was home to the Roharim Elves. However, there were some insane fair-skinned elves that believed that Dark Elves were impure, and should be annihted from this world. The Elf Purebloods! They were the orchestrators of the Roharim Forest Massacre, which happened ten years ago. Only a small handful of Dark Elves survived this tragedy. Rokan was one of the few that had survived. Eight years after the Roharim Forest Massacre, countless elves were killed. It was the actions of the Dark Elves, who''d lost their families and parents at the hands of the Purebloods. The problem was that the Dark Elves killed innocent people too. "Mad Rokan!" Rokan''s lips curled upwards. It was quite the cold smile. A long time ago, Rokan hade to Inarius''s Nest seeking power; power to take revenge on the Purebloods for taking away his parents and siblings. Inarius was impressed by his heart, which burnt with a desire for vengeance, and granted him immense power. The power of a Dragon Knight. Rokan, who made this power his own, set out to take his revenge. Then, he started to target the Elf Purebloods. However, he was never fulfilled, regardless of how many he killed. Whenever he saw a fair-skinned elf, it felt like he''d go mad with rage. Ultimately, he killed countless innocent elves as well. "Did you kill Corsi!?" The reason he was so knowledgeable about elvish affairs was because he had a close friend who was an elf. The Elf Master Swordsman, Corsi. "Corsi, huh... I haven''t heard that name in a long time. He was a fool for trying to stop me. Haha. His screams were delightful." Rokan licked his lips. Vn was seriously pissed. "I''ll kill you!" Vn''s sword came for Rokan''s neck with blistering speed. Rokan quickly swung his sword too. The two exchanged blows again and again. Kang Oh''s party also engaged in battle. Several guardians had followed the sound of Rokan and Vn''s fight. The Pdin of Life, Isshin, raised his hammer into the air, and it brimmed with warm and iridescent light. Joy of Life! This increased his party''s HP regeneration significantly. As a side benefit, it also increased their defense and elemental resistances slightly. AoE Taunt! The guardians in front rushed at Isshin. He defended himself with his shield, and gave them a taste of his hammer. Asu interchangeably used Fire''s Heart and Lightning''s Heart. Rudy didn''t transform into its true form; they needed it to hold off until they faced the dragon. She was plenty strong without Rudy. So much so that she was encroaching upon Snow Flower''s position as strongest swordswoman. "Invaders!" Spartoi rushed at Sephiro from every direction. Their weapons glinted sharply. Sephiro nimbly dodged their attacks, and then unleashed an arrow in front of him. Shining Bombardment! A giant arrow struck the Spartoi head-on. Even they wouldn''t be able to withstand a straight shot. Several Spartoi corpses rolled onto the floor around him. Swish! Waryong hung off the ceiling, pulled its head back, and then unleashed a Fire Breath. Bart forwent his specialty, summoning Giants. Even without them, he was formidable indeed. ''Add Homing Arrow to Chaos Sphere... Come out, Chaos Arrow!'' Chaos Sphere was a spell thatbined light, darkness, and chi together. However, he had added another element into the equation. He had created a fusion spell incorporating four different elements! A ck and white spinning arrow shot forward. Normally, a Homing Arrow was quite slow. However, Bart''s fusion technique hadpletely eliminated that downside. Whir! The Chaos Arrow struck a Chimera''s forehead. Boom! This resulted in a massive explosion. The nearby Chimeras were caught in the explosion and turned to ash. "...The name of fire." "...Flower that blooms on frozennd!" Two Helenas were present. One of them was an illusion, but the illusion''s magic dealt a considerable amount of damage with its spells regardless. Imaginary Projection! It was an arcane spell that made illusions real! She had used the spell that the Illusion Master, Ared, had created. This spell was described in three volumes of Illusion More Real than Reality Itself. Kang Oh had owned the first volume, while Helena had owned the second. The two had agreed to give thest volume to the one who found the final volume, and Kang Oh had found the third. However, Kang Oh had made a promise with Ared''s spirit when he obtained the third volume. He had promised to restore the Miraculous Oasis, which would appear to those in the desert and quench their thirst. Unfortunately, Kang Oh wasn''t a Mage. Moreover, Imaginary Projection required the user to have mastered an illusion spell. Helena, however, was qualified. He formed a contract with her and gave her the grimoires. She agreed to help him ten times, and also recreate the Miraculous Oasis. It was a satisfying agreement. After all, you couldn''t get someone of Helena''s caliber just anywhere. It was also because of that deal that Helena had agreed to help him! Plus, he could ask for her help several more times. Helena performed the role of about four to five high rankers by herself. But with Imaginary Projection, she was more useful than ten high rankersbined. Her ice and fire spells immediately swept through the guardians. Nile swung his leg. Originally, he had focused on his arms, but through Khan''s tutge, he had begun to incorporate more kicks into his fighting style. ''Your legs are stronger than any weapon in this world,'' Khan had said. Nile somewhat understood what he was saying. Whoosh! He swung his leg upwards, and the guardian''s head popped like a watermelon. To think his kicks would be this powerful, despite not fully limating to his new fighting style yet! Then... "Kuhaahk." It was the Dragon Knight, Rokan. Rokan had made a huge mistake; he had angered Vn. "Die!" Vn cut off his head. Swish. Rokan''s severed head flew through the air. As expected of Vn! To think he''d be able to defeat the warrior that''d beaten him so easily! He couldn''t help but give him a thumbs up. However...! All of a sudden, a giant magic circle appeared beneath his party''s feet. Kang Oh remembered this magic circle. ''Gainus''s transfer magic circle!'' That''s right. It was a teleportation magic circle. The only one who could possibly use magic of this scale was Inarius. "Get out of the magic circle..." Kang Oh yelled urgently. However, he wasn''t able toplete his sentence. Suck! Kang Oh''s party was sucked into the magic circle one or two at a time. Vn and the decapitated Rokan were sucked in as well. A short whileter... Kang Oh sensed an incredible presence in the room and opened his eyes. [You have discovered Dragon Inarius.] Inarius was right in front of him. Chapter 590. Inarius

Chapter 590. Inarius

Trantor: Boko Kang Oh''s party stood atop an ind that floated above ake of boilingva. There was a red dragon lying down in the middle of it. Puff. A ck plume of smoke rose from its slightly parted mouth. The two horns on its long head represented fear and despair. Its deep yellow irises were as beautiful as gems, but their gold gaze could freeze even the soul itself. The dragon possessed a long neck, a giant red body, and a tail, which seemed like it''d crush anything with a single swing. Inarius''s wings were its most striking feature. The jet-ck wings looked like they were made of threads of darkness that a craftsman had painstakingly stitched together. Dragon Inarius! It was the living embodiment of evil! Gulp. Kang Oh swallowed hard. This wasn''t the first time he''d seen a dragon firsthand. After all, he''d seen the Divine Dragon plenty of times. However, he felt a different kind of presence from Inarius. Just looking at it gave him an ominous feeling, like something bad was just waiting to happen. It was like Inarius was the incarnation of fury and misfortune. Kang Oh and hispanions didn''t move a muscle. They never would''ve guessed that they''d be meeting Inarius like this. Thus, they didn''t move hastily and kept up their guard. Inarius''s yellow eyes stared at Rokan''s corpse. The ck Knight''s severed head rolled onto the floor beside his body. p. Inarius stretched out its wings, and out came ck threads that pierced Rokan''s face and body. Something strange happened next. The threads sprouted out of the severed portions of his body, twisted together like vines, and then pulled on each other. "How dare you!" Vn swung his sword. He quickly realized that Inarius was attempting to revive Rokan. Vn couldn''t just sit there and watch. Rokan was his mortal enemy, one who''d killed his close friend in the past. Divide the Sea! Vn swung his sword, unleashing a line of unmatched sharpness; it was as if the word ''sharpness'' originated from it. Bam! Inarius stretched out its other wing, acting like a veil that blocked Divide the Sea. Rip! The wing was ripped apart like paper. However, the ripped wing instantly mended itself as if ck ink had filled in the gaps. Even so, Divide the Sea hadn''t fully disappeared. It passed through Inarius''s wing and came straight for Rokan''s corpse. Inarius was mumbling something. Whir. In an instant, dozens of magical barriers wereyered around Rokan''s body! Screech! Divide the Sea struck theyered barrier, making a sound akin to a saw cutting through rock. The barrier sparked and a coupleyers shattered, but Vn''s attack wasn''t able to break itpletely. The saw had lost its edge before the rock could bepletely broken. Bam. Inarius fluttered its ck wings. Dancing me! A dark red circle of me gradually expanded around Inarius''s body. Kang Oh and hispanions protected themselves. In the meantime, Rokan''s head and body were reconnected. His once lifeless face began to show the spark of life once more. "Heok!" Rokan immediately stood up. "L-Lord Inarius!" Rokan''s body shook as he saw the dragon''s face. "You failed to stop the invaders, I see." Inarius''s enraged voice rang out. Inarius didn''t ept failure. If you did fail, the best you could do was bow and beg for forgiveness. After all, Inarius reveled in the sight of bugs bowing before it. "P-Please forgive me." Rokan immediately knelt down and prostrated himself. "I thought about leaving you to your death, but I decided to give you another chance." "Thank you." "I called Duvall and Meragon. I want to see you kill these invaders." "I''ll take care of them no matter what!" Rokan stood up. Then... A portal opened up, and a three-headed lizard with red skin and a giant body walked out. Three-Headed Meragon! It was followed by a dwarf. He had a much smaller build than a normal dwarf. His eyes were also strange, and he held different hammers in his hands. The Chieftain of the ck Wing Dwarves, Duvall! They were a tribe of dwarves that loyally followed Inarius. Duvall was the result of Inarius''s horrific live experiments on the dwarves. Kuhaang. Meragon and Duvall stood in front of Inarius. "Take care of the invaders." Dragon Knight Rokan. Three-Headed Meragon. Artificially Enhanced Dwarf, Duvall. They were the three most powerful guardians in Inarius''s Nest. It seemed like Inarius had no intention of getting involved himself. At least not yet, that is. Kuhaahk! Meragon unleashed three different types of poison from its heads. "He''s mine," Vn yelled, leaping high up into the air. "I''ll fight the dwarf. The rest of you, please take care of the lizard. Be careful; you never know when Inarius will step in," Kang Oh said. "I''ll take care of the tanking and healing. Ms. Asu, Nile, attack it from behind. Mr. Sephiro, ride on Waryong''s back and attack it from the air. Mr. Bart, long-range attacks. Ms. Helena, please take care of its poison. Remember, it isn''t over once we beat it. Don''t waste your most powerful skills or spells on it." Isshin, the Pdin of Life, gave the orders. When he was still a part of Steel Heart, he had been the ace of their raid team. In other words, he was a reliablemander. They all knew this, so they did as they were told. "I''m going!" Isshin protected himself with his square shield. This shield was made out of Dragon Bone and alloy. The Dragon Bone acted as a base, while ayer of the alloy sat atop it. It was a work of art that was also adorned with rare jewels on top. It was an SS-rank shield called Shining Hoff''s Shield! Only the greatest of Hoffman''s creations would contain his son''s name, ''Hoff'', in the title. "Oh Luhan!" Isshin''s shield radiated intense light, which transformed into two giant wings. Protector''s Shield! Isshin passed through the poisonous mist and ran forward. Asu and Nile were right behind him. Helena opted for aerial bombardment, while Bart and Sephiro flew on top of Waryong''s back. A short whileter... Their formation, fully optimized to hunt Meragon, was ready. "Attack!" Isshin yelled. * * * Duvall was originally a Master Dwarf Warrior who wielded twin hammers. Then, he was subjected to Inarius''s physical modifications. His skin was covered with dragon scales, so even without armor, his defense and elemental resistance was incredibly high. The dwarf''s eyes were also reced with a hawk''s eyes, as they were known for their keen vision. His nose and ears were reced with a Big Nose Monkey''s nose and a Big Ear''s ears. It was said that a Big Nose Monkey could smell things dozens of kilometers away, and a Big Ear could hear a needle drop on the floor. His muscles belonged to two different monsters: an Ogre and a Cyclops. They were known for their herculean strength. Duvall wasposed of countless other parts; he might look like a dwarf, but he had nothing left that made him a dwarf. Would it be urate to say that he was simr to Howlka? The only difference was that Duvall was experimented on, which increased his strength beyond a dwarf''s, while Howlka used abination of passive skills to maximize his physical abilities. At the same time, Duvall was nowhere near as strong as Howlka. Kang Ohpletely overpowered him, even though Duvall''s physical abilities surpassed his while he wasn''t using Gluttony. However, Kang Oh was far superior in every other aspect. First, his fundamentals were more solid. A Master versus a Grandmaster. Kang Oh could predict his every move, he had a better handle on his abilities, his senses were better, and he was more experienced. What''s worse, he had his Hyper Intuition on his side. Moreover, Kang Oh, who''d transformed into the Frostblood Demon, was an insurmountable wall and could use Frostblood''s unique properties to sap his enemy''s strength. That was why he had such an easy time fighting him. To be more specific, he had enough free time to watch Inarius''s movements while fighting against him. ng! ng! ng! ng! ng! His twin swords shed with Duvall''s hammers. Once this sh was over, countless shards of light spilled from Duvall''s body. "Ugh." Duvall backed off. Kang Oh immediately took a step forward and attacked with even greater ferocity. Frostblood surged from the ground, and his twin des came for Duvall''s weak points like an enraged venomous snake. Beside them, Meragon was on the floor, writhing in pain. Guaah! Meragon specialized in spewing three different types of poison from its mouth. However, Isshin''s restorative abilities (both healing and detoxifying), his teammates'' outstanding abilities, and Eder''s special medicine proved too much for it. Its other specialty, extending its long tongue at great speeds, was absolutely useless too. The fact that it had three of these tongues didn''t give it any advantage either. Meragon could instantly kill one of them if it managed to catch them with its tongues, but none of Kang Oh''s teammates were that weak. Ultimately, Meragon was the recipient of a one-sided beat down. Although it had a ton of HP, their attack power was so high that it didn''t matter. It wouldn''t be long before it breathed itsst. Vn swung his sword at Rokan. Rokan was about as powerful as Dukeram without his Invincible Emperor buff. In terms of Masters, he was about the middle of the road. He was absolutely no match for Vn, especially now that he''d gotten a lot younger and the best possible body one could ask for. However, a Dragon Knight became stronger when they fought near the dragon they formed a contract with. "It won''t be as easy asst time," Rokan yelled, gathering a ton of Inarius''s wicked energy. His sword ignited with dark red mes. Dragon Fire! The intensity and size of the mes were tremendous. "Die!" Rokan fiercely swung his sword. The mes lunged forward, filling Vn''s vision. However, there was nothing Vn''s sword couldn''t cut. Swish! Not only did he cut through the mes in a single swing, but he also took off one of Rokan''s arms. "Kuhaahk!" Rokan cried out. Inarius coldly narrowed its eyes. ''Useless.'' It abandoned any hope it had in Rokan, Duvall, and Meragon. Hoo. Inarius raised its head and inhaled. Its legs were firmly nted on the floor, keeping it steady. Then, it stretched out its ck wings. Inarius gathered as much energy as possible until it couldn''t keep it in anymore. Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath! Bam! Fan-shaped mes, which threatened to burn everything in their path, spread outwards over a wide area. The Dragon''s Breath, which was considered a dragon''s most powerful attack, consumed both Kang Oh''s party and its minions. Inarius opened its mouth even wider, and gave it everything it had. Game Over! * * * The Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath left only ashes behind. Inarius sensed the deaths of all three of his subordinates, and smiled in satisfaction. However...! He sensed the powerful energy of life in what should''ve been a lifeless inferno. Whir! The Phoenix soared through the air. Then, the invaders reappeared one or two at a time. They were all unscathed. They were surrounded not by Inarius''s wicked mes, but by Rudy''s mes of Protection. Right when Inarius unleashed its Dragon''s Breath, Rudy transformed into a Phoenix and protected everyone. However, Rudy wasn''t able to consume Inarius''s breath. It was due to the evil contained within them. Rudy would feel sick if it ate those. "You dare!?" Inarius stood up. It had expected them to have burnt to a crisp, yet they were all still alive, unscathed even. Rage and irritation welled up within it. "I''ll kill you all!" ck spheres reminiscent of ck holes surrounded it. Darkness Annihtion! That wasn''t all. Lava Stone! Rocks filled withva were interspersed among the ck spheres. "Die!" Inarius''s malicious voice rang out. Bam, bam, bam! Kang Oh''s party was bombarded with magic on all sides. Kang Oh himself avoided the spells and flew into the air. Boom! Boom! Boom! There was an explosion in the spot he''d just left. It waspletely burned. "I''m going!" Tasha''s voice echoed through his head. "Go!" Whoosh! Kang Oh quickly flew towards Inarius''s head. At that moment... Demon Sword Sarahoff released intense light. This demon sword was created by a dwarf who''d lost his wife and son to Inarius! It possessed a power that would only manifest itself against the evil dragon. That time was now. Demon Sword Sarahoff awakened its true power. Chapter 591. Dragon Fight (1)

Chapter 591. Dragon Fight (1)

Trantor: Boko Sarahoff was enveloped in ck energy, effectively ''ckening'' the purple de. That wasn''t all. Red, serrated ''fangs'' appeared along the de like a shark''s teeth. Hoffman''s face also appeared behind him, except his eyes were red and his face was painted ck. His expression was vengeful and furious. Kang Oh was slightly taken aback by the demon sword''s sudden metamorphosis. However, he soon realized that this was Demon Sword Sarahoff''stent ability, which would only manifest itself against Inarius. Thus, he swung his de till the very end. Swoosh! Demon Sword Sarahoff unleashed a crescent of dark red energy. Inarius protected itself with a transparent, sparkling barrier. Then, the dark red energy extended like a whip and struck the magical barrier. Split! The dragon-made barrier was sliced apart, and the dark red energy struck Inarius''s neck. Bam! Inarius''s face contorted, and dark red shards of light spilled from the wound. "Kuhaahk! How dare you injure me!?" Inarius fiercely swung its right arm. Tasha quickly took control of Kang Oh''s wings, and flew all over the ce like a fly. "You insect!" Stone pirs surged from the ground one after another. Kang Oh dodged them and then backed off. In the meantime, hispanions pierced through Inarius''s magical bombardment, and started to appear one or two at a time. Bart and Sephiro, who rode on Waryong''s back, simultaneously unleashed their attacks. Shining Bombardment! Chaos Arrow! Two arrows, one assuming the shape of Waryong and the other a spiral of light and darkness, flew through the air. Thud. Inarius stomped on the floor. Then,va and me pirs surged from the ground. Bart and Sephiro''s attacks were consumed by theva, and Waryong flew even higher in order to dodge the me pirs. "There''s no escape!" Inarius yelled furiously. Rocks fell from the ceiling. Waryong did its best to dodge them, but like Inarius said, there was nowhere it could escape to. Bam! Kieek! A rock struck Waryong''s right wing, and it, as well as its riders, plummeted to the ground. "Uheok!" "Ugh." Inarius was absolutely merciless. Roar! It unleashed a giant fireball at the falling Waryong. At this rate, Waryong, Sephiro, and Bart would be smoked meat. However, Rudy fluttered its ming tail, rose into the air, and shot mes of its own at the fireball. Inarius''s mes were surrounded by ck light, which gave off an evil vibe. On the other hand, Rudy''s mes felt mysterious, yet warm. Roar! The two disparate mes crashed against each other and spread far and wide. However, it was clear that Rudy''s mes were fighting a losing battle. ''It''s my turn!'' Isshin, who''d been protecting himself with his shield, raised his hammer into the air. Luhan''s Light! Isshin''s hammer radiated Luhan''s holy light, which specialized in repelling all evil. The Phoenix''s mes and Luhan''s light fused together, and managed to force back and dispel Inarius''s mes. Asu and Nile leapt off the rocks on the floor, and attacked Inarius''s sides. Helena used Double Casting and cast two spells simultaneously. Water Dragon Bullet! Monster Bird''s Wind! A giant water pir, as well as a golden vortex-like wind came flying at Inarius. "Haahp!" Nile floated in the air, and swung his right leg downwards. Hell Kick! His foot unleashed energy in the shape of a Dokkaebi. "Chaht!" Asu lowered her body and then swung Lightning''s Heart diagonally. Crackle! Blue lightning split into three like a trident''s prongs. However...! A dragon''s magical prowess was unrivaled. Twisted Gravity! The space around Inarius shifted. Nile''s energy attack, Asu''s lightning, and Helena''s magic lost their immense power and missed Inariuspletely. At the same time...! It felt like Asu and Nile were stomped on by a giant''s foot. In an instant, their feet dug deep into the ground. They couldn''t budge. A short whileter... A giant shadow was cast over Nile''s body. Inarius''s tail and ws came for Nile and Asu respectively. Danger! Asu gritted her teeth and barely managed to protect herself with her sword. Her lightning-shaped de radiated light and darkness, which transformed into a white and a ck panther. ck and White Fang! This was the Legendary Knight''s secret move! The twisted gravity didn''t affect it that much. Thus, the two panthers spun through the air and repelled Inarius''s ws. Meanwhile, Nile crossed his arms. Whir. The dragon''s giant tail was right in front of him. If it hit him, every bone in his body would break. He activated the survival technique he''d learnt from the God of Fighting, Khan. Great King Style: Unshakable! Nile''s body turned gold. Ring! The beautiful chime of bells rang out. All of a sudden, however, gravity returned to normal. Swoosh! "Kuhaahk." Inarius cried out. A clear sword scar had been left on its chest. It was Vn. He had used Divide the Sea from afar, cutting through both the twisted space and Inarius itself. That was a relief. Asu and Nile quickly backed off. Kuhaaang! Inarius roared. A dragon''s roar would make all lesser beings tremble in fear. However, Kang Oh''s party was immune to its effect due to the Dragon yer armor set. Inarius''s eyes lit up with rage. "I''ll rip you apart." Inarius gained another pair of wings, though they looked more like deadly weapons than wings; they were shaped like the Reaper''s scythe. Swoosh! The red dragon''s wings came flying from all directions with blistering speed. Moreover, Inarius had sharpened its wings, which gave them tremendous cutting power. They would leave a huge mark in the ground wherever they went, as if there had just been an earthquake. ''I have to dodge it!'' Asu and Nile threw themselves out of the way. However, they had been a split second toote. Bam! "Keuk." "Ugh." A handful of red shards fell from Nile and Asu''s bodies. Helena hadn''t remained unscathed either. Although she''d protected herself with a tripleyer barrier, the sharpened wings had sliced through both them and her body. Vn didn''t even bother to block or dodge them. He just sliced through them. However, the cut areas mended together, as if he had just cut through shadows. Thus, he had no choice but to swing his sword while backing off. Kuhaaa! Inarius went absolutely wild. * * * Kang Oh checked Sarahoff''s new specs. He needed to know how it changed in order to use it effectively. [Ice Demon Sword Sarahoff - Dragon yer] A once in a lifetime masterpiece created by Hoffman! It is an exceptional de that contains the Ice Soul''s power. Hoffman''s deep hatred for Inarius has given the sword a new appearance and new powers. + Dragon Break: Separating Inarius''s scales from its skin, cutting through its flesh, and crushing its bones bes easier. + Bitter Grudge: Always deals triple damage against Inarius. Every attack is a critical hit no matter what. + Dragon ying Sword: The de radiates dragon ying energy. This energy changes at will, and deals tremendous damage to dragons. Also afflicts the target with horrible pain. + Ice Soul Wall: Summons a wall with the Ice Soul''s power. Even Inarius''s Fire Breath won''t be able to melt through this wall that easily. Cooldown: 10 minutes. MP Cost: All of your MP. The amount of MP used determines the toughness of the wall. + Blinded by Rage: Deals no damage to any target besides Inarius. The sword''s effects do not activate against any other target. Rank: SS. Abilities: Attack Power 2,000, Damage to Dragons +100%. Significantly increased resistance to dragon magic. Minimum Requirements: Clear the Trial of the Demon Sword. Fight against Inarius. It was a sword specifically designed to fight Inarius. Against its designated target, it was on equal footing with a holy sword like Max Perado. ''Nice.'' Kang Oh, who was assuming his Frostblood Demon state, kicked off the floor and leapt over the giant stone pirs. He could see hispanions being attacked by Inarius''s four wings. Unwee guests had also made an appearance. Lava Spirits popped out of thevake. They were essentially rocks withva flowing through the cracks, but they were all different sizes. Thergest of them were more than 5 meters tall, while the smallest were about 1 meter tall. There were dozens, no, about a hundred Lava Spirits rushing towards them. Kang Oh created a bridge out of Frostblood. Inarius was right at the end of it. Tap, tap, tap. Kang Oh quickly rushed towards the red dragon. To think he''d create an ice bridge. There was no way it wouldn''t draw the dragon''s attention. "You worm!" ck spheres formed around Inarius''s body, which shot at Kang Oh like homing missiles. Kang Oh leapt over some of them, while Sephiro and Bart dealt with the rest using Shining Bombardment and Light''s Judgment. When he got close, Inarius unleashed a mighty beam of darkness from between its horns. Whir! Dodging or blocking it would be too much for him. Backing off would be an act of lunacy too. "Tasha!" "Got it!" Kang Oh pped his wings and soared into the air. Although the ck beam missed him, it did crush the ice bridge he''d created. Vn, Nile, Asu, and Rudy charged at Inarius. Helena, Bart, and Sephiro dealt with the Lava Spirits, while Isshin cast a Prayer of Healing, which replenished his teammates'' HP. "Just die already!" Indeed, a dragon''s spells were shockingly powerful. Inarius repeatedly cast powerful magic without any incantations or preparation. Hellfire Pir! ck Spear of Annihtion! The red dragon was surrounded by countless me pirs, and ck spears fell upon Kang Oh''s party like rain. Its wings were reminiscent of a mantis''s scythes; they waited for their opportunity and then struck at the opportune moment. They made attacking difficult, let alone approaching. However, Kang Oh and hispanions were the best of the best. Though they were facing disaster, they either blocked or dodged the dragon''s magic and wings, and attacked Inarius whenever they were able. Inarius was most focused on Kang Oh, who was hanging around in the air, as well as Vn, who boasted unmatched attack power. In spite of that, Kang Oh and Vn were able to break through its focused assault. They weren''t Grandmasters for nothing. Swish! Vn''s steel sword cleaved through the dragon''s scales, leaving a red wound underneath. Then it was Kang Oh''s turn. He avoided Inarius''s wing and swung Sarahoff. Whir! Sarahoff''s dragon ying energy manifested itself as a hawk''s talons, which sliced through Inarius''s back. Several scales fell off, and a hideous wound was left behind. "Kuahk!" The agonizing pain came after. Then, Inarius''s tail came flying at him. The tip of its tail was enveloped in darkness, and out of that darkness came sharp des. Bam! Kang Oh crossed his swords and blocked it, but it was too much for him to withstand, so he plummeted to the ground. Countless shards of light spilled from his body like the shining surface of a river. "Die!" Inarius used gravity magic to restrain Vn''s movements. However, Vn reacted in a way that only he could. He repeatedly swung his sword. At first, his de moved extremely slowly. However, as time went on, it seemed to get lighter. Eventually, he outright shot an energy attack at Inarius. Unfortunately, Inarius already had plenty of time to prepare a solid defense. Super-Reinforced Barrier! This barrier not only blocked Vn''s attack, but Rudy, Asu, and Nile''s attacks as well. Isshin was busy out of his mind. Not only was he responsible for healing his teammates, but there was magic flying everywhere. Plus, there were spirits attacking him now too. Crack! He swung his shining hammer and cracked the head of a Lava Spirit. However, he saw a shadow cast over him. When he looked up, he saw Inarius''s giant foot. Isshin desperately raised his shield. Protector''s Shield! Thud! Inarius stomped on Isshin, but he wasn''t able to kill him. "Grr!" Isshin gave it everything he had. Because of his efforts, Kang Oh, who had fallen to the floor, was able to save him from certain death. Frostblood! Tough pirs of Frostblood rose around Isshin. However, there was no way they''d be enough to withstand a dragon''s weight for long. "Hurry!" Kang Oh yelled. Then, Isshin threw his body out of the way. Helena cast an ''eleration'' spell on him, granting him enough speed to leave behind an afterimage. Crack! Inarius crushed the Frostblood pirs and left a giant footprint in the ground. "Hey, you lizard!" "Take this!" Kang Oh''s party focused their attacks on the dragon. They unleashed a variety of auras and spells. Waryong and Rudy''s mes spread like red paint that''d been dipped in water. Kuhaahk! Inarius roared, and simultaneously created a giant ring of wicked mes around itself. "Shit." "Get out of the way!" They hid behind the upturned earth or the giant rock pirs. "Haa, haa!" Kang Oh hid behind a Frostblood pir he''d created, and then caught his breath. He''d expected it to be hard, but after actually experiencing it... Killing Inarius wouldn''t be easy. Dragons were called the strongest creatures for a reason. Rather than feel discouraged, he actually felt more confident instead. ''Yeah, let''s see whoes out on top!'' Kang Oh tightly gripped his demon swords. Roar! A tsunami of mes passed through the battlefield. Kang Oh and hispanions reappeared. Their fight was long from over. Chapter 592. Dragon Fight (2) Chapter 592. Dragon Fight (2) Trantor: Boko The battle continued on. Although Inarius possessed strength and magical prowess befitting a dragon, Kang Oh''s party was filled with some of Arth''s greatest yers. Neither side held an advantage. Inarius had a lot of HP left, and its Fire Breath remained a threat. Not only that, but its magic hadn''t lost any of its potency. Kang Oh''s party hadn''t sustained any casualties yet. This was due to Isshin''s healing, as well as Eder and Strawberry Milk''s medicine/potions. ''Hmm!'' Inarius narrowed its eyes. The bugs were much stronger than it''d anticipated. However, there were still only eight of them. Sometimes, simplicity was best. Overwhelming them with sheer numbers seemed to be the most effective strategy at this point in time. "Come out!" Inarius disrupted this tense tug-of-war. Bam! Lava rose from theke and filled the t, floating ind. Countless Lava Spirits had been summoned. p! Inarius pped its wings, and oddly shaped Darkness Spirits arose from the darkness. In total, there were several hundreds of spirits on the battlefield. There were alsobinations of these two; the Lava and Darkness Spirits had fused together to be something even greater. Darkness Infused Lava Spirit! There were only about ten of them, but they matched the strength of a Great Spirit. Now, Inarius possessed an absolute numerical advantage! Inarius smiled in satisfaction. "There are too many of them!" Sephiro yelled. "Let''s call some reinforcements of our own," Kang Oh replied. Inarius wasn''t the only one who could call allies. "Ok!" "Let''s do it!" Kang Oh pulled out fifteen Guardian Summoning Scrolls from his inventory. He wasn''t called the Dungeon Predator for nothing, after all. He ripped all of them simultaneously, creating several magic circles¡­ Whir! Whir! Whir! Whir! One or two guardians appeared at a time. Teynos, Indra, Redman, Violf, Wakaiser, etc. What a sight to behold. It was as if he''de to a huge monster exhibition. However, Bone Dragon Akite was conspicuously absent. He had the summoning scroll, but it was difficult to call it on a whim. First, it required a ton of money. Second, he didn''t think Akite would be willing to kill another dragon for their sake. After all, there was no one more proud of its race than Akite. Sephiro and Helena ripped their own Guardian Summoning Scrolls. Then, a giant rock stonemason and Steel Princess Amanda appeared. To add to that, Helena used Ared''s Imaginary Projection to summon something unbelievable. The Unicorn! It was an incredibly striking beast with snow-white fur and a sharp horn on its forehead. Meanwhile, Bart did what he does best. Summon Giant! An Ice, Fire, and Stone Giant appeared. Asu, Nile, and Isshin couldn''t call upon allies. Although she did have a soul dungeon, she wasn''t a Master yet, so she wasn''t able to receive a Guardian Summoning Scroll. Nile and Isshin had no interest in dungeons, so they didn''t even have any soul dungeons. And Vn¡­ Well, as long as he had a sword in his hand, he was more than enough. "I''ll kill you all!" "Attack!" A huge battle began. The giant ind had beenpletely filled. The guardians, giants, and the Unicorn battled the legion of spirits. Wakaiser flew into the air and engaged the bat-shaped Darkness Spirits, while the Iron Knight, Redman, swung its sword in a wide arc and swept through the Lava Spirits. Indra was like a bulldozer. It charged with its tusks, annihting anything in its way. The tinum Lion, Violf, was struck by a Darkness Infused Lava Spirit''s fist and fell to the floor, while Steel Princess Amanda summoned dozens of swords and rained them down on her opponents. Bart''s giants worked together, swinging their fists one after another like dominos. The Darkness Infused Lava Spirits spewedva from their mouths, and there was an endless supply of spirits that swarmed Kang Oh''s party. The Unicorn showed why it was called a mythological beast. It unleashed a wave-like energy from its horn, which eliminated dozens of spirits at once. Two Darkness Infused Great Spirits attacked the Unicorn. Neigh! The sight of its burning fur brought it into a frenzy. Tremble! The sound of huge collisions shook the ground, and ear-rupturing booms continuously resounded throughout the battlefield. Although there were way more spirits, their summons were way more powerful. In a head to head fight, the guardians would always win. In exchange, the legion of spirits had Inarius on their side. Inarius''s magic was undeniably powerful, and it also kept calling more and more spirits to its side. Whatever the case, Kang Oh''s party was able to concentrate all their efforts on Inarius due to their summons. ''Now.'' Kang Oh stashed Blood and pulled out Ubist. His Frostblood Demon form disappeared, and he transformed into a demon with white streaks running through his jet-ck body. There was a beast mask guarding his face, as well as cial horns, gauntlets, and greaves on his forehead, arms, and legs respectively. This was the ck and White Demon. He immediately pulled out fodder for Gluttony. Kargagon''s Ferocious Double-ded Axe! Kang Oh''s party had previously killed several bosses in order to refine their teamwork. One of those bosses was the Nine-headed Hydra, Kargagon. This was the SS-rank axe he''d obtained from it. Gluttony! His jet-ck de expelled darkness, which transformed into a beast''s head, and consumed the axe starting from the hilt. Crunch. It was as if it were eating candy. [Demon Sword Ubist has consumed Kargagon''s Ferocious Double-ded Axe.] [It is an SS-rank item.] [Entering Gluttony mode.] [For 30 minutes, the demon sword and your character''s abilities are tripled.] [Demon Sword Ubist''s base attack power has increased significantly. Current Attack Power: 2,214] [The activation rate of Rip Apart has increased significantly.] [You may use all of the consumed item''s abilities: Ferocity, Unlimited Regeneration, Red de, and Summon Agon.] [Ferocity: All of your attacks be fiercer. They deal more attacks, leave behind wounds, and may even cause your opponent to shrink away in fear.] [Unlimited Regeneration: For 30 seconds, healing is increased tenfold.] [Red de: Inflicting a critical hit causes bleeding, which deals damage over time.] [Summon Agon: Summons the Three-headed Hydra, Agon. It is an incredibly powerful mount.] As expected, he didn''t get unlimited Stamina from it. Aside from that, however, he was satisfied with everything else. ''Let''s go!'' Kang Oh rushed towards Inarius. * * * "We''re going with n 1." "Ok!" Kang Oh''s party followed the n they''d prepared beforehand. It split their party into two groups: one focused on offense, and the other on support. The entire party would support the two Grandmasters, Vn and Kang Oh, so that they could inflict damage without being interrupted. It was a good strategy. With the help of them and their pets, Kang Oh and Vn were able to act without any obstacles in their way. Vn''s swordsmanship was, as always, a sight to behold. He crushed the red dragon''s scales, which were said to be as strong as diamonds, like they were just ordinary beads, and ripped through its flesh, even though it was tougher than whale tendon. Although it appeared like he was softly swinging his sword, every one of his strikes did massive amounts of damage. However¡­! At this moment, Kang Oh was even better than Vn. Demon Sword Sarahoff was in Dragon yer Mode. Add to that Gluttony (using an SS-rank item) and a Grandmaster in his demon form! He was the ideal hunter for killing Inarius. Sarahoff''s dark red energy raked at Inarius''s body. It didn''t matter if Inarius cast a spell or defended itself with a barrier; it would break through them all. A shower of thick shards of light, much like blood, fell from Inarius''s body. "Kuhaahk!" Inarius was afflicted with terrible pain. Hoffman''s face, which was ever present behind Kang Oh''s body, smiled cruelly. ''Make it hurt even more!'' Inarius''s golden irises were focused on Kang Oh alone. ''I''ll kill you no matter what!'' He had truly drawn out a dragon''s fury. Whoosh! me pirs and darkness spears fell from the sky, and hand-shaped rocks rose from the ground. Perhaps it twisted thews of gravity too. Inarius cast all four of its elemental spells at Kang Oh. Even Kang Oh wouldn''t be able to withstand a dragon''s full power. He quickly used Moon''s Protection, and was encased in a yellow full moon. Bam! Inarius''s spells struck the barrier. Tremble! This was the first time he''d ever felt his barrier shake so violently. It was as if his barrier, which nullified all damage for 3 seconds, threatened to break. ''Let''s get out of here.'' It was a wise decision. Abyss Transfer! Kang Oh''s body sank into the darkness. However, something shocking happened. "Where do you think you''re going!?" Inarius said furiously. "Heot!" Kang Oh was forcefully pulled out of the darkness. Inarius was a master of darkness magic, so this was a piece of cake for it. Kuhaahk. Inarius tried to devour him. However, hispanions didn''t just sit idly by. Sephiro''s Shining Bombardment spun violently through the air. At almost the exact same time, Bart shot a Chaos Arrow, and Helena used Absolute Zero. Absolute Zero started to freeze Inarius''s mouth. Right after, the two arrows hit their mark. Boom! Boom! However, they weren''t able to stop Inarius. It closed its mouth right then and there. "Let him go!" Asu yelled. "You bastard!" Nile leapt into the air and uppercutted it. Beast Style: Mad Dragon Cannon! The energy struck Inarius''s chin. Then, Asu swung Fire''s Heart and unleashed mes thatbined with Rudy''s. Fire couldn''t hurt a Fire Dragon like Inarius. However, a Phoenix''s mes, which possessed purifying properties, could deal damage to a being as wicked as Inarius. Roar! Unfortunately, Inarius wouldn''t open its mouth and kept munching. Vn didn''t n on saving Kang Oh. Instead, he kept attacking Inarius where he was defenseless and dealt a considerable amount of damage to it. He knew that Kang Oh would find a way out on his own. He wasn''t a Grandmaster for nothing, after all. As soon as Kang Oh was consumed by Inarius, he used Abyss Predator. His jet-ck greatsword unleashed a massive deluge of darkness, which filled Inarius''s mouth to the brim. However, Inarius did something he hadn''t expected. Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath! In an instant, the inside of its mouth became clear and turned into an inferno. The darkness waspletely swept away and dissipated. ''Damn it!'' A dragon''s breath!? If he didn''t do anything, then he''d die. And if he did die, he''d be revived by the Cassio Ring, but he would lose ess to Gluttony. It seemed like hispanions were doing their best to help him on the outside, but Inarius wouldn''t budge. He had to deal with this himself. ''How?'' He didn''t have a lot of time either. The fire, which had swept away his abyss energy, was right in front of him now. ''If I want to stop that fire, then¡­ ice. Yeah, the Ice Soul Wall!'' It was one of Sarahoff''s new abilities! Ice Soul Wall! His ck de, which had gained a dark red serration, radiated frigid energy that was cold enough to freeze the soul. Glimmering ice crystals formed into a wall in front of him. However, Inarius''s Fire Breath hade before the wall was fullyplete. Bam! Chapter 593. Dragon Fight (3) Chapter 593. Dragon Fight (3) Trantor: Boko Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath! A fan-shaped wave of fire spread throughout Inarius''s mouth. Unfortunately, Kang Oh was within the fire dragon''s mouth too. Ice covered some of his body, but not all of it. Inarius''s ferocious mes rushed at him like a swarm of red ants and burnt the uncovered sections of his body. However, he didn''t die right then and there. Munch, munch. [You have eaten Eder''s Secret Healing Medicine.] [HP is replenished quickly.] Plus¡­ Kang Oh activated one of his consumed item''s abilities. Unlimited Regeneration! For 30 seconds, all healing effects would be ten times more effective! That was why Kang Oh, despite being burnt to a crisp by the high intensity mes, was able to stay alive. Unfortunately, he wouldn''t be able tost very long. ''Please!'' Even if he drew upon Sarahoff''s power, the ice would melt instantly. Ice Soul Wall was on cooldown, so he couldn''t use that either. He couldn''t hope to survive by himself. But¡­! Kang Oh wasn''t alone. Screech! Rudy screeched and enveloped Kang Oh. A Phoenix was made up of mes, so fire element attacks couldn''t harm it. However, the evil contained within them could, which slowly gnawed at Rudy''s mes. Screech! Rudy''s face grimaced. It sounded like it was bearing the pain. Despite that, it didn''t abandon Kang Oh and protected him till the end. "Rudy, I''m ok. Hurry up and go," Kang Oh said regretfully. He would rather die ande back than see Rudy in such agonizing pain. However, Rudy didn''t listen to him. It protected him until itsrge, beautiful wings withered away. Hoo. Inarius used onest breath. The entire world was enveloped in me. The guardians and summons weren''t left unscathed. The Iron Knight, Redman, melted away, and the other guardians, even Teynos with its high defense, were all unsummoned. Only the Unicorn was able to survive, even though it wasn''t actually real. On the other hand, the Lava Spirits or the Darkness Spirits didn''t take any damage from Inarius''s Fire Breath. It was because they shared the same attributes as their master. Fortunately, those closest to the dragon (Asu, Isshin, Nile, and Vn) had managed to save themselves. Bart and Sephiro survived due to Waryong''s frantic flying, and Helena was saved by her conjured Unicorn. Chirp. Rudy, who''d protected Kang Oh till the end, returned to its chick form. Its beautiful yellow feathers were burnt ck. "Rudy," Kang Oh said regretfully, hugging the weak chick. Chirp. Rudy looked at Kang Oh with its moist eyes, let out a weak cry, and then turned to ash. "Rudy!" Kang Oh yelled in shock. There was a clear, red Phoenix Egg amidst the ashes. "Rudy¡­" Kang Oh pushed the ashes aside with the back of his hand and carefully collected the egg. A Phoenix couldn''t die. However, Rudy would have to be hatched again. "Your dad will get revenge. I promise," Kang Oh said coldly, and then raised his head. He saw Inarius with its wings stretched out, releasing a huge amount of pressure. It could no longer be called a red dragon. After all, its tail and half of its body had turned ck. Its horns and face were enveloped in ck energy, making it look more like a demon than a dragon. Kuhaaaa! It roared. At the same time, ck hole like spheres appeared everywhere. Kang Oh leapt into the air. Suck. Ubist absorbed a sphere, and then Kang Oh swung Sarahoff. The dragon ying energy transformed into a Phoenix. Barriers couldn''t block Kang Oh''s attack. Moreover, the dragon ying energy peeled the scales off a dragon''s flesh, cut through the skin, and crushed the bones underneath. Inarius shielded itself with its wings. There was a ck sphere in Kang Oh''s way. Bam! The Phoenix-shaped energy struck the ck sphere. The sphere rippled, but eventually, a hole was punctured through it. Kang Oh could see Inarius''s golden irises from within. Its enraged eyes stared straight at Kang Oh. "Lower your eyes!" Kang Oh furiously swung Ubist downwards. Divide the Sea! His de unleashed a line, which promised to cleave anything in existence, at the dragon. Swish! The punctured ck sphere was sliced in two like a piece of fruit, and left a long sword scar on Inarius''s body. However¡­ Countless darkness spikes came out of the ck sphere. The ends were all extremely sharp. The nearby members of his team (Vn, Asu, and Nile), who were preupied with the spirits, scattered. But the spikes were too fast. Vn and Nile could just barely dodge them, as they were a cut above the rest (Master and above), but Asu couldn''t do that. Moreover, her power as a Phoenix Knight had reduced drastically after Rudy''s demise. Stab! Stab! Stab! Countless spikes pierced her body. "No!" Kang Oh yelled. "Heal! Isshin quickly cast a Prayer of Healing. However, the prayer couldn''t bring the dead back to life. Her body had already turned gray and fell to the floor. First they had lost Rudy, and now Asu. "You damn lizard!" Kang Oh furiously charged at the dragon. Then, the ground cracked or rose, and the spikes fell like rain. Mad Wind''s Sword! Kang Oh leapt into the air, and cleaved through the spikes with his twin demon swords. ''I''ll cut through them all!'' Kang Oh didn''t stop there. "Kill him!" Inarius said. Kuhaang! Inarius had no reason to fear him. After all, he was just an insignificant bug. It stretched out its wings, stared at Kang Oh with burning rage, and bombarded him with spells. Abyss Fire Pir! Hypergravity Zone! Earthquake! Homing Darkness Hands! Kang Oh was assaulted by giant mes, invisible pressure weighing him down, shaking ground, and the power of darkness that originated from the abyss. Warning! Warning! Hyper Intuition''s warning was so severe that it felt like he''d catch frostbite. In spite of that, Kang Oh kept swinging his swords. Sarahoff''s dark red energy arced like a rainbow, and Ubist released deep darkness and giant auras. A cold wave was also raging around his body. A dragon''s magic and a Grandmaster Demonic Swordsman''s power shed. Boom! Boom! Boom! There was a giant explosion, apanied by several ''booms''. Kang Oh hadn''t dealt with some of the spells. The Homing Darkness Hands, for example, struck Kang Oh head-on. "Ugh." Kang Oh was pushed away. Countless shards of light spilled from his body. It was only due to the Dragon yer set that he hadn''t died. On the contrary, Kang Oh''s Phoenix-shaped dragon yer energy soared through the air and struck Inarius''s face. Kuhaahk. Inarius screamed due to the agonizing pain. Red shards of light spilled from the wound. "You insect!" Inarius yelled furiously, and fiercely swung its barbed tail at Kang Oh''s head. At that moment¡­ Sephiro, Bart, and Helena poured on the pressure. Boom! Boom! Boom! There was a giant explosion on Inarius''s side. However, that didn''t stop Inarius''s attack. Even so, Isshin stood in front of Kang Oh, his shield at the ready. Iron Wall! He stuck the tip of his shield into the ground, creating a giant silver wall in front of him. Boom! The wall was crushed and Isshin fell to the floor. The force behind a dragon''s tail was too strong. Bam! Isshin mmed into the ground. Through his sacrifice, however, Kang Oh was able to dodge Inarius''s tail. He immediately unleashed a ton of dragon ying energy at the defenseless tail. Hoffman''s face contorted even more. ''Kill him! Kill him, I say!'' Nile and Vn went next. They ughtered the Darkness Infused Lava Spirits and attacked Inarius. Beast Style: Thunderbird! Nile swung his fists one after another, each containing a massive amount of lightning energy. Crackle! Lightning fell upon Inarius''s back like a waterfall. Vn swung his steel sword twice. Cross sh! Vn had used Divide the Sea to etch an X in Inarius''s skin. Shards of light exploded from the dragon''s body, and its scales shimmered and broke off, leaving behind red wounds underneath. "Spirits of Destruction! You, who follow my great self, show them your power!" Inarius yelled. The spirits gathered in two locations, and fused into two giant spirits. They were about half the size of Inarius itself. Giant Lava Spirit! Wide Darkness Spirit! Based on their size and their presence, they were clearly on the level of raid bosses. Whoosh! The Giant Lava Spirit swung its boiling fists at Vn and Nile. They both threw themselves to the side and counterattacked. Meanwhile, the Darkness Spirit unleashed beams of darkness from its entire body, attacking both Waryong and the Unicorn. Waryong, and by extension Sephiro and Bart, as well as Helena, who was holding onto the Unicorn''s mane, couldn''t ignore the Darkness Spirit. Then, Inarius moved its giant body. Nine gray spheres appeared around its body, which shot beams of light at Kang Oh''s party. "Ugh!" someone cried out. It wasn''t Kang Oh. The Knight of Life, Isshin, clutched his perforated chest. His body had been hit by a beam right after he stood up. His face turned ashen. Then, his shield radiated dim light. This was Hoffman''s SS-rank masterpiece! Its item effects were amazing enough to warrant his son''s name. Full Heal! In an instant, Isshin''s HP was fully restored. But¡­! Inarius cleverly focused all of its beams on Isshin. He protected himself with his shield, but he was slowly pushed deeper and deeper into the ground until his entire lower body was entrenched. Inarius had already made its way over. "You bastard!" Kang Oh quickly threw Blood at it. Weapon Bombardment! Then, he followed it up with an Abyss w and a Tempest Tiger to distract it, but¡­ it was no use. Blood was deflected off of its barrier, and both of his auras couldn''t break through it either. Thud! Inarius stomped on Isshin. Game Over. There was no way to save him. ''I got one of the bugs!'' Inarius smiled wickedly. Then¡­ "I''ll take care of this guy. Please go help Mr. Kang Oh," Nile said. "Alright," Vn said. Nile used a Beast Fighter secret move and pushed the Giant Lava Spirit away. During that time, Vn rushed at Inarius from behind. "I leave him to you." "Understood!" Bart, Sephiro, Waryong, and the Unicorn attacked the Darkness Spirit simultaneously. Helena had disembarked from the Unicorn. Her red hair turned purple as if she''d had a manicure. It wasn''t just her hair that had changed, however. The tips of her hair and the edges of her feet turned purple. She didn''t have a face, nor did she wear any clothing. It was as if she were a purple object in the shape of a human being. "Transcendent Being!" Kang Oh yelled in shock. Lacia, history''s most powerful mage, had shown him this technique just once in the underworld. It was considered the most powerful secret technique in a mage''s arsenal. MP was a fundamental source of energy in the world. This source of energy was processed in order to use spells or skills. Transcendent Being transformed the caster into this fundamental energy. The closer any particr element gets to this fundamental energy, the ''more powerful it bes''. However, Transcendent Being allowed the caster to use this fundamental energy in its raw form. In other words, Helena had power equal to a Grandmaster in this state. Of course, with her level of skill, she wouldn''t be able to maintain this form for very long. In any case, three super humans, or Kang Oh, Vn, and Helena were gunning for Inarius. The battle wasing to its end. Chapter 594. Climax

Chapter 594. Climax

Novels.pl Trantor: Boko Helena could only maintain her new form for 5 minutes. ''We have to hurry!'' She pointed her fingers at Inarius and shot five purple bullets. "Hmph!" Then, Inarius''s nine ck spheres unleashed gray beams of light. Inarius''s beams seemedrger and more powerful than Helena''s ordinary purple bullets. Upon contact, however, the purple bullets instantly pierced through the beams. Inarius quickly formed a multiyered barrier. However, Helena''s bullets pierced through that too and struck Inarius directly. Bam! Bam! Bam! Massive shockwaves urred one after another. It was an obvious result. She had used magic in its raw form, the primeval energy that was harnessed to cast spells. Inarius''s beams or its multiyered barrier had no way of withstanding it. Helena didn''t stop there. She floated into the air and stretched out her arms. Purple energy fluttered in the wind like snow, and flew straight to Inarius. Inarius protected itself with the ground andva, but once again, it failed to block Helena''s attack. Bam! Bam! Bam! "Kuhaahk!" The dragon reeled from the impact. The ck tinge that covered Inarius''s body spread further. However, Inarius didn''t concern itself with this. It transformed its wings into skewers and attacked Helena. Helena created a thin, purple veil. It was thinner than colored paper, but Inarius''s wings were unable to pierce through it. Meanwhile, Kang Oh and Vn made their move. Kang Oh gathered a ton of dark red energy and struck Inarius''s neck, while Vn unleashed a massive amount of destructive energy from his sword. Inarius countered by swinging its tail and ws. However, Inarius was on the losing end of these exchanges. After all, Kang Oh and Vn''s attacks were strong enough to shatter dragon scales. What''s worse, most of the scales had fallen off as the battle progressed. Inarius did manage to repel Vn with its tail, but¡­ Both Kang Oh and Vn''s attacksnded. Swish! Bam! Inarius trembled. "You insects! Stop annoying me!" A giant ring of fire spread out, and their bodies began to float automatically due to the weakened gravity. Sharp, stctite-like rocks fell from the ceiling. However, Kang Oh and Vn had Helena backing them up. Helena drew a circle with her hands, and summoned primeval energy that wrapped around Kang Oh and Vn like a thin veil. Inarius''s magic hit them right after, but it couldn''t break through. "Thank you!" Kang Oh sprung upwards like a spring and forcefully swung Sarahoff. Transcendent de! His dark red de cleaved through Inarius''s chest with transcendent speed. Hoffman''s face smiled from behind Kang Oh''s body. After that, Vn cut through its wings, and then its back. Inarius''s golden irises turned ck. "Darkness!" Annihting ck Comet! Spiral energy spun around Inarius''s body like a whirlwind, and flung both Kang Oh and Vn away. "Ugh." "Tch." They took quite a bit of damage. Huge shards of light fell from their bodies. "Pure power!" The darkness was so potent that Helena had to focus the primeval energy to defend herself. Kang Oh and Vn btedly swung their swords in order to protect themselves. A short whileter¡­ The darkness energy dissipated. "It''s almost over," Kang Oh yelled. ''This is the final phase,'' his instincts whispered. Kang Oh, Vn, and Helena simultaneously attacked Inarius. Small specks of fire seeped out of Inarius''s closed mouth. "It''s a breath!" It was a dragon''s ultimate weapon: their breath. Inarius had already used its breath twice before, and it was preparing to use it for a third time. "Leave it to me," Helena yelled. Helena gathered her hands together. It was as if she was preparing a palm st. Glittering purple energy the size of a forearm shot out of her hands. Actually, topare it to a forearm was disingenuous. Considering how powerful primeval energy was, it must be an incredible amount of energy. "Haa, haa." Helena returned to her original form. She had used all of the primeval energy she had left to unleash that attack. Kuhang! Inarius opened its mouth wide. Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath! Was it because its body was dyed ck? Fire radiating ck light came out of its mouth. At that moment¡­ Helena''s primeval energy flew over and crashed against the Fierce Fire Dragon''s Breath. The purple energy glittered like a giant star. Inarius''s breath, which was rife with evil energy, was overwhelmed by the primordial energy on all sides. It was as if a fully bloomed purple flower was drawn on ck paper. The two mighty energies shed for supremacy. Eventually, the primeval energy was slowly overpowered by the dragon''s breath. Inarius widened its ckened eyes. ''I''m Inarius. I won''t lose to the likes of humans!'' Then, Inarius gave it everything it had and spat as much fire as it could. Roar! The ck portions of its mes shimmered, and ultimately overcame the primeval energy. Boom! Both energies dissipated simultaneously. The dark red mes flew through the air like tiny feathers, and shredded purple energy glimmered as it fell to the floor. It was quite a magnificent sight. "Kuhahk, kuhahk." Inarius breathed haggardly. It had used too much of its power in thatst attack. However, there was no time for it to rest. Kang Oh and Vn went on a rampage. Kang Oh''s attacks were especially painful. It may be a strong-willed dragon, but the horrendous pain it experienced repeated over and over again, so it almost lost consciousness. Kuhaaahk! Inarius went absolutely crazy. It unleashed countless powerful spells, attacked with its wings and giant body, and destroyed its surroundings with its tail and ws. However, it couldn''t hit Kang Oh or Vn. They scurried around like cockroaches, making them impossible to hit. At some point¡­ Inarius''s face showed fear. Death. That horrifying word passed through its head. ''I have to run away.'' He considered retreating, but his pride as a dragon wouldn''t allow it. ''I won''t die to insects no matter what!'' Inarius forcefully released the incredible energy contained within its heart. As a result, there was an explosion of energy, as well as a huge shockwave that swept through everything in the vicinity. Boom! Kang Oh and Vn were swept away, and were imnted into the ground. "Mr. Vn!" "Mr. Kang Oh!" Nile and Sephiro, who''d been fighting the Giant Spirits, yelled simultaneously. Then, Nile got hit by the Lava Spirit''s fist, and one of the Darkness Spirit''s spikes pierced through Waryong''s body. Thump! Thump! Thump! Inarius, whose heart was now in tatters, arduously lifted its body and stomped on Kang Oh. "Just die already!" Thud! However, Kang Oh wasn''t there. He had used Abyss Transfer. "You cockroach!" Inarius swung its tail at Vn''s location, and then forcefully pulled Kang Oh out of the darkness. Bam! Its tail struck the ground. But¡­! Inarius''s tail was split in two, and fell to the floor in two equal halves! Since Inarius was weaker than ever, Vn was able to sever its tail with Divide the Sea. Kukyahahk! Inarius almost lost its mind due to the pain of losing a limb. However, it just barely managed to keep its mind intact. ''I need to take one out first!'' Inarius quickly stretched out its neck, intent on devouring Kang Oh. Then¡­ An hourss appeared over Kang Oh''s head, which turned upside down. This was the dragon''s hourss, the object that controlled time! He used it to reduce all of his cooldowns to essentially nothing! In no time at all, Abyss Predator and Ice Soul Wall were ready to go. Ice Soul Wall! A giant ice wall rose around his body. As it possessed the Ice Soul''s power, it was incredibly resilient! Bam! Inarius''s head smashed into the ice wall. The impact caused it to momentarily pass out. There was no way Vn would miss that golden opportunity. He leapt into the air, rapidly plummeted to the ground like a meteor, and stuck his sword in the middle of Inarius''s head. It was extremely deep at that! Stab! "Kuhaaahk!" That was its death throes. Inarius was no longer a red dragon. Jet-ck darkness spread across its entire body. [You have defeated the ck Nightmare and the Wings of Despair, Dragon Inarius!] ¡­ That was exactly what he''d been waiting for. "We got it!" Kang Oh roared, and stretched out his hands. * * * "Haa, haa." Kang Oh immediately plopped onto the floor. He waspletely spent. "Hoo." Vn propped himself up with his sword and took a deep breath. "Good work." "We really got it." Hispanions came over one or two at a time. Kang Oh smiled. "We wo¡­" However, he was interrupted. "Kuhahahaha!" All of a sudden, a wickedugh rang out. It wasn''t Inarius. The system message had definitely confirmed its death. "Finally! I finally took control of this body! I, Acroma!" ''Inarius'' suddenly stretched out its ck wings. "Be careful!" Vn yelled urgently. Then, the entire world was engulfed in darkness. * * * 700 years ago. There was a dragon born without wings. It was a gic deformity. The immortal, primordial dragon, Gainus, bestowed it with the name Inarius. In thenguage of dragons, Inarius meant soul''s wings. The name recognized that although it didn''t physically have wings, Inarius''s invisible soul did. The dragons didn''t discriminate or ignore him for his deformity. After all, Inarius''s birth was a blessing for a race that''d lost so many during the war. But as time passed, Inarius gained aplex for being the only wingless dragon. Ultimately, Inarius became obsessed with finding a way to gain wings. After failure upon failure, it gradually began to delve into more dangerous and forbidden practices. One day¡­ While Inarius was testing darkness magic, which he hoped to use to create artificial wings, something went wrong, and there was a massive explosion. The explosion destroyed half of its nest and grievously injured Inarius, leaving it at the brink of death for a week. However¡­! When it awoke, it found ck wings attached to its back. The experiment that it thought had failed had actually seeded! Inarius couldn''t contain its happiness and cried for three days straight. After that, Inarius abandoned its destroyed nest and created a new one on the Phamas Mountains. At the time, however, Inarius had no idea that its experiment had actually distorted space, and had allowed a being from another world toe through. Acroma! It was a demon that originated from the Demon World that parasitized its host until it eventually took control of them. Acroma infected Inarius, giving the dragon ck wings, and gradually influenced Inarius subconsciously. This is when Inarius became tyrannical and started his misdeeds. Acroma was the reason Inarius had be an Evil Dragon. However, dragons were the strongest beings on the. Acroma couldn''t take over Inarius''s body on its own. It waited a long time. Until Inarius was either killed or was weakened enough for it to take control. That time had finallye. Once Vn''s de had ended Inarius''s life, Acroma gained full control of its body. Kuhaha! A giant ck dragon with ck horns, four demonic wings, and four eyes raised its body. The Demonic Dragon, Acroma, was born. * * * [You are being revived!] Kang Oh opened his eyes. The darkness had, at some point, disappeared. However, his allies had paid the ultimate price; the darkness had taken their lives away with it. Sephiro, Bart, and Helena''s bodies were sprawled on the floor. ''What happened?'' He had no idea what was going on. At that moment¡­ "Defeat the demon that has taken over the dragon''s body. If you do not, then the entire continent will be in danger," the Whispers of the Earth said. A Guardian of the Continent Quest popped up. ''A demon took control of a dragon?'' Kuhaha! Inarius''s body rose with wickedughter. Kang Oh wasn''t sure what exactly was happening, but he was sure of one thing. "We''re taking it down," Vn said. "Yes," Kang Oh said firmly. At that moment¡­ Vn''s sword radiated intense light and transformed into apletely different form. Max Perado! The legendary holy sword had finally made itself known. Chapter 595. Ending

Chapter 595. Ending

Trantor: Boko Kuwaang! Demonic Dragon Acroma roared. Horribly evil energy arose from its twin horns, materializing into a wide veil. It wasrge enough to fill the ceiling of Inarius''s vast room. However, it wasn''t just big. It seemed as though something was just waiting to get through it. Kang Oh saw somethingrger than a whale, a being with bizarre horns, a creature with sharp ws scratching at the veil, etc. There was even a monster with a bulging mouth and various sized sharp teeth. Was that what it would look like if you were to gather the world''s monsters and then ce a thin, ck piece of cloth over them? It was so terrifying that it gave him chills; it was like he was looking at a statue made by a demon. [Warning! Demonic Dragon Acroma has created a passageway that connects this world to the Demon World.] [If this passageway ispleted, then hordes of demons will flood into this world, bringing untold chaos.] [10 minutes until the passageway isplete.] "A tunnel to the Demon World!?" Kang Oh was absolutely gobsmacked. In Arth, there were various worlds aside from the one they lived in. For example, there was the Demon World or the Illusion World. Ubist was a denizen of the Demon World, while Tstrum''s Demon, or di, was originally from the Illusion World. In ten minutes, creatures like Ubist or di woulde into this world en masse! Chaos wasn''t a strong enough word. If they got through, it would be the end for all of them. "Master Vn," Kang Oh said, his voice trembling. "I know. We have to stop it no matter what." Vn''s voice remained as firm as always. Whir! Vn''s silver sword glowed with iridescent light! Max Perado, which had regained its original form, shook. Normally, the holy sword wouldn''t reveal itself unless its chosen hero was in grave danger. However, Demonic Dragon Acroma was so evil and such a threat to the world that it had no choice but to awaken from its slumber. "You''re going to try and stop me?" Acroma smiled. A four-eyed demonic mask covered Inarius''s original face. Infinite Evil Shadows! Countless eggs appeared around it. Soon enough, those eggs hatched into horrific monsters. There were hundreds, no, thousands of them. Kuhaaahk! Kyahahk! Their shrieks were like nails on a chalkboard. A legion of demons rushed at Kang Oh and Vn like a ck cloud. "Let''s go!" "Yes!" Kang Oh swung Ubist, while Vn swung Max Perado. Divide the Sea! Both Grandmasters unleashed the ultimate technique simultaneously! The two linesyered together, and stretched outwards. Theirbined power was incredible. Several hundred monsters were annihted instantaneously! However, there were still many more where they came from. "I''ll leave the monsters to you." Light spread from Vn''s fingertips, transforming his entire body into light. Hero of Light! Max Perado gave the hero power to ovee any obstacle, and this was a manifestation of that power. Bam! Vn pierced through the legion of monsters, leaving behind a trail of light like a shooting star. Acroma lifted its body. It opened its wings and stood on its legs, making it appear more demonic than ever before. Soon¡­! Vn and Acroma would battle. The brilliant light and the deep darkness would sh for supremacy. It was the ssic battle between good and evil. Kang Oh shed a flying demon with Sarahoff. However, it didn''t deal any damage. ''Ah!'' Sarahoff''s de was still ck with the serrated red pattern on top. His demon sword was still locked in its Dragon yer mode. In this mode, Sarahoff wouldn''t deal any damage to any other target besides Inarius. Switch Blood. Kang Oh stored Sarahoff and pulled out Blood, the snow-white de enveloped in strange red light. Devil Trigger. Since he''d died, he needed to activate Devil Trigger again. A beast mask with demonic horns covered his face, and dark red wings protruded from his back. Gluttony had deactivated, and he''d also wasted his trump card, Dragon''s Hourss. But that didn''t change the fact that Kang Oh was strong. Swish! sh! He swung his demon swords one after another, cleaving through the closest demon and then moving on to the next. A de storm raged across the battlefield. Darkness Strike activated, and his swords'' darkness and blood energy devoured countless demons in his path. Tramp, tramp. Kang Oh advanced. No monster could stop him. Kuhaahk! Kyahahk! The monsters'' shrieks and cries of agony mixed together. How long had he been fighting for? He no longer heard their shrieks or their cries. All that was there was a pile of monster corpses that sunk into the ground like shadows. "Hoo, hoo." Kang Oh raised his head. Light and darkness. He could clearly see the battle between Vn and Acroma. Little by little, the darkness was eating away at the light. Vn was losing. He was humanity''s strongest, and theirst hope! That just showed how powerful Acroma was. Kang Oh tightly gripped Ubist and Blood. Their battle was so intense and hard fought that even he wouldn''te out unharmed if he jumped in. However¡­! He had to jump in, no matter how risky it might be. Vn needed his help. ''Focus!'' Tap. Kang Oh soared into the air. * * * "Haa, haa." Kang Oh breathed haggardly. His face was filled with exhaustion. Obviously, his body wasn''t doing too well either. His HP, MP, and Stamina were almost depleted. At the very least, Eder''s healing medicine was working wonders. ''Damn it.'' Acroma truly was a monster. Not only did it possess a dragon''s physical strength and magical prowess, but it also had its own demonic abilities and intellect. To think that the fusion between a demon and a dragon was possible. It was truly a horrificbination. Sarahoff had returned to its original state. Even so, neither its ice or Blood''s power were effective against the demonic dragon. It was surrounded by darkness, which sucked in most attacks like a swamp. The only things that could prate Acroma''s defense was Max Perado''s divine light, and Ubist''s darkness, which had consumed countless beings in the Demon World. Even so, the fight was still too difficult. Acroma was ridiculously strong. Moreover¡­! Kang Oh and Vn didn''t have much time left either. They didn''t have the luxury of backing off and getting help. [The passageway to the Demon World is nearingpletion.] [Remaining Time: 5 minutes, 23 seconds.] They only had 5 minutes left. When the time passed, the veil over their heads would rip apart, releasing countless demons into this world. "Haahp!" The Jet-ck Demon swung Ubist in a wide arc. Since Ubist''s abyss energy was the only thing effective against the demonic dragon, he stored his other two demon swords. Abyss w! A three-lined darkness w ripped through Acroma''s wing. Then, evil energy spread outwards like a rising tide. Giant ck mes rained down on him from above. Whir! Vn flew over and swung the holy sword. The intense light repelled the darkness and shielded Kang Oh from harm. However, the light didn''tst long, and was soon devoured by the darkness. It was as if theirst hope had fallen into a pit of despair. "Kuhahaha." They could hear Acroma''s excitedughter. Even so, Kang Oh and Vn had no way of stifling it. Giant tentacles sprouted from its sides and attacked the two Grandmasters. Kang Oh dealt with them using Mad Wind''s Sword, while Vn used Divide the Sea in tandem with the holy sword. Despite that, blocking Acroma''s attacks was all they could do. ''We can''t do this with just the two of us.'' They needed help. Not just any help, mind you; they needed the best of the best. There was someone he thought of. Kang Oh backed off, and then sent someone a message. ''Please!'' He hoped that this message would reach him! The system message shined. [Remaining Time: 4 minutes, 44 seconds.] * * * It wasn''t a matter of dealing with Acroma before their time was up. At this rate, Kang Oh would die before then. Vn''s light was gradually dimming too. They were doing whatever it took to survive, but it didn''t seem like they wouldst for very long. Their surroundings were filled with darkness. It was as if Kang Oh and Vn were stuck in a vast open sea of darkness with no way out. There was no hope of rescue. It seemed like his message hadn''t reached them. They didn''t have much time left. [Remaining Time: 1 minute, 30 seconds.] Kang Oh made his decision. ''I have to retreat.'' There was no way for him to stop Acroma from opening a tunnel to the Demon World. If that''s the case, then he had to get Vn out of here, no matter what it took. If he died, then he''d return, but that didn''t apply to Vn. They had to prepare for a world filled with demons now. "Master¡­" Kang Oh began. However, Vn interrupted him. "Don''t miss your chance!" All of a sudden, the light around his body intensified. At the same time, shards of light fell from his body. "Y-You can''t!" Kang Oh yelled desperately. He knew what Vn was trying to do. However, Vn charged straight into Acroma''s chest. "Witness the great power of the Demon World!" Acroma''s darknesspletely devoured Vn. Vn pierced through it, and unleashed light on a scale unseen thus far. At the same time, his body began to swell. He had sacrificed the remainder of his life to generate as much Light of Life as possible. The darkness was ripped to shreds. Kuhaaa! For the first time, Acroma yelled in agony. The light punctured holes all over Acroma''s body, and it wobbled on its feet. The light had ovee the darkness for a split second. Kang Oh didn''t even have time to be sad about it. This was an opportunity that Vn had given him by sacrificing himself! He got as close to Acroma as he could and gave it everything he had. Abyss Predator! Divide the Sea! A massive deluge of darkness fell from above. "Please!" Die! Swoosh! A jet-ck line cleaved both the world and Acroma in half! The veil was split diagonally, and Acroma''s body was likewise bisected. ''Is it over?'' But¡­! Acroma was truly a stubborn bastard. "I won''t die!" Although its body was cut in half, it stretched out its arm and grabbed Kang Oh. The severed pieces of its body began to mend together too. "Ugh." Death was right at his doorstep. ''Ubist. Just once, I leave this to you.'' Kang Oh used Demon''s Descent and summoned Ubist. Ubist''s head formed, and then the rest of its body. It immediately devoured the darkness in its surroundings. However¡­! Sharp spikes of darkness impaled Ubist from every direction, preventing its movement. Ubist violently struggled against its restraints, but it was no use. ''Damn it.'' They had no other options. Everything was over. Kang Oh closed his eyes and awaited his death. At that moment¡­! A miracle hade. * * * The room, which waspletely enveloped in a sea of darkness, was illuminated by a brilliant golden light. It was like an aurora. A short whileter¡­ A white-scaled dragon appeared from the golden, glowing magic circle. Divine Dragon Gainus! Kang Oh''s request for aid had finally made it to him. He had sent Sephiro a message, asking him to find Eder. Eder was the only one who could contact Gainus and request his aid. That''s why Gainus was sote. But it was a relief that he was here, and that it wasn''t toote. "Begone, Denizen of the Demon World!" Gainus unleashed a breath that glittered like the stars in the milky way. Divine Dragon''s Breath! If Acroma were at full strength, then Gainus would''ve found it difficult to oppose it. However, Vn''s sacrifice and Kang Oh''s attacks had weakened it significantly. Thus, it couldn''t deal with his Divine Dragon''s Breath. The mighty, holy breath of light swept through Acroma and made it explode. "Nooooo!" ''Do you know how long I''ve waited for this moment!? I can''t let it end like this!'' The darkness glimmered. However, Gainus was the mightiest of dragons, and was given the title of Divine Dragon to prove it. It was more skilled in magic than any other dragon to ever exist. Explosion of Divine Light! Holy Impact! Luhan''s Judgment! He maintained his breath till the very end, whilst casting grand light magic one after another to repel the darkness. Whir! The brilliant light repelled the darkness like the rising sun. It didn''t allow a single speck of darkness to remain. Kuhaaaahk! That was its final cry. Acroma swirled around like liquid flowing through the sewers and slowly dwindled in size until it waspletely gone. "You get lost too!" Gainus directed his holy light at the passageway to the Demon World that Kang Oh had cut. [Remaining Time: 3 seconds.] [The passageway to the Demon World has been destroyed.] The world had been saved. * * * Inarius was killed, as well as the parasitic demon that had been possessing its body. However, that wasn''t a cause for celebration. Vn had gone on his final journey to the underworld. Vn was the hero that saved the world. What if he hadn''t been there? Then the continent would be a hell infested with demons right about now. However, no one knew about the hero''s death, nor did anyone hold a ceremony worthy of a hero that saved the world. After all, it was clear that Vn wouldn''t have wanted something like that. Only a select few (Gainus, Kang Oh, Asu, Sven, Burkan, Darion, Dion, a few of Vn''s friends, and Kang Oh''srades) were invited to pay their respects to the hero that had saved the world. It was sad that Vn didn''t have any family members to mourn his passing. But there was an upside. Kang Oh was sure that Vn was smiling right now. After all, his family of swordsmen had alle to pay their respects. The dwarves and countless other races were freed from Inarius''s control. Those that remained loyal to the dragon until the very end disappeared without a trace. "Thank you, Savior!" "Thank you so much." Hoffman, Randelhoff, and the rest of the ck Hammer Dwarves cried as they returned to their home in the Phamas Mountains. In the future, they would create a giant city, which they would name Vn. They said that they''d name the city in Kang Oh''s honor, but he insisted that they name it after Vn instead. Kang Oh roamed the continent. Hepleted the Guardian of the Continent Quests, explored never-before-seen, extremely dangerous areas, and uncovered countless secrets hidden within dungeons. He also retained his title as strongest for a very long time. Kang Oh, who was called the Predator and/or the Dungeon Predator, would be remembered as a legend even after Arth''s service was terminated. * * * Many yearster¡­ The warm sunlight shone through the wide window of the living room. Jae Woo and Soo Ah were glued together on the sofa. Jae Woo wasn''t young anymore. The signs of the passing years were apparent on his face. His chin had be thicker, and his stomach was bigger too. In no time at all, he had be a middle-aged man. Whereas Soo Ah seemed to have not aged one bit. To be more specific, her face had retained its youthfulness, but had also gained a kindness and warmth it didn''t have before. Her beauty had only grown with age. On one side of the living roomy frames of their wedding photos. His family, as well as Soo Ah''s family were in the photos. Yura had be a baker, while Mina had be a dance choreographer. Sephiro, Bart, Helena, and the members of the Witch''s Forest had also attended the wedding and had given their blessings. "Oppa, take a look at this." Soo Ah pointed at a picture in their picture album. It was a picture of them in their youth; they wore sunsses, masks, and hats in order to hide their identities. The Eiffel Tower was behind them. "That''s when I went to Paris to see you." Jae Woo was lost in nostalgia. "This is when we disguised ourselves to get the paparazzi off our back. Do you remember?" "Of course." "Do you know how disappointed I was back then?" "Why? Since we couldn''t have a proper date?" "No, it''s because the paparazzi were there for you, not me. Even though I''m the idol! It hurt my pride." "I was a bit more sessful than you." Kang Oh grinned. Whack. "Ow." She punched Jae Woo''s chest. Soo Ah stared at Kang Oh with her beautifully aged eyes. "You were so popr with girls back then. Do you know how sad that made me?" He was approached by models, announcers, female idols, and even actresses. It truly was a mess. They became even more aggressive once they realized how much he was worth. "But I only had eyes for you." Jae Woo hugged her tight, and kissed her cheek. Soo Ah rxed. Then, she flipped through the album again. They relived several memories. The two of them had spent so much time together, talking together and loving each other so much. The memories were like pastel colors. It felt like the photos were giving off a sweet scent. They hadn''t experienced just happiness though. The two of them had gone through hardship of their own, causing them to ignore each other, fight with each other, and even separate at one point. It was like how chocte was originally bitter. However, the two were destined to meet again. In the end, the two confirmed their love for each other and got married. Now they were living a good life together. Their love had borne fruit too. "Mom, dad, can you not do that in the living room!?" Their first daughter, Eunbi, came out of her room and whined about her parent''s open disy of affection. "Please do it where no one is looking." "This is my house, you know. And he''s mine too." Soo Ah grabbed Jae Woo''s face and kissed him. "What''s wrong with kissing what''s mine in my house?" Soo Ah ced her hands on her hips. "Bleh." "Mm." Jae Woo nodded his head. She was in eighth grade, so she was about the age where she''d get sick of seeing her parents doing things like this. Soo Ah didn''t even bat an eye. "Man." Eunbi looked at her parents one more time, and then returned to her room. Thud! Closing one''s door that hard was pretty symptomatic of an eighth grader. Jae Woo and Soo Ah focused on the album again. "Oh my, take a look at this." It was a picture of their 2nd child Eunseong''s first birthday. On that day, the baby reaches and picks out anything on the table (with gifts and food), and what he picked was¡­ Then¡­ Ring! The front door opened, and a boy from elementary school came inside. He threw his bag inside his room and then turned around. "Mom, I''m going out. I''ll be backter," Eunseong said sweetly. Eunseong looked just like mother. He was like a doll. When he was younger, he was even in amercial. "Are you going to another capsule room?" "Yes! My friends and I agreed to go to a capsule room together. I''ll be back." "Don''te back toote." "Ok!" he replied enthusiastically, and rushed out the door. A short whileter, they could hear the front door being shut. "You can''t fool blood." Soo Ah stared at Jae Woo. "It''s destiny." Jae Woo pulled out the picture and shook it. Eunseong had picked up an old gaming console on his first birthday. "He has the blood of a legendary gamer in him, after all." Jae Woo grinned. "What about me? People called me a fairy." "Eunbi took after you. She''s our little fairy." The daughter being the apple of one''s eye was a true saying. "An eighth grade fairy." "Hehe." A short whileter¡­ Soo Ah stood up. "It''s already thiste? I have to go to the practice hall to prepare for the year-end concert." Soo Ah, who was once one of the best idols out there, was now a singer that people called a diva. "I''ll be back." "Alright." Soo Ah left, and Jae Woo turned on the TV. Then, he switched channels to GBS. It yed footage of the hottest game called ''Legendary''. To be more specific, it was showing an interview of the coach of the Dragons Team. The ten best teamspeted in what was called the Legendary League, and the Dragons Team had won first ce and was also considered the dominant team. "Coach, your team has won five times in a row, and things seem to be going well for you. Do you think you''ll win first ce this year too?" "Of course. We''re the strongest, after all!" Within the screen¡­ Jae Woo was smiling. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!